WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
Dr. Michael Karch is getting by with a little help from his friends. Robotic-assisted help, that is. This year, Mammoth Hospital became one of the first facilities in California to[…]
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MAMMOTH COUNCIL FEELS, EXTENDS PAIN
In the face of near-unanimous public opposition, Mammoth Lakes Town Council extended the moratorium on the issuance of nightly rental permits at its special meeting on Wednesday in Suite Z. […]
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SEATTLE BLUES
I was in Seattle last weekend visiting, among others, my friend (and Sheet NFL writer) Harold E. Hartley Jr. I got in on Friday evening. Took the light rail from[…]
NOT ACCOUNTABLE
Previous to George Floyd’s murder in May of 2020, officer Derek Chauvin received 18 complaints about his abuse of power—why wasn’t he terminated? Why are charter schools vastly out-performing public[…]
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STR-AIGHT SHOOTING
The committee tasked with unpacking the Mammoth STR moratorium met Monday evening in Suite Z. On the committee are: Matthew Avery, General Manager of the 1849 Condos, Jason Kellogg, General[…]
TINY HOMES, BIG DREAMS
A “tiny home” class led by Mammoth High School shop teacher Mike Van Winkle might be reshaping education and community collaboration, and could be one small step towards solving the[…]
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MORATORIUM ST’RS ANXIETY
A virtual “Luncheon” took place Thursday, November 2, to discuss the implications of the recently passed short-term rental (STR) moratorium in Mammoth Lakes. More than 70 participants joined the Zoom call,[…]
HOW NOT TO GET EVICTED
Having served the Eastern Sierra community since 1967, California Indian Legal Services (CILS) is the oldest not-for-profit law firm in the country that specializes in Federal Indian Law. But the[…]
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GARDENS PARTY
Here we go with editorial, kitchen sink-style. From the inyo County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday – the most quixotic tax assessment appeal I’ve ever heard. A group out of Beverly[…]
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Before we get to the national story regarding the National Association of Realtors loss in federal court, let’s revisit the first real estate whammy – Mammoth Town Council’s recently passed[…]
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NOTES FROM A MYSTERY CRASH
Saturday September 30, a Los Angeles couple witnessed a Search and Rescue helicopter crash. The couple was hiking from Agnew Meadows to Thousand Island Lake, a popular day hike for[…]
VIRTUAL REASSURANCE
In a continuing effort to alert then public to its financial situation, Northern Inyo Hospital District (NIHD) held a community town hall on Wednesday, November 1. The meeting was held[…]
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STILL NO SAFE PARKING PLAN
Homelessness has a numbers problem. In California, that much is clear. Earlier this year, the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office presented its findings to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal[…]
DESERT SOLITAIRE
As it turns out, there aren’t enough lawyers walking into enough rural California bars, nowadays. The most recent data by the American Bar Association (ABA) reports that, as of 2020,[…]
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LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER
On Thursday, October 19, the Board of Directors of the Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) responded to several claims submitted on behalf of “The Mammoth Group” led by its representatives,[…]
BUILT-IN, SHOCKPROOF SHIT-DETECTION
Last Christmas, former reporter Charlie Pike gave me a book by his favorite author, George Saunders. The book, titled, “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” featured Saunders analysis[…]
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HOT CROSS FUNDS
This year, CalTrans announced it has moved into the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA & ED) phase of the proposed Mammoth Lakes Wildlife Crossing Project. The project aims to[…]
THE BIG CON
As a follow-up to the column from a few weeks ago, talking about the Town of Mammoth’s desire to hire a consultant to write an “After Action Report” on the[…]
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THE LEGEND OF TROY
Troy Patton wears a white cattleman’s hat. The color matches his Ford Super Duty, parked, as he promised it would be, at the corner of one of Lone Pine’s lonely[…]
MONO SUPES DEBATE CHAMBER LOAN
On Tuesday, the Mono County Board of Supervisors entertained the authorization of a loan agreement with the June Lake Chamber of Commerce to fund a possible Tourism Business Improvement District[…]
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BURNING UP FOR YOUR LOVE
This week, Inyo National Forest firefighters, along with assisting agencies, continued prescribed burns planned for areas just outside the Town of Mammoth Lakes. Representatives from news agencies were invited to[…]
KEEPING PACE?
In early September, June Lake residents Aron Murillo and Shay Pace were informed that their RV home—the couple’s permanent residence—was out of compliance with county regulations. They were then told[…]
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BOXED LUNCH
Breaking down the week in order of personal entertainment value … My favorite moment of the week was Mammoth’s Council debating the draft recruitment letter for a new Town Manager. […]
DUCK, DUCK, WHOSE?
There’s a piece of land on the far side of Crowley Lake, right before Benton Crossing Road truns away from the lake and heads toward Deadman Summit. Duck hunters, anglers,[…]
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REVIEW: ISLAND IN THE SKY
“Conglomerate Mesa is this really special unique Joshua Tree Island out there between the Sierra’s, which are the highest mountains in the area. Then you get to Inyo all the[…]
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ALOHA TO OHANA
While she may be departing for a new parking space in Susanville, Ohanas395 owner and chef, Rena McCullough, knows that local loyalties have fueled her food truck for the past[…]
MAKE HOUSING, NOT WAR
Earlier this month, New York City passed Local Law 18—an unprecedented restriction on short-term rentals through the popular vacation booking site, Airbnb. From here on out, only those rentals in[…]
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FROM SILICON VALLEY TO OWENS VALLEY
Cities like Aspen, Telluride, and Steamboat are among a few ski resort towns home to growing tech companies. Could Mammoth become the next California technology hub? Maybe hub would be[…]
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READY, SET, CHUG
“You’re totally allowed to throw up and keep going. Last year we had trash cans everywhere,” said Village Event Staff Joey Gibbs in anticipation for this year’s Tuff Beer Mile,[…]
MILLIRON (AND MOSS) IN THE FIRE
In any given year, 40% of the water that sustains California comes from the state’s groundwater. That’s the same water stored in the permeable rocks beneath our feet—aquifers. It’s the[…]
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WHAT THE BEARS KNOW
Well, I suppose we can thank Al Davis and Dan Holler. Mammoth’s former Police Chief and current Town Manager conspired to fire renowned Mammoth Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles back in[…]
DEATH, TAXES, GUNS
It’s thought of as the unofficial shooting range of Mono County. From Mammoth, you drive northbound a ways on the highway, passing the territories marked by NO SHOOTING ZONE signs[…]
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VAULTING TO THE FUTURE
Okay. It may only be a single double-vault toilet. And it’s not even installed yet. But it’s a start. On Tuesday, community members debated stewardship plans for the Buttermilks Recreation[…]
HOUSING: ADUs and IOUs
“That meeting [sic] was a small but mighty and productive group,” said Aron Murillo, reflecting on the Community Housing Conversation held on Tuesday night in June Lake’s Community Center. “But[…]
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PROPPING UP THE MAJORITY
All is fair in love, war, and taxes. At least, California Democrats are hoping to make it so. This past week, two constitutional amendments moved to the Senate. Assembly Constitutional[…]
ORRILL FIXATION
I shouldn’t have been so critical early on. When Inyo Supervisor Trina Orrill just started the job, and didn’t know anything, her contribution at Board meetings amounted to thanking people[…]
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COVID: EVERYONE’S GOT IT. NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT.
Recent “news” about the latest uptick of Covid-19 cases in Mono County has, more or less, been airborne by word of mouth. These most recent cases have not been contextualized[…]
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER
AI (Artifical Intelligence) isn’t something that screams “Mammoth Lakes” in the same way that “I’m working three jobs to pay for my studio” does. There is irony in the contrast[…]
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GET A BRAZILIAN!
No matter how you cut it, Tigran “Teeko” Ghukasyan knows his way around a steak. “Meat? It’s what I do,” said Ghukasyan. Words that inspire confidence from the man slated[…]
AIR PROGNOSIS: TERMINAL
Mammoth Lakes Tourism Executive Director John Urdi, Mammoth Mountain Senior V.P. Eric Clark and a pair of aviation consultants [The Four Horsemen of the Sierra?] addressed the Inyo County Board[…]
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BEWARE OF HUMAN
Hidden within the expansive forests, just out of view from the unsuspecting public, live countless individuals. More than you might imagine. Many venture into its depths for brief respites—mindful of[…]
MOSQUITOES AT LARGE
On Thursday, August 17th, a mosquito pool located north of Bishop tested positive for Saint Louis encephalitis, or SLE. I spoke to Rob Miller, Operations Supervisor of the Owens Valley[…]
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ULTIMATE FRISBY
Fourth grade. Bernice A. Ray Elementary School in Hanover, N.H. Teacher: Cynthia Hayes. Every day she would read to the class. Twenty or thirty minutes. The kids would all lie[…]
NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT
Honoring the realm of grand coincidence … I’ve been reading Jonathan Eig’s “King,” a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and sure enough, reached the March on Washington, “I[…]
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TENT PITCHING TROUBLES
Mammoth’s Community Recreation Center (CRC) – the circus tent off Old Mammoth – is slated for a ribbon cutting “Fall/Winter, 2023” per the CRC project website. Last week, I noticed[…]
THE WHIR OF A THOUSAND SPOKES
My first Saturday morning in the Eastern Sierra began as a delivery of all that had been promised. This past August 19 may have been Pedalpalooza 2023 to some—a yearly,[…]
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GOLF GAME WOUNDED
Mammoth Lakes Town Council teed itself up for yet another round of lively discourse surrounding the temporary closure of Snowcreek Resort’s golf course. Inviting public comment, Mayor John Wentworth acknowledged[…]
SAVED BY THE GYM
Arlene Bunch flicked on the Val D’isere stovetop. A wall of fire engulfed her. The kitchen cratered through the floor. Bunch, at the epicenter, buried under splintered and snowy debris.[…]
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SHTUPP TO NO GOOD
“Hello, handsome. Is that a ten-gallon hat or are you just enjoying the show?” That was Madeline Kahn’s line (playing Lili Von Shtupp) in the 1974 Mel Brooks film “Blazing[…]
BIKE-DOWN PALACE
Summer is here and the bikers are on the road. It seems hectic in town, but are bikes to blame for the congestion? Employees of A-Frame Fine Wines & Spirits[…]
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THE DRILLS ARE COMING
In 1872, the U.S. Government declared a mining law. Emily Markstein – cofounder of No Hot Creek Mine and the Friends of the Inyo No Hot Creek Mine Campaign Organizer[…]
STANDOUTS FOR HANDOUTS
Inyo County CAO Nate Greenberg updated Inyo County Supervisors about the local EMS situation at their meeting Tuesday in Independence. REACH Medical is currently serving the greater Bishop area on[…]
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GREENBERG-WASHING
From a July 24 press release written by Darcy Ellis, Assistant Clerk of the Inyo County Board of Supervisors: Inyo County has signed a 30-day agreement for emergency medical services[…]
A LIFE IN THE TREES
In Lower Rock Creek stands a giant, old growth Jeffrey Pine. “I find [it] really aesthetically amazing,” said Bill Ossofsky. It’s his favorite tree in the area. Ossofsky is one[…]
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TBID? WHAT IS THAT?
Following the news of the potential creation of a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) in June Lake – The Sheet canvassed some of the local businesses in June to gauge[…]
COASTING TO A STOP
Remember that crisis brewing regarding local ambulance service in the greater Bishop area? Symons Ambulance called it quits. The local government officials scrambled. An emergency RFP (Request for Proposals) was[…]
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JUNE LAKE TASTED TBID
At Tuesday’s Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting, Ralph Lockhart of June’s Double Eagle Resort and Spa pitched the formation of a June Lake TBID to the Board. It’s in[…]
NEIL-IN-WAITING
I am again back east this week, grabbing the kid from summer camp. Thursday morning. The area remains under flood watch for the next few days. Montpelier, Vermont, one hour[…]
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RUNOFF HEATS UP
Weekend temperatures slated to top 105 in the Owens Valley and hit 85-plus in Mammoth Lakes should generate enough daytime and nighttime heat to deliver this year’s “peak” Sierra runoff. […]
THE 411 ON THE 136
Received the following comment on the website this week: “What Caltrans and Inyo County want people to believe is that it’s [Highway136 through Keeler around the backside of Owens Lake][…]
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WILL REPARATIONS HAPPEN?
Five days before the Fourth of July, the California Reparations Task Force published a 1,000+ page final report that provides “incontrovertible evidence of the harms [against Black Californians] requiring reparations[…]
THE POWER OF WEIRD
According to her daughter Camden, Jennifer Leader DeAngelis would counsel her children to “Live Happy. And Be Weird.” And Mom was someone who practiced what she preached. A pied piper[…]
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PATRON SAINT OF LATE BLOOMERS
Tuesday. I’ve made it through security at Boston’s Logan Airport without hassle (It took me ’til my 50s to realize that a fresh shave is all you need to sail[…]
WINTER WITHERS WILD HORSES
Ivana Crone – wild horse photographer and Rock Creek Pack Station Mustang trip guide – asked if I was okay riding a mule. The other Wild Mustang Viewers on Sunday’s[…]
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PRESCRIBED BURNS BLAZE ON
Since June 6, Inyo National Forest firefighters and assisting agencies have been burning parts of the nearby forest. You might’ve spotted the plumes of smoke in the distance. Or, you[…]
ODDS OF SURVIVAL: 20%
Interim Northern Inyo Hospital District (NIHD) CEO Stephen DelRossi gave a grim update to Inyo County Supervisors about the financial state of the hospital district at the Supervisors meeting on[…]
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STICK A FORK IN THE STORK
The Southern Mono Hospital District Board made its temporary cessation of Labor and Delivery services permanent on Tuesday evening at a special meeting held in the hospital’s conference room. The[…]
TALK ABOUT PUBLIC (EMPLOYEE) SERVICE!
Wow. Sure feels like 2008. You’ve got all this momentum: A town brimming with real estate excess. A record snowfall over the winter. The tailwinds from the Ikon Pass and[…]
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CIVILITY BREAKS OUT AT BUSD BOARD MEETING
On Tuesday, there was another packed house at the Bishop Unified School District monthly board meeting in anticipation of further culture wars – this time over approval of the high[…]
FIVE MORE YEARS!
In the basement of a brewery full of what Mammoth Lakes Mayor John Wentworth called “thought leaders” (one point for me), Town Council Member Chris Bubser stood at the end[…]
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SOMEONE TO CHEER FOR
It’s May 25, 2020. Two months into Covid. Then-126 pound Bishop Union High School Freshman Will Hennarty is watching an inspirational YouTube video of Oklahoma State University wrestler Daton Fix. […]
TAXEATERS ON THE MARCH!
California’s Senate Bill 584 passed in the Senate chamber on Wednesday (27 yes’s to 11 no’s) and has been ordered to the Assembly. If passed in the Assembly, the bill[…]
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NOT SEEING RED
A stakeholders meeting was held last week to discuss potential timelines for opening the Lakes Basin and Red’s Meadow to the public. Best estimate for the Lakes Basin: July 1. Best[…]
BUSD TALKS SEX ED
The five Bishop Unified School District Board members voted 4-1 to approve the Sexual Education Health Curriculum in its regular meeting held on Thursday, May 18, at the Home Street[…]
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RUNOFF IS SPRINTING
Johnny Cash: “How high’s the water mama?” “Five feet high and rising.” Runoff season is turning into a sprint, but the finish line is still a long way off. The[…]
LEGS LIKE TAYLOR
After some relatively chilly spring weather, the Eastern Sierra runoff drama is heating up. Streams and creeks that were languishing in the “normal” runoff range are starting to gush like[…]
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A SLOG IN THE FOG
Mammoth Lakes Town Council continued its laborious slog towards a renewal of the TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District) at its meeting Wednesday. It held a required hearing on the matter,[…]
DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY
It was twenty years ago today – well, Sunday – that The Sheet published its first issue. The lead story was entitled “Welcome to Peyton Place.” Quite apt. Original advertisers[…]
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PAINTER’S PICTURE
On May 9th, Tom Painter – founder and CEO ofAirborne Snow Observatories, Inc. – gave a presentation on the Sierra snowpack as part of the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory’s[…]
LIFE IN PLASTIC/NOT FANTASTIC
It’s clear that Mammoth Councilmember Sarah Rea is not a “Barbie Girl.” On Wednesday at Mammoth Town Council’s regular meeting, Rea pushed fellow Councilmembers to enact a single-use ban on[…]
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LOST FOR FIVE DAYS BEHIND MAMMOTH
Thursday, April 20th. Lee Hill’s birthday trip. The high temperature was 46 in Mammoth Lakes. Hill – 57, San Diego native, works at Children’s Hospital, been coming up to Mammoth[…]
TIE GOES TO THE RUNOFF
Somewhat odd that we’ll devote some front page space to a groundwater management district in a year of plenty when groundwater pumping is a less pressing concern, but … The[…]
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TO SHELVE OR NOT TO SHELVE
A little over a month ago, the Wall Street Journal published a column by Jennifer Calfas: “Librarians See Record Book-Ban Efforts.” The kicker: “Attempts to ban books in U.S. libraries nearly[…]
THE SPIGOT IS WIDE OPEN
BY KLUSMIRE The plug has been pulled out of the bottom of the Owens Valley plumbing system and the spigot is wide open. The Los Angeles Department of Water and[…]
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ANOTHER VICTORY LAP
Fresh off his induction to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in March, and then a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Ski Areas Association this week, longtime[…]
SEVERE WINTER FOR BIGHORN SHEEP
John Wehausen picks up the mountain lion’s severed head. He’s outside the CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) office in Bishop. A handful of others and I stand around[…]
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NIH ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS
In a press release issued this week, Northern Inyo Healthcare District announced it would lay off approximately 3% of its workforce. This equates to 15 positions out of 460. The[…]
WELCOME TO THE ECHO CHAMBER
Reporters can relate to realtors in this respect – we both can spend an awful lot of time on leads/meetings that yield zilch. But realtors – they can cut their[…]
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100% CHANCE OF YAWN
The time is nigh for Mammoth’s TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District) renewal. And it isn’t a question of if so much as how long. Mammoth Lakes Tourism wants a ten-year[…]
SEEDY BEHAVIOR
Mammoth Lakes Tourism announced this week that it will spend $900,000 over the next year on a local cloud-seeding program to enhance snowfall in Mammoth Lakes. The program will commence[…]
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BROKEN RECORD
Last Tuesday’s storm dropped about 28 inches of snow on Mammoth Mountain, making ‘22-’23 the snowiest season on record. More snow fell the day after, and as of March 30th,[…]
NORTHERN (INYO) EXPOSURE
At a special meeting of the Northern Inyo Hospital District Board held Friday, March 24, Interim NIHD CEO Lionel “Chad” Chadwick acknowledged that the District has drawn down its reserve[…]
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ONE TABLESPOON AT A TIME
We’ve reached that inflection point where it’s turned nasty. Where we’ve tapped out, but Mother Nature continues to tighten the chokehold and there is no referee. There are a number[…]
THE AVALANCHE TIMES
There were seven avalanches, Dave Swisher told me. He’s the Chairman of the Fire Commission in Mono City. Seven avalanches the last weekend of February. The slides toppled 20 power[…]
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CONDO COLLAPSE INJURES FIVE
Emergency vehicles. L.A. County, Riverside, Pasadena, San Diego County, Santa Fe Springs, Urban Search and Rescue. Mammoth and Bishop. Parked on Forest Trail from the Village to Hillside. A Caltrans[…]
SHOVEL READY PROJECT
Monday morning, the Mammoth Mall parking garage adjacent to Good Life Cafe collapsed, crushing the vehicles parked underneath. No people were injured. Mammoth Lakes Fire Department Division Chief Jeff Sutch[…]
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AQUEDUCT BREACHED
Friday. Tenth of March. A section of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s L.A. Aqueduct collapsed. Two miles out of Olancha. The cause: intense rain. “Storm water pooled[…]
SHERIFF SNARK
Winter snow and rain has cloaked Mono County for weeks. More than cloaked. Splintered. North County and South County indefinitely separated by an avalanche – 395 north of Lee Vining. […]
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ENOUGH IS PLENTY
At the urging of Urmas Franosch, I just finished reading “The Dreamt Land” by Mark Arax. Another 520 pages about water and California. Which is really a story of boom[…]
WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?
On February 27th, an avalanche north of Lee Vining brought down a section of metal retaining fence and flooded Highway 395 with 30 to 40 feet of snow and debris.[…]
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HUNKERING DOWN
Jay Jensen, Jim King, and Pat Armstrong knew the Kern River snow survey route well. 40 years for Jensen. Around 35 years for King. 52 years for Armstrong. “One job,[…]
IN DEEPER SCHAT
On Wednesday, The Sheet received a press release from the City of Bishop which included a 23 page attachment. The attachment was a copy of a complaint filed Tuesday in[…]
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IT’S A SNOWY ONE
On the 2nd day, God decided Human Beings would need a Conversational Fallback. So He created The Weather. Ever since, we’ve been talking about it when there’s not much more[…]
NIH CEO GETS PAID A LOT
Per the Northern Inyo Healthcare District’s contract with Interim CEO Chad Chadwick: “In consideration for all services to be performed by Chadwick, the District agrees to pay Chadwick base compensation[…]
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TEN YEARS AFTER
We all have our secret perversions. And I’m gonna divulge one of mine to you. So you might want to crinkle the edges of the paper inward a bit. Hunch[…]
TRIP ON THIS
You’re from L.A. Just – wait. Ok? I didn’t research hotels and flights and food costs for you to stop reading this article. I know you’re a local. Or you’re[…]
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ROCK THE TAZBAH
Tazbah Rose Chavez, a member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and a 2005 BUHS (Bishop Union High School) graduate, is now a successful Hollywood writer, director and producer. She shared[…]
BLUE ROSE AND ESPRESSOS
Stenzel’s studio. Bishop, CA. I have to call him. “Hey, Alex. I’m outside a gate, there’s a sculpture or something.” “Oh, Charlie! You’re here! Yes, come in the driveway. Don’t[…]
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CULTURE WARRIOR-IN-CHIEF
The best explanation for it, I suppose, is seasonal mood disorder. How else to explain Inyo County Board of Supervisors Chair Jennifer Roeser being reasonably reasonable and competent the majority[…]
BOO-HOO? NO, BOOHER
The sweetest word in a taxeater’s vocabulary: leave. Administrative leave. Leave of absence. Leave you to love me (oh wait, that’s a Selena Gomez song – blame my daughter’s taste[…]
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RINALDI’S LISTENING
Annie Rinaldi’s on a listening tour. The current Mammoth Unified School District (MUSD) Superintendent has been in the position for six weeks. Before that: Mammoth Middle School Principal for eight[…]
TBID TAX TROUBLE
Around Thanksgiving, John Lambeth of Civitas, a firm that consults lical municipalities on the formation of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) wrote a letter to John Urdi – Executive Director of[…]
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HEADING FOR THE LIGHT
The Limelight Mammoth sales gallery in the Village at Mammoth (next to Hugs Ice Cream) will open next weekend. The gallery officially opens Saturday, February 11 from 4-6 p.m. Adding[…]
SMOKIN’ OUT THE FAKES
Here’s a reason you’ll miss me someday. The following came from Peggy Noonan’s column in the Wall Street Journal last weekend calling for the removal of George Santos from Congress.[…]
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OUTBOUND INBOUND
The Sierra Nevada Resort has been the subject of many “visions” and reimaginings over the years. And many intermediate measures implemented while waiting for the grand visions to materialize. Some[…]
SNOW PIT DRAMA!
Ben Atwood’s the Director of Operations for Allied General Contractors. Used to be in Bakersfield. Moved up to Mammoth 7 years back. Bakersfield’s his satellite office now, and Mammoth’s his[…]
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AN ODE TO MRS. INCREDIBLE
It’s kinda strange writing this editorial, with a show tonight and through the weekend (see ad opposite page), and knowing Lesley-Anne Hoxie will not be there (see obituary page eight). […]
NO MORE RESERVATIONS… FOR NOW
For the past three summers, Yosemite National Park has implemented an entry-time reservation system. Meaning, if you want to enter the park between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., you have[…]
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SNOW GIRAFFES PAUSE… FOR NOW
Chris Smallcomb from the National Weather Service presented his winter seasonal precipitation outlook last Tuesday to the Mono County Board of Supervisors. The bottom line for the next two weeks:[…]
ASPENDELL AVALANCHE
On Tuesday morning, an avalanche swept through the Aspendell community, damaging three homes. One home was pushed off its foundation. The other two homes sustained moderate damage in the form[…]
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THE SNOWY DAYS
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the British have some things going for them. Like calling cookies “biscuits.” And fries “chips.” And chips “crisps.” My friend Matt is doing a Masters[…]
YOU CAN CALL ME “GONE”
Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Al Davis, 59, has been placed on administrative leave after being popped for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in Mammoth Lakes on Friday, January 6. […]
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INVANCIBLE
The weather is pretty much the news this week. And people accuse me of hyperbole. “Bomb cyclone.” Can’t get much more dramatic than that. Best I can come up with[…]
LINES, BOTH LONG AND DOWN
Sunday, Jan. 1. Around 4 p.m. I didn’t notice, because the living room lightbulb finicks. A few seconds passed. The bulb stayed dead. So, I checked the kitchen lights. No[…]
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HAVE THE RIGHT BEATTITUDE
You won’t hear her complain. Nor will she let you get away with it. That’s the beauty of Bea. You go to her because you want a shoulder to cry[…]
NO PERMIT, SNOW PROBLEMS
Above Mammoth Lakes, warm air meets cold air. The droplets freeze, then fall. Snow. Onto my car. Feet. A couple hours and a few curse words later, my car is[…]
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PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
Last month, the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce chose Mammoth Business Essentials (MBE) as its business of the year. MBE is the post office alternative and has its own mailboxes[…]
EMPTY N(IH)ESTERS
Northern Inyo Hospital District (NIHD) appointed Melissa Best-Baker to fill Topah Spoonhunter’s seat at its December 2 special meeting. At the same meeting, it also introduced Interim CEO Lionel “Chad”[…]
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INYO SUPES APPROVE MORATORIUM
Inyo County Supervisors voted Tuesday to suspend taking permit applications for hosted nightly rentals. The moratorium will be for at least 45 days, but could extend for up to 22[…]
SCHAT DOWN
No, Aaron Schat’s plans to transform Sterling Heights into workforce housing are not shot to hell. But they’ve been dealt a setback. In October, the Bishop Planning Commission, displaying a[…]
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WHAT’S IN YOUR CARROT
A random Thanksgiving memory. I was probably about 10 or 11. My parents had invited friends to visit for the holiday. They had two children. The youngest was 7 or[…]
TAKING FLIGHT
Our newest reporter Charlie Pike was asking me the other day about flying home for Christmas. And remarking on how expensive and inconvenient the flight schedules were between Reno and[…]
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NOT IN VAIN
Gregg Vane’s house has windows. A wall of them, two stories tall, threaded by beams of wood. In the 1990s, when Vane was looking to buy a lot on which[…]
THE REAL UNREAL
Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) unveiled its latest ad campaign at the Mammoth Lakes Town Council meeting on Wednesday, part of the organization’s push for a ten-year renewal of the TBID[…]
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MCOE GOES THE DISTANCE WITH SAN DIEGO SCHOOL
San Diego. Home to the Padres, eight African elephants, and the Englishman I met on the chairlift yesterday. Also, Urban Corps of San Diego County Charter School. From their site:[…]
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “MAN UP”?
November is National Men’s Health Awareness Month, and Saturday, November, 19 is International Men’s Day. Many of men’s physical health problems stem from mental health issues; this includes diseases from[…]
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DARK WINTER
I spoke to two-term Mammoth Councilman John Wentworth on Wednesday to ask him if he was at all surprised by election results, which placed him in danger of potential defeat.[…]
FIRE FEES UP IN SMOKE
The Mammoth Lakes Housing Board has struck up a back-alley deal with Mammoth Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ales Tomaier. Except the back-alley was Suite Z, last Monday, during a[…]
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ELECTION RESULTS AS OF THURSDAY
The votes are in. Kind of. As of Thursday, Nov. 10, 2,864 votes have been cast in Mono County, and approximately 1,150 remain to be counted. Mono County’s expected voter[…]
200,000 BEERS
… For what it’s worth, at the final Mammoth Council meeting on Wednesday before next Tuesday’s election, candidates Truax and Bubser showed up, and incumbent John Wentworth was on the[…]
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MORE THAN ENOUGH SNOW
As of Wednesday, Mammoth saw 11 inches of fresh snow at Main Lodge- the first big dump of the season. The new snow pushed Mammoth Mountain’s opening day up to[…]
TREE-SON AFOOT
This past Wednesday, the Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP) held a virtual public scoping meeting that included a Q&A with project team members. Per their page on[…]
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CALPERS LOSSES WILL IMPACT TOWN
Back in July, The Sheet reported on the implications of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or “CalPERS”, realizing a 6.1% loss for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The consensus was[…]
EVERY SPARE CENT?
Let me sum up my feelings on the Mammoth Council race as we enter the homestretch. I don’t have a clue. Guthrie is too angry. Hoff, in her previous term,[…]
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WHAT IS CRT
Critical Race Theory. CRT. One of the buzz terms surrounding school board elections across the nation. Bishop Unified School District candidate Jim Liles, during a candidate forum, referred to CRT[…]
IF AN ADDICT DIES, IS IT SUICIDE?
During the Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Mono County Director of Behavioral Health Robin Roberts presented on “The Deaths of Despair: Suicide, Unintentional Overdose Deaths, and Prevention[…]
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GODBE COMPLEX
To update you on the attempted California Indian Legal Services (CILS)/Bishop Paiute land grab in my Watterson Road neighborhood … Nine homes burned in the Fairview Fire in my Bishop[…]
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ORRILL EXAM
A headline from the October 1-2 weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal: “Cities Dangle Bonuses to Fill Police Ranks.” The ensuing story talked about how the city of Redding,[…]
WAIT, WHAT RESERVATION?
During the Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, the board discussed agenda item 7A- a discussion of Tioga Pass and Yosemite Reservation System Restrictions. The item centered around[…]
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TRANSFORUMATIONAL!!
Picture this. White room. White walls, white floor, whole nine. It’s a white room. White rolling chairs. Leather, sure, or plastic leather, or – I don’t care. Chairs. On one[…]
PERSONAL FOUL?
After their football game against Mammoth High School on September 24th, Coleville High School administration has decided that it will not schedule athletic contests with Mammoth during the upcoming basketball[…]
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COUNCIL HOPEFULS SQUARE OFF
The Mammoth Chamber of Commerce held a Mammoth Town Council candidate forum on Tuesday, where the 6 candidates for Mammoth Town Council’s 3 open positions answered questions posed by the[…]
ALMOST ALL
We had a lot of feedback this week – mostly stemming from the various errors I made. In the Mirage Factory review, I mistakenly had the aqueduct completed in 1915[…]
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WENTWORTH SEEKS THIRD TERM
John Wentworth is a seasoned public servant for the town of Mammoth Lakes. He is one of 6 candidates running for one of Mammoth Town Council’s 3 open positions in[…]
HUSKIES FOOTBALL CONTINUES UPWARD TRAJECTORY
Martin Ezidro. But the players call him Coach Mar. It’s his third year coaching Mammoth High School’s football team. 2019 – the year before COVID – his Huskies went 0-7. […]
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IT’S NOT ADDERALL-ING UP
I remember the first time I took Adderall vividly. I was nineteen. I took it before my Introduction to Neuroscience class, taught by the beloved Director of the Psychological and Brain[…]
ROUGH ASSESSMENT
As former Inyo County Assessor Thomas Lanshaw said in a recent phone interview, being the Assessor is a thankless exercise. “No one ever called me up and said good job.” […]
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RUNNIN’ ON FUMES
The Shell by Mammoth Liquor: $6.25/gallon. The Shell off Old Mammoth: $6.35/gallon. The Chevron: $6.45/gallon. The 76: $6.45/gallon. Moral of the story: fuel up on the south side of Main[…]
TRACY RELEASED UNTIL TRIAL
Longtime Mammoth local Elohim “Elo” Kai Tracy – who was arrested after turning himself in for shooting a bear outside of a Mammoth apartment building September 8th – was released[…]
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HARDLY (Mc)COY
Bishop City Councilmembers weren’t terribly enthusiastic when asked their opinion about renaming Bishop Airport the Bishop-Dave McCoy Airport. There was no support for the proposal, which was agendized for Council’s[…]
A RETURN TO CLE-LAND?
“I am not a politician. I am a community member who has forged great relationships with people in this town. I want to make life better for everyone, and I’ve[…]
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BEAR SHOT, KILLED
On September 8, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Mammoth Lakes Police Department (MLPD) responded to a call about a bear laying in the bushes behind the Mammoth Hospital Orthopedic Institute,[…]
URDI’S THICK BILLFOLD
During the Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Board meeting on Wednesday, Executive Director John Urdi’s wallet got even fatter. During Urdi’s Annual Performance Review for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the board[…]
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DEVIL IN OHIO
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung once said, “until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” But in order to truly be the master[…]
ALCOHOL, OLD GUYS AND A GUN
A disagreement between two campers resulted in the shooting of a 65-year old Fillmore man on Tuesday morning in an encampment off of Owens River Rd. in Mono County, five miles[…]
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ON FUMES (BUT NOT VAPING)
As a follow-up to last week, I was immediately badgered by a lawyer from The Friends of Northern Mono Basin to retract/clarify the John Rea assertion that the fire commissioner’s[…]
BUSINESS RETURNS TO USUAL
Mammoth’s summer economy: out of the 2021 frying pan and into… something a bit more normal. “This summer was manageable,” said Brandon Brocia, owner and operator of Bleu Market &[…]
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WHERE ARE THE FISH?
Dave Carranza’s bay boat zips across Crowley Lake. It’s early morning. We’re headed north, toward the bite. Cows graze on shore grasses that flow into water. Sunlight blankets the lake’s[…]
HIP (CHECK) MAP
In Mammoth, when people get upset about new development and neighbors encroaching upon their property, the fight is over height and setbacks. And every foot is precious. Three feet less[…]
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YOUR FOUNDATION IS A STEAMING PILE
Historically, wastewater surveillance has been used to track things such as opioid use and STD transmission in a particular geographic area. During the 789th meeting of the Mammoth Community Water[…]
MAKE WAY FOR THE OUTHOUSE!
Hidden from the general public in Lundy Canyon, old-growth trees are being threatened by plans for a new bathroom near the trailhead of the Lundy Canyon Trail. The previous bathroom[…]
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A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES
On August 1, several homeowners in the Watterson Road neighborhood of Bishop received a love letter from California Indian Legal Services. If Watterson is a familiar address of late, that’s[…]
TOWN COUNCIL GETS A RAISE
On Wednesday, Mammoth Lakes Town Council voted to raise Town Council salaries from $735 per month to $1,029 per month. This means that, if council members have a little bit[…]
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GREENBERG: NEW INYO CAO
During its closed session on Tuesday, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Nathan (Nate) Greenberg to the position of Inyo County Administrative Officer (CAO). Greenberg has[…]
WHITE RABBIT
I’m late, I’m late … not much time to write editorial this week, since I need to get down to Bishop. I was asked this morning to remove newspaper boxes[…]
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WE BEAR BEARS
Only in Mammoth do “Bear Whisperers” remain on the sidelines while the Town crows about record tax receipts. Mammoth Lakes Police Department (MLPD) released its most current “Bear Beat” to[…]
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SCHATS CREEK
As a counterpoint to the love note Charles James penned in regard to last week’s Bishop Planning Commission approval of Aaron Schat’s Sterling Heights project … You know a developer[…]
RESCUE ME!
The rain that came down on Sunday, July 31st caused multiple search and rescue missions of campers and hikers throughout Inyo County. This included the Inyo Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) responding[…]
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THEM BELLY FULL…
During the Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Board meeting on Wednesday, Boardmembers discussed how they just didn’t understand why local front line workers were expressing resentment towards the entity’s TBID (Tourism[…]
FASCISM: A WARNING
So I wonder how all the Trumpers are gonna spin this one. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page flogged our former Mussolini-In-Chief in its weekend (July 23-24) issue. The title:[…]
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OH WHAT HEIGHTS WE’LL HIT!
The adage of “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” came to mind while watching Tuesday’s City of Bishop Planning Commission meeting. The commission met to discuss the application[…]
SAILING INTO THE SUNSET
It’s probably safe to say that longtime local attorney and businessman Paul Rudder is an acquired taste. Even his wife Kathleen will acknowledge that he was a bit rough around[…]
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WILDMAN RESIGNS
Mammoth Unified School Superintendent Jennifer Wildman has resigned her position, effective July 31. Dr. Wildman served the district for approximately three years. She was the recent subject of a no-confidence[…]
CHIEF TOMAIER
As of July 22, Ales (pronounced Al-esh) Tomaier takes the reins as the new Mammoth Lakes Fire Chief. Tomaier is a 19-year veteran of the department who started as a[…]
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DOES ANYBODY CARE ABOUT COVID ANYMORE?
Despite the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in Mono County, Mammoth residents have largely appeared unconcerned about Covid – the same people who, a year ago, were socially distancing and[…]
BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND
Now a veteran of two local fires which have destroyed my property, I can tell you the first question I have every time someone tells me the neighborhood’s on fire. […]
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FIRE TORCHES NINE HOMES
Nine homes in West Bishop burned last Friday afternoon, stemming from a fire which broke out at approximately 2:45 p.m. in a home at the end of Fairview Circle. Fairview[…]
MUSICAL REBELS
Chamber music, a form of classical music composed of a small group of instruments without a conductor, each of which produces its own unique sound, has given birth to some[…]
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UNAPPEALING
If you’re wondering what they’re doing up there on Canyon Blvd. just down from the Westin Monache, they (hotel developers based out of Aspen, Colo.) are planning to build a[…]
MLT DROPS PLANS FOR TBID RATE INCREASE
At its regular meeting Wednesday, the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board formally approved its plan to petition to extend the TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District) for a ten-year term beginning next[…]
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ROE PROMPTS A ROW
No matter where you stand on the abortion issue, when you talk about it, all conversations seem to end in recrimination. The fine line of when to deem personhood and[…]
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CHRISTINA GOES TO CAMP
Mid-April, I was living and working on a ranch in Arizona. Ranching season was ending, and I was confronted with a paradox of choice. I had whatever I wanted ahead[…]
EINSTEIN REDUX
At some point, I have to get more of the Sheet archives online. Because back in the day, I did have my moments. Fifteen years ago, you know what the[…]
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NOBODY BEATS THE BLIZZ
The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650 footpath that runs from Mexico to Canada and passes through Mammoth Lakes. You’ve likely seen hikers walking around town with big backpacks and[…]
FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
The world is supposedly a stage, but being an actor for the first time can be an unnatural, weird experience. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes[…]
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CROCETTI ON THE ATTACK?!
The Sheet received information from members of the community that June Lake’s aging infrastructure poses a potential threat to the livelihood of the town’s water system. Our newspaper tried to[…]
SCHOOL-SHOOTER PROTOCOL
Mammoth Lakes Police Department’s (MLPD) Sergeant Joe Vetter and School Resource Officer Daniel Hansen presented an update on school-shooter protocol at Mammoth’s Town Council meeting on Wednesday. Hansen explained that,[…]
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WILDMAN SURVIVES
The Mammoth Unified School Board met on Tuesday evening to decide the fate of MUSD School Superintendent Jennifer Wildman. The stated purpose of the meeting was a personnel evaluation. Wildman[…]
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YOGA FEST ON TAP
As visiting yoga instructor Eric Paskel says of the upcoming Mammoth Yoga Festival, what makes it unique is that it’s produced by two folks, Kevin Green and Sarah Anisman, who[…]
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BUT WILL IT BE SUBLIME?
Soon, residents and visitors of Mammoth Lakes will be able to step into the Limelight, a new luxury hotel planned for the land on Canyon next to the Westin. If[…]
BEAUTIFICATION AND THE BEAST (DROUGHT)
Elizabeth Tenney sure tried. The former Mammoth Planning Commissioner was a big proponent of making the Town look better. She was the inspiration behind the welcome signs at the entrance[…]
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THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT
“Two years of the pandemic have made these kids feral,” said a Mammoth educator regarding a recent violent event that landed a local man in the hospital. The incident involved[…]
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE
How is your mental health doing? Okay? Oh, that’s good. Me? I’m hanging on by a thread. I know many people feel the same way. I read their Twitter threads. […]
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GUTHRIE SHARES HIS MAMMOTH VOICE
“Mammoth Voices” was started in 2016 with the intention of having “civic discourse”. Their golden rule is that they “always talk about issues, but never talk about people”. On Thursday,[…]
SAME SHI*T, DIFFERENT DAY
Lot of odds and ends here. Let’s see … This one cracked me up. From the front page of the Wall Street Journal’s Business and Finance section from May 11.[…]
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CASEY AT THE BAT
The animus and distrust has been building for some time. This week, contention over the hiring process for the next Mammoth High School Principal pushed the low-throated grumbling into something[…]
ALTERRA TAPS NEW CEO
Denver, Colo. — May 25, 2022 — Today, Alterra Mountain Company announced that Jared Smith, the company’s President, will be promoted to Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2022. At[…]
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TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
The Sheet sat down this week with Tina and Tom Sjögren, the CEO and CTO of Pythom, a U.S. rocket engineering company located out of Bishop. The Swedish couple have[…]
INYO HAS PRIDE
Who knew that Jennifer Roeser’s principal contribution to the Inyo County Board of Supervisors when she joined the board in January, 2021 would be her ability to galvanize public interest[…]
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OVERLOADED
An article in the April 13th edition of the Wall Street Journal revealed that The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends that all children as young as the age[…]
GOATS EVERYWHERE
I was out of town for a few days last week on Margaux’s 4th grade field trip to the Missions in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. There were just[…]
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RICH V. RICHER
Mammoth’s Planning and Economic Development Commission (PEDC) approved a tentative tract map, design review and a use permit for Phase One of the Limelight Hotel project to be located at[…]
MO’ PUMPING, MO’ PROBLEMS
While water supply continues to hover around a “critical point” for the city of Los Angeles, the amount of water available to Inyo County has also reached an all-time low[…]
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I WON’T BACK DOWN (FROM SPENDING MONEY)
If only the TBID story on the front page represented the extent of my time spent on Mammoth Lakes Tourism this week. Tuesday afternoon was just the first three hours. […]
MLT FLOATS TBID HIKE
Mammoth’s Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) is up for renewal in 2023, and TBID revenue comprises more than two-thirds of the Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) marketing budget, so one can[…]
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FIRE FORECAST: DEPRESSING
Mono County Supervisors received a fire season forecast at their regular meeting Tuesday from officials representing multiple federal agencies. The upshot: Inyo National Forest Supervisor Lesley Yen warned that a[…]
TOXIC ACTUALITY
I didn’t intend to have the great Chuck Klosterman fill in editorially this week. I don’t know him and hope he doesn’t mind. I tend to pick up his books[…]
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MERRY BLEEPIN’ DEAD FISHMAS
Three years ago, Mono County saw a disease breakout in fish hatcheries, and for that entire year the Eastern Sierra saw hardly any stocked fish – and the fish they[…]
BE LIKE PAUL
The people who make you want to get closer to God aren’t the people who beat you over the head with God. In fact, profession of faith may never even[…]
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6.4 MAGNITUDE
There was a joint meeting between Mammoth’s Council and Mammoth Lakes Tourism on Wednesday to review “strategy” and “deliverables” for MLT in 2022-2023 Which amounted to MLT trying to say[…]
FIDDLER ON THE MOUNTAINS
Claude Fiddler is an intense man. A patient man. A willful man. A perfectionist. And when you’re asking him about his photography, you almost get the sense that there’s a[…]
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THIS KELVIN HEATS UP SHERIFF’S RACE
Kelvin Johnston has seen a lot of Inyo County, from living in a double-wide trailer in Shoshone as the residential sheriff’s deputy, to being short-hauled from helicopters into canyons to[…]
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MY GENERATION
Per usual, I’m sitting here with 55 minutes to write an editorial. What the hell is wrong with me? I could tell you I’m in distress, but I’ve been in[…]
TURNER SELLS STAKE IN BLUESAPALOOZA
Mammoth Brewing Company Owner Sean Turner announced this week that he has sold an ownership stake in Mammoth’s Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza to Rich Sherman, President and CEO of[…]
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VETTING VETTER
After nearly 24 years in law enforcement, Joe Vetter is running for sheriff of Inyo County. The 48-year-old sergeant wants to bring back community policing, put more cops into schools,[…]
COMINGS & GOINGS
May as well clean this up now. Steve Searles was not rehired by the Town of Mammoth Lakes, as written in The Sheet last week. That was an April Fool’s[…]
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BEER CADDY
To all partygoers, beer drinkers, and event hosts: a new business is hitting the Eastern Sierra called Tap Truck 395. Wife and husband co-owners Kristen and Tim Noonan are ecstatic[…]
WHO WILL SAVE OUR SOUL?
I’m almost afraid to make any jokes this week given the Will Smith/Chris Rock furor. What’s the hinged/unhinged ratio these days? Should I be concerned about the feng shui of[…]
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PRITCHARD SEEKS PERMANENCE
Among Inyo County’s options for sheriff on the ballot coming this June, Eric Pritchard has the most experience. That’s because he’s actually been the sheriff for more than two months,[…]
BRIGHT LIGHT, BIG HEART
At the farewell party for 50-year Mammoth resident Lonnie Newbry held at Giovanni’s Restaurant on March 23, attendees not only put names on their name tags, but also described their[…]
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MORE FAN MAIL
I get this one the other day … Mr. Lunch, Are you kidding me? With all the stuff going on in the world, or (how about our board of Supervisors)[…]
CONNECT FOUR
Inyo County’s four choices for sheriff sat down together at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall in Bishop Tuesday and answered questions from veterans and the public. It was[…]
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TEAM PLAYER
In celebration of National Women’s Month, let’s shine a spotlight on Bishop’s Naomi Jensen, who owns TEAM Environmental, a local natural resources management firm. Two weeks ago, she sent out[…]
OF MICE AND RATS
“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” -Proverbs 9:10 “Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth” -Pema Chodron “Fear is paper thin” -Anon. Brain[…]
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SAVED BY JULIE BROWN
My daughter had wanted a ski day birthday party, so I’d called June Mountain to arrange it. A few weeks in advance no less – a stunning achievement for a[…]
IT’S LIKE CHEMO FOR THE FOREST
On March 10, the Eastern Sierra Climate and Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP) held its 10th meeting since November 2020 regarding how the region plans to protect its forests from wildfire[…]
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IMACH-FOUR?
While both the Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mono County approved a $100,000 (each) emergency funding request made by local non-profit IMACA (Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action) a few[…]
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
Stick around long enough, and anything’s liable to end up in your mailbox: Mr. Lunch, I just read your article “Red Flags Flying” written in 2018 [Nov. 24 issue]and the[…]
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FINDING HIS NITSCHKE
What do you get when you hand a force of nature a camera? You get Nolan Nitschke. The esteemed local photographer, whose work has appeared in the Smithsonian on three[…]
THE TAO OF DAVIS
It’s reassuring to believe that everything in the universe is connected and therefore everything happens for a reason. But when destiny deals you an uphill battle, it’s not easy to[…]
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SHUT UP AND WAIT
I came across this quote the other day from Tom McGuane: “Remember, when you back your horse into the box, there’s about 500 million people who don’t care whether you[…]
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CLIMATE PAIN
I’ve known Jim Ouimet as long as I’ve been in Mammoth. In fact, he may have been the first local I ever met. Ouimet is the owner of Mammoth Dog[…]
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HOMELESS OR HOME FREE?
Inyo County has historically been an area to attract eclectic characters from all over the country, drawn to the sweeping landscapes of cowboy country juxtaposed by colossal mountain ranges. But[…]
IMACA IN DEEP CACA
IMACA (Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action, a local nonprofit which provides social services ranging from child care to energy assistance to food banks, announced this week that it would[…]
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DON’T ICE YOURSELF
The story was national news. Two weeks ago, a group of eight ice skaters visited Stampede Reservoir about six miles east of Truckee. It was a beautiful day, temperatures rising[…]
VOX CLAMANTIS EN DESERTO
I feel like I was the only one who saw it. And maybe I was. Weirdly enough, the Olympic Winter Games viewership in America was down 43% during these Opening[…]
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III’D TIME = NO CHARM
It sure looked like a slam dunk at the outset. The third phase of the Obsidian development adjacent to Sierra Star Golf Course came before Mammoth’s Planning and Economic Development[…]
LION QUEENS
The Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association hosted another talk on Thursday, February 3, as part of its Winter Adventure Series hosted at the Mammoth Welcome Center. The talk, called “Mountain Lions[…]
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JOAQ-ING WOUNDED
Town Manager Dan Holler’s performance review concluded Wednesday night’s Mammoth Town Council meeting. No bonuses for Dan: he’s tapped out on pay, having reached the Town’s ceiling for Managers. When[…]
DON’T BITE THE HAND!
Other resort communities in California imposing caps on short-term rentals has Mammoth locals believing Town officials may follow suit. At a recent Mammoth Town Council Meeting, Councilmember Sarah Rea suggested[…]
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THE LONG RUN
Ryan Navales’ first arrest happened when he was 13 years old. He recalls running through Bishop City Park in his Chuck Taylors after convincing a homeless man to buy he[…]
104 IS NOT THAT HOT
I spoke to a few folks this week about the late Linda Arcularius (see obituary on page eight). District Five Supervisor Matt Kingsley had the best anecdote. He said he[…]
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DAZED AND CONFUSED
A dirt road stretching to the horizon. Snow-capped peaks in the periphery. A bright, shiny truck or SUV kicking up dust as it tears down the road and into the future. […]
RENNIE OR NOT…
Stephanie Rennie, the current Chief Investigator for the Inyo County District Attorney’s Office, is running for the position of Inyo County Sheriff this June. Rennie is determined to make a[…]
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CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS
I am out of town so I apologize for not being around for the most important story of the week, that being the passing of former Inyo County Supervisor Linda[…]
PARTYING ON A BUDGET
In October, Mono County’s attempts to host large-scale vaccine clinic events, with the specific intent of outreach to the local Latinx community, fell flat when the Board of Supervisors shot down[…]
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GNARLY CARLY
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a[…]
MA VIE EN ROESER
At the Inyo County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, District Four Supervisor Jennifer Roeser announced she would back out of a scheduled speaking commitment at an upcoming January 15 event[…]
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GOLD DUST(Y)
Local Mammoth snowboarder Dusty Henricksen is only 18 years old and has just secured his spot on the most coveted roster in sports: the Olympics. But while his journey to[…]
SURGING ON ALL FRONTS
The general consensus of Mammoth business owners these days: Business is terrific and my numbers are up, but boy am I overworked and stressed out! Part of the reason they’re[…]
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BROCK STEADY
This weekend’s Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain is a homecoming of sorts for 22 year-old Brock Crouch, who grew up riding Mammoth from a young age. He’s one of a[…]
MACC MAY HAVE NO DADDY
That damn Mammoth Town Council. I was all set to write about one thing, but then, I attended the Council meeting on Wednesday and can’t help but pivot. I think[…]
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DOWN ON MAIN STREET
After nearly a year and a half, a comprehensive plan to improve and revitalize Downtown Bishop is nearing the approval stage. The Downtown Bishop Specific Plan and Mixed-Use Overlay is[…]
SEND IN THE PLOWS
“It’s great to see snow, it’s been a while,” said the Town of Mammoth Lakes Public Works Director Hayslip Hayes during his department update at the Town Council meeting on[…]
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NO COUNTRY FOR NOT-SO-OLD MEN
A warning before I start – Lions Club Christmas Dinner at The Mogul starts in about 45 minutes, so you’ll be getting what you pay for in this week’s editorial. […]
DON’T LET OMI BE YOUR HOMIE
News of the Covid-19 Omicron variant has given rise to a new wave of virus-related concern; financial markets have been volatile and travel planning has become murkier. California was home[…]
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NATURAL DISUNITY
A group of protesters met outside Mammoth High School again on Wednesday morning in opposition to the Mammoth Unified School District’s impending vaccine mandate, which is set to begin December 17.[…]
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
I think the toughest part about Wednesday’s meeting of the Mammoth Town Council was the callousness of it. The lack of empathy. Dieter Fiebiger was there pleading with Council to[…]
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GET YOUR GRADES UP
According to Charity Navigator, a charity assessment group that evaluates hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations throughout the United States, the Mammoth Lakes Foundation (MLF) has a current overall score[…]
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LISTEN TO DRAKE!
Bob Drake is proof that it’s never too late to switch things up: after a career in geophysics, Drake decided to take up milling. Nearly 30 years later, he doesn’t[…]
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STORMING THE MUSD
A group of impassioned protesters entered the Mammoth Unified School District offices and banged on windows, causing frightened employees to lock the doors and call police on Friday, November 19. This[…]
HATCHING A PLAN
The Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery may be in line for a change in ownership. The Hatchery, which was founded in 1917, produced trout for nearly a century before hatchery operations[…]
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WHO NEEDS A RIDE?
For anyone planning on taking public transit to and from Mammoth Mountain this Holiday season, there may be significantly longer wait times. At last week’s Planning and Economic Development meeting,[…]
ALL BETS ARE OFF
After one of the driest years on record in the Sierra Nevada, the region desperately needs a consistent snow year to alleviate parched lakes, rivers, and landscapes. A number of[…]
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PERPETUITY IS SKIN DEEP
On Tuesday, Inyo Supervisors voted unanimously to name the new Inyo County Consolidated Office Building on Highway 6 next to the Grocery Outlet in honor of the late County Adminstrative[…]
THE MAMMOTH QUESTION
The Mono County Board of Supervisors held the 3rd and final review for alternative redistricting proposals on Monday, November 8. This final meeting was a review of all proposals submitted[…]
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SHORT NAME, LONG MEMORY
“The war is over, but Vietnam is forever.” There is not a moment during Randy Short’s time serving as a combat fighter in Vietnam that he does not remember. Short,[…]
FAHOO FORAYS, DAHOO DORAYS
The saga of the MACC (Mammoth Arts and Cultural Center) kinda mirrors the plot of Dr. Seuss’s “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Steal all the presents, wait long enough until[…]
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WASTE NOT, WANT MORE
Lights off, chairs up, doors locked, and a sign on the door. It’s becoming a more common site at local businesses as the shoulder season slowly bleeds into winter. Some,[…]
ON THE MARK
“When the kids get out of school, most of them want to leave and get out of here. They want to be gone. They want to see what the big[…]
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PITTER PATTER PAT
Bruce Sacerdote is an Economist who has taught for the past quarter century at Dartmouth College. He was recently featured on a Freakonomics podcast titled, fittingly, “Why is U.S. Media[…]
EXAM GRADE: INCOMPLETE
Northern Inyo Healthcare District (NIHD) will no longer be performing sexual assault evidentiary examinations, as it has temporarily paused these examinations until further notice. A recent press release from NIHD[…]
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JUMPING OUT OF THE JIM
On Wednesday, October 27, the Mammoth Lakes Planning and Economic Commission voted to 4-0 to approve an amendment to the Clearwater Specific Plan, moving a proposed new development tack at[…]
OPEN TOP-TO-BOTTOM
Having received nearly three feet of snow this October at Main Lodge, including 15” from last weekend’s storm, Mammoth Mountain will open for business this Friday. This is the first[…]
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CLEARWATER REDUX
Tiny homes: potentially coming to a throughfare near you. The Town of Mammoth Lakes Planning and Economic Development Commission is holding a public hearing on Wednesday, October 27, for a[…]
LOCAL HISTORY
Was out of town this week, so let’s ruminate about something from a few issues ago. In the aftermath of the Inyo Supervisors bungling of a simple Indigenous Peoples Day[…]
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BUREAUCRATIC BEATDOWN
If you wish to complain about local news coverage, you could use this column as exhibit A. Because I’m about to talk about something that’s been going on for several[…]
MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS
Vons, the Southern California and Southern Nevada supermarket chain, has approximately 325 locations – including one in the small mountain town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Beneath the seams of what[…]
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THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT
It’s ironic that a town like Mammoth Lakes, whose workforce is continuously pressed to find quality affordable housing, seems to have no shortage of lodging for visitors. Many options available[…]
HOLY BACKPEDAL!
Just because no one’s there, doesn’t mean no one’s listening. On Tuesday, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors quibbled over a proclamation drafted to honor Indigenous Peoples Day. The drafted[…]
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TOUTING THE EXIT PLAN
With the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing and no determined end in sight, it’s made sense to many to consider the possibility of moving on from business ownership. The stresses of operating[…]
GIRLS GONE WILDMAN
The emails and calls started coming in last Friday over the two-week Mammoth schools shutdown. It’s fair to say no one was terribly happy. And there were plenty of mixed[…]
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CUCKOO OVER COCO
After Mammoth Middle and High Schools were closed starting Monday, September 20 due to an outbreak of Covid-19 among students, administrators, and teachers, the questions from parents started coming in.[…]
DRIVING INTO THE SUNSET
At age 75 and after 15 years on the job, Ed Bailey is retiring from driving the Mammoth Trolley. Charismatic, kind, and a cowboy in every sense of the word,[…]
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PASS THE AIR FRESHENER
As a general rule I don’t bitch about the hand I’ve been dealt. Too much. I mean, bitching can be quite fun. In moderation. On Thursday, there was an interview[…]
WHO GETS WHAT
It’s the most wonderful time of the decade. The Mono County Redistricting process is upon the Board of Supervisors once again, following the conclusion and findings of the 2020 census. […]
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FALLEN DOMINOS
If you’re a Bishop or Mammoth resident with the late-night munchies, your culinary options just narrowed considerably. The Mammoth and Bishop Domino’s Pizza franchises closed their doors this week, likely[…]
SOMETHING ABOUT MERRY
There won’t be any Merry Christmas in Bishop after this weekend. Because Merry’s gone. Merry Katherine Christmas, who moved to Bishop in 1983, is moving to an assisted living facility[…]
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LOOKING GOOD, WINTHORPE!
After a hectic summer, things have started to cool off in the Eastern Sierra, propelled more so than normal by National Forest closures. Although the forests closed last year at[…]
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A LIFE IN THE SIERRA
I’m in damn good shape for an old, fat slob who can’t hear.” So said Duane Rossi as he was peeling potatoes at his summer job as camp cook at[…]
BEAR NECESSITIES
“On every continent in the world, since the beginning of time, humans have paid homage to bears. Through petroglyphs, the written word, in stories, in songs- we’ve carved them, put[…]
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HOLISTIC HELL
The text from Lara Kaylor’s press release regarding Mammoth Lakes Tourism’s “Virtual Community Coffee” held Thursday morning, August 26: “This month the topic is housing. We will provide a holistic[…]
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HOME FROM SCHOOL
The local schools have already seen the chaos of Covid-19 unleashed as they move into their second week of the 2021-2022 school year. “We’ve had in general about a case[…]
A IS FOR AMBIGUOUS
On Tuesday, I covered an Inyo County meeting regarding an issue which predates my local residency. As Nancy Masters described in a letter submitted to the Board, Measure A, passed[…]
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MASKS ON, EVEN IF GLOVES OFF
Mono County Director of Public Health Bryan Wheeler gave a Covid-19 update at the latest Board of Supervisors meeting on August 17. The county continues to trend upwards in cases,[…]
AIR APPARENT
The Mammoth Lakes Town Council held a meeting on August 18 which included passing a motion which will effectively put planes in the air at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport (MMH) this coming[…]
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DECISION FATIGUE
I’m going to let the late, great novelist Walker Percy open the editorial this week, in large part because I’m tired, but in larger part, because I generally defer to[…]
RADIO MT. LEBANON
Driving through the Owens Valley, a traveler might happen upon a seemingly out of place radio station while scanning the FM dial for music. Arabic music and lyrics, with French[…]
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WRESTLING WITH CONVENTION
The announcement that the Midget Wrestling Warriors (MWW) would be in action at the Tri-County Fair this year has been met with a degree of local criticism, waged almost entirely[…]
THE JOAQ-ING DEAD
Get ready for some peripatetic rambling here. In regard to the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Bleephole campaign walk-back … I’m not too worked up over a creative misfire. That stuff happens. […]
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SWING AND A MISS
Here’s the thing about swinging big: although the contact is more likely to knock the ball out the park, the strikeouts can be all the more spectacular. Such is the[…]
AMERICA LOST
“I never like to talk about myself. But I’d like to share about my community, which is the working community, the Latino community, the poor community- the core of Mammoth,”[…]
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MEET TEAM DUMBASS
From last week’s editorial: “Overall, Kaylor said MLT has spent more than $1 million on sustainability and stewardship initiatives over the past year. Which leads me to “The Perils of[…]
FEE FEAR ZONE
Look out taxpayers! Because Mammoth Lakes Town Council (specifically Sauser, Wentworth and Stapp) couldn’t make a politically difficult decision last week (allocating some marketing dollars towards housing), they may have[…]
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BAR SET LOW
A police contact gone sour last Saturday night/Sunday morning in Bishop led to a local man being hospitalized, his dog shot and killed, and two deputies injured during an altercation which[…]
STALE CHIPS
Mammoth Lakes Town Council talked a lot about housing at its regular meeting on Wednesday evening. But ultimately decided not to move further resources into the housing column. By a[…]
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DELTA FORCE
The Mono County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday to discuss possible new Covid restrictions for the coming months. The rapid spread of the Covid Delta variant, especially in California,[…]
HUG WHAT YOU LOVE
In the aftermath of Mammoth Council’s abortive attempt to manage its own money, I thought about Celine’s line from Journey to the End of the Night *Am I allowed to[…]
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TURN THIS IDEA AROUND
After a week out of the headlines, the bus turnaround on Woodmen [aka Woodman] Street in Mammoth Lakes proved to still be contentious. The matter was discussed at Mammoth’s Planning[…]
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A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS: LARRY MYROLD 1958-2021
There are some guys who make spectacular plays, diving to their left or right to stop a ball, and they are heralded for their flair and athleticism. And there are[…]
AGAINST THE WIND
I’m cranky today. Blame the heat. Or blame Mammoth’s Town Council. Tough to listen to that paean to denial at Wednesday evening’s regular meeting and not get cranky. I’ve written[…]
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TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
An email sent to then-Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Board chair John Morris and MLT executive director John Urdi has led to something of a rift between the non-profit and Mammoth[…]
ROUND-HOUSED
A recent employer survey revealed that approximately 25% of Mono County employees live in their cars. However, with a new public works ordinance put in place, these folks will no[…]
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HARD TO KILL
The one joke I’ve been recycling since last week regarding my traffic accident: “I’m like Steven Seagal. Mediocre, yet Hard to Kill.” Hardy-har. Former Sheet writer Colin Wolf had this[…]
STRAY DOG STRUT
A community meeting was held on Wednesday, June 30 in response to Mammoth residents protesting the proposed public transit stop/shelter/turnaround on Woodman. The turnaround would allow for a 40’ bus to[…]
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WHAT’S YOUR DELTA
The survey question this week was a simple yes/no: Is the pandemic over? While mask mandates and capacity restrictions have been gone since the middle of June, it’s certainly felt[…]
CHEWED UP, SPIT OUT
I have this still photograph in my mind. Like one of those iPhone photos where it shows you a snippet of action before the photo settles. And I see this[…]
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TALES OF THE TRAILS
Coming out of summer 2020, it was clear that something had to change and change quickly for the local outdoors. Unattended campfires, overcrowding, and a landfill’s worth of trash and[…]
GOING INTO LABOR
Mammoth has seen a significant shortage in labor recently. Although this is a multi-faceted issue, it relates heavily to the decrease in affordable housing in town. The Sheet spoke with[…]
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SUPER-SIZED RAISES
Well, everybody’s doing it. Businesses have been buoyed by government grants and loans. Individuals have received augmented unemployment benefits and emergency checks from Donald and Joe. So now, it appears[…]
LIFE’S A BEACH
Skiers and snowboarders headed up Minaret Road for the past 70-odd years have grown used to coming around a final curve in the road to see Main Lodge on their[…]
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“I (CONTINUE TO) BET A DIME”
AmeriGas was dealt another defeat in the Third Appellate Court of California this week regarding its attempt to erase the 1987 Dempsey agreement regarding propane pricing at Snowcreek. As described[…]
MASK NO MORE
With June 15 rapidly approaching, questions still remain: what exactly is going to happen? Will things go “back to normal”? June 15 is the day that the California government has[…]
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SURVEY SAYS…PAY US MORE
Mono County’s Board of Supervisors met on June 8, 2021 to discuss, among other things, the recommended budget changes for the county, which will go into effect on July 1,[…]
WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH?
I had no idea what the editorial should be for this week, until I reviewed a letter I wrote this past Saturday to Robert Schaubmayer Sr. and realized … I[…]
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A COMFORTABLE FIT
Wednesday marked Rhonda Duggan’s final Mammoth Lakes Tourism board meeting, with her colleagues sending her off with well wishes and thanking her for her time of service to the non-profit. […]
SPEED TO ABATE ON 158?
Calls for action on State Route 158 in June Lake regarding pedestrian safety and traffic became a focal point at the June Lake Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on June[…]
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ROAM IF YOU WANT TO?
A fter a summer that saw a horde of visitors descend on the Eastern Sierra, the calls for action rang loud and clear. A substantial number of the visitors were first-time[…]
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THE HEIGHTS LAID LOW
The wind-down is in full swing at Sterling Heights in Bishop. The Assisted Living retirement home located on Pine Street and backing up to Bishop City Park will close for[…]
GONE FISHING
The duties of the Mono County Fish and Game Commission (MCFGC) seem relatively simple from an outside perspective: advise the Mono County Board of Supervisors on fish rearing and stocking. […]
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LUNCH TAKES LEAVE
I am out of town this week. Surprised Mom for Mother’s Day. Which is why we’re running a 16-pager. Note: that has since changed. And Owen’s in charge. Scott[…]
PROJECT PROJECTIONS
The effects of climate change in California are undeniable. Just look at how reduced snowpack has lead to a very early beginning to the fire season. How is that change[…]
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HELLO TO YELLOW
Mono County returned to the yellow tier on Tuesday, a comeback many months in the making. The yellow tier is California’s least restrictive in the Blueprint for A Safer Economy. […]
I’M EIGHTEEN
I’ve got a Baby’s brain and an old man’s heart Took eighteen years to get this far Don’t always know what I’m talkin’ about Feels like I’m livin’ in the[…]
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GETTING DIRKED AROUND
When Mammoth Lakes Tourism facilitated Dirk Winter’s purchase of Sam’s Wood Site on Minaret Road, the goal was pretty simple: to preserve a longtime events venue in Mammoth Lakes. It[…]
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COUGH COUGH
The Sheet tracked down Bret Meier this week for an interview. We referenced Meier last week upon learning that the Mammoth Lakes Police Department had reached a monetary settlement with[…]
THE COLOR OF LACK OF MONEY
The color of having no money? That would be white. The Town of Mammoth Lakes may be holding a groundbreaking ceremony this coming week for the new MUF/CRC ice tent[…]
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HE TOLD ‘EM SO
National news was made this week in San Luis Obispo when charges were filed in a 25-year old cold case involving a former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student, Kristin[…]
IT’S A CONTACT SPORT
Mammoth Lakes Town Council held a strategic workshop last Friday. They made some revealing statements. Probably because no one was on the call. They thought they were safe. Thank God[…]
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DUGGAN THE GRAVE FOR DENNIS
After a year of deliberation, back and forth arguments for and against, and continuous postponements of a final decision, The Tioga Inn housing plan went out with a whimper at[…]
SEXY BEACH
“So,” we asked in a Tuesday meeting with senior resort management held in the clocktower in Mammoth Mountain’s Main Lodge, “Is this project in the Ms or the Bs?” Newly[…]
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Alternate reALity
The following letter was a late inclusion into Wednesday night’s Mammoth Lakes Town Council agenda packet: Hello TOML Town Council: There is an editorial in the April 3 issue of[…]
NO MORE TIERS
The finish line finally appears to be in sight. Announcements from the California government indicate that the state sees brighter days ahead in the battle against Covid-19. To date, over[…]
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CONGLOMERATE IN PROTEST
In a small courtyard beside the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, a small chihuahua makes a nervous initial pass on those walking in, warily keeping an eye on and backing[…]
KEYSTONE LIGHT
What follows is not just a story of police bungling – which is akin to regular bungling. We all bungle things. I do so on a weekly basis. You have[…]
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NOT FOR TED
Well, a ‘tweener week so I unfortunately had to pass on an April Fools’ story this year. In terms of ideas, spoofing Mammoth Lakes Town Council’s upcoming series of “strategic[…]
HOMES REMEDY
The Inyo County Planning Department held a public workshop for the 2021 General Plan Housing Element update on Wednesday to inform the public about the process of updating the Housing[…]
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RARIFIED AIR
Global pollution levels were down across the board in 2020, reflecting the reality of a pandemic that’s kept people inside and at home instead of commuting to work or heading[…]
IN ANY EVENT
It was about this time last year that doors began to shutter around the Eastside and events were cancelled. In a matter of hours, Elevation Mammoth went from full steam[…]
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PURPLE PAIN
While the local effort to combat Covid-19 continues to produce encouraging results, Mono County did not enter the red tier this past week as previously anticipated. The culprit: an adjusted[…]
LUNCH HAS NO FRIENDS
Now I get it. On Monday, someone forwarded confirmation of their upcoming vaccine appointment to me via email. What’s funny is that the confirmation email specifically states, “Don’t forward this[…]
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MLT BOARD RAISES GLASS TO MENDEL
The Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board appointed John Mendel to fill the retail board seat vacated by Matt Hammer at its regular meeting Wednesday. Mendel will be seated (or Zoomed) at[…]
MAMMOTH GETS BACK TO 100%
The winter of discontent (at least for Mammoth Lakes lodging operators) may be coming to an end. Mammoth town officials issued updated guidance on Saturday, February 27, that removed a[…]
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AN INDEPENDENCE WOMAN
You’ve heard all the bromides. Live each day like it’s your last. Today’s the first day of the rest of your life. Life is short/Life is a gift And we[…]
ESTA…BIEN?
At the Inyo County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, February 23, Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA) director Phil Moores spoke to the supervisors about how the agency performed in Fiscal Year[…]
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ATTENTION CITIZENSs
The Sheet received the following urgent message on Thursday afternoon. I write to you to warn you of what is coming down the pike, more like up the pike to[…]
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OH SAY CAN YOU CRC
As former Mammoth Mountain (now Alterra Resorts) CEO Rusty Gregory is often fond of saying, “Don’t let perfect get in the way of good.” On Wednesday, Mammoth Lakes Town Council[…]
EQUITY TRAINING
The following email was sent to senior staff at the Town of Mammoth Lakes last Friday. Hello All, My name is Michael Jones and I work for Mono County[…]
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PUTTING ON A CLINIC
Mono County officials announced earlier this week that they had administered over 5,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to county residents since receiving its first allotment. According to the LA Times,[…]
OUT OF THE PARKER
Mammoth Hospital CEO Tom Parker was gracious enough to spend some time with me this week talking about the state of affairs at the health district and what opportunities and[…]
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SEEKING THE LIMELIGHT
Another contender to the throne presented itself to Mammoth Town Council at its regular meeting via Zoom on Wednesday. The contender is the Little Nell Hotel Group, owned by Aspen[…]
REDISTRICULOUS
Mono County Supervisors were faced with the age-old dilemma at their regular meeting Tuesday. Pawn off difficult, politically sensitive work on others, or buck up and do the job one[…]
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AN ODE TO MR INYO
Chuck Kilpatrick, 1935-2020 You would think that a person would revel in a nickname like “Mr. Bishop,” but even though it was a moniker that rolled off the tongue, Chuck[…]
WHO LEFT WHOM?
When the late Ronald Reagan so famously switched political parties back in the early 1960s, he said in explanation, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party. The Democratic party left me.”[…]
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SHOTS ALL AROUND
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread around the country, it has become increasingly clear that the United States’ way out of this pandemic is tied to vaccination. After nearly[…]
1-2-3, LET’S LOPE!
She was the most wonderful kind of contradiction. She loved people. And she loved her solitude. Perhaps she needed the bouts of solitude simply because her love for all other[…]
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GOING (SEMI) ROGUE
Well, this is unexpected. Had a minor communication error within the office (funny, since there are only two of us here. It’s not like there’s a rabbit warren of offices[…]
LOOK OUT, CASEY JONES!
You know the part in the silent movies where the damsel in distress is tied to the tracks and the train is bearing down. Well, given current stay-at-home orders and[…]
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THE FINAL SPIN
Rodney Wiley, 1968-2020 The life of the party has moved on to the afterlife. Rodney Wiley, aka DJ Rodney O, died last weekend after a bout with pancreatic cancer. He[…]
ZERO POINT ZERO
California entered its second week of more strict stay-at-home orders on Monday, and the Covid-19 situation around the state has only grown worse. Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area fell[…]
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WELL DONE, CITIZEN
As my favorite bartender in the whole wide world, Roberta Fisher (of Challis, Idaho) would often say, “You do what you have to do to survive.” And we’re all caught[…]
RE(X)CUSE ME
There’s been a lot of national hand-wringing of late over the fate of the republic if Trump refuses to concede the election, the resillience of our institutions, et. al. Maybe[…]
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THE COLOR PURPLE
After Mono County recorded 37 new Covid-19 cases over the course of a week, California state officials moved the county into the most restrictive of their four tiers: Purple/Widespread Disease.[…]
SPENDING TO SAVE
Of the many things about my wife I struggle to understand, a principal topic I find confounding is her ability to justify an expense by telling me it’s actually saving[…]
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GET BACK ON THE BUS!
While some local schools have gradually returned to in-person learning, Mammoth Unified School District (MUSD) has, for the most part remained online with the exception of some small, highly[…]
WALKER DIGS IN/DIGS OUT POST-FIRE
By Lunch and Page Mono County Supervisors held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to hear an update on the Mountain View Fire that burned rapidly through the eastside of Walker[…]
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WALKER BURNS-96 STRUCTURES LOST
High wind conditions on Tuesday helped to rapidly grow a fire sparked in Walker, leading to nearly 100 structures burning down over the course of 24 hours, and one recorded[…]
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ONE THING WE CAN ALL AGREE ON
… is that everyone likes an extra six inches. We learned that at a four hour Parcel workshop on Tuesday. A workshop via Zoom that was briefly halted by a[…]
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COVID-19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
A Covid outbreak at the Marine Warfare Training Center (MWTC) north of Bridgeport could toss Mono County into a sea of purple. Even without the MWTC, Mono may be seeing red.[…]
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE PARCEL
At The Parcel workshop held Tuesday evening, project developer Andrea Clark of the Pacific Companies guessed The Parcel wouldn’t accommodate its first residents until 2023-2024. Which means, the local housing[…]
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MOUNTAIN WARFARE…VERSUS COVID
It’s said that all good things must come to an end. While that end isn’t entirely decided at this point for Mono and Inyo counties’ Covid-19 guidelines, the outlook is[…]
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INYO GOES… PURPLE?
Election day has come and gone, and while the dust is settling in the presidential election, the results thus far for Inyo and Mono counties tell some very interesting stories.[…]
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INYO AT RISK OF FALLING OFF WAGON
A recent spike in Covid cases may return Inyo County to ‘red’ status. The state rates each County’s Covid-risk level on a four-tiered system. Red is the second-highest level, where Covid[…]
PAUL NOSTERDAMUS
Just so we can all appreciate what happens when we sit on our hands and don’t pull the trigger on an investment … I was peeking through archives this week[…]
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TIOGA A GO GO?
The trials and tribulations associated with the Tioga Inn hotel and restaurant project, now in its 27th year of planning hell, have been well documented: project proponent Dennis Domaille survived[…]
INCONCEIVABLE!
With apologies to Wallace Shawn … Eighteen years covering the Eastern Sierra and I’ve never seen anything like it. At its September 28 regular meeting, a majority of Bishop City[…]
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THOUGHTS ON TUEZZDAY
I figure I’ve written too much of the paper already, so I asked reporters Hite and Page to give their takes on the first Presidential debate between Mssrs. Trump and[…]
TALL IN THE SADDLE
Horseman, philanthropist and steadfast friend Roxanne Tallman died September 25 after a long bouth with cancer. She was 73. Tallman was the owner of Hidden Creeks Ranch in Bishop, the[…]
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CLEAR SKIES AHEAD?
While the Creek Fire continues to burn in the wilderness to the southeast of Mammoth Lakes, mitigation efforts and seasonal changes are turning the tide against it. Conditions related to[…]
Back To School
One of the prevailing questions of the Covid-19 pandemic was how schools would look come fall. As local school districts came back in session after summer break, all did so[…]
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CREEKY TIMBERS
After a week of warnings about incoming strong winds, Mono County awoke on Friday, Sept. 18 to a light but steady rain. For the first time in days or even[…]
WOUNDED AGAIN
In a press release issued last Friday. the Mammoth Lakes Foundation Board of Directors said it will not proceed with a land lease or other agreement for the proposed National[…]
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UP A CREEK
Fires are raging up and down the west coast, raining down ash, forcing evacuations, literally obliterating whole towns and leading to the unprecedented action of the United State Forest Service[…]
LOSERS AND SUCKERS
I think the above phrase represents the most difficuilt aspect for me regarding the current zeitgeist. Because there is no doubt in my mind that that’s the language President Trump[…]
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Inside and Outside The Bubble
I had the following email exchange with Allen Brown this week. Brown: News Flash! BLM (Black Lives Matter) takes their community improvement team to Kenosha, Wisconsin. What a great organization![…]
Reefer Madness…In Bishop!
In spite of Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana cultivation and sale in California, the plant remains controversial in some circles. Like amongst Bishop City Council. The question of permitting[…]
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A Sense of Urgency
Inyo County Supervisors passed an urgency ordinance on Tuesday to “discourage and penalize violations of orders pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic.” But while the Supervisors agreed to the potential enactment[…]
Man ( Cleaning Up After Man) Defense
After yet another story about trash, Friends of the Inyo asked The Sheet to tag along with an employee to see what the non-profit was doing to mitigate the trash[…]
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A Mammoth Undertaking
One of the biggest looming question marks on the Eastside is Mammoth Mountain: will it open for skiing this winter and if so, what would that look like? What would[…]
Inyo Death Toll Reaches Nine
Inyo County reported its ninth Covid-19 death on Wednesday, the 8th death in the county since the beginning of August. Between the period of August 4-17, testing revealed 83 new[…]
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Slow Summer in Bridgeport
COVID-19 affected the Eastern Sierra economy in a variety of ways. Bridgeport, for example, was hit in an entirely different way than other Eastern Sierra town. The economy in Bridgeport[…]
Free Fireworks
I hope all of you got out this week for the Perseid meteor shower, Mother Nature’s way of making up for the lack of a Crowley Lake fireworks show on[…]
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Oh Brothers
Superior Court Judge Stephen Place granted Inyo County a temporary restraining order on Wednesday. The order will prohibit Two Brothers from Italy restaurant from operating until it complies with public[…]
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Deaths Rattle Inyo
Four months of safety behind closed doors, with no visitors permitted, allowed the Bishop Care Center to remain Covid-19 free while care facilities and retirement homes around the country lost[…]
Need Help?
My curiosity got the best of me this week, so I decided to park a desk and a chair at the path leading from the parking lot to the Mammoth[…]
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Is 14K More Than Fool’s Gold?
This week, a new Trails Host program was officially unveiled as part of the solution for the congestion in the Lakes Basin. The program will place two “Trail Hosts” up[…]
Careless Center
As Mono County goes, so too does Inyo it seems. Inyo County saw a spike of 28 new Covid cases over a three day period between August 1 and August[…]
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DELIVERABLE ME THIS, BATMAN
Mammoth Lakes Town Council approved a contract update, worth an estimated $6 million, with Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) on Wednesday, July 15. Last year, MLT and the Town of Mammoth[…]
BEARLY AWARE
Coming off a fairly dry winter, the local bear population was active earlier than usual this spring. And Mammoth Lakes has been jammed with tourists ever since travel restrictions were[…]
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STUCK IN A MINEFIELD
As of Thursday, the United States stands far and away at the top of the Covid-19 charts. Not exactly a chart one wants to hit. Certainly not Kasey Kasem’s Top[…]
More Faces, More Cases
Jurisdictions around California have seen spikes in Covid cases in recent weeks, raising concerns that the state as a whole is beginning to lose ground in the fight against Covid-19. […]
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The Real is Real
What a difference a few weeks make. Prior to reopening, Stacey Bardfield, Owner/Broker of Mammoth Sierra properties, described the local real estate market as being “dead as a doornail.” And[…]
Handling the Covicissitudes of Life
“Like all hospitals around the country, Mammoth Hospital has not been immune to the financial impact of COVID-19,” said Melanie Van Winkle, CFO for Mammoth Hospital, in an email to[…]
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TOP NOTCH ATLEEWORK
While many summer events and activities have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s one throwback summer activity that’s eminently portable and perfect for social distancing. Reading. And Bishop’s[…]
King of the June-gle
The Tiger Bar in June Lake was temporarily closed on June 27 due to a lack of compliance regarding COVID-19 protocols. The order came from Mono County Health Officer Thomas[…]
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But At What Cost?
A week ago, Ingrid Braun, the Sheriff- Coroner for Mono County gave a presentation to the Mono County Board of Supervisors regarding possible police reform through the lens of a[…]
Inyo Face!
In a public ruling late last month, Inyo County was dealt a setback in its attempts to take over three landfills from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.[…]
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NIH Pressured By Covid
The Northern Inyo Hospital District board met Wednesday evening to discuss the FY 2020-2021 budget. The board continues to work through financial difficulties borne of Covid impacts and the Flanigan[…]
Jan and Rich McAteer: Survivors
Life in Mammoth has a lot in common with the reality television series, “Survivor.” Maybe it’s the island living theme. Or maybe it’s the scramble for limited jobs and resources.[…]
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On The MLRocks
Mammoth Lakes Recreation’s three-year contract with the Town of Mammoth Lakes expires at the end of June. On Wednesday, MLR Executive Director Matt McClain pleaded for MLR’s very life before[…]
Tyson Ain’t No Chicken
Operating a summer camp can be tough. Factor in the current Covid-19 pandemic and it becomes an exponentially bigger headache. Clay Tyson is 56 years-old and first came to Mammoth[…]
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Don’t Hold the Ketchup
After running out of time during its previous meeting due to prolonged budget deliberation, the Mammoth Lakes Tourism board reconvened on Monday afternoon to finalize the ‘20-’21 budget and vote[…]
Mono = No Mo’ $$
Early on in Mono County Finance Director Janet Dutcher’s FY2020-2021 budget presentation during Tuesday’s Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting, she put an ominous slide on the screen. In large[…]
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Mammoth Lakes (plus one) Tourism?
With Scott McGuire departing his position as an at-large member on the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board, that same board took up the question of who will be McGuire’s replacement at[…]
And oh what Hites We’ll Hit …
Strange as it sounds, there can be a benefit to lousy reporting. First, Mammoth Mountain Vice-President Eric Clark’s excerpted remarks at Wednesday’s Mammoth Lakes Tourism board meeting: “I wanted to[…]
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A Wing and a Prayer
Published in 1987, ‘The Art of the Deal’ by Donald J. Trump will likely be a relic studied for years: how did that guy become president? . The book’s authors[…]
We’re Crawling and We Can’t Get Up
The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has made any sort of planning and forward thinking difficult. While the state has been walking back restrictions on its reopening plans, the changes[…]
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There’s No Bidness like TBIDness
Mammoth Lakes Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) was established in 2013. At the time, MMSA (now Alterra) CEO Rusty Gregory had a grandiose plan to generate more air travel to[…]
Seismic Activity At Foundation
The Mammoth Lakes Foundation Board recently determined it needed to slash its permanent staff from four members to two in the wake of the Covid crisis. “In order to preserve[…]
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A Run on the Bank
Like everyone else, I suppose, I am watching the corona drama unfold with a mixture of horror and fascination. All the while looking at my own books and trying to[…]
Byrne Baby Byrne
We all respond to pandemic hysteria a little bit differently. My response has been low-grade pyromania. I live next to LADWP property in Bishop. And there are tumbleweeds everywhere –[…]
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Gentleman Jack
He was the type of guy who still wrote thank you letters. A guy who made it a point to remember people’s names. And if he were in line at[…]
