News

Build your own snowman to toast December snowfall

January 14, 2011

There’s nothing that can stop a good party on Mammoth Mountain.

This past week, ski area employees were scrambling to put together a “Big Snow Bash” weekend for Jan. 21-23, with events commemorating the 209-inch December snowfall that broke records for the snowiest month on record.

It will start with the construction of 209-inch (17.4 feet) snowmen, situated at Main Lodge, Canyon Lodge, Little Eagle Lodge and at the Mill Café at the base of Chair 2/Stump Alley Express, according the ski area spokesman Dan Hansen.

What's Up, Up Here? Jan. 7

January 8, 2011

Our weekly roundup of what's what and who's who:

That was a bad week last week for the satellite TV customers, reception dishes filled with snow and signals blocked by snow-laden trees. “Not that was a big sports weekend or anything,” sighed the go-go John Urdi …

Hugelman wins case against Town of Mammoth

January 8, 2011

Former Mammoth Lakes Police Department Sergeant Eric Hugelman won a decisive judgment against the Town last week.

Hearing Officer Roberto Morales ruled that Hugelman’s termination a year and a half ago was unjustified, and ruled that he should be reinstated.

Morales ruled that Hugelman should have been suspended for three weeks, at most.

Now the question is whether Hugelman will, in fact, rejoin the force, and how much back pay he is entitled to.

The Town Council took up the matter in closed session after Wednesday night’s regular meeting, but no decision came out of the session.

Manning to FAA: Fax it and I'll ignore it

January 8, 2011

It was as bad as communications can get.

In the complicated Hot Creek predicament that turned into the $30 million loss for the town, the California Third Appellate District Court consistently hammered the Town and the Federal Aviation Administration for poor communications.

The three-member panel cited one instance for special consideration.

Early on in the process, after the Mammoth Lakes Town Council agreed on the development project, the FAA sent (by fax) a number of concerns to Bill Manning, the airport manager.

Manning’s response was to simply not respond.

Green light for Hooper's Rock Creek subdivision

January 8, 2011

The much-debated, proposed subdivision in Lower Rock Creek Canyon was approved by the Mono County Board of Supervisors Dec. 21, but only after some extensive changes to the plan.

The subdivision, proposed by longtime Eastern Sierra developer John Hooper, is located at the old Paradise Restaurant and Resort site.

The 29-acre project, with proposed market-rate homes that will mostly replace the old rental cabins there, has been relatively controversial.

Adventure Slide Show delivers on promise of breathtaking adventure

January 8, 2011

It had a little bit of the feeling of a come to Jesus meeting, when people of like mind come together to praise their gods.

In this case, it was the gods of rock climbing. And one of the disciples, Peter Croft, gave a slide show and riveting sermon on various rock routes in the Eastern Sierra.

Croft inaugurated the new and already popular Adventure Slide Show Series started by Jim Barnes, Tuesday night, Jan. 4, at the Snowcreek Athletic Club.

Ant-bullying films to be shown at Mammoth Schools

January 8, 2011

Bullying in school can make some children’s lives so miserable, they don’t want to even get up in morning, let alone go to school to learn.

It can lead to depression and other serious mental health problems, and even, as a recent string of high-profile suicides across the country, show, the death of young people.

Mammoth Unified School District is hoping to once again step up its anti-bullying efforts, beginning next week with a series of films shown at all the district’s campuses.

The films will be shown:
• Jan. 10 from 6-7 p.m. at Mammoth Elementary School

Republican Ted Gaines wins Senate seat

January 4, 2011

Mono County has a new state Senator, Republican Ted Gaines.

Gaines not only won the 1st Senate District election overall, he also won in Mono County, with 54.7 percent of the vote as compared to Democrat Ken Cooley's 45.3 percent.

District-wide, the vote was 81,945 votes (63.2 percent) for Gaines, with Cooley receiving 47,743 votes (36.8 percent).

RecStrats: Curious name for a bold document

December 30, 2010

The most powerful document to come out of Mammoth in 2010 came with a curious name.

It is RecStrats, a shortening of “Recreation Vision & Strategies In Mammoth Lakes.”

Created by Carl Ribaudo of the Strategic Marketing Group of South Lake Tahoe and facilitated by former Tourism and Recreation Manager Danna Stroud, the document ultimately may turn out to be as important as the Town’s General Plan.

Not a policy document, it was created to provide all town and area leaders with a way to think in common terms about where the Town is headed in terms of what we do best – having fun.