Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1921: Two men accused of criminal activity from Nebraska to Texas and New Mexico had been arrested in Kenna.
Local authorities became involved when the men gave a forged check to purchase a rifle and ammunition in Hereford. From there, they purchased gasoline in Bovina, then other guns in Texico and Elida, all with forged checks using different names.
Officials said the men's journey began in Omaha, Neb., in a stolen Jordan roadster, which they soon traded for a Ford in Kansas.
They allegedly obtained blank checks from various towns through which they traveled.
The men were being held in New Mexico where they would face charges before being returned to Texas to face additional charges.
1921: Rev. J.F. Nix, the pastor of Portales' First Baptist Church, had declined an offer to become pastor at the Baptist church in Wellington, Texas.
“The Wellington church is a strong and inviting field with more than 500 members and would mean a step forward,” the Portales Valley News reported. “But Rev. Nix says he could not leave Portales just now, feeling just right about the work here, and gives up a chance for promotion and an advancement in salary.”
1938: Universal Electric Refrigerators and Washers was looking for a dealer in eastern New Mexico. The Landers-Frary and Clark company wanted to “start you in business with one or a carload.” Its newspaper ad described the refrigerator as “beautiful” with a rotary compressor, “the envy of all manufacturers.”
1956: A newspaper ad from Alcoholics Anonymous read: “If you drink, that's your business. If you want to quit, that's our business.”
The Portales chapter of AA offered more information by writing to Box 131.
1956: A large truck and trailer loaded with oil-field equipment was too high to clear the Portales Highway underpass.
“One of the oil field tanks got hung on the south side of the underpass and gouged a hole in the cement as the trailer was completely jerked loose from the truck,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.
Police were kept busy directing traffic for 90 minutes before the wreckage could be cleared.
1963: D&L Wrestling Arena at 200 Mitchell in Clovis was preparing to host a series of matches.
The leadoff event featured Judy Glover against Kathy Starr. Iron Mike was slated to take on Rickey Romero in the men’s competition, followed by Jolting Scarpello vs. Don McClarity and Viking vs. Cowboy Ellis.
Reserved seats were $1.50. General admission was $1.
1965: Regents at Eastern New Mexico University were continuing their search for a new president. Donald Moyer had resigned to accept the post of chancellor at Nevada Southern University in Las Vegas. ENMU regents had declined to disclose names of candidates for the president’s job.
1968: Firman Haynie, superintendent of the Portales schools, gave notice of his resignation to the Portales school board, after accepting a position with the University of Texas at Austin.
He and his wife, Margaret — a Portales school teacher — planned to stay through the end of the current school year.
Haynie was educated in the Portales schools and graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in 1942. He received his master's degree from Texas Tech and completed his doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Denver.
A 25-year veteran of public education, Haynie was also serving as the commander of the Carl McDermott American Legion post in Portales.
School board President Gordon Hatch said a search to find the next Portales superintendent would begin immediately.
1971: Spic & Span Cleaners in Portales was offering a Lincoln's Birthday Special - customers with a coupon clipped from the Portales News-Tribune would receive a free Lincoln penny minted from 1909 to 1920.
Spic & Span promised “all spots gone,” “longer lasting press” and “odorless” cleaning.
It was located at 500 S. Ave. C.
1973: A group of parents, mostly mothers, had been in attendance at a Clovis school board meeting, wanting to know when their daughters would have access to athletics in the Clovis school system.
A recent ruling from the New Mexico Attorney General stated that females could no longer be prohibited from playing organized sports in state schools.
"Girls have gotten the short end of the stick as far as athletics is concerned," said Mrs. G.H. Trimble, spokesperson for the parents' group. "Running laps and doing toe bends isn't adequate for our girls."
Discussion on the matter ended with parents suggesting the schools conduct a survey of students to see how many girls would be interested in participating in organized sports for the 1973-74 school year.
Clovis Superintendent L.W. Byous said schools in the district were also conferring with each other to "come up with some sort of uniform girls' athletic programs."
1974: Clovis city commissioners were attempting to secure funds from the State Library Commission to overhaul a historic building and turn it into a library.
The building, located at Fourth and Mitchell, was originally a post office on land that was first home to Clovis’ zoo. The zoo moved to Hillcrest Park in 1929, and the post office opened in the early 1930s. In 1975, the federal building became home to the library.
1976: An urban renewal project in Clovis’ Southwest quadrant was nearing an end after more than three years and almost $3 million.
The La Casita project was expected to provide housing for 218 people.
“We feel that anything that is good for any portion of Clovis is good for the city as a whole,” said Roy Walker, executive director of the Urban Development Agency.
1976: Bob’s Supermarket in Clovis was offering 100 free Buccaneer stamps with the purchase of a 14-ounce bottle of Listerine.
Bob’s was located at 820 W. Seventh and was open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
1977: From Clovis police files:
• A Carlsbad man reported someone stole $282 from his wallet at an establishment on South Prince Street.
• A Clovis man reported someone stole a 35-millimeter camera and case, a leather jacket, two turquoise rings, a watchband and choker from his home at 515 Connelly.
• A man reported $250 worth of damage was done to the inside of a 1977 car he had rented from Big Country Ford.
1981: Sen. Harrison Schmitt, R-N.M., had delivered the art work of a Clovis man to President Ronald Reagan.
Artist Chuck Glikas gave the president a No.1 print of a limited edition New Mexico barn owl.
Schmitt told reporters the presentation “tells the president that we in New Mexico really give a hoot.”
1981: The Clovis Gun Club had more than 100 members. The club was sanctioned by the National Rifle Association.
Competitions were held the second Sunday of each month. Membership fee was $25 per year.
The club was located on private property one mile north of the Curry County line off U.S. 70.
1982: Marsha Dreier was the new director at Clovis-Carver Public Library.
Dreier, 30, came to Clovis from Tucson, Ariz., where she served 185 hours of internship with the assistant library director at Tucson Public Library.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
