WRW 19 April 2023

What it Takes… Thank You to Our Community

By Will Brandenburg, SVSEF Alpine Program Director and 2023 U.S. Alpine National Championships Chief of Race.

Sunday, April 2, will be a day I will never forget. I got to the mountain a little before 5 a.m. Riley Berman (Chief of Course for the event) was driving on Warm Springs Road just behind me. The weeks leading up to this morning had been brutal on the entire crew as mother winter extended her stay this year. After watering the venue top to bottom, the grooming team had no choice but to blade off the new snow to maintain the race surface needed for an event of this magnitude. This takes extensive hours of cat work, and the grooming team had been at it relentlessly for weeks. Because of this, we had to keep most of the B-net off the hill. The snow that came in on Saturday gave us no choice but to set up the majority of the protection on a world-class Super G course the morning of the event, meaning a super early load Sunday morning.

I drank a cup of coffee and walked over to the yurt to meet Riley and the crew. I was expecting to see the normal crew there, but when I opened the door, it was standing room only. It was 6 a.m. and nearly 100 people had shown up to help. School teachers, doctors, chiropractors, restaurant owners, bankers, trainers, and so many community members were there to show their support and help pull off the event. Then it was Riley’s time to shine. On the big screen in the yurt, Riley had it all mapped out. He had nearly every name in the room organized with a specific job to do.

Seven-year-old Dylan Smiley of Ketchum hit 100 ski days this weekend at Baldy. He is already counting down the days until the next ski season. Photo credit: Smiley’s Mountain Photo, www.smileysmtphoto.com

Volunteers gather atop Bald Mountain in celebration of efforts to prepare for the U.S. Alpine National Championships, held April 1-5, 2023, in Sun Valley. Courtesy photo

Classical Musicians Time for Three

Celebrate Grammy Win at Argyros

BY HAYDEN SEDER

The classically trained string trio known as Time for Three are favorites of the Wood River Valley, playing shows at The Argyros and Sun Valley Music Festival many times over the last five years. In honor of the band’s recent Grammy win for their album Letters for the Future, band members Nick, Charles, and Ranaan will play two special performances of crowd-pleasing hits at The Argyros on April 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. In honor of this career-defining achievement, The Argyros and partner Zions Bank are offering a special promotional price of $33 per ticket so that Time for Three’s adopted Sun Valley community can celebrate this momentous occasion with them.

While described as a classical music trio, Time for Three has become known over the years for their ability to defy convention and the classical genre. Composed of violinist and vocalist Charles Yang, violinist and vocalist Nick Kendall, and bass and vocalist Ranaan Meyer, Time for Three released their album Letters for the Future last summer for which they were nominated for the first time for two Grammys: Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Classical Instrumental Soloist.

“Just getting nominated was a pinch-me feeling,” said Meyer. “When they announced our album had won, it was like euphoria; our feet weren’t touching the ground. It was just truly one of the most incredible feelings I think as a professional or as a musician we could ever imagine having.”

Alongside Meyer at the Grammys were his wife and parents as well as his fellow bandmates and their families. “It was like a family celebration, kind of like when you see a baseball team win the World Series and they all jump on each other in the center of the field.”

Letters for the Future is comprised of two concertos, one composed by Jennifer Higdon and the other by Kevin Puts, both Pulitzer Prize-winning composers. As a trio composed of two violinists and a bass, Time for Three is considered to be outside of the traditional classical music canon, and therefore everything the band performs they must either write for themselves or collaborate with a composer. The album’s first concerto, Contact, was written by Puts about the reach for the stars or something beyond. Higdon’s concerto, Concerto 4–3, was written about the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

“We thought, what a cool concept to have two major works, one about something here on earth and the gorgeous, beautiful, vast explorations that take place right here, and one about what could be into the future,” said Meyer. “Letters for the Future was our way of putting something out there into the world to be discovered later.”

Time for Three recorded both concertos with The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Xian Zhang. The process of collaborating with each concerto’s composer was slightly different, with Puts attending a live Time for Three show and also recording some of the band and implementing elements into his concerto, and Higdon recording the band and using it for inspiration. Meyer describes this collaboration process as a special experience where the composer constructs a piece of music based on things the band does but also things the composer likes. There is also a moment in each piece, called a cadenza, when traditionally a soloist showcases something they have written, had written for them, or improvise. “We leave wiggle room in there for us to explore, and that little part of each concerto is written by Time for Three, inspired by what the composer has created,” said Meyer.

Now with a Grammy win under their belts, Time for Three have new doors opening for them, which they hope to use to leverage great new opportunities. But before things get too crazy for the award winners, Time for Three is coming to visit their adopted community of Ketchum. “The Argyros is the only performing arts center to truly want to celebrate in a timely fashion, and that just feels so good for us,” said Meyers. “There’s probably not another community in the whole world that is as or more meaningful to us as the Sun Valley community. We go back now, and every time we perform here it feels like we’re performing together and collaborating and celebrating together.”

Nathan Welch, M.D.

Evan Allan, M.D.

Michael K. Taylor, M.D.

James M. Coombs, M.D.

Kyle N. Klingler, M.D.

Jeffery Stevens, M.D.

Jason T. Halverson, M.D.

Recent Grammy Award-winning string trio Time for Three will perform at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, April 21-22 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be a collaboration of two concertos, both recorded with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and will celebrate the group’s album Letters for the Future. Courtesy photo

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ACCOUNTING accounting@woodriverweekly.com DEADLINES

STOP

THE LAVA RIDGE WIND PROJECT

The Lava Ridge Wind Project is a proposed wind farm from MVE (Magic Valley Energy). The original project proposes 400 turbines across 75,000 acres of public land.

BLM NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU BY APRIL 20

Impacts on OUR Community:

• 740 ft. tall turbines visible from every hilltop in the Wood River Valley.

• Elimination of winter habitat for wildlife.

• Oil leaks will spill into our aquifer.

• Impact on historical and cultural sites. e.g. Minidoka National Historic Site

Thank You to Our Community

stoplavaridge@gmail.com

Continued from Page 1

Within the 15-minute meeting, everyone had a plan and jumped on the old Challenger lift to create one last memory with her. Complete with headlamps on, the team started building the venue.

We told the coaches the night before about the plan at the Team Captains’ meeting and asked for their help. They were kind of looking at us like we were crazy, and it didn’t seem like they had much faith we would pull the race off. But as our crew started setting up, a wave of coaches from across the country showed up to lend a hand. By 9:10 a.m., the jury was able to confirm the schedule and we opened the course inspection on time. We set up more than 200 rolls of B-net and prepared the track in less than three hours.

By noon, the sun was out and so was our community to support. The crowd was awesome, and the venue looked spectacular. Three SVSEF athletes were in the top five that day with Finnigan Donley winning the U21 National Championship in Super G. After the races, the crew met at the yurt and hugged and laughed. Just 24 hours before, it seemed as though all the hard work by so many for months was about to go down the drain. But we never stopped trying and our community came together to pull it off.

On the day after hosting U.S. Nationals, it felt weird driving to Warm Springs only to look up and not see B-net on Greyhawk. I missed seeing the venue we built together and its beauty. I missed the camaraderie with the team. Cleaning the yurt that morning, I realized the venue will never look the same again with the changes coming to Warm Springs. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m stoked for the upgrades, and it’s totally needed; but these weeks were the last races on Greyhawk and Challenger. This is the first time since I’ve lived here that something is going to change that I care about and am connected to. I’m new to this feeling of change that so many locals know too well, but I sure am going to miss 10 and 7.

This event has been inspiring to be a part of. It simply doesn’t happen to this level without a group of people that find joy in being a part of something bigger than oneself.

I can’t thank Sun Valley Company enough for their support in bringing this event to our community. I can’t thank our community enough for their sacrifice and support for the sport I love. For those of you that put in time over the weeks to support, I can’t thank you enough. For others in our community that find ski racing a nuisance, thank you for your sacrifice as well and I appreciate you putting up with us. I love ski racing and snow sports and it takes all of us coming together to be good at it.

Our valley has the opportunity to consistently be one of the best venues in ski racing in the world. It is so fun to be a part of this!

THANK YOU!

Volunteers worked through the night to prepare the Super-G race course on Bald Mountain for the U.S. Alpine National Championships. Courtesy photo

Sun Valley Music Festival Announces New Associate Conductor

The Sun Valley Music Festival is pleased to announce that Stephanie Childress has been appointed as its new Associate Conductor. Childress is a rising star in the classical music world and has appeared with major orchestras throughout Europe and the United States. She currently serves as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Conductor and as Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. She’ll make her Sun Valley Music Festival debut this summer, conducting works during the August 4, 10, 14, and 17 concerts. Additionally, she will be working with students at the Festival’s Music Institute and hosting Pre-Concert Chats before select summer performances at the Pavilion.

Music Director Alasdair Neale comments, “I’m delighted to introduce Stephanie Childress as our new Associate Conductor. Stephanie is a prodigiously gifted musician and an immensely thoughtful artist with an impressively wide range of interests. I eagerly look forward to our collaboration and know that she will be given the warmest of Sun Valley welcomes.”

Since winning 2nd prize at the inaugural La Maestra International Competition in 2020, Childress has conducted major opera companies and orchestras worldwide, including the Paris Mozart Orchestra, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre de Paris, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and New World Symphony Orchestra. She has served as St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Conductor since 2021 and has fulfilled similar roles with Opera de Paris, English National Opera, and at Glyndebourne Festival. Her 2023/24 season highlights include conducting Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Glyndebourne, his Abduction from the Seraglio with the Hamburg State Opera, and Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves with the Detroit Opera. She also makes a return appearance with the North Carolina Symphony and will debut with the orchestras of Cleveland, Detroit, and Ottawa.

Childress will take to the Sun Valley Pavilion stage for the first time during the Festival’s 39th annual Summer Season, this July 30-Aug. 24, conducting Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes on Aug. 4, Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony on Aug. 10, Sibelius’s Finlandia on Aug. 14, and excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty on Aug. 17. She’ll also host Pre-Concert Chats, held 45 minutes before most Festival concerts at the Pavilion. The chats, which are held at the paver bar on the Pavilion lawn, are a great way to learn more about the music and gain each host’s unique take on works to be performed before the concert begins. Childress will also work with students at the Festival’s Music Institute and will conduct the Advanced Chamber Orchestra during the education concerts at the Pavilion on Aug. 11.

All summer Festival concerts are admission-free, except for the Aug. 8 fundraising Gala Concert, and take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Sun Valley Pavilion (300 Dollar Rd., Sun Valley, Idaho). While some seats in the Pavilion may be reserved in advance by donors at certain giving levels, great seats are always available to the public in both the Pavilion and on the lawn. For concert dates, details, and up-to-date information on attending, visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival. org or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe to receive the latest season updates by email.

Friday & Saturday, May 5 & 6, 2023 7 pm

Sunday, May 7, 2023 2 pm

Tickets $10 Limited

SVSEF Freeski Team Brings Passion, Talent, and Heart to USASA Freeski Nationals

George Corkery, left, and Zeppelin Pilaro, right, represented SVSEF in the Youth Men category. Corkery showed some serious character after taking a nasty fall in training and chipping a tooth. He came back to compete and posted a respectable score and a ninth-place finish in his qualifying heat. Pilaro put down an insane run featuring a massive double cork 1260 with a mute grab, but unfortunately fell on a rail and was unable to make it through to finals. Photo courtesy of SVSEF

Stephanie Childress, who currently serves as Associate Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins the Sun Valley Music Festival. Courtesy photo

WHO BENEFITS FROM SELLING A HOME “AS IS”?

BY ANNA & MICHELLE

Aperson’s decision to sell their home comes with a lot of other decisions causing an owner to stress or procrastinate. Early in the process, the owner will consider selling the home “as is” to avoid the looming issues that accompany selling a home.

From a seller’s standpoint, “as is” means the buyer will purchase the home in its current condition without asking for any repairs. While it is convenient for the seller to take this approach, the normal tradeout is the property will not result in the highest possible sales price.

Regardless of how the home is sold, the seller is required to disclose all defects, which include repair history, condition of systems and appliances, water damage, pest infestation, radon, and other things that affect the value and livability of the home.

From a buyer’s point of view, they may think there is something wrong with the home, which could result in them avoiding the home completely or making a substantially lower offer to cover not only the known issues but also the unknown ones.

It would be reasonable for a seller to allow a buyer to make inspections to determine what the condition of the home is and what kind of expenses they might be faced with. In some situations, based on provisions in the sales contract, the buyer, after making inspections, may decide not to continue with the contract, which could extend the marketing time for the seller by having to find another buyer.

Selling a home “as is” is like wholesaling the property. A comparison could be trading your car to a dealer when buying a new one. T he dealer will usually give you the best price for the new car but won’t offer you a retail price for the trade-in. If the dealer were to give you a “retail” price for the trade-in, they would probably expect a “retail” price for the new purchase.

Even if the seller doesn’t want to go through the effort to make major improvements, they still need to consider things that will ease the buyers’ concerns about the home. These include a thorough cleaning,

decluttering, yard cleanup, and repairs on known issues like leaking faucets, lighting, doors, and appliances, to name a few examples.

If this path is taken, the cost to the seller will be not realizing the maximum sales price compared to comparable homes that have sold recently in the area that have been updated.

Sellers Pros & Cons

• Not spend money to prepare the home

• Won’t maximize proceeds from the sale

• Could sell quickly if priced properly

• May take longer to sell

• Effort finding/negotiating with contractors

• Investors looking to make a profit

• Making decisions on what the public wants

Buyer Pros & Cons

• Lower purchase price

• Less competition from other buyers

• Financing could be challenging

• Looking for an opportunity to build sweat equity

• Improve the property to your preferences

• There may be hidden problems

There are companies who will buy your home for cash. Their ads are very appealing to sellers because it solves their concerns about putting the home on the market. Realize these companies are not charities but “for profit” who expect to be able to recoup the money paid to you, pay all repairs, renovations, and sales expenses plus make a profit for the risk taken.

As a homeowner, you will always realize more of your equity by approaching it with a risk/reward analysis to determine how to sell it for the highest price with the least expenses. Your real estate professional will act as a fiduciary to put your best interests ahead of their own. It is worth the effort before embarking on an “as is” scenario.

Fishing R epoRt

COMMENTARY GATEWAY BEHAVIORS

By Fran Jewell

The latter part of April signals a time of transition on our local fisheries. Silver Creek, the Big Wood River, and the South Fork Boise River below Anderson Ranch remain closed and will re-open on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. The lower Big Lost River is open all year, but it won’t be long before flows increase to “summer levels” and render the river unfishable for several months.

Steelhead season on the Salmon River is winding down (closing at the end of April), and fish are concentrating on spawning areas on the upper river around Stanley. While the fishing in local rivers wanes, our area stillwaters come into their own, providing a great change of pace and some outstanding fishing opportunities.

Magic Reservoir can yield some incredible fishing. Now is the time to check out areas like Myrtle Point, the Narrows, Hot Springs Landing, and the bay at the dam. Don’t forget your leech patterns and Clouser Minnows. You never know whether you’ll catch a rainbow, brown, or smallmouth on your Magic outings during the spring! In addition, Carey Lake, Little Wood Reservoir, and Fish Creek Reservoir all provide good fishing opportunities for the next two months.

The Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir remains open to fishing, and flows are currently at just below 300 CFS, making wading challenging. Fluctuations in flows can make fishing unproductive, so check the USGS flow gauge before making the trip.

The Little Wood River between Carey and Richfield is fishable and is a good option for anglers who need to wet a line. Small streamers are the way to go here; olive, black, and brown woolly buggers or a small sparkle minnow are all you need.

Now is a great time to go through your gear in preparation for Opening Day on Silver Creek! Don’t neglect your fly lines, leaders, tippet, etc. Taking the time now to replace old or damaged gear will ensure that you don’t lose the brown trout of a lifetime during the Brown Drake hatch! Here at Picabo Angler new product is arriving daily. Give us a call or stop by the shop to check out what’s new, or to stock up on your favorite flies and gear.

Happy fishing, everyone!

What is a gateway behavior? It is any behavior that leads to more destructive behaviors and even aggression. What might seem like a simple or even cute dog behavior may, in fact, be leading to more very undesirable behaviors in the future. It can be very difficult for anyone to anticipate where a behavior might go—unless they have had years and years of experience with a multitude of dogs.

What becomes even more difficult is that, depending on the essence of the dog’s temperament, what would be a gateway behavior for one dog might not be for another dog. To understand this, many dogs are status seekers, and display behaviors that will say to other dogs, “I’m higher in social rank than you!” A status seeker may also attempt these behaviors with people. Some dogs will only attempt it with humans, or maybe even only with other dogs. Whew! That can be confusing for people to understand.

To add more confusion for us, many times status seekers are using these behaviors because they are fearful, not because they are truly dominant.

Examples of gateway behaviors that can lead to worse behaviors and even aggression include darting out the door, barking for treats or dinner, crowding you for attention, growling when you ask your dog to get off the furniture or bed, and even demanding you play with them by sticking a ball in your lap continuously. Anytime you feel disrespected or find yourself getting hurt by a dog pulling on the leash, this could be a gateway behavior.

Many times humans will begin allowing these behaviors, thinking they are cute, or enjoy them because their dog is so engaging and smart. I see dogs grabbing their owner’s clothing or nipping at them to get them to take them for a walk.

When we find ourselves not being able to say “No!” to our dog in a manner the dog understands, we are headed down a slippery slope.

Those gateway behaviors can lead to harder nipping that turns into a bite. They can lead the way to your dog deciding who comes in the house or on your property. First, it is the house, then the yard, then down the street. And now you are well on your way to a lawsuit or

fines imposed by the local authorities.

PREVENTION is always the best approach! Teach your puppy or rescue to respect you by placing emotional boundaries, like sitting for a meal or sitting at the door to go out. This may seem so simple but for a dog, it has huge meaning. Don’t wait until you have a problem that needs to be undone and then changed. It is so much more difficult to make those changes and help the dog become a good member of our human society.

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.

A MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR

BY HANNES THUM

We are living inside of a mountain reservoir.

It’s not the kind of reservoir that you might think of, with a man-made lake of water stored up behind a man-made dam. I’m not talking about some of our local dam-created examples such as the Magic, Mackay, Anderson Ranch, or Little Wood reservoirs. This reservoir does not even currently exist as a body of liquid water.

This is the reservoir currently stored as ice and snow that still, in mid-April, covers virtually our entire valley in a white, solid, yet-to-be-melted mass of water: the frozen water that has been collected and stockpiled faithfully throughout the winter by the atmospheric rivers that have brought moisture from the ocean to our mountain home.

In winter, our streams and rivers reverse their courses, so to speak, and water travels back uphill. Solar power lifts water off of the surface of oceans and lakes far below us and brings it back to the mountains and deposits it as precipitation. And there it sits until springtime, when it can surge back downhill.

When I was a kid, a science teacher would have told me about this in the context of the “water cycle” (and I, as a science teacher, have taught many students about it) — but, like many things we learn as children, it doesn’t really sink in until we finally see it with our own eyes and it finally clicks.

I recently spent an afternoon calculating the mass, in pounds, of how much frozen water was on my roof when it suddenly clicked for me: that entire mass was lifted there by the sun itself (all the way from the ocean!). And then I calculated the mass of frozen water in my yard. And then I started to calculate the mass of frozen water in our entire river basin. I’m still working on that last one.

What a world.

If our valley is a reservoir, then it is an unusually full one this spring. And, because of our relatively cold winter and spring thus far,

very little has left the system thus far.

Our local SNOTEL sites, these pretty neat remote weather stations that dot our backcountry and the backcountry all around the West, paint a story of what has yet to melt.

SNOTEL stations can report what is called Snow Water Equivalent (SWE). Essentially, SWE measures the amount of water that is contained within the snowpack — because snow can exist in many different densities, SWE’s value lies in calculating the corresponding depth of the water if the snow that is sitting on the ground was melted.

As I write this on April 12, a SNOTEL station near Galena Lodge is reporting 20.4 inches of water locked up in the snowpack;

the station on top of Trail Creek Summit is reporting 26 inches of water; a station near Chocolate Gulch is reporting 18.3 inches. Dollarhide, on the western edge of our watershed, is currently reporting 33.9 inches of SWE.

Picture that: 3 feet of water is sitting on top of the ground in that location. Waiting to free itself from its solid form and flow downhill.

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 Community School.

All my puppies learn how to sit for a meal, for petting or even to go out a door. This is basic to avoiding “gateway behaviors” down the road. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

EXPERT OPINIONS

By Kristin Hovencamp, CPWA®

Iwas recently reminded of a poignant quote by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who said, “There are two kinds of forecasters – those who don’t know and those who don’t know they don’t know.” These words could not ring more accurately today. If you listen to five leading economists from the five most prominent investment banks, they all have varying viewpoints. If the smart guys in the room do not have the answers, who does? Before you make any investment decisions based on someone else’s opinion, formulate answers to the following questions:

W hat keeps you up at night, specific to your finances?

Most everyone feels money-related anxiety. According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, “Money woes are the number one reason more than 50% of adults in the United States can’t sleep at night.”

How did you react to previous market crashes?

Can you remember how you felt on October 19, 1987, commonly called Black Monday? That infamous date set in motion investment losses worldwide estimated at $1.7 trillion. How about the 2000 dot-com bubble burst or the Great Financial Crisis of 2008? What was your emotional reaction when you dared to look at your 401(k) or personal portfolios?

How much would you be willing to lose?

Markets hate uncertainty, as do most investors, and continued volatility is expected for the foreseeable future. How much time do you have to recover from significant losses? Research has found that financial comebacks often take years. Many investors do not recover from their setbacks. Can you afford to ride out a bear market if your investment horizon isn’t long-term?

Suppose you are retired or nearing that path; set aside enough cash for your liquidity needs. Invest a portion of your portfolio in creating the income stream you seek. Commit enough of your assets to growth investments to keep pace with inflation. Allow an extra cushion for unplanned expenditures. Detach yourself from “expert” opinions and expose your portfolio to no more volatility than you need to accomplish those objectives.

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.

‘SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, JOHN ALDEN’

BY DOVE

The above title comes from a play I was in, about pilgrims, in the seventh grade. It had to do with having the courage to speak your own truth and we all must step up now and stand for our own truth, regardless of who agrees with us.

THE WILD LIFE

BY JOELLEN COLLINS

Once upon a time I thought the term “wild life” referred to the temptations surrounding me as a young woman in California invited to the Daisy Club in L.A. during the early seventies or attending a party in Topanga Canyon where the Doors were staying, and cocaine was featured in each room. At the time, I was able to resist the attractions of the people and the drugs because I was a teacher and a bit older than most of the clientele of that era’s fancy places. When I was at the Topanga party and, by that time married, I was not-so-foolishly imagining local papers covering a scoop at that site, with headlines, “Santa Monica High School teacher arrested in canyon drug bust.”

`Thus, I escaped most of the consequences of what I thought was “wild behavior.” I had learned to treasure another use of the term “wildlife.” My love for wildlife, silly as it sounds now, goes back to Bambi, the first Disney movie I saw as a city child. W hen house hunting for my first home, I fell in love with a verdant patch of hillside that, as we approached, bore a sign saying, “Watch For Loose Stock.” That sealed the deal.

When I was first exposed to the Wood River Valley, decades ago, we were stopped on the way to Ketchum by the highway full of sheep heading south. On top of sensing the joys of this paradise of peace and beauty, I craved once again a place where animals had a strong part of the life there. I wound up in East Fork, where dogs and horses and kids had room to roam. I will never regret that choice. I love Idaho.

Now, however, I worry about the wild critters that are increasingly prevalent too near the highways and homes that occupy land once traveled more freely by hungry deer, antelope and elk. Two Christmases ago a friend and I were cooking Stollen bread and, while kneading, stopped our work to watch a herd of elk come up from the road below to check us out as they progressed right before our eyes past the home up to the next street. What a lovely gift and a reminder of our joy at living here. Almost every day I hear a story about an animal confrontation: a mother moose and her offspring in someone’s backyard for several days; antelope marching elegantly atop the Dollar lift peaks; and, unfortunately, deer carcasses lining Highway 75 too many times, and increased fears of cougars and bears sensing human pets.

I read as much as I can about this problem, one not easily solved, nor do I claim any expertise toward finding a positive solution to the threat to animals and people in conflicting arenas. The connection I have to nature doesn’t ease the sentimental and caring side of me, as I feel helpless with this conundrum.

I just hope that my grandchildren will be able to find the kind of places I did by seeing the gentle caution signs I followed.

WRANGLER’S RECKLESS WRITINGSBRYCE

The Handshake

He sat behind the table, all his guns laid in a row. I spotted him across the room, at our yearly town gun show.

The sign clamped to his table read, “Gunsmith and his ware.” The gunsmith looked the human version of a grizzly bear.

He turned my way, gave me a nod, then stood up from his chair. I said, “You gotta 12-gauge at a price that might be fair?”

His dark black beard and giant frame were daunting at first sight. He picked me out a shotgun. Looked to brighten up my night.

The grizzled man gazed at me, then handed me the gun. He said, “You’ll like this shotgun. Take a closer look for fun.”

The shotgun was a beauty, just what I was looking for. The gunsmith said, “Don’t need to look for shotguns anymore.”

A Remington 870 with a shorter barrel to boot. With the butt snugged to my shoulder, then I asked, “How does it shoot?”

Take, for example, this LAVA RIDGE WIND GENERATION PROJECT. My first question is, who makes the behemoths. What country gets the funds for the production? It has been proven that more energy is used to create these monsters than they ever produce before they wear out. This creates an energy deficit, not to mention all the damage done by the noise and the dehydration of the earth that supports these things. The level the earth must be disturbed to anchor one of these leviathans is an unknown. Do we know how it will affect our weather patterns?

Mother Earth is a living being and this is like stabbing a gigantic sword into the heart of Gaia. You want to talk about messing with the frequency of the planet. This will do it. So I ask, who wins in this situation? There is definitely not a positive overall energy flow from these brutes; and besides, they are ugly.

Follow the money. Are tax dollars being used for this project or does our energy bill go up to support such an endeavor? Do we get more jobs? Who wins? It’s like all the dead electric cars whose batteries have died and can’t be recycled. A new battery costs more than the car is worth, and so they are just trashed. Has common sense died amongst humanity or have we let ourselves be programmed by the media? Don’t just examine the end product! Check out the whole picture of what is required energetically to complete a creation.

Look for your own truth and take a stand for life, for earth, for joy. Give up on all the doom and gloom projected at us daily. Where your focus goes, energy flows. Think, “I love the earth. I cherish the earth. I love the animals, plants, rocks, waters, trees, humanity and all life force. Why should we sacrifice our beauty and environment so that California can use the power? Let California provide for themselves, use their land. We are not an experiment. We are not guinea pigs to be practiced on and Idaho is not for sale.

He offered me a smile, and then he pinched another chew. He said, “There ain’t none better. This old gun is meant for you.”

I slightly uttered, “What’s the price?” He asked a worthy fare. But my wallet fell a little short. I’d spent the cash elsewhere.

I feared someone would snatch the shotgun if I stepped away. So I asked how much he’d need to hold while getting cash to pay.

He reached, then opened up a hand. His grip as hard as lead. “A handshake’s all I need today.” And he meant just what he said.

His eyes dang near stared through me with a keen but gentle look. Pure honesty conveyed to me. A handshake’s all it took.

I found the nearest ATM and pulled out all my cash. Then hurried back so doggone fast! A record ten-yard dash!

His shotgun now belonged to me. The gunsmith held his word. Another handshake clinched the deal. A marvel had occurred.

‘Cuz I’d found someone who wasn’t always out for number one. His handshake was his moral creed. An act that’s all but done.

Now, when I shake another’s hand, I’ll look him in the eye. And hope he’ll know that talk ain’t cheap. A handshake shouldn’t lie.

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.”

by MIKE MCKENNA

The goal of the Cadence Theatre summer camp coming to Hailey in July is pretty simple. As Anna Senechal Johnson, the company’s artistic and managing director, explained, “We want to team up with local kids to create something fun that we can share with the whole community.”

Anna is a former local community member herself. She’s bringing the Virginia-based nonprofit theatre company to Idaho because she feels the Wood River Valley is an ideal place to be creative and someplace that has long been supportive of the arts.

“It’s such an inspiring place to create and to be artistic and to share stories,” she said. “Being in the middle of nature helps me and many others feel creative. That’s why so many people come here, to get away from the chaos of city life and be creative.”

Anna first came to the Wood River Valley in the mid-’90s to serve as stage director for Company of Fools. She would then spend 13 years guiding local theatre, including helping found the St. Thomas Playhouse.

“I completely fell in love with the people and community and the natural surroundings,” said Anna, whose daughter was born locally. “When we moved, half of my heart was left here.”

Anna and her family have returned regularly and she is excited to be teaming up with locals like Hillary Neely and Footlight Dance Centre, director and actor Andrew Alburger, musical director John Mauldin, and set designer Joe Lavigne, to bring Cadence Theatre’s camp to town this summer.

Jammin’ in July is a two-week summer camp for students from second through eighth grade. The camp runs from July 10–21 and offers funfilled activities in acting, singing, dancing and art, culminating in final performances of “Shrek: The Musical JR.” This marks the initial phase of a plan to bring a two-week residency program for playwrights and screenwriters to the Valley. The program is part of the Pipeline New Works Fellowship Program.

Kids of all abilities and experience are welcome

and everyone will be in the cast. The camp will take place at Hailey Elementary School and the Footlight Dance Centre studio, with the final musicals taking place at the Community Campus.

“There are so many benefits for kids—self-esteem, life skills, communication skills,” Anna explained. “It’s a structured and meaningful experience and something they will always remember.”

Ending the camp with a public performance also adds the positive impacts the camp offers.

“Producing a musical really helps young people create community,” Anna said. “It’s such a special community and the heartbeat of it is the kids. That’s why this is a dream come true.”

As the call for campers and cast members goes out, it was King Artie from the Shrek films who said it best: “If there’s something you really want, or someone you really want to be, then the only person standing in your way is you.”

Find out more or get the Early Bird Enrollment Special for Cadence Theatre’s Jammin’ in July in Hailey by going to CadenceTheatre.org, email info@cadencetheatre.org or call (804) 233–4894.