A real estate appeal in October 1973, yet fitting for Valentine’s Day.
file photo

70 years ago - 1948

The two-man Forest Service staff, Ranger Don Bauer and Fire Control Assistant Bill Hersh, hiked six hours to Martinez Mountain to check a fire started when a P-80 military jet crashed and exploded.

65 years ago - 1953

The American Legion picked a site between Idyllwild and Mountain Center for a rifle range to be open to the public.

60 years ago - 1958

“Year ’Round Idyllwild Population Soars Over 1,000 Mark,” boasted a Town Crier headline.

55 years ago - 1963

A few hours after the fire department’s new ambulance arrived on the Hill, it was used to rush F.O. Starr to the hospital. He had suffered electric shock and burns while doing wiring work at home.

50 years ago - 1968

Land on which to build a new fire station was deeded to Riverside County by the Pine Cove Water District.

45 years ago - 1973

Major William Sheffer surprised his family by arriving home unexpectedly from Vietnam. The family already was planning to move to Puerto Rico, the major’s next assignment.

40 years ago - 1978

In a collective bargaining agreement between the Hemet Unified School District and California School Employees Association, employees working in Idyllwild, as well as other mountain communities, were awarded a premium of up to $25 per month.

35 years ago - 1983

Hemet Hospice announced it was expanding its program to cover the Idyllwild area.

 

30 years ago - 1988

Two mountain lions, a male and a female, were killed in two separate incidents after State Department of Fish and Game officials determined they were a threat to public safety. Both had attacked family pets in residential areas.

 

25 years ago - 1993

Ken Dahleen, a Rotary Club member, drove relief supplies collected by the group to Tijuana. Recent storms had flooded the city, leaving the people in dire need.

20 years ago - 1998

Hill resident Andrea Wills was elected to attend the Riverside County Academic Decathlon representing Hemet High with 14 of her peers.

15 years ago - 2003

San Diego Chargers defensive end Marcellus Wiley visited the Hill. He sat in front of Jo’An’s Restaurant to meet fans, and also spent time with students from Morning Sky School and their mascot dog named “Charger.”

5 years ago - 2013

Through January, the 2012-13 flu season had been worse than normal, particularly for people over age 65, but it had not reached epidemic levels.

1 year ago - 2017

Three hikers and one dog spent a cold overnight before being rescued.