Plans include multiple options in case of emergency Roads were not the only topic at the latest Caltrans meeting that brought the town of Idyllwild some good news. Emergency preparedness and response were topics that followed the announcement of the expanded hours for Highway 74 and future reopening of Highway 243. The road closures this…
Confusion over status of radio meter reading system purchase Miscommunication between the Idyllwild Water District (IWD) board of directors and General Manager Michael Creighton was on display at the Aug. 21 board meeting. The first discrepancy occurred when the board was considering the purchase of a radio system to read the district’s water meters. However,…
A fire ignited at Restaurant Gastrognome on July 16 at approximately 5:10 p.m. causing some damage to the deck and just inside the entry doorway. As a result of that fire, the Riverside County Building and Safety Department had to inspect the building. That inspection took place on Tuesday, July 30 and the building was…
IFPD requests property tax advance Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) was on the Aug. 27 Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting agenda for property tax advancement and a new dispatch contract. The board approved the advance property tax payment of $400,000 to IFPD. This will help the district’s cash flow until winter. From July through…
Carbon plant doing its job The July water samples from Fern Valley Water District’s granulated activated carbon (GAC) plant yielded unexpected and strange results, General Manager Victor Jimenez told the directors at the Aug. 23 board meeting. “There must have been a bottle mix up at the lab,” he began. The GAC filters remove the…
It is incredibly unfortunate that the town of Idyllwild is sans chamber of commerce. Think of all the things it could have done to promote, ignite and mentor struggling businesses during the highway construction. It could be making a positive impact on the community. How do you feel about the town of Idyllwild being without…
Being ready for wildfire starts with maintaining an adequate defensible space and by hardening your home by using fire-resistant building materials. Defensible space is the buffer you create by removing dead plants, grass and weeds. This buffer helps to keep the fire away from your home. Hardening your home means using construction materials that can…
Idyllwild Fire Here are some of the calls Idyllwild Fire Department responded to recently. • Aug. 17 — Medical aid, 8:49 a.m. Pine Crest Ave. • Aug. 17 — Walk-in medical aid, 11 a.m. • Aug. 17 — Medical aid, 5:31 p.m. North Circle Dr. • Aug. 17 — Medical Aid, 9:19 p.m. Lake Hemet….
Starting Friday, Aug. 30, Highway 74 will be open 24/7 with the pilot car. Caltrans expects to fully open the road with major projects completed by late September to early October. At that point, there will be some flagging during the daytime work hours for smaller projects. Starting Nov. 1, Highway 243 will be open…
New owners are local and will protect Town Hall Idyllwild’s Town Hall, built in 1946, sold. The Johnson family, which resumed ownership of the building when the Chamber of Commerce dissolved in 2013, sold the building to a local group. Shane Stewart, their broker, said, “There will absolutely be no change. The building will remain…
