By JoEllen Collins
Anyone who spends much time in this part of Idaho must be aware of our pride in our communities. We are usually known as hospitable to visitors and grateful for our still small-town feel and history.
Since the pandemic, I have noticed some currents of divisiveness in our paradise, some brewing for a while and some growing deeper and more obvious. I have commented in earlier columns about the need for us to keep our open and friendly attitude toward each other and our guests, because our tourist economy requires a welcoming attitude—the warm and generous natures this place encourages.
However, I am seeing more hostile messages directed at people now thinking of moving here, many citing accelerated home costs. In part, this is understandable given the hideous circumstance of this time, but I also cringe when I see people espousing that Californians go home or rich people should get out. This negativity speaks from some thought about the changes to our Valley that are occurring but also of the kind of closed minds that insist only the people already here should reap the benefits of our lifestyles.
One emerging and valid problem, my reaction to this spurt of negativity, is that, indeed, we do have to try to preserve the area as the lovely area it is. We’ve certainly read of the advent of hotel after hotel, but now we are being informed of the elimination of our small-town feel by huge and probably impersonal projects that will replace some of the delights we have enjoyed for so long. I could list so many little businesses that I will miss as locations where my visiting friends and family were always welcome. I have to also admit that the thought of bigger and more sterile buildings in, at least, my town of Ketchum, appalls me.
I understand that we need economic growth, but we also need places for people to park, places for us to stroll down tree-lined and cozy streets, places that reflect the nature of the small cities we have moved here to enjoy. Ketchum has forestalled big-box businesses like Costco. As a result, I think we can really enjoy getting a hotdog at Irving’s, even if in warm months only. I also admired Jim Cimino for giving the city his potentially profitable plot of land on Ketchum’s 6th and Main streets to feature a beautiful, small, child-friendly park. Certainly, there would have been material profit in that corner housing an office building, but the laughter of children cannot be manufactured.
I am fearful our historical and charming heritage is on the outs. I encourage everyone who is a resident to ponder this dilemma and speak up about your concerns. This is a puzzle not easily solved. We want the energy and the financial gains of our tourist towns, but we also want to keep them as the places we love. We may even lose our tourists if we become another sterile conglomeration of big buildings.