Past Tense: Jan. 16, 2014
65 years ago – 1949
The Chamber discussed a plan to identify the Hill community with the back country, approving the theme, “Gateway to the Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness.”
60 years ago – 1954
When Norma DeMent opened the Idyllwild Department Store Thursday morning, billows of gaseous smoke poured forth so Norma ran next door to summon the fire chief. Flames were pouring from a furnace. Chief Bill Price promptly extinguished the flames.
55 years ago – 1959
In a symbolic handshake, the Mark Clevenger and I.G. Rosen, who had published the Town Crier for the past year and a few months, said thanks for the use of the hall as founders Ernie and Betty Maxwell took back their brain child.
50 years ago – 1964
Policies and plans for the coming season were discussed by members of the Idyllwild Motel Association when they held their annual luncheon meeting at Schwarzwaldhaus.
45 years ago – 1969
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Idyllwild’s sewage treatment plant were set for Jan. 21 at the plant site at the edge of the USC-ISOMATA campus.
40 years ago – 1974
A crowd of friends and well-wishers turned out for a retirement party at the Chart House for Johnny Wilson, 33 years on the staff of the Idyllwild Water District. IWD President George Kretsinger presented a plaque commemorating the occasion while Inie Wilson watched.
35 years ago – 1979
Despite passage of Proposition 13, Idyllwild Fire Protection District commissioners questioned whether Idyllwild property owners wanted to cut back its services and planned to survey locals.
30 years ago – 1984
A University of California, Irvine, study determined that time spent watching television dropped dramatically when a computer joins the household, but time spent with family members, participation in other hobbies and even sleeping also declined.
25 years ago – 1989
Jeffrey Vincent Donahoo, son of Shirley and Larry Donahoo, won the Town Crier First Baby of the Year contest, arriving on Jan. 11 at 6:20 a.m.
20 years ago – 1994
The Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts was granted membership into the National Association for Independent Schools in Washington, D.C.
15 years ago – 1999
Dr. Renate and Geoffrey Caine of the Goassamer Ridge Institute in Pine Cove proposed opening a public charter high school for Idyllwild.
10 years ago – 2004
Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Jim Venable was appointed to the governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission.
5 years ago – 2009
Proposed state budget cuts raised concerns that Mt. San Jacinto State Park would be closed.
1 year ago – 2013
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reported a break in the case of recent commerical burglaries when two vehicles were chased with occupants possibly in the process of committing more burglaries. The vehicles escaped due to ice on the highway.
