Friday — February 13, 2004

Just plain caddy

Commentary by Trish Wilson

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Trish Wilson is a resident of Sun Valley and the wife of former Mayor David Wilson.

When your spouse has spent the last 14 years serving his community, first P & Z, then City Council, and finally four years as mayor, you learn to keep a stiff upper lip and suck up all the untruths that are said and printed about your husband. As my husband, David Wilson, is no longer the mayor of Sun Valley, electing not to run, I no longer feel the need to "suck up" one more untruth printed about him.

On Friday, Jan. 30, this paper allowed a retired golf caddy, Michael Ames, to have one-third of the editorial page to write a derogatory, unresearched commentary about Mayor David Wilson’s opinion regarding the Elkhorn Golf Course. Unfortunately, the paper takes no responsibility for guest editorial correctness, although it obviously does decide what to print. The City of Sun Valley has no record of Mr. Ames attending the Dec. 11, 2003, meeting or asking for the transcript of that meeting, thus it is not known where this retired caddy acquired his information. He obviously also did not call Mayor Wilson to verify his facts.

Mr. Ames accused Mayor Wilson of "widening the gap between the valley’s conspicuous "Haves and its silent majority of Haves-not-as-much" in relation to the Elkhorn Golf Course owners intentions to change the course to a private golf course. Mr. Ames was correct when he said the mayor chose not to sign a letter to the course owners, but he failed to get the reasons as to why the mayor made that decision. If Mr. Ames had gotten the city’s transcript of the minutes of that meeting, as I did, he would know that Mayor Wilson does not favor the golf course becoming private and has never believed that would be in the best interest of the citizens of Sun Valley, or the whole valley. The mayor did, however, feel that a letter to the owners who have every legal right to make the course private, would not be in the best interest of the city at that time. To quote the minutes of that meeting the Mayor said:

"We are concerned, because we think it is a valuable public asset, which I agree with. I think you are better off inviting them to participate in the discussions, and rather than become an adversary, work together to create a better product for them.

"We are all concerned about public play on these golf courses because of the benefit to the community. I think they understand that.

"It has been stated in the newspaper and everywhere else.

"I think you are better off trying to work with them."

Mr. Ames was irresponsible with his total absence of any research and the paper was unprofessional allowing an editorial to be printed without checking to see if the writer had even attempted to verify his facts, facts available to the paper and all citizens. I believe both Mr. Ames and the Idaho Mountain Express owe Mayor Wilson, my husband, an apology. And for the record, I have provided the paper with a copy of the minutes of the Dec. 11, 2003, Sun Valley City Council meeting when this conversation took place.

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a public official is intentionally misrepresented. This is a perfect example of what discourages many intelligent, qualified citizens from running for public office. I encourage the citizens of the City of Sun Valley to get "all the facts," call the person, before they believe what they are told or what they read.

And, because we are real people and if you happen to be the wife, it hurts to know that untruths are printed about your husband when he has done his very best for 14 years for the city he loves. And for the record again, my husband thinks I am wasting my time writing this letter. Experience has taught him that when the truth is uncovered it often falls on deaf ears.

Discouraging, isn’t it?

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.