Nibbling around the edges

If you look closely at Blondie’s hind quarters, you’ll see she had a bite taken out of it by a doberman. Blondie’s okay, at least for now, but her future could be in jeopardy. For more on Blondie, keep reading; details in the story below. (Photo courtesy Steve Searles)

The most telling thing I saw at Wednesday’s Council meeting was the smile.
Lately, Town Manager Rob Clark’s smile has tended to be of the nervous variety, but after the agenda item on the budget at Wednesday’s meeting, he bore a true look of relief.
Yes, Council had rejected a few of his sneaky end-arounds (a meeting after Council had resolutely decided to not budget any revenue from a T.O.T. auditing program, Clark snuck $100,000 in revenue from such a program into two of four cost-cutting (you see how nutty this is) proposals. He also tried to tell Council that better than expected T.O.T. reporting for April and May should convince them to adopt a rosier budget projection.
Council firmly rejected the end-arounds, but one wonders whether it fell pray to the flea flicker.
Sure, it demanded some staff cuts, but those cuts, according to the resolution last night, aren’t due until Jan. 1, 2010.
Meanwhile, there are all sorts of glaring holes in the budget. The sale of property to the hospital isn’t a done deal. If it falls apart, that’s another $300,000 to find.
There’s $119,000 in receivables that Community Development still thinks it’s going to collect, but does anyone truly believe those bankrupt Shady Rest Tract developers will ever pay their bill?
Councilman Skip Harvey appeared a little put off by the idea that Staff keeps suggesting cuts (school resources officer) or programs (ice rink) that directly affect the community. As if Staff wants to purposely make it very uncomfortable for someone else (Council) rather than themselves by lining up sacred cows at the slaughterhouse entrance.
Harvey wants Staff to take a closer look at people and programs which are more removed from the public.
Likewise, Councilman John Eastman is still upset about the use of $500,000 in reserves to backfill the budget. He’s especially miffed at the sale of McFlex property being rejiggered into the budget as an increase to the REU (Reserve for Economic Uncertainty) when really, it’s the same asset listed under a different column heading.

Couple of things …

Council approved $7,500 to bring Super Diamond to Town in late August. The event is being co-sponsored by MMSA, Intrawest, CNL and the Town. Wonder what Sean Turner thinks about that. Think they’ll give him $7,500 for the Blue Sky Festival?
Donn Steier spoke from the heart last week about his friend and colleague Rick Blake, but he also may have spoken too soon. Sierra Mortgage Corp., upon further reflection, will remain. After all, Blake’s best man and protege Stanley Loupe is still a member of the team.
And a correction from the family in regard to the John Bachar obituary. Bachar would never have referred to himself as the greatest climber of all time.

Blondes have more fun?

In Public Comment during Wednesday’s Town Council meeting. Mayor Neil McCarroll recognized Wildlife Management Specialist Steve Searles as “the Bear Whisper,” though an amused Searles followed that with, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor, but we all know I rarely whisper.”
Searles told Council he’s seen all sorts of wildlife in and around town, including dear, mountain lions and seldom-seen, very rare species of mountain beaver. “I celebrate that,” he stated. He then updated Council on the status of Blondie, the bear, who may have a target painted on her. “She’s been allowed to get away with things, and not reprimanded the way she should have been,” Searles said. “She’s been in [McCarroll’s] kitchen more than he has.” In all seriousness, Searles then reported Blondie had invaded 12 homes in the past 14 days. “I have a high tolerance, but that’s not acceptable.”
He went on to praise the community. “[Whatever happens to her], it’s nobody’s fault. Not one person has asked for her destruction. You’re all kind people.” Going on to add that staff and his Mammoth Lakes Police Department colleagues were doing “a great job,” he opined that compliance is at an all-time high. “If we lose her, it’s not because we didn’t try.”
Searles said he’d like to keep her in the community, but the decision was up to “the powers that be.” A meeting among local officials was scheduled for Thursday. Searles said. At press time, no decision had been reached as to her fate. Jurisdictional issues were being worked out, but, while she may have been granted something of a reprieve, he said the Department of Fish and Game could still ultimately elect to put her down. If so, Searles said it would be the first bear put down for public safety “in a long time.”
He pointed out that there is a migration underway, and hoped Blondie would find here way out of town as a part of that. Called “Blondie” for her striking, blonde fur coat, it’s her sweet tooth that got her good looks on a “Wanted” poster. After finding an open door or window for her entry point, she usually heads straight for the fridge.
She’s has never shown any signs of aggression or of being a threat to humans, but Searles said she has to learn to live outside of peoples’ kitchens, a make or break proposition. On Tuesday, July 8, Blondie was caught ransacking the kitchen of Danna Stroud, Mammoth Lakes Tourism and Recreation Director. Stroud said it was around 8 p.m. when she came home, heard a scuffling noise and smelled a strong animal scent. Blondie hightailed it out of the house through the kitchen window, busting the screen. Stroud said she yelled at the bear as she ran away and called MLPD.
The police and Searles responded to the scene and found Blondie going through a garbage can in a neighbor’s garage. They shot the bear with a few rubber bullets and installed a sensor outside Stroud’s house that emits an unpleasant sound to train bears to avoid an area.
Searles said Blondie may have become a bit too comfy around humans after she left her mother before most cubs do. “She’s as dumb as they come, but beautiful,” Searles said. “People are just loving her to death, and that’s what the problem is.”
Blondie, who also has four dark colored feet and a dark patch on her rear, has been seen mostly in Mammoth’s Majestic Pines area. If Blondie (or any bear) is found in a home, Searles said the community should do what Stroud did and “drop the dime on them and call either me or the police.”
Contact Searles at 937.BEAR and the MLPD at 934.2011.
“Blondes have more fun?” by Geisel/Fredericksen