WRW - 19 October 2022

purchases iconic Idaho grocery brand

By Eric Valentine

The purchase of an iconic Idaho brand by one of the nation’s largest grocery providers is going to feed everyone fresher and cheaper food, while raising employee wages and benefits. It also figures to reduce instore promotions while weakening unions and increasing the value of stock for large-scale investment groups who own them.

Depending on whom you ask, one of those first two sentences will be truer than the other by early 2024. That’s when the federal government will decide if the merger agreement between Kroger and Albertsons, reached last week, can move forward to create a 5,000-store chain in over 48 states, making it second in size only to Walmart. Any change, then, to the Albertsons-Atkinsons’-Natural Grocers et al. landscape in the Valley is unlikely until 2024, too.

“No real concerns,” said Mike McKenna, executive di rector of the local chamber of commerce. “Only a hope that food costs may go down with a larger chain coming on.”

Another voice with an understanding of commercial trends is Idaho-based The Krazy Coupon Lady, an online smart-shopping tool.

“Why does Walmart have lower prices than their com petitors? They have the biggest market share and, there fore, negotiating power. And a bigger Kroger empire would have more clout to negotiate with manufacturers for lower prices and product coupons/promotions. We could also see Albertsons/Kroger store brands drop in price, as the mega-grocer would have a greater ability to compete with brand names’ prices,” a recent article stated. “As far as in-store promotions go, expect to see fewer of those, since the new Kroger would have a stronger market share and less of a need to stand out from other grocers. How many storewide promotions/sales do you see on groceries at Walmart? Pretty much none.”

A much more pessimistic and/or skeptical view can be found over at Forbes, where contributor Errol Schweiz

er—a 25+ year veteran of the food industry and the for mer Vice President of Grocery for Whole Foods—says the merger would spell “big problems” for the supply chain and bigger profits for executives.

“A merger would give the combined company tremen dous purchasing power with suppliers, even if they spin off a few dozen stores to avoid the most blatant antitrust practices. A 5,000-store chain in over 48 states could more easily set payment terms, negotiate shelf space and assortment, and extract better costs and greater trade allowances for promotions, couponing, ad placement and slotting fees,” warns Schweizer. “Whether or not those savings get passed on to consumers is more of a function of how competitive the markets are.”

The Merger

So outside of—what seems to be—their collective marketing departments’ messaging that falls just shy of deeming it a mini food miracle, what do the two compa nies say? What follows has been pulled from the com panies’ joint press release and an FAQ available online.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company, Kroger will acquire all of the outstand ing shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (“Albertsons Cos.”) common and preferred stock (on an as-converted basis) for an estimated total consideration of $34.10 per share, implying a total enterprise value of approximately $24.6 billion, including the assumption of approximately $4.7 billion of Albertsons Cos. net debt.

Together, Albertsons Cos. and Kroger currently employ more than 710,000 associates and operate a total of 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 3,972 pharmacies and 2,015 fuel centers. The combination creates a premier seamless ecosystem across 48 states and the District of Columbia, providing customers with a best-in-class shopping experience across both stores and digital channels. Both Kroger and Albertsons Cos. are anchored by shared values focused on ensuring associates, customers and communi

ties thrive. The combined company will drive profitable growth and sustainable value for all stakeholders.

Kroger has a long track record of lowering prices, improving the customer experience and investing in its associates and communities. Consistent with prior transactions, Kroger plans to invest in lowering pric es for customers and expects to reinvest approximately half a billion dollars of cost savings from synergies to reduce prices for customers. An incremental $1.3 billion will also be invested into Albertsons Cos. stores to enhance the customer experience. Kroger will also build on its recent investments in associate wages, training and benefits. Kroger has invested an incremental $1.2 billion in associate compensation and benefits since 2018. The combined company expects to invest $1 billion to continue raising associate wages and comprehensive benefits after close.

“We are bringing together two purpose-driven organizations to deliver superior value to customers, asso ciates, communities and shareholders,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger chairman and chief executive officer, who will continue serving as chairman and CEO of the combined company. “Albertsons Cos. brings a complementary footprint and operates in several parts of the country with very few or no Kroger stores. This merger advances our commitment to build a more equitable and sustainable food system by expanding our footprint into new geographies to serve more of America with fresh and affordable food and accelerates our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and non-union competitors.

“We believe this transaction will lead to faster and more profitable growth and generate greater returns for our shareholders.”

“Halloween is the best holiday, in my opinion, because it is all about friends, monsters and candy, rather than family and responsibility.” – Margee Kerr

KUDOS AMONGST THE CROWDS

Post-pandemic life, a tale of two cities

It’seasy—and legit—to look around the Valley these days and wonder if this idyllic resort area’s best days have come and gone. According to USAfacts.org, the popu lation of Blaine County, Idaho, in 2021 was 24,766, 16.3% up from the 21,296 who lived there in 2010. For comparison, the U.S. population grew 7.3% and Idaho’s pop ulation grew 21% during that period, the nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization said. And it has taken its toll on everything from finding a place to live to getting a seat at your favorite restaurant. The impacts of the pandemic and the lockdown are also still being felt in surreal ways. For instance, as a gallon of gas was approaching $5, vehicles became living places for the working class.

It’d be dismissive to overlook the struggles happening everywhere along the Big Wood River, north to south. But amongst the crowds and confusion, key areas of the Valley experience are producing a number of kudos for organizations and individuals here.

Resorting to Success

Last week, Sun Valley Resort learned of its three-peat as North America’s No.1 ski resort, as named by SKI Magazine’s Annual Ski Resort Awards. The annual Resort Guide is based on the results of the Reader Resort Survey, the most comprehensive and longest-running rankings in the industry. The year-round destination resort was able to claim the title for the third consecutive year thanks to it being ranked No. 1 in the West for Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Dining, and Local Flavor. The resort also ranked highly in the categories of Grooming, Guest Services, Lodging, Après, Night life, and Family Friendly.

“We’re thrilled to have captured the hearts of so many skiers, riders and visitors to the resort, and to be honored with this incredible award three years running,” said Pete Sonntag, general manager and VP of Sun Valley Resort. “It’s truly a testament to our team’s dedication to the guest experience, and to our wider community for making Sun Valley a place everyone feels welcome.”

As a thank you to the community, Sun Valley Resort will be hosting a Pray for Snow party on Nov. 12 from 4-8 p.m. to celebrate the honor and to cheer on the coming of winter. Additionally, the resort is embarking on a multi-year improvement plan fo cused on an enhanced guest experience. The proposed projects in the first phase will benefit the recreational experience on Bald Mountain by improving skier circulation, increasing the accessible skiable terrain and improving both lift and snow quality.

As part of the base area improvement, Sun Valley Resort will also be expanding the patio area of Warm Spring Lodge for efficient guest flow and improved “après-scene” accessibility. With exemplary guest experience at the heart of the resort’s multi-facet ed development and evolution plan, a partnership with land and environmental agen cies, National Forest Foundation, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service is under way. Designed to improve overall forest health and decrease fire risk on Bald Mountain, the initiative benefits skiers by opening up 79 acres of new gladed terrain this season alone. In its commencement year, the Bald Mountain Stewardship

Project is a first-of-its-kind innovation in resort development and environmental pro tection that is slated to continue for 5-7 years on and around Bald Mountain.

The Warm Springs area of Bald Mountain will also see a lot of action going into the 2023-24 season with U.S. Ski & Snowboard having recently announced a two-year deal with Sun Valley Resort to host the Alpine Skiing National Championships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

Swell Wellness

Quality of life is not only determined by how well people can play. It’s also deter mined by wellness itself. In the health and wellness arenas, Valley organizations and individuals also received honors and acclaim.

Gathering after a three-year pause during the height of COVID, the Idaho Hospital Association met last week to educate, encourage, and energize Idaho hospital lead ership with renewed purpose and focus. Part of that meeting was to recognize the

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Sun Valley SnowSports private lessons on Bald Mountain. Photo Credit: Idarado Media

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outstanding contributions of key individuals during the most chal lenging time in modern healthcare memory. And St. Luke’s reeled in a whole bunch. The honorees were:

• 2021 Award of Excellence in Medicine: Laura McGeorge, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System

For the past 25 years, Laura McGeorge, M.D., FACP, has dedicat ed herself to advancing primary care and internal medicine at St. Luke’s Health System. Recently retiring as the medical director for St. Luke’s Primary Care service line, Dr. McGeorge’s responsibili ties included strategy, outcomes, quality, safety, patient experience and population health. Also a practicing internist in Boise, her lead ership role over the past year expanded exponentially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as she has led St. Luke’s clinical response.

• 2021 Award of Excellence in Patient Care: Sky Blue, M.D., Saw tooth Epidemiology and Infectious Disease

Serving as one of Idaho’s preeminent leaders in infectious diseas es, Sky Blue, M.D., has had a busy schedule since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Blue has acted as one of the state’s go-to experts on the novel coronavirus, treatments and vaccines. Through out the pandemic, Dr. Blue has supported the State of Idaho’s testing taskforce. He’s been a regular contributor to the physician forum on the popular ‘Idaho Matters’ radio program.

Dr. Blue has also provided guidance and expertise to numerous school boards and health departments. He even raised his hand to serve on the Central District Health Board when a position came open. Dr. Blue has embraced opportunities to share his deep and robust professional knowledge of infectious diseases.

• 2022 Award of Excellence in Medicine: James ‘Jim’ Souza, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System

From managing patients in person or virtually in the intensive care unit or pulmonary clinic as a board-certified pulmonologist and criti cal care provider, to serving as chief physician executive for St. Luke’s Health System, James ‘Jim’ Souza, M.D., has embodied excellence in everything he does. In his current role, Dr. Souza oversees and leads the health system’s innovative delivery models of patient care; he has also treated patients with serious illnesses and continues to do so on a part-time basis. For decades, he’s been driven to make life better — and healthier — for his fellow Idahoans. Throughout the pandemic years, he has been a champion for the frontline clinicians who provided evidence-based care and saved thousands of lives.

Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Dr. Souza spent time as the director of emergency services at the Boise VA Medical Center. Dr. Souza’s career at St. Luke’s has spanned two decades, starting as the medical director for respiratory care in 2000, before focusing on transform ing and advancing care models in the intensive care units in 2004. He has served in a variety of leadership roles at St. Luke’s, including as vice president of medical affairs, since 2012. Along with staff and partner physicians, he has worked to establish an effective physician/ provider organization across the health system with an eye toward succeeding in the emerging value-based healthcare environment and achieving the safety standards of a high-reliability organization.

Dr. Souza is also the 2022 award winner of the Ada County Med ical Society’s Physician of the Year Award.

• 2022 Award of Excellence in Patient Care: Dr. Terry O’Connor, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System

Known for his leadership, patient-focused nature and passion for his community, Dr. Terry O’Connor plays a critical role for St. Luke’s Health System and in the Wood River area. He has served as both an emergency department physician at St. Luke’s Wood Riv er and Blaine County’s Ambulance District as medical director. Dr. O’Connor’s exceptional leadership and acumen as a healthcare pro vider could have been reserved for his patients; instead, Dr. O’Con nor has sought opportunities to share his expertise so people across his community could benefit and thrive. This was apparent when Dr. O’Connor went beyond the call of duty to be a leading voice in the medical community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a medical leader in one of the first communities in Idaho to be hit hard by the then-novel coronavirus, Dr. O’Connor stayed steady and consistent, providing the highest level of care for his patients and a strong leadership presence in his community. Both an outstanding physician and accomplished adventurer — he’s summited Mount Ev erest.

When Blaine County experienced one of the highest per-capita COVID-19 case rates in the nation in the pandemic’s early days, Dr. O’Connor sought solutions by contributing to a COVID-19 study on new variants and immune responses to the virus as a principal inves tigator — all with his patients and community in mind.

• 2022 Award of Trustee of the Year: Skip Oppenheimer, St. Luke’s Health System Board of Directors

Advancing healthcare and working to ensure access to care for children, individuals and families in his home state led Skip Oppen heimer to join the St. Luke’s Health System board of directors. Op penheimer was appointed to the board in 2006, serving as St. Luke’s first system board chair, helping lead the effort to formulate a com prehensive, integrated health system across southern Idaho.

A devoted and visionary leader, Oppenheimer has played an in strumental role in St. Luke’s strategy over the years, moving the health system forward in engaging communities, earning trust among health partners and evolving healthcare—all with a focus on patient needs. Oppenheimer has worked closely with fellow board members to provide leadership in St. Luke’s efforts to increase ac cess to care in more rural areas. More recently, he has retired from the St. Luke’s Health System Board of Directors and joined the board as chair for St. Luke’s Health Plan.

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Freilich &

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2nd Noelle Williams

inW Bea, 3rd Laura Vishoot & Brix, 4th Hans Gode & Kate

1st Angie Untisz & Chap, 2nd Noelle Williams & Jump inW Clay, 3rd Leslie Capik & Finn, 4th Brent Phelps & Rhys

3: 1st Gene Zurcher & Zeb, 2nd Ron Stark & Moss, 3rd Brent Phelps & Pete, 4th Barbara McPherson & Wren

4: 1st Patrick Shannahan & Eva, 2nd Shauna Gourley & June, 3rd Jordan Markowski & Hendrix, 4th Victoria Yablon sky & Nell

Sheriff Warns Motorists Of Dangerous Unsecured Loads

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office took to social media last week to remind motorists that unsecured loads are dangerous and can result in costly repairs, injuries, and accidents.

“We have had a few incidents recently of debris in the roadway. This week a truck deposited cinder blocks on the highway that resulted in flat tires for four other vehicles. If this had happened at night, it could have caused serious accidents or worse,” the Sher iff’s Office said.

Blaine County code prohibits any person to operate or cause to operate any vehicle on a highway without sufficiently securing the load within the vehicle to prevent loose material from leaving the vehicle by flying, bouncing off, shifting, drifting, falling out of, or otherwise becoming unattached. Depending on the circumstances, you can be cited with an infraction or a misdemeanor.

Injury Crash On Broadford Road

On Friday, Oct. 14, at approximately 3:28 a.m., Blaine County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a crash on Broadford Road near Star Bridge, west of Hailey.

Upon investigation, it was determined that the driver of a white 2011 Equinox failed to negotiate the curve after Star Bridge, drifted left of center, drove off the east side of the road, jumped a culvert, and struck a fence.

The driver, Nayeli Vargas Rangel, age 21, of Hailey, was partial ly ejected in the crash and transported to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver was cited for misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence. The Hailey Police Department assisted in this incident.

Happy Halloween!

A truck with an unsecured load scatters cinder blocks across Hwy. 75.

Photo credit: Blaine County Sheriff’s Office

The Profoundly Stupid Narrative That Nuclear Brinkmanship Is Safety And De-Escalation Is Danger

By Caitlin Johnstone

Of all the face-meltingly stupid narratives that have been circulated about the US proxy war in Ukraine, the dumbest so far has got to be the increasingly common claim that aggressively escalat ing nuclear brinkmanship is safety and de-escalation is danger.

We see a prime example of this self-evidently id iotic narrative in a new Business Insider article ti tled “Putin’s nuclear threats are pushing people like Trump and Elon Musk to press for a Ukraine peace deal. A nuclear expert warns that’s ‘dangerous.’”

“An understandable desire to avoid a nuclear war could actually make the world more dangerous if it means rushing to implement a ‘peace’ in Ukraine that serves Russian interests,” writes reliable empire apologist Charles Davis. “Such a move, which some influential figures have called for, risks setting a prec edent that atomic blackmail is the way to win wars and take territory troops can’t otherwise hold, a mod el that could be copycatted by even the weakest nu clear-armed states, and may only succeed at delaying another war.”

Davis’ sole source for his article is the UN Insti tute for Disarmament Research’s Pavel Podvig, who is very openly biased against Russia.

“The West supports Ukraine with weapons and fi nancial and moral and political support. Giving that up and saying that, ‘Well, you know, we are too afraid

of nuclear threats and so we just want to make a deal’ — that would certainly set a precedent that would not be very positive,” says Podvig. “If you yield to this nu clear threat once, then what would prevent Russia in the future — or others — to do the same thing again?”

Like other empire apologists currently pushing the ridiculous “de-escalation actually causes escalation” line, Davis and Podvig argue as though nuclear weap ons just showed up on the scene a few days ago, as if there haven’t been generations of western policies toward Moscow which have indeed involved backing down and making compromises at times because do ing so was seen as preferable to risking a nuclear at tack. We survived the Cuban Missile Crisis because Kennedy secretly acquiesced to Khrushchev’s de mands that the US remove the Jupiter missiles it had placed in Turkey and Italy, which was what provoked Moscow to move nukes to Cuba in the first place.

Throughout the cold war the Soviet Union insisted on a sphere of influence that US strategists granted a wide berth to, exactly because it was a nuclear super power. Even as recently as the Obama administration the US president maintained that “Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to mil itary domination by Russia no matter what we do.”

Nevertheless we’re seeing this new “escalation

Continued NUCLEAR BRINKMANSHIP

is safety and de-escalation is danger” narrative pushed with increasing forcefulness by impe rial spinmeisters, because it would take a lot of force indeed to get people to accept something so self-evidently backwards and nonsensical.

“All of you who are saying that we have to give in to nuclear blackmail are making nuclear war more likely. Please stop,” tweeted Yale Universi ty’s Timothy Snyder recently. “When you give in to it, you empower dictators to do it again, encour age worldwide nuclear proliferation, and make nu clear war much, much more likely.”

Snyder, who has been photographed grinning happily with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, does not actually believe that people tweeting in sup port of de-escalation and detente will cause a nuclear war. He uses the newfangled buzzword “nuclear blackmail” to discredit calls for de-es calation and detente because he wants those who support de-escalation and detente to be silent. He says “please stop” solely because he wants peace advocacy to stop.

“Nuclear war comes because we’ve done too lit tle not too much,” tweeted Alexander Vindman, a key player in advancing the Trump-Ukraine scan dal, further pushing the narrative that greater esca lation is where the safety is.

In response to a tweet by France’s President Macron saying “We do not want a World War,” a senior policy advisor for the US government’s Helsinki Commission named Paul Massaro tweet

ed, “Precisely this sort of weak, terrified language leads Russia to escalate.”

Imagine being so warped and twisted that you see that as a sane response to the most normal statement anyone can possibly make.

Meanwhile you’ve got idiots like Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger acting like they’re being brave tough guys by welcoming continual nuclear escalation while calling anyone who advo cates de-escalation cowards.

The Nation’s Katrina vanden Heuvel somehow pulled off the heroic feat of getting an article advo cating de-escalation published in the Washington Post with a piece titled “The Cuban missile crisis was 60 years ago, but it’s urgently relevant today.”

Reminding us how close we came to total annihi lation and how we only survived getting so reck lessly close to nuclear war by “plain dumb luck,” she argues that humanity cannot risk going to the brink like that again.

“Humanity cannot afford to spin the cylinder again in this game of Russian roulette; we must unload the gun. Our only path forward is de-es calation,” vanden Heuvel writes.

Indeed it is. It’s absolutely insane that humanity is risking its own extinction over these games of empire-building and planetary domination when we’ve got so many other existential hurdles we need to focus on clearing.

This is all completely unnecessary. There’s nothing inscribed upon the fabric of reality saying states need to be waving armageddon weapons at each other. There’s no valid reason not to lay aside these games of global conquest and collaborate to gether toward a healthy coexistence on this planet.

We could have such a beautiful world. All the energy we pour into competition and conquest could go toward innovation that benefits us all, making sure everyone has enough, eliminating hu man suffering and the need for human toil. We’re trading heaven on earth for elite ego games.

There’s no valid reason we can’t move from models of competition and domination to models of collaboration and care. Collaboration with each other; care for each other. Collaboration with our ecosystem; care for our ecosystem. We’re throw ing it away in exchange for senseless misery and peril.

KRISTIN HOVENCAMP

Investment Executive,

Director of Business Development

Picking Podcasts, Visually

By Eric Valentine

Two of my favorite sayings I can re call from my youth were said by my Vietnamese-immigrant math teach er, Mr. Tung Trinh. When he wanted us to listen better and talk less, he’d say, “Two ears, one mouth.” If our eyes wandered away from the chalkboard too much, hop ing to chat with a classmate, Trinh would say, “Two eyes, one mouth.”

It all served as a clever reminder that hearing another’s ideas should occur twice as often as speaking one’s ideas. In the age of podcasts, listening to ideas has become a bit easier. And now, with the abundance of streaming content on our ultra high-def 6-inch to 80-inch screens, video is king.

Wise podcasters have incorporated video into their episodes. Why not? You’re al ready recording audio, you might as well turn on a camera, too.

What follows is a mix of podcasts worth listening to that have also turned their shows into a visual medium. What’s re freshing is to see them without all the pro duction and fuss of a network TV show or news broadcast, yet these shows are still professional. You’ve probably heard some or heard of some, now you should watch them, too.

THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE

We’d be remiss not to start with the pod cast king, Joe Rogan. If you think he’s just some martial arts geek turned reality show host turned UFC ringside commentator, you’d be correct. You’d also be missing how genius sometimes appears in unex pected and alternative forms. If smarts or wisdom is 90% seeing how things will un fold before they actually unfold, then Ro gan is Albert Einstein.

He’s been training across several mar tial arts for 38 years, had one heck of a back kick and a 2-1 professional kickbox ing record to prove it, hosted a popular

reality show before reality shows were the premier mode of TV broadcasting, stepped out of the MMA ring and into the much safer and still lucrative ringside-an nouncer post for the UFC, and also puts on a solidly funny stand-up comedy act now and then.

All good stuff. Yet, he actually reaches greatness when he’s podcasting. His show is regularly the most listened to podcast and his YouTube videocasts reach millions weekly, with 13 million subscribers and counting. Here’s two reasons why:

• Rogan lands great guests, not just A-listers but A-grade intellectuals, creatives and influencers (not the so cial media type, the culture type).

• Some have joked pejoratively that Ro gan makes tough guys feel like smart guys. But when you listen to a Rogan show you do in fact become more informed. That’s because Rogan is incredibly well researched and nev er pretends to understand something he fully doesn’t. His, perhaps, lack of mega-IQ or encyclopedic knowl edge is his strongest asset, because he knows what he doesn’t know and asks honest, clear questions. Not bad for an aging jock.

THE TANYA ACKER SHOW

Some folks think podcasting is the realm of the alt-right fascist neo-cons or their uber-progressive leftist libtard counterparts. And for a chunk of the pod cast-verse, that’d be true. If you’re looking for a show that can dive into current events and is more about bios and information and less about bias and partisan vitriol, subscribe to The Tanya Acker Show pod cast and YouTube channel.

Acker is one of the three judges on the Emmy-nominated show Hot Bench. As a TV personality she must work alongside two other judges from different back grounds to get at the truth behind a case,

with a level of decorum and grace expect ed in a courtroom. It’s all something her life history perfectly prepared her for.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ack er attended Howard University in Wash ington, D.C.—which is part of the ‘Black Ivy League’—and went on to graduate from Yale Law School—perhaps the most conservative Ivy League school and pres tigious law school of the bunch. Acker’s biography puts her in a unique class of media personalities. She’s socio-political ly vocal yet viscerally non-divisive. And it plays out in her interview style, where she often lets her guests establish their bi ography, or story, before diving into their unique perspective or insight about a con troversial or important current event.

CONAN O’BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND

The backstory of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend is that after 25 years in late night TV, O’Brien realized the only people at his holiday party are the men and women who work for him. So he began a podcast that is half podcast, half fieldpiece—an area where O’Brien’s comedic talents have al ways super-shined.

It’s not clear if O’Brien has made the friend he sought, but the comedian who some feel had every right to be disgrun tled by the handlings of regular show biz has made a lot of money. Earlier this year, SiriusXM bought the rights to his podcast for $150 million. O’Brien is laughing all the way to the bank.

TRACY MALONE

On a more serious note, let’s talk about mental health and relationships. Tracy Malone calls herself a person who sur vived a marriage and divorce with and from a narcissist. The term narcissist seems to be casually thrown around by people experiencing everything from un requited love to unparalleled abuse. Yet, it’s an astonishingly serious matter and

surprisingly overlooked one, too. That’s mainly because when you hear someone talking about their narcissist, it sounds like they’re just talking about a real jerk.

It turns out jerkiness is on a spectrum. Roughly 1 in 500 people are reported to have a mental health disorder called anti social personality disorder (ASPD). That term does not mean the person has a fear or dislike of crowds or groups. Rather, it means that the norms of society don’t apply to them. Specifically, the norms of emotional reaction to someone else’s suf fering, or the norm of understanding how with rights and privileges come responsi bilities and duties. People with the most extreme version of this are often the serial grifters, rapists and murderers in any giv en population.

Less extreme are people with narcissis tic personality disorder—something more prevalent than ASPD, with an estimated 1 in 200 sufferers. Malone uses her expe rience to interview experts, victims and others who offer services to the victims of these people, including their loved ones. Several years ago, she came across a True Story piece I performed on the topic and I’ve been referring folks to her YouTube channel ever since.

COLUMN

THE REPUBLIC

TV showcases Tanya Acker’s talents on Amazon Freevee’s Tribunal and CBS’ Hot Bench—courtroom-style shows produced by Judge Judy Sheindlin of Judge Judy.

podcasting is where her penetrating method of asking questions also shines. Image credit: TanyaAckerShow.com

“You can never fully insulate your portfolio against rising inflation. However, you can invest in assets that perform better during inflationary periods.”

PICABO

Silver Creek shines during autumn. The fall bugs will hatch during the most pleasant part of the day, and the surrounding scenery on the creek is breathtaking. We’re seeing excellent hatches of small Baetis (size 20 – 24) on the entirety of Silver Creek. While the numbers of October Caddis and Mahogany Duns are variable depending on the day, blind fishing these patterns is still productive. In particular, fishing an orange or tan Stimulator, Goddard Caddis, or Elk Hair Caddis in size 10 or 12 can be effective on breezy fall days. Midges are becoming more prominent on the creek as well, and will continue to do so as the season progresses.

Small Griffith Gnats, Parachute Midges, and Tie-Down Midges in sizes 18 – 24 work well on the creek when paired with long, fine leaders. The resident brown trout are beginning to really key in on spawning, so be aware of redds and spawning fish. Focus your attention on actively feeding fish, and if you’re tossing streamers, look to the deeper slots, undercut banks, and troughs on the creek.

A day spent on the creek this time of year can be magical –ducks are flying, elk are bugling, and moose are on the move. Get out there and enjoy it!

The Big Wood River is another gem. Again, small Baetis and midges are the ticket on the river right now if you’re in search of some dry fly fishing. Nymphing is extremely productive this time of year on the Wood, and fishing streamers on the lower river is the way to go when you are in search of big fish. Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow in the sculpin color is a great choice!

Fishing on the lower Big Lost River remains strong, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Baetis, midges, and nymphing will be your best bet.

A big cranefly nymph, rubber legs, or Hare’s Ear followed by a small zebra midge or Baetis nymph is a good choice.

If you’re interested in some solitude, amazing scenery, and a couple hours of good fishing, it’s worth hitting the upper Big Lost one last time before the weather shuts it down for the season.

Happy fishing everyone!

COMMENTARY

What Does Potty Training And Heel Have In Common?

By Fran Jewell

Seems like an unlikely duo, really. However, I have observed this for so long, and then all of a sudden I had this epiphany!

I tell my clients over and over to make sure their puppy learns to go potty on a leash. It is critical to being able to travel with your dog. Some dogs will hold urinating for up to 12 hours—or MORE— when travelling if they have not been taught as a puppy to potty on a leash. This can lead to lack of drinking, dehydration, and bladder infections.

What I failed to mention was that while potty training, you must take your puppy to the spot where you want the puppy to potty, on the leash, carrying your puppy if necessary. Then, you must stand there and not move or let the puppy go potty outside the range of the leash. The end of the leash is the end of the leash. The owner must act like a post and not let the puppy drag them where the puppy wants to go. In the real world, there may not be options to find a large space for your puppy or dog to go.

The first advantage to this training is that your puppy will learn to go anywhere you need her to go when you need her to go. This is wonderful when you travel!

The second advantage is that you can actually teach your puppy WHERE you want her to go in your yard or nearby areas off of your manicured lawns and gardens.

The third advantage is that you teach there is an end to the leash. Your puppy can then learn that pulling while learning “heel” gets them nothing. There is no advantage to pulling to get somewhere. It is so easy to just stop moving while leash training if your puppy has figured this out during potty training. No pulling means going forward at the heel. If you follow your puppy around while they find a place to go, they learn that pulling on the leash has lots of advan tages. They can sniff, and they get to go where they want, and your puppy also learns that she can potty wherever she wants!

If you allow your puppy to take you places to potty at this very young age, it is called imprinting. When this behavior is imprinted, it is VERY hard to stop leash-pulling during the heel. Pulling becomes a very big problem. YOU have unintentionally taught your puppy to pull while potty training! YIKES!!!

SCIENCE

I am a HUGE proponent of prevention, and leash-pulling is some thing you can prevent in the very beginning. How you potty train is a major influence in teaching the heel. Sometimes, even the sim plest things can have amazing good or bad long-term effects. So, GO FORWARD, but don’t!

Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positive puppy.com or call 208-578-1565.

Wild Weevils And Stinkbugs

BY HARRY WEEKES

Iam struck by how often I find out that one of my wonderful ideas has already been discovered, thought about, ruminated on, and otherwise discussed elsewhere, and usu ally a long time ago. In fact, this has become so common that I no longer think I have any wonderful ideas, but rather am simply redis covering what is already known.

And so it is with this idea of the wild and wilderness, and a thread which has run through this column from the time I started writing it — that the world outside of our door is just as magical and awesome and awe-inspiring as even those most majestic of landscapes we have set aside as “Official Wilderness.”

When I came across William Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness,” written in 1995, I realized someone else had, once again, been thinking about this a lot longer and better than I had. One particular line from the essay that jumped out at me: “What I celebrate about such places is not just their wildness, though that certainly is among

their most important qualities; what I cele brate even more is that they remind us of the wildness in our own backyards, of the nature that is all around us if only we have eyes to see it.” In short, the magic of the big places is that they remind us of the little places — if we let them.

In an effort to channel this kind of think ing, I set out to find “wild things” of any size and scale, with my goal and intent to find the first wild things I came across.

Enter the weevil and the stinkbug, both of whom were ambling across the same patch of pavers outside of my office, and both of whom I struggled to get good pictures of simply because they were so small.

In the few minutes I spent with each, I experienced my usual cascade of questions that spanned the gamut from purely practical (“How do I hold this creature?”) to biologi cal (“This weevil is almost perfectly camou flaged to this paver — is that intentional?”) to philosophical (“Is there a scale below which all things are wild simply because hu man impact is so large as to vanish?”).

And, of course, these were all wrapped into the whole experience, which was over lain with amazement. These two were liter ally walking around. The stinkbug was full of energy, easy to pick up, and impossible to hold as it wanted to get away from me, which it eventually did by walking to the end of my finger and flying away. The weevil barely moved, only to right itself each time I failed to pick it up. Hard to hold and languid, this weevil was a marvel — its skin looked like a small rhinoceros, its antennae waved slow ly about sensing me and the world around it, and it somehow wore a camouflage miracu lously alike a surface that didn’t exist in its

world two weeks ago.

Then, more questions. Where did they come from before I came? Where did they go when I left? What did each think of me? What do they think at all?

Needless to say, each of those questions could occupy someone for years (which they no doubt have, though I did not dive into the research on stinkbugs and weevils that un doubtedly exists out there).

Instead, I lay on the ground and held two insects, and spent a few moments contemplat ing another world, an important world. This is that small wild world that we all inhabit if we just take a little bit of time to recognize it.

Harry Weekes is the founder and head of school at The Sage School in Hailey. This is his 50th year in the Wood River Valley, where he lives with Hilary and one of their three baby adults—Simon. The other mem bers of the flock, Georgia and Penelope, are currently fledging at Davidson College in North Carolina and Middlebury College in Vermont, respectively.

FRAN JEWELL

HARRY WEEKES

Sometimes the simplest things can have long-term effects, both good and bad. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

WHAT TO DO?

BY KRISTIN HOVENCAMP

Thedebate between growth and value stock investing strategies is as old as the day is long and remains front and center. As uncertain economic conditions continue, should an investor cautiously wade back into growth or concentrate on value, and how does one decipher between the two styles?

G rowth investing is a fundamental investment approach. The style focuses on pur chasing stocks that can outpace equity sectors, or the overall market, over time. Investors are attracted to high valuations and the prospect of super-charged growth.

Growth stocks:

• Typically excel in bull markets and periods of eco nomic expansion.

• Tend to represent new(er) or high-growth companies in industries that demonstrate considerable expansion and future profitability.

• Earnings are expected to offer above-average rates of return.

• Benefit from loose monetary conditions and low-in terest rates.

• Borrowing money is less expensive, and future cash flows are worth more.

• T he potential for high growth and high returns comes with greater risks.

• Typically, reinvest their earnings and do not pay divi dends to shareholders.

Value investing focuses on companies currently trading below what they are worth, potentially providing a superior return. Value stocks sell at a relative discount to their net asset value.

Value stocks:

Kristin Hovencamp is an Investment Executive and Director of Business De velopment with HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC.

• Tend to fare better during an economic recession and outperform early as the economy reheats.

• Lag growth stocks in a bull market.

• Usually perform better in a rising interest rate environment.

• Represent established companies with current revenue flows.

• A re characterized by more traditional equity sectors such as energy, financials, and industrials. Investors can find deep-value stocks across market sectors.

• Commonly pay dividends to shareholders.

Investors seeking a less volatile investment approach may favor a value strategy. If you have a longer investment time horizon and are comfortable taking on more risk, you can position your portfolio to take advantage of growth stocks. Taking a risk-adjusted, bal anced approach to equity stock investing is prudent regardless of your investment goals.

Kristin Hovencamp is an Investment Executive and Director of Business Development with HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC, which is independent of Raymond James and is not a registered broker/dealer. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Ser vices, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2 Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.726.0605.

INSPIRATIONS FROM MY HEART DOVE

THE PEACH PRINCIPLE

BY DOVE

Now, one of the things of life that brings me true pleasure is a ripe, juicy, succulent peach just off the tree, glowing and beautiful. These types of peaches are very hard to find in the grocery store as they are picked too early and the sugar doesn’t develop and they are often pithy.

I was blessed with the opportunity for a long trip the first of September and I was most concerned about missing the peach season. In order to get fresh, juicy peach es here, I have found it necessary to make a 100-mile trip out of the Valley to a fruit stand somewhere more hospitable to fresh peaches. I have found that I can freeze fresh peaches by placing them in a dilute solution of citric acid (so they don’t turn brown), drain them and seal them with a food saver, and I have the amazing joy of fresh peaches all winter long. Smother a pecan waffle with the thawed peaches and you have a luscious treat.

Now is where the magic comes in. The last week in August we had company com ing from the Boise area and they knew nothing about my desire for fresh peaches for winter. We had never had a peach-related conversation. So, the story goes, the company arrives with a box of the most beautiful ripe peaches from an orchard over in the Boise area. I ask them what triggered them to bring a box of peaches and the reply was, “I don’t know, but I told my husband we had to find a box of peaches to take to Dove.” He asked, “What if we can’t find any ripe peaches to take?” My husband’s cousin answered, “Then we will go to Nampa or Caldwell or Emmett to get peaches.”

They found a fruit stand and there were about 30 cars parked and a long line wait ing for fruit. A man came up to my husband’s cousin and asked, ”How can I help you?” The reply was, “I need a box of fresh, sweet peaches.” Her wish was imme diately granted; the line was bypassed and I now have a freezer stocked with lovely, juicy peaches.

It is fascinating how readily the Universe will respond to your every wish when you truly just love something and let it go; it comes to you effortlessly. I am so grateful she listened to that voice to bring peaches because I went on my trip with no remorse about being gone.

I am trying to apply the Peach Principle to all my desires now. Let’s see what works. Much love, Dove

FOOD FANTASIES

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

As I write my first sentence, I glance at a small bowl holding three cookies, look-alike Oreos filled with non-dairy cashew centers, good for my new fo cus on healthy diets for my upset esophagus, consisting of nothing interfering with this positive change. But they are NOT OREOS, so my writing-break snack won’t be as yummy as my tastebuds desire.

I do know some snacks are better than others: an apple, nuts and raisins, a slab of melon, help me focus on those, instead of Key lime pie, cheddar potato chips, coffee ice cream, Boursin cheese, and crème brûlée, ad nauseam.

All of this is OK, of course. I am lucky now to have such good food available: seeing images of starving children makes me pause in gratitude for my birthplace and fortunate life journeys. I can’t recall ever being so hungry that pangs weren’t filled in due time.

I just pulled out a puzzle my daughters and grand daughter worked on in August when they spent part of their vacation giving me joy. After camps, theater rehearsals, tennis lessons, bike riding and a quick dip in the frigid water of the nearby creek before dinner, they often sat down to laugh and talk while working a puzzle. This one chronicled my youthful era of avail able food products that we thought normal, minus the availability of purchasing good, healthy food for our families. My mother was a fabulous Swedish cook, one reason I miss homemade sweet coffee cake in the morning, but we did not have access to or perhaps think about including more healthy vegetables and proteins.

Our summer task was to put 1000 puzzle piec es together of images like Sanka Coffee, SPAM, Shake-A Pudding, canned green beans, Velveeta, Franco-American spaghetti, creamed chipped beef, Ding Dongs, and creamed marshmallows.

JoEllen Collins—a longtime resident of the Wood River Valley— is an Idaho Press Club award-winning colum nist, a teacher, writer, fabric artist, choir member and unabashedly proud grandma known as “Bibi Jo.”

My generation found these foods normal, under standing parental admonishments like “Remember starving children” or “What if you had to shuck your peas.” We hadn’t been exposed to the omnipresent influence of food experts, brilliant chefs, and glamorous foodies in a soon-available massive network of information.

As a young girl living off food production processes in World War II, I remember Mother kneading a new version of white oleomargarine with an enclosed food-col oring capsule. The result was inedible pink goo. That same week we received a letter from a British woman my parents had met through the Salvation Army. We had found some fat, not overly ripe oranges to send her in London. Her response stated that she had rarely tasted fresh fruit in the duration of the war.

I learned to eat whatever was put before me (my favorite – gasp – was white bread smothered with sugar and butter). We did have a Victory Garden and, in the spirit of wartime, did not indulge in lavish gourmet meals; my favorite dinner of the week was egg-potatoes. I somehow survived the “unhealthy cuisine” of my era. Nonethe less, it is fun to put puzzle piece 999 smack dab in the center of the label for canned Chun King Chicken Chow Mein.

NO FOOD BUFFET

We pulled into the parking lot at Hank’s Home Town Café. Barbeque waft through the air. “Must be their night buffet.”

The maître d’ said, “Help yourself and find an empty seat.” My stomach set to growl ing. Now I couldn’t wait to eat.

Our waitress had a voice that poked and stabbed at every nerve. She shrieked aloud, “We have a complimentary house hors d’oeuvre.”

“Your night buffet,” is what I said. “That’s how we’d like to dine.” She hollered out, “Two house buffets. You’d better get in line.”

We grabbed our plates and scurried to the barbeque buffet. But what we then en countered left me speechless, so to say.

The pans of meat were empty. Were we doomed for barbeque? ‘Cuz there weren’t a single bite of beefy meat left there to chew.

We looked for mashed potatoes. No potatoes in the pan. And the skillets of their cottage fries would leave a hungry man.

Thank heaven all the broccoli and cauliflower were gone. My last adventure with those two spent all night in the john.

Green bean casserole has always been a favorite of my own. But the pan was scraped much cleaner than two buzzards on a bone.

So, we worked our way right to the end of Hank’s no-food buffet. And there we saw four glasses of some yogurt peach parfait.

We gobbled down our parfait. I’d say faster than Mach 2. Then hurried back for sec onds before someone else came through.

I asked our waitress, “Where’s the cook? I wonder if he knows?” That’s when she hollered out so loud, “Buffet’s about to close!”

I blurted out, “The buffet’s closed? We didn’t get to eat!” She pointed to our parfait glass. “You wolfed down our best treat.”

So, I walked up to the cashier. He just might have been the cook. I hated to admit it, but it looked like we’d been took.

I handed him a fifty for a dinner I’d call strange. And sure enough we paid full price. One nickel was my change.

– Bryce Angell

Bryce Angell - The outdoors has always been a large part of my life. My father was an outfitter and guide for 35 years and I was there to shoe and care for the horses and help him do the cooking. We took many great trips into the Yellowstone area. Even now that I’m older, we still ride into the Tetons, Yellowstone and surrounding areas. My poems are mostly of personal experience. I am now retired and enjoy ing life to the fullest. I plan to do more riding and writing.

WRANGLER’S RECKLESS WRITINGSBRYCE ANGELL

RON TAYLOR

For Idaho Senate District 26

Iamrunning to be your State Senator because I have spent my career in public service and I want to bring that same energy to Boise on your behalf -— to be the kind of poli tician who serves the needs of his constituents rather than his own ego or self-interest.

In the nearly three decades since joining Wood River Fire & Rescue as a firefighter, paramedic and, eventually, captain, I have worked to protect my fellow citizens — even when that has meant putting myself in physical danger — because I be lieve that there is nothing more important than the health and safety of Idahoans.

In 1982, I moved to Idaho chasing a girl. The girl fell in love with somebody else, but I fell in love with the place that has become my home. It has been the privilege of my life to protect and serve this community ever since.

Over 30 years as a firefighter and paramedic, I learned how to set aside differences and work hard with a team to achieve a common goal in service to our community. I learned about leadership in the face of a crisis.

But, it is not only through this work that I have been part of this community.

I was honored this year to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award for my decades of volunteer work in this com munity. But it was the knowledge I gained about the people, animals, and environments most in need of our protection that was the true reward during my time with the Crisis Hotline, Mountain Humane, Wood River Trails Coalition, and Wood River Land Trust.

I have also worked as a landscaper, hotel maintenance work er, graveyard baker, and chef. I still wash dishes at CK’s in Hailey when they are short on staff.

I know what it’s like to work multiple jobs and still struggle to make ends meet. I know that the working people of Blaine, Jerome and Lincoln counties face the same everyday challeng es and are looking for representatives focused on solutions.

On behalf of all members of these communities, I want to protect:

• Quality education for our children – let’s lead, not trail, the nation

• Access to public lands for hunting, fishing, recreation, and tourism

• Preservation and management of Idaho’s water resourc es to sustain our agricultural heritage and recreational riches

• Our standard of living – access to housing and ability to afford that housing with local jobs

• T he freedoms of all Idahoans – including the freedom to make decisions about our bodies, marry who we want to marry, and build the families we choose

When somebody’s house is on fire or they are experiencing a medical emergency, I and my colleagues put aside any dif ferences we might have and solve the problem in front of us. We prioritize the needs of the community we serve because that is what a public servant does.

It would be my honor to continue to serve as State Senator for District 26.

ADVERTORIALS

MENTORS SHARING THE BATON

BY MONICA CARRILLO

OUR VOICE COUNTS

High-schoolers and Wood River Valley residents were able to take the stage as they tackled topics of racism, education aspirations and their motivations.

Lizeth Trujillo (a junior at Silver Creek High School), Jonathan Reigle (Wood River High School graduate), Steven James Serva Gonzales (Sun Val ley Community School), and Joseph Melgar-Egoavil (WRHS senior) all answered hard-hitting questions for an open panel discussion Tuesday night. The moderator for this event was Eduardo Escalera, a current student at the Sun Valley Culinary Institute.

Although many of these students are young, they answered each question with grace, acknowledging the importance of being confident in where they come from and their goals.

“You don’t have to give up who you are to be who you want to be,” said Reigle, who has been assisting Herbert Romero with community events.

The importance of seeing a panel like this not only opens up doors for the Spanish-speaking communi ty, but enables them to feel more comfortable with sharing their opinions to the public. Having these students on the front of this discussion is proof.

With Herbert Romero, community organizer of the Wood River Valley, and the Youth Generosity Project being able to get together young leaders of this Valley to share their thoughts was crucial to the landscape of ideas that surround how we are affected daily.

We want to continue to hear young leaders share their story and sometimes having an open discussion like this is what will create the most fulfilling con versation. It is what will continue positive changes in our community.

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

Los estudiantes de secundaria y los residentes de Wood River pudieron subir al escenario mientras

abordaban temas de racismo, aspiraciones educati vas y sus motivaciones.

Lizeth Trujillo (estudiante de tercer año en Silver Creek High School), Jonathan Reigle (graduado de WRHS), Steven James Serva Gonzales (Sun Val ley Community School) y Joseph Melgar-Egoavil (estudiante de último año de WRHS) respondieron preguntas contundentes para un panel de discusión abierto el martes por la noche. El moderador de este evento fue Eduardo Escalera, estudiante actual del Sun Valley Culinary Institute.

Aunque muchos de estos estudiantes son jóvenes, respondieron a cada pregunta con gracia, reconoci endo la importancia de tener confianza en su lugar de origen y sus metas.

“No tienes que renunciar a lo que eres para ser qui en quieres ser,” dijo Reigle, quien ha estado ayudan do a Herbert Romero con eventos comunitarios.

La importancia de ver un panel como este no solo abre puertas para la comunidad de habla hispana, sino que les permite sentirse más cómodos compar tiendo sus opiniones con el público. Tener a estos es tudiantes al frente de esta discusión es una prueba.

Con Herbert Romero, organizador comunitario del Wood River Valley, y el Youth Generosity Proj ect han podido reunir a jóvenes líderes de este valle para compartir sus pensamientos fue crucial para el panorama de ideas que rodean cómo nos afectamos diariamente.

Queremos seguir escuchando a los líderes jóvenes compartir su historia y, a veces, tener una discusión abierta como esta es lo que creará la conversación más satisfactoria. Es lo que continuará los cambios positivos en nuestra comunidad.

“DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? WELL, DO YA?”

BY ANNA & MICHELLE

citement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya?”

O ur economy has had a long recovery from the

You may remember the famous line in the Dirty Harry movie when Clint Eastwood has just had a shootout with bank robbers and is stand ing in front of the lone surviving thief who is consid ering going for his gun. Harry, with his gun pointed

ANNA AND MICHELLE

BETTER HOMEOWNERS NEWS

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

MONICA CARRILLO

Continued

RON TAYLOR

great recession, due in most part to the housing crisis of 2007–2009. Then, the pandemic hit in 2020, which tanked the worldwide economy, but the surprise to homeowners happened to be housing. 2021 became a red-hot market with prices going up by 21% nationally.

In 2022, mortgage rates have increased by 4 percentage points and haven’t been this high since 2008. Inflation, at the end of September, reached a 40-year high at 8.2%. The Fed recently said they’ll continue raising rates until they can get inflation near their target of 2% annual rate.

People who own homes have seen their values go up dramatically and so has their net worth. Due to the extremely low inventories and the maturing millennial market, there is a lot of pent-up demand for housing.

This leads us to the scene in the movie. You may be considering buying a house now, but at the same time

you’re thinking, “Have prices and mortgage rates hit the top of the market so they’ll start coming down, or will they continue to go up, making it cost more to get into a home?”

The facts are that the U.S. is the strongest economy in the world. The housing bubble of 2007 was created by overinflated property values and predatory lending practices. Those conditions don’t exist today. There is a housing shortage in America due to not enough homes being built to keep up with demand and people staying in their homes longer.

Homeowners have record amounts of equity in their homes and the foreclosure rate hit a historic low at the end of 2021, even though it edged up a bit in spring of 2022 as reported by CoreLogic.

Homes are expected to continue to appreciate but not as fast as they did in 2021. T he revised predictions for 2022 appreciation vary from Fannie Mae at 16%, Fred die Mac at 12.8%, to NAR at 11.5%.

NAR Senior Economist Nadia Evangelou recently said, “Mortgage rates are a heartbeat away from the 7% threshold. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.92% from 6.66% the previous week. While inflation remains elevated, mortgage rates will continue to move up, making homeownership even further out of reach for many.”

If the home you could buy this year for $500,000 will cost you $550,000 next year and the mortgage rate goes up from 6.5% to 7.5%, the payment will go from $2,844 to $3,461 based on a 90% mortgage for 30 years.

If interest rates are temporarily high based on the Fed’s position to lower inflation, a home could be purchased at today’s price and refinanced later when the rates come down. 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages allow a borrower to lock in a lower initial rate for five years, which would allow a person to find the best time to refinance.

So, back to the movie scene... “you’ve gotta ask your self one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya?”

FINISH CARPENTRY

ANNA

BY CROSSWORD