Past Tense: January 9, 2019

70 years ago – 1950
The Idyllwilders Square Dance Club rested its dances until spring.
65 years ago – 1955
The village was crowded with people when the first good snowstorm of the season hit. The Town Crier reported that people “piled out of cars and into snowbanks, heaving snowballs at their friends.”
60 years ago – 1960
Temperatures in Idyllwild hit a five-year low. Idyllwild Dairy reported a reading of 5 degrees.
55 years ago – 1965
Real estate ads in the Town Crier showed a furnished, two-bedroom home listed at $19,000; a two-room “secluded hideaway” on 1/2-acre lot for $7,500 and a three-bedroom home with fireplace, loft and view of Tahquitz for $25,000.
50 years ago – 1970
Five years after the first planning meeting, the Idyllwild sewer disposal project was 90% complete. Service was expected to start in March.
45 years ago – 1975
Hill resident Claude Ryan, aviation pioneer, was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
40 years ago – 1980
Building a Pine Cove to Idyllwild hiking trail was discussed at the Pine Cove Property Owners Association board meeting.
35 years ago – 1985
Drivers were warned to watch out for “The Great Anza to Hemet Cattle Drive,” a two-day drive of 100 cattle and 50 horseback riders making their way from Anza to the Farmers Fair held at Hemet Fairgrounds.
30 years ago – 1990
Josh Bishof, 12, of Mountain Center was competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Luge Team.
25 years ago – 1995
Local business owners reported a record number of visitors over the New Year’s holiday week. “It’s been like a Saturday night for the past eight days since Christmas Eve,” said Phyllis Kirchner, general manager of O’Sullivan’s Tavern in the Pines.
20 years ago – 2000
Jeri Sue Haney, manager of Idyllwild’s Guaranty Federal Bank, celebrated New Year’s Day after it was announced there was nary a Y2K glitch in bank operations.
15 years ago – 2005
Deputy Chief Steve Kunkle was selected as the new fire chief by the Idyllwild Fire Protection District commission.
10 years ago – 2010
Filmed in Idyllwild, Festival Director Stephen Savage’s feature film “Legacy” anchored the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema with a red-carpet world premiere at the festival main venue, The Rustic Theatre.
5 years ago – 2015
The sixth-annual Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema opened Tuesday morning. The Rustic Theatre was the principal venue for the filmmakers and actors during the festival, which culminated with the award ceremony Saturday evening at the theater.
1 year ago – 2019
The terms of three members of County Service Area 36 Advisory Committee expired June 30, 2018, but no one noticed. The supervisor was to reappoint those desiring continued service and would advertise for committee vacancies.