Archive - Sep 2012
September 14th
A totally random sampling of what Mammothites are reading, culled from here and there, appearing every now and then
Mary Canada, Eastern California Museum archivist: “The Next 100 Years,” by George Friedman.
âWhat the heck is THIS?â Fido wanted to know.
âItâs a bag of treats!â
âHey hey hey hey!â he said. âWhatâs that other thing?â
âOh this little old thing?â I said, and reachedâtentativelyâ into the shopping bag. âItâs a muzzle, Fido, and it goes around your nose and mouth, kind of like your Gentle Leader.â
âI hate it already,â Fido said.
âYeah, I know, but you canât have one, the bag of treats, without the other, you big red lug. Itâs going to snow pretty soon, and we have to get used to you wearing this thing, or they wonât let you on the bus.â
Despite fervent opposition from Mono and Inyo County, a Senate billâone that former Mono County aquaculturist Tim Alpers claims could almost eliminate the stateâs trout stocking programâis now on Governor Jerry Brownâs desk.
âI think he is going to sign it,â Alpers said Wednesday. âDespite opposition (from rural counties like Mono County), his administration (in this case Alpers is referring to the state Department of Fish and Game) supports it.â
The Mammoth Times and Mammoth Sierra Magazine welcome the members of the Outdoor Writers Association of California to our cool little hamlet and our big, vast mountains.
All of us in Mammoth routinely read what you write. We marvel at the images and videos you make. We love your websites and multimedia and, having consumed as much as we can, we always come out the better for it.
âAleksandra, George, Wendilyn, Jesse, Carolina, Tiffany, and Teresa, along with our office four-footers (Fido, Zeppelin, Kassie, Skye, Mica and Bear).
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
It is not a particularly hard run, at least for those with legs of steel, lungs of a blast furnace, and the determination of a locomotive.
Erik Lynch and Rebecca Sopp qualify in all those areas, and the results of the Tioga Pass Run last weekend showed it.
Lynch, 24, ran the 12.4-mile road in 1:33:24, easily outrunning 24-year-old Ryan Spaulding of Bishop to win the menâs division. Spaulding finished nearly three minutes back, at 1:39:13.
When sirens wail and police cars scatter oncoming traffic like a flock of geese, itâs usually Mono Countyâs paramedics that are behind the wheel of the ambulance.
Itâs an unusual system in a world of private ambulance services, but it has worked well for this small, rural countyâa place where population is low, hospitals are far apart, and private ambulance companies would be hard-pressed to make a profit.
Bye-bye, Kim Stravers, who will be on the X Games crew for ESPN, beginning later this month. We lose a lot up here with her departure, such as one of the few who know how to use kerrect spelling and punctuation. …
Californiaâs counties howled when Sacramento told them the state would be sending over some of its low-level prisoners to reduce state prison crowding.
Mono County was no exception, citing costs and potential safety problems. The problem is county jails are not set up for long-term prisoners, with sentences that could run into decades in some cases, it argued.
The recent spate of Hantavirus-caused deaths in Yosemite National Park does not mean a spate of Hantavirus-caused deaths in Mono County.
It doesnât mean there wonât be any deaths, either.
Itâs an issue locals know about since the Eastern Sierra is considered a âhotspotâ for Hantavirus infections.
E Clampus Vitus Bodie Chapter #64, known as the Clampers, unveiled a monument dedicated to Dave and Roma McCoy and Mammoth Mountainâs history at Main Lodge Saturday morning (Sept. 8).
Hundreds of Clampers from all over California attended to celebrate the McCoys and their contribution to the skiing world.
According to the Bodie Chapter #64 website (www.ecvbodie64.com/), E Clampus Vitus is a âfraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
What to do about June and September, anyway?
These are the dreaded months of the so-called shoulder seasons around Mammoth, but a few impresarios this week made two bold moves to allay the impact of the awkward, seasonal downturns.
The first scheme begins on June 22, when Mammoth will host a Sunday half-marathon from Horseshoe Lake to Old Mammoth Road. It would star members of the Mammoth Track Club and top runners of the vaunted San Diego Half Marathon organization.
By
George Shirk - Times News Editor
Mammoth can be intense in the summer, but the question for some retailers is how much of that should be in tents.
That would be tent sales, specifically, which came before the townâs planning commission Wednesday and drew an intense discussion, spearheaded by the Tent Sale King, Outdoor Sports owner Philip Hertzog.
âWithout these sales in the summertime,â he said, âweâd be out of business. Weâre in a shopping mall (the Sierra Center Mall on Old Mammoth Road) that just went from 80 percent vacant to 90 percent vacant.
September 13th
Officials from the Inyo National Forest and Bishop Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management announced today that Eastern Sierra fire restrictions put into place June 20 will be rescinded beginning Friday, Sept. 14.
Recent seasonal changes in the fuel moisture, combined with increased humidity and cooler night time temperatures, have prompted the lifting of fire restrictions throughout the Inyo National Forest (lands administered by the Inyo) and the Bishop Field Office lands.
On Tuesday, September 11, agents from the Inyo Narcotic Enforcement Team, with assistance from the Inyo County Sheriffâs Department, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Bureau of Land Management, conducted a marijuana eradication operation in the Inyo National Forest.
September 8th
The Bishop Broncos beat the Mammoth Huskies Friday night, 56-6.
The loss dropped Mammoth to 0-3 on the season. Bishop, with the overwhelming victory, evened its season record to 1-1.
Next week, Mammoth travels to Rosamond. The Roadrunners won their Friday night game at Vasquez, 32-26.
