3 December 2019

WEEKLY SUN

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DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 4 9 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Hailey News Holiday Market To Pop Up Dec. 13, 14

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Holiday News Sawtooth Tree-Cutting Permits Now Available

“When snow falls, nature listens” ~Antoinette Van Kleef

For information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Photo credit: Michael Edminster

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Ketchum News Are developers ushering in ‘new look’?

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Education News District To Review School Threat Policy

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W E E K LY S U N D O G •

DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

SNRA To Open Saturday For Tree Cutting Permits

www.fs.usda.gov/project. Commenting by Jan. 6 allows time for input to be considered during analysis. Comments are a matter of public record and therefore may be Sawtooth National Recreation Area employees will open the Visitor Center on provided to interested parties upon request.

Saturday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 14, to provide the public an opportunity to purComments may be submitted by facsimile, U.S. mail, or hand-delivery to the chase Christmas tree permits. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ketchum Ranger District or Sawtooth National Forest Supervisor’s Office. Please This will allow a family to choose and cut one tree up to 20 feet tall. There is a lim- indicate “CenturyLink Fiber Optic Project” in the subject line. For further information it of one tree per family or organization for a cost of $10. Additionally, in support of regarding this project, please contact NEPA Planner Zach Shull at zachary.shull@ Every Kid Outdoors, the Sawtooth National Forest will offer one free Christmas tree usda.gov or (208) 423-7555. permit to fourth graders who present a valid paper or durable Every Kid Outdoors pass. The fourth grader must be present at the time the permit is issued and must be picked up before you cut the tree. This is only available at Sawtooth National Forest offices.

Blaine County Recreation District’s Youth Basketball League is open for registration through Jan. 12. This popular co-ed program emphasizes skill development, Permits are only valid until Dec. 25, 2019. sportsmanship and fun and is open to boys and girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. The season starts in late January and ends in March.

Programs are offered in Ketchum and Hailey. The registration fee is $65 and includes instruction, a team jersey, and a participation award. Early registration is The Ketchum Ranger District (KRD) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Shoencouraged and will help us form teams and prepare practice and game schedules. shone Field Office (SFO) are hosting an Open House on Dec. 9 from 4-5:30 p.m. at Players in first through sixth grade are required to participate in a skill evaluation The Community Library in Ketchum and then again on Dec. 12 from 5-6:30 p.m. at in an effort to create fair and competitive teams. All skill evaluations will take place the Community Campus in Hailey. Representatives from the KRD and SFO will be in in the BCRD gymnasium at the Community Campus in Hailey on the following dates: attendance to answer questions and discuss the proposed activities.

First/Second grade on Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 5-6 p.m.

The Open House is being held to obtain comments and to help the public understand the proposed project regarding an environmental assessment on a shared Third/Fourth grade on Thursday, Jan. 9, from 5-6 p.m. stewardship project to improve forest health within and adjacent to the Bald MounFifth/Sixth grade on Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 6:15-7:15 p.m. tain Ski Area. The proposed action is intended to remove insect-infested, diseased There is no skills evaluation for kindergarteners because this age group has a and dead trees, improve forest health, increase resilience to disturbance, reduce clinic-style developmental program. hazardous fuels, and initiate regeneration of forest stands. A detailed description of the proposal can be found on the project webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/proCoaches for this community program are all volunteer and critical to its success. ject/?project=57171.

The registration fee is waived for coaches’ children. If you are interested in volunIf you have questions regarding the Open House(s), you can contact the Ketchum teering to coach, please contact us prior to registering your child(ren) for more information. Team sponsorship opportunities are also available, and sponsors receive Ranger District office at (208) 622-0091. their business name on team jerseys, as well as other acknowledgements.

For more program information or to register, please visit bcrd.org or call (208) 578-2273.

Registration Open For BCRD Youth Basketball

Open House To Gauge Public Opinion On Bald Mountain Stewardship

Residents Can Opine On Warm Springs Road Fiber Optic Project

You Don’t Have To Be Like Scrooge To Save On Holiday Lighting

Idaho Power is doing what it can to be part of lighting the holidays and powering your family traditions. And with all the extra lights, it’s also a great time to think about ways to save energy, the utility says. Here are some tips: • Use LED lights. When replacing light strands that are outdated or unsafe (or maybe just too tangled to save), go for LEDs. They use 75 percent less energy than conventional lights.

• Pair any lights with indoor/outdoor timers. Whether it’s for your Christmas tree or a Griswold-style home light display, timers can help reduce energy waste and increase safety.

• Turn off extra lights when the tree is lit. Focus the light on the main attraction and add a warm and cozy feeling to the room.

• Yard inflatables are an efficient choice. A small yard inflatable costs less than $1 to operate as part of your holiday lineup—and that’s for 18 hours a day for 40 days! Most of them use LED lights and are more efficient than your traditional incandescent lights.

For more energy saving ideas, go to idahopower.com/save.

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PRICING

The Ketchum Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest is seeking comments for the CenturyLink Fiber Optic Project proposed to take place along Warm Springs Road. The telephone and Internet utility is seeking a permit to install additional fiber-optic cable across 7.4 miles of National Forest System lands.

CenturyLink has operated under a USDA Forest Service special use permit on the Ketchum Ranger District along Warm Springs Road since 1976 when the copper telephone services were installed. CenturyLink currently has an installation request for a residential customer on Warm Springs Road approximately 7.5 miles west of the city limits of Ketchum. If the installation occurs, other residents along Warm Springs Road would also have the option to upgrade to fiber-optic service.

The proposed installation would have approximately 31,261 feet of underground cable and approximately 10,844 feet of aerial cable. Underground fiber-optic installation would involve one fiber-optic cable placed inside a 1¼-inch polypipe duct that would be buried in the road right-of-way using a spade plow attached to a backhoe or excavator. Aerial sections of installation would involve the fiber-optic cable being attached to existing Idaho Power poles. Some poles may need to be replaced with 45- to 50-foot poles to accommodate the new fiber-optic cable attachment.

The deciding official is Forest Supervisor Jim DeMaagd. All applicable regulations and executive orders will be considered before a decision is made. If this proposal is approved, CenturyLink would begin installation in the late spring or early summer of 2020.

For more information regarding this project, please visit the Forest’s website at

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

CLASSIC SUDOKU answer from page 11

HANDYMAN

Jack of all trades. Reliable, insured, clean. Small jobs to large remodel projects, or the “honey-do” list.

Call Mark, (208) 573-1784

Stay Warm!

Schwinn Meridian Adult Tricycle, 26-inch wheels, rear storage basket, Cherry color. Stolen from Balmoral apartments in Hailey around Nov. 15.

A gift from my three sons.

Please call (208) 720-5973 with any information.

KUDOS & SASS

Kudos to our local businesses, remember to support them and shop local this holiday season.

Sass to the people who are going too fast on slick roads.

Please slow down, pay attention and be safe!

CROSSWORD

answer from page 11

W E E K LY S U N D O G •

WEEKLY SUNDOG CONTENTS

DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

We truly wouldn’t be able to help so many students and families in need if it weren’t for the support of the Wood River Insurance team — and their commitment to our community!

– Kristy Heitzman, Blaine County Education Foundation

The Darcys (Neil Brookshire and Cassandra Bissell) will host Christmas with the family, in “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. See story on page 8. Photo credit: Kirsten Shultz.

THIS WEEK

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D E C E M B E R 4 - 1 0 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 49

Student Spotlight

Henry Whittier seeks triumphs despite challenges

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Commentary

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Calendar

Award-Winning Columns, Student Spotlight, Fishing Report

Community. Compassion. Commitment.

Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

ON THE COVER

Oblivious to Sun Valley Company’s winter sleigh-ride season coming up, these horses enjoy more time off in the snowy weather, with a majestic Bald Mountain blanketed in snow in the background. Photo credit: Michael Edminster 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).

WEEKLY SUNDOG STAFF P.O. Box 370 Bellevue, Idaho 83313 AD SALES Jennifer Simpson • 208.721.0658 • jennifer@theweeklysun.com Mandi Iverson • 208.721.7588 • mandi@theweeklysun.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine • news@theweeklysun.com ARTS & EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dana DuGan • calendar@theweeklysun.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey PRODUCTION & DESIGN Mandi Iverson • mandi@theweeklysun.com Chris Seldon • production@theweeklysun.com ACCOUNTING Shirley Spinelli • 208.928.7186 • accounting@theweeklysun.com EDITOR Brennan Rego • 208.720.1295 • brennan@theweeklysun.com DEADLINES Display & Community Bulletin Board Ads — Monday @ 1pm sales@theweeklysun.com • bulletin@theweeklysun.com Calendar Submissions — Friday @ 5pm calendar@theweeklysun.com www.TheWeeklySun.com Published by Sun Dog Media, Inc.

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DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

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Central Ketchum at sunset. Photo credit: Wayne Winkler

Ketchum calls for Dec. 9 meeting to decide fate of Jack Bariteau hotel project

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

ETCHUM—Though it may not feel like it now, a few months after 2020 gets run in, the snow will melt and the ice will clear, meaning a number of projects that could change the urban landscape of this idyllic mountain resort town can begin breaking ground.

What follows is a rundown of what buildings may be going up in 2020 and 2021. Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw sums it up this way: “The vision for 2020 is not about new projects, but rather executing on the ones we already have envisioned.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Local Businesses Support Community Pet Food Drive

Many families throughout the Valley are in need of pet food assistance, according to Mountain Humane. So for the past decade the nonprofit animal shelter has been organizing the Paws for Hunger program, which over that time has distributed 7,350 bags of dog and cat food to Blaine County families in need.

The need continues to grow with more than 1,284 bags of food already distributed this year, Mountain Humane said.

Local businesses are helping to collect unopened bags and cans of dog and cat food. You can help by “feeding” the Paws for Hunger food bins at the following locations: • • • • • • • • •

Atkinsons’ Markets Albertsons Zions Banks The Village Market Sun Valley Animal Centers Sawtooth Animal Center YMCA The Barkin’ Mountain Humane

For more information on the community assistance programs sponsored by Mountain Humane, please go to mountainhumane.org.

Filling the Hole Ketchum City Council has set a special meeting for Dec. 9 at 3:30 p.m. to determine if Trail Creek Fund—the LLC backing the lingering hotel development at Main and River streets—actually has the money developer Jack Bariteau says it has.

Bariteau informed the city that a loan has been secured and was to be recorded Dec. 2 at noon, just hours before the most recent Ketchum City Council session and nearly two months after an October meeting wherein the councilmembers declared the LLC in breach of its development agreement. At that meeting, the council told Bariteau funding would have to be secured in 60 days or the project would be no more.

“We needed time to look at everything that has been provided (by the developer),” Bradshaw explained. “So it was decided the special meeting would be set up.”

Funding had alluded the experienced Ketchum developer’s project for years, frustrating residents and especially neighbors of the property who have to stare at the deep, dirt hole across from high-profile properties at the town’s entrance. The property was purchased already in 2004, but before funding could be secured, the U.S. economy went into a tailspin and put the entire project at risk.

“I’ve never done anything so difficult in my life,” Bariteau told the council in October.

Warm Springs Warmup In recent weeks, it was learned that a Southern California developer, Will Gustafson, of Santa Barbara, has agreed to purchase the popular 78acre dog park known as Warm Springs Ranch. The property was formerly a golf course and restau-

The vision for 2020 is not about new projects, but rather executing on the ones we already have envisioned.”

Neil Bradshaw Mayor of Ketchum rant, and it has seen other concepts for it come and go over the years. But now, Gustafson is in the front end of a 90-day due-diligence period where he can put together a proposal the city and residents can opine about.

Bradshaw had little to say about the news.

“At this point, it’s just a press story that something could be happening with a property that nothing has happened to for some time,” Bradshaw said.

The mayor said his focus is instead on getting affordable housing built in the city, along with the new fire station and city hall.

“I hope in time the new landscape of Ketchum includes more affordable housing,” Bradshaw said. “We have some projects that are now going somewhere and some projects that have been going nowhere.”

One project that would include affordable housing that is in fact going somewhere involves another Bariteau development on First Avenue and Fourth Street in Ketchum across from Perry’s restaurant. It is set for construction on and will help satisfy the employee-housing requirement for the hotel project on Main Street. Last month, the city approved vacating alley easement to the project. Bradshaw said the easement is non-passable in winter, so exchanging it for affordable housing was a win-win for everyone. wsd

W E E K LY S U N D O G

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DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

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NEWS EDUCATION

SCHOOL DISTRICT TO EXAMINE APPROACH TO ‘THREAT ASSESSMENT’

Pre-Halloween lockdown incident triggers look by new trustees

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

new version of a school board policy on assessing and responding to violent threats will be getting an intensified look in December and could go into effect in January, the district has confirmed. Officials are encouraging parents to be a part of the review process.

In May, the district announced a proposed overhaul of its threat assessment policy which had been described publicly as out of date

by Director of Student Safety Dave Stellers. At that time, Stellers introduced trustees to what he called a three-pronged approach to better respond to threats. That included reporting methods involving threat assessment teams made up of school administrators, counselors, and a resource officer, as well as debriefing protocols and an app that could be used to report threat.

Cut to: Oct. 23, when a “lockdown” was issued for the Community Campus, Silver Creek High School and Wood River High School.

According to the Hailey Police Department, it was found that law enforcement had information concerning the check of someone’s welfare, and a relative of that person was in a building on that campus.

The administration at the Silver Creek School made a decision to go into a “lockout,” and Hailey’s high school resource officer stayed at the Silver Creek School for the safety and security of the school’s occupants and surrounding grounds.

That was all good, but then things get fuzzy.

“It is unclear to (the Hailey Police Department) how the ‘lockout’ went to a ‘lockdown.’ Personnel from Hailey PD, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, and Wood River Fire & Rescue initially responded to the Community Campus area, and then cleared the area shortly thereafter due to the fact that there was never a threat on or near the immediate vicinity of the Campus,” Hailey Police Department stated.

According to LockOutUSA.com, a lockdown refers to a situation in which building occupants need to remain in locked, or locked down, interior rooms, with their door barricades in place, and hidden from view. A lockdown normally occurs if a dangerous person is physically threatening the building. Not all lockdowns are in response to an active shooter threat, and some are preventative.

A lockout is less severe, and refers to a situation in which the exterior of the building is secured and all occupants that are outside are brought inside for safety. A lockout is usually in response to a potentially dangerous situation nearby in which building administrators or local law enforcement believe it is not safe to be outside the building. Normal activities can often resume within the building during this time.

Stellers was unable to be reached before press deadline Tuesday, but district spokesperson Heather Crocker confirmed the proposed policy will be reviewed in committee in December and likely by the 2020 version of the school board in January.

“They will discuss the proposed policy at the upcoming policy committee meeting on December 17. Public comment is always welcome at the Board of Trustees committee meetings,” Crocker said. wsd

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hemingway School Earns STEM Grant

The Idaho STEM Action Center has awarded 72 grants worth more than $130,000 to schools, districts, libraries, and out-of-school and youth-enrichment programs statewide to advance science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] education. Ernest Hemingway STEAM [includes art] School in Ketchum earned one grant worth $1,000 and Pioneer Primary School in Salmon earned two grants totaling $3,500.

The organization, part of the Executive Office of the Governor, awarded a total of $133,324 via two grant programs: 45 PK-12 Innovative STEM Project Grants worth $106,727 and 27 Family & Career STEM Awareness Event Grants representing $26,596.

The Family & Career STEM Awareness Event Grants will fund events that engage families and community members in STEM-related activities to build awareness of and interest in STEM learning and career options. Applicants could request up to $1,000. The PK-12 Innovative STEM Project Grants will fund creative science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer-science programs that are hands-on or project-based. The grant dollars will fulfill everything from 3D-printing initiatives, robotics and drone programs, and coding instruction to acoustics, aeronautics, astronomy, aquaculture, biochemistry, biotechnology, electronics, and e-textiles projects. Applicants could request up to $2,500.

Hailey Holiday Market Set To Open Dec. 13–14

Hailey’s popup holiday market is back.

The Hailey Holiday Market will be held at the Community Campus Minnie Moore Room and adjacent spaces Dec. 13–14 where 25 vendors will set up booths and place their wares and goods on sale and on display.

The event is aimed at bringing awareness to all the holiday shopping that can be done in the Valley rather than online or out of town.

The Community Campus facility is located at 1050 Fox Acres Road in Hailey. The Market will be open Friday evening, Dec. 13, from 1 to 7 p.m. for after-work shoppers, and Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The offerings cover the gamut, from wearables to edibles and from gifts to necessities, with items in all price points. Body products, paintings and cards, home décor, children’s books, treats and edible gifts, jewelry, cozy hats, plus totes and fleece fill the cornucopia of gift possibilities.

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W E E K LY S U N D O G

Fishing R epoRt

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DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT

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THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR DECEMBER 4 - 10, FROM PICABO ANGLER

t’s time to work off some of that turkey and stuffing!

There is no better way to do that than by making fresh tracks up or down one of your favorite Idaho trout streams. So grab your fly rod, your winter fly box and go enjoy some of the most beautiful scenes Idaho serves up all season long!

And speaking of that winter fly box… be sure you have a great assortment of Midges.

Zebra Midges and Tie-Down Midges are a great place to start. A few other nymphs to carry include Hares Ears, Girdle Bugs, Prince Nymphs and Brassies. Have your Zebras and Brassies in multiple colors— Red, Black, Purple, and Olive Zebras and Red and Copper Brassies. Fish different tandems of these until you find the day’s hot color. Fish these combos under an indicator using 4X or 5X tippets.

Streamers are a wintertime staple on all our area rivers, and especially on Silver Creek.

On our freestone and tailwater rivers, fish weighted flies and get them to the bottom. If you are fishing Silver Creek, don’t bother with weight and fish your Streamers just under the surface. It is a lot of fun watching the fish wake behind the fly and leave a boil as they eat it.

It’s the closest thing to the visual pleasure of the dry-fly eat, only it’s winter and the fish can be huge. If you fish Streamers, beef up you tippets to 3X or 2X in case a toothy brown trout shows up!

We are probably a few weeks away from prolific dry-fly activity on the Big Wood, but it would still be a good idea to have a few Griffith’s Gnats and Tie-Down Midges, along with your favorite powder floatant and some 6X. Be sure you keep the trailing shuck on the Tie-Down Midge wet and in the film. The shuck is what will bring the fish to your fly out of the thousands of real ones that can be on the water at any given time during the winter.

Have a ton of fun out there.

Be safe if you are driving and on the water. It is a time of the season where little mishaps can be amplified. Have a full tank of gas, full cellphone battery, extra clothes, and food and water. Prepare for the worst and you can enjoy your day that much more. A little peace of mind will even up your fishing game.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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MAKING THE MOST OUT OF PLAYTIME

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BY FRAN JEWELL

ost of us make play dates with other dogs, especially for our puppies so they learn how to interact appropriately with other dogs. While this is a great idea, many times playtime teaches dogs to become nuts and uncontrollable around other dogs. One of the biggest concerns people call me about is that their dogs “come” very well, EXCEPT WHEN THEY SEE ANOTHER DOG! Well, unfortunately, we probably unconsciously taught that to our dogs as puppies by letting them have play dates that are wild free-for-alls.

Play dates can be a marvelous time and place to use as a training opportunity. It isn’t just our time to chat on our cellphones or drink wine with our friends.

What can you teach during playtime? Two very important skills: I always use playtime as a time to teach and reinforce name response and “come.” For Mariah, I use

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How to “come” even when there is an- a toy instead of food. Toys are more important to her than food. Photo credit: Fran Jewell other dog around.

“Impulse control, which is the new over to the play, grab the leash and say his pretty soon “come” becomes a wonderful • name. Draw him away from the play with the game and no longer associated with ending a jargon for self-control. best treat he can imagine. Maybe use some good time. Then the leash can come off.

The same exercises can be done with your To start teaching impulse control, as the cooked chicken breast or freeze-dried liver. playtime outing begins, start by not letting Gently pull him away from the playtime, us- dog before and during hikes to create an exyour dog out of the car until he sits and looks ing the leash, if necessary. When your dog cellent recall in the woods.

A dog with self-control is a safe dog. A at you. These are skills that should first be comes away from the play, ask him to sit, taught in a low-distraction situation first. then reward with lots of goodies. Have him dog that jumps out of a vehicle anticipating Then attach a leash. Have your dog sit and look at you again, then say, “Go play!” and playtime or a walk can be dangerous. He may actually jump out knocking someone over look at you again. Reward him with a special let him go back to playtime.

Let him play for a bit. Do this several times or into an unexpected car!!! Incorporating treat to help him feel good about sitting and waiting to get out. Use a release word such until he willingly comes from the play with- some simple obedience exercises can help you have safe adventures—and fun ones, as “release” or “alright.” Do not use “OK,” out you having to use the leash.

Once you get to this point, start saying too! since we use that word too much in our everyday conversations. The goal to work to- “come” as he comes to you. The owner of the Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club ward is waiting until your dog settles before other dog can do the same thing at the same award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified releasing him to get out. Let him drag the time, which will help tremendously.

Two of the biggest mistakes I see is using dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified leash for the playtime.

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COLUMN SKETCHBOOK HIKING

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BY LESLIE REGO

n a snowy day, the world reduces. Scenery is obscured. Mountains disappear. Peripheral vision narrows.

Snowflakes landing on my eyelashes blur my view even more.

Edges are like the torn sides of homemade paper, the outer borders feathered and ragged. Accumulated snow causes tree trunks and branches to morph into softer versions of themselves, blending them into the surrounding world.

C. Coles Phillips (1880-1927) was a commercial artist famous for creating the “Fadeaway Girl.”

Phillips colored part of her clothing the same color as the background of the image, fashioning a faded-out appearance. Phillips’ wife wrote, “His arrangements of the masses, small and large, were to him much more exciting than the color….”

Phillips was interested in a simple and direct graphic impact. He eliminated shadow and highlights to make the image poster-like. Phillips would work for hours to create beautiful negative spaces, which would then become the most important part of the drawing. The fadeaway left the viewer to fill in the information needed to complete the

FADEAWAY TREES

picture.

The fadeaway idea first occurred to Phillips when he visited a friend who was wearing a tuxedo and playing a violin in a very dimly-lit room. Phillips could see little of his friend, but he could still make out the form of the figure from where the light angled across the violin, the tops of the shoes, and parts of the white shirt.

Today, I am seeing “fadeaway trees.” The dim light is hitting one side of the trunks, giving them definition. The other side is blending into the surrounding landscape. Odd shapes form.

There must have been wind last night. Fallen branches that never made it to the earth are caught within the twigs of the trees.

Snow fills in the interstices.

Small amounts of low light filter through the few remaining slits.

The trunks are ghostly apparitions, dispersing like mist, the margins ever shifting.

Similar to Phillips’ poster-like images, the shapes I see are flat, but they are constantly evolving.

Snow falls down and a new form emerges. The wind picks up and snow drifts across the landscape, obliterating some views and bringing others into focus. Snow caught on the tops of grass plops

Leslie Rego, “Fadeaway Trees,” charcoal and white pastel.

downward. The grass springs upward, arcing the remaining snowflakes like an arrow letting loose.

An ill-defined world compels the eye to work overtime to clarify the mysteries dwelling within a snowy world.

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.

W E E K LY S U N D O G

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DECEMBER 4 - 10, 2019

GUEST COMMENTARY LUKE MAYVILLE

Speaker Bedke Should Thank Volunteers for Medicaid Expansion

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SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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his Thanksgiving, thousands of Idahoans are thankful for the gift of healthcare.

Idaho’s Medicaid Expansion program, enacted last year by popular vote, will go into full effect starting January 1, 2020. Tens of thousands of Idahoans will finally have a chance to see a doctor. For many, it will be for the first time in their adult lives.

Understandably, we’re seeing an outpouring of gratitude directed at the people who made Medicaid Expansion possible: the thousands of volunteers who picked up clipboards and went door-to-door, neighbor-to-neighbor, and collected signatures to qualify Medicaid Expansion for the 2018 ballot.

The Post Register recently profiled one volunteer named Amy Pratt, of Idaho Falls. A school-bus driver on weekdays, Amy spent every weekend for nearly Luke Mayville four months walking door-to-door as a volunteer and engaging her neighbors about Medicaid Expansion.

Amy didn’t walk door-to-door for a wage. She wasn’t paid a dime for her efforts. She had access to healthcare through her employer, so she didn’t do it for herself. In her own words: “I did it because everybody else needed it.”

It’s not surprising so many Idahoans are welling up with gratitude for Amy and thousands of other volunteers who set aside time to make Medicaid Expansion a reality. Unfortunately, some of our state’s most powerful legislators are not so grateful.

Consider an op-ed published last week by Speaker Scott Bedke and three other powerful Republican legislators. The op-ed falsely claims that Medicaid Expansion will harm 15,000 Idahoans by throwing them off of their health insurance. The truth is, those in question will be eligible for Medicaid coverage that is both higher quality and more affordable.

Bedke’s op-ed disparages Medicaid as a form of “public assistance.” But the fact is that the private insurance exchange is subsidized by taxpayer dollars just as Medicaid is. In fact, Bedke’s plan to push Medicaid-eligible Idahoans onto the state exchange is predicted to cost Idaho taxpayers an additional $42.5 million per year.

Most unfortunately, the op-ed goes on to refer to those who collected signatures as a “paid signature-gathering group” and as “Prop 2 salespeople.” Speaker Bedke and his co-authors lead readers to believe the driving force behind Medicaid Expansion came from out of state. The fact is that Reclaim Idaho launched the entire campaign in a volunteer’s backyard in North Idaho. Active teams of volunteers formed in at least 25 counties, from Bonners Ferry to the Teton Valley. Volunteers like Amy Pratt collected 96 percent of the required signatures.

For many volunteers, the Medicaid Expansion campaign was their first time actively participating in the political process. The campaign was their introduction to the difficult, rewarding work of self-government.

It’s a shame that legislative leaders would insult and malign the volunteer efforts of thousands of ordinary Idahoans. It’s especially surprising to see this type of smear come from the pen of Speaker Scott Bedke—a man who, by all accounts, is a kind and decent person who takes public service seriously. In short, Speaker Bedke, you’re better than that. And we all know it.

In this season of Thanksgiving, Speaker Bedke and other Idaho leaders should be heaping gratitude— not scorn—on those who volunteer their time to improve our state. This would seem especially true in the case of those who worked to solve the Medicaid crisis—a crisis our political leaders failed to address for six straight years, even as tens of thousands of hardworking Idahoans waited desperately for action.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to every volunteer who said enough is enough and took matters into their own hands. Thank you for securing healthcare for tens of thousands of Idahoans. Most of all, thank you for proving our system of self-government still works—that a determined group of ordinary citizens can still come together and make a difference.

Luke Mayville is the co-founder of Reclaim Idaho.

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

GOING TO BED

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BY HARRY WEEKES

am writing this on this side of the snow Rubicon, on one of those impossibly beautiful, yet wonderfully common, November days. The climatic porridge is just right (neither too cold nor too hot), the clouds in the sky are low and thin in the south, as much decoration as anything, and there is a feeling that winter may never come. It is blue and still and the sun is working its radiant magic.

It feels like these days will last forever.

Which, of course, they won’t.

In fact, there is a good chance that by the time you read this, there will already be snow on the ground, and winter will have arrived (even though it won’t officially do so until December 21).

But something has already been happening, something so gradual we tend to miss it. Much of the natural world has been slowly going to sleep, or otherwise preparing for the long nap of winter.

Yes, there are many creatures great and small that simply add a layer of fat, or more fur, or increase the lipids in their cell membranes (oh, mysterious trees) and stick around for the winter. Everything else does what it can to get cozy or get out.

The great suite of birds has made a consistent exit, with those remaining apparently confined to three categories: ducks (from the heavy-bodied geese to the fast-flying teal), twitterers (the ones that sound and look like dried leaves come to life), and magpies (stoic, reliable magpies).

Aspens and willows and cottonwoods, our major deciduous trees, have been changing colors and dropping leaves, gradually drawing into themselves, preparing to do what they have to do—stay in exactly the same place and weather

whatever comes their way.

The ground squirrels left so early we forget they were even around. They’ve been tucked underground since September, munching grass, jostling in burrows, and otherwise living a subterranean existence.

November always feels like “getting ready” to me. Even as I am drawn out to enjoy the amazing days, I am also aware that each week the world grows increasingly quiet. Fewer and fewer things flush and hop and rustle. The cast of characters that does remain are obvious vestiges on their way out (like the errant late-season grasshopper that shows up in the garage).

There is something else in this growing scarcity, though, that is a mixture of anticipation, for those winter beasts that will soon arrive, a longing for a distant spring, and an excitement for what I do see (for instance, a frantic, “Did you see that?!” as a mouse scurries across the road through my car’s headlights).

Ultimately, I guess, this amounts to an appreciation of the rhythm itself. Of being aware that we are in a certain part of the great cycle of the year.

The day is ending. We are getting ready for bed.

Soon, we will pull up the great snowy covers of winter, invite in another season, and remember a world of quiet survival.

Harry Weekes is the founder and head of school at The Sage School in Hailey. This is his 48th year in the Wood River Valley, where he lives with Hilary and two of their three baby adults—Penelope and Simon. The other member of the flock, Georgia, is currently fledging at Davidson College in North Carolina.

WRHS senior Henry Whittier. Photo credit: Britta Heaphy

HENRY WHITTIER

Turning challenges into triumphs

BY ERIC VALENTINE

For most people, a diagnosis of any kind would be seen as something that may limit one’s quality of life. For Henry Whittier, he has turned it into a unique advantage.

When Whittier was 4 years old, he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. He said he struggled socially and academically for a time. But, eventually, he made a conscious decision to look at things differently.

“I decided that I wouldn’t let my disability define the person I could be,” Whittier said. “Not only did I learn to play to my strengths, but I also learned how to communicate to others about my weaknesses so they could help me work through them. I am grateful to have such supportive teachers and peers who have supported me through the experience.”

By the time Whittier entered Wood River High School, he was seeking and finding outlets for his unique perspective on things.

Namely, his involvement in Model United Nations helped him find his voice and his passion: global politics. In fact, as Whittier begins to plan life after high school, he is setting his hopes on studying global relations and international business.

“I’m hoping to either work in the foreign service or to start my own entrepreneurial venture,” Whittier said. “I wish everyone could have the opportunity to grow and achieve what they want in life. It is difficult to see when people’s ambitions are restricted by factors that they can’t control. In a perfect world, if someone is willing to work hard for what they want, they should be able to make something of their efforts. I’m hoping that at some point in my life I can help eliminate the systematic barriers that cause this.”

Whittier’s rigorous course load—A.P. United States Government, A.P. Statistics, A.P. Literature and Composition, A.P. World History, and French—figure to help prepare the lifelong Valley resident for the next stage of life and pursuing those lofty goals.

“My favorite thing about living in the Valley is the fact that it is a seasonal community,” Whittier said. “Not only do we have variety between the four seasons, but the activities and opportunities change throughout the year.”

Whittier describes himself as a non-traditional athlete. He has, over the last 13 years, practiced an ancient Korean martial art called Soo Bahk Do with Sawtooth Martial Arts. In school, he has been most heavily involved in Model United Nations and does community service through National Honor Society with organizations such as Mountain Humane. 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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W E E K LY S U N D O G • D E C E M B E R 4 - 10, 2019

SPONSORED SENIOR CONNECTION

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE BECOMING YOUR PARENT’S CAREGIVER

EVENT FEATURE

BY SHAWNA WASKO (AKA: CAREGIVER) CSI OFFICE ON AGING

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n a February 2017 article in Senior Living Blog, Sarah Stevenson explains to Caregivers what questions to ask yourself before becoming your parent’s Caregiver. Stevenson tells readers that being a full-time Caregiver can affect your mental, emotional and physical health, and it can have unforeseen effects on your relationship with your parent, as well as your other relationships.

Stevenson says we as Caregivers must be adequately prepared for the potential changes of Caregiving, which means asking yourself some of the following questions: 1. Am I financially prepared for the extra costs of Caregiving?

2. Am I really capable of taking care of Dad or Mom all by myself? Do I need to hire outside help or consider assisted living?

3. Do I have the social support and resources I’m going to need?

4. How will caregiving affect my physical and mental health?

5. If a loved one has dementia and can no longer filter their behavior, will I be able to cope with potentially hurtful words or actions?

6. Will I be able to allow myself to accept help and take breaks?

7. Will I be able to cut back on work responsibilities during those times when I need to care for my parent?

8. Will I be able to make time for myself and my family?

Number 6 asks an important question that Caregivers often forget: Will I accept help and take breaks. Parents often only want YOU to care for them, and will resist outside help, and often even if the help would come from other family members. I always talk about boundaries. It is best to tell whoever you care for that you will sometimes need help from outside entities. You, as a Caregiver, will need respite. Respite help gives you a break by allowing someone else to take care of a loved one while you get a break.

I have a homemaker come in to clean my mom and dad’s house.

That way I don’t have to do it myself, since neither one of them can handle housekeeping anymore. I also can have a home-delivered meal (HDM) sent in five days a week to my parents. That way I would know they had “eyes laid on them” and that they are OK, or not. A few years ago the HDM driver found my dad outside on the ground when he drove up. My dad had lifted a heavy object and broke his back. Mom, who has Alzheimer’s disease, did not know what to do to help him. It was wintertime, and I will forever be grateful for the Twin Falls Senior Center HDM driver who found my dad and got him help.

If your loved one is eligible to receive these services, they can be allocated through the CSI Office on Aging. Please call the Office on Aging at (208) 736-2122 and speak with an Information and Assistance worker. They will be able to answer all your questions.

For more information please call the Senior Connection (208) 788-3468 or visit www.seniorconnectionidaho.org.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hailey Man Kicks, Injures Sheriff’s Deputy

On Nov. 26, at approximately 8:45 p.m., deputies from the Ketchum Police Division of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple disorderly conduct complaints from local bars. The complaints were in reference to an intoxicated patron, Shannon L. Rowland, age 47, of Hailey.

At approximately 9 p.m., a local hotel called to report further disorderly conduct by Rowland and he was subsequently arrestHailey resident Shannon Rowed for Resisting or Obstructing Officers and Disorderly Conduct, land. Photo credit: Blaine County Sheriff’s Office both misdemeanors.

During the booking process at the Blaine County Detention Center, Rowland kicked the arresting deputy, causing a serious injury. Rowland was charged with Battery on Certain Personnel, a felony.

Rowland is being held on bond at the Blaine County Detention Center pending arraignment.

Neil Brookshire, left, as Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Cassandra Bissell as Elizabeth Bennet Darcy, hover behind Chris Carwithen as Arthur de Bourgh and Kayla Kelley at the piano, in “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.” Photo credit: Kirsten Shultz

CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY HALL, AT LAST Company of Fools to bring beloved literary family to life

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BY DANA DUGAN

he fantasizing over the Bennet sisters and their paramours, or lack thereof, has bewitched people for more than 200 years.

Written in 1813, Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”—on top-10 lists the world over—struck a chord with every generation that followed its original printing. So what more is there to say?

Well, a lot, apparently. Authors have tried their hands at rewrites, sequels and spinoffs. Along comes playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon who, on a long road trip, penned an “imagined sequel” to “Pride and Prejudice” that focuses attention on the bookish, dutiful middle Bennet sister, Mary.

The play picks up the action two years after Darcy and Elizabeth are wed. The play, directed

by COF producing artistic director Scott Palmer, will run Dec. 11–29 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey.

Among Gunderson’s plays are witty historical dramas about women in science, and giddy political comedies, including “The Revolutionists,” which The Spot presented earlier this year.

It is Christmastime at stately Pemberley Hall, where Elizabeth Bennet (Cassandra Bissell) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (Neil Brookshire) live in newlywedded bliss. The extended family has gathered together to celebrate the holidays.

The Bingleys are in residence. Mary Bennet (Kayla Kelley), known for being scholarly with musical pretensions, is once again at odds with the social gathering. Lydia is still flighty, while her husband, George Wickham, and youngest sister, Kitty, are noticeably absent.

“The theme of the entire COF season is ‘Welcome to the family,’” Palmer said. “Those years have changed the family’s dynamic and the way they are in the world. This is a pretty easy way to hit it out of the park, with one of the most wellknown families. It’s a very seasonally themed play about love and acceptance, and loving yourself in order to be prepared to receive the love of others.”

While Jane and Elizabeth are happy in their marriages, and Lydia (Alexis Ulrich) continuously brags about her exciting big-city life, Mary is left alone facing an uncertain future. Into this cauldron of frayed English manners walks Arthur de Bourgh (Chris Carwithen), a young single man “in possession of a good fortune” but also interested only in reading scientific textbooks. As Mary gets to know Arthur, her hopes for independence and for an intellectual match seem close to being fulfilled, but, as in any Austen novel, the route to love and marriage is never quite so simple.

“It is an energetic, witty, delightful, romantic holiday play that focuses not only on personal transformation but also on what many critics have called ‘a Regency-era, Jane Austen-geek love story,’” Palmer said.

Of course, the characters are familiar and close to our collective literary imaginations. I asked Brookshire how, considering the preconceived notions, he manages to capture the role of Darcy.

“In Shakespeare, you run into that all the time,”

he said. “What’s great is that there’s accessibility, which is why it appeals to a lot of people. We always bring elements of ourselves to a part. And, of course, this is a new story.”

Bissell, Brookshire’s spouse in real life, said her direction as Elizabeth is clearly different now.

“She wants everyone to be as happy as she is,” Bissell said. “But she learns more about those sisters than she knew before, especially with Mary, who she identifies with in terms of her out-of-placeness. Lizzie doesn’t wear lady of the manor with complete comfort.”

Palmer explained that Mary—the nearly blank slate, whose age we have to guess at—is a perfect vehicle for a new story.

“We get a sense of who she is, and who she’s becoming,” Palmer said. “These days I think she’d be the successful one. She’s way ahead of her time.”

Kelley approaches the role through a slightly contemporary lens.

“She knows her sisters will be there for her but she’s very alone,” she said. “She’s still understanding her passage as a woman, which is different from her peers and sisters.”

Ulrich said the effervescent Lydia is “so fun to play. She just runs around getting attention.”

Jane and Bingley remain as amenable as ever.

“Jane Bennet Bingley is coming in large,” said Rachel Aanestad. “She’s an optimistic person, the glass is half full, and she looks for the best in everyone.” Sigh.

Arthur de Bourgh is a completely new character who has come for the holidays at the invitation of Darcy.

“The play is lovely,” Carwithen said. “It stands on its own; you don’t have to know the story. It’s super-charming and witty.”

The character of Ann de Bourgh has been fleshed out from the simpering, sickly girl we remember from “Pride and Prejudice.” As played by Natalie Battistone, she’s on a roll.

“Her mother’s death has unleashed her on the world,” Battistone said. “Surprise! She’s done a 180. Now she never stops talking.”

“This is totally Gunderson’s brand,” Battistone continued. “She digs into women in literature and history.”

Indeed, this play and the original book have “remarkably forward-thinking female characters,” Palmer said. “We find details about how they all feel much more; it gives us opportunity to breathe life into this unknown Bennet sister.”

Jesse Dreikosen is scenic designer for the show.

He has designed across the country, including for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and dozens more. The creative team also includes Melissa Heller (costume designer); K.O. Ogilvie (production stage manager); Lynne Hartman (lighting designer); Patrick Szczotka (technical director); Tess Makena (stage manager); and Chris Henderson (production assistant).

For information about special ticketed nights and to purchase tickets, visit sunvalleycenter.org/ companyoffools. wsd

WED DEC 4

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EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

LUNCHTIME LANGUAGE

12-1PM / Community Library / Ketchum This free high-novice to mid-intermediate class will practice Spanish through conversation, reading and watching authentic materials in Spanish. New vocabulary will be presented, and grammar will be strengthened. For more information, contact instructor Sara Pettit at spettit@csi.edu.

WED DEC 4

HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING

4:30PM / Town Square / Ketchum The annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Town Square will include an appearance by Santa, Caritas Chorale and Enchante carolers, cookies and cocoa. There will also be a special mailbox for letters to the North Pole.

WED DEC 4

JOHN REMBER READING

5:30PM / Hailey Library / Hailey Award-winning Idaho author John Rember will read his new short story, “Getting Wood.” A longtime Sawtooth Valley resident, Rember describes it as “a story about getting older and making sure you have enough wood to last the winter.” For more information, visit haileypubliclibrary.org.

WED DEC 4

NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT

6-7:30PM / Sun Club / Hailey NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition, to gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences. These meetings will be held the first Wednesday of each month, at 731 N. 1st Ave.

WED DEC 4

KETCHUM COMMUNITY DINNERS

6-7PM / Church of the Big Wood / Ketchum

SPONSORED HEALTH BEAT

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TIPS FOR OUTDOOR EXERCISE IN THE WINTER

BY ST. LUKE’S WOOD RIVER

It is important to take steps to stay warm and safe while you exercise outside in the winter. Below are some tips to help stay happy, healthy and warm: • Check the weather forecast.

Temperature, wind and length of time outside should all be considered in planning your clothing and your activity. o If the temperature dips below 0° F (minus-18° C) or the wind chill is extreme, consider taking a break or choosing an indoor exercise instead.

• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia. The risk of frostbite is less than 5 percent when the air temperature is above 5° F, but the risk rises as the wind chill falls. At wind chill levels below minus-18° F, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in 30 minutes or less. o Frostbite is most common on exposed skin, such as cheeks, nose and ears. It can also occur on hands and feet.

Early warning signs include numbness, loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. Immediately get out of the cold if you suspect frostbite. Slowly warm the affected area—but don’t rub it since that can damage your skin. If numbness doesn’t go away, seek emergency care. o Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature. Signs and symptoms include intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination and fatigue.

Older adults and young chil-

dren are at greater risk. Seek emergency help right away for possible hypothermia.

• Dress in layers that you can remove as soon as you start to sweat and then put back on as needed. Exercise generates a considerable amount of heat and may make it seem warmer than it really is. Start with a thin layer of synthetic material that will draw sweat away from your body and then add a layer of fleece or wool for insulation.

Top with a breathable, waterproof layer.

• Stay hydrated! Your body needs water to help regulate your body temperature and to transport nutrients to cells, tissues and organs. It also helps lubricate joints.

• Apply sunscreen, including lip balm, with protection from UVA and UVB rays to guard against sunburn.

• Protect your eyes from snow and ice glare with dark glasses or goggles.

If you have certain conditions, such as heart problems or asthma, or are on medications, check with your doctor to review any special precautions you might need to follow. Stay safe, warm and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!

It’s your life.

We help you live it.

There will be free community dinners served by volunteers every Wednesday night through May 2020. Everyone is welcome to join in either as a volunteer or as a diner.

WED DEC 4

TAIZÉ SERVICE

5:30PM / St. Thomas / Sun Valley Taizé services will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church through February. These are ecumenical and offer quiet prayer, candlelight, meditation and chants. For details, visit stthomassunvalley.org, (360) 481-3492 or mjwoyster@msn.com.

WED DEC 4

WINTER KICKOFF SKI MOVIE

6-9PM / Warfield Distillery / Ketchum Warfield will host a Winter Kickoff Ski Movie & Blue Light Launch Party with proceeds supporting the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. At 7:30 p.m. there will be a screening of the ski movie “Romance” by Level 1 Productions. Raffle tickets available: one free ticket with each $5 entry, one ticket for $5, and five tickets for $20. Ticketing will begin at 6 p.m. All items will be raffled at 7:30 p.m. right before the movie. Winners must be present. For more information, follow @Warfield_Idaho.

THU DEC 5

BROWN BAG TALK

12:15-1:15PM / St. Luke’s WR / Ketchum Sarah Seppa, registered dietitian, will take attendees on a deep dive into the research on the “Health at Every Size” movement, which looks at supporting people of all sizes in addressing health directly by adopting healthy behaviors through respect, critical awareness, and compassionate self-care. The talk will be held in the Baldy Rooms, in the basement. For more information, visit buelle@slhs.org.

NEWS IN BRIEF NAMI-WRV ‘Ringing For Change’ Again This Holiday Season The National Alliance on Mental Illness-Wood River Valley (NAMI-WRV) has confirmed it will return this holiday season with the “Ringing for Change” holiday bell-ringing campaign and community outreach efforts.

“We’ve been ‘Ringing for Change’ for nearly 10 years now.

This community outreach event is the highlight of our year because it gives us an opportunity to be out in the community, every holiday season, to share in the support that we provide to the community,” said Christina Cernansky, executive director of NAMI-Wood River Valley. “This volunteer opportunity is how I got introduced to NAMI and eventually found the support I needed.”

For three weekends in December, NAMI-WRV volunteers will be collecting donations and sharing the great work from the organization’s 22 free monthly support groups offered in the community.

There will be bell-ringers in front of Albertsons grocery store in Hailey and the Atkinsons’ Market stores in Hailey and Bellevue, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 13-29.

Donations to NAMI-Wood River Valley will fund support classes for family members of people suffering from mental health challenges, as well as peer-to-peer classes and mentoring. To volunteer, please contact info@namiwrv.org or call (208) 481-0686.

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THU DEC 5

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EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

SURF BOOK SIGNING

6-7:30PM / Community Library / Ketchum Surfer and author Nat Young will chat with attendees and sign his new book, “Church of the Open Sky,” which explores what it means to be a surfer. The book also includes true stories of Young’s surfing life—and the friends, foes and heroes he’s met along the way. Books will be available for sale and signing.

FRI DEC 6 & SAT DEC 7

‘HOLIDAY SOUNDS’

7PM & 3PM / WR Performing Arts Theater / Hailey Caritas Chorale will present its free sing-along show “Holiday Sounds” Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. “Caritas will sing an abundance of contemporary arrangements of holiday classics with a couple of brand-new songs added to the mix,” said Director R.L. Rowsey. At 5:30 p.m., the Chorale will perform at the Blaine County Courthouse. To learn more, go to caritaschorale.org.

FRI DEC 6 & SAT DEC 7

HOMEGROWN FILM FESTIVAL THU DEC 5

LIVE: FUNDRAISING MUSIC

6PM / The Argyros / Ketchum

DrSwanMusic will host a fundraising event for Summer’s End ~ Draper Preserve 2020, with World’s Finest, from Portland, playing at 8:30 p.m. All ages welcome. $10+ donation at door.

The Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center will present the third Homegrown Film Festival over two nights. There will be different films each night, along with food, fun, brews, a mega-raffle and revelry, plus friends and mountain family. All proceeds will benefit the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. Food Truck Fun will starts at 5 p.m. Films will start 7 p.m. Tickets are available online only at theargyros.org. For more information, visit avycenterfriends@gmail.com.

THU DEC 5

SAT DEC 7

7:30PM / The Argyros / Ketchum

10-11:30AM / Community School / Sun Valley

7PM / Sun Valley Brewery / Hailey

LIVE: STORM LARGE

Storm Large’s deliciously scandalous “Holiday Ordeal” performance will include music, gags, gifts and songs ranging from “Hallelujah” and “Sock it to Me, Santa” to the greatest holiday song never written for the holidays, “Somebody to Love.”

This show is recommended for those 17 and older who possess a sense of humor, a tolerance for strong language and comfort with edgy entertainment. For tickets, visit sunvalleycenter.org.

FRI DEC 6

FRIDAY FLICKS

4PM / Hailey Library / Hailey The Hailey Public Library will offer Friday Flicks throughout December. This week, families can enjoy “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” Free popcorn will be available; seating is limited. Details at haileypubliclibrary.org.

FRI DEC 6

LIVE MUSIC

9:30PM / Silver Dollar / Bellevue Early music with the Hurdy Gurdy Girls from 6-8 p.m., late music with DJ B-RAD at 9:30 p.m.

There is never a cover charge and there’s a free shuttle home for those who need it.

FRI DEC 6 & SAT DEC 7

FESTIVAL OF TREES

5-7PM, 10AM-2PM, 6-8PM / Limelight Hotel / Ketchum There will be a free preview of the trees on Friday. On Saturday, there will be a free Children’s Fun Day starting at 10 a.m. for the whole family, with activities. The Night of Lights will begin at 6 p.m. for the auction. The event will support The Senior Connection and the seniors it serves. For tickets, call Jovita at (208) 959-1868 or visit seniorconnectionidaho.org.

SAT DEC 7

NORDIC DEMO DAY

10AM-3PM / Galena Lodge / Galena Nordic Demo Day will take place at Galena Lodge with experts from The Elephant’s Perch and Backwoods Mountain Sports and other Nordic product representatives onsite, with ski demos available. Call Galena Lodge at (208) 726-4010 or visit galenalodge.com for more information.

SAT DEC 7 & SUN DEC 8

PAPOOSE HOLIDAY BAZAAR

9AM-5PM, 10AM-3PM / Hemingway School / Ketchum The Papoose Club will present its juried 29th annual Holiday Bazaar with more than 70 vendors, soup, cookies, raffle, music, and a visit from Santa at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. This year will feature special glass-blowing mini-classes. The Papoose Club raises funds to donate back to nonprofits that work with children throughout the Wood River Valley.

FRI DEC 6-SUN DEC 8

LIMELIGHT MUSIC

6PM / Limelight Hotel / Ketchum Live music in the Limelight Lounge all weekend will include Michaela French on Friday, Dewey, Pickett & Howe on Saturday, and Travis McDaniel on Sunday.

‘EXPLORATION DAY’

Sun Valley Community School will host “Exploration Day,” a free opportunity for children ages 3-5 to join Sun Valley Community School on its Trail Creek Campus to explore, engage and create! Sun Valley Community School faculty members will host three sessions in the Elementary School that will feature engagement with sensory exploration, music and movement, shadow play, and more. This will be a great opportunity for parents to join their child in a morning of wonder and discovery. A parent must accompany their child to this event. Register in advance at (208) 622-3960, ext.

117 or visit communityschool.org/news/events.

SAT DEC 7 & SUN DEC 8

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC GYMNASTICS 1-4PM / WRHS Gym / Hailey

Spirit ‘n Motion Athletic School will host the third annual Christmas Classic In Sun Valley regional gymnastics meet. More than 300 athletes from all over Idaho and Utah are registered to compete. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, contact Amanda Wilson at (208) 720-4306.

SUN DEC 8

‘THE NUTCRACKER’

6:30PM / WR Performing Arts Theater / Hailey The College of Southern Idaho Blaine County Center will host “The Nutcracker” performed by the Eugene Ballet in the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theater at the Community Campus in Hailey.

Young local dancers will join Eugene Ballet in several scenes. The Sugar Plum Fairy will be danced by EBC soloist Sarah Kosterman, Clara will be danced by Vivien Farrell, and Hans by Koki Yamaguchi. More than 65 students from Footlight Dance Centre auditioned for roles in the performance, from Baby Mice to Waltz of the Flowers. The young dancers have been rehearsing for weeks to realize their dreams of dancing onstage with EBC, said Hillarie Neely, director of Footlight. General admission tickets are $25—available at offcampus.csi.edu/ blaine/Nutcracker. For more information, call CSI at (208) 788-2033.

MON DEC 9

STORY TIME

10:30-11AM / Community Library / Ketchum Story Time, held weekly in the Children’s Library, features themed story time with high-quality children’s books, songs, and a fun craft or activity. Story Time is suitable for ages 3 and up. For more information, visit comlib.org.

TUE DEC 10

WRLT ‘HOME’

5:30PM / The Argyros / Ketchum Wood River Land Trust will celebrate its 25th anniversary with the premiere of ‘Home,’ a short film narrated by Mariel Hemingway. The event is sponsored by Silver Creek Outfitters. For tickets, contact the Land Trust directly at (208) 788-3947.

W E E K LY S U N D O G • D E C E M B E R 4 - 10, 2019

SPONSORED CHAMBER CORNER

LOCAL DANCERS HELP ‘THE NUTCRACKER’

BY MIKE MCKENNA

A

festive family Christmas Eve drifts into an epic battle with the Mouse King. A young heroine and her prince pass through the Land of Snow on their way to see the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Land of Sweets. All set to the timeless and enchanting music of Tchaikovsky.

It’s little wonder why The Nutcracker Ballet has been a popular holiday tradition around the world for more than a century.

This year, we’re lucky to have the classic tale performed locally at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theater, located at the Community Campus in Hailey, this Sunday night, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m. The Eugene Ballet Company will lead the performance with the help of over 50 local dancers.

“It is a special holiday tradition for many families,” said Hilarie Neely, director of Footlight Dance, who trains the local dancers for their roles.

“The Nutcracker is a traditional ballet that has been a vehicle to introduce young children and families to dance for decades,” said Hilarie, who founded Footlight Dance Centre in 1984. “It’s a familiar story and the music is so beautiful. It’s something the whole community, people of all ages, can enjoy.”

While places as small as Twin Falls and as large as New York City offer performances of The Nutcracker every year, we usually have to travel to see it. Thanks, however, to the efforts of Footlight Dance and the support of the College of Southern Idaho, we’re lucky to have The Nutcracker come to us again this year.

“It’s a wonderfully unique experience,” Hilarie said, explaining how a touring company like Eugene Ballet brings The Nutcracker to the Wood River Valley, something that has happened intermittently since 1993.

The traveling dance company first comes to town three months before the performance. Local children then try out and are selected for parts and as understudies. The group of dancers then rehearses with a local teacher until the show arrives. Volunteers also help with a variety of tasks, including helping with the set during the day of the performance.

Hilarie, whose career as a professional dancer first brought her to Sun Valley to perform and teach in 1979, instructs the young local dancers

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The Nutcracker will be performed at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theatre, located at the Community Campus in Hailey, on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m. Photo credit: Footlight Dance Centre

on their parts. For months, they practice for roles from Baby Mice to Waltz of the Flowers until it finally all comes together on performance day: dancers, costumes, set and an excited audience of all ages.

“That’s what makes it so special,” Hilarie said of the local ties to this classic tale. “It’s a wonderful artist form. It brings people to dance and we get to bring it to town.”

For tickets to The Nutcracker Ballet, go to offcampus.csi.edu/blaine/Nutcracker/. For questions about Footlight Dance Centre, call, (208) 5785462 or go to FootlightDanceCentre.com.

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