Ashley Manor 98 / 62 DEFENDING A MARRIAGE CareCare opens doors. Business 1 Guardsmen pledge to work hard to save families inin >>> Family Life 1 KimberlyKimberly Sunny and dry. Business 6 RESIGNED >>> Tea party leader steps down, OPINION 4 SUNDAY $1.50 July 25, 2010 TIMES-NEWS Magicvalley.com Wary of recovery,T.F.plans for the long term standing why services wont You not only had the impact of increase at previous rates requires lower building revenues, but lower Boom-to-bust led to development of 5-year forecast understanding how Twin Falls property values.” By Nick Coltrain nant growth, creeping unemploy- They were deficits the city went from a bustling burg to a city The trend followed into Twin Times-News writer ment and a looming deficit, all the “cant even imagine funding,” projecting some of its most con- Falls: by December 2008, building norm for the Great Recession. Assistant City Manager Travis servative budgets in decades. permits and sales tax income deflat- If Wall Street got drunk, as The city couldnt keep on the Rothweiler said. “The recession has impacted ed and property tax values became President George W. Bush said in path it started on when the econo- He added: “Clearly, we had local governments, city and coun- flatter than they had in years prior. 2008, then the city of Twin Falls is my was thriving and money rolled developed plans that were the ty, because primarily these gov- The citys population growth also sharing in the hangover. into its coffers — that path would product of an economy that had ernment entities are reliant on started to fall off from its 3 to 4 per- The city went went from experi- lead to a $343,000 deficit in the not gone bust.” property tax, sales tax,” said Don cent annual increases.Now the city encing record growth in the mid- coming fiscal year, 2011, which Those plans were paused, which Reading, a Boise-based economist anticipates half that, 1.4 percent 2000s — not as prolific as other would escalate to a $5 million kept the city in the black, and offi- for Ben Johnson and Associates. growth, in coming years. parts of the country, but prosper- deficit in fiscal 2015, according to cials expect it to stay that way for “When the recession hit, it was a ous nonetheless — to hosting stag- city planning documents. the next several years. But under- housing (and) real estate bubble. See PLANNING, Main 4 Summertime Photos by DREW GODLESKI/Times-News Fred Bassett, a certified master bird bander, holds a humming- of learning bird so kids can feel its heartbeat during a banding demonstra- tion Saturday in the South Hills. The birds heart rate is 350 beats a minute, almost six times that of a person, but can speed up to 1,200 beats a minute, Bassett says. Bird banding Dozens show up to watch annual hummingbird demonstration By Laura Lundquist Times-News writer DREW GODLESKI/Times-News From left, Airen Higley, 14, and Selena Ortega, 14, look for their dream cars in the paper for an assignment on interest HANSEN — Tentatively extending her hand, the rates on July 15 during summer school at Burley Junior High School. Seventy-seven seventh- and eighth-graders are young girl kept her chubby fingers straight while the man laid his tiny captive on her palm. When the man enrolled in the schools summer term. pulled his hand away, the girl was left staring into the unblinking, pinhead-sized eyes of a wild humming- By Ben Botkin changes or cuts,” said Nick bird. Times-News writer MORE ONLINE Smith, deputy superintendent The bird sat momentarily then shot over the crowd WATCH a video about a of school support services for attending a On a recent school day, stu- summer school program. the education department. demonstration dents at Burley Junior High MAGICVALLEY.COM The future — and the summer on bird banding School paced out steps along of 2011 — is less certain for in the South Hills the length and width of the as migrant students with limit- school-district budgets. The Saturday. schools football field. ed English skills, summer next fiscal year will begin on Fred Bassett, a The students crossed the school is a time of preparation July 1, 2011, and the budget will certified master field, the hot summer sunshine and training for traditional be set by the Legislature and bird bander, warming their shoulders. classroom settings theyll face governor in the next session. smiled at the Then their teacher, Andrew in the fall. “I wish I had a crystal ball,” wide-eyed child Fred Bassett holds a hummingbird in Wray, explained to them how Federal funding — not state said Byron Stutzman, superin- before he reached square footage is calculated: dollars — covers needs like Title tendent of Buhl School District. for the next mesh the light to show its colored breast length multiplied by width. 1 programs that serve disadvan- bag holding a bird. during a banding demonstration Every summer, hundreds of taged students, along with A summertime lesson “You never Saturday. students throughout the Magic migrant programs aimed at thought youd Valley take classes that fill a boosting student performance. Wray, the teacher at Burley hold a hummingbird, did you?” Bassett asked. variety of needs. Summertime State funding pays for an alter- Junior High School, handed out The girl was one of many who got to momentary is traditionally a respite from native summer program for advertising printouts to his hold one of the tiny creatures. For most of the morn- the rigors of the classroom, but students in grades 7-12. eighth-grade students, encour- ing, Bassett sat in a clearing at a table surrounded by not every student gets a break. This summer,the states tight aging them to look for their dozens of interested onlookers, young and old. Some students need a few education funding situation dream house and a car. It didnt Overall, between 100 and 200 people made their high-school credits to get hasnt impacted the alternative matter if they wanted a Mazda, way up the dusty road to the annual event sponsored caught up or even graduate. programs availability, accord- Subaru or Ford. by the Prairie Falcon Audubon Society. Others need to retake classes ing to Idaho State Department The mission: learning about “There are definitely more people today than last they struggled with during the of Education officials. interest rates and finances. year,”Bassett said. school year. And for those such “We didnt have to make any See LEARNING, Main 7 Bassett kept up a running banter as he worked. Carefully extracting a bird from a bag, he explained See BANDING, Main 3 Idaho Republican Party reshaped by tea party outrage By John Miller defeated by primary election rivals chance. frustration with Washington, fed outrage — and anger at Associated Press writer he insists didnt support party Joined by tea party members, D.C., magnified by Idahos already Republicans who Beck thinks have ideals. So Beck opted to change Ron Paul disciples and old-guard rightist tilt. strayed from the fold.Over three days, BOISE — Three times since Idahos GOP from within. conservatives, Beck strode into the When it was over, a majority of they crafted a platform that urges 2000, Republican Rod Beck failed At the state Republican conven- three-day confab in Idaho Falls the 500 delegates had transformed in his bid to rejoin the state Senate, tion last month, he got his big amid a swelling national tide of their platform with a spasm of anti- See GOP, Main 2 Bridge ................Classified 6 Kids Only ........Family Life 6 Obituaries ......Business 4-5 Crossword ........Classified 4 Jumble ..............Classified 2 Sudoku ..............Classified 8 NEW FEDERAL GUIDELINES Dear Abby..........Classified 6 Movies ..................Opinion 7 Your Business ....Business 2 Marijuana cleared for some VA clinics > Main 8 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Sunday, July 25, 2010 BRIEFINGBRIEF- Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks TODAY’S HAPPENINGS Three things to do today ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Pat Marcantonio “The 39 Steps” presented by Company of Fools, 3 p.m., Liberty Theatre, 110 N. Main FIND MORE ONLINE St., Hailey, adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Check out our online calendar where you • For a day of hiking or ties, go to snakeriverland- Nobby Dimon, $28 for adults, $20 for sen- can submit events and search by category mountain biking, ride 9,000 ing.com. iors (62 and older) and $10 for students (18 for specific events and dates. feet up at Pomerelle then • Check out the action of and younger), 578-9122, tickets available at www.magicvalley.com/app/calendar/events/ make your way back down the College of Southern the box office one hour before the show or via wheels or feet. The Idaho Eagle Dorms grass Companyoffools.org. resort is open noon to volleyball tourney, which or 731-1161. To have an event listed, please submit the 6 p.m. weekends through starts at 9 a.m. behind the BENEFITS AND FUNDRAISERS name of the event, a brief description, Labor Day. Lift passes are $8 dorms. Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Pageant time, place, cost and contact number to to $20. MUSEUMS enchilada dinner, help 2010 contestants Mirela Sulejamnovic by e-mail at mire- • If you missed the U.S. Have your own pick to Rock Creek Station and Stricker homesite raise money for the scholarship pageant, [email protected]; by phone, 735-3278; Navys Blue Angels in Twin share? Something unique 4:30 to 7 p.m., Twin Falls First United guided tours, the store, built in 1865, was by fax, 734-5538; or by mail, Times-News, Falls, theyre putting on a to the area and that may Methodist Church, corner of Fourth and the first trading post in Magic Valley, 1 to 4 P.O.Box 548, Twin Falls, ID 83303-0548.