Past Tense: April 8, 2021

70 years ago – 1951
Ranchers and property owners in the Anza Valley organized an electric cooperative to bring electricity to 300,000 agricultural acres.

65 years ago – 1956
Max and Bee Krone, together with Meredith Willson, wrote a new Smokey Bear song that was approved by the U.S. Congress. The Krones also finished another tune called “Let’s Keep America Beautiful.”

60 years ago – 1961
Los Angeles engineering firm Ivor Lyons & Associates started Idyllwild’s first sewage survey.

55 years ago – 1966
The U.S. Forest Service reported two million visits to the San Jacinto Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest in 1965. Visits specifically for fishing led the list of uses, followed by picnicking, camping and use of wilderness trails for hiking and snow sport, respectively.

50 years ago – 1971
Ray and Virginia Garner hosted a showing of “A Night with Vincent Van Gogh,” in ISOMATA’s (now Idyllwild Arts Academy) Rush Hall. They showed their slides taken while making a “color special” for NBC of the artist’s work and artifacts from his life, including those rarely seen.

45 years ago – 1976
Dark Canyon, Fern Basin and Black Mountain campgrounds, formerly operating on a first-come, first-served basis, began requiring campers to reserve their spots, as part of a U.S. Forest Service plan to expand its campground reservation system.

40 years ago – 1981
Village Market was advertising fresh pineapple at 29 cents a pound, pork chops at $1.79 a pound and fresh broccoli at 39 cents a pound.

35 years ago – 1986
A search was launched for a mountain lion that was believed to have attacked at least two dogs in Pine Cove.

30 years ago – 1991
A three-day storm left up to 44 inches of snow in the Hill communities and caused power outages of up to 36 hours. Mounds of snow up to 20 feet tall were piled throughout downtown Idyllwild.

25 years ago – 1996
A group of Hemet High School students were attempting to organize and gain approval for a club that would raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. The Hemet Unified School District, which had eliminated the sex education curriculum the previous year, was looking into if such a club could be legally formed.

20 years ago – 2001
Locals were lamenting the closure of Val and Bruce’s General Store at the junction of highways 74 and 243 in Mountain Center. After operating the store for more than 20 years, owners Bruce and Val Raynor retired and moved down the road to Lake Hemet.

15 years ago – 2006
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass a noise ordinance in unincorporated areas. For Idyllwild, the ordinance was expected to impact local restaurants that hosted live music.

10 years ago – 2011
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest told Idyllwild’s Casey Abrams, “You’re safe,” during the Thursday, March 31 telecast, then added, “and my friend, if you knew how many votes you got you’d be very proud.” Abrams sang Elton John’s “Your Song,” and media critics applauded the choice of material and the simple and sweet performance.

5 years ago – 2016
Idyllwild Arts jazz alums inaugurated the William M. Lowman Concert Hall.

1 year ago – 2020
Due to demand created by COVID-19 the markets weren’t getting all of their orders and deliveries were running days behind schedule.