Out of the Box

News Spotting
By Lois Laine

Egads, Where's My Umbrella
I've lived in a lot of places over the years, and many of them have required umbrellas--including LA. However, Eastern Sierra residents, especially Bishopites, don't usually have one of those rain shields. So, when I was recently caught in an LA downpour, I was surprised to find my pup, "Lubee," had eaten the entire thing. Not a single part of the umbrella was left intact, and I looked like a bedraggled Mary Poppins as I ran from store awning to doorway. The powerful spring storm hit the Southland like a group of "Girls Gone Wild in Vegas," and places like Baldwin Park had so much hail it looked like Mammoth on a good day. And, a true twister thrashed around near March Air Force Base in the Inland Empire, even derailed part of a freight train. Local LA newscasters were all a dither--probably looking up weather terms they hadn't used since they left the cornfields of Kansas. In any case, the deluge helped create some drama for a region that needed a break from the day-to-day drive-bys and stalkeratzzi reports.

Hitchin' a Ride
Attention transit spotters! Effective Tuesday, May 27, the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA), will begin its summer transit schedule. This means FREE rides to work around Town, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will also be two Dial-a-Ride busses in service during the day, and other bus service hours during the week and weekend. For those of us commuting from Bishop--up the hill--ESTA offers a $78 monthly pass, or $45.50 every two weeks. Now, I don't know about you, but I couldn't drive my truck up Sherwin Grade for anything less than $125 (at a minimum) a week! And if the oil bandits continue to reach into my pockets and steal whatever they can find, ESTA's services are a welcomed relief to the $4-plus a gallon gas prices.

Put Your Hands Up, This Is a Highway Robbery!
Speaking of being mugged--I recently filled up at a gas station in Bishop, and found myself reaching for the sky, and uttering, "You've already got all the money I had. Please, Stop! I honestly don't have anymore change." The oil industry barons remind my of a bunch of Boss Tweeds from Tamany Hall, sitting like vultures on their lofty profit perches, just waiting for the time when the weakened American drivers come out of their SUVs to crawl to work. What they don't realize is that while they are raking in billions of dollars in profits each month, and speculating our economic interests to death--they are killing the oil-addicted people. What will they do when we all switch to the old-fashioned horsepower and start riding our ponies to work? Americans dropped their oil consumption by six percent this past quarter, according to industry experts. However, the Big Oil lobbyists are now saying we're using less, but will pay more due to the reductions in use. Okay, I want whatever those oil barons are smokin'. Wall Street math, coupled with Big Oil portfolios remind me a little of Hunter S. Thompson on a really high day in Vegas--ugly reptilian creatures emerging from sleezy dark motel rooms....For assistance finding the cheapest gas prices in California, including our area, log on to www.californiagasprices.com, go to the section on the bottom left hand side, select a city, and then hit search. Hint, hint--The Paiute Palace Gas Station in Bishop has the cheapest gas within the Mammoth and Bishop area at $4.04 a gallon for regular unleaded (at the moment).

Dead Rides No More
If you have a dead ride in your neighborhood, or perhaps your own vehicle is deceased, or you know someone has abandoned their car, the Mammoth Lakes Police Department is removing abandoned vehicles from private and public property. If you spot a vehicle that looks like it hasn't moved since the first big snow in December, or you can see a family of raccoons setting up housekeeping for the summer in a nearby car--call the MLPD at 760-934-2011, Ext. 82.

Mammoth Mountain Springeroo
MMSA officially closes for skiing and riding after Monday, May 26. But have no fear, it's off to the Ski and Golf specials. There will also be limited race camps into June, and golfers should dig in their closets to find their gear. It's always a challenge the first few weeks of summer to figure out just what activities will be in full swing, but if you stick your head outside every hour or so, you'll know what to pack in the car. Remember, it can be fun to play "Find the Golf Ball" in the snow!

Be Nice to Tourons
It pays to be nice to tourons or tourists in Mono County, as they account for more than 90 percent (90.6%) of our revenue, according to county tax receipts. Yep, the visitors spent $12.9 million in the county in 2004, and although the economy is sagging right now, our visitors are the Number One reason we eat in this neck of the woods. Fishing and camping trump skiing in winter for tourism dollars, so be nice to the families of fisherpeople, or you'll be fishing for your own dinner instead of drinking margaritas on Friday nights.

Town Council Candidates Greet and Speak
Citizens of the Town of Mammoth Lakes have an opportunity to greet and hear the Town Council candidates on Tuesday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Little Eagle Lodge. This is a fine chance to listen to what these potential Town leaders have on their agendas, and pose some questions that can challenge their leadership abilities. The Mammoth Lakes' Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring this forum, and I would encourage everyone to attend and really take a candid look at who might be running the show in the upcoming year. After all, if you don't get involved in the selection process, you can't gripe when the deals go south, or the Town Council loses its collective way. There are some very important issues for the Town Council to deal with in the immediate future--like how to keep money moving forward for the Hot Creek lawsuit (associated with the Mammoth Airport), and how to get the Town's budget away from steep economic cliffs. In the absence of hearing from the public, council members tend to rely on other sources of information for their decisions. So let the potential leaders hear what your REAL concerns are early in the game.

Memorial Day: Showing a Nation's Gratitude
Americans are a funny lot. We take a day of special significance and turn it into a weekend party or vacation. However, Memorial Day really isn't about partying in bikinis and drinking lots of beer at barbecues. Traditionally, Memorial Day is set aside for visiting cemeteries and placing flags of flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes. It's about visiting memorials, or flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon, or by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3 p.m.--to pause and think about the true meaning of the day. "Taps" is played, and soldiers from all wars come to special places to remember and honor our ancestors, our friends and loved ones who died in conflicts and wars. It's not a day to honor war, but those who have fallen in the conflicts. Each one of us has an opportunity on Monday, May 26, at the very least, to think about pledging aid to a disabled veteran, widow, or orphan of a fallen soldier, or simply stop for a moment on Monday and think about their service to our country.