Mcdone by Lunch He Town of Mammoth and Visitation
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the PHOTO: REA Mike Bodine prepared his last meal of the summer at the East Side News,sheet Views & Culture of the Eastern Sierra Bake Shop on Saturday, September 3. Lunch waited tables, while Rea and Simpkins drank rosé. You could say it was a real Sheet Show. Saturday, September 10, 2016 FREE Vol. 14, No. 37 THE RECORDS KEEP FALLING July TOT revenue up 21 percent over last year McDONE By Lunch he Town of Mammoth and visitation. SMARI said Lakes continues to set MLT should take credit for Tvisitation and revenue nearly 200,000 “influenced records. trips” to Mammoth and $270 This June was the first June million in enhanced econom- in history which saw Tran- ic activity. It also estimated sient Occupancy Revenue the per-trip expenditure rose (room tax) collections top $1 30 percent last year. million for the month. SMARI claims that every July’s room tax revenue dollar Mammoth spent on came in at approximately advertising created approxi- $1.7 million, 21 percent mately $261 in visitor spend- above last year’s record July. ing and $7 in tax revenue for At Mammoth’s Town Coun- the Town. cil meeting on Wednesday Board member Erik Forsell, evening, newly promoted Marketing Director for Mam- Parks and Recreation Depart- moth Mountain, said MMSA ment Head Stuart Brown said hosted 323,000 unique skiers participation in the Town’s in 2015-2016. summer camp programs was On average, value pass- up 25 percent this year. holders ski eight days per And if you like numbers, season while ticketed skiers PHOTO:REA there were all sorts of ‘em ski about two days every two Signs on the door say “closed during construction,” but they’re not fooling anyone: Mammoth McDonald’s thrown around at the Mam- years. employees received their final paychecks on Monday, September 5. moth Lakes Tourism (MLT) SMARI estimated 859,000 Board meeting on Wednes- winter visitors to Mammoth day, as SMARI (a marketing last year, placing the percent- MAMMOTH MCDONALD’S CLOSES research firm) gave its an- age of skiing visitors at about “We’re hatin’ it,” say employees nual marketing effectiveness 40 percent. By Rea report. The most interesting Mammoth’s “Net Pro- he owner of the Mam- Yessenia Flores, who also receive their final checks. She number: 2.32 million. That’s moter Score” (calculated by moth McDonald’s, worked as a cashier since she said that there was a transla- the number of unique visi- subtracting the number of TKevin Mazzu, called was sixteen at the Mammoth tor there to explain what the tors SMARI estimated that a resort’s detractors from a his employees in at 7 p.m. on McDonalds, told The Sheet in papers said, but “I honestly came to Mammoth last year. resort’s promoters per 100 Monday, September 5, and an e-mail that Mazzu told the didn’t understand what he Mammoth Lakes Tourism visitors) has improved from told the approximately 20 employees the meeting was was reading to me,” nor did Executive Director John Urdi 47 to 56 over the past two employees that it was their supposed to be about “sales,” many of the other employees. said that it is the first time in years according to SMARI last day on the job. but suddenly turned into “Before those papers they nearly ten years that some- research. Some of them got “sev- something else completely. said we were covered with one has made a best guess in Which may explain why erance checks” for $400, Flores also has a child. “By money, because they were quantifying the number of summers have gotten busier according to several of the the end of that meeting there giving us extra hours and visitors that came to Mam- and busier. employees who were let go, [were] no screens anymore at a bonus check that would moth in a particular year. In 2014, SMARI data but after deductions most of the first lobby,” she said. cover from here till we found Another consulting group, showed that 81 percent of those checks amounted to “One week before [the another job,” Flores told The he said, estimated 1.5 million summer visitors made one about $200. meeting], they started to Sheet. However, she said, the visitors back in 2007 and 4 visit during that summer “We never thought that he break the playground down, bonus check only amounted million total visitor days. while 18 percent returned for was going to do that,” Carina and we asked why, they said to $200. Not enough, she SMARI research showed the a second time. Villanueva, who worked as [because] he was getting a feels, to hold her over until average guest stayed 3.2 days. In 2016, 63 percent of sum- a cashier at the Mammoth new playground in. So they she finds another job, partic- Do the math and that equals mer visitors were estimated McDonald’s for 12 years, told lied.” ularly during the slow shoul- 7.44 million total visitor days. to have come one time, 28 The Sheet. “I started when I Flores told The Sheet that der season in Mammoth. MLT increased its ad spend percent two times, 4 percent was sixteen,” said Villanueva, all of the employees were Villanueva said she was from approximately $636,000 three-to-four times and 5 who is supporting a 2-year- asked to sign “papers” (likely taken completely by surprise in 2014 to $1,044,000 in 2015, percent five times or more. old child by herself. “I don’t non-disclosure agreements) by the closure. “He didn’t which SMARI said resulted in know what I’m going to do.” before they were allowed to see HATIN’, page 18 increased market awareness Old dog, new tricks Mountain man dies I want a new whip Good news Rocket or balloon? /p. 10/ /p. 12/ /p. 6/ /p. 8/ /p. 2/ 2 I www.thesheetnews.com THE SHEET I Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 ROCKET ... OR HOT AIR BALLOON the Ted Carleton ....... Jack of all Lunches 760.937.4613 / [email protected] So, it’s been two months since MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory’s “moon shot” announcement that Mammoth hopes to create 1,000 local technology jobs June Simpkins ..Jack of everything else within the next five years. 760.937.3967 / [email protected] 58 months to go, and as far we can tell, still 1,000 jobs left to create. sheet Mike Bodine ..................Writer MMSA has thus far made zero investment in its space rocket - though News, Views & Culture of the Eastern Sierra [email protected] clearly it could launch a hot air balloon. “Ita ut nihil vobis! Amittere non! Joking aside, I set out to ask some industry experts about the announced Sarah Rea .....................Writer RecTech vision for Mammoth. Bente domine!” [email protected] Turns out that one of Mammoth’s native sons, a Mammoth High School -Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka Charles James .............Contributor graduate by the name of Marc Nager, now runs the Telluride Venture Accel- 760.614.0546 erator (TVA). JACK LUNCH Clouds McCloud ......... TVA identifies promising tech companies and then chooses a select few to PUBLISHER Ass-trologer host for a five-month business “boot camp” of sorts, where it introduces en- P.O. Box 8088 Abagael Giles ................. trepreneurs to industry leaders and also helps start-ups raise seed capital. Writer Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 [email protected] In return for $30,000, which helps the entrepreneurs cover expenses dur- 760.924.0048/[email protected] ing their five month stay, TVA takes a 5 percent equity stake in the business. An adjudicated paper of general circula- For a subscription to The Sheet contact tion. ©2016 The Sheet, all rights reserved. Lunch at his above e-mail address, or call the office. Issues are mailed out bi-weekly. Cost www.thesheetnews.com Check out for is $65/year. more content, daily updates and free online classifieds. In its five years of existence, TVA, according to Nager, has helped 18 companies which now employ 83 people and have raised $12.5 million in investment capital. Nine of the companies are now based in Telluride. 17 of the 18 are based in Colorado. Prior to taking the job at TVA, Nager started his own tech company called “Start Up Weekend.” Start Up Weekend hosts intensive weekend boot camps for aspiring entrepreneurs. Nager says 300,000 people have now been through the program worldwide with events held in some exotic and unlikely locales (50 events in Iran and 7 events in Iceland, for example). At the time of sale (to a larger company, TechStars, which does much of what TVA does but on a global, high-dollar scale), Start Up Weekend was a $12 million business with 70 employees. “Economic development cuts across all political spectrums, all geography, all religions… entrepreneurs can come from anywhere,” says see RECTECH, page 4 WHAT’S HAPPENING SEPTEMBER 9–16 EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT SUMMER ACTIVITIES DINING & HAPPY HOUR VC MTB BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS • SEPTEMBER 9 SIERRA STAR GOLF COURSE DINNER FOR TWO • THE VILLAGE A summer full of epic races culminates on Friday September 9 with a chain-less championship race Eastern Sierra’s only 18-hole For only $50/couple, you can get your fi ll down Velocity. Register from 3–4pm day-of at championship course – you won’t fi nd on Tuesdays at Sushi Rei with a 3-course the Adventure Center; race starts at 4:30pm with a more stunning golf course anywhere. meal plus 4-fl avor sake fl ight, or go big awards and afterparty following at Yodler with a Get a Fall Play Pass for unlimited rounds with 4-courses and 50% off bottled wine raffl e featuring a GoPro, Oakley eyewear and a 2017 Mammoth Bike Park pass.