Last week, the National Weather Service raised the probability that an El Niño event will continue through the winter to 95 percent, up from the August estimate of 90 percent. The event is expected to gradually weaken in the spring. “El Niño is now strong with a 95 percent chance it will last through the…
Idyllwild School continued its impressive performances on statewide testing. Last spring was the first time for the new test — California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress — and last week, the State Department of Education released the results. “We did well when compared to other schools in the Hemet Unified School District,” said Idyllwild…
The Sept. 9 meeting of the Pine Cove Water District was canceled because of lack of a quorum to conduct business. Board President Robert Hewitt and directors Lou Padula and Joel Palmer were absent. An item on the agenda was a resolution opposing any statewide charge or tax on local water district bills. The Association…
The Idyllwild Historic Preservation District’s Local Review Board is holding a meeting on the Mills Act at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Idyllwild Library. The Mills Act provides property tax relief in exchange for an equivalent investment in the historic property. The owners commit to restoring, rehabilitating, repairing and preserving the historic property….
Editor: Again on a holiday weekend, a found dog was brought to the ARF House. The ARF volunteers did what they always do in this case. They posted signs and spread the dog’s photo and info all over Facebook. And they kept the old boy safe in their hands for five days. No inquiries. Finally,…
Fred S. McChesney, a professor of law and economics at the University of Miami, wrote an intelligent opinion for the Washington Post on Sept. 4. “Fewer fires, so why are there far more firefighters?” posits that many cities and towns would be better off with volunteer fire companies for infernos considering that “rapid improvements in…
During the Sept. 10 Mountain Emergency Service Committee meeting, Kathleen Henderson, Riverside County emergency services coordinator for the mountain, discussed the work of the new Emergency Management Department that the Board of Supervisors established in May and was effective July 1. The agency has created a website (www.rivcoready.org/) to help county residents prepare and plan…
The dormancy of the Riverside County Fire Code Committee has not prevented County Fire Chief John Hawkins from formulating a plan to improve fire abatement on the Hill. During the Sept. 9 Mountain Area Safety Taskforce meeting, Hawkins announced that after reviewing County Ordinance 695 (requiring the abatement of hazardous vegetation) and the state’s Public…
During the night of Tuesday, Sept. 8, someone broke into the Idyllwild Nature Center office, gaining entrance through a window several feet above ground level, according to Park Interpreter Amanda Allen. The staff was alerted to the break-in because it set off the alarm system. Allen arrived shortly after a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy. Nothing…
65 years ago – 1950 Because of the increasing mountain population and the heavier downstream needs, it was estimated that the community would soon need an another 7 billion gallons of water. 60 years ago – 1955 After receiving a $4,000 appropriation for campground improvement, District Ranger John Gilman, U.S. Forest Service, began planning an…
