Past Tense: October 4, 2018

70 years ago – 1948

When the landing gear of a crop-dusting plane snapped off a chunk of line in Valle Vista, all of Idyllwild was without electricity. The pilot landed the plane safely.

65 years ago – 1953

The Chamber of Commerce voted to remove the public phone outside of Town Hall because of maintenance costs.

60 years ago – 1958

Dick and Susan Mueller, son and daughter-in-law of the William Mullers, were leaving for Alaska to translate the Bible into the hitherto unwritten language of the Kuchin-Athapaskan Indians.

55 years ago – 1963

Lewis Leih was added to the staff of Idyllwild Elementary School as a result of record enrollment. Two buildings at Idyllwild Pines were leased to accommodate the overflow of pupils.

50 years ago – 1968

The world’s leading recorder artist, Dr. Carl Dolmetsch of Haslemere, England, directed his seventh-annual recorder weekend at the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts.

45 years ago – 1973

Hemet Unified School District extended its adult education program to include classes in Idyllwild.

40 years ago – 1978

Building in the mountain area was a booming 39 percent over activity during the same period in 1977.

35 years ago – 1983

More than 300 people were in attendance when L.A. Times columnist Jack Smith spoke at the first meeting of the Friends of the Idyllwild Library, which took place at Town Hall.

30 years ago – 1988

“Platoon Leader,” a film  starring Idyllwild resident Michael Rider, opened in Los Angeles. It was shot in South Africa where Rider spent two months on location.

25 years ago – 1993

John Robinson and Bruce Risher co-authored a 252-page hardcover book with more than 450 illustrations entitled “The San Jacintos,” telling the story of the mountain country from Banning to Borrego Valley.

20 years ago – 1998

The old Cornet building in the Strawberry Creek Square was getting a remodel to prepare for its new tenant, Med Data.

15 years ago – 2003

Two Idyllwild cycling teams, Team Idyllwild Rocks and Team Heat, won first-place spots in the 24 Hours of Adrenalin competition at Hurkey Creek Park.

5 years ago – 2013

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that required vehicle drivers to overtake and to pass bicyclists at a distance of a minimum of 3 feet, to become effective Sept. 16, 2014.

1 year ago – 2017

Idyllwild School again led the Hemet Unified School District’s performance on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.