Ballet to perform ‘The Wizard of Oz’
The Sun Valley Ballet School will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the release of “The Wizard of Oz” with four performances starting today, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. Shows will follow on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m.
Gala seats will be available Friday and Saturday night, with reserved seating available for all four shows. General tickets can be purchased at Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum and diVine Wine Bar in Hailey.
More than 100 young dancers will reprise the roles of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Munchkins and Poppies in this production. For more information, contact the Sun Valley Ballet School at 806-1145.
ITD: Resolve not to drink and drive
The Idaho Transportation Department and its highway-safety partners are reminding people to make good driving decisions this holiday season and not to drive impaired.
Idaho law enforcement agencies are conducting education campaigns and high-visibility enforcement patrols searching for drunk or impaired drivers from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3.
“Whether you’ve had one or one too many—drinking and driving is never worth the risk,” said Mary Burke, with ITD’s Office of Highway Safety. “If you are going to drink, designate a sober driver before the party starts, and encourage your friends and family to always do the same.”
ITD's Office of Highway Safety is making highway safety funds available to local law enforcement agencies for the additional enforcement efforts to support the safety campaign.
Last year, impaired driving contributed to 1,454 crashes on Idaho's highways and caused 73 fatalities statewide, according to ITD.
NAMI seeks bell-ringing volunteers
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)—Wood River Valley has invited volunteers to participate in its “Ringing the Bells for NAMI” fundraising effort.
From Dec. 20-22 and 27-29, volunteers will be ringing bells for two-hour shifts in front of local grocery stores in Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue to help fight the stigma of mental illness. Volunteers work in pairs, so people are encouraged to find a friend.
For more information or to sign up for a shift, contact the NAMI helpline at (208) 309-1987.
Idahoans getting relief at the pump
Idahoans are finally getting some substantial relief at the pump, according to AAA Idaho. The automobile and travel association says Gem State gas prices are nowhere near the lowest in the country, but a 26-cent decline in the past 30days is the nation’s biggest.
“Lower prices are a welcome relief for Idahoans who are juggling tight budgets during the holiday season,” said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson.
Based on AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report (www.fuelgaugereport.aaa.com), Idaho’s average price for regular grade gasoline Tuesday was $3.15, down 26 cents in the past month and well below the $3.43 average price from a year ago.
The U.S. average price Tuesday was $3.20, up 6 cents from a month ago and 5 cents higher than the Idaho average.
Three states have average prices below $3 a gallon: Missouri, $2.91; Oklahoma, $2.96; and Kansas, $2.99.
AAA Idaho said the last time Idaho’s average price was this low was Jan. 30 of this year.
Andrus campaigning for monument
Former Idaho Gov. and Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus is one of several prominent Idahoans to appear in a new ad campaign in support of national monument designation for the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains.
The governor has called for such protection for the last few years, as Congress has failed to adopt wilderness legislation introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson in each of the last six congresses. In the print ad, which debuted this week in the Idaho Statesman, Andrus says, “My career has been about common-sense conservation in line with Idaho values. National monument status will protect the area’s fish and wildlife habitat, while keeping it open to hunting, fishing and other recreational uses that greatly benefit our economy.”
Joining Andrus in the campaign are Ketchum businessmen Bob Rosso and Tom Nickel, former state Rep. Wendy Jaquet, and sportsman Tyler Jackson, who back monument designation “for businesses,” “to keep tourists coming,” “for future generations,” and for “plentiful fish and game.”
“There’s no better investment in our future,” Nickel said.
The campaign, which will run over the next few months, is co-sponsored by the Idaho Conservation League and The Pew Charitable Trusts, which have been working to safeguard the Boulder-White Cloud area for more than a decade.
Rocky Mountain Hardware gets kudos
For the third year in a row, the architectural and design community has recognized Rocky Mountain Hardware in Interior Design magazine’s award program, honoring Barn Door Track as “Best of Year” in the Hardware category. The hand-cast bronze track system was added to the brand’s line of architectural products earlier this year. The award was announced at a Dec. 5 ceremony attended by more than 900 members of the architectural community in New York City.
The awards program, now in its eighth year, invites architects and designers to vote for their favorite residential and contract products and projects. This year, Interior Design received more than 1,800 submissions in 62 product and 46 project categories, with the design community casting more than 62,000 votes online during a two-week period in October.