Archive - 2010 - News Article
November 2nd
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi â Mammoth Times Staff Writer
Mammoth and Mono County voters are slowly making their way to the polls today, with voter turnout expected to increase later in the day.
Locally, the races to watch are the closely contested Superior Court Judge race between Mark Magit and Randy Gephart.
November 1st
Mammoth High School may become Mammoth's second California Distinguished School, after the state board of education notified the school Oct. 29 and invited the high school to apply for the California Distinguished School title.
Superintendent Rich Boccia said Monday that the state chose MHS based on the fact that there had been "enough improvement in one of the school's subgroups" (he assumed it was the English language learner group) to qualify for applying for the prestigious honor.
The heavy rains that fell the week of Oct. 18 caused problems out on the Scenic Loop Road, which is currently closed from Inyo Craters to U.S. 395. According to Inyo National Forest engineer Olin Beall, the rains soaked and saturated the base that had been laid down prior to paving. A new, dry base has now been put down in advance of two layers of asphalt. The first asphalt layer was due to be completed on Friday, Oct. 29. The second layer is scheduled for the first week of November, weather permitting.
October 29th
By
George Shirk - Mammoth Times Senior Writer
In the end, Steve Klassen and Robert Calvert stood like blood brothers in the hallway outside Mammoth Lakes Town Council Chambers, joined by their commitment to medical marijuana.
Both had won licenses to open cooperatives in Mammoth, courtesy of the Mammoth Lakes Planning Commission, which on Wednesday voted to award them the licenses, turning down a bid by Dagmar Zila of the Range of Light Wellness Center.
It was a short but convivial tĂȘte-a-tĂȘte, with hand shaking and a mutual pledge to help each other in the myriad issues facing them as Mammoth moves into the medical marijuana age.
Last Sunday, our good friend Erick Sugimura defied the wind and started running with the family dog, Tang, on the Downtown bike trail, but after a quarter mile a tree broke off and hit the ground about 40 yards away. âSeriously,â he Facebooked, âit was probably 20-30 feet tall and six to eight feet in diameter!â Thereâs a term for that: âRed Fir Roulette,â and you can ask Bob Solima about it. He saw plenty of action like that as longtime winter caretaker at Reds Meadow. ...
By
Wendilyn Grasseschi â Mammoth Times Staff Writer
Caught between the Great Basin to the east and Mojave Desert to the south, halfway between Southern and Northern California, backed by some of the highest mountains on the continent, Mammoth is a study in convergences and contrasts.
Its weather is no exception. High mountains do make their own weather to some extent, or block, mitigate or amplify whatâs already out there.
Add the fact that Mammoth is almost precisely on the forecasting boundary between Northern and Southern California.
By
Mike Bodine, Special from the Inyo Register
The California Department of Fish and Game will meet in November to vote on a controversial measure that some say will impact private fish stocking operations throughout the Eastern Sierra.
Specifically, the measure would require any entity in the state that stocks its waters from a private or state-run fishery to pay for an environmental study to ensure the fish do not interfere with, or cause harm to, one of 87 species under concern.
While the DFG says Eastern Sierra operations will not be impacted, local fish farmers aren’t convinced.
October 28th
As if Jack Copeland doesnât have enough to do on Mammoth Mountain.
In an effort to more effectively train and retain its employees, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA) has instituted a new management development initiative, headed by Copeland, the director of human resources at the ski hill.
The program is designed to identify employees with management aptitude and ambition and then properly teach them the fundamentals of leadership and management.
This new initiative will help to mentor, coach and track performance of new managers to help them improve.
October 27th
In a national park loaded with unusual and fascinating sights, people camping in Yosemite earlier this month saw an unusual sight in the form of ... Oprah Winfrey?!?!?
In the park in early October to film two shows based on her experiences in the park, the media megastar and her friend spent two days and one night in and around Yosemite Valley, according to Donna Sisson, the branch chief for public involvement and outreach.
The shows are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 29 and Monday, Nov. 1.
As pot busts go, the Tuesday arrest of Mammoth resident James Carlson was over the top.
The bust was by Mono County sheriff deputies assigned to the Mono Narcotics Enforcement Team (MONET), according to a press release from the sheriff's office. One deputy as wearing in street clothes. The other deputy was wearing sweater over his uniform and a portion of his duty gun belt. Yet another, a specialist from the California Drug Enforcement Section, were traveling in an unmarked MONET vehicle on Frontage Road in Mammoth.
October 26th
By
Leslie Willoughby â Mammoth Times Staff Writer
Following All Hallows Eve, trick-or-treaters trickle into the dentistâs office to trade in their loot. At times, âweâve seen great reluctance,â said local dentist Byron Sansom.
âLast year, a child came in with two bags. He said, âyou can have this bag, but you canât have the other one,ââ referring to his personal stash.
Dr. Sansom transforms trick-or-treat with his second annual âcash for candyâ event that captures the hearts of local kids, their parents, and military personnel. This year, he joins forces with a newly formed movement to focus on the troops who call Mono County home.
Workers at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area began making snow Monday night after temperatures dipped well into the 20s â cold enough to start.
The snowmaking operation was still underway Tuesday afternoon on Broadway, with temperatures steady at 36 degrees and calm winds.
Snowmaking is possible only when the outside temperature is below 42.8 degrees F (six degrees C). On Monday night, the temperature at Main Lodge hovered in the mid- to low 30s for most of night, hitting its nadir at 29 degrees.
October 25th
FDA Issues Consumer Safety Alert: Hylandâs Teething Tablets may pose a risk to children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is warning consumers that Hylandâs Teething Tablets may pose a risk to children, according to an FDA release forwarded by Mono County Public Health Officer Richard Johnson.
The FDA recommends that consumers not use this product and dispose of any in their possession. The manufacturer is issuing a recall of this product.
Yosemite National Park on Monday afternoon re-opened the Tioga Road after snow and icy conditions closed Tioga Pass on Saturday, according to Yosemite National Park's road information hotline.
The road is the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada through the park.
The Mammoth Town Council is now officially girding for a loss in the $30 million ongoing âHot Creekâ airport litigation.
Based on the comments and questions made at a Sacramento hearing by a panel of judges, the Town Council concluded Wednesday that there is a significant risk that the trial court verdict will be upheld. A decision is expected within 90 days.
In preparation for a potential negative ruling, the Council is exploring options, town officials said in a press release Thursday afternoon.
Among them are:
