Associates of Idyllwild Arts Foundation (IAF) President Michael Slocum has shared a message from IAF President Pamela Jordan regarding Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) students from Ukraine and Russia. In it she thanks the many who have reached out and offered to help students and families whose lives have been upended by the conflict and international…
From 2 to 3 million Californians now insured under Medi-Cal extensions the federal government’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funded may lose their coverage later this year. Also, the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) is scheduled to expire April 16, and unless extended, that expiration will trigger “downstream” effects on Californians. If the state of emergency…
Filmmaker Jennifer Kramer’s entry in this year’s Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) has a connection to Idyllwild, having been filmed here. Nominated in eight categories, the film showcases Kramer’s versatility as auteur: writing, directing, acting, composing and performing the score. Although passed over by this year’s judges, Kramer said, “just being nominated in eight…
As California begins to roll back COVID-related public health measures, school districts across the state, including Hemet Unified School District (HUSD), have been announcing an end to mask mandates, even as other measures remain in effect.The two-yearlong rolling battle with the virus has divided parents, teachers and school boards, splitting all three groups and putting…
The Crier caught up with Idyllwild’s new postmaster this week. Mark A. Pererra displays a balance of cordiality, humility and military precision. He mentioned his Creole roots and two tours of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq. In response to a request for a biographical sketch, he submitted this brief note: “Yes, this…
Local attorney and physical therapist Bill Whitman had a brush with the dark side of geo-politics this month. He had scheduled a visit to a clinic in Ukraine, but history in the form of the Russian military intervened: “Things started to get hot and I started looking for alternatives and while on layover in Istanbul,…
Preston Atkins, 16, a senior bassoonist at Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) who hails from Cedar Falls, Iowa, is preparing for a number of concerto competitions. His bassoon teacher, Martin Kuuskmann, is professor of bassoon at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, making the trek to Idyllwild once a month to work with IAA’s…
Doug Lehar, father of deceased Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiker Trevor Laher, has teamed up with two local businesses, a manufacturer of outdoor gear, and non-profit foundation to make it easier for PCT through-hikers approaching Idyllwild to make the trip safely. The local partners are Nomad Ventures, (the small chain of three Southern California retailers…
Last week the Crier reported a citizen’s complaint about contractors working for Southern California Edison (SCE) spraying herbicide around power poles both along public roads and within the utility easement, and on private property. An SCE representative answered some of the questions and gave readers an update on SCE’s wider wildfire mitigation efforts. At that…
Part-timer Taraneh Saba went from economics professor to lawyer, serving many years as a deputy district attorney. Leaving that behind, she has returned to her lifelong vocation as a storyteller to write a novel based on one of the most terrifying cases she tried. TC: “How did you find Idyllwild?” TS: “I have always loved…
