Archive - Jun 2012 - Opinion

That's the ticket

June 29, 2012

From time to time, we use our idle moments around here for a little daydreaming. This week, it was all about business plans. Don’t even ask how it started.

It’s rough to make business plans in a town headed for bankruptcy, in a state that has no money, and a country with an economy as stable as an aspen log over a creek in May, but we soldiered on with a couple of nifty ideas:

Thanks to the local community

June 22, 2012

I would like to take this opportunity to thank several members of our community for their generosity in donating time and products to our Curbside a Meal fundraiser benefitting Mammoth High School Football.
Times are tough for businesses and individuals and despite the challenges, our community came together with donations and time commitments to make it happen.
The following businesses helped to make the tri-tip dinner a success: Rafters, CJ’s Grill, Grumpy’s, Mammoth Mountain, Roberto’s, Good Life Café, Toomey’s, and John’s Pizza.

Fire and hubris

June 22, 2012

There is no natural reason for people to live in Mammoth Lakes. None. But we live here anyway because we like to have seasons loaded with fun.

We ski. We hike. We climb. We ride bikes, drive off road, pull fish from the water and then do it all again.
We pay a price to live here, though, and the price tag varies depending on the bill Mother Nature whips up in her ledger book.

This summer the price tag has to do with fire—indiscriminant, deadly and entirely natural. Wendilyn Grasseschi’s story, beginning on Page 1., captures the situation.

Just Life: Who's your daddy?

June 15, 2012

Fathers come in all shapes and sizes and I've known several of them during my life. Of course the first father I came into contact with was my own, sweet dad. The other day I was askinhg my mom about by father and I was surprised that there was once a soft, romantic dreamy-eyed young man under the tough and stern exterior I new to be my father.

The bleeding stops

June 15, 2012

By this time next week—Wednesday, to be precise—Mammoth Lakes will have a balanced budget.

It will be a document that drips with the blood of dep cutsw. lost positions and dashed dreams.

But it will be done. Finished. Over.

The residual pain of it, along with the unresolved plan of how to deal with the $42 million MLLA judgment, will hurt for this year and for many years.

But for now, Mammoth can get back to doing what it does best. You can call it whistling past the graveyard, but all of us are weary of the graveyard.

Re-jiggering

June 8, 2012

And just like that (snap fingers), the political landscape of Mammoth and Mono County changed.

Letters to the editor, June 1-7, 2012

June 1, 2012

Letter of support for Tim Alpers
Mono County’s District 3 cannot go wrong by electing Tim Alpers to represent them as their supervisor. Tim is decisive, fair and determined to do his best at serving the public interest.

Rare treats

June 1, 2012

A remarkable intersection of events in the Big Wide World happens this week in Mammoth, spanning backyard politics, athletic prowess and instellar space.

All of them are worth our attention. We live in such a unique place that it is easy to take it for granted. Here are just some of the reasons why we should not:

• The Drop-In. Jeremy McGhee is a superior athlete. At one time, he was a superior surfer, until an accident took away the use of his legs. He is to try an ascent of Bloody Couloir this weekend, via wheelchair, and a descent on skis.