Archive - Sep 28, 2012
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
For Mammoth to have continued its legal fight with lawyers representing both Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition and Terry Ballas, the town was subject to a "burn rate" of $1 million a month in legal costs, Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht said.
Speaking to a crowd at the Council Chambers on Thursday night, Welbrecht asserted that the legal costs in terms of attorneys fees and the costs of paperwork were so daunting that the town had little choice but to settle.
"We've talked about the cost for legal services," Wilbrecht said. "We talked about how expensive it is.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
With the memory of a horrible ski season still fresh in their minds, skiers and snowboarders headed to western resorts are looking forward to the new season with a fair amount of apprehension.
“The summer season was impressive for participating western resorts but pretty much everyone is now watching the Weather Channel, checking the Farmer’s Almanac, and getting their snow dance ensembles cleaned and pressed,” said Joan Christianson of the Denver-based Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) data collection agency.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Town leaders of Mammoth Lakes last night issued a clarion call for action by the town’s citizens in the wake of its $29.5 million, 23-year settlement with Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition (MLLA).
The call came from town councilmembers and Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht, who together face the prospect of paying off a $2 million annual payment over the next 23 years to end the breach of trust judgment against the town.
Welcome Robin Roberts, the new department director for the county’s revamped Mental Health Department, now to be called the Department of Behavioral Health. Roberts has been with the county for some time now, but was just promoted to the new title, taking over former Mental Health Director Ann Gimpel’sposition….
During the winters of 1947-48, I lived with Ward Baker in the Sun Valley parking lot, in a 4x8 foot trailer. Someone asked me last night, âWho is Ward Baker?â
Ward grew up in Manhattan Beach. I first met him while I was surfing, in January, in the freezing cold waters of the South Bay near his house. I was riding my homemade, 11-foot long, 95-pound redwood surfboard, and he was riding his homemade redwood surfboard that was about 7 feet long. It weighed nearly as much as mine did. We met in 1941, long before the invention of 8-pound foam and fiberglass boards.
Mammoth High School cross-country runners donât have a big team, but theyâve got a big name.
The Huskies took seven runners to the 39th Annual Bellarmine Jefferson Invitational at Griffith Park in Los Angeles last weekend and came away with impressive performances.
The first race of the day featured four freshmen from Mammoth in the Fosh/Soph race. Up-and-comer Jeremy Laguna ran the 2.95-mile course in 18:52, placing ninth, and received a medal for his performance.
Chamber Music Unbound opens its 2012-13 winter season this weekend with âFantasia,â performed by the resident Felici Piano Trio and renowned violinist, Corey Cerovsek.
The program begins tonight (Friday) at Bishop Union High School, and then repeats at Cerro Coso Community College in Mammoth on Saturday. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $25/adult, $17/senior and $7/student and can be purchased at the door after 6:45 p.m.
Tickets are online at www.ChamberMusicUnbound.org, at the Booky Joint and at The Inyo Council for the Arts.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
âWhatâs a debate?â
âA debate can be a lot of things, Fido, but basically it is when two people with different ideas engage in argument under a certain set of agreed-upon rules.â
Fido thought about this for a moment or two.
âWhy donât they just bark at each other?â he wanted to know. âThat works for me, and lots of other dogs around here.â
âThey do, in that human kind of way. Sometimes they have a little coyote yip in their voices; sometimes they let loose with a basso profondo. But youâre right. Itâs basically just barking at each other.â
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
The Mammoth Huskies, now in the thick of High Desert Conference play, get to participate in a Home- coming tonight (Friday).
The problem is that itâs Boronâs homecoming, not theirs.
Coming off a strong 49-8 victory over Riverside Prep at Gault/MClure Stadium, the Huskies actually look to ruin Boronâs big night.
It wonât be easy.
Boron (4-1) is coming off a 56-6 victory over Vasquez on Friday, Sept. 21, and have won games this season by 54-0, 61-0 and 55-0. The Bobcatsâ only loss was on Sept. 14, when they were taken to the cleaners, 48-6, by Rio Honda Prep of Arcadia.
The Mammoth Unified School District this week received $300,000 for alleviating problems and/or enhancing programs, according to foundation executive director Stacy Corless.
She said the money will go toward increased class offerings/ academic flexibility; technology; language path- ways, and visual/performing arts.
âItâs a win-win,â Corless said in a press release, âallowing MMCF to bring additional resources to Mammothâs schools while also creating a program that supports student athletes on Mammoth Mountain teams.â
Rediscovering Mammoth Lakes
September 28, 2012
Sadly, before my recent trip, I hadnât visited the Mammoth Lakes area for a long time, having been a regular winter visitor when I lived in Southern California. Back then I saw the mountain, the condo, the restaurants and the clubs. It had never occurred to me that this was also a wonderful summer recreation area. Boy, was I surprised.
If you stand on top of Mammoth Mountain and are not obsessed with skiing down in one piece, you can take the time to look around, and what you see is the 10-by-20 mile Long Valley Caldera.