Page 2: Super Troopers
2002 MHS graduate Alejandro Millan, son of Carlene and Alex, just returned stateside two weeks ago after a stint in Afghanistan.
Mammoth Troops sends out a little love to locals serving in the armed forces
It’s the number that catches people by surprise.
“People can’t believe that a little town like ours has 25 men and women currently serving in the military,” says Lanie Somers, who co-founded Mammoth Troops with Tim Stanifer just a year ago.
And Stanifer thinks there are probably another 15 or so Mammoth Troops doesn’t know about.
“Our first shipping was last Christmas,” said Stanifer, whose own son Evan joined the Army in August, 2009 and is currently stationed in North Carolina with the 82nd Airborne.
What does Mammoth Troops do? Four times a year, Mammoth Troops sends care packages both in-country and abroad to our local servicemen and women.
Somers and Stanifer got the inspiration to start Mammoth Troops after they volunteered for a similar type of event down at the Bishop Mom’s Club.
“It’s been a consciousness-raising experience,” says Somers. “You realize the sacrifice of these young men and women, doing things that none of us want to be doing … I think it’s important to get these packages from home.”
The packages contain all sorts of goodies; handmade cards, pictures, letters, baked goods, “whatever’s on someone’s heart,” said Somers.
Feedback from recipients has shown that one of the most popular items have been the notes and letters sent by local schoolchildren.
One of Stanifer’s favorite letters read, “Dear soldiers. Thank you for saving California. I like living here.”
Mammoth Troops is a strictly volunteer organization and relies on the generosity of the local community. The mailings generally run about $1,000/shipment. Somers, however, said Mammoth Troops has a secret weapon in this regard: Darla Howley. “She’s very connected. She’s just a whiz at raising money.”
Another volunteer who’s put in a lot of effort is Jan McPherson.
The next Mammoth Troops care packaging event is this Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Mammoth Lakes Community Center on Forest Trail.
Sheet: Is there a symbolic reason why you chose Pearl Harbor Day?
Stanifer (smiling): No. It’s just when it [the community center] happened to be available.
Mammoth Troops can be contacted via email at mammothtroops@yahoo.com or by snail mail at P.O. Box 2063, Mammoth Lakes, Calif. 93546.
“The biggest frustration we have is when boxes get returned because a soldier has been transferred and/or deployed,” said Somers, who urges soldiers and parents to keep information updated.
And from Kirkner’s desk …
Deal or no deal?
The hide-and-seek bandit Jonathan Anderson was in court on Nov. 30. A disposition was expected for his case, but Anderson’s legal counsel, David Hammon, said he needed more time and the hearing was bumped to Dec. 14. Anderson is being offered a deal of 150 days in jail custody plus enrollment in a 52-week anger management class rather than going to trial.
E vs. I … I’d like to buy a vowel …
Marshall Rudolph, legal counsel for Mono County, gave a presentation on E-Verify at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting. The presentation was the same one he had given to the Board of Supervisors in August (reported on by Geisel and archived at www.thesheetnews.com). E-Verify is a free, online service of the federal government to help employers verify the employment eligibility of their hires.
“It is meant to stop people from bluffing the I-9 system,” Rudolph explained. In other words, it is supposed to stop illegal immigrants from being able to be hired because of false paperwork.
The County has implemented E-Verify for County business, but did not mandate it for any other businesses. The Town of Mammoth Lakes will have to determine whether or not it wants to use the system, but Council members decided to hold off on agendizing the item until Councilman Matthew Lehman returns from the Caribbean. Lehman had left behind a letter relating his strong opinion that E-Verify should be used by the Town, but since the item was only on the agenda as a presentation on Wednesday, it could not be discussed any further by Council.
Town thinks new counsel Morris is best best
Speaking of legal counsel, the Town hired a new attorney to take the place of longtime legal aid Peter Tracy. Andrew Morris of Best Best and Krieger was introduced Wednesday night as the new hire with the “youthful and intelligent face.” Morris’ specialties are in land use and development.
“I looked that young when you hired me years ago,” replied Tracy with a smirk. Tracy plans to work on retainer for the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department as of Dec. 30.
R-eady or not …
Council approved the Recreation Commission recommendations for Measure R allocations for the Fall 2010 Awards. As part of this approval, Council also agreed to appropriate $75,000 of spring 2011 Measure R funds and $135,000 of fall 2011 funds to the Mammoth Track Project in order to be able to give the project the full $510,180 that it was requesting. Council’s commitment to the full amount, even over time, will allow the High Sierra Striders to secure an additional $600,000 from a private source.
Council also recommended Measure R funding to Mammoth Nordic in the amount of $5,400 (a far cry from the $335,444 the group requested) and directed staff to continue discussions with Mammoth Nordic, stakeholders and enthusiasts to offer grooming on the expanded Nordic system for this season, but not issue payment until a scope of work has been agreed upon and a contract executed.
“This needs to be a partnership, not a Measure R application,” Recreation Commission Chair Bill Sauser had explained earlier.
Last but not least, it was a big night for the Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation. It was awarded its full Measure R request of $246,520 (although $46,000 of it will be given to the group from the spring 2011 award) plus a two-year commitment to funding that it had requested (which means that MLTPA’s project will be reviewed, but the Foundation does not have to fill out an application next fall).
Council also approved the Master Agreement with MLTPA to support development of the Town’s component of the Mammoth Lakes Trails System, but did not approve the $100,000 match to MLTPA’s Measure R application that had been discussed before the award cycle began. “Council failed to approve the $100,000 so MLTPA is short at this time,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director John Wentworth. MLTPA had reduced its ask to Measure R because it had hoped to receive the $100,000 from Council.
MLPD reaches out to Hispanic community
MLPD held an inaugural meeting on Nov. 30 in an effort to organize a committee of Hispanic community leaders and the Police Department to address community concerns and to build trust between the MLPD and the Hispanic community.
Police Chief Dan Watson had been wanting to spearhead this effort even since he assumed command of the MLPD in July and two of his officers came forward and expressed the need for this type of committee.
The meeting was attended by seven of the 14 community members that were invited, according to Watson. The group will meet monthly for the next few months.
