Mountain Rides to consider hub deal
The board of directors of Mountain Rides Transportation Authority has scheduled a special meeting for today, Dec. 4, to consider a contract for design and construction management of a Ketchum transportation hub.
According to the agenda, the contract, if approved, would go to Eggers Associates, a team comprised of five local companies. The hub, which would serve as a transfer point for Mountain Rides bus routes in the Ketchum and Sun Valley areas, is planned to be built at the intersection of Sun Valley Road and East Avenue.
Today’s meeting is set to begin at 2:45 p.m. at the Webb Landscape conference room annex at 191 Eighth St., Suite D, in Ketchum.
Transit committee meets Thursday
The Blaine County Regional Transportation Committee will meet Thursday, Dec. 5, to discuss area transportation issues. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Old Blaine County Courthouse in Hailey.
Agenda items include an update from the Idaho Transportation Department on the state Highway 75 expansion project south of Ketchum, an update and discussion of a community bike and pedestrian plan, and updates on mobility plans by local government entities.
There is also time set aside for public comment.
Panelists needed to judge projects
The Blaine County School District is seeking panelists to view and provide feedback for senior projects by Silver Creek and Wood River High School students.
Senior project day presentations at both schools are scheduled from 1:45-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18. A complimentary luncheon for panelists is scheduled from 12:45-1:45 p.m.
For more information, or to register as a panelist, visit the district website at www.blaineschools.org or call senior project coordinator Julie Grafft at (208) 578-5020, ext. 2215.
Holiday concerts in Blaine schools
It’s a festive and busy time of year in Blaine County schools, as students prepare their winter concerts and parents put the dates on their calendars.
- Monday, Dec. 9: Musical groups from the Wood River High School band, orchestra and choral departments will hold a benefit concert at 7 p.m. to raise funds for a trip this spring to the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim, Calif. The concert will be held at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theater at the Community Campus in Hailey. Cost is $15.
- Wednesday, Dec. 11: Hailey Elementary music program for grades 1-3 from 7-8 p.m. in the gym. Also, Bellevue Elementary second-grade concert at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 12: Bellevue Elementary first-grade concert at 6:30 p.m. at the school.
- Friday, Dec. 13: Hemingway Elementary winter program for kindergarten, second and fourth grades, with Bell Choir, choir and strings at 1 p.m. at the Ketchum school. Also, Bellevue Elementary kindergarten concert at 1:30 p.m. at the school.
- Monday, Dec. 16: Wood River High/Middle School band concert at 7 p.m. at Community Campus. Also, Hailey Elementary fourth-grade concert, 7 p.m. at the school gym.
Tuesday, Dec. 17: “A Celtic Christmas” by Bellevue Elementary grades 3-5 at 6:30 p.m. at the school.
- Wednesday, Dec. 18: Hailey Elementary preschool music programs, at 10 a.m. for the morning classes, 1:30 p.m. for afternoon students.
- Thursday, Dec. 19: Hailey Elementary fifth-grade concert at 7 p.m. at Community Campus theater. Also, Community School elementary winter performance at 2:30 p.m. at the Sun Valley school theater.
Avalanche Awareness Week set to begin Thursday
The Sawtooth Avalanche Center will host Avalanche Awareness Week, with the first event on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theater at the Community Campus in Hailey. Center forecasters will give an hour-long presentation, addressing questions such as:
- What are the ingredients for an avalanche?
- Where do they happen?
- How does weather play a role?
- How can we avoid avalanches?
- What should I do if someone is buried in an avalanche?
A Community Snow Safety Festival will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-7 p.m. at the Community School in Sun Valley, with gear, avalanche dogs, avalanche education and a social gathering. The schedule is as follows:
- 2-4 p.m.—Learn about new avalanche gear and test your transceiver.
- 4-5 p.m.—Talks by representatives from the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, Sun Valley Ski Patrol and Outdoor Leadership Academy, with a tribute to Avalanche Center founder Doug Abromeit.
- 5-6 p.m.—Social hour with raffle prizes.
- 6-7 p.m.—Keynote address by Bruce Tremper, “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain.”
Tamarack Sports honored by governor
Sixty-nine volunteers from throughout Idaho were honored last week by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and First Lady Lori Otter at the 11th annual Governor’s Brightest Star Awards ceremony last month at the Egyptian Theatre in Boise.
All nominees were recognized as “stars” by neighbors in their communities, and one Brightest Star Volunteer of the Year was chosen in each category.
Tamarack Sports of Hailey won the award in the “Small Business” category.
“Volunteers are ever more important and valued as part of the foundation of recovery in our state and the nation,” Otter said in a prepared statement. “The first lady and I are honored to be here recognizing so many selfless Idahoans.”
Carey students can get dental sealant
South Central Public Health District is offering dental sealants to children in grades 1-8 at Carey School during the first two weeks of December.
Registered dental hygienists will be placing the sealants, which are a safe coating that is painted onto the chewing surfaces of a child’s back teeth. This coating helps protect teeth from cavities by keeping germs and food out of the deep grooves in the surface of the teeth. Bacteria that cause cavities like to hide in these grooves. By preventing cavities, children can avoid pain and discomfort, which can help them succeed in school.
Fluoride varnish will also be provided to all children receiving sealants. If you have any questions about these dental sealant clinics, please call Susie Beem at 737-5946.
Forest Service offers information through smartphones
The U.S. Forest Service now offers access to a variety of visitor maps for people using Android and iOS devices.
“This mobile app makes it easier than ever to plan your visit to a national forest or grassland,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “By putting important forest information right at your fingertips, it will encourage more Americans to get outside and explore their forests.”
The Forest Service is currently working on the first phase of a website redesign, expected to debut early in 2014, which centers on a map-based tool for planning trips onto the nation’s forests, grasslands and other special places.
The PDF Maps Mobile App, developed by Avenza Systems Inc., is available as a free download from iTunes and the Android Play Store. The app provides access to Forest Service maps, such as motor-vehicle-use maps, which are free, while pages from national forest atlases are 99 cents and forest visitor maps are $4.99. Prices are pending for other agency maps.
The maps are geo-referenced with the user’s location appearing as a blue dot. The app works on iPhones (3GS or newer) and iPads with WiFi+3G. It also works with Android 4 or newer operating systems on devices with at least 1 gigabyte of memory.
Carey students do senior projects
Carey High School senior project advisor Lane Durtschi announced the projects recently completed by nine Carey students. They were Arri Nielson (family history), Valorie Olsen (photography), Jenny Mares (filming and music video), Lilly Rivera (healthy diet and exercise program), Daphne Kirkland (cosmetology), Ashley Durtschi (sewing and quilting), Christian Zarate (shooting), Tori Alvarez (Taekwondo) and Luis Garcia (construction).
