Page 2 Editorial

This week’s editorial side of things.

Witnesses said it took Sergeant Smart at least four shots to kill the bear. Leading The Sheet to wonder why this delicate task was left to the worst shot in the department.

MLPD Chief Dan Watson said Smart’s rationale was that the senior officer on-scene should take the responsibility for such a controversial action. “I respect that,” he said.

The other officer on-scene with Smart was Dan Casabian. He certainly doesn’t need the publicity.

Apparently, he’s decided to allow former Lt. Jim Short to hog the headlines in today’s lousy publicity section.

Though Short was relieved of duty on June 30, as the Town forced him into early retirement, he and former Chief Randy Schienle lingered on the payroll for a few more months, using up paid and unpaid administrative leave time.

Since they are still technically “active” while on leave, both men were allowed to keep their unmarked, department vehicles.

These vehicles are meant to be used for business and for “reasonable personal use” according to Chief Watson.

Typically, police management staff are given municipal vehicles. Watson’s had one ever since 1988 when he first made captain.

However, Short has apparently stretched the definition of “reasonable” — all the way to Oregon. Word is he’s been making the long roadtrip in his Town-issued vehicle powered by gasoline from the Town yard to visit his girlfriend.

Sheet: Do you think this constitutes reasonable use?

Watson: In my opinion, no.

Watson said he’d heard the same rumors and had called Short to ask him about it, but thus far, those calls had not been returned. Calls from The Sheet were likewise not returned.

We did, however, speak to one former girlfriend of Short’s who confirmed that he had taken her with him in his Town-issued vehicle on personal trips. This occurred, she said, on multiple occasions.

Old habits die hard. Boy, would I like to be a fly on the wall when Short has to purchase his own vehicle so I could witness the sticker shock of car ownership wash across his face.

The Westin recently completed an auction of the 18 remaining units still owned by Intrawest. The auction took place in Southern California on Sept. 13. A source disclosed that approximately $200,000 was spent in marketing the auction. Most of that money was spent down south. In Mammoth, the auction was advertised in the Fifty Center, which was why no one knew about it. All of the units sold, and quickly. Most sold at market value and some went for a little more. Of course today’s market value is a lot less than what people paid back in 2005.

To give you some idea, the minimum bid for a studio was set at $129,000. The cheapest anyone got a studio for was $176,000. The largest unit, 994 square feet, went for $436,000.

Mark Zila is closing his dental practice. He told The Sheet Thursday that he was tired of paying to go to work. He is not, he insisted, closing his practice due to health reasons.

His plans? Having beaten prostate cancer two years ago, and having not gone the western medicine route for the cure, Zila would like to get into nutritional counseling.

Zila said he has nothing to do with his wife’s application to open a medical marijuana dispensary. “I am not involved in that,” he said.

It appears the Gephart-Magit battle for Mono County Superior Court Judge has been rejoined, as both candidates held campaign kickoff events this week.

Neither candidate received 50% of the vote in the June primary, forcing a November runoff.

In June, Magit received 1,585 votes, or 46.5%. Gephart had 1,478 votes, or 43.1%. A third candidate, Therese Hankel, trailed with 348 votes, or 10.1%.

A few weeks ago, Hankel decided to endorse Gephart. She co-hosted a campaign kickoff event for him last Saturday afternoon at Shady Rest Park.

When asked how she reached her decision, Hankel said, “As I sat back and considered my experience with both Mark and Randy, I reached the conclusion that Randy Gephart is a more well-rounded candidate, a very good lawyer, and absolutely has more litigation experience.”

She views Gephart as having a better judicial temperament. “He’s considered. A thinker. A listener. He doesn’t make kneejerk decisions. Even if he starts out leaning in one direction, he’s not married to his first impression.”

She also believes Gephart is more nuanced and is able to discern the many shades of gray. Magit, she believes, is more black-and-white.

She believes the litigation experience is important. “Only a few of us have been in court that much. Randy’s one of ‘em … Mark has chosen jobs that don’t require him to be in the courtroom very much. My understanding is that he left the District Attorney’s office because he didn’t like being in the thick of it. Randy’s been more in the fray … I think it’s extremely important that a Judge likes being in the courtroom.”

“Randy’s not a guy who thumps himself on the back. He’s uncomfortable tooting his own horn, and when he does, it sounds awkward. But I want a guy who can walk the walk, and Randy’s that guy.”

Well, if that’s not enough to kickstart a campaign, I don’t know what it is.