2 October 2019

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

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OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 4 0 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

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News In Brief Another Highway 75 Crash Kills Two

First Responder News Valley Bids Farewell To Three Fire Chiefs

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Ketchum News City Declares ‘Ketchum Hole’ Developer In Breach Of Contract

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

NEWS IN BRIEF

Trails Coalition Receives First Bike Shop Donor Check

The first—and what the Wood River Trails Coalition figures is not its last—donor check has been received. The $1,583 check came from Sturtevants of Sun Valley thanks to a program where $1 is donated to the trails group every time someone rents a mountain bike.

According to WRTC, “almost every single bike shop in the Valley” is participating and money goes directly to support local Forest Service trail crews. The WRTC funds a $10,000 trail crew member position each year.

Participating shops include: • Sturtevants of Sun Valley • Backwoods Mountain Sports • PK’s Bike Shop • Pete Lane’s Mountain Sports • The Elephant’s Perch • Formula Sports Photo credit: Wood River Trails Coalition

School District Seeks Public Comment On Facilities Upkeep

The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees tasked the 2018-19 Finance Committee with reviewing facilities and next steps for maintenance and improvement of buildings, safety and technology. The public is now invited to learn about the committee’s recommendations and provide input before the school board takes action on the question of placing a Plant Facility Levy on a future ballot.

The Board of Trustees will hold public meetings on: • Oct. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m., Hailey Elementary • Oct. 17 from 6-7:30 p.m., Ernest Hemingway STEAM School • Oct. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m., Carey School For those who are unable to attend the public meetings and would like to provide comments, a Finance Committee Survey will be available on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and close on Monday, Oct. 28. The Finance Committee Recommendations are available at www.blaineschools.org.

Meetings are in English and Spanish interpretation is provided.

St. Luke’s Wood River To Offer Flu Shot Clinics

As the days and nights turn cooler, kids are back in school and we all spend more time indoors; it is also closer to flu season and St. Luke’s Wood River is doing what it can to keep the influenza bug at bay.

Influenza can often be prevented by getting the vaccine, and there is a growing body of evidence that even if a vaccinated person contracts the flu, the vaccine can lessen the severity, the hospital said.

St. Luke’s Wood River will be offering 10-minute appointments for existing patients to receive their flu shot from a nurse. The Family Medicine Clinic at 1450 Aviation Drive in Hailey will provide vaccines for all ages on Mondays and Fridays, Oct.

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019 7 to Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling (208) 788-3434.

The Multispecialty Clinic at 100 Hospital Drive in Ketchum will offer vaccines for patients 19 and older on Wednesdays, Oct. 2 to Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling (208) 727-8888.

Two Killed In Highway 75 Crash

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Idaho State Police investigated a two-vehicle fatality crash at the intersection of 420 North and SH75, north of Shoshone in Lincoln County.

Stetson D. Cox, 24, of Buhl, was driving eastbound on 420 North in a 2017 Isuzu box van. Richard A. Olsen, 83, of Shoshone, was driving northbound on SH75 in a 1995 Toyota SR5 truck. Cox failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with Olsen, causing Olsen’s vehicle to veer off the roadway and overturn in the field. Olsen and Cox were wearing seatbelts.

Olsen’s front-seat passenger, Charles M. Drake, 32, of Shoshone, was transported by air ambulance to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise. Cox was transported by air ambulance to Portneuf Regional Medical Center in Pocatello.

Olsen and his rear-seat passenger, Daniel W. Drake, 30, of Shoshone, succumbed to their injuries on scene.

The lanes were blocked for three hours and 40 minutes.

Idaho State Police was assisted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Shoshone Fire Department, Lincoln County EMS, Two men died in a Highway 75 collision last week. Photo Air St. Luke’s, and Life Flight credit: Barbara Patterson Network.

Grand Theft Bicycle At Limelight Hotel

On Monday, Sept. 30, at approximately 5:18 p.m., a deputy from the Ketchum Police Division of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum for a report relating to a previously stolen bicycle.

Hotel employees reported that an individual was attempting to sell a 2018 silver Salsa Pony Rustler KX1 trail bicycle, valued in excess of $2,000, which had been reported stolen on Sept. 16.

Upon investigation, Alexandru Vezentan, age 23, of Ketchum, was arrested and charged with one felony count of grand theft. The bicycle was recovered. Vezentan is in the custody of the Blaine County Detention Center pending arraignment in Magistrate Court today at 1:30 p.m.

SUN BULLETIN BOARD THE WEEKLY

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Food & Beverage Manager The F&B Manager is responsible for scheduling kitchen and bar staff, ordering and receiving inventory, planning and preparing or monitoring preparation of regular and special menu items, ensuring all sanitation and safety protocols are being enforced, ensure accurate completion of daily reporting of the till and department payroll, as well as maintaining the food and beverage areas in good condition while taking care of guests.

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PRICING

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

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OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

cOMe in nOw TO PuT iTeMS On yOur wiSh LiST! San Francisco Ballet School’s pre-professional dancers will perform at Ballet Sun Valley’s show on Saturday, October 5. For a story, see page 8. Photo credit: Lindsay Thomas

THIS WEEK

O C T O B E R 2 - 8 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 40

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News In Brief

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Commentary

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Calendar

Farm Manager, Businessman To Challenge Risch For U.S. Senate Award Winning Columns, Student Spotlight, Fishing Report Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

ON THE COVER

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday, Sept. 26, for a new mural by Hailey resident and artist Kevin Fitzpatrick (center)—located on the north-facing wall of Jane’s Artifacts in Hailey (on the east side, between Jane’s and Wells Fargo Bank). The public piece of art was sponsored by the city (Hailey Mayor Fritz Haemmerle is on the far right).

Photo credit: Carol Waller

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GIRLS ON THE RUN OF SOUTHERN IDAHO PRESENTS

Local artists & photographers interested in seeing their art on our cover page should email submissions to: mandi@ theweeklysun.com

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

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

SPONSORED SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE

REPORT FROM NEW YORK: PRIDE IN YOUTH AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP

BY AIMÉE CHRISTENSEN, FOUNDER, SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE

Last week in New York City, two events happened as they do this time each year: •

•

The United Nations General Assembly gathered nearly 200 heads of state to connect on global priorities; and Climate Week, which hosted hundreds of events on topics ranging from resilient cities to regenerative agriculture, and from protecting the burning Amazon rainforest to battery storage for a resilient electric grid.

• We saw leadership by corporations, nations and communities, including a major announcement by Amazon’s CEO to meet the Paris climate agreement 10 years early, purchasing 100,000 electric delivery vans and reaching 80 percent renewable energy by 2024 and zero emissions by 2030.

For 15 years I have participated in these gatherings, and this year was very different for two primary reasons: first, the urgency brought by the incredibly powerful voice of the young, and second, a major recognition of American leadership by localities, from rural communities like ours to New York City, and from Hawaii to Pittsburgh.

I was honored to share all that is going on in our home this year, as right here in Blaine County this also was the year of youth leadership and of local action, marked by our inaugural Sun Valley Youth Forum organized and attended by high school leaders from The Sage School, Sun Valley Community School and Wood River High School, and from across the country. (See the videos on www.sunvalleyforum.com.)

Hailey Climate Action Coalition joined the world’s September 20 Climate Strike, attracting 350 marchers to the streets of Hailey!

And this week the Sun Valley Institute launched the Local Food Alliance’s “$5 for Farmers” campaign as just our most recent effort to build lasting quality of place. (Please join us to by pledging at 5forfarmers.com.)

Together, we are building a model that matters, building the future we want, here and around the world!

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

NEWS FIRST RESPONDERS

HAIL TO THE CHIEFS

Three Valley fire departments seek new leaders

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

s the 2019 fire season wraps up, so do the careers of three Valley fire chiefs all within the same week. Collectively, the three men comprise a century’s worth of first-responder service and firefighting experience.

What are each of the chiefs’ next steps? Who will be replacing them? Those are the questions answered below.

Aberbach Heads Back East During his six years at the helm of the Hailey Fire Department, Chief Craig Aberbach developed some strong bonds between firefighters and firefighting agencies here.

And it was his loyalty to family bonds that ignited his decision to call it quits here. Aberbach will be relocating Chief Craig Aberbach. Photo North Carolina—the to credit: City of Hailey equidistant meridian between his and his wife Vicki’s aging parents who live in Florida and Illinois, respectively.

“I’ve always instructed personnel to put family first,” said Aberbach. “It’s time for me to follow my own advice.”

Aberbach’s tenure in Hailey boasts a significant list of accomplishments that at one point—after leading the city through several successive fire and flood events—inspired Mayor Fritz Haemmerle to dub his chief “a force of nature in his own right.”

That force was felt both in the field and behind the administrative desk from day one. Already in 2013, Aberbach began a winter hose testing program to ensure against frost damage and a firefighter appreciation dinner during the holidays.

Other accomplishments include: In 2014 he initiated the Blaine County Fire Chiefs’ monthly meetings, and has served as chair for the past five years.

In 2015 he encouraged Hailey to enter into a contract with Wood River Fire District, through which he was assigned the duties of WRFD assistant chief, adding them effortlessly to his duties as Hailey fire chief.

In 2017 Hailey and Wood River Fire District adopted a Joint Powers Agreement in an effort to functionally consolidate services under separate legal entities.

The City of Hailey is still taking applications to find Aberbach’s replacement. Mike Baledge has been named interim fire chief.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Lassman’s Last Stand The end of fire season didn’t ease Bart Lassman into the end of his firefighting career. Just a week before his last day with Wood River Fire & Rescue, Chief Lassman was overseeing the fire suppression efforts that extinguished a nearly 50-acre blaze in Croy Canyon and took down Chief Bart Lassman. Photo one structure, although credit: Wood River Fire & no people or animals Rescue were hurt.

Lassman said he was spending much of this week putting the final touches on his transfer of duties to the interim chief who will replace him, Ron Bateman. According to Lassman, the fire district plans to find a full-time chief before the end of the year.

Full time. That’s not how Lassman’s retirement will be described. He seems to be headed to more of a semi-retired lifestyle. The longtime Valley resident says he plans to stay here and at some point in the not-too-distant future work as an incident liaison for larger fires in the area. An incident liaison is critical to the seamless communication that’s needed between firefighting agencies, government officials and the public during large blazes.

First, there will be lots of skiing to be done, the avid outdoorsman said.

“I ski every day,” said Lassman. “Well, now I will.”

Bowman Bows Out “He has really done a tremendous job. Interim situations are always tricky, but he navigated us through a number of different issues.”

That was Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw’s public assessment and thank you at Monday night’s city council meeting, where interim fire chief Tom Bowman was acknowledged and applauded for his service.

Bowman had the unenviable job of managing a department whose future was in limbo for a variety of reasons, from facility and equipment funding questions to the decision of city council to nix a plan that would have, essentially, consolidated emergency services with the City of Sun Valley and Ketchum Rural Fire Department.

As one Tom heads out, another Tom comes in.

Tom Ancona, currently the assistant fire chief for Ketchum, will serve as interim fire chief until a full-time chief is found. Bradshaw said that process is well underway and figures to be wrapped up in a couple of months. tws

Weather Permitting, 2019 Fall Slash Pile Burning Set To Begin NEWS IN BRIEF

$11.5 Million Of Transportation Funding Available Across Idaho

Nearly $11.5 million in funding is available through Nov. 8 from the Idaho Transportation Department for community Transportation Alternatives Program funding and Safe Routes to School education and infrastructure projects, the state says.

Both programs offer a competitive grant for communities, schools and regional agencies to fund pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation, complete streets, Safe Routes to School materials, and more. Eligible projects include pedestrian and bicycle facilities, projects to enhance access to public transportation, and Safe Routes to School educational projects.

Eligible applicants include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, tribal governments and school districts or local education agencies.

Also eligible are nonprofit entities responsible for the administration of local transportation safety programs, and any local or regional government entity responsible for transportation or recreational trails.

The infrastructure program has existed in various forms since 2003, funding 282 projects totaling over $95 million across Idaho. The Safe Routes to School program has existed since 2010, funding 69 projects totaling over $8.5 million.

Sawtooth National Forest fire personnel will begin burning slash piles throughout the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Ketchum Ranger District as soon as the weather permits and will continue until conditions become too wet.

Fire personnel will be taking advantage of the fall weather with cooler temperatures and wetter conditions to burn forest project slash piles and fuel reduction piles.

The purpose of pile burning is to remove slash that has been generated from thinning and piling projects. This process relies on coordination with the National Weather Service and air quality regulators to determine the best possible weather conditions that promote smoke dispersal and limit smoke impacts to local and regional communities.

Smoke will be seen in the area, along Highway 75, and may be visible for several days after implementation. If you happen to see smoke, this is likely what you are seeing, so there is no need to contact 911.

For more information, please contact Michelle Erdie at (208) 727-5036.

ATTENTION SINGERS CARITAS CHORALE

BEGINNING REHEARSALS FOR CARITAS HOLIDAY CONCERT

No audition required

Caritas Chorale rehearses Monday’s at 6:30 PM beginning October 7, 2019

Our Lady of the Snows 206 Sun Valley Rd, Sun Valley, Idaho

For more information call 208-726-4846 or go to www.caritaschorale.org

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

NEWS KETCHUM

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This week’s performances:

WED–SUN, OCT 2–6

(with Sunday matinee at 3pm)

The so-called Ketchum hole could one day be the location of a major hotel and affordable housing development. Photo credit: Google Maps

‘KETCHUM HOLE’ DEVELOPER FOUND IN BREACH OF CONTRACT

Jack Bariteau has 60 days to show proof of funding

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

romises of impending investment deals and a stellar reputation for commercial projects were not enough to convince Ketchum’s city council that the developer of the so-called “Ketchum hole” should not be declared in breach of contract.

At a special city council meeting Monday, councilmembers voted unanimously to declare Trail Creek Fund LLC in breach of its development agreement with the city and directed staff to prepare for site restoration—aka filling in the less-than-picturesque hole that has been sunk into the corner of Highway 75 and River Street for years.

“It is a pretty cut-and-dry decision for us to make. It’s unfortunate because I think there was so much promise; there was affordable housing attached to this project, but without evidence of the funding and financing, there’s no other decision we can make,” said councilmember Michael David after 10 residents—mostly against any extension of the project—spoke in public comment session.

The council decision is a loud and clear bark, but potentially has little bite. That is, if developer Jack Bariteau can acquire funding for the project in the next 60 days—the so-called “cure period” for the breach of contract. And that funding is something Bariteau said he now has. Specifically, a private loan commitment he says he has shown the City of Ketchum but could not close prior to Sept.

I’ve never done 30—the city’s deadline for the most recent permit extension. anything so difficult Funding has alluded the expe- in my life. But it’s not rienced developer’s project since something I’m giving up its beginning. Part of that was timing. Purchase of the proper- on.” ty happened in 2004 before the Jack Bariteau U.S. economy went into recesDeveloper sion. But by the time permission to develop the hotel and affordable housing project was granted, the economy was still in a tailspin and lending was hard to come by, said Tim Eagan, the Realtor who sold the property to Bariteau.

In addition to those market hurdles, regulatory obstacles prevented him from securing funding, too. Both Eagan and Bariteau said banks have their hands tied when it comes to lending monies for “speculative construction.”

“I’ve never done anything so difficult in my life,” Bariteau said.

“But it’s not something I’m giving up on.”

The good news for project proponents and anyone who just wants to see something fill up that gaping hole in town is Bariteau claims he has secured $60 million and that the 60-day period is plenty of time for him to “cure the breach.”

If for whatever reason Bariteau’s funding falls through, the city can immediately begin a landscaping effort on the lot. Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw said as part of the permitting process money has been set aside in city coffers by Trail Creek Fund LLC that would cover the cost of that work. tws

Cry It Out is generously sponsored by St. Luke’s Wood River

24th SEASON SPONSORS: Anonymous (3), Arrow R. Storage, Linda & Bob Edwards, Carol & Len Harlig,

Dan & Jodie Hunt—Roy A. Hunt Foundation, Kenneth Lewis, Marcia & Don Liebich, Jane Rosen & Scott Miley—Scott Miley Roofing, The Shubert Foundation, Richard Smooke & Family in Loving Memory of Judith Smooke, Mary Ann & John Underwood, Maryanne & Gerald Whitcomb, Jeri L. Wolfson Foundation, Barbara & Stanley Zax, housing sponsor The Wood River Inn & Suites, media sponsor The Weekly Sun, and wine sponsor Stanton Barrett & Barrett Family Wines.

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COMME N TA RY

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

Fishing R epoRt

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT

DOG SAFETY DURING HUNTING SEASON

THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2 - 8, FROM PICABO ANGLER

F

all has arrived in the Big Wood, Lost River and Silver Creek drainages. The frost is on the valley floor and the snows have reached the mountain peaks. In angling circles this means goodbye once and for all to our summer bugs. A few Hoppers will make it through the frost, but that’s about it. Expect our hatches to be dominated by the remaining cool-weather insects.

Silver Creek has been fishing really well and we should see an uptick again this week. Expect to see big hatches of Baetis as well as Mahogany Duns. These are wonderful hatches that the fish really gorge on as they feel the water cooling and need as many prewinter calories as they can get. We can also expect to see a bump in the number of October Caddis, as well. We know this, because it’s October! Fish orange-bodied flies like small Stimulators or Orange Goddard Caddis. The Hoppers aren’t going to be done on the Creek.

Many will survive the frost by hunkering into the bottom layers of grass. Try them in the late afternoon. Even if you don’t see that many, the fish have been on them all summer—they will recognize it as food!

The Big Wood should see great fall Baetis hatches with the cool days ahead. The Red Quill should stay in play for another week or two and the October Caddis north of Ketchum should begin to pick up real steam. Plan on fishing between lunch and dinner for the best dry-fly action.

The closer we get to the evening hours, the more important the Midge hatch will become, as well. If you don’t see anything happening on the water, tie on an H and L Variant and begin searching the places you think big fish live.

The Upper Lost River is for the hardy angler now. There are still some days to be had in the high country, but you better go now. The Lower Lost, on the other hand, is in prime fall season. Baetis is the name of the game, so have well-tied patterns and be ready to nymph when the hatches are shut off.

Finally, the South Fork of the Boise can be a lot of fun in the fall. The Baetis hatches can be enormous, with bugs blanketing the water from bank to bank. It doesn’t happen every day, but you won’t know until you go.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

BY FRAN JEWELL

I

t’s here! The joy of fall is upon us, with unmatched beauty throughout the Wood River and Sawtooth valleys. What a time to get out with our dogs! The tourist season is over and the backwoods are quiet once more, although, as we delight in our cool afternoon hikes, we are being watched… by soon-to-be-hibernating animals stocking up for their winter sleep as well as hunters seeking their winter meals. Hiking on main trails and backroads is not enough to keep you and your dog safe.

There are several main things I do to prepare myself and my dogs.

Those include: • Purchase vibrant-colored vests, especially lime green or orange.

All our pet stores carry them and there are many large hunting catalogs that carry them. One for the dog(s) and one for you!

• Carry a lifeguard whistle and teach your dog a recall to the whistle ahead of time. Simply put, teach your dog that the whistle means treat and carry the whistle at all times. It also works as a great deterrent to those large wilderness animals that can become very aggressive during this mating season.

Outfit your dog in a hi-vis vest while hunting. Photo credit: Fran Jewell • Put a Swiss bell on your dog’s collar. Not a jingle bell, but a Swiss bell. The sound carries much farther distances. It alarms all the woodland creatures to stay away, but also alarms hunters that the movement they see is a domestic dog, not a wolf or other animal to be hunted. If your dog becomes lost, the bell can give you direction about where to look. A GPS tracking device is another excellent idea!

• Read up on how to remove your dog from a wild animal trap. Trapping is a legal means of hunting in Idaho. It is further a mission of this state to decrease the wolf population and one of those methods is trapping. If you don’t know how to remove a trap from your dog’s foot, or a body trap, it may cost your dog its life. Unfortunately, there is no way to know ahead of time where traps are set. The best thing you can do is to teach yourself how to remove one. There is an excellent video posted by Idaho Fish and Game on YouTube. Do an Internet search, and you will find it easily. Take the tools it suggests on every hike. Also, many of the veterinarians in the Valley have brochures that explain how to remove a trap from your captured dog.

• Make sure your dog wears a collar and ID tag, and take a leash. When you see other dogs or people coming, put your dog on a leash and let them pass. It is the responsible and polite thing to do.

In an emergency, all three may save your dog’s life. And it goes without saying that you should A swiss cowbell. Photo credit: Fran carry a small first-aid kit and water for you and your dog.

Jewell

We live in one of the most amazingly gorgeous places on earth. We all choose to live here because of our love for the area and enjoying it with our dogs. These few pointers will help you to get the most out of your hikes and come home safely!

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) 5781565.

COLUMN SKETCHBOOK HIKING

Leslie Rego, “Trail Lined With Thimbleberry Leaves,” watercolor, pen and ink.

BY LESLIE REGO

NUGGETS OF GOLD

Throughout the summer, I enjoy the trail to Mill Lake as a quick, fairly strenuous hike, but I love taking the trek the beginning of July when the thimbleberry is in bloom, and in the middle of September when the large maple-like leaves are turning brilliant yellow.

Thimbleberry is a 3- to 5-foot shrub often forming thickets through spreading rhizomes. They like moisture, and can be found alongside streams. The leaves, especially for our arid forests, are huge—6 to 8 inches across—with toothed margins. They can be used as plates, to line baskets, or as toilet paper!

In July, the flowers are white and sparkle in the forests. In autumn, the berries progress from white to pink to bright red as they mature. The leaves turn a stunning ocher yellow. The late afternoon is often referred to as the golden hour. This particular afternoon,

as I returned from the lake, the thimbleberry leaves glowed. They looked like nuggets of gold dotting the forest.

The word ocher originally comes from the Greek word for pale yellow. It is an iron-rich earth color. The color can come from either hydrated hematite or the iron mineral, goethite. Goethite is named after the German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who was fascinated by minerals. I have some mineral watercolors that are quick to granulate. The ones with hematite or goethite are lovely, with their pebbly appearance.

Historically, ocher came from the area around Athens. It was called “Attic sil.” In fact, the first-century A.D. Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, described this yellow ocher as a kind of “slime.” But there was nothing slimy about the color of the thimbleberry leaves as I hiked through the late-afternoon forest.

We are all aware of Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower paintings where he transported the

color yellow to a higher realm. Egon Schiele, also famous for his sunflower depictions, treated the flower as mortal, tinged with imminent decay. His flowers are past their peak.

They have droopy leaves. The yellows are darkened with brown.

Throughout history, yellow has symbolized power and decline. In China, only powerful emperors were able to wear robes of sunshine yellow. Sickness often came with a sallow, jaundiced complexion. Yellow leaves in autumn indicate deterioration. But today, the thimbleberry leaves were in the marvelous interim space between incandescent life and looming death. Indeed, it was the magical hour as I walked through the last few lingering rays of the sun.

Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

COLUMN ON LIFE’S TERMS

NEW BACKSTAGE

the presence of our small but fabulous orchestra, the mesmerizing set design, the lighting and sound ecently, I was lucky to be given a very expertise, the costume designs, and the efforts of small part in a community musical theater so many volunteers who worked hard without noproduction. Over most of my life, I have tice from the start of rehearsals until the last curbeen in small (and a few larger) roles in communi- tain call. This kind of effort is often unnoticed by ty theaters here and in Los Angeles. I have always an audience, but the cast certainly appreciates all enjoyed the shared excitement of presenting great the energy behind these shows. I know I do, and music and stories to an audience, and especially thank many of the perthis time was no exception. Several formers who helped me (the oldthings stayed with me through the est cast member) in maneuvering whole experience of rehearsals and the components of this particular performances. production. Many took time from My overwhelming thought was their own preparations to assist one you might expect from me as a me with an awkward wardrobe proud resident of this Valley. This change or help me on and off a show was, even more so than one slanted stage riser. Generosity of might imagine, a display of talspirit permeated the theatre. ent and dedication that may not be The final realization, as I sat found in many other small towns far backstage through many scenes, from major metropolitan centers. was the attitude of the performers: The singers and actors were highly happy, respectful, and appreciaJoEllen Collins—a longtime professional; as a result, the pro- resident of the Wood River tive of this opportunity, especially ductions were sold out and met with Valley— is an Idaho Press in a multigenerational effort. A thunderous applause and cheers af- Club award-winning colum- brief aside: perhaps the relative siter every show. nist, a teacher, writer, fabric lence behind the scenes may have That level of appreciation is turn- artist, choir member and been aided by most of the younging out to be a result for most of unabashedly proud grandma er cast members quietly playing our theater and music groups and known as “Bibi Jo.” games on their cellphones before venues. What a treat! I just felt hontheir stage entrances. That was ored to be a part of the whole production. To even something I had not seen in my past experienccontribute a bit, to share in the sounds produced, es. I’m not judging, just noting this new aspect to was soul satisfying. How fortunate we are to have cast behavior. Mouths weren’t moving—just fina plethora of theater, music and dance events so gers on the phones. close to home.

Many thanks go to the staff and all the kind The other set of realizations were strong re- associates who volunteer so many hours to efforts minders that it is not only the director, the cho- like this, one way to be part of a healthy commureographer, the musical director and the lead per- nity. It does take a village, and what a village we formers that contributed to this marvel, but also have!

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SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

IMAGINING BEAVERS

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BY HANNES THUM

ast week, I was walking high up on a ridge to the west of Hailey with a long view of Croy Canyon. I could see the road trailing off toward Richardson Summit in one direction and back toward town in the other. Irrigated fields and the occasional painted metal roof stood out against the dry, brown, sagebrush-thick hills and open space. Yellow rabbitbrush flowers were tiny bright dots visible even from high up.

The trace of Croy Creek was clearly visible from where I stood: the creek bed is one of the only wiggly things out there in that land of straight roads and rectangular fields.

Wiggly up toward Kelly Gulch and Red Elephant Gulch, where willows and even an occasional cottonwood still grow, drawn to the moisture.

Wiggly in the way the creek bed loops back and forth, meandering and winding through the private properties across the bottom of the valley where it widens between Rock Creek and Colorado Gulch Road.

Wiggly in the way it picks its way through the flats near Democrat Gulch before eventually settling, downstream, against the base of Della Mountain on its way into Draper Preserve and the Big Wood River.

Standing there, I tried to do something that I have been doing lately: to imagine this canyon if it were full of beavers.

By all accounts, this canyon would have once been full of beavers. The whole Western United States, a land we think of now as arid, would have been marked by beaver dams and

A North American beaver shortly after leaving the water. Image credit: Minette Layne, public domain photo, accessed via Wikimedia

beaver ponds and beaver lodges.

When Lewis and Clark crossed through this region more than two hundred years ago, they remarked repeatedly about how many beavers they saw everywhere they went.

I imagined more beavers in this canyon. Willows and aspens and cottonwoods would fill the bottom of the valley. The water in the creek would be slowed down, diverted and dammed, stored—a haven for birds, fish, moose, and other pond-lovers.

The presence of beavers, of course, often creates conflict— we like to live where they like to live, though few people love a beaver enough to let them flood their properties willy-nilly, and it’s hard to farm a beaver pond. So, as the West has been developed, beavers have largely been extirpated from the places where they once would have done their work of creating new ecosystems. Finding plac-

es where beavers can do their thing, uninterrupted, is a tricky business.

I love to find sign of recent beaver activity. Some of the gulches down to the south of Croy Canyon along Rock Creek Road have had recent beaver sign, and there are folks working hard to help the beavers recolonize some of that area.

There are a few places along the Big Wood River where the beavers are at work right now, with new toothmarks carved daily into trees and branches. Beavers do persist, in pockets where we allow them to.

As for the places where they could be, but aren’t? I’ll just continue to enjoy imagining.

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

WRHS senior Grace Bloomfield. Photo credit: Zoe Simon

GRACE BLOOMFIELD

Looking to grow in an urban setting

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

here will be much she misses about the Wood River Valley and its quality of life—the feeling of safety to which most residents here can relate. But Grace Bloomfield knows it’s in the vibrancy of an urban setting where the next several years will see her grow most—at least for a while.

Bloomfield is a senior at Wood River High School with a penchant for painting and drawing; specifically, the geography the area is famous for.

“I mostly do landscapes, which I love because of the scenery in the Valley, and it’s very relaxing,” Bloomfield said. “When I paint, I lose track of time, which is why I love doing it. For me, it’s as if everything fades away until it’s just me, my paintbrush and a canvas.

Landscapes are very easy for me, so I’m able to quickly produce them and I use it to manage the stress of school.”

In her Advanced Placement art class during her junior year, Bloomfield chose a specific topic for her concentration: human rights. And it is her desire to make an impact on human rights that she says is pulling her to New York City, or a similar metropolis, to study political science before heading on to law school. All of this is in the hopes of helping people achieve equal rights.

“I don’t know if that’ll be through law, or another career path, but in the end, I want to advocate for peoples’ rights,” Bloomfield said.

At WRHS, Bloomfield has achieved a weighted GPA of 4.087. And she has accomplished that while taking rigorous courses. Her workload includes a number of A.P. classes (Government, Calculus) and college-level English, too.

There is an idealism to Bloomfield, but it comes across as grounded as the valleys and hillsides she paints, thanks to her involvement with clubs such as Model UN and Next-Gen Politics—a group that meets to deep-dive political issues such as immigration, climate change, and abortion.

“I’d want equality in all forms,” she explained when asked about the impact she hopes to have on the world. “I would ensure that no discrimination would come from race, gender, political ideology, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or any other barriers that create inequality. I believe that all people are born equal and they should all be treated the same and given the same opportunities.” tws

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

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

SPONSORED SENIOR CONNECTION

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

SUN CALENDAR THE WEEKLY

EVENT FEATURE

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he annual Medicare Open Enrollment period begins on Oct. 15, 2019, and continues until December 7, 2019.

This is the time when people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage for the following year to better meet their needs.

Those seeking to enroll in new plans in Idaho can also do so during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period.

It is important to read the information you receive from your insurance company, as health and drug plans can make changes each year to your benefits—things like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks.

There is assistance available to help you evaluate the best plan options. Call your insurance agent, or Michelle Sandoz with Idaho Insurance Specialists will be here at the Senior Connection at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 8 to discuss the 2020 updates.

SHIBA (State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) will also be in the Valley during the open enrollment period (schedule tbd) or you can call them at (208) 334-4250.

During a year-long pre-professional program, San Francisco Ballet School dancers perform in many San Francisco Ballet Company performances and venues around the world. Photo credit: Chris Hardy

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCERS TO PERFORM AT THE ARGYROS

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Hailey Celebrates Park Upgrades, Thanks Kiwanis

Kiwanis Park in Hailey is officially open, and upgraded.

Community members earlier this month celebrated the renaming of Balmoral Park to Kiwanis Park and gave thanks to the generous and numerous donors that made this $200,000 park improvement possible.

Kiwanis Park has been improved to become a city park instead of a so-called neighborhood park. With ample parking, the park contains a new pavilion, new playground equipment, and many newly planted shade trees. Soccer fields, a basketball court, disability access and a restroom add to the quality of the park.

In recognition of the activities of the Kiwanis Club of Hailey and the Wood River Valley, the Hailey City Council voted to rename the park Kiwanis Park.

BY HAYDEN SEDER

allet Sun Valley and San Francisco Ballet have teamed up to present a one-night-only performance of 12 pre-professional dancers from the San Francisco Ballet School on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum. The evening’s program will feature three world premieres by choreographers Karen Gabay, Dana Genshaft and Alexandre Cagnat.

During the year-long pre-professional program (the highest level of training at the San Francisco Ballet School), dancers perform in many San Francisco Ballet Company performances, and as a group in venues that have included the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Palais Garnier in Paris, the David H. Koch Theater in New York City, with San Francisco Ballet at The Kennedy Center, and the Shanghai Grand Theatre and Suzhou Grand Theatre in China.

Former dancers from this program have gone on to join some of the most celebrated companies in the world. Many have been asked to join San Francisco Ballet while others have joined the ranks of prestigious companies such as The Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet.

“Sun Valley audience members will have the opportunity to see the future of ballet, as these highly trained dancers ready themselves for the next stage in their careers,” said Patrick Armand, director of the San Francisco Ballet School. “This one-night performance is a special occasion for dance lovers to witness and support the evolution of tomorrow’s most celebrated performers.”

San Francisco Ballet School is a distinguished training ground for young dancers from around the world, and Sun Valley is lucky to have the chance to see these dancers before they go on to join prestigious ballet companies. In addition to classical and contemporary dance pieces, the performance will feature three world premieres from rising stars in the dance choreography world. One of the choreographers, Dana Genshaft, had the opportunity to visit Sun Valley this past summer as part of San Francisco Ballet’s education team where she worked with youths from across the country.

“Coming back to Sun Valley, Idaho, to present a new choreographic work is a milestone for me professionally,” Genshaft said. “It is wonderfully rewarding to be a part of the continuing partnership between the San Francisco Ballet and Ballet Sun Valley.”

The inspiration for Genshaft’s work, “Heliotrope” comes from the score, “Sea-Blue Circuitry” by Mason Bates.

Twelve dancers will perform a variety of contemporary and classical dances, including three world premieres. Photo credit: Chris Hardy

“I was looking for music to help me encapsulate the essence of youth and be a vehicle for creating a piece that challenges the dancers to stretch their classical vocabulary into something neo-classical and even contemporary,” Genshaft said. “The experience of creating this piece brought back my own memories of youth… feelings of uncertainty that somehow coupled idealistic optimism... a willingness to look straight up at the sun and follow it blindly.”

Genshaft and the other two dance choreographers featured in this performance—Karen Gabay and Alexandre Cagnat—are all making names for themselves in choreography, something Bob Smelick, founder of Ballet Sun Valley, is excited to show the audience at The Argyros.

“I am especially excited to see three world premieres, all in one night, choreographed by three rising stars in the world of dance choreography: Karen Gabay, Dana Genshaft and Alexandre Cagnat,” Smelick said. “Ms. Gabay and Ms. Genshaft are both faculty members of San Francisco Ballet School. Dana is a recipient of the 2018 Princess Grace Award for choreography. Mr. Cagnat, whose dance training was at both the Paris Opera Ballet School and the San Francisco Ballet School, now, in addition to his choreographic work, also dances with the San Francisco Ballet Company. The October performance should be a night of ballet to remember.”

Tickets for the performance range from $20$80 and are available at theargyros.org. The performance starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • O C T O B E R 2 - 8, 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

WED OCT 2-SAT OCT 5

SPONSORED COFFEE CHATS WITH KIKI

WOOD RIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENT ‘GET SMART’ 6PM / WRHS Performing Arts Theater / Hailey

Wood River High and Middle School Drama Departments present “Get Smart,” by Christopher Sergel. A bright comedy-satire, “Get Smart” performances will take place Wednesday, Oct. 2 and Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and veterans, $3 for middle school students and $1 for elementary school students and children.

WED OCT 2

WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL

5:30-9PM / Limelight Hotel / Ketchum Idaho Rivers United presents the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, which celebrates Idaho’s rivers and native fish. Explore issues of energy, biodiversity, climate change, protecting rivers and wild and scenic areas and so much more. The evening will include a variety of films, raffles and guest speakers. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; films begin at 6:30 p.m.

WED OCT 2

HEMINGWAY, POUND AND THE SNUG BAR

6:30PM / Blaine County Historical Museum / Hailey Join the Blaine County Historical Museum for an open house with drinks and appetizers for the first hour, then Idaho Humanities speaker Ted Dyer will present a talk on Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound, and their connection with the Snug Bar. This event is free for the public.

WED OCT 2-SAT OCT 12

‘CRY IT OUT’

7:30PM / Liberty Theatre / Hailey Company of Fools and the Sun Valley Center for the Arts presents ‘Cry It Out,’ a topical drama about friends that will make you laugh and cry. Tickets are $35 member/$40 nonmember, $35 senior (62 and over), $15 student and $35 group (8 or more).

THU OCT 3

WAKE UP WITH THE CHAMBER

8:30-10AM / AmeriTitle / Ketchum The Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley invites businesses and the public to attend this month’s Wake Up with The Chamber at its new day and time. Come on by before work for coffee, treats and to find out about all AmeriTitle and The Chamber has going on. The monthly meet-and-greet is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

THU OCT 3

BOOK READING

5:30PM / Hailey Public Library / Hailey Idaho author Dana Quinney will read from her new autobiography, “Wildflower Girl—A Lifelong Journey Beyond the Trail,” at the Hailey Public Library. Quinney grew up in the Wood River Valley in the 1950s and ’60s before becoming a respected field biologist.

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I

BEING PREPARED & NET METERING

daho has long had a culture of being ‘preppers’— being prepared and ready to provide for ourselves. Putting solar on our roofs and farms makes sense to Idahoans to provide for our own clean electricity and to bring down our costs. And now that home backup batteries are affordable, solar-generated stored electricity will help us to survive storm and wildfire outages in the future. If farmers use their own solar systems to pump their irrigation on a hot July day, all ratepayers benefit by not having to build $300 million peaker plants just for those couple of days’ use.

It does take some upfront investment to put a solar system on a roof or farm, and, although for 2019 and 2020 there are significant tax credits for installing a solar system—up to a third of the system cost back—homeowners really want to know how long it will take to pay back their investment through power bill savings for the 25year life of the system.

Some months they may generate more power than they can use, and it seems reasonable to use that extra generation to offset power bills in other months or to send it to the grid as a source of clean energy in our power mix. But even though Idaho Power has stated a goal toward clean energy, it has repeatedly tried to make it tough for family farms and homeowners to install solar by asking the Idaho PUC first to suspend net metering, then by jiggering net metering rules.

Selling back to the grid, or utility, the extra power your solar system makes beyond your immediate use is called net metering. Idaho Power doesn’t believe that farms and homeowners should get a reduction in their power bills for this solar power at the same retail rate that they buy power from the utility. Idaho Power’s position is that they have to provide all the wires and infrastructure of a power system so some small homeowner who doesn’t have those costs should only have a reduced compensation rate, or fee. Yet, let’s look at how this solar power from farms and homeowners actually might be more valuable than retail rates.

Idaho Power hasn’t built their own solar or wind farms when it had the opportunity for these past 20 years to do so—how are they going to get to their goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045?

Farmers and homeowners have invested their own money to install these systems, and Idaho Power has benefitted by not having to come up with these millions of dollars to build this renewable energy power generation. And, as I mentioned, ratepayers don’t have to pay for building extra coal or gas-fired expensive plants—plants that currently compose 40 percent fossil fuel generation in Idaho Power’s power generation mix.

If you have been inspired by the schoolchildren-led climate walks, you can do something positive right now and express your support for homeowners and family farms to install solar by writing a comment to the Idaho PUC on this link: https://puc.idaho.gov/ forms/casecomment.aspx , cases IPC-E-18-16, IPC-E-18-15. Many Idahoans already have.

THU OCT 3

FILM SCREENING: ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ 6-7:30PM / Community Library / Ketchum

The Community Library presents a free special screening of the documentary “Dammed to Extinction,” a film by Peterson Hawley Productions.

For eons, a one-of-a-kind population of killer whales has hunted Chinook salmon along the Pacific Coast of the United States. For the last 40 years, renowned whale scientist Ken Balcomb has closely observed them. Balcomb is familiar with a deadly pattern: as salmon numbers plummet, orcas starve. The orcas need roughly a million salmon a year. Where to find a million fish? The solution, says Balcomb, is getting rid of four fish-killing dams 500 miles away on the largest tributary to what once was the largest Chinook-producing river on earth. After the screening, there will be a talkback session with the film’s producers, Steven Hawley and Michael Peterson.

Blaine County Commissioner Candidate

www.tidwellcommissionercampaign.com twitter: @kikitidwell

K i k i Ti d w e l l

NEWS IN BRIEF

Nomination Deadline Extended For Business, Community Awards

The Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley Executive Director Mike McKenna is extending the deadline for nominations for the 2019 Annual Business and Community Awards.

Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 11, either in hard copy or digitally.

Awards will be made in five categories: Customer Service, Community Improvement, Nonprofit, Business of the Year, Customer Service and Community Service. Nominations may be made by any individual. Nomination forms may be picked up at The Chamber office at 781 S. Main Street, Hailey, or online at www.valleychamber.com.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

THU OCT 3

SUN OCT 6-THU OCT 10

MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

WRHS MINI CHEER CAMP

4:30PM & 7PM / Magic Lantern Cinemas / Ketchum

All Day / Wood River High School / Hailey

Sun Valley Center for the Arts presents the 22nd annual MANHATTAN SHORT film festival, a worldwide event taking place in over 400 venues across six continents between Sept. 26 and Oct. 6, 2019. MANHATTAN SHORT is the only event of its kind. The Final 10 selections are screened simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, with the Best Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each participating venue. By virtue of their selection

by MANHATTAN SHORT, each short film is automatically Oscar-qualified. $10 SVCA members/$12 nonmembers. Screenings will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Children in grades K-6 are invited to join the WRHS cheerleaders for a week of cheerleading camp where they will learn cheers and dances. The mini cheerleaders will show off their new skills during the second quarter of the varsity home football game on Friday, Oct. 11. The fee is $35 and includes a camp shirt and hair bow. This is a fundraiser for the WRHS cheer squad.

MON OCT 7

CANDIDATE MEET AND GREET

6-7PM / Jhony’s Peruvian Café / Hailey Hailey Climate Action Coalition would like to invite you to a brief candidate Meet & Greet. Light finger food and drinks will be served and all candidates will have a chance to share their platform and chat with constituents. All Hailey residents, as well as HCAC members, are welcome. Please consider staying for supper if your time allows, as Jhony’s is hosting this event free of charge for food and space.

THU OCT 3

LUNAFEST

TUE OCT 8

All Day / The Argyros / Ketchum

PABLO CARTAYA LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING

A benefit for Girls on the Run, Lunafest is a fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities. $20-$60.

6PM / Community Library / Ketchum The Community Library and Sun Valley Writers’ Conference present award-winning author, speaker, actor and educator Pablo Cartaya, who will share stories about family, community, culture and how the intersections of identity have made their way into his life and stories.

THU OCT 3

KIC WEB DESIGN CLASS

5:15-6:30PM / Ketchum Innovation Center / Ketchum Join the Ketchum Innovation Center to learn the basics of Web Design 101 and get an understanding of the types of platforms and tools best for your business from website expert Taylor Sundali. RSVP via Eventbrite or Facebook to secure your seat, as space is limited

TUE OCT 8

FRI OCT 4

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts continues its eight-week series of its new museum-based art therapy program, “Stepping Out of the Frame,” designed especially for adults experiencing changes in their cognitive and sensorimotor abilities. Each week, during the program, participants will explore the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ current visual arts exhibition, Marketplaces: From Open Air to Online, through therapeutic art experiences facilitated inside the museum. Free. Preregistration is encouraged.

STEPPING OUT OF THE FRAME 2:30PM / The Center / Ketchum

WOOD RIVER NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY SEED CLEANING PARTY 4:30-6:30PM / Grange Hall / Hailey

Bring seeds for cleaning and donating to the Wood River Seed Library so that other local gardeners can share. Seeds will be catalogued, 10 percent put in the Seed Vault and the rest in the Seed Bank for free distribution to the public.

TUE OCT 8

CREATIVE JUMP-IN: WET FELTING 101

FRI OCT 4

6PM / The Center / Hailey

FREE FAMILY PROGRAM: AFTERNOON ART

2:30-4:30PM / The Center / Ketchum

Join Sun Valley Center for the Arts and instructor Alissa McGonigal for a beginner wet felting class. Learn the basics of wet felting with an introduction to needle-felted embellishments.

Use heat, moisture, and agitation on wool fibers to create a felted landscape. While the work is drying, Alissa will introduce you to needle felting embellishment ideas and tips. Landscape photos will be available for you to use as inspiration, but you are highly encouraged to bring your own photo of a landscape that is special to you. $35 member/$45 nonmember.

Sun Valley Center for the Arts presents this free afternoon where families will make art, spend time in the maker space and view The Center’s current exhibition together. Afternoon Art sessions will be offered on select Friday afternoons at The Center. Participants and their adult caregivers can drop in anytime between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. to play, create, discover and have fun! New and different activities each session.

Fall Afternoon Art sessions are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4, 11 & 18, 2019.

TUE OCT 8

NEW MOMS GROUP

12-1:30PM / St. Luke’s / Ketchum St. Luke’s presents a support group for new moms or dads and the opportunity to ask questions and learn the basics of caring for newborns and infants. The presence of professionals, as well as other new parents, makes this group a comfortable and valuable experience. Bring your baby and your lunch, if you wish. Tuesdays, noon–1:30 p.m. St. Luke’s Hailey Clinic, Carbonate Rooms.

SAT OCT 5

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET STARS OF TOMORROW 7PM / The Argyros / Ketchum

TUE OCT 8

HAILEY CLIMATE ACTION COALITION MEETING

Twelve rising stars from the San Francisco Ballet School, one of the most respected professional ballet schools in the world, will perform for one night at The Argyros in Ketchum. The evening’s program will include both classical and contemporary works and three world premieres. Tickets are $20-$80 and are available at theargyros.org.

5:30-7PM / Natural Grocers / Hailey

Join the Hailey Climate Action Coalition for their monthly general meeting.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • O C T O B E R 2 - 8, 2019

SPONSORED CHAMBER CORNER

SPONSOR THIS PUZZLE!

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BY MIKE MCKENNA

T

here’s an old saying that the road to heaven is paved with paw prints.

It’s the type of philosophy that the team at Gnaw Bone Dog Spa on Main Street in Hailey buys into wholeheartedly.

“We are all dog lovers and owners here, just like a lot of people in this community,” co-owner Chapman Root said from the state-of-the-art grooming facility.

Our community’s affection for dogs is what inspired Chapman and business partner Jaime Stam to open Gnaw Bone just over a year ago.

“We saw a need for grooming and dog care services in Hailey,” Chapman said, noting that the Wood River Valley’s famous love for canines is “not quite Paris, but there are lots of places around here where you can enjoy time with your dog.”

From walks along the Hailey Greenway to grabbing coffee at Café Della to doing errands at Thunder Paws, Chapman and Jaime often have their six dogs in tow—just like most of us local dog owners. Of course, all this playing in the rugged environment of the Northern Rockies can be tough on our canines. That’s why the team at Gnaw Bone feels lucky to have Carmen Dellos.

Carmen has been grooming dogs locally for 18 years. She has a large and loyal following with everything from show dogs to shelter rescues.

“Carmen really knows what she’s doing and she makes it easy for the dogs and their owners,” Jaime said. “It’s nice to see how she can take a dog that’s dirty, matted down and lacking self-esteem and transform it. The owners are amazed and so are their dogs.”

From California to Seattle to Challis and throughout the Wood River Valley, dog owners come to Gnaw Bone from near and far, thanks to Carmen’s skill and the cleanliness of the facility.

Chapman said the team prides itself on making sure the facility is meticulous and that the customers—both the ones with tails and their owners— are treated properly.

“From pound mutts to AKC winners, we try to do what’s right for every dog and its owner,” Chap-

11

How To Play Sudoku

The Classic Sudoku is a number placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 2

Photo credit: Gnaw Bone Dog Spa

man said, before passing on credit for the success of the small business. “The real reason this place is so great and attractive to bring your dog is because of the women who work here.”

Carmen said that coming to work for Gnaw Bone after stints in Sun Valley and Bellevue is the “best decision I’ve ever made. I love it here.”

It’s easy to see Carmen and her daughter Hailee, who’s training to be a groomer, working away most days from the store’s large bay windows. If they usually look happy, it should come as no surprise.

The team at Gnaw Bone wants to be an asset for our dog-loving community, and by the looks of all the tail wagging going on, they’re reaching their goal.

To find out more about Gnaw Bone Dog Spa, go to GnawBone.dog or call (208) 727-7325.

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THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY 7-DAY WEATHER FORECAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Sunny 10%

high 49º

low 24º WEDNESDAY

Mostly Sunny 0%

high 53º low 30º THURSDAY

Partly Cloudy 20%

high 47º low 24º FRIDAY

Partly Cloudy 0%

high 50º low 27º SATURDAY

Sunny 0%

high 55º low 28º SUNDAY

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high 60º low 34º MONDAY

Partly Cloudy 0%

high 60º low 32º TUESDAY

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T H E W E E K LY S U N

NEWS IN BRIEF

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SV Community School Produces Two National Merit Semifinalists

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has named Sun Valley Community School seniors Johnny Hagenbuch and Ella Kopplin as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Hagenbuch and Kopplin are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and were chosen from a pool of more than 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools based on their results in the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

The nationwide pool of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Hagenbuch and Kopplin now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.

Flight Boarding Rules Are Changing, ITD Reminds Residents

Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, a Star Card, U.S. passport, military identification (ID), or some other form of federally accepted ID will be required to board a flight or access a federal building across the United States.

If you want a Star Card, the Idaho Transportation Department says, don’t wait until the last minute. Get your documents together and go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles office today.

The requirements are different than getting a driver’s license or ID without a Star.

Visit itd.idaho.gov/StarCard for details.

Three Free Family Art Sessions At The Center

As part of its arts programming lineup, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts will offer three sessions of Afternoon Art in October to give kids and their caregivers special opportunities to enjoy art-making together. The program will be held at The Center in Ketchum, and participation is free.

Designed for families with kids 5–12 years of age, Afternoon Art will be offered on three Fridays in October—Oct. 4, 11 and 18. Projects will vary from week to week, but all will connect to the visual arts exhibition currently on view at the museum, Marketplaces: From Open Air to Online. Participants and their caregivers can drop in anytime between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to view the exhibition together and play, create and discover in The Center’s maker space.

Families who are unable to attend an Afternoon Art session can always stop by the museum during regular hours to view the exhibition using a Family Activity Guide.

“The Afternoon Art program started last winter as ‘Après Art’—a program that welcomed families into the museum for some post-skiing fun,” said Susie Quinn Fortner, Visual Arts Education program coordinator at The Center. “To our surprise, most of the participants turned out to be local families rather than visitors. For this reason, we’ve decided to continue the program with three sessions during the school year (fall, winter and spring), hoping that families with school-age children will continue to take advantage of this family time and experience the exhibition together.”

In addition to its free Afternoon Art program, The Center also hosts three free “Family Day” events over the course of the year. These events, which are associated with The Center’s BIG IDEA projects, provide even more opportunities for multiple generations to explore art and ideas together. For more information about family arts programming at The Center, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org or call (208) 726-9491.

Chamber Director Mike McKenna Reels In Outdoor Writing Award

The Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC)—the leading organization of professional outdoor media communicators in the Western region—recently recognized nearly two dozen recipients in their annual Excellence in Craft Awards. And, local Chamber director Mike McKenna was one of them.

McKenna took second place in the Best Outdoor Guidebook category for his book “Casting Around,” about fishing at Mammoth Lakes and in the eastern Sierras, with tips and tricks from local experts.

The awards program acknowledges distinction and professionalism in reportage

OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2019 of outdoor recreation, sports and travel, in both news and feature categories; in the print, web and broadcast media. Entries must have been published or aired during the prior (2018) calendar year, and are subsequently judged by a panel of media professionals and editors.

Founded in 1986, OWAC is a nonprofit association of media professionals who cover and communicate the outdoor recreational opportunities and related issues that take place in California and the Western region. Members include newspaper and magazine staffers, freelance writers, book authors, radio and television broadcasters, video producers, editors, photographers and artists.

Legislation Blocks Trump Administration’s Endangered Species Regulations

Western Watersheds Project is praising the U.S. Congress for introducing a bill—the so-called Protect America’s Wildlife and Fish in Need of Protection—that blocks the Trump administration’s recent action making it more difficult to list rare and imperiled plants and wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. The administration was attempting to add consideration of economic factors in listing decisions.

Included in the Trump administration’s ESA regulatory rollback was a provision repealing the “Blanket 4(d) Rule,” which up to this point had granted species listed as “threatened” protection from actions that would “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect [such species] or attempt to engage in any such conduct.” The new ESA regulations also prevent the designation of habitat presently unoccupied by the species in question from being designated as ‘critical habitat,’ a designation that blocks habitat destruction.

For species headed toward extinction, expansion into unoccupied habitats is critical to recovering them to healthy population levels.

Farm Manager, Businessman To Challenge Risch For Senate Seat

Travis Oler, a U.S. Army veteran, family-farm manager and businessman from Shelley, has announced his candidacy as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate seat currently held

by Jim Risch.

“Our democracy can only function properly with active citizens willing to fight for what is best for our nation,” Oler said. “For too long, too many of us, including myself, have sat on the sidelines.”

Oler graduated from Shelley High School in 1989 and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2004. He then worked as a freight train conductor for Union Pacific, working primarily in Pocatello, Nampa, Green River, Wyo., and Ogden, Utah.

“I have been a member of the middle class nearly my entire life, and I am campaigning for Senator primarily to help Idaho’s struggling middle class,” Oler said.

Following his time with Union Pacific, Oler began a 12-year career in franchising and Internet marketing, helping hundreds of business owners start and grow their small businesses.

Oler is pro-business, pro-farming and opposes corporate welfare, wasteful government spending and the Trump tax cuts that have given trillions of dollars in tax cuts to huge corporations and the super wealthy, running up trillions of dollars in deficits.

“Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo have abandoned the middle class and Idaho family famers and are blindly following Trump’s disastrous policies,” Oler said.

Mackay Man Arrested For Felony Possession Of A Stolen Vehicle, Two Misdemeanors

On Sunday, Sept. 29, at approximately 6:45 p.m., a deputy from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a 2019 Ford F-250 on U.S. Highway 20 near Picabo.

The vehicle was stopped for exceeding the posted speed limit. The driver, later identified as Craig W. Huff, age 30, of Mackay, was uncooperative with the deputy and provided a fake name and refused to provide a driver’s license.

Huff was arrested for resisting and obstructing an officer. Upon further investigation, deputies determined that the vehicle was stolen out of Elko, Nev. Once Huff’s true identity was established, Huff was also charged with providing false information to an officer and driving without privileges, all misdemeanors. Huff was also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, a felony. Huff also had arrest warrants from Bingham County, Jerome County, Twin Falls County and Missoula, Montana.

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