Ed Sher, then 32, passed through Idyllwild in May of 1982 on his way via horseback from San Diego to West Virginia to visit his three children. File photo

60 years ago – 1952
A meeting was announced to consider school unification. Under the proposal, Idyllwild’s school would be combined with the Hemet-San Jacinto District.

50 years ago – 1962
Logging trucks started rolling in May Valley, where the Big Bear Timber Company began salvage operations on pines damaged by severe insect attack. About 4.5 million board-feet of lumber was to be cut.

40 years ago – 1972
Adults were only being charged $1.50 to watch “Blue Water, White Death” at the Rustic Theatre. Students were being charged $1 and children were charged $.75.

35 years ago – 1977
The Idyllwild Elementary School Parents Club sponsored a Pancake breakfast in Town Hall.

30 years ago – 1982
A fundraising spaghetti dinner for the Idyllwild Softball Association was scheduled for May 24.

25 years ago – 1987
For the third year in a row, Hill resident and potter David Salk received the “Award for Excellence” in ceramics at the La Quinta Art Festival.

20 years ago – 1992
At the RadioShack that used to be located in Strawberry Creek Square, cassette players were being sold for only $29.95 – and that was with $10 off.

15 years ago – 1997
A trio of angry parents complained about a school bus driver during the Hemet Unified School District board meeting. They criticized his behavior toward their teenage sons and daughters.

10 years ago – 2002
Riverside County Health Officer Gary Feldman announced that, due the shortage of antivenom nationwide, there wasn’t enough antivenom at any hospital to treat a single case of serious snake bite.

5 years ago – 2007
The Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco announced that he would seek the death penalty for Raymond Oyler, an arsonist responsible for the deaths of 5 U.S. Forest Sevice firefighters in October 2006.

1 year ago – 2011
The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit and Sheriff’s Department conducted two rescues of PCT hikers, both having become debilitated as a result of dehydration.

Similar Posts

  • Past Tense: Oct. 4, 2012

    65 years ago – 1947 Postmaster Harry Wendelken lamented, “There’s Idyllwilds all over the country, and all the mail for the other Idyllwilds comes to this station.” 60 years ago – 1952 Wilma Chapman was conscientious about the change to standard time. She set her clock resolutely, and hopped into bed. In the darkness of…

  • | |

    Readers Write: July 28, 2022

    Ordinance 927.1 Dear Editor:I have two small questions about the recent short-term rentals (STR) article. The first has to do with “All property owners who wish to offer their homes or other facility as an STR must obtain an STR certificate from the county.”As Woody Henderson’s research shows, Idyllwild already has half of all the…

  • Past Tense – August 29, 2013

    65 years ago – 1948 The PTA raised $150 at its first Hill social event. 60 years ago – 1953 The thunderstorm that drenched Idyllwild proceeded northward, leaving 300 lightning strikes in the Six Rivers National Forest. 55 years ago – 1958 Charlotte Gorzny, an eager youthful reader, read 47 books to top all other…

  • Past Tense: March 14, 2013

    65 years ago – 1948 Fire quickly burned more than an acre on the mountainside below Suicide Rock. The snow was too deep to allow pumpers to get close to the fire. 60 years ago – 1953 ISOMATA was growing fast. Enrollment was expected to reach 500 students and the 40 faculty members would equal…

  • |

    Past Tense: June 16, 2016

    65 years ago – 1951 Gary Cooper was vacationing at the Idyllwild Inn. 60 years ago – 1956 “George the barber” at the Idyllwild Inn was advertising his services with the slogan, “All the latest krazy kuts, also something subdued for pops.” 55 years ago – 1961 Jon Gnagy, an artist known for giving televised…