Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1946: The Harlem Globetrotters “treated a sardine-packed Clovis Junior High gymnasium to a Broadway version of hoosier basketball,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.
The gym’s windows “rattled from the wind of the guffaws of the multitude,” reporter Charles Stanfield claimed.
The Globetrotters defeated the House of David, 55-39.
The ’Trotters trailed 12-0 early, but made their comeback after a timeout. They huddled up — with one of their bearded opponents listening in and reporting plans back to his team — and then began hitting baskets as easily as drawing laughs.
1955: Scotty Stevenson, 11, of Elida, was treated for a bullet wound at Roosevelt General Hospital. The boy was accidentally shot in the leg by a hunting partner, another Elida youth. The .22-caliber bullet struck Scotty just above the knee of his right leg. His partner, Jerry Jordan, ran almost a mile to the Stevenson home to get help, according to Stevenson's dad, Cliff Stevenson.
1956: Fire broke out in a storeroom and filled Brooks Grocery and Market with smoke.
The Portales business’ entire stock of merchandise was lost to the fire, officials said.
Store owner Brooks Moore estimated damages at $20,000 to $30,000.
The grocery was located on the Lovington Highway, three blocks from downtown Portales.
Night police detected the fire at the rear door of the brick and concrete building.
1960: Dunaway's Cafe, formerly The New Mexican Café in Portales, opened at 5 a.m. Sunday's special was going to be baked ham and dressing. Free coffee and donuts were planned all day for March 8.
1960: San Jon beat District 7-B champion Texico, 49-45, for its 25th consecutive victory in boys high school basketball. That made San Jon the regional champion.
1962: Barnes Cleaners at 1500 Thornton offered coin-operated dry cleaning. Eight pounds of clothes could be cleaned for eight quarters, a newspaper ad claimed. “Please bring hangers.”
1962: Associates Loan Co. at 520 Pile St. in Clovis advertised “You’re welcome to our money!”
A newspaper ad read, “Try our famous Payday Loan. Or you can get cash for any good purpose in any amount $25 to $1,000. Our terms are fair, our people are accommodating and we can help you in a hurry.”
A $50 loan for two weeks cost 81 cents in interest, the newspaper ad read.
1962: Area residents had been invited to a March 7 meeting at Marshall Junior High School to hear Billy James Hargis speak on “Crusading for God and Country.”
A newspaper advertisement headlined, “Fight communism, protect America!” invited the public to “hear the daring, authentic facts about Red influence” from “one of America’s dynamic Christian leaders in a fight against Godless Communism.”
1966: Season tickets were on sale for the Corral Playhouse productions at Eastern New Mexico University and in Clovis.
Tickets were $3.50 for the summer productions held in both communities.
1969: Western D Packing Co. north of Portales was among area businesses offering public congratulations to the new livestock auction building in Clovis.
The sales arena of the new Ranchers and Farmers Livestock Auction had increased seating capacity with new individual seats, “a vast improvement on the old backless benches which were used in the older barn,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.
1970: Harry Miller had been named NAIA District 7 basketball coach of the year.
A day earlier, his Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds had defeated Adams State, 71-66, for the district title.
After the game, ENMU Center John Robertson stood at center court in Alamosa, Colo., waving the championship plaque above his head and shouting, “From all of us to all of you, we’re number one, that’s the best we could do,” for radio stations.
1970: University of New Mexico graduate Rex Hennington was named head football coach at Clovis High School. Hennington, 24, had been line coach for the Wildcats the previous season.
1975: An explosion and fire in the city of Clovis’ maintenance yard caused in excess of $40,000 damage, City Manager Marvin Hass said.
Maintenance worker Greg Lopez was hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns on his arms, legs and face, but he was listed in good condition.
Officials said an oil distributor, a transfer pump, a sewer rodder and a 22,000-gallon storage tank were all damaged in the fire. Cause of the explosion was not clear.
Officials said some street repair projects would have to be contracted out until damaged equipment could be replaced.
1997: Clovis schools Superintendent Joe Mack Mitchell, 52, announced his retirement.
He said he was looking into “other kinds of work,” but had no specific plans.
Mitchell had been an educator for 30 years.
His salary was $74,900 annually.
He cited the implementation of Character Counts and HOSTS (Helping One Student to Succeed) as career accomplishments.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
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