KHOL Jackson Hole Community Radio 89.1 FM

Carmen Agra Deedy is a writer of children's literature, a storyteller, an radio contributor. Her luminous, funny, digressive tales of childhood and adulthood bring out the starry-eyed listener in us all. She told us why a great story is about letting go, how stories literally allow us to connect others, and what it was like moving to the South with her family after the Cuban Revolution.

She'll speak at the Teton County Library tonight (September 22nd) at 6pm as part of their celebration of Latino Heritage Month.

We spoke with Sky Garnick, who recently returned from the 2016 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan where a team of Jackson Hole Cowboys competed on a Kok boru team. Kokboru consists of players of two teams on horseback battling over a freshly-killed goat carcass. We talked about the challenges of the game, how Western Cowboys were viewed through the eyes of other countries, the unspoken language and connection to the land that horse-people share, and more.

The work of two Kyrgyz designers honored at the World Nomad Games will be offered at a Vista 360 pop-up store noon to 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center.

Artist Travis Walker works on location, capturing the vibrant essence of seemingly mundane scenes around town: an old salon, a decaying house with a fence made of skis, a vintage trailer park. He's drawn to the nostalgic quality that certain scenes possess and uses them as landmarks of belonging and place.

He has a collection of new paintings titled "Out There" hanging at the Alta Mira Gallery with an opening reception on Thursday, September 23rd at 9pm. He also runs Teton Artlab, which provides studio space for local artists and hosts visiting artists in residence.

Reyna Crow is a grassroots organizer for the Native American rights movement "Idle No More". She just returned from delivering supplies and caring for elders at the protests in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation, where she was pepper sprayed by private security guards hired by those building the pipeline. She made sure to emphasize the weightless feeling of being among members of hundreds of Indigenous Nations and other supporters all coming together peacefully for a common goal. She calls the recent ruling to pause permitting on the pipeline a marginal success and questions the tribal "consultation" that the government proposes to seek in making decisions moving forward.

We talked with Vice Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson about the Special Referendum Election today for the updated land development regulations for District 2 in downtown Jackson Hole. Many voters have expressed concern of the short-term rental aspect of the regulations, which aim to incentivize workforce housing. Polls are open for town residents today from 7am-7pm at the County Clerk's Office. More info. on the issue can be found at TownofJackson.com

On Wednesday, the Center for the Arts presents an evening featuring short films, food demonstrations, and a panel discussion focused on the future of farming and food. The films Harvesting Liberty and Unbroken Ground will be followed by a discussion between Yvon Chouinard, Birgit Cameron of Patagonia Provisions, Ian McGregor of Slow Food in the Tetons, and Nona Yehia of Vertical Harvest. We talked with Ian McGregor to learn more about the state of sustainable food production in our valley and beyond.

Did you know that students who make their way to school in an active way like walking or biking are shown to have improved focus and mood? We talked with Lauren Dickey from Friends of Pathways and first grader Ellery Preheim about efforts this week to have students and their families walk, bike, or ride the bus to school. They talked about the traffic problems at our schools at drop-off and pick-up times as well as the positive impact sustainable transportation has on our environment.

Event: iWalk, iBike, iBus to School

Tuesday 9/20 - Wilson School

Wednesday 9/21 - Jackson Elementary

Thursday 9/22 - Colter, the Middle School, and Summit High School

Kara Stein is a third-year, honors student at the Rhode Island School of Design majoring in painting. She's exhibiting a show at Matterhouse Design, on Scott Lane here in Jackson, with an opening Saturday, September 17th as part of the Midtown Throwdown celebrating businesses in that neighborhood. We talked about her recent interest in painting figures, rethinking and appreciating the unique way her mind works, and starting a conversation between the viewer's body and the painted body. Above all, Kara describes the paintings as “jovial portraits of self-loathing. Of triumph. Of self-love that had to be earned and learned from [her] toughest critic: [her]self.”

Age Friendly JH aims to "enhance accessibility and inclusivity of older adults in all aspects of life in Jackson Hole". We spoke with Becky Zaist and Jean Day about why the voice of those aging is sometimes perceived as less valuable, the needs of that population in Jackson Hole (as well as how it's tied into our housing crises), and how our country as a whole will respond to rising number of Baby Boomers reaching retirement and beyond.

They meet once a month including tonight September 14th at 5:30pm at the Senior Center.

For the last 15 years, Jackson has been without a public bowling alley. Jessica MacGregor, the owner of the new boutique bowling alley called "Hole Bowl", changed that when they opened their doors 2 months ago. We talked about the challenges in doing so, how the sport creates a valuable social hub, and what's in store in the future.