The Courier
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
News
September 20, 2017
The Vandalism of History
The vandalism of statues is big news across America. While some of these events are connected to civil war monuments and the issue of slavery, this sort of crime has expanded to various statues that have little or no connection to the oppression of people. In fact, the perpetrators of these crimes have targeted (in error?) several monuments that promote peace and harmony between various people groups. The problem is, once people start thinking it is okay to protest something with violence, criminals start using this sort of behavior to cloak themselves with “civil rights” protection. The truth is that people who do this are criminals - nothing more, nothing less. Here in Idaho, it is easy to believe that we are safe from this sort of thing. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Several years ago, a hand-carved sign was stolen off of the Johnson Hill lookout south of Fairfield. Last year, someone took a sledgehammer to the welcome sign at that same location. And most recently, an individual drove a vehicle into the Sheep Monument at the north end of Hagerman. Whether it was greed, misplaced hatred, drunken stupidity, or just a foolish mistake, the result is the same - all of these communities have been grieved by a senseless act of violence. The easy response is to give in to political intimidation or to give up on simple human decency, but where would that leave us? In the tyrannical hands of a few spiteful individuals. Fortunately, we Idahoans are made of stout material and the communities that have suffered these events are fighting back. Folks in Camas County have repaired the damaged “Welcome” sign and are in the process of replacing the one that was stolen. Also, in a couple of months a special display will be installed at the Soldier Mountain Ski resort (watch for more information). In Hagerman, the Historical Society is raising funds to restore the damaged Sheep Monument which was donated to the community in 2013 by Bill & Deloris Jones in memory of his parents, Johnny and Ethel Jones, and the many other pioneer sheep families. If you would like to donate to this restoration project, contact the Hagerman Historical Society at P.O. Box 86, Hagerman, ID 83332.
Vandalism and violence only win when we give in.
Vol 41 ~ Num 38
Fire Restrictions Lifted For Sawtooth Forest
On Sunday, September 17th, fire managers lifted fire restrictions for the Sawtooth North Zone. This area includes federal, state and private forest, rangelands, roads and trails situated in Blaine, Camas, Custer, and Elmore counties. These areas are located within the Sawtooth North zone and are described below: Sawtooth North Zone All Sawtooth National Forest, Twin Falls District BLM, and Idaho State and private lands north of Highway 20 to the northern most Sawtooth National Forest boundary. From Hill City east to the Craters of the Moon National Park Visitor Center. While the need for open burning restrictions has decreased in some areas, fire managers would like to remind the public that the accidental start of a wildfire can still be devastating. Be alert and be aware. Follow these tips to help prevent wildfire:
> NEVER leave a camp fire unattended > Keep water, dirt and a shovel near your fire at all times > Make sure your fire is dead out and cold to the touch before you leave it > Never use fireworks, exploding targets or tracer rounds on or near public land.
Do your part to keep the Magic Valley safe from wildfire. One Less Spark means One Less Wildfire. If you are planning a visit to public lands in these areas, please check with the Sawtooth Ranger District offices www. fs.usda.gov/sawtooth, the Twin Falls District BLM www.blm. gov/idaho, or visit www.idahofireinfo.com or Idaho Fire Info on Facebook.
Donate Your Wings
With many upland game bird seasons open, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking hunters to donate a fully feathered wing for each bird they harvest. Because juvenile and adult birds molt their wing feathers differently, biologists can use this information to estimate chick production that year. Hunters can provide their wings to Fish and Game in a variety of ways. To find out how, go online to https://idfg. idaho.gov/rules/upland