News

100 m.p.h. winds pound Mammoth Mountain early Monday; spring runoff begins in earnest

April 18, 2011

Winds of nearly 100 miles an hour slammed into Mammoth Mountain early Monday morning, while rain and snow in the Sierra put water watchers on alert.

The winds, which preceded Monday morning’s rain and snow, reached 99.8 miles an hour at 4 a.m., according to ski patrol data.

It didn’t let up for more than an hour. At 5 a.m., ski patrol measured a wind gust at 99.6 miles an hour.

The average wind speed for the two hours was 70.3 miles an hour.

Garbage disposal fees likely to increase soon

April 16, 2011

It’s probably inevitable.

Garbage disposal rates are going to go up sometime soon and some hours or days are going to get cut at most of the county’s landfills, in an attempt to plug a funding hole that is leaking as much as $2,000-$3,000 a day from the county’s coffers.

The proposed increase, which goes to the public for a hearing on April 19, will increase residents’ garbage disposal fees by about 11 percent, if the plan laid out by county staff and approved in theory by the county supervisors passes a final vote on April 19 at a meeting in Mammoth Lakes.

Welcome home to incoming Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht

April 16, 2011

It was a love fest.

When The Town Council named Dave Wilbrecht as the new Town Manager this week, Mammoth residents universally approved the decision.

From Tom Cage, of Kittredge Sports and P3 and Nordic advocate Brian Knox, to recreation commissioner Bill Sauser, former town planner Bill Taylor and former National Forest Service administrator Sandy Hogan, all were crazy nuts about the decision.

“He’s a natural leader,” Hogan said, echoing county tourism director Alicia Vennos. “The town is very, very lucky. He’s an incredible leader,” Vennos said.

What's Up, Up Here? News and gossip for April 15-21

April 16, 2011

Is there ever such a thing as too much ice cream? Pita Vasquez, a Cerro Coso College student, took full advantage of the Ben and Jerry’s free cone day, eating 13 cones in an afternoon. “I never want to eat ice cream again. I had seriously all of them,” she said. Her friend, Bailey Morley, a Mammoth High School senior, had even more — 17 — and was of the same mind. “I feel so bad,” she said late Wednesday night. ...

Mono County Public Health Officer position statement on Crowley cell tower issue

April 13, 2011

Dr. Rick Johnson, Mono County Public Health Officer, has today (April 13, 2011) submitted the following statement on the cell tower issue in Crowley Lake. He emphasizes it is separate from the Planning/approval process of any individual tower or base station, and simply expresses his opinion as the Health Officer in response to requests for information regarding RF emissions:

"It Shouldn’t Be About The Tower!

UPDATED: Mammoth gets new manager, county loses theirs as Wilbrecht takes top Town job

April 13, 2011

The Town Council of Mammoth Lakes has selected a permanent Town Manager.

The new manager, Dave Wilbrecht, currently serves as Mono County's administrator, and is well known in Mammoth Lakes both due to his current position with the county and previous service with the Town.

Wilbrecht's employment agreement is scheduled for approval by the Town Council in an open session on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. His first day on the job is going to be Wednesday, June 1.

Remains found in Death Valley belong to Carson City man, others possibly to German tourist

April 12, 2011

Inyo County authorities have positively identified one of three sets of human remains located in southeast Inyo County in the past several months.

Deputy Coroner Jeff Mullenhour announced last week that remains located in the Badwater region of Death Valley are those of Carson City resident Norman Cox.

Cox was reported missing in August of 2010 after his family received a suicide note posted from Death Valley.

Local law enforcement conducted a search of the Death Valley area in August of that year, but was unable to locate any signs of Cox and eventually called off the search.

2011 Mammoth Invitational is under way

April 9, 2011

Early Friday morning, Ueli Luthi, starter for the biathlon portion of the 2011 Mammoth Invitational, counts down to send off Mark Eisen, Neave Anderson, Lachlan Anderson and Miles Anderson.

Mono County and Town of Mammoth Lakes are talking trash

April 9, 2011

It could certainly be considered a case of strange bedfellows.

On one side of the bed, Mammoth Lakes, supposedly filled with affluence and arrogance.

On the other side, Mono County, supposedly rural, not rich, resentful.

When it suits them both, they get along fine.

When it does not, they do not.

Such was the case Tuesday, April 5, when the subject of smelly, dirty garbage revealed the ongoing tension between Town and County.

Garbage, of all things.