Past Tense: March 5, 2020

70 years ago – 1950
Ernie Maxwell and Ralph Accardi, conducting the snow survey, got lost near Hidden Lake. But Maxwell declared, “Each year, we get a little less lost.”
65 years ago – 1955
Under a franchise granted to W.E. Huffman, Star Route mail carrier between Hemet and Idyllwild, passengers were to be carried via mail truck. One-way fare was $1.
60 years ago – 1960
An experiment by the U.S. Forest Service to attack beetle-infested pines by spraying insecticide from a helicopter was conducted at Chimney Flat.
55 years ago – 1965
The County Board of Supervisors upheld the “No Shooting” ordinance. It became illegal to discharge a firearm within 300 yards of a public road, highway or trail or within 1 mile of city limits.
50 years ago – 1970
More than 125 Idyllwild residents joined in the World Day of Prayer on March 6. An all-day prayer vigil was held at the Community Church. Queen of Angels Catholic Church held a special mass. A program and potluck was held at Town Hall.
45 years ago – 1975
It was announced that the Pacific Crest Trail, which was two-thirds built, would pass through the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. The trail, which would be the nation’s longest, was scheduled for completion in 1980.
40 years ago – 1980
It was raining again to the dismay of Leonard Hale, general manager of the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District. Recent storms had badly eroded the granite below the auxiliary dam at Lake Hemet, threatening to cause a loss of an estimated 2.6 billion gallons of water.
35 years ago – 1985
A public hearing was held by the Riverside County Planning Department on a request to expand the Eleanor Park fast-food facility into a family-type restaurant. The applicant, Bill Hunt of Idyllwild, was the operator of the Woodpecker’s Hut Git-N-Go Kitchen on the site.
30 years ago – 1990
Five hundred students from Idyllwild Elementary School planted 1,500 trees on the grounds of the Living Free Animal Sanctuary.
25 years ago – 1995
A team of Idyllwild School students were the first-place winners in The Science Olympiads regional contests. It was the first time Idyllwild School students had participated in the event, which was attended by more than 200 students representing 15 participating schools.
20 years ago – 2000
The Women’s Guild of the Idyllwild Community Presbyterian Church gave a tribute to Grace Moore, who had recently retired after 15 years of running the church’s Thrift Shop. Funny thing though, Grace seems to have forgotten that and can still be found running around the Thrift Shop.
15 years ago – 2005
Idyllwild’s favorite poet, Stefi Chase, died at the age of 91. She had owned Idyllwild’s first bookstore, The Bookend. Her poetry was published by Strawberry Valley Press, then a Town Crier publishing company, and by Idyllwild’s Stonehill Books.
10 years ago – 2010
Idyllwild resident actor Conor O’Farrell was featured in the 10-part miniseries, “The Pacific,” which aired on HBO.
5 years ago – 2015
Caltrans was to begin construction on April 15 of a $2.5-million project to replace a 1930s-era bridge over Hurkey Creek on Highway 74 in Garner Valley.
1 year ago – 2019
Nearly three weeks after heavy rains and snow that caused road closures, residents and businesses were struggling to regain footing in the aftermath.