31 July 2019 by The Weekly Sun

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

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JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 3 1 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Education News There Are 90+ Homeless Students In The Valley

Ketchum News City Hall Could Become Affordable Apartments

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

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

ERC Executive Director Hadley DeBree To Leave Organization

Executive director for the Environmental Resource Center, Hadley DeBree, will leave the nonprofit organization after four years at the helm. There will be a thank-you and goodbye party for her from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6. DeBree, a Wood River Valley native, plans on moving to Portland, Ore. DeBree graduated from Wood River High School and earned a B.A. in biology – Environmental Studies, from Whitman College in 2010. She first served with the ERC as an AmeriCorps member before becoming its program director. Since 2015, under the leadership and direction of DeBree, the ERC re-focused its time and resources on the organization’s five core pillars—Youth Education, Connecting People with Nature, Pesticide Action, Recycling & Outreach (to include the annual Clean Sweep that has been held in the Valley since 1994) and PUP – Pick-up for Pets. DeBree also helped steer the ERC through a fiscal turnaround; offered the community a new and annual event, the ERC Street Party for the Planet; celebrated the ERC’s 25th Anniversary at a celebration event held at the Limelight Hotel; and significantly grew the number of youth and adults who are educated about, and inspired to take action for, the environment, as well as to appreciate time in the outdoors. She also helped create important partnerships. The ERC is now an instrumental provider with the ROES Camp for Wood River Middle School sixth graders, and DeBree re-established the ERC’s work with Blaine County 5B Recycles. “The board always knew that Hadley has other dreams that she’d like to pursue someday, but it doesn’t make it easier to say goodbye and good luck to such a humble, yet determined and committed ED,” said ERC board chair Kingsley Murphy. “The entire board is happy for her and most thankful for all she has done for the Wood River Valley and the Environmental Resource Center. She truly exceeded everyone’s expectations of her.”

Youth Soccer Registration Is Now Open

Registration for Blaine County Recreation District’s Youth Soccer league is now open through Friday, Aug. 23. This popular program emphasizes skill development, sportsmanship and fun and is open to boys and girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. The season runs from Tuesday, Sept. 3, through Saturday, Oct. 19, with a mandatory onehour skills evaluation for first through sixth grade players the week of Aug. 19. The kindergarten program is a co-ed, clinic-style soccer development program that practices on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the season. Older-age teams are separated by gender and age, practice twice a week and play games on Saturdays. All practices and games for the league take place in Hailey. The registration fee is $65 and includes instruction, a team jersey, and a participation award. Early registration is encouraged and will help us form teams and prepare practice and game schedules. Volunteers are always needed—the registration fee is waived for coaches’ children. Contact the BCRD for more information. Team sponsorship opportunities are also available, and sponsors receive their business name on team jerseys, as well as other acknowledgements. For full program, coaching, and sponsorship information and to register, visit bcrd.

org, or contact Dave Keir, associate director of Youth Programs, at (208) 578-2273 or dkeir@bcrd.org.

Suicide Prevention Alliance To Launch Reduction Of Access To Lethal Means Campaign

The 5B Suicide Prevention Alliance, comprised of several Blaine County citizens and organizations, works to prevent suicide and educate our community about mental health. The Alliance involves combining efforts to share statistics on local suicide rates and encourage the safe storage of medications and firearms. The Alliance has developed a handout showing that in the past five years, firearms were used in 87 percent of suicides occurring in Blaine County. The Alliance is coordinating with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, local police stations, libraries, and other community partners to raise awareness and distribute gun locks. At this time, locks can be obtained at no charge, at all local law enforcement agencies and the Hailey Public Library. It is proven that limiting access to lethal means reduces the opportunity for someone to take their life. “Studies show that storing various components of firearms in separate locations and eliminating access to certain medications creates a pause during an impulsive moment,” said Blaine County Sheriff Steve Harkins. “This gives a person time to think and reach out for help. If you or someone you know is struggling with a recent life or emotional change, making guns, medications and other lethal means more difficult to access can save lives.” “NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness] has been working with the Idaho Suicide Prevention Action Collective for over a year on implementing this campaign locally,” said Christina Cernansky, executive director of NAMI-WRV. “We’ve had cost-free gun locks at all of our events, promoting safe storage of lethal means at home. We’re thrilled to have so many community partners coordinating with us on these efforts, along with our board of directors and our advisory board.” For more information, visit namiwrv.org/5balliance.

Professional Bull Riding To Ride Into Hailey

The Sun Valley PBR Classic, a Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro-Division event, will take place at the Hailey rodeo arena, at Werthheimer Park, on Saturday, Aug. 3. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m., the top 35 professional bull riders will appear at 7 p.m., and the high-energy competition begins at 8 p.m. Top bull-riding athletes travel from around the world to capitalize on events like the Sun Valley PBR Classic, coming from as far away as Australia, Brazil and Mexico. The bulls are big and ornery, and it takes extraordinary skill to successfully ride one for a full 8 seconds. Young local bull riders will also get in on the action. This is an action-packed event and is expected to sell out. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $55 for the Pendleton VIP bullpen ticket, which includes a special seating area, grass-fed beef from Silver Spring Ranch, cocktails and beer. Tickets are available at Les Schwab Tire Center, the Hailey Chamber Visitor Center, Atkinsons’ Market in Hailey, the Sun Valley-Ketchum Visitor Center in Ketchum, online at eventbrite.com, or call (866) 443-8849 for more information.

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THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

FLY SUN

The Community Library in Ketchum will host LitWalk on Tuesday, August 6, from its main facility on Spruce Avenue to the two Gold Mine locations and the Sun Valley Museum of History. For a story, see page 12. Photo credit: Dana DuGan

THIS WEEK

J U L Y 3 1 - A U G U S T 6 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 31

SV Institute’s Youth Council Holds First Forum

Commentary

Calendar

Award Winning Columns, Letters, Fishing Report

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ON THE COVER

A Bugatti Chiron reached the highest speed during the 2nd annual Sun Valley Tour de Force’s “no speed limit” high-speed runs down Phantom Hill on Highway 75, north of Ketchum. Its 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged, W16 engine produces nearly 1,500 horsepower and propelled the car to 253.01 miles per hour! For more photos of the Tour de Force, see pages 8-9. Photo credits: Brennan Rego Local artists & photographers interested in seeing their art on our cover page should email submissions to: mandi@ theweeklysun.com

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS EDUCATION

HEITZMAN HELPS HOMELESS STUDENTS FIND HOPE Ninety K-12 students are without permanent shelter or ‘in great need’

ness on Valley youth. From Domino’s Pizza and Walmart donating food and n a scenic resort town, homelessness can go unseen. backpacks, to efforts like the Can-Do Fund where things But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. In fact, in the like insurance payments are covered for kids so they can Blaine County School District, there are now 90 stu- participate in sports, a behind-the-scenes army of Valdents experiencing homelessness or who are considered ley residents pitches in to help less fortunate kids have a “in great need.” more normal school experience. “These are not runaway teens mad at Mom. These Within the school system, the first line of defense is are elementary students, too, who need our help,” said social workers, such as Beth Citron, a licensed clinical Kristy Heitzman, the executive director of the Blaine social worker (LCSW) who has worked in the Blaine County Education Foundation—an essentially one-per- County School District at Bellevue Elementary School son organization (that’d be Heitzman) doing all it can to for the past 20 years. help the kids of struggling families struggle a little less “Sometimes a teacher will alert us to a family that in school. may be in need of assistance,” explained Citron. “Sometimes a parent will come in and ask to speak with the The Struggle Is Real social worker about assistance and we ascertain that the Federal funds exist to help students in need, Heitz- family may be ‘doubled up’—unable to afford their own man explained, but sometimes there’s place, staying at a motel, etcetera.” a catch. These are not Citron, along with other school so“The federal government has very runaway teens cial workers, also conducts Powerspecific definitions and guidelines mad at Mom. These are Point presentations for teachers and for what constitutes homelessness, so staff at the beginning of each school revenue is always limited,” Heitzman elementary students, too, year. The sessions are designed to help said. “Last year, federal funds ran dry.” who need our help.” staff identify kids who may be in need For some students, the shortfall can and how to direct those kids and their Kristy Heitzman families to community resources, such mean not being able to participate in Executive Director of the Blaine as The Hunger Coalition services and graduation. That’s not because homeCounty Education Foundation Mountain Rides passes. lessness impacted their grades, Heitzman explains. Rather, it’s because if you have unpaid fees, you don’t get a diploma. And, she Success Stories points out, when you own one pair of pants and ductWhere challenge is found, character often exists. And taped shoes, sometimes a piece of paper can take on less over the years, Citron and Heitzman have seen their fair significance. share of remarkable success stories. Efforts made in the In other cases, students are not from homeless fami- Study Skills Club—where tutors positively interact with lies. In fact, they are no longer part of any family, having the kids and help them establish good study habits— been kicked out of their homes or having to enter foster took three failing sixth- and seventh-grade students this care due to dysfunctional living environments. year and helped them each earn straight A’s by the end of the year. It Takes A Valley Heitzman recalls another young woman who had to Although the Blaine County Education Foundation leave her family while in high school. Today, at 19, she is a one-person, part-time crew in Heitzman, she is not is a certified yoga instructor and attending community alone in her efforts to mitigate the impacts of homeless- college.

BY ERIC VALENTINE

Kristy Heitzman holds one of the backpacks homeless students will receive from the Blaine County Education Foundation. Photo credit: Kristy Heitzman

“It was an incredible turnaround,” Heitzman said. So how can Valley residents be part of the solution and help do their part to create more success stories like these? Of course, there are the donations of warm coats in winter and the volunteer work opportunities yearround, but for Citron it’s also about the need for community awareness and personal connection. “The social-emotional needs are probably the biggest,” Citron said. tws

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS RECREATION

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Climbing the Elephant’s Perch. Photo credit: Erik Leidecker

SAWTOOTH GUIDES RECOMMENDS 4 ROCK CLIMBS IN THE SAWTOOTHS eers Route. It’s like climbing in Yosemite Valley but in a pristine alpine setting.” he Sun Valley area is the perfect gateway to Climbing the Mountaineers Route is best done Idaho’s amazing Sawtooth Mountains: per- as a two- or three-day trip to ensure time for swimfect for hiking, backpacking and an assort- ming, photography, and ample time to make it up ment of rock climbs for all skill levels. the eight pitches to the top. For those looking for Sawtooth Mountain Guides has four rock climbs moderate climbing and learning new technique, that they recommend above all others for their rep- the climb features straight-in cracks, lie-backs, resentation of a cross section of the best climbing chimneys, face climbing and an exciting warm-up routes in the Sawtooths: Super Slabs, the Moun- mantle! taineers Route on the Elephant’s Perch, the Open For those looking for more of a challenge, the Book Route on the Finger of Fate, and Warbonnet. Open Book route on the Finger of Fate demands For those who have never rock climbed, or are well-rounded crack and face climbing skills, dejust beginners, heading into the wilderness to do spite its easy rating of 5.8. Perhaps the most draan alpine, all-day, multi-pitch climb might sound matic summit in the Sawtooths, this route is aca little extreme but Super Slabs offers a nice in- cessed via the Hell Roaring Creek drainage and troduction to Sawtooth climbing for very low skill base camp is set at a 9,000-foot alpine lake. Early levels. Listed in Climbing magazine as one of the starts ensure a one-day ascent. U.S.’s top eight moderate climbs, this 1,000-foot“The Finger is as classic as it gets: a narrow rock long climb located behind Redspire split with a perfect corner, fish Lake takes about two to four ending with an unforgettable exThese four climbs are posed summit block, protected hours to climb and features easy a good cross section by ancient pitons of dubious seto moderate climbing on clean granite. of the best climbing routes curity,” Bingham said. “Super Slabs is great introduc- in the Sawtooths.” The South Face of Warbonnet tory terrain,” said Erik Leideckis located deep in the Sawtooths er, co-owner of Sawtooth MounErik Leidecker and offers interesting climbing, a tain Guides and an IFMGA/ Sawtooth Mountain Guides remote location, refreshing lakes AMGA mountain guide. “We’ve and stunning campsites. Getting been on the slabs with people to this climb is a commitment in itself—an eightaged 5 to 75. With Super Slabs, it’s remarkable that mile approach takes you past Alpine Lake and somebody with no previous climbing experience down into the head of the trail-less Goat Creek can climb a 1,000-foot route over seven pitches.” drainage. Camp is at either Feather or Bead lakes. This climb is accessed via a 10-minute boat The South Face is six to seven pitches of moderate shuttle and an hour-long hike up Redfish Canyon. climbing with stunning views the whole way. Perhaps the best-known climbing in the area is “Warbonnet is a classic alpine route to an amazon the Elephant’s Perch, a rock formation that over- ing summit,” Leidecker said. looks Saddleback Lakes and has several climbs of No matter the climb or the skill level of those varying difficulty. The Mountaineers Route (III climbing, Sawtooth Mountain Guides always 5.9) is arguably Idaho’s most famous rock climb teaches their clients the skills needed to get up a and considered the ultimate moderate route. climb, such as how to friction climb, the sequenc“When Sawtooth granite is good, as it is on ing of multi-pitch climbing, and how to belay. these climbs, it’s really, really good,” said Dave “A lot of introductory climbing experiences are Bingham, a local rock climbing legend and author top-roping where you don’t get more than 50-70 of several Idaho climbing guidebooks. “Most folks feet off the ground,” Leidecker said. “Climbing seek out the Perch’s easiest climb, the Mountain- with us is somewhat unique.” tws

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Health Officials Urge Residents To Protect Against Mosquito Bites Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District has collected at least one mosquito carrying West Nile virus in a trap along the Snake River in Gooding County, though no human cases of West Nile have been confirmed this summer. This comes after traps found virus-carrying mosquitoes in Twin Falls County earlier this summer. South Central Public Health District joins TFCPAD in warning residents, throughout the region, to act now to avoid catching the disease. People can protect against mosquito bites by: Using insect repellent, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes carrying the virus are most active. Wearing loose-fitting clothes with long sleeves and pants. Installing screens on all windows and doors. Checking for, and draining, any standing water around your home every three to six days. This includes clogged rain gutters, pools, bird baths, old tires and other outside water features. Typical symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. People over 50 years old, with serious medical conditions, are at greater risk for serious illness from the virus. More severe infections may involve the central nervous system.

T H E W E E K LY S U N

THE ARTISANS INVITATIONAL SHOW

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS COMMUNITY

Wednesday’s opening keynote session, “Transforming Leadership: Youth Claiming the Future.” Photo credit: Sun Valley Institute

A. E. Sorensen

AUGUST 2,3, & 4, 2019 The 7th. Annual Show of Unique & Creative Art Forms

FINE ART - JEWELRY CLOTHING & SCULPTURE WALNUT SQUARE MALL

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Friday 11am to 8pm Saturday 11am- 6pm Sunday 11am- 5pm NEWS IN BRIEF

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions In Effect For City Of Ketchum

As the threat of wildfire danger continues to increase, interim Ketchum Fire Chief Tom Bowman has implemented Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on all public and private lands, roads and trails situated within the boundaries of the City of Ketchum. Fire restrictions are intended to decrease the chance of any preventable fires in the designated areas. With the fire season well underway, these restrictions are intended to keep citizens and visitors safe as well as prevent dangerous and damaging wildfires. Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, the following acts are prohibited within the City of Ketchum on public and private lands, roads and trails: • Unattended fires and campfires. • Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or designated recreation site, or in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. • The following are exemptions to the Stage 1 Fire Restrictions: • Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited acts. • Persons using fire fueled solely by liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuels. Such devices, including propane campfires, may be used only in an area cleared of flammable material. • Any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty. These restrictions will remain in place until further notice. For additional information, contact the City of Ketchum Fire Department at (208) 726-7805.

CLAIMING OUR FUTURE: SV INSTITUTE’S YOUTH COUNCIL HOLDS FIRST FORUM

BY HAYDEN SEDER

he Sun Valley Institute’s Youth Council held its inaugural “Claiming Our Future: Youth Action for a Resilient World” Youth Forum July 23-25 at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, paralleling the Sun Valley Institute’s fifth annual Sun Valley Forum, a conference of roughly 200-250 national and international leaders from investment, policy, business, nonprofits, sports, entertainment and academia to share strategies, broaden thinking and ignite new partnerships with a goal of building greater resilience. Fourteen high school students ranging from incoming freshmen to outgoing seniors attended the Youth Forum after completing a simple application. The Youth Forum focused on the same themes as the Sun Valley Forum: sustainability, security and the economy. Experts in each field spoke and workshops were held to discuss challenges locally and globally in food, transportation and plastic waste. The Youth Council was formed in January of 2019 after 17-year-old Ruby Horton attended the Sun Valley Forum with her father and noticed few young people in the audience. Horton asked Aimée Christensen, founder and executive director of the Sun Valley Institute (SVI), about the possibility of running a concurrent event for high school students. SVI reached out to local schools Wood River High School, Sun Valley Community School and The Sage School for representatives to participate in the co-creation of the event. Those who attended the inaugural Youth Forum came from Sun Valley, New York, California and Washington. “Climate change is a generational justice issue,” said Lexie Praggastis, Youth Forum coordinator of the Sun Valley Institute. “The younger generations will be more impacted by climate change than any other generation previously. To be a catalyst for building a more resilient future, the mission of SVI, youth must be represented and engaged.” For its first year, the Youth Forum focused on the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Risks report, “Out of Control,” which named the top two risks facing the globe as extreme weather events and the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The three-day intensive forum began with Wednesday’s opening keynote session, “Transforming Leadership: Youth Claiming the Future.” Speaking were Eamonn Store, founder and CEO of FairShare; Vic Barrett, Co-Plaintiff, Juliana v. The United States of America & Action Fellow, Alliance for Climate Education; Jonah Gottlieb, executive youth director, National Children’s Campaign & executive director, Our Future Now; Ruby Horton, founder, Sun Valley Institute Youth

Several Youth Forum attendees waiting for the SVI forum programming to kick off. Photo credit: Sun Valley Institute

Council; Kelsey Cascadia Rose Juliana, Lead Plaintiff, Juliana v. The United States of America & Co-Plaintiff in Chernaik v. Brown; Jamie Margolin, co-founder and co-executive director, Zero Hour & Co-Plaintiff in Aji P. v. State of Washington. A full day of workshops at the Youth Forum was centered on design thinking where students moved from problems to prototypes to pitches, and ended the day giving those pitches. Students designed solutions to the challenges of empowering Aviation High School’s community, in Seattle, with participating in alternative transportation to school, improving access to local food at The Sage School, and shifting practices at Sun Valley Community School to eliminate single-use plastic at school events. “The Youth Forum came to the Sun Valley Forum to find inspiration and to feel empowered,” Praggastis said. “I watched as the Youth Forum took the main stage and shared their ideas and voices, leaving many in the audience, including myself, in tears. At the end of the day, it was the youth that provided the Sun Valley Forum with inspiration.” Youth Forum participants attended most of the Sun Valley Forum keynote addresses over the three days and also had time for optional morning hikes, ice-breaker activities, a film screening and a tour of The Hunger Coalition’s Bloom Farm. The Youth Forum wrapped up with a last day spent rafting the Salmon River and lunch at Alturas Lake. “We were honored to host the Youth Forum, to provide the platform for them to learn, connect and take action, and now they will have a network of allies forever,” said Christensen, founder and curator of the Sun Valley Forum and founder and executive director of the Sun Valley Institute. tws

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS KETCHUM

CITY HALL COULD BE KETCHUM’S NEXT HOUSING SOLUTION

BY HAYDEN SEDER

ffordable housing has become a major issue in Ketchum and in an effort to help alleviate some of the need for workforce housing, the city council has approved a contract with GMD Development to possibly turn the current Ketchum City Hall into affordable housing apartments. “Imagine young professionals working in town and looking at this view before they go to work in the morning,” said Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw, standing outside the second floor of City Hall, pointing toward the mountains and the blue sky. The project is the work of GMD Development in partnership with the Ketchum Community Development Corporation (KCDC), the nonprofit arm of the city started by Bradshaw 10 years ago. While the city council has approved the contract, the project is dependent on an approved application from the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA). Each year, IHFA looks at applications and gives out a certain number of federal tax credits, which are awarded to projects around Idaho based on certain criteria. Bradshaw explained that since Blaine County has been designated a “difficult-to-develop” area, there is potential for receiving more points than usual and possibly winning an award. The application for the City Hall housing is due by August 2. Should the application be accepted, the city would sign a lease with GMD and KCDC to give them control of the land for 15 to 20 years, starting in mid-2021, after which the land reverts back to the city. The lease is only good if the project wins credits; if not, it’s null and void. The current fire bond plays a significant role in what happens with City Hall and the housing project as well. If the IHFA application is accepted but the bond doesn’t pass, the firefighters will be put into a temporary location until a place is finalized. “I wouldn’t walk away from free money to build housing while we’re looking for a spot,” Bradshaw said. “My hope is that both pass, obviously, but we have contingency plans for a temporary location, should the bond not pass.” If the application doesn’t pass but the bond does, the city plans to go ahead with the fire station and look at what to do with the City Hall land. “We could sell it, but we don’t want to sell it and have the land become high-end condos,” Bradshaw said. “I really want to develop this for housing so we would continue to look at ways that we could make that happen.” The tax credits that IHFA provides are sellable into the market. If the city were to be awarded $10 million of tax credits, for example, someone would buy those $10 million to save on taxes and the city would get the money to build the apartments, borrowing the remainder of the cost. “Without the $10 million, you’d have to build multimillion-dollar apartments to sell off and rent would be $3,000 a month,” Bradshaw explained. The credits allow for reduced rent, which the Blaine County Housing Authority will control, like any other affordable housing in the Valley. And similar to other criteria used, one would have to prove a low income and that they are a long-term resident and part of the workforce. The building is slated to have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rent determined by income level. Bradshaw said that someone earning $20,000 a year would be able to rent space for about $300 a month while people earning $40,000 will rent for about $700 a month. The building will have about 50 units, with 50 parking spots as well, while the ground floor will be dedicated to retail or possibly office space for quasi-government institutions. The apartments aren’t available to buy, only to rent. “I like the idea of long-term rental units to offset all the short-term rentals people are using for Airbnbs right now,” Bradshaw said. “If we could get these 50 units plus the 36 we’re already doing with the Ketch 1 and Ketch 2, we’re almost at 100 units of long-term rental housing for workers in our town. That’s a significant step.” Greg Dunfield, president/owner of GMD Development, is all too familiar with the affordable housing crisis in the area, having visited Sun Valley since his childhood. Dunfield owns several properties in the area and visits often. “My primary residence is in Seattle but I spend a lot of time in Sun Valley and I’ve been familiar with the affordable housing efforts of the city and KCDC for a long time,” Dunfield said. “We’re trying to create a project that meets the needs of the local community.” Though GMD doesn’t have a final building design yet, Dunfield said that in addition to apartments, the building will include storage, a community room and possibly an outdoor deck area, as well. “Ideally, I’m trying to create something that will meet a broad spectrum of the community,” Dunfield said. The results of the application and whether it has been awarded credits will be released in mid- to late-October. tws

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hailey Public Library Director Named Librarian Of The Year

LeAnn Gelskey, Hailey Public Library director, was recently named Idaho’s Librarian of the Year. The award is issued each year by the Idaho Library Association Scholarship and Awards Committee. The announcement was made by the ILA Scholarship and Awards Committee Chair Rami Attebury. “The committee received numerous well-qualified applications this year, making it a difficult decision,” Attebury said. “Your nomination emphasized the contributions you have made to the Idaho library community, and we felt that such efforts should be recognized at the state level.” Gelskey’s efforts were also recognized recently at the Hailey Public Library’s Centennial Bash celebration. One of Gelskey’s most significant undertakings was the Phoenix project which spruced up the space of the historical Fox/Brown building. “Libraries are a very important community asset,” said Fritz Haemmerle, the mayor of Hailey. “LeAnn shows considerable talent and tenacity in managing the Hailey Library.” Gelskey is accredited by the American Library Association/Allied Professional Association, and was the first in Idaho to receive this certification. Over the years, she guided several of her employees toward higher education. As well, she’s an expert in library policy and politics, and was co-director of the Idaho Library Association’s Legislative Committee during the last legislative session. Through her association with Friends of the Hailey Public Library, she works with many nonprofits in the community. “This award is well deserved,” said Sara Baldwin, Friends of the Hailey Public Library board president. “LeAnn provides leadership in bringing our community the very best library services and she is devoted to our community at large.” Gelskey implemented the Little Free Library book-houses around town, and has distributed books through The Hunger Coalition’s summer lunch program and to prisoners in the local county jail. She launched a city-staff Souper Supper group, leading city staff and volunteers in the task of serving dinner once a month through the Souper Supper program.

Idaho’s Secretary Of State Rejects Freedom Foundation Complaint Against Reclaim Idaho

Lawerence Denney, Idaho’s Secretary of State, this weekend rejected a campaign finance complaint filed by the Idaho Freedom Foundation against Reclaim Idaho, the nonpartisan volunteer organization responsible for putting Proposition Two on last November’s ballot. This is the latest in a string of losses for the IFF. “The IFF is clearly frightened by the number of Idahoans who are rejecting the brand of divisive politics they have peddled for years with their out-of-state dark money,” said Rebecca Schroeder, Reclaim Idaho executive director. “This complaint is just part of the IFF playbook—smear, divide and lash out against people who work to improve the lives of all Idahoans. We refuse to be intimidated.” The complaint, which was filed in mid-April, attempted to make the case that a group called the “Fairness Project” gave a $500,000 “in-kind” contribution to Reclaim Idaho during their drive to put Medicaid Expansion on the November 2018 ballot. Idaho’s Secretary of State rejected the complaint. “We have investigated the allegations and did not identify any violations,” Denney said in a letter. “The Secretary of State is closing the complaint file.” “While the IFF was flailing around with their false complaint, Reclaim Idaho continues to defend every Idahoan’s constitutional right to bring citizen ballot initiatives and hold accountable those elected leaders who vote against the interests of their constituents,” said Luke Mayville, co-founder of Reclaim Idaho. “We continue to bring in volunteers from all over the state who want a larger voice in our state government. They are tired of seeing their elected officials fail them year after year.” Denney’s rejection of the IFF complaint comes in the middle of Reclaim Idaho’s statewide Town Hall series on Idaho’s citizen ballot initiative process. Town Halls are scheduled throughout the summer in Twin Falls (Wednesday, Aug. 7) Idaho Falls, Eagle, American Falls and Pocatello.

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

ERC Executive Director Hadley DeBree To Leave Organization

Executive director for the Environmental Resource Center, Hadley DeBree, will leave the nonprofit organization after four years at the helm. There will be a thank-you and goodbye party for her from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6. DeBree, a Wood River Valley native, plans on moving to Portland, Ore. DeBree graduated from Wood River High School and earned a B.A. in biology – Environmental Studies, from Whitman College in 2010. She first served with the ERC as an AmeriCorps member before becoming its program director. Since 2015, under the leadership and direction of DeBree, the ERC re-focused its time and resources on the organization’s five core pillars— Youth Education, Connecting People with Nature, Pesticide Action, Recycling & Outreach (to include the annual Clean Sweep that has been held in the Valley since 1994) and PUP – Pick-up for Pets. Hadley DeBree. Photo credit Charlotta Harris DeBree also helped steer the ERC through a fiscal turnaround; offered the community a new and annual event, the ERC Street Party for the Planet; celebrated the ERC’s 25th Anniversary at a celebration event held at the Limelight Hotel; and significantly grew the number of youth and adults who are educated about, and inspired to take action for, the environment, as well as to appreciate time in the outdoors. She also helped create important partnerships. The ERC is now an instrumental provider with the ROES Camp for Wood River Middle School sixth graders, and DeBree re-established the ERC’s work with Blaine County 5B Recycles. “The board always knew that Hadley has other dreams that she’d like to pursue someday, but it doesn’t make it easier to say goodbye and good luck to such a humble, yet determined and committed ED,” said ERC board chair Kingsley Murphy. “The entire board is happy for her and most thankful for all she has done for the Wood River Valley and the Environmental Resource Center. She truly exceeded everyone’s expectations of her.”

Smiley Creek Accident

A two-vehicle accident occurred Sunday afternoon in front of Smiley Creek Lodge in the Sawtooth Valley, north of Ketchum, when a northbound truck was unable to stop for a southbound truck pulling a fifth-wheel trailer as it turned off Idaho State Highway 75 into a lot across from the Lodge. The driver of the truck and trailer failed to yield to the oncoming traffic. The truck and trailer was also hauling a boat. The road was blocked for several hours, though traffic was diverted through Smiley Creek’s parking lot, and lot across the street. According to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, two people involved were transported to St. Luke’s Wood River with minor injuries.

Photo credit: Mandi Iverson

Trailing Of The Sheep Festival In Running For USA Today 10Best

The USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest for Best Fall Festival has launched, and the Trailing of the Sheep Festival was selected as one of the 20 nominees by a panel of relevant experts, including editors from USA TODAY and USA TODAY 10Best. The public is invited to vote online at 10best.com/awards/travel/best-fall-festival. The contest closes on Aug. 26 at noon. Winners will be revealed Friday, Sept. 6. Rules allow the public the right to vote online for one nominee per category, per day. “We are thrilled that the Trailing of the Sheep Festival was nominated for another prestigious award, and we encourage all of our fans to go online and vote for us,” said Laura Musbach Drake, Trailing of the Sheep Festival’s executive director.

Brandon Lay To Perform At 2019 Wagon Days Street Party

The City of Ketchum will bring one of country music’s most promising newcomers, Brandon Lay, to town for this year’s annual Wagon Days parade and celebration. The Tennessee singer-songwriter has worked his way up, opening for artists like Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley and Old Dominion. Now signed to EMI Records Nashville, Lay is now playing fairs and festivals around the country. Wagon Days 2019 will kick off Friday, Aug. 30, with cowboy poetry in the Ore Wagon Museum and a celebration of this year’s grand marshals, followed by a barn dance later in the evening. Saturday, after the Big Hitch Parade through downtown, Lay will perform live downtown. “I’m excited that Brandon Lay, an exciting new talent, is coming to Ketchum,” said Mayor Neil Bradshaw. “Country music and Wagon Days go well together. I am confident that Brandon’s music will draw people in and keep them around to enjoy the show long after the parade is over.” The live music and street party event will also include local food vendors, beverages and events suitable for families. The lineup of events for the entire Wagon Days weekend includes the Papoose Club pancake breakfast fundraiser, cultural demonstrations at Festival Meadow, a variety of children’s activities and the Big Hitch Parade. For additional information about this year’s Wagon Days, visit: wagondays.org.

Repairs To Occur This Week On I-84

The Idaho Transportation Department is expected to begin repairs next Wednesday (July 31) on Interstate 84 east of Jerome to improve roadway conditions for motorists. Work will occur between milepost 166 and 174 on both eastbound and westbound lanes. While crews are onsite, directional traffic will be reduced to one lane. Repairs are anticipated to take place between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Drivers should exercise caution and watch for crews on the following days: Wednesday & Thursday (July 31 – Aug. 1) Monday & Tuesday (Aug. 5 – Aug. 6)

The Center Asks For Help To ID Photos

As the Sun Valley Center for the Arts prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, staff members are busy digging through the organization’s archives and reviewing a treasure trove of photographs from the 1970s and 1980s. But staff members need the community’s help to identify the people, places and activities—including ceramics, photography, dance and weaving, among others—captured in these historical photos. The community is invited to The Center at 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 15 (before the free evening tour of Mirage: Energy, Water, and Creativity in the Great Basin) to see these historical photos and help The Center to fill in the blanks. At the very least, it promises to be a fun trip down memory lane. “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate The Center’s 50th year of service to this community,” said Kristin Poole, artistic director at The Center. “We’ve uncovered some great history and many hilarious photos, and now we’d appreciate the community’s help in sharing their memories and helping us identify some of the people and events of the past.” For more information about this special event, please visit sunvalleycenter.org or call (208) 726-9491.

sun T H E W the weekly

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W E E K LY S C E N E

J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Sascha Leidecker. Photo credit: Eva Grover

SASCHA LEIDECKER

S The 2nd Annual Sun Valley Tour de Force took place Thursday through Saturday, July 25-27, bringing a multitude of spectators to Town Square for a car show on Friday evening and culminating in “no speed limit,” high-speed runs down Phantom Hill on Highway 75, north of Ketchum, on Saturday. Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Bugatti and many other supercar manufacturers were represented, with a Bugatti Chiron reaching a winning speed of 253.01 miles per hour. Photo credits: Payton Cole and Brennan Rego

BY JESSE COLE

ascha Leidecker knows how to fight for what she believes in and what she is passionate about. Most importantly, she is fighting for herself. A senior at Wood River High School at 16 years of age, Leidecker is an avid nordic skier and cross country runner. This year, she is looking forward to making a comeback. Having suffered a meniscus injury that required surgery her sophomore year, Leidecker had to put her goals on hold for a year. Prior to the injury, she competed in Junior Nationals for nordic skiing her sophomore year. After her surgery, she returned late in the season her junior year to be tied as an alternate to attend the prestigious competition. “It was pretty hard to accept the fact that I was this close and then didn’t get it,” Leidecker said. “But I think it was good. I took a break and now I’m like ‘Okay, I want this again.’” Leidecker isn’t letting these setbacks define her. Rather, she looks at them as an opportunity to have explored other passions: namely, debate. “Debate is probably my favorite thing right now, just because I love arguing,” she said. “Not necessarily arguing like in a fight, but proving a point using your evidence, appealing to a specific audience and just being able to argue for something.” This passion lends itself to Leidecker’s desire to be a lawyer, something which she has envisioned since she was young. “When I was little, I was in the car with my mom once listening to NPR and there was something about environmental lawyers trying to save killer whales, and I decided that that’s what I was going to do,” Leidecker said. “Since then it’s shifted; I don’t know if I want to be an environmental lawyer anymore, but I know I want to do something with the law.” With a 4.12 GPA, a background introductory course on Law and Social Justice she has already taken online, and a range of political science classes in psychology, government, AP Human Geography, and debate lined up for her senior year, Leidecker is already striving towards this goal. “I just love fighting for and advocating about things that I’m passionate about,” she said. “I feel like that’s a good path to go down.” With her perseverance and determination in the face of challenges, Leidecker plans to keep fighting for these passions as she finds her own way back onto the slopes, onto the trail, and onto the debate floor. 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.

COMME N TA RY

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Fishing R epoRt

J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, FROM PICABO ANGLER

ummer heat has changed the game the past week or two. We are beginning to enter that time of the season where low-light fishing becomes the angler’s norm and waking up early and staying out late is the key to catching the big ones. Silver Creek is amazing in the mornings right now. The Creek is seeing the cyclical return of the massive Trico spinner falls that at one time defined Silver Creek mornings. This early-a.m. event begins when the air temperature hits 70 degrees F. Currently, anglers need to be on the water and casting flies by 8 a.m. to see the whole show. Expect a Baetis spinner fall to follow the Tricos in the later part of the morning. In the afternoon, fish Hoppers in the wind. If things are calm, watch for Callibaetis. There are still a lot of Damselflies out there as well, so if you see a fish taking aggressively from the surface… tie one on. The Big Wood is still fishing very well and the mornings are a great time to be out there. There are some Tricos in the flatter water, but basic attractors like a Parachute Adams or a Hopper/Dropper setup will catch plenty of fish even without big hatches. The evenings are a great time to fish, as well. With the summer Caddis hatches growing, the evenings should become spectacular! The upper Lost River is beginning to produce a lot of nice fish as the flows are finally at a point where the holding water for trout and the areas to fish are numerous. The Hopper/ Dropper setup is a great way to go right now, or fish the early mornings and late evenings with Trico and Caddis, respectively. The South Fork of the Boise is producing fish with Hoppers and Pink Alberts. The Pinks come out during the heat of the day, as well as the Hoppers. This may be one fishery that is best fished in the heat of the day. The flows are still boatable, with some limited wade opportunity as well. The Salmon River is also on fire as of the end of July. If you have a boat, now is the time, as the river begins to drop and become a rock garden. The fish are eating big dry flies and if you have a dropper on, you can most likely double your catch. Happy fishing, everyone!

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

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS, THERAPY DOGS AND SERVICE DOGS

BY FRAN JEWELL

his past week, a flight attendant was bitten by an emotional support dog (ESA) and required five stitches. This is a travesty for all dogs, for service dogs, the flight attendant, as well as the general public. Being exposed to—with nowhere to escape inside a plane—an aggressive dog is a horrible experience. Yet, consistently, people claim their pet dog to be an ESA by buying a doctor’s prescription online, and a vest. Anyone who does this is not only being fraudulent, but they are exposing themselves to legal liabilities from anyone bitten, as well as the airlines. Yes, just because you call your dog an ESA does not relieve you from responsibility for damage your dog causes. ESAs are not required to have any training or evaluation for temperament. What is critical is that many dogs are not emotionally equipped themselves to cope with the stress of air travel, huge numbers of people in very close proximity or the conditions of altitude change during flights. When we only think about ourselves and our desire to have our dog with us while flying, we tend to not think about whether is it fair to the dog and his/her stress level and capability to cope. Yes, some dogs can be very graceful about this kind of travel, but many are not. When I train real service dogs, it takes over 300 hours of practice before this dog feels comfortable and trusts the handler enough to participate in air travel. A potential service dog has been thoroughly evalu-

ated for their solid temperament, lack of aggression and ability to perform their tasks in very distractive and unusual situations before I ever consider taking them on a plane. I do believe there is a place for ESAs, but I also believe that most people have no idea of the personal liability they take when traveling on a plane with a dog, and they pay little regard to the stress it causes for their dog. Never have I had anyone approach me and ask me to evaluate their dog for air travel. The other thing that is so critical is to understand the difference between ESAs, therapy dogs and service dogs. An ESA is not granted the rights of public access to any place besides public housing and some airlines. A therapy dog is evaluated by national organizations for their appropriateness to visit, when invited, facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. These organizations will cover you and your dog with liability insurance policies to protect you in the event of an unforeseen or accidental bite incident. These organizations require that the dog possess excellent temperament and obedience skills to handle the stress of doing therapy work as a team with their handler. Therapy dogs are there to provide pet therapy to others, not the owner/handler. A therapy dog is not granted the rights of access to any place the public is invited because they provide therapy to others. They are only allowed into places they are invited. They are not service dogs. Service dogs are highly trained

Baewulf was a highly trained hearing assistance dog. I spent two years training him every day until he was placed with a deaf woman. He could walk through a grocery store and not even sniff the meat or fish! Photo credit: Fran Jewell

dogs that can perform tasks to mitigate someone’s disability. If you are not disabled, your pet is not a service dog. Idaho now has very strict laws enforcing fake service dogs and some severe penalties for this fraudulent behavior. Service dogs do have the right of access to any place the public is allowed. But, as highly trained animals, their manners should be impeccable. Again, the owner/handler is still liable for damage a service dog does. A service dog is not a dog to be socialized with. Doing so could cause the dog to miss providing a service to his handler, which could be disastrous or life threatening. Please do not distract a

service dog or pet it! While we all love our dogs, let’s love them enough to consider them and their comfort level when taking them places, not just our own comfort level. Let’s also know the laws that govern animals in public and realize the responsibility if your dog should injure someone. 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

THE MONUMENTAL BEAUTY OF MONUMENT PLANT

BY LESLIE REGO

own a wildflower identification book where the flowers are organized according to color. What is curious about this book is the size of each section. Yellow flowers occupy the most pages. Following closely are the white flowers, which are only a few pages less. Then, pink flowers and purple flowers, followed by blue flowers, and then red. There are only four pages for orange ones, three pages for brown blooms, and one lonely page for a single green flower! As I write this article, I can think of a few more green flowers to keep company with this lone flower, but for now I am going to explore this solitary member, the green gentian, also know as monument plant. One glance at the tall sturdy stalk and one can see why the flower is referred to as monument plant. It can grow as high as 8 feet tall. The flower is found in meadows and on open slopes. The leaves are shaped like skinny deer’s ears. They are very long and wide at the bottom of the stem and become increasingly shorter and skinnier as they reach the top. Each plant can have around 600 flowers and each flower can produce approximately 60 seeds! I think the plant is monumentally beautiful, but what I really find fascinating is a recent discovery. Up to a few years ago it was thought that

the green gentian was biennial, meaning the plant bloomed every other year. But after decades of research, Dr. David Inouye, of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, discovered that the plant only flowers once in its lifetime! This flowering can happen anywhere between 20 and 80 years. After flowering, the plant dies. This year, I have seen many monument plants in bloom. To understand why is amazing. Dr. Inouye believes that a prolific year is the result of a wet month (like we had in June) followed by a relatively dry month (our July.) The wet month triggers the flowering of the blooms, which are at a microscopic size for years. Another part of Dr. Inouye’s research was to understand the plant’s reproductive system. Seeds fall to the ground. Since the flower dies after blooming, the mother plant succumbs shortly afterwards, topples over, and thus carpets the seeds. The large leaves and stalk provide ample covering and protection, adding moisture and warmth to the seedlings as the mother plant decomposes. The seedlings that poke up through the dead leaves have a much better chance of survival than the seeds that were blown away and struggle to sustain themselves. What I love about this reproductive miracle is that it is a rare example within the plant kingdom of a mother plant embracing its young!

Leslie Rego, “Green Gentian,” watercolor, pen and ink.

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.

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J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6, 2019

LETTER TO THE EDITOR KIKI TIDWELL

Housing Projects Are Occurring

OK, not that more can’t be done, but I take issue with the statement by Sun Valley Economic Development that “Everyone says we need housing, but no one is offering any tangible ideas.” Sun Valley Company just finished new dorms that can house 588 employees. In September 2018, the City of Hailey rezoned a large swath of their downtown core with a high-density residential overlay that allows up to 50 housing units per building, with an average unit size of 600 square feet each. (The City of Hailey apparently is giving building applications under the new density overlay a hard time using the new zoning, but that’s another story.) The Blaine County Commissioners passed tax relief to encourage affordable housing; five years of no property taxes for buildings anywhere in the county that contain five or more affordable rentals and which cost more than $500,000 to build. The City of Ketchum is allowing two buildings of 18 units, currently under construction in the business core, to not provide any parking. The City of Ketchum has hired GMD Development to submit in August another tax-credit affordable housing project for consideration to Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA). GMD developed the Northwood Place 32-unit affordable project in 2009. The City of Ketchum and GMD have submitted three other affordable projects to IHFA since then. I have proposed to the Blaine County Commissioners that the county pay annual stipends to home and condo owners who temporarily deed restrict their properties to one-year-or-longer leases to make a long-term rental as attractive as renting them out in short-term Airbnb rentals. Yes, people are offering tangible ideas, projects have been built, other projects are proposed under new dense zones, and projects have been applied for. Kiki Tidwell Blaine County resident

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Photo credit: Mad Tinman, public domain photo, accessed via Wikimedia

GROUSE ESPRESSO

BY HARRY WEEKES

or my wife, coffee does miraculous things; it is the centerpiece of a daily ritual, it immediately clears the cobwebs of the morning, and everything, it seems, is just a bit clearer and sharper for her. For me, I walk. And while there is definitely something about the movement that is essential to chasing away the demons of morning, and something important in the routine, there are also those intermittent and unforeseen natural encounters that act like a powerful amplifier— that morning shot of espresso. So it was with one dusky grouse. Many years ago, my mom picked me up from school at Hemingway. As we left, we passed a group of my friends. I rolled down the window and yelled something, which immediately elicited a snowball and me yelling, “STOP!” I shrieked with enough urgency that my mother did, then jumped out, dug my hands into the snow and hastily fashioned a return projectile. My friend did the same, and as we turned and threw, we had one of those magical and memorable moments of youth—our snowballs collided in midair and exploded into nothing. Two objects on the exact same trajectory. Some birds live in great, obligatory flocks. Others take up shop in a specific location and defend their territory each year. Dusky grouse cluck around over vast landscapes, mostly individually or in loose family groups, scratching a living from the understory of sagebrush. To run into one of these nomads, unintentionally, requires convergent trajectories. My morning path is a simple one—the loop that runs from my house, out the back of the canyon and returns along the willows and the pond. I am not sure what the grouse’s was, but in the moving hotspot of this story, the bird moved inexorably

toward the side of the road, even as my hotspot trudged to the same place. In the video of my memory, it is not quite dawn and I am not entirely comfortable, simply because I am alone and humans have been prey almost our entire lives. I am currently on Grouse Vector Alpha, but long before I know this, the grouse must sense it. Whatever carelessness led to it, the grouse knows our paths are going to intersect and it does what its kind has done for millennia; it settles into itself and its camouflage, simultaneously disappearing and preparing—coiling the spring of itself into a hyper-alert ball, the complete opposite of my obliviousness. Generally, this freezing is enough. The human passes by, the clumsy footsteps recede, bugs and seeds are eaten again. Periodically, though, the path is through the bull’s-eye which, in my experience with grouse, is somewhere within 10 feet of the bird. I enter the bull’s-eye. When a grouse breaks cover, it is flying for its life. This is a thunderous, whistling explosion of feathers that both catapults the bird into the air and also freezes me in place—with the exception of one hand, which somehow finds its way to my heart. Two prey species, clucking about the sage, run into each other. The grouse shoots across the brush—flapping, gliding, flapping—then disappears into the bushes. My morning shot of grouse on board, I continue. Smiling. Everything around me just a little more vibrant. A little clearer. Harry Weekes is the founder and head of school at The Sage School in Hailey. This is his 47th year in the Wood River Valley, where he lives with his wife Hilary and their three kids—Georgia, Penelope and Simon—a nice little flock.

GUEST COMMENTARY LUKE MAYVILLE

Reclaim Idaho Proves That Grassroots Wins

Once again, it’s time to clear up some confusion about Reclaim Idaho and what we’re all about. Two years ago, a few friends and I joined together in our hometown of Sandpoint to found Reclaim Idaho. Starting with a small group of friends and family in Bonner County, we eventually grew to a statewide movement with thousands of volunteers. We filed the citizens’ initiative to expand Medicaid and organized a successful signature drive. Last November, our initiative received 61 percent approval from Idaho voters. Our organization recently came under attack in an official complaint submitted to the Idaho Secretary of State by Brent Regan, chairman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). Regan’s complaint made the false allegation that Reclaim Idaho received the vast majority of its financial support from outside of Idaho while pretending to be a homegrown, grassroots organization. Following a thorough investigation, the State Elections Director concluded that Reclaim Idaho did nothing wrong. A recent letter from the Secretary of State’s office states that the investigation “did not identify any violations” and that the complaint file is now closed. The conclusion of the investigation comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with our organization. Reclaim Idaho is grassroots to the core—we always have been and always will be. We began in North Idaho with a bright-green, 1977 camper (“the Medicaid Mobile”) and remain powered by thousands of small donations from ordinary citizens. But the entire affair raises a Luke Mayville larger question: Why did Regan file a frivolous complaint against Reclaim Idaho? Why is the IFF trying to tarnish our reputation as a homegrown, grassroots movement? In other words, what are they afraid of? Ironically, it is well documented that the IFF itself is a “dark money” organization that refuses to disclose the source of its funds. According to a 2019 report by the Idaho Statesman, it remains a secret where the vast majority of the IFF’s money comes from. In this respect, the IFF is not unique. These days, it’s typical for political organizations to raise mountains of money—much of it in secret—and then spend it on professional lobbying, high-priced communications, and, in the case of initiative campaigns, professional firms that hire people by the hour to collect signatures. Reclaim Idaho has a different approach. Rather than hire an army of paid petitioners to collect the signatures for Medicaid Expansion, we traveled around the state and engaged with passionate Idahoans who were willing to volunteer their time. We challenged them to form volunteer teams and become leaders in their communities. For a professional team of paid petitioners to collect as many signatures as our volunteers did, it would cost at least $1 million. Reclaim Idaho spent less than $50,000. But volunteers did much more than simply save the campaign money. By showing up at the doorstep and engaging their fellow citizens in genuine, face-to-face conversations, volunteers gave our campaign deep roots in communities all over the state. It’s often thought that when it comes to politics, money is everything. A century ago, Ohio Senator Mark Hanna famously said: “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is.” That may be true for the IFF. But for those of us who still believe in the possibility of grassroots politics, there’s something way more valuable than money: volunteers. When ordinary Idahoans volunteer their time to a worthy cause, they can do things that money can’t buy. That’s why Brent Regan and the IFF are attacking the reputation of Reclaim Idaho: Our volunteers are demonstrating that dark money is not the only game in town. Reclaim Idaho is proving that grassroots, volunteer-driven campaigns win. Luke Mayville is the co-founder of Reclaim Idaho.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Peter Farrelly Will Judge SVFF Film Lab In 2020

Peter Farrelly will judge the Sun Valley Film Festival’s Film Lab in March 2020. The festival will be presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Farrelly, the director of many films, won the Oscar and two Golden Gloves in 2018 for “Green Book.” In order to enter the Film Lab, filmmakers can enter their workin-progress feature to win up to $185,000 in post-production services from Farm LA. The director and producer of the winning film will also receive travel, lodging and the opportunity to screen their rough cut on Thursday, Oct. 10 in Austin, Texas. The Austin Film Society will host a moderated discussion where discerning professionals and film lovers will give feedback to the winner. For more information, visit sunvalleyfilm.org.

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