Archive - Feb 8, 2013 - News Article
By
George Shirk, Times Managing Editor
Officials evacuated Canyon Lodge at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area at mid-afternoon Friday, Feb. 8, ski area spokesperson Joani Lynch confirmed.
By
George Shirk, Times Managing Editor
Users argue for change of 21-year-old rule
A new recreation activity is beginning to emerge in Mammoth, but “snow biking” has some bumpy bureaucratic rules to clear before it can break into the trails system of the Inyo National Forest.
Even with the efforts of the community, no one says June Lake is better off without June Mountain Ski Area
Although the U.S. Forest Service and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area finally completed a winter operating plan for the June Mountain Ski Area, the closed ski area continues to present a big challenge to the community of June Lake.
Organizers promise event to return next year
Event organizers of the June Lake Winter Festival and Triple Threat Winter Triathlon announced on the heels of a first run, that the family-oriented winter outdoor event would return next year.
The Lyell Glacier, the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park, has stagnated, or ceased its downhill movement, according to a recent study conducted by scientists from the National Park Service and the University of Colorado.
The adjacent Maclure Glacier is still moving at its historical rate, about one inch a day.
Glaciers are defined as long-lasting ice masses that arise from the accumulation of snow, and move downhill by flowing and sliding, according to the park.
This winter started off with a big, snowy bang and raised hopes that it would compensate for last year’s drought conditions, but a dry January and a so-far dry February are tempering expectations for this winter’s snowpack.
The first snowpack survey of the Sierra was completed at the beginning of the month and it puts the Sierra at about 55 percent of normal for the whole winter, according to state data.
By
George Shirk, Times Managing Editor
Two-hour minimum rental at $25 an hour
The Whitmore Track and Sports Field are finished, but it is not a free ride for organizations or for groups who want to use it.
Under a set of new rules and payment schedules, sports groups would be dinged $25 an hour, with a two-hour minimum, for the use of the nine-lane, polyurethane, 400-meter track and/or the full-sized synthetic turf field.
Parksman Dennis Rottner, the town’s “Go-to Gadet Man,” says polyurethane and synthetic grass do not make for a good dog experiencefor anyone involved, and with a short staff, he and his parks crew have other things that need more attention than cleaning up after recalcitrant dog owners. …
Benefits youth and education
A Poker Run — open to all skiers and riders — is being hosted by the Mammoth Lakes Rotary Club this Saturday, Feb 9, according to Rotary President Rick Phelps
Registration begins at 9 a.m. outside the The Mill at the base of Stump Alley. The entry fee for this event is $20, with all proceeds benefitting Mammoth Lakes’ youth and education activities supported by the Rotary Club.
The Metabolic Studio IOU Garden will host “100 Conversations About Water” as a commemorative action during the centenary of the L.A. Aqueduct. Nov. 5 marks one hundred years since the opening of the L.A. Aqueduct.
Conversation Number One: What Do Seeds have in Common with Water?
Discuss issues around GMO Seeds, the Commons, and How we can Protect our Food Sources, Saturday, Feb.16 at 10 a.m., Metabolic Studio IOU Garden, Main St. at Willow in Lone Pine.
By
George Shirk, Times Managing Editor
Cites health issues; Marysheva-Martinez new boss
The axe fell on Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht Wednesday evening in circumstances cloaked in mystery.
Following a closed Town Council meeting that followed its regularly scheduled Feb. 6 meeting, the town announced that Wilbrecht resigned his position, but offered no explanation as to the reasons why the former Mono County Administrative Officer and Mammoth Parks director quit.
Agreement could end litigation threat
After months of wrangling, a solution to the recent water war between Mammoth’s municipal water district and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may be at hand—and perhaps as soon as Feb. 14.
By
George Shirk, Times Managing Editor
Two officers are ready immediately
In the wake of budget cuts that left the Mammoth Lakes Police Department shorthanded, MLPD Dan Watson said he is moving ahead on establishing a reserve program.
Two top reserves are ready to go, he said at the Town Council meeting Wednesday, Feb. 6. One of them, retired Sergeant Karen Smart, is familiar to longtime Mammoth residents and visitors.
In another blow to the City of Los Angeles’ attempt to cut costs and avoid more dust mitigation on the Owens Dry Lake, on Feb.5, the Kern County Superior Court denied the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.
It was filed for repeated violations of orders issued by both the court and the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.
The state Public Utilities Commission denied Verizon’s recent request for a three-month extension in providing high-speed broadband capacity to Swall Meadows and Crowley Lake.
The communications company was under an order to provide service to the small, hard-to-serve communities, after it violated a Scenic Highway regulation requiring a waiver if cables were not buried along the highway.
