Past Tense: June 13, 2013

60 years ago – 1953
Volunteers were asked to report to the Town Hall campfire area to build a platform and seats for the community campfire programs.

55 years ago – 1958
It was estimated that 25,000 visitors were in town for Memorial Day.

50 years ago – 1963
Security First National Bank was granted a charter for a branch bank in Idyllwild.

45 years ago – 1968
The County Planning Commission supported its hearing board and denied a variance to allow a mobile home on a lot in Pine Cove. The board concluded that allowing trailers on private property would be detrimental to the community.

40 years ago – 1973
Star Mount School terminated its high school and preschool program. The property was sold to Camp Roosevelt for use as a summer camp.

35 years ago – 1978
The Idyllwild Garden Club held its annual Wildflower Show at Town Hall.

30 years ago – 1983
An Idyllwild fire truck led Hill residents on the first leg of the annual Bike-A-Thon the Soroptimist International of Idyllwild sponsored.

25 years ago – 1988
The largest framed building on the Hill, the 16,000- square-foot Husch Hall dormitory, was dedicated on the campus of Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts.

20 years ago – 1993
Youngsters on the Hill were looking forward to having a real kick at camp. The All-England Soccer Academy would have two camps to teach soccer technique, style and rules. Coach Andy Thomas had applied for the position in England.

15 years ago – 1998
Lake Fulmor got stocked with 400 pounds of trout and a ton of truck by Brad Willis, a California Fish and Game employee. When delivering the trout, he got out of his truck, engaged the parking brake and put a block behind the front tire. But the truck began to roll and ended up 15 feet below the surface of the lake. The truck was a total loss, but a fisherman said the angling was great.

10 years ago – 2003
The County Board of Supervisors unanimously denied Paul Black’s application for a conditional use permit that would have allowed him to continue exporting water from his Pine Cove property to off-Hill bottling companies. Their report stated that he had illegally exported about 3.65 million gallons of water a year for six years.

5 years ago – 2008
In a dramatic reversal, the County Service Area 38 Advisory Council narrowly approved purchasing a new fire engine for Pine Cove Station 23.

1 year ago – 2012
Constructing the long-planned $100,000 Idyllwild Community Playground began Wednesday, June 13, and continued through Sunday, June 17.