Julie Bryan

Frank;
Teton Valley, as I am sure you know, is a Mountain Resort community ,of which, one of the primary economic features is world class skiing. We would not have that without the natural beauty of the rugged and pristine mountain area in which we live. While we may have snow in the mountains for a lot of the year, that does not equate to it being Winter. For Nature's concern as well as the farming community, thankfully we have the snow from Winter to restore the aquifer, river and creek beds and produce the much needed irrigation water for farming. Much of this water is not used specifically in the "valley" but in the surrounding regions. Without the mountains and the run off, an ecosytem such as this would not exist. Yesterday I spent time running with my friend pushing her babies in the stroller ...we were wearing shorts. Many people were on their road bikes and the other fortunate people who live here who love nature were hiking Grand Targhee in short sleeve shirts. I also attended a running race of which we ran on slick rock and sand just a short drive from Driggs. Infrastructure takes time to build into a community. Many banks are coming to Driggs for a reason. We have a beautiful new grocery store and city hall has received a "make over". The average time for a new building of significant size to be built is around 2.5 years which includes the planning and construction. The economy of Teton Valley Idaho is positive and many people are not communiting to Jackson for work any longer. Many people on average salaries are homeowners in this area. The promise of a fabulous area to live is already here. The Colter building in downtown is being built. Several new business have opened on Main street as well as Little Street in Driggs. When deciding to live in a resort mountain region, many factors are not about the shopping but rather about lifestyle. Low crime, being surrounded by wilderness, and being a part of a growing community is a wonderful experience. With the large grants the area has received recently, along with the outstanding people, we are proud to live in a community in which one can be involved with Urban Renewal and the Chamber to make a differerence if one selects to become proactive in the downtown areas. Change and growth being done right, takes time. Change is never promised to anyone. Change is the effort of everyone.
Julie Bryan - Sun Apr 27 2008, 09:37