Real POSTMASTER: Dated material, please deliver Jan. 4-6, 2012 Estate See page 14. Idyllwild Printed on 40% minimum recycled newsprint. News bites TCoveringo the Sanw Jacinto and Santan Rosa Moun tainsC from Twinr Pinesı to Anzaer to Pinyon 2011 in review AlmostAlmost allall the NewsNews — PartPart ofof the TimeTime • Stories and news pictures See pages 1, 10 and 11. VOL. 67 NO. 1 75¢ (TaxTax Included) IDYLLWILD, CA THURS., JANUARY 5, 2012 • Top sports photos See page 15. In memoriam Rustic’s Family, friends and neigh- Fire Chief Walker bors who left us in 2011. New Year’s See page 4. show is resigns Idyllwild Fire District Walker resignation no drag By J.P. Crumrine See page 1. Editor INSIDE • Walker’s reacts, Walker discusses his tenure Prior to the start of the Editor’s note: The IFPD refl ects on his tenure, See page 9. Rustic Theatre’s New commission announced a page 9 Commissioner and former Year’s Cabaret Evening, special meeting for 6 p.m., • Killingsworth, commissioner debate Bella da Ball visits with Wednesday, Jan 4 to con- Schelly share their See page 6. theatre owner Shane sider an appointment of an thoughts on decision, Stewart and his son interim fi re chief. page 6 ICRC Speaker Hunter. This was one Speaker discusses of several New Year’s dyllwild Fire Chief Norm airborne radioactivity celebrations throughout Walker submitted his fore he has not been given See page 14. Idyllwild. See pages 12, Iresignation Dec. 28 and an opportunity to demon- strate whether his leadership 13 and 24 for more left his position on Dec. 31, Idyllwild Film Fest only 17 months after being can take the department in photos. the direction and achieve Film Fest set to open sworn in as chief. In his letter, Walker the commission’s goal. See page 14. Photo by Cid Castillo clearly disagreed with the Commission President fi re commission’s decision Jeannine Charles-Stigall ex- Ice skating rink asking him to step aside and pressed her and the commis- More coils than ice expressed his pride in the sion’s gratitude for Walker’s See photos on page 24. department’s accomplish- service in the past year and 2011’s top stories: Part 2 ments during his tenure. half. “I want to make it clear “I greatly appreciate ev- vitalization of the Pine Cove reopened under Rainbow that I do not agree with the erything Chief Walker has Inside By Marshall Smith Market and Gas station in Inn owners John Simpson Board of Commissioners’ done for the community,” A&E .................................12 Staff Reporter April and the continued re- and Lon Mercer, and co- decision to ‘take the depart- she said. “However, Chief Calendar ................... 5 and J.P. Crumrine juvenation, under President owners Allan and Sheryl ment in a new direction,’” Walker’s inability to recog- Churches ...................8 Editor Nick Todd, of the Idyllwild Lehmann, as the Apple Blos- he said directly. nize the very real fi nancial Classifi eds .............. 16 Chamber of Commerce. som Inn. Brendan Collier’s Walker feels the new crisis IFPD is facing has Crossword ................18 Editor’s note: At the end Chamber membership is Hub Cyclery expanded to a direction has never been set forced the commission to Horoscope ................18 of each year, the Town Crier holding steady with 119 larger location in Oakwood, forth as a policy and there- See Walker, page 9 Lodging ......................8 looks back at the headlines business memberships and and Idyllwild got its own Masthead ..................6 that made the biggest local 32 individual memberships. psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas B. On the Town ............12 news during the year. The In June, the Tahquitz Inn Jackson, M.D. Public notices .........18 summaries of fi ve major sto- See TopTop stories,stories, pagepage 10 Many new California Real estate ...............15 ries are presented here in the Services ....................20 second of a two-week series. laws for 2012 Sudoku ......................18 Readers are encouraged to Weather ..................... 2 comment on these and other By J.P. Crumrine nians must begin observing. 2011 stories at our web- Editor site www.idyllwildtowncrier. Child seat restraints In an com. he California Legis- All children 8 years or lature enacted about younger are required to EMERGENCY Abundant business T750 laws during 2011. be secured in a car seat go to changes Some counted 745 and other or booster seat if they are In a normal year, stories reports say 760 laws were riding in a vehicle. Even idyllwild about the changing Idyllwild passed and signed by Gov. children older than 8 years business profi le appear quar- Jerry Brown. must be in a car seat if their towncrier.com Outgoing Idyllwild Arts President terly. This year, because of Most of these became ef- heads are not above the with his successor, Bill Lowman meets fective Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, front seats. See www.chp. rapid turnover due to the Brian Cohen, during Cohen economy, we wrote one campus visit. Read more on page ’s March although some are delayed ca.gov/community/child_ almost every month. s 10 and 11. until July 1, 2012. safetyseat_faqs.html for a PHOTO BY MARSHALL The major local stories SMITH Below is a list of some of full explanation. were the reopening and re- the new laws which Califor- See Laws, page 4 Page 2 - Idyllwild Town Crier, January 5, 2012 News of record Vandals target cars Average rainfall so far Fire log aid, Forest View Drive, By J.P. Crumrine July 1 to June 30, Idyllwild Idyllwild. after New Year Editor has averaged 25.7 inches of Dec. 31 — Walk-in medi- rain annually. Since 2006, Hill fi re stations respond- cal aid. By Marshall Smith car’s console. At the other, The first half of the the Hill has exceeded that ed to the following calls, Dec. 31 — Medical aid, Staff Reporter vandals took the car’s regis- 2011/2012 rain year ended amount only once — 29.4 Monday to Sunday, Dec. 26, Dome Lane, Idyllwild. tration. Owners fi led police Saturday, Dec. 31. Idyllwild inches last year. 2011 to Jan. 1, 2011: Vandals damaged and reports. Fire Department (IFPD) In 2007 and 2009, the Riverside County Fire, pilfered two cars at separate One owner expressed reported 9.85 inches fell in six-month total was slightly Idyllwild Fire Department Pine Cove residences in the 54000 sadness that the peace and town between July 1, 2011 more than 8.5 inches each and Ambulance Report unavailable. block of Jameson on Mon- security they feel about and Dec. 31. The Forest year and fi nal rain volume Dec. 26 — Walk-in medi- day evening, Jan. 2. Both living on the Hill has been Service’s Keenwild Ranger was 23.6 inches and 24.8 cal aid. Riverside County Fire, cars were parked in their violated. The lesson is that Station recorded 8.43 inches inches in those years. Dec. 26 — Medical aid, Garner Valley owner’s home driveway, neither homes nor cars during the same period. As we enter spring, the Coulter Drive. Dec. 27 — Vegetation fi re, with a fair amount of ambi- should be left unlocked, The long-term average average rainfall from Janu- Dec. 27 — Medical aid, 56000 block of Highway 371, ent lighting in the area. Both something both owners said rainfall from July through ary through June has been Scenic Drive, Idyllwild. Anza. cars were unlocked. At one they would no longer do. December is 9.22 inches. 16.5 inches. For 2012, cli- Dec. 28 — Medical aid, Dec. 28 — Medical aid, house, vandals took items M a r s h a l l S m i t h Thus IFPD recorded about matologists do not foresee Roble Drive, Idyllwild. 43000 block of Chapman from an emergency response c a n b e r e a c h e d a t 6.8 percent more rainfall a wet winter or spring. Dec. 28 — Medical aid, Road, Anza. backpack and damaged the [email protected]. than the average, while rain- “Precipitation during Scenic Drive, Idyllwild. Dec. 29 — Traffi c colli- fall at Keenwild was about the January-March time- Dec. 28 — Medical sion, 53000 block of High- 8.6 percent less than aver- frame may be below nor- aid, North Circle Drive, way 74, Mountain Center. age. mal, especially over South- Idyllwild. Dec. 29 — Medical aid, Since 2006, the rain vol- ern California,” according Dec. 28 — Medical 59000 block of Morris Ranch ume through December to the “Seasonal Outlook” aid, Double View Drive, Road. has ranged from 3.85 in prepared by the Southern Idyllwild. Dec. 30 — Medical aid, 2006 to 17.38 last year. The California Geographic Area Dec. 29 — Hazardous 28000 block of Bonita Vista six-month total is a rough Coordination Center, which conditions, River Drive, Road, Garner Valley. approximation of annual supports all the local federal Idyllwild. rainfall. and state fi re agencies. Dec. 29 — Public Ser- Riverside County Fire, For the 12 months from See Weather, page 7 vice, South Circle Drive, Pinyon Idyllwild. Report unavailable. Dec. 29 — Citizen com- plaint, Doubletree Drive, Idyllwild Weather Idyllwild. CHP log From the National Weather Service Dec. 30 — Walk-in medi- Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday cal aid. The resident post of the 1/5 1/6 1/7 1/8 1/9 Dec. 31 — Smoke/odor California Highway Patrol removal, Rocky Way Drive, responded to the following Late Friday evening, Dec. 23, a young couple, driving to a Idyllwild. calls from Wednesday, Dec. rental, turned down thickly ice-encrusted Upper Rim Rock Dec. 31 — Medical 28 to Tuesday, Jan.