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Perez’s first meeting with the Hill focuses on STRs
Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez held a public meeting at Town Hall Monday night, March 13. U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz had planned to attend but was unable. Perez and his staff were joined by a handful of uniformed sheriff’s officers, including a resident officer, and an equal number sporting Emergency Management Department colors. Other agencies with...
County holds small meetings on possible STR changes
The discussion, debate and controversy over short-term rentals (STRs), especially in the Idyllwild and Pine Cove neighborhoods and the Wine Country, continues and will resurface this fall.
Riverside County’s contractor, Deckard Technologies of San Diego, began sending letters to owners and managers of STRs throughout the county. That was just the beginning of efforts...
County EMD collecting storm damage data
The Riverside County Emergency Management Department (EMD) wants to know whether your home or business was damaged due to any of the 2023 storms.
If your home or business was damaged or incurred losses during recent storms, visit https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/587b6684c0dd430e83a5f5f380368941.
This is an online form where you can describe the damages, the...
Plenty of rain in 2023 and more coming
Daylight saving time is here and the calendar says spring has arrived. But on the Hill, despite some milder temperatures, the winter precipitation has lingered and is expected to continue to dampen early spring.
Last week, the Hill received another 2 to 4 inches of rain. The March 15 storm dropped 2.24 inches on...
Maruca brings enrichment to Idyllwild through nonprofit
Anna Maruca is the founder of Creative Connections, a local nonprofit providing enrichment classes and activities for youth and seniors. The group is now offering almost a dozen programs that range from science to language, arts, crafts and play. All programs are free or low cost, and scholarships are available.
Maruca’s own experience with...
Steele T2 at Tucson
Coming off a fine T5 finish in Mexico in his very first LIV event, Brendan Steele tied for the win at the Gallery Golf Club course outside Tucson, Arizona, last week after three days of regulation play. Then, following a four-way playoff, he finished tied for second, earning $1,558,333 in official prize money.
The...
Supervisors approve construction contract for public restrooms
At its March 7 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the contract and added costs for construction of public restrooms in Idyllwild. These facilities will be compliant with the Americans with Disability Act.
The 210-square-foot facility will be along North Circle Drive in front of the Mile Hi Plaza and is...
Fire Safe Council plans community event for Gold-spotted Oak Borer
The Gold-spotted Oak Borer (GSOB) remains a nemesis to Hill residents. Despite a decade of efforts, the GSOB is still active and killing oak trees on the Hill.
“The infestation is still widespread, attacking most of the oaks,” said, Callie Squires, operations manager for the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council (MCFSC). “There has been...
PCWD returns to Stage 1 water conservation
At the Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) directors’ Wednesday, March 8, meeting, General Manager Jeremy Potter told the board PCWD is returning to Stage 1 water conservation Saturday, April 1, from Stage 2 following recent heavy precipitation.
Potter said production was at 2,461,990 gallons, up from around 14% over last year. Static Well #10...
Lots of rain and maybe more in the future
The massive snowfall from the late February and early March storms spared the Hill from the damage 7, 8 or 10 feet of snow can cause.
But last week’s rainstorms, another atmospheric river, poured on the Hill. By Saturday evening, March 11, the National Weather Service (NWS) recorded 2.34 inches of rain at the...
Woman’s home destroyed by tree during storm
Following recent storms, a woman and her brother were unhoused when a snow-laden tree crushed their trailer. Carla Becker of Royal Pines Estates told the Crier about her introduction to one of the dangers of mountain living.
The neighbor’s trailer broke the fall of the tree.PHOTO BY CARLA BECKER
CB:...
Academy senior advances to The Music Center’s semifinals
On Feb. 28, The Music Center in Los Angeles announced 112 of Southern California’s semifinalists in The Music Center’s 35th-annual Spotlight program, a free, nationally acclaimed performing arts competition, scholarship and artistic development program for teens. This year, more than 1,300 teens, representing more than 245 schools, 170 cities and eight counties, auditioned for the prestigious program.
Steele to compete in Tuscon
For those who missed it, Brendan Steele is now competing in the LIV Golf League, no longer on the PGA Tour. Coming off a fine T5 finish at Mayakoba, Mexico, in his first LIV event, the native Idyllwilder will tee it up again this week, March 17 to 19, on The Gallery Golf Club course outside Tucson,...
How Brian Parnell’s unique venue, AudioWild, took root
Editor’s note: This is part two of this story. Part one ran last week.
TC: It was time for another stage. That is this place, AudioWild?
BP: That is kind of this. I’m the last original member of Throw the Goat, since the end of 2018. There really wasn’t a whole...
San Jacintos receive massive amounts of snow
Wednesday evening, March 1, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that another 17 inches of snow fell on the Hill. This is in addition to the 12 to 24 inches from two previous storms just a week before.
Total snowfall for Idyllwild was reported as 34 inches and 49...
Before Bonta, ACLU sought investigation of sheriff’s office
Two weeks ago, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that he was opening an investigation to determine whether the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.
While he did not mention any specific incidents, he did refer to “… concerning levels of in-custody deaths, troubling allegations of...
San Bernardino National Forest temporarily closed for public safety
Editor’s note: The following is from an SBNF press release. The release did not say how this order would be enforced.
To better provide public and community safety due to the recent extreme weather the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) of the U.S. Forest Service announced a temporary closure of all forest lands, including...
County cracking down on unpermitted STRs
On Oct. 25, 2022, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors agreed to impose a moratorium on issuing new certificates for short-term rentals (STRs) in the Idyllwild, Pine Cove and Wine Country areas of Riverside County. The moratorium on issuing new certificates was to last until Sept. 9, 2023.
Before the moratorium deadline, the county...
How Brian Parnell’s unique venue, AudioWild, took root
Brian Parnell has taken a circuitous journey to end up an Idyllwilder. Like so many of us, a chance taken paid off in the satisfaction that comes from being part of a community that supports self-expression. Readers with an ear for the pulse of 21st century rock know him as one of the founders of Throw the...
Attorney General to investigate county sheriff’s office
Thursday, Feb. 23, California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta announced the Department of Justice (DOJ) is opening an investigation to determine whether the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.PHOTO COURTESY OF SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement is...
Multiple snowstorms bury the San Jacintos
Rain and snow did pummel the Hill last week. It was significant, about an inch of rain and more than a foot a snow, but significantly less than the initial forecast. Nevertheless, it continued the progress in relieving drought conditions and augmenting fuel moisture.
Like a house guest who...
‘Bläckfisk,’ locally produced, premieres at film fest
Mysteries, thrillers, psychological dramas are not limited to the printed page. Early in its history, Hollywood was producing and distributing mystery films such as “The Thin Man” or darker, “39 Steps,” for the public. And this genre continues into the 21st century. Next week, the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) will offer several of these.
Bella Lewitzky film featured at Idyllwild festival
A new film biography of dancer and choreographer Bella Lewitzky, “Bella,” will be included in this year’s Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) scheduled to be screened at 6 p.m. Friday, March 10, in Town Hall. Lewitzky was a giant of modern dance, founding dance programs at both ISOMATA (now Idyllwild Arts Academy ) and CalArts. The...
More rain and snow likely coming soon
The fears that the drenching January 2023 rains would be followed by no precipitation the rest of winter and early spring as happened in 2022 have not occurred.
Some rain and snow fell on the mountain in early February along with record cold temperatures.
The National Weather Service’s San Diego office...
Local librarian moves up in system; goodbye, Shannon
Idyllwild Librarian Shannon Ng has moved up in the Riverside County Public Library System (RCPLS). Although her Dewey Decimal System number remains the same, she is now one of three deputy directors, though “Interim” precedes her current title.
Shannon Ng at her desk in Idyllwild in 2015.FILE PHOTO
In early...
Steele moves to LIV Golf League
Brendan Steele is shifting from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf League, the native Idyllwilder informed the Town Crier Sunday evening. Brendan withdrew from the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational tournament before teeing off last Thursday. The LIV Golf League is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
Stephen Savage — film maker and Idyllwild lover
Hollywood has used Idyllwild as a movie setting for decades. For example, in 1961, Elvis Presley’s “Kid Galahad” walked Idyllwild’s streets and rode around Garner Valley’s ranches. Before expanding to “50” or more in the 21st century, “Shades of Gray” was shot here in 1997. Throughout the first two decades of this century, the Hill has been...
Black History Month concert this Saturday
Dr. Marshall Hawkins, founder of the Idyllwild Arts Jazz Department, and Dr. Daniel Bassin, Idyllwild Arts director of orchestras, are giving a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Lowman Concert Hall in honor of Black History Month.
The concert features an 18-piece guest jazz orchestra along with jazz and classical music...
Meet Supervisor V. Manuel Perez Feb. 21
Riverside County 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez will be at the Town Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, to meet and talk with Hill residents who are now part of his supervisorial district.
Having spent many summers at Pathfinder Ranch, Perez is familiar with the Hill. Now he would like...
Travis Mason, acting district ranger, on local projects
Travis Mason is the acting district ranger for the San Jacinto Ranger District (SJRD). He began his tour Jan. 3 and is the latest in a series of “acting district rangers” since Julie Hall left for the Inyo National Forest a year ago.
Mason has spent much of his U.S. Forest Service career (more...
Idyllwild Film Festival a month away
The Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) returns to town and the Rustic Theatre Tuesday, March 7, and continues for six more days, until the evening of Sunday, March 12. And once again, more than 100 films from a dozen countries will be available for viewing.
The 14th IIFC returns with live film screenings...
New poetry society has first event Saturday
The Idyllwild Poetry Society, a new organization “formed with the purpose of promoting poetry and the literary arts in the Idyllwild community,” will hold its first event this weekend at the new Recht Gallery. The event will include readings by three poets: Annalise Oatmen, Anthony Q Mack and Eszter Takács. The reading will be followed by a...
Forest Service will begin pile burns and eventually broader prescribed burns
According to the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF), Garner Valley is the site of pile burning in the next few weeks.
The San Bernardino National Forest conducting a prescribed burn Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Mountain Center area.PHOTO BY JOEL FEINGOLD
The wet weather has delayed the planned burns, which...
More cases dismissed, court explains
Last week, the Town Crier reported on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors asking the county executive and its legal staff to develop recommendations to cope with the dramatic dismissal of criminal cases before they could come to trial.
The Riverside County Superior Court issued some comments about the situation last week. District Attorney...
Joshua Tree man sentenced in fatality
A Joshua Tree man was sentenced to two years in prison for a fatality that occurred in 2021 on Highway 243.
On Jan. 31, Nathan Daniel McConnell, 40, pleaded guilty to gross vehicle manslaughter and reckless driving causing serious injury on May 9, 2021.
McConnell was driving northbound on Highway 243,...
Senior visual arts show at Idyllwild Arts
The Idyllwild Arts Academy Visual Arts Department held an opening for the first of the winter semester’s three senior shows last Friday. The theme, “Solitude,” drew varied and surprising responses from the artists. Works expressed the positive and negative aspects of solitude; peace and freedom to dream, but also mortality, vulnerability and disability. Eight seniors were included...
Palm to Pines Golf Association update
Jim CrandallPalms to Pines Golf Association handicap chair
Idyllwild’s Palms to Pines Golf Association played its regular monthly tournament at Menifee Lakes Country Club on the Palms Course Friday, Jan. 20. It was a nice, sunny winter’s day and the course was in pretty good shape.
In the A-flight tourney,...
Steele to play in Phoenix Open
Brendan Steele will tee it up this week in the $20-million Waste Management Phoenix Open on the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. Through Thunderbirds Charities, this tournament raised more than $10.5 million for local charities last year alone.
The native Idyllwilder has enjoyed considerable success in this event, having played it in...
MDP donates AEDs to ICC
The nonprofit Mountain Disaster Preparedness (MDP) has donated two automated external defibrillator (AED) units to the Idyllwild Community Center (ICC) for placement at Idyllwild Town Hall and Butterfield Amphitheater.
From left, Idyllwild Community Center (ICC) board member Rajiv Panchal, ICC Secretary Terry Shirley, Mountain Disaster Preparedness Medical Director Gigi Kramer and ICC President...
N. Circle speed limit will be enforced with radar
While the speed limit on North Circle Drive has been 25 mph for years, enforcement now will be stronger.
The Riverside County Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed to set radar enforceable speed limits on 13 county roadways, of which N. Circle Dr. is one. The range of speed limits is 25 to 60 mph...
Supervisors want more superior court judges
The judicial system is a critical and vital component of government. Public safety requires more than police simply arresting people accused of a crime — whether criminal or civil. The defendants must either admit the deed or must stand trial. A judge oversees the trial and often sets the penalty if the defendant is found guilty.
Forest Service spending to reduce wildfire threat – Local share uncertain currently
On Jan. 19, Tom Vilsack, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced the allocation of nearly half a billion dollars to reduce wildfire risks in and near national forests landscapes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
“It is no longer a matter of if a wildfire will threaten many western...
Meeting the new Head of School Jason Hallowbard
Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) has announced the hiring of new Head of School Jason Hallowbard, presently vice provost for Academic and Artistic Education at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. He will take over from present Head of School Craig Sellers this summer.
Jason Hallowbard, new head of school at Idyllwild Arts.PHOTO...
Some, but not all, new laws for 2023
The last session of the California Legislature ended in September and Gov. Gavin Newsom had the option to sign into law more than 1,160 bills the Legislature had passed.
By Oct. 2, he had signed 997 and vetoed 163. Below is a brief summary of the new laws that Californians will have in 2023.
Christmas day caroling
From left, Marisa Quintanilla Griffeth, Melanie Rose Prince and Rebecca Wiergowski Christmas caroling in town on Christmas day.PHOTO BY JOEL FEINGOLD
Reducing wildfire risk around home should help with fire insurance rates
Wildfire is a risk all Hill homeowners and residents must live with and accept. Living in the San Jacinto Mountains means knowing that there is a chance our home, our valuables, our keepsakes and possessions may be lost to a fire.
Fire insurance is often available, not to protect us from the wildfire threat,...
German tourist murderer recommended for parole
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, a state hearing panel recommended parole for Thongxay Nilakout, the now 46-year-old man convicted of the murder of a German tourist near Idyllwild in 1994. The recommendation must still go to the full Board of Parole Hearings, who have up to 120 days for review. If it approves parole, Gov. Gavin Newsom then...
Idyllwild golfers in regional Tournament of Club Champions
Jim CrandallPPGA Correspondent
Two Idyllwild golfers, Paul Cozens and Chris Kramer, members of the local Palms to Pines Golf Association, rose above the rest throughout the 2021-22 season to become club champions and qualify for the Southern California Golf Association’s (SCGA) Tournament of Club Champions (TCC) this past December.
The SCGA’s...
Chains required
Caltrans is requiring chains on Highway 243, Highway 371 and Highway 74 from Hemet to Palm Desert.
Life Tribute: Anna Cooper Strong
1956-2023
Anna Cooper Strong
A Celebration of Anna Cooper Strong will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4 at the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, and simulcast on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/92337624889.
In lieu of flowers, Anna’s family requests that you go...
Life Tribute: Mary Diann Coate
1937-2023
Diann Coat
It is with sadness we acknowledge the passing Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, of Diann Coate of Idyllwild.
Diann was born March 4, 1937 to Raymond and Ruth Coate. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Marion Stamm, but...
Survey of uninsured Riverside County residents who suffered losses due to weather
https://rivcoready.org/active-events