Past Tense: Feb. 7, 2013
65 years ago – 1948
The two-man Forest Service staff, Ranger Don Bauer and Fire Control Assistant Bill Hersh, hiked six hours to Martinez Mountain to check a fire started when a P-80 military jet crashed and exploded.
60 years ago – 1953
The American Legion picked a site between Idyllwild and Mountain Center for a rifle range to be open to the public.
55 years ago – 1958
“Year ’Round Idyllwild Population Soars Over 1,000 Mark,” boasted a Town Crier headline.
45 years ago – 1968
Land on which to build a new fire station was deeded to Riverside County by the Pine Cove Water District.
40 years ago – 1973
Major William Sheffer surprised his family by arriving home unexpectedly from Vietnam. The family already was planning to move to Puerto Rico, the major’s next assignment.
35 years ago – 1978
In a collective bargaining agreement between the Hemet Unified School District and California School Employees Association, employees working in Idyllwild, as well as other mountain communities, were awarded a premium of up to $25 per month.
30 years ago – 1983
Hemet Hospice announced it was expanding its program to cover the Idyllwild area.
25 years ago – 1988
Two mountain lions, a male and a female, were killed in two separate incidents after State Department of Fish and Game officials determined they were a threat to public safety. Both had attacked family pets in residential areas.
20 years ago – 1993
Ken Dahleen, a Rotary Club member, drove relief supplies collected by the group to Tijuana. The recent storms had flooded the city, leaving the people in dire need.
15 years ago – 1998
Hill resident Andrea Wills was elected to attend the Riverside County Academic Decathlon representing Hemet High with 14 of her peers.
10 years ago – 2003
San Diego Chargers defensive end Marcellus Wiley visited the Hill. He sat in front of Jo’An’s Restaurant to meet fans, and also spent time with students from Morning Sky School and their mascot dog named “Charger.”
1 year ago – 2012
Nick Todd, Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce president since October 2010, submitted his resignation both as president and director to the board.
Hello i was a resident there from 96 -97 im sad tht this place is no longer in operation i have so many positive things to say about the staff that helped me an so on if u were there as a staff or resident plz msg me at e19torres84@yahoo.com