6 February 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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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 6 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Municipal News YMCA, Ketchum Tiff Over Park & Ride Future

Municipal News State Of The County

Environment News Mountain Lion Sightings On The Uptick

“An optimist is someone who gets treed by a lion but enjoys the scenery.” ~ Walter Winchell

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A fold of Scottish highland cattle (aka “heilan’ coos,” according to www.visitscotland.com), grazes at Jay and Susie Hedrick’s ranch in Bellevue. The Hedricks recently bought the coos in Twin Falls for breeding. This species is adapted to living in harsh terrains with a thick double layer of… For more information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Courtesy photo by Amanda Stelling

Valentine’s Day Is Nearly Here! Be Prepared, See Page 3....

By Amy Herzog

A funny, moving, altogether wonderful drama. — The New York Times

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 6 - 12, 2019

NEWS COMMUNITY

KETCHUM AND YMCA BUTT HEADS OVER PROPOSED LOW-INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BY HAYDEN SEDER

This photo shows the parking area north of the YMCA. The YMCA’s lease with the City of Ketchum allows the YMCA to develop northward up to the green line. The gravel lot, north of the Saddle Road entrance, is where the city has proposed to build low-income housing. Photo courtesy of both the City of Ketchum and the YMCA

According to the YMCA and its petition, 70 percent of available parking spaces would be eliminated by the development, a number disputed by the city. “When the Y puts out a petition saying 70 percent of parking will be lost, I’m not sure where they get that number from,” Bradshaw said. “In fact, under our current plan, zero percent will be lost. I think petitions are useful if they accurately reflect the facts. But petitions have no merit if they’re a misrepresentation.” The lease allows for the YMCA to develop 25 percent of the Park & Ride lot. A photo of the north side of the YMCA (pictured) shows a green line where the YMCA’s property line ends. Anything beyond that line is open for the city’s development without interference. “I really want the YMCA and other neighbors to try and always be looking at every problem we face and use our energy to find solutions for our housing crisis rather than using energy to find creative ways to say ‘no’,” said Bradshaw. “What the Y is really saying is, ‘Don’t do this

building here because when we expand, we’ll need it for our parking.’” In an interview, YMCA CEO Jason Shearer acknowledged the city’s position and said the YMCA is not against the proposed project but, rather, for “the agreement that we had with the city to begin with which allowed the YMCA a significant portion of the Park & Ride on which to deliver our mission to the community and the city’s agreement to meet the YMCA’s parking need in good faith on the Park & Ride lot.” “We’re happy to have any number of important community projects as neighbors so long as we have adequate parking and the city meets its promise to provide that parking,” Shearer said. The lease includes a master plan that shows different

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n Jan. 28, the Wood River Community YMCA sent out a digital petition asking YMCA members and community members to rally against plans by the City of Ketchum to develop low-income housing adjacent to the YMCA, citing parking concerns as the reason for the city not to pursue the project. In 2005, the YMCA and the city signed a 99-year lease agreement that allows the YMCA to develop a portion of the city-owned Park & Ride lot. Recently, the city has honed in on an unpaved gravel parcel on the north end of the Park & Ride lot for the housing project as it is one of only three plots of city-owned land that allows for the development of low-income housing. Maps included in the lease agreement label the parcel as developable. The YMCA currently has two paved parking lots, one to the south of the YMCA building (which has 43 parking spaces) and one to the north (which has 139 spaces), for a total of 182 spaces. That total does not include any spaces on the parcel the city wants to develop. Representatives from both the city and the YMCA have had several meetings to discuss options for the use of the unpaved portion of the north lot. So far, all they agree on is that both parties are reading the lease correctly. The lease does not specifically guarantee a number of parking spaces to the YMCA. However, it does infer that 150 spaces is an appropriate amount (determined by the city and subject to change). The lease also states that should the city opt to develop on the Park & Ride lot in the future, both parties agree to cooperate in good faith to maintain an adequate amount of parking for the YMCA. However, both parties are currently interpreting the word “adequate” in different ways. “We have no plans to touch either of the paved parking lots at this point,” Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw said in an interview. “The Y will still have more than the 150 parking spots they think they need, and we don’t plan to change that.”

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 6 - 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

Presented by Company of Fools, “4000 Miles” will be staged at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey from Wednesday, Feb. 13, through Saturday, March 2. For a story, see page 8. Photo by Kirsten Shultz, courtesy of Company of Fools

THIS WEEK

F E B R U A R Y 6 - 1 2 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 6

Arts News

Commentary

Calendar

Actress Rita Wilson To Sing At The Argyros

Award Winning Columns, Fishing Report, Student Spotlight

Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

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ON THE COVER

Continued from page 1: ...long orange hair, according to www.a-zanimals.com. The Hedricks say this hair allows the animals to survive the winter without putting on as much fat as other cattle, resulting in a leaner meat. The Queen of England is famous for breeding coos for more than 65 years. “It’s the only beef she’ll eat,” Susie Hedrick said. Courtesy photo by Amanda Stelling 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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NEWS IN BRIEF

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 6 - 12, 2019

Stanley Ranger Station Closed For Renovation

The U.S. Forest Service announced in a press release that the Stanley Ranger Station is currently closed to the public. The ranger station is undergoing much needed repairs to the office. The parking lot is being plowed and portable toilets are being serviced. Employees are working remotely from other offices on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the public is encouraged to contact the Sawtooth NRA headquarters office at (208) 7275000. It is expected that the office will re-open in late February.

NAMI-WRV Announces Additions To Program Staff

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of the Wood River Valley (NAMI-WRV) announced in a recent press release the appointment of new staff. Justin Rujawitz is the acting state preventative medicine officer for the Idaho Army National Guard Medical Detachment Unit, working to ensure those serving get both their physical and mental needs met. Rujawitz further supports those in the military through his role with Higher Ground Sun Valley as a military program specialist, serving veterans with an array of traumas through recreational therapy. Rujawitz joins NAMI-WRV as activities coordinator, where he will work closely with youth, peer-to-peer support groups, and The Bluebirds to coordinate after-school activities in the community. Brittany Shipley also joins NAMI-WRV as program coordinator, and will be working to design, coordinate and implement a variety of programs with an emphasis on NAMI-WRV’s teens in The Bluebirds group. Shipley is a social work student with Boise State University with an emphasis on advocacy and policy work. As a graduate from Partners in Policymaking and years of experience working with individuals with both developmental disabilities and mental health conditions, she is well versed in the realm of navigating services, parent advocacy, policy implementation, and has taught several classes to help support and educate others on topics such as accessing Medicaid-based services.

ITD Expands Outreach With First-Ever Podcast

Utilizing a new and more modern communication tool to expand outreach to the driving public prior to major commute impacts on Interstate 84, Idaho Transportation Department’s GARVEE and Communication offices recently collaborated to launch an ITD podcast according to a recent press release. The intent of this innovation is to reach a different audience than television, radio, or other traditional media. The initial focus of the podcast is on widening I-84 in Canyon County. Future podcasts will address significant milestones and upcoming traffic switches as the work in the Nampa-to-Caldwell corridor kicks into high gear later this summer and for the next few construction seasons. The I-84 corridor team brainstormed the podcast idea back in 2018 and began to work on the first few podcasts late last year. Communication manager Vince Trimboli emcees the podcast and brings on various guest experts to discuss specific topics. You can listen to the first podcast on YouTube. The podcast name “Drive Idaho” was chosen because it represents what the department does every day, and can be used statewide.

Dr. Natalia Kanem To Present Family Of Woman Film Festival’s POV Breakfast

The 12th annual Family of Woman Film Festival announced that Dr. Natalia Kanem, this year’s Bonni Curran Memorial Lecture keynote speaker, has agreed to also lead a discussion at a POV breakfast for Festival donors of $500 and above. Dr. Kanem is the executive director of UNFPA, the United Nations agency for reproductive health and rights, and Under-Secretary of the United Nations. Dr. Kanem’s keynote address, at 6 p.m. at The Community Library on Tuesday, Feb. 26, is free to the public and will be on the festival theme, “Women Still Waiting for Change.” Her POV breakfast, on Wednesday, Feb. 27, will focus on UNFPA’s humanitarian relief in crisis situations; namely, UNFPA’s work training midwives in Yemen. A second POV breakfast will be held on Thursday, Feb. 28, with two speakers from Tostan, an organization working to empower communities in West Africa. Information on attending these breakfasts can be found at familyofwomanfilmfestival.org.

NEWS COUNTY

ALL THINGS BLAINE COUNTY County Commissioner Jacob Greenberg shares on 2018 successes

BY EMILEE MAE STRUSS

laine County was significantly altered by natural disasters in 2018. The Sharps Fire and flooding along the Big Wood River impacted many homes in the Wood River Valley, emergencies that required unprecedented attention and fast reflection, and exhausted funds. The county has since received a grant to remove dead trees to create a buffer zone for homes in fire-risk locations. The firewise buffer zone should lessen the spread of wildfires based on how far away flammable vegetation, like sagebrush, should be placed around homes. Some floodplain overlay ordinances were amended and a flood mitigation program was implemented. The Wood River Land Trust and Blaine County are partnering to rebuild the Colorado Gulch bridge eroded from the flooding last year in Hailey. “We had to remove the bridge because it was collapsing,” County Commissioner Jacob Greenberg said. “We want to replace it; however, the Wood River Land Trust came to us and said they want to do some aquatic restoration beforehand.” In cooperation, the bridge will be replaced next year. The county is also focused on conservation of the land and the quality of life for the people who live on it. A consultant was hired to run a study survey of areas similar in nature to Blaine County, an agricultural and resort community with a higher-than-average cost of living. “We endeavor to keep everyone whole,” Greenberg said. “So the consultant comes back to us and says, ‘This is what other resort community employees are getting paid’ and determines if we are paying our employees fair wages, or if we need to make changes.”

NEWS ARTS

As for conservation, Blaine County is officially accredited as a Dark Sky Reserve. The International Dark Sky Association has recognized Central Idaho as a place of exceptional night-sky brilliance. This requires several counties and municipalities to commit to minimizing artificial light pollution to protect the natural beauty of the sky at night. “This not only is a conservation impact for us, but also an economic one, as well,” Greenberg said. “People will travel and visit places just to see the stars.” Individual residents living in Blaine County may not recognize what projects the county is completing relative to protecting and providing for the citizens living within the area. Greenberg pointed to the rebuild of Warm Springs Road in Ketchum, post-flood; a granted extension to the land next to Campion Ice House in Hailey; and hosting several climate resiliency workshops as examples. “We are passionate about the work we do,” Greenberg said. “But people are not that interested in the things we’re doing unless it directly impacts them, like having a road repaired next to their home.” Greenberg said one thing that the residents in Blaine County will definitely notice is regarding landing zones to reduce diversions from Friedman Memorial Airport to Twin Falls. Three commissioners from Blaine County sit on the airport board. “When you don’t hear complaints from the community,” Greenberg said, “you know you’re doing a good job.” To learn more about the changes made in Blaine County in 2018, and other updates, visit their new website, co.blaine.id.us. tws

RITA WILSON SEES THE BIGGER PICTURE

BY DANA DUGAN

he Arygros Performing Arts Center will present a concert with Rita Wilson at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16. Wilson, a producer and actress, is known for light comedies, such as “Volunteers,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Now and Then,” and TV shows, including, most recently, “Girls.” She has also been involved as a producer and performer in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and its sequel. In 2015, she appeared on Broadway in Larry David’s play, “Fish In the Dark.” But the turning point for Wilson really came in 2006, after playing Roxie Hart in a Broadway revival of “Chicago.” Wilson was inspired to explore her budding talent as a singer. In an interview last fall in Parade Magazine, Wilson said she asked her friend, Bruce Springsteen, “‘What makes me think that I, now, at this point in my life, could start songwriting when you’ve been doing it so well all of your life?’ He said, ‘Creativity is time independent.’ It made me feel like, I guess this is the time when creativity in music is coming out of me. I didn’t know it was lying dormant! He also really encouraged me and empowered me.” In 2012, Wilson released an album of covers of some of her favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s called “AM/FM,” with guest appearances from Jackson Browne and Sheryl Crow. The eponymous “Rita Wilson” was released in 2016. In the meantime, Wilson has also honed her songwriting skills. Her newest release, “Bigger Picture,” feels like a throwback to acoustic-based folk albums with elements of country. Wilson’s co-writers on the album include Nashville hitmakers, the Warren Brothers; Kristian Bush of Sugarland; and Darrell Brown, whose credits include Keith Urban, Faith

Rita Wilson will perform at the Argyros Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 16, showcasing her latest album, “Bigger Picture.” Photo courtesy of The Argyros

Hill and Bon Jovi. Last fall, in a YouTube video, Wilson discussed “Bigger Picture” and the song of the same name, which she wrote with Annie Bosko and Danny Myrick about looking back at your past. “To sort of remember who you were when something knocked you on your feet and you’ve lost a sense of yourself,” she said. “I had all these scrapbooks from when I was a kid… I think there’s something to that. Sometimes I look back and I’m giddy with happiness and sometimes there’s a wistfulness to it about time passing.” Wilson, who says she’s always loved ballads, has the heart of a chanteuse and the chops to pull it off. For tickets to the show, visit The Argyros box office in Ketchum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., theargyros.org, or call (208) 726-7872. tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 6 - 12, 2019

NEWS ENVIRONMENT

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MOUNTAIN LION SIGHTINGS & ATTACKS

ver the past month there have been increased mountain lion sightings and two dog fatalities in and around Blaine County and the Wood River Valley. Mountain lions have been spotted as far north as Warm Springs Road in Ketchum, and as far south as Townsend Gulch Road in Bellevue. With increased activity, local residents need to be alert, and aware of how to handle a mountain lion encounter. Authorities were not able to locate the lion that killed a dog in Bellevue, and on Jan. 31 three lions were spotted on Townsend Gulch Road. However, on Saturday, Jan. 26, Idaho Fish and Game officials euthanized a mountain lion that was spotted in a Ketchum neighborhood. With the assistance of the Ketchum Police Department, the 6- to 7-year-old female cougar was tracked to a nearby area and euthanized for public safety. “We euthanized the lion safely, quickly and humanely, in accordance with our protocol for lions that show habituation to humans or pets in residential areas,” said Craig White, Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Magic Valley Regional Supervisor. Mountain lions live in and near the Wood River Valley year-round and it is normal behavior for them to travel looking for deer and other food sources, especially in the winter months. Mountain lions are most active from dusk until dawn and will attack or kill domestic animals. When lions become too comfortable near people, it creates a potential public safety hazard. Fish and Game officials are unwilling to take that risk and let lions become comfortable wandering in towns. Idaho has never had a recorded incident of a mountain lion killing a person.

5 Oscar nominations including

Two dogs killed in January

BY MORGAN MESCAL

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“We want to remind people who have wintering deer and elk nearby that there is likely going to be mountain lions nearby, too,” said White. “People also need to take precautions, be aware of their surroundings, and not leave their pets outside and unattended.” The best thing you can do is to remain alert. Keep small children, cats, dogs and other pets inside, if possible. Do not feed pets outside during the winter, and when your pets need to go outside, you may want to accompany them during the nighttime hours. Watch your animals for unusual behavior, which may alert you that wildlife could be nearby. In a press release published by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, tips for people who might encounter a mountain lion included: Do not run. If you are with children, pick them up without bending over. Do not turn your back on the lion, crouch down, or try to hide. Remain facing the lion and slowly back away. Leave the animal an escape route. Try to appear as large as possible—stand on a rock or stump, hold up your arms, stand next to others. Shout, wave your arms and throw objects if the lion does not leave the area. Fight back if a mountain lion attacks. Stay on your feet and use sticks, rocks, a backpack, and hands to fight back. Use bear spray if you have it. Never approach a mountain lion or offer it food. If you have additional questions or want to report a sighting, contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at (208) 324-4359. If there is an imminent safety concern, call 911.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

National Geographic WILD And Sun Valley Film Festival Launch Sixth Annual WILD To Inspire Short Film Contest

National Geographic WILD, the network synonymous with exploration of the world’s wildest places and animals, and the Sun Valley Film Festival, presented by Ford, announced in a recent press release the sixth annual WILD to Inspire contest, an open call for short films by U.S. filmmakers. The top finalists will screen their films at the Sun Valley Film Festival, where one lucky grand prize winner will be chosen to receive $1,000 and a National Geographic Expedition to explore wildlife and wild places up close alongside Nat Geo Explorers. U.S. residents are invited to submit a short film of three minutes or less using the platform Submittable. Films should feature an everyday explorer and/or inspire others to become everyday explorers. The top finalists, announced in early March, will receive an invitation to attend the Sun Valley Film Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho, March 13-17, to screen their films for festival attendees, a panel of judges and Nat Geo WILD executives. The winner will be announced at the festival’s closing ceremony and will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and a National Geographic Expedition. The submission period is open now through March 1. The contest is open to U.S. residents, and all entries must be under three minutes (multiple entries are allowed). To view all WILD to Inspire contest rules, regulations and prizing, visit wildtoinspire.submittable.com.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 6 - 12, 2019

Fishing R epoRt

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 6 - 12, FROM PICABO ANGLER

reat news for fly anglers, as another low-pressure system moves in this week. The cloud cover should provide anglers with another fantastic week and weekend of winter fishing. If the fishing is anywhere as good as this past weekend, we have a lot to look forward to! Silver Creek has been fishing incredibly well under the clouds. The low pressure and darker skies have the fish on the bite and out in the open. The name of the game on the Creek is Streamer fishing in the winter. This is a great opportunity to catch the biggest fish on the Creek as they chase one of the few food sources available to them this time of the season. There is seemingly never a shortage of baitfish in the Creek! We have plenty of Streamers here in the shop as well as custom Streamer ties by our own Christian Reid. Be sure you come in and talk to him for the latest info. The Big Wood has been seeing outstanding Midge hatches and this activity should just continue to grow and get better as we march toward springtime. Each day on the Wood gives dry-fly anglers a great chance to pursue healthy rainbows sipping Midges from the surface. Try to get out sometime in the late morning and fish until the dinner hour. Stay on the move until you find a pod of fish feeding on Midges. If you are seeing Midges all over the snow, then it really is just a matter of walking enough to find some risers. Griffiths Gnats and Tie-Down Midges are the way to go. Be sure to have a trailing shuck of some sort on your fly. The fish can’t resist it. Midweek may be your best bet to head for the Lost River or the South Fork of the Boise. The weather conditions for driving may be best before the next little front rolls in. We enter yet another week of little to no reporting on either river. Again, this means the fishing pressure is at a minimum for the season, so if you want to experience either fishery with few anglers, now’s your time. If you go, take all the same flies you would have on the Big Wood and Silver Creek: Zebra Midges, Brassies, Gnats, Midges, Buggers and Sparkle Minnows. Enjoy the river this week, stay kind to your fellow angler, and be safe! Happy fishing, everyone!

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OUR DOGS, OURSELVES

BY FRAN JEWELL

ast week I shared an article describing how a dog feels going to the dog park, with the hopes of helping dog owners to understand the dog’s point of view. What I did not focus on is how what happens to our dogs, that we love enormously, affects our relationships and us as human beings. As a dog behavior consultant, this topic brings up too many issues far beyond obedience. Literally, there isn’t a day that goes by that someone does not share with me how their dog was attacked by another dog and their dog has now become fear aggressive and does not enjoy other dogs. I am asked to fix this canine PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. As with humans, PTSD is not something that is easily fixed. It can ruin the happiness of a dog and its family. Dog owners whose dogs have been attacked no longer feel that they can take their dog on wonderful hikes for fear of meeting another dog that will once again attack. The trauma of watching your dog being mauled, injured, and brutalized by an aggressive dog not only terrorizes the dog, but also terrorizes the owner that relives that moment over and over. Some owners are injured during the fight trying to break up the dogs. There are some dogs that will not let go. The owner of the victim dog tries desperately to pry open the mouth of the attacking dog. Many times the owner of the attacking dog is not to be found, or busy chatting with a friend, or even on their cellphone, without any idea what is happening. I had a dog attack my oldest German shepherd, Brinx, on Leadville Avenue in Ketchum. My dog was on a leash with me, and the offending dog was off-leash. When I asked the owner to call her dog, she did

nothing. She just stood there watching. The offending dog bit Brinx four times. I was fortunate in that Brinx had a huge winter coat so he had no puncture wounds. He was much larger than the offender and could have, if I had allowed him to defend himself, done huge damage to the other dog. Fortunately, Brinx trusted me to keep him safe, and did what I told him to, which was “Leave it.” Later, I understood the woman was bragging in public how her dog attacked my dog. Really? I am astonished that any caring human, especially a dog-loving human, could be so uncaring about other people and other dogs that they would allow their dog to perform such acts of aggression. Is this really the kind of dog owner anyone would want to be? Do we want to be the kind of community that doesn’t care about the emotional scars dog aggression causes? You see, it is not just about how the dog that was attacked suffers PTSD for a very long time or forever, it is also about the PTSD and emotional scars the owner experiences from these attacks. The answer is not simple. However, there are important things all dog owners should do. Be proactive and train your dog to have a rock-solid recall. If your dog has aggressive tendencies, be aware and don’t put your dog in a position where he can aggress another dog or human. That means, do not take your dog to public places off leash! You might muzzle train your dog, too. When you walk with your dog, you should be there for your dog, not your cellphone. Control your dog until you ask another dog owner if they can play. Do not assume that your dog will always play nicely without supervision. It is much like taking children to a park. You wouldn’t just take a child to a park, then not watch them and how they interact with other children. We must constantly teach our dogs,

Photo courtesy by Fran Jewell

just like children, what nice play is and what it is not. A well-trained dog will return to its owner even in the face of a distraction. Please, think about other people with kindness and how a dogfight can affect them. Let’s build a better place to live for our dogs and ourselves. 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.

COLUMN SKETCHBOOK HIKING

DAGUERREOTYPE LANDSCAPE

BY LESLIE REGO

couple of weeks ago I wrote about an early morning that unfolded clear and bright—the crimson color of the snow glistened and the air crackled. I described the reflective quality of snow causing the surface planes to take on the color of the sky or the surrounding areas. This morning, I once again see a crimson sky but today the atmosphere is different. It is a moody and misty day. The shimmering magentas of the other day, made brighter by a new snowfall, have turned into subdued and delicate shades of pink. Added to the muted quality of the daybreak is a landscape that is no longer pristine white, but rather bears witness to the ravages that come with age. It would be a stretch to call the snow pure. Broken leaves, twigs and branches lie everywhere, replicating an old threadbare, tattered and patched quilt that has survived through time and still continues to be loved. And yet it is still a mystical world out there. The shades of pink, significantly greyed down, take on a vintage quality similar to the daguerreotype photography of the 1800s when every daguerreotype was unique, printed on a silvered copper plate, and exposed in a large box camera.

Leslie Rego, “Pristine Snow,” charcoal.

The surface of the print was very delicate. Even the lightest touch could permanently abrade the image. Some tarnish around the outside perimeter was normal, causing the old photographs to have irregular feathered edges. In the misty morning air the snow seems fragile. An animal track or a slight breeze can easily

scuff the surface. Gentle wisps of vapor rise over the land extending into the edges of my view. The fog descends and captures the corners of the panorama, making the borders to my view seem a bit tarnished. The pinks still glow through the center of the landscape, gently transporting me to another era.

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 •

FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2019

OBITUARY KENNY DRUSSEL

KENNY WAYNE DRUSSEL

t is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our loved one, Kenny Wayne Drussel, on January 28, 2019. Kenny was the first to be born up Muldoon Canyon at the Peavey Ranch on March 25, 1950, to Harold and Dorothy Drussel. It was during a large snowstorm, and Kenny’s dad had to deliver him with the help of the party phone line. Kenny’s dad jokes that he thought it was the “ugliest baby ever.” They were flown out a few days later by snow plane. Kenny graduated from Wood River High School and attended Boise State University. He grew up to be a beautiful man with a great big heart. Kenny, and his partner in crime since 1977, Jane, started Jane’s Paper Place in 1985 and Jane’s Artifacts in 2009. Kenny has been a pillar in the community and his first love was helping children. He was always warm and friendly with a beautiful smile. Kenny is survived by his wife, Jane; her sons Jay, Joe (Lorraine), David (Jade) and Mike (Robyn); granddaughters Kenny Wayne Drussel Lauren, Rachael, Isla, Ruby and Jenny; grandsons Lucas, Duncan and Sean; his father, Harold Drussel; his stepmom, Carol; his brothers Zane (Cindy) and Brad, and his sister Rellis, as well as many loving extended family members. He was preceded in death by his mom, Dorothy, and his brother, Ross. For those wishing to make a donation in Kenny’s memory, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl., Memphis, TN 38105, is suggested. A memorial to celebrate Kenny’s life will be planned soon. Please check future editions of the Mountain Express or go to www.woodriverchapel.com for the time and place.

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar) in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana Public domain photo, accessed via Wikipedia

HERE, KITTY, KITTY

BY HANNES THUM

just that, for the most part, members of the Felidae family (felines and mountain lions and bobcats and their ilk) want nothing to do with us, and they succeed in keeping a low profile for most of the year. They might appreciate the way we plow the roads in winter to make for easy travel (one of the reasons why they will pass through our neighborhoods), sure. And they certainly are aware that there are some food sources in our backyards (including, but not limited to, our domestic pets and the wild deer and elk that also use the Valley floor in the winter). But, these are mainly just the results of snow getting deeper in the mountains and conditions down in town becoming more tempting. Mountain lions have no real reason to want to come into contact with humans and they certainly have a lot of reasons not to. Close encounters between mountain lions and humans, very often, result in the death of the cat. As the snow begins to melt in the coming month or two, the big cats will return to the hills. And, likely, most of us will see no sign of them until next winter. Until then, humans and felines alike will take our winter relationship one day at a time. I’m sure there will be more stories about them before this winter is over.

here are some critters that live in this Valley that are elusive enough that people (almost) forget about them. We know, at least in the backs of our heads, that they are around, of course. But, if a person can go months or even years without seeing a mountain lion, he or she might be led to omit from daily thought that they are very near and very present neighbors of ours. Then, as we have lately seen, a mountain lion ends up in somebody’s yard, with a picture in the newspaper or a photo online. The news spreads and suddenly one (or more) of these animals is the talk of the town. I swear I couldn’t swing a stick in town last week without hitting somebody who had recently seen a big cat in their yard or who knew somebody who had seen one. Stories about a deer killed on their street. About mountain lions in their trees, about mountain lions in their garages, about mountain lions on their porches. A mountain lion killed a dog in Warm Springs, and the mountain lion itself was killed the next day. People keep telling me about sightings of multiple mountain lions traveling together. Suddenly, it’s like the cats were here all along. For the most part, folks seem to enjoy these interactions as long as no animals get hurt, although Hannes Thum is a Wood River Valley native there is also a lot of talk going around about peo- and has spent most of his life exploring what ple being scared of the cats. our local ecosystems have to offer. He currently Of course, they have been here all along. It’s teaches science at Sun Valley Community School.