Horizon Air ups ability to fly into Sun Valley
Alaska Airlines’ sister carrier, Horizon Air, received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin using its proprietary Required Navigation Performance (RNP) instrument approach procedure at Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey. The procedure could reduce weather-related diversions by 95 percent. It’s projected to reduce diversions for Horizon from an average of 40 to 50 per year down to one to two estimated diversions per year.
In development for more than 10 years, RNP technology allows aircraft to fly safer flight paths, provides more reliable landings and eliminates reliance on ground-based navigation aids. This enables pilots to navigate aircraft more precisely and efficiently, while also being able to fly to lower altitudes in to airports where limited visibility upon approach is common due to weather and characteristics of the terrain.
Horizon expects to save up to $600,000 a year by completing flights that would have would have otherwise been diverted or cancelled due to weather. Alaska and Horizon Air are the only major U.S. carriers with a fully RNP-equipped fleet and fully-trained flight crews.
“Just in time for the ski season and holiday travel, the expected improvement in reliability this brings to our airport during inclement weather will greatly benefit our customers traveling to the area,” said Chris Pomeroy, airport manager at Friedman Memorial Airport.
Horizon’s seasonal service from Seattle to Sun Valley will resume Nov. 23. Beginning Dec. 16, Horizon Air will inaugurate daily direct service from Los Angeles, and on Dec. 17 will begin twice-weekly direct service from Portland, Ore.
From football to soccer
Sawtooth United Futball Club (SUFC) has changed its name. It will now be known as the Sun Valley Soccer Club (SVSC). The name change is a better reflection of the location of the club and the sport it represents, said a press release. Sun Valley Soccer Club will continue to be composed of soccer players from throughout the Wood River Valley.
Community School athletic director Richard Whitelaw, coach for the school’s girls’ and boys’ varsity soccer teams, founded the club in 1997. His work to be the premier competitive soccer club in the Valley will continue under the new name, said Pete Woodring, the club’s vice president. Jon Piggins is the club president.
The Sun Valley Soccer Club’s mission is to encourage the physical, mental and emotional growth of the youth of the Wood River Valley through the sport of soccer. The club strives to enhance the players’ skills and to promote a lifelong love of soccer, while developing knowledge of commitment, self-discipline, sportsmanship and teamwork.
To register for the spring sessions, visit sunvalleysoccerclub.com.
Crisis Hotline to host community dinner
Join the Crisis Hotline from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, at the St. Charles Catholic Church Parish Hall at 311 S. 1st Ave., Hailey.
The nonprofit organization will use that day to collect toys and ask that attendees bring a toy with them to fulfill the need for the Community Baskets.
The Crisis Hotline will also deliver meals to those who can’t make it out but would like to join in the festivities.
St. Charles Church, The Crisis Hotline, The Bead Shop, Hailey Rotary and anonymous donors are the sponsors for the dinner. If you would like to donate, volunteer, or if you need a ride, contact the Crisis Hotline with any questions at (208) 788-0735, or Tammy Schofield at (208) 720-7160.
Ice cream parlor donates to youth groups
Leroy’s Ice Cream, the ice cream stand located in Ketchum Town Square, recently donated profits from its summer 2016 season to six local youth organizations. The donation of approximately $10,000 brings the total amount Leroy’s has contributed to community nonprofits since its inception nine years ago to $85,000.
As in the past, this year’s recipients all serve local youth. They include the Blaine County School District, The Sage School, Pioneer Montessori School, Community School, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and the Ketchum Parks & Recreation Department.
Kristen Morton, manager of Leroy’s, said this was among the most profitable summers in Leroy’s history.
“We had a great crew of enthusiastic kids working this summer––their energy rubs off on customers and adds to the vibrancy of Town Square,” Morton said. “It’s especially satisfying when customers learn that Leroy’s goal is to give back to the community.” Each organization received $1,666 this year.
Created in 2007, Leroy’s Ice Cream is now owned by the Ketchum Community Development Corporation.
Holiday baskets, food drives
The Hunger Coalition will help facilitate Thanksgiving dinners in the Wood River Valley and asks residents to consider making a donation. The cost of a meal for a small family is $35 while the cost of a meal for a large family is $45.
Meanwhile, local groups in the community are rallying to provide food and monetary donations for Thanksgiving meals. The Hunger Coalition has gathered a little more than 700 pounds of food for the Thanksgiving baskets, which will be donated to families in need on Monday, Nov. 21.
Les Schwab Tire Center is also holding a turkey drive through Albertsons supermarket where folks can donate extra turkeys to The Hunger Coalition. Albertsons helps make this easy with its latest promotion––everyone who spends $100 receives a free turkey.
Donations may be delivered to 121 Honeysuckle St., in Bellevue, or call (208) 788-0121 for more information.
Idaho gets new area code
Idaho will add a new area code for the state, putting the entire state into a 10-digit dialing system. Rather than split the state geographically, new phone numbers will be assigned the new 986 area code, joining 208 across the state. This could mean your new neighbors have a whole different area code and to call them you’ll need to dial the entire 10-digit number.
Rates, services and coverage area will not change, and a local call will still be considered local. You won’t have to dial 1 in front of the 10-digit phone number unless you are placing a long-distance call using a landline.
Nothing will change for calling 911, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811, where available.
Mandatory 10-digit dialing for all Idaho phone numbers will begin Aug. 5, 2017.
Resort focuses timely Bald Mountain opening
Despite the recent gorgeous weather the Wood River Valley has been experiencing, the Sun Valley Company is preparing for its 81st winter season with its traditional opening date of Bald Mountain on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24.
“We are dedicated to providing the best product with the least amount of environmental impact possible,” said Kelli Lusk, resort public relations and corporate communications manager, late last week.
Over the summer, resort replaced 125 older snowmaking guns with environmentally efficient Rubis Evolution guns, bringing the total number of Rubis Evo snowguns on the mountain to 207. Rubis offers a high degree of control over energy consumption on new installations and the optimization of existing equipment.
The resort also added two more Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 finals Prinoth Bison snowgroomers with lower fuel consumption and 90 percent fewer emissions than traditional snowgroomers.
Check the resort’s website and app for updates and the latest conditions at sunvalley.com/mountain-snow-report.
Reservoirs await snow, just like the rest of us
Magic Reservoir is about half full these days, but needs some snow and more rain for recreation and storage.
Created in 1910 by the building of Magic Dam, Magic Reservoir is on the Big Wood River on the border of Blaine and Camas counties, about 30 miles from the Wood River Valley.
“We hope for another good snow season that will help fill up our reservoirs here in Blaine County,” said Lamar Waters, Blaine County Waterways director. “I will be submitting a grant application to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for new docks at Lava Point on Magic Reservoir in January 2017. The new docks at East Magic are working really well. Ice fishing should be good on Magic and Little Wood reservoirs this winter.”
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will start an upgrade on the boat launch on Lava Point next spring.
Ketchum hires new planner
Carl Anderson, formerly a research assistant at the Boise State University Public Policy Research Center, has joined the City of Ketchum as an associate planner. Anderson is a graduate of Boise State University with a master’s in community and regional planning and a bachelor’s in environmental studies, with a sustainability minor.
Anderson’s research focused on a variety of areas, from analyzing food accessibility to exploring the ways in which advocacy organizations use science in decision-making.
Most recently, he focused his energy on improving the ways in which communities provide permanent supportive housing to their most vulnerable populations. To fulfill his capstone requirement with BSU, Anderson developed an evaluation criteria that was later adapted and implemented by the City of Boise. These criteria prioritize potential single-site, permanent-supportive housing developments operating under the Housing First model.
“Housing First is a proven approach in which people experiencing homelessness are provided with permanent housing directly and with few to no treatment preconditions, behavioral contingencies or barriers,” he said.
Local bridge players place first in Idaho Falls
Six Wood River Valley bridge players took top awards in a recent tournament sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League in Idaho Falls.
The four-person team of Jim Churchill, Linda Parsons and Janet and Jim Mayfield won the all-day Sunday event. Churchill, Parsons, the Mayfields and Lynne and Steve Heidel also won first places in pairs events.
The Wood River Valley offers four duplicate bridge games a week, two of which are designed for players new to duplicate bridge. For information about bridge games and lessons, contact Jo Murray at jo@sunvalleybridge.com or (208) 720-1501. Additional information is available at sunvalleybridge.com.
Donate on the Giving Walk
In the spirit of the season, the Sun Valley Gallery Association will host an après-ski Giving Walk, 4-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25. The public can donate items in support of three local nonprofit organizations: The Advocates, Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley and The Hunger Coalition. Visitors can enjoy the exhibitions and refreshments at SVGA’s 10 member galleries while making donations to organizations that provide much-needed services to the community.
Galleries will have collection bins where Giving Walk participants can donate the following items:
The Advocates: used clothing for resale at the Attic Thrift Store; new clothing and toys for their Giving Tree drive
Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley: canned pet food, pet supplies
The Hunger Coalition: canned or boxed nonperishable food
The Giving Walk offers residents and visitors the opportunity to engage with world-class visual art while supporting organizations that make a vital difference to the Wood River Valley during the holidays and throughout the year.
Sun Valley Gallery Association member galleries include Broschofsky Galleries, Fredric Boloix Fine Arts, Friesen Gallery, Gail Severn Gallery, Gilman Contemporary, Harvey Art Projects USA, Kneeland Gallery, Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Wood River Fine Arts.
POWER named a top Idaho company
POWER Engineers, Inc., of Hailey, was named one of the Top 100 Private Companies in Idaho last month for the 10th year in a row by the Idaho Statesman in Boise.
The Idaho Statesman listed POWER as one of Idaho’s top companies in its annual “Idaho Private 100” roundup, which ranks Idaho companies based on revenue. POWER has been ranked at 17 since 2014, sharing the list with major Idaho players including Albertsons, WinCo, J.R. Simplot and Blue Cross of Idaho.
“POWER’s consistent placement near the top of this list reflects our team’s commitment to doing good work,” said Bret Moffett, POWER’s chief executive officer.
POWER was first recognized on this list in 2006, and was first recognized by the Idaho Statesman as a top Idaho company in 2004. Statesman President and Publisher Debra Leithauser described the companies listed as a very select group that shows the growth and vibrancy of Idaho’s economy.
ITD wins two awards
The Idaho Transportation Department won a pair of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials President’s awards on Monday, Nov. 14. The agency was also recognized for earning two of the top three spots for projects in public voting across the country this fall. The awards and recognition came at the association’s annual gathering, held this year in Boston.
“These awards show that Idaho projects consistently rank among the best in the nation,” explained Brian Ness, ITD director.
The environmental award was for finding a solution to facilitate federally-mandated safety inspections on a bridge over the Dworshak reservoir and balance that with federally-protected osprey nesting there that were blocking the inspections in north-central Idaho.
The second award recognized the GARVEE program, a historic investment in the state’s roads and bridges during the last decade. The 59 GARVEE projects were delivered on time, under budget, greatly increased traffic capacity and dramatically improved safety. GARVEE also added about 120 miles to the state highway system for congestion relief, added or replaced 41 bridges, and built or improved 14 of the state’s busiest interchanges.
The organization also recognized a dozen ITD high-ranking employees for at least 25 years of service, and gave honor to former ITD employee, Doug Freeman, who was killed in a crash last fall.