WRW 23 March 2022

and

Health Wellness SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 7

ELECTION NEWS

HOUSING NEWS

D26 Candidates Get Candid PG 5 SUN VALLEY

KETCHUM

MONEY MATTERS

Doing Enough?

PG 6

A Roth Conversion?

PG 11

BELLEVUE

HAILEY

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WOOD RIVER WEEKLY

YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY

Free | Mar 23- Apr 5, 2022 | Vol. 3 - No. 6 | woodriverweekly.com

“Hello, April. Please don’t fool me!”

KEEFE SHOWS METTLE – Routinely Nomadic

Jesse Keefe (Bellevue, Idaho/Ketchum, Idaho) competes in the Giant Slalom Standing Para alpine skiing event at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Center in Beijing on Thursday, March 10.

Photo credit: Mark Reis/USOPC

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

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NEWS

Mountain Humane Takes In Hoarder’s Dogs

Call (208) 788-4351 or email adoptions@mountainhumane.org to add some “cheesiness” to your home, says Mountain Humane staff which responded to more than 50 dogs last weekend being hoarded in Jerome, roughly doubling the number of dogs housed at the Hailey animal shelter. Mountain Humane said it is grateful for the outpouring of community support for the rescue of 52 Chihuahua-mix puppies last weekend.

“Our veterinary staff continues to do the essential work of processing these babies to make them ready for adoption as soon as possible,” the organization said.

The rescue comes at a high-profile time for the shelter as it has one more week to trigger a matching fund donation where all donations will be doubled up to $50,000 until March 31, 2022.

Paralympian Keefe Comes Up Huge In China

Valley paralympics skier Jesse Keefe finished ninth in the Men’s Slalom Standing, 15th in the Giant Slalom Standing and Super-Combined Standing, and 22nd in the Men’s Downhill Standing Para Alpine Skiing events in his first Paralympic competition. Keefe, 17, said he was pleased with his performance and vowed to come back stronger at the next Paralympic games.

“This hill is such a challenging ski environment and it is so different than what I grew up on,” Keefe said on Sunday. “This is easily one of the most difficult courses I have ever skied. A top-15 and top-10 finish at age 17, beating my age by a couple numbers, was a pretty good goal and it’s a really good reason for me to keep going.

I still have a lot of time left of training and World Cup experience to come back even stronger at the next Games.”

Keefe lost his right leg below the knee after he was born without an ankle bone.

He grew up in a ski town and learned to ski at a young age. He currently is a student at Sun Valley Community School.

Film Festival Names Honorees, Slates Events

That’s a wrap. Sun Valley Film Festival event details are set, distributed and ready for a live, in-person audience March 30–April 3. Information on this year’s festival

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

IN BRIEF

and how to get passes can be found online at sunvalleyfilmfestival.org but for now, here’s a trailer: SVFF’s awards and Coffee Talk format is back. There are four awards and 12 total recipients this year: Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler are the Vision Award honorees. The Pioneer Award recipient is Danny Strong and the Further Award recipient is Dr. Nathalie Douge. This year’s Rising Star Award went to the ensemble cast of “Outer Banks,” a Netflix series starring Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant.

The awards will be presented at a celebratory dinner at the historic Roundhouse for patrons and special guests. That’s followed up with appearances from the honorees at the Coffee Talks Q&A events hosted at The Argyros over the course of the festival.

More than two dozen short films will be screened at this year’s Sun Valley Film Festival, with two world premieres, a U.S. premiere and 17 Idaho premieres.

Pub Steps Up To The Plate For Baseball

The Warfield Distillery and Brewery in Ketchum has announced a four-course dining event to help raise funds for the Wood River Baseball Association.

The event will be limited to 24 people; specifically, two tables of 12 are up for bid. Bidding for each table will start at $1,000 on April 1 and run until April 30. The winner(s) will be announced May 1. The proceeds from this dinner will help fund the Wood River Baseball Association 2022 season, which includes traveling to various tournaments around Idaho.

“I want to see Wood River Baseball be successful because I love to see our youth raised properly with confidence and integrity. I believe in the Wood River program and that we are moving in the right direction and I want to help support that,” said Chef Jay Veregge.

The association is run by volunteers to help serve the youth in the Wood River Valley, helping teach the players more than the love of baseball, but to be better citizens and growing through teamwork to learn to compete on a higher level. The association is also raising funds to purchase an infield grooming machine, which will help keep the local baseball fields in tip-top shape.The goal of $8,000 is almost halfway met for this vital piece of equipment.

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

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MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

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WRW STAFF PUBLISHER Christopher Seldon (208) 788-4789 publisher@woodriverweekly.com MARKETING & SALES Mandi Iverson (208) 721-7588 mandi@woodriverweekly.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine news@woodriverweekly.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey PRODUCTION & DESIGN Mandi Iverson mandi@woodriverweekly.com Christopher Seldon chris@woodriverweekly.com ACCOUNTING accounting@woodriverweekly.com DEADLINES Display & Classified Ads, Monday 5 p.m.

Calendar Submissions — Friday 5 p.m.

CONTACT Wood River Weekly P.O. Box 3483 Hailey, Idaho 83333 (208) 788-4789 woodriverweekly.com

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

Ketchum Calls For Wagon Days Poster Art

The city of Ketchum is seeking artists to design the 2022 Wagon Days poster. Selected artwork will be the official poster for the 2022 celebration of Wagon Days and will be incorporated onto souvenir items such as commemorative mugs, pins, T-shirts, etc. All art submissions are welcome, including preliminary sketches.

The selected artist will receive a stipend of $350. Photographers, graphic artists and others working in creative fields are encouraged to apply. Submissions are due by April 30 and should be emailed to heather@sunvalleyevents.com.

Over the years, the posters have become treasured souvenirs of the annual Wagon Days celebration and many have become collectors’ items. Posters and souvenir items will be on display and offered for sale at Wagon Days headquarters leading up to and during Wagon Days, which takes place Sept. 2–3, 2022. Headquarters will be located at the Ore Wagon Museum on the corner of East Avenue and Fifth Street.

Hailey Mayor Selects Heather Dawson Replacement

Hailey Mayor Martha Burke has selected Lisa Horowitz as Hailey’s new City Administrator. Horowitz has served the City of Hailey in the role of Community Development Director since January 2015. She is replacing a 14-year veteran of that position, the popular Heather Dawson. Horowitz will assume City Administrator duties effective April 1, 2022.

“I have always considered it important to ‘hire from within’ and with Lisa’s experience and talent, we had the perfect candidate for the job. I look forward to working with Lisa in her new role with the City,” Mayor Burke said.

Horowitz is well-experienced in local Hailey’s soon-to-be City government and carries a Bachelor’s of Administrator Lisa HorowLandscape Architecture from the Univer- itz. Photo credit: City of sity of Illinois. She has worked for three Hailey decades in a variety of progressively responsible positions spanning city, county and state government. Nineteen years of her career have been spent in local governments in Blaine County, including the City of Hailey. Career highlights include: • Steering Hailey over the last 8 years of the great recession and into a period of high development activity.

• Navigating complex annexations for Hailey with substantial open space protection and great strides in workforce housing.

• Serving at the City of Ketchum over two different time periods, including a major comprehensive plan update, reduction in scale of downtown buildings and additional hillside protections.

• Broad consulting career that included public and private planning projects in Montana and Idaho, with numerous projects in Whitefish, Montana.

• 20 years of partnerships and working relationships in Blaine County resulting in many rewarding projects throughout the County.

• Growth management planning in the greater Seattle metro area during a time of strong collaboration between the 30 cities in King County.

“I have greatly enjoyed my local government service, and in particular my last eight years at the City of Hailey. As a longtime Hailey resident, I am deeply committed to the wellbeing of this community, and I look forward to serving in the capacity of City Administrator,” Horowitz said.

Resilience Institute Hires New ED

The Sun Valley Institute for Resilience announces the hiring of Nate Twichell as Executive Director to guide the organization, whose mission is to ensure that the Valley community, economy, and ecosystems thrive.

Twichell joined the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience team as Deputy Director in July of 2021. He has been instrumental in progressing the Impact Idaho Fund into a powerful new resource to provide patient, low-cost capital to build community resilience. His professional background is in education and nonprofit administration, most recently working as the Leader of Institutional Advancement at The Sage School.

Twichell will be stepping into the role after current Executive Director, Lexie Praggastis, stepped down due to family matters requiring her attention. Lexie assumed the Executive Director role in mid-2020, guiding the organization through the pandemic, building on the organization’s legacy, and leading the way on the launch of the Impact Idaho Fund.

W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

NEWS

•

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

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STATE, ELECTIONS

CANDID CANDIDATES Part 1 of a two-part series on District 26 state legislature campaigns

By Eric Valentine

Editor’s Note: What follows is the first of two articles on the District 26 state legislature race up for grabs this year. Two Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate and one Independent candidate have filed and will now campaign until Election Day, Nov. 8. Rather than do traditional campaign stories that sometimes feel more like a marketing piece than reporting or commentary, Wood River Weekly opted to send candidates a link to a Google Form with a simple list of questions about state issues. Here are the responses from Republican Lau- Laurie Lickley. Photo cred- Don Lappin. Photo credit: rie Lickley, currently the District 25 representative, it: State of Idaho Donald Lappin Facebook and Donald Lappin, a longtime political activist.

Profile

W

ture. Does that mean that 72% are unnecessary? hich bill (or new law) if signed by Gov. Probably not, but a good chunk are.

Little would impact the lives of District Lappin: Senate Bill S1309, the “Fetal Heart Bill,” 26 residents most POSITIVELY and is a copy of a simular bill created in Texas, an ulhow so? tra-conservative state. The bill is part and whole of Lickley: There are some very valuable pieces a partisan movement. I could not sponsor a bill for to come out of this second year of the 66th Idaho or against “women’s health choices,” because I am Legislative Session that will positively impact our not a woman. good folks in Jerome, Lincoln, and Blaine Counties.

If you could only sponsor one bill (proposed alH0436, which is now law, gives the largest tax cut in Idaho history. It provides a one-time tax rebate of ready or not), what would it be and why? $350 million, returning approximately 12% of 2020 Lickley: S1329 could have the most impact in Idaho personal income tax or $75 for each taxpayer and dependent, whichever is greater. It also effec- years to come. You are best served by a citizen legtively consolidates the income tax brackets even islature, one that spends its days closest to you. At further, from five brackets to four and lowers the a rough cost to you of $33/minute while we are in rates to 1%, 3%, 4.5% and 6%. With a $1.9B sur- session, the Idaho Constitution is clear that our job plus, this tax cut helps Idahoans keep more of their is to make laws and appropriate Idaho’s precious hard-earned money while still making room for the revenues. S1329 has passed the Senate and awaits large investments in education, mental health, de- a committee hearing in the House. The purpose of ferred maintenance, early debt retirement, water, this legislation is to establish some uniformity to the legislative session and process. It identifies a “not and transportation as well. to exceed” sine die date and will help the LegislaLappin: Currently, as of 3/19/2022, there are 100 ture to be more deliberative and timelier in doing bills on the governor’s desk for signing. Many af- the peoples business. Exceptions to address a guberfect us. Senate Bill S1309, for some of District 26 natorial veto and declared disaster and emergency residents, the “Fetal Heart Bill,” would have an ex- events are provided for. tremely positive effect on them personally, because Lappin: To fix the broken Residental Housing it is an extremely positive result of years of pushing Marketing Methods. A bill to even the playing field for the cause of reducing abortion rights. amongst home buyers. I would call it the “Equality Which bill (or new law) if signed by Gov. Lit- to Earn Equity Bill.” Some suggestions given to me tle would impact the lives of District 26 residents by the public in a public forum discussion I created would be to eliminate ‘Down Payments, Closing most NEGATIVELY and how so?

Costs, and PMI,’ requirements for purchasing a priLickley: Voting should be easy and safe. Idaho has mary residence. Disallow ‘REITs’ and ‘Corporate the safest and most secure voting laws in the United Rental Companies’ from purchases of single resiStates. The U.S. Constitution is clear that Idaho has dents. 90-day waiting period for cash purchases. No sovereignty over the election process, and we do not offers over initial asking price. Radical ideas, but need other states or the Federal Government inter- the capitalistic system is broken. If you build more fering. There were several pieces of legislation this houses, the rich will come and buy them, then rent year that could have drastically reduced the ability them to the working class who were trying to buy of our rural voters, veterans, and senior citizens to them in the first place. P.S. No application fees for rentals was the number one suggestion of renters. participate in the election process.

If you could only attend three (3) of the followLappin: Senate Bill S1309, for some of District 26 residents the “Fetal Heart Bill,” would have an ex- ing Valley events, which ones would you choose? tremely negative effect on them because it would be Lickley: A great meal out, Film Festival, Trailing an extremely negative setback in protecting the laws of the Sheep. and rights of a woman’s health and choices.

Lappin: Art Walk, Wagon Days, Writers’ ConferWhich bill (or new law) is an example of unnecessary, partisan politicking that you would avoid ence. ever sponsoring and why?

Check five (5) of the following general areas in Lickley: Oh goodness, there are plenty of those. which you will be most effective and/or most fo784 pieces of legislation have been drafted, 195 of cused during the next two-year term. those have been amended, 537 have been introduced Lickley: Agriculture, Education, Energy, Healthin both the House and Senate, and 153 of those have passed both bodies. In my Salmon High School, care, Water.

University of Idaho, and ranch math, only 28% have Lappin: 1st Amendment rights, 10th Amendment passed. The governor has signed about 52 of those, vetoed one, and has about 100 that await his signa- rights, Agriculture, Housing, Water.

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WOOD RIVER WEEKLY

YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY

Free | Feb 9 - 22, 2022 | Vol. 3 - No. 3 | woodriverweekly.com

“ I f l o v e i s t h e a n s w e r, c o u l d y o u r e p h r a s e t h e q u e s t i o n ? ”

MAKING LAW - L i l y To m l i n

Gov. Little tax cut, Sen. Stennett farewell jolt 2022 state legislative session

I

By Eric Valentine

daho’s top-ranking Democrat and one of Ketchum’s longest-serving representatives, District 26 State Sen. Michelle Stennett, of Ketchum, will not be seeking re-election to the office she took over from her late husband and had been consistently re-elected to over the past 13 years. The senator’s decision comes on the heels of two other Democratic shakeups: • Muffy Davis’ move from the Idaho House of Representatives to a commissioner’s seat for Blaine County • District 26’s all-but-certain reconfiguration to include Jerome with Blaine and Lincoln counties starting with the November midterm elections this year, realistically turning the proverbial blue Democratic island in Idaho’s Republican red sea a bit purple The Blaine County Democrats called the news of the farewell “bittersweet” in a three-paragraph statement the group released Monday.

“We are ever so grateful for the many years and many ways that she has served and bettered our Legislative District and the entire State of Idaho. A qualified Democrat will run for her seat, and we know Michelle will mentor all of us during this time of transition,” the statement read. “We should personally thank her for what she has done for our generation and for the generations to come. She is truly an incredible example of someone who listens to and represents everyone, despite the challenges that we all face.”

Some folks who reacted to the news articles online threw shade on the Minority Leader and Minority Caucus Chair’s announcement. In one comment, a reader asked Stennett’s supporters to name any of her accomplishments, implying there were none. The criticism, however, doesn’t take into account the senator is just one blue vote in a chamber that’s firmly implanted in the red. In positions like that, often the accomplishments are what’s not easily seen—for instance, the compromises to legislation the minority party can get the majority to make, the contrarian public voice opposing or supporting something the majority party does or doesn’t undertake.

In late January, when Gov. Brad Little was boasting about his proposed balanced budget, House members

The Democratic office holders of District 26, from left to right, Sen. Michelle Stennett and Representatives Sally Toone and Ned Burns pose outside the state Capitol building in Boise earlier this year. Photo credit: Michelle Stennett

of his party put forward H436, a bill that would reduce taxes for everyone, including the rich and mega rich.

Stennett’s response, issued from her blog, was this: “The House Republicans have passed H436 on a nearly party-line vote despite every constituent who testified in committee opposing it. The bill would give someone with $1 million in annual taxable income an ongoing yearly tax cut of $5,000 on top of a nearly $8,000 one-time rebate. Idahoans with the most modest incomes will receive a rebate of $75. The bill also reduces the corporate income tax rate from 6.5% to 6%.”

Stennett then commended her Republican counterparts for increasing the education budget overall, but how that increase still fell short. Despite the governor’s

increase in teacher pay, Stennett said, “When adjusted for inflation, Idaho teachers are now making less than they did in 2009.”

Political roadblocks aside, Stennett, a widow to her late husband Clint, had personal business challenges just last year. In March, a prominent building at the corner of River and Croy streets in downtown Hailey and co-owned by Stennett was on its way to becoming much-needed workforce housing before it was completely destroyed by flames March 16. Roughly half a dozen tenants were evicted at the end of 2020 when Continued MAKING LAW Page 2

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

Register for

Preschool or Kindergarten!

Looking to enroll your child in preschool or kindergarten for fall 2022? Join us at our upcoming registration event, at each of our elementary schools!

Friday, April 1, 2022 - 7:00am to 3:30pm WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: • Kindergarten is open to children who will be five years old by September 1.

Preschool is open to children who will be four years old by September 1.

• You will register at the school at which your child will attend this fall, determined by either your home or your daycare address.

• There is no preschool available at Alturas. Preschool children in the Woodside area who live north of Winter Fox Lane will attend Hailey Elementary. Those who live south of Winter Fox Lane will attend Bellevue Elementary.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: • An original, state-certified birth certificate • Proof of residence in Blaine County • Up-to-date immunization records*

LEARN MORE:

www.blaineschools.org/domain/687

* 39-4802. EXEMPTIONS. (1) Any minor child whose parent or guardian has submitted to school officials a certificate signed by a physician licensed by the state board of medicine stating that the physical condition of the child is such that all or any of the required immunizations would endanger the life or health of the child shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter. (2) Any minor child whose parent or guardian has submitted a signed statement to school officials stating their objections on religious or other grounds shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

118 W. Bullion St., Hailey, ID, 83333 | http://www.blaineschools.org ph: (208) 578-5000 | fx: (208) 578-5110

Inscripción para

Preescolar o Kinder ¿Quiere inscribir a su niño para preescolar o kinder en otoño de 2022? Súmese a nuestro evento de inscripción en cada una de nuestras escuelas primarias.

Viernes 1 de abril de 2022 de 7am a 3:30pm QUÉ DEBE SABER: • El kinder está abierto para los niños que hayan cumplido 5 años antes del 1.° de septiembre; preescolar está abierto para los niños que hayan cumplido 4 años en esa misma fecha.

• Se inscribirá en la escuela a la que asistirá su niño este otoño, lo que dependerá de la dirección de su casa o de la guardería de su hijo.

• No hay escuela preescolar en Alturas; los niños de preescolar en la zona de Woodside que vivan cerca de Winter Fox Lane asistirán a Hailey Elementary; y quienes vivan al sur de Winter Fox Lane, asistirán a Bellevue Elementary.

QUÉ DEBE TRAER: • Acta de nacimiento original y certificada por una autoridad estatal.

• Prueba de residencia en el condado de Blaine.

• Registro de vacunación actualizado.*

NEWS

HOUSING

HOUSING HOPE School district, Valley mayors push plans, policies to mitigate affordable housing mess

T

By Eric Valentine

he affordable housing crisis marches on for the Valley’s embattled working class, but if the month of March has anything to say about it, there’s at least some rain on that dark parade.

A number of policy and planning decisions by local leaders in recent weeks are at worst well-intentioned but ineffective steps toward making housing more affordable here and at best game changers for a number of people who want to remain in the local working class talent pool for the foreseeable future. Just in recent days, the Blaine County school board approved a plan to hire a development firm that would build a series of affordable-housing units for district teachers and other qualifying staff. And in October, school board trustees approved a $500 monthly stipend for rent-burdened employees, 24 of whom have since qualified.

In Ketchum, the city council there will Trustee Dan Turner let voters decide in the May elections Photo credit: Blaine whether to use part of its Local Option County School District Tax (LOT) revenues for so-called “workforce housing.” In Hailey, planning and zoning commissioners are advising its city council to add 80 units to what was an already sizable housing development. And in Bellevue, city leaders are now officially calling the city a resort town so it could put a LOT revenue measure on their May ballot. Only resort towns can establish LOT policies.

The Specifics—BCSD Trustee Dan Turner, who heads the school district’s finance committee, presented the full school board Monday with a document (called an RFP or request for proposals) that houses the key ingredient to meeting the district’s stated goal of recruiting and retaining high-caliber teachers and staff: helping them afford to live here. The RFP sends out the bat signal to qualified housing developers and real estate professionals to design, develop, construct, finance, lease, manage and maintain two to three affordable-housing units on three school district lots in Hailey: • .31-acre site on West Bullion Street • .34-acre site on McKercher Boulevard • 1-acre site on East Croy Street Proposals will be reviewed in April and a development partner selected by May 10, the district said.

The Specifics—Cities In a communication from Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw, he said the May 17 ballot item would ask voters whether they support raising LOT collections as follows: • 0.75% on retail sales • 2% on hotel rooms and short-term rentals • 2% on liquor-by-the-drink • 1% on building materials (excluding materials for workforce housing) “A reliable source of funding is necessary to implement the Ketchum Housing Action Plan. Public funds, leveraged with philanthropic and business resources, would provide the maximum impact to the Plan. Funds raised would be placed in a dedicated housing fund,” wrote Bradshaw.

The Hailey Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday gave city council their recommendation to OK an additional 80 housing units at Woodside’s Sweetwater Community, which currently is seeing construction of five 10-unit buildings and seven live-work units. Translation? Another 57 three-bedroom units are already coming along with a communal exercise room, lounge room, covered patio area, and pool.

Whether or not Bellevue uses its future LOT revenues to improve its housing supply remains to be seen. Most of the council discussion has focused on using the money for base infrastructure projects, like roads. First, it must get the matter approved by voters in May.

MÁS INFORMACIÓN: www.blaineschools.org/domain/687

* 39-4802. EXENCIONES. (1) Cualquier niño menor cuyo padre o tutor haya presentado a los funcionarios de la escuela un certificado firmado por un médico autorizado por la junta estatal de medicina que indique que la condición física del niño es tal que todas o algunas de las vacunas requeridas pondrían en peligro la vida o la salud del niño estará exento de las disposiciones de este capítulo. (2) Cualquier niño menor cuyo padre o tutor haya presentado a los funcionarios de la escuela una declaración firmada indicando sus objeciones por motivos religiosos o de otro tipo estará exento de las disposiciones de este capítulo. (3) Los funcionarios escolares describirán las exenciones provistas en esta sección y harán referencia a esta sección en cualquier comunicación a los padres y tutores con respecto a las vacunas.

118 W. Bullion St., Hailey, ID, 83333 | http://www.blaineschools.org ph: (208) 578-5000 | fx: (208) 578-5110

Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw. Photo credit: Eric Valentine

Healthand

Wellness W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

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MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

SPECIAL SECTION

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M a r c h 2 3 , 2 0 2 2 • w w w . w o o d r i v e r w e e k l y. c o m

REFRAMING ROMANCE

Reece Walther-Porino (left) and Maeve Coffelt were two of The Advocates teen interns who curated, wrote and edited a relationship guide book to help curb teen dating violence. Photo credit: The Advocates

Teen interns advocate against teen dating violence with book launch

By Eric Valentine

Y

“Although thou loved her as thyself, as a self of purer clay, Although her parting dims the day stealing grace from all alive, Heartily know, when the half-gods go, the gods arrive.”

ou can read that stanza from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Give All To Love” to The Advocates’ 16-year-old teen intern Asia Angel and two scenarios are likely to happen. First, she’d empathize with the poet’s sincere experience of true love; and second, she’d probably suggest Emerson reconsider that title and name it something that sounds a little less zero-sum-game.

Angel and nine of her Every Teen Counts (ETC) cohorts have been dedicating much of their internship efforts to writing, curating and editing a book meant to soften the blow of breakups and help curb teen dating violence. So, starting April 2, there will be a third scenario, too. The Sage School high school student would advise you to attend The Advocates book launch event that evening from 5 to 6 p.m. at 211 S. River Street in Hailey and receive (or order) “From Surviving to Thriving—A breakup guide by teens for teens.”

Specifically, the book comprises four sections named after the seasons of the year and metaphor for the cyclical process of growth and death and rebirth found in nature.

“It’s helpful to see a relationship as cyclical, too,” said Angel. “If we think of it as

linear, then the end is a negative thing.”

The ETCs are a group of paid teen interns from across the Wood River Valley.

They are healthy-relationship peer educators and influencers for teens. They inspire cultural change through peer-education, awareness campaigns, and healthy relationship events. And the work couldn’t be more critical if recent data from Eastern Idaho Public Health is any indication: • • •

1 in 3 teens in a dating relationship have been verbally, emotionally, sexually or physically abused 1 in 2 teens have compromised their values to please their partner 1 in 5 teens in a dating relationship have been hit, slapped, or pushed

“Teen dating violence is actually more prevalent than adult dating violence” when you consider that one form of violence is the emotional, verbal abuse that can proliferate over the internet and social media, where teens can either thrive or survive or something worse, explained Monica Reyna, a Violence Prevention Coordinator for The Advocates.

Continued TEEN INTERNS Page 8

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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JUNE 10-13 SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

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he Sun Valley Wellness Festival (SVWF) will celebrate ter One Book its upcoming 25th anniversary June 10-13, 2022, in four decades.

Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho, with plans for a very offers partial special event, new board members and the establishment of are in need an the Cheryl Welch Thomas Scholarship Fund to honor Thomas “Cheryl ha as a key Festival founder and tireless supporter of the Festival Valley Wellne since its creation.

The Festival’s volunteer board of directors has recently added new members and new leadership who are all passionately dedicated and committed to the organization’s mission: to inspire and support wellness of the mind, body, spirit, and environment through education, experiences, and community.

The new SVWF board president is Geneal Thompson. The board members include chairman Nick Maricich, vice president Dr. Aaron Stern, secretary Brenda Powell, treasurer Sam Wilke, Marya Hecht, Blair Lauren Brown, Claudia Nanino, Tommy Rosen and Allison Quistgard Scherer. Stern, Wilke, Brown, Nanino, Rosen and Scherer all joined the board in 2021.

President Thompson remarked that “the Cheryl Welch Thomas Festival Board members encompass a remarkable combination of expertise, talent, and vision as we plan for a vibrant future. We are especially wellness adve gifted with our inspiring slate of speakers, events, and proSun Valley grams fitting of the Festival’s milestone 25TH anniversary tendance and event this June.” on sale at ww Thompson also expressed that the Festival’s board has es- es have full a tablished the Cheryl Welch Thomas Scholarship Fund in rec- 31, 2022. The ognition of one of the key Festival founders, emeritus board The Limeli member, and longtime advocate and supporter, Cheryl Welch quarters, is of Thomas. Thomas is the longtime owner of the beloved Chap- tival passhold

Teen interns advocate again Continued from Page 7

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The Every Teen Counts paid internship program is in its ninth year. Each year the cohort of teens announce their campaign for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. “From Surviving to Thriving” is that campaign this year, and it attempts to reframe the way we look at breakups and rejection in relationships. Through education and storytelling, the interns are hoping to reduce the stigma around breaking up, the fear of being single, and the guilt of putting ourselves sometimes first.

Society has some weird thoughts about breakups. It’s just an end to one kind of connection. It’s important to honor who you were when it started and who you are now.”

Asia Angel, Teen intern for The Advocates

• •

Rarely and res Rarely as lear self-wo

“Ultimately and encourag healthy relati serve,” said in Healthy re include: • • • • •

Health How to How to How to How to

Here is the ETCguide

For Angel, who is originally from a small town in Washington State where, she said, bad breakups were accepted as normal, the prevalence of bad breakups doesn’t have to be so high if couples breaking up can focus on the “end of that process.”

“In most cases, the communication turns negative right at the very end. So it just makes sense if we have some different perspectives and (de-escalation) skills before we start a relationship, we’re going to see less traumatic events at the end of the relationship,” Angel said.

The thought process behind the book that will be distributed around the Valley and potentially at schools assumes some basic tenants: •

• •

•

Breakups occur across the relationship spectrum: healthy, unhealthy, and abusive. Some people break up because they are going in different directions, some because their relationship isn’t healthy.

Learning healthy skills around breaking up is more than helpful, it can be life saving.

Breakups can feel like the end of the world if messages in the media and society tell us that we should eat ice cream, indulge in unhealthy habits, or rebound in order to “get over it.”

After a breakup or rejection, we might be tempted (or even encouraged) to act in ways that are hurtful to ourselves and to others.

Intern Finn Rus breakup guide

W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

•

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

SUN VALLEY WELLNESS FESTIVAL

WELLNESS FESTIVAL Y FESTIVAL FOUNDER

9

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es New Board Members

kstore in Ketchum, which she has run for over . The Cheryl Welch Thomas Scholarship Fund l and full attendance scholarships to those who nd apply. as been a champion and creative force for the Sun ess Festival since day one, but she has done most of the work quietly and behind the scenes, because that is her humble nature. This scholarship, helping others attend the festival to grow and learn, is truly the best way we could possibly honor all that Cheryl has done for the festival over the years,” Thompson noted.

Donations can be made at https://www. sunvalleywellness.org/donate. The Festival will start taking online scholarship applications on March 15 at https://www.sunvalleywellness.org/scholarship The 25th annual Sun Valley Wellness Festival will feature a variety of pioneering presentations from top wellness experts at the Argyros Performing Arts Center and other locations. There will be an outdoor Experience Park at Festival Meadows in Sun Valley showcasing live music, vendors, food, movement classes, and several unique outdoor entures. Workshops will also be offered. y Wellness Festival Passes, for both in-person atd ‘Virtual SVWF Experience’ options, are now ww.sunvalleywellness.org. Select in-person passaccess to all online session content through July e speaker roster is available online. ight Hotel in Ketchum, serving as Festival headoffering special discounted lodging rates for Fesders.

About Sun Valley Wellness – Sun Valley Wellness Festival Sun Valley Wellness is a non-profit wellness organization that brings together globally recognized, cutting-edge programming, speakers and experiences that inspire transformation via the four wellness pillars of Mind, Body, Spirit and Environment. Its flagship event is the Sun Valley Wellness Festival & Conference, held annually in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Sun Valley Wellness Festival is recognized as one of the longest-running wellness festival in the world. The event started in the resort community of Sun Valley, Idaho in 1997, just as wellness was beginning as a movement. Created by a passionate group of local wellness experts and advocates, the goal was to provide a platform for inspiration and education on innovative wellness topics. The Festival’s ongoing commitment to excellence has led to steady growth of the event over the past two decades and fostered Sun Valley’s reputation as a major wellness destination. The Festival’s ability to attract top wellness speakers each year is a testament to its influence in the world of wellness. Past speakers include Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Ram Dass, Byron Katie, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Elizabeth Gilbert, Dr. Eben Alexander, Diana Nyad, Gregg Braden, Michael Beckwith, Robert Thurman, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Dr. John Medina, Dr. Steven Gundry, Masuro Emoto, Vandana Shiva, Arianna Huffington, Matthew Walker PhD, James Nestor, and many others.

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nst teen dating violence with book launch

y do we discuss how to create equality, safety, spect during breakups and rejection. y do we discuss the benefits to breaking up, such rning independence, focusing on self-care and orth, or deepening our relationships.

y, if we reduce the stigma around breaking up ge healthy relationship skills, we can create the ionships with ourselves and others that we dentern Charlotte Stone. elationship skills for rejection and breaking up

hy communication skills o break up respectfully o have “hard” conversations o be vulnerable and mature o deal with the hurts of breaking up

e link to the virtual version of the guide: bit.ly/

st reads through "From Surviving To Thriving—A e by teens for teens". Photo credit: The Advocates

Dori Davenport, Success Coach

LIFE + HEALTH + WELLNESS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

The Advocates Every Teen Counts Interns are: • Asia Angel • Cassius Klingenfuss • Cesar Tellez • Charlotte Stone • Finn Rust • Jasmine Santacruz • Joseph Melgar-Egoavil • Leam Van Law • Maeve Coffelt • Reece Walther-Porino

Dori has been changing lives, for over 25 years, with her powerful ability to guide people toward their goals. Her no nonsense approach promises to get you where you didn’t suspect you were capable of going.

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10

W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

Fishing R epoRt

COMM ENT ARY

NO BONES ABOUT IT

THE POWER IN PUPPIES!

THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR MARCH 23 - APRIL 5 FROM PICABO ANGLER

A

nice warm weekend is almost upon us. Expect redhot fishing as we reach near-record high temperatures.

There should be an abundance of dry-fly activity, with Midges and Baetis hatching in large numbers.

If for some reason large hatches don’t transpire, the fishing subsurface will still be really good.

Fish your favorite red colors if you nymph and fish dark patterns slowly if you Streamer fish This is the last weekend to fish Silver Creek and the Big Wood, as March 31 is the last day on most of our area waters. The Little Wood and Big Lost rivers will remain open to fishing and are open year-round.

The Creek should see some decent Baetis hatches and large Midge hatches. Without question, the Streamer fishing should be spot on. Quick reminder: The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve is closed to fishing! A few eager anglers almost got themselves in trouble fishing it last weekend. Look at the access points at the Highway 20 Bridge, Silver Creek East, Silver Creek West and the Picabo Bridge. They are all fishing equally well right now, so find the spot with the fewest other anglers. Olive and Black Buggers are great Streamer choices.

Gulper Specials and Tie-Down Midges make excellent dry-fly patterns. Just make sure you are targeting a fish that is eagerly rising.

The Big Wood should fish well, and certainly better in those places that take a little work to hike into. Expect to see Midges on the surface and great nymphing subsurface. Zebra Midges and Brassies in red are a great way to go. Fish Girdle Bugs if you want to nymph with something larger and deeper. If you fish Streamers, choose Olive shades that imitate the Wood River sculpin. Be aware there may be a little bit of spawning action starting, so avoid those places that may appear as cleanswept gravels.

The South Fork of the Boise and the Lower Big Lost rivers are your best bets for finding the spring Baetis hatches. With the beautiful weather this weekend, either of these rivers could make for a nice early-season camping trip. Fish nymphs and Streamers in the morning hours and cross your fingers for big afternoon hatches. Take all the same flies you would fish on the Big Wood River, especially the Girdle Bugs, just in case you have to fish deeper for the rainbows.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

FRAN JEWELL

W

By Fran Jewell

hen we have children, we are quick to start reading to them, providing them with educational experiences, socializing them, even taking them to an educational preschool. We would not lock them in a dark closet and expect them to come out when they are 2 years old as a well-adjusted child.

In the past 2 to 3 years, I have seen this phenomenon happening more and more with our puppies. I am called later and later for help with young adult dogs (ages 6 months to 18 months) that are out of control and miserable to live with. Now training consists of more than teaching new behaviors—it is also a barrage of eliminating horrid behaviors, especially biting/nipping, jumping, barking uncontrollably either for recreation or to demand, separation anxiety that has become destructive, and life-threatening counter surfing or disrespecting commands, especially those like “come.”

Puppies are like human babies in that they are sponges for learning. There is a critical imprinting period up to 16 weeks old. What that means is that what that puppy learns, good and BAD behaviors during that time, become imprinted for life. All the behaviors mentioned above can be avoided if training begins during this imprinting period up to 16 weeks old.

Many puppy owners are afraid to socialize their puppies during this period because they have not had all their shots. But, the conundrum is that critical socialization, especially with other dogs, must be done between 5 and 7 weeks old. Developmentally, this is a critical period for puppies to meet (safe) dogs besides littermates and their mother, to learn about relating to other dogs with good doggie language. What this means is that the breeder needs to provide this, since most puppies go home about 8 to 9 weeks old. This is always a good question to ask when getting a puppy from a breeder. Did they do socialization with other dogs during that period? If the pup does not have that experience, all is not lost. It is just the most beneficial way to help puppies early on.

When your puppy comes home, the second you have contact with that puppy, training should begin. While most puppy classes are not afforded to puppies this young, private instruction is a perfect solution. Learning how to provide leadership in a manner that the puppy understands is so critical during this period. Many puppy owners be-

SCIENCE OF PLACE

I

My puppies start at 3 weeks old learning their names and to watch me. By the time they are FIVE WEEKS OLD, they have all the basic obedience skills.

Early training is essential to a happy dog and happy owner! Photo credit: Fran Jewell

lieve puppies are too young to learn even basic commands. This simply is not true. My last litter of puppies began obedience training at 3 weeks old when they first liked food. Many of you are familiar with Brinx and Baewulf. I used cream cheese to teach them sit, down, come, watch, and leave it. By the time they were FIVE WEEKS OLD they knew these things, including no biting and no jumping. And it was all taught using positive reinforcement.

The point is, do not mistake the puppy “quarantine” period because they do not have all their shots with not starting training because they are too young. It is CRITICAL that you begin training the second your puppy comes home. Your life with your puppy will be so much more happy and simple!

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 positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.

LEARNING VOLE

BY HARRY WEEKES

am currently enjoying a rather robust Duolingo streak; doing what I can to learn Spanish. I have done listening drills, speaking exercises, and am working, almost continually, on past mistakes. I have covered topics in Habits, At Home, and Travelling, and have learned commands, different tenses, and even how to change Duo’s (Duolingo’s iconic owl) wardrobe into a Bruce Lee-inspired yellow tracksuit. Suffice to say, I am in.

My progress in Spanish encouraged me to think about other languages. Tempted as I was to embrace my inner and outer nerd, I passed over Klingon in favor of Japanese in an effort to explore a language constructed completely differently than my own.

I thought this would be good for my brain.

I lasted about a week in “Tri-lingo” and figured I had better focus on Spanish.

And then I heard another voice. Another language so different and distinct from my own that all I could do was stand and wonder.

The setting was perfect. It was shortly after 5 a.m. and a half moon hung low over Baldy, nicely illuminating the packed snow path.

Warm days had turned the snow into “hard ground” (what my siblings and I called snow when it crusted over in the late winter). Just as I was wondering how deep the path was, I heard a squeak. And then, vigorous squeaking. The voice was clear and it was clear that it was one voice. It was also incredibly odd, since I could not see the animal, though it sounded like it was right on the snow. Nope. Just under. In that mysterious subnivean world.

The thoughts came out in questions. “Is that a mouse?” “I wonder if that’s a vole?” “Is it in distress?” “What if it’s engaged with some kind of weasel?” “If I stand here, will an owl swoop in?” “Will some other kind of predator be alerted?” “Perhaps this happy, chirping bundle of fur is holding some kind of court over his fellow furbearing family or friends?”

The most obvious observation—I do not speak vole. Even though I have heard a squeak here and there, I have both little continuity with the language and also very little exposure to it.

But here is the magical thing. I stood in that spot for perhaps five minutes. In that time, I am pretty sure I recognized and understood that the animal was either a mouse or a vole. If I had to guess, I would say vole, as there was a certain depth and resonance that pointed to a larger animal. What started out sounding like distress turned to something else. The animal’s voice did not change, my interpretation of it did. The longer I listened, the less it sounded like nervous twit-

HARRY WEEKES

tering and the more it felt like some kind of adult animal scolding others, or perhaps talking, annoyedly, to itself.

And then quiet.

I tested the ground with my foot and got close to the voice’s point of origin.

Nothing.

Then, some small bird made a noise in the willows, and I heard the ducks gently clucking on the pond. These were not noises. They were other voices, other languages. As mysterious as Japanese, and Farsi, and Navajo, they also reflected what languages do—the fingerprint, and subtlety, and complexity of a culture. In this case, the culture, or cultures, of wild things.

For my part, I smiled and headed back on my way. Crunching mutely along, certain of one thing—this is good for my brain.

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.

Voles are small rodents that grow to 3 - 9 inches. Photo credit: soebe, accessed via wikimedia.

W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

MONEY MATTERS

•

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

SUZANNE HAZLETT

WHY CONSIDER A ROTH CONVERSION?

I

By Suzanne Hazlett, MBA, CIMA®, CFP®

ntroduced under the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, the Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is named after U.S. Senator William Roth. Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax money and are not tax-deductible. The key benefit is earnings within the account accumulate tax-free, and qualified withdrawals after years of growth are also tax-free. The catch is not everyone is eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA due to annual income limits.

For those holding a traditional, pre-tax retirement account, a Roth conversion moves all or a part of your traditional pretax IRA to a Roth IRA. The conversion is a reportable and taxable transaction, and generally, amounts converted will be subject to your ordinary income tax bracket in the year converted.

Here’s why it can still make sense to convert: • Your taxable income or tax rates in the current year are lower than those expected in future years.

• You want to pay taxes now so that beneficiaries can Suzanne Hazlett, MBA, inherit from the Roth IRA tax-free if qualifications CIMA®, CFP®, founder of are met.

HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGE• Conversion can create tax diversification in your re- MENT, is a Certified Investtirement as Roth IRA distributions are generally ment Management Analyst® tax-free, whereas traditional IRA distributions are and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL taxable. Having a mix of taxable and tax-free income PLANNERTM professional. may allow for greater planning flexibility in future tax environments.

• Roth IRAs are not subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs).

• Roth IRA distributions do not affect the counted income for Social Security or Medicare.

• Implementing a Roth conversion while asset values are depressed could result in a lower tax bill for the securities rolled over in a down market. Any resulting appreciation due to a market rebound will grow in the tax-free Roth IRA. • Roth IRA conversions may be done “in-kind” without selling the assets.

When implementing a Roth conversion, consider paying taxes from an outside source, allowing all of the converted funds to grow instead of taking a withdrawal from the pretax account to pay taxes.

For earnings to be tax-free, converted funds must be held in the Roth IRA for five years, and distributions must occur after age 59 ½ or due to death, disability, or put toward a first-time home purchase. Speak with your tax and financial advisors about whether a Roth conversion may benefit you.

HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC, 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. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2 Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.726.0605. HazlettWealthManagement.com

INSPIRATIONS FROM MY HEART

DOVE

SMALL MIRACLES

S

BY DOVE

everal years ago I decided to keep a list of small miracles that happened in my life on a daily basis. I knew that I would easily forget them if I did not write them down. I made a folder in my computer for small miracles and I keep adding to the list. It is amazing how the list grows.

The more I notice the magic, the more the magic happens. When I am frustrated, or just not in the right space, I go to the folder and just read what I have recorded. I immediately realize how blessed and protected we all are if we just take a deep breath and observe the magic in our lives.

It can be as small as needing a key to open a door when your hands are full and someone comes along with a key to the door and opens it for you. Or, it can be as large as finding a gift at your front door of angel wind chimes after you have experienced a huge falling out with a family member. The person who left the wind chime just stated, “I didn’t even know I had this but I just felt I needed to bring this to you today.” Little did she know that my heart was deeply hurting, for I had not told her, but she had picked up on my energy and brought me healing. I knew then that everything would turn out all right as she had given me a tangible sign that I was being helped in so many ways.

I don’t think any of us gets to avoid conflict during our lives. People handle conflict in many ways—some get angry and go to unforgiveness, some pretend it doesn’t exist, others try to heal the storm within themselves because that is the only person we can heal. I would suggest that you get a lovely journal and start keeping a diary of small miracles in your life. You can never tell when you need the inspiration to lift you up.

I am watching as the whole world is in prayer for the ending of the problems that are going on. I think this is a miracle, as all people in all countries are saying “No more war!” If we are all united together, we can change the energy of war to one of peace. I truly believe that much is going to be exposed as the truth of literally centuries of manipulation and greed surface. Connecting to the earth is a must if we are going to stay in a place of balance with ourselves and the planet. Plant a garden, walk barefoot on the earth, make the people at the post office a batch of cookies, as I don’t think they get Christmas bonuses. Find a place to spread your love for no reason but, most of all, hold your personal energy in a place of peace. The overall frequency of the earth is what we will manifest.

I would say at least 99% of the people on the planet just want peace, laughter, good health, abundance enough for a home, food and love. If you want it, you have to be it first in your heart, then in your life. Remember, things are not always as they seem. Oft times the bad guys loudly proclaim the guilt of the good guys in order to hide the real truth.

What do you want? Where is your focus? Hold the energy you want to see manifest. We are peace, truth, justice, kindness and hope. Hold onto those things. Live them, be them and we will overcome. Much love, Dove

11

ON LIFE’S TERMS

JOELLEN COLLINS

SEEKING REFUGE M

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

any of us have felt like refugees at some time in our lives, perhaps after serving in a military conflict, having to leave one’s family or hometown without a clear prospect of return, or through abandonment. Even without imminent danger, we have always known that somewhere there was a place of refuge we could seek within religious institutions, community sanctuaries, or even the safety accorded traditionally by schools. Until recently, no one feared those options when left alone somewhere new.

Now with the ubiquitous imagery from international media, we are aware more than ever about the lack of safe alternatives for people who need refuge. Sometimes, I almost don’t want to watch the news, seeing what is happening to the innocent citizens of Ukraine, especially grieving mothers with their children, having experienced a reality that they could lose them at the whim of a dictator.

The only time I have ever sensed that kind of fear was when my home burned down just 15 minutes after my then 2-year-old and I left in our Volkswagen without even minimal survival items filling the trunk. I was wearing grubby cooking clothes and, after securing my napping baby in the car, I had grabbed a couple of boxes I thought were packed with family photos. Amidst smoke and fleeing horses, I felt bereft and uprooted but grateful that we had survived.

The difference was that even though our neighborhood resembled a war zone, it was not. We were JoEllen Collins—a longtime young enough to overcome the changes and losses resident of the Wood River that we incurred. We lived in a free country with Valley— is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columfriends and family who cared for us emotionally and nist, a teacher, writer, fabric physically. We were NOT refugees. artist, choir member and Since then, with a sense of empathy that I have unabashedly proud grandma been told is futile, I have indeed identified with the known as “Bibi Jo.” now millions of people who have been dispossessed of their homes, families or, in many cases, homelands. As a younger woman, I volunteered in several countries to do what I could to help those less fortunate than I. I believe that my teaching career also helped me evaluate my own attitudes toward other world citizens. One of my last teaching assignments was for a high school class studying writing by refugees about their experiences, and each student composed a final paper about what they would do if they became a refugee without funds and contacts. Their empathy was fully evident in their writing.

So what can I do, other than donate aid money to help support these fraught Ukrainians? I understand that Polish citizens are offering refuge to them, as I would hope I would do if there. Instead, I can only offer support and compassion. Beyond that, I am aware that my limited recourse is to try in my own small way to do what my mother taught me, to leave my world a teeny bit better for my having lived in it. I would wish that for all of humanity. If so, we might not need places of refuge.

COWBOY POETRY

BRYCE ANGELL

JUST A FARMER

I checked the evening news and heard a politician say, “He’s just a farmer out there, sitting on his bale of hay.”

I took exception to the politician’s choice of words. And wondered did he have a clue? He sounded so absurd.

The man that he was funning might not be the world’s charmer. But I’d appreciate a different tone when saying, “Just a farmer.”

‘Cuz ‘just a farmer’ raised me up since I was mere a boy. He taught me how to show respect and never to annoy.

‘Just a farmer,’ where I’m from, grows food to feed us all. At night he’ll be home on his knees, asking for rainfall.

When you’re frying eggs and bacon after climbing out of bed, remember ‘just a farmer’ helps to keep your children fed.

It doesn’t matter what you’re eating, any time of day. The food that’s on your plate is how the farmer gets his pay.

He prays his harvest pays the bills, a hefty year’s price tag. If he makes some extra cash, he’ll accept it without brag.

‘Just a farmer’ won’t sleep in. He’s up before first ray. Nine to five to him is only working half a day.

You’ll see him baling hay at night. He burns the midnight oil. ‘Just a farmer’ is the sole caretaker of his soil.

He’s learned to grow his crops. Been educated through the years. He takes the good years and the bad with smiles and sometimes tears.

‘Just a farmer’ dairyman keeps moo juice on the flow, so you can have a glass of milk to dip your Oreo.

Let’s not forget ice cream. To go without, it sure would bite. Let’s thank the farmer for the Rocky Road we eat at night.

The ‘just a farmer’ that I know is quiet and reserved. He’ll always pass to someone else the credit he deserved.

So, when you’re talking farmer, show respect that’s way past due. ‘Cuz if it weren’t for farmers, you’d be missing a meal or two.

– 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.

12

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

MONICA CARRILL0

ADVERTORIALS BETTER HOMEOWNERS NEWS

ANNA AND MICHELLE

Photo credit: Irma Reigle

SI SE PUEDE, MOVE FORWARD

OUR VOICE COUNTS As the founder and chair of the Hispanic LatinUS Leadership Task Force, a grassroots group committed to cultural and leadership events and initiatives, I want to thank our valley for being so hospitable and caring to honorable Dolores Huerta.

The event with Dolores Huerta, hosted on March 14, was a total success. The impact it had for the Alturas Elementary School children and faculty was extraordinary. They presented Huerta with a beautiful outdoor reception, alongside poems, pictures, banners and a warm welcome. She spoke to all who were at Alturas Elementary, especially the children, about them having the power to inspire hope and change within the people of the community.

After leaving Alturas Elementary, we went to Wood River High School, where Huerta again received a warm welcome.

All members there were extremely ready to have her and to listen to her words of wisdom. Key clubs at the high school, such as Nosotros United, Amnesty International and faculty, prepared speeches, questions and words of appreciation for Huerta to honor her presence and her work.

Before ending the day, we headed to the Sun Valley Inn to wrap it up with a special dinner, reminding ourselves that this March is Women’s Month and Cesar Chavez Service Day. Continuing the momentum is crucial.

Huerta saw a packed event where she reinforced and empowered the women with the message of hope in la lucha (the struggle) and happiness and also had a strong representation from the Hispanic Latin leadership and neighboring communities from Boise, Burley, Twin Falls, Jerome, Caldwell and Shoshone. Other parts of the community, business leaders and nonprofits were being represented as well.

Huerta spoke with power, passion and compassion to the audience, so much that she received a standing ovation and a loud si se puede! It was incredible to be able to see and honor in person someone like her.

I would like to thank the Crisis Hotline, COX, H. Property Service, Idaho Commissioner on Hispanic Affairs, S.C. Hispanic Chamber, La Perrona, Women Business Center, Flourish Foundation Compassionate Leaders, Alliance, The Hunger Coalition, Education Fund, and the Blaine County Charitable Fund.

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA Como fundador y presidente del Grupo de Trabajo de Liderazgo Latino Hispano, un grupo de base comprometido con eventos e iniciativas culturales y de liderazgo, quiero agradecer a nuestro valle por ser tan hospitalario y atento a la honorable Dolores Huerta.

El evento con Dolores Huerta organizado el 14 de marzo fue un éxito total. El impacto que tuvo para los niños y profesores de Alturas Elementary fue extraordinario. Obsequiaron a Huerta con una hermosa recepción al aire libre, junto con poemas, imágenes, pancartas y una cálida bienvenida. Ella habló con todos los que estaban en Alturas, especialmente con los niños acerca de que tenían el poder dentro de la gente de la comunidad.

Después de salir de Alturas Elementary, fuimos a Wood River High School, donde nuevamente recibió una cálida bienvenida.

Todos los miembros estaban extremadamente dispuestos a tenerla y escuchar sus palabras de sabiduría. Clubes clave de la escuela secundaria, como Nosotros United, Amnistía Internacional y profesores prepararon discursos, preguntas y palabras de agradecimiento a Huerta para honrar su presencia y su trabajo.

Antes de terminar el día, nos dirigimos a The Sun Valley Inn para terminarlo con una cena especial, y recordándonos que este marzo es el Mes de la Mujer y el Día de Servicio de César Chávez. Continuar el impulso es crucial.

Huerta vio un evento lleno donde reforzó y empoderó a las mujeres con el mensaje de esperanza en la lucha y felicidad y también tuvo una fuerte representación del liderazgo hispano latino y las comunidades vecinas de Boise, Burley, Twin Falls, Jerome, Caldwell, Shoshone.

Otras partes de la comunidad, líderes empresariales, organizaciones sin fines de lucro también estaban siendo representadas.

Huerta habló con poder, pasión y compasión al público, tanto que recibió una ovación de pie y un fuerte “sí se puede!” Fue increíble poder ver y honrar en persona a alguien como ella.

Me gustaría agradecer al Crisis Hotline, COX, H. Property Service, Idaho Commissioner on Hispanic Affairs, S.C. Hispanic Chamber, La Perrona, Women Business Center, Flourish Foundation Compassionate Leaders, Alliance, The Hunger Coalition, Education Fund y Blaine County Charitable Fund.

Equity Gives Homeowners Options

A

BY ANNA & MICHELLE

mericans have seen the equity in their homes increase by 29.3% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to CoreLogic Homeowner Equity Insights. The average home equity gained $55,000 during the same period.

CoreLogic’s Home Price Index reported a 19.1% increase in appreciation for the previous 12 months ending in January 2022. This increase in value is fueling the increased equity that homeowners are experiencing.

Some homeowners are doing cash-out refinancing and using the funds for a variety of purposes, like home improvements, investing, saving for retirement, college or rainy-day funds.

Other homeowners are seeing the increased value of their homes as an opportunity to move up to a home that meets more of their current lifestyle. In some cases, adult children have moved back home, and in others, working remotely has made their current home not as ideal as it once was.

Homeowners now realize that their home has been

quite the investment and are willing to re-invest in a larger home that meets their current needs. With their increased equities and mortgage rates still under 4.00%, they can get into a home for a relatively small increase and the higher value home will continue to increase.

One way to justify moving to a larger home is to estimate what your equity would be in the old home in a specified number of years from now compared to selling it and buying a larger home to see what the equity would grow to in the same period.

A $400,000 home appreciating at 4% annually would be worth $526,000 in seven years compared to a $600,000 home appreciating at the same rate that would be worth $789,000 in the same time frame. This doesn’t tell the whole story because the mortgage amounts are different.

The comparison in the table below doesn’t show the higher payment on the larger home but can be explained by the benefits of enjoyment and practicality of having a larger home to live in during the comparison period.

Hold or Sell & Buy Analysis Hold Current Home Current Value....................................................................................................$400,000 Value in 7 years at 4% appreciation.................................................................$526,373 Unpaid Balance - Original mortgage $225,000 @ 3.5% for 30 years ............$191,350 Wealth Position..................................................................................................$377,998 Sell Current Home & Buy Another Home Equity from Sale after 7.5% sales costs...........................................................$178,650 Purchase Price of New Home...........................................................................$600,000 Value of New Home in 7 years.........................................................................$789,559 Unpaid Balance - 75% Mortgage @ 4% for 30 years EOY 7..........................$387,268 Wealth Position..................................................................................................$424,863 Difference in Positions....................................................................................$46,864 Percentage Increase........................................................................................12.4%

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Resort Says Aloha To Dollar Dayz

Dollar Mountain’s closing weekend this year will resemble its normal self compared to the pandemic years of 2020–2021. That is, when it comes to where and when—March 26–27 on Dollar Mountain. But it will look a little different as guests are being encouraged to wear Hawaiian-themed flair and participate in the on-mountain scavenger hunt and BBQ both Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday, the Cold Bowl Pond Skim kicks off at 10 a.m. Participants will try to make it across the pond on their skis or snowboard, in full costume. Advanced registration will open on Wednesday, March 23, and spaces are limited.

Additionally, the weekend kicks off Friday night, March 25 with the International Ski History Association’s (ISHA) “The Party on the Hill” at Dollar Mountain. This event is a salute to 85 years of snowsports history in Sun Valley complete with speed skiing and ski ballet demonstrations. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and is part of ISHA’s annual Ski Week March 23-27 which includes many free events open to the community, including this one.

W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

•

MARCH 23 - APRIL 5, 2022

HEALTH BEAT

13

ST. LUKE’S WOOD RIVER

Long-haul COVID Has Many Symptoms

By Jennifer Preucil, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System

A

s we greet spring and celebrate National Doctor’s Day, March 30, we are filled with hope for the future. In the medical community, we are all hoping that between natural immunity and vaccination, we may have achieved herd immunity in the COVID-19 pandemic. This may offer us the opportunity to not operate in crisis care, and as a family physician, I am certainly enjoying the luxury of returning to primary care.

As we move forward, we turn our attention to all the people in our community who may be suffering from long-haul COVID. Studies show us that as many as one in four people who have had COVID suffer from longhaul COVID symptoms. Vaccination prior to having COVID most likely reduces these numbers, but it has been difficult to quantify how much.

There have been more than 600 symptoms associated with long-haul COVID. The most common symptoms include fatigue, depression and anxiety, shortness of breath, chest pain, problems with memory and concentration, changes in taste and smell, joint pain, elevated heart rates, and exercise intolerance. One study even suggests COVID-19 may affect the brain with a slight shrinkage of size visible after infection.

Women are more affected than men. The most common age of people being affected is 27 to 59 years of age.

It is not known what causes long-haul COVID. It was believed at first that possibly elevated inflammatory levels

PHOTOBOX

caused by acute COVID infection may be the culprit, but that has not proven to be true. Inflammatory markers in the blood do not remain elevated despite symptoms continuing. It has also been hypothesized that it is a reactivation of the original infection. However, this is difficult to measure as there is not a test to see if the infection is in fact reactivated and resurgent.

One of the many challenges of long-haul COVID is that very few patients have similar experiences with the illness. It is an incredibly personal experience and journey. As stated above, there are as many as 600 different symptoms associated with long-haul COVID. People can experience symptoms for just six weeks or less and others are still having difficulty with symptoms at the 24-month mark. There have been many different treatments that have been used to try and help with long-haul COVID, most of which are focused on managing the individual symptoms. Antidepressants, acid-reducing medications, and nonsteroid anti-inflammatories have all been used to help treat long-haul COVID. Pulmonary rehabilitation has been shown to be quite helpful with long-haul COVID. The rehabilitation program will tailor an exercise program to the patient’s ability level and very slowly increase the intensity. It has also been shown that stress reduction, good quality sleep, moderate exercise, yoga and meditation are integral in improving long-haul COVID. The reduction that these interventions cause in stress hormone levels is very important for the healing process. A good way to

think about long-haul COVID is that it reduces the number of brain/energy dollars a person has to spend each day. If you expend more dollars than your allotment, you get worse. As long as you stay under your allotment, you improve. Self-care is the very cornerstone of improvement of the disease.

As we move forward, all are hopeful that the surges, full hospitals and ICUs, and too-busy emergency rooms are behind us. For those who have had COVID-19 and continue to feel poorly, even weeks or months after the illness has subsided, seek medical care and discuss longhaul COVID with your trusted medical provider. Focus on taking good care of yourself—eat well, sleep well, reduce stress, spend time with those you love. Words to live by!

It’s your life We help you live it

ANDERSON’S USA GRAPPLING

A ‘GRACIE’ COMES TO TOWN

Lee Anderson (left), from Anderson’s USA Grappling Academy in Bellevue invited Clark Rouson Gracie (center), who is an American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and member of the famous Gracie family, to the valley to conduct a seminar. On the right is Lee’s son, Storm Anderson. Clark was treated to all the valley has to offer: skiing/snowboarding, hiking and lots of food at our tasty local restuarants. Below are the attendants, some of whom travelled from Boise, Mountain Home, Twin Falls and Pocatello. Clark is the grandson of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and eldest son of Carley Gracie, the father of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. Photo credit: Anderson’s USA Grappling Academy

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

COLUMN

F

By Eric Valentine

‘Out Of Touch’

ifteen years ago at the Oscars, Best Supporting Actor winner George Clooney and star of the film “Syriana” used part of his acceptance speech to make a political statement. Sensing the annual backlash against the Hollywood elites from some collective societal grouping of like minds (usually a conservative collective, but not always), Clooney went pre-emptive. He said Hollywood is often accused of being “out of touch” and then went on to note a few instances of when filmmakers broached important subjects no one was talking about.

He said, firmly, “I’m proud to be out of touch.”

Well, with the early spring award show fast approaching like a reliable garden of irises, along comes a film that won’t be winning any Oscars—most likely—but is proof that some Hollywood filmmakers are not out of touch.

“The Adam Project” Who needs Marvel, DC and Indiana Jones when you have movies like ‘The Adam Project’? OK, before I lose you, let me categorically declare all modern action flicks need Indiana Jones.

A lesser known film—notice how I lean toward ‘movie,’ not ‘film,’ to describe TAP—called ‘About Time’ is the only time-travel script to seamlessly blend the suspension of disbelief into its plot. That’s not because it

avoids science—although less is more when it comes to time-travel movies. Rather, it’s due to tripling down on emotion, specifically love and how family and time always complicate it.

But Ryan Reynolds’ and Jennifer Garner’s new movie comes close, and in the same way, although it doesn’t entirely avoid the complication of explaining both little and big time-travel-dilemma questions, like ... Never mind, since none of us can know our future, I’m not going to SPOILER ALERT this for you. <--And that’s sort of a spoiler alert dad joke you’ll come back and applaud me for after you see TAP. If I didn’t have you at Ryan Rrre—then just know Mark Ruffalo has a supporting role. Other than a Marvel movie here and there (by the way, they are sometimes good movies, they just don’t make me suspend disbelief much), Ruffalo in a supporting role is almost a guaranteed excellent film. It’s hard to think of an actor who can play both an Olympic heavyweight wrestler (Foxcatcher) and a down-and-out music producer (Begin Again) within the same 12-month span. But Ruffalo did.

So, who needs Marvel and DC films? Not indie filmmakers as far as I’m concerned. If I had a few bitcoin for every futuristic zombie apocalypse witchcraft karate short I’ve seen made by indie filmmakers, I’d be able to fund an indie feature film. Even when you do it well, you do it well (for an indie film). And that’s not good enough if your dream is to one day quit your day job.

OPINION

THE REPUBLIC

Why do I bother penning my opinion here? Because a lot of aspiring filmmakers and existing ones will be coming to the Valley soon—happy film festival week!— and audiences need more than superheroes to—once they suspend enough disbelief—aspire to. They need to see real heroes, ones that make you enroll enough emotion into a film to do what the greatest stories make us do—live life more empathetically. Emotional story—it’s literally what dreams are made of. And it’s also what makes us real.

CAITLIN JOHNSTONE

The Huge Gap Between How Serious Nuclear War Is And How Seriously It’s Being Taken

S

ometimes I'm not sure what presents a greater threat to humanity, nuclear war or the colossal stupidity that has made it possible.

Due to the skyrocketing risk of a world-ending confrontation between the United States and Russia, World Socialist Website is re-releasing a series of interviews it conducted in 2017 with experts on the subject of nuclear war. One of them is with a senior scientist at Physicians for Social Responsibility named Steven Starr, which WSWS has titled "Nuclear winter—the long-suppressed reality of nuclear war".

Starr discusses the research which has shown that in addition to the unthinkable horrors of flattened cities and nuclear fallout we've all been told about, "a war fought with existing US and Russian nuclear arsenals is predicted to make agriculture impossible for a decade or longer, dooming most people to die from a nuclear famine."

Starr says a false narrative has been spun that the science behind nuclear winter theory is weak, a narrative I've had parroted at me from time to time in my commentary on this subject. He says the science is in fact peer-reviewed and robust, and actually makes very conservative estimates of the environmental havoc that would be unleashed by black carbon soot thrown into the stratosphere by a large nuclear exchange. But this science has been actively suppressed and marginalized by a junk science smear campaign and the slashing of research funding. "there is no discussion of the existential threat of nuclear war ... If we have the best scientists in the world telling us that a nuclear war would wipe out most of the human race, that should be our primary concern"#WW3 #worldwar3 #worldwariii #WWIIIhttps://t.co/A0D5gePl77 — Socialist Equality Party (Australia) (@SEP_Australia) March 15, 2022 "After the success of the smear campaign against nuclear winter, most people eventually accepted this narrative and funding for new research dried up," Starr said. "This had a big impact on the public, who got the impression that the nuclear winter theory had been disproven. As a result, this issue is hardly ever talked about now in the mainstream media."

"One of the reasons for this is that over the years, trillions of dollars have been spent on nuclear weapons," Starr adds. "If the conclusions of the nuclear winter research— that nuclear war is suicide for all peoples and nations— had gained widespread acceptance and understanding, it is likely that the whole nuclear weapons industry would have been shut down."

Indeed, when you're talking about the movement of trillions of dollars (Obama committed $1 trillion to modernizing America's nuclear arsenal for the explicit purpose of better confronting Russia), you're talking about the kind of money that any amount of underhanded gangster tactics would be employed to secure.

But I think another major part of it is the much more basic fact that if people truly understood how dangerous nuclear war is for everyone on this planet, nobody would consent to the kinds of cold war games that the drivers of

empire have been intending to play with these weapons.

If people truly understood that their life and the lives of everyone they love are being gambled like poker chips in nuclear brinkmanship maneuvers geared toward securing unipolar planetary hegemony for an undeclared empire loosely centralized around the United States, those few empire architects would soon find themselves on the losing end of a tooth-and-claw fight against the entire human species. The ability to win cold war power struggles is dependent on the mainstream public not thinking too hard about what nuclear war is and why it is being risked.

When I was growing up Americans were proud of fighting Nazis and afraid of a Nuclear War. Now Americans are proud of arming Nazis and want to risk a Nuclear War. — Black in the Empire (@blackintheempir) March 14, 2022 So I think we're seeing a broad lack of awareness among the general public of just how close to the precipice we are for the same reason nuclear winter theory has been suppressed: because if everyone deeply understood how dangerous these unipolarist grand chessboard power plays are, and how they deliver no real benefit to ordinary people, they wouldn't permit them to happen.

A responsible news media would be educating the public about things like nuclear winter, and how easy it would be for a nuclear war to be triggered by a malfunction, miscommunication, misunderstanding, or miscalculation in the chaos and confusion of soaring cold war escalations as nearly happened many times during the last cold war. A "news" media whose job is not to report the news but to manufacture consent for imperial agendas will do everything it can to prevent people from paying attention to those things.

This is why, if you really understand nuclear war and what it means and how close we are to its emergence, it feels so surreal and dissonant looking around at the things people are talking about today. How ungrounded in reality it all is, how unseriously people are taking this thing, how willing they are to consent to things like no-fly zones and other direct military action against Russia. It's because people are prevented from seeing and understanding this reality. You can't have the riff raff interfering in the mechanics of the imperial machine. Unipolar hegemony is too important to be left to democratic processes. Keep the local fauna confused and distracted while you roll the dice on nuclear armageddon with the hope of ruling the world.

These people are like mobsters, knowing they'll probably die a violent death but willing to risk it all for a chance at living the high life. There's not the slightest iota of wisdom guiding their actions. Just the primitive impulse to dominate and control. They're living their lives and making their decisions essentially on autopilot, guided by unconscious impulses they themselves don't understand.

The Single Most Important Question In The World Right Now. "Is what the US and its allies are trying to accomplish in Ukraine worth continually risking nuclear armageddon

for?"https://t.co/EJk9ErQ2xj — Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) February 28, 2022 In the aforementioned interview Starr also touches on the ease with which a nuclear war could be set off by a technical malfunction, and what the earliest moments of a nuclear war will likely look like: If the US early warning systems detect a missile launch, the President can order a launch of retaliatory nuclear strike before incoming nuclear warheads take out communication systems and weapons. Of course, if this is a false warning of attack, then the “retaliatory” strike becomes a first-strike and a nuclear war has started.

Moreover, if somebody has launched a nuclear strike against the silos in which your nuclear weapons are housed in, you don’t retaliate by targeting their empty silos. You target their cities. Russia only has about 230 cities with a population greater than 100,000 and the US has 312. So it’s not that hard to wipe out a couple hundred cities in an initial salvo.

Starr also discusses the insane belief that Russia will probably back down when threatened with the possibility of nuclear war, a line of thinking that's becoming so common today that it's almost its own genre of natsec punditry: The strategists often say, “Oh, well, Russia will back down.” What if they don’t? And why would they back down on their own border? Any US/NATO-Russian direct military conflict will very likely lead to a full-scale nuclear war.

In another 2017 World Socialist Website interview, this one with Los Alamos Study Group secretary and executive director Greg Mello, we get some more insight into the reality of the nuclear threat: To a first approximation, in a nuclear war between the US and Russia, everybody in the world would die. Some people in the southern hemisphere might survive, but probably not even them.

The imagination cannot encompass nuclear war. Nuclear war means nuclear winter. It means the collapse of very fragile electronic, financial, governmental, administrative systems that keep everyone alive. We’d be lucky to reboot in the early 19th century. And if enough weapons are detonated, the collapse of the Earth’s ozone layer would mean that every form of life that has eyes could be blinded. The combined effects of a US-Russian nuclear war would mean that pretty much every terrestrial mammal, and many plants, would become extinct. There would be a dramatic biological thinning.

The gulf between these expert analyses and what people are consuming in the news could not possibly be wider. People simply don't understand what's being done with their lives by powerful people who care only about imperial domination, and the powerful intend to keep it that way.

It doesn't need to be like this. There's no reason our planet needs to be dominated by any one single power structure, especially if doing so means risking complete annihilation.

We should all be pushing for de-escalation, diplomacy and detente, and for the nations and peoples of this world to begin working together for the good of everyone.

YOU CAN FIND IT IN BLAINE! W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY

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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • M A R C H 2 3 - A P R I L 5 , 2 0 2 2

CHAMBER CORNER

MIKE MCKENNA

Hard way Pipeline

The Familiar Sounds of KSUN

By Mike McKenna

T

here’s something comforting about hearing a familiar voice. Studies have shown that familiar voices are easier to understand and they can make us feel better. The same things happen when one of our favorite songs comes on.

So it’s no wonder why the new KSUN 103.7 FM has tuned into both of these strengths, and is quickly building a loyal fan base.

KSUN arrived on the air last year and offered a familiar ring for many of us. That’s because it was created by Scott Parker and Larry Flynn. Scott is best known locally as the former longtime owner of both KECH and KSKI. Larry and his legendary voice first filled local airwaves in 1988 and have now helped raise over $300 million as a benefit auctioneer.

“I still love radio,” Scott said. “If you produce local content and a good product, people will come to you.”

One the things that makes KSUN unique is that, being locally owned and operated, they can adapt to and authentically connect with our community.

“We stay in touch with the community and what’s happening, so we can give the listeners of KSUN what they want,” said Larry, who does daily news, weather and ski conditions reports. National news snippets from FOX News are also sprinkled in.

“We’re not a canned format. We have a personality, “ Scott said.

In addition to Larry and Scott, the well-known voices of Julie Jordan and Cathy Nikolaisons are part of KSUN and the Sun Valley Media Group.

“I’m thrilled with what they’re doing. It’s wonderful to bring back all these years of local experience and local voices for the community,” said Julie, who Carole King used to call “the Golden Voice of the Wood River Valley.”

“It’s just like the old days of radio, when local ownership meant putting your full attention to one radio station in your hometown,” Scott said. “After running groups of stations in multiple ski towns, I decided it was time to go back to a local mom-and-pop station, focusing on just one community. It’s been great being

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Kelly Wardell 208-309-0916

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

able to do that again.”

The accustomed 103.7 stop on the FM dial is not only offering well-known voices and local information, it’s also playing a lot of music that many fans familiar with that station number still love. Scott describes their “hand-picked” musical offerings as “adult alternative with a broader format and a sprinkle of surprises.” The staff’s decades of experience in the Wood River Valley and other ski towns helps them tap into what we really want to listen to. The station is also available online and via free Apple and Google apps.

“We’re not a radio station full of ads,” Larry said, “but instead we’re full of familiar voices sharing information that hits home for locals and provides music they want to hear. We offer a comfort level. The people you’re hearing are familiar voices that have been part of the fabric of the Wood River Valley for years.”

To listen to or to find out more, tune into 103.7FM or go to KSUNFM.com.

CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 15

CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY

THETRADER TRADER THE THE TRADER Consignment for the home

Consignment for the home

Consignment for the home

Wednesday - Friday 11 to 6 Saturday 11 to 4

TRADER EADER TRADER

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 to 5:00 Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

ent for the 720-9206 or 788-0216 signment forhome the home

720-9206 or 788-0216 509 S. Main Street Bellevue, Idaho

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509 S. Main Street • Bellevue, Idaho

Wednesday through Saturday Thursday Wednesday - Friday Wednesday - Friday 11:00to to 5:00 ednesday - Friday 11 to 611 to 6 available by appointment 11 to 6AlwaysSaturday Saturday Saturday and if we’re here.

Saturday 11 to 4 11 to 11 or to 788-0216 44 720-9206 11 to 4

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

509 S. Main Street • Bellevue, Idaho Always available by le by appointment andappointment if we’re here. and if we’re here.

720-9206 or 788-0216 or S. 788-0216 -9206 or720-9206 788-0216 509 Main Street S. Main Street 09 S. Main509 Street Bellevue, Idaho Bellevue, Idaho Bellevue, Idaho

See answer on page 15

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

Mostly Sunny 7%

high 50º

low 35º WEDNESDAY

Mostly Sunny 6%

high 53 º low 34º THURSDAY

Partly Coudy 2%

high 56º low 38º FRIDAY

Partly Coudy 2%

high 60º low 43º SATURDAY

Coudy 13%

AM Clouds/PM Sun 24%

low 37º SUNDAY

low 32º MONDAY

high 56º

high 50º

Mostly Sunny 13%

high 52º low 33º TUESDAY

SKI. BIKE. LIVE!

Elevate your experience.

340 N Main Street in Ketchum sturtevants-sv.com • 726-4501