Mono Supes mull restricting trapping of bobcats

Transcription

Mammoth Times
THURSDAY, April 9, 2015
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Mono Supes mull restricting trapping of bobcats
Alpers: ‘Stop the bleeding now’
By George Shirk
Times Managing Editor
BRIDGEPORT—The Mono County
Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took up
the issue of bobcat trapping, including the
possibility of joining 38 other California
counties in banning the practice outright.
“I want to stop the bleeding now,” said
Supervisor Tim Alpers, whose district
includes the Mono Basin. Before the
drought, the basin, roughly Conway Ranch
to the Mono Craters, provided a rich habitat for bobcats.
With water scarce and human access
to the bobcats’ once-protected habitat
now compromised, Alpers delivered a
strident defense of some kind of protective
measures.
“As a wildlife biologist by education,” he
said, “My first gut-level reaction is to protect the population, regardless of what the
Legislature says and what the wise people
in Sacramento say.
“We have a real issue here, with nature’s
gifts to us. I am very concerned about this
population. I haven’t seen a bobcat in the
last four or five years.”
Alpers found support from Supervisors Larry Johnston and Stacy Corless, but
had opposition from North County’s Tim
Fesko, and skepticism from Tri-Valley’s
Fred Stump.
See BOBCATS, page 23
Tollefson, Kastor
take EZAKIMAK titles
First-ever ‘Full Moon Challenge’ in
the books; more to come
By George Shirk
Greg Bretz, Mammoth’s fab pro snowboarder, seems to
have the full moon between his fingers at last Saturday’s
EZAKIMAK Full Moon Challenge competition on Mammoth
Mountain, while Jaeger Bailey looks on in amazement.
Image by Kevin Westenbarger/MMSA
In her long list of tough races, under
punishing conditions on courses from Athens
to Moscow, Mammoth’s Deena Kastor said
last Saturday’s inaugural EZAKIMAK race on
Mammoth Mountain was the hands-down
toughest.
“Oh, that was a tough run,” she said shortly
after crossing the finish line at the Totem Pole
on the summit of the 11,053 ski hill.
“It was cold, it was all uphill, but the thing
that made it the toughest was dealing with the
ice chips.”
Ice chips?
With her eyes tearing up in the brisk winds,
coupled with sweat, ice chips formed around
her eyes so that not even her headlamp could
help all that much.
Even so, the former Olympic marathon
bronze medalist made the 2,000-foot elevation
gain in just 37-minutes, 16-seconds, easily outrunning second-place finisher McKenzie Long
(52.58) and third-place finisher Jenny Senior
(55.04) to take the “Queen of the Mountain”
crown.
But neither she nor anyone else could top
Mammoth distance runner Tim Tollefson, a
See EZAKIMAK, page 14
©2014 Horizon Publications, Inc.
14
Out&About
www.mammothtimes.com
Thursday, April 9, 2015
EZAKIMAK FULL MOON CHALLENGE
EZAKIMAK
Continued from front page
Mammoth Hospital physical therapist who won the
“King of the Mountain” crown by running the fourwe
in 35-minutes, 31-seconds, beating second-place
men’s finisher Jason Fazio by five full minutes.
In a sporting gesture that hundreds of onlookers
witnessed, Tollefson took a very short breather, and
then scampered back down the hill to join Kastor for
a picture-perfect double finish.
While both Tellefson and Kastor were obviously
happy with their victories, no one appeared to be
more ecstatic than Mammoth Mountain Vice-President Bill Cockroft, who created the event at the suggestion of Chief Operating Officer Greg Dallas.
“This,” Cockroft said, “is just great. I think we’ve
got an annual event on our hands here.”
Judging by the hundreds of people who paid extra
cash for a special lift ticket to get to the party at the
gondola building and restaurant, Cockroft just might
be onto something.
The crowd showed up in spite of a nasty southwest
wind, which drove the wind-chill factor well below
the air temperature of 27 degrees.
Coupled with a knockout, purple sunset behind
the jagged peaks of the Minaret range,along with the
rising of the so-called “Pink Full Moon” of spring, the
event seemed to capture the very essence of winter
sport at Mammoth.
The course was the iconic Kamikaze mountain
bike race course. Spelled backward, the Kamikaze became the Ezakimak, a race undertaken by mountain
bike climbers in years past.
This, however, was the first winter Ezakimak ever,
which made Cockroft and event coordinator Caro-
Deena Kastor, who won the women’s open fun in the
first-ever Ezakimak, gets a good start at the base of Main
Lodge, with Jason Fazio (Bib No. 179) alongside her and
Woolly behind her.
Photo by Peter Morning/MMSA
Musicians Alex Dubious, left, and Christopher Paniqua,
of the band 80-Proof, were at the summit for the finish of
the Ezakimak. Later, they and the rest of the band played
Rafters.
Photo by George Shirk
In the women’s open ski competition, Sierra Bourne,
Carolyn Tiernan and Buff Wendt.
In the men’s open snowshoe division, the winners were
Nick Scalfone, Rogelio Gonzales and Andy Geisel.
Winners of the ski division in the Ezakimak were Ed
Sweet, Luke Lydiard and Pete Smith.
Out&About
15
Ezakimak King of the Mountain Tim Tollefson ands Queen of the Mountain Denna
Kastor, winning the first-ever winter Ezakimak.
Ezakimak winner Tim tollefson, left, poses for the cameras with event producer Bill
Cockroft, and Queen of the Mountain winner Deena Kastor.
Watching the race, the lentiular clouds and the rising of the full moon were , from left,
Dennis and Tay Voye, along with Randy Hein, all visitors from Southern California.
It was a family affair at the Ezakimak, with Queen of the Mountain Deena Kastor and
her husband, Andrew, with little Piper Kastor.
Bracing sub-freezing temperatures, and about a foot of wind, were visitors (from left)
Sheri Hahn, Max Ancar and Kelli Blair from Tahoe.
Among the spectators at the summit at Mammoth Mountain were Darbee and Sandra
Grass from Ventura, and Maxwell and Vincent Jefferds from Hollywood.
16
Mammoth Times
EZAKIMAK
Continued from page 14
line Casey enthusiastic for
an event like this next spring
and,presumably, for years
after that.
It was not only for runners.
Competitors could enter
the race on skis or snowshoes,
too.
Placing first among the
skiers was Ed Sweet, who won
the ski division in a time of
48-miunutes, 12 seconds, followed by Luke Lydiard and
Pete Smith.
In the women’s ski competition, Sierra Bourse, Carolyn
Tiernman and Buff Wendt
finsished 1-2-3, with les than
three minutes separating
them.
Among the snowshoe
set,Nick Scalfone, Roglio
Gonzaliz and Andy Geisel
finished 1-2-3, with Scalfone’s
winning time of 42-minutes,
42-seconds easily outdistanced
the others on the podium.
There also were novice
divisions in each category, giving the older racers a heads
up on what’s to come in
future races.
Neither Kastor nor Tollefson are going to go away
soon, though, no matter what
the conditions might be, or
howstrong the wind will blow,
in the next EZAKIMAK.
[email protected]
Eventual winner Tim Tollegson (bib No. 114), leads the pack out of
the starting gates at the Ezakimak Full Moon Challenge, with Corey
Dr. Thomas F. Mitts
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Hemlich (194), Jason Fazio (179) and Scott Deerdorff (181).
t
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Mammoth Times
23
025 LOST AND FOUND
BOBCATS
“We have people who come here and hunt for fish,” Fesko said.
“Why is a fish any different? We have deer that are taken. You
[Johnston] make the comment that it’s just for profit, but everything
we do is just for profit. It’s a livelihood. We all have to make money. It
helps supplement someone’s income that’s living on a fixed income.
“A ban, I couldn’t support.”
The rest of the Board passed a motion over Fesko’s opposition to
send a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Department, and to the Fish and
Wildlife Commission, asking for a “temporary ban” on all bobcat trapping in Mono County until a study of the animals’ populations can be
assessed.
Stump argued he had not polled his constituency on the issue and
therefore was uncomfortable taking any position at all, but voted for
the measure anyway.
“I don’t think it’s my job to unilaterally decide this,” he said.
“Philosophically, I don’t believe it’s my job to impose my ideology
on somebody else. My job is to try and represent [my constituents].
“My ideology comes play when you have to make a decision, but
I have, along with Supervisor Fesko, the most diverse district in the
county, and I’m constantly juggling between one community here,
one community here, and one portion and one portion, and I made
the decision right along that there was room for each community,
each area, to create some self-determination for itself.”
The debate over the Eastern Sierra’s bobcat population flashed in
front of the Board when Bridgeport trapper and former Supervisor
Ed Inwood
sought Board support for a letter to the state’s Fish and Wildlife
Commission.
The commission, acting under newly-signed legislation, is considering the establishment of “buffer zones” around state and national
parks on behalf of the state’s bobcat population, last measured in the
1970s at 14,500 animals.
The commission, which was to meet this week in Santa Rosa
(Sonoma County) and on June 8 in Mammoth, also has mandated a
study of the bobcat population in California, which could take up to
10 years to complete.
The Board, however, went well beyond simply signing off on that
particular letter.
Instead, the supervisors drafted one of their own, after a wideranging discussion that dealt with the economic impact of bobcat
trapping, its environmental implications and the overall meaning of
“Wild by Nature”—the county’s motto.
In its letter, which passed 4-1 with Fesko opposing asked the state
“consider including all of Mono County in the temporary ban of trapping of bobcats.”
“Continued depradatiuon of this species without this data would
seem to endager its legevity. Our Board requires additional data to
help better inform future trapping efforts.”
Further, the Board said that if the county cannot get an outright
ban on bobcat trapping, “the commission consider esrtablishing in
Mono County buiffer zones for protection of the bobcats around any
and all state parks, national parks, Mono County scenic resources and
specifically within the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area until
the population study is completed.”
Testifying before the Board, Devils Postpile Superintendent
Deanna Dulen, a resident of Mono City, said Mono County’s bobcats are highly prized because of the thickness of their fur and their
unblemished skin conditions.
At prices of up to $1,800 a pelt, trappers have found a market in
China, who in turn make coats for an Eastern Europeans with an appetite for fur coats, primarily in Russia.
That drew an immediate response from Johnston.
“I have a license plate holder that says ‘Mono County—Wild by
Nature’ and this is what this is all about,” Johnston said.
“I was particularly disturbed to learn the fact that thesis for this
trapping is to make sure that the Russians have fur coats with our
bobcats on them. That’s just insane.
“So let’s write a letter that says, in Mono County, no bobcat trapping.”
Among those in the audience offering testimony was SP Parker,
the noted Swall Meadows backcountry expedition leader in both the
Eastern Sierra and around the world, said that state law now currently
sets a limit on the bobcat take, but that it is set at 20 percent of the
animal’s population.
“Let’s look at it this way,” he said.
“There are five supervisors here. The state considers one of you
surplus, and available for harvest.
“It might have a chilling effect upon one willing to run for office
here, but one in five, for crying out loud.
“This is not about hunting,” Parker said.
“This is about trapping an animal in a cage, perhaps using an
electronic caller and shooting it in the head to preserve the value of
the skin. This is not about anti-hunting.
“This is very much about a conflict between Old Mono County
and New Mono County. The old school is hunting, trapping and
extracting resources. “The New Mono County is a tourism-based
035 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Wilderness guide SP Parker of Swall Meadows testified in support of
controls on bobcat trapping during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors
meeting.
economy. Our visitors deserve the opportunity, even if there is just
one chance in hundred thousand, of possibly seeing a bobcat. I’ve
been lucky enough to see about half a dozen of my 30 years here.”
Dulen, in her testimony, revealed some statistics.
“In 1995 it was a big snow year, there were 28 bobcats trapped, one
shot in Mono County, with no reports from Mono Basin,” she said.
“In 1996 there were 22. Fast-forwarding to a really big snow year,
2009-10, there were 12 takes in Mono County and none reported in
the Mono Basin.
“In 2010-11, 24 bobcats were trapped in Mono County,” she said,
citing “arbitrary” state studies that are outdated today.
“In 2011-12, the beginning of the drought, 47 were trapped in
Mono County, and eight reported taken in Mono Basin. In 2012-13,
51 bobcats trapped in Mono Basin, and in 2013-2014, there were 77.
“So I think the drought is making the bobcats more vulnerable
to trapping because of the easy access to places that previously were
snow-covered.
“In addition, it’s water, because that’s what all wildlife need. They
go to the creeks even more. There is less available water, so it’s an
ideal place to set your traps, because the thirst of the animals.
“My point is to at least ban Mono Basin down to Mono Craters for
ecologic, economic and cultural reasons.”
The current legislation mandates the creation of “buffer zones”
near the public’s state and federal parks, and also calls for a comprehensive study to find the true numbers of bobcats.
In the meantime, Dulen said, the state has no regulations on taking bobcats outside the proposed buffer zones, and enforcement of
existing legislation is spotty, at best.
Inwood said most of the enforcement is coming from honest trappers, and there would likely be a rush among the less honest trappers
and hunters.
“We’re going to have an influx in this county,” he said, “not residents. it-and-run artists.
“The regulations say they’re supposed to check their traps every 24
hours, but we had one guy who was coming through the county and
wouldn’t check until he had all 500 traps out and set, then come back
through and pick them all back up.
“Trappers reported that. Trappers caught him and reported him.”
Everyone in the Supervisors’ chambers agreed that the biggest
variable in the debate was the data, or lack of it.
“I’m not against trapping,” Fesko said.
“I’m an old hunter. I don’t deer hunt anymore, but that doesn’t
mean someone else shouldn’t be able to do it.
“We don’t have data, and on this Board we’ve said we want to make
decisions based on the best data available.”
[email protected]
The Mammoth Channel
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2
Mammoth Times
Events
Annual spring Volcanic
Tablelands Adopt a Crag,
April 11
Please meet at the Happy Boulders
parking area on Chalk Bluff Road at 8:30
am for a free bagel and coffee breakfast
and work/safety briefing. From here we
will divide and conquer the days work in
each of the areas.
Please contact Andrew Schurr,
[email protected], 760-8736500 with questions! Stay tuned for more
info!!!
Alabama Hills Day,
April 11
Come celebrate the 4th annual
“Alabama Hills Day” on Saturday, April
11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lone Pine.
We will be celebrating the scenic landscape and the natural and recreational
resources of the Alabama Hills!
Hosted by the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and the Bishop BLM this has
become an amazing annual event!
Over thirty different exhibitors will be
lending their support for the Alabama
Hills at “The Building” Convention Center at 325 South Main Street, Lone Pine.
The Lone Pine Museum of Film History
will host a variety of exhibits, films and
lectures for the general public to enjoy
and be educated about this fantastic
natural landscape. Various interpretive
tours, field trips and a stewardship event
will also be taking place in the Alabama
Hills themselves
Friends of the Inyo will be working
hard with the Bishop BLM to host several
walks and a stewardship project! We
hope to see you there!
Please contact Andrew Schurr [email protected] with questions.
Audubon bird walk,
April 11
The monthly Conservation Open
Space Area (COSA) Bird Walk will be
held on Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 a.m. at
the Conservation Open Space Area. We
will be looking for early migrants, birds
starting to pair up-it is Valentine’s Day
after all and maybe some surprises because of the recent storm. This is a great
walk for birders of all ages, abilities—
beginners to advanced; and all physical
abilities, as the pace is slow and easy and
flat. The path is wheel chair accessible
and ADA certified. We will bring extra
binoculars and field guides to share.
Please meet at 8:30 a.m. at the BLM/Forest Service Building on West Line Street
in Bishop. For more information, or if
you are interested in leading a future
monthly walk, contact Jenny63@gmail.
com or check out the web: www.esaudubon.org.
Mammoth Invitational
Volunteer Shifts,
April 14
The Mammoth Invitational is a
weekend of friendly competition and
big mountain fun that includes U.S. Ski
Team and other pro athletes as coaches,
all for a good cause – kids. Our Kids!
They still have volunteer spots to fill so
please volunteer today! Volunteers will
receive an employee/volunteer meal
during their shift and an invitation to
the volunteer party, which includes food,
drink and giveaways. Volunteers will be
asked to attend a brief volunteer meeting prior to the event on Tuesday, April
7 at 5:30 p.m. at Canyon Lodge. Auction
volunteers will be asked to stay for a training immediately after 6:00-6:30 p.m. For
those who have a little time to spare, we
will have a decor crew working after the
meeting. SAVE THE DATE: The volunteer party will be held Tuesday, April 14,
5:30-7:30 p.m. at Restaurant 53 in the Village. For more information, please call
Kristy at 760-709-1493 or email kristyw@
greenfoxevents.com
First storm of year brings welcome
snow but no end to drought
Mammoth Youth Football
and Cheerleading
Registration Day,
April 14
From 3 to 6 p.m. at the Mammoth
Middle School MPR on April 14, boys
and girls ages 6-14 who are living in
Mono County are encouraged to
come for registration and/or more
information on youth football and
cheerleading. Free MYFL Hoodie or
T-shirt for all who register and pay
prior to the first day of practice on
July 27. Please call Theresa Dessert at
619-851-8288 for more info or visit www.
mammothyouthfootball.org.
Recreation Open House,
April 14
Never have a slow day in Mammoth
again by attending the Inaugural Summer Recreation Open House on April
14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Mammoth
Middle School MPR.
The event is sponsored by the Town
of Mammoth Lakes Recreation Department. All parents are welcome to stop by
and browse at the tables of various organizations offering recreation activities for
infants, youth and teenage children. The
Recreation Open House is provided at
no charge and the first 30 attendees will
receive a “Parks Make Life Better” water
bottle, compliments of the Recreation
Department.
For additional information please
contact Stephanie Daniel, Recreation
Supervisor at [email protected] or call 760-934-8989
ext. 237.
Golf fundraiser,
April 18
Fundraising Golf Tournament for
Wheeler Crest and Paradise Volunteer
Fire Department. Four person scramble,
9 a.m. shot gun start at Bishop Country
Club. To sign up or become a hole sponsor, call BCC 760-873-5828.
Forest roads meeting,
April 21
The Inyo National Forest will hold
a public meeting to share their Draft
Travel Analysis Report (TAR) Tuesday,
April 21st from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at
the Cerro Coso Community College in
Bishop. At this meeting, Inyo National
Forest staff will share how they developed the Draft TAR, which determines
the risks, benefits, and opportunities
for every designated system road and
identifies possible changes or repairs to
the road system. Staff will answer questions about TAR, and have the Draft
TAR available for review at the public
meeting.
Happy snowboarders make their way toward a bus stop in Tuesday’s snowstorm.
Mammoth Mountain reported 18 to 24 inches of new snow.
Photo by Wendilyn Grasseschi
One foot in Mammoth, two on
Mammoth Mountain can’t hurt,
but end the drought? No
By Wendilyn Grasseschi
Times Staff Writer
It won’t make even a dent in the statewide drought but at this point, no one was
complaining in Mammoth Wednesday
morning when they woke up to at least a
foot of snow, with twice that on Mammoth
Mountain.
“There were totals of 14.5 inches at
the 8200 foot level and 18 to 24 inches on
Mammoth Mt. Including the crest, wrote
Mammoth forecaster Howard Sheckter
on Wednesday, adding to more than the
one foot on the crest that had earlier been
forecast.
It was a good thing to wake up to, this
first cold, wet storm of 2015, especially because it rolled in hard on the heels of the
driest winter on record with a winter snowpack measured last week at two percent of
normal, or 98 percent below normal.
Another storm is also possible next
week, Sheckter said.
“I personally like the next system
better than some of the other (forecasters),” he wrote on April 8. “Although the
models have the next system to be more
of a northwest slider, to me it looks like it
will have the potential to dig further west
with time as the upper jet has a good
temperature gradient as it digs south.
This is not to say that it is impossible for
the current northwest slider to continue
into the shorter range. Stay tuned. This
may end up being another decent April
Snow Producer about Tuesday next
week.”
The National Weather Service also
noted a possible winter snow storm for the
Sierra next week, but indicated it was too
soon to know how far south the system
would drop.
“As we go into next week, the models continue to advertise another deep
trough/cold front dropping out of the gulf
of Alaska and through the Western States,”
said Alex Hoon, a meteorologist with the
Reno office of the National Weather Service on Wednesday afternoon, April 8.
“We’ve continued to increase winds and
chances of precipitation for the Sierra and
Western Nevada mainly on Tuesday, as well
as lowering temperatures to below normal
Tuesday-Wednesday as colder air pushes in
behind the front.
For now, forecast confidence is low
concerning the amount of precipitation,
although it is moderate that we will see
another shot of cold air sometime by the
middle of next week.”
Even if April somehow develops into
a wet month, it will take far more than a
month at the tail end of spring to do much
to affect the deep Sierra drought. That’s
because most of the precipitation likely in
April will melt fast, and even faster given
there is almost no snow as a base, allowing
precious little time to do the thing snow
packs do best; store the moisture for a slow,
controlled release.
Second, the sheer enormity of this
drought, now considered by some scientists to not only be the worst on record,
but the worst in 1,000 years (according
to a new NASA study this month) dwarfs
anything that a single month of precipitation could deal, barring floods of Biblical
proportions.
So in a drought the Eastern Sierra is,
and in a drought it will remain.
What about next year, however?
Sheckter took a look at that this week.
Regarding El Nino, it should be
acknowledged that most climate scientists
at this time are doing a great job of not
hyping the developing El Nino,” he wrote
on April 8. “They were badly burned last
year with the ‘Modoki’ El Nino that set up
leading to a winter similar to 1977. However, there are some interesting observations
that one should consider. There are some
differences between where we are this year
at this time as compared to last year at this
time when it comes to the temps over the
Nino basin. Last year, there was a rather
large Kelvin wave that surfaced over the
Eastern Pacific. This year at this time, we
have the same scenario, i.e. another very
warm Kelvin wave surfacing in the same
area. However, the big difference this year
is that there are antecedent conditions
that are much warmer already in the Nino
Basin and… the odds of reaching the
moderate threshold temperature wise is
very possible now by August.”
[email protected]
Page Three
Swall cleanup taking longer than expected
Crews increased to handle load
By George Shirk
BRIDGEPORT—The cleanup effort at Swall Meadows is
taking longer than Cal Fire crews expected, the Mono County
board of Supervisors learned Tuesday.
According to a report to the Board by County Administrator
Jim Leddy, crews in the area have encountered home foundations that were “more substantial” than originally thought.
The operation to clean the sites, which includes taking the
foundations out, therefore has slowed the four cleanup crews,
he said, moving a projected completion date back by two weeks
and possibly more.
Leddy said the cleanup work would continue until the third
or fourth week of April.
About 35 property sites are affected by the cleanup.
In addition, Leddy told the supervisors that the travel time
between the Swall sites and the dumping facility in Lancaster
also has taken its toll on the speed of the cleanup.
It is not just the distance, he said.
Once a truck loaded with debris is on the road to Lancaster,
it is of no use at the sites themselves.
Leddy said Cal Fire has increased the number of crews from
four to six to help speed the cleanup.
In order for any site to pass codes in the rebuilding process,
the sites themselves must be certified by California as a “clean
site,” and that standard is the highest in the world, according
to Cal Fire according to Todd Thallmeyer, who is directing the
cleanup.
“Our basic rule on a site cleaup is that a 3-year-old can walk
across your lot and play there.
“There shouldn’t be any broken glass, metal, contaminants
or foundation left.”
Thallmeyer’s crews also are working with Melinda Stehr, who
is the point person in Sacramento.
In her twice-weekly reports, Stehr mentioned that there were
cost overruns involved, Leddy said, but that the expense would
be covered by the state, not Mono County or property owners.
[email protected]
Decision on water district lawsuit
likely within 30 days
Judge Stan Eller expected to decide soon on lawsuit
over Ormat’s proposed geothermal plant; appeals
likely
Times Staff Writer
A decision on Mammoth Community Water District’s lawsuit
against the local air pollution control district will likely be made
within the next 30 days, according the MCWD general manager
Par Hayes.
The water district took Great Basin Unified Air Pollution
Control District to court over a proposed 33 megawatt geothermal plant that Ormat Technologies is hoping to build near the
existing power plant on the east side of the old Sheriff’s Substation road.
The water district has been in an ongoing tussle with both
Great Basin and Ormat and the federal agencies involved in
managing the land at the proposed side for more than a year,
claiming that the project might have negative impacts to Mammoth’s water supply, and as such, they need to adequately addressed, or mitigated for, in the environmental analysis done.
The agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management,
do not agree and say the federal and state environmental documents done were adequate.
The two sides were in court last week for two days, where
Mono County Superior Court Judge Stan Eller heard their
See MCWD, page 17
3
NEWS BRIEFS
Free Workforce Education
Classes and Certificate
Program
The Mono County Office of Education
and Mono County Department of Social
Services are teaming up to create a series
of trainings to help you focus on your
strengths and learn new skills.
Module 1, Career Development, will
help you explore strengths, set goals, discover options and create a plan.
Module 2, Job Search and Resume,
will teach you how to develop networking
skills, explore job search tools, create a
strong resume and learn to make resources work for you.
In Module 3, Interviews, you will learn
appropriate attire, practice confidence,
learn how to focus on your strengths, and
improve communication skills.
Lastly, in Module 4, Professionalism,
you will improve customer service skills,
practice conflict management, set priorities, and focus on your goals. You may
attend all of these modules or select them
individually based on your interests. Childcare and language translation services will
be provided free of charge with advance
notice.
There will be two sessions offered at the
Mammoth Lakes Library. Session 1 is on
Tuesdays from 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. starting
with Module 1 on April 14.
The second session at the Mammoth
Lakes Library is on Saturdays from 1
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Module 1 on April
18. Registration preferred by April 6.
Email [email protected] or call 760934-0031.
Bishop’s White Mountain
Visitor Center closed until
April 27
The White Mountain Visitor Center
in Bishop is temporarily closing for a redesign. The visitor center will close after
business hours on April 3. The redesign is
expected to take three weeks to complete.
The visitor center should re-open by April
27. In the interim, visitor center staff will
be partnering with the Bishop Chamber
of Commerce Visitor Center to continue
to provide information services, issue
permits, etc.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
WEEKLY QUOTE
“There are five supervisors
here. The state considers
one of you surplus, and
available for harvest. It
might have a chilling effect
upon one willing to run for
office here, but one in five,
for crying out loud.”
In a finish lined by spectators, Deena Kastor lights the way for Tim Tollefson at the Ezakimak race last Saturday on Mammoth Mountain.
Do you have an awesome photo you want to share with us? Please send a high-resolution photo and a
brief photo description to [email protected] and we might feature it here!
—SP Parker, testifying at
the Mono County Board of
Supervisors meeting about
regulating bobcat trapping.
Story, P. 1.
4
Mammoth Times
NEWS BRIEFS
THROWBACK THURSDAY
Comments due on Sage grouse habitat
enhancement project April 30
The Inyo National Forest is seeking comments for a sage-grouse
habitat enhancement project. The forest is proposing to implement sage-grouse habitat enhancement at various locations in Long
Valley.
In the absence of a natural fire regime, Jeffrey pine trees are gradually moving into historically pure stands of sagebrush. Sage-grouse
tend to avoid areas with overhead cover; likely because trees provide
perches for predators such as hawks that feed on grouse.
The project would entail removing trees from seven sites within
the Long Valley Caldera. The small diameter young trees would be
felled and limbed using chainsaws and allowed to naturally decompose on site. This type of project has proven to be an effective habitat enhancement tool. An area treated last summer was repopulated
by sage-grouse within weeks of the project’s termination.
For more information regarding this project or if you wish to
comment on this proposal, please call Richard Perloff, 760-924-5508
or contact him via e-mail at [email protected].
Comments on this proposal would be most useful if received by
April 30, 2015.
Rock Creek Road, other roads open early
this spring
The warm, dry winter has left the Eastern Sierra mostly free of
snow at elevations under 10,000 feet and many places normally
buried under snow for another two months are already accessible—
including the Lakes Basin which will open to vehicle travel within
the next few weeks and is already open to biking and foot traffic,
and other areas such as Rock Creek Lake and the Mosquito Flat
trailhead, which is now open to vehicle travel.
There is no estimate yet when the road to Reds Meadow will
open, according to the Inyo National Forest.
Tioga Pass Road is another high profile road that is a critical link
to the rest of the state but an inquiry to Yosemite National Park this
week resulted in no concrete dates for the pass opening date. Once
the road opens, it is likely to be on a “vehicle pass through” status
temporarily (no stopping or recreational use) until the park can get
all of its restrooms and other visitor facilities open, federal authorities said.
An environmental specialist at Mammoth
Mountain in 1999, Lisa Issacs now works with the
Great Basin Air Pollution Control District.
POLICE BLOTTER
A Celebration of Shorebirds
Migrating Between Hemispheres
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Drunk Mammoth man Part
One
A Mammoth man, 49, who
was found by police drunk and
surrounded by beer cans at Mammoth Creek Park on March 30
was arrested on suspicion of being
drunk in public.
A possible charge of drinking
in a Town of Mammoth public
park, which is a violation of a
Town ordinance, will go to the
Mono County District Attorney’s
office for review.
Two, passed out in forest
was found passed out in the forest behind the KMMT building
on Laurel Mountain Road by a
woman walking her dog was eventually arrested on suspicion of
being drunk in public because he
was too drunk to give police basic
information and thus, too drunk
to take care of himself.
Three, upside down in a
stairwell
was found drunk and passed out
upside down in the stairway of a
Joaquin Street apartment building on April 3 was arrested on
suspicion of being drunk in public
when he could not sit up without
assistance or give police a home
address because he was too drunk
to take care of himself.
Fou(see a pattern here?),
screams at patrons, spits
toward cops
A drunk Mammoth man, 42,
who went to the McDonalds’ parking area and started yelling and
screaming profanities and then
later the same day, went to the
Rite Aid parking lot and did the
same thing on April 5, along with
spitting toward a police officer as
he/she tried to arrest the man for
being drunk in public, was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in
public, for possible charges of battery on a person and for possible
charges of resisting arrest. The
case has been referred to the DA’s
office for review.
Mammoth man steals purse,
is caught. Yeah!
A Mammoth man, 21, was arrested on suspicion of petty theft
on April 4 after he allegedly stole
a woman’s purse containing her
phone and wallet and about $180
in cash.
The purse, which the woman
had left hanging over the back of
a chair unattended for short time,
was recovered but not the wallet
or cash, police said.
The man was caught when
someone working at Rafters where
the theft occurred was able to
identify and then detain the man
until police arrived.
Can’t we just be friends?
Two kitchen employees working at a local restaurant who got
into a physical tussle chose not to
press charges against each other
on March 30, saying they were
friends.
Verbal spat brings cops to
rescue
A married couple, ages 54,
male, and 51, female, were separated after a verbal argument on
Sierra Boulevard on March 30.
Mammoth man says someone threatened him with
physical harm via social
media
A Commerce Drive business
person, 22, told police on April
2 that he had been receiving
“criminal threats” via social media,
meaning someone was threatening to do physical harm to him.
Thief gets a prize—fancy
skis go on walkabout
Someone stole a pair of racing
skis worth $1,500 from a victim
who had left the skies unattended
at Mammoth Mountain Main
Lodge sometime shortly after 1:30
p.m. April 1.
[email protected]
Mammoth Times
5
Recreation options exploding with
early spring weather
The one benefit of the drought—
lots to do sooner
Times Staff Writer
Winter is fast giving way to a green and
warm spring, and along with that shift in
the season, there is nothing short of an
explosion of warm-day things to do here in
Mammoth.
For example: the Whitmore Pool opens
in a few weeks, this time complete with incoming Wi-Fi and a new concession stand:
a Summer Recreation Open House is on
the books for April 14 so everyone can
learn what there is to know about summer
recreation.
The Town of Mammoth’s Gymnastics
program is already up and running; there
is a six-week free Summer Arts camp for
kids on the books right here at the Mammoth Community Center; soccer, spring
baseball and softball are all well underway
due to the early season; the tennis court
nets are up on Courts 4 and 5; the Shady
Rest and Mammoth Creek parks both
open on April 30—and, that’s just the
beginning.
Here’s a more detailed look at what’s
ahead and when, according to Parks and
Recreation manager Stu Brown:
n Staff met with representatives from
the U.S. Forest Service who stated that
they are planning to issue a press release
on April 10 regarding the earlier-than-ever
opening of Lakes Basin and many other
forest areas. We are putting together a plan
to assist.
n The Recreation Department is partnering.
n The summer Recreation Open
House is scheduled on April 14 at the
Mammoth High Schoool MPR. Over 15
organizations have committed to participate at the event.
n Applications to join the Youth
Advisory Committee (YAC) close April 17,
the steering committee will meet on April
27 to review the applications, and the first
scheduled YAC meeting is May 12, 2015.
n The Whitmore Concession booth is
progressing and is expected to be installed
at the end of April/early May. The booth
is almost complete along with the site work
(concrete slab, trenches, utilities, etc.).
Staff will then spend the next month outfitting the booth with a sink, fridge, hot water heater, shelving, etc. Staff will schedule
a dedication in May/June at Whitmore.
The Whitmore Wi-Fi project is progressing. Expected completion is mid-April.
n With Mono Council for the Arts
will provide the FREE Kids Summer Art
Camps at the Community Center. Six
sessions will be offered at the Mammoth
Lakes Community Center from Monday Wednesday beginning June 29. Individual
session times are as follows: 9 a.m. to 1am,
11a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
A maximum number of 30 students will be
offered for each individual session. Dates
of the program are June 29-July 3, July 6-8,
July 13-15, July 20-22, July 27-29, Aug. 3-5.
n Planning for the July 4 Fireworks
spectacular is underway. The Chamber of
Commerce is partnering with the Town
on the event providing fundraising assistance.
n Staff are also assisting in planning
for Town Clean Up Day scheduled on
Saturday, May 16, 2015. We hope to see the
return of the picnic...
n The Fish Stocking contract is in
review and stocking is scheduled to begin
in May.
n Planning for Parks and Recreation
Month is underway with a July 4 float and
Pool Party
n There will be a Mammoth Creek
West (the park just south of The Stove, before the bridge over Mammoth Creek on
Old Mammoth Road) open house for the
public on April 30 to take a look at possibly
putting the Ice Rink/Skate Rink at the site,
according to Brown. More information on
that will be forthcoming.
[email protected]
SUNRISE ROTARY
Dawn Vereuck, Jes Scwartzkpf, Kathy Copeland, Earl Hernderson and Bryan Shipley
were up bright and early for a Sunrise Rotary meeting on April 8 at The Stove.
When you swim at the Whitmore Pool, you swim with the stars. Here Ironman champion
Chris Lieto, right, signs Crowley Lake resident and tri-athlete Liz Fleming’s cap at the
Whitmore Pool a few summers ago.
Opinion
6
OUR VIEW
Mild by Nature
We’ve always liked Mono County’s motto, “Wild By
Nature.” In just three words, it captures the essence
of what makes this place such a fine place to live and
visit.
Millions of people from throughout the world,
have come to our “accidental national park” to see
our landscape, play on our snow and trails, breathe
our unfiltered air and enjoy our 300-plus days of radiant sunshine.
All these natural wonders might hide the fact that
we have to fight, claw and scratch to keep it.
If the federal government wants a power-line corridor to run through the Owens Valley, and it does, we
are compelled to fight to help the feds find a better
way. No one comes here to see power lines.
If people want to ski our mountains, either at the
resort or in the backcountry, there should be room
for them to have their experience protected.
If people want to come here to experience our
wildlife, whether it’s bears, eagles, thousands of different songbirds, marmots or deer, we have to fight to
keep their habitats and populations safe, protected
and wild by nature’s standards.
Tim Alpers, a Mono County Supervisor and a
Mono county lifer, knows what can happen when
humans try to meddle with nature.
“When I was a young man growing up on the
family ranch in central Mono County on the upper
Owens River,” he said at a Board meeting last Tuesday in the debate about the Eastern Sierra’s bobcat
population (see P. 1), “Fish and Game determined at
that time there were so many deer that there would
be an unrestricted doe hunt.
“We were running an old-fashioned fishing and
hunting camp, really old-school stuff, and the deer
were plentiful, trophy bucks were plentiful, and after
three years, the carnage on the deer herd showed the
population on our ranch was down by 90 percent.
There weren’t any bucks left; we didn’t see deer.
“Finally, we went into a zone system, and it took 30
years for it to recover, and some people say the deer
herds have never really recovered from that, and that
was back in the 1960s.”
That brings us to the fate of our bobcats, creatures
that are under unprecedented duress because of the
drought, and who now are being taken by heartless
trappers who export them to China so their pelts can
be stitched together to make fur coats for Eastern
European customers, mostly Russian.
“This is just insane,” said Supervisor Larry Johnston at the Board meeting.
It wasn’t so clearly cut for Supervisor Tim Fesko,
who somehow managed to defend a loopy argument
that the taking of our threatened bobcats is comparable to anglers taking our fish.
And it wasn’t so clear to Supervisor Fred Stump,
either, who hemmed and hawed his way through
an uncomfortable defense of doing nothing, really,
until he could check with his constituents in South
County.
Alpers, along with Supervisor Stacy Corless and
Johnston, clearly see the writing on the wall and that
a countywide ban should be implemented.
Bloodthirsty trappers should not undercut “Wild
by Nature” so fashionistas in Moscow can wear our
bobcats on their backs.
For Stump, and Fesko in particular, “Mild by Nature” seems to be adequate enough for now.
Political cartoons published in this newspaper—as with
letters to the editor and op-eds—do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of Mammoth Times, its employees or its parent
company. These cartoons and the opinions expressed in
guest op-eds are merely intended to present food-forthought in a different medium.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Heads Up,
Cyclists
To the Editor:
With the increased construction traffic due to the clean-up
of damaged properties from the
Round Fire, there is growing concern for the safety of cyclists on
Lower Rock Creek.
Lee Vining
Ski P.E.—
Another
successful
year!
To the Editor:
In the past two months, the
students and teachers of Lee
As the Sheriff of Mono County,
and a fellow cyclist, I am asking all
cyclists to choose a different route
and stay off Lower Rock Creek
between the bottom of Sherwin
Grade and Swall Meadows, Monday through Saturday, until the
clean-up is complete.
Lower Rock Creek from Tom’s
Place to Swall Meadows is clear to
ride.
There is no construction traffic
on Sundays, so feel free to ride
entire Lower Rock Creek on
Sundays.
Please help our efforts to
repair the damage to the community of Swall Meadows by allowing
the clean-up to proceed smoothly.
Thank you!
Vining Elementary School
(grades kindergarten through
eighth) have had three ski P.E.
days at June Mountain and one
at Tamarack.
Those four, fun-filled days
were a success because they promoted an important quality that
is hard to show in the regular
classroom—perseverance.
When you first start skiing,
it’s tough, frustrating, and you
fall a lot. By the end of ski P.E.
you can see real improvement,
which is harder to track in read-
ing or math.
Ski P.E. also promotes trying
new things and school bonding. Another important thing
about ski P.E. is that it exposes
students to a new experience.
Not all students have been able
to ski or ride before ski P.E., and
they have a great time once they
try it.
Julissa Ruelas, a 2nd grader
who did ski P.E. for the first time
this year smiled as she said.
Mono County Sheriff Ingrid
Braun
Mammoth Lakes
See LETTERS, page 7
HELP US BROADEN THE DISCUSSION
We encourage you to share your thoughts and comments on stories and local opinion published by the Mammoth Times by writing a Letter to the Editor. Here are some
guidelines:
• All letters are subject to review for appropriate content,
and are subject to editing for grammar and style.
• Anonymous letters are not printed.
• Keep it concise, and no longer than 300 words, please.
• If you make factual statements, cite your sources. Unsubstantiated charges or claims reduce your credibility.
• Stick to the issues, and keep it civil. No name-calling. You
wshould be able to make your point without resorting to
that.
• Form letters, letters written to a third party and copied to
the Mammoth Times, poems, and consumer complaints will
not be published.
• You may write as many letters as you wish. However, only
one letter by the same author will run per week.
Email your letters to [email protected].
7SLHZLW\[¸3L[[LY[V[OL,KP[VY¹PU[OLZ\IQLJ[ÄLSK6[OLY^PZLP[TPNO[NL[SVZ[PUV\YHNNYLZZP]LZWHTÄS[LYZ
Your regarded opinion is most important to us. We’re
Mammoth Times
7
OPINION
Citizenship: A right or a privilege?
At what point does an American citizen,
who considers becoming a terrorist,
become a non-citizen—when he gets on a
plane to Europe, catches a flight to Turkey,
crosses the border into Syria, takes an oath
to a caliphate, graduates from a terrorist
training camp, or when he walks into a
shopping mall and slaughters two dozen
innocent people?
A federal statute outlines seven ways
U.S. nationals can lose their citizenship,
one being joining a foreign army at war
with the United States, “with the intention
of relinquishing U.S. nationality.”
It goes without saying that a terrorist’s
“intention” isn’t to relinquish his U.S.
citizenship, but to use his citizenship and
the Blessings of Liberty to commit acts of
terrorism.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel:
“We have acknowledged publicly that we
are aware of more than 100 U.S. citizens
who have U.S. passports who are fighting
in the Middle East with Islamic State group
forces. There may be more, but we don’t
know.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has introduced legislation designed to strip U.S. citizenship from Americans who join Islamist
militants in Syria and Iraq. He argued, “It
seems only prudent to address this threat,
LEE
VINING SKI
“When you’re skiing down
the mountain you can feel the
Swall
Resilience
Dear Editor,
As Swall Meadows rises from
the ashes, we’d like to express
our gratitude to our friends,
and I am therefore going
the accused shall enjoy
to be asking for unanimous
the right to a speedy and
consent for the Expatripublic trial…” Is an IS terate Terrorist Act or ETA
rorist’s act a criminal act, or
of 2014, which will make
an act of war?
fighting for IS, or taking
Terrorism is a tactic that
up arms against the United
has turned the world into
States, an affirmative
a battlefield. An attack can
renunciation of American
explode in an office buildcitizenship (native-born or
ing, school or city park, all
naturalized)…” The bill
are potential targets. As
Kirk Stapp
was blocked by Senator
such, the fight against IS
Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii),
requires a military as well as
OPINION
who objected on a technian asymmetrical response,
cality: the bill hadn’t been
which should include ecobrought before the Judiciary Committee.
nomic sanctions, propaganda, surveillance
Andy Semotiuk argued against the bill
(with the FISA court’s approval), travel
in an opinion piece for Forbes magazine;
restrictions and revocation of citizenship,
“The alarming and growing Western
to name a few.
reliance on denaturalization as a tool for
There is precedent in existing law for
dealing with criminal or odious behavior is support of Senator Cruz’s Expatriate Teran abdication of society’s responsibility in
rorist Act. The Immigration and Nationaldealing with such conduct.”
ity Act (INA) deems that a naturalized citiCruz’s bill doesn’t abdicate society’s
zen loses his citizenship if he takes an oath
responsibility; it redraws the lines in the
or makes an affirmation or other formal
sand. Individuals are still free to travel to
declaration of allegiance to a foreign state
Syria or Iraq; they’re just not free to come
or a political subdivision thereof, after havback after their commitment to a caliphate ing attained the age of 18 years; or enters
or to Jihad.
or serves in the armed forces of a foreign
What about “due process” and the VI
state if such armed forces are engaged in
Amendment: “In all criminal prosecutions, hostilities against the United States.
How is it that an American citizen can
join Al Qaeda or IS and not lose his citizenship? Because Al Qaeda and IS are not
recognized as “foreign states,” so the law
doesn’t apply. State or no state, is there any
doubt that IS is at war with the U.S.?
When considering our Constitutional
protections, it is important to remember
why our government was established: “We
the people of the United States, in Order
to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”
The war with IS isn’t just about territory; it’s about American values, ideals, the
“Blessings of Liberty” and the tyranny of an
Islamic totalitarian theocracy.
Our Founding Fathers put their lives on
the line to ensure our freedoms. It’s time
our brave do-nothing Congress at least
debate the ETA.
Kirk Stapp is a longtime Mammoth Resident, a former Town Councilman and retired
teacher in the Mammoth Unitified School
District. He can be reached through news@
mammothtimes.com.
air and it’s really cool.”
Lee Vining’s ski P.E. program, however, would not
have been possible for all
students without a generous
donation from The Mammoth Mountain Community
Foundation (MMCF).
Their grant makes sure
that the program is affordable, so everybody going to
school at Lee Vining Elementary gets a chance to try skiing or snowboarding. Every-
body attending LVES sends
them a huge thank you!
We also want to thank all
of the staff and instructors at
June Mountain and Tamarack
in addition to all of the parent and community volun-
teers who helped the days run
smoothly.
As 8th grader Nico Segura
says, “skiing is the best!”
family, and community for the
outpouring of support and generosity we’ve received over the
past weeks.
This support has made all
the difference to our ability to
recover and begin to rebuild.
In particular, we’d like to
thank the Wheeler Crest Fire
Safe Council, Wheeler Crest Fire
Department, Lee Ann Wood
and her Relief Committee, and
Mono County. Supervisor Fred
Stump, CAO Jim Leddy, Tony
Dublino, Louis Molina, Scott
Burns, Barry Beck, and all the
supervisors and staff of Mono
County have gone above and
beyond what anyone could
expect from local government in
helping Swall Meadows recover
from the Round Fire.
Local contractors and tradesmen have also responded to our
needs with a speed and expertise
that is making our struggle a bit
easier.
It seems that this calamity
may have a tiny silver lining as we
all come back with an increased
awareness of the beauty, big
hearts, and amazing resilience of
our Eastern Sierra community.
Caelen McQuilkin
8th grade LVES student
Karen Ferrell-Ingram
Stephen Ingram
Your Voice
What do you think Mammoth needs?
By Jesse Rea
Times Staff Writer
“I think there should be an easier
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—Bryan Sintay
“I am a huge runner and I
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states, Mammoth is huge and
THNUPÄJLU[HUKULLKZHYHJL
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“There needs to be more
HɈVYKHISLOV\ZPUNHSVJHSZ»
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—Jenny Roberts
“Mammoth needs what it started
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—Paul Werthmann
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—Ross Hill
Call 760-934-3929 to have your voice heard!
8
Mammoth Times
Ask a
professional
California fishing industry in a ‘death spiral’?
REAL ESTATE
Sonja Bush
Broker Associate
What are things
Q
we should ignore when
looking at property?
A
There are some things
that are hard to ignore when
viewing property. This list
includes things you should
look beyond:
1. An Older Home: Old
isn’t always synonymous
with bad. Some homes built
decades ago have stood
the test of me because
they were built with solid,
quality materials and are
in desirable areas. Buyers
should remember there are
many simple fixes for dated
homes.
2. Paint Colors: Ignore
exis ng paint colors and
focus on the structure of the
room, the placement of the
windows, and other more
permanent features. Paint
is an incredibly easy and a
cheap fix.
3. Wacky Wallpaper: Like
paint, wallpaper is easily
replaced or covered over.
4. Kitchen Appliances and
Accessories: The kitchen is
the heart of the home and
o en, the appliances aren’t
going to live up to your
dreams. Leave some room
in the budget to replace the
exis ng appliances, and that
yellow fridge will not be a
deal breaker.
5. Ugly Carpet: Flooring
op ons are ge ng more
and more diverse and there
are now so many low-cost
op ons that look exactly
like their higher-priced
counterparts. Do not walk
away from a great house
just because the floor is
unacceptable.
6. Funky Smells: Except for
a serious mold problem,
there’s nothing a deep
cleaning can’t fix.
7. Curb Appeal: If the home
does not immediately “wow”
you, that’s ok. Close your
eyes and envision a different
colored front door and
some new landscaping, and
presto—it might just be your
dream home!
8. Popcorn Ceilings: A
ceiling specialist can come in
and have it all that scrapped
off. It can be a messy issue
and prices vary, but it’s not
the end of the world.
Source: Trulia
For previous ar cles, visit
www.SonjaBush.com/blog
Broker Associate
BRE #01904399
www.SonjaBush.com
The Village at Mammoth
(661) 979.9000 cell
[email protected]
A group of anglers at the 2015 Blake Jones Fishing Derby that includes
(back row, l-r) Tony Aguliar, Robert Aguliar (front row, l-r) Travis Dozer,
Connie Velazquez, Brenton Valezquez and Abbie Valazquez show off
their stringers. A recent study published by the California Sportfishing
League suggests that expensive fishing licenses could be preventing
many from fishing state waters.
Photo by Mike Gervais
Study links rising cost of fishing
licenses to continual decrease in
number of anglers
By Mike Gervais
Special to the Times
A recent study completed by the California Sportfishing League suggests that
the price for a California fishing license is
detrimental to the fishing industry.
The study, which the group said was
conducted to give state leaders some insight into the fishing industry, was released
March 24 to call attention to a steadily
declining trend in angling throughout
California.
According to a press release issued by
the California Sportfishing League, “the
high cost of purchasing an ‘annual’ recreational fishing license has proven to be
easy
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a formidable barrier to access and has contributed to
an unprecedented decline in recreational fishing.”
In addition to the $47 price tag for a sport fishing license, anglers are often required to purchase permits, and
have the option of buying endorsements, which can bring
the price tag to more than $100, the League noted.
“This comprehensive study may be the first time an
effort has been made to compare the cost and value of
annual fishing licenses, state-by-state,” a news release from
the California Sportfishing League states. “The results provide California policy makers an insight as to how costly
annual fishing licenses are impacting participation rates,
and how it could harm the state’s economy and communities dependent on recreational fishing for $4.9 billion in
economic activity each year.”
The group’s research also suggests that since 1980, annual license sales have declined by more than 55 percent.
The study also says that California’s population has grown
by nearly 60 percent in the same timeframe.
“The dramatic decline in fishing participation should
be a wake-up call for California anglers and state politicians,” said Marko Mlikotin, executive director of the
California Sportfishing League.
He says: “If the state recognizes recreational fishing’s
economic value, it will need to take immediate action to
stop a rapidly-declining participation rate from turning
into an out-of-control death spiral.
“Reforming a costly and antiquated licensing program,
and lifting unwarranted restrictions on fishing is the first
step to protecting a great form of family recreation that
supports jobs and our state’s economy.”
Bishop resident and owner of Reagan’s Sporting
Goods, Reagan Slee said Wednesday that the state has
made obtaining a fishing license more difficult with a
computer system that went online a few years ago.
But he added that Inyo County likely won’t see the
marked decreases in anglers that the study warns about,
simply because it has some of the best trout waters in the
nation.
“I think we’re going to sell roughly the same amount
(of fishing licenses) this year as we did last year and the
year before,” Slee said. “But in the rest of the state, I think
you’re going to see a huge decrease as the price goes up
and up.”
Slee also said that there is a similar trend with hunting licenses and deer tags. “I know they’re doing it for
revenue, but they go and administrate the money away.
They need to get back to the roots, pay for game wardens,
biologists, the hatcheries. If what they’ve done for the last
20 years continues, it’s going to continue to go downhill.”
Both Slee and the study point out that the state is also
behind the times. Currently, fishing licenses are sold by
the calendar year, and all licenses expire on Dec. 31. The
Sportfishing League said that most states in the nation sell
licenses for a full 12 months.
Slee said that California’s system deters anglers from
See FISHNG, page 11
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10
What’s up, up here?
News snippets from here
and there...
By Mammoth Times Staff
Folks at Tioga Pass, always a bit cagey
about Opening Day for the season, say
they’re targeting May 7 or May 11 this year,
which is darned early, by any standards.
Yosemite is trying hard to keep the road
closed for as long as reasonable so work
crews can do road maintenance up thar. ...
While on the subject of roads, a move
is underway to perhaps put a second gate
at the Parker Bench Trailhead, to accommodate residents and visitors in low-snow
years. …
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
announced this week that RED DIGITAL CINEMA is its title sponsor. Sez
festival Director Shira Dubrovner, “This
is a significant partnership for the film
festival, especially in its first year, RED
DIGITAL CINEMA creates an incredible
line of cinema cameras that are used
by the industry’s top filmmakers in all
genres—filmmakers like Peter Jackson
and Steven Spielberg.” RED is donating
a camera package from the SCARLET
DRAGON series for the winning filmmaker---a camera package valued at more
than $20,000. …
Don’t Fergit! The Inaugural Summer
Recreation Open House, sponsored by
the Mammoth Lakes Recreation Department, goes off Tuesday, April 14, 3-8 p.m.
at the Middle School. All parents are welcome to stop by and browse at the tables
of various organizations offering recreation activities for infants, youth and
teenage children. There’s no charge,
and the first 30 attendees will receive a
“Parks Make Life Better” water bottle.
For additional information contact
Stephanie Daniel, Recreation Supervisor at sdaniel@townofmammothlakes.
ca.gov or call 760-934-8989 ext. 237. …
Sixty-four years is a long time to stay
hitched, and if you don’t believe it, just ask
Fred and Jean Harris of North County. …
There are some Nervous Nellies
down around Waterford Street who want
to know if the town diverted the water
flow of Mammoth Creek in the construction of the brand new bridge. Nope, say
the Town Poobahs. …
New Supe Stacy Corless wants the
town and county to offer each other regular updates at their respective meetings,
and the Supes say they’re on board. …
We would have to say that if there
were silver linings to the Round Fire, it
may be in the renewed sense of community, as Paradisians proved last month at
a community potluck. …
Mono County is moving forward on
six legs! In order to control persistent
weeds at the Chalfant ball field, a move
is afoot to encourage a herd of weevils to
beat back the weeds. …
Hats off to Bernadette Johnson, not
only the new superintendent at Manzanar, but also the driving force behind the
newly re-named Eastern Sierra Visitor
Center in Lone Pine, which used to be
the Interagency Visitor Center. Last
year, it drew 250,000 people, and she is
driving forward in her bid to expand in-
terpretive programs there. Nice to have
Johnson back in the fold, by the way.
Previously a BLMer in Bishop, then a
BLMer in Carson, she’s back in the Owens Valley and says she’s darned happy to
be home. …
A former Mammoth resident,
Holdeen Cushing-Murray, 52, died March
28 while he was kayaking on the Nooksack River near Glacier National Park,
according to local friends of CushingMurray. According to an article by the
Bellingham Record, the local newspaper
where Cushing-Murray was living at the
time of his death, Cushing-Murray’s
kayak capsized and he was then trapped
by a logjam. He was trapped under the
water for more than an hour, resulting
in his death little more than a month
before he was to marry another former
Mammoth resident, Maureen Kennedy.
“People close to Cushing-Murray descried
him as an adventurer—a vagabond who
survived obstacles all around the world,
an outdoorsman always seeking a thrill
and a fiancé excited for his future,” said
a friend. “He had spent time working as
a chef in New Zealand, Australia, Italy,
Ireland, Morocco, among other places.
He lived in Mammoth before moving to
Bellingham in November 2014, according
to friends. …
Meanwhile, the Visitor Center at
Manzanar is installing 2,000 square feet
of interpretive exhibits in the barracks
there. We figger Manzanar is about the
coolest underused federal spot on the
Eastside, drawing just 8,000 visitors a
year. Whaddup with that, anyways, we
want to know. …
Lots of lessons learned this past winter
during the earthquake in Napa, to be
examined this week at a big confab in
L.A. Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun
will be there. …
Good news for the June Lake Loopers, at least those of them who may want
their paved roads rebuilt. The low-snow
winter was a bummer, but it also means
that county crews are picking up the June
Lake road rehab project earlier than expected. Work was suspended last autumn
because of the season change. …
Now that we’re on the subject of
projects, look for lots of improvements
at Convict Lake, says Garret Higerd of
the Public Works Department. Some
improvements we will see (new asphalt
path, i.e.) and some we won’t (rebuilt
retaining walls). …
Happy Birthday, Dana Vander Houwen Guy. ...
Mammoth is wide open this weekend,
with a projected occupancy topping
out on Friday at just 34 percent, say the
number crunchers at Mammoth Lakes
Tourism. …
Fashion statement of the week, from
Bridgeport: gray suit, necktie, white
socks. …
What are you doing this weekend?
Riding your bike of course! Eastside Velo
has two great offerings that you can’t
miss. Saturday kicks off with a free Skills
Clinic from 9 a.m.- noon at Millpond.
Learn basic bike safety, bike handling
skills, climbing, descending, and much
more with Pro Rider Bill Ossofsky. The
In a recent meeting of the Mammoth Lakes Recreation Board of Directors, Bill Taylor,
left, David Page and Danna Stroud get down to business.
clinic is free to ESV and High Sierra Tri
Club members and $30 for non-members. For more details see the Eastside
Velo website. Sunday is the second “Signature Series” Club ride of the season
at Keough’s Hot Springs. All of the ride
details are online, and be sure to RSVP
for a chance to win a great raffle prize
prior to the ride. …
Later this year, Yosemite National
Park will be celebrating its 125th anniversary and, timed to coincide with the
anniversary, the Yosemite Conservancy
will be publishing in June “Tuolumne in
Pictures,” featuring photographs by up-
and-coming nature photographer Ryan
Alonzo. …
On the Lovebird Beat: The Mammoth Lakes Event and Wedding Expo is
Saturday, 3-7 p.m. at the Westin Monache
Resort. Presented by the Mammoth
Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Green
Fox Events & Guest Services, and the
Westin Monache, with support from the
Mono County Tourism & Film Commission, the Expo will provide a centralized
event where potential clients and local
business owners can network their lovelorn hearts out.
[email protected]
Mammoth Times
ON HEALTH
Pain, fatigue and the
‘throwing athlete’
Tips for fastball, breaking ball
pitchers
By Blake Rossi, PT, DPT, ATC, Mammoth
Hospital
For the Times
Throwing is a dynamic and complex
whole-body motion that requires well
timed execution of muscle contraction to
allow for efficient release of the object that
is being thrown.
Shoulder pain followed by elbow pain
is a common injury that is suffered by
overhead throwing athletes.
There have been multiple suggested etiologies that contribute to shoulder pain in
the throwing athlete. Typically pain with
throwing is caused by decreased flexibility
of structures in the shoulder or by altered
timing of muscular contraction.
One common reason for shoulder pain
is the lack of flexibility of the posterior
capsule, or backside of the shoulder.
When there is decreased flexibility
of the posterior capsule, this can cause
altered motion in the shoulder resulting
in compensatory motion and usually pain
during the throwing motion.
Tightness in the posterior capsule can
also cause impingement, or pinching of
the tendons and soft tissue, under the
acromion process. Maintaining a flexible shoulder is key to preventing injuries
through normal throwing mechanics. See
figure 1 for flexibility exercises.
During throwing, timed and coordinated muscle contraction is important in
FISHING
purchasing a license mid-year, because
they don’t get their full money’s worth.
Slee added that the state should
consider lowering its prices for out-of-state
fishing licenses to attract visitors to the area
and help bolster the economy. “You want
to be inviting people from out of the area.
That’s how you get the revenue you want.”
Phone calls to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife seeking comments were not returned.
In Mono County, despite serious concerns about water throughout California,
the county’s relatively higher elevation
overall will protect fisheries somewhat
better than much of the rest of the state’s
fisheries, according to county and authorities.
“Mono County’s high elevation,
snowpack, and numerous natural-flow
lakes mean that lake levels, while definitely
lower than in non-drought years, remain
in good shape for this year’s fishing
season,” said James Erdman, California
Department of Fish and Wildlife, in a news
release from the county this week.
Gary Jones, long-time owner of Silver
Lake Resort in June Lake agreed. “Silver
Lake is down only about 11 inches this
year, “ he said. “We are looking forward
to a great opener and fishing season, as
always.”
This does not mean there are not going
to be some drought-related problems in
efficiently delivering the ball. Muscles not
only move our joints but also support our
joints while they move.
Another key aspect of preventing shoulder and upper extremity pain is maintaining strength in the middle and lower
trapezius along with the rotator cuff.
The middle and lower trapezius, muscles that attach the shoulder to the ribcage,
are key to maintaining stabilization of the
shoulder during throwing motions, and
are where the rotator cuff originates.
Maintaining and gaining strength in
the scapular stabilizers and rotator cuff is
a very important aspect of maintaining
efficient throwing mechanics. Finally, with
young overhead pitchers, it is important to
limit pitch counts per game; to be proficient in throwing pitches that require less
skill to throw (fastball); and to limit throwing any pitches that require more complex
throwing patterns (breaking pitches).
Throwing breaking pitches puts much
more stress on the young shoulder and
elbow and should not be encouraged until
mastery of the fastball is established.
A few other factors that should be
considered in the adolescent throwing
athlete are:
1) Be mindful of fatigue
2) Ensure sufficient rest breaks
throughout the year
3) Pitch less than 100 innings per
season
4) Avoid pitching for multiple teams
5) Avoid using radar guns
6) Avoid having a pitcher also play
catcher on the same team.
[email protected]
the county.
“If you love fishing the Bridgeport
Reservoir, Grant Lake Marina or the West
Walker, come early this year,” said Jeff
Simpson, economic development manager and staff member for the Mono County
Fisheries Commission.
“We are stocking these locations heavily
in the early part of the season, so the best
time to fish will be during the opener and
in May, June and July.”
With an annual stocking budget of
approximately $125,000, Mono County
is set to plant 21 lakes, creeks and rivers
with 26,800 pounds of both trophy and
catchable trout to add to the state’ stocking
program. The Town of Mammoth Lakes
contributes about 15,000 pounds in the
Mammoth Lakes Basin.
Another bonus of the mild winter is
that high alpine lakes will be thawed in
time for the opener, and most roads and
campgrounds will be open and accessible.
The season kicks off April 25 with the
annual Fishmas Day Celebration at Tom’s
Place, the Monster Fish Contest at June
Lake Loop, and the Mono Village Fishing
Opener Derby at Upper Twin Lakes in
Bridgeport. The Round-Up at the Lake
Spring Fishing Derby at Convict Lake takes
place April 26 through June 12. See 2015
Mono County fishing events on the Mono
County website: http://www.monocounty.
org.
Additional reporting on Mono County by
Wendilyn Grasseschi, Mammoth Times Staff
Writer.
[email protected]
11
12
Sports&Outdoors
Mammoth’s U10 Piper Wilkison stars at U10/U12
Championships USSA/Far West
U10/U12 Championships
By Susan Morning
For the Times
Mammoth Mountain hosted for the
USSA/Far West U10/U12 Championships, April 4-7.
The race, originally scheduled to be
held at Northstar, was moved to Mammoth
when it became apparent the Tahoe ski
area and neighboring resorts didn’t have
enough snow to hold the event.
Over 285 U10-U12 athletes from the
Far West Northern, Central and Southern
divisions participated in the four-event
competition with several top podium positions going to Mammoth skiers.
On Saturday, April 4, the U10s and
U12s competed in a Parallel race on
Fascination.
In the U10 girls class Mammoth
Mountain Ski Team’s Piper Wilkison, was
fourth; Siena Beeghly, sixth (tie); Sierra
Wight, 11th; and Cooper Hindshaw, was
15th for the boys. The Mammoth U12s
boys claimed four podium spots with
Aidan Le Francois, in a tie for sixth; Daniel
Schneider, ninth; Liam Gooch, 10th; and
Parker Gumins, 14th. Neave Anderson was
fourth for the U12 girls.
Easter Sunday it was giant slalom for
everyone with Beeghly, second; Wilkison,
ninth; and Wight, 12th for the U10 girls
and Gregory Gazarian, 14th for the boys.
Three local U12 boys earned podium
spots including Bjorn Karlen, seventh;
Sage Boyer, ninth; and Gooch, 15th.
The following day, the U10s had a slalom on Fascination, while the U12s raced
down ADG in a Super G.
That evening the racers, and their families enjoyed a Winter Carnival Party at The
Village with music by DJ; face painting; a
Velcro wall, inflatable slide and obstacle
course.
The evening wrapped up with the day’s
award presentation.
In the slalom, Wilkison, made her
third appearance on the podium in
11th. She was joined by Regan Clute in
15th.
Nevin Vanderhurst was the top Mammoth U10 boy in 11th and Hindshaw was
13th.
Among the U12 boys, Schneider,
Karlen and Gumins all made their second
podium appearances taking third, sixth
and 13th respectively.
On the fourth and final day, a storm
moved in and began dumping snow on
the venue.
The U10s reduced their two run Big G
to a one run race with six MMST athletes
taking top fifteen results.
Familiar names including Beeghly,
Wilkison and Wight went first, 12th and
14th for the girls, while Vanderhurst was
10th; Jace Urdi took 12th and Gazarian
was 13th for the boys.
At the end of the Championships,
several special awards were announced,
including the Jeff Todd Sportsmanship
Award.
Todd was a long time coach with
MMST and had a lengthy history of supporting, coaching and organizing events
for the Far West U12/U10 age groups.
The Jeff Todd “Sportsmanship Award”
is an award given to the athlete who
displays a love for skiing, competition and
his/her fellow competitors. This year the
recipient of this prestigious honor was
Mammoth’s Jordan Whistler.
The MMST U10-U12 team will wrap up
their season this weekend with the Footloose Bump Bash on Saturday, and the
Mammoth Invitational Family Fun Cup on
Sunday.
[email protected]
Waiting for results were, from left, Samantha Sokol, Sierra Wight, Piper Wilkison, Bailey
Sokol and Laurel Wight.
Photos by Susan Morning
MMST’s Neave Anderson was fourth for the U12 girls in the Parallel race.
Forerunner (and Olympian) Stacey Cook beat Woolly in the Parallel race.
MMST’s U10/12 Head Coach Carl Underkoffler listens to Woolly explain to him how he
plans to beat Olympian Stacey Cook in the forerunner’s race. (Hint: It didn’t work out
that way
Regan Clute taking 15th in U10 girl’s slalom.
Sports&Outdoors
13
Mammoth’s U10 Piper Wilkison stars at U10/U12
In the North Series, MMST’s Siena Beeghly
was second overall for the season.
Aidan Le Francois was the top Mammoth
U12 boy in the Parallel Race with his sixth
place result.
Piper Wilkison made her second appearance on the podium taking ninth in the U10
giant slalom.
It was all smiles for Carly Weber, Payton Sewell, Coach Scott
Saltsman and Sydney Willson of the U10s.
Daniel Schneider was ninth for the U12
boys in the Parallel Race. Schneider went
on to take third in Monday’s Super G.
Piper Wilkison was on the podium for
all four girl’s U10 races.
Sage Boyer was ninth in the U12 boy’s giant slalom.
Bjorn Karlen was sixth in the U12 Super G race on
Monday.
Nevin Vanderhurst, with his 11th place, was the top
Mammoth U10 boy in the slalom.
14
Out&About
IT WAS COLD WINDY AND FUN
Mammoth Hospital physical therapist who won the
“King of the Mountain” crown by running the course
in 35-minutes, 31-seconds, beating second-place
men’s finisher Jason Fazio by five full minutes.
In a sporting gesture that hundreds of onlookers
witnessed, Tollefson took a very short breather, and
then scampered back down the hill to join Kastor for
a picture-perfect double finish.
While both Tellefson and Kastor were obviously
happy with their victories, no one appeared to be
more ecstatic than Mammoth Mountain Vice-President Bill Cockroft, who created the event at the suggestion of Chief Operating Officer Greg Dallas.
“This,” Cockroft said, “is just great. I think we’ve
got an annual event on our hands here.”
Judging by the hundreds of people who paid extra
cash for a special lift ticket to get to the party at the
gondola building and restaurant, Cockroft just might
be onto something.
The crowd showed up in spite of a nasty southwest
wind, which drove the wind-chill factor well below
the air temperature of 27 degrees.
Coupled with a knockout, purple sunset behind
the jagged peaks of the Minaret range, along with
the rising of the so-called “Pink Full Moon” of spring,
the event seemed to capture the very essence of winter sport at Mammoth.
The course was the iconic Kamikaze mountain
bike race course. Spelled backward, the Kamikaze became the Ezakimak, a race undertaken by mountain
bike climbers in years past.
This, however, was the first winter Ezakimak ever,
Deena Kastor, who won the women’s open run in the
first-ever Ezakimak, gets a good start at the base of Main
Lodge, with Jason Fazio (Bib No. 179) alongside her and
Woolly behind her.
Musicians Alex Dubious, left, and Christopher Paniqua,
of the band 80-Proof, were at the summit for the finish of
the Ezakimak. Later, they and the rest of the band played
at Rafters.
In the women’s open ski competition, Sierra Bourne,
Carolyn Tiernan and Buff Wendt on the podium.
In the men’s open snowshoe division, the winners were
Nick Scalfone, Rogelio Gonzales and Andy Geisel.
Winners of the ski division in the Ezakimak were Ed
Sweet, Luke Lydiard and Pete Smith.
Out&About
15
Ezakimak King of the Mountain Tim Tollefson ands Queen of the Mountain Denna
Kastor, winning the first-ever winter Ezakimak.
Ezakimak winner Tim Tollefson, left, poses for the cameras with event producer Bill
Cockroft, and Queen of the Mountain winner Deena Kastor.
Watching the race, the lentiular clouds and the rising of the full moon were, from left,
Dennis and Tay Voye, along with Randy Hein, all visitors from Southern California.
It was a family affair at the Ezakimak, with Queen of the Mountain Deena Kastor and
her husband, Andrew, with little Piper Kastor.
Bracing sub-freezing temperatures, and about a foot of wind, were visitors (from left)
Sheri Hahn, Max Ancar and Kelli Blair from Tahoe.
Among the spectators at the summit at Mammoth Mountain were Darbee and Sandra
Grass from Ventura, and Maxwell and Vincent Jefferds from Hollywood.
16
Mammoth Times
EZAKIMAK
which made Cockroft and
event coordinator Caroline
Casey enthusiastic for an
event like this next spring
and,presumably, for years
after that.
It was not only for runners.
Competitors could enter
the race on skis or snowshoes,
too.
Placing first among the
skiers was Ed Sweet, who won
the ski division in a time of
48-miunutes, 12 seconds, followed by Luke Lydiard and
Pete Smith.
In the women’s ski competition, Sierra Bourse, Carolyn
Tiernman and Buff Wendt
finsished 1-2-3, with les than
three minutes separating
them.
Among the snowshoe
set,Nick Scalfone, Roglio
Gonzaliz and Andy Geisel
finished 1-2-3, with Scalfone’s
winning time of 42-minutes,
42-seconds easily outdistanced
the others on the podium.
There also were novice
divisions in each category, giving the older racers a heads
up on what’s to come in
future races.
Neither Kastor nor Tollefson are going to go away
soon, though, no matter what
the conditions might be, or
howstrong the wind will blow,
in the next EZAKIMAK.
[email protected]
Eventual winner Tim Tollegson (bib No. 114), leads the pack out of
the starting gates at the Ezakimak Full Moon Challenge, with Corey
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Mammoth Times
Local James Hupp
dies March 31
Cause of death pending toxicology
report; no foul play indicated
Times Staff Writer
Longtime Mammoth resident and construction worker James Lester Hupp, 58,
died on March 31 in Mammoth according
to the Mono County Sheriff’s Department.
Hupp was found by his wife, Yvonne
Hupp, at a residence on Mono Street at
approximately 5:30 p.m. on March 31 in
a travel trailer adjacent to their residence,
according to the sheriff’s department.
The exact cause of death is pending
autopsy and toxicology results, and is expected to be available in the next three to
six months, according to the department.
Hupp was a well-known face in Mammoth for the past 16 years, working in
construction with local contractors such
as Steve Johnson, Tom Doman. Mike
Cornell, and others on projects like the
Snowcreek development.
[email protected]
COURTS IN DEEP WATER
respective arguments.
Two other entities, a group of union
representatives, is also suing over the
adequacy of the environmental review process, as the Times has reported earlier, and
those cases were also heard last week.
“He said he will likely have a decision
within 30 days,” Hayes said.
The water districts concerns about the
proposed project’s impact to the community water supply have only increased over
time as the drought begins to take a toll
on at least some of the nine wells that the
district uses to supply water to the community, Hayes said.
At its most elemental Hayes said that
the district believes that Great Basin, which
certified the Environmental Impact Report for the state of California, should have
done a deeper analysis of the potential
impacts to Mammoth’s drinking water,
instead of relying on what Hayes said were
Ormat and/or BLM experts.
“We pointed out that they had relied
exclusively on experts that Ormat had
hired,” he said.
“In our opinion, they did not do their
job.”
Great Basin has argued the opposite,
stating they believed the science behind
the environmental review process was
sound and that there was no conclusive
proof of the water district’s concern that
withdrawing geothermal fluids from deep
Mammoth Community Water District
General Manager Pat Hayes.
wells would affect the relatively shallow
groundwater wells used for drinking and
irrigation water in Mammoth.
“We have a long history of protecting
the environment here and we expect to
continue to protect the environment,” said
Phill Kiddoo, the new director of Great Basin, and former and now retired director
Ted Schade’s replacement, last week after
the end of the hearing.
He said either way the judge decides,
one of the parties is likely to appeal, meaning the final answer over the fate of the
project is likely to remain uncertain for an
extended time period.
[email protected]
NEWS BRIEFS
Tioga Road, two other
park roads will be under
construction until
Memorial Day
In June of 2014, the park began a
multi-phased maintenance project to
repair the Tioga Road corridor, the
park’s east-to-west highway that connects
Groveland and Lee Vining. The primary
rehabilitation work involved a 15-mile segment from the Crane Flat intersection to
just east of the White Wolf Campground
and will continue this spring. The construction work includes improvements to
culverts, grading, pavement resurfacing,
new signage, and road striping.
In March, the park began the first
phase of improvements to the Yosemite
Lodge parking area in Yosemite Val-
ley. The completed project will include
an expanded parking area just west
of Yosemite Lodge. The additional
spaces will help to improve traffic flow in
Yosemite Valley by parking vehicles west
of Lower Yosemite Falls. A future phase
will include the installation of permanent
bathroom facilities.
Improvements to the parking area
at Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias
began in September 2014 but the grove,
trail, and parking lot are open to the
public. The project entails improvements
to the restrooms, new interpretive signs,
a designated bus drop-off location, an improved picnic area, and better-organized
parking.
For more information on construction
projects in Yosemite National Park, please
visit www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/
roadwork.htm.
17
18
Mammoth Times
‘Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike’ opens this weekend
Sierra Classic Theatre takes the
Edison stage
By Lesley-Anne Hoxie
For the Times
Allison McDonell Page has the eye for
great theater.
Her latest choice, in which she directs
as well as stars, is brilliant and welcoming.
The story, written by classic absurdist Christopher Durang, centers around
three middle-aged siblings finally accepting the vast number of changes that occur
in life.
The play, produced by the Sierra
Classic Theatre troupe, has all the
regular trappings of a Durang script:
unfettered comedy, illogical moments
of wisdom, and characters who start off
depthless until they begin to peel away
their layers.
Except for the guy (Spike) who literally peels away his layers. He’s as frivolous
and shallow as one of the bros on “Entourage.” But that’s OK. That’s who he’s
meant to be.
Vanya (played by Chuck Scatolini) and
his adopted sister Sonia (Kathy Steele)
have their routine life-—drinking coffee
and looking out for the blue herring that
visits their pond—interrupted by their
movie star younger sister Masha (Page)
visiting for the weekend.
Masha has brought in tow her much
younger hunky boyfriend, Spike (Jimmy
Davoren), and plans to drag everyone to
a neighboring costume party.
While the group is in for an uncomfortable weekend full of surprises, the
siblings learn to see past the pain of
change—how moments that may seem
terrible can either lead to wonderful
chances, or at the very least, opportunities
to grow.
The comedy won the Tony Award for
Best Play in 2013, and shows real growth
for the playwright, who not only adds
layers of references to classic theatre
(you can still enjoy the show without any
knowledge of Chekhov), but also has a
more uplifting ending than most of his
other work.
It’s possible to say something deeply
profound about the human condition
without having an ending filled with bitterness and tragedy.
“Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike” is
now playing at The Edison Theatre, 100
College Parkway, Mammoth Lakes.
Performance dates are Thursday – Saturday April 9 through April 19 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20. For reservations, call 760934-7498. Group discounts are available.
Visit www.SierraClassicTheatre.com for
more information.
[email protected]
Places of worship
From left, Pricilla Toledo, Jimmy Davoren, Allison McDonell Page and Cassandra
Burgenbach performing in ‘Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike.’
Photo by Lesley-Anne Hoxie
Calvary Chapel of June Lake
- Sunday services are at the June Lake
Community Center at 10 a.m. Kids’
church and childcare. Contact Pastor
Ron at (760) 648-8259.
Community Presbyterian
Church, Lee Vining - Adult Sunday
school, 9 a.m. Sunday worship, 10 a.m.
Third Street and Mono Lake Avenue.
For more information, call Rev. Rebecca
Watkins at (760) 647-6556.
Grace Community Church - An
Evangelical Free Church. Sunday services at 10:00 a.m. Children’s Minstry is
available. Located at 217 Sierra Manor,
across from the high school. Contact
Billy Daugherty, pastor, at (760) 9141866 - GraceInMammoth.org.
The Lighthouse Church of Mammoth meets at 546 Old Mammoth Rd.
(in the old Oaktree Bldg.) on Sundays
at 6pm. To receive prayer or for further
information please call Pastor Dave
Nelson at 760-934-6637 or visit us online
at lighthouseglobal.org/mammoth
Mammoth Christian Fellowship - A Bible-centered fellowship
meeting at the Mammoth Middle School
MPR. Worship service: Sunday 9 a.m.
Nursery and Children’s Program also at
these times. Call (760) 914-3930 or visit
www.mammothchristian.org for more
information.
Mamoth Community Church- A
place where the Word of God is made
clear and a closer relationship with God
is encouraged. Services: Sunday School
at 9 am; Worship Service at 10 am; Ski
Up Service at McCoy Station at 1:30
pm; AWANA Club and Youth Meetings
available. Call Pastor Isidro Ocampo
at (760) 709-1905 or visit www.mammmothcommunitychurch.com. Right
next to the new courthouse. Servicios en
Espanol Domingos a las 6 pm.
Mammoth Lakes Lutheran
Church - 379 Old Mammoth Road.
Corner of Old Mammoth Road and
Meridian Blvd. Pastor Kent Puls. Sunday
Worship 8:45 a.m. Visitors welcome.
Sunday School available during service.
Thursday Bible Study at 7:00pm. Our
preschool is Monday through Friday
from 8:00am - 5:00pm. It is open to all
children ages 3 to 5.
(760) 934-4051.
St. Joseph
Catholic Church - in
Mammoth Lakes on
Ranch Road just off
Old Mammoth Road,
a mile and a half from
Main Street. Mass:
Saturdays, 6 p.m.; Sundays, 8 a.m.,
and 5:30 p.m. in Spanish. Daily Mass:
Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. in the
rectory. In Lee Vining at Our Savior of
the Mountains mission, end of 2nd St,
Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. In Bridgeport
at Infant of Prague mission, east side
of 395, south of town, Sunday Mass at
12 noon. Father Jorge Roman, Pastor.
(760) 934-6276 or go to www.mammothcatholicchurch.org.
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints – Mammoth
Lakes Branch- 2174 Meridian Boulevard. Corner of Azimuth Drive and
Meridian Boulevard. Sacrament Meeting
starts at 11 A.M. Visitors welcome. Call
President Jeff Meads at (760) 914-0390
or go to www.lds.org for more information.
Church on the Mountain has a 40
year history as a vibrant community in
the Eastern Sierra. Located in Crowley
Lake, Sunday services are held at 10:00
am. We offer midweek service Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in the main
sanctuary. Church on the Mountain is
located at 384 S. Landing Road. Visit
churchonthemountain.org or call (760)
935-4272 for more information. We
would love for you to join us! Pastor’s
Mammoth Times
19
20
Mammoth Times
Caltrans continues Pursuing 50 percent water reduction
Agency also backs Irrigation
Limits
Times Staff Report
Caltrans this week announced that
the California Transportation Commission has allocated emergency funding
to continue installing smart sprinklers
on state property—technology that
automatically adjusts to weather conditions, soil moisture or broken pipes,
and has already helped cut water use
50 percent where installed, the agency
said in a news release.
“Caltrans districts have significantly
curbed irrigation, modernized equipment and halted many landscaping
projects across California,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.
“These efforts have saved billions
of gallons of water, but as this State of
Emergency continues in California
we must work even harder—and keep
leading the way on this critical issue.”
As one of the State’s largest departments, responsible for landscaping that
stretches the size of 22,600 football
fields, Caltrans’ conservation efforts
contribute significant water savings.
Conservation efforts, including the
following, have helped the department
reduce water consumption by an estimated 30 percent:
n Invested $47 million in Caltrans emergency funding to upgrade
or repair 1,250 irrigation systems
statewide—approximately 25 percent
of the state’s system—including smart
sprinklers that cut water use at least 50
percent by automatically adjusting water usage based on weather conditions,
soil moisture or broken pipes.
n Postponed 34 landscaping projects, which include 26 projects that
would have gotten underway this year.
n Invested $8 million in four major
water recycling projects in San Luis
Obispo, Shasta and San Diego.
n Canceled any turf or grass watering, including all state rest stops, unless
recycled water is used.
Caltrans has shut off irrigation entirely in areas of the state with the most
severe drought conditions, according
to the news release, and will continue
to do so.
Any essential landscaping to prevent
water pollution or erosion uses only
inert ground covers, such as mulch or
gravel, or drought-tolerant native or
non-thirsty plants.
Caltrans has received nearly $1 mil-
lion in local water conservation rebates
for its efforts to reduce water use and
upgrade equipment.
Meanwhile, Caltrans is continuing
to pursue its goal of reaching a 50 percent statewide cut in water use.
Last week, Caltrans partnered with
the California Transportation Commission to authorize an additional $28
million in emergency funding to update more irrigation systems with smart
sprinklers—which are proven technology shown to cut water use at least 50
percent where installed.
As these new systems continue to
come online, Caltrans will strengthen
conservation training for all department water managers and landscape
architects.
“The California Transportation
Commission is supporting these investments in water-saving technology
because every drop of water matters
during this emergency drought,” said
Commission Chair Lucy Dunn.
In a further response to the official Continued State of Emergency in
California due to the severe drought,
Caltrans will also be posting the following message on hundreds of electronic
highway signs across the state:
SEVERE DROUGHT!
LIMIT OUTDOOR
WATERING
These electronic highway message
signs will be activated so long as there
is no highway emergency, traffic safety
message or Amber Alert.
Caltrans asks motorists to report any
water waste along its 50,000 lane miles
of state highway, such as broken water
pipes or leaking irrigation systems, by
going to the Caltrans website, www.dot.
ca.gov/ and clicking the “Be A Water
Watcher” icon to submit a maintenance service request.
“This summer is likely to be severely
harsh so the state is taking action by
halting irrigation altogether or drastically cutting consumption while
keeping plants alive when necessary to
curb water pollution and erosion,” said
Dougherty.
“The department is taking these
steps—and is planning more—because
the historic drought threatens all Californians with a critically dry summer,
and protecting the public and water
supply is a top priority.”
Californians can learn more ways to
help cut water use during California’s
Continued State of Emergency by visiting: www.saveourwater.com.
[email protected]
NEWS BRIEFS
Auxiliary Scholarship
applications available,
deadline April 30
Each year Mammoth Hospital Auxiliary awards college scholarships to residents
of Mono County who are pursuing a
career in a medically related field. The
Scholarship Fund was established in 1985
and since that time we have awarded
$484,000 to deserving locals.
Applications for the scholarships are
now available and can be picked up at the
Cast Off, Mammoth Hospital, and Mam-
moth Lakes Library. Applicants must
meet the following eligibility requirements:
1. Pursuing a course of study in a medically related field.
2. Be a current resident of Mono
County and resided there full time for
a minimum of two years or currently
working in Mono County full time for a
minimum of two years.
3. Completed two years of prerequisites in a medically related college
curriculum or worked for two years in a
medically related field in Mono County.
The deadline for submitting applica-
tions to the Scholarship Committee is
April 30 and awardees will be announced
in June.
Grant allows work
to continue for new
recreation group
The National Forest Foundation
(NFF) awarded the newly formed Eastern
Sierra Recreation Collaborative (ESRC)
with a “Community Capacity and Land
Stewardship Program” grant that will be
used to maintain the efforts of the ESRC
as the Inyo National Forest (INF) moves
forward with its Forest Management Plan
Revision, according to Mammoth Lakes
Trails and Public Lands Association member John Wentworth.
The ESRC’s leadership team drafted
and submitted the grant application
on December 15, 2014 and the grant
awards were announced this past week,
he said, and the grant will allow the
group to continue their work with
the Inyo National Forest in creating a
20-year forest management plan that
emphasizes sustainable recreation as its
foundation.
Winners:
Grand Prize –Two night staycation at Sierra Nevada
Resort and Spa.
Winner – Mary Canada
Tie for 3rd
3rd Place Prize – 1 $40 gift card to Lakanuki
Winner- Bryan Sintay
Tie for 2nd
2nd Place Prize- Dinner for two at Whitebark restaurant
Winner- Jim Whiteley Sr.
3rd Place Prize- 1 $40 gift card to Lakanuki
Winner- Quart Keys
2nd Place Prize – 1 Hour Massage by Mammoth
Mobile Massage
Winner- Sue OBrian
4th Place Prize- Lunch with Bryan Sintay, Edward
Jones financial advisor.
Winner- Janice Gram
Stop by the Mammoth Times to collect your
prize!
Mammoth Times
21
Your local radio station schedules
OUT AND ABOUT
760-934-8888
106.5 Mammoth • 102.3 Bishop
105.5 Big Pine • 107.7 June Lake
Mon-Sat:
Tradio 9:30 am-10am
HAND PICKED GREAT NEW MUSIC!
www.kmmtradio.com “Listen Live”
Tuesdays:
• 10am-noon 2fer Tuesday.
Request 2 from your faves!
Wednesdays:
• 8:30am Community Corner
Thursdays:
• 10:30am Freshies w/Daleyard and Josie B
Fridays:
Mike Demers knows something about snow. He lives
mostly in the backcountry but on April 7, he headed into
town for some supplies, hitting the Vons parking lot in
the middle of the first winter storm of the year.
Photos by Wendilyn Grasseschi
• 10am ACE Arts, Culture & Entertainment
in the Eastern Sierra!
• followed by ARL All Request Lunch
Saturdays:
• 4pm-6pm ALTERNATIVE
w/Native Wayne ROCK REGGAE!
• 1am to 3am BIF Bass Inyo Face w/Daleyard
Sundays:
• 5am-7am MAD Christian Rock Show
• 8pm-10pm FUNKY JAMZ w/TJ Dubz
Like us on Facebook: KMMT
KRHV 93.3
Mon-Sat:
Tradio 9 am-9:30am
HAND PICKED ROCK N’ ROLL FROM ALL
THE GREATS & ALL THE DECADES!
www.krhvradio.com “ON AIR”
Mondays:
Lisa, Trevor (young boy) and Todd Yargeau arrived
in Mammoth on April 7 from Encinitias about an hour
before this photo was taken and they couldn’t have been
happier to be here.
Mammoth Times
• 6pm-8pm ALTERNATIVE
w/Native Wayne ROCK REGGAE!
Tuesdays:
• 10am-noon 2fer Tuesday
Request 2 from your faves!
Wednesdays:
• GET YOUR PSYCH ON! 6-8PM PSYCHO JELLO
w/Thomas Small followed by Psychedelic
Detached Garage w/George Cannon until 10PM
Thursdays:
• 6pm-7 pm Latest From The Greatest w/ The
Insane Darrell Wayne
Fridays:
• 9am-10 am Reggae Ride w/ TJ Dubz
• 10am-noon ARL All Request Lunch w/TJ Dubz
• 6pm-10pm The Vic Maier Show
• 10pm-11pm Get The Led Out
• 11pm-12pm Floydian Slip w/Craig Bailey
Saturdays:
• 5-6pm BLUES DELUXE and 7-midnight Saturday
Nights w/Alice Cooper
Sundays:
Help us reach 5,000 Likes
Last week 2825
This week 2831
• 7am-noon Lisa’s Cup O’ Jo Sunday Morning
Show
• 8pm-10pm Little Stevens Underground Garage
w/Steven Van Zandt
• 10pm-11pm Echoes of Rock n’ Roll w/
Buddhaman
• 11pm-midnight Roots & Branches
w/Michael Des Barres.
Like us on Facebook: KRHV
22
Mammoth Times
Q&A
Alcia Vennos
Alcia Vennos, Director of Mono County Tourism and Economic Development
What is your idea of bliss?
Fresh snow! Happy, healthy family. Living in the Eastern Sierra.
Ice skating on frozen lakes. Traveling with my sisters. Laughing
uncontrollably. Good cappuccino.
What scares you?
Wildfires. Drought. Cancer. Lots of other things too scary to write down.
With whom do you identify from history?
The women who hiked Yosemite in the late 1800s.
Whom do you admire?
My sister Alexandra who showed me what grace looks like and what
grief feels like, and how growing old is to be celebrated because that was
the only thing she wished she could do.
What among your traits do you dislike the most?
I’ve been told that I can be bossy and defensive which I dislike. Being
told that, I mean. Because I’m not bossy. Or defensive.
What trait do you most dislike in others?
Dishonesty. Bad manners. Whining.
What or whom drives you up the wall?
When my kids came home from the Tri-county Fair with yet another
goldfish in a little plastic bag. When I choose salt/chocolate/butter/
sugar over the gym. Whining.
Cruelty.
Do you ever lie?
Does looking directly into your kids’ eyes and saying, “Of course Santa
comes down the chimney” count?
Who is the greatest love of your life?
My family. So blessed.
When in your life were you the happiest?
Aside from middle school, chemotherapy, and a few other not-so-fun
times, I am truly fortunate to have so much happiness in my life.
Really, really lucky.
What hidden talent do you have?
I once won a 24-hour short story writing competition. All other hidden
talents appear to still be in hiding.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being a pretty good mom. Working with great people in Mono County.
Running a marathon. And cycling for two weeks across Eastern
Canada when I was 16, before bike shorts were invented.
In your next life, you want to be…
Fearless. A mom again. Someone with a gift for languages and who gets
to heli-ski…a lot!
What is your extravagance?
Travel and espresso.
What is your favorite way of relaxing?
Hiking. Skate-skiing. Reading. Spending time with friends, family and
cappuccino.
What is a favorite trip you have taken?
Botswana, Portugal, Greece, Scotland, Poland, Alaska, Jerusalem,
Kauai, Whistler, Prague…all favorites… but none so sweet as home.
What quality do you most admire in a man?
Realness. Knowing a lot without being a know-it-all. Sense of humor.
Humility. Kindness. Integrity.
What is the most despicable character flaw?
What quality do you most admire in a woman?
Press Releases
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Alicia Vennos
Realness. Knowing a lot without being a know-it-all. Sense of humor.
Humility. Kindness. Integrity.
What do you most admire in your friends?
Their irreverence, wit, wisdom and craziness. The way they get
impossibly more beautiful every year. How we just pick up where we
left off, no matter how much time has gone by… and how they drop
everything to help, no matter how much time has gone by.
Who is your favorite fictional or non-fictional hero?
Miep Gies, the woman who sheltered Anne Frank’s family.
What do you most dislike?
Violence. Cancer. How we treat our planet (like we have another one to
go to).
What is your motto?
“Always, always take the high road” and “Boredom is a choice.”
If you know anyone who is interested in being our next Q&A, just
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No
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with ROB G
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Mammoth Times
23
025 LOST AND FOUND
BOBCATS
“We have people who come here and hunt for fish,” Fesko said.
“Why is a fish any different? We have deer that are taken. You
[Johnston] make the comment that it’s just for profit, but everything
we do is just for profit. It’s a livelihood. We all have to make money. It
helps supplement someone’s income that’s living on a fixed income.
“A ban, I couldn’t support.”
The rest of the Board passed a motion over Fesko’s opposition to
send a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Department, and to the Fish and
Wildlife Commission, asking for a “temporary ban” on all bobcat trapping in Mono County until a study of the animals’ populations can be
assessed.
Stump argued he had not polled his constituency on the issue and
therefore was uncomfortable taking any position at all, but voted for
the measure anyway.
“I don’t think it’s my job to unilaterally decide this,” he said.
“Philosophically, I don’t believe it’s my job to impose my ideology
on somebody else. My job is to try and represent [my constituents].
“My ideology comes play when you have to make a decision, but
I have, along with Supervisor Fesko, the most diverse district in the
county, and I’m constantly juggling between one community here,
one community here, and one portion and one portion, and I made
the decision right along that there was room for each community,
each area, to create some self-determination for itself.”
The debate over the Eastern Sierra’s bobcat population flashed in
front of the Board when Bridgeport trapper and former Supervisor
Ed Inwood
sought Board support for a letter to the state’s Fish and Wildlife
Commission.
The commission, acting under newly-signed legislation, is considering the establishment of “buffer zones” around state and national
parks on behalf of the state’s bobcat population, last measured in the
1970s at 14,500 animals.
The commission, which was to meet this week in Santa Rosa
(Sonoma County) and on June 8 in Mammoth, also has mandated a
study of the bobcat population in California, which could take up to
10 years to complete.
The Board, however, went well beyond simply signing off on that
particular letter.
Instead, the supervisors drafted one of their own, after a wideranging discussion that dealt with the economic impact of bobcat
trapping, its environmental implications and the overall meaning of
“Wild by Nature”—the county’s motto.
In its letter, which passed 4-1 with Fesko opposing asked the state
“consider including all of Mono County in the temporary ban of trapping of bobcats.”
“Continued depradatiuon of this species without this data would
seem to endager its legevity. Our Board requires additional data to
help better inform future trapping efforts.”
Further, the Board said that if the county cannot get an outright
ban on bobcat trapping, “the commission consider esrtablishing in
Mono County buiffer zones for protection of the bobcats around any
and all state parks, national parks, Mono County scenic resources and
specifically within the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area until
the population study is completed.”
Testifying before the Board, Devils Postpile Superintendent
Deanna Dulen, a resident of Mono City, said Mono County’s bobcats are highly prized because of the thickness of their fur and their
unblemished skin conditions.
At prices of up to $1,800 a pelt, trappers have found a market in
China, who in turn make coats for an Eastern Europeans with an appetite for fur coats, primarily in Russia.
That drew an immediate response from Johnston.
“I have a license plate holder that says ‘Mono County—Wild by
Nature’ and this is what this is all about,” Johnston said.
“I was particularly disturbed to learn the fact that thesis for this
trapping is to make sure that the Russians have fur coats with our
bobcats on them. That’s just insane.
“So let’s write a letter that says, in Mono County, no bobcat trapping.”
Among those in the audience offering testimony was SP Parker,
the noted Swall Meadows backcountry expedition leader in both the
Eastern Sierra and around the world, said that state law now currently
sets a limit on the bobcat take, but that it is set at 20 percent of the
animal’s population.
“Let’s look at it this way,” he said.
“There are five supervisors here. The state considers one of you
surplus, and available for harvest.
“It might have a chilling effect upon one willing to run for office
here, but one in five, for crying out loud.
“This is not about hunting,” Parker said.
“This is about trapping an animal in a cage, perhaps using an
electronic caller and shooting it in the head to preserve the value of
the skin. This is not about anti-hunting.
“This is very much about a conflict between Old Mono County
and New Mono County. The old school is hunting, trapping and
extracting resources. “The New Mono County is a tourism-based
035 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Wilderness guide SP Parker of Swall Meadows testified in support of
controls on bobcat trapping during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors
meeting.
economy. Our visitors deserve the opportunity, even if there is just
one chance in hundred thousand, of possibly seeing a bobcat. I’ve
been lucky enough to see about half a dozen of my 30 years here.”
Dulen, in her testimony, revealed some statistics.
“In 1995 it was a big snow year, there were 28 bobcats trapped, one
shot in Mono County, with no reports from Mono Basin,” she said.
“In 1996 there were 22. Fast-forwarding to a really big snow year,
2009-10, there were 12 takes in Mono County and none reported in
the Mono Basin.
“In 2010-11, 24 bobcats were trapped in Mono County,” she said,
citing “arbitrary” state studies that are outdated today.
“In 2011-12, the beginning of the drought, 47 were trapped in
Mono County, and eight reported taken in Mono Basin. In 2012-13,
51 bobcats trapped in Mono Basin, and in 2013-2014, there were 77.
“So I think the drought is making the bobcats more vulnerable
to trapping because of the easy access to places that previously were
snow-covered.
“In addition, it’s water, because that’s what all wildlife need. They
go to the creeks even more. There is less available water, so it’s an
ideal place to set your traps, because the thirst of the animals.
“My point is to at least ban Mono Basin down to Mono Craters for
ecologic, economic and cultural reasons.”
The current legislation mandates the creation of “buffer zones”
near the public’s state and federal parks, and also calls for a comprehensive study to find the true numbers of bobcats.
In the meantime, Dulen said, the state has no regulations on taking bobcats outside the proposed buffer zones, and enforcement of
existing legislation is spotty, at best.
Inwood said most of the enforcement is coming from honest trappers, and there would likely be a rush among the less honest trappers
and hunters.
“We’re going to have an influx in this county,” he said, “not residents. it-and-run artists.
“The regulations say they’re supposed to check their traps every 24
hours, but we had one guy who was coming through the county and
wouldn’t check until he had all 500 traps out and set, then come back
through and pick them all back up.
“Trappers reported that. Trappers caught him and reported him.”
Everyone in the Supervisors’ chambers agreed that the biggest
variable in the debate was the data, or lack of it.
“I’m not against trapping,” Fesko said.
“I’m an old hunter. I don’t deer hunt anymore, but that doesn’t
mean someone else shouldn’t be able to do it.
“We don’t have data, and on this Board we’ve said we want to make
decisions based on the best data available.”
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Mono Supes mull restricting trapping of bobcats

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