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Bill Anderson (Photos courtesy MLFD)

On Monday, April 30, just shy of 40 years of service, Mammoth Lakes Fire Department’s Division Chief of Training and Safety Bill Anderson took one for the team and retired.

Not immune to the bad economy, the Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District has been experiencing some financial issues and looking to make changes. Anderson chose to step up to the plate and retire early so that others on the department wouldn’t have to suffer.

“I just turned 65, and I had wanted to retire in three years anyway so I volunteered to take a severance package,” Anderson explained.

Anderson first joined MLFD with his brother Tom in 1973 as a volunteer, but his ties to Mammoth go back even further.

“I worked at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in 1967 as a seasonal employee,” he remembered.

Then it was off to Vietnam and college for a while. He returned to Mammoth in 1971 and went back to work for MMSA year-round where he remained until 2005 when he took the full-time Division Chief position with MLFD.

“I just loved it,” he said of the reason behind his dedication to the department over the years. “And my family was great about putting up with it.” He described many a night when dinner was just about to be placed on the table, the kids, Scotty and Shelby would be a handful and suddenly the pager would go off and he would have to leave his wife, Val in the midst of it all.

MMSA was also very supportive of the fire department and would let him go on calls, he added.

The scariest memory he can recall while on the department was being on a structure fire (he doesn’t recall precisely which one) where the smoke was to the floor.

Goofing around in the old days (Anderson on right).

“I remember crawling on the floor thinking, ‘where am I’, and ‘do I want to be here?’”

But he remembers that the training he had been given prepared him and made him comfortable in situations such as these, which is why he was extremely proud of his Division Chief position.

“I’ll miss the trainings and teaching the rookie class,” Anderson said. “The training always made me comfortable and I like to think it’s the same now. I have to thank the guys and gals that show up to those Thursday night trainings. We have to be ready for the few fires that we get so we train, train, train as realistically as we can. I am mostly going to miss all of these very committed people.”

The department will not be refilling Anderson’s position in order to save the salary. Instead, Captains Robert Williams and Natalie Morrow will fill in the gaps. Ales Tomaier and Dusty Renner will also pitch in, as will the remaining Fire Marshal Thom Heller and Operations Chief Bob Rooks, Anderson said.

Anderson, arm raised, leads a training exercise.

“We’re going to miss Billy a lot,” said MLFD Fire Chief Brent Harper. “He’s been a great help to me and the whole department. He really loved the department and the people.”

Harper is the third Fire Chief that Anderson worked for. He came on under Jon Sweeny in 1973 and then served under Chief Harold Ritter when Sweeny retired in 1992. Anderson credits Sweeny with getting MLFD going, Ritter with getting the new station on Main Street built, and Harper with turning the corner in bringing full-time paid staff to the department.

Anderson’s last day was Monday and a retirement party was held in his honor on Thursday night. Friday morning he and Val took off for their trailer in Encinitas where they plan to spend the summer. They’ll return to Mammoth for the winters and Anderson plans to work part-time for MMSA as a ski and snowboard instructor.

“I love Mammoth and won’t ever leave for good,” he said. Anderson also plans to return for the annual Fireman’s Picnic and Canoe Races the last weekend in July to celebrate his retirement with two colleagues who have Mammoth ties and also retired this year.

Jonathon Anderson, 24, of Mammoth Lakes was arrested in early October and charged with attempted murder. According to Mono County District Attorney Todd Graham, Anderson plead no contest on Tuesday, Jan. 11, to a violation of Penal Code section 245(a)(1), or assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, as a misdemeanor. Graham added that he faces up to one year in jail at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m. in Bridgeport.

During the original Oct. 4, 2010 incident Anderson had falsely identified himself to the police and fled twice, before he was apprehended and taken into custody for attempted murder, among other charges, after being found hiding under his victim’s bed while she slept.

Sketches for the Mammoth Art Park show, as art and snowboard park unite in jumps, jibs, rails and other features of this first-ever undertaking.

By St. Marie

Perhaps you’ve heard of art in a park before, but what about art in a snowboard park? Didn’t think so, since it’s never been done before. But that’s the task Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has undertaken this season with Mammoth Art Park, starting with the I AM SNOWBOARDING art exhibit honoring Jeffrey Lin Anderson.

The art will literally be in an Unbound Terrain Park on the Mountain, in the jumps, along the rails and in the “jib-able sculptures” and other park features—huge pieces of colorful art right there in the snow.

According to Torrey Cook of Artists Republic for Tomorrow, the art advocacy group curating the first exhibit, the original idea came from MMSA’s Action Sport Brand Manager Josh Chauvet and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mark Clausen.

“They both see the good feelings that art brings within a creative community of people—such as mountain riders—and wanted to support that by getting MMSA more involved,” Cook said.

I AM SNOWBOARDING was a natural fit for the first show since it is an exhibit featuring art by some of the top names in the snowboarding world all made in memory of another great snowboarder from Mammoth who died in 2003.

Cook said that because the Jeffrey Lin Anderson (JLA) Project has done such wonderful things for the community, with the Brothers Skateboard Park already being a “ride-able art park” and the I AM… show, it made perfect sense to have that as the first Art Park of the four planned for the season.

Dustin del Giudice, a Mammoth local known for his amazing metal work, is heading up the creation of all the Art Park features.

“Del Guidice has worked closely with the artists as well as graphic designer Peter Stow to make sure the art submitted translates seamlessly into handrails, boxes, and other three-dimensional objects that go into the Art Park. Some of these features are becoming massive jib-able sculptures,” Cook said, adding that all this makes the paintings come alive.

If you’re wondering if you’ll have to ski or snowboard through the Art Park to see for yourself, Cook said, “Of course, there will be photos and art posted online, but there is no better way to see this art than if you are up close and personal. People that come through the Art Park, even if just for a look, are going to take home an experience to talk about for years to come.”

The Art Park opened on Saturday, December 18.

After falsely identifying himself to the police and fleeing twice, a Mammoth Lakes man was apprehended and taken into custody for attempted murder, among other charges, after being found hiding under his victim’s bed while she slept.

On Monday, Oct. 4 at approximately 1:40 a.m., MLPD officers responded to a radio call of people arguing at a residence in the 300 block of Mono Street. The officers met with the female victim and a suspect who identified himself as Donald Anderson. The female victim said she and “Donald” had been having a verbal argument only and that it was over. Donald did not have any identification and the officers determined that Donald Anderson was not wanted. Officers cleared the scene.

Approximately one hour later, officers responded to a second call of a loud argument at the same address. When they arrived, they were met by the female victim who now had numerous visible injuries, including marks on her neck and a swollen lip. She told the officers that the person who identified himself earlier as “Donald” was actually her boyfriend, Jonathon Anderson, and that after the officers left, the argument continued and he’d choked her to the point she couldn’t breathe and struck her in the face. The victim added that Jonathon had lied earlier and given his brother’s name. While the officers were present, the real Donald came out of the house and identified himself with valid ID. He was unaware that his brother had used his name.

Jonathon Anderson had fled the scene before the officers arrived. They searched the area but were unable to locate him. The victim was offered a place to stay, but she felt safe staying at home with Donald there.

Officers continued their investigation and learned that Jonathon Anderson had a felony warrant from San Bernardino and was on active parole, and had a parole hold. They also learned that he was friends with other parolees living in the same neighborhood.

Assistance was sought from the Mono County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies responded to Mammoth Lakes and an operation was set up to check all the acquaintances’ residences along with the original crime scene.

At approximately 8:15 a.m., MLPD officers and Mono County Sheriffs deputies returned to the address on Mono to check on the welfare of the victim and see if Jonathon had returned. The victim reported that Jonathon returned again about 4:30 a.m. and again choked her.  She tried to call 911 on her cell phone, but Jonathon took it from her and destroyed it.  Donald and another occupant separated Jonathon from the victim and he left for the third time. The occupants of the house then all went to sleep.

The house was searched by the officers. They discovered Jonathon hiding under the bed where the victim was sleeping. She had no idea he was there and was terrified when he was discovered.

Paramedics responded and transported the victim to Mammoth Hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

Jonathon Anderson, age 24 and a resident of Mammoth Lakes, was arrested and booked for the following charges at the Mono County Jail in Bridgeport:

664/187 PC – Attempted Murder

273.5 PC – Felony Domestic Violence

3056 PC – Parole Violation

591.5 PC – Destroying a Cell Phone when used to make an emergency call

148(a) 1 – Resisting Arrest

Anderson is being held without bail. -MLPD