Letters to the Editor

Plow your own

Dear Editor:

If you live in Mono County, you better hope you don’t live on the wrong street. When we have big dumps here in Crowley, I always wonder why my street never seems to be plowed until late in the day. I can’t get to work due to the long distance to Crowley Lake Drive, and if there was an emergency (I have a young child) no emergency vehicle would ever make it through.

Meanwhile, the streets above me surrounding Mountain Meadows condos get clean as a whistle. So, I talked to the plow driver to see what gives. He said it was “policy.”

Okay, so I give my [Mono County] supervisor Hap Hazard a call. He graciously calls me back and tells me the policy. Seems the policy is to clear the main roads first, then plow a lane through all the other streets, then return and detail the streets later. Cool, but why do the streets around the condos get detailed and my street doesn’t even get a single lane plowed through? It turns out that the condo street is a little steep so they have can’t just do one lane.

Hummm, those folks can’t chain up if it’s icy? Thats more important than access for emergency vehicles to my street? According to policy it is. So I  say to Hap, I guess I have no options. He says I can plow the street myself or hire a private contractor to plow the county road for me.

Cool, I have tons of disposable income to spend on private contractors to plow county roads. So remember, if you live in Mono County and something bad happens to you or your family, just hope you don’t live on the wrong street unless you can afford to pay to plow County roads (that’s after you pay your taxes of course!)

Paul Linaweaver
Crowley Lake

Don’t forget us

Dear Editor:

There was a good turnout for the Mammoth Motocross Track meeting. Thanks [to organizers] for giving my kids the chance to speak at the meeting. They were very proud of being able to stand up for what they love and believe in.

I am saddened by the Town and Forest Service’s threat that we are opening a can of worms with this and could lose the race forever. It sounds like scare tactics to me, like they just want us to go away. Has anyone brought up the history of the track? History usually goes a long way with the Forest Service.  This track is our history and our heritage as local track riders!

We still need to pursue this dream. Possibly pro motocrossers such as Jeremy McGrath, Carey Hart, Ricky Johnson, or Troy Lee, should be approached with the idea of holding a few moto camps for training purposes during the summer. I know that McGrath has his own track, so he may have some helpful advice. I feel that getting our heads in the door with one or two special permits for week long racing clinics could possibly be a step closer to freeing our track.

I am also upset about the USFS take on their own policy …  that “the agency is not allowed to permit races, facilities, and race tracks with hill climbs, obstacles, and timed events.” How can they really stand by this when Mammoth Mountain is on Forest Service land and holds; boarder cross events as well as Slalom and GS events (“races, timed events” ), they have several lodges (“facilities”), and all of the parks on the mountain also have “hill climbs and obstacles.”

I feel that they are creating a monopoly on the forest where only Mammoth Mountain is allowed to use and pull permits for this beautiful track. I also feel discriminated against, as they have given mountain bikers, skiers, snowboarders, cross country skiers,  horse back riders, 4 wheelers, rock climbers, fishermen, hunters, etc. all a place to do what they love, and yet for us track riders, we are given nothing and everything is being taken away.

Please continue to show your support for your local track riders and do not loose your drive and hope for reopening the Mammoth Motocross Track.

We are not giving up. Stay strong.

Don’t forget us.

Jen Tubbs
Mammoth Lakes