[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.

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