Hailey students win writers contest
Two Hailey Elementary School students are winners in the Idaho Public Television/KAID regional PBS Kids Go writers contest and will be honored Saturday at a ceremony at Garden City Library near Boise.
Jake Simon took first place in the first-grade category with a story called "Adventure of Robupiter" and Zoe Simon took first place in the third-grade category with a story titled "The Amazing Bird."
Contestants in the statewide contest were required to write stories with at least five illustrations. Stories were judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and pictures.
Valley donations aid Garcia
Valley residents stepped up and helped put Ketchum political gadfly Mickey Garcia back on his feet.
Garcia was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and admitted to St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center in March. A call for donations to help Garcia meet mounting bills while awaiting veterans' benefits and Social Security brought $7,300 in donations from valley residents.
The funds provided medical care, housing and living expenses for Garcia until government assistance kicked in. Garcia is now back and recovering in the Wood River Valley.
Valley man appointed to water board
Gov. Butch Otter last week appointed Wood River Valley rancher Pete Van Der Meulen to the Idaho Water Resource Board.
Van Der Meulen is a Hailey native and retired founder, president and chief executive officer of Power Engineers. State Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said Van Der Meulen was an appealing candidate for the board because he is respected in Blaine County as well as the more agriculturally based Lincoln and Gooding counties.
Van Der Meulen will serve a four-year term, replacing Gary Chamberlain of Challis. The board is responsible for developing and implementing state water management plans, including administration of water rights.
Dems respond to bin Laden death
Idaho Democrats say they are "relieved" by the news that Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces over the weekend.
"We are profoundly grateful to all who have worked tirelessly throughout the years to preserve our way of life," said party Executive Director Shelley Landry in a press release. "Today we are reminded that the United States can accomplish what we set out to do."
State Chair Larry Grant praised President Barack Obama's efforts as well as those of the military, saying, "We thank the brave men and women of our armed forces who have carried on the long and arduous fight against terrorism."
Attend a Session With a Pro
The Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce will offer the first of its Session With a Pro series with nationally acclaimed retail expert, consultant and business strategist Dan Mann. Mann will give a two-part presentation on Wednesday, May 11. Mann is president and founder of business consultants The Mann Group.
Session one, "The Opportunity," is recommended by the chamber for business owners, managers and entrepreneurs. It will be a breakfast meeting from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge in Sun Valley. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers.
Session two, "The Brand Experience," will take place from 1-4:30 p.m. at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge in Sun Valley. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. The chamber recommends this session for managers, sales and floor employees, business owners and anyone interested in the distinct advantage of customer loyalty.
For reservations and details, call 726-3423 or email aswindley@visitsunvalley.com.
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Idaho Power customers may see rate reduction
Idaho Power is seeking public comment on its request to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to reduce the revenue coming into its power supply account. Lower-than-anticipated costs of supplying power to customers prompted the request, which could translate into temporarily lower rates.
Idaho Power is proposing a one-year credit that varies according to customer class, ranging from 7.8 percent for industrial customers to 2.6 percent for small commercial customers. Residential customers would receive about a 3.6 percent decrease, according to the company's application.
Idaho Power is asking the commission to approve two other rate adjustments, also effective June 1. If all three proposals are accepted, the net adjustment to customers would be an average 3 percent decrease in overall rates.
Every year on June 1, the Power Cost Adjustment results in either a one-year surcharge or credit to customers depending on the previous year's power supply costs. Power supply costs vary each year due to changes in the Snake River's flows, the amount of power the company has to buy and the market price for that power.
The commission is taking comments on the proposal through May 24. Comments are accepted via email by accessing the commission's homepage at www.puc.idaho.gov and clicking on "Comments & Questions About a Case." Fill in the case number (IPC-E-11-06) and enter your comments. Comments can also be mailed to Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074 or faxed to (208) 334-3762.
Fishing retreat for men with cancer
Reel Recovery, a national nonprofit organization that conducts free fly-fishing retreats for men with cancer, is accepting applications for its 2011 Summer Retreat. This year's local Reel Recovery retreat is scheduled for Aug. 5-7 at Wild Horse Creek Ranch near Mackay.
The organization welcomes men in all stages of cancer treatment or recovery for an enjoyable weekend of fly fishing in a supportive environment. St. Luke's Wood River Foundation is a partner with Reel Recovery to support retreat.
For more information, contact Megan Thomas at St. Luke's Foundation at thomasme@slhs.org, or Dick Wilson, Reel Recovery's Idaho state coordinator, at RWilsonID@cableone.net or by phone at (208) 866-2415.
Breast cancer information group meets Tuesday
St. Luke's Center for Community Health will hold a breast-cancer-information and networking group meeting on Tuesday, May 10, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Center for Community Health, 1450 Aviation Drive, Suite 200, in Hailey.
The group provides a supportive, informative and networking venue for cancer survivors. For more information, call 727-8733.
HAM radio class to be held in May
The Wood River Amateur Radio Club will hold a licensing class over two evenings, Monday, May 16, and Thursday, May 19, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Sweetwater Community Center in Hailey. Testing to obtain a Technician Level FCC license will be the following Thursday, May 26.
Cost for the class is $50 and includes FCC testing and licensing fees.
The club operates two linked repeaters, one on Bald Mountain and the other on Galena Summit. The radio repeaters allow users to communicate from Twin Falls to north of Stanley.
For more information about the WRARC and HAM Radio, visit wrarc.org.
Custer celebrates Historic Preservation Month
In honor of Idaho Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, groups in Custer County are sponsoring two events to celebrate the county's history.
The Salmon-Challis National Forest is working with the Land of the Yankee Fork Interpretive Center to hold two programs on the historic homes in the county. The first, titled "Custer County's Historic Log Cabins and the People Who Built Them," is a slide show and lecture on the different cabin styles, origins and construction. The event will be held Friday, May 14, at 1 p.m. at the Land of the Yankee Fork Interpretive Center at the junction of state Highway 75 and Highway 93 near Challis.
The second event is a tour of historic ranches near the East Fork of the Salmon River, with lectures on the buildings' history. The tour will be led by a multigenerational ranching family, and will include a visit to the Clayton Museum. It will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, at the BLM campground at the mouth of the East Fork of the Salmon River. Participants should bring a lunch.
Both of these events are free. For more information, call John Rose at 208-879-4121.
