20 February 2019

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FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2019 | V O L . 1 2 - N O . 8 | W W W . T H E W E E K L Y S U N . C O M

Idaho News ‘Gerrymandering’ Proposal Is Put On Ice

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Municipal News Joint Meeting: Ketchum, SV To Discuss Fire, Police Merger

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Transportation News ‘Blinking Light’ Intersection To Be Improved…By 2025

“ S a v i n g o n e d o g w i l l n o t c h a n g e t h e w o r l d , b u t s u r e l y f o r t h a t o n e d o g , t h e w o r l d w i l l c h a n g e f o r e v e r . ” ~ Karen Davison

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For information about this photo, see “On The Cover” on page 3. Photo credit: Mountain Humane

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

Governor Makes Life-Saving Drug Easier To Get

A drug that can be quickly administered to an individual having an opioid overdose will be easier to dispense, thanks to a bill passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Brad Little last week. The drug, called Naloxone, is so effective that it can sometimes bring someone back to life shortly after an overdose.

“Sometimes, legislation really can be the difference between life and death,” said bill sponsor Senator David Nelson (D-Moscow). Representative Jake Ellis (D-Boise), a former first responder, joined Nelson at the signing ceremony. Ellis said he witnessed over 50 lives saved by the drug.

“During my time as a first responder, I came to understand the importance of making this drug more accessible,” Ellis said. “Naxolone will be invaluable to people who know that they must act quickly to save someone. There is no reason that we should deny people a second chance at life.”

Burley Woman Bails From Vehicle On I-84

For reasons currently unknown, a driver exited her vehicle on the driver’s side while heading eastbound on Interstate 84 in the early hours of Monday morning.

Maribel Villeda, 33, of Burley, was driving in a 2006 Ford F-150 along with her passenger, Aguilar-Romero Cruz Lorenzo, 26, of Mexico. Sergio Ramirez Cornejo, 21, of King Hill, was driving behind the Ford F-150 in a 2000 Freightliner commercial vehicle pulling a trailer. Ramirez Cornejo swerved to avoid striking Villeda who was in the roadway, but struck the rear of the Ford F-150. Villeda’s vehicle stopped in the lane of travel and the commercial vehicle came to rest in the median.

Villeda was transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls. Villeda and her passenger were not wearing seatbelts. Ramirez Cornejo was wearing a seatbelt.

For Sale: Soldier Mountain

A skiers’ haven the past 70 years is once again available to the highest bidder. Matt and Diane McFerran have put their ski resort property on the Idaho real estate market. Since buying the 2,000-acre Fairfield property, the McFerrans made continuous improvements to the lodge, cat skiing areas, equipment, and marketing efforts.

The McFerrans have invested substantially in the property, but to truly realize the resort’s potential, Soldier needs the capital for improvements like snowmaking equipment for the main runs, their announcement said.

“A new owner could be as involved as they want to be,” Matt McFerran says. “This is a turnkey operation. We want to see Soldier Mountain thrive, and we’re willing to help to make that happen.”

A new owner would have the option of keeping the McFerrans on to run day-today operations. The future the McFerrans see for Soldier is within view—the ski area is centrally located between the southern Idaho towns of Boise, Ketchum/Sun Valley, and Twin Falls—with increasing numbers of skiers visiting from out of the area to experience Soldier’s pristine snow. Soldier’s new owner will also have a relationship with a key partner: the U.S. Forest Service, which leases land to the ski area.

“We have the best relationship with the Forest Service,” Diane McFerran says. “It’s a super-strong partnership.”

That partnership includes proposed access to a backcountry yurt that could be rented year-round. Soldier Mountain offers recreational opportunities 12 months a year. In the summer, the area is known for its scenic hiking. Mountain biking opportunities are in the works.

Open Land To Become More Open For Recreation

Public access to shooting ranges and public awareness of hunting, fishing and other recreational areas figures to spike across the western United States, thanks to a package of bipartisan bills passed by the U.S. Senate last week. One particular bill, sponsored by Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), would also commit funding to improve a recreation facility at Smith Gulch, near Salmon and North Fork, in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

The Natural Resources Management Act reflects a bipartisan Senate-House agreement to bundle together over 100 individual lands bills. Proponents say the package strikes a balance between creating new opportunities for natural resource and community development, primarily in Western states, with limited, locally supported conservation.

Detectives Confiscate Pet Shop’s CBD Oil Products

Blaine County Sheriff’s deputies last week confiscated a number of products containing CDB oil from the popular Thunderpaws Pet Shoppe in Hailey. According to shop owner Dain Hamilton, detectives told him a concerned citizen filed a report claiming the products contained THC. CBD is a non-psychoactive component of the hemp plant. THC is the psychoactive component, which is illegal in Idaho.

Hamilton began selling the homeopathic treatments at both his Ketchum and Hailey pet stores last May and he believes there was no THC in any of the three brands he was selling at his store.

“I did my homework last year, checked all the rules, and here we are,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said detectives are testing the product for THC now. There is no specific timetable for the results.

“They said turnaround is pretty quick, so I’m guessing weeks, not months,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton called Ketchum police to ask what he should do with product at the store there. They instructed him to stop selling it and try to get a refund from the suppliers, Hamilton said.

“All products are off the shelves, but not all suppliers want to cooperate with refunds, so I’m waiting to see what the test results show,” Hamilton explained.

Two Dead In I-84 Head-On Collision

On Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at approximately 8:56 p.m., Idaho State Police investigated a two-vehicle fatality crash on westbound I-84 at milepost 199.6, west of Burley.

Jennifer Thompson, 39, of Hagerman, was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of travel on I-84 in a 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup. Ryan Cordie, 21, of Aitkin, Minn., was driving westbound on I-84 in a 2008 Chevy Silverado crew cab pickup.

Thompson struck Cordie head-on. Thompson succumbed to her injuries on scene.

One of Cordie’s passengers, Monica Buchite, 21, of Baxter, Minn., succumbed to her injuries on scene. All occupants were wearing their seatbelts.

Ryan and another of his passengers, Karrie Cordie, 44, of McGrath, Minn., were transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance.

The westbound lanes of traffic were blocked for approximately four hours. Idaho State Police was assisted by the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office.

From all of us at Mountain Humane

T H A N K YO U !

WOW! Or, as we like to say around here, MEOW! Thank you to all of you who supported Mountain Humane by donating, adopting, volunteering, and showing up in droves for our fun-filled Grand Opening Celebration on President’s Day! To all of you who have been working your tails off to complete our incredible new Animal Adoption and Humane Education Campus, we appreciate you. With over 1000 people of all ages showing up to explore the facility, Mountain Humane certainly feels like the vibrant community hub that we have long dreamed that it would become!

If you didn’t make it to the party, come see us in our beautiful new home at 101 Croy Creek Rd! We’ll be running group tours at 4pm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday if you’d like a more in-depth look at the facility. The dogs, cats, rats, bunnies, and humans look forward to seeing you! Visit us at mountainhumane.org for more information.

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

THE WEEKLY SUN CONTENTS

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FLY SUN

The 12th annual Family of Woman Film Festival will be held next Monday through Sunday, Feb. 25 through March 3. The films will be screened at Magic Lantern Cinemas in Ketchum. For a story, see page 12. Photo credit: Family of Woman Film Festival

THIS WEEK

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2019 | VOL. 12 NO. 8

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Education News

School Board Approves New Drug Curriculum

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Commentary

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Calendar

Award Winning Columns, Letters To The Editor

Stay In The Loop On Where To Be

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ON THE COVER

Mountain Humane celebrated the grand opening of its new facility out Croy Canyon, west of Hailey, on Monday, Feb. 18. From left to right: “Bernard,” Executive Director Jo-Anne Dixon, Board President Jan Main, Associate Director Brooke Bonner and “Miss Kitty.” For more photos of the ceremony, see pages 8-9. Photo credit: Mountain Humane

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THE WEEKLY SUN STAFF 13 W. Carbonate St. • P.O. Box 2711 Hailey, Idaho 83333 Phone: 208.928.7186 Fax: 208.928.7187 AD SALES Brennan Rego • 208.720.1295 • brennan@theweeklysun.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine • news@theweeklysun.com ARTS & EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dana DuGan • calendar@theweeklysun.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey STAFF REPORTERS • Aimée Durand • Hayden Seder • Emilee Struss news@theweeklysun.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Mandi Iverson • 208.721.7588 • mandi@theweeklysun.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN Chris Seldon • production@theweeklysun.com

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 20 - 26, 2019

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Designer License Plates Could Spell Help For Spay And Neuter Programs

The bill that would create a pet-themed license plate and give all proceeds to the Idaho Humane Society is moving forward. The funds would benefit low-cost spay and neuter programs in rural Idaho.

Rep. Hy Kloc (D-Boise) has been working on this bill for several years but was met with opposition in the past. With the assistance of a number of co-sponsors this year, he will try again to pass this bill aimed at controlling pet overpopulation. Last year, the legislation was defeated on the floor with a 31-31 vote. However, the makeup of the legislature had changed and several legislators have indicated that they are willing to support the bill.

New Law Would Let Old Theaters Sell Alcohol

A bill to allow historic theaters to sell alcohol passed its first legislative hurdle Monday, receiving committee approval to head to the House floor. The bill will allow a theater that was built before 1950 and on the historic register to sell alcohol. Currently, there are approximately 13 historic theaters that could benefit from the legislation, if they choose.

“Historic theaters can use the opportunity to increase revenues, which will help them remain viable in their local communities. Providing revenue opportunities that offer historic value to communities is important, and it is why I sponsored this bill,” Representative Mat Erpelding, sponsor of the bill, said.

The bill now heads to the House floor for a vote. Rep. Erpelding said he expects the bill to get bipartisan support because the theaters that would be affected are spread out across the state.

“There are historic theaters who are asking for this legislation from Boise to Moscow to Sandpoint,” Erpelding explained. “I think we all understand the value of historic buildings and want to do everything possible to keep them afloat. The way I see it, this is the best thing we can do to ensure that we keep historic theaters in Idaho.”

Ketchum Catches The Eye Of New York City

The travel section of The New York Times featured five spots they say anyone in or passing through Ketchum should hit up. Number one on their list was The Covey, a new restaurant serving “New American” food in a building resembling a small red barn. Maude’s Coffee & Clothes, Johnny G’s Subshack, Apple’s Bar & Grill, and The Lounge at the Limelight Hotel rounded out the top five.

Lawmakers OK Bill To Donate Drugs

A bill to expand the scope of prescription drug donations in Idaho has cleared a key hurdle, passing in the House unanimously. The Legend Drug Donation Bill would broaden the types of organizations that can accept donated prescription drugs which would then be prescribed to low-income Idaho residents. It also would allow members of the general public to donate unused prescription drugs so long as they meet specifications under the law.

Under the bill sponsored by Rep. Sue Chew (D-Boise), long-term facilities, nursing homes, community health centers, free medical clinics, designated regional behavioral health centers and certain state charitable institutions could accept donations of prescription drugs.

“Prescription drug costs are out of control in this country and they’re only going to get worse,” Chew said. “If we can establish a system where unused medications can help those who can’t afford them, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Only Idaho residents may receive donated prescription drugs under the bill. They also must be ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid and be unable to afford private prescription drug insurance.

Chew’s legislation also sets standards for what kinds of prescription drugs can be donated, what condition they must be in and how old they can be.

“This bill is intended for the neediest of our citizens, the ones who truly have no other option to get their medicine,” Chew added.

New Gardening Classes In Bloom At Botanical Garden

Registration for an offshoot of a popular gardening course at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden is now open. Due to the popularity of the Master Gardener course, SBG is offering a “Gardening Boot Camp” series of classes that will address some similar components as those offered by the Master Gardener series.

Gardening Boot Camp will offer pre-season coursework on topics such as soils, irrigation, local food growing, pruning and more. The six-session course may be taken in full for a discount or as individual classes. SBG members will receive a discount.

Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays starting this Saturday and concluding in March. The full schedule is available at sbgarden.org. Instructors for the Gardening Boot Camp course include local experts such as landscape architects and designers, certified arborists, and horticulturists.

“Because Master Gardener filled so quickly and a wait list populated as rapidly, we decided to offer supplemental programming to accommodate those on the wait list,” SBG executive director Jen Smith said.

For more information, visit www.sbgarden.org or call (208) 726-9358. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is located at 11 Gimlet Road, four miles south of Ketchum.

District 26. Map credit: Idaho Legislature

DEMS ACCUSE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS OF A POWER GRAB

Constitution change would add a seventh member to a currently bipartisan group

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

number of Democratic lawmakers in Idaho are giving an icy reception to a proposed constitutional amendment that would change the bipartisan makeup of the group in charge of voter redistricting, describing it as a surefire way for Republicans to gerrymander elections and subvert a voter-passed initiative that is nearly three decades old.

The minority party can rest easy, for now at least, since the resolution was sent back to committee Feb. 12 where it may be held for the remainder of the legislative session. However, it remains to be seen whether Republican supporters will scrap Statewide district map. Map credit: it altogether, move it to the floor Idaho Legislature anyway, or bring it back in some form next year.

“Put simply, this will gerrymander Idaho, and make Idaho even more partisan,” Rep. Mat Erpelding (D-Boise) said. “Our current system ensures collaboration and fairness. All Idahoans have the right to free and fair elections. Gerrymandering is the scourge of U.S. politics and Idaho is heading that way.”

The current system is the so-called Idaho Commission on Reapportionment. It’s made up of six members, three Republican and three Democrat, who every 10 years take new census data and create voting districts based on population, rather than—at least in theory—party or class. The group must come to a two-thirds vote for their recommendations to take effect. Idaho is not considered a gerrymandered state due to the current system.

The commission is slated to meet next in 2021 to redraw districts after results of the 2020 census have been collected.

“The three-to-three balance means the committee has to work together to get their desired result. That’s good governance,” Rep. John Gannon (D-Boise) said. Put another way, anti-gerrymandering folks would say voters are supposed to choose their representatives, not the other way around.

But any even-numbered voting committee can also be a recipe for gridlock. And in 2011, the commission had to be dissolved and new members appointed after a 90-day deadlock pushed the limits of election deadlines for district mapping. State legislative staff described that experience as “stressful.”

Rep. Steve Harris (R-Meridian) sponsored the resolution. He was unable to return calls or emails prior to deadline. However, the aim of the proposal was to allow five elected officials—the governor, lieutenant governor, state controller, state treasurer and state superintendent of public instruction—to select the seventh and tie-breaking committee member.

“Passing this bill would allow Republicans to eliminate any political enemies, Democrat or Republican,” Erpelding explained. “It eliminates a bipartisan process and creates a perverse process in which decisions will be made behind closed doors and acted out in public. When the amendment to create the commission passed, it was because Idahoans demanded transparency in government, not secret deals determined in a smoke-filled backroom. That is not the best way to have an effective government.” tws

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 20 - 26, 2019

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A tale of two city councils

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BY ERIC VALENTINE

ome major mergers may be discussed in smoke-filled boardrooms, but in the Wood River Valley one will be discussed in a brightly-lit swank hotel. On Feb. 25, the Limelight Hotel will play host to a joint session between the Ketchum and Sun Valley city councils. The topic? Whether to join forces when it comes to providing fire, police and emergency medical services to residents here.

For both cities’ mayors, there is a belief that a merger would be a winwin for everyone, especially when it comes to funding any new facilities or facility upgrades. But the devil is in the details, and those are what will be discussed Monday at the joint session.

By early March, both Ketchum and Sun Valley city councils will digest the information, receive more detailed budget estimates, and then vote on whether it is best to provide this resort area with emergency services jointly, or to continue going it alone. The Ketchum City Council meeting will be held March 4; Sun Valley’s will be March 7.

“The driving force behind this is: Does it help the city put residents, businesses and visitors in a better place with first responders?” Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks said. “We’re encouraging the public to attend both meetings (the Feb. 25 joint session and the individual city council meetings in March) to understand the logistics and to ask questions or offer comments.”

The session will be led by Walt Femling, Director of Public Safety for the City of Sun Valley. Femling will present the councils with the logistics of the merger, allowing time for council members to ask questions and comment on the plan. After that, the public will be allowed to do the same. Each person who wants to address the matter will be given three minutes to speak.

The meetings come on the heels of a report by former Ketchum Interim Fire Chief Marcus Kragness that, among a number of insights, described the Ketchum fire department facility as “deplorable.”

“The staff deserves a safe, clean and functional space to maximize their effectiveness,” Kragness stated in the report—a formal SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw hired him to pen.

The report also comes less than three years after voters rejected a $23.1 million bond measure that would have funded fire, police, emergency services and city administration offices.

“Improving our services when it comes to public safety has always been the goal—it’s not about saving money,” Bradshaw said. “We feel confident we have broad community support.”

Costs That’s not to say the merger won’t save money for one city or both, Hendricks noted. Example: Sun Valley knows it needs a new tanker truck soon. The cost? In the neighborhood of $1 mil-

NEWS IN BRIEF

lion. But often that asset will go unused, making it available for another jurisdiction to borrow as needed, a common practice among smaller cities and counties. A merger would, in theory, cut that price tag in half for both cities.

Nonetheless, the two cities spend vastly different amounts for these services now. For instance, the Ketchum fire protection budget reaches nearly $11 million per year, while the Sun Valley ledger reaches about $5.4 million annually. Both mayors said basic budget information would be presented Feb. 25 and more detailed cost-savings analysis would be brought forward at the individual council meetings in March.

Something city leadership and residents must consider is the longer-term implications of a merger. If the cities want to, say, build a new facility, that move would likely need a voter-approved bond to pay for it. That means more voters to convince. And given the SWOT analysis findings, new facilities are more of a dire need than a nice-to-have.

Now Playing

Location, location, location The cities have remained tight-lipped about the potential whereabouts of any new facilities, since a merger could require the cities to purchase private land. However, certain options, like the Festival Meadows property along Sun Valley Road, could house some facilities.

Next move If the Feb. 25 session doesn’t hit any unforeseen roadblocks, the two city councils will vote on the merger individually at their respective March sessions. From there, a few things would still need to happen. Primarily, the organizations and agencies who are currently under contract to provide services to Ketchum and Sun Valley would need to have those contracts revisited. Hendricks said that process could take them well into May, making a June start to the merger the most likely scenario.

OPEN MEETINGS

tws

Ketchum and Sun Valley City Councils Joint Session Feb. 25 | 4:30 p.m.

Limelight Hotel 151 Main St. S. in Ketchum Ketchum City Council March 4 | 4 p.m.

480 East Ave. N. in Ketchum Sun Valley City Council March 7 | 4 p.m.

81 Elkhorn Rd. in Sun Valley

Shhh ... See That Bus

An electric bus will be quietly cruising the Valley from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, making a round trip from Mountain Rides’ southern depot with stops in Bellevue, Hailey, Sun Valley and Ketchum.

Check in at mountainrides.org for schedule specifics. If you can’t take a ride and want to check out the bus and learn more, stop in City Hall at 11:30 a.m. to kick the tires, hear the whispering motor and breathe in the fresh air.

Railroad Bridge Work To Impact US-30 Drivers

SHOSHONE—US-30 west of Bliss to Interstate 84 will be closed while the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge undergoes replacement. Motorists traveling to Bliss via I-84 will need to use Exit 141 from now until fall. The railroad will continue to be operational throughout construction.

Construction work will include installment of a new box culvert as well as utility relocation. The new bridge structure will have an increased width to allow for larger vehicles to pass. Approximately 1.5 miles of US-30 will also be reconstructed as part of this project.

Western Construction, Inc., of Boise, is the contractor for this project.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Sun Valley Ballet Launches Children’s Theater And Film School

Sun Valley Ballet Artistic Director Alexander Tressor and Project Director Mathew Durand have created a Children’s Theater and Film School with the goal, they say, “to educate, enlighten and build strong minds and bodies.”

The curriculum will cover acting, dancing, singing, and set and costume designing. Students will also be introduced to working with sound, cinematography, editing and lighting.

Auditions for this eight-week program begin Thursday, Feb. 21, from 3-5 p.m., and will continue every Thursday.

Company Of Fools Provides Stage For Kids

Company of Fools has announced its 22nd year of Stages of Wonder—an in-school dramatic arts program that has served as the theatre curriculum in local elementary schools since 1997.

The program is made possible in part by the support of the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Geri Herbert, and the Wittenberger Foundation. Stages of Wonder will take place at elementary schools across the Wood River Valley. For information visit the theatre online at companyoffoolstheatre.com.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 20 - 26, 2019

NEWS TRANSPORTATION

‘BLINKING LIGHT’ COLLISIONS SUGGEST DRIVERS ARE IN THE DARK Safety improvements slated ... for 2025

BY HAYDEN SEDER

C

onfusion and unfamiliarity is the likely cause of several “blinking light” intersection accidents over the last decade, recent Idaho Transportation Department research reveals. Yet, plans to do anything more about it aren’t set to begin until 2025.

According to ITD records, between 2008 and 2017 there were 22 crashes at the notorious intersection (formally Timmerman Junction), roughly two or more per year.

Eleven crashes that happened specifically between 2011 and 2015 were all reported as angle collisions resulting from a vehicle from US-20 colliding with a vehicle from SH-75. Two of those 11 crash reports documented driver confusion as the cause (drivers specifically said they believed the intersection was an all-way stop), while another nine cited a simple “failure to yield,” suggesting one motorist, for whatever reason, thought the other motorist was going to stop.

Additionally, seven of the 11 crashes involved at least one motorist from out of state, indicating driver unfamiliarity with the intersection as a potential contributing factor with these crashes. Ten of the 11 crashes occurred during the daytime while pavement was reported as dry, indicating road conditions play little to no factor in the collisions.

Adding to local angst about the notorious intersection is a recent fatality nearby on Highway 75 that killed a 37-year-old Bellevue woman, Georgina Ubence, and sent her husband, 45-year-old Javier Ubence, and the other driver, 20-year-old Kaytlyn Graefe of Shoshone, to the hospital.

Graefe was travelling southbound on State Highway 75 and crossed over the centerline into the northbound lane, striking the Ubences’ car. The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office submitted its investigation to the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and, based on the findings, charges of vehicular manslaughter were determined against Graefe. Graefe was arrested on Jan. 24, 2019, on a Blaine County warrant for the charge by the Shoshone Police Department and booked into the Blaine County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond. She was also charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the August 19 crash.

The blinking light intersection has been an ITD focal point for years. ITD has made numerous changes to Timmerman Junction to improve its safety. Since 1990, ITD has done the following work: • Installed safety treatments in the form of larger/more visible stop signs and warning signs, in-lane rumble strips on US-20, shoulder and centerline rumble strips on SH-75 • Installed intersection warning signs, flashers, lane markings and an overhead flashing light at the intersection

Timmerman Junction at the intersection of US-20/SH-75. Photo credit: Idaho Department of Transportation

• Reduced the speed limit on SH-75 to 45 mph from 55 mph • Narrowed the lanes on SH-75 to 11 feet “Over the last many years, there have been multiple safety improvements made for that intersection,” said Jessica Williams, Public Information Specialist for District 4 of the ITD. “The speed limit was lowered in 2011 as a result of a road safety audit and at that time we also went in and narrowed the lanes on Highway 75, a technique that’s done to further slow traffic and improve safety.”

Williams acknowledged the number of accidents at the intersection is serious, but cautioned that accidents in the general vicinity were not necessarily due to the intersection.

“Oftentimes, we find that crashes occur in a general region and get associated with a specific point but oftentimes it doesn’t have anything to do with some of those crashes,” Williams said.

ITD has a project planned for fiscal year 2025 that will involve installment of a socalled Rural Intersection Conflict Warning System, essentially another installment of signage and lights. But, unlike the current signage and lights, which flash all the time, this system will only activate when cross traffic is approaching.

“If design is completed and funding is available, there’s possibility for advancement of the project,” Williams said. tws

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sun the weekly

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 20 - 26, 2019

7

NEWS EDUCATION

DRUG AWARENESS PROGRAMS WILL BE TAUGHT AS EARLY AS 5TH GRADE New curriculum would target grades 5-8

C

BY HAYDEN SEDER

hildren as young as 10 years old will be taught about the dangers of drug abuse starting with a pilot program this spring, the Blaine County Board of Education unanimously decided last week. By next school year, A young man vaping. Photo credit: the school district will launch a Lindsay Fox via Wikimedia Comcomprehensive curriculum for mons students from fifth to eighth grade aimed at curbing substance abuse and increasing graduation rates among teens.

Concern for the national trend toward vaping in pre-high school students, drug violations by local students, a lack of programming for grades six through seven, and the loss of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program was the impetus behind the district’s new curriculum.

“Our students are encountering drugs at a younger and younger age than they used to, so it’s important that these students, even in the fifth grade, receive an education on drug abuse and staying away from it,” said Kelly Green, school board trustee.

To create the proposed curriculum for each grade, the Blaine County School District Board Wellness Committee assessed the substance problems being seen in schools, what was currently in place in schools to deal with the issues, and where additional resources were needed to curb illegal substance use by Our students are students, said Ellen Mandeville, encountering drugs school board trustee, who serves liaison to the Wellness Comat a younger and as mittee. younger age than they Shedding light on the need for used to, so it’s important enhanced drug awareness eduthat these students, even cation was a variety of data colin the fifth grade, receive lected by the Wellness Commitan education on drug tee and the Drug Coalition who partnered with the school district abuse and staying away in spring 2018. Among the more from it.” startling findings: that of the 24 students who failed to graduate Kelly Green in 2017, nearly half of them had Blaine County School District known substance abuse issues for Board Trustee years.

“One notable outcome of the 2017-2018 Wellness Committee work was the decision to be proactive with student and family substance education in our elementary schools,” Mandeville said. “We wanted students to be forewarned about the negative physical impacts of illegal substance abuse, and thereby forearmed to make wise personal choices.”

Substance abuse awareness and prevention at the fifth-grade level is nothing new. Typically, the D.A.R.E. program educated fifth graders in concert with local law enforcement, but over the last decade the program has been minimized at the elementary level nationally. Law enforcement no longer participates in the program, which has largely been relegated to one week of instruction known as Red Ribbon Week.

The new drug curriculum will be added to the existing Great Body Shop curriculum, which is the overall health program for fifth grade.

Drug prevention and awareness education has not historically been included in any sixth- or seventh-grade curriculums. Instead, focus was placed on a two-week unit on substance abuse held in eighthgrade health class. The new curriculum will add a supplemental education in grades six and seven called Project ALERT. The program has a two-year core curriculum consisting of 11 lessons that are taught once a week. Project ALERT was created and tested by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. Developed over a 10-year period, Project ALERT addresses the pro-drug mindset of today’s teens and effectively increases their likelihood to remain drug free.

A Project ALERT pilot program will take place over three weeks to all seventh-grade students at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School in Ketchum in February and March of 2019. Three lessons will be taught which combine motivating non-use, identifying pressures to use drugs, learning to resist those pressures and practicing resistance skills. This pilot will be used to see how students respond to the curriculum and to gain feedback from the staff. Lessons will be taught by BCSD mental health therapist Laurie Strand.

“We decided this would be a great opportunity to pilot the program that was adopted by the subcommittee charged with looking at curriculum,” Strand said. “After the three sessions, I will gather data from both students and EHSS middle school teachers about moving forward next year by using the full curriculum at WRMS and EHSS.” tws

By Amy Herzog

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sun T H E W E E K LY 8

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2019

the weekly

With schools closed on Wednesday, Feb. 13, due to heavy snowfall, students from various high schools in the Wood River Valley spent the day volunteering through the Flourish Foundation to shovel driveways, such as this one in Hailey. “May the rodents of altruism prevail!” states a news release from Flourish Foundation. Photo credit: Dede Morris

Above and below: Wood River Extreme Ski Joring hosted races on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16-17, at 81 Browning Lane, south of Bellevue. Photo credit: Brennan Rego

Above, left and right: More than 1,0 visited Mountain Humane’s new faci Canyon, west of Hailey, on Monday, grand opening ceremony. Mountain raised $15.5 million of its $16 million the project. More than 500 donors h money, which will in turn allow Mou to achieve its current goal of making state by 2025. Before the new facilit Humane housed an average of 30 do now, it can hold double the capacity “pocket pets” such as hamsters, rab During the opening, three cats and o adopted. Those who missed the ope tour of the facility at 4 p.m. on Tuesd and Saturdays through March. Self-t are also available during open hours 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.). Photo credits: M mane and Brennan Rego

SCENE

00 people ility out Croy Feb. 18, for a n Humane has n goal to fund helped raise the untain Humane g Idaho a no-kill ty, Mountain ogs and 30 cats; y, plus some bbits and ferrets. one dog were ening can take a days, Thursdays tour brochures s (daily between Mountain Hu-

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2019

9

SPONSORED FEATURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Alexandra Brooks grew up skiing on water and snow, both of which she has dropped for wakeboarding and snowboarding. Photo credit: Alyssa Carlson

ALEXANDRA BROOKS

Good books, says Brooks, made a big difference

BY EMILEE MAE STRUSS

W

ood River High School senior Alexandra Brooks took a break from public school in second grade when her parents chose to homeschool the struggling young reader.

“I was one of the youngest in my grade,” Brooks said. “And I got stressed out with all the things we had to do.”

Today, Brooks is proud to share that she is now one of the top readers in her class and steadily holds a 4.0 GPA. She attributes her improvement in reading to simply finding books she enjoys.

“I found books like ‘The Maze Runner’ that were super captivating,” Brooks said. “And then I just didn’t want to stop reading.”

Brooks re-entered public school in eighth grade and her interest and skills in English and languages have since excelled.

She says she realizes in hindsight that it was a “mind-over-matter” type of situation. Brooks is currently enrolled in Astronomy, Government, English, War & Modern World, Applied Math and A.P. Art. “I really like art,” Brooks said.

“This year it has been fun to work with different mediums and making things look like they are moving on two-dimensional paper.”

Brooks also likes to run. She joined the track and field team in elementary school and picked it up again upon returning to public school. She competes in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and the long jump.

“My favorite event is the 100,” Brooks said. “I definitely like the shorter races.”

In the summertime, Brooks shared that she and her family travel almost every weekend to a spot in Hagerman along the Snake River. The location lacks cell service but not recreational opportunities. It’s where Brooks learned to waterski and wakeboard. She enjoys snow skiing but has also made the transition to snowboarding, which she describes as similar to the movement of wakeboarding.

“It was really nice to transition into snowboarding because I already had a feel for it from learning to wakeboard,” Brooks said.

Brooks says that the transition from homeschooling to public school was made easy because of her friendly peers at Wood River High School.

“We have a very spirited school,” Brooks said. “There is something for everyone at our school.”

Next year, Brooks plans to attend Boise State University to study psychology. She has used her mind to power over an obstacle that once seemed impossible to defeat. And now, she is embarking on a journey to discover just how powerful the human mind really is. 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.

COMME N TA RY

10

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 20 - 26, 2019

Fishing R epoRt

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

F

ebruary is often the toughest month of the year for anglers. The distraction of the holidays has come and gone.

We see signs of spring here and there, but inevitably we are set upon by cold nights and winter storms. The days are short and cold and the snowy banks of the rivers challenge us to cover ground without snowshoes or skis. Thanks goodness for fly fishing in February! It allows us opportunities and respite to get ready for another crazy fly fishing season.

The fly tiers are the ones who can really take advantage of this winter month. Using the days and evenings to ready fly boxes for the coming year is a great use of this time. It may mean retying the tried-and-true flies you depend on each season. It may be a case of trying new ideas and testing new theories made under the hot summer sun of the previous year. It may be, for the luckiest anglers and the anglers that plan well, the flies being tied are for saltwater fishing in the coming weeks!

February is an ideal time to start traveling to warm-water locations, where tropical fish and flies meet over sandy bottoms and the success of the day may be dictated as much by the quality of the sunset and cocktail as the day’s fishing. February and the following three months can be as much about skipping out on the winter fishing as it is about getting out there and braving it.

For the typical winter angler, February can be a meaningful month. Many trout are starting the very beginnings of the pre-spawn season and with this comes movement and staging in certain river mouths and channels. Anglers that know these spots can often find three or four days of the best fishing of the season. Anglers that don’t know these areas can seek them out and try to find these magic haunts where waves of fish can meet solitary anglers for epic sessions. Like most things in life, timing is everything, and finding fish staged in their prespawn schools is a penultimate moment in February fishing. It is topped only by actually getting to fish in these places at this time!

Do not let February get you down if you’re an angler. There is a lot to do, a lot to look forward to, and before you know it, robins will be hopping the river rocks and spring days will be upon us.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

HUMANIZING DOGS

BY FRAN JEWELL

T

he media and pet suppliers, the dog training community and dog care specialists have begun to refer to dogs as “fur babies” or “fur children.” Not a day goes by that we don’t see dogs in clothes that make them look like little children.

I posted a photo on the Positive Puppy Facebook page that had a Weimaraner with painted toenails and a bracelet on her leg. A Weimaraner is a hunting dog with huge energy and the need to run and hunt. In order to paint her nails, her “guardians” had allowed the nails to grow especially long. As a result, this dog will end up with health issues with her feet that could result in pain the rest of her life and render her unable to run. For what purpose? So her “guardians” can enjoy their dog looking like a human “princess.”

Anthropomorphism is incredibly dangerous, not only to a dog’s physical health but also to its mental health.

Many of the aggression and severe separation anxiety cases I work with are a result of dogs being treated like fur babies, or beings that have feelings like people, without any rules or structure. I love my dogs as much if not more than anyone on the planet, but I love them enough to respect that they are dogs and of a different species. I love that they are dogs, not humans.

I am not here to argue that dogs don’t have feelings. They do, but they do not have feelings the way we humans do and they do not respond the way we humans do to certain situations.

So, how do we honor our dogs? First, we do some research to find out what our dog was bred to do. Even mixed-breed dogs have an innate purpose. Humans originally selected wolves that were the most social and trainable in order to help primitive man with survival.

Over time, humans domesticated those wolves into dogs.

Dogs were originally intended to help herd livestock, hunt—in order to help humans find food—pull carts, protect families, kill vermin in the barn, and yes, even be our companions. But dogs did not lose their day jobs to sit at home and sleep on the back of the sofa.

Our first job should be to understand the ancestry of our dogs, which will help us to understand who they are today.

In many ways, dogs have taken the place of human companions.

Nowadays, our families may live across the country instead of across town. Even in high-rise apartments, many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore. A huge part of the time, once we get to know our neighbor, they move away to take a job in Alaska or India. We

“Seriously? There had better be a darned big cookie in this!” Photo credit: Fran Jewell

look for those warm fuzzy dogs to assuage our loneliness, and put enormous pressure on our beloved dog to be only a companion instead of a dog intended to work to help people.

How many times have you heard that a dog loves to obey? What we as humans perceive as work is usually fun for a dog and helps the dog maintain a healthy body and mind. Dogs love direction and are mentally and physically healthier when they are given direction.

Honor your dog for what it truly is and you will see amazing things in your relationship with it.

Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.

COLUMN SKETCHBOOK HIKING

A WINTER SURVIVOR

H

BY LESLIE REGO

enry Thoreau, an American naturalist who lived from 1817 to 1862, loved trees. Thoreau would take long walks to observe their color and texture. He would study the attitude and posture of the tree trunks.

He measured and sketched them.

Thoreau searched for the tree’s character, for the tree’s innermost being. Thoreau contemplated every aspect of a tree: roots, bark, trunk, branches and twigs, leaves, cone, and blossoms.

Thoreau was friends with individual trees and would often set out to visit one or two particular ones. In winter, he would trudge through knee-high snow.

Thoreau wrote in Walden that he wanted “to keep an appointment with a beech tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.”

Much like Thoreau, I like to tromp through the snow (which is now thigh-high) to confirm that my beloved trees are still standing, hearty and noble, enduring the ice and bitter cold. In the winter I can visit just a few of my favorite trees, the ones that are easily accessible, but I still enjoy making the journey to put my heart at ease.

Thoreau was constantly amazed by the tiniest differences from one tree to another.

He wrote, “A tree seen against other trees is a mere dark mass

Leslie Rego, “A Page from my Sketchbook: A Winter Survivor,” watercolor, gouache, nib pen and ink.

but against the sky it has parts, symmetry and expression.” Thoreau was fascinated by the stance and outlines of trees, comparing them to “designs and ciphers” in heraldry.

Often, I come across a tree and wonder, “How does it survive?”

The tree is alone on the side of a slope or the top of the mountain. The wind must be fierce.

Throughout the winter, the snow piles high, covering a good portion of the trunk and lying heavily along the boughs. And yet the tree perseveres and, in many cases, thrives. The lumps and clumps of snow that cover the branches appear like a special form of heraldry. They take on the shape of armorial bearings.

I imagine that it is these heral-

dic shapes that become the tree’s protector during the endless winter months.

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

T H E W E E K LY S U N •

FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2019

COLUMN ON LIFE’S TERMS

SEEING MONTECITO

waters below the blackened hills of Montecito. I used to fancy wanting to retire to Carpinteria or am briefly in Southern California, staying in the Santa Barbara, or anywhere near the beach in VenPacific Palisades en route to visit my family in tura County, but life gave me the gorgeous mounSan Francisco, a winter indulgence. Driving to tains and friendly people of Idaho instead.

Montecito proved to be a mixed experience.

I planned to visit a rather distant cousin, a friend I have been spoiled by driving from high school in Burbank, and a in Idaho. Except for the occasioncouple who lived near me after my al frustrations of contending with husband and I rebuilt our home of snow, watching out for elk, or obashes in the Serra Retreat area near serving speed limits on Highway 75, Malibu Canyon.

I find that being a driver here is relaI was unable to finally contact my tively easy and safe. However, headcousin and feared bad news. My othing out to the 101 freeway from the er visits were rich in anecdote and 10 (known as the San Diego Freeaffection, but both of these families way) was a bit of a challenge, even had faced near-misses in the devthough I was in a solid rental car, as astating fires and floods of recent opposed to the Yugo I rented some history. Seeing truck-sized boulders 15 years ago as a budget-minded resting in barren fields was painful, woman. I truly felt then that I could and I couldn’t abandon thoughts very easily be enclosed in tinfoil JoEllen Collins—a longtime about the fright and suffering of this resident of the Wood River rather than steel. community and also Paradise, in I learned how to drive on the Hol- Valley— is an Idaho Press Northern California, where many of lywood freeway and am usually Club award-winning colum- those families who tried to flee Parundaunted by most forays on high- nist, a teacher, writer, fabric adise died in their burning cars. ways. However, it also rained on and artist, choir member and My visit has reinforced gratitude unabashedly proud grandma off, and the traffic was its usual L.A. known as “Bibi Jo.” for having been able, long ago, to mad conglomeration of speeders, grab my napping toddler and escape lane-changers and rude encounters. only 15 minutes before our first home imploded on On the way home I chose the Pacific Coast Serra Road.

Highway exit at Oxnard, chose Beach Boys muI am also truly grateful that I have family and sic, and enjoyed remembering the decades I spent friends, even in this tentative existence, to love on beaches. I still crave the smell and feel of the (and even drive to see in L.A.), but I am also gifted ocean. with the beauty of life that I explore even amidst However, the biggest shock for me as a survivor sadness, decay and tumult, in the lovely Wood of a couple of earthquakes and the loss of a home River Valley, where I can fully experience peace in a brushfire when I lived in Southern California and serenity during this full, sometimes tragic but was driving by the huge boulders and still rushing always challenging life.

I

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

COLUMN SCIENCE OF PLACE

Photo credit: Hannes Thum

BOBCAT TRACKS IN THE SNOW

I

BY HANNES THUM

have been spending a lot of time this winter looking at bobcat tracks.

I keep coming across them, and I always take note when I do.

In a canyon west of here, I have skied alongside bobcat tracks in the snow only to return the next week and find that newer bobcat tracks were walking within my ski tracks.

In that area, this winter, the tracks keep appearing.

A while back, I was out on one of the long, windy ridges above that canyon when I came across some fresh tracks in the snow. An adult and a juvenile had been traveling together, as they tend to do until the young cat is old enough to forge its own path. They had come up out of the north-facing woods on one side of the ridge, and had followed the ridge upwards, just as I was doing. They stayed on the wind-stiffened snow that made for easier travel (bobcats, unlike their cousins, the lynx, don’t have very big feet and struggle a bit in deep snow).

I skied alongside the tracks as they climbed higher and higher, until they disappeared under newly wind-drifted snow from that morning, but never saw the cats themselves, even though I was probably just a few hours behind them.

Lots of tracks, but no cat sightings.

Because I know that bobcats are pretty hard to spot (and because I like seeing what kinds of creatures move through the woods when I am not around, anyhow), I like to put motion-sensing trail cameras out in the woods. One of the animals that I most hope to get photos of are bobcats.

Pulling a memory card out of a trail camera that has been out in the wilderness for a while always comes with anticipation. There is always the hope that the camera captured a great photo of a rare animal. It’s not easy to do—I have left some cameras out for months without a single good photo being taken. The most common case, honestly, is that I end up with a card full of uninspiring pictures of the empty

woods (a pesky branch blowing in the wind can trigger the camera shutter thousands of times) with a few images of squirrels jumping past or maybe a few deer, too close to or too far from the camera to reveal much. Despite my best plans, it is still hard to capture good images.

Occasionally, though, that tiny little plastic memory card contains some amazing photographs. And, when we pulled a card a few weeks ago out of a camera not far from where I had followed the bobcat tracks along the ridge, it was both surprising and not surprising to see the photo of the bobcat that the camera had captured —there was a bobcat, stepping carefully, head up and eyes alert, through the woods. That elusive creature, finally, caught on film.

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

11

GUEST COMMENTARY PETERSON, WINTROW

‘You Get an ID, I’ll Give You a Job’

“You get an ID, I’ll give you a job.”

Nine more powerful words were never spoken to a man who goes by the name Bodhi. For most Idahoans—who continue to struggle in a low-wage, low-opportunity economy—showing ID is a low bar to clear if it means obtaining gainful employment with decent pay. Bodhi is not most Idahoans.

He was homeless.

He’s an ex-convict.

He wanted a job.

All he needed was identification.

What ensued was a six-month journey though Idaho’s bureaucracy that ended in Bodhi getting his picture ID and a job working for a cement company.

In the process, we helped form a task force with the Idaho Department of Transportation, Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles and Idaho Department of Correction where everyone learned about Bodhi’s plight and how difficult the system was making it for people who want to work. You can listen to the whole story at tinyurl.com/tws-convictid. It’s instructive—and inspirational—to say the least.

All this time later, Idaho’s prisons are now issuing photo IDs to newly released inmates so they don’t have to go through what Bodhi did. Facilities in Boise, Pocatello and Orofino are al- Rep. Melissa Wintrow ready online. Officials hope to get the machines installed in the rest of the state prisons by the fall of 2019.

The reason for this program is simple. When inmates get out, they don’t want to go back. We don’t want them to go back, either. It’s much safer and cheaper for all of us if they can get jobs, pay taxes and sustain themselves. The first step down that path starts with obtaining photo identification.

Showing ID is among the most routine things we do. We need it to get a birth certificate or Social Security card, to rent a car or get on a plane, to gain entry to certain public and private buildings. In Idaho, you need an ID to vote. In Bodhi’s case, he needed one to get a job. When Idahoans face so many barriers to getting ahead, obtaining an ID should not be added to the list.

The inmate ID program is yet another example of a bipartisan national trend toward revamping how we administer America’s criminal justice system. Whether it’s bail reform, rethinking mandatory minimums, or improving prison administration, leaders of all political affiliations are putting aside their differences to produce a system that protects constitutional principles, strengthens public safety and empowers men and women to return to the world as productive citizens. In this vein, the inmate ID machines are a small investment that can pay dividends for a lifetime.

This program also puts Idaho ahead of the curve on a national level. To Jodi Peterson date, only a handful of states have systems in place to provide released inmates with some form of identification. Leaders with the IDOC and ITD should be hailed for thinking long-term. They understand the identification program is, at its foundation, a public safety issue.

The men and women who have done their time want to return to their families, their communities and the workplace. They want to be productive, tax-paying members of society. The last thing they want to do is go back to prison or end up homeless or unemployed.

The first step toward that goal is being able to prove to the world that they are who they say they are. Bodhi perfectly expressed that ideal upon receiving his ID when he said, “Thank you for making me human again.”

Although humanity can be respected and celebrated in many ways, for someone like Bodhi, rediscovering humanity started with a piece of plastic that contains his name and picture. From that tiny, laminated card sprung employment. Self-respect. Security. A future. Idaho became better off the day Bodhi received his photo ID. Bodhi remains employed by that cement company to this very day. He rents his own room and drives a red work truck, paid for with his earnings.

If Idaho is going to pull itself up from the bottom, we must think long-term and invest in programs that benefit all of us. Putting systems in place that help keep inmates out of jail, off the streets and in a position to empower themselves is a quality investment for all Idahoans. No one who wants to work should have to jump through the hoops Bodhi did. Especially when all he needed was something he already had: his identity.

“You get an ID, I’ll give you a job.”

Nine more powerful words were never spoken.

Jodi Peterson is the executive director of Interfaith Sanctuary shelter in Boise; Rep. Melissa Wintrow is a member of the Idaho House of Representatives (D-Boise).

12

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

SUN CALENDAR THE WEEKLY

EVENT FEATURE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sex Kit Testing Bill Moves Forward

A bill to “test all” sexual assault kits passed unanimously in committee and will be sent to the House floor for a vote.

Proponents of the bill say it is one more tool in identifying serial rapists and connecting evidence between two different crimes.

“I am extremely excited about this piece of legislation,” bill sponsor Rep. Melissa Wintrow said. “For myself and the groups I have been collaborating with, testing all sexual assault kits has been our ultimate goal. We are very eager to take this necessary step to make sure that we are giving victims as many tools as possible.”

Rep. Wintrow has been working with several organizations on her ongoing work with sexual assault kits. Individuals from some of those groups testified on the value of this policy. They included speakers from the Twin Falls Police Department, Idaho State Police, Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, and the Women and Children’s Alliance.

‘Hot Dog’ (And Cat) Bill Picks Up More Political Muster

A bill to protect first responders rescuing dogs and cats left unattended in vehicles is headed to the House floor for a vote.

The legislation, passed in committee by a 9-5 vote, would give first responders the ability to save an animal locked in a car during extreme temperatures.

Under current law, if a first responder saves an animal from a car, they can be prosecuted for a crime. Rep. Elaine Smith (D-Pocatello) sponsored the bill to give first responders legal immunity if they took action with the belief that they were saving a life.

“If an animal is freezing or burning to death, a first responder wants to take action. But, right now, they are threatened with being charged with a crime,” Smith said. “My legislation gives first responders the ability to take immediate action. Sometimes, acting quickly can be the difference between life and death for an animal.”

Ex-Cons To Receive State ID Cards

People who have served their time after being convicted of a crime may have an easier time landing a job, officials say, thanks to a new program to release state ID cards to newly released inmates. The purpose of the program is to ensure released inmates have identification so they may secure employment, obtain vital documents like birth certificates or Social Security numbers and otherwise participate in a society that requires photo identification for any number of functions.

“Honestly, if you think for a minute about how many things we do in our everyday lives that require photo ID, it’s almost impossible to function without one,” Rep. Melissa Wintrow said. “This is a low-cost and logical step we can take to reduce recidivism, integrate people who have paid their debt back into society, and increase public safety.”

A catalyst behind this program was Jodi Peterson, executive director of the Interfaith Sanctuary in Boise. Peterson contacted Wintrow following a six-month-long odyssey to obtain a photo ID for a homeless former inmate who was offered a job, but lacked proper identification.

Peterson’s efforts were the subject of a TED Talk in 2017.

“Here we had a man who wanted to work and get his life back on track, but because he lacked a photo ID, he couldn’t. It was the most ridiculous thing you could imagine,” Peterson said. “Many of us take for granted that we can obtain photo identification, but for hundreds of people throughout Idaho, it’s a real challenge with real consequences.”

State prisons in Boise, Pocatello and Orofino have installed the new photo ID systems. Officials hope the remaining state prison facilities will be online by the fall of 2019. Wintrow was instrumental in forming a working group to tackle this issue, which included officials from the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC), Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).

Valentine’s Day Avalanche Cleanup Under Way

Several small avalanches occurred off the face of Della Mountain in Hailey, Valentine’s Day night, sending snow and ice into the Big Wood River in the Della View neighborhood.

Hailey Public Works crews worked to ensure that water backup would be diverted from homes. Motorists should be vigilant to spot any warning blockades at or nearby War Eagle Drive. The area is posted with avalanche warnings.

Hailey crews will continue to work through the weekend nights until the streets are cleaned.

A Zambian movie, “I Am Not A Witch” will screen on Friday, March 1. Photo credit: Family of Woman Film Festival

FESTIVAL WILL SUPPORT MISSION OF U.N. POPULATION FUND Family of Woman Documentaries Will Screen At Magic Lantern

BY DANA DUGAN

O

ne of the more unique film festivals anywhere occurs each February in the Wood River Valley. This year, the 12th annual Family of Woman Film Festival will take place from Monday, Feb. 25, to Sunday, March 3, with all films screened at Magic Lantern Cinemas in Ketchum.

The theme, this year, is Women Still Waiting for Change, and will feature five documentary films and one dramatic film providing important perspectives on the lives of women. Each film will screen at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Founded in 2008 by Friends of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and board member Peggy Elliott Goldwyn, a Sun Valley resident, the films reflect the mission of UNFPA. The global organization works to assure women and girls have access to reproductive healthcare, education and basic human rights.

Each year, the Festival presents films that have gone on to win, or have already won, major international awards. It’s like Ketchum’s own altruistic sneak preview.

Executive director of UNFPA, Dr. Natalia Kanem will be the Festival’s Bonni Curran Memorial Lecture keynote speaker at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at The Community Library in Ketchum. This lecture is free and open to the public As well, Kanem will speak at

two breakfasts, Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 27 and 28. The first will focus on UNFPA’s humanitarian relief in crisis situations, and training midwives in Yemen. The second will feature two speakers from Tostan, an organization working to empower communities in West Africa.

“With the political turmoil around the world, as well as in our own country, many may feel that the gains women have made in the past few years are slipping away,” Goldwyn said. “This year, we would like to point out that slow progress toward full equality remains a tide that cannot be turned, while still recognizing those women’s voices that are still waiting to be heard.”

The Festival will kick off with a free screening of “Mrs. Goundo’s Daughter,” at the Community Library. Thereafter, all films will be screened at Magic Lantern, beginning on Wednesday with “The Bleeding Edge”

by Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering. The film looks at the $400 billion medical device industry and how it affects women.

On Thursday, “The Judge” provides rare insight into Shari’a law, an often-misunderstood legal framework for Muslims. Director Erika Cohn will present the film.

On Friday, “I Am Not a Witch” will screen. After a minor incident in her Zambian village, 9-year-old Shula is exiled to a traveling witch camp. The film is an Academy Award nominee

for Best Foreign Film this year.

On Saturday, “Facing The Dragon,” by Sedika Mojadidi, concerns two unconventional Afghan women, Nilofar, a member of Parliament, and Shakila, a television journalist. Mojadidi won the 2018 Human Rights Watch Nestor Almendros Award for Courage in Filmmaking.

On Sunday, the Festival will close with “On Her Shoulders,” about 23-year-old Nadia Murad, an activist. The film has already won numerous festival awards.

Murad is a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, the recipient of the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize and the Sakharov Prize, and the U.N.’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. She also received the Clinton Global Citizen Award, Peace Prize from the United Nations Association of Spain, and was named 2016 Woman of the Year by Glamour Magazine. Since 2015, Murad has worked to bring ISIS before the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The Family of Woman Film Festival will also present “The Bleeding Edge” on Tuesday, Feb. 26, and “The Judge” on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Boise State University, which is a platinum sponsor of the 2019 Family of Woman Film Festival.

For more information on the movies and tickets for the breakfasts, visit familyofwomanfilmfestival.org.

2019 FOW Schedule of Events

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Tickets for film screenings at the Magic Lantern Cinemas will be available at Chapter One Bookstore, and at the Magic Lantern Cinemas beginning Wednesday, Feb. 27. Tickets available by cash sale only.

•Monday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m. Filmmaker Retrospective “Mrs. Goundo’s Daughter” Documentary, U.S. and Mali Free, at The Community Library

• Wednesday, Feb. 27 “The Bleeding Edge” Documentary, U.S.

• Thursday, Feb. 28 “The Judge” Documentary, Palestine

• Friday, March 1 “I Am Not A Witch” Drama, Zambia

• Saturday, March 2 “Facing The Dragon” Documentary, Afghanistan, Europe and U.S.

• Sunday, March 3 “On Her Shoulders” Documentary, Global

T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE LIVE APRÈS SKI WED FEB 20-SAT FEB 23

13

SPONSORED SV INSTITUTE

2:30-5PM / RIVER RUN LODGE / KETCHUM

On Wednesday, Brian DiJulio & the Love Jacks will play; on Thursday, Tylor and the Train Robbers take the stage; on Friday, Groovement are up with a bit of funk; and on Saturday, Pause for the Cause will entertain. All are welcome. No cover.

POETRY HOUR FOR SENIORS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 3PM/ SILVERCREEK LIVING / HAILEY

Silvercreek Living invites all seniors looking to get out and socialize to enjoy its free poetry hour while getting support from the community. Silvercreek is located at 31 E. McKercher Blvd. in Hailey.

OSCAR SHORTS WED FEB 20 & THURS FEB 21

4:30 & 7PM / MAGIC LANTERN / KETCHUM The Sun Valley Center for the Arts will screen all of the short films nominated for the 2019 Academy Awards. The “Oscar Shorts” screenings are presented as part of The Center’s popular film series. Wednesday will be the live action shorts screening, and Thursday will be the animated shorts. These will also be screened Feb. 20 and 21.

Tickets are available at The Center in Ketchum, (208) 7269491 or sunvalleycenter.org.

TAIZÉ SERVICE WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20

5:30PM / ST. THOMAS / SUN VALLEY

Taizé services will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church through February. These are ecumenical and offer quiet prayer, candlelight, meditation and chants. For details, visit stthomassunvalley.org, mjwoyster@msn.com, or call (360) 481-3492.

KETCHUM COMMUNITY DINNERS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20

6-7PM / CHURCH OF THE BIG WOOD / KETCHUM

Weekly free hot dinners are provided to everyone. Find Ketchum Community Dinners on Facebook for more information and weekly menu updates.

LINE DANCING WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 6-7PM / THE MINT / HAILEY

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

‘4000 MILES’ WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 7PM / LIBERTY THEATRE / HAILEY Company of Fools continues with the staging of the play “4000 Miles” at the Liberty Theatre. The play concerns 21-yearold Leo who moves in with his feisty 91-year-old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment.

Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder and ultimately reach each other. Friday and Saturday shows will be at 8 p.m. and Sunday will be 3 p.m. with a backstage tour and chat with the cast.

For tickets, visit sunvalleycenter.org or call (208) 726-9491.

TRIVIA & COCKTAILS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 7-9PM / HOTEL KETCHUM / KETCHUM

There will be two games per night every Wednesday 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.

SLEEPWALKING INTO CATASTROPHE?

BY SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE

A

ccording to Zurich Insurance Group Chief Risk Officer Alison Martin, we are “sleepwalking into catastrophe” due to the environmental risks facing our world.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2019 found that three of the top five risks by likelihood and four of the top five risks by impact to our global economy are related to the environment. Our community has firsthand experience with both acute and long-term threats, from wildfires during our summer tourist season to spring floods, from drought to snowfall changes, and beyond. But we can do something about it!

Join us for the second Blaine County Resilience Workshop on March 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Community Campus in Hailey, where we will build solutions to our risks and turn them into opportunities. Working groups will refine and build concrete projects based on the priorities identified by our community at our December 3 workshop, with affordable housing, local energy, local food and regenerative agriculture, water, transporta-

tion, local jobs and community building topping the list.

Working groups are already starting to form, so please register ASAP to help shape our future! We are excited to offer a free locally sourced lunch from local chef Lindsay Czech, so please register to help us ensure plenty of good food for all.

If there is a new project that you feel is important to Blaine County’s resilience that you or your organization would want to lead, you can add it when you register. We request that you ensure your collaborators (experts and resource partners) attend the March 11 workshop to build your solution.

This free event is sponsored

by Blaine County, City of Ketchum, Sun Valley Institute, and Warm Springs Consulting.

To register: tinyurl.com/y4xmgkle

NEWS IN BRIEF

Mountain Humane Cancels Paw ‘N Pole

A popular longtime dog and skiing event won’t be happening in 2019. Paw ‘N Pole organizers announced the event had to be cancelled after a scheduling snafu at Quigley Nordic Center in Hailey.

The event was supposed to take place March 3, but the Quigley Cup had already been scheduled and broadly announced for that date. The Paw ‘N Pole is expected to be back next year.

Meg Ryan, Aaron Paul Among 2019 Sun Valley Film Festival Honorees

The 2019 Sun Valley Film Festival announced its film lineup, four of its honorees and information about its The Film Lab and Screenwriters Lab, all taking place March 13–17. Now in its eighth year, the festival offers five days of films, panels, parties and more, including three world premieres.

In addition to Meg Ryan and Idahoan Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” “Westworld”), Alex Ross Perry and Fisher Stevens will be receiving achievement awards. Documentaries “David Crosby: Remember My Name,” produced by Cameron Crowe and directed by Idahoan A.J. Eaton, and David Modigliani’s “Running with Beto” will bookend the festival.

Carey Girls Win State Hoops Championship

The Carey School Panthers girls basketball team took home the State 1A Division 2 title game last weekend, defeating the Salmon River Savages from Nampa, 56–48. The game was part of the Idaho High School Activities Association championship game clash at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa.

Sophomore Kylie Wood was named “Player of the Game,” thanks to a team-high 20 points, including 90 percent shooting at the free-throw line. The teams were all tied up 27–27 at halftime before Carey built and held their lead.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

EVENTS CALENDAR, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 5-7PM / KIC / KETCHUM

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 9:30PM / SILVER DOLLAR / BELLEVUE

The Chamber – Hailey & The Wood River Valley invites businesses and the public to the February Business After Hours hosted by the Ketchum Innovation Center at 180 6th St. West, in Ketchum. Bring a business card for the monthly raffle. Enjoy an evening at this free monthly networking event. It is a great way to make new contacts and learn about our community businesses. For more information, call (208) 7883484.

DJ Marlin will spin at the iconic Bellevue saloon. There’s never a cover and patrons have access to a free shuttle home if needed.

THE CENTER: JOANNE WEIR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 4PM / SV CENTER / KETCHUM “Plates, Places and Stories from My Family Kitchen,” a lecture by award-winning professional chef and cookbook author Joanne Weir, will be held at The Center in Ketchum.

A fourth-generation professional cook, Weir spent five years cooking at Chez Panisse after receiving a Master Chef Diploma with renowned French chef, teacher and restaurateur Madeleine Kamman. Call (208) 726-9491 to be added to the wait list.

‘ROMEO & JULIET’ THURS FEB 21-SAT FEB 23 7PM / SV COMMUNITY SCHOOL / SUN VALLEY The Sun Valley Community School Players will stage an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” at Sun Valley Community School’s theater.

Adapted and directed by Kevin Wade, Community School’s Upper School theater teacher and co-director of its Creative Arts Academy, the the production features more than 25 Upper School students both on and off the stage.

“When working with young actors on Shakespeare, I have found that they engage with the material more holistically when they feel as though the characters, the circumstances, and the story are not so different from where they find themselves,” Wade said. “To this end, we have removed the adult presence from the show. We encounter the Capulets and the Montagues as two warring tribes of orphaned, transient children.

“These tribes function as families, but they have no blood relationships. The purpose of this concept is to bring the heightened text, which can feel distant and intimidating, closer to who these young actors are. I was inspired by The Lost Boys from ‘Peter Pan’ and mixed with (unfortunately) a hint of ‘Lord of the Flies.’ We have also added a good deal of contemporary music to our adaptation, which will be arranged and performed by members of our cast.”

Tickets—$6 students; $12 adults—available at communityschool.org/news/events.

A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door the night of each performance.

FAT BIKE RACE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23 10AM / NORDIC TRAILS / SUN VALLEY The Snowball Special Fat Bike Race will take place on the Sun Valley Nordic Trails, including the Diamondback, White Cloud, Dog Loop, Boundary and Proctor Loop trails. Bikes must be fat bikes with 3.5-inch or wider tires. No electric bikes. Registrants may sign up for the 20k single-loop or 40k double-loop distance or grab a friend and each do a loop as part of a 40k relay team.

To register and for more information, visit snowballfatbike.com.

SEED PACKING SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23 10AM-12PM / GRANGE HALL / HAILEY A seed packaging work party will be held to make sure seed envelopes or small jars are ready for distribution to the public in the spring. All gardeners-at-heart are welcome to join in handling the precious locally grown seeds, reverently saved by members of our community. This event is an opportunity to learn about seed-saving and seed-growing, and chat with like-minded gardeners. For more information, contact woodriverseedlibrary@gmail.com, or call Manon at (208) 788-3876, or visit grange.org/upperbigwoodriverid192/seeds.

The Grange is located at 609 S. 3rd Ave., in Hailey.

LEGISLATORS TOWN HALLS FRI FEB 22 & SAT FEB 23 VARIOUS / DISTRICT 26 There will be several District 26 Town Hall meetings held with Sen. Michelle Stennett, Rep. Muffy Davis and Rep. Sally Toone. Attend one of these events to learn about the issues you care about. Q&A will follow the update. Times and places are: 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at Ketchum City Hall; 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Blaine County Democrats Office, 16 W. Croy Street; 10:30 a.m. at the Lincoln County Community Center, 210 Beverly St., in Shoshone; 12:30 p.m. at Zeppes Pizza & Subs, 215 Main St., in Gooding; and 3:30 p.m. at Hagerman City Hall, 110 W. Main St.

FAMILY OF WOMAN MON FEB 25-SAT MAR 2 VARIOUS / KETCHUM The 12th annual Family of Woman Film Festival will run through Saturday, March 2, with various events, and screenings at the Magic Lantern Cinemas. For more information, see story on page 12.

SV CENTER APRÈS ART FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 3-5PM / YMCA / KETCHUM Designed for families with kids 5-12 years old, Après Art classes will be offered Fridays through March 22. Participants and their adult caregivers can drop in any time between 3 and 5 p.m. to warm up with a mug of hot chocolate after a day on the slopes and make a winter art project to take home.

For more information about family arts programming at The Center, visit sunvalleycenter.org or call (208) 726-9491.

PING-PONG NIGHT TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26 7-10PM / THE MINT / HAILEY

PREFORT & CRASH OF RHINOS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 ALL DAY / VARIOUS / KETCHUM

Guests can enjoy free ping-pong games at The Mint. For more information call (208) 788-6468.

DIGGING DEEPER SERIES TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26 7:30PM / SAWTOOTH BREWERY / HAILEY

A pre-Treefort Music Fest event will take place for the first year with bands, open mic, and The Haven food truck at the Hot Water Inn, while in Ketchum, the Silver Creek Writers Residency will host readings, happy hour and music at the Limelight Hotel.

This discussion-style series will focus on the intermediate to advanced backcountry user that’s looking to add some tricks and knowledge to his/her playbook. Sawtooth Avalanche Center Director Scott Savage will discuss “Website Tools: Observations and Weather.” Unlock the power of the SAC website at www.sawtoothavalanche.com.

Learn to tap into recent observations and weather forecasting tools to better plan your ride.

For more information, contact ethan@sawtoothavalanche.com.

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 7-9PM / THE LIMELIGHT / KETCHUM Doublewide will play at the Limelight’s lounge. There is never a cover, and there are lots of games for the kids.

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T H E W E E K LY S U N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

SPONSORED CHAMBER CORNER

WINDY CITY ARTS CELEBRATES 15 YEARS

Sudoku Is Sponsored by

15

Hard way Pipeline

BY MIKE MCKENNA

Y

ou may not realize it, but just about everywhere you go around here you see and probably appreciate their work.

For 15 years now, Windy City Arts has been producing high-quality signs of all kinds for the Wood River Valley—from stop signs and address markers to vehicle wraps, wall murals and impressive residence signs like the new ones welcoming people to Elkhorn and Starweather.

“People come in with a dream about what they want and we work with them to turn it into a reality,” Linda Larsen said. “We really thrive on making people happy.”

Linda and her husband and business partner, Troy, have been happily married for nearly three decades. They didn’t necessarily set out to raise their family in Sun Valley or be in the sign business, but it’s where fate took them and they couldn’t be happier about it. After originally coming up from Utah to visit friends, they decided to take a chance and move here.

“We came here with three months’ rent and a hope,” Linda said, explaining that shortly after arriving in the Wood River Valley, they were offered the opportunity to buy the newly created Windy City Arts. With Troy’s graphic design and Linda’s business backgrounds, it seemed like a good decision. A decade and a half later, they’re thrilled with how it’s all worked out.

“We love it here. It’s the perfect place and we really enjoy being a part of this community,” Troy said about a family business that employs five full- and two part-time employees, including their daughter, Julia, and son, Curtis.

Windy City Arts is located next to Sun Valley Auto Club in the Hailey Business Park. It’s their ideal—and third—location and allows them to house everything from their office needs, to design, printer and manufacturing spaces, and includes a bay for vehicles and an employee-housing unit.

“The whole process is done here in Hailey,” Troy said. “We’re truly local.”

Being able to handle the entire process in one place, from idea to design to creation, is one of the reasons Windy City Arts has been so successful.

The other big reason they’ve been able to thrive while they’ve watched lots of other sign compa-

Steel Fencing

Kelly Wardell 208-309-0916

How To Play Sudoku

The team from Windy City Arts celebrates a decade and a half of success.

nies come and go over the years is because of their dedication to creating great relationships with their clients and their hardworking and talented staff.

“We invest in our clients,” Troy said. “We want to help them create things that are good for them and our community. We may not always be the cheapest, but we provide quality service and products for a good value.”

Creating happiness is at the core of what Windy City Arts is all about. You may not realize it, but their work has undoubtedly helped make all of us in the Wood River Valley happier, too—whether they’ve helped make our businesses more successful or they simply helped us find our way.

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

CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 16

Mike McKenna is the executive director of The Chamber – Hailey & The Wood River Valley. He can be reached at Mike@ValleyChamber.org or by calling (208) 788-3484.

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

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answer from page 15

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Single space $35/week Double space $65/week

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Salvadorian & Mexican Cuisine

Airport West | Hailey, Idaho 83333

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Lago Azul

• 20 Years Experience • Insured • Free Estimates • Recent references

Dean: 208.481.1715

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Space is limited, call today!

Brennan: 208.720.1295