24 July 2019

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

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JULY 24 - 30, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 3 0 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Education News School District Tackles Tricky Topics

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Community News Former SV Mayor Ruth Lieder Passes Away At 89

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Recreation News East Side: Magic’s ‘Invisible’ Recreation Spot

“ Yo u c a n n e v e r g o w r o n g a d d i n g a d o g t o t h e s t o r y. ”

RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE ~Jim Butcher

A+ Location On Sun Valley Road

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For more information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Photo credit: Fay Petersen

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bellevue Woman Dies In Rollover, Alcohol Suspected

On Thursday, July 18, at approximately 6:43 p.m., deputies from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover at milepost 191 on U.S. Highway 20, just east of Picabo.

Upon arrival, deputies found the single occupant of the vehicle, Yvette M. Cabrito, age 34, of Bellevue, deceased.

It was determined that Cabrito was driving eastbound on Highway 20 in a 2003 Honda Civic when she lost control. Based on the investigation and witness statements, Cabrito’s vehicle left the roadway at a high rate of speed, rolling numerous times and coming to rest approximately 350 feet from the pavement. Cabrito was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected in the crash. Speed and alcohol are suspected to be a factor.

“We have had far too many tragedies this year in Blaine County. Always drive with patience and respect, obey traffic laws and speed limits, don’t drive distracted, and don’t ever drink and drive. You not only endanger yourself but many innocent people who travel on our roadways. I ask you to have these conversations with family members and friends and help us reduce these horrible tragedies. In 2018, we had three vehicle-related fatalities in Blaine County. In 2019, we have already seen that number increase to nine vehicle-related fatalities, which is more than the last five years combined in Blaine County. We can’t stress it enough—seatbelts save lives.

Please wear your seatbelt,” Sheriff Steve Harkins wrote in a statement to the press.

Beat The Heat With Summer Energy-Saving Tips From Idaho Power

Idaho Power is doing its part to keep your utility bills in check this summer. Hot weather has arrived, and that can mean increased energy use as we keep our homes and businesses cool. Idaho Power has a few tips for staying cool and managing your summer energy use (and bill!) when it’s hot outside: Close doors, windows and blinds during the day when you’re out of the house, especially on the east and west sides. If safe to do so, open them at night or in the morning to let in cooler air.

Consider installing an attic fan to draw hot air out of the house.

Consider installing a ceiling fan in rooms used frequently. Moving air can feel up to 4 degrees cooler than still air. Ceiling fans are effective in homes both with and without air conditioning. Turn them off when you leave the room.

Turn the air conditioner off when you’re going to be gone for an extended period.

Make it easy by installing a programmable thermostat to allow for higher temperatures at night and when you are away without sacrificing comfort when you need it.

Change the air filter in your heating/cooling system. Dirty filters reduce a system’s efficiency.

Not sure where to start? A home energy audit is a first step if you want to make home improvements to save energy. An audit can determine where your home wastes energy and how you can change that. The program offers a reduced price for a home audit done by an experienced, certified professional.

The total value of the audit is $445, but participants pay only $99 for all-electric homes and $149 for homes with other fuels. The auditor will come to your home and identify key energy-saving opportunities like insulation, windows and doors, lighting, and heating and cooling systems. The auditor may also install energy-saving items like LEDs, showerheads or pipe wrap.

Women’s Foundation Set To Honor Grant Recipients

The Wood River Women’s Foundation (WRWF) will honor its 2019 grant recipients at its 14th Annual Celebration of Grant Recipients and Annual Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the Trail Creek Pavilion. Awards this year will total more than $267,918 and will be granted to 11 local nonprofits. Since 2006, the WRWF has funded more than 137 grants totaling more than $2,594,000.

“The announcement of our new grant recipients is always the highlight of our mission each year,” said Peggy Grove, WRWF president. “This year’s grants support local youth and families through academic, food security, mental health and outdoor education programs.”

The WRWF 2019 grant recipients include: Blaine County Education Foundation, Blaine County Hunger Coalition, Blaine County Recreation District, Environmental Resource Center, Inc., Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, Idaho BaseCamp – South Valley After-School Program, Men’s Second Chance Living, NAMI-Wood River Valley, St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation, and The Advocates. Details on these grants are attached.

Given that the work of these nonprofits benefits all in the Wood River Valley, the WRWF invites the community to attend this special event. Tickets are $40 and are available for purchase at www.woodriverwomensfoundation.org. For more information, contact the WRWF office at (208) 309-2530.

Gutknecht Named Outstanding Special Education Administrator Of The Year

The Idaho Association of Special Education Administrators (IASEA) has recognized recently retired Debi Gutknecht as its 2019 Administrator of the Year. Gutknecht started administering special ed programs for Blaine County School District in 1997.

Gutknecht began teaching special education 26 years ago in Las Vegas, where she was named Henderson, Nevada’s Teacher of the Year in 1995-96.

Blaine County School District Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes said Gutknecht has “developed and strengthened programs and supports for students with disabilities from preschool to adulthood, to the point that they have become a magnet that attracts families to Blaine County.”

Through her career, Gutknecht has implemented the V.O.I.C.E. 2 transition program for 18- to 21-year-olds, social-emotional learning standards and programs, as well as several literacy expansion programs. She has also expanded the GATE [Gifted And Talented Education] program and served as a trainer for many entities, including the Community Resilience Model, Idaho’s State Department of Education and Lindamood-Bell Learning.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

A V E R Y S P E C I A L T H A N K YO U T O C H R I S P I E R C E FOR HELPING TO MAKE OUR INAUGURAL SUMMER BENEFIT CONCERT A HUGE SUCCESS!

PA R T Y F O R PA W S B E N E F I T C O N C E R T F O R M O U N TA I N H U M A N E W I T H

The second annual Tour de Force will feature several events for the public, including a car show on Friday evening. Photo credit: Jim Peterson. For a story, see page 12.

THIS WEEK J U L Y 2 4 - 3 0 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 30

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Sun Valley News

Food Critic Francis Lam Visits Writers’ Conference

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Commentary

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Calendar

Award Winning Columns, Student Spotlight, Fishing Report

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ON THE COVER

“Barry,” an Australian Labradoodle, sports his Sun Valley Co. doggie lift pass on Bald Mountain on Tuesday, July 16. The doggie passes are new this year and, according to the resort, a percentage of their proceeds is donated to Mountain Humane.

Photo credit: Fay Petersen 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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T H E W E E K LY S U N

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J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

NEWS EDUCATION

Trustee Kelly Green, right, addresses the audience before the public comment segment of the July 16 school board meeting. Photo credit: Blaine County School District

BCSD SEEKING NEW GRIEVANCE POLICY Trustees try to balance free speech, due process rights

public. “That is not appropriate and it violates our policy.” oncerned stakeholders aired their grievIn June, the district paid out $125,000 to ances with the Blaine County School Dis- now-former BCSD Human Resources Director trict’s grievance-airing policy—and infor- Shannon Maza who was suing the district for what mation-sharing practices—at the July 16 regular she alleged was bullying and slander against her. school board meeting. And trustees say they want During Holmes’ four-year tenure, the district has to do what they can to curb the increasing commu- spent a quarter million dollars on legal expenses nity sentiment that beleaguered officials within the across a number of firms. organization care more about sweeping conflicts “I think we’re putting a band-aid on a big under the rug than handling controversial matters wound,” Trustee Rob Clayton said regarding the with transparency. proposed policy changes. “What it looks like to At issue is how—and whethme is we’re revamping a policy er—to change the district’s and adding to it when it’s already so-called Grievance Policy for This is not about a been problematic.”

Non-Certificated Employees.

Clayton advocated for taking lawsuit or a court, Specifically, whether it should a step back, determining what this is about people taking the goal of the district is when it include grievances against the superintendent and, in gener- care of people." comes to empowering employees al, whether the six-day limit to resolve work issues, and develRob Clayton op a new policy from there. Ulfor filing grievances against BCSD Trustee timately, trustees voted to send non-teachers should be extended or reduced. Additionally, trusta new version of its so -alled ees addressed a concern by Board Chair Ellen Grievance Policy for Non-Certificated Employees Mandeville that a district policy not permitting back to the district’s policy committee for further criticism of district personnel to happen at public revision. Among several other tweaks, the most meetings has been violated in recent months. glaring change is that the proposed policy specifiA series of recent school board meetings were cally includes the superintendent position. attended by members of I-Care (Idaho Citizens for “A grievance policy is basically you’re saying Accountable, Responsible Education)—a vocal ‘I’m going to court, but in the school district court collection of parents, teachers and residents who system because my contract has been violated,’ or are calling on the school board to terminate Su- whatever,” Holmes said. “I don’t know how you perintendent GwenCarol Holmes for, among oth- make a grievance uplifting.” er reasons, what they describe as her inability to “You make it uplifting by making it a right,” appropriately manage district conflicts and avoid Clayton retorted. “This is not about a lawsuit or expensive litigation. Public statements critiquing a court, this is about people taking care of people.

Holmes were cheered, disrupting—some trustees If you have an employee, you want them to be emsay—district business and going against the spirit powered and have an avenue to do their best job of the monthly meetings. possible. If they don’t have an avenue, they’re not “I will gavel comments that attack any employee going to be able to do the best job possible.” of our school district regardless of who they are,” trustee and meeting chair Kelly Green told the

C NEWS IN BRIEF

School District To Consider Ballot Levy

Blaine County School District is holding a special session at 3 p.m., Monday, July 29, to consider placing a levy on a future ballot. The levy is for plant facilities maintenance and improvements, similar to one that is currently in place but ends next year. The new levy would likely be a 10-year program that will require at least a 55 percent approval from those voting in a levy election.

A project priority list will be available at the meeting. The session will take place in the district boardroom at 118 W. Bullion Street in Hailey.

Environmental Groups File Petition Challenging Water Quality Certifications

Pacific Rivers and Idaho Rivers United filed a petition this week in Multnomah County, Ore., challenging the issuance of water quality certification under section 401 of the Clean Water Act by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for the Hells Canyon Complex. The three dams, owned and operated by Idaho Power Company, are located on the reach of the Snake River that forms the border of Oregon and Idaho. In the complaint, the conservation groups argue that DEQ failed to follow the requirements of state and federal law when they certified the dams will meet water quality standards for temperature and mercury. The groups also say the recent settlement agreement between Oregon and Idaho Power regarding fish passage fails to comply with the requirements of Oregon’s fish passage law.

Idaho Power Company seeks a new 50-year license for the dams from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and water quality certification by Oregon and Idaho is a necessary component before FERC can issue the new license.

“The Hells Canyon Complex has an enormous impact on water quality and salmon populations in the Snake River,” said Greg Haller, executive director of Pacific Rivers. “The actions proposed

by Idaho Power, and certified by DEQ, are far too speculative to ensure compliance with important water quality standards. It’s a leap of faith that salmon can’t afford to take.”

Salmon once swam far upriver of the dams deep into Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. Today, however, the dams block fish passage for all species, eliminating important spawning habitat and fisheries in all three states.

Pacific Rivers and Idaho Rivers United are represented by the Environmental and Land Use Clinic of University Legal Assistance at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Wash.

BY ERIC VALENTINE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Challis Man Ejected From Cement Truck

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On Wednesday, July 17, 2019, at approximately 9:14 a.m., Idaho State Police investigated a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 75 at milepost 199.2, near Stanley.

James Swigert, 59, of Challis, was driving a Ford commercial cement vehicle southbound on State Highway 75. Swigert crossed over the centerline, went off the roadway, and rolled his vehicle. His vehicle came to rest next to the Salmon River. Swigert was ejected from the vehicle and was transported by air ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 21.

Swigert was not wearing a seatbelt.

Idaho State Police was assisted by the Custer County Sheriff's Office and the Idaho Transportation Department. The southbound lane was blocked for approximately five hours. The crash is under investigation by Idaho State Police.

T H E W E E K LY S U N

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J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

NEWS COMMUNITY

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Ruth Lieder, right, socializes with friends Jim and Wendy Jaquet in 2017. Photo credit: The Weekly Sun

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Former Sun Valley mayor, 89, passes away at home

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

er name was synonymous with leadership, and that served as the perfect homonym for a life that put her community before herself. Former Sun Valley Mayor Ruth Lieder died in her Saddle Road condominium of natural causes last week, after taking a walk with her dog. She was 89.

Lieder was more than just a familiar name and face around the Valley. After successfully promoting the Sun Valley Resort to attract more and higher-profile guests, she ran for and served a term as a Sun Valley city council member. Lieder was then appointed mayor upon the resignation of Dick Hegman. She held the city’s top position for three terms, from 1981 to 1994.

Although her political footprint was large, there was no area of Valley life that Lieder left untouched. From volunteering (The Hunger Coalition, The Gold Mine, and more) to fundraising (YMCA, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, hospitals, animal shelters and more), Lieder significantly and permanently impacted the modern-day development of this Valley.

But perhaps it was the slightly under-the-radar roles Lieder performed that she may be remembered for the most. In an article by Eye on Sun Valley about Lieder’s nomination to the 2015 Heritage Court—the Valley tradition of honoring up to four matriarchs at the annual Fourth of July celebrations—the then-83-year-old reminisced about her

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days at the resort holding a firewall between tabloid reporters and celebrities, many of whom came there to file for divorce. And others, who came to enjoy everything else the Valley had to offer, befriended her, too. The Hemingways, the Kennedys, Clint Eastwood, and Gregory Peck are just some of the big names Lieder had kind words for.

Born in 1931 in New Jersey, Lieder was the second of three children. In 1953 she graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with a degree in political science. Her first job was an “office girl” position for Time, Inc., in New York City. By the 1960s, Lieder began working for Sports Illustrated, where for nearly 20 years she did marketing and journalism. All that paved the way for her to launch Nothing’s Impossible—her PR firm named after some words of wisdom her father expressed to her in her youth—and then later land her role with Sun Valley Resort.

Rubbing elbows with celebrities did not make Lieder lose her down-to-earth qualities that could be seen in her lifelong love of dogs, especially golden retrievers—a breed she had owned multiple times. Lieder passed around 10:15 p.m. Monday, shortly after walking her dog.

“I’ve worked like a dog after coming to Sun Valley, but I loved it,” she said in the 2015 article.

“I’ve had a fabulous life.”

Information about services were unavailable before press deadline Tuesday. For more information, contact Wood River Chapel at (208) 788-2244.

NEWS IN BRIEF

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Chamber Business Event In Bloom Thursday

The Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley is inviting businesses and the public to attend this month’s free Business After Hours at the Bloom Community Farm in Hailey. The “BAH” will be held on Thursday, July 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Bloom Community Farm was established in 2016 to help The Hunger Coalition provide opportunities for people to participate in programs like Volunteer For Veggies and to help fulfill their mission to make sure everyone has access to good food. The Bloom Community Farm is located at the end of Fox Acres Road, past Wood River High School, in Hailey’s Quigley Canyon.

The community is invited to attend this free monthly event to find out more about the Bloom Community Farm, to meet local business owners and to catch up on Chamber-related news and events. Food and beverages will be provided—and don’t forget to bring your business cards to enter in the “BAH” raffle.

For more information, please contact The Chamber at Info@ValleyChamber.org, visit ValleyChamber.org or HaileyIdaho.com, or call (208) 788-3484.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

JRM Foundation To Accept Hometown Hero Nominations

The Idaho’s Hometown Hero Organization Committee is accepting nominations for the 2019 Idaho’s Hometown Hero Medal. The selected medalists will be honored at the 9th Annual Idaho Hometown Hero Awards Ceremony, Gala Celebration and charity partner Exposition on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Stephens Performing Arts Center in Pocatello. Nominations will be accepted until July 30.

For 2019, the Idaho Hometown Hero Award focuses on individuals who share their resources as well as time, intellect and ideas. The JRM Foundation for Humanity was founded by Jamshaid, Rahim and Mannan of the JRM family in 2010.

For more information and details on supporting the JRM Foundation and submitting a hero nomination, visit jrmfoundation.org.

Red Flag Warning Implemented In Blaine County

Due to hot, dry weather, Wood River Fire Chief Bart Lassman said on Tuesday that there is now a red flag warning for the county, and no open burns will be allowed south of Greenhorn Gulch.

There were several calls about lightning strikes on Monday night at Timmerman Hill, in Carey, and about a powerline issue at the north end of Buttercup Road.

Lassman added that the Bureau of Land Management fire department is “short-staffed right now” due to fighting some fires in southern Idaho and along the Nevada border.

“Fire Zone 422 has a red flag warning,” said Tom Bowman, Ketchum’s acting fire chief. “This zone extends from the Wood River Valley all the way north to Stanley. It’s the combination of heat, low humidity, high winds and possible lightning.”

Sun Valley Music Festival Has New Website

The Sun Valley Music Festival, formerly known as the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, has a new website that more completely represents the new image of the annual music festival held at the Sun Valley Pavilion every summer. It can be found at svmusicfestival.org.

People can now view concerts in order in a list, or on a monthly calendar. Since most people access the website on their mobile device, the initial view will be a list. There’s an arrow to easily toggle the view to the calendar. Clicking on a concert in either view will bring up more information, including a video from music director Alasdair Neale introducing each concert; full program notes; and bios for all guest artists and featured musicians.

The Sun Valley Music Festival will run July 29-August 22, with the gala featuring Branford Marsalis scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 11.

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J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

NEWS RECREATION

IDAHO’S LESSER-KNOWN VACATION SPOT: EAST SIDE MAGIC

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BY HAYDEN SEDER

ocated 18 miles north of Shoshone on Highway 75, five miles southwest of the Highway 75/Highway 20 intersection, is a little-known recreational spot for Valley residents seeking something a little different: East Side Magic Reservoir. While the west side of the reservoir has long been a destination for Valley residents, the east side offers up its own recreational amenities, as well as a bar and restaurant.

A reservoir of the Big Wood River between Blaine and Camas counties, Magic Reservoir was created in 1909 when the Big Wood was dammed to provide irrigation water for local farming. Magic is both a popular site in itself and also provides access to Lava Creek, Lava Cove, Myrtle Point, Magic Dam, Moonstone Landing and the Richfield Diversion. The reservoir and surrounding land are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

East Side Magic is a recreationalist’s dream with access to boating, camping, waterskiing, wakeboarding, fishing, and more. Occasional sailing regattas are held there and there are cabins and kayaks for rent as well as abundant space for camping and RVs. Nate Norris, the general manager for East Side Magic restaurant and bar, has lived at East Side Magic for 20 years and had the restaurant just as long. Norris took over the restaurant from an older couple and worked to ramp up the bar business, adding live music and helping promote a few music festivals that happen in the area each year (such as September’s Occupy East Magic). Norris’ bar and its closing time of 2 a.m. can be a fun getaway for those on the west side where the bar closes at 7 p.m.

“We joke that there’s rednecks on the west side and outlaws on the east,” Norris said. “West-siders come here in droves because I run this bar that, even though it’s in the middle of nowhere, has great quality and service.”

Norris’ chef previously worked for The Valley Club and Norris himself bartended at some of the nicest bars in the state he grew up in before moving to Magic.

He credits this high level of service with the popularity of his establishment.

Norris also spoke to differences he’s seen in his 20 years at East Side Magic; mostly, that more and more people are starting to live there year-round versus the two or three people that did when he

East Side Magic Reservoir can be enjoyed by many types of recreationalists. Photo credit: April Chizum

moved there.

“We probably have the best sunsets in Blaine County because we have this large expanse of open prairie,” Norris said.

“Most people say they came for the sunset and never left.”

It takes me 25 minutes to get to the east side but it takes me five days to get back.”

April Chizum Bellevue resident and East Side Magic recreationalist East Side Magic is a great spot for fishing, as well with bank and boat anglers alike, catching rainbow and brown trout as well as yellow perch. Bellevue resident April Chizum has been visiting East Side

Magic for 35 years for kayaking, windsurfing and, namely, fishing.

“I have a little fishing shack down there that I bought 25 years ago,” Chizum said.

“It’s been my little hangout.”

Chizum originally started going down to East Side Magic for windsurfing at a time when the area was ruled by fishing old-timers. Chizum has seen three different owners of East Side Magic in her time.

“In the old days, the area catered more to the fishing crowd,” Chizum said. “It’s still the fishing crowd but also sailors, boaters, waterskiers and jetskiers. It’s amazing.”

Chizum sees more families moving to the area recently and sees the changes happening under Norris’ management.

“I like East Side Magic funky. I have mixed emotions about saying how wonderful it is because I want it all for myself!” Chizum said. tws

Boaters set sail on East Side Magic Reservoir.

Photo credit: April Chizum

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NEWS SUN VALLEY

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J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

FRANCIS LAM: FINDING THE STORIES BEHIND THE FOOD

‘The Splendid Table’ host speaks at Sun Valley Writers’ Conference

BY ERIC VALENTINE

Lam On Idaho Cuisine So what does one of America’s premier tastemakers think about some of Idaho’s benchmark foods? For instance, the ones noted in the Foodie Finds section of The Weekly Sun’s “101 Things To Do” edition now on stands through the fall.

Fry Sauce Lam admits—like many non-Idahoans—to not hav-

Francis Lam delivers a talk on how food both unites and separates us at this year’s Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Photo credit: Nils Ribi / Courtesy Sun Valley Writers' Conference

ing heard the term. He also admits to being a mayo-onfrench-fries lover.

“Anything mayo-based on anything fried works for me,” Lam said.

Game Meat “We have so many species of animals on the planet, but when you go to a restaurant, your choice is beef, pork, chicken and maybe four types of fish,” Lam remarks. “So when you’re talking about game meat, you’re really opening the door to a food ecosystem, especially the predator-prey hunting ecosystem that makes us human.”

Funeral Potatoes The Americanized version of potatoes au gratin is something Lam had come across in the Midwest, where he attended the University of Michigan and majored in Asian studies and creative writing. He sees the dish affectionately called Mormon potatoes as the quintes-

sential example of what he loves most about food—the emotional connection we have to it.

Lam On The Culinary Map We asked Lam how Idaho could make a name for itself gastronomically—beyond potatoes, of course. It reminded him of a story he wrote about a man in the Faroe Islands, a rocky volcanic chain of islets off Denmark that can’t grow much outside of potatoes. But it had sheep and fish, and a persistent restauranteur who petitioned the prime minister to open up mussels harvesting so he could use locally sourced ingredients at his eatery. The concept caught on and today it is Michelin-star rated.

From his vantage point, Lam believes any restaurant focused on the dishes Idaho can do best—from Basque to huckleberry—would not only succeed, but would expand cuisine.

“If you truly love your food, you’ll let the culture do the talking,” Lam said.

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PRICING

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he Washington Post proclaimed him “the voice of America’s food culture,” but Francis Lam won’t even refer to himself as “chef.” In fact, the host of public radio’s The Splendid Table and the winner of four James Beard Foundation awards for food writing doesn’t even like being called “critic.”

“It’s a cliché to say that food unites us, and it definitely does, but it can also separate us. I was one of the kids at school with the ‘stinky’ lunch,” explained Lam, the son of Chinese immigrants who stayed true to their gastronomic roots. “When it comes to critiquing food, perhaps you can objectively say, ‘This set of flavors tastes better than that,’ but food has so much emotional connection to it, your family’s roast pork recipe being done right means just as much as a three-star Michelin rating.”

It’s with that sensibility—and humility—that Lam has built himself a career as far more than a restaurant critic. He is a food anthropologist, a gastronomic storyteller, who was invited to speak at this year’s Sun Valley Writers’ Conference.

“I love the West. Every good decision I’ve ever made in my life came after a road trip out West,” said Lam, who has been to, among other Idaho parts, Craters of the Moon, but never to the Wood River Valley.

“I was honored to be invited here, and how could I say ‘No.’?” Lam explained, gesturing from the lobby of the Sun Valley Lodge toward the skating rink and hillside views nearby.

Lam touched on a variety of topics during his talk, from how food evokes emotional memories across cultures and how his career has evolved to focus on what he calls “the entire ecosystem” of the food industry, including the “invisible army” of people behind the chefs who get the credit for palate-pleasing plates.

“I respect great chefs and many have become friends of mine, but if you go to Mario Batali’s restaurant in Las Vegas, Mario is not boiling your pasta, because you’re in Vegas and he’s in New York City,” Lam said. “I want to know the story behind the food. I want to know about the people who actually did the work and where the recipe came from in the first place.”

Text (up to 25 words): $5 Additional Text: 20¢ per word Photos: $5 per image • Logo: $10 Deadline: Monday at 1 p.m Space reservations: bulletin@theweeklysun.com

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Paul Gangnier: (208) 720-7202

CROSSWORD

answer from page 15

sun T H E W E E K LY 8

T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

the weekly

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAYS, CAREY & HAIL

From left to right: Sara Baldwin, a volunteer for Friends of the Hailey Public Library; LeAnn Gelskey, the library’s executive director; and April MacLeod, president of the library’s Board of Trustees, prep dred-years occasion with a street party outside the library, including a historical walking tour of Hailey. There were about 500 attendees, according to the library. Photo credit: Hailey Public Library

Both car and history enthusiasts had plenty to enjoy in Carey on Saturday, July 13. The city held its annual Memorial Car Show & Shine, with added events and activities to celebrate the municipality’s 100th birthday. Other activities included a parade, ATV rodeo, sand volleyball tournament, “funky” rodeo and gallery of historical photos and press clippings. Photo credit: Brennan Rego

SCENE

T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

LEY PUBLIC LIBRARY!

pare to cut the library’s centennial birthday cake on Friday evening, July 12. The library celebrated the once-in-a-hun-

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SPONSORED SV INSTITUTE

JOIN US TO BUILD THE FUTURE WE WANT!

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BY THE SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE TEAM

his week, the Sun Valley Institute’s 5th annual Sun Valley Forum, “The Future We Want: Transforming Leadership, Accelerating Innovation and Unlocking Imagination,” will feature three days of learning, connection and action, with a focus on four key areas: transforming the food system, transforming the energy system, investing for resilience, and communicating for impact.

The program aims to accelerate the building of a healthy, secure and thriving world with diverse speakers: from filmmakers to the insurance industry, from innovators to artists, and from military leaders to investors. In addition to the main stage, join us for Innovation Laboratory working sessions on Wednesday, 4:30 to 6 p.m., on Transforming Energy and Transforming Food & Agriculture, as well as for a Thursday working lunch on Building Rural Resilience and on Coasts, Islands and Oceans. Finally, we will be taping live on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. the Political Climate podcast presented by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.

Forum and single-day passes are available online and at the Argyros Performing Arts Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Scholarships are available. Learn more at www. sunvalleyforum.com.

There are FREE PUBLIC activities, too!

• Tour Innovative Vehicles from Idaho National Laboratory @ Forest Service Park • Bus and security (police, fire) vehicle designed for maximum efficiency • Virtual Reality with Conservation International @ Limelight Hotel Lobby • Valen’s Reef about life in the oceans • Under the Canopy about the Amazon rainforest • My Africa featuring Kenyan wildlife and communities • Bid on Art Auction to Fight Poverty & Plastic Pollution @ Argyros Lobby • Join in to end plastic pollution: Think ahead, act now!

• Let’s end single-use plastic in our community with special S’well reusable bottles! Join us @ Argyros Lobby • Public FREE Screening: THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM @ Argyros Tierney Theater, July 24 @ 7:30 P.M.

SPONSORED WEED OF THE WEEK

CANADA THISTLE

BY THE BLAINE BUG CREW

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oday, we are going to talk about the noxious weed called Canada thistle and how to keep it contained naturally.

Canada thistle is an aggressive, colony-forming perennial weed that reproduces by seed and deep, extensive horizontal roots. Flowering occurs from June through August. The flowers are urn-shaped, purple (sometimes white), and male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Fruits are brownish, with a tuft of hairs at the top. Stems are typically 1 to 4 feet tall with alternate, oblong or lance-shaped leaves divided into spiny-tipped irregular lobes.

Canada thistle is a native of southeastern Eurasia and was introduced to Canada as a contaminant of crop seed in the 18th century. It can commonly be found in gardens, flowerbeds, pastures, cultivated fields, rangelands, forests, and along river banks, ditches and roadsides. Canada thistle can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, but requires good light intensity for optimal growth. It is highly competitive with crops and, in heavy concentrations, effectively prevents grazing. Only two insects are approved for release to contain Canada thistle—Urophora cardui and Hadroplontus litura.

The Hadroplontus litura is a stem-mining weevil. It attacks the stems and rosettes of Canada thistle. Adults feed on rosette leaf foliage in the spring, and larvae consume tissues while

mining within the shoots. At low densities, larvae and adult feeding does not significantly impact populations of Canada thistle directly. Feeding does cause secondary damage, however, as pathogens and other organisms enter the stem of Canada thistle via holes made by exiting larvae.

At high densities, feeding by Hadroplontus litura will reduce the vigor of both rosettes and flowering stems to the point of deterioration.

Overwintering weevils emerge from soil litter and feed on leaf and stem tissue in early spring.

Eggs are laid in spring within Canada thistle’s boiling shoots, with hatching larvae mining in the stems and root crowns throughout spring and summer.

Multiple larvae (up to 20) can be found in individual stems.

Mature larvae tunnel out of the stems, drop to the soil surface, and pupate in the soil. Adults of the new generations emerge in August and overwinter in soil litter. There is one generation per year. The weevil does best in open but moist areas with scattered Canada thistle plants.

If you are aware of an invasion of Canadian thistle that needs attention, please let the Blaine County Weed Department know at (208) 788-5574.

COMME N TA RY

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

Fishing R epoRt

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR JULY 24 - 30, FROM PICABO ANGLER

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ummer fishing is fully upon us as the best hatches that occur during the summer heat are in full swing. Couple this with the fact that all the water on our area rivers is dropping and opening up new holding water for fish each and every day. This means anglers will continue to spread out and find fish throughout our river systems.

Be prepared, as August is setting up to be a phenomenal month of fishing!

The Big Wood River is just as good as it gets right now. There is holding water appearing everywhere and the fish really are focused on the surface. Continue to fish big flies as the water remains fast. It is important that these fish see a lot of calories to make rising up through the water column worth the calories exchanged. Fish big Hopper/ Dropper rigs or just fish big Stonefly and Salmonfly patterns.

The Royal Stimulator and Purple Chubby fished in the largest sizes are great bets.

Silver Creek is on fire right now. The Trico spinner fall happening on the lower portions of the Creek are outstanding in the mornings. It is safe to say this bug is rebounding, as these spinner falls are as big as we’ve seen in a decade. In the afternoons, when the wind blows, the fish are taking Hoppers fished in small sizes. Pink is a great color to start with.

If the wind doesn’t blow, then we are fishing Damselflies and Callibaetis. The evenings are a smorgasbord of insects, although we still recommend casting a Hopper. It’s a great time of year for Mouse fishing as well, with the nighttime temps staying nice and comfortable.

The Upper Lost is slowly coming into shape. Anglers are catching fish, but you should still plan on being able to walk a fair distance between good spots. Fish big flies here and a dropper is a good idea. Fish your favorite bead-head under big foam patterns and stay on the move. It’s a great time to be on the Lost River as the days are a little cooler up on the pass.

The Salmon continues to fish really well, also using big bushy dry flies. Try the Royal Stimulator as you float down the river.

Target the banks and the rock gardens and set the hook slowly when the cutthroat come for your fly.

Be safe on the river, and have fun!

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

CALMING NERVOUS DOGS

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BY FRAN JEWELL

here are many reasons dogs get nervous, including from a bad emotional or physical experience, genetic temperament, and age of the dog. For some dogs with physical issues, such as blindness or deafness, or even an abnormal thyroid, fearful or nervous behavior can increase.

Some nervous or fearful behaviors we can decrease through leadership and a very slow process of desensitization. But, not all abnormal behavior can be changed. If a behavior is genetic—meaning it is part of the dog’s heritage—it is unlikely something we can change very much.

I see many times where people will blame fearful behavior on an unknown previous experience as a young puppy. Many people will claim that their dog was abused prior to their ownership to explain the fearfulness. Many times, the truth of the matter is that the dog is inherently fearful because of parentage. If two loose dogs mate, there is no control over the genetics. Not all loose dogs have strength of character, or even physical health that should be considered to be bred for the best outcome. Of course, there are many, many dogs that have genetically lovely temperaments, too!

While all dogs should have a loving and compassionate home, there is more to living with a fearful dog than most people may realize. Some dogs will indeed improve with proper treatment. Proper treatment is not just love—it requires training and leadership.

Both training and leadership help the dog to trust his owner. Just loving a dog alone does not teach the dog to trust his owner. It takes direction and communication. Training provides both. Basic obedience skills can be used to redirect a dog from something he is afraid of. This is imperative. Giving a dog leadership and boundaries helps him to trust his human.

Freedom is very seldom the answer to

helping a fearful dog feel safe. Feeling safe is the primary goal of reducing fear or anxiety.

Rewarding fearful or nervous behavior with petting and soothing usually doesn’t help, either.

Last week I took my new puppy, Pele, to a nursing home, where she was invited to help celebrate at a birthday party. Since Pele is only 16 weeks old, I wanted to be sure she had all her shots before taking her in many public places. I knew that going to a nursing home would mean huge distractions for her with lots of strange things, including wheelchairs, smells, live piano music, lots of people and a situation that not many dogs ever experience, especially at 16 weeks old. Of course, I considered that something might scare her at this early age.

I approached it by first letting her experience a wheelchair and walker at home—a little desensitization. I have them here to train service dogs. I rewarded her for sniffing the new equipment and sitting nicely. Pele already has some nice skills, such as sit, down, “watch me,” off, sitting for petting, and walking nicely on a leash (yes, very young puppies can learn these things!). These commands that she learned early in life were her “direction” that could be used to help her deal with any uncomfortable feelings she may have had. Secondly, she trusted me that I would keep her safe. That came through lots of basic, easy leadership activities at home, like sleeping in a crate, and sitting for her meals and at doors. These simple things will teach puppies to respect and trust us.

Pele’s genetic background also contributed to her calm and confident attitude.

The result was that Pele did a fabulous job visiting with the residents. She was confident, happy and thoroughly enjoyed it, asking for petting in a lovely, controlled way!

Fear, anxiety and nervousness can be prevented, but they can also be mitigated with a solid program of training, leadership and appropriate desensitization. Remember, too,

Fearfulness, anxiety and nervousness can be reduced through leadership, obedience training and slow and controlled desensitization. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

that genetics play a very big role in the dog’s ability to learn, be calm and recover easily.

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

UNASSUMING BEAUTY: WHITE-VEIN WINTERGREEN

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BY LESLIE REGO

hen I approach a shady section in the forest, I stop and really look.

Hidden deep in the shadows and amongst the dead leaves, branches and twigs are always treasures. They are not the showy flowers that can be recognized from afar.

These are the ones the searcher earns through diligent observation. They are the unassuming beauties of the national forest.

White wintergreen (Pyrola picta) is found under coniferous trees. Members of the Pyrola genus are commonly called wintergreen because they maintain their color yearround, although the green is hidden beneath feet of snow throughout the cold months. Picta, “brightly marked,” comes from Latin and refers to the leaves, which are bluish-green with a very noticeable white central vein that feeds off into similarly noticeable white side veins. The leaves are basal, clustering around the stem close to the ground. I always think of small cabbage leaves when I see the plants because the leaves are thick and the veins are prominent. The plant grows to 8 inches in height and blends into its surroundings.

A single red-brown stem rises from the basal leaves. The flowers are a creamy green, sometimes with a hint of pink. They face downwards. Five stamens and a curving style protrude from the center of the petals. I have to stoop down and get close to the flower to see the inside.

White-veined wintergreen requires a specific fungus in the soil to grow and thrive. It will not survive if transplanted. I rarely see

Leslie Rego, “White-vein Wintergreen,” watercolor, pen and ink, pencil.

this plant, and when I do, I see only one, certainly not a community. I am always excited and tenaciously scour the area to try and find another, but I never have.

White-vein wintergreen does not scream out “look at me!” It does not burst forth in a riot of color, but resides deep in the shadows of the forest. It is an elegant plant with a gentle bearing and a quiet self-confidence.

This is a beautiful flower that does not command attention, yet, once discovered, pulls the viewer into a tranquil reverie.

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 • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

COLUMN ON LIFE’S TERMS

BESOTTED

lifelong and recently found), my grandchildren, my supportive community, singing in choirs, “I am besotted with love,” I once said, and I listening to music, watching the ballet, hearing don’t regret it, nor do I regret the intense sorrow authors share their insights, standing absorbed in that came with that kind of attachment. I can un- front of a painting in one of our many galleries, or derstand passion and the price we pay for it. It savoring the culinary delights available every day has been noted that one does not experience true in this part of the country. joy without understanding pain. That particuI can stroll or walk a bit faster in the surroundlar relationship in my romantic life ing beauty of our mountains. I can happened on and off for many years read a new book, smell the flowers and dominated most of my early poon my small deck, feel the breeze etry and thinking. I have lived long of late afternoon, dangle my feel enough to know that positives and in the river. I can play with chilnegatives are often entwined. dren, go see my younger friends Why do I write such a personal at The Spot and be overwhelmed piece today? Perhaps it’s because it’s by their talent. I can talk with a sunny and happy day, even though teenagers who inspire me and there is not a man in my life—roalso learn from other people of mantically, that is. I can exist withmy age how to thrive—not just out the ups and downs of such a love, survive—our occupation of the and even become besotted with all years we have lived and may have the other things that surround me. left. I can practice better learning “Besotted” joins other words JoEllen Collins—a longtime and listening skills to anyone with which I honored in my love life, such resident of the Wood River whom I converse. All this is availValley— is an Idaho Press as the lyrics from Pal Joey, “Be- Club award-winning colum- able to me. Oh, and I don’t even witched, Bothered and Bewildered,” nist, a teacher, writer, fabric backpack or ride horses, like other a testament to my youthful concepts artist, choir member and happy friends! where that devotion to a partner unabashedly proud grandma Most of all, though, I can love meant accepting—even being the known as “Bibi Jo.” those people I encounter each brunt of—his jokes, or accepting day with compassion, if not the whatever treatment that he chose to “bless” me passion I was speaking of earlier. I can cuddle with. I learned that accepting those parameters of my dogs, smile at neighbors, make chitchat with love meant that, in the end, I would be “bereft,” a strangers in the post office or market, or say “Helbeautiful word used by Robert Frost in one of my lo” to a passerby. I can enjoy everything that I favorite poems. have at this moment, even without a mate.

So, all “B” words aside, what do I do with the lack of this kind of involvement? I can choose to I can be besotted with life. fall in love again and again with my family (both

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SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

BLOODED-NESS

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BY HANNES THUM

iology is full of concepts that seem simple at first, but that are actually pretty complex. Many ideas about living creatures are awash in myths and misunderstandings, but can also seem so hard to get one’s head around that it sometimes seems temptingly easier to just continue to misunderstand them. Things that initially look like patterns and rules end up being so full of asterisks and exceptions that one forgets what the pattern was that one thought one was about to uncover.

Biological data can be like pages of dry baseball statistics—sure, you trust that there’s a good story in there somewhere, but it’s easy to forget what the point was (and there are a lot of asterisks).

One such example that I have been thinking about lately: the rattlesnakes out Croy Canyon and, more broadly, the difference between warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals.

First and foremost, the terms themselves are misleading. It would be more appropriate to say that there are some creatures, like us humans, that need to keep their body at a certain (usually, but not always, warm) temperature in order to survive. For instance, you and I (being humans) need to keep our core body temperature pretty gosh darned close to 98 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. But the defining feature of us (as far as blooded-ness) is not the temperature that we maintain—it’s that we need to keep our temperature specific.

Instead of “warm-blooded,” we might call creatures like us “specific-temperature-blooded-and-probably-warm-ish.”

And if we call them that, then we are left with the so-called “cold-blooded” creatures, who would more aptly be described as “can-surviveat-a-lot-of-different-temperatures-includingbut-not-limited-to-cold-or-cool-or-warm-or-hotblooded.” That is, cold-blooded creatures (like rattlesnakes) don’t necessarily have cold blood.

Rather, their body temperature varies depending on where they are, what they are up to, and what they need at any given moment.

For instance: the rattlesnakes out Croy Canyon.

These creatures are hot when the day is hot and cold when the night is cold. They have no internal

Rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerastes) are native to the Americas, living in diverse habitats from southwestern Canada to central Argentina. Photo credit: Tigerhawkvok, public domain photo, accessed via Wikipedia

means of regulating their body temperature, as we do, so they are subject to the temperature of whatever environment they put themselves in.

Notably, though, “cold-blooded” creatures are more active and mobile when they are warm; they are sluggish, shy, and slow to react when they are cold. This is the reason why many folks choose to explore rattlesnake country in the early (cool) morning.

And this is all just the beginning. Some creatures blend these two physiologies, such as the species of sharks that keep their prey-seeking body parts (eyes and brain, for instance) more “warm-blooded” and active than the rest of their body.

There are probably a few dozen terms that biologists use to approach all of these distinctions even more granularly. And they read a little bit like baseball statistics. So, sometimes instead of trying to parse them out, it’s wise to just go back to enjoying the company of creatures like snakes, and to simply notice why that snake is sunning itself on a rock each morning.

Hannes Thum is a Wood River Valley native and has spent most of his life exploring what our local ecosystems have to offer. He currently teaches science at Sun Valley Community School.

Paige Madsen of Wood River High School. Photo credit: Emma Madsen

PAIGE MADSEN

Tri-sport star is ‘mad’ for math

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BY JESSE COLE

ood River High School junior Paige Madsen knows exactly where she’s been and exactly where she’s going.

Carrying a 3.7 GPA, Madsen doesn’t shy away from a challenging workload. Next year, she will be taking A.P. Calculus, A.P. Physics, A.P. Language and Composition, A.P. Macro and Micro Economics, U.S. history, and video productions.

While her course load is extensive and varied, Madsen harbors a passion for one subject in particular—math.

“Math is definitely my thing,” Madsen said. “I just get it.”

This knack for numbers isn’t new for Madsen.

“Ever since I was little, I had a fascination for it, and I’ve always been good at memorizing numbers,” she said.

All of these skills are ones that Madsen hopes will serve her well in the future, as she is currently interested in pursuing a business major focusing on investments and finance.

“I also will probably do something with statistics, because I want to be a data analyst,” Madsen said, a career that would certainly play to her strengths.

Beyond the classroom, Madsen is also a tri-sport athlete at WRHS, participating in varsity volleyball, basketball and track, as a middle blocker or right-side hitter, power forward or center, and a jumper in the triple jump and long jump, respectively.

While she enjoys each sport individually and for different reasons, her love of volleyball is one that she hopes to continue into college.

“Volleyball is a very mental, technical game,” Madsen said. “I love playing basketball and the contact of it, but there’s just something different with volleyball. It’s not necessarily about what the other team is doing to you. It’s how you deal with it.”

This firm mental discipline is evident in the many aspects of Madsen’s life and the balance she strikes between them, echoing in her determination to conquer her rigorous high school course load as well as her careful consideration of the future.

She attributes much of this to the women she looked up to in her life.

“My mom has definitely been my biggest influence, and then my grandma,” Madsen said. “They’re both just such strong women who empower me and encourage me to be the best I can be.”

In pursuing this personal best, Madsen will no doubt continue their legacy. tws

Editor’s Note: Anyone who would like to recommend a Blaine County School District student for The Weekly Sun’s “Student Spotlight” feature should contact The Weekly Sun at news@theweeklysun.com.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

SPONSORED BETTER HOMEOWNERS NEWS

J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

SUN CALENDAR THE WEEKLY

EVENT FEATURE

3 REASONS THE HOUSING MARKET IS NOT IN A BUBBLE

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ith housing prices appreciating at levels that far exceed historical norms, some are fearful that the market is heading for another bubble. To alleviate that fear, we just need to look back at the reasons that caused the bubble 10 years ago.

Last decade, demand for housing was artificially propped up because mortgage-lending standards were way too lenient.

People that were not qualified to purchase were able to obtain a mortgage anyway. Prices began to skyrocket. This increase in demand caused homebuilders in many markets to overbuild.

Eventually, the excess in new construction and the flooding of the market with distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales), caused by the lack of appropriate lending standards, led to the housing crash.

Where we are today...

1. If we look at lending standards based on the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (www. tinyurl.com/tws-mca) released monthly by the Mortgage Bankers Association, we can see that, though standards have become more reasonable over the last

few years, they are nowhere near where they were in the early 2000s.

2. If we look at new construction, we can see that builders are not “overbuilding.” Average annual housing starts in the first quarter of this year were not just below numbers recorded in 2002-2006, they are below starts going all the way back to 1980.

3. If we look at home prices, most homes haven’t even returned to prices seen a decade ago. Trulia just released a report (www.tinyurl.com/tws-truliareport) that explained: “When it comes to the value of individual homes, the U.S. housing market has yet to recover. In fact, just 34.2 percent of homes nationally have seen their value surpass their pre-recession peak.”

Bottom line Mortgage lending standards are appropriate, new construction is below what is necessary, and home prices haven’t even recovered. It appears fears of a housing bubble are over-exaggerated.

ANNA MATHIEU

Realtor®, Associate Broker, GRI, MBA 2018 Best of the Valley 1st Place Gold; Best Realtor.

Windermere Real Estate/SV, LLC (208) 309-1329 AnnaMathieu@Windermere.com 5b-realestate.com To subscribe to the Better Homeowners newsletter: tinyurl.com/y8koftym

Peter Bush handles emcee duties during the Tour de Force car show in 2018. Photo credit: Jim Peterson

ON THE ROAD WITH TOUR DE FORCE

Event to offer multiple opportunities to see rare cars

BY DANA DUGAN

F

ast cars with sleek, clean lines. It’s a passion for some people. As a spectator sport, fast cars are about as popular as any other activity in the country. From Thursday, July 25, through Saturday, July 27, the second annual Sun Valley Tour de Force will offer multiple events to appeal to every kind of automobile lover.

Created by Dave Stone of Sun Valley Auto Club and produced annually by Maya Blix and Whitney Werth Slade, of Intrepid Events, Inc., Tour de Force will again benefit Idaho BaseCamp’s outdoor adventure camps.

“These two ladies have taken my dream and turned it into a world-class event,” Stone said.

“Tour de Force is for the community, which is what’s so cool about this.”

Funds have gone to IBC’s fifth-grade programs, and a new five-day-a-week, after-school program in the south Valley. In 2018, these funds sent 52 kids to a multi-day camp from Blaine County.

“This year, due to a donation by the Sahm Family Foundation, more than 240 students went this spring, and we’ll have about 160 this fall from Blaine, Custer and Butte counties,” said Whitney McNees Gershater, program director of IBC. Tour de Force will switch beneficiaries next year, and applications will be available for all nonprofits.

The events pile up all weekend. On Thursday, cars and owners arrive to begin activities. Among them is the scenic Huckleberry Drive on Highway 75, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The drivers will head over Galena Summit to Smiley Creek Lodge, where they will pause for a huckleberry milkshake and ice cream.

Then, on Friday, drivers will make another tour, beginning at 5:30 p.m. from the Wood River Community YMCA. They will drive over Saddle Road into Elkhorn before returning to Town Square in Ketchum for the big event of the weekend.

The car show, held from 6 to 8 p.m., will be in and around Ketchum’s Town Square, and the closed-off intersection at East Avenue and Sun Valley Road. As always, the event is free and open to all. If you have a cool car and want to participate, it costs $35 with registration through the Tour de Force website. There will be lots going on, including a Pinewood Derby facilitated by Idaho BaseCamp.

“We’re the beneficiaries of this high-speed event, and we work mostly with kids,” Gershater said. “We wanted to bridge that gap, which is what both of our organizations are about. People of all ages can still build and decorate a car to race. I have kits people can buy. This will be so fun to do and watch.”

Those who want to participate may contact Gershater at whitney@idahobasecamp.org for a car kit. Inspection of the mini-cars will begin at 10

Left to right: Sun Valley Tour de Force founders and organizers, Maya Blix, Dave Stone of Sun Valley Auto Club and Whitney Werth Slade. Photo credit: Becky Smith

a.m. Friday.

Among the vendors will be Sterling Vineyards, from Napa Valley, Calif., serving wine and frosé; Restoration Rods from Boise, a muscle-car restorer; Peterson BMW, Lamborghini San Francisco, and Simmons Fine Jewelry from Boise. Simmons created a custom Tag watch for Tour de Force, on which drivers engrave their highest speeds.

Keeping an ongoing commentary will be Peter Bush, a part-time Sun Valley resident, veteran radio personality and car buff.

The high-speed runs will take place Saturday, with events starting at 8 a.m. There are no spectator bleachers allowed by the Idaho Department of Transportation, which means only ticketholders may be onsite at Phantom Hill north of Ketchum.

To date, 72 runs are booked, to be made by about 44 drivers, as some do multiple runs in different cars. There are tickets available in the VIP pit pass for spectators (21 and over), which includes transportation from the YMCA in Ketchum, lunch and refreshments, and swag, with passholders entered into a raffle for a passenger ride on that day. Passholders may also hang out at the drivers’ pits at the start next to Cathedral Pines.

Among the high-speed vehicles driven at Phantom Hill will be a Bugatti Chiron, Porsche 918 Spider, a custom-built Porsche 993 by Gunther Werks, a Singer Vehicle Design Porsche 911s, a McLaren Senna, a Lamborghini from San Francisco, and an Aston Martin Vanquish.

On Saturday, the sold-out Cars & Comedy will be held at the Limelight Hotel. The live auction offers great opportunities to support the beneficiary, Idaho BaseCamp. The entertainment will be by comedians Dwight Slade and Kermet Apio.

It’s a busy weekend for car aficionados but there’s a reason why it works.

“What we do with our work, and our PR, is create awareness of the beneficiary’s programs and their organizations and how they work,” Blix said.

“It’s really a community effort—chaotic and fun and loud.”

“And we always want to make sure funds have an impact locally,” Slade added. tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SPONSORED COFFEE CHATS WITH KIKI

13

WED JUL 24-THU JUL 25

SUN VALLEY FORUM

8:30AM-6PM / The Argyros / Ketchum The Sun Valley Forum, “The Future We Want: Transforming Leadership, Accelerating Innovation and Unlocking Imagination,” will continue at the Argyros Performing Arts Center. The Forum will feature talks by leaders, luminaries and trailblazers. There are several opportunities for the public to engage.

For information, to register and for a schedule of events, visit sunvalleyforum.com.

WED JUL 24

NATHANIEL RATELIFF

7PM / River Run / Ketchum The Sun Valley Center will present the Denver-based soulful R&B combo Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats in concert at River Run Lodge.

VIP access will begin at 6 p.m. and general admission access will be at 6:15 p.m. The opening band will be Lucius, an indie-pop band that Rolling Stone magazine said was “powerful enough to knock you over.”

Low-back chairs and picnics are allowed, but no alcohol (it’s sold onsite). For tickets, call (208) 726-9491 or visit sunvalleycenter.org.

WED JUL 24

SV FORUM SCREENING

7:30PM / The Argyros / Ketchum There will be a free public screening of “the Biggest little Farm,” a documentary chronicling the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature. Through dogged perseverance and embracing the opportunity provided by nature’s conflicts, the Chesters unlock and uncover a biodiverse design for living that exists far beyond their farm, its seasons, and our wildest imagination.

WED JUL 24, FRI JUL 26 & SUN JUL 28

REDFISH LIVE

5-8PM / Redfish Lodge / Redfish Lake Music from Stanley presents live music on the front lawn, next to Redfish Lake every Sunday from 5-7 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays from 6-8 p.m. Food and beverages are available at Redfish Lodge.

THU JUL 25

HAILEY FARMERS’ MARKET 2-6PM / Main St. / Hailey

Each week, Wood River Farmers’ Markets bring together consumers with regional farmers who offer organic and locally grown foods. The Hailey Farmers’ Market takes place on Main Street between Carbonate and Galena streets and offers comradery, fresh produce, crafts, and other items.

THU JUL 25

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

5PM / Bloom Garden / Hailey July’s BAH will be held at The Hunger Coalition’s Bloom Community Garden in Quigley Canyon, Hailey. Food and beverages will be provided. Learn about all the upcoming events in the Wood River Valley and happenings at the Bloom Garden.

THU JUL 25

TUSCANY ON TENTH

6-9PM / Boulder Mtn. Clayworks / Ketchum

The annual fundraiser for Boulder Mountain Clayworks will offer gourmet pizza and other delicious treats, a live raku firing, a silent and live auction, and raffle prizes. Boulder Mountain Clayworks is located at 471 E. 10 St. in Ketchum. For tickets and more information, visit bouldermtclay.org.

THU JUL 25

Picture credit: NYU Office of Sustainability

OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS HAVE GONE NON-WIRE

D

oes this story sound familiar? “The residents of _____ rely on a single radial powerline to deliver electricity through the forested, rural surroundings. Ice storms and heavy snowfall regularly knock that line down… ‘The traditional answer would be to build a redundant line to back up the one line if it goes out,’ said Charlotte Ancel, director of clean energy development at Eversource. ‘But we see this all the time in storms where the redundant line goes out, too.’

Instead, Ancel’s team proposed small- and large-scale energy storage to power up the entire community when the feeder goes down, and reduce bills at other times by lowering the town’s peak consumption.”1 This story is in Westmoreland, N.H., not Idaho, but we can follow their example for our own non-wires solution.

Here’s another community that faced a transmission-line dilemma: “Utility Arizona Public Service has contracted for a new grid-scale battery—not to demonstrate the technology, but because it’s a lot cheaper than the conventional alternative.

The company will purchase two 1-megawatt/4-megawatt-hour storage systems from APS for the small town of Punkin Center. This 600-person hamlet, 90 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix (and known for a bar with a prominent jacko’-lantern sign), is bumping up against the limits of its distribution grid.

The traditional approach, which APS considered, would be to upgrade the 20 miles of 21-kilovolt cables that service the town. That requires con-

struction through hilly and mountainous terrain, with considerable expense and local disruption.

The utility decided that batteries would be cheaper.”2 And yet another community was facing what we were facing and made a non-wires decision. “Eversource is developing a 25-megawatt/38-megawatt-hour battery in Provincetown, on the tip of Cape Cod, to avoid running new wires through the scenic national seashore there. A 5-megawatt/20-megawatt-hour battery is slated for the island of Martha’s Vineyard, to retire five diesel peakers. Both should enter service by the end of 2020.”3 These are only three current examples, but there are many, many more, from Puerto Rico to Nantucket. Look at what POWER Engineers has been installing all over the world http:// www.powereng.com/our-services/distributed-energy-resources/microgrids/. Let’s tell Idaho Power we want to be the next non-wires success story!

1 ht t ps://w w w.g re e nt e chm e d i a .c o m /a r t i cl e s / r e a d / eversource-wants-to-back-upan-entire-rural-town-with-batteries-large-and-s#gs.pxeka0

ht t ps://w w w.g ree nt e chm e d i a .c o m /a r t i cl e s / r e a d / aes-buys-energy-storage-forless-than-half-the-cost-of-awires-upgrade#gs.pxep3a 2

3 ht t ps://w w w.g ree nt e chm e d i a .c o m /a r t i cl e s / r e a d / eversource-wants-to-back-upan-entire-rural-town-with-batteries-large-and-s#gs.pxfahe

TOUR DE FORCE

Various / Various / Ketchum Sun Valley Tour de Force will return for its second year to the streets of Ketchum and Sun Valley. For more information, see article on page 12.

Blaine County Commissioner Candidate

www.tidwellcommissionercampaign.com twitter: @kikitidwell

K i k i Ti d w e l l

Happy Summer!

14

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE THU JUL 25

SAT JUL 27 & SUN JUL 28

6:30PM / Mahoney’s / Bellevue

Various / Silver Creek Hotel, Studios / Bellevue

MAHONEY’S LIVE

BELLEVUE ARTISTS SHOW

Dustin Schaefer and his band will play this week, outside on the patio at Mahoney’s. The shows are always free, and family-friendly. Mahoney’s is on Main Street in beautiful downtown Bellevue.

The public is invited to an artists’ reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday. Artists will open their studios, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., on both Saturday and Sunday. Art will also be displayed at 7Fuego restaurant and The Trader.

Maps will be available at various locations, including at The Weekly Sun in Hailey. For information, visit bellevueartistalliance.com.

THU JUL 25

LIVE MUSIC

8PM / Sun Valley Brewery / Hailey Pixie & the Partygrass Boys, from Salt Lake City, will play outside at the Sun Valley Brewery & Tap Room in Hailey. There is never a cover for the Brewery’s summer music series.

SUN JUL 28

BLESSING OF THE BUSES

9:30AM / Emmanuel Episcopal / Hailey

THU JUL 25-SUN JUL 28

SAWTOOTH VALLEY GATHERING

Blessing of the (VW) Buses will take place at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, at 101 S. 2nd Ave., in Hailey. Mother Lea Colvill will perform the blessing after the 9:30 a.m. services. There will be an outside coffee hour in the Garden to follow. This is a rain-or-shine event and is open to anyone owning any of the four generations of VW buses. If your bus is not running, just bring the keys.

Various / Stanley Park / Stanley

The fifth annual music festival will host nearly 35 bands and artists-at-large at Stanley Park, and in Stanley, 61 miles north of Ketchum. Among the bands are headliner Railroad Earth, along with ALO, Yak Attack, Cascade Crescendo, Dead Winter Carpenters, Free Peoples, Daniel Rodriguez, Gene Evaro Jr., Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, Jupiter Holiday, Andrew Sheppard, Cassandra Lewis, the Quick and Easy Boys, and many others. There are day and camping passes available. For tickets and information, visit sawtoothvalleygathering.com.

SUN JUL 28

HEALING IN THE GARDEN

10AM-2PM / Botanical Garden / Ketchum Katherine Pleasants and several other practitioners will sample various healing modalities. A $20 suggested donation per person 18 and over directly benefits the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. People ages 12-18 suggested donation is $10. Experience Healing Touch, Homeopathy, Meditation in Nature, Biomat, Mediation with Sound Bowls, Melt Method and Energetic Healing in 20-minute intervals throughout the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. For information, call (208) 726-9358.

SUN JUL 28

FRI JUL 26

DISCOVER SNRA

WILDLIFE WITH SNRA

1-3PM / Botanical Garden / Ketchum

7PM / WR Campground / Ketchum Sawtooth National Recreation Area will hold a Campfire Program at the Wood River Campground amphitheatre for the whole family. A ranger will discuss different animals that live in the SNRA. For more information, call (208) 727-5000.

Discovery Stations will be held at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Visitor Center, north of Ketchum. These are free, hands-on, family-oriented learning stations focusing on different aspects of the SNRA. For more information, call (208) 7275000.

FRI JUL 26

SUN JUL 28

5PM / Town Square / Ketchum

6-8PM / Rotary Park / Ketchum

LIVE AT FIVE

JAZZ IN THE PARK

Live at 5 p.m. each week there will be free live music in Ketchum’s Town Square.

Enjoy music and the local atmosphere.

This week, guests can enjoy a free jazz concert with the 18-plus-member Idaho Falls Big Band, playing favorite tunes from the Big Band era. Picnics and low-backed chairs are welcome. Rotary Park is located before the bridge on Warm Springs Road across from the Wood River Community YMCA in Ketchum.

FRI JUL 26

LIVE MUSIC

TUE JUL 30

9:30PM / Silver Dollar Saloon / Bellevue

KETCHUM FARMERS’ MARKET 2-6PM / River Run / Ketchum

Casey Kristofferson will play this Friday at the iconic Bellevue saloon. There is never a cover, and a free ride home is available should you need it.

Wood River Farmers’ Markets bring together consumers with regional farmers. The Ketchum Farmers’ Market takes place weekly at its new location in the lower permit lot at scenic River Run. Along with fresh produce and crafts, there will be live music, food trucks and more.

SAT JUL 27

NATURE HIKE

9:30AM / SNRA Visitors Center / Ketchum There will be a ranger-led nature hike at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Visitor Center, north of Ketchum, along the Harriman Trail, exploring the history of the area, and looking for plants, signs of animals, and birds. Junior Rangers and families are welcome. For more information, call (208) 727-5000.

TUE JUL 30

SAT JUL 27 & SUN JUL 28 & & SUN

KETCH’EM ALIVE

MUSIC ON THE DECK

7PM / Forest Service Park / Ketchum

6-9PM / Lefty’s / Ketchum

Ketch’em Alive will feature the Gene Evaro Jr. Band, from Joshua Tree, Calif., playing soul, funk and electronica. The opening band will be music students from “Music N’ Me.” Picnics, low-backed chairs and blankets are welcome; there is also food and drink vendors onsite. Celebrating its 20th year, the concert series is always free and open to all.

Music on Lefty’s sunny deck will continue all summer. On Saturday, see Hat Trick, and on Sunday, Triple Crown will perform. Lefty’s is located at 231 6th Street, in Ketchum.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • J U LY 24 - 30, 2019

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The Weekly Sun Is Currently Looking For A Person Or Business To Sponsor Our Popular Sudoku Puzzle For Just $35 Per Week, You Could Run An Ad In This Space And Bring The Joy Of Sudoku To Our Thousands Of Readers Contact Brennan At (208) 720-1295 Or publisher@theweeklysun.com

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CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 7

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16

T H E W E E K LY S U N

• J U LY 10 - 16, 2019

Blaine County Commissioners Should Be Fiscally Responsible Dear Community, For at least the past four Blaine County budgets, Commissioners have voted to balance our annual operating budget by authorizing to take millions of $ from County cash reserves. County Clerk JoLynn Drage consistently and urgently speaks up in budget meetings and alerts the Commissioners that they are spending emergency contingency funds down to zero. And this budget doesn’t even begin to address the $20 million backlog of road and bridge projects that are starved for County funding.

In a County that collects $11,385,000 annually for the County in property tax payments from its $10 billion worth of land owners, how did we get here? Well, there are two basic reasons; first, there is a conundrum for our County of how property taxes are allowed to be levied in the State of Idaho but, more importantly, the Commissioners seem to not grasp key financial concepts of fiscal responsibility.

The State of Idaho restricts all counties by statute that annual property taxes cannot be raised by more than 3% of the prior years’ property tax assessment plus an assessment on new construction. We are fortunate here in Blaine County that overall property values have been increasing, but that does not allow us to collect more property taxes; it only has the effect of lowering the levy rate for everyone. However, people in Blaine County demand top-level services from their County. They value a responsive police force and low crime rate, roads that are kept in repair, and social support services there for our vulnerable citizens.

So how does one solve this dilemma of constrained ability to increase property taxes and a populace that demands increasing level of services? Let me assure you, it is not in depleting our emergency cash reserves. It is by thoughtfully utilizing the County’s assets to increase income and decrease expenses. A prime example is what has happened with the County Jail. The jail temporarily houses out-of-County inmates for other counties when it has vacant jail cells; the Sheriff’s office is able to cover about $800,000 of its operating expenses each year through this revenue. The County has extensive real estate holdings that are going underutilized that could generate cash flows like this. The Road & Bridge Department recently estimated that a gravel pit at the Glendale property could generate $1.8 million in gravel mining. It also has additional land there that could be used for a community solar installation – which could significantly reduce what Blaine County pays overall for its electrical expense, and which could generate additional funds for the County as income. There are many more great solar farm installation sites that the County owns, including Ohio Gulch property. Solar farms could provide County emergency power, revenue for 20 years, and the ability to carve out low-rate electricity for low-income populations.

What the County should not do is continue to give away its real estate assets while not understanding the most basic of asset management concepts. The County owns a prime piece of commercial real estate on Main St., Hailey, that they have previously received an offer on at $1.6 million, and which is valued at $3 million. The County Commissioners really want to build affordable housing as a priority. This is a laudable goal, but any real estate investor, or even average Joe/Jane, would sell this prime Main Street property and use those funds to build affordable housing in a different location, where the $3 million could significantly take down the overall cost of a project – and provide a source of budget cash flow in the future. Instead, the Commissioners have decided in the budget meetings to dip into County cash reserves by at least $500,000 to give away to a private entity to build housing right on this prime commercial spot.

The cost of not selling ($3,000,000), plus $500,000, adds up to a $3,500,000 boondoggle investment of the County’s assets – 31% of the annual budget! When the County is cutting the Mountain Rides’ budget so that there will be no service to get workers home after restaurant shifts, the Sheriff has had to drop a vehicle from his budget request this year, and the Assessor’s office is beyond stretched to keep up its workload with existing staffing, this is totally irresponsible. This is crazy!

Similarly, the community garden next to the County Courthouse is lovely, but it is not the highest and best use of this prime commercial real estate. Relocate the gardens to a less prime location and either sell this prime commercial real estate, or build a building on this site that can make cash flow income from long-term commercial office lease rentals. And yes, the County can invest in low-income housing projects in appropriate locations – there are several proposed in the recently rezoned higher residential density locations of Hailey. It can be a financial partner that helps these projects over the line to get built and it can receive a portion of the rental income over a long term. There is nothing wrong with the County being a landlord, or being a financial partner in an investment group that receives investment income. In fact, this is the only way that the County is going to balance its needs with its income in the future.

What is wrong is the County Commissioners frittering away these assets in bone-headed financial decisions just because they are attached to the general idea of affordable housing; we can build affordable housing efficiently in the right places and have future streams of income for the County so that we can pay our bills well into the future.

Sincerely, Kiki Tidwell Kiki Tidwell Tidwell is Candidate for Blaine County Commissioner, has been a 30 year investor in real estate and other assets, has had extensive education from the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Appraisal Institute (education on appraising real property), and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Aresty Institute of Executive Education (portfolio management and asset allocation), as well as an undergraduate business degree and post-graduate education in alternate asset investment.

Paid For By Citizens For Kiki Tidwell, Cindy Mann Treasurer

Blaine County Commissioner Candidate

www.tidwellcommissionercampaign.com twitter: @kikitidwell

Kiki Tidwell