Arrested in July 2015, Frank Gutierrez pleaded guilty to two felonies and two misdemeanor charges and admitted to several prior convictions. Judge Ronald Taylor has scheduled sentencing for May 5.
Gutierrez of Idyllwild was arrested when Riverside City police, in cooperation with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, arrested Lisa Marie Brown, 40, of Riverside, for hit and run, vehicular manslaughter and possession for sales of methamphetamine. The arrests were made in Idyllwild.
Gutierrez, 67, was charged for various drug-related felonies and prior convictions. His arrest appeared to be a byproduct of Brown’s arrest, who later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in state prison.
On March 30, the court and prosecution were ready to proceed to a jury trial for Gutierrez. But his counsel had filed a motion to suppress some evidence, which he claimed was illegally obtained.
The court agreed to exclude a rifle. And the prosecution moved to dismiss the charge of receiving stolen property.
Gutierrez then pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm and marijuana.
Until sentencing, Gutierrez remains in the custody of the Riverside County Sheriff.
Sunday afternoon at about 4, Cal Fire firefighters responded to an emergency call concerning an injured dirt biker near Thomas Mountain.
With assistance from the San Bernardino National Forest’s San Jacinto Ranger District firefighters, the responders located the biker in a remote area. Cal Fire Helicopter 301 was
summoned to hoist the individual out of the area.
The copter crew transported the victim, with moderate injuries, to a local hospital. He was not identified.
Born in Orange, California, to Don and Rachel Kennedy on July 1, 1947, she was an Orange County resident until 1972. She married college sweetheart Dr. Jim Jennison on March 23, 1970, in Santa Ana. They just celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary.
Kay earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and communications at Westmont College in 1969, a master’s degree in education from Chapman College in 1970, an elementary teaching credential and a real estate broker’s license. She taught for 10 years at Hamilton School in Anza, took several years doing volunteer work and began her real estate career in 1988. She owned and operated Kay Realty for the past nine years.
Throughout her 45 years as an Idyllwild resident, she was actively involved in the Community Presbyterian Church serving in the Guild and the Thrift Shop, teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir.
She is survived by her husband Jim; her mother Rachel (age 97); brothers Bob Kennedy and Charlie Kennedy; and nieces and nephews Andria Martin, Travis Anderson, Nick Anderson, Christopher Kennedy and Kelly Chase.
Kay had boundless energy. She loved to help people and she touched many lives. She loved her husband, her family, her home and garden, her church, and herding cattle on horseback in Colorado. And most of all, she loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In lieu of flowers, Kay would prefer donations to the Idyllwild Community Presbyterian Church Missions Fund, P.O. Box 537, Idyllwild, CA 92549.
It is with love and sadness that we announce the passing of Louis Trongale on Tuesday, March 28, 2017.
He was a loyal son, a wonderful husband, an incredible father and a faithful friend.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 13, 1934, to Ben and Frances Trongale, he moved to Los Angeles at a young age with his parents and his sister, Lee.
Lou graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and began working at General Telephone Company as a lineman and underground equipment operator.
Lou was drafted into the Army in 1957, serving three years of active duty in Germany, and six years in the Army Reserves, returning to General Telephone Company and retiring after 34 years.
Upon retiring, Lou began a business, Lou’s Firewood, serving the Hemet and surrounding area for many years.
Lou is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his three sons Greg (Bertha), Chris (Sue) and Dan; 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He has two stepsons, Eric (Tina) and Rick (Kathy); and step-granddaughter Candice.
We are profoundly grateful to the staff of Vista Montana Senior Living Facility and Devonshire Care Center for providing Lou with the best quality of care and comfort.
Services will be held at Miller-Jones Mortuary at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 8, Hemet.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Living Free Animal Sanctuary, 54250 Keen Camp Road, Mountain Center, CA 92561.
The growth of business activity in Idyllwild, and investments business owners are making to improve their marketability, show confidence in the promise of Idyllwild’s economic climate.
New Village Market owner Jay McCormack and family are close to completing a complete makeover of the long-established Idyllwild grocery outlet. The new floor and new shelving are in. Most gratifying to shoppers taking a fresh look at the market, the shelves are jam-packed with competitively priced items, including a line of organic products called Natural Directions. Catering to Idyllwild pet owners, McCormack has stocked a broad mix of pet food, including high-end products not otherwise available on the Hill. “We’ll continue to tweak pricing to offer the best value to customers,” said McCormack.
McCormack and son Scott, daughter-in-law Sarah and daughter Tanya have moved with speed and efficiency to redefine Village Market. Still to come before a late May/June grand opening are: an expanded deli, full line of produce, fresh meat with an in-house butcher and a total revamp of the in-market restaurant offering eat-in and take-out service.
Also betting on Idyllwild’s sustained business growth are Paul and Katie White. Their successful coffee, baked goods and eatery — Idyllwild Bake Shop & Brew — will soon expand to include a separate brew location. “We’re calling it the Back Room, with a cool speakeasy vibe and beer on tap,” said Paul. Grand opening is set for Saturday, June 3. The Back Room is located farther back in the iconic Village Lane site and is part of what is intended to be a revival of the quaint lane of shops.
Rick Martinez is a week or so away from showcasing his new Idyllwild Town Real Estate office on North Circle in the former Hub Cyclery location. Martinez and crew have installed new flooring, and are busy hanging art to enhance the dual function of realty office/gallery. Martinez has already hired two new agents, expanding yet again the number of real estate agents in Idyllwild.
Stuart and Alicia Eberhardt have leased the former Arriba Restaurant property that adjoins their Country Club Smoke Shop, a medical marijuana dispensary. Preliminary plans are to open a new comfort food restaurant called the 243 Bar & Grill. No opening date has been set.
Closing are Violetta Villacorta’s the Sage & the Butterfly in Village Lane, Terri French’s Let It Shine Gallery on North Circle (she will continue business operation from her home) and Kay Realty because of the passing of owner Kay Jennison.
Not closing, despite rumors to the contrary, is Ken Dahleen’s Uncle B’s Smokin’ Bar-b-que. “We’re doing well,” said Dahleen. Still operating, despite street talk to the contrary, is the Spiritual Living Center. “We’re still here and trying to renegotiate our lease,” said Phyllis Brown.
Idyllwild is in the process of gentrification — with the recent opening of Ferro and the Idyllwild BrewPub, the planned groundbreaking for the Idyllwild Community Center’s amphitheater, the first phase of four phases of construction on the new recreation landmark, and the sizzling real estate market in which inventory is down and homes are on the market for days or weeks instead of months.
The business activity presages continued interest in Idyllwild from off-Hill visitors and investors, which augers well for ongoing health of Idyllwild businesses.
Bee Krone composed the song “Let’s Keep America Beautiful,” and Philippe Buhler composed music for a string quartet that was given a first performance at the University of Redlands.
55 years ago - 1962
The County Board of Supervisors launched a campaign to have the Banning-Idyllwild Highway taken into a state highway system.
50 years ago – 1967
Arthur Gutzman announced he would resign as director of the Idyllwild Youth Association.
45 years ago – 1972
Route 243, The Idyllwild-Banning Highway, was designated a Scenic Highway with the signing of a resolution by State Director of Public Works James A. Moe.
40 years ago – 1977
The cousin of an Idyllwild man died in history’s greatest air disaster in the Canary Islands.
35 years ago - 1982
A six-day storm during the last official days of winter left about 2 feet of snow and added 5.06 inches of moisture in Idyllwild.
• • •
Charlie Kretsinger and George Hoffman, both of Idyllwild, were awarded service pins by the Idyllwild Lions Club.
30 years ago - 1987
An $8.9-million increase in a Clean Water Grant for the Idyllwild-area sewer project was received and planners were preparing to go to bid.
25 years ago - 1992
A group of California Department of Transportation officials came to Idyllwild to discuss the Strawberry Creek Bridge replacement project and the contentious subject of removing three trees. Despite protests, the group announced that the trees would have to go.
20 years ago - 1997
Palani Einstein of Stone Creek was off to live in the Bay area to train with her racing team after a recent run of wins in Mesa, Arizona.
15 years ago - 2002
Idyllwild resident David Salter was the Hemet High decathlon team’s strongest performer at the state Academic Decathlon.
10 years ago - 2007
A skull and bones found along Highway 74 were identified as the remains of Claude Rochon of Hemet.
5 years ago - 2012
The donor of the Idyllwild Community Center land doubled his matching contribution to the Idyllwild playground project from $25,000 to $50,000.
1 year ago - 2016
Idyllwild Arts jazz alums inaugurated theLowman Concert Hall.
Last week in “Days of Our Nine Lives,” Alice joined the family of ARF cats.
Bobbie: More news, my friends! Gather ’round!
George: Another cat?
Bobbie: Not this week. ARF has a new canine family member, Sheba.
Audrey: I’ve met her. She’s super sweet, and she likes us cats!
Mr. Gray: Then she can’t be half bad.
Audrey: And she likes dogs and kids, too.
Bobbie: Hey! This is my report, Audrey. Sheba is pretty cool. She’s not too big, only 32 pounds, and only 2, maybe 3 years old.
Mr. Gray: Is she here?
Bobbie: She is. Hang on and I’ll go get her. (Bobbie dashes out of cattery.)
Alice: Do you guys like dogs?
Mr. Gray: Some of us do, and some of us just know how to avoid them. Pepper seems to think they’re OK.
Pepper: Yeah, dogs are OK.
Alice: Oh! Here come Bobbie and Sasha.
Sheba: (Entering) Hello everyone. Nice to be here.
Alice: Hey, Sasha. Tell us more about yourself.
Sheba: Well, I like to cuddle, and I’m fairly low energy. I’m crate-trained and I love my toys. I’ll even climb onto a human’s lap if I’m given the chance.
Bobbie: Me, too, Sasha. A lap is the best place to be.
Sheba: I hope I find a forever home soon.I’m pretty sad, and a little confused. I’ve had a rough few weeks. My mom moved away, without me.
Mr. Gray: I’m sorry to hear that.
Audrey: I think the perfect human will find you very soon.
Bobbie: I think Audrey is right.
Sheba: I hope she is. I truly do.
How long will Sasha wait to find her forever home?Be sure to keep up with the animal antics of “Days of Our Nine Lives” each week. And please, stop in to say hello to the entire adoptable cast at the ARF House, 26890 Hwy. 243 on Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays 10-2, or by appointment M-F by calling 951-659-1122.
Chris Reba is in his second year as chair of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Music Department and is already expanding curricula offerings to better equip students to work professionally in multiple musical genres and specialties.
He is the next speaker at the Associates of Idyllwild Arts Foundation’s Spotlight on Leadership series. As part of the academy’s outreach to the community and an attempt to build bridges of understanding, the series features department heads in both academic and art disciplines.
Reba will talk about his academic and professional background, and changes that are being made in his department. Reba’s talk is at 10 a.m. Monday, April 10, at the Fireside Room in Nelson Dining Hall on campus.
Reba is the first IAA music chair to have worked professionally and been trained in a wide range of musical genres. Previously, music chairs have emphasized the classical music conservatory approach to music education.
Schooled in both classical and jazz music, Reba has worked across an extremely broad spectrum of musical genres, including world, rock, punk, folk and bluegrass, and in musical theater. He is a professional bassist, both acoustic and electric. He holds an associate degree in music with an emphasis in music recording from Mira Costa Community College in Oceanside, a bachelor’s degree in music composition and bass performance from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s in music composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Importantly for program expansion at IAA, Reba has professional expertise in recording engineering and production with a wide variety of professional musicians and groups. He is a voting member of the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Grammys and served on the executive board of the New York section of the Audio Engineering Society.
Prior to joining the IAA faculty, Reba was associate professor of Music and Sound Recording at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Already at IAA, Reba, working together with President Pamela Jordan, has launched a number of new initiatives including:
• a campus recording studio for students to learn the fundamentals of recording and to record their work;
• a new course, with faculty member Don Reed, that teaches music business and marketing to give students a basic understanding of copyright and trademark issues, as well as professional contracts;
• a campus record label using new, state-of-the-art equipment, to feature students’ work as well as an artist series featuring IAA faculty, alums and visiting artists;
• and a change in how classical music performances are recorded — recording them in surround-sound to conform with prevailing industry standards.
Ultimately, Reba hopes to start, on a small scale at first, a music recording and technology program at the academy. “No other schools, at our level, are offering an intensive audio training program,” said Reba. “We could equip our students to come out with a level of training equivalent to a bachelor’s program. That would put us in a position to have our students participate in worldwide conferences with others with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.”
In music training, in today’s broadly diverse professional world, Reba believes students must understand the need for having a wide range of skill sets to be competitive. “I’m not really a specialist in any one area, but because of my broad background, I’ve been able to work in many different areas,” he noted.
“Next year, we’ll be offering a music production and recording fundamentals course that can also be used for majors in other departments, such as part of technical theater emphasis in the Theatre Department. The administration approved purchase of new wireless [microphone headsets] equipment for theater productions and we’ll be moving 32 channel boards from Lowman to Bowman to improve the clarity of theater audio.”
Asked how it’s all coming together, Reba noted that last year had been a learning transition, but this year things are more grounded. “We’re ahead of the game this year,” he said. “The music faculty has been incredibly supportive. And student performance levels in all areas are coming up.”