Nobody wants Smitty's to go out of business, but they must have gotten complacent during the good years and didn't reinvest enough and adapt to the changing economy. Sorry, but it's tough-love right now. Having experience on the banking and investing side of real estate & hospitalities, I can say that most people don't want to stay in old run-down hotels. Idaho Falls is a growing city and the new hotels satisfied a demand and are perfoming much better than other areas hit harder by the recession (i.e. AZ). It bugs me when people draw incorrect conclusions from uneducated theories and point fingers without offering a better solution. It's easy to call the investor who buys a distressed note or REO from a bank evil, but what is the alternative? The borrower signed up for the responsibity to service it's debt. Selling a non-performing asset is the best option a bank has. Don't blame your local bank and investors for the problem that INVESTMENT banks and SUBPRIME lenders and irresponsible borrowers put us in. The unfinished hotel in Idaho Falls had issues unrelated to that particular project and had offers to help complete it, but out of pride refused.
Sorry about the rant.
The fly tying expo was great again this year. It's always a great chance to share knowledge and support local vendors.
By the way, a DVD of the featured tyers is available at Jimmy's Fly All Season Angler in downtown Idaho Falls. There are some very well recognized tyers with a good mix of old and new flies.