Editor:
Recently, the TC printed a letter sent in by a tourist who expressed irritation over Idyllwild’s lack of public restrooms. What struck me was how the woman’s rather indignant complaint addressed the town as a whole. She apparently assumed that Idyllwild is operated as a single corporate entity — Disneyland in the San Jacintos — which might be expected to allocate some of its profits towards building and maintaining restroom facilities for guests.
I’d like to inform her: Idyllwild has no central governing body. At present, it even lacks a Chamber of Commerce. The “town” (in quotes, because it remains an unincorporated area) consists of a random collection of residents, business owners, etc. Nobody holds the purse strings, and no one has decision-making authority over anyone else.
Your letter might reasonably be directed to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, which could just possibly find the money to purchase a piece of land in Idyllwild, build restrooms, and keep them stocked and tidy.
Or perhaps you could send your complaint to the desk of Mayor Max. But I suspect that he would only cock his head and look puzzled.
Chris Morse
Idyllwild