75 years ago – 1949 The Women’s Association of the Idyllwild Community Church was considering setting up a “bank” of food and clothing for needy families on the Hill.
70 years ago – 1954 Snow finally arrived — 9 to 11 inches of it. It was welcome, for Idyllwild had been through a very dry year.
65 years ago – 1959 Jim Johnson, head of the Businessman’s Committee of the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce, announced his resignation from the post.
60 years ago – 1964 In a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, Southern California Edison Co. proposed substantial rate reductions for customers of the recently merged California Electric Power Co.
55 years ago – 1969 Locals Carl and Nelda Siegmund, and Ben and Helen Jones were among Whittier College alumni who gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center to honor President- elect and Mrs. Nixon. Carl and Ben were called to the stage as fellow football team members of 1933 for a handshake with Nixon.
50 years ago – 1974 Parents frustrated by their children’s math homework could enroll in a weekly “How to Help Your Child With Math” class at Idyllwild School. The class was offered through the Adult Education program of the Hemet Unified School District.
45 years ago – 1979 Elimination of the double- S curve on Highway 243 about 1/4-mile north of Mountain Center was the subject of a meeting between the Idyllwild Property Owners Association and county transportation engineers. Labeled “a death trap” by IPOA President Jim Palmer, that stretch of the highway had been the site of numerous injury collisions over the years.
40 years ago – 1984 The feasibility of housing California Conservation Corps crews on the ISOMATA campus was discussed by the executive officers of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation Board of Trustees.
35 years ago – 1989 The U.S. Forest Service made an environmental assessment of Garner Ranch properties in a step to acquire nearly 320 acres on top of Baldy Mountain near Mountain Center. The land would be used as a wildlife habitat and would be open to the public.
30 years ago – 1994 Idyllwild Water District customers experienced low or no water pressure and dirty water following a traffic collision that knocked off a fire hydrant. The fire hydrant gushed more than 42,000 gallons of water onto Idyllwild Pines Camp property.
25 years ago – 1999 American Legion Post 800 celebrated its golden anniversary.
20 years ago – 2004 County Service Area 38 revised its contract with Idyllwild Fire Protection District to exclude areas north of Pine Cove. CSA 38 did not receive taxes from the area, known as Zone 3, for ambulance services.
15 years ago – 2009 Jonathan LaBenne’s offer to provide a second tree monument for Idyllwild was generating strong reactions within the community. Whether the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce decided to continue its contract with artist David Roy or accept LaBenne’s offer, the community was split but not indifferent.
10 years ago – 2014 Leg Up Theater Company presented a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31, celebrating the 1920s. The party included appearances by Cole Porter and Ernest Hemingway, Parisian can-can dancers, cocktails, Dali’s oyster bar, Joie de Vivre cheese boards, Jambon de Paris and lots of surprises.
5 years ago – 2019 The Idyllwild Water District directors appeared to be within 30 days of naming a successor to former General Manager Jack Hoagland, whose contract expired Dec. 31, 2018, and was not renewed.
1 year ago – 2023 In response to an oncoming powerful storm, Caltrans activated about 1,200 electronic highway signs statewide to display urgent safety messaging.
