Celebrities, smoking and taxi rides

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-We aren’t supposed to say anything. They want it kept on the ‘down-low’ so as not to attract too much attention while they are filming around the Town Square.

So much for that: Reba McEntire is coming to Jackson May 4 to 6. The country music diva, with 22 No. 1 hits and a thriving film and TV acting career, will be hosting Jackson Hole to the Max. The IMAX-style film will be released on DVD with showings all summer long at the Pink Garter Theatre.

“In short, this film is a 40-minute commercial for this town and the entire valley,” Jason Winkler said. Winkler runs the entertainment firm Wink Inc. producing the program for Pink Garter owner John Hoggan.

Hack laws redefined
When Reba is in town, she might be shuttled around the valley by Driver Provider. The local transportation company specializes in chauffeuring the rich and famous, and their representative, Vicki Howell, was on hand Monday night to say she didn’t care for the new and expanded ordinance covering ground transportation in Jackson.

“We have clients who refuse to be moved in our vehicles if there is any lettering on them,” Howell said. “I’ve had to scrape [lettering] off my vehicles before they would get in the vehicle.”

Besides vanity, celebs like to smoke. The town’s new taxi torts would require cars be decaled to signify they are officially ripping off tourists who just landed at the airport. They would also outlaw smoking.

“We have a contract with a company in New York and LA that states their people – mostly celebrities – can smoke in the vehicles if they pay a detailing fee,” Howell said. Oh yeah, she added she wasn’t going to display her name and phone number in the car for any gaper to see.

Superior Taxi owner Joe Anckner called the new 33-page document “fairly flawed.” He agreed with Howell that executive vehicles should not have to be stickered and added that the airport should be removed from the picture. “If the town is going to micromanage this, that’s fine but we gotta do it right. The less [the airport] has to deal with us, that suits them fine.”

The plan calls for capping some fares which, most of the area drivers pointed out could be misconstrued as the ‘set rate.’ A-1 Taxi owner Helmut Thalhammer said. “It has to be spelled out properly so the operators understand that this is the maximum allowed. I would never charge $12 to go three blocks; I don’t care what government agency tells me to.”

The three operators present all asked for a chance to sit with the Town for a rewrite, which the Town said they already had. The second reading of the ordinance passed for a third reading with the stipulation that some verbiage had to be cleaned up and any cab driver in town could sit with the town legal staff between now and next meeting to help shape the document that will guide their businesses for years to come. PJH
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Celebrities, smoking and taxi rides | Planet JH News Article: Council Chronicles

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