WRW June 24 2020

POLITICAL NEWS

Three-percenter Vies For State Senate Seat PG 6 SUN VALLEY

KETCHUM

CULTURAL NEWS

HISTORY & CULTURE

Local Grandma Launches ‘Grandmas For Change’ PG 6

HAILEY

Soldier Ghost Town Has Stories To Tell PG 4 BELLEVUE

PICABO

CAREY

WOOD RIVER WEEKLY YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY

Free | June 24 - 30, 2020 | Vol. 1 - No. 15 | woodriverweekly.com

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” ~B.B. King

Socially distanced but high school diplomaed nonetheless, Wood River High School graduating seniors and their loved ones attend the 2020 commencement ceremony pandemic-style on Saturday, June 20th. Photo credit: PRAZ E

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Wood River Weekly

NEWS

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June 24 - 30, 2020

IN BRIEF

Sun Valley Institute Connects Blaine County, New York City

Sun Valley Institute will be bringing together two communities that at one point had the highest per-capita COVID-19 infection rates in the nation: Blaine County and New York City. The online discussion takes place June 29 at 3:30 p.m. and will view the current pandemic through both a rural and urban health and well-being lens, organizers said.

Moderated by writer/director/producer/actor Peter Horton, currently director and executive producer of New Amsterdam on NBC, the conversation will feature one of Blaine County’s lead responders to the COVID crisis, Terry O’Connor, M.D. O’Connor is a board-cer-

tified emergency physician and the Blaine County emergency medical services director. O’Connor will converse with Lisa Wing, R.N., head nurse of Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

“Based on our calculations, we believe 23 percent of Blaine County residents had COVID-19, one of the highest known rates of any small community in the world. As a tight-knit community, we responded well to slowing the spread of the disease, and were able to emerge with a very low number of fatalities, thanks to those efforts,” explained O’Connor. “Going forward, our actions can be scaled to inform global solutions

for a successful response to slowing the spread of the disease.”

Registration for the full-day event is online. Visit organizer.runtheworld.today/c/juneresiliencenow.

Though the Forum can’t convene in person, the redesigned virtual Forum series is the new platform to drive recovery, grow equity and opportunity, and catalyze innovation to help build back for a better future.

Additional events will be held later in the summer, addressing well-being and our food system, and rebalancing the human relationship with nature.

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Wood River Weekly

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June 24 - 30, 2020

NEWS

HISTORY & CULTURE

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Part 1 of 3

By Karen Crowson

Editor’s Note: If history repeats itself, it’d be a good idea to take some of it in—especially the times that happened in our own backyard. In these rapidly changing time, and as we celebrate our nation’s 244th birthday, we’re excited to offer this three-part glimpse into the south Valley area known as Soldier, written by freelancer Karen Crowson. Enjoy!

T

wo miles north of Fairfield lies a modern-day ghost town where few structures remain of a once-thriving community known as Soldier.

Founded in 1881, Soldier was once the largest community on the Camas Prairie and looked every part of a frontier town. The Gem State Land Company advertised this area of the Camas Prairie as “the last cheap tract of land in the Northwest.” A newly discovered mining area in the Sawtooths kick-started Soldier’s inception and Soldier emerged as a small mining community.

Considered to be the father of Soldier, Jimmy Peck moved from Boise to the Camas Prairie, purchasing a plot of land in 1881. On the crossing of Old Immigrant Road and Soldier Creek, Peck homesteaded and set up a store. The following year, Peck opened the first post office of Soldier in his store in 1882.

A Time To Grow From 1883–1884, Soldier began to grow, starting with the first school that once stood on Baseline Road, with Mrs. Charlotte Abbot as the teacher. During this time, W.Y. Perkins, a local lawyer, promoted the interests of Soldier. Peck platted the town in 1884 and a domino effect of growth occurred.

On June 24, 1884, the Wood River Times reported: “On Camas Prairie at Soldier, the Smith Brothers are building a saloon; Alex Sifers has opened a lumber yard, Allen and Steele are erecting two houses, and James Peck is putting up a hotel. Other parties intend to build as soon as they can get lumber. The people of Camas Prairie are quite as anxious to have the Camp Creek Road opened to Hailey as the people of this city are, and on the fourth of July, they will hold a meeting at Soldier to discuss the matter and take steps to have the road built at once. The people of Shoshone are after the same trade and already have a gang of men at work on a wagon road from that place to Soldier, which will be completed in about a month. But the people around Soldier think that the distance is too great to trade there as long as they can sell their produce here.”

During this time Soldier saw the opening of J.A. White’s boarding house and Charlie Smith’s meat market. Making a stake in the Loer d’Alene mines, William Bashford fell in love with the Camas Prairie—in particular, Soldier. Bashford opened the first general merchandise store in Soldier and on June 28 the Wood River Times recorded, “Uncle Peck, who owns the town-site at Soldier, is in from Camas Prairie. He says that he is going to have a small ‘New York’ at Soldier.”

On the Fourth of July, it was recorded by the Wood River Times that over 200 people were in Soldier, celebrating: “A.M. Funkhauser and E.B. Lemmon went out to Soldier on Camas Prairie to celebrate the Fourth. Mr. Lemmon was reader and Mr. Funkhauser was orator; a young lady played the organ. Over 200 persons were in attendance from all parts of the Prairie. Dancing began at 2 p.m. and continued until late at night and all in attendance felt that it was great to be there. Squire Abbot, Uncle Jones, Frank Peck, Alex Sifers, and others proved a very efficient committee for arrangements.

Mr. Funkhauser says the dinner was the finest he ever ate.”

Small Town, Big Scandal Even with Soldier’s growth and praise from the press, Soldier wasn’t immune to scandal, and on July 5, 1884, the Wood River Times stated: “The Correspondent for the Wood River Times makes this report Continued SOLDIER Next Page

Wood River Weekly

NEWS

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June 24 - 30, 2020

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HISTORY & CULTURE

Soldier

Continued from previous page

on happenings around Soldier; There has been quite a sensation here lately, the outlines of which I will give you, but suppress the names. Last fall there was a young couple who wanted to marry but the lady’s parents objected on account of the youth of both parties and everything seemed to be peaceable until recently, when the girl undertook to leave home, apparently intending to live with the young man’s people.

Of course, her folks objected and finally her father whipped her—some say for writing to the young man, giving the father’s consent to the marriage and signing her father’s name to the letter; others say she took poison. Whatever the reason, she undoubtedly received a sound thrashing, as she still bears the marks on her body.

As might be supposed, this only made matters worse, for outsiders sympathized with the girl and she ran away from home but alas for the inconsistency of man! That young man flatly refused to marry her. Of course, this changed the state of affairs with the ready sympathizers and they all agreed that the best place for her was at home.”

Even with scandal, Soldier kept growing, and on July 21 the Wood River Times reported on a grand ball held in Bashford’s new store at Soldier.

In April, 1886, the road from Soldier to Little Smoky was declared a public highway and this spurred the continuation of Soldier. By September, the new two-story Soldier Schoolhouse was completed on West Main Street but was condemned shortly after due to too much gravel in the cement. Still in existence today south of Main Street on Baseline Road stands Goff’s Hall, a 200-foot Opera House built the same year.

Politicking Starts Cliquing The biggest milestone for Soldier during 1886 was the organization of the Soldier Lyceum. The Lyceum consisted of Mrs. Leander Perkins as officer, Fanny Waring as secretary and vice-president, and George H. Abbot as president. The Lyceum held weekly meetings where debates were held on state issues with as many as 70 people recorded attending. These debates affected elections and votes and, in 1886, the following votes were cast for congressional delegates Fred Dubois (Republican) and John Hailey (Democrat).

Chricton voted 30 (Dubois) and 19 (Hailey), Willow Creek tied 10-10, Corral vot-

A welcome sign graces the pristine landscape near the community of Soldier. Photo credit: Karen Crowson

ed 13 (Dubois) and 21 (Hailey), while Soldier voted 42 for Dubois and 35 for Hailey.

Dubois won the 95 votes to Hailey’s 85.

The Lyceum played a vital role in politics, even sponsoring Lewis LaVake, the editor and publisher of the Soldier Gimlet. Besides politics, the Lyceum held programs for Soldier, even providing music.

Residents of Soldier participated in these musical programs, such as Mamie Carson, an organist who also played the harmonica and banjo. There was also Jennie Sprout, who was blind and usually assisted by

James Sprout, where she, too, played the organ, piano, violin, and even sang. Bert Sprout also played the harmonica. With music available, there were many dances held at the Lyceum, where the women of the town brought their most special dishes they had prepared.

By 1888, a brass band was organized following meetings at the Salvation Army.

The first weather stations were established on the Camas Prairie in 1894 with one operating out of Corral and the other at Soldier.

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Wood River Weekly

NEWS

•

June 24 - 30, 2020

The Evolution Of Eric Parker

POLITICS

Three-percenter goes from federal custody to campaigning for Idaho Senate

By Eric Valentine

I

n April 2014, Hailey resident Eric Parker became an icon. That’s when Reuters photographer Jim Urquhart pointed his camera lens at a prone-positioned Parker lying between concrete roadside barriers with his high-capacity rifle aimed at federal officers who were in a standoff at Cliven Bundy’s ranch.

By 2016, Parker’s involvement in the matter put him in hot water with federal authorities and nearly landed him in prison for decades. Two hung-jury trials later and facing a third trial, Parker pled guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of a court order.

Cut to 2020: And now, Parker has his sight set on the Idaho State Legislature; specifically, the Senate seat occupied since 2010 by Michelle Stennett (D/Ketchum) who, if it were not for Parker, would be running unopposed.

I want to give District 26 a second option.”

Eric Parker Founder of The Real 3%ers of Idaho “I’m strongly against the idea of anyone running unopposed. I want to give District 26 a second option,” Parker said.

Parker, 36, describes his chances of winning as “probably pretty low” and says polls and which candidate has more financial backing or endorsements are things he doesn’t “think about much.” Nonetheless, given the events of the last two months—specifically, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement—he thinks voters may be thinking a little differently these days.

“I see priorities as shifting,” Parker said.

‘It’s the Economy,’ Stennett Parker said in the discussions he’s having with voters, recovering from the economic downturn— triggered by the lockdowns and phased reopenings—has become a priority. Since the economic crisis seems to be impacting small businesses, blue-collar workers and service industry folks most, it’s not a stretch that a sort of populist candidate like Parker could make some headway with

Eric Parker ‘pounds the pavement’ on his bid to be elected to the Idaho State Legislature. Photo credit: Eric Parker

voters.

“I’m a working-class candidate and I think we need more working-class political representatives,” Parker said. “This is about getting Main Street back on track.”

Parker, an electrician, noted that the frustration is high for the working class. He said his nearly monthold unemployment claim has still gone unanswered by the state and he knows many others in the same boat.

How do incumbents lose their seats? When voters feel unheard.

NEWS

CULTURE

Octogenarian Hopes To Be Part Of The Racism Solution Longtime Valley educator to launch meetup group on race

I

By Eric Valentine

f you could cross a think tank, a group therapy session and a book club, what would you get? That’s what JoEllen Collins wants to find out, and there’s no better time than now to do so.

Now 83, Collins is part of the “boomer” generation and she wants to be part of the solution when it comes to our nation’s current and ongoing introspection on systemic racism.

“I fear what the younger generation is facing from what we’ve left them,” Collins says after observing these past few weeks which have been filled with news of protests, a rethinking of policing, and a reexamining of certain societal norms that all play into racial and cultural tension.

Collins, who grew up in the mostly progressive Bay Area of California and taught English at the high school and community college level, never felt like she was on the racist side of the racism spectrum. In fact, she spent part of her 50s in the Peace Corps teaching English as a Second Language in Thailand after her daughters graduated from high school.

Nor does she see herself as racist now. But in light of recent events, she has been coming to terms with many racial insensitivities that she doesn’t want to pass down to the next generation.

“My favorite book as a kid was ‘Little Black Sambo’ and I don’t think that was necessarily harmful, but it created an image that wasn’t a positive one or the whole picture,” Collins said. There are a lot of people in her age group, Collins says, who would never define themselves as racist but are starting to see how some of their behaviors or their words can be construed that way.

“We didn’t always acknowledge things like this at the time,” Collins said. “They need a safe space where that

Boomer JoEllen Collins enjoys time with her GenZ grandkids.

Photo credit: JoEllen Collins

can be explored.”

That’s why, on June 24 and 25, at Rotary Park in Ketchum, Collins is hosting the first “Grandmas For Change” discussion. The meeting will start at 3 p.m. All age groups are welcome, although the discussion will focus on thoughts and feelings of the elders in the community.

Collins said she doesn’t have specific plans for the group, but figures that there will be reading material participants can absorb on their own time and then report back to the group with their reactions, impressions and questions.

“I think it is time for my generation to rise up once more and listen, learn and communicate with each other and others in a civil forum and gain wisdom from examining our own reactions to all the chaos around us,” Collins said.

Other Priorities for Parker Perhaps the loudest voice right now is the protestors— worldwide now—calling for some wholesale changes to a variety of political, legal and social norms. Most prominent are calls from the Black Lives Matter movement to defund the police. And that’s where sayings like “extremes come full circle” and “politics make for interesting bedfellows” take on fresh meaning.

Although it’s as unfair and dismissive to paint a BLM activist with the wide brush of “radical left” as it is to place an “alt-right” moniker on Parker, if you’re stereotyping to save time, those are the two buckets in which you’ll probably place both. What ties them together, Parker notes, is the desire to shift the balance of power away from establishment and bureaucracy and over to individuals and local communities.

“When the executive branch (of any level of government) leads unilaterally and makes big decisions on its own, it’s going against the way our government was originally set up,” Parker, the founder of The Real 3%ers of Idaho, said.

For Parker, the defunding topic is more about de-militarizing law enforcement, examining the efficacy and constitutionality of things like no-knock search warrants, and letting communities decide how much armed patrol and armed response they need.

“When I talk to veterans who have come back from war zones, one of their biggest concerns is that the same control grid they saw there is being erected here at home,” Parker said, referring to what he described as “combat thinking” by law enforcement.

In addition to making sure the state is doing everything it can to help veterans, Parker said other priorities of his campaign platform include: • • •

Public access to public lands—“I’m a hunter. I’m a mountain biker. I want to make sure lands are managed with the public in mind.”

Educational freedom—“From supporting homeschooling to charter schools, I think the money should follow the students.”

National Guard protection—“The states should be able to say whether to use their National Guards unless the full body of Congress makes a declaration of war.”

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Three-Car Crash Near Gimlet

On Monday, June 22, at approximately 5:53 p.m., deputies from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a multiple-vehicle crash on State Highway 75 near Gimlet.

The three-vehicle collision occurred approximately three miles south of Ketchum. Crash scene investigation determined that Milton L. Woolf, age 30, of Hailey, was driving southbound on Highway 75 in a 1999 white Chevy 4500 truck when he glanced to see a herd of sheep to the west of the highway. When he looked back to the roadway he noticed vehicles braking in front of him, but was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision. Woolf struck Joseph Scott Manson, age 38, of Hailey, from the rear in a 2019 black Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The impact of the collision forced Manson’s vehicle forward, striking a red 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Martin Quispe, age 79, of Bellevue, and spun Manson’s vehicle around facing the opposite direction in the lane of travel. Prior to impact, Quispe had slowed to pull off the road into a dirt turnout. As a result of being struck in the rear, Quispe’s vehicle struck a power pole adjacent to the highway.

Quispe was transported for medical evaluation of minor injuries to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center. Woolf and Manson were not injured in the collision. All three drivers were wearing seatbelts.

Idaho Power assessed the power pole and determined there was no significant damage. All three vehicles received significant damage and were towed from the An SUV was forced into a scene. utility pole along Highway Woolf will be 75 Monday in a three-veissued a citation for hicle fender bender. Photo Following Too Closely, credit: Blaine County Sherthe Sheriff’s Office iff’s Office said.

Wood River Weekly

COLUMN

•

June 24 - 30, 2020

Wake Up, White People

By Eric Valentine

“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?... Or does it explode?”— Langston Hughes

I

heard the name Langston Hughes by the time I was in college and took a cultural U.S. history class that for a few moments in class explored the Harlem Renaissance and black poets. I think by the time I was 5, I heard the names Shakespeare, Hemingway, Frost. By the time I was 15, I was in class reading them.

I heard something about Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, three or so years ago from a meme on Facebook, but hadn’t learned anything else about the atrocity until last week. I knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor and Roosevelt’s quote “a day that will live in infamy” by the time I was 5 and every September 11th since my early 30s, I’m reminded to “never forget.”

Enter Rise Kevalshar Collins, my neighbor, a fellow writer, and a black woman who when asked by me how she was doing around Memorial Day, she replied, “Not good. George Floyd got killed by four white police officers. Not good, Eric.”

I didn’t say, “I understand,” because that almost felt dismissive. I did say, “I think white people are finally

starting to wake up.”

Right after, we emailed each other the most recent thing we had written on the matter. Hers was an essay that ran in the Boise State University paper and in the Idaho Statesman. Mine was a nonfiction short story I wrote about the June 2 vigil held at the Idaho Statehouse.

And then I did that well-intended thing a lot of white people are doing these days, I asked my black friend for her guidance.

“Educate yourself. Follow leads that I gave you in my essay. Look within. Don’t ask me to do that thinking for you. Keep going!” was her reply.

So I will. And that brings me back to poet Langston Hughes. His description of the dream deferred goes on for a few more lines beyond what I shared up top before he gets to that burning question: “Or does it explode?”

I submit it does. Like anything else we oppress or repress, it eventually comes back stronger.

I have long believed that sea change does not occur until it takes root in minds and hearts and the arts. From there it manifests into economy, and then finally into politics. Hughes’ explosion is a firsthand grenade of a peaceful war whose victors won’t toil over spoils because they are already dead, but will help craft a new history instead.

The contribution of African-American poets from

7

VISION2020: LIFESTYLE

Hughes to Tupac are many. So it’s with great hope that the Ketchum Community Library’s new program called “Talking About Race—A Weekly Drop-in Poetry Discussion” gets not only well attended, but extended longterm and into schools, too.

The program takes place every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. through July 15 and is a weekly series of poetry discussions via Zoom on the topics of race, equity, inclusion and empathy. And, it will be carried out mainly by analyzing the poems of writers of color.

To learn more, visit comlib.org/events.

NEWS

IN BRIEF

County Tallies Mail-In Election Ballots

Nearly 30 percent of Blaine County voters turned out for the May 2020 primary election by turning in mail-in ballots on or before May 19 this year. It was a slight uptick in voter participation despite the election being held entirely via mail.

Results from the primary have now set the matchups to be determined in November. Among them are: For U.S. Senator, Democrat Paulette Jordan will try to oust incumbent GOP Sen. Jim Risch after she defeated Jim Vandermaas. For the U.S. House of Representatives, C. Aaron Swisher will go against incumbent Mike Simpson, a Republican who holds down Idaho’s District 2 seat.

At the state level, Sen. Michelle Stennett, a Democrat representing Legislative District 26, which covers the Wood River Valley, will be challenged by Republican nominee Eric Parker. Rep. Muffy Davis, an incumbent Democrat who barely defeated Sally Toone in the primary, will take on William Thorpe, the Republican nominee.

In uncontested Blaine County races, Dick Fosbury and Jacob Greenberg retained their commissioner seats and Steve Harkins was reelected to sheriff.

Single Vehicle Rollover Crash At Timmerman Junction

On Sunday, June 14, at approximately 1:51 a.m., Blaine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a single-vehicle rollover at the State Highway 75 and U.S. Highway 20 junction south of Bellevue.

Crash scene investigation determined that Monserrat Garcia Castillo, age 20, of Hailey, was driving a 2018 black Buick Enclave in the northbound lane when her vehicle went off the right shoulder, started to turn sideways, impacted a delineator post and an embankment, went up into the air and came to rest of its roof, facing south.

A Buick Enclave rests upside-down after a non-injury rollover at the “blinking light” intersection. Photo credit: Blaine County Sheriff’s Office

Castillo, who was wearing a seatbelt, was transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center for medical evaluation but did not appear to have significant injuries. The vehicle sustained substantial damages and was towed from the scene.

Alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash.

ERC To Hold Summer Birding Series

This summer, the Environmental Resource Center (ERC) will host a series of Summer Bird Walks led by longtime ERC volunteer Poo Wright-Pulliam. The first walk of the series will take place on Thursday, June 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Poo Wright-Pulliam is an artist and birder extraordinaire with a special talent for sharing her passion for and knowledge of birding with both novice and expert birders.

There are many exciting, diverse, and Bird watchers take in the many sights colorful species of birds that inhabit Ketchum to see during an ERC World Migratory in the summer months. The ERC reminds par- Bird Day Walk last year. Photo credit: ticipants to bring water, binoculars if you have Environmental Resource Center them, a mask if folks need to gather closer than 6 feet apart to see an exciting bird, and your curiosity. For each program, there is a suggested donation of $10/ERC members and $20/nonmembers.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The exact meeting location for the bird walk will be shared with participants upon registration. This first walk of the series will be taking place in Ketchum. For more information or to register: (208) 726-4333; alisa@ercsv.org; www.ercsv.org.

The next two bird walks of the series will take place on Thursday, July 23, and Thursday, Aug. 20.

Congratulations Class Of 2020

Photo credit: PRAZ E

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Wood River Weekly

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June 24 - 30, 2020

C OM M EN T AR Y

Fishing R epoRt

NO BONES ABOUT IT THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR JUNE 24 - 30 FROM PICABO ANGLER

S

table, warmer weather has arrived, and with it we will see some changes to area fisheries. On the Big Wood River, the Green Drake will hatch in earnest, given the current weather pattern. This robust mayfly hatches during the warmest part of the day, so look for significant activity to occur between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Break out your large mayfly imitations, such as size 10 – 12 Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Green Drake Hairwing Drakes, Green Drake Last Chance Cripples, and Green Drake Film Critics. Dropping a nymph such as a size 12 – 14 Prince, 20-Incher, or Green Drake is a great way to entice subsurface feeding trout.

Nymphing on the Big Wood remains strong. A variety of bugs will produce; Pat’s Rubber Legs, Montana Stones, Prince Nymphs, and Copper Johns are all excellent choices. A variety of stoneflies and small mayflies can be found on the Big Wood at this time of year. Fishing pocket water and the heads and tails of riffles will produce; use orange or yellow Stimulators, Chubby Chernobyls, and small parachutes in size 12 – 16. Now is a great time to be fishing the Big Wood!

The upper Big Lost River system (Copper Basin) is in good shape, and it’s one of the most scenic fisheries in Idaho.

The same tactics that you use on the Big Wood River will apply on the upper Big Lost waters.

While the insect density on these streams is lower than other area waters, the fish are very opportunistic and will readily take a variety of well-presented flies.

Don’t forget your bug spray if you head up to Copper Basin!

We’ll see a shift in insect activity on Silver Creek as the weather warms. Small BWOs and PMDs are still in play, but Callibaetis will become increasingly more important. When fishing this hatch, it’s critical to carry fly imitations for all life stages—emerger, dun, and spinner. Great patterns include the Last Chance Cripple, Captive Dun, Quigley Cripple, and Hackle Stacker.

Terrestrials are still good choices when nothing is going on. Damselflies are becoming more active on the Creek and, before you know it, we’ll see the tiny baby hoppers.

The South Fork Boise River will be a salmonfly bonanza soon, so be prepared!

It’s a wonderful time to be fishing our local waters.

Happy fishing, everyone!

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

FRAN JEWELL

The Higher You Are, The Higher You Are!

By Fran Jewell

I

just finished looking at an online magazine about beautiful homes and dogs. Almost every photo showed a dog sleeping on the sofa, on the bed or other furniture. It’s lovely to think we love our dogs so much that their comfort becomes an unselfish concern. However, as with all things, there are two sides.

What could possibly be wrong with our beloved dogs and their comfort? Dogs are literalists. That means that they look at everything literally. They don’t overthink things. Most of their world is black and white. There are no gray areas for them like we have when we think things over.

I have lived with over 30 German shepherds in the past 25 years, and countless other dogs. I see dog behavior every day. Not a day goes by that dogs don’t teach me something, or I have to re-evaluate something I thought to be true. However, one thing is consistent, and that is that dogs are STILL 99.9 percent wolves, regardless of their domestication. That means they have behaviors inherited from wolves, such as pack hierarchy. As much as we want to believe that is not true in the dog kingdom, it is. In fact, it is true with every species on the planet. Every. Species. Even humans. When we try to suppress that notion, we are, in fact, denying who are dogs really are.

Denying it is also a prelude to dog behavior issues. Leadership, in a way that dogs understand, is imperative to living with this incredible animal! Without leadership, dogs can revert to feral behavior that often does not fit into our human society.

Dogs are tremendously influenced by height. In their world, the higher you are, the higher you are in social status. Ever wonder why dogs jump on you upon greeting? It’s not from over-exuberance. It is the dog’s natural inclination to see if he is as “high” as you in social status. Dogs that consistently jump are confused about where they stand in social status with others. It is not malicious. It’s just their natural curiosity to know where they are socially with you or someone new. Once we understand this behavior for what it is, we can solve the problems that arise.

Ever wonder why dogs jump on children more than they may jump on an adult? Ever wonder why children are more at risk for dog bites than adults? Dogs see children as the same social status because of their size. If you start watching, some dogs will seek higher ground when other dogs are around just to be sure the other dogs know their

The dog in the middle is the high-ranking dog in my home. Notice the others pay their respect by lowering their heads when they approach. Photo credit: Fran Jewell

social status. Wonder why an older dog will get up and walk away when a puppy jumps on them? The higher they are, the higher they are. The older dog is letting the puppy know that they are higher in social status and the puppy needs to respect that.

When you start paying attention to height, many things fall into place with regard to dog behavior. It is fascinating to watch and understand. It is one reason I don’t advocate dogs on the furniture or in bed with us if they are having behavior issues. The reason is pretty simple. You become a leader when the dog is not allowed to be the same height. Does that mean you can never let your dog on the bed or on the sofa? It means when your dog accepts you as his leader and has no behavior issues, then getting on the furniture is a privilege, not a right. It is not mean to give your dog rules. Rules and controlling height will lead to a happier dog and a happier household.

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.

INSPIRATIONS FROM MY HEART

M

BY DOVE

BEYOND HOPE

y brother lives in a little wide spot in the road in northern Idaho called Hope. People in northern Idaho have a pretty well-developed sense of humor and so, in the next little wide spot past Hope, the people have named their little hamlet Beyond Hope.

Have you ever wondered what came after HOPE? BEYOND HOPE sounds like a bad place to be, as if you were hopeless. But what if it was the opposite? What if BEYOND HOPE was the epitome of happiness, the arrival of enlightenment, a place where we all knew that we were of GOD also, not victims of some source that we never knew how to please, constantly struggling to figure out the desired behavior.

I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of struggle and I am ready to feel and be the love that I know we all can be.

In my heart, I know that I can master the love of life. I don’t doubt for a moment that this place of bliss exists, and I am going on a journey to find the formula to create bliss in my life on all levels. Constant, delightful adventure is the goal. Sometimes that means staying in bed all day, reading a really good book. It could be as simple as walking my dogs in the aftermath of a beautiful snowfall, or it could mean being able to transport my body from place to place just by having the thought and desire to be someplace else at that moment in time. This life of bliss will be filled with laughter from the heart, music, dancing, really good friends, and excellent food. I will also have the ability to bring laughter to all others at the drop of an amusing anecdote.

It is easy to dream of having a life BEYOND HOPE. Indeed, that is where the journey must start, with a dream, the thought, the intention of making my life better than it is. But how do I change it, make my dream a reality, make it manifest in this everyday world of pain, fear and stress? There are as many paths to creating the reality I want as there are people on the planet, and not one path is more valid than any other. It is simply a choice of what works best for me. I don’t have to follow a religious practice of any kind to achieve this epitome of happiness. I don’t even have to be disciplined or follow a program. What I do have to do is believe that I can create. I must take charge of my life and accept responsibility for all that it is. I have been a magnificent creator of many things, some of them rewarding for the soul, others very painful and limiting.

Lethargy and depression are rampant in our environment and I ask myself why is this, and why didn’t it exist in past generations. Or did it, and we were not aware of it. Is it the food we eat, the news we listen to, the extreme changes we have gone through in the last months? Is it all of this? In past generations, we were not incessantly inundated

DOVE

with the woes of the world—we were just constantly busy trying to survive. So, I ask myself the question: have we progressed, are we better off than we were? Maybe, because now instead of striving to keep body and soul together, we have to discover what body and soul are all about. Are we ready for the next step?

I take in energy from source, which is NEUTRAL. Source to me is God, Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, Mother Mary, Quan Yin, the Great White Father, the Sun, all of Nature. The label is not important, but the energy is pure and without charge. Then I get to choose what I am going to create with this energy. Do I contribute to the fear and pain on the planet by buying in to all the media and said reality? Or do I choose to use the energy for an original creation, like writing, sewing, planting a garden? Is my intentional use of energy for the highest good, or do I use it unconsciously and create more of the same old thing? If I feel trapped and powerless, I stay stuck in the same energy field, but I am at choice to be conscious and proactive in my approach to energy usage. I can create love instead of fear; give hope instead of more of the same pain; use fewer resources, keeping only that which I truly enjoy and desire.

There is enough money on the planet for every person to have abundance; all that is lacking is a balanced flow of energy. I must balance and be responsible for my flow of energy first. How can I be separate from anything, any being, any resource, when I am connected to this big ball of energy called EARTH. There should be a class taught in school, “What you think is what you get.” Better yet, “What you believe and feel with PASSION is what you get faster.”

The first step to BEYOND HOPE is figuring out how I am using my energy and what the payback for all this energy usage has been. Once I recognize that everything in my life has truly served me in some way and bless all the awareness it has given me, then I have the option to create something new by changing the way I think about myself.

Nothing in my life can change so long as I continue to follow the same old path. I can only create more of the same. Stagnation to me would be the worst life in the world. So awareness is the key to creating what I want. Understanding the place from which I have been creating is the road to change.

Life is magic and I want to learn to live it from that perspective.

So on this day, I declare that this is my purpose for this year and the ones to come. To live BEYOND HOPE, my life will be miraculous moments joined together to form my reality. My body will reflect the state of joy I exist in daily. This is my vow!

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

Wood River Weekly

MONEY MATTERS

MONEY 101

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SUZANNE HAZLETT

June 24 - 30, 2020

Where is your financial life today?

Where do you want it to be?

How will you be most comfortable getting there?

When do you want to get there?

In what stage of life are you: building wealth, preserving it, or passing it on to others?

PLAN The answers to the questions above are unique to you. Once you have a clearer picture of where you want to be, outline your income sources, expenses, working assets, personal assets, and debts. These are the critical components to developing your course of action.

ADVICE When vetting advisors, you will encounter an array of professional designations.

While financial certifications are not the only thing to consider when evaluating an advisor, they represent expertise in certain aspects of the financial industry. They can also indicate a commitment to professional ethics standards.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) Those with the CFP® designation include all areas of financial planning, including investments, taxes, insurance, retirement planning, and estate planning.

Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) - CIMA® designationholders tend to have careers that involve extensive engagement with clients and the management of their portfolios.

Certified Public Account and Personal Financial Specialist (CPA and PFS) - The PFS designation is only granted to Certified Public Accountants and is awarded by the American Institute of CPAs. Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) - CFA® charterholders tend to be analysts who work in the field of institutional money management and investment analysis, and less so in financial planning.

ACT Take action and put your plan to work. Over time, your goals will likely change. Your financial strategy should reflect those changes. Continue to monitor your progress. If you find yourself off track, make midcourse corrections to your path when appropriate.

Your life’s goals may encompass planning a comfortable retirement lifestyle, ensuring a child’s education and future, or transferring wealth to people and causes you love. Wherever your financial dreams may lead you, keep in mind, it’s a process, not just a destination.

Suzanne Hazlett, MBA, CIMA®, CFP®, is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM. HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC is independent of Raymond James and is not a registered broker/dealer.

Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. 675 Sun Valley Road Ketchum, Idaho, 208.726.0605. HazlettWealthManagement.com

SCIENCE OF PLACE

HANNES THUM

By JoEllen Collins

’m sure that many of the military men on leave in World War II would have rather met Betty Grable at the USO in San Francisco than the elderly woman who stood on the stage before them. However, shortly after she was introduced, the crowd burst into applause. They were honoring a person who had suffered greatly as she learned new skills, a quality these soldiers and sailors admired as a result of war. It was Helen Keller, both blind and hearing impaired but able to speak clearly.

My father (4F and unable to join any service because he had been crippled since birth with clubfoot) was a radio announcer who headed the city’s USO for the war’s duration. His rich, mellifluous voice became a hallmark of introductions to the many celebrities appearing at USO events. As a bonus, I got to sit with handsome young servicemen invited to our own Sunday dinner every week, something I found exciting, though I was way too young to have inspired any attention from them.

I was fortunate to meet Helen Keller at the USO, and, as a rather sickly child, with severe and debilitating asthma, I had already learned of her survival skills and of the humanity she and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, exhibited. I remember thrilling at shaking her hand, the hand that had opened up her world with Annie’s palmed spelling of “w-a-t-e-r.”

In those days, people with impaired hearing were referred to as “deaf and dumb.” I knew that “dumb” meant “mute,” but I instinctively disliked that term because of its other uses. Later on, when I spent my entire third grade ill in bed, we lived next door to a couple, both deaf-mutes, and their daughter, Ireta, JoEllen Collins—a longtime non-impaired. She became an occasional babysitter resident of the Wood River and taught me the sign-language alphabet. She said Valley— is an Idaho Press she felt lucky to be born, as doctors had warned her Club award-winning columparents against passing on their hearing impediments. nist, a teacher, writer, fabric I remember her as beautiful and kind, and thanked artist, choir member and God in my prayers that she HAD been born. That was unabashedly proud grandma an early lesson to not disparage others because of dif- known as “Bibi Jo.” ferent abilities. My parents had adopted a baby with clubfoot, so we understood the challenges of childhood for those not “perfect” (in reality, none of us is perfect).

I thought of Helen Keller’s inviting hand when I told a friend that the thing I miss most during the pandemic is human touch. I feel awkward sometimes by an urge to hug friends, and realize that being with babies has always been a favorite activity, in part because I am allowed to hold their warm little bodies. If I didn’t have my two fluffy dogs to cuddle, I am embarrassed to admit, I would be even more negatively affected by COVID-19.

When I get frustrated with limitations, I can treasure my contact with Helen Keller who, through the touch in her palms, learned how to communicate. I am humbled. Holding hands never meant as much to me as it certainly did for her.

THE WAY I SEE IT

I

’ve been noticing something about the sun lately. For the past few months, as I read my book on my couch in the evening (and I have been reading my book on my couch a lot these past few months), the evening sun has been shining in my eyes for longer each evening as it heads down toward the horizon for the night. We all, surely, have noticed how much longer the days are at this time of the year. Depending on your couch-to-window orientation, you may have even been annoyed by how long the sun hangs there, blinding you when you’re trying to read.

But, that’s about to change.

This year, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere fell on June 20. That means that, because of the way our earth rotates around our sun, June 20 was both the longest day of the year and the point in the year when our little place on the planet was pointed as directly toward the sun as it will be all year. Thus the fact that many people use the summer solstice to mark the official start of summer.

The word solstice comes from Latin roots of “stop” and “sun”—the sun, on that date, stopped getting higher in the sky each day and will now start getting lower in the sky.

I have to admit, I am not sure how long it would have taken me to notice that from my couch perch if it weren’t for the calendar on my wall drawing my attention to it.

I think we just don’t have the same connection to the sky as we once did.

But, maybe there’s something in our species that still calls us to look upwards.

Kids still love to lie on their backs in the grass and call out the shapes they see in the clouds (“that one looks like a dinosaur!” is my favorite, but “that one looks like a face” seems to be the most common, which could lead us into another fascinating digression about how well-tuned our brains are to recognize faces). Sunrises and sunsets still capture the attention of all of us, young and old. Most of us take note of full moons. And all of us have been transfixed looking at the stars on those perfect star-gazing nights.

For me, the sky is a reminder of our place in the universe, but not just because we are tiny and the sky is huge and the stars are so far away and all of that. Rather, what strikes me about the things in the sky, and especially the cycles of those things, is the sense of movement: we are not a still planet hanging motionless in a soup of space.

We travel, on this round-shaped, blue-andgreen-and-white spaceship, great loops around a pretty gosh darned magnificent area, which is full of other neat-looking spaceships making their own loops and journeys. The sky itself, right above our heads, then becomes like the window of a train or of a plane that we can look out of and see our surroundings fly past.

CHRIS MILLSPAUGH

THE EXCUSE

Noticing The Sky W

BY HANNES THUM

JOELLEN COLLINS

HELEN KELLER’S HANDS

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DREAM To help outline your financial aspirations, start with some questions.

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ON LIFE’S TERMS

By Suzanne Hazlett, MBA, CIMA®, CFP®

f you’re not quite sure how or where to begin on a path to increasing your knowledge of personal finance, start by focusing on what you already know.

BY CHRIS MILLSPAUGH

hoops, my bad. I forgot to write a column this week. There really isn’t any excuse because I’ve had the last two weeks to get it done. I just kept putting it off, procrastinating daily all the way up to deadline. I clearly couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to you folks, and for that I truly apologize.

I was going to write about my weight gain during this quarantine. My daughter, Emily, suggested, “Fat Lives Matter,” but I just couldn’t bring myself to self-incrimination.

Then, I thought, hey, what about the Trump political rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where our president thought it would be a good idea to do a mass get-together in a 19,000-seat arena in the midst of a world pandemic.

It was scheduled for June 19th, the day that black folks were freed from slavery but, fortunately, saner minds interceded and it was postponed until the next day. I almost forgot to watch it on TV and, I guess, so did thousands of potential attendees let it slip their minds, as well. According to the Tulsa Fire Marshals, only 62,000 supporters showed up and the arena appeared to be only one-third full to capacity. Apparently, there wasn’t an overflow crowd outside and that event had to be scrapped altogether. What a shame.

So, what else could I have written about? Oh, yeah, the state of sports-watching this summer. The Major League Baseball Association cannot agree on whether or not they’re going to play this season, the National Basketball Association has been waiting to complete their season, but the National Football League plans to open their season on time in the fall to coincide with the onset of the second wave of the coronavirus. Can you believe it?

So, I just couldn’t figure out what to put down on paper even though I had a great Father’s Day, and my cat, Myles, did a number of fantastically funny antics, which I will tell you about as soon as I remember.

Well, why didn’t you write about the protests all over the world of police brutality? Hey, it was just too sad for a humor column. Well, you could have commented on the fact that we’re in the first week of summer and of all the chores that you keep putting off. The lawn and berm are covered with weeds, so much so that you tell everyone that it’s a delayed rendition of my winter wheat crop and to leave me the hell alone!

It’s hard getting old. I tend to forget things—like the column for the week, for instance.

Sorry!

Nice talking to you.

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Wood River Weekly

COFFEE CHATS WITH KIKI

KIKI TIDWELL

Clean System Could Counteract Post-COVID Economy

“Plummeting wind, solar, and storage prices have fallen so fast that the United States can reach 90 percent clean electricity by 2035—without raising customer costs at all from today’s levels, and actually decreasing wholesale power costs 10 percent.

Building a 90 percent clean electricity system by 2035 would catalyze massive economic growth that helps pull the U.S. out of the COVID-19 recession by supporting more than a half million new net jobs per year, injecting $1.7 trillion into the economy, and recharging domestic manufacturing.” 1

T

he quotes above come from an article in Forbes magazine, the last bastion of capitalism, reporting on a recently released Goldman School of Public Policy study. Diving into the link of the report itself, https://www.2035report.com/data-explorer/, the authors have conjectured how exactly each state can achieve 90 percent by 2035; for Idaho, 46 percent of Idaho energy mix would be coming from utility-scale solar farms, 9 percent from wind farms, 35 percent hydro, and 9 percent natural gas.

Idaho is uniquely suited to add wind and solar farms, as it has an abundance of those resources occurring naturally and it has an incredible amount of public lands on which to build them, with 62.8 percent of its land public lands. Another report details the multiplier effect on an economy of developing renewables, “The best available data show that rent and royalty payments from renewable energy development on public lands have contributed over $660 million in 2019 dollars to federal, state and local governments since 1982. This report concludes that the capital costs for construction of the renewable energy projects operating on public lands have contributed over $13 billion in 2019 dollars to the economy since 1996. Estimates show that these projects have created over 12,000 construction jobs and over 1,700 operations and maintenance jobs.” 2 Forbes author Silvo Marcacci also notes the job-creating aspect of developing renewable energy, “Adding all this clean energy would support approximately 9 million new net job-years in the energy sector through 2035, totaling 530,000 more jobs per year compared to business-as-usual, in every corner of the country. Clean energy jobs offer higher wages than the average economy, can’t be outsourced, and are widely available to workers without college degrees, opening up economic opportunity for all Americans.”

What’s not to like? Getting to 90 percent by 2035 would mean cheaper power for consumers, jobs for American workers, tax revenue to state and local governments, and economic recovery. Not only can Idaho’s governor seize this opportunity, but our local government bodies should, too. If you need one more piece of information to cap the case, here’s one more quote from the Forbes article: “90% clean electricity would create massive public health benefits alongside this sustained economic growth and prevent 85,000 premature deaths from power plant emissions by 2050. Emissions would be virtually eliminated from the U.S. power sector: CO2 emissions would be reduced 1,300 million metric tons (88%) by 2035, while nitrogen oxide emissions would fall 96% and sulfur dioxide emissions would be cut 99%.” 3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2020/06/09/ plunging-renewable-energy-prices-mean-us-can-hit-90-clean-electricity-by-2035at-no-extra-cost/#562a21fc2f9b 2 https://cbey.yale.edu/key-economic-benefits-of-renewable-energy-on-public-lands 3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2020/06/09/ plunging-renewable-energy-prices-mean-us-can-hit-90-clean-electricity-by-2035at-no-extra-cost/#562a21fc2f9b

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Blaine County Commissioner Candidate

www.tidwellcommissionercampaign.com twitter: @kikitidwell

Kiki Tidwell

Paid For By Citizens For Kiki Tidwell, Cindy Mann Treasurer.

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June 24 - 30, 2020

ADVERTORIALS

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

ENRIQUE MUNOZ

Medicaid Cares!

OUR VOICE COUNTS

NUESTRA VOZ CUENTA

Medicaid is an important tool for our LatinX and immigrant families here in Idaho. With policies such as the Public Charge and health concerns like COVID-19, it is now more important than ever that we are all receiving the correct information to protect our families. This is why Centro de Comunidad y Justica in Boise continues to be open and available for our diverse communities of Idaho.

During three listening sessions conducted in Boise, Caldwell, and Hailey, we were given the chance to hear what our communities had to say about Medicaid.

Participants reported that Medicaid helps keep their families healthy by enabling them to seek the care they need when they need it without the fear and stress of major hospital bills.

Medicaid es un recurso muy importante para nuestras familias LatinX y inmigrante aquí en Idaho. Por políticas como la Carga Púbica y preocupaciones de salud que viene con COVID-19 es importante mas que nunca que estamos recibiendo la información correcta para proteger nuestras familias. Por eso Centro De Comunidad y Justica continúa ser abierto y disponible a nuestras comunidades diversas en Idaho.

Durante tres sesiones de escucha que tuvimos en Boise, Caldwell, y Hailey, las comunidades nos proveyeron la oportunidad de escuchar de lo que pensaban de Medicaid.

Participantes reportaron que Medicaid ayuda a mantener a sus hijos saludables al habilitarlos a buscar el cuidado que sus niños necesitan cuando lo necesitan – sin el temor y el estrés de gastos médicos mayores.

“Without Medicaid, you would need to sacrifice the little bit that you earn [to pay the medical bills]. I would have to work extra hours, I would need to pay childcare, and the family loses balance.” (community member)

“Sin Medicaid, necesitaría sacrificar lo poquito que uno gana [para Enrique Munoz pagar las cuentas médicas]. Tendría que trabajar horas extras, tendría que pagar cuidado infantil/guardería, y la familia pierde balance.” (miembro de la comuniDuring these uncertain times, when healthcare dad) is so crucial to keep families healthy, it is important that our communities consult with an immiDurante estos tiempos inciertos cuando el segration lawyer to understand what impact, if any, guro de salud es tan crucial para nuestras familias Public Charge has on their immigration status if es importante que se consulte a un abogado de their families or children are on Medicaid. inmigración para entender que impacto tiene la Herbert Romero, director of PROJECT.O.O.LS Carga Pública, si es que hay alguno, en su estado & PARTNERS, from Hailey, says, “There is an migratorio si usted o su hijo están en Medicaid. eagerness here for clear information. Many of our Herbert Romero, el director de PROJpeople here want to know more about their fami- ECT.O.O.LS & PARTNERS de Hailey, dice, “Hay ly’s future regarding healthcare.” ganas aquí para recibir información claro. Mucha Centro de Comunidad y Justica is here for you de nuestra gente aquí quiere saber mas del futuro as a reliable and second opinion if your family de su familia en términos de la salud medical.” is enrolled in Medicaid or wants to enroll. You Centro De Comunidad y Justicia esta aquí can contact our office directly at (208) 378-1368, para ofrecer una segunda opinion de la fuente Facebook page Centro de Comunidad y Justi- mas confiable si tu famliia esta en Medicaid o cia, or our website https://comunidadyjusticiaida- si queren enrolarse. Contáctenos hoy en nuestra ho.org/ to set up a consultation today. oficina al (208) 378-1368, página de Facebook Centro de Comunidad y Justicia, o sitio de red https://comunidadyjusticiaidaho.org/.

WEED OF THE WEEK

BLAINE BUG CREW

TOADFLAX: DON’T LET THOSE BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOMS FOOL YOU

N

BY BLAINE BUG CREW

ow that school is out, the Blaine Bug Crew is back in the field. One of the earliest noxious weeds we work with is Dalmatian toadflax. This weed sprouts shortly after the snow leaves. The cold nights of spring don’t seem to hold it back at all. This noxious predator is one of the most beautiful plants in Idaho but, boy, is it invasive. People have even picked it as a wildflower along trails, not realizing the noxious potential of this yellow beauty.

Once you get to know more about this plant, you will respect its not-socharming personality.

Dalmatian toadflax is a perennial that grows up to 4 feet tall. Its waxy green leaves are heart-shaped, 1 to 3 inches long, and clasp the stem.

Flowers are 1 inch long (excluding the 1/2-inch spur), yellow, often tinged with orange or red, and similar in shape to a snapdragon.

Plants flower from midsummer to fall. Seeds are produced in a 1/2-inch pod and are irregularly wing-angled. A single plant may produce up to 500,000 seeds in a season, which may remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years! This plant also reproduces vegetatively by stems that develop from adventitious buds on primary and creeping lateral roots. It is usually associated with sparsely vegetated areas, such as roadsides, gravel pits, and disturbed pastures. This invasive plant is

reportedly toxic to livestock. Luckily, the Bug Crew has a natural insect predator we use to keep this noxious weed at bay.

Adult Mecinus janiformus (MEJA) are small, somewhat elongated bluish-black weevils that emerge from last year’s infested Dalmatian toadflax stems in April-May. Adult MEJA feed on toadflax stems that are at least 0.04 inches in diameter and feed on leaves and stems from June to mid-July before mating and laying eggs inside new shoots.

The eggs typically hatch in 6-7 days. Larvae tunnel within the toadflax stem for 23-34 days, moving no more than 1.2 inches from where the egg was laid. Pupation occurs within the stem. Adult feeding on stems and leaves has a limited impact on the plant. Larval mining impacts the plants by causing premature wilting of shoots and suppressing flower formation. MEJA overwinter as adults inside their pupation chamber. The effects of the weevil on the plant are reportedly enhanced under drought stress.

If you have or know of an infestation of this weed, please call Kay Draper at the Blaine County Weed Department at (208) 788-5543. We are looking to establish new weed control sites that are free from tilling, grazing, spraying, or any other disturbance to allow our bugs to naturally and sustainably get this weed under control.

Wood River Weekly

BETTER HOMEOWNERS NEWS

•

June 24 - 30, 2020

ANNA MATHIEU

HEALTH BEAT

11

ST LUKE’S WOOD RIVER

Primary Care Access At St. Luke’s Wood River

S

H

Lower Your Cost of Housing

omeowners still have considerable advantages from the amortization of the mortgage and the appreciation enjoyed by most homes even with taking the standard deduction instead of itemizing to take the interest and property tax deduction.

There is an adage: “Rent or buy, you pay for the house you occupy.” You either pay for it yourself or for your landlord. The people who have job security, sufficient income, good credit and the funds for the down payment and closing costs can enjoy the many financial and emotional benefits of homeownership.

Looking at a $350,000 home purchased with an FHA mortgage with 3.5 percent down payment at 3.25 percent interest for 30 years, the total payment would be $2,420 a month. During the first year, the average monthly principal reduction is $573 a month, which build the owner’s equity in the home.

At an estimated 3 percent appreciation, this home would increase in value at the rate of $875 a month during the first year, which again builds the owner’s equity in the home.

Even if you consider the buyer will now be responsible for repairs and possibly homeowner’s association fees, the monthly net cost of housing in this example is $1,122, or less than half the monthly payment. The difference goes to equity, which a tenant does not benefit from.

If the buyer were paying $2,750 monthly rent, they would be paying $1,628 more each month to rent than to own. In a year’s time, they would lose $19,500 of equity by continuing to rent. The down payment in this example is only $12,250, which would leave $7,000 to pay for buyer’s closing costs.

Purchase Price...................................................................................................... $350,000 Down Payment...................................................................................................... $12,250 Total Monthly Payment (PITI + MIP).................................................................. $2,420 Less Monthly Principal Reduction (average first year)........................................ $573 Less Monthly Appreciation (average first year at 3 percent annually)................ $875 Plus Estimated Maintenance & HOA................................................................... $175 Net Cost of Housing............................................................................................ $1,122

The equity for the homeowner in this example at the end of seven years would be almost $140,000 based on the appreciation and amortization of the mortgage. Whether you rent or buy, you pay for the house you occupy.

t. Luke’s Wood River (SLWR) Family Medicine Clinic in Hailey has resumed in-person visits by appointment only. If you need to be seen for nonCOVID issues, contact your primary care provider (PCP). Your provider may be able to schedule a virtual visit and, if you need to be seen in person, can schedule an appointment.

The SLWR Family Medicine Clinic in Hailey also has providers available to see patients for COVID-related issues.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath or at least two of the following: fever, gastrointestinal distress (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea), muscle pain, headache, sore throat, repeated shaking with chills or new loss of taste/smell.

• If you think you might have symptoms of COVID-19 or may have been exposed, visit myChart to use the self-triage tool to help you determine what to do. This also DOES NOT substitute for advice from your primary care provider. Note: You will be required to log in to myChart to access the tool. If you need a myChart account, visit https://mychart.slhs.org.If self-triage indicates that you should be tested, you will be able to schedule an appointment in myChart to be seen in your car at the Hailey clinic for sample collection.

• You may also call our triage hotline at (208) 381-9500 for assistance in English and Spanish. We will be able to complete a risk assessment over the phone and provide guidance on next steps, which may include arranging specimen collection for testing if necessary.

Same-day appointments for non-COVID illnesses and injuries are available at St. Luke’s Family Medicine, 1450 Aviation Drive, Hailey, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please call (208) 788-3434 to schedule an appointment. St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine Clinic in Hailey will be open on Friday July 3rd, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. COVID sample collection testing and the COVID provider will also be available on July 3rd between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Appointments should be scheduled in advance via myChart, the hotline or by calling your primary care provider.

Walk-in clinic: Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Physician Office Annex at 100 Hospital Drive, Suite 109, Ketchum. Please note, the Ketchum walk-in clinic will not be open Saturday, July 4th or Sunday, July 5th.

Katie Quayle, M.D., is a pediatrician with St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine. In addition to seeing patients at the clinic in Hailey, starting July 20th she will see patients on Thursdays in Ketchum at the Physician Office Annex, 100 Hospital Drive, Suite 109. To schedule an appointment in Ketchum or Hailey, visit stlukesonline.org or call (208) 788-3434.

For medical emergencies, call 911 or visit St. Luke’s Wood River’s Emergency Department.

Patients will be required to wear a mask while visiting St. Luke’s. More information about making appointments can be found on the St. Luke’s website.

It’s your life.

We help you live it.

NEWS

Antibody Testing Shows High Percentage of COVID-19 In Ketchum

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences released preliminary results from the antibody study conducted in Blaine County last month. The results estimate that 23 percent of the county’s adult population has an antibody to the virus.

According to the City of Ketchum, the rate of COVID infection in Blaine County was significant, with antibody prevalence highest in Ketchum at 35 percent. This is one of the highest rates per capita in the nation. These results show that Ketchum bore the brunt of the disease.

More than 2,500 Valley residents completed a survey for possible participation in the study. Tests were administered to 917 of those who were selected.

“I am grateful to all those that signed up for this study,” said Mayor Neil Bradshaw. “Our Valley is certainly doing its part to help further the understanding of the coronavirus. There is no doubt that COVID-19 hit us hard.”

The antibody test determines the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to determine how many asymptomatic, or silent, cases there are in the community. The specificity of the test performed in Blaine County is 99.9 percent, indicating only one in 1,000 would be a false positive result.

“As a community, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with some of the most prestigious research institutions in the country on this research,” said Ketchum Fire Chief Bill McLaughlin. “We played our part in helping them understand disease transmission and vaccine development. In turn, we learned more about our community’s exposure to COVID-19.”

A noteworthy observation reported by some participants was that they did not develop antibodies even though they live in the same household as persons with the disease and did not practice social distancing. Additional research is looking into this finding.

While antibody response may confer immunity, research is still underway. Most researchers are estimating that 60 percent or more of the population might need

IN BRIEF

immunity to reach a herd immunity threshold. Because of that, Ketchum has not yet achieved herd immunity.

The study was a collaboration between the Ketchum Fire Department, Blaine County Ambulance District, University of Washington, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Wellness Fest Announces Speakers, Launches Virtual Option

The 23rd Sun Valley Wellness Festival & Conference, rescheduled for Aug. 21-24, has been “creatively re-tooled,” organizers said, to adapt to COVID-19 safety protocols, including a so-called Virtual Festival Experience option.

Passes are now on sale at sunvalleywellness.org and include an All Access Festival Pass, a Festival Pass (both of which are limited), and a Virtual Festival Experience Pass. The 2020 festival speakers include keynoter and sleep expert Matthew Walker, Ph.D., featured speakers Dr. Zach Bush, Nora McInerny, Dr. Eben Alexander and many others. Walker and McInerny’s TED Talks were in the top five most popular Talks viewed in 2019.

The speakers will each address important current wellness topics within their area of expertise, according to Andria Friesen, SVWFC board president. “Indeed, it’s a surreal time for our world and if ever there was a time for wellness, it’s now.

Friesen noted that the SVWFC will continue to monitor the situation and will make further event adaptations as needed, including transitioning to a virtual-only event if warranted by physical safety concerns.

Special adaptations for COVID-19 safety protocols include speaker presentations taking place at the Argyros Performing Arts Center with socially distanced seating, along with free movement classes and a curated selection of wellness vendors in the new outdoor SVWFC Experience Park, located in Forest Service Park, which will also have a detailed COVID-19 protocol plan in place to ensure a safe experience for all. Nature walks with select presenters, and other outdoor activities, will be announced soon.

12

Wood River Weekly

CHAMBER CORNER

•

June 24 - 30, 2020

MIKE MCKENNA

Hard way Pipeline

Helping Our Community

By Mike McKenna

The silver lining of the recent COVID crisis is that it has brought out the best in our community. Blaine County has answered the call President John F. Kennedy made many decades ago: “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

From our smaller, individual gestures of staying home and social distancing to larger ones like what the team at Hailey Coffee Company (HCC) has been doing.

The “Make a Difference for Breakfast” program was born out of a simple desire by HCC owner Santos Serva to see what he could do for our community.

“It’s been a hard time,” Santos said about the coronavirus. “I know a lot of people are in need.

So I thought, hey, how can I help?”

So Santos and his friend and business advisor, Warren Benjamin, came up with ‘Make a Difference at Breakfast.’

Since mid-May, 50 healthy breakfasts a week have gone to feed locals in need through The Hunger Coalition. The breakfasts consist of a fresh granola meal from HCC and a YES BAR from the Ketchum and San Francisco-based company.

“I wanted to do my part and I believe a good, healthy meal will help people start their day on a positive note,” Santos said. “The Hunger Coalition is doing a great job and we are happy to join forces with them.”

To help support the cause, simply support Hailey Coffee Company; stop by for a cup of locally brewed coffee or grab some freshly baked snacks or one of their new salads. You can also pick up YES BARs at either HCC location or order online at theyesbar.com.

“Our community is awesome. We are always trying to do whatever we can to help each other,” said Santos, who now has a second Hailey Coffee Company location on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum.

Another great way to help honor our community is to take part in this year’s unique Hailey Fourth of July Parade. It’s open to anyone and locals are encouraged to decorate their vehicles and bicycles and join in. The parade starts at the Community

Steel Fencing

Kelly Wardell 208-309-0916

How To Play Sudoku

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.

CLASSIC SUDOKU See answer on page 2

Photo credit: Warren Benjamin

Campus at high noon and will wander through Deerfield, out to the Wood River Middle School, through Old Hailey and back to the Community Campus.

There will also be viewing spaces at the large fields by the middle school and a few parks, including Deerfield and Foxmoor.

In addition to the parade, Hailey will also host the Antique Fair at Roberta McKercher Park and the Wood River Land Trust will offer a special reimagined RiverFest with ‘Story Stations’ set up at the Draper Wood River Preserve. Some Hailey restaurants like The Mint will also offer live music in the afternoon and the usual big fireworks show will end the day.

To see the parade map, to register or to find out more information about this year’s special Fourth of July celebration, please go to ValleyChamber. org or call (208) 788-3484.

CROSSWORD SPONSORED BY

THETRADER TRADER THE THE TRADER Consignment for the home

Consignment for the home

Consignment for the home

Wednesday - Friday 11 to 6 Saturday 11 to 4

TRADER EADER TRADER

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

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

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

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

the home

509 S. Main Street • Bellevue, Idaho

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

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

Always available by appointment and if we’re here.

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

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

See answer on page 2

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

Partly Cloudy 0%

high 86º

low 57º WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy 20%

high 81º low 52º THURSDAY

Sunny 0%

high 84º low 55º FRIDAY

Mostly Sunny 0%

high 85º low 53º SATURDAY

Partly Cloudy 20%

high 70º low 45º SUNDAY

PM Showers 30%

high 62º low 41º MONDAY

Partly Cloudy 20%

high 67º low 43º TUESDAY

SKI. BIKE. LIVE!

Elevate your experience.

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