Looking back 40, 30 and 20 years ago, the following are excerpts from the Artesia Daily Press from April 24-30.
40 years ago
April 24‐30, 1976
Two Artesia High School auto mechanics students, Daniel E. Forlines and Robert B. Martin, will be participating in the state Plymouth Trouble Shooting “On Car” Contest in Albuquerque. Forlines and Martin placed third in the annual contest’s regional competition, which entitled them to compete in the state finals.
—————
As reported in the Pinon News: Thursday of last week was a typical April day, as there were high southwest winds, heavy clouds, some rain and snow showers. Seven inches of snow and some slick roads were reported in the Cloudcroft area. Saturday and Saturday night were both quite cold with frost. A number of persons were figuring the rest of the fruit was probably killed by the frost.
—————
Shortstop Jerry Brown has proven to be an invaluable part of this year’s Bulldog baseball team. So far this season, the junior has rapped enough hits to boost his batting average to an impressive .415. Tuesday, his second-inning double accounted for two of the ‘Dogs’ five runs against the Hobbs Eagles.
—————
Artesia hurdler Jacklyn Cole accomplished something in Tuesday’s Carlsbad Quadrangular Track Meet which she has been struggling for all season — she defeated Lovington’s Arlene Lawson in the 80-yard hurdles. Lawson, who has dominated the hurdle events in New Mexico for several years, fell to Cole’s time of 10.79 seconds, only nine-hundredths of a second off the state record.
—————
As reported in Big Orange Country: Both students and teachers could be seen staggering around the halls with glassy-eyed stares last Monday. They were feeling the effects of the junior-senior prom, held last Saturday. Most people seemed to be on the road to recovery by Wednesday. Also, someone seems to have taken a liking to a certain prom decoration. A large rubber plant, used as a background for pictures, is missing. Anyone having any information about the missing plant’s whereabouts should contact Mrs. Harvey at the high school.
30 years ago
April 24‐30, 1986
Ralph Schilling, 81, boards an Artesia Senior Center bus with an instrument he describes as “a long banjo-like thing with a leg, one string, and a drum bed made from a cake box.” Schilling claims the homemade “boom bas” (pronounced boom bosh) is the only one in the state of New Mexico, and he plays it as part of the center’s Looney Tooners band.
—————
As reported in the Pinon News: Mr. and Mrs. David Anderson of Perk Canyon planned to pour concrete for a kitchen floor Saturday. They are gradually getting their home built as they have time and money. They started with one room. their home is in a beautiful place on a flat hilltop just west of Demry Anderson’s home.
20 years ago
April 24‐30, 1996
Artesia High School student Veronica Orquiz received a gold medal earlier this month at the FHA-HERO State Conference in Glorietta. Orquiz won the medal for her hummingbird cake in the baked goods competition.
—————
Remembering Joe Fenn as a friend who could be called upon to lend his help, the Greater Artesia Chamber of Commerce presented Fenn’s widow, Peggy, and son, Bill, with a plaque posthumously honoring him as the Citizen of the Year for 1996.
—————
Park Junior High’s eighth-grade track teams won Border Conference titles in seven total events Friday at the season-ending Border Conference Meet hosted by Hobbs Houston. Ninth-grade teams did not compete in the conference meet this year, so it was all eighth grade. The Bulldog boys finished second in their division while the Bulldog girls placed fourth in theirs.
—————
As reported in the Pinon News: It is getting farming time, and there was only one field that had been plowed en route from Pinon to Cloudcroft. It is so dry that the farmers must think it is no use unless there is rain in the very near future. Also the wind has been very bad.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Looking Back is compiled each week by Daily Press Community Living Editor Teresa Lemon.)