Archive - Sep 2012 - News Article
September 29th
Here is the full text of Mammoth councilmember’s Rick Wood on the MLLA settlement, delivered Thursday, Sept. 27 at a special meeting of the Town Council:
You can only imagine the frustration of a lawyer and a politician being muzzled for a year on this.
I thought that I would not actually have any prepared remarks, but that I would see how things flowed.
September 28th
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….
Chamber Music Unbound opens its 2012-13 winter season this weekend with “Fantasia,” 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.
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.
“It’s a win-win,” Corless said in a press release, “allowing MMCF to bring additional resources to Mammoth’s schools while also creating a program that supports student athletes on Mammoth Mountain teams.”
September 27th
A gift of brand new iPads and laptops for Mammoth Elementary School students last year has allowed students to jump-start their roles as technologically savvy global citizens.
Even students as young as kindergarteners can now learn how to use the digital devices, whether their families at home have them, or can afford them or not, according to former Mammoth Elementary PTO member and president Pamela Bold.
A new virtual charter school is available in the Bishop/Mammoth area and it’s free and open to most students.
The new, 501c3 nonprofit academy is called Golden State Virtual Academy. It’s a state-sponsored school and is thus free to students. It already has about 80 students, according to Principal Randy Cook.
It might begin with something as simple as an insult. “You’re fat.”
“You can’t do anything.”
“You are ugly.”

“Nobody likes you.”

The abuse might worsen—getting ganged up on, being hit, being beaten up.
It might get even worse—midnight texts that denigrate, insult, terrify. Emails that do the same. In a world of instant and constant communication, the end of the school day is no relief.
It all might sound like no big deal. After all, “kids will be kids,” right? They will grow out of it, right? They are just words, right?
As the Town of Mammoth Lakes comes to terms with a $29.5 million lawsuit judgment, Mono County Supervisors weighed in on the possible effects it will have on the county.
Counties and incorporated municipalities have very different functions. Cities and towns create their own wealth through property taxes and use some of that money to improve their area—by building a recreation center, a park, public art displays—but by law, a chunk of that property tax revenue also goes to the county.
September 24th
At approximately 12:40 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, Inyo County Sheriff’s Investigators received notification of two deceased bodies in a home on Pa-Ha Lane, Bishop. Inyo County Coroner, Leon Brune has released the following names: Helena Spratt, an 18 year old Bishop woman; and Chase Tague, a 27 year old Bishop man. The bodies were discovered by a neighbor.
September 21st
NEWS RELEASE
From the Town of Mammoth Lakes
Following up on their announcement of the signing of a term sheet on August 21, 2012, the Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition LLC (MLLA) jointly announced today the settlement’s specific terms, executed by parties on Thursday (Sept. 20, 2012.)
Also parties to the settlement are the Airport Developer, Terrence Ballas and his related development entities (“Ballas entities”). The settlement amount is $29.5 million, substantially less than the $43 million judgment held by MLLA against the Town.
The U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at hundreds of recreation sites across the country on Saturday, September 29, in recognition of National Public Lands Day.
Here locally on the Inyo National Forest day-use fees will be waived at South Tufa in the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile, and Schulman Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Fees regularly collected at these sites contribute significantly to improving facilities and vistor services in the specific area where the fees are collected.
As fundraisers go, it’s hard to imagine we’ll see one that’s much better than the benefit for Matt Graef at Z-Ranch on Tuesday. Fabulous raffle prizes, great food, and much needed money to the family of Graef, our Mammoth High School football player who is battling cancer. That was small-town Mammoth at its best, we say. …
