Past Tense
75 years ago – 1948 The Town Crier was offering a $10 prize for anyone who spotted a bear in the mountains. Bob Mitchell claimed to have laid eyes on one on Scenic Drive but a photo proof had yet to be produced.
70 years ago – 1953 The state Public Utilities Commission called a public hearing at Idyllwild Inn to consider Idyllwild Water Company’s application to increase water rates.
65 years ago – 1958 Work on a new trail that would connect Mountain Center to Idyllwild via the Devil’s Slide Trail was continuing.
60 years ago – 1963 Designer Edmund Dantez of Palm Springs showed his new collection at a benefit for the Palm Springs Youth Center at the Tirol.
55 years ago – 1968 Exhibitors had signed up for the second-annual Harvest Festival at Town Hall. It was sponsored by the local Service Area to encourage local arts and crafts.
50 years ago – 1973 A weekend storm that moved inland from the coast brought the Hill’s first measurable moisture since Oct. 10 and the first snow of the season.
45 years ago – 1978 Six months after plans for a sewer system were scrapped by directors of the San Jacinto Area Water Agency Study, a regional Water Quality Control Board member forced the issue to be resurrected.
40 years ago – 1983 About 45 people ventured into the cold night to attend a potluck dinner at Town Hall to discuss nuclear war and their reactions to the ABC-TV movie “The Day After,” a film about nuclear war.
35 years ago – 1988 Developers of the Skyline Retreat project were told that they must remove half of the rooms in the plan to conform to the Riverside County general plan.
30 years ago – 1993 The Explorer Post program, sponsored by Idyllwild Fire Department, was underway for teenagers 14 to 18, to provide insight into the firefighting profession.
25 years ago – 1998 During the past four months, three bear sightings had occurred in the San Jacinto Mountains.
20 years ago – 2003 Terry L. Lyons succeeded Tom Lovejoy as the general manager of the Idyllwild Water District.
15 years ago – 2008 The Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce was taking a local survey on noise ordinance to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
10 years ago – 2013 The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a rash of breaking and entering crimes in and around downtown Idyllwild.
5 years ago – 2018 Riverside County dedicated the “Heroes” mural on the back wall of the Idyllwild Library. More than 100 people showed up, including 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington, first responders from Idyllwild Fire, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the artist, Keith Blum.
1 year ago – 2022 Wednesday night, Nov. 16, Idyllwild Water District (IWD) General Manager Leo Havener reported that Cal Trans broke a sewer line on Oct.
29 where it had been installing a culvert near Village Market, despite IWD having marked the sewer line. IWD fixed the line the same night as it had no turn-off valve, he said.
