A Handy Guide to Valentine's Day in Holtville

WORDS BY ELIZABETH ENRIQUEZ-PHILLIPS

   Ah, Valentine's Day is in the air tomorrow, but wait what do I get my sweetheart? Well if you are like me you love to shop local! Here's a Valentine's Day Guide for Holtville:

Photo from Marisol's Holtville Floral & Gifts

Flowers

   Recently I was volunteering my time with the Chamber of Commerce and got to experience first-hand the amazing fresh quality of Marisol's Holtville Floral & Gifts at 571 Pine Avenue.She currently has roses, balloons and stuffed animals for the special person in your life. You will not be disappointed!

Sweets

   Lovely's Luscious Cupcakes of Holtville is AMAZING! Luke tried the Elvis Cupcake and loved it. One on my list to try is the Moscato cupcakes...hope I can get an order soon. This cupcake is perfect for any occasion that calls for a bubbly drink.  If you can get them for Valentine's, for sure place an order soon. They make a mean cupcake.

Moscato Cupcakes from Lovely's Luscious Cupcakes

Stationary

   Our local Parker's Pharmacy has a good selection of  conventional cards. They also carry See's Candies.
They are located at 102 West 5th street.

   Another great selection of really cool cards is I Heart Kid by Minerva Torres, a local artist. She currently has two cards to choose from and both are delightful.

Fine Wine & Dining

   The Fields Steakhouse at the
 Barbara Worth Resort. Mmmm... what can I say about Fields. It's absolutely delicious! Chef Chris is super talented and brings his experience from working at fine venues such as the Hotel del Coronado. I personally loves how he creates a fusion of classic cuisine and combines them with our local palette.  They are currently having a special on a four-course meal for $28.95 per person. Sounds of Jazz will also be playing as you enjoy your baby greens salad with dried cherries, cotijia cheese and a sherry vinaigrette.The appetizer is garlic shrimp with black bean puree, cornbread and pico de gallo. The main course is a choice between grilled filet mignon or a grilled lobster tail. If you are a big eater you can have both entrees for an extra ten dollars. Both entrees comes with a baked potato and baby carrots as well as a complimentary glass of champagne. Desert is a lovely Creme Brulee, which is my favorite. Join the event on Facebook and call for a  reservation, but hurry they are filling up fast.

An intimate setting at Fields Steakhouse

Casual Dining

   Nana's Cafe is also having a Valentine's Day special. We have gone the past two years and it's quite good and affordable. Please call them for reservation and details.

  Hot Rods and Beer is having a Valentine's Day Special too, and it includes a bottle of wine and a rose. They have Clark Baker's Standing Room Only performing. Call for details.

Beautiful Holt Park

Family Fun

   Have the little ones afoot and need to entertain them as well? May I suggest a family picnic at Holt Park! Holt Park is one of the most well kept and nicest park in the Valley and it's quite romantic as well!

Here's to all of you. May you have a truly happy Valentine's Day!

2013 Holtville Carrot Parade Photo Gallery

WORDS & PHOTOS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   Below are a few of best photos I took during the 66th Annual Holtville Carrot Parade this past Saturday. Out of about 750 photos that I took during the parade, less than 100 are posted below. If you'd like to see the full parade in all it's glory featuring all (approximately) 750 photos we have a Carrot Parade Photo disc available for $12 that includes every entry in every division. You can purchase your copy of the disc by clicking here.

We'll send you a DVD disc that can be viewed on any computer featuring every photo I took during the parade.

I hope everybody enjoys the photos. It was a beautiful day and one of the best Carrot Parades in recent memory. Thanks to everybody who participated and made the Carrot Parade such a success!

VIDEO: 2013 Holtville Soroptimist Carrot Cookery Contest Sweepstakes Awards Ceremony

Winners of the First Annual Carrot Festival Coloring Contest

Winner in the 6 and under age division is 5-year-old Aubrey Lopez, a kindergartner at Kennedy Gardens in Calexico:

Winner of the 7-12 age division is 10-year-old Abigail Hester, a 5th Grader at Pine School in Holtville:

Congratulations to both of our winners! You can pick up your prize, a $10 Cinemark movie gift card, at the This is Holtville booth at the Carrot Festival Craft Fair in Holt Park tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 9) before 2 p.m., not on Feb. 8 as stated on the flyer (sorry for the typo!). 

First Annual Carrot Festival Coloring Contest

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   When I was a kid growing up in Holtville I always loved the coloring contests put on by Pine Market. The store would sponsor a different contest for almost every holiday and the winners would be featured in the Tribune. I don't think I ever won, but I always had fun trying. 

   Pine Market has been closed for several years now and they stopped running the contests several years before they closed, so it's been quite a long time since Holtville had a coloring contest and we think it's time to bring the tradition back. 

   So here it is, the first of what we hope will be many more Holtville and holiday-themed coloring contests for kids, featuring artwork by my amazing wife Elizabeth. I hope the children of Holtville enjoy this as much as I did when I was a kid!

   Here's how it works: Download this printable JPEG (right-click the link and select 'save link as') of the coloring sheet, print it out, have your child color the bunny and mail it back to us. It's just that easy! Good luck!

Restaurant Review: Same Name, Different Flavors at New Hop Sheng

My plate from the newly-reopened Hop Sheng Chinese Restaurant with Sweet & Sour Pork, General Tao's Chicken,
 Beef with Broccoli and Fried Rice. 

WORDS & PHOTOS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

Sweet and Sour Pork

   After hearing from a handful of people that the food at the newly-reopened Hop Sheng restaurant was “no good”, and hearing a rumor that the new owners where snowbirds from Nebraska who didn’t know how to cook Chinese food, I was a little bit weary of giving it a try, but I’m happy to report that neither of those rumors are true and the food is quite good.

   The new owners are actually from Los Angeles as we learned from the friendly young man behind the counter and they seemed perfectly qualified to be cooking Chinese food. The menu featured a good variety of different dishes and the pricing has been simplified over the previous menu. Most of the entrees available cost $5.50 for a lunch-sized portion (before 3 p.m.) or $7.50 for a dinner-sized portion with the exception of a few seafood dishes that are about a dollar more. All in all, the prices are very affordable and the portions are fairly generous.

Beef with Broccoli

   We ordered the Beef with Broccoli, the General Tao’s Chicken and the Sweet and Sour Pork and they were all quite delicious. There were many dishes I enjoyed at the old Hop Sheng, but for some reason I never did like their Sweet and Sour Pork which just happens to be one of my favorite Chinese dishes. The sauce was never quite right, leaning heavy on the ‘sour’ side of things, and it never failed to give me heartburn. So I was very happy to find the new Sweet and Sour Pork to be very agreeable. Not too much sour, not too much sweet. It had the perfect balance and none of the acid bite. So, thank you New Hop Sheng for bringing one of my favorite dishes back into my diet.

General Tao's Chicken

   The Beef with Broccoli was likewise very good, with a nice, rich sauce, tender meat and fresh, crisp broccoli, but the stand-out was definitely the General Tao’s Chicken. For those unfamiliar with it, the dish consists of coated, fried pieces of chicken with a sweet and tangy glaze and covered with red pepper flakes that gave it a spicy kick. The flavors were almost delicate and complimented one another well.

   The only disappointment in the whole meal was the fried rice that came with our entrees. It looked like a batch of regular steamed rice with some soy sauce in it, along with one piece of scrambled egg. There were no vegetables or anything else. It was very plain and a little dry, but the steamed rice was good.

   Overall though, I would definitely recommend giving the new Hop Sheng a try. It’s not the same as the old Hop Sheng, no doubt, but it’s very good in a different way. I can understand how some people might not like it, after all Chinese food is a very subjective thing, but I liked it and you might too. 

FFA Sheep Killed by Loose Dogs at HHS

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   A family friend contacted me last night with a bit of disturbing news. Apparently several sheep owned by the Holtville High School FFA program were slaughtered by a loose dog or dogs yesterday afternoon. One of the sheep was already dead when the massacre was discovered and another three were injured so badly that they had to be euthanized, including one that was pregnant.

   And if that isn't bad enough, the incident took place during school hours when students were present on campus and could have been harmed themselves. Luckily, the dogs were gone before students arrived in the area, but the kids are also being advised not to walk their sheep around town because of the danger of being attacked.

   The incident also means a big financial blow to the FFA program which made money from selling the sheep to students. One of the sheep was also being rented which means the school will have to pay back the owner too.

   It's a senseless, stupid thing that happened and it could have been prevented. My wife and I have been on a bit of a crusade for the past couple of years to get the City of Holtville to take the problem of loose dogs seriously, but to little avail. City officials listened to us, smiling and nodding, they held many meetings on animal control, they formed a committee and appointed a part-time animal control officer, all with few results. There are still loose dogs everywhere terrorizing citizens and killing innocent animals.

   As I've said, many, many times before, I believe the solution to this problem is education and enforcement. The city already has laws on the books that are supposed to prevent this kind of thing, but they need to be more aggressively enforced. I see people walking dogs without a leash every day. I see people purposely letting their dogs run loose every day. It's quite obvious that it's same people committing these inconsiderate crimes over and over again and it's about time they were cited. Give them a few high-priced tickets and I bet the problem would end very quickly.

   I've been attacked by dogs at least four or five times since I moved back to Holtville about three years ago, and I know tons of other people who have had problems too. Just last year a loose pit-bull somehow made its way into a Holtville girl scout meeting and growled at the children. The way things are going, it's only a matter of time before somebody ends up getting seriously injured or killed, and next time it might not just be sheep.

   If you are one of the many Holtville residents that has had problems with loose dogs, I urge you to attend the next meeting of the Holtville City Council and demand that stronger actions be taken to address the problem. Maybe if enough of us are loud enough, the council will get the message.

Community Bulletin Board 12-7-2012

- Se Renta un Cuarto, Para Persona Sola o con un nino, dentro de mi casa, bano y concina, somas; compartidos, familia decente, 760-540-9912, Corta Temporada - o como guste. Con Cuarto Amueblado, cable, internet, SRA. MORA. $350. por mes.

- BRAND NEW FOR SALE. EverFlex Cardio Strike Bag, Call 356-2267.

- YARD SALE: Saturday the 8th, 7-11 a.m. @ 490 Palo Verde Ave. Christmas Stuff, Toys, Clothes, Mary Kay and More.

 - YARD SALE: Friday 12-7-12, 745 Brentwood, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

 - YARD SALE: Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7&8, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 741 Wooldridge

- BIG YARD SALE, Thursday and Friday, 2308 Olive Ave. Lots of everything.

- Se Renta Studio Con Estufa. Refigerador, TV, Utilidades Incluidas. Informes (760) 540-6804, (760) 540-6812, (760) 356-9910. 1 & 2 personas $425, Persona Extra $100. Deposito $150.

- YARD SALE: Sat. Dec. 8 7 a.m., 813 Brentwood Ave.

- YARD SALE: 1632 E. Alamo Rd., Friday 7, Saturday 8, from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- SALE: 1976 Motor Home. For $3,850 or Best Offer or trade for car. Value $7,000. Can see picture on craigslist and information x Sept. 30, or can see at 515 W. 9th St. in Holtville. Call 760-235-2195. Good Condition. 760-356-5835. (49,000 Miles. Runs good.)

Community Bulletin Board 11-30-2012

- YARD SALE!!! 705 Fern. Saturday, December 1st.

- IMPERIAL VALLEY TAXI 24 hrs., (760) 540-8585, 710 W. Main St. El Centro, CA 92243.
Promocion: $4 Trip El Centro Only. 

- YARD SALE, 754 Holt Ave. Fri. 11/30, Sat. 12/1, Sun 12/2

- YARD SALE, Saturday, December 1, 6 a.m., 1630 Zenos Rd.

- YARD SALE, 625 E. 3rd St., Fri., Sat. & Sun., 11/30, 12/1, 12/2, 7 a.m.

- SALE: 1976 Motor Home. For $3,850 or Best Offer or trade for car. Value $7,000. Can see picture on craigslist and information x Sept. 30, or can see at 515 W. 9th St. in Holtville. Call 760-235-2195. Good Condition. 760-356-5835. (49,000 Miles. Runs good.)

- YARD SALE 2315 Olive Rd. Friday Only. Nov. 30. 6 a.m. - 12 p.m.

- YARD SALE: 1313 E. 7th Street, Space #95. 11-30-12. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

- FOR RENT: 877 1/2 Pine Ave. 1 Bd. $550 Deposit/$550 Rent

- Se Renta Studio Con Estufa. Refigerador, TV, Utilidades Incluidas. Informes (760) 540-6804, (760) 540-6812, (760) 356-9910. 1 & 2 personas $425, Persona Extra $100. Deposito $150. 

- YARD SALE: Fri. Nov. 30, Sat. Dec. 1st, 7 a.m., 528 Wooldridge. 

Holtville's Halls Thoroughly Decked

PHOTO BY LUKE PHILLIPS

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Holtville today as crews from the Public Works Department began hanging colorful holiday wreaths and garlands over several intersections in town. 

Portion of Ninth Street to be Closed for More Than a Month

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   The City of Holtville issued a press release this week warning residents that a section of Ninth Street will be closed for more than a month while construction crews work on improvements in the area.

   Ninth Street between Beale Avenue and Slayton Road road will be closed beginning today, November 9, and will remain closed until the project is finished on January 11 of next year. In that time, crews will widen that section of Ninth Street and will also install new curbs, gutters and sidewalks.

    Garbage and recycling pick-ups will take place at the edge of the road closure for residents in the affected area and construction workers will be on-hand to help move the bins during pick-up days.

   An engineer from The Holt Group will also be on-hand to answer any questions residents might have, or they can also call the Resident Engineer at (760) 337-3883.

   This section of the street has been dangerously narrow for as long as I can remember and I'm very happy to see this project get started, but it's a shame that it's going to take so long. I'm sure it's going to be a big pain in the neck for parents who drop kids off at the Middle School and probably for a lot of other residents in the area too. Does it really take that long to lay down some new asphalt and cement?

City Developing Plan to Allow Golf Carts on Holtville Streets

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   The Holtville City Council took another step Monday toward changing the law to allow golf carts and other electric vehicles on the streets of Holtville and adjacent county areas.

   The council voted unanimously to give City Manager Alex Meyerhoff direction to draft legislation to allow electric vehicles in the city and adopt a Golf Cart and Neighborhood Electrical Vehicle Master Plan that was drafted by an outside firm earlier this year.

   Meyerhoff also told the council that the city would be working over the course of the coming year to acquire right-of-way on the abandoned Union-Pacific railroad tracks between the city and Barbara Worth Resort, and between the resort the U.C. Davis Agricultural Cooperative Extension on Meloland Road in hopes of someday building an electrical vehicle lane along the route.

   Mayor Jerry Brittsan also mentioned the fact that Barbara Worth Resort hopes to open a new RV Park at some point in the future and pointed out that an electric vehicle lane could bring visitors at the resort into Holtville where they would presumably spend money on goods and services, possibly giving the city a sales tax boost.

   Council member David Bradshaw voiced his support for the project and said he wants to keep the momentum going.

   "Enough people have talked to me about this that I think it's in our best interest to keep it going," he said.

   In his written report to the council, Meyerhoff also said that the project would help the city meet it's goal of developing a balanced, multi-modal transportation network and could also "positively impact the environment through the reduction of air pollutants caused by combustion engines."

City Council Member Reads Resume Out Loud During Meeting

WORDS & PHOTO BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   At a meeting of the Holtville City Council Monday, outgoing council member Colleen Ludwig inexplicably read her resume out loud to the council during the public comments portion of the meeting.

Colleen Ludwig

   Ludwig told the council that she wanted to share her resume to show that she "has other interests besides the city council".

   Ludwig went on to share a long list of impressive accomplishments including serving as a Den Mother for Holtville's Cub Scouts, co-owning a local antique shop, working for Barbara Worth Country Club, serving on the Imperial Valley Film Commission and the Imperial county Dairy Task Force, and serving as Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce. Ludwig has also maintained membership with the local Soroptimist Club and the Beta Sigma Phi sorority.

   Ludwig also mentioned her involvement in a deal between the city and Union-Pacific Railroad to purchase a large swath of land along the Alamo river-bottom about nine years ago as another major accomplishment in her career.

   "I just want my message to be clear," Ludwig said. "There is life before and after the city council."

   It was the second-to-last council meeting for Ludwig and her fellow council member Jerry Brittsan, who lost their seats on the council in the November 4 election to newcomers Jim Predmore and Ginger Ward.

    I didn't agree with every action taken by either one of these council members, but I do salute them for their hard work and dedication over the years. It's easy to see that both Mrs. Ludwig and Mr. Brittsan care deeply about this community and gave a great deal of their time and energy to making sure that Holtville remains a great place to live. Let's hope our new council members do the same.

Helen Wilson: Holtville's Walking Lost and Found

WORDS & PHOTO BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   If you've lost anything in Holtville in the past couple of decades, there's a pretty good chance that Pine Avenue resident Helen Wilson might have found it.

Helen Wilson

   For the past 22 years (since 1990) Wilson has been walking the streets of Holtville every morning, up to eight miles a day, and almost every time she leaves the house she finds something of value. Cash, cell phones, jewelry, keys, knives, blank checks, $100 bills, wedding rings and just about anything else you can imagine too. Anything valuable that she find in Holt Park she turns in to City Hall and the rest goes to the Sheriff's Office. Except for small amounts of change which she keeps.

   A couple of years ago Helen decided to save all of the cash that she found for a one-year period, from January 2011 to January 2012. At the end of the year, she had found $140 mostly in coins, but a couple of larger bills as well.

   "I find money almost every day," she said. "People don't look for money, but it's there. I've found a lot on Holt Ave."

   Helen says she finds the most coins just after dawn when they tend to shine in the bright morning light, especially on mornings when the street cleaner is running.

   "The street cleaner can't pick the coins up so it just cleans it and spits it out and I walk along and pick it up," she said with a laugh.

   She also once found two $20 bills in the same day independent of one another, one on the sidewalk and another several blocks away in a gutter.

   Wilson can be seen walking the streets of Holtville nearly every morning, her gaze turned downward as her eyes search the sidewalks, gutters and streets for whatever they might find. She says she learned the habit of looking things when she was a young girl and her father would take her to the desert to search for screws and other scrap metal. From that point on, she's been finding all types of different things.

   And it's not just money and valuables that Wilson finds either. She says she routinely removes nails and other debris from the streets of Holtville and also uses a stick with a poker to pick up trash when she finds it. She's also turned in lost dogs and cats and even removes the bodies of animals that have been hit by cars.

   "I don't want to let people just keep running over them and running over them. I hate that," she said.

    And once when a pet owner wouldn't let her remove the body of their dead dog, she stood in the street and guarded the body until the police arrived.

   "I just said I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone run over that dog again," she said.

   Helen is so good and finding things that her friends and co-workers often recruit her to look for their own missing items. She works at the Finley Elementary cafeteria where she once found her boss, Isabel Jesse's lost diamond earring and also once found co-worker Kimmy Lee's lost antique ring pressed into one of the cafeteria's rubber floor mats.

   She's also found her own lost items. Once when she arrived home from a walk, Helen realized that her earring was missing. She began to re-trace her steps and found the earring on the sidewalk after walking about a block.

   Helen says her main hobby now is hunting for interesting rocks and old railroad spikes in the empty lots on Fourth Street where the old railroad line used to run through Holtville which she uses to make wind chimes.
 

Child Air-Lifted to Hospital From Barbara Worth Resort

WORDS & PHOTOS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

A small child was air-lifted by Care Flight helicopter from Barbara Worth Resort this morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. after reportedly suffering a seizure. No other information was immediately available.

Joe Patzloff Honored by Holtville City Council

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS & PHOTO BY ELIZABETH ENRIQUEZ-PHILLIPS

Joe Patzloff, left,  with Holtville Mayor Jerry Brittsan.

  Holtville Mayor Jerry Brittsan read a proclamation honoring former city council member Joe Patzloff for his years of service at a meeting of the Holtville City Council Monday.

   Brittsan said that the idea to honor Patzloff came from council member Mike Goodsell, but that he wanted to be the one to read the proclamation because of his history serving on the council with Patzloff in the past.

   “You’re how I got started here,” Brittsan told Patzloff. “You were instrumental. I remember coming to council meetings and watching you go round and round with Linda Britschgi because she hated your pipe.”

   The city’s proclamation honored Patzloff for his years of service as a member of the city council, the Centinela Prison State Advisory Committee, the local Optimist Club and as a frequent announcer for Holtville High School football games.

   “It’s been a long time. Thank you for your service,” Brittsan said.

City Council Firmly Rejects New Bike Lane in Holtville

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

   Holtville City Planner Justina Arce introduced a proposal to the city council at their meeting Monday that would have created a new bicycle lane along a portion of Main Street, but the proposal was soundly rejected by the council.

   Arce presented several different options for the eight-foot wide bike lane, but the council was unanimously unhappy with all of them. One of the proposals would have eliminated 130 parking spaces along Main Street to accommodate the new lane, and others would have eliminated one travel lane in each direction.

   Arce pointed out the drawbacks and benefits of each plan, saying that elimination of travel lanes would calm traffic and make Main Street safer, but could also lead to more congestion in the downtown area.

   The proposed project would have cost the city approximately $90,000 for a traffic study, sandblasting, new striping and signage.

   Mayor Jerry Brittsan led the opposition to the proposal, saying that he would be opposed to losing even one parking space. That sentiment was echoed by council member Colleen Ludwig.

   “If we’re trying to encourage business I wouldn't want to lose any parking spaces,” Ludwig said.

   City Treasurer Pete Mellinger was also vehemently against the creation of bicycle lanes, pleading with the council to forget the project.

   “Please don’t spend all that money on a bike lane to plug up the community,” Mellinger said. “What kind of stupid thing is that? What are you thinking? Leave it as it is for goodness sake!”

Sheriff's Deputy Randy McCoy No Longer on Duty in Holtville

WORDS & PHOTO BY LUKE PHILLIPS

Deputy Randy McCoy

   As part of his report to the city council Monday, Holtville Police Chief Manual DeLeon announced that Deputy Randy McCoy has been transferred to new duties in El Centro.

   Deputy McCoy has served in Holtville for approximately 2 years and has built a reputation as being somewhat un-friendly. I personally know several people that will be glad to see him go and will say good riddance to his heavy-handed policing style.

Deputy McCoy's favorite hobby seemed to be harrassing the youth of the city, but I also know several adults who had unpleasant encounters with him as well. I'm sure Deputy McCoy was only trying to do his job, but this is Holtville, not Compton, and his over-bearing tactics were just not a good fit for our peaceful little town. Cheers to the leadership at the Imperial County Sheriff's Office for recognizing that fact and moving McCoy to a more suitable assignment.

   DeLeon also announced that McCoy will be replaced by 15-year Sheriff's Office veteran John Higgins, whose father once served as a police officer in Holtville.

"Full circle," Higgins told the council with a chuckle.

Holtville: Back to the Good Old Days #2

WORDS BY LUKE PHILLIPS

This 1958 advertisement for Holtville's Imperial Hardware store marked the 50th Anniversary of the retailer's
 1908 opening. Imperial hardware is still open in Holtville today, (although it has since moved to a different location) making it one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in the city. The location of the store shown in the photo is now the home to the 99 Cent Plus Center and the Imperial Hardware Do-It Center is located at the northwest corner
of Fern Avenue and 5th Street. I love the window displays shown in the photo and I wish Holtville still had more of that kind of thing. Main Street is starting to look a little worn down these days, especially the block where this store used
to be located.

Having a movie theater right here in Holtville would have been a dream-come-true for me as a child. I was a movie addict and we always had to drive all the way to Calexico or El Centro to get my fix. I can only imagine how awesome it would have been to have a theater here in town. I would have been there for every show. Unfortunately the Alamo Theater was destroyed in a fire before I was even born. My mom remembers attending shows at the theater though and she's told me plenty of stories, like how you used to be able to trade in bottle caps to see a show instead of paying. Oh, what an age that must have been! If anybody out there has memories they'd like to share about the Alamo Theater, please leave a comment in the comments section below!

Television star Willard Waterman, who portrayed Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Gildy) on the show 'The Great Gildersleeve' dresses for his performance at the 1958 Holtville Carrot Festival with some help from his co-star Stephanie Griffin who portrayed is niece Marjorie on the show. Movie stars and other celebrities regularly made appearances during early days of the Carrot Festival, often serving as the Carrot Parade Grand Marshall. 

Holtville Police Beat Oct. 25 - 31, 2012

Editor's Note: 
   We are very pleased to present the first entry in our new feature 'Holtville Police Beat'. Former Holtville Tribune reporter Shawn Carroll wrote the 'Police Briefs' section of the paper through much of the 1990s and gained a faithful readership with his entertaining take on the law enforcement happenings of Holtville. When he left the paper in the early 2000s, the quality of the article took a nosedive and many stopped reading. Well, we're pleased to report that Mr. Carroll has come out of reporting retirement to write this article for us on a regular basis. So with no further ado, here's the first entry:

WORDS BY SHAWN CARROLL

October 31
- At 5:15 p.m. a deputy reported an incident while conducting a compliance check in the 700 block of Wooldridge Avenue . When he walked up to the front door, the resident’s dog ran out the screen door, tried to bite him and tore his pant leg. The owner of the dog reportedly said that it was up to date on its vaccinations.

October 30
- A car was reported to be taking up two handicapped parking spaces outside an apartment on East Fifth Street shortly after 1:30 a.m. A deputy issued a citation to its owner.

- An East Eighth Street resident called at 10:56 a.m. to complain that a postal carrier had pepper sprayed a dog. A deputy talked with the person and said that the local postmaster was the one to talk to about the incident.

- A motorist was cited for a traffic violation and failure to provide proof of insurance after a deputy reported witnessing the driver burning out at Fifth Street and Holt Avenue at 8:45 p.m.

October 28
- A vehicle was pulled over at East Seventh Street and Towland Road at 1:54 a.m. The driver was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license. The vehicle was impounded.

- At 4:25 p.m. a resident of the Browning Trailer Park on West Fifth Street called to report that there was a disturbance taking place at a neighbor’s residence. Deputies made contact with the man, who said that he had been yelling at his daughter for being out in the street. He asked for extra patrols of the area to make sure she wasn’t hit by a car.

- A motorist reportedly found to be driving while under the influence was pulled over and arrested at Evan Hewes and Highway 115 just after 10:00 p.m. The vehicle was impounded and towed.

October 27
- A fight was reported to be taking place outside Hot Rods & Beer at 1:27 a.m., with one injured person said to be lying on the ground. Deputies were quickly on the scene and reported in that the situation was under control when they arrived.

- At 11:43 a.m. a deputy reported pulling over a driver spotted on his cell phone at Fifth Street and Holt Avenue . The deputy told dispatchers that he had to ask the driver to hang up the phone so they could discuss the infraction. The man was cited.

- An injured owl was taken into the Holtville substation at 10:15 p.m. Fish and Game officers were called but said they would be unable to pick up the bird until the following day. The man who found the owl said he would care for it until then.

October 26
- A Cedar Avenue resident reported that a neighbor’s smoke alarm had gone off at 5:49 p.m., and the elderly woman wouldn’t answer the door. Deputies found no one home, but the stove had been left on. It was turned off and the house was secured.

- An East Seventh Street resident reported finding a front window broken at 9:34 p.m. The damage was estimated at $100 and the homeowner didn’t have any ideas on who might have done it.

October 25
- A Palo Verde Avenue resident reported going outside shortly before 8:00 a.m. to find that her car had been keyed sometime during the night.

- At 8:35 a.m. Omar Francisco Aguilera, 30, was arrested on an outstanding warrant related to previous traffic violations.