Past Tense: January 7, 2020

65 years ago – 1956
An explosion heard at 10 minutes to midnight on New Year’s Eve was attributed to pranksters and dynamite. Some minor damage resulted.

60 years ago – 1961
Keith Froehlich was engaged to Bonnie Pitts of North Hollywood, whom he had met when she was a summer camp counselor at Camp Maranatha.

55 years ago – 1966
Three boys, ages 10 and 12, survived a bitterly cold night and were rescued the following morning on Tahquitz Peak.

50 years ago – 1971
One of the largest snow play crowds in years enjoyed more than 40 inches of snow in the Idyllwild area. Unfortunately, snow play brought trouble. The Idyllwild and Pine Cove fire departments made 14 ambulance runs to Hemet Hospital. One Long Beach youngster received major head injuries.

45 years ago - 1976
Three youths from Pasadena who had vandalized the Rustic Theatre agreed to pay for damages in return for the owner’s decision not to press charges. 

40 years ago - 1981
Warm weather was the explanation given for why no ducks or geese were spotted at Lake Hemet during the 14th-annual Idyllwild Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The 16 people who participated in the count were in shortsleeves by noon, Ernie Maxwell, president of the Izaak Walton League, reported.

35 years ago - 1986
Idyllwild Fire Protection District officals discouraged residents to not burn their Christmas trees as they can be explosive. Needles and branches burn hot and could cause a flash or chimney fire. 

30 years ago – 1991
Duncan and Merle Burbridge escaped a fire that ignited near their fireplace that destroyed their 2,900-square-foot Alandale home.

25 years ago – 1996
U.S. Forest Service employees were waiting for a call to go back to work after the federal budget standoff shut down several federally funded programs in mid-December.

20 years ago – 2001
The crowd at Chateau Lenchantin welcomed in the new year as balloons came down at midnight.

15 years ago – 2006
Local athlete Jeff Brown and his basketball team, the North San Diego Mavericks, were informed they would be competing in the first ever Special Olympics USA National Games.

10 years ago – 2011
Idyllwild was getting ready for the 2011 Independent Festival of Cinema to open all over town.

5 years ago – 2016
A 4.4-magnitude quake occurred near Devore that was felt on the Hill. Devore is in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 70 miles northwest of Idyllwild.

1 year ago – 2020
The Idyllwild Area Historical Society (IAHS) Museum reopened. It had to close for a period of time due to a tree branch that fell and went through the roof like a spear as a result of the Thanksgiving storms.