Library Blog

Call for Local, Self-Published Authors

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The Community Library is hosting a Local Authors Showcase August 15, 2024. Deadline to apply: July 31, 2024.

Juan Reyes podium podium LR

The Community Library is hosting a Local Authors Showcase from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on August 15, 2024, in the John A. and Carol O. Moran Lecture Hall. This is a terrific opportunity for local, self-published authors – who don’t typically receive powerhouse publicity machines to nudge their books onto bestseller lists – to take the stage and share their work. 

The Library is accepting applications through July 31. Interested authors can apply here.

Up to six authors will have 15 minutes each to share from their work, whether through a reading, presentation, or speaking. Authors will each be provided a table in the Lecture Hall from which to sell books and interact with attendees and each other. 

This event is intended for Wood River Valley-based, self-published authors, but others will be considered based on availability. Applicants in all genres will be considered, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, narrative, and other genres. Unpublished work will not be considered.  

The authors selected to present at the Local Authors Showcase will be notified by August 2. 

The Local Authors Showcase is part of the Library’s annual open house, “Book around the Block!” which celebrates the Wood River Valley community and shines a light on the work of the Library, Wood River Museum of History and Culture, and the Gold Mine Thrift and Consign stores.  

Says Director of Philanthropy Carter Hedberg, who spearheads the event, “We’re going to ‘book around the block’ for literacy, history, shopping, community, food, and fun. Join the scavenger hunt, get your picture taken in the ‘Olympic’ photo booth, enjoy free food and beverages, or just sit back, relax, and enjoy music on the lawn. Kids will also have special activities just for them.”  

Book around the Block! will be centered at the intersection of 4th Street and Walnut Avenue and include the Wood River Museum and Gold Mine stores, as well as the Donaldson Robb Family Lawn, Cimino Plaza, Lecture Hall, and the Library’s foyer—where the Summer Games | Local Heroes exhibit recently opened. 

Pulling Into Station

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Finian Ayliffe, Wood River Museum of History & Culture Intern

Sun Valley Resort’s Western Welcome crowd at Ketchum Railway Depot. Jeanne Lane Moritz Collection, Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History (F 00220)

From the onset of 90-degree weather, to the influx of tourists following the Fourth of July, it’s clear that summer has come to the Wood River Valley in full force. This time, like many times of year in the valley, is dominated by the unrelenting economic force of tourism. Looking back at this photograph, taken around the early 1940s at the Ketchum railway depot, it’s clear that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  

The transition of the valley from a small mining outpost to a booming resort town can be attributed entirely to this railway’s construction. Completed in 1884, the Union Pacific Railroad initially built the Wood River branch to capitalize on the large quantities of ore being mined in the valley. During the first half of the 20th century, the railway shipped in sheep, shipped out galena ore, and brought the American populace to W. Averell Harriman’s all western “Sun Valley” resort for the first time.  

For over 80 years, the railway was a symbol of tourism, progress, and seasonal boom in the valley. Today, however, only hints of its existence remain. In 1976, the last passenger train pulled into Ketchum, and in 1987 the tracks were removed. The space they occupied is taken now by the bike path running up the valley. 

Though the original catalyst for Sun Valley’s success has long vanished, our valley is flourishing more than ever. Something about seeing that summer rush throughout the ages makes me think that our town’s spirit and character have not yet fled us. That even with a new coat of paint, we still have that old school Sun Valley charm. 

Note this story was originally published in July of 2024 in the Idaho Mountain Express.

Book Review: The Seven Stars Saga Trilogy

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Gold Mine Processing Associate, Josh Greenburg, recommends The Seven Stars Trilogy by AJ Super.

The Seven Stars Saga trilogy is a villain origin-to-redemption story following Nyx Marcus, a space pirate turned AI God whose sole goal is to protect those she sees as family. But as her family expands, so does her need for the power to defend her universe…

…until she becomes the villain that she was trying to prevent.

The main premise is the question of whether a villain deserves redemption no matter how pure their intentions are when wielding their power. Nyx may or may not find redemption in the end but she could find a sense of peace.

The Seven Stars Saga is an incredible epic of finding power, losing one’s identity, and overcoming the power to find that identity again. Nyx’s struggles throughout the story are relatable despite the sheer monstrosity. Wood River Valley author AJ Super does a fantastic job melding magic into technology in this soft-science fiction, fast-paced page-turner.

The entire space saga trilogy is an incredible exploration of how even the most innocent of choices can result in villainous intent.

The journey that Nyx takes through several unique worlds while traveling in the wonders of space in extraordinary spaceships is fresh and exciting, and the characters are easy to identify with, interesting, and dynamic.

Of course, as the author’s spouse, I could be a bit biased, but I highly recommend that you check out the books from The Community Library in Ketchum. Find them in our collection here:

Erebus Dawning
A Star Reborn
Queen of the Black

Book Review: On All Fronts

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Librarian and English Language Learning Instructor Janet Ross-Heiner recommends On All Fronts by Clarissa Ward.

It is July, the time when our valley of cottonwood comes alive! The little pinhead unvarnished town (as someone noted) welcomes all with grandeur. The green hillsides are popping with color. The airstrip glistens of winged metal and aluminum fiber under the shadows of scattered cumulus clouds. Allen & Company arrives first and then the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (SVWC). We eagerly wait! The Community Library savors the SVWC. Revving up literally! Do you know one can buy a 3-day pass to the SVWC Live Streamed Watch Party at The Argyros? Go to the SVWC.com website! 

Part of the appeal of book reviewing is that one can exist in the same moment as the writer. That is exciting and risky because you do not have anyone else’s thoughts to mediate between you and the book.

On All Fronts invites the reader into war conflicts and a journalist’s life. Clarissa Ward has a fierce intellect and a passion for broad perspectives of journalism, most of all getting the news to people. As our multipolar world today is changing, journalists are being targeted around the globe—most aggressively in Gaza.

Every journalist killed is a further blow to our understanding of the world. 

Clarissa Ward’s memoir bearing witness to war is impressive. When the World Trade Centers’ Twin Towers were hit in 2001, Clarissa made it her mission to seek the story on the front and firsthand. Her career started in 2002 as an intern at CNN’S Moscow bureau. She speaks six languages including Arabic, French, Italian, Russian, Mandarin and Spanish, and graduated with distinction from Yale University. Her career story is evocative and engaging.

Her writing invites the reader to see and understand conflicts from both sides.

Her unique expertise opens an aperture with insight, as she shares how professional journalism got the war in Iraq wrong. Tricks were being tactfully used to leak disinformation. Illusions were created, and there is an argument lifted to acknowledge truth. Clarissa has a critical eye when it comes to war.  

 What I loved about her extraordinary story was her witness to the truth.

She accompanied the people, she sat with the Taliban with reciprocal respect. Clarissa felt coming back from war was harder than being there. How to balance two realities. How to straddle two worlds, how to square the different lives. The book is riveted with smarts, family, empathy, and geopolitical questioning with strong reporting. As an extraordinary journalist, Clarissa exemplified in her critical writing; one person’s terrorists are another person’s freedom fighters.  When I lived in Nicaragua during the Contra war, I used the same phrase frequently.  

Clarissa’s lens is wide; living in Beijing, Baghdad, Beirut, Moscow, London, and New York, along with reporting in and out of major hot spots in the world. I invite you to discover Clarissa Ward and her fine book On All Fronts. 

Find it in our collection here.

Summer Games | Local Heroes

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Honoring Summer Olympians in the Wood River Valley

Library Foyer Exhibit
July-August 2024

In life, there are many setbacks. I always tell myself, ‘Don’t give up. Head straight for your goal.’ 
~Gabriela (Gaby) Andersen-Schiess on the hard finish to her Olympic Marathon 

The Community Library and Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History are honoring the achievements of local athletes who participated in the Olympic Summer Games. The new exhibit, “Summer Games | Local Heroes” will be on display in the Library’s Foyer from July 6 through Labor Day, 2024, featuring stories and special memorabilia from 11 Olympians connected to the Wood River Valley.

You’ll also find commemorative pins from various Olympic games in the exhibit—on loan from collector Chuck Jones, who has collected nearly 10,000 pins over ten Olympic Games. 

From Muffy Davis’s gold medal, to Greg Randolph’s red, white, and blue road bike, to a photograph of the revolutionary “Fosbury Flop,” and much more, the exhibit features artifacts from the following Olympic athletes (pictured below left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Gaby Andersen, Muffy Davis, Dick Fosbury, Georgia Gould, Adrienne Lyle, Ruthie Matthes, Debbie McDonald, Greg Randolph, Chris Spelius, Rod Strachan, and Dara Torres.

Read more here about these remarkable athletes.

Summer Games | Local Heroes – Olympians

Gabriela (Gaby) Andersen-Schiess  
Track & Field | Los Angeles 1984 

In life, there are many setbacks. I always tell myself, ‘Don’t give up. Head straight for your goal.’ ~Gaby Andersen

Gabriela “Gaby” Andersen finished in 37th place in the first women’s Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympic games. It is not her placement, however, that remains indelibly inked into our hearts. It is the image of a woman who refused to quit.  

Gaby began the race strong, but as the heat reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Gaby missed the fifth and final water station. Her body began to fail, her legs cramped, and she lost control. In an iconic display of perseverance, Gaby waved away the medical staff as the crowd cheered her to the finish line. She is lauded to this day for her demonstration of unbelievable determination and true Olympian spirit. 

Gaby is a Swiss American athlete who participated in the first ever women’s Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles. At the time, Gabby lived and worked here in her beloved long-time home of Sun Valley as a ski instructor.  

Despite her American residence, she represented her home country of Switzerland in the 1984 Summer Games. This local legend is remembered best for her iconic performance on that marathon track. The day started out with a relatively cool 68 degrees Fahrenheit as the 50 runners set off from Santa Monica College.  

Gaby started off strong, but throughout the race, she worried about the increasing heat. As the day drew on and the race approached its climax, so did the heat, reaching a boiling 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Critically, she ended up missing the fifth and final water station. The last meters of the race proved brutally difficult as the heat radiated in from the stadium. Her body began to fail her as her legs cramped and she lost control. But even stumbling, she was determined to finish the race. In an iconic display of perseverance, she waved away the medical staff as the crowd cheered her on towards the finish line.  

She finished in 37th place with a time of 2:48:42. She is lauded to this day for her demonstration of unbelievable determination and true Olympian spirit. She continues to this day to be an invaluable part of our community.  

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Muffy Davis
Cycling | London 2012 

I am just a person, full of flaws, but who has been blessed with adversity, and who has accepted the challenge to learn and grow from the opportunity. ~Muffy Davis

At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Muffy Davis – who faced a life-altering skiing accident at the age of 16 that left her paralyzed from the chest down – secured three gold medals in handcycling, showcasing her versatility and unmatched perseverance. Her story is a powerful testament to overcoming obstacles and redefining possibilities. 

Muffy, a Sun Valley native, exemplifies the spirit of resilience and triumph over adversity. A former competitive skier, Muffy transitioned to adaptive sports, becoming a Paralympic champion and a beacon of inspiration.

Muffy’s victories highlight her exceptional athletic ability and her unwavering spirit in the face of challenge. Her legacy in Sun Valley and beyond serves as a shining example of the indomitable human spirit. 

Muffy’s athletic journey is marked by her participation in both the Winter and Summer Paralympic Games. She first made her mark in the Winter Paralympics, earning three silver medals in alpine skiing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Her passion for competition and dedication to excellence didn’t stop there. Embracing new challenges, Muffy transitioned to handcycling, competing in the Summer Paralympics. At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, her determination and hard work paid off spectacularly. She secured three gold medals in handcycling, showcasing her versatility and unmatched perseverance. Her victories highlighted her exceptional athletic ability and her unwavering spirit in the face of challenge. 

Beyond her athletic achievements, Muffy is a vocal advocate for people with disabilities, working tirelessly to promote accessibility, inclusion, and adaptive sports. In her hometown of Sun Valley, she has been a pillar of the community, actively engaging in initiatives to support and inspire young athletes. Her dedication to public service is further demonstrated by her position in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2018 to 2021, where she championed issues close to her heart, including health, education, and disability rights. 

Muffy’s story is a powerful testament to overcoming obstacles and redefining possibilities. Her legacy serves as a shining example of the indomitable human spirit, making her a true hero celebrated in the Summer Games | Local Heroes exhibit.  

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Dick Fosbury
Track & Field | Mexico City 1968 

When you reach that elite level, 90 percent is mental and 10 percent is physical. You are competing against yourself. ~Dick Fosbury

Dick Fosbury etched his name in Olympic history at the Mexico City games with his famous “Fosbury Flop.” This groundbreaking technique won him the gold medal and revolutionized the sport of high jumping.  

Approaching in a curved path, Dick led with his head and shoulders, arched his back, and flew backwards over the bar with his torso and legs following. This technique lowered his center of gravity and allowed him to clear greater heights than ever seen before. 

He captured the world’s attention in Mexico City by clearing 2.24 meters (7 feet 4.25 inches) and setting a new Olympic record. Since then, the Fosbury Flop has become the “gold standard” for athletes worldwide. 

Beyond his Olympic triumph, Dick remained a cherished member of the Sun Valley community. Born in Portland, Oregon, Fosbury visited Sun Valley for the first time in 1973 while attending Oregon State University. He returned to Sun Valley for the long term in 1977 and soon after co-founded Galena Engineering.

As a resident in the Valley for over 40 years, Dick was deeply involved in the community. This included working 25 years as an engineer for the City of Ketchum, five years as a Commissioner for Blaine County, and many years coaching track and field athletes at Wood River High School.

Dick’s story and legacy exemplify the spirit of Summer Games | Local Heroes, celebrating those who inspire through extraordinary feats and community spirit.  

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Georgia Gould
Cycling | London 2012 

An Olympic medal of any color has the power to inspire. I’ve finished third place in a lot of races that no one cares about, but Olympic bronze is different. ~Georgia Gould

Georgia is an American professional mountain bike and cyclocross racer. In the 2012 London Olympics, she won a bronze medal in cycling. Her event was the Cross-Country Mountain Bike. 

Leading up to the Olympic bronze, Georgia earned five national championships. Four of them were in cross-country mountain biking. The fifth was in short-track mountain biking. 

Georgia has earned five career national championships – four in cross-country mountain biking – 2006, 2010, 2011, and 2012 – and one in short track mountain biking in 2009.

Georgia_Gould

From 2006 through 2016, Gould rode professionally for the LUNA Pro Team. She was a resident of Ketchum, Idaho in 1999, and currently lives in Vermont. Gould credits her time in Ketchum as the place where she got her start as a mountain bike racer.   

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Adrienne Lyle
Equestrian | London 2012 , Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024

One of my favorite sayings is: When a rider stands on a podium, they never stand alone. ~Adrienne Lyle

Adrienne Lyle took her love for horses to the highest levels of dressage competition. She earned a berth at the Olympic Games in London riding Wizard and won a silver medal at the Tokyo games in team dressage riding Salvino. Adrienne recently qualified to ride in the Paris Olympics, where she will ride a horse named Helix. 

Adrienne’s start with equestrian sports began with the U.S. Pony Club and continued to Grand Prix Dressage— the highest level of competition. In 2006, she moved to the Wood River Valley to train full-time with fellow Olympian Debbie McDonald. The pair trained together for many years at the River Grove Farms in Hailey, Idaho.  

Adrienne Lyle

Originally from Whidbey Island, Washington, Adrienne spent much of her youth in the Wood River Valley, attending Hemingway Elementary. In 2006, Adrienne moved to the Wood River Valley full-time to train with Olympian Debbie McDonald at River Grove Ranch, owned by retired banker E. Parry Thomas and his wife Peggy. Debbie, known as the “First Lady of American Dressage,” is also a dressage Olympian, riding in the 2002 Athens and 2008 Beijing games.

Adrienne’s decision to train in the Wood River Valley and much hard work paid off. At age 38, Adrienne is currently among the most elite riders in the dressage world with numerous accolades and victories to her name.  

Adrienne and her husband David are now parents to Bailey, a daughter born in September 2023.  Adrienne currently runs a full-time training business out of Kylee Lourie’s TYL Farm in Wellington, Florida, and Colorado.  

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Ruthie Matthes 
Cycling | Sydney 2000 

My first licensed race was to qualify for Junior Nationals. I placed second out of two girls. That fired me up to go faster and be better. ~Ruthie Matthes

Ruthie Matthes, a Sun Valley native, grew up skiing on Bald Mountain. When she saw Jean Claude Killy win three gold medals at the 1968 Olympics, she decided then and there to be an Olympic skier.

In 1983, her ski coach suggested she join the local cycling club for dry land training in the summer. She hopped on a bike and never looked back.  

In 1990, she traded her slick road bike tires for “knobbies” and won the World Mountain Bike Championship merely a year later. 

Ruthie’s accolades include three National Road Championships, a silver medal at the World Road Race Championships, and a collection of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Mountain Bike World Championships and Mountain Bike World Cup. She was inducted to the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame in 2011.

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Ruthie Matthes

Debbie McDonald
Equestrian | Athens 2004, Beijing 2008

You have to put the effort in if you expect to get the effort out. ~Debbie McDonald

Debbie McDonald is known as the “First Lady of American Dressage” for good reason. She has has participated as rider, trainer, and coach at the most prestigious Grand Prix levels of dressage, including participation in two Olympic Games.  

At the Athens games in 2004, she won the Bronze medal on Bretina, a horse she trained at the River Grove Farms in Hailey, Idaho. Bretina passed in 2021 at 30 years of age but is memorialized in a sculpture that remains in the Wood River Valley. She is recognized as one the greatest American dressage horses of all time. 

Debbie returned to Olympics in 2008 to compete at the Beijing Olympics, and has gone on to coach fellow Olympic medalist Adrienne Lyle and other elite dressage riders. Her work continues at the Paris 2024 games where her expertise will be a key ingredient in Team USA’s efforts. 

Photo: Susan J Stickle

Debbie’s success has been repeated through her work as a dressage coach. She has guided three athletes and their horses to the Olympics, including fellow dressage Olympian Adrienne Lyle. Debbie trained Adrienne at the world-renowned Hailey horse facility, River Grove Farm, founded by retired banker E. Parry Thomas, who was involved in dressage until his passing in 2016. 

Debbie and her husband, Bob, the long-time manager at River Grove Farm, still reside in Hailey, Idaho. They continue to develop riders and horses at elite levels. Debbie is a technical advisor to Adrienne Lyle and her horse “Helix” in the 2024 Paris Olympics.  

As both rider and owner, Debbie’s love for horses is a remarkable story. Her father said they could afford to buy a pony, but not to keep it – so Debbie did a deal with a local barn: She would muck stalls to pay for accommodation. She met her husband, Bob, at the stables, and the couple remain active in equestrian pursuits to the present. 

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Greg Randolph 
Cycling | Atlanta 1996 

People get so caught up in everything other than the real experience. ~Greg Randolph

Greg Randolph competed in the cycling road race during the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. His role on the U.S. Olympic team included support as a “domestique,” the rider who works for the benefit of the lead rider. He has also raced mountain biking professionally, making him one of the most skilled riders who crossed between road cycling and mountain biking. 

His rise to the top ranks of professional cycling was quick. Upon winning the National Time Trial in 1996, he caught the eye of U.S. Cycling coaches. He was offered a position on the team and not long thereafter was selected for the U.S. Olympic squad. Greg’s strengths as a rider helped support Lance Armstrong in his second Olympic bid. 

Greg-Randolph

Greg grew up in McCall, Idaho, where he rode BMX and mountain bikes as a kid. He was inspired to try road cycling by the superstar American cyclist, Greg LeMond. While attending the University of Idaho, some buddies asked him to join them on a road ride, offering him a bike. Traveling in his 1979 VW van around the U.S. cycling circuit as an amateur, he began his racing as an amateur in the 1993. 

Following the Olympics, Greg pursued the European race circuit, which he ultimately walked away from. He decided to move to Colorado where he guided backcountry hut trips and enjoyed fishing, hunting, and riding without the pressures of professional cycling.  

In 2003, Greg was offered a position with Smith Optics in Ketchum. This job was a paycheck that got him back to Idaho. Now Greg and his wife call the Wood River home, and he works as the V.P. of Marketing at Decked. They have four children. 

Affectionately, Greg is known as “Chopper” after his once infamous sideburns, he has written columns in Bike magazine called “Ask Chopper” offering practical advice on cycling. 

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Chris Spelius
Kayaking | Los Angeles 1984

We achieve an exquisite balance with nature and within ourselves. With this balance comes responsibility. ~Chris Spelius

Kayaker Chris Spelius competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic on the U.S. Canoeing team, which finished fourth in the 1000-meter Kayak Fours. At age 32, Chris was the oldest member of the team. 

Chris has been named one of the “Legends in Paddling” by Paddling magazine, and was the first kayaker to descend the Niagara Gorge, beneath Niagara Falls. He achieved numerous first descents in Chile as well.  

After the 1984 Olympics, Chris taught kayaking in North Carolina for two years. In 1986 he moved to Chile, where he taught paddling and worked as a river guide on the Futaleufu River (‘the Fu’).

Chris Spelius

He has gone on to coach on a grant from the International Olympic Committee and helps to develop kayaking as an Olympic sport in Chile. 

His adventurous spirit and love for rivers began with a family trip down the Missouri River. He later guided rafts on the Colorado River while attending the University of Utah in the mid 70s before proceeding to his competitive kayaking career.

More recently, Chris has been involved in conservation efforts to protect free-flowing rivers. He has spoken globally on the importance of environmental protection of the world’s rivers. He and his wife split their time between Idaho and Chile, where they operate Expediciones Chile, which has been offering adventure trips on ‘the Fu’ for over 30 years. He has also represented Dagger as a professional kayaker. 

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Rod Strachan
Swimming | Montreal 1976

In the final competition in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, at the high point of his athletic career, he took the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley event, while setting a new world record of 4:23.68. For two years, he retained the long course world record in the 400-meter individual medley, which he set in the Olympics from July 1976 to August 1978.

At USC, Strachan swam for Hall of Fame Coach Peter Daland, an outstanding swimming mentor. The Trojans won the NCAA Championship during Strachan’s attendance from 1974-1977, and he won his signature medley event in 1976-1977 in record time.

Rod Strachan swimming

At the NCAA Championships in Cleveland on March 25, 1977, as a USC Senior, Strachan won the 400-yard Individual Medley with an NCAA record time of 3:54.76, and though the time was under the existing American record, it was disallowed as the new American record because of a technicality. With a powerful team, that included Steve Furniss and John Naber, USC won the NCAA championship that year.

At USC, Strachan also earned a 3.96 grade point average as a pre-med student, gaining him acceptance to medical school at Southern Cal where he became a doctor, with internal medicine as his specialty. Source: Wikipedia

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Dara Torres
Swimming | Los Angeles 1984, South Korea 1988, Barcelona 1992, Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008

The water does not know how old you are. ~Dara Torres

Dara Torres is the most decorated U.S. female Olympic athlete of all-time. She has represented the United States in five Olympic games and, at age 41, is the oldest swimmer to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team. She first went to the Olympics games in Los Angeles in 1984 at age 16, winning a gold medal as part of the 4×100 Freestyle Relay. She would go on to compete in Seoul, Barcelona, Sydney, and Beijing, earning 12 Olympic medals. 

Dara was never someone that competed for the accolades. She was driven by the challenge of doing what no one else has ever done. She continues to encourage involvement in swimming and promotes the benefits of life-long fitness. She is an author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and mother – and recently accepted a position to coach swimming at Boston University. 

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Dara Torres

Opening Reception 2024 – Summer Games | Local Heroes

The Community Library and Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History are hosted an Opening Reception Tuesday, July 9, 4pm-6pm to honor the achievements of local athletes who participated in the Olympic Summer Games. The new exhibit, “Summer Games | Local Heroes,” will be on display in the Library’s Foyer from July 6 through Labor Day, 2024.

Light refreshments were served at the opening reception, with comments from Library staff … and some surprise guests from among the athletes!

The Olympians being honored in Summer Games | Local Heroes are:

Summer Games | Local Heroes also leads into the Library’s annual open house event, Book around the Block! Thursday, August 15, 2024. The whole family enjoys events with Olympic themes at the Library, Wood River Museum, and Gold Mine Thrift and Consign. We’re going to “Book around the Block” for literacy, history, shopping, community, food, and fun, with activities for all ages.

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Consumer Reports: Travel Tips

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Reference Librarian Buffy McDonald recommends Consumer Reports: Travel Tips.

Buffy Consumer Reports Travel

Are you interested in improving your travel experiences and finding travel tips and advice online? 

Consider exploring the ConsumerReports.org website via the library’s subscription. (You will need to start at the Library’s website to access this subscription—see below.) This website has some helpful tips and great advice for travelers. 

You can find advice on flying hassle free, choosing an airline, buying luggage, and more. Did you know that the Transportation Security Administration’s TSA PreCheck will let you fast-track through security? And, that some premium credit cards may offer membership? For finding flights, Consumer Reports recommends using the Google Flights website. According to one of their sources, “They have an awesome price history and prediction tool.” From the article:

It gives you the amount your route has cost over the last couple of months, has a price graph that predicts what prices will be for nearly a year in advance, and tells you what Google thinks is a fair price.

Consumer Reports also has an article on proven tips to help you save gas and, therefore, money.  For example, keep at least a half-tank of gas during the colder months due to weather and a risk of shortages. Drive evenly. Avoid unnecessary braking and frequent bursts of acceleration. Remove roof racks when they are not being used to reduce aerodynamic drag. (There is even a loss when driving with an empty roof rack.) Buy good quality gas from stations such as Chevron, Costco, Mobil, and Shell. And, finally, check your tire pressure. Having tires with lower pressure can affect fuel consumption.

Here’s how to access ConsumerReports.org via the Library’s website:

  • Start by going to the library’s website – comlib.org or search [ketchum library]
  • Scroll down to Apps & Digital Services
  • Click on the Consumer Reports icon
  • You will be prompted to enter your library card number: 22301. . .
  • Then click on the text, “ConsumerReports.org”

I hope these tips help and encourage you to try the Library’s FREE ConsumerReports.org subscription. 

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