Main St. Hailey

May is National Bike Month and what better way to celebrate than with the 2012  Bike Swap hosted by Mountain Rides and Sturtevants Mountain Outfitters!

Roll on down to the Hailey Sturtos this Saturday, May 12, for the coolest event on two wheels!

Bike Check-in*  Friday, May 11, 11am-6pm

Swap* Saturday, May 12, 7am-close

Save 20% at Sturtos on all

• Bike Wear
• Shoes
• Helmets
• Accessories
• Parts
• Yakima and Thule Sport Racks & Cargo Boxes

~ New this year, Sturtos is offering FREE Bike Maintenance Clinics during the Swap!  

FREE Bike Maintenance Clinics

• Saturday, May 12th,
• 2 Sessions- 11 am & 2 pm
• Sturtos in Hailey

For more info check out www.sturtos.com

The Advocates' Carbonate Hill Climb Event Heightens Awareness of Sexual Assault Prevention

May 1, 2012 - Thirty-seven people participated in the fourth annual Carbonate Hill Climb on Saturday, April 26.  The event was organized by The Advocates and sponsored by Albertsons and Modern Woodmen. 

David Vanderpool won the men’s division with a time of 30 minutes and 35 seconds.  He was followed by Jose Munoz and Jon Golden.  Alexa Turzian won the women’s division at 31.33 and placed second overall.  Kristen Monahan and Nicole DeYong placed second and third respectively.  The 12 and under boy and girl divisions were won by Emmett Say, 37.44 and Ellie Gorham at 1:10.42.  Landon Nurge and Xavier Haemmerle also placed in the boy’s division.  The top finishers all received custom award plates with The Advocates’ logo.  The race was a family friendly, fun community event with several hikers and dogs participating and one babe in arms. 

 The event was held in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to educate people about the services The Advocates’ provides to prevent sexual assault and help people who are victims of assault. 

 The race started at Hop Porter Park in Hailey, headed up the ridge to the first peak of Carbonate and back to the park via the switch backs.  For full results click here.

About The Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Founded in 1991 and led by Executive Director, Tricia Swartling, The Advocates is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit with the mission to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault in our communities through education, shelter and supportive services. The Advocates provides more than 30 free, essential services in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, including a staffed shelter, crisis intervention, safety planning, support groups, legal assistance and prevention education in the schools.  Vital funding support is realized through the Annual Fund drive, The Attic Store, The Annual Gala Black & White Soiree, and public and private foundation grants. For more information, call The Advocates at 208-788-4191 or www.theadvocatesorg.org.

The Environmental Resource Center and Wood River High School's W.A.T.E.R. present "Flow", an award-winning documentary about the political and environmental implications of water access and usage in the 21st century. This film investigates the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with a focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. This free screening takes place from 5-7p.m on Tuesday, May 1, at the Hailey Public Library, located at 7 W Croy St in Hailey.  "An astonishingly wide-ranging film. An informed and heartfelt examination of the tug of war between public health and private interest." - New York Times

For details, call 208.726.4333 or email hannah@ercsv.org.

Scare up some great deals on Halloween costumes and decor while supporting the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley at the Barkin' Basement's annual Howl o' Rama!  On Wednesday, September 28 from 7-9 pm, the Barkin' will have refreshments, games, and the best deals on Halloween goodies.

The Barkin' Basement represents a vital source of funds for the Animal Shelter and is an important part of the Shelter's efforts to have sustainable income to help achieve its mission.  All proceeds from the Barkin’ Basement Thrift Store go directly to the Animal Shelter to support shelter operations. You can support the Shelter by shopping the Barkin’ Basement for all kinds of wonderful finds.

You can also support the Shelter by making tax-deductible donations to the Barkin’ Basement.  Clothing, goods, furniture, household items, art and collectables are all appreciated. Call the Barkin’ Basement at 208-788-3854 to arrange for free pickups of all donations.

About Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley

The Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, the first “no kill” shelter in Idaho, promotes companion animal welfare by providing temporary shelter for homeless animals, adopting them to qualified homes and reducing animal abuse, neglect and overpopulation through community education and spay/neuter services. More than 90 percent of its funding comes from private donations.

In 2010 more than 1500 animals received services from the shelter. This includes 388 animals that were adopted, 257 lost animals that were reunited with their owners, 247 shelter animals that were spayed/neutered, and 363 privately owned animals that were spayed or neutered at no cost to their owners, and over 6000 pounds of food distributed through our Paws for Hunger partnership with The Hunger Coalition. On an average day, the shelter cares for 35 dogs and 31 cats.

Additional information is available by calling 208-788-4351, or on the Internet at www.animalshelterwrv.org.

The last week of September is celebrated around the world as World Reflexology Week and advanced clinical Reflexologist Mark Cook, ART (Regd) is celebrating World Reflexology Week by offering a super value, three session package to be used anytime for just $100.00 when purchased within the next seven days to help people discover the benefits of therapeutic advanced clinical reflexology.

Reflexology isn’t specific to just pain relief as the “GOT PAIN” sign outside Cook’s office in Hailey might suggest. In fact, a Chinese clinical trial in 1996 discovered reflexology improved 63 different health conditions which led to official recognition of reflexology as an effective healing modality by the country with the largest population in the world, the Peoples Republic of China in 1998.

Cook is offering special low cost pricing for those who qualify for the study in addition to the super value, three session package for $100.00 during World Reflexology Week for all others. Visit www.reflex4usa.com to discover the many different conditions major medical centers consider reflexology is beneficial for or call 788-2012 for more information.

In the wake of the decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to suspend work on an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a replacement airport for Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, city officials have scheduled sessions for the community to ask questions and provide input in the next steps regarding the airport project.

Seven different sessions, designed to allow citizens an informal opportunity to visit with city officials, have been scheduled. All the sessions will take place at Hailey City Hall and city officials will be on hand to take comments and respond to questions.

The airport open-house discussions will take place at 12:00 noon on September 21, 22 and 23 and also at 5:30 pm on the same days.  There will be an additional meeting at 12:00 noon on September 26.  If individuals are unable to make any of those times they can contact Hailey City Hall at 788-4221 and an alternative time and location can be scheduled.

“Obviously, there is uncertainty in the community about where we go next with the replacement airport project,” said Martha Burke, Hailey City Council member and Vice Chair of the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority Board. “City officials and airport board members are eager to hear from the community about what citizens think our next steps should be and we want to provide as much information as we currently have about the suspension of the EIS and what it could mean for our community and for air service in our region.”

The FAA’s regional airports manager Donna Taylor was in Blaine County last week to brief the community as well as airport, city and county officials on the agency’s decision to suspend work on the replacement airport EIS that has been formally underway since the fall of 2007.

Taylor said the FAA was “not walking away from this community and this issue,” but suggested that concerns over the potential costs of a replacement airport require the community to again assess all options. Taylor also said during a public meeting last week that the “purpose and need” for a replacement airport has not changed. The EIS has identified the need for an airport that is fully compliant with FAA operational requirements, has a high level of reliability and can meet current and future air service demands. The FAA undertook the replacement airport EIS because Friedman was deemed unable to meet those requirements.

You can learn more about the replacement airport on the website: www.FLYSVRA.com

By John Pluntze

This weekend offers another plethora of terrific music choices at a myriad of various Valleywide locations -- some at venues you'd expect, such as Whiskey's ( http://www.whiskeyjacques.com ), which'll have the Honey Island Swamp Band (http://www.honeyislandswampband.com ) -- but others at venues you might not expect ... including The Power House In Hailey (703 N. 1st Avenue/ 788-9184), which tonight will host a Wood RIver Valley-based band whose name is popping up more and more here: Toast.

Formed some five years ago when founding members Sean Dahlman, Zach Herbert, Sam Funk and Andre Keys were still attending the Hailey Middle School, Toast has been making the rounds over the years at venues as diverse as The Mint (during one of their many open-mike nights there), and at The Wicked Spud.

Inspired in part by their school's justly-celebrated band instructor at the time (Bart Bailey), these four increasingly-ambitious music students took what started out being a mere afterschool hobby of sorts and steadily shaped it into a legitimate, pulsating and rather unique-sounding band -- one that recently had scores of extremely-appreciative listeners at The Moose Girls Cafe in Ketchum (360 E. Avenue/ 727-9767) held in rapt attention for several hours that evening (they'll be performing there again this coming Sunday, btw, from 7-9:30 p.m.) ... much the way the band did last summer during the Hailey Night of Music, right outside McClain's Pizzeria (a venue where they'll be performing at again this coming Monday for THIS year's Hailey Night Of Music), a gig that proved be one of the group's most popular ones up that point, one that literally stopped traffic there right in front of McClain's for hours on end that evening in July, 2010.

"Andre, Sean and I started out as an acoustic improv group, and we went through pretty much EVERY music genre there is before settling on our current one," Wood River High School grad Zach Herbert told me recently. "We always loved that aspect of creating a song on the spot -- taking themes from the audience and then shaping into a song that hopefully connects WITH the audience."

Indeed, during their recent, wildly-popular musical outing at Moose Girls, an audience member suggested "sea turtles" as an idea for a song -- one that eventualy inspired a reggae-style tune with that very theme.

"We're NOT a cover band," Herbert said (equal parts proudly and emphatically), "Nor do we ever WANT to be..."

From its inception, Toast has always been fiercely determined to NOT be pigeonholed into a particular musical genre -- which is part of he reason that this year they added another member to their group, Mia Jefferson, who now shares lead-vocal duties with Herbert, and who will be attending the University Of Idaho (in Moscow) in the Fall.

"I was always friends with these guys in school, but it took awhile for me to get involved with the band," Jefferson said, adding with a laugh that, "Zach apparently saw a gleam hope in me as a musician."

"Mia totally blew us away the very first day she auditioned," Dahlman told me. "We'd already tried out several other female singers before her and none of them seemed right for the group. But when she came in and started singing, I think we all just knew right then and there that we had our girl -- our voices just blended soooo well together!!"

Toast already has one album to its credit ("Spotless Mind" -- recorded in Las Vegas, and in a mere six hours, too) and at least one hauntingly-beautiful and -powerful single that many people seem to think would be a perfect movie-soundtrack song ("Paper Wings").

"We have a verrrry nice balance of personalities and musical styles in this group," Jefferson said, "and hopefully that comes across in our concerts."

Adds Dahlman: "I've always been something of the 'The Reluctant One', I guess, when it comes to getting up there in front of an audience. But it's really a GREAT pleasure and honor to be sharing a stage with incredible musicians like Zach and Andre and Mia and Sam Funk, too -- who really is a PHENOMENAL FUNK player, by the way ... just an incredible powerhouse performer by any standard!!"

Toast will be performing tonight at Hailey's The Power House Bike Fit Studio (from 8-10 p.m.), on Sunday at Moose Girls Cafe (from 7-9:30 p.m.), next Monday in front of McClain's Pizzeria (5-9 p.m. or so), Tuesday, July 19th at 7 p.m. (as the "Ketch'em Alive" opening act that evening), and also at Zenergy poolside (on Friday, July 22, from 5-7 p.m.).

Contact Zach's father (who doubles as the band's manager), Jim Herbert (720-5801/ n606xe@gmail.com ), for info about the band's availability and rates.
************************************************************************************************************************************

In some other music news for the weekend, the always rolicking and delightful Kim Stocking Band returns to the Silver Dollar in Bellevue tonight (788-2900), The Might Shims perform tonight at Zenergy poolside from 5-7 p.m. (725-0595), and the incomparable Carter Freeman ( http://www.myspace.com/carterfreeman ) returns for another stellar gig at the Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey (788-2900) this evening as well.

Also this weekend, Lefty's (726-2744) will have the popular local band, Hat Trick, performing there on Saturday, and Sean Jackson on Sunday (6-9 p.m. both evenings). And the Sun Valley Latin Jazz Ensemble (with Russ Caldwell) will be the terrific featured musical offering at Ketchum's Rotary Park on Sunday for its always-terrific ongoing "Jazz in the Park" series (6-8 p.m.).

And that's just some of the musical fun that awaits avid music lovers this weekend in the Wood RIver Valley.... 

By John Pluntze

Two highly-regarded, Wood River Valley-based organizations that specialize in helping rehabilitate wounded veterans of the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- the Wood River Ability Program ( http://www.woodriverabilityprogram.org ), and Sun Valley Adaptive Sports ( http://www.svasp.org ) -- will be the object tonight of a fundraising concert held jointly in their honor at The Wicked Spud in Hailey, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. or so.

The featured musical entertainment will be courtesy of Bellevue's own self-proclaimed "folk 'n roll"  band, Up a Creek ( http://www.upacreekmusic.com  ),  whose four rolicking members (Bill Sprong, Jeff London, Scott Seaward and Raul Vandenberg) are always in-demand throughout the Wood River Valley.

The fundraising concert, part of the ongoing weekly, Wednesday evening "Back Alley Party" series at The Wicked Spud that are adroitly organized during the summer months by Heidi Albrecht and Dana DuGan, promises to be yet another in a long line of terrifically-entertaining evenings that not only feature wonderful dancetastic music, but also various cool and exciting raffle-drawing prizes -- proceeds from which (like the beer and wine sales generated from Albrecht's and DuGan's outdoor stand there at The Spud, directly across from the outdoor stage) will be divided up equally between the W.R.A.P. and the S.V.A.S.P. organizations.

Marc Mast, the director of the Wood River Ability Program (and also one of the original founding members of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports), has been the subject of several articles at SVO in the past few years (type "Marc Mast" into the SVO search engine here to read more about him and about W.R.A.P.), and his W.R.A.P. group have been the chosen recipient numerous times in the past as one of the local non-profit organizations that a "Back Alley Party" concert's proceeds have been used for (in part), but neither is an honor that Mast is anything other than extremely flattered and humbled by.

"I think for them devote their time and energies to this concert, and then also to donate money from those raffle prizes and alcohol sales tonight is really special ... an honor I don't take for granted AT ALL", Mast told me on Tuesday.

Call The Wicked Spud (788-0009/ 305 N. Main Street) for more info about tonight's fundraising concert for these two exemplary organizations.

Also this week at The Wicked Spud -- on Friday evening, from 6-9 p.m., to be exact -- another special music-oriented event will be returning to that justly-venerated venue: "Hailey Idol".

Based on the hit FOX talent-show series, "American Idol", the ongoing "Hailey Idol" showcase is geared toward elementary, middle-school and high-school students with a penchant for performing onstage. Individual musicians are happily accepted, but musical groups are also welcomed and encouraged (bands, however, cannot have more than three members).

Contestants are judged on a variety of aspects (everything from originality of music/song selections, to stage presence, to degree of dificulty) by a panel of three "American Idol"inspired judges -- "Randy Jackson" (Heidi Albrecht), "Paula Abdul" (Mitzi Mecham), and "Simon Cowell" (Scott Garvin) -- none of whom are ever especially harsh in their judgments.

Contact Heidi Albrecht (788-7827) for more info about these Friday evening "Hailey Idol" talent shows.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Questions Questions or comments regarding this "Harmonic Convergence" (local music scene-oriented) column can be sent to John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com

The Great Balancing Act

By Rob Reeves, President/CEO Redfish Technology

Work-life balance is something we at Redfish have always taken seriously. Part of the reason is because I personally have fallen completely out of balance in this arena.

Off the deep end My recruiting adventure started straight out of school. I was driven, energized and ready to make some headway in my career. It was a bullpen office of telephones and fax machines as the miracle of emailed documents didn’t arrive for almost two more years. Times were good in general, and in the dot com days especially, if you wanted to make more money you could simply work more. So, I did. Twelve hour days were not uncommon for me, followed by bringing work home to continue my searching for candidates and new companies while shoving a quick dinner down and turning on a game in the background. That was “relaxing”.

It wasn’t until years later, (after being semi-present emotionally for an anniversary (and many other life experiences)) that my visiting parents said, quite simply, “stop it”. This is the story of how I began to “stop the madness” and how it helped me eventually shape how I built my own company.

Striving for work-life balance as an employer So, it was from a place of understanding and wanting something different that I came to co-create (with our CHO Heidi Clark) an environment of work-life balance at Redfish. Having broken into High Tech in the Bay Area, we had expanded our operations to various locations in the U.S. and located our headquarters in the Sun Valley, Idaho area. We chose to live in this mountain town because there are so many amazing things to do right outside of Redfish’s doors.

Proper care and feeding We also asked ourselves: What’s most important to our group right now? What is their currency per se? Most of our groups include outdoor enthusiasts of some sort, so to reward and motivate them; we have provided passes for our Nordic trails, downhill ski passes, and gym memberships.

What is important to our group changes and fluxes as our staff grows and we strive to keep our finger on the pulse. We consciously ask for feedback from all our employees and check in to see where we are lining up. Whether it’s hour and 1/2 lunches, shutting down the office for a group powder day or giving an extra 2 weeks off during the holiday season, we see to it that people are taking the time that they need to fill themselves up. It’s our hope that we support and honor all of our employee’s passions. This is not easy and is always changing but it remains a priority for us.

Fostering team building When we consult with a company and they ask for input on hiring we can use our own experience, successes and failures to help them on their way in regards to work-life balance. It’s an important piece of any corporate culture. At Redfish we find that team effort is a large component; working in together in our offices allows us to feed off of each other’s energy and support each other, sharing jobs and candidates.

Return on investment Again, it’s about figuring out the currency for you and for your team. Heidi and I like to travel and immerse ourselves in different cultures. Four years ago we had a group of adventurous young travelers on our team so we chose to split our group to include a remote team of five in Mexico to live and work for one year. The benefits we experienced were outstanding. The production increased, the working hours decreased, and everyone benefited from a health/emotional perspective.

We often forget how important balance is and misjudge the importance of it in the eyes of our employees. Employee production, moral, and retention have improved as Heidi and I have become increasingly more aware of the importance of this. The key is surrounding yourself with employees that you trust and value and supporting them on their life journey both inside and outside of the office.

I’m proud and relieved to have learned this valuable lesson early in my life and we love passing it along to the people who work so hard with us at Redfish.

About Rob Reeves

Rob entered the recruiting industry in 1995 with Emersoft Corporation after graduating with a dual major in Finance and Japanese from the University of Washington. He successfully managed and trained recruiters until eventually founding Redfish Technology in 1997. His leadership brought Redfish from a predominantly West Coast Technical Recruiting focus to a nationwide, full service staffing firm focusing on the High Tech and Green Tech sectors. With a passion for life and adventure, Rob has lived abroad in Kobe, Japan and (with his wife and kids) Sonora, Mexico. Rob currently resides in the Northern Rockies of Sun Valley, Idaho and enjoys skiing, hiking, golf, playing guitar and spending time with his wife and two children.

We currently have local career opportunities available, for more info, visit www.redfishtech.com.

Creating a Culture of Giving

By Heidi Clark , CHO (Chief Humanity Officer)

As I sit down to write this, I am laughing, out loud in fact, because my current “gift” that I’m working on is running an online auction for my children’s school and I’m (once again) stumped. Let me begin by saying that even though I recruited for several years in High Tech this does not make me tech savvy and I am realizing quite quickly that there are many others that could do this job much quicker and yet, I plod along, happy to be contributing to this beautiful school. That’s the point I guess, to pass this on to my children to show them that Mom is willing to try new things and is there to help.

Giving is something that I grew up surrounded by and it wasn’t always a grand gesture, it was more the home grown variety of helping people in small, neighborly ways. I grew up with stories of my Grandparents (who luckily both maintained jobs during the 30’s) taking neighbors in during the depression and offering them dinner and company on nights when there was no food in their own home. My father sat on our Hospital Board, the School Board, was involved in Rotary, Kiwanis and our Chamber of Commerce. My mother cooked and crafted for my school events. Underneath all that we did and all that we had was always the knowledge that we would pass the abundance on.

When we started Redfish Technology, I was thrilled to think of the impact we could make in the community. As CHO, I design and implement the corporate culture and philanthropic efforts at Redfish, engaging our company and staff in support of local community events and non-profits. We have given to many local causes through the years and it is a source of pride for me that we are able to do so and yet we are always reaching to do more. My passion is to be of service, whether it’s helping a neighbor who’s ill or assisting women in Africa start a business. I recognize, being of service in whatever way is a gift not only to others but to yourself as well. I am just happy to have learned this lesson sooner than later.

But our company is not just engaged in outside philanthropic activities, we view our own work as a way to ‘give’ as a part our everyday operations. Technology raises the quality of life of people throughout the world, and at Redfish we cut our teeth on High Tech and remain absolutely dedicated to this sector. But we have also been drawn to work in green technology in earnest for some time now. Our passion for a Clean & Green planet compelled us to specialize in the field starting in the 90’s. We appreciate the gift of playing a role in promoting companies, technologies and practices that are good for people and good for the planet. Our renewables focus includes Wind, Geothermal, Solar, and Biofuels, as well as Electric & Hybrid Vehicles.

As I get ready to log back on to my auction site I envision throwing seeds into the wind and I see them flowering into much more than I imagined they could be. I am grateful that Redfish can help me grow these seeds and I will continue to spread them with anticipation. To see a list of the various philanthropic avenues in which we invest when we are not recruiting in the high tech and green sectors, see our website and learn more about some great organizations: http://www.redfishtech.com/about_us/affiliations.php

Click here to view Heidi’s profile.

We currently have local career opportunities available, for more info, visit www.redfishtech.com.

Revisit Your Mission: Strengthen Corporate Culture and Better Serve Your Employees and Clients.

By Heidi Clark, COO,CHO, Redfish Technology, Inc.

Change. It’s something that we naturally resist and yet is a very important part of any organization. Redfish is, has been and always will be changing. Since we opened our doors fifteen years ago, we’ve seen many cycles and shifts of the market - from the Dot Com to the Dot Bomb to the 2007 Recession. We’ve seen the highest highs in the tech market and the lowest lows. As Redfish has grown, so have we and in that growth there has been a deepening of purpose. In our efforts to embrace and reflect this change, reviewing our mission statement becomes our first priority.

Corporate culture has always been very important to us. I look around the office today, it’s Monday, music is loud, the office is aglow, people are dressed for afternoon workouts and some are business casual, the sun is shining in, hitting the lanterns that hang from the ceiling, the energy is starting to flow, people are excited – we’ve just placed two more!! I look around and ponder, “What do we stand for?” “Is it the same core that we started with?” This is obviously a question that cannot be answered by me alone. It’s time to remember (again) what our goal is; to revisit our Mission statement and make sure that it’s an action that’s applicable to our organization right now and into our bright future. And, the mission statement directly affects the corporate culture so we need to make sure everything jives.

This process is something that I look forward to. It’s a chance to connect on a visionary level with each member of our team. It’s a place where we can unite and focus our efforts. We want to be able to better define our culture, to get everyone excited about our vision and our mission.

It’s common to get stumped on how to move forward when you’re reviewing your mission statement. You have a beautifully written one already, why would you change? Here are some reasons to revisit your mission and some quick steps to take if you choose to make a change.

One of the reasons to make a change is that you want a mission statement that each and every employee can focus on and move towards every day.

- Is your statement simple?

- Can your employees remember it?

- Does it give your team a focus?

- Is your statement motivating?

- Is this statement representing who you are internally and is it answering how you represent your organization externally to your clients?

There’s a story that my teacher once told that exemplifies this point on simplicity and on the value of having a goal people can remember and maintain focus on while doing day to day activities:

There were two men working, when a tourist approached and asked what they were doing. The first man replied “I am working on squaring a stone”. When she asked the second man the same question his reply was “I am building a cathedral”. The first man is a good worker who understands/is focused on his task; however, the second man understands how his task affects the greater goal.

Take a look at your statement. Does it represent who you are as an organization today and where you are headed? What about your office culture? Does it reflect your values and what you deem important? If not, maybe you need a fine-tuning.

There are a lot of different ways to do this. I think starting out with some simple, albeit profound, questions like:

- Why are we here?

- What do we stand for?

- What are 2-3 words that explain why our organization is on the planet?

- What beliefs guide our work?

Taking time to have members of your organization answer these questions and then compare their answers with the actual statement is an easy way to see if you’re on course. It may be that nothing needs to be changed in the actual statement. Maybe it’s reintroducing or highlighting the importance of your mission to your organization.

This process of revision or reinvention will help you have a pulse on what motivates your employees and reinforce an open trusting relationship. The mission statement provides the foundation upon which corporate culture is built: the stronger the mission statement, the stronger the culture. The stronger the culture; the stronger the buy-in from employees. The stronger the buy-in from employees; the lower the turn-over. And, of course, strong buy-in and low turn-over means higher productivity; this is the platform for providing a superior service or product to your clients.

We currently have local career opportunities available, if you are interested, visit www.redfishtech.com

The boys from Up a Creek will be taking the stage at the Sun Valley Brewery on Friday at 8:00 PM.  Enjoy a great dinner, the best brews in town and a raucous good time with some original Southern Idaho Folk n' Roll!

Redfish Technology is one of the Best Places to Work

By Joanna Edwards, Executive Recruiter, High Tech Sales & Marketing Talent Division

About 24 months ago I read a truly inspirational article that required immediate attention. The article, written in Outside Magazine, was about the 50 best places to work and I thought; well hell… why isn’t my company on that list? I have made it a mission to express to Outside staff and readers alike that Redfish Technology is deserving of an accolade or two for our work/life balance. And although I am still diligently trying to get us on that list, I figured I would share Redfish’s philosophy with our ever-growing fan club.

About:

Redfish was founded in 1997 by Rob Reeves, my CEO and close acquaintance, who had big dreams about finding people their ideal career. Rob has taught me and the team everything we know about the wonderful world of recruiting. When starting the company, he believed that in order to succeed employees must enjoy where they live and have easy access to the outdoors. Therefore, Redfish has offices in Sun Valley, ID, Newport, RI, and Milpitas, CA as well as a satellite office in San Carlos, Mexico – all within minutes to beach and/or mountains.

Benefits:

Long lunch hours are offered to all Redfish employees, giving everyone an hour and a half to run, ski, bike, fish or any other passion your heart desires. There are company-supported group bonding functions including “powder days” on those bluebird mornings, golf outings, massage therapy and tickets to local art and theatre performances. Redfish also provides an annual allowance to offset the cost of recreational allowances.

Community Service:

Redfish is a big part of the local community. Our Chief Humanitarian Officer, Heidi Clark is always looking for the next altruistic outlet for employees to donate time for a better cause. Activities include: The Winter Special Olympics, adopting a family for Christmas, Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, serving meals at the senior center, cleaning up trash for the Sun Valley Alliance and more.

Green Initiatives:

Three years ago, stemming from corporate culture and personal passions, Redfish opened their “Greenfish” office solely focused on the alternative energy sector. Additionally, we offer a community rideshare bicycle, incentives for carpooling and flexible hours for those than need to share rides.

Joanna Edwards, High Tech Recruiter, Sales & Marketing

Learn more about Joanna: http://www.redfishtech.com/about_us/joanna_edwards.php

# # #

About Redfish Technology, Inc.

Redfish Technology, Inc. specializes in locating talent in the Green Energy and High Tech sectors. Recruiting since 1996, the company offers nationwide coverage and boasts offices in Silicon Valley, the East Coast, and the Intermountain West. For more information on our services, call us at 408-719-0200 or visit Redfish on the internet.

Learn more about Redfish: http://www.redfishtech.com

Community members, families and friends are cordially invited to join the Hailey Chamber of Commerce and Hailey Mayor Rick Davis for the Grand Opening of our newest restaurant member in Hailey on Friday, February 25^h, 2011 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.   

The official ribbon cutting will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wine, beer and appetizers will be served, so come get a taste and stay for dinner! 

The restaurant is located at 200 S. Main in Hailey and opened its doors in the second half of 2010. The Four Peaks Flatbreads & Grill features a variety of flatbreads and grill menu prepared in their special earthen oven. Owners Jamie and David Todd put a lot of thought, practice and time into their menu, striving for good quality local ingredients whenever possible. The Four Peaks uses organically farmed and minimally processed ingredients. 

Call 928-6280 for reservations and check out their menu at www.4peaksflatbreadsandgrill.com.  

The sixth annual Backcountry Film Festival is at the Liberty Theater in Hailey as part of the Sun Valley Nordic Festival Tuesday, February 1st. 

Doors open at 6pm

Show starts at 7pm

Only $8/ticket

Beer from Big Sky Brewing and a great raffle!

Idaho Conservation League and Winter Wildlands Alliance are co-hosting the Backcountry Film Festival now in its 6th year. The Backcountry Film Festival highlights the beauty, diversity, and fun of the winter backcountry experience. Submissions come from world renowned filmmakers who travel every corner of the globe to submit their best backcountry work, and from grassroots filmmakers who take the video camera out on the weekend excursions and submit their best film short. The top films are then juried and assembled into a night of fun for all—whether you like to ski, snowboard snowshoe, or even just stay indoors and drink hot cocoa by the fire, there is something for everyone.  These films are as diverse as the backcountry experience and will put a smile on the face of even the most winter-averse viewer.  

Winners of the festival this year include:

Best of Festival Teton Gravity Research’s “Deeper” follows legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones and other top riders as they forsake helicopters, snowmobiles and lifts to venture deep into untouched terrain under their own power.

Best Short Film, “Desert River” from Sweetgrass Productions, is a beautiful ski adventure into Alaska.

Best Environmental Film, “Whitebark Warrior” from TreeFight and Snaz Media, chronicles the decline of thousand-year old whitebark pines due to climate change and efforts underway to save these iconic high alpine trees.  

See you there!

"Floydian Slip," a weekly Pink Floyd show produced by Craig Bailey, will begin airing on KECH 95.3 FM in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Feb. 4. The station will air the show each Friday at 10 p.m..

KECH is a 100-watt classic rock station owned by Chaparral Broadcasting Inc. and programmed by morning personality Lenny Joseph. Its studios are in the city of Hailey.

KECH becomes the 13th affiliate to join the show's Random Precision Radio Network, created by Bailey in summer 2009 when he began syndicating the show from his home studio.

"Floydian Slip" is also heard on: KQCL 95.9 FM "Power 96" (www.power96radio.com), Faribault, Minn.; Rock100DIZ (www.rock100diz.com), Winter Park, Fla.; CKJX 104.5 FM "Rock 104" (www.rock104.ca), Olds, Alberta, Canada; KMGI 102.5 FM "Classic Rock 102.5" (www.102kmgi.com), Pocatello, Idaho; KKID 92.9 FM "Rockin' the Ozarks" (www.kkid929fm.com), Rolla/Salem, Mo.; WBTN 1370 AM (www.wbtnam.org), Bennington, Vt.; KTHO 590 AM/96.9 FM, "K-Tahoe" (www.kthoradio.com), South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; WDVT 94.5 FM "The Drive" (www.945thedrive.com), Rutland, Vt.; WBKM "Burlington's Kinda Music" (www.wbkm.org), Burlington, Vt.; ErrorFM Music (www.errorfm.com), London, England; WIZN 106.7 FM "The Wizard" (www.wizn.com), Burlington, Vt.; and WRBA 95.9 FM "Arrow 959" (www.959online.com), Panama City, Fla.

Bailey aired his first episode of "Floydian Slip" in 1989 on Ithaca College's 106-VIC in Ithaca, N.Y., when he was a senior Television-Radio major. He also produced it for Burlington's short-lived WEXP 105.1 FM (Experience 105.1) in 1994, and for 13 years at WCPV 101.3 FM.

In its nearly 20 years, the show has earned mentions in, or served as a resource for, media around the world such as Relix; "The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd"; The Ottawa Citizen; VH-1; The Dallas Morning News; "Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd"; "Pink Floyd on Forty-Five"; and MacFormat magazine.

More information about the show is at www.floydianslip.com; or by contacting pink@floydianslip.com or (260) 67-FLOYD.

We our missing our 9 year old female chocolate lab.  She goes by the name of Calle and all she wants to do is hike and be loved.  Super friendly towards all and she should be wearing her collar.  She ran away from our home in Cutters Neighborhood in Hailey sometime on Friday, December 31st.  Considering how cold it is and how much she loves her warm pillow and family, we are very concerned about her. She is the best family dog and we miss her. Please call 720-9518 if you find her.  Thank you in advance!

By John Pluntze

Even before the weekend arrives, there's some verrry exciting music-oriented news that Wood River Valley residents may want to make note of -- including a televised production in Hailey tonight of the Tony Award-winning musical, "Les Miserables."

The Sun Valley Opera company ( www.sunvalleyopera.com ), together with the Metropolitan Theatre chain ( www.metrotheatres.com ) -- which owns and operates and the Big Wood 4 Cinema complex in Hailey (among numerous others) -- are collaborating on a televised production tonight of the award-winning musical, "Les Miserables", a musical that, incredibly, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! 

Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, this highly-acclaimed production features Tony Award-winner Alfie Boe (for "La Boheme"), as Jean Val Jean.

Tickets for tonight's high-def televised opera production In Hailey, which begins at 7:30 p.m., are $15 and can be purchased at Hailey's Big Wood 4 Cinemas (801 N. Main Street/ 578-0971).

A great opportunity tonight to see a truly great musical -- and for a very affordable price, too....

In some other exciting music news for the week, the very popular new Valley-based trio, Good Ju-Ju (Julie/Jules Konton, Sylvia Green and Julia Abrams), will be returning on Thursday night to Bellevue's The BrickHouse bar & restaurant ( www.brickhousebellevue.com / 202 S. Main Street/ 788-4999), with music slated to start around 7:30 p.m.

This verrry likable trio was only formed this past Spring, but they became an immediate and lasting sensation on the local music scene here -- so much so, in fact, they they quickly found themselves being featured at a number of highly-coveted Valleywide venues, including Ketch'em Alive!, The Wicked Spud, The BrickHouse, and at Papa Hemi's Hideaway, as well as at the Thousand Springs Music Festival (near Twin Falls). Type "Good Ju-Ju" into the SVO search engine here to read related articles about them.

Fans of FOX's hit musical-dramedy series, "Glee" (type "Glee" into the SVO search engine here to read other articles about the show) who'd love to meet some of the internationally-beloved show's incredibly talented cast members in Los Angeles in-person need to go to:
http://www.facebook.com/membersproject
asap because the deadline for that contest is coming up soon. Also, the "Glee" Christmas album is now available at www.iTunes.com/glee . 

And to watch past episodes for free of this always-amazing program -- the "Wheels" "Laryngitis" and "The Power of Madonna" episodes from last season are a really great place to start, btw, if you've never any of them -- go to:
www.fox.com/glee
www.gleethemusic.com
www.myspace.com/musicfromglee
www.fancast.com/glee
www.hulu.com
www.yidio.com/show/glee
www.slashcontrol.com/free-tv-shows
www.webtvwire.com/watch-glee-episodes-online-season-1-full-streaming-video-torrent-search )

And that's just some of the musical fun that awaits avid music lovers here in the Wood River Valley this week!!!
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Questions or comments regardig this "Harmonic Convergence" column can be sent to John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves Bruce Innes, Paul Tillotson, Gayle Chapman, Molly and Josiah Venter, Art Wallace, Sheryll Mae Grace, Cow Says Mooo, FourStroke Bus, Good Ju-Ju, All Nite DIner and FOX's "Glee" series -- simply type "Music Rules" (and also "John Pluntze") into the SVO search engine here. 

Metropolitan Theatres and the Sun Valley Opera announce the broadcast of the 25^th Anniversary production of Les Misérables.  This new production opened in London the beginning of October to a sold out audience of 23,000 at the O2 arena in London.  The Cameron Mackintosh production was then broadcast live to 130 theatres in Europe and Canada.  This brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery was inspired by Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, set in early nineteenth-century France. The plot follows the stories of the characters as they struggle for redemption and revolution. An ensemble that includes prostitutes, student revolutionaries, factory workers, and others joins the lead characters. The new production has already been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences have broken box office records across the UK.

On November 17^th at 7:30 pm the Big Wood 4 Theatres attendees will be able to see the satellite transmission of the new production which features Alfie Boe as Jean Val Jean.  Boe will be the featured performer at the Sun Valley Opera’s winter concert on March 19^th in the Sun Valley Limelight Room. The London Daily Mail says of the Les Mis concert with a cast of 500, "Boe Steals Show".

British auto mechanic turned singer at age 33, is performing this month at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. He has already won a Tony Award for his performance in Baz Luhrmann’s Broadway production of Pucini’s La Boheme. Mr Boe said, "Working with Cameron Mackintosh and this huge cast to celebrate 25 years of Les Misérables, was a truly wonderful and a once in a lifetime event.  I am delighted the broadcast is coming to screens in the States. I am looking forward to singing in America in concert next  March 19 in Sun Valley, Idaho.”

Movie tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.fathomevents.com (click on upcoming events) or at the theatre box office. 

Fran Jewell, executive director of Positive Partners Assistance Dogs, Inc., recently presented a Web seminar on mitigating stress in service dogs for the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. This was the first webinar of its kind for the association.

Although the seminar was designed for trainers of service dogs who assist the handicapped, the techniques are useful for all dogs. Service dogs, however, tend to be under more stress because they work daily and often encounter unfamiliar situations, she said.

Positive Partners is training all of its service dogs to use an exercise treadmill so that they can receive adequate exercise after they are placed with disabled clients. Swimming and play dates in a controlled environment with other dogs known to be friendly also are options for relieving stress.

The other part of the training, she noted, is to teach service dogs to work through stress.

“Once the dog and the trainer or handler learn that stress is not evil, and that there is a reward on the other side of the stressful event, the dog gains confidence to tackle even tough situations that only service dogs encounter,” she said.

 “The challenge can be as simple as crossing a door threshold with a snow grate or as complicated as guiding someone through an airport onto a plane,” she added.  “We know from training agility dogs that they may be uncomfortable the first time they cross an elevated dog walk, but after slow repetition and rewards, they are exhilarated in their accomplishments and learn to love agility!  The same is true of service dogs.”

Jewell is the only certified dog behavior consultant in Idaho by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Positive Partners Assistance Dogs trains four types of service or assistance dogs: mobility dogs for people who need balance and assistance climbing stairs or bending over, hearing assistance dogs, guide dogs for the visually impaired, and wheelchair assistance dogs. Each service dog is custom-trained for the individual.

It currently is working with the Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion David Ketchum Post 15, which is raising funds for training a service dog for a disabled Idaho veteran.

For more information or to make a donation, go to the Positive Partners Assistance Dogs website at www.ppadi.org or call (208) 721-1309.

Jewell also trains companion dogs through Positive Puppy, Inc. Both are based in Hailey.

Jo Murray is a public relations consultant to Positive Partners Assistance Dogs.

Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens at the Liberty Theatre on Thursday, October 14th with a special "Pay What You Feel" performance at 7:00pm.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is an ingeniously funny play that packs a helluva wallop. What starts as verbal sparring at an impromptu cocktail party devolves into a no-holds-barred battle of wits and wills. With brilliant writing and some of the greatest characters ever created for the stage, Albee set a new standard for American theater with this sharp, vicious Molotov cocktail of a play.

Company of Fools' production, under K.O. Ogilvie's direction, stars the incomparable Jana Arnold and Scott Creighton as Martha and George.  The production also features two newcomers to the Liberty Theatre stage-- Paul L. Coffey and Beth Hilles.  They both received their M.F.A. in acting from the Brown/Trinity Rep Graduate Program (where Paul was also a Stephen Sondheim Fellow). Company of Fools is proud to present this stellar cast in a great American masterpiece.
 
October 14-30, 2010
Wednesday & Thursday at 7:00pm
Friday & Saturday at 8:00pm
Sunday Matinee (10/24) at 3:00pm

Call 578-9122 for tickets and information, or order online at www.companyoffools.org

By John Pluntze

This weekend's various music offerings include back-to-back concerts at the Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey (both tonight and tomorrow night), as well as a number of other noteworthy events.

The SV Brewery (202 N. Main Street/ 788-0805) tonight will feature the funk/reggae/soul/blues band, Marinade ( http://www.myspace.com/marinadeslc ), with music starting at 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 or so. And tomorrow night at that venerated Hailey establishment, the Los Angeles-based indie rock/Americana band, http://www.myspace.com/thejanks / www.thejanksmusic.com ), with music also starting at 8:30 p.m. there.

And addition to other music offerings this weekend at Whiskey's, Papa Hemi's Hideaway, McClain's Pizzeria, and the Sun Valley Resort, the 812 Band will perform tonight at the Hailey Hotel Bar & Grill (201 S. Main Street/ 788-3140), with music starting at 9 p.m., until 1 a.m. or so.

Also this weekend -- at The Silver Dollar Saloon, in Bellevue tonight  (101 S. Main Street/788-2900) -- the rock band, Str8up (  http://www.myspace.com/str8upbandmusic ), will perform tonight. And tomorrow evening, DJ Dena will be entertaining patrons there once again. Music starts at 9 p.m. both nights at The Silver Dollar.

And if you want to get an early start on the upcoming Oct. 12-16 Sun Valley Swing 'n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree ( www.sunvalleyjazz.com ), next Tuesday (October 12th) there'll be a free jazz concert at Sun Valley Resort's indoor ice rink, featuring the Wood River High School's Wolverine Jazz Band, and also Meschiya Lake http://www.myspace.com/meschiyalake / http://www.myspace.com/meschiya and dem Little Horns ( http://www.whiteheatnyc.com/2010/05/white-heat-may-19th-meschiya-lake-and.html  ).

And that's just some of the musical fun that's being offered here in the Wood River Valley!!!
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Questions or comments regarding this "Harmonic Convergence" (local music scene-oriented) column can be sent to John at; WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves Paul Tillotson, Molly & Josiah Venter, Gayle Chapman, Jeff Rew, Bruce Innes, Leana Leach, Cow Says Mooo and FourStroke Bus (who, btw, will be having a free concert/CD-release party on Friday Oct. 22nd at the Elkhorn Supper Club featuring selections frm the group's very first album) -- simply type "John Pluntze" (and also "Music Rules") into the SVO search engine here.