In the wake of recent storms and with more severe weather coming, Liberty Utilities is issuing a strong warning to all customers: Stay away from downed power lines; touching live wire may result in death.

“Unfortunately, there’s been a couple close calls with customers trying to help our crews by picking up
downed power lines,” Travis Johnson, Liberty Utilities vice president of operations said in a press release. “One of our customers actually coiled up a live wire and zip tied it in an effort to be helpful; we’re not sure why he’s still alive.”

Customers are also warned that if their vehicle comes in contact with a live wire, sometimes hidden in the snow, that they should not leave the vehicle.

Here are some tips:

• Stay inside! The safest place is your car. If you get out and touch the ground and your vehicle at
  the same time, you will most likely be electrocuted.
• Warn others to stay away. Anyone who touches the vehicle may be injured. Energized soil can
  also electrocute someone standing near downed lines.
• Use your cell phone to call 911.
• Fire department, police and Liberty Utilities workers will tell you when it is safe to get out of your car.
• Do not assume that a downed wire is not energized. You cannot tell by just looking at it.
• Always leave the down wire alone, call Liberty Utilities or 911 if you believe the situation posed an imminent danger.
• Warn others not to go near downed wires.

Ernest Hemingway’s Royal typewriter in Ketchum, Idaho. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

KETCHUM, Idaho – “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” – Ernest Hemingway

Oh, the stories that old Royal typewriter in the glass case could tell. The blood – perhaps literal and figurative – that fell onto those keys. The legendary prose that spilled forth onto once blank pieces of paper with every peck.

This typewriter at the museum in Ketchum is said to belong to Ernest Hemingway.

Hemingway earned the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, and was nominated for the same award in 1950 and 1947. He was awarded the Pulitzer for fiction writing for “The Old Man and the Sea” and was nominated for the Pulitzer for “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

This is the perspective Ernest Hemingway had from his seat at  the Casino in Ketchum. Photo/Pamala Ward

His presence in this small outpost in Idaho (population 3,319 – Sun Valley is 1,476) can still be felt to this day.

Bars that he would frequent still exist, though most have evolved in the last 55 years. At the Casino, locals said, he would sit at the end of the bar near the door. A few old pictures with Hemingway in them hang on the walls. 

Hemingway is said to have been a regular at the Sawtooth Club, Whiskey Jacques, and the Pioneer, too. His last dinner out was at the Christiana.

While the Sun Valley Lodge touts how Hemingway finished “For Whom the Bell Tolls” while staying in a second floor room, no marker on the outside indicates this fact.

This is one of the bars Ernest Hemingway enjoyed. Photo/Pamala Ward

Hemingway first came to the resort – specifically the lodge – in 1939. Averell Harriman, who founded the ski area, had enough marketing savvy to know if he brought celebrities to the area, the common person would follow. It worked – and still does.

The renowned novelist fell in love with the area; especially the fishing and hunting. Establishments throughout town have photos of Hemingway hunting. It was a love of his since growing up in Illinois.

He lived in Ketchum multiple times. Hemingway set up residence in 1946 with one wife, and came back in 1958 with a different wife.

Ketchum is where he took his life in July 1961. He’s buried in the cemetery in town. In January, there was too much snow to go looking for his headstone. The stories are that people who visit leave smoked cigars and whiskey bottles as a token of appreciation.

The Sun Valley Museum of History has a section devoted to Ernest Hemingway. Photo/Pamala Ward

Hemingway left behind a treasure of works that to this day are must reads: “The Sun Also Rises,” “A Farewell to Arms,” “The Old Man and the Sea,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “To Have and Have Not.”

The library in Ketchum has an entire section devoted to him. Books by and about the author are on display. Photos of him are on the wall. For the past dozen years, the library has put on the Ernest Hemingway Festival in the fall.

An entire section of the museum in town is also devoted to Hemingway.

By Rick Gross

Keeping track of finances takes time, attention and energy at any age. In the case of older adults, health challenges such as memory loss can make it difficult to manage their financial obligations as well as they did in the past. If you’re the son or daughter of aging parents, here are a few items to keep in mind that can help protect your parents from financial missteps as they grow older.

Rick Gross

For many seniors, signs of memory loss or dementia may first become apparent when they start to lose track of financial responsibilities. These signs could include unusual spending patterns, failing to remember which bills were paid or incurring uncharacteristic late or overdraft fees. Unfortunately, seniors are far more vulnerable to financial scams as well. Savvy swindlers routinely target older adults who may not be as quick to discern fraud in the form of phony phone calls, letters, emails or texts.

If you notice that mom or dad is struggling to stay on top of their finances, approach the situation delicately. People experiencing memory loss may not want to admit they’re having difficulties, while other family members may be in denial about mom or dad needing help. Start the conversation by offering a helping hand. Older adults often want to maintain their independence, so keep that in mind as you start to get involved.

Creating a support plan

Ideally, it’s best to get mom and dad involved in creating a financial plan while they’re able to communicate their wishes. While this isn’t always possible, any preparations you can do before the situation is critical can help you feel better about their financial affairs.

Start by reviewing your parent’s financial situation, covering off on all their assets and liabilities. If he or she is working with a financial advisor, invite that professional to the meeting. Work together on a strategy to make sure mom or dad is able to cover current expenses and prepare for future ones. The following checklist can help you get started:

1.     Designate someone who is committed to the best interest of your parent to take the lead on financial matters. While many family members may want to be involved in decisions affecting the individual with memory issues, consider choosing one person as the financial contact. This person should make sure bills are paid on time, taxes are completed and keep track of mom or dad’s overall finances, looping in other family members as necessary. Meet with your attorney to discuss if the designated person should seek legal financial responsibility as well, by becoming a power of attorney.

2.     Ensure each asset is properly titled and has a beneficiary that reflects your parent’s wishes. Suggest a meeting with an estate attorney if you think your parent needs to set up or update their will, health care proxy or other estate planning documents.

3.     Establish automatic bill pay where you can. Suggest that your mom or dad set-up his or her account to receive emails when bills are due or paid so that there’s a paper trail to follow in case of confusion.

4.     Create a retirement income strategy – or document your parents’ income if they’re already retired – so that it’s clear what their sources of income are and how they will pay for caregiving expenses. Sources of income may include Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts, annuities or other investments, while their life, health, long-term care and disability insurance policies may provide important coverage to offset expenses. Caregiving costs can be significant, particularly if a higher level of care is needed. Take the time now to explore options and costs for in-home and facility care, and make sure you understand how your parent feels about the various options.

5.     If your parent is still fairly independent financially, remind him or her about the prevalence of money-related scams. Demonstrate how your parent can protect themselves against fraud.

If you are concerned about your parents’ memory issues, try to find some time to lay out a caregiving and financial plan of action while your parents are still able to be part of the conversation. Consulting with a financial advisor or an attorney familiar with elder law issues may help get the discussion started.

Rick Gross is a financial advisor and private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. in South Lake Tahoe.

Brian Turner will share his unique talent as the next Writer in the Woods installment, with a reading and workshop in March.

In addition to being the creative writing director at Sierra Nevada College, Turner is the author of two collections of poetry: “Here, Bullet” (2005) and “Phantom Noise” (2010), which was short-listed for the T.S. Eliot Prize in England. His poetry and essays have been published in the New York Times, National Geographic, Poetry Daily, Georgia Review, Virginia Quarterly Review and other journals.

Turner earned an MFA from the University of Oregon before serving for seven years in the U.S. Army. He was an infantry team leader for a year in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Prior to that, he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 10th Mountain Division (1999-2000). Turner was featured in the documentary film “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience”, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

He will give a free talk on March 3 from 7-9pm at SNC. A writing workshop will be on March 4 from 10am-noon. To register, go online.

By Ann Carrns, New York Times

No one likes to think about dying — and that is probably one reason most Americans lack wills.

Fewer than half of American adults (42 percent) have a will, according to a survey published this week on Caring.com, a website that offers resources for older Americans and their caregivers.

The most common excuse given for not having a will (or an alternative legal tool called a living trust) was, “I just haven’t gotten around to it,” cited by nearly half of survey participants who lacked one.

Read the whole story

Image Nation, an art installation featuring Nevada County veterans, comes to the Truckee Community Recreation Center on March 10.

The photographs – self-portraits and pictures of veterans’ hands, are the result of a therapeutic workshop with veteran and master photographer Michael Llewellyn.

The gallery will hang in the Community Recreation Center through June.

Along with the artistic value of the collection, Image Nation helps veterans express themselves and connect with each other and society, a key element in treating post traumatic stress disorder.

Llewellyn will attend the exhibit opening on March 10 from 5-7pm, and will host a series of nine veteran photography workshops in 2017.

For more information, email michael@michaelllewellyn.com.

ElectroSwing Burlesque returns to The Loft in South Lake Tahoe on Feb. 22 and March 29, at 8 each night.

This original live production show features the smooth, strong, and jazzy vocals of Ashley Kepler, with a ever rotating cast. Famous jazz songs of the 1930’s and 1940’s are blended with electro-swing, world beats, and New Age sounds. 

The show is recommended for ages 17 and older. Reserved seats are $30, plus fees. 

El Dorado County Deputy District Attorney Katie Dobler died Feb. 13, 2017. She was 35.

Katie had an absolute love for justice, unwavering patriotism, and wholehearted faith and support of the men and women in the military and law enforcement communities. 

Katie Dobler

Katie attended El Dorado High School. At UC Davis she earned her undergraduate and law degrees. She started working for the district attorney’s office in 2011.

Katie enjoyed watching the Oakland Raiders, was a military brat who bled red white and blue, and loved this country and all that it stands for. Her love of country grew early in life seeing her dad in the Air Force, working on SR-71 Blackbirds at Beale Air Force Base.

District Attorney Vern Pierson noted, “Although her life was cut far too short, Katie had a significant impact on the victims she fought for and lives she touched. She will be missed. ”

Services for Katie will be Feb. 21, 11am at the Green Valley Mortuary at 3004 Alexandrite Drive in Rescue. A private interment is planned.

By Brian X. Chen, New York Times

Modern homes today are getting internet-connected light bulbs, thermostats, TVs and speakers. So with a simple voice command or the touch of a button on our smartphones, we can set the temperature, turn on a light or prepare the TV to record a program.

What could go wrong?

A lot more than most people are prepared for, it turns out. If one of these devices gets hijacked, hackers could potentially snoop around for sensitive data like financial or health information. Or they could use a network of compromised devices to perform a widespread attack that takes down major websites, which is what happened last October.

Read the whole story