Past Tense: June 18, 2015

65 years ago – 1950
A new layout for the Idyllwild brochure was planned at a meeting of the Chamber’s Businessmen’s Committee.

60 years ago – 1955
State Park Ranger Frank Davies reported he would have a six-man crew working on the backcountry trails during summer. Extensive repairs were planned for the trails that were damaged by the September flash flood.

55 years ago – 1960
County crews were adding new corrals and feeding troughs at the Horsemen’s Camp in Mountain Center.

50 years ago – 1965
Lloyd Wood was sworn in as Idyllwild’s postmaster. He replaced Rita Patton, who retired after 26 years of service.

45 years ago – 1970
It was reported that the Big Cedar Glen Property Owners Association was in favor of the new county park, even though members  would have preferred the land remain the property of the U.S. Forest Service.

40 years ago – 1975
The Idyllwild Property Owners Association protested new tax assessments by the county, which had doubled and tripled many assessments.

35 years ago – 1980
Idyllwild crime reports were down 20 percent compared to the previous year.

30 years ago – 1985
A 93,000-gallon water storage tank owned by the Pine Cove County Water District collapsed, releasing a 64,000-gallon flood of water onto a two-block area in Pine Cove. No one was injured but several homes and a single car were damaged.

25 years ago – 1990
Receiving nearly $100,000 less than requested in Riverside County augmentation funds, the Idyllwild Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners voted to increase the special district assessment fee from $20 to $30 for the 1990-91 fiscal year.

20 years ago – 1995
The Hemet Unified School District proposed to discontinue “late bus” transport home for mountain-area students who were involved in afterschool extracurricular activities.

15 years ago – 2000
A 15-year-old Garner Valley boy was hospitalized after being shot in the face with a .22-caliber rifle by his 13-year-old brother. Sheriff’s deputies said they were treating the incident as an accident but that they were still investigating.

10 years ago – 2005
Idyllwild Arts faculty member Todd Carpenter was fundraising for student scholarships. Riding his bike from Idyllwild to Waukesha, Wisconsin, his plan was to make stops in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin asking for donations in each city. Before he left Idyllwild he had already raised $2,500.

5 years ago – 2010
The Idyllwild Trailer Park was under the county microscope for alleged violations of county code, including substandard electrical wiring attached to trees as well as resident violations.

1 year ago – 2014
At the adamant urging of Idyllwild Fire Chief Patrick Reitz, the district’s commission unanimously agreed to repeal all rules, regulations and policies adopted before Jan. 1, 2012.