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Weekly News
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News Briefs, Week of August 6, 2010 |
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Saturday, 07 August 2010 |
Edith Buchanan Memorial
A memorial service for Edith Buchanan will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 at St. Joseph’s Church. Following the service, there will be a potluck luncheon at her home at 93 Sugar Pine. Light dishes are requested. Music will be played, but Edith’s collection of glassware will not be given away. A second service is planned for noon on Sept. 25 at Hayden Cabin. In lieu of flowers, Edith’s family asks that donations be made to the Felici Trio/Chamber Music Unbound.
More public transit coming
The Eastern Sierra is getting a grant to ramp up its public transportation system for a region spanning all the way from Yosemite National Park to the southern edge of Inyo County.
The federal grant allowed the Inyo National Forest to hire an experienced transportation planner recently. The new employee will work with local communities and organizations to unite visitor attractions, such as the Rock Creek area out of Tom’s Place, to the area’s critical transportation routes using public transportation.
For example, a bus that takes visitors and locals to trail heads and other visitor attractions could prevent new and larger parking lots at places like Rock Creek’s Mosquito Flats’ trail head, according to Inyo National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch recently.
Another grant also sets aside $1.6 million for more Eastern Sierra Transit buses, or replacement of those that need it. A similar, even bigger grant of $3.2 million is ready to help replace the buses for the Reds Meadow shuttle system, Upchurch said. – WG
Renewable energy projects considered
Plans to put wind energy infrastructure in the Glass Mountains are among dozens of applications for possible renewable energy projects that federal land managers are looking at this year, according to local forest service officials.
Although not all the applications will be approved – they must fit with local land managers objectives – all of them must be analyzed and considered, according to Inyo National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch.
Upchurch assured the Mono County Board of Supervisors during a recent presentation regarding the forest’s activities that the forest was not receiving any incentives that would push them to prioritize such projects, something that at least one supervisor was concerned about. – WG
Work will begin on Hot Creek roads, trails
Work to stabilize the roads and trails in the Hot Creek geological area will begin soon, local forest service officials said. The work will mostly consist of hardening the trails and roads so that they do not erode sediment into the creek, which is the home of the endangered tui chub fish and is thus mandated to be protected by the federal government. –WG
Little Hot Creek Road temporarily closed to motor vehicles
Little Hot Creek Road (route 03S138), a popular Long Valley access route on the Inyo National Forest, will be temporarily closed for maintenance work beginning Aug. 9 for up to four weeks. While foot traffic will still be allowed, motor vehicle access will be closed from below the Little Hot Creek ponds area to the 03S138A intersection.
The work is part of the Inyo National Forest’s Travel Management Plan, with the Little Hot Creek area targeted for specific restoration and maintenance, including road surface hardening to control dust and sediment flowing into the creek. The water quality of Little Hot Creek is an issue of concern as it is home to the tui chub, a diminutive and dwindling native fish species. The project serves to improve riparian habitat, protect resources, and improve public access.
A Friends of the Inyo work crew will assist Inyo National Forest staff with the implementation of restoration and mitigation projects identified in the Inyo National Forest’s Travel Management Record of Decision. Volunteers (individuals and groups) are welcome on this project. Interested volunteers should contact Stacy Corless at Friends of the Inyo, 760/873-6500, or email:
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For further questions regarding the temporary road closure or scope of work, contact Jon Kazmierski, recreation officer for the Mammoth Lakes and Mono Lake Ranger Districts, at (760) 924-5503 or
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Electric rate increase still favors Mono County
Southern California Edison has increased electric rates for some of its business customers this summer, but the end result might actually benefit Mammoth and other high-elevation businesses on the Eastside.
That’s because the rates will only increase for a four-month period, from June through September, when they go up 17 percent from the customers’ previous rate.
For the rest of the year, the rates are actually going to decrease by 14 percent, which is why SCE calls its program a “rate change” program, not a rate increase.
This applies to SCE’s so-called “GS-1 customers,” small and mid-sized businesses that use 20 KW or less per month, according to SCE spokesman Daniel Brady.
The reason the rate change could actually benefit businesses in Mono County (as opposed to Inyo County) is that the high elevation of Mono County means customers use most of their power in the snowy cold winter to heat their businesses, when rates are lower.
So the program, designed to incentivize Southern California residents to cut back on air conditioning and conserve, actually works in Mono County’s favor, Brady noted. – WG
Want to see a change in Town’s Budget?
The Budget Re-formatting Committee is seeking individuals’ comments on simplifying the Town’s budget. Constructive input can be registered at www.tomlbudgetreformatting.wordpress.com;
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; and at (760) 924-1060. The committee, comprised of Deb Pierrel, Joyce Turner and Sandy Hogan, will be available to hear comments at Rotary and Lions Club meetings, and at two open houses at the Mammoth Lakes Library: Tuesday, Aug. 24, 4-7 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 25, 1-3 p.m.
Bluesapalooza!
The Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza has come a long way since it was started 15 years ago by Sam Walker in the parking lot of Whiskey Creek. Back then, they only had ten breweries, a barbecue, a garage band on the roof and a handful of beer connoisseurs.
Today, the festival is now outdoors among the pines and has grown to Mammoth’s Biggest Summer event, showcasing 60 of the best microbreweries in the country and highlighting the top blues performers. But the idea behind the event remains simple – have fun and introduce people to the joys of handcrafted beers.
The Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza is now recognized as one of the best beer and blues festivals in the United States. The15th Annual Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza runs August 6-8, 2010. – RV
Saddle up for Tri-County Rodeo
On Monday, Sept. 6, there will be several local ranch rodeo events held at the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair: Team Branding, Ranch Sort & Rope, Barrels & Breakaway and more. There will be a Jr. Barrel Race for those 12 and under, and Dummy Roping for those 10 and under. Sign up by Aug. 20. For more information, call (760) 873-3588.
IMACA Food Drive this weekend
High school students will conduct a food drive to assist IMACA in its efforts to help those in need in the community. It will be conducted in front of Vons from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7 and Sunday, Aug. 8. Donations can be canned goods of all kinds; boxes or bags of rice; beans and peanut butter; and cereals of all types. Drop off bins will be staffed by students for convenience. For more information call Kirsten Underwood at (760) 873-8809 or (760) 937-5969.
Weekly Occupancy Report, Mammoth
The total projected average resort occupancy is as follows:
Friday, Aug. 6 - Saturday, Aug. 7 = 81%
Sunday, Aug. 8 - Thursday, Aug. 12 = 49%
Hotels/Motels/B&B: 97% (Fri-Sun) / 48% (Mon-Thur)
Condos: 65% (Fri-Sun) / 50% (Mon-Thur)
New Bristlecone visitor center to be built
A new visitor center for the ancient Bristlecone forest in the White Mountains will get under way this summer, using $2.6 million in grant money.
The previous visitor center was burned down by an arsonist two years ago and the popular attraction has made do with a temporary motor home as a visitor center ever since. – WG
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Neil McCarroll leans back, reflects on life in Mammoth since 1950s |
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Saturday, 07 August 2010 |
 Neil McCarroll and his cat, Henry Acuff. Mammoth Times Photo/Erick Sugimura
By Erick Sugimura
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
Neil McCarroll has seen a lot of changes since he first started visiting Mammoth Lakes in the late 1950s. Point of fact, McCarroll has been instrumental in making many of those changes himself.
But, as all things change, so do a man’s priorities.
McCarroll, who celebrates his 43rd anniversary with his wife Åse (pronounced “O-sa”) this month, is looking to sell his home, move closer to his family in Reno, Nev., and take some time to travel the country.
With a new page in his life about to turn, McCarroll flips back through a few of the more memorable moments that came to define both himself and the Town of Mammoth Lakes.
Come for the winters, stay for the summers
McCarroll first started coming to Mammoth as a college student in 1958. After he married Åse, a Norwegian national, in 1967, they continued coming up together for the winters.
“Like everybody else, we started coming here as skiers,” McCarroll recalled.
And, like everybody else, it didn’t take long before they saw how beautiful the summers were.
They purchased their first place in 1972, a two-story mobile home, to have a place to stay when they visited.
In 1980, on Memorial Day weekend, McCarroll recalls a swarm of earthquakes and other natural disasters of varying degrees.
“We thought, ‘earthquakes, floods... we gotta move there,’” he laughed.
By the end of 1980, they had purchased a house in Mammoth, the very same one they still live in today.
McCarroll was already a corporate securities lawyer and in 1981 he opened his own law office in town.
“Emile Rummel was an early client,” McCarroll said. “I was his business lawyer and he asked me if I’d be interested in representing the incorporation committee [to incorporate the town.]”
There were a number of people interested in incorporation, familiar names such as Barbara Campbell (who would become one of the first council members), Boyd Lemmon (who would become the first Mayor), Roger Guffey, Sam Walker, Dave McCoy and Andrea Lawrence.
“The major reason was we weren’t free to do our own planning,” McCarroll said. “We wanted to be a destination resort, which has urban type issues, and Mono County is predominantly rural. Our interests diverged.”
As a business lawyer, “the chance to incorporate a town was very cool,” McCarroll recalled.
Knowing they’d need help, the committee also hired the husband and wife team of incorporation consultants Fred Christiansen and Pat Wallace.
McCarroll was able to get the Mono County Board of Supervisors to fund the feasibility study for the incorporation and was able to get approval from LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) with Andrea Lawrence’s help as a supervisor and chair of the commission.
The next hurdle for the Town and McCarroll was going to be a vote by the people, but as it turned out, the support for incorporation was overwhelming.
So, in a ceremony at the top of Mammoth Mountain, on Aug. 20, 1984, the Town of Mammoth Lakes came into existence – it remains the only incorporated town in Mono County today.
The first Town Attorney and the highest incorporated town
“I was the first Town Attorney and we were setting the boundaries of town... huge... 25 square miles,” McCarroll recalled. “We wanted to annex Pyramid Peak to be the highest incorporated city in the United States.
“And we were... for one week!”
That title had been held by Leadville, Colo., and when Mammoth Lakes incorporated they sent a hearty congratulations this way.
Then, Leadville promptly annexed a taller peak nearby and took the title back.
Fortunately, McCarroll kept his job for longer. He served as Town Attorney for three years, from 1984 - ’86.
Between himself and Christiansen and Wallace (who essentially comprised the town government for the first couple of months), the Town had its hands full with planning and zoning, in addition to being named as an additional defendant in a court case pending against Mono County.
“It was an interesting few years,” McCarroll smiled. “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.”
One of the first actions of the county board of supervisors after the incorporation was to determine the effective date of the incorporation.
This was important to the new town because until the first year after incorporation, the county would subsidize and pay for all town operations.
“We all went up to Bridgeport and pled for the mercy of the court,” McCarroll joked.
The late supervisor Bill Reid was the most vocal for a longer time period.
“This is a business proposition and we don’t want this business to fail,” McCarroll remembered Reid saying.
So, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 1, 1984, the town collected revenue and the county picked up the tab.
“It had a material impact on the county,” McCarroll said, noting that it was a powerful message of support for the newly formed town.
Another memorable moment for McCarroll had to do with the selection of the first planning commission. He recalls Council Member Barbara Campbell being too embarrassed by the process.
“She didn’t want to pick one person over another in public,” so they did it in closed session.
“Oh, we got in the San Francisco Chronicle over that!” McCarroll laughed. “We’ll just chalk that up to inexperience.”
Hiring a town manager, forming the MLPD and cleaning up the town
The next milestone for both McCarroll and the Town would be the hiring of a town manager. McCarroll, a licensed pilot, was flying back to Mammoth from L.A. on Oct. 11, 1984, so he could help interview for the position the following day.
Things didn’t go according to plan, however, because McCarroll’s plane crashed on the way up.
While he walked away with only a concussion, it goes without saying that McCarroll missed out on the interviews that next day, when Mammoth’s first town manager, Ray Windsor, was hired.
In addition to getting a town manager, there were many infrastructure needs in the new town, not the least of which are trash service and police service.
“In those days, there was just so much trash in this town,” McCarroll remembered. “There used to be 10 huge, uncovered dumpsters in the Chair 15 parking lot with trash flying out and bears climbing in.
“It was meant to be a transfer station, but it was a gargantuan mess.”
McCarroll helped negotiate a contract with Waste Management, Inc. that resulted in the formation of Mammoth Disposal in the industrial center.
“That contract was obviously quite lucrative [and good for all parties.] That was huge.”
Regarding public safety, Christiansen had recommended that the town contract Mono County police services for the first 20 years until the community stabilized.
“That went great for the first year or so,” McCarroll said.
Then came the Antelope Valley garden party.
“The board of supervisors and town council had a garden party in Walker at [Supervisor] Ed Miltonberg’s ranch,” McCarroll said, shaking his head slightly.
“Suffice it to say that they had just a little too much wine and the result was [Mayor] Boyd [Lemmon] saying, ‘who needs the Sheriff’s Department!’”
Thus, 18 years sooner than planned, the town hired Bruce McAfee as the first Police Chief.
“They were more goodwill ambassadors,” McCarroll said, likening that early incarnation of the police department to the current Host program at Mammoth Mountain. “Things were a lot simpler then.”
“Still, you might say that the MLPD was a creature of happenstance.”
McCarroll and McCoy
If you’ve been in Mammoth for any length of time, you’ve probably seen how integrated the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is with the Town of Mammoth Lakes. Dave McCoy was a member of the incorporation committee and there seemed to be hardly any distinction for him between what was good for the town and what was good for the mountain.
So it comes as no surprise that when the town was looking into putting together a transit system, McCarroll and Ray Windsor went to McCoy.
“This was around ’85-’86. In those days, it was impossible to get municipalities insurance for transit,” McCarroll said. “Dave said, ‘if you promise not to institute a [recreation] tax, I’ll build a transit system.’”
That was the Red Line, which continues to be the primary winter bus line between town and the Main Lodge to this day.
“Dave wrote a check for $600,000, and that was a lot of money then, and he said, ‘now, this is going to be good for families visiting the mountain, right?’”
McCarroll remarked that this was always foremost in McCoy’s mind – that it be good for families, local and visiting.
What began with that handshake agreement and $600,000 check is now one of the largest privately run transit systems in the world.
“It demonstrates the ongoing partnership between the mountain the Town,” McCarroll said. “And it’s not in writing – it’s commitment.”
In another anecdote about McCoy, McCarroll remembered when the NORBA bike races started coming to town, particularly a Celebrity Race comprised of three laps around Whiskey Creek Restaurant.
“Easy, right?” McCarroll smiled. “Dave must have had 20 grand worth of equipment – he was just tricked out. I showed up with shorts, a tie and a blazer.”
McCoy had looked at McCarroll quizzically, “Oh... hi, Neil.”
“I said, ‘Dave, I’m going to have to kick your ass today.’ He just gives me this look like, ‘I don’t think so.’”
At the start line, McCarroll rolled up next to McCoy trailing a rickshaw carrying council member Barbara Campbell and two Samoyeds.
“He lapped me twice in a three lap race!” McCarroll laughed. “Every time he saw me after that, he’d smile.”
Going county
In 1987, McCarroll left his position with the town to work for County Counsel Jim Reed. The office was just the two of them for 10 years.
One of the highlights of McCarroll’s career in the Sierra came when he and Reed went to Sacramento because the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was taking water from the tri-valley area and lowering the water table.
“We went and got special legislation for the Tri-Valley Ground Water Management District,” McCarroll said. This granted official status and permitting authority over the water rights.
“Jim and I were very proud of that.”
“Another thing I was proud of was my work with Jim Reed and Tim Alpers and numerous other people to get AB7 passed,” McCarroll added.
Assembly Bill 7 established the Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund that supports local fish hatcheries and trout stocking programs. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 August 2010 )
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Villagefest breaks all records |
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Saturday, 07 August 2010 |
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By Mammoth Times Staff
The seventh year certainly seems to be the charm. Mammoth Villagefest broke all records last weekend, increasing attendance by at least 40 percent, said Cathleen Calderon of ESP Productions.
“It far exceeded my expectations this year,” she said. “Restaurants ran out of food, and entries in the rib cook off doubled over last year, to 14.”
People were elated. E-mails to Calderon are thanking her for this great locals’ event; they’re thrilled it was free; and they loved the blend of music, food and camaraderie.
In addition to ribs, chicken and chili cook offs, local bands played all day long, with the piece de resistance being tribute band Pink Froyd as the sun was setting.
Calderon and ESP partner Mike Hoover started the event seven years ago, with the idea of a locals’ celebration.
“I feel it’s like 3,000 people are coming to my house for dinner,” Calderon said, “and I want everyone to feel they’re special.”
This year’s sponsor, Mammoth Brewing Company, poured some 29 kegs of brew during the day.
This year’s charity benefitting from money raised is Eastside Canine.
MAMMOTH VILLAGEFEST COOK-OFF WINNERS
Ribs:
1. Westin
2. Burgers
3. Angels
Chicken:
1. Burgers
2. Hot Chicks
3. Smokeyard
Chili: 1. Burgers
2. MMSA
3. Clocktower |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 August 2010 )
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Mono Lake fire 100 percent contained |
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Saturday, 31 July 2010 |
 Mono Fire advances before erratic winds that plagued fire suppression efforts for most of this week. Mammoth Times Photo/Tiffany Henschel By Wendilyn Grasseschi
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
About 250 firefighters are still fighting a 1,200 acre fire near Mono Lake that started Monday afternoon, although lighter winds toward the end of the week have finally slowed the fire down.
As of Thursday evening when the Mammoth Times went to press, the fire was 100 percent contained, up from 20 percent on Wednesday afternoon.
Higher humidity and cooler temperatures Wednesday night and Thursday helped the firefighters to get a better handle on the fire. However, the weekend is expected to be drier and warmer and firefighters warned that the Eastern Sierra has already dried out from its drenching last weekend.
S.R. 120 East, the South Tufa and Navy Beach road, and Test Station Road all opened again on Thursday, after being closed since Monday afternoon.
The Mono Fire is the biggest fire burning in the Eastern Sierra region, after a series of lightning strikes on Sunday started eight other small fires in the area.
All the lightning-strike fires were less than a tenth of an acre and are now in “monitor” status, according to Nation Forest Service/Inyo National Forest spokeswoman Nancy Upham. Heavy rains accompanied most of these lightning strikes, making suppressing them relatively easy.
The Mono Fire was determined to be a lightning fire as of Thursday, after initial reports suggested it might be human caused. It started on the south side of SR 120 East, the road that leads past the Navy Beach/South Tufa area of Mono Lake and heads east to Benton.
Although the Mono Fire is contained, fire danger for the Eastside remains.
“Even though we got a lot of rain (about two-thirds of an inch) Sunday, the wind dried things out quickly,” Upham said.
About 300 firefighters were on the fire at its peak Wednesday, as ground crews cut a line around the fire and air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant. Fire crews from the Inyo National Forest, volunteer firefighters from Lee Vining, June Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Long Valley and Bishop were on the scene, as were firefighters from the state and many federal agencies. Caltrans, and the Mono County sheriff’s department helped with traffic control and road closures.
Two other large fires to the south of Inyo County are also contributing to the smoke in the air; an 11,000 acre fire near Kernville and another large fire near Tehachapi.
The smoke prompted the region’s air pollution control district to issue an air quality advisory for much of Mono and Inyo counties, suggesting that people with asthma and other respiratory problems limit their exposure to the smoke as much as possible.
The 682-acre Potato Fire near Bridgeport is considered to be fully contained and is now contributing very little smoke to the region.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 July 2010 )
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Remembering Jim Core |
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Saturday, 31 July 2010 |
 Jim Core. Submitted Photo. By Wendilyn Grasseschi
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
When Inyo-Mono Title founder Jim Core died last week at 74 after a struggle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he left behind him a very large hole in the fabric of the Eastern Sierra, according to those who knew him.
Core was known to give as much attention to the family trying to buy a mobile home as he was to the agent trying to sell a multi-million dollar mansion. If the banks wouldn’t help, he often would, as long as his sharp, judge-of-character radar system marked you as a good bet.
“Much to my grandmother’s chagrin, he could never say no to anyone,” said his granddaughter, Michelle Forbis.
“He was the light of my life, the wind beneath my wings,” said his wife Jo.
“He was such a wonderful guy ... so fun-loving, with just the right amount of seriousness.”
“His mission, because he was a Christian man, was to help others. Throughout his life, when he found someone in need, he was always there and would do whatever possible to help.”
That pretty much summed up Core’s life, according to the many friends and family members left behind.
Here’s some more of what Core’s friends had to say about him.
“He was one of the wisest people I knew. He was right, he was just always right. Back in the ’80s when the economy fell apart, he knew things would rebound because he had such faith in the local business owners. And he was right again.
“He was so generous with his money to other people but he was notorious about not spending money on himself.
“I remember that day he drove up in a black Cadillac (after driving older cars for decades) and he came over to me and he asked me, “You don’t think it’s too flashy, do you?” That was classic Jim.”
– Rick Liebersbach,
longtime friend, attorney
“He was just a real friendly guy, that’s what always stood out to me. He helped out a lot of people, lending money, etc. I know that’s what connected him to so many people.
“And it was catching. Everyone in his company saw how he was and they wanted to be the same way ... But he was so modest. He never thought of himself like that. He just thought of himself as a Christian man and that’s what you did; you helped people when you could.”
– David Buckman,
longtime friend,
owner of Mammoth Properties
“Jim core was an icon, one of those people that shaped the Eastern Sierra. He was a very astute man, and he was just as likely to plop himself down beside your desk and talk to you about your week. He was a friend and mentor to so many businesses owners and residents.”
– Stacey Bardfield,
Mammoth Sierra Properties
“He was the most honest and trustworthy man. We always knew he would help anybody and everybody he could. He wanted to be sure his company was a direct reflection of who he was.
“And it was.”
– Michelle Forbis,
Core’s granddaughter and
Inyo-Mono Title employee
“He was the person who did more than any other one person to build the Town of Mammoth Lakes... and he was a pretty good poker player. A funny man and a lot of fun to be around.”
—Neil McCarroll,
longtime friend, attorney
“We knew Jim first on a professional level, later as a neighbor. Everyone speaks of Jim’s honesty and integrity in business. But he was also a great problem solver; he would find solutions so that a project could proceed. As a neighbor, he always wanted to strike up a conversation, and always had a smile on his face. He would look at our garden and admire the corn, and joke that he was going to steal some of it. So each year we would plant the corn right next to his fence to tempt him.”
– Dave and Ellen Laverty,
longtime friends and neighbors “In 1985, after 20 years with Bank of America Escrow, I went to work for the Core family for the next 20 years. Jim always reminded me I was the oldest employee (older than him). He was a fair and generous boss, a friend, hard worker and instilled good work standards for his family and his employees. Jim was truly a self-made man, building a dynasty and leaving a legacy in Inyo and Mono Counties for years to come. He will be missed, but will live forever in our hearts. It has been my honor to be a part of the Core’s adopted family. Jim loved his family more than life.”
“He also loved his biscuits and gravy.”
— Mary Lou Sipherd,
longtime friend, former employee
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