Volume 6 • Issue 10
OCTOBER 2015
www.theindnews.com
Star Merc’s Bill Kirtley Passes Away at 95, Leaves Lasting Legacy
By Philip A. Janquart Business owner, world traveler and war survivor, William Stanley Kirtley, Sr. passed away Aug. 22 at the age of 95. Kirtley, known as “Bill” by family and friends, was born in Star, Idaho in 1920. He graduated from Star High School in 1938, eventually taking over the Star Mercantile for his father, William Taylor Kirtley, who opened the store in 1908. Originally specializing in dry goods and produce, the “Star Merc” has become a local icon over its 107-year history, eventually expanding to offer a wide range of products from hardware and groceries to gas and lumber. “My dad grew up in the business and helped take over for my grandfather when he passed away,” explained Jack Kirtley, who has run the Star Merc with brother Butch since the 1970’s. “There were three people involved in the store after that: my dad, his sister Virginia Lindsey and her husband Bill, my Uncle Bill. Bill passed away and my father bought my sister’s portion of the store.” Bill didn’t initially take to the idea of working for the family, however, going to work for Boise-based Morrison Knudsen Corporation after high school, a job that took him to the island of Midway during World War II. He took refuge in a water-filled foxhole while the Japanese Navy shelled the island on Dec. 24, 1941.
His experience in the instead spoke with his south Pacific made the actions, according to son family business more Jack. appealing, according to “I found all kinds of an obituary published notes from farmers’ in the Aug. 30 edition charge accounts,” he of the Idaho Press Tribsaid. “A lot of people une. could never pay for Bill returned to Star anything until they had after his MK contract the hay and the eggs all expired. He went to done.” work for his father Some of Jack’s memountil taking over the ries about his father business in the 1960’s. include the golf cart he He married Elizabeth used to cruise around (Betty) Thornton in town during his later 1946. They had three years and his skill as a children together: pool player as a young Jennifer (Jill), William man. (Butch) and John (Jack). “The phone would The couple divorced, ring in the middle of the Bill marrying Edith night and we wouldn’t Mills Perry in 1971. see him for three days,” He loved her three Jack recalled, chuckling. children like his own, “He was considered one according to the family of the best pool players Bill Kirtley which says Bill and in the Valley and somePhoto courtesy of the Kirtley family Edith spent much of times somebody would their golden years traveling the world, includ- come in to town and they would end up in a ing to Europe, but especially to Mexico where tournament type thing. That was back when they eventually bought a second house. pool was considered more of a professional Who was Bill Kirtley? deal.” Bill was a man of few words, who Bill had many “get-rich-quick” schemes.
By Philip A. Janquart Eagle Mayor Jim Reynolds says he is feeling “very positive” heading into Eagle’s Nov. 3 elections where he will face off against challenger and city councilman Stan Ridgeway in an effort to retain control of the city’s top position. Reynolds was appointed interim mayor in the fall of 2010 after Phil Bandy resigned the previous March. He ran for election the following year, beating out then city councilman and Idaho Republican Party chair Norm Semanko for the job. He has since weathered storms that included the hotly contested plan to build a roundabout at Eagle Road and State Street, and the controversy surrounding the dilapidated Chevron building on the southwest corner of the same intersection. He says that through it all, he has put personal feelings and personalities aside to make the best choices he could for the city. Reynolds typically found himself the tiebreaker in many council votes that ended in a predictable 2-2 deadlock, but was unable to unite people on opposing sides of issues on other occasions.
“I prayed about the old gas station, believe me, I prayed about that for a long time,” he told TIN. “It was a very difficult issue for everybody. I wasn’t able to bring everyone together on that issue, but I think I played the role of uniter on many other issues to get the business of the city done, which is the first job I have.” Reynolds said he had a lot to learn as a first-time mayor, but that the experience has helped him prepare for a possible second full term. “I know the players better,” he said. “We are going to get two more [new council members] and I’m really hopeful they are going to be two people who don’t have an agenda, that they want to do right by the city.” Council members Mark Butler and Mary McFarland are not running for re-election. Reynolds has been criticized for his lack of control of city council meetings, but says he is prepared to make some improvements along those lines while striking a balance with his personal style of conflict management. “I’ve been told that I’m not strong enough with the council, that I don’t use the gavel
“He sat there in the house spinning a roulette wheel, lord knows how many days or weeks, to see if there was a system of a particular number that would keep coming up consistently. He had a slot machine and he’d keep doing that to see if something would come up,” according to Jack, who said his father was also a skilled poker player. “He would go to a local golf club with my brother, Butch, and they would play poker up there in one of the back rooms,” he said. “After a while they quit inviting him because he kept winning so much. And, he was meticulous with math. He could take a column of numbers and add them up in his head faster than someone doing it with a calculator.” The prominent area businessman apparently had a fondness for animals, as well. “He had Australian swans, black ones, and they were all screwed up, too, because they’d nest in the winter, because the seasons are backwards,” he said. Bill also had a squirrel, two llamas, a donkey, a trout pond with “monstrous” trout, a turkey called “Throckmorton,” which “chased people around,” and other assorted pets and animals. “I once got him a raccoon. It was an itsy bitty, tiny thing and it got bigger and bigger. He called it ‘Rue’ because he said he rued the day I ever gave it to him,” Jack said, letting out a burst of laughter. “That raccoon, God!” Continued on page 17
Economic Development Remains High Priority in Reynolds’ Bid for Re-election
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID EAGLE, IDAHO PERMIT NO. 60
ECRWSS
POSTAL PATRON LOCAL
What's Your Hobby? pg. 3
enough,” he said. “I agree that I need to be firmer with that, and I will make an effort to do that, but there is a fine edge there, a real balancing act, in confronting strong personalities with deep beliefs on issues. In my past experience, I’ve tried arguing and fighting with people, but I’ve never found that to be very successful. Rather than taking them head-on, I find it is better to let people be heard and try to direct them to see other possibilities. I think that is part of my job, to be there to guide the whole process and let opposing voices be heard.” Reynolds said that if re-elected he would continue to help bring people together, “respond to the desires of the people” and help massage economic development. He has historically stressed the need to ramp up Eagle’s industrial presence en route to building a sustainable tax base going into the future. “I think it’s important to meet with the people regularly, to get out and get to know them and support their efforts and their efforts to grow their businesses here, as much as I can,” he said. “It’s important for me to be an implement to go out and find, to
Local Author, Diana Robinson pg. 13
Incumbent Eagle Mayor Jim Reynolds
whatever degree I can, good, clean industry to bring to our area. We need to be up to 15 percent commercial and we are still around 6, which is why I really want to review our comprehensive plan. We committed ourselves a long time ago with all these houses and we’ve got to be able to support them. Either that, or we raise taxes.”
Star Police Infrared Camera pg. 18