For the week of August 29 - September 4, 2001

A mayor’s last wish

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Just a few more weeks and Mayor Guy Coles would’ve had his wish — riding in the Wagon Days parade with his granddaughters as a way of preparing to bow out from his eight years as Ketchum’s mayor in January.

Tragically, however, Mayor Coles, 77, ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot after a series of prolonged and wracking illnesses.

But the mayor’s wish about appearing in the Wagon Days parade will be honored posthumously: A riderless horse with boots reversed in the stirrups will be in the parade symbolically representing Mayor Coles.

Despite his capacity for saltiness, the mayor had a soft spot for the town’s children. The large and bustling new skateboard park was his creation, as were new recreation programs at Atkinson Park.

Coles loved his community, and voters knew it: They elected and re-elected him to serve eight years as mayor. He often could be seen interrupting grocery shopping to sit on a bench in Giacobbi Square and listen to residents spell out problems or make requests for help.

Under Idaho law, mayors can perform wedding ceremonies. Coles was known to even snowmobile to a yurt in a winter woodland to perform nuptials.

At a time when the Wood River Valley’s growth is being propelled by newcomers, Mayor Coles represented a bridge between the laid back past (he came to Ketchum in the early 1960s from Gooding to become chief of security for the Sun Valley Co.) and the new stepped up pace of growth.

As such, he was devoted to preserving as much of Ketchum’s traditions and small town character as possible while dealing with the inevitable need to plan for the future.

Whoever occupies the chair left vacant by Mayor Coles can serve the community by remembering the importance of maintaining tradition and character despite the demands of growth.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.