Archive - Opinion

The gift of a guide dog

May 15, 2013

April 24 was International Guide Dog Day, a very important day.

The Guide Dogs For The Blind” (GDB) is a nonprofit organization that helps those who are visually impaired with the gift of independence, freedom, and the gift of helping them continue their journey in life with very special dogs—mostly yellow and black Labradors, golden retrievers, or a mix between a golden retriever and a Labrador.

Amazing Mammoth

May 15, 2013

Today’s (May 6) snow deserves an entry into my diary.

Being May, it’s warm, for Christ’s sake! Friday, some young lovelies were in sport bras—stirring my sports briefs. The snow surface was warm, soft groom. Ideal spring conditions!

During the last few days, thunderstorms settled over Mammoth. Some rain, some warm snow, some hail.

Thanks for the continued generosity

May 15, 2013

The Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol would like to take this opportunity to thank all the local establishments that donated awards to our 2012-13 Ski Patrol Awards Banquet.  

The continued generosity and support of our Ski Patrol helps to make this event a huge success.  

Urdi’s World

May 15, 2013

We can hardly remember what it was like around here before John Urdi arrived almost three years ago. Now, it’s hard for us to imagine what Mammoth would be if he were to somehow disappear.

Two major pieces of progress happened this week under the wand of the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Executive Director.

First, Mammoth took its first steps toward establishing a Tourism Business Incentive District, a TBID, joining about 75 other California cities in such a revenue-generating scheme.

Thanks for the Ski Day

April 23, 2013

Dear Editor,

The students and staff of Mammoth Elementary School would like our community to know about a wonderful event that was made available to us by the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. 

This past Monday and Wednesday, our 2nd-5th grade students were welcomed at the Mountain to enjoy a day of skiing or snowboarding, completely free of charge. 

Trail Talk

April 23, 2013

We have a soft spot in our hearts for the ineptly named, but highly effective, committee that has been put in charge of the Mammoth Lakes Trails System.

Against long odds, the so-called Mammoth Lakes Trails System Coordinating Committee (MLTSCC) has taken one central idea—all of us want great trails around here—and created a vision on behalf of at least 21 separate user groups.

We appreciate the opportunity to represent our county

April 16, 2013

The Lee Vining High School Mock Trial team would like to thank the Mono County Bar Association for helping us raise money in support of our program.

The Bar Association hosted a fundraiser last week that helped our team pay for our recent to trip to compete at the Mock Trial State Championship in Riverside.

It does not appear that change is forthcoming

April 16, 2013

Everyone had high hopes when three new supervisors were voted in last year. 

It was obvious by the final vote tallies that people were ready for some change. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the change is forthcoming. 

The current Mono County Board of Supervisors appears to have decision constipation as it’s April already and very little has been accomplished—some of which are very questionable.

Earth Day

April 16, 2013

Earth Day is coming up, on April 22. Forgive us if we’re less than enthused.

Forty years after the great, green, grass-roots environmental movement of the 1970s began, it already has begun to lose its luster.

What a dumb idea

April 16, 2013

The attempt to change the name of Minaret to McCoy or whatever is ridiculous!

What a waste of money. McCoy’s name is all over Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, and if that’s not enough name recognition, then let the family pay for the change. This is not the time to spend money for no benefit or gain. This is a dumb idea!

Vic Schultz

Manhattan Beach/Mammoth Lakes

We need action

April 16, 2013

I was at the June Lake Community Center on Tuesday, April 2, to hear the results of 13 people traipsing around New England trying to figure out what in the world to do with June Mountain.

The culture of a community

April 3, 2013

A community gains a character and a personality of its own, because of the culture of its people.

The importance of culture lies in the fact that it is a link between people and their value systems. Culture is that one single bond that ties the people of a region or community together.

We are in the tourism and recreation business

April 3, 2013

I would like to respond to your editorial “Nice is Hard” in the Mammoth Times March 22 issue.

Your editorial perfectly illustrates a problem some people have in our community. That is the notion that visitors to our resort who are frustrated, upset, or angry about the problems they face trying to have a fun vacation in Mammoth have somehow offended us and therefore forfeit their expectation of good service or even politeness from us.

That idea is simply not true, worse; it is destructive to our reputation and future business.

Hoop dreams

April 3, 2013

There is a timeworn basketball strategy that is as simple to understand as it is hard to execute:

Play to your strengths, cover your weaknesses.

Reduced to that formula, basketball is easy to grasp, except when it’s not.

We’ve been thinking about that during the past few weeks, and not just because of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Rather, we’ve been thinking about it in terms of Mammoth, and Town Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez’s push for economic development.

The digital future

March 19, 2013

We can’t wait to meet Mammoth’s new director of community development, whoever that is.

Judging by the job description, he or she will, ideally, possess superhuman powers, with an ability to juggle a minimum of 19 specific job duties and about a dozen peripheral duties.

He or she also must leap tall buildings in a single bound, and demonstrate superhuman strength, speed, stamina, invulnerability, freezing breath, super hearing, multiple extrasensory and vision powers, longevity, flight, intelligence, and regeneration.