Some really good news came out of the Caltrans community meeting last Tuesday night, Oct. 29, at Idyllwild School that was coordinated by Mountain Disaster Preparedness. There is now full access to Hemet and Banning from Idyllwild. Public and Media Affairs Chief for Caltrans District 8 Terri Kasinga announced that Highway 243 would reopen by…
“Four years ago when I first came to Hemet Unified School District (HUSD), we had the opportunity to have a very powerful conversation with an individual by the name of Dr. Carl Cohn,” began Dr. Christi Barrett, superintendent for HUSD at this year’s State of the District on Oct. 10. Cohn, a professor at Claremont…
After terminating former Idyllwild Water District (IWD) General Manager Michael Creighton’s contract Sept. 25 at a special closed-session meeting, the IWD board approved the hiring of two employees — a field supervisor and general manager — at its Oct. 16 general meeting. The board selected Lake Hemet Municipal Water District’s (LHMWD) Mitchell Freeman to be…
One of the best pieces of advice I can give to people in an elected position is this: make decisions as if every single decision will end up on the front page of a newspaper. It is good practice. And yes, optics do matter. In my first Out Loud, I was very, very clear as…
Two traffic collisions occurred last week on the mountain, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Edward Nunez. On Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 1:05 p.m., two semitrucks collided on McCall Park Road one-half mile west of Highway 74. Mario Lopez, 62 years old of Miami, Florida, was parked off to the side of McCall Park Road…
Caltrans will hold a community meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Idyllwild School’s gymnasium (26700 Highway 243) to give an update on Highway 243 from Lake Fulmor to Banning. Mountain Disaster Preparedness coordinated the meeting with Idyllwild School. At the last community meeting on Aug. 27, Chief of Public and Media Affairs for…
This year’s Ernie Maxwell Community Spirit Award goes to Phyllis Mueller. “I do consider it such an honor,” said Mueller. “Ernie Maxwell is such a legend and I admire him. Winning this award makes me very happy.” Mueller serves as the chief of staff to Idyllwild’s beloved Mayor Max. Mueller works tirelessly to get the…
Ever been traveling on Highway 74 out to the desert and needed to stop for gas or a snack? Well, that will be possible starting in the spring. The Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians is building a gas station and convenience store, the Santa Rosa Pit Stop. The station and store will be “about…
The details of a mountain communication system are in the works, according to Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) Chief Mark LaMont at the last IFPD board meeting held Sept. 24. Details about the materials and construction of the system are in discussion so that a final cost can be nailed down. In the meantime, there…
The district’s auditor will be at the November meeting The pipeline replacement project for the Fern Valley Water District (FVWD) began last month. In a cozy room at the district office supplied with plenty of coffee last Friday morning, General Manager Victor Jimenez described the experience he and Office Manager Jessica Priefer had observing how…
