Thursday, May. 15, 2008

May 15 in local history

May 15, 1958

ATWATER PLUNGE TURNED OVER TO PRIVATE BUSINESS:

Atwater Parks and Recreation Commission yesterday recommended to the local City Council that the Atwater Municipal Plunge be turned over to a private business on a percentage basis.

City Administrator William Spafford brought the matter up and recommended to the recreation board that the pool be turned over to commission chairman Harold Holman.

Holman accepted the proposition, agreeing to pay the city 17 percent of the gross income from the plunge. Holman also submitted his resignation from the board, subject to final approval of the agreement by the council.

Holman has served on the board for six years and has been chairman for almost two years. Spafford pointed out Holman operated the pool on a volunteer basis for several years.

It was pointed out the city would receive nearly $1,000 as its share of the arrangement even if the pool grossed no more than last year. Holman expressed confidence he could make the pool gross more than last year's $4,800, keeping admission prices at the same level. Spafford said last year the pool operation "just about broke even."

Commissioner Thomas Olaeta noted that the action would take the pool out of the hands of Recreation Director Bill Pickle, leaving him free to concentrate on other phases of the recreation program. Spafford added that the city might even be able to expand the program somewhat.

May 15, 1983

FLOWERS SETS LHS RECORD AS WOLVES TOP LOS BANOS:

Kim Flowers went 4-for-4 and set a new Livingston High record for hits in a season Friday as the Wolves closed out the Golden Valley League campaign with a 6-4 win over Los Banos.

The four hits boosted Flowers' GVL batting average to .550 and gave him 33 hits for the season. The previous record was 32, set in 1976 by Allen Grubb, who later played at Merced College.

"Kim had an outstanding season," said LHS coach Vern Pritchett. "At this point, I think he's almost a cinch to win Most Valuable Player honors for the league,"

The win was the 19th of the season against only loss for the GVL-champion Wolves. Livingston, 11-1 in league, will host the second place team from the Valley Oak League in the first round of the Sac-Jaoquin Section AA playoffs on May 21.

May 15, 1998

ANCIENT BUSES RETIRING:

A 1963 car might be considered "vintage." A school bus from the Kennedy era, however, is just old.

High school trustees this week decided to ask the state for six new buses to replace an equal number that well outdate their 1,400 regular passengers. All the short-timers were built before 1977 and have logged more than 300,000 miles.

"That's the first bus I drove 20 years ago," one driver said, looking at a 1967 model parked behind Merced High School. "They're tired and worn out."

Merced Union High School District Transportation Director Joe Lial said the bus in question cost $18,000. "They were good buses in their days," he added.

Times have changed: The new vehicles, expected in December, will come at about $100,000 apiece, one-third of that covered by the state.

"There have been some significant changes in design," Lial said. "Even though school buses look like they did a long time ago, the engineering has come along."