Sellable down to the fixtures

Dear Editor:

And when those things are done and with mud from the valley and sticks from the forest the new is risen upon the old, the humble, the tired, the poor, the faithful, shall find sustenance and bounty in the Earth where no sustenance or bounty was found before. And he shall see that his cherished ones are happy and content once more and so shall he be happy.

Parables 1:99

What’s here is underutilized. If you let us redevelop it, they will come and make you rich.

The Big Lie V2.7

The reason for the economic difficulties the Mammoth is facing today is not because of the general economic downturn the whole economy of the United States is facing. It’s not because people are becoming increasingly wary of being viewed as a walking ATM when they visit here. It’s not because food and lodging and essential services are difficult to obtain here in Mammoth.

No! It’s the overall look and feel — the ambiance — of our town that is responsible for our economic difficulties. Mammoth doesn’t look and feel like a ski town.

In the past, unscrupulous developers hornswoggled the town leaders of those earlier eras into believing convenient and plentiful storefront, off-street parking was good for business. Some call that the “Southern California Model.” The Minaret Mall, the Do-It Center Mall and the Luxury Outlet Mall are all horrifying examples of that vile and repugnant architectural style which both “underutilizes” the property those malls occupy and also doesn’t present the look and feel — the ambiance — of a ski town.

To address these problems, the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept) was declared law at the urging of the Oracle of the Caldera during the last City Council meeting. The Oracle’s exhortation that the Town needed to be “capital ready” when the developers return to Mammoth has not yet been full interpreted but the threat was clear enough to move the Town Council to act.

As you recall, the genesis  of the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept) was an earlier vision of the Oracle when he channeled far removed and mysterious powers. That vision has been studied and interpreted by the lesser minions of the Oracle who are in the process of codifying that vision as the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept).

The imperatives of the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept) are to move downtown businesses closer to a narrowed Main Street right of way and properly utilize all that abhorrent empty space now underutilized as parking and at the same time present the look and feel — the ambiance — of a ski town.

Archetypical ski towns have street front businesses on their main thoroughfare. This is a defining characteristic of the architecture and infrastructure of the typical ski town. Visitors to ski towns — befuddled and weakened by physical activity and reduced atmospheric pressure — are  persuaded to stop and shop by the carefully designed appearance and seductive ambiance of ski towns.

And the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept) will change Mammoth forever and for better by finally, after more than 50 years as a ski town, finally giving Mammoth the look and feel — the ambiance — of a ski town. And our new ski town ambiance will drive shoppers into our businesses in droves, consuming everything sellable down to the fixtures.

There are still some minor tasks to be done such as to figure out how wide Main Street will finally be and who is going to pay for the transformation and what businesses are going to occupy street front locations and how much to charge at the parking meters. But once those simple tasks are completed and the Downtown Neighborhood Development Plan (or Concept) becomes a reality in brick and mortar, Mammoth will look and feel like a ski town and it’s new seductive ski town ambiance will finally bring us a sustainable economy with all its associated benefits to the community.

The best is yet to come.

Ken Warner
Mammoth Lakes

Be a Friend of Ed’s

Dear Editor:

Mr. Ed Lakerveld is finally at home in Wilkerson after six months of hospitalization, and still must undergo physical and speech therapies from an auto accident. While his wife is working to meet their immediate needs, he has more than $80,000 in expenses, with the bills mounting. His concerned friends have set up a special account at Alta One Credit Union, P.O. Box 427, Bishop, CA 93514, to help with these costs. Makes checks payable to “Friends of Ed’s.”

Bonny Hollis, Dolores G. Wright and Jim Hurlburt
Bishop

Town Council shows courage

Dear Editor:

Read the article in the Sheet (Sat Sep 4). Congratulations on the courage of the Mammoth Lakes Town Council to do what is right and necessary to secure the Mammoth Town finances. Tough decision. They took the tough road for the benefit of the Town. I admire the Council’s willingness to do what is necessary. Wish the state and federal governments had that courage. They don’t have the will because of  the financial power of the unions to get people elected.

Thank you, Town Council.

Don Alschuler
Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth thanks from SSF

Dear Editor:

The Sierra Summer Festival organization sends a heartfelt thanks to all the people who attended our August “Beethoven, The Mammoth” and “Beethoven, The Man and His Music” concerts. The audiences were large and we think everyone enjoyed the performances of the Eastern Sierra Symphony Orchestra led by Bogidar Avramov, pianist Steven Beus, and the string quartet and woodwind quintet ensembles.

We would also like to thank those organizations that were major sponsors, grantors and donors, including the H.N. and Francis Berger Foundation, Mono County, California Arts Council, Mammoth Mountain Ski area, The Town of Mammoth Lakes, Union Bank and all the generous individual donors who supported our programs.

This is our first year of embarking on a program offering music to the diverse population of Mono & Inyo counties. With the help of the California Arts Council Creating Public Value grant, we were able to help young musicians, senior citizens, the disabled and disadvantaged members of the Latino community attend the concerts. We hope to expand the program in coming years.

Sierra Summer Festival
Board of Directors