Saturday, Sep. 20, 2008

Sept. 20 in Merced history: Four youths held after stickup

September 20, 1958: Three young men and a girl identified as the youths who robbed a man who stopped to render aid near Dos Palos this morning on Highway 152 were arrested by Mendota police shortly before noon.

Frank Coley, 39, employee of Seward Bros. Ranch near Dos Palos, identified the suspects as the four who robbed him of $7 at the point of a revolver after Coley stopped on the highway to render aid. Coley said he thought the youths' car had broken down.

The incident was reported to the sheriff's office at about 10 a.m. Mendota police arrested the youths less than an hour and a half later.

Sheriff's deputy Jess Bowling took the victim to Mendota where he identified the suspects. The four youths, ranging in age from 18 to 21 are to be brought to Merced for interrogation. The sheriff's office here did not know the suspects' names at noon today.

HIS GOAL IS TO IMPROVE

THE SACRED COW IN INDIA:

A man from India, who voluntarily dropped from the caste he was born into, is currently in Merced during his one-man campaign to improve the cattle of India.

Major P.L. Bose was born into the professional caste of lawyers. He decided to become a dairyman because of his concern over the shortage of food in his country. Dairymen in India are of the lower castes.

Maj. Bose has been in the United States for 33 months, asking dairy farmers to donate jersey cattle to be used for inter-breeding with local cattle in India.

He said the "tea cup cows," or brahma cattle, of India give so little milk that the average person in India drinks only one glass of milk a year.

Maj. Bose is now staying with local dairyman E.E. Greenough. Greenough has donated two Jersey heifers to Bose.

Bose said there is no governmental agency or other body behind his campaign. He said he is doing it entirely on his own.

"My biggest problem right now is shipping: he said. "I have had more offers of cattle than I can ship."

So far, farmers have donated 16 cows and two bulls for Bose to take back to India with him.

Bose was asked where he will keep his cattle when he returns to India. "In the city of course," he replied. He said the cow being sacred to Indians, gets more food than the people and is allowed to wander freely in town.

September 20, 1983

INSURANCE PROTEST

IN ATWATER:

More than 100 angry employees and retirees flocked to the Atwater Elementary School District board meeting Monday to protest insurance premium increases of up to 400 percent.

A spokesman for retired district employees said the increases have especially shocked and frightened that group, since its members live on a fixed income.

"They can't afford (the premiums) and don't know which way to turn," said Thomas Olaeta, retired district superintendent, speaking for the retirees' group.

Trustees agreed to waive payment of the premiums for up to 60 days while officials look into changing coverage, but board president Roger Wood warned them no matter what company covers the district, cost of coverage will still be going up considerably.

"Don't go away thinking they may not double because we've decided to slow things down," Wood told the employees.

According to district figures, last year's premiums ranged from $81 per month for 10 months to $172 per month. New premiums ranged from $90 to $274 per month.

But employees speaking at the meeting complained of paying more than $600 per month.

CITY STREET PROGRAM TAKING NEW DIRECTION:

The city's street tree program is branching out in a slightly different direction under an ordinance introduced Monday.