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In sync with this week’s Presidential Debate, local communities held Town Hall-style candidate’s forums where members of the public were allowed to ask questions of candidates via a moderator.

The first forum was held on Thursday, Oct. 11 in Mammoth Lakes. The Mammoth Chamber of Commerce hosted the event, which featured the two candidates for Mono County District 4 Supervisor, Bob Peters and Tim Fesko, as well as the Mammoth Unified School District Board candidates John Stavlo and Shana Stapp. The third candidate for the MUSD Board, Luis Villanueva, was unable to attend the forum.

The 90-minute forum was broken into two, 45-minute segments. The first was devoted to Peters and Fesko.

The District 4 race spilled over into the November election after neither Peters nor Fesko secured 50 percent plus one of the vote in June. The candidates have met in several public forums over the past few months, but last Thursday they aired their difference once again.

Fesko said he belives that the Board should not have such a “hands off” approach, citing his broad background and experience as good assets to the County to use in more ways than simply setting policy.

He used an example of a recent Board meeting he attended where the Board was considering purchasing two boilers for the old hospital building in Bridgeport at the tune of $125,000. Fesko suggested cheaper ways to get the job done to both staff and the BOS but was brushed off as not understanding the process.

Fesko, however, said that if a Board member has an idea on how to save the County money, he or she should voice it.

“Yes, the Board is responsible for setting policy and direction but you have to know how to get from A to B,” he elaborated.

Peters on the other hand stuck to the theory that the BOS should decide policy, “not how a rain gutter is constructed.

“Too many people are looking at the acorns, not the trees,” Peters said.

In closing statements Fesko pointed out that he has gone through county processes as a customer and therefore knows where there are strengths and weaknesses in the system.

“It’s important to have someone with passion,” he said. “I hear what people say and act on it.”

Peters closed by saying that he would support whatever the County has to do to grow its economy, whether it be support of an airline subsidy, expansion of fish enhancement, or simply protecting our biggest asset, the environment.

The forum then swung to the MUSD Board candidates.

Stapp and Stavlo discussed everything from what type of cuts they would make to balance the budget (Stavlo said teacher’s salaries, Stapp wasn’t sure how she would do it, but didn’t want to cut salaries), to what they felt was a Board member’s role in the day-to-day operations of the district (both stated “very little”).

There are two seats available on the MUSD School Board and three candidates. Stay tuned for Geisel’s interviews with each candidate one-on-one.

ESUSD Board

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, an Eastern Sierra Unified School District Board Candidates Forum, sponsored by the teacher’s union, competed with the second Presidential Debate. The crowd in the Lee Vining Elementary School gym was small, but their questions packed a punch and revealed much about the four candidates vying for two seats. Here’s a breakdown of what we heard.

Pam Haas-Duhart brings teaching experience to the table. She was an educator for 22 years and has taught in the Mono County area.

She felt that true decisions regarding budget cuts could not be made until after the election in November because of the measures on the ballot that would ultimately affect schools.

If elected, she promised to be at every school in the District at least once a month. She admitted this could be tough in the winter.

Haas-Duhart was asked if she was a California taxpayer since she has Nevada license plates on her vehicle. She said that she does pay California taxes.

“I am married to a Nevada resident, and he pays his taxes, too” she said. Her husband is a ranch hand in Smith Valley. She travels back and forth between Mono County and Nevada not only to see her husband but also to teach in Nevada at a California Charter School.

Arya Degenhardt brings youth to the table. She is currently the Communications Director for the Mono Lake Committee and stressed two main points throughout the evening:

1. Communication is critical between Board members and the community.

2. Schools are the heart of the communities in the Eastern Sierra Unified School District.

Her solutions for budget cuts included collaborating further with the Mono County Office of Education and raising revenue in new ways.

“Unique communities need unique solutions,” she said.

When it came time to discuss the district’s level of trust with the current superintendent, Don Clark, all of the other candidates wholeheartedly stated that the community did not trust Clark [because of the budget crisis that occurred within ESUSD in 2010], but Degenhardt danced around the issue.

“You always hear the bad things, so yes, I’ve heard there is a lack of trust, but time does heal and there is an earnest effort to rebuild trust,” she said.

John Peters, son of Bob Peters the District 4 candidate for Mono County Supervisor already mentioned, operates the Bridgeport Inn with his father and lives in Walker.

With his oscillating preacher’s voice, Peters demanded attention as he gave his answers.

In regard to budget cuts, he felt that budget management was in fact the real issue for the District at this time.

“The budget was reduced after the initial crisis [2010] and is now seeing growth in the reserve,” he said. “Tightening it is not the issue right now, rebuilding is the issue.”

Peters believes that while kids need to be exposed to influences and cultures outside of the Eastern Sierra, they also need to be given the opportunity to experience what is in their own backyard.

“We need to emphasize learning,” he said.

Jimmy Little has four kids currently going through the ESUSD at different levels.

“I have a vested interest and will be living with the decisions made [within ESUSD] for at least the next decade,” he said.

He owns the Virginia Creek Settlement and got involved in District politics during the budget crisis of 2010.

He felt that the Board should work together to be more welcoming to the community, pointing out that Board meetings at this time have a negative atmosphere.

Little also stressed that kids in the ESUSD need to be prepared for the culture shock of the bigger world and stressed that there can be no cookie cutter approach in schools, as each student is unique.

Little strongly believed that the superintendent should pay close attention to the Board’s guidance.

“If the Superintendent doesn’t like the Board giving guidance then he shouldn’t work here,” Little said. He also added that in order for the community to have faith in the superintendent it needed to have faith in the Board.

Items the candidates agreed on

-The Edna Beaman Gym should be built

-Sports are an important part of education and should not be cut

-Teacher’s salaries were not known to any of them so they could not really comment on whether or not the pay was high enough

Closing statements that stuck

Little: “If I’m going to open my mouth, I’m going to step up.”

Peters: “We need to provide transparency to the taxpayers, even those without kids.”

Degenhardt: “Running is my way of saying I’m committed to our kids.”

Haas-Duhart: “Vote for me. If not I’m going to cry a lot.”

For a listing of July 4 activities around the Eastern Sierra, check out the 2012 Eastern Sierra Summer Guide by clicking the link below:

Summer Guide

Photo: Geisel

So I was up in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening for the District 4 candidates’ forum.

In a nutshell, Peters has the gravitas, Fesko has the fire and Huggans just seemed a bit overshadowed.

While I admired Huggans’ long family history in the area, that should not entirely comprise one’s opening statement.

She was also challenged with the following question which I swear I did not plant. It went something like, “If you can’t handle the Bridgeport Public Utility District (the subject of an ongoing embezzlement investigation. Huggans is the Chair of the three-member PUD Board), how do you expect to handle the responsibilities of the Mono County Board of Supervisors?”

Huggans responded by saying, “In my community service, I’ve always given 100%.”

In my mind, effort in and of itself isn’t enough at the Supervisor level.

As for Peters, he appears to be the most middle-of-the -road candidate, but sometimes that can hurt you in North County.

While Huggans and Fesko were unequivocally against County participation in the commercial airline subsidy program at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport to guarantee summer air service (much to the approval of a Bridgeport audience), Peters first said he was in favor of subsidizing “some small portion.”

When pressed, he acknowledged that the current County subsidy of $85,000 a year is about all he is comfortable with.

Fellow partners Mammoth Mountain and the Town of Mammoth Lakes were hoping to split the subsidy evenly this year, which would cost the County approximately $215,000.

So while Peters talked about the tourist economy and the importance of marketing, he retreated into his political shell on the air subsidy issue. Further, he suggested that “business interests in Mammoth Lakes have the capacity to subsidize more.”

Fesko’s strength is that he’s opinionated. His weakness is that he’s opinionated. Hard and fast beliefs – “government should not bail out private industry” – are wonderfully pithy, but are not always compatible with the art of governing.

The Sheet was also surprised to learn that Fesko is apparently embroiled in a civil lawsuit with his brother, Greg Fesko. While Tim says this is a “private family matter,” and that he’s matured over the past few years, we do plan to ask a few more questions about it.

One guy who’s glad he’s not running in District 4 is incumbent District 2 Supervisor Hap Hazard. If there’s one thing all three candidates could agree on, it was that they were, to quote Fesko, “disgusted” when Hazard referred to Cougar Gold representatives as a bunch of snake oil salesmen.

Triple M staying

Assistant Town Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez (“Triple M”) has withdrawn her name from consideration for the City Manager’s post in Yakima, Washington. Instead, she has signed a one-year contract to remain with the Town. If you’ve ever visited Yakima, Washington, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Money for schools … or pensions? 

According to an April 22 report in the Wall Street Journal, Governor Jerry Brown is trying to sell voters in November’s general election on his $6 billion tax hike package, a combination of a quarter-cent sales tax hike that would be paid by all California consumers and a series of income tax increases on people earning more than $250,000 annually, saying it will go to schools. And it will, but perhaps not where you might want it to go.

State law requires that half of all general fund tax revenues go to education, which under other circumstance might mean schools are in for a $3 billion to $5 billion windfall if the initiative passes. But critics, including some educators, insist the new revenues won’t go to arts education, sports programs or bus services, but only to backfill the insolvent teachers pension fund, not for actual education.

Schools, it seems, would have to use the money to cover their pension bills, or alternatively, to pay teachers more to offset the higher contributions that teachers may be asked to make to their retirements.

  –WSJ/Sacramento Bee

Bridgeport resident Jan Huggans has stated she is officially in the running for the District 4 Supervisor seat in Mono County. Huggans’ entry into the race now makes it three candidates who are vying for the seat, which will be vacated by current Supervisor Tim Hansen in January in the wake of being redistricted out of running.

Huggans will face off against previous District 4 candidate Tim Fesko, who ran in 2010, and previous Interim Supervisor Bob Peters, who was picked to fill the seat following the sudden death of late Supervisor Bill Reid.

Huggans, who has been out gathering signatures, said she planned to run in the last election, but primary timing and family matters got in the way. A life-long north county resident, her family has old roots. “My dad was from Bridgeport, and my grandmother was born in Bodie,” Huggans said. And it’s not her first run for the seat, either. She lost by only a handful of votes in 2004 to the late John Cecil, who won the election, but died just two years later. That led to Reid stepping in and taking over for him on the dais.

A rental property manager, she served on the Mono County Planning Commission for one term. At present she serves on the Bridgeport Public Utilities District Board, and is a member of the Bridgeport Regional Planning Advisory Committee, Bridgeport Ranchers Association and the Bi-State Sage Grouse Local Area Conservation Planning Group.

“As [District 4 Supervisor], I will bring my common sense and professionalism to the job, while remembering I’m there to serve you,” Huggans pledged. Is she ready for the competition? “Yes,” she responded. “I’m pretty optimistic, too. It’s an exciting time for Mono County, with the potential for three new people on the Board of Supervisors.” Seats in Districts 2 and 3 are also up for election this coming June.

This year, Mono County voters will go to the polls in June. One of the decisions that will be before them will be filling the District 4 Board of Supervisors seat that opened when current representative Tim Hansen was redistricted out last year.

Late last week, at least two candidates filed papers and announced they are running for Hansen’s seat on the dais.

Tim Fesko, owner of the Meadowcliff Lodge in Walker-Coleville, and Bridgeport Inn owner and former Interim District 4 Supervisor Bob Peters have both said they are formally starting up campaigns.

In an email statement to the media, Fesko said, “After much soul searching and encouragement by many of you, along with a strong desire to represent the North County, I am hereby formally announcing that I will be seeking the seat for the Mono County Board of Supervisor, District 4.

Peters told The Sheet on Saturday morning, “I believe that the new District 4, even though it’s not ideal from a geographical standpoint, will provide real opportunity to create a better understanding between the needs of residents of the Town of Mammoth Lakes and the unincorporated north county communities. Bringing a more responsive Mono County government closer to the people was an important part of what I did as a member of the Board of Supervisors for the unincorporated communities in 2010. I intend to do just that, if elected, for the Mammoth Lakes residents, who are now part of District 4.”

Fesko narrowly lost to Hansen during the last election for the District 4 seat, which was to replace then Interim Supervisor Bob Peters, who was hand picked by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to take over after the sudden death of Bill Reid.

Peters has a lengthy public service history. He has served as Chairman of the Bridgeport Valley Regional Planning Advisory Committee, (RPAC), on the Mono County Tourism and Film Commission for six years, including two years as its Chairman, and was most recently Chairman of the Mono County Redistricting Committee during summer of 2011. Peters said he plans to soon debut his campaign website.

The end result of the redistricting process means District 4 now includes a portion of Mammoth and its cache of registered potential voters. It also means that Hansen, who lives in Lee Vining, is now a resident of District 3, and can no longer represent District 4. Current Board of Supervisors Chair Vikki Bauer represents District 3, but Hansen so far has said he has no plans to run for that seat. Apart from Fesko and Peters, no other candidates for the District 4 seat have yet emerged.

When you find it difficult to make a left-hand turn in Mammoth, you can bet it’s going to be a busy weekend, and this year’s Fourth of July head count didn’t disappoint.

“It was the best Fourth we’ve had in the past 10 years,” said Snowcreek Resort’s Director of Operations, John Morris. He pointed out that 10 years ago Snowcreek was managing more properties, but added that the numbers were still well above last year’s.

“We were 100 percent occupied,” added Seasons 4 owner and operator Teri Stehlik. “I’ve also heard good feedback from several restaurants.”

In the Village, one tenant, who chose to remain anonymous, broke their all-time one-day sales total by 40 percent on Sunday, according to Executive Director Dion Agee.

Agee added that about 2,000 folks enjoyed the fireworks in the Village at Mammoth on Sunday night, and there was a great crowd for both of the Boneshakers’ shows, Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Lehman agreed with the numbers at Wednesday’s Council meeting, citing that he believed there were more people at the Village fireworks than at Crowley this year due to the weather.

“Perhaps we can do something bigger there in the future and keep people in town on [the evening of] Fourth of July,” Lehman said.

“The Mammoth Lakes Swim Team also did well with the Rubber Ducky Races. They sold nearly 650 ducks to raise money for the Mammoth Sharks. All those ducks raced in the 6th Annual Village Ducky Races at the Village pond on Saturday. Our second annual Village Chihuahua races were also a big hit,” Agee said.

Even the campground scare seemed to work itself out, even though Council member John Eastman still claimed to be disappointed with the Forest Service for not opening Old Mammoth Road up to the Lakes Basin or the road from Lake Mamie to Horseshoe Lake, sooner.

“We only had about three RVs at Canyon Lodge,” said Mammoth Lakes Tourism Executive Director John Urdi. “We’re not sure where they went. All of the campgrounds were full. Maybe we had just enough spots to cover everyone.”

Urdi figured that the tent campers had simply wander off into the woods to set up spots.

Stehlik pointed out that the lack of backcountry availability for camping and hiking could have been one of the reasons there were so many people in town.

One impact of the Town’s economic challenges, however, was the cancelation of the Police Department’s Open House on the Fourth of July. A statement from the MLPD on Friday, July 1 said, “In an effort to save a substantial amount of overtime, there will not be an open house at the Police Station on the Fourth of July. The Police Department will be fully staffed during the parade and the combined Police/Fire Honor Guard will be participating in the parade. Chief Watson and the MLPD apologize for the change in schedule, and hope this does not cause any inconvenience for anyone.”

Let’s see if 4th of July fireworks can beat this rainbow that appeared Wednesday morning in Swall Meadows. (Photo: Lunch)

In an effort to save a substantial amount of overtime, there will not be an open house at the Police Station on the Fourth of July. The Police Department will be fully staffed during the parade and the combined Police/Fire Honor Guard will be participating in the parade. Chief Watson and the MLPD apologize for the change in schedule, and hope this does not cause any inconvenience for anyone.

Now available online, not only does the Official 2011 July 4 Guide (produced in partnership with the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce) walk you through Mammoth’s July 4 festivities, it’s also a great source for all summertime fun in the Eastern Sierra. Check it out by clicking the link below! Pick up a print copy in this week’s issue of The Sheet.

July4Guide2011

A little taste of what’s to come on Monday, July 4. (Video: themikemonahan)

Pick up The Sheet’s July 4 Guide to learn about all the activities going on in town.