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Opinions/Editorials
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Letters 7/3 |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
Flourish the arts
Dennis Kostecki’s eloquent letter (Mammoth Times, 6/17) about the power of theatre and its value to the community gets a standing ovation!!
That letter alludes to “those in power positions” that may determine the direction and future of theatre in Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra.
I maintain that moving and powerful letter proves that power resides, not in a venue or in a board, but in the ardent commitment to the art. It’s because of people who love it that theatre exists. Why will theatre in Mammoth continue to flourish? Because the writer – and others like him – WILL it to be so!
I’d like to reassure people that theatre in Mammoth does indeed have momentum: Sierra Classic Theatre is celebrating its 10th year anniversary this year (check out Diane Eagle’s article on them in the March/April 2006 issue of Mammoth Sierra Magazine).
The SCT has articulated a clear vision and has consistently and successfully brought that vision of classic theatre to fruition.
And, so I’m told, they’ve been able to do it and stay “in the black” – by dint of their deep passion and enormous amounts of sweat. As an actor who has trod the boards in LA for 30 years – in theatres opulent and, uh, “less than opulent” – I admired them as much as for their fearlessness as for their smart and fiscally sound way of producing theatre. So much so that, three years ago this weekend, I brought my own modest production of Jon Robin Baitz’ “Three Hotels” to perform for them – with your own Lesley Bruns in the female lead.
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Think, act locally |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
The sad story of Gayla and Martin Wolf of Rocking K contains a moral that shouldn’t be lost on any of us.
The couple chose to pay a retainer for some tree service from a man who purported to be a tree contractor from Fresno. They, not the trees, got trimmed to the tune of $500.
Every year throughout America a percentage of itinerant roofers, gardeners, painters or whatever come to a town, do shoddy or no work, and then move on to the next town. Experts in those fields, as well as law enforcement spokesmen remind us annually to check on the contractor’s license number before engaging those folks.
Lost in all that, however, is something just as obvious: Hire local tradespeople and rest assured that not only will they be around to back up their work, but they come with local references. Local contractors who don’t perform don’t last long in the business.
Shopping locally first is a rallying cry in rural America. Including local contractors in that thought makes just as much sense as when buying clothes or appliances.
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Rising above rumor |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
By Erick Sugimura
Mammoth Times Copyeditor
Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle called a press conference two weeks ago to address swirling rumors and open allegations involving him, his qualifications as police chief and the off-duty conduct of certain MLPD officers.
What Schienle did, apart from responding as frankly and openly as anyone could hope, was set an example of what more public figures need to do: Stand up for themselves.
Typically, public figures tend to avoid responding to groundless accusations as doing so can be misperceived as validating the charges.
But Schienle told his side of the story and essentially put the ball back in the court of his detractors. But if they want to keep playing the accusation game, they will need to produce facts.
No more, “I heard from a credible source...” and no more, “I know for a fact...”
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Mayor's Message |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
Rotation of the Mayorship is usually done with little fanfare, but with all of the controversies and challenges we have faced together as a community over the past year, Mayor Pro Tem McCarroll and I felt we should take a step back and look at where we’ve been, and where we’re going.
This year the Town initiated Moving Mammoth Forward, our first ever business plan based on the General Plan. We committed to our mission of providing quality public services, and decided on the strategies of becoming A Great Place to Live and Work, A Community with High Quality Design and Development, A Premier Destination Resort, and A Leader in Environmental Sustainability to fulfill our goals.
To be A Great Place to Live and Work, we have leveraged $7.5 million in local funds into a total of $36 million in capital improvements since the start of the recession, which means almost 80% of those projects were grant funded. To put that in perspective, it’s like going out to a nice meal worth $100, and as long as we paid for $20 of it, someone else kicked down the other $80 bucks. That’s a pretty good deal! Just some of those projects include the Lake Mary bike path, road improvements, storm drainage enhancements and new sidewalks to promote feet first mobility and enhance our quality of life.
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Thank you |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
Fore!
Mammoth Hospital held its 6th annual Cancer Outreach Golf Tournament Friday, June 26, with much success. Proceeds received with great turnout and support from sponsors will fund Mammoth Hospital’s Cancer Outreach Program.
Because Mammoth Hospital does not offer primary oncology care, local residents travel out of the area to receive such care. Through donations, the Cancer Outreach Program can financially assist with travel expenses to those cancer patients living or working in Mono County with gas, meals, and lodging needs.
Mammoth Hospital would like to thank our community and businesses who generously supported the 6th annual Cancer Outreach Golf Tournament, from our host, Brian Venneman – local cancer survivor, to our title sponsors Mission Linen, Sierra Star Golf Course, all our players, volunteers and sponsors who helped us make this event a huge success!
Ehren Goetz, Public Relations Assistant
Mammoth Hospital |
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