WRW 22 February 2023

WOOD RIVER EXTREMESKI JORING

We want to thank the community, volunteers, businesses and contestants for coming and supporting the event. It was a huge success and we couldn’t put it on without your support.

Contact info: Bill Bobbitt (208) 720-7798 www.woodriveresja.com

ARTIST CARLOS LECANDA EXHIBITS ‘LAS CATRINAS’ ART AT COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Artist’s “Las Catrinas” exhibit on display through March

By HAYDEN SEDER

The newest exhibit at The Community Library in Ketchum features the art of Mexican artist Carlos Lecanda and his collection, “Las Catrinas.” On display through March, the exhibit kicked off with a reception on Feb. 2, which Lecanda and his wife flew in for from Mexico, complete with live music and several speakers, including his son Luis, who lives in Ketchum.

“I hope that my art can inspire the Sun Valley community to see the world in a new way and to connect with each other on a deeper level,” said Carlos. “I believe that art has the ability to foster empathy, understanding, and connection, and I would love to see my exhibit inspire more conversations and interactions between people of different cultures and backgrounds.”

Though his son lives here, that is merely a coincidence to the fact that Carlos has ties to the art community of Ketchum. After a philanthropist of the Sun Valley Museum of Art saw Carlos’s work several years ago, the artist visited the museum twice to conduct art workshops; one on piñata-making and one on papier-mâché. Members of the community expressed interest in seeing Carlos’s art, which could only be seen in Mexico, so Luis arranged to do an informal showing with his parents and a few art pieces at the library. When library staff saw the commotion around Carlos and his art, executive director Jenny Emery-Davidson decided to do a full exhibit around Lecanda.

“Walking into the library means walking into wonder!” said Emery-Davidson. “We want the entrance to The Community Library to uplift people, inspire their curiosity, and invite meaningful connections. The beautiful papier-mâché catrinas of Carlos Lecanda do all of that.”

Walking into the library’s foyer, visitors are greeted by six glass displays encasing Carlos’s papier-mâché catrina dolls. On one wall of the foyer is a sign detailing the exhibit (displayed in both English and Spanish) and on the opposite wall is a projected video of Carlos creating one of his works. The full title of Carlos’s show is Las Catrinas: A Celebration of Mexican Tradition , and these catrinas evoke just that. While many assume the catrina has always been a symbol of Mexico and its Dios de los Muertos festivities, it was actually only in the last 70-ish years and because of two Mexican artists that it became the icon it is today. The first of these was a political cartoon drawn by artist Jose Guadalupe Posada as a critique of Mexicans who adopted dress and culture around the time of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). The second was in a depiction in Diego River’s mural Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.

Each of the catrinas has its own story, energy, and fashion style that represents different aspects of Mexican traditions and uses some or all of Carlos’s many artistic skills in papier-mâché, quilling, piñata-making, and more.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a piece commissioned by The Community Library specifically for the 2023 Winter Read, Las Primas, by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. The book centers on two young cousins whose paths diverge but are always connected. The resulting piece, “Las Primas: Sabrina y Corina,” shows the main characters as catrinas, with a heavy dose of symbolism throughout the piece, to such a degree that Carlos and Luis prepared an accompanying handout to help viewers understand

the complexity of the piece.

“Each catrina presents such vibrant colors and enchanting details, making the library foyer feel animated and joyful,” said Emery-Davidson. “The catrinas also resonate beautifully with this year’s Winter Read, Sabrina & Catrina , by Kali-Fajardo Anstine. Carlos Lecanda created a special commission representing the title characters of this book, and all of the catrinas speak to important themes in the Sabrina & Catrina short stories — the power and vulnerability of beauty, and resilience in the face of death.”

Las Catrinas: A Celebration of Mexican Tradition features paper-mâché catrina dolls in “vibrant colors and enchanting details.” Photo courtesy of The Community Library

Mexican artist Carlos Lecanda and his wife grace one of Lecanda’s paper-mâché catrina doll exhibits in the foyer of The Community Library in Ketchum. Photo courtesy of The Community Library

WRW STAFF

PUBLISHER

Christopher Seldon (208) 788-4789 publisher@woodriverweekly.com

MARKETING & SALES

Mandi Iverson (208) 721-7588 mandi@woodriverweekly.com

NEWS EDITOR news@woodriverweekly.com

CALENDAR calendar@woodriverweekly.com

COPY EDITOR

Patty Healey

PRODUCTION &

Mandi Iverson mandi@woodriverweekly.com

Christopher Seldon chris@woodriverweekly.com

ACCOUNTING accounting@woodriverweekly.com

FLY

‘No Pressure’ - The Advocates’ Every Teen Counts 10th Annual Event

How does one set boundaries? Why is consent important in all relationships? The Advocates’ Every Teen Counts (ETC) interns will address these topics and more during their 10th annual Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month event. “No Pressure” will include art, music, and activities highlighting the importance of creating and maintaining boundaries and consent. Collaborating with groups from the community, the ETCs will provide a fun and safe space for learning and discovery.

Peer pressure is one of the most prominent struggles teens face, especially when it comes to relationships. Friends, social media, movies, and culture influence how we believe our romantic life should be, which can make it hard to recognize, communicate, and respect boundaries.. Boundaries, the rules and limits you set for yourself, lead to healthy interactions with those important to us.

“Communication can be stressful, embarrassing, and sometimes even dangerous, but we know that expressing ourselves equally should be the norm.,” says Every Teen Counts intern Finn Rust. Students from local schools submit art projects, written poems and volunteer their musical talents for this event. Wood River High School teacher Keith Wohlwend prompted his entire health class to make art for the event. The Advocates teen interns will debut a video featuring teen insights on boundaries and consent from students at Wood River High School, Sun Valley Community School, and The Sage School.

Peer pressure can influence how we view our importance, health, and safety. “You can start your journey with boundaries by exploring what you do and don’t like, sharing your feelings and boundaries, and allowing boundaries to change as you grow and discover more about yourself.” says Every Teen Counts intern Charlotte Stone, “Consent is an important aspect of knowing what is okay and isn’t okay for oneself. It establishes the power you have over your body, mind, and emotions. Your autonomy and safety are some of the most important parts of who you are.”

Come learn more about the Every Teen Counts interns as well as local teens groups Compassionate Leaders, Amnesty International, Wood River GSA, Bloom Youth Project and more! All students who provide art or written work for the event will get a chance to win one of three awesome prizes!

All community members are invited to snack, mingle, listen to music, view art and support local teens at the Limelight Hotel, located at 151 Main St S, Ketchum, ID 83340. The Every Teen Counts interns will speak at 5:30pm, followed by a showing of the “No Pressure” video.

Contact Monica Reyna at monica@theadvocatesorg.org or 208788-4191 for more information or if you are a local student who would like to provide art or written work.

Program Names 3 Commended WRHS Students for 2021 PSAT Scores

Wood River High School’s Holden Archie, Hazel Ludwig, and Mosi Slotten have been named commended students in the 2023 Na -

Approximately 34,000 students nationwide have received the honor. Commended students placed among the top 50,000 who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/

“I want to congratulate Holden, Hazel, and Mosi for setting the example for academic excellence in our school,” said Julia Grafft, WRHS Principal. “These students push themselves to be the best they can be in all their academic endeavors, and they deserve this moment of recognition. I hope that this honor shows them what they can accomplish. This is just the beginning, and we are so excit-

The students will receive a Letter of Commendation certificate at

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY for DANCE ARTS (NHSDA)

Dancing is a year round artistic endeavor and passion for those working towards the NHSDA induction. Dancers must maintain a solid GPA on top of the dance core work. The requirements to be inducted and thus obtain the honor that can be recognized on transcripts are rigorous, so on the average it takes 2-4 years of study at the high school level before a dancer can be honored as a Dance Scholar. Dancers also take master classes with guest teachers throughout the year, attend summer workshops (sometimes out of state) to broaden their understanding of dance, community service to promote dance, assist young dancers in weekly classes, and some dancers pursue school projects exploring dance with choreography and other medias.

The National Honor Society for Dance Arts recognises outstanding artistic merit, leadership and academic achievements in students studying dance at the High School level. The National Dance Honor Society is part of the National Dance Educators Organization and is an approved student program from the Secondary School’s Principals (NASSP). The WRHS chapter is one of over 300 chapters across the United States that supports excellence in the dance arts, academic achievement and leadership. Our WRHS faculty advisor is Angie Telford with Hilarie Neely, Director FDC, administering the program with 23 members from Footlight Dance Centre participating in this chapter. For more information, contact Hilarie Neely, the NHSDA Administrator for WRHS Chapter at 208-578-5462 or browse to footlightdance.com

Three dancers will be recognized and inducted as Dance Scholars in NHSDA: Audrey Hernandez (junior at WRHS) Piper Kolb (senior at WRHS) and Riley Jessen (senior at WRHS). Photo courtesy of Hilary Neely

Sun Valley Resort Kicks Off Spring

A Favorite Time In The Valley

Sun Valley Resort announces the kickoff of its bustling spring season introducing the Dollar Holler, a rail jam competition followed by a high-energy Big Air Exhibition on March 4, 2023. Athletes 12-years-old and up are invited to compete in the Rail Jam showing off their tricks to a full crowd of party goers. The Big Air Exhibition will feature the valley’s best tricksters invited to the event to throw down for the crowd with expectations of loud cheers and big energy.

Festivities kick off at 2:30pm at Dollar Mountain with live music by DJN8 to start the afternoon followed by the party-beat masters Canadian DJ duo SkiiTour. The Rail Jam competition will take place from 3-4pm and the Big Air demo will keep the festivities going from 4:30-5pm. SkiiTour will wrap the night with a dance party made especially for a proper mountain town like Sun Valley. Event spectators can park at the Pavillion Lot and take the shuttle or take the Mountain Rides bus from town.

Rail Jam registration is required in advance and is open now online. Competition categories include ages 12-17 boys, 12 -17 girls, 18+ men, 18+ women, pro open men and pro open women. Great prizes from event sponsors will be awarded to first, second, and third place in each category

Sun Valley Resort will be hosting several other local happenings to celebrate the spring season. Highlight events include:

• Apres Live Music at Warm Springs and River Run: Wind down from the ski day with live music on the patio outside at Warm Springs Lodge or inside at River Run Lodge. Check the event calendar for the schedule.

• Papoose Club KinderCup races - March 5: Celebrating 66 years, this race has been a mainstay of the Wood River community since 1957 and is open to all children who have not raced in a sanctioned race previously.

• I nternational Women's Week Celebration - March 8-12 (press release to follow): Join us in celebrat-

RATES (includes Full Color)

ing International Women’s Day all week long at Sun Valley with a special events calendar rooted in inclusivity and women in the outdoors.

• Dollar Days Pond Skim - March 26: With spring skiing comes the annual pond skim on closing day at Dollar Mountain. Costumes are encouraged and good times are inevitable.

• US Alpine National Championships - April 2-5: Sun Valley Resort will host the 2023 Toyota US Alpine Championship presented by Stifel. The best downhill ski racers in the country will converge at Sun Valley to compete in slalom, giant slalom and super-G events. The competition will take place on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain with music and events scheduled

Quarter Junior Horizontal (5.78” x 3.875”) .....$225

Quarter Junior Vertical (3.8” x 7.875”) ...........$185

Quarter (5.78” x 7.875”) ..................................$325

Half Page (9.75” x 7.875”) ..............................$575

Full Page (9.75” x 16”) ...................................$925

throughout the Championships making this a notto-be-missed event for spectators and competitors alike.

• Baldy Bash - April 8: The annual Baldy Bash is a local favorite end-of-season party with free live music, a barbeque and amazing costumes! This year, party-goers will bid farewell to the Challenger and Greyhawk lifts in anticipation of next season where the Resort will welcome two new Doppelmayr chairs at Warm Springs.

• R iver Run closing weekend - April 15-16. Weather and snow conditions dependent, the River Run area of Bald Mountain will be the last to close for the season.

Not only is the Cold Bowl Pond Skim on Dollar Mountain a ‘do not miss’ event, it is also a ‘must participate’ event Photo Credit: Courtesy Sun Valley Resort Photographer: © Idarado Media

WHEN DO YOU LOCK YOUR MORTGAGE RATE?

BY ANNA & MICHELLE

Locking your interest rate protects you from increases due to market conditions. Locking early safeguards your budgeted payment. By locking the rate, if the market goes up, you get the lower rate; if it goes down after the lock, you may be able to pay a fee and lower the rate.

Knowing when to take the lock is determined by which direction you think the market is going. If you think rates are going up, lock in early. If you think rates are going down, ride the rate to within a few days of closing.

Some lenders may allow a borrower to lock a rate after pre-approval but it is more common to not offer a lock until there is a signed contract on a home. Even with a pre-approval, it could easily take 30 days or more to close a transaction and the rates can move a lot in that period.

There may be a fee charged to lock a rate, which is determined by the lender. Generally, the longer the time for the rate lock, the higher the fee.

There is a lock period established by the lender that guarantees the rate, if the loan is closed by the

will probably require higher fees.

Things that could affect your rate lock are:

• T he appraised value comes in lower than what was expected in the sales contract.

• T he borrowers’ credit changes considerably before the closing.

• T he loan amount changes after the rate lock.

• T he loan type changes.

• T he down payment decreases before the closing.

• Some i ncome, like bonuses or overtime, could not be verified.

If a higher rate at closing means that you will no longer be able to qualify for the mortgage, it may be more important to lock in early. Looking at what the rates have done for the preceding weeks may indicate a trend but, at the same time, markets have turned overnight and started moving in the opposite direction.

A trusted mortgage professional can give you good advice and why they feel you should either lock the rate or let it ride. Your real estate agent can

Activist, Counselor, Speaker & More

consider supporting our

Ernso Pierre

by Herbert Romero

Ernso graduated with a degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University, Idaho. He was born in Haiti but raised in the Dominican Republic. He speaks English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French. For more than a decade he has dedicated his time and resources to serving immigrant and refugee communities in different parts of the world.

As a school counselor, he served at-risk Haitians and Dominican youth in an academic setting. Seeing people grow and develop brings him great joy. He dedicated himself to helping the displaced refugees in his community. In 2018, he worked closely with local leaders to help refugees adapt and be independent in the state of Idaho. Currently, he is focusing his efforts on helping refugees and immigrants. He helps them prepare themselves with enough English for employment and academic purposes.

Ernso views the education of every individual as a fundamental and indispensable right. He aims to provide meaningful educational tools to those with less access especially those from Latin America and the Caribbean. In past years, he has engaged with other organizations to develop high-quality, U.S standards-based curriculums online and face-to-face for diverse organizations worldwide. He promotes flexible, affordable programs, suitable for all students personally and digitally. He strives to educate the youth on current issues and empower them to apply these tools daily. His main aim is for immigrants, refugees, and internatinal students to excel socially, intellectually, and economically.

His mission and vision are to create a culture of excellence that motivates students worldwide to learn diligence, integrity, and creativity, transforming members of the global community to foster responsibility.

As a motivational speaker, he has motivated people to move forward for a worthy cause. When the pandemic started; he developed an online platform called Inmersivo Learning System (ILS) an academic platform targeting the promotion of equity and language training for English Learners.

The program focuses on professional, educational, and personal development. He believes in facilitate greater equity and diversity through inclusive education based on diligence, integrity, creativity, and responsibility.

A Pet Obituary

Honor the memory of your pet in The Wood River Weekly. This year, we’re offering 20% OFF our regular obituary rate for pet obituaries. Pet obituaries cost just 16¢ per word and include a large color photo. To reserve space for

“Frankie” — 2003-2018

Ernso is passionate about the education and success of his students everywhere. He is a strong promoter of digital education. He believes education is an ongoing process. Phot courtesy of Herbert Romero

THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 22 - MARCH 7 FROM PICABO ANGLER

Early-winter snowstorms have helped boost our snowpack, but we are hopeful for a lot more precipitation in the next few months.

Anglers fishing during the right conditions have had success on Silver Creek, the Big Wood River, and lower Big Lost River.

Silver Creek is “quality over quantity” fishing; winter streamer fishing on the creek provides anglers with one of the best opportunities to catch a trophy brown. On colder days, fish streamers slow and methodically, covering key water thoroughly. As temperatures increase, streamers should be fished more aggressively. The old adage of “dark day, dark fly, and bright day, bright fly” is a good rule of thumb to follow when streamer fishing, but don’t be afraid to experiment, as well. Remember, the portions of Silver Creek north of Highway 20 remain open through the end of March, so expect fishing to get even better. Expect good dry-fly fishing with midges and spring Blue-Wing Olives during the month of March.

Fishing on the Big Wood and lower Big Lost is primarily a nymphing game right now. All your favorite nymphs will take fish — Copper Johns, Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, Rainbow Warriors, Brassies, Zebra Midges, Princes, and Girdle Bugs are all excellent choices. A double nymph rig with a large point fly followed by a small dropper is your best bet. Concentrate your efforts on typical winter holding water — slow, deep pools and shallow runs with little current. Takes can be extremely subtle at this time of year, so pay attention! Midge and BWO dry-fly opportunities will increase as we enter into March.

Winter flows on the South Fork of the Boise remain stable at around 300 CFS. Nymphing will continue to be the most productive technique on the South Fork; don’t fish the river without a good selection of beefy Rubber Legs, cranefly larva, and small zebra midges in sizes 16 through 20. The road into the South Fork canyon can be a little dicey during the winter, so check current conditions and be prepared when making the drive.

Happy fishing, everyone!

COMMENTARY IS THERE SUCH A THING AS THE UNTRAINABLE DOG?

By Fran Jewell

Absolutely! Although I refuse to tell anyone that their dog cannot be trained.

What makes a dog untrainable? Free access to furniture, sleeping areas that belong to others, food, height, affection, and any resources the dog has claimed as his own. Notice the key words here are FREE ACCESS. When a dog has free access anytime to the things that are important to him, then he will no longer have any respect for his owner or others, including people and other dogs. He will have no interest in learning or working.

There is a simple term for this. It’s called “spoiled.” Spoiled dogs have no need to work, to learn or do anything because everything important to them comes free.

Dogs are opportunists. They are fully capable of determining what is easiest to get and what they want. So, if there is nothing valuable to “work for,” then it is impossible to train them.

It is my belief that when someone comes to me with a difficult dog to train, a huge portion of the training becomes “un-spoiling” them or making them work for anything that is important to that dog. This is called “LEADERSHIP.”

It is further my belief that almost every prob-

lem a dog has stems from lack of leadership IN A MANNER THAT THE DOG UNDERSTANDS.

In very, very unusual cases, there are dogs that are so fearful they cannot get through the fear to trust someone to make learning possible. Studies are now showing that fearful temperament is mostly genetic. Environment does play a part, but not as much as genetics do. There are dogs that have been extremely abused and come out smelling like a rose as if it never happened. Then there are dogs that act as if they were abused, but were not, and can only process slight learning outside their fear.

And then there are cases of dogs that have grown up feral that never learned HOW to learn. These dogs usually spend all their time operating from a place of total instinct because it is the only way they know how to survive. So, are there dogs that are untrainable? I still contend that all dogs can be trained and learn, but ONLY if the owner is willing to NOT spoil the dog in the first place, or “unspoil” the dog that is already spoiled. Sadly, if the owner is not willing to do what is necessary to train the dog, then yes, the dog will most likely be untrainable.

EXPOSURE

BY HARRY WEEKES

Each morning before I leave the house I write Hilary a note. Occasionally, these notes focus on major events—like the time the Alien Starfleet found Earth. There were a lot of exclamation points in that one—ALIENS!!! (Turns out, the alien spacecraft were StarLink satellites.)

The other morning my note contained: “I saw Bigfoot this morning. Or a Bigfoot.” (Obviously there is not just one Bigfoot—there has to be a whole population of Bigfeet.)

As the notes are short, I wasn’t able to unpack my whole Bigfoot story, which is this.

I saw a very large bipedal organism move quickly from one side of my neighbor’s house to the other. He (and I now know it was a he) moved toward me, then away from me. It was not quite pitch black, as I was looking at his silhouette, but it was dark, dark, dark.

It was also cold. This meant I had the hood of Mr. Parka (my parka) over my head and was pretty much only listening to and able to hear the gentle scraping of the interior against my head. The figure caught my eye, caused me to check my breath, and then stopped me dead in my tracks. As I stood, suddenly breathing a lot more rapidly, I realized I was ten feet from a big patch of trees, currently the only thing separating me from the Bigfoot on the other side. I realized I was right where I did not want to be.

I wanted space. I walked as briskly as I could from the road to the path and then into the middle of an open field.

Phew.

Eventually, I made it home unscathed.

My Yeti encounter led to thinking about exposure and what a strange and complex idea it is. In the winter, exposure is that consistently icy hand tapping on your shoulder. Exposure is being out in the open, and this being either a good thing or a very bad thing. Exposure is being in a really confined space, and this either being your salvation or your end. By way of two neighborhood examples: The cottontails around my house alternate their time between sitting outside on top of the snow, exposing themselves to the likes of coyotes and bobcats, and burrowing under the snow, exposing themselves to things like weasels. Currently completely unseen are the ground squirrels, who literally squirrel themselves away in subterranean bunkers, a great technique unless a badger finds them.

There is a certain kind of comfort in walking through or next to the woods… right until a Bigfoot darts out from a house and hides in those very trees. Then, give me a big, open field where I can see things sneaking up on me, and at least give myself the illusion I can make a run for it.

And here emerges that element so evident in people—the mental and emotional sides of our lives. While it might be great to be hiding in the trees, physically, how does it feel mentally? Is being out in the open comforting, or terrifying, regardless of any physical threat?

How does any organism balance this seesaw, which is as much a fight against the elements as it is against oneself?

There is ongoing wonder and debate about what exactly non-human animals feel, which is why the easiest way to explore these ideas is in ourselves. My Bigfoot encounter was a particularly stark example of the various sides of the exposure coin.

It was also something else, too, that I am still working on. After convincing myself of all of the things I did and did not see, it took another two days to experience the same shadow. My question now is, “If the Bigfoot is you, is it real?”

If found, call (208) 721-0849

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 members of the flock, Georgia and Penelope, are currently fledging at Davidson College in North Carolina and Middlebury College in Vermont, respectively.

All dogs can be as great as Lassie! Photo credit: Fran Jewell

A sign warning of Bigfoot crossings on Pikes Peak Highway in Colorado. Photo credit: Gnashes30, accessed via Wikimedia

IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW

By KRISTIN HOVENCAMP

In 2019 Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act to spotlight long-term retirement savings programs. The Act changed various retirement account rules and financially impacted Americans at every age. The most notable revisions were raising the age of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and eliminating age limits for traditional IRA contributions.

Building upon the 2019 broad legislation, Congress recently signed The SECURE Act 2.0. The law went into effect at the end of 2022. The new Act is Washington’s most recent move to encourage individuals and employers to better prepare for retirement. The Act aims to improve access to retirement plans and savings, simplify administration and reporting requirements, and preserve retirement assets.

Though the SECURE Act 2.0 contains over 92 new retirement savings provisions. A key takeaway is the significant adjustments made to the RMD rules. The age at which individuals must begin taking RMDs increased from 72 to 73 starting January 1, 2023, and 75 effective January 1, 2033. This change allows retirement assets to grow tax-deferred for an additional year.

SLIDIN’ AWAY

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

In December, on a quiet night at home, I watched a tribute to Paul Simon and his music. As a younger woman, I adored Simon & Garfunkel, and often caught their lyrics running through my consciousness. Those words seemed especially relevant to me and the choices I made in my life. Some were comforting, like “A Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Those lyrics symbolized my blanket of comfort from my friends and family when scary or hateful things crossed my path.

Even with maturity, I still crave the lift I get from listening to the beautiful songs available to my generation. The “Homeward Bound” Grammy presentation praising the life and work of Paul Simon was a surprise to me, a woman who lives alone and doesn’t always have someone with me to share the inspiration. It was a magical show, and I am lucky to have seen it. Instead of nudging the person next to me, a way of reacting to exquisite performances, I called my daughters and closest friends to tell them to catch it if they could.

Kristin Hovencamp, CPWA®, is an Investment Executive and Director of Business Development with HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC.

Your RMD is the minimum amount you must withdraw from your retirement account each year, starting at age 73. Retirement plans include IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, or employer retirement plans, such as a 401(k). Contributions to retirement accounts are made pre-tax, and distributions are taxed as ordinary income.

The SECURE Act 2.0 changed another essential provision relating to RMDs. The 50% penalty for failing to take an RMD decreased to 25% of the RMD amount not taken. Even better news, the tax will be reduced to 10% if corrected within two years. Remember to submit a corrected tax return. These new rules went into effect in 2023. SECURE Act 2.0 highlights Congress’s commitment to helping individuals and employers prepare for a more secure future. The Act offers numerous financial planning tools to take advantage of, including the highlighted changes to RMDs.

Kristin Hovencamp is an Investment Executive at RJFS 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 Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investing involves risk, and you may incur a profit or loss, regardless of strategy selected. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. Please discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2 Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.726.0605. HazlettWealthManagement.com

EVERYBODY SING

BY DOVE

First comes the thought and then comes the experience. We are the creators of all that is in our world. When we continually let our “monkey mind” run the show, we wind up rethinking the same thoughts over and over. This accomplishes nothing of value and only brings an energy around us of the vibration of the thoughts we are thinking.

I have discovered for myself that the “monkey mind” does not have thoughts that make my world a better place or that make me happier. The antennas of the mind that pick up all the extraneous thoughts that everyone is putting out does not serve me.

I have searched for techniques to use to quiet that unproductive voice, particularly when I am out walking. I can focus on my breath and the feel of sunshine on my back. My brother counts his steps and breathes in and out with a pattern.

The best tool I have found for completely keeping my thoughts in a positive space is to sing. I have two songs that I sing. One is “Amazing Grace,” but I do not use the term wretch; I say a soul like me. I also love to sing “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” I know all three versus and I sing my heart out.

What I have discovered is that it is impossible to think negative or fearful thoughts when my focus is on the words to a song. This activity raises my vibration and keeps the good energy flowing. I would like to suggest that we each find a song that moves us and gives a message we would like to experience and sing it loud and clear. I don’t care about the quality of your voice, just the conviction in your heart to fill the atmosphere with love and happy energy. If enough of us start singing, we will lift the energy out of the frequency of chaos that currently exists. It only takes one tenth of one percent of the population holding the same uplifting vibration to change our reality. Do your part. Sing a happy song.

Isn’t it interesting that the revival in Ashbury, North Carolina, has spread to other universities. We all need hope and now is the time to sing about joy, love and peace. We can do this. With grace, Dove

Still, I’d rather be with someone to share these moments. On a solo trip to Greece and Spain, I sat in the famous Greek theater adjacent to the Acropolis by myself even though hundreds of people were also in the audience watching Irene Pappas in “Medea.” Oh, to have had a soulmate next to me for that!

This time I heard most of my favorite pieces from Paul Simon, but one has stayed with me for several weeks as I have been traveling alone and embarking on some new ways of getting around. The lyrics of “Slip, Slidin’ Away” mean something different to me now than before. I used to apply those words to missed opportunities, as if they had just slipped through my hands. Now, however, I am focusing on the lyric, “The nearer the destination, the more you’re slip slidin’ away.”

I’ve read several analyses of that line. Does the destination encourage ways to avoid reaching it? Is this merely an excuse to put off an established goal — to procrastinate — or is it a reminder that perhaps the end of the trip is not as important as the unexpected slides during our voyage.

I would prefer to look at slidin’ away as a positive aspect of being bold, of sampling new patterns — in essence, expanding the cozy box one might want to stay in for safety. When I review my life, I admit that I am more of a dilettante than a fully realized success at whatever I was meant to do. However, my slides into world travel, new teaching experiences, attempting publication, or going off a certain path to be with someone I cherish, have resulted in some of the richest, most exciting and productive times imaginable. I don’t regret those times. I can’t claim expertise in a dominant goal, but boy, has it been fun! I don’t think I’ve ever been bored, especially while anticipating a slip into the new.

Put Out To Pasture

The young men teased when he entered the room. The years had passed him all too soon. His twisted fingers held the cane that propped him up through years of pain.

He sat down at the breakfast table. His chair he’d claimed for years. His duties now were bunkhouse guard. A job made by his peers.

He looked the part of old cowboy, his dark and weathered hide. With weeklong grayish whiskers showing off his senior side.

His cold dark eyes could tell a story, if you looked on in. But no one seemed to bother. All they saw was old and thin.

The young cowboys would say to him, “You’re dang near old as dirt.” He’d try to laugh it off but always felt the pangs of hurt.

His nature was to answer fast. “Now hold your tongue. I ain’t yet passed. Your time’s a comin’ so don’t you fret. From here to there the years are set.

“Old Mother Nature will steal your youth when you’re feeling young and spry. Hang on to your saddle and be aware. She does it on the sly.”

And then he said, “The good you’ve done; well don’t forget that time erases that aspect of life’s hard work on everyone.

“Your young eyes see us obsolete. From that regard I’ll accept the seat. My years of toil have earned this place. Being put to pasture ain’t no disgrace.

“This winter when it’s ten below, your rope won’t toss and it sure won’t close. Your fingers will think they’re under ice. My toasty fire will sure feel nice.

“You young ones want a love affair? She’ll break your heart, but don’t despair. Hard work will keep her off your mind. No better cure you’ll ever find.

“While on the trail and asleep at night, the cold hard ground will be your plight. My soft, warm bunk’s right by the flame. A bed that’s mine and carries my name.

“When our breakfast’s through you’ll be in the saddle. You’ll have the cold north wind to battle. I’ll be in this bunkhouse nice and warm. You’ll be out there bravin’ another storm. Your wool pants frozen to your legs. And, by the way, could you pass those eggs?

“What you will do, I’ve done before. So many times, I can’t be sure? Your cowboy way heads my direction. If it ain’t for you, better make that election.

“So call me fossil, if you must. But one thing you can surely trust. Though my body’s worn from years of cold, I’ve earned this place that you call old.”

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 enjoying life to the fullest. I plan to do more riding and writing.

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

The Power-Serving Myth That Anti-War Protests Make No Difference

BY CAITLIN JOHNSTONE

Thousands of people from across the political spectrum gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to protest US militarism, proxy warfare and nuclear brinkmanship in Ukraine on Sunday.

I’ve been seeing some people try to downplay the numbers on social media, but footage from the Rage Against the War Machine rally makes it clear that attendance was in the thousands; people who were there place the number at around three thousand.

This is significantly better attendance than any other American anti-war demonstration in recent years that I’m aware of. It’s nowhere remotely close to the historic numbers people demonstrated in to protest the war in Iraq, and it’s nowhere remotely close to what it should be for an issue of such existential importance. But it’s a start. Maybe the start of something good. The ANSWER Coalition has a March on Washington scheduled for March 18th for the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion demanding “Negotiations not escalation” in Ukraine and an end to US militarism abroad. We shall see if this thing continues to pick up steam.

One criticism I hear of anti-war demonstrations is that they don’t make a difference. “Millions of us marched in opposition to the Iraq invasion, and they did it anyway!” is a common sentiment.

While it’s true that demonstrations failed to stop the invasion of Iraq, if you look at the US war machine’s actual behavior following that war, it has clearly been reacting defensively to public opposition.

If anti-war protests made no difference, the US empire wouldn’t have completely abandoned full-scale ground invasions after 2003 and switched to sneakier, less effective means of warfare while launching unprecedented narrative management systems to suppress anti-war sentiments. They abandoned Bush-era Hulk Smash ground invasions in favor of drones, proxy warfare, covert ops and sanctions because enough people rose up and said “NO” to make them afraid of the masses beginning to wake up and begin turning against them and their institutions.

And now people are even beginning to protest the proxy warfare. I guarantee you that’s making our rulers nervous about the possibility of losing the ability to ef-

fectively dominate the world with violence and coercion, and even losing the ability to continue to rule us.

These things very clearly and obviously make a difference. The only reason Syria and Iran remain sovereign, unabsorbed governments, and the only reason the imperial body count isn’t much higher today, is because enough people put their foot down and said “NO” to that kind of war.

Our rulers pour so much effort into manufacturing consent because they absolutely require that consent in order to rule. Their worst-case nightmare scenario is the emergence of a large, robust movement of people saying “NO” to the imperial war machine, because military violence and the threat thereof is the glue that holds the empire together. It’s bringing public consciousness to the very most important aspect of the empire, which also happens to be the very least defensible.

Noam Chomsky said “Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state” because over the centuries those who seek large-scale power over other humans have discovered that dominating people psychologically is more energy-efficient than dominating them with brute force, and is far less likely to see them wind up on the business end of a guillotine blade. If you can simply trick a profoundly unfree populace into thinking that they are free, you don’t have to waste any further energy wrestling their freedom away from them.

But what this means is that the entire power structure which rules over us is entirely dependent on the ability to successfully administer propaganda and maintain the illusion of freedom. If it can’t manufacture consent for the things it wants to do, it has to either refrain from doing those things until it can manufacture the necessary consent or do those things anyway without the consent of the public. If they do that, public trust in the ruling institutions will immediately begin to disintegrate, and they won’t be able to propagandize people anymore because propaganda only works if people trust its source.

Our rulers could of course then switch to the direct bludgeon of totalitarianism if they want to, but then they’re up against an angry populace, and in America’s case a very heavily armed one. All the narrative management that holds the US-centralized power structure together would lose trust around the world, because the “Freedom-Loving Good Guys Vs Tyrannical Bad Guys” framing of imperial propaganda would no longer be believable.

The US-centralized empire will crumble if it cannot preserve the illusion that it is accountable and responsive to the public.

Of course a few thousand people at one protest is not going to bring peace to our world. Even a few million

wouldn’t be enough. But public demonstrations are one of the many ways in which our society can be drawn toward awareness of what’s really going on in our world, what our rulers are really up to, and how much we’ve been lied to all our lives. From there health can follow, because with enough awareness people will cease consenting to things that they’ve come to recognize as being against their interests.

All positive changes in human behavior are always preceded by an expansion of consciousness. Demonstrations are one of the many different tools ordinary people have to spread awareness so that positive change can occur; that’s why they’ve featured so prominently in civil rights movements throughout history, and that’s why the US empire has been pouring so much energy into preventing the reemergence of a lively antiwar movement in the western world ever since Vietnam.

All we’re doing is nudging our species bit by bit toward consciousness. Other tools we can use toward this end include new media like online videos, blogs, tweets and memes, and old media like pamphlets, public speaking and graffiti. Anything we can do to get people opening their eyes to the horrors of imperial warmongering and start bringing some actual movement into the anti-war movement will help. Our survival may very well depend on it.

Sun Valley Music Festival Announces 2023 Gala Concert

The Sun Valley Music Festival proudly announces Michael Feinstein and Jean-Yves Thibaudet Two Pianos: Who Could Ask For Anything More? for its 2023 Gala Concert on Aug. 8. Feinstein is an acclaimed force in American music with five GRAMMY® nominations, a collection of multi-platinum-selling albums, and an Emmy nomination for his PBS television special Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Legacy. For more than three decades, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has performed worldwide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists. Thibaudet is well-known to Sun Valley audiences for his sparkling virtuosity and vivacious stage presence. Together, they’ll perform works by George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Leonard Bernstein, along with forays into jazz, ragtime, Latin music, and stride. The program will include piano duos and solos, vocals from Feinstein, and works featuring the Festival’s all-star orchestra. This is a special opportunity to hear these two fantastic artists

with Alasdair Neale and the Festival Orchestra, all in a beautiful, alpine setting.

Performing together for the first time with their nationwide tour, Feinstein and Thibaudet have curated a program for their appearance in Sun Valley that will showcase their unique talents and interpretations of popular American music from the 20th century and the Great American Songbook. The artists will offer commentary and anecdotes to provide historical and social context for their selections, which will feature a number of works by George Gershwin (including his beloved Rhapsody in Blue) and other iconic American composers and songwriters.

The concert takes place in the open-air Sun Valley Pavilion — in the shadow of Bald Mountain and Idaho’s iconic Smoky Mountains. The performance begins at 6:30 PM; gates open at 5:00 PM for all Pavilion and lawn seating.

Visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org for

Gala details and up-to-date information on tickets and attending, or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/ subscribe to receive the latest Gala updates by email.

Hear two of today’s most celebrated artists, Ambassador to the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein and world-renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, for the Sun Valley Music Festival’s 2023 Gala Concert, featuring an innovative program celebrating the music of George Gershwin and his world. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Music Festival