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After months of deliberation, the Mammoth Lakes Recreation Commission finalized its recommendations for the Fall 2011 Measure R award cycle on Jan. 19.

The Commission came to a 5-1 consensus to send the following recommendations to the Town Council. Commissioner Pat Agnitch was the dissenting commissioner. The Council will review and take action on the recommendations at its Feb. 1 regular meeting according to Town Recreation Manager Stuart Brown.

Monies were recommended for the Trails End Park, the Meadow Creek Path grant match, recreation programming enhancements (specifically gymnastics and a tennis backboard), the Mammoth Lakes Trail System coordinating committee, Whitmore Pool enhancements, and Community Center Tennis Court rehabilitation.

The total of these recommendations is $355,350. The remaining Measure R fall funds had already been earmarked for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System completion of the Town’s component, the Mammoth Track Project, maintenance to the bike rack project and the signage and wayfinding projects, and the Town’s administration fee for the Measure R process.

The entire total for the Measure R fall funding recommendations comes to $718,094.

Some of the funding recommendations, if approved by Council, would be broken up between the 2011/12 and the 2012/13 fiscal years, Brown explained. For example, the Commission recommended that the Trails End Park receive $300,000, but only $100,000 of that amount would be part of an amendment to the 2011/12 budget while the remaining $200,000 would be part of the 2012/13 budget.

Included in the Commission’s recommendations was the push to earmark up to $300,000 of Measure R funds each year for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System. An application was submitted in this fall process not for any money from the fall award, but just for the Commission to begin to consider the idea of this process.

“The idea was put out there in the fall process in order to have time to consider it and get it into this year’s budget cycle,” Brown explained of the application.

The goal is to have up to $300,000 of Measure R money earmarked and included in the Town’s budget cycle so that the MLTS does not have to submit an application each year.

Some members of the community have questioned the validity of doing this and are concerned about Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access’ ties to the process.

After taking into account the public concern the Commission, minus Agnitch, recommended that this process be approved for a five year time period with an annual review. Agnitch preferred that the process only be approved for one year at this time, which is why she voted against the recommendations, according to Brown.

If Council approves the bundle of recommendations on Wednesday, the $300,000 earmark would enter into this year’s budget process, which will be kicking off in the next few weeks.

Measure R applicants that did not receive the Commission’s recommendation were the Gateway Monument Community Project and a Special Events Feasibility study that had been withdrawn by Town staff.

By William Wiggins

Tired of the recession, partisan politics, Occupy Your City’s Name Here? Last year, lots of Americans who were sought refuge a couple of hours at a time at the movies. According to entertainment industry analysts The Numbers, in 2011 Americans bought 1.25 billion cinema tickets, generating some $9.94 billion in box office revenue.

Not bad, given a rough economy, but even traditionally bulletproof Hollywood proved just a bit vulnerable this past year, with those figures down just a tick from the 1.33 billion tickets and almost $10.5 billion in receipts in 2010.

Nonetheless, now that the holidays are behind us, it’s almost time for Hollywood’s 1% to pat themselves on the back for another year well done. And to a large extent industry insiders can point to a decent crop of pictures to justify all that self-congratulation.

Let’s take a look at a different type of 1%: those select films that could well produce this year’s Best Picture. Only the Producers Guild of America (PGA) has put forth its list of nominees, so we’ll start our own Occupy Hollywood movement there. Set up your tents and get your protests ready!

First off, as usual, none of the top 10 grossing films for 2011 are even close to being nominees for the top Oscar. Franchises largely ruled the roost, with Harry Potter, the Twilight fangers, Transformers, comic book adaptations, Capt. Jack Sparrow, another “Hangover” and even the “Cars” sequel from Pixar making the case that anywhere but reality was where the public wanted to be!

For whatever reason, those films, as well crafted and popular as they might be, rarely seem to do it for PGA and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members when it comes to what qualifies as “Best Picture,” even with 10 nominees instead of five.

With 10 slots to fill, it’s only natural that comedies are part of the lineup, and producer Judd Apatow nabbed one with his modest hit, “Bridesmaids,” not his best but a likable, smartly done picture. I was particularly happy to see Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” nominated as well. Allen is most comfortable shooting on a soundstage (his idea of being on location is usually picking up a scene streetside), but this film, shot entirely on location in the City of Lights is both charming and has Allen’s signature to it.

Shifting to dramas, Alexander Payne scored a surprise nomination for “The Descendants” with George Clooney, which flew mostly under or off the radar during its initial release. Clooney also toplined and co-produced the political drama, “The Ides of March.” Both of those, however, are likely to be overshadowed by the very highly regarded film version of author Kathryn Stockett’s bestseller “The Help,” directed and co-produced by veteran Chris Columbus, which should also see star Viola Davis nominated for Best Actress.

A late entry, the David Fincher-directed U.S. version of “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” isn’t entirely surprising, given that producers Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin have a long history with darker films that have lots of production value.

Speaking of production value, “Hugo,” which might have suffered from a mismanaged marketing campaign, locked up a nomination for producers Graham King and Martin Scorcese, who also directed the visually stunning and emotionally charming fable, an overt ode to the silent film era and the importance of film preservation.

Which brings us to a literal silent film, “The Artist,” produced by French filmmaker Thomas Langmann. Shot in black and white, the film is set in 1927 Hollywood, where the life of a silent movie star, who wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, intersects with a young actress looking for her big break. The international cast includes John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller and Malcolm McDowell. If it wins, “The Artist” would join “Wings” (1927) as the only silent pictures to ever win a Best Picture Oscar.

Sports gets another shot at the brass ring. Last year, “The Fighter” was a contender and this year, a baseball film makes it to the show with “Moneyball,” from producers Michael De Luca and Brad Pitt, who also stars in the fascinating and true behind the scenes look at the transformation of the Oakland A’s.

And in case you’re wondering what happened to the big, touching war epic, wonder no further. Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg’s much lauded “War Horse” rounds out the list.

Missing in action …

Aside from my personal fave, “The Muppets,” there are a handful of films missing from the PGA’s list that could show up on Oscar’s ballot. Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” boasted Leonardo DiCaprio (as well as some mixed reviews) and could easily be among the finalists. Spy story “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” with Gary Oldman and Colin Firth is exactly the kind of intricate, understated drama Oscar gravitates toward. Don’t be surprised if master of mood Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” a ‘50s-era loss of innocence tale starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, garners a nod. And don’t discount “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock from making some noise as a nominee.

The PGA Awards will be announced on Jan. 21, and more than 75% of the time set the pace for Oscar’s Best Picture winner. Should the Best Picture have come from the other 99% of last year’s films? Which film will Hollywood’s 99% decide is the best? We’ll find out when the 84th Academy Awards are held on Feb. 26.

Heartful of Soul from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Double Eagle Resort in June Lake. Four course dinner. $90 includes champagne, band, and entertainment. RSVP recommended. 760.648.7004

DJ Lamont helps spin in the New Year in the Village Events Plaza from 4-6:30 p.m. Then meet the New Year with award-winning Beatles tribute band, Paperback Writer from 6:30-9 p.m. FREE

The Luca Band rocks in 2012 at Rafters

DJs “Rich and Natalie” get Sierra Inn’s groove on for New Year’s Eve from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

DJ Skip Zoid lights up Red Lantern

Lava Moon at the Outlaw Saloon all night

Jeffrey James and the Wanted Gang rock in the New Year at Z-Bar Ranch!

Soul Reason plays the Restaurant at Convict Lake. RSVP: 760.934.3803

Whiskey Creek New Year’s Eve party. $100 cover includes open bar, appetizers and party favors.

New Year’s Eve celebration at the Westin with DJ LL (Lloyd Cearley) beginning at 9 p.m. Champagne toast at midnight.

Tom’s Place New Year’s Eve party with Good Livin’. No cover. Prime rib dinner served from 5-8 p.m.

More in the Village at Mammoth: Roaming carolers from 2-5 p.m.; Fireside Story Time at the Plaza fire pit at 3 p.m., and holiday fireworks spectacular at 9 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Skate Party at the Mammoth Lakes Ice Rink from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy party favors, hats and sparkling cider. Call 760.934.2505 for more information.

It’s been a year to remember! Click the link below to view The Sheet’s annual Year in Review issue, and we’ll see ya next year!

2011 YIR

Mammoth Lakes Town Staff was asked to make an eleventh hour adjustment to the Fall Measure R application for a special event feasibility study at a special meeting of the Mammoth Lakes Recreation Commission on Tuesday.

The purpose of the meeting was to give all Measure R applicants the opportunity to answer questions from the Commission regarding their applications for the $355,332 available in Measure R funding.

Senior Planner Ellen Clark presented the Commission with a brief overview of the feasibility study application, which began with an ask of $60,000 that dropped to $25,000 after the Commission requested a reduction. The $25,000 would go toward a more limited technical study of biological and cultural constraints at several potential venue sites, she explained, which would precede a full-blown feasibility study at one or two of those sites at a later date.

“This is a placeholder request,” Clark said of the current application. She elaborated that town staff would be coordinating with the Economic Stimulus Council and Mammoth Lakes Events Coalition to narrow the number of sites to be studied, and would come back to the Recreation Commission with a particular scope of work for authorization in early Spring.

Commissioner Teri Stehlik expressed reservations about the application. “To me, this isn’t completing what the initial intent was,” she said. “Why are we doing this piecemeal? Let’s [just] do a feasibility study.”

Commissioner Knud Svendsen agreed: “request more money, but do it right the first time.”

But Chair Bill Sauser dissented, saying “this [study] could easily throw some sites out of the mix” to narrow down the possibilities for a more extensive—and expensive—feasibility study. “This is a small amount of money to do the grunt work,” he said.

Clark noted that it was due to the Commission’s previous request that she brought the amount down from $60,000, which necessitated a more limited study. However, she agreed that should the Commission now desire a more extensive study, the $25,000 could rise again to around $45,000.

Commissioners asked if Clark might bring that down to $35,000, pointing out that the Nordic biathlon had just conducted a feasibility study for that amount. Clark replied that the biathlon was an already-established event, while the feasibility study for special event sites would have to take into account multiple events, both established and speculative. “Nordic had a program,” Clark said. “This study will have 3 or 4 moving parts.”

Clark also made an effort to debunk the myth of previous feasibility studies sitting on a shelf somewhere in the town offices. An argument at previous Recreation Commission meetings, as well as Economic Stimulus Council meetings, has been that the data from these previous studies could be used to help narrow the scope and therefore cut the cost of a new feasibility study. “Everyone likes to think there’s all these things out there, but when you try to find them, they’re elusive,” Clark said. If they do exist, she added, “some don’t have much of a shelf life if they were done 15 years ago.”

Commissioner Sean Turner offered Clark an apology on behalf of the Recreation Commission: “I don’t think we’ve been clear in what we want [from the application] because I’m not sure that we know,” he said.

However, Commissioner Stehlik added, “If you asked me today would I approve this application, I’d say, unfortunately, absolutely not. It’s not going to provide us with what we need.”

Commissioners concurred that Clark should bring back the application with a broader scope. “I’m not concerned with the dollar amount,” Chair Sauser said. “It’s the quality that matters.”

The Recreation Commission will meet again on Jan. 10. The Commission will make its award recommendations on Jan. 19.

Calling all clean air projects

At Wednesday’s regular Mammoth Lakes Town Council meeting, Clean Air Projects Program Administrator Lisa Isaacs announced that the Request for Proposals for clean air projects in the Eastern Sierra would be available to the general public on Monday, Dec. 12. Those interested will be able to access the RFP at http://capp.gbuapcd.org. Proposals will be due Feb. 15. The CAPP program will award a total of $5 million to qualifying projects.

Sierra Valley Sites gets trashed

Town Public Works Director Ray Jarvis said that illegal dumping is becoming a big issue in Sierra Valley Sites. He estimated that the Town has picked up 150 random pieces of furniture since Town Cleanup Day at the beginning of summer. The extra trash is a strain on Town staff as well as Mammoth Disposal’s budget. The disposal company is not being compensated for many of the extra pickups. “We need to mitigate the problem,” Jarvis explained. He added that staff believes at least 25 percent of the illegal trash to be from “dump-and- run” scenarios. “People are bringing it into Sierra Valley Sites and leaving it. This could be because the dumpsters are close to the road and it’s easy to quickly dump something next to them and leave.” Moving dumpsters back from the streets may be one solution. Jarvis plans to come back to Council with further recommendations.

Lions lose Gateway argument

Gateway Monument Project Leader Elizabeth Tenney brought the winning entries for the monument’s arrival and departure messages before Council for approval. “Eat your heart out Big Sky, Montana, it looks great,” opened Tenney. The local Mammoth Lakes Lions Club, however, did not fully agree.

Lions representative Joe Joerger stated that the club, which has historically owned the entry sign to town under a Forest Service permit (however the permit has currently expired according to Gateway Monument architect Bruce Woodward), would prefer the entrance sign to read, “Welcome to Mammoth Lakes,” followed by the John Muir quote that was chosen by the voters rather than just “Welcome” plus the Muir quote as the Gateway Committee has planned.

“We like the new sign, but historically it has always said, ‘Welcome to Mammoth Lakes.’ It should tell you where you are,” Joerger said.

Council disagreed and felt that the sign should be allowed to change for the better. The sign on the left-hand side of the road as you enter town will read Mammoth Lakes. Council felt that between Welcome on the right and Mammoth Lakes on the left the message would be loud and clear. It voted unanimously to approve the verbiage as presented by the Gateway Monument committee.

Night of Lights traffic control

Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Dan Watson announced that Canyon Boulevard will be closed to inbound traffic from 5-7 p.m. on Dec. 17 during the Night of Lights in order to avoid traffic congestion. Cars will be diverted to Lakeview Boulevard. The public is encouraged to use public transportation since there will be plenty of it available.

Air service

Winter air service kicks off on Dec. 15. The Town will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new sprung structure on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

 Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2012 at 6 p.m. in Suite Z.

Mammoth Mountain opens tomorrow for 2011/12 season

On Nov. 10 the winter playground at Mammoth Mountain will once again open its doors for a season of skiing and riding. The mountain was all abuzz on Nov. 9 working out the final kinks and making last minute preparations for the annual kickoff celebration.

A gift of the good ol’ white stuff from Mother Nature last weekend gave MMSA a nice little base and cold temperatures have allowed snowmaking all week long so the runs are looking pretty darn fun.

One new thing this year is the RFID Lift Pass and gate system, which according to MMSA allows skiers and snowboarders at Mammoth direct-to-lift access. “The new system will help eliminate two of the largest issues for any ski resort: cumbersome lines at lifts and ticket windows. By using MY Mammoth passes can be re-loaded with lift tickets online or via your smartphone so you never have to wait in a ticket line again. And with MY Mammoth registration, guests can save up to 15% on lift tickets with 7-day advance purchase. With 68 total RFID gates installed across 19 different lifts, Mammoth’s will be the largest RFID system at a ski resort in North America.”

The RFID gate at Broadway Express. (Photo: Kirkner)

I picked up my pass today and was given the rundown on the new gadget. Here are a few do’s and don’t's:

1. Don’t punch any holes in your pass. It could ruin it and a replacement is $25.
2. Do place your pass in one of your pockets, preferably one where the gates will be able to read it. The gates read from the sides of your body, so a sleeve or side leg pocket would be ideal. You might have to play around with your pass’s location to find just the right spot.
3. When you put your pass in your pocket put it in there by itself. It might be lonely, but loading up the pocket with credit cards, cell phones, etc. could interrupt the signal and the gates may not be able to read your card and allow you to pass.

Hats off to a great 2011/12 season!

The Mammoth Unified School District Special School Election is being held today, Nov. 8, and Measure S is on the ballot. Get out and vote to make your voice heard. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Celebrate the opening of the 2011/12 winter season with a huge bonfire and free gear! Ullr Fest 2011 hits Grumpy’s this Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. Food will be 50 percent off and Grumpy Happy Hour drinks will last all night long. DJ Lamont will be spinning tunes and a huge raffle will be held. Skis, snowboards and other great prizes will be given away.

All proceeds go to the Mammoth Husky Football Program.

An oldie but goodie by Blues Traveler, playing this Friday at the 16th Annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza.