Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1953: Grover Seitz, manager of the Clovis Pioneers baseball team, announced that outfielder Jim Matthews had been sold for an "undisclosed fat sum" to the Amarillo Gold Sox, the team that won the West Texas-New Mexico league pennant the year before.
Matthews, who gathered 39 home runs for the Pioneers in the previous season, was unable to settle a salary dispute with management. Seitz said he hoped to use proceeds of the sale to purchase a suitable replacement for the player known as "Gentleman Jim."
Seitz said other veterans would be returning to the Pioneers lineup for a strong team, including pitcher Roy Parker, catcher Frank Benites, third baseman Winston Havenstrite, and first baseman Virgil Richardson.
1955: Portales Rotarians “and their ladies” celebrated the 20th anniversary of the club at the Cal Boykin hotel in Portales, The Portales Daily News reported.
The club had 75 members, including eight charter members. The club began on Feb. 24, 1935, with 25 members. Former Eastern New Mexico University President Donald MacKay was the club’s first president.
1955: The Roosevelt County School Board authorized purchase of a 36-passenger school bus for one of Dora’s 11 routes. The new bus would replace a 30-passenger bus, officials said.
1956: The Humble Oil Co. had opened a new gas station at 820 E. First in Clovis.
Don Reeves Humble Service would be working out of a “new modern building,” according to newspaper ads.
1957: Traffic signals were removed from the intersection at First and Main streets in Portales to accommodate Highway 70 construction. Lights on Second Street were expected to be removed soon.
In the interim, police advised that traffic on First and Second streets had the right of way, but suggested it would be best to “look at what’s coming” before crossing the uncontrolled intersections, the Portales News-Tribune reported.
1957: The Floyd Fire Department was sponsoring Cliff Dunham’s Donkey Ball Show. The event featured donkey races and other sporting competitions starring the donkeys from Crescent, Okla. Games were held in the Floyd Gym. Admission ranged from 35 cents to 75 cents.
1960: Clovis schools Superintendent Travis Stovall had been named governor-elect for Rotary International of the New Mexico and Big Bend area of West Texas districts. Stovall’s duties required him to visit each club in the district, help organize new clubs and work to grow the Rotary International program.
1960: Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth and Tab Hunter were starring in “They Came to Cordura,” playing at the Tower theater in Portales. Shows started at 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
1962: The Aztec Lounge, at 1010 E. First in Clovis, offered mixed drinks, cold beer and opportunity to dance to the music of The Rabbit Twisters. The band played Monday through Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
1965: Eastern New Mexico University had named 15 regional chairmen to work with alumni in building a $500,000 football stadium between Clovis and Portales. Chairmen included Bill McDaniel of Clovis and Bill Conder of Portales. ENMU already owned the land at the proposed site, a major factor in determining location.
1965: F-100 supersonic fighter-bomber jets were reported landing at Cannon Air Force Base as units began returning from rotational duty.
The F-100s, some of which had been flying missions in Vietnam and Laos in recent months, apparently were returning from deployments to Southeast Asia, according to the Clovis News-Journal.
Cannon officials declined to comment on the planes’ activities.
1966: A former Eastern New Mexico University athletic director and coach had been selected to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.
Al Garten, who coached football, basketball and track at ENMU, retired in 1965.
He coached 38 years in all, including 29 at ENMU.
1970: K-Bob’s, at 301 E. First in Clovis, offered 16-ounce T-bone steaks for $3.50. All steaks were served with tossed green salad, baked potato or French fries and a loaf of fresh-baked French bread. The restaurant was open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
1973: Rosa Roberts of Clovis was presented with a lifetime membership in New Mexico Garden Clubs Inc., in honor of her long service to Clovis' Gateway Garden Club, and other garden clubs in eastern New Mexico.
A charter member of the Gateway Club, Roberts was voted "most valuable member" the year before, after a four-year run as president of the group.
She had provided numerous programs on flower arranging, horticulture, and other aspects of gardening to clubs and organizations in the area.
1975: The Clovis Elks Lodge was preparing to host the annual meeting of the New Mexico South District of the Benevolent Patriotic Order of Does. About 200 does and elks were planning to attend.
1992: Clovis High math teacher Esther Steinle was leading efforts for a Purple Pride program.
"Basically, the program is designed to make students aware of how important academics, attendance and punctuality are," Steinle said.
She said similar programs across the country had stimulated academic achievement, increased college-entrance test scores and reduced the dropout rate.
1997: A Portales woman had been named one of four Legacy Award winners for her work through Roosevelt County's Community Services Center.
Dolores Penrod founded the CSC in 1965 because "there was a terrible need in the community for a place for those who needed help."
CSC provided about 50 services and included 600 volunteers who did everything from make baby clothes to build wheelchair ramps and tutor children.
"I tell people I'm the community nag," Penrod told a newspaper reporter.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
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