Page 2: Striking a vocal chord

I should take more vacations,.

I get back this week and bam, the Fifty Center fires another publisher.

Penalty, I suppose, for Rick Rosner appearing in an advertisement in The Voice  and the Fifty with his shirt off.

If there was a shot of me in this paper with my shirt off, I’d fire myself.

So what’s The Voice? Well, it’s a new free weekly newspaper which was launched by … The Fifty Center. That’s right. Why limit yourself to publishing one piece of crap each week when you can publish two!

I knew Rosner’s days were numbered based upon a story Don McPherson told me about visiting the Fifty’s offices in the wake of Diane Eagle’s firing. He said that he walked into the office and stood at the front counter. And waited. And waited some more. He could see various staffers having a meeting in a glass-enclosed conference room not five feet away. And they could see him. But no one made a move for the front desk. Finally, a staffer motioned McPherson to ring the bell at the front desk. McPherson rang the bell. Only then, did someone from the bowels of the office emerge to serve him. True story.

I really shouldn’t pile on … oh, what the hell. Kirkner’s line last week about Rosner and wife/editor (well, former editor) Janice Mundy needing to add some eyes and ears to The Voice led to the following email reply by Mundy:

“Hello Lara – I was quite amused by your little piece on Page 2. I think you must have forgotten that George Shirk introduced us some months ago. My suggestion that you send a copy of  John “Two-hats”  Wentworth to me was a joke between colleagues. I’ve been in the publishing industry for some thirty years and learned a very long time ago that it does help to have a sense of humor – I suggest you develop one.”

Hmm. What’s more damning, Lara’s comments or the fact that Mundy made so little impact upon her that she cannot recall the supposed meeting referenced above?

We like Lara’s sense of humor around here. Maybe that’s why she still has a job.

In addition to Lara’s interview with Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht which appears on page seven, I also spoke with Councilmember John Eastman Thursday morning about the airport litigation. Eastman acknowledged that there is great contradiction in the dual aims of Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition. “They don’t want to destroy the town,” he said, “but they want their money.”

Eastman described the ongoing process this way. The Town showed MLLA its books. MLLA scoured the books and pointed out areas where it feels cuts can be made (freeing up money to pay MLLA). The Town will then attempt to justify why these cuts can’t be made. It’s really a debate about essential vs. non-essential services. MLLA would argue that things like marketing, affordable housing and parks and recreation are non-essential.

As for my trip to New Hampshire, all I can say is that the state with the greatest state motto ever, “Live Free or Die,” may need to alter it slightly. My suggestion: “Live Free or Die … at a Farmer’s Market.” Never seen so many.

I also went to see Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson speak at Dartmouth College. I thought the most interesting part of the lecture was when someone asked Paulson which members, within Congress, were critical to managing the banking crisis of 2008. He gave high praise to Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and Rahm Emanuel. It was a nice change of pace to hear  some non-partisan praise for folks who play on the other team.