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magicvalley.com

TF man guilty in beating case JULIE A. FERRARO

jferraro@magicvalley.com

TWIN FALLS — After less than an hour of deliberation, a jury has found a man guilty of three felonies and one misdemeanor, all related to his abuse of a child.

David Herrera Gonzalez, 32, stood before the jury of seven men and six women to hear the verdict Thursday evening in Twin Falls County Court.

The jury found Gonzalez guilty of two felony counts of injury to a child, one felony count of aggravated battery with an enhanced sentence for use of a deadly weapon, and one count of misdeGonzalez meanor battery.

Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 9. He remains in custody at the Twin Falls County Jail.

Defense attorney Daniel Brown’s tried to convince the jury of Gonzalez’s credibility and the now-11-year-old girl’s lack of credibility during his closing remarks.

The girl testified Wednesday that Gonzalez grew angry with her on Feb. 28 because she had not done the laundry correctly. He punched her in the left leg and side, leaving bruises, and then placed his fingers in her mouth, pulling on her lower jaw and tearing the flesh beneath her tongue.

Gonzalez testified Thursday that he hit the girl because she lied and didn’t do the

PAT SUTPHIN PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS

Owner Rod Lake, of Lake Ag, talks about the declining potato prices as he inspects the potatoes on one of his farms Wednesday in Heyburn.

Spud prices in cellar Oversupply is main driver of farmers’ low returns COLIN TIERNAN

ctiernan@magicvalley.com

HEYBURN — Rod Lake grabs a shovel out of his truck and walks down a row in one of his deep-green potato fields. He throws the shovel into the soil and tips over a plant; roots around in the dirt and pulls out a few fist-sized spuds. They’re big for this time of year, he says.

But for Lake, owner of Lake Ag, this healthy field probably won’t fetch him the return he’d like come fall. Persistently low spud prices, rarely higher than the break-even point, have plagued Idaho farmers for years. Low prices have even pushed some growers to consider getting out of potatoes in favor of other crops.

While potato economics are incredibly complex, influenced by yearly acreage fluctuations, weather, the strength of the dollar, international trade agreements and other factors, the low prices have one primary cause.

“We have too many people selling the same thing,” Idaho Potato Commission Chairman Randy Hardy said bluntly.

Please see BEATING, Page A7

Event canceled due to fear of ICE raids

Owner Rod Lake inspects the potatoes on one of his farms Wednesday near Heyburn.

time prices were good was five years ago.

Prices are trending up right now simply because it’s July, far away from the harvest season, but in general, farmers are settling for prices barely above breakeven.

Simple supply and demand?

Lake has heard from farmers happy Oversupply isn’t a new problem for with a price of $6.50 for a hunIdaho spud growers. Lake said the last dred-pound sack, which strikes him as

disappointingly low. In an ideal world, he’d like to see $7.50.

The oversupply issue isn’t a national one, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Director of Commodities Zak Miller said.

Idaho’s supply issue is especially problematic.

MEGAN TAROS

Times-News AND NICOLE FOY

Idaho Statesman

that the growth of a local business necessitated the hiring spree.

“We have a client who is expanding in the area, so we’ve taken on more seats,” Moore said.

Moore said she couldn’t name the expanding business, but described it as “a major health care company that you would easily recognize.”

JEROME — A Latino music festival scheduled for Saturday has been canceled because of speculation about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Jerome.

This comes on the heels of ICE raids that were planned for last weekend in 10 major cities.

“El Tour de Idaho de Los Inquietos is canceled until further notice for the safety of our people — we are with our brothers in Jerome,” event organizers with the Colombia Event Center posted to Facebook.

Posts and videos uploaded to Facebook claimed that ICE agents rented several hotel rooms at the Best Western in Jerome and that raids were planned for the weekend. Twitter posts said the raids were also possible in Boise, Nampa and Caldwell. Rumors about raids have been spread nationwide, including one in Blaine County.

Please see CALL CENTER, Page A7

Please see EVENT, Page A7

Please see POTATOES, Page A7

Call center hopes to hire 850 workers COLIN TIERNAN

ctiernan@magicvalley.com

TWIN FALLS — A local call center says it plans to hire 850 new workers in the next two months, more than tripling its staff.

C3, which is owned by the Asia-based company Everise, handles customer service needs, primarily for the health care industry. The business came to Twin Falls in 2010. Everise says it has

12,000 customer experience professionals who speak more than 20 different languages at 13 different call centers.

The Twin Falls C3 location currently employs about 350 people. At the end of the planned two-month hiring spree, C3 intends to have 1,200 people working in shifts in its call center.

C3 Senior Manager of Communications and Branding Cariann Moore said

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Times-News

Friday, July 19, 2019 | A7

Event From A1

PAT SUTPHIN TIMES-NEWS‌

Owner Rod Lake, of Lake Ag, talks about the declining potato prices Wednesday at his farm in Burley.

Potatoes From A1

Bureau has, Miller said. If farmers get along better, compete in a friendlier way, it could lead to better profits for everyone. At the same time, there are laws that prohibit farmers from colluding, so it’s difficult.

Spud growers have little power over their own market. Typically, high prices come when one potato-producing region experiences a natural disaster. For example, if Midwestern growers have a difficult year, Idaho and other western states would likely benefit.

A lack of processing capability also contributes to low prices for Idaho growers. But processors don’t want to have to fight for potatoes, instead preferring an ample, guaranteed supply. “That’s the No. 1 rule for any processor,� Eborn said, “and the No. 2 and No. 3 rule: Do not run out of potatoes.�

An oversupply benefits processors, because it allows them to operate continuously.

Some experts said increased processing capacity would be beneficial, and noted that Idaho is an attractive, cost-effective state for the industry. Still, Eborn thinks the benefits, while helpful, would be temporary. “If we get a little expansion, we will just plant more potatoes and we’ll be in the same boat that we’re in,� he explained.

Idaho farmers. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service over reports potato production, Hardy said. According to the Potato Commission’s count, the report overestimated production by 7,000 acres and 2 million sacks last year. An acre of potatoes can produce about 410 sacks.

That can hurt farmers because processors might point to the reports when negotiating contract figures, although some say the impact of the reports has been overblown.

The Trump Administration’s trade policies play a role as well.

Hardy said that President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership has hurt the Japanese french fry market, and if the issue isn’t resolved soon, growers could feel more pain in the future.

The field Lake stands in, backdropped by the South Hills, covers 40 acres. The field makes up just a small percentage of the 1,500 acres of potatoes he’s growing this year. Nowhere in that acreage will you find the variety farmers call fresh potatoes.

For potatoes destined to become french fries, potato chips or dehydrated potatoes, prices are negotiated beforehand. Fresh potato prices tend to fluctuate more, so in the past, Lake would dedicate half a pivot of his crop to fresh potatoes.

At these prices, there’s no point.

“I just got tired of the fight,� he said.

While Lake is still growing potatoes, he’s strongly considering getting out of the crop. It’s just the right business decision, he said, and he doesn’t get attached to potatoes just because he’s an Idaho farmer. Others are more set in their ways, and will grow potatoes regardless of the market.

Miller said it’s concerning to see farmers have to leave potatoes, even if they might not want to. Potatoes have a high cost of production, he explained, which means smaller farmers, who might have limited financial resources, are typically the first to stop growing spuds.

The total acreage doesn’t end up changing, but the number of growers declines. In fact, the number of Idaho spud farmers has declined by half in the past 25 years, Hardy said.

The commodities market in general is compounding farmers’ woes. There’s money in alfalfa right now, and sugar beets are doing well, but wheat and corn are low like potatoes.

Still, there’s some cause for optimism. Hardy said that, while prices aren’t where farmers would like them to be, they’re up a bit.

Eborn pointed out that exports have been generally strong.

In addition to a few positive signs, September is still a couple of months away. “A lot can happen between now and harvest time,� Eborn said. “We’ll wait and see how it goes.�

full-time employees. In the past, the office has had more than 600 workers at once. When it opened in 2010, C3 said it hoped to bring 1,200 jobs to Twin Falls. “We do have fluctuations in our business,� Moore said, adding that C3 is working on increasing workforce stability.

The Twin Falls county unemployment rate is at 2.7% accord-

ing to the Idaho Department of Labor, so it could be a challenge to find 850 new workers. “I think that’s pretty ambitious,� Idaho Department of Labor Regional Economist Jan Roeser said, adding that it’s not necessarily implausible. “New jobs are nice,� she said.

C3 is trying to cultivate a warm and accommodating atmosphere

for its workers, Moore said, and recently eliminated its dress code. The office will soon raise its base pay to $11 per hour.

Moore said Twin Falls was the company’s first location, and that strong Magic Valley relationships have made the office successful. “It’s been a good market for us, so we continue to stay,� she said.

Hardy compared the situation to having 17 Ford dealerships in one town. “The only way to sell your truck is to lower your price,� he said.

The natural solution would seem to be to limit production, but that’s easier said than done. “You’re not going to get Idaho farmers to cut production,� University of Idaho Extension Agricultural Economist Ben Eborn said.

Growers end up competing with each other directly. Lake explained that if one farmer lowers their price, it can force a neighbor to accept a lower figure, too. The same applies to potato packers. If everyone held firm on a high price, everyone would benefit, but when one person sells lower, it can end up impacting everyone.

Coordination would likely help growers, but it’s probably a long shot. For one, farmers can’t fix prices — that would be illegal.

And the odds of getting Idaho’s 600 spud farmers to join one big co-op are exceedingly long.

Figuring out how to encourage farmers to coordinate, without breaking the law, is a challenge. “That’s not a million-dollar question,� Miller said. “That’s a billion-dollar question.�

Market drivers‌ Fostering more dialogue and Some industry experts said better relationships between that U.S. Department of Agriculgrowers is the best tool the Farm ture reports haven’t been helping

Call center From A1

This isn’t the first time C3 has tried to hire hundreds of workers at once. The company advertised a similar goal back in 2011 when it said it wanted to add 300 workers. In 2017 the Twin Falls location announced a plan to hire 445

Beating From A1

M 1

laundry properly, but said he didn’t hit her with brass knuckles, which had spikes.

He said he had been working two full-time jobs as a cook at Twin Falls restaurants, as well as trying to start his own business delivering baked goods. It was on his day off when he became upset in the morning about the girl’s failure to do the laundry properly, he said.

Gonzalez also said he had drunk five to six ounces of alcohol before his confrontation with the girl. “I was irritated by that point,� Gonzalez said, accusing the girl of having a big lying problem and trying to play him for a fool.

Gonzalez said he hit the girl in an attempt to spank her, but struck her abdominal area and left thigh instead.

As the incident progressed, Gonzalez said, “I smacked her three times in her mouth.�

When he saw blood coming from the girl’s mouth, Gonzalez said he stepped back and told her to go to the bathroom to clean herself up.

He admitted causing the

bruising and the torn flesh beneath her tongue, but denied threatening her or striking her with the spiked brass knuckles. “I feel regret,� Gonzalez said. “I’m almost disgusted with myself.�

Twin Falls County Deputy Prosecutor Kiel Willmore then questioned Gonzalez about what he did when he left the house, leaving the girl alone.

Not small potatoes‌

Gonzalez said he drove to a liquor store and purchased a bottle of gin, which he brought back to the house.

Willmore pressed Gonzalez, who eventually admitted he also went to a residence, co-worker’s drinking there before returning home.

Gonzalez was also questioned about discrepancies in his interview with Twin

Falls Police in the early hours of March 1.

Willmore asked Gonzalez why he told them about keeping the brass knuckles for home defense if the police never mentioned the reason he had been taken into custody.

Gonzalez and the jury were shown the video recording of the police interview, as well as body camera footage from an inter-

The music tour was set to take place in Boise, Nampa, Meridian and Caldwell.

In one Facebook video shared more than 650 times, community activist Maria Bucklew visited Best Western to ask whether immigration officials were staying there. “All I’m doing is telling people they’re here, now you do whatever you want,� Bucklew told the Idaho Statesman. “We’re going to be ready for them if they’re coming to hurt our communities.�

Bucklew told the Statesman that she did not see the officers herself and did not know whether ICE was there to conduct raids.

Bucklew was instrumental in rallying hundreds to protest Jerome County’s 2017 attempt to contract with ICE and lease bed space for immigration detainees. “We don’t want them here,�

Bucklew said in the Facebook video.

The ICE field office in Salt Lake City said that the agency had no official business in Idaho planned, according to representatives from Familias Unidas, which provides legal aid to immigrants.

Best Western said it could not divulge the identity of anyone staying at the hotel. “It is absolutely possible that ICE could do a raid and we wouldn’t know about it,� Jerome County Sheriff George Oppedyk told the Times-News.

Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker told the Statesman on Thursday night that the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office had not received any notification from ICE about possible activity there.

The agency is not required to tell local law enforcement that it is conducting raids. The only time ICE would inform local police is if its activity involves a case that police are already working, Oppedyk said.

Ticketholders for the canceled event were asked to receive a refund only from the place where the ticket was purchased.

Leo Morales, executive director of ACLU of Idaho, did not have any confirmed information about an ICE presence in Southern Idaho, but he said community members were panicked. “Immigration is doing their work on a daily basis, that is true,� Morales said. “That’s what they do. It is important for all community members, regardless of their immigration status, to know their rights in regards to law enforcement.�

Morales also cautioned community members to be careful with the information they share, especially in light of the already-present fear in many immigrant communities across the country. “... It can create a significant amount of trauma for people already in a difficult place,� Morales said.

Megan Taros is a Times-News reporter and Report for America corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Jerome County. You can support her work by donating to Report for America at http://bit.ly/ supportRFA.

view with the girl after she was taken to the St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center emergency room.

Dr. Kathryn Reese, a St. Luke’s pediatrician and medical director of Children at Risk Evaluation Services, testified that she examined the girl 11 days after the incident and found bruising on her face, abdominal area and leg. The girl also displayed signs of anxiety.

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The doctor explained how the injuries had the very real possibility of causing a brain bleed, or worse. “She was at great risk of death,� Reese said.

Reese said children who have been traumatized through physical or emotional injuries will have remembering difficulty the chronology of events related to that trauma.

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magicvalley.com

Hispanic groups still worry about census MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com

TWIN FALLS — With the 2020 census fast approaching, states are powering up their outreach efforts and Idaho is no exception.

While the Gem State had an 82.6% return rate for the 2010 census, there’s still a long way to go to reach an accurate count of the state’s minority groups, which impacts federal funding and polit-

ical representation.

With six months left and no additional state funding for census outreach, some are feeling the crunch to put together an effective plan in time.

“We’re not setting it up to be successful, we’re setting it up to fail,” said Margie Gonzalez, executive director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. “The messages are not reaching our community.

On June 24, Gov. Brad Little announced the formation of Idaho’s first census committee. Its goal is ensure all residents are counted with a focus on reaching historically undercounted populations.

The committee will have members from diverse a range of organizations, including government agencies, law enforcement and identity groups in order to address the needs of underrep-

resented groups.

“Especially for hard to count groups, finding someone the community respects and using those trusted voices makes a difference,” said John Thompson, former executive director of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics.

“You can’t get a message out from Washington, D.C.” The Trump administration’s

efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 forms has added to some states’ worries about a significant undercount as some people may be hesitant to participate in the census because of their nationality or legal status.

Gov. Brad Little’s office said the citizenship question was not a factor in creating the committee.

Please see CENSUS, Page A6

Students want diversity programs

THE BIG STORY

NICOLE FOY

Idaho Statesman

BOISE — With Boise State’s diversity and inclusion programs under fire, students and alumni are pushing back on Idaho Republican claims that specialized events segregate students with no benefit to academic performance.

Some students, like sophomore Ryann Banks, say the university’s Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion programs were part of the reason why they stayed and succeeded at Boise State. About 2% of Boise State students are black, like Banks, and she said it was hard to feel like she had anything to contribute to the larger school community.

That changed when she joined the Black Student Association.

When she attended a special graduation celebration for black students later in May, the grads wearing Kente cloths and celebrating each other’s accomplishments made her feel like her community had created something special for themselves.

“They looked at me as an individual and said you can do more,” Banks said. “There wasn’t anyone else who said that to me. I didn’t feel supported by Boise State, but when I found my community, I was able to thrive in ways I never thought possible.”

An Idaho Falls state representative’s letter to new Boise State President Marlene Tromp last week ignited a firestorm of debate, feedback and criticism across the state. The letter, signed by 28 Idaho Republican legislators, called on Tromp to cease university support for diversity and inclusion activities.

They said those kinds of activities drove up tuition costs and weren’t the “Idaho way.”

PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS

From left to right, Daniel Nzapalaha, Jedidiah Nzapalaha, Josephine Furaha, Samuel Mgbokpwo, Grace Divine Nzapalaha, Keren Nzapalaha and Sara Nzapalaha pose for a family portrait July 6 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Twin Falls.

Refugee life: Conflict in the Congo For persecuted pastor, coming to United States was ‘new beginning’

I

n this third installment in the TimesNews Refugee Series, Photojournalist Pat Sutphin explores a local family’s path to America — one that originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the second largest country in Africa with a long history of conflict.

The Congo spans 1.5 million miles, and is home to many endangered and threatened species. More than 200 ethnic groups with distinct languages and

cultures comprise its diverse inhabitants.

But the longtime conflict has claimed millions of lives and caused upwards of 800,000 of its citizens to flee their homeland. Samuel Mgbokpwo’s family lived in neighboring Uganda as refugees for an extended period before coming to the United States.

The resettlement process was a long one, but Mgbokpwo and his family had a lot of support from a key missionary who became a lifelong friend, as well as the

College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center once they arrived in Twin Falls.

Mgbokpwo serves as a pastor for the Twin Falls Church of the Nazarene, translating Sunday services into Swahili for his Congolese cohorts. His family has finally found safety, refuge and a community to call home in the Magic Valley. In May, his eldest son was the first of his children to graduate from an American high school.

See Big Story page E1.

Please see DIVERSITY, Page A6

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Census From A1

Trump announced executive action last week ordering federal agencies to compile citizenship data. The announcement comes after the Supreme Court struck down the addition of the citizenship question and the Justice Department announced it would not continue to pursue the issue.

“Idaho gets on average $15,000 in federal funds per person,” said Andrew Mitzel, senior adviser of intergovernmental affairs. “If we miss someone, we lose $15,000 per person per year and that impacts everything from school lunches, hospitals and roads.”

The state’s small, rural communities that are predominantly Hispanic are at risk of losing thousands of dollars in muchneeded federal funding. In places

Diversity From A1

“This drive to create a diversified and inclusive culture becomes divisive and exclusionary because it separates and segregates students,” wrote Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls.

“These initiatives by nature highlight differences and suggest that certain groups are treated unequally now — and that BSU should redress these grievances.”

The letter singled out a wide range of programs mentioned in a June 4 letter from Boise State interim president Martin Shimpf, claiming programs like “Black Graduation,” a new Native American student liaison and a food pantry for food-insecure Boise State students either segregated students or contributed to rising tuition costs.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? Ehardt said she isn’t currently considering attempts to defund Boise State’s diversity programs through the appropriations process during the 2020 Legislative session, but she said she couldn’t speak for other lawmakers. Boise State was singled out because of Schimpf’s “attention-grabbing” newsletter, Ehardt said. While the other state institutions were copied on her original letter, she wasn’t planning to begin similar examinations of their programs.

“It raised the question: What are we doing, what are we funding, and what is the purpose of our public institutions?” Ehardt said.

“This was more of a start of questioning for all of us.”

Last week, Tromp said she looked forward to her discussion with Ehardt. They met Tuesday.

“Political divisions in our country often make these conversations very difficult and can even cause harm,” Tromp said in the prepared statement provided to the Statesman. “I believe we can have a meaningful dialogue that underscores our common commitment to the well-being of our students and to the future of the state.”

Banks, the incoming vice-president of the Black Student Association at Boise State, said criticism of Boise State’s inclusivity and equality efforts didn’t account for the support it provides students who struggle to feel welcome on campus, to the detriment of their academic success.

Events like “Black Graduation,” Banks said, have been open to anyone to attend since the first ceremony in spring 2018. The graduations honor the achievements of Boise State’s black graduates, who also walk during the main commencement ceremony. In addition to “Rainbow Graduation,” which celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ students, Boise State’s 2019 commencement event website lists additional graduation events for the School of Nursing, international students and first-generation college students. Anyone can attend these events.

“It’s not segregation because everyone is invited,” Banks said. “I would like to know if they attended any of these events so they can deem them exclusionary. They are

like Clark County, where the population is barely more than 850, a failure to reach Latinos that make up 45% of its population could be devastating. Undocumented immigrants make up 21% of its population.

The stakes are not as dire in the Magic Valley as a whole, where approximately 23% of residents are Latino and 9% are undocumented, but community groups are working with schools, government agencies and local businesses to prepare them to assist with the count.

In Jerome, where 36% of the population is Latino and 12% is undocumented, economic-development organization Jerome 20/20 is keeping abreast of the census and acting as a guide for other institutions in the county.

“What we’re going to be doing is keeping this in front of them,” said Larry Hall, executive director

meant to celebrate us.”

REACTIONS ACROSS THE GEM STATE Ehardt’s criticisms prompted a response from Idaho’s Joint Democratic Caucus, who congratulated Tromp for her “commitment to championing diversity at Boise State University” and encouraged her to continue programs they say benefit all Idahoans.

Ten days after the Ehardt publicized her letter, the Idaho State Board of Education had not publicly commented on whether it supports the continuation of the diversity programs — but did provide a written statement to the Statesman.

“I believe providing access and opportunity at all of Idaho’s institutions of higher learning are core Idaho values, which also include hard work and respect,” said Debbie Critchfield, president of the Idaho State Board of Education.

“Our institutions devote much time and energy to support all students and to create a positive experience focused on student success before and after graduation.”

University of Idaho President Scott Green, like Tromp and Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee, is new to his leadership role at the university. Green told the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board on Tuesday that diversity is an issue that the new university presidents across the state could find common ground on and work together on in the future.

“My view is this: From where I sit, we still have a lot of work to do in this country on diversity and inclusion,” he said.

Green said the university’s role and mission is to ensure everyone feels safe and included on campus and in the Moscow community. He said UI will continue to support its inclusion and diversity programs.

Banks said she and other Boise State students have been writing emails to the Republican legislators — including Ehardt.

“I am among the many students, faculty, and surrounding community that firmly disagree with your stance on removing programs at Boise State University that promote Diversity and Inclusion and serve underrepresented students,” Banks wrote in the July 15 email to Ehardt, which she shared with the Idaho Statesman. “... because of this firm disagreement, students of Boise State University and community members are organizing.”

Banks and two other students organized a rally Saturday at noon at the Idaho Statehouse to signal support Boise State’s diversity, inclusion and equality efforts.

Boise State student body president Kaleb Smith, who will speak at the rally, said he was disappointed by the letter’s criticisms of programs he said ultimately benefited all students.

“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue,” Smith said.

“Programs and initiatives like this are built to help everyone succeed.”

CRITICS SAY DIVERSITY DISTRACTS FROM STUDENT UNITY Ehardt told the Idaho

of 20/20 Jerome. “We’ll be having more public events and getting the word out there.”

Jerome stands to lose $2,000 per person not counted per year.

Though Idaho has a relatively small percentage of undercounted communities compared to other states, its lack of data for these groups makes it difficult to identify and target them for census outreach.

An accurate count is crucial to maintaining accurate data for groups like the Commission on Hispanic Affairs to decide where to direct their efforts, Gonzalez said.

“If we don’t count them this time, we have to wait 10 years to try again,” she said.

Awareness may not be enough.

Fear and distrust of government are common factors that keep minority populations from returning census forms.

Statesman that her criticisms come from a place of deep concern and experience. She coached Division I women’s basketball for more than a decade, where she said she worked hard to unify and support diverse groups of student athletes.

“We fought for years to create unity and then all of a sudden it feels like — again, from my paradigm and perspective — that what we’re doing is we’re going back to policies that separate and segregate,” Ehardt said.

“That’s really difficult for me to fathom because of everything I’ve done to promote it the other way, to be inclusive of all students and all backgrounds.”

Ehardt said when she wrote the letter, she began reaching out to House leadership and the education committee, calling members personally to discuss the issue with them.

Ehardt said she also notified House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, about her plans for the letter. He did not respond to Idaho Statesman’s requests for comment.

Other members of Republican leadership signed the letter, including House Majority Leader Mike Moyle (R-Star), Jason Monks (R-Nampa) and half of the House Education Committee, of which Ehardt is a member.

“For many of us, the ‘Idaho Way’ means things that are inherent to our tradition of faith, family and freedom,” Ehardt said. “It means that we are rewarded for the merits of our labor, for hard work. That we believe in being fair and we believe in those principals that are longstanding and stood the test of time.”

Ehardt met with Tromp on Tuesday and said she was encouraged that she was open to dialogue.

Ehardt said the timing of her letter and the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s initial criticism of the programs was coincidental, although she did reach out to the foundation for an analysis of Boise State’s tuition increases over the years. Both were responding to former Boise State president Martin Schimpf’s June newsletter, Ehardt and Idaho Freedom Foundation representatives said.

“What I did, I did because it was important to me,” Ehardt said. “I called the legislators. I called the 28 that signed on.”

Fred Birnbaum, the vice president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, said his organization’s similar criticism came from a place of ongoing concern over programs from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion they believed threatened the preservation of diversity of

Times-News

“One barrier is motivation. It’s one thing to create awareness and it’s another for people to respond,” Thompson said. “Finding out what people care about is key.”

The Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs has been focusing its census efforts on the concerns of Latinos as learned through public town hall events. Conservation Voters of Idaho, which will also be represented in the census committee, is also drawing from its own experiences in mobilizing the Latino community.

“Conservation Voters for Idaho is taking the lessons we’ve learned in our efforts to increase participation in elections by Idaho’s Latino population, and the barriers that can sometimes arise in that process to support the efforts locally, regionally and statewide to inform a comprehensive strategy to reach out to one of the fasting growing populations in the state,”

Antonio Hernandez, voting rights associate at Conservation Voters for Idaho, said in a statement. “A complete count of all Idahoans is important to ensuring that the next decade of funding and public policy accurately reflects our families and communities.”

Representatives from the organizations that will form the Complete Count Committee will meet for the first time July 25.

“One way or another, this affects you,” Mitzel said. “Somewhere down the line you are affected by these numbers. Right now we are setting ourselves up for the next decade.”

Megan Taros is a Times-News reporter and Report for America corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Jerome County. You can support her work by donating to Report for America at http://bit.ly/supportRFA.

DARIN OSWALD, IDAHO STATESMAN‌

Ryann Banks, a sophomore Boise State University and vicepresident of the Black Student Association, has joined with student body president Kaleb Smith, left, to support BSU’s Diversity and Inclusion programs. the thought and freedom of speech on Boise State’s campus.

“The notion that something labeled a center for diversity and inclusion — based on a history of how that has been implemented on other campuses and even on Boise State thus far — would suggest to us it’s not really something that should be reformed,” Birnbaum said. “They should move away from that.”

Rising tuition costs were also one of the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s concerns, and Birnbaum took issue with the Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus’s claim higher tuition was because the Legislature neglected to increase funding for Boise State and other schools. Boise State’s funding from the General Fund has increased 5.7% each year, according to Idaho Freedom Foundation’s analysis, rising from $67.6 million for fiscal year 2012 to $99.8 million for fiscal year 2019.

DO POWWOWS AND BLACK GRADUATION HELP ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE? Current and past Boise State students say these programs, even the ones not directly tied to academic performance, are key to attracting and retaining students from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups. It’s also important in light of recent national events — or even ones a little closer to home.

The Arbiter, Boise State’s student newspaper, highlighted student frustration with the way housing staff and the school’s administration handled racism in student dorms. In November 2018, a resident director discovered dorm decorations were vandalized with the swatstikas, the ‘N’-word and the phrase “burn everyone but whites,” the Arbiter reported.

Tai Simpson, an alum from the Nez Perce Idaho nation, said her experience at Boise State significantly

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improved when she got involved with the Intertribal Native Council, which plans the Seven Arrows Powwow at Boise State every year.

“Being a student at Boise State University, being a student of color, being a female student of color, can lend itself to feeling very isolated or feeling very lonely and feeling very overwhelmed — as if I’m the only one enduring some of the things I had to endure,” Simpson said. “Being part of Intertribal Native Council and being able to rely on the Multicultural Student Services, I found other voices and other stories. I found comrades that were enduring very similar struggles, that helped each other and supported each other through it.”

Yara Slaton, a 2015 alumna of Egyptian descent, said it would be a disservice to students to make Boise State an unwelcoming campus, especially as Boise State continues to recruit international students who usually pay higher tuition fees. Slaton said one of the things she loved about Boise State’s campus was getting to hear Arabic spoken by so many international students, who found considerable assistance and support through multi-cultural student services.

“These spaces are so important to them,” Slaton said. “They are so far from home and everything about this place is different. It’s cold and lonely, and they need places to survive.”

Ehardt said she believed expanded student mentoring initiatives could be more effective for all students, rather than initiatives specifically for groups

of multicultural, LGBTQ or nontraditional students.

There was nothing wrong with students forming their own groups, Ehardt said, but they shouldn’t be sponsored by the school or paid for with taxpayer money.

“I want us to have inclusion and I want us to have unity, but it just is truly diametrically opposed to think that you can be unified by dividing,” Ehardt said.

Ehardt’s letter also critiqued a program that “forces Boise State students to financially support” things like the food pantry for food-insecure students as something that drives up costs for Idaho students.

Smith, the student body president, said he’s worked to expand the food pantry during his time on campus.

He said it’s funded only by donations and makes an impact on academic performance.

“When a student is food insecure, they might not be getting the meals on a regular basis like the rest of us are,” Smith said. “If you’re not getting regular meals, they’re not getting the nutrition they need and the might not be doing as well in school. When everyone does well in school, we all benefit from that — especially the state of Idaho.”

Lydia Hernandez, the student vice president of inclusive excellence, said the Inclusive Excellence Student Council’s supports Boise State’s “past, present and future initiatives.”

“We are actively working towards a university that embodies representation for the diverse students on campus,” Hernandez wrote in a statement. “This effort is a continuous process done through the prioritization of students by fostering and supporting the multitude of ideas, identities, and organizations, which we will continue to fight for relentlessly.”

Other students and alumni agreed, saying they are looking for the university to do more, not less.

“Diversity and inclusion is the low bar,” Simpson said. “We have a long way to go in Idaho, and it starts by educating one another and community building. The ‘Idaho way’ is community building, not alienating or targeting historically marginalized communities.”

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magicvalley.com

Idaho farmers feel pinch of worker shortage

THE BIG STORY

How a lack of migrant workers could change American agriculture MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com

crease in wages has Magic Valley farmers worried about downsizing or ceasing operations. “(Shutting down operations) is not uncommon in part because of the migrant shortage and costs,” said Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers.

The H-2A program also requires farmers to house and feed workers, and provide transportation and basic accommodations like laundry. These expenses are paid out-of-pocket.

The council offers workshops that help farmers learn how to stay in compliance with the law.

It perused litigation to pause the H-2A wage increase particularly for Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, which experienced an increase of more than 20%.

“If you’re a farmer and you’ve planned for a 10% increase then find out it’s 23, you’re not going to be able to do it,” Marsh said.

TWIN FALLS — She was dressed in her best clothes and high heels. The strangers she paid to take her across the border said they would pass her off as a tourist. Instead, she had to brave the desert.

Margarita Partida is a former migrant worker who landed in California before settling in south-central Idaho. She used to travel between the two as the seasons demanded: March to November in Idaho and November to March in California.

The number of migrant workers has declined nationwide, and many of those workers who are here now are on an H-2A visa, which allows farmers to bring in foreign workers for seasonal jobs.

The visa program requires Slowing of migration farmers to pay its enrolled emIt was pitch black on the borployees a set minimum wage. derlands between the U.S. and Idaho’s rate increased 16% from Mexico as Partida pressed herself last year to $13.48 per hour. That against a wall along the canal she rate is only 44 cents lower than Please see WORKERS, Page A8 California. The consistent in-

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Citizens Police Academy kicks off new session

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS

Kristina Tapia, licensed clinical social worker, discusses mental health and getting children to open up Aug. 8 at Family Health Services in Jerome.

Connecting

A

diverse group of citizens gathered at the Twin Falls Police Department on Wednesday night to begin a 10week journey into the depths of law enforcement operations.

Parents with their children, truck drivers, retirees, nurses, teachers, criminal justice students, many of them Navy veterans — and myself — sat in the officers’ classroom at the Craig T. Bracken JULIE A. FERRARO Operations Building for the first session of the annual Citizens Police Academy.

“I love coming to the first night of the Citizens Police Academy,” said Chief Craig Kingsbury in his welcome to us.

“I love to show off our police department.”

Kingsbury made it clear that while a lot of knowledge will be imparted over the coming weeks, the academy will also be fun.

Humor was, in many ways,

cultures

How Idaho is engaging a growing demographic

L

atinos comprise one of the fastest-growing demographics in the Gem State, and have since the 1980s. The trend is clearly visible across communities in the Magic Valley.

In an effort to reflect the changing nature of the population within classrooms and the health care sector, local school districts and medical facilities are attempting to diversify their staff, as well as create resources and programs to better serve the Latino community and provide more access points.

Hispanic Affairs Reporter Megan Taros investigated what is being done to address diversity and representation in these areas

by interviewing school district and health care professionals working to represent Latinos and enhance leadership capacities.

Programs like Latinos in Action at Jerome High School help shape young students’ futures by inspiring them and bringing out their talents. In the health care realm, freelance interpreters at St. Luke’s are working to create inroads for patients who don’t speak English, while helping increase their confidence in their providers and address cultural competency.

As Idaho’s demographics shift, social services strive to keep pace.

See Big Story page E1.

If you do one thing: The Sun Valley Music Festival will feature a concert with a “Music Inspired by Outer Space” theme at 6:30 p.m. at the Sun Valley Pavilion, 300 Dollar Road. Free admission. $4

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SUDOKU OBITUARIES

the order of the day.

Capt. Anthony Barnhart, for instance, started his presentation on the history of American policing with the opening credits from the old TV series “CHiPs”.

Sgt. Justin Dimond, who coordinates the academy with Deb Kelley, joked about drawing maps for us to find the various locations we’ll be visiting, like the county range and city gun range.

“I’m going to draw you a sweet map,” Dimond said.

Kelley chimed in, “He draws the maps, and I fix them.”

The Citizens Police Academy is about giving residents of Twin Falls, and some from beyond those boundaries, a taste of what police do, Dimond explained.

“You’ll get to blow things up, shoot guns and drive cars fast,” he said.

I’m up for that.

There’s a serious side to the classes, too.

Please see ACADEMY, Page A8

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NEWS

A8 | Sunday, August 18, 2019

Workers From A1

waded in with her back to the Air and Marine Operations helicopter that hummed above her.

She was careful to never look up. The whites of her eyes would shine under the helicopter’s spotlight and give away their position.

It wasn’t until she found herself wading in neck-high waters in the middle of the river that she began to think her journey was over.

“I looked back to see if I could turn around and swim back but it was too far. There was just desert all around me,” Partida said in Spanish. “That was when I thought, ‘We’re going to die here.’”

When she landed in California,she began work almost immediately.

“We really are a strong community,” Partida said. “We come here to work right away so we can help ourselves and our families, so we aren’t a burden on this country.”

Partida worked as a migrant until she injured the ligaments in her wrist falling off a ladder while working at an orchard. She required five surgeries.

Now Mexican laborers are less likely to migrate due to better social programs, falling birth rates and economic improvement in Mexico, according to a 2016 study from the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California Berkeley. Migrant labor, in general, fell about 60% since the late ‘90s.

“What we’re seeing now is laborers who have been here earning more money and gaining more experience,” said Randy Capps, director of research of U.S. programs at the Migration Policy Institute.

“They’re moving from agricultural work into better jobs.”

Older migrants are also aging out of the labor force, Capps said.

As migrants start families in the U.S., their children who are citizens are afforded more opportunities and do not tend to continue agricultural work.

Changes in immigration law‌ Restrictive immigration laws passed since 9/11 have made it difficult for migrant workers to come and go as free as they once had. Since 1996, there have been seven major acts passed to tighten immigration restrictions.

Off a wide, open stretch of

Times-News

“Companies have got wise to this and figured they could pay $13.48 an hour in Idaho or they can pay $7 a day. It doesn’t take much to figure out that it’s cheaper to move their business overseas.”

Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers Washington Avenue sits El Milagro Housing, an affordable housing complex for agriculture workers, where Ofelia Bastidas and her husband, Polo Gil, live.

She and her family found a stable living in Twin Falls, though sometimes she travels to Nampa for a week at a time depending on the harvest.

It was 20 years ago when Bastidas and her husband decided to move with their son to south-central Idaho to flee the violence in their native Culiacan, a city in the northwest Mexican state of Sinaloa. The family’s story is reminiscent of that of many others: They wanted a better life.

“We had to make sacrifices for our kids so they could have a chance to do something better so they don’t do what we’re doing,” Bastidas said in Spanish. “I always tell them to study, go to school, get ahead in life.”

An increase in deportations that started with the Obama administration and have continued under Donald Trump’s presidency left some farmers understaffed and unable to fill positions, Marsh said. Farmers have often turned to H-2A to replace workers who had to be let go due to immigration sweeps.

Dairies are not eligible for the H-2A program as the work is yearround.

“This has been a program for a long time. We hear dairymen say they’re struggling to fill positions,” said Rick Naerebout, president of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

“That’s why we want Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and extend a visa program to help fill these jobs.”

Bastidas twisted a tissue in her hand as she spoke. Her father died four years ago and she wasn’t able to visit him or attend his funeral.

She said the recent talk of raids scares her and her fellow field workers, but she has to continue living her life.

“It would be a lie to say I’m not scared,” she said. “It’s not easy for us but we have to keep working.

We have to pay rent and eat.”

If the trend continues‌

Mike Gaxiola grew up on a farm in Murtaugh and still runs a business hauling potatoes and sugar beets during harvest time. He’s seen a lot of change since he was growing up.

“You’ve got probes, drones, a lot of new technology. There’s sugar beets that don’t need as much weeding,” he said. “But at the end of the day, you still need people out there hauling and harvesting to get it done.”

If farmers continue to struggle to hire workers, they may have to incentivize prospective employees by offering higher wages or offering more benefits, Capps said.

A long-term consequence is farmers moving their businesses to other parts of the world.

“Companies have got wise to this and figured they could pay $13.48 an hour in Idaho or they can pay $7 a day,” Marsh said. “It doesn’t take much to figure out that it’s cheaper to move their business overseas.”

Gaxiola also works with Youth Build, a program at the Community Council of Idaho that works with at-risk youth and puts them through job training. He said he hasn’t heard much interest in agriculture from young people, but he thinks that could change.

“We used to have to turn all the pivots on manually, now you can look on your phone,” Gaxiola said. “If you can get young people to see what agriculture can offer and what it is now I think more of them will be interested.”

While consumers will likely always have fresh fruit, milk and vegetables, a continuing shortage can mean relying on other countries for food.

“If you have food security, you have national security,” Marsh said. “We do not want the country to be in a position where we need to rely on someone else for food.

Megan Taros is a Times-News reporter and Report for America corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Jerome County. You can support her work by donating to Report for America at http://bit.ly/ supportRFA.

JULIE A. FERRARO, TIMES-NEWS‌

J.P. O’Donnell, left, Twin Falls Police Department, chats with Robert Leitch during a break at the Citizens Police Academy on Wednesday.

Academy From A1

“Bad things do happen,” Kingsbury told us. “We are here to handle them.”

Running through the department’s code of ethics, Kingsbury described it as the most important document for the department.

“We have to be held to a higher standard,” he said.

He provided his insights into the symbolism of the badge each officer wears, the departmental patches, and the officer’s name on the right chest.

“There’s a meaning and reason for each,” he said.

As for the departmental patch, included on the uniform since 1962 in its present form, Kingsbury chuckled that he looked into changing it after joining the department in 2016, but the reaction from his officers was a resounding “No.” With 77 officers and another 22 civilian employees to serve a population estimated at 50,000 people, Kingsbury acknowledged his department is spread kind of thin. Having concerned residents like those participating in the Citizens Police Academy, however, gives proof to the statement of Sir Robert Peel, the British father of law enforcement, “The police are the community and the community is the police.”

That history, presented by Barnhart, and Twin Falls Police history, reviewed by Capt. Matthew Hicks, provided a foundation for what we will be learning in the weeks ahead.

Hicks is the department’s

unofficial historian, and he expressed a definite love of preserving the documents, photos and stories of Twin Falls police.

As someone who’s done archiving over the years for organizations and museums, I can relate, and found his abbreviated overview — it usually takes three hours, he said — fascinating.

The timeline detailing a transition from police as warriors to police as guardians of the community fleshed out how officers work today.

“We’re always looking for new technology to help us do our jobs,” Hicks said.

Tales of some more gruesome events in local law enforcement, such as the death of Officer Bracken during a stolen car incident in 1939, were made tangible with the discovery of Bracken’s uniform when Hicks was searching for historical information on the department at the Twin Falls County Museum.

He pointed out the bullet holes as he uncovered the garment on a table in the classroom, with other historical artifacts.

“It’s the uniform he wore the day he died,” Hicks said.

All I could think is, “Wow.” I’m sure I’ll have similar reactions to upcoming classes with the K-9 unit, the SWAT team and driving the police vehicles.

Kingsbury, Dimond, Hicks and Barnhart all recommended we get to know the men and women of the Twin Falls Police Department and other agencies like the Twin Falls Fire Department we’ll be interacting with until we graduate in late October.

“I hope you learn something,” Kingsbury said. “I hope you have fun.”

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Times-News

THE BIG STORY

Sunday, August 18, 2019 | E1

Sunday, August 18, 2019 | magicvalley.com | SECTION E

PAT SUTPHIN PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS‌

Staff Interpreter Marlen Clark translates for Evelyn Rodriguez Aug. 1 before Rodriguez’ ultrasound to determine the due date of her baby, at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls.

MAKING INROADS TO SERVE LATINOS Engaging a growing demographic

MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com‌

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oing to the doctor or asking for help at school can be daunting enough for many young people, but in some cases it becomes much more difficult. For those who feel like outsiders, the obstacles can feel insurmountable.‌ Latinos are one of the fastest-growing groups in Idaho since the 1980s. Yet as the Gem State attempts to bridge its professional labor gap, diversity remains a tenuous new frontier in both the school system and the health care system.

There is a stark contrast between the state’s Latino population and Latinos in its professional workforce. Latinos make up 12% of Idaho’s population, yet comprise only 2% of its skilled labor, according to the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs’ most recent Hispanic Profile Data Book.

In response, schools and health care facilities across the Magic Valley are attempting to diversify their staff and create resources to better serve the Latino community and create more access points. Someone with a familiar background or someone who can speak a person’s native language can transform what may be an isolating experience into an inclusive one, where individuals feel visible and validated.

“Seeing those faces makes you open to seeking those services,” said Kristina Tapia, a Mexican-American licensed clinical social worker at Family Health Services in Jerome. “It’s empowering to see that. It’s kind of magical I guess.”

Breeding leaders‌

For Jiselle Vergara, her schooling isn’t only about her. She has to set a good example for her younger sisters. But it wasn’t always this way. When she entered Jerome High School as a freshman, she

M 1

Jiselle Vergara, 18, shares her experience of being a Hispanic student Aug. 2 at the College of Southern Idaho’s Jerome Center in Jerome.

Diversity and representation This is the first installment in Megan Taros’ diversity and representation series. The second installment will cover business and politics.

Megan Taros is a Times-News reporter and Report for America corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Jerome County. You can support her work by donating to Report for America at http://bit.ly/supportRFA. didn’t have much of a desire to go to college.

“I never liked school,” Vergara said. “Even though I was good at it, I just didn’t want to go.”

Vergara, 18, will be a liberal arts major at College of Southern Idaho this fall and is spending her summer working at CSI’s Jerome Center taking calls and helping fellow students navigate the admissions and registration process.

Her attitude about college

changed “from one day to another” with the influence of her mother, who encouraged her to give college a shot. Vergara became more confident with this decision when she enrolled in the year-long Latinos in Action program at Jerome High School, which teaches leadership skills, college readiness and career planning.

The beginnings of Latinos in Action reflect a similar founda-

tional experience shared by the organization’s founder — Jose Enriquez. During his early days in school as an immigrant from El Salvador learning English, he remembers feeling lost and unable to fit in.

“I knew I had a lot to offer, but I didn’t know how to showcase it,” Enriquez said.

It wasn’t until a coach encouraged him to get involved in school activities and invest in his studies that he changed direction. He went on to receive a wrestling scholarship to Brigham Young University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education and Spanish, a master’s degree in educational leadership and a doctorate in educational leadership.

MORE INSIDE: The inside scoop: Hispanic Affairs Reporter Megan Taros reflects on the project, E4

Please see DIVERSITY, Page E1

THE BIG STORY

E2 | Sunday, August 18, 2019

Times-News

“When they see someone is there for them who looks like them, I think we start seeing better outcomes.

I hope I can be that person for them because I understand where they are coming from.”

Rose Castro, CSI Jerome Center coordinator

Diversity From E2

The idea for Latinos in Action came when he was teaching at Timpview High School in Provo, Utah. Enriquez noticed that his Latino students were not as engaged in school as other students.

He began teaching about Latino leaders like poet Pablo Neruda and author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was then that he had an important realization: instead of teaching about role models, why not create them?

“We’re here to develop and utilize their talents,” Enriquez said.

“There is so much brilliance and experience we’re not utilizing and that we’re missing out on.”

Taking it beyond the classroom‌ Enriquez created what he considers a “living curriculum,” one that leaves room for adjustment as each school navigates what works for its individual students.

Jerome, Wendell and Gooding high schools have implemented a dual-credit program with CSI that allows students to take a special general education course designed

by Latinos in Action teachers.

Students also have the option to take dual-credit courses toward other college subjects.

Vergara has taken four dual credit courses and was able to bypass some general education requirements. Enrolling in dual credit courses is optional as the program is meant to meet students at their level and help draw out their potential, Enriquez said.

“I always emphasize that this is an asset-based program,” Enriquez said. “It’s not remedial. It’s building on the skills they already have.”

It hasn’t always been an easy journey for Vergara. In high school, she worked at Panda Express and moved to Shoshone in the middle of the school year.

She had to wake up early to take her sisters to school, go to school herself and then go to work.

“I’ve always been like ‘just do it,’” she said. “That’s kind of how I do everything. I have to do it, so I do it.”

Vergara looked up to her older sister as a role model — she was a teen mom with two kids who managed to graduate high school and go to college.

“It’s like, I didn’t have an excuse,” Vergara said. “I didn’t have that kind of challenge. If I don’t go (to college), then my sisters might see that and think, ‘If she doesn’t go, then I don’t have to go.’”

‘One team, one town, one family’‌ Jerome High School’s Latinos in Action program has been in place for a decade, but its teaching staff is not reflective of its student body. In Jerome Joint School District, where 53% of students are Latino, 94% of its teachers are white.

These statistics reflect a dilemma that spans much of the country.

Schools nationwide are struggling to close the representation gap, but have hit roadblocks such as lack of funding, low pay and wealthier school districts picking up its most qualified teachers.

Principal Nathan Tracy said that hiring diverse staff in Jerome can be a challenge because college graduates in Boise and eastern Idaho sometimes don’t want to leave the area once they graduate. To address this conundrum, Jerome High School launched a teacher’s club to try to encourage area students to come back to

PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS‌

College of Southern Idaho’s Jerome Center Coordinator Rose Castro talks about the importance of inclusion Aug. 2 at CSI Jerome Center in Jerome.

School districts over 40% Latino % Latinos

% white teachers 53%

Shoshone Minidoka County Joint Murtaugh Joint Valley Bliss Joint Wendell Jerome

98.23% 45%

100%

41%

100%

48%

96.3%

43% 100% 62% 93.26% 53%

Source: Idaho State Board of Education

teach in their home communities after graduating college. A key tenet of the Latinos in Action class is returning home to give back.

“They served you, so now come back and serve them,” Tracy said.

The school has an evolving list

94% Lee Enterprises graphic

of clubs and programs that celebrate diversity as well as bilingual aid and events for parents and English as a Second Language students. About one-fifth of the school’s staff is bilingual.

“Our motto is one team, one

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

From left, Latinos in Action members Kristy Gonzalez, 14, Jazmin Magallon, 14, and Carmela Estrada, 14, hand out schedules Aug. 7 during registration at Jerome High School.

town, one family,” Tracy said.

“Our goal is for the students to feel like they’re included, they’re seen, they’re heard. We are all Jerome High School.”

The staff has had to be resourceful in finding ways to make themselves more accessible to Spanish-speaking parents and students. Two years ago, as part of a school-wide effort, the staff purchased Rosetta Stone, held weekly lessons with the school’s Spanish teachers and went to nearby Mexican restaurants to practice.

Students say these collective efforts and being around other students who shared their culture and experience have created a sense of family when at school.

“Every time I was at my lowest, (Latinos in Action) helped me keep going,” Jerome High School senior Joel Leon said. “Whenever I had a hard time, I was feeling down, whenever I felt like I wanted to drop out, they were there for me.”

Bridging the gap‌

Attracting staff isn’t only a difficult process for K-12 schools.

CSI President Jeff Fox said that it can be difficult to bring in talent because the Magic Valley isn’t considered a “destination” like New York or San Francisco. He’s heard plenty of excuses during his time with the school.

He recalls an applicant once canceled an interview upon getting off the plane at Magic Valley Regional Airport, dismayed by the lack of trees.

Diversity of staff and programming, however, has been a process at least 30 years in the making, according to Fox. “Diversity and representation has been an intention for a long time,” he said. “We’ve always been open and looking to hire bilingual staff and people of color.”

The school appoints those best qualified for each position regardless of background, but bilingualism is a key consideration.

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Maria Medina, 17, left, and Karla Martinez, 14, sit at the Latinos in Action booth during registration Aug. 7 at Jerome High School.

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THE BIG STORY

Times-News

Sunday, August 18, 2019 | E3

“I have parents say to me that they don’t get involved or go to their kid’s school because they’re afraid they will embarrass them because they don’t know the language or they don’t know how something works. They feel a lot more confident after something like this.”

Cesar Perez, CSI’s Hispanic liaison and director of the Jerome and Gooding centers

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Cards showing different feelings are taped to Kristina Tapia’s office door Aug. 8 at Family Health Services in Jerome.

“When they see someone is there for them who looks like them, I think we start seeing better outcomes,” said CSI Jerome Center coordinator Rose Castro, who is responsible for helping students with questions about the college enrollment process. “I hope I can be that person for them because I understand where they are coming from.”

Castro’s position is one of the newest at the college; she works closely with bilingual and English-learning students. The college also offers ESL and citizenship courses for immigrants.

When the college received funding from a Title III grant in 2016, it began designating money for developing programs to help non-traditional students such as parents and those with full-time jobs.

Among them is the Bridge to Success program, an eight-week summer course that educates students about various aspects of campus life, as well as math and computational skills. The program has been successful among first-generation stuDREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌ dents and Latinos, according Photos from previous Latinos in Action club events are hung during registration Aug. 7 at Jerome High School. to Bridge Program coordinator John Hughes. Based on the four cohorts the program has educated so far, 53% of its students are Hispanic.

“When it’s their first time, whether they are of Hispanic background or not, people don’t know what they don’t know,” Fox said. “And that means they don’t know what to ask or who to go to for help.”

Programs like Bridge to Success and Latinos in Action have made some students feel more comfortable with their lack of knowledge and helped them feel confident enough to speak up about it.

“When I didn’t know something, I would see that other people had the same questions I did,” Vergara said. “It made me feel less alone.”

Family plays a key role‌

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Student success isn’t always about schools. Parental involvement, socioeconomic status and level of education can affect whether or not a student is prepared for college or the workforce.

CSI is in the pilot stages of its parent college, which offers courses for parents of future and current students to familiarize themselves with subjects from the application process to scholarships. The courses are offered in both English and Spanish.

“I have parents say to me that they don’t get involved or go to their kid’s school because they’re afraid they will embarrass them because they don’t know the language or they don’t know how something works,” Cesar Perez, CSI’s Hispanic liaison and director of the Jerome and Gooding centers, said. “They feel a lot

PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS‌

Malena Rodriguez, supervisor of language services, explains the role interpreters play with the hospital Aug. 1 at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls. more confident after something like this.”

The Bridge Program — which extends throughout each enrolled student’s term at the college in the form of regular academic counseling and check-ins — stresses the importance of family by hosting events where parents and friends are invited.

CSI’s orientation is also open to friends and family.

Being sensitive to Hispanic tra-

ditions and family values is key to building a strong relationship with students, said Bridge Program coordinator Rosey Alberdi.

“It comes down to understanding. We want to show them we understand the dynamics of the family,” Alberdi said. “That way (the parents) buy in and understand we’re not taking their kids away from them. We want them to better themselves for their family as a whole.”

A slow-burning passion‌

When Guadalupe Gonzalez first moved to Twin Falls, she felt like she had stepped into a time machine. She spent the majority of her adult life in the bustle of Mexico City and the languid pace of south-central Idaho hit her hard.

She worked in health care while in Mexico but wound up as a court translator when she relocated to the Gem State in December 2000 to be with her mother who had

already immigrated.

“It just wasn’t my passion,” Gonzalez said of the court system.

“I had a chance to work in the juvenile court and I liked that better but there was still something missing. I didn’t really know what I wanted then.”

It was almost 20 years ago when St. Luke’s Magic Valley decided they needed to make a change in the way they cared for patients who could not communicate in English. That was when it created the interpretation program that serves patients in-person, through voice calls and video chat. The program has grown to hundreds of freelance interpreters within the St. Luke’s network who are on call at all hours of the day.

Gonzalez is now one of them.

The interpretation service seeks to make communication easier and to diminish the dangers of improper communication. It is common for patients with language needs, for instance, to use family members or under-qualified translators for their appointments.

Family members may also have a conflict of interest when it comes to the care of their loved ones.

“It is very dangerous,” said Malena Rodriguez, supervisor of language services. “So much gets missed with improper translation.”

Misdiagnosis is one of the major risks that result from poor communication and a lack of cultural competency. Patients feel more confidence in their provider if they can identify and effectively communicate with them, Rodriguez said, but there is limited data about what increases the risk of misdiagnosis in Latinos as there have been no major studies on the subject, according to a 2003 report by the Journal of the American Medicine Association.

Gonzalez, like the more than 300 interpreters available, is the liaison between the patient and provider. She believes that having someone with a relatable background who speaks the patient’s language is vital to his or her health.

“Patients are sometimes intimidated about coming to the doctor,” she said. “When I see a patient for the first time I always say, ‘I am your voice. If you don’t tell me something, I can’t tell the doctor.’ I think they understand that.”

The gravity of the subject matter she handles can be overwhelming at times. She is most stressed by what she calls “life or death situations,” and working with abused children.

“When I first started, sometimes I got in the shower and just cried and cried,” Gonzalez said.

She handles the stress through prayer and has since been hopeful about her role as an interpreter.

Please see DIVERSITY, Page E4

THE BIG STORY

E4 | Sunday, August 18, 2019

Times-News

“Patients are sometimes intimidated about coming to the doctor.

When I see a patient for the first time I always say, ‘I am your voice.

If you don’t tell me something, I can’t tell the doctor.’ I think they understand that.”

Guadalupe Gonzalez, interpreter

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Kristina Tapia, licensed clinical social worker, discusses her work in the mental health field Aug. 8 at Family Health Services in Jerome.

Diversity From E3

Cultural competency in the clinic‌ When the program first started, interpreters were not allowed to advocate on behalf of the patients. Now, it is permissible for interpreters to intervene during instances of cultural insensitivity.

“Sometimes I get to say I will not translate something because it is culturally insensitive,” Gonzalez said. “I help the provider navigate people’s cultures.”

It is not everyone’s preference to be attended by someone of a similar cultural background, said Tori Torgrimson, behavioral health director at Family Health Services. It is the job of the provider to figure out what works best for the patient.

When Torgrimson started at Family Health Services 15 years ago, she was the only therapist who spoke Spanish. Now there are only four fully bilingual providers in behavioral health services. Family Health Services has also implemented translators to bridge the access gap.

While Latinos experience anxiety and depression at the same rates as those of other races, only 20% speak to a doctor about their symptoms and only 10% actually attend therapy, according to a 2001 Surgeon General’s report.

Immigration and fear of deportation can undercut the number of people following up on their appointments, but that typically happens when there is a perceived threat of Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence.

Last month, a rumor about potential ICE raids in Jerome resulted in calls from concerned patients uncertain if they should come to their appointments.

These occasions tend to be a hiccup and patients return after the tension subsides.

PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS‌

Staff Interpreter Gina Espinoza, left, and Malena Rodriguez, supervisor of language services, demonstrate how a patient call works with the Indemand Interpreting machine Aug. 1 at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls.

“I think it shows a resiliency on the part of the community,” Tapia said.

Immigration-related stressors that exacerbate mental illness can even impact Latinos who are citizens.

“When you have a connection with immigration, holistically, that affects the whole community, even if you were born here and are a citizen,” Torgrimson said.

In the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of Latino patients seen by behavioral services staff at Family Health Services. It uses language ser-

vices for 15% of its patients across all facilities, but sometimes having a relatable background helps patients open up and build trust with their providers.

But it can be more than just language that is needed. Essentially, it’s a genuine cultural connection that can ultimately make a real difference.

“With the teenagers, that conversation is totally in English, but you pick up on the cultural pieces,” Tapia said. “They might say something about la llorona, and I get it.” La llorona, also known as the weeping woman,

is a famous oral legend in Latin care sector.

American folklore.

Family Health Services is expanding by creating new positions Looking to the future‌ in which speaking both English Jerome High School is working and Spanish is required. A lack to create programs that emphasize of behavioral health specialists the value of diversity, including in Idaho across all demographics culture clubs, where students is, in part, influencing this effort. learn about unique cultural tra- The organization is now outgrowditions such as food, dance and ing its space in Jerome and will art. The school hopes that it will move to a larger facility. see the benefits of its teacher’s “I want to provide these serclub when its graduating seniors vices for la raza, my people, begraduate from college and return cause they deserve that,” Tapia in the future, hoping to work for said. “That’s really why I’m still the high school. here. I know they are being helped, The same is true in the health and I want to be there for them.”

The inside scoop ‌Almost three months to the day I was finishing my final class of my master’s program in New York City, I started packing for my move to Twin Falls just two weeks later. I remember telling my classmates I got an offer from the Times-News covering Hispanic affairs and the response was almost always the same: ‘There’s Hispanic people in Idaho?’

It happened so often I developed a rehearsed speech about Hispanic population growth in the Gem State.

I always considered myself an adventurous person having moved from my native Los Angeles to San Francisco and then New York in a span of less than five years. But my move to Idaho was the only time I was made to feel like I was doing something crazy. Who could imagine that a young woman who spent

seven years in New York City would jump ship to a town that’s less than 1% of her current city’s population? I knew every time someone was surprised that a newspaper in Idaho had a need for a Hispanic affairs reporter that I was making the right move.

I’ll admit I might not have considered Idaho if it wasn’t for Report for America, a nonprofit organization that places reporters in newsrooms that have a coverage gap. I’ve always thought that for a news organization to be successful, it should be representing all people who live in its coverage area, and Report for America is helping journalists in this country be a part of a national effort to protect press freedom and uplift communities. In my case, it is also to make sure the voices of my people are heard.

Local journalism has the potential to move mountains. When a local reporter creates an alliance with the people on the ground doing critical work to help underrepresented communities, that partnership can be unstoppable.

Idaho’s Latino community and others who are at the forefront of movements affecting positive change for the communities in the Magic Valley have embraced me in the two short months I’ve been here. It is an honor to help tell their stories. I don’t know that my 14-year-old self — a Mexican-American girl in a scrappy, working-class county in southern Los Angeles who PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS‌ was just barely developing an interest in journalism — would have Times-News Hispanic Affairs Reporter Megan Taros meets with hospital imagined being here today, but I’m interpreters Aug. 1 at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls. so glad I am.

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BSU vs.

Air Force

Broncos defeat Falcons 30-19

Declo handles Buhl High school football recap B1

LDS Church’s policies Advocates: LGBTQ youth at risk A7

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 |

magicvalley.com

Panel wants help for teachers Education task force finalizes first recommendations CLARK CORBIN

IdahoEdNews.org

PAT SUTPHIN PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS

Idaho milk products Vice president of Operations dave anderson, right, gives a tour of the company’s milk processing facility Friday. the dairy processor spent $30 million to expand its Jerome plant capacity by a third.

Dairy producer unveils $30M expansion 4.4 million gallons processed per day COLIN TIERNAN

ctiernan@magicvalley.com

JEROME — When a group of dairy families opened Idaho Milk Products a decade ago, the company faced a murky future at best. The $80 million facility began churning out cream and protein during a recession, at a time of painfully low milk prices.

“These dairy families risked everything,” Idaho Dairymen’s Association CEO Rick Naerebout said. “They rolled the dice, put everything on the line that their families had built for generations.”

Ten years and a $30 million

plant expansion later, it looks like the gamble is paying off.

“No one ever wants to be arrogant or overconfident,” Idaho Milk Products CEO Daragh Maccabee said. “But we have, generally speaking, over the last while, had more demand than capacity to produce.”

Idaho Milk Products celebrated the expansion Friday.

The company has increased its processing capacity by roughly a third, from 3.4 million pounds of milk per day to 4.4 million.

In cow terms that’s a leap from 50,000 cows to 65,000 cows milked daily. The facility now has more warehouse space, a research and development lab, new Idaho milk products CeO daragh maccabee addresses the crowd Friday during a ribbon cutting ceremony. the company has spent $30 million Please see DAIRY, Page A4 to expand its milk processing capacity by a third.

Rupert woman and child missing BURLEY — The Cassia County Sheriff ’s Office has put out an endangered missing persons alert for a Rupert woman and her 1-month-old.

The sheriff ’s office issued the advisory for Elizabeth Manning, 20, and her daughter, Zacora Manning, according to a statement Manning from Idaho State Police.

Elizabeth Manning is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds, she has brown hair and hazel eyes and a tattoo on the back of her left shoulder. The clothing she was last wearing is unknown.

The child is 17.5 inches long and weighs 6 pounds. She has blue eyes and light brown hair.

The infant has a birthmark above her nose.

Anyone with information on the mother and child should call the Cassia County Sheriff ’s Office at 208-878-2251 or dial 911.

Event a reward for students’ fundraiser LAURIE WELCH

lwelch@magicvalley.com

LAURIE WELCH, TIMES-NEWS

excited Heyburn elementary School students wait for their principal to kiss a goat on Friday as a reward for selling $1,300 in chocolate bars.

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Volume 114, Issue 329

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HEYBURN The actual smackeroo was only a brief peck on the back of the goat’s neck, but Heyburn Elementary School Principal Danelle Stutzman let the 500 students watching know it was a big deal as she dramatically puckered up and applied a layer of red lipstick.

The students chanted “kiss the goat” as Stutzman paced at the front of the auditorium Friday.

“I think it’s great, the kids met their goal and the principal is going to kiss a goat,” said assistant librarian Cheryl Green.

The staff seemed as excited as the students, Stutzman said.

Stutzman was fulfilling a promise to the students, who met their goal of selling $1,300 in chocolate bars. The World’s Please see GOAT, Page A4

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Fitness challenge a test in perseverance for this reporter After some difficulty, a breakthrough

The kicker? The daily challenges would be designed by the Boise Police Department.

I take comfort in the fact that WIN FALLS — It sounded all of us must have fancied ourselves as participants in some fun when I first heard it: wacky real-life sitcom where Latino journalists around Idaho will lead four teams in the we’d bumble around trying to Idaho Commission on Hispanic figure this challenge out and look cute doing it. How wrong Affairs’ annual Hispanic Herwe were. itage Month fitness challenge.

T

If you do one thing: the annual make-a-Wish Idaho car show will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at twin Falls City park, 400 Shoshone St. e. registration will take place from 8 a.m. to noon at the park. $2

Please see TASK FORCE, Page A4

Kissing a goat for a cause

TIMES-NEWS

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BOISE — A K-12 task force subcommittee finished up its work Thursday following a passionate discussion about teacher evaluations.  Increasing pay for veteran educators by building out the career ladder salary program, including a third rung that pays out $60,000. The subcommittee was pretty clear that this buildout would likely take place over multiple years, because of limited financial resources.  Continuing to expand statewide professional development efforts to help educators grow professionally, feel supported and have the expertise to improve student achievement.

Teacher evaluations were also a focal point during Thursday’s meeting. Evaluations have become increasingly high stakes — and controversial — after the Legislature partially tied the amount of money it sends to school districts for teacher pay to a evaluations.

Last month, Idaho Education News reported 98% of Idaho’s nearly 19,000 teachers earned one of the top two overall scores on their annual evaluations.

“When you see in the news Nampa has 98% of teachers proficient, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect, it doesn’t mean they

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It didn’t help that Hispanic Heritage Month started on a Sunday this year. The fact that it’s intended to coincide with several Latin American independence dates, including Mexico’s, meant I started this challenge full of tacos and fighting the urge to melt into the couch.

That morning, I opened my

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email while deluding myself into thinking we’d start off easy — and, horrifyingly, that might be the case as far as Boise Police are concerned.

“Do this three

MEGAN TAROS

Please see TAROS, Page A4

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OBITUARIES/NEWS

A4 | Saturday, September 21, 2019

DEATH NOTICES ‌ ndrea Marie Arkoosh A Cockerham, 56, a resident of Gooding, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019 at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise. Funeral arrangements are pending under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service—Gooding Chapel.

Condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family by following the obituary link at www.demarayfuneralservice.com.

Faye D. Roberts, 85, of Twin Falls, passed away

Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 at a local care facility. Services are pending under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary, Jerome.

Larry G. White, 80, of Filer, passed away Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 at a local hospital. Services are pending under the care of Farmer Funeral Chapel, Buhl.

Miroslav George Lukes, 96, of Twin Falls, passed away Friday, Sept.

20, 2019 at his home. Funeral arrangements are under the care of White Mortuary “Chapel by the Park.”

Charles Robbins‌

direction of Rosenau FuNIBLEY, UTAH—Grave- neral Home. side services will be held today at the Fort Bridger, Harold Arbaugh‌ WY Cemetery. Condolences JEROME—A memorial may be expressed online at service will be held today www.allenmortuaries.net at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist church in Jerome with Bill Werry‌ Pastor Dick Sullender offiJEROME—A memorial ciating. service will be held today at 11 a.m. at Farnsworth Mor- LeAdelle Phelps‌ tuary, 1343 S Lincoln Ave, JACKSON—A service to Jerome with a Celebration celebrate the gifts her life of Life to follow at Snake brought to us and express River Elks Lodge, Hwy 93, our grief at her loss will be Jerome. held today at 10:30 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – RuShirley Baxley‌ FILER—A funeral service pert Stake Center, located will be held today at 10 a.m. at 324 E. 18th Street, in with a viewing one hour Rupert, where friends and prior to service at Farmer family may call from 9 to Funeral Chapel, 130 9th Ave 10 a.m. Arrangements have North, Buhl. A graveside been entrusted to the care of service will follow at Filer Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Cemetery, 2350 East 4000 Home of Burley North, Filer.

TWIN FALLS—A visitation for family and friends was held Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rosenau Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Harrison street LDS Chapel with a viewing one hour prior to services. Arrangements are under the

Goat From A1

Finest Chocolate fundraiser was organized by the school’s parent-teacher organization.

“The principal is amazing to do this and get the kids so excited about the chocolate sale,” PTO co-vice president Tara Lammers said.

Bucky, the 6-month-old brown goat, was wearing a red and white bandana for the occasion. Afterward, he shook his long floppy ears but seemed rather unfazed as he was scooped off the table by his owner, Helen May, and led across a protective layer of plastic on the floor to the auditorium’s side door.

“At first someone suggested that she should kiss a pig, but nobody had one,” May said about Bucky’s role at the assembly. “So I spoke up and said I had a goat.”

The orphaned goat is a family pet and is accustomed to being kissed by the May children, she said.

Top sellers included Derek Osterhout, who took first prize after selling 13 cases, which each contained 60 $2 bars. He received a red electronic tablet and the privilege of being taxied around between classes in the principal’s office chair

by Stutzman.

Stutzman printed off Osterhout’s class schedule, so

Task force From A1

have no room for growth and it doesn’t mean we have been poor in our ability to assess,” Nampa district Superintendent Paula Kellerer said Thursday.

In Nampa, administrators and teachers view evaluations as a valuable coaching tool and have deep discussions about ways teachers can improve their craft, Kellerer said. Because the evaluation tool includes 22 different components, she said, many teachers earn lower scores on some components but still earn overall proficient scores “based on a preponderance of the evidence that says proficient.”

Rep. Gary Marshall,

‘House Hunters’ host Whang dies at 57 ASSOCIATED PRESS

‌ OS ANGELES — SuL zanne Whang, whose smooth, calm voice provided the narration for HGTV’s “House Hunters” for years, has died. She was 57.

Her death on Tuesday was confirmed Friday by her longtime agent, Eddie Culbertson. Whang first gained fame as the onscreen host of the show,

where anxious home buyers are s h o w n trying to choose between three options.

Whang Later, she was moved to the narration role only, but her recognizable voice was as much a draw as the homes.

Culbertson said Whang was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and in 2011 was told she would not live a year. She beat the disease for years until it returned in October 2018.

Culbertson said Whang, who was also a comedian and actress, included her cancer battle in stage performances.

“Her courage, humor, determination and optimism,

with which she notably confronted the disease, emboldened and gave hope to countless others facing serious life challenges,” he said in a statement. “She remained a loving spirit, and in the end she passed away peacefully at home with her great love by her side, having been true to herself and the journey she chose.”

She is survived by her parents and a sister.

Taros

SERVICES

Douglas Brown‌

Times-News

Richard Maddox‌

JEROME—A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept.

23, 2019 at Farnsworth Mortuary, 1343 S Lincoln Ave, Jerome. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Rich’s memorial webpage at www.farnsworthmortuary.com.

she would know what times she needed to be available to pick him up and wheel him to his next class.

Remington Genius took second place and also won a tablet. Tyler Osterhout won third place and with Neriah Medina at fourth, received a golden scooter. Angelina Martinez took home a fivepound chocolate bar for fifth place.

Awards were also given to three families who sold a combined 40 cases, and to two classroom winners, who tied at 28 cases.

“The PTO is so supportive of the school and that’s why I’m doing this,” said Stutzman, who taught at Heyburn for 14 years before becoming principal. “So if there is anything I can do to motivate, add excitement or make the kids happy to be here, I’m glad to do it.”

Lammers said the money will be used to provide educational field trips for the students to Twin Falls and Boise and it will also be used for teacher supplies in classrooms.

“We don’t want money for supplies to be coming out of the teachers’ pockets,” Lammers said.

Stutzman said without the PTO’s support the school would not be able to provide the same opportunities.

“They are pivotal to our success,” she said.

R-Idaho Falls, worried the Legislature may have unintentionally created a financial incentive for administrators to report that all educators are proficient.

Districts negotiate pay every year and are bound by contracts to pay out what they negotiate, regardless of teacher performance.

However, the state sends out more money to local districts for pay if teachers post two years’ worth of proficient evaluations and jump to the second professional rung of the career ladder.

On the other hand, if administrators report having more teachers rated as basic or unsatisfactory, these teachers do not meet the criteria to climb the career ladder, and the state sends the school less money.

until afterward that I felt like the strenuous activity I felt unduly bound to was From A1 doing me some good.

On a normal lunch break times in a circuit,” the I would eat in my car and email read. My orders read the day’s newspaper were as follows: 80 highif I hadn’t got around to knees (40 for each leg), 15 it, but on this day I drove pushups, 25 body weight home, made a fresh lunch squats, 30 lunge jumps (15 and straightened up my each leg), 20 tricep dips, room without once con20 sit ups, 30 mountain sidering dropping into my climbers (15 for each leg), bed and missing the rest 30 second back, left and of the work day. right planks.

PAT SUTPHIN TIMES-NEWS‌ It remains to be seen The first inner struggle Times-News Reporter Megan Taros exercises as part of if this extra energy will I faced as I read the email keep up as the challenge again was the embarrass- the Idaho Commission of Hispanic Affairs’ annual Hispanic goes on or if it’s a bright ing fact that I had no idea Heritage Month fitness challenge Wednesday at the Twin what some of those were. Falls City Park in Twin Falls. Taros is the celebrity captain of spot before an inevitable collapse, but I’m feeling I searched enough of them one of four statewide teams. ready to take on the world. online that my phone sugAfter a quick nap. of change.

By day three I had not gested I make a file for my The Boise Police De“favorite exercises.” It was done much better. I was Megan Taros is a Timespartment gave us eight still googling some of the as if everyone was mockNews reporter and Report different exercises to do workouts, and I am not ing me. for as long as we could for for America corps member confident I was doing all That led me to my seccovering the Magic Valley’s a minute each. It was the of them correctly. I did ond inner conflict, which Hispanic community most benevolent routine something a little difwas the hubris that got and Jerome County. You yet but as our photogferent for the fourth day me here in the first place. can support her work by rapher Pat Sutphin, can and decided to head to Then, as if going through donating to Report for tell you, I still had to take the park before my lunch all the phases of grief in America at http://bit.ly/ break to get the challenge some time to figure out rapid succession, I redone. It was the first signs what I was doing. It wasn’t supportRFA. signed myself to my fate.

Dairy

the company helps support Jerome financially through From A1 taxes, explaining that Idaho Milk Products’ facility has collaboration rooms and a taxable value higher than greater packaging capabil- $100 million. ities.

The expansion also has Mellowing milk economic ramifications for market? ‌ Jerome and the Magic Valley. In 2009, the company Milk production cycles had about 70 employees. between gluts and shortThe business has hired 40 ages. Right now, Magic new workers in the last year Valley dairy farmers are and now employees about hurting due to a milk glut, 190 people. where oversupply is dampening profits. More proBehind the scenes cessing capacity would be a boon for farmers. ingredients‌ Processing capacity apIdaho Milk Products sells pears to be ramping up, essentially three differ- but slowly. Expansions like ent kinds of dairy: cream, Idaho Milk Products’ play a milk protein concentrate part in addressing the overand milk permeate. Cream production problem, but is shipped off to relatively because of the company’s nearby buyers and can end business model, the impact up as butter or ice cream. is indirect.

Milk protein concentrate, The company is owned sold as a powder, mostly by two dairy families, Betgoes into protein bars or tencourt Dairies and Big shakes. A wide variety of Sky Dairy. That means foods have permeate in that Idaho Milk Products them — permeate is often dairies are a bit more insulated from fluctuating added to plain milk.

Speed is one of the keys milk prices than other proto producing high-quality ducers, and the expansion cream and powders. Mac- doesn’t necessarily mean cabee said that cream leaves much for dairy barns that the plant within 24 hours of don’t fall under the Bethaving left the cow and the tencourt and Big Sky umcompany makes and pack- brellas. ages protein powder just as While Idaho Milk Prodquickly. ucts was a risky venture “This is a major player when it launched, it has in the protein market in real benefits for the farmers the world,” Jerome Mayor now the business is proven and successful.

Dave Davis said.

Jerome City Administra“It’s a nice alignment of tor Mike Williams said that producer and processor companies like Idaho Milk interests,” Maccabee said.

Products provide jobs and Naerebout said that any give local youth opportu- increase in dairy processing nities to stay in the Magic power is welcome, but one Valley. He also noted that expansion doesn’t solve the

“There is pressure to say ‘proficient’ so they get the money,” said Marshall, emphasizing he was speaking from a legislator’s perspective. “That creates a significant problem on our part.”

Subcommittee chair Shawn Keough, a former state senator, said the subcommittee will issue a secondary recommendation to improve the evaluations system through tweaks.

Several subcommittee members talked about increasing the validity of teacher evaluations, ensuring they are used as coaching and growth tool and finding more ways to differentiate between teacher performance, but the subcommittee stopped short of recommending specific tweaks or changes.

Meanwhile, three other subcommittees have spent the summer developing recommendations. None of them are finalized yet, but other potential recommendations include: Creating a new school accountability system based around growth in K-3 literacy rates, as measured by

milk glut problem.

“It doesn’t get us out of the woods,” he said. We still need more (capacity) ... We’ve got a lot more milk coming.”

According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report, Idaho milk production has increased 3% in the past year.

While the glut is a concern, there are positive signs. This year has brought better milk prices, which is helpful for an industry with notoriously tight margins.

“We’ve had four years of downturn,” Naerebout said. “We’re finally getting back to good milk prices right now.”

In August, milk sold at $17.60 per hundredweight according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

That’s up almost $2 since January, and up about $2.50 from September 2018.

When Idaho Milk Products launched a decade ago milk was selling at a painfully low $9 per hundredweight.

Naerebout said those price increases aren’t due to growing demand for dairy.

“It’s more a supply-side correction than a demand-side increase,” he said.

to test mouth feels and consistencies, Idaho Milk Products can play around with products in house and determine the right variation or type of protein. A host of new equipment will give the company the ability to run products through a gauntlet of shelf life and taste tests.

Idaho Milk Products isn’t the first Magic Valley dairy processor to launch a research and development lab. Chobani unveiled a new $21 million building in August, a large portion of which is dedicated to research and development.

The Capitol‌

Idaho Milk Products’ new research and development space will help address client needs and problems, Maccabee said.

It will effectively allow Idaho Milk Products to mimic how customers use proteins and permeates.

For instance, if a customer wants to develop a new type of protein drink, but doesn’t have the tools

Maccabee proudly notes that the city of Jerome, not the city of Twin Falls, is the milk processing capital of the Magic Valley. Idaho is the nation’s third largest dairy producing state, and the Magic Valley accounts for 70% of that production.

He also sees a promising future for the Idaho dairy industry. He said the Gem State’s dairies appear to be more sustainable than those in California or Wisconsin, the top two dairy producers.

Idaho Milk Products plans on long-term success. Maccabee said the company wants to bring value to milk for generations, and that value will benefit the Magic Valley — Idaho Milk Products’ supply comes from 45 miles away or less.

“It’s great to have reached this milestone,” Maccabee said. “We want to become a truly world class organization.”

the Idaho Reading Indicator, factoring in a school’s demographic characteristics.

Offering optional, allday kindergarten.

Increasing the balance of state savings accounts, and minimizing future withdrawals, in order to help soften the impact of a potential economic recession.

The educator pipeline subcommittee was the first to wrap up its work and approve recommendations for the full task force. The other subcommittees are expected to finish their work next week.

The full “Our Kids, Idaho’s Future” task force meets next Oct. 1 in Moscow.

Developing R&D‌

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Denise McClusky

Associate Broker, CRS, GRI

208-420-8770 • Silverceek Realty Group mcclusky@cableone.net

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THE BIG STORY Sunday, November 24, 2019 | magicvalley.com | SECTION E

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS FILE‌

Protester Maria Bucklew, center, speaks to a large crowd that had gathered outside of the county courthouse after a county commissioners meeting concerning a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement July 10, 2017, in Jerome.

ON THE VERGE OF A SHIFT Idaho’s Latinos strive for political representation

MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com‌

‌TWIN FALLS — Although Idaho’s Hispanic population continues to be the Gem State’s fastest-growing demographic, the community’s political representation remains minimal. Only one state legislator out of 105 voting members is of Hispanic descent, and local governments statewide have only begun to scratch the surface in terms of how representative they are of the communities they serve.

This has some advocates concerned that the needs of Latinos are not being understood and appropriately met by the people representing them.

When large blocks of voters aren’t engaged, it can also spell trouble for the geographical area in which they are casting their votes. The outcome of critical issues may not be favorable for the community as a whole if some voters who may be able to sway the vote stay home instead.

The Latino demographic in Idaho may not be as civically engaged as other demographics due to the overall makeup of the population. The majority of Idaho’s Latinos tend to be younger, lower-income and have a lower education level than their peers at the polls. Groups with those defining characteristics typically turn out in lower numbers across the board on Election Day. Polling patterns are diametrically different than demographic patterns in the Gem State.

This is a pressing conundrum because Latinos are on track to become the largest share of the nonwhite, national vote by the 2020 presidential election. The demographic already has a record number of registered voters. Still, Latinos have limited influence over their political and personal

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PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS FILE‌

Margie Gonzalez, executive director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, presents statistics about Idaho’s Hispanic population Dec. 4, 2018, during the ‘State of the Hispanic Community in South-Central Idaho’ hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Canyon Crest Event Center in Twin Falls. Latino advocacy groups rely on census data to determine where to invest their efforts. Idaho does not keep data on the ethnicity of registered voters.

More online: This is the second installment of a two-part series. Go to Magicvalley.com for the first installment: Connecting cultures: How Idaho is engaging a growing demographic Go to Magicvalley.com to see the Latinos and politics photo gallery.

representation.

State leaders, however, say the community is on the precipice of change.

“Because of the size and age

of our population, we’re going to start seeing a real shift in the next five to 10 years,” said Margie Gonzalez, executive director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. “We’re going to see Hispanic youth in leadership roles all across the state.”

Inspired to make a difference‌ Gonzalez has led the commission for 18 years. She has seen significant changes in attitudes toward Latinos over that time, but for Latinos who live in small, isolated communities like Clark

MORE INSIDE: Q&A with the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, E3

County — an area where 45% of its population of 850 identifies as Latino — nearly half the residents require language or other assistance to access services. The divide between the Latino community and the government in areas like this is immense.

“When you have families who may be dealing with health issues and have to drive 45 minutes to work or seek other services, voting is probably the furthest thing from their minds,” Gonzalez said.

“I can’t imagine how they get it done.”

Please see LATINOS, Page E2

THE BIG STORY

E2 | Sunday, November 24, 2019

Times-News

“I’ve heard a lot of ‘I’m just one person; my vote doesn’t make a difference.’

We need to move past that.”

Juan Saldaña, community resources development specialist for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs

DREW NASH PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS‌

Stephen Allen King votes during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. Gooding, Minidoka, Owyhee and Jerome counties are among the next in line to be required to provide Spanish ballots under the Voting Rights Act.

Latinos

Latino voters Percentage of eligible Latino voter population by states with Latino populations comparable to Idaho in 2018

From E1

Since 1987, the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, which operates out of Boise, has been advising government officials, acting as a liaison for the Hispanic community and making site visits to get a reading on how well local schools, police and government agencies are serving Hispanic residents. The commission also hosts community forums to gather resident feedback.

It uses the information to issue an annual report on the state of Idaho’s Latinos.

The report is published each January, and includes information on where Latinos are working, the number of people requiring language assistance, where Latino children are attending school and current, measurable health patterns and behaviors.

The organization uses this report to advise legislators on issues facing Latinos.

“We’re the eyes and ears for the governor’s office and there’s only two of us. It’s a big job,” Juan Saldaña, community resources development specialist, said. “We have a big share of the population to represent and we’re doing it.

Big things come in small packages and we’re chiquitos, pero picosos (small but spicy).”

In a recent Pew Hispanic Center study, almost half of Latinos surveyed “questioned their place in American society,” and twothirds said the current administration’s policies have been harmful to Latinos.

That same study, however, suggests that these same factors galvanized Latinos — nearly 60% of respondents from both sides of the political spectrum said they feel more enthusiastic about voting in upcoming elections.

“The youth are starting to see how their parents and grandparents struggle and they want to make a difference,” Gonzalez said.

A deeper sense of belonging‌ Young people are not the only ones who find it difficult to apply their voices to the world of politics.

It was a long time before Alejandra Hernandez felt confident enough to speak her mind during meetings in her professional role.

English was not her first language and she left all her family behind in Chile. Now the executive director of the Unity Alliance — a nonprofit that focuses on engaging minority populations in the Magic Valley — is also a member of the Twin Falls Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which advises the City Council on matters relating to underrepresented communities. The committee promotes civic engagement, community building, and acts as a liaison between residents and city government.

When Hernandez knew she was moving to the U.S. 23 years ago, she began learning English before she ever set foot in Boston, the city she lived in prior to moving to Twin Falls. But language wasn’t always the problem. Even though she used to feel self-conscious about her accent, it is the discon-

Latino population

Eligible voters, Latino share

Oklahoma

10.6% 5.8%

Oregon 13.1% 7.7%

Utah 14% 8.5%

Washington

12.7% 7.4%

Wyoming

10% 7.1%

Kansas

11.9% 7.1%

Massachusetts

11.8% 8.7%

Idaho

12.4% 7.8%

Source: Pew Hispanic Center Lee Enterprises graphic

A sample ballot in English and Spanish is laid out during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. While Lincoln County is required to provide bilingual ballots, it is not required to provide translators at the polls. nect between her native culture and American culture that still troubles her.

“I feel like I don’t really have a home here,” Hernandez said. “I’m missing a deeper sense of belonging.”

Hernandez has to face obstacles participating in local government that someone born and raised in the U.S. might not be challenged by such as gaining the confidence to speak up, navigating a different culture and winning the respect of peers.

“When you’re an immigrant and your first language isn’t English, it adds a whole other layer to getting involved,” Hernandez said. “But if people don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do. All I can do is be who I am and be there for the community.”

It’s not just outside groups that should consider the needs of Latinos. Hernandez said that it is up to Latinos in Idaho to step up and start a dialogue with others — one that respects and understands other perspectives.

“When you’re a minority, many times you need to bite your tongue

to get what you have to accomplish,” Hernandez said. “But we also need to learn how to have difficult conversations with people even when they are different from us.”

A new way forward‌

Things have changed in the way Idaho legislators talk about Latinos since Rep. Sally Toone, D-Gooding, was an educator more than 30 years ago. Back then, there wasn’t even a conversation. At the time, the relationship between the Latino and white communities was so marginal that the groups understood very little about one another. Now, concerted efforts are being made to facilitate a dialogue by groups like the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Conservation Voters for Idaho.

Toone’s background as an educator in Gooding and Wendell, two highly-concentrated Latino areas, fuels her commitment to students who are part of the Latinos in Action classes around the Magic Valley. If students are brought up learning about the po-

litical process, it’s more likely they will engage with it, she said.

Her presence in the classroom helps dispel the idea that running for office and being in a state leadership role are unattainable goals.

“Every child deserves to be treated the exact same way and have the same opportunities as everyone else,” Toone said. “I’ve always said that.”

Political participation for Latinos is on the upswing, according to Gabe Osterhout, research associate at the Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University. Youth in particular are engaging more, but there is still a sizable portion of eligible Latino voters that are not exercising this right. This might be because voters don’t feel empowered.

“I’ve heard a lot of ‘I’m just one person; my vote doesn’t make a difference,’” Saldaña said. “We need to move past that.”

But civic engagement is difficult to track. Information about voter turnout by demographic is not available in Idaho, leaving agencies working with Latino voters to rely mostly on anecdotal informa-

tion. Saldaña said that responses from Latinos about their relationship with local government vary, and depend on the characteristics of the city they are voting in, which can encompass a history of discrimination.

The ramifications of discrimination both past and present cause some older Latinos to feel discouraged by interacting with government. Latinos nationwide who are victims of domestic violence are not showing up to court hearings, undocumented food vendors are fleeing cities and some individuals are afraid to complete simple tasks such as obtaining a new ID. “Older Latinos sometimes don’t want to vote because they remember when they were harassed at the polls,” Saldaña said.

“They don’t want to ruffle any feathers.”

Lincoln County is the only county in the state mandated by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act to provide ballots in Spanish. Poll volunteers tend to be elderly and white, and polling places aren’t required to have translators, although voters can bring their own translator into the voting booth.

These hurdles can be daunting and deter voters of color.

“Something we’re seeing is a real concern with the polls and how inviting they are to our demographic,” Gonzalez said. “With the presidential election, more youth want to engage — but those who are first, second, third generation still struggle.”

A familiar face can make a voter’s experience more comfortable, especially for those who are new to the process. The Commission on Hispanic Affairs has been engaging in formal discussions with the secretary of state to discuss structural changes that aim to connect with Latino voters, as well as groups such as AARP, to encourage elderly Latinos to volunteer as poll workers.

“Our elderly aren’t coming,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t have anyone who looks like us or speaks our language at the polls.”

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THE BIG STORY

Times-News

Sunday, November 24, 2019 | E3

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Stephen Allen King heads to the voting booth during municipal elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. Turnout for municipal elections is historically low across the board.

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Stickers are laid out during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. The county experienced only a slight increase in voter turnout following implementation of Spanish ballots compared to other counties that are demographically similar.

Do Spanish ballots make a difference?‌ Jerome, Gooding, Owyhee and Minidoka are expected to become the next counties that must comply with the language provisions of the Voting Rights Act, but so far, no counties have preemptively made Spanish ballots available.

Counties struggle to implement multilingual ballots: cost and a need for accuracy are impede progress. Jerome County has attempted to engage its Spanish speakers through voter registration drives and answering voter questions on Spanish radio. While these initiatives have shown marked progress, voters are still not showing up to the polls, Jerome County Clerk Michelle Emerson said.

Jerome city leaders say the in-

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

An electronic voting machine is displayed on Election Day Nov. 5 in Shoshone. The machine can also be used in Spanish for those who need language assistance.

terest of Latinos in their local politics has shifted over the years.

“Jerome is at a tipping point,” City Councilman Chris Barber said. “We work hard. We want participation. There should be no fear of local government. We want voter participation in everything we do.”

Spanish ballots in and of themselves, however, have not proven to significantly alter voter turnout. Lincoln County saw a negligible change in turnout in the 2018 gubernatorial election, while demographically similar counties including Minidoka and Gooding saw a nearly 10% increase each.

This could be because of Lincoln’s small population size, a potential lack of awareness of Spanish ballots and a low share of Democratic voters.

“Last year was the county’s first

experience with Spanish ballots, so more elections and data points will paint a clearer picture,” Osterhout told the Times-News prior to the Nov. 5 election.

Systemic change from state leadership is imperative in getting Latinos to the polls and creating real change, Gonzalez said. Without leadership from the state, there is no incentive for counties to implement change on their own.

“It needs to start at the state level. More of our elected officials need to get behind it to push that,” Gonzalez said. “There isn’t really anyone holding anyone [else] accountable.”

munities of color and prove a need for structural change. Underrepresented groups tend to be undercounted by the census, making it difficult to pin down real numbers and monitor changes.

“For some Hispanic groups working toward mobilizing, it can be a real challenge,” Gonzalez said. “We’re not able to measure if we’re making progress or not.”

On the Friday after the Nov. 5 election, Antonio Hernandez and his colleagues at Conservation Voters for Idaho were determining how to direct their outreach for the next election based on information gathered during election preparation.

The organization mobilizes to Diminutive data‌ gather information on historically Idaho lacks data on voter eth- underrepresented communities. nicities. This complicates matters Prior to the election, representafor groups trying to reach com- tives called voters in English and

Spanish in order to gauge their interest in voting. While most respondents said they were more enthusiastic about voting after the call, many needed to be told there was an election underway.

“Municipal elections have a historically low turnout across all communities,” Antonio Hernandez said. “We all share a lack of information on why municipal elections are so important.”

Cultural and language differences create additional barriers for underrepresented communities. About 10% of the people Conservation Voters for Idaho speak to during each election cycle said their preferred language was Spanish, but counties are not required to provide information in Spanish or have translators Please see LATINOS, Page E4

Q&A with the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com‌

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‌BOISE — It’s no small job visiting every county in Idaho, but the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs spends each year doing exactly that. It is a small operation that has acted as an advisory board for state legislators since 1987. Its two employees, who are also supported by a team of commissioners, visit with community members, local leaders, schools, police departments and other services to get a reading on the state of the Latino community in a given area.

Margie Gonzalez, executive director, and Juan Saldaña, community resource development specialist, are the duo behind this undertaking. An issue they have been working on with state leaders is voter engagement, which includes supporting the youth vote and making political spaces accessible to Latinos through language assistance and cultural competence.

Q: Why is it important for Latinos to make their voices heard?

Saldaña: Representation matters. There are communities in Idaho with 50% to 60% Latino populations and 0% on their community councils… It’s important that everybody votes and they exercise that right. You can’t be what you can’t see.

Q: What are some barriers Latinos face in terms of civic engagement?

want to know what’s going on, but it’s not always easy.

Gonzalez: People still struggle with language and cultural barriers. There are counties that have a high percentage of Latinos, but they don’t see it as significant enough to make that change. I don’t think unless it comes from the top that they’re going to make that change.

Q: Why aren’t leaders motivated to make that change?

Gonzalez: I don’t believe that they believe that we come out to vote, and because of that, they feel like they don’t have to respond to our issues or our needs. It’s really challenging to counteract that if we don’t have the data.

Q: Where do we see improvement in voter turnout?

Saldaña: I’m happy to see the direction it’s going with youth.

We’re seeing a lot more kids running for things like student body president. As we move forward, I think we’re going to see them be more politically engaged.

Gonzalez: We really are seeing a real shift in our state and change PAT SUTPHIN PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS‌ is going to happen in the next five Margie Gonzalez, executive director of the Idaho Juan Saldaña, community resource development years. The youth are starting to Commission on Hispanic Affairs, meets Nov. 7 with specialist for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic see how their parents and grandrepresentatives from the College of Southern Idaho to Affairs, meets Nov. 7 with representatives from the parents struggle and they want to review the Hispanic Youth Summit, which took place College of Southern Idaho to review the Hispanic make a difference.

Oct. 3 at the CSI Student Union building in Twin Falls.

Youth Summit, which took place Oct. 3 at the CSI Gonzalez has been working with the Secretary of State Student Union building in Twin Falls. The commission Megan Taros is a Times-News to improve outreach to Latino voters. meets with local agencies every year to discuss how reporter and Report for America communities can better serve their Latino populations. corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Saldaña: We’re seeing a lot of because they don’t know the might need to find child care or Jerome County. You can support people feeling intimidated even language or understand the pro- leave work early and worry about her work by donating to Report for going to a city council meeting cess. It takes a lot of time. People parking. People are interested and America at http://bit.ly/supportRFA.

THE BIG STORY

E4 | Sunday, November 24, 2019

Times-News

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

A voter arrives at his polling place during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. Lincoln County is the only county in Idaho that is required to provide ballots and voter information in Spanish under the language provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Latinos From E3

working the polls. This creates a conundrum for voters and poll workers alike.

“The resources aren’t available,” Antonio Hernandez said.

“It creates a cycle (of non-voting). If no one is reaching out to these communities, then that’s the result.”

Fostering systemic change‌ Low voter turnout is a structural issue across the board. Many demographics share similar barriers to voting and being civically engaged. A change in those patterns would require an overhaul in the way civic engagement is handled and addressed. An earlier introduction to the political system could create the traction needed to encourage stronger engagement with government, Osterhout said. Voter information must also be created to reflect the realities of all communities.

“When it comes to information, when it’s not made for you and with you in mind, it’s not going to be accessible,” Antonio Hernandez said.

Latino leaders agree that buy-in from state and community leaders is critical for mobilizing Latino voters. Legislators sometimes underserve Latinos because the scope of the population and the amount of active Latino voters is unknown.

Essentially, that makes it tricky to incentivize leaders to cater to the community and creates a cyclical dilemma.

“It’s a numbers game and frequent voters are the target,” Antonio Hernandez said. “The Latinx (a term used to encompass

PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS‌

Members of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs meet Nov. 7 with representatives from the College of Southern Idaho to review the Hispanic Youth Summit, which took place Oct. 3 at the CSI Student Union building in Twin Falls. The commission is working to encourage Latino youth to get involved in politics and leadership roles. all genders) community gets less resources in every election, and if they get less resources, they are going to become infrequent voters — and they’re going to be viewed as unreliable voters. So leaders are continuing to overlook this demo-

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Christine Curry has her ID card checked during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. Fear of discrimination at the polls sometimes contributes to a lack of voter engagement by older Latinos who remember being harassed at the polls.

“They don’t want to ruffle any feathers,” Juan Saldaña, community resource development specialist at the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, said.

graphic.”

According to community leaders, encouraging Latinos to become active in the community is crucial.

A liaison for the community who understands their cultural backgrounds could inspire more indi-

viduals to become involved.

“I’ve always been a rebel and I always knew what I wanted to do,” Alejandra Hernandez said. “What we need are people who will stand up and be there for the community.”

Megan Taros is a Times-News reporter and Report for America corps member covering the Magic Valley’s Hispanic community and Jerome County. You can support her work by donating to Report for America at http://bit.ly/supportRFA.

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS‌

Matthew Kepner votes during elections Nov. 5 in Shoshone. Voter participation in municipal elections is typically low across the board. Demographic characteristics of the Latino community, including a high percentage of youth and low-income voters, may contribute to lower civic engagement.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 |

magicvalley.com

City backs refugee center

HOLY NIGHT

Trump order requires local government support for programs RYAN BLAKE

rblake@magicvalley.com

TWIN FALLS — City officials have backed refugee resettlement efforts in Twin Falls and encouraged the county and state to do the same.

City Council members Monday unanimously approved signing a letter that indicates the city’s continued support for the refugee resettlement program at the College of Southern Idaho. The letter is a response to an executive order signed in September by President Donald Trump that requires state and local governments to publicly say they will accept refugees.

In a passionate speech, Councilman Chris Talkington lamented that Twin Falls has not always had a “pristine record” of incorporating those with different backgrounds into the city. Signing the letter is a necessary step in committing to being a neighborly community, Talkington said.

“There have been fits and starts and stops and backward motions at times on whether we really want to have an open community,” he said. “I’m damn proud of this community for opening its doors and becoming an impression of what’s right with Idaho, what’s right with America.”

Although located in Twin Falls, the CSI Refugee Center is entirely independent of the city and the county, and is paid for through federal grants.

However, Trump’s executive order required states and local governments to “opt in” before allowing refugee resettlement programs to operate in their jurisdiction. The order says doing so will ensure that “refugees are resettled in communities that are eager and equipped to support their successful integration into American society and the labor force.”

Mayor Shawn Barigar said this is an opportunity to strengthen the city’s partnership with CSI and other government entities.

“The folks who come through this program, once they’re here, are part of our community,” Barigar said. “The program is capable of providing that support to them and we should be supportive of them as well.”

The letter encourages the state of Idaho to continue supporting the program.

The Associated Press reported more than 30 governors have agreed to accept refugees, but about a dozen Republican governors, including Gov. Brad Little, have stayed silent.

Little will review the commitments made by local governments before making a decision, spokeswoman Marissa Morrison said in a Monday statement.

DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS

How an Idaho church is adapting to a growing demographic MEGAN TAROS

mtaros@magicvalley.com

JEROME — t five minutes to midnight the pews emptied as worshippers at St. Jerome Catholic Church, many of whom were there since the celebration started four hours earlier, huddled around the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Beneath the golden-framed image were dozens of roses and candles left by parishioners and above were twisted, red and green curtains that stood for the colors of the Mexican flag. At the cue of the priest, they sang “Las Mañanitas” (“Little

A

Mornings”), a traditional birthday song, and continued with hymns for 30 minutes straight to signal the start of the Feast of Guadalupe.

The Feast of Guadalupe — commonly known by Mexicans as her “birthday” — is a celebration of the day it is said Guadalupe appeared to an indigenous man named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, who was canonized in 2002, at the Hill of Tepeyac in Mexico.

St. Jerome Catholic Church began this celebration, a two-day event honoring Mexico’s patron saint, as a response to Latinos flocking to the church.

“They’ve always liked what we’re doing,” Claudia Gonzalez, secretary at St. Jerome who also teaches Aztec dancing that is performed at the church, said in Spanish. “Thank God they welcomed us from the start.”

The Diocese of Boise says more than half of the estimated 179,791 Catholics in Idaho are Latino. This shift in demographics is forcing Catholic parishes statewide to restructure to cater to the thousands of Latinos who attend Mass every weekend.

Please see GUADALUPE, Page A5

Please see REFUGEES, Page A4

If you do one thing: Go and look at the many Christmas lights and decorations that are on display throughout the Magic Valley.

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Guadalupe From A1

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a guidebook in 2014, “Best Practices for Shared Parishes: So That They May All Be One,” to help churches navigate the changing landscape.

Much of this integration began as early as the 1960s, especially in places like CalWorshippers gather for the Serenade of the Precious Mother ifornia, Arizona and New at St. Jerome Catholic Church Dec. 11. Mexican Catholics Mexico, and a second wave celebrate the day the Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have first began in the 1980s as Latiappeared in Mexico by singing hymns at midnight. nos began moving in force to agricultural areas in northernmost states in search of jobs.

“There are more immigrants in rural places because they’re chasing jobs,” Hosffman Ospino, associate professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education at Boston College, said in a phone interview earlier this month. “With that in mind most of those immigrants are Roman Catholic and a cultural reference for them is the Roman Catholic Father Adrian Vazquez speaks to his Latino parishioners Church.” during Mass at St. Jerome Catholic Church Dec. 12. The Virgin St. Jerome was one of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, is said to have church that experienced appeared to an indigenous man at the Hill of Tepeyac in this sudden influx in the Mexico.

DREW NASH PHOTOS, TIMES-NEWS‌ ‘90s and moved to expand its 350-person church in Worshippers gather for the Serenade of the Precious Mother at St. Jerome Catholic Church 2000 to accommodate the Dec. 11. Mexican Catholics celebrate the day the Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have first arrival of up to 1,500 Latinos appeared in Mexico by singing hymns at midnight. attending Spanish Mass. the church. Churches at the to find the answers to those Anglos why we do these things, that there’s a reaLearning to coexist‌ helm of an issue will fade questions.”

The costumes Gonzalez’s out of the spotlight when A point of tension in son we do things a certain dancers were wearing this clergymen and parish staff some parishes is that way they are more open,” year have come a long way pioneering this work leave Latino parishioners tend to Vazquez said. “People are from when she first started for another parish. The be low-income and don’t more open here. The unmaking them. Her first year same can be said for inte- have the capital of some derstanding will come with she sewed together a sim- gration. The Irish and Ital- white parishioners whose time.” ple top and skirt for the ians had their own struggles families have been with The church needs more female dancers. This year when they were newcomers and supported the church Latinos in leadership poshe created a red ensemble to American churches, a for generations. sitions to help foster that with gold sequins, the im- trend now affecting Latinos.

The Feast of Guadalupe understanding, Vazquez age of Guadalupe, strings of “Here it’s better,” Father at St. Jerome Parish raised said. A daunting task for Latino parishioners participate in the Feast of Guadalupe golden beads that clacked Adrian Vazquez, the priest nearly $5,000. The Feast of the church now is to recruit procession to St. Jerome Catholic Church on Dec. 12. The with every movement and a at St. Jerome, said. “I’ve St. Jerome, its patronal feast youth from growing demo- Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, is said to towering headdress of pea- worked a lot of different that is more widely sup- graphics to become a part have appeared to an indigenous man at the Hill of Tepeyac in cock feathers. places and there’s places ported by parishioners of all of the clergy or community Mexico.

Her drum thundered where you can really see the backgrounds and has spon- leaders. A deliberate effort News reporter and Report through the church as the separation.” sors, took in $28,538.96 by to connect with Latinos in and laypersons doing the for America corps member youth dancers jumped, spun There are 19 priests under comparison. a level beyond language is work,” Ospino said. “This is covering the Magic Valley’s and wove their way around the Diocese of Boise who The church community, necessary to creating in- not done with Hail Mary’s. Hispanic community and one another. identify as Latino. Churches however, has found a way viting, diverse churches, You need to be professional Jerome County. You can cultural brokers.”

“There were only a few in Twin Falls, Gooding, Ru- to come together when it Ospino said. support her work by donating mistakes,” she said with pert, Wendell and Buhl all comes to raising money.

“There needs to be better to Report for America at a laugh afterward as she have Latino priests leading “Latinos are good at leadership — more leaders Megan Taros is a Timeshttp://bit.ly/supportRFA. mingled with parishioners the church. working, Anglos are good in the dining hall where volwith money,” Vazquez said unteers served Mexican hot ‘Nothing unites us in Spanish. “It’s like ‘you chocolate and piles of Mexi- more than this’‌ find the donors, we’ll come can sweet bread throughout volunteer.’ We get along bethe late-night service.

On the second day of cause we work together.” worshipTeaching the Aztec danc- celebrations, ing class has been a way for pers huddled together in A sustaining force‌ Gonzalez to connect youth the parking lot of CheverAt the same time as with their culture, but also ria’s, a Mexican restaurant churches are trying to welkeep ties with her own. on South Lincoln Avenue, come a diverse group of “This is the heritage of some clutching Mexican hot parishioners, the Catholic my mom who passed it chocolate while the dancers Church is experiencing a down to me,” Gonzalez said helped one another adjust sharp decline in the number in Spanish. “These were the their outfits. of people who identify with traditions of the place where When the procession to the religion. she grew up. This is a way St. Jerome was set to begin One in five adults, about for me to help our children four volunteers carried a 20%, identify as Catholic, stay connected with their display adorned with soft down from 23% in 2009, culture because without it pink roses that surrounded according to a 2019 Pew Rewe’ll lose it.” small statues of the Virgin of search Center survey. Much Prior to the opening Guadalupe and Juan Diego of the younger parishioners of its expanded space in recreating the story of her propelling the church, how2005, St. Jerome only had appearing before him. The ever, are Latino immigrants. two masses, one in English volunteers stood one at ev“What we’re seeing is a and one in Spanish, with ery corner, hoisting the dis- population that is young Spanish Mass overflowing play onto their shoulders. and Spanish-speaking and $34.95 $44.95 into the street. Its services The parishioners followed an aging white, American plus tax & shipping have now grown to host two them toward the church led middle class,” Ospino said.

Spanish masses on week- by Vazquez in the reciting “The Hispanic population ends, cultural events like the of the rosary. By the time is booming. So the question Feast of Guadalupe and a the procession reached the for the church becomes how Valentine’s Day fundraisers church, it was lashing rain, to serve them.”

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A shared parish, one that singing “La Guadalupana,” ing. The majority of priests and nuns are older than 60, serves two or more demo- a traditional hymn.

Order online and save with flat-rate shipping graphics, is not often sought “We are here in spite of which means they learned after because of the difficul- rain and cold because we from a different school of ties that come with trying to are united by the Virgin of thought that may not be as serve multiple populations. Guadalupe,” Vazquez said reflective of today’s realiExpedited shipping available for Christmas delivery They often happen after to the overflowing crowd ties.

Pick up your books locally, including pre-orders demographic shifts related at the 1,200-seat church “They were trained unto jobs, immigration and during the Spanish Mass. der a completely different “Nothing unites us more church. That’s like if you’re childbirth rates. going to work with cars and But a church population than this.”

132 Fairfield Street W., Twin Falls (Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) is regularly evolving, and While the Mass for the you go to school and learn Order by mail now (discount expires 12/31/19): parish leaders must brace Feast of Guadalupe was how to fix a Model T,” OsPostmark by 12/5/19 for Christmas delivery Ship my order to me: $34.95 plus $2.10 tax and $6.95 shipping and handling per book. Order will be shipped to the largely Latino, parish staff pino said. “I’m sorry, but in for sudden change. address below. Quantity: ___ x $44.00 = $______ total “If I took a picture of my said the community still this day and age you have church today then in six comes together at fundrais- to learn to work with Teslas Payment method: ☐ Check/Money Order ☐ Visa ☐ MasterCard ☐ AmEx ☐ Discover months, one-third of the ing events and other church and computers. They need people would be new,” Os- activities. The transition to be trained to serve in a Name pino said. “Gone are the for St. Jerome comes much culturally diverse church.”

Send form and payment to: days you were baptized, easier than in other parThough creating a welTimes-News Address married and died with the ishes. Racial and economic coming environment has c/o Memories Book P.O. Box 548 same church.” disparities are flashpoints gone well for St. Jerome, Twin Falls, ID 83303 City State Zip The history of the Catho- for divisions between pa- there is still work to be lic Church in Idaho is pep- rishioners. These issues can done. A common problem pered with moments where be more difficult for immi- in shared parishes is clashPhone E-mail the church advocated for the grants to navigate as they ing ways of practicing the rights of Latino immigrants. are also trying to assimilate same religion. With the new Card # Expiration In the 1960s the church ad- into a different country. wave of Latino parishioners vocated for better treatment “It’s difficult to be an came holidays not often celSignature Verification Code of Mexican farmworkers immigrant,” Vazquez said. ebrated by white parishioand in the 1980s the church “They work long hours and ners and religious activities From the archives of Blip Printers, DeMary Memorial Library, Idaho State Historical Society, was a major rallying hub to there’s no time for family, like quinceañeras, a young Jerome County Historical Society Museum, Minidoka County Historical Society Museum, Twin decry white supremacist the environment at school girl’s fifteenth birthday Falls County Fair and Stampede, Twin Falls Police Department and Twin Falls Public Library violence against Latinos in is different than what they marking her transition to Sponsored by south-central Idaho. want for their children, womanhood that is often Just as church popula- there’s pressure to conform, celebrated with a Mass sertions change in waves, so things like that. And there’s vice. do the events that define not enough tools from them “When you explain to

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