The Future of Enders Unclear
BY DEBBIE DUMONT
The Enders Hotel, built in 1917 and located on Main Street in Soda Springs, has been a prominent building in the history of Soda Springs. It is listed on the Idaho Historical Registry and houses a museum full of local historic artifacts. Since being gifted to the City of Soda Springs by Rex Maughn in December of 2018, it has been occupied by two different tenants and vacant for lengthy periods of time. With the initial costs of receiving the “gift” and ongoing maintenance, repairs, and utilities expenses, the total costs to the city has surpassed $500,000. Many in the community have expressed their concern about the cost and burden to the city and have urged the city to sell the building. Others have concerns about preserving and protecting the historical building for future generations.
For the last two years Enders has been leased and operated by Terah Jones of TJ Designs. Terah has brought the building back to life and re-established its place in the community. Room occupancy has steadily grown, and, because of Terah’s talents and creativity, Enders has become a popular location for weddings, receptions, reunions, meetings, community classes, dances and numerous other events. The café has become a popular place for community members to come to work quietly, read, study, or meet with friends. More than a dozen local crafters sell their products in the gift shop. It is the store-front for the popular Baked Fresh – Sourdough Bakery and a local office for The Enterprise Caribou County Edition newspaper. It is also the location where the newly formed Chamber of Commerce holds meetings and workshops and where the Women’s Networking Group meets monthly. With the support of Department of Labor, Terah developed a certificate program for high school graduates to earn a Certificate in Marketing or Hospitality Management. Plans to add a Maintenance Certificate Program were in the works as well. The building has truly shined and become a destination for the community, tourists and businesses alike because of the hospitality and talents of Terah and her employees.
With the 2-year lease coming to an end on December 31st and no secured renewal of the lease with the city, it became increasingly difficult to operate the hospitality business which requires confirmed reservations and event planning months in advance. The business
Questions about Peanut’s handling
also experienced a substantial drop in room occupancy due to the Main Street construction project and cutbacks at Bayer. Terah made the difficult decision to terminate the lease and close the doors as of the end of October. A liquidation sale, which included items she personally contributed or purchased throughout the course of the lease, took place last week. She donated any remaining items to the Soda Springs Community Senior Center. Many in the community stopped by to make purchases and say goodbye to Terah and her team. The closing of Enders leaves a huge void in the community. It was the only convention and meeting facility in Soda Springs that could accommodate gatherings of up to 100 people. It also provided catering and event planning services. Enders employed as many as 15 employees during the busy summer months. Most of the employees returned to college in August or have found
ENDERS On Page 5
Coleman Wins First Individual Cross Country State Title For Grace
BY JODY REEVES
The Grizzlies cross country teams made the trip to the state championships last Saturday with high hopes. Both the boys and girls teams entered the weekend as contenders for one of the top spots in the state and they did not disappoint their fans. As if each team finishing in the top three and winning trophies wasn't enough, senior Cally Coleman took the overall top spot in the girls race winning the first cross country state championship in Grace High School history.
The course is a two lap race around beautiful Eagle Island State Park. In typical Idaho fall fashion the weather
ran the full gamut of extremes throughout the day. This made the race a wet muddy mess. As the 2A girls race began the storm clouds gathered. When the runners came down a large hill in one of the course's most popular viewing spots Coleman was running in second place behind a Victory Charter runner. Just before the leaders appeared on the hill on the second lap the heavens opened up with a barrage of freezing rain that quickly changed to hail. When the first runner appeared atop the hill it was Grace’s Cally Coleman out in front and she would not give up that position throughout the remainder of the race. As Coleman crossed the finish line in first place she cemented her name in
the Grace school history books as the first cross country state champion in school history. The rest of the girls braved the hail storm finishing the race through some of the most brutal weather that any of them had faced during any race. In the end the Lady Grizzlies finished in second place as a team with three of the team finishing in the top twenty. The Lady Grizzlies competed with just six runners. Grace will need to replace three of those runners next season due to them being seniors. Luckily for Grace those three seniors will most likely compete for Griz-
CROSS COUNTRY On Page 12
If you are like many people, you have no idea why your kids and late night comedians keep talking about a squirrel named Peanut. The story was recently reported out of New York state, near the Pennsylvania border. According to essentially wall to wall reporting, Mark Longo is a man from the area who rescued Peanut after the squirrel’s mother was killed in an accident involving a vehicle. Longo had featured Peanut on his many social media accounts wearing clothing, doing tricks, and generally being cute. After reports of animals being kept unsafely, New York Department of Environmental Conservation authorities apprehended the rodent, along with a raccoon that had recently been rescued. The story becomes confusing at that point, with officials claiming that the squirrel bit one of them, necessitating a fatal rabies test, which is conducted following decapitation. And that’s the story—where it goes next will undoubtedly show up on TikTok and Instagram soon.
Recent Celebrity Deaths
Music producer and artist Quincy Jones is among a spate of recent celebrity deaths as 2024 winds down. Jones started his life on the South Side of Chicago “running with gangs,” but eventually rose to prominence in the world of music, in the process becoming one of the first and most successful black executives in Hollywood. Jones worked with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and many other legends. He is credited with the massive success of the Michael Jackson album “Thriller” and famously put together the superstar “We are the World” effort. Actress Teri Garr, well known in such films as “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie,” and “Mr. Mom” passed ay 79 last week. During the World Series, Dodger great Fernando Valenzuela died unexpectedly at the young age of 63. Phil Lesh, founding member of the “Grateful Dead” and Liam Payne, of the band “One Direction” also recently passed.
Census confirms your
uncle’s theory
The Census Bureau released stateto-state migration estimates for last year in October. The report, which can be found at census.gov, tracks interstate migration. As a result of the types of movement that occur between states, the numbers have a huge margin or error, but they did potentially confirm what many bumper stickers, TV spots, and uncles at Thanksgiving have been saying for years—it’s all those Californians who are moving here. Due to the margin of error, it might just as easily be Washingtonians (the numbers are within the margin at 17,338 for CA and 14,655 for WA) that are responsible, but that’s not as fun to complain about. Oregon, Utah, Texas, and Arizona follow afterward. The reverse was also true—the largest outmigration from Idaho was to the state of Washington.
Community Choir still looking for singers
As the Community Choir gears up for the December 8 music program, there are still a few spots open for singers. In order to provide them and the whole group enough practice time, the last date new singers will be added will be the November 10 practice at the Presbyterian Church at 6 p.m. If you’ve been biding your time, consider it bidden and make your way to the church this Sunday to sign up.
Caribou County, Idaho
A recent picture of Enders taken during Main Street construction.
The Lady Grizzlies captured the second place red trophy during last weeks State Championships.
The Grizzly men placed third at the State Championships. This is their fifth straight year finishing in third place.
Terah Jones has made Enders a special gathering place over the last two years.