The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

 By Victor Meier

Americans have paid more for health care than the citizens of all other industrialized nations and yet Americans rank among the lowest in wellness.

Here is a complete and comprehensive look at the current state of affairs regarding America’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it pertains to Californians. Beginning with the term entitlement, entitlement is an accounting term and it means a good or service that one is owed. The opposition’s implications have changed the vernacular of the word entitlement and used it to imply that people instead believe they are owed a particular good or service that they in turn do not deserve.

It may be cliché at this point, though it is apropos nonetheless; subsidies provided by American tax dollars to large corporations and supporting America’s Military Industrial Complex are more problematic to the economy than providing basic necessities to its citizens. America is a nation full of workers and consumers. “We are the best consumers on the planet,” says Senator Joe Manchin (D) from West Virginia.

Receiving affordable medical coverage in the world’s so-called richest nation should make sense to a capitalist economy that is completely reliant on its workers and consumers participation. Universal health care works similarly to a membership at a health club or gym. Americans pay their dues already and deserve better than what they get.

Perhaps you are one of the few who have seen their policy cancelled and subsequently increased in cost. If you are a Californian and this is the case, chances are that you were originally paying for health coverage that was subpar and therefore not worth the paper it was written on. The decision about what to charge the insured and whether or not to honor coverage is controlled by the health care provider solely. With record profits recorded by insurance companies the decisions are clearly based on a profit margin.

In other words, the status quo scenario requires one to trust a for profit company to intercede and supersede even your own doctor’s advice and prescribed health care. However, for Californians there are many affordable options available and provided by California’s health care system which is called Covered California. Covered California is America’s largest state insurance marketplace and the most successful so far.

“This (Health Care Reform) is the biggest thing that Government has tried to do in decades,” says Jacob Weisberg, Chairman-Slate, “it’s reforming a massive part of the American economy.” Health care in America makes up one sixth of the United States economy. This simply means that the health care system in America (even after the ACA) is a for profit system that is mainly concerned with its bottom line. Insurance company’s first priority is making money. Even a nonprofit organization may allocate up to 75% of its revenue for administrative costs.

The individual mandate was a compromise that was made between Democrats, insurance companies and Republicans. Insurance companies claimed this is the only way to cut individual policy costs, citing the law of supply and demand. President Obama as Democratic Candidate Obama originally opposed the individual mandate. Perhaps this is why the penalties resulting from incompliance of the law are the least strenuous of all Internal Revenue Service (IRS) punitive actions?

The individual mandate only applies to those who can afford to pay for an insurance policy. The cutoff point is households with family incomes around $95,000.00 per year. The cost of the penalty gradually increases over the next three years and is about the same cost as that of an annual health insurance policy. This stands to reason due to the fact that in this time you are guaranteed medical coverage. The mandate does provide accountability for all Americans.

Opposition to the ACA resembles cheesy black and white reenactments in late night infomercials. The reenactments where actors make the easiest daily tasks look too difficult to manage. Has this ever been you? Do you find yourself struggling to make an egg? Seriously! You don’t need some eventual plastic trash to cook and egg and you definitely don’t need to be cooking in a microwave. That’s another story though.

It is off putting to see leadership acting like there is nothing that Americans can do to work with and fix health care reform. Health care reform has been attempted unsuccessfully for sixty years already. The notion that we the people of the United States of America cannot overcome and improve the ACA is counter intuitive to the very culture that this great country was founded upon. We are a nation of innovators. Even though we’ve currently been left behind by the rest of the first world, an industrialized nation we can do universal health care better than them.

When pizza arrived in the United States, Americans said, “You know what that needs, sauce and more cheese” and we made it better. Americans wouldn’t be outdone by a little glorified Russian satellite named Sputnik that flew around the earth. Americans went to the Moon. America has given the world the Panama Canal, Assembly Lines, Hollywood, Alternating Current, The Internet, Muscle Cars, Elvis, Google, American Football, Basketball, Baseball, Jazz, Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Blue Man Group, Broadway, Alfredo Sauce, Chili, Fried Chicken, BBQ, Philly Cheese Steaks and the list goes on.

In states where Governors have cooperated with the ACA the citizens have clearly benefited the most. For example there are California, Connecticut, Vermont, Washington and look at Kentucky’s success; who knew? Ironically Kentucky is the home of one of President Obama’s and the ACA’s most staunch opponents, Senate Minority Leader (R), Mitch McConnell. Specifically, in California, Covered California is on track to meet its 2014 enrollment target.

Californians are once again taking leadership of the progressive movement in America. Each and every person in California should be proud of this fact. There were 31,000 Californians who have enrolled in the ACA during the month of October and enrollment has doubled that amount within the first two weeks of November. Universal health care is working so well here in California that there is now talk of a single payer system being introduced.

Speaker of the House of Representatives and 8^th District of Ohio Representative (R), John Boehner has gone on the record recently saying, “We have the best healthcare delivery system in the world.” This is complete denial of factual information and an injustice to his constituents. America is one of the most obese nations in the world with the highest infant mortality amongst industrialized nations, while leading the world in heart disease and drug addiction.

The overwhelming amount of nonpartisan information available on the matter speaks to the truth. “We pay more for health care in this country than most any nation on earth and we rank very poor thirty-fifth, thirty-seventh in wellness,” argues Senator Joe Manchin.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, in 2013 37% of Americans avoided recommended health care, seeing a doctor because they were sick and having prescriptions filled due to the high cost of doing so. This means that more than one in three people in America couldn’t afford their health care. The percentage in England is only 4%. Medical bills are the number one cause for bankruptcy in the United States.

So, there have been difficulties rolling out the ACA and therefore healthcare reform. Yes, the President, his administration and the Democratic Party have made mistakes implementing universal health care in America. The only way one may avoid making mistakes is to do nothing at all.

Republicans are spending a lot of time spiking the ball, working on their touchdown dances and telling progressives, “I told you so.” Meanwhile, many other issues that are paramount to the prosperity of an increasing number of Americans are being ignored and overshadowed. Issues like the removing food assistance programs from the Farm Subsidies Bill.

Many of the issues associated with the ACA would have been avoided with better political support, cooperation by the states and more importantly providing a single payer option through the government and funded with current tax revenue. Give all Americans health care and there’s no need to fill anything out.

Most economists believe that the way for health care reform will work is by providing American citizens the same health care that our representatives and senators enjoy. Health care can be easily subsidized with existing tax funds while protecting Americans from an insurance company monopoly in the process. A healthy stabilized economy mirrored by a healthy population becomes a win/win situation.

It is interesting to see the sort of party in-fighting from Democrats that has been wearing down the Republican Party. “I think Republicans now are understanding that in 2014 they have to come forward with some kind of policy alternative, so, as much as they rally against the current ACA, what’s the Republican plan, what’s the Republican proposal,” Robert Costa, National Review.

Some of the Republican leadership has suggested that Americans be provided with the opportunity to purchase insurance policies across state lines, opening more competition to drive down the price of insurance. This may or may not work. This is the beginning of an actual conversation though.

Senator Joe Manchin has been working with Republicans on a bipartisan agreement that would amendment the ACA and intend to fulfill President Obama’s promise that, “If like your insurance, you will keep it.” Manchin has expressed that, “It (substandard insurance policies) should be extended indefinitely if you already had it.”

Is the distinguished gentleman from West Virginia correct? Is he attempting to give all consumers in America an equal opportunity to be protected under the law? Or, does this provide yet another loophole for the insurance companies to use in order to offer inferior healthcare that is not worth the money paid?

Health care reform began with former Republican President, Ronald Reagan and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTAL) in 1986. The law requires hospitals to provide emergency treatment to anyone seeking it. This care is provided regardless of their citizenship, legal status, with or without health care coverage and whether or not they can pay. The public trust pays the bill when they can’t.

The ACA in its current incarnation was originally introduced by former Republican President Richard Nixon and former Kansas Senator (R) Bob Dole. Health care reform made its first appearance in Massachusetts under then Republican Governor Willard “Mitt” Romney. The reform that was accomplished was widely supported by conservative think tanks, organizations and has proven in time to be widely successful. This begs to reason why Republicans reject such a political accomplishment and distance themselves from its success.

Americans deserve better from their leadership. Your health should not be so closely tied to a profit margin. The American health care system is as it ever was, a for profit system. A single payer system would eliminate the “for profit” health care system entirely and place the decision making firmly in the hands of American’s beloved doctors. As it stands without the ACA, we are truly at the mercy of insurance companies and what our laws allow them to do; laws that are commonly written by the insurance companies themselves.

Trash Talk About Disposal Rate Increases in Mono County

By Victor Meier

On Tuesday, December 17, 2013 the Mono County Board of Supervisors met for the final meeting of their calendar year.

Mammoth Disposal and Bishop Waste Plant General Manager Rick Vahl along with Mono County Solid Waste Superintendent, Tony Dublino addressed the Board in an attempt to garner their support for raising the floor rate established by local purveyors of waste disposal.

A “floor rate” is simply a baseline budgetary measure (like the minimum wage) implemented to protect small local businesses from predatory rates that may be implemented by larger more resource rich companies. The floor rate is the minimum-maximum amount that a company may charge in order for these local waste disposal businesses to stay competitive and profitable.

Just as with most other businesses there are costs associated with rising inflation and the two determining factors being the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI). The CPI and PPI are both reported on by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor and is a non partisan agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions and economic price changes. The BLS collects, analyzes and evaluates various essential economic information to support public and private business related decision-making.

On average over the last year the CPI has increased 1.2% and 1.7% in relation to waste disposal here in the United States. In light of this, Superintendent Dublino proposed franchise amendments to the contracts that Mono County has with D&S and Mammoth Disposal/Bishop Waste that would increase the floor rates and in keeping time with the BLS report and subsequent recommendation. It is the function of such agencies to allow our government to react appropriately.

Board Member from District One, Larry Johnston asked Superintendent Dublino why an increase was needed if PPI costs were down. According the BLS, the Producer Price Index (PPI) program measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. The prices included in the PPI are from the first commercial transaction for many products and some services. A reference to the reduction in diesel fuel costs.

However, other costs are associated with the operation of running a waste disposal company and those costs are attributed to rising CPI costs as well as inflation. “The last CPI increase that we experienced was back in April of 2011,” said Dublino. At that time the waste disposal companies misunderstanding the Board and raised their rates without the Board’s approval. This was such a benign event that the rates were eventually retroactively instated by the Board anyway.

Waste disposal in Mono County is predicted to see a .29 cent rate increase per household, per month in 2014. This may appear nominal and non consequential to the average layperson. However, when you consider the number of households being serviced and doing so over the course of a year, the number in question gains prominence.

Mr. Dublino approached the BOS with a sense of urgency and was promptly met with opposition. The research presented by the BLS was intended for this very purpose and that is more than necessary to be used for evaluation. Supervisor Tim Fesko of District Four suggested that perhaps this issue should have been brought forth to the BOS earlier in the year. “This proposal has been cued up in our process for awhile,” Dublino told the Sheet, “We’ve been waiting on the Board of Supervisors to add our proposal to their agenda.”

Frankly, small businesses often operate on such a small profit margin that not allowing for this rate increase and failing to maintain a solid baseline could really negatively affect one of the few year round, full time positions available in Mono County. As Supervisor Johnston put it, “the floor rate tends to be a defacto rate and is not arbitrary at all.” The difference can be as monumental as whether or not people get much deserved and needed bonuses or raises.

District Two Supervisor, Fred Stump wondered aloud if, “The County might be blamed for these rate increases?” While Supervisor Fesko asserted that the rate increase seemed arbitrary to him and raised concerns for setting prices for businesses. Fesko argued, “The reality is a 1.7% increase in the floor will not create a predatory situation.” Fesko went on to state that he somehow understood the need for a floor rate, yet he simply doesn’t support setting a floor rate at this time.

While it is important to maintain the integrity of an open market there is also a need to look out for the greater good of everyone in Mono County. Teddy Roosevelt saw a similar need to do so and was known as the “Trust Buster”. This concern for fair competition is why we have labor laws and a minimum wage standard in America. The floor price ensures our local small waste disposal businesses the opportunity to compete, provide local jobs and most importantly benefit our local economy.

What Happed to Mammoth Lakes’ Pioneer Cemetery?

By Victor Meier

Mary Townsend was accidentally shot by her husband in 1881 and when he buried her he surrounded her grave site with the white picket fence he had always promised her in life.

Mary Townsend is one of Mammoth’s original Pioneers and you can find her grave near the trailhead to Mill City. What has happened to the memory of early Mammoth and the Pioneer Cemetery? In this instance, reality is stranger than fiction. The Mammoth Lakes Museum (also known as the Hayden Cabin) Curator, Mark Davis was reminiscent about the cement Historical Monument (once in existence) that was placed on the edge of Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery. “I know it was placed there sometime in the 1950’s,” said Davis, “and it existed until the 1990’s.” “I have seen pictures of it myself,” Davis continued.

As most know, the Town of Mammoth Lakes was founded as a mining town and hosted three mining camps and therefore many Pioneers/Miners before, during and after the famous California Gold Rush. So what happened to those early Pioneers and Miners who perished during Mammoth’s Golden Era? The average life expectancy in the late 1800s was around 40 years of age and knowing this leads one to ponder the reality of Pioneer life and the reality that there must have been some fatalities in and around the Mammoth Lakes area. Presumably, not every person who perished in Mammoth would be buried in Bridgeport.

This is a vetted fact, substantiated by a working list of those who expired and were buried in Mammoth. The list exists and is supported by archived obituaries of local publications. There are 23 recorded deaths (13 of which are documented and the other 10 were probably unmarked graves) and their burials within the town of Mammoth Lakes between the years of 1877-1882. The area of town now known as The Bluffs is also known to where the Pioneer Cemetery existed and was the burial site for all three mining camps. In this case, Cheif Seattle's advice to "take only memories, leave nothing but footprints" does not apply literally.

The Statutes of the State of California, Political Code; Chapter V. Section 3105; states that the title to lands used as a public cemetery or graveyard, situated in or near to any city, town, or village, and used by the inhabitants thereof continuously, without interruption, as a burial ground for five years, is vested in the inhabitants of such city, town, or village, and the lands must not be used for any other purpose than a public cemetery. Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery was clearly in existence from at least 1877-1882; thus covering the necessary time period established by the law.

In the Hayden Cabin there are readily visible photos of dilapidated grave sites from the 1950’s which are no longer identifiable or seemingly no longer in existence. So, where are their remains of the perished Pioneers of Mammoth Lakes? Where are Mammoth’s Pioneers buried? Were their final resting places moved? If not, then where are their graves? They aren’t in Bridgeport. Certainly they couldn’t be in the same location and merely unidentifiable?

According to a 1965 Land Survey of the “Schotz Parcels”, requested by local Businessman Bob Schotz and conducted in the area of Mammoth Lakes currently known as “The Bluffs” there were provisions made to dedicate one square acre of land to a “Graveyard”. This one acre parcel of land set aside on the southeast end of the Bluffs and was clearly marked “Graveyard”; a clear distinction that is echoed by another (1966) land survey of the same area (also requested by Schotz). So, the question now is what legally constitutes a “Graveyard”? According to Section 3106 of the California State Law, six or more human bodies being buried in one location affirms the existence of a graveyard. With 23 established inhabitants of Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery and covering a five year period, the statutes have clearly been met

The Mammoth Museum has two “headstones” or rather, two wooded grave markers, which were retrieved from Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery and preserved by Bob Schotz in the 1940s (when they were last identifiable) and donated to the Mammoth Museum. One marker reads, “Isabelle-Infant Daughter of Eli and Katie Schweiger, August 23 – September 12 1879.” The other reads, “James Fahy, August 14, 1840 – August 9, 1879.” According to Mr. Davis, “Fahy was a bartender in Mill City (a former Mammoth subdivision) who was shot by one of two patrons who had a disagreement in the bar he (Mr. Fahy) was working in. Mr. Fahy later died of an infection from his gunshot wound. Originally they thought he would survive,” continued Davis.

The story of Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery and its potential for not only uncovering significant information about the History of Mammoth Lakes and its potential for uncovering scandal within the civic leadership of the Town of Mammoth Lakes is uncanny. This fact alone is a compelling enough reason to care about Mammoth’s Pioneer Cemetery. Why is it that there is a planned development being solicited directly where the Pioneer Cemetery once existed?

How is this even possible? Where a historical monument once existed from the 1950s until the 1990s is a proposed location for a private home. Skirting the issue of reverence and history; who would want to live on top of an old cemetery? Do they plan to take the Craig T. Nelson approach in the movie Poltergeist and just leave the TV outside? This reporter, for one, is just plain curious and confused by these developments. Pun intended.

This is not simply a matter of historical significance and respect. This is a matter of legal importance. Section 3109 of the law states that public cemeteries of cities, towns, villages, or neighborhoods must be enclosed and laid off into lots, and the general management, conduct, and regulation of interments, permits to inter, or remove interred bodies, the disposition of lots and keeping the same in order, is under the jurisdiction and control of the cities and towns owning the same, if incorporated; if not, then under the jurisdiction and control of the board of supervisors of the county in which they are situated. Is it possible that the town leadership could be setting the township up to endure another potential lawsuit?

The citizens of Mammoth Lakes need to know where the bodies of their early pioneers are resting. Examine the fact that potentially lost are the stories of people who have passed on and whose perseverance, toughness, determination and pioneering spirit lead them to help establish the beautiful town of Mammoth Lakes and in turn one of the planet’s premier outdoor playgrounds and pristine natural resources. Then take into consideration that all we have to potentially gain by ignoring the facts are legal ramifications that may only stop at providential redemption. As Hayden Cabin Curator Mark Davis said to me, “This could be some potentially bad karma for the town of Mammoth Lakes.”

So, what’s up now? In 1995 the Mammoth Lakes Planning Commission seeking to make public improvements in The Bluffs area, certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) from 1982 by one Jeff Burton. According to Burton’s EIR a recommendation was made that the Pioneer Cemetery (located within The Bluffs) be preserved as a cemetery…as it was…again. That hasn’t bothered William West though. Perhaps Mr. West isn’t bothered about the fact that for generations now the remains of at least twenty-three of Mammoth’s Pioneers have been buried on the lot he purchased. How was he even able to purchase the lot in the first place? These Pioneers have, for the most part, rested in peace for many years and now their graves have been lost, mostly forgotten and unfortunately mostly desecrated. How did civic leadership even get the town into this predicament? Fast forward to the Airport/Hotel debacle and it all makes more sense I guess.

West had requested to develop his land for years. Of course this is his right, if it weren’t for the fact that his land is on a well known cemetery. He pressed and it appears that eventually he got his way. To Mr. West’s credit, he was also open to the idea of selling his cemetery lot back to the Town of Mammoth Lakes, at full market value of course. So, in response and in full acknowledgment of Burton’s report the town suggested that Mr. West have his own EIR conducted. Evidentially historical references, official survey and the original EIR weren’t enough. It appears as if the intention was to find a way to discredit the past.

West along with the town’s approval hired Pacific Legacy to conduct his EIR. Pacific Legacy dug eight random trenches with a backhoe…yes, a backhoe. Needless to say, this is not what one would be accustomed to seeing at an archaeological dig site. Yes, there was a “qualified” Archaeologist on site and overseeing the dig. Yes, he was paid by Mr. West, who coordinated with the town. Yes, scientists who have been paid for their research have a bad track record; case and point, climate change scientist.

Remarkably, the Archaeologist for hire and his scientific dig found no remains to account for the at least twenty-three pioneers known to be buried there. Then the town of Mammoth Lakes under the guidance of Deputy Community Development Director, Bill Taylor and his staff recommended in a letter to the Planning Commission, “that the Commission accept the letter report from Pacific Legacy and find that no further archaeological investigation is required at this time.”

No further archaeological investigation is required at this time? There are local records establishing that this area in question is a cemetery and many of Mammoth’s Pioneers were buried there. The book Old Mammoth refers intimately and directly to the cemetery. Local publications have run a handful of stories about the fact that the cemetery exists. Land surveys corroborate the existence of a graveyard in this very location. Anecdotal information about the Pioneer Cemetery matches the existing artifacts. In the 1950’s a cement monument was placed there by Louis and Joe Serventi along with Fred Brooks and it read, “WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.” These were brave words written by well intending men. However, it appears that those men have, for the most part, come and gone.

Search and Rescue Expert and Cadaver Dog Handler/Trainer, Paul Dostie has taken his specialized cadaver searching dog to the Pioneer Cemetery and has witness his dog alert on many occasions within the lot. “I was curious to see how my dog would react after the soil had been turned over by the backhoe,” said Dostie, “so, I went up there with Dan McConnell and we watched him (the cadaver dog) as he laid down a bunch of times, alerting me to a number of locations of human remains,” Dostie continued. Dostie went on to say that if one were so inclined to look for human remains that it would be hard to establish any such thing other than teeth due to the duration of the burials.

 

The report presented by Pacific Legacy read, “No evidence of soil disturbance, artifacts or human remains was found.” Then, according to the report that Taylor and his staff submitted to the Planning Commission, “The report concluded that no evidence of a graveyard exists on the subject property and no development restrictions related to a graveyard are necessary.” That is extremely convenient for Mr. West and for the Town of Mammoth Lakes for that matter.

The fact is that Anthropology and Archaeology are supposed to work in tandem in order to give us an accurate view of the past. It is often the archived periodicals, letters, journals and personal memoires of those in the past who have helped historians understand the complexities of our forefathers. These facts seem to have been ignored in the pursuit of a more pseudo scientific approach and while ignoring the fact that empirical evidence other than human remains does exist. The most recent information available from the Town of Mammoth Lakes is the report cited from July 2007 and issued by Taylor and his staff. However, articles prior to this one exist as recent as 2009.

Currently, there are no apparent publicly available plans for development of the Pioneer Cemetery; that includes a memorial. Perhaps that is because of the recommendation made by the town also reads, “Staff also recommends that a condition be placed in the building permit tracking system that any future ground disturbing construction be provided with State guidelines for treatment of historical, prehistoric or human remains.”

Does this “condition” have anything to do with the lot’s development status? Even so, this written provision itself seems a bit indicting. What is the need for this disclosure if no human remains were found or exist? Is this typical legalese to protect the town and if so, from what then? The book Old Mammoth reads, “In a heavily wooded spot between Mill City and Windy Flat was the graveyard of the three mining camps. It was a peaceful, beautiful, woodsy area.” Have we forgotten about the Pioneers buried here in Mammoth? If there are any persons familiar with this story I encourage you to contact the paper and have your story known.

Date Night at the East Side Bake Shop

(From 12/20/2013)

An evening with 

Proprietor and Baker, 

Elizabeth McGuire along with Guest Chef and 

Wine Maker, David Scheidt.

By Victor Meier

Date Night finally arrived for my girlfriend and I in the form of an intimate evening spent with local Restaurateur, Baker, Chef, Mother and Wife (to say the very least) Elizabeth McGuire.

Elizabeth is the proprietor of the East Side Bake Shop located at the McGee Creek Lodge. Friday night I was lucky enough to attend one of Elizabeth’s dinners which featured Guest Chef and Wine Maker David Scheidt from Mastro Scheidt Family Cellars of Dry Creek Winery, located in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California.

The East Side Bake Shop has a very comforting ambience and, though basic, it is very classy. While others may associate with the Bake Shop as merely a bakery, this was my first visit to the East Side and as a dinner venue I found the Bake Shop to be charming indeed. It is rustic and warm with an upscale urban/mountain appeal that still can be inviting and accommodating to families. The Bake Shop reminded me of restaurants I love from Napa Valley and the Lost Coast. On the walls are striking photographs featuring the work of local artist/photographer David Huebner.

The Menu was simple, elegant and filled with comfort foods that I personally have come to love. Unless you are a vegetarian, (Spoiler Alert!) how can you go wrong with slow roasted pork on the menu? Before you accidentally mistake my description of “simple” as common or muted, the menu was far from either. “Simple” simply means letting the natural flavors of one’s food shine without masking over them with a lot of spices, breading, sauces and the like. Simple in this case is much like Chef Jamie Oliver’s “Naked Chef” classification.

My girlfriend and I started with a delicious white bean purée served with toasted baguette slices. I’m not always a fan of the toasted approach, however, in this case I might have enjoyed it all a little too much being that didn’t leave room for much else. My short-sided gluttony was fully appreciated as the later courses arrived with favorites of mine like flat pasta, pork shoulder and lemon cake…not all at the same time though.

The second course brought a deliciously simple Italian soup done perfectly. If it were not for being the occasion that it was, I would have been slurping down that broth like a child from Oliver Twist. Please sir, may I have some more? It was only my respect for my lovely better half that I refrained. The ravioli stuffed with cheese and spinach was the perfect creamy accent to this wonderfully light and flavorful broth and the perfect addition to the soup.

The third course was a Caesar Salad that I must regretfully announce that I was not a big fan of. For my personal taste the salad dressing was a little bit too sweet and lacked the amount of anchovy that I like from my Caesar dressing. Therefore the salad did not meet my palette with the same expectation that I had garnered for it. The presentation of our salad was done interestingly and in an aesthetically pleasing way. The romaine leaves were longer and required the use of a knife. I always enjoy using a knife when I’m eating salad, though; it makes it easier to load up my fork. Everything was fresh and the croutons were made in house. Sweet or not, that is a hard blend to beat.

Dinner combined the fourth and fifth courses which involved some classic Italian “working man” favorites. There was a Bolognese Sauce served over handmade Taglitelli pasta and cuts of slow roasted pork shoulder served over a perfectly executed creamy polenta. If your mouth isn’t watering right now there is nothing more that I can say about these dishes to you. You need to experience them for yourself one day. When done correctly, these dishes are excellently comforting on a cold night.

Dessert was a moist yet very lightly flavored, double layered lemon cake separated by a limoncello butter cream and topped with powdered sugar. Later Chef David informed me that he put limoncello in the cake batter itself too. Again, personally speaking, I would have enjoyed a little more zing from the lemon cake. Perhaps use more lemon zest in the cake and/or butter cream.

All told, the evening was quite special for me as I enjoyed the company of a truly wonderful woman, while benefiting from the hospitality of Elizabeth McGuire, immersed in the charm of the East Side Bake Shop’s collaboration with the engaging and talented David Scheidt. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar where we were permitted friendly access to both Elizabeth and David, who shared intimate details about our experience. How else would I be able to tell you that the pork shoulder was seared in a cast iron skillet and then slow roasted for five hours?

Caretaker and Manager of the McGee Creek Lodge Jeff Meadway attended dinner and even so reminded me of the way my mom ate most dinners throughout my adolescence by consistently laying down his fork, mid bite, to accommodate the needs of the lodge and its guests. Otherwise Jeff provided great company and was a wealth of historical knowledge. Jeff also organizes and along with Elizabeth, hosts a family friendly evening of bluegrass music at the McGee Creek Lodge every Saturday night, starting around 4pm and lasting until 7pm or so… you know... “Mountain Time”.

The East Side Bake Shop’s Saturday night dinners offer al a carte options and support local businesses like Sierra Sundance, Side Door and Black Velvet. Moreover, the Bake Shop is a culinary asset to the Inyo/Mono Community and no matter the occasion I strongly suggest making reservations or at least plans for an evening with Elizabeth. It is a short distance to travel in order to feel like you are hundreds of miles away from your cares.

Victor Meier is an experienced restaurant professional and writer.

Elizabeth McGuire-Owner and Chef - eastsidebakeshop@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/EastSideBakeShop

David Scheidt, http://www.mastroscheidt.com/david-scheidt/, https://www.facebook.com/djscheidt

KMMT Embarks on a Fresh Track Without Katie Mac. After 40 years of music in the Sierra Nevada’s, KMMT is as strong as ever.

By Victor Meier

For nearly four decades KMMT has been the main source for music, entertainment, weather, snow reports and emergency information in the Sierras.

In December, KMMT listeners experienced the departure of much beloved KMMT DJ Katie McWilliams, known to her fans simply as Katie Mac. I sat down and discussed the station’s direction with some of the KMMT crew. “We’re an advocate for Katie,” said the station’s General Manager Paul Payne, “glad that she was here for the time she was, she made a big impact and we’re grateful for her contribution.” KMMT has evolved over the past decade and with the leadership of such people as Paul and the station’s Program Director Lisa Meuret, KMMT will be moving forward with the same momentum that listeners have come to appreciate.

“She’s [Lisa] our Program Director and she’s in the Bay Area; and does a good job of keeping us connected,” says Paul. Dale Yard, who listeners may recognize as “Dale the Intern”, until in his words, “They started paying me,” has a firm grasp on KMMT’s target audience having been a member of the station’s team for a few years now. Both Dale and Paul understand the importance of genre and intend to broaden the musical landscape at KMMT. Yard expressed a desire to achieve similar status to the likes of larger market, independent stations like 91X in San Diego, CA.

“Internally, Lisa and Paul are both very good about giving their DJ’s the freedom to bring music to the station,” Dale emphasized, then continued by adding, “We’re trying to throw those classic hits in there so you recognize the similarities between the bands that laid down that work for the bands that are here today.” KMMT is a community entity and the team prides themselves on being accessible to the public. The staff at KMMT encourages listener feedback and requests. They have a real open door policy.

When asked what they plan to do with the fervently popular “Fresh Tracks with Katie Mac” [show] Dale answered saying, “We’ve actually moved forward and have introduced a new show called Freshies.” Freshies will be a new take on an existing idea and it will involve more perspective that will come from Dale and new KMMT DJ, Josie B. “Freshies is more of a back and forth with me and Josie B,” says Dale. Josie made her case to Dale by telling him that she wanted to see Fresh Tracks continue and that they needed to let the public know more about the bands they were hearing.

As we sat there on the couch in Paul’s office, nearly on cue, Josie stepped into the room and joined our conversation. Dale and I gladly moved aside to provide Josie room to sit with us. Josie is originally from Sweden and enjoyed a prior stint in Mammoth ten years ago. Besides being a local musician she is a supporter of local music and adds a unique element to the station with her eclectic and worldly influence. Josie told me, “Sweden is where I grew up, but then I’ve been all over the world.”

Veteran DJ at KMMT, TJ Dubs is responsible for doing much of the news these days and will be hosting a Funk and Jam show. I spoke to TJ over the phone and he told me that he’s, “excited about the new people in station and new ideas with eclectic taste,” TJ continued to say, “I’m looking forward to new opportunities in 2014.” TJ’s show will compliment Dale’s Electronic Music show called Bass in Your Face. The entire 2014 programming schedule is evident of the renewed focus that KMMT has implemented. “This team going forward in 2014 is just a great team,” says Dale. For more programming information check the website at http://www.kmmtradio.com/shows.html.

 “Instead of us focusing so much on new music, we’re broadening the spectrum of what’s considered new music,” said Dale, “we’re trying to broaden the term new music.” Shifting their focus from the more obscure artist (while not eliminating them entirely) KMMT has committed to including new music from more established artists as well. Paul helped with perspective on the matter by saying, “There were over 100,000 new album releases last year; it was hard to get it all.” Josie continued with the sentiment that, “While we are all still focusing on finding new artist from all over the world we will also give space to some of those bands that we all love,” continued Josie, “whether they released and album this past or not.” Josie finished by adding, “We want to mix the stuff you already love with new stuff you’ll be nuts for tomorrow.”

The staff at KMMT is strong supporters of local music and vehemently expresses their affection for local musicians as well as bands visiting Mammoth. “We are a proponent and advocate for the bands that are coming here and they’re always welcome in the studio, we like to have the people in live,” added Paul, “its part of the open-door policy for that.” Josie B. is a local musician and plays with the band The Grand Sparrow. In fact, Josie caught the radio bug while performing in studio. “The way she [Josie] got this job was pretty cool,” says Dale, “she actually came in with Grand Sparrow to play a show one day.” “Dale interviewed me,” added Josie, “we played some songs live and I found KMMT to be a very interesting place to be.”

As it appears to me, there is no New Wave music, no Indie or Grunge, no Alternative, no Acid or Hard Rock, no Heavy Metal or whatever the latest industry buzz term for good music is. There’s just good music. If you’re not happy with what you are hearing on KMMT, just wait a song or two…moreover; feel free to share with KMMT what you would like to hear. You are bound to find something you like; after all it’s our community’s station.