The first district meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion was held in Idyllwild Sunday, Sept. 14, 1975. Arvilla Grant (center) was the new district president and Lucille Nancarrow and Rae Baxter also were officers. Forty-two people from all of Riverside County enjoyed a buffet held in the Community Room of the Security-Pacific Bank. file photo

70 years ago - 1947 

The U.S. Forest Service reported the insect situation had become critical in the Idyllwild area. Warm weather added another hatch of bugs and 750 trees were infected.

65 years ago - 1952

The season’s rainfall totaled 43 inches.

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Town Crier saluted Denis Evarts Bowman as one of Idyllwild’s most distinguished citizens. Bowman, a scholar and former attorney and school teacher, was the donor of the Bowman Arts Center at ISOMATA.

55 years ago - 1962

On his property, Val Hansen found a rattlesnake with nine rattles.

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Robert Robbins and Pamela Hamilton were chosen chief and princess for the Bear Flag Festival on the basis of “good citizenship, character and scholarship.”

50 years ago - 1967

Four young hikers were rescued from the north slope of Mt. San Jacinto. Two members of the Riverside Mountain Rescue Team jumped from a helicopter and led the lost hikers to safety.

45 years ago - 1972 

Both the Idyllwild County Water District and the Forest Lake mobile home park developers started drilling new wells at Dutch Flat and Foster Lake.

35 years ago - 1982 

A “Meet the Candidates Night,”  to introduce the six candidates for sheriff and one for district attorney,  and sponsored by the Rotary Club, was being planned at Town Hall.

30 years ago - 1987 

An $8.9-million increase in the Clean Water Grant for the Idyllwild-area sewer project was approved. But state officials warned if there were any more delays in the project the grant would be terminated.

25 years ago - 1992

After removing his family to safety, off-duty volunteer firefighter Duane Knight saved his rented home from a fire by fighting the blaze with a garden hose until the Idyllwild Fire Department arrived.

20 years ago - 1997 

John Fitch, a Cherry Valley resident, was named the new Mountain Center postmaster.

15 years ago - 2002 

An Escondidio man was arrested in connection with a string of at least 15 fraudulent checks written in the Idyllwild area in March.

10 years ago - 2007 

The local U.S. Forest Service complained about losing fire staff to competing agencies with higher-pay scales.

5 years ago - 2012

A major fire destroyed the Fern Valley home of Idyllwild businessman Shane Stewart.

1 year ago - 2016

Bob Lewis, former Town Hall recreation director under the Idyllwild Community Recreation Council, returned April 1, to a slightly reconfigured job.

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