Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1960: Membership had almost doubled at the second meeting of the newly formed Curry County Sugar Beet Association.
About 85 farmers, including 63 members of the association, had met at Farmer's Electric Co-op to hear officers and directors of the group explain just what a sugar beet industry would mean to the area.
Officials said at least 20,000 acres were available in Curry, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy and De Baca counties for sugar beets. With at least that much more acreage available in adjoining areas, the region could have the necessary 40,000 acres needed to justify a sugar refinery.
1970: Employees at Portales' F. W. Woolworth store, on the corner of Main and South Avenue A for 16 years, were packing up merchandise and preparing to close on New Year's Eve.
H. Peinado, Woolworth's district manager, said the volume of sales at the Portales location had been “satisfactory,” but the company had changed its “merchandising methods and outlook.” It wanted locations with larger retail space and ample parking.
The Portales News-Tribune reported all of the Portales store's employees had been offered jobs at other locations, but only one had accepted a transfer - Ruth Storey, who was moving to Oklahoma.
Store Manager Paul Jaramillo said he was hoping to be transferred to another Woolworth in New Mexico, but was awaiting his fate. Mable Hendricks, Pauline Clark and Grace Vanderslice had decided to retire or made plans to qualify for the company's retirement program.
Other employees had found jobs locally or were hoping to find jobs in the area.
Elida raises funds …
1970: A Christmas bazaar, featuring baked goods, hand-made items, ceramics and a donated quilt, were sold to raise $87 for the Senior Citizen Center in Elida.
The money went to maintenance on the center.
Cost of communication …
1975: The cost of mailing a letter was about to go from 10 cents to 13 cents, the sixth increase in the last 17 years.
“And the steady increase in postal rates is unlikely to end there,” The Associated Press reported.
That's entertainment …
1975: Weekend entertainment at the Captain's Table in Portales would be Win-Song, promoters said. There would be no cover charge to listen or dance.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens. Contact:
