Archive
September 26th, 2011
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Times Staff Writer
A 1,140-acre lightening-caused fire that began Sunday northwest of Bridgeport near Buckeye Campground and Buckeye Hotsprings is 100 percent contained, according to Mark Regan, a spokesman for the regional Incident Command team now in charge of the fire's management.
Buckeye Road is closed, Buckeye Campground is still closed, and the Twin Lakes Road is also closed at this time.
The Buckeye Fire started Sept. 25, 2011 around 11 a.m.
No structures have been lost and no injuries have been reported, the fire management team noted in a press release.
September 23rd
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi - Times Staff Writer
âItâs been a long time coming.â
Thatâs what Mammoth Elementary School Principal Roseanne Lampariello said after learning that her school had jumped 32 points in their state test scores last year.
For anyone in academics, 32 points in one year is a lot. In addition, the 32 points brought the scores past the magical 800 Academic Performance Index number used to determine whether meeting state educational standards â or not.
By
Leslie Willoughby - For the Times
That historic spike occurred in Mammoth Lakes at the Mono County Department of Social Services this spring. Where normally 15 people seek relief daily, they numbered up to 90, with the majority applying for the CalFresh food program.
Some had never before experienced poverty.
âYouâll see people that are so uncomfortable that I just want to say they break your heart because you know they have really hit a hard time,â said Julie Tiede, Director of Social Services. âYou know they donât want to be there.â
The bear that was tagged in Yosemite but wandered over to the Eastside has an amazing range. Heâs been spotted in Lundy Canyon, Twin Lakes, June Lake and around Mammoth. Heâs easy to spot because of a yellow tag on his ear. Heâs been well behaved say wildlife specialists and has earned the nickname âYosemite Sam.â ...
Says Dan Dawson of the Valentine Reserve: âThere is an abundance of natural food this year.â Berries and currants abound and the bears are lovinâ it. ...
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
âIâd like to try yoga.â
Fido lay at my feet, watching a yoga program on television.
âWell, itâs not unheard of,â I said. âPeople and dogs who do yoga together call it doga. They swear by it.â
âTell me more, please,â Fido said.
âI will, but only if you tell me about this wild-hair of an idea first.â
âOh, I donât know, but I figure winterâs coming up pretty soon. There will be lots of days that just wonât be very pleasant outdoors, so Iâm looking for something to do in here.â
âFair enough, Fido.â
He leapt to his feet.
âHey hey hey hey! When can we start?â
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
Spike Todd likes to tell a story about his brother Bob.
When they were kids in Southern California, Spike says, the two brothers shared a bedroom and a small black-and-white television. They were devoted Angels fans and devoted Lakers fans.
Spike, the owner of Mammoth Liquor, swears that Bob used to do sports play-by-play in his sleep. This when Bob was about 10 or 11.
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
Itâs not as if anyone in his or her right mind would want to make the Everest Challenge any tougher than it already is.
Yet nobody has ever accused Alan Jacoby, of Mammoth, as being in his right mind.
âGoal setting and achievement is like a drug,â said Jacoby, a volunteer at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra and an entrant in this weekendâs Everest Challenge.
Jacoby, however, said he is going to attempt the ride on a singlespeed mountain bike.
âHelping others erase barriers only makes you want to go out and test your own limits,â he said.
Yeah but âŠ
September 20th
United Airlines on Tuesday did what it said it would do.
That is, the airline announced that it would make a commitment to Mammoth beyond one daily flight from San Francisco.
In addition, the airline tweaked its schedule with SFO in the hopes that it could alleviate a turnback/cancellation rate of over 30 percent last season.
No longer will the jets have to land in the dark and take off from Mammoth in the dark. Rather, the flights have been moved up to earlier in the day
But the big news comes from Down South.
September 19th
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
The union representing about 62,000 Southern California grocery workers on Monday reached an agreement with three major chain food outlets, including the Vons stores in Mammoth and Bishop.
The tentative contract agreement also included Albertsons, Ralphs and Pavillion stores.
Negotiations began in February to compose a collective bargaining agreement that would replace the workers' previous contract, which expired in March.
The workers will be asked to ratify the agreement, which includes protections of health care and pension benefits throughout the life of the contract.
September 16th
A 74-year old man from New York was hauled out of the backcountry last weekend after an all-night hike by members of the Mono County Search and Rescue team.
On Friday September 9, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team responded to rescue an injured backpacker near Iceberg Lake, who was reported as having a leg that was "broken from the knee down," and was also possibly going into shock.
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
âI think we should maybe invite a cat into our home.â
Honestly, I thought I was hearing things.
âFido, what did you just say?â
âMaybe we should get a cat.â
You could have knocked me over with a feather. There have been plenty of cool cats cross my path over the years. There was Buster, for example, over in the East Bay, and there was the cat in Cedar Rapids that caught everyoneâs attention. His name was Director.
There were dozens of others.
There have been disasters, too, such as that Cat Who Shall Not Be Named.
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
âThe Cribâ is about to close up shop for the season.
It has been home to runners, cyclists, biathletes and sports media for four months. Now, Tourism Director John Urdi said it is up to them to spread the word about one of the most innovative high-altitude training facilities anywhere.
Technically it has no name, but every since its inception last winter, Urdi has called it the âHigh Altitude Training Crib.â
Now itâs merely âThe Crib,â a two-bedroom (with loft) townhouse at Snowcreek that can handle six (or more if some want to choose a spot on the floor).
From Dave McCoy, attempting to build a solar-powered off-road vehicle: âLast Thursday we made another big step with the electric UTV when the solar panel was installed onto the roof. Itâs not going to run the machine by itself, but it will be able to provide a bit of electricity when we need it. âNow we are adding bigger motors and finishing the fabrication.â Heâs updating on Facebook, by the way. ...
Congratulations to Mammoth Unbound team riders Kimmy Fasani and Chris Benchetler who got married in Mammoth last Saturday. ...
September 14th
A fire that began near Big Pine Tuseday and at one point involved more than 2,000 acres, was 95 percent percent contained by Thursday, according to the California Department of Forestry.
The fire, officially called the "John Fire," began Tuesday at about 1:30 in the Crater Mountain area south of Big Pine.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
There was no immediate threat to structures, and the evacuation advisory was lifted Thursday morning.
U.S. 395 remained open throughout the event.
September 13th
By
George Shirk - Times Senior Writer
One Mammoth man was killed and another seriously injured after a horrific rear-end collision on Interstate 80 Saturday afternoon in Wyoming.
The Wyoming Highway patrol said William "Bill" Krawisz, 26, was killed in the accident, while Travis Mann was seriously injured.
Mann's dog, Nova, also died in the crash, which occurred on Interstate 80, 10 miles outside of Laramie.
At least two passengers also were injured in the crash.
