Chief appointed to emergency team
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has recently announced the creation of a nationwide emergency response advance team known as the IAFC's "Go Team." The Go Team is comprised of 20 fire chiefs from throughout the country, with a two-member team located in each of the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions nationwide. Hailey Fire Chief Michael Chapman is one of two fire chiefs named to the Region 10 team. Region 10 covers Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
The team's mission is to provide free assistance to any local, state or federal agency during times of disaster. A key goal of the team is to be able to respond significantly faster to all types of emergencies and disasters, and to help manage the incident.
Any authorized public official can request the team's assistance at any hour of the day by calling 1 (888) 840-6884.
Local fire agencies share resources
On Monday, Aug. 2, the Ketchum City Council approved its annual agreement with the U.S. Forest Service allowing either agency's fire departments to use the other's resources for wildfires.
The agreement allows either department to borrow equipment for up to four hours without any cost.
Ketchum extends hotel incentive
Ketchum hotel builders have been given a two-year extension to the community-housing waiver that expired June 1. Normally, hotels are required to provide community housing equivalent to at least 20 percent of gross floor area.
The Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission recommended, on June 28, giving hotels the waiver until June 2013, but the City Council unanimously decided Monday that it didn't want the waiver to reach too far down the road. The council said that in two years it will decide if the incentive is still needed, and could extend it past June 2012.
Senior Connection to hold fun run
The first Senior Connection Roadrunner 5K family fun run and walk will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 18. Registration will take place at 10:30 a.m. All proceeds from the event will benefit Meals on Wheels and Vital Transportation for the Senior Connection of Blaine County. The $20 entry fee, $50 for families, includes lunch. For details, call 788-3468.
Bellevue celebration adds fun run
A 5K fun run and walk will take place at 9 a.m., Monday, Sept. 6, at Bellevue Memorial Park. Registration costs $10, with kids under 10 participating for free. To register, visit bluecirclesports.com, e-mail bellevuelaborday@gmail.com or visit Guffy's or Giddy-Up Coffee in Bellevue.
All paid entrants will receive a gift bag and will be entered into a drawing for an iPod shuffle and other prizes.
The Bellevue Labor Day celebration will take place Sunday, Sept. 5, through Monday, Sept. 6. It includes a parade down Main Street at 1 p.m., Sunday, as well as live music, food, and arts and crafts at Bellevue Memorial Park. For details, call 309-1513 or e-mail bellevuelaborday@gmail.com.
'Late Show' enlists local company
Ketchum-based special events promoter Carson International will produce a Purina Incredible Diving Dog segment for "The Late Show with David Letterman" this week in New York City. Carson International will bring in its 40-foot mobile diving dog pool and stage to the outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater on 53rd Street.
The segment will feature professional diving dogs from across the country that compete on the "Purina Incredible Dog Challenge" series and have been invited to compete in the show. The segment will air on Thursday, Aug. 5. Carson Events has produced and televised the highly successful "Purina Incredible Dog Challenge" since 1999.
For more information, visit www.carsonevents.com.
Library given music collection
The Community Library in Ketchum has received a permanent classical music collection of 1,500 CDs from the late Max Bexler. The master recordings have multiple recordings of the same work, which illustrate the subtle interpretations by different orchestras or conductors.
Recordings of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony will augment the collection. Frederic Boloix is the curator of the collection and will work with Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Director Alasdair Neale to select recordings.
Join Music on the Square
Music on the Square is pleased to welcome Gypsy River Haunts from Los Angeles for a special performance for the Thursday, Aug. 5, installment of the popular music series at Ketchum Town Square.
Ketchum's Thursday night Music on the Square concerts run from 6-8 p.m. and are free to the public. Picnics are encouraged.
Gypsy River Haunts—who will also perform at the Northern Rockies Folk Festival on Friday, Aug. 6—play an upbeat, cockeyed medley of country and rock and roll. Their influences stem from bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Reverend Horton Heat and early "outlaw country" artists like Johnny Cash.
Drug coalition receives grant
The St. Luke's Wood River Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Blaine County Community Drug Coalition.
The drug coalition will use funds from the grant to help build community awareness around youth substance-abuse issues, train staff on community communication strategies for prevention topics and to support efforts to ensure that youths are not being sold alcohol at valley alcohol outlets.
The coalition has been serving the Wood River Valley for more than three years. In 2011, the organization will serve more than 200 youths through these programs. For more information about the coalition, visit www.blainecountycdc.org. Anyone interested in volunteering to be a mentor can call 578-5406.
Free blood pressure checks
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center will offer free blood pressure checks at the Ketchum Post Office Wednesday, Aug. 4, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
For more information, call the St. Luke's Center for Community Health at (208) 727-8733.
Habitat accepting applications
The new Blaine County chapter for Habitat for Humanity is seeking interested and qualified families and accepting applications for an opportunity to own an affordable home in Blaine County.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization that builds affordable housing in partnership with people in need. Since its beginning in 1976, the organization has built more than 300,000 homes around the world. To be selected, families must meet certain financial guidelines and are required to contribute to the construction of their home.
The Blaine County chapter became official in April and hopes to soon find a family or families to partner with on a new building project.
Anyone interested in housing through Habitat for Humanity can pick up an application at the Ketchum YMCA, St. Luke's Center for Community Health, The Community Library in Ketchum, the Hailey Public Library or the Bellevue Library.
Forest receives $1.2 million
The Salmon-Challis National Forest has received $1,224,000 for recreation facility maintenance projects in Custer and Lemhi counties as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). According to Salmon-Challis Supervisor Frank Guzman, the funds allow the forest to do much-needed replacements and repairs to restrooms, picnic areas and trailheads.
Twenty-seven new vault toilets will be installed at 25 recreation sites across the forest. These toilets will replace existing older-model toilets that need extensive repairs or are obsolete. The new restroom facilities are made of poured cement and have been designed to look like wooden structures with shake roofs.
Eleven new hand pumps are being installed in various locations to provide drinking water for campers. In addition, 13 abandoned wells will be decommissioned. Additional campground fencing and signing will also be funded.
Raffle prize benefits Hunger Coalition
Richard and Judith Smooke of Sun Valley have donated their Idaho's Bounty raffle prize of $1,500 from The Advocates Gala benefit to the Hunger Coalition.
Idaho's Bounty sold 30 tickets to its members to help support The Advocates' fundraising effort. The Smookes purchased five raffle tickets and won the $1,500 gift from Idaho's Bounty.
Learn 'Language in the Garden'
The Hope Garden in Hailey is the location for a new program, "Language in the Garden," for bilingual community members to enrich language skills and cultural understanding. The program will take place every Monday from 5-6 p.m. through the end of August.
The program is supported by the Hunger Coalition in conjunction with La Alianza Multicultural Center and the College of Southern Idaho's Intercambio Café.
For details, call 788-0121, ext. 304.
Hailey Garden tour raises $2,500
The Hailey Garden Tour, presented by Friends of the Hailey Public Library, raised $2,500 last weekend. "The money will be used to improve the quality of library services," said Friends member Bob McCleod.
The money will be used to buy books, audio books, develop programs and pay for librarian training.
