Past Tense: August 17, 2017

70 years ago – 1947 

Idyllwild School faced a crisis. There wasn’t enough room to accommodate the anticipated enrollment of 125 kids.

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“Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” starring Tyronne Power, Don Ameche and Alice Faye, was luring customers to the Rustic Theatre.

65 years ago – 1952

More than 100 people from Monogram Studios invaded Idyllwild to film “Northwest Mounted Police.” James Craig and Reginald Denny were in the cast.

60 years ago – 1957

At Tahquitz Lake Estates, Tract No. 1 was substantially sold out. The developers were asking the Forest Service to help choose a location for a heliport for property owners there.

55 years ago – 1962

An end to the long legal battle over liquor in Idyllwild seemed apparent when the Idyllwild Protection League withdrew its opposition to three licenses.

50 years ago – 1967

Idyllwild Summer School students took a trip to the San Diego Zoo. Their guide pointed out a high fence that he said was to keep out the most dangerous of all animals, the American teenager. Another, he said, was to keep the American road hog in his place.

45 years ago – 1972 

Howard Jordan replaced Cliff Hagenbach on the Pine Cove Property Owners Association board.

40 years ago – 1977 

The Institute for Advanced Musical Studies’ deal with USC-ISOMATA (now Idyllwild Arts) to relocate to and use the local campus during the winter months fell through.

35 years ago – 1982 

The annual closure of high fire-hazard watershed areas in the San Bernardino National Forest began. The closure was coming about a month later than normal because of wet weather.

30 years ago – 1987 

Local youth formed an organization called Hobo Skates, dedicated to finding a place in Idyllwild where youth could meet and skate legally.

25 years ago – 1992

Residents were concerned about the use of Lindane and a health hazard of using it. Lindane was a pesticide being used to treat trees for bark beetles.

20 years ago – 1997 

Hemet Unified School District was considering a $36 million bond measure.

15 years ago – 2002 

Residents were donating water to make sure the community Christmas tree, located on Jo’An’s Restaurant’s property, survived the drought and the Stage 3 water conservation.

10 years ago – 2007 

Three years and nine days after burning down, Arriba Mexican Restaurant reopened to a priest’s quiet blessing and an energetic mariachi fanfare.

5 years ago – 2012

With 70 felony property crimes reported from Jan. 1 to Aug. 11 in Idyllwild and Pine Cove, concerned residents were rapidly convening to form Neighborhood Watch groups.

1 year ago – 2016

Local video producers and life partners Marcia Waldorf and Jim Crawford  featured Idyllwild in a national infomercial.