For the week of March 19 - 25, 2003

Exercise freedom

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This week will be no ordinary week. The U.S. military will roll into Iraq with guns blazing to overthrow the despotic regime of Saddam Hussein. Here at home, people will have to deal with the uncertainty of the battles and the aftermath.

Perhaps the best thing Wood River residents can do while world affairs unfold is to honor freedom by exercising it.

We should unglue ourselves from the talking heads and household responsibilities long enough Thursday night to join in two important meetings.

The first is an important forum on reducing traffic congestion in mountain towns. Colorado experts will speak at the Liberty Theater in Hailey from 6 to 9 p.m. to talk about strategies to help ease the growing hassle of commuting up and down State Highway 75.

The second is a hot-button hearing on the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation’s plan to cover the Copper Basin and the Lost River Valley with a 460-mile motorized trail system complete with parking lots, restrooms and information kiosks. The trail is similar to one in Utah that attracted 60,000 riders last year.

Growing numbers of ATVs have provided IDPR with the wherewithal to build the trail—even as funding for state parks is shrinking and operations are being scaled back.

The hearing will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Wood River High School Auditorium in Hailey.

Both meetings should be good exercises in the democratic process. It’s a sure bet the dictators of the world don’t hold public meetings on things like highways, public transit and motorized trails. If they want ’em, they build ’em—end of discussion.

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.