July 31, 2016 The Yellow Pine Times – Valley County, Idaho
YPWUA News:
Please be conservative when watering lawns. We ask those that are here all week to not water lawns on the weekends so that more water is available for the weekend cabin owners. There will NO lawn watering on all summer holidays and during the Festival weekend!
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Village News:
Cancelled For Now: Special Meeting Of Concerned Yellow Pine Citizens
Sorry for any inconvenience Dan has informed me he needs a bit more time to gather the required information relevant to his meeting over the gravel pit issue.
His big concern was about the proposal by the county to go into Forest Service land bordering the pit.
Will keep you posted on the next date for the meeting which was to be held Monday August 1st at 3PM at the Community Hall
Lorinne N. Munn, Secretary Village Association July 31, 2016
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Water
Wednesday evening the tap water had air in it (white) and the pressure was a little low. Cleared up by midnight.
Please remember – no outside watering during the Festival!
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Power Blips
We had two short power outages this week, one on Tuesday morning at 846am and the other on Friday at 817am.
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Museum
The Museum put on a breakfast for the Caswell family reunion at the school/museum Saturday morning.
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Local Observations:
Monday (July 25) early morning airplanes (very loud one at 915am.) Clear sky, moderate dew, warming up quickly. A few finches and jays. Hot sunny dry day. Shooting to the west starting around 630pm.
Tuesday (July 26) Airplanes started buzzing us at 730am. Power off and back on at 846am. Mostly clear sky early, moderate dew, warming up quickly, then mostly cloudy by 945am. Little sprinkle of rain at 1045am, not enough to wet things. Broken clouds by lunch time. Hot, dry, dusty, mostly sunny afternoon. Slow to cool off in the evening.
Wednesday (July 27) A few early airplanes. Clear morning, a little dew, warming up quickly. Hot dry day. Dusty from increased traffic. Not many birds around, but did see an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a couple of jays and hummingbirds, and some cassins finches. Late afternoon the water was a little “white” and lower pressure (clear by midnight.) Warm evening, slight haze of smoke, slow to cool off after sundown.
Thursday (July 28) Clear morning, a little dew. Huge cloud of dust to the east and smelled like diesel exhaust. Air was better by 10am. Pine-siskins are back! Just a few eating with the cassins finches. Olive-sided flycatchers are around too. The Juvenile jays are still begging for food. Dry, HOT day. Warm evening. Rude 4-wheeler excessive speed on Westside Ave about 830pm.
Friday (July 29) power blip at 817am. Clear morning, a little dew. Finches and pine-siskins, could hear the olive-sided flycatchers calling, one hummer buzzed the feeder and left. Juvenile golden mantel squirrels out and about. Pine squirrels chewing up pine cones here and there. Hot dry dusty day. A few rowdy Friday-nighters.
Saturday (July 30) large crowd of people at the school early, traffic and dust. Loud low plane at 9am. Mostly clear sky, some haze, not much dew. A few finches and a couple pine-siskins at the feeders, very few hummingbirds. Shots fired to the west across the river after 10am. Hot dry dusty day, light breezes. Shooting to the west around 6pm. Loud shots to the west just after 7pm. Lots of traffic (and dust) on Westside Ave all day, poor air quality by dark.
Sunday (July 31) strange sounding airplane just after 9am. Clear sky, not much dew, warming up fast. Dusty air. Dry dusty day, not as hot as it has been, mild afternoon breezes. Campers trickling into the golf course already.
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RIP:
Jesse M. Haskins
Jesse M. Haskins, 71, of Cascade went to be with our Lord on July 15, 2016.
Jesse was born in Cascade, lived here all his life, and died in Cascade. He started his logging career with George Ikola many years ago, then worked for Del Gossi logging for 24 years and then ended his logging career with George’s son, Gerry Ikola.
Logging, fishing, hunting, and family was his life. He loved the outdoors, camping, fishing, and hunting with his family.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Betty, brother Rev. Eugene Haskins (Pat) of Boise, Frances Olson (Tom) of Cascade, sons Randy (Kris) of Cascade, Rowdy (Karon) of Nampa, Leroy of Cascade, daughters, Kim Weighter (Kevin) of Hawaii, Jessica Emory (Jeff) of Boise, Cindy of Cascade, Sabrina of Cascade, Andrea (Joe) of Cascade, and Karen of Cascade, 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
He loved all of his family and friends greatly. He was a legend in his own time, and is missed and loved by all.
published in The Star-News July 28, 2016
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Letter to Share:
July Newsletter from Commissioner Cruickshank
From the Desk of Commissioner Cruickshank,
Friday July 1st
This morning I worked on reports for the Americas Best Community for the projects I am involved with. Forestry and Veterans.
I participated in a conference call to see if Valley County would consider joining the Southwest Idaho RC&D. This would allow Valley County to sponsor with the SW ID RC&D as fiscal administration for the Payette and Boise Forest Coalitions and the Woody Bio-Mass Utilization Partnership which all will be losing their current fiscal organization.
Saturday July 2nd
I was honored to walk in the 4th of July Holiday Parade with Senator Mike Crapo, Commissioner Willey and several of the Valley County Republican Central Committee. The Cascade parade is always a well attended event to kick off the 4th of July.
Sunday July 3rd
Today I created the June newsletter
Monday July 4th
Late this afternoon found me at the Rotary booth in McCall’s, Legacy Park area, selling Corn Dogs to help raise funds for the Rotary work we do to help in the community.
Tuesday July 5th
Commissioner day today. The minutes of this meeting can be found at http://www.co.valley.id.us/ click on the commissioners section to find the minutes of our meetings. Additionally the commissioners convened as the Board of Equalization to hear a few appeals on assessments. We then ended our day reviewing portions of the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
Wednesday July 6th
Worked on emails, created the request letter to SW ID RC&D to become a member of their organization.
Attended Rotary today to hear a presentation on the University of Idaho’s McClure Center and the work they do in research and analysis.
Monday July 11th
Commissioner day today. See website for minutes. Interviewed and appointed a new Planning and Zoning member to fill a recently vacant seat. Convened as the Board of Equalization (BOE) to finish the appeals for this year and adjourn as the BOE. Reviewed more of the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
Received a call from the U 0f I McClure Center requesting a quote to add into one of their brochures as Valley County has worked with them on prior studies for Valley County.
Tuesday July 12th
Visited with a citizen on National Forest access and how Valley County is working to keep the access open. Reviewed the Planning and Zoning application for the Hot Plant operation that has been appealed to the Board of County Commissioners.
Met with the Krassel Ranger District and Midas Gold to discuss the proposed actions to work on the Sugar Creek Road near Stibnite. Work will be completed in several phases over the years with a possible temporary bridge installation as needed.
Received a call from the Forest Service Capital Liaison in Boise to discuss Secure Rural Schools and compare notes. Also discussed the appointment of Resource Advisory Committee members and why it is such a long process.
Received a call from the consultant working on the right-of-ways for the East Lake Fork Bridge that had run into some issues and was looking for some help to resolve.
Received a call from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Seattle to discuss potential work this summer in Valley County at the Cinnabar Mine.
Wednesday July 13th
I participated in a conference call with the National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition to receive an update on efforts to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program and support better forest management of the National Forests.
I reviewed documents to have a feasibility study performed in Valley County for a Bio-Mass Campus which will utilize various woody debris and create material for resale.
Thursday July 14th
I sent an email with questions to the Payette National Forest Supervisor on the Valley County Recreation Director becoming a co-chair of the Payette Forest Coalition, Lands Allocation sub-committee.
I did a review of the revenue and expenses proposed for the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget and provided some comments to the Valley County Clerk to clarify some concerns.
I reviewed the applications for interviews tomorrow for filling a Judge vacancy in the Fourth District for Elmore County.
Friday July 15th
Today the Magistrate Commission interviewed applicants for the Elmore County Judge position at the Ada County Courthouse.
Monday July 18th
Commissioner day today please see Valley County Website for minutes of the meeting.
The proposed Hot Plant hearing was today. Information provided on the application was in error so the entire process was sent back to the Planning and Zoning and the applicant was provided 60 days to resubmit the application with corrections.
Tuesday July 19th
I returned a call to a citizen looking for contact information on the Edwards Mosquito District.
Wednesday July 20th
I attended the Americas Best Community project lead meeting to hear updates on all the projects.
Thursday July 21st
Today I traveled to Long Beach, CA to attend the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference.
Friday July 22nd through Monday July 25th was the NACo Conference. Please see the attachment with my report on attending this conference.
Tuesday July 26th
I traveled home from the conference.
Wednesday July 27th
I attended a Meet and Greet with Valley County Surveyors and Valley County GIS staff to understand the needs of Valley County to provide good information for GIS work we have started.
I attended Rotary today to hear a presentation from the Boise State University Andrus Center and work they provide.
Thursday July 28th
I created my report of attending the 2017 NACo Annual Conference.
Well there we have another month gone by. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.
Thanks for reading my newsletter.
Gordon
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Idaho News:
YP music, harmonica festival Aug. 5-7
International harmonica players and top live music acts will highlight the 27th annual Yellow Pine Music and Harmonica Festival Friday through Sunday, Aug. 5-7, in the backcountry village of Yellow Pine east of McCall.
The family-friendly festival is focused on the music of the harmonica but also embraces all musical instruments and genres.
This year’s festival headliners are Tony Holiday and the Velvetones. The festival also will feature Dennis Cooper of Weiser, international harmonica wizard Ewald Grabher of Hailey, crowd favorite Roby Kap, David Richardson and Marvin Jaramillo.
The stage band this year is Willie and the Singlewides. Also appearing are some of Idaho’s best bands, including the West of Ustick Band, Doobious Cobb, the Half Fast Hillbillies, the Guess When Band, and the Jazz House Big Band.
Back by popular demand will be “Harmonica Masters At Play” on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 6.
The festival includes workshops, jam sessions, a music parade, live and silent auctions, and a special Children’s Time on the stage.
Those attending should come prepared to camp out. Forest Service campgrounds are available near town at no cost and unimproved camping is available on the Yellow Pine Golf Course.
For a schedule of events, directions and more information, visit http://yellowpinemusicandharmonicafestival.com or look on Facebook.
from the The Star-News
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Valley County Events
(from The Star-News http://www.mccallstarnews.com/ )
Arrowhead RV park in Cascade plans Artisans’ Faire Aug. 6
Taste of McCall returns Aug. 6 with food, drink, fun at River Ranch
Valley County Fair Aug. 8-13
‘Secret Gardens of McCall’ tour to be held Aug. 13 in six gardens
Singer Wendysue Fluegge to perform in McCall, Cascade Aug 12-14
Donnelly’s annual Huckleberry Festival on Friday through Sunday, Aug. 12-14
McCall – Local songwriters to perform Aug. 13 at Alpine Playhouse
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Tamarack owners protest again over paying back taxes
County defers decision on whether to seize 35 properties
BY DAN GALLAGHER for The Star-News July 28, 2016
For the second year in a row, the owners of vacant and developed land at Tamarack Resort near Donnelly have protested paying past-due property taxes.
On Monday, Valley County commissioners held a hearing on whether to seize the 35 parcels owned New TR Acquisitions Co. LLC, or NewTrac, on which $12.6 million in past-due property taxes are owed back to 2011.
But a protest was filed with the county last week by NewTrac claiming the notices of the past-due taxes were incorrectly worded.
Errors in wording was the same argument used by NewTrac last year when the county was about to seize the parcels. NewTrac managed to convince a state judge to rule the notices inadequate and force the county start the process over.
Commissioners on Monday listened to arguments on both sides and deferred a decision for two weeks.
full story: The Star-News
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Boise woman injured, traffic clogged in Idaho 55 rollover near Horseshoe Bend
Idaho Statesman July 29, 2016
Shelly Bodine, 24, was headed north on Idaho 55 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee early Friday afternoon when she failed to yield for slowing traffic, swerved and rolled her vehicle, Idaho State Police report.
Bodine was taken by ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, but details of her injuries were not available.
The Jeep came to rest in the southbound lane, which was blocked for about two and a half hours while crews worked to clear the scene. The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
source:
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Rancher’s family initiates wrongful death lawsuit
7/26/16 AP
BOISE, Idaho — The family of a rancher authorities say was shot and killed by two Adams County Sheriff’s deputies has filed a legal notice of their intent to sue the county.
The Idaho Statesman reports in a story on Tuesday that the family of Jack Yantis filed a tort claim earlier this year as a precursor to a wrongful death lawsuit seeking $500,000.
Authorities say the deputies shot and killed the 62-year-old Yantis on Nov. 1 after one of his bulls was hit by a car and charged emergency crews on a highway just north of the tiny town of Council in west-central Idaho.
Authorities said the deputies planned to shoot the injured bull when the rancher arrived with a rifle. Investigators say all of them fired their weapons. The shooting remains under investigation by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
continued:
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ISU student places second at national fiddlers contest
By Andrew Taylor Idaho State University Jul 25, 2016
POCATELLO — Idaho State University student Shelby Rae Murdock recently placed second in the Young Adult Division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival in Weiser, Idaho. The Young Adult Division is for fiddlers aged 18-36.
“This is the highest that I have ever placed at nationals before,” Murdock said. “It is hard balancing being a full-time student, teaching lessons full time, being married, and still finding time to practice fiddle and classical music for school on a daily basis. It felt great to see the motivation that I can still be successful and balance everything.”
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Fun Stuff:
Flight Over The Wilderness Area of Central Idaho
[hat tip to BF]
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Stolle Meadows Cabin on the Boise National Forest in Idaho
The historic and rustic Stolle Meadows Cabin is a single-room dwelling that has been restored to near original condition. The cabin is available year-round with a reservation from http://www.recreation.gov In winter, visitors ski and snowmobile the 6.5 miles to the cabin and in the summer months Warm Lake is less than 5 miles with plenty of boating, fishing and swimming. The cabin contains four single beds with foam pads, a table and chairs, dry sink, wood stove and firewood, propane cooking stove with fuel, pots and pans, dishes and tableware. There is no electricity available at the cabin. There is an outhouse with vault toilet and picnic table located outside. Drinking water is available year-round from a hand pump outside the cabin. Pets are allowed at the cabin and guests are asked to bring their own additional gear and supplies including bedding and extra lighting. There is a hot springs just a stone’s throw from the cabin. In the fall, the nearby Salmon Viewing Area provides opportunities to view the amazing fish from the interpretive boardwalk. We remind visitors to the Boise National Forest that reservations can be made at http://www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Further information is also available by calling the Forest Service at area code 208-373-4007.
[hat tip to SMc]
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Forest News:
The search for the U.S Capitol Christmas Tree
Dean Johnson, KTVB July 27, 2016
(Photo: Paul Boehlke/KTVB)
It was a search that started back in November. Now, nine months later the search for the Capitol Christmas Tree has been narrowed down to seven. Chris Niccoli who spends his time jumping out of planes to fight fires has been tasked with finding that perfect gem.
“A lot of looking. I’ve probably been up and down this road probably 10 times, actually because I knew there was some trees and I would stop and I would look at one and I’d go well maybe and I’d move on and I’d come back,” Niccoli said, who’s on the tree selection team. “A lot of times after work I just got on my dirt bike, I love dirt biking and would just drive around the woods.”
Niccoli is a little limited on which trees he’s allowed to pick, as they have to be accessible to cranes and a semi-trailer. It’s a job he says is actually a little more stressful than being a smokejumper.
continued:
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Pine Butterfly
Donald W. Scott USDA
Pine butterfly, Neophasia menapia menapia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1859), is a serious defoliator of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) as well as other conifers throughout western North America (Figure 1). It is transcontinental and can be found throughout the range of ponderosa pine from southern British Columbia through northern New Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains westward to the eastern slopes of the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
[hat tip to BJ]
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Critter News:
Admixture in Two Proposed Wolf Species May Have Conservation Implications
Jul 27, 2016 GenomeWeb
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – North America’s eastern and red wolves do not appear to represent distinct species, but are hybrids between the coyote (Canis latrans) and gray wolf (C. lupus) species, according to a study appearing online today in Science Advances.
Researchers from the US, China, and Israel sequenced the genomes of 28 canids, including gray wolves, eastern wolves, red wolves, and coyotes from North America, gray wolf representatives from India, Iran, China, and Mongolia, a golden jackal, and three domestic dogs. They found that patterns in the genomes did not support unique ancestry for the eastern and red wolves, but rather pointed to a gradient of gray wolf and coyote ancestry in the eastern and red wolf genomes.
Consequently, the researchers contend that there is insufficient evidence for removing gray wolves from the list of animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
“The US Fish and Wildlife Service has argued that the presence of the eastern wolf, rather than the gray wolf, in [the Great Lakes and eastern United States] is ground for removing ESA protection (delisting) from the gray wolf across its geographic range,” senior author Robert Wayne, an ecology and evolutionary biology researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles, and his co-authors wrote.
continued:
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Red and Eastern Wolves Are Hybrids, Not Species for Protection
JULY 29, 2016 BY WEI STAFF
“Wild canines in North America have had a complicated, controversial history, and a new study published yesterday in Science Advances adds to the current controversy of the endangered status of American wolves.
“The study, the most comprehensive to date, examined the DNA of the three American wolf species recognized by the U.S. government, with American coyotes and international specimens.
“The researchers found that two species in critical condition, the eastern wolf and the red wolf, are hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes, and do not have a separate ancestry. Eastern wolves were on average a gray wolf-coyote split, but red wolves were up to three-quarters coyote.
link:
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Two new sets of gray wolf pups confirmed in Oregon
By Kale Williams The Oregonian/OregonLive July 29, 2016
After being removed from the endangered species list, gray wolves in Oregon continue to rebound as the Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday that two new litters of wolf pups have been confirmed after they were caught on trail cameras.
The two litters — one believed to be sired by celebrity wolf OR-7 in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest and the other by his brother, OR-3, in Lake County — mark the continued proliferation of a species that once roamed the entire state in large numbers, but was effectively eradicated in the mid 1900s in a government-sponsored attempt to appease livestock farmers.
“It’s incredibly exciting that Oregon’s wolves are starting to find their way back to places this remarkable species once called home,” Amaroq Weiss, West Coast wolf organizer for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “The fact that individual wolves are coming into this same general area tells us how important it is to keep wildlands available for continued safe passage, and to keep legal protections in place for wolves at both the state and federal levels.”
OR-7, who got his name because he was the seventh wolf to be captured and fitted with a radio collar in Oregon, was the first to establish a pack, known as the Rogue Pack, in the western part of the state after more than 60 years.
continued:
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KWVR Oregon Wolf Education weekly Wolf Report
July 2016
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Eye of the Hunter
The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone park has been a topic of great controversy among conservationists, preservationists, and hunters.
[hat tip to TM]
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Colorado wolf advocates, wildlife managers again feud over reintroduction
Kevin Fixler July 24, 2016 Summit Daily
The debate over the wolf’s place in Colorado remains a heated one.
A week ago, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) — the agency tasked with managing the state’s fishing, hunting, camping and boating and operating 42 state parks and more than 900,000 acres of wildlands — released a statement that climbing sightings of gray wolves over the last several years will lead to a “likely eventual establishment of their population in Colorado.” Because of this assumption, CPW was reminding the public that under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, those who kill a wolf could face up to a year in prison and upwards of $100,000 fines for each offense, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Many saw the announcement as harmless enough, with wolf advocates even commending CPW’s progressive effort to help protect the threatened population of this oft-romanticized species from the early days of the American West. But it’s the accompanying inference that wolf numbers will continue to organically grow in Colorado without a formal reintroduction that has set off yet another battle.
[hat tip to WEI]
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Grizzly euthanized in eastern Idaho after killing sheep
Associated Press KTVB July 26, 2016
ISLAND PARK, Idaho (AP) – A 26-year-old male grizzly bear officials say had recently killed seven sheep has been euthanized in eastern Idaho.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials say an examination of the bear while it was sedated found it had lost its upper teeth and its lower teeth were in bad shape.
Officials say its poor dental health caused the bear to prey on sheep. Officials say that combination led to the decision to euthanize the bear on Saturday after getting permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Officials trapped the bear 23 years ago for scientific purposes and it had not been known to be in any human-related conflicts until the killing of the sheep.
source:
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Fun Critter Stuff:
Zebra Race
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Fish & Game News:
https://idfg.idaho.gov/press
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Tips & Advice:
Watering Wisely In The Garden
The Old Farmer’s Almanac By Robin Sweetser
Let’s explore some smart ways to save water in the garden.
An inch of water a week, is that too much to ask for? It doesn’t seem like much but that is the optimum amount for growing most vegetables and ornamentals. If you spread that inch of water out over a 10X10 foot space it equals 62 gallons!
The National Drought Mitigation Center reports that right now 44% of the country is experiencing conditions that are abnormally dry or worse.
What’s a gardener to do, especially when some areas have restricted or even banned outdoor water use?
* Healthy soil with added organc matter is critical for a good garden and even more important during a dry season. Build up your soil by adding lots of compost. Good soil absorbs water like a sponge.
* Mulch is the gardener’s friend in many ways but in a dry season it slows evaporation. It takes 1 inch of water 8 times longer to evaporate from mulched soil than from bare soil. Mulch prevents compaction and acts as a cushion during heavy rainfall helping water to soak in rather than run off. Runoff not only wastes water but can pollute nearby streams. Bare soil can lose up to 3/4 of the rain that falls on it to runoff and evaporation. Mulch moderates soil temperatures and also squelches those weeds that compete with your plants for precious moisture.
Here are more tips on a water-wise garden
Water Wisely
Let’s focus on the watering itself. What’s the smartest way to water our plants?
* Make the best use of your water by watering deeply but less often to encourage roots to grow down. Try to wet the soil to at least 6 inches down every 10 days or so.
* To discourage evaporation avoid mid-day watering.
* Sprinklers are fun but waste a lot of water. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation use much less water and deliver it close to the plants’ roots where it is needed. Keeping foliage dry has the added benefit of reducing disease problems.
* Soaker hoses are made of a porous material that allows water to slowly seep through it. Drip irrigation uses flexible tubing with tiny outlets called emitters that slowly drip water into the soil. After laying out the tubing or hoses in your garden, cover both systems with 2 inches of an organic mulch or use landscape fabric or plastic mulch. An inch of water slowly dripped onto the soil over a six hour period will soak in and not run off. Dig into the soil an hour after watering to see how deep the moisture went. Adjust the flow and timing accordingly.
* Once you have figured out the right watering schedule for your garden, the system can be automated using timers. Make every drop count but be aware, overwatering is just as damaging to plants as drought.
See our chart on when to water vegetables.
source:
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The Yellow Pine Times 