Celebrate Hanukkah
The Wood River Jewish Community will hold a Shabbat Potluck on Friday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Sun Valley.
Cantor Stephanie Feder will host the potluck and ceremony along with the children of the local Jewish community. Everyone is asked to bring their own menorahs and candles.
Those with last names beginning with A-H are asked to bring brisket, chicken and pasta. Last names beginning with I-Q should bring desserts and fruit. Those with last names beginning R-Z should bring latkes, appetizers and side dishes.
The cost for adult members is $15, $25 for non-members. The cost for children ages 5-12 is $5 (under 4 are free).
For more information, call 726-1183.
Smoke alarms recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of Kidde Model PI2000 dual-sensor smoke alarms.
The Kidde firm has received two reported incidents of smoke alarm malfunctions involving electrostatic discharge during installation. No injuries have been reported. The faulty alarms can be identified by two buttons, "Hush" and "Push and hold to test weekly," which are located on the front/center of the alarm. Only date codes "2008 Aug.01" through "2009 May 04" are included in the recall.
Consumers should contact Kidde immediately to receive a free replacement smoke alarm at (877) 524-2086 or call the Hailey Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau at (208) 788-3147.
Jaquet, Pence to discuss politics
State Representatives Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, and Donna Pence, D-Gooding, will be on hand for a Politics & People meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 9, from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Blaine County Senior Center at 721 Third Ave. in Hailey.
The meeting is being presented by the Blaine County Democrats. The legislators will answer questions about both local and state issues. Free appetizers and wine will be available.
For more information, call 309-1929 or go to www.blainecountydemocrats.com.
Dual Immersion fundraiser set
The Wood River Middle School Dual Immersion Program is working hard to send some local Spanish language students to Costa Rica. The Dual Immersion Viaje (Travel Club) hopes to send 17 seventh- and eighth-graders to the Central American country to deepen their studies among native speaker communities.
The students are designing a T-shirt and making bracelets to sell during the holiday season to raise money for the trip, which is scheduled for June 2010.
St. Charles Catholic Church in Hailey will host a fundraising dinner to support the Dual Immersion Viaje trip on Dec. 5.
Parents of Dual Immersion students will provide Tican (Costa Rican) cuisine, including tamales, tortas, duros and bunuelos, as well as hot dogs and pizza for the less adventurous eaters.
Food will be available for take out. For more information, call Jane Rosen at 788-5649.
Recycle your phone books
Phone books can be recycled at collection sites in Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey until Sunday, Dec. 13. The sites are:
· Sun Valley City Hall.
· Fourth Street drop-off site at LDS church in Ketchum.
· Hailey Park and Ride.
· Resource Recovery Center at Ohio Gulch.
Plastic spiral bindings must be removed.
Making the grade
Wood River Fire & Rescue recently promoted five of its volunteer (paid-on-call) members to the position of senior engineer.
Bob Mercurio, Eric Mathieu, Ryan Yates, Michelle Erdie and Anna Yates each completed more than 40 hours of aerial operations training and are now qualified to drive and operate the department's 75-foot ladder truck.
Senior engineers are recognized as the most experienced emergency apparatus operators. This group has a combined total of more than 22 years of service given to the community.
Forest Service closes areas for wildlife
On Dec. 1, the U.S. Forest Service closed an area along the South Fork of the Boise River, east of Featherville to Couch Summit and up Little Smoky Creek to Red Rock Creek, to snowmobiles and motorized traffic.
The closure is to help protect wintering wildlife and will stay in place until May 1, 2010. Violators of the closures are subject to fines.
According to Regan Berkley, wildlife biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, motorized travel near elk, already stressed by winter conditions, could be detrimental to their survival, as it forces the elk to expend energy reserves while seeking safety.
