The gloom and doom enveloping the country in the midst of the nation's financial crisis is making even normally sunny areas like the Wood River Valley feel a little depressed.
While the rest of the country works out strategies far above the pay grade of anyone working in the Sun Valley area, the question that faces everyone here is, "What can we do now?"
The answer: Prepare for the future.
The economy won't be horrible forever. Given a lot of effort, a good attitude and a little luck, we Americans will figure it out.
In the meantime, what we do locally now will determine what we will become when the economy improves.
One thing Sun Valley area businesses can do now is to make it easy for visitors to arrange trips here. They can make sure visitors receive extraordinary service both before and during their visit.
North valley businesses need to evaluate their days and hours of operation to ensure that they are scheduled for the convenience of visitors. They need to join with other businesses to create dependable blocks for shopping and dining that are easily accessible by customers.
One notable recent effort is the Fly Sun Valley Alliance's revival of van service between the Boise airport and Sun Valley. Part of the focus of the effort is to make the trip a pleasure for travelers.
Another is the new partnership between Mountain Rides and Sun Valley Resort in which the resort's private bus system was merged with the public one to provide better service all around. The merger was a welcome sign of a new attitude toward local partnerships that seems to be emerging in these tough times.
Further, front-line managers and employees should pamper winter visitors. That's key if the valley is to bring visitors back again and again, and inspire the word of mouth that will make Sun Valley a "must" for vacationers.
The future should include new luxury hotel projects, maximal use of the new Sun Valley Pavilion and consideration of developing a new institute of higher education.
Valley leaders should enlist Idaho's senators and congressmen, all of whom raise considerable sums of campaign money in this area, to expedite federally funded infrastructure projects including a new airport, an improved highway and replacement of the crumbling dam at Fish Creek Reservoir.
The area also could distinguish itself with a new gondola system between Sun Valley, Ketchum and Bald Mountain.
Surviving the economic storm will take effort and imagination. It's time to do what can be done and to create a bright future.
