Pages past - April 27

On this date ...

1993: Some flyaway balloons from the Clovis Home and Garden Show held the previous month turned up in Ness City, Kansas.

Grover and Avis Rothe, who said they live in a rural area about 50 miles north of Dodge City, Kansas, reported that they'd found 10 balloons from the show in a pasture they owned.

Avis Rothe said the balloons were printed with the names of several local businesses, including Aucutt's Paint Store, Valley Mower Clinic, Century 21, Re/Max Town and Country Real Estate, and the Clovis News-Journal.

"Isn't it amazing that the balloons traveled that far?" she said. "I'll have to tell those businesses how far their advertising went this year."

1983: Wind was a "highly discussed and most often cussed" topic of conversation in eastern New Mexico, especially in the spring, according to a feature in the Clovis News-Journal.

"Although Clovis is known for its constantly blowing wind, it has a monthly wind speed average of 11.39 miles per hour, compared to 14.95 mph in Clayton, 12.19 mph in Tucumcari, and 11.96 mph in Hobbs," the article said.

New Mexico cities with a monthly wind speed average lower than Clovis included Albuquerque with 8.47 mph, Roswell with 9.77 mph, and Las Cruces with 7.01 mph.

The numbers came from a report prepared by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.

Pages Past is compiled by Betty Williamson. Contact her at:

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