Am I just preaching to the town choir when I say that reading social media postings proves many people believe anything they hear or read? We routinely discuss that at the office lately —with more and more local social media pages popping up — rumors around town are way up and facts seem way down….
On March 1, 2004, 11 years ago, Jack underwent an extensive operation and spent about 10 weeks recovering before returning to work in his then-daily commute to San Bernardino. After several days in the hospital — where I was allowed to sleep in a fold-down chair next to his bed — we slowly made our…
In my adult life, I’ve been a vegetarian, a vegan and an omnivore. Right now, I’m an omnivore because I feel healthier, but if you’re not, you might not want to read further. Asking Jack, “What are you doing this weekend?” draws the most depressed reaction, he being so certain a task is forthcoming. I…
A few weeks back, I wrote about the Art Alliance of Idyllwild board in this column, expressing concern about transparency issues several members brought up during the board’s annual membership meeting. In response to the members, AAI is offering public sessions after each board meeting. (AAI is not a public entity; its board meetings are…
This week we have a few personnel changes to announce. Denise Selby, our bookkeeper since Jack and I bought the paper, moved on as her pottery business picked up. Samantha “Sam” Hallburn took the position and is your new go-to person for billing inquiries … That is, except subscription issues. Halie and I will help…
People lose things, like cell phones, keys, glasses and cameras. We, as well as most shops and restaurants on the Hill, store found objects people drop off in a lost and found basket. Some orphaned items hang out for years in that basket and locating their owners likely won’t occur, even with the classified ads…
The Art Alliance of Idyllwild is a class act, co-founded by my friend Chris Trout and Grace Songolo. So when it suffers controversy, it brings out my most Southern mama roots. Here we go: My Mama, who died too soon at age 71 in 1998, would say about what’s going on, “I’m as mad as…
It’s vital that the Idyllwild Fire Finance Committee plan for the long-term. Effects of losing the Pine Cove ambulance contract — a quarter of a million dollars — is going to put a dent in an already shaky financial situation at our local fire department. Legal fees are piling up under three grand jury investigations:…
Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff and Capt. Ray Wood regard the rural Hill communities as important within the large territory they manage. By large, I mean it is the fourth most populous county in the state and geographically the size of New Jersey. Sniff told me his entire force is 10 times the size of…
Most of the time, when a reporter goes to cover a feature story, they’ve done some background research and carry along some questions to ask of the subject(s) of the interview. Because I was tasked with babysitting three grandchildren over a four-day period, when I headed for the Rustic on Saturday, I carried only an…
