Galena Lodge opens for winter
If there is not enough snow to ski, the snowshoe trails and some roads will be open for hiking for the Saturday, Nov. 20, opening of Galena Lodge for the winter season.
Lodge hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and lunch is available from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The ski shop will be open for snowshoe rentals. Full moon dinners will take place, Saturday, Nov. 20, and Sunday, Nov. 21. Dinners will be $30. The lodge is open for Thanksgiving Day dinner. Seating is limited and reservations are required.
Galena Lodge is located 23 miles north of Ketchum off Highway 75. For details, call 726-4010.
Senior Connection to hold fundraiser
The Festival of Trees is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Senior Connection in Hailey. Proceeds benefit the Meals on Wheels program and help seniors stay in their homes.
The festival will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 1, with the Christmas Shopping Affair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, the Panache Fashion Show luncheon will take place Friday, Dec. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the Festival of Trees Gala will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 6-9 p.m.
For details, call 788-3468 or visit www.blainecountyseniors.org.
Cox to require cable boxes
Cox Communications, the Wood River Valley's cable TV provider, is switching to an all-digital signal by Dec. 13. To continue to receive Cox TV, people will need a digital receiver box.
Cox is offering two free boxes per household and will also install them for free. Subscribers should call 928-6032. Anyone needing additional cable boxes will have to lease them.
Customers will be able to receive 40 new high-definition channels and entertainment on demand. Cox said picture quality would also improve for channels 2 through 60.
Contact Cox for a detailed explanation on the effect to your monthly bill. Cox said that while some fees are rising, others are being eliminated. The company estimates that houses with up to five cable boxes will see little to no change in their bills.
ISP seeks job applicants
Idaho State Police will hire about 15 new troopers statewide. The hiring process takes between six and seven months to complete, starting with a comprehensive online exam and oral board once exams have been scored.
A training process for those hired takes about nine months. Applicants must be willing to work anywhere in the state of Idaho and while ISP does attempt to accommodate the applicant's choice of location, it focuses on department needs when placing new troopers.
Starting pay is $17.67 per hour, and possibly higher if the candidate is a current police officer with at least three years experience.
Interested applicants can obtain information or apply online at www.isp.idaho.gov. The job posting will only be open until Nov. 21.
Roundhouse to open for dinner
Evening dining at the historic Roundhouse restaurant on Bald Mountain will make its debut for Sun Valley's 75th winter season on Friday, Dec. 10.
Dinners will be gourmet but casual on Thursdays through Saturdays, from 6-9 p.m. through March 27. Evening transportation on the Roundhouse gondola will be for dinner guests only. Patrons should arrive 15 minutes prior to their dinner reservation time. Reservations are now being accepted.
For details, call 622-2012.
Pay 'Homage to the Hand'
A Brown Bag lecture today, Nov. 17, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. will discuss how to prevent hand injuries and nurture healing. Occupational therapist Kristin Biggins will explore many fascinating facts about hands and explain how they do what they do.
The event will be held at St. Luke's Hailey Clinic Carbonate Rooms. All Brown Bag lectures are free and no pre-registration is required. Call St. Luke's Center for Community Health for information on this or other educational programs, at 727-8733.
Hailey plans holiday parade
The Holiday Lights Parade and the Tree Lighting Party will give a sparkly start to Hailey's holiday season on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. Main Street in Hailey will be decorated with lights and the official Hailey city tree will be lit up.
The light parade will start on the corner of Pine and Main streets and proceed north to end up at the Meriwether Building courtyard for a celebration with Santa, carolers, treats and holiday cheer.
Downtown stores will serve treats and offer discounts from Thursday, Dec. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 4.
Organizations, businesses and individuals are encouraged to create an entry for the parade. Prizes will be awarded for three categories: Most Holiday Spirit, Best Light Show and Most Original.
The event is sponsored by the Hailey Chamber of Commerce and the South Valley Merchants Alliance.
For more information, call 788-3484.
<
Wood River Inn to host Hailey BAH
The Hailey Chamber of Commerce is inviting businesses and the public to a Business After Hours social and networking event on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Wood River Inn on Main Street.
Refreshments and food from Fresshies restaurant will be served.
Call 788-3484 for more information.
Who's a hero in palliative care?
The Regence Foundation, the corporate foundation of Regence BlueShield of Idaho, is accepting nominations for its second annual Sojourns Award. The award, which includes a $50,000 cash grant, recognizes leadership in palliative care, a specialized field of health care that relieves suffering and improves quality of life for patients with advanced illness. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 3.
The foundation is seeking individuals or organizations who are expanding access to palliative care in their communities, overcoming obstacles to palliative care, making a positive difference in unexpected ways and sharing their innovations with the broader community.
For more information or to make a nomination, visit www.RegenceFoundation.org.
Nordic Town revs up new website
Nordic Town USA has introduced a new website, www.NordicTownUSA.com, that provides information on events and services regarding Nordic skiing and related sports in the Wood River Valley.
The website is available for listing events. Use the contact information at www.NordicTownUSA.com to submit a request for inclusion.
The website was created by a coalition of public and private entities that are organizing the annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival.
Lawmakers look for education funds
BOISE (AP)—State lawmakers who will be writing budgets for the next fiscal year have been asked to come up with nearly $90 million in new money for higher education and K-12 public schools in Idaho.
The Senate and House Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee met Monday to discuss their work in the upcoming session and review funding requests from state agencies.
Superintendent Tom Luna has told lawmakers they will need to come up with an additional $61 million to keep per-student spending kindergarten through 12th grades at current levels.
Idaho's colleges and universities have asked for an additional $28.3 million in new money, according to budget requests lawmakers reviewed on Monday.
Last chance for beneficial fitness
Zenergy Health Club and Spa at Thunder Spring in Ketchum is selling one-day weekend passes for $10 for one final weekend this Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20. The day pass fees will be donated to the nonprofit Hunger Coalition.
People can buy a $10 day pass, which will include group fitness, yoga, spin and use of outdoor and indoor pools, as well as the gym. The club has raised close to $1,500 to date. For the final weekend, extra classes have been added. For details, call 725-0595.
Join the Great American Smokeout
The 35th Great American Smokeout is Nov. 18, and the South Central Public Health District is encouraging cigarette smokers to participate.
The event encourages Americans (of whom 45.8 million smoke) to stop HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking"tobacco smoking. The theme for this year's event is "Help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays."
Smokers are encouraged to quit for the 24 hours of the Smokeout. Even those who don't go on to quit permanently will have learned they can quit for a day and that many others around them are taking the same step.
The Health District offers free smoking cessation classes. For more information, call (208) 737-5988.
Two other resources help smokers quit the habit. Idaho QuitNow, (800) 784-8669, is a free telephone counseling service. Idaho Quitnet, (www.idaho.quitnet.com) is a free service that offers advice on quitting, support from others who are trying to quit and information about medications.
More than 1,500 Idahoans die each year from smoking-related diseases.
