The Parable of the Short-Sighted Baker

There once was a baker who owned a small town bakery. She worked hard to provide baked goods for the local residents. The existence of a competing bakery in town irritated her. “If I owned the ONLY bakery in town, all would be eating my bread and my profits would increase! I make the finest bread. How could one choose another’s bread over mine?”

The baker grew increasingly agitated, seeing her competitor’s bread on the stores’ racks near hers. She resorted to moving the competing baked goods to the bottom rack of the displays or hiding the loaves all together. Once she was even caught surreptitiously removing the other bakery’s bread from a store. She pushed local merchants to drop her competitor’s goods, claiming that they were inferior. Her advertisements proclaimed that her bread was the most popular and the only one worth consuming.  

The baker continued on her crusade to stamp out the competition and did not comprehend that eating a single type of bread gets dull. People enjoy variety. The baker realized some success from her campaign, perhaps more than she realized.

The competing bakery discovered a new bread recipe that gained quick acceptance in the town. As the sales of the new bread increased, the small town baker saw her profits crater. She had fervently preached the need for only one bakery for so long that now her business was in jeopardy.

Choice is always a good thing. It makes everyone work harder and it keeps all from getting into a rut. If two bakeries bake the same breads there would not be a need for both. It is their differences that make them relevant.

Any similarities in my parable to anyone living or dead are purely coincidental. 

Turn out the Lights, the Party’s over

Labor Day weekend concludes the summer vacation season for the Island Park Caldera. On balance, it has been a good summer. Considering that the entire country west of us was lit up like a group birthday cake at an old folk’s home, not having to deal with fires has made this a great summer.

Local merchants reported an increase in sales this year. Many of those merchants made improvements to their businesses. The Hurds experienced a successful first summer after purchasing and remodeling Robin’s Roost. Connie Funkhauser made it through this summer with grace after moving her restaurant/bar across Highway 20 from Island Park Lodge to Connie’s. Jamie Phillips did well after moving Out Back Reality next to Connie’s and incorporating The Grind Coffee Shop into the location. Apparently loading up on caffeine helps realtors become more successful!  Wendell at Henry’s Lake Station had a full campground all summer and the North end of the caldera didn’t look uninhabited. Do you think the flags helped or was it just The Munching Moose’s tacos?  

Joe Williams got a pretty new wrecker and a new name, Island Park Towing.  Chad’s remodel of the riverside motel along Henry’s Fork and his invaluable assistance in rebuilding the boat launch road at Big Springs improved the appearance of the Mack’s Inn area. Café Sabor purchased their location from Chad this spring and became a permanent member of the community. Locals meet on Thursday’s to rejoice and partake of the “burrito supreme special”.

Other individuals tried their hand at operating new businesses in Island Park. Tim Vorweiller opened a bar in Shotgun and the Shotgun Store reopened this summer. Forgive any unintentionally slight by not mentioning any business and your hard work as well.

As the visitors flee to their lives on the flat, calm once again begins to envelope the pine forests of Island Park. It was overall a good summer. Hopefully the winter that is in front of us will be snowy and successful as well.

Christmas in July

I am always amazed how much time is spent in the preparation for Christmas and how fast the actual day goes by. The 4^th of July is Island Park’s big day, it’s “Christmas”. Months of preparation go into organizing the holiday weekend.

The Chamber of Commerce organized the Sawtelle Stampede. The Boy Scouts spent weeks gathering donated items in preparation for the annual Scout Garage Sale. The Hurds worked hard to wrap up their remodeling of Robin’s Roost and stock their shelves for their first 4^th of July as grocery store owners. Joe got himself a spanking new wrecker. The rebuilding of the Big Springs boat launch road was completed. Lakeside readied for the night’s public fireworks display. The ambulance, fire and law enforcement services were all fully staffed and at the ready for any need that might arise. From Last Chance to Henry’s Lake, businesses throughout the caldera had worked tirelessly to prepare for those visitors who planned to spend their holiday weekend in Island Park.

As the holiday weekend arrived, the line of vehicles driving up Ashton Hill testified that everyone’s work was not in vain. Every available cabin was full of renters or owners. The campgrounds were full and many unimproved camping spots were also crowded. The rivers were fished or floated. The runners ran the race. Everywhere one looked were dust trails created by ATVs. It was as if a multitude of low-hanging jet vapor trails could be seen throughout the forest. Merchants and restaurants worked hard to attend to customers as quickly as possible despite the increased traffic.

Finally, Saturday night arrived and the celebratory fireworks were set off. The occasional strings of firecrackers were lit but the forest made it through another 4^th. Mother Nature put a period on the holiday with a Sunday evening rain, knocking down the dust and letting us know that the weekend had ended.

Just like that, the week that required months of preparation ended and the post-holiday exhaustion kicked in. Unlike Christmas where one has a week to recharge, with a new week brings new visitors to the caldera and the people of Island Park must be on their “A” game. 

Connie’s

Connie and Jim Funkhouser purchased the vacant Timber’s Edge building over a year ago. Using a lot of vision and sweat, they have transformed it into Connie’s Restaurant and Saloon. Drawing on their experience as owners of the Island Park Lodge over almost three decades, they have built another great eatery for locals and visitors. Connie attributes her success in getting this project completed to the efforts of their many friends in the community.

The motif is Island Park all the way. Pine logs accent the interior and furnishings. Connie’s atmosphere feels like the Funkhousers built a new house and are inviting the community to drop in anytime.

The food is the same high quality cuisine that we have come to expect from the Lodge. The new “state of the art” kitchen will allow Connie’s to serve more guests while minimizing wait time.

Connie has also added a workout room. With several high quality cardio machines and enough weight equipment to keep those muscles toned, the gym is a welcome addition to Island Park. Memberships are available. Connie’s mother, Irene has her own boutique inside the building. She has been supporting Daisy’s Angels for several years through the sales of fashionable clothing and accessories. 

Connie and Jim have taken a lifeless shell of a building and built something wonderful. It is worthy of a visit. Grand opening will be December 26.

The Drakes and Robin’s Roost

You can usually find the gregarious Doug Drake at Robin’s Roost chatting with a customer. Doug and Carol enjoy sharing their love for the area with residents and visitors alike.  Their journey to the Robin’s Roost was an unlikely one.

They were both Utah residents when they married in 1966. Doug pursued a career as a jockey and competed in the Northwest horse racing circuit. Beginning in 1968, the couple and their children vacationed on a family property in Shotgun.  After seventeen years of tracks and stables, he took a job as a car inspector for the Union Pacific Railroad. After almost two decades with the railroad, he suffered a job-ending injury.  He sought a job opportunity in the area he had grown to love.

With his skeptical wife by his side, he purchased Robin’s Roost in April of 1987. The original store was a 20 X 40 foot log building built in 1938 and located where the gas pumps are now. Within two years, they had added 10 feet onto the building and had begun selling gas to snowmobilers from two above ground tanks.

As their business grew, they constructed the current building and added the gas pumps the following year. The original building was bulldozed into a pile near the highway and made a memorable early winter bonfire.

Doug’s enthusiasm combined with Carol’s patience has made them a hardworking, successful team. Last summer the Drakes improved the store’s efficiency by adding a computer inventory/cash register system along with new checkout lanes.

They are surprised by how many customers recognize them when they travel out of state. As they describe the impromptu reunions, it’s obvious that they treasure these relationships.

It takes people with a special gift to work in a resort community. Doug and Carl Drake are two more reasons why Island Park is a great place.

Little Big Hardware Store

Every base camp needs supply sources. Island Park Building Supply is a great source for lumber and hardware specific to one’s needs in Yellowstone country. 

My first IPBS hardware lesson was an introduction to the torque-head screw. I had a supply of Phillips head grabber screws but between mud, snow and ice, I was stripping out the + slot. The torque head screw has a star-shaped impression it its head and are much less prone to strip out. I replaced my screw inventory.

Vance and Marie Derricott purchased IPBS in 1972 from Mel and Ethel Harris. The following year they packed up the store, building and contents, and moved it from North Big Springs Loop to its present location on South Big Springs Loop. Glade Gunnell began working for Vance before the move. In 1978 he became family when he married the boss’s daughter, Aleana.  Glade and Aleana purchased IPBS in 2004.

With so many years of experience providing for the needs of Island Park residents under their collective belts, Glade and his family have a wealth of knowledge of what is needed in the mountain environment. Their advice is freely given, the inventory is of good quality and their prices are fair.

When I was a flatlander, I was accustomed to shopping at Lowe’s or Home Depot. IPBS could fit their entire store into the garden section of the big box retailers but the amount of inventory that they have stocked in such a small area is amazing. They know the location of every nut, bolt and clasp. They are anxious to order anything that they do not stock; with a turnaround time of only a couple of days.

Family members Nathan and Jancey are now involved in the business. When I dropped in recently, the grandkids were busy passing out free ice cream bars to customers. 

This little big hardware store is a family effort that succeeds in meeting the needs of residents and visitors to Island Park.