Past Tense: July 28, 2011
60 years ago – 1951
Hikers from the Pathfinder camp experienced a near-tragedy when lightning knocked them to the ground while descending San Jacinto Peak.
55 years ago – 1956
The Norman Roys of Garden Grove purchased 9 acres of the Pauley Ranch off Delano Road, and announced plans to build a “deluxe trailer park” named Roy-L Pines Trailer Village (It is now the Royal Pines Estates).
50 years ago – 1961
Jim Johnson and George Martinak solicited donations to purchase an ambulance for the fire department. They met an overwhelming response and 95 percent of the needed money was quickly pledged.
45 years ago – 1966
World-famous potters Gertrud and Otto Natzlr visited with the ceramics class on the USC-Arts Foundation (now Idyllwild Arts) campus. The couple had escaped their native Austria just ahead of Hitler’s invasion, and came to the U.S. with $24 and their essential art supplies.
40 years ago – 1971
The featured speaker at the American Legion Post 800’s Ladies’ Auxiliary dinner meeting was “Prince” Victor Kenezevic, a blind freedom fighter from Yugoslavia, who was brought to America by Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Hap Arnold for his bravery in helping 640 American Flyers escape during World War II.
35 years ago – 1976
On the advice of its consulting engineer, and to satisfy State Board of Health requirements for a water filtration system, the Fern Valley Water District began the installation of a dual chlorination system.
30 years ago – 1981
Miranda Marais, famed balladeer and part-time Idyllwild resident, appeared in two local public performances.
25 years ago – 1986
Restaurant Gastrognome began serving lunch on the patio.
20 years ago – 1991
The Hill, which had been without a resident physician since June, welcomed four doctors from Eisenhower Medical Center who would be providing primary care on the Hill.
15 years ago – 1996
Fire officials’ presentation about the recent Bee Canyon blaze packed the Idyllwild Fire Station. The Hill’s radio station, WNKI, which had a tiny office in the back of the firehouse, received about $3,000 in donations from citizens grateful for WNKI’s broadcasting updates on the fire.
10 years ago – 2001
Spokesmen from the newly formed Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council had tough words for the IFPD, which estimated that it had completed only about a third of the needed property inspections. Also, the IFPD had kept no records of actual inspections done.
5 years ago – 2006
Mountain Disaster Preparedness conducted its first community-wide drill, training volunteers to stock and operate stations (now called Disaster Aid Stations), full of emergency supplies throughout the Hill area
1 year ago – 2010
New Idyllwild Postmaster Kelley Gates announced the Pine Cove Post Office would close in August. Pine Covers would get their mail at the Idyllwild facility.
