Letters to the Editor

Stay the course

Dear Editor:

MLTPA had two significant concerns as we were getting to work on our fall 2010 Measure R application. The first had us taking a hard look at the implications for the Mammoth Lakes Trail System as the Town laid off several key staff members who had been working closely on the effort and trying to anticipate what the implications of those decisions might be for supplanting issues and Measure R. The Town Council and the Recreation Commission will have a joint study session on Oct. 20 to discuss supplanting, but that will happen weeks after our application has been submitted. Our second concern has to do with our desire to take as much pressure off of Measure R funds as possible.

With a Town Council that seems open to alternative means to address their capacity issues given the current state of the economy and the public-sector bubble, it makes good sense to be talking with them. We have built significant capacity, especially with regard to getting a multi-jurisdictional trail system built here in Mammoth Lakes, and we can bring that capacity forward as a significant value to the Town and the community.

The Mammoth Lakes Trail System is being built even as we speak. There is a signage and wayfinding system on the way; a brand-new Trail System Master Plan (TSMP) to be adopted; an environmental-review process for the TSMP to be completed with funding from a significant grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy; new trails to be built from the Sherwins Area Recreation Plan (SHARP); and an historic partnership opportunity with the Inyo National Forest on the table.

These are critical opportunities before the Mammoth Lakes community, and I stand quite emphatically behind my comment to the Town Council that this is “no time to be getting silly,” meaning that this is no time to be changing horses in midstream, nor is this the time to be taking our eyes off the prize. Offering the best high-altitude alpine trail system in the United States will have real implications for our quality of life, not to mention our local economy.

As our Town government responds to historic challenges, we must all do what we can to help them stay the course on a project that already has close to a million dollars invested in it — dollars invested in the Mammoth Lakes Trail System itself — and will feature benefits to the community well beyond those still to come.

If you have questions about the Mammoth Lakes Trail System or MLTPA, there are several things you can do:

1. Give us a call at 760.934.3154.

2. Go to our website, www.mltpa.org; we try to keep everything posted there, and if you look in the upper right corner, you’ll see a link to a short film called “Getting Lost in Mammoth,” which is hosted on YouTube, that will give you a good idea of what MLTPA does and how we function.

3. Attend the next Mammoth Trails meeting, which will be coming up on Oct. 21.

4. Sign up for our e-newsletter so that you can keep up to date on all the projects that we are working on and all the great opportunities there are to participate.

5. As soon as there is real snow on the ground, we’ll be hosting a Mammoth Lakes Trail System open house where we’ll throw the doors open and give everybody a chance to get up to speed on what’s happening.

Until the snow falls, we’re taking full advantage of the beautiful weather to finish up a number of projects on the ground so that we’re ready for a productive building season next summer.

In these very challenging times, the best thing we can probably do is to make sure that we are communicating effectively with each other. On behalf of all the exciting opportunities coming forward for recreation in this community, and especially for the very real need for all of us to be working together to bring these opportunities to fruition, we look forward to hearing from you.

John Wentworth
CEO/Board President, MLTPA
Mammoth Lakes

Bauer backs Magit

Dear Editor:

Doing the right thing is and always has been Mark Magit’s strong point. While taking the high road is not always the most popular thing to do, Mark has always stuck with it through thick and thin. It’s just the way he’s built, it’s what he does and its a necessary skill for a judge.

His research skills and preparedness In the courtroom are legendary among those connected to law in Mono County. He told me once that it is his personal goal to always be the most prepared person in the room. These are some of the traits that make Magit the best candidate for Judge in Mono County on Nov. 2.

Elections often turn into popularity contests, but when we are electing a judge a different approach is required. He must be able to stand alone with his decisions in spite of them or him not being popular.

His breadth of experience will allow him to make sound decisions on all matters before him. Be it custody, divorce, civil disputes, land uses issues, criminal behavior or the many things where our lives can intersect with the courts.

My vote will be for Mark Magit on Nov. 2; he’s the right man for the job.

Vikki Magee Bauer
June Lake

Bornfeld goes for Gephart

Dear Editor:

I’m a supporter of Randy Gephart for Judge. I’m going to vote for him and I urge you to vote for him too. I deliberated between supporting Mark or Randy. I have known them both since I moved to Mammoth 20 years ago. I’ve come to respect each one of them. I’ve litigated cases and dealt with other legal matters with each one of them.

I’ve been practicing law for over 45 years and most of my career as an attorney has been litigating cases in our courts. I’ve seen many judges in action, great ones, good ones, bad ones, and indifferent ones. But several attributes stand out for Randy that make a difference in my selection of who I want as our new Judge in Mono County.

I know Randy has tried numerous jury trials. It is Randy’s experience as a litigator, both civil and criminal, that impresses me. Being in the courtroom week in and week out is significant in my mind. Randy, I know, has dealt with complex civil litigation and domestic family law matters as well as criminal defense matters in his role as a public defender.

The tipping point for me is that quality I most admire in a Judge-judicial temperament. The American Bar Association defines judicial temperament as “compassion, decisiveness, open-mindedness, sensitivity, courtesy, patience, freedom from bias and commitment to equal justice.” I would add having a sense of humor and not taking oneself too seriously. I perceive that Randy’s temperament, which I have observed these past 20 years, sets him apart from Mark.

I know having children hones the skills of patience, sensitivity, open-mindedness, and having two kids as having a commitment to equal justice.

Randy Gephart is worthy of your vote.

Michael Bornfeld
Swall Meadows

Mammoth is losing its night sky

Dear Editor:

The stars are disappearing over Mammoth.

Forget stargazing anywhere on our Snowflower condo grounds or nearby. A continuous ring of glaring porchlights erases the night sky.

We walked off the Snowflower grounds down Meadow Lane. A new sign with a spotlight on the relatively new Sunrise sign wiped out the darkness in the field opposite Meadow Lane.  This was the worst light around.

We walked to the dead end of Meadow Lane toward the park. A huge light on the last building before the field illuminated much of the field in the park. You have to walk far out on the bike path to get away from it.

Many towns have preserved public safety for drivers and pedestrians and homeowners while protecting the night sky. Tucson is a great example. It is a pleasure to walk there at night.

Mammoth has good lighting ordinances, obviously not being enforced. See below.

All of the infringing lights which interfered with our view of the sky could be replaced by lights serving the same functions (illuminating signs, driveways, porches, pedestrian walkways) without the night-sky blinding glare.

I found the following at the Mammoth Lakes Town website:

1) TOWN OF MAMMOTH LAKES RESIDENTIAL ZONING COMPLIANCE EVALUATION

“All exterior lighting shall be shielded, downward directed, and the source of all lighting shall not be visible from any point off the property, including streets. The minimum amount of lighting necessary for the exterior of the building shall be utilized with minimal lighting intensity.”

2)  Mammoth Municipal Code 17.34 B  (enacted May 21, 2003)

Existing Outdoor Lighting. All existing outdoor lighting fixtures installed prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be addressed as follows:

1. To immediately address nuisances caused by improperly installed, unshielded, or misdirected fixtures, all existing outdoor lighting fixtures shall be adjusted or modified to the extent practical to reduce or eliminate glare, light trespass, and light pollution.

2.  All existing outdoor lighting fixtures located on a property that is part of an application for design review approval; a conditional use permit; subdivision approval; or, a building permit for a new structure or addition(s) of twenty-five percent or more in terms of gross floor area, seating capacity, or parking spaces (either with a single addition or cumulative additions), shall meet the requirements of this chapter for the entire property. Such applications are required to include an outdoor lighting plan pursuant to Section 17.040.060. Conformity shall occur prior to final inspection, final plat recordation, or business license issuance, when applicable.

3.  All existing outdoor lighting fixtures on property used for commercial and industrial purposes not in conformance with this chapter shall be brought into conformance within three years from the date of adoption of this chapter, by May 21, 2006.

4.  All existing outdoor lighting fixtures on property used for residential, institutional, public, and semi-public uses not in conformance with this chapter shall be brought into conformance within two years from the date of adoption of this chapter, by May 21, 2005.

Mike Mallen
Mammoth Lakes