Wood River Weekly - 5 February 2020

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“At night, when all was quiet about the campfire, Stickeen would come to me and rest his head on my knee with a look of devotion, as if I were his god.”~John Muir

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

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Wood River Weekly

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February 5 - 11, 2020

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ongtime local residents Kiki Tidwell and Gary and Carol Poole have formed a consortium with local architect Susan Scovell and local builder Paul Conrad to build a 16-unit apartment building, to be located at 17 West Silver Street in Hailey, called Silver River Place.

The vision—which went through its first set of city eyes at Tuesday night’s planning and zoning meeting—is “to have rents on the modest end of the rental scale and some apartments will be smaller studios to provide an even more affordable option,” a statement from the developers said.

The developers are attempting to meet the stringent Downtown Residential Overlay District standards, developed by the city two years ago, to allow for increased housing density downtown. The housing plan—currently in the so-called pre-application phase— calls for an all-electric, energy efficient building, with solar panels on the roof, battery storage, a community garden, 1,256 square feet of common open space, covered parking and storage units.

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February 5 - 11, 2020

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CONTENTS

ENSURING SAFE TRAVELS

Winner of numerous awards, the French animated short ‘Memorable’ concerns Louis, a painter, who is experiencing strange events. It will be shown during the annual Oscar Shorts screenings, held at the Magic Lantern Cinemas. For more on the films to be shown, see story on page 8. Photo credit: ShortsTV

This Week f e b r u a r y 5 - 1 1 , 2 0 2 0 | Vol. 1 No. 5

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ON THE COVER A faceful of snow is no problem for Challis, who enjoyed some winter frolicking at Adams Gulch. Photo credit: Carol Waller Local artists & photographers interested in seeing their art on our cover page should email submissions to: mandi@woodriverweekly.com (photos should be high resolution and include caption info such as who or what is in the photo, date and location).

WRW STAFF

PUBLISHER Christopher Seldon (208) 788-4789 publisher@woodriverweekly.com MARKETING & SALES Mandi Iverson (208) 721-7588 mandi@woodriverweekly.com Jennifer Simpson (208) 721-0658 jennifer@woodriverweekly.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine news@woodriverweekly.com

ARTS & EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dana DuGan dana@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 5pm CONTACT Wood River Weekly P.O. Box 3483 Hailey, Idaho 83333 (208) 788-4789 woodriverweekly.com

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Wood River Weekly

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February 5 - 11, 2020

NEWS

EDUCATION

School District Unveils A View Of Itself 1,677 survey respondents offer polarized opinions on BCSD

I

By Eric Valentine

f you want to read shared opinions on your faith in the Blaine County School District, read the results of its recent survey.

If you want to read shared opinions on your lack of faith in the Blaine County School District, read the results of its recent survey.

With 1,677 respondents providing nearly 8,000 comments aggregated within a 410-page document that was made public last week, the so-called 2019 Community Survey is a lot to take in. What follows is a high-level overview, a variety of stakeholder reactions to the opinions, and what school board trustees see as the next step.

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HOUSING

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Low-Cost, Low-Impact Apartment Complex Continued from Page 2

The housing would consist of eight two-bedroom units, five one-bedroom units and two studio units, and one ADA-accessible unit.

“All consortium members wanted to provide a modest rent, market solution to the lack of worker housing,” the developers said.

Specifically, Gary Poole and Paul Conrad, owners of painting and construction businesses respectively, know how difficult it has been to attract workers with the dearth of housing options that fit their salaries. Tidwell, who is running for election to the Blaine County Board of Commissioners, wanted to demonstrate that housing could be successfully built in areas recently rezoned in Hailey for higher density.

“There are opportunities right here in our Valley to achieve investment financial returns along with social goals ‘mission’ returns.” Tidwell

wrote in a statement.

Scovell has previously donated her architectural time to nonprofits, most recently the Men’s Recovery Center, and she has been working efficiently to keep architectural fees to a minimum on this project as their contribution to affordable housing.

Conrad, as a longtime local builder, worked alongside the architectural team to design a building that maximizes construction efficiencies to keep the rents as low as possible. Tidwell believes that the building will provide a fair deal for residents: modest rent, low electrical bills, and amenities like storage units and covered parking that add up to long-term livability .

Poole and his family have long owned the land and have hoped to provide such a building for the community. He will be working closely with Conrad to bring the project in on time and on budget.

The consortium hopes to break ground in April, with a late 2020 finish date.

A Pro-Teacher, Otherwise-Polarized District The bright spot for BCSD is that the vast majority of respondents—roughly three-fourths—are satisfied or more when it comes to the curriculum of the district, as well as the district overall. And when one deep dives the open-ended responses, numerous respondents praise the skill and dedication of the teachers.

But it’s clear from the questionnaire, as well as comments made at the Jan. 29 school board session regarding the survey, that people feel there are two districts in the Valley. One that serves north and south differently. One that serves higher-income and lower-income families differently. One that cares about the community and one that’s aloof to the concerns of teachers, parents and taxpayers.

One thing that’s clear—a lot of people have strong opinions about superintendent GwenCarol Holmes.

“Our superintendent is a polarizing figure,” said parent Will Gardenswartz at the Jan. 29 meeting. “She’s a smart cookie and she clearly puts in the hours... When it comes to EQ (emotional intelligence), she suffers.”

Yet moments before, former Hailey Elementary School principal Thad Biggers expressed support for Holmes.

“Under Dr. Holmes’s leadership, our school district has made significant progress in improving the education for every child. She inherited many issues that were lingering long before her arrival,” Biggers said.

Not Random, But Anonymous Part of the apparent polarization may be due to the format of the survey. It asked respondents on a scale of 1 to 5 how satisfied they were with the district, the superintendent, the curriculum and the facilities. It then asked respondents what each of those were doing well and then what each could do better. In other words, the results are supposed to be polarized to a degree.

Stakeholders also pointed out the survey’s lack of random selection—a fatal flaw, at least when it comes to be considered a “scientific” study. For instance, people with a particular agenda—pro or con—could rally the troops to take the survey and spell out their agenda through open comments. A scientific approach would send out the survey to, say, 1,000 randomly selected stakeholders across the Valley.

Trustees acknowledged the study’s constraints but noted that since it was anonymous, any fear of retribution for one’s answers did not play a factor and that comments were at least authentic and worth considering.

Also worth noting was the level of participation. Trustee Rob Clayton noted that three recent surveys in past years generated a total of 1,700 responses, roughly. The 2019 questionnaire took in 1,677 responses.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Among the 410 pages of mostly comments, some brazen and curt, others lengthy and articulate, certain themes emerged. They include: Calendar—Stakeholders seek more input on school calendar changes and are not happy with the current one.

Substance Abuse—There is concern that substance abuse by Valley youth is not being addressed honestly and openly.

Vocational Education—Many respondents want to see the school district get behind more job skills training programs rather than double-down on trying to get every student into college.

SCHOOL DISTRICT SNAPSHOT Percentage of respondents who reside in Hailey............... 60% Number of respondents who have a child in BCSD schools....................................... 938 Percentage of respondents who are “satisfied” with BCSD........................................... 48% Percentage of respondents who are “very dissatisfied” with Superintendent............... 45% Percentage of respondents who are “satisfied” with BCSD curriculum.......................... 65%

Wood River Weekly

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February 5 - 11, 2020

5

THE PEOPLE THAT YOU’LL MEET Sarah Benson

NEWS

is having a very positive impact on this town and the entire Wood River Valley,” Sarah said. “And in this Valley, we’re all in it together.”

Though Sarah certainly has a passion for hockey and plays twice a week, schedule permitting, she started on the ice in figure skates. In fact, she first came from Kentucky to the Wood River Valley with her grandparents as a child and practiced on the iconic outdoor rink at the Sun Valley Lodge. She switched over to hockey in her early 20s when she started dating now-husband Chris, who played for the Suns. Sarah is also mom to two hockey players, son Zach, who plays on both the Midget and high school teams, and daughter Morgan, who is playing club hockey at Arizona State University. Chris continues From left, Sarah, Morgan, Chris and Zach Benson. Photo credit: Courtesy of Sarah Benson to play and to coach for SVYH. Even as a young girl, Sarah knew Sun Valley would always figure into her future. “I was sure I was going to live here, SB: It’s a tossup between pretzels and I just didn’t know how,” she said. How WRW: What does a perfect non-hock- churros. turned out to be moving here for ‘one win- ey weekend look like?

ter’ after college to learn to ski, and then There is so much fun to be had at CamSB: I had a perfect summer weekend meeting Chris, getting married at Trail last year for my 50th birthday. About 20 pion Ice House. Whether you are showing Creek in 1996, and starting on a varied to 25 of us—a bunch of families—went to up to cheer on the home team (big one career path that took her from working Sunbeam to raft and camp. I hadn’t rafted coming up—Suns versus Jackson Hole, for Sun Valley Resort to becoming a high- in about 20 years and it was so much fun. March 13 and 14); are playing in a hocktech recruiter, owning her own recruiting Any weekend spent at the spa would also ey tournament; learning to curl; or just firm, and working in finance. taking a few peaceful laps around the ice, weekend!

B e l l e vbeuaegreat , I da ho After a diagnosis of an autoimmune chances are, if you’re at Hailey Ice, Sarah e b r u a WRW: r y 1 4What’s – 1 6 , the 2 0most 2 0 exciting thing will be there to greet you. She will, with disease, Sarah knew she had toFswitch gears. The pivot to helping to buildwand to dabout her excellent team, help to make your exoo r i v hockey e r e s jinathe . cValley o m right now? running Hailey Ice allowed her to2put all perience a great one.

SB: We’re definitely seeing a resur08-720-7 798 of her skills and strengths to excellent use. gence in hockey participation, from five“We love that the community has em year-olds to adults. A lot of people of all braced us,” Sarah said. “We will give our Five questions for Sarah: ages are coming out and trying hockey or everything to do what we need to do for them.” are coming back to it.

WRW: What’s next?

For more information on Hailey Ice, SB: We are working on an expansion of check out Haileyice.org. To nominate WRW: New Duchin or old Duchin?

Campion Ice House that is really exciting.

SB: Old! I always think of working someone to be featured in this column, We are planning to add 8,000 square feet there when I first moved here, wearing please send an email to production@wowith a new dryland room, more storage, my ‘Duchin dress’—a black, ankle-length odriverweekly.com with the subject line: bigger meeting rooms, an expanded café, dress with white piping and puffy sleeves. Someone to Meet. and bigger locker rooms. We have draw- I also remember and love the ‘old, old’ If hotels and restaurants aren’t busy and ings and are waiting on formal bids. We Duchin back when it used to be a restau- people aren’t working, we’re not going to are using the space year-round for events rant. I had a lot of birthday dinners there live in a very vibrant town. The rink has like a green home and garden show, pri- when I was a kid. an impact, the Liberty Theatre has an imvate parties, and summer hockey camps, pact, summer music festivals have an imand this next phase will help make all our WRW: What is the most popular item pact. One thing alone can’t do it. goals even more viable. concession $ 5 0 0 0atathe dd e d p ustand? rse PHOTO: MARK LaROWE

T

rying to catch Sarah Benson, executive director of Hailey Ice, for more than a few minutes during the crazy busy winter season is like a youth hockey goalie trying to stop a shot from an NHL superstar: possible, but pretty hard.

The only surety is that Benson can be found doing every job there is to do at the Campion Ice House in Hailey, every day.

“Normal days are pretty long in the winter,” Sarah laughed.

For instance, this past weekend, Sun Valley Youth Hockey (SVYH) hosted a Bantam tournament with teams from Boston to Park City. Next up is the IHAA state championship, a Mite Jamboree, an event with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and a Bellevue and Alturas Elementary School free skate night. In between are Suns games, curling club events, and general skates—not to mention fundraising, grant writing, and getting texts at 7:30 a.m. from people asking about skate sharpening.

For Sarah, what happens at Hailey Ice is a labor of love. “I don’t look at my job as a job. I don’t clock in and clock out,” she explained. “My favorite part about it is all the things we do in the rink. I love the Suns games because it brings lots of people in to enjoy a great night. I love the curling because it gives people who might not otherwise be on the ice a way to try a really fun sport. This week we had 35 kids from Hailey Elementary in the building for their winter sports week. Every day is unique.”

The success of Hailey Ice is something of a Cinderella story, with Sarah playing the role of the hardworking, relentless and determined fairy godmother.

Bippity-boppity-boo’ing the building of this important community resource, though, took a lot more than the wave of a wand. “After the first rounds of fundraising stalled a bit,” Sarah explained, “I walked in and asked for the job. Even if I failed, I was going to give getting this building built my best shot.”

Now, Hailey Ice brings hundreds of people into the Wood River Valley, supporting not only the rink, but local hotels, eateries, and shops—a great example of trickle-up economics. “This facility

IN BRIEF

Investigation Of Hailey Police Chief Ongoing

City officials and the police chief himself are remaining tightlipped regarding the investigation into the man who has headed Hailey’s police department for nearly 13 years.

The City of Hailey announced Wednesday, Jan. 29, that Police Chief Jeff Gunter was placed on administrative leave without disclosing any other details. Reportedly, he is being investigated on an anonymous complaint.

Assistant Police Chief Steve England was appointed as acting chief until the matter is resolved, city administrator Heather Dawson confirmed.

Contact was made with Gunter on Tuesday, but he declined to comment at this time.

The city’s official press release reads as follows: “Mayor Martha Burke placed Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter on paid administrative leave this week. Mayor Burke states: ‘There are protocols to follow when sensitive issues arise. I am following those proper procedures.’ Burke is declining camera interviews or further dialogue at this time, stating there is nothing to report at this juncture except that she is doing what is required on behalf of the City. More information will be available in due course and upon further notice.”

24th Annual Benefit Raises $275K

The 24th Annual Galena & the Trails Winter Benefit was held Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Limelight Room at Sun Valley Inn, bringing together 450 Nordic, hiking and biking friends and raising more than $275,000. Proceeds go toward maintaining Galena Lodge and its surrounding trail systems.

The evening included a silent auction and drinks, followed by dinner, a live auction, the Stand for Galena paddle raise and ended with dancing to the sounds of the High Street Party Band. Bob Rosso was honored for his decades of dedication and service to Galena Lodge and the Trails.

Galena & the Trails Winter Benefit is hosted yearly by Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD), Galena and the Trails Advisory Council and Tastevin Wines.

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CALENDAR Wood River Weekly

EVENT

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February 5 - 11, 2020

FEATURE

EVENTS WED FEB 5

MINIDOKA CIVIL LIBERTIES SYMPOSIUM 6-7:30PM / Community Library / Ketchum

As part of its Winter Read and focus on the Minidoka National Historic Site and Japanese American incarceration during World War II, The Community Library will host a free talk with civil rights investigator Jessica Asai. Asai will speak to the legacy of Minoru Yasui’s Supreme Court case protesting the wartime incarceration and the implications for citizenship and civil liberties today. The Minidoka Civil Liberties Symposium is a partnership of Friends of Minidoka, the National Park Service, Boise State University, and the ACLU of Idaho.

TAIZÉ SERVICE

5:30PM / St. Thomas Church / Ketchum Taizé is a weekly candlelit service of meditative silence, song and prayer. Everyone is welcome to attend. St. Thomas Episcopal Church is located at 201 Sun Valley Road.

‘St. Louis Superman,’ directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, tells the story of black rapper and activist Bruce Franks, who was inspired to run for office by the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014. The film is the first Oscar nomination for an MTV documentary. Photo credit: MTV Documentary

Get Ready For All The Feels Oscar Shorts to play at Magic Lantern

E

BY DANA DUGAN

ach year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, known as the Academy, doles out awards to feature films with recognizable cast and crew names that have been widely released. Like the Documentary category, the once lowly Shorts category is finally receiving its due.

Many feature directors start in the shorts field.

It’s an artform all its own. The quality and excitement of the competition is difficult to refute.

Five films in each category have been chosen out of more than 150 qualifying films. In order to qualify for Oscar contention, shorts have to win an award at an eligible film festival. That’s a lot of film festivals, but that’s what these festivals do.

They anoint independently produced films, documentaries and short films with some sheen, and away the producers go. It’s what makes this such an intriguing and competitive category in the Oscars each year.

For the past decade, these films have been screened all over the world by ShortsTV, a cable and satellite television channel dedicated to short film. The franchise is owned by Shorts International and AMC Networks International.

Sun Valley Museum of Art and Magic Lantern Cinemas have been on trend with the Oscar Shorts screenings for the past six years. The shows will begin Wednesday and Thursday afternoon this week, and will continue next week on the same nights.

“Our presentation of the Oscar-Nominated Shorts is a unique opportunity for local film buffs to see each and every short film that’s up for an Oscar this year,” said Kristine Bretall, director of Performing Arts at Sun Valley Museum of Art. Films hail from such disparate places as France, Sweden and South Korea, to the Czech Republic, Brooklyn and Belgium, to Tunisia and China. The subjects are serious, emotional, diverse and gut wrenching. The notable exception is “NEFTA Football Club,” which finds two Tunisian kids goofing around in the desert when they discover an actual drug mule.

The short documentary, “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl),” directed by Carol Dysinger, tells of a school in Kabul, Afganistan, where kids study the three R’s and pick up a little skateboarding.

“Brotherhood” may be the most somber and meditative of this year’s live action shorts. It follows a rural Tunisian family whose life becomes upended when a son returns with a Syrian wife in tow. Tensions are high as the family’s patriarch continues to be irate that his son went to fight for ISIS rather than stay home and support their family.

While the Animated features skew toward Disney and Pixar—look for “Kitbull,” for instance— there are some lovely indies in this category worth paying attention to for the broad range of issues.

“Memorable” vividly uses a display of animation

CREATIVE JUMP IN

6PM / SV Museum of Art / Ketchum The second Creative Jump In, “On Being Thoreau,” will be led by esteemed educator and Thoreau scholar Tim Price.

Price has written and presented extensively on the philosophical and conceptual roots of the American public education system, including how the Transcendentalists have influenced its curriculum, policy and reform since the 19th century. This class will be repeated Feb. 12, at The Center, Ketchum.

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5:30PM / Hailey Public Library / Hailey Paul Ries, former area ranger on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, will talk about his recent experiences leading natural resource teams in protected areas in Mongolia. Ries has led teams of specialists in Mongolia as part of a conservation corps working in 15 countries. He will provide an overview of critical challenges facing Mongolia’s forests in the area around the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. He will also highlight how climate change is affecting the forests, the people, and their interdependence. For information, call (208) 788-2036 or visit haileypubliclibrary.org.

Directed by Laura Nix, ‘Walk, Run, Cha Cha’ begins in Vietnam, when Paul and Millie Cao fall in love but are separated by the war. Many years later they reunite in California where they make up for lost time—on the dance floor. Photo credit: New York Times Op-Docs

techniques—stop-motion with a surprising digital component— to tell its story. A painter, as Louis’s mind deteriorates, his surroundings grow more fantastical, and though his words make sense, his family fails to notice his growing dementia.

In “Sister,” a Chinese man recounts his childhood growing up with his little sister, all told through the stop-motion animation of a wool-felt family. A little surreal, “Sister” starts out as director Siqi Song’s memories of an annoying kid sibling, but changes in ways totally unexpected.

“Hair Love” is a small but moving film about a man trying to cope with styling his daughter’s wild Afro locks for the first time. It features the voice of Issa Rae, the actor, writer and producer.

The film was created by Matthew A. Cherry, a former NFL wide receiver who also served as the executive producer for the 2019 Oscar-nominated “BlackKklansman.”

For more information and tickets to the shows, visit svmoa.org.

TRIVIA NIGHT

7-9PM / Limelight Hotel / Ketchum Trivia night at Limelight Hotel every Wednesday, with drink specials and prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners. Two free games a night; teams can play both games or just one. Bring yourself and your friends for a night of games and specialty cocktails.

7PM / C

The Su Friday an games la years old early!

SAT FE

WED FEB 5, THU FEB 6, FRI FEB 7

CENSUS JOB APPLICATIONS

10AM-2PM / Valley Libraries / Valley Applications for census workers will be available with proctors on hand to answer any questions. These opportunities will be held Wednesday at Bellevue Public Library; Thursday at Hailey Public Library; and Friday at The Community Library in Ketchum. For more information, contact each library directly.

WED FEB 5 & THU FEB 6

OSCAR SHORTS

4:30 & 7PM / Magic Lantern / Ketchum

Sun Valley Museum of Art presents: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 4:30 and 7 p.m.

– Live Action Shorts Thursday, Feb. 6, 4:30 and 7 p.m.

– Animated Shorts Wednesday, Feb. 12, 4:30 and 7 p.m.

– Documentary Shorts Program A Thursday, Feb. 13, 4:30 and 7 p.m.

– Documentary Shorts Program B Magic Lantern Cinemas, Ketchum

SV SUN

Sun Valley Museum of Art will screen all of the short films nominated for the 2020 Academy Awards. Wednesday night will be Live Action, and Thursday will feature Animated Shorts. The “Oscar Shorts” will also play next week, on Wednesday and Thursday. For tickets, call (208) 726-9491.

THU FEB 6

WAKE UP WITH THE CHAMBER

8:30-10AM / SV Auto Club / Hailey The Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley, Windy City Arts and Sun Valley Auto Club will host businesses and the public at the free monthly Wake Up with the Chamber.

SKI TH

10PM /

The an Hailey on Lane in K The trail The Sun Galena L Public Li BCRD st The Hail children’ Road sec 9:30 a.m. leaving th the buses the BCRD

n by before work for coffee, treats and to find out appening. The Sun Valley Auto Club is located at ectra Lane in the Airport Industrial Park. For more ion, contact The Chamber at Info@ValleyChamber. t ValleyChamber.org or haileyidaho.com, or call (208) 4.

WSHOE WITH A RANGER

/ Galena Lodge / Galena

weekly Snowshoe with a Ranger tours run through Participants will meet on the porch of Galena Lodge, aking a 1.5-mile, 2-hour tour exploring the history of at Galena Lodge and the winter ecology and tracking owy landscape. Snowshoes can be rented at Galena For more information, call (208) 727-5000.

Wood River Weekly

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February 5 - 11, 2020

SOUPER SUPPER

Blaine County residents with household incomes of less than $66,000 per year can get free income tax preparation assistance. IRS-certified volunteers will be available every Saturday until April 11, except Feb. 15 due to the Presidents’ Day holiday. The preparation assistance is part of the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and is spearheaded by local resident Courtney Noble, who ran the United Way of King County’s free income tax preparation campaign in Seattle for several years.

Held the second Monday of each month, Souper Supper is now in its 19th year serving the Wood River Valley. Everyone is welcome to enjoy full meals made by dedicated volunteers.

For information, contact Claudie Goldstein at (208) 726-1183.

11AM-4PM / Community Library / Ketchum

5:30PM / St. Charles / Hailey

NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT

6-7:30PM / Sun Club / Hailey NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition, to gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences. These meetings will be held the first Wednesday of each month, at 731 N. 1st Ave.

1:15PM / St. Luke’s / Ketchum

TUE FEB 11

Brown Bag Health Talk on nutritional needs, meand activity levels during cold winter months will een by registered dietitian Haley Willison. For more ion, contact Erin Buell at (208) 727-8737.

SCIENCE TIME

M / The Argyros / Ketchum

r Ground’s Supper Club will be held to support the t’s recreation programs. For more information and er, contact Erin at (208) 726-9298, ext. 103 or erin@ oundusa.org.

EB 7 & SAT FEB 8

11AM / Community Library / Ketchum

CRAFT WORKSHOP

10AM-3PM / Hailey House & Classroom / Hailey

The Craft Series Workshop will consist of a two-day bookmaking workshop taught by Twin Falls artist and art instructor Angela Batchelor, at The Hailey House & Classroom. It is open to students 18 years and older. Cost is $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers for both sessions. To register, visit svmoa.org or call the box office at (208) 726-9491.

nnual Ski the Rails ski tour will run from Ketchum to n the BCRD Wood River Trail, starting at Serenade Ketchum, or anywhere along the Wood River Trail. will be groomed for both classic and skate skiing.

Valley Brewery will offer a no-host après-ski lunch.

Lodge, Higher Ground, Mountain Humane, Hailey ibrary, Perry’s, Backwoods Mountain Sports and taff will host aid stations with snacks and beverages. ley Public Library will offer StoryWalk, with the ’s book, “Over and Under the Snow,” at the Buttercup ction. Free shuttle buses will travel north starting at . from Sun Valley Brewery with northbound buses he Brewery through 2:45 p.m. Dogs are allowed on s; friendly and on leash. For more information, call D at (208) 578-5453 or visit bcrd.org.

11AM-1PM / Mountain Humane / Hailey

LIBRARY OPEN

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

12-5PM / Community Library / Ketchum

The private, nonprofit Community Library will now be open on Sunday afternoons. All regular services will be available.

For more information, visit comlib.org.

MON FEB 10

5:30-6:30PM / St. Luke’s Clinic / Hailey This information and support group will provide a connection to other people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Occupational therapist Kristin Biggins will do a yoga demonstration, and discuss lymphedema, a common side effect of cancer treatments. Call prior to attending for the first time, (208) 727-8733.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

uns take on the Bantam Beauties from Connecticut, nd Saturday. There are three 20-minute periods, ast two-and-a-half hours. Entry is adults $10, 10-18 d $5 and kids 9 and under are free. Pro tip: Arrive

/ Wood River Trail / Ketchum to Hailey

CAT COZY CLUB

SUN FEB 9

NS HOCKEY

HE RAILS & LUNCH

Science Time is held weekly with local expert Ann Christensen in the Children’s Library’s treehouse. For more information and news on other events at The Community Library, visit comlib.org.

Led by volunteer Jen Barth, the Cat Cozy Club will knit cat cozies for the adoptable cats. Yarn is provided and the club will be meeting the second Tuesday of each month. Enjoy a cup of coffee in Christie’s Cat Café, knit some cat cozies, and meet some new friends. For more information, call (208) 788-4351.

Campion Ice House / Hailey

EB 8

CALENDAR

TAX ASSISTANCE

ERIZING YOUR NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

ER GROUND SUPPER CLUB

7

6-8PM / Community Library / Ketchum Free English as a Second Language for adults, cada martes.

Abierto a todos los idiomas que quieren aprender ingles o mejorar sus habilidades. ¡Gratis! Open to adults of all languages who want to learn English or improve skills.

STILL LIFE PAINTING

9AM-1PM / Botanical Garden / Ketchum “Finding the Transcendental in Still Life Painting”—an immersive still-life painting workshop, will be led by Sun Valley-based artist Sarah Bird. The workshop will run through Friday, Feb. 14 at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden as part of The Center’s BIG IDEA project, The Bottomlessness of a Pond: Transcendentalism, Nature and Spirit. To register and for more information, visit sunvalleycenter.org or call (208) 726-9491.

STORY TIME

10:30-11AM / Community Library / Ketchum Story Time, held weekly in the Children’s Library with Lee Dabney, features themed story time with high-quality children’s books, songs, and a fun craft or activity. Story Time is suitable for ages 3 and up. For more information, visit comlib. org.

BABY TIME

12-12:30PM / Hailey Library / Hailey Baby Time will be held weekly for caregivers whose babies are aged 0-18 months. The drop-in program incorporates nursery rhymes, tickling and gestures to help parents teach babies language and motor skills. A registered nurse will be on hand the third Monday of each month. Details at haileypubliclibrary.org.

CUBAN DANCE

7:30PM / The Argyros / Ketchum The Havana-based Malpaso—Cuba’s first independent dance company—has grown to become one of the most internationally sought after in its short seven-year history. Malpaso is a passionate contemporary dance ensemble that embodies the rich culture of Havana. Under the leadership of choreographer and artistic director Osnel Delgado, the company works to bring Cuban contemporary dance into the 21st century by collaborating with top international choreographers and nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography. For tickets, (208) 726-7872 or theargyros.org.

PING-PONG

7-10PM / The Mint / Hailey Get your A-game on for a night of fun competition at The Mint’s weekly table-tennis nights. Bring a friend, eat some dinner, and grab a drink. The action gets hot. For more information, call (208) 788-6468.

TRIVIA NIGHT

7:30PM / Sawtooth Brewery / Ketchum Games are free to play and are for everyone who likes to play games and win stuff. Each night there will be two games consisting of three rounds each. All ages are welcome. Tuesday is in Ketchum, games on Thursday are at the Sawtooth Brewery & Tap House in Hailey.

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Wood River Weekly

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February 5 - 11, 2020

LIVE MUSIC

FRI FEB 7

SILVER DOLLAR MUSIC

6PM & 9:30PM / Silver Dollar / Bellevue Early music will begin at 6 p.m. with the Hurdy Gurdy Girls. DJ Diva will spin beginning at 9:30 p.m. There is never a cover at the iconic saloon. Free lifts home if needed.

THU FEB 6-MON FEB 10

MUSIC AT WHISKEY’S

9PM / Whiskey Jacques’ / Ketchum Music at Whiskey’s will feature Tylor & The Train Robbers on Friday. Secuestrado will perform on Saturday. Both bands have long ties to the Wood River Valley.

SUN FEB 8

LIMELIGHT MUSIC

6PM / Limelight Hotel / Ketchum In the Lounge, enjoy free live musical entertainment with Jimmy Mitchell on Thursday; Aaron Golay on Friday. Hart Gibson will play on Saturday, Travis McDaniel on Sunday and Mia Edsall on Monday. The family-friendly lounge also offers a play room and games for families to enjoy.

FRI FEB 7 & SAT FEB 8

RIVER RUN

2:30-5PM / River Run Lodge / Ketchum After a lively day on or off the mountain, enjoy live après-ski music in the lodge every weekend. On Friday, Tylor & the Train Robbers will play. There is no cover and everyone is welcome.

COLUMN

MARTIN TAYLOR & FRANK VIGNOLA 7:30PM / The Argyros / Ketchum

Martin Taylor, one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists in the world, has recorded more than 100 albums and has worked with such iconic musicians as Stephane Grappelli, Charlie Byrd and Chet Atkins. Playing with him will be Frank Vignola, one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing today. Guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, Vignola’s jaw-dropping technique explains why The New York Times calls him “one of the brightest stars of guitar today.” For tickets, call (208) 726-7872 or visit the argyros.org.

ENVIRONMENT

Necessary Evil Or Constant Challenge?

Middle schoolers take middle-of-the-road look at polarizing topic

BY ERIC VALENTINE

In a world of polarized opinions, it’s refreshing to see anyone take a balanced approach and intriguing to see anyone take an artistic approach. What makes it impressive is when those approaches come out of a middle-school program.

What follows is an overview of an eighth-grade Wood River Middle School project done in connection with Sun Valley Museum of Art, written by teacher Stephen Poklemba. Give it a read and perhaps even take a moment to realize that the divisiveness in our adult worlds may one day, perhaps like mining, be a thing of the past.

“According to the U.S. Mineral Information Institute, 130 million cell phones are retired each year. That amounts to 2,100 metric tons of copper, 46 metric tons of silver, 3.9 metric tons of gold and 2 metric tons of palladium. These metals can be recycled, but puts into perspective our need for such resources.

“The eighth-grade science students of Wood River Middle School, in conjunction with the Sun Valley Museum of Art, tackled the complex issues surrounding mining.

Is mining good or bad? Like most complex issues, there is never an easy answer, though the simple answer to the above question ended up being neither choice. The students discovered that the answer might be, mining is necessary. Which, like good science, lead them to ask more questions that needed investigation.

“Since mining is necessary (right now, anyway), the students looked into the human impact mining had on the natural landscape. Jordyn Dooley and Susie Quinn Fortner from the Sun Valley Museum of Art came down to the middle school and helped the students frame the impact using watercolor paintings and a weaving technique inspired by Vermont artist Deidre Scherer.

“Students researched mining sites before, during and after the minerals were discovered. They then selected two versions of the site and created two watercolor paintings. Just like the activity of mining, the students altered their paintings by cutting them into strips, then wove them back together. The resulting art piece, though pleasing, emphasized the fact that the two watercolors would never be the same again, mirroring what happens to a landscape post-mining.”

CALENDAR ENTRIES • Send calendar entry requests to calendar@woodriverweekly.com.

• Entries are selected based on editorial discretion, with preference for events that are free and open to the public.

• To guarantee a calendar entry, buy a display ad in the same issue or the issue before you’d like your calendar entry to appear.

Contact Mandi at mandi@woodriverweekly.com or 208.721.7588.

Students (from left to right) Annika Petersen, Holden Blair and Charlotte Marquez-Christensen are three of the eighth-graders who took part in a Sun Valley Museum of Art project.

Photo credit: Stephen Poklemba

Wood River Weekly

THE SENIOR CONNECTION MEET OUR MEMBERS

Mary May Potter

Mary May is the real McCoy—a native Idahoan. In fact, aside from a brief time when she made her first appearance into this world in the Wendell hospital, Mary May has lived her whole life in the Wood River Valley.

The oldest, with three younger sisters (Jolene, Elizabeth Ann and Debbie—all of whom also live in Idaho—Gooding, Jerome and Moore, respectively), Mary May had an all-American childhood.

Her mother and father owned Neyman Chevrolet in Hailey, and she and her sisters attended public schools and enjoyed the outdoors—especially swimming in the summer. She worked various jobs, including clerk at Chateau Drug in Ketchum and cashier at the Opera House in Sun Valley. It was a wonderful place to grow up. As Mary May remembers, “We never locked our doors. You could walk anyplace at any time, and you knew everybody.”

One day, while at the Star Café in Hailey, a man walked in. His name was Max. Mary May knew who he was, as her friends called him “uncle.” Her first thought was he’s not as old as she thought, for aren’t uncles always a generation older? At the time, Max and his family owned the Deer Creek Ranch, where they raised hay while raising cattle and sheep. Mary May and Max started seeing each other, and after Mary May spent a year at college in Pocatello, they married and moved to Hells Canyon, where they lived for about a year while Max worked construction on the dam.

Returning to the Wood River Valley, Mary May and Max ran Sun Valley Motors (located where Argyros theater presently sits) and built the first home on Timber Way, where Mary May lives to this day.

Whether by luck or plan, Mary May and Max had three children— each three years apart. Their oldest, Melody, is a nurse, lives here in Hailey and has provided Mary May with seven grandchildren (five girls and two boys), all of whom have graduated from college. The second daughter, Ellen, lives in Boise with her husband, while their son Mark lives in Ketchum and works for Thornton Wine Imports.

Two more generations of confirmed Idahoans!

Max, the love of Mary May’s life, died nine years ago. He was a hard worker and, as Mary May describes him, “a man with a great sense of humor and someone whom everyone liked.”

After the children were grown, Mary May and Max did venture out of Idaho to many faraway places, on organized trips and with friends—to Hawaii and Alaska, Spain, Hong Kong, South Korea, Panama, Peru and Thailand, to name a few.

If there is one place Mary May would like to see, it is England—the land of her ancestors.

In the meantime, there are family events, such as an aunt’s 100th birthday party in California, and a family reunion near Arco last summer of over 70 relatives on her father’s side.

Today, Mary May spends lots of time at The Senior Connection. She plays bingo and cards, participates in the exercise program, attends the Diner’s Club dinners and all of the wonderful events offered by the center. When asked what she enjoys the most, Mary May says, “I love everything—the people, the food—and everybody is so very kind and helpful.”

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January 22 - 28, 2020

9

ADVERTORIALS KIKI TIDWELL

COFFEE CHATS WITH KIKI

Why Arizona Utility Has Shifted To Batteries T his week I am going to spotlight a recent ect, in which the battery offset a traditional wires article by Julian Spector, who has visited upgrade to a remote but growing community; the the Wood River Valley for the Sun Valley battery cost less than half what the conventional Institute conference, and who is a top researcher solution would have, saving ratepayer dollars.” into battery storage energy trends.

Not surprisingly, this shift by the Arizona utilJulian wrote about a utility similar to ours, Ari- ity happened after a change in the utility’s CEO. zona Public Service, which also killed net-meter- Idaho Power’s CEO, Darrel Anderson, gets paid ing in their state, also made it difficult for renew- almost $4.5 million a year (total 2019 compenable projects to be built (remember Idaho Power’s sation $4,474,464). But he wants to stick small anti-wind-energy campaign and moratorium on ratepayers and Blaine County residents with a PURPA projects?), also expen$65 million bill to build a transsively lobbied legislators (Idaho mission-line-to-nowhere here. InPower sends political donations to stead, we could spend that money every legislator, I believe) and paid on a pilot project for a real solution for huge campaigns to elect public for us that provides battery backutility commissioners. (Our PUC up power and solar generation in a commissioners are appointed, but power outage. in previous political campaigns Julian notes that the Arizona many of our commissioners have utility was pushed by a Tom Streceived significant $ donations eyer-funded ballot initiative in from Idaho Power.)

Arizona state and gives us here in “APS spent millions of dollars on Darrel Anderson’s total Idaho this advice: “Any ambitious statewide regulator races in 2014 2019 compensation was clean-energy plan is a fiction until and 2016. Though not strictly ille- $4,474.464. it isn’t. Notions that seemed unregal—the Supreme Court has ruled alistic a couple years ago have now that corporations are people, with all the same entered a major utility’s plan of action. That’s rights to political speech that personhood en- worth remembering for policy discussions in othtails—this influence campaign did not look good, er states: Even if an idea fails to pass, like Steyand it ultimately justified public skepticism about er’s ballot initiative, it can push the conversation Arizona's utility regulatory compact. If the mo- forward.” nopoly picks its regulators, how regulated is it?”

Anyone interested in a ballot initiative camBut here is the good news: paign?

“It’s happening: Arizona Public Service doesn’t https://www.greentechmedia.com/squared/storage-plus/ want to use fossil fuels anymore.

The utility that two years ago planned on energy-storage-paved-the-way-for-arizonas-largest-utilityto-pledge-carbon?utm_source=splusnewsletter&utm_medigigawatts’ worth of new gas capacity decided um=email&utm_campaign=gtm2&tpcc=splusnewsletter last week it would achieve 45 percent renewable (all quotes in this column reference this article) power by 2030, exit coal power by 2031 and stop emitting carbon altogether by 2050.

APS committed to 100 percent carbon-free because it became sufficiently confident in its ability to accelerate solar deployment and integrate it using energy storage. It arrived at that point by starting small, testing storage technology in a scoped and scientific way, and liking the results.

This is exactly how utility pilots are supposed to work.

Back in 2016, APS finalized a pilot whereby it Blaine County would stick two 2-megawatt batteries, supplied Commissioner Candidate

by AES Energy Storage, onto feeders with amwww.tidwellcommissionercampaign.com ple rooftop solar. They would use the batteries to twitter: @kikitidwell balance the power quality. Experience with those batteries helped APS move ahead with its first Paid For By Citizens For Kiki Tidwell, Cindy Mann Treasurer. commercial application: the Punkin Center proj-

K i ki Ti dw e l l

SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE

CLIMATE CHANGE

Youth Forum Teens Focus On Action

By Lexie Praggastis Sun Valley Youth Forum Coordinator

“We live in a strange world. But it is the world my generation has been handed. It’s the only world we’ve got. We are now standing at a crossroads in history.

We are failing but we have not yet failed.

We can still fix this. It’s up to us.” —Greta Thunberg It’s 3:54 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon when the Sun Valley Youth Council members start to arrive for our meeting.

The rest of the Valley is settling in to their après activity of choice after another spectacular day.

The quiet of the Sun Valley Institute office evaporates as the room fills with the energetic buzz of teenagers. Many of our attendees join through video conference and their backdrops tell a story.

These dedicated teens check in from dorm rooms, family living rooms, and from bright childhood bedrooms to work to create a more sustainable future. Despite the gravity of our work, we always begin with something playful, and today it is, “What is your most-used emoji?”

When I was 16, climate change was not my main concern. The youth in the room today don’t have that luxury. They are concerned because their future is at risk and the generations’ still to come futures

are at risk. That is what has brought us all together on this particular Sunday, as we plan our upcoming event.

The Youth Council was formed one year ago to host the first Sun Valley Youth Forum—a conference created by high school students focused on empowering themselves and their peers to find their voice in the face of an uncertain and increasingly unsettling future.

This year, the focus of the Youth Forum is on action, because inaction is no longer an option. Join us as we work to build a better future!

For more information, please visit sunvalleyforum.com/youth or email youth@ sunvalleyinstitute.org.

ADVERTORIALS

Contact mandi@woodriverweekly.com or call (208) 788-4789

Share Your Thoughts with the Wood River Valley

10

Wood River Weekly

NO BONES ABOUT IT

A

lot of good low pressure will be sitting over us this week. That means good cloud cover and active fish.

We are heading into the prime winter dry-fly season as well, so the timing of this weather system couldn’t be better.

Silver Creek has been fishing really well as of late. The cloudy days are providing anglers with excellent Streamer fishing opportunities. When the weather gets bad, Streamer fishing is good.

The cloud cover will make the biggest fish feel brave and many of the big nocturnal trout will come out during the day under heavy clouds to hunt for baitfish.

There is decent Streamer fishing available on sunny days, too, but anglers need to drop the fly size, go to neutral colors and pay really close attention to areas where the deep water meets shallow-water shelves. In these areas anglers can find fish sitting shallow and sunning themselves in only a few inches of water.

If the sun is out and the temperatures are near or above the freezing mark on Silver Creek, anglers should wait until after lunch and then hit the Creek while looking for fish that are rising on Midges and decent-sized Baetis flies.

The Big Wood is also a great place to fish dry flies in the dead of winter. The winter hatches here are nearly daily this time of the season and the duration can go on for many hours. Look for rising fish on the Big Wood around 11 a.m. This action generally lasts until the sun begins to set. Peak activity is generally around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

Anglers can also find fish rising on occasion on the South Fork of the Boise and the lower Big Lost River. The action here isn’t as consistent, but it can be very good. Just take the weather into consideration when driving long distances to fish.

No matter where you choose to fish and search for dry-fly action in the wintertime, the one constant is the need to have Griffith’s Gnats, Tie-Down Midges and/or any of your favorite Midge dry flies that have a trailing shuck as part of the pattern. The shuck makes the difference between a good day dry-fly fishing and just an OK one.

Be safe this week! Snow is in the forecast. Fish with a friend, bring extra clothes, food and water.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

February 5 - 11, 2020

C OM M EN T AR Y

Fishing R epoRt THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 5 - 11 FROM PICABO ANGLER

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By Fran Jewell

o you love to touch and pet every dog you see? Does it make your heart smile when a puppy jumps up on you to say “hello” with a sweet wagging tail and a goofy face? Are you someone that will say, “Oh, I don’t mind if she jumps on me!” then pats your legs or gets down on the puppy’s level to smooch her? Are you someone who can’t control yourself and will pet a service dog even if the handler tells you not to because the dog is so nicely behaved and soft?

You are probably an “undoer!”

What is an “undoer?” It is someone that may knowingly or unknowingly disregard and undermine training that an owner is doing with their dog. In some cases, it can be life threatening for the owner, especially when a service dog is involved.

So many of us love dogs to such a point that we cannot control ourselves and we must pet and fawn over any dog we see. We lose self-control and think only of our own desires, not the need or work another is doing with their dog. Frankly, this is disrespectful to both the other person and the dog, and incredibly selfish. These are hard words for me to say, but it is the truth.

FRAN JEWELL

The Undoer

When someone is working a service dog, whether the dog is in training or operational, taking the dog’s attention away from the handler could be life threatening to the handler. Unless the handler/owner gives you permission, it can literally be against the law.

Anyone that knowingly interferes with the work of a service dog is in violation of Idaho statute, which is prosecutable because of the danger to the disabled handler.

When someone is working hard to train a puppy to not jump, and you invite the jump with the reward of petting, you are setting the training back enormously. Remember, that same dog might grow up to be 95 pounds and may still jump on you as an adult dog, knocking you or someone else over and causing injury. It’s not funny, nor is it fair to anyone, including the dog. Giving a dog a mixed signal is confusing and anxiety producing for the dog. When you violate an owner’s direction, you are only serving to make things more difficult for everyone, including the dog you may love so passionately.

Respect is at the heart of the matter. Simple respect for the owner’s direction and wishes can go a long way toward everyone’s happiness. Respect is so important in today’s world. Let’s share the respect!

At breakfast last Sunday, someone with a supposed service dog stopped to let her dog sniff Pele, my diabetic alert dog in training. Even though the owner of the other dog did not pet Pele, letting her dog stop to sniff and “socialize” another working dog was simply disrespectful— an undoer. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

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

MONICA CARRILLO-CASAS

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

Hispana With Passion

OUR VOICE COUNTS As I head to sit in front of the orchestra to take my seat, I see an elderly man, part of the viola section, approach me from the opposite side of the stage.

“Can I sit here for a minute?”

“Of course,” I said.

He sits down and looks at me tentatively.

“I read your scholarship essay, and I wanted to thank you for changing my perspective on things the minute I read it, but I wasn’t sure how to. You’re inspiring.”

My name is Monica Carrillo-Casas, and I am a student at the College of Southern Idaho.

I never knew music would be the way I would help many people feel comfortable with their status and embrace it for what it is, but I’m honored to have inspired the positive outlet for what it’s become.

I started playing the violin at the age of 13 and was able to attend weekly private violin lessons through generous scholarships from the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. The Sun Valley Music Festival was also a huge aspect as to why I was creative and challenging myself musically, as they’ve always supported each and every student, no matter what hardships you are going through. Because of this, I’ve learned that fear can be turned into something beautiful.

As a Hispanic student living in a Republican

LETTER

state, I’ve finally been able to understand I have a voice because of the outstanding music programs, and I hope you know that you do, too.

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA Cuando me dirijo a sentarme frente a la orquesta para tomar asiento, veo a un anciano que parte de la sección de viola, se me acerca desde el lado opuesto del escenario. “¿Puedo sentarme aquí por un minuto?”

“Por supuesto,” le dije.

Se sienta y me mira tentativamente.

“Leí tu ensayo de beca, y solo quería agradecerte por cambiar mi perspectiva sobre las cosas en el momento en que lo leí, pero no estaba seguro de cómo hacerlo. Eres una inspiracion.”

Mi nombre es Monica Carrillo-Casas, y soy estudiante en el College of Southern Idaho. Nunca supe que la música sería la forma en que ayudaría a muchas personas a sentirse cómodas con su estado y aceptarla por lo que es, pero me siento honrada de haber inspirado la salida positiva de lo que se ha convertido.

Comencé a tocar el violín a los trece años y pude asistir a clases privadas semanales de violín debido a la cantidad de apoyo en becas a través del Centro de Artes Sun Valley. El Sun Valley Music Festival también fue un gran aspecto de por qué fui tan creativa y abierta a desafiarme musicalmente, ya que siempre han

Monica Carrillo-Casas. Photo courtesy of Herbert Romero

apoyado a todos y cada uno de los estudiantes, sin importar las dificultades que atraviesen.

Debido a esto, he aprendido que el miedo puede convertirse en algo hermoso.

Como estudiante Hispana en un estado Republicano, finalmente pude entender que tengo voz debida a los excelentes programas de música, y espero que sepas que tú también.

ELIZABETH JEFFREY

EarthWeek Coming To Valley, April 18-25

Dear Editor, The year 2019 may be remembered as the year when people, here and around the world, began to more clearly understand the urgency and cataclysmic impacts of our climate crisis. Communities are entering 2020 with a determination to cut back the human impact on our global climate, to limit its most dire consequences, and to find ways that we can adapt to the changes.

The Hailey Climate Action Coalition, focusing on the wide spectrum of solutions to the impacts of the climate crisis, is planning to showcase local innovations, ideas and actions as part of our celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the beginning of the modern environmental movement.

In Hailey, celebration of Earth Day will take place on April 22, 2020. Throughout the Valley, we will expand to become EarthWeek through Saturday, April 25, where Valley-wide businesses, schools, governing bodies, nonprofits, individuals, churches and others will be featured to address possible solutions to global warming and climate change.

Opportunities for sharing during this week will kick off with the EarthWeek Home and Garden Expo, at partnering Campion Ice House on Saturday, April 18. This daylong event will feature vendors of the latest technology and innovation, informational booths, food vendors, fun and demonstrations. Information and registration forms will be available through our Expo partner,

The Chamber of Hailey & the Wood River Valley, at HaileyIdaho.com.

Wood River Valley groups or individuals, whether participating in the Expo or not, who wish to share climate change solutions and/or activities throughout the remainder of the week, April 19-25, can find information and a registration form at HaileyCAC. org or contact us at HCAC2030@gmail.com for more information or questions. Valley restaurants interested in promoting local and organic menu items using local foods and/or sustainable practices will also be highlighted throughout the week.

Elizabeth Jeffrey Hailey Climate Action Coalition

Wood River Weekly

SCIENCE OF PLACE

Emergence

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February 5 - 11, 2020

HANNES THUM

11

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

KATE STONE

BY HANNES THUM

y students and I were suddenly distracted by something going on outside the room.

A flock of Bohemian waxwings had landed in a tree, in perfect view of our windows along the creek and just 10 meters away, and was voraciously eating the tiny fruits that still hung on the branch tips this late in the winter.

The birds, perhaps 30 or so of them, were leaping from branch to branch, scattering snow off the branches as they went. Individual birds hung upside down, craned their necks to reach tricky pieces of fruit, or spread their legs between two twigs in feats of acrobatics to get at the food.

They were flashing and darting from place to place. The tree was vibrating.

The flock, working on the tree, was close enough that when one of my students got a little bit fidgety and bumped into the window, the birds startled. We could hear, through the glass, the percussive noise that the birds made as they flew away—the cumulative thunder of their wingbeats was much louder than expected—and the tree branches swayed as if they were being blown by a sudden wind gust.

They flew, as an uncannily synchronized group, and alighted on another tree downstream, immediately getting back to business. They tackled the new tree with the same vigor and speed as the first. We watched them for a long time. Long enough to watch them move from tree to tree, always in unison.

Here’s something interesting about flocking birds: ornithologists know that birds that move in flocks do not have a specific leader. It’s not like one of the birds in the flock is controlling when they leave a tree. No single bird is calling out “left turn!” or “fly up!” when they are in the air. No bird is calling the shots. Yet, they travel together and match one another’s movements with high precision.

There is a concept in science called “emergence.” The idea is that if you take some seemingly simple pieces and put a lot of them together, the resulting system develops its own behaviors. We can explain one bird, but entire flocks are harder.

Snowflakes are examples of emergent systems: chemists understand water molecules but they still can’t explain or predict exactly how they are going to align when frozen, which is why no two

WRHS senior Kate Stone. Photo credit: Adelaide Smithmason

Bohemian waxwings stripping a crabapple tree of all of its remaining fruit. Photo credit: Daryl Mitchell, CC license, accessed via Wikipedia.

snowflakes are alike. Extreme weather events are emergent systems: we know what kinds of conditions tend to spawn hurricanes and tornadoes, but meteorologists can’t say with certainty when or where, exactly, they will occur. These systems are too complex, and they seem to have a mind of their own.

And so it is with flocking birds. How do birds, who have pretty small brains compared to other species, know when to turn left in flight, or right?

How do they know when to land or when to eat?

It’s pretty strange stuff.

Science loves to act like it is good at explaining things. But there’s a great deal that we do not know.

Hannes Thum is a Wood River Valley native and has spent most of his life exploring what our local ecosystems have to offer. He currently teaches science at Sun Valley Community School.

INSPIRATIONS FROM MY HEART

DOVE

Thinking With Your Heart

A

By Dove

re you aware that you have 40,000 brainlike cells within your physical heart space? They are called sensory neurocytes and function independently from the cells in your brain. So, when you are contemplating making an important decision, it is helpful to have your heart and your head on the same page.

Here is a technique you might try. Just put your hand or fingers on your heart, which will put your focus on your physical heart. Where your focus goes, energy flows.

Start taking slow deep breaths to the count of five. Inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five. Add a positive emotion to your thought process—hopefully not just a positive thought but a truly positive emotion you can really feel in your body. Your head and heart will be connected. Make your decision from this energy space.

The brain cells in the heart bypass all the negative programs of doubt, fear, anger and jealousy that can exist in the programs in your head. The programs in your head are mostly old tapes that

just keep playing the same old story, and unless you change something, you will always get the same result.

I love this process because it keeps me centered in a place of love for myself and those around me.

It makes getting rid of the mental garbage effortless because I recognize the old stories and I don’t want them anymore.

Go to YouTube and check out Gregg Braden’s “How to Harmonize your Heart and Brain” for a more extensive explanation. This process is like having a hotline to your subconscious, which is where healing takes place. You are the one creating your reality. Become conscious of where your thoughts take you.

Life is a gift. The purpose is joy. Find yours.

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Protecting this rock

W

By Eric Valentine

e all have to live on this third rock from the Sun, and it’s something Kate Stone isn’t ready to throw away. The lifelong Valley resident is clear on what she wants to change most about our world.

“I would change how badly humans are impacting the earth because before long there won’t be a planet to save. I think that people aren’t realizing that the problem of climate change is an immediate problem that needs attention now before it is too late,” said Stone. “I believe that most people don’t see the bigger picture of things or how their actions affect others and that this mindset is the root of most problems that are happening today.”

Step one for Stone will be attending Western Washington University in Bellingham where she’ll study biology.

From there, her vision for her future isn’t written in stone.

“I just want to be happy with my choices when I am older and I am going to do whatever it takes to be able to be content with my life,” Stone said. “I hope to find a career that keeps me motivated to get out of bed in the morning and that I am excited to go to every day.”

Stone also hopes to travel this planet she loves. But she’s aware there will be things she’s going to miss about life in the Wood River Valley.

“I love how athletic and adventurous the locals here are and I will miss the countless, amazing hikes that have given me so much joy.

I will also miss the mountains and how beautiful it is here,” Stone observed.

Stone is the daughter of school board trustee Lara Stone, who moved here from Seattle to enjoy the skiing opportunities. Her father is a lifelong Valley resident and the owner of Sun Valley Auto Club in Hailey. She has an older sister attending the University of Southern California.

A senior at Wood River High School, Stone is currently taking A.P. Biology, A.P. Psychology, A.P. Statistics, astronomy, government, and college English. She has a 4.125 GPA. But her accomplishments don’t start and stop in the classroom.

“I have been playing soccer since fourth grade and I was captain of the girls’ varsity soccer team this past season as well as the lead goal scorer. I love the team and the competitive, contact side of the sport,” Stone said. “I also run track and was captain of the sprinting team last season. I run the 100-meter and triple jump. I went to state sophomore year for the triple jump.”

Stone is also part of the Key Club service organization at WRHS and a member of National Honor Society.

“I do community service whenever I can,” Stone said.

Editor’s Note: Anyone who would like to recommend a Blaine County School District student for the Wood River Weekly’s “Student Spotlight” feature should contact news@woodriverweekly. com.

12

Wood River Weekly

CHAMBER CORNER

•

February 5 - 11, 2020

SPONSOR THIS PUZZLE!

MIKE MCKENNA

So Much More Than Lunch Senior Connection serves the community

By Mike McKenna

I

t’s easy to overlook The Senior Connection, but that doesn’t mean we should.

Most of us barely notice their building on South 3rd Avenue in Hailey, but the impact the nonprofit is having across our community is expansive, important and well worth our attention and support.

Founded in 1971, most of us think of The Senior Connection as basically a daycare for the elderly.

That is, however, far from the truth. The Senior Connection helps countless members of our community make the last chapters of their lives much more healthy and enjoyable.

“We do so much here that most people don’t know about,” said Ramona Duke, the community relations manager for The Senior Connection.

“They may know that we serve lunch, but they don’t know, for example, that 50 percent of what we do doesn’t even happen here in the building.”

The services The Senior Connection offers outside of their building starts with their Meals on Wheels program. Each week, volunteer drivers deliver up to a week’s worth of meals to over 30 people a day all over Blaine County. They also provide transportation to seniors who need safe, reliable rides to places like the doctor’s office or the weekly games of bingo or to simply get their hair done at a local salon. The caregiving division also assists with a variety of in-home needs, helping with everything from bathing and dressing to making sure medications and meals are being taken properly.

While these efforts are extremely important, what happens inside the building across from Roberta McKercher Park is nothing shy of magical.

Each weekday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Senior Connection serves lunch for around 100 people. Open to the public, the lunches aren’t just tasty and healthy meals cooked up by talented longtime local chef Brian Ahern. They are joyful social occasions steeped in local history.

When you sit down to eat, you’ll get to enjoy the company of a wide variety of folks. You may

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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.

Photo credit: The Senior Connection

see Hailey Mayor Martha Burke, or the familiar smiling face of Betty Grant, or even 99-year-old Tommy Farr, who helped found The Senior Connection long before he needed its services.

“One of the challenges of aging is that we often outlive our spouses, friends and family, and it can be lonely,” Ramona explained. “That’s why what happens here during lunch and our other services is so important. They allow people to be social again and that is so essential for health and happiness.”

In addition to the lunches, The Senior Connection offers programs like a fitness center that includes Fit and Fall-Proof classes, an Alzheimer’s & Dementia Daycare, lectures on subjects like avoiding financial scams, and a Caregiver Support Group.

“What happens in here is so magical,” Ramona said. “I love working here. This is the best job I have ever had.”

CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 2

The Senior Connection’s newly remodeling dining room is open for lunch each weekday and all are welcome. For more information, go to seniorconnectionidaho.org or call (208) 788-3468.

CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY

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Wednesday - Friday 11 to 6 Saturday 11 to 4

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

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Wednesday through Saturday Wednesday 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 45 720-9206 11 to 4

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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 2

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

Few Snow Showers 10%

high 27º

low 22º WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy `10%

high 40º low 31º THURSDAY

Partly Cloudy 10%

high 38º low 21º FRIDAY

Partly Cloudy 10%

high 35º low 18º SATURDAY

Partly Cloudy 10%

high 32º low 14º SUNDAY

Sunny 20%

high 31º low 16º MONDAY

Mostly Cloudy 10%

high 31º low 16º TUESDAY

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