MAMMOTH PASSES BUDGET; $624,000 IN CUTS PENDING

Will the real Mayor McCheese please stand up!

By Lunch

Mammoth’s Town Council approved its 2009-2010 budget at its regular meeting Wednesday.
*Councilman Skip Harvey advised Thursday that the approval was through July 15, pending the condition below.
The approval was based upon one crucial condition; that Town Manager Rob Clark come back to Council on July 15 with $624,000 in spending cuts.
Council passed a $16.97 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, representing a 9% decrease from the budget approved (though later “amended” because it was so far off) in 2008-2009.
$624,000 in additional cuts would equate to an additional 3.7% decrease.
Council left it to Clark as to how to make the cuts, directing him to bring back several proposals. At least one proposal, at the request of Councilman John Eastman, will not use reserve funds to bridge the gap.
The $624,000 in cuts were recommended by Mountain Travel Research, a 3rd party consultant retained by the Town as part of the agreement made with the taxeater (employee) unions.
The unions made various concessions (primarily involving the institution of furlough days to reduce Town labor expenditures) this spring on the condition that an independent consultant look at the 2009-2010 budget.
Now they probably wish they’d let well enough alone.
In its analysis, Mountain Travel Research found that Mammoth, despite some downward revisions in its budget, was still too optimistic in its forecast.
In particular, Mountain Travel Research found that Clark and Finance Director Brad Koehn had been too optimistic in their belief that the economic numbers will begin to improve by the 3rd quarter (January 2010).
The following are the Transient Occupancy Tax (T.O.T.) forecast averages by quarter for 2009-2010.

Mammoth MTR forecast ave.
Q1 -7.3% -12.5%
Q2 -7.3% -7.5%
Q3 5.6% -6.3%
Q4 6.9% 0.0%
Tot.-0.5% -7.3%

The 7% difference in T.O.T. forecasts equates to about a $542,000 difference in revenue.
Likewise, Mammoth’s budget forecast a 3.9% decrease in sales tax revenues, while Mountain Travel Research thought a 5% decline was more realistic. This explains the other $82,000 in revenue adjustments.

Clark tries to restore $200,000

Town Manager Clark suggested to Council that a new T.O.T. auditing program would bring in $200,000 in revenue for 2009-2010.
The Town has contracted with the County to perform audits of a handful of Mammoth’s T.O.T.. remitters in 2009-2010.
The cost: $10,000.
The expected return: 2,000%
*No wonder these guys can’t budget worth a damn.
The reasoning behind the expectation, said Clark, is simple. The County, he claimed, recovers $80,000 every year from its audit program. Given the Town has three times as many remitters, Clark assumed three times the revenue.
Only one problem.
It’s unclear what the County spends per year on its audit program, but the $10,000 the Town has paid for contract services will only yield “3 to 4” (later adjusted to “4 to 5” audits by Town Finance Dept. Accounting Manager Cyndi Myrold) audits.
Which equates to about 1% of Mammoth’s total (411) T.O.T. remitters.
According to Myrold, about 340 of these remitters are small-time quarterly remitters who own 1-2 properties, and about 70 are commercial remitters.
Wouldn’t the reasonable expectation, therefore, be to collect 1% of what you proposed to audit?
*1% of total 2007-2008 T.O.T. receipts (the last full fiscal year on record) = $92,000.
Or, as The Sheet pointed out to Council, if the County indeed recovers $80,000 for every $10,000 it spends on its audit program, shouldn’t the Town expect the same efficiency ($80,000 as opposed to $200,000 in recovery).
Still an 800% return, FYI.
Clearly, felt The Sheet, Town Manager Clark was exaggerating the effectiveness of an audit program to avoid having to make difficult, additional budget adjustments.
Town Council ultimately agreed.
As Councilman Skip Harvey said, “Let the program run for a year until we see the [actual] revenue.”
Therefore, the $200,000 Clark had budgeted as revenue was removed, altering the cuts he’s required to make from $424,000 to $624,000.
*May The Sheet note that the only reason Mayor Sugimura went along with this was due to the realization that she knew she didn’t have the votes to fight it. She indicated she wanted the Town to budget some revenue number in association with the audit program.
In terms of property tax revenue, Council affirmed Staff’s suggestion to budget property tax revenues at a 1% increase.
Then Council moved onto 31 separate budget policy decisions as outlined by Staff. The only budget reduction it seemed to agree on (opposed by Skip Harvey) was the desire to not hire a part-time Animal Control Officer at a cost of $20,000.
When The Sheet approached the podium to comment that Council’s blanket approval of Staff’s proposed policy decisions (each preceded by an announcement of the Citizen Committee’s vote on each item) amounted to a rubber-stamping of past political practices, Mayor (To Be) McCheddar’s response was, “I vehemently disagree.”

WIGGLE ROOM

Mammoth developer finds some when it comes to zoning amendment

By Geisel

Planning Commission chair Elizabeth Tenney didn’t realize it at time, but hitting on the phrase “wiggle room” during the commission’s public hearing Wednesday may have inadvertently hit on how to approach the zoning amendments sought by Mammoth Crossing developer Doug Regelous.
Before getting started, Tenney advised the room that the meeting would only be part one of the process. The commission could take no action until Town Council finalized its North Village District Study work, which was expected that night during a special meeting (but ultimately continued to Town Council’s July 1 meeting). Regelous seemed content to let things take their proper course. “A project this complex requires careful deliberation,” he observed.
Some five years after starting the environmental process for an ambitious proposed redevelopment of three of the four corners at the intersection of Main Street and Minaret, Mammoth Crossing’s team went before the commission seeking a series of district zoning and General Plan amendments to the North Village Specific Plan. Surprisingly, though certain parts of the amendments (principally building heights) met with some push back from the public, no one spoke out against the project as a whole.
In fact, most voicing concerns qualified their reservations, saying they are largely supportive of Regelous’ efforts to upgrade the look and increase commercial activity within the district
One of the Crossing’s most eloquent proponents was Whiskey Creek owner Greg Alexander. “I may need a drive-through window when this is done,” he quipped, “but what I look like in the future isn’t important. This is about what’s needed to support the town in the future. This project could be a great stimulus.” [Regelous], he went on to say, is “the right developer at the right time.”
As Regelous sees it, density is the force that’s driving the three sites, with much of the current plan predicated on having up to 80 units per acre. While Regelous said there’s no way to anticipate what final occupancy will be, he also stated firmly, “We can’t make ‘hot beds’ at 48 units per acre,” for which the district is currently zoned. “Hot beds demand animation, amenities and access,” Regelous said. “We need 80 to make it commercially viable.”
Height was an issue for many, in particular Tenney, who said she saw a fair amount of “wiggle room,” given the site’s topography, with significant changes in elevation across its 3 sites. Project architect Paul Merrick took Tenney’s point when addressing the tug-of-war between height measurement and land elevation. “It’s not just the numbers, it’s also where they’re measured from,” Merrick explained.
That in turn led to several comments that asked for protecting private views. Heights of up to 120 feet, they said, compromise views of the area’s surrounding natural environment. What defines “height” was also brought up, since depending on what figures you reference, there are singular heights and aggegate project heights that appear to conflict with each other.
Steve Mueller, conversely, took view impacts in stride. “They’re part of growth; you can’t help that,” he said. Mueller also said he thought higher density may actually help traffic, and the extra parking might help the Town’s desire for feet first mobility.
Tom Moody and Andy Ott were both behind the overarching development, but had similar problems with height and density. “Zoning will give legal entitlement to [height and density],” Moody opined. For his part Ott suggested using this development to set precedent for future processes, which he would like to see go smoother. “Let this be the last one,” he said. “Next time a developer comes in, say, ‘Great. Here are the rules. Don’t even think of asking for a variance.”
Tenney’s main objection, an extension of her height concerns went to the layout in Site 1, which she said wasn’t workable. Regelous and Merrick explained that the drawings and their associated building envelopes are conceptual. “We have to model something so we can assess it commercially,” Regelous said. He went on to promise Tenney they wouldn't bring back the same plan during the Use Permit phase.*
Commissioners Jay Deinken and Sharon Clark both said they’d like a “red balloon” demonstration of height, similar to that provided by Snowcreek developer Chuck Lande. Clark said she’s prefer as many balloons as possible to represent varying levels on the site.
*Note: In the print version of this week's Sheet story, the "would" in this sentence should read "wouldn't." We apologize for any confusion this may cause our readers, not to mention Mr. Regelous and Commissioner Tenney! (Sorry for the typo, folks!)

JUNK IN THE TRUNK

Not the junk in the trunk you were expecting? Well, this is a general admission blog site, so ... (ART BY GAIL ZAVALA)

STANDARD AND POOR'S REDUCES MAMMMOTH'S BOND RATING TO "JUNK" STATUS

By Lunch

Standard and Poor’s investment rating service has lowered its long-term rating and underlying rating on Mammoth Lakes COPs (Certificates of Participation) by five notches from A- to BB.
Anything rated lower than BBB- is considered “junk.” According to Standard and Poor’s own definition, anything rated BB and below is “regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.”
According to the S&P report penned on June 8 by credit analyst Sussan Corson, “The downgrades reflect our view of the signifcant exposure the Town of Mammoth Lakes is facing as a result of litigation between the town and a developer [Hot Creek, aka Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition], as well as Town documents that discuss bankruptcy as an important strategy in case of an adverse decision by the court.”
The reason this particularly matters in the short term is because the Town needs to issue $2 million in COPs to pay for the ongoing financing of the commercial airport terminal completed last year.
Last year, the Town spent $55,000 to service the debt. This year, it’s anyone’s guess what debt service might cost.
In May, prior to the rating downgrade, Finance Director Brad Koehn estimated that a one-year rollover of the short-term debt would cost somewhere between 1.5% (~$30,000) and 4% ($~80,000).
According to a longtime bond market specialist on Wall Street whom Lunch happened to go to school with some years ago, “In a current environment where investors crave safety more than yield, it’s not clear that anyone would want to buy double B bonds ... at any interest rate.”
Traditionally, said our expert, municipal bonds pay a lower yield than U.S. Treasuries because “munis” are tax-deductible.
This year, however, munis are paying a percentage point higher. “People are scared of munis ... and why would you look at BBs when you can get good stuff at high yields?”
Perhaps Town Manager Clark knows all of this, because at Wednesday’s Council meeting, he advised Council to finance the airport terminal via an “Internal loan.”
Finance Dept. Accounting Manager Cyndi Myrold told Council that its current investments, in this recessionary economy, were yielding about 2.5%. Much cheaper to pull that money out and use it to service a loan than to pay what promises to be a much higher rate on a loan.
Town Manager Clark indicated that if the loan weren’t financed internally, that Mammoth Mountain was willing to loan the Town money at LIBOR (London Interbank Offering Rate) plus 3.
According to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area CEO Rusty Gregory, the LIBOR plus 3 agreement was initiially made in April, 2008 to fund the Town’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) if the Town could find no other means fo finance.
The Town ultimately found another lender.
If the Town wished to borrow money from MMSA today, Gregory said, “We’d have to have a new agreement.” Translation: LIBOR plus 3 is not on the table. Prior to the special Council meeting, no member of Town Staff or Council had approached MMSA about airport terminal financing. To make a statement assuming MMSA would loan the Town money under the same conditions agreed upon in April 2008 is ignorant.
In short, when asked whether or not the Town had approached him in recent weeks about borrowing money to “bridge” the airport terminal financing, Gregory said, “Nobody’s talked to me about that.”
Gregory was quick to say that he would always be receptive to any request by the Town, but let’s face it, Clark made assertions Wednesday night which he had no right or reason to make.
Final point on this. I have a real hard time with the use of the language “internal loan.” An “internal loan” is nothing more than a raid upon the Town’s reserve accounts. They brag about increasing their REU (Reserve for Economic Uncertainty - via sale of real property) account by $1 million while they take $2 million in an “internal loan” to finance the airport terminal project.
It’s a lie. It’s a joke. It’s Mammoth.

MLPD Press Conference

Chief Randy Schienle ... and his orchestra ... played a sold out gig in Suite Z Tuesday afternoon.

By Lunch

In an effort to quash rumors, wipe the slate clean and provide a fresh start for himself and his embattled department, Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle held a rare press conference in Suite Z on Tuesday afternoon.
In a prepared statement, Schienle addressed topics ranging from the Rusty’s bar fight in Bishop involving MLPD officers, to allegations that he’d overseen the shredding of Steve Searles’s employment records.
You can read the full text of Schienle’s eight-page statement at www.mammothsheet.blogspot.com.
In his statement, Schienle rebutted what he characterized as “false claim after false claim ... So far, every allegation against me has proven to be false.”
“Never have I instructed any member of the police department to be dishonest or withhold information in any investigation. In fact ... I have always encouraged all department members to be forthright and honest in their testimony ... “
Given the nature of internal policeinvestigations, however, Schienle was unable to shed light on certain issues. For example, he could not reveal what, if any, punishment was meted out to Sgt. Eric Hugelman and Officer Dan Casabian as a consequence of an earlier incident in Las Vegas.
Sheet sources indicate that each officer was docked a day’s pay for the incident.
When The Sheet asked Schienle if, perhaps, the punishment wasn’t severeenough to deter future shenanigans (Rusty’s), Schienle said Bishop couldn’t have been predicted based upon Las Vegas.
Currently, Hugelman and Casabian are on a form of “house arrest.” Though they have been placed on administrative leave (suspended with pay), each is required to stay home from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day and be available during that time.
Schienle said that thanks to school letting out, the school resources officer has been reassigned to the graveyard shift, thus minimizing overtime obligations created by an officer shortage.
Nevertheless, Town Manager Rob Clark said each independent investigation conducted tends to carry a price tag of between $5,000 and $10,000.
Sierra Wave reporter Lara Kirkner inquired about a “tasering” incident which also apparently involved at least one of the above officers.
Schienle said he couldn’t discuss it as this was the subject of an ongoing investigation. Town Risk Manager Michael Grossblatt acknowledged there is current pending legal action against the Town stemming from such an incident.
Overall, however, the crowd was largely pro-Chief, and Councilmember Sklp Harvey and Mayor Wendy Sugimura both showed up as a sign of support.
Sheriff Rick Scholl and Fire Chief Brent Harper spoke on Schienle’s behalf, as did Paul Robles, representing the Mammoth Lakes Police Officers Assn. Johnny Goetz, as President of the Mammoth Lakes General Employees Assn. as well as the Mammoth Lakes Firefighters Assn., offered his 100% support in a public comment made to Town Council Wednesday night.
Retired MLPD Sgt. Jon Boyer created the biggest stir when he lashed out at Councilman John Eastman (who was not present) for apologizing for the Rusty’s incident on behalf of the Town before the officers had received due process.
Turns out Boyer had his facts wrong. Skip Harvey was the one who had apologized.
As for Schienle, he hopes the press conference will help turn the page. “I would like to see the public rally around us. My philosophy is, ‘the closer you look, the better we look,’”said
Schienle.

Pillow Talk

By Lunch

One could arguably say that the Town of Mammoth Lakes is entering its most crucial budget cycle in the muncipality’s entire 25-year history.
By the most conservative of estimates, the Town has rung up a $6 million budget deficit over the past two years. This has forced the Town to sell assets, raid reserve funds, and slash staffing levels in an effort to keep the ship afloat.
Mammoth Town Council’s own handpicked Citizen’s Budget Committee warned Council during a workshop prior to its regular meeting Wednesday that the Town suffers from a “structural” budget problem.
So one would assume that Wednesday’s regular Council meeting featured a lengthy, in-depth budget discussion.
Wrong.
Council didn’t get around to it. In four-and-a-half hours, Council expeditiously worked its way through five agenda items and then called it a night.
It’s difficult to imagine a more unproductive meeting.
Thankfully, it was the last meeting Mayor Wendy Sugimura will preside over. Oops, scratch that. Her term doesn’t officially end until she hands over the gavel to Neil McCarroll at the first meeting in July. She’ll preside over a special budget meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 24. That meeting will start at 6 p.m. in Suite Z above Elegant Bath in the Minaret Mall.
You may wish to visit Elegant Bath beforehand to buy a pillow. Based on its performance Wednesday, Council will be lucky to make its way through the Pledge of Allegiance by 6:45 p.m.
More than a dozen staff members (all on the clock) sat patiently waiting for the budget discussion which never occurred. Instead, they listened to a Council mired in minutiae, debating long-term planning policy while immediate crises were ignored.
This despite an impassioned plea from all members of the Council-appointed Citizen’s Budget Committee that Council recognize it has a serious structural problem within its budget.
The Committee made its report at a study session prior to the 6 p.m. regular meeting.
Committee member and Former Mayor Kirk Stapp said a lot of the problem is in the presentation. Council is typically presented a series of policy decisions, that, considered individually, are impossible to say no to. Who doesn’t want a school resouces officer? Who doesn’t want an ice rink? Every policy decision comes with a constituency. What he’d like to see is a broader approach to policy which might remove some of the immediate political pressure from the decision-making process.
Committee member and Former Mayor Rick Wood outlined some of the reason why the Committee believes there is a structural budget problem. Basically, you know something’s not right when you continue to regularly liquidate assets and reserves to maintain your operations. And these operations will only become more expensive when the Town’s employee furlough program expires next year.
In regards to the furlough program, Wood says he doesn’t support it. It may be admirable for all employees to take time off in order to preserve jobs as a whole, but Wood says the ultimate outcome is a reward for mediocrity, and it defers the difficult decisions surrounding who should really stay and who’s expendable.
The Committee’s also concerned about future obligations (like paying for ongoing air subsidies) which have no identified funding source. The Commitee also says decreased construction activity should force a reexamination of staffing levels within the Community Development Department.
John Vereuck, in particular, took issue with staff’s assertion that it needs to use General Fund revenue to maintain “artificially” reduced building permit and development impact fees.
This year, says Vereuck, permits are at an all-time low (484), and revenue from those permits is just $130,000. Meanwhile, his analysis shows we’ve got eight employees processing these permits at a cost of at least $500,000.
The “artificial” part, he maintains, is the excessive staffing and cost required to process these permits.
“This is one example of staff working for staff and not Town Council.”
A few other questions he believes Council should tackle during its budget deliberations:
Can we afford a staff of six people in the Finance Department?
Can we afford both a Town Manager and Assistant Manager?
Can we afford a police force for 30,000 people?
Can we afford the existing tourism staff?
Can we afford a Community Relations Manager?
As Vereuck said, “We do not feel this budget is balanced, even though it says it is ... this budget is so full of inaccurate information we can’t believe any part of it. This isn’t about being a shell game. This is about out-and-out deception.”
Finally, he said if the Town Manager won’t carry out Council mandates, then Council should find itself a new manager.
Committee member Eric Wasserman was the final speaker. He took issue with the commingling of capital and operating funds within the budget. He also wondered why we spend so much money on consultants and don’t listen to half of what they say.
Which leads us to a final overarching question: if they {Staff and Council] spend a ton of money on consultants and don’t listen to what they say, how much do you think they’re gonna listen to a group of people (Citizen’s Budget Committee) whom they didn’t pay at all?

Which leads me to a column by Chip Johnson which appeared in Tuesday’s edition of the San Francisco Chronicle (Wasserman take note).
“It’s been almost a year since Mayor [Ron Dellums] hired a consulting firm led by former City Manager Robert Bobb and paid $160,000 for a report to guide the city through a reorganization that reviewed every department - including a recommendation to cut the mayor’s staff by one-third. To date, none of the ... recommendations has been implemented.”
This was something Dellums had promised to do.
When the Oakland City Council, seeing there was no movement from Dellums, decided to take up the issue and recommend $940,000 in cuts to the mayor’s office, the mayor went ballistic.
“Dellums’ reaction, “ wrote Johnson, “makes it seem as if Bobb’s report, and the $160,000 spent to complete it, was no more than window-dressing to appease residents and silence critics. His reaction ... strongly suggests there was never any intention of following the sound recommendations in the study.”

To relate this to Mammoth, it literally appeared Wednesday as if Mayor Sugimura was purposely running out the clock on the Council meeting to avoid the budget discussion. To wit, at 9:30 p.m., when Council got to an agenda item involving the North Village District Plan Study, the Mayor said she really wanted everyone to be cognizant of the time (since Council meetings, by statute, must end at 10:30 p.m.) She then sat there and listened to Ellen Clark deliver a 25-minute staff report (I timed it) on an informational topic which wasn’t scheduled to be voted on, and didn’t interrupt her once to say, ‘Hey, maybe this can wait.’
At next Wednesday’s speical budget meeting, I can only assume she’ll push for adoption of the draft budget created by staff while further “study” of the Citizen’s Committee recommendations is undertaken. Nothing more than an appeasement of residents and an attempted silencing of critics. It was the worst-run meeting I’ve ever attended, and a fitting coda to Sugimura's term as mayor.

To Air Is Human

"De plane, boss ... is still needs funding!" -Tattoo on the state of Mammoth's year-round air service.




By Lunch

If Mammoth Lakes wants (mostly) year-round air service, it’s going to cost about $650,000 to make it happen.
Mammoth Mountain’s willing to bear half the cost. Whether Mammoth’s Town Council will choose to match ($325,000) is a question that will likely be resolved at Council’s special budget meeting this coming Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Suite Z.
Negotiations with Horizon Airlines have yielded the following proposal for 2010.
Horizon would continue to provide one afternoon flight a day from the end of winter service (Easter, which falls on April 11 next year) through September 30.
The flight would then go on hiatus for six weeks until its resumption on November 17.
Total added service would be 201 days. Mammoth Mountain has agreed to split the subsidy with the Town 50/50.
The subsidy is based upon a 50% load (seat occupancy) factor at $150 per roundtrip ticket.
If the load factor turns out to be just 40%, the Town would be liable for another $100,000 in subsidy. If the load factor is 60%, the subsidy would be $100,000 less.
In addition to the cost of a subsidy, year-round air service would also cost the Town about $100,000 to pay for enhanced security measures required by the TSA (Transportation Safety Administration), and another $41,000 for additional staff.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area CEO Rusty Gregory said the company is willing to partner on the subsidy, “even if summer really isn’t our revenue period.”
He described this past year’s launch of commercial air service with Horizon as “our most successful marketing initiative, maybe ever.” He thinks the buzz surrounding the venture helped Mammoth break-even in year-over-year skier visits while competing resorts, particularly in Tahoe, suffered steep declines.
Gregory said that MMSA paid no subsidy during Horizon’s first year. The company had expected to pay between $250,000 and $300,000.
Having just sold 40,000 Mammoth Value Passes for 2009-2010, Gregory hopes he has plenty of potential customers to fill even more flights.
He was also optimistic about the extended air service plan, noting that previous commercial operators routinely had their best months in July and August.
Gregory thinks the Town and MMSA should split the subsidy, and was not in favor of a tax on local businesses (through the creation of a Business Improvement District) to help pay the freight.

DEATH AND TAXES

You can’t prevent either, but as Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

By Dr. Michael Dostrow

“Treating disease after it has begun is like forging the instruments of war once the battle has ceased.”
The wise words of Shen Nung, China’s “Red Emperor” in 2,000 B.C., remind us that wisdom is universal. It also brings to mind the recent national focus on our ailing healthcare system, which could be more accurately deemed the “ disease care” system.
Of the nearly $3 trillion spent annually on healthcare, more than 90 percent of those dollars are devoted to treating disease after the fact.
Of course, the hospitalization and medications required to treat disease cost infinitely more than what an investment might cost in seeking to prevent health problems before they crop up. Thus, it is refreshing to hear of the recent move in Washington to put a greater emphasis on prevention as part of our healthcare reform.
Perhaps more needs to be done. Let us for a moment put aside the massive discrepancy in what the health insurance companies are earning and what we, the insured, are getting for our overpriced premiums. As well, let us ignore the inequity perpetrated on all providers of heathcare and the hospitals. Everyone is aware of the desperate difference between services provided and profits gained.
It is equally important that we reevaluate allocation of resources in order to rise out of the ashes of our failed system. This requires a shift in the philosophy of healthcare. When we do treat disease, and who should receive what, when and how much?
We spend massive amounts of money and medical resources on people in the twilight of their life. As much as 75 percent of a person’s lifetime medical expenses can be spent in the last year of life. Our medical interventions, speaking from experience, are not only costly, but also painful and frequently futile.
If we as a nation take action to prevent this wasteful ritual, we could save trillions of dollars. People should be allowed to die with dignity in the comfort of their own homes. Better to be surrounded by the tear-filled eyes of loved-ones rather than the exacting eyes of medical professionals just before they sedate and paralyze you and then shove a breathing tube down your throat.
How can we prevent this from continuing? Two words: Advanced Directive. This vital and easily obtained legal document helps to clearly express a person’s desires in an anticipated or unanticipated medical event.
It is of great assistance to concerned relatives and medical personnel, who are legally obligated to do everything in their power unless otherwise directed. No matter what your religious, moral or ethical convictions may be, most would agree that death with dignity beats the alternative.
An individual’s wishes should be honored and can be virtually guaranteed by attaining an Advanced Directive. It’s an economic, ethical and humanitarian imperative.
Death and taxes may be inevitable, but at least with an Advanced Directive, you can call the shots in regards to the former.
For more information about Advanced Directives, call Mammoth Hospitals case management department at 924.4035, or go to www.putitinwritting.org.
Dr. Michael Dostrow is a local integrative medical practitioner. Email him at wolphin@hughes.net.

MORE FUN THAN HERDING ANGRY TEENAGERS

By Ceal Klingler

If whiskey’s for drinking and water’s for fighting, water users in Inyo and Mono counties have awakened time and again with fierce hangovers and serious injuries for the past century or so.
It comes as a pleasant — and suspicious — surprise, therefore, to hear that anybody on the East Side is interested in pre-emptive cooperation and planning between water agencies, environmental groups, local tribes and any other parties who are interested in water. It’s even more pleasant to see that the process works.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) sponsors a state Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Planning Program that encourages regional water planning, as well as communication and collaboration between regions for water management. Funding for the program comes from California propositions 50 and 84, and regional Integrated Water Management groups can apply for funds for projects, provided they are able to meet DWR’s standards.
The Inyo-Mono Regional Water Group was formed in early 2008, designed to bring the benefits of such collaboration to the Eastern Sierra region. So far, so good. More than 40 groups, agencies, communities, tribes and businesses have attended IRWM Plannning Committee meetings. Participants have included representatives from organizations as diverse as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, California Department of Fish and Game, Inyo County, the Mono Lake Committee, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, and the Owens Valley Committee.
The group has agreed that no action will be taken in the group’s name if any member of the group vetoes that action. Without lawyer-slinging or so much as a spilled glass of water, the group has also agreed on preliminary boundaries for its region, as well as a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding for the pre-planning process each IRWM group goes through before creating a framework for water management in their areas.
Every meeting invariably includes a “gut check” as an agenda item, meant specifically to encourage anyone who has a problem with the process to speak up, so their concerns can be immediately addressed.
The group is strictly voluntary and non-regulatory, for those who wonder if new regulations might drive members into a brawl. Nevertheless, the group discusses and identifies broadly-supported goals, objectives and priorities for Eastern Sierra water resource management.
And the meeting room door is still open to anybody who’s interested in cohesive Eastside water planning.
“We continue to seek participation from the public throughout the region,” according to Mark Drew, the project manager for the launch phase of the IRWM planning process.
If you, your agency, your business, your community, or any friends who drink water would like to participate in the Inyo-Mono Integrated Regional Water Management Group, belly up to the bar, or at least to the water fountain.
Information about the project and meeting times are posted online at www.inyomonowater.org, or contact project manager Mark Drew (mdrew@caltrout.org) or project assistant Holly Alpert (halpert@ucsc.edu) for additional information.

KID PARTY!

First-ever Kidapalooza on tap for next weekend

Every year, says Linda Williams of the Mono County Child Care Council (MCCCC), the MCCCC has traditionally held a dinner to honor and celebrate the County’s child care providers.
This year, they’ve decided to change things up and throw a party for the providers as well as their families and the community at large.
Thus, Kidapalooza was born, a free family-friendly carnival which will take place from 11 a.m. ‘til 4 p.m. next Saturday (June 13) at Mammoth Creek Park.
The event, organized by Sandra DiDomizio of Green Fox Events, will feature games, vendors, food and an appearance by bilingual children’s performing artist Jose Luis Orozco.
In addition, the Mono County Health Dept. will be giving out FREE bike helmets to children on a first-come, first-served basis, but the kids have to bring their bikes and trikes to the event to be eligible.
The event, which DiDomizio and Williams hope to turn into an annual celebration, is being sponsored by IMACA (Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action), MCCCC, the Mono County Mental Health Dept. and the Town of Mammoth Lakes.
One of the interesting twists that DiDomizio has put on the event is that each vendor or retail booth must provide some sort of accompanying activity or “experience.” In other words, Minky Monkey can’t just sell toys. So in addition to their retail booth, Minky Monkey’s staging a hula hoop competition and will have games out for kids of all ages to play.
Snowcreek Athletic Club will set up a kids’ obstacle course.
Mammoth Lakes Parent Preschool is hosting the infamous ping pong toss. If the ping pong ball lands in the cup, you win a goldfish guaranteed to live at least 45 minutes.
Hint: See Mammoth Pet Products if you need a quick replacment.

The organizer

As much as The Sheet has given DiDomizio a hard time over the years, we’re always impressed when a public employee goes to the private sector and meets with success, so like a Kasey Kasem long-distance dedication, Sandra, these next few paragraphs go out to you.
As DiDomizio says, “I started my full-service event management business (Green Fox Events) after leaving my post as Special Events Manager with the Town. I left primarily to spend more time with my kids (Nevin 3, Stella 18 mos), but received some requests for assistance on various events ... hence my foray into mom-preneurship.”
She tries to operate as eco-consciously as possible, and seeks out clients who share those values.
For example, she introduced event composting to Kidapalooza.
DiDomizio’s clients include Kidapalooza, the Mammoth Film Festival and the Elementary School Banner Project.
She also plans weddings, and enjoys working with photographers Bonnie Colgan, Drea Perry and Justin Lawrence, Red Lily Design (florist) and Nils and Keri Davis (graphic design).
Those who have worked with DiDomizio have high praise for her skills, particularly Mammoth Lakes Town Councilman Skip Harvey, who commended Sandra for throwing together the initial 4th of July block party in about 72 hours.
The MCCC’s Linda Williams added, “In order for this [Kidapalooza) to be successful, we knew we needed a point person. Sandra was the perfect fit.”
DiDomizio worked pro bono on the Elementary School banner project. As she explains, “All Elementary School students were asked ‘What does summer in Mammoth mean to you?’ With the help of the elementary school art teacher Amy Atherton, who also donated her graphic services to the final products, students in Grades 3-5 drew images representing 10 popular themes. Of almost 300 pieces produced, 10 finalists were selected by a student vote. Thanks to the support of the Mammoth Lakes Public Arts Commission, these 10 art pieces are being turned into a new set of seasonal banners that will adorn Town streets.
The artists who created them are:
Meaghan Thompson (Grade 3), Sophia Schuldt (Grade 4), Juan (J.P.) Prieto (Grade 5), James Rhoades (Grade 4), Eddie Matthiessen (Grade 4), Kate Wilson (Grade 5), Pamela Garcia Galvin (Grade 4), Liz Serrano (Grade 5), Siobhan Black (Grade 4), Xena Yanez (Grade 5).
These banners will be on display during Kidapalooza and will be hung on street lights the week after.

CANADA TO THE CORPS

By Lunch

Longtime local leaves for Kenya Mary Canada is eligible to begin collecting social security this year.

Instead, she is throwing security to the wind and leaving for Kenya to become a Peace Corps volunteer.
She left last Saturday, and will be gone 27 months.
Canada said she began thinking about the Peace Corps in late 2007 when she read a story in the New York Times which reported that the Peace Corps was looking for older volunteers.
Of course, Canada doesn’t prefer the term ‘older.’ “How about wiser and more stable?” she said with that trademark twinkle in her eye.
Canada will serve as a public health care worker in Kenya, educating the populace about such subjects as birth control and HIV prevention. She will initially be stationed in a town of about 35,000 before being transferred to a smaller community.
Canada said she will be paid a “living wage” ... in relation to the community she lives in. In other words, that wage will bear no relation to a living wage in this country. Not only will she be responsible for all of her bills while she’s gone, but she’s even required to pay income tax on what she earns in Kenya.
So you’ve got to be financially stable to join the Peace Corps.
You’ve also got to be healthy. Canada said she’s had to take a battery of tests (on her own dime) to meet Peace Corps requirements.
The ultimate question, however, is why the Peace Corps? Why now?
Mary said she’d simply reached a place of stagnation. She’d served as the Eastern Sierra field representative for the Sierra Business Council for the past eight years, and felt she needed ... a new challenge.
She’d also had a very wonderful experience in Korea in the ‘70s when she’d run a community recreation center for the U.S. Army.
Mind you, she wasn’t serving in the U.S. Army. And the following anecdote reveals as much.
As Mary tells it, she had just gotten to Korea. and was checking in and filling out paperwork with the Sergean Major at the base. She noticed that in the small circular space in the middle of the Sgt. Major’s rotary phone was a sticker which read, “Watch out! The enemy might be listening.”
Canada said she burst out laughing. After all, she thought, who would care about a rec center supervisor in Korea while there was a war going on in Vietnam?
The Sgt. Major asked Canada what was so funny. She pointed to the sticker and laughed some more.
He didn’t think it was funny.
May the Kenyans have a better sense of humor!

Letters: 6/6

Stick to sports

Dear Editor:

Hartley’s Sports column May 30, ‘Lebron Who?’ closed with the rant, “President Obama is going crazy with this green car stuff.”
He whined that legislation to increase mileage and to decrease emissions could result in a “ridiculous increase of about $1,300 per car.” The idea of trucks averaging 30 miles per gallon led him to conclude that “Obama has lost his mind.”
Traveling 20 miles/gallon burning $3/gallon gas, a vehicle logging 15,000 miles per year eats $2,250 in fuel. Upgrade to 30 miles/gallon and fuel drops to $1,500, saving 750 green dollars annually. Over 7 lucky years, you save $5,250, or net $3,950 on that $1,300 investment. The Sheet advertises a Subaru Forester you could buy as a ‘free’ backup with your savings.
At $4/gallon, you’d net $5,700 savings, almost enough for a ‘free’ Subaru Outback (see The Sheet No-Classifieds).
If Hartley must write about the president in his Sports column, how about tallying Obama’s 3-pointers? Crazy!

Leslie Willoughby
Crowley Lake

Arts Center Moves onward, upward

Dear Editor:

The Mammoth Lakes Arts Center has come a long way from nowhere — it has become a great venue for locals and visitors alike to indulge in the arts.
As many of you are aware, the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center is undergoing a reorganization. Over the past several years, the Arts Center has been out of balance, with money going out to fund the venue, productions and upgrades, and much less money coming through the front door to cover these costs. This is a hurdle not uncommon to such organizations and venues. Mammoth’s small population base adds a level of difficulty to solving this challenge and this has been amplified by a significant downturn in the economy. Foundations offering grants for local arts programs have been affected, and many of these organizations are not taking on any additional grantees. This situation, however, should change as the economy strengthens.
Many folks in Mammoth Lakes have donated time, effort and in some cases money to further the cause of the Arts Center. The countless hours put in by our Executive Director, Shira Dubrovner, Claire Roy and numerous others is a testament to the desire of our community to have the MLAC succeed. Even with this tremendous effort and sacrifice, the bulk of the financial obligation continues to be absorbed by landlord John Vereuck, who has for the past several years picked up debt, funded operations with cash and invested in equipment to help make the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center vision a reality.
The Mammoth Lakes Arts Center Board of Directors is a diverse group of Mammoth residents that have come together to help create a sustainable business model that will ultimately make the Arts Center viable over the long-term. The Board members are active in the community and have stepped forward in the past to help with other successful causes that they feel are important for the future of the Town. As a Board, our goal is to use the past success of the Arts Center as a platform from which to grow into an animated, vibrant and sustainable venue.
The Mammoth Lakes Arts Center is a non-profit organization. This does not imply that the organization does not need to be run like a business. As with any other business, a non-profit has income and expenses and ultimately enough income must be generated, whether it be through active revenue or donation, to match expenses. Other organizations with a larger base of supporters have the ability to generate a larger percentage of their total income from donations. The MLAC, at least in today’s economy, does not have that luxury and must be run more along the lines of a conventional business to cover costs and remain viable.
The MLAC remains on an exciting path, having just installed all the necessary infrastructure to show films (screen, projector, and so on). The Brittany Marie Dance Studio is complete and now open. Future theatrical productions are in the planning stages. (For dance studio schedules and more information, visit www.mammothlakesartscenter.org.)
We look forward to your continued support so we can all be a part of the future success and growth of the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center.

Sincerely, MLAC Board of Directors

COUNCIL McFLEXES, BUT MAMMOTH’S ECONOMIC MUSCLE CONTINUES TO ATROPHY

More selloff of Town assets

By Lunch

Three-card monte, anyone?
At Wednesday’s regular meeting of the Mammoth Lakes Town Council, Council and Staff, in a moment of levity, joked about how Town finances can appear like a bit of a shell game.
Unfortunately, with increasing regularity, the shells are turning up empty.
On Wednesday, Staff divulged its plans for the Town to sell its remaining interests in the hospital (McFlex) parcel.

Some history

The Town, County and Hospital District partnered in 2007 to purchase approximately 10 acres of land at the intersection of Hwy 203 and Sierra Park Rd. (next to the RV park and across the street from McDonald’s).
The Town intended the property as a future site of a Civic Center (Taj Mahal of gleaming new government offices designed to improve staff morale and efficiency).
The Hospital ran into some cash-flow problems, so the Town purchased its share as well as the Hospital’s share, with the idea that it would sell the Hospital’s share back to the Hospital at a future date.
Now with the Town seeing red, it was announced Wednesday that the Town will sell its share to the County and the Hospital’s share back to the Hospital, with the idea that the Town will buy back its share from the County five years from now.

Net loss

Oh, and the Town’s selling at a big loss.
It acquired both parcels during FY 2006-2007 for a little more than $3.8 million.
It’s selling both parcels for a shade less than $3 million.
The Hospital sale is being amortized over five years. Beginning next year, the Hospital will pay the Town $351,000/year for five years.
The County sale is for $1.195 million. The Town has the option to buy back the property in FY 2013-2014 for $1.345 million.
“If they lose that airport lawsuit, it’s better we own that property than Terry Ballas.” -Mono County Supervisor Tom Farnetti.

Disconnect

On Wednesday, Council appeared to be under the impression that the proceeds from the Hospital sale will be used to buy back the parcel sold to the County.
Yeah, right. As if this government can keep its hands off any savings account for any period of time.
To wit, Town Manager Clark’s staff report reads, “The net effect after disposing of the Hospital parcel is to … free General Fund money up for use at the Council’s discretion over a period of several years.”
In the first year, Council plans to place $1 million from the proceeds of the sales into the REU (Reserve for Economic Uncertainty). The remaining $550,000 will be plowed into the 2009-2010 budget, with $300,000 of that dedicated to road rehabiitation (a program the Town suspended last year due to budgetary considerations).
Town Finance Director Brad Koehn said he anticipated that five years down the road, the credit markets would be in better shape, the airport litigation resolved, and at that time, the Town could acquire long-term financing to buy back its McFlex share from the County.
Whoa! said Councilmembers Bacon and McCarroll. In future years, they want the money from the hospital set aside in a separate fund to ensure the buyback from the County. Councilmember Eastman also strongly supports this position.
Just want to put this on the record now, as institutional memories tend to fade quickly and this intent may get “forgotten” by Staff, especially if there’s any significant Council turnover.

Stiffed?

I’ve been attending Town Council meeting for seven-plus years now and for as long as I can remember, Staff and Council has insisted that the Town will eventually get paid back for all the loans (over $5 million worth) we’ve made to the airport.
On Wednesday, I discovered this was bullshit and wondered if I would be haunted that evening by the ghost of Rod Serling.
I’ve always been told by Council and Staff that once the airport reached the 10,000 annual passenger threshold, that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) would “reward” us with a $1 million/year grant/subsidy, and that this would be the money we’d use to pay ourselves back.
Unlikely.
Turns out that $1 million/year can only be used for airport development/infrastructure. So, yes, for a few years, we can use the money to help pay down the debt for the terminal construction ($2 million), but that $3 million we spent on all that environmental work? Town Manager Clark now says we have “mixed signals from the FAA about the extent to which they will approve use of the funds for the General Fund loan repayment.”
Translation: Nope, you can’t use it.
Glad it only took us about a decade to double-check this one. I’m sure Commander Bill (Airport Manager) just made a proclamation awhile back at some long forgotten roundtable discussion and no one ever bothered to fact check it.
Maybe it got lost behind the fax machine, too.

From Geisel’s Desk ...

In another worrisome turn in the California budget drama, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating all government funding for state parks. This move would force the closure of more than 200 of the 279 parks within California, including Bodie State Historical Park and the Mono Lake South Tufa State National Reserve.
The California Travel Industry Association has already begun circulating a letter expressing strong objection to the proposal. Mammoth Lakes Town Manager Rob Clark said in a recent radio interview with Stacey Powells at KMMT that he thinks it’s “a bad idea times 279.”

Locally, we should know soon whether Mammoth’s Town Council will continue to contribute financial support to the High Sierra Energy Foundation. Part of the Town’s “vision” involves being “a leader in Environmental Sustainability, by promoting resource conservation and promoting green technology use.”
HSEF Executive Director Rick Phelps is already lobbying, and he’s armed with statistics. According to Phelps, the Foundation has helped save the town $600,000 (4 million kilowatt hours) in power usage, and has been working closely with the Town on a grant from the California Energy Commission to develop a structure for a geothermal heating district. The HSEF anticipates moving forward with first phase geothermal heating projects in town within the next year.
Town Council has already endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement calling for “a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012 through actions like increasing energy efficiency, reducing vehicle miles traveled, maintaining healthy urban forests, reducing sprawl and promoting use of clean, renewable energy resources.” (Adjusting the Town’s current electric usage to 1990 levels, 4 million kilowatt hours represent about a 5% savings, which amounts to 70% of the Mayors’ goal.)
Phelps describes what HSEF has provided the Town so far as a pretty “big bang for the buck.” Considering the poor return for the dollar we get from other expenditures, this one should be a no-brainer.

WILL VIII BE GREAT?

Snowcreek Master Plan and EIR heads to Planning Commission

By Geisel

It seems now like eons ago that Chadmar Development’s 237-acre Snowcreek VIII project was first proposed. In fact, one swears to have seen dinosaurs still roaming the meadow beneath the Sherwins, where the site is to be located.
But only a few years and a few dozen meetings later, the Snowcreek VIII Master Plan finally heads to the Planning Commission this Wednesday (June 10). At that meeting, Chadmar’s Chuck Lande hopes to find his way back to civilization and take a giant step closer to what will arguably be the Mammoth’s biggest — and only — major shovel-ready project for some time to come.
On Tuesday, Mammoth’s Tourism and Recreation commissioners put in their last comments prior to sending the plan on its way. Most had to do with how well consultants Hart-Howerton had addressed the commission’s previous notes on the Neighborhood District Plan and other process-related queries.
When completed, Snowcreek VIII’s plans include a flag hotel (Lande already has interest from a few brands), private residence club and an expansion of the property’s current 9-hole course to a PGA-caliber 18-hole course. Community Development Director Mark Wardlaw reminded T&R commissioners that current density is less than originally proposed.
Proposed height of the hotel, however, has been raised as an issue by detractors in some public comments.
Wardlaw also said the project has an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) consistent with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for the Master Plan Update. The EIR will be considered for certification at the time of the Master Plan’s public hearings.
One of the commission’s main concerns had to do with the flag hotel, specifically the amount of conference space estimated to be part of it. In the plan, 25,000 feet of conference space is mentioned, though according to Lande, “The flag hotel will have its own program as to how it will be [subdivided].”
Commissioner Knud Svendsen didn’t think that figure was enough. “There’s no such thing as enough meeting space,” he stated, advocating as much space as possible. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, he said, has been known to turn away 400-500 person convention sizes. Spring and fall occupancy, he added, could be helped by being able to accomodate larger meetings.
“Mammoth isn’t Vegas,” Lande said, “but if it gets that big, we’ll figure out how to build more space.”
Commissioner Ruth Harrell took that point, but queried Wardlaw as to whether the use permit could be worded to allow more space, should the Town and the hotelier decide to increase the space to something greater than 25,000 square feet. Wardlaw couldn’t say exactly at the time, but forecast flexibility on the idea. “[The Town is] not going to impose restrictions or conditions that work against both parties,” he said.
Svendsen said he wasn’t trying to be argumentative, but also didn’t want the hotel pre-built with a fixed amount of conference space that the flag taking it over would have to work with, like it or not. He specifically cited the case of the Westin Monache building, which was constructed before the hotel flag was acquired. Lande said that scenario is an “absolute anomaly” in buildings of that type in this country, further stating that “the flag will be in place before the hotel goes up.”
Other issues cleared up: a snowplay area, which the commission, Town staff and Lande agreed probably wouldn’t work, since the area sits on an almost entirely flat parcel; possibly allowing for pre-existing utilities, such as on-site power, to the “great lawn” community gathering site; and how much the project would add to the area’s recreation base.
“I don’t necessarily think we should encourage too much activity on the site,” said the U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Mike Schlafmann. Schlafmann is part of the Sherwins Working Group (SWG) consortium, which includes representatives from Chadmar. “Frankly, I don’t want to see 4,000 people at one time on it.”
Speaking to concerns about trails and connectivity points and portals to land outside the project, Schlafmann and Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA) Director John Wentworth assured the Commission that those issues are being worked on, and more information will be presented pending the results of studies and other processes being conducted by the Forest Service and the SWG.
“We just want to see something in writing that says trails WILL happen,” said T&R Chair Bill Sauser. Schlafmann said he would ask for conditional language as part of the project’s final Use Permit. “Once we get all the points from the Forest Service, we’ll get them hooked up,” Lande said confidently.
Wentworth also wanted it made clear that the Town’s Draft Trails Master Plan doesn’t (and isn’t meant to) address trails within Snowcreek VIII. Town Planner Steve Speidel said the interior trails system is still being studied and would be addressed in one of the project’s upcoming phases.
Differences of opinions surfaced when discussing mobility, parking and “feet first” issues. “The Master Plan as I see it doesn’t accomodate all users [i.e. feet, skis, wheels, snowmobiles],” said Commission Chair Bill Sauser, but added his thought that it could be easily rectified.
Comments on access to mass transit, sidewalk widths, and trails within the NDP led to a tug of war over more parking and being more “feet first.” Commissioner Teri Stehlik voiced concerns about parking for hotel guests attending banquets and other large functions. The site, she said, has undeground parking, granted, but also limited topside parking. “Feet first, yes, but we should look at the Village as an example. There should be enough public parking set aside,” Stehlik opined.
Lande understood her point, but also made a case for more feet first accessibility. “If you provide a sea of parking, people will drive there, even if it’s only one block away,” Lande replied. “If you don’t, it forces them to use or seek out other means, including mass transit and so on.”
Some commissioners were interested in establishing a sort of “phased” approach to the development, essentially building parts as they’re able to come online. For instance, what comes first, the hotel or the golf course? Right now, the project doesn’t specify any particular order, though Lande clarified that by saying, “In a perfect economy, the hotel would come first, but we’re not in a perfect economy.”(In short, expect the golf course sooner.)
Finally, it was determined in previous meetings that the interpretive center be moved off the property, and relocated to the proposed Warda/Hayden Cabin intepretive project. Wardlaw made clear to the Commission that, while Lande and Chadmar are part of the project along with the Town, it isn’t part of Snowcreek VIII’s Master Plan. It is, Wardlaw said, being developed on a “separate track with a separate timeline.” No concept exists for the plan as yet, and the site still has to clear a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) analysis.

Remembering D-Day:

We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For 4 long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your ``lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.''

I think I know what you may be thinking right now -- thinking ``we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day.'' Well, everyone was. Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren't. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

Lord Lovat was with him -- Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, ``Sorry I'm a few minutes late,'' as if he'd been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he'd just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

There was the impossible valor of the Poles who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold, and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back.

All of these men were part of a rollcall of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore: the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland's 24th Lancers, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England's armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard's ``Matchbox Fleet'' and you, the American Rangers.

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought -- or felt in their hearts, though they couldn't know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

Something else helped the men of D-day: their rockhard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer he told them: Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we're about to do. Also that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: ``I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies.

When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. There were nations to be reborn. Above all, there was a new peace to be assured. These were huge and daunting tasks. But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. They rebuilt a new Europe together.

There was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. The United States did its part, creating the Marshall plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. The Marshall plan led to the Atlantic alliance -- a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.

In spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. Some liberated countries were lost. The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin. Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They're still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost 40 years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. Today, as 40 years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose -- to protect and defend democracy. The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.

We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.

But we try always to be prepared for peace; prepared to deter aggression; prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms; and, yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.

It's fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II: 20 million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war. We want to wipe from the face of the Earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.

We will pray forever that some day that changing will come. But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.

We are bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We're bound by reality. The strength of America's allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe's democracies. We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: ``I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

Ronald Reagan - June 6, 1984

BIKE BAN LIFTED

A ban on the sale of ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles), off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles intended primarily for children under 12 has been lifted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The CPSC made the announcement on May 12.
Randy Gillespie, owner of Golden State Cycle in Bishop, said the ban, which began this January, was set in motion by the toy recall from China in August, 2007.
Once the CPSC became obsessed with lead paint in toys, they became concerned with lead paint in bikes.
Gillespie thought the leap the CPSC made from consumer toys to bikes was a bit much.
“Kids don’t lick and chew their bikes ... as opposed to chewing those lead #2 pencils that we all used to use in school, but you don’t see anyone going after the pencil manufacturers, do you?”
Gillespie said the CPSC can claim it’s only going after those under 12, but really, going after the youngsters is going after the future of an industry.
There is the old adage about getting them while they’re young. As Gillespie said, if kids have to wait until 12 to ride, they will very likely have developed different hobbies and interests by then and may never want to pick up the sport.
Sheet: So it’s a plot perpetrated by the environmental community?
Gillespie didn’t disagree.
Once the ruling was made in January, Gillespie was forced to pull 17 bikes and ATV’s off his sales floor.
If he’d sold one and had been caught, he could have been fined $250,000.
The good news for Gillespie is that the ban has been lifted. The bad news for him is that the ruling is temporary. The CPSC is officially calling it a “two year stay of enforcement of lead content limits.”
“The industry [motorsports] is down like many industries, but the good news is, we represent recreation,” said Gillespie. “That’s what people work for five days a week. To recreate.”
But beyond that, you get the sense that Gillespie wishes to represent recreation for the whole family, so that parents and children can continue to ride together.

LEBRON WHO?

By Hartley

Maurice Clarett wants to make an NFL comeback. Don’t you have to have done something before you can make a comeback?
Ryan Leaf. Wow. He is now in trouble for breaking into a home to steal drugs from a player who played for him (he was an assistant coach). New nickname: Ryan “I have smoked too much” Leaf.
Jeremy Shockey was rushed to the hospital and reported to only have had a case of dehydration according to his always truthful and very reliable agent Drew Rosenhaus. He was discovered unconscious in his hotel room after days of pool-partying. Dehydration? That is comical. But I have been there ... too much sex, too much drinking, hot pool and some drugs and ... oh, I don’t do drugs. Dehydration. Simple.
Phil Dawson is in a contract dispute. I know 75% of you are saying WHO? Yep, he is the kicker for the Cleveland Browns. Okay, they’ve won about 30% of their games during the last 10 years and their kicker wants a new contract and is skipping offseason workouts. Yeah, if I were the GM, when he finally reported, I’d have 15 people from the local soccer league waiting for him to try out for his job.
Recent story came out about new coach Eric Mangini irritating the players, executives and everyone who works in the Cleveland Browns organization. He is getting complete control in Cleveland and acting like an ass ...
It’s a copycat league. Let’s face it. And everyone is hiring former Patriot guys and each of ‘em won’t last.
Bronco head coach Josh McDaniels will be the first one fired. He screwed up the only thing the Broncos had - a QB - and now he is going to crash and burn.
The Kansas City General Manager will be next ‘cause he bet his career on one-year wonder Matt Cassel. Dumb move.
Mangini will last the longest ‘cause the Browns are always the last one to acknowledge a mistake.
The NBA playoffs are hilarious. The Nuggets need a tattoo artist on the team bench just to decipher for the fans what the hell is scribbled all over the Nuggets players. I appreciate a good tattoo, but the Nuggets are ridiculous. You know what all those tattoos say to me. They say: If I wasn’t working in the NBA, I wouldn’t have a job outside of McDonalds, Castle SuperStore or Circle K.
LeBron James is not ready. He can put up some huge numbers, but he doesn’t have that killer instinct. He can’t bury you at the end of the game. Sure, he hit that game winner, but ... did you see him celebrate? He was basically saying, “I didn’t even know I could do that.” And he was right, ‘cause the next time they needed a last second shot, he passed to Mo Williams who was 1 for 14 that night. LeBron doesn’t have the killer instinct. Too many commercials. Not enough killer instinct.
Dwight Howard can’t shoot any better than my 8 year old. He dunks or it is a miss. Why not foul his ass? And he is mastering the Shaq lower-the-shoulder and-run-through-the-defender offensive game now. Which is just one offensive foul after another.
Michael Vick. People keep talking about him not being able to have a job. Stupid, Here is why he should have a job: Do you want vicious people unemployed? No. Keep ‘em busy.
And if I hear one more person say, “Being in the NFL is a privilege,” I’ll smack them. I am SO tired of hearing it. It is NOT a privilege. Those players are getting paid to do a JOB. If you think for one New York minute those owners are granting “privileges” to people to be on their teams, you don’t deserve to be reading my s*#t. Those owners are signing players to help them win and make more MONEY. Those players are the best in the world and they have earned the right to play. Privilege, my ass. Stop wasting my time.
Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games and yet remains 4th in the voting for the All Star Game. This is why baseball is a joke. This bozo will get to play even though he will have maybe 30 games under his belt ... and the winner of the game determines home field for the World Series. Wow. What a messed up sport!
Fantasy baseball is too damn time-consuming. They play too many games and the players have too many “nights off” that you don’t even know about. It is irritating. You have to check your lineup every day. I have 4 teams and I am in 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th place. It is too much work.
And remember in baseball when you used to say to someone “you can’t hit your body weight?” Now you can actually say to someone “you can’t hit your contract.” Mark Teixeira was hitting .178 and weighs what, 225 pounds?
The Yanks signed him for $184 million and he couldn’t hit .200 ... until A-Roid came back. He couldn’t hit ‘til A-Roid came back to protect him in the lineup. In Atlanta he had Chipper to protect him and in Anaheim he had Vlad Guerrero. In Texas he had a slew of hitters around him. So, when he was placed in a lineup by himself ... BUM. That says to me he is greatly overrated. If I was A-Roid, I would fake an injury for a couple of weeks and watch Teixeira’s batting average. If it dropped back to below his contract, I would tell the Yankees I want some of his money since he can’t hit without me.
The NCAA is investigating Memphis now that former coach John Calipari’s left for Kentucky. Now this is the thing about the NCAA that pisses me off. Calipari was the root of the allegations there, but he got his high profile job and left Memphis to deal with his mess.
The NCAA should make punishments which follow the coach. Punish the coach, not everyone else. You know Calipari was rotten if he was getting all the blue chip recruits in the country to go to Memphis over Kentucky, North Carolina, etc. But now Calipari can walk away and commit the same crimes at the next stop.
President Obama is going crazy with this green car stuff. He is pushing all this legislation to increase gas mileage and decrease emissions and all at a ridiculous increase of about $1,300 per car for buyers. Now admittedly that $1,300 isn’t much when you consider some people are spending an extra $3,000 per car just to have a “back up” camera installed (cuz you are too stupid to put your arm over the seat and turn the hell around), DVD players for each kid’s headrest (cuz they are too stupid to read or talk to each other.), sunroofs when you live in Washington state and get sun 3 days a year and rims that spin around when you stop.
But consider people like myself who want a basic car. I want power windows and door locks and a steering wheel - the rest of the perks you can keep.
... And he wants all trucks to average 30 miles per gallon. That is funny. Consider this: The President asks why the White House door is still broken. Well dumbass, the contractor that came to fix it had to make two trips ‘cause he had to drive his Green Truck and it is so small he needed two trips to get his tools, the door and himself there. Green is green, but Obama has lost his mind.

THE BEST-KEPT SECRETS (OR NOT) OF JUNE LAKE

By Chris Leonard

It’s no secret that the best-kept winter secret on the Eastside is probably the skiing and riding at June Mountain on a freshies-covered Saturday. Why would anyone stand in line at Chair 3 for 45 minutes, to get one powder run, only to then disappear into Steeps for three hours to slurp down Captain & Cokes like they’re handing them out for a buck and a quarter a pop? It makes no sense to me.
Many skiers in line at Mammoth should be at June, but then again, if they were, it might not be the June that I know and love to ski. Note to Mammoth Mountain senior management: develop the daylights out of June (at least replace J1 with a 21st century chairlift) ... the skiing and riding at June is that good. Dave was onto something when he bought it.
Anyway, with winter behind us, another of June’s “best-kept” secrets is its incredible summer fishing. So, I headed up that way last weekend, but before going into the Loop, however, I had to first visit a good friend named “Parker.”
Parker Lake is great. For the first time this season, I parked the truck at the lot of the trailhead, and I took my two dogs up the path, as curious to see the ice-free lake as I am the menu at the renovated Fireside restaurant. As expected, I found dozens of wild browns in the slow-moving bends of the creek which flows from of the lake. It’s THE perfect place for a 3-weight rod. Between playing fetch with Bodie and Bruin, I managed to hook a few opportunistic feeders on Parachute Adams and Deer Hair Beetles. (On the drive back to U.S. 395, I spied a couple of mountain quail on the side of the road running right next to the truck. And me without my 20-gauge ... too bad bird season isn’t open yet.
At the northern point of the June Lake Loop exit, while admiring Mono Lake straight ahead, I couldn’t decide which direction to turn. To the north, Tioga Pass, which takes one into Tuolumne Meadows. To the south, June. I thought about going north. I absolutely love fishing the Tuolumne River. The wild browns and bows are no longer than six inches, but so fun to catch. And, I can use the same two dry flies and 3-weight I use for Parker Creek. Yet, I just sat in the truck listening to bluegrass, thinking of the tough politics of the trout in Tuolumne.
One day last summer. I was working in Performance Anglers when a couple of Yosemite Park Rangers came into the shop to pick up some dry flies for fly-and-a-bubble fishing. When they told me that they work in the Park, I described to them how much I love fishing the Tuolumne. The ranger informed me that it is the Park Service’s duty to kill off all of the trout in Yosemite, to the point where they are netting them out like ocean market anglers.
That runs completely contrary to my idea of Tuolumne, a pristine and peaceful place with fine angling. When I asked about their logic, they dutifully replied “to restore the Park to its original 18th century environment.” Apparently, the non-native trout were competing with the native yellow-bellied toad. I couldn’t help but think, “That’s cool with me, as long as they also toss out with the fish the hippie, tree-hugging rangers who were also not present in Yosemite in ‘its original 18th century environment.’” Hypocrites. I have nothing against tree-huggers. I love trees ... I’ve almost gone broke planting aspens around my house, trying to make my side yard look like the banks of Rush Creek. In any event, I shook off the memory, and ended up at June Lake.
Rush Creek: fishing well. Bait anglers are whacking ‘em on Salmon Eggs and Panther Martins. Fly anglers can get by with nothing else than a PA Rubber Worm above a size 16 BH Hare’s Ear. A Flashback PT is another option. Madam-X Parachutes, Elk Hair Caddis and Parachute Adams are all great dries for Rush. My favorite streamer of all time at Rush is a black and red Egg Sucking Leech. (By the way, mark your calendars for Saturday, June 20, for the 3rd annual Rush Creek Clean Up.)
The lakes? The best hitting for trollers is June. Fishing by the reeds near the marina is the hot spot. Best lure is a Taz Devil Bloody Ripper, if you are lucky enough to find one in town. The Taz Devil Brown Trout will also work, as will Lip Ripper Spoonz in silver and black. Red and gold Thomas Bouyants work in all the lakes in the Loop, as do Needlefish. Bait? Chunky Cheese with Garlic nails trout on Gull and June. Worms also get fish in Gull, which has been heavily planted. Fish the back corner near the reeds. Fly anglers at Gull are finding a surface night bite, when the sun is starting to set. Mosquitoes and Black Gnats are the flies to use. These dries are also equally productive, getting at the big Kamloops in Grant, the same time of day. Ant pattern is the word at Silver. Haven’t tried ‘em yet, but I’m told they’re working. Your best bet at Silver for streamers is an olive BH Matuka on a sink line. Just kick back and forth on the far side. Crowley has really slowed down lately, so your best bet is to hit the lakes in the Loop. After, or even during your excursion, you’ll also find a tasty pineapple burger and pint of Mammoth Amber Ale on tap at the one and only Tiger Bar.
Your homework is to write your state senator and demand to have the roast duck put back on the menu at Alpenrose/Fireside, and also plead to educate the Yosemite Park Rangers that trout fishing puts billions more dollars into the state economy than any cotton-pickin’ frog!
A more detailed report can be found at www.performanceanglers.com/fish_report.php. Leonard guides for Performance Anglers. Bob Carter provides troll trips in June and Crowley. Both can be reached at 924.2181.

Devil's Postpile Open

Devils Postpile National Monument and Campground will open to the public Friday afternoon, June 5. As of Saturday, June 6, the ranger station will be open daily during the 2009 summer season from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ranger-led walks to the Postpile formation will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the month of June and every day during the rest of the summer. On this 1-hour walk, a park ranger explains the geology, ecology and human history of the monument.
And the park’s popular evening programs will return once again to the amphitheater next to the ranger station on Friday and Saturday nights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. beginning June 19. Evening Program topics vary from week to week.
Shuttle bus service ($7/person) begins operation on June 13th, running between 7am and 7pm.
A change this year is that the shuttle route has expanded to start in the Village in Mammoth Lakes on a few of the morning runs; most shuttles will begin their route at the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge. Shuttles will run from 7:15 a.m.-7 p.m. Info: www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/or call the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center, 924.5500.
Also, Devils Postpile will begin its general management planning process this summer, seeking to develop a 15-20 year vision for management of the monument. Public scoping is estimated to begin in mid-June and extend through late September.
For more info, check local visitor centers and campgrounds, or visit the monument’s web site (www.nps.gov/depo) for updated program schedules.

Calm Under Pressure

Pilot Craig Wiblemo from Seal Beach, Calif., took off in his Piper Cherokee (circled) from Lee Vining Airport on Memorial Day, had engine problems soon thereafter, lost all power and was forced to put it down on the land bridge between Negit Island and Black Point, otherwise known as “David Gaines Island.” State Park Ranger Jim Pence gave the pilot a lot of credit for a safe, and somewhat miraculous crash landing. With tufa towers strewn about, it could have gone a lot worse. As it turned out, the pilot and the plane emerged unscathed. This photo shows the plane being airlifted out by Intermountain Helicopter of Columbia, Calif. According to Pence, Intermountain managed to do so without harming a single gull — quite a feat considering there are about 50,000 of them nesting on Negit Island at the moment.

MAMMOTH TAKES OCEANSIDE BY STORM

On May 16 and 17, the Mammoth Storm Girls U16 Soccer Team, ventured to Oceanside to participate in the country’s second-biggest beach soccer tournament. Played 5 against 5 on a 25 by 30 yard field, the girls were in the sand for three 11-minute periods — and barefoot.
The 8 girls who traveled along with some very supportive parents were Cassie Burgenbaugh, Jackie Leary, Sam Knadler, Rebecca Cage, Kristin King, Sierra Stapp, Jiselle Kenny and keeper extraordinaire Bailey Morley.
Saturday morning started with 6-3 win. The team then lost 4-2 to a tough Thousand Oaks team of 15 girls that usually plays 2 levels higher than the Mammoth Storm. Mammoth won its third game, however, setting the team up as 2nd place in its flight.
On Sunday morning, a rematch against Thousand Oaks. Although the game was close in the first 2 periods, this time it was the Storm that dominated the 3rd period, walking away with a decisive 4-1 win. This led to a championship match with the 18-member Moorpark team, one so daunting, their scheduled opponent on Sunday morning didn’t bother to show up. Moorpark’s lineup boasted 3 girls in the over-6 foot, 180 pound range. The Storm battled intensely for 33 minutes, but at the final buzzer, the score was 4-3 Moorepark.
According to one of the coaches, “It was tough to lose such a close match and we had one questionable call on a shot that we thought went in.” After an impressive showing, a few twisted ankles bruises and a concussion, the team took home 2nd place ... and a “well done” from the coaches.

WILLY WONKA AND THE “CHOCOLATE OLFACTORY”

Campos’ class learns about water, waste and “poop pancakes”

By Geisel

“It’s like ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” opined High Sierra Energy Foundation Special Projects Director Leslie O’Berry.
Though I kind of understood what she was talking about - the MCWD water treatment plant is, after all, a seemingly complex and labyrinthian place. But ... I’d like to think chocolate comes from someplace else.
Do you know how the cycle of water works? No? Well, if your kid is part of Gil Campos’ 6th Grade class, chances are they do now. Not only do they know how it works, but they’re also hip to how and why it’s important to conserve it, from beginning to end. Literally.
Thursday’s field trip, the third time it’s been conducted, was part of the “Living Wise” program, co-sponsored by the High Sierra Energy Initiative and the MCWD. During the multi-stage supplemental course, students learn the basics of energy efficiency, recycling and saving water.
Most of the time they’re in or near the classroom, but when it comes to water, O’Berry and the District adopted a “boots on the ground” philosophy, letting students see first-hand how the whole cycle works. First up, water ... where we get it and how it’s treated. (You didn’t think they were going to show them sewage treatment first, did you?)
MCWD Resources Manager Clay Murray showed the students flows coming down from Lake Mary and illustrated the big difference between harvesting surface-originated water (which is most of what Mammoth uses) and pulling water out of the ground. Mammoth supplements its supply with ground-source water, but it takes 8 times the energy. Our little town goes through about 4 million gallons of water daily, just 75% of which comes from surface water. (I didn’t know that ... bet you didn’t either.) Starting to get why conservation is important here?
Once seasonal irrigation starts, water use triples, which is why the district is now making a push to use “gray water” for watering golf courses and other similar applications.
Along the way, students learned the buzzwords: watershed, chlorine, turbidity, contaminants. They also talked about the role of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, and why some of our water here is forwarded to Los Angeles. (The historical politics of the topic were left for when they get a little older. Note to students, for future reading: “The Water Seekers” and “Cadillac Desert.”)
The real drama, however, was found at the sewage treatment plant. Everybody poops, right? And it all has to go somewhere. Most held their noses as Operations Superintendent Karl Schnadt helped students follow the “chocolate” through the “factory.” It’s actually an impressive process, involving tiny bacterial microbes, large clarifiying machinery, a “digester” and a Belt Press, which essentially makes “poop pancakes,” as Murray called the solids separated from the water. (The press is basically the same as those used in making wine ... Chateau Excremente, anyone? Didn’t think so.)
Kidding aside, the field trips are fun and informative, but O’Berry and MCWD Environmental Specialist Irene Yamashita hope the experience resonates with the students.
“The field trip was conceived to show the students where our water supply comes from and that it isn’t infinite,” O’Berry said.
“Unlike Los Angeles, we get to see where our water comes from,” Murray pointed out. “The kids get that they’re part of our watershed.”
“It starts with the kids,” Yamashita said. “They’ll be the future policymakers. It’s vital they realize how important water is to us and that we need to wisely use what we have.”
The smell, you ask? That’s where the written word fails to convey the treatment plant’s “pungent perfume.” My advice? Ask your kids to describe it.
Just try to avoid talking about it over dinner.

Defend your space

The new president of the Mammoth Lakes Fire-Safe Council is Roberta Regelbrugge, and she urges you to create defensible space around your home.
MLFD Fire Capt. Robert Williams will conduct free home inspections. Call him at 934.2300.
Planning Commission Chair Elizabeth Tenney informs The Sheet that Mammoth Lakes currently tops the list in California for risk of catastrophic wildfire. Regelbrugge warns that some insurance companies are pulling out of communities who ignore this issue.
She also said lawsuits have come down recently where those who have created defensible space are suing neighbors who haven’t.

Java Joint relaunches

The Java Joint, in The Minaret Village Shopping Center, has a new look. Karen Kastner, long time local and owner of the Java Joint, recently announced she’s teamed up with Lynne Blanche of Pampered Guest Services and Riki Barbo to bring a new neighborhood cafe to Mammoth Lakes residents and tourists.
Java Joint’s casual meeting ambiance has been one of the Town’s best kept secrets, but Kastner wants to change that. In addition to great fresh brewed java, Blanche and Barbo have added crepes, smoothies, and new sandwiches (on fresh-baked bread) and salads to the menu. Daily specials, a children’s menu and high school lunch specials are also available.
The Join also features goodies from local baker Stephanie Stanton, whose sweet-tooth tempting treats are known throughout the community. “Her cookies are positively decadent,” Blanche opined.
Coming soon, a “dinners to go” menu. Java Joint is located on the ground floor of the Minaret Mall, next to the Booky Joint.

See anything you like?

This year’s Tour of Homes will be held Saturday, June 6 from 1-4 p.m. Join the tour and see some of the most fabulous and unique homes in Mammoth. Tickets available at The Booky Joint for $25. For more information, call 934.8227.

National Trails Day

Mammoth Lakes is surrounded by the public lands of the Inyo National Forest. There are millions of acres of lakes, woods, meadows, canyons and plateaus ripe for exploration, and hundreds of miles of trails that take you there. Get your summer off to a great start by helping care for one of those trails. Volunteers and Inyo National Forest staff will join together to work on a popular spot just south of Mammoth — the Sherwin Lakes trail — as part of National Trails Day, Saturday June 6, from 8:30 a.m. and ending some time during the early afternoon. The event is co-hosted by Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access and Friends of the Inyo, local non-profit groups dedicated to helping people enjoy recreation on the area’s beautiful public lands.
As snow melts each May and June, trails in the Sherwin area are some of the first to see traffic, and the first to require annual touch-ups such as brush and rock removal. Need a few reasons why you should be there? Try these: hone your pruning skills just in time for summer gardening; talk to wilderness rangers about their favorite places in the Sierra; get a guided eco-tour of the Sherwin burn area; learn how you can help Mammoth-area trails all summer long; take pride in having dirt under your fingernails; and if those weren’t quite enough, we’re kicking in a free lunch and raffle prize.
All volunteers are welcome. More info: www.friendsoftheinyo.org or www.mltpa.org.

THE KEYWORD IS KEYWORDS

By Geisel

Mono County Economic Development Manager Sarah McCahill gave the Mono County Tourism Commission a peek at what next year’s Draft Marketing Plan and Budget look like at Tuesday’s Commission meeting in June Lake. She also took a few minutes to talk about what went right and what went ... well, what could have gone better.
Among the hits: Website hits, which McCahill said are “going crazy.” Between April 19 and May 19 alone, the County’s tourism site was expecting about 6,000 hits. It got more than 18,000, which McCahill said was in part a result of well-coordinated use of search keywords within the site’s engine.
Among the misses: McCahill said the commission may want to consider sending out requests for proposals for a new PR firm. That or it may wish to consider farming public relations out to freelance or other indie contractors.
“It’s become far too time intensive and yielded far too little return on investment,” McCahill told the commission. She added the entire effort is far too reactive and not proactive. Indeed, recent cover stories in LIFE and Westways magazines were not the result of any PR effort on Mono County’s part (ambitious travel writers generated the stories on their own). The commission agreed it might be a good idea to consider a needs assessment to figure out if it even needs to retain a PR firm once a contract currently in place expires at the end of 2009.
Other weak links probably headed to the dustbin include certain trade show trips, which McCahill said have either not paid enough dividends or been rendered redundant. The commission also mulled retooling its methodology on what shows to attend, and whether the current image or message the County’s projecting is the correct one, a topic they plan to take up at a later date.
Also cited was response from print ad buys in California visitors guides, which was off a massive 200% for the first quarter of this year. “People are searching online,” McCahill said.
In the offing for next year, a possible brand study, which McCahill said would help “determine how to best promote the area.” The study would include exploring promotion of the Eastern Sierra versus Mono County, focus groups in key markets and a new or revised logo and tag line campaign that may (or may not) replace its current “Wild By Nature” slogan. McCahill said at this point all options are still on the table. The study’s $15,000 estimated price tag, McCahill pointed out, would probably be funded using existing PR dollars.

What we have here is ...

A failure to communicate. That could have a lot to do with the main access road off of U.S. 395 to Bodie State Park being closed for six months of the year (November-April), when it actually may only need to be closed for four weeks or so during the winters.
The commission discussed establishing better liaison ties between other agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Managment, the Forest Service and Caltrans, among others, to ensure more accurate exchange of information. That, the commission said, may lead to averting missed revenue opportunities such as that experienced by visitors not having easier winter access to Bodie (except by snowmobile), perhaps causing them to leave the county earlier than planned. Some visitors reportedly have told the County they’d walk the last mile or so in winter if the other 10.5 miles of paved road remained open.
This year, only one of six months warranted closure of the surfaced road leading up to the ghost town. As for the other five months? Commissioners and Lyster generally agreed that an improved flow of information between Bodie park rangers and Caltrans would likely go a long way to resolving the problem, not to mention eliminate a lot of needless fingerpointing.

New signs, one at each end of the Bridgeport town limits will help visitors find the interesting, but underpromoted museum already in existance, as well as the new, improved visitors center currently in the works.
That is, once it’s determined who’s going to pay for them. Mono County’s Tourism Commission took up the issue of how (or if) it should fund the $3,900 price tag for the new signage. One consideration: does the signage meet with existing funding criteria. Commissioner Danna Stroud isn’t so sure.
“I’m not sold that the funds for the new signs should come out of our limited budget for tourism and marketing,” Stroud stated. Part of her concern was that, while the signs would direct visitors to specific points of interest in town, she questioned how that would equate to verifiable nights in rooms (one of the commission’s primary objectives), and indeed whether new signage qualified as actual “marketing.”
Fellow commissioner Bonnie Colgan agreed. “I don’t think it meets the established criteria,” she said. Indeed, the language of the commission’s parameters does mention signage promoting special events, which COULD be interpreted to include the new signage, Stroud said she thought that would amount to splitting hairs. “There is a need,” she allowed, yet also cautioned she was “concerned about establishing a precedent I thought we were trying to get away from.”
And it turns out that funding the signs is something that may have been inadvertently dropped in the commission’s lap. Direction that flowed largely from community member-driven Regional Planning Advisory Committees apparently steered the Chamber of Commerce to take the funding request to the Tourism Commission.
“They [RPAC members] probably weren’t really aware of what that meant to us at the time,” estimated Mono County Economic Development Manager Sarah McCahill, whose perspective was generally accepted by the commissioners. One thought was why the new signs weren’t part of the County’s ongoing Capital Improvement Projects list, tacked onto Public Works’ Bridgeport Visitors Center upgrade budget.
Mono County Economic Development Director Dan Lyster said that’s not the only bump in the road. “If you’re putting in new signage on U.S. 395, you’ll have to comply with existing Caltrans and County sign ordinances,” Lyster explained.
In any case, Stroud suggested putting the matter on the earliest possible Board of Supervisors agenda to request some clarification as to the original direction. “If [the Board] wants us to pay for it, that’s fine, but we should re-evaluate and explain to them our budget situation, and explore how to increase that part of it going forward on an annual basis.” (Lee Vining and other towns could potentially involve the commission in similar projects, should this the progression of this signage remain unchanged.)

Cop Shop: Cops In Shop

According to a press release from the Mammoth Lakes Police Department (MLPD), on Thursday evening, May 21, at approximately 11 p.m., two off-duty MLPD officers were inside Rusty’s Bar in Bishop when a physical altercation broke out that involved acquaintances of the officers. The officers themselves also reportedly became involved in the disturbance.
Those involved, including the MLPD officers, exited into the alleyway behind Rusty’s, where the disturbance continued, with another physical altercation talking place that involved the MLPD officers, as well as other bar patrons.
Officers from the Bishop Police Department and the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service and upon arrival separated and spoke with the persons involved, and investigated the incident.
The Bishop Police Dept. arrested one person for being drunk in public. “The person arrested wasn’t one of our guys,” said Mammoth’s Town Manager Rob Clark. Bishop Police are also handling any potential criminal investigation surrounding the actions of all persons involved in that evening. At press time, the investigation was still listed as “ongoing.”
The two members of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department have been placed on administrative leave, pending the results of any criminal investigation, and are the subjects of an Internal Affairs investigation to assess the officers’ conduct that evening. The investigation will be conducted by an investigator from the Mono County District Attorney’s Office.
Internal Affairs investigations are deemed confidential, therefore the names of the officers were not released by the MLPD.

Letters: 5/30

Shame on you!

Dear Editor:

Shame on you! Shame on the Fifty Center! The editorial written in the Memorial weekend edition attacked commerce itself.
I am referring to the issue of Skip Harvey’s idea for creating some activities during the Fourth of July on Main Street. What the Fifty fails to say is that these events start at the corner of Main Street and Old Mammoth Road with the art show at Footloose, move to Wave Rave with a skate event, continues at Schat’s, P3, LuLu’s, InTouch, Base Camp and all the Outlet stores. There will be beer gardens, dunk tanks, Chalk it Up! displays where property developers will promote what they hope to bring to Mammoth and more.
And, yes, I am one of the property owners of the center where Base Camp is. And, yes, I wish all these businesses a successful holiday weekend. I also have a business on the other side of the street where it would not make sense to create an event such as this. You need a critical mass of different businesses in order to make such an event successful and enjoyable for the visitor and local to participate in. I am sure the Town looked at the fact that this will benefit a lot of businesses.
In order to perform these functions and make this event successful, some traffic patterns needed to change. This takes time on the part of Mr. Harvey to organize, as well as time on the part of the Town, Caltrans and the MLPD. Not to mention the meetings of the Fourth of July committee. Yes, these have costs that the Town should bear because the Town is the only agency that can approve and then execute the changes. Will this event create some animation, generate some excitement and allow our visitors and locals a place to celebrate the Fourth? You bet it will. We need more of that around Mammoth.
I know the Fifty Center will say, “We don’t have problems with a person creating an event; however, they should do so without the Town having to pay.” Well, if I remember right, we have great events in town that were started with financial help from the Town. And how do you expect someone to try something that involves Mammoth’s roads without involving the Town?
You want to stage an event in your business area of town? Then do what Skip did, put a lot of work into creating the idea, visiting all the other businesses, getting those people together and then put together a proposal to go before the Town. If it makes sense, I feel confident this town will support your attempt at creating commerce.
Folks, get a clue; this is a hard time for our community and the economy. If we don’t start working together in a positive and supportive manner, and I mean soon, then this town is not only going to have more empty storefronts, but less newspapers as well.

Tom Cage
Mammoth Lakes

Feeney speaks up

Editor’s note: James Feeney was formerly employed by the Town of Mammoth Lakes as a building inspector and was laid off by the Town last December.

Dear Editor:

This letter was inspired by Ruth Harrell’s letter last week. She said people should speak up and I must. I keep seeing and hearing this number 26 being thrown out there by the Town, as in “26 layoffs.” Well, this is simply not true. I think it would be refreshing for Town Manager Rob Clark to be honest for a change. This is the same man who once told me I had a better chance of dying in a car crash on the way to work than I did of getting laid off. Well, I’m still alive ...
Now this may seem like semantics to some, but as far as I can tell there has been only one true layoff and one forced early retirement. There were a handful of other early retirements that walked out with a juicy two year addition to their pensions and a few people that quit or retired on their own before the layoffs came (attrition). So these numbers don’t add up to 26 layoffs.
Understand that I’m not calling for more field workers or low level employees to lose their jobs. There are actually a few people at the town that I really like. I just cannot sit by any longer and let the Town get away with putting out this misleading information, especially considering that a highly paid employee has caused the Town to be potentially liable for a $30 million lawsuit and he still gets to ride his lawnmower on that little patch of grass ...
Management is way overstaffed, and, combined with Council, has caused this horrific [budget] problem. Rob, I challenge you to prove that you are committed to the fiscal security of this town, but I assume that you will defer that to your six figure assistant manager.
Some will read this and dismiss it as a scathing letter from a bitter, laid-off ex-employee. Fair enough, but how can we all just sit by and watch incompetent and misleading public employees continue with this sham. Ruth said it is not about individuals. I agree - to an extent. I will say this. Rob Clark, Karen Johnston, Mark Wardlaw (Dude, your job title is Director of Community DEVELOPMENT. How many developments have you personally stalled?), Steve Speidel and the entire Town Council should publicly prove their worth. I also request a list of laid-off positions be made public. Not attrition losses, but actual layoffs.

James Feeney
Mammoth Lakes

Hands-on owners versus
bureaucratic powerpoints

Dear Editor:

When reading last week’s article on the proposed Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), I took away the idea that we as a town need to turn the formula of this new organization “upside down.”
I believe that local business people/owners – those with the responsibility to employ, meet payrolls and pay taxes, provide customer service, make a profit, and have a vested interest – should fill a majority of these positions, i.e. someone from restaurant, lodging-hosting-hospitality, retail, health-fitness-recreation, real estate, arts and entertainment,
services and media, plus one member from mammoth’s Tourism and Recreation Dept. contributing 11 years of DMO exposure. And how about a tiered incentive program? Not for the DMO, but to benefit the visitor? (set occupancy goals, and when achieved, reduce the TOT visitor tax by a percentage).
Finally, I agree with Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce President Eric Wasserman that we need to make this non-governmental and non-bureaucratic. Maybe back in 1975, Ann Arbor had the right idea.

Tony Fryer
Mammoth Lakes

Marley’s new heart

Ted, Mike, Pamela and all our friends at The Sheet (even the rookie who thought Marzonie was a strip club DJ),
I just wanted to be sure you’d heard. Word travels fast in Mammoth but the Rumple Minze wireless has a tendency to slur things a bit. Marley Herrera received a new heart from an anonymous donor last Wednesday. Surgery took nine hours and was a great success. Marley’s doing great, up and walking around, talking, laughing. She is currently scheduled to be released from Loma Linda tomorrow if all goes well. She’s still at least four months away from coming home to Mammoth, she and her Mom need to stick close to the hospital but they at least get to wait in their apartment (generously donated by The Barker family) instead of in the hospital itself.
Our Marley still has a long recovery ahead but the waiting is over. Every step now is a step toward home. Thank you guys for all your help and support.
-Brad J Ellis

Editorial:WHAT HAPPENS AT RUSTY'S...

I know that any sort of joke even obliquely referencing the holocaust is in bad taste, but I can’t help myself. Given the latest news that two Mammoth police officers have been placed on administrative leave following an incident at Rusty’s bar in Bishop, perhaps we should refer to the Mammoth Lakes Police Dept. roster as “Schienle’s List.”
If you’re on Schienle’s list, he’ll not only protect you from getting downsized via budget cuts, but he’ll also apparently condone certain indiscretions and lapses in judgement.
But of course, the difference between Schindler’s List and Schienle’s List is that one group suffered from actual persecution while the other merely suffers from a persecution complex.
To misquote FDR, maybe the only thing the MLPD has to fear is beer itself.
Beer and those 128 hours a week each officer isn’t working.
The official press release is printed on page five, but we’ll fill in a few details here. I wish I could definitively state which officers were placed on administrative leave, but I can’t. I can tell you, based on the word of eyewitnesses, that Sgt. Eric Hugelman and Officer Dan Casabian were seen at Rusty’s that night. Another MLPD officer was also seen there, but he was with a date, and not hanging out with his fellow officers. Both Hugelman and Casabian were also seen earlier that evening at the Joe Nichols concert. Witnesses also say that one of the officers was slurring his words, but wouldn’t identify which one.
Coincidentally, Hugelman and Casabian did not march in the Mule Days parade two days later (both are members of Mammoth’s honor guard and were expected to participate).
Hugelman, by the way, was reportedly chosen by MLPD Chief Randy Schienle as his personal choice for officer of the year at the last MLPD Christmas party.
The ironic thing about being placed on administrative leave is that it is leave with pay, meaning our boys most certainly will have the time and the means to spend more time at Rusty’s while they wait for Schienle and Town Manager Rob Clark to whitewash the latest mess.
Seriously, does it make anyone wonder what Schienle has on Clark? Either a.) Clark’s just simply loyal to the core, or b.) Schienle must have titillating photos of Clark passionately French-kissing a llama.

Barrett and the cabal

Onto more nonsense … the Advocates for Mammoth tore Planning Commissioner Tony Barrett a new one this week. Since I don’t do reprints of letters which first appear in the Fifty Center, I’ll summarize briefly. 1. The Advocates apparently don’t like being referred to as a “cabal,” which also means they’re probably boycotting the recently released “Angels and Demons” movie, and 2. They still don’t like him voting on projects situated in and around the North Village.
You’ll recall that last September, the California FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission) warned Barrett that he should not vote on projects in or around the Village at Mammoth because his business, Gallerie Barjur, was located in the Village. Commissioners cannot vote on projects which are located within 500’ of real property that a Commissioner has an interest in.
Barrett had contended that this rule did not apply to him because he was a leaseholder as opposed to a property owner.
Town Attorney Peter Tracy shared Barrett’s view. The FPPC did not.
Anyway, since that time, Gallerie Barjur has closed its doors. The Advocates contend that Barrett should have to wait a year before he is allowed to resume participation in Village-area votes, but according to Barrett, a preliminary determination by the FPPC says he’s good to go - that as soon as his shop doors closed, his financial interest evaporated as well.
Okay, so why is this important? Fellow Planning Commissioner Rhonda Duggan, an employee of Mammoth Mountain, has already recused herself on the Mammoth Crossing project, so if Barrett couldn’t participate either, the Commission would be left with three eligible voting members, Tenney, Deinken and Clark.
According to California code, in such a circumstance, a minimum of three votes is necessary for passage (2-1 doesn’t count) so Clark would potentially have the power to shut down Mammoth Crossing all by herself.
Which leads us to the hearing on the Mammoth Crossing EIR (Environmental Impact Report) on Wednesday. What did Clark think about it? Well, she wasn’t terribly impressed.
“I think they [height and density] need to be discussed here [during debate over possible certification of the EIR],” she said post-meeting on Wednesday. “I think we need to make some decisions now.”
Her argument is that the EIR contemplates things [significant increases above what’s allowed in the North Village Specific Plan in terms of height and density] that don’t fit code, and to accept such an EIR might imply a tacit agreement that the Planning Commission believes such increases are okay. “It would imply that we found nothing so significant that can’t be mitigated,” she said.
“I feel we should address this before the developer gets going [on a use-permit application]. Otherwise, why are we [Planning Commission]there?”
Clark said her chief concern with the EIR is that it did not contemplate what she considered to be viable alternatives. And she was dismayed that such an EIR was produced by the Town Staff, which served as the lead agency on the document.

Revised number

Oh, and I’ve got a correction in regards to the amount the Town owes as a result of its loss to Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition (MLLA) in last year’s airport litigation suit.
The judgement was for $30 million, but according to a case update posted on the website of MLLA’s law firm, Quinn Emanuel, “After oral argument, the Court awarded the firm’s client more than $2.36 million in attorneys’ fees, which was the substantial majority of the hourly attorneys’ fees incurred by our client and almost $1 million more than the Town argued our client should have received.”
So for accuracy’s sake, let’s just call it the $32.4 million debacle.

NOT JUST FOR DOGS

Wolf celebrates golf on a budget

By Wolf

PGA golfer Steve Pate once said, “I had played so poorly recently, I started thinking that maybe I should do something else. Then I saw my friends going to work everyday and realized that my life wasn’t so bad.”
Here in Mammoth Lakes, since people are either working hard or hardly working these days, a round of golf can be considered a luxury. For the out-of-work golf enthusiast, however, a healthy alternative might actually be (don’t shake your head) disc-golf. No, it’s not called Frisbee golf or frolf, its called disc-golf.
And believe it or not, there is actually a disc-golf course here in Mammoth (though it looks more like a Searles layout than a Nicklaus one). And when I say “course,” I mean it in the loosest term. It’s actually a bunch of trees wrapped in tape. In fact, it might only be considered a “course” when there’s a 12-pack of beer involved. Nonetheless, Shady Rest does have a place for disc-golfers to chase Frisbees around for a couple hours like a pack of drunken puppies.
And to me, that’s what it’s all about: Frisbee and beer. Before I had this epiphany, I was a college kid in the Midwest who figured disc-golf fell in the same category as hacky sack, magic cards and those stupid renaissance sticks you twirl around before you get beat up.
After skipping class a few times to play, I realized that disc-golf courses are synonymous with college. I justified this train of thought by calling it “learning beyond the curriculum.”
Now I can see how it’s easy for the typical golfer in plaid pants to scoff at the idea of another “sport” with the name golf in it.
But when you break it down, it’s just as lazy and pointless as regular golf. Don’t both sports involve beer, chasing a chunk of plastic and eating an entire bag of soft batch cookies?
Just like traditional golf, disc golf is a great way to duck out of work, avoid your spouse and, let’s not forget the best part … it’s free! Forget about old stereotypes. Disc-golf isn’t just for the college kid or the 32-year old web designer, who lives in his parents’ basement; it’s for everyone.
When I first moved to Mammoth a couple of years ago, I thought for sure that there would be a course here (since disc-golf was invented by some old hippie in California).
But to my disappointment I quickly came to a harsh realization: the course at Shady Rest sucks, no it actually sucks hard. Wait, no, in fact; it might be the suckiest suck that ever sucked.
So what is the problem Mammoth? We have a town full of laid-off outdoor enthusiasts and college kids with nothing to do! It doesn’t take a Staples “easy” button to solve this one. So how about instead of building a paved trail that goes all the way out to the Sherwins that’s 12-feet wide that not even the coyotes will use, purchase 18 disc golf baskets (they actually exist) and set them up in Shady Rest? “That was easy.”
For a recreational town it’s a no-brainer.

Well, what about cost?

Disc-golf courses are like skate-parks. There’s some initial cost (though by comparison far less in fact) and after that, the people who frequent it take care of it. It’s not like I’m asking the town to build something that will drain money (a la the ice rink). I just think it’s about time we invest in something people will actually use (such as the Village).
It’s amazing there are people here in Mammoth who have taken the time to build a makeshift course out of duct tape and yet the Town still hasn’t noticed that there’s a population and a demand.
A disc-golf course isn’t owed to the people of Mammoth Lakes (as are sidewalks on Main St.), but it would be a nice way to show them you’re listening.

Environmental impact?

If you ever hear someone say that playing traditional golf is a great way to spend a day in the great outdoors, then slap them with your Chacos. It’s fake nature! Traditional golf courses require an insane amount of upkeep and chemicals.
By contrast disc golf courses are blended with their surroundings and leave little to no environmental impact. Any piece of unused land is a potential disc-golf course. All you need is a place to stand, a disc and a basket.
When Dave McCoy helped build Cerro Coso Community College, he envisioned Mammoth as not only a great place to ski but a great place to go to school.

Upon my arriving in Mammoth a couple of years ago, my dad called to ask me what Mammoth was like. I told him it was like a college town except no one goes to class. What I should have said is, “It’s like a college town except there’s no real disc-golf course.”

ARTS CENTER LOSES DIRECTOR

Dubrovner resigns, citing ideological differences with Board

By Lunch

Shira Dubrovner has resigned as Artistic Director of the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center.
The resignation was tendered Thursday, May 21. Her resignation becomes effective June 14.
Dubrovner cited “fundamental ideological differences” with MLAC’s Board of Directors as the reason for her departure.
The status of future productions, including this summer’s planned Black Box Theatre festival, is now in limbo.
“I’m still grateful for what Mr. Vereuck [the Arts Center’s landlord] has done, but it came to a point where we had to go our separate ways,” said Dubrovner. “I’m dedicated to the community and dedicated to continue. I’m looking for another [performance] venue and exploring other options.”
This is just a stumbling block. I’m going to forge through. I’m not that easily deterred.”
Dubrovner’s resignation came as a surprise to the MLAC Board. Chairman of the Board Dave Harvey said that the Board will meet formally within the week to discuss its options. In the interim, there are no plans to close/suspend any operations, particularly the Brittany Marie Dance Studio.
MLAC’s Board consists of Harvey, Neil McCarroll, Matthew Lehman, Shields Richardson, Peter Maw, Allegra Stevens and Dubrovner. Claire Roy resigned from the Board last week just prior to Dubrovner’s announcement.

History of the deal

In 2006, John Vereuck borrowed money to buy out his Sherwin Plaza partners and in turn, sold the MLAC space (formerly the Plaza Theatre) to Dubrovner.
The sale was completed in February, 2007.
Actually, the space is officially divided into two condos, so Vereuck sold her one condo and rented her the other.
It quickly became apparent that Dubrovner had gotten in over her head. Within a year, she’d burned through her savings and could no longer make the payments. She deeded the property back to Vereuck, who assumed the financial obligation for her loan.
He said Wednesday that he has not been paid rent on either of the leases for the past year.
Dubrovner admits that the basic deal was flawed from the start. She said she knew theaters cannot survive if they have to pay rent. Her purchase of the property, therefore, required a leap of faith on her part that some wealthy donor would step forward, see the value and the quality in her work, and buy the theater. She also estimated that this would have to occur within a few years.
Obviously, the economy turned south and this did not happen.
As for Vereuck, he acknowledges he’s stuck in a quandary. He’s got too much invested in the buildout to turn back, yet there’s no clear path as to how to make the theater, if not profitable, at least ... manageable.
“I can’t afford to have it go away. We’re not going to demolish it ... It may have to go dark for awhile ... We just need to find a financial model that works.”
Vereuck believes the Board will ultimately need to find some sort of director or manager.
Who’ll pay for that person? Most likely, John Vereuck.
As Dave Harvey said this week, “We’re just trying to figure out how to lose the least amount of money.”

Ideological differences

When Dubrovner deeded the property back to Vereuck in the spring of 2008, Vereuck asked/demanded that a few people be placed on the Board with a little financial savvy.
The roblem Dubrovner had with this, however, is that these folks may be financially savvy, but theater is a different animal. And although one can fault her for signing a bad deal, Dubrovner said she does have enough experience to know what people want to see, how to get fannies in the seats, and how to produce things as cheaply as possible.
What she wanted was a Board that would raise money and otherwise stay out of the day-to-day operations.
In some sense, the Board has attempted to do just that. Board member Neil McCarroll, who also sits on Mammoth’s Town Council, has been attempting to broker a deal for months which would allow a developer to purchase the theater and gift it back to the Town in exchange for “community benefit” credit (i.e. so the developer could procure more height/density for a particular project).
In this economic environment, however, that seems like a tough sell. Does the Town of Mammoth have the leverage to make such a demand? And is any developer really planning on moving forward anytime soon?
As for the day-to-day operations, it’s hard for any Board to distance itself from that when the organization is bleeding cash.

Claire Roy

Claire Roy, longtime local, Courts employee and arts supporter, says she resigned from the Board because she was dissatisfied with its vision and direction.
And she felt it was disingenuous for the Board to tell Dubrovner on the one hand that she needed to step back and not try to do everything while at the same time giving her all sorts of errands and assignments to complete.
“I have a big issue with micromanaging, especially if you don’t have your own boots on the ground,” she said.
“The Board wants to run this like a business, but it’s not a business. It’s a nonprofit.”
“In my view, these guys [many of the Board members appointed once Dubrovner ceded ownership control of the property] were named to the Board and served as a favor to John. It was a packed board. They were John’s eyes and ears, while he wassupposedly removed from the situation.”
Roy does not believe Board members truly understand their role (i.e. pony up your time and/or money or get off.
She certainly saw the presence of Allegra Stevens (Vereuck’s accountant) on the Board as a conflict of interest.
“They’re going to soon discover what work goes into it [running the arts center] and decide they don’t want to tackle it,” she predicted.

Looking ahead

Meanwhile, Vereuck is moving forward with a June 12 fundraiser, even if the timing of Dubrovner’s resignation “couldn’t be worse.”
He has sunk even more money into the theater of late to complete the dance studio and to buy and install the equipment for the movie system.
As for when you’ll see another theatrical performance at the Arts Center, well ...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

By Harold Hartley

Busy week. Had to sponsor a hole at an Armed Forces Day golf tournament. Lot of fun. Standing there watching people golf all day while I knew I had go to back to work. I wish I had Tiger Woods’ life.
Golf for a living. Could it be better than that? Wake up, practice golf all day. Work out. Drink some beer and tell my wife I have to go back to work for a couple of hours ... at the driving range. Unbelievable. There is something about it being 7 a.m. Dew still on the ground. Sun just coming up over the mountains. Fresh cut grass. You have nothing to do all day. You have a bag with a 6-pack of ice cold beer. A cigar and some smoked almonds and a banana for a snack. And for 4 hours you and a good friend talk smack about who will have the LEAST TERRIBLE score. Then you will drink some beers and eat some lunch and hit the strip club on the way home to see, as my boy Biscuit says ... some Wiggles. That is a good day. B
But I digress.
Then Saturday, I had to go to the Armed Forces Day Parade. It is fun, but every year for the parade it is 55 degrees and raining sideways and just miserable ... until the last two years. That’s the exact time when I decided to dress up in a mink-lined 95-pound mascot suit that is 30 degrees warmer than it is outside to walk 1.5 miles and hug kids and drunk, grown-ass women. The last two years it has been 85 and 75 degrees and HOT. Of course.
This year I had a Camelbak on with bourbon in it while I marched. One lady said, “you smell like my husband.” So I said back, “Does you husband say this? ‘Oh ... my suit has no hole in it.”
Damn. One kid said ... Mommy, Sammie (the Mascot’s named Sammie) said the f word. Shut up, kid. Before I put my furry foot in your ass.
Happy anniversary. Every year it comes around. You know it is coming and you try something different this year. You have the parade, so you say ... I will wait ‘til later and tell her. I have something for her. But that s$#% don’t work. You know why? ‘Cuz she rolled over at 12.09 a.m. and saw the clock and was already thinking Happy Anniversary ... and you didn’t say s%$#. Then at 3.04 a.m. she sees the clock again and you are 3 hours deep into your anniversary and you have the unmitigated gall to be sleeping. You should be rolling over, funky breath and all, saying happy anniversary. She has something for your ass now. So she waits. And your celebration better be good now. ‘Cuz she is steaming. But you wake up, you don’t say a word and try to roll out of the house and she gets you right as you close the door on the way to work ... happy anniversary to you, too! Now you’re screwed. But you charge on. See, it all started off wrong. You were dating and you celebrated the 22nd of every month ‘cuz that is the day you met. You celebrate the first time you kissed and the first time, you know ... did the nasty. Well, that was your wedding night of course ... Celebrate the first time we did what? I am trying to remember the last time we did that s%$#. Celebrate? I should be begging. Every now and then you forget s%$# so you can start a fight. Cuz the after-fight sex is great. Tomorrow start a fight about something ... then send me a thank you note. Happy Memorial Day if she shoots you.

A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A VACATION

New sensors help scientists study snowpacks

By Wolf

Listening to a college professor explain why he’s on sabbatical, might be the greatest motivator to return to academia. I recently got the academic itch while sitting in on the latest SNARL (Sierra Nevada Aquatics Research Lab) lecture on Thursday at the Green Church. Former Mammoth Lakes local, Jeff Frolik, now a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Vermont, enlightened a packed house with his lecture, “Understanding Snowpacks: Developing New Sensors for Old Problems.”
I have to admit I was duped into attending the lecture thinking the topic was on locating stashed Coors Lights in snow mounds on opening day. To my disappointment, it turns out it was on detecting water content in snowpack (not beer) using new high-tech methods.
Frolik spent his sabbatical this winter at SNARL setting up various sensors in snowpacks while trying to determine the best and most affordable ways to detect SWE (snow water equivalence).
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a sabbatical it’s essentially a paid vacation. Imagine being sent to Hawaii for 5 months and all you have to do, besides being paid to lay on the beach oiled up like a Christmas ham, is count fish eggs once a week.
Old methods of studying snowpack involved costly and invasive practices. The most popular were methods such as snowscaling, which uses a large scale to weigh snow and a dip-stick method called tube insertions, which if you’ve had a colonoscopy is ridiculously uncomfortable and invasive to everyone.
Frolik decided we needed a better way to detect SWE other than violating snow with tubes. So while on vacation, er, I mean “sabbatical,” Frolik experimented with differing types of sensors that could be networked together and accurately detect SWE while sending the data back to one main computer.
This network of sensors could be easily placed in various locations throughout a snowpack using a method that University of Vermont students dubbed, SnowMAN (Snow Monitoring Analysis Network). This vast network of small antennas and sensors could hypothetically be cheaply dispersed, while providing accurate and important data. The purpose of Frolik’s study was to determine which method of non-evasive sensors would provide the most accurate information.
One method involved using a small microwave sensor placed on the ground while snow is absent. During the winter as the snow piled up, Frolik used another sensor above the snow to detect how weak the signal got between the 2 sensors, therefore determining the amount of moisture in the snowpack. Though seemingly an original idea by Frolik, this approach did not impress me; the practice of stealing your neighbor’s internet and adjusting ones laptop for a better signal is an ancient yet sacred practice amongst Mammoth locals.
Frolik also tinkered with an approach that utilizes the natural absorption of gamma radiation in snow. Protons are naturally emitted from snow based on its moisture content; so Frolik set up a sensor box above a snowpack that would detect and chronicle different types of protons. This method allows the vacationer, er, I mean the professor, the opportunity to determine the SWE by analyzing the differing types and the amount of protons that have been emitted.
The result of Frolik’s study showed that there is still work to be done inanalyzing snowpacks. But the combination of new wireless sensor methods with old methods like tube poking can provide us with more accurate data on snowpacks than ever before.
Though sounding like a cheap vacation, Frolik’s work is no joke. Analyzing snowpack is a crucial venture. It’s not just about snowshoeing and skiing around for a winter while getting paid. Collecting data from snowpack’s is vital to understanding and accurately predicting how much water will be collected in our local aquifers and rivers.
This is important to Mammoth Lakes and the Owens Valley since the majority of our water comes from snowpack. I was hoping Frolik might also mention something about that 30 rack of Coors I lost at Main Lodge last November, but now I suppose I’ll just have to invest in a metal detector and an avalanche probe.
Don’t miss the next SNARL lecture, “Water Resources and Climate Change” by Jeffrey Pines on May 26, at 7 p.m. in the Green Church on U.S. 395.

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO BEAR RODS AND REELS!

By Chris Leonard

Memorial Day Weekend on the Eastside.As with many of my fellow residents and visitors, I have three unfettered days in which to exercise my constitutional right to bear a 5-weight rod with a loaded reel.
What a blessing!
However, the ability to make a sound decision of how to best utilize my precious time can be a very difficult and somewhat complex process. I can indulge in dredging nymphs across the bottom of a river in the high hopes of foul hooking a Tui Chub. Or, I may cut turns on Stump Alley. (Skiing alongside a few laid-off lift-ops working on their spring tans in the bikinis never makes this option sound bad.) Then again, perhaps I’ll get some dirt under my nails planting a few dozen perennials around my place, and go to town with the pine needles using all those free orange bags I grabbed at the Looney Bean. (This option works best with a couple of cold Paranoid Pale Ales. Kick the tube around the waterfall at Twin? Never a bad way to pass a few hours, any weekend this time of year. It’s tough to settle on how to observe what we originally referred to as “Decoration Day.” It’s this time of year that makes me thankful there is Mule Days in Bishop, some of the best damn mutton bustin’ this side of Rocky Top, Tenn. If there is one special event in the Eastside that is never to be missed, it’s Mule Days. There is something magical about a five-year old wearing a full-face helmet and Kevlar jacket being thrown on top of a raging sheep.
Apart from fishing, I’m all about the chariot races with mules this time of year. It gives me fantasies of charging at a dozen of Caesar’s very best well-armed troops in the Coliseum in Rome with my old, gray, dusty half-horse, half-donkey named “Betsy.”
Anyway, on with the fish report ...
Hot Creek is great ... if you are into whitewater rafting. Like the Owens and every other body of moving water that’s been slammed with snowmelt run off and rain, don’t bother trying to hook trout until the waters calm down. I heard tell of one angler catching a trout on Hot Creek last weekend, but most people were frustrated and simply practiced their casting skills, which isn’t a bad way to spend your time. If you do hit Hot Creek, fish the slower moving bends where the water ismoving calm enough that a trout might actually see your fly.
So, if you’re not going to spend the day at Hot Creek, and watching the Team Roping Finals at the Bishop Fairgrounds just ain’t your thing, head up to Bridgeport and fish the East Walker where the water flows are controlled and the dry fly fishing is as good as it gets.
Angling on the East Walker River has been excellent these last few weeks, and we still have some time before the dangerously warm water temperatures kick in.
There is a mid-morning BWO hatch and all day Caddis hatch, hence you can catch plenty of huge browns with size-18 BWOs or 16/18 Elk Hairs and Yellow Stimis. The late evening caddis action on the Walker is a blast! Good subsurface flies right now are little zebra midges, sizes 18 or smaller. Spin anglers are hooking trout with Needlefish, Yozuris and Thomas Bouyants. Just be sure to pinch the barbs down.
And anglers, make sure you don’t crowd your fellow fishers on the East Walker. It’s no secret how well it is fishing now, so be sure to give everyone else around you plenty of space.
Bridgeport Reservoir is also fishing very well now. The water levels are low, but high enough to contain plenty of healthy trout. Bait anglers are getting trout with nightcrawlers and Powerbait in about 15–20 feet of water around Rainbow Point. Trollers running Rapalas and Needlefish down the center of the lake with 2-4 colors are getting into some big fish. The big browns are deeper down. Fly anglers midging with red, gray and green midges are hooking trout, sizes 16/18. Copper Johns are also landing trout.
Virginia Lakes Resort is open this weekend, and worth fishing. Kick in some green or black Woolly Buggers or Olive Matukas. The creeks feeding the lakes are likely stacked with stockers hungry for Salmon Eggs.
Mules in Northern Inyo County, or trout in Northern Mono County. Take your pick. It will be memorable Memorial Weekend, however you set about spending it.
A more detailed report can be found at www.performanceanglers.com/fish_report.php. Leonard guides for Performance Anglers. Call 760.924.2181.

KIRK STAPP WRITES A NOVEL ... AND IT’S REALLY GOOD!

Many of you know Kirk Stapp as a 22-year Mammoth Lakes Town Councilmember, or as a longtime teacher in the Mammoth schools. He has a reputation as a bit of a white-collar brawler, having fought hard as a staunch teacher’s union representative.
He also, as it turns out, was a bit of blue-collar brawler, having fought and been wounded in Vietnam.
Most people don’t know much about Stapp’s stint in the military, nor do they know much about what’s really going on in modern-day Iraq, or about the pressure from within the educational system to ignore what’s going on in Iraq.
Stapp addresses all these elements in an ambitious and well-conceived first novel entitled “Teaching Iraq.”
He started the book two years ago after he retired from teaching. One of the final classes he taught before retirement was political science to a continuing education class at Sierra High School.
This class was comprised of many students who for one reason or another didn’t follow a traditional educational path and were a magnet for military recruiters.
Knowing their teacher served in Vietnam, many approached Kirk looking for advice.
His autobiographical novel talks about how he, through classroom lessons, tried to get his charges to see the salesmanship behind war. “I wanted them to realize that Iraq isn’t just some censored thing. It’s got ugliness.
In a parallel narrative, he talks about his own experience in Vietnam as well imagining the experience of a soldier serving in Iraq.
“I never told the Vietnam stories while I was an active teacher,” said Stapp.
But he tells them now. And he tells them with both horror and humor.
In particular, there’s the story about when he got shot. He was a passenger in a jeep, and saw a bend in the road up ahead, and just knew the jeep was about to get ambushed.
And then it happened. And he was shot. “And I experienced that existential moment, and it’s lasted my whole life, where I was facing death and looking around and saying, ‘Where’s God?’ That feeling never goes away.”
After he recovered, he spent one more year in the military. “I stayed a good soldier. I got promotions ... They say that 30% of the soldiers returning from Iraq suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In my time, they called it shellshock. I was probably in the 70% ... but I was drifting when I got back. I couldn’t put it together ... I was never afraid ‘til they asked me to go back again.”
Stapp didn’t go back again.
After he served out his time, he wanted to get on with his life and put the military behind him. Why teaching? It was somewhat of a pragmatic choice. “I liked the idea of having the summers off,” he laughed. But he also liked the idea of learning things. “That’s the thing about teaching.
You‘re continually learning.”
But what about the teachers in the book you describe who stop learning?
“That’s just reality,” he said with a shake of his head.
Stapp believes a lot of the fun and dynamism in teaching has been removed due to standardization. He spares no words when it comes to his scathing critique of the No Child Left Behind legislation or of his thoughts on the modern textbook (miserable).
In fact, he spends a whole chapter (28) in a digression where he rails about the inadequacy of textbooks.
“Back when I started, we created our own curriculums, administered and conceived our own tests to monitor the progress of our students, and bet six-packs with our fellow teachers to see who could inspire the most progress within his or her classroom.”
I admitted to Kirk that I had one trepidation I had when I began his novel. “You can be a little preachy,” I said gently.
“Yeah, that was a difficult thing to overcome, being preachy,” he admitted. “Some of it is still in there.”
But not enough to get in the way of the story.
One of the themes of the book that is very powerful is lies. What is a small lie? What is a big lie? Most kids, he said, “generally think that lies are okay.”
Which is why so many of them sign up for wars and discover that lies can have some very serious consequences ... especially to their health.
“We probably have 20 kids (graduates of Mammoth High School) currently serving in the military. The last kid I spoke with who went over there. He’s 21 years old. He’s already been to Iraq and back. And all he could say to me was ‘What a s%$#hole!’ He didn’t want to talk about it.”
In terms of actually getting the book published, Stapp said it was a study in frustration.
“I submitted the entire novel [to the publisher] four times. By the time it was actually published, it was a mixture of all four versions.”
He does, however, like the quality of the product. It’s well stitched and feels good.
“The way self-publishing works is that you choose the financial model and that determines the price. The book’s still $19, which is higher than I’d like, but you print the books on demand and the contract with the publisher is non-binding.”
If Stapp finds a literary agent, he can possibly take his book to a publishing house with wider distribution and more marketing muscle.
Is he pleased with the book? It appears yes, though he still wonders whether he achieved closure in the final chapter, but as his neighbor and fellow writer Allen Folsom told him, “Novels are never finished. They’re abandoned.”
Teaching Iraq is available for purchase at the Booky Joint in the Minaret Mall in Mammoth Lakes.

Mammoth’s “Biggest Loser”

Tipping the scales the wrong way lately? Yeah, well, we just got rid of winter, but some of us haven’t shed all those unused stored acorns. On the upside, if your body isn’t becoming to you, you should be coming to one of our local trainers to get rid of those excess pounds Hollywood/TV-style.
Maybe you’ve seen “The Biggest Loser” competition series ... now you can be a “big loser” yourself as part of a local challenge event that’s both fun and physically beneficial at the same time. Trainers Matt Graeff, Tina Graeff and Jennifer Collins, all long-time friends, have agreed to be rival team captains for Mammoth’s take on the popular TV show format.
Weigh in for contestants (that’s you, Mr. or Mrs. I Want To Lose A Few) is set for Monday, June 1, at Snowcreek Athletic Club. (Entries close Friday, May 29, at SAC.) From there, 6-8 people per team will be assigned to the coaches, based on body weight, balancing each team evenly.
During the challenge, teams will meet for 1.5 hours, three days per week for four weeks. Nutrition plans (yeah, no donuts) and exercise homework (no, you can’t cheat), not to mention threats from coaches, will be distributed equitably to all contestants.
At the end of the month-long run (pun intended), not only do you get to see your body transformation, other prizes are on the line, such as: 1st Prize — a 6-month membership to Snowcreek Athletic Club; other prizes include gift certificates for spa treatments at Snowcreek’s Double Eagle (worth shooting for all by itself), personal training sesssions (in case you actually LIKED the abuse and want more) and stuff from the Footloose at Snowcreeks pro shop.
Fees are a bargain, too ... $432 for Snowcreek members, $532 for non-members (avg. $33/session ... about half normal trainer fees). Questions? Call Alana, Snowcreek’s new Fitness Director and all-around buff sweetheart at 934.8511, ext. 107!
Ed. Note: Sheet staff, including Andy (maybe), will likely participate for your amusement. We also encourage Town Council, Planning Commission and members of the MLPD to jump in, not that you all need it ... just to be supportive. (Firefighters, however, need not apply. You all look great, just like Thom Heller.)

OP/ED:Whose law is it anyway?

By Geisel

Submitted for your approval, Sheet readers: a Mammoth Lakes without a police department. I didn’t say without law enforcement, just without a police department.
Several weeks ago, we broached the subject of what might happen if what we now know as the Mammoth Lakes Police Department was folded into the Mono County Sheriff’s Department. An interesting idea, with both pluses and minuses, depending in large part on how (assuming it goes ahead) it gets handled. Chatter in the community has been growing of late (albeit in modest amounts), and perhaps it’s now time to at least kick the tires on the topic, even if only as “commentary.”
A little history ... Before the MLPD came into being some 20 years ago, law was enforced in Mammoth Lakes largely by the Mono County Sheriff’s Deparment, along with the California Highway Patrol. From what I gather, based on how it was incorporated, the Town of Mammoth Lakes’ isn’t legally required to have a PD, but for various reasons, the government at the time chose to create one. Of course, along with a new PD, the Town also needed vehicles, a separate 911 system, defined jurisdiction, uniforms, a station, jail facilities ... you get the idea. Lately, the PD is packed into an aging building, and plans for a new police facility are on hold pending better budget solvency that never seems to arrive.
It’s been postulated that rolling the MLPD back into the Sheriff’s Department could bridge the gap from June Lake to Crowley, and provide more linearity to coverage in through the entire area, not to menton streamline 911 and other services, boosting the flow of information and further paring down response time.
How would it work? Good question. Right now, that’s mostly speculative. It would in all probability involve eliminating one or two positions, though best guesses among some at the County level seem to lean toward retaining the majority of the force. They’d simply change uniforms and wear a different badge. Right? No ... not “simply” and not easy, either.
At least two major hoops would have to be jumped through: one financial, the other political.
First, let’s talk politics. Even in light of recent Grand Jury investigations involving the MLPD, it’s not as if the MLPD does not retain great support from its taxeating brethren within local government. Two decades of palling around does that, and you and I both know the bureaucratic atrophy also known as “status quo.” No matter what the Town Council decrees, if the Town Staff disagrees, a lengthy battle of wills may ensue
And before it even gets to that point, community proponents would have to secure enough votes on the Council dais to kick start the process.
Assuming that’s the case, no matter what happens with the Grand Jury, not much is likely to happen for at least a year, taking into account that the next election for Council seats isn’t until next June. And the momentum may start in Mammoth, but it would have to end in Bridgeport ­— Mono’s Board of Supervisors would have to approve the change, too, you know.
Next, there’s the money. Potential savings to the County frankly pales in comparison to what all this may really hinge on: the Hot Creek litigation appeal. If the Town wins (a verdict may come within the next six months), it could feel empowered enough to fend off any such idea of ditching the PD, figuring it just saved $30 million, so why bother? (Never mind that it’s already in red ink without the decision.)
If it loses, however, that could play into the hands of those wanting to see the MLPD change its initials. A loss in the appeal would likely force the Town into reorganizing under bankruptcy protection. Depending on the orders from the court, the Town may need savings wherever it can find them.
In any case, don’t expect a change to happen overnight. One comment suggested a “phased approach” would be most effective, allowing a smoother transition for either Scholl (assuming he’s re-elected) or his successor.
Is it a good idea? Possibly. Is it doable? If done properly, probably. Is it a change perhaps only President Obama can bring? That, too, is also very likely.
Just letting you know that if the public decides to exercise its power, it should also be prepared to exercise patience.

Letters:

Fix it

Dear Editor (and whoever else gives a damn):

I heard that the people in charge here are planning to extend the Fourth of July parade all the way up to Matsu restaurant. First I hope they let them open it so that people have somewhere to go to other than the dirt.
Next of all I hope they can do something about that eyesore Blondie’s building. Why is it still there in that condition? Why can tweaker druggies and little kids climb right up into it from the back? Someone is going to get hurt and sued! All the windows busted out like that. It looks worse than the old La Sierra’s building, which in its state is a disgrace to our community.
I was at a Town Council meeting months and months ago and they were saying that they were going to address this matter. They said that these matters take time. How much time?
Don’t these people even give a crap as to what our visitors and us see when we are out and about? This town is really starting to look like an L.A. ghetto. My livelihood, same as that of most people in this town, relies on our guests comming back. They will not come back to this dying town if these do-nothings allow it to look worse than Bodie.
At least Bodie has its windows intact.
Someone is not doing the job we all pay them to do. If they can’t do the job, then as a taxpayer I am totally in favor of massive pay cuts at the top. Get it together or get out already.

Steve St. Louis
Mammoth Lakes

Editor’s Note: The Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce ultimately decided not to extend the parade route all the way to the Village.

Blood brothers (and sisters)

Dear Editor:

I would personally like to thank the community of Mammoth Lakes and surrounding areas for a very successful blood drive sponsored by the Mammoth Hospital Auxiliary in conjunction with United Blood Services of Reno, Nev.
We saw 280 people and collected 267 units of blood during the three-day event. Special thanks go out to Dennis Domaille for being our spokesperson this year and being such an inspiration for all our donors. His generosity was outstanding, giving away a free taco dinner at Whoa Nellie Deli for every unit of blood donated.
I would also like to thank Chief Brent Harper and his staff for allowing us to use the new fire station. What a wonderful place to hold the blood drive!
Thanks go out to all the volunteers from the Mammoth Hospital Auxiliary for their time and cookies. Congratulations to Greg Newbry, John Arnold and Kathy Higerd, who were the winners of the daily drawings for the beautiful baskets donated by the Mammoth Hospital Auxiliary.

Darlene Joerger
Mammoth Hospital Auxiliary

The obvious ... and not so obvious

Dear Editor:

I keep thinking about how the community of Mammoth can improve and prosper into the future and I want to be positive in my comments.
There are some things that seem so obvious to many of us and yet not so obvious to those “in charge.” Many conversations have taken place throughout the community that could be public but are not.
Specifically I am referring to the over-stuffed Town staff. Doing just a little online research will show that our tax dollars are being squandered on a staff that is much larger than it needs to be and much larger than comparable communities, such as Petaluma or Parker. I know that [Sheet writer] Andy Geisel did some comparisons on Police Departments that shows this same result.
It is difficult to find the exact apples-to-apples comparison for cities online but if you take an average, it works out to be approximately 1 staff member per 222 population. Even on the high side this means Mammoth should have around 40 staff members.
Okay, so our population swells to 40,000 on big holiday weekends. Let’s double the staff number to be overly generous and that makes 80 staff members. Our Town staff, meanwhile, is grumbling because they have had to decrease from 126 to 100!
Park City is a good example of a town that hired a new town manager to get their act together before the Olympics. He was not afraid to clean house of some 30-year staff members, and the town was very successful in its preparation for and execution of the Olympics. He was backed up and supported by Park City’s town council because they understood what was needed to be successful.
This is just one of the lessons learned from the Peer Resort Tour which was paid for by tax dollars. Let’s put these lessons to work in our community.
I say that a town our size does not need a deputy town manager or a 6 person finance department. We do not need a community relations manager that sends out the weather report. These are only some cuts that could be made. This has nothing to do with individuals, but everything to do with smart management. Our Town Council needs to get some huevos and DIRECT our town manager to make the cuts necessary to get us on track.
And if he can’t do it, then he needs to be replaced. And if the Town Council can’t make that happen, then we should replace them the very next chance we get.
I am not a politician and I am not running for anything. I am serving as a commissioner and want to see the best for this community. Don’t be afraid to stand up and speak up.

Ruth Harrell
Mammoth Lakes

Editorial: SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL

I was amused by Mayor Velveeta’s statement during Wednesday’s Town Council meeting that she only gets her news from one paper in town.
I assumed she was referring to the Fifty Center, which employs her husband, but then, she kept talking about the editorial I ran last week, so ... I don’t know.
Anyway, Velveeta took offense at the notion that she ever implied that local business would be asked to help subsidize local air service.
Hmm. Wasn’t it Town Manager Rob Clark who suggested the creation of a BID (Business Improvement District) to tax local business to help pay for air subsidies? He pitched that idea at a Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce luncheon in January. Or does Clark not speak for Velveeta on this?
Okay, say we give Velveeta the benefit of the doubt and pretend they don’t plan to soak local business for the subsidy. Who else are they going to go after? Mono County? Aren’t these the same folks who are bailing the Town out by buying a piece of the McFlex (hospital) parcel for a cool $1 million? How much more do we really think they’ve got lying around? If I were County Administrative Officer Dave Wilbrecht, this is what I’d tell the Town: “Sure, we’ll give you some money, but if you do reach 10,000 enplanements (the threshold at which the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration grants airports a $1 million subsidy), we want our money returned dollar for dollar.”
Which leads me to the next myth. This $1 million they’re betting on by gaining passengers - Council and Staff seem to talk about it as if it’s just a million dollar windfall that they’ll be able to use to pay down an assortment of debts. Forgetting, of course, that between increased staffing and security and equipment and air subsidies, more than half that money’s spent before you even start. There’s a reason they give $1 million subsidies for smaller airports. It’s because running an airport is flipping expensive. It’s not because they feel like giving handouts to folks for the hell of it.

At the meeting Wednesday, a woman sitting next to me, who’d never before attended a Council meeting, reacted to Velveeta’s comment about reading only one paper by saying, “How dare she not follow the news in all media of the community she’s elected to represent?”
Being deaf to criticism doesn’t help anyone in any business, particularly the business of politics. V. might consult W. about that one.

Received the following letter (as well as the front cover shot showing Town offices closed and County offices open), from Steve Schwind.

Ted,
I agree with your editorial last week. The businesses of this community are taxed enough and the Town wants to make the business community the scapegoat when we do not want to fund year-round air service. I was going to send you just these comments and nothing more but when I walked by the entrance to the Town and County offices I saw these posted signs. Interesting to see the County is open every day of the week and the Town posts the days they are closed. That brings me to the other point in your editorial I agree with: “It is imperative the Town adopt a pay-as-you go approach … to everything.”

Onto my next peeve. Velveeta and Staff keep warning us that we’re gonna be sorry if we keep eliminating taxeaters, because we’ll suffer a corresponding loss in service.
Hmm. Why is loss of staff and reduction of service equated on a 1-to-1 basis?
To make a sports analogy, think of what happened to the Lakers when Center Andrew Bynum went out earlier this year with an injury. Yes, the Lakers weren’t quite as good a team without him, but they were sure as hell good enough to still finish with the best record in their conference. And the Lakers didn’t issue a press release after Bynum went down stating, “Geez, sorry fans, without Bynum you can expect a drastic decrease in team performance.”
I wonder what my clients would think if I sent out a memo telling them that because of the state of the economy, they could expect less comprehensive news coverage, less customer service, a smaller press run, less delivery stops, and a plethora of bad writing.
But enough about the Fifty.
Onto my next example: my buddy John Moorehead down in L.A. ­- he’s got in-laws who run a clothing factory. When the downturn hit, the staff opted for an across-the-board reduction in hours so everyone could preserve their jobs as opposed to layoffs.
Moorehead said what his in-laws found is that there was zero loss of productivity. What everyone used to do in eight hours they now do in six.
I wonder how much the Town’s productivity would improve if they removed all those Scrabble icons from their desktops.

“Mammoth is now known as a tough, bureaucratic place to do anything.” -Chuck Lande on Wednesday night.

In its proposed budget, the Town projects average room occupancy of 31% next year. At that level, do we really need a Tourism department? Maybe we should ax the entire department and do zero marketing for an entire year and see what our occupancy rate is then. At the very least, it would establish a baseline.

Finally, I received this note from some guy who happens to own a local brewery and also happens to know that I’m not good with classified information.

Dear Editor,
Don’t tell anyone, but we just booked another weekend concert for Sam’s Woodsite on August 7 and 8, which is the weekend in between Bluesapalooza and the Mammoth Festival. So far, we’ve got Toots and the Maytals booked for Friday night and Jackie Greene booked for Saturday night. More details to follow. Cheers!

More Council News

Town hikes trash fees

By a unanimous vote, Council approved a five-year extension of the refuse collection agreement with Waste Connections. The extension includes annual increases in refuse fees.
Expect a 10% increase in your trash bill by July 1, 2010, and perhaps a 10% increase above that by 2013.
With the fee increase, however, will come a change in the franchise agreement between the Town and Waste Connections granting the Town a purchase option of transfer station land.
The Town’s ultimate goal is to buy the transfer station land, buy the adjacent Mammoth Firewood property, and “control our own destiny with respect to all solid waste and recycling programs.”
The costs of accomplishing this task are being passed through in the rate structure (i.e. paid for by property owners).
If that option is exercised, the franchise agreement would be extended an additional 20 years.
Town Clerk Anita Hatter said the proposed rate increase drew 11 written protests out of 5,940 notices sent.
Second homeowners, in particular, are upset by the rate hike because residences pay a monthly fee for refuse service whether or not they’re occupied.
So folks who may only spend four weeks a year in Mammoth pay for 52 weeks of service.
Donald Widell wrote, “I am now paying well over $100 per bag for trash and [for that still have to] bring that down to the industrial area [transfer station].”
Dr. John Edison of Ventura wrote, “I have a home in Mammoth Lakes, and we take our own refuse to the pickup station on Commerce Drive approximately six times a year, which would equate to around 420 gallons of refuse per year. For this, I pay on average $13 month in fees, and would estimate I take 35 gallons of refuse to the pickup and [for that still have to] bring that down to the industrial area [transfer station].”
Dr. John Edison of Ventura wrote, “I have a home in Mammoth Lakes, and we take our own refuse to the pickup station on Commerce Drive approximately six times a year, which would equate to around 420 gallons of refuse per year.
For this, I pay on average $13 month in fees, and would estimate I take 35 gallons of refuse to the pickup station per month ... in Ventura, I pay $26 a month and they pick up at my curb, approximately 555 gallons of refuse per month. This computes out to an 800% higher fee in Mammoth Lakes than I am paying in Ventura.”
Council was unmoved by these arguments and voted 5-0 to adopt the revised franchise agreement and higher fees.
As Michael Grossblatt said in his staff presentation, he apologized for the delay in bringing the agreement to Council, but said, “At the staff level, we’ll take the delay in exchange for the right deal.”
To illustrate the broad local support he thinks he has for the measure, Grossblatt included a xerox of one of those infamous sticky dot surveys in the agenda packets for Council, which showed overwhelming public support when posed the following question:
“Would you support a more intensive recycling effort even if it increased the cost of trash removal?”
The deal passed Wednesday will ultimately allow Mammoth to expand recycling services, so it appears the public will get the opportunity to put the money where its collective mouth is.

Payback’s a bitch
(and costs a fortune)

Mammoth locals may be happy to learn that the Town has paid off some of the $2 million loan it took out to build the commercial airport terminal.
The principal remaining on the loan after one year stands at $1.985 million.
At this rate, we’ll have the sucker paid off by the year 2142.
At the average COLA (cost-of-living adjustment), we can only shudder at what Airport Manager Bill Manning’s salary will be by then.
Finance Director Brad Koehn said that the current roiling in the financial markets combined with the airport litigation judgement against the Town has made lenders unwilling to offer long-term financing.
The Town spent $55,000 to service the interest on the loan last year.
Town Council, however, remains optimstic that increased commercial air service will push the airport past the 10,000 passenger threshold which triggers a $1 million FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) subsidy.
A portion of the subsidy can then be used to pay down the terminal debt.

Short takes

The National Park Service plans to adopt a General Management Plan for the Devil’s Postpile National Monument.
The plan is supposed to answer the question, “What kind of place do we want this park to be?” and is designed to have a 15-20 year time horizon.
The plan will not address Forest Service issues with regard to wilderness use and user capacity.
Up to this point, Devil’s Postpile National Monument has existed for 98 years with a management plan.
Don Porter is unable to serve on the Citizen’s Budget Committee, so Councilman John Eastman appointed former colleague Kirk Stapp to take his place.
Council unanimously approved Measure R funding recommendations. Recipients of funding include the High Sierra Striders to help kickstart their Whitmore track project.
Councilman Neil McCarroll told Community Development Director Mark Wardlaw that getting Snowcreek “out the door” was his highest community development priority.
Eastman agreed, saying it represented a potential revenue generator.
The Community Center lease between the Town and Mono County Library Authority has been amended to allow for additional uses of the Community Center for Early Start Education and a Parent Preschool.
In return, the Library’s option for a 10-year lease extension (from 2022-2032) has been removed.
The Library Authority currently leases the property from the Town of Mammoth for $1/year.
That lease now expires in 2022.

THE MAGIC EIGHT BALL SAYS ...

Question: Who will administer DMO? Answer: It is not certain.

By Geisel

The Travel Industry Dictionary defines “Destination Marketing Organization” as being “a company or other entity involved in the business of increasing tourism to a destination or improving its public image.”
Mammoth Lakes, which only recently stuck its foot deeper into the DMO pool, is no doubt looking for both increased tourism (our town basically runs, 54% anyway, on Transient Occupancy Tax generated by visitors) and a public image boost (to attract visitors that leave T.O.T. in town coffers). In early April, the Town’s took its first serious steps towards creating a DMO, a non-profit, non-governmental entity found in 64% of other ski resort towns. Ideally, the job of getting people here will shift to a privately run operation, funded at least up front by the Town, but run by an independent Board of Directors, the members of which will be recruited primarily from the business community.
The proposed private/public mix, still has a couple of key questions hovering over it that will soon require answers. One large question: what happens to our town’s Chamber of Commerce, and how large should its role be (assuming it is to have one), once a DMO is on its feet.
According to a spokesperson from Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), a resource center and professional association for DMOs based in Washington, D.C., there is little precedence for the liquidation or diminshment of Chambers in most DMO incarnations. “We see a need for both,” she said.
DMAI research indicates few instances where a Chamber has been relegated to non-essential status, or eliminated from relevance altogether. In fact, precedent makes the case that, even funded (in part or in whole) with public money, historically most DMOs begin under the auspices of a local Chamber.
Mammoth Lakes Tourism and Recreation Department Director Danna Stroud said the Town has been a member of the DMAI organization since 1998, when it was known as the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Since then DMAI has shifted not only its title, but also its focus off CVBs (Convention and Visitors Bureaus) to embrace the growing number of DMO cities both here and abroad. DMAI certifies professionals in DMO operations. The Town is basing at least some of its approach on research from a 2007 DMAI-published study on DMO trends.
As with anything new, especially something originating via town government, speculation has already surfaced as to how the DMO would be organized and conduct business. Some comments have gone so far as to theorize that the Chamber’s lone seat on the Board means it will in effect be relegated to being little more than a token member, and that the Town is seeking to reverse engineer things so that the DMO will merely end up as an extension of local government. Stroud said none of that is true, and added that, with only one formal meeting of Board in late April, it will be August before documents outlining the bylaws and other operating procedures will come forward.
Meanwhile, Chamber President Eric Wasserman is keeping a close eye on the situation and said he knows what he’d like to see happen. “The Chamber should get the funding and run the DMO,” he stated bluntly. “I think we can do it better. We’re willing to revise the bylaws and charter to make that happen.”
And having (or at least starting) the DMO as an extension of the Chamber isn’t necessarily unheard of. In fact having the two running concurrently under the same roof seems to be historically typical.
Case in point: Ann Arbor, Michigan, which today runs its non-profit DMO out of the Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and has a separate Chamber of Commerce. It wasn’t, however, always like that.
According to CVB Director of Communications Marianne Gosz, the Ann Arbor DMO started out in 1975 as a division of the Chamber of Commerce, and existed that way until the Visitors Bureau split off on its own in 1993. Funded then and now by a countywide “accommodations tax,” which Gosz said is very much like Mammoth’s Transient Occupancy Tax, in its early days, the DMO’s 3-person team marketed the county’s approximately 2,000 rooms and generated a total of $300,000 in revenue from the 2% accommodation tax rate, provided under contract to the Bureaus. (Within the last year or so, the county boosted the “accommodations tax” for the first time since its inception in 1975 from 2% to 5%.)
Today, as a separate entity, Ann Arbor’s CVB’s 9-person staff works with the Chamber, Ann Arbor Spark, a private economic development organization, other non-profits such as the Washtenaw County Arts Alliance, and that state’s Michigan.org tourism engine to maximize advertising dollars spent on billboards, TV and radio spots, as well as ad buys in magazines such as In Flight Magazine, among other outlets.
Closer to home, North Lake Tahoe’s DMO, which is basically run out of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA), wasn’t set up under the Chamber of Commerce there, but it also wasn’t established as a function of local government … since there isn’t any local government there. (In the entire Tahoe area, only the South Lake Tahoe – California-side city is incorporated.) A 501(c)(4) non-profit public benefit corporation, the NLTRA is, however, funded via T.O.T. dollars that are sent to Placer County, and then funneled back to the NLTRA. Those funds enable the NLTRA to operate both the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, and the Tahoe North Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Such models may provide a frame of reference for structuring our DMO going forward, though in any case, Wasserman said he’d prefer it to be as non-bureaucratic as possible. “The last things I want to do is derail the process, but I’d rather it be as much of a non-governmental entity as possible,” Wasserman commented. Indicating that in any type of NPO model, roughly one-third of the expenses incurred will likely be administrative, some cost savings to the Town will arguably be realized as a result of editing CalPERS retirement plans and other government-mandated benefits out the current Vistors Bureau picture.
“One of the most important features in a private DMO is that you’re removing PERS employees,” Town Councilmember Neil McCarroll recently observed. “Visitors Bureau employees are on the state’s retirement system (CalPERS). In a private agency that won’t be the case.”
Hiring of staff might also be part of the landscape for the new DMO. It’s not been determined yet whether, or if, some Visitors Bureau staff would have to essentially reapply for their own jobs, but it’s a possibility. As one T&R staffer recently allowed, they aren’t taking a lateral shift as granted, fully aware that anything could happen once the DMO begins taking applications for all positions.
Pulling several Tourism and Recreation/Visitors Bureau staff over to the new DMO also wouldn’t necessarily mean shutting down the T&R Department’s Visit Mammoth marketing operation. Indeed, with a DMO taking over marketing, Town Manager Rob Clark previously opined that T&R staff would instead be able to focus on developing more specific, targeted event planning, something the town could probably always use more of.

Shell Game

More skeletons unearthed from Town’s budget closet

By Lunch

As the Mammoth Lakes Town Council meeting wrapped up late Wednesday night, at least one thing seemed abundantly clear; that any talk you’ve heard recently about replenishing the Town’s REU (Reserve for Economic Uncertainty) is strictly fantasy.
That $1 million from the anticipated sale of the hospital parcel they’ve been telling they’re going to save? Consider it spent.
That’s because the biggest impact to next year’s budget was hidden in an obscure agenda item discussed approximately three hours after the official budget discussion was held.
The item which broke the piggy bank this time was the South Frontage Rd. public works project. Turns out the Town’s on the hook for $641,000 as its share of the cost.
How do we plan on paying for it? Out of development impact fees. What, that account is empty? Well, we’ll just carry a negative balance then. As the staff report says, “A negative balance can be carried in the DIF [fund] that would be replenished as development occurs.”
Currently, the DIF fund is $340,000 in the hole.
Of course, no development or DIF revenue is forecast for next year. Hmm. Guess we’ll have to dip into reserves.
Worst part is, Council had no choice. It was boxed in. They could move ahead with the project and agree to pay the $641,000, or cancel the project and pay back the grant funds they’ve already received ($1.256 million).
That doesn’t include the damages the contractor may have sought for cancelling the contract.
The Town did attempt to push back the project (and the financial liability) for a year, but both the contractor and Caltrans insisted it move forward.
A few weeks back, Councilman John Eastman went through the capital projects line by line and asked staff if the Town had any outstanding financial obligations in this area.
Clark said Thursday that he told Eastman and Council the Town would have to apply the debt to the DIF fund.
By the looks on Council faces Wednesday, no one quite understood the implications of Clark’s disclosure. Certainly, The Sheet missed it, too.

State may grab $345,000

With the defeat of Tuesday’s ballot propositions, it also appears the state of California will seek to raid local government coffers.
Acxcording to Town Finance Director Brad Koehn, if the Governor declares a financial emergency (and if this isn’t an emergency right now, there is no such thing as an emergency) and the legislature signs off on it, the state can borrow 8% of local property tax revenue on a one-time basis.
That impact to the Town would be $345,000.
Add that to the Frontage Rd. fiasco, and there’s $1 million out the door.

Structural vs. Cyclical

While the Town insists it has crafted a conservative and sustainable budget for 2009-2010, Councilman John Eastman remains unconvinced. He demanded a full accounting of all Town reserve accounts: where they stood 18 months ago and where they are now.
He also said the sale of the hospital parcel should not be characterized as a replenishment to any account. It’s a neutral situation. It’s just taking an asset out of one account and putting it into another
Despite what he characterized as the Town’s prompt response to the financial downturn, Eastman said, “Some would argue expenditures have still outpaced revenues by a significant amount over the past 18 months.”
Eastman disagrees that staffing levels have been reduced to a sustainable level, and he was unimpressed with Koehn’s position that funding the Town’s retirement liability at 50% falls within sound accounting practices and mirrors what other communities do.
“I don’t care about what other communties do. I care about what we do ... the Town should not treat this as a cyclical downturn. We need to treat this as a structural problem.”
He noted that the Town has consistently underestimated the impacts of the current recession at every turn.
“An additional and substantial reduction in spending is still required,” he said. “Any future [budget] surprises should be positive.”
Picking up on the structural theme, Councilman Skip Harvey questiuned Staffing efficiencies, noting that because of staff attrition and layoffs, highly paid employees like Risk Manager and Human Resources Director Michael Grossblatt and Principal Planner Steve Speidel are now handling code enforcement.
Deputy Town Manager Karen Johnston acknowledged that in the Town’s revamped budget process, it is linking the budget to programs and services as opposed to departments, and allocating current staff to fulfill those services.
So yes, some senior people may be stuck doing jobs below their pay grade.
Fundamental question is, how long will they be stuck doing jobs below their pay grade?

SPECIAL ELECTION: “GOVERNATOR” MAY NEED SALVATION

By Geisel

California may need to buy one of its own lottery tickets for funding after voters, weary of more spending and budgetary shell games, blew away five out of six propositions in Tuesday’s statewide Special Election.
Voters overwhelmingly defeated a raft of measures, which many said they thought amounted to little more than higher taxes, borrowing and raiding piggy banks for programs dedicated to young children and the mentally ill.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was at the White House that same day for President Barack Obama’s new CAFE standards unveiling, apparently got out of town, knowing better than to waste his Election Day stumping for ballot measures that, like the cyborgs in the popular movie series, were soon to be “terminated.”
The governator and state legislators staked a lot on passage of Props 1A-1E, all of which would have purportedly provided the state with some financial breathing room to “balance the budget.” On Monday, news reports and preliminary polls made passage look bleak, and on Tuesday, voters generally displayed a Sarah and John Connor-like attitude while inside voting booths from Sacramento to San Diego.
The Mono County and state electorate crushed the first five props almost in lock step, voting NO at least 2:1.
Ballot casters were, however, largely in favor of denying elected officials any pay raises when the state is running a deficit, voting YES on Prop 1F by a whopping 3:1 margin.
In a statement issued Wednesday from Washington D.C., the Schwarzenegger seemed to get the hint. “I think the message was clear from the people: Go all out and make those cuts and live within your means,” he said. Budget cuts now lay ahead, many pretty painful, but voters seemed to prefer taking the medicine.
Defeat of the measures means California’s deficit for next fiscal year will grow from $15.4 billion to $21.3 billion. (Billions in aid from the federal stimulus package and more than $12 billion in higher income, sales and vehicle taxes will likely not amount to enough to fill that hole.) State school districts are on storm watch, as thousands of teachers face layoffs.
And turnout was fairly low, 23%, or roughly 4 million of California’s 17.1 million registered voters cast ballots, the lowest turnout on record for a California special election since the 36% turnout logged in 1993.

MONO COUNTY RESULTS, STATE ELECTION 5/19Prop.

1A (Rainy Day Fund)
Yes 33.5%
No 66.5%3


Prop. 1B (Education Fund)
Yes 36.7%
No 63.3%3


Prop. 1C (Lottery Act)
Yes 32.6%
No 67.4%3

Prop. 1D (Childrens Services)
Yes 32.2%
No 67.8%3


Prop. 1E (Mental Health)
Yes 32.2%
No 67.8%3

Prop. 1F (Officials Salaries)
Yes 77.7%3
No 22.3%

Helpful hint: Two golden lab pups equal NO trout!

By Chris Leonard

Last week, I posed the question: fishing or skiing? This week, I offer to all of you one of the most productive ways to avoid actually catching trout when on the river: taking two golden lab pups along. After last Sunday on the Lower O, I was reminded once again how bad an idea it is to drag them with me when I’m trying to catch trout.
10-inch bows are generally spooked by 60-pound labs. I later figured that the best way for them to expel most of their energy before actually “fishing” would be to just toss the goods on the water, and let ‘em chase the strike indicator before casting upstream again. This takes at least 30 minutes. One pup has only managed to get the indicator from me once. (And you think those five pound browns have a good fight in them?) My dogs are a blast, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t help me catch trout.
What would I use to hook trout if the pups were in the bed of the truck instead of hanging with me streamside? Well ...
The Wild Trout region of the Lower Owens has been fishing well with the usual goods of Green Rock Worms (16/18) and Smaller PTs (18/20). Tiny little (22/24) Caddis Pupas and Electric Caddis are getting hits. Any of these under a Pink Flossie or PA Rubber Worm will help attract the trout. On the surface, BWOs (18) work in the midday when the mayflies are around. There is a good caddis hatch in the late afternoon when it is most pleasant in the Lower Owens Valley. Bait anglers, dunking any Gulp! Dough or Powerbait down by Warm Springs will get hits. There are plenty of pools where you can run Trout Teasers or Stringers, and also get hook ups with your jigs. From Line Street to Collins Road, there are some very productive fishing holes.
Some fun water can be found at Bishop Creek. Head up to Willows Campground or Table Mountain with 7’9” 3-weight to get after the wild browns with small PTs or Hare’s Ears. The best fly is probably your standard size-18 BH Flashback PT. The water is so crystal clear that you don’t need an indicator. You can see the fly, and the trout take it. The creek also has great spots where bait dunkers get trout on Salmon Eggs.
At Intake II, fly anglers do well with Matukas and Green Woolly Buggers on an intermediate line. Spin anglers will land trout with Thomas Bouyants, Panther Martins and Lip Ripper Spoonz. If you want to kick back on the shore and just admire the mountains and blooming aspen, dunk some nightcrawlers.
For a more detailed report log on to www.performanceanglers.com/fish_report.php. Leonard guides for Performance Anglers. Call 924.2181.

MAMMOTH AFFIRMATIONS: MALL OR MOUNTAINS?

By Paul Oster

Q: I don’t have confidence in Mammoth’s current leadership to prepare for any likely scenario, and now they want to gain control of Hwy. 203 from Caltrans even though they can’t meet current payroll without layoffs and employee concessions. And the developers are pushing a whole redevelopment plan of Main St. Maybe this is a good topic for the Q&A. Paul?
A: I haven’t personally attended any of these meetings but I am watching. (I’ve grown weary of meetings that compromise my sanity.) There are two simultaneous concepts being moved forward for Hwy 203 (aka Main St.) here in Mammoth. The first is for the Town to take over the snow removal operations (and maybe even more) that Caltrans currently performs. The second is a conceptual redevelopment plan for the Main St. area being spearheaded and pushed forward by MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory. Included in the plan is a gondola running up Main St. from the Old Mammoth Road intersection up to the Village.
Now, I’m not really sure how the two concepts are connected, but my guess would be it has to do with an easement for the gondola, and Caltrans sees the opportunity to dump the maintenance on the Town. That would be consistent with their history of “quid pro quo” in these matters.
Not everybody has been happy with the job Caltrans has performed on Main St. over the years. The piles of snow tend to hide some Main St. businesses. But nobody can say they’ve done a bad job either. And it’s a big job. Town Public Works does a great job too, and with added equipment and personnel there is no doubt they could handle it. But who pays? Right now the State shoulders the cost. Can the Town take on this liability? Or can they get a subsidy? (And is the State’s guarantee of funding that comforting?) Modern life seems so full of great ideas minus the logistics to pay for them.
Meanwhile, Rusty has his redevelopment plan for Main St. and the entry to town. It includes relocating gas stations, building soccer fields at the entry to town, more housing for locals (“market rate” and “affordable”), a “feet first” retail district, an upscale hotel district, a condo hotel district, and of course, the gondola. All of this will create “huge stabilization of the local economy,” Rusty was quoted as saying. He is pushing for “expeditious approvals” and we better know what we want before “outside capital comes in.”
Rusty has also been quoted as saying that capital will return to Mammoth “faster than we think.” Now these Main St. presentations were last fall before the recent presentations about the Ski Area’s massive debt service concerns and the announcements of their “deed-in-lieu”(of foreclosure) of $100 million worth of property back to the bank. I guess the capital didn’t come back quite fast enough. (But don’t be surprised when they craftily buy it all back at cents on the dollar at some point in the future.)
Ah, and would somebody nudge the needle on this skipping record?
First of all, let’s have a minor discussion about the entry to town. Thanks to several entities, it looks much better than it did 10 years ago. Those of us who live here seem to lose sight that our visitors drive through 300 miles of desert to get here. And then as they hit our town limits they enter a lovely forest of pines and firs. Talk about the proverbial “not seeing the forest for the trees.” And also, when you arrive the Sierra ridge looks close enough to touch (it still amazes me when I drive into town). Isn’t the forest and the mountains what people come here for? And is it so bad that the first thing is a Visitor’s Center? (We’re still promoting tourism, right?) What do we need to be, Dubai? Or was Barry offended when he pulled into town the first time?
Is this really the highest and best use of our (and our leaders’) time and energy to improve this town? And all in the name of “building community.” Once again, there is no community if the only people who can live here are trust funders and retirees. And has anybody run this by the Sierra Club? All of this sounds like an attempt to bring more people to Mammoth once again and the Club’s attorneys just love suing us for trying that. And didn’t we already lose a redevelopment lawsuit? And, just because I can’t help it, is this Main St. gondola going to resemble the QMC or the People Mover?
But are we really that gullible to keep enabling this? Many are asking if our Town Council is really going along with this? Wasn’t this all the same rhetoric that moved the North Village forward in the early 90’s? Wasn’t Rusty the shepherd of the flock back then, the champion of the cause, one of the primary property owners in the district, the CEO in the company town and even a corporate officer for the developer that built the Village? Or maybe I’m just confused again? What’s that definition of insanity? Didn’t our moms teach us that we have to eat our vegetables before we can have dessert? Main St. may be far from perfect but do we want the same dysfunction and incompletion executed there? I don’t.
Why can’t someone ask Rusty to finish (fix) what he started in the Village before moving on? Isn’t this the simple job of our Town Council? (I’m sure his “hands have been tied for many years”for a myriad of reasons.) The Fifty Center article from last Dec. 4 quoted him as saying “We must pull together on what our ideas are in affirmation, instead of just reacting to what we don’t want.” Well, I hear plenty of affirmation that we don’t want any more development plans devised for carpetbagging hedge funds and guised as “stabilization of the local economy.” Wasn’t it Rusty, who only a few years ago, criticized Mammoth for being “addicted to the heroin of development?” Unfortunately for us, that’s probably the job our fearless leader has signed up for now. I’m seeing people in withdrawal every day. So more development plans are sure to cure the cravings and return the high. But who has the money to buy the dope?
Most people that I talk to are unaware that the Mountain still has substantial interest in the Village. It is what Intrawest used to refer to as their “long term cash flow position” in the condo hotel developments. It’s often referred to as the “front desk.” Mammoth Hospitality (aka MMSA) has the management contract AND the reservation business in the Village. That means they’re paid to “manage” the common areas but also take 50% of every in-house booking in exchange for marketing and servicing the reservations (the individual owners get the other 50%).
This is big business with substantial cash flow and minimal capital outlay. And their customers (owners and visitors alike) can’t be that happy with all the dysfunction. They’re paying to stay in a Village, not an empty mall. And by the way, from a real estate perspective, the (lack of) performance of the Village condo hotel properties has set the stage for the success of all future condo hotel developments in Mammoth, including the ultimate financing for buyers. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.
The Village really isn’t that flawed. The people who oversaw the execution of the plan just left out some of the critical elements: plenty of accessible parking, a real special events venue (not just an open air plaza), a gondola that terminates at a skiable run before skiers are forced to get out, viable rents for the commercial tenants, etc. And Eldon Beck emphasized in the revised North Village plan that if the locals lose interest in going there on a regular basis that it would be a failure. (Can anybody guess who hired Beck?)
While we were spending so much time planning the North Village in the early ‘90s, a glaring concern was how the Main St. and Old Mammoth Road corridors would have the life sucked out of them as the Village became so vibrant. It was recognized that these corridors would serve more as the “commercial service districts” in town. The vision was that the Village would be the high energy “fun zone” and Main St. and Old Mammoth Road would be where the hardware stores, gas stations, supermarkets, banks, and other commercial “service” enterprises would be.
Now, if we’re going to move the gas stations and plan for hotels (and condo hotels) and more retail on the Main St/entry area, what are we going to do with the Village? (Oh, I’m back to my old “capacity” argument again.)
Can we just have some affirmation that we should be utilizing what we already have, finishing what we started, and improving things within our financial means (massive debt is so passé), and get off the heroin. There’s an old axiom in business that if you take care of the back end of your business that the front end will take care of itself. We’ll see who else wants to learn that lesson.
And don’t forget to eat your vegetables.

Paul Oster is Broker/ Owner of RE/MAX of Mammoth. A recent archive of his past Q&A columns and other writings, as well as the ability to make comments, can be found at www.Mammoth-Real-Estate-Blog.com. For legal, accounting, construction, etc., advice, seek out the appropriate professional.

BISHOP MULE DAYS

Bishop’s largest and most famous event, Mule Days is back and ready to ride with the events fans have come to know and love, May 19-25, at the Tri-County Fairgrounds.
More than 30,000 visitors take part in the annual Mule Days festivities, including the longest non-motorized parade in the country, rodeo, races, packing competition, roping and sorting, barbecues, big-name country/western entertainers and more.
The four day Memorial Day Arts and Crafts show, featuring displays of quality handcrafted items and fine arts, is located in Bishop City Park, on display 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday.
Admission: Adult $12, kids under 12 free with paid adult. Info: www.muledays.org, or call 760.872.4263.

THE CONWAY RANCH PROJECT

By McKenna

“There is a trout crisis in California and the driving force is what we’re doing,” Dr. Peter Moyle of UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences told a group of outdoor writers assembled in Solano County last month. “Everyone is looking for simple answers, but there are no simple answers. We have rules that defy reality,” Dr Moyle said, adding, “What we need is someone to lead the revolution.”
As luck would have it, Mono County is home to many such people, people willing to lead a revolution. It is, after all, the residence of the Trout Patriots.

Trout heaven

The idea behind the Conway Ranch Project is nothing shy of revolutionary.
The 1,035-acre Conway Ranch is nestled just above Mono Lake, at the base of Conway Summit, between U.S. 395 and Hwy 167. The Conway family originally purchased the ranch back in 1903 to raise cattle and horses. In 1997, Mono County, in cahoots with the Bureau of Land Management, bought the ranch through the Trust for Public Lands. Since then, the ranch has primarily been used to do little more than graze sheep. For years, ideas about how best use the property zinged around like feeding trout until the idea of the Conway Ranch Foundation (CRF) was eventually hatched.
The CRF is a marriage made in trout heaven, the brainchild of Tim Alpers, legendary Fish Farmer/Trout Patriot, and Dan Lyster, Mono County’s Economic Development Director.
The CRF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation that uniquely marries the public sector of Mono County with the private sector of the Inland Aquaculture Group (IAG). Their vows, christened by the Mono County Supervisors just before the general season fishing opener, include: help stimulate the local economy by creating a fish farm that provides jobs and at least 10,000 pounds of trophy trout for 15 Mono County fisheries; provide educational programs; provide open space; and maintain historical aspects of the property, so no permanent buildings are allowed.
“We’re the only county in the state to purchase our own land and then raise our own fish. I am very happy with our relationship with the IAG and CRF,” Lyster said, during a recent tour of the ranch.

Biggest market in America

According to the fish-loving people at Berkley—the makers of Powerbait—Southern California is the largest fishing market in the country. Proved by the fact that Berkley had 10 representatives covering the region for last month’s fishing opener. The Eastern Sierra is obviously a big draw for that market.
With the state’s Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in a financial crisis and trout-damaging calamities, such as the New Zealand mudsnail and whirling disease causing havoc to the traditional methods of stocking local fisheries, trouble isn’t just on the horizon. Trouble may have already arrived.
From Crowley Lake through the June Lake Loop, many people who’ve been angling opening weekend on the Eastside for generations complained that it was the slowest one in memory. Some blamed the cold windy weather, some blamed stocking problems, some blamed too much beer drinking. Regardless of the reason, if anglers don’t have a good experience (catch some fish), they’ll start taking their tackle, and their wallets, elsewhere.
Therefore, keeping the regional fisheries well-stocked is vital if Mono County wants to continue to get its fair share — or, better yet, more than its fair share — of the more than $2 billion fishermen spend in the Golden State each year. Luckily, Mono Countythinks outside the tackle-box.
“We’ve got the space. We’ve got the water (which comes from Lundy Lake via Wilson Creek). We’ve got the land. We could eventually produce 100,000 pounds of trout here,” Lyster said about Conway Ranch.

Talkin’ ‘bout a revolution

Dr. Moyle is author of the recently released study, “SOS: California’s Native Fish Crisis.” He explained that hatcheries can do many things to help … most importantly, start revolutionizing the breeding process.
“Life history diversity can be improved. Some of these hatchery fish just aren’t prepared to live in the world. There brains just aren’t developed or large enough. We need to be more creative. We need more diverse groups of fish and we can’t be so focused on just pumping them out,” Dr Moyle explained. Fortunately, producing fish that aren’t just strong enough to survive long enough to get caught by an angler, but can thrive and reproduce in the wild is one of the main things they’re working on at Conway Ranch.
Under Alpers’ watchful eye and Hatchery Manager Justin Long’s careful touch, Conway Ranch has begun to try to experiment with some rare forms of trout to see how they adapt to the Eastern Sierra. So far, a German disease-resistant strain of rainbows called Hofer’s appears to be the most promising. They’ll also soon be working on a Lahontan Cutthroat trout program, in an attempt to revive the only trout native to Mono County, which now considered a “threatened” species.
“I like to err on the side of conservatism, but eventually getting up to 100,000 pounds of trout a year is possible and doable here. So long as we do it right,” Alpers said.
Education is also a key, according to Dr Moyle, and is also high on the priority list of CRF. Conway Ranch will not only be a trout farm, it’ll also essentially be a trout university and playground.
Conway Ranch will offer a Kids “You Catch” Pond, a Trophy Trout catch and release pond, a Fly Casting Pond for lessons on properly handling trout, a Special Events Pond for community and group events and Interpretive Tours. The proceeds from these activities will be used to enhance the ranch and fishing opportunities in Mono County.
While the ranch has officially opened to the public for the season, most of the aforementioned ponds won’t be ready until the summer, when a grand opening celebration is expected. For more information, rates or reservations, call 760.709.6446.
There may be a trout crisis in California, but at least one county in the state has decided to start to thinking and acting in much needed revolutionary way.

“Many of us probably would be better fishermen if we did not spend some much time waiting for the world to become perfect.” –Norman Maclean

MAMMOTH’S MASSIVE WOOLLY

By Wolf

Like many of you, I too was recently laid off from MMSA. The interesting thing about getting the boot is that people deal with the loss of a job in diverse and interesting ways. Some sit at home in despair watching old reruns of Mr. Belvedere, while others go on a bender of a lifetime to rival Nick Nolte.
But for the true connoisseurs of unemployment, the only way to fill this financial void is the spiritual yet liberating growth of a mustache. Since Mammoth doesn’t allow the robust growth of a top shelf mouth mitten I figured it’s now or never. My termination from the mountain has stimulated the growth of slim and aero-dynamic Zorro-stache which has elevated my life to new levels of personal achievement. Now bartenders at the Clocktower actually look me in the eye, my handshake is firmer, and little children run and hide from me with a combined look of confusion and terror. My mustache does the talking. Life is great.
But as I sit here watching reruns of Mr. Belvedere’s healthy Scottish ‘stache from my “home office,” I can’t help but wonder if anything I ever wrote has ever made a difference.
Until, to my complete bewilderment, I recently received an email from Dan Hansen, the Communications Coordinator for Mammoth Mountain, informing me that Mammoth was actually going to allow mustaches for 3 weeks starting May 6th for a mustache-only competition amongst employees.
This is truly a breakthrough in facial hair diversity. Though the Mountain is still stuck in the 1930s with this anti-Selleck no-growth policy, the fact they are allowing lip brooms for at least 3 weeks is certainly a step in the right direction.
Mammoth’s Director of Youth Action Sports Marketing Oren Tanzer told the Sheet, “I’m excited about it. After a tough season with the economy and everything it’s a nice way to boost employee moral.” When asked if Tanzer has seen any female Mammoth employees with mustaches he responded, “I’ve seen a few pictures of female staff members with their fingers under their noses pretending to have mustaches but that’s about it. I just hope I don’t see any women with actual mustaches walking around.”
Though a female ‘stache isn’t considered, well, sexy, we shouldn’t discriminate. Kirsten from Haute Looks Salon told the Sheet, “For women it’s hard to grow a thick mustache they really just want no hair on the upper lip at all costs.” When asked if there has been a decrease in lip waxing as of late Kirsten responded, “No, not that I know of. That might have more to do with the economy than with the mustache contest.”
Check back with The Sheet for photos and a follow up from the Mammoth Mountain Mustache Party on May 29. A few early favorites for this contest are Mammoth Call Center’s Training Coordinator Jef Rahmeyer’s handlebar ‘stache and Vice President of Outside Operations Bill Cockcroft’s infamous Wyatt Earp.

MCRAT TO GO ... HOLD THE FRIES

By Geisel

Mammoth Lakes has its Trails Master Plan, and soon a version of that same concept, one tailored to Mono County, will likely get into gear.
On May 5, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA) Exec. Director John Wentworth and Paul McFarland from Friends of the Inyo (FOTI) briefed the Board of Supervisors on the Mono County Recreation Access Tool (MCRAT), designed to take the first steps in developing a comprehensive inventory of the points of access to recreation amenities in Mono County. In addition to outlining the tool’s general methodology, the duo also hoped to secure funds ($37,260) to start Phase 1.
Wentworth told the Board that part of MCRAT’s objective is to develop a geographic database of jumping off points to areas of interest in parts of Mono County, as well as help inform updates of the Inyo National Forest’s general plan and provide other “functional tools” for public relations, RPACs and government administrative use.
Blueprint drafts, initiated in part with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, are already far along; corridor specific applications (June Lake and others) are in formative stages. Phase 1, Wentworth said, will incorporate existing GIS information. Phase 2 would verify the GIS information compiled in Phase 1, as well as public outreach from RPACs (Regional Political Action Committees) and other reports sent to Mono County. Phase 3 would compile information from Phases 1 & 2 and submit a final report to the County. The timeframe? Fully funded, Wentworth estimated all three phases could be completed by next fall.
Worst case, with no other funding input, Wentworth estimated the County’s financial participation at $86,000. Finance Director Brian Muir thought the money should come from Local Transportation Commission funds. Wentworth and McFarland both said that FOTI and MLTPA could each kick in $11,500.
McFarland said they used the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce’s trails/backcountry guide as a model for MCRAT. “Everything you need about height, trailhead conditions and tons more was contained in that piece,” he said.
The Supervisors were intrigued at the proposal, but the discussion brought up some areas that many on the Board agreed could use a little more definition: where is it based, for one, and what input other County-related agencies would have in the process.
Supervisor Hap Hazard’s main concern: “The County typically has had little input in this type of process. It’s left to big land management organizations, even though the County is the overall umbrella body.”
Supervisor Byng Hunt agreed with that point. “There are so many agencies involved. We have to find a home for this process,” he said. McFarland and Wentworth agreed, saying they thought it should live with the County. Supervisor Tom Farnetti was more cautious. “The County should take the lead, but I’d like to hear from other agencies before committing the County to the project,” he stated. Hazard took Farnetti’s point. “I think the County is and should be the lead agency on it, but it should go back to recreation roundtable for discussion with various partners as to how they can participate.”
Hazard also had reservations about the County’s role in funding, which he thought shouldn’t be the sole investor. “Maybe it’s time to go back to our partners and talk about funding it. The County should foot the entire bill,” he said. “Conceptually should we fund this? Is it a good product? If so, then let’s talk to our partners about funding it.”
Planning Director Scott Burns advised the Board that additional funding could come as a portion of the Scenic Byway Status Study grant application, which the County has already submitted in association with the Town of Mammoth Lakes. “I’d be in favor of funding Phase 1, then go back to partners for additional funding for Phases 2 & 3,” Supervisor Bauer proposed. (Wentworth and McFarland estimated costs for Phases 2 & 3 at $52,215 and $19,380, respectively. Total for the entire project is $108,855.)
Board Chair Bill Reid’s concern was one of timing. “Let’s get something moved forward conceptually at least, so we don’t lose the whole summer waiting for other partners’ input,” he put forth.
The Board voted 4-1 to fund Phase 1, with Farnetti the lone “nay” vote. “I’m not against it in concept, but in principle I’d like to see the chicken first,” he explained.

A SLICE OF PARADISE

Mono Supervisors approve Rock Creek Ranch project

By Lunch

More than seven years after purchasing 54 acres in Paradise at the southern end of Mono County, Rock Creek Ranch developers finally won unanimous project approval from the Mono County Board of Supervisors at a special meeting Tuesday.
The meeting was held in the Crowley Community Center.
In a brief presentation, Managing Partner Matthew Lehman outlined the project for Mono Supervisors.
The property will feature 60 home sites and one pool/spa/clubhouse. Five of those home sites will be dedicated to workforce housing and will be dispersed throughout the site. A trail system will access the perimeter of the project, which will be on its own private well system.
Home sites will be “clustered” to allow for 20 acres of open space, and each lot will have limitations on its building envelope so as to limit impacts upon its neighbors.
The clustering was conceived in response to concerns from existing residents in Paradise, which spurred Lehman’s group to conduct visual impact studies.
Concern over visual impacts will also lead the developer to encourage the integration of passive solar into home construction, while discouraging larger, tilt-up panel systems.
Rock Creek Ranch will feature its own packaged sewage treatment facility which will treat and reuse water for landscaping.
The developer will grant the County access to use the clubhouse for public meetings.
A few neighbors expressed concern over various issues (visual impacts, traffic, sewage treatment).
The sewage treatment issue is handled by a nuisance clause in the development agreement which gives neighbors recourse to force corrective action.
In terms of traffic, Supervisor Hazard did note the development is located at the bottom of the hill. Commuters to Mammoth may choose to use U.S. 395, though residents at the meeting insisted Lower Rock Creek Rd. was faster.
Ultimately, said Hazard, this is developable private property. Yes, there will be impacts, but are the impacts more than what they could be? No. Supervisors said they thought Lehman and Co. have done their best to mitigate development impacts.

DEVELOPER CROSSING HIS FINGERS

Regelous hopes Town will adopt his vision.

By Lunch

Mammoth Crossing’s Doug Regelous knows where he wants to go, even if he’s not necessarily sure how he’s going to get there.
Regelous and Architect Paul Merrick continued to make their pitch for Mammoth Crossing’s ambitious development plans at two Mammoth Lakes Planning Commission hearings on Wednesday.
This followed a workshop with Mammoth’s Tourism and Recreation Commission on Tuesday and an open house held two weeks ago at Mammoth Crossing’s offices in the old Inyo-Mono Title building (at the intersection of Lake Mary and Canyon Rds.)
Mammoth Crossing, which recently completed a project EIR (Environmental Impact Report) owns the “three corners” at the intersection of Main Street and Minaret Road (all but the “Nevado’s” corner), and seeks to build 742 rooms on the three sites, which total 9.27 acres.
That would equate to 80 rooms an acre, a significant increase beyond the 48 rooms an acre allowed by the North Village Specific Plan.
The proposal also calls for 40,000 square feet of new retail space which would line both sides of Lake Mary Road, on-site underground parking for all three sites, on-site affordable housing, conference/meeting space and public plaza space.
Regelous said the Mammoth Crossing Development will generate the “critical mass” necessary to make it, as well as the larger North Village district, successful.
Regelous, however, did acknowledge that he’s not entirely sure how he’ll get the project financed. The condo-hotel model, formerly the rage because developers could lure buyers into footing the construction costs by pre-selling the units, is out of favor. Banks won’t lend money for that anymore, and even if they did, hotel operators aren’t keen on managing condo/hotel properties because they ultimately don’t control the rooms they have for rent.
The traditional hotel model is also out of favor because Mammoth’s historical room occupancy percentages are so low.
Then there’s the larger question of whether or not Regelous can push through a product he can ever hope to sell. Mammoth Crossing seeks project heights (7 to 8 stories and upwards of 100’ in some areas of the development) and densities that far exceed what is allowable under the North Village Specfic Plan. Architect Merrick referred to it as “managed height” strategically placed based upon site location and topography.
In many ways, the debate over Mammoth Crossing sets up as a rehash of the debate over the Clearwater.
The developer says he can’t build a viable mixed use development without several amendments to existing zoning. The developer says if he does get these amendments, he can build a top-notch project which will provide many auxiliary benefits to the community.
Critics say these benefits tend to be project-specific and help the developer more than they help the community.
Those critics also object to some of the basic math.
Though the developer says the project will have a density of 80 rooms per acre, Tracy Spencer, who lives at the neighboring Fireside Condominiums, pointed out that this number excludes on-site affordable housing, which effectively pushes the density up to about 87 rooms/acre.
Dan Dawson said the affordable housing is not exclusive of any PAOT (Persons at One Time) calculation.
Amendments proposed by the developer would increase the North Village Specific Plan’s PAOT calculation by about 300 rooms.
Dawson added that in its conceptualization, the North Village Specific Plan area was seen as a “transition” area between a dense Village and less dense outlying areas. By moving forward, we would throw out that concept, he said.
The next workshop on the Mammoth Crossing project is scheduled for May 19, when the developer addresses Mammoth’s Mobility Commission at 4 p.m. in Suite Z.

Editorial:ROBBING PETER TO PAY PETER

I attended the dog-and-pony budget roadshow put on by Councilmember Jo “Hope” Bacon and Mayor “Crosby” Velveeta at Wednesday’s meeting of the Mammoth Lakes Lions Club.
A few things that stand out:
1. It is apparent that Council is effectively using its employee retirement fund as a reserve/slush fund.
Consider this. Bacon and Velveeta boast that they will use the $1 million in anticipated revenue from the sale of a portion of the Hospital Exchange parcel to replenish the Town’s REU (Reserve for Economic Uncertainty). Sounds good, right? REU’s restored! We’re fiscally responsible!
What they don’t tell you is that while the REU is being replenished, the Town’s unfunded liability for its employee retirement fund stands at ... approximately $1 million.
The Town shouldn’t treat retirement funds like piggy banks. They should fully fund retirement obligations, and going forward, should refrain from touching those accounts. Given the financial mismanagement and poor budget forecasting of recent years, it’s imperative the Town adopt a pay-as-you-go approach ... to everything. If you want something, make cuts elsewhere to pay for it. No more borrowing. No more cashing in assets to cover up for the mistakes.
The $1 million from the land sale should go towards backfilling the retirement fund. Meanwhile, the REU should remain funded right where it is - which would more accurately reflect what we really have left in the bank.
2. Council is setting up the local business community as the fall guy if year-round air service is not achieved.
Velveeta proudly announced that the Town will dedicate $250,000 in this year’s budget towards subsidizing year-round commercial air service.
MMSA Senior Vice-President (and Mammoth Lakes Airport Commission Chairman) Pam Murphy believes subsidy of one year-round flight will cost approximately $1 million. MMSA is willing to subsidize (guarantee) one-third of that amount.
Which would leave local business on the hook for the remaining $400,000. And I am absolutely opposed to taxing local business one more penny. Local business is suffering enough and pays enough taxes.
Hey, I’ve got a better idea. The Town should subsidize the remaining $667,000 and do what it needs to do to find the money. Of course, I’d slash payroll ... but you knew that already.
Other budget curiosities which I’d like explained:
Staff seems to have made a lot of suggestions in the “Budget Policy Decision” section as to how to best appropriate dedicated tax money (dedicated to certain line items and departments by voter-approved initiatives) so that staff can continue “planning.”
Why does the School Resource [Police] Officer cost $168,000/year to maintain? Is it worth subsidizing the ice rink to the tune of $242,000/year? Why do they suggest hiring a Community Services Officer from outside the police department? Oh, that’s right. Our police department, which consumes 25% of the Town budget, is way too busy and spread too thin.

Taxeaters thrive

You know, when people ask me if I have any dreams or aspirations for my daughter, aside from hoping that she has the financial freedom (not overwhelmed by student loans) to pursue her dreams as opposed to a paycheck, I’m open to whatever she’d like to do.
But if she is interested in making money, forget being a doctor or a lawyer or a banker or a graphic designer ... is there any better job out there right now than working for the government?
Steve Malanga of the Manhattan Institute had a great column in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Malanga wrote, “A study in 2005 by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute estimated that the average public-sector worker earned 46% more in salary and benefits than comparable private-sector workers.”
In addition, Malanga also threw out a stat from the Bureau of Labor Statistics which shows that that gap continues to grow. Last year, public employees saw wages and benefits increase by 3.1%. The private sector saw just a 1.9% increase.
Not only that, but current private-sector unemployment stands at 9% while public-sector unemployment stands at 2.8%.
And the unions are only getting stronger, says Malanga. In 2005, California unions spent more than $50 million to defeat a series of ballot proposals that would have capped growth in the state’s budget.
This year, the teacher’s union is battling to restore $9 billion in educational spending.
Anecdotally, I just think about the arguments I hear in Council meetings where the taxeaters justify their salaries by saying we’ve got to stay competitive with the wage scales of other municipalities.
It’s a con. If you slashed their wages and dared them to walk ... they wouldn’t. And if they did, The Sheet has plenty of staffers ready and willing to capitalize.

Mammoth on the move ... again

Elizabeth Tenney took issue with the editorial last week, and she was correct in pointing out that the grammar made it appear that she suggested signs on vacant lots advertising “Future Sites of Fabulous New Development.”
That was my tongue-in-cheek idea.
She just wanted to say “Future Site of Mixed Use Development,” as a suggestion for signs around town demonstrating that, despite the boarded-up buildings and/or vacant lots, “Mammoth [is indeed] On the Move.”
If Mammoth is on the move, it’s only because a terrorist spiked the water supply with Ex-Lax. But then, better on the move than full of ...
BTW, Elizabeth’s holding another gardening party at the post office this morning from 9-11 a.m., so let’s help her keep Tenney Municipal Gardens looking good.

And from Geisel’s desk ...

Big pats on the back to Mammoth locals (and the odd visitors, too) that have helped raise thousands for charitable causes recently.
First, the Fire Deparment’s carwash fundraiser for Marley Herrera and Rosio Guzman ... well, me and 514 others got their rides spotlessly cleaned by the firefighters. I’ll tell you, when those guys do a car wash, they don’t mess around. First off, the operation was organized with military precision. Johnny Goetz from the MLFD tells us the event pulled in $2,400, split between Herrara and Guzman, with an additional $234 going to the Downed Firefighter Fund. NTRD did car detailing and donated 1/2 their proceeds as well.
Napa Auto Parts provided the wash supplies and U.S. Foods donated the burgers and hot dogs for the grill. Guzman and Herrera both needed your heart and you showed them they’ve got it. “On a non-holiday weekend with just 15% occupancy, the turnout was exceptional,” Goetz told The Sheet.
Later in the evening, a bunch of the extended Sheet family and many other patrons turned out to raise some additional $$ for the Brittany Marie Dance Studio at the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center. We did okay - over $400 in tips. Thanks to the Schaubmayers and the three drunk tourists from San Diego.
That doesn’t include some other fundraiser events held recently (Cleland’s bash for Cliff and Kristen at Shogun), so good on ya, Mammoth. Tough times or not, your reputation for generous support remains intact.

SUPERVISORS HOLD

By Geisel

A proposed fee hike didn’t fly so high with a majority of Mono County’s Board of Supervisors during a public hearing Tuesday afternoon.
County Finance Director Brian Muir presented a staff report to the Board, part of a resolution supervisors were to consider that sought to adopt $126,353 of new or increased fees for construction, certain County permits and other services.
In comparison to rates charged in Mammoth Lakes even after the Town’s recent DIF (Development Impact Fee) reductions, Muir and staff from the County’s Building Department opined that in terms of fee rates and fairness, they consider the County’s rates “pretty fair.” Walker, for instance, has an average permit cost of roughly $6,000 to build a single-family residence.
Even though some of the new fee structure would only amount to an average increase from $255 to $384 for small businesses, some supervisors cited the current economy as reason enough to table any hikes. “These are people who are already having trouble paying their bills,” Supervisor Vikki Bauer pointed out. County staff replied the new fee only amounts to little more than $1 a day. “It’s just that it’s all those [fees] piled up on top of each other,” Bauer said.
Permit increases related to business were expected to generate $40,000 annually.
Board Chairman Bill Reid had problems with the hikes, such as $2,186 for one type of use-permit. “That just seems pretty high for something like that.” County Planning Director Scott Burns explained that the process is somewhat subjective, and that some judgment is used when calculating cost.
Supervisor Byng Hunt said he was concerned that raising fees raises issues as to the efficiency of some of the County’s departments. “It may cost us more to do something, but we may not be doing it as efficiently as possible,” Hunt said. “We should be doing what’s best for the taxpayer.”
Building Department staff argued that higher fees are a result of increased workloads. They said efficiency is up 25%, but at the same time state-ordered regulations [and work involved in meeting them] have gone up 50%.
A staunch opponent to any increases was Supervisor Tom Farnetti. “[The County] seems to be in very good financial shape, but folks out in the community are suffering. Restaurants are closing 4, 6, 8 weeks to save money,” Farnetti said. “I can’t support any fee increase this year.”
Supervisor Hap Hazard apologized for his being “all over this subject,” but ended up being more inclined to support some kind of fee hike. “Last time we adjusted fees, we put caps on some of them. These are fees charged to an actual user, and if they’re not covered that way, the taxpayers pay for them. I know some taxpayers that consider them punitive,” Hazard said. “How do we balance this thing? Maybe we could consider making smaller adjustments annually.”
Hazard indicated it was the amount of increase he was looking at. “If the economy isn’t rosy in the coming year, we’ll have to make a bigger jump,” he said. “We have to find an acceptable cap on fees that people can live with.” The problem, as he sees it: “Some fees suggested for this increase should have gone up a little the last time, instead of a lot this time.”
Bauer said she was in favor of Hazard’s thoughts on caps, but nonetheless suggested that given the situation, the Board should “take the hit in the General Fund for right now.”
“There are dollars attached to it, but it’s also philosophical to me,” Reid said. “The economy is critical to the decision. $126,000 … at this time I’d call [not increasing fees] a contribution to the business community. We need to show the people that we’re cognizant of what they’re going through.” Reid went on to add he’d rather see a one-year moratorium on increases, saying he knows it means that may lead to some steeper fee increases later, but was betting on the economy improving in the next couple of years.
Hunt replied that he was concerned about the future as well, and urged a small increase of some kind to offset what he thought could be rough times ahead. Bauer said she took Hunt’s point, but ultimately agreed with Reid. “Now is not the time,” she stated.
Hazard was still not convinced that no increase was the way to go. “It may not be a significant amount of money given the shape we’re in,” said Hazard, “but what if we were $126,000 in the hole?”
The Board voted 3-2 to bring back the resolution to examine some fee reductions that were also included in the bill, but no fee increases. Hazard and Hunt dissented.

POSTPONING THE INEVITABLE

Hilton Creek Sewer District bucks fee increase

By Geisel

Kitty Vanstelle may be right.
The fear she’s expressed time and again to fellow members of Hilton Creek’s Community Services District Board may be moving closer to reality.
For roughly the past five years, HCSD has run a deficit (currently $83,000) that’s been subsidized with property taxes. Vanstelle’s fear has long been that the state of California, still mired in its own budget swamp, could try to appropriate those property tax bucks. At the Board’s monthly meeting Wednesday night, word came hinting that Sacramento may be setting the stage for such a tax grab.
Board Chair Steve Shipley cited a recent report indicating that the state may seek to suspend Prop 1A, which was passed in 2006 to protect, among other things, funding for traffic congestion relief projects, safety improvements, and local streets and roads. Suspension of its tenets would allow the state to “borrow” 8% of property tax revenues. A loophole built in to the legislation’s language allows such actions in “extreme budget crisis situations,” and the state may soon seek to invoke the “crisis” clause.
The Board plans to fire off a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assemblyman Dave Berryhill and State Senator Dave Cox voicing strong opposition to the suspension of 1A.
Even the suspension, however, doesn’t absolutely guarantee a potential 45% hike in District User Fees, as has been previously batted around to solve the district’s budget shortfall. It may come to that, but Shipley and the Board, sympathizing with those struggling in the current economy, seem determined to stave off an increase as long as possible.
That won’t be easy, if it’s achieved at all. Some savings have been realized ... $6,300 in health insurance will be saved via a surplus from CalPERS. Board Accountant Marianne O’Connor said that, according to CalPERS, people are living longer and not filing so many claims, which will result in a two-month “holiday” next fiscal year. That, however, is a drop in the bucket.
Employee costs alone may force the Board’s hand on a fee hike, especially if new hires need to be made. Board members are looking into what happens if the state’s Water Resources Control Board enforces requirements for the District to add a G-2 Plant Manager and an Apprentice to augment Operations Director Bob Lavagnino. (He currently handles all plant work single-handedly.) “Right now it’s a ‘strong suggestion,’” Shipley said. “It takes things to whole new level if it’s mandated.”
Lavagnino arguably needs some type of backup, other than a freelance part-timer currently being used. “For a long time I’ve been operating this district on a shoestring,” he reminded the Board. “We need 24/7 coverage and haven’t had it.”
How those positions (presumably full-time) are to be funded is still being worked out, but Shipley wasn’t discounting any possibility. “No doubt we’ll be facing a major shortfall if we have to add any new hires,” he assessed. “But streamlining could actually mean adding more people.”
Meanwhile, the Board also continued work on addressing the district’s biggest expenses: salaries and benefits. Shipley emphasized to the Board that all options be put on the table before pushing the button on a rate hike. Once the employee contracts are worked out and the budget review hit list is done, Shipley said the final numbers will help determine whether or not a fee increase will happen.
“We’re narrowing it down,” he said. “We need to make sure the employees and the public are satisfied, and go from there.”
Among other budget concerns Shipley deemed “big nuts still left to crack,” are high-cost items, such as connection fees and funding for equipment and line replacement, which Lavagnino said are necessary within the next few years. (The district recently completed $15,000 worth of pump replacements.)
The stall in new connection fees could be particularly problematic for the district. Previously budgeted for around $45,000/year in revenue, the standstill in development may reduce that figure to $0 next year.
An option that surfaced for the first time Wednesday was the possibility of a one-time “special assessment” that the Board could impose to bring themselves immediately even. In other words, no hike, just one big shot to the wallet.
The fee increase is still in play, but Shipley still called for all options to be exhausted before going there. “Realistically, $5 every other month isn’t a lot of money. In my mind, it’s more the principle of the thing. Still, it’s important for us to show best effort, then go to the public and say, ‘We did all this. Here’s what we need to do.’”

Solar system warps out of orbit

Are you okay with having a little glare with your green power? Evidently the Bureau of Land Management isn’t. Citing glare that would be visible from nearby mountains, the BLM recently issued a determination effectively quashing the HCSD’s efforts to install a solar power system.
“[The BLM] basically said there was no way they’d let any development such as that happen,” Shipley related. Whether that decision is allowed to stand, however, depends on the effectiveness of a letter being drafted to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) asking for her intervention on the issue. Boxer was one of the leading legislators involved in helping pass the Omnibus Public Lands Managment Act, which was recently signed into law by President Barack Obama.
“We’re trying to do the right thing here,” Shipley said. A consultant on the system pulled out of the project after the BLM’s announcement, using a perceived lack of cost effectiveness as a partial reason for departing. The Board, however, is not convinced that determination is entirely accurate and for now is keeping the system on the back burner, pending Boxer’s response to the letter.

5 DEGREES OF THE VILLAGE By Wolf

Ski poles or fishing poles? A fisherman’s dilemma this time of year

By Chris Leonard

Well, folks, we’re 14 days into the 2009 fishing season, and ... there is some fantastic skiing on and off piste. I’d be lying if I told you that I’m ready to toss the alpine sticks for the season, to only grab one of my dozen dusty fly rods off the wall, but the fact is that the skiing and riding is still really, really good. I know how that sounds coming from the author of a fish report, and a few hardcore anglers in town would stuff my head for stating it, but the winter just keeps on giving and the temptation to ride World Cup or hit the backcountry is just far too great. Besides, I’m currently raising trout in my high school classroom so if I miss a day of angling on the river cause I’m off on Hemlock’s Ridge, I can simply cast my 2-weight 15 feet into the tank on the other side of my classroom.
Enough about the ski report. How’s the angling?
Healthy browns have been coming out of Crowley. Spin anglers have been hooking up trolling from Sandy to McGee in 20–30 feet. Running 3 1/2–5 colors with Taz Devils and Rapalas have been grabbing multiple fish from its mesmerizing blue waters. Fly anglers are getting grabs in the same locales with sink lines, using black and green Buggers (8 and 10) and big, black, ugly G’s-catchem-all’s. Plenty of these browns are around the three to four pound range. That’s a nice looking fish. Not like the brunette, blue-eyed mermaid I dialed into last Wednesday, but certainly a great catch.
Convict Lake has been fishing decently. I’ve heard stories from some very content anglers. Those finding success on Convict are getting hits near the marina and off the beach with Thomas Buoyants. The red TB pattern is one of my favorites for the Eastside. The rainbow trout pattern also attracts lots of decent fish. There is room for marginal error in selecting the colors of your lures, as trout are generally less picky than the Planning Commission in deciding the color of its favorite fine Greek dining establishments. From the trout menu, offer inflated nightcrawlers dipped in garlic. Nasty stuff, but it works. The baklava is for you between catches. There are plenty of fat Alpers all over Convict Lake. Tim, you are the man! Fly guys and gals, kick around Convict with the same set-up as you would at Crowley. A good place to get at some trout is on the far end where the inlets flow into the lake.
Hot Creek’s a bit tricky. Wind there has been known to keeps anglers off the water like skiers off Cornice in 50 mph breezes. Pitch tiny Baetis patterns, Scuds and Bird’s Nests. One of my favorite set-ups on Hot Creek is a big, ol’ size 14 or 16 black BH Bird’s Nest with a green Scud (16) about 12-inches under it. Dries? BWO’s size 18 and most Caddis patterns in sizes 16/18.
The Upper O’s been good, particularly for bait fishing between the monument and the lake. Inflated nightcrawlers are catching lots of fish there. Panther Martins also hook trout. Water flows are rising with snow melt, but anglers are still dialing into fish. Fly anglers, get ready for the mass exodus as far up as Long Ears. Arm yourself with Buckskins, Glo-bugs, BH Prince Nymphs and Black PTs. It’s gonna get real good, real quick.
In the Loop, fishing on Rush Creek between Grant and Silver has been productive. Bait anglers fry fish thanks to Salmon Eggs. Fly anglers running indicator-less lines with Hare’s Ears land plenty of trout. Silver Lake and June Lake fished the best opening weekend, but all four lakes are filled with trout, even a few perch in Gull. Nightcrawlers for the bait anglers, and streamers or lures for the floattubers. Chris Leonard guides for Performance Anglers. Call 760.924.2181.

SCENT-IMENTAL HYGIENE

Wolf gets skunked as SNARL’s lecture series resumes

By Wolf

So you think you know everything there is to know about skunks. You’ve seen enough Pepe Le Pew cartoons to know that skunks love housecats with painted-on stripes and that they have an insatiable lust for women, but you’re wrong! Insert Looney Toon hammer to the head here.
“Since today is Cinco de Mayo, we’ll have our own Skunko de Mayo right here,” said Dr. Jen Hunter. Kicking off the first installment of The SNARL (Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab) lecture series, Dr. Hunter spoke last Tuesday at the Green Church (at Benton Crossing) on the topic of “Carnivorous Avoidance of Striped Skunks.”
Dr. Hunter is a graduate from UC Davis in the field of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. Similar to Pepe, Jen looks more like a lover of house cats than an expert on the most recognized, yet least studied, of mammals, the Striped Skunk. Perhaps all of the built up frustration of house cat owners who are tired of Muffy strutting home smelling like skunk explained why more than 30 people were in
attendance.
Hunter explained that the lecture would be a “true multimedia experience with video and sound.” Naturally, one member of the audience with a George Costanza sense of comedic timing yelled, “minus the smell?!” To the disappointment of the crowd, Hunter provided no skunk stank.
The lecture consisted of Hunter’s study of the Striped Skunk’s natural warning signals to carnivores which are referred to as “aposematic” signals. The skunk’s size and coloration evoke a learned reaction from coyotes and other natural predators that they taste terrible and that they’re not worth the energy to kill. *Although not mentioned in Hunter’s lecture, this trait can also be found in Chicken McNuggets, given their weird shape and bizarre coloration, often viewed as a warning signal to the human carnivore.
A highlight of Hunter’s lecture was an explanation of her field study work which involved some bizarre taxidermy mounts. To test differing carnivore reactions, Hunter “created” a hybrid stuffed skunk that sported a Grey Fox’s coat, and similarly a Grey Fox with a Striped Skunk’s coat. Outfitted with an infrared motion sensor camera, Hunter was able to document mountain lions inspecting the animal mounts, raccoons peeing on them, and many other curious carnivores.
The purpose of these recordings was not to document mammal urinating patterns (which one could easily do outside of Whiskey Creek at 2 a.m.), but to record the length of time in which each animal took to pause and check out the little freaks.
It’s kind of like when you’re walking down the street and you see an orange faced lady fresh out off the tanning bed and you’re like “Was that an Oompa Loompa?” In the human world, we call this a “double take.”
Skunks have higher survival rates in areas where their population is large because more of the local carnivores have been exposed to the “double take,” making it easier for Striped Skunks to live in peace. This actually makes perfect sense. If you lived in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory you would eventually stop staring at all those delicious little Oompa Loompas. Where Striped Skunk populations are more sparse, it’s harder for the species to get a foothold and repopulate because the local carnivores have had less exposure to them.
The result of the study found that carnivores use color and shape of prey to trigger the aposematic signals. Prior experience and exposure to the prey is equally important to the carnivore’s choice of meal. To put it in layman’s terms, let’s go back to the McNugget analogy; let’s just say you order some nuggets. You look at the nugget and say to yourself “Last time I ate one of these I felt like crap, and the color and shape don’t look appetizing.” So consequently you eat your buddy’s fries instead. Your brain just picked up on the little sock shaped wad’s aposematic signals.
Is there anything we can’t learn from skunks? I certainly learned a lot about skunks at this lecture and maybe an equal amount about myself. Besides avoiding nuggets, I now know that a skunk can spray a stream of stank more than 30 feet with pin-point accuracy, a feat I could never achieve even with the greatest of effort. Since skunks are known as highly decorated sphincter snipers, I asked Hunter if the moral of the story is to not leave your kid’s stuffed animals outside? She responded, “I think the moral of the story for people that live around here is to not leave your cat outside.” Oh well, I guess Pepe will have to find a new hobby.
Don’t miss the next SNARL lecture “The Earth’s Dynamic Magnetic Field,” on May 12, 7 p.m. at the Green Church on U.S. 395.
For more information on the SNARL lecture series contact Leslie Dawson at 935.4356 or email questions to ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu.

Cast Off store NOT a dump site

It’s back: the expensive and unwieldy nuisance known as “llegal dumping of household items and furniture” during off hours and at night in the parking lot behind the Cast Off Thrift Store in Mammoth Lakes.
In a continuing effort to suppress this activity, the Cast Off installed round the clock security cameras last year and works closely with the Mammoth Lakes Police Department to identify those people responsible for the illegal dumping.
Drop off acceptable, usable items Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Normal business hours for the store are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on those same days. These are the only times to drop off items. “We recently had two different illegally dumped households of furniture, said Cast Off Chair Karen Curry. “The Cast Off must pay to have hauled away, which results in additional costs not included in our regular monthly dumpster budget.”

National Bike-to-Work Week

The League of American Bicyclists and the Town of Mammoth Lakes are promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 11-15 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 15. Local organizations and businesses have deals and events, so pump up those tires and exchange horsepower for pedal-power. Learn more about two-wheeled commuting, and special offers and events at www.visitmammoth.com/bike.

PERRY’S TO REOPEN; ALPENROSE TO REINVENT ITSELF

Before you’ve even had a chance to blink, Perry’s Italian Restaurant will have reopened.
Perry’s, under new owners Glenn Taylor and Susan Baumgard, will reopen this coming Friday (May 15).
Taylor, who also owns The Stove, is now the proprietor of two of the longest-standing restaurants in town.
He and Baumgard promise a return to what made Perry’s successful in the first place; a good, solid family restaurant with traditional Italian food at affordable prices.
By affordable prices, their menu will turn back the clock and offer 2003 prices in 2009.
Former owner Roger Guffey, who first opened Perry’s in 1971, said “We always stayed less expensive than most people in town.”
As for why Taylor would dive in and choose to operate a 2nd restaurant while others are closing their doors, Guffey jumped to answer that question.
“[A recession] can often create opportunity. It is the time to expand [one’s business] and look for the horizon and improve the business.”
Taylor, who bought The Stove in 2002, has lived in Mammoth since 1985. “When I first moved to town,” he said, “I lived right around the corner in the Ghetto and would come over here for happy hour.”
Nearly a quarter century later, it appears Taylor will resume being a regular.
By the Fireside

You may have recently passed by the Alpenrose and noticed but a single lamp lit nightly since Easter Sunday. Yes, the Alpenrose, a Mammoth fixture for much of the last decade, is closed. For owner Tony Rojas, the Alpenrose was a dream-come-true, but lately, it has faced more and bigger challenges. Not one to call it quits, however, Tony said he simply accepted that a change was necessary to survive in today’s economy.
Last week, Tony and wife Maureena announced “big changes,” saying they plan to reopen by Memorial Day as Fireside Burgers and Tap. Its concept: affordable family-oriented comfort food and flavor, at lunch and dinner.
Inspired by a neighborhood burger stand around the corner from his mom’s house in Orange County, Tony’s “order at the counter” menu will serve up burgers, sandwiches, ribs and chicken (roasted or barbecue) and slices of fresh-baked pie and 50-cent cups of coffee. On tap: Mammoth Brewing beers, as well as wine.
“Our realization of a [need for] change was brought home by the fact that people are still eating out; they’re just looking for affordable prices,” Tony said. “Survival means the ability to adapt and reinvent oneself.”

H1N1, MONO COUNTY 0

By Geisel

With media hype about the recent outbreak of swine flu — or as it’s known these days H1N1 — still at the “relentless” stage, the rumor mill is grinding out speculation at an alarming rate.
Mono County Public Health Officer Dr. Richard Johnson has heard quite a few rumors, including one that he has it. “I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “I’ve also heard that we have three cases in Mono County, another news report saying there was one in northern Mono ... I’ve heard of one in northern Marin County, maybe they mean that one.”
In any case, those “rumors” are just that.” Dr. Johnson said that with the natural spread of the virus, it’s reasonable to expect that Mono County could see a case, but it’s not here yet.
Recent reports described a visitor to the area, who was already sick with the virus, but that person has since left the area, recovered and left no indications they passed it on to anyone at home or here locally.
Meanwhile, Johnson said that, while testing continues, no locally-oriented cases of the virus have been found so far.
During the months of March and April, a brand new swine flu virus appeared. The strain of H1N1 is, Johnson said, a swine virus that has mutated and adapted to humans. The outbreak appears to have originated in Mexico. Laboratory confirmed cases have since been reported in 41 U.S. states and 23 countries.
Most bouts are mild to moderate, with some hospitalizations, though 2 deaths have been linked to the virus. The majority of cases have been in youths, with two-thirds of cases being less than age 35.
“Contrast this to the seasonal influenza that we have every winter, which on average causes 200,000 hospitalizations, and 36,000 deaths, mostly in the elderly and very young infants,” Dr. Johnson said.
One of the obvious media talking points involves a lack of vaccine. Certain drugs have been shown effective once you have the disease, but currently there is no preventative.
Will there be a vaccine? Maybe ... maybe not, says Johnson.
“Contrary to popular opinion, the decision to start full production of a vaccine has not yet been made,” Johnson observed. “One question – why produce millions of doses of vaccine for a disease that appears to be pretty benign?” (More may be known after top federal health officials hold a key meeting on May 14.)
Johnson said that even if a decision is made to go ahead with production, and everything goes like clockwork (unlikely), it will still be months before a vaccine is available. “We are probably talking about 4-6 months.” That vaccine may or may not be in the nick of time to head off a second wave of infections that some health experts predict for the fall.
What’s more, Johnson opined that the vaccine’s safety, ironically, could be of utmost concern, especially following the experience from 1976. “President Gerald Ford ordered massive production of a vaccine against a swine flu strain that never materialized into an epidemic outside of Fort Dix in New Jersey. The vaccine killed more people than the disease, and caused paralysis in some 1,000 people.”
Johnson stands by his take that there’s no need to panic. For the time being, the Mono County Public Health Department said students who are not ill can safely attend classes and schools will remain open. Town and County departments are conducting business as usual.
Dr. Johnson said he still recommends covering your nose and mouth, and cleaning your hands with soap, water and alcohol-based cleaners. If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Letters:

Open letter to the Grand Jury

Dear Editor:

I have tried to take the high road and ignore all the rumors and false accusations.
I have been falsely accused, along with the Chief of Police, of having an affair. There was never an affair! My question, as a citizen of Mammoth Lakes for the past 20 years, is can this happen to anyone?
Mr. Searles and the bear people, do you really want our Chief of Police fired so badly that you would stoop to making up such untrue lies without thinking of the pain it causes to both families?
I can no longer ignore this matter.
A few days ago, Steve Searles’ wife, Deb, came into my place of business and asked her hair dresser if she could get ahold of my cell number. [Searles’ wife] said that if they had it, then they [the bear people] could investigate if my number would be on Chief of Police Randy Schienle’s cell phone. My questions to Mr. Searles are: How many hats do you wear? Are you now a hired investigator for the Grand Jury? Does your position as the bear man give you access to these records? Does our Town government allow this? After being called in to our Town Manager’s office several months ago, along with my husband, Eric, and being interviewed about this alleged affair (and cleared) — which by the way was never questioned by my husband of 24 years and my two wonderful children — I thought this matter was no longer an issue!
All I can say is, “Enough!”
Mr. Searles, please call me any time at the Catwalk Salon,934.2461, and ask for Judy Olson. I will personally give you my cell phone number.
Steve, when you and the other bear groupies finally accept that there never was an affair (as my husband told Joe Parrino in March 2008), you might look into a good attorney.
In closing I would like to thank all the people who have heard this untrue rumor and called Eric and myself with support and have told others that there is no truth to it.

Judy Olson
Crowley Lake

Dear Editor:

The Earth is a stark reminder of our mother. A mother’s kindness is such that no matter what we do, she tolerates it. The population explosion and many other indicators seem to indicate that Mother Earth is now telling us to be careful.
Nature has its own natural limitations. Realizing this fact — and I know our Limbaughites from the modern American conservative movement will be furious about this — so what? — one thinks of the age-old question:
Would the Earth be better off without man?

Dennis Kostecki
Mammoth

Editorial: INTERNINABLE

I was somewhat surprised to learn this week that Mammoth’s Mayor, Wendy Sugimura, has taken an internship within the Mono County Planning Dept. Apparently, all the time she’s spent negotiating with the Town’s public employee unions has convinced her that working for the government is the sexiest and best-paying job on Earth, and one has to make whatever sacrifices necessary to insinuate oneself into the Furlough Fraternity.
I asked Town Attorney Peter Tracy on Wednesday as to whether or not Sugimura’s employment with the County would create a conflict of interest in government decision-making. After all, the Town is negotiating with the County to sell off a piece of the hospital exchange parcel, so technically, Sugimura’s employee, Town Manager Rob Clark, is negotiating a deal with Sugimura’s employer, County Administrative Officer David Wilbrecht.
Tracy said Sugmiura, by law, technically has no conflict. There would be a conflict if she held two offices, for example, but government pay for one job, in and of itself, isn’t a disqualifier. As for appearances ...
Anyway, congratulations to the Mayor on her new job. I imagine the Rodeo Grounds project in June Lake will be breaking ground any day now.

Mammoth on the move

During the 5 p.m. Destination Resort and Economic Strategy workshop, Mammoth Lakes Planning Commission Chairman Elizabeth Tenney shared some ideas on how the Town could market a negative into a positive.
She suggested that the Town adopt the slogan “Mammoth on the Move” and put signs up at all our vacant lots announcing something like: “Future Site of Fabulous New Development.”
For a logo, however, she stopped short of suggesting a U-Haul truck.
Councilmember Jo Bacon thought it was a fine idea so long as the signs didn’t declare any projected completion dates.
Tenney also suggested that the Town advertise for interns to help alleviate its staffing shortages.
She figured young people are all scrambling for jobs, so we may as well oblige.
“If you can’t get a job, you can’t get work experience so you can’t get the next job,” she said.
At the very least, we can give people work experience.
Community Development Director Mark Wardlaw didn’t dissuade her. He said he’s always interested in free help.
Corresponded with Clair Herrera this week. Four months and counting and still no heart donor for Marley. They’re going stir crazy, but trying to remain positive. Help support Marley by getting your car washed at Mammoth Lakes Fire Station #1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to help keep the Herreras housed and fed as they await a donor.
As for Tom Crowe of Mono Lake Boat Tours, well, that ship has sailed and he’s moving on. State Parks has not budged from its position that Crowe requires a concessionaire’s license as opposed to a permit. What this means is that a concessionaire’s license eventually expires and can be bid by anyone, and since Tioga Lodge owner Gloria Ma isn’t interested in having just anyone operating from her dock ...
A neat bureaucratic means to create a loophole to crush an independent operator.
And from Wolf ... on Tuesday, the Mammoth Lakes Tourism and Recreation Commission discussed the town’s free website (visitmammoth.com) posting policy for owners of rental units. Shannon Freeman, Operations Manager for the Visitor’s Bureau, pointed out that in order to have your condo posted on the town’s website, you have to own at least 5 properties. This policy, adopted in January 2004, hasn’t been updated since.
The major objections for allowing owners of single units to place their listing on the website include the overall guest experience, a lack of a rating system for properties, the role of Homeowners’ associations in looking after guests, and as T&R Commissioner Knud Svendsen pointed out, “It would clutter up the website.”
If you’ve been on the town’s website lately, however, then you may have noticed that allowing rentals by owner to be included on the site wouldn’t be that much different than tossing a couple dirty socks on a huge pile of old laundry. Allowing postings on the site should be easily accomodated, seeing as the town has had issues collecting T.O.T. taxes from a portion of renters here in Mammoth. It just so happens the people who aren’t paying the TOT tax are the individual property owners. Why not give the rental owner something for their money? The Town of Mammoth Lakes should consider using the iTunes/Napster model in this situation (To discourage stealing, give it away for cheap) considering people are going to post and rent their property listing illegally through Craigslist anyway.
Another concern was a lack of rating system to help ensure a great guest experience. Why is this necessary? Every hotel chain has their own individual rating system, and not everyone uses AAA. To hit two birds with one stone, why not allow a separate link on the website for individual property owners (complete with disclaimer). In the meantime, let’s see how many Tourism and Recreation meetings it takes to get this one figured out.

TOWN UNVELS BUDGET

2009-2010 budget calls for 9% decrease

By Lunch

The Town of Mammoth Lakes unveiled its proposed 2009-2010 budget at Mammoth’s Town Council meeting on Wednesday.
The proposed budget calls for a 9% decrease from last year’s budget.
It anticipates resort occupancy of just 31%. “The adjusted CPI (Consumer Price Index) TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) is at the lowest level in over 10 years, in spite of increases in room rates and the tax rate change charged as a percentage of the room rate (10% to 13%). “
T.O.T. revenue is expected to come in at just 81% of the historic (10-year) trend line.
Staff has been reduced to 100 FTEs (full-time equivalents), down from 126 FTEs in 2007-2008.
Council voted Wednesday to appoint a Citizen Budget Oversight Committee to review the 2009-2010 budget. That committee will include Lesley Bruns, Rick Wood, Don Porter, John Vereuck and Eric Wasserman.
In addition, a 3rd party consultant, Mountain Travel Research, was also retained to look at the budget. The hiring of the consultant was mandated as part of the agreement with the employee unions to extract wage and benefit concessions. The contract is for approximately $10,000.
Mayor Wendy Sugimura and Councilmember Jo Bacon begin their budget roadshow this week, with presentations to the Sunrise Rotary and Lions clubs on Wednesday, May 13. There will also be a workshop at the Mammoth Lakes Library on May 19.

4th of July

Council also approved a $12,000 expenditure on Wednesday, which will facilitate a three-day lane closure on the Main Street South Frontage Rd. during 4th of July weekend.
One lane of the frontage road will be reserved for bicycles and pedestrians. The other lane will be one-way for vehicles.
Much of the cost ($7,700) involved is the Town’s own labor, which wouldn’t be an out-of-pocket expense. The Town also needs to spring for traffic cones and signage, as per Caltrans regulations. Those items, however, would go into public works’ inventory and be available for future use.
Councilmember Skip Harvey thinks the three-day traffic “alteration” will illustrate some of the possibilities of what the Town could do to improve/rehabilitate Main Street in the future.
“The more we animate Main Street, the better,” he said.
Among the events planned by Main Street businesses during the holiday weekend, said Harvey, will be a skate competition outside Wave Rave and the revival of Chalk it Up! in the Mammoth Luxury Outlet Mall parking lot.
John’s Pizza Works and The Tap are also thinking about partnering on some live entertainment.
Tony Colasardo of Footloose Sports said he supports the change in the traffic pattern, which will extend from Laurel Mountain Road to Matsu, because it will fill in a vital missing link to the Town’s bike path system.
Harvey said some businesses within the district would like to see the traffic pattern altered for the entire summer, but for now, will see how the trial goes.
“You had me at helping to animate Main Street,” said Councilman John Eastman. Council agreed, supporting the move 5-0.

Dissent

Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce Board member Dawn Vereuck, however, has raised some concerns about the Town’s financial support of a particular commercial district.
When it was conceived in 2007, the “Block Party” event was supposed to move around town and support various commercial districts. It hasn’t, says Vereuck.
If it is a Main Street event, she reasons, those business owners should shoulder some of the financial responsibility for the road closure.
She also said that these decisions should be made earlier so as to help other businesses in town make decisions. For example, private entities such as the Village, said Vereuck, thinking there was a void in the planning and arrangement of 4th of July events, invested a lot of money to fill the apparent vacuum. Now the Village is stuck competing with Main Street businesses subsidized by the Town.

ASSESSED AND DISTRESSED

Henning talks taxes, tanking property values

By Geisel

Let’s bottom line the situation: the economy’s not what it used to be, or what it oughta be. Property values are down and upside down mortagages have become part of the landscape. Prices for homes on the market have been coming down, which is good for buyers. On the flip side, loans have, until recently, been hard to get, due to the credit crunch. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to handle it, including Mono County Assessor Jody Henning.
Anxious homeowners with property tax bills soon to come due and members of the real estate community met with Henning Monday at an open forum sponsored by the Mammoth Lakes Board of Realtors.
During her presentation, “Declining Property Values and Your Tax Bill,” Henning discussed her responsibilities, Prop 13, the current economy and other topics, giving a broad overview of what to expect going forward.
Property taxes help pay for a lot of County services. Here’s how Henning broke down how your tax bill is divined.
All of it goes back to conditions established as part of Prop 13 (thank you, Howard Jarvis), which passed in 1979. Base year values are established on the date of a change in ownership (if you sell your home or business property) and/or the date new construction is completed. Each Jan. 1, adjustments (“increases” typical) of not more than 2% can be assessed.
As Henning described it, historically we usually experience a higher than 2% market value appreciation in our property, as much as 20% in some cases.
According to California’s Revenue and Taxation Code (Section 51), the taxable value of your property is the lesser of the base year value or the full cash value as of Jan. 1, taking into consideration damage, destruction or “other factors” (aka “the economy”) that diminish its value.So, here we are in 2009. The Mammoth Board of Realtors and Henning’s office determined, after reviewing years of real estate sales data, that the market peaked in early-to-mid 2006. “With the current [economy], we know that some property values have declined,” Henning said. “They’re not worth what the assessed value reflects.” In that case, Henning said she’ll have to make adjustments to the 2009-2010 tax roll, which is currently in the works.
Part of the Assessor’s duty, as Henning stipulated in her presentation, is “to ensure that property owners are not paying taxes on assessed values that are higher than what the property would sell for on the open market.
Is this you? Well, potentially yes, if you bought in 2005 or later. “That’s not to say there aren’t properties outside that timeframe that have been affected, “ she allowed. “Properties purchased in 2008 may have lost value. The market had started to decline by then, and property had sold for less than it had been going for in recent years.”
“We just had to pick a point in time that covers the majority of properties in question.”
What type of properties have suffered most? Condos, even more than single-family homes, commercial, industrial and parcels of vacant land.
The tax rolls have to be finished by July 1, and with 5 appraisers estimating approximately 5,000 properties, Henning has asked for patience. “Not everything will be done by then, but we’ll continue to review and correct,” she said. The review will include properties that have either changed hands or had any major construction (such as that addtion you put on your house) since Jan. 1, 2005.
To ease the load, condos (and some developments) similar in size and amenities will be reviewed on a combined percentage basis.
Henning pointed out that her office gets audited, too. “The state Board of Equalization requires that any adjusted property must have supporting documentation,” she said. “Believe me, when the next audit happens, property value declines will be a hot topic. We can get creative, but we have to stay within the law. We can’t just guess.”
A few things to bear in mind:
First, reduced values are temporary values; once the market corrects, Prop 13 values will be restored as if nothing had ever happened. There is, however, no limit to how much the Assessor’s office can reduce your assessment, as long as there’s market data to support it.
Second, no sales will be used after the 90-day window this year (which closed March 31.)
Third, some listings can be used as support data. “If your assessed value is above a comparable listing that’s at a lower rate, and it’s been on the market for say 11 months, it’ll probably be brought down to that listing rate,” she said. (There are, she added, no fixed time durations on listings.) Henning asked property owners to be proactive. “If there are no sales of properties in your area that are similar to your home, forward any information you think would be helpful to me.”
Fourth, Mammoth values will not be used to value outlying communities, such as Crowley, or Bridgeport. “There might be a decline, but how much? We have to corral that.”
Finally, foreclosures don’t count. Those, she advised, are considered “distressed sales.” They’re considered, she said, but not as the sole factor. “The sale price has to be exposed to the open market,” she said.
You do, however, have rights. One of them is that if you’re not satisfied with the Assessor’s review, you can (and Henning said “should”) file a formal appeal. Applications can be obtained from the County Clerk’s office.
The process is quasi-formal hearing before a 3-person board, and can be held anytime within a two-year period. One thing she asked: “Before you file an application for a changed assessment, first allow us to do our job.”
Henning said that, given the number of reviews, staff available and deadlines, the process isn’t perfect. “If we get within 5-10% of your value, cut us a little slack. If we completely miss the mark, or you haven’t heard from us by the end of October, absolutely call and talk to us. I’m at my desk. I answer my phone.”
Call Henning at 760.932.5510 or e-mail Assessor@mono.ca.gov.

Come to The Sheet's 6th Anniversary Party

THE SHEET CAN NOW PUBLISH WITHOUT A CARSEAT, BECAUSE WE’RE TURNING 6!

6th Anniversary party’s at the Clocktower Cellar
Saturday, May 9. 5:30 p.m. ‘til Kirk kicks everybody out

All tips to Sheet bartenders donated to local charities. This year, we’re supporting the Brittany Marie Dance Studio
in the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center

Community Briefs

Sierra Swap means a great deal

Bear-With-Us.org invites the public to get a great deal that means a great deal. The organization’s annual Sierra Swap Meet is set for May 30 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. in the parking lots on Old Mammoth Rd., between Meridian Blvd. and Chateau Rd.
Check out wildlife awareness booths, nibble on food from local eateries, and find deals on everything from cars, boats and RVs to snowmobiles and motorcycles, as well as all kinds of quality garage sale items imaginable.
Rent space $20 (size of a one-car parking space) and bring your new or gently used stuff. Organizer Joe Parrino said he knows it’s happening during Town Clean Up Day, but says that’s actually a good thing ... you’ll have the benefit of a large, out and about crowd. And, he said Bear-With-Us will take care of the advertising. Make it part of your Town Clean Up Day activities schedule!

Mammoth cleans up its act

The Town of Mammoth Lakes asks locals to once again volunteer to help Mammoth clean up its act during the annual Town Clean Up Day, held this year on Saturday, May 30. Go for a few final turns on the Mountain, then head home, grab a bag and sing a few choruses of “I Love Trash” while you clean up your hood starting at 8 a.m.
When you’re done, then join your fellow cleanup crews for a complimentary volunteer “thank you” lunch and raffle extravaganza at Mammoth Creek Park beginning at noon. This annual event is sponsored by the Town and its partners.
Pick up your FREE orange trash bags (maximum 10 at one-time) from the Town Offices, the Welcome Center, Mammoth Disposal (59 Commerce Drive), Looney Bean, Stellar Brew, REMAX, Old N.Y. Deli & Bagel, Salsa’s, Snowcreek Athletic Club or from your neighborhood coordinator.
Only the Town-supplied orange bags will be collected and no bulky items (refrigerators, appliances, etc.) will be collected.
Town staff and coordinators ask that you have those kinds of large items delivered directly to the Mammoth Disposal Transfer Station.
Neighborhood volunteers are still needed to coordinate the 10 sectioned areas.. There can be more than one volunteer for each area. Contact Michael Grossblatt, Town Human Resources and Risk Management Director at 760.934.8989, ext. 266, or e-mail mgrossblatt@ci.mammoth-lakes.ca.us.

Mammoth Football Golf Tourney

Mammoth High’s football program hosts its 13th annual golf tourney Saturday, May 30, at Bishop Country Club. Format: 4-person scramble. Fee includes breakfast, snacks and drinks, golf, and post tourney barbecue and raflle. Prizes include trophies and a car for a Hole-In-One! Fees: $80 for non-BCC members, $50 for BCC members.
Contact James Gray at 935.4105 (jjgray@quixnet.net), Chip Baviera at 935.4138, Joe Arrequin at 934.3723 or John Trujillo at 709.6800 for entry info.

Cop Shop

To Catch a Thief. Or two.

The Mammoth Lakes Police Department has asked the local media to publish the photographs below in the hopes of solving a pair of recent burglaries.

Do you know this guy pictured below? If you do, the MLPD would like to know, too. The man is considered a suspect in a theft from an ATM machine, which occurred at Bank of America in Mammoth Lakes on March 31 at about 10:55 a.m.
According to MLPD Det. Doug Hornbeck, the victim used the ATM, but forgot to remove the card from the machine. The unidentified suspect in turn withdrew $200 from the victim’s account.
How about the guy photographed above? The MLPD is also seeking information regarding a burglary, which occurred at the Whiskey Creek restaurant in Mammoth Lakes on April 18 between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and noon.
The unknown suspect used force to gain entry into a locked bar located on the first floor. The suspect, who apparently likes his drinks on the house, then walked out of the restaurant with two trash cans full of miscellaneous bottles of alcohol.
The suspect is described as a white male, between 25 and 30 years old, with short thin dark hair, clean shaven. He was last seen wearing blue pants and a white long sleeve shirt.
If you have any info on either of these cases, call Det. Hornbeck at 760.934.2011, ext. 17.

THE GREAT SACRAMENTO CASH QUAKE

Propositions on May 19 ballot allow voters to make state budgetary decisions

By Geisel

California lawmakers must be as strapped for budget balancing backbone as they are for cash. They put the state in an enormous deficit — projected at more than $41 billion over the next 18 months — and now they want you to decide for them how to fix the situation. Well, fine. Putting these issues in your hands is something a lot closer to direct democracy than we’ve seen from an wreckless Sacramento legislature in recent years.
Thanks to partisan bickering and out-of-control spending, the state’s school districts presently stand to lose billions of dollars in financing for improvements and development, not to mention the possible hobbling of healthcare services. Now you get to weigh in on how this horror story might play out by voting on 6 propositions put forth by the legislature for a special election on Tuesday, May 19. The propositions are designed to remedy at least part of the problem by offering alternatives to cuts or more taxes in two main areas: education and healthcare.
Of particular interest locally will be how this election affects schools. With the state’s education budget $3.5 billion in the hole, whether the future for school districts is bleak or bright could hinge on the fate of 1A, 1B and 1C. Passage could conceivably put schools back in the black next year, as Mammoth Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Frank Romero pointed out, but only if voters go for them.
To make things a little more straightforward, we put together another “Cheat Sheet” to help you when voting.

1A: “Rainy Day” Stabilization Fund

Boosts the size of the state’s “rainy day” fund from 5% to 12.5% of the General Fund (GF). Cost to you: increased state taxes of roughly $16 billion from 2010–11 through 2012–13. Upside: Proponents say 1A forces budget stability and accountability. It strictly limits state spending and mandates a bigger rainy day fund—forcing politicians to save more in good years to prevent tax increases and cuts to schools, public safety and other vital services in bad years. Downside: Critics argue it’s a Trojan Horse, amounting to a slush fund for pork barrel spending and only forcing more service cuts even in good times. They also say it allows for unlimited tax increases and gives “unchecked power” to the Governor, though exactly how is not stated.

1B: Education Funding

Would require supplemental payments (in lieu of maintenance payments) to local school districts and community colleges to counter recent budget cuts. Cost to you: None, at least not initially. Upside: Supporters cite budget cuts of $12 billion from schools and layoffs of more than 5,000 teachers. They say 1B starts the process of restoring our schools and community colleges as economic conditions improve. Downside: Money to one place means money taken from someplace else.

1C: Lottery Modernization Act

Seeks to “improve performance with increased payouts, and better marketing and management, as well as incorporate new accountability measures and protect school funding levels.” Cost to you: Allows $5 billion of borrowing against future lottery profits to help balance next year’s state budget. Upside: Figures from proponents estimate 1C stands to generate up to $5 billion in new revenue, supposedly without raising taxes. They also say it guarantees schools get the same level of lottery funding as they do now, and will help prevent tax hikes andand deep cuts to public safety and schools. Downside: Opponents think 1C is a wasted measure that essentially leaves the state lottery exactly the same as it was when voters enacted it via Prop 37 in 1984. Funding to education by the state lottery will not decrease or change in any way, they say. Also, debt-servicing the loans and higher payments to education could make it more difficult to balance future state budgets.

1D: Childrens’ Services Funding

The first in a series of props designed to “balance the budget,” this one temporarily redirects a portion of Prop 10 (which established the First 5 program) funds to offset General Fund support of health and human services programs for children up to age five; permanently changing state and local First 5 commission operations. Cost to you: General Fund savings of up to $608 million in 2009–10 and $268 million annually from 2010–11 through 2013–14, against corresponding reductions in funding for early childhood development programs provided by the California Children and Families Program. Upside: Supporters say 1D protects vulnerable children while at the same time helping the state close its $42 billion gap. (If the “cost to you” figures are accurate, that alone could be a big boon to the budget.) It temporarily shifts a portion of the unspent $2.5 billion in First 5 Commission accounts to fund critical health and social services for children under the age of 5 and protects against future cuts. Downside: Nay sayers charge that 1D is a wolf in sheep’s clothing that takes $1.6 billion away from local health and education programs for young children and gives it to Sacramento politicians. They say it “violates the will of voters who twice approved funds for local health, education, and antismoking programs, and replaces voter-mandated local control with more bureaucracy.”

1E: Mental Health Services

Another “balance the budget” prop, this one would amend the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63 of 2004) to temporarily redirect mental health funds (two years) to an existing state program in place of General Fund dollars. Cost to you: None. Upside: General Fund savings of about $230 million annually for 2009–10 and 2010–11, against corresponding reductions in funding available for Mental Health Services Act programs. Supporters say the one-time redirection will help close the budget shortfall, and ensure critical services to the “most vulnerable Californians.” Downside: Critics counter that the Mental Health Services Act’s successful programs already save the state and local governments money by reducing incarceration, homelessness, hospitalization and school failures.
1F: Elected Officials Salaries

Prevents elected members of the legislature and other constitutional officers, including the Governor, from receiving pay raises in years when the state is running a deficit. Cost to you: None. Minor state savings related to elected state officials’ salaries in some cases when the state is expected to end the year with a budget deficit. Upside: Simple, say advocates: “NO PAY RAISES FOR POLITICIANS WHEN CALIFORNIA IS RUNNING A DEFICIT.” Downside: Believe it or not, there is one. Adversaries say these legislative leopards have no intention of changing their spots, charging that Sacramento politicos won’t mend their bad voting behavior even with a salary freeze. They call it a “petty, vindictive attempt to punish the legislature” at the expense of “innocent bystanders, such as the Secretary of State” and others.
Bear in mind: 1A and 1B are “pass or fail” props that are tied together, meaning if one fails, so does the other. No 1A means no 1B, and vice versa.

Letters:

Into the Sunset

Dear Editor:

I feel it necessary to explain my quote in last week’s page 2 (Vereuck suggested that the demographic of readers of Sunset Magazine tend to be, well, old. While I did make the off-color comment regarding the Sunset response card, there was more content to my statement. I actually enjoy Sunset Magazine; in fact the May issue features the best places to camp; a few of which are in our neck of the woods. My frustration comes from the fact that our Tourism and Recreation (T&R) Department has the task of marketing for the Town of Mammoth Lakes.
Those of us who operate a business in this town are painfully aware of the requirement to hold a business license issued by TOML. In order to secure a business license, one must remit an application/renewal along with the required Business License Fee due each January. This fee is calculated by revenue from the year prior.
Ballot Measure A was passed in 1986. Measure A was a political commitment, which states that 100% of the Business License Fees collected will be used for marketing. The primary business of Mammoth Lakes is tourism, which seems appropriate that our Town’s Tourism Department be charged with marketing outside the area to increase visitation. The average amount of Business License Fees collected from 2002-2008 is just under $300,000 annually.
My point of contention is twofold: In reviewing the T&R budgets it is impossible to ferret out the exact amount of money collected from the Business License Fees. It apparently falls into a general fund abyss. Therefore, there is no real way to calculate how the money is appropriated for marketing efforts. My other issue, is that the Town’s marketing department chooses to use archaic methods in advertising.
We are living in the internet age. Those who choose to vacation here will most likely use websites to research and book their trips. Howard Pickett of MMSA spoke quite frankly at last week’s Chamber Forum on the Mountain’s marketing plan. I am not a marketing person, but I do understand return on investment. Howard Pickett was able to give an example of the Mountain’s internet marketing efforts, resulting in a 170% return.
At the start of this year, as I have for the past few years, I attempted to attain a detailed budget from the T&R department to see exactly how our business dollars are being spent and what our return is. I sat with Danna Stroud for two hours to discuss this topic. I specifically asked her to show me return on investment. She gave me many examples, most of which were not quantifiable, and also mentioned the Sunset reader cards. It is apparent to me that the Town’s marketing plan is not working, as our occupancy is completely flat. From 2001-2008, our average occupancy was 38.5%. Aren’t we a “year-round resort town? The highest occupancy recorded in any month since 2001 was in January 2006 which was 58.8%. The year-end total for 2006 was still just 39.2%.
In these uncertain economic times, it is imperative the business community demand accountability for the monies our Town collects and how they are being used.

Dawn L. Vereuck
Mammoth Lakes

Editorial: WE WERE TERRIFIC

So said MMSA Senior Vice-President Pam Murphy, in so many words, to describe the first year’s success of the reintroduction of commercial air service to Mammoth/Yosemite Airport.
She made the comments at Wednesday’s Mammoth Lakes Airport Commission meeting.
Murphy also said she is happy with the results of an aviation survey which show a nice user balance between locals and tourists.
Seat sales exceeded expectations. Yields did not, but that may have been due to the recession and lower price points.
The Airport Commission is aiming for three flights/day next winter, but says it needs to stay within the same operating budget as this year. In order to accomplish this feat, flights will have to be scheduled within the same general time period (one after the other) so you don’t have to pay people to stick around for too much longer than a regular shift.
Two of these flights would be from Southern California and one from the Bay Area.
April passenger numbers were strong. Planes were at 75% capacity for the final 12 days of operation.
Skywest has demonstrated interestin Mammoth, and negotiations have begun with that carrier.
The Commission proudly noted that Mammoth’s stats were better than the industry norm this year in regards to successful baggage handling. Then again, how can you lose a bag in the Mammoth terminal?
Talks are continuing regarding year-round service, but the cost is high. Horizon would require $1.8 million in seat guarantees. MMSA says they’ll pay for a third, but no other partners have stepped forward.
Town Manager Rob Clark said that he’d like to talk to the business community about partnering on year-round service, but feels like the business community isn’t interested in having the discussion. We need a messenger to reach out to Mammoth business, said Commissioners.
Glad to be of service.
Year-round service would require certain facility upgrades, including an automated landing system and 24/7 security surveillance. Yet a number of costs beyond the $1.8 million which tend to get conveniently forgotten.
Not sure how to apply this, but maybe we’ll file it under “for what it’s worth.” Geisel was hiking in Tahoe last weekend — Squaw Valley, specifically — and the ski area there was selling lift tickets for $20 … and the mountain was packed. Not only that, but Kirkwood ran a special (not sure if it was just a one-day thing) advertising free skiing with any season pass from any other ski resort.
Mammoth Crossing had its open house this past week, showing off architect sketches, mobility plans and concept drawings and computer simulations. The project is pretty ambitious, seeking to redevelop three of the four corners at the intersections of Lake Mary Rd., Main St. and Minaret Rd. Upside: it looks great. How soon can we get a shovel in the dirt? Downside: getting that shovel in the dirt could take a while. The key is how one interprets a “Village within the trees.” Mammoth Crossing interpreted that as a Village with buildings of equal height to the tallest, nearest tree.
The Planning Commission will take a look at the project firsthand Wednesday, May 13, morning and afternoon.
Finally, Councilmember Skip Harvey spoke on two topics at the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday. First was the pie in the sky (literally) dream of building a $30 million gondola system to shuttle everyone around town. I guess we really are counting on winning that airport lawsuit.
Second, he talked about 4th of July, especially about rearranging some traffic patterns to split the frontage road on the south side of Main Street between vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Obviously, vehicular traffic would be one way.
Speaking of 4th of July, The Sheet has been tapped to partner with the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce to produce the official town program, so regardless of what the Fifty Center tells you, the program they’re producing is a bootleg, and like many Dead bootlegs from the ‘70s or a Gumpian box of chocolates ...
Call Pamela if you’d like to advertise in the program. Call Lunch if you have content you’d like to include. Let’s pitch the whole summer and pitch it hard. FYI, The Sheet will return a portion (between 5-10% depending upon its success) of all proceeds to the Chamber to fund future Chamber-sponsored events.
Likewise, if you’re keeping a scorecard at home. The Sheet’s also partnering with Mammoth Mountain to do the official Motocross program (call Michelle Tomaier if you’d like to be a banner sponsor at 760.934.2571 ext. 3139) and with Mammoth Brewing Co. on the Blues program. The gang at Eastside is doing the official Jazz program.
By official program, that means that’s the program which will be distributed at the actual event (as opposed to the dude selling the knock-off t-shirts in the arena parking lot).
Like Porsche, you should accept no substitutes.