Past Tense: April 22, 2021

70 years ago – 1951
The last troop of Marines left Dark Canyon after completing several months of cold weather training to prepare for combat in Korea.

65 years ago – 1956
Members of several community groups — the Hilltoppers, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club and the PTA — met to discuss the development of recreational activities for young people on the Hill.

60 years ago – 1961
Pine Cove residents were organizing support for a post office.

55 years ago – 1966
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved 18 streetlights for Idyllwild.

50 years ago – 1971
As a maneuver to prevent a proposed subdivision in Garner Valley, a bill was introduced in Congress to permit the federal government to purchase 2,200 acres of land as an addition to the San Bernardino National Forest.

45 years ago – 1976
The U.S. Forest Service was pondering the question of whether Lake Fulmor should be made safe for swimming or if swimming should be allowed there at all. Although it was not permitted and was not considered safe for swimming, no restrictions to swimming were posted. According to a Forest Service official, this is still the case.

40 years ago – 1981
Hillcrest Market in the Strawberry Creek Square was advertising bacon at 89 cents per pound, bananas at 29 cents per pound, avocados at 29 cents each and three loaves of bread for $1.

35 years ago – 1986
No objections to a proposal for a collection station to replace the Idyllwild dump were raised at a Town Hall meeting that county officials called.

30 years ago – 1991
Softball leagues for adults and kids were brought back to the Hill after a four-year absence. Town Hall organized the kids’ teams and the American Legion coordinated the adults’ teams.

25 years ago – 1996
After a short-lived increase to 65 mph, the speed limit on Highway 74 from Hemet to Palm Desert and on Highway 243 from Pine Cove to Banning reverted to 55 mph.

20 years ago – 2001
Idyllwild’s Lioness Club met for the last time, ending almost 13 years of community service. Some of the Lionesses were invited to join the men’s Lions Club, which held its last meeting in June 2008.
15 years ago – 2006
Nearly two months after a heated community meeting about Idyllwild recreation, representatives of the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce and the Idyllwild Community Recreation Council met to begin discussions about how to peacefully transfer the county’s recreation contract from the Chamber to ICRC.
10 years ago – 2011
Idyllwild’s Casey Abrams risked it all on Wednesday’s “American Idol” telecast. Rather than follow the advice of Idol coaches Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am and cover Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight,” Abrams sang “Nature Boy,” a Nat King Cole song, again accompanying himself on bass. Casey was right and earned the night’s only standing ovation.

5 years ago – 2016
For the third year, U.S. military veterans returned to Idyllwild as thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. They were part of “Warrior Hike: Walk Off the War.”

1 year ago – 2020
To ensure the safety of all voters and elections officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring county elections officials to mail every registered voter a ballot for the Special General Election.