71 / 43 Sunny. Business 8 AVERTING DISASTER >>> Bank failure, loss of credit threaten business community in Wood River Valley, BUSINESS 1 SUNDAY $1.50 May 10, 2009 MagicValley.com “It’s hard to talk about it now, even five years later. ... 2009 session I don’t miss him on special days, like Mother’s Day. I miss him every day.” — Marian B. Rowe, of her son Alan Blake Rowe, a Marine who died in Iraq in 2004 — dominated by economy, roads, missed opportunities By Jared S. Hopkins Times-News writer BOISE — With the national recession as a backdrop, the 2009 Legislature was all about spending money. Plummeting state rev- INSIDE enues, the federal stimu- lus and transportation Ten decisions funding made the sec- that will impact ond-longest session feel the Magic Valley. like three different ones. “We had several stops See Main 2 and several starts,” said House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley.“Every time it looked like the system stopped, the system started up again.” After weeks of political wrangling, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and legislators were able to finish Friday and agree to a luke- Photos by ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News warm $55 million transportation funding Marian Blake Rowe pauses for a moment Wednesday afternoon at Mountain View Cemetery near Fairfield while she works around the gravesite of her son, Maj. compromise. But it came only after Otter was forced to abandon his coveted gas tax Alan Blake Rowe, a Marine who died in Iraq in 2004. The family used rocks and stumps around the grave site from a ranch Rowe used to play at as a young man, increase because of staunch opposition in which is about 20 miles south of the cemetery. See LEGISLATURE, Main 2 Magicvalley.com WATCH: A video of the adjourn- ment of the Legislature. And read Capitol Confidential, a COMMON political blog by Jared S. Hopkins ride has always been woven into the fabric of motherhood. But for P the Magic Valley mother whose Idaho Latino son or daughter is serving in uniform, the special honor is something more than what is worn on a sleeve. It also comes in the form of pain and population VALOR worry, carried inside an anxious heart. The stories of four local military moth- ers are each unique in their experience and emotion. Yet they share many shows its themes found in the lives of other valley moms. And they each exemplify the pain Mothers of those in the and self-sacrifice that is the hallmark of a soldier’s mother. buying power By Jessie L. Bonner military carry on with Marian B. Rowe, Gooding Associated Press writer It probably didn’t surprise anyone NAMPA — Two years ago, Nestor when little Alan Blake Rowe grew up to be Carrillo could fit the demands for his strength in difficult times a Marine, least of all his mother. Mexican candies and tortillas into one Marian B. Rowe’s son always dreamed truck as he drove products to a handful of of serving his country. He was active in stores across Idaho. Carrillo now has four 4-H and FFA, winning many public trucks, three employees and delivers to By Laurie Welch TimesNews writer speaking titles on the local, district and more than 110 stores in three states, state level, while growing up in Hansen including Washington and Oregon. and later settling with his family in He often makes stops at El Centro, a Gooding. After he graduated from high business wedged in a mostly empty strip school he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, mall in Nampa, to show his gratitude to the where he was deployed overseas four tiny financial center where he first times, twice to Iraq. obtained auto insurance after moving to His combat death, on Sept. 3, 2004, southwest Idaho seven years ago. occurred less than two weeks after he Inside, rows of gray dividers separate a arrived for his final mission to secure a tiny army of tax preparers, mortgage spe- bridge in northern Iraq in the Anbar cialists, real estate and insurance agents. province near the Syrian border. He was 35 and a weapons company commander See POWER, Main 2 for the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. He died alongside two other Marines when a remote-controlled explosive device detonated as he returned to his vehicle after inspecting a bridge. “It’s hard to talk about it now,even five years later,”said Marian Rowe. “We were two peas in a pod. He looked like my dad and there was an unspoken bond between us. It’s been a long, hard five years. I miss him terribly.” U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Alan Blake Rowe See MOTHERS, Main 3 AP photo Nestor Carrillo of Caldwell delivers groceries to MORE MOTHERS INSIDE and ONLINE Veracruzana, a Latino grocery store in Nampa on Meet three other mothers working through the pain and worry of their child’s deployment, See Main 3-4 Friday. In just two years Carrillo has expanded his business to four trucks and three employees and Watch video of Marian B. Rowe as she cares for son’s gravesite, online at Magicvalley.com delivers to more than 110 stores in three states, Also meet Jaclynn Vargas, nominated as an outstanding mother to her children and her brother, Family Life 1 including Washington and Oregon. Crossword ......Classifieds 4 Kids Only ........Family Life 6 Obituaries ..........Business 6 Dear Abby........Classifieds 2 Jumble ............Classifieds 5 Sudoku ............Classifieds 7 SPRING SPORTS SWING INTO SATURDAY ACTION Horoscope ......Classifieds 2 Movies ..................Opinion 7 Your Business ....Business 2 Local teams play in district tourneys > Sports 1 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Sunday, May 10, 2009 BRIEFINGBRIEF- TN Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks Swine flu meds arrive in Magic Valley Three things to do today Pat Marcantonio Health District not dispensing yet Magicvalley.com • There’s big doings at the and Latin Day celebration By Pat Marcantonio “That’s really what WATCH: A video of Rene LeBlanc discussing the Lucy Stricker’s Mother’s from noon to 8 p.m. with Times-News writer everyone has been keeping supply of antiviral medicine to reach the Magic Day celebration from 11 a.m. music and food. their eye on,” said Tom Valley. to 3 p.m. at the Rock Creek • And lastly, I’m going to The content of a small, Shanahan, Idaho Health Also, for more information, go to www.readyidaho.org or Station and Stricker home- rent the old Star Trek TV plain brown box comforts and Welfare spokesman. www.panfluidaho.org. site, 3715 E. 3200 N., south series in preparation for the Rene LeBlanc. The drug isn’t exotic, he of Twin Falls. The event fea- new Star Trek movie. No, Inside are bottles of added. It is used to treat tures a pioneer picnic, I’m not the Klingon-speak- antiviral medication for the other varieties of flu. antiviral medicine, it can pharmacies don’t usually music by Gem State ing, official uniform-wear- treatment of H1N1 swine Swine flu has yet to strike request some from the keep a large antiviral stock, Fiddlers, the Oregon Trail ing, Borg-fearing kind of influenza if any cases arise anyone in the region. health district. The phar- LeBlanc said. In fact, a tele- Muzzleloaders, black power Trekkie, but I do love that in the Magic Valley, said However, a 34-year- macy, not the health dis- phone survey of pharma- demonstrations, story- series, especially the origi- LeBlanc, South Central old Brigham Young trict, will then dispense the cies by the district showed telling, tomahawk throwing, nal. All I can say is live long Public Health District University-Idaho student drug. only enough to treat crafts and a raffle. The sug- and prosper. director. tested positive for the Although the process roughly about 150 people. gested donation is $8. If you “I think it should make infection, the District 7 sounds cumbersome, “We don’t carry a large haven’t been to the Stricker Have your own pick you the community feel better,” health department LeBlanc said it isn’t. That’s supply, but we replace it site, it’s pretty and historic, want to share? Something he said. announced Friday. It is the because of a 24-hour turn- every day,”said pharmacist so what more can you ask that is unique to the area The state received first suspected case in east- around for the state lab. A Karen Henry with the Sav- for? and that may take people by enough Tamiflu and ern Idaho. There are cases probable test will also be Mor Drug Store in Twin • Head to the Twin Falls surprise? E-mail me at Relenza antiviral medicine in Boise and Kootenai sent to the national Centers Falls. “We don’t use very City Park for a Mother’s Day [email protected]. to treat 50,000 people. On County. for Disease Control and much of it.” Tuesday, the district got its The medicine, which Prevention for another She is comforted the dis- portion, about 11 percent of interrupts the spread of the confirmation, but they trict has the meds. the shipment based on the virus, will be used only for won’t wait for the CDC “Obviously, we hope not to population within the dis- treatment at this point, before dispensing the drug. need it.” TODAY’S HAPPENINGS trict, which covers the LeBlanc said. If a doctor “If they get this from us, They have sold a few Magic and Wood River val- identifies a case, a test goes the (pharmacies) can’t masks and preach more ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT leys and Mini-Cassia area.