Ariel Hackney celebrated the grand opening of Merkaba’s Green Thingnursery Thursday, May 2. The name is a nod to Hackney’s first localbusiness, Merkaba, which she bought in December 2022. “It was among thereasons I moved up here. I’ve always loved Idyllwild, and always wanteda reason to be here. I loved Merkaba before I bought it….
Locals noticed a film crew at work the week of April 22 at severaldowntown localtions. The Gastrognome was taken over Tuesday andWednesday, with small “drifts” of fake snow scattered around the deck,and FERRO was next on the schedule. The Crier spoke with co-producer and director Jake Hilgren at the Gnome.“We’re filming a movie called ‘Christmas…
The Crier sat down with Julia Graham at her new teaching studio, HilltopMusic Lab, in the Collective. Graham moved into the space just a fewweeks ago, but tells us that already, 45 students are taking lessons andlearning about music at Hilltop. Graham spent about a year giving lessons out of her home in Idyllwild,and taught…
Six members of the Kretsinger family met Thursday, April 25 to posebehind the fountain in front of the Fort honoring Idyllwild plumbingpatriarch Charlie Kretsinger. Brian, Stacy, Griffin, Kinsey, Chuck andJackie were joined by Charlie Clayton, the expert mason who constructedthe fountain’s stone base, and members of the Idyllwild Water District(IWD), including Interim General Manager Curt…
The April 17 meeting of the directors of Idyllwild Water District (IWD)included a detailed update on progress on the lower administrativeoffice project, a number of legacy issues uncovered by Interim GeneralManager (GM) Curt Sauer and staff, and a review of board procedure anddecorum, including stipends for directors. In public comments David Hunt wished to “commend…
The Crier sat down last week with Leanna Lee, proprietor of Leanna’sIdyll-Awhile Bistro. She noted that Thursday, April 18, marked fiveyears from the day she closed escrow, in 2019. Idyll-Awhile was servingfor many years before that, but Lee is excited about her recent kitchenexpansion and the roll-out of a full dinner menu. Lee has a…
Taylor Brechtel has been showing his work and hosting events at hisRecht Gallery in the Courtyard since 2022. The Crier visited his galleryto introduce him to readers. Brechtel is originally from Orange County. He went to New York Citywhere he earned his bachelor’s in fine art from Parson’s School ofDesign and lived for 10 years….
The Crier visited El Sereno Mercantile whose motto is “Tools forliving.” It is in the North Circle building rebuilt after a tree strike.The first shop opened in Oakwood Village a few years ago and moved tothe new location in November. The Crier spoke with Juliana, owner withhusband Markus Ziegler. “I’m from Brazil, my husband from…
Paula Castro opened up Waffleton Street Waffles November, in the VillageCenter Shops, where Atomic Cow had been. She offers Belgian and Mochi(Japanese sweet rice) waffles with sweet or savory toppings. Sweetsinclude fruit, chocolate, marshmallows and cookie crumbs; savory combosinclude Brie and prosciutto, manchego cheese and sun-dried tomatoes,smoked salmon and cream cheese. She also offers hot…
John Edward Marin was looking for studio space where he could paint andfound more: space for three painters and his Wylldwood Gallery. “Thiswas not anticipated, it happened all very spur-of-the-moment. I saw thespace in December, moved in Jan. 5.” Marin began painting relatively recently, in 2003. “I was told by apsychic my art would hang…
