theSheetNews.com

The Mammoth Lakes Friends of the Library is getting ready for this weekend’s annual Labor Day Used Book Sale. The sale takes place … at the Mammoth Lakes Library, imagine that! The library is located at the corner of Meridian Boulevard and Sierra Park Road.

The sale is being held on Friday, Sept. 2 from noon-5 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Stop by on Saturday to take advantage of the one day only, “Two Bucks a Bag” special event from 4-5 p.m. All proceeds go to the library and its programs.

And, for year-round used books for sale, make sure to stop by the Booky Joint!

I’ve been thinking about this phone-hacking scandal that took down the British tabloid News of the World and threatens the very empire of Rupert Murdoch and I have two thoughts.

1. While Murdoch did not know what was going on, I believe there is an institutional culture which he helped create. I’m sure there was intense pressure on his news organizations to produce and not too many questions asked as to how that production was facilitated.

2. The nature of the scandal is so … impersonal. And I get it. Who wants to be the jerk who asks the question bound to elicit discomfort? Who wants to be the outsider asking a grieving family member about the loss of a loved one hours or days after a tragic event?

When I broke into journalism during the previous Ice Age before the advent of this thing called the internet, my most modern technological asset was the telephone. You had to call people. And meet with people. And actually speak with them directly.

This was of benefit during one story I did for the Elko Nevada Daily Free Press about new strip club regulations which mandated a certain distance be maintained between the burlesque talent and their patrons.

My undercover investigative reporting determined that the dancers were indeed adhering to the new regulations.

I did not even get a phone number.

It’s the not talking (or the not asking) which is the problem plaguing modern journalism. It’s just so much easier to stare at a computer screen and to “analyze” the work of others versus risking a personal interaction.

Unfortunately, the seeming goal of modern technology is to limit personal interaction as much as possible.

To answer a couple of questions readers have asked me about in the past few weeks:

1.) Does Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht make more money than California Governor Jerry Brown? Answer: Wilbrecht makes a base salary of $199,000 annually plus benefits. The latest report we could find on Governor’s pay showed Gov. Jerry Brown making just under $174,000.

2.) If the airport litigation appeal to the California Supreme Court has been denied, and the Town has exhausted its legal remedies, isn’t the litigation considered settled? Therefore, should settlement negotiations with Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition be closed session items protected by the Brown Act?

From former Town Manager and current Town consultant MMMartinez:

“Even though the litigation has resulted in a judgment and the time to appeal has passed, the court retains jurisdiction over the judgment until it is satisfied. Settlement discussions may properly occur in closed session as having the discussion in open session would undermine the Town’s bargaining position. Moreover, until a settlement agreement is reached or the judgment is satisfied in full, the plaintiff could go to court to enforce the judgment. As a result, the litigation is still pending and closed session settlement discussions are still proper under the Brown Act.”

3.) The third question isn’t a question so much as a rumor, the rumor being that MMSA was forced to refinance its loan (the loan taken out by Starwood Capital to finance the purchase of the company in 2005) at a significantly higher interest rate, thus promising a further drain on operating capital and the ability of the company to reinvest in itself in the near term. Is this true?

MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory told The Sheet this week that the interest rate for the refi loan is “a full percentage point less with a five-year term.”

And now, from Geisel’s desk …

What is this, Wisconsin?

Remember the recent flap in Wisconsin and the heat that Republican Governor Scott Walker took for revamping public sector collective bargaining in that state? Well, Wisconsin, it turns out, wasn’t the only state considering such options. Many other states in budget crisis mode adopted similar measures, and now it appears California’s turn could come up soon.

Under potential ballot initiatives that have been filed with the state’s Attorney General’s Office, all public sector workers in the state of California would no longer have collective bargaining rights. Think tank group California Center for Public Policy is behind a three-part initiative effort that is focused on reducing government workers’ compensation.

Initiative #1 would prohibit all public-sector labor unions from being recognized and collective bargaining would be blocked. Under Initiative #2, a higher tax rate would be imposed on anyone drawing pension payments from CalPERS or CalSTRS. And Initiative #3 seeks to increase the retirement age of public safety workers to 58, and other workers’ threshold to 65. (Currently state workers can retire at ages 50 to 55, depending on terms of employment.) If Secretary of State Debra Bowen approves the potential initiatives, each one will require at least $1 million to successfully gather the necessary signatures to make the November ballot.

The initiatives operate on the theory that raising taxes and eliminating services can simply be avoided if government compensation packages are streamlined. Says CCPP’s Lanny Ebenstein, “Government does not exist to provide compensation and pensions for government workers. Government exists to provide good public services at a reasonable cost.” As of press time, there was no reaction from unions or Governor Jerry Brown’s office, but some form of resistance to the initiatives is expected.

Unions have, however, been part of benefit package reform that has made its way into San Francisco County, one of the state’s most liberal regions. San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to place a charter amendment on the November ballot to overhaul city retirement benefits. “I believe this is absolutely, 100 percent, unequivocally the right step for the city,” commented Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who drafted the measure with Mayor Ed Lee (D) and public employee unions.

According to its website description, California Center for Public Policy is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to non-partisan public dialogue and research on California public policy, including public employee compensation, education, energy and economic issues.” –California County News, Digital Clipping Service.

And in regard to the Crowley cell tower hearing, much was made about private property rights intrusions. From where I sit, it seems that about four homes were allowed to decide the future of a community of 1,000. And in public comment, two of those homes doubled up on speaking, with both husband and wife going to the podium. One of the homeowners railed against the towers’ perceived impact on property values. That home has been on the market for 18 months, leading one to speculate as to whether the decline in the housing market has had more of an effect on its worth than any two faux tree cell towers. And another home was in escrow during the Planning Commission meeting in April, and allowed to stay in escrow afterward, with full knowledge that an appeal could be filed and there might indeed be cell towers as a result.

And what of Tommy Czeschin’s property rights? He owns a commercial piece of real estate. Yes, it’s surrounded by residential property, and he stood to make money on it. But isn’t that his right as a private property owner? Were those rights properly considered, along with those of the NIMBYs living just up Juniper Drive?

Lunch, meanwhile, sides more with Supervisor Tim Hansen’s way of thinking on this one. As Hansen said, “If one person’s property rights are violated, I can’t support it.”

Inyo on hold

Inyo County will have to wait a little longer to challenge the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) groundwater-pumping plan for the Owens Valley. The Inyo-LA Tech group met on July 15 to discuss the county’s concern that the current pumping plan may have a negative environmental impact on two areas between Independence and Lone Pine.

According to Inyo County Water Department Director Bob Harrington, the meeting did not go well. When the Inyo-LA Tech Group got to the county’s request for resolution concerning the pumping plan, the DWP suddenly noticed that the county’s attorney was present in the audience. The attorney in question wasn’t there to represent Inyo, but was observing the proceedings as a member of the public. Nevertheless, DWP pointed out that it didn’t have any legal representation present, and asked that the county’s attorney remove himself.

“We didn’t want to set a precedent of throwing a person out of a public meeting,” Harrington said. So the county chose to recess the meeting and continue the discussion at a later date.

Inyo County had already provided its request in the form of a legal document to the LADWP before Friday’s Tech meeting was ever scheduled. “They certainly knew what was going on,” said Harrington, “so they could have had an attorney present if they thought they needed one.”

But if past dealings with the LADWP are any indication, Friday’s first non-resolution may not be the last. “These kinds of things take a lot of time and patience,” Harrington concluded.

Photo courtesy FOI

Join local non-profit, Friends of the Inyo for one, or all of its upcoming activities.

Saturday, June 4 – National Trails Day at June Lake

Join Friends of the Inyo, the Inyo National Forest, Mono County and the June Lake Trails Committee for National Trails Day. Work projects at Gull Lake and around the June Lake Loop with trail maintenance and cleanup for volunteers of all ages and abilities, followed by lunch and raffle prizes! Morning refreshments will also be served. Please wear close-toed shoes and be prepared for the outdoors (water, sunscreen, bug spray) with a favorite pair of gloves and a friend! Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the June Mountain Ski Area parking lot. Call 760-873-6500 for more information.

Saturday, June 4 – National Trails Day at Whitney Portal

Volunteer to care for the Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail on the Inyo National Forest and be rewarded for your hard work with lunch! Meet at 9 a.m. at Whitney Portal. Phone: (760) 873-6500 for more information.

Sunday, June 5 – Friends of the Inyo Bodie Hills Floral Adventure

Come out to see what’s in bloom in the Bodie Hills on a moderate to strenuous all-day botanizing hike. Meet 8:30 a.m. at the end of the road to Bodie State Park (Highway 270). Email drew@friendsoftheinyo.org for more information.

Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 – “Green Fire” Film Screenings in Mammoth and Bishop

Celebrate stewardship and the Eastern Sierra’s public lands at screenings of “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time” at the Edison Theatre (former ski museum across from Cerro Coso College) in Mammoth and Inyo Council for the Arts in Bishop (137 S. Main Street). 6:30 p.m. reception followed by 7:30 film screening and panel discussion with filmmakers and local biologist Phil Pister. Suggested ticket donation: $10 ($5 for students) available at Access (Mammoth) and Wilson’s (Bishop) or at Friends of the Inyo, 819 North Barlow Lane in Bishop. Phone: (760) 873-6500 or email cat@friendsoftheinyo.org.

Saturday, June 11 – Friends of the Inyo Joshua Flat Hike

On Get Outdoors Day, view desert blooms in the Inyo Mountains on a moderate hike up the trail toward Deep Springs Valley. Meet 7:30 a.m. at 819 North Barlow Lane in Bishop or 8:00 a.m. at Glacier View Campground in Big Pine for 45-minute drive to the Joshua Flat trailhead. Leader: Todd Vogel, todd@friendsoftheinyo.org or call (760) 873-6500. -FOI

Grouse Mountain is the centerpiece of the Buttermilk area, west of Bishop, with spectacular views of the adjacent higher peaks, such as Mt. Tom, Mt. Humphreys, and Basin Mountain. Meet at 8 a.m. at Buttermilk Road/Hwy 168. Email todd@friendsoftheinyo.org for more information.

The 16^th Annual Children’s Day To Explore the Arts is scheduled for Saturday March 12, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Bishop Activity Center at Pine Street School.

All ages are welcome and “How-To-Books”  will be available for parents and caregivers. So come enjoy a free day of art, featuring 25 various art projects.

For more information or if you love art, kids, and want to volunteer to work the art day please call Bobbie at 760.872.1826.

MY MOMMY HUNG THE MOON: A LOVE STORY
By: Jamie Lee Curtis, 2010
Illustrated By: Laura Cornell
Harper Collins, 40 pp.

Love stories come in all shapes and sizes. Some last a lifetime, others about as long as a shooting star — but we’ll get into the average teenager’s amorous life later. This is, first and foremost, meant to be a book review, albeit a silly one.

Of course, children’s books are meant to be a little silly. That’s probably why they don’t often get reviewed by anyone other than ambitious librarians or overzealous elementary school kids, but this isn’t just any ordinary children’s book.

“My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story” (Ages 4-8, hardcover $16.99) comes from the bestselling team of illustrator Laura Cornell and writer Jamie Lee Curtis. And if you happened to be a teenage boy, or just an English speaking male with a pulse, during Ronald Reagan’s reign as President, Jamie Lee Curtis (“Trading Places,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” the far from “Perfect” aerobics one in which she put thongs on the map) was basically a modern day Marilyn Monroe, with less ditz and more sass; more of a ’85 BMW than a ’58 Chevy. They did call Jamie Lee “The Body” for Peter’s sake.

So it seemed like the Gods were surely shinning on me when I stumbled into Iconoclast Books in Ketchum, Idaho, at the very same time Jamie Lee was signing her new children’s book, “My Mommy Hung the Moon.”

Naturally, gawking over celebrities is considered taboo in most ski resorts, since famous and successful folks tend to congregate around the slopes the way ski bums gather around cheap beer and Jägermeister. But we’ve all got our weaknesses. Not to mention that nutjobs named Michael have long had uncontrollable urges for Jamie Lee — which is why I usually go by “Mike,” “Hey you,” and the occasional “Studmuffin, Sr.”

“My Mommy Hung the Moon” is a whimsical story about the strength of the bond between mother and child. Being a father, it seemed like a great excuse, or perhaps opportunity would be a better — yet less accurate — word, to bond with my boys by getting them an autographed copy. So I waited in line with a writer named Patti Murphy, who’d been trying for some time to get Jamie Lee to give her a quote for a book she was working on about “mommyisms.”

So when our turn finally came, and Jamie Lee sat a mere breathtaking few feet away, Patti asked her question and I tried not to drool on myself. Even in her fifties, Jamie Lee Curtis is still stunning. But her looks alone are not why she puts the nifty in 50.

In response to Patti’s question, “What did your mom used to say to you?” Jamie Lee answered with a laugh and a wink, “She said, ‘Shut the %$!# up and get me another drink.’”

And even though the line looks harsh in print, Jamie Lee somehow said it with a humorous tint of love. You could tell that she must have gotten some of her famous feistiness from her mom, the late Janet Leigh, and that, in Jamie Lee’s eyes, her mom was the world, which is what “My Mommy Hung the Moon” is really all about. From the book:

“She pours all the seas and sparkles each star. And then she collects one in my night-light jar. And when she paints night so jet black an deep, my mother ship rocks me gently to sleep … My mommy hung the moon. She tied it with a string. My mommy’s good at everything.”

As for the rest of the story, I’ve read “My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story” to my young boys a few times and they thoroughly enjoy it. It helps them drift off to the sweet, innocent dreams of youth. While I drop off hoping to relive steamy adolescent dreams of Jamie Lee. Love stories truly do come in all shapes and sizes.

Order a copy of “My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story” at Booky Joint in Mammoth or Spellbinder Books in Bishop.

Eligh of Living Legends (Photo courtesy Living Legends)

I’ll admit that during the past couple months, Mammoth Lakes may have had its fill of rap shows. But to be completely honest, we haven’t seen anything like this next one. Yet again, for your head-nodding pleasure, Late Night Productions offers up another gangbuster rap show with a stop from the Back To The Future tour at Whiskey Creek, March 6.

What makes this tour so unique is that it doesn’t just feature one world renown rapper, it features three. The all-star line up consists of  Mistah FAB (one of the originators of the Oakland based Hyphy scene), Opio of the acclaimed group Souls of Mischief and Eligh of the Living Legends crew. So, whether you’re a casual hip-hop fan or a lifelong backpacker, I suggest you start stretching your hip-hop arm immediately. I had the opportunity to chat with Eligh last Monday via phone. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Sheet: Hey, Eligh, how’s the Back To The Future tour going?

Eligh: Oh it’s been good. We are currently in Bend, Ore. We just had a show last night. It was cool, but it was an all ages show. So when that happens you typically have a few knuckleheads that try to start sh*t and get in fights.

Sheet: Whoa, hold up, did you say the show was all Asians?

Eligh: Hah, no man … ages. All AGES!

Sheet: I was gonna say…geez. Hey, don’t worry because even though your Mammoth show is 21 and up you’re still guaranteed a healthy dose of knuckleheads. But before we get into anything hip hop related, I need to know if you are a true fan of the Back to the Future trilogy, hence the name of your tour and all.

Eligh: Alright sure.

Sheet: Now the following questions aren’t Einstein worthy; in fact they’re pretty easy. Okay, here we go. What was the name of Doc Brown’s dog?

Eligh: Oh my God. Hold on, let me think. I’m envisioning that furry little thing in my head right now. Uh … Einstein!

Sheet: That is correct, sir. Now, what was the name of Biff Tannen’s hover-board in “Back to The Future, Part2?”

Eligh: Sh*t, I know this one too, man…  um …

Sheet: You give up? It was the Pitbull. Come on, don’t you remember the line, “Hoverboards can’t go over water, unless you have power!” Alright this last one is by far the easiest. What speed does the Delorean need to reach in order to time travel?

Eligh: [Shouting] 88 miles per hour!

Sheet: There you go. Sooo, does anything awesome happen at the 88th minute of your rap shows?

Eligh: Uh … nope.

Sheet: Well that’s sorta lame. But what’s sorta awesome is that the three of you on this tour represent separate but equally important movements in rap history. We got Hyphy with FAB, Hieroglyphics with Opio and the Living Legends crew with yourself. Don’t you think it’s kind of a mish-mash combo?

Eligh: Yeah it is a crazy combo and maybe that’s what’s so cool about it. Back when Grouch and I did the “G & E” album, we had Mistah FAB on it for a track. But I only met him once or twice and I never really got to kick it with him. It’s funny, the thing with FAB is that the Hyphy movement is how his name got out, but the guy is definitely not about Hyphy music. He’s a real hip hop head. He can do just about anything. Honestly he’s one of the best free-stylists I’ve ever heard. In terms of Opio and [his crew] Hieroglyphics, they’re not that separate of a movement in relation to what we do at Living Legends. So when my boy Zen called me up and asked if I would be interested in doing a tour with these two guys, I was like, “Sure! Definitely!”

Sheet: Yeah, it seems like Hieroglyphics and Living Legends have always been collaborating. Why don’t you guys just merge and form an ultra-mega crew? You know, like Voltron or to a lesser extent AOL Time Warner?

Eligh: Hah. Well I don’t know about that. But we’re all friends, we’re all really close. We’re kinda like distant relatives so to speak. You know, one of the first tours we did as Legends was with Hiero. So in a way they opened the door for us. This tour is exciting for me personally because I never got to hang with Opio till now.

Sheet: Man, I’d love to kick it with Opio, or I suppose anyone from Souls of Mischief for that matter. On that note, do you look at these tours as an excuse to meet artists you look up to?

Eligh: Yeah always! That’s definitely a good way to look at it. One of the bigger tours we did a few years ago was Paid Dues. And it was fun because it gave me a chance to mingle with tons of artists such as Atmosphere and Sage Francis. At the time I didn’t know that much about Sage. So when I finally got the chance to hang with him I was like, “Damn! I f*ckin’ love this guy!”

Sheet: Besides being a rapper you’re also an accomplished producer. It seems like you’ve made beats for a variety of artists all over the rap spectrum. But the only one that’s a bit confusing to me is your connection with WWE professional wrestler, John Cena. How the hell did you end up working with the “Chain Gang Commander?”

Eligh: Sh*t! Well, I didn’t exactly work with him per se. My manager at the time hit me up one day and I’ll never forget it, he was like, “You’re not going to believe this, but John Cena is a big underground hip hop fan. He’s a fan of you and he wants to use one of your beats for his new rap album.” The next thing I knew Cena used one of my beats and I got paid really well.

Sheet: What song did he use it for?

Eligh: Oh man, I don’t remember.

Sheet: So I take it you never listened to the album?

Eligh: No, I did. I checked it out a few years back right when it came out. And I remember thinking beforehand that it was going to be terrible. But you know he’s really not that bad of a rapper.

Sheet: Um, okay. Let me give you an example of one of his rhymes, “I wear size 12, 13s don’t fit me.” I’ll be honest and admit that I bought that CD; however I’ll also admit that I immediately used it as a coaster.

Eligh: Yeah, he is quite the lyricist. However, you are right. I actually did the same thing. I listened to it once and, well that was that.

Sheet: Hey man, it’s cool. At least the beats were great! In your defense I will say that I’m a huge fan of the man you work with most, The Grouch. Is there a chance we’ll be hearing another “G & E” album any time soon?

Eligh: Yeah, you will! I just talked to Grouch the other day about that. He wants to do a solo album first and I got some other projects lined up for now. But we’ll be in the studio together soon.

Sheet: So I’m psyched for your show up here in Mammoth. But I gotta say, back in the day my only affiliation with rap music and ski hills was that Naughty By Nature video for “Feel Me Flow.” How did we get to this point where ski towns are now rap show destinations?

Eligh: Hmm, I don’t know. I guess a lot of snowboarders and skaters are fans of our music, which is really cool. I mean I love it when our music gets used for videos and sh*t. It’s really just more exposure for the music.

The show also includes acts from The Bayliens, Xienhow, Canibal Lecture, DJ Lex, DJ True Justice and Flossafee. Tickets start at $20 and are available at Stellar Brew and Ticketweb.com. Again, the 21+ show is Sunday, March 6 at Whiskey Creek. Doors open @ 9pm.

Is Cougar Gold a predator?

Dear Editor:

One morning last week I received a personal phone call from a Cougar Gold employee asking me to attend Tueday evening’s Town Hall meeting. She wanted to know if I would be attending. I had questions for her, which she was unable to answer, so I asked her to have someone call me back with answers. I’m still waiting.

With individual phone calls and the half-page ad in The Sheet inviting locals to the meeting, it appears that money is not an issue for this mining company. Cougar Gold, with ties to Tigris Financial Group, a global financial company, must be flush with cash.

Is our small county sophisticated enough and sufficiently knowledgeable to withstand such a well funded onslaught? Will we allow big promises backed by big money to sway opinions without proper inquiry and information as to their intentions?

Does anyone know specifically and exactly what Cougar Gold wants and why,  i.e., what they want the [Bodie Hills] Wilderness Study Area (WSA) release to afford them that is different from what they are already able to do under Bureau of Land Management’s supervision?

They have the right now to exploratory drilling/mining, but they [seem to] want more. What do they think they need? Is it genuinely a “need” or simply a cheaper “want” at the expense of our public lands? What kind of exploratory drilling/mining will they be able to do with a WSA release that BLM will not currently allow? What, precisely, is Cougar Gold really after?

A sincerely concerned citizen …

Sharon R. Clark
Mammoth Lakes

“Social Network” and Rome’s fall
Dear Jack:

God in his wisdom gave us a short life span. No matter when you are born, after 50-60 years there have been too many changes. The original fabric is shredded, the colors and patterns hard to discern and the new stuff for sale is just too jarring. The recent film “The Social Network” is a scathing portrayal of privilege.

Harvard wasn’t any different when I used to visit there as an undergraduate, but I was too naïve to “see” what I was seeing. Innocence can protect.

You should see the movie … and soon. Rome is sinking fast.

I would like to hope that the revolution in Egypt births a new vision, an historic tour de force, but what are the chances?

All we can do is hold our loved ones close and treasure each day as it comes.

Mom
Etna, N.H.

A true victory for the radicals

Dear Editor:

It was September 2005 when Debie Schnadt, John Bachar, Tony Barrett and I staged the campaign to keep synthetic fluoride out of the Mammoth water supply.

Since that time several significant events have occurred:

In early January this year, the U.S. government issued a shocking statement saying the level of fluoride put into municipal water supplies was too high. The reason:  it is causing a condition called fluorosis, which causes splotching, streaking and erosion of teeth.

The maximum allowable amount of fluoride in municipal water supplies was lowered last month from 1.2 milligrams per liter to .7 milligrams per liter. Two out of five adolescents in our country have signs of fluorosis.

Fluoride’s effects are not limited to just the cosmetic. Many studies say overexposure to it makes your bones brittle.  There are many other adverse health-related problems due to overexposure.

The fluoride they put in municipal water comes from toxic waste. This material is scraped off the inside of smokestacks used by the fertilizer industry. It is then processed and put into many municipal water supplies.

There is no synthetic fluoride added to our local water thanks to several things:

First, there was a dedicated small group of individuals who put the health of our community at the forefront.

Second, a democratic system that made change for the better possible.

Third, a community that wanted clean water, rather than the fluoride deception.

I remember designing and producing those full-page ads in The Sheet and The Mammoth Times with the giant smokestack in the background asking, “Why would we want to put that toxic waste into our water?” I happily paid for the distribution and exposure of those full-page ads. It was important to me to keep that crap out of our water.

Many people in this community looked at us as crazy people by wanting to keep fluoride out of our water. Isn’t fluoride good for you? We were bashed, labeled as radicals, and certainly despised by some.

Our inertia was opposed by those whose interest was to maintain the old way of thinking. We were opposed by those who suffocate in the stifling atmosphere of ignorance, prejudice and tradition.

Time has now told the tale here, a true victory for us “radical” health minded people. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who voted to keep fluoride out of our water supply. We are now seeing direct results of our actions.

I will now ask any reader of The Sheet, and especially any local dentist or doctor to calculate how much more brittle the bones of the people of Mammoth would have been if each of us would of drank four glasses a day of this fluoridated water for the past seven years? 5%? 15%? I look forward to that letter to the editor. Fluoridated water, yum! Anyone thirsty?

Learn more at flourideactionnetwork.org.

Steve Klassen
Mammoth Lakes Owner,
Wave Rave Snowboard Shop
Director, Green Mammoth

MLTPA delivers

Dear Editor:

During the Fall 2010 Measure R grant cycle, the Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation (MLTPA) was awarded funding to engage in a two-year contract for services with the Town of Mammoth Lakes (TOML). Among the many projects associated with this contract is the first phase of a new signage and wayfinding program for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System (MLTS), which is a partnered effort between MLTPA, the TOML, and the Inyo National Forest (INF). The public has had a small taste of this project already with the installation of 19 signs along the Lakes Basin Path last summer/fall.

On Friday, Feb. 11, MLTPA delivered to the TOML Public Works Department a comprehensive set of maps and messaging for 95 new MLTS signs that will be put into the ground this summer/fall. This is a significant deliverable to our TOML contract and a big step forward in bettering the outdoor-recreation amenities our community enjoys and shares with its visitors, and we wanted to be sure to celebrate this milestone with the public as an example of their tax dollars at work.

Much effort from all parties, including volunteers from the Mammoth Trails Map, Signage & Wayfinding Committee, was put into the development of standards and guidelines for how the MLTS signage will look, which types of information it will present and how it will be offered, and how it will be manufactured and installed, including an exhaustive list of consensus-based destination names that are tied to Mammoth Lakes’ recreation opportunities.

The resulting program is an enriched version of what was presented in Chapter 5 of the Draft Trail System Master Plan 2009, which is on schedule for official adoption by Town Council this summer and which was heavily informed by much community input through the CAMP (Concept and Master Planning) process in 2007/2008. In addition to enabling the current phase of signage to move forward in a timely manner, this work will also be used to develop the MLTS Standards Manual, the MLTS Operations and Maintenance Plan, and the forthcoming MLTS website (mammothtrails.org), which are also projects currently underway as part of MLTPA’s two-year contract for services with the TOML.

We wish to thank all of our partners and the Mammoth Lakes community for their continued commitment to outdoor recreation, and we look forward to sharing more positive news with you over the coming 24 months. We’re happy to answer any questions about this signage and wayfinding program, our contract with the TOML, or any other matter.

Inquiries can be sent to info@mltpa.org or we may be contacted at 760.934.3154.

Kim Stravers

MLTPA Foundation
Community Engagement Dir.

According to Congressman Buck McKeon, President Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 25 will be streamed live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CSPAN. Just click on the “Live” tab and watch the entire speech which is expected to outline the President’s goals and vision for moving the nation forward.

The Republican Address to the Nation will immediately follow the President’s speech, and will be given by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). This address can also be viewed online at McKeon’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/BuckMcKeon, again by clicking on the “Live” tab.

McKeon’s message also pointed out that “After watching the State of the Union address and the Republican response, you will be in a great location on Facebook to post your thoughts and feelings about what was said and engage with your government. I encourage you to discuss these matters online in a respectful and civil dialogue so that we can all benefit from each other’s input.”

McKeon serves the 25th District of California, which includes Inyo and Mono counties.

Jan. 22 – Obsidian Dome/Glass Creek Ski or Snowshoe Tour

This is a yearly Friends of the Inyo favorite. Conditions and energy permitting, we’ll try to get to Glass Creek Meadow, an Eastern Sierra gem in any season. Meet 9 a.m. at the plowed Obsidian Dome (Glass Flow Road) parking lot, just north of Deadman Summit on U.S. 395. Go to www.friendsoftheinyo.org for more information.

Jan. 23  – Grass Lake Ski Tour

Check out the winter happenings of the north fork of Bishop Creek above North Lake. Meet at Friends of the Inyo office, 699 West Line Street in Bishop at 8 a.m. Intermediate and above ski ability required, e-mail todd@friendsoftheinyo.org for more information.

Jan. 30  – Joshua Flat Hike/Snowshoe

Explore the Joshua tree forest, just 30 minutes from Big Pine. Meet 9 a.m. at the Glacier View Campground at the intersection of U.S. 395 and Hwy 168 just north of Big Pine. The hike is an out and back of about 4 to 6 hours, and snow levels will determine footwear. E-mail todd@friendsoftheinyo.org for more information, or go to www.friendsoftheinyo.org