City of Ketchum
P.O. Box 2315
480 East Avenue N.
Ketchum, Idaho 83340
"The Original Mountain Town"

November 26, 2014
In This Issue

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving in Ketchum marks the beginning of Baldy ski-lift service, thus creating an annual tradition for many in the valley of snagging a couple of runs before the turkey feast.

 

My family has embraced the beginning of ski season twofold. We begin the Thursday in the morning with a few ski runs on Baldy, then Nordic ski to the Boulder yurt in the afternoon for the traditional turkey feast. The multiple generations haul turkey, fixings, sides and wine by backpack or sled up the trail for a potluck feast in a unique mountain setting, complete with a sauna.

 

For the past several years, Andreas and I have been assigned brussels sprouts as our side dish. Each year it is requested the same way, which is easy. This is the very simple recipe:

 

2 pounds cleaned brussels sprouts

4 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400*

In a bowl toss the brussels sprouts, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes, mix well, then roast about another 20 minutes. Enjoy

 

I wish you all a very fun Thanksgiving Day filled with your traditions and joy.  

 

Nina

 

ASK NINA
It seems to me if the powers to be really believe in small business, they would make a level playing field by taxing Internet sales at the same rate small businesses have to tax their customers. --Bill Cassell

It seems so indeed and your question is very timely. Our city leaders are working with state and federal legislature on this issue. Idaho passed legislation, HB 593, earlier this year that would help. However, Idaho cannot require out-of-state vendors to collect sales tax unless Congress passes the Marketplace Fairness Act or similar legislation. The National Association of Counties called on Congress earlier this month to pass the bill, but the prospects are not good. Idaho cities also have some limitations on their powers, due to Idaho's status as a "Home Rule" and "Dillon's Rule" state. (We'll talk more about this in a future newsletter.) In the meantime, we appreciate the support of our citizens as we work with our state and federal legislators to address a problem that affects all communities, including Ketchum.

Note: If you submit a question to "Ask Nina," your name may be published unless you request that it be withheld.
KETCHUM PREPS FOR WINTER
Watch this video for a behind-the-scenes look at what the City of Ketchum does to prepare for the winter months. 
Ketchum Preps for Winter 
FORMER BABYSITTING CO-OP DONATES MORE THAN $30,000 TO CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
It 's hard to believe that a babysitting co-op led to children's ski races whose alumni include Picabo Street, Langley McNeil, Graham Wanatabe and Wyatt Caldwell.

 

The same group's holiday event to help children make gifts for their families has morphed over the years into a two-day juried show with 65 vendors from throughout the Northwest.

   

This is the Papoose Club, whose annual Holiday Bazaar will take place at Hemingway School, 111 8th St. West, next week on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa Claus will be there Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m.

 

1970s Papoose Club Paper Drive

The Papoose Club, formed in 1954, has 75 members today, some of them children of earlier members. Its mission is to support local youth activities though fundraisers ranging from next weekend's Holiday Bazaar to the Wagon Days pancake breakfasts in Town Square every fall.

 

The group gave $34,000 to local youth programs during the past fiscal year, ranging from infant formula for the Hunger Coalition to the model United Nations for high school students' competition and travel costs. So far in this fiscal year, the club has donated $11,500 to causes ranging from school supplies for children affected by domestic violence to student matinees for the upcoming Company of Fools production of "Peter and the Starcatchers."

 

Publicity Chair Anna Mathieu learned about the club when she moved here 12 years ago and went to a garage sale. She was pregnant with her first child, Azia, and the head of the garage sale told her about the Papoose Club. "It's been a great social network because you meet people from so many different walks of life and at many different stages in the lives," she said. "We are always looking for new members."

 

The Kindercup on Dollar Mountain, where so many famous skiers got their start, is held each March and every one of the approximately 250 participants receives a pin. A Nordic Cup became part of the mix in 2006. The other major activity is the plant extravaganza at Webb nursery each spring.

 

If you're interested in joining or learning more, contact papooseclub@gmail.com.


'QUEEN OF PAIN' VOLUNTEERS FOR KETCHUM FIRE
photo by Nate Galpin

Did you know that adventure racer Rebecca Rusch, known as the "Queen of Pain," has been a volunteer Ketchum firefighter for the past 10 years?

 

Rusch, whose autobiography "Rush to Glory" was released this fall, is probably best known as a world champion in 24-hour solo mountain biking, cross-country mountain biking, adventure racing and cross-country skiing.  

 

Like many local residents, she came to Ketchum for a visit and decided to stay. Her initial invitation was from former adventure racing teammate Patrick Harper, who was born and raised here. His father, Butch Harper, spent 35 years with the U.S. Forest Service and Harper's Trail in the Hulen Meadows area is named after him.

 

"I thought I would rent a place for the summer," Rusch recalled. "I was welcomed with open arms and it felt like home right away."

 

When she had lived in Los Angeles, several of her roommates were firefighters. "I really wanted to do that so I went through the fire academy and started interviewing for jobs. Then I realized that I didn't want to live in Los Angeles the rest of my life. It was a hard decision, but I decided to put firefighting behind me.

 

"When I found how small fire departments like Ketchum use volunteers, that was the best of both possible worlds. I signed up almost immediately."

 

While she is best known for mountain biking, Rusch also has considerable experience in rock climbing and backcountry travel and puts these talents to use in backcountry rescues.

 

She also gives back to the community with Rebecca's Private Idaho, a mountain-biking event that last summer raised $20,000 for three charities, including the Wood River Bicycle Coalition.  

 

The hardest thing she has ever done? "Writing the book and then speaking about it at The Community Library," she said. "The community is full of world-champion athletes and Olympians and I was very nervous. Once I got going, it was fine. A lot of people here know me only as a bike racer, so it was fun to share some of the others things I have done like white water kayaking, rock climbing and firefighting."

 

"Rebecca has been an inspiration for all of the firefighters on the Ketchum Fire Department," Fire Chief Mike Elle said. "Her drive and commitment to the fire department makes us all very proud of the work that we do for our citizens and visitors."

 

BUSINESS

Three Young Companies Seek Funding

Three entrepreneurs will present business plans to the Sun Valley Band of Angels and Mentors on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 5:30 -7 p.m. at the Ketchum Innovation Center, 100 Lindsay Circle. They are RetroLux, designed to help businesses convert to high-efficiency lighting systems; WinUru, which turns online shopping into "an outrageously fun, highly addictive, free-to-play, win-real-money game," and Play Hard Give Back, which helps aspiring athletes and youth sports organizations raise money while supporting charities. RSVP to BAM@KetchumInnovationCenter.com if you plan to attend.

 

Nonstop Flights Resume Next Month 

Sun Valley will have nonstop air service to five major cities beginning in mid-December. Flights to Seattle and Los Angeles start Dec. 15 and to San Francisco and Denver, Dec. 18. Flights to Salt Lake City have been in operation year-round. A complete schedule is available at flysunvalleyalliance.com. The addition of new flights already has resulted in increased air traffic this year, with a 27 percent increase in seats and a 30 percent increase in enplanements from January through October.

 

Why Ski Towns Would Benefit from a National Carbon Tax

Ski towns would benefit from a national tax or fee on carbon emissions, Allen Best of Mountain Town News told the Colorado Association of Ski Towns. Ketchum recently joined the association to learn more about economic conditions in fellow resort communities.

 

 

October 2014  Local Option Tax

              $147,609.75 

 

WHAT WE'RE READING ... AND WRITING
NEWS AT A GLANCE
New Baby for Ketchum
Avery Mattison, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, was born to Public Works Director/City Engineer Robyn Mattison and her husband, Scott, on Monday.

 

Distillery Proposed for Downtown Ketchum

A proposal for a distillery and alehouse at the corner of Main Street and Sun Valley Road will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 8. The vacant building previously has been occupied by several restaurants. The application requests permission to remodel the building. 

 

Coming Up at City Council: Taxis, Ketchum Arts Commission

The City Council Monday, Dec. 1, will discuss Ketchum's system of licensing taxis and enforcing related regulations. It also will hear the annual report from the Ketchum Arts Commission. The meeting will be at City Hall at 5:30 p.m.  

 

Building Code Revisions Go Before Council Dec. 15

The City Council on Dec.15 will begin reviewing proposed revisions in the building codes, designed to bring codes up to date and make Ketchum a more sustainable city. Watch for a longer article in the Dec. 11 e-newsletter. Proposed changes are on the city website now.  

           

Protect Your Water Lines

Remember that the ground can be frozen from five to six feet deep in plowed areas such as driveways and sidewalks. It is the responsibility of property owners to ensure that their water lines do not freeze. If you need help with preventing frozen lines, contact the utilities department at 726-7825.

 

Turn Off Your Engines

Remember that Ketchum prohibits leaving your car idling for more than three minutes on city streets. The goal is to minimize air pollution. Read the ordinance here.  

 

Rock & Roll - And Bubbles, Too

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts exhibit "Under the Influence of Rock & Roll" runs through Jan. 30. If you're making plans for New Year's Eve, consider the Center's New Year's Eve "Bubbly Bash" at River Run.

  

Tree Lighting in Town Square on Dec. 3

Tree lighting ceremonies will be at 4:30 p.m. in Town Square, Fourth Street and East Avenue, on Dec. 3 with remarks by Mayor Nina Jonas. Santa will arrive on a fire truck at 5 p.m. and Higher Ground members will serve free hot chocolate and cookies. Susan Reinstein and Brian Ross donated the 35-foot Norway spruce to the city.

 

Papoose Club Holiday Bazaar Dec. 6-7

The annual Papoose Club Holiday Bazaar will take place at Hemingway School, 111 8th St. West, next week on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa Claus will be there Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit local youth activities.

 

St. Luke's Wood River Winter Gala on Dec. 13

The St. Luke's Wood River Winter Gala, benefiting our local hospital, will be Dec. 13 at the Sun Valley Inn.

 

MEETING INFORMATION
City Council 
Attend the next City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. City Council meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month in Ketchum City Hall. Click here to see the agenda and staff reports or scan the QR code.

Planning and Zoning Commission 
Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The next P&Z meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, in Ketchum City Hall. Click here for agendas and staff reports or scan the QR code.

Public Comment 
If you cannot attend the Council or P&Z meetings and have an opinion, please submit your comments via email to participate@ketchumidaho.org. Your input and engagement is encouraged. All comments will be reviewed. 
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