Top Rated Stories
- Access Sun Valley Card Launches new Refer A Friend Promotion and Adds More Business Deals
- The Sun Valley Writers' Conference Celebrates its 15th Year
- The Dollhouse Consignment Shop Changes Hours, Adds One-On-One Home Services For Customers
- Kids & Youth Central - Activities, Programs, Summer Camps, Articles for Sun Valley area
- Magic Lantern Theater
Top Rated Users
Stories
View by Time: |
A new reality show highlighting the trend of sharing a vacation rental with families and friends is now airing on PBS. The show, Getting Away Together, is a part of a Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) initiative to showcase the trend and raise awareness about vacation rentals as a growing alternative to hotels. The show is expected to generate great publicity for the professionally-managed vacation rental industry and the thousands of managers across the nation, including the many vacation rental management companies in Sun Valley and across Idaho. Boise-based LiveRez, the vacation rental software Gold Sponsor of the VRMA, works with more than 500 professional vacation rental manager partners from across North America and beyond – including many in Sun Valley, where the company originally took root. “This show allows America to see firsthand what staying in a vacation rental is all about,” said Tracy Lotz, founder and CEO of LiveRez, which was founded in Hailey. “With Getting Away Together, the VRMA has...
Months in the making, Idaho’s proposed 2012 Energy Plan is being sent to House and Senate committees for expected approval, warts and all. Meanwhile, the would-be developer of a nuclear reactor near the Snake River outside of Payette has run into problems with county planners, putting things on hold pending an appeal. That’s not the least of AEHI’s problems: It’s still embroiled in a high-stakes stock fraud suit brought by federal securities regulators. And Idaho Power may join with another utility and the Bonneville Power Administration in developing the Boardman-Hemingway transmission line from southwest Idaho to the Columbia River. We also have a report on the latest energy facility “siting” bill introduced by state Senate Democrats, complaints by two Twin Falls women over what Idaho Power’s new smart meters are really up to, and the announcement by Exergy Development that it plans 23 more wind farms in Idaho. Finally, the Idaho Legislature’s 2012 session is under way, so we’re resuming our weekly legislative...
STORE CLOSING SALE: Store closing January 31, 2012 Pop-up Store Business Models Pop-up stores by design are only open for a short period of time in a specific location, then move on to another town. Pop-up stores are now common in areas such as Jackson Hole, Vail, along with major malls during holiday periods. We've had great success and continue to receive wonderful comments regarding our unique mix of artistic items in our store which include: Bulgar Handmade Dishes, Virgin Wool Blankets, Throws, Shawls from Bulgaria, Alpaca Sweaters, Dresses, Blankets, Ponchos and Tunics made of "Pendleton Woolen Fabric"s, Mirrors, Coat Racks, Art and Various Other Unique Items including a "Full Size Metal Horse Sculpture", an Extensive collection of "Hand Crafted... 
With four sets of dual motion-triggered cameras, Matthew Deren collected fantastically unique photographs of Idaho's wildlife, including mountain lions, bobcats, wolves and black bears. The hidden niche between McCall and Riggins was Matthew's focus: "I noticed a convergence zone in West Central Idaho that no one had really discovered before. It's a point where the south meets the north, the dry meets the wet, and where civilization meets the wild. It's the largest temperate block of wilderness in North America." Matthew spent more that two years year-round backpacking into the most remote areas he could find to set up his cameras. What resulted is a fabulous collection of very unique wildlife photographs. Join us for slides and a talk by Matthew Deren, Wednesday 6pm at The Community Library, 415 Spruce Ave., Ketchum, Idaho. Admission is free! Boise State Public Radio—Reader's Corner interview with Author Matthew Deren
If the thought of La Nina returning for a second year to grace us with her wintery presence isn’t enough, the folks at Winter Wildlands Alliance have a sure-fire way to get you excited about winter. The Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival makes its Hailey ID premiere at The Liberty Theater on Friday January 6, 2012. And whether you are a fan of the backcountry, sidecountry, the Nordic trails or simply hot chocolate by the fire, you won’t want to miss this celebration of the winter experience. If you haven’t been before, you are in for a treat – the raffle is awesome, the beer is cold, puffy jackets run amok, and the films are as diverse as an Idaho landscape. The seventh annual world tour of the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival highlights the beauty and fun of the winter backcountry experience. Submissions come from renowned filmmakers who travel every corner of the globe to submit their best backcountry work, and from grassroots filmmakers who take a video camera out on their... 
The Mountain School's Unique After School Programs continue with its Winter Session beginning Jan. 3rd - March 23rd! Offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 2:30 - 5pm All Things Winter for 2nd to 5th graders, will expose your child to a unique combination of winter survival skills. They'll learn how to build fires and shelters in the snow, survival techniques, primitive snowshoe making and other nature crafting. For Kindergarten & 1st Graders 2:30 - 5pm Daily we offer our Art, Farm & Garden after school with plenty of time to explore the Mountain School campus, time with our bunnies, goats, and miniature horses, indoor free play and occasional crafting. Special Winter Pricing: $15.00 per day We make transportation EASY: We offer to pick up students at Hailey and Woodside Elementary Schools and the Bellevue Bus drops right at our driveway! We offer return shuttles to Hailey's McKercher Park on Tues, Wed. & Thurs at 5:15pm. The Mountain School offers a completely unique...
Sun Valley, Id is a spectacular and magnetic place to visit no matter what season it is. One of the great benefits of vacationing in Sun Valley is taking advantage of the miles and miles of trails that make up the North Valley Trail System. The trail system winds along streams, through vast open meadows and follows the feet of the Boulder Mountain Range for an amazing 22 miles. The trails are a great for a family day trip or for the exercise guru who may be looking for a little bit of a challenge. The trails are a major part of our community and on January 28th, 2011 is the 16th Annual Galena & North Trails Winter Benefit at the Sun Valley Inn Limelight Room. This is a great time for our community to come out and support the maintenance and upkeep of the trail system, while also enjoying a fine dinner, some dancing and of course good company. We offer several spectacular Sun Valley Vacation Rentals in close proximity to the North Trails as well as many other great local activities. Come out...
President Obama, after campaigning on a policy of dialogue, has enhanced the sanctions regime and lobbied and coerced other countries to enhance their sanctions. The practical effect of the sanctions has been modest. The World Bank estimates that the Iranian economy grew at a rate of 3% in 2010. This is not to say that the Iranian economy doesn’t have its problems. Years of inconsistent and incompetent management by the theocratic regime...
Powder skiing and climate change! Join Idaho Conservation League and Environmental Resource Center for an entertaining night at Whiskey Jacques in downtown Ketchum! Free Event: 6 pm Wednesday, December 14 at Whiskey’s
Energy, energy, energy… Idaho Conservation League’s Energy Associate, Ben Otto (aka Captain Kilowatt), will give us the lowdown on Idaho's energy system and its place in the greater climate. ICL has been hard at work with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, the Office of Energy Resources, electric utilities like Idaho Power, and the Idaho Legislature, the goal being to reduce energy demand by increasing efficiency and to promote good, clean energy. Energy is an issue that affects us all and we certainly affect the issues. Learn what you can do—both big and small—to improve matters.
And powdery winters… In addition to a construction conversation, Teton Gravity Research (TGR) will be showing its hit film on climate change, "Generations". The world-renowned action...
Idaho Power relies on out-of-state coal-fired power plants for more than 40 percent of its electric generation. As part of its required power planning process the utility says it will examine each of the coal plants in which it has an interest to determine whether to continue the massive investments required to keep the plants legal, or whether to begin planning to retire them and replace their generation with cleaner resources. Meanwhile, the state’s largest electric utility has filed contracts with regulators for three new renewable energy projects – including wind, small hydro and landfill gas generation. Speaking of hydropower, Idaho Power has reported to the PUC that its costs to date in the seven-year-old Hells Canyon hydropower relicensing saga have eclipsed $141 million, and the case is a long way from resolution. For more information on these developments and coming events, read on I: Idaho Power Says It Will Take Close Look at Coal Fleet Idaho Power Co. says it will conduct a detailed analysis...
*By Blaine County Sheriff's Office* On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at approx. 7:03 pm a report came in that a small plane had gone down on the mountain just east of the city of Hailey. The planes pilot and passenger were taken to the St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center by medical helicopter and then later taken to St. Luke's in Boise by medical helicopter.
The planes pilot Paul Tower, 56, of Boise reported that he attempted to activate the Auto Pilot just after take off from the Friedman Memorial Airport with a pre programmed course he had set earlier when he noticed the Auto Pilot did not seem to engage correctly. The plane then banked sharply to the left and he could see the mountain in his landing lights. He pulled up to slow the plane and the plane impacted the mountain on the ridge at the top of Water Gulch. The planes passenger is identified as Christina Rathbun, 40, of Boise, Water Gulch is located east of the Woodside Elementary School in the City of Hailey. This case is currently under investigation by... 
As the days grow shorter and colder, Wood River Valley residents are buttoning up their backyards and stowing the last of the lawn furniture in preparation for the coming snowy season. But the local citizens’ group Pesticide Action Network of Blaine County’s (PAN BC) isn’t coming in from the cold. Instead, the group recently released Safer Weed & Pest Control: Low Risk Solutions for Parks, Schools and Homeowners, A Companion Guide for IPM in Blaine County, a guide that provides a wide range of options for Blaine County’s city staff, the school district and local garden centers to use in maintaining parks, playing fields and yards and reducing or eliminating the use of harmful chemicals. Kathryn Goldman, PAN BC’s Campaign Director, says that weed control is actually a year-round endeavor. “Planning for landscaping contracts and large-scale purchases of products that will be available in our local garden centers happens during the winter. Many of these decisions are made in February and March. If we wait until...
Clean energy advocates are starting to wonder whether the Legislature is cooking up a turkey in the form of a revised Idaho Energy Plan. Lawmakers voted repeatedly Monday to weaken provisions in the 2007 Idaho Energy Plan as part of their five-year rewrite of the plan. Idaho wind developers are considering their next move in the wake of a surprising ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that the PUC erred in refusing to accept more than a dozen wind contracts with Idaho utilities. Meanwhile, the PUC is accepting comments on Avista utilities Integrated Resource Plan, and there’s a Dec. 5 hearing on Idaho Power’s big general rate case. In other news, Hoku Materials has finally plugged its huge Pocatello polysilicon plant into Idaho Power’s system, and Gov. Butch Otter signed an order to extend the life of the Office of Energy Resources. I: Big Disappointments as State Energy Plan Rewrite Effort Creeps to Finish Line The Idaho Legislature’s long-anticipated update of the 2007 Idaho Energy Plan wound...
Enrollment Open Houses on Dec. 1st and 2nd: Programs available for Preschool, Kindergarten & 1st, -3rd Grades. A Day in the Elementary School: We would love to invite any students going into 1st, 2nd or 3rdgrade in the 2012-2013 school year to join our class for the entire day on either Thursday, December 1st or Friday, December 2nd from 8:30-2:30 for the ultimate Open House experience. The public schools are closed for these two days for Parent/Teacher conferences. This is the perfect time for any students who are not thoroughly thriving at BCSD to come and experience how we are creating a life-long love of learning and balanced living through our Waldorf based curriculum, a biodynamic farm and our empowering wilderness skills program! Parent tour 8:15-8:45 each morning. A Day in Kindergarten: For students who will be 4-5 years old and their parents interested in the Mixed Age Kindergarten program. Come experience a sample day with Kindergarten Teacher...
Every time you flip a switch or turn up the heat you are making a choice about protecting Idaho's clear, clean water and wild places. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do that actually make a big difference. Best of all, that difference means a more comfortable home, lower power bills and a smaller foot print in the environment. Read more below, then take our energy pledge and enter to win a free home energy evaluation. Like most things, making a difference starts with you. The electricity used each month in a typical Idaho home produces 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide, a green house gas. But the typical home can be much more efficient. The largest home energy use is for heating and cooling—45%. Even if you use gas heat, you have an electric fan. The second largest is for lighting—13%. At ICL's energy fun house we learned some great ideas to reduce energy use at home. Best of all, these tips are cheap and effective. Tip #1: Stop leaksWith heating and cooling being the largest home energy... Superintendent Barber and Curriculum Director Patricia McLean are correct when they state that the BCSD had gotten into the habit of not including non-district employees on curriculum or textbook committees in spite of the mandate from District Policy and Idaho Legal Code to do so. Dr. Barber stated that parents had not been included in such committees for quite some time and Patty McLean stated that she “must have forgotten” about this mandate when composing the math textbook committees. So basically, school district administrators haven’t been referring to district policy to inform their actions and decisions, which proves the point that community members and parents must be involved in district processes to provide a vital check upon the job performance of those who earn and spend our tax dollars. The former administrators and trustees who wrote the district policies were wise to realize the valuable input and perspective members of the public can provide. Parent and community member involvement brought the...
(originally posted on BlaineParents.org) There was a full house if not a full quorum, as Trustee Don Nurge was away from town, at the November 8th 2011 BCSD Board of Trustees meeting. The monthly School Board meetings are a great place to learn first hand what is happening in our schools and in the district as a whole. If a person can’t attend the actual meeting, all of the available webcasts are posted at blaineschools.org. It’s also a place to formally voice one’s opinions, concerns, and requests to the Trustees to be considered and responded to by these individuals who are entrusted with the oversight of our school district. During last night’s meeting, Liv Jensen, Paul Hartzel, Erik Ruggeri, and Owen Scanlon each completed and submitted a “Request To Appear Before The Board” form prior to the start of the meeting. The Public Comment begins at 8:20 minutes into the webcast of the meeting. Ms. Jensen, a Consulting Engineer, spoke about the large amount of time reformed “discovery math”...
Sawtooth Brewery Plans Grand Opening Having received all necessary permits, Brewery plans December Grand Opening. Sawtooth Brewery is now a reality after receiving all of the required federal, state, county, and city permits to begin operations in downtown Ketchum, Idaho. The brewery and taproom will host a soft opening this Friday on 11/11/11 and hold their Grand Opening on December 2, 2011. The brewery plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Ketchum Chamber of Commerce in addition to other special events currently being planned. The seasonal Out Cold Winter Ale will be available on tap that weekend as well for the first time during the Grand Opening. The brewery and tap room are located at 600 North Main Street in downtown Ketchum with the tap room entrance on 6th Street. The tap room will be the primary location to enjoy Sawtooth Brewery beer, with some kegs available to local businesses in the future. The tap room will focus on having all five Sawtooth Brewery regular beers on tap in addition...
Welcome to the Get Involved Edition of the Idaho Energy Update. A number of public comment and engagement opportunities are on tap this month, beginning with Idaho Power public meetings in four cities next week on its Integrated Resource Plan along with a PUC comment deadline on the plan set for Nov. 14. The Legislature’s Interim Energy Committee is also scheduling a day of public comment Nov. 2 and a meeting on Nov. 3 on its efforts to rewrite the 2007 Idaho Energy Plan, while the PUC is holding public hearings three cities on Idaho Power’s big 2011 rate case. Last but not least, FRIDAY IS THE DEADLINE to comment to the BLM on the huge proposed Gateway West transmission project that would span southern Idaho I: Idaho Power Hits the Road to Discuss 2011 Resource Plan Idaho Power will hit the road next week to hold public meetings to explain its 2011 “Integrated Resource Plan,” which serves as the utility’s roadmap for meeting its new energy needs over the next 20 years. The IRP was submitted to the Public Utilities...
Dear Dollhouse Dolls :) Who would have believed it ? But, this Halloween The Dollhouse turns 5 years old !!!! This never would have happened w/ out all of your support. I love each and every one of you who helped along the way. I also hope I have helped you. I believe my store to be a special meeting place, not only to consign, make $$$ or shop, but also to lend a hand to other women along the way as we can. SO- to celebrate, please stop in and pick up a 50% off ticket from myself here in Ketchum ( WED.-SAT. 12-6), or from Rachel in Hailey ( TUES.-SAT. 11-5) This ticket will give you "50% off any 1 item of your choice" ...except fur & face cream. Our thanks starts this WED. the 26th for "50% off any 1 item of your choice" and will expire on Sat. Nov. 5th. You must have the ticket stub to redeem the 50% off discount, and the ticket can be used the same day you pick it up. Thank you all so very much. xoxo.
With warm regards, Lara Spencer, owner of The Dollhouse(s), and Rachel Lee Manager of...
Bag It has been garnering awards at film festivals across the nation. What started as a documentary about plastic bags evolved into a wholesale investigation into plastics and their effect on our lives. This free screening of the 65 minute documentary takes place at 6PM on November 1, in the meeting room at The Community Library in Ketchum. This program is co-sponsored by the Environmental Resource Center, The Community Library and the Wood River High School Environmental Club. Find more information about the film at http://www.bagitmovie.com/. For questions about the event, please call 208.726.4333. 
There is nothing quite like a crisp, clear Idaho morning to remind us why life is good in the Gem State. As the temperature drops and the sun is out for fewer hours we begin to use more energy in our homes. The more energy we use, the more we all contribute a little bit to air pollution and the pressure to develop natural gas. Here are some easy home upgrades so you can have a warm, cozy house while limiting your footprint. If you are an Idaho Power customer, every megawatt-hour of electricity you use produces 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide. What's a megawatt-hour you say? It the amount of electricity used by the average home in Idaho in one month. If you use natural gas for heat, your carbon footprint is smaller, but gas production can be a fracking mess. ICL is working hard to protect Idaho's groundwater while allowing some natural gas production in Idaho. You can help by using the gas we do have wisely. We all have a variety of things in our homes that use energy, but about half of the total energy... 
Many Idahoans are unaware that nearly half of our state’s electricity comes from dangerously dirty and increasingly expensive coal plants in surrounding states. Reliance on these energy relics places Idaho and its three major electric utilities – Idaho Power, Rocky Mountain Power, and Avista - in the awkward position of throwing their lot in with coal in an era when states and utilities elsewhere are decommissioning coal plants for environmental, health, and economic reasons. Already, coal plants in Oregon and Washington have been scheduled for early retirement in 2020 rather than 2040 or beyond. Utilities across the United States are accelerating retirements of their coal fleets, replacing coal power first with enhanced energy efficiency and also with renewables and, as a last resort, limited amounts of natural gas Adding insult to injury, Idaho’s Big Three electric utilities own or partly own 29 coal plants, some built during the Eisenhower Administration, in states across the West. We have no coal generation...
The Idaho Legislature and the state’s energy office are in the midst of the first major review of the Idaho Energy Plan since it was adopted in 2007, but unlike five years ago, this shaping of Idaho’s energy policies so far is being done with little public review or participation. “Unless you attended a legislative interim committee meeting on Sept. 28, you probably didn’t know that the public has until Oct. 21 to submit comments about changes to the 2007 Idaho Energy Plan, let alone where to send those comments,” said Ken Miller, Clean Energy Program Director at the Snake River Alliance. “The public was just notified today, through a link on the Legislature’s website, about this important chance to get involved. We have to get the word out that some big decisions are going to be made about where the state should head in meeting our future energy needs.” The Idaho Legislature adopted the Idaho Energy Plan in 2007 after extensive public involvement and public hearings through much of 2006. It was the first state...
On Saturday, October 15, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, the Building Material Thrift Store will present a free workshop on cold frame construction using reclaimed materials. The workshop will be facilitated by Rebecca Bundy, Associate Planner for City of Ketchum and an avid year-round gardener, and Tom Harned, green builder and owner of Five Bee Hives. During the two-hour workshop, participants will learn how to construct a simple cold frame from reclaimed materials, as well as information on season extension gardening, cold frame placement, and more. A cold frame is a low profile structure with a transparent top, used to protect plants from cold temperatures. The cold frame works by admitting sunlight, but keeping heat from escaping at night when temperatures drop. Essentially an unheated greenhouse, the cold frame will extend your growing season. The workshop will take place at the Building Material Thrift Store, which will have materials on-hand and available for purchase for those...
|
