WRW 17 May 2023

THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR MAY 17 - 30 FROM PICABO ANGLER

“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

– Walter C. Hagen

FROM IDAHO TO ENGLAND: HAILEY LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS THE POND

This is it! The waiting is almost over! On Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m., Picabo Angler will kick off Opening Day Weekend with our annual Opening Day Eve Party. Rain or shine (outdoors or Indoors), we will be enjoying Hank Patterson’s humor, music by Barton & Bollar, refreshments from Sawtooth Brewery, dinner by the Picabo Angler Grill, raffles, and all the fly-fishing vendors coming to show the latest and greatest products. Please join us for what has become a very special event.

history says have some of these patterns in your fly box from the moment the clock strikes 12 a.m. on opening day.

Local U-16 soccer team plans trip of a lifetime

BY ROBIN SIAS

On June 22, the dreams of 21 U-16 soccer players from the Wood River Valley will seem dull compared to reality. That day, players from the Hailey Lightning Football Club, many who have played together since kindergarten, will board a flight in Hailey and travel to Manchester, England, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lightning coach and team manager Larry Schwartz explained, “We’re going to Manchester for 10 days at the invitation of the [Premiere League team] Manchester City soccer program. The coaches from the club’s academy program that develop their most promising players will work with our kids and put them through the same training as academy players.”

The itinerary includes four training days, all at the Manchester City training facilities, and four game days with top local teams. When they’re not on the pitch, the boys, two coaches, and a small group of parents will have private access to behind-thescenes tours of not only the billion-dollar Man City complex, but Manchester United, and Liverpool.

“We will have access to the locker rooms, the trophy rooms, and many places the public never gets to see on the regular tour,” Schwartz said. The team will be met at the airport with a liaison from Man City and transported to all their events in a private bus that is being provided, with the liaison managing all logistics. “It is beyond exciting, everyone is taking great care of us,” Schwartz enthused.

A hardworking, high-achieving footy team

Coach Weylin Barrett said, “For me, on the surface, it’s pretty rad to have this opportunity because the team gets to do something special and have fun. But on a deeper level, it’s because they have worked really hard, individually and as a team, that this is possible.”

Hailey FC Lightning’s stats support this narrative of a cohesive, disciplined, talented group of players. Last season, the club finished with the third most points in Idaho. They qualified for the Far West Presidents Cup in Phoenix, Arizona, a USYS regional/ national invitation-only tournament where they made it to the semifinals. Most teams in the tournament, according to Schwartz, were ranked #2 or #3 in their state. “Every-

one kept asking us, ‘Where is Hailey?’” he laughed.

There should be plenty of anglers on the Creek during the opener. Let’s be sure we celebrate the season together and treat one another like we want to be treated on the river. Keep in mind that this one weekend may be a bit busier than others, so let’s show that extra grace that we all know makes Silver Creek such a special place.

The players know that the level of play they will encounter during their four games in England will require them to bring their A game and then some. Victor Hernandez, goaltender, said he’s ready for the challenge both in games and in the training. “The thing I am most excited about is playing all the English teams. I know they will have a different style and high-level skills,” he said. Striker Andres Hernandez concurred, “It will be great to have a high-level of play for practice, drills, and games. The English soccer is at a whole different level.”

We look forward to seeing all of you on Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m.

But sometimes it’s also the simple things to look forward to. As Zack Torres, defender, said, standing on early ‘spring’ grass at Keefer Park in Hailey, “I’m excited to play on a good field!” He is also looking forward to proper fish and chips at a British pub. Fellow defender Quintin Buoncristiani said, “I can’t wait for the overall experience and exploring a new culture.”

Please call us at (208) 7883536 or email us at info@ picaboangler.com for more information.

Happy fishing, everyone!

Earning the Spot

All that aside, there are a lot of talented teams and enthusiastic players who would do a lot for the opportunity to align with Man City—one of the most successful and beloved football teams in the world. So how exactly does a small cohort of soccer players from a small Idaho mountain town get this kind of access, training, and star treatment?

It started, as it often does, with a friend of a friend. Schwartz said, “I have a friend who has a friend who works for the company that owns Man City. This friend knew about the Lightning and introduced me to someone who is on the soccer side of things in that organization. Within 24 hours, no kidding, I received an email expressing their interest in having us come over to train and play. I could not believe it. I heard from the Director of Player Development for Man City who put me in touch with the organization’s people who deal with the U.S. This was last summer, but everything moved fast. Man City does this for a small number of teams, and I knew skill-wise we would

Back row standing from left to right: Chris Arenas, Ryder Green, Jack Tierney, Jackson Wallace, Andres Hernandez, Domenic Seig, Elliot Boiron, Zack Torres, Coach Nana Akyen, Coach Weylin Barrett. Kneeling row left to right:Coach Larry Schwartz, Nandy Inga, Ryan Tenold, Victor Hernandez, Chase Schwartz, Sylas Barrett, Henry Page, Alejandro Gutierrez. Lying down in front: Reidar Slotten. Not pictured are Mateo de la Torre, Quintin Buoncristiani, Maicol Quinones. Photo courtesy of: Hailey Football Club

Local U-16 soccer team plans trip of a lifetime

in Hailey last week, the group’s enthusiasm was contagious. Nandy Inga, halfback, said, “I am excited to make memories with my best friends,” and goalie/defense/striker Mateo de la Torre added, “It’s great that I get to go with my closest friends to an amazing place and play the sport we all love.”

During their time in the UK, aside from soccer-based experiences, the coaches also plan to take the team to Chester (“which looks straight out of a Harry Potter movie,” Schwartz said) and to visit a medieval castle. “I told the guys we need to see some really old things,” Schwartz laughed. “We are going to find the oldest castle we can and explore it—hopefully seeing a lot of old armor and other things teenage boys will be excited about!”

Fans at home can keep up with the team during this trip through video updates on their website (www.haileyfootballclub.com). Footage will be shot and uploaded daily so it will be easy to follow the players’ games, training, and adventures.

Paying it Forward

Coach Barrett said that while this is, of course, thrilling for the current team, he knows the players will also pay this experience forward. “This opportunity sends a huge message to other people that if you work hard, set your mind to it, and set lofty goals, there is a possibility for great things to happen,” he explained. “This team is going to come back to Hailey and talk with younger players about their experience and I know they will inspire others to take on challenging things.”

Left back Dominic Seig, who has three little brothers who are also soccer enthusiasts, said he is looking forward to sharing his experience with his family and community and inspiring others to dream big.

Continued from Page 1

be good enough, but it’s still hard to believe that this is happening.”

However, Schwartz could not be clearer that these kids earned this opportunity. “We are a high-level team,” he said, “and in the top five in Idaho. Our players train extremely hard and are committed.” Schwartz attributes the team’s success to a few key factors. “We are a team limited by a two-year age range, not a four-year team,” he said. “This group, for the most part, has been playing together for years and they have grown together and operate well as a group. We also try to mitigate the obstacles that lead athletes to drop a sport, especially as they get older. That includes charging only $199 total to play with the team (exclusive of hotel costs while traveling), finding rides for every player if we are going to Boise, Pocatello, or Salt Lake City, practicing on a field that is easily accessible for most of our players, and turning down tournaments and games that are just too far to be reasonable. We wanted a high-performing team and we wanted to keep these guys together.” He added, “By keeping our cost to play down, we attract a great mix of families, and no one is left out because of financial reasons.”

Jolly Olde England

For some in this close-knit group, this dream opportunity will be the first time they leave the country, and for others, it will be their first time on a plane. During a practice

Barrett said, “I’ve watched little kids turn into a great group of young men. I’ve seen them face adversity, show a lot of grit, and find a place in this team to focus their energy. I’m really proud of them.”

“They earned it. We are all so excited,” Schwartz added. “If you do good things, good things happen.”

Support the Lightning!

This trip for the Lightning is made entirely possible by donated funds. “I cannot leave any player behind and needed to remove any financial obstacle for the players,” Schwartz said. The team has been actively fundraising, and thanks to a recent anonymous matching donation of $25,000, their goal of raising more than $80,000 is in sight. “We are so thankful to those who are supporting us,” Schwartz said. Those interested in helping to send this team to England to represent the Wood River Valley can donate at the team’s website at www.haileyfootballclub. com. Travel, per player, costs upwards of $4,000.

Check out ways to support this great group by sponsoring a player or contributing in any amount.

Sylas Barrett, center, in action at the Presidents Cup. Photo courtesy of: Hailey Football Club

WRW STAFF

PUBLISHER

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

MARKETING & SALES

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

NEWS EDITOR news@woodriverweekly.com

CALENDAR calendar@woodriverweekly.com

COPY EDITOR

Patty Healey

PRODUCTION & 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

AIRPORT VICINITY OVERLAY DISTRICT PUBLIC HEARING

On Tuesday, June 06, 2023, the Blaine County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing upstairs in the main meeting room in the Old County Courthouse located at 206 First Ave. So., in Hailey. Its agenda includes: 1:30 pm ACTION ITEM: Title 9 Zoning Regulations Text and Map Amendments related to Airport Vicinity Overlay District: Public hearing on and consideration of county-initiated text amendments to Blaine County Code, Title 9, Zoning Regulations, Chapter 18, Airport Vicinity Overlay District (AV) and also amending the Airport Overlay District Map boundaries (Chapter 4). The P&Z Commission recommended approval on March 2, 2023.

Information is available at the Land Use Office 788-5570 and on the Blaine County website www.blainecounty.org. Public comment including name and place of residence may be mailed to the Land Use Office, 219 1st Avenue South, Suite 208, Hailey, Idaho 83333, or emailed to pzcounter@co.blaine.id.us.

We call her Trooper because she really is one! She arrived with a wound on her back, and the MH Vet Team took excellent care of her, and now Trooper’s ready for her new home. She is the sweetest, softest, most curious, playful kitty who loves to give and get affection and chase her toys. Come and meet Trooper!

May Mental Health

BY Beth Markley

If you’re an employer and think the stigma of mental illness isn’t affecting your company, you’re likely wrong, and the impact of your misperception could be costly.

While surveys show most employers agree that behavioral health conditions like mental illness and substance use disorders should be treated with the same urgency, skill, and compassion as other medical conditions, most employees still fear prejudice or losing their jobs if they seek help for their mental health.

When nearly one in four Idahoans suffers from a behavioral health issue, we likely all work with someone with a mental illness diagnosis and/or substance use disorder or who cares for someone who does. Are they comfortable talking about what they need to be productive in your company?

Gallup employee engagement research shows that managers are overwhelmingly responsible for workplace culture. Mental illness can be hard for employers to address, but a manager sets the tone for psychological safety and trust in the workplace, and a competent leader can tackle stigma.

Think about how mental illness is addressed in your organization:

• Would your managers rally company support for colleagues undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from surgery, or caring for an ailing family member, and also organize a meal train in support of a parent caring for a child in a mental health crisis?

• Do your colleagues joke about mental illness? How about that guy in marketing who says he’s OCD because he likes a tidy desk? Or employees speculating whether their boss is going to “go psycho” over a missed deadline?

• Do your c-suite officers encourage a “hustle harder” mentality, or do they talk about work-life balance, setting boundaries, and avoiding burnout?

• Do your company leaders present an image of stoicism and strength, or are they open about their own mental health journeys, encouraging others to share as well?

It’s not uncommon for a person suffering a behavioral health issue to keep it quiet, worried about seeming lazy or morally deficient. Silence might seem safer in an organization with a culture of joking about or ignoring mental health issues. Stigma flourishes in silence, perpetuating the problem, leading to lost productivity and high turnover.

Conversely, a sense of belonging is not only empowering, it can drive employee engagement, bolstering retention. Employees are more likely to stay with a company that addresses their mental health needs and promotes an environment where they can openly discuss such issues. The reputation of such a culture will spread. Some of the most talented and potentially valuable employees in the world have a mental illness and seek out supportive employers. Address mental health issues in the workplace and invest in mental health care, and you’ll increase productivity and employee retention. It isn’t difficult to do:

• Recognize mental illness exists. Encourage conversation and education, create a culture of acceptance. The once significant cancer stigma has diminished over time with awareness and conversation. We can do the same for mental illness.

• Change the conversation. Those who suffer from behavioral health issues are people, not punchlines. Mental illness is no joke. When you talk about mental illness, use people-first language. A colleague may have bipolar disorder, they aren’t bipolar.

• E ducate and raise awareness. Organize lunch-and-learn presentations and invite professionals in your community to speak about living with mental illness, how to recognize the signs, and offer support. Organize company teams to be involved in events that support mental health.

• I mplement benefits and policies that recognize mental illnesses as medical issues and treat them as such.

• Encourage employees with mental health issues to connect with others with similar issues. Creating an environment where people can discuss mental illness openly negates feelings of isolation.

It is possible to reduce and eliminate mental illness stigma, but only if we’re open about it. Discussing behavioral health issues in the workplace will benefit all of us (and in all parts of our lives), helping people become happier, confident, and more productive.

Beth Markley

WRV SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES

BY Tristan Head

As we send our children off to embark on new, challenging adventures, it seems like an excellent time to get a little adventurous ourselves. Within the Wood River Valley, endless opportunities exist to get outside, learn something and stretch your comfort zone. Get your calendars out, wet a pen, and pack your sunscreen.

Blaine County Recreation District offers an assortment of introductory bike classes, co-ed and ladies-only. These classes run $100 for two twohour sessions (co-ed May 22 / 25; ladies-only May 29 / June 1). Go to bcrd.org/adult/workshop/clinics for more info.

Galena Lodge “Never Ever” program. This class again comes with a co-ed option, June 13, and ladies-only, June 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for $175, with intermediate follow-up courses being offered June 20 and July 25, again from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for $175. Go to galenalodge. com for more info.

Outdoor recreation of all kinds requires responsible individuals to be able to handle dangerous situations. Idaho Rescue Training and NOLS Wilderness Medicine will be offering an extensive Wilderness First Responder Course July 7–16, 2023. This class is not for the weak of mind or faint of heart, as it begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m. each day. There will also be evening sessions on days 3 and 7, yet they will graciously take day 6 off. This course will take place at Sun Valley Community School, for $830. See IdRescueTraining.com for more information.

Oh, now you’re ready for something? Silver Creek Outfitters offers fly-fishing casting courses east of the Sun Valley Inn, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5–6 p.m., beginning June 14 through Sept. 3. They will also host a fly-fishing fair on June 24 featuring a variety of companies to reel you into the activity with free beer. We’re all adults, need I say more? Go to Silver-Creek.com to sign up.

This activity pairs well with fresh veggies from The Hope Garden, Mondays starting June 5 until Sept. 28, 5:30-7 p.m., and Wednesdays from 9–10:30 a.m., or at the Bloom Community Campus on Thursdays from 10–11:30 a.m. in exchange for volunteering.

Well, now that you have acquired some fresh trout and veggies, you may need to learn to cook. Thankfully, The Hunger Coalition is also willing to spice up your cooking with free classes at The Hope Garden, highlighting: cucumbers on June 19; summer squash on July 17; tomatoes on Aug. 21; and kale on Sept. 18. Go to thehungercoalition. org to see what is available.

A slower-paced perusal of Silver Creek Preserve with the first nature hike of the summer takes place on June 17 at 10 a.m. with Cindy Lunte; more dates to follow. There is also an Opening Day BBQ with food, drinks, music, and wildflower and bird watching hikes at the Conservation and Education Center. Keep in mind that Silver Creek Preserve relies on volunteers, so try to help out on July 15 or Sept. 23!

Another tremendous guiding experience can be found at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) north of Ketchum, where they will offer courses and guided hikes beginning in June. Check out their website for the most current information.

Evening talks at the SNRA will also take place. The Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association offers extensive lectures spanning nearly every night of the summer season on topics from Katie Potter, Utah State University assistant professor, discussing “The Impact of Hotspot Eruptions on the Idaho Batholith” on July 14 to ice cream and Smokey the Bear’s Birthday Celebration on Aug. 5 to local celebrity Ed Cannady’s lecture, “Wandering, Not Lost” on Aug. 11. DiscoverSawtooth.org will provide more information.

Another outdoor pursuit can be refined at the Hurtig Shooting Center, which will offer an Extreme Long-Range Class June 9 and 10 or more personalized classes through Jeff Kreyss, Get Your Shoot On! Prices vary depending on whether the firearms and ammunition are supplied. A mandatory share is that Hurtig Shooting Center will be providing FREE safety and shooting clinics for 7-14-year-olds with .22 rifles and handguns. See HurtigShootingCenter.org for more information.

If you’d prefer to refine your artistic abilities, Boulder Mountain Clayworks offers a variety of family clay afternoons on June 28 ($45 for adult and child, $10 for each additional person) to make treasure boxes or on the 5th of August to create flowerpots. There will also be two one-day workshops for $35 on July 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with the opportunity to make breadbaskets and/or a follow-up on July 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to make a butter dish for that breadbasket. BoulderMtnClay.org will provide more information.

Regardless of what you choose to pursue this summer, take advantage of the spectacular opportunities to expand your horizons. Go ahead! Dip your toes into Murdoch Creek with a guided walk with SNRA supervisor Susan Kranz or learn to save a life with Idaho Rescue Training and NOLS. Tip your server, yield to uphill foot traffic, give a smile and a wave, and get out there and enjoy everything a Wood River Valley summer offers, whether you are 8 or 88!

The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve offers hiking, wildlife viewing, birding and world-class trout fishing. Photo credit: Michael Edminster

Multiple US Officials Confronted About Assange Hypocrisy On World Press Freedom Day

By Caitlin Johnstone

Wednesday, May 2nd was World Press Freedom Day, and it saw US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Deputy State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel confronted about the glaring hypocrisy of the Biden administration's persecution of Julian Assange for the crime of good journalism.

During an appearance at a World Press Freedom event hosted by The Washington Post's David Ignatius on Wednesday morning, Blinken was confronted by Code Pink activists Medea Benjamin and Tighe Barry demanding justice for Assange before being swiftly dragged off stage.

"Excuse us, we can’t use this day without calling for the freedom of Julian Assange," said Benjamin, holding a sign saying "FREE JULIAN ASSANGE".

The two were immediately rushed by many security staffers, and the audio from the stage was temporarily cut.

"Stop the extradition request of Julian Assange," Benjamin can be heard saying.

"Two hours and not one word about journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh, who was murdered by the Israeli occupation forces in Palestine, not one word about Julian Assange," said Barry.

"We’re here to celebrate freedom of expression, and we just experienced it," said Ignatius without a trace of irony once the dissent had been silenced. He then re -

turned to the subject of how bad and awful the Russian government is for imprisoning American journalist Evan Gershkovich.

Then during a White House press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Karine Jean-Pierre was asked a question by CBS News' Steven Portnoy that was so inconvenient the press secretary flat-out said she wouldn't answer it.

"Advocates on Twitter today have been talking a great deal about how the United States has engaged in hypocrisy by talking about how Evan Gershkovich is held in Russia on espionage charges but the United States has Espionage Act charges pending against Julian Assange. Can you respond to that criticism?" asked Portnoy.

"What is the criticism?" asked Jean-Pierre.

"Well, the criticism is that — the argument is that Julian Assange is a journalist who engaged in the publication of government documents," Portnoy replied. "The United States is accusing him of a crime under the Espionage Act, and that, therefore, the United States is losing the moral high ground when it comes to the question of whether a reporter engages in espionage as a function of his work. So can you respond to that?"

"Look, I’m not going to speak to Julian Assange and that case from here," said Jean-Pierre.

And then she didn't. She just dismissed Portnoy's question without explanation, then babbled for a while about things Biden has said that are supportive of press freedoms, then again said "I’m not going to weigh in on comments about Julian Assange."

This type of "I'm not answering that, screw you" dodge

is a rare move for a White House press secretary. They don't normally just come right out and say they refuse to answer the highly relevant and easily answerable question a reporter just asked; typically when the question is too inconvenient they'll either word-salad a bewildering non-response, say the answer is the jurisdiction of another department, or say they'll get back to them when they have more information. It's not the norm for them to just wave away the question without even pretending to provide a reason for doing so.

But really, what choice did she have? As Wall Street

White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre. Photo credit:White Hoise briefing live stream

World Press Freedom Day

Continued from Page 6

Journal White House correspondent Sabrina Siddiqi recently acknowledged on MSNBC, the job of the White House press secretary is not to tell the truth, but to "stay on message and control the narrative." There is nothing about the Assange case that is on-message with the White House narrative; just the other day Biden said at the White House Correspondents' Dinner that "journalism is not a crime," yet his persecution of Assange is deliberately designed to criminalize journalism.

There's simply no way to reconcile the US government's story about itself with its efforts to normalize the extradition and persecution of journalists around the world under the Espionage Act. If your job is to make the White House look good, the only way to respond to questions of US hypocrisy regarding the Assange case is not to respond at all.

Later in the press conference, Jean-Pierre responded to another reporter's questions about press freedoms in China with an assurance that the Biden administration will "hold accountable the autocrats and their enablers who continue to repress a free, independent media."

Also on Wednesday afternoon, AP's Matt Lee cited the aforementioned Code Pink protest earlier that day to question Deputy State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel about Assange, and was met with a similar amount of evasiveness.

"So then can I ask you, as was raised perhaps a bit abruptly at the very beginning of his comments this morning, whether or not the State Department regards Julian Assange as a journalist who would be covered by the ideas embodied in World Press Freedom Day?" asked Lee.

"The State Department thinks that Mr. Assange has been charged with serious criminal conduct in the United States, in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in our nation’s history," Patel replied. "His actions risked serious harm to US national security to the benefit of our adversaries. It put named human sources to grave and imminent risk and risk of serious physical harm and arbitrary detention. So, it does not matter how we categorize any person, but this is – we view this as a – as something he’s been charged with serious criminal conduct."

"Well, but it does matter actually, and that’s my question. Do you believe that he is a journalist or not?" asked Lee.

"Our view on Mr. Assange is that he’s been charged with serious criminal conduct in the United States," said Patel.

"Yeah, but anyone can be charged with anything," Lee replied. "Evan Gershkovich has been charged with a serious criminal offense in Russia, and you say that he is a journalist, and he is obviously. And I just want to know whether or not you, the State Department – regardless of any charges that he faces – believe that he is a journalist, or he is something else."

"The United States doesn’t go around arbitrarily detaining people, and the judicial oversight and checks and balances that we have in our system versus the Russian system are a little bit different," said Patel, before again repeating his line that Assange has been charged with a very serious crime.

"Okay. So, basically, the bottom line is that you don’t have an answer. You won’t say whether you think he is a journalist or not," Lee replied.

Again, Patel was left with no safe answers to Lee's questions, because of course Assange is indisputably a journalist. Publishing information and reporting that is in the public interest is precisely the thing that journalism is; that's why Assange has won so many awards for journalism. Trying to contend that Assange is not a journalist is an unwinnable argument.

Later in that same press conference Patel was challenged on his claim that Assange damaged US national security by Accuracy.org's Sam Husseini.

"You refer to WikiLeaks allegedly damaging US national security," said Husseini. "People might remember that WikiLeaks came to prominence because they released the Collateral Murder video. And what that showed was US military mowing down Reuters reporters – workers in Iraq. Reuters repeatedly asked the US Government to disclose such information about those killings, and the US government repeatedly refused to do so. Only then did we know what happened, that the US helicopter gunship mowed down these Reuters workers, through the Collateral Murder video? Are you saying that disclosure of such criminality by the US government impinges US national security?"

"I’m not going to parse or get into specifics," Patel said, before again repeating his line that Assange stands accused of serious crimes in a way that harmed US national security.

Journalist Max Blumenthal tweeted about Patel's remarks, "According to this State Dept flack, Julian Assange's jailing is justified because he 'harmed US national security.' But Assange is not an American citizen. By this logic, the US can kidnap and indefinitely detain any foreign journalist who offends the US national security state."

It is good that activists and journalists have been doing so much to highlight the US empire's hypocrisy as it crows self-righteously about its love of press freedoms while persecuting the world's most famous journalist for doing great journalism. Highlighting this hypocrisy shows that the US empire does not in fact care about press freedoms at all, save only to the extent that it can pretend to care about them to wag its finger at governments it doesn't like.

Assange exposed many things about our rulers during his work with WikiLeaks, but none of those revelations have been as significant as what he's forced them to reveal about themselves in the lengths that they will go to to silence a journalist who tells inconvenient truths.

This is it! The waiting is almost over! On Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m., Picabo Angler will kick off Opening Day Weekend with our annual Opening Day Eve Party. Rain or shine (outdoors or Indoors), we will be enjoying Hank Patterson’s humor, music by Barton & Bollar, refreshments from Sawtooth Brewery, dinner by the Picabo Angler Grill, raffles, and all the fly-fishing vendors coming to show the latest and greatest products. Please join us for what has become a very special event. Everyone is welcome!

If you plan to fish on Saturday, May 27, Opening Day, be prepared to fish on Silver Creek, as it will be the only game in town for several weeks. We have had eyes on the Creek the past few weeks, so get ready, as the hatches have been pretty darned good.

The opening weekend Silver Creek menu will feature Baetis (BWO), PMDs, and Callibaetis. Have emergers, duns, and spinners in sizes 16–20. We have TONS of new and effective fly patterns in the shop designed for Silver Creek.

Ants and Beetle patterns are a must-have for the first weeks on Silver Creek. These patterns, especially large Beetles, will often bring fish to the surface that aren’t actively rising. One of the fun parts of opening week on the Creek is trying all sorts of “unusual” patterns and colors.

Brown drakes are probably a few weeks away. With that said, no one ever truly knows when this hatch will appear and history says have some of these patterns in your fly box from the moment the clock strikes 12 a.m. on opening day.

There should be plenty of anglers on the Creek during the opener. Let’s be sure we celebrate the season together and treat one another like we want to be treated on the river. Keep in mind that this one weekend may be a bit busier than others, so let’s show that extra grace that we all know makes Silver Creek such a special place.

We look forward to seeing all of you on Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m.

Please call us at (208) 7883536 or email us at info@ picaboangler.com for more information.

Happy fishing, everyone!

COMMENTARY Four Steps In Dog Training

By Fran Jewell

Often we take our puppy to a puppy class that lasts from four to eight weeks, and then feel we have done what we need to do to teach our puppy skills for a lifetime. While that class or private instruction is imperative to having a well-behaved dog, it is only part of the equation.

There are essentially four phases of training to a fully-trained dog. Some of these phases are short in duration, others must continue for the lifetime of the dog.

The first phase is the actual “teaching” phase, which shows the dog what the behavior is that we want. Those behaviors can be the basics, such as sit, down, or come, or even more complex commands like directional—going right and left on a send-out to retrieve. There are many ways to teach those behaviors, such as luring the dog with a treat, using offered behaviors, or even shaping the more complex behaviors by building on previous behaviors.

The second phase is the “testing” phase. This is where the dog will test the parameters of the behaviors and what will earn him a reward.

It is not a malicious “testing,” but the dog exploring what he has to do to get his reward. As an example, if I am teaching the dog to come and sit in front of me, the dog might come part way, or sit out away from me, or sit off to the side to see if that behavior will also get him a reward. Many dogs will come and not sit and grab the treat and take off again (I call this a drive-by.) In this phase, it is critical that we are always consistent about the picture we want and require that. If we want the dog to come sit in front of us, then that is ALL that we reward and accept.

The third phase is the most difficult and what most of us fail to do. It’s called “proofing.” In the proofing phase, we GRADUALLY increase distractions while the dog performs the behavior successfully. If we add too many or too difficult of distractions, then the dog fails. We think the dog cannot perform the behavior when we simply did not give the dog a chance to proof his behaviors in many situations without failing.

The last phase is another that most people do not do. It’s called the “maintenance” phase. In this phase, we maintain the behavior

BY HARRY WEEKES

This spring provided one of those wonderful and intermittent opportunities we get when a big winter has a little bit of rain, a lot of sunshine, and a return of freezing temperatures—crust cruising. These conditions create what my siblings and I classified as “hard ground” when we were growing up, and the phrase to which we come back to even though all of us are in our 50s.

This was an epic hard-ground year and reminded me of one of my favorite aspects of this condition—you can literally go anywhere, with the major trail impediment being slope (as I found when I slipped, then went shooting down the ridge behind my in-laws’ house).

Throughout late March and early April, I got to amble all over the terrain behind and around my house, walking straight up faces I had previously only zigzagged across, making the overland trek from my house to school along “the back way” through Deadman’s Gulch, and being able to find and follow all sorts of tracks as they, too, seemed to meander in interesting ways.

One set of tracks was particularly intriguing, emerging one day and cutting a line directly to a lump in the snow. This path grew more and more defined, a sign that someone was moving back and forth to what was sure to be a den of some kind. Throughout my steady surveillance, I also noticed something else—just how much snow was disappearing each day.

The bright blue days were piercing. And the snow was literally evaporating—going straight from solid to gas in the process of sublimation. Then it dawned on me that what I was seeing was not new tracks at all, but the return of old ones.

Yes, this demonstrates the extent of my tracking skills (or lack thereof). More interesting to me, though, was this gradual peeling back of winter. These tracks hap -

throughout the dog’s life. If we stop giving our dog a paycheck for his good work, he will soon give it up. That paycheck can be anything of importance to the dog, such as food, praise, a ball or stick throw, etc. And, that paycheck becomes random during this phase to maintain the behavior.

When we are deliberate in our execution of training and understand where we are in each phase, it will help us to have the dog we dream of living with. If we skip a phase at any point, then the dog, being the opportunist he is, will do things the doggy way, not the way we need him to behave. A nicely behaved dog is a joy and trustworthy.

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.

Palimpsest

pened… when? As soon as I started noticing this, other tracks followed—a new set emerging already looking old and exposed to the sun, because they happened sometime in January? And those crisscrosses? While they looked to be totally different, they now seemed to highlight the same beast’s pattern from different times—a lighter, thinner set having been covered soon after they were made, and the deeper, broader set having been covered after some exposure to the sun. I got to spend several weeks mulling over this frozen record, peeled back one or two inches at a time—this winter chronology moving in reverse. I am sure that people exploring ice cores in Greenland and Antarctica get this same sense of awe—connecting frozen gas signatures to life on the planet tens and hundreds of thousands of years ago, and even connecting those gases to global events—a century of melting, a dramatic series of volcanic explosions, or the comings and goings of great legions of flora and fauna.

My world is a whole lot simpler. “There went a fox. Maybe in February?” And, “This seems to be where the coyotes walk. Or maybe it was a wayward badger?”

A palimpsest is something you write on that you can erase and write on again. This process invariably leaves ghosts of the past, like we see on a poorly erased chalkboard. This spring literally uncovered what each storm erased, walking me back through the year, walking me back through the frozen archive until, like so many seasonal things, it all literally vanished.

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.

Service dogs take a huge amount of proofing and then maintaining behaviors. Baewulf could walk by the open fish counter without even taking a sniff using just a voice command and random rewards. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

WHICH WAY DID HE GO?

By Kristin Hovencamp, CPWA®

It is easy to get fearful and lost in the negativity that plagues our 24/7 news cycles. Headlines scream skyrocketing inflation, recession, banks in peril of failing, endless interest rate increases, and so on. Let’s attack each of these issues separately.

Inflation. Inflation is still too high, at 4.2%. The Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate is 2%. During the May 3rd Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the Fed announced it was raising interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 5.25% in further efforts to combat inflation. On a positive note, inflation numbers are declining, as has been the trend for the last nine months.

Interest Rates. The central bank began tightening credit in March of 2022 and has since raised interest rates 10 times, totaling 500 basis points. Data suggests that the Fed’s efforts to slow the economy, labor force, and inflation are taking effect. The belief that the Fed is near the end of its tightening cycle is reflected in the fact that we have only seen three .25 percentage rate increases in 2023.

Bank stresses. Fed officials have stated that they believe the worst bank stresses are behind us and will continue to monitor financial conditions tightly. Though the banking sector has stabilized, it is unsurprising that depositors may continue to pull their money from regional banks and seek safety in investments like government-backed Treasuries.

Recession. The Fed expects to see a mild recession during the third quarter of 2023 and maintains this could be just what is needed to ease inflation. Various sectors of the stock market are already in recessionary territory. There are also signs of slowing consumer consumption and easing pricing pressures.

To underscore the importance of relying on data and not headlines, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams recently reiterated, “I am confident we are on the right path, and I will be particularly focused on assessing the evolution of credit conditions and their effects on the outlook for growth, employment, and inflation. “

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

HAPPY IS AS HAPPY DOES

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

When I heard that the Dalai Lama said the purpose of living is to be happy, I stopped for a while to ponder that unexpected observation. This was not the pronouncement of the driver of a Lamborghini, or of a 7-year-old seeing his longed-for set of Lionel trains chugging around a Christmas tree, nor even the 40-year-old woman looking at her unlined forehead after a Botox treatment. Nor am I denying the pleasure of receiving a lavish gift. But those words are from the Dalai Lama, who has been far from his country and his family and who lives a modest and simple life. His perception is based on the belief that happiness and inner connections are for us to grasp and are attainable for everyone, and, if we choose, we can give them away.

Most people are attached to some material possession, even if it is a childhood Teddy bear. My need for things has changed since I lost everything tangible in my first home, three weeks after moving in to the last inexpensive structure in the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As the fire raged, I was in my Volkswagen with my baby daughter and not much else.

I have mentioned this disaster before, and please forgive the repetition, but that experience heightened my strongest emotions, though even fear was replaced by knowing that I, my husband and our daughter were safe, that we were young, and that the possessions I lost would be missed primarily because they were connected to people I loved in my life. Since then, no “thing” has been too important.

As a teenager, I adapted to my family’s diminishing earnings and our need to economize. When I once coveted an expensive dress during a spring shopping trip with my mother, we didn’t purchase it, but it remained tantalizing in my thoughts. Several months later, after “layaway,” I opened my Christmas present; there it was, the hoped-for garment, mine due to the generous and loving spirit of my family.

In a carpool returning from a rehearsal for the Caritas choir’s spring performance, we talked about feeling happy when we sing. The choir offers a sense of community and a mysterious joy associated with the challenge to do the music well, contributing to a good chord, and seeing our choir director’s smile. Driving home, we stopped for a gorgeous herd of elk crossing the highway, and my friend summarized his philosophy of what makes us happy. It is knowing that one is trying hard and accomplishing something well. It has to do with our inborn, genetic capacity for joy as a part of a group or family working together. Is there a better way to spend time?

As we watched lines of cars patiently observing an activity by nonhumans, my fellow chorister cited sources that have studied happiness and concluded that it comes most often from achieving something challenging, something beyond our own needs, something of a greater power.

BECOME YOUR TRUTH

BY DOVE

If I could share with all humanity at this time, I would ask them to examine their belief systems. It is important to understand what thought patterns are running your consciousness. The reason I would have you examine your thoughts is that thoughts go forward, collect like energy, and then that energy frequency determines the energy you reside in.

Ask yourself, Do I just keep doing the same old same old to get by? Do I ever ask, Is my life what I want? Does it make me happy? Do I look for truth in all things or do I blindly accept the information put out as reality?

I would tell you to question everything. Almost all media has an agenda. For example, when the latest pandemic was created, was it a real crisis or was it manufactured? Is climate change a harmful reality or is it a natural cycle of the earth? Are you too busy to question the authorities’ narrative, or do you just accept the energy that is dominant?

If you are a sovereign being, question everything, and then make the decision that is best for you. As an example, I have a young friend who is in the Air Force. She is an incredible athlete but was forced to take an injection to keep her job. Shortly after, she had a stroke. She had two more relatives choose to take the injection and they both had strokes. A study was done in Switzerland with 777 individuals who had received the injection. A blood sample was taken three days after the injection and troponin was found in the bloodstream of all 777 patients. Troponin is only found when the heart muscle has been damaged.

The number of friends I have that have developed cancer after taking the fear-based injection are numerous. In these instances, fear was the prevailing energy.

I can tell you that if you are making decisions based on fear, they rarely work to your advantage. However, they do work to the advantage of big companies that have an agenda. Research the information connected to all your decisions because no longer can we trust the news media to give us truth, or any other institution that has an agenda.

I remember as a child every household read the newspaper, and if it was in the newspaper, it was true, because you could get sued if you put out an untruth. That type of protection has been lost and anyone can say anything with no consequences. Become your own source of truth. Your truth may not match anyone else’s truth but the energy you get from your decisions will work for your body and soul.

Be kind to yourself and all others. Treat your body as a sacred temple. Think for yourself. Become your own truth and your life experience will serve you in the highest good. Let go of being a slave to someone else’s truth. It is time to stand for you and those you love.

Get educated about your decisions. Remember that nothing that is important is ever urgent and what is urgent is never important. Learn to spot when you are being manipulated, because it is very subtle.

I choose truth for all of us, and freedom for all of us, but we must wake up now. Become your own truth in all things. Trust yourself and do not abdicate your sovereignty to anyone. Much love, Dove

Two Old Friends

I placed the saddle on his back, then pulled the cinch up tight. Old Cyrus turned and looked at me. He knew we’d be all right.

I’d seen that look a thousand times. We’d earned each other’s trust. And at my age a gentle horse for danged sure is a must.

Old Cyrus ain’t no young one. I’d say prob’ly twenty-two. In human years we’re ‘bout the same. They say a rest is due.

I wonder if old Cyrus feels the stiffness from his age. The way my crooked fingers feel from rheumatism’s rage.

It seems like only yesterday, when I went off to work. The old men called me youngster and that drove me plumb berserk.

But now I look at Cyrus. He and I have both grown old. Now no one calls me youngster. It’s the wrinkles, I’ve been told.

And Cyrus doesn’t seem to have that spring left in his step. It’s obvious the two of us have up and lost our pep.

Some cowboys say that when a horse has lost his usefulness, “Just take him to the sale. It’s not a sign of selfishness.”

I can’t imagine any other fellow on my horse. The bond between a horse and rider shares a mighty force.

Old Cyrus has been good to me and I’ve been good to him. The chance of selling Cyrus, well, I’d say it’s mighty slim.

Most trainers tell you that a horse should never be a friend. I guess I broke that rule, ‘cuz he’s my friend right to the end.

I owe it to my horse to never let him be alone. Some call it foolish but to me a debt that’s carved in stone.

So soon enough we’ll turn him out to pasture for a time. I’ll feed and keep him company and hope that God is kind.

And may there be a place for him, up there in Heaven’s great. I hope I’m close behind him. May it be the shortest wait.

And when I get so doggone old and need someone to care. I hope I’m treated kindly ’til I meet old Cyrus there.

– 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.

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

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

WRANGLER’S WRITINGS BRYCE ANGELL

PERUVIAN CONSULATE TO VISIT WRV

By PERUVIAN CONSULATE

OUR VOICE COUNTS

Iwould like to share with you all the flyer for the Peruvian Consulate visit to Hailey next week. It is only provided in Spanish.

The visit will take place Thursday and Friday, May 18 and 19, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Hailey Public Library / Town Center West, and Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Community Campus in Hailey.

Appointments are required for anyone interested in processing documentation; only passports will be processed at this time. The link to make an appointment is provided on the flyer and in this email below for easy access.

Many of you have asked about having a booth with information, and as much as we would like to provide the resource fair service during these dates, the Consulate is requesting that we refrain from doing so at this time, but looks forward to providing this service at their next visit.

MAKE YOUR HOME OFFER THE MOST APPEALING

BY ANNA & MICHELLE

Sales in March 2023 were down 2.4% month over month and still down 22.0% year over year, according to the NAR Housing Snapshot. The median sales price dipped 0.9% to $375,700 and there are 2.6 months’ supply of homes on the market compared to two months a year ago.

“Inventory levels are still at historic lows and, consequently, multiple offers are returning on 28% of properties.” According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS ®.

It is still important to have a strategy for potentially competing with other buyers on the house you want to buy. The plan should include several available provisions and options so that at the time of drafting the sales offer, you can consider exactly what to include based on the situation.

Unless a person is paying cash, you need to be pre-approved by a trusted mortgage professional long before you start looking at homes. Include the written pre-approval letter along with the offer. W hen you are making an offer on a home, have the mortgage professional available to reassure the listing agent by phone who will convey assurance to the seller.

If you’re concerned about multiple offers, make your best offer first because you may not get to counter and simply lose out to another buyer. Starting with a low offer and gradually coming up doesn’t work in highly competitive situations. In some cases, a low-ball offer could cast a pall on any consideration of your purchase contract altogether.

The listing agent will calculate the expenses on the different offers for the seller to show them what their net proceeds will be on each contract. Some types of financing have more costs incurred to the seller. Asking the seller to make repairs or other financial concessions could lower their net even though your offer may be higher.

Sun Valley Opera’s presentation of Met Opera’s Live Simulcast Operas found a new home at the Magic Lantern

The long awaited return of MET HD Live from the Metropolitan Opera Simulcast Operas will be shown at the Magic Lantern Theater in Ketchum. There are two operas left in the 22/23 season. On May 20th Sun Valley Opera will present Don Giovanni and on June 3rd Die Zauberflote. More information can be found at www. sunvalleyopera.com.

Tony Award–winning director of Broadway’s A View from the Bridge and West Side Story, Ivo van Hove makes a major Met debut with a new take on Mozart’s tragicomedy, Don Giovanni, re-setting the familiar tale of deceit and damnation in an abstract architectural landscape and shining a light into the dark corners of the story and its characters. Maestro Nathalie Stutzmann makes her Met debut conducting a star-studded cast led by baritone Peter Mattei as a magnetic Don Giovanni, alongside the Leporello of bass-baritone Adam Plachetka. Sopranos Federica Lombardi, Ana María Martínez, and Ying Fang make a superlative trio as Giovanni’s conquests—Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina—and tenor Ben Bliss is Don Ottavio.

Doors open at 10:30am the production begins at 10:55am. The Concession stand will be open

The Magic Lantern is located at 100 East 2nd Street in Ketchum and tickets can be purchased at the door. Magic Lantern is a cash only business. Mlcinemas.com

From a buyer’s standpoint, contingencies provide options for things that may be uncertain, like qualifying for a mortgage, discovery of major impediments to the condition of the home, and other things. To the seller, they are obstacles that may invalidate the contract causing the home to go back on the market. If the contingencies are necessary, try to make them as palatable to the seller as possible.

Instead of waiving your rights to make inspections, consider a very short inspection period to minimize the time the property is in limbo. Instead of asking for repairs, provide a simple “accept or reject” once the inspections have been made.

Try to accommodate the seller’s desired closing and possession dates. Sometimes an earlier date may be more desirable for a seller, and other times it might be a later date based on the home they’ll be moving into. Your agent can do some research and find a flexible alternative that may appeal to the seller.

Increase your earnest money deposit more than the minimum. It is a pecuniary indication that you are serious. Your agent can tell you what the amount should be and alternatives, like increasing the earnest money after certain contingencies have been met.

Escalation clauses state that you are willing to increase your offer by a certain amount up to a specified maximum, subject to another bona fide offer being received before yours is accepted. Your agent will be able to further explain how these might work in your situation as well as share their experience with them in other similar negotiations.

You as a buyer and your offer to purchase need to be seen as the solution to the seller’s situation in price, terms, and reliability to close. Working with an experienced agent with seasoned negotiation skills is key to your success in buying a home in a competitive environment.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Idaho Organizations Team Up to Present Special Class on Cooking with Lamb – from Butchering to Plate

Four Idaho organizations are teaming up to present a special culinary class on Cooking with L amb – from Butchering to Plate, on Wednesday, May 31, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sun Valley Culinary Institute in Ketchum. The partners are FARE Idaho, the Sun Valley Culinary Institute, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival and the University of Idaho.

The class will feature Professor Phil Bass with the University of Idaho Meat Sciences Department leading a session on lamb butchery and Sun Valley Culinary Institute's culinary director, Andy Floyd, leading a session utilizing Idaho lamb and locally sourced products. Chef Floyd will demonstrate the preparation of Roasted Rack of Lamb with a Roasted Garlic Syrah Demi-Glace Sauce with Ratatouille for the class and two additional lamb dishes will also be prepared in advance for tasting.

Attendees will enjoy a late lunch at the conclusion of the class.\

“We are excited to be working cooperatively with FARE Idaho, Sun Valley Culinary Institute, and the University of Idaho to present this special culinary class focused on how to butcher and prepare lamb produced by an Idaho rancher. It is a great opportunity for us to partner together to present a unique event for the community,” shared Laura Musbach Drake, executive director of the Trailing of the Sheep Festival.

The cost to participate in the class is $50 with limited spaces available. To reserve a spot, go to https://fare.wildapricot.org/event-5242234.

Joint Statement: Blaine County School District & Blaine County Education Association

“We are pleased to announce that the Blaine County Education Association and the BCSD Board of Trustees have jointly ratified a new master agreement for the 2023-24 school year. This agreement is the result of a two-and-a-half-day process that employed a consensus framework expertly facilitated by Diane Groves. The model emphasizes careful listening, thoughtful discussion, and the pursuit of the best possible outcome for the district, our staff, our students, and the community at large.

We considered several critical issues facing BCSD and its staff, including financial constraints, the recently completed classification and compensation study from the 2021-22 school year, and workplace improvements. We worked carefully on a solution to the longstanding practice of the district paying 6.6 percent of the

employee’s contribution to the Idaho Public Employee Retirement System (PERSI). This is not sustainable and has been in place since 1985. The solution includes employees now paying 100 percent of their contribution to PERSI. To accomplish this, the district’s expenditure was added as income to the employees. This change represents a neutral impact to the district and a significant gain for employees upon retirement.

The constant negotiation process by which issues related to the Master Agreement can be discussed and explored throughout the year, rather than compressed into a few days of discussion near the end of the school year, was highly successful during the 2022-23 school year and will continue into next year.

The 2023-24 school year, like any year, will bring with it a host of challenges, some of which are predictable and others yet unknown. We are better prepared today to face those challenges because of our work together as one district on behalf of each child entrusted to our care.”

T-Bone Crash Near Smiley Creek

On Friday, May 12, 2023, at approximately 10:26 a.m., Blaine County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a two-vehicle t-bone style crash with injuries on State Highway 75 near Smiley Creek Lodge in northern Blaine County.

Crash scene investigation determined that a 42-yearold Dietrich man was driving a 2015 white Ford commercial van northbound on Hwy 75 with a juvenile passenger. The van was attempting to pass the slower vehicle, when the truck initiated a left-hand turn onto Smiley Creek Rd. The van struck the Ranger on the driver’s side in the southbound lane of the intersection. Both vehicles came to rest in the southbound barrow pit.

The driver of the Ranger was flown by air ambulance to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise. The driver of the van and juvenile passenger were wearing seatbelts and had only minor injuries. Both vehicles sustained substantial damages and were towed from the scene.

WRITERS WANTED

by MIKE MCKENNA

Independence Day is a day to honor everything that makes America great. We’re a country that is about chasing dreams. We’re about overcoming obstacles and the odds. We’re about putting in the effort and pulling together to achieve greatness.

That’s why it’s fitting that this year’s Grand Marshals for Hailey’s Annual Days of the Old West Fourth of July Parade are the Sun Valley Suns National Championship 18U team. The scrappy and talented squad for our small community was able to beat the best Tier II teams from Delaware, Georgia, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming to become the first high school team from Idaho to ever win a national championship.

“I’m just so proud of these kids,” Mayor Martha Burke said.

Hailey’s Fourth of July Committee selected the team as Grand Marshals because their success was supported by our community. The players have been helped for years by their parents, coaches and the Suns hockey family. From Mighty Mites to National Champs, the Suns team is a symbol of the best of what Hailey is all about.

“I’m honored to have been selected as Grand Marshals. I’m proud of the team for all their hard work and so thankful for all the support the community has given us,” Blake Jenson, head coach, said.

“I am proud to have gotten to win something for more than just our team. We were excited to represent our great Valley and we did it not just for ourselves but for all of our families, friends and fans. I would like to thank all of our fans for their support and generous donations,” Tommy Nisson, assistant captain, said.

There’s nothing we love more in America than a reason to celebrate. That’s why the Suns are the perfect Grand Marshals for this year’s Independence Day festivities.

Hailey’s Fourth of July parade has been happening since the late 1800s. The entire celebration has been lauded as one of the best in the West. The Los Angeles Times has called Hailey’s events an “old-fashioned Independence Day bash,” offering

“maximum fun for your Fourth.” And this year promises to be no different.

From the popular Antique Fair at Roberta McKercher Park and the legendary Sawtooth Rangers Rodeo, to a proposed new Fun Run and then the parade on Main Street, followed by a new Kids Festival at the Life Church and live music and a car show at Riverfest, it’s a full day of small-town fun. The icing on the cake is, of course, the annual fireworks show.

Fireworks have been part of Fourth of July celebrations since the inaugural one in 1777. But we can’t put them on or make all the other fun stuff happen without the support of our community.

That’s why The Chamber is tasked with raising funds for the fireworks and all the Fourth of July festivities. To make a donation, become a sponsor, to register for the parade or find out more about everything that’s happening, please contact Info@ ValleyChamber.org, call (208) 788-3848 or go to ValleyChamber.org.

THE TRADER

Wednesday - Friday 11 to 6 Saturday 11 to 4

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

720-9206 or 788-0216

509 S. Main Street Bellevue, Idaho

Wednesday - Friday 11 to 6 Saturday 11 to 4

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

720-9206 or 788-0216

509 S. Main Street Bellevue, Idaho

See answer on page 11