STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Don Keirn missed the 2017 season of Monday Night Football. But he’s getting the chips and dip ready to settle for tonight’s College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Georgia.

Keirn celebrated his retirement from the Hailey City Council this past week—his replacement Kaz Thea can miss the football games, he said. But he will keep his hand on the pulse of the valley as he serves another year as chairman of the Friedman Memorial Airport board.

Keirn brought his knack for directing city affairs from Boise where he served 10 years as economic development advisor for the city,

“The mayor called me the ‘Complaint Desk.’ We had a lot of characters come through City Hall, and if the girls didn’t feel right about someone, they’d say, ‘You have to see Mr. Keirn,’ ” he recalled.

“It’s amazing the similarities between working there and here. One’s a big city; the other, a small city. Boise had a bigger budget but they had big things they need to fund. We have a smaller budget but smaller things to spend it on.”

Keirn missed a lot of Monday Night Football in the process of serving on the City Council. After all, he served  17 years.

“It was sometimes a little stressful for him, but it kept him busy and out of my hair!” quipped Don’s wife Chris Keirn, a former math and physical education teacher.

“You have to listen to everyone, sort things out, analyze, make a decision. That’s the toughest part,” said Don.

With more time on his hands, Keirn expects to do more pheasant hunting and shooting. He and his wife are hot shots, trimming their Christmas tree with dozens of gold medals won in shooting events at the annual Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

And, maybe during commercials of Monday Night Football, he’ll look back on his stint as Hailey City Councilman.

“It’s enjoyable when someone has a great idea, like Quigley Farm or Old Cutters and you figure out how to make it work,” he said. “That gives you a real sense of accomplishment.”