HOUSING NEWS
KETCHUM NEWS
Skatepark Gets Scooter-Friendly PG 2
‘Nomadland’ Hits the Valley PG 5 SUN VALLEY
KETCHUM
SCIENCE OF PLACE
HAILEY
‘Scapes PG 8
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WOOD RIVER WEEKLY
YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY
Free | June 2 - 15, 2021 | Vol. 2 - No. 11 | woodriverweekly.com
“ J u n e i s t h e g a t e w a y t o s u m m e r. ”
OH DEER CREEK ~Jean Hersey
Wood River Fire & Rescue crews battle flames from a May 29 blaze at Deer Creek Ranch north of Hailey. Photo credit: Wood River Fire & Rescue
Ranch property suffers severe fire damage
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By Eric Valentine
he 7,000-square-foot home known as Deer Creek Ranch, located approximately two miles west of Highway 75 out Deer Creek Road north of Hailey, was victim to a five-hour blaze that took more than three dozen firefighting personnel to put down on Saturday. According to Wood River Fire & Rescue fire chief Ron Bateman, a passing motorist called 911 at 12:08 p.m. Saturday, May 29, after observing flames at the property. When the first crews arrived, they observed 10- to 15-foot flame lengths from the rear of the porte cochere (covered driveway) on the west side of the main living quarters. The fire was declared knocked down just after 5 p.m. There were no civilian injuries or deaths because of the fire, although one firefighter was injured and treated and released from St. Luke’s Wood River. “My wife and I were about a half-mile up the Marshall Lakes Trail when the call came in,” said WRFR Chief Ron Bateman. “I didn’t get to the fire scene until 2:30 p.m. By that time, the crews had been working incredibly hard for more than two hours. I am very impressed by the effort and thankful for all the agencies and personnel that helped out.” Crews remained on scene until 9 p.m. and, with the help of a private company, secured the scene. WRFR made checks
on the structure throughout the night. Multiple additional departments had to be called to put down the blaze. In total, more than three dozen personnel with a dozen fire apparatus were on scene. Wood River Fire & Rescue, Hailey Fire Department, Bellevue Fire Department, North Blaine County Fire & Rescue, Sun Valley Fire Department and Ketchum Fire Department were dispatched to the structure fire. The Carey Fire Department was requested later in the incident. Because of the size of the structure and the dollar loss incurred, the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s office was contacted to lead the investigation into cause and origin, Bateman said. The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s office arrived Sunday morning and determined the cause to be electrical in nature. No estimated property loss figure is available. Bateman noted that the deputy fire marshal commented on the “great stop” made by the crews preventing something much worse from spreading across the Valley. “I believe that we took some very specific lessons learned from a fire in East Fork late in 2020 and applied them on this incident with some success,” Bateman said. The property made headlines 30 years ago when the so-called “Donald Trump of the West” purchased it. An article from Aug. 24, 1990, in the “Lewiston Tribune” read as follows:
A host of Valley fire crews were needed to battle the flames from a blaze that severely damaged the main living area at Deer Creek Ranch. Photo credit: Wood River Fire & Rescue
Billionaire California developer Donald L. Bren has bought the 6,800-acre Deer Creek Ranch from Bill Burt. Hailey is located just south of Sun Valley. Bren said he plans to build a home and maintain the property as a working cattle ranch, Burt said. ‘’There were several people who offered me more money who wanted to subdivide,’’ Burt said. ‘’I picked him because he said he was not going to subdivide.”
Bren, 57, the son of the late Hollywood film producer, is estimated to have a net worth of $1.85 billion, making him the 16th wealthiest person in the country, according to Forbes magazine. He is the largest landowner in Southern California, with thousands of apartments, 11.4 million square feet of commercial space and the prevailing interest in a company that owns nearly one-sixth of the land in Orange County.
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Wood River Weekly
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June 2 - 15, 2021
NEWS
KETCHUM
Ketchum’s Skatepark Goes Scooter-Friendly
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By Eric Valentine
oth Valley skateparks—Guy Coles Skate Park in Ketchum and Hailey Skatepark in, you guessed it, Hailey—are now scooter-friendly, although both Valley skateparks have placed specific limitations and requirements on what is and isn’t allowed. The City of Ketchum, which has been the one to most recently update its policies, has now done its part to make people aware of it all. On May 18, the city held a sign-unveiling ceremony—with the granddaughter of one-time Ketchum mayor Guy Coles in attendance—to bring attention to the new policy that scooters are officially OK to ride at the facility, but only before 5 p.m. “We wanted to honor the original vision of the park in that it was meant for skateboarding, but we wanted to be in-
clusive, too,” Ketchum mayor Neil Bradshaw said. The park project began in 1994 back when scooter technology wasn’t exactly skatepark-ready. Over in Hailey, the park has a more liberal curfew, 7 p.m., but a more restrictive access. Scooter riders cannot use the “bowl” portion of the facility, only the flatter space. And, they must have a park pass, acquired by passing a skills test.
mony worthy” full-color signs. One is a nod to Mayor Coles’ efforts to make the park a reality. It includes a four-paragraph history as well as a visual timeline of the park’s development. The second sign is all about the rules, but done in the coolest way possible, with funky fonts, clever headlines, etc. To let skateboard, rollerblade, and scooter users know they are all welcome, the headline reads
“ABSOLUTELY” and the disclaimer, use-at-your-own-risk verbiage reads, “HEADS UP!” For the rules and regulations sections, those are topped off with “Yes Please” and “No Thanks” headers. “Huge Egos” is one thing not allowed, as are “Marathon Runs”—the term for doing multiple laps at a skatepark without letting the next user have his or her turn.
Pretty ‘Rad’ Ketchum’s skater haven is not without its own restrictions. And the signage at the park makes it clear, and cool. Rather than produce a “typical” city-code type of sign, the city decided to outsource the design to a graphic designer Bradshaw works with on his monthly “Mayor’s Missive” and other projects. The result was two “unveiling cere-
A skateboarder enjoys Ketchum’s now scooter-friendly skatepark. Photo credit: City of Ketchum
It’s not your normal city-approved signage, but Guy Coles Skate Park is not your normal skatepark, either. Image credit: City of Ketchum
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COVID NEWS
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COWBOY POETRY
Mask On Mask Off PG 4-5
1st Annual Cross Walk PG 6-7 HAILEY
Two Old Friends PG 11
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WOOD RIVER WEEKLY
YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY
Free | May 19 - June 1, 2021 | Vol. 2 - No. 10 | woodriverweekly.com
“Every flower blooms in its own time.” ~Ken Petti
FANNING THE FLAMES
Local firefighters battle a blaze on a hillside above Elkhorn Road in Sun Valley in 2019. The fire was caused by a biker attempting to burn toilet paper after relieving himself off the trail. Fire officials are extremely concerned about the upcoming fire season in the Wood River Valley and beyond—and especially with all the new people moving to the Valley and outdoor recreation expanding. Photo credit: Wood River Weekly
Local fire officials expect a ‘pretty nasty’ fire season
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By Eric Valentine
ow dry is it? It’s so dry … that fire officials across the region, let alone the Wood River Valley, are preparing for record blazes, both in number and intensity. It’s so dry … that at last week’s Idaho fire chiefs conference in Sun Valley, the mantra there was there’s no such thing as fire season anymore, it’s closer to year-round. It’s so dry … that you should seriously consider reviewing the FireWise USA fact sheet on how to protect your home from being part of any blaze this year. That one-pager can be found at this shortened URL: tinyurl.com/duhfk8m2 And if a back-to-back-years drought condition isn’t already—literally and figuratively—adding fuel to the fire, the influx of new residents in the Valley and across central and southwest Idaho is the match that could ignite the blaze. Already by June 1, local fire officials will be banning all open burns regardless of federal guidelines. Continued FIRE SEASON Page 2
The Idaho SNOTEL Snow/Precipitation Report, as of Monday, May 17, shows drier than normal conditions in and around the Wood River Valley. Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Wood River Weekly
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June 2 - 15, 2021
WRW STAFF PUBLISHER Christopher Seldon (208) 788-4789 publisher@woodriverweekly.com MARKETING & SALES Mandi Iverson (208) 721-7588 mandi@woodriverweekly.com NEWS EDITOR Eric Valentine news@woodriverweekly.com ARTS & EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dana DuGan dana@woodriverweekly.com COPY EDITOR Patty Healey PRODUCTION & DESIGN Mandi Iverson mandi@woodriverweekly.com Christopher Seldon chris@woodriverweekly.com ACCOUNTING accounting@woodriverweekly.com DEADLINES Display & Classified Ads, Monday 5 p.m. Calendar Submissions — Friday 5 p.m. CONTACT Wood River Weekly P.O. Box 3483 Hailey, Idaho 83333 (208) 788-4789 woodriverweekly.com
PUBLISHER’S NOTE Dear Valley Residents, Summer is right around the corner. Hopefully, the change of seasons gives us optimism and hope for this year to be better than the last. With any luck, combined with vaccinations and precautions, life this summer will resume its normal hectic schedule of events, activities and the general summer mayhem we all are accustomed to. Wood River Weekly will still publish every other week, until such time that it becomes practical to resume our normal weekly schedule. We look forward to this day. It goes without saying that the past and present ramifications of COVID-19 will continue to be felt by our friends and neighbors, so let us keep up the effort to be compassionate and understanding. Take care, Chris & Mandi
RIP LE Y
Spayed Female 2 Years Old
In this furry edition of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, this sweet girl is setting the record for being the coolest dog-gone companion out there! With her bouncy personality, Ripley has no problem getting along with her fellow pups at the shelter and quite enjoys the days she gets to be involved in playgroups! Interested in getting to know Ripley beyond the screen? Call at 208.788.4351 to schedule your appointment! 101 Croy Creek Rd, Hailey mountainhumane.org 208-788-4351
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Wood River Weekly
•
June 2 - 15, 2021
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Vaccines Now Available At St. Luke’s Family Clinic
Sandra Ehrmantraut
St. Luke’s Wood River is now administering COVID-19 vaccinations at its Family Medicine Clinic in Hailey. The clinic is offering the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine which has been granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for ages 12 and up by the Food & Drug administration (FDA). As vaccination rates in Blaine County have risen above 75%, St. Luke’s Wood River will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations through its primary care providers at the Hailey Clinic rather than holding large-scale clinics at the Physician Office Annex at 100 Hospital Drive. Patients can schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine online via myChart, by calling St. Luke’s Connect at (208) 381-9500, or they may opt to receive the vaccine during a scheduled appointment/visit for another reason, such as a regular check-up. “If you are visiting your provider for a wellness exam, a sports physical or for a minor injury, you can choose to get vaccinated during the same visit,” Dr. Julie Lyons, St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine physician, said. The St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine Clinic is located at 1450 Aviation Drive in Hailey and is open M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. For vaccine appointments, visit myChart or call (208) 381-9500. For all other appointments, contact the clinic at (208) 788-3434.
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Bellevue deputy marshal Nate Silvester is a Bellevue deputy marshal no more. What started as a week of unpaid leave, according to Silvester, for what city officials and the Bellevue Marshal’s Office deemed inappropriate behavior while on duty has turned into full-on termination. Silvester is the local officer who has gone viral on social media for his takes on policing, one of the most recent being the racially charged video wherein he fictionally calls NBA star LeBron James to get advice on how to handle a violent assault involving two people who are black, one of whom is wielding a knife at the other. A GoFundMe campaign was established after Silvester’s leave was made official, yielding well over $500,000. Silvester has said some of the funds will go to a first-responders charity. What follows is a statement made by Bellevue mayor Ned Burns and obtained by “Wood River Weekly.” During the week of May 20th, while on shift Deputy Marshal Silvester violated several clearly established City of Bellevue and State of Idaho policing policies. After his previous policy violations Deputy Marshal Silvester was placed on probation and was on what is called a “last chance agreement” with his superior officers. Because of his continued policy violations, the Marshal has terminated Mr. Sylvester effective May 27th, 2021. The policy violations have nothing to do with the tone or the tenor of his speech that he posts online. He was not terminated for the content of his speech; he was terminated for his failure to follow clearly laid out and well established policy. The decision was solely made by the command structure within the Bellevue Marshal’s Office and was not influenced in any way by me or by the City Council. We were informed of the decision, and as in the previous incident, left the final decision making to the Marshal and Deputy Marshal. The City Council and I respect the way the Marshal runs her department, and we are supportive of the decision that was made in regards to consequences for not following policy. We wish Mr. Silvester the best, and we ask for calm and understanding.
St. Luke’s Expands Virtual Services
People in rural Idaho who need emergency healthcare now have access to some of the same top health experts as patients in urban centers. That’s because St. Luke’s Health System is expanding virtual care services to more emergency departments. Patients who are in St. Luke’s emergency departments in Nampa, Wood River, McCall, Fruitland, Mountain Home, Magic Valley, Jerome, Meridian and Boise will be able to connect with new virtual neurologists, behavioral health providers, pediatricians, social workers, critical care and nursing support specialists, along with emergency physicians and nursing teams at the St. Luke’s Virtual Care Center (VCC) in Boise. Over the past year, St. Luke’s has relied on more virtual services and even expanded some programs largely due to the pandemic. The healthcare organization started with pilot projects that turned out to be so successful at improving patient outcomes at lower costs that St. Luke’s decided to put the programs in place permanently. The necessary equipment and technology have been installed, and expanded virtual services are expected to be rolled out to all sites over the next several months. Wood River and Nampa are the first to formally come online, followed by McCall, Fruitland, Elmore, Jerome, Magic Valley, Meridian and Boise.
NEWS
Wood River Weekly
‘NOMADLAND’
•
June 2 - 15, 2021
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HOUSING
Jenni Riley, MBA, FPQPTM
Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalTM Director of Operations
Rendering of City of Ketchum Bluebird Village. Image credit: GMD Development
Camping sites, parking lots may be top short-term housing solution
I
By Eric Valentine
t won the Oscar this year for Best Picture, but the subject matter of Best Actress winner Frances McDormand’s and Best Director winner Chloe Zhao’s film “Nomadland” doesn’t necessarily play well in an area of estate homes and high-end resorts. Nonetheless, the affordable housing crisis here is forcing a significant amount of so-called “working-class folks” to live in campgrounds inside their vehicles, just like Fern (McDormand’s character’s name) did in the eye-opening film. On the bright side, the current labor shortage felt by local businesses as the Valley reopens post-pandemic is creating an atmosphere of acceptance to alternative living styles, if takeaways from last week’s housing crisis public forum are any indication. “The pain points discussed at the meeting by the public were that there isn’t enough affordable housing for Ketchum’s workforce and the businesses are at risk of closing due to the lack of employees,” explained Lisa Enourato, Public Affairs & Administrative Services manager for the City of Ketchum. It’s that serious. And the market seems to know it. According to the city, building permits are coming in at four times the rate compared to 2019 (the city is not comparing it to 2020 as it was a pandemic year) and most—according to Enourato—are for housing and residential remodels. Similar spikes in permit pulls have been reported across the whole Valley. Meanwhile, Bluebird Village in Ketchum continues to move along through the development process. The Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved sending the project to formal design review, where project details will continue to get revised and hashed out. Currently proposed are two four-story buildings totaling about 60,000 square feet at 480 East Avenue, the current location of City Hall and the fire department. The development comprises 35 one-bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units, as well as commercial space. Rough estimates, however, are that 500 units of housing supply are needed to meet the area’s housing demand. What do we do, now?! While these projects may help solve the housing crisis at least to a certain degree, they are down-
the-road solutions when the crisis is now. That means citizens and leadership are coming up with and/or entertaining creative, alternative solutions. “We’re exploring both short-term and long-term solutions now,” Ketchum mayor Neil Bradshaw said regarding last Friday’s session. Public meetings at P&Z and city council typically draw out the residents who are opposed to or are requesting changes made to whichever project affects them directly, explained Bradshaw, who says he has proposed housing for every possible section of town. “It’s the nature of the development process,” Bradshaw said. “That’s what was encouraging about it all. Everyone’s getting involved now.” According to Bradshaw and Enourato, shortterm solutions brought up at the meeting were: • For homeowners to open their properties for short-term rentals • For hotels to allow rental of extra rooms • For The Senior Connection to reach out to seniors who may be able to rent out extra rooms in their homes; and, in some cases, discount the rent based on housework or other labor • To allow for expanded public area use: ° Rotary Park for tenting, add restrooms, use of YMCA showers ° Washington Street parking lot for RVs Bradshaw said some, if not all, of these programs would need to have a process wherein the benefit is being extended only to people who work in the Valley. Another issue that arose at the workshop was the strain that services like Airbnb place on housing supply. Property owners enjoy this pervasive short-term rental option because it’s more lucrative than month-by-month or long-term leasing. And with property values skyrocketing, property taxes do, too, making Airbnb an attractive option. Yet, the option eventually implodes when too much housing supply is lost, especially when the economy starts to gain speed. “The city has been preempted by the State of Idaho on regulating short-term rentals. The public was encouraged to reach out to the legislators to try to make some change,” Enourato said.
HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC is pleased to announce Louisiana State University has conferred upon Jenni Riley, a Master of Business Administration degree.
HazlettWealthManagement.com 208.726.0605 675 SUN VALLEY ROAD, SUITES J1 + J2 KETCHUM, IDAHO 83340 Hazlett Wealth Management, LLC is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.
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The plight of Frances McDormand (left) in Chloe Zhao’s fictional film “Nomadland” is becoming a Valley reality. Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons
Hazlett Wealth Management, LLC is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.
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Octavio and Fernanda Hurtado. Photo credit: Fernando Hurtado
Latinx Siblings Ski Champs! By Monica Carrillo
W
hile other kids of the Latinx community take interest in common sports of their culture, like soccer, Octavio, age 12, and Fernanda, age 10, have taken a different route and are expanding their interests by skiing with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF). Although now living in Shoshone, Octavio at the time was 6 years old and attending Hemingway Elementary when he was introduced to the sport of skiing. With the help of Mimi Crocker, the director of finance and administration for the SVSEF, Octavio was able to receive help and feel safe to be a part of what can be a dangerous sport. “We were asked about our children and what they do outside of school,” Fernando, Octavio’s father, said. “And because we didn’t know anything about skiing, we were nervous for them.” Octavio’s sister also joined the SVSEF at the age of 6, which their parents explain has been an amazing experience for both of them. “This has been a totally different experience for and different from our Hispanic culture,” Fernando said. “But it’s also been beautiful to see them branch out and be a part of a new experience.” Octavio and Fernanda’s family deeply appreciate SVSEF but, most specifically, Mimi Crocker, SVSEF executive director Scott Mcgrew, and all the coaches that work hard to teach these kids the art of skiing.
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ientras que otros niños de la comunidad latina se interesan por los deportes comunes de su cultura, como el fútbol, Octavio, de 12 años, y Fernanda, de 10, han tomado una ruta diferente y en ampliar sus intereses esquiando con la Fundación de Educación de Esquí de Sun Valley (SVSEF). Aunque ahora vive en Shoshone, ID, Octavio en ese momento tenía 6 años y asistía a Hemingway Elementary cuando se introdujo en el deporte del esquí. Con la ayuda de Mimi Crocker, Directora de Finanzas y Administración, Octavio fue capaz de recibir ayuda y sentirse seguro de ser parte de lo que puede ser un deporte peligroso. “Nos preguntaron sobre nuestros niños y lo que hacen fuera de la escuela,” dijo Fernando, el padre de Octavio. “Y como no sabíamos nada sobre el esquí, estábamos nerviosos por ellos.” La hermana de Octavio también se unió a SVSEF a la edad de 6 años para explicar lo que los padres han sido una experiencia increíble para ambos. “Esta ha sido una experiencia totalmente diferente y diferente a nuestra cultura hispana,” dijo Fernando. “Pero también ha sido hermoso verlos ramificarse y ser parte de una nueva experiencia.” La familia de Octavio y Fernanda aprecia profundamente a SVSEF, pero más específicamente, a Mimi Crocker, Scott Mcgrew, director ejecutivo de este programa, y a todos los entrenadores que trabajan duro para enseñar a estos niños el arte del esquí.
W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY
THE SENIOR CONNECTION
Plethora Of Things
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Shawna Wasko, M.OLP CSI Office on Aging swasko@csi.edu
Wood River Weekly Advertorials
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ADVERTORIALS BETTER HOMEOWNERS NEWS
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ANNA & MICHELLE
Is A Home Inventory Necessary?
By Shawna Wasko, M.OLP CSI Office on Aging
had the wonderful opportunity to be in Rupert yesterday at the Mini-Cassia Veterans Fair. Since COVID-19 began, all health fairs have been shut down. As the public information officer for the CSI Office on Aging (OOA), I usually attend several events a year and give out information on the services we provide. I was reminded at the fair just how many people have difficult problems they need help with and don’t know who to contact. I had people trying to deal with their parents who live out of state and have dementia, or other disabilities. Many attendees needed transportation to medical appointments, caregivers who needed resources, and others who were food insecure, or simply lonely. I spent several hours helping people find resources; it was a very long day, but a delightful day, and especially it was wonderful spending the day with our finest—American veterans and their families. My article today will be about the resources the OOA has for seniors and their families. The fair last Saturday reminded me of the fact that so many people don’t know what resources we have available to help. I always begin with meals— both congregate and home-delivered meals in our 16 senior By Shawna Wasko, M.OLP centers in our eight counties. Thousands of meals are served to over-age-60 clients. It is our biggest budget at the OOA. Centers are also a wonderful place to go and learn new things and make friends. Studies show that people who attend senior centers have less dementia and are scammed less often and are less lonely. We have an Aging & Disability Resource Center along with an Information & Assistance Department. You call us with aging questions and we help you find the needed resources and also help you access those resources. The OOA now has a Friendly Calling program. Are you living alone, homebound and experiencing loneliness? If so, please call the OOA and sign up for this program. These calls give reassurance and help you with your concerns, provide a great visit along with encouragement. The OOA contracts with respite providers for caregivers age 60 and older. We can give the caregiver a break from their duties by having someone provide companionship, supervision, and assistance to care receivers while the caregiver shops or goes to lunch or to the doctor or just takes a nap. We also contract with homemaker services that assist seniors with light housekeeping and general chores and also contract with transportation providers to help homebound seniors access doctor appointments, shopping, and many other essential services the senior needs to get to. The OOA also has widowed support groups, caregiver support groups and grandparents/relatives-as-parents support groups. All of these groups are facilitated by yours truly. Please give us a call if you need assistance: (208) 736-2122 for more information. My mom is doing great in memory care. She is rested and comfortable. No emergencies, and no ambulance rides. She is calm. The Ombudsman Program here at the OOA helped me navigate long-term care issues; they can help you, too. The manager of the program said when she put her mom in memory care her mom was much more peaceful. Her mom found a place where she could just be herself, and not work all day at pretending to be OK, or just working to keep up with life around her. This is Mom now—so peaceful and calm. She knows someone is there to help her, and they make no demands on her. They have a real rabbit she can hold and pet. Right now, she seems to “hoard” the rabbit from the other residents in memory care. But mostly she doesn’t worry that she can’t get help when she needs it. She says to me, “They (nurses and CNAs and workers) are at my ‘beck and call’ and treat me like a queen.” Dad is still at home, refusing to go into assisted living. I will keep you updated on that issue. Take care, all,
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BY ANNA & MICHELLE
Most homeowners have insurance on their home that additionally gives them coverage on their personal property. That is the first level of peace of mind to know that it is available to you if there is an unfortunate need for it from a burglary, fire, or some other insured circumstance. Personal property is handled slightly differently than real property. The claims adjustor could start by asking you for a list of the things lost. You are allowed to reconstruct it but there is a distinct possibility that you’ll forget things, sometimes for months or years after the claim was settled. An interesting exercise would be for you to visualize two rooms, possibly the kitchen and main living area. Without being in the room, create a list of all the personal items in plain sight and those in the closets and cabinets. When you’re through with the list, go into each room to check to see what kinds of things were not on your list and what the value of those items amounted to. It could be substantial. Remember, you are entitled to claim them regardless of how long it has been since you used them or if you do not intend on replacing them again. When filing a claim, the more “proof” you have to substantiate it, the better off you are. Receipts are great but chances are you may only have them for the big-ticket items. Photographs or video of the different rooms are great records that the items were in your home. An itemized list of each room with a description of the contents, cost and date of purchase, supported by pictures, would be ideal. This type of docu-
mentation will make filing and settling a claim much easier. The more documentation you have, the more likely you are to have a favorable settlement. The more expensive the item, the better it would be for you to have receipts, serial numbers and photographs. A simple count of some items, like clothing, will suffice, like four pairs of jeans, 24 dress shirts, etc. More valuable items of clothing, like a cashmere jacket or a silk dress, should be listed individually. Depending on the frequency that you purchase new items for the home or possessions, you’ll need to consider updating the list and photographs. Moving creates opportunities to get rid of things that haven’t been used for years and to acquire things for the new home. It is always a good idea to complete a home inventory after you’ve moved and settled into your new space. If you would like to have more tips and a form to itemize your possessions, download the Home Inventory. This will even allow you to include pictures and store it in digital format for safe keeping.
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Teachers, District Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
The Blaine County School District says its negotiations team has reached a tentative agreement regarding teacher pay and benefits for the 2021-22 school year. Next, the so-called Master Agreement will be presented to the Blaine County Education Association full membership for a ratification vote. The BCSD Board of Trustees will then vote on the agreement, as well. If the e-agreement is approved by all parties, it will be signed by BCEA President John Thomas and BCSD Board of Trustees Chair Keith Roark. The 2021-22 Master Agreement will then be posted to the district’s website. “We are appreciative of all the BCEA members, district staff and board members who worked to reach this agreement,” said Fritz Peters, interim superintendent. “We look forward to taking the next step in the process.” The Negotiation Team includes Blaine County Education Association members, district office staff and two Board of Trustee members. The negotiations have been streamed publicly on YouTube, allowing all staff and community members to watch live.
WRHS Gets First Female Principal
The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees has approved the hiring of Julia Grafft to serve as the next principal of Wood River High School. Grafft has been with the district for the past 20 years, including the past six as vice principal at WRHS. She will be the first-ever woman to serve as principal of the school. The board took the action at a special meeting Tuesday evening. “I have a strong sense of Julia’s will and commitment to working with a solid team to make the school reach even greater heights. She has the intelligence, courage and willingness to get the most out of her team,” said Fritz Peters, interim superintendent. “She is a staunch advocate for her students, her staff and WRHS as a whole, while simultaneously understanding the bigger picture of our school district’s mission and vision.” Grafft began her career in education 2001, first serving as a teacher and coach in BCSD. She became vice principal at WRHS in 2015. Grafft will officially begin serving as principal July 1.
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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • J U N E 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 2 1
Fishing R epoRt
COMM ENT ARY NO BONES ABOUT IT
THE “WEEKLY” FISHING REPORT FOR JUNE 2 - JUNE 15 FROM PICABO ANGLER
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he fishing story this week is the brown drakes on Silver Creek! We saw the first emergence on Sunday night and anglers can now expect to see this big bug on the lower half of Silver Creek for the next few weeks. If you have not fished the brown drake, the action begins at sunset with a spinner fall and then escalates again well after dark with the nightly emergence. We have a lot of proven brown drake patterns in the shop, so stop in and grab a handful of flies, some leader and some snacks! Then settle in for a beautiful evening. With each passing year it becomes more and more important that we respect landowners’ property, we treat one another with respect and kindness, we help the uninitiated and, most importantly, we take incredibly good care of the fish. Remember, the brown drake is as much a social event as a fishing event, so act accordingly. Leave boorish behavior at home. We are here to celebrate fly fishing and our fellow anglers! The Big Wood is fishing well with smallish attractor flies. Keep your little Stimulators and Parachute patterns close by. Fishing small dropper flies is also a great way to cover water. The low flows this year mean the fishing will get more and more technical with each passing day, so keep in mind that tactics that work this week may not work next week. Be willing to lengthen your leaders and fish smaller and smaller flies. We will also see a premature turn toward low light periods being the best fishing. The Upper Lost River is also fishing and much like the Big Wood small attractors and nymphs are going to get it done as well as small streamer patterns. Cover a lot of water on the upper Lost and pay attention to what’s happening under the overhanging branches. There will be plenty of fish hiding out in these areas. The Lower Lost is fishing well, but always check the flows before you go. There could be wild fluctuations this summer. Nymphing this tailwater is the main way to go. Think about using small Copper Johns and the color red when making your choices. The South Fork of the Boise may be fishing well, but the volume of boats is too overwhelming right now to make this worth your time. Let the weekend get behind us and try midweek. Happy fishing, everyone!
Hwy 20 in Picabo info@picaboangler.com (208)788.3536 www.picaboangler.com
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Dog Bullies
By Fran Jewell
e all remember that kid in school with a gang behind him that bullied someone who was a bookworm, or wore glasses, or even just didn’t have the cool clothes. The bully had to prove he or she was stronger, cooler, or just wanted a good laugh. We are all aware of the cyber-bullying going on in schools now with the proliferation of cellphones, resulting in emotional devastation to victims. Well, in the dog world, things are not much different. With the proliferation of overly-permissive dog “parenting,” excessive off-leash opportunities and lack of knowledge about what aggression really is, more and more dogs and puppies are being victimized by dogs who are bullies or, as I would call it, “pre-aggressive.” Just what is dog bully behavior? It is when a dog runs up to another dog, barking, his head and tail high. The tail can be wagging, but it is held high. A wagging tail is not necessarily a friendly tail. No, this is not “friendly” behavior. Friendly behavior would be a dog that saunters over softly, with a relaxed tail at about half-mast. The friendly dog will not run fast or bark or go straight on. Most of the time, the friendly dog will have a loose mouth with its tongue out in a pant. Dogs with their mouths closed or barking are displaying a sure sign of bully behavior. Raised hackles are, of course, another sign of bullying and potentially aggressive behavior; some hackles indicate excitement, others indicate fear. When owners allow their dog to continue to run up to another dog, barking, with a high tail, they are in fact giving the dog permission to behave aggressively. Proper behavior from an owner with an off-leash dog is to have their dog sit nicely next to them. Ask the other dog owner if the dogs can play and if their dog is friendly. If the other dog owner says, “Please keep your dog away! Mine is afraid of other dogs!” it is important to respect that. A responsible and kind dog owner will respect other owners and their dogs. It is best to have your dog sit patiently until released to go play. Calm behavior should be rewarded with play. Do not reward bully behavior with allowing more bully events. A part of teaching a dog that bully behavior is not acceptable is leadership in a manner that the dog understands. Leadership does
SCIENCE OF PLACE
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FRAN JEWELL
BY HARRY WEEKES
any years ago (actually, in 1998), according to Gillette’s website: “Gillette rocketed men to an even smoother, closer shave with the launch of the MACH3®, the first safety razor with threeblade technology.” Whoa. It was shortly after the Mach 3 hit the market that my Uncle Jack sent a note, “When do you think there will be five blades?” As you can see, he made the logical leap from “If they are making a razor with three blades, then four blades is obvious, so when will they go to five?” I use this example as a way to think about thinking. When have you learned something that not only made you immediately see the world differently (foreshadowing pun here) but that opened up the world to an explosion of new possibilities? My youngest daughter, Penelope, recently spent her Independent Trimester studying marine soundscapes at the University of Hawai‘i’s Institute for Marine Biology. In short, soundscapes are the acoustical equivalent of landscapes. When we look out of our windows or walk across any stretch of ground, the landscape is the terrain—its undulations, contours and shapes. We are familiar with landscapes as they are embedded in our vocabulary and, therefore, our lives—landscape architecture, landscape painting, “sitting here, looking out across the landscape.” A soundscape is the same, but with sound. The soundscape is the sound fingerprint or signature of an area: all of its creaks, groans, warbles, barks, trickles and swishes. We are familiar with these, once we think about them, but, for the most part, soundscapes are a part of our background (as in “background noise”). In the marine environment, though, soundscapes can be primary. For monk seals, the acoustical world is their landscape; it’s how they navigate. And, as Penelope taught me, if you mess with this world, through human-cre-
Proper greeting behavior: softly circling, tails at half-mast, tongues out and relaxed. Photo credit: Fran Jewell
not mean beating on a dog. It means that the dog understands that the owner makes the decisions. The owner is a dog’s “director.” That also means that the owner must accept that responsibility! ALL dog owners must realize that leaving decisions about behavior to the dog will result in feral behavior that may start with bullying, and then very quickly soar into aggression. Dogs are dogs. They are not humans and do not understand what is socially acceptable. Dogs must be taught what is acceptable in our society and not be left to their own devices. It is then that dogs can co-exist peacefully with each other. Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.
HARRY WEEKES
’Scapes
Young monk seal underwater. Photo credit: NOAA/PIFSC/HMSRP
ated noises like propellers, it can mess with the animals. (One of the current threats to monk seals is simple—they are having trouble locating one another due to all of the anthropogenic noise. And if you can’t find a fellow seal, it sure makes it hard to mate.) Needless to say, once you start thinking about soundscapes, you literally get attuned to them. This time of year my morning amble comes with rails, snipes, robins, finches, poorwills, owls and sparrows, to name some of the birds; periodic coyotes on the mammal side of things; and the rustling of wind and the intermittent pitter patter of rain from the physical environment. While Penelope has opened my ears to this world of sound, she has also opened another door: “If there are soundscapes, what other scapes are there?” Watching my dogs snuffle the air, and looking at the ways the tips of their noses flex and
arc, what kind of smellscape are they tuned into? I read an article on platypuses and learned that they hunt with their eyes closed, sensing the muscle flexion of their prey, tuned in, as they are, to the electroscape. And is the long mysterious answer to bird migration an attunement to the magnetoscape that we can barely fathom? It is a wonderful experience when your child opens the world to you, magically making you aware of all of these fabulous senses we have, and the scapes we are able to conjure. Harry Weekes is the founder and head of school at The Sage School in Hailey. This is his 49th year in the Wood River Valley, where he lives with Hilary and two of their three baby adults—Penelope and Simon. The other member of the flock, Georgia, is currently fledging at Davidson College in North Carolina.
W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY
MONEY MATTERS
KRISTIN HOVENCAMP
Inflation, Inflation, Inflation BY KRISTIN HOVENCAMP
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f “everyone” is saying that inflation is a concern, chances are you will begin to worry about inflation. Repetition does not make it so. There are many sides to the inflation debate, leaving investors with an unclear picture. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell views current inflation as “transitory.” Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffett sees “substantial inflation.” Harvard University economist and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers recently argued that the Fed is setting a “dangerous complacency” tone over inflation. While economists and investors continue to pontificate about the implications of inflation, fearing it will not solve anything. You can never fully insulate your portfolio against the risk of rising inflation. However, you Kristin Hovencamp, Direccan invest in assets that having purchasing power tor of Business Developand perform better during inflationary periods. ment at HAZLETT WEALTH • •
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MANAGEMENT, LLC
Equities. Owning quality dividend-paying stocks can help protect income-focused investors. Consider investing in companies that have pricing power and the ability to increase cash flows. Fixed Income. Short-dated U.S. government securities protect purchasing power. Inflation-protected bonds are designed so bond payouts increase with inflation—for example, Treasuries and Treasury Inflated Protected Securities (TIPS). Commodities. If we experience a weakening dollar, the value of gold, copper, and other metals should increase. Similarly, if growers raise the price of soybeans, markets will charge more for products that are made with soybeans. Real Estate. Hard assets such as real estate tend to maintain their pricing power. If the price of residential real estate goes up, then the cost of rent goes up, allowing it to maintain its value.
Inflation is a real risk that can impact all assets at varying times. Pockets of inflation exist, and we may experience periods of inflation, but that does not mean long-term inflation has arrived. Investments that have pricing power or protect purchasing power may help mitigate portfolio risk during times of perceived or real inflation. Kristin Hovencamp is an Investment Executive and Director of Business Development with HAZLETT WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC, which is independent of Raymond James and is not a registered broker/ dealer. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Dividends are not guaranteed and must be authorized by the company’s board of directors. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite J1 + J2 Ketchum, Idaho 83340, (208) 726-0605. HazlettWealthManagement.com
INSPIRATIONS FROM MY HEART
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JOELLEN COLLINS
The Absence of Tolerance and the Rise of Anti-Semitism By JoEllen Collins
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his column is difficult to write, as this morning I awoke to the news with scenes of current anti-Semitic fascists demonstrating in Germany, others in France, and scenes of Jewish gravestones sprayed-painted with swastikas. Sick at heart, as I have been often at current news, I am especially bewildered by the shock of these images as a woman who, even as a young girl, learned of the Holocaust and could not comprehend how Hitler’s regime could kill innocents—babies accompanied by their mothers. The recent acceleration of violence may have revealed an often-hidden intolerance toward Judaism I had hoped had diminished because recent generations have been able to witness through film and journalism these crimes. I have had faith that we learned from history not to repeat its excesses— certainly, I hoped, not in this more “enlightened” century! In recent days we have witnessed many ramifications of religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural hatred, recently exacerbated by the complicated conflict between Jews and Palestinians in IsraeI. I fear pontificating on that in this short space, especially because I would rather honor instances of positive and kind behavior, even toward those with whom we disagree. Thus, I am reviewing my own history and life experiences relevant to anti-Semitism. I was raised in a rather devout Christian home and fervently lived according to the positive components of my faith. We learned to be civil when we disagreed. I cannot recall even one bigoted joke or disparaging anti-Semitic remark from my family and friends. My Jewish high school boyfriend was a highly intelligent, sweet and athletic teenager who has always remained the object of my gratitude for his respectful and tender treatment of me at all times as we courted in our “old-fashioned” world of dating. JoEllen Collins—a longtime My parents adored him. When I later married a different intelligent and honorable resident of the Wood River Valley— is an Idaho Press Jewish man, the father of my children, my parents adored him, Club award-winning columtoo. I easily blended thoroughly into his large, talented family, nist, a teacher, writer, fabric enjoying every moment we shared with them. My daughters artist, choir member and happily observed Seders and Easters, Hanukkah and Christ- unabashedly proud grandma mas. known as “Bibi Jo.” I did have a younger member of my family who, as an adult, wrote me letters using words like “yid” and ‘kike.” I found it difficult to understand why he did this when I asked him not to, but eventually I cut off the letters from him. Later, when I met his wife, she mentioned my lack of correspondence, and I told her about the bigoted language. She fully understood. Thus, for most of my life I have spent time learning about and loving the Jewish faith of my friends and relatives. My family in San Francisco practices Judaism. I honor that entirely but am now more afraid than ever of the violence resulting from ignorance and hate. The great writer Elie Wiesel noted that one-on-one friendship between those of difference conquers bigotry. I do see my grandchildren and their friends naturally relating one-on-one to their heterogeneous group of kids despite any cultural labels they may have inherited. Can I hope, perhaps?
DOVE
BY DOVE
am a gardener, and I am blessed to have earth to play in. The rain made the earth soft and workable. My neighbor was having his lawn fertilized the other day with a liquid spray and I went out and asked the man if it was an organic solution. His reply was no, and I respected the choice of my neighbor without any need to change their minds about what they were putting into the ground. I started thinking that maybe I should have my yard treated also but I heard this inner voice tell me there are other choices. Would you poison your own body with chemicals? Of course the answer was no. I would not put into Mother Earth anything that would harm the living organism we reside upon. I remembered that last fall when I was seeking a way of digging weeds that did not require me to use a weed digger and strain my arm to the max to get the weeds out. Again, I listened to that inner voice that said swing by the nursery—they will have the perfect tool for weed removal. I was on my bike and I made the stop. Sure enough, there was one tool left that all you did was push the four prongs into the earth around the base of the weed, turn the handle, and low and behold the weed—root and all—came out effortlessly. My young grandson was so taken with the process that he offered to remove many of the weeds. I told him I would pay him for his efforts, and he replied he wanted $2 per weed. I had no idea where that value came from, but I knew that he indeed valued himself. We settled on $5 for a large bucket of weeds and he went after it. This tool makes weeding fun, really it does! Every time I am weeding, I think about all the thoughts that run through my mind, most of them good, but every once in a while a thought pops in that really needs to be thrown away, just like the weeds. Wouldn’t it be magical if we could identify the thoughts that keep us stuck and unhappy. Or, any past negative memories that hurt could be plucked
ON LIFE’S TERMS
Rain And Blessings
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JUNE 2 - 15, 2021
out of our mind, never to return with the ease that the weeds are plucked out by the weed tool. The image in my mind as I weed is I am cleaning my house and my mind of negative thoughts and energies. It is very satisfying, and weeding leaves me feeling free and uplifted. Also, my garden relishes the attention and joy I feel. My grandfather was a gardener and he lived next door to me for much of my life. Every evening he and his wife “Phronie,” as he called her, held hands and walked through the garden. They touched the plants and sent them love, row after row. The produce was sweet, succulent and abundant. What a blessing it has always been to connect to the Earth that nurtures us. Take a moment today, and every day, put your bare feet on the Earth and bless it with your energy. Release the weeds of your mind and feel the love from the Earth returning to you. You can do this.
COWBOY POETRY
BRYCE ANGELL
Impress Your Wife
Way back in 1968, the price of gas was cheap. Two bits would buy a gallon and a five would fill my Jeep. The tickets at the Roxy were about a buck back then. Two Cokes, a bag of popcorn, still left money from my ten. That’s been over fifty years. Those prices now sky high. And when it comes to datin’, well, I barely even try. Last Friday night I asked my wife, “How ‘bout a date tonight?” I swear the look she gave me was, “You sure you’re feeling right?” A ton of bricks sure doesn’t have to hit me on the head, to remind me where I’m slackin’, just a look like hers instead. I asked, “How ‘bout a movie, even though they charge too much?” I was lookin’ to impress her. Said, “This time we won’t go Dutch.” So, we readied for the evenin’, mind made up, hell bent to go. I even took a shower, only been a week or so. Sixty dollars filled my Chevy. Dang sure has an appetite! We drove down to the movie house. The tickets took a bite! The attendant took my twenty, then I said, “Two tickets, please.” He needed five more dollars and demanded with such ease. I stepped up to the snack bar. Found the prices out of reach. ‘Cuz the popcorn and the soda pop were five whole dollars each. I’d spent a whoppin’ hundred bucks before the movie showed. My Mastercard was handy but was runnin’ overload! The superheroes movie wasn’t bad, I must admit. But, ain’t got much recollection ’cuz I slept through most of it. So, next time when I am thinkin’ that I should impress my wife. We’ll sit down on the porch swing, share a Coke and talk ‘bout life. — Bryce Angell Bryce Angell - The outdoors has always been a large part of my life. My father was an outfitter and guide for 35 years and I was there to shoe and care for the horses and help him do the cooking. We took many great trips into the Yellowstone area. Even now that I’m older, we still ride into the Tetons, Yellowstone and surrounding areas. My poems are mostly of personal experience. I am now retired and enjoying life to the fullest. I plan to do more riding and writing.
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W O O D R I V E R W E E K L Y • J U N E 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 2 1
COLUMN
Little & Littler By Eric Valentine
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Slap in the face Little opens his message by stating that “we could talk ’til we’re blue in the face” about masks. You have to give credit to both his wit (blue, as in liberal?) and sense of mask metaphor (masks go on the face), and he softens it with a Mozart-esque use of a contraction (’til rather than until). Well played, sir.
hen the cat’s away the mice will play. And that’s essentially what happened last week when Idaho governor Brad Little took what turned out to be a big trip out of state to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Nashville. As the state constitution dictates, when the sitting governor steps out of state, the lieuHypocrite much? tenant governor steps in. So for a short “An executive order that was issued period of time Janice McGeachin was while I was out of state this week runs the Gem State’s supreme leader, and contrary to a basic conservative prinshe swiftly removed the tyrannical veil ciple—the government closest to the we’ve all been living under the past people governs best,” Little (et al.?) year by mandating no more mask manwrote. It’s a polite way of calling his dates because mandates don’t work— lieutenant governor misguided at best except in hospitals, so her executive and a hypocrite at worst. Now, as order decreed, more or less. someone who does not self-identify as I’m not even going to bother mansconservative, I need to point out there plaining Little’s point of view versus are myriad problems with this neither McGeachin’s point of view. We’ve liberal nor conservative principle of heard all versions of all sides and it’s local control. Jim Crow laws and slavthe only thing we’re more sick of than ery were local control. So, we should actually wearing our masks, which the wave the “governs best” flag on a case CDC—more than a week before Mc- Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin. Photo by case basis, rather than axiomaticalGeachin’s order—said we don’t need to credits: State of Idaho ly. Otherwise, we can sometimes be do anymore if we’ve been vaccinated. far worse than just hypocritical. And What I am going to do, as an experienced writer and if you don’t buy that, consider how you’d feel if your lofan of good writing, is analyze the sheer genius of Lit- cal city council banned AR-15s. You may want to resort tle’s public statement on the matter. Kudos to whomev- to federal law then. er penned it. <--That’s not a knock on the governor, as I’m certain some of it came directly from him. However, It’s the law, stupid anything released out of a politician’s office had several At one point in the message, Little runs down some of folks at least tweak it. Or, at least it should have. the practical and legal reasons McGeachin’s executive
OPINION
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4TH ESTATE
order doesn’t pass muster. And then delivers the line, “This is why you do your homework, Lt. Governor.” [Insert boom GIF here.] Talk about calling someone stupid without calling them stupid … wow. No stunts stunt Finally, Little wraps up his message by denouncing the use of position (like a three-day stint as state governor) to carry out a political stunt. And then promptly spends the next three paragraphs or so giving examples of how—at least in his eyes—he has helped make the state a great place to live. Little’s message shows he’s not beneath petty politics after all, but that when forced to react, he can go big and at least appear as though he’s being the bigger person who’s above it all.
Gov. Brad Little. Photo credits: State of Idaho
CAITLIN JOHNSTONE
The Public’s Trust In Mass Media Is Plummeting
his year has marked the first time ever that trust in news media dropped below fifty percent in the United States, continuing a trend of decline that’s been ongoing for years. Mass media punditry is divided on where to assign the blame for the plummet in public opinion of their work, with some blaming it on Russia and others blaming it on Donald Trump. Others, like a recent Forbes article titled “Restoring Public Trust In Technology And Media Is Infrastructure Investment” blame it on the internet. Still others, like a Washington Post article earlier this month titled “Bad news for journalists: The public doesn’t share our values” blame it on the people themselves. The one thing they all seem to agree on is that it’s definitely not because the billionaire-controlled media are propaganda outlets which manipulate us constantly in conjunction with sociopathic government agencies to protect the oligarchic, imperialist status quo upon which the members of the billionaire class have built their respective kingdoms. It cannot possibly be because people sense that they are being lied to and are fed up with it. And actually it doesn’t ultimately matter what mainstream pundits and reporters believe is the cause of the public’s growing disgust with them, because there’s nothing they can do to fix it anyway. The mass media will never regain the public’s trust. They’ll never regain the public’s trust for a couple of reasons, the first of which is because they’ll never be able to become trustworthy. At no point will the mass media ever begin wowing the public with its journalistic integrity and causing people to re-evaluate their opinion of mainstream news reporters. At no point will people’s disdain for these outlets ever cease to be reinforced and confirmed by the manipulative and deceitful behaviors which caused that disdain in the first place. A propaganda outlet will never be anything other than a propaganda outlet. A lot of half-awake people with one eye open and one eye closed will notice how the news media don’t practice journalism and don’t report the facts, and they’ll assume that something went wrong at some point. “Just do your jobs and report the news!” they’ll shout in frustration. But nothing has gone wrong, and they are doing their jobs. They are doing their jobs extremely well. Telling the mass media to “just do their jobs” and report the news is like bursting into a shoe factory yelling “Just do your jobs and start manufacturing dentures!” Their job is not to report the news, their job is to manipulate public perception for the benefit of the media-owning class. And toward that end they’ve been immensely successful. There’s no point admonishing the mainstream press for the public’s plummeting trust in it, because a thing that has only ever existed to administer propaganda can’t suddenly become journalism. It’s like yelling at a rock for not being a tree.
The mass media are completely and utterly irredeemable, and always have been. It’s a waste of energy to try and get plutocratic propaganda institutions to suddenly begin doing journalism; that’s not what they’re for. Instead, our energy is better spent teaching people to stop seeing them as journalistic outlets. The other reason the mass media will never regain the public’s trust is that humanity’s relationship with narrative is evolving too far beyond the level that once saw Americans gathered around the television listening with Bambi-eyed faith to the words of Walter Cronkite. That level of widespread blind credulity in the official stories of the day will never again exist. Our old relationship with narrative is crumbling, and people’s old ways of understanding what’s going on in the world just aren’t holding together anymore. As cold war tensions with Russia and China continue to mount while the US-centralized empire fights with increasing desperation to retain its dominance, we’re seeing propaganda hit white noise saturation levels to such an extent that we’ll likely soon find out how aggressively the collective consciousness can be pummelled with mass-scale psyops before it snaps. America just went through four years with a president whose words had no relationship with facts or reality, and who made no attempt to pretend otherwise. The mainstream public is becoming increasingly aware of the widespread nature of disinformation and propaganda. Deepfake technology means we soon won’t even be able to trust video anymore. Ordinary people are hurting financially while Wall Street is booming, a glaring plot hole in the story of the economy that’s only getting more pronounced. There are numerous different narratives about Covid-19 and the government responses to it running parallel to each other with everyone still to this day absolutely certain that their position is the only correct one. The entire media class is acting stranger and stranger, now routinely reporting bogus stories en masse like the Russian collusion narrative or the “Bountygate” narrative and then simply acting like it’s no big deal when those stories they’d fed us with such urgency are completely discredited. Now we’re even seeing headlines about UFOs in esteemed mainstream publications, not just once but regularly, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago. You can’t twist and shove the collective consciousness around like that without something snapping. Without people beginning to look at the thoughts in their heads with suspicion and beginning to question their sense of reality. Without people wondering if everything they believe is a lie. We’ve been seeing signs that humanity is moving into a new relationship with narrative for some time now as people learn across all sectors of society that
so many of the seemingly solid rules we once took so seriously are just empty thought fluff that we are free to rewrite at any time. Atheism and secularism, once fringe positions, are now mainstream as people have discovered that they don’t need to allow their lives to be controlled by words written by long-dead men in far off lands from cultural and historical contexts which have no relevance to our own circumstances. People are beginning to recognize that money is made up and we can collectively change the rules of how it works whenever we want, with the rising popularity of both socialism and cryptocurrencies capturing the public imagination of what’s possible. People are beginning to understand that what we call gender is a large network of conceptual constructs which we have overlaid upon human anatomy, and that we are free to disregard and re-author those conceptual constructs if that feels right to us. People are beginning to understand that romantic relationships don’t need to look the way they’ve been modeled for us across the centuries, with unmarried, same-sex, polyamorous, or other relationship models also being perfectly acceptable options. People are beginning to understand that “family” doesn’t need to refer to people to whom we are related by blood, with the concept of chosen family gaining in popularity. People are beginning to understand that the failed drug war is an immoral abuse and that we should be allowed to experiment with our own consciousness using whatever substances we see fit. These are all signs of a growing awareness that the “How It Is” narratives we’ve been fed by culture do not have the concrete reality to them that we once assumed they did. We’re beginning to see them as what they are: stories. Stories that we are free to ignore or re-write to whatever extent we find useful. For propagandists whose manipulations depend on their targets imbuing their narratives with a great degree of significance, this recent development is very problematic. If a How It Is narrative isn’t taken seriously, it can’t be used to manipulate the way people think, behave, and vote. And this seriousness is exactly what we’re seeing deteriorate in humanity’s relationship with narrative. This could end up being a very, very good thing. All human destructiveness is ultimately caused by our taking thought seriously instead of simply using it as the tool it’s meant to be and setting it down when we’re done with it; look at any manifestation of human self-destructiveness, no matter how large or how small, and you’ll find a belief being taken too seriously underlying it. This shift in our relationship with narrative could end up being what saves us from our self-destructive patterns as a species. But it won’t lend itself to trust in the mainstream media. This too would be a very good thing.
W O O D R I V E R W E E K LY
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answer from page 12
answer from page 12
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Wood River Weekly
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June 2 - 15, 2021
WOOD RIVER WEEKLY SUMMER + FALL 2021
Hard way Pipeline
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The Classic Sudoku is a number placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.
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THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY 7-DAY WEATHER FORECAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Sunny 0%
high 87º
low 56º WEDNESDAY
Sunny 1%
high 91º low 58º THURSDAY
Mostly Sunny 22%
high 89º low 54º FRIDAY
Mostly Sunny 0%
high 83º low 46º SATURDAY
Mostly Sunny 2%
high 75º low 44º SUNDAY
Partly Coudy 7%
high 71º low 44º MONDAY
Mostly Sunny 3%
high 74º low 45º TUESDAY
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