“Community Institutions in Idyllwild have never been plentiful, but the few that have persisted over the years have bound the community together profoundly. The most important institution under this theme is Town Hall, which was constructed largely by community labor for community use and stands today as a symbol of Idyllwild’s social cohesion and neighborly…

You may have noticed an unnamed black and gold helicopter flying for 30 to 45 minutes over Idyllwild last Friday afternoon. The helicopter is leased by WaveRider Helicopters of Oceanside from November Alpha LLC. Kurt Dawson, owner/pilot of WaveRider, said his company was contracted by a surveyor to survey the power grid in our area. “The surveyor was probably hired by SCE,” he said, and Dawson and an employee were given a map to survey problems in the grid such things as trees in the power lines.

Two of five squatter camps in Idyllwild, downhill of the bend on Highway 243 leading south out of Idyllwild, are seen in these photos. The camps are on 40 undeveloped acres owned by Charlene Lane. Penelope Smrz, a neighbor immediately adjacent to the 40-acre site, reported the encampments to both the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department…