BY KAREN BOSSICK
Wondering whether Wagon Days will go on this year?
Think “Wagon Days light.”
The City of Ketchum will bring out the Big Hitch ore wagons—they’re required to bring them out once a year, according to the wishes of the Lewis family.
But the remainder of the Labor Day celebration will be significantly reduced, in part to restrict public gatherings and in part to help the city manage expenses in a year where taxes taking a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is a great time to close the streets and encourage everyone to bring a picnic into town,” said Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw. “A Wagon Days tailgate of sorts could be good for the budget and good for the soul.”
The City of Ketchum also has cancelled the Ketchum Alive and Jazz in the Park concerts and Town Square events this summer.
Bradshaw said the city is anticipating revenue shortfalls of up to $1 million from a reduction in the local option tax and state sales tax.
In response, the city will look at deferring capital projects and reducing spending on art, flowers and park upgrades.
BCRD MODIFIES SUMMER CAMP
Blaine County Recreation District is offering youth summer camp with significant changes for the safety and health of campers.
An 11-week-long program for first- through sixth-graders runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays beginning June 1 and ending Aug. 13.
There’ll be sports, outdoor adventures, biking, cooperative games and art projects in an environment based out of the Community Campus in Hailey. Campers are encouraged to bring their own bike and helmet so they can adventure to local parks.
This year camp will have shorter hours and no camp on Fridays to allow the staff to deep clean facilities. Small mini-camp groups will operate separate from other groups. Outdoor activities will be emphasized and campers must wear masks when indoors.
Registration is required in advance and no drop-ins are allowed. Campers may sign up for individual weeks or the entire summer.
Cost for the entire program is $1,232; weekly sessions are $120. Scholarship applications are available online at www.bcrd.org.
Special bilingual curbside registration will be available from 5 to 7 p.m. May 19, 21, 26 and 28 at the Community Campus for those paying with cash or check or applying for scholarship.
To register, visit www.bcrd.
SUN VALLEY’S RECOVERY COULD TAKE A YEAR
A WalletHub study says that Sun Valley’s tourism recovery is expected to take 24 months. Idaho’s dependence on travel and tourism ranks 19th among the states. Its aggressiveness against the coronavirus ranks 29th.
Hardest hit in terms of tourism, the study says, will be Hawaii.
IDAHO TESTING RATES POOR
Idaho has tested nearly 34,000 people for COVID-19, making it the state with the eighth fewest tests. That’s 18.2 per 100,000 people.
But we’re doing better when it comes to COVID-19 cases per capita.
As of May 10, the COVID-19 infection rate in the state was 116.8 per 100,000 people; its death rate, 3.8 per 100,000 people. Overall, Idaho is 42nd among other states when it comes to the number of COVID-19 cases per capita. Montana continues to be the lowest with 43.1 per 100,000 people.
THE NUMBERS
Idaho reported 27 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday for a total of 2,351. It added three deaths, bringing the number of deaths from the virus to 72. Two new deaths were reported in Twin Falls County and one in Ada County.
The state has had 212 hospitalizations, 89 admissions to intensive care and 286 health care workers who have been infected over the course of the pandemic. At least 1,573 people are said to have recovered.
Those between the ages of 18 and 29 continue to lead other age groups in contracting the virus. Those between 30 and 59 are next. Females outpace males in contracting the virus.
FAMILY GATHERING LEADS TO OUTBREAK
An onion ring processing plant in Weiser has shut down for deep cleaning after eight of its nearly 300 employees tested positive for the coronavirus this week. Health officials traced the outbreak to a family gathering of at least 30 people that included attendees from Utah.
More than 20 employees at a meat packing plant in Kuna recently tested positive for COVID-19.
CINEMA IN THE WINDOWS
In Rio de Janeiro, apartment building occupants are being entertained with children’s movies projected onto screens outside.
DON’T SIT ON MY PANDA!
A restaurant in Seoul, Korea, is putting stuffed panda bear toys in some of its restaurant seats to ensure diners practice physical distancing.
A ROLLING KEGGER
A “tactical beer response unit” is going door to door in London pulling pints out of taps on the side of its van.
ANIMALS SUFFER FOOD DISRUPTIONS TOO
Even giant pandas in the Calgary Zoo are not immune to the disruptions in food supplies caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The zoo is returning two pandas to China because it is having difficulty importing the 88 pounds of bamboo each panda needs per day.
YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU SPEWED SO MUCH!
Normal talking in a closed environment can cause airborne virus transmission, a new study shows. Scientists used lasers to determine that a minute of talking loudly can produce a thousand-plus virus-containing droplets that can linger in the air for eight minutes.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
GRAND CANYON REOPENS…SORT OF
Grand Canyon National Park, which closed April 1, is reopening. But just for four days—from today through Monday--initially. A limited opening is planned again for Memorial Day Weekend.
Public access is restricted to a half-dozen viewpoints along the South Rim of the canyon and visitors will be allowed in through the southern entrance only from 6 to 10 a.m. Once in, they will be allowed to stay until dark.
Park rangers say visitors should bring hand sanitizer along with their own water.