Updated with prizes for the September 2, 2007 event and 2006 scholarship winners.
Full disclosure: I’m a member of Rotary so this may be viewed as a shameless promotion of the Rotary :). I’m happy to sell you some Ducks if you are interested. I only joined Rotary relatively recently but had been aware of the Duck Race that happens over the Labor Day weekend (our kids love the event). Though I was aware of the race, quite frankly, I had no clue what its purpose was and who benefited from the proceeds. That changed when I chatted with a Rotarian and he gave me an idea of who benefited. It’s a broad array of organizations but the one that resonated with me was the fact that Rotary was the primary funder of Blaine County Search & Rescue which I believe provides a tremendous asset to the community (one I hope I never have to use!). I looked at my donation to the Duck Race as a sort of deposit in the “Bank of Karma” that I hope I don’t have to take a withdrawal from later. As I had kids and thought about college expenses, Rotary’s extensive scholarship program also struck a chord. Look for Rotarians all over town selling ducks. Look for a large yellow duck walking around town, or at our booth at Atkinson’s market, the farmers markets, Ketchum Alive, The Gallery Walk, during the Wagon Days parade and at our booth on race day.

Later, when I joined Rotary and was asked to help get the word out, I thought that job #1 was simply educating people on where the funds go that are raised. I’m convinced that if people knew where the dollars went, they’d be inclined to give (or give more if they were already giving). Each year, the race nets about $100,000. The money that the club gets is then distributed to worthy non-profits throughout the valley as well as a big chunk going to college scholarships. When I learned this, my hunch was that there were some great stories about those scholarship recipients. I was right.

I asked to get a copy of the scholarship essays and was blown away by some of the stories of the kids who won the scholarships. I thought the essays themselves told the story of each scholarship winner very well. Too often we hear about what’s wrong in the community but these stories tell you some of what’s right in this community. The stories range from a kid losing her mother at a young age and going on to become valedictorian to a blind kid achieving more than most kids with full vision to another coming up with the idea of a scholarship for kids who are the first in their family to go to college. With the scholarship winners’ permission, SunValleyOnline and the local newspapers will be publishing their inspiring stories. Keep an eye out on SunValleyOnline and the newspapers for these stories. As you’ll learn, many of these kids have a tremendous need for additional funds in order to attend college. If you are so inclined, Rotary will facilitate moneys going to either the scholarship endowment Rotary administers or to the specific student.

The links below go to a series of essays from the Rotary Scholarship submissions. The Hailey and Ketchum/Sun Valley Rotary Clubs have combined to raise over $650,000.00 in the last 9 years. This year, 10 scholarships were awarded. We thought you’d be interested in what the leaders of tomorrow had to say. Rotary scholarships just pay a portion of a student’s costs and many of the winners have significant financial requirements to pay for their college expenses. Rotary welcomes donations to the Rotary Charitable Foundation or funds directed to a specific scholarship winner to address their needs. Please contact Pete Stommel at 726-3331 to learn more about how to direct your donations.

The following scholarship recipients have been highlighted on SunValleyOnline:

Jozey Mitcham is a 4.0 graduate from Wood River High School who has overcome the loss of her mother and other setbacks yet has been a pillar of strength in striving to reach her goals. Read on for her inspiring story…

Tj Squires hasn’t let blindness hold him back from achieving his goals with the help of some instrumental teachers. As he prepares for the challenges college provides, he states “Now, I have to sink or swim, and I AM a swimmer!”

Thomas Gappmayer’s vision for the direction of his life/career will no doubt be useful with issues such as Blaine County 2025 being present today and in the future. Read more about how he hopes to achieve his vision…

Addy Mason is not only a scholarship winner but she is also going on a Rotary exchange program to Italy next school year to fulfill her passion for languages and travel. Addy was awarded the scholarship based upon a high level of achievement in community service, school and the arts.

As president of the Blaine County Teen Advisory Council, Kelsey Laird has worked with Sun Valley Adaptive Sports as well as pioneered a mentoring program that made it easier for middle schoolers to transition into high school. Her caring spirit is one of the reasons she was selected as a Rotary Scholarship Winner.

Hayley Stommel came up with the idea of awarding scholarships to her fellow students who were the first generation in their family to attend college. Read more about how she did it and the phenomenal response she received…

Prizes this year include Grand Prize - $5000 in Chamber Choice Gift Certificates Other Prizes Include: * 2 20/20 Alpine Ski passes from Sun Valley Company * Fisher RX8 skis with bindings from Pete Lane’s * 2007 Scott Carbon Fiber CRI Team Road bike from Sturtos & Scott USA * “Moon Glow – Bald Eagles” print from Images of Nature Gallery * 2 night stay in Park City, Utah from Premier Resorts * $1000 in veterinary care from Randy Acker/Sawtooth Animal Center * John Hardy 18 carat sterling silver moonstone cabochon bracelet from Barry Peterson Jewelers * Wood River Valley Restaurant Package from Names & Numbers * Auto Package from Les Schwab, Splash-N-Dash & Sun Valley Auto Club * $500 gift certificate to The Toy Store courtesy of Big Wood Plumbing * YMCA pool party * Sun Valley Company Restaurant package.

Fools Exposed begins its journey on October 11 and runs through October 29th at the Liberty Theatre. It is Company of Fools, offering of three weeks of creativity through 12 readings of four plays, 3 performances of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, 7 workshops, an award winning playwright and so much more. And every event is 5 BUCKS. Why so cheap? Well…sometimes the best things in life … should be. AND it gives EVERYONE an opportunity to create … together.

There is something for everyone. Literally. I’m not kidding. Log on to www.companyoffools.org and check it out.

But why? Why is Companof Fools doing this?

Well - we truly believe that creativity is our purpose - and what we create is up to us. It seemed to this Company that THAT is worthy of a concentrated view - a focused vision. One that needs to happen in many different ways WITH the community we serve. Hence - FOOLS EXPOSED. Come hear wonderful theatre, see Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner, John Patrick Shanley, take an improv workshop, a writing workshop with award winning playwright, James Still, learn about technical theatre, talk, discuss - DO!

Company of Fools started in the Wood River Valley 11 years ago. Have you heard the story? The Company started as a response to an essay by the visual artist Cecil Collins entitled The Vision of the Fool. In the essay the fool embodied truth, joy, creativity and a child like wonder of all that was magical and mysterious. The response was in a question, “What would it be like to have an acting company … of fools?”

Company of Fools was born in Richmond, Virginia in May 1992, with a series of discussions initiated by the Company’s founder, Rusty Wilson, for the purpose of articulating and clarifying a vision of a living theatre vital to its community. The Company’s first acting studio was Rusty’s garage and since it was unheated, winter classes felt like Russia, which suited the Company just fine, as they all loved Russian art. Or perhaps the winters were the harbinger of a land they knew nothing about … the Wood River Valley.

Through life’s endless wonder of lines that turn into circles - Company of Fools relocated to Hailey, Idaho in January 1997. With limited resources (the money from the sale of a house) the Company adapted Nikolai Gogol’s Diary of A Madman and performed it for thirty people over two nights at $5.00 a ticket. Eleven years later, Company of Fools is an award winning theatre producing year round while maintaining substantial arts-in-education programming.

History, like theatre, is a living breathing entity. Connected to all and singular as a shooting star. Our history continues to unfold……with you.

Log on to www.companyoffools.org to expose yourself to FOOLS EXPOSED.

If you’re a parent of a Bellevue, Woodside or Hailey Elementary student, or Middle or High School student, then you’re probably well aware of the new school start times scheduled to begin on October 3rd (8am for the Elementary students, 8:35 for Secondary students). I, among many parents I’ve been in communication with, have expressed concerns with not only with the new times but also the process with which the school district went through in making this decision (with out mass parental input).

Conversations in passing with other parents have include concerns ranging from: added costs for additional after school care, an actual increase in bus ride time from 40 minutes to 60, less participation in programs such Wood River Ride Share’s Smart Moves, no coordination with area preschools, and simply the difficulties in rousing a young child that much earlier from bed.

In my particular case, we now are within the busing zone for Hailey Elementary and our son will be able to catch the bus at 7:25 am. However he gets to school at 7:35 am, and will have 25 minutes to be left to his own devices or out in the winter cold on the playground. Now if I opted to not use the bus system and horde that extra half hour in the morning for getting ready, I’m left with a 30 minute gap between drop off and my 3 year old’s preschool start time. I hope there are plenty of good stories out there that would give my whiny complaints a run for their money… I hope so, and have to trust so. But at least I would’ve liked the chance to have been heard.

We’ve been told that the best forum for parents to express their concerns would probably be in written format to the School Board. I’d like to offer up this blog as a way to share how the change has negatively or positively affected you.

Rick Kapala’s program has once again produced international caliber athletes. The latest are Morgan Arritola and Chris Cook who were named to the U.S. Cross Country Skiing team. Rick’s program has consistently been recognized as a top program in the country. I haven’t seen a better overall athletic program in the valley — great coaches, kids, etc. who have fun (and also happen to win a lot). They are part of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation which is one of the treasures of the valley.

If you want to read more about what Morgan is up to, Fasterskier.com has an interview with Ms. Arritola.

What is the Papoose Club?

The Papoose Club is a non-profit Wood River Valley charity. The club supports local youth-oriented charities through various events in the Valley. The club currently has about 45 members.

What is the purpose of the Club?

The purpose of the Club is to promote and assist cultural, social, educational, and athletic activities for the children of the Wood River Valley and to raise money to further these purposes.

The Papoose Club was founded nearly 50 years ago by area mothers, and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1975.

What types of organizations receive funds from the Club?

Any 501(c) organization (non-profit). Recent organizations that have benefited from the Club’s support include: Bellevue Elementary Library, Blaine County Recreation District, Company of Fools, Cub Scout Pack 87, Developmental Preschool: Blaine County School District, Environmental Resource Center, Esperanza International, Hailey Elementary, Hailey Ice Rink, Hemingway Elementary Tech
Program, LASAR, Middle School Travel Club, Project Respect, Rape Awareness Week, Rotarun Ski Area, SV Adaptive Sports Program, SV Junior Hockey, SV Ski Education Foundation, WR Middle School, WRHS Band, WRHS Jazz Band, WRHS Senior Bash.

How does the club operate?

Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of every month (excluding June and July). The meeting site rotates as various members volunteer to host the evening in their home. During the meeting, representatives of organizations requesting funds make a presentation outlining their needs.

What is expected of me if I join?

Each member is expected to attend meetings as much as their schedule permits and commit to working two events per year. There are membership dues of $20 per year.

What type of events does the Papoose Club sponsor?

Typically, the events sponsored by the club fall into three categories:

FUNDRAISING EVENTS:

Wagon Days Pancake Breakfast.
The Pancake Breakfast has been a tradition on Saturday and Sunday mornings of the Labor Day Weekend as long as Wagon Days has been celebrated (more than 20 years). Club members serve approximately 1,500 plates full of pancakes, eggs, and sausage – all cooked on grills outdoors in the Giacobbi Square parking lot.

Holiday Craft Bazaar.
This is an annual two-day event held in early December at the Hemingway Elementary School in Ketchum. Over 50 booths are manned by quality vendors from over six states selling arts, crafts, seasonal edibles, and gifts.

Plant Sale.
This event is hosted by Webb Nursery in Ketchum and in Bellevue. Webb donates 20% of its sales on the day of the event to the Club. Papoose members assist Webb at the sale.

SERVICE EVENTS:

KinderCup Ski Race.
This event began in the mid-50s. The race is for children between the ages of 3 to 13. It is scheduled in March and held at Dollar Mountain. All participants receive a patch and winners receive a medal.

MEMBERSHIP EVENTS:

New Members Meeting.
The purpose of this meeting is to recruit new members to the Club. It is held in September at a local establishment where potential members are introduced to the officers, and existing members of the Club.

Members Christmas Party.
A celebration for members held in lieu of the December meeting.

Progressive Dinner.
Members’ spouses (or significant others) are invited to this evening held in April. It provides an excellent opportunity for all to get acquainted.

Anyone interested in the Papoose Club is encouraged to join us for our next monthly meeting Sept 25th, 2006.

Check out our website @ www.PapooseClub.org for more information about the organization and upcoming events.

For more information regarding joining, volunteering or making a donation, please contact us:

The Papoose Club
P.O. Box 394
Ketchum, ID 83340
(208) 726-6642

This gathering was inspired by the great pizza debate triggered by my post on what I thought was the first great pizza in the valley. More on that below. Here are a few highlights (others who were there should jump in as I wasn’t a part of all the conversations):
- Bloggers/commenters/readers of all political persuasions attended. Despite some spirited debates on these blogs, there was lots of laughing and great conversation that took place ranging from issues to blog policies.
- The best quote came from Jon Gove — When the stinky dog next door comes over and wants my attention, I just ignore him and he goes away regarding whether anonymous bloggers/commenters have credibility and how to deal with them.
- When it came to debating issues, the closest we got to a barroom brawl wasn’t when the discussion centered around Iraq or Proposition 2. Rather, it was when Dale Ewersen and Jon Gove found out they were on opposite sides of the Minnesota Twins/Detroit Tigers debate. They were almost ready to take it outside ;-}
- The feedback I got was positive that we should do these again — perhaps one in Hailey and one in Ketchum — so we can get some more folks together in this low-key, informal manner. It was great to put faces to names so I look forward to doing these more. If you know a restaurant that would like to sponsor one of these, let us know.

Back to the pizza debate. Dave Sommers (owner of South Valley Pizzeria) is a great guy and it’s obvious they do killer business. The place was hopping. Since I was the one who initiated the debate, I got asked several times if I thought their pizza was the best. Comparing great pizza is a bit like comparing a great ocean sunset view to a view in the mountains. I love both and they are hard to compare. Nonetheless, here’s how I’d compare a few of the attributes of South Valley Pizzeria vs. McClain’s.
- Toppings: South Valley gets the edge. They have many unique toppings and combinations. Dave treated us to a few of his different concoctions and there wasn’t a piece leftover on any of them.
- Sauce: McClain’s gets the edge. It’s probably the second best I’ve ever tasted anywhere in the U.S. (Atlantic Street Pizza in the U-District of Seattle still is my favorite).
- Crust: Very close but I’d give McClain’s a slight edge in a virtual toss-up.
- Seating: South Valley is quite a bit bigger especially once you can’t eat outdoors. With kids (we brought ours), it’s also nice to have booths as South Valley does (booths don’t tip over like chairs and it’s a good way to keep kids from wandering). McClain’s outdoor patio is great until it gets chilly.
- Chicken Caesar Salad: South Valley gets the edge. Better chicken and dressing. McClain’s does has a dressing that is great (something like “Mama’s secret dressing”.

The moral of the story? Eat more pizza and enjoy both places.

One of the most exciting things I’ve seen that has positively affected a community is collaboration between complementary non-profit organizations resulting in not only a “1 + 1 = 3″ effect but a “1+ 1 +1… = 100 resulting in what forward-looking non-profits call “improved outcomes”. Hands-down the most dynamic United Way chapter in the country is the United Way of King County (UWKC serves the Seattle area). They not only raise more money (more than huge cities like NY, Chicago, LA), they have taken a hard-nosed, business-minded approach to tackling endemic problems not through fixing symptoms but getting at underlying causes of those symptoms. In contrast to many United Ways which are just pass-through fundraising vehicles, UWKC really rolls its sleeves up to tackle the problems head-on. I believe we can apply some of their lessons to our non-profit community. While I don’t profess to be an expert in the field, I hope I can help further catalyze some opportunities to do much better by our youth by sharing a few of my experiences/observations.

First, a bit of background. UWKC underwent a dramatic change over the last 10 years driven by some of the most successful business people in our country. In particular a few had notable roles — Jeff Brotman (co-founder and Chairman of Costco and incidentally part-time resident of Ketchum), Scott Oki (retired Microsoft exec who started Microsoft’s international business which is responsible for half of Microsoft’s revenue) and Bill Gates (actually two Bill Gates — the famous one and his dad — as a sidenote, it was the United Way connection that Bill’s mom had with the CEO of IBM that gave Microsoft the huge break that resulted in Microsoft supplying the operating system for the first PC but I digress). Jeff and Scott’s leadership has been phenomenal in terms of putting in a framework where outcomes (rather than activity levels) were measured, duplication of services were eliminated and unmet needs were identified and filled. I’ve yet to meet a non-profit that isn’t resource constrained so it’s a shame when there’s duplication of services particularly when there are unmet needs. However, before you can “treat” an issue, you need to “diagnose” what’s wrong. Fortunately, there’s a dynamic group in our community that is doing just that.

The leader of Blaine County Youth Adult Konnections (BC YAK), Frances Nagashima, in tandem with student leaders in YAK are trying to spread the word on the very significant shortcomings in our valley when it comes to supporting the development of our youth. There is a well regarded measurement framework to assess how well (or not) a community is doing called “Developmental Assets”. The unfortunate reality is Blaine County falls short in some key areas. On the Developmental Assets page on SunValleyPedia, you’ll see an expanded definition of what the Developmental Assets are and how they can make a difference in our community. In Blaine County, the assets have been tracked since 1998 to see where we stand and what elements are improving or getting worse. Go to the (BC YAK) Assets page for the full report report that asked these question of over 1500 middle & high school students in February of this year. I’ll highlight two of fourty where we fall way short –
1. Community Values Youth — Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth. Only 25% agreed with that.
2. Creative Activities — Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater or other arts. Only 17% agreed (down from 26% just 4 years ago).

One of the common threads that runs through nearly every non-profit in the Wood River Valley is their direct or indirect ability to help in the positive development of our youth in the valley. We encourage every non-profit to list their programs (with links to their website, if appropriate) on the Developmental Assets page. There is placeholder text where programs can be listed. If you need assistance in editing the page, let us know (email support@sunvalleyonline.com). I am also having some discussions with people in the middle of this world in hopes that we can do our part to help their efforts if for no other reason to help them to get the word out. In many situations I’ve seen, people simply aren’t aware of what’s already out there. Hopefully we can close that awareness gap. Stay tuned and feel free to throw out your ideas here or on SunValleyPedia.

Since giving one of these parents a wedgie or a pop in the nose wouldn’t be a good example for my kids, I thought I’d tap the collective wisdom and experience of the SunValleyOnline community. I’m seeking tips on how to deal with Psycho Sports Parents especially since we must have the highest per capital sports participation around. My kids are only 7 and 3 so I’m sure I have many years ahead of me in dealing with these parents usually as a fellow parent but sometimes as a coach.

Let me give you a couple examples of what I’ve observed from some parents in the last 6 months. Thankfully my kids haven’t been on the receiving end of this…yet. Unfortunately, I know it’s just a matter of time. For now, I’ll protect the guilty by not getting overly specific. If that doesn’t work, perhaps outing them will be an option later on

Example #1: Two kids are in a race during a practice. Bully Child decides that the best way to guarantee victory is to push the other kid to the ground resulting in ample blood. Reaction by parent of Bully Child? “Ha, ha, ha Bully Child sure is competitive…”. Bloody Child ends up missing some future practices while recovering.

Example #2: Two kids are going to compete head to head in a competition. Kid #1 (let’s call him “Rodney”) has been having trouble with one facet of their sport (we’ll call it the Triple Lindy - launches AVI). Kid #2’s (let’s call him “Spaulding”) parent (we’ll call him “Psyche Job Daddy”) decides the best way to give Spaulding an edge is to psyche out Rodney. Psyche Job Daddy decides to be “helpful” (despite having no experience in the sport) to Rodney by saying “Wow, you’ve really struggled with your Triple Lindy. Spaulding used to have that problem. It took a lllloonnggg time to get it right. You might want to drop out of this competition so you can work on it more before competing.”

In both examples, the kids were under 10 which makes those parents look especially pathetic. Do you have any examples of this sort of thing happening to your kid? How did you deal with it? If you are a coach, you’ve probably seen even more of this (unfortunately). What’s the best way to nip it in the bud without having any ensuing lawsuits? I know there’s lots of experience/wisdom out there. Please share yours.

With cooler temperatures starting to come around, one passion is coming this way for me. Football. For me, it all starts with High school and then college before I go full swing into the NFL season. The much anticipated start of Wolverine football happened this last Friday night. Their preseason opponent was Fruitland, a well coached and disciplined football program which would prove a tough and challenging game for our wolverines. When I arrived at the game, the stands were full with a very enthusiastic crowd backing the 2nd year coach. I have to say that it is also nice to see a lot of kids out for this year’s program. Coach Glenn definitely had the wolverines fired up to start out this game. The offense and defense played well in the first quarter. The offense seemed to move the ball pretty well for the wolverines first game moving the ball for first downs and not getting many penalties to start. The defensive players were flying to the ball and making good tackles. The wolverines moved out to an early lead in the first half by good execution of the offense and some good plays by the defense. However, the well disciplined Fruitland came back and took over the second half. The wolverine defense wasn’t able to stop the inside run play or the sweep around the end. The Fruitland offense was able to come from behind and score 3 touchdowns and covert all their 2 point conversions. Final score, Fruitland 24 Wolverines 10. I have confidence that Coach Glenn will get the team to pull together for 4 quarters and lead his team to a winning season. Let’s stay behind these kids and show up this Friday night at 7:00p.m. to cheer your Wolverine Football program on.

Go Wolverines!!!!

From SunValleyOnline: If you have pictures from the game, post them in the Photo Gallery and provide a link to them in the comments below.

Even if you aren’t interested in reading on to why I joined the Wood River Community YMCA Cabinet Team, I’d encourage you to read this prayer/pledge which encapsulates my belief in the value of children to our society. In a nutshell, the core reason I joined the Y “team” is I believe the uterine lottery shouldn’t determine whether someone has a place to swim, a safe/fun place to hangout after school or in the evenings (when most kids get in trouble), or a place to learn how to skate, climb, etc. From a pure bottomline financial perspective, there is a up to a $3.56 ROI on every dollar spent on after school programs such as what the Y puts on when compared with the costs to society of substance abuse, crime, etc. Here’s an astonishing fact — the Y is already serving 1000 people in the valley today more than a year before their main facility doors open! More thoughts/details below. Here’s the pledge/prayer…

A Prayer/Pledge of Responsibility for Children

We pray (accept responsibility) for children who sneak Popsicle’s before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.

And we pray (accept responsibility) for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can’t bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never “counted potatoes,” who were born in places we wouldn’t be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

We pray (accept responsibility) for those who bring sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.

And we pray (accept responsibility) for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can’t even find bread to steal, who don’t have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren’t on anybody’s dresser, whose monsters are real.

We pray (accept responsibility) for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray (accept responsibility) for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren’t spoiled by anyone, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move but have no being.

We pray (accept responsibility) for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don’t get a second chance. For those we smother and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

Adapted from Ina J. Hughs

Unfortunately, we have most of the situations outlined above present even here in our idyllic valley.

As I progressively got educated on what the Wood River Community YMCA is already doing and is planning to do, I became a progressively bigger advocate. I could go on and on but here’s this Dave’s top 10 list of the reasons I’m a Y backer…
1. My personal experience of having a place like the Y as a kid that was a veritable fun factory for me as I loved just about any sport you could think of and the Y had an outlet for me regardless of the weather. Perhaps more importantly, many of the most important lessons in life came through sports — goal setting, discipline, team work, dealing with success/failure, etc. Without knowing it at the time, it was these things that “inoculated” me from high risk activities that kids who don’t participate in extracurricular activities are susceptible to.
2. The Y doesn’t turn anyone away who would like to use their facility (see my uterine lottery comment above). In fact, the pro forma for this Y is that 1/3 of the members will pay 90% less than the regular membership dues due to the sliding scaling membership fees that uses the honor system on your income.
3. They already have huge traction today serving 1000 people today long before their doors open. Their expected membership in their financial plans has 1000 to make it self-sustaining. They are virtually there today.
4. It will help the local economy. The #1 weakness sited by a survey done by visitors is there isn’t enough to do for kids/adults after skiing particularly since most people don’t ski full days. I think the figure was 64% had this as an issue that was driving where they’d take their next trip. This doesn’t even take into account the one-time $18M impact from the building project that is using many local tradespeople and companies. The Y walks the talk in shopping locally by using local suppliers/contractors wherever possible.
5. Until the Y opens, there hasn’t been a kid-friendly pool that is open year-round. The slide, zero depth pool, lazy river, etc. is like nothing we’ve seen in the valley.
6. They are geared up for after school programs while their parents finish up their workdays. Something you hear from teenagers, in particular, is the lack of substance free activities outside of school. The Y’s Teen Activity Center has been designed for and by teens. Transportation has also been addressed in their plans so kids can come/go from various spots in the valley.
7. It will be a great way to spread out the traffic heading north/south everyday as people will work out before or after work to avoid the peak commute thus saving them time and lowering their stress not to mention the people who will commute at the regular time and will have fewer cars to contend with. That may also have a spillover effect in helping Ketchum come alive after the workday.
8. Something I hear from longtime locals is how there used to be the feel that this was one big community that wasn’t segmented by income, etc. I believe the Y has a great potential to be a unifier as regardless of age, income, etc. you can be a full member.
9. One of the great events here is Camp Rainbow Gold. Unfortunately, that’s not year-round (yet). The Y will have a Gilda’s Club where people/families dealing with cancer can go and share their experiences and work out without being self-conscious since they are amongst peers.
10. People across all income brackets have donated substantial amounts of money to get the Y to where it is today so it’s a community-wide effort. A $25 donation from someone can easily be as meaningful to them as a $1M donation from someone else. I’ve put my money where my mouth is at both a personal and professional level with a personal donation as well as SunValleyOnline being one of the first corporate sponsors.

If you’d like to join me in support of the Y, I’d be happy to chat with you and/or connect you with the folks at the Y. Another option is that people interested in the project can drop into the Y’s new offices at 105 Lewis St., Ste. 205, overlooking the Park & Ride lot. Informational presentations will be offered during “coffee talks,” held weekly on Thursdays at 9 a.m. Talks last 45 minutes. These are very informative whether you have cautious interest or even are skeptical.

I’ve had the pleasure to work with internationally recognized non-profits including ones that have been scrutinized by the stringent criteria of the Gates Foundation (who later gave them major gifts). The leaders/staff of those organizations are extraordinary. I can state unequivocally that Teresa Beahen and her staff are right up there with the best non-profit staffs I’ve seen. We’re blessed to have them serving our community and hope you get a chance to meet them.

Do you believe in girl power…that every girl is special, every girl is strong, every girl is a winner?! Do you want to see girls grow up to be strong, confident women? Join us as a mentor/coach for our Fall season of Girls on the Run. Our volunteers are a diverse group of dynamic women who are positive role models and want to help girls uncover their potential and celebrate their individuality and inner beauty.

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit, character-building program for 3rd - 5th grade girls whose mission is to educate and prepare them for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Using physical activity and experiental learning, we provide girls with developmental tools in preparation for facing the upcoming challenges of adolescence. The program is dedicated to helping girls stay out of the “girl box” - a place where preoccupation with appearance and anxiety over being liked keep them from fulfilling their true potential. The curriculum combines self-esteem enhancing lessons with uplifting running games, discussions and workouts designed to develop a stronger sense of identity, self-acceptance, and positive peer group experiences. Girls learn the importance of giving back to their community through participation in a community service project, and the program culminates with the excitement of accomplishing a 5k (3.1 mile) run/walk event.

Fall programs run twice a week for 6 weeks from September 11 through October 21 at Hemingway (M/W, 2:45-4:00), Hailey (T/Th, 3:15-4:30) and Woodside (M/W, 3:15-4:30) elementary school locations. For more information, call Shari Kunz, 788-7863, or log onto www.girlsontherun.org. Come make a difference in a young girls’ life and help her experience self-discovery, perseverance and growth. Your life will never be the same!

Girls on the Run…A lot more than a running program!

The writers of Company of Fools’ New Voices for the Theatre will share their work with the community this Thursday and Friday, June 29th & 30th, 7PM at The Liberty Theatre. Here is a comment from one of the writers, Otto Hart, with a comment and a piece of his writing.

Otto, “New Voices is the best thing that I could have done with my time. The time we have spent writing and sharing our work seems more important than all the English classes I’ve ever attended. It’s really helping me tap into my creative writing ability.”

Written by Otto: “Sit in the theatre on the street look at society bloom/ Look at your neighbors bong by gloom and doom/ The mail truck brings the mail/ The food truck brings the food/ What about the wheat that grows in the ground? / What about the voice and sound of the human soul?

There is a lot more where that came from. NEW VOICES … you owe it to yourself to hear the thoughts of our new voices.

Zana Davey, a Community School Student, is a writer for Company of Fools’ NEW VOICES FOR THE THEATRE. Here are her views of the program from 6/15:

“So here we are. Seven of us sitting on little folding chairs on the stage of the Liberty Theatre. Behind us is the set for “Sight Unseen” including a kitchen, some very small beds and a very, very large canvas. Our only audience member: a giant tuba from “Frog and Toad”. We’re here to write plays, not just ordinary plays, but amazing ones. We are men (and women!) with a mission.

We’ve done a number of writing exercises based off of unorthodox newspaper articles, (what they say is true: real life is stranger than fiction) startling photographs, and the latest, a rather overly candid picture of a four automobile car accident. And, judging by the expressions on our mentors faces, I think we’re about to dive into the big thing. The thing the world has been waiting for (dramatic drumroll) the plays!

On the first day it was rather awkward and everyone was very quiet, but after today, the third day, people have begun to open up and give opinions a little more freely. So far I’m having fun with the program though I’m a little nervous about writing a real play to be preformed in front of a real audience but I’m sure I will get through that sooner or later. “-Zana Davey

The following entry is from Cody Cole, a writer who is attending Wood River High School and participating in Company of Fools’ NEW VOICES FOR THE THEATRE. Cody wrote this the second day of the program which runs June 12th through June 30th. Follow the path of these writers each day as we blog along towards sharing our pieces June