theSheetNews.com

A Second Response to Ms. Muir

Dear Editor:

Ms. Muir’s 27 January letter patently disregards facts. She states, “However, as an American citizen and a former child mental health worker, I know that when a man is initially held on one million dollars bail for alleged sex crimes against a minor, there is sufficient legal evidence against him to prove wrongdoing.”

The McMartin-Preschool case puts the lie to her statement. Peggy McMartin Buckley was accused of numerous sexual offenses against minors with bail set at one million dollars. She was acquitted on all counts.

In the same case, Ray Buckley was accused of 65 sexual offenses against minors and denied bail. At his first trial he was acquitted on 52 counts with the jury hung on the remaining 13. A second trial for 6 of the remaining counts resulted in a hung jury. Subsequently, all counts were dismissed.

The recent Strauss-Kahn case also comes to mind.

I gently point out to Ms. Muir and to all citizens that district attorneys’ careers are often made with sensational, especially sex-sensational cases. Some DAs go for broke.

Disclaimer. I don’t point my finger at or question the integrity of any particular district attorney.

Hank Garretson
Mammoth Lakes

(see first response to Ms. Muir by clicking here)

Double-dipping?

Dear Editor:

In an article published on Christmas Day 2011, the Fresno Bee had this to say about public employee double dipping. “Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for sweeping public pension reform would hit the pocketbooks of employees who hope to collect a pension and paycheck at the same time. It is a common practice statewide, especially in law enforcement.”

If not common here in Mono County it is at least happening right in front of our eyes. 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 future “retirement”.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office reports that the government likely cannot stop public sector employees who are already double dipping. However, you as a voter can. 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 contributed 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 Boyd
Crowley Lake

Sage law?

Dear Editor:

On Tuesday, January 24 Dr. Andrew Bourne chose to end his life. He had been accused of violating section 288.3 of the California Penal Code.  If convicted, he would have been jailed in state prison and been deprived of his livelihood. He would have been labeled for life as a “sex offender” and a felon.

The Santa Barbara District Attorney did not accuse him of ever touching or for that matter ever being alone with any “victim”.

The law, passed as proposition 83 or “Jessica’s Law” in 2006 states:

(a) Every person who contacts or communicates with a minor, or attempts to contact or communicate with a minor, who knows or reasonably should know that the person is a minor, with intent to commit an offense specified in Section 207, 209, 261, 264.1, 273a, 286, 288, 288a, 288.2, 289, 311.1, 311.2, 311.4 or 311.11 involving the minor shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for the term prescribed for an attempt to commit the intended offense.”

Other sections of this law have been challenged as unconstitutional but apparently not this particular section.  The LA Times in a January 2009 editorial said: “Of all the ill-considered ballot initiatives approved by California voters over the years, few can match Jessica’s Law for sheer self-destructiveness.”

The question of guilt hinges on intent but how do you determine intent? It’s too easy to imagine how an innocent conversation could be interpreted as intended to seduce. For example, a kind older man assuring a young girl that men would find her attractive?

We’ll probably never know exactly what was in the messages exchanged between Dr. Bourne and the “victim” but we do know that this vague law killed a good man. It should be repealed before there are more miscarriages of justice.

Don Sage
Mammoth Lakes

Thank you, good samaritan!

Dear Editor:

My husband and I were driving up to Mammoth on Thursday, Jan. 12, and my husband lost his wallet in Bishop. He did not miss his wallet until we got up to Mammoth. Phone calls were made to both places we had stopped. Into the car he went and drove back down to Bishop, but no wallet.

The next morning we stopped at the Post Office to check mail and, lo and behold, there sits the wallet in our PO Box. The Post Office clerk told us “a young woman” brought it by.

SO … a very special “thank you” to whoever you are. We got the wallet, the cash and all credit cards back. Thank you for being so honest, and taking the time to get it back to us.

Terry Sampson
Mammoth Lakes

A response to Ms. Muir

Dear Editor:

My response to last week’s letter in The Sheet by Kate Muir [“Speaking out for the victim,” pg. 5] …

I feel deeply for Ms. Muir’s unfortunate childhood sexual abuse experiences. That can leave one scarred for life.

However, these experiences have absolutely nothing to do with the alleged charges by the justice system in Santa Barbara against Dr. [Andrew] Bourne and Joe Walker. As a child mental health worker, she should understand this better than anyone. Every case in the justice system stands on its own set of allegations and evidence. Innocent until proven otherwise stands as a strong tenet in our justice system.

The Santa Barbara Police Department, according to written reports, sent 16 policemen and appropriate vehicles to arrest, manacle and physically transport Dr. Bourne and Joe Walker to Santa Barbara. Could this be overkill?

Then the Santa Barbara Police Department allegedly leaked the story to a local TV station and they ran the story under the provocative headline, and I quote, “Two part-time Santa Barbara men are accused of raping a 14-year-old girl.” It was then reported that a judge levied a $1 million bond on each of the alleged perpetrators. The judge, as reported, considered them “flight risks.” After this was thoroughly publicized, the judge reduced the bail to $750,000 each.

Dr. Bourne’s memorial is being held this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4. The location has been changed three times in order to accomodate the ever-increasing numbers of people who want to attend. Dr.  Bourne’s many philanthropic activities and pro bono medical work in third-world countries are just a few of the reasons a larger venue was necessary to accomodate the community outpouring.

Consequently, your vituperative outpouring chastising our community with angry exclamation marks for wanting to donate to his widow and children, in lieu of flowers, is particularly inappropriate at this tragic time.

Herb Benham
Mammoth Lakes

Landmark status?

Dear Editor:

The Mammoth Gateway Community Project was on the agenda at the Jan. 26 meeting of the TOML Public Arts Commission submitting a request for funding assistance. After just a 10-minute time allotment, the Commission, with a split vote of 2-2, refused to entertain questions or to further discuss the proposed project.

I believe that the Gateway Project merits SERIOUS discussion. Such an impressive LANDMARK would provide Mammoth Lakes with a signature entranceway, greeting all who live and visit here. It would provide an aesthetically pleasing and architecturally significant STATEMENT OF WELCOME and undoubtedly create Mammoth’s very own ICONIC IMAGE to be seen “round the world.”

What is Paris without its Tower, Rome Colosseum-less, Seattle missing its Needle, St. Louis Arch-free, New York with Lady Liberty gone missing or San Francisco sans its Golden Bridge? Without their iconic landmarks, these places all become less defined and somewhat less notable.

In these difficult economic times, when everyone is being asked to make tough choices about spending within limited budgets, it behooves all our public representatives to critically weigh the investment of these funds and consider how such investments might be strategically MAXIMIZED to BENEFIT our town.

What is the MOST EFFECTIVE and STRATEGIC USE of the limited funds available for Public Art?  In my opinion, this Project should be duly granted the appropriate amount of public funding commensurate with the BENEFITS that would surely be realized for the entire community and our visitors.

Therefore, I would ask that the Mammoth Lakes Town Council provide both guidance and leadership such that the Mammoth Gateway Community Project receives both a prompt hearing and just consideration by the TOML Public Arts Commission.

Steve Horman
Mammoth Lakes

Coping with loss 

Dear Editor:

This last month we were shocked and saddened to learn of the arrest of Andrew Bourne, M.D., who was Mammoth Hospital’s preeminent General and Vascular Surgeon. As we started to come to grips with this event, we were aghast to learn of his death. It’s hard to describe the wide range of emotions that our staff, physicians, and volunteers experienced. Many people worked closely with him throughout the hospital, especially those in Surgery, Recovery, Nursing Units and the Emergency Departmentand Surgical Clinic. Somehow they were able to reach down inside of themselves and continue to provide excellent care to our residents and visitors. I am proud of each and every member of our staff and am fortunate to work with such caring, talented and strong individuals.

There are many people I want to thank who helped us get through this event.  Audrey Pauley M.D. was on her fourth day as Chief of Staff when the story broke. She has tirelessly met with staff and physicians, rounded on the departments night and day and made sure everyone was getting the support they needed.

Lynda Salcido, our Board Chair, came to the hospital immediately on hearing about Dr. Bourne and helped organize and participate in sessions with staff.  She kept an eye on our administrative team to make sure we were coping and taking care of ourselves. Speaking of our Administrative Team, I could never have gotten through the last month without them.

Mammoth Hospital was well supported by our Community and I thank everyone who came to our assistance.  Northern Inyo Hospital provided surgical care to our community for the 10 days it took us to get surgical coverage organized. Fred Weatherly, a Chaplain and grief counselor has been by our side and helped us through the past few weeks as events unfolded. Sheriff Rick Scholl and Police Chief Dan Watson both called the morning after Dr. Bourne died to tell me about a crisis team they had both worked with in the past. After a few phone calls, Julie and Sarah from Counseling Team International were on their way from Southern California and onsite that evening. Julie, Sarah, and Fred provided us with an invaluable service and helped staff cope with their grief. From Mammoth Mountain Rusty Gregory CEO and Jack Copeland, VP were quick to offer their support and any resources we might need. And, my Rotary Club has supported me and other staff throughout this ordeal.  I can’t forget our families, without their support it would have been difficult to go to work every day.  There are others I’m sure I haven’t mentioned.

Our physicians have stepped up to provide support and care to our patients.  Doctors Fandrich, Sedwitz, Johnson and Ifune are covering the lion’s share of General Surgery coverage. Dr. Bortolazzo from Urology has assisted in following up with active patients whom Dr. Bourne was caring for. Dr. Harrell from Medical Imaging has taken on some of the vascular procedures for our patients. Doctors Anderson and Smith, anesthesiologists, are providing coverage so that Jonathan Bourne, M.D. can be with his family. And Dr. Deck, one of our surgeons who lives down south and is recovering from an injury himself, has offered to do anything and everything he can physically do.

We are moving forward and will continue to provide high quality care. We have begun the process to find permanent surgeons to replace and continue the great program established by Dr. Bourne, a physician who cannot be replaced.  I think the blur of information in January is starting to fade and many of us are beginning to focus on the positives that Dr. Bourne brought to us in his five year career at Mammoth Hospital. I can think of patients whose lives he saved and whose lives he improved, such as the young lady who crashed into a tree while skiing and the snowboarder who sliced his arm nearly in half. He was there for them and many others. Andrew Bourne M.D. you will be missed. Rest in peace, my friend.

Gary Boyd, CEO
Mammoth Hospital

Thinking out loud

Dear Editor:

Just thinking out loud in light of many governmental atrocities committed by both appointed and elected officials. I’m wondering if anyone in a position of power (town attorney, District Attorney, State General Attorney, City Manager of Bell, Calif. Robert Rizzo) is an example to be followed? The Town has been obligated to pay some $30 million in damages plus fees and interest due to some illegal?/unethical activities of our elected officials, designates and employees.

My question is, has anyone looked into bringing criminal charges against any of the individuals involved? I’m not sure, but I don’t think that working for the government at any level or in any capacity gives you the authority to knowingly break the law? And if someone — or many someones — broke the law shouldn’t they be pursued legally?  Especially if they profited by those actions. Thinking also if there were a conviction that any realized profits associated with airport development ( property appreciation) should be returned to the Town to help pay the damages.

Also thinking, I have never witnessed a lawsuit between two contentious parties where damages were awarded and the parties have continued to do business. I think it’s time for a buyout (or voiding of the contract) of Hot Creek Aviation. Thank you for showing us how to run an airport, but I’m sure we can (as a town) take over the running of that enterprise and with the proceeds we can make timely payments back to our creditor.

As far as running that portion and the Town’s portion of the airport, it might be time for a Penn State approach … clean house, make a fresh start. There are many capable people that have airport experience, and we can probably save some money there, too.

Eric Olson
Crowley Lake

*Note: For Town officials take on this topic, see page 6 for Kirkner’s update on the settlement. 

U need culture!

Dear Editor:

The fine citizens of the Mammoth Lakes area deserve a quality of life that includes the nurturing and expressive aspects of the arts. The arts humanize community and give inspiration and opportunities to connect us as people. The arts also hold great financial and economic benefit for any town, as a magnet for tourism and industry for our citizens and visitors. Cultural tourists stay longer, spend more money and shop more than tourists in general. In the most progressive of mountain towns across the U.S. millions of dollars are being invested in initiatives, in particular to arts- or culture-led schemes, designed to improve the image and quality of life in the most forward-thinking areas of our utopic rural life. Art and cultural initiatives make a huge difference to economic and social sustainability.

Our proud mountain town is earning a reputation in the arts and culture ie., music festivals, bookings of popular talent, professional quality theatrical productions, dance recitals, arts & crafts festivals, and even a film festival all of which bolsters the viability of the town by attracting visitors and tourists from around the world. Visual artists and art gallery owners have found it possible in recent years to make a living in places that had never been widely known for supporting the arts, so have performing artists, art center administrators, musicians, writers and theatre directors found small towns and cities to be welcoming, if not always lucrative, places to pursue their career goals.

Ski towns, all too aware that man cannot live by snow and sports alone, boasting beautiful performing arts centers where visitors are treated to the highest level of performing arts include Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen and Park City. Internationally known musicians and philharmonic orchestras perform at music festivals year-round at those mountain communities most of which are smaller in population than Mammoth Lakes. These areas also do not have the luxury of the entertainment gurus of the Los Angeles area in close proximity.

It’s understandable that large-scale arts infrastructure developments grab extraordinary amounts of media and taxpayer attention. After all, what town wouldn’t be proud to showcase its regional cultural gems, not to mention touring ensembles and international artists and performers, in a spanking new facility dedicated to visual or performing arts? In addition to more obvious entertainment attractions, cultural attractions in mountain communities could be made more visible in tourism marketing materials and media coverage and add to the trend towards rural-living revival.

The strongest cultural expression in America today has been in arts and sport. It is a powerful trend. These lifestyle trends relating to values of experience, well-being and entitlement in the community and shared experiences have the potential to increase tourism over the next several years for those community leaders paying attention to the far more important things other than the usual tired attempts to turn a buck on the latest real estate parcels. First things first in the order of their importance.

It behooves the city administration to create a supportive atmosphere for the arts. There is also Measure U that might be utilized as a starting point.

One can envision the building of a 15,000-20,000 square-foot structure with a 250-seat theater and small orchestra pit. A separate multipurpose “black box” space that would seat smaller groups and would be community oriented could be included. An art gallery would fill the lobby. It would be one of the largest and best-outfitted mountain-based arts centers in the region, a meeting place and a precious and welcome asset to the community.

Dennis Kostecki
Mammoth Lakes

MLTPA gets some hard Knox

Dear Editor:

In their peculiar reply last week to my letter to the editor from Jan. 7, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Community Engagement Director [Kim Stravers] declared my comments were factually inaccurate. I and others would disagree.

MLTPA is in fact a well compensated, taxpayer-funded consultant to

the Town that advocates for trails and public access, fosters stewardship, and convenes and facilitates community participation. To date, Measure R and the General Fund have bestowed $1.1 million upon MLTPA for primarily administrative services and organizational support. How else they fund their organizational existence is a question a fair number of folks are interested in knowing.

MLTPA pointed out that the Town of Mammoth Lakes submitted the Fall 2011 Measure R application requesting $300,000/year for the next five years ($1.5 million), not MLTPA.  No argument there. However, MLTPA did write the 352 page application, providing a detailed list of deliverables, most of which involve organizational support.  In fact, the Town staff thanked MLTPA for preparing the application at a recent Recreation Commission meeting.

In all four prior application cycles for Measure R (spring and fall of 2009 & 2010) MLTPA submitted applications in their own name, and received substantial funding. Page 6 of the Fall 2011 Measure R application states “The Town anticipates accomplishing the project’s scope either fully or partially through amendments to existing contractual services agreements” with MLTPA. To imply that this application was written with no expectation of benefiting from any awarded amount is dubious, to say the least.

MLTPA also stated in their published response, “If awarded, Measure R funds will be used to construct recommended projects from the Town’s recently adopted Trail System Master Plan.” That depends, I suppose, on your definition of construction. Interestingly, the line items for any actual construction expenses (page 78 of the 352 page PDF file) were specifically identified as not part of the $300,000 annual commitment.

Several of us attended a recent Recreation Commission meeting to ask for clarification. The chairperson and one fellow commissioner consider planning, programming, information/website development, and maintenance expenses to be indistinguishable from construction costs. The two other commissioners present expressed the importance of dedicating some significant portion of any awarded amount to actual construction. What is requested to be funded from the $300,000 in the submitted fall 2011 R application? Try planning, design, stewardship, governance, interagency coordination, fundraising, maintenance, marketing & promotion, etc., plus 10% contingency and 10% administration: total of $293,900.

In anticipation of another reply from MLTPA, it is important to note that the Measure R application as originally submitted encountered such resistance from a number of concerned locals that changes to the process became clearly necessary. Several Recreation commissioners understand our point and support our concern about the lack of tangible results to date.

Without this pressure, the application would have likely breezed to a large award, encumbering Measure R funds for years to come, with no assurance that tangible products (trails, park space, event venues, etc.) would result.  It will be interesting to learn how the two absent Recreation commissioners feel regarding this $1.5 million “Town” Measure R application following the recent Recreation Commission meeting on Jan. 19.

Sandy Hogan indicated in her last Letter to the Editor that she senses a positive change in attitude regarding the relationship between MLTPA, Measure R and the Town. I share her optimism, providing the public receives accurate and complete information about MLTPA’s contractual services and how Measure R awards and spending decisions have been made.

Brian Knox
Mammoth Lakes

All hail the snowmakers!

Dear Editor:

The Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce, and its members, would like to send an especially huge “THANK YOU” to the snowmakers, who have dedicated long, tedious hours to make skiing & snowboarding holidays a possibility.

These folks are the original snow makers who started back in Oct 22. Some of these snow makers have been making snow for  over 10 winters. Some have transferred from other departments when no snow came. There are an additional 20+ persons, who have helped make this winter possible by shoveling the guns out when they were covered with snow.

Depending on the temperature & humidity, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is able to operate up to 100 guns  a night. They have a total 240 guns. What does this mean to you? At 18 degrees (wet) they are able to blow 3,000 gallons per minute. That is  equal to 1 square acre foot of snow per hour. This  is providing us with more than 400 acres of skiable terrain! Way to go, Mammoth!

Quart Keyes
Mammoth Lakes Chamber 

Damn the torpedoes!

Dear Editor:

“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

I want to acknowledge and thank Rusty Gregory and the snowmaking staff at Mammoth Mountain for the superb job they have done in keeping Mammoth up and running. There is a fair amount of acreage from main Lodge, Canyon and Juniper to ski on. This has undoubtedly been a herculean effort undertaken at some expense.

I have been here for a long time and this is the first winter in my memory in which the town of Mammoth lakes has survived because of snowmaking.

Corty Lawrence
Footloose Sports 

Knox so fast … 

Dear Editor: 

The letter titled “For the Nordic Record,” submitted by Brian Knox and published in your January 7, 2012, edition, contains factual inaccuracies that we would like to address here.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes — not MLTPA — has submitted a Measure R application for a multi-year funding commitment supporting a cooperative effort between the Town and the Inyo National Forest to establish and maintain the Mammoth Lakes Trail System (MLTS). If awarded, Measure R funds will be used to construct recommended projects from the Town’s recently adopted Trail System Master Plan. How these funds are allocated will be at the sole discretion of the Town, not MLTPA.

MLTPA is funded by a variety of sources including our supporters; state, federal, and local grants; private foundation grants; and contracts with public agencies that are awarded through transparent and publicly accountable procedures. MLTPA reports thoroughly and regularly on its Measure R awards and Town contracts. The public can access video presentations of quarterly reports given at public Recreation Commission meetings by visiting www.mltpa.org. We have also recently posted a detailed response to the opinions that Sandy Hogan has been sharing through her letters to the local papers.

Our community is facing historic challenges. With all of the facts in hand, and the determination and willingness to work together in times of adversity, we are convinced that the best days for outdoor recreation in Mammoth Lakes lie before us. We look forward to working with all of our partners to help see this vision realized.

Kim Stravers
Community Engagement Director
MLTPA Foundation

Flood Plan Mappinp

Dear Editor:

Mono County Planning Department and Public Works have been working with FEMA [Federal Emergency Managment Agency] in the Flood Plan Mapping Update process. This initiative is part of the federal government’s nationwide effort to update flood maps to more accurately reflect flood risk and impact areas for future disaster.

Mono County has been working with federal agencies to insure accurate maps are produced. In the past some maps were created in the early 1960s and 1970s, and were drawn using inaccurate topology maps. With today’s modern technology and more accurate mapping, we hope to have a higher quality map that reflects real life conditions during flood events.

The County has taken a proactive approach to working with and being involved in the required updating process. Over the last couple of years, County staff has reached out to community members to obtain photographs, insurance reports, and firsthand accounts of actual flood experience from the floods that have occurred in Mono County over the last 30 years. These real life experiences have helped to cross check the predicted reliability of the new maps.

Since these new maps appear to be impacting many previous properties that weren’t shown in flood areas the County is doing an aggressive outreach effort to inform people that they may be caught in new insurance requirements.

FEMA is currently moving forward with their formal process of adopting these maps as the official maps for future use. In the very near future there will be a public comment period for citizens to provide their views on these maps. However, we’ve been informed that the comments are only going to be allowed to address specific concerns that speak to a scientific related comment. For this reason the county staff is attempting to inform our citizens of these maps, provide as much time as possible for review, and allow significant time for property owners to reply with comments.

Also these maps, once adopted by FEMA, could have a very real impact on homeowner’s insurance prices. There will be a period of time to obtain lower cost insurance based on property that was once outside the flood map areas and are now inside the flood area. There will then be the ability to continue the flood coverage at a “Grandfathered” rate in the future. If property owners elect not to obtain insurance at these favorable rates the cost could be much higher later. The favorable rates can also be transferred with the sale of the property.

The County is actively working to get these changes out to our communities and explain the program, so that people can make informed decisions. County citizens should watch for dates and times for their respective area RPAC meetings. Additional information can be found at the following Mono County website: www.monocounty.ca.gov/departments/public_works/FEMAFloodMapsandPolicies.htm.

Duane “Hap” Hazard
Mono County Supervisor, District 2

The following letter was sent out this week to Mammoth Mountain employees by CEO Rusty Gregory.

A letter from Rusty

Dear Editor:

The company has completed its most successful Christmas and New Year holiday period in my 34 years on the mountain. Never in our history have we hosted so many guests with so little natural snow and produced such a high quality experience on and off the mountain.

I had the opportunity to talk to scores of guests over the last 2 weeks.  They were universally effusive about how much fun they were having and couldn’t believe that Mammoth had top-to-bottom skiing, the Unbound pipe and parks were going off, June was open, Woolly’s Adventure Summit had snow for the tubers, and that we even had cross country skiing up to Minaret Summit. They were wowed by the fireworks at Night of Lights and on New Year’s Eve, and had a blast at the concerts and DJ events. The Village rocked and they loved that we opened a day care and brought Sushi Rei back.

Many of our guests came to Mammoth from Northern California for the first time because the Tahoe resorts’ lower elevation and limited snowmaking capabilities only allowed the operation of a small fraction of the terrain and services Mammoth provided. A significant number chose Mammoth over their usual winter vacation spots in Colorado and Utah. You all worked very hard and performed wonderfully. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of our guests and a grateful community, thank you very much.

But now, the crowds are returning home, the temperatures are warming and the weather is forecast to provide more sun than snow in the days to come. I know that all of you are wondering how the company intends to deal with the less than optimistic outlook going forward.

Here is what I know:

So far, this winter is the driest on record since the 1800s. I’ve talked to the heads of major resorts in California, Utah and Colorado. Each of them are cutting back on lifts, terrain and staffing to save money. Many think that the winter of 2011-12 will never really get started and the weeks and months to come will just bring more of the same.

Here is what I believe:

We operate the best mountain in the country and we run it better than other resorts run theirs. Skiers want to ski and boarders want to ride. This yearning and the demand it produces doesn’t go away just because Mother Nature isn’t cooperative. Mammoth is the skier and rider’s mountain.  When it snows, they will come. In my 34 years on the mountain, I’ve seen several severe drought years with little or no snow in October, November or December. It snowed by mid-January in each of those years.

Here is what we are going to do:

We are going to do the opposite of what other resorts are doing. We are not going to cut services to save money.  We are going to keep everything open – Eagle, Canyon, the Village, all the current lifts and all the terrain possible. If temperatures allow snowmaking, we will add more runs and lifts as soon as we can, even if it’s during the middle of the week when crowds are light. We are going to keep our seasonal and year-round employees. If hours of work get too thin for some, we will feed each of them every night to make it possible for them to stay in town. We will continue to operate all our shops and restaurants everyday on the regular winter schedule. Our rental shops will be renting all categories of skis and boards including demos, everyday.

We are going to do just what we did over the holiday, giving our guests way more than they expect, and way more than our competition. We will do it the Mammoth Way with big smiles, a positive vibe and the informal, authentically sincere service we are famous for.  Our guests will love us for it and they will come back.

I don’t want anyone to underestimate the company’s commitment to the quality of our guest’s experience or misunderstand their individual role in delivering it.

I wish each of you, your family and friends a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Rusty Gregory, CEO
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area

For the Nordic record

Dear Editor,

An article published in the Dec. 17 issue shed some bright, positive light on the steady evolution of the Nordic scene in our community.

Competitive Nordic programs developed and provided by Eastern Sierra Nordic Ski Association have garnered the attention of Mammoth Mountain’s Race Department and are benefiting greatly as a result of their involvement and support. The Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation is also providing scholarships to offset team fees, travel costs, and education expenses based on need and performance. This type of significant support is crucial to the present and future success of local programs geared towards raising the caliber of homegrown, competitive Nordic talent.

The article also inadvertently compared the work of Mammoth Nordic with MLTPA. Given the recent scrutiny initiated by Sandy Hogan regarding the Town’s administration of Measure R and MLTPA, I  believe it is important to note how distinctly different the missions and objectives of our respective non-profits are:

Mammoth Nordic supports, develops and promotes Nordic Recreation.  We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization providing a high quality, groomed Nordic Trail System free to our locals and visitors alike. Our Club is funded by contributions from our members, local business owners, second homeowners and visitors who value the experience we provide.

MLTPA is a well-compensated, taxpayer-funded consultant to the Town that advocates for trails and public access, fosters stewardship, and convenes and facilitates community participation. MLTPA is currently seeking to secure their operational financial stability over the next five years with a guaranteed $1.5 million dollar commitment from taxpayer-funded Measure R. Suffice to say, Mammoth Nordic supports Ms. Hogan and others who believe the relationship between the Town, MLTPA and the administration of Measure R is in need of an open and transparent review.

Brian Knox
Mammoth Nordic

Time for reality check? 

Dear Editor:

I wish to comment on the following articles published Nov. 5 – No American Express for Visa Applicants and Dec. 3 – H (Not) 2B, MMSA withdraws [second] application.

MMSA was denied certification by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) of their application for H-2B visas for 45 positions, 33 of which would be for ski school. “It’s heartbreaking” said MMSA Senior Vice President Pam Murphy of the decision. “We’ve thrown every resource we have at this. …”. Oddly, neither article mentions why our government denied certification. The H-2B non-immigrant program permits employers to hire foreign workers if they meet the following criteria:

(1) there are not sufficient U.S. workers who are capable of performing the temporary services or labor at the time of filing the petition for H-2B classification and at the place where the foreign worker is to perform the work; and

(2) the employment of the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.

Obviously, MMSA failed to convince the DOL that there was a lack of American workers with the skill set necessary to fill the various seasonal jobs and/or that employing foreigners would not have an adverse effect on American workers.

California has the 2nd highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.7% with over 2 million collecting unemployment benefits. The so-called underemployment rate is 16% nationally. In light of these statistics I do not believe MMSA could not find Americans to hire for lift crew, housekeepers, ski instructors or do slope grooming. MMSA made a business decision to hire foreigners because of the simple fact they will work for lower wages than Americans. The article acknowledged that “many ski areas have dropped their H-2B visa programs as being a costly and painful process” which implies there are enough Americans to fill the seasonal ski area positions.

The article states that in the past MMSA had 200 H-2B visas granted for “housekeepers, lifties, and groomers in addition to instructors and coaches.”

“Over the years, MMSA narrowed those jobs openings down to what Murphy called “our true need, which is instructors.”

Ms. Murphy’s quote implies that MMSA abused the H-2B visa program in the past because now they have narrowed it down to “our true need.”  If MMSA “true need” is ski instructors then what are the other 12 non-ski school positions for?

The article acknowledged increasing controversy of the H-2B visa program “given the economic difficulties faced by domestic workers.” Murphy said as a result “the government is coming out with laws that make it harder to get H-2Bs” visas. What appears to be happening is that our government has begun to enforce the visa and immigration laws that have been on the books for years, not that there are any new laws.

For example, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency deported 400,000 illegal aliens in 2011, most not for immigration violations but for violations of other laws. This was the largest number of deportations in the agency’s history. I think it is likely the administration, unable to get the Depression-level high unemployment numbers down, has resorted to enforcing some of the visa and immigration laws now on the books, thus reducing the size of the labor pool providing more employment opportunities for Americans. Currently annual allocations of work visas and immigration are set numbers lacking any ties to what our unemployment levels are. When there is low unemployment, about 4%, the allocations could be higher and when there is high unemployment they should be lower.

In a larger context, it is all about cheap consumer goods and cheap labor – the free flow of goods, capital, and labor across international borders to maximize the profits of the transnational corporations at the expense of the middle class and working poor – Globalization, free trade. Our elected representatives have adopted the mindframe that Mammoth Lakes has an affordable housing problem when in fact we have a living wage problem. When the labor market has significantly more workers than jobs it inherently drives down wages, the situation we are now experiencing. Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and MMSA are not the “job creators.” They can start a business based on a great idea or service, and hire many people. But if no one can afford to buy what they have to sell, the business will soon fail with those jobs disappearing. The spending of most of their income by ordinary middle class workers creates consumer demand, the real job creators.

MMSA is owned by Starwood Capital Group, a privately held global investment firm run by Barry Sternlicht. MMSA appears to be only a small portion of their overall portfolio. Last April, MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory, the featured speaker at the Lions Club luncheon said “Mammoth is on pace to record its best-ever year in terms

of company revenue, and is 6.5% ahead of last year.”

MMSA 2010/2011 gross revenue was about $145 million. MMSA is worth $500 million with Rusty Gregory owning a 15% share ($33 million) so it appears they are extremely profitable.

What I find heartbreaking is the corporate greed and anti American business practices by MMSA management. Buy American – Hire American, the alternative is a race to the bottom with the continued decline of the middle class and democracy itself.

Gary Guenther
Mammoth Lakes

Let there be rentals

Dear Editor,

In answer to Gregg Martino’s letter (published Dec. 3), I do live in a single family residence, and I would much prefer to see the second homes around me occupied, whether for a weekend or a month, than see a rash of Bank Owned For Sale signs.

Times change and circumstances change. Nothing is engraved in stone. Although you may think it unfair, I would not want to tell a second homeowner that he has no choice but to let that home go into foreclosure because, temporarily, he can’t rent it out on a short term basis.

I’m a caterer, Mr. Martino, and I have catered many family gatherings in homes that were rented for a long weekend or a week. They do not create “noise, disruption and general unwanted activity associated with nightly rentals.”

Evie Werthmann
Mammoth Lakes

Thanks, Doc!

Dear Editor:

This year’s holiday gift started last May. Benny, our ever-loving furry boy [ a Standard Poodle] was diagnosed with a genetic condition called Mega Esophagus, in which the esophagus becomes enlarged, and does not propel ingested food and water into the stomach.

After much angst over surgery to install a feeding tube to save his life, then a second opinion from a veterinarian who told me to put my guy down, our local Mammoth Lakes vet, Dr. Teslaa, was determined to do what he could in Benny’s best interest.

It would take too much space to detail all the ways Dr. Teslaa was available for us on weekends, nights and there for us whenever we were in need of help. Suffice to say that due to his constant care and support, Benny is back to being his crazy doggie self!

Thank you, Dr. Gaylon Teslaa! Happy Holidays to all our furry loved ones.

Randee Levin
Mammoth Lakes 

Agreement needs scrutiny

Dear Editor: 

While I have seen improvements made in the Measure R application process each year, the related “Master Agreement” between the Town and MLTPA needs public scrutiny and renegotiation.

The Master Agreement, in the form of a Professional Services Contract, was developed before the current Town Manager came in, and, in my view, is a very loosely-written and rambling document. Its intent was that through a series of amendments, MLTPA could bring individual trails projects forward for funding. While some changes have been made to clean up the agreement, it is time to review its relevancy and its many “projects” that appear to be too geared towards MLTPA organizational support.

The two amendments funded through Measure R multiple year awards and General Fund gap funding have at least 21 overlapping and duplicate projects having little to do with tangible trails deliverables. This means that a portion of Measure R is used for MLTPA overhead, not for trails. Moreover, MLTPA has high overhead costs and a large number of well-paid staff, yet direct and indirect costs are not clearly spelled out.

In this Professional Services Contract, MLTPA is the “sole-source contractor.” As such, no competition from any qualified contractors (photographers, facilitators, GIS/website/data contractors, others) was considered for any of the projects. “Deliverables” with vague or no ending dates were developed by MLTPA, not by the Town, and with little or no apparent scrutiny by the Recreation Commission or Council.  MLTPA-written “projects” are MLTPA priorities, not necessarily Town priorities. For example, $21,500 is allocated for MLTPA’s quarterly reporting.  Why should taxpayer money pay for MLTPA’s report to the commission, when no other recipient of Measure R funds is similarly paid? It is highly unusual to

charge grants for required reports, and in addition seems to me to be a perverse incentive.

It is time for the Recreation Commission and Town Council to ask Town staff to evaluate the Master Agreement and its amendments, to see if there’s interest from other professional consultants to perform at least some, if not all, of these currently costly services. In this difficult economy, professional consultants or other governmental staff might be interested in competing for some “projects.” For example, the Town, Mono County, and Mammoth Community Water District have an interagency agreement for GIS and other data management; it seems logical that the future trails website would reside there, as it is Town property, not MLTPA’s.

By starting a review of this agreement, the Town would be in charge, rather than the consultant.  In any case, it’s time to replace the current agreement with one of the Town’s making, not one written by MLTPA, so that the true costs of each project are clearly described, including required Town staff time.

Sandy Hogan
Mammoth Lakes

Enhance self-reliance

Dear Editor:

I am writing in support of Measure S, a ballot measure to renew a portion of the existing funding already in place for schools in Mammoth Lakes, but I am writing more importantly in support of this community’s ability to look out for itself and to become increasingly self reliant.

Measure S is a ballot measure that will appear on the November 8, 2011 ballot and it is a five-year renewal of the $59 parcel tax that we have paid annually, regardless of lot or building size, for the past eight years. For homeowners and business property owners, the cost amounts to about $1.13 per week, yet the Measure generates around $660,000 annually for Mammoth schools.

As a member of both the Measure R and Measure U campaign committees, I can appreciate the seriousness of bringing important and responsible revenue questions to the public. With the State of California intent on cutting funding to public education even further than it has already, and with the very dire consequences to the schools in Mammoth Lakes should they lose an already existing revenue stream, I am supporting Measure S and I would encourage the rest of the voting community here in Mammoth to support it as well.

At last week’s Town Council meeting, when Tom Cage asked the Town’s Attorney the direct question of whether or not Measures R or U could used to pay off the judgment that the Town is currently under and the Town’s attorney replied “no,” I felt a renewed appreciation for how important it is for all of us here in Mammoth Lakes to secure resources that directly benefit this community. And so for the schools, and for our enhanced self-reliance, I urge the voters of Mammoth Lakes to vote Yes on Measure S.

Thanks –

John Wentworth
Mammoth Lakes

Look at the facts

Dear Editor:

It is important for all current seniors to put aside the TV sound bites and generalities and deal with the facts.  Over and over, one hears, I put money in Medicare and Social Security and deserve my benefits at retirement.  So don’t mess with it!  Here is a factual example— based on the Medicare and Social Security Tables—www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/taxRates.html and www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/cbb.html.

The average female born in 1940, working from age 20 through 66 1/2 (1960-2007) and earning at the maximum wage base through 1985 reaching $39,600 and then 1994 reaching $40,000 and 2000 reaching $45,000 contributed $16,904.55 to Medicare and was eligible to draw Medicare at age 65 for the rest of her life –expectancy about 81 years of age.  It is easy to see that one hospital visit for surgery wipes out the entire amount.

Using the same data, Social Security contributions were $75,629.91 and benefits started at age 66 1/2. The benefit is likely $1,000 per month which is $12,000 per year.  In 6.2 years, this female has received back all of the money she contributed.  If this female lives to age 81 ½, she will have collected $168,000.

Now—- when you see the numbers, you can see the problem.  Who pays the benefits when you exceed your contributions?  How about the seniors who didn’t work 46 ½ years at the significant wage in the example?  How about the seniors who never worked – say some spouses?  Where does that money come from for their benefits?  How about the “poor” who don’t make much contribution to Medicare or Social Security yet receive full Medicare and at least a minimum Social Security?

One important source of contributions to cover the shortfall, in the above example, is that this female’s employer was required to match her contributions which when added almost covers her Social Security benefit if she dies at 81.  However, with the high cost of healthcare, even with the employer money contributed towards Medicare, it is still a “drop in the bucket” which is the bigger problem.  Seniors are paying about $110 a month out of their Social Security check towards Medicare in retirement which helps but a co-pay for services should probably be added.  The other source of contributions to seniors Medicare and Social Security are our children and grandchildren.  Their payroll tax withholdings are going directly to our benefits. Thus, enter the words Ponzi scheme. If it takes nearly all the contributions our young people make today to fund current senior benefits then—the first people to draw the benefits take all the money and the current and future young people are left “holding the bag.”

In summary, right now Medicare especially needs to change to be saved –even for us seniors. The numbers speak and when millions of welfare and poor are added to Medicare at 65 or Medicaid before 65, the deficit becomes crushing. It seems we current seniors enjoyed a lifetime of great prosperity but failed to understand what the ever increasing entitlement state would do to all of us!

Connie Stamolis
Mammoth Lakes 

Poop was not on purpose

Dear Editor:

The letter to the Editor in the September 10 about issue about composting blue dog poop bags really gave me a chuckle. The writer asserted that San Francisco dog owners collect dog poop in blue bags and then leave them around so they will bio-degrade.

Nothing could be farther than the truth. I have 2 dogs, live in San Francisco most of the year, and can assure your readers that not only do those blue bags not bio-degrade, but that there is no general debate at all going on among San Francisco dog owners about the righteousness of leaving dog poop around on the streets in blue bags.

They do not compost and it is illegal to dispose of dog waste in our green composting bins.

My guess is that the blue bag was dropped inadvertently and that the owner probably had no intention of leaving it for your reader to discover.

Helene Frakes
San Francisco/Twin Lakes summer resident

Double standard

Dear Editor:

In my quest for a lease for a new place to live in Mammoth, I have become distraught by a double standard in our lovely town. There are so many fundraisers and heartfelt pleas to “adopt a pet” and many people answer the call and fall in love with a new addition to their tribe.

YET many of the landlords will absolutely not consider renting to anyone that has a pet.

My dilemma is this: as responsible pet owners how are we supposed to give our pets (and ourselves) shelter if we can’t rent anywhere?

Pets bring companionship and are good for the soul.

Shouldn’t that go hand in hand with being able to live in a home, condo or apartment?

I hope this will open the eyes and hearts of some landlords and that there will be some consideration made to those of us that live in Mammoth and want to keep our pets, and not have to adopt OUT the very same pet that we recently adopted.

Alli Archer
Mammoth Lakes 

2nd homeowner takes offense 

Dear Editor:

This is in reply to a remark in the August 20 edition of The Sheet penned by Helen Koetler. She wrote:

“Furthermore, by ‘resident’ I refer to the people who actually live and work and raise families here full-time. Not the second and third homeowners who use our Town as a bragging right.”

As one of these second homeowners, I take offense at the notion that second homeowners purchase their homes simply to boast. We purchased our home nearly thirty years ago and I can assure you that it was not for bragging rights, but rather because we had been visiting Mammoth frequently for years, during all seasons, and decided that it would be more cost-effective to own a place in Mammoth outright instead of renting every time.

The writer’s inference is clear. Second homeowners are lesser beings who are a drag on the Mammith economy and a drain on the Town’s tax base. That could not be further from the truth. Second homeowners pay property taxes based on the value of their units, not on the basis of the public services they use, which I am sure, on average, are far less than the services used by permanent residents. In addition, they frequent the commercial establishments in town and I would wager that they generate a lot more sales tax revenue into the Town coffers than do the permanent residents.

My husband and I, coincidentally, make our permanent home in the resort community of Three Rivers on the western side of the Sierras. More than a million tourists come through our town every year to visit Sequoia National Park. If it were not for the tourists, the businesses in the community would simply not survive. We and other residents accept that tourism is vital to our community and that without it we would probably not have the services and commercial establishments that enable us to live there.

Ironically, the closest quality restaurants and entretainment venues to Three Rivers are located more than 35 miles away, so we rarely go out to eat, see a movie, etc. when we are at home. We save those activities for when we are in Mammoth. Since we are retired, this amounts to several months per year. I am sure that we are not alone in that regard.

In short, instead of making snide remarks about second homeowners, how about an acknowledgement of the fact that we are key components of the Mammoth economy. Without us, Mammoth would be little more than a wide spot in the highway.

Barbara James
Three Rivers

Ed. note: As a matter of disclosure, it has been brought to my attention that a Ms. Koetler may not exist. I hope this is not the case. Sometimes we get fooled.

Odd Couple is not “nougat”

Dear Editor:

[The Edison Theatre’s staging of “The Odd Couple - Female Version”] is a really a nice, well-rehearsed production. Everyone did a good job and I particularly enjoyed the two leads, naturally, and the understated bickering between Sylvie and Vera. Tough to beat the original Pigeon sisters for goofiness, but our faux Spanish boys came awfully close.

As Manolo might explain, the production as a whole is quite the opposite of “nougat.”

John Rogitz
Mammoth Lakes

Dear Editor: 

Run, don’t walk to your phone and make a reservation (760.934.6592) now to see the “Odd Couple” (female version) at the Edison Theater in Mammoth Lakes before it’s over on Sept. 18.  After a soggy, rainy 9/11 Sunday, the matinee performance was a terrific way to share belly laughs with everyone else in the audience.

This cast of women and men are incredibly talented and they did such an outstanding job. Bring a hankie, because you will laugh until you cry! BRAVO!

Barbara Richter
Mammoth Lakes

Don’t make me have to choose 

Dear Editor:

I am concerned that the Republican Majority in the House of Representatives voted to end Medicare and cut benefits that hardworking seniors have earned.

This privatization scheme is an insult to hardworking Americans who have paid into Medicare. In these challenging times when retired Americans rely on their Medicare benefits, Congress should do whatever it takes to protect this critical safety net.

Medicare belongs to the people who worked and paid into the system. It is not the government’s piggybank to balance the budget on the backs of seniors.

Why should seniors be asked to choose between paying the heating bill and seeing a doctor while big oil companies (who are enjoying record profits) are free to keep their huge taxpayer-funded subsidies?

Seniors, our children and grandchildren deserve better than a plan that will take away seniors’ basic benefits. As voters, we must urge Congress to find a common-sense way to ensure that Medicare is viable in the years and decades to come.

Wilma Wheeler
Mammoth Lakes