Editor:
I humbly apologize for my recent letter [May 19] to the TC staff for implying calendar-challenged reporting. Thanks to follow-up stories, I have since realized that the IFPD/San Jacinto Joint Powers Authority plans are no April Fool’s joke.
And the realization struck me that the JPA makes perfect sense, given the financial difficulties IFPD has been having.
Faced with the difficult task of persuading Idyllwild voters to support more than doubling their parcel fees in an upcoming election, what better way to drum up community support than to go to the rescue of the city of San Jacinto? Idyllwilders will no doubt be more than happy to have bragging rights for helping a city on the far side of Hemet.
The urgency of the situation justifies the quick process for signing the JPA agreement without any public input or debate. Provincial types might gum up the works by citing Brown Act restrictions and demonstrating unreasonable resistance to change.
The bold leadership of IFPD and the commission in this matter will surely rally community support.
Obviously, the next logical step would be for Idyllwild to annex San Jacinto, but unfortunately, Idyllwild is not an incorporated city. That’s another issue down the line.
Blair Ceniceros
Claremont
Editor’s note: The letter below was sent by the author to the California State Parks Administration.
