theSheetNews.com

What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? 

The following letter was cc’d to The Sheet. The letter was formally addressed to District 4 Supervisor candidate Bob Peters.

Dear Bob:

I received in the mail your flyer, and since that flyer has come out I have had several inquiries regarding who I am supporting for supervisor.

I have been at two Candidates nights, where you have mentioned my name as someone you have worked with.  We both know the reason you ‘drop’ names is to make it look like I support you.

Now you have used my name again in your advertising, and without my permission. I have been quiet up to now, but the more I realize to what means you use my name, I must ask you to stop. Also, I would appreciate a retraction of some sort.

You asked me ‘point blank’ if you could put a sign up in front of my office, and I told you no. At that time I told you I was supporting Tim Fesko for supervisor. I am frustrated at what lengths people will go to imply support.

Rose Murray
Walker River Real Estate  

Fishing Opener kudos

Dear Editor:

The Long Valley Fire Department Association would like to thank the  following sponsors who donated prizes and food, and helped make opening day of fishing fun and exciting: Convict Lake Resort for the grand prize of the raffle, Breakfast Club, Catwalk Salon, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Dominic’s Family Hair, Gingerbread Knits, Giovanni’s, Good Life Café, In Touch Massage, Lakanuki, Looney Bean, Mammoth Lakes Chevron, Mammoth Chiropractic, Mammoth Pet Shop, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Elsworth Marine, Manor Market, Napa, Salsa’s Restaurant, Stellar Brew, Tail Wagger’s, Toomey’s Restaurant, Town of Mammoth Lakes, Trout Fitter, Vons, Whitmore Pool, Restaurant Skadi, Long Valley Dog Retreat, Blazing Shears, Crowley Lake General Store, Body and Soul Massage, Jalapenos, P3, and Equine Connections.

Dallas Polis
for the Long Valley Fire Department

Channeling John McEnroe

Dear Town Council:

Are you serious? We went through this once before. It was already determined that our little town does not need two Town Managers. We are very concerned and would like for you to explain to us and all of your constituents why you would approve an Asst. Town Manager at a cost of over $200,000 per year. Especially when you’re trying to close  a budget gap of nearly $3 million.

This is not personal, it’s business. Now we get into budget reductions proposed by staff. Why would you have a white paper prepared by staff for reduction in expenses? Do you really think that they would recommend eliminating their jobs or those of their co-workers? Reducing the expense of commission meetings and administration is ridiculously small relative to overall staff expense.

While their reports and analysis state that the town is running on bare bones, we beg to differ. There are cities/towns that are much larger that operate with smaller staff. The police department for example costs us nearly $5 million. Dana Point (population 36,000) contracts with the Orange County Sheriff’s Dept. for law enforcement in the amount of $10 million. Two times our budget for over five times the population. Cut our police budget down to $2.5 million and there’s your gap.

The Community Development Department can be greatly reduced or even eliminated in this downturn with no activity in development. When staff is needed, they can be contracted as many other cities do. The town does not need a full-time CEQA expert on staff. This is an example of a service that can be contracted as needed.

These are not frivolous thoughts or careless suggestions. We love the community and are passionate about Mammoth Lakes. We want to see it prosper into the future. This will take BOLD steps and innovative ideas. We cannot afford to keep doing things they way we have always done them.

Take the BOLD steps, make the big cuts, move forward. It is about ALL our tax dollars. We don’t want to see people lose their jobs, but people already have and there will be more. We understand that it will be our neighbors, our friends, or both. This is very unfortunate that we are here at this time, but we are here. Council needs to do the fiscally right thing.

The Harrells
Mammoth Lakes homeowners 

Booth retires, endorses Kendall

The following letter was addressed to the Mono County Board of Supervisors. 

To the Honorable Byng Hunt, Duane “Hap” Hazard, Vikki Bauer, Larry Johnston and Tim Hansen:

I will retire on Friday, June 29, 2012. On that date I will have served the good folks of Mono County as a Deputy District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney and District Attorney for 27 years. This is my 39th year in the criminal courts. It is my desire to devote more time to my young son, Alex, and be actively involved in both my place of worship and Rotary International. It has truly been both a pleasure and an honor to represent the County of Mono as the Public Prosecutor.

I believe it is one of the most meaningful and rewarding jobs a lawyer could have. I have always tried to be objective, impartial and uphold justice, honesty and truth. Thank you for all of your support over the years and God bless the people of Mono County.

Due to my retirement prior to the expiration of my term (2014), I am requesting that the board appoint Assistant District Attorney Tim Kendall, District Attorney to be effective Sunday, July 1, 2012. It should be noted that Judge Denton, Judge Eller and I were appointed by the Board and then stood for election. This is authorized by the Government Code. The county is extremely fortunate to have Tim as the Assistant District Attorney. Tim has been in the office 18 years, and is a stellar lawyer, consummate professional, natural leader, superb manager and loving husband and father.

He is smart, objective, reasonable and fair. In short, he will be a District Attorney that makes the people of Mono County proud. I encourage the board to do what previous boards have seen fit to do and that is appoint Tim as District Attorney to fill the anticipated vacancy.

George Booth
Mono Cty. District Attorney

Peters cashes in  

Dear Editor:

My wife Kathy and I were invited to attend the Noon Rotary Club Winter fest fundraiser the night of February 4, 2012. It was a great opportunity to see old friends and meet new people during the early stage of my campaign for election to the Mono County Board of Supervisors 4th District seat. I was surprised when I found an item on the silent auction table called The Sheet Experience. It was an opportunity to “Work with Jack Lunch of The Sheet and Publish Your Own Article (Up to 800 words on any topic subject to legal, ethical and moral sensibilities).”

Now the really good part, my bid won and the donation we made helps the many worthy causes supported by the Noon Rotary. The following article is the result:

I was appointed by the Governor of California to the vacant 4th District seat on the Board of Supervisors in March 2010. I served until the election in November, won by Tim Hansen.

I had agreed with the Governor not to run in the November 2010 election in order to obtain the appointment.

I served my constituents well, and was encouraged to run for a full term in the 2012 election.  I loved the experience of representing the 4th District.

My wife and I and our son John and his family moved to Bridgeport in 1999 after purchasing the historic Bridgeport Inn. Our family also owns a cabin at Virginia Lakes, which has been in my wife’s family since 1943. We raised our four children during summers of fishing and hiking in the Virginia Lakes high country.

Last year’s redistricting, following the 2010 census, redrew the 4th District lines to include about 700 Mammoth residents in the Knolls and Pinecrest areas north of Main Street. Because of my service on the Board of Supervisors and my many years on the Mono County Tourism/Film Commission, I have had the opportunity to become aware of the issues facing the Town and its residents. And, I have been a Mammoth Mountain MVP season pass holder Charter Member since that program began.

I have many years of service on the Bridgeport Regional Planning Advisory Committee, a local community-based organization appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Most of the communities in the unincorporated area of the county also have similar committees. I believe that the Town’s residents living in the 4th District should also have a similar organization that meets monthly to discuss issues and provide advice to the Board of Supervisors regarding local concerns. My goal is to create a positive working relationship between the Town and County.

I am grateful to have endorsements from many Town and County leaders, including Chris & Sarah Carmichael, Ken & Flossie Coulter, Tom Farnetti, Brent & Debby Harper, Sandy Hogan, Greg Newbry, Renn Nolan, Rick Phelps, Lynda Salcido, Dawn Vereuck, and Dave Wilbrecht. These personal relationships will continue to help me serve all the people of the 4th District.

Please log onto my campaign website www.bobpeters.org to see more of my biography, as well as my vision for Mono County.

PLEASE VOTE FOR BOB PETERS ON JUNE 5.

Sincerely,
Bob Peters

Time to unincorporate?

Dear Editor,

Should the Town of Mammoth Lakes unincorporate?

First, we want to pass on a tidbit of information that we learned a few years back on a Town-sponsored peer resort tour. One evening in Whistler, having a cocktail with a former councilman and the first town attorney, he revealed to us that the town would actually be better off if unincorporated! We asked why, of course. His answer was in part what we learned about how Whistler is governed. It is a special assessment district within the province. If the TOML (Town of Mammoth Lakes) were unincorporated, it could be a special assessment area for Tourism & Recreation in the State of California. If the TOML had taken this path, the unincorporated TOML would keep much more of its own property taxes in town.

As it is now, the majority of property tax dollars go to the county and are spent outside of Mammoth Lakes. By state law, the county would be required to put more tax dollars back into the unincorporated Mammoth Lakes area. State spending on the unincorporated area would be another benefit; as well as no more spending on a redundant police force, excessive town staff, or town vehicles. The town could remain the same but without all the extra drama and expenses.

We believe Town Council should form a committee to oversee a non-partisan consultant (NOT TOWN STAFF) to review the issues and options and present possible next steps and solutions. i.e. Bankruptcy and how it could affect the $43 million legal judgment.

Our hope is that the underground rumblings of the local citizenry will become a loud outcry of voices, that the strong feelings and sentiments and opinions will be stated out loud, in public and not in whispers or behind closed doors. The solutions for the future of Mammoth Lakes should come from the citizens of Mammoth Lakes, not just a handful of politicians and staff members.

Ruth and Warren Harrell
Seal Beach

ICARE Fundraiser the cat’s meow

Dear Editor:

The 16th annual ICARE (Inyo County Animal Resources & Education) fundraising dinner on Saturday, April 14, was attended by more than 700 animal lovers. Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Whiskey Creek, sponsored by Union Bank of California and KIBS/KBOV Radio and served by the hardworking 4-H members.

Proceeds from the fundraiser totaled $27,500, which goes a long way to fund our Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program for the upcoming year. ICARE funded 868 spay/neuter surgeries in 2011 alone at a cost of $42,000, so we continue to rely on donations to fully fund our spay/neuter program.

The ICARE Board extends a very sincere thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters. For more information on ICARE, call 760.872.3802.

Lisa Schade
ICARE 

Treat education fairly!

Dear Editor:

As I have walked the halls in Sacramento over these past few days, I continue to visit with elected officials who truly care about public education. I believe they realize the importance that a strong public education has on our democracy and the economy but they are unable to agree on how to fix a broken state financial system.

Since 2007-2008, the State has faced budget deficits as large as $25 billion. The State closed these deficits in part by cutting education by $18 billion. Public education accounts for almost 40% of the state budget, yet has absorbed more than 60% of the cuts. California’s schools rank at the very bottom of all 50 states in staff-to-student ratios and California ranks 43rd in the nation in per pupil funding.

The Governor attempts to reverse this trend of consistent cuts to public education by pursuing a public vote for tax increases through a ballot measure. This call for new revenues is imperative because they are needed to maintain core educational programs. A failure to pass the governor’s initiative will result in a $5 billion cut to public schools at the mid-year mark of the 2012-2013 school year.

The Mammoth community rallied this past November and passed a renewal on our flat fee of $59 parcel tax that generates approximately $650,000 per year. The mid-year cuts to public education this past January cost Mammoth $657,000 so the parcel tax was a breakeven point for budget reductions.

So, let’s play out this potentially failed revenue ballot initiative in November, which would cause a $5 billion reduction to public education. The schools would take 90% of the cuts even though education receives far less than 90% of the revenues generated by the initiative. Clearly this is not equitable for public education.

What could this look like for Mammoth Unified? These cuts could be as high as $807 per student, which would cost the district approximately $887,000 in lost revenue. And this would occur in January 2013, which means that we need to budget for that potential reduction now as we prepare for the 2012-13 school year.

All we are requesting is that public education be treated fairly. We continue to be asked to do more with less. Our mission is to produce global citizens and that takes resources. We have a team that is focused on what is best for all students and appreciate your continued support of our work. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds!

Rich Boccia
Mammoth Unified Superintendent 

One excuse after another …

Dear Editor:

This is a response to Mr. O’Connell’s letter: Check the Pockets, The Sheet, April 14.

The obvious reality is the Town of Mammoth Lakes breached its Development Agreement contract with Terry Ballas. It is irrelevant if the Town had $5,000 or $500 million in its bank account in 1997 when our then-elected Town Councilmembers approved that Airport contract. The Town Council, Town Attorney and Town Manager should have thought long and hard about the possible financial hardship it could have put our community in if they were to breach that contract.

Don’t forget the Town of Mammoth’s attorneys, at the time of the breach, obviously failed to recognize that the Town might not be able to pay the cost of ANY judgment awarded. Check the pockets. Essentially, Town Councilmembers gambled the Town’s assets, lost the litigation, and today they are still responsible to provide essential services to our community. Where’s the outrage?

Never mind that Mr. Ballas had the right to sell the judgment to MLLA (Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition) in good economic times or bad times, and for any price. Keep in mind that Mr. O’Connell speculates the Hot Creek project would not ever have been built at that time, when Mono County and Mammoth saw one of its best investment/construction years in decades (from 1999-2006).

In my opinion Mr. Ballas (the original plaintiff) and now MLLA were not the instigators of this great hardship to the Town of Mammoth. Like they had this all planned out in 1997 for the sole purpose of bankrupting the Town of Mammoth. Yeah, right. All they are doing today is pursuing their legal rights as determined by the court.

The letter suggested that MLLA go before our community and explain why they deserve their judgment payment, and it questioned that MLLA actually has the courage to go public with their comments. After what the Town of Mammoth Lakes has put them through for the past 15 years. Wrong! All I have heard from our elected Town Councilmembers is, I have inherited this debacle, it’s not my fault, this will never happen again … one excuse after another. Is this the kind of leadership we deserve? Never has anyone suggested a real viable solution to this problem or any accountability whatsoever.

Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil. How about this suggestion? We get all the Town of Mammoth’s Councilmembers, Town Attorneys and Town Managers from 1997 to present to attend a public town hall meeting and let them show their courage and justify their actions regarding this issue to the 8,400 Mammoth residents and property/business owners who have now become the Real Victims.

Ray Doblick
Crowley Lake

Applause for Worden … 

Dear Mammoth Unified School District Board of Education:

I would like to second the comments and suggestions in Scotty Anderson’s commentary in The Sheet (“Former Student Weighs In,” March 24, pg. 7), and I’m writing this without Mammoth High School Drama Teacher Kevin Worden’s knowledge, or prompting from him in any way.

Like Scotty, I worked in network TV for several years as a comedy writer for many top stars. I’ve also worked with Kevin on several productions over the past 25 years. My opinion is that he should be considered a “community treasure.” He is not only talented, and talented people are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but he is also a devoted teacher. That’s far less easy to come by.

One of the problems we face today is that so many administrative decisions are being driven by the fear of the ligitious nature of our present culture. Attorneys have done a very good job convincing us that we should base our judgment on what MIGHT happen and, if something does happen, that we absolutely need their help in resolving it. Both assumptions are flawed.

I remember a sign I saw on the wall of a police station a long time ago: “One or two ‘oh craps’ wipe out a bunch of ‘attaboys!’”

I don’t know the exact details of what transpired in the so-called incidents that led to Kevin’s chastisement, but having worked with adolescent kids myself in the past, there is one thing for sure: incidents will arise. The question then becomes what do you do AFTER the fact. If you are expecting a teacher to be able to prevent incidents such as what I’m told occurred, you are asking for the impossible. The question that should be asked is what did the teacher do after the incident occurred.

So, if the facts to be considered are what Kevin did after the “fake gun” incident and what he did after the “porn portrayal” incident, then that has some weight and merit. If you are suggesting that Kevin should have anticipated and prevented such incidents, that is setting a standard that no one, much less a teacher of adolescent kids, could rise to.

During Kevin’s 25 years working with kids, did anyone keep a record of how many incidents he either handled without fanfare or prevented by his anticipation of what MIGHT happen had he not acted judiciously? Would the person or persons who will make this decision be willing to be held to same standard, for instance, with their own few children in their family? Have your kids ever done dumb things that were outside the scope of your anticipation and control? If your answer is, “No,” then perhaps you should consider taking over Kevin’s job if he is ultimately dismissed. We need infallible people such as you!

I strongly suggest that you reconsider your decision to dismiss any teacher based on the idea of whether he might “step into the same hole again.”

If I had my life to live over, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again … I’d make a whole bunch of new ones!

Thank you in advance for taking my opinion into consideration.

Lionel Burt
Mammoth Lakes

NOTE: The MUSD Board of Education met in closed session last Thursday and deliberated Worden’s dismissal, but took no action. The Board will next meet and take up the issue again in April.

On the right track

Dear Editor:

Supervisor “Hap” Hazard stated in a recent reply (Feb. 11) to an Elizabeth Boyd letter (Feb. 4) “I receive only a salary with no employee benefits in my role as a Supervisor.”

Supervisor Hazard appears to intentionally cloud the focus of Ms. Boyd’s letter by going on to cite the questionable “dangerous” incidents he was involved in during his employment as a Deputy Sheriff. There is a question of credibility regarding these claims.

However, County records indicate our Supervisor’s receive a Board (BOS) base salary of $4,109 a month, a vehicle allowance of $790 per month, term life insurance (at an unknown cost), a generous travel allowance and  approximately $450 a month if the County does not have to purchase health care insurance on their behalf. I can find no evidence that Hazard has ever “opted-out” of any of these BOS benefits.

Ironically, after Hazard denied receiving any BOS benefits, it appears he may be the only Supervisor receiving the healthcare reimbursement for employees who do not require health insurance. My understanding is the County’s recently stopped paying this benefit for the County workforce. Did the BOS also have it taken away?

In addition to his BOS salary and benefits, Hazard receives a Sheriff’s Department retirement of approximately $5,400 a month and a retirement health care benefit worth more than $1,000 a month. I intentionally low balled these figures so as not to over dramatize their effect.

Adding it up, Hazard’s total compensation, salary plus benefits, from his two PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) jobs (Sheriff’s and BOS) is conservatively estimated to be well in excess of $ 11,400 per month. Again, if Hazard has “opted out” of receiving any BOS benefits listed above, he needs to provide some supporting documentation and I will adjust my estimates accordingly.

Ms. Boyd possibly misrepresented some of the technical aspects of “double dipping,” but she was absolutely on the right track.

Terry Padilla
Mono County Assistant Sheriff (Ret.)

Editor’s Note: At Tuesday’s Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting, Hazard requested that Board members look at freezing their salaries to be “fair and equitable to employees.”

Big “A” or little “a”?

Dear Editor:

People sometimes wonder why flights can’t divert to Bishop Airport if they are unable to land at Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) due to weather. A gentleman that I rode up with on the chairlift one blustery day said he would probably have to drive to Bishop later and collect his daughter because the plane probably wouldn’t make it into Mammoth. He was right about the flight, it didn’t land in Mammoth, but his daughter didn’t end up in Bishop.

Bishop Eastern Sierra Regional Airport (BIH) is not designated as a suitable alternate airport by the airlines (let’s call it alternate with a Big “A”). This designation for the airport is not controlled by the Town but by the air carrier and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). To a pilot, any airport is a potential alternate if your aircraft is on fire (alternate with a little “a”). However, during normal operations, it is not legal for a commercial flight to list a non-compliant airport as its alternate on the flightplan.

Besides the legality issue, there would be a number of logistical problems if a commercial flight landed at BIH. There are no passenger facilities, customer service agents, bag handling equipment or personnel, ground power carts, tow-bars, or TSA personnel and screening equipment to name a few. Not to mention that lining up several 50 passenger buses on short notice might be difficult. Could it be done? Sure … but only if you throw tens of thousands of dollars at it. The FAA would have to approve the airport as an alternate and BIH would need a Crash/Fire/Rescue unit standing by anytime a flight might arrive. There’s an old aviation adage: ‘All it takes to fly is airspeed and money.’

If weather is a problem, it is far more practical and cost effective for the airline to hold a flight on the ground or cancel it before it leaves the gate. If it’s already airborne then the aircraft might enter a holding pattern for a short time (fuel permitting) if the weather if forecast to improve. Ultimately it may continue to its next destination or return to the airport it departed from.

In addition, the airline’s aircraft routers are often concerned with having the aircraft and crew stuck out of position.

Yes it’s sometimes inconvenient … welcome to aviation. It still beats the horse and buggy days most of the time.

Lee Hughes
M.L. Airport Commissioner

Mammoth on right track with Gateway Project

Dear Editor:

Winter 2012 has dealt Mammoth a triple hit: lingering bad economy, MLLA airport lawsuit, and a season with minimal snowfall resulting in a substantial drop in visitors and the recent layoff of 75 full-time employees at the Mountain.

Hard times indeed, but in my 20 years here, I’ve seen Mammoth go through hard times and come out the other side the better for it. No snow, too much snow, blizzards at the holidays, earthquakes, rising resurgent dome, high gas prices, bad economy. Yet Mammoth gets through it and moves forward.

Now, more than ever, we need to announce to visitors and potential investors: “Mammoth is open for business. We’re moving ahead and investing in our future.”

By next winter, the impressive Mammoth Gateway Community Project will make that announcement. The timing couldn’t be more crucial.

Perception is everything. Successful vacation destinations give visitors a true sense of arrival and powerful sense of place. The approach to Park City doesn’t pass the test. The first thing you see there is Wal-Mart.  Mammoth may have one of the country’s best-looking McDonald’s and a well-designed Shell station, but that’s not an entrance statement announcing, “Welcome! This is an extraordinary place.”

Town Council made a strategic and visionary decision by dedicating $250,000 from the Public Art Fund to the Gateway Project on February 15. The Public Art Fund is not part of the General Fund. It is money collected in the form of fees paid by commercial developers that can only be used for public art. Council’s decision made the difference for the success of the Project.

Last week local businessman Tony Colasardo told me, “Right now the Gateway is more important than anything else as far as public art goes. Without doing a whole lot, it changes our community and its economic strength.”

Hundreds of hours of work have been donated by Gateway designer Larry Walker and architect Bruce Woodward as well as others because they know how important the Project is for Mammoth’s future. Fundraising has been ongoing since September 2011 to cover the cost of materials and specialized labor.

Our community has a unique opportunity. Right now — when we need it most — we can leverage the support of six government agencies along with substantial construction help from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Snowcreek Resort /The Chadmar Group with financial and in-kind contributions from locals and second homeowners to make the volunteer/private/public Mammoth Gateway partnership a reality.

We’re investing in the future because Mammoth Lakes has a future. Locals have shown over and over they’re tough, smart and resourceful. May we never again say, “Last one out of town, turn out the lights.”

Elizabeth Tenney
Mammoth Gateway Project

When will we have a safe airport?

Dear Editor: 

In his Letter to the Editor (The Sheet, March 3, 2012) Airport Commissioner Lee Hughes objects to my recent Op-Ed piece on the airport, but doesn’t refute it. And he suggests I must have an agenda, but can’t seem to figure out what that agenda is.

Absolutely I have an agenda: I am lobbying for a safe airport for commercial air service in the Eastern Sierra; for an airport that is designed for large aircraft; for an airport that is not compromised by hangars located too close to the runway.

That airport can be Mammoth-Yosemite Airport, but not without serious investment by the Town and FAA. It is time for the Town, as airport sponsor, to propose an expansion plan to accommodate large regional jets. Anything less is a disservice to the community.

Stephen Kalish
Swall Meadows

In the year 2025 …

Dear Editor:

The Mammoth Elementary School Class of 2025 had their first introduction to their new school at Kindergarten Round Up Thursday, March 1. More than 160 parents and their children joined the school staff and volunteers to learn about the kindergarten routine, meet their teachers, sign up for services, and get free dental check-ups.

Many thanks to the volunteers who help make our Kinder Round Up so successful! They include dentists Dr. Steve Fujimoto, Sierra Park Dental Clinic and Dr. Craig Schrager from Mammoth Dental and his son Malachi; Kiara Raazi, Mammoth Hospital; Debbie Painter, Wild Iris; Maria King, MD, Day and Night Pediatrics; and Taylor Kumlue, Raising a Reader Program Mammoth Library.

If you missed the Round Up and would like to pick up a registration packet and schedule a pre-kindergarten assessment for your child, contact the school at 760.934.7545. For information on how you can help your child prepare for school next fall, call First 5 Mono at 760.924.7626.

Rosanne Lampariello, Principal
Mammoth Elementary

Kathy Peterson, Molly DesBaillets
First 5 Mono County

Feels like déjà vu

Dear Editor:

Our community cannot afford our current Town Council’s inability to understand its legal commitment to pay its debt to Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisiton. This is ultimately going to cost property owners, business owners, local families, second homeowners, and the hard working people who live in our community $7,000 a day interest on top of the $30 million judgment, plus attorneys’ fees. To me it’s clear. The court’s unanimous decision was handed down on Dec. 30, 2010. The 66-page decision recounts the Town’s non-communication with the FAA and project developers, the Town’s changing its motives from private development to creating the airport for commercial airline service, the Town’s Unwillingness to Seriously Negotiate a Settlement, and the Town’s belief it had the right to Simply Walk Away from their Signed Agreement. Now Town Council and Staff are failing us again. Have our current Town Manager, Town Attorney, and 5 member Town Council read the 66-page court document that states why the Town lost this lawsuit?

According to  MLLA regarding the settlement [The Sheet 2/11/12]  “The Town has completely failed to follow through on the representations.” Feels like déjà vu. MLLA has now filed for a Writ of Mandate to enforce judgment and require the Town to pay the settlement in its entirety. Déjà vu again.

In 1997 Councilmember John Eastman voted “YES” to approve the Development Agreement with Terry Ballas. Eastman is the only remaining start-to-finish councilmember who has been undeniably a council participant in the Hot Creek litigation/MLLA payment settlement and is still making decisions regarding this issue. Why is Eastman actively involved in this process when he was one of the original Town Councilmembers who contributed in the unprecedented breach-of–contract in the first place? He confirmed in The Sheet on 2/8/12, “that there is still an ocean between what the Town was offering and what MLLA was requesting” in regards to the payment to MLLA. More déjà vu.

We need to ask our community: Should we hold our elected officials accountable? Should we investigate whether there has been any neglect or misconduct? Should we pursue their resignation, removal, or civil action?

I do not know what was said in all the closed sessions or at every Town Council meeting in which Eastman was a participant during the past 15 years, but I assume there is a process (petition?) to find out if any councilmember has made misleading statements, participated in dereliction of duty, failed to disclose relevant facts, or failed to regard advice provided by Town attorney, Town manager, and Chief Finance officer. My analogy to this lawsuit / settlement debacle is : Our elected Mammoth Lakes Town Council drove the bus off a cliff, we the Community are all in that bus, and it’s about to hit solid ground!

Raymond Doblick
Mammoth Lakes  

Stop the madness

Dear Editor:

Since I only knew Dr. Bourne as his patient, I hesitated to address what I believed was primarily a family’s tragedy. But then I read the various letters to the editor last week which demonstrated the tragic and public nature of Bourne’s actions. Considering this, I believe there is a need for yet another voice. It is my hope that we all will consider the following:

The Bourne family needs to grieve and recover. We should give them this opportunity and stop publicly venting opinions and feelings. Mr. Bourne shut his case by taking his life. We cannot know what might have been the outcome of a formal trial with evidence and counter evidence. Given our limited knowledge, the community does not have the responsible means to conduct a public trial. On the other hand, when well meaning people seek to publicly defend or exonerate Mr. Bourne, this only invites public debate. Really, there can be no meaningful debate. He’s gone. If you need help dealing with your feelings, then by all means seek help from the clergy, a health care person, or your close friends.

It cannot be denied that the Bourne families’ tragedy has touched us all. For some, it has invoked painful memories from the past. My eldest brother was convicted of a horrible crime and imprisoned for it. Though his crime was despicable, he had tried to be a good brother to me and this is what I chose to dwell on. Whatever Mr. Bourne was to others, Mrs. Bourne and her children have the right to remember the best about their husband and daddy. Their future is at stake, not ours and certainly not Mr. Bourne’s. As a community, we will be better served by helping all the families through this horrific time.

I understand how such a public tragedy as this touches the pain and concern within each of us. The apostle Paul expressed this very well in his second letter to the Corinthian church: “Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?” Each of us have probably asked, “Could this happen to my family?” or, “Could I do such a thing?” Let this tragedy be a wake up call for each of us to run life’s race with integrity in every area of our lives from beginning to end.

Please join with me in praying for and serving these families and our community. Also, let us all be the example our community needs. Again, let us identify with the apostle Paul as he writes, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”(Philippians 2:3-4).

Justin L. Everson, Pastor
Mammoth Community Church

Rebutting the rebuttal

Dear Editor:

I didn’t like “HAP’S” rebuttal [The Sheet, Feb. 11] to Elizabeth Boyd. Hap says he retired from the Mono County Sheriff Department with a generous pension of close to 90% of his salary plus health insurance for himself and his family. He states, “I’m the discount Supervisor.” B.S. Hap is still making the same salary as the rest of the Supervisors. Hap earned his retirement with the County and receives benefits, which calculate to the same amount as the other Supervisors. There is no discount.

Hap then goes on to elaborate on his law enforcement career of 30 years. The streets of Mono County are dangerous, as any other parts of the country. Hap states he had been “shot at four times by a 12 ga. shotgun.” B.S. again. I was on the same call. Man with a gun shooting in a local campground south of June Lake Junction. Upon my arrival, I met with several other deputies, including Hap. Hap stated he had been shot at and in a panic jumped into his patrol vehicle, attempted to put it in reverse, but was unable to because he forgot to put his brake on so it would shift. Upon retreat Hap arrived at our location on U.S. 395.

With a Lt. on scene and Sgt. Hazard, it was determined it was too dangerous to apprehend an armed suspect, shooting in a public campground with numerous vacationing tourists in harm’s way. In Hap’s opinion, it was best to leave an armed suspect who had just attempted to kill a police officer, roam free. It was the decision of both Hap and a Lt. to leave this call for day shift. Well, day shift came on and the suspect left the area. No suspect was ever arrested for attempted murder of a peace officer. If the suspect had been shooting a shotgun at Sgt. Hazard there would  have been evidence.

Hap then states, “I’ve had numerous knives pulled on me.” B.S. again.  During my 30-year career I never had a knife pulled on me. If this was the fact Hap had every right to use deadly force which was never done. In fact I don’t remember Hap ever arresting anyone for attempting to kill him.  How stupid can numerous suspects be to bring a knife to a gunfight.

And then Hap states he, “had been involved in more fights than he can remember.” B.S. again. Seems Hap was always the last one at a fight. Pull the records from Mono County Sheriff and see how many arrests Hap ever made for 242 P.C.

This is your Supervisor, District 2.  You make the choice, POLITICIAN or LIAR one and the same.

Randy Hysell
Bridgeport
Mono County Sheriff’s Dept. 1975-2003

Thoughts on Bourne 

Dear Editor:

We just returned from the memorial service, or as some prefer to call it a “celebration of life,” for Andrew Bourne. If one did not know the backstory here, when all was said and done one might have thought he was Mother Theresa with sixpack abs. I saw more photos of Andrew Bourne with his shirt off than I ever care to see again. That being said, it was otherwise a flawless evening. The medical community pulled together and made a presentation to this burg that brought us all together for the benefit of Andrew’s memory and the future of his widow and children. The evening, taken in its entirety, will be a fabulous takeaway for the boys and how they remember their father.

We were reminded by more than one speaker that none of us can know the full measure of the pain of another and that none of us can ever know when our own personal storm will overtake us as Andrew’s did him. I am left with a mystery, a conundrum, an empty hole of information about what happened.

If he did nothing other than flirt with an underage girl and have that misunderstood by the law and the media and had a chance to set it right, then why did he kill himself? Of course it was larger than that. There was his community and his family. His rising star falling to Earth. A cinder. I think he could not face that.

There is so much more to this story than we will know for a long time. This is the stuff of great literature, of stages and soapboxes.

More thoughts today…

We heard last night that Andrew Bourne was not perfect (duh); that he was human (duh). What I took away with me was that he was neither. He was SuperHuman. After all, besides being a great surgeon, a good son, brother, uncle; he was a best friend, a stellar father and husband. Add to that the work he did on the school board, that he was chief of staff at Mammoth Hospital, was always debating and competing and racing and climbing and skiing.

On Mondays he studied Buddism, on Tuesdays he practiced Spanish; on Wednesday I can’t remember and on Thursdays it was French and on Fridays he was working toward his blue belt in Jiu Jitsu and cage fighting. I am not making this up. I don’t know where he would have found time to commit the alleged crimes for which he was arrested and charged. There would have had to be two Andrew Bournes to do all of this and that is why this is so fascinating.

None of us can sync the Andrew Bourne we learned about at the service with the Andrew Bourne who might have solicited sex from a minor female. 1,000 emails? When did he sleep? Even if there were only half that number. What is true here is that we all have windows through which the world can peer and sometimes lurk in an effort to learn who we are. Many of us pull the shades down on those windows but sometimes the shades are unexpectedly opened and the light focuses on things that were never supposed to be seen.

Andrew Bourne was a champion in everything he did. Sometime over the last two years he stumbled and possibly fell. Andrew Bourne does not stumble and the Andrew Bourne we heard about last night could not live with the man who stumbled. He couldn’t be that man to his children, his wife and family and his friends and community. That is why we are talking about this and wondering and speculating. That is all he left us.

Mary Pipersky
Sunny Slopes

Bourne’s responsibility

Dear Mr. Sage, 

In response to last week’s letter from Don Sage: Responsibility for the death of Dr. Bourne lies squarely at the feet of Dr. Bourne, who took a professional oath to “first, do no harm.”

He has indeed done a lot of harm, and to blame his suicide on a law meant to protect children from online predators is sadly misplaced. I am sad for your loss, but I for one am thankful for laws that protect my children when others would see them harmed.

Susan Berger
Crowley Lake

Rusty defends decision

Mammoth Mountain’s decision to host a memorial for Dr. Andrew C. Bourne at Canyon Lodge last Saturday elicited a mixed reaction. Below is one negative comment (name withheld because the comment was sent directly to MMSA) followed by the response it drew from MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory. 

To whom it may concern:

I was shocked and appalled to hear that Mammoth Mountain will be donating Canyon Lodge, food and service to the memorial of Andrew Bourne. I know, I know – we’ve all been hearing it – Bourne was known, respected and liked in this community. Yes, his death was a tragedy. I do feel for the family that he left behind. But for a large entity – the entity – of Mammoth Lakes to give public and large monetary support to an individual who was about to be put on trial for grievous and horrendous acts shows incredible insincerity and disrespect to the victim and her family. A victim. There is a victim of sex crimes! Of that, there is absolutely no doubt. How, in any way, does Mammoth Mountain feel it is appropriate to act anything other than impartial?! Why, pray tell, does it even feel the need to be part of this situation at all?! In addition, where is this money coming from? If I bought a ski pass this season, am I in some way contributing to this service? Mammoth Mountain is making a serious, serious error here. This is no light matter and I find it incredibly upsetting. This move will alienate current and potential patrons of Mammoth Mountain and the town of Mammoth Lakes. More importantly, Mammoth Mountain is sending a clear message to the victim – and perhaps any victim of a sex crime – of which I as a Mammoth Lakes resident am ashamed of. I am ashamed to be associated with this entity. I do not support this decision and when the opportunities arise, I choose to boycott Mammoth Mountain.

Rusty Gregory’s response:

I completely concur with the view you express in your email on sex crimes and the horrible impact it has on victims, their families and the communities they are part of. I also agree with your strident admonition that Mammoth Mountain remain impartial in this matter. When I first read your email I felt the sting of your criticism. I had the predictable reaction and wanted to respond immediately to defend the company and my decision. I set your email aside and took some time to try to understand your perspective. I can see now how you came to the conclusion that Mammoth and I are taking sides in this tragic situation. I think, however, we are doing exactly what you have so strongly suggested. We are acting impartially.

We are a very small town and Mammoth Mountain has the only facilities large enough to comfortably accommodate more rhan 100 people. I have been running the company since 1996. Since then and for as long as I can remember before, Mammoth Mountain has made its facilities available free of charge to large segments of our community who need to come together to celebrate or mourn. We often provide food free of charge, particularly for memorials. It is the thoughtful thing to do and allowing food from outside sources not in our control, like potluck for instance, creates a host of liability and other business problems for us. The actual cost of providing food for a typical memorial service is very small, considerably less than the expense to provide dinner free of charge to our employees whose hours have been cut due to the recent drought. We are doing this 2 to 4 nights each week these days so I am very familiar with the exact cost.

Mammoth Mountain is doing what it always tries to do – to help our community.  I am trying to do what I always try to do – to be thoughtful about the decisions I make and to be transparent and publicly accountable for the results.

For me, to deny the use of our facilities for the Bourne family and their friends would be to act with the partiality and bias you accuse us of. I would have sit in judgment like you apparently have. You have looked at Andy Bourne and the undisputed fact that he was charged with and about to go to trial for sex crimes and have passed judgment. In your judgment you have concluded that there is a victim, not an alleged victim. You have looked at my decision and action to provide use of our facilities upon the request of friends of the Bourne family and judged that Mammoth Mountain is worthy of shame and boycott. I wish I could see this all this as clearly as you.

But I cannot see anything clearly through the tears that stream down my face every time I think of this tragedy. I have concluded that I just don’t know. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why this happened. I don’t know how to talk to my wife and children about it. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know of any reason to deny the request of the friends of the Bourne family to use our facilities to mourn Andy’s death.

I knew Andy Bourne and I know his family. I know the alleged victim’s family.  My heart breaks for each of them. My heart aches deeply for our community as each of us struggles, as you and I are, to deal with this in her or his own way.

I appreciate the time you took to express your feelings to me. With time and reflection I hope you and I and everyone else can find a place for the pain and emotions we all feel. I respect your decision to boycott Mammoth Mountain because you disagree with my decision in this matter. If you purchased a season pass please feel stop by my office on the 4th floor of the Main Lodge and I will give you a full refund.

Rusty Gregory
MMSA

Let’s rethink sex

Dear Editor:

After reading about the incident involving Andy Bourne I would like to offer my thoughts. I think it is time for our society to re-think all of our Puritan attitudes and laws regarding sex. Thinking about the whole incident I realize that the young woman was not hurt. She knew what she wanted but her parents didn’t want her to have it.

Girls reach their sexual-ness in the extreme when they are 13 or 14. Nature must have had something in mind to make females sexually mature so much earlier than males so that they are attracted to older males. We have tried for so long to defeat nature in our society and it is not working. We have tried to impose sexual abstinence on all young people and I wonder what would be so wrong to instead allow sex to blossom in our young people. To realize honestly that an urge so strong cannot and should not be suppressed. I would far rather have kids having sex than doing drugs and getting violent and killing and maiming each other and I bet if there were more sex there would be less destruction and anger and need for drugs. More sex, maybe less rape, maybe happier, content people.

I remember when a young lady at our local high school got pregnant with her history teacher. Her grandmother’s response was that she would much rather her granddaughter have sex with a teacher than a no good kid. Sounds sensible to me though my first response was horror but on thinking of it and knowing that the girl really craved sex, I wonder if we shouldn’t all re-think all of it.

In many other cultures the older men teach the younger women about sex and pleasure. We try so hard to suppress all natural feelings and urges and consider pleasure a crime. How stupid our upstanding society is sometimes. We need to re-think. Naked bodies on TV are outlawed but creepy, violent, bloody, sadistic scenes are just fine. Is that kind of programing really better for our kids?

Very sincerely saddened by the entire incident and some of the comments from the many self-righteous nature deniers. What a huge waste of a wonderful and community giving doctor.

Claudia Wimett
La Madera, New Mexico

A happy rebuttal 

The following letter from District 2 Supervisot Hap Hazard is in response to a letter published last week from Crowley Lake resident Elizabeth Boyd.

Dear Ms. Boyd:

Having been the County Supervisor representing the Crowley Lake area for the last seven plus years I take pride in my communications with the citizens I was elected to represent. However, I have in some way failed you as you are asking a very similar question to that of nearly two years ago during the last Supervisory election.

In the March 13, 2010, edition of The Sheet, you asked the question: “What is it with former county employees running for Supervisor?” even though I was not running for office in that election you chose to include me, by name, in your editorial (question) comment. I did not respond, as Larry Johnston and Renn Nolan were the candidates for Supervisor and I didn’t want to influence the voters with my comments.

However, this Feb. 4 you elected once again to ask the same types of questions in The Sheet’s letters section.

You stated; “District 2 Supervisor Hap Hazard, retired from the Mono County Sheriff’s Office with a generous pension of close to 90% of his salary plus health insurance for himself and his family, continues to collect a nice Supervisor’s salary with health benefits while accruing more retirement benefits for another “retirement”. While part of this statement is correct the implied accusation is grossly false. Please allow me to provide some additional information for the record.

“District 2 Supervisor Hap Hazard, retired from the Mono County Sheriff’s Office with a generous pension of close to 90% of his salary plus health insurance for himself and his family.” This part of your statement is correct.

(Hap) “Continues to collect a nice Supervisor’s salary with health benefits while accruing more retirement benefits for another “retirement.” This part of your statement is in error. California State Law and Mono County policy state that I can opt out of the PERS retirement system as an elected official. I did this very thing prior to being sworn in on January of 2005. I do not receive medical insurance from my role as a Supervisor and I am not gaining any credits towards another retirement. In fact, I have frequently stated that I am the discount Supervisor. The citizens of Mono County pay me just about half of what the Supervisor sitting in the chair next to me receives for salary & benefits. This is because I only receive a salary with no employee benefits in my role as a Supervisor.

You go on to ask some unknown person (I suspect you mean the voters or citizens) to ask me several other questions that are based on these incorrect assumptions.

”Ask Hap how he squares this practice with the responsibilities of a public official who must oversee budget cuts and contribute to the fiscal health of Mono County. Ask Hap how much taxpayers contribute to his retirement fund and how much they continue to contribute as he double dips. Ask Hap not what is legal but what is fair as we look down the muzzle of $700 billion in unfunded pension liabilities in the State of California.”

Elizabeth, you don’t have to ask others to ask these questions. You can ask me directly and I’ll answer them. Please call me or email me at 935.4999, 914.1403, or Hap04@msn.com. We can speak on the phone or meet at a location and time that works for both of us.

I would like to assure you that no Mono County employee is getting rich off of their retirement and I am not double dipping.

There are numerous media reports and high profile cases of officials abusing the retirement system. This is because they had direct control over their retirement plan. However, there are safe guards in place at PERS that prevent Mono County from wrong doing and therefore the employees have no control over their retirement pay or benefits, including me.

If your concern is that I am working after my primary career has ended then I would point out that Professional sports players (the non-stars) retire with a pension at a young age and go on to work in other fields. Likewise with the Military, where you could have a 20-year career, retire at 38 years of age, and work again. The same holds true with the auto industry, and many other fields.

The simple fact is that after 30 years of service to Mono County citizens working the streets. I didn’t want to wrestle young intoxicated persons and combative individuals at the age of 55 any longer. Many factors went into my decision to retire. I had worked my 30 year career, was still in good health, and felt I had more to give. I knew I didn’t want to expose myself any longer to the possibility of a physical injury so I retired. The streets, even here in Mono County, can be a violent place. In one incident I was shot at four times by a 12 gauge shotgun, I’ve had numerous knives pulled on me, and been involved in more fights than I can remember. I wanted to enjoy my retirement and at the same time continue to serve my communities. And while the position of Supervisor is a part-time job I work it as a full-time position. This is my commitment to the taxpayers.

I again invite you to contact me should you have any additional questions or comments I’ll be happy to speak with you.

Hap Hazard
District 2 Supervisor 

Response to Don Sage

Dear Editor:

Don Sage you are incorrect sir (letter from Feb. 3, “Sage law?”). The law did not kill Andrew Bourne, Andrew Bourne killed himself. Mr. Bourne was having inappropriate communication that was deeded “sexual” in nature by the DA of Santa Barbara. As a psychotherapist that specializes in working with victims of sexual abuse, particularly children, I can assure you that an adult male, highly educated I might add, should have known better than to engage a child in any sort of sexual communication. It was the choice of Mr. Bourne to participate in illegal and immoral conduct as it was for him to selfishly take his own life.

Marian A. Willingham M.A. LMFT
Cambria, Calif.