29 August 2018 by The Weekly Sun

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

F R E E | AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 | V O L . 1 1 - N O . 3 5 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Resort News Sun Valley Co. Is Making Changes On Bald Mountain

Education News School District Changes Transportation Policy

Gallery W See Inse alk rt

“The dignity of labor depends not on what you do, but how you do it.” ~Edwin Osgood Grover

Roberta McKercher Park on Highway 75 · Hailey, Idaho

Labor Day Weekend Aug. 31, Sept. 1, 2 Fri & Sat 9 to 6

Sun 9 to 4

FUN » FUNKY » DELIGHTFUL

ANTIQUES & TREASURES Open 7 days a week 12 to 6 151 Sun Valley Road West in Ketchum

Great Antique Dealers with tons of wonderful antiques and treasures!

Alee Marsters (208) 720-1146

The “Big Hitch,” aka the Lewis Ore Wagons (a remnant from the city’s mining days), awaits its annual gig as the grand… For more information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Courtesy photo by Leslie Silva

Join Us FRIDAY! LAST CALL for Friday’s at the Liquor Box!

Enjoy

drinks & music by Travis McDaniel 6-9pm!

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 8

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Sun Valley Ballet Hires New Ballet Master

Sun Valley Ballet announced last week that it has hired Alexander Tressor as the new artistic director and master ballet instructor for its 41st season. Tressor, a native of Moscow, emigrated to the United States in 1976, with his mother and stepfather, Andrei Kramarevsky. Kramarevsky began his own dance career at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow at age 9. After emigrating, Kramarevsky became an influential teacher at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet, where Tressor himself trained. Tressor joins SVB with more than 20 years of experience as a professional ballet master teacher and choreographer. He appeared in several Broadway musicals, and as a documentary filmmaker he produced “Time 2 Dance,” a 2011 documentary film about working with the Kosovo Ballet Company, and “74th and Broadway,” a 2012 Special Jury Prize winner for an original documentary. Tressor will direct artistic management of the SVB program and be the resident ballet master for the coming 2018-2019 season. In addition, he will cast and choreograph a unique adaptation of “The Nutcracker” for presentation this winter season. In 2007, Tressor was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, which gives him a unique view on the world of managing a degenerative disease through exercise, dance and diet. Tressor and his wife, Alexis Peterson, a former dancer who is also a medical student at Harvard Medical School, co-founded the Parkinson’s on the Move© program. Through their website, PDontheMove.com, Tressor coaches and consults others by providing an educational and supportive environment to facilitate better management of Parkinson’s progression.

Hearings Scheduled For Comments On Applications For New 129,000-Pound Truck Routes

NO GOL NJOIN FERS, REC US FOR EPT ION !

nHmI

to benefit

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Wood River Valley

Golf • Raffle Golf • Raffie•• Reception Dinner

September 21,2017 2018 I|Elkhorn ElkhornGolf Golf Course, Valley September 22, Course, SunSun Valley PM Check-in PM Reception 1:00PM Shot Gun I|7:00PM 5-7:00Dinner 12:00 12PM Check-in |11:00PM Shot Gun Foursome (reception included): | Reception: $50 Foursome (dinner included): $500 $500 I Dinner: $50 Formore more information register online to www.nami-wrv.com/golf or contact: For information oror to to register online go go to www.nami-wrv.com/golf or contact: C. Coddy Mays: (208)Christina 721-7473Cernansky or Christina Cernansky: (202) 744-8463, info@nami-wrv.com (208)481-0686, info@nami-wrv.com

Public hearings will be held in early September to take comments on applications to allow trucks weighing up to 129,000 pounds on sections of Idaho 75 and U.S. 93. These shipments are reducible, meaning cargo or goods can be removed to make a shipment lighter. Comments will be taken on an application to allow trucks weighing up to 129,000 pounds on Idaho 75 from milepost 73.6 (the highway’s intersection with U.S. 26) to milepost 115.8 (the highway’s intersection with Airport Way in Hailey). Comments also will be taken on an application to allow trucks weighing up to 129,000 pounds on U.S. 93 from milepost 47.4 (the highway’s intersection with U.S. 30) to milepost 58.8 (the highway’s intersection with Idaho 25). The hearing for the Idaho 75 application will be from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Community Campus, in the Minnie Moore Room, 1050 Fox Acres Road, in Hailey. The hearing for the U.S. 93 application will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, at the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce, 2015 Neilsen Point Place, in Twin Falls. At both hearings, there will be an opportunity to give verbal or written testimony. To review the applications, visit itd.idaho.gov/freight/?target=129000-lbs-route-requests, and click on 129k Pending Route Requests. To submit comments before or after the hearings, email adam. rush@itd.idaho.gov, or mail Adam Rush, Idaho Transportation Department, 3311 W. State St., Boise, Idaho 83703. Comments on the applications will be received through Thursday, Sept. 27. Those with questions about the route applications can email adam.rush@itd.idaho.gov or call (208) 334-8119.

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 8

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

jane’s artifacts arts / / crafts / / papers / / office / / party

Wagon Days are back and promise to fill the weekend with music, laughter and memories. For a story, see page 12. Photo courtesy of City of Ketchum

THIS WEEK A U G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2018 | VOL. 11 NO. 35

Community News

Bellevue Will Be In The Spotlight On Labor Day

Commentary

Calendar

Award Winning Columns, Fishing Report, Student Spotlight Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

ON THE COVER Continued from page 1: …finale of Ketchum’s Wagon Days Parade. The Big Hitch is put on display every year by the city before the parade, as was agreed when the Lewis family donated the wagons to the city. Courtesy photo by Leslie Silva Local artists & photographers interested in seeing their art on our cover page should email submissions to: mandi@ theweeklysun.com (photos should be high resolution and include caption info such as who or what is in the photo, date and location).

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 Dana DuGan • news@theweeklysun.com CALENDAR EDITOR Yanna Lantz • calendar@theweeklysun.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey STAFF REPORTERS • Dick Dorworth • Aimée Durand • Hayden Seder • Emilee Struss news@theweeklysun.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Mandi Iverson • 208.721.7588 • 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

Check Out Jane’s HOLIDAY HOUSE

Alturas Plaza In Hailey

NEW PRODUCTS ARRIVING DAILY! EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR FALL & HALLOWEEN

106 S. MAIN, HAILEY • 208.788.0848 • JANESARTIFACTS@COX.NET

Top 10 reasons parents

should insist their kids back-to-school-shop at the BOARD BIN & GIRL STREET 10) Stylee clothes will give kids better self esteem, therefore increasing their GPA. 9) 3 out of 4 teachers recommend the BOARD BIN & GIRL STREET over other local stores. 8) Those smelly old shoes are ruining any chance Billy has of becoming Homecoming queen. 7) We’ll give you a participation award and soccer mom snacks for trying on stuff in our buy 2 get 1 free sale. 6) Moms can tell their daughters that they are having a growing spurt, while secretly buying GIRL STREET clothes for themselves. 5) There aren’t really any blue lakes on Blue Lakes Blvd. Only sweaty parking lots and expensive gas stations. 4) AMAZON never built you a skatepark. 3) Adding up the savings from our sale is a good primer for Math class.

2) One-stop shopping for kids K-College creates family unity. 1) JackHenry needs the positive role models your perfect kids provide.

THE BOARD BIN & GIRL STREET WILL SCHOOL YOU IN STYLE!

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIALS: $5 $10 $15 $20 & $25 RACKS

at least 20% off clothing, shoes and accessories Buy 2 clothing items Get 3rd clothing item

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50% off sale room 180 4th St Ketchum 726-1222 • boardbin.com

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

NEWS COMMUNITY

Classes Start October 1 We’ll be in our new improved location in Hailey at Gravity Fitness & Tennis starting November 1!

Traditional Martial Arts Classes Soo Bahk Do for All Ages & Abilities

Therapeutic Martial Arts Classes Integrated Breathing & Movement for Adults (Privates & Semi-Privates)

OFFERING FREE INTRO LESSONS THROUGH SEPTEMBER

For Registration & Information (208) 720-6088 sawtoothmartialarts.com Limited # of performances & seats: DON’T MISS IT!

By Simon Stephens Directed by Denise Simone

A KISS IS JUST A KISS, BUT SOMETIMES…

AUG 28–SEP 9 Liberty Theatre, Hailey

Company of Fools’ 23rd Season Sponsors: Arrow R. Storage, Big Wood Landscape, Linda and Bob Edwards, Ginny and Peter Foreman, Marcia and Don Liebich, Kenneth Lewis, Mathieu, Ranum & Allaire, PLLC, Jane Rosen and Scott Miley—Scott Miley Roofing, Carol P. Nie, Priscilla Pittiglio, The Shubert Foundation, Richard Smooke and Family in loving memory of Judith Smooke, Mary Ann and John Underwood, Maryanne and Jerry Whitcomb, Barbara and Stanley Zax, and media sponsor The Weekly Sun

Rita Hurst, on Joker, during a past Bellevue Labor Day Parade celebration. Photo courtesy of City of Bellevue

BELLEVUE TO CELEBRATE TIMELESS TRADITIONS

BY DANA DUGAN

ellevue, a town of about 2,315 people, jumps with festivities every Labor Day in the Wood River Valley. The revelries, running from 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 3, include everything from parades to picnics, music to sports. Union members of the Triumph and North Star mines began the tradition of celebrating Labor Day in Bellevue. Known as Trader’s Day, the festivities were held for decades at the old city park on the river until the Labor Day Picnic was moved to Bellevue Memorial Park in the middle of town. The barbecue pit was two old mining cars. On Saturday, around noon, the fires were started in the cars and were kept going for 24 hours. On Sunday, large pieces of wood were removed, leaving a layer of coals on the bottom that were covered with a layer of sand. The meat was seasoned, wrapped in unbleached muslin, and then covered with dirt. A day later, on Labor Day, the pits were opened for the barbecue, which was usually pork. Everything was served free to the public. Nowadays, vendors do the work of those men, there’s live music, and many other activities. On Sunday, from 1-6 p.m. in Bellevue Memorial Park, there will be live music, a beer garden and craft vendors, including veterans with the Idaho Submarine model, Democratic and Republican candidates, Azara Creations, Lizard Lather Soap, 5 Bee Quilt Guild, Nether Regions Alchemy & Shawna Robirds Designs, Usbourne Books +, Fairyland Creations, Henna Tribe, and Wood Creations. Food vendors will include Wood River Ranch beef, The Smokey Bone BBQ, Maui Wowi Hawaiian, Peruanita, Marislos 701, Kona Ice of Boise, The Taco Fix, Los Dos Amigos, Taqueria Al Pastor, Churrolicious, and The Family Contreras. Music will run the entire time, with Two Gun Rig at 1 p.m.; Renovacion 420 at 2 p.m.; Old Death Whisper at 3 p.m.; Michaela French and the Uncalled For at 4 p.m.; and finishing with Sofa King at 5 p.m. Dogs are welcome also if they are well behaved and on a leash. On Monday, beginning at 9 a.m., there will be a 5K Fun Run/Walk starting and ending at Fourth and Cedar streets near the picnic tables at Memorial Park. The cost is $20 for an online preregistration at raceentry.com/races /races/bldc-5k-fun-runwalk/ 2017register, or day of registration for $30. Kids 12 and under are free. Proceeds will benefit the Fire Burn-Out Fund. Strollers and dogs on leashes are welcome. The parade will boast “everything from horses to hot rods,” said Chris Koch, mayor of Bellevue. “Our parade is eclectic.” The parade runs from 12-1 p.m. on Main Street. Parade entrants will need to check in at the bike path at 2nd and Birch streets at 10:30 a.m. Later, things will start hopping again in the park. The Hurdy Gurdy Girls will play at 1 p.m.; Mia Edsel Group at 2 p.m.; Tylor & the Train Robbers at 3 p.m.; Dewey, Pickett & Howe at 4 p.m.; and Bossa Rhumba at 5 p.m. “The coolest thing about the event is that it’s a true culmination of the end of summer, start of fall,” Koch said. “It’s a great big family picnic and gathering of friends, and a time historically when everyone comes together with great food and great music. Our grand marshal, Rita Hurst, is being honored again because she’s that awesome.” In fact, Hurst, 88, is a Hailey native who participated in both the Hailey and Bellevue parades riding her horse, Joker, for 19 years, until he died at age 33. Hurst joined her father’s logging business at age 9 and eventually at age 16 became a logging truck driver. She is being honored again for her devotion to the community, organizing countless benefits over the years and running Rita’s Thrift Shop in Bellevue for 37 years. Up until this year, Hurst dedicated a pantry in her house to help feed up to 26 families. “That’s what Bellevue is all about,” Koch said. “Friends and family.” tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

NEWS BUSINESS

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The 20,000-square-foot interior of Gravity Fitness & Tennis will be filled with light and action. Courtesy photo by Oliver Whitcomb

GET LIFTED BY GRAVITY

PG-13

New fitness center to open in south Hailey

BY DANA DUGAN

ut together two world-class athletes who are devoted to their community and to helping people with skills that go beyond the athletic realm, and what is the result? Gravity Fitness & Tennis, which will open later this fall in Hailey. Mats Wilander, a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden, and Oliver Whitcomb, a nationally certified, master-level instructor of Soo Bahk Do, are leading the drive to open the long-unfinished fitness center at Copper Ranch, a condominium development on Woodside Boulevard in south Hailey that was built in 2007. When the development, due to financial issues, failed to complete the promised fitness facility, the building sat dormant in Woodside for nearly a decade. Many plans have come and gone, until three years ago, when Whitcomb and Wilander, both longtime residents of the Wood River Valley, joined forces with Sean Wardell, a fitness center professional, to complete the task. “Sean and the two of us… it’s a dream team,” Whitcomb said. Scheduled to open in November, Gravity will have an array of offerings, including martial arts, tennis and a functional training room. As well, there will be Group X, an industry term for suspension weight training, Zumba, step classes, Bodypump, Tribe Team Training, and mind-body arts such as yoga and aerial yoga done with silks and scarves. The long-promised outdoor pool may also become a reality down the road if the “club gets the support it needs,” Whitcomb said. Gravity’s general theme will be to encourage “good technique, how to move properly, with zero judgment, and to help people learn how their body works,” Whitcomb said. “It’s about discipline, etiquette and a culture that creates an environment that teaches you to be a better person.” Wilander had been in talks off and on for the past decade about reviving the tennis facilities in the Woodside area. “The conversation was on friendly terms,” Wilander said. “But I was traveling too much to be involved at that time. It was far from being finished as a club. It wasn’t a possibility. I wasn’t ready to settle down and was traveling seven months a year, commentating for EuroSport at Grand Slams [tournaments] and teaching tennis for Wilander on Wheels [WOW]. A few years ago it came about again; it was good timing.” After eight years of traveling to racquet clubs with WOW, Wilander plans on staying closer to home.

“I want to settle down and teach,” Wilander said. “I have a love for teaching tennis. I didn’t know I love it as much until I started WOW. The reward is much greater when you teach amateurs or club players. “Tennis is a life lesson. It’s problem-solving. It’s you and me—a relationship. It’s not about becoming a pro, but improving and reaching your potential, and I just love hitting tennis balls.” For Whitcomb, this will be his fourth martial arts studio. The first one was in Hawaii, then in Seattle, and then, in 1996, the original Sawtooth Martial Arts studio in Hailey. He eventually moved operations to the Gateway building, on North River Street in Hailey, and, as of November, will be located solely at Gravity. “Mats and I have been friends for a long time,” Whitcomb said. “We’ve played music together, and we have a shared philosophy of how we teach. It’s an action philosophy; the sport is an action you do to be a better person. It’s conflict resolution; that’s what training is about. It empowers through positive reinforcement.” The building encompassing the three tennis courts is 20,000 square feet, and the adjacent fitness area is approximately 21,000 square feet. They also have a partner in Wardell, a Boise-based former owner of several fitness centers and a health-club consultant. Darden Polling, most recently from Portland, Ore., was hired to be Gravity’s general manager. He will oversee all operations while Whitcomb and Wilander focus on their two main spheres of expertise. Dan Young Construction is handling the rebuild of the center. It will open November 1, but membership pre-sales will begin in September. After a $199 initiation fee, the basic membership is $25 a month. Rates differ from there, depending on the member’s focus and class choices. “The idea is to have it filled with action,” Wilander said. “The environment is important.” “I feel really good about supplying a place that’s affordable, where people can get healthy,” Whitcomb said. Wilander, who was heading out to New York to work as a commentator at the U.S. Open right after we spoke, said that, as a professional, you look for your opponent’s weaknesses, but as a teacher, you work to correct those flaws. “I’ve been a pro for 38 years,” he added. “I want to share my love of tennis. And have a great place to play.” “This is a dream come true,” he said. “A dream I didn’t even know I had.” For more information, visit GravityFitness-tennis.com. tws

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Roberta McKercher Park Highway 75 · Hailey, Idaho

Labor Day Weekend

Great Antique Dealers with tons of wonderful antiques and treasures!

Aug. 31, Sept 1, 2

FRI & SAT 9 TO 6 SUN 9 TO 4 Alee Marsters (208) 720-1146 FUN

FUNKY

DELIGHTFUL

ANTIQUES & TREASURES

ANTIQUE ALLEY Open 7 days a week 12 to 6 151 Sun Valley Road West in Ketchum

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

Happy Labor Day

NEWS ARTS

From Your Friends At KB’s!

Catering • Takeout • Patio The Last Bandoleros will perform at Festival Meadows on Saturday afternoon.Photo courtesy of City of Ketchum

CONTEMPORARY TEJANO BAND TO PLAY WAGON DAYS

L HAI E Y

IDA H O

Call Rodolfo At 208.720.8965

To Book Your Labor Day Celebration 121 N Main St., Hailey www.kbsburrito.com

208.788.7271

Enjoy Your Labor Day

The Last Bandoleros will bring rockin’ Texas flair to Labor Day weekend festivities

BY HAYDEN SEDER

he Last Bandoleros will bring their unique fusion of Tex-Mex and rock ‘n’ roll to Ketchum’s Wagon Days celebration over Labor Day weekend. The band, consisting of bassist Diego Navaira and his brother Emilio and guitarists Jerry Fuentes and Derek James, will play Saturday, Sept. 1, after the Big Hitch Parade through downtown Ketchum. The live music and street party event will also include food vendors, beverages, and events suitable for the entire family. Called by Rolling Stone “possibly the year’s most important new country band,” The Last Bandoleros has achieved milestones practically unheard of in the music industry for a band only four years old. Since forming in 2014, the band was signed by Warner Music Nashville’s A&R Scott Hendricks after seeing them play at Austin City Limits (Warner Music Nashville is label to such name acts as Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, and Kenny Rogers), released their single “Where Do You Go” at number 49 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, and spent the last year touring the world with Sting. “The Sting tour was our first major tour and we were playing soldout shows every night,” said Emilio Navaira, the band’s lead guitarist. “What kind of baby band gets to do that? It was definitely a once-in-alifetime opportunity.” When asked what it is Navaira attributes the band’s rapid rise to, he’s quick to point out the unique nature of both their sound and their set. Unlike the other bands on their music label, The Last Bandoleros are not a traditional country band but, rather, a representation of southern Texas’s musical melting pot. “I think our sound and where we come from are working for us in the right way,” said Navaira. “Country and Tejano [a Mexican-American inhabitant of southern Texas] is part of our DNA. People see that it’s authentic the way we combine these different styles.” The Navairas truly inhabit the blending of country and Tejano music, growing up in southern Texas under the musical tutelage of their father, the late Emilio Navaira, Sr. The Tejano superstar had two country records on Capital Nashville in the 1990s and toured with George Strait, Garth Brooks, and Clay Walker, as well as other Tejano superstars such as the late singer Selena. “Diego and I have been playing music since before I can remember,” said Emilio. “At 3 years old, we had plastic guitars and would jam with my dad.” The other members of the band, San Antonio-native Fuentes and New York City-based James were introduced to the Navaira brothers on one of Fuentes’s trips home for the holidays. “Jerry had an original singer-songwriter project going and when he came to visit San Antonio, he would play at the studio that Diego and I were working at,” Emilio said. “We met each other through the studio’s producers, so instead of Jerry flying his whole band down from New York, we became his Texas band.” The group liked what each other was doing so much they began to write songs and play together. After only two shows together, Fuentes flew to L.A. to get a publishing deal. He got the deal but the band also got a manager the same day and they were very shortly thereafter signed to Warner Music Nashville. The name “The Last Bandoleros” came about through fairly straightforward means: they were hoping to have a name with Latin flair but found out that the name “The Bandoleros” was already taken. “We decided that if we can’t be the first Bandoleros, we’ll be the last,” Emilio said. The audience at the band’s performance at Wagon Days is in for a rocking good show as The Last Bandoleros are known for their high-energy live performances. Guitar licks and the four members’ combined musical harmonies create a sound all its own and one sure to please. For more information on this year’s Wagon Days events, visit wagondays.org. tws

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018 Times-News

Times-News

NEWS HISTORY

A11

Sunday, February 25, 2018 |

A11

Kindergarten to Graduation IN 9 WEEKS! Kindergarten to Graduation IN 9 WEEKS! • No Food treats • No Food treats • No shock collars • No shock collars • No whistles • No whistles • No clickers • No clickers • No paNic • No paNic • No leashes • (after No leashes week 6 of 9) (after week 6 of 9)

• No kiddiNg • No kiddiNg

The Cold Springs Canyon is defined by the yellow line and wilderness to the right. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Co.

COLD SPRINGS: SUN VALLEY CONTINUES TO RISE

How obedient is your dog? How obedient is your dog?

• obeys for food treats? • Nursery obeys for School food treats? Level Nursery School Levelto, • obeys when he wants • or obeys he wants to, afterwhen repeated commands? or after repeated commands? Kindergarten Level Kindergarten Level • obeys with lightly held leash • obeys with lightly held leash and no distractions? and no distractions? Middleschool Level Middleschool • obeys leash-freeLevel on first command, • with obeysheavy leash-free on first no command, distractions, shock collar with heavy distractions, no shock collar and no food treats? no foodPINES treats?GRADUATE! Aand SCOTCH A SCOTCH PINES GRADUATE!

Cold Springs lift, the resort’s oldest, to be replaced and expanded

BY DICK DORWORTH

he work of Jim Curran, a bridge designer who worked for Union Pacific in 1936 and is one of history’s most significant and leastknown contributors to the world of skiing, will continue next year when Sun Valley replaces the oldest still-operating ski lift on Bald Mountain, the Cold Springs No. 4 chairlift, with a new version. The new Cold Springs lift will be a high-speed detachable lift that will, according to a Sun Valley press release, “…provide a seamless transition to the Roundhouse, the Roundhouse gondola, and Christmas chairlift. For those who prefer groomers and gradual pitches, the Lower Broadway run will be lengthened by 3,400 feet, lined with highly-efficient snowmaking guns, all the way to the new Cold Springs lower terminal.” It will also add 380 acres of skiable terrain to Baldy and allow advanced skiers more tree skiing from the top of Seattle Ridge into Turkey Bowl, continuing north into the trees and onto Lower Broadway. The new Cold Springs lift will take skiers from the bottom to the top in 6 minutes, with a vertical rise of 1,525 feet and a length of 5,500 feet. It will increase skiable acreage within Sun Valley more than 20 percent from 2,054 acres to 2,434 acres. The project began with an environmental assessment in 2017. This year, the Cold Springs mountain bike trail was rerouted and reconstructed, grading and site preparation work was done in the project area, timber work was done on eight acres in the Lower Broadway area and a survey profile of the lift was completed. In the summer of 2019, the lift will be constructed, snowmaking will be installed, ski area boundaries will be modified and tree glading will take place in Cold Springs chutes east. The new lift is the latest of the many lifts built by Sun Valley since it opened in 1936 and will be open for the 2019-20 season. In 1936, Curran, an engineer for Union Pacific Railroad, was charged

by Averell Harriman with developing an entirely new and easy way to haul skiers uphill so they could enjoy the ride down without the effort of climbing. I have written elsewhere: “Curran had already developed a cable system in Ecuador for loading bananas onto freighters for the United Fruit Company, which was famous for using U.S. government and military influence to economically colonize and export fruit from Central America and parts of South America. He immediately understood that, from an engineering-transportation perspective, people and bananas were not that different. Two hundred pounds of human flesh and ski gear could be moved about as easily as a similar weight of inert fruit, and Curran designed the first chairlifts for skiers based on what worked for bananas in Ecuador. “The first two of those lifts were installed on Dollar and Proctor mountains in 1936, the third two years later on Ruud Mountain. Of those original lifts, the only one still standing is on Ruud Mountain, named after the famous Norwegian ski jumpers, Sigmund and Birger Ruud. The Proctor Mountain lift is no longer there, though in the summer decaying remnants of the lift poles and cable can be found in places, disintegrating back into the earth. Dollar Mountain is still operating, but the original lifts have been replaced several times in the last 80 years.” The first Cold Springs lift was installed in 1939 and was damaged in the 1952 avalanche in Lookout Bowl that killed popular ski instructor Victor Gottschalk and two students. The lift was repaired and then replaced by a Riblet lift in 1970 and subsequently underwent several modifications after several skiers were thrown off the lift. The new Cold Springs lift will be the latest installment of Curran’s engineering legacy that began more than 80 years ago when he was tasked by United Fruit Company with developing an efficient system of moving bananas. tws

m 1

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Lunch Bento Boxes $12.95

Served with Salad, California roll, and Garlic Rice Lunch: 11am-3pm Monday-Friday Dinner: 3-10pm 7 Days a Week The original Cold Springs lift will be removed. It’s seen here in an archive photo from 1977. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Co.

Sunday, February 25, 2018 |

NOW OPEN AT 310 MAIN STREET IN HAILEY Hailey: (208) 928-7111

T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

NEWS EDUCATION

SCHOOL DISTRICT, PARENTS & PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS STRUGGLE WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES

Students may not take a school bus outside their zone for after-school programs

BY DANA DUGAN

n Monday evening, concerned parents met with GwenCarol Holmes, Blaine County School District superintendent, at the Community Campus in Hailey, to discuss new bus routes and rules. The contentious meeting touched primarily on how and why changes to the bus system have occurred, and what the alternatives might be for parents who work and rely on the buses to transport their young children after school. The new policy is called “One Pick-Up And One Drop-Off.” “We will provide one fixed pick-up location in the morning and one fixed drop-off location in the afternoon within the school’s attendance zone,” the district wrote in a parents’ handout two weeks ago. “The morning location and the afternoon location may differ, but once they are determined, they need to remain the same two locations throughout the school year. “Recently, we learned that some schools

receive up to 50 requests a day for transportation changes and some receive 10-15 each day. Multiplied by eight schools, we estimate there are 100 requests each day for different drop-off locations. Due to safety concerns, Idaho statute, board policy, financial resources and a shortage of bus drivers, we are not able to continue providing multiple drop-off locations on different days of the week for individual students.” At the meeting, Holmes reiterated those rules as well as laying out the problems that can result from having children on buses to which they are not assigned. However, working parents—many who have jobs in the north Valley—are flummoxed about how to get their young kids to daycares and after-school programs. “If you are outside your school zone, it’s not up to the school district to provide transportation,” Holmes said at the meeting. “We have wrestled with why buses were overloaded and had a lack of seats. It was hard to find a pattern. It’s critical to know what bus a child is on at all times.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sun Valley Summer Symphony Announces Winter Festival

The Sun Valley Summer Symphony announced Thursday night that it will present its first-ever Winter Festival. The Festival will include three concerts and several education and community events during the week of Feb. 19-24, 2019. The Symphony will perform concerts and host other events at the new Argyros Performing Arts Center, scheduled to open in November 2018, located at 120 S. Main St., Ketchum. During the week, Symphony musicians and guest artists will work with students in the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s School of Music, both on-site at The Argyros and at public school campuses in Hailey. The Symphony will also offer educational programs for adults. In keeping with the mission of the Symphony, all events will be admission free. “This week is the result of music director Alasdair Neale’s longstanding desire to expand our musical offerings beyond the summer,” said Derek Dean, Symphony executive director. “The Argyros, with its world-class acoustical systems, offers the perfect opportunity for us to present a Winter Festival.” More information about the Winter Festival, including concert times and admission procedures, will be announced later this year. For the latest information and news on the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, visit svsummersymphony.org.

Valley Women’s Golf Tournament Raises Money For Breast MRI Technology

St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation and the Elkhorn, Bigwood, Sun Valley and Valley Club women’s golf committees co-hosted the annual “Rally for the Valley” golf tournament to benefit St. Luke’s Wood River’s Breast MRI Technology on Tuesday, Aug. 21. “Everyone wants to keep the donations local and the ladies were so enthusiastic about playing to support St. Luke’s Wood River’s Breast MRI,” said Marilyn Hofman, event organizer. A field of 84 golfers wore costumes and played in decorated golf carts at Elkhorn

We bought new software, added addresses and built bus routes. We decided we would transport elementary kids 1.5 miles or more from home, which is way over what the state requires, and secondary kids .75 miles or more away, even though the state doesn’t reimburse us for it.” However, that leaves many elementary students without transportation, as well as children who live in two different households. It also affects after-school programs such as the Blaine Country Recreation District (BCRD) and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony School of Music, both at the Community Campus, which rely on buses for transportation to bring students from various schools in the Valley. The three main partners at the Community Campus—BCRD, School of Music and College of Southern Idaho—were informed just last week about the new policy and, according to a source who spoke to The Weekly Sun under the condition of anonymity, are shocked and very concerned about how their programs will proceed.

“It’s a bigger picture than just the parents,” the source said. “We had no planning time and our schedules were all out, but we need to come together as a community to find solutions.” What students do immediately following school is at issue, the source added. There is a network of after-school recreation and enrichment programs in the Valley, and if the kids don’t have options—with so many families in which both parents work—parents and program administrators are wondering how the students will reach those programs. The new policy allows students to go to the YMCA in Ketchum or the Community Campus for after-school care as long as it is their one drop-off location all five days of the school week throughout the year and within their school zone. Parents were notified about the new policy on Friday, Aug. 24, said Bellevue Continued SCHOOL BUS ISSUES Next Page

Golf Club. According to St. Luke’s Wood River, organizers raised at least $25,000 with the tournament. The 2019 Rally for the Valley will be held on Aug. 20 at the Elkhorn Golf Club.

Community School Changes Official Name

Community School announced that it will officially change its name to Sun Valley Community School in order to communicate its location at the outset with prospective parents and students. “This name evolution has been carefully considered; it is the result of many years of board conversations and input from community members,” said Ben Pettit, head of school. “For 45 years, Community School has served the Wood River Valley, and will continue to do just that. However, we are one of hundreds of other schools called ‘Community School’ around the country. The overall educational experience we offer is distinctive—but on a regional and national level, our name was not.” As a day and boarding school with a growing regional and national reputation, Community School is a factor in families moving to the Valley, Pettit said. “Families have moved from places like San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle to live in our special community, and our school plays a role in their decision to move. They believe in our mission and want to be a part of it.” With the addition of the school’s Residential Program in 2011, Community School has drawn—in partnership with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation—skiers and snowboarders to its Sun Valley Ski Academy, but it also attracts non-skier students from around the country and world to take part in the boarding program.

Organizations To Hold Community Meeting Wednesday

The Idaho Community Foundation, the Idaho Nonprofit Center and Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, will host a community conversation about needs, challenges and resources, among other topics, from 2:30–4:30 p.m. today, Aug. 29, at the Community Campus in Hailey. The free event is open to residents, and community participation is encouraged, according to a news release by the Idaho Department of Labor.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

Community grapples with school bus issue

Continued from Previous Page

resident and elementary school parent Emily Thompson. School started Tuesday, Aug. 28. Thompson’s son was scheduled to be transported via bus from Bellevue Elementary to Little River Preschool in Hailey, where she works, which is now not allowable since Little River is out of her son’s school zone. Thompson had to make new arrangements for her son within his Bellevue Elementary school zone. However, Thompson realized this means her 5-year-old could be on the bus for up to an hour as the bus makes pick-ups at Alturas

Elementary School and then proceeds to make drop-offs. Holmes said at the meeting that emails were sent over the summer alerting parents to the new policy. However, the school’s website had different information, which confused the issue. At the meeting, Holmes apologized for the discrepancy. “What we now know is that people were depending on favors with the transportation system for years by transporting kids to places that were not their home or daycare,” she said. Annually, the district spends between $1.5-$1.6 million on transportation and is reimbursed by the state for $900,000 of that expenditure.

“We will always be over the state reimbursement by some percentage, but if we are complying with state statute and board policy [for] transporting students from home to school and back again, we may be able to see if we can come closer to the state reimbursement,” Heather Crocker, the district’s director of communications, wrote in an email to The Weekly Sun after the meeting. Another aspect of the situation is that the district is short on drivers for school buses. “Bus drivers are retiring,” Holmes said at the meeting. “And it takes a special person to be a bus driver. If we can’t find drivers, we’ll have to back this up even more.” For questions about changing a stu-

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HELP WANTED Full service equine boarding, lesson and event center looking for a qualified employee for help with all tasks related to equine facility. Cleaning, horse-handling, light construction, landscaping, etc. Will work under barn supervisor and must speak English. Excellent salary and all medical benefits. References required. Please call Mr. Cruz at 208-309-2223.

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dent’s bus schedule, call Blaine County School District Transportation at (208) 578-5420 or the secretary at the student’s school. The school district subsidizes student bus passes for Mountain Rides Transportation Authority. With the subsidy from the school district, the cost of a student bus pass for the year is $50. Passes can be purchased from the schools’ secretaries, the district office or www.mountainrides. org. For a detailed schedule showing all of the bus stops, please visit mountainrides. org or call Mountain Rides at (208) 7887433 for more information.

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NEWS EDUCATION

KUDOS & SASS Sass to the chilly weather. It’s too soon! Kudos to our emergency responders who have been getting called to all the accidents we have had lately.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • A U G U S T 29 - S E P T E M B E R 4, 2018

Fishing R epoRt

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR AUG 29 - SEPT 4, FROM PICABO ANGLER

et your sweatshirts and jackets out. Someone took summer and quickly replaced it with fall! The fish went into a bit of shock over the weekend on some area waters, but don’t worry, the fall hatches will soon be here and will bring the fish up to the top again. Be sure in the coming week you stop and get your fall flies in your box. This means all your old Green Drake patterns get to be used again. The Green Drake and the Western Red Quill are so similar in size and color you can fish one fly for both hatches, even though they exist at opposite ends of the season. Besides Green Drakes, Quill Gordons are a great fly, as well as Parachute Adams, Irresistible Adams, Royal Wulffs and Gray Wulffs. The fall Baetis has already begun on Silver Creek, but it should be hitting the Wood, the Upper Lost and the South Fork of the Boise very soon. This little Baetis is maddening in size and movement, but some days, in the fall, it blankets the rivers and is the only thing a fish will eat. Tiny Parachute Adams are a great fly for this. Anglers can also fish small Sparkle Duns, or other trailing shuck patterns as well. Try fishing your favorite Thorax pattern on an open loop with a generous amount of dry shake. This will get the fly wiggling just like the real thing! Hoppers continue to be the best fly an angler can fish right now, and we should be able to keep fishing them all the way until the first hard frost. This could be a week from now or a month from now, but don’t stop fishing them until it happens. If you really like the big bug fishing, you may want to stock up on October Caddis. We are a month away, but with cool temps we could see this bug sooner. The best places to fish it are Silver Creek and the Big Wood north of Ketchum. Hunting season is almost upon us and reports on dove numbers and grouse numbers are strong. It should be a great start to the season. If you want to get a jumpstart on chukar and pheasant hunting, the Picabo Angler Shooting Preserve is now open for guided, released-bird hunts. We keep our hunts authentic and natural in a traditional farm and ranch setting. Call John for more info – (208) 788-3536. Happy fishing and bird hunting, everyone!

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DANGERS FOR DOGS, AND WHY

BY FRAN JEWELL

ver the years and years I have lived with and worked with dogs, I have seen so many bad things happen that most of us would never expect to cause a problem. I am going to try to list some of my top dangers here. All of these dangers are because I have either personally experienced it myself or have had a client experience it. • Letting a dog hang its head out a car window while traveling. Yes, things do get in their eyes. One person I know had a bee fly into the eye of their dog and the dog lost its eye. I had a dog step on the electric window switch and close the window on her neck. • Letting dogs run off leash that do not respond 100 percent to a “come” command. Once a dog starts chasing a scent or a movement in the woods, you may never see the dog again. • Letting dogs run loose in the vet’s office. A waiting dog can be very sick or a dog may be going home after surgery. Dogs that don’t feel well are not going to play or socialize and may very well fight with a dog that is “just trying to say hello.” • Letting dogs run up to every dog they see. Not all dogs are social. It is not fair to any dog to let them run up to a non-social dog that may bite. It doesn’t matter if YOUR dog is social; if the other dog feels invaded, your dog may suffer the consequences. Be polite and ask first. • Letting your dog run up to someone on the trail. Many people are afraid of dogs and this can be terrifying to them. Be kind. Call your dog to your side when you see someone, and have him sit politely while the other person passes by. • Letting a known biter (no matter what the reason) go into social places like parks, art festivals, downtown, etc. An

Keep your dogs safe! Photo by Fran Jewell

unsuspecting and unstoppable child may run up to the dog and your dog may bite seriously, leaving YOU liable for damages and a child scared both emotionally and physically for life. • Leaving a dog outside a coffee shop or store while you are inside. The dog may wander off into traffic, or someone may try to harass your dog, or even steal it. I had a dog in the back of my covered pickup truck with wire screens over the windows and in 6 minutes at the grocery store, some kids came over and teased my search-and-rescue dog mercilessly. When I came out of the store, those kids were laughing hysterically across the street. • Letting your dog chase and chew on sticks. I caught one of my dogs chewing on a stick, but not before it slivered right into her throat. She had to have two surgeries to remove the pieces.

There are so many nice toy sticks that float and are easy to toss for your dog. • Traveling with a dog in the back of an open pickup truck. I can’t even tell you how many dogs I know that have been killed horribly by falling out. If the dog falls or jumps out, it can cause an accident when other cars try to miss hitting him. • Too much water play can be dangerous. It can actually become toxic for a dog to drink too much water too fast. Talk to your vet about the signs to watch for and treat it as an emergency. 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

MY HIKE TO TITUS LAKE: PAINTING

BY LESLIE REGO

ast week I wrote about the hike to Titus Lake and studying the burls on the trees alongside the trail. I never get tired of this hike even though I have done it over and over again for years and years. There is always something new to see. I revisit some of my most favorite trees. I sit down and sketch the views that look out onto the Boulder Mountains. I check to see if certain flowers are blooming and, of course, I sit by the lake and take in the peaceful scenery. Throughout the summer I have been experimenting with my watercolor kit to get it as light and sparse as possible. With every hike I slim down a bit to see what is the minimum amount of weight and items I can carry and still have enough to do some solid work. On my latest hike to Titus Lake, I feel that I finally reached the perfect balance between equipment and easy effort. I carry a small 5-inch-by-7-inch binder, with a few sheets of watercolor paper. I cut these sheets to size and punch holes so they fit in the binder. Usually I include a couple of cold-pressed white sheets and one or two cold-pressed toned papers. The inside cover of the binder has pockets where I slip my brush, a pencil, a pen and a tiny spray bottle. My palette, with nine colors, is fitted into a card case. I carry a tiny cup, 1 inch high by 2 inches in diameter, with a clip that I can fasten onto the edge of my binder. I have a small rag for wiping my brush. That’s it! This is all I need. It is streamline and serviceable at the same time. I can hike for miles with this

Leslie Rego, “Titus Lake,” watercolor.

lightweight system. When I arrive at Titus Lake, I circle to the far shore and take out my watercolors. I have whittled my brush selection down to one brush, a squirrel-tail mop, which allows me to make lush washes and thin detailed lines. Since I do not haul a bunch of items, I do not have to set up a complicated paint environment. My setup is so quick and easy I find I am enjoying painting more than ever. I start quickly. There are no mosquitoes, making my painting time even more pleasant. My mop brush drinks up the water and

I apply thick washes over the surface of the paper. The pine trees emerge, the rocks on the far shore take shape. The reflections materialize on the almost-still water. I find I am smiling, luxuriating in the creative process, reveling in the peace and the quiet. These painting moments have become some of the highlights of my outdoor experiences. 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 •

AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

COLUMN LIVING WELL UI-BLAINE EXTENSION TIPS

ZONE HARDINESS

he 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) is a standard based upon your geographic location by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive. *Hardiness zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature during a 30-year period in the past, not the lowest temperature that has ever occurred in the past or might occur in the future. The zones were first developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and have subsequently been adopted elsewhere. Looking at a PHZM, you will notice there are 26 zones varying from minus-65 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Zones are color coded in accordance to their average annual extreme minimum temperature. To use the PHZM, visit: planthardiness.ars. usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx, select your state and/or enter your ZIP code. Bear in mind your location. In the Wood River Valley, we have microclimates, especially if you live at the mouth of a canyon. Microclimates are finescale climate variations. They can be small heat islands—such as those caused by blacktop and concrete—or cool spots caused by small hills and valleys. Your yard or a pocket within your yard where your garden is located may be warmer or cooler than the general zone for your area or the rest of your yard. You will not be able to see microclimates on the PHZM but you can contact your local Extension Office and speak with Master Gardeners familiar with gardening in various microclimates within the Valley. Other factors can contribute to your plant success or failure, such as: • Proper amount of light • Too much or not enough soil moisture

• Optimum temperatures • Duration of exposure to cold • Low humidity For more information on Hardiness Zones, please visit: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov or contact your local University of Idaho Blaine County Extension Office. *This article was adapted from work by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, accessed via planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ About.aspx; Mapping by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University; www.prism.oregonstate.edu

SUCCESSION