In ancient times, we nurtured our warriors with special care when they returned from epic battles. We brought them to spas at outskirts of cities, and then cooled them down with compassionate concern for long spells, until we determined that it was safe for them to return into communities; unlike modern times when soldiers more often get dumped straight back onto the streets with little or no benefits. Nowadays, many of our country’s valiant veterans are unsupported and homeless or incarcerated at record levels, while perpetually mired in post-traumatic crises. 

As Dennis Kucinich said, “Homelessness and poverty are weapons of mass destruction.”

Men develop with different levels of mettle, but sanity has limitation points for even the bravest of soldiers. Soldiers Heart affected many Civil War Veterans (and their families). In later wars, this became Shell Shock then Battle Fatigue. Now Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the expression.

During World War II, Gen. George S. Patton was nearly court-martialed after slapping a hospital patient whose conscience was suffering from Soldiers Heart, thinking that he was just a coward. A historically safe place, which soldiers used to convalesce, both physically and psychologically was the Sun Valley Lodge. Many World War II soldiers, who rehabilitated there in its crisp mountain air, became permanently attached to our area -and for good reasons. To this day, some remain as helpful contributors within our community.

What safer place and farther away from war (Mountain Home Air Force Base notwithstanding) could there be for a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center, then the good earth on where Friedman airport currently sits? It’s been reported that if the Friedman family recognizes a significantly suitable cause, then they will consider donating this prime Hailey Real Estate for that concern -if the airport relocates, whereby the site reverts to the family.

Our community leaders should start contemplating constructive ideas about what we might create from this once-in-a-lifetime possibility.

We could transform this airport acreage into something for truly banking on. Besides generous monetary donations from valley benefactors to help establish a healing foundation, this also could be a prime opportunity for us to show how rich we are in spirit, by personally welcoming these recuperating warriors back into our community. To contribute to their continued recovery, we should thank our dedicated veterans for their Herculean efforts by offering them desirable jobs; some perhaps related with support services for the healing center itself.

Moreover, we could construct hundreds of affordable-housing units on the land, along with potential worker-retraining facilities for displaced soldiers to reattach to our community, whereby becoming useful contributors. Some will probably rejuvenate with a broader sense of understanding, developing a desire to become healing practitioners themselves. A ‘Walter Reed West’ center would create bountiful meaningful jobs here, not only for our respected veterans, but also for many of the rest of us suffering from this economic slump. Already established mentoring organizations such as Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and The Advocates could tie in well with such a permanent wellness festival. The College of Southern Idaho could even branch a wing of its burgeoning Twin Falls nursing center up here. 

Perhaps an understanding owner of one of the locally underutilized hot springs could pipe some healing waters into such a splendiferous spa, with government stepping in to help fund construction logistics of the supportive donation. 

The relocated airport itself could even benefit, by becoming a busy transport center for the steady streams of patients, visitors, hospital personnel and supplies.

The hospital could feature Posttraumatic stress disorder therapies like recently advanced Somatic Experiencing, MDMA and Propranolol treatments, as well as other well-proven curative methods, both ancient and newly developed. 

Even if we are somehow fortunate enough to be without war at the future date when our airport shift occurs, Doctors are now seeing that PTSD is a condition that is a normal part of life, which often actually strengthens us. How many times for instance, have you heard someone say about an adverse situation, “I wish it hadn’t happened, but I’m a stronger person for it?” A trauma-stren transformation clinic could assist and focus on numerous variables of this. We should set up feasibility studies in advance, to see what else might be achievable for improving our community in positive ways, if the Friedman family continues to stand by this intention. Let us extend our common senses with high-tech hospital wings, blooming with curative physicians.

You priests and holy leaders who’ve kept so mum and cloistered about our tragic wars, now is the transformative time to harp for fresh miracles. Let us forcefully implore that our newly incoming leaders at the Pentagon redirect its forces into tools that enable the blind to again see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. Let us ask for a peaceful turnover of these suppressed cutting-edge technologies, so we may transform our energies to relieve this terrifying violence, which only begets further violence. Let our common senses soften no more. May those in wheelchair pews ascend over foxy TV skies. Demand that your tax barrels of cash handed to war profiteers be flip-flopped to trickle up fair amounts of funds to help our globe spin a little truer, for battle amputees, brain-injured and psychologically traumatized.

Let us hope that our soldiers’ hearts heal well enough in this Idaho land, so they may again walk peacefully on this world we worship, and that through another miracle, diplomacy prevails rather than our wrongly “war shipping” of the good mother earth, with land mines, undepleted uranium and a general malaise to eliminate those who we do not understand.

Movers and shakers heed this clarion call. Please come together with equally powerful ideas for the potentially soon to be changed vast ground where Friedman airport now abounds.

With the sunny climate, fresh air and clean water natural to this valley, enhanced by the numerous enlightened compassionate people who flourish here, our community could set a new standard for positive rehabilitation by improving on some of the shortcomings now plaguing Walter Reed Veteran’s hospital and hand our modern troopers the deserved special treatment, most have earned.

I ask that our community leaders strongly consider holding a feasibility study, in the near future, to see if this idea or similar ones, such as Tom Iselin’s grand idea for a Paralympics Center hold enough water to transform soldier’s widow tears into flowing fountains fronting a first class “Friedman Memorial Trauma-Stren Conversion Center.”

After all, what should be more important than proper treatment for our wounded warriors who have patriotically served, even if some of these battles were fought for misguided reasons?

Was the phrase “Compassionate Conservatism” just a clever sound-byte coined by George Herbert Walker Bush in order to get re-elected?

Or is the reality more like what Representative Raul R. Labrador, a Republican legislator from Eagle, says:

“Many Idaho families are struggling … Our economy is a mess, our government is in debt and rising prices make it hard for hard working people to buy the basic things they need- housing, fuel and even food,” writes “We also know that the strong, conservative values and work ethic that have allowed Idahoans to survive past downturns will carry us through.”

Writing on the Idaho Republican Legislators at Work blog
of the Idaho Press Tribune, Labrador said:

“We can trust Idahoans to work together to help their neighbors- we do not need big government to force us to be charitable.”

“Some argue that the only way to help struggling families is to increase taxes to fund government programs,” Labrador continued. “However, if those same people were to look at the last session of the Idaho Legislature, they would see that conservative Legislators have a better way to help Idaho families.”

Labrador offers a very interesting perspective, considering Barack Hussein Obama’s emphasis on funding large government programs such as universal healthcare and industry bailouts.

“In 2008, along with many of my colleagues, I voted for House Bill 439, which lowered Idaho taxes by providing a grocery tax credit to help all families and individuals cope with the rising cost of food,” Labrador said. “The ‘Tax Credit’ legislation provides a tax break for everyone. It also allows those Idahoans who are not in need to donate their tax benefit to a fund that helps provide low-income families with assistance in paying for home energy costs.”

Further, a recent study shows that conservatives are more generous than liberals when it comes to personal giving. Yet liberals are much more generous when it comes to giving away the government’s — i.e. the taxpayer’s — money.

Due to the rugged individualism espoused by many on the right, critics contend that the words “compasionate” and “conservative” are a contradiction in terms.

What do you think?

Is it worth dinner for two at Christy’s?

Consolidating the two Sun Valley and Ketchum Police and Fire departments into one Police and one Fire department would yield minimal tax savings to Sun Valley residents and property owners. Sun Valley tax payers see their tax costs for city expenses as only one item of 13 line items on the Property Tax Bill they receive from Blaine County. The city of Sun Valley receives only 16% of the Sun Valley property owner’s total County Tax Bill. Schools receive 54%, the County receives 11%, and seven others receive 17%.

The Sun Valley 2009 Budget totals $7,022,000 in expenses and an equal amount in revenues. (All numbers rounded.) Of the total revenues, only 43% ($3,014,000) comes from Property Taxes. The rest of the revenues, 57% ($4,008,000), do not come out of property tax payer’s pockets. Those revenues include: Local Option Tax 20.7% ($1,450,000), State liquor and sales tax 10.4% ($730,000), Business and Franchise taxes and Building permits 5.1% ($359,000), and more than 20 other arcane revenue streams and transfers provide 20.9% ($1,470,000). (City and governmental budget accounting can be mind-boggling.)

Of the $7,022,000 city budget, 17% ($1,192,000) goes to the Police department and 7.4%
($521,000) goes to the Fire department. Assuming a very generous and optimistic 20% reduction in cost of Police and Fire department functions in Sun Valley from consolidations with Ketchum’s like departments, Sun Valley’s Police functions would then be 15.3% ($1,050,000) and Fire safety functions would be 6.3% ($417,000) of the city’s budget. (Fire engines, police cars, and other equipment costs would be the same whether consolidated or not.) The new reduced city budget would be $6,655,000, 94.8% of the original budget, or a 5.2% reduction of the original budget.

Assume all the 20%, $367,000, cost savings of the consolidated Police and Fire department functions went to reduce the property tax requirements. The new Sun Valley property tax share would be $2,647,000, a reduction of 12.2%. (The Sun Valley tax share of the total Blaine County Property Tax Bill is 16%.)

Based on all assumptions and the 12.2% reduction of the Sun Valley share of taxes (the savings from Police and Fire department consolidations), Sun Valley property tax payers would save 1.94% of their present County Property Tax Bill; $39 if the Tax Bill is $2,000 ($360,000 house), $78 if $4,000, $117 if $6,000, $156 if $8,000, $194 if $10,000 ($1,800,000 house). If only the Police departments of Sun Valley and Ketchum were consolidated, the Tax Bill savings would be 1.39%, and the comparable savings would be $28, $56, $83, $112, $139.

As trade-off for losing their desires and feelings for their own Police and Fire Departments, median consolidation cost savings for the Sun Valley property owner would offset just once yearly the cost of dinner and wine for two at Christy’s.

Savings and efficiencies of consolidation of both Sun Valley and Ketchum into one new city, under one government, are just mind-boggling to even begin to qualify and quantify.

To definitively resolve once and for all the matter and merits of the consolidation of Sun Valley and Ketchum police and fire departments and consolidation of the two cities into one new city called Sun Valley, an advisory referendum could be held for Sun Valley voters. Dave Chase is in a position to put the matter of such a referendum before the Sun Valley city council. Should the city council reject a referendum, Dave Chase could initiate a petition for an initiative election on the same matters.

The referendum would ask three separate questions: 1) Shall the Sun Valley and Ketchum police departments be consolidated into one police department? 2) Shall the Sun Valley and Ketchum fire departments be consolidated into one fire department? 3) Shall the cities of Sun Valley and Ketchum consolidate into one new city called Sun Valley?

Once a referendum election was set, the points, discussions, and campaigning on the matters and merits could begin in earnest in Sun Valley and in Ketchum for the benefit of Sun Valley voters. The city council would act accordingly on the results of the election.

#There are about 439 nuclear reactors operating in 32 countries.#In addition, 56 countries operate 284 research reactors and 220 nuke reactors power ships and submarines.# The U.S. Navy operates about 80 nuke powered ships and subs, accumulating 5400 reactor years of accident free nuclear operation.# about 34 reactors are under construction worldwide.#The U.S,operates 104 reactors and is expecting licensing applications for about 30 more soon.#Britain has announced that at least four new reactors and as many as 10 would be built as its existing 19 reactors head toward the end of their useful lives.#21 of the last 30 reactors to have been connected to the grid are in the Far East and South Asia.#Russia has 31 nuclear reactors, with seven more under construction.#India has 17 reactors and is building six more.#China and Taiwan have a total of 11 reactors and five more are being built.#The safety record of nuclear power is outstanding. Radiation from nuclear plants has not caused a single know death worldwide, except at the Chernobyl plant.#The known death toll from the Chernobyl accident is less than 70.# Chernobyl type plants are not being built anymore.#Less radiation is given off by a nuclear power plant than a coal-burning plant.#Nuclear power plants save thousands of lives every year in the U.S. This is because nuclear plants replace many coal plants, which emit tiny particulates in the atmosphere. These particulates are believed to kill thousands of Americans each year. Nuclear plants emit no particulates.#A new, nuclear plant was recently constructed in Japan in less that 4.5 years and below budget. Some American plants took over twice that long to build. The Japanese plant was designed by a team of American and Japanese companies.#All nuclear reactors in the west are insured.The are a sought after risk because of their high engineering and operational standards.# If you believe anthropogenic co2 is causing global warming, doubling the world’s nuclear output would reduce co2 emissions from power generation by about 25 percent.#Nuclear power plants use about the same amount of water as fossil fuel plants.#Nuclear share of electricity generation in selected countries and the world: World 17%, France 79%,Lithuania 73%, Slovak Republic 57%,Belgium 54%, Sweden 48%, Ukraine 47%, Bulgaria 43%, Armenia 42%, Slovenia 40%, South Korea 39%, Hungary 38%, Switzerland 38%, Germany 32%, Czech Republic 32%, Japan 30%, Finland 28%, Spain 20%, U.S. 20%, Russian Federation 16%, Canada 16 %.# The U.S., France and Japan have agreed to cooperate in deploying sodium-cooled fast reactor prototypes. A sodium-cooled fast reactor uses liquid sodium to transfer heat, burning the plutonium and other transuranic elements in the process producing clean, safe nuclear power producing less waste and increasing non-proliferation goals.#Nuclear power is here to stay and at least double in the coming decades because of the following: Low carbon energy technologies are preferred; Rising Gas and oil prices; political unrest in oil supplying countries; easily tapped oil supplies have peaked; Increasing electricity demand; Improved, safer, and more secure reactor designs; A growing number of aging reactors that must be rebuilt or replaced after decades of reliable and safe service.

It’s disheartening to see factories that churn out the most hellacious waste in the world plop down into Idaho lava fields, set up high-paying jobs, and then become integrated into the area via churches, spirited Little League ball teams and 4-H clubs.

When something dreadful occurs at a nuclear site, often our culture covers it up. Whistleblowers are terrified of repercussions, being shunned by society and worse. Few want to be known as killing the goose with the golden eggs, even if they are speckled with plutonium.

Three years ago, right before Christmas, there was a news splash at the Los Alamos, New Mexico laboratory. Five workers were exposed to the highly carcinogenic PU-239. It took several days before this information came out to the public. Then it was through the Project on Government Oversight that co-workers coughed this up to, rather than their own trusted government and contractor.

Ironically, of all the of jobs I’ve labored on, the rules insisted that every accident, no matter how small, be reported - even if it’s a cut from a piece of paper as tiny and insignificant as America’s Constitution. It’s not right that our best men juggling the most dangerous element under the sun should be skittish about reporting disasters that hold far-reaching ramifications. After all, would not the open reporting of near catastrophes aid in preventing similar events?

The same season as the 2005 New Alamos incident, some Department of Energy spokespersons drove over to Sun Valley, claiming they care about the environment and their grandchildren. If this is true, then they should invite aspiring scientists to join a contest designing foolproof double blind whistle-blower systems. A Rube Goldberg category could be included to generate interest among innovative high schoolers who (for the past eight years) have had more open dialogues than the highest levels of our own government. Unlike the exposed workers whose health benefits will likely be terminated once they are let go, the winner could receive a lifetime POGO magazine subscription.

“The Only Tough Part about Having To Film in Idaho Is When You Have To Leave” (Clint Eastwood)

Enlightening Eastwood’s Pale Rider

With a Statewide Movie Signage Proposal

By Jim Banholzer

With special lights from Brad Nottingham & Professor Tom Trusky

Watching Clint Eastwood movies, particularly his well-crafted Westerns are almost like enrapturing religious experiences for some big screen buffs. Each of his movies project priceless lessons, even when he portrays an antagonist, such as the callous elephant hunter in White Hunter, Black Heart. Astoundingly enough, Clint filmed much of Pale Rider right here in Idaho, with a theme as ageless as the Boulder Mountains. Clint plays a nameless preacher protecting a poor prospecting town from a gang of ruffians sent by a greedy mining corporation, to intrude on their claim. This striking film, the first Western of which he was the Producer, was created in 1984 around Boulder City north of Ketchum and over by the Vienna Mine near Smiley Creek. Pale Rider was the predecessor to Clint’s 1992 Academy award-winning gem, Unforgiven.

Each time I watch Pale Rider, I focus on the recognizable background terrain, sometimes freezing specific frames to find my way around in the mountains. As my friend Brad Nottingham was a local then, he reminds us:

“For Pale Rider, there were some filming issues evident in the film as you see it today, which brought comment: it was filmed in our typically beautiful late Indian summer, and some of the riding scenes were filmed just before and after an unpredictable early season snow, which frosted the upper parts of the ranges, while quickly melting off the lower elevations. As a film viewer, a period of time that seemed to be about a week, appeared to toggle from summer to winter, which brought some criticism, I remember, but any of us mountain folk wouldn’t give it a second thought.

In addition, Clint made tremendous effort to restore the site that was disturbed by the building fronts, construction crew, and later the feet pounding of the actors and production crew on the little ridge and river drainage near the quaking aspen groves. Winter seemed to come quickly that year and for a bunch of us, it was hard to spot evidence of the film set trampling that next spring, though we tried. We also tried to find some kind of film crew item or something. Lon and I located “the rock” that one of the miners was chipping on in an early scene from the film.
When it finally came out, Pale Rider sort of stunned people, because it was a break from the Eastwood tradition. He played an even quieter, low-key character, and I remember people being confused about connecting a “preacher” role to him. Others, expecting the active dashing and violent Dirty Harry traditions found this movie kind of slow and spacey, features I didn’t mind at all this time. I just soaked in the scenery that I knew was almost in my backyard. I had driven my old Buick Wagon up there, and forded the rocky river crossing half a dozen times, hiking up to some of the “real” old mining cabins and diggings.

Soon afterward, a local man, David Butterfield had us typeset and produce an exhausting field guide to good locations across Idaho, including information about accommodations, prices, in order to drum up more filmmaking interest from Hollywood. After the book was published, I remember that there wasn’t much response, until the Bruce Willis engine began churning up sleepy Hailey in the 90s. I still have not rented that weird, forgotten-about movie (Town & Country (2001)) filmed in Bellevue that included Warren Beatty that had a fly-fishing connection, nor the one about Hemingway, but I did see that odd Twin Falls picture(Breakfast of Champions (1999)) that Willis was working on when his marriage to Demi was fast unraveling.”

While reading Brad’s insights, it occurred to me that the filming of this picture was a significant enough event that we should commemorate it with a historical sign. Folks at The Idaho Transportation Department were receptive to this idea and revised the Wood River Mine sign to include such a tribute. 

Photo courtesy of Steve Linden

Soon after we relayed this information to Boise State University English Professor Tom Trusky, head of the Idaho Film Collection, Tom became enthusiastic about the Pale Rider tribute and expanded the idea with a “Statewide Movie Signage Proposal”. To quote Professor Trusky, “The tourist / publicity value of such signage is apparent – and locals might appreciate such knowledge, too, if they are unaware of their cinematic heritage. As well, given the recent interest in bringing film production to the state, such signage would not only be public acknowledgement of Idaho’s considerable contribution to the film industry but also serve as a reminder to contemporary filmmakers of the Gem State possibilities.”

Although we now face uncertain economic times, and are unsure where money will come from to fix and maintain highways, Tom’s Statewide Movie Signage proposal is exactly the type of project we need to enrich Idaho’s future. By merging the information superhighway with our back road signage, we could show the world how we stand on the cutting edge, as well as being able to cut through bureaucracy in hard times.

As technological capabilities continue advancing in affordable ways, it would be uplifting to see Idaho embrace the techno generation by attaching to our already successful historical signage program, interactive items. For instance, when traveling up Highway 75 past the North Fork Store, when reaching the perimeter of interest where Marilyn Monroe starred in Bus Stop, we could make an alert available for interested traveler’s digital devices. A short holographic film of Marilyn hypnotically dancing with a billowing skirt on driver’s dashboards would keep dozing dad’s chipper and alert, lending to driver safety. Then, for the next fistful of history, when reaching Pale Rider’s Phantom Hill, we could create the sound of bullets whizzing by your ear as the subsequent alert. After a quick Galena Lodge pit stop for perusal over photographs stuffed rich with Idaho’s silver history, proprietors of the Sawtooth Valley could smilingly profit by making related material available to satisfy recently whetted traveler appetites.

Eventually, we could develop inexpensive solar powered information kiosks for our pullout areas. Our transportation department’s research and development teams could further engineer signposts to include emergency communication devices. We could imbed a camera-eye within the untouchable hologram to thwart vandals and when tampering is detected, program the sign to announce in Clint Eastwood’s sternest voice, “Go ahead! Make my day!  Because you are now being filmed by an interactive sign commemorating Idaho Films!” Stranded drivers in remote areas where cell phones misfire could come to know these signposts as secure places. Drivers passing the Pale Rider signpost might be inspired to take after the nameless preacher’s lead to assist marooned travelers.

Certainly, ITD already has some technologically savvy leaders aboard. This is my third positive experience with ITD leadership, which leads me to believe they use a high standard of innovativeness in their daily working environment. I hope that someday soon, our leaders will advance these landmark ideas past the incubation stage to transform these signpost pullouts into something that truly enhances our landscape. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You can read more of Brad Nottingham’s insights on the ‘good guys’ in the Idaho Film Archive on Pale Rider: http://www.boisestate.edu/hemingway/film.htm

Complete text here:

http://privateidahoconversationleague.blogspot.com/2008/03/brad-nottinghams-pale-rider-memories.html

Lastly a related poem:

The Rock

I know about where it is
This big rock with a candy vein of gold in it
Scintillating under the stars

I want to find this Idaho Sword of Shannara
and lay me down under the silver fruit
Press the gold of my ear to the vibration
to sense if I can detect the echo of
when Lurch -or was it Jaws?
Split this baby in half
with an old 1863 hickory stick sledgehammer

Yepperdoodle
I’ll bend up over the hill tonite
a-foot
Too itchy and scratchy for a truck in that rough spot
to see if I can’t see how these hills have changed

Yeah that’s it
I’ll pack up the DVD player
better bring a spare battery juice-pack
Cause it’s cold in those Idaho hills
I’ll freeze frame on the DVD
sections of Mountains in that backdrop
and compare it to our current status
                    
I think of the nameless preacher in the movie
and for some reason the Beatles real nowhere man
jangles my juices like Satchel Paige on opening day

On spectacular evenings like these
Sometimes it feels like we’ll still be standing strong
long after these hills have fast eroded away

Original URL for Enlightening Eastwood story:

http://greenvanholzer.blogspot.com/2007/04/enlightening-eastwoods-pale-rider-by.html

Footnote: Not long after posting the earlier missive to my personal blog, I noticed that it was getting twice as many visits as the rest of my stories combined. A year ago, Dave Worrall from the U.K. contacted me, mentioning that he is writing a book for Solo Publishing about Clint Eastwood’s Westerns and looking for some old photos of the Boulder City territory. After we exchanged a few e-mails, including a photo of the Wood River Mines sign, I suggested he subtitle his book “Clint Eastwood = Old West Action” since they are anagrams of each other. Furthermore, with a little photoshopping, he could design the equals-sign to resemble a smoking rifle barrel.

Footnote 2: With the Senate recently passing a bill, to create a fund to offer incentives to film movies and TV shows within the state, and with the newly created Idaho Film Bureau ready to offer these incentives as soon their funding comes through, perhaps portions of this funding could help with such a program. As the next logical step in the evolution of Idaho’s popular Highway Historical Marker program, perhaps the Idaho Film Bureau could even ask for donations on their website, from those who have favorite Idaho movies and would like to see those specific movies commemorated in such fashion.

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