The Bellevue Bears Fifth-Grade
Holiday Guide
Bellevue Elementary School fifth graders pose in front of a Christmas tree. For a complete list of names, see below. Photo courtesy of Blaine County School District
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
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BY NOAH HAWKINS AND ELI EDWARDS
12/17/17: 8 days to Christmas Tell a joke to someone. Q: Who is Santa’s favorite singer? A: Elf-is Presley
12/22/17: 3 days to Christmas Share something with someone. Q: Why does Santa put a clock on his sleigh? A: He wants time to fly
12/13/17: 12 days to Christmas Open a door for someone. Q: What reindeer are dinosaurs afraid of? A: Comet
12/18/17: 7 days to Christmas Help someone in need. Q: Why does Santa have 3 gardens? A: So he can ho-ho-ho.
12/14/17: 11 days to Christmas Give a smile to someone. Q: What do you call an elf who sings? A: A wrapper
12/19/17: 6 days to Christmas Help someone get ready for Christmas if you can. Q: What do you get if you cross Santa and a detective? A: Santa Clues
12/23/17: 2 days to Christmas Donate a toy if possible. Q: What do you call a shark that delivers toys on Christmas? A: Santa jaws
12/15/17: 10 days to Christmas Help someone find something they’ve lost. Q: What is a bird’s favorite Christmas story? A: The flinch who stole Christmas
12/20/17: 5 days to Christmas Compliment someone. Q: When Santa goes to the beach what do the elves call him? A: Sandy Claus
e created a countdown to Christmas, including a nice thing you can do for someone else and a joke for each day.
12/16/17: 9 days to Christmas Say something nice to someone. Q: What do you say when Santa is taking attendance at school? A: Present.
12/21/17: 4 days to Christmas Spend time with a best friend. Q: What is as big as Santa but weighs nothing? A: His shadow
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Bellevue Elementary School Fifth-Grade Students: Nevaeh Barber, Kai Black, Johny Blacker, Raymond Boyd, Stephanie Carbajal, Manuel Chavez, Wyatt Crego, Keyera Cross, Eli Edwards, Francisco Ferrer, Winston Gallegos, Makiayah George, Owen Gingrich, Wylder Grafft, Noah Hawkins, Celene Hernandez, Evangeline Holden, Meredith Hoskins, Lennon Hunter, Eric Hurtado, Saul Hurtado, Ruby Lang, Maggie Madrigal, Mallory Livingston, Marlee McLean, Emmi Nilsen, Blake Nisson, Frances Perry, Molly Poderick, Luis Ramirez, Caitlyn Redfern, Zachary Reed, Sheldon Sali, Ximena Salinas, Barratt Showalter, Gauge Slatter, Jett Sluder, Talon Stanton, Maya Thompson, Ty Thornton, Alex Torres, Brandi Villegas-Hartley, Trevor Ward, Romina Zavala. FifthGrade Teachers: Alexis Duvall and Andrea Gallegos. Special Advisor: Brennan Rego, publisher of The Weekly Sun.
12/24/17: 1 day to Christmas If someone needs help with anything, go help! Q: What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa when she looked up into the sky? A: Looks like rain, dear. 12/25/17: CHRISTMAS!!! Brighten someone’s day who may need it. Q: Who does Santa know who is being good or bad all the time? We’ll give you a hint, it involves measurement. A: Pinocchio.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: For a Publisher’s Note with more information about this project and how we produced it with the students, see page 9 in the main section of this week’s issue of The Weekly Sun. –Brennan Rego Publisher & Editor
sun the weekly
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Meredith and Maggie are ready for skiing this year. Ski days at Bellevue Elementary will be in January. Photo by Owen Gingrich
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR SKI DAYS
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BY MEREDITH HOSKINS AND MAGGIE MADRIGAL
e need people to volunteer to ski with a group of Bellevue Elementary School students. Our ski days are January 24-26. The time is 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And, you will get a free pass for all three of those days!
Why? So you can help kids learn how to ski, and hopefully get you to like it too or have a fun day doing an activity you already love. Where? Baldy & Dollar for both skiers and snowboarders, depending on your group’s ability. How? Please contact Bellevue Elementary School. The number is (208) 578-5080.
CANDY CANE FUDGE & GINGERBREAD COOKIES BY STEPHANIE CARBAJAL AND LUIS RAMIREZ
CANDY CANE FUDGE Ingredients 2 (10 oz.) packages vanilla baking chips 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract 1 ½ cups crushed candycanes 1 dash of red or green food coloring Directions Line an eight-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil. Combine the vanilla chips and the sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When the chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares. Enjoy! GINGERBREAD COOKIES Ingredients 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly 1 cup molasses 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup water 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract Directions Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide the dough into three pieces, pat down to 1½ inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celcius). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut the dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies one inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove them from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.
Bellevue Elementary students pose at KSKI with DJ Jamie Canfield. Ty Thornton, Owen Gingrich, Nevaeh Barber, Wyatt Crego and Noah Hawkins. Caption by Owen Gingrich.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE CANFIELD OF KSKI RADIO
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BY NOAH HAWKINS, WYATT CREGO, TY THORNTON AND NEVAEH BARBER
ellevue Elementary fifth graders interviewed KSKI Radio DJ Jamie Canfield, asking what he is doing over the winter holidays and other fun questions. You can tune in every Friday at 7:45 a.m. for fun facts and weather reports from Bellevue fifth graders and Jamie. Q: What is your favorite BaseBall team? A: Boston red sox Q: What’s your favorite movie? A: All Marvel movies Q: What is your favorite hockey team? A: Boston Bruins Q: What your favorite food at Christmas? A: I don’t have one, but if there was a Christmas pizza that would be it!
AN INTERVIEW WITH HEMINGWAY ELEMENTARY’S PRINCIPAL BY WYLDER GRAFF AND MANUAL CHAVEZ
Q: What does STEAM stand for? A: Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math. Q: What kind of projects do you do at Hemingway with the STEAM program? A: We integrate STEAM into the curriculum. Kindergarten bakes bread to find out how the yeast rises. 1st grade builds boats like the Mayflower to learn about buoyancy. 4th grade studies leaves and trees; they write in their journals, take nature walks, construct a shelter to withstand a hurricane and build a bridge across an alligator-infested lagoon. 5th grade completed a study of spelling-patterns and graphed the results. 6th grade read “Spirit Bear” and constructed totem poles. Students also do projects in the “maker space,” which has 3D printers, laser cutters, etc.
Hemingway Elementary School Principal Patricia Short. Photo courtesy of Blaine County School District
Q: Are you excited about this program? A: Yes, I am very excited. Kids are excited about learning, which makes me excited about being their principal. Q: What is your favorite part about working with students? A: I love the students’ energy and passion for learning. Q: What’s your favorite part of Christmas? A: All the traditions, lights, snow, ice sculptures and being with family. Q: Do you have a favorite Christmas food? A: I like Russian tea cake. Q: What are your school’s holiday traditions? A: Students can wear a Santa hat every day up until Christmas Break. We also have a Christmas Program on December 8. Q: Where do you get your Christmas tree? A: I have an artificial tree. Q: What is a family tradition you have? A: I go to church on Christmas Eve, I go to the Torchlight Parade and I will go to Sun Valley to drink hot chocolate and watch the Nutcracker Ice Show.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
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BY FRANCES PERRY AND ROMINA ZAVALA
e interviewed Dr. GwenCarol Holmes, Blaine County School District superintendent, at Bellevue Elementary. We asked her some questions like “What is your favorite part about the holidays?” Her response was spending time with family. Dr. Holmes sometimes flies to Kansas, but most times her children come visit her. Dr. Holmes’ favorite holiday tradition is making Pfeffernusse cookies, a German dessert. Her favorite part of her job is working with teachers and kids because she said they bring joy to her day. Last but not least, her favorite holiday dessert is Baby Jesus birthday cake. A chocolate GwenCarol Holmes. cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Q: What is your favorite thing about the holiday break? A: Spending time with family.
Photo courtesy of Blaine County School District
Q: Do you travel during the holidays? A: Sometimes to Kansas or my children visit me. Q: What is one of your holiday traditions? A: Making Pfeffernusse cookies. Q: What is your most favorite holiday dessert? A: Baby Jesus birthday cake, a chocolate cake with whip cream and strawberries. Q: What is your favorite holiday movie? A: I don’t have one.
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SANTA’S HISTORY
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BY MOLLY BELLE PODERICK
s you all may know, Santa is the amazing holly and jolly figure who lands on your roof on Christmas Eve, late at night, drops down your chimney without a fright and leaves you gifts galore. Then, you wake up at 6:30 a.m. excited to the core! You walk down the stairs and PRESENTS, PRESENTS!!! You scream! So, have you ever wondered... where did this all come from? Well, Santa is actually a few people. First, there was a guy actually named “St. Nicholas.” He was renowned for gift giving. He put presents in stockings and gave children gifts at night. Next, there was “Sinterklaas,” the Dutch version of St. Nicholas. Then, some people gave him an American twist, giving him a pipe, and portraying him not as a priest, but as a jolly elf with dimples and a twinkle in his eyes. As iconic as that Kris Kringle was, he still wasn’t the fully formed Santa we all know today. He didn’t live in the north pole, didn’t have elves, didn’t receive letters from kids and didn’t make naughty and nice lists. So where did these details come from? Give that credit to a New Yorker,
Santa Claus, aka Kris Kringle, aka St. Nicholas, aka Father Christmas approaches a house to deliver gifts. Public domain photo accessed via Wikimedia Commons
an illustrator named Thomas Nast, who produced the modern Kris Kringle we know today. Nast transformed a jolly elf into someone taller, and grander. So did you ever stop believing in Santa? Well, what if I told you he is real— just in a different way!
YUMMY CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY BARS, A FAMILY RECIPE AN INTERVIEW WITH A TEACHER & FORMER SUNS PLAYER
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? A: Working with teachers and kids.
BY CAITLYN REDFERN
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BY ZACHARY REED AND BLAKE NISSON
e interviewed Jamie Ellison, who is a former Sun Valley Suns hockey player and is currently a teacher at Wood River High School. Q: When did you start playing hockey? A: I started skating when I was two on my backyard rink (I lived on a lake). I was on my first hockey team when I was three years old. Q: How did you start hockey? A: I grew up in Alaska and lived on a lake. When it froze, my dad would plow out a rink for me to skate on. It was what I did instead of being plugged into a device. Q: What position did you play? A: As a kid I always played forward, usually center. I played center for the Suns for 15 years. Now I sometimes play goalie in the Jamie Ellison with Zachary Reed, left, B+ league. My favorite position has always and Blake Nisson. been center. I like taking faceoffs and being able to pass to my teammates. Q: What are your Christmas traditions? A: We always cut our own tree from the forest. We have a big family meal on Christmas Eve with all of my brothers, sisters and all our kids. Then we do Christmas morning with our own family. Q: What is your favorite Christmas tradition? A: I like the cutting of the tree. Q: When did you start playing for the Suns? A: I started right after college. I think it was 1997. Q: What was the highest league of hockey you played in? A: I played professionally in Germany in the minor leagues.
Ingredients 1 bag (12 oz.) cranberries (not frozen) 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup old-fashioned oats ¾ cup packed light brown sugar ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened 1 large navel orange 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk 2 large egg yolks ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup sliced almonds
Directions Let the cranberries stand at room temperature for one hour. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13-by 9-inch baking pan with foil, with overhang on all sides. Generously grease the foil. In large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. With your fingers, work in the butter until evenly distributed. In a small bowl, reserve one cup of the mixture for topping and press the reserved mixture firmly to form pea size clumps. Transfer the main bulk of the mixture to the prepared baking pan. With your hands, firmly press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. While the crust bakes, grate 1 teaspoon of orange zest from the orange and squeeze ⅓ cup of the juice. In a medium bowl, with a wire whisk, stir the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks,
These aren’t exactly like the ones we make at home, but you’ll get the idea if you read the recipe! Public domain photo, accessed via Wikimedia Commons
vanilla, orange zest and orange juice until well combined. Sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the hot crust. Pour the orange mixture over the berries. With a spatula, spread gently to evenly distribute the cranberries and orange mixture over crust. Bake 7 minutes, or until the orange mixture just begins to form a skin around the edges. Remove the pan from oven. Then, sprinkle evenly with the reserved topping and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top. Bake another 30 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the topping is golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for one hour. Carefully lift the uncut bars out of the pan using the foil overhang. Cool completely on the wire rack. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately. Or, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Q: Did you like playing for the Suns? A: I loved it. It was the perfect place for a short feisty guy like me to end up. I love to ski so it worked out well. I wish I could have made some money, but I made a lifetime of memories I would never take back.
MY FAMILY’S HOLIDAY TRADITION
Q: Did you ever coach hockey? A: I have coached a little bit here and there. I coached junior varsity high school hockey in Alaska and helped with the kids program at my college.
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Q: What do you do at the high school? A: I am a special education teacher and work in a program called VOICE. VOICE stands for “Vocational, Occupational, Independent, Community, Education.” It helps students learn life skills necessary to be independent in the community.
BY TREVOR WARD
very year, my family and I go to my aunt’s house for a big Christmas party. We hang out, play games and do a gift swap. For the gift swap, everybody in my family gets a present. Each person can swap their gift about five times each round. There are usually about two rounds. Once everyone has done their trading, the game is over. Then everyone gets to keep their present. After that, my family usually goes home and goes to bed. Then, on Christmas morning, we open our presents and eat a secret recipe for Ebelskivers (Danish pancakes). Yum!
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BELLEVUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOLIDAY STUDENT POLL BY EMMI NILSEN, SAUL HURTADO AND ELI EDWARDS
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e surveyed Mrs. Schley’s third-grade and Mrs. Blackstead’s fourth-grade classes. Here are the questions we asked them and the answers we received.
3rd Grade: Q: Do you like ham or turkey for Christmas dinner? A: 10 answered ham, 6 prefer turkey and 2 students prefer something else. Q: What song do you prefer, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” or “Jingle Bells”? A: 12 prefer “Jingle Bells” and 9 prefer “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” Q: What do you put on top of your tree, a star or an angel? A: 13 answered that they put a star on top, 6 answered that they put an angel on top and 3 answered they didn’t use a star or an angel. Q: Do you open presents on Christmas Eve? A: 12 answered that they do open presents and 8 answered that they do not. 4th Grade: Q: What is your favorite meal on Christmas Eve? A: 2 said spaghetti, 1 said mashed potatoes and gravy, 1 said sushi, 2 said sausage and eggs, 1 said pizza, 1 said prime rib, 2 said cookies, 2 said a Mexican meal and 1 said steak.
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Q: Do you love snow or dread it? A: 14 said that they LOVE it and 0 said they dread it.
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Artwork by Wylder Graff
Artwork by Eli Edwards
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BY BLAKE NISSAN, TALON STANTON AND WINSTON GALLEGOS
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Q: Do you have a Christmas morning tradition? A: Everyone said they eat breakfast and open presents, except 1 student who said they make a quiche.
P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E W E E K LY S U N
HOLIDAY CALENDARS
Q: Do you like hot chocolate or eggnog? A: 12 said hot chocolate, 5 said eggnog and 1 said neither.
Q: Do you think candycanes are yummy or yucky? A: 14 said yummy, and 2 said yucky.
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HAILEY Dec. 1-15: Hallmark’s Holiday Houses gingerbread house competition. Dec. 13: Hailey Library Story Time, Kiwanis Club meeting, Blaine County Chess Club meeting and Friends of the Hailey Public Library meeting. Dec. 14: Hailey Rotary Club meeting, TNT Thursdays (youth program for ages 10 and up) and The Nutcracker ballet performance. Dec. 15: Hailey Public Library Story Time. Dec. 18: Souper Supper. Dec. 20: Hailey Public Library Story Time, Kiwanis Club meeting and Blaine County Chess Club meeting. Dec. 21: Copy & Print drawing contest. Dec. 21: Hailey Rotary Club meeting and TNT Thursdays. Dec. 22: Hailey Public Library Story Time. Dec. 18: Souper Supper. Dec. 25: CHRISTMAS! Dec. 27: Hailey Public Library Story Time, Kiwanis Club meeting and Blaine County Chess Club meeting. Dec. 28: Hailey Rotary Club meeting and TNT Thursdays. Dec. 29: Hailey Public Library Story Time. Dec. 30: ERC winter tracking workshop (people can learn how to track extraordinary animals). SUN VALLEY Dec. 13-26: Sun Valley Carolers perform in Dickens costumes throughout the Sun Valley Village. Dec. 13-31: Winter Wonderland scavenger hunt at the Sun Valley Village. Dec 15: Warren MIller’s “Line Of Descent,” 2:30-4:30 p.m., tickets cost $5.50 at the Opera House. Dec. 14: Children’s Holiday Storytelling 3:30-5 p.m. Dec. 15: Glass Baby Roadshow, 1-6 p.m., at the Sun Valley Village. Nancy Liston trunk show 1-6 p.m. Homegrown film festival at the Opera House, starting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21: Sun Valley Co.’s 82nd birthday, high tea at the Sun Valley Lodge, seating times at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., $55 for adults, $20 for children, reservations required. Dec. 23: Kid-friendly brunch with Santa at the Sun Valley Club, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $45 for adults, $20 for children, free for kids under two, reservations required. Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Celebration including “Skating in a Winter Wonderland” ice show, Dollar Torchlight Parade & Fireworks. Gate’s to the ice show open at 3 p.m., show starts at 5:30. The Torchlight Parade and fireworks will immediately follow the show. The show is free and open to the public, and free hot cocoa and cookies will be served. Santa will also stop by! Also, the Opera House will play “Polar Express” at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 25: CHRISTMAS!
BELLEVUE Dec. 13-25: The Bellevue Public Library will be helping senior citizens as its giving project this year. For more information, call the library at (208) 788-3908. • Dec. 25: CHRISTMAS!
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OUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY MEMORIES Ms. Duvall’s Class My favorite Christmas memory is getting my dog Dutch. We named him Dutch, well my brother Gavin did, because he watched a movie with the name in it and he thought it was the best name for him. –Lennon Hunter My favorite Christmas memory is when I was about 6 years old, and we had just gotten done with opening presents at my grandma’s house. I thought we were done opening presents, but when I turned around my mom was rolling in a basketball hoop. All I can say was that I flipped out, I was so happy. –Wylder Grafft My favorite Christmas memory is when I was 5, and it was after dinner and dessert. We were going to light the tree in our living room, when all a sudden Santa came out of nowhere with his big bag of presents and I got 3 presents. It was amazing. I was the happiest little girl alive. –Nevaeh Barber
ting a giant radio-controled car. It aplowed through snow and dropped the battery in the snow. –Gauge Slatter I was 6, at my grandma’s house, and there were two massive boxes. All my family on my mom’s side (my brothers, my cousins and I) got the two wagons inside the boxes. –Noah Hawkins Well my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. At winter time, I always help my dad with the cattle. –Manuel Chavez One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I got an airsoft gun and played one airsoft war with my uncle, but I didn’t have safe gear on. After that one airsoft war, I started to have safe gear always. I look up to my uncle, but I want to thank my parents for my presents and my whole family for my presents. I can’t wait for this Christmas. –Saul Hurtado
My favorite Christmas memory is from 2016. That year I got a 54-inch tv, a pink kindle and a green fuzion scooter. –Zachary Reed.
My favorite Christmas memory is when my aunt and uncle came over to my house and watched my siblings and me open presents. It was really fun, and my family and I had fun too. It was awesome. –Evy Holden
My favorite Christmas memory is get-
My most memorable Christmas was
last year, when I woke up and saw all of the presents shining because of the lights. Then, my family woke up and we opened our presents. –Blake Nisson
going in the front room and looking at all the wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. I was so excited to open them! –Emmi Nilsen
One of my traditional memories is when most of my family came over and we all decorated holiday cookies. One year, my brother put so much icing on his cookie, and then I thought that was not fair so I put an overload of icing on mine. –Marlee R. McLean
One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I made a present for my parents, Aaron and Kellie Thompson. What made this memorable was the look on their faces. They looked happy, which made me happy. –Maya Thompson
My favorite Christmas memory is when I went skiing and when I got my red bike. I Also like to jump in the snow and snowboard. –Eric Hurtado My favorite Christmas memory was in 2013, when my family and I celebrated Christmas with my dad’s uncle. When we got home, we saw presents under the tree and we thought our parents left them there, but when they told us that they didn’t, so we obviously knew that it was Santa. We put our pajamas on and started to open the presents. The most surprising thing we got were Nabis. Nabis are like iPads, but for kids. –Ximena Salinas Gutierrez
A CHRISTMAS TIME WITH FAMILY By Evy Holden
Snowblowers are a’ going. A winter breeze is a’ blowing. Snow angels on the ground. Snowflakes flying ‘round.
Christmas is where you share your thoughts. You love and give to everyone, even if it’s not your family. You still share and give to each other, to make the world better for everyone.
Driving down a snowy back street, Having to drive through hail and sleet. Kids imagining Santa Claus. Dogs leaving prints in the snow with their paws.
On December first, the snow is falling down, The lights are shining through the night, and everyone is cheering. But on Christmas, everyone is happy with their family.
Presents under the tree For you and for me. Sledding down a snowy hill, Enjoying the freezing thrill. Skiing down a mountain, A frozen drinking fountain, Your tongue is stuck to a pole. School is put on hold. Jingle bells are ringing. A choir is a’ singing. A flock of south-flying ravens, Going to a warmer safehaven. An abandoned crow’s nest. Oh yes, This is Christmas at its best!
My favorite christmas memory was my 2016 Christmas, when I got a pair of BROKEN bluetooth headphones from my uncle. I’m not trying to be mean though. When I saw the box I was sooooooo excited. I used them again and again and again and again until I noticed a ticking noise in the left earphone. It kept getting worse since I got them, until once when I put them on and
My most memorable Christmas was when I was nine. I remember waking up,
POETRY
WINTER AT ITS BEST By Maya Thompson
Every Christmas, we go to some of my family’s house. We eat special foods that my family makes. Some are Mexican foods and others are American foods. We have a huge family, and I love them so much. –Francisco Ferrer
Christmas is doing a lot more. Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Christmas comes from the heart and more. Keep the world in glow and let the holidays show. Merry Christmas to you all! Have a holly jolly Christmas! Hang up the stockings, put up the trees, Hear the caroling outside, feel the breeze on your face. Everyone is cheering! Have a holly jolly Christmas today!
Continued HOLIDAY MEMORIES Page 8
A TRILOGY OF POEMS By Frances Perry
Christmas Eve On Christmas Eve The snow is white And shimmering lights shining bright. People cheering with joyful smiles, And maybe you’ll hear some Christmas carols. Christmas Time Is Here I hope you have a jolly Christmas. Hang your wreaths, Put up your trees. The holiday is a breeze. Happy Holidays Happy holidays Holidays, holidays, The joyful time of year. Christmas is fun When your family is here!
WINTER By Johny Blacker Snow, snow falling down Sinking into the ground. Snow shoes clumping, Ever thumping. Sleep, sleep Is so sweet. They want the morn, So they mourn. Here it is, The perfect theme for this, Perfect toys For the boys, And toy pearls For the girls. Sadly school has come. They want to stay In this winterland.
CHRISTMAS MORNING By Brandi Villegas-Hartley It is finally Christmas morning And I cannot believe my parents are snoring. When it’s finally time to open gifts, I’m giddy and having small fits. Christmas, Christmas everywhere, Thank you St. Nicholas for coming prepared.
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TREE HUNTING
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BY BARRATT SHOWALTER AND JETT SLUDER
f you’re looking to cut down the perfect tree this Christmas, we have the information for you. Tree permits cost $10.00 for a tree up to 20 feet tall. Or, you can buy a $20.00 permit for a tree over 20 feet tall. Tree permits are sold up until Christmas day. You may purchase permits at LL Greens Hardware in Hailey or at the Ketchum Ranger Station in Ketchum. You should buy a permit, get a map of where tree hunting is permitted this year and also note which trees you cannot cut down. They switch the areas where you can get a tree each year, to give the area’s from recent years time to regrow. The illegal pine trees to cut are white pines and spruce pines. For some general guidelines to tree cutting go to the Forest Service page: tinyurl.com/tws-tree-permits. If you have You can cut your own Christmas tree right further questions about your tree hunt- here in Blaine County, for a small permit ing, call the Ketchum Ranger District at fee. Photo courtesy of The Weekly Sun (208) 622-5371. Important!: If your tree is over 20 feet tall, you will need to tie a red ribbon to the end of the tree to alert the driver behind you.
CHOCOFLAN, OUR FAMILY RECIPE BY XIMENA SALINAS GUTIERREZ
Ingredients: 1 bag of chocolate cake mix ½ cup of vegetable oil 7 eggs 1 cup water 40 oz. cream cheese 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk 12 oz. evaporated milk 1 tsp. vanilla
Chocoflan is delicious and pretty easy to make. Enjoy! Public domain photo accessed via Wikimedia Commons
Directions: The oven needs to be preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You also need to spray the mold that you are going to use for the chocoflan. First, you pour the chocolate cake part in and bake for four minutes. Then, you need to pour in the flan and bake for one hour and 45 minutes. Finally, when it is all cooked and ready, you pour the “cajeta” on it. To make the chocolate cake part, you need to add a bag of chocolate cake mix, or you can make the cake from scratch, next you need to add the vegetable oil and three eggs, then you need to add the water. After that, you need to mix everything together, but not too much so the cake stays nice and fluffy. To make the flan part, you need to add the cream cheese, 4 eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla. Then you mix everything together. The flan will drip in to the cake a bit and make a delicious, but still layered mixture!
CHRISTMAS AT THE SALI’S HOUSE
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BY SHELDON SALI
y family has a Christmas tradition. All of my family gets together at my grandma’s house for one, two or three nights. On the first or second morning, we usually have cinnamon waffles. After waffles, the children line up in order from youngest to oldest. We all go in through the yellow curtains to the living room. When we’re all in, we find our stockings and all 15-20 of us children get one of the same present. For example, we all got pillows last year. My grandpa always picks up a present, reads who the present is for and who the present is from. When we are all done giving presents, we all hang out, sing the 12 days of Christmas, have a little party and then all go home.
MY FAMILY TRADITION
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BY KAI BLACK
very year at my mom’s house, we get to open one present on Christmas Eve, after dinner. At my dad’s house, my grandpa dresses up like Santa on Christmas Eve and walks in the door with a big bag of presents and says all the reindeer’s names, then he starts calling out our names and gives us presents. Grandpa also throws “random” presents into the air and the person who catches each one gets to keep it. When we get up the next morning, we have pancakes, eggs and bacon at my mom’s house. Then, we wait for our extended family to come to the house. When they get there, we open presents together. At dinner time, we have a delicious turkey dinner. Sometimes, I spend Christmas Day at my dad’s house. When I’m there, we open presents in the morning, and sometimes our dog, Daisy, opens some of the presents. Sometimes we get Daisy a present too, like a bone or a toy, but she has a lot of toys.
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P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E W E E K LY S U N
( T H E W E E K LY S U N .C O M )
AN INTERVIEW WITH BELLEVUE ELEMENTARY’S PRINCIPAL BY CELENE HERNANDEZ
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sat down with Mark Savageau, the Bellevue Elementary School principal, to ask him some questions about the holidays, his job and what brought him to the Sun Valley area. He stated that he came here from Montana to teach 6th grade in Carey. He said that during the holidays, he stays here for a couple of days and goes skiing, then he heads to Montana to celebrate the holiday with family. He goes to breakfast with the family, then goes home to decorate the tree and to get the house ready for Christmas. His family loves to listen to Silent Night and Hallelujah on Christmas and after! Q: What do you do for the Holidays? A: First part is here with family, going skiing. Then I go to Montana to go visit family. Bellevue Elementary School Principal Q: What brought you here to Sun Valley? A: Teaching 6th grade in Carey, Idaho.
Mark Savageau poses with fifth-grade student Celene Hernandez. Photo by fifth-grade student Owen Gingrich
Q: What is your favorite thing to do with your family for Christmas? A: Breakfast with family, decorating the tree and getting the house ready for Christmas. Q: What is your favorite holiday dish? A: Mashed potatoes and gravy. Q: What is your favorite Christmas song? A: Silent night, Hallelujah.
AN INTERVIEW WITH TODD HUNTER AT IDAHO LUMBER
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BY LENNON HUNTER
i Todd, my name is Lennon Hunter and I’m here to interview you for a holiday project for The Weekly Sun, so let’s get
Q: Are there going to be any holiday sales? A: We have many sales going on right now specifically for the holidays. Power tools, vacuum cleaners, Christmas lights and ornaments are all on sale. Also, items we just need to move out of the store because they’re out of season are discounted, like barbeque grills. By selling these Idaho Lumber And Hardware’s items now we free up money that allows us to buy new owners, Angi and Todd Huntmerchandise that sells better in the winter season. er, pose with fifth-grade student (and son) Lennon.
Q: How did you change the store and have a lot more people come? A: We made so many changes. We completely remodeled the store, which included the removal of a large mezzanine, adding new second-floor offices in a better location, adding a rental and contractor desk, as well as fresh paint and beautiful historical pictures from around the valley. We also changed to the Ace brand and added 65% more product and many new product categories. In our second year, we have already seen a 37% increase in sales and customer transactions. This tells us many changes have been successful. Q: Out of all the places, why lumber and hardware? A: We looked at many types of businesses. We wanted an established operation with opportunity for improvement in an area where we could improve our family’s lifestyle. This store checked all the boxes. It was in a location we loved in my home state of Idaho. We also liked the fact the store had been successful for over 40 years and thought we could make a great business even better with some minor upgrades. Q: How is the business going right now? A: The business is doing great! We have been very fortunate to find great people who are committed to the same values we are. They work very hard and offer the highest level of service to our customers. Q: Do you guys have any holiday items people need? A: We do! We have Christmas tree stands, lights, ornaments and even gifts for any home! Q: Is anything coming up in the hardware store? Are you guys decorating it? A: We added lights all around the building and even an inflatable Clark W. Griswold from the movie “Christmas Vacation” on the roof! Thanks Todd at Idaho Lumber and Hardware in Hailey. Make sure to check them out. They helped me a lot. Merry Christmas! Have a great day.
T H E B E L L E V U E B E A R S 5 TH G R A D E H O L I D AY G U I D E
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P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E W E E K LY S U N
( T H E W E E K LY S U N .C O M )
AN INTERVIEW WITH A US SNOWBOARD COACH
AN INTERVIEW WITH SILVER CREEK HOTEL OWNERS
BY MARLEE MCLEAN
BY FRANCISCO FERRER, GAUGE SLATTER AND MALLORY LIVINGSTON
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interviewed Andy Gilbert, US Rookie Team Halfpipe Coach.
e interviewed Cindy and Greg Anderson, owners of the new Silver Creek Hotel in Bellevue.
Q: Why did you choose to coach snowboarding? A: I didn’t choose to be a snowboard coach. I chose to be a snowboarder first. The more I got into snowboarding and the more people I met, it became a way for me to stay connected to the sport. It was a very natural choice for me. Q: Who have you coached who has been in the Olympics? A: I helped coach Kaitlyn Farrington, who won the Olympic gold medal in Women’s Halfpipe in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. There have been other Olympians from the Sun Valley Team that worked with other coaches as well such as Graham Wata- US Snowboard Coach Andy nabe (boardercross) and Aprilia Hagloff (snow- Gilbert holds up his collection board alpine). of official coaching credentials.
Photo courtesy of Andy Gilbert
Q: What’s the farthest you have traveled while coaching? A: The farthest I have travelled for coaching was Sierra Nevada, Spain. I have been there twice. It is at the southern end of Spain, by Granada. If you hike to the top of the ski resort, you can see Africa. I travelled there with Chase Josey, who is from Sun Valley and is trying to qualify for the Olympics this year. Q: Will you be traveling to the Olympics this year? A: I will not be going to the Olympics this season. They only take four men and four women in the halfpipe. The two coaches that have been here longer will go. I will however be at all the qualifying events alongside them. Q: What is your most memorable moment with your team? A: Obviously watching Kaitlyn win gold was a huge moment, but there are so many great things that have happened over the years. The best thing about this job are the friendships and memories that it creates. Many of the kids I’ve coached have become great friends. Q: How many years have you coached? A: This year will mark 24 years coaching. I started working on the weekends with grade school kids and now I get to work with some of the best riders out there. Thanks for the questions! I hope you will watch all the snowboard events at the Olympics this year. Go Team USA! The 2018 Winter Olympics will start on Friday, February 9, and will end on Sunday, February 25. The Olympics will be held in South Korea. Fun Fact: The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.
AN INTERVIEW WITH ANGIE MARTINEZ, SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR BY XIMENA SALINAS
I interviewed Angie Martinez, Blaine County School District’s director of curriculum, teaching and learning. Q: What do you usually do on Christmas Eve? A: I usually have lasagna for dinner and go to church. I also prepare Christmas Day dinner and open one present. Sometimes, I will go watch a movie or watch football. Q: What do you do on Christmas Day? A: My family and I open presents early in the morning, and then we have our meal. And if we didn’t watch a movie the day before, we watch a movie. Q: Do you go skiing during Christmas break? A: I only go cross-country skiing when Angie Martinez—Blaine County School our family friend comes to visit and brings District’s director of curriculum, teaching and learning—poses with fifth-grade cross-country skis. student Ximena Salinas. Photo courtesy
Q: Do you miss being the principal at of Blaine County School District Bellevue Elementary? A: YES!!!!! I miss being the principal because Bellevue is a special place for me. I also miss being a principal at Bellevue Elementary because I miss being with the students and teachers.
Q: What do you do for Blaine County School District now? A: I work as the director of curriculum, teaching and learning which means working and learning with teachers to support how they can work best with students to learn.
Q: What helped you make your hotel? A: We worked with a big team of people. We had an architect, a builder, a designer and the company in Boise who built the modules. We also worked the Small Business Associa- Cindy and Greg Anderson, owners of the new tion and a bank to finance the project. Silver Creek Hotel in Bellevue, with Francisco Ferrer, Gauge Slatter and Mallory Livingston
Q: How did you come to the idea of making your hotel? A: Sun Valley is a very beautiful place. Lots of people want to visit, but not everyone can afford it. We built a beautiful hotel that is also affordable. Q: How did you construct the hotel? A: The hotel was built using modular construction. The rooms were built in pods that consist of two rooms with a hallway in between. The hallways, lobby, roof and outside of the building were finished on site by over 100 local contractors. This type of building is faster, and you get a stronger (and quieter) hotel. Q: Why did you pick Bellevue to build your hotel? A: Hey, Bellevue is cool right? We chose Bellevue because we feel that the valley is going to grow in that direction. We also are aware of the population south of Bellevue. All those families have visitors who need a place to stay, and Bellevue had very few options. Q: Is your hotel going to be booked on Christmas day? A: We are getting quite a few reservations for the Christmas holiday. But we need more. So tell your parents to send your annoying relatives to the Silver Creek Hotel. Haha! Q: Are you doing anything special during the holidays? A: We have decorated the hotel nicely and are offering cookies in the evenings. We are also offering soup and breadsticks in the evening. Q: What amenities do you have? A: We offer a free deluxe continental breakfast that includes local pastries as well as bacon, eggs and potatoes. We have a solar-heated outdoor salt pool and hot tub that we keep open year round. We have a nice dog-walking area and free WiFi. We have USB chargers in every room. We also have a Tesla charging station and another electric car charging station that charges every other electric car on the road. This is free to our customers.
FIFTH-GRADE CUB COUNCIL BY KEYERA CROSS, ALEJANDRO TORRES, NEVAEH BARBER AND RUBY LANG
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he Bellevue Elementary School Bears fifth graders have a group called Cub Council. What we do is important. We help the community and our school by making both a better place. How you join is you have to be a fifth grader at Bellevue Elementary, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Krista Jones, the club advisor and the engineering and design (formerly called technology) teacher at the school, and the fifth graders created the idea of Cub Council 10 years ago. The club was formed by students who wanted to show leadership at their school. Being the highest grade, the fifth graders at the time wanted to help out more at the school. The students had the idea of wearing uniforms to show who was in the leadership club. Landon Schley, Third-Grade Teacher Mrs. Schley’s son, had the idea of the uniforms. He thought the club members should have special uniforms to wear to show who was a school leader. The fifth graders do projects every year for Cub Council. Our most recent project was the fifth grade bake sale to make money for natural disasters. We sent money to Hurricane Harvey victims and also to fire victims. We also helped clean up the Howard Preserve in Bellevue. Our upcoming project is the Twelve Days of Giving Back. We, the fifth graders, are going to give back to the community in 12 different ways. We will be going to go to The Hunger Coalition and will be doing a food drive for them.
This year’s cub council members. Photo courtesy of Blaine County School District
Every Thursday during lunch, we go to Krista Jones’ room to talk about Cub Council. During the meetings, we talk about upcoming events, changes and new challenges to help become a leader in our world. Every week we pick two special leaders. The leaders who are chosen have shown respect, kindness and leadership qualities all week. These are leaders who make a difference. The cub council members this year are: Kai Black, Johnathan Blacker, Stephanie Carbajal, Keyera Cross, Owen Gingrich, Celene Hernandez, Meredith Hoskins, Mallory Livingston, Magie Madrigal, Molly Poderick, Luis Ramirez, Barratt Showalter, Alejandro Torres, Brandi Villegas-Hartley, Trevor Ward, Romina Zavala, Nevaeh Barber, Manuel Chavez, Francisco Ferrer, Winston Gallegos, Noah Hawkins, Evangeline Holden, Ruby Lang, Lennon Hunter, Marlee McLean, Emmi Nilsen, Frances Perry, Zack Reed, Ximena Salinas Gutierrez, Gauge Slatter and Maya Thompson. Thank you for reading about Cub Council.
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HOLIDAY MEMORIES CONTINUED... Continued from Page 5
there was a loud boom in the left earphone. So, I shook the headphones and noticed a piece was loose and was rocking back and forth. Now when I use them, I tilt left and right and the volume goes up and down. –Winston Gallegos My most memorable Christmas is when I was with my dad, stepmom and brothers. We went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where my five cousins live. We stayed at a hotel next to the Mall Of America, and my cousins live about five minutes away from the mall. We got to ride all the rollercoasters. This year we are going to go to Minnesota just like the last four years. –Frances Perry My favorite Christmas memory is when I was seven years old. I remember my older brother woke me up, and I got out of bed so excited. After my brother made me a cup of hot chocolate, we waited for my parents to get up while we watched Christmas shows and movies. Once my parents woke up, I went right to the Christmas tree. I opened my present from Santa first. I got a Kindle Fire. I remember being so happy and so grateful. –Ruby Lang My favorite Christmas memory was when my great-grandma visited for Christmas. –Caitlyn Redfern My favorite memory is going
to Boise to see our cousin. We make chocolate chip cookies and Macadamia cookies. We get our Christmas tree at Walmart. –Talon Stanton My favorite memory is getting to open a present before Christmas Day and having a cool elf called Felix in a magic box who will give us a different thing each day before Christmas. –Eli Edwards Mrs. Gallegos’ Class My favorite Christmas memory is when my mom and stepdad got me a remote control car that was a Mario Kart car. I also got $50 from my aunt that was in a snowman box that she made. – Kai Black Beep, beep, beep. I woke up not realizing it was Christmas. So, I got up to make breakfast and that’s when I saw it: a pine tree with a bunch of paper-wrapped gifts under it. The piney aroma filled the room. Then, I ran into everybody’s room to wake them up, but I realized my dad was not there. I asked my mom, and she said, “HE IS AT WORK.” Noooo!!! –Johny Blacker My most memorable Christmas was when I got my DS game system. I played it all day that Christmas! –Raymond Boyd My memorable Christmas was when I was ten years old. We had a movie night and we watched a Christmas movie. My cousins, my sister and I made a gingerbread house. We all went to bed at 1 a.m. Then, my mom
PARTICIPATING NONPROFITS Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley Blaine County Rec District Blaine County Museum Blaine County Education Foundation Camp Rainbow Gold Environmental Resource Center Flourish Foundation Girls on the Run Hailey Fire Department Hailey Ice Higher Ground Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley Idaho Basecamp KDPI-FM Ketchum Fire Department KIC Lee Pesky Learning Center Local Food Alliance Mountain Rides Music from the Hart
came to visit and I got to see my baby sister. We were all happy. –Stephanie Carabajal My most memorable Christmas was when I got my XBOX 360. When I figured out that it was an XBOX I freaked out and ran around the house for five minutes and then I calmed down. –Wyatt Crego My favorite Christmas memory is when my two-year-old cousin, Arden, visited from California. She went sledding for the first time, and that’s what made it memorable. And, she opened presents with us. ;) – Keyera Cross My favorite Christmas memories are sitting at the table with my family and telling jokes. – Owen Gingrich My most memorable Christmas was when I got a new bike. I was really excited, and it was just the right size. –Celene Hernandez My favorite holiday memory is hanging out with my family, opening presents and hanging out with my grandma. –Meredith Hoskins My favorite Christmas memory was when I got a new bike when I was only five years old. I also remember when I got a new bedspread, phone case and a new makeup palette. –Mallory Livingston My most memorable Christmas was one Christmas morn-
ing, my sister and I woke up in California. We got so many presents and we played with the toys all day long. –Maggie Madrigal One Christmas, my family and I went to a Christmas party at our friends’s house. It was really fun. In the morning, I got, a beanbag chair, an electrid keyboard and a karaoke machine! I was so happy!!! That was the best Christmas ever. –Molly Poderick My Christmas memory is when I got an electric scooter when I was seven years old. It was the best Christmas ever. We ate cookies with milk, and bread with chocolate. We also ate candycanes and went to a Christmas party. It was fun! –Luis Ramirez Christmas tree hunting! Since we moved to this area, we go out with our uncle—whom we call DD—and his family to get our Christmas trees. The first year, we road for two hours on the snowmobiles, with fresh-falling snow hitting us on our faces as we raced through the mountains of Sun Valley. The first tree we found was six feet tall and the second was was a bit smaller; we had a great time. –Sheldon Sali My favorite Christmas memory is when I got a video game that I had really wanted. –Barratt Showalter Last year, my parents were driving snowmachines and pulling the kids behind the snowmachines on sleds. I loved watch-
ing my brother, Sam, when he flipped the sled over and didn’t let go. Sam was still hanging on when the sled flipped back over and he just kept going. –Ty Thornton Every Christmas, we go to my Grandpa’s house in Idaho Falls. He always has lots of sweets for us and he is fun to be with. – Alex Torres Last Christmas morning was awesome. I couldn’t sleep in because I was so excited. I woke up at 5 a.m. and went into the family room to watch George Lopez until everyone woke up. I saw a Barbie Dream house and started freaking out. I was so excited!! –Brandi Villegas-Hartley One time, my family went to my grandparents. We hung out, played Legos, went to a fish hatchery and went sledding. It was really fun. –Trevor Ward My most memorable Christmas was when I was eight. My mom, my brother and I were about to go to sleep on the couch because we wanted to sleep next to the Christmas tree. Then, my brother decided he wanted to jump up and down on the couch. Since he made the whole house vibrate he made the tree fall on top of me and my mom. My mom had put all the fragile ornaments on the tree, so when it fell, most of the ornaments broke. It was very funny when it fell and I think it brought us all together when we tried to put it back up. –Romina Zavala
PARTICIPATING NONPROFITS Nurture Rotarun Sawtooth Botanical Garden St Luke’s Wood River Foundation Sun Valley Board of Realtors Sun Valley Center for the Arts Sun Valley Museum of History Sun Valley Summer Symphony Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Swiftsure Ranch The Advocates The Community Library The Senior Connection The Hunger Coalition The Nature Conservancy The Peregrine Fund Trailing of the Sheep Trout Unlimited Wood River Ability Program Wood River Land Trust Wood River YMCA
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