Wagon Days

City of Ketchum
P.O. Box 2315
480 East Avenue N.
Ketchum, Idaho 83340
"Small Town, Big Life"

Inform. Celebrate. Involve.
September 1, 2017
In This Issue
A Message From Mayor Nina Jonas

Nina Wagon Days harkens memories for many of us. For myself I remember my friends performing round-off handsprings, candy throwing, the Sun Valley Suns scooping poop, the sound of horse hooves and rolling wheels all through sunshine, rain or sometimes snow. It has always been for me the close of the summer, the beginning of school all wrapped up in the tranquility of fall around the corner.
Nina However, Wagon Days used to be celebrated earlier in the summer, which was when my mother participated in her first and only Wagon Days parade fifty years ago. Having arrived from Copenhagen Christmas Eve of 1966, she spent her first year under the wing of Bill Janss learning the ins and outs of the ski resort business. Come summer, she joined the Warm Springs Riding Club and was honored to be among their riders in the Wagon Days parade.

After riding in the parade and celebrating at the Alpine Club, mom returned to her Warm Springs condo to discover another celebration happening. Amongst the folks at the party was my father. While it was not love at first sight, it was the beginning of her 50-year love affair in and with Ketchum, Idaho.
 
Have a blissful Wagon Days weekend,

Nina

ASK NINA
Q. I am interested in getting one of the t-shirts you were wearing during the total solar eclipse events last month. Any helpful tips on where I might find one of those shirts of other eclipse merchandise?
--Bethany

 
A. I sure do! And it could be as easy as being in Ketchum this weekend for our Wagon Days celebration. The city will be setting up a tent on Saturday and selling all kinds of eclipse 2017 merchandise, from t-shirts in adult and children sizes, to water bottles and stickers and posters. All but the posters will be sold at a discount. If you miss us at the tent, you can always check in at the Ore Wagon Museum, which will be open throughout the holiday weekend, including Monday. If you live out of town or aren't around this weekend, email participate@ketchumidaho.org and we'll make some kind of arrangement. Thanks for your support!
 
Do you have a question for Mayor Nina Jonas? AskNina@ketchumidaho.org

Note: If you submit a question to "Ask Nina," your name may be published unless you request that it be withheld.
 COUNCIL AGENDA - MEETING INFORMATION - COMMENT
Stay involved in your community. Included here are links to the Tuesday, Sept. 5, Council agenda and Council meeting information. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting, Council will consider staff recommendations to issue a request for proposals for the city's 6th and Leadville property. There will be discussions regarding the agreement between Blaine County and Ketchum for police services, the emergency medical services agreement and the Blaine County Emergency Communications Agreement.  
    
It is the responsibility of the City to inform the public and gain public input. We encourage you to provide the City with your opinion and comments by attending Monday's meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Ketchum City Hall, 480 East Ave. N., or by sending an email to participate@ketchumidaho.org.

Agenda  
Info
For Ketchum Photographer, Wagon Days Winning Image Meshed Passion, Patience and Perfect Timing
Wagon Days In late August, almost a year ago to be exact, Travis Amick strolled down a Ketchum street and snapped a series of photographs that would capture in so many ways, the spirit of the city's 60th Anniversary Wagon Days celebration.

Under a brilliant night sky punctuated by a clear view of the Milky Way, Amick set about making photos featuring Wagon Days' iconic Lewis Ore Wagons set against a brilliant nighttime sky.

"I was driving by one day, saw the wagons outside and realized they would be positioned perfectly under the Milky Way," said Amick. "It just seemed like a perfect shot for me at the time."

What he didn't know at the time was that the images he'd produce that night would turn out to be a perfect fit a year later for promoting Ketchum's annual Wagon Days festivities.

Ketchum Mayor Nina Jonas said Amick's image fit so well because it aligned with so many other events occurring in and around Ketchum in the run-up to Wagon Days.

For example, the city has filed an application seeking designation as a "Dark Sky Community." One of the leading forces behind that effort, Dr. Stephen Pauley, has been named 2017 Wagon Days Grand Marshal. Pauley has also been instrumental in the campaign to create the Central Idaho Dark Skies Reserve.

The celestial theme was on display earlier this month when thousands of visitors flocked to Ketchum and the Wood River Valley to observe the Total Solar Eclipse.

"It's just an honor for me," Amick said of having his work selected to promote Wagon Days. "What's funny though, is I didn't even know there was a competition for art for the Wagon Days poster. I was just doing what I enjoy and trying different things, and it just worked out I guess."

Amick, 28, grew up in Ketchum and attended Wood River High School. He then enrolled at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he studied history and political science.

After graduation, he acted on the urge to travel. He spent time in Brazil, Texas and the American Southwest, in the process honoring his growing interest in photography.

"I've always liked taking photos, even when I was a little kid and traveling around," he said. "But it wasn't until I was on a road trip through Texas when I thought I might be able to do this for a living."

Amick invested in a few photography classes, but says most of his skills and learning were self-taught, either reading from professionals online or shooting frame after frame on road trips through New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, Utah and Arizona's Grand Canyon.

"I loved the idea of being able to produce in a photo what I was looking at with my eyes," he said. "I've always wanted to find a way to do something I love. Finding this has put me at peace."

Amick said he's also had a life-long affinity for the stars and relishes the clear window to the universe afforded to those living in Ketchum. He began experimenting with shooting at night, especially the Milky Way, because the jobs that paid the bills occupied most of his time during daylight hours.

In capturing his winning images, Amick tapped deep into his well of patience. After seeing the wagons lined up outside the Ore Wagon Museum last August, Amick knew he wanted to capture the scene, especially since he also knew that the Milky Way would be staging in the background. The first few nights he tried to shoot, clouds obstructed the Milky Way.

The shoot also posed a challenge for dialing in the right exposure. Glow from the streetlamps was just enough to blow out the Milky Way in the background, he said.

"I just couldn't get the right exposure," he said. "So, I took two images, one of the sky and the other of the wagons, then blended those together to compensate for the lighting."

For Amick, the Wagon Days contest win is a first.

"I've had some photos for sale in some art shops, but this is the first time one of my photographs have been used for something this big. I was in the Starbucks in town the other day and they were putting up the giant Wagon Days posters on the wall. It was all kind of cool to see ... to see your work hanging publicly somewhere."

As Ketchum has grown in the last 60 years, so has its signature celebration
Wagon Days
Take a moment to imagine life in Ketchum in 1958. Go ahead, we dare you. Think of a place with a fraction of its current population. If it helps, picture our city with fewer than 800 souls.
 
It was in the fall of that year that Ernest Hemingway returned, seeking a more peaceful life than the turbulence he left behind in Cuba.  
 
But 1958 is significant in city lore for one other reason: The first annual Wagon Days parade.  
 
Convinced the city should properly honor its past, a group of local leaders gathered at the Casino Bar on Main Street and plotted out a celebration featuring the massive ore wagons donated by the Lewis family. The big, sturdy wagons played an integral role in the city's earliest days, as strings of Lewis wagons hauled ore to and from mines as far as 160 miles from town.
 
For all of us, this year's Wagon Days is special because it marks the 60th anniversary of the celebration. And like the city, our annual tip-of-the hat to Ketchum's historic roots has grown.  
 
Saturday's Big Hitch parade has matured into one of the largest, non-motorized parades in the Pacific Northwest and typically features more than 100 museum-quality buggies, carriages, stage coaches and wagons. The parade gets underway at 1 p.m.
 
After the parade, we've scheduled some live street music featuring national recording act Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. Nelson, who is the son of country music legend Willie Nelson, has been well received in past performances in the Wood River Valley and we're pleased he's part of this milestone anniversary.
 
We've also built on our fleet of food and beverage vendors and increased the number of child and family-friendly activities.  
 
But these new features don't mean we're neglecting our roots. Many of the traditional events and activities that have made Wagon Days so special over the last six decades remain, including the pancake breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, barn dancing, antique and art shopping. And let's not forget Friday's kickoff with cowboy poetry and musicians meandering throughout the streets of Ketchum.  
 
We know it's been an eventful summer and we're betting the holiday weekend celebration will draw many more visitors.  
 
We sure hope all Ketchum residents will find time to enjoy the fun, to reflect on our town's growth and evolution and to take a moment to appreciate those local visionaries who 60 years ago imagined such a lasting way to celebrate our rich history and heritage.  
 
For more information about Wagon Days and a schedule of events, check out wagondays.com. 
 
BUSINESS NEWS
Doug Brown Retires from SVED
The City of Ketchum wishes Doug Brown well as he moves on to start a private consulting company in the Wood River Valley. Brown has overseen outreach, member development, advocacy and special events for Sun Valley Economic Development (SVED) for the past three years. The City of Ketchum supports SVED's business outreach and economic development efforts through a $10,000 contract for services.
WHAT WE'RE READING
Michael David, City Councilman 2014.07.17
NEWS AT A GLANCE
General Election on November 7 
Three positions are up for election on November 7, 2017, mayor and two city council members. Each position serves a 4-year term. Declarations of Candidacy must be filed with the Ketchum City Clerk at City Hall, 480 East Ave. N. beginning on August 28 and ending on September 8, 2017 at 5 p.m. Please visit ketchumidaho.org/election for information and forms.   
 
Trail Alert
Repairs are taking place on some footbridges in the Adams Gulch drainage. Expect temporary closures on some sections of the trails that run in the bottom of the drainage. Impacted trails include the more westerly end of the Old Adams Gulch Road Trail #146, the more easterly portion of the Upper Old Adams Gulch Road Trail #177, and the low, south end of the Griffin Butte Connector Trail #839.  
 
Upcoming Airport Maintenance
Follow-up work on the runway pavement maintenance project completed last June will take place Sept. 18 - 20. A full closure is not planned, however intermittent, rolling closures and possibly some night work will be necessary to complete the work 
 
Snow Stake Safety
It won't be long before the snow starts to fly so Ketchum is preparing for safer snow stakes or road markers in the right of way. Please eliminate the use of steel snow stakes and replace them with fiberglass poles. The steel can be dangerous to pedestrians, vehicles and snow removal equipment.
 
Jobs Available  
The Ketchum Street Division is looking for a seasonal equipment operator and a maintenance operator in the Wastewater Division is also needed. Full job descriptions and application can be found at ketchumidaho.org/jobs. Positions are open until filled.
MEETING INFORMATION
City Council 
Attend the next City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. City Council meetings are held on the first and third Monday 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 
Attend the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11. P&Z meetings are held on the second Monday of each month 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 would like to express 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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City of Ketchum
208-726-3841