Past Tense: December 31, 2020
65 years ago – 1955
Miss Ettie Lee of Los Angeles was the new owner of Pinos Altos, formally operated as a girl camp, near Pine Cove.
60 years ago – 1960
The pros and cons of the annual Bear Festival were aired at the Chamber of Commerce meeting at Town Hall.
55 years ago – 1965
At Sunaire Chevrolet Oldsmobile, you could get a 1965 Chevy Impala SS for $3,199.
50 years ago – 1970
The annual bird count was taken from feeders and windows since a heavy snowfall restricted mobility. Snow depth in town ranged from 24 to 30 inches.
45 years ago – 1975
A three-day hike turned into a nightmare for 18 young adults as the result of high winds that buffeted Tahquitz Peak. The group was evacuated by helicopter when several of them were afflicted with hypothermia.
40 years ago – 1980
Johnston’s Pies were on special for the holidays at Village Market. It was $1.49 each for pumpkin, apple or dutch apple .
35 years ago – 1985
Marge Muir received a plaque from the Pine Cove County Water District Board for her eight years of service on the board.
30 years ago – 1990
Katy Wohlman, 5, won a full breakfast for her family and a $25 savings bond for dubbing the Idyllwild Cafe’s latest edition, “Flapjack” and winning the Name the Squirrel contest.
25 years ago – 1995
Idyllwild Fire Department Chief Don Gilden named Steve Friemoth as Firefighter of the Year.
20 years ago – 2000
Idyllwild Beauty shop received the most votes in the Town Crier’s annual Holiday Decorating Contest.
15 years ago – 2005
“King Kong” was playing at the Rustic Theatre and advertised they are now serving real butter for their popcorn.
10 years ago – 2010
Lauren Salter, of Idyllwild, having graduated from Northern Arizona University moved to Northern Virginia while commuting to Lake Placid, New York. Her goal was to become a member of the U.S. Olympic skeleton team.
5 years ago – 2015
Jo’An’s Restaurant & Bar boasted a New Year’s Eve Dinner with complimentary champagne toast at midnight while dancing to a live DJ.
1 year ago – 2019
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led global disaster response organization, commenced a wildfire mitigation operation to support residents of Idyllwild due to the area being ranked in the top five most at-risk communities for wildfire destruction in the country.
