Wednesday •
September 23, 2015
EXC
Don mak ’t miss ing the your gu holi day ide to s ev en.. .
LUS
IVE
HO
LID
www.magicvalley.com •
11
Fun wit Foodh
12
Thanks Tablescgiving apes
bett er Fr esh
AY S
FALL
3 Aut umn
ECT
Hom
r ideasSple
e deco
ION Kiwanis Club’s Annual ‘October Feast’ • C1 IN
4 Let’ s
Soup
HAL
’s on
ndor
bring
Picn
for this
ic!
firesid
ide as
the outsi
de in.
LOW e get-t 6 Mak EEN ogeth er. Clip these ing Fac carvi ng deligfree pum es htful pkin stenc 8 A jacko’-lan ils, and No trick Frightfu lly Swe terns. start 10 Quis—just loads et of sugar Cele Step ck & brat out y Clev 11 Eat, for fun in an er Cos goodness. ion easytum Put make a spoo Drink es ense ky spin & Be mble THA on snack Sca . ry NKS s and 12 Dre GIVING treat s. Set a ssed table for 14 On that’s brim Dinner From the Side ming with salad fall fl s to avor. veggi HAN es, we UKK have AH 17 Han you cove Add red. speci dcrafte al touch d es to for Han a speci ukk al celeb ah ratio n.
SID
E
CHR
ISTM
18 It’s AS Coo up kie
Bake
Season 20 Makthese six scrum ing
Welc ome Fall
Craft ptiou artsy s favor Mer ites. 22 Wra ornament ry s and Make p holid gifts Star ay accen 23 Rise shine withs ts. cute Host pack ing gues& Shin aging make -ahea ts? Easee Bre ideas 24 A d casserolesinto theakfast Bak . day . Caro Main with es lers Whe stree and Street n holid ts of Christm soph it comes ay chara istica 25 Sea this historic to deco crea as cters tive ted look ratin Midw Trim charm son with Don’ . ester the tree ’s Gre the whit So why g, black t n hand let the pum e pum not work and 26 Hap (and wreaenings town. whit pain pkin pkin e MAK Expe ted, a ths) rt tips py, Hea but they s, abov s (straight little of is the class E IT: in style 8 ½x11-in Cut e, fool to keep lthy from that mag ic com . ’re the ch piectissue pape actually you; Print your Holiday the desigpatch ic into yourbo for a healt or pain tissu a fall desig e of card r that printed h on s fall bold, ns e-pa is the track from card per coven (dow stock. . a com may look ted with decor? Fold same stoc
Nothin black- g sign and-whals the ite art start of istry. fall like Natur e haspumpkins. never Head looked to so chithe patch, c! then add
exter Get pute com k. Secu red nload ours tissu color used ior latex card from e pape as the r and decoplex and stoc cove Outdoor re the ). r over pum k. Cut Midw tissu r the upag Mod entir ed in Podg e-paper ¼ inch estLiving. the cardpkin an inch e pum e), plac e. pkin piecing design to around com/Pumstock, tapinlarger the than with any large the pum printed pkinDesi g it in anot an her coat or wrap back pkin gns) desig of deco arou using deco n, then onto the . upag remove upag nd parts e e med toge ther. medium the ium to seal Let dry, (we pape then r edge s.
to ma ke
the
mo st
of the
24
Histor Getawa ic y
Find
sea son
See thesehow to
mak Watc pumpkin e Midwh the s! Decou estLivvideo: page ing.co m/
fr
esh sea ideaGuide Inside Holiday son s to .P to
lus, ma ke find o B ut h the mo eav ma ow st o te H e you f th olid r Dam e c ay S Dai an e WE ly C hop n t e itize ARE r pin gG n GIV Rea i v e ING awa dm y. AW or Ulti
a littl e
Bring pump on the black kins! they and whIn brighgive au ite, surp t oran tumn’s more rise po ges a p. Fo ideas, decorat r see pa ing ge 3.
22
Special Wrapp Gift ings
$2.00
win
the
e on
pag
e2
AY
of B
ette
r.
IN P
RIZ
ES
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Male sage grouses fight for the attention of a female, southwest of Rawlins, Wyo.
Sage Grouse Plan Aims for Balance of Industry, Wildlife MATTHEW BROWN AND MEAD GRUVER Associated Press DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS
Panelist Larry Bartlett, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office on Refugee Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (far right) speaks about refugees and the center that helps them at the College of Southern Idaho Tuesday evening, in Twin Falls.
Security, Refugee Aid Hot Topics at Forum
Hundreds Turn out for Refugee Forum
nbrown@magicvalley.com
JULIE WOOTTON
NATHAN BROWN
WIN FALLS • T Islamic terrorism, refugee medical bills and how to find a job were all topics of discussion at a forum Tuesday night held by the Times-News. More than 700 people came to the College of Southern Idaho for the forum on refugees in the community. It was held in the Fine Arts building, and was organized by the Times-News and intended as a way to share some facts about the controversy over the Refugee Center at the College of Southern Idaho. Audience members submitted the questions that were Please see FORUM, A5
jwootton@magicvalley.com
Mariah Thornquest listens with her sibling to a group of panelists speak about refugees and the center that helps them at the College of Southern Idaho Tuesday evening in Twin Falls.
WIN FALLS • T While opponents of the College of Southern Idaho’s Refugee Center handed out fliers Tuesday night, five Bosnian refugees were waiting nearby in a large crowd of community members. With vocal opponents, “it’s really hard to hold back,” said refugee Adriana Mustafic, and not take it personally. She thought the opposition was a phase and it would pass. But now, she feels if she doesn’t say anything, the opposition succeeds. Please see HUNDREDS, A5
Commissioners Admit to 3rd Open Meeting Violation LAURIE WELCH
lwelch@magicvalley.com
URLEY • Cassia County ComB missioners admitted Monday to another open meeting violation after the Jerome County prosecutor investigated the incident. Casey Andersen, a Burley city councilman, accused the Cassia board of six violations earlier this year, and in May the board admitted to two of the six allegations. The illegal March 23 meeting acknowledged Monday was included in the original complaint. The commissioners moved a meeting from their chambers to Perkins Restaurant, and the
meeting was not put on the agenda or noticed, Cassia County Attorney Doug Abenroth said. Meeting minutes from that lunch show the commissioners discussed a law enforcement committee report prior to a meeting with committee members and Burley officials. Jerome County Prosecutor John Horgan on Monday told the commissioners their options were to admit to the meeting violation, fix any actions taken during the meeting and receive training on Idaho’s open meeting laws — or he would file the complaint in magistrate court. Please see MEETING, A6
I f You Do One Thing: “Kidz Game Night” will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. for elementary school-aged children at the Twin Falls Public Library, 201 Fourth Ave. E. Free.
High
LAURIE WELCH, TIMES-NEWS FILE PHOTO
Members of the Burley City Council and Cassia County Commission meet March 23 to discuss a law enforcement services contract after commissioners held an illegal meeting on the issue.
84° 53°Low
Sunny. B4
Markets A2 Opinion A10
Obituaries A8 Comics D3
ILLINGS, MONT. • B A cooperative effort to save a ground-dwelling bird has diverted it from possible extinction, federal officials declared Tuesday, as they sought to safeguard the habitat of a declining species while maintaining key pieces of the American West’s economy — oil and gas drilling and ranching. The Obama administration said the greater sage grouse does not require Endangered Species Act protections, walking a fine line with its assertion that economic development and preservation can coexist across the bird’s 11-state range. But critics from each side of the political spectrum quickly denounced the move, concentrating on new plans signed in conjunction with the decision that will guide the use of 67 million acres of public lands. Industry representatives and some Republicans claim the plans would unnecessarily lock up land from drilling, mining and other uses. Wildlife advocates countered that loopholes in those plans still would allow drilling, further threatening the chickensized grouse. Tuesday’s announcement reversed a 2010 finding that the bird was headed toward possible extinction as development cut into its vast but shrinking sagebrush habitat ranging from California to the Dakotas. Flanked by the governors of Wyoming, Montana, Nevada and Colorado, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said at an event near Denver that a massive five-year effort to keep the bird off the endangered and threatened species list had paid off. That includes commitments of more than $750 million from government and outside interest groups to buy up conservation easements and restore the bird’s range. Jewell called it “the largest, most complex land conservation effort” in U.S. history. “It does mean a brighter future for one amazing, scrappy bird,” Jewell said at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The government will provide some level of habitat protections on most federal lands in the grouse’s range, including 12 million acres where strict limits on oil and gas limits will be enforced, Jewell said. The federal holdings make up more than a third of the animal’s total
Sudoku C10 Dear Abby C9
Please see GROUSE, A6
Crossword C8 Jumble C9
Serving All Points of the Magic Valley 208-324-7653
208-733-7355
208-324-(SOLD) 208-733-(SELL) PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES R E A LT O R
®
WE HANDLE IT ALL!!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2015 • A5
State Department Reps Defend Refugee Programs to Local Officials NATHAN BROWN nbrown@magicvalley.com
WIN FALLS T • Federal officials who oversee refugee-related services defended the programs a t a l u n c h e o n Tu e s day afternoon. Larry Bartlett, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office on Refugee Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, said the vetting process for refugees typically takes from 18 months to two years, and involves extensive interviews, including probes by the Department of Homeland Security. “They would not admit somebody if they did not think it was safe to do so,” Bartlett told a small group of state and local officials at the luncheon at the Blue Lakes Country Club. The group was in town for a public forum on refugee issues, hosted by the Times-News, that was held Tuesday evening. The federal refugee program, which is administered in Twin Falls by the College of Southern Idaho, became controversial locally when
Forum Continued from A1
asked by Times-News editor and moderator Matt Christensen. Larry Bartlett, the director of the Office of Refugee Admissions, who came to Idaho from Washington, D.C. for the forum, did more of the talking than any of the other panelists. His style and sense of humor won loud applause from the refugee center’s supporters at several points but seemed to leave the center’s opponents cold. A group of people wearing black T-shirts with the logo of the Three Percenters on them left after Bartlett made a crack about wanting to fill up some of the empty seats in the auditorium with more refugees. “This is propaganda,” another man shouted as he left about halfway through. Bartlett defended the program in strong terms, casting it as a moral obligation for the United States to help people who have been displaced by war and talking at length about how the vetting process works. “They’re not terrorists,” he said of the Syrians. “They are people fleeing terrorism.” Answering another question, Bartlett said he couldn’t guarantee a terrorist wouldn’t enter the country as a refugee but defended what he called a thorough vetting process. Bartlett also pushed back against the idea that Muslim immigration could lead to Sharia law. Muslims have been coming to Twin Falls for 30 years, he said, and most of them are fleeing from horrible conditions and just want to be safe. “Refugees are no different from you and me,” he said. The program has been in Twin Falls since the early 1980s but became controversial this year, after news came out that some Syrians
STEPHEN REISS, TIMES-NEWS
Rep. Lance Clow talks with officials from the Office of Refugee Admissions, about refugee resettlement Tuesday at Blue Lakes Country Club in Twin Falls. news came out this spring that some Syrians would likely be among the refugees to be resettled here starting Oct. 1. Refugees who settle in Twin Falls have historically done well, said Ken Tota, deputy director for the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the U.S.
will likely be among the refugees to be resettled here starting Oct. 1. ZeZe Rwasama, the director of the refugee center and himself a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, spoke at length about the benefits refugees receive and the help the center gives them. Refugees’ rents and utilities are covered for four months, he said, but refugees are expected to get jobs and support themselves quickly. The average refugee is employed after two-and-a-half months, he said. “They have to find a job early on to help them start paying the rent,” he said. While the refugee center opponents in the crowd seemed the most unhappy with the tone of the panel earlier on, later in the evening the supporters seemed more bothered, as the questions turned more toward terrorism and Islam. “Does it matter?” one woman yelled after Christensen asked how many refugees are Christians versus Muslims. Rwasama replied that they don’t track people’s religions because a person’s religion is irrelevant and people have a right to freedom of religion, drawing his loudest applause of the night. The panelists were all people who work with refugees in some capacity. Mike Mason, CSI’s Vice President of finance, said no local or state tax money goes toward the refugee center. Wiley Dobbs, the superintendent of the Twin Falls school district, talked about teaching refugee children. Brian Pike, the city’s deputy director of public safety, said refugees don’t cause any particular problems with crime and sang the praises of the several refugees who are Twin Falls police officers. “They’re some of the most patriotic people I’ve ever met,” Pike said.
Sinusitis or Allergy?
732-0700
New office at 260 Falls Ave.
SYMPTOM
SINUSITIS
Facial pressure/pain yes Duration of illness over 10-14 days Nasal discharge thick, yellow green Fever sometimes Headache sometimes Pain in upper teeth sometimes Bad Breath sometimes Coughing sometimes Nasal Congestion yes Sneezing no
ALLERGY sometimes varies clear, thin, watery no sometimes no no sometimes sometimes sometimes
the U.S. are escaping lifethreatening situations, he told the group. “This isn’t an immigration program,” he said. “This is a rescue program.” Much of the lunch was spent going over the vetting process and how the benefits programs that refugees are eligible for work.
Hundreds
rare occurrence,” said Larry Bartlett, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office on Refugee Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. Before the forum, members of the Committee to End the CSI Refugee Center passed out fliers. The group cites concerns such as the safety of the community and cost to taxpayers. Group leader Rick Martin said he was in attendance “just to listen and learn.” “We’re using the opportunity to inform and educate,” he said. Martin also invited about 200 people to attend the forum. He wanted answers to many questions, including how many contagious diseases are diagnosed among refugees once they’re in Twin Falls, what budget the Twin Falls School District has for educating refugee students, and how many refugees Twin Falls has been approved to receive next fiscal year. Ronalee Linsenmann came from Nampa for the forum and helped with handing out fliers. “Everybody really has a say in what’s going on,” she said, since they’re taxpayers. Authorities have testified there’s no way to screen incoming Syrian refugees, Linsenmann said, and there’s no way of telling who’s a terrorist or not. It’s a safety issue, she said. But she added about refugees: “You’re not targeting individuals because our heart breaks for everyone in such as a horrible situation.” She’s following the controversy surrounding refugee resettlement in Twin Falls, but not closely. “It’s more the whole global picture,” she said. Adrian Arp – one of the group’s members – said his
Continued from A1
The Times-News held a community forum Tuesday night about the refugee program. It’s the first refugeerelated meeting the five Bos n i a n wo m e n h ave attended, and “hopefully not the last,” Emina Mustafic said. They’ve all been in the United States for at least 10 years. The CSI program can resettle up to 300 refugees each year. Next year, some might be from Syria. The first audience members started arriving more than an hour before the forum started. By the time the doors opened, a line stretched from the CSI Fine Arts Center to the parking lot and around the side of the building. The forum started 10 minutes late to accommodate as many attendees as possible still waiting in line. About 725 people attended. A group of nearly 10 people got up mid-way through the forum to leave and one man shouted: “This is propaganda.” Times-News editor Matt Christensen responded, asking to let the panelists get through the questions. Many audience members clapped and cheered. Soon after, several others in the audience shouted out questions and comments about the recent federal terrorism trial of a Boise refugee and other security concerns. Toward the end, one man asked if someone could address what the audience could do to help refugees. As for the opposition surrounding the Refugee Center in Twin Falls, the city is not unique but “a
Valley when a substantial number of people are opposed to their coming. Bartlett replied that the refugee program in Twin Falls has run with little controversy since 1983, and that the United States has a moral obligation to help. “These people are not any different than some of our forefathers who came here escaping religious persecution,” Bartlett said. Hartgen agreed that, while most Americans are descended from immigrants, he knows many of the people who oppose the refugee center and they are motivated by security concerns, not prejudice, and that the college should pay attention. “To bring a group in here that has a substantial opposing perspective, to me raises some significant questions as to whether that’s good public policy,” Hartgen said. Bartlett replied that it wouldn’t be good policy, and if he felt a group of refugees would be unwelcome or an area had poor services, he wouldn’t send them. “But that’s not Twin Falls.”
main concern is the lack of paperwork on the Syrian refugees entering the United States. “We have to take their word on it that they’re refugees.” Syria is a failed state, Arp said, and there aren’t any “boots on the ground” to conduct security checks. He’s concerned that ISIS is already using refugee programs to bring jihadists into the United States. Twin Falls resident Shirley Ruhter was sitting at a table in the Fine Arts lobby waiting for the auditorium doors to open. She said she wants “real facts” about the refugee program, including how much it costs the government and the security screening process. Also, “the forum is pretty top heavy on CSI,” she said, and she was hoping for a chance to talk. Brady Madson, who works at Canyon Ridge High School, came to show his support of the refugee program. “We just need another face in the crowd to show (refugees) are welcome,” he said. Madson said he wants to figure out how to help, whether that’s signing a petition or making a donation. And he wants to know how to counter the resistance. Jessi Boyer carried a
yellow legal pad and pen as she waited in line with her 5-year-old daughter. Boyer is on the board for Magic Valley Refugee Advocates. She said she got involved out of a “sense of compassion” for refugees and “common sense.” Boyer came to the forum to show her support of the refugee program. She was also hoping to get some hard data that “can back up the positive nature of the center.” “I want the louder voice in our community,” she said, “to be the voice of compassion.” Times-News publisher Travis Quast asked the audience to leave feedback forms about what they thought of the forum. After the forum, Arp told the Times-News the forum didn’t address security concerns about incoming refugees. When they’re interviewed, they could lie about their backgrounds, he said. But audience member Dave Moore said he thought a lot of excellent information was presented. And the format allowed for a large number of questions to be considered, he said. “I think they addressed some very hard issues,” he said. And although there’s not a 100 percent guarantee, he feels satisfied that everything is being done possible to ensure community safety.
September Birth Stone is Sapphire
M & SGoldsmithing S p e c i a l i z i n g i n J e w e l ry ry Repair
Come see our seleCtion of Ceylon sapphires and Create your one of a kind pieCe of jewelry
1688 Kimberly Rd Ste 5 Twin Falls (located by Quale’s Electronics)
1 Carat Ceylon Sapphire set in 14 Karat White gold w/ 7 Diamonds
Mike Nielsen - Goldsmith 208-410-9372
St. Luke’s Welcomes W. Tracey Jones III, MD, FACS Dr. W. Tracey Jones, III is board certified in general surgery and vascular surgery, and is a registered physician in vascular interpretation. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University, completed his surgical residency at the University of Texas, San Antonio, and performed his vascular surgery fellowship at Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina. Dr. Jones is a retired colonel from the U.S. Air Force. He served as a pilot in Air Force special operations, and has more than 5,000 flying hours.
Vascular Surgery Dr. Jones is accepting new patients. Call to schedule an appointment. (208) 814-8475
stlukesonline.org
Because the symptoms of sinusitis sometimes mimic those of colds and allergies, you may not realize that you need to see a Sinus Specialist. If not treated, a sinus infection can last for many weeks. We can help!
State Department. Good local services, employers and jobs contribute to those positive outcomes, he said. Bartlett emphasized that the program helps refugees but in the end, the refugees must help themselves. “They have to seize that opportunity,” he said. Refugees who come to
Bartlett said most refugees assimilate fairly quickly, and that people shouldn’t be concerned about Muslim refugees following religious law or clinging to practices that might be incompatible with American law. Many Muslims have already been resettled in the United States, he said, and most of them come from countries that don’t follow Sharia as their legal code. “I would submit, as long as we’re not admitting someone who’s an ISIS person, that whole Sharia thing is not really something we should be afraid of,” he said. Reps. Lance Clow and Steve Hartgen, R-Twin Fa l l s , D o n n a P e n c e , D-Gooding, and Clark Kauffman, R-Filer, were there, as were Twin Falls Mayor Don Hall, Jerome Mayor David Davis, Twin Falls City Manager Travis Rothweiler, and a representatives from U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and Rep. Mike Simpson’s offices. Hartgen was the most vocal of the local officials, questioned whether it’s a good idea to bring a group of people to the Magic