Volume 45 | Number 12 | 3 Sections | 32 Pages WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 50¢ SUN VALLEY • KETCHUM • HAILEY • BELLEVUE • CAREY County considers COUGAR CONFAB IDAHO MOUNTAIN Concerns prompt Ketchum meeting S B R A R I N E G Y I cost of power line E N Updating you for V G Page 3 I F T - H Y E T Page 2 N R E O W F S R T O F O 45 Y T E H L E L W A You’re welcome V O R O E D V I A look at Blaine R schools in 2019 Page 4 Easement placed on historic ranch Page 9 RANKED NO. 1 FOR LOCAL NEWS BY THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Ketchum fire station makes headway Pedestrian safety analysis to begin at Saddle Road site By EMILY JONES Express Staff Writer he Ketchum City Council passed on the forthcoming Ketchum fire station’s design- review application to the Plan- T ning and Zoning Commission in a 4-0 vote on Monday, effectively moving it along the construction pipeline. The fire station site at a city-owned dirt lot north of the Wood River YMCA along Saddle Road was offi- cially locked in last month following a 3-1 City Council vote on Dec. 16. Ket- chum voters previously approved a bond measure to fund the $11.5 mil- lion, 14,500-square-foot building with Express photo by Roland Lane a two-thirds majority in the Nov. 5 city election. On Monday, Boise-based Cole EQUINE DAYDREAM Architects presented exterior render- ings of the building to the public that Horses at the Sun Valley Stables watch the activity in a nearby pasture on a sunny afternoon. In the Sun Valley area, partly cloudy skies mid-week depicted metal and wood siding and a are predicted to give way to cloudier conditions and eventually snow showers over the weekend. black-brick theme. According to blueprints from Cole Architects, the new facility will include four drive-through bays to accommodate the wider turns of lad- der trucks, six dormitories, several In Hailey, holiday business boomed offices and a large conference room. “We’re very appreciative of [Cole] Tourists and locals shed abundance on valley’s biggest town working over the holidays, and I’m delighted with the work they’ve conducted thus far on the station,” By TONY TEKARONIAKE EVANS busy season at the Gem Barbershop on Bul- continued to be an increasingly strong Mayor Neil Bradshaw said Monday. Express Staff Writer lion Street. sales item, due in part to new designs that “From here on out, it’ll be pedal to the “The holidays are always crazy,” Cabal- have revived older technologies. He said metal.” Businesses in downtown Hailey felt the lero said. “In a small town, everyone is a longer-than-usual Christmas break for Prior to the bond election, 22 possi- love this holiday season. A walk around always on the same schedule.” local students may have also ble fire-station locations in Ketchum town on Monday yielded stories of abun- Caballero said he’s glad to contributed to increased com- were evaluated, but city administra- dance and joy brought by residents and be in a business that doesn’t mercial activity. tors ultimately found the dirt-lot site tourists willing to spend locally. necessarily drop off after the “There’s just “They had 17 days off,” Nigra on Saddle Road best with its quick “Hailey isn’t just a place you land to go to holidays. more business said, “and more time on their access to state Highway 75 and Warm Sun Valley anymore,” said Red Shoe owner “I think that’s because we’re hands, and needed something Springs Road. Scott Mikolaycik, whose Main Street res- a full-service salon,” he said. in general at to do.” Councilman Michael David, how- taurant has been rocking three nights each “We cater to everyone from ma High Desert Sports hunting ever, expressed concern on Dec. 16 week to live music. “It was really busy and and grandma to infants and night in town and fishing store owner Wayne about recreational activities taking I was happy to be a part of the holiday sea- fathers. We still have a waiting these days.” Clayton said his store on River place in close proximity to the site— son. With The Mint open across the street, list of four weeks.” Street saw the usual uptick children using the adjacent skate Café Della, Lago Azul and other busi- Sturtevants outdoor sports Scott Mikolaycik in business the week before park, for example—and was the lone nesses, there’s just more business in gen- store at the corner of Main and Red Shoe owner Christmas. dissenter in the vote. eral at night in town these days.” Carbonate streets was busier “Mostly for stocking “My concern is with [Fire Depart- Mikolaycik said that when visitors drive than last year. stuffers,” Clayton said. “But then there’s ment] volunteers driving into what’s through Hailey from the airport, they see “The holidays were great,” said sports a week after Christmas that is also good. already a super dangerous area, espe- more action in town than in recent years. technician Jay Nigra. “Pretty much across There are still some controlled elk hunts cially in the summertime,” he said “And the Christmas lights on Main the board. Retail sales and rentals were and landowner hunts going on. Duck hunt- last month. “We need to watch out for Street sure helped,” he said. good. There were plenty of people in town, ing goes right through February. Then it our most vulnerable residents.” Ariel Caballero still had a full schedule and nice people.” will be slow until April.” Others who spoke at the lectern of appointments ahead of him following a Nigra said classic cross-country skis See HAILEY, Page 10 See FIRE, Page 10 2 Express www.mtexpress.com Wednesday, January 8, 2020 START THE NEW YEAR County seeks clarity on Idaho Power charge B E U RIGHT S R T B A C A R - S U Commissioners look for ‘stakeholder meeting’ to cut undergrounding cost By MARK DEE design the underground line, too, Express Staff Writer trimming out some of that con- tingency—if the county can front The Blaine County commis- 30 percent of bill. sioners want to the gauge the The commissioners and public’s appetite for picking up county staff have been working the eight-figure tab to bury Idaho separately on possible avenues Power’s state-approved redun- to find funding, including levies, dant transmission line through bonds and a relatively untested the Wood River Valley. But first option called a local improve- they need to drill down on how ment district, or LID, Commis- much their constituents ulti- sioner Jacob Greenberg said. mately need to pay. Greenberg is focusing on the On Tuesday, the board opted third option, which taxes prop- against holding an erties in the specific open house later this area that benefits from month in favor of the project. They’re scheduling a “meet- “I’d like to relatively untested on ing of the minds” with this scale, Marks said. Idaho Power, members see all of us Jurisdictions typically of the state Public Util- at the same use LIDs to assess ities Commission, and users for things such legal representatives table, with as sidewalks, rather for residents seeking to than for multi-million- block the line, accord- everything in dollar infrastructure ing to County Planner front of us.” projects. Plus, under Allison Marks. The state code, parcels over goal: to draft a more Jacob Greenberg 5 acres are exempt detailed estimate of Commissioner from paying the assess- the cost the county ment, and a two-thirds SUBARU OF TWIN FALLS would incur to entrench the opposition by remaining land- line over and above Idaho Pow- owners nullifies the zone. ~YOUR LOCAL SUBARU DEALER~ er’s baseline design. The compa- Greenberg is working with ny’s quote comes to $32,889,227, state Sen. Michelle Stennett and 794 Falls Ave. Twin Falls, Idaho (208) 734-8860 including between $10 and $11 Rep. Sally Toone to change that in million in contingency. the Legislature this year, remov- SubaruofTwinFalls.com “It’s astronomically high,” ing the exemption from law. The Marks said. “We think there’s legislative session begins this some latitude to get that down. week, and typically lasts through From Idaho Power’s perspective, the winter. the number’s pinned down. But The meeting discussed on that’s not a number we feel com- Tuesday hasn’t been scheduled. fortable with. There are still a lot “We’ve been working at this of moving parts.” for some time,” Greenberg said. The county’s issue, though, is “Idaho Power thinks we have that it can’t get a more detailed to pay for it. We have a differ- estimate of the cost without hav- ent opinion—so do people in this ing some money in hand to pay community. I’d like to see all of it. Idaho Power employed Power us at the same table, with every- Engineers to come up with its thing in front of us. I think that’s OPENOPEN HOUSEHOUSE rough estimate. The firm will our way forward from here.” Two years of construction have come to a conclusion! RENOVATION CELEBRATION Celebrate Your Library’s RENEWAL! FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 4:00 - 6:00 PM Sips and nibbles will be served. Remarks and cake at 5:00 pm Courtesy photo YOU MADE IT HAPPEN! FIRST BABY OF THE YEAR ARRIVES See the Chihuly Ulysses Cylinders HOURS: St.