Archive - News Article
February 4th, 2011
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
Police Chief Dan Watson didn’t get exactly what he wanted from the Town Council Wednesday evening, but at least he got something.
That’s more than he got in his first two tries before the council, on Dec. 15 and Jan. 19, when the chief tried to figure out a way to add some muscle to his force.
On both those occasions, the council turned him down flat.
But on Wednesday, after yet another proposal from Watson, the council approved filling the MLPD’s open lieutenant position from within and adding a sergeant.
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Mammoth Times Staff Writer
While much of the rest of the country got walloped by a massive winter storm this week, the Sierra remained stuck in a stubborn dry pattern that shows no signs of breaking anytime soon.
Even the groundhog in Punxsutawney didn’t see his shadow meaning, if groundhogs can be believed, that winter will end soon.
But the huge snows that hit the Sierra back in December were enough to, so far at least, protect the state of California, which gets 30 percent of its water from the Sierra Nevada mountains.
How do we know?
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
Members of the Recreation Commission began to wrap their heads around implementing the town’s recreation vision on Wednesday afternoon.
The commission met with Carl Ribaldo and Austin McInerney of the Strategic Marketing Group, along with facilitator, former Tourism and Recreation director Danna Stroud.
The consulting group walked the commission through the steps and guidelines that would make the so-called “RecStrats” document a viable recreation road map by August.
February 3rd
A Crowley Lake local, Jeff Wheeler, died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound last Thursday, according to the The Mono County Sheriff’s Department.
On Thursday, Jan. 27, at approximately 8:20 am, a Mono County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to 325 Sierra Springs Drive for a welfare check. Jeff Wheeler, 40, was found deceased in his bed from a self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head.
Further death details are under investigation.
Source: Mono County Sheriff's Department
February 2nd
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi – Mammoth Times Staff Writer
Local climber and June Lake resident Doug Nidever is in a Reno hospital after suffering a stroke and possible heart attack last week, according to a climbing partner, Bruce Bartlett.
Bartlett said Nidever, also known as "Flanders" by his climbing community, was awake and responsive, but is in serious condition. Nidever can speak, but still is battling blood clots and other complications.
Bartlett was headed to Reno to visit Nidever, with another climbing partner.
February 1st
Mammoth's highly used Shady Rest area has a long history of sometimes conflicting uses, especially in the winter when snowmobilers and skiers, dog walkers and snowshoers vie for the trail system. Although the conflicts have died down somewhat over the years, due mostly to hard work by both user groups in educating their members, the need for a final solution for winter use in the area, still remains.
That opportunity might be available finally.
January 31st
Mammoth skier John Teller only needed an inch or two to win a gold medal in Ski Cross at the X-Games Sunday in Aspen, but he had the speed and he had the inch.
Teller, who has two World Cup podium finishes, including a gold medal in St. Johann, Austria on January 7, narrowly edged out Chris Del Bosco, who led the majority of the race.
January 29th
By
Leslie Willoughby - Mammoth Times Staff Writer
TransworldWorld SNOWboarding loves John Jackson.
One of the leading voices in the sport gave the Crowley Lake resident its Rider of the Year award, along with the Men’s Video Part of the Year.
It was the second straight year the magazine gave him the two awards, making him a downright celebrity, if he wasn’t already.
The awards were announced last Friday at the 2011 TransWorld SNOWboarding Poll Award show in Denver.
In another era, Jackson might have wanted to call home to tell the news to his mom, Shirley, and track down brother Eric, too.
January 28th
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
Town Manager Rob Clark rode into town on the wings of prosperity, when Mammoth was on the rise and could do no wrong.
Six years later, he rides into Ojai, under the shadow of the recession, when Mammoth is on the fade and can’t seem to shake out of it.
From Clark’s point of view, there were significant victories in his years here, and also defeats.
“I think getting our air service going in the middle of the recession was rewarding, and I’m proud of the staff. They have kept thing going in spite of these different things.
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
Mammoth Nordic, which since 2002 has groomed its way into the winter experience here, has now announced it is grooming its way back out.
Its leader, Brian Knox, released the news last Friday, writing in an e-mail,
“Regrettably, our club’s passion, funding, equipment and manpower over the last three years has not created a compelling enough case for community Nordic recreation in the eyes of town government.”
Knox’s announcement immediately sent the town’s recreation department into a scramble.
Short clips about what's happening in our mountain aerie.
It’s always a high adrenaline day when the Race Department runs a Village Championships Super G race. And so it was this Tuesday. The snow was hard and fast, and Jimmy Morning was going for it when he caught an edge on Terry’s Run, tumbled and fell, bounced and was knocked out cold. After a night in the hospital, he was released, with orders not to ski for two weeks. Concussion. Nothing broken. ...
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
We knew we had a problem.
We just didn’t know how far Mammoth has to go in building trust between the Hispanic population and the Mammoth Lakes Police Department.
Let’s just say it’s a very long way.
In a presentation Tuesday in front of the Mammoth Lakes Police-Community Hispanic Advisory Committee, Village Lodge manager Luis Villanueva came back with some disturbing news.
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Mammoth Times Staff Writer
“As hard as it comes.”
That’s what the man in charge of Digital 395 said about the rush to get the massive project completed by its July 2013 deadline.
Not an easy feat – laying 583 miles of spun glass high speed optical cable from Barstow to Reno.
“If we don’t get it done by July 1, 2013, the money goes away,” said Michael Ort, CEO of Praxis Associates and the original mind behind the $101 million Digital 395 project that is right now under way out your back door.
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Mammoth Times Staff Writer
As the federal government eyeballs even the military as a place to cut costs, some locals wondered if cuts might hit the Bridgeport area Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.
Probably not, said Rian Gamble, community outreach for the center.
“We are training Marines at full capacity, with some 16,000 to 17,000 a year coming through, doing everything from mountain medicine training to high altitude training, and more,” he said.
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Mammoth Times Staff Writer
A decision on whether and where snowmobiles can cross the Pacific Crest Trail near Sonora Pass might not be made this year, according to Mike Crawley, Bridgeport District Ranger for the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest.
The decision, part of a winter recreation plan that aims to increase the economic diversity for northern Mono County, was due out by Crawley early this year.
