STORIES FROM THE PAST
50 years ago
A 13-year-old girl and a family friend survived an 11-hour ordeal in Salton Sea after their boat capsized late Sunday. But the girl’s father is missing and today is presumed to have drowned.
The two who made it across eight miles of water with only a life cushion between them are Debra Stewart and Robert Kerchener, 32, both of Covina. Bob Stewart, 32, the girl’s father, was last seen holding to a “life” cushion.
According to the sheriff’s office, Stewart’s boat capsized in the center of Salton Sea around 5 p.m. Sunday. The craft, an 18foot with inboard motor, was swamped by waves and high winds after the motor failed. The sheriff’s rescue boat first spotted the deserted Stewart craft, “Winemaker,” around 8 p.m. Sunday.
The survivors came to shore around 4 a.m. yesterday and were taken to State Park Ranger headquarter at North Shore State Park. They did not require hospitalization.
40 years ago
Bloomington joined Elsinore and Royal Oak on the sidelines in the SCIF Class AA Softball Playoffs Tuesday, thanks to superior play by the Central Spartans.
The Desert Valleys League champions may not be satisfied until they’re the only team left in the Playoffs. The Spartans are working on a 16game win streak.
It’s an impressive string of wins for Coach Emma Jones and the Central girls. They’ve played 16 games in 1977 and have yet to sufferer a setback.
30 years ago
In ancient times irrigation made deserts bloom. But it also made them die again. The trouble is salt. There is always fear that the water which created one of the nation’s most lush farm lands (in the Imperial and Coachella valleys) could spell doom unless farmers, homeowners and others understand its nature, affects and proper management.
The Imperial Valley gets all of its water — some three million acre-feet a year, from the Colorado River via the All-American Canal. By the time the Colorado reaches the canal diversion point, a few miles north of the Mexican border, the river and its tributaries have picked up salt from seen western states: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
At this diversion point, the Colorado River is caring more than a ton of salt per acre-foot over three million tons of salt into the Imperial Valley per year.
20 years ago
CALEXICO — New York state-based American Tissue Corp. wants to expand its West Coast market and has chosen Calexico as the launching pad.
“We did some investigation and the area is very good there for us,” said American Tissue Vice President Shahram Roozrokh during a recent telephone interview. “There are a lot of incentives (and) a lot of opportunities for expansion.”
The corporation will spend about $7 million to build a manufacturing and warehousing facility on 10 acres west of Highway 111 just south of Portico Industrial Park.
Roozrokh says he anticipates construction on the two 110,000-plus square-foot buildings will begin in mid-June and the facility, Calexico Tissue Corp. LLC, will begin operating by February.