Planet JH 2.08.17 by Planet Jackson Hole

JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | FEBRUARY 8-14, 2017

Happy Valentine’s Day! Can we hurry this dinner along? I have another date in an hour.

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JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 5 | FEBRUARY 8-14, 2017

12 COVER STORY THE DIGITAL DATING GAME Happy Valentine’s Day! Can we hurry this dinner along? I have another date in an hour.

Cover illustration by Cait Lee

4 EDITOR’S NOTE

20 MUSIC BOX

6 DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS

24 CULTURE KLASH

THE NEW WEST

8-10 THE BUZZ

26 IMBIBE 31 SATIRE

THE PLANET TEAM PUBLISHER

Copperfield Publishing, John Saltas EDITOR

Robyn Vincent / editor@planetjh.com

ART DIRECTOR

STAFF REPORTERS

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Aaron Davis, Traci McClintic, Sarah Ross, Ted Scheffler, Chuck Shepherd, Shannon Sollitt, Tom Tomorrow, Lisa Van Sciver, Todd Wilkinson, Jim Woodmencey, Baynard Woods,

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February 8-14, 2017 By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey By the time you read this, the Town of Jackson will have already received its average precipitation and snowfall for the month of February. Average February precipitation is 1.14 inches and the average total snowfall is 14 inches. Even if the snow stopped falling tomorrow, we would end up with an above average month, with more than two weeks left in the month. If it does not stop, then we can chase the record February snowfall of 33 inches from 1978.

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We have not had an overnight low temperature below zero since the First of February, which is a welcome change from what we endured here in December and January. Average overnight low temperatures are upper single digits this week, which we may not get close to until early next week. The record low temp in town this week is an unimaginable 48-degrees below zero, set back on February 9th, 1933. That was an exceptionally cold February in Jackson.

High temperatures have been on the warm side this past week, consistently in the 30’s in town. Average high temperatures this week are around 30-degrees. That is much warmer than those frigid days of December and January, but nowhere near the kind of warm we had back in 1951. The record high temperature this week was 56-degrees on February 10th, 1951. That was the peak of a string of days with highs in the 40’s and 50’s that February.

NORMAL HIGH 31 NORMAL LOW 7 RECORD HIGH IN 1951 56 RECORD LOW IN 1933 -48

THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.14 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 2.8 inches (1962) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 14 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 33 inches (1978)

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FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 3

Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com

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Beyond Bystanders BY ROBYN VINCENT @TheNomadicHeart

O For all MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES WEEKLY CALENDAR JOB OPENINGS SOLICITATIONS FOR BIDS PUBLIC NOTICES AND OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION

Visit our website

TetonWyo.org The public meeting agendas and minutes for the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission can also be found in the Public Notices section of the JH News and Guide.

n Saturday a group of strangers found themselves peering quietly at one another on a New York City subway car—surely a common scenario for many of them. Except on this day they were sitting on a subway with swastikas scrawled on every advertisement, every window. Above one swastika read the words, “Jews belong in an oven.” In a Facebook post that went viral, Gregory Locke, a 27-year-old Manhattan attorney, recounted what happened next: “The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do. One guy got up and said, ‘Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol.’ He found some tissues and got to work. I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel. Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone.” All it took was one person and passengers wasted no time springing into action. As hate crimes spike across the US and people are emboldened to propagate their prejudices in public spaces

SNOW PACK REPORT F

STORMY SWEETIE

or weeks stormy weather has loaded slopes and deepened the snowpack. Snow depths in Rendezvous bowl have been more than 100 inches since the February 2. Constant snowfall along with strong winds has made many ski lines fat, flat, and smooth. Start zones are growing in width and slope anchors like rocks are becoming buried. In the first week of February the Tetons received about five inches of SWE (snow water equivalent). During this time many natural and human triggered avalanches occurred. These slides had crown depths one to three feet in depth and varied in destructive sizes. In some areas faceted snow like surface hoar, which formed in January, can be found under the February snow. This persistent weak layer creates a tricky hazard to identify, and due to spatial variability

and on social media, no one can assume the role of bystander anymore; even if it creates rifts in friendships or mines moments of misery with family members, even if it incites uncomfortable situations with strangers. Nine years ago, while living in my first (and last) Jackson skid pad, one of my roommates’ buddies used the n-word in front of me. Coming from a city like Detroit, a place heavily populated with black people, I was rattled to hear this word uttered with such brazen nonchalance. What kind of place had I moved to? And how could this person assume I shared his prejudice? I decided he would have to share my discomfort, so I fibbed. I told him I happened to have African Americans in my family, that I wasn’t OK with someone using a racial slur in my home. A heavy silence swallowed the room. Dumbfounded, he dropped his head for a moment and then apologized before I confessed it was an alternative fact. But what ensued next was honest dialogue. He said he didn’t know any black people. It was just a word to him, something that, in culturally vacuous Wyoming, he hadn’t really thought much about. I probably didn’t convince him to wipe the word from his lexicon, but at least, and perhaps for the first time in his life, he engaged in discussion about the pain, the hate, the history attached to something that is so much more than a word. While it’s difficult to imagine a vile display like what New Yorkers saw this

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each slope should be treated like it could be very different from the last. Through these storms the avalanche hazard has been high, because of the extreme loading from snowfall and wind. We have seen large grain grauple, which is a rimed snowflake. These ball-like snow grains roll down the hill and pile up below cliffs. We have also seen saturated snow at lower elevations, which caused many dangerous roof slides in the valley. As water percolates through the snowpack it dissolves the bonds between snow crystals weakening the snowpack’s structure. The first time cold snow is saturated it quickly becomes very dangerous. The water’s surface tension can act as weak glue, but once the bond breaks it will entrain heavy wet snow. As an avalanche instructor once told me, “When it rains, head to the bar.” Stay safe out there as the storms continue. — Lisa

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EDITOR’S NOTE

New York City subway passengers break out their Purel on Saturday to remove Nazi graffiti.

weekend scrawled on, say, the inside of a START bus, there are plenty of opportunities right here in Jackson Hole to be that one person. To support people who feel threatened or marginalized, or to condemn incendiary language when you hear it. Volunteer in ESL classrooms or with children and adults at the Teton Literacy Center, talk with your Latino neighbors, some who are fearful for their futures. Let them know that you support them. Don’t be resigned to what one passenger on that New York City subway car concluded: “I guess this is Trump’s America.” To which the young attorney replied, “No sir, it’s not. Not tonight and not ever. Not as long as stubborn New Yorkers have anything to say about it.” I reckon Jacksonites have something to say about it too. PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

MILL IRON RANCH VALENTINE’S WEEKEND SPECIAL SAT. FEBRUARY 11TH & TUE. FEBRUARY 14TH Guests will enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride, views of the native wildlife & picturesque mountains before sitting down in the lodge with one of Chancey’s Special T-Bone Steaks plus sides. Afterward, enjoy BARN DANCING to live music of local band HOG ISLAND RAMBLERS.

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COME ENJOY OUR VALLEY AFTER DARK. LISTED BUSINESSES ARE OPEN PAST 6PM.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 5

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Authoritarian rulers are no strangers to melding church and state. BY BAYNARD WOODS @BaynardWoods

n front of the illuminated columns of the Supreme Court Building, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney and several other Christian activists were gathered together, waiting for President Trump to announce his pick for Supreme Court justice—a spot left vacant for nearly a year after Republicans refused to acknowledge Barack Obama’s nominee. When Trump announced Colorado judge and possible teenage fascist Neil Gorsuch, perhaps best known for his Hobby Lobby opinion that showed a willingness to treat corporations like people and allow them to refuse to provide medical treatment, primarily reproductive health to women, based on religious belief, Mahoney and his small crowd rejoiced. Mahoney called on his followers to kneel down at the steps of the courthouse, declaring it would be “the first public prayer” for the new nominee. But someone beat him to the punch. “God help us all!” a man yelled from the back of the growing crowd of protesters. It was an appropriate first public prayer upon the appointment of Gorsuch.

Unlikely mascot Thrice-married and adulterous Trump, not known for turning the other cheek, was not an intuitive choice for the religious right, which has spent the past several decades attacking the personal morality of political candidates and claiming God sends catastrophes to nations to punish their citizens for sexual deviancy. An old joke about the late, lecherous and notoriously racist South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond might capture the initial religious perception of Trump’s position on their core issues. Trump’s secretary calls through and says, “There’s someone on the phone who

Religious fright The president’s louche opportunism is one reason that many on the religious right backed the otherwise universally reviled Ted Cruz, proving perhaps, as, uh, One Corinthians puts it, that God, or at least his followers, “chose things despised by the world.” But eventually they got behind Trump, even if it meant admitting their concerns with personal morality were actually nothing more than Machiavellian hypocrisy. Trump would repay them by appointing, in Mahoney’s words, “the justice who would help overturn Roe v. Wade.” “This is the reason why so many went out, passed out literature, held signs, made phone calls,” Mahoney said. “We knew the critical importance of this moment, and so we gather here tonight and we feel the first thing to do is to pray. We are going to ask God to lead and direct Judge Gorsuch. We are going to ask that his confirmation hearing run smoothly.” The Democrats are the worst opposition party imaginable, so Jesus probably won’t have to work too hard. The day after the announcement, Trump encouraged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “go nuclear” and lower the number of senators required to confirm a justice and end a filibuster from 60 to a simple majority. Democrats are already counseling each other to save their political capital for the next fight, instead of trying to force Republicans to use a little of their political capital. Right now, the Democrats have so little capital that there may be no next fight. But Trump seems to know the evangelicals will fight—according to Pew, 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump, more than for George W. Bush, John McCain or Mitt Romney—and he is rewarding them handsomely. On the same day he announced his Supreme Court nominee, Trump named Jerry Falwell Jr. the head of a task force on higher education. He described Falwell as “one of the most respected religious leaders in our nation.” Falwell’s Liberty University may be slightly more rigorous than Trump University, but the announcement

BAYNARD WOODS

Unholy Unions

wants to talk to you about the abortion bill.” “Just tell her I’ll pay it,” he replies.

The religious right rejoices in the name of President Trump.

signals a shift from teaching the fundamentals of critical thinking toward teaching a fundamentalism that is critical of thinking. Liberty’s Center for Creation Studies aims to “research, promote, and communicate a robust young-Earth creationist view of Earth history” based on “sound Biblical interpretation.”

Getting closer to God Two days after his court announcement, the tension between Trump’s personal vanity and his commitment to enacting religious policy reached its apotheosis when he spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast. Trump made headlines by using prayer to diss the current ratings of his former NBC show, The Apprentice. (“The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster,” Trump told those in attendance. “I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings.”) Trump is still listed as a producer on the show, so he likely stands to profit from improved ratings. Still, nobody at the breakfast seemed to care because Trump also promised to “get rid of and totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt nonprofits, like churches, from participating in political campaigns, directly or indirectly. Falwell Jr. said the elimination of this amendment—the Johnson was LBJ—would “create a huge revolution for conservative Christians and for free speech.” It would free churches to further support Trump so he could further support them. Such collaboration between church and state is not uncommon for authoritarian strongmen. The “Punk Prayer” that landed members of the Russian activist group Pussy Riot in

prison was an attack on the close relationship between Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Christian cleansing

In a final scene from last week’s apocalypse, anonymous sources told Reuters Thursday that the administration wanted to rechristen the “Countering Violent Extremism” program “Countering Islamic Extremism” or “Countering Radical Islamic Extremism.” Along with the name change, the program “would no longer target groups such as white supremacists who have also carried out bombings and shootings in the United States.” That would mean Dylann Roof, who sat and prayed with nine African Americans before he murdered them in their church, would not be considered a dangerous extremist. For nationalists, the message is clear: It is not only about Christianity. It is about whiteness and ethnic nationalism. Not everyone is blind to this. On the night of Gorsuch’s nomination, at the Supreme Court Building, Mahoney and his associates knelt and ostentatiously prayed the second public prayer over Trump’s appointee. “So father, we commit him to you and we are thankful,” Mahoney said as the growing crowd around him drowned out his words, chanting “Black Lives Matter.” PJH Baynard Woods is editor at large for Baltimore City Paper. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times and The Washington Post. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, focusing on ethics and tyranny and became a reporter in an attempt to live like Socrates. SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

From the Gobi to Greater Yellowstone What endangered grizzlies in Mongolia can teach us about bruins in the West. BY TODD WILKINSON @BigArtNature

JOE RIIS

The elusive Gobi grizzly lives on the fringe of normalcy.

grizzly bears have no goddamn idea of how good they got it for the time being. Chadwick praises 40 years of vigilant US efforts to reverse the decline of grizzlies in the West and there were times, he says, where he thought they were destined to disappear from the Lower 48. Grizzlies today are found in more places than when they were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, but Chadwick the scientist believes they are still a fair ways from biological recovery. Amid climate change and the region being inundated by more people, the best hope of ensuring persistence is to establish a metapopulation, which means interlinking Greater Yellowstone with the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem along the U.S.-Canada border, via the Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana and public land wilderness in central Idaho. I asked him about the commonality of the species he’s written about over the years. “The most captivating and inspiring animals are more likely than not rare in this age of the Anthropocene and becoming a whole lot rarer every year,” he said. “This is especially true of iconic species that capture your attention as umbrella species or as indicators of what’s happening to the whole ecosystem. That’s what you have with the grizzlies of Gobi and the Greater Yellowstone.” PJH Todd Wilkinson writes his award-winning column, The New West, every week, as he has done for 28 years. He is author of Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek about famous Jackson Hole grizzly 399, only available at mangelsen.com/grizzly SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 7

are primarily nocturnal. “It’s the smallest bear population in the world. It exists at the outer edge of the outer edge of normal possibility for a bear,” he said. “These grizzlies are, in a way, counterparts to what’s going on with polar bears and climate change. One is running out of ice and the other is running out of water.” The author is not out only to pitch his book but also to raise money for critical monitoring, conservation support and habitat protection. When you get down to around three dozen animals, every bear counts in large amounts. Researchers have resorted to some desperate measures to boost the bears’ likelihood of survivability, including supplementing their diet with artificial rations. And there’s been talk about having to round up bears and move them into the safety of a captive breeding program. But this step is not yet necessary because neither low densities of grizzlies nor genetic inbreeding are problems for reproduction. Chadwick has hope. If the bears can hold on, there’s a preserve located just to the east, a protected area set aside for snow leopards, argali sheep, Siberian ibex and bearded vultures, Gobi Gurvan Sayhan Uul National Park, that could also be a sanctuary for grizzlies. The trick is protecting the corridor between. The region is changing fast from industrial development. Opening soon nearby could be the world’s largest coal mine to fuel power plants in China that, not long ago, were opening at a pace of about one per week. “Connectivity—it’s not all that different of a story from what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “Our

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ouglas Chadwick was trekking through the Himalayas in search of snow leopards when he unexpectedly spied a grizzly grazing on a mountain slope, just as he had witnessed bears umpteen occasions in his own Northern Rockies. A conversation with his hosts ensued. Chadwick learned that a legendary cluster of grizzlies existed at lower elevation—in the bone-dry and hardscrabble Gobi Desert, a place where it’s hard for even a lizard to make a living. Being the naturalist he is, a writing scientist who has trailed bruins, wolverines and other elusive creatures, Chadwick was hooked. Now he has a new book out, Tracking Gobi Grizzlies: Surviving Beyond the Back of Beyond with photographs by Joe Riis, the brilliant National Geographic shooter. On Sunday night at Center for the Arts, Chadwick will deliver a public presentation on what he found in the vicinity of the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area. For people riveted by grizzlies—I’ve met few who aren’t—Chadwick’s program promises to be a riveting evening, for he will share insights about what the tenuous existence of the Gobi bears might portend for grizzlies in our corner of the American West. Chadwick will be joined by Mongolian bear geneticist Odko Tumendemberel and Ryan Lutey of Vital Ground Foundation. A few days ago Chadwick and I had a chat. The Gobi covers a sweep of southern Mongolia and northern China. A lot of it looks like eastern Montana or Wyoming without the fences. “But when you get into the true desert, the terrain goes from steppe and turns into a stonescape, as if the western edge of the great American prairie turned to gravel and dust. It’s more parched than the Great Basin.” A century ago, Gobi grizzlies, considered near-mystical creatures known as mazaalai, were so rare and elusive that the tracks they left behind in the sands of southwestern Mongolia fueled the legend of Yeti. Chadwick mentioned some startling bits of natural history. In the winter, temps fall to 40-below and during summertime, when temperatures reach a broiling 120 degrees, bears sleep during the day and

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THE BUZZ People Power Locals are helping to shift lawmakers’ decisions in Cheyenne and Washington. BY SARAH ROSS

ntil a couple weeks ago, Wilson resident Beth McIntosh didn’t know that Republican Sen. Mike Enzi has an office in Jackson above Picnic. Now, the local musician has already arranged and attended a meeting with staffers there and plans to organize more. McIntosh, who has lived in the valley for 34 years, is not alone. In the last few weeks, Enzi field representative Nikki Brunner reported a deluge of calls, emails, and visits. An Enzi staff member told McIntosh the senator’s office received 183 calls in one hour, a sharp increase from the typical 500 to 1,000 weekly phone calls that Enzi’s press secretary Max D’Onofrio says the office is used to seeing. These efforts are not in vain, particularly in a state where lawmakers have sown a tradition of making themselves accessible to their constituents. D’Onofrio guarantees that Enzi sees every single piece of feedback. Armed with knowledge, McIntosh hopes community members can normalize political participation. “It’s like muscle memory … direct action should be a part of being a citizen. We can develop these skills, begin dropping by the senator’s office like we drop by the library.” Experts from across the state, from professional lobbyists to Congressional staff members, agree with McIntosh’s tactic; more than anything else they advise showing up. Emailing is good, calling is better, but physical presence is by far the best. Jason Baldes, executive director of the Wind River Advocacy Center, said that in 2014 after years of bills that threatened the Native population, they decided to have a more sustained presence in the legislature. Since installing several lobbyists during the legislative session, they’ve noticed a marked improvement in bills related to the rights of those on the reservation. Those who can’t camp out in Cheyenne will have to find other ways to ensure accountability. Skye Schell is the civic engagement director at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and a co-founder of Shelter JH, a housing advocacy group. He says organizers will have to start getting creative: “Calling, emailing, attending meetings, those are all in the framework of what is expected. They’re important but not enough. Organizers should look for ideas that are inside the comfort zones of their participants, but outside the comfort zones of their representatives.” In June 2016, Schell helped organize a historic event to bring attention to those struggling to find affordable housing. About 100 community members marched through town and into a town council meeting to share stories about how the housing crisis had impacted their lives. People who had never attended

a meeting were there, taking up every seat, while others sat on the floor, the windowsills and spilled into the lobby. “It was a community owned space,” Schell explained. “It flipped the power dynamic that said that it’s the people who have to come to meetings. It was a community-held meeting that electeds came to.”

The public’s will From demonstrations to calling lawmakers, people have been engaging across the country since the election, and their engagement has effected change. There are several examples of representatives changing votes or withdrawing bills after being flooded by emails, voicemails and office visits. After facing massive public opposition, Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz-R, withdrew a bill that would have sold 3.3 million acres of federal public land throughout 10 states. After withdrawing the bill, he posted a photo of himself on social media bedecked in hunting gear, explaining that he too loved public lands and that he heard the people’s voice. Greg Zimmerman, deputy director of Colorado’s Center for Western Priorities, told PJH the withdrawal signals the power the public wields. “It demonstrates that speaking up can influence public policy. It’s worth noting that public outcry works. We’re going to continue seeing bills to dispose of public lands … and that would erase tribal protections that tribes have been fighting for the better part of the century. These will be the next big fights.” In Wyoming, public lands advocates also celebrated when Senate President Eli Bebout killed a public lands transfer constitutional amendment. “I am not sure we would have had the votes to get the constitutional amendment through,” Bebout told The Planet on the heels of his decision. Jeff Muratore, of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, is among the advocates engaged in the battle to protect public lands from falling into the hands of state control. He pointed to the diverse groups of people who united against the amendment as part of the reason for Bebout’s decision. “It is heartening to see folks from every walk of life—Democrats, Republicans, sportsmen, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts—all coming together in the name of public lands,” he told PJH in January. Then there was the recent Wyoming Government Anti-Discrimination Act, a misleading title for a bill that wouldn’t protect LGBTQ people, but instead government workers who discriminate against them. People like Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue a marriage license for a same-sex couple. In Wyoming, Davis would be protected under the proposed legislation if she cited religious reasons for refusing the LGBTQ couple. But lawmakers failed to convince enough people of the bill’s merit, PJH reported in January. Instead, a flurry of intense opposition from folks across the state ensued, said Sabrina King, policy director for the Wyoming ACLU. King says that resistance swayed lawmakers to withdraw the bill. “People were upset, and vocal … you saw that from all corners—not only the LGBTQ community but also faith leaders, business owners and many organizations,”

King recently told PJH. “I think it is really telling and hopefully a lesson learned for lawmakers.”

‘They’re paid to represent you’

One resident who cares deeply about public lands has been calling every office of every Wyoming representative several times a week. “It seems excessive now, but ... the majority of legislation gets passed during the first 100 days,” explained Hans Flinch, a landscape architect. Flinch says he receives responses, though they often lack clear messages. But it’s much harder to be non-committal in person, he said. Therefore, he hopes to see representatives hold town hall meetings during their recess, to go on record “face-to-face about how they will vote on certain issues.” For example, Republicans may adopt a national party line that supports oil drilling in parks. If these bills arise, Flinch wants a guarantee that representatives will diverge from their party to protect Wyoming’s best interests. “Your representative or senator is paid to represent you. It doesn’t matter if they are a Republican or Democrat, it is their job to make sure they are hearing your voice and taking it into consideration.” Looking to one of the most conservative groups in the country for cues on potent engagement is something Flinch recommends. “During the first four years of Obama, the Tea Party showed up at offices and events and demanded answers in person. These are tactics that shouldn’t be ruled out ... they are very effective.” McIntosh imagines a community “fire line” of participation centered on Enzi’s office. Each week, one person would take two friends there to speak about issues important to them. The next week, each of those friends would invite two more, and so on. Though each person would only have to go to the office twice, participation would grow exponentially, and significance would be enormous. “In Wyoming, you have a much greater relative impact as a citizen,” she said. In light of historic political participation, organizers have incredible opportunity. Schell noted that normally, “the danger with organizing is having enough energy and momentum.” That is not an issue now. Instead, the challenge is delineating goals and strategies. He hopes to see residents organizing with local groups that protect those who may be at risk under new national policies, for example the immigrant population in town. “Will local law enforcement withhold participation from federal agencies carrying out immigration policies not in line with American values?” he asked. Schell urges organizers to think beyond calls and emails, to ask themselves how to take advantage of massive energy to make the greatest impact. He says people should ask themselves what they can do to challenge their representatives, to make them uncomfortable. It’s time, Schell said, to demand a rearranging of the framework rather than continued operation within the old one. PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

WRITER WANTED

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THE BUZZ 2 Risky Turns House Bill launches debate about skier safety and resort liability in Wyoming. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

bill in front of the Wyoming Legislature aims to clarify the definition of “inherent risk” in skiing and snowboarding at ski resorts, and consequently establish what accidents are worthy of a lawsuit. Opinions on either side of the argument suggest that semantics carry a lot of weight where liability is concerned. House Bill 32, The “Ski Safety Act,” advanced out of the House and into the Senate committee last week. Its goal, said proponent Rep. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, is to “carefully delineate and define inherent risks involved in snow skiing and set out a framework for all ski resorts to be defined in the same way.” Local Reps. Andy Schwartz, D-Jackson, and Marti Halverson, R-Etna, are also in favor of the bill. Inherent risks, according to the Wyoming Recreational Safety Act, are “those dangers or conditions which are characteristic of, intrinsic to, or an integral part of any sport or recreational opportunity.” Under the Wyoming Recreational Safety Act, ski resorts and other providers of certain sporting activities are already protected from liability for accidents that are a result of an inherent risk of the sport. Attorney Jerry Bosch worries that the bill essentially eliminates the word “inherent” from those protections. Ski resorts, he says, would be protected from any risk involved in skiing. “That could be anything.” Ski Safety Act’s new definition of inherent risk is “dangers and conditions which are part of the sport of skiing,” including “changing weather conditions; collisions or impacts with natural objects including encounters with wildlife; impact with ski lift towers, signs, posts, fences or enclosures, hydrants, water pipes or other man-made structures and their components; and variations in steepness or terrain, whether natural or as a result of ski trail or feature design, or snowmaking or grooming operations such as roads, freestyle terrain, jumps and catwalks or other terrain modifications.” Bosch’s concern is that under the Ski Safety Act, ski resorts and judges would dismiss accidents as inherent without considering the context in which they happened. He tells the story of his client Lindy Cunningham. Two years ago, she was skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort when she slid from the groomed Gros Ventre trail into a trail sign. The sign, Bosch said, was poorly placed downhill of the run, and at the intersection of two groomed trails. Bosch alleges it also lacked proper padding. “If the sign moved back 20 feet, her injuries don’t happen,” Bosch said. “If it’s padded correctly, her injuries don’t happen.” Cunningham suffered a spinal injury and is now

an incomplete quadriplegic, meaning she has partial use of her arms but no use of her legs. She sued JHMR, but her case was dismissed because she signed a waiver when she rented her skis and hence, assumed the risk when she bought her lift ticket. The sign has not moved, nor has the padding changed. Bosch argued in court that the context of her accident was important, and that her injuries were not the result of an inherent risk but instead of negligent sign placement and maintenance. The new law, however, would clearly label her collision as an inherent risk. Mark Aronowitz, director of Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, offers a more hypothetical example to illuminate why context is important. Included in the bill’s definition of inherent risks is a collision with another skier. In most instances, Aronowitz admits, that is indeed an inherent risk of skiing. “But,” he questioned, “what if you have a ski resort that can safely hold 500 people, and they sell 5,000 lift tickets?” Or what if a mountain employee, he continued, serves someone five martinis at lunch, and that person later gets into a collision? “Both are collisions, but not inherent. That’s why the facts matter.” Opponents fear that under the Ski Safety Act, cases like Cunningham’s would never even make it to a courtroom. They also worry that in the absence of accountability, the ski resorts would neglect to take appropriate safety measures to prevent further incidents. The threat of a lawsuit, Aronowitz noted, is often at least as strong as a lawsuit itself. “People engage in skiing and other recreational activities because they are enjoyable, and in attending a resort, [people] are extending trust that [the resort has] taken precautions to ensure safety,” Cunningham wrote in an email to the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee. “But … that isn’t always true and if people aren’t given the opportunity for legal inquiry and action, it will become all the more untrue.” Gierau presented the bill in the House on behalf of the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee, where it passed by one vote. He says that the Ski Safety Act is “absolutely not” immunity for ski resorts, and that fears of negligence are unfounded. First of all, he noted, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B77 establishes standards for lift construction, maintenance, and sign inspection. Ski resorts are legally obligated to meet those standards. Further, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort president and CEO Jerry Blann said the bill includes regulations for ski resorts to ensure the safety of their patrons, including placing clear warning and trail signs in appropriate places and instructions for responsible vehicle parking (in other words, not parking a snow cat in the middle of a high-traffic run). The bill also has a negligence clause that would penalize ski area operators for violating “any provision of this act” that “causes damage, injury or death to person or property, constitute evidence of negligence on the part of the person or ski area operator violating this act.”

The purpose of the bill, Gierau said, is to “really help those smaller ski resorts in managing their risk overall.” Gierau noted that eight of Wyoming’s 10 ski resorts are small “mom and pop” operations with few employees. While there’s no concrete evidence to suggest that insurance premiums would lower, but a “frivolous” lawsuit against a small resort could cripple them. “It’s not just for the Mountain Resort at all,” Blann echoed. “It’s actually a bigger deal for the smaller resorts than it is for us.” Blann said he couldn’t readily quantify how many lawsuits resorts across the state face, but for “places like Antelope Butte and Sleeping Giant, one case would put these guys out of business. One is enough.” However, Aronowitz thinks that notion is disingenuous. “Any ski mountain is a pretty large endeavor,” he said. While there are 10 ski resorts in the state, there are “tens of thousands of skiers. I hope that instead of protecting the 10 people who own [resorts], they’d be more interested in protecting the thousands of Wyoming skiers and tourists who are kind enough to visit.” Blann, meanwhile, hopes that in a state whose number one industry (energy) is in a “difficult spot,” the Ski Safety Act could give the tourism industry and the resorts that contribute to it a competitive edge. He observed there are 28 similar bills around the country, in essentially every state with a ski resort except South Dakota. Wyoming’s bill, he said, is primarily modeled off of Colorado’s Ski Safety Act, but is “watered down” after a summer’s worth of creation and revision. Wyoming’s iteration, he said, “just spells out responsibilities of skiers and snowboarders, and of ski resorts.” The bill has made it to the Senate committee, and if it overcomes this next hurtle, Bosch says expects it to pass. It would, however, still have to go through three full readings in the Senate, and much of the language could be amended to reflect the concerns of opponents like Bosch and Aronowitz. Aronowitz said his feelings about the bill would completely change if it mirrored some of the skier protections that the Colorado Ski Safety Act, which this bill is loosely based on, and removed some of the categories of inherent risk that he feels are too subjective, like collisions with skiers. However, Blann argues the amendments made in house, which added a number of skier protections and regulations for ski resorts, “on top of all the work that went on all summer long,” is sufficient. He does not want to see the bill “amended to death to the point that it’s useless.” “You’re not in a padded room,” he said. “There are risks to being outside.” Cunningham, meanwhile, hopes that legislation and resorts can learn from her accident. “I’m sure some lawsuits are petty,” she wrote, “but some aren’t. Some lawsuits are substantial and can serve as an agent for positive changes in policies and regulations to further protect people, their safety and their rights.” PJH

NEWS

By CHUCK SHEPHERD

OF THE

Work of a Researcher

WEIRD

“Field work is always challenging,” explained Courtney Marneweck of South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal in a recent journal article, but studying the sociology of a white rhino’s dung meant developing a “pattern-recognition algorithm” to figure out “smell profiles” of 150 animals’ feces—after tracking them individually to observe them in the act. Wrote Marneweck, “I think my record for waiting for a rhino to poo was 7 1/2 hours.” Conclusion: Rhinos use feces to send distinct social signals on genetically compatible herds, mating access and predator dangers. (Or, in the Los Angeles Times “clickbait” version of the story, rhino dung “has a lot in common with a Facebook post.”)

The Way the World Works

“Retiring” the Herd: Settlement of a class-action lawsuit against a group of dairy co-ops was announced in January with milk producers agreeing to pay $52 million on charges they had conspired to fix the dairy supply for years to get top-dollar prices. Among the producers’ primary tactics, allegedly, was using what the industry calls “herd retirement,” which is “retirement” only in the sense that 500,000 healthy young cows were slaughtered—just to drive up prices by eliminating otherwise-available milk. The $52 million will be for consumers in 15 states and Washington, D.C.

Wrist-Slapping

Rutgers University Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, responding to the NCAA’s announcement of violations against the school’s sports programs (including failure to penalize 16 football players who tested positive for drugs), told the Asbury Park Press in January that he would immediately dismiss from teams any player testing positive for hard drugs—upon the fourth violation (if for marijuana only, upon the fifth). n In January, the Russian parliament voted 380

to 3 to amend its assault law to allow a spouse one punishment-by-”ticketing” (i.e., not criminal) for domestic violence against his partner—provided the bodily harm was not “substantial” and that it happens no more than once a year.

Wait, What?

Surgery on a 16-year-old Japanese girl, reported in January by New Scientist, revealed that her ovary contained a miniature skull and brain. Doctors say that finding rogue brain cells in ovaries is not that uncommon, but that an already-organized brain,

Leading Economic Indicator

Doughnut lovers have legitimately mused for years how U.S. law could condemn, say, marijuana, yet permit Krispy Kreme to openly sell its seemingly addictive sugary delights on America’s streets. Sonia Garcia, 51, realized a while back that residents of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, so much needed Krispy Kreme fixes that she earns a handsome living running a black market from El Paso, Texas, bringing in 40 boxes at a time and re-selling from the trunk of her car at a 60 percent markup, pointing out to a Los Angeles Times reporter in January that her trafficking has already put one son through engineering school. (Mexico City now has Krispy Kremes, but apparently the company’s distribution system cannot yet vanquish Sonia Garcia’s car.)

Can’t Possibly Be True

Reporting from Mbyo, Rwanda, in January on the success of a “reconciliation” program following the country’s bloody genocidal wars, London’s The Guardian found, for example, Laurencia Niyogira living peacefully and forgivingly alongside neighbor Tasian Nkundiye—even though, 22 years ago, Nkundiye murdered Niyogira’s entire family (except for her and her siblings, left barely alive). (Over a 100-day span in 1994, 800,000 ethnic Tutsis were systematically slaughtered by Hutus.) A survey by the country’s national unity commission showed that 92 percent of Rwandans have come to accept reconciliation.

Least Competent Criminals

Driver Joshua Concepcion-West, 27, was arrested in Apopka, Fla., with an ingenious license-plate cover that he could raise and lower remotely from his key chain (thus avoiding identification by cameras as he passed through turnpike checkpoints). On Jan. 11 at a $1.25 toll plaza, he had neglected to check his rearview mirror before lowering the cover—and failed to notice that right behind him was a Florida Highway Patrol car with a trooper watching the whole thing.

Lamest Criminal Defense Ever

Substitute teacher Pete Garcia Hernandez, 49, was arrested in Houston in January and charged with three counts of indecency with a child, involving girls at Looscan Elementary School. The girls had reported earlier that Hernandez had kissed them each on the mouth, but police investigators quoted Hernandez as calling it all an “accident,” that “he was speaking close with them and his tongue accidentally went into their mouth(s).” Thanks this week to Caroline Lawler and the News of the Weird Board of Editorial Advisors.

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 11

Gary Gibson, 65, of Chiloquin, Ore., admits he is sexually attracted to little girls but never acts on his urges, and therefore, demands that people get off his case. He formed the Association for Sexual Abuse Prevention, campaigning, he says, to keep children safe from other pedophiles whose self-restraint may not match his. Gibson describes himself as a “normal, everyday person,” married to a British nurse (whom he met via a Christian singles organization), and has three children and 10 grandchildren—none so far molested (though in an interview, London’s The Sun allowed him to explain his side of various edgy events of his life, such as his having moved for a while to the South Pacific, where little girls sometimes played naked).

n The neonatal intensive care unit of Texas Health Fort Worth disclosed in January that the secret to keeping the most fragile prematurely born babies alive is to quickly stick them into Ziploc freezer bags to create, according to a clinician, a “hot house effect.” (It turns out that merely raising the temperature in the delivery room had only marginal effect.)

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Unclear on the Concept

capable of transmitting electric impulses, is almost unheard-of.

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Happy Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day! Can we hurry this dinner along? I have another date in an hour. BY RYAN BURKE

Heyyy, don’t know if you have ski plans this weekend, but snow looks pretty good. Want to hit up the pass? You should bring Sebastian along!!

available is therefore more valuable. This makes sense when bartering for meat during a famine, but it becomes frustrating when applied to modern day texting strategies where, in order to appear busier than your suitor, the rules dictate to never respond immediately, never exceed the previous text’s number of characters, and never be the last one to text. These games may appear childish and unnecessary, but your chances of finding a date next Friday may depend on how well you can blend your outdated brain with modern technology.

FICKLE

lovers

website alone sets up 40,000 new dates per day, 3,000 of which will become long-term relationships, 200 of which will result in marriage. Indeed, relationships and technology are now so intertwined that from 2005 to 2014 more than one-third of all marriages resulted from an internet connection, according to research from the University of Texas. For some locals, like Chad Spracklen, who happens to be gay, the internet, he says, is his only option for finding a partner. But he doesn’t like the stigma that comes along with meeting someone in the online world. “Whenever I tell people I met my boyfriend online they give me a long look like I just bought him at Kmart,” he said. Others, like Strauss, also attribute their current dating success to having the options that technology provides. “I doubt I would have found my current boyfriend without a dating app,” Strauss admitted. “I wouldn’t have known he was single or looking and our paths would most likely never have crossed.” In today’s hyper-connected world, technology has made finding people easier, but also more confusing. Lindsay Goldring, an 80s child who grew up listening to cassette tapes and witnessed the death of landlines, sees the downsides of integrating our digital and real life selves. Goldring argues that someone’s online persona “can feel like a third person in the relationship and oftentimes can cause conflict and trust issues.” Although she first connected with her current boyfriend online, Goldring says she tries to keep her relationship as technology-free as possible. Some people remain unconvinced of the benefits of a shifting dating landscape. Davis Carr, who

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 13

The first rule our ancestors passed along to us is to make negative information a priority, because if you have a tiger or a berry bush in front of you, addressing those big teeth should come first. This is called the negativity bias and it can wreak havoc in our relationships. Focusing on problems has its advantages, but when the smoke detector in our brain is faced with an unanswered text, we quickly suspect the worst-case scenario. Local massage therapist Hannah Strauss has experienced this phenomenon. “Texting can take up so much energy, you can start to think about it all the time, wondering if they are going to text back; do we have plans or not? So much thought gets wasted on it.” Since texting has no predetermined response time, it leaves people with a sense of unease while trying to figure out the motives of a potential mate. Staying in this state of confusion keeps the suitor on our minds and can influence who we’re drawn to. This may work to a man’s advantage. One study published by the Journal of Psychological Science found that women are most attracted to men that are “uncertain” about them and these “mysterious” men tend to stay in women’s thoughts more often. Christian Rudder of the OkCupid website found that men get the most matches when their profile pictures show them not smiling and looking away from the camera. Women, on the other hand, were more successful when using “selfies” shot down from a high angle with a slightly coy look. Overall, his findings suggest that 90 percent of your fate as an online dater depends on the photos you select to depict yourself. By the way, the OkCupid

Chad Spracklen and his beau

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ailed it, the perfect text: A firm request with a timeframe and a reference to her pet basset hound. Now I just wait the standard 20-minute response window and I’m golden. Maybe next weekend I can take her to that concert my friend was telling me about. Thirty minutes later: Why did I put three “ys” in “Heyyy”? No one does that anymore. I shouldn’t have mentioned the dog; maybe she didn’t get the joke. I sound so desperate. Why didn’t I just go with a soft opening and ask about what she did this offseason? OK, calm down. Maybe she didn’t get the text yet. The next day: Umm, her Facebook status from yesterday reads, “Deepcember 2016” and she had time to post an Instagram photo of her powder turns, but she didn’t have two seconds to answer my text? WTF. And two exclamation points? What was I thinking? Am I a complete moron? Modern romance and human nature don’t always get along. Technology promised to make relationships easier through quick communication and more options for connection, but did our brains get the memo? The social animals that we are, humans crave interaction and information, but could evolution have predicted that we would carry a 24-7 singles bar in our pockets, or that Valentine’s Day memes would one day replace flowers and chocolate? Our DNA and ingrained mating strategies seem to be playing catch up to the new ways of finding love in the time of Tinder, Facebook flirting, and winking emojis. Human beings share a large set of unconscious tendencies that were encoded into our genes over millions of years and are now being played out in predictable ways in modern relationships. People are not puppets to their past, but certain predispositions compel folks to analyze texts, lose sleep over profile pictures, and second guess those they choose as mates. According to anthropologist Helen Fisher, if you took cavemen from 30,000 years ago and threw them into the modern dating scene, their Paleolithic emotions would be very similar to our own. “The essential choreography of human courtship, love, and marriage has a myriad of designs that seem etched into the human psyche through the product of time, selection, and evolution,” Fisher explained. These mating shortcuts were hardwired into our species to make sexual selection strategies easier for our cave-dwelling ancestors, but they also make modern dating a never-ending headache. Take for instance, the scarcity principle, which whispers to our unconscious that any asset that is less

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Lindsay Goldring

works at two local restaurants, describes himself as an “old school romantic living in a hook-up culture.” He says technology hasn’t improved relationships. “It has succeeded at getting people together at a faster speed, but at the expense of cheapening the experience.” For Carr, it’s a numbers game. “Seven out of 10 times my advances are ignored, because girls are getting texted from 20 different guys every day.” He lamented that “humans can’t process that much information at one time, so guys can get thrown to the side because it’s easier than sorting through it all.” Carr admits, however, that for him online dating is not all negative, as it allows him to juggle vetting mates with his busy schedule and let’s him expand his search radius for a companion. He is on three different dating apps: Bumble, Tinder, and Plenty of Fish. This has allowed him to meet up with women from Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and even Mesquite, Nevada.

OPTION OVERLOAD AND COMMITMENT

phobia

Indeed, options for finding that perfect “soul mate” seem to be increasing by the hour, but our brains are having a hard time processing all the choices in front of us. According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, our programming only allows us to process a limited amount of social information at once, because in our tribal past we lived in an average group size of 150 people. In contrast, in today’s dating culture the world is at your fingertips, where a woman could be simultaneously texting with her crush at work, Snapchatting with a banker from Cleveland, and flirting with a bloke from Ireland on Facebook. Having this many points of contact with numerous potential suitors may seem exciting, but our brains have trouble committing when we are

presented with too many options. Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College, has spent his career studying the problems associated with choice overload and has found that the more options we have the less satisfied we become. Schwartz has demonstrated that an excess of options can lead to indecision and paralysis. He points to a study where samples of jam were set up in an artisan food store. In one scenario people could choose between six types of jam. In another experiment shoppers could select from 24 varieties. When more options were presented, people were more likely to stop and peruse the jams, but less likely to buy them. However, when people actually browsed the smaller table they were 10 times more likely to commit and buy a jar. This experiment gets played out in our dating lives, where a seeming onslaught of “options” is around every corner and you can swipe right 40 times while ordering a sandwich. In his book, The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt explains that the more choices there are “the more you expect to find a perfect fit and the less likely it becomes you picked the best person.” This can lead to an “upgrade issue” where people may find a mate they like but continue onto the next person anyway because they’re curious if a better alternative is available. Spracklen, a hair stylist, says he sees this play out in Jackson Hole with his female clients’ dating styles. And that here, it is the women who have the advantage. “Men in this town become very replaceable, women have a lot of control, they only go out with a guy when they want to and if they don’t like the guy’s outfit they will drop him and date someone else the next day.” Men in the valley are also susceptible to the self esteem boost that dating apps can provide, many times thinking they are the future Don Juans after

Davis Carr

getting three matches on Tinder. Hiding behind their phones, dating app trolls will sometimes lash out at females when they feel rebuffed. Goldring recalls one experience where she turned down a suitor and received “some pretty rude and uncivil messages, almost as if he didn’t realize there was a person behind the number he was texting.” In a world of seemingly abundant mates and lovers, many go to extreme lengths to make sure they have explored all their options. From an evolutionary perspective, this is called abundance denial, where people refuse to believe they have everything they need because their brains don’t want them to get complacent. This “never good enough” philosophy extends from our caveman days where our berry supply would eventually run out and we always had to keep searching for greener pastures. Unfortunately, for our modern day partners this means that we have an unquenchable thirst to always keep on the hunt for the perfect match. For the unrequited lover who gets left behind, this dismissal can be literally painful. The same section of a person’s brain activated during rejection also lights up when she is being physically hurt. The interesting evolutionary explanation behind this is that our caveman brains associate rejection with being thrown out of the tribe and eventual death.

EVOLUTION + TECHNOLOGY =

an odd match

Life on the Serengeti also programmed our species to search out instant gratification, because if you didn’t get your reward today it might not be there tomorrow. Smartphones and online dating hijack this outdated system by giving us a constant source of synthetic happiness. Phone checking, which the average American

Hannah Strauss and her mate

for myself.” Overall, technology in our relationships can cause pain or positivity, sometimes creating miscommunication while at other moments helping us foster close connections. The attention of others in the digital world can be addicting and intoxicating, but if our primary point of contact is through telephones and not touch, our relationships will suffer. Dating apps and smartphones promised us predictability and control over our interactions, but often this leads us to start viewing our partners as products for our consumption instead of people with feelings. Relationships with real humans are messy and complicated and that may be why Americans opt to spend an average of 7.5 hours per day interacting with a screen instead of talking to the person next to them. In the past, people married partners from their neighborhood or from work, mainly finding love where they spent the majority of their time. So it makes sense that in today’s society we would look to our screens to give us what we desire most. However, as people opt to find love online, they risk spending more time becoming closer to their machines than to each other, forgetting that technology should be viewed as a tool not a talisman that can fulfill your every wish. Oftentimes with craned necks and dead eyes, we hide from each other behind airbrushed versions of ourselves swiping our way through life in a fog of visual noise, missing out on the genuine laughter and vulnerable euphoria that comes with building a story together in real life relationships. The online world’s relentless communication, love and relationship experts argue, may allow us to never feel alone, but it can lead to a new type of solitude, where we live with the illusion of connection without the security of earned intimacy. PJH

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 15

either flourish or flounder when two people meet in the flesh. Spracklen agrees. “Some people do horrible personal marketing with Instagram or Facebook, but in real life they are beautiful people.” The opposite can also be true, as Spracklen has often been “catfished,” where people “lie about their age, height, put up old photos and are not at all who they were on the internet.” In many ways, people only show airbrushed versions of themselves in the digital world, but in person those flaws and imperfections are harder to hide. Goldring adds that social media “allows you to judge a person before you meet them and allows too much room for assumptions and is nothing like meeting someone face to face.” Evolution has matched couples successfully for millions of years and those connections had always happened in person. Fisher advises people to trust their noggins. “The brain is the best algorithm for finding your future mate. There is not a dating service on this planet that can do what the human brain can do in terms of finding the right person” One way that evolution accomplishes this goal is through the five million olfactory neurons dangling from each nasal cavity. These pheromones travel through the “cranial nerve zero,” which subconsciously identifies which mates differ from you genetically so that you do not mate with your relatives. The odor dating service, Smell Dating, will now even send a sweat soaked piece of clothing to potential partners in order to help avoid awkward first dates, where your aromas don’t line up. This strategy may actually be superior to any online dating site, as people are consistently unaware of what they actually desire in a partner, at least according to Match.com’s Amarnath Thomas. “People frequently break their own rules and go way outside of what they say they want,” Thomas said. People may write in their profile they desire someone who is blonde, has a college degree, and loves hiking, but then end up dating someone who is a brunette, dropped out of high school, and binge watches Netflix. This discrepancy may be due in part to a phenomenon called the self-verification theory, where people choose partners that conform to a love they are familiar with or witnessed growing up. Research by Dr. William Sywnn at the University of Texas has even shown that “married people with negative self-views are more committed to a relationship if their spouses view them negatively.” This research indicates that our brains like consistent information and will search out mates that conform to our previously held beliefs, regardless of the quality of those past patterns. Sometimes one’s past history is helpful, however, as Spracklen admits, “my parents adore each other, have mutual hobbies, and are best friends so I never thought of not having that

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does 150 times per day, according to the 2016 Internet Trend Report by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, gives us a similar high that gamblers feel when they pull the wheel on a slot machine. This anticipation of a reward for both phone and gambling addicts produces a higher amount of dopamine than actually receiving a text or winning a round of cards. Scientists call this the progress principle, where we are more highly rewarded chemically for moving towards a goal than actually achieving the desired outcome. That’s why the chase in relationships is so much more exciting than actually getting what you want. Dopamine is a “craving” neurotransmitter and is only released in limited quantities, so once an objective is obtained the brain sees no reason to keep releasing happiness chemicals. In fact, studies by psychiatrist Michael Liebowitz at the New York State Psychiatric Institute demonstrate that during the infatuation stage your brain produces PEA, phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring amphetamine in the body that produces feelings of elation, euphoria, and exhilaration, which dwindles the longer you stay with a person. In her book, Anatomy of Love, anthropologist Helen Fisher echoes Liebowitz’s findings. She presents brain research indicating the passionate stage of a relationship feels similar to being on low doses of meth, while the long-term companion stage feels more like having a glass of wine. Evolution likes to keep it this way, so that in the beginning stages of a relationship, we have sex more often, increasing our chances of procreation. Then once the reproductive window closes, we can get back to more “productive” activities like raising our young. This may all seem very depressing for the lifespan of a relationship and lead one to question the merits of monogamy (as many have and continue to do). But evolution has also given our species the biochemical oxytocin to make sure we stay together long enough to give our offspring a fighting chance. Oxytocin is the chemical your brain releases after a long hug or when you stare into the eyes of your partner, giving us the sensation of feeling connected through “interactional synchronicity.” Not surprisingly, however, conversing over screens doesn’t give the full hit of oxytocin that conversing in person does, and therefore having a relationship primarily over technology affects people’s ability to bond. For others who do spend time with each other in the physical sense, technology presents another set of problems. Dalia Perez, a sex and relationship coach, said that sometimes technology can be used as an “intentional distracter by partners who hide behind their screens and miss out on the deeper intimacy that comes from working through problems.” Escaping to technology during challenging times wasn’t an available option only two decades ago. “People can now take their work home with them and if couples are always checking their phones, their minds are someplace else, impacting their long-term connection as partners.” The digital world appears a poor substitute for living in reality, as many internet introductions can

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! n o e t o v r Get you #bojh17 | bestofjh.com

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18 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

DEADLINE TO VOTE Best Salsa Best Sushi Best Pizza Best Wings Best Food on the Fly (fair/festival/event fare) Best Locally Roasted Beans Best Pint of Locally Brewed Beer Best Brewing Company Best Margarita Best Place to AprĂ¨s Best Happy Hour Best Bar

SPORTS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Best Cover Band Best Annual Event Best Band Playing Original Songs Best Musician Best Classical Musician Best Teton Valley Musician Best Church Choir Best Club DJ Best Live Entertainment Venue Best Outdoor Concert Series Best Local Sports Team Best Shake-a-Day Best Art Gallery Best Local Artist Best Photographer Best Illustrator Best Actor/Actress Best Place to Get Your Groove On Best Late Night Hangout Best Theater Production Company Best Filmmaker Best Ski Run Best Liftee Best Golf Course Best Question We Left Out

11:59PM ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH

RABBIT ROW REPAIR WE SERVICE THEM ALL …

THIS WEEK: February 8-14, 2017

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-7335465 n 2017 Special Olympics WInter Games 8:30am, Various Locations, 307-235-3062 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Beginning Throwing 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $184.00 $220.00, 307-733-6379 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164 n JD High Country Outfitters Brown Bag Fly Tying 11:00am, JD High Country Outfitters, Free, 307-733-3270 n Intro Photography 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $140.00 $168.00, 307-733-6379 n After School Monthly Workshops 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $180.00 $216.00, 307-733-6379 n Stackhouse 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Re-Opening Fundraiser Party 4:00pm, Spur Restaurant & Bar, $50.00, 307-733-6433

n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Training To Be Balanced Chamber Mixer 5:00pm, Training To Be Balanced, Free, 307-733-3316 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Lightroom Basics 5:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $140.00 $168.00, 307-733-6379 n Meet & Make Valentines 5:30pm, Jackson Whole Grocer, Free, 804-380-6728 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Intro to Leather Working 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $105.00, 307733-6379 n Intro to Silversmithing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $154.00, 307733-6379 n JHW Kidlit/YA Critique Group 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7336379 n Intro to Papermaking 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $132.00 $158.00, 307-733-6379 n Tech Savvy Parenting with Raising Girls 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-690-8043 n Support Captain Mike Tepe Fundraiser 6:00pm, Elks Lodge, $20.00 n The WI-FI Connection – Stealthy Disruptor to Health & Fitness 6:15pm, Medicine Wheel Wellness, 307-699-7480 n NaturePlay: Free Film Screening 6:30pm, Jackson Campus Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-734-3728 n Jackson Hole Communty Band 2017 Rehearsals 7:00pm, Centre for the Arts, Free, 307-200-9463 n A Piano Recital with Lise de la Salle 7:00pm, The Center Theater, $25.00, 307-733-3050 n Major Zephyr 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939

4 2 8 0 W. L E E P E R • W I L S O N • 3 0 7 - 7 3 3 - 4 3 3 1

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 19

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 21

n NaturePlay: Free Film Screening 6:30pm, Pierre’s Playhouse, Free, 307-734-3728 n Flies for Every Season 6:30pm, JD High Country Outfitters, $75.00, 307-733-3270 n Chamber Music with Festival Musicians 7:00pm, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Free, 307-733-3050 n The Greenneck Daredevils 7:00pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500 n The Bo & Joe Sexy Show 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886

Compiled by Caroline LaRosa

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-7335465 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n 2017 Special Olympics WInter Games 9:00am, Various Locations, 307-235-3062 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Fables, Feathers & Fur 10:30am, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Free, 307-733-5771 n Get Your Taxes Done For Free 3:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n PTO 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Winter Wonderland - Ice Skating on Town Square 4:00pm, Town Square, $0.00 $8.00, 307-733-3932 n Age Friendly Jackson Hole 4:00pm, Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-7300 n Age Friendly Jackson Hole 5:30pm, Senior Center, Free, 307-733-7300 n Estate Planning 5:30pm, CWC-Jackson, $190.00, 307-733-7425 n Open Studio: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Intro to Flameworking 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $45.00, 307-7336379 n Intermediate Spanish 6:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $110.00, 307-733-7425 n Ramen Night At The Handle Bar 6:00pm, Handle Bar, 307-7325056 n Gallim Repertory with Fran Romo 6:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $25.00 - $75.00, 307-733-6398

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

20 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

MUSIC BOX Serenades, Rare Reggae, Classical and Bass Sweethearts Show at Dornan’s, John Brown’s Body plays the Garter, a classical Winter Fest, and a dance party to celebrate the new Lotus. BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch

edication to an artist’s craft can be a lifetime pursuit, and achievement is often immeasurable. Yet when acknowledgement comes from a mentor or a hero, the karma pendulum seems to be swinging appropriately. Native and classical guitarist Byron Tomingas has been playing an Oribe-crafted guitar since 1971. At the time, he had just earned a degree in classic guitar performance from CalArts and launched a career as a professional musician. Tomingas has had such a profound relationship with the instrument that he wrote “Oribe Fandango” in honor of “the many magic moments we have spent together.” Master luthier Jose Oribe, along with his wife Juanita, will be presenting Tomingas with a Lifetime Achievement Award this spring in California along with an original Oribe guitar—the luthier’s final product. “This is like having Beethoven give you his 9th symphony. Oribe contacted me and I about fell over,” explained Tomingas, who has appeared with symphonies, quartets and as a soloist on radio, television, and

Byron Tomingas, playing Saturday at Dornan’s, was awarded an Oribe guitar (left) for a lifetime of music making. John Brown’s Body plays a Valentine’s show at the Garter.

award-winning films throughout his career. “I have no idea who or what group is behind this [award]. I can see why they would want to hide. Every starving musician just like me would be at their door each morning.” Tomingas said a new Oribe guitar could be priced as high as $25,000. One vintage Oribe model listed for sale at Reverb.com, a 1973 concert guitar in “very good” condition, is going for $5,800. Tomingas currently plays a 2007 Brazilian rosewood Oribe and also has one in cocobolo wood he uses as “a daily and gig guitar.” The model being gifted to him is a Gran Suprema concert guitar made from Bird’s Eye Maple, and he considers it priceless. “You hear of gifts like this all the time with concert Stradivari violins because musicians can’t afford them. Someone has done this for a classic guitarist now,” Tomingas said. “I’ve never known anyone to get a free Oribe—Chet Atkins, Earl Klug, Aaron Shearer, the Romeros … they all had to pay to get one, and me too. Like a marriage, you honor them, stay true to them, get to know their personalities and strengths

and get better and better at bringing out the best in them the more time you spend, and they return it to you a hundred fold.” Tomingas is producing “Byron’s Sweetheart Show” this Saturday at Dornan’s. Musical guests include bassist/vocalist Christine Langdon, vocalist Tasha Ghozali, and bassist Rob Sidle. The music menu will feature classic duets, standards “Mr. Sandman” and “How High the Moon,” and the premiere of Tomingas’s transcription of Offenbach’s “Les Larmes de Jacqueline,” originally for cello and strings. Byron’s Sweetheart Show, 8 p.m. Saturday, February 11 at Dornan’s in Moose. Tickets are $15 at Dornan’s, The Liquor Store, and Valley Bookstore. Dinner served 5 to 7 p.m. 307-733-2415.

Rare reggae for your Valentine

Sometimes it’s all about the long haul, the perseverance. Ithaca, New York-based reggae veterans John Brown’s Body know that all too well, and the band name pays homage to a historical figure, a determined freedom fighter and abolitionist of the 1850s

Lisa de la Salle (left) performs Thursday at Center for the Arts. Shiny Things transforms Lotus Mandala into a dance party Saturday.

who was killed in a hanging. A dozen studio records over two decades is surefire dedication, though to sustain despite the loss of two key band members—bassist Scott Palmer who died after a battle with cancer, and songwriter/singer/ guitarist Kevin Kinsella—is success. JBB’s last three original albums have all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts including the 2016 release Fireflies. Maturity and authenticity with respect to a roots genre such as reggae can be a tough balance, though Fireflies certainly has a progressive flare without losing hindsight. “I have a tendency to write slightly unusual reggae music,” said lead singer and band co-founder Elliot Martin. “When I take the music to the band, it becomes more grounded in reality. The recording engineer has a big hand in crafting a classic rootsy sound too. That combination creates that sound you’re talking about. It’s a group effort.” Martin’s inspirations are as varied as Sigur Ros, King Tubby, Talib Kweli, Radiohead and Sly and Robbie, though he also gives props to the strong reggae scene out of the UK in the 70s and early 80s,

such as Steel Pulse, Aswad, Misty in Roots, and Mikey Dread. Whether it’s downtempo dancehall or dense modern grooves, you can hear these influences in JBB’s sound. Touring has changed drastically since the band’s inception in 1996, though there’s plenty of consistency with regard to the perspective it can offer. “The reggae scene has grown since we started,” Martin said. “I remember our first trip to California. We played the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in the late 90s and it was mostly international artists. Today, a festival would probably not be terribly financially successful if it didn’t book a lot of the homegrown US reggae bands. The lifestyle of touring has influenced me in the fact that being exposed to these other artists changes my perspective somewhat. It’s good to see what modern crowds enjoy.” John Brown’s Body with Tilted, 9 p.m. Tuesday, February 14 at the Pink Garter Theatre. $17-$20. PinkGarterTheatre.com, 733-1500.

GTMF Winter Fest Grand Teton Music Festival’s Winter Festival (February 7 to 10) is already underway, though there’s

still plenty to consume. Summer festival musicians Jaren Atherholt (oboe) and Benjamin Atherholt (bassoon) return to the Hole along with pianist Andrew Palmer Todd to perform an intimate one-hour concert of jazz inspired music by Poulenc, Previn, and Bill Douglas (7 p.m. Wednesday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, free). The following day, check out the young Lise de la Salle on the grand piano at Center for the Arts for her takes on Beethoven, Ligeti, and Brahms (7 p.m. Thursday at Center Theater, $25). For something a little different on the musical palette, take-in Dr. Zatorre’s talk at the library, discussing the brain’s mechanisms that allow humans to perceive and perform music and the implications of this research on mental health and other clinical applications (noon Friday at Teton County Library, free). On a Jackson stage for the first time since 2013, the Portland Cello Project will close the Winter Festival weekend. Embracing the philosophy that no two shows are alike, the Portland Cello Project has a repertoire numbering more than 800 pieces of music you wouldn’t typically hear coming out of a cello—like Kanye West’s “All of the Lights” and Pantera’s “Mouth for War” (7 p.m. Friday at the Center Theater, $25). GTMF.org.

Dapper dance party to celebreate the new Lotus Nomadic Events is teaming up with Lotus Mandala for a scorching triple bill of DJs for the restaurant’s grand re-opening. Lotus’ soaring ceilings and posh interior make it the ideal venue for a dress up to get down dance party with Canadian DJ Shiny Things, as well as local DJs Jefe and Cut La Whut. Shiny Things is a favorite among the beat obsessed. Ex-local DJ Oh!Nassi said that Shiny was his favorite set at the massive Bass Coast Festival, hyping the futuristic and deeply psychedelic sounds that he’s known for. Lotus Grand Re-Opening with DJs Shiny Things, Jefe and Cut La Whut, 9 p.m. Saturday at Lotus Mandala. $5. PJH

n Salsa Night 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

n Brain Works 3:00pm, St. John’s Medical Center, $300.00, 307-739-7493 n Blaze & Kelly 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Screen Door Porch 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7334466 n Winter Wonderland - Ice Skating on Town Square 4:00pm, Town Square, $0.00 $8.00, 307-733-3932

n FREE Friday Tasting at Jackson Whole Grocer 4:00pm, Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Free, 307-733-0450 n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307733-3316 n Pam Drews Phillips Plays Jazz 7:00pm, The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch, Free, 307-733-8833 n Moose Hockey Game 7:00pm, Snow King Sports & Event Center, $10.00, 307-2011633

n GTMF Presents: Portland Cello Project 7:00pm, The Center Theater, $25.00, 307-733-3050 n Free Public Stargazing 7:30pm, Center for the Arts, Free, 844-996-7827 n The Flannel Attractions 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n The Laff Staff 8:00pm, The Black Box Theater, $10.00, 307-733-4900 n Kitchen Dwellars 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-733-3886 n Friday Night DJ Golden B 10:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-7335465 n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Create! 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $99.00, 307-733-6379 n Demo Daze 9:00am, Grand Targhee Resort, Free, 800-TARGHEE

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 21

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-7335465 n Open Studio: Portrait Model 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379

n A New Breakthrough in Living Well with Diabetes 9:00am, Snow King Resort, $50.00, 307-739-7380 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Valentine’s Day Craft Event 10:00am, Jackalope Toys & Gifts, Free, 307-201-5036 n Feathered Fridays 12:00pm, Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, Free, 307-201-5433 n Lunchtime Learning: Musical Processing in the Brain 12:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 22

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

22 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-733-5465 n Enameling on Metal 9:30am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $70.00, 307-733-6379

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 25

Griz Gumption A wildlife biologist delivers the lessons he learned in the Gobi Desert. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

s a young writer and wildlife biologist, Douglas Chadwick’s first impression of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert was that it seemed of another world. It was hard to fathom even the simplest form of life sustaining itself in such a dramatic environment. Lizards perhaps, he thought, but a 300-pound grizzly bear? Impossible. Ecologists from the Gobi Grizzly Project invited Chadwick to study and document the Gobi grizzly bear in 2010. On Sunday during A Grizzly Gala, Chadwick, who planned to stay in Mongolia no longer than a year, will debut his book Tracking Gobi Grizzlies: Surviving Beyond the Back of Beyond that details five years of work. The Gobi grizzlies’ story is one of survival and mystery. It also teaches important lessons about the human impacts on natural lands and conservationism in the American West. “This [story] is taking place against the backdrop of a warming, drying climate,” Chadwick explained. Scientists knew nothing of the Gobi grizzly until 1943. It was once fabled to be Mongolia’s yeti, as sightings were few and seldom documented. Today, only three to four dozen bears still survive. The bears’ challenges are many, Chadwick said. They survive in one of the harshest climates on earth—temperatures fluctuate from negative 40 in the winter to more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Still, the bears often live up to the age of 35, and are “learning the whole time.” The bears have one of the biggest brains relative to body size of any land-dwelling animal, Chadwick noted. “They’ve figured out a lot.” They know where to find water, even if it’s 20 to 30 miles away. They know when the rhubarb is ripe, where to look for any sprouting food, from beetles to rodents. “Everything’s on the menu, and they can put it together into a life,” Chadwick

JOE RIIS

n Forging Metal Bracelets, Earrings & Rings 9:30am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $70.00, 307-733-6379 n Skate Into Spring 9:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $35.00, 307739-9025 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Teton Valley Winter Farmers’ Market 10:00am, MD Nursery, Free, 208-354-8816 n Valentine’s Day Craft Event 10:00am, Jackalope Toys & Gifts, Free, 307201-5036 n Get Insight into Islam with Teton County Library Book Discussion 10:00am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-7332164 n Intertribal Winter Sports Summit 11:00am, Wilson, Free, 307-203-5111 n Share the Love Adoption Drive 11:00am, Animal Adoption Center, Free, 307739-1881 n Jackson Hole Skijoring 12:00pm, Teton Village on the Snake River Ranch, $15.00, jacksonholeskijoring.org n Winter People’s Market 2:00pm, Teton County Fairground Building, Free, n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Blacktail Gala 5:30pm, National Museum of Wildlife Art, $150.00, 307-732-5449 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Moose Hockey Game 7:00pm, Snow King Sports & Event Center, $10.00, 307-201-1633 n Chanting Weekend 7:00pm, Intencions, Free, 307-690-5727 n The Flannel Attractions 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n Chanman Quartet 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n Sweet Heart Show 8:00pm, Dornan’s, $15.00, 307-733-2415 +200 n An Evening of Ski & Art Films 8:00pm, The Center Theater, Free, 307-7334900 n The Laff Staff 8:00pm, The Black Box Theater, $10.00, 307733-4900 n Brother Wolf 8:00pm, Knotty Pine, Free, 208-787-2866 n Kitchen Dwellars & Gravy 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-7333886 n Live Music w/ Joe Rudd 10:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-7331500

DON’T MISS

said. That they have made a life in the Gobi Desert is miraculous on its own. On top of that, however, is the additional threat of human interaction with the land. While few people live in or around the Gobi Desert, it is a popular Mongolian mining site. Mining development, Chadwick said, is an “omnipresent threat” to the bears’ survival. It depletes the already limited resources the bears have to survive, and forces them further away from food and water reserves. Mongolian farmers also use the more forgiving areas of the desert for livestock. The problem is that the livestock can graze on a “thin, fragile coating of vegetation” for a few years, but eventually that area runs dry. What’s left, Chadwick said, resembles a moonscape. Working to save these animals and restore their population in such a large and unforgiving habitat is no easy task. Even experts, Chadwick noted, know very little about the bear to this day, and repopulation requires knowledge. What bears still exist live on a reserve in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. What they have learned about the bears’ survival, however, offers an example that can be applied in places like the Rocky Mountain West. Chadwick said that a key to their survival in the desert is connectivity. In other words, these bears cannot live in isolated communities. They thrive when they are able to interact with populations of other animals in the area, as well as other bear families. That lesson, Chadwick said, can be applied to populations of endangered animals around the world, including the grizzly bears

native to the Rocky Mountains. “The old version of conservation is nice, wonderful reserves, but separate from one another,” Chadwick said. “Nature doesn’t work that way.” Almost 90 percent of the world’s extinct species were island dwellers, Chadwick noted. “There’s a call to think on a larger, more connected, more interactive scale. That’s what the grizzlies are really asking us.” Chadwick will begin his presentation with a collection of images from another book, The Photo Arc, which he teamed up with National Geographic photographer Joel Satore to produce. The book documents some of the world’s most imperiled creatures. Chadwick will present a handful of examples of endangered species, then narrow in to the Gobi grizzly with Mongolian bear geneticist Odko Tumendemberel, who worked with Chadwick in the field. Bear expert Louisa Wilcox and executive director of the Vital Ground Foundation Ryan Lutey will also take the stage with Chadwick. After a short intermission, Wilcox will introduce the premiere screening of a documentary she produced, Protecting Grizzly Bears. Wilcox, Chadwick and Lutey will then shift the conversation to illuminate the current situation of the Rocky Mountain grizzly bears and the threats they face. A Grizzly Gala, doors open at 5 p.m. Sunday, February 12 at Center for the Arts. A book signing and reception begin at 5:30, and the program begins on stage at 6:30. Tickets at jhcenterforthearts.org for $10 plus a $2 processing fee, and all ticketed guests will be entered into a raffle. PJH

SINC 1896 E

TWO GRAND PRIZES

$500 EACH

Bootleg Flyer & the Miller Sisters

AT THE VIRGINIAN SILENT AUCTION | DANCE LESSONS | GAMBLING | COSTUME CONTEST

PROCEEDS BENEFIT: JH LIONS CLUB-EYE CARE PROGRAM HOLE FOOD RESCUE-REFRIGERATION & STORAGE

PLATINUM SPONSORS

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FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 23

1 0 2 .4 3 3 7 ll a c r o n Tickets available from any Lio

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

JH LION’S CLUB EYE CARE PROGRAM

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

24 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

CULTURE KLASH Come check out your favorite NFL/College team on our 10 HD tvs! •••••••••••

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1/2 Off Drinks Daily 5-7pm

••••••••••• Monday-Saturday 11am, Sunday 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors)•733-7901

Of Ice and Islam Ski and art sensibilities coalesce on screen, and a book discussion of particular relevance. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1

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n an embarrassment of riches, the weekend of the Banff Mountain Film Festival (visit skinnyskis.com for more info) has a bit of competition this year in the form of a one night screening of two arty ski films that break the typical ski flick mold. It’s a rare opportunity to see work by heavy hitter contemporary artists you’d be more likely to encounter at the Museum of Modern Art. On Saturday the Center presents An Evening of Ski & Art Films featuring two films, Where the Wind Blows by Ari Marcopoulos and Frostheaves by Damon McCarthy and Benjamin Weissman. Both screenings are free. Curated by Matthew Day Jackson, Camille Obering and Andy Kincaid, the films stand out because of their makers. According to the Whitney Museum of American Art, where Marcopoulos has exhibited his video work, the Holland native has been documenting American youth subcultures since moving to the US in 1979. “His photographs and videos depict the brash vitality of underground music and the rebellious athleticism of extreme sports,” reads the Whitney’s website page on Marcopoulos. Where the Wind Blows is a 60-minute film about Marcopoulos’ friend, snowboarder Craig Kelly, the “Godfather of Freeriding.” Kelly’s “riding style, ideas and passion helped define snowboarding and influenced the sport and industry in innumerable ways,” explained TransWorld Snowboarding. He died in an avalanche in 2003. “Ari’s film is a personal dedication from the maker himself,” Jackson said. “It has a different emotional tenor than a typical ski film. There’s part of it that is about loss.” Filmmaker Damon McCarthy teamed up with California writer and visual artist Benjamin Weissman to make a film

about their shared passions for snow. Weissman is the author of Headless and Dear Dead Person and Other Stories. He has exhibited art both solo and in collaboration with Damon’s father, artist Paul McCarthy, who Damon has collaborated with extensively. Frostheaves, Obering noted, was made from b-roll footage from a major film McCarthy shot a few years ago. “It’s his vision of what really happened, which makes it fun,” she said. Jackson, Obering and Kincaid’s curatorial endeavor with art ski films is the first installment for the Center’s newly established Campus Creative in Residence program. Jackson said their intention is to bring new meaning and ideas to bear on well-formed ideas about Jackson. “We’re definitely not being critical,” he said. “We hope these films broaden the understanding about ski filmmaking.” An Evening of Ski & Art Films, 8 p.m. Saturday, February 11 at Center for the Arts, free. Check jhcenterforthearts.org

Her friend the sheikh Local writer Connie Wieneke was traveling in Moab, Utah, last fall when she encountered a book that caught her eye. If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran by Carla Power is the true story of a secular American journalist and an Islamic sheikh who become good friends. Wieneke had delved into Middle Eastern studies in college in the 70s and the book looked like a way to reconnect with that long-held interest of hers. A secular person herself, Wieneke found the book challenging at many levels. “I kept thinking, this book is going to push a lot of buttons,” she said. “Even if you think you don’t judge other cultures and religious beliefs, you do. This book explores how you have a conversation when the other person’s beliefs are so

different from your own. How do you stay true to your own beliefs?” Given the ongoing misunderstandings surrounding Islam and its vast differences from Islamic extremism, Wieneke, who is also the assistant director for the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, thought If the Oceans Were Ink would be a perfect book for discussion here. A limited number of copies of the book are available at the library information desk. “People have all sorts of assumptions or presumptions about Islam,” Wieneke said. “They take what they hear about terrorism and ISIS, and they glom every Muslim together in their mind.” The book, she said, explodes those myths. Power, the book’s author, has great respect for her friend, the sheikh, and she tells the story of their meetings in teashops to discuss the Quran. One of the insights Power learns from the sheikh, who is a scholar and college lecturer, is that humans can manipulate any religious book for their own purposes. In one passage, Power writes about the Quran’s expansive influence. “This power has also led to the text’s politicization,” she writes. “Waved before a crowd, it can inspire revolutions and wars. Burned or besmirched, it triggers diplomatic incidents and deaths. Quoted or misquoted, it’s been used to justify mercy, and mass murder.” Wieneke was also captivated by Power’s exploration of faith, how it can act as a strong guide in someone’s life, and is something she indeed hungers for. The sheikh’s faith gives him an enviable calmness, Wieneke said. Participants are encouraged to read the first eight chapters by the 10 a.m. meeting on Saturday, February 11. There will be a second discussion on February 18 when the group Skypes with the author. Check tclib.org PJH

n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Chanting Weekend 10:00am, Intencions, Free, 307690-5727 n Jackson Hole Skijoring 12:00pm, Teton Village on the Snake River Ranch, $15.00, jacksonholeskijoring.org n Wine Tasting on a Budget 3:00pm, Dornans, $10.00, 307733-2415 n Gravy 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Major Zephyr 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Grizzly Gala: an Evening of Adventure, Science, Issues, and Conversation 5:00pm, The Center for the Arts, $10.00 - $12.00, 307-7337016 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Intro to Silversmithing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $154.00, 307733-6379 n Songwriter’s Alley 7:00pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Chanting Weekend 7:00pm, Intencions, Free, 307690-5727 n Hospitality Night - Happy Hour 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS VISIT PJHCALENDAR.COM

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 25

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n SweetHearts Escape 9:00am, The Spa At Four Seasons, 307-732-5000

n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164 n Teton Plein Air Painters Critique 12:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7336379 n White Lightning Open Mic Night 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Brain Works 3:00pm, St. John’s Medical Center, $300.00, 307-739-7493 n Intro Photography 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $140.00 $168.00, 307-733-6379 n Community Mental Health Meetings 3:00pm, Ordway Auditorium, Teton County Library, Free, 307-739-7516 n The Maw Band 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n POP UP: Art FUNdamentals 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $70.00 - $84.00, 307-733-6379 n Hand and Wheel 3:45pm, Ceramics Studio, $180.00 - $216.00, 307-7336379 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Lightroom Basics 5:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $140.00 $168.00, 307-733-6379 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Handbuilding Clay 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $184.00 $220.00, 307-733-6379 n Latin Dance Week 6:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $25.00 - $270.00, 307-733-6398 n John Brown’s Body 9:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, $17.00 - $20.00, 307-733-1500 n B.O.G.D.O.G. 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n 89.1 KHOL Winter Membership Drive 8:00am, The Center, 307-7335465 n Perpetual Painting 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00, 307733-6379 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n Create with Me: Ages 2 & 3 with caregiver 9:15am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $75.00 - $90.00, 307-733-6379

n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Kindercreations Ages 3-5 10:30am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $80.00 - $96.00, 307-733-6379 n Foreign Policy Series 12:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n B.O.G.D.O.G - Band On Glen Down on Glen 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n After School Kidzart Club: Grade K-2 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $165.00 $198.00, 307-733-6379 n Handbuilding Plus! 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $150.00 $180.00, 307-733-6379 n Pica’s Margarita Cup presented by JHSC 3:30pm, Snow King Mountain, 307-733-6433 n Studio Sampler 3:45pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $264.00 $316.00, 307-733-6379 n Estate Planning 5:30pm, CWC-Jackson, $190.00, 307-733-7425 n Hootenanny 6:00pm, Dornan’s, Free, 307733-2415 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Printmaking 101 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $200.00 $240.00, 307-733-6379 n Foreign Policy Series 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Latin Dance Week 6:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $25.00 - $270.00, 307-733-6398 n The Center Presents National Theatre Live’s broadcast of Man and Superman 7:00pm, The Center Theater, $10.00 - $18.00, 307-733-4900

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

26 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

BEER, WINE & SPIRITS

A Kiss on the Lips Try these sensuous cocktails for Valentine’s Day or any time. BY TED SCHEFFLER @critic1

alentine’s Day is about nothing if not excess and indulgence. On that day each year, we splurge on chocolates, Champagne, gifts and special drinks and dinners to enjoy with our loves. And so, it’s the perfect excuse to go all-in with sexy and sensuous cocktails—ones that might not improve your aim, but will help Cupid’s. Here are a few good ones, making use of locally produced booze and bitters when possible. We don’t normally think of James Bond as a sadsack. But the Vesper cocktail he invents in Casino Royale is

Trio is located just off the town square in downtown Jackson, and is owned & operated by local chefs with a passion for good food. Our menu features contemporary American dishes inspired by classic bistro cuisine. Daily specials feature wild game, fish and meats. Enjoy a glass of wine at the bar in front of the wood-burning oven and watch the chefs perform in the open kitchen.

Dinner Nightly at 5:30pm

actually named for a long-lost love. Kina Lillet isn’t available anymore, but you can substitute Lillet Blanc, along with your favorite gin and vodka. In an icefilled cocktail shaker, pour 3 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of vodka, and 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc. Shake until ice cold and strain into a Champagne coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lemon slice. The Hanky Panky is a classic cocktail dating back to 1925, usually credited to Ada “Coley” Coleman, who headed up the American Bar in London’s Savoy Hotel. The original recipe calls for Fernet Branca, but you could substitute a splash of local bitters. Here’s how to make a Hanky Panky: In a mixing glass with ice, stir together 1 1/2 ounces of gin, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes of Fernet Branca. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Local is a modern American steakhouse and bar located on Jackson’s historic town square. Serving locally raised beef and, regional game, fresh seafood and seasonally inspired food, Local offers the perfect setting for lunch, drinks or dinner.

Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly

45 S. Glenwood

HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm

Available for private events & catering

307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE

For reservations please call 734-8038

IMBIBE For a drink that flies in the face of pink and rose colored Valentine’s cocktails, try the neon blue-hued Sex in the Driveway, made with blue Curaçao— it couldn’t be simpler to concoct. In a highball glass filled with crushed ice, pour 1 ounce peach schnapps, 1 ounce blue Curaçao, 2 ounces of vodka or silver rum (your choice), and top off the glass with Sprite or lemon-lime sparkling water. Stir and garnish with a lemon wheel. The Moradita—a beet-infused Margarita—is most closely associated with New York City’s Gotham Bar & Grill, one of my old haunts. Here’s how it’s made: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour 1 1/2 ounce jalapeño-infused Dulce Vida tequila and a couple dashes of Bitter Lab Habanero-Lime Bitters, along with 3/4 ounce lime juice, 3/4 ounce triple sec, and 2 teaspoons beet puree.

Shake well and strain into a Nick & Nora martini glass. Jeff Faile of Casa Luca in Washington, D.C., created the Il Palio cocktail—an innovative drink that makes use of blood red Campari ice cubes, which slowly melt and turn the cocktail from a Manhattan into a Boulevardier. Here’s how to do it: Begin ahead of time by making ice cubes combining 3/4 ounce Campari with 2 ounces water and freeze in a square ice mold. Once frozen, place two Campari ice cubes into a rocks glass and pour 2 ounces High West Distillery American Prairie Bourbon, 1 ounce sweet vermouth and a dash of spiced orange cocktail bitters. Garnish with an orange twist and enjoy the way the cocktail morphs as the Campari ice melts. From Joe Reiser, formerly of Los Angeles’s now-defunct Woo Lae Oak restaurant, comes the luscious French Cosmo. It’s as easy to make as it is gorgeous. In an ice-filled shaker or mixing glass, shake together 3 ounces pineapple juice, 1 1/2 ounces of your favorite vodka and 1/2 ounce crème de cassis. Strain into a chilled, stemmed glass and garnish with a pineapple slice. PJH

ASIAN & CHINESE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

20%OFF ENTIRE BILL

Good between 5:30-6pm • Open nightly at 5:30pm Please mention ad for discount.

733-3912 160 N. Millward

Make your reservation online at bluelionrestaurant.com

TETON THAI

Serving the world’s most exciting cuisine. Teton Thai offers a splendid array of flavors: sweet, hot, sour, salt and bitter. All balanced and blended perfectly, satisfying the most discriminating palate. Open daily. 7432 Granite Loop Road in Teton Village, (307) 733-0022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai.com.

THAI ME UP

Home of Melvin Brewing Co. Freshly remodeled offering modern Thai cuisine in a relaxed setting. New tap system with 20 craft beers. New $8 wine list and extensive bottled beer menu. Open daily for dinner at 5pm. Downtown at 75 East Pearl Street. View our tap list at thaijh.com/brews. 307-733-0005.

CONTINENTAL ALPENHOF

Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)

$ 13 99

Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread

for an extra $5.99/each

(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY

THE BLUE LION

ELY U Q I N U PEAN EURO

F O H ‘ E TH

R DINNEAGE I H LUNCTETON VILL I T S IN FA BREAKE ALPENHOF AT TH

Serving authentic Swiss cuisine, the Alpenhof features European style breakfast entrées and alpine lunch fare. Dine in the Bistro for a casual meal or join us in the Alpenrose dining room for a relaxed dinner experience. Breakfast 7:30am-10am. Coffee & pastry 10am-11:30am. Lunch 11:30am-3pm. Aprés 3pm-5:30pm. Dinner 6pm-9pm. For reservations at the Bistro or Alpenrose, call 307-733-3242.

AT THE

CAFE GENEVIEVE

Serving inspired home cooked classics in a historic log cabin. Enjoy brunch daily at 8 a.m., Dinner Tues-Sat 5 p.m. and Happy Hour TuesSat 3-5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 732-1910, genevievejh.com.

ELEANOR’S

Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our two-time gold medal wings. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 832 W. Broadway, (307) 733-7901.

The deli that’ll rock your belly. Jackson’s newest sub shop serves steamed subs, reubens, gyros, delicious all beef hot dogs, soups and salads. We offer Chicago style hot dogs done just the way they do in the windy city. Open daily11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located just a short block north of the Town Square at 180 N. Center Street, (307) 733-3448.

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 27

FULL STEAM SUBS

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

307.733.3242

A Jackson Hole favorite for 38 years. Join us in the charming atmosphere of a historic home. Ask a local about our rack of lamb. Serving fresh fish, elk, poultry, steaks, and vegetarian entrées. Live acoustic guitar music most nights. Early Bird Special: 20% off entire bill between 5:30-6:0pm, Open nightly at 5:30 p.m. Reservations recommended, walkins welcome. 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant.com.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

28 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

LOCAL

Local, a modern American steakhouse and bar, is located on Jackson’s historic town square. Our menu features both classic and specialty cuts of locally-ranched meats and wild game alongside fresh seafood, shellfish, house-ground burgers, and seasonally-inspired food. We offer an extensive wine list and an abundance of locallysourced products. Offering a casual and vibrant bar atmosphere with 12 beers on tap as well as a relaxed dining room, Local is the perfect spot to grab a burger for lunch or to have drinks and dinner with friends. Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am. Dinner Nightly 5:30pm. 55 North Cache, (307) 201-1717, localjh.com.

LOTUS CAFE

Two- fer Tuesday is back !

THE LOCALS

FAVORITE PIZZA

Two-for-one 12” pies all day. Dine-in or Carry-out.

2012-2016

(LIMIT 6 PIES PER CARRYOUT ORDER, PLEASE.)

•••••••••

$5 Shot & Tall Boy

LUNCH

SPECIAL Slice, salad & soda

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

11am - 9:30pm daily 20 W. Broadway 307.201.1472

PizzeriaCaldera.com

TV Sports Packages and 7 Screens

Under the Pink Garter Theatre (307) 734-PINK • www.pinkygs.com

FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY

A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965

Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally FRESH FOOD at reasonable prices, is a always a FUN PLACE to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel RIGHT AT HOME and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY

www.mangymoose.com

Serving organic, freshly-made world cuisine while catering to all eating styles. Endless organic and natural meat, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices. Offering super smoothies, fresh extracted juices, espresso and tea. Full bar and house-infused botanical spirits. Open daily 8am for breakfast lunch and dinner. 140 N. Cache, (307) 734-0882, tetonlotuscafe.com.

MANGY MOOSE

Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally fresh food at reasonable prices, is a always a fun place to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel right at home and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Teton Village, (307) 733-4913, mangymoose.com.

MOE’S BBQ

Opened in Jackson Hole by Tom Fay and David Fogg, Moe’s Original Bar B Que features a Southern Soul Food Revival. Moe’s Original Bar B Que offers award-winning Alabama-style pulled pork, ribs, wings, turkey and chicken smoked over hardwood served with two unique sauces in addition to Catfish and a Shrimp MoeBoy sandwich. Additionally, a daily rotation of traditional Southern sides and tasty desserts are served fresh daily from recipes passed down for generations. With a kitchen that stays open late, the restaurant features a menu that fits any budget. While the setting is family-friendly, there is a full premium bar offering a lively bar scene complete with HDTVs for sports fans, music, shuffle board and other games upstairs. Large party takeout orders and full service catering with delivery for any size group for parties, business lunches, reunions, weddings and other special events is also be available.

MILLION DOLLAR COWBOY STEAKHOUSE

LOCAL & DOMESTIC STEAKS SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK @ 5:30 TILL 10 JHCOWBOYSTEAKHOUSE.COM 307-733-4790

Jackson’s first Speakeasy Steakhouse. The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is a hidden gem located below the world famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Our menu offers guests the best in American steakhouse cuisine. Top quality chops and steaks sourced from local farms, imported Japanese Wagyu beef, and house-cured meats and sausages. Accentuated with a variety of thoughtful side dishes, innovative appetizers, creative vegetarian items, and decadent desserts, a meal at this landmark location is sure to be a memorable one. Reservations are highly recommended.

SNAKE RIVER BREWERY & RESTAURANT

America’s most award-winning microbrewery is serving lunch and dinner. Take in the

atmosphere while enjoying wood-fired pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts. $9 lunch menu. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m., including tasty hot wings. The freshest beer in the valley, right from the source! Free WiFi. Open 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 265 S. Millward. (307) 739-2337, snakeriverbrewing.com.

TRIO

Owned and operated by Chefs with a passion for good food, Trio is located right off the Town square in downtown Jackson. Featuring a variety of cuisines in a relaxed atmosphere, Trio is famous for its wood-oven pizzas, specialty cocktails and waffle fries with bleu cheese fondue. Dinner nightly at 5:30 p.m. Reservations. (307) 734-8038 or bistrotrio.com.

ITALIAN CALICO

A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965, the Calico continues to be one of the most popular restaurants in the Valley. The Calico offers the right combination of really good food, (much of which is grown in our own gardens in the summer), friendly staff; a reasonably priced menu and a large selection of wine. Our bar scene is eclectic with a welcoming vibe. Open nightly at 5 p.m. 2560 Moose Wilson Rd., (307) 733-2460.

MEXICAN EL ABUELITO

Serving authentic Mexican cuisine and appetizers in a unique Mexican atmosphere. Home of the original Jumbo Margarita. Featuring a full bar with a large selection of authentic Mexican beers. Lunch served weekdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nightly dinner specials. Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 385 W. Broadway, (307) 733-1207.

PIZZA DOMINO’S PIZZA

Hot and delicious delivered to your door. Handtossed, deep dish, crunchy thin, Brooklyn style and artisan pizzas; bread bowl pastas, and oven baked sandwiches; chicken wings, cheesy breads and desserts. Delivery. 520 S. Hwy. 89 in Kmart Plaza, (307) 733-0330.

PINKY G’S

The locals favorite! Voted Best Pizza in Jackson Hole 2012-2016. Seek out this hidden gem under the Pink Garter Theatre for NY pizza by the slice, salads, strombolis, calzones and many appetizers to choose from. Try the $7 ‘Triple S’ lunch special. Happy hours 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. Sun.- Thu. Text PINK to 71441 for discounts. Delivery and take-out. Open daily 11a.m. to 2 a.m. 50 W. Broadway, (307) 734-PINK.

PIZZERIA CALDERA

Jackson Hole’s only dedicated stone-hearth oven pizzeria, serving Napolitana-style pies using the

freshest ingredients in traditional and creative combinations. Five local micro-brews on tap, a great selection of red and white wines by the glass and bottle, and one of the best views of the Town Square from our upstairs deck. Daily lunch special includes slice, salad or soup, any two for $8. Happy hour: half off drinks by the glass from 4 - 6 daily. Dine in or carry out. Or order online at PizzeriaCaldera.com, or download our app for iOS or Android. Open from 11am - 9:30pm daily at 20 West Broadway. 307-201-1472.

WELLNESS COMMUNITY

These businesses provide health or wellness services for the Jackson Hole community and its visitors.

DEEP TISSUE • SPORTS MASSAGE • THAI MASSAGE MYOFASCIAL RELEASE CUPPING

Oliver Tripp, NCTM

No physician referral required. (307) 733-5577•1090 S Hwy 89

www.fourpinespt.com

253-381-2838

180 N Center St, Unit 8 abhyasamassage.com

Enjoy

Transcendental Meditation Center of Jackson Hole Introduction - Instruction Refreshers - Advanced Programs

307-690-4511

www.tm.org/transcendentalmeditation-jackson

FEBRUARY 8, 2017 | 29

TO ADVERTISE IN THE WELLNESS DIRECTORY, CONTACT JEN AT PLANET JACKSON HOLE AT 307-732-0299 OR SALES@PLANETJH.COM.

MASSAGE THERAPIST NATIONALLY CERTIFIED

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Professional and Individualized Treatments • Sports/Ortho Rehab • Neck and Back Rehab • Rehabilitative Pilates • Incontinence Training • Pelvic Pain Rehab • Lymphedema Treatments Norene Christensen PT, DSc, OCS, CLT Rebekah Donley PT, DPT, CPI Mark Schultheis PT, CSCS Kim Armington PTA, CPI

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

30 | FEBRUARY 8, 2017

HALF OFF SUDOKU BLAST OFF!

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

SAVE UP TO 50% OFF

FULL STEAM SUBS $10 VOUCHER FOR $5

CORE CHANGES WITH CAREY

50% OFF ONE DROP IN CLASS FOR NEW CLIENTS FOR $9

GENE CAVAGNARO MASSAGE

BRANDI’S GROOMS $30 TOWARDS GROOMING SERVICES FOR $15

JACKSON HOLE FEED & PET

$45 TOWARDS A LARGE BAG OF NUTRISOURCE DOG FOOD FOR $22.50

60 MINUTE MASSAGE TREATMENT FOR NEW CLIENTS FOR $37.50

REDEEM THESE OFFERS AT HALFOFFJH.COM

L.A.TIMES “FIRST THINGS FIRST” By Ed Sessa

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017

ACROSS

1 Unflappability 7 Responds to an alarm 13 Bliss 20 Counterman? 21 On deck 22 “Raging Bull” fighter 23 Trust builder? 25 Clink 26 Sent messages, before faxes and email 27 Bit of body art 29 Julia of “Legends of the Fall” 30 Meat cut 31 Result of losing two points, perhaps 35 Convey 38 Descendant of the English Bulldog 39 Son of Donald 40 Shares an email with 43 Pigeon hangouts 44 Voice of TV’s Fat Albert 45 Get online shopping help, say 47 Sports org. with three major divisions 48 Student of Socrates 49 Hired car 50 TV exec Arledge 51 Tolkien monster 52 Concern for gardeners 55 Protest gone bad 56 Piggy 57 Gambling game 58 Veers 59 Pound units 61 Urban of country 63 Rooting area 64 Shot with English 65 Reach by schooner, say 67 Canal through Oneida Lake 69 Half of a record 71 Trap that’s spun 74 Gremlins, e.g.

75 Wriggler on a hook 78 __-Wan Kenobi 79 Some price changes 81 Whoop-de-__: lively parties 82 WWII issue 83 Suffix with Jumbo 84 Glacial expanses 86 Night noise 87 Edge along 88 Happy hour sponsor 89 Kyrgyzstan range 90 Refrigerant trade name 91 Troubles 92 Teacher’s bane, at times 94 Celebrity 95 Like Jack and Jill, ultimately 98 __ lepton: physics particle 99 Fiber source 102 The littlest bit 104 Mozart’s “The Hunt,” for one 109 Verify 110 Colored tee, perhaps 111 Bawled (out) 112 Aflutter 113 Hill group 114 Border maintainers

DOWN 1 2 3 4

Time of one’s life Fruit fly or gnat Loser’s ad word Nebraska city named for a Native American tribe 5 Streakers in showers 6 Withdrawal in 2016 headlines 7 “Should __ acquaintance ... ” 8 FDR program 9 Gothic novelist Radcliffe 10 Understanding 11 Oxford college 12 Classic Fender guitar, briefly 13 Golfing countryman of Player 14 Unit of heat 15 Diminutive two-seater

16 “Pinball Wizard” opera 17 Spherical opening? 18 WWII British firearm 19 Spot to spot Spot 24 See 25-Across 28 WWII alliance 31 Was beaten by 32 U-shaped river bend 33 “Oy __!” 34 Monte of Cooperstown 35 Schoolyard argument 36 Itsy-bitsy 37 Any one of the NFL’s top 25 career scoring leaders 38 Bit of braggadocio 40 They’re spoken in anger 41 Transport for Chingachgook 42 Editors’ marks 44 Quilter’s need 45 Dangle 46 Pedal problems 48 Subatomic particle 49 Serving convenience 52 Flutter by like a butterfly 53 Templo Mayor builder 54 Driven to act 60 Tablet buyer, usually 62 “It’s nobody __ business” 63 Poses 64 Pooh creator 65 Ahmedabad address 66 Livorno lady friend 67 Hard one to work with 68 P-like letters 69 Thick-furred primate 70 Like court testimony 72 Virus first identified in Zaire 73 IQ test pioneer 76 Thoughts

77 80

Extend one’s Self? Petroleum produced from rock fragments 83 Jazz standard that became an LSU fight song 85 Hyundai compact 86 “No seats” letters 87 Performed a ballroom dance 90 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug 91 The great outdoors 92 Site of an ascent 93 Playbill listings 94 60-Down’s info source 95 Central points 96 In short order, in verse 97 Dunham of “Girls” 99 Ornate arch 100 My way 101 __-do-well 103 Band accessory 105 Neurotic toon pooch 106 Potato source: Abbr. 107 Paper read on the LIRR, perhaps 108 Cardinal points, briefly?

REDNECK PERSPECTIVE SATIRE

The West Bank Wall

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD WITH A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. EMAIL EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM WITH “LETTER TO THE EDITOR” IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

BY CLYDE THORNHILL

elow is the transcript of this reporter’s interview with new Hog Island Mayor Ndogo Uume regarding his proposed wall along the border of the West Bank. Clyde Thornbill: Mayor Uume, how do you respond to critics who claim that Hog Island can’t be walled off from the West Bank because it happens to be a part of the West Bank? Evidence based science, maps, and interviews with Snake River ambassador and intrepid explorer Jay Pistono suggest Hog Island is located geographically on the same side of the river as Wilson. Mayor Ndogo Uume: I don’t care about a bunch of elitist liberal geography nerds who use phony science to promote their liberal agenda. I don’t believe Hog Island is on the West Bank! It’s all garbage! I gave a campaign speech saying I will build a wall and make West Bankers pay for it! It was a great speech. Everyone gave me a standing ovation. Millions of people. It was terrific and proves that I am the most popular mayor ever!

Thornhill: Ahem, if we can continue—there is some concern, not only in Teton Pines and Wilson, but also in Hog Island, that the wall will restrict the flow of Hog Island rednecks as they strive to provide excitement to bored West Bank housewives. Hog Island wives are particularly worried, as these interludes when their men are gone provide their only opportunity to control the TV clicker. Uume: I could care less about bored Teton Pines housewives. They’re nasty people. They’re the ones who gave me the name of Ndogo Uume. Do you know what that means in Swahili? Thornhill: Of course, but this is a family paper. PJH

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Thornhill: I’m sure it was a great speech. However, local economist Jonathan Schechter, says importers will merely raise the price of goods 20 percent to offset the tax increase. People will pay more for West Bank sushi, fair trade organic coffee, turbo charged Sabbs, bumper stickers, everything bagels with fresh herb cream cheese, Wilson Backcountry fat skis and crystals that

heal the root chakra and enhance the meditative state. So, it’s Hog Island customers that will bear the brunt of the wall’s cost. Uume: Jonathan Schechter is a loser, nasty, bad, not good, foul, liberal, hasbeen. He didn’t support me in the election. And you reporters are all liars. Why don’t you dwell on my speech-making prowess, which is amazing and terrific, instead of these bad peoples? They said it was one of the greatest speeches, people applauding and screaming; way more than those who applauded for Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon, millions in fact. I got a standing ovation. It was the biggest standing ovation ever. I…

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Thornhill: Yes, Mr. Mayor. That brings up another point. It has been reported that you intend to finance the wall with a 20 percent tax on all Wilson and Teton Pines imports to Hog Island. Uume: That’s correct. It won’t cost Hog Island a penny! I had another speech last week. It was terrific! Everyone said…

GOT SOME GRIPE-WORTHY ISSUES, OR EVEN… SOMEONE TO PRAISE?

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |