Past Tense: September 16, 2016

65 years ago – 1956
As summer was drawing to a close, many Idyllwild businesses went on a winter schedule, including the Town Crier, which published every two weeks in the winter.

60 years ago – 1961
Drought conditions, which led to an infestation of destructive insects, were causing trees to die at an alarming rate in the Lake Hemet and Garner Valley areas. The Big Bear Timber Company and a 15-man prison crew had already cut down or treated more than 300 infected trees and another 900 were slated for removal.
55 years ago – 1966
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors decided that funding for electrical service to county parks would be provided in the next year’s budget.

50 years ago – 1971
American Legion officials dedicated Idyllwild Post 800.

45 years ago – 1976
Village Market was advertising lean ground beef for 69 cents a pound, red delicious apples for 29 cents a pound, a 5-pound bag of sugar for 89 cents and 10 pounds of potatoes for 79 cents.

40 years ago – 1981
With major league baseball out for the summer on strike, the Idyllwild Softball Association’s playing season became big news. The league champions were: Taylor’s Lodge in the Women’s League; Tristano Realty in the Men’s League; Soroptimist Oakies in the Girls’ 11-15 League; Idyllwild Pharmacy Little Pills in the Girls’ 8-10 League; Dinkel’s Devils in the Boys’ 11-15 League; and the Lions Club Cubs in the Boys’ 8-10 League.

35 years ago – 1986
Marge Muir was elected president of the Idyllwild Board of Realtors for 1987.

30 years ago – 1991
Idyllwild resident Bill Sanborn, by a unanimous vote, became a member of the governing board of the Hemet Unified School District.

25 years ago – 1996
Black Mountain Lookout reopened after 13 years of being closed.

20 years ago – 2001
A group of Southern California physicists was seeking federal funds to carve a 5-mile tunnel into the San Jacinto Mountains in order to build a neutrino research lab under the Jean and San Jacinto peaks. The plan never came to fruition.
15 years ago – 2006
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted to impose a registration fee on businesses in unincorporated areas in order to fund federally mandated inspections for possible runoff pollution. They also voted to create a new code enforcement and regulation department.

10 years ago – 2011
More than 400 strikes occurred on the Hill overnight as thunder bellowed for hours and the lightning resembled the strobe lights at a discotheque. As of the next morning, none had triggered a fire response.

5 years ago – 2016
Tom Lynch, general manager of the Idyllwild Water District, abruptly resigned and left the Hill.

1 year ago – 2020
The McCall Fire, 1 mile west of McCall Park Road and Highway 74, shut down Highway 74. By the time crews arrived on scene, the fire was on both sides of the highway.