20 March 2019 by The Weekly Sun

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

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MARCH 20 - 26, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 1 2 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Events News Sun Valley Film Festival: A Recap

Idaho News Are State Lawmakers Ignoring Voters?

City News Hailey Hosts ‘Political Karaoke’

“We all leave footprints as we journey through life–make sure yours are worth following.” ~ B o b Te a g u e

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For information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Photo credit: Sun Valley Film Festival

T H E W E E K LY S U N • M A R C H 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

NEWS EVENTS

THAT’S A WRAP: SUN VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WINNERS

ver the course of Wednesday, March 13, through Sunday, March 17, Sun Valley was host to the 8th annual Sun Valley Film Festival where new films were screened, awards were presented, and patrons were given an assortment of unique entertainment and perks. The festival awarded over $200,000 in prizes over the weekend as well as countless mentorship opportunities to independent filmmakers in sessions called labs. One of the festival’s biggest draws is its Coffee Talk series, a free, intimate event that gives festivalgoers the chance to learn from some of the industry’s titans. Locals and visitors alike enjoyed talks from actress Meg Ryan, actor Aaron Paul, writer and director Alex Ross Perry, and comedian and author Chelsea Handler. Ryan, Paul, and Perry were all recipients of the festival’s Honor awards: the Vision Award, Pioneer Award and Rising Star Award, respectively. Perhaps the most important awards, though, are the ones going to films. The Audience Award is voted on by moviegoers and this year went to “Long Shot,” directed by Jonathan Levine. Additional Audience Award finalists were “The Parts You Lose,” “Ghost Fleet,” “Running with Beto” and “Sea of Shadows.” “Running with Beto,” produced by Jeff Steen, did go on to win the Producer’s Vision Award, which recognizes a producer’s ability to keep a dramatic, feature-length film in focus during the journey of the project.

The One in a Million Awards honor feature-length stories made for under $1 million. One narrative and one documentary film are each awarded, and this year’s winners were “Lemonade” for narrative, directed by Ioana Uricaru, and “Tigerland” for documentary, directed by Ross Kaufman and produced by Fisher Stevens. The other film awards went to “Kate in Oxnard” for the Shorty Award (best short film across all categories) and “MAR: Episode 1” for the Gem State Award, presented by Zions Bank, an award that recognizes an Idaho filmmaker whose work best reflects the beauty and diversity of the Gem State. Part of the beauty of the Sun Valley Film Festival is its ability to take an amateur filmmaker, producer or director and allow them the opportunity to win prizes, money, awards, mentorships and to put their names on the map. Several up-andcomers walked away winners of the festival’s competitions, starting with Reed Rickert, who won $1,000 and a National Geographic Expedition alongside Nat Geo explorers in the Nat Geo WILD TO INSPIRE contest for his film, “The Flip.” The Nat Geo Further Award goes to a leader whose body of work is innovative, timely, and impactful and this year’s winner was Mariana van Zeller, a Peabody Award-winning Portuguese journalist and correspondent for National Geographic Channel. The festival’s annual Film Lab is a competition of work-in-progress films that are screen-tested for audience feedback and then taken to two additional cities before locking and completing the picture with

Star of hit movies “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and many more, Meg Ryan takes part in a packed-house Coffee Talk session Sunday morning during the Sun Valley Film Festival. Photo credit: Eric Valentine

L.A.-based post-production company The Farm, who will provide up to $185,000 in services. This year’s pick was “Colewell,” directed by Tom Quinn and produced by Matthew Thurm, Craig Shilowich, Joshua Blum and Alexandra Byer. Part of the annual Screenwriters Lab, the High Scribe Award is given to an emerging voice in screenwriting and gives finalists an opportunity for one-on-one meetings with some of the industry’s finest. This year’s winner, “The Graveyard Shift,” was written by Max Andrew Dubinsky and Matthew Carpenter, who will receive mentoring from an experienced professional. The 1 Potato Award goes to a screenwriter of a short screenplay who receives

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a $5,000 stipend to help shoot their film in Idaho. This year’s winner was “Girls Are Strong Here,” written by Scott Burkhardt. Even young students are part of the film festival, with the Future Filmmaker Forum showcasing student-made films and encouraging students in their craft, storytelling and self-expression. The Hot Shot Winner ($1,000 prize) went to “Control Yourself,” directed by Zoe Takaki. The Gabriel Spirit Award ($300 prize) went to “Beyond the Wall,” directed by Mia Nelson, and the Gem State Jr. Award ($500 prize) went to “For Us,” directed by Justin Buss. tws

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • M A R C H 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

Winter Storms Could Mean Major Flooding This Spring!

Sun Valley Records will present Ramblin’ Jack Elliott at the Sun Valley Opera House, with opening act Graham Guest at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. For a story, see page 12. Photo credit: Sun Valley Records

THIS WEEK

M A R C H 2 0 - 2 6 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 12

Community News

Heavy Snowfall Stretches Budgets Thin

• Most homeowner’s policies Do Not Cover flood damage and most include a specific flood exclusion. Flood coverage is relatively inexpensive depending on your flood zone, but there is a standard 30-day waiting period for coverage to begin. Start the process now!

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ON THE COVER

Chelsea Handler kicks off Coffee Talks at last week’s Sun Valley Film Festival. For a story, see page 2. Photo credit: Sun Valley Film Festival 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).

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

NEWS COMMUNITY

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CONSERVATIVE IDAHO LAWMAKERS ACCUSED OF SUBVERTING THE WILL OF THE ELECTORATE New bills would hamper Medicaid expansion and ballot initiative efforts

BY ERIC VALENTINE

wo efforts in Idaho’s state legislature—one to put certain restrictions on a voter-approved expansion of Medicaid and one to make it harder for initiatives to get on ballots—have triggered Democratic leadership to claim voter subversion is taking place in the Gem State. And the minority party says today, March 20, is a big deal times two. That’s because: • •

In the House, Rep. John Vander Woude’s (R-Nampa) bill regarding Medicaid expansion would establish work requirement provisions and mandatory eligibility reviews. In the Senate, Sen. C. Scott Grow’s (R-Moscow) bill regarding ballot initiative procedures would require significantly more petitions in more legislative districts get signed before making it to a ballot. It would also require that petitions show a fiscal impact to any proposed initiative.

“It is apparent that the legislature is trying to silence the voice of the voters,” Rep. Steve Berch (D-Boise) said. The Expense of Expansion On Monday, the Idaho Senate passed funding for the Medicaid expansion. The bill will now be sent to the House for a vote. Despite the bill’s clear victory in the Senate (it passed with a vote of 31-3), some House Republicans have been seeking to implement restrictions on the expansion with new bills. They claim that any expansion of Medicaid needs to be done in a fiscally responsible way. So far, all of the bills have failed to garner enough support to move forward. “The idea that the legislature should pass a ‘clean’ expansion without controlling costs is like giving your college student a credit card—a recipe for disaster,” said Ketchum resident Julie Lynn in her guest commentary within this issue of The Weekly Sun. The Medicaid expansion legislation would allocate $2.83 billion in funding to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Medicaid Division. Most of the funding would go toward the traditional Medicaid program, but $9.3 million will be specifically directed toward the statewide expansion. This funding is critical for the Medicaid expansion, which was passed by Idaho voters with 61 percent approval last November. “The patients I see work in jobs that don’t always fit into a box on a government form. The best way to incentivize work in Idaho is to make sure everyone has access to health coverage,” said Dr. Julie Duncan, a family medicine resident physician affiliated with Close the Gap Idaho. “Adding work-reporting requirements to Medicaid will only create a secondary gap, increase costs, increase bureaucracy, and weaken our economy.” The “gap” refers to the estimated 62,000 Idahoans who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and not enough money to afford private insurance. Revenge of the Words As for the bill in the Senate, Democrats have renamed it “The Revenge on Voters Act,” noting how it emerged only after voters approved something most conservative lawmakers have not supported: Medicaid expansion or any move away from private insurance and toward a government-funded system. The bill would require tens of thousands more petition signatures, in almost every Idaho legislative district, and cut the time to do it, from 18 months to 180 days. It also aims to confuse voters, opponents say, by requiring they know the legislative district they live in instead of the county. Adding to the scrutiny of Sen. Grow’s bill is the recent revelation of his ties to Moneytree, a major lobbyist for the payday loan industry. “You may wonder what payday loans and ballot initiatives have in common. Just ask Colorado voters,” says Rebecca Schroeder, the executive director of Reclaim Idaho, a grassroots organization focused on the rights of Idahoans. “They overwhelmingly (77 percent) voted last year to regulate payday lenders. How did they do it? Citizen ballot initiative. Moneytree has locations not only in Colorado, but Idaho, Washington, California and Nevada. What do all of those states have in common? They all have citizen ballot initiative laws.” Editor’s Note: For guest commentaries on this topic, please see pages 9 and 11.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

NEWS CITY

HAILEY ‘POLITICAL KARAOKE’ YIELDS ZERO CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR

Town hall draws large crowd, huge concern about climate

BY ERIC VALENTINE

o one declared their candidacy for mayor at the City of Hailey’s town hall Monday night, but a number of residents declared their concern that climate change is already impacting this tiny Wood River Valley town and it will take a community-wide effort to do anything about it. Nearly 100 residents filled the Minnie Moore Room at Hailey’s Community Campus to take part in Mayor Fritz Haemmerle’s so-called “open mic political karaoke.” The mayor set up the special town hall session after announcing he would not be seeking re-election for the city’s top post. It was designed, the mayor said, to let him outline where he believes Hailey currently is in its evolution and to open the floor to the public so it could address how the city should now evolve. “I have a European background and towns in Europe are gorgeous,” Haemmerle said. “I always wanted Hailey to be the same way.” Although the mayor’s talking points centered on everything from town aesthetics and historic preservation to more wonky topics like public safety and funding challenges, the meeting kept dovetailing back to one theme: How will Hailey deal with the impacts of climate change? And it wasn’t just the adults in the room who were asking the question. Multiple teenage members of W.A.T.E.R. (We Appreciate The Earth’s Resources) attended the town hall and two of its members addressed the audience, calling for the City of Hailey to create a so-called Department of Environmental Health. The department, Abbie Heaphy, one of the students who spoke Monday night, said, could focus on increasing general knowledge of any project’s impact to climate change and on using development practices that align with clean-environment goals. W.A.T.E.R. members were followed by Amy Aranda, representing a group of teenagers in attendance called Nosotros United (we are united). Aranda said the group was established to, among other things, blend Hispanic culture and American dreams. Aranda called for city officials and residents to consider developing a multi-use facility where youth could safely hang out. Right now, Aranda said, so many teenagers do their socializing in the parking lots of places like movie theaters or fast-food joints. It’s not always safe and it’s not the optimal way to develop connections to culture, Aranda said. Attendees, including the mayor, seemed invigorated by the testimonies of the teenagers. “You only have to be 18 to be mayor,” Haemmerle quipped. “But if you can’t run, make sure you at least vote.” Although nearly every topic on the table circled back to climate and environmental concerns, res-

Hailey resident Erin Sweeney speaks her piece at a town hall session outgoing Mayor Fritz Haemmerle dubbed “political karaoke.” Photo credit: Eric Valentine

idents made their opinions on other issues very clear. Town Square People who spoke up Monday night were in support of the city’s so-called town square concept where a centrally located city-owned plot of land could be used specifically for community events from farmers’ markets to live music days. But where should it go—both in terms of location within Hailey and placement on the city’s priority list? Consensus started to develop on the idea that a town square should be near the heart of town, but away from Main Street/Highway 75. Paying for the town square, regardless of location, would likely require a levy. Livability and Workability Erin Sweeney, a resident of five years, expressed her concern that Hailey is seen as a “bedroom community” and is losing out on some opportunities for what she called the “creative class”—entrepreneurial artists and alternative health professionals who live here and need office space. Currently, Sweeney estimated, we lose 20 percent of our workforce to Ketchum and an unknown amount of business patronage to the north part of the Valley. “How amazing would it be if we captured those people here,” Sweeney said.

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Funding Vision for Hailey may be large, but budgets are rather small. In addressing what one member of the community called a bottleneck in funding, Haemmerle called attention to the state law that prohibits cities from increasing their budget by more than 3 percent from one year to the next. Nonetheless, the mayor said, between grants and levies and bonds, there’s always a way to pay for something. What’s not always present is political and public will.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Bill Banning Child Predators From Owning Firearms Passes, Barely

On Thursday, Representative Melissa Wintrow’s (D-Boise) Sexual Battery of a Minor (H276) bill passed in the House with a 37-31 vote. Sexual exploitation of a minor child and lewd conduct with a child under 16 are already felony crimes that disqualify a convicted felon from owning a firearm. However, sexual misconduct with a minor child 16 or 17 years old are not currently covered under Idaho law and seem to have been left off the list of crimes that disqualifies a convicted felon from owning a firearm. The bill now heads to the Senate for a full hearing in committee.

Idaho Power Seeks Rate Adjustment Upward

Idaho Power filed its annual Fixed Cost Adjustment (FCA) with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC), requesting an increase of $19.2 million for residential and small general service customers. Translation: If the FCA proposal is approved as filed, a typical residential customer in Idaho using 950 kilowatt-hours per month will see about a $3.49 increase to their monthly bill beginning June 1.

Governor Says It’s Now OK To Donate Your Drugs

Governor Brad Little signed into law a bill that allows individuals to donate drugs to places like medical clinics and health centers. However, it does not allow for controlled substances like opioids to be donated. The legislation goes into effect on July 1, 2019. The bill also qualifies who may get the donated drugs. Among other constraints, the person must be an Idaho resident and cannot be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

NEWS COMMUNITY

SNOW INC: HOW YEARLY SNOW AFFECTS CITY BUDGETS ACROSS BLAINE COUNTY

BY HAYDEN SEDER

penses last year and just slightly more than fiscal year 2016/17. According to Bill Whitesell, street superintendent for the City of Sun Valley, the cost for snow expenses for fiscal year 2018/19 is $65,000 versus $21,546 for 2017/18 and $62,246 for 2016/17. Despite increasing extreme weather patterns, the city has no plans at this time to increase the budget for snow-related expenses in the future.

n the last several issues of The Weekly Sun, the many facets of this heavy snow year have been explored, from who in the Valley has been out there working harder and longer hours to ensure the uninterrupted flow of citizens’ daily lives, to how individual business and family budgets have been affected. Just like with many people around town who had to pay unexpected expenses and may have had to adjust budgets, so too have Blaine County and Wood River Valley cities. The snow year isn’t over, so “Budget increases each city is tracking and compiling data on how much has alare a constant ready been spent on snow remov- challenge. The city budget al as compared to other years, funded by property tax whether the budget was enough to cover this year, and how to revenue can only increase revise future budgets due to ex- by 3 percent annually treme weather trends. Here are and, therefore, our snow their stories. removal budget has

Bellevue The City of Bellevue could not provide details regarding snow removal budgets before press time.

Hailey Brian Yeager, City of Hailey Public Works director/city engineer/land surveyor, compared numbers with the winter of 2016/17 which was another limited ability to increase big snow year. For that year, Ketchum $132,500 was budgeted for snow The City of Ketchum is ap- despite what may or may removal and $230,831 ended proximately 75 percent of the not happen with climate.” up being spent. For this year, way through its FY19 budget, $185,251 was budgeted and Brian Yeager $246,227 has been spent. which includes $182,000 for City of Hailey Public Works snow removal, according to Lisa “The $61,000 overrun will Director/City Engineer/ be deducted from our summer Enourato, Ketchum assistant city Land Surveyor maintenance program,” Yeager administrator. “This is the same budget levsaid. “Or to say it another way, el of the past several years,” after our snow removal cost Enourato said. overrun, then after whatever expenses we incur for While the heavy snow seems to have ceased fall- flooding or the proliferation of potholes because of ing, the snow season is not over. Should Ketchum’s the type of winter we had, whatever is remaining budget be exceeded, the city looks to achieve oper- of our original annual budget can be expended on ational savings in other areas. summer maintenance projects such as chip seals.” “Because that is an ongoing effort across all Yeager is also quick to point out that the inches departments, we don’t have a target area at this of plowed snow this year increased by 46 percent point,” Enourato said. “Ketchum is also fortunate over the 2016/17 numbers while the snow removal to have LOT (local option tax) revenues which can expense only increased by 6.7 percent. support our efforts.” “While a significant portion of this cost efficienFor future years, Ketchum has no active plans cy is due to how the snow fall occurred, a good to raise the snow removal budget. Between oper- portion of it is also due to the city focusing on usational savings and LOT funds, the city has been ing staff and overtime instead of as much reliance able to absorb additional snow removal expenses, on contractor labor,” Yeager said. “We’re very an area that is 0.2 percent of the general fund bud- proud of the effort and commitment of our crews get. this winter.” For future years, Yeager says budget increases Sun Valley are a constant challenge. While the City of Sun Valley hasn’t received “The city budget funded by property tax revebills from all of its vendors involved in snow re- nue can only increase by 3 percent annually and, moval—fuel, plow blades, rental equipment, win- therefore, our snow removal budget has limited ter traction sand, overtime pay, and unexpected ability to increase despite what may or may not equipment repairs—the amount of funds spent for happen with climate.” this year are roughly triple the budget for snow extws

WHEN THE SNOW MELTS…

SANDBAGS Hailey: The City of Hailey will provide sandbag stations near an area in which flooding has begun. These are intended to be for emergency use when the private property protection already completed is not sufficient. The city does not recommend waiting for city sandbags to begin protecting your structures. Sandbag stations for Woodside, Foxmoor and Deerfield in East Hailey areas will be at the south side of the Community Campus parking lot. Sandbag stations for Della View will be on War Eagle Drive near Silver Star Dr. Sandbag stations for Sherwood Forest will be on Robin Hood Drive near Silver Star Dr. Sandbag stations for China Gardens and Elmwood will be on Walnut Street near Aspen Drive.

For purchase: Offering complete service: sacks, sand, placement and cleanup. • All Seasons Landscaping: (208) 788-3352

• • • •

Big Wood Landscape: (208) 726-4667 Clearwater Landscaping: (208) 788-5486 Webb Landscaping: (208) 726-4927 Sun Valley Garden Center: (208) 7883533

Will have empty bags for purchase by the public. • PipeCo: (208) 725-7824

ALERT SYSTEM Sign up for Blaine County’s Code Red Alert to receive emergency communications via cellphone or landline phone, text message, email or social media channels. Sign up at public.coderedweb.com.

INSURANCE State officials recommend visiting floodsmart.gov to find out more about flood insurance, why it is needed, how to purchase flood insurance and more. Flood insurance must be in effect 30 days prior to any flood event before damage will be covered.

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Mountain Humane Tour: See What Everyone’s Barking About

The Chamber – Hailey & The Wood River Valley is inviting businesses and the public to the March Business After Hours hosted by Mountain Humane. The event will be located at Penny’s Barn, 101 Croy Creek Road, out Croy Canyon west of downtown Hailey. A tour of the new facility starts at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Humane opened its doors to the public last month, so come and see

the new Animal Adoption and Humane Educational Campus while tasting light food fair and refreshments provided for all to enjoy. It is a great way to make new contacts and learn about our community businesses. Please call (208) 788-3484 for additional information. Don’t forget to bring your business cards for our monthly raffle.

Vape Tax Bill Is Ready For Debate

Representative John Gannon (D-Boise) introduced legislation this week that would put a 15 percent retail tax on vape sales in Idaho. The bill was printed with a 10-2 vote and is designed to start the discussion. Gannon’s bill provides that the tax proceeds will go to the Millennium Fund to be used for vaping education and outreach projects. Because e-cigarette sellers are not licensed, there is little information about the amount of their sales, so it is not known how much money would be raised. “The intent of the legislation is to tax the vape material with nicotine in it,” Gannon said. “The 15 percent percentage is very similar to how cigarettes are taxed.” A recent study by the U.S. Surgeon General found that vape products are the most commonly used tobacco products among U.S. youth. The Food and Drug Administration recently said vaping is an epidemic among our youth.

Ketchum Rural Fire Officials May Fire The City Of Ketchum

The Ketchum Rural Fire District will meet Thursday, March 21, at 9 a.m. at Ketchum City Hall, to discuss whether to terminate its contract with the City of Ketchum. Ending their partnership would open the door to contracting with the Sun Valley Fire Department, a prospect that has been on the table since the Ketchum City Council voted against a full merger with Sun Valley for police and fire protection services earlier this month.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N •

SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

sun T H E W E E the weekly

WRHS senior Andrew Garratt is charging forward with his passion for singing and psychology—one irregular heartbeat at a time. Photo credit: Hillary Maybery

ANDREW GARRATT Thrives by giving back to others

BY EMILEE MAE STRUSS

ood River High School senior Andrew Garratt has a big heart for people and a passion for singing. This past year he also discovered something very different about his heart. He has a condition called cardio-neurogenic syncope. “I discovered this when I was working at the airport on a really expensive plane,” Garratt said. “I was on top of a ladder cleaning and then all of a sudden I woke up in an ambulance.” Garratt’s heart rate slows down and causes him to pass out in order for regular blood flow to return to the heart. Following the accident, Garratt received several injuries, including a concussion. He now has a pacemaker, which regulates his heart rate. “It’s OK now,” Garratt said. “I’ve had a pacemaker for one year.” However, his heart condition has definitely changed his life. Garratt played varsity boys basketball for two years at WRHS and was also a pilot, neither of which doctors will allow him to continue. Letting these things go was a challenge for Garratt but he has other talents that he’d like to pursue. Garratt loves acting and singing. He discovered his passion for singing in fifth grade when he auditioned for and received a lead role in a Christmas play. He got to play Santa Claus. “I realized after playing that part that I really like being on stage and singing,” Garratt said. Garratt is involved in a cappella, a group that uses only sounds from voices and no instruments to make music. The B-Tones, an allmale choral group, and opera with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony are the ensembles Garratt performs with. He recently returned from districts with his choir group

from WRHS and received not only first in his category of solo baritones, but also the best overall score for the entire competition. In school, Garratt is enrolled in Advanced Placement Government, Advanced Placement Environmental Science, College English, Spanish III and Choir. He has a 3.6 GPA and is proud to say he leads a pretty well-rounded life. Garratt is also involved in W.A.T.E.R Club, an environmental club; Next Generation Politics, a club that teaches about government and political parties; and the Bluebirds, a youth club in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that brings awareness to mental health. Next year Garratt plans to attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., and plans to major in psychology with a minor in behavioral neuroscience. “I think people are the most fascinating thing on this planet,” Garratt said. “I love helping people and learning how people work.” Garratt says that his Advanced Placement Psychology teacher, Joel Zellers, inspires him to learn more about the human brain and how humans operate. “I decided that if I can’t fly, I’m going to pursue something in psychology,” Garratt said. “And in the future, I just hope to be able to give. Biologically, we are selfish creatures, but I think one way to achieve enlightenment is to give to others.” tws

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

Adult USA Grappling Academy student Dustin Stellars won a silver medal at Grappling Industries’ jiu-jitsu tournament in Boise on Saturday, March 16. From left to right: coach Julie Daniels, coach Lee Anderson, Stellars and coach Storm Anderson. Photo credit: USA Grappling Academy

Idaho-based directors and Valentine

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

E K LY S C E N E

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

producers take part in a Q&A format, following the screening of their short films Saturday at the Sun Valley Film Festival. Photo credit: Eric Left: Students and coaches from USA Grappling Academy in Bellevue pose at Grappling Industries’ jiu-jitsu tournament in Boise on Saturday, March 16. The students came home with four gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze medal. From left to right (on podium): Angel Canyas, Tyler O’Crowley, Lexiegh Dowd, Cade O’Crowley, Treagan Dowd, Maddison Hoskins, Merridith Hoskins, Colton Latulippe and David O’Crowley. From left to right (front row): coaches Julie Daniels, Lee Anderson and Storm Anderson. Photo credit: USA Grappling Academy

This year’s Wood River High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) is 30 members strong with 14 participants qualifying for the State Leadership Conference in March. Calvin Geissler qualified for the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, Calif., this upcoming May. Other notable state results include: Carly Ching’s ninth-place finish in Intermediate Word Processing Skills; Curtis Larsen’s eighth-place finish in Computer Network Technology; and Caden Rinehart’s eighth-place finish in Entrepreneurship. Photo credit: Wood River High School

Left: Sun Valley Community School students presented The Hunger Coalition with a check for $13,086.25*, raised through the school’s recent Read-a-Thon. Themed “Read to Feed,” this year’s event incorporated reading and service learning and benefitted The Hunger Coalition. Students who secured the most pledges for the Read-a-Thon to benefit The Hunger Coalition include (l-r): Asher May, Jack Heinz, Hazel Buck, Claire Buck and Harrison Black. Co-chairs for this year’s Read-a-Thon were Sara Pettit and Kristen Dittami. Photo credit: Sun Valley Community School

GUEST COMMENTARY ILANA RUBEL

Our Leaders Should Represent Voters, Not Muzzle Them

Senate Bill 1159, aptly nicknamed the “Revenge on Voters Act,” was introduced by GOP legislators in the wake of the successful Proposition 2 implementing Medicaid Expansion. It would nearly double the signature requirements while giving organizers a third of the collection time. Anyone that has worked on a ballot initiative here can attest - SB1159 is designed to completely shut down citizen-driven ballot initiatives in Idaho. I worked on collecting signatures for Proposition 2 and can assure you – the current system for initiatives is incredibly difficult. Only 15 ballot initiatives have passed in over a century of Idaho history, about 1 every 8 years. We hardly have an epidemic of citizen activism that must be reined in. Getting Medicaid Expansion on the ballot required an unprecedented groundswell of citizen activism across the state. Thousands of volunteers knocked doors nights and weekends for a year, but even that Herculean effort would not have come close to qualifying Proposition 2 for the ballot under SB1159. Our House GOP colleagues proclaimed last week that their caucus fully supports the Revenge on Voters Act, describing it in Orwellian fashion as “enhancing voter participation” and “protecting rural voters.” Nothing could be further from the truth. SB1159 disenfranchises voters, strips their constitutional rights, and would make Idaho the most restrictive state in the nation for ballot initiatives. You could collect signatures from 90% of registered voters and still not qualify. And far from protecting rural voters, this bill hurts them the most. Rural areas need more time to collect signatures because houses are further apart; SB1159 cuts the time from 18 months to 6 months. It ensures no rural areas could ever put forth ballot initiatives. Ironically, Proposition 2 helped rural communities most of all by saving rural hospitals - relief they would be denied had this bill been enacted. A disturbing pattern has emerged in recent years. The GOP-dominated legislature will do something completely at odds with the people’s will. In 2011, they passed the Luna Laws, despite widespread opposition. From 2011 to 2018, they ignored public outcry and refused to even vote on Medicaid Expansion. Following both situations, voters responded to egregious disregard of their wishes by enacting ballot initiatives. And in both cases, the GOP-controlled legislature swiftly retaliated by severely restricting initiatives. Voters shouldn’t be punished for passing Proposition 2. Citizens should never have had to volunteer tirelessly for a year to get action on such a critical item. It is the Legislature that should be blamed for refusing to address Medicaid expansion for 7 years. Rather than stripping voters’ Constitutionally protected initiative rights, we should be doing real soul-searching into the Legislative failures that made the voters’ work necessary. But many GOP legislators are still doing the opposite. They’re doubling down on the disregard of voter wishes. They’re still not funding Medicaid expansion, and are trying to force unpopular access restrictions into healthcare access that 61% of voters demanded. More than ever, voters need the ability to act directly when their leaders will not. We urge our Republican colleagues to abandon the Revenge on Voters Act. It is an ill-conceived and likely unconstitutional restriction of democracy in Idaho. Ilana Rubel (D-Boise) is a legislator in the Idaho House of Representatives

Editor’s Note: The Weekly Sun welcomes and encourages submissions of letters to the editor. Letters do not necessarily express the opinion of The Weekly Sun or Idaho Sunshine Media, LLC. Letters are not selected based on opinion; the goal is to provide an open forum for the exchange of ideas in Blaine County. Email letters to editor@ theweeklysun.com.

COMME N TA RY

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

Fishing R epoRt

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

COLUMN NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR MARCH 20 - 26, FROM PICABO ANGLER

here are about two weeks left of our winter fishing season. Get out there and enjoy these warm March days and some excellent fishing! The Midge hatches and the Little Black Stoneflies are abundant right now and the warmer days this week are going to bring out some major hatches. Silver Creek has been a fun fishery as we experience our first March with the Creek being open. The fish numbers in the lower river are outstanding right now. Midge hatches have a lot of the fish rising in the afternoon and the biggest fish will obviously take Streamers and Leeches on the swing. The next two weeks may be special as the Midge hatches this week should grow to enormous intensity as long as the wind stays down. Watch the forecast, and if you see a nice warm day and very little wind, then it’s probably a day to consider playing hooky from work, school, and life in general. There just aren’t enough free days in March! The Big Wood is a fly-fishing paradise right now. Crystal-clear waters coupled with brilliant blue-sky days have the fish feeding happily as we enter the pre-spawn. The bugs are active and the fish are super active. The later in the day you fish, the more bugs you are going to see. Everything is working right now as far as technique goes. Fishing with small nymphs like Zebras or larger Girdle Bugs will take fish. The dry-fly activity will start around lunchtime and last well into the afternoon hours. You can Streamer fish on the Big Wood anytime right now. There are a limited number of days to fish our tailwaters right now. The South Fork of the Boise will be closed in a few weeks, so if you want to get your casts in down there, you better go soon! All the same flies and techniques you use on the Big Wood will work fine. The Lower Lost River is going to be limited soon, too. Although it remains open year-round, the reservoir storage space needs to be emptied so we expect flows to start increasing beyond a point of good fishing pretty soon. It is a time to keep an eye on the gauges of our local rivers. You don’t want to drive two hours to find out a river is blown. Idaho river levels can be found on the USGS website. Happy fishing, everyone!

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

THE NATURE OF DOG LEARNING

BY FRAN JEWELL

n the past 20 years, dog training has taken a dramatic change of direction. Much of it is definitely for the better. We once used very a militaristic approach to dog training. Most of training told the dog what not to do and letting him guess what he should be doing. Dogs worked out of fear of punishment instead of joy of reward. Now, the dog-training pendulum has shifted from all negative/punishment to only positive reinforcement. The change has been phenomenal. So many dogs are much happier. However, then there is the dog that has learned that he can choose to not do something like “come” when he is called and nothing bad ever happens. In fact, he learns that if he ignores the “come” command, he can continue to play with another dog, or bark at a stranger on the trail, chase the deer, or chase the car. In the dog’s mind, those behaviors are more important and rewarding than any pork chop you hang around your neck to reward him with! The truth of the matter is that in every society, every society, there must be rules. There must be clear consequences for unacceptable behavior. In our human society, we get speeding tickets for going over the speed limit. For more serious infractions, we might go to jail possibly for a lifetime. In the dog world, if one dog disrespects another, the dog being mugged may very well growl or snap at the aggressor, letting it know the behavior is unacceptable. The point is that in every society there are rules to keep society safe for all, even the dog/human relationships. I hear every day how people are reading on the Internet about how they should never reprimand a puppy for going potty in the house, or that aggressive behavior can be changed by only giving rewards for good behavior. If you can’t stop the bad behavior so you can replace it with the more desirable behavior, then the bad behavior continues and continues. If a dog’s fear is stronger than his desire for food or petting, he will continue to protect himself if he feels threatened. If you took a test in school and missed 10, but no one ever told you which ones you missed or where to find the correct answers, would you feel frustrated or stressed? Unfortunately, the dog-training pendulum has gone from one extreme to the other. In the past, all the information we gave the dog was discipline. Now, the only information we give the dog is positive and he has no idea about what he should not do! Isn’t there a middle ground? Can’t we adjust our training for the needs and personality of the dog? Some dogs simply need more direction than others. Most dogs do need to know something is not acceptable. Some do succeed with only positive reinforcement. It is my contention that not just one training method fits all dogs. Some dogs need more leadership and direction than others. I think

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

BY HANNES THUM

A wonderful relationship begins with clear, fair and honest training. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

in order for dogs to feel more secure and confident, they need their owners to be confident to say both “yes” and “no.” Doing so simply gives the dog more information and ultimately more comfort in our environment. When I hear that a “balanced” dog trainer is someone you don’t want to go to, I have to ask myself why? Saying “no” is not abusive unless you do some kind of punishment that is abusive. A consequence or punishment does not have to be abusive, just like a speeding ticket is not abusive if you are speeding. When I hear that you should not trust an instructor that uses the most effective, fair and honest training method for each dog, I really question that! Be secure enough in yourself and your love for your dog that you do say “no” in a way that is appropriate to stop an unwanted behavior, especially a behavior that is life-threatening. You won’t lose your friendship with your dog. In fact, it will help your dog feel more confidence in you and trust you even more! 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.

THE EQUINOX

hat a winter this has been. Or, rather, a February. As we all have heard by now, the amount of snowfall we received last month in the Wood River Valley broke records. And, even though March began with plenty of sunny days, the evidence of those storms still sits in the tall banks alongside the roads, piles of snow around our driveways where we shoveled frantically each day to get to work, and on the white south-facing slopes up and down the Valley. On the campus where I work, the students excavated an elaborate series of tunnels and caves in the snow in our quad, through which many of them still travel to get from building to building. I find myself wondering about those enormous snow piles that the city plow crews (and how about a cheer for those folks!) have put up south of Ketchum near River Run and west of Hailey across the river. How long will those glaciers (not technically glaciers, sure, but close enough for our region) last? In a small town in Alaska called Nenana, there is an annual betting pool on when the ice that freezes over the river near town will break up—a tripod is erected on the ice in the spring and people put money on when they guess the ice under the tripod will finally move as the river thaws. Maybe we should do something like that here with the snow piles. Today, March 20, at 3:58 p.m., is the vernal equinox. It is one of two moments in the year when the alignment of the Earth and Sun is such that the Sun passes directly over the equator, and everywhere on Earth experiences a day and night of equal length (the other moment is in the fall with the arrival of the autumnal equinox in September). The word equinox has Latin roots: “equal night.” Though there are some weird geometrical reasons why a given point on the planet might not have exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime on this day, the point remains: from this day on, our days are longer than our nights. The equinox is, for many people, the first official day of spring.

Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of the equinox (vernal and autumnal). Photo credit: Przemyslaw “Blueshade” Idzkiewicz, public domain photo, accessed via Wikipedia

And, for us here in the snowbound Wood River Valley (and the entire Northern Hemisphere), it means that the sun will become a rapidly increasing presence in our lives. “Insolation” is a measurement of how much sunlight is hitting a part of the Earth. Also called “irradiance,” it is generally measured in units of watts per square meter: literally, how much power is reaching a square-meter patch of the ground, of water, of a solar panel, of whatever. That insolation will power the plants that will soon be sprouting. It will power the warmer temperatures that are on the way. It will, eventually but surely, even power the melting of the piles of snow around town. Happy spring. Hannes Thum is a Wood River Valley native and has spent most of his life exploring what our local ecosystems have to offer. He currently teaches science at Sun Valley Community School

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

MARCH 20 - 26, 2019

COLUMN ON LIFE’S TERMS

ENTITLED OR WHAT?

something we had not been able to see with the turn of a dial (before remotes). hen I taught in schools with many chilI love the Wood River Valley and chose to live dren of wealthy parents, I was often here because many years ago it seemed a classasked how I dealt with the disparity less area. Waitpeople often possessed graduate of income in the varied student population. I college degrees, most of us worked hard for less saw this as just a reality of a teacher at Beverly money than we might have earned elsewhere, Hills High who drove up indoor student park- and we felt the acceptance of a community that ing ramps loaded with fancy cars looked at us as neighbors and valto the teachers’ outdoor level with ued human beings wherever we VWs and Chevys. worked or played. This timeless issue has once At one time I received near-minagain become the forefront of imum wages at two of three partdiscussion since the college adtime jobs here when I could have mission bribery scandal, highreturned to teaching in Beverlighting the emulation of celebrity, ly Hills. Then I chose to come wealth and power that dominate “home” to Ketchum after the contemporary American values, Peace Corps (where we were given from politics to housing. While an allowance of a barely adequate the media is descrying this latest $200 a month). example of greed and the abuse of Money in itself has never been a material achievement, we can also priority for me, a fact I am relucsee how the excessive coverage of JoEllen Collins—a longtime tantly owning in my non-affluent and pandering to media celebrities resident of the Wood River “retirement” years. I am dismayed like the Kardashians is partly re- Valley— is an Idaho Press by what I perceive as a widening Club award-winning columsponsible. gap between the haves and the I grew up in a family that had ex- nist, a teacher, writer, fabric have-nots in our country and, sadartist, choir member and perienced some material comfort unabashedly proud grandma ly, even in my beloved community. in San Francisco until we moved known as “Bibi Jo.” Lately, the affordable housing isto Southern California due to sue has given voice to vitriol, anmedical necessities and post-war changes in op- ger and rhetoric that I cannot stomach. portunities for my father, a highly successful raI am horrified that affluence and entitlement dio announcer unable to transition to television. have permeated the world of higher education, I don’t recall ever feeling “entitled” to anything but I think Stephen Colbert was right when except the love of my family. My teenage years he commented on the idea that “Everything is in the San Fernando Valley were not defined by rigged for the wealthy and famous.” He paused, fancy cars or clothes, travel to exotic places, or smirked and said, “You’re absolutely right!” assumed access to expensive education. It was a I hope we get away from “reality” television wonderful life for me, without the temptations and social media and return to the reality of love of vast wealth one could soon see through cov- and respect between our friends and neighbors. erage of celebrities and wealthy homes to desire,

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

GUEST COMMENTARY JULIE LYNN

Expand Medicaid In A ‘Healthy’ Fiscally Responsible Way Idahoans voted to expand Medicaid by 60.6 percent. The idea that the legislature should pass a “clean” expansion without controlling costs is like giving your college student a credit card—a recipe for disaster. Let us find an Idaho solution that works for everyone and does not burden Idaho’s overall budget. It is important for recipients to have some financial participation in the process and personal responsibility to encourage patients to seek more value for their care. Here are a few ideas about how to expand Medicaid to the working poor. •

• •

•

Offer free-market solutions, too. Allow eligible recipients to purchase policies on the www. youridahohealth.org exchange. Currently, people who earn less than $12,000 a year can’t purchase policies on the exchange. Allowing folks to purchase plans on the exchange would also put them in charge of their care and pocketbook. This will also encourage patients to seek more value. As the recipients earn more, they will be kicked off of Medicaid, which could interrupt their healthcare. A market-based option would provide easier transitions as people grow their way out of poverty. Allow people to purchase catastrophic health insurance policies that meet their needs and not require all of umpteen requirements that the Affordable Care Act forces on everyone. Require Medicaid Expansion recipients to pay small monthly premiums and co-pays. This would encourage people to spend wisely. Adding things like higher co-pays for non-emergency visits to ERs would also help control costs. This is a better option than having work requirements, which are expensive for the state to administer. Structure the expansion in a way that it is a help up rather than a hand out. Help recipients transition off of Medicaid and onto the health exchange or into a catastrophic policy so they don’t have gaps in health insurance and healthcare. When one is struggling to get out of poverty, having the peace of mind that you are covered if some medical crisis emerges gives hope. Encourage patients with chronic illness to develop a relationship with a primary care doctor to help manage their illnesses to hopefully avoid down-the-line serious surgeries for things like amputations due to complications from diabetes.

There are good reasons to expand Medicaid for the working poor. Expanding Medicaid will bring more federal dollars to pay for indigent care from the county on up. The biggest and best reason is that an estimated 62,000 people (in that gap between not being poor enough for Medicaid and not making enough to buy insurance on the exchange) will have access to healthcare! There are also good reasons not to simply expand Medicaid. There are few incentives to control costs in the current system. The Medicaid billing and claim system is poor, antiquated and costly, which contributes to upward pressures on healthcare costs and insurance premiums. In closing, our entire healthcare system needs a major overhaul to control costs and provide quality healthcare while steering away from costly government-sponsored care. There needs to be pricing transparency and transparency of quality of services provided so that all of the stakeholders—i.e., taxpayers, caregivers, carriers and patients—get fair value and patients receive quality services. Let us find practical, workable ways to expand Medicaid. Julie Lynn is a Ketchum resident

GUEST COMMENTARY REBECCA SCHROEDER

Our Votes Cannot Be Taken For Granted

If the voters of Idaho don’t act quickly and decisively, the 2019 legislative session may go down as the year we all lost a cherished constitutional right: the right to take matters into our own hands when our elected leaders refuse to. We did just that with Medicaid Expansion. Nearly two-thirds of the state voted last year to bring healthcare access to tens of thousands of our family members, friends and neighbors. It passed in 29 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts and 35 of our 44 counties. In a day and age when our political divide is almost unprecedented, getting nearly two-thirds of voters to agree on anything is just short of a miracle. Unfortunately, your elected leaders don’t care. Just this week, Rep. John Vander Woude introduced the latest version of his Medicaid Expansion Restrictions Bill, which takes aim at the working poor earning between 100 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level, requiring them to stay on private insurance even if they would qualify for Medicaid Expansion. His new bill also retains work restrictions, which Idaho’s Health and Welfare Department estimates will kick between 6,500 and 13,000 otherwise eligible people off of healthcare. This “second gap” would be forced to seek costly medical care at emergency rooms throughout the state, which you and I will pay for. Eliminating the emergency room problem was one of the primary purposes of passing Medicaid Expansion in the first place. Vander Woude’s five-page bill would cost us millions of dollars to administer while denying healthcare to thousands. As if completely changing the legislation you voted for is not enough, your very ability to vote for ballot initiatives is being attacked, as well. Senator C. Scott Grow’s anti-initiative bill would essentially repeal this citizen right, which has been in Idaho’s constitution for more than 100 years. It would require tens of thousands more signatures, in almost every Idaho legislative district, and cut the time to do it by 66 percent. It also aims to confuse voters by requiring they know the legislative district they live in instead of the county. All in all, it would deny every Idahoan a century-old constitutional right, which brought us Medicaid Expansion last year. What makes Grow’s bill even more suspicious is the revelation last week that he was/is working with a lobbyist for the payday loan industry—specifically, Moneytree. You may wonder what payday loans and ballot initiatives have in common. Just ask Colorado voters. They overwhelmingly (77 percent) voted last year to regulate payday lenders. How did they do it? Citizen ballot initiative. Moneytree has locations not only in Colorado, but Idaho, Washington, California and Nevada. What do all of those states have in common? They all have citizen ballot initiative laws. As Idahoans, we can (and do) disagree on a lot of things. Medicaid Expansion isn’t one of them. Neither is the desire to protect our constitutional rights. Tell your elected lawmakers you knew what you voted for last November and that you expect them to honor and protect your rights as citizens. Find your elected state leaders at https:// legislature.idaho.gov/legislators/whosmylegislator and make sure your voice is heard. Rebecca Schroeder is the executive director of Reclaim Idaho.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR JULIE LYNN

Thanks For All The Snow Removal

One morning, after days and days of snowfall in February, I walked out to the garage and found that the plows had come! Yippee! After a little work on my part, I could get about town to do my business. My heart soared, and I thought thank you, thank you, thank you to all the men and women who plow our streets and continue to work so that we can move about the community. Thank you city, county and private contractors, including roof shovelers. In the wee hours of the morning, I am comforted by the sounds of heavy equipment moving snow to keep our roads accessible and the quiet hum of the groomer on the bike path. You’ve been able to clear our roads, roofs and remove snow despite record snowfall. I know that you have worked long hours, lost sleep and opportunities to eat regularly. I appreciate your service to our communities. Be safe. Julie Lynn Ketchum resident Submit A Letter To The Editor Do you have a response to a story or letter we’ve published, or some new thoughts you’d like to share with the community? Submit a letter to the editor. Please include your full name and in which city you reside (unincorporated Blaine County if you live outside city limits). Published letters don’t necessarily reflect the opinion of The Weekly Sun or any of its staff members. Email letters to publisher@theweeklysun.com.

T H E W E E K LY S U N • M A R C H 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

Submit A Pet Obituary

“Frankie” — 2003-2018

Brand New For 2019: Honor the memory of your pet in The Weekly Sun. This year, we’re offering 20% OFF our regular obituary rate for pet obituaries. Pet obituaries cost just 16¢ per word and include a large color photo.

SUN CALENDAR THE WEEKLY

EVENT FEATURE

To reserve space for an obituary or pet obituary, call Brennan at (208) 720-1295.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott was Woody Guthrie’s last musical partner, and a mentor to Bob Dylan, among others. Photo credit: Sun Valley Records

SUN VALLEY RECORDS WILL PRESENT RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT

Legendary folksinger to perform at Sun Valley Opera House BY DANA DUGAN

NEWS IN BRIEF

Head-on Collision Kills Twin Falls Woman

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, at approximately 6:37 a.m., Idaho State Police investigated a two-vehicle fatality crash on State Highway 46 at milepost 102 two miles north of Wendell. Daniel Cruz Ortiz, 21, of Wendell, was driving southbound on SH46 in a 2009 Dodge 1500 pickup. Jessie Otton, 26, of Twin Falls, was driving northbound on SH46 in a 2001 Chevrolet Blazer. Ortiz fell asleep, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the Chevrolet Blazer. Otton succumbed to her injuries on scene. All occupants were wearing a seatbelt. Otton’s juvenile passenger was transported by air ambulance to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. The juvenile passenger was wearing a seatbelt. Idaho State Police was assisted by Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, Wendell Fire Department, and the Idaho Transportation Department.

Steelhead Fishing Gets More Predictable

Idaho’s congressional delegation announced today that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued Idaho an incidental take permit for steelhead fishing, providing reliability to Idaho’s outfitters and guides for the upcoming season and to the local communities that rely on the commerce steelhead fishing generates. After working to resolve the issue for months, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher applauded the news. “Steelhead fishing is a cherished pastime among Idahoans and a critical economic driver in small communities,” said Senator Risch. “We have been working closely with NOAA to ensure that steelhead fishing is protected, and I am pleased that sportsmen, outfitters and guides and the communities that rely on them will have predictability going into the future.”

Driver And Passenger Flee I-84 Accident Scene

On Sunday, March 17, 2019, at approximately 12:54 a.m., Idaho State Police received a call for a wrong-way driver traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-84 near milepost 155, the Wendell exit. The vehicle crashed near milepost 147, the Tuttle exit, at approximately 1:02 a.m. An unknown driver and his passenger, who fled the scene on foot, were in a 2008 Saturn Vue traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes on I-84. Demetri Kondratyuk, 22, of Lincoln, Neb., was driving a 2004 Audi A4 eastbound on I-84. The vehicles collided head-on near milepost 147, the Tuttle exit. Kondratyuk and his passenger, Bogdan Kondratyuk, 19, also of Lincoln, Neb., were transported by ground ambulance to North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding. Demetri and Bogdan were wearing seatbelts.

olk music and its early innovators are as American a musical tradition as jazz and the blues. For its inaugural public concert, the newly formed Sun Valley Records will present Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, one of those innovators, at the Sun Valley Opera House, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2. Graham Guest will open the show. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1931, Elliott was actually Ramblin’ Jack’s first name. He ran away from home at 15 to join a rodeo, where a cowboy taught him his first licks on a guitar. Though he was brought home three months later, the seeds to become a traveling troubadour were planted. Elliott met Woody Guthrie in 1950, and absorbed his style and songs while touring with him. In turn, Elliott became a mentor and influence on Guthrie’s son, Arlo, and a young folkie named Bob Dylan, along with Phil Ochs, Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, The Grateful Dead and many others. Elliott’s nickname is a reference to the myriad stories he relates rather than his traveling ways. Throughout his legendary career, Elliott has performed as an interpretative troubadour who introduces old songs to audiences in his unique ramblin’ manner. He won his first Grammy Award in 1995, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1998. “We discovered he would be on tour and realized Sun Valley Records could honor him,” said Elizabeth Hendrix, a principal with the organization. “He’s a legendary musician.” An independent distributor and label services company, Sun Valley Records is the brainchild of Wood River Valley residents Don Zimmer and Hendrix, who met and conceived of the company at the Ketchum Innovation Center. Its mission is to aid musicians in growing their careers through distribution and support. “We met at KIC—he was in music, while I was working on

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is the granddaddy of folk music, and has the stories to prove it. Photo credit: Sun Valley Records

fundraising for film projects,” Hendrix said. “Our worlds just collided. We’re really trying to promote the local music scene. We’re also into collaboration; it’s a different mentality, community-based, music-centric looking for solutions for musicians. Sun Valley Records wants to be openhearted, and be responsive to things that come up. Bringing Ramblin’ Jack here is a special opportunity.” Online, Sun Valley Records offers CDs and musician links, and also has a Musician Fund for tax-deductible donations managed by a separate entity, financial advisor Mark George. “We honor original content and new original music, and have made it available in a way that gives the artist a bigger return,” Zimmer said. “What else can we do? Let’s help with better gigs, better promotion, and be a friend to local musicians.” For its first concert, they approached Elliott, whom they met through another project, “Life on the Water,” of which Zimmer is the producer. The proj-

ect makes short documentaries about people who live on the water. Elliott is the subject of one of these films. “Jack is an avid sailor,” Hendrix said. “We want to screen the documentary here, eventually.” At the concert, there will be a raffle for tickets to the screening of the Jack Elliott “Life on the Water” documentary. Sun Valley Records will also offer discounts to the concert for local musicians. And 10 percent of profits will go to the Sun Valley Records Musician Fund. Sun Valley Records also produced “Keepin’ It Local,” a compilation of music by 22 local musicians, such as Sequestrada, Bruce Innes, Mia Edsell, and Old Death Whisper. It is available for sale at The Community Library, for which it benefits. For more information about the concert and about Sun Valley Records, visit sunvalleyrecords. com. Tickets are also available through ticketfly or Sun Valley Resort at (208) 622-2135. tws

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EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE STORY TIME WED MAR 20 & FRI MAR 22

10:30-11:30AM / HAILEY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Story Time is held weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Hailey Public Library. All ages are welcome. Parents should plan on staying with their children. For more information, call (208) 788-2036.

UPBEAT WITH ALASDAIR WED MAR 20

6:30PM / COMMUNITY LIBRARY / KETCHUM

Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Director Alasdair Neale will host the free lecture series, Upbeat with Alasdair, titled “Meet Mason Bates, Musical America’s Composer of the Year.” The conversation between Neale and Bates will provide an overview of Bates’s work, including three pieces the Symphony will feature during Bates’s residency this summer. Bates is the most-performed composer of his generation and serves as composer-in-residence at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. RSVP at info@svsummersymphony.org or call (208) 622-5607.

KETCHUM COMMUNITY DINNERS WED MAR 20

6-7PM / CHURCH OF THE BIG WOOD / KETCHUM Free hot dinners are provided weekly to everyone. Find Ketchum Community Dinners on Facebook for more information and weekly menu updates.

LINE DANCING WED MAR 20

6-7PM / THE MINT / HAILEY

Dust off your boots and join Vicki Aberbach for a line dancing lesson. The fee is $10. There will be an open dance afterwards to practice getting those boots movin’.

TRIVIA & COCKTAILS WED MAR 20

7-9PM / HOTEL KETCHUM / KETCHUM There will be two trivia games every Wednesday night through the season, along with drink specials and prizes for place winners. There is no entry free. Bring yourself and your friends, because you deserve a night of games and specialty cocktails! Hotel Ketchum is located at 151 S. Main St.

THEATRE & FILM SCHOOL AUDITIONS THU MAR 21 3-5PM / BALLET & ARTS CENTER / HAILEY

The Sun Valley Ballet & Arts Center will hold open auditions for its Children’s Theater and Film School, weekly. The Sun Valley Ballet & Arts Center is located 111 N. 1st Ave. in Hailey. For more information, contact (208) 366-4008 or svbartsdirector@gmail.com.