STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Chamber Director Mike McKenna extolled Blaine County’s status as a place to grow old, while Jake Moe made a pitch for volunteers for the Sun Valley Porsche rally in mid-September 2027.

And, of course, there was an invitation to join the ever-expanding Wood River Pickleball Alliance at last week’s Business After Hours held at Lefty’s Bar and Grill.

The robust BAH, sponsored by Chamber board member Robert Shuford, drew dozens of people to the back patio of Lefty’s Bar and Grill. They hobnobbed over Lefty’s spiked lemonade and seasoned potato slices.

Robert Shuford has hosted a couple BAHs in Ketchum, both of which have drawn large crowds.

And they heard spiels from Hailey Public Librarians Lee Dabney and Lyn Drewien about the May 19 ballot initiative that would form the Big Wood Library District.

McKenna recounted how Blaine County tops Idaho in the latest life expectancy rankings with residents averaging 84.3 years, nearly six years higher that the state average. Other long-living counties include McCall’s Valley County, Moscow’s Latah County and Driggs’ Teton County.

Those ranking lowest are Benewah and Shoshone counties with residents averaging 74 years.

Studies indicate there are nine keys to longevity, McKenna said. A few of them: People who move and walk more. People who relieve stress by going for a walk, a ski or a couple hours of flyfishing. People who feel a sense of community. People in long-lived communities also tend to drink one to two glasses of wine daily while connecting with others.  

Lee Dabney tells the crowd how the formation of the Big Wood Library District, which is on the May 19 ballot, would offer the Hailey and Bellevue libraries secure funding at a time when cities are having to pull back on their support.

Jake Moe extolled the virtues of Porsches as he told about a rally expected to draw 500 Porsche owners to Sun Valley in September 2027 for scenic drives to Galena Summit, the City of Rocks, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and other places of interest.

“I sold my Porsche for $3,000 in 1971 to start POWDER Magazine, and it would probably be worth $100,000 today,” he said. “Many of these drivers that will be coming have had their Porsches for 50 years or more. They’re collectors and they love to show off their cars.”

Porsches are famous for their curvature--there are no sharp edges, Moe said. And they’re magnificent in handling curvy roads.

“They’re gorgeous, absolutely magnificent, a piece of art,” he said. “Waxing these is like being a masseuse given their curved shapes.”

Ketchum remains the greatest place in the world, Ketchum Mayor Pete Prekeges told BAH attendees.

Moe, who ascribes to the motto, ‘If you’re not having fun, you’re fired,’ says he plans to go to a big Porsche convention in Lexington, Ky., next September where he will invite Porsche collectors to Sun Valley.

Those who wish to volunteer for the Sun Valley counterpart are invited to contact SunValleyJake@gmail.com.

The Wood River Pickleball Alliance, now 500 members strong, got its five minutes in the spotlight.

Atkinsons Park in Ketchum is now open to play with free two-hour clinics. And Heagle Park in Hailey is getting upgrades.

BAH attendees were reminded that pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and that’s true for the Wood River Valley, as well.

The Big Wood Pickleball League will kick off its fourth season with seven weeks of play on June 16. Last year there were 14 teams with more than 190 players of all skill levels.

The Alliance will hold a WRPA Pickleball Community Experience Friday and Saturday, June 19, with clinics, a pro invitational community picnic, putt putt golf and cocktail party and buffet dinner. The event will benefit the Pickleball Alliance and the WRPA pickleball Scholarship.

It includes the WRPA Atkinsons Park Community Picnic at 4:30 p.m. June 19. with the opening rounds of the Sun Valley Pickleball Invitational held during that picnic.

The Alliance’s fall tournament is expected to draw 200 players as it’s a money ball tournament with up to $10,000 being given away.

Learn more at https://www.woodriverpickleball.org/.

Ketchum Mayor Pete Prekeges pledged to the crowd that Ketchum will have plenty of police as it builds its own police department after having been under the umbrella of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Department.

Despite what you might read or hear, it’s not all doom and gloom, he said. Planning and Zoning is doing some nice work, including trying to bring building heights down and keeping Ketchum’s character.

And he said he fully supports Sun Valley Museum of Art’s bid to triple its space by moving into the long vacant Idaho Bioscience Building at the entrance to Ketchum’s light industrial district.

“We are still the greatest place in the world!” he said.

Looking ahead, The Chamber had to open registration early for participants in Hailey’s Fourth of July Parade, said The Chamber’s Kelsey Watson. This year’s parade will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with all the cities in the Wood River Valley taking part.