Past Tense: July 5, 2018
70 years ago – 1948
Five new street lights were installed in Pine Cove by the Improvement Club.
65 years ago – 1953
Paul and Alma Wood came to Idyllwild on their honeymoon and decided to stay. So they opened a self-service laundry.
60 years ago – 1958
Lots at Tahquitz Lake Estates were going for $2,995. The development was advertised as “a paradise of beauty and culture.”
50 years ago – 1968
“It could happen here,” warned Town Crier, as it reported that polluted air was killing thousands of Southern California pines.
45 years ago – 1973
Idyllwild Fire Department reported that the number of emergencies handled by its fire and rescue personnel had nearly doubled in four years.
35 years ago – 1983
Medal of Honor recipient Col. Lewis Millett was the grand marshal of the Idyllwild Fourth of July Parade. Lora Steere, 96, also was a star attraction of the parade in her decorated wheelchair.
30 years ago – 1988
A closed session of the San Jacinto Mountain Water Study Agency Board was set to discuss “impending litigation” stemming from the recent termination by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of a grant for the proposed Idyllwild-area sewer expansion.
20 years ago – 1998
A five-year lease was signed by Med-Data Inc. for the old Cornet building in Strawberry Creek Square. The building had been empty since the Cornet store closed its doors in November 1996 after 18 years in the community.
15 years ago – 2003
An awaited $3.3 million grant was released to help battle the bark beetle infestation in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
10 years ago – 2008
The Riverside County Grand Jury publicly released a report that determined the local fire department had used intimidation against individuals, had violated open meeting rules and was underskilled in medical emergencies.
5 years ago – 2013
Idyllwild House Publishing Co., Ltd., owned by Jack and Becky Clark of Idyllwild, purchased the Idyllwild Town Crier from Tindle Newspapers Ltd. of England. Becky had been publisher-editor from 1996 to 2009, and had worked at the newspaper for many years prior.
1 year ago – 2017
Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department announced full containment of the Manzanita Fire, which started burning June 26. The fire eventually reached 6,309 acres.
