Cleanup Crew Wants You
Left to right, Judy Stoltzfus, Heidi Bynum, Glen Olson and Katja Casson cut or pulled most of the knapweed on the gravel road leading up to Water Gulch in Woodside on Friday, July 24, as part of the volunteer effort called Woodside Weed Warriors. They meet Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to cut as much knapweed in Woodside as possible before it sends out millions of seeds this season. All residents are welcome to join them to cut weeds and/or help hold the bags open. Wednesday, July 29 and Aug. 5 are the next two meetups. Meet just off Woodside Boulevard south of Alturas Elementary School on the dirt road leading to Water Gulch Canyon July 29. On Aug. 5, meet in the parking lot of POWER Engineers near the Mountain Rides bus shelter.
Please wear gloves and long sleeves and bring a facemask. If you have questions, contact: Katja Casson (208) 954-0937, Heidi Bynum (208) 788-1212 or Judy Stoltzfus judyarts@gmail.com
Ketchum Police Chief To Retire
Ketchum Police Chief Dave Kassner is retiring after 34 years on the job. His retirement will go into effect on Aug. 31, the City of Ketchum announced Tuesday.
Kassner began his law enforcement career with the Ketchum Police Department in 1986. He became a member of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office in 2009, when the City of Ketchum contracted with Blaine County for law enforcement services. Kassner was promoted to Chief of Police in 2014 and is a member of the Ketchum Traffic Authority.
“Dave has built trusted relationships with Ketchum residents and visitors,” said Mayor Neil Bradshaw. “His demeanor and approach to difficult situations has earned him a great deal of respect in the community. I’m happy I’ve had the opportunity to work with him.”
Sheriff Steve Harkins added, “I want to thank Dave for his service to our community and we wish him a long and happy retirement.”
In reflecting on his career, Kassner said that “it has been a tremendous honor to work alongside the dedicated men and women in the Ketchum Police Department and to serve the City of Ketchum community. I will miss working with the staff, but will see them around town or on the hill.”
Kassner’s future will include more time with family, traveling, skiing and volunteering for The Hunger Coalition. The City of Ketchum invites the community to Ketchum Town Square at noon on Thursday, July 30, to wish him well.
Bellevue Wants You, To Plan Parks
The City of Bellevue is looking for two people interested in serving on its parks committee. The purpose of the committee is to enhance the beauty, vitality and sense of community of the City of Bellevue by providing a variety of parks and recreational opportunities.
The Bellevue Parks Committee is a citizen’s advisory group that assists the mayor and city council by providing recommendations on matters relating to parks within the city, including policies, procedures, operations, maintenance, permits and budgeting. Upcoming projects include engaging the community on a conceptual plan for Memorial Park.
The mayor and council shall appoint members to represent the broad interests of the people of the city without regard to sex, age, race, nationality, religion, disability or political affiliation. Members may be residents of the city or within a six-mile radius of the city limits. The initial appointment is for two years. Meetings are held no more than once per month and there is no compensation for serving.
If you are interested, please submit a letter or email to the city that includes a brief statement of interest and qualifications by Aug. 10. Please contact the City Clerk/Treasurer at (208) 788-2128, ext. 2, or at bellevueparkcommittee@bellevueidaho.us with any questions.
2020 Wellness Festival Goes Full Virtual
The world’s longest-running wellness festival will still run this COVID-impacted year, but it will be doing so online. The Sun Valley Wellness Festival & Conference has announced that the 23rd annual event, which had already been rescheduled to Aug. 21–24, will now take place virtually. One thing that will not change, organizers say, is the outstanding lineup of renowned speakers addressing COVID-19 and other timely wellness topics.
Speakers include keynoter and sleep expert Matthew Walker, Ph.D., and featured speaker from the frontlines of COVID-19, University of Washington Director of Infectious Disease Medicine, Seth Cohen, M.D., MSc. Other featured speakers include Dr. Eben Alexander, Dr. Zach Bush, Nora McInerny, Dr. Sasha Heinz, and others. Walker and McInerny’s TED Talks were in the top five most popular Talks viewed in 2019.
“It’s a surreal time for our world and if ever there was a time for wellness, it’s now,” said Andria Friesen, SVWellness board president.
Friesen noted that the roster of speakers is unprecedented for SVWellness, and a number of them will directly address the pandemic crisis at hand. The 2020 SVWellness Virtual will feature content-rich programming with over 20 virtual online presentations including several guided meditation sessions and an array of movement classes all facilitated by top wellness experts addressing various aspects of body, mind, spirit, and environmental wellness.
The SVWFC Experience Park, which was planned to be held outdoors in Forest Service Park, will not take place this year. SVWellness Virtual Passes are now on sale at www.sunvalleywellness.org.
Women’s Biz Center Births Pro-Bono Legal Clinic
The Idaho Women’s Business Center, along with law firm Smith + Malek, has launched the Idaho Virtual Legal Clinic. The program offers pro-bono legal consultations for small-business owners and nonprofits in the state to help them navigate the COVID-19 economic crisis and ensuing relief programs. The clinic is part of a nationwide program developed by the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation, a nonprofit network of more than 125,000 legal advocates with lawyers in all 50 states.
Qualifying small businesses and nonprofits of 25 or fewer employees will be offered free 45-minute phone or virtual consultations with pro-bono attorneys who can answer legal questions and help determine the best path forward for their companies. Consultations will include helping Idaho small-business owners or nonprofits understand the legislative language in the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and answer any questions related to employment, contracts, commercial leases, insurance and insolvency issues.
More information can be found at idahowomen.org/small-business-legal-clinic1.html
“We are honored that Lawyers for Good Government entrusted our firm as the Idaho site for this nationwide legal clinic to assist businesses during the pandemic,” said Tara Malek, attorney and co-owner at Smith + Malek. “Partnering with the Idaho Women’s Business Center is a natural fit for a majority-female firm, and because we know women-owned businesses may have a harder time bouncing back during this uncertain time.”
“This partnership gives women and men in our network access to legal expertise they might otherwise struggle to access and afford,” said Diane Bevan, executive director of IWBC, which operates through the Idaho Hispanic Foundation.
SV Forum To Explore Nature, Virtually
Sun Valley Forum will wrap up its free-to-the-public Resilience Now Summer Series with its final virtual events of the season “Rebalancing the Human Relationship with Nature” on July 30 from 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The final event of the Forum will explore how a rebalancing of the human relationship with nature can build resilience, address the climate crisis and increase social equity. The event will kick off with a keynote by Peter Seligmann, CEO of Nia Tero, on the importance of supporting indigenous cultures for the future of the planet and all of its peoples.
Indigenous cultures hold deep knowledge of vital natural systems acquired through profound relationships with the environment. Nia Tero works alongside indigenous peoples and local communities in securing their rights, cultures and wellbeing through agreements that secure the vitality of their oceans and lands.
For nearly 40 years Seligmann has been an influential and inspiring voice in conservation. He began his career in 1976 with The Nature Conservancy, serving as the organization’s western region land steward, and later became the director of the California Nature Conservancy. Peter co-founded the global nonprofit Conservation International (CI), where he is now chairman of the board after 30 years as CEO.
For more information, please visit organizer.runtheworld.today/c/july30th.