Each week, certain subjects are the talk of the town — sometimes the conversations go on for more than a week or even continue for months, such as the sudden appearance of a California black bear who has livened up the mountains with surprise appearances here and there.
First we witnessed and suffered through snow-play visitors coming in droves to a little town without the infrastructure to handle them — from parking to play areas to restrooms to trash containers to law enforcement. That conversation continues with the Idyllwild Snow Group led by Marsha Kennedy.
Other hot topics this year include the closing of Sky Island Organics and the opening of a new and improved Village Market, one that shows great hope in its success.
Propane rates always are ongoing discussions in the winter.
With the presidential election, Idyllwild Indivisibles formed, causing many who voted for Trump to take issue with the progressive group though it marches on.
The teenager who suffered major injuries in a head-on on Deadman’s Curve and speaking of it, Deadman’s Curve’s issues themselves resulting in traffic delays while the parts of the entire highway and culverts were replaced.
The Summer Concert Series’ issues with finding a location, wondering if the show would go on, getting help from Jay Johnson to have it across the highway but with no dancing area and then delayed construction on the ICC site resulting in the concert returning at the site, along with crowds of locals who love the popular series.
High water bills within Idyllwild Water District yet to be explained and possibly never explained. We continue hearing from folk about high bills.
The laser light show on the Fourth of July evening riled folk up on all fronts. That issue seems to be dying down.
The deaths of so many of our community this year.
This is just a sampling of so many issues/controversies our community talked about this year.
But one of the biggest is the rise of illegal marijuana medical dispensaries, particularly on the prominent Highway 243 in town.
We — Jack and I — can’t go anywhere in Idyllwild without hearing negative comments about how this has changed the ambiance of our community.
Tuesday afternoon, County Code Enforcement and sheriff’s deputies arrived at two of the shops — the one in Village Lane and the one on the corner for violations of land-use codes.
The county is responding to your complaints.
Becky Clark, Editor
