28 August 2019 by The Weekly Sun

THE WEEKLY SUN RESPONSIBLE LOCAL JOURNALISM. • BELLEVUE • CAREY • HAILEY • KETCHUM • PICABO • SUN VALLEY • WHAT TO KNOW. WHERE TO BE.

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 3 5 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Education News School Board Race Heats Up, 2 More Candidates Running

Ketchum News Former Parks Director Seeks City Council Seat

Gallery W See Inse alk rt

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

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Sun Valley Opera Executive Director Robyn Watson. Photo credit: Robyn Watson

SV OPERA GETS NEW DIRECTOR, DIRECTION

More scholarships, variety, education among Watson’s future hopes

BY ERIC VALENTINE

un Valley Opera has found its new lead performer—administratively, that is. The organization announced this week that it has promoted Robyn A. Watson to the nonprofit’s executive director role. Formerly the director of Development and Events for Sun Valley Opera, Ms. Watson takes over for Mary Jo Helmeke, who retired on Aug. 1. Both positions are considered part-time, meaning Watson will take on both in a full-time capacity. “I’m doin’ it all now,” Watson quipped. “It’s more responsibility, but there’s also a business efficiency to doing it this way.” Originally from Oklahoma, Robyn moved to Los Angeles to finish university, where she became an interior designer, and later a television and film producer for 20th Century Fox. She moved to Hailey in 2006 to be the director of development for the Wood I really want to River Land Trust and has been a promote how we full-time resident since. have a broad base of vocal Watson said she will be meeting with the board of directors talent that performs here. shortly to present some ideas for It’s key to engage kids going forward. Among them, an early with a wide variety of effort to appeal to a broader and music.” younger audience; specifically, K-12 youth who Robyn Watson she’d like to expose to in-class Sun Valley Opera music lessons and performances Executive Director by the full variety of vocalists who perform here. “I really want to promote how we have a broad base of vocal talent that performs here,” Watson said. “It’s key to engage kids early with a wide variety of music.” Watson also said she will be expanding scholarship programs for Sun Valley Opera. For instance, the Thomas S. Perakos Family Cares Foundation will award $5,000 per year for four years to Wood River Valley graduates seeking a college education in the arts. Raine Filbert, who is a vocal arts major at the University of Puget Sound, was recently named the award’s first recipient. Sun Valley Opera presents concerts in venues throughout the Valley: at the Sun Valley Pavilion, the Argyros Performing Arts Center, the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood and the Sun Valley Community School Theater. In addition, Sun Valley Opera sponsors the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD at the Bigwood4 Cinemas in Hailey. The Sun Valley Opera’s 2019 SummerFest will conclude Sept. 1 with a Country Cookout and Concert by Brandon Lay at River Grove Ranch north of Hailey. For more information about the Summer and Winter Festival programming or to become involved as a sponsor, donor or volunteer, please contact Robyn Watson at Rwatson.SVO@gmail.com or (208) 726-0991. tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

FLY SUN

You might need to split yourself in two to do everything that’s on tap for this year’s Labor Day weekend festivities. For a roundup of activities, see story on page 12. Photo credit: Dana DuGan

A U G U S T 2 8 - S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 35

IMPROVING AIR SERVICE TO SUN VALLEY Fly SUN

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Arts News

Calendar

FALL FLIGHTS

SEA: Alaska ﬂights run Thursday/Friday/Sunday through mid Dec SLC: Delta 3x daily (except Sat) throughout fall Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary

Commentary

ONE STOP TO THE WORLD

Caritas Chorale is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

Sun Valley Opera Has A New Director Award Winning Columns, Student Spotlight, Fishing Report

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Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

ON THE COVER

Musicians and attendees enjoyed 12 hours of music, featuring numerous bands, during the inaugural Summer’s End music festival on Saturday, August 24, at Lions Park in Hailey. Photo credit: Brennan Rego Local artists & photographers interested in seeing their art on our cover page should email submissions to: mandi@ theweeklysun.com (photos should be high resolution and include caption info such as who or what is in the photo, date and location).

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PRESENTS PRESENTS PRESENTS PRESENTS

Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary Caritas Chorale is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary Caritas Chorale is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Caritas Chorale is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Caritas Chorale is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

THIS WEEK

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PRESENTS

THE WEEKLY SUN STAFF 13 W. Carbonate St. • P.O. Box 2711 Hailey, Idaho 83333 Phone: 208.928.7186 Fax: 208.928.7187 AD SALES Brennan Rego • 208.720.1295 • brennan@theweeklysun.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine • news@theweeklysun.com ARTS & EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dana DuGan • calendar@theweeklysun.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey STAFF REPORTERS • Jesse Cole • Hayden Seder news@theweeklysun.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Mandi Iverson • mandi@theweeklysun.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN Chris Seldon • production@theweeklysun.com ACCOUNTING Shirley Spinelli • 208.928.7186 • accounting@theweeklysun.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Brennan Rego • 208.720.1295 • publisher@theweeklysun.com DEADLINES Display & Community Bulletin Board Ads — Monday @ 1pm brennan@theweeklysun.com • bulletin@theweeklysun.com Calendar Submissions — Friday @ 5pm calendar@theweeklysun.com www.TheWeeklySun.com Published by Idaho Sunshine Media, LLC

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T H E W E E K LY S U N

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NEWS NONPROFIT

A HELPFUL GUIDE FOR HELPING OTHERS ‘Giving Guide’ available soon Valley-wide

BY HAYDEN SEDER

ith so many nonprofits positively impacting the Wood River Valley, it may come as a surprise to find out there does not exist a guide to learning about those organizations and how residents can help them. That’s why Suzanne Hazlett, a financial advisor and founder of the Wood River Valley Studio Tour, started a nonprofit to produce such a guide. The “Giving Guide of the Wood River Valley” is a newly-issued publication featuring 67 organizations in the Valley as well as some statistics on nonprofits in the area. It’s all wrapped up in a visually-curated, stand-alone guide that will soon be available on The Giving Guide. Photo credit: Sutop-tier racks for Sun Valley zanne Hazlett Source magazine and key locations, including nonprofits with public facilities, The Chamber of Hailey and The Wood River Valley and the Visitors Center in Ketchum. Part of the motivation for starting the guide came through Hazlett’s financial work, which includes involvement with several nonprofit institutions in town. Specifically, a tax-law change that made it so some small donors are no longer able to take tax deductions for charitable contributions drew Hazlett’s attention. “It’s imperative that nonprofits be mindful of that and how giving may change over the next few years,” Hazlett said. “A lot of individual clients haven’t necessarily been aware of different opportunities to give but it was really coming from private clients and institutional clients as to how to communicate with prospective donors.” As a nonprofit founder with a small budget herself, Hazlett knows the difficulty of letting the community know that an organization is, in fact, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. Hazlett wanted to create a non-commercial guide, asking only that nonprofits indicate if they were interested in participating but were not asked to buy ads or contribute monetarily. There are roughly 400 nonprofits in the Valley, which Hazlett and her Giving Guide founding board member and business development director at Hazlett’s financial advising firm, Jenni Riley, began vetting through a select set of criteria. Government entities, private foundations and religious organizations were excluded, as were any organization that did not incorporate in Blaine County borders, even though they may have an active presence in the county. Any nonprofits in the Valley whose mission focuses outside of the area were also excluded; only those true Valley nonprofits making a positive impact locally were considered. Of those, 67 ended up represented in the pages of the guide. Not just for donors, but volunteers, too, each of the organizations that accept volunteers has been marked in the guide with a symbol. Idaho ranks fifth in the nation for volunteer contributions per capita and 34 percent of Idaho residents volunteer their time for a cause, part of the impetus behind creating this guide. “With the changing landscape of charitable giving, sustaining our nonprofit organizations has become more critical,” Hazlett said. “Whether financially through outright or legacy gifts, or with the investment of volunteer time, everyone can play a meaningful role in contributing to the success of charitable missions.” The new guide was introduced to the community August 21 at a charitable-giving education event hosted by the Wood River Women’s Foundation at The Community Library in Ketchum. Roughly 200 copies of the 154-page guide were ordered for the event, and 5,000 copies of the first issue will be available this week in hard copy, while a digital copy is currently available on the organization’s website. “The Ketchum Innovation Center is thrilled to have the Giving Guide of the Wood River Valley as a valuable new resource for our community,” said Christy Anna Gerber, executive director of the Ketchum Innovation Center. “It benefits nonprofits and charitable individuals alike as an informative, one-of-a-kind publication that highlights wonderful organizations in our Valley and elevates their missions. Many local nonprofits operate similar to startups, and the Giving Guide provides the opportunity to raise awareness for the wide variety of opportunities to support our community—big or small.” Visit givingguidewrv.org to learn more about Giving Guide of the Wood River Valley, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NEWS EDUCATION

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Zone 5 trustee Kevin Garrison now has a challenger

BY ERIC VALENTINE

wo new candidates from two separate school district zones have entered the race for a seat on the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees, and they have one common message: Trustees need to take back their authority from a superintendent they say has taken too much of that power away. Longtime Valley attorney and former mayor of Hailey, R. Keith Roark, has entered the Zone 3 race. Current Zone 3 trustee Ellen Mandeville has announced she would not seek re-election. And in Zone 5, financial advisor Lara Stone will be challenging incumbent Kevin Garrison. “My first goal is to bring civility and order back to the board and to take back the authority of the board,” Roark said. “The trustees are in charge of the school district, not the staff.” “The board has ceded its authority to the superintendent and become less responsive to the public they were elected or appointed to serve. This trend must be reversed,” Stone said. Already, Zone 1, which represents the south Valley, has seen one person announce their candidacy. As reported, Alexis Lindberg will vie for the seat that’s being vacated by Ryan Degn next year. The departure of Degn and Mandeville means two board-appointed—as opposed to voter-elected—trustees will be out in 2020. And Garrison—another appointee—is now being challenged.

Now Playing PG-13

PG-13

Zone 3 school board candidate Keith Roark. Photo credit: Keith Roark

Zone 5 school board candidate Lara Stone. Photo credit: Lara Stone

claim to being a professional educator, I do come from a family of educators; my wife taught in this district for 20 years and all three of my children are graduates of Wood River High School,” Roark said.

lem-solving skills, will provide a fresh approach to facilitating these changes,” Stone said in her candidacy announcement. Stone has lived in the Wood River Valley since 1992, moving here after graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in computer science. After serving on the BCSD finance committee in 2017, she helped campaign for the school levy in March 2018 and said she heard from hundreds of residents that they no longer trusted or respected their school district’s trustees or administration. “I am concerned that our community’s lack of faith in the school board threatens our ability to raise funds for necessary programs and to recruit good teachers,” Stone said. “The first step is rebuilding public trust in the school board.”

Stone’s Pitch The chief operations officer for Sun Valley Gold LLC— a local investment advisory firm—and co-owner with her husband of Sun Valley Auto Club, Stone says she can bring a transparency and fiscal responsibility to the school district. “Our community wants the board to engage the public with two-way communication and provide people impacted by impending policy changes an opportunity to be heard—and have their concerns addressed—prior to implementation. My experience in business operations and finance, combined with my prob-

tws

Roark’s Roar So, what does Roark hope to impact? A lot, he says. “Teacher morale is shockingly low, student achievement has not reached a level commensurate with district expenditures per student and communications between the board of trustees and the public have deteriorated to an alarming low,” Roark stated in the announcement of his candidacy. Roark said his experience with government and law, specifically as mayor of Hailey from 1990 to 1994, and his role on various boards, commissions and committees at both state and local levels during his 42 years in Blaine County, makes him especially qualified to be a trustee. Blaine County School District representation zones. Image credit: Blaine “While I certainly make no County School District

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Rain

Tree Work Shuts Down Bald Mountain

An area closure on Bald Mountain within the Sun Valley Ski Area was implemented on Tuesday. Sun Valley Resort, the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are coordinating three forest health projects happening on Bald Mountain as a part of the ongoing Healthy Forests Initiative. The tree-thinning work on Bald Mountain will improve glade skiing, reduce fuels, and maintain long-term forest health and resiliency for future generations. To accommodate the glading process and for the safety of guests and employees, the Traverse Trail, French Connection and Roundhouse Connector will be restricted for four weeks starting on Aug. 27. The Bald Mountain Trail will also have some reroutes, adding a small amount of mileage to the path that runs from the base of River Run to the top at Lookout. The public is being asked to please stay out of the closure area during this time. If you have questions, please contact the Ketchum Ranger District at (208) 622-0091.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N

NEWS KETCHUM

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

BOTANICAL GARDEN DIRECTOR SINKS TEETH INTO POLITICS

Longtime Ketchum city employee Jen Smith seeks City Council seat

BY ERIC VALENTINE

fter 17 years on the administrative side of city business, Jen Smith is stepping into the political arena this coming November. The longtime City of Ketchum staffer and executive director of the Sawtooth Botanical Garden announced she will seek election to a seat on the city council, filing her petition of candidacy Monday. It will be her first voter-elected position. Smith began working for the city in 2001 for the Parks and Recreation Department, seasonally. By 2003, she was promoted to the position of parks and natural resources superintendent and city arborist. In 2010, she was named director of parks and recreation. In 2018, she left the city to take on her current role with the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. Smith also serves as board chair at Boulder Mountain Clayworks—a nonprofit providing pottery lessons and pottery making—and is the conservation and sustainability sector representative on Visit Sun Valley’s advisory committee. “I think my career gives me some credibility. I haven’t been elected to a city council before, but I’ve managed city operations, I’ve developed city budgets,” Smith said. Monday marked day one of the candidacy filing period for the two open city council seats. The filing period runs Sept. 6. According to the city, Mickey Garcia also filed Monday. The Weekly Sun plans to publish a profile article about Garcia in an upcoming edition. On the issues Although Smith said there are myriad important issues facing councilmembers, she pares her key issues down to two: affordable housing and fire protection services. “Affordable housing is at the top of my list—ev-

erybody’s list—as it should be. It’s a huge issue nationwide and it’s magnified here in Ketchum,” Smith said. In 2006, Smith was able to purchase an affordable home as a city employee and wants to help provide the same opportunity to others if she is elected. How matters were handled by the city council when it came to the failed merger between the Ketchum Fire Department and the City of Sun Valley and Ketchum Rural Fire District also triggered Smith’s decision to run for office, she said. “Overseeing public health and safety is the number one obligation of a city council and this is a situation that needs creative problem-solving. It will be a challenge, but I believe I can help get things done,” Smith said. A natural background Smith’s love of plants and nature began at a young age when she grew up five miles from town in western Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Her parents instilled a work ethic and love of the outdoors shaped by working in their huge vegetable garden and living, for the most part, off the land. Smith finished up her education at Oregon State University with a degree in recreation and natural resource management with emphasis on Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers management. Following a stint in the desert southwest of northern New Mexico, she relocated to the Wood River Valley in 2001 after an initial ski trip to Sun Valley in 1987. “I love my town and want to see it succeed as a creative and innovative community. Our town has wonderful roots in forward-thinking ideas and imaginative solutions. I’m ready to engage on the governance level for Ketchum.” Sawtooth Botanical Garden Executive Director and Ketchum City Council tws

candidate Jen Smith. Photo credit: Gordon Williams

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T H E W E E K LY S U N

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sun Valley Improves Nonstop Flight Access For Winter

Traveling to and from Sun Valley will be easier than ever this winter with an improved schedule of flights for the 2019–20 winter season, featuring more flights from Seattle and Chicago, along with daily flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and three daily nonstop flights from Salt Lake City. Fly Sun Valley Alliance (FSVA), in partnership with Sun Valley Resort, recently announced the Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) airline flight schedule for the upcoming winter season, which will provide travelers improved access to the area. From Seattle (SEA), Alaska Airlines has increased its service to two daily nonstop flights to SUN during the holidays, December 19 through January 5, and will also offer two daily nonstop flights three days a week on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from February 12 through March 22. From Chicago (ORD), United will expand its nonstop service to run daily during the holidays, December 19 – January 5, and then weekly on Saturdays throughout the rest of the season, January 11 through March 28. In addition to Chicago, United Airlines will offer daily nonstop flights from Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) from December 19 – March 29. Delta Air Lines, which serves Sun Valley year-round, will once again offer three daily nonstop flights to their Salt Lake City (SLC) hub during the core winter season, offering easy connections to a multitude of cities. Delta will also offer a daily nonstop flight from LAX December 21 to January 5. FSVA Director Carol Waller noted that the opportunities provided by Sun Valley Resort’s new EPIC pass partnership is a major factor in increasing the air service level from key markets. “We are excited for the potential of bringing new skiers to Sun Valley through the EPIC pass and an important part of how we do that is making Sun Valley more accessible by air. The fact that we now have nonstop flights from six major cities and continue to make improvements in schedules and frequency is a big plus,” Waller commented. The total number of scheduled winter 2019–20 SUN flights is 996, up from 962 flights the previous winter.

Yearly Flapjack Event Seeks Volunteers, Donors

Organizers of the annual Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast say they could use support with additional volunteers and/or sponsors. “Grab a team from your company for a fun give-back opportunity that can take place before the Wagon Days parade starts or the day following,” organizers said in a press release. The Papoose Club supports educational, athletic and cultural growth for children in the Wood River Valley. If you can’t volunteer, please consider making a donation. The breakfast event runs Saturday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 1.

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

THE WEEKLY

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This is a beautiful 12ft. custom handcrafted light weight canoe (includes paddle/wicker seat). Mint condition. $7,500. value. Asking $3,500. Call Andy (760) 902-7171

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HELP WANTED

NOW HIRING: Gold Mine Consign Manager The Gold Mine seeks a full-time Gold Mine Consign Manager. This position is responsible for the effective daily management of all aspects of the Consign store. The successful candidate will be professional and hardworking. This job requires the ability to use sound judgement, work as a team and lift up to 45 pounds. This is a full-time exempt position with competitive salary and benefits. Processing Associate The Gold Mine Thrift Store seeks a Processing Associate to help with donation sorting, pricing and assisting with store setup, restock and sales. The successful candidate will be professional and hardworking. This job requires the ability to use sound judgement, follow directions, work as a team and lift up to 45 pounds. This is a full time hourly position with benefits. Center for Regional History Librarian The Community Library Center for Regional History, which includes the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room, special collections archive, Regional History Museum, and the Hemingway House cultural site, seeks a dynamic librarian to work as part of a team to process, preserve, and make accessible central Idaho historical materials. This is a fulltime (Tuesday-Saturday) hourly position with benefits. Application Instructions: Bilingual skills in English and Spanish are highly advantageous for all positions. For complete job description and application instructions, visit (comlib.org/about/employment-opportunities/).

Admissions committees are keenly attuned to those intangible personal qualities—character, creativity, self-knowledge, insight— that will help them choose the best among many qualified candidates. Creating a well-crafted, thoughtful essay gives a student that extra chance, as well as the priceless experience of speaking and writing from a true and confident place in oneself. ELLEN REED JAMES Former Ivy League admissions director, college advisor, writer and editor (208) 928-4155 Ereedjames@gmail.com

CROSSWORD

answer from page 15

ENGLISH CLASSES

English Classes/Las Clases de Ingles! Every Tuesday September 3 thru November 19 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. FREE! The Community Library is offering free English as a Second Language classes for adults of all language backgrounds and abilities. Teachers Janet Ross-Heiner, MA Ed-ESL, and Karen Little, MAT, will assist non-native speakers in their effort to improve their English language skills. The Community Library I 415 Spruce Avenue I Ketchum ID I 83340 I www.comlib.org I (208) 726-3493

CLASE DE CPR EN ESPAÑOL

Estamos buscando personas que tienen interés en tomando una clase de CPR para infantes, niños y adultos. La fecha no esta determinada, pero estamos haciendo la lista de personas interesadas. A lo menos, necesitamos 8 personas para tener la clase. La clase estará en Hailey, y costará $55. Por favor, si se quiere atender, manda un texto a (208) 7203421, con su nombre y cuantas personas quieren atender.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Idaho Dems Warn: Speak Up Now About Medicaid Bill

Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare has started a 30-day public comment period on the controversial restriction Idaho’s state legislature placed on voter-approved Medicaid Expansion earlier this year. Idaho residents may now submit comments on the so-called “work requirement” restriction until Sept. 22. Residents may send comments to the Department via email. They will also have a chance to comment publicly at two open hearings: Tuesday, Sept. 3; Lincoln Auditorium in the Idaho State Capitol Building, 700 W. Jefferson St., Boise, from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6; East Conference Room in the Joe R. Williams Building, 700 W. State St., Boise, from 1 to 3 p.m. Opponents call the work restrictions “paperwork schemes” that can disqualify patients from coverage if they make an error on various forms. They say the restrictions have been tried in Kentucky, Arkansas and New Hampshire and that a federal judge struck down the laws in all three states. In each case, the judge noted that government officials ignored overwhelming opposition to the restrictions.

Be Smart! Don’t Start A Forest Fire!

“A lot of Idahoans think that sending in a comment won’t make a difference, but this is one of those cases where a federal judge has ruled just the opposite. Not only do public comments matter, the government, by law, is required to consider them,” said Rebecca Schroeder, executive director of Reclaim Idaho. “If the government ignores the voices of average Idahoans on this subject, they do so at their peril.”

Wolftone Road Closed For Cleanup

Wolftone Road will be closed for approximately two weeks, the U.S. Forest Service said. Crews started removing tailings from the MG Smith mill site on Monday. The work is being completed using the road due to the location of the tailings and loaded into heavy dump trucks. There will be heavy dump truck traffic on Deer Creek Road during this time. Use caution when traveling the main Deer Creek Road. The public is being asked to please stay out of the Wolftone area during this time for their safety as well as for the workers that are in the area. If you have questions, please contact the Ketchum Ranger District at (208) 622-0091.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Health Advisory: Thorn Creek Reservoir, Harmful Algal Bloom

The South Central Public Health District (SCPHD) and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are issuing a public health advisory today for Thorn Creek Reservoir. Results from recent DEQ water testing show the concentration of cyanobacteria (sometimes called blue-green algae) in the reservoir are now at unhealthy levels and have formed a harmful algal bloom (HAB). This is the fourth health advisory issued for a reservoir in south-central Idaho. The first was issued on July 8 for Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, the second was issued July 25 for Mormon Reservoir, the third advisory was issued Aug. 9 for Magic Reservoir. All three previous advisories are ongoing. The public is advised to take the following steps to protect their health in all four reservoirs: • Avoid exposure to water in reservoirs under a HAB health advisory. • Make sure children, pets, and livestock are not exposed to the water. • Do not drink water with a HAB advisory. • Boiling and disinfecting DO NOT remove toxins from water. • Do not allow pets to eat dried algae. • If fishing in HAB water, remove all fat, skin and organs before cooking. Toxins are more likely to collect in those tissues. Wash hands after handling. “This is the fourth advisory in our region, but there are several more around the state. These toxins can be damaging so we urge you to check any reservoir you want to recreate in before you, or your pets, enter the water,” said Josh Jensen, SCPHD public health program manager. HABs are not unusual in warm summer months and typically shrink quickly as the water temperature drops in mid to late fall. SCPHD will issue another press release when DEQ tests show Thorn Creek, Magic, Mormon and Salmon Falls Creek reservoirs are at safe cyanotoxin levels again. You can help by reporting suspicious looking water to DEQ by phone, email, or with the bloomWatch app.

Two-Vehicle Crash, Fire At Hwy. 75/20 Intersection

On Aug. 20, at approximately 5:30 p.m., deputies from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to State Highway 75 and the junction with U.S. Highway 20 for a two-vehicle crash. Initial reports stated one of the vehicles hit a power pole, with power lines blocking a portion of the roadway and one of the vehicles was on fire. With help from citizens, the fire was extinguished before emergency personnel arrived. The crash investigation revealed that a silver 2018 Kia Soul, driven by Emmet G. Hartlove, age 18, of Concord Calif., was driving westbound on U.S. 20. Hartlove failed to yield to oncoming traffic and struck a white 2000 Jeep Cherokee driven by Silvia H.

SPONSORED HEALTH BEAT

THE BENEFITS OF AN ANNUAL WELLNESS EXAM

BY ST. LUKE’S WOOD RIVER

istorically, people felt the need to seek medical attention when they were ill, felt under the weather, or near death. A prevailing medical strategy was, “If it is not broken, don’t fix it.” Fortunately, the annual wellness exam has become a common practice for people who are hoping to head off health problems before it is too late. The annual wellness examination is an opportunity to focus on disease prevention and health promotion. Examinations provide a stepping stone for the development of a relationship between the provider and patient. Medical providers use the wellness exam to evaluate how the body is performing. An average wellness exam may include, but is not limited to, the following components: • Comprehensive exam specific to age, gender and risk factors. • Vital-sign monitoring that typically includes blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as temperature, height and weight. • Medication management (risk vs. benefit). • Chronic disease care. • Laboratory tests, which may include a complete blood count, chemistry panel, lipid panel (cholesterol test), prostate-specific antigen (men only), thyroid panel, and urinalysis. • Skin evaluation for dermatological health. • Updated health history. • Developmental, behavior and/or psychologic health evaluation.

Additional differential screening tests for men and women may be requested. Preventive care to offset chronic disease should be woven into all aspects of life, including where we live, work, learn, play and grow. Apart from disease screenings, the annual wellness exam is beneficial to answer patient questions about health and lifestyle choices while presenting an opportunity to steer patients in a healthy direction. When scheduling an annual wellness exam, you are making an important decision to take responsibility for your health and quality of life. Don’t have a physician? Call St. Luke’s Center for Community Health at (208) 727-8733 for help finding the right provider for you.

It’s your life. We help you live it

Leal Martinez, age 42, of Gooding, who was driving southbound on Highway 75. Hartlove and his passenger were transported to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center for minor injuries. All parties were wearing seatbelts. Hartlove was cited for Failure to Yield from a Stop Sign. “Recently, we have seen an increase in traffic accidents at this intersection. We have committed extra patrol resources to this area and have been doing this for some time now. Deputies are out showing a presence near this intersection. Citations for speed and stop sign violations, among other violations, are being written when warranted,” said Blaine County Sheriff Steve Harkins. “My message to local citizens, who travel regularly through this intersection, is to always be aware of other motorists and your speed.” In the past, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Idaho Department of Transportation conduct traffic and safety studies to explore options for making this intersection safer.

Sheriff’s Office Refunds Ketchum, Again

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and Blaine County Board of Commissioners have cut a check in the amount of $135,991to the City of Ketchum. The funds were generated, the Sheriff’s Office said, from savings through the law enforcement contract between the two entities. Over the past 10 years, this contract—in which the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services to the City of Ketchum—has resulted in savings of over $927,000. The Sheriff’s Office attributed the savings to proper management, leadership, supervision and fiscal responsibility. This cash refund represents the third in a series since the contract began in 2009 which includes payments of $141,166 in 2013, $243,609 in 2017 and $135,991 in 2019, totaling $520,766 in cash refunds back to the City of Ketchum. Additional contract savings were also used to purchase equipment estimated at $307,000, including eight patrol vehicles and ancillary law enforcement equipment over the last 10 years. These savings have all but eliminated the need for the City of Ketchum to budget for a police car and assures that a reliable fleet of vehicles is maintained. Meanwhile, $100,000 remains in the Ketchum trust account to cover payroll liability and major incidents. “We are honored to be allowed the opportunity and trust to provide these crucial police services. We have a great team of trained, professional and dedicated staff in our Ketchum Police Division,” said Sheriff Steve Harkins.

Local Playhouse Releases Fall Lineup

Company of Fools’ (COF) 24th theatre season continues this fall with “Cry It Out”—Molly Smith Metzler’s play about the realities of motherhood in the 21st century. COF’s 24th season focuses on family—the family that we choose, the family we are born into, the family that we make and, in the case of Cry It Out, the family that we find. The production is directed by founding company member Denise Simone and will run Sept. 25 through Oct. 12 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey.

Happy Trails on this Labor Day Weekend! From all of us at Wood River Insurance

Community. Compassion. Commitment.

COMME N TA RY

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

Fishing R epoRt

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, FROM PICABO ANGLER

he nights are getting cooler, which means fall is getting close; this will bring along with it all the great fishing fall usually provides. Some fantastic hatches happen in the fall and arguably some of the year’s best fishing takes place. We look forward to the Mahogany Duns on Silver Creek and the Red Quill on the Big Wood, and we look forward to quiet waters and aggressive fish. All this, along with the changing of the leaves and the beautiful weather fall brings, it’s no wonder why this is our favorite time of year. Silver Creek is fishing great! The mornings have been seeing great numbers of Tricos and Baetis; the fish tend to get picky on one or the other, so if they aren’t eating your Trico, try a small Baetis instead. The afternoon Hopper fishing has been outstanding with some wind, and the Callibaetis have been good on the calmer days. The good water levels and cooler water temps have led to fish spreading back out this year, which means it’s a great time to grab a Hopper and go explore some of Silver Creek you may have not fished before. The lower Lost River is fishing well. The Cranefly and Hopper fishing has been really good, and the Tricos in the morning have been substantial. Make sure you target the correct water if you’re attempting to fish the Tricos; the slow, flat water is usually your best bet. There has also been a good number of Baetis around and that hatch should continue to progress as we get further into fall. The upper Lost River has been fishing awesome! The fish are spread out and happily taking small Attractor or Hopper patterns. With lower light conditions, don’t be afraid to throw a Streamer; these fish will happily eat a larger meal! The Big Wood River is also a great option. The crowds should start to thin a little as we move closer to fall, and this should bring on one of our favorite hatches of the year—the Red Quill (Hecuba). The South Fork Boise River has been a little tougher the last week with the changing flows (1,150 CFS), although the hatches have been very good lately. There are a large number of Caddis and Pink Alberts during the day and the evenings have been filled with Caddis and Flavs, as well. Picabo Angler is having a Labor Day sale this Friday, Aug. 30, through Monday, Sept. 2. Prices are 30-40 percent off on select fishing packs and bags, lanyards, fly boxes, hats, T-shirts, and select Simms apparel. Contact the shop for more details. Happy fishing, everyone!

Hwy 20 in Picabo info@picaboangler.com (208)788.3536 www.picaboangler.com

PIT BULL RESPONSIBILITY BY FRAN JEWELL

h-oh. I am treading on sacred waters here. A few months ago I wrote an article about fake service dogs and in it I mentioned that a guide dog had been attacked by a pit bull in a grocery store and now had to be retired because she became defensively reactive to other dogs. It went viral on Facebook with over 10,000 shares. It wasn’t how many shares it got, but how many chastised me for having mentioned it was a pit bull that attacked the German shepherd. My response was, “I am honest and that is what happened.” I am not going write here about what a horrible breed the pit bull is, but the recent story about three pit bulls horrifically and tragically killing a 9-year old girl in Detroit is encouraging me to say something from a dog trainer’s/instructor’s point of view. As most of you know, I love my German shepherds. The shepherds conjur up all kinds of images, from police dogs, biters, detection dogs, military dogs, service dogs, and so on. Many people are extremely afraid of them without ever having any experience with them. Owning a German shepherd is a responsibility maybe more so than owning a golden retriever or a Labrador retriever. Owning any dog is a responsibility, but owning a breed for protection, or a fighting breed, is something any owner must be much more aware of. Pit bulls and bully breeds were bred for very serious work and are capable of doing incredible damage, as we just saw in Detroit. Almost every owner will claim their pitties or mixes are so sweet and loving, and they are, until something pushes the dogs into prey drive. All dogs have prey drive, but some breeds have more than others. When we own dogs like this, like I do, we must take extra steps to be a strong, fair and consistent leader with them, and they MUST have training so the owner has control. If you own a Maserati, you MUST learn how to drive it. The Maserati is not a Subaru. You can’t take a Maserati up a four-wheel-drive road and expect to survive. We must take extra precautions to manage and train pitties in ways that they are not put into the position that they could hurt someone. This is why I say they take extra responsibility. If you are going to own a breed like this, you must OWN THIS BREED and not fool yourself into believing that your dog is just like Lassie. The hard thing about pit bulls and pit mixes is that they can be incredibly sweet and loving; however, if they have enough prey drive, they may not give notice before they become aggressive. When the light switch goes, it goes. Many times the owner does not expect it to ever happen. Being responsible is owning up to knowing what pitties are capable of and always remembering that, and taking precautions.

I am not singling out the pit bull because it is a pit bull, but I am pointing out that with this breed, there is way too much owner denial about what pit bulls are capable of. I am fully aware of what my Germans shepherds are capable of and I work hard to socialize them PROPERLY, train them and select dogs from known bloodlines that have proper and unaggressive temperaments. Protection behavior is not aggression, but that is another discussion. Owning a bully breed is not an evil thing. They are wonderful dogs and so easy to train. But, not realizing the responsibility and treating them like Lassie is irresponsible. Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.

Just like German shepherds, pit bulls, bully breeds and mixes are a huge responsibility and commitment to keep the dog—and others—safe! Photo credit: Fran Jewell

COLUMN SKETCHBOOK HIKING

BY LESLIE REGO

was in the mood to paint water and so I decided to take the gentle trek to Baker Lake. I had just read an essay written by John Muir on glacier lakes the day before and was reliving some of his writings as I hiked. Muir remarks, “I first discovered this charming lake in the autumn of 1872, while on my way to the glaciers at the head of the river. It was rejoicing then in its gayest colors, untrodden, hidden in the glorious wildness like unmanned gold.” I cannot say that the trail to Baker Lake is untrodden, but it is like unmanned gold. It is one of my favorite short hikes. The trail was lined with the seed head of monkshood, shaped like three pea pods stuck together, very much like the seed head of columbine but without the finely etched lines. There was flowering lupine and also the lupine pods containing the seeds for next year’s blooms. Fireweed was prevalent, the individual flowers beginning to fade and the long red extension containing the white seeds starting to protrude. Scattered across the forest were asters. In fact, I counted many shades of purple and pink: the royal purple of monkshood, the lavender of asters, the soft purple/blues of lupine, the bright pink of fire-

A SLIVER OF TIME

Leslie Rego, “Baker Lake,” watercolor.

weed, and the gentle pink of the very last buds of hollyhock. Interspersed throughout the purples and pinks were the complimentary yellows of goldenrod, groundsel and rabbitbrush. Yellow and purple, opposites on the color wheel, hollered out on the mountainside, drawing attention everywhere I looked. The day was cool and I was able to take my time to paint the lake. I was intrigued by the mountain on the far side of the water. The slope was composed of loose scree. I suspect that small and large rocks flow into the lake with the melting of the snow or

are pushed in from avalanches. Muir writes, “So the young lake grows in beauty, becoming more and more humanly lovable from century to century. Groves of aspen spring up, and hardy pines… until it is richly overshadowed and embowered. But while its shores are being enriched, the soil-beds creep out with incessant growth, contracting its area, while the lighter mud-particles deposited on the bottom cause it to grow constantly shallower, until at length the last remnant of the lake vanishes, closed forever in ripe and natural old age.” What a vivid image of the pas-

sage of time! I am not sure how much smaller Baker Lake is today than it was years ago, but I sat there and painted the scene as it is now, a gem in the midst of the Sawtooth National Forest, hopefully with years left in its life cycle. My little painting portrays a slight moment in time, a sliver, within the life of a mountain lake. Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ELLEN MANDEVILLE

School Board Elections: Be The Change You Want To See

How school district trustees behave, individually and collectively, either improves or damages student achievement1. Three school board seats are up for election this November: Zones 1, 3 and 5. From the beginning of trustee campaigns, students and staff will be affected, for good or for bad. The candidates and the campaigns will either damage our community or build it up. This weekend I attended the first Wood River High School Mountain Bike Team Race of the 2019 season. NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) sets high expectations for sportsmanship from all involved. From athletes and coaches to parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and neighbors, sportsmanship and following the rules are required of everyone. Violations result in points docked from their team. These rules and accountability are in place for everyone to enjoy a quality competitive event undergirded by excellent sportsmanship. At the NICA mountain bike races, athletes compete individually and as teams. There are winners and losers. There are the few standing on the podium and the many who are not. What there is not: athletes demoralized by unsportsmanlike behavior. Athletes travel home knowing they competed well and are part of a community that builds each other up. Communities affect school sports, and school sports affect their larger communities. I have learned valuable lessons from NICA. How trustee candidates run their campaigns will have either a positive or negative effect on our students, our staff, our families, our whole community. While I am not running in this election, I encourage us all to take the high road of expecting excellent sportsmanship from each other during the competition for trustee seats. If some refuse to display sportsmanship, their actions will damage our community. Tearing down is easy, quick, and destructive. Building up is slow, painful, and constructive. Which path will each of us choose? Our individual decisions affect our shared community. Candidates have until Sept. 6 to file their candidacy and must live in the school board zone. Seats up for election are Zone 1 – Carey, Yale, most of Bellevue; Zone 3 – most of Hailey, Croy Canyon; and Zone 5 – northeast Hailey, mid-Valley east of Hwy. 75, Sun Valley. Zone descriptions and a link to an interactive, detailed map can be found on the BCSD website: https://www.blaineschools.org/ Page/3068. Instructions on how to file for candidacy can be found on the Blaine County Election Office webpage: https://www.co.blaine.id.us/196/Elections. I applaud everyone who chooses to run for the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees. Investing in our youth invests in the future of our community, for both the short term and the long term. The youth of our Valley will be watching the campaigns, how the candidates conduct themselves, how current trustees behave, how the adults of the community behave. What will they see? What will we be modeling for them? What kind of community are we creating? Ellen Mandeville Blaine County School District Trustee Zone 3 Chairman of the Board 1. The Essential School Board Book: Better Governance in the Age of Accountability, by Walser, Nancy and Richard F. Elmore, 2009, Harvard Educational Press

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

THE UMVELT AND THE UMGEBUNG

BY HARRY WEEKES

just finished re-reading “Tiger,” John Vallaint’s gripping nonfiction telling of a vengeful Amur tiger that stalks a village in Russia’s Far East. Of the many things the book does well, two stand out: Vallaint’s description of what it is like to inhabit the same physical space as a 500-pound cat where you are definitely an item on the menu, and the corollary, what it is like to share the same mental space as a major predator. Vallaint introduced me to two German terms— the Umvelt and the Umgebung. The Umvelt is each animal’s subjective view of the world, with the Umgebung being the objective world in which the animal exists. To illustrate the point, he uses the simple example of a woman walking down the street with her dog, with the street environment they both occupy being the Umgebung, and how the woman and the dog “see” things differently the various Umvelten—the woman might focus on a person she knows while the dog is intent on the smell from a nearby restaurant. In the part of the world Vallaint highlights in “Tiger,” many people, out of a necessity born of survival, come very close to sharing and even fusing their Umvelt with animals. In other words, in this Russian Boreal jungle, humans and nonhuman animals start having the same subjective view of the world. Naturally, this got me thinking about miniature Dachshunds. I have had dogs my entire life and while I have always wondered what a dog sees, it wasn’t until this book that I really wanted to attune to my dogs and ask, “What are they seeing?” So far, I am totally stumped. In my in-laws’ yard in Connecticut, there is definitely some kind of intermittent and unusual nocturnal visitor. Perhaps twice a summer, the dogs go out and almost immediately get really slow. They walk around tentatively and purposefully, like a person with a metal detector, noses moving intently over the ground, until they come to a spot, which they investigate intensely… and then leave alone. No digging, no marking of their own, just a kind of concerned look. What’s up with that? Other animals elicit the exact opposite response; I open the door and the dogs immediately charge into the night, barking like mad, a ridge of hair raised on each of their backs… then they

A Siberian tiger photographed by a camera trap. Photo credit: Tigress Anna Savelevna, accessed via Wikimedia, public domain photo

stop. They sniff the air and then vigorously kick dirt out behind them. As they stand down and come back wagging, I play the part of freaked-out human looking into the dark. Then, there’s just watching Oscar’s nose, which I got to do as I crossed country with him in a dog carrier. His nose never stopped moving, subtly adjusting to a thousand smells that left me wondering: What is his experience of JFK? Of Salt Lake City? Of returning to Idaho after chasing after opossums in Connecticut? In Russia’s Far East, humans and dogs share an Umvelt because their survival depends on it. They exist in a true partnership, one honed by thousands of years of living off of the forest, and by living in a forest where things live off of you. From this comes an interspecies empathy as magical as it is abstract in our modern world. As I blunderingly try and fuse the subjective soap bubbles of my dogs and my Umvelten, I can at least take comfort and joy in sharing our Umgebung. Harry Weekes is the founder and head of school at The Sage School in Hailey. This is his 47th year in the Wood River Valley, where he lives with his wife Hilary and their three kids—Georgia, Penelope and Simon—a nice little flock.