Heritage Court 2015
Carly Baird
Carley Baird’s six sons were the best dressed at the high school prom, the “tuxes” she made for them sparkling with sequins. And when Sonny and Cher were all the rage, she made each a furry vest.
But she didn’t stop there. She made formals for many of the girls and Barbie doll dresses and squaw dresses, too.
“No one else had jackets like Carley’s sons,” recalled Laurie Fiscus. “She has so many talents—sewing, gardening, singing. And she’s always ready to share those talents with the community—I don’t know how many funerals she’s sang at.”
That community mindedness is one of the reasons the Blaine County Fair Board nominated Baird to the Blaine County Historical Museum Heritage Court. Baird will be crowned during a…
Ruth Mayher
Rusty water dripped from the faucets in the Sun Valley Lodge when Ruth Lieder was assigned the task of marketing the resort to the world. And Elkhorn?
The tennis courts she was supposed to tout for Elkhorn’s first summer didn’t open until Aug. 15. The swimming pool didn’t open until Labor Day. And the golf course didn’t open until three years later.
But Lieder stuck with it and went on to become Sun Valley Mayor for 14 years and a consummate volunteer with the valley’s non-profits. Among them: the Wood River Women’s Foundation, which nominated her for the 2015 Blaine County Historical Museum Heritage Court.
Lieder will be honored for her contributions to the valley in a ceremony open to…
Virginia Reed
Last winter’s snows have yet to melt off the mountains to the north. But Virginia “Ginny” Reed is already calculating how early she’s going to have to get up next winter to beat the traffic to the ski hill.
Reed is nursing a bad back, and it takes her 1.5 hours every day to do the three pages of exercises her physical therapist has given her.
“I already get up between 4 and 5 every day. I’m going to have to get up even earlier if I want to be out the door by 6:30 a.m.”
Not ski racing is not an option, even though she will turn 85 on Aug. 2, said Reed, who has won a treasure lode of Masters championship races in the United States, Canada and Sweden.
Denise Thomas
Denise Thomas has spent plenty of time in the saddle.
But she may be best known among the Wood River Valley’s horse riders for the floral garlands she’s made for parade horses and the hat bands she’s made for rodeo queens.
“She’s always there to put together anything the Sawtooth Rangers riding club needs,” says Mary Ann Knight. “She opened the flower department at Atkinsons’ in Hailey in 2007, back when there was only one another floral company in the south valley. And what makes people feel better than flowers?!”
Thomas can count on getting a bouquet herself as one of four women selected to join the Blaine County Historical Museum Heritage Court this year.