Now, maybe it’s because we’re so close to the end of the year, but in my personal opinion I believe it was that lovely and glorious day we had yesterday!  For the first time in months, when I opened the door of my lil Dodge Neon, IT FELT LIKE SUMMER!  We’ve all had them, you know, those crappy first cars.  But as much as we curse them in different seasons, depending on what’s broken at the time, we probably couldn’t imagine starting out with anything else… gotta love ‘em.  The warm weather inspired many spring athletes to pull on those shorts and ditch the sweats.  Whether it be tennis, track, golf, baseball, or softball, these spring athletes were ready for the nice weather… and then… it comes crashing down with a drizzle.

Now this drizzle turned into sleet, and that sleet turned into flakes, and those flakes turned into clumps of fluffy white stuff that brought the spring weather to a screeching halt.  In hopes of a snow day we students did not loose faith or our, well… ’springy’, spirits.  So now, here we are, in school and outside our windows there is a winter (cold, slushy and a bit depressing) wonderland.

But the weather will not stop these giddy kids!  Whether it be kicking back in an arm chair under a heat lamp, jetting somewhere in search of warmer weather, or playing their sport in the cold (or in our case, a gym)  Bobcats will be sweating with the fever… Spring Fever.

So bundle up! Stay warm!  And try and keep up with these energetic spring players!  The golf tournament was cancelled due to the icky weather.  Track is supposed to have a meet on Thursday, March 11 @ 3:30 (although everything now depends on the weather).  Baseball boys have a game with Skyline at Burley @4:00 on Friday, March 12.

Without sounding facetious, I would like to suggest that one of the requisites for passing the Idaho driver’s license examination would be to understand the risks posed by cell phones and texting devices. It would be very simple to include caveats in the Driver’s Manual – the cost of printing an addendum could be covered by the fines levied against drivers who are cited for driving while texting or talking on their cell phones, i.e., “inattentive driving.” Perhaps if we began using this instructional criteria in our schools, the “trickle-up” effect might be beneficial. By the time these young drivers have ceased relying solely upon their limbic systems and have checked in with the frontal lobes of their brains, they might understand the perils of “inattentive” driving.

I’m sure that Burley is not the only town in Idaho which exhibits this phenomenon – otherwise, our State Legislators would not be considering passing a law which would make driving while texting or using a hand-held cell phone an offense comparable to a DUI. And when it comes to that, I’m not sure that self-responsibility can be legislated – there aren’t enough law enforcement officers to check that one out!

I would urge all of those who drive in Burley on a daily basis, or even occasionally, to do as I am doing – pay attention to the person they see sitting in the driver’s seat. Count the number of times you see a driver negotiating a turn at a stop light, or a 4-way intersection with the all-pervasive cell phone glued to the ear. I promise you – you will be surprised – perhaps even shocked at the outcome of your count. I was.

We who live in Burley, as many who live in Idaho, have a tendency to be anarchistic in our attitude about personal freedom. “They can’t tell ME what to do!”  I think we would do well to draw the line between personal freedom and the freedom to drive safely in our town. After all, driving is still defined as a privilege, not a right, and for that matter, using a cell phone falls into that category.

*Personal Note: I am a transplanted Kansan who has taken root here after growing up in Kansas and living in Western Oregon for several years. I taught at Burley H. S. for 16 years and Cassia Alternative H.S. for 5 years before retiring in September, 2005. From 2005 -2007, I wrote a series, “Unsung Heroes,” about Mini-Cassia WWII combatants – 85 of them all tolled.  These stories were published in the (also retired) SIP. I loved teaching the art of writing – I equally love to write. Now that I have escaped the confines of the classroom and its daily concerns, I am free to look around the town in which I live. These “reflections” will provide the subjects for subsequent entries.

Sarah M. Blasius

(image courtesy of Cyrillcus @ Flickr)

Silhouette of a local snowboarder taking in the view.

This week I am excited to show off an amazing photo from Cindy Singleton. She is great photographer and does a lot of work on istockphoto (check her out at http://www.istockphoto.com/daydreamsgirl), and has a personal site coming out soon. You will be seeing a lot more of her work over the coming months, and I am very glad to have her hop aboard the “Go sites”. As a side note, Cindy took our wedding day pictures and they made even me look good which is a very hard thing to do.

Mike Ramsey

Burley High School Drama Department’s Children Production of Issun Boshi (“Little One Inch”) is the Japanese tale of Tom Thumb and opens February 23rd 2010.  Directed by Richard B. Call, the production will run Feb. 23, 24, 25, 26 in the KFAC at BHS.  Curtain time is 7:00PM for all performances with additional 1:00PM matinee performances for our local elementary schools on Feb. 23rd and 24th.

Tickets are $5.00 and available at the door of each performance.

For additional information: calricha@sd151.k12.id.us

This is a little snippet about the show that was generously sent to me by the wonderful Giselle Call.

The Burley High School Drama Department with director Richard B. Call, are very excited to announce their next production, Issun Boshi, a Japanese children’s production with large-scale puppets depicting the tale of Tom Thumb, a story of how a very tiny soul can have a really big impact.  The puppets in this production are not the ordinary sort of puppet.  All the puppeteers are in full view of the audience and the puppets range from the littlest Issun, a small puppet operated by the actor who plays big Issun, to the gigantic, over twenty feet tall and fifteen feet wide, samurai operated by up to eight actors.  The production also features a wasp, rat, fish and kappa – a water spirit – all large-scale.  The magic these extraordinary puppets bring to stage is truly something special that the BHS Drama Department would like to share with the community.

Here is a video from KMVT running a report on the event. Gives you a great idea about what to expect.

-Brae Beck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I67tDqOkahk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vz6wvYK6Xs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzKFuxlN5kU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5KED5yA8H8

The sisters are returning the favor by bringing a “behind the scenes”  show to the King Fine Arts Center on February 27th, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. Personally, I think they were amazing and I was extremely excited that the sisters made their way to the final rounds. So, expect to see me front and center when the Fab Five put on an extended program in which they will show some new dances, and also explain the “in’s and out’s” of what it was like to compete on the hit TV show.

We were able to sit down with Shandalee Morgan for a little interview about the upcoming show that you can watch below…

Also, I was able to find one of their performances online and have included that for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy…

Remember, Saturday February 27th @ 7:30 p.m. at the KFAC

You can buy tickets at the door, or at the Book Plaza in good ol Burley, Idaho.

Prices are $10 preferred seating, and $8 for economy. For any more information call 208-312-0316. I hope to see you at the show.

One thing I have always been amazed at is how the “arts” thrive in this area. The high school puts on amazing plays (the have one coming up that will literally blow your socks off, so stay tuned for more info). We have OVAC, the newly renovated Wilson Theater, and the King Fine Arts center that all pull local talent willing to share with the community.

Every once in a while a play comes along where everything comes together. The costumes, cast, and choreography team up to create a play that is remembered and talked about in our community for years to come.Well, I am going to go out on a limb and say that Julene Thurston and Cheri Hamilton have done just that with Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dreamcoat. The cast is packed full of amazing dancers and singers (No, I am neither, but the others are). A few of the costumes are the ORIGINALS THAT WERE WORE BY DONNY OSMOND HIMSELF (that is sure to bring a few out) and the set  is breath taking. I am gong to include a few pictures to give you an idea.

Our opening show was Friday Night and the house was nearly packed. My guess is that there wasn’t a single person that went home feeling that the ticket price could have been better spent else where.

So, I am including the information for the remaining performances and I hope to see you there!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

January 22, 23, 25, 28, 29 & 30 (matinee only)
at the King Fine Arts Center
Show Time: 7:30 and 2:00 for Matinee

For Tickets call
678-6868 or you can purchase them at:

• The Book Plaza
• The Book Store (in Rupert)
• Welch Music in Burley and Twin Falls

and you can purchase at the door.

Reserved – $10.00
General – $8.00
Economy – $5.00

The freshmen beat down the Spartans in the end with a slim win but a victory none the less.  Powerhouse Junior Varsity stole the spotlight with a game full of come-backs and fast-break plays.  Sophomore starter for JV, Delta Jones, commented on the game with a grin, “We had to play hard to execute our offense out there.  We played well and showed a lot of heart out there tonight!”  Her statement wasn’t far off the mark of the game either.  They showed enough heart and enough skill and took the second win of the night with a final score of 37 to 32.

Varsity showed up and put their Bobcat ferocity to the test.  The girls battled back and forth, raising the intensity of the game from the start.  With a score of Minico up with a slim lead at the half, 20 to 19, Burley brought it on in the second half.  Coach Marshall Lagge, coach to JV girls and asst. coach to the Varsity girls, commented on the Varsity game, “They hit some shots and our girls played a good team. Our girls gave them all they could handle.  It was a fun game to watch and people definately got their money’s worth tonight.”  But even with a great game, someone has to lose and tonight our Varsity girls played their hardest and came up short, but just barely.  Minico brought it all home with a final score of 32 to 38.

A close game, a real nail-biter, and it’s just one of those times when the game ends and people beg for more.  And if you’re a die-hard Burley fan, then come and support our Bobcats and LadyCats in their up-coming games.  Burley Boys play Canyon Ridge for a homegame this Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, at 6 o’Clock.  And our LadyCats play next Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010, against Wood River at 6 o’Clock.  Don’t miss these last few games as our legendary Burley Cats basketball comes to a close for this year.

Reported By: Leslie Fowler

So, if you haven’t got your traditions started, then I have a few ideas for you…

1. Drive around Burley and check out the Christmas lights…If you can find this house your the winner!

2. Watch your favorite Christmas Movie

3. Go Caroling

4. Plan a Snowball fight, If it isn’t snowing, use marshmallows.

5. Take gifts to people in need.

6. Contact your local church and see if they are planning anything

7. Read the Nativity Story in the bible

8. Write Letters to People you care about

9. Go to Walmart and watch the frantic shoppers as they realize they are out of time

10. Go sledding

11. Track Santa on Google Maps (only if you are a computer geek like me)

Whatever you decided to do, just make this holiday season the start of something that you will look forward to year after year.

Mike Ramsey