//wp-includes/functions.php - just plonked it in there.  couldn't find out if it needed to be somewhere speshul

function register_menu() {
    register_nav_menu('sidebar-links', __('Sidebar Links'));
    add_action('init', 'register_menu');
}

//sidebar.php (did it through the editor in WP for the theme)

<?php if ( has_nav_menu( 'sidebar-links' ) ) { /* if menu location 'primary-menu' exists then use custom menu */
             wp_nav_menu( array( 'theme_location' => 'sidebar-links') );
    } ?>