At its March 5 session, the Riverside County Board of Supervisorsunanimously approved a zoning change and conditional use permit (CUP)for developing a wellness ranch on a 36-acre parcel on Apple Canyon Roadwithin the Riverside Extended Mountain Area Plan. In her presentation to the Board, Kathleen Mitchell, county projectplanner, described the project as “an eco-conscious guest…
Women’s History Month comes to Middle Ridge Winery the weekend of March22 to 24, as a team of Idyllwild’s well-known sisters in song presentthree special shows. They are calling the weekend “IDY LilithRock Fair,”combining a nod to Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair with a reference toIdyllwild’s own Lily Rock, teasing the possibility of a new tradition….
As of Saturday night, March 9, the Riverside County Registrar of Votershad counted nearly 346,400 ballots, or about 26% of registered voters.But the counting continued through the weekend. “An estimated 50,000Vote-by-Mail and 3,200 Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) ballotsstill must be processed,” according to the registrar’s Friday eveningposting. The remaining vote-by-mail ballots are postmarked on or…
The decade long scourge of Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB) continues todamage and to kill oak trees on the Hill. Despite multiple efforts toeradicate this nemesis, its destruction is still present. Callie Squires, executive director for the Mountain Communities FireSafe Council (MCFSC), has announced that funding is available either tospray threatened and damaged trees or to…
Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) Chief Mark LaMont called aspecial meeting of the board of commissioners for Tuesday, March 5, todiscuss and approve a single item: the purchase of a used low mileagetype III ambulance for $60,000 to replace the oldest of four ambulances.Fern Valley Water General Manager Victor Jimenez was invited because ofhis experience…
By JP Crumrine Correspondent It’s the morning after the election. The Riverside County registrar of voters has posted preliminary results. Conditional ballots, drop off ballots and vote-by-mail ballots that are postmarked on or before election day also remain to be counted. As of 3 a.m., the registrar is reporting voter turnout in yesterday’s Presidential Primary election was…
The family of Idyllwild native Sterling Dutton, 39, are rallying aroundhim after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) this lastweekend. His sister Marissa, presently in New York, has started a GoFundMe pagewith the goal of raising $75,000 to help pay for “finding and receivingcognitive and physical therapies.” Sterling also will need to plot acareer…
During the recent transition of Town Crier ownership, some members hadnot received renewal notices and some had not received their newspapers. I apologize if you were a member who did not receive either or both. Ifso, please contact becky@towncrier.com. Suzanne Avalon Publisher/Head of Advertising
The vacant position on the Idyllwild Water District (IWD) board wasfilled last week. At its Feb. 27 meeting, the Riverside County Board ofSupervisors approved the appointment of R. Mitchell Davis to the IWDboard. The seat has been vacant for nearly a year. Last March, former directorGene Schneider announced his intention to resign from the board….
The outlook for a relatively lower-level wildfire season this year isvery positive. Cooler temperatures and more precipitation areresponsible for the reduced chance of major fires this spring. The National Interagency Fire Center’s Predictive Services unitprojects, “The potential for significant fires will be near normalacross the entire region through April. The lower elevations will likelysee a…
