STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Lorax would be proud. The guardians of the trees in Hailey can’t let Arborfest be ignored this year, pandemic or no pandemic.

The Hailey Tree Committee will celebrate ArborFest 2020 by giving out 135 tree saplings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at both The Hope Garden and Roberta McKercher Park.

In exchange for the saplings, the Tree Committee is asking for donations for The Hunger Coalition to help feed families who have suffered during business shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In particular, they’re looking for sealed and non-perishable canned fruit in juice, canned beans, vegetables, meat, pasta, Hispanic foods, cooking oils, rice, grains and healthy snack items. Checks made out to The Hunger Coalition will also be accepted.

The trees have been grown at the University of Idaho and include Ponderosa pine, Lodgepole pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, Western arch, Burr oak, Oakleaf sumac, Big Tooth maple, Thinleaf alder and Western white pine, which is the Idaho State tree.

Tree care information and a suggested tree list for residences in Hailey will be available. And members of the committee—all wearing masks and practicing physical distancing-- will be happy to field questions.

ANOTHER COUNTY GETS COMMUNITY SPREAD

Blaine County held steady at 514 cases of coronavirus tallied over a three-month period for the sixth day in a row. Can we make it a full week?

Meanwhile, Idaho reported 22 new cases for a total of 3,189 as it heads towards Thursday when Gov. Brad Little announces whether the state will transition into Stage Four of its reopening plan.

South Central Pubic Health District has confirmed community spread in Lincoln County. That means seven of eight counties in this region, which includes Blaine County, now have confirmed community spread. That means at least one resident has been infected with no idea how he or she got it.

A BLIP

It probably has nothing to do with the coronavirus, but did you know that Tamarack Ski Resort near Cascade picked up 18 new inches of snow on Sunday? Brundage Mountain near McCall got 15 and Bogus Basin near Boise got 8.

Sun Valley stayed truer to the summer season that is upon us, just getting a dusting. But local flowers might beg to differ with temperatures dipping to 33 on the valley floor and 24 on top of the mountain.

HISTORY BUFFS, REJOICE

The Idaho State Historical Museum in Boise will reopen on Saturday, June 13. Ditto for the Old Idaho Penitentiary. The number of visitors will be limited.

And there’ll be discounted admission for healthcare workers, first responders and service industry workers June 20-21.

NEW YORK JUST GOT A LOT NOISIER

New Yorkers emerged from quarantine after 78 days in lockdown beginning March 22. More than 377,000 people in that state have contracted COVID-19 and more than 30,000 died from it.

Two thirds of those deaths, or 21,000, were in the Big Apple. But, good news: After more than 500 deaths a day at the peak, only 35 New Yorkers died of the coronavirus on Saturday and 45 on Sunday.

CORONAVIRUS FREE ZONE

New Zealand has officially eradicated the coronavirus as the final person known to be infected has recovered. It has been 17 days since the last new case was reported there.

Just over 1,500 Kiwis contracted the virus; 22 died.

MOSTLY ALL IN THE FAMILY?

A growing body of evidence indicates that you’re more likely to get COVID-19 from your family than from that passerby on the sidewalk.