Hello, my friend

In the movie Scarface, Tony Montana’s infamous line was “Say hello to my little friend.” And then he started firing.

But that was old school.

These days, when people feel like threatening you, they say, “I’m going to speak to my attorney.”

I received the following phone message last weekend from District 4 Candidate Tim Fesko after publishing a story regarding circumstances surrounding Fesko’s submission of his candidacy paperwork and whether or not it was valid.

“Hey Ted, this is Tim Fesko. I just read the article. I’ve gotta say that you got the facts completely incorrect on this and I’ll be talking with my attorney and seeing whether we want to, um, how we’re going to respond to the facts, or as you state them, the facts that are incorrect at this point and, uh, whether we’ll have a response back.

“I just want to let you know as far as me walking into the office and those details are completely inaccurate, so we’ll be talking. Thanks.”

Hmm. If Fesko’s elected, will a sixth chair [to accommodate Fesko’s attorney] be required for the Mono County Board of Supervisors dais, or can Fesko’s attorney simply sit in the audience and communicate with him via hand signal or smartphone?

Anyone know where I can track down Oscar Zeta Acosta?

US Highway 395 was closed to both northbound and southbound traffic in Inyo County near Division Creek Rest area at 5 a.m. on Thursday.  The highway was closed due to a traffic collision involving two semi-trucks.

Division Creek Rest Area is located 10 miles north of Independence.

While a detour around the area was being utilized during the day, 395 was back in full closure as of 3 p.m. due to flames from the big rig fire igniting the brush in the center median. In addition to the fire in the median, there were high winds and zero visibility due to blowing dirt near this location.

Caltrans spokesperson Sara Greer said fire crews were en route and there was no estimated time for a reopening of the highway.

I found Mr. O’Connell’s letter (click here, it’s the third letter down) interesting – notably the assertion that the Town of Mammoth Lakes is unable to pay off the airport litigation judgment without suffering great hardship.

Question is whether plaintiff MLLA (Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition) or a bankruptcy judge give a damn about the hardship part. Certainly, there is an ability to pay because the Town has several dedicated revenue streams which take in more than $15 million a year even in the worst years.

The danger, as aptly pointed out by Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Executive Director John Urdi, is that hardship can beget hardship in what amounts to a vicious feedback loop.

Certainly, MLLA is of the opinion that marketing dollars are discretionary and believes MLT’s budget provides fertile territory for pillaging.

But what are the consequences?

Over the years, locals have always grumbled about how their marketing dollars are spent. Some openly question whether the marketing helps at all and don’t think we should spend anything on it. They may soon get their wish. And they may not like the results.

As Kirkner researched on the www.ustravel.org website, in 1993, Colorado completely shut down its state promotion budget almost overnight, cutting funding from $12 million to zero. Its action quickly proved that even a state blessed with an abundance of natural attractions and a strong travel brand will quickly lose visitors without a strong travel promotion effort.

By eliminating its tourism marketing program, Colorado lost 30% of its market share in overnight leisure trips. It also lost $1.4 billion in traveler spending within one year of closing, and $2.4 billion per year within four years of closing. As a consequence, state and local tax receipts dropped by $134 million between 1993 and 1997. Colorado also dropped from first to 17th in summer resort destination visitation within one year of closing.

Even though it rethought its decision and opened the Colorado Tourism Office in 2000, Colorado’s Tourism Office maintains that it has still not recaptured its national market share to this day.

There was a lot of response to the news last week that Mammoth Brewing Company may site a new production facility in Inyo County and there seemed to be an ongoing dialogue all week on Facebook between Owner Sean Turner and members of the community.

“It’s probably too late, but I sure hope you can find a way to stay in Mammoth!!! But for reasons already cited (in the Sheet) – you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess. What became of the old Sheriff Sub Station proposal by Hwy 395??” wrote Dave Neal.

“The county “discovered” they had sold the water rights at the old Sheriff Sub Station to LADWP back in 1910’s … so that site is out of consideration,” replied Turner.

“It would be terrific if somehow the TOML, broke though she be, or some other local interest, could do what it might take to build a real brewery/pub/dist center up here! More than almost anything this town could use some sustainable industry. Beer seems like a good product to start with–esp. since you’ve already got a great head start. I’d happily give up snow removal or a police department for the sake of a brewery,” wrote David Page.

I suppose, if you have enough beer on hand, snow removal becomes largely tangential.