It’s Showtime At Ketchum Theater
Magic Lantern Cinemas has announced its reopening for Friday, Aug. 28, with two new films, the thriller Unhinged starring Russell Crowe and the comedy Bill and Ted Face the Music with original castmates Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter.
A special showing of the 1961 Academy Award-winning musical, West Side Story, will also be presented, perhaps the final opportunity to see this timeless film on the big screen, as it was meant to be seen.
“The Magic Lantern is offering discounted tickets of $5 for these movies Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, as an expression of gratitude to our community for kind words and support during our closure,” the theater said.
The Magic Lantern has implemented reduced seating capacity to accommodate social distancing and there is a “No Mask-No Entry” policy, although moviegoers are allowed to lower their masks once seated.
Supporting MSCL House Gets Tasty
For the entire month of September, Men’s Second Chance Living (MSCL House) will partner with Power House restaurant in Hailey to bring attention to the strength and courage of those impacted by addiction, celebrate their recovery, and capture the hope, comfort, and spirit of our supportive community.
Power House created a signature “Power Burger” that’s available only during the month of September. A portion of the proceeds from each Power Burger sale will directly benefit MSCL House. Then, to participate in the Recover Strong Challenge, order a Power Burger dine in or take out, take a selfie with your Power Burger and the “Recover Strong” sign, post the selfie on social media with the #recoverstrong hashtag, tag your friends and tag us @msclhouse.
A generous sponsor has offered to donate $1 for every LIKE your post receives, up to $10,000.
7-Year-Old Hospitalized With New COVID Complication
St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital says it started treating last week what is believed to be Idaho’s first young patient with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. The patient is seven years old and is currently being cared for in the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Pediatric ICU in Boise. The child had no known prior health conditions.
Although there is only this one particular case, it raises alarm bells for some because schools have started opening up this month and it is widely understood that children are less susceptible to the novel virus that causes COVID-19.
MIS-C is a newly recognized and potentially serious illness in children. For many, MIS-C appears to be a delayed complication of the coronavirus infection, typically occurring about four weeks after a child’s initial exposure. The condition so far is very rare, but children with MIS-C are sick enough to be admitted to the hospital. Symptoms vary but tend to affect several organs and systems in the body. Some symptoms resemble toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, in which blood vessels, including the coronary arteries, enlarge or form aneurysms. Some MIS-C patients also have signs of impaired cardiac function, gastrointestinal symptoms, kidney damage or neurologic symptoms.
Youth Soccer Sign-ups Now On, With Changes
Registration for Blaine County Recreation District’s Youth Soccer league is open now through Sept. 7.
Open to boys and girls in first through sixth grade, the season runs from
Sept. 14 through Oct.17. The kindergarten clinic will not be offered this year.
“We have altered our Youth Soccer season to accommodate the many changes that come with safely operating programs in a COVID-19 world,” explained Jenna Vagias, BCRD Director of Recreation.
Some of the COVID-19 related changes in Youth Soccer include: hand hygiene stations will be set up on each field, BCRD will provide face coverings to all players and coaches to be worn when players can’t maintain physical distancing during practice, and a self-screening health questionnaire is required for players, coaches, and officials before each practice and game. Rather than all games played on Saturday mornings, games will be spread out over multiple locations on Fridays and Saturdays to prevent congregation.
Information on these protocols and other program details can be found at bcrd.org or by contacting Ellie Punnett, Youth Sports Coordinator, at (208) 578-2273 or epunnett@bcrd.org.
Volunteer coaches are essential to this program’s success, the district said. Therefore, the registration fee is waived for coaches’ children. If you are interested in coaching, contact BCRD prior to registering your child(ren) for more information. Team sponsorship opportunities are also available, and sponsors receive their business name on team jerseys, as well as other acknowledgements.
Botanical Garden’s Fall Plans Now In Bloom
Smaller fundraising events and the cancellation of one popular event will mark the plans for fall 2020 at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.
Garden leadership unveiled its strategy for a season that will be impacted by COVID guidelines. Specifically, smaller fundraising events will replace the Gimlets in the Garden gala fundraiser, and the Bug Zoo, which was previously postponed, has been formally cancelled.
The Bug Zoo, SBG’s annual display of creatures and critters from near and far, was postponed following closure of area schools in the spring. The program is typically held in late April/early May.
“Because of the uncertainty regarding in-school activities this fall, we felt it best to hold the Bug Zoo again when safety protocols have been lifted or drastically adjusted,” said SBG Executive Director Jen Smith.
“We held an incredibly safe and successful Garden Tour in July where our 500-plus attendees were physically distanced and wearing masks according to Blaine County COVID guidelines,” Smith continued. “We hope to build on that success with two smaller, more intimate, yet still physically-distanced fundraisers that offer both in-person and virtual philanthropic opportunities to support the region’s public botanical garden.”
“Walk & Wine” is a wine-tasting and tapas affair with six separate stations for wine tasting and raffle prizes. Participants are encouraged to arrive any time between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The event concludes at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at sbgarden.org.
A similar event called “Gimlets in the Garden… With A Twist” will be scheduled for early October. The two events will occur entirely outdoors with COVID safety measures in place.
Additionally, the Sawtooth Botanical Garden is planning to continue its “New Moon Dinners” on new moon evenings in November, December, January and February. The catered events showcase the Central Idaho Dark Sky Preserve with representative astronomy experts on the darkest nights of the year.
Idaho Oral Surgeons Launch ‘Smiles For Soldiers’ Program
To show appreciation to active-duty soldiers, military reserve members, and veterans, the oral surgeons at Whitewater Oral Surgery Group are launching their first Smiles For Soldiers program. The program provides an active-duty soldier, military reserve member, or veteran with a full-arch restoration treatment, a $50,000 procedure, completely free of charge.
The full-arch restoration treatment relies on dental implants to achieve exceptional results. Using as little as four dental implant posts, an entire upper or lower prosthesis is placed onto the dental arch and fixed in place for ultimate security.
The application period for the Smiles For Soldiers program will run through Sept. 10. Those living in and around the Boise, Hailey and Star communities who are interested can apply by visiting whitewatersurgery.com/soldiers.
Hailey Says Newest Subdivision To Be Water-wise, Green-friendly
The Sunbeam Subdivision, approved by the Hailey City Council on May 19, 2020, launched its construction with infrastructure installation this month. Phase 1 of the subdivision consists of 91 dwelling units to be constructed on 70 lots in east Hailey. The developer, Marathon Partners, has committed to achieving National Green Building Standard 3 Star Certification, the city said.
This program certifies that the development has implemented strategies that utilize land, water, energy and other resources wisely. Specifically, the developer has committed to:
- Limiting turf on each lot to 40 percent or less of landscaped area;
- Installation of drought-tolerant landscape or hardscape outside of areas of turf;
- Providing a 9-acre naturalized public park;
- Requiring rough-in for rooftop solar systems as each house is constructed;
- Bike path connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods; and
- A variety of lot sizes and configurations, including Cottage lots, to offer options to diverse income categories.
The limitations on turf will result in far less consumption of water, as lawn irrigation utilizes the bulk of Hailey’s water use.
Hailey Names Permanent Library Director
The Hailey Public Library Board has selected Lyn Drewien as its new library director. A 30-year resident of the Valley, Drewien brings many years of experience and volunteerism to her new position. Monday, Aug. 31, will be Drewin’s first day as Hailey Public Library director.
Drewien’s library career spans more than a decade, including time at both the Hailey Public Library and The Community Library in Ketchum. In 2016, she earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State University.
Drewien will leave her position at Blaine County where she has worked for the past two years as their Grants and Procurement Specialist.
Drewien replaces LeAnn Gelskey who served as library director from 2010 until April of this year. Gelskey left the Hailey Public Library for a position with the Idaho Commission for Libraries as their Talking Book Service Program Supervisor. Laura Primrose has served as interim director since Gelskey left in April.
SV Wellness Festival Speaker Wins Carl Sagan Award
If you were looking for one more good reason to attend this year’s Sun Valley Wellness Festival, here it is.
UC Berkeley sleep researcher Matthew Walker, author of the international bestseller, Why We Sleep, and numerous breakthrough studies that explore what happens to the brain as we slumber, has won the 2020 Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization, the university announced. Walker will be a key speaker at the Sun Valley Wellness Virtual event, held online Aug. 22-23. His presentation, Sleep is Your Superpower, will provide a deep dive into the science of slumber and the cutting-edge of findings related to sleep and how sleep directly relates to human health and disease, including the COVID-19 virus.
According to the university, “The prize is awarded by Wonderfest, a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting scientific curiosity and discovery. It was launched in 1997, shortly after the death of American astronomer Carl Sagan. The annual prize recognizes researchers who have contributed to the public understanding and appreciation of science.”