Past Tense: Dec. 20, 2012

imc-1 — The joyous sounds of Christmas music were heard in Idyllwild as Conductor and Artistic Director Dwight Holmes brought forth the best from the Idyllwild Master Chorale: Fusion II this weekend in December 2010. This year’s concert is scheduled for this weekend in the Idyllwild School Gymnasium. File photo

65 years ago – 1947
Everyone was invited to the first Christmas party in Town Hall. Ernie Maxwell was master-of-ceremonies and Charles Kretsinger led the carol singing.

60 years ago – 1952
Sale of Buckhorn Ranch at Dutch Flat to the Reorganized Church of Latter-day Saints was announced.

55 years ago – 1957
Vandals shot insulators and power lines, disrupting electrical service for several hours in some areas.

45 years ago – 1967
Hill folk were shoveling out from the heaviest pre-Christmas snowfall in 20 years. The Forest Service measured 38 inches of packed snow at the Idyllwild station.

40 years ago – 1972
Two well-known mountain men passed away: Ray Fobes, who drove the first stage operating from Hotel Hemet to Idyllwild 60 years previously; and Finest White, who had lived on the Hill for 35 years and was a onetime foreman at Camp Roosevelt.

35 years ago – 1977
Area residents Ed Knapp and Bill Plummer finished producing “Christmas in Idyllwild,” to be aired on Channel 3 Christmas Day. The two-hour TV show featured scenes from Town Hall’s holiday bazaar, Desert Sun School’s Christmas dance and other mountain activities.

30 years ago – 1982
Mel Goldfarb, then owner and pharmacist at Idyllwild Pharmacy, was recognized as a “Rock & Pillar of the Community” by the Idyllwild Rotary Club. At that time, Mel had owned the pharmacy for five years.

25 years ago – 1987
The first snow of the year brought 9 inches of the white stuff and gladdened the hearts of those dreaming of a white Christmas.

20 years ago – 1992
While the owners were away, several robbers broke into an Idyllwild residence, camped out for few days, ate all the food in the house and then took everything they could carry away.

10 years ago – 2002
Riverside Mountain Area Safety Taskforce leaders gave Rep. Mary Bono and state Assemblyman Dave Kelley a tour of land affected by bark beetle infestation. It was the fifth year of drought on the Hill, and the bark beetle had devastated about 36,000 forest acres.

5 years ago – 2007
An Idyllwild man, Christopher Lacanski, was arrested and charged with vandalism of Idyllwild School and theft of an automobile.

1 year ago – 2011
The draft Corridor Management Plan for the Palms to Pines Scenic Byway became available for public comment.