Page 2: Only fools rush in
I got my first writing job after college at the Challis Messenger in Custer County, Idaho. The County’s geographical area was the size of Connecticut, population 4,000, traffic lights zero.
And yet, during the 1992 campaign for Custer County Sheriff, there were 11 candidates. In recessionary times, a job’s a job, and in Idaho at that time, one needed zero law enforcement experience to become Sheriff.
For the April’s Fool’s issue that year, I wrote a front page story where I said 127 people were running for Sheriff.
The story was picked up by the Idaho Mountain Express in Sun Valley, located about 120 miles to the south. The Express made hearty fun of the backwater folks in Custer County.
Until I called them to point out that they had been had.
Turned out those sophisticated, wealthy ski resort folks weren’t as clever as they thought they were.
Looks like the political landscape in Mammoth this year will be a bit more civilized than a Custer County Sheriff’s race, as we only have eight candidates for Town Council (same number as 2006).
That year, like this one, incumbent Rick Wood did not run.
Incumbent Tony Barrett finished about 30 votes out of 3rd and was not reelected.
Jo Bacon, in her first run for Council, was 5th, about 100 votes shy of the podium.
The top six vote-getters in 2006 were separated by less than 200 votes.
When I called MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory this week, he answered with full-throttle skepticism. What now?
I actually called to praise the Mountain on the promotion where it gave every MVP member $60 in pass cash.
I used my pass cash to take my daughter up to Tamarack on a few occasions and enjoyed it so much I will likely end up tacking a Tamarack season pass onto my MVP for next year.
In other words, the opportunity to try it out for free reintroduced me to an experience that I would like to pursue to a greater degree.
Gregory replied, “Other than the creation of the MVP, we’ve had more positive comments about this [the pass cash giveaway] than anything we’ve ever done. It really struck a chord.”
Gregory said MMSA will stay open through Memorial Day this year and will keep Canyon and Eagle Lodges open as long as physically possible. He said MMSA is still making snow below the bridge at Eagle when temperatures permit.
MVPs go on sale this coming Tuesday. The price remains the same as last year: $689.
California Transportation Commission approves $85 Million for the Olancha/ Cartago 4-Lane Project
BISHOP – At the March 20 meeting, the California Transportation Commission voted to program $85 Million of funds for construction of the Olancha/Cartago 4-lane project in Southern Inyo County.
The Olancha/Cartago 4-lane project will be the largest project ever delivered by District 9. Caltrans has been expanding the US Highway 395/SR 14 corridor to four lanes since 1955.
“This is a great day for District 9, the Eastern Sierra, and the traveling public. With this construction funding now programmed, all of US Highway 395 in Inyo County will be four lanes, which will provide a safe and efficient facility for the traveling public and Eastern Sierra residents,” stated District 9 Director Tom Hallenbeck.
Construction of the 12.7 mile Olancha/Cartago 4-lane project is scheduled to break ground in 2018.
