Stories from the past

50 years ago

INDIO — Announcement of election of Keith Ainsworth, Indio, as chairman of the Colorado River Basin region board of the California Water Quality Control Board has been made from the headquarters office.

Other board members with jurisdiction over water pollution matters arising within the area extending from Needles to the Mexican Border in the Colorado River Basin are Jack J. Fleming, Brawley; Don R. Worke, El Centro; Lee J. Escher, Indio; Harry H. Schmitz, Palm Desert, and Robert H. Chesney, Needles.

Ainsworth is assistant manager of the Coachella Valley County Water District with which he has been associated 22 years in various capacities. He is an engineering graduate from the Utah State College, served three years with the U.S. Navy in World War II, and has held numerous civic posts in the Coachella Valley.

40 years ago

In a wide-ranging and sweeping lawsuit, developer Robert L. Childers is preparing to air a list of grievances against the city of El Centro, and its Planning Department, with city Planning Director Oliver Alvarado figuring prominently in his complaints.

Childer’s lawsuit, the starting point of which was an arrest of Childers by an El Centro police officer who allegedly tried to goad the real estate dealer into a fight, alleges a number of city officials participated in a conspiracy to block Childers’ developments and personally discredit him.

Childers’ attorney has taken depositions from City Manager George Parker, former Assistant City Manager Lou Herz, Councilman Henry Alarcon, City Clerk Celia Sweeden, Alex Armenta of the Probation Department, postman Fred Douglas, and a list of other individuals, directly and indirectly connected with city government.

Last October an incident occurred in which Childers was rousted by police officer David S. Boer, who is no longer with the El Centro Police Department. Boer allegedly said there was something in Childers actions that indicated hostile intent, but no officers present, according to Childers attorney, would testify that Childers challenged Boer to a fight.

“The suit started because of the crappy arrest,” Childers said. “And it was a crappy arrest. The DA’s office threw it out.”

Childers maintains the arrest was the result of his name having been repeatedly “dragged through the mud” in public hearings and in the newspaper by Planning Director Alvarado and Councilman Alarcon. However, Childers said he does not think there was any direct conspiracy between Alvarado and Alarcon.

From the public officials and former officials deposed by Childers’ attorney, David Marcus, testimony was taken which Childers claims supports his contention that his developments were given unfair treatment by the city as opposed to projects of other local development companies.

“There was testimony, some vehement, that Childers’ projects have been held up,” Marcus said. Affected by the city’s treatment, the Childers’ people maintain, have been three large-scale projects, and specific cases of alleged misconduct by the Planning Department have also been outlined.

30 years ago

Though there is a substantial reservoir of hot fluid left under Imperial County’s East Mesa, the potential for new geothermal development there may be limited, according to the geothermal program manager for a state water agency.

“The problem in East Mesa is there are too many straws in one glass of water,” Paul Sweeney told a meeting of the Regional Water Quality Control Board in Indian Wells on Wednesday.

Sweeney said it is unknown how long geothermal power production on the East Mesa can last, but the six plants now operating in the area most likely will continue producing for 30 years.

Geothermal energy can be a renewable resource if all the fluids and heat that are extracted by power plants are replaced, but this is not happening on the East Mesa.

“The more people you have working on a fixed resource the faster it will go away,” Sweeney said this morning. “It may not last as long as they thought because of the increased number of people that are drawing from it.”

Sweeney, presenting an overview of geothermal activity in Imperial Valley, also said there is a potential for serious subsidence problems in the Valley.