RECOGNIZING BLUE FOX THEATRE

On 2026-06-09, Senator James E. Risch (R-ID) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING BLUE FOX THEATRE" in the Senate.

RECOGNIZING BLUE FOX THEATRE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2688-S2689] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING BLUE FOX THEATRE Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Idaho's small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not only employ our friends and neighbors but also provide invaluable goods and services that showcase Idaho's ingenuity and shared values. They are an intrinsic element of the Gem State and deserve to be celebrated. I am proud to launch my seventh annual Support Local Gems, a successful statewide initiative, on June 12, to encourage Idahoans to support the small businesses that make our State thrive. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor Blue Fox Theatre in Grangeville during Support Local Gems as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2026. Cory and Haley Koole, who also operate the local Napa Auto Parts, purchased the historic Blue Fox Theatre in 2024. The pair have worked to maintain the theatre's long legacy and keep movies running while expanding the business to serve the region beyond entertainment. Supporting a wide range of community-centered events and charitable causes, including fundraisers for the local veterans center, medical benefit dinners, and memorial gatherings, the Blue Fox is well ingrained in the fabric of the Grangeville community. Originally opened in 1930, the Blue Fox Theatre is an iconic landmark and gathering place in Grangeville for nearly a century. Its famous neon marquee won Idaho's statewide historic sign competition earlier this year, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, emphasizing the theater's enduring role in Idaho's past and present. The Blue Fox Theatre was built during a pivotal moment in American history, as the film industry transitioned from silent movies to ``talkies'' and the Nation entered the Great Depression. The original owner Al J. Wagner took a huge financial risk in building the theater in rural Idaho. That gamble paid off. Opening night was a full town event, complete with live music and front-page coverage in the local paper. Over the decades, the Blue Fox overcame numerous challenges that forced many small-town theaters to close their doors. In the early 1940s, the building survived a fire that collapsed the roof and destroyed most of the interior. Rather than abandoning the theater, the Wagner family rebuilt it with much community support. The theatre also survived significant changes within the movie industry, competition with television and multiplex theaters, and the shift from film reels to digital projection. Through it all, the Blue Fox persevered. Cory and Haley see the theater not only as a business but as the perfect avenue to invest in the people of north central Idaho. They prioritize community over profit, using the theater to preserve history, help neighbors, strengthen community ties, and invest locally. [[Page S2689]] Congratulations to Cory and Haley Koole and the entire Blue Fox team for being selected as an Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2026. You are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success. ____________________