Out of the Box

News Spotting
By Lois Laine

Lois at the Daily
It seems appropriate for me to be working at a daily news source. After all, I did work for the "Daily Planet" many years ago. Today, I'm writing for the Mammoth Lakes Daily otherwise known as www.Mammothlakesvillage.com. This is news worthy and exciting stuff. The Eastern Sierra has lacked a daily printed news source since the Gold Rush days.... And, believe me, I know of what I speak, since I've worked at all of the other newspapers on the Eastside. Hum, that might make me as dated as the current stuff in and on the news racks! I'm really pleased to be working with an outfit that is growing by leaps and bounds, and for those of you who have been faithful followers of this Web site for five years, we're pleased to tell you that we'll soon be www.mammothlakesdaily.com. The people writing here are an active bunch of Eastern Sierra residents, with connections to the Southland, Nevada, and the Great Basin. It's our goal to cover the spaces that are often unseen, unheard and under served. We encourage our readers to join in our timely conversations, and be contributors to our news site. We want to hear from all our readers, near and far, and we want to encourage people to use their rights-freedom of press and speech--to carry on the historic values of FREE timely and relevant communication.

Oh, the Places I've Been and Photographed
Vern Clevenger, photographer extraordinaire, is busy these days at the Mule Days Arts and Crafts Show in Bishop, but he took a moment to tell me he's proudly published a book about his many years of travels in the Sierra. Entitled "Sierra Sojourns," this beautiful book is sure to be eye candy for the reader. It captures his memorable moments in the high Sierra backcountry, and the images inside are simply his very best. For the full details of this wonderful accomplishment, visit http://www.vernclevenger.com/ and look for the book details listed on his Web site. Kudos to you Vern for compiling the best stories, and for giving readers a lasting memory of your fine photography. Vern has a distinctive gallery on Main Street in Bishop, and he's frequently available to discuss the treks behind his images. He tells me this year's favorite images are of his trip to Italy, and of course, his stunning Yosemite Valley (his second home) photographs.

No More Bumming About College Loans
Going to college or a university costs an arm and a leg these days, and some parents are actually dipping into their 401Ks to finance their kids higher learning. It's sad to see parents using their retirement funds to get their children through college. However, a recent interview on CNN with Seppy Basili, Senior Vice President at Kaplan, illuminated some information I simply had to pass along. First, students can have co-signers on their college loans--it's legal. Second, there are more scholarships available every year for the college bound. Third, high school students can take more AP (Advanced Placement) courses, and enter college a half-year or year ahead of the game, and thus reduce the number of years they have student loans for. And, finally, check into the college or university's financial office to discover what programs or loans are available that year. I realize many kids are coming home right now from college and others are attending their commencement exercises in the upcoming weeks. But there are probably some out there that could get a jump start on summer school courses, and shorten the time they are in college (and have loans). Remember, taking out a student loan that is longer than the time you and your kids' kids are in college is NOT a good idea....

Syd and Nancee Suave, the Hip Mammoth Couple
Several months ago my good friends Syd and Nancee arrived in Mammoth to take up permanent residence. Of course, their digs here are quite different from their Beverly Hills abode, but they were "up for the change of scenery," as Nancee put it. They've been acclimating since February to a Town where life does stop after 2 a.m., and they've only mildly adjusted to buying men's under garments at local luxury outlet stores. It was simply out of the question to go down to Bishop to shop for men's boxers at the Big Box store.... Nancee is still moaning about her high heel collection, and after taking a nasty tumble down her stairs, she's lowered the heel height to her stiletto four-inchers. But she's not happy about it. Syd has now realized that nobody really pays attention to his brown Berluti's after 5 p.m., and he's gone on the wild side by wearing browns after dark. They are trying to figure out where to use the word "posh," in Town, but they are excited about eating gourmet sushi at the Mobilemart in Lee Vining. The idea of a place called "Whoa Nellie Deli" serving mango margaritas is "kind of a rush," says Nancee. They're looking forward to visiting all the "hip places" in Town, and they're happy to not have an estate that needs a full-time gardening team every day. "We'll just use the extra cash to get into new things," Nancee says, and Syd is itching to get to Vegas on a regular basis. As their close friend, I'm happy to report that they have agreed to share their "new eyes" on our region, so look for a daily reality check with our Town's hippest new residents.

The Rant
Okay, and now for the Rant. Where does someone go in this Town, nowadays, to get a good Bloody Mary and omelette early in the morning? I mean really--there isn't but a handful of places left that aren't boarded up, or that are open before 8 a.m. And I don't mean an omelette and drink that is going to cost me my first-born child...! I know this Town advertises being a "Five Star" resort, but if we're going to really call ourselves a multi-talented place to visit, we need more than one or two places that all of us can visit. Yes, Lois is aware that there are only a handful of liquor licenses left that aren't possessed by one outfit here. But not everyone wants to be held hostage to visiting only one place in Town to enjoy a good breakfast and hair of the dog. In fact, is there anyone in Town that serves Ramos Fizzes and omelettes? Please let Lois know.... And in the meantime, I'll continue to search for my Bloody Marys in other parts of our region--like Genoa and Virginia City, Nevada....