Thursday, Jun. 12, 2008

June 12 in Merced history

June 12, 1958

BOARD DEMANDS GRADING WORK AT EL CAPITAN:

The grading contractor of the El Capitan High School site, G St., and Morse Road, last night was given until 8 a.m. Monday to complete the job or face loss of its $17,877 contract.

Merced Union High School district trustees directed architect Henry DuPertuis to inform the LN and R Co. of Parlier that the contract would be given to another contractor to finish the job at LN and R’s expense.

Specifically, grading must be completed on the portion of the site on which the buildings will be placed so that the construction contractor, Acme construction Co. of Modesto, can proceed with the work.

On May 29 DuPertuis informed the board that the grading was 30 days overdue. However, the board took no action when DuPertuis said the company agreed that the job would be finished by the following week.

The board voted to move ahead with plans for the first phase of improvements at Merced High School. Supt. Frank Poytress was authorized to call for bids for grading of the girls play area on the north side of campus.

June 12, 1983

$18.6 MILLION BUDGET IS GIVEN APPROVAL:

The Merced City Council tentatively approved an $18.6 million budget for 1983-84 Saturday after adding about $1 million in expenditures, mostly for capital projects, to the original fiscal plan.

But council members flatly turned down any thought of increasing property taxes and shelved possible boosts in sewer, garbage and street-sweeping rates until further studies are made later in the year.

The new budget is slightly over a million dollars less than the $19.8 million earmarked a year ago.

Tentative agreement on the budget was reached as council members wound up a busy, seven-hour study session Saturday.

The council reached decisions on all departmental fiscal plans, capital improvements and outlays, appointing Thomas J. Andrusky as the new city manager and approving an average increase of 8.23 percent in pay adjustments for about 45 management members already budgeted, but previously frozen funds.

June 12, 1998

VICTIM RECOVERING, TWO ARRESTED:

Registration day at Merced College Thursday brought more than just the usual vehicle problems for the college police when an afternoon fight turned into a stabbing, said police Cmdr. Tony Dossetti.

A 21-year-old Atwater man was taken to Mercy Hospital with stab wounds to the back. At press time, the victim was listed as stable, a hospital official said.

Dossetti said the victim was stabbed with what appeared to be a small knife, possibly a 2-inch blade. He said the wounds didn’t look life-threatening.

A 17-year-old Atwater boy, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, was placed in Juvenile Hall pending juvenile court proceedings.

Dossetti said the 2:16 p.m. stabbing is believed to have been the result of an ongoing argument between the two individuals over a woman.

Witnesses said the boy was sitting on a bench when the victim approached and the two began fighting.

Witnesses said the boy allegedly pulled out a small knife and stabbed the victim in the back. The teen-ager was taken into custody by police Officer Richard Byrd.

Also arrested at the scene was a 20-year-old Turlock woman, she was booked for being an accessory after the fact and for obstructing justice. The commander said the woman was arrested after she allegedly came into possession of the knife and, according to witnesses, attempted to hide it. The weapon was recovered, he said.