Mollie Marsh is a visionary

Dear editor:

The dream of a recreation center housing swimming pools, hydrotherapy tubs, basketball courts, and an auditorium could have died when the Kroc Foundation selected another city to receive the funds.

Fortunately for Mountain Home, Mollie Marsh is not a dreamer but a visionary who works to make dreams become reality.

Mollie was instrumental in the formation of the district and accepted the challenge of continuing toward the goal by accepting a governor's appointment to the Western Ehnore County Recreation board.

The board voted in a per household fee to amass funds for construction of a facility citizens wanted. After several years, realizing monies were slow to accrue, the board, in a display of fiscal responsibility unheard of in political circles, opted for a levy to increase the tax base. This lowered costs for some, raised cost for others, and impacted business in town.

City officials claim they are willing to help but when a proposal to work with the WECRD and other entities to seek a Community Block Grant from the state to bring infrastructure to the area of the recreation center and the proposed Catholic church was suggested, they turned it down saying it was too much work.

I have three children who own or manage business establishments in town and am the last person to want local business to disappear because this is where I shop. Trips to Boise for me are rare and usually involve kicking and screaming. Local schools, charities, and other organizations rely upon business for support and those schools, charities, and organizations should return the favor. Besides that, if business fails my kids may move back home.

Mollie favors the building of an aquatics center as the primary focus of the WECRD, even if it must be scaled down from the original design, due to financial constraints, again showing her fiscal responsibility.

There are enough senior citizens, overweight and physically unfit adults and children in Mountain Home to keep the pool going 24/7.

I am supporting Mollie Marsh because of her integrity, honesty, and community concern and sincerely hope others will do the same. Especially my kids. Of course, I can always write them out of the will.

Nancy Martin