News

Wildflower walk Friday

April 6, 2011

The wet winter and warming spring weather promise an excellent wildflower display this year in the Owens and Long Valley areas, beginning now.

The southern end of the Owens Valley, south of Bishop, is already beginning to bloom and wildflower lovers will have a chance to see the spring display in the Alabama Hills this Friday, led by Bureau of Land Management botanist Martin Oliver and Steve McLaughlin, with the Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. This is one of the Bristlecone Chapter’s annual wildflower walks.

Sun begins to shine for snowboard accident victim

April 2, 2011

It is hard to find solace in last week’s horrific accident on Mammoth Mountain.

But on Wednesday, the remarkable spirit of the female victim broke through like the Eastern Sierra sun.
“I am looking at the positives,” wrote Kathleen Willhide-Michiulis, a season pass holder from the Saugus neighborhood of Santa Clarita.

Unable to speak, she scribbled notes that were posted to the Internet.

“We get front row parking EVERYWHERE! I get to go to the front of the line at Disneyland!”

What's Up, Up Here? All the news and gossip for April 1-7

April 2, 2011

Call it what you want (embezzling, theft, fraud, whatever), but attorney and town councilman Rick Wood says there has never been a single criminal case in Mammoth against people who rent out their condos or single-family homes illegally. ...

Spring is blooming, although it’s blooming potholes rather than flowers. Among the first has sprung up on Meridian across from the entrance to Meadow Ridge. ...

Former Mammoth man arraigned in Nevada double homicide

March 31, 2011

A 24-year-old former Mammoth man was arraigned Tuesday morning on murder and arson charges related to the September killings of his estranged wife’s grandmother and his two-year-old stepson, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Tuesday.

Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick and his staff will be meeting to decide if they will seek the death penalty against Justin Tu Ouimet, currently of Reno, who is accused of fatally stabbing Lana Stone, 62, and Connor Lawrence, the two year old, the newspaper reported.

Fourth Annual Winter Biathlon pulls off a winner

March 29, 2011

The mountain community of Mammoth Lakes showed its true spirit for the winter sport of Biathlon Sunday in the 4th Annual Mammoth Winter Biathlon. Amidst heavy snowfall of 5-9 feet over the last week, the townspeople overcame blizzard conditions and mobilized in force Sunday morning beginning at 4 a.m. Volunteers built out a 20-point biathlon stadium in order to host more than 200 racers, making this race the largest winter biathlon in North America.

Mammoth High waits for call on Distinguished School status

March 26, 2011

Mammoth High School should know if it becomes one of California’s Distinguished Schools within the “next few weeks” according to district superintendent Rich Boccia.

The announcement, which Boccia said he expects will reveal a “positive outcome” comes on the heels of a state team of administrators that visited the school earlier in March for the formal on-site visitation required by the application process.

“The team spent the day visiting the school, which included an opening meeting with the staff, a meeting with the leadership team and classroom visits,” Boccia said.

Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care seeks volunteers to work with animals

March 26, 2011

When Kelly Bahr became an animal care volunteer for Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care she never imagined she would do physical therapy on a Golden eagle.

But a few weeks ago, she did just that. The eagle was rescued from the shoulder of Hwy. 6 on Matthew Hill midway between Hammil and Benton.

On admission, the female eagle had tightly clenched talons and could only stand on her hocks. While working to find the cause of this problem, ESWC Director Cindy Kamler ordered therapy and Bahr helped implement it.

Big Pine faces fire, Mammoth gets buried

March 26, 2011

As Big Pine residents mourned the loss of homes and property due to a windblown fire this past weekend, Mammoth residents – already buried after a winter that has dumped 44.7 feet (561 inches) of snow on the higher elevations – are waiting out another three to four feet of the white stuff that’s expected to fall by Sunday night.

When Mammoth headed into the second storm of the week early Thursday, it was only 17 inches from becoming the biggest snowfall winter on record – 578.5 inches set in 2005-06 – and it’s not over yet.

Want to work with eagles? Wildlife rehab training this weekend

March 22, 2011

When Kelly Bahr became an animal care volunteer for Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care, she never imagined she would do physical therapy on a Golden eagle. But a few weeks ago, she did just that. The Golden eagle was rescued from the shoulder of Highway 6 on Matthew Hill, mid-way between Hammil and Benton. On admission, the female eagle had tightly clenched talons and could only stand on her hocks. While working to find the cause of this problem, ESWC Director Cindy Kamler ordered therapy and Kelly helped implement it.