Looking back 40, 30 and 20 years ago, the following are excerpts from the Artesia Daily Press from Sept. 6-12.
40 years ago
Sept. 6‐12, 1975
Artesia’s Bulldogs are alive, well and kicking this 1975 football season. Even a pre-game rain which soaked the field at Bulldog Bowl before and during the first quarter of Friday night’s football game failed to dampen Artesia’s spirit, or game. And very likely that, had the field been dry Friday night, Artesia would have come away with a lot more than just a 21-0 victory over the Roswell Goddard Rockets. The Rockets have never beaten the Bulldogs.
A continuing rash of vandalism to Artesia business houses, most always directed at the establishments’ windows, is prompting several local businessmen to consider posting night watchmen around town in an effort to catch the vandals responsible for several thousand dollars in damage in recent months. Saturday morning, the Artesia Police Department received four complaints of broken windows, adding to the continually lengthening list of such vandalisms. The police chief could not speculate whether or not the rash of window breakings are being committed by the same persons.
As reported in the Pinon News: Mr. and Mrs. Gaston Lewis of Sacramento, moved back to their ranch southwest of Pinon on Saturday and Sunday. Gaston is now employed with the game department as a trapper for this area. They moved to Sacramento once before several years ago where Gaston was employed. Mrs. Lewis worked a while in the lunch room at the Weed School before their son was born.
Harry Readel, Artesia Daily Press sports editor for the past three years, was recognized for his support of AHS athletics by members of the Artesia High School football team and coaching staff following Friday’s season-opening victory. He was presented a plaque entitling him to a lifetime membership in the high school A-Club. Readel departed Artesia Saturday to assume a sports writing position with the El Paso Post-Herald.
The residents of Hope are guarding their household pets this week, but an apparent pet poisoner has still managed to kill at least one cat and 10 dogs in this rural community in the past five days.
30 years ago
Sept. 6‐12, 1985
Between 70 and 80 percent of all alfalfa grown in the Pecos Valley this year is being stored because of lack of a market, according to Eddy County Extension Agent Dan Liesner of Carlsbad. A barn at the Artesia Alfalfa Growers Association north of Artesia reflects that painful message. This with four other stand filled to the top with bales of high-quality Pecos Valley alfalfa in need of buyers. Problems in the ranching industry along with the current economic situation have been pinpointed as reasons for the market drop.
Cottonwood farmers David and Greg Conklin were recipients of this year’s gifts from the Artesia Chamber of Commerce for having the first bale of cotton. The bale came out of the Artesia Alfalfa Growers Association gin at 8:26 a.m. Saturday, according to AAGA general manager John Wilson.
As reported in the Pinon News: John Rylee has had a man at his ranch with a truck recently hauling gravel, graveling his road to his ranch house and stock pens. Mr. Bob Brown planned to take his tractor with a blade on it and level the gravel on his road. Mr. and Mrs. John Rylee spent the Labor Day weekend at their ranch here and Basil Holcomb helped him with work on his well.
Artesia’s Margie Luevano put a blocking maneuver on at the net while an unidentified Ruidoso player reacted to an unseen volleyball off to the right during Saturday’s varsity battle between the two schools at the high school boys’ gym. Artesia ran its record to 2-0 with a 15-11, 5-15, 13-15, 15-1, 15-5 victory.
20 years ago
Sept. 6‐12, 1995
It’s First Test Time again for the Artesia Bulldogs, who seek their third straight win Friday when they tangle with Roswell High at the Wool Bowl. Artesia’s 34-8 and 33-13 wins over Ruidoso and Hobbs in the first two games of the season didn’t give the Bulldogs much of an indication of how good or bad they really are. But Roswell will, because the Coyotes easily could be 2-0 going into Friday’s battle.
Tom Vandiver and others showed the first bales of cotton ginned at the Artesia Alfalfa Growers Association gin Thursday afternoon. The two bales, weighing 406 and 320 pounds, were grown on land Vandiver owns that is farmed by Manuel Maldonado Jr. and Manuel Maldonado Sr., the farm’s foreman.
Friday night’s Great Bulldog Give-away at the Wool Bowl benefited a grabby bunch of Coyotes the most. Roswell High converted three of Artesia’s six turnovers into touchdowns, took a big lead early and eventually posted a 28-14 victory that should have convinced spectators that the Coyotes are for real.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Looking Back is compiled each week by Daily Press Community Living Editor Teresa Lemon.)
