No, not that crime spree. I’m talking about the other one, the more insidious one. To put it into perspective: We had town meetings and a lot of talk went into “what can we do about the burglaries?” The amount of loss was tens of thousands of dollars. The other crime spree is much more…

Last Friday morning I hiked the Ernie Maxwell trail. Near Humber Park I came across a 6-­inch wide ember crater. There were many more black embers easily visible for several hundred yards along that part of the trail. There’s no doubt Idyllwild was saved from catastrophe during the Mountain Fire, and I’m relieved and grateful….

I can commiserate with Mr. Reno on the subject of chains. I hate to use them. However, studs are an excellent alternative and they are legal on all California highways between Nov. 1 and April 30 (see www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/vctires.htm. See Vehicle Code Section 27454(e)). The contact area of the studs is limited to three percent, in…