This past weekend Cathy and I had the opportunity to go to McCall and do some snowshoeing in Ponderosa State Park. There are groomed trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing which makes the snowshoeing pretty easy. We thought we would try to do a little bit of off-trail walking in order to get a better look at the lake and quickly discovered the advantages of staying on the trail. Off-trail is a lot more work and takes coordination, which is something I have less of than I used to.
It was good to get out in the fresh air and the snow, see the lake, and get a good hike. We even saw a couple of young bucks locking horns and tussling a little. It didn’t look like they were too serious about it, but it was fun to watch. It reminded me of watching our grandsons wrestle.
Overall, it was a good inexpensive trip and well worth the effort. I would encourage everyone who can to get out and enjoy the outdoors to do so as much as possible. It makes the winter and the isolating easier to bear. Also, Cathy says it makes me easier to bear.
The Governor issued a statement last week asking for patience in the Covid-19 vaccination distribution efforts. At this time, the State is receiving 24,000 first-dose vaccines each week. We are in Stage 2 of the distribution system, which means that those over 65 years old are eligible to be vaccinated now. There are approximately 265,000 seniors over 65 in Idaho, meaning that at the present rate it will take 10 to 11 weeks to vaccinate this age group. So, if all seniors eligible get vaccinated, the vaccination program will be able to move on to the next stage sometime around mid-April.
For more information on the State Vaccination plan and distribution, the State has set up a website at www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/covid-19-vaccination. The site provides a good deal of information regarding who is getting vaccinated now and estimated timelines on when others will be eligible. There is too much information to break down to include in this article, but you should be able to find what you need to know at this site.
As for our own Covid-19 numbers, our 2-week rolling average is hovering around 5 new cases per day. This is still in the “Red Zone,” but the trend overall is down. It appears that the lower numbers reflect your efforts at limiting the spread by wearing masks, distancing, and hand washing – and the Governor’s Stage 2 order to limit gatherings to 10 or less. Good going Weiser!
In other news, for businesses, there is additional money available under a second Payroll Protection Plan. For more information on this, you can go to the Small Business Administration website, or visit your local bank or CPA.
In City business this week, the 9th Street project continues to move along as planned.
The Recreation Dept. is moving ahead with plans for Spring Soccer. Of course, all plans will depend on where we are with Covid-19 and will include plans for distancing, etc., but at this time we are hopeful and moving forward.
Other than that, there is a lot of maintenance work going on to make sure we are ready for spring and what awaits us the rest of the year.
Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you can take advantage of the nice weather and get out for a bit! Hope you have a great week!
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