Sometimes, all it takes is to put a face with the name.
That's what happened earlier this month when a group of community housing advocates teamed up to organize a photography exhibit at the Coffee Grinder coffeehouse in Ketchum.
The exhibit—photographed by Gina Poole and Gordon Williams—features eight local residents who live in deed-restricted community housing and who are integral cogs in the machine that is the Wood River Valley community.
"We did expect it to have an impact, but there's been a lot of buzz around it," said Rebekah Helzel, president of Ketchum-based Advocates for Real Community Housing. "It brings up questions and discussions, and it's touched a lot of people in a way that talking about it and writing about it hasn't done."
The idea came from Poole, a Coffee Grinder regular, who saw a similar exhibit at a café in Jackson, Wyo., and Grinder owner Nicola Potts quickly agreed to host it.
"All involved hope that other residents, too, are inspired and they find the hope and the message that the community cares for those who make it work and make it home for all of us," promoters of the project said.
An official show opening and unveiling of the recently remodeled Coffee Grinder will be held Dec. 14 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Coffee, refreshments and conversation will be included.
Katie Raffetto
Katie moved to Ketchum in the summer of 1993 to experience a last "fun" summer before she moved into the "real" world. The impression Ketchum made on her was permanent. After all, she's still here.
For her first eight years, Katie did what most young people do—just get by. That meant working in restaurants, Moss Gardens, substitute teaching, hanging Christmas lights.
Seven years ago, a fortuitous phone call led to a career at The Community School, in Sun Valley. After working in several capacities, she has found her place as director of admissions, and she couldn't be happier. Everything was starting to gel except the fact that she still was paying rent and couldn't afford to buy a home.
"I knew I wanted to stay in Ketchum, as both of my jobs are here, but I also knew I didn't always want to be paying someone else's mortgage," she said. "That is why I feel so fortunate to have qualified and bought my first home through the affordable housing organization in this valley.
"I believe in order for our town to continue attracting young, hard-working people, affordable housing is a must. We need waitresses, sales persons, carpenters, painters, teachers and firefighters to want to stay in the Wood River Valley. We need to offer incentives and to attract professionals to our mountain town. We need to keep Ketchum alive, and affordable housing is one of the obvious solutions.
"Each day I walk in my house, I smile as I realize that this house is really 'mine.'"
Sonia Sommer
Sonia moved here from Australia 10 years ago with her former husband, who is American. When they chose not to stay married a few years ago, it was really important to both of them to remain in Ketchum, so they could raise their daughter together.
"Affordable housing is the only way I have been able to do that," Sonia said. "It gives me the security of owning my own home without having to work seven days a week to pay a mortgage. This is extremely important to me as it allows me to do the most important job of all: being a Mum."
Living in town is a huge luxury for them. Sonia is a structural integration practitioner and works for herself. Her office is in town, so she can ride her bike to work. When she is older, her daughter, Emma, will be able to ride or walk between her school and both of her parents' houses.
"That will give her great freedom," Sonia said, "and it's 'one less car.'"
Sonia said everyone who lives in her complex, The Fields at Warm Springs, is truly thrilled to live here.
"Honestly, being so far from Australia and my family, it feels really good to have a sense of home and to feel part of this community."
Al and Stephanie McCord
Al and Stephanie McCord were quite discouraged at the prices of homes in the Wood River Valley and doubted if they would ever be able to afford one.
"Now, with the help of the wonderful people at the Blaine-Ketchum Housing Authority, we have the most beautiful new home. It completely surpasses all of our expectations, and we feel so very fortunate," they said. "Now, we have our own little piece of paradise in this amazing place and we couldn't be happier."
The McCords—Al is the manager at The Valley Club and Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom—thank everyone who supports and works to make the local community housing program a success.
"Without it, we would not have a home of our own to raise our two beautiful children. This home means the world to us, and we are so happy to be able to finally call this amazing place ... home."
Jennifer Smith
Jen Smith is the parks superintendent and city arborist for the city of Ketchum Parks & Recreation Department. Jen moved to Ketchum to teach adaptive alpine skiing to people with disabilities and chairs the board of directors for Sun Valley Adaptive Sports. She also enjoys a part-time gig as a ski coach with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation "D" Team.
She relocated to the Wood River Valley in 2001 after growing up in the temperate rainforest region of western Oregon and spending time after college in Santa Fe, N.M. Ketchum's climate, recreational opportunities and friendly locals turned out to be the perfect combination for a new hometown discovery. She's not leaving.
"Affordable housing gave me the opportunity to put my stake in the ground in a community I fell in love with," she said. "My ties to the community, including my work with the city, the wonderful friends I've made and those I've become reacquainted with—and my devotion to nonprofit groups like Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation—helped me along in the process of securing the perfect place to live.
"I truly love this place and feel strongly that my community contributions are more relevant because I live here. Owning a home gives me a sense of permanence I've never felt."
John Kearney
John Kearney, 32, was raised in Ketchum and attended Hemingway Elementary School before graduating from The Community School in 1992. He graduated from The University of Vermont and majored in recreation management.
He is the recreation director for Ketchum Parks & Recreation, where he mentors local children.
"I know I am very fortunate to be so passionate about my work," he said. "The children of this valley deserve to recreate affordably, and to also have many different opportunities to experience our area. I also feel that we as residents should have the opportunity to live affordably."
John said he would have given up his size 14 feet to be able to live in Ketchum. I was raised on Board Ranch and recently moved into an affordable unit at The Fields at Warm Springs.
"Without affordable housing, I would not be able to stay in this area," he said. "Our young, local population would be fizzled out within a few years. It has given me the ability to live and work in close proximity and to also be a part of such a wonderful community. There are still plenty of people I grew up with who live here and do not make the big bucks, but do make this place what it is. My quality of life surpasses any amount of money I will ever make. I support affordable housing as it has allowed me and many people I know the ability to purchase living quarters so we can keep this town ticking."
Karen Vance
Karen moved to Sun Valley in February 1993, planning to stay for a year. As with many people who planned to stay for a short spell, she's still here.
"In the intervening decade, during which time I have grown to love the people, the place, my work and my play, so many people have asked if I'm here 'for good,'" she said. "I didn't know the answer until Christmas Eve 2005, when I moved in to my just-purchased workforce housing condominium at Frenchman's Place in Ketchum. Now I can unequivocally answer 'Yes!' to that question."
For too many years, Karen said she was in a state of flux about housing. Early in 2005, she had finally decided to move somewhere else hoping to be able to afford a place of her own to sink roots and truly be part of a community.
"I am so grateful to the Blaine-Ketchum Housing Authority and Advocates for Real Community Housing for guiding the possibility of my actually calling this area home, where the mountains feed my soul," she said. "I belong."
Nicole Kashino
Nicole has lived in the Wood River Valley on and off for her entire life. She has always had plans to finally settle in Ketchum and build a life around this community. However, as the demographics began to change and a dramatic increase in second homes occurred, she began to wonder if she could afford to live here permanently.
"It is disheartening to see longtime residents being pushed farther out of the valley in order to afford the luxury of being a homeowner," she said. "How can we address this dilemma that so many people in the valley are facing?"
Community housing, she said, is the answer.
"I am in the fortunate position to have been able to purchase my home in Ketchum," she said. "The prospect of renting in the future was entirely unappealing, and the purchase of my condo has allowed me to truly enjoy the things I love about this valley.
"Renting is hard and unfortunately it's something that I've been forced to do in this area for quite some time. Buying a home was out of the question."
Nicole said she was already working two jobs to live a well-balanced life. Being a homeowner will allow for a future in which she can benefit and prosper from the investment she has made.
"This is something that I greatly appreciate and has allowed me the ability of a future in the place I can now call home. Sun Valley shouldn't be a place for just the rich. It's a place for people who work hard for what they want and the lifestyles they choose."
Katie Raffetto moved to Ketchum in the summer of 1993.
Photo by Gina Poole
