With food costs on the rise and the national economic situation what it is today, many people are wringing their hands when it comes time to cutting costs.  Now is the perfect time to turn to the local community to become more self-sufficient.  This means saying "no" to the big fast food corporations and processed food and "yes" to buying meat, vegetables and fruit from local farmers.  Slow Food in the Tetons is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture, the traditional family mealtimes, school gardens and utilizing heritage foods (such as elk, potatoes, carrots, huckleberries and mushrooms in the Tetons).  By supporting local farmers, we keep them in business which, in turn, keeps the economy alive.  And by helping the farmers, we help our families thrive by bringing back the family mealtime, which has become such a rarity nowadays.  In the past, mealtime was a place where everyone talked about what happened at school, work or throughout the day and discussions about what was important to the family were commonplace occurrences.  By slowing down our fast food lifestyle in Teton Valley, we can all benefit greatly; financially, spiritually and healthily.

You can always find something to do in Jackson Hole.  Habitat for Humanity is welcoming volunteers to help build homes for families in needs on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.  For more info, call Lara at 734-0828.  Visit the Teton County Library every Thursday from 10:30-11am for Storytime.  This is perfect for kids 4-6 and it's absolutely free.  The Stagecoach Bar in Wilson hosts Disco Night every Thursday at 9:30pm.  Music lovers have alot to look forward to on Fridays and Saturdays.  If you like funk, blues and rock, go to the Silver Dollar Bar at The Wort Hotel and enjoy the musical stylings of Dark Cheddar from 7:30-11pm for free.  Jazz lovers can visit the deck at Teton Pines for Papa Chan and Johnny C Note (6:30-9:30pm) or go to The Granary for pianist Keith Phillips, bassist Mike Rossi and drummer Ed Domer (7-10pm) for free.  If salsa, cumbia and meringue rhythms are more your thing, you will enjoy Latino Night on Fridays at Cutty's (corner of Broadway and Highway 22) at 10pm.  Another Storytime happens from 10:30-11am every Saturday at the Teton County Library for children ages 2-5.  Saturday Storytime includes puppets, songs, stories and flannel board fun and it's absolutely free.  The Sierra Club meets for an easy to moderate eight mile day hike on Saturday to Two Oceans and Emma Matilda lakes.  Nature-lovers can continue the love on Sunday with the Jackson Hole bird club at 7:30pm at the Jackson Town Hall.

Wildlife officials are urging Jackson Hole residents to beware of increased bear activity in their area.  Bears' appetites increase during the fall so that they can store up fat for their long winter hibernation, where they can go as long as five months without eating.  The summer berries are just about gone, leaving the bears to seek out their next food source: whitebark pine nuts.  Since the whitebark pine nut crop was only fair this year, Jackson Hole bears are being forced to search out alternative food sources.  What does this mean for you?  If you live near the typical travel corridors of bears (ie. rivers and streams), you may have a bear come digging through your trash to find sustenance.  State wildlife officials offer these suggestions to avoid any possible conflict with a hungry bear:

1. Store your garbage or livestock feed in a bear-resistant container.  If you don't have one, a reinforced building or shed should do the job.

2. Take down bird feeders from April-October, when bears are the most active.

3. Feed your pets indoor and keep all pet food inside.

4. If you have fruit trees, pick the fruit as soon as it ripens.  Make sure any fruit that has fallen to the ground gets picked up immediately.

5. Use electric fencing to protect your garden, beehive or compost pile.

6. Clean your barbeque thoroughly.  Store in a secured building, if possible.

Bears are a normal sight in the Jackson Hole area this time of year.  Following these tips will help you stay bear aware and avoid any problems with these beautiful creatures.

Here's what's happening this week in Jackson Hole:

Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers to help build homes for families in need October 15, 16 and 19.  To sign up, contact Lara at 734-0828 or email: lara@tetonhabitat.org.

The Rec Center is hosting a One to One Wellness Clinic on Chi Walking at 6:30pm October 15th.  This free clinic is great for people recovering from an injury or those with chronic injuries because it is easy on the joints.  For more info, call 739-9025.

Frank's 19th Annual Fall Film Festival, held October 15-30 at the Teton Theatre, is fun for everyone.  The pass for all seven movies in the festival is $35.  For each movie, ticket prices are $8.50 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children.

Join the Senior Lunch Outing to Signal Mountain Lodge on October 16 for only $4 plus lunch.  The outing departs at 10am.  To register for this great event, call 739-9025.

Help out the library by visiting the Friends of Teton County Library's Fall Book Sale going on October 16-19, 4-9pm at the library.  For more info, call 733-2164.

The Jackson Elks Lodge will be holding a Kids in Need dinner fundraiser at 6:30pm on Friday, October 17th.  The $20 a plate for adults dinner, silent auction, raffle and student art show are all in an effort to raise money for local school lunch programs, C-V, youth sports, scholarships and much more.  Children under 5 get dinner for free.  Join in on dancing after dinner.  For more information, contact Elizabeth Shockley at 733-6278.

The Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust will be hosting an open house on Saturday, October 18th from 9am-12pm to celebrate the completion of 15 new affordable homes in Jackson Hole.  These homes are the first LEED certified green building homes.  Enjoy refreshments and home tours.  For more info, call 739-0665.

Go to the Town Square on October 18 from 9am-12pm for the Rendezvous PTA Pumpkin and Bake Sale.  This pumpkin patch includes kids' crafts and face painting, baked goods for sale, hot cocoa and an inflatable fun jump.

According to the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales were up 7.4% in August, the largest gain in almost seven years.  This unexpected increase has been credited to the increasing availability of more affordable housing as home prices have fallen and mortgage interest rates continue to be cut.  In the western portion of the United States, there was actually an incredible 18.64% increase in August from the downturn of pending home sales in July.  With the possibility of 30-year fixed rate mortgages going up to 6.6% by the end of 2009, now is definitely a great time to buy a home!

All of Jackson's senior citizens are welcome to bring their Medicare cards and come down to the Senior Center of Jackson Hole today from 8:30am-12:30pm to receive their free annual flu shot.  If you don't have a Medicare card, the shot will cost you only $15.  The clinic will provide transportation for $1 round trip.  This clinic is limited to senior citizens.  However, other public clinics will be offering flu vaccinations throughout October: Alta on October 16, Wilson on October 22, Jackson Hole High School on October 23 and Teton Village on October 30.  If you are unable to attend any of these public clinics at those times, walk-ins are available at the county health department (460 E Pearl Ave) from 9:30am-4:30pm.

To transition from summer to fall, several areas of the Grand Teton National Park will be closing.  Lizard Creek campground and Flagg Ranch Information Station already closed on September 2nd and the Flagg Ranch campground and Jenny Lake Ranger Station closed on September 21st.  The following is a list of closures scheduled for the rest of September through October:

September 27 - Jenny Lake Visitor Center

September 28 - Jenny Lake campgrounds, Colter Bay campgrounds, Colter Bay facilities

October 5 - Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge

October 6 - Flagg Ranch

October 12 - Gros Ventre campground

October 13 - Colter Bay Visitor Center, Laurance S Rockefeller Preserve Center

October 19 - Signal Mountain Lodge, Signal Mountain campground

October 31 - Granite Canyon, Moose and Moran entrance stations, Moose-Wilson Road, Teton Park Road, Triangle X

Please contact Grand Teton National Park at 739-3300 for more information on closures in the area or visit the Teewinot, the park's newspaper.

The breathtaking scenery surrounding Jackson Hole provides the inspiration for local artisans, making Jackson Hole a great place to find fine art.  Boyer's Indian Arts offers sand paintings, pottery, hand woven rugs and fine jewelry from Navajo, Zuni and Hopi Indians for sale.  If you are looking for high quality Indian and Cowboy antiques, Cayuse Western Americana is the place for you.  They have an amazing selection of spurs, textiles, chaps and beadwork as well as Native American jewelry and historic art, lithos and prints of the Jackson Hole area.  The Diehl Gallery specializes in contemporary paintings and bronze sculptures by both world renowned and emerging artists.  For aspiring jewelry designers, you can take a course at the Ingrid Weber Studio, who has been creating custom jewelry since 1986.  If you love high quality furniture from the 19th and early 20th centuries, you simply must visit the Fighting Bear Antiques shop.  Some of the other fine art galleries in Jackson Hole include: Galleries West Fine Arts, Hennes Studio & Gallery, Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Images of Nature Gallery, JH Muse Gallery, Legacy Gallery, Mountain Trails Gallery, RARE Gallery, the Robert Dean Collection, Trailside Galleries, West Lives on Gallery, Wilcox Gallery, Wilcox II, Wild by Nature and the Wyoming Gallery.  Jackson Hole is also home to wonderful museums, including the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.  The 2nd Annual Jackson Hole Art Auction will be held on September 20th.  Some of the proceeds from this auction will go to benefit the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Center for the Arts.  Whether you live here or are simply passing through, stop by one of these fine art establishments to see how our artists have captured the beauty and inspiration of Jackson Hole.

While the Jackson Hole market has experienced a slow down, it is nowhere near the dire straits being touted in the media.  A California-based research company recently reported that the median home price in Teton County had dropped 9% in the last fiscal year.  While the lower end market has experienced a slight dip in home values, the higher end Jackson market has actually increased 2% (from $1.175 million in July 2007 to $1.2 million as of July 1, 2008).  Since the Jackson Hole market has consistently experienced approximately 20% increases every year for the last few years, a slow down or even slight dip may seem much bigger than it is.  Many Teton County realtors believe this is a much needed correction in the market.  With slowing sales volume, there is now an 80% increase in inventory from a year ago.  In actuality, Jackson home values are about the same as they were two years ago.  Sellers seem to have trouble believing that their home hasn't increased 20% from last year, which is reflected in the asking price.  However, many sellers are understanding that this has become a buyer's market.  So, don't be shy.  Make an offer.  The worst that can happen is that the seller will counter.

As more attention is focused on green building, especially in Jackson Hole, some people still seem to be stuck on the misconceptions of the past. For instance, green building is not always an expensive undertaking. This myth has persevered because more high-end projects tend to get builders' attention. The truth is that there are many ways to utilize green building inexpensively by reducting waste, selecting the correct size for the structure's function and so much more. Another myth is that the products used in green building don't work as well as traditional building supplies. The low-flow toilet still gets a bad rap even though it has been required in new construction for over a decade now. Additionally, people believe that green products are too hard to find. While not as readily available as traditional building products, they are becoming more and more prevalent in local building supply chains and can always be found online. The sheer number of green products continues to grow and shows no sign of slowing down. Many people still believe that building a "green" home can be too complicated and tend to take an "all or nothing" approach. Constructing a green home is only as complicated as you want to make it. Using some green building materials is better than using none at all. In fact, more home builders and manufacturers are using some sort of green building materials than ever before. Take a closer look at utilizing green building in your new Jackson construction or remodeling projects. It's easier, more affordable and less complicated than you would think.