Join Veterans’ Ghost Town Fun Run
The first annual Veterans’ 4x4 Ghost Town Fun Run will take place Friday through Sunday, June 17-19. The event is designed as a rest and relaxation activity for military veterans and active service members. The public is invited.
Participants will meet in Hailey at the Albertsons parking lot on Friday, June 17, at 9 a.m. for staging and photo opportunities. At about 10 a.m., they will head for the Challis National Forest north of Stanley. Over the next three days, they will ride to the ghost towns of Custer and Bonanza and take a trip to Challis Hot Springs, before heading back to Hailey.
More than 60 participants are expected, said event coordinator Gini Ballou of Hailey. The event seeks to bring public awareness to the needs and challenges of veterans and also to provide a fun gathering. Donations will be accepted for organizations such as the Wounded Warriors Foundation. For details, call 720-4347.
Hailey BAH set for June 16
The Hailey Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours gathering will be Thursday, June 16, from 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Sweetwater Development at the Sweetwater Community Park. Sweetwater will serve Italian-themed refreshments. Business cards will be used for the BAH raffle.
The event is open to the public. For more information, call 788-3484.
Get free car seat safety check
St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center will hold a free car seat safety check today, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A certified child passenger safety technician will help expectant parents install a car seat before a baby is born, fit older children to their seats, teach parents proper installation, and check to see whether any recalls apply to specific car seats. Inspections will take place in front of the main entrance of the hospital. Call 727-8776 for more information.
Non-profits lose exemptions
The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax-exempt status of 275,000 non-profit organizations nationwide, including more than 20 in Blaine County, according to a service report.
Tax-exempt status is revoked after an organization fails to file a notice with the IRS for three consecutive years. After three years, the organization is required to file federal income taxes.
Many of the Blaine County organizations listed by the IRS no longer exist, however. Such organizations include the Sun Valley Film Festival Inc. and the Wood River Housing Trust.
The Blaine County Fair Board was listed in an earlier report but has since filed with the service and is no longer in danger of losing its status.
For a complete list of the organizations in Idaho that have lost federal tax exemption status, visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/id.pdf.
Recall committee pushing forward
The Committee to Recall Tom Luna has collected roughly 80,000 of a required 160,000 signatures to place a recall vote of Superintendent Tom Luna on the November 2012 ballot.
The committee reported in a statement last week that signing events are still going on statewide, and will continue until the signing deadline on June 30. A vote to repeal the three controversial education reform bills that prompted the committee’s recall efforts already will appear on the November 2012 ballot.
“Even concerned constituents who support the three reform bills can admit that the way in which Mr. Luna obtained his reelection is inexcusable,” the statement reads. “Idahoans have the opportunity to draw the line, ensuring it won’t be wrongly crossed again.”
<
Conservancy to host farm tour
Interested in how conservation practices can be implemented on a working farm?
The Nature Conservancy and John and Elizabeth Stevenson will host a tour of the Stevensons’ showcase barley farm in order to show how conservation easements and other efforts can help limit agriculture’s negative impacts on the landscape.
The Stevensons donated the first conservation easement in the Silver Creek watershed 28 years ago, and the tour will allow attendees to see the latest conservation methods that enhance wildlife habitat while keeping the farm productive.
The tour will stop at Ernie’s Organics, an organic farm near Shoshone owned by Fred and Judy Brossy. The Brossy farm also includes a conservation easement held by the conservancy.
The tour is free and open to the public and includes lunch at the Silver Creek Preserve. It lasts from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 23. The bus leaves from Twin Falls at 9 a.m., and participants can register by calling Gwendolyn Ellen at 541-737-6272.
Learn to swim at BCRD
The Blaine County Recreation District Aquatic Center in Hailey will offer a two-week swimming class this summer beginning June 27.
Half-hour classes will begin at 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Cost is $42 per child.
Three more sessions will be offered later this summer.
Registration forms and additional information are available online at bcrd.org or by calling the aquatic center at 788-2144.
Aspen debriefing set for Thursday
A special joint meeting of the Ketchum City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission will be held Thursday, June 16, to review the recent “Ketchum to Aspen Innovation Tour.” Ketchum city leaders will discuss important aspects of their recent trip to Aspen, as well as steps they will take based on information gathered during the visit.
Council members, planning & zoning commissioners, city staff and leaders of valley organizations spent two days last week meeting with representatives from various entities in Aspen. The trip was organized by Ketchum's Community and Economic Development department.
The meeting is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. in the Ketchum Town Square, and the public is invited. In case of rain, it will be held in council chambers in City Hall.
Improve trail at Oregon Gulch
The Ketchum Ranger District is seeking volunteers to help improve the trail at Oregon Gulch, starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 16.
All ages and abilities are welcome. Volunteers are asked to wear long pants and sturdy shoes or boots and bring gloves. All tools will be provided.
There also will be a log skidding demo with a mule team and an Alaska sawmill demo. The Sawtooth Backcountry Horsemen will prepare hamburgers and hotdogs for all volunteers.
For additional information, call 622-5371 or send an email to rcatherine@fs.fed.us.
Shelter offers dog training
The Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley is offering two different six-week training sessions for adult dogs and their owners. Hillary Hayward, the shelter’s dog trainer and temperament evaluator, will teach participants positive methods of working with their dogs to increase responsiveness to commands.
The class is designed for those who want to improve communication with their dogs and develop rewarding relationships that will keep their dogs safe and behaving appropriately.
Hayward is a PetSmart-accredited instructor and previously has prepared dogs and their owners to pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen exam. Sessions will be offered on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 p.m, June 16 to July 21 and Aug. 18 to Sept. 22. Tuition is $100 per dog for the entire six-week session, with a discounted price of $85 for shelter alumni. Space is limited, and advance registration is requested. Call 788-4351 for reservations and additional information or visit www.animalshelterwrv.org.
Food groups plan solstice party
Four local food groups will sponsor a community solstice party, with food and music, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22. The Sustainability Center is collaborating with Idaho’s Bounty, The Hunger Coalition and the Sawtooth Botanical Garden to celebrate the local growing season.
Food will include roasted pig cooked on site, side dishes prepared by Rasberry’s catering, lemonade by Lyndsey's Lemonade, and several sweet treats.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. The event will be held at the Forest Service campus at The Village at Hailey Center, 311 S. Main St. Additional information is available from sustainabilitycenter@me.com.
YAK! hires new outreach specialist
St. Luke’s Youth-Adult Konnection, commonly known as YAK!, has hired Brandeis Sample as youth outreach specialist. St. Luke’s YAK! is an initiative designed to build healthy youth through community service, education, and recreation.
Sample joins Program Coordinator Dan VandenHeuvel as the program wraps up a successful school year, featuring strong participation in its Blaine County Teen Advisory Council and programs for middle and high school students. In total, council members completed more than 1,800 hours of community service this year.
St. Luke’s YAK! also offered health and life skills panel discussions at area high schools, several middle school after-school programs and the Diversity Dramatist Troupe.
St. Luke’s YAK! partners with numerous community organizations to provide activities and service opportunities for youth throughout the year. This summer, YAK! will offer weekly volunteer opportunities, outdoor fun, service trips, camping, YMCA nights and more. All middle and high school youth are welcome to participate in YAK! Most events are offered at minimal cost.
For more information, contact Dan VandenHeuvel at 727-8735 or vandend@slhs.org. Information also is available at www.stlukesonline.org/YAK.
