Ketchum to discuss comp plan
The city of Ketchum will hold two “community check-in sessions” at The Community Library in Ketchum on Thursday, Nov. 15 on the development of its new comprehensive plan.
The first session will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. and the second from 5:30-7:30 p.m. During the first session, a light lunch will be served, and the second session will feature wine and refreshments.
The city will poll those who attend on their visions for Ketchum. Topics will include strengthening the economy, community sustainability, building tourism opportunities, creating a younger community demographic, developing a greener community and mobility and connectivity.
Those who wish to attend either session should RVSP to the city at 726-7801.
Kids raise money for Sandy victims
Community School seventh-graders raised $313 in baked-goods sales over the weekend to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. According to a news release, the funds will be donated to the American Red Cross for relief efforts on the East Coast.
The sales took place Friday and Saturday evenings prior to the Middle School Drama Club’s One Act Play Festival.
The baked goods were contributed by families and teachers and the chef at the Community School Residential Hall. Seventh-grade mothers Jenny Heekin and Lynn Poydenis spearheaded the fundraiser.
School board to meet in Boise
The Blaine County School District board of trustees will attend the Idaho School Boards Association annual convention today, Nov. 14, through Friday at the Riverside Hotel in Boise.
Since all five school board members plan to attend, the school board announced the event as a public meeting.
While in Boise, the school board will convene into executive session at noon on Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Riverside Hotel. According to the meeting notice, the board will meet with legal counsel to discuss “legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated.”
Sun Valley gets extra LOT revenue
The Sun Valley City Council has added $3,533 to its fiscal 2012 general fund revenues, thanks to greater-than-anticipated local-option tax revenue collected by the city’s businesses in July and August.
“All of a sudden, the LOT just took off in August and September,” said Virginia Egger, executive assistant to the mayor, at a City Council meeting on Nov. 1. “This is great extra revenue.”
Local-option tax revenue collected in August and September reflects transactions that occurred in the city during July and August, respectively. Sun Valley imposes a sales tax of 3 percent on lodging, liquor by the drink and event tickets. It also collects a 2 percent tax on most retail sales and a 1 percent tax on the sale of ski-lift tickets.
According to a recent city staff report, July transactions were down 6 percent in Sun Valley this year compared to last year, but in August, transactions were up a whopping 19 percent. The combined total was more than the city expected when it approved its fiscal 2012 budget last year.
Power outage planned for today
Electricity will be out in parts of Sun Valley today, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. while Idaho Power makes minor repairs to the city’s power lines.
Affected areas will include Arrow Leaf, Morning Star and Paintbrush.
“It shouldn’t affect too many people,” said Cary Darling, a Wood River Valley line crew foreman for Idaho Power.
Darling said the project was a standard “upgrade.”
“It’s to remove the old cable and put in new cable,” he said.
For more information, contact Idaho Power at (800) 488-6451.
City seeks water main upgrade grant
The Bellevue City Council is hoping for a federal grant for an ongoing water line upgrade.
It authorized Region lV Development planner Jeff McCurdy to apply for a portion of an Idaho Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
If successful, the city will receive $350,000 in April, to be used with a $300,000 contribution from the Bellevue water fund.
McCurdy recently completed a survey of Bellevue residents’ incomes and found that the city qualified for the grant. The survey determined that more than 51 percent of residents were “low to moderate” income earners, which meant the city qualified for the grant.
In 2011, $200,000 in block grant funding was awarded to Bellevue. The funding was combined with $500,000 in city funds to replace numerous old water lines in the city with larger pipes, a change that is expected to increase water pressure for firefighting purposes.
Second lawsuit filed over bus collision
A lawsuit has been filed against Mountain Rides Transportation Authority for injuries sustained by a bus passenger in a collision with a car in February.
Michael Burrell filed the suit Nov. 5, also naming Blaine County and the cities of Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley as defendants. Mountain Rides operates under a joint powers agreement among those entities.
Another suit was filed in October against Mountain Rides and those municipalities by two people who were in a car rear-ended by the bus.
Galena Lodge to open for winter
Galena Lodge will open for the winter season Saturday, Nov. 17.
Lodge hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Galena also will be open Thanksgiving Day and through Thanksgiving weekend.
Weekday lodge hours will vary depending on snowfall.
For more information, please call 726-4010.
Hailey BAH at Blaine Manor
The Hailey Chamber of Commerce November Business After Hours, hosted by Blaine Manor and St. Luke’s–Elk’s Rehab, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at Blaine Manor, 706 South Main St.
It will include live music by the Boulder Brothers and refreshments by Uptown Mini-mart. Blood-pressure testing, glucose testing and informational booths about healthcare will be available.
The event is free. For additional information, call 788-3484.
Roadless plan heard by appeals court
A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Ore., is expected to rule on Idaho’s roadless plan within the next three months.
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch attended the hearing on the plan he created as interim governor in 2006. The plan includes different management plans for various tracts within the 9.3 million acres of roadless areas in Idaho.
“As governor, I saw the need for the different Idaho groups to sit down and come up with our own plan. The federally mandated one-size-fits-all approach did not work, and we had an opportunity to craft a plan with people who truly knew the state,” said Risch.
Five conservation groups filed a lawsuit challenging the plan in 2009. In 2011, a federal district judge upheld the Idaho Roadless Rule and the decision was appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Want to attend the inauguration?
The Idaho congressional delegation is accepting applications from Idahoans to attend the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21.
In order to reduce duplicate requests, the Idaho congressional delegation has created a single website, HYPERLINK "http://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/inauguration/tickets.cfm" http://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/inauguration/tickets.cfm.
The Idaho delegation will not know the exact number of tickets available until the Presidential Inaugural Committee provides that information closer to the event. There is no charge for official tickets, which provide admittance to a particular section of the viewing area.
Ticket requests will be accepted through 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Any requests made after that deadline will be placed on a waiting list.
Tickets to the inauguration are only for the ceremony and cannot be used for the inaugural parade, inaugural balls or related events. Tickets are not necessary to view the inauguration ceremony but simply allow access to specific sections of the Capitol grounds. Large sections of the National Mall with jumbo viewing screens also will be accessible to the general public.
Each request will be limited to four tickets. Accessible space for those with disabilities is provided in each ticket section; however, there are no tickets specifically marked as such.
Ketchum entrepreneur wins contest
Sheila Plowman, CEO and founder of It Takes a Village Foods, won the Entrepreneurs Just Do It! Business Plan competition last week in Ketchum.
It Takes a Village Foods makes healthful organic snacks such as Ketchum Kale Chips and Veggie Evolution vegetable chips. The competition, organized by the nonprofit Jigsaw Inc., offered a $1,500 prize.
As a follow-up to the event, several entrepreneurs will convene at 6 p.m. today, Nov. 14, in the Bullion Room of the Community Campus in Hailey. They plan to establish a group called the Entrepreneurs Network, with the goal of supporting entrepreneurship in Blaine County.
Hailey to rename Rodeo Grounds
The Hailey City Council will consider naming the city rodeo grounds as Werthheimer Park on Monday, Nov. 19.
The Hailey Historic Preservation Commission and the Parks & Lands Board have both recommended this proposal to honor contributions made to the city by Leopold Werthheimer at the time of his death in 1913.
The property was called Werthheimer Park from that time until a few years ago. The “rodeo grounds” reference was a “working title” used during fundraising efforts by the Parks & Lands Board for the present project.
The public is invited to comment during the council meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m., or to send comments to the mayor and city in advance.
For more information, contact Heather Dawson, Hailey city administrator, at 788-4221, ext. 18, or HYPERLINK "mailto:heather.dawson@haileycityhall.org" heather.dawson@haileycityhall.org or Tom Hellen, public works director, at 788-9830, ext. 14, or HYPERLINK "mailto:tom.hellen@haileycityhall.org" tom.hellen@haileycityhall.org.
Hailey 35th in recycling contest
Hailey currently is ranked 35th in a contest among 50 communities in the U.S., for a $100,000 grant from the SC Johnson Foundation. Two months remain in the SC Johnson Green Choices Recycling Challenge. The grant, if it is won, would be used for a sustainability project or program.
The challenge, which started in July, is a nationwide program encouraging residents in 50 communities, one per state, to achieve the highest reported recycling participation rate. One winning community will be announced in January 2013.
Developed by SC Johnson and Recyclebank, the six-month program aims to inspire waste reduction and increase recycling efforts while educating local residents on the importance of everyday, sustainable actions.
For details, call Hailey Sustainability Director Mariel Platt at 788-9815 or go to HYPERLINK "http://www.recyclebank.com/greenchoices" www.recyclebank.com/greenchoices.
Hailey holiday celebrations to start
Holiday festivities begin in Hailey this Saturday, Nov. 17, from 4-6 p.m. at the Hailey Holiday Square, located on Croy Street between the Hailey Public Library and the Hailey Hotel.
The city of Hailey, the Hailey Chamber of Commerce and the South Valley Merchants Alliance are sponsoring this year’s holiday celebration and tree-lighting ceremony. Festivities will include holiday music provided by Colla Voce, the arrival of Santa Claus on a fire truck at 4:30 p.m., and a large fire pit to warm the audience. The tree has been donated by Webb Landscape.
Santa Claus will be at the square Nov. 24 to Dec 22 from noon to 2 p.m., the Chamber of Commerce will conduct weekly raffle drawings, and community choirs and music groups will entertain the crowds with holiday music.
This portion of Croy Street will be blocked off to all vehicular traffic from Nov. 13-Jan. 4.
In addition to the events listed above, the city of Hailey is inviting vendors and nonprofit groups to sell food or holiday-themed items on the Hailey Holiday Square during the Saturdays it will be in operation.
There is no charge for vendors to set up, but they will need to provide their own electricity, water, heat and tent. For additional information, contact Micah Austin, community development, at 788-9815 or email HYPERLINK "mailto:micah.austin@haileycityhall.org" "_blank" micah.austin@haileycityhall.org.
Church is helping hurricane victims
Bellevue Community Church is partnering with The Church at the Gateway on Staten Island to help people still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
The goal is to send at least a box of donations each week until Christmas and longer if needed. People who prefer to make monetary donations can make checks payable to the Bellevue Community Church, PO. Box 4063, Hailey, ID 83333.
For questions and a list of items needed, contact Amber Avila or Tad Walton at 473-6211 or 721-7602 or by email at aavila0504@hotmail.com or Tadmwalton@msn.com.
Sawtooth Music Festival to end?
The Sawtooth Music Festival has been discontinued, according to a news release from Nicole Johnson, producer of the annual summer festival in Stanley.
“The mayor and City Council of Stanley have made it impossible for us to continue,” she said. “The city has imposed new financial burdens on us while simultaneously limiting our capacity to 2,000 people. (We had 2,700 in 2012). This combination is ultimately and financially crippling,” Johnson wrote. She is asking members of the public to call Stanley city officials about the changes.
For additional information, contact Johnson at HYPERLINK "mailto:Nicole@sawtoothmusicfestival.com" Nicole@sawtoothmusicfestival.com.
Grand re-opening in Hailey Saturday
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the newly remodeled The Dollhouse Consignment Boutique in Hailey is scheduled for Saturday, Nov 17, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served and the first winner in a raffle will be announced shortly after 12:30 p.m.
There will be additional raffle drawings at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m. Raffle tickets are available with a $5 donation to the Hunger Coalition.
The Dollhouse also will donate 5 percent of its opening-day profits to the Hunger Coalition. The store is at Main and Maple streets.
Want to attend the inauguration?
Congressional delegation accepting applications
The Idaho congressional delegation is accepting applications from Idahoans to attend the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21.
In order to reduce duplicate requests, the Idaho congressional delegation has created a single website, http://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/inauguration/tickets.cfm.
The Idaho delegation will not know the exact number of tickets available until the Presidential Inaugural Committee provides that information closer to the event. There is no charge for official tickets, which provide admittance to a particular section of the viewing area.
Ticket requests will be accepted through 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Any requests made after that deadline will be placed on a waiting list.
Tickets to the inauguration are only for the ceremony and cannot be used for the inaugural parade, inaugural balls or related events. Tickets are not necessary to view the inauguration ceremony but simply allow access to specific sections of the Capitol grounds. Large sections of the National Mall with jumbo viewing screens also will be accessible to the general public.
Each request will be limited to four tickets. Accessible space for those with disabilities is provided in each ticket section; however, there are no tickets specifically marked as such.
