Past Tense: Jan. 2, 2020
70 years ago – 1950
The Stevensons lugged sacks of walnut hulls from their Hemet ranch to assure the squirrels a bountiful Christmas.
65 years ago – 1955
Five Oceanside high school boys were lodged in Riverside juvenile hall Monday night after a shoplifting spree on the Hill.
60 years ago – 1960
Chamber trustees tabled a request from the Palm Springs Chamber to endorse the multi-million dollar tramway from the desert to Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
55 years ago – 1965
By popular demand, there was to be a New Year’s Eve party at Town Hall. The evening would begin with a talent show.
50 years ago – 1970
Robins, scrub jays, chickadees and white-crowned sparrows appeared to be winners in the local bird count made by about 15 volunteers.
45 years ago – 1975
Ernie Maxwell started his 27th year as president of the Izaak Walton League at Town Hall by washing dishes.
40 years ago – 1980
Building activity on the mountain was up 51% over what it was a year ago at that time.
35 years ago – 1985
President Reagan was soon to receive more than 400 letters with “messages of peace” from students at several area schools, including Idyllwild Elementary School.
30 years ago – 1990
With its flyby of Neptune in August, the spacecraft Voyager completed its grand tour of the outer planets, having sent invaluable data back to Earth and completing one stage in the space exploration program.
25 years ago – 1995
O’Sullivan’s Tavern in the Pines offered its annual New Year’s Eve event with a dinner. For $19.95, patrons had a choice of prime rib, Cornish game hen, halibut steak, baby back ribs or New York steak and lobster.
20 years ago – 2000
Some Idyllwilders might have been asleep by the time midnight came around having awakened early that morning to find out how New Zealand and the rest of the world fared through the Y2K bug.
15 years ago – 2005
A day hiker slipped and fell, injuring himself on Devil’s Slide Trail near Humber Park. Hikers found him on the trail the following day and help was called.
10 years ago – 2010
Local businessman Shane Stewart saw a historic opportunity with the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema for Idyllwild to introduce itself to a specialized crowd of people with means from major metro areas.
5 years ago – 2015
Lake Hemet Market temporarily closed for renovations and was scheduled to reopen under new management in March.
1 year ago – 2019
Higby Night’s Hicksville Pines Chalet Bud and Breakfast in Pine Cove won a place in Fodor’s Travel Guides Top 100 Hotels in the World for 2018.
