1. society
2. unrest and war

At left, now playing at The Flicks in
downtown Boise is an astonishing
movie about a yoga guru called
Awake: The Life of
Paramahansa Yogananda
based on the book, Autobiography
of a Yogi. The film has many
themes from the first half of the
20th century that are similar and
provocatively pertinent to our
contemporary troubled times.
(See movie revew on Page 18)
Serving
w. Ada County
since August
2000
At left, Doug Rutan, author of a history of the
Meridian School District and curator of the
Pine Street School, a project he spearheaded
for the 1993 Meridian centennial that won a
Governor’s award, introduces Eriks Larsvo
before the latter’s presentation on
‘A History of
Southern Idaho Railroads’
last Wednesday at Meridian City Hall,
cosponsored by the Kuna and Meridian
historical societies.
See articles and photos on Page 20)
Valley Times
November 24, 2014
Volume 14, Number 47
www.valleytimesidaho.com
To subscribe,
call Tom at (208)
841-0461. For
advertising, call
Becky at (208)
850-6526.
50 cents
Unique collaboration will bring new
YMCA facility campus to S. Meridian
“How do you put a price tag on these kids learning how to
swim at the Y and learn at school?” asked Marti Hill at a press
conference on November 20th to announce a 22-acre, 9 campus
with an elementary school, a $20-million YMCA on 90,000 square
feet with a state-of-the-art aquatics center and possibly a new library branch.
Hill said for years he had an idea to donate acreage for a park
and when he and Brighton Development owner David Turnbull
met earlier this year, the project soon blossomed into much more.
Turnbull contacted the West Ada School District and before long
the Albertson Foundation became involved, announcing last week
it will invest $4 million to get the project under way.
“That made this dream a reality,” said Treasure Valley YMCA
CEO Jim Everett.
Marti’s grandfather, Angus Hill homesteaded in this area in
1891 and donated two acres for Hillsdale School that operated from
1908 until 1960. (Continued on Page 19)
Excitement infuses sports enthusiasts at the Eagle Sports Complex. (Credit: Eagle Informer)
Snow fun: Eagle terrain park opens
Rain cleared some of the snow in the Valley, but there was plenty for skiers, riders and tubers at
the opening day of the tubing hill and terrain park at Eagle Sports Complex.
Families lined up for season passes and hit the jumps, rails and tubing lane. As temperatures
dropped over the weekend, Ryan Neptune and his Gateway crew fired up the snowmakers and cranked
out even more snow. The park is located on Horseshoe Bend Road, just north of Floating Feather and
is open 4:00-8:00 p.m. weekdays and 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. on weekends.
Dixie Cook and Marti Hill at press conference.
Schram is UDI Distinguished Student
Meridian High School senior and FFA President Christina
Schram was recently nominated by the Senior Vice Principal at
Meridian High School for the United Dairymen of Idaho
Distinguished Student Award.
She has also been active in 4-H, National Honor Society, soccer
and lacrosse and has logged over 300 hours of community service
as a St. Luke’s Junior Volunteer.
Schram’s leadership roles in high
school include:
Christina Schram
• President, National Honor Society
2014-2015
• President, Meridian FFA Chapter
2014-2015, largest FFA Chapter in Idaho
• Captain, Rocky Mountain Ladies
Varsity Lacrosse Team 2014
• President, Ada County 4-H Ambassadors 2013-2014
• President, Crafty Critters 4-H
Club 2013-2014, largest livestock 4-H
Club in Idaho
Plan to attend this special performance on Friday, December 12 & Saturday, December 13.
EHS Choir presents ‘A Spotless Winter Rose’
The award-winning choral program at Eagle High School (EHS) is presenting its annual Christmas concert on Friday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, December 13 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
at the EHS auditorium. The concert will feature over 200 singers and 6 choirs including “Bel Canto,”
“Bella Voce,” “Sonous,” “A Capella Choir,” “Man Choir” and “Premium Blend.” Tickets are $10
adults, $6 seniors and $5 students. (Special: $40 for a pack of 6 tickets) Advance tickets are available
in the EHS main office. For more concert information, call 208-869-1690.
This annual concert features both traditional and nontraditional holiday music. The highlight
feature of the concert will be Paul Mealor’s “A Spotless Winter Rose.” The program will also include
music ranging from Handel’s Messiah to Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Pre-sale for
the concert ends in November prior to Thanksgiving break. The concert often sells out so it is recommended to buy tickets early. The concert is recommended for ages 8 years old to adult. (See Page 3)
Page 2
Valley Times
November 24, 2014
Front row, from left, Jason Fischer, Zach Dike, Melissa Stevens
and Hannah Chambers. Back row, from left, MYAC coordinator
Ken Corder, Cady Snell, Mayor Tammy de Weerd and Brianna
Siddoway.
Meridian reps attend National League
of Cities 2014 Congress of Cities
Snowflakes fall as Dr. Mike Dolby cuts the ribbon at the Eagle Chamber of Commerce event.
To his right are his wife, Katie Dolby, and his team members Rachel Sullivan, Kristen Griffith,
Sherry Smith and Cynthia Labrie. To his left are Mayor Jim Reynolds and Rob Perez with
Northwest Bank. (Photo by Mickie Park/Eagle Independent)
Cottonwood Creek Dental: ‘The Smile You Want, The
Dentist You Need’ has relocated to downtown Eagle River
Cottonwood Creek Dental celebrated the Grand Opening of their NEW LOCATION in Eagle.
Their state-of-the-art facility is located at 325 E. Shore Drive, Suite 100 in Eagle River. Some of you
may recognize Dr. Dolby from Harrison Dental, which he founded in 1993 in Boise’s historic North
End. Over a 20-year period, he has built a reputation for high-quality dentistry with superior customer service.
Dr. Dolby and the team at Cottonwood Creek Dental are committed to giving you a smile for
others to enjoy along with special focus on your overall health. Dr. Dolby has extensive training and
experience in cosmetic dentistry along with a dedication to improving the oral health of your entire
family. The team at Cottonwood Creek Dental has a mission to provide every patient with a positive
dental experience, truly something that everyone must experience.
Discover just how comfortable, easy and affordable having that knockout smile can really be.
Take advantage of their complimentary Smile Analysis or reach out with an specific questions you
may have. Call Office Manager Cynthia Labrie at 323-8545. For more information, visit www.cotton
woodcreek-dental.com.
Dr. Abe Vore and wife Katie wield the oversized scissors at the Eagle chamber ribbon cutting.
Eagle Hearing: Quality care with the latest technology
Hearing loss affects the ability to communicate and experience the world.
Eagle Hearing provides comprehensive hearing care for adults and children utilizing the latest
technological advancements. “We pride ourselves on spending quality time with our patients to provide the best service,” said Dr. Abe Vore, audiologist. “It is my hope that you will decide to see for
yourself how we put our patients first and foremost.” He added that he is “working hard to keep our
hearing aid prices affordable and we accept most insurances.”
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and outside of normal
hours by appointment. For more information about their professional services, stop in at 440 E. State
Street, Suite 100 in Heritage Square just west of Justo’s convenience store, visit www.eaglehearing.com
or call 939-9359 to schedule an appointment.
AUSTIN, Texas – More than 3,000 local leaders and staff have
convened in Austin, Texas for the National League of Cities’ (NLC)
2014 Congress of Cities to discuss and learn about the future of
cities and critical city priorities, including Marketplace Fairness.
Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd and several members of
the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) were among the
attendees. The annual conference from November 19-22 included
several presentations including:
• Mike Walsh, futurist and “global nomad,” engaged in a
broader conversation about the future of cities and what’s on
the horizon in the global landscape.
• Steve Case, one of America’s best-known and most
accomplished entrepreneurs and philanthropists, delivered remarks
on innovation trends in cities.
• Ariel Schwartz, senior editor at Fast Company Co. Exist,
spoke about world-changing ideas and innovation around
technology, sustainability and green design.
• Sixteen off-site mobile workshops provided an opportunity
for local elected officials from around the country to experience
how Austin handles issues from economic development to resiliency and sustainability.
• Conference workshops covered issues such as economic
development, technology and data, energy and climate, public/
private partnerships, schools and youth and affordable housing.
Call or visit any of our financial
advisors in the Meridian area. To
find an Edward Jones office near
you, call 1-800-EDJONES or visit
www.edwardjones.com.
November 24, 2014
COMPASS wants to elevate conversation about transportation funding issues
MERIDIAN –The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) is embarking on a quest to elevate the
conversation about transportation funding in the Treasure Valley.
“Transportation funding will be a key issue in the Idaho legislature and in Congress this coming year,” said COMPASS Executive Director Matt Stoll. “Both bodies will discuss the condition of
our transportation infrastructure, what resources are necessary to
maintain and grow the transportation system, and how to pay for
it. These are important discussions, and the decisions made will
impact us all for years to come. Our goal is to provide Treasure
Valley citizens with the background and tools to follow the discussions, understand the consequences of alternatives and participate
in the process.”
COMPASS develops the regional long-range transportation
plan (Communities in Motion) for Ada and Canyon Counties, and
also develops a five-year “budget” for federally funded and regionally significant transportation projects for the two-county area.
As part of its work to develop Communities in Motion, COMPASS
develops a financial forecast, which examines current and projected transportation funding and provides estimates of funds that
will be available to meet future needs of the transportation system
within Ada and Canyon Counties.
“What we know from this analysis is that the current funding
structure will not support forecasted transportation needs,” Stoll
said. “The question we must all wrestle with is what to about it.
Do we raise taxes? If so, what types of taxes? Do we defer maintenance? Do we do nothing and make do with what we have? There
is no one ‘right’ answer; each of these has its own set of tradeoffs.”
COMPASS will share information and explore the issues surrounding transportation funding in a variety of formats:
• COMPASS transportation funding web page: www.
compassidaho.org/comm/transfund.html
• Executive Director’s blog: www.compassidaho.blogspot.com/
• COMPASS Facebook page: www.facebook.com/COMPASS
Idaho
• COMPASS Twitter feed: twitter.com/COMPASSIdaho
• 2015 COMPASS education series: www.compassidaho.org/
comm/publicevents_2015_ed_eries.html
“We want to make sure we are providing you the information
you need to be part of the transportation funding conversation,”
Stoll said. “If you have questions you’d like answered, send them
to [email protected] and we’ll send you an answer, as well
as post the question and answer on our funding web page. Your
questions will guide the topics we address throughout this process
to help us help you navigate this complex, yet critical, issue.”
Eagle Senior Center activities
• Tuesday, November 25th: 11:00 a.m., Senior Jammers; noon, lunch;
and 1:00-3:00 p.m., Pinochle.
• Wednesday, November 26th: 9:00 a.m., Fit & Fallproof Exercise
Class; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Bridge. Van available for medical appointments; call 440-0266.
• Thursday, November 27th: Center closed.
• Friday, November 28th: 9:00 a.m., Fit and Fallproof Exercise Class.
• Monday, December 1st: 9:00 a.m., Fit and Fallproof Exercise Class.
For more information, call 939-0475.
Meridian Senior Center activities
• Tuesday, November 25th: 10:00 a.m., Mad Hatters Knitters #
Loomers; noon, lunch; and 1:00 p.m., Art Class.
• Wednesday, November 26th: 9:30 a.m., yoga; 11:00 a.m., blood
pressure checks and Single Car Garage Band; noon, lunch; 1:00 p.m.,
Pinochle; and 7:30 p.m., dance lessons.
• Thursday, November 27th: Center closed for Thanksgiving Holiday.
• Friday, November 28th: Center closed for Thanksgiving Holiday;
no Bingo.
• Monday, December 1st: 9:30 a.m., Stretch and Tone; noon, lunch;
and 1:00 p.m., Dominoes.
For information, call 888-5555. (Note: There is a $2 charge for all
activities.)
Area Senior Center lunch menu
• Tuesday, November 25th: Beans & Ham, potatoes, California blend
veggies, fresh fruit, corn bread and 2% milk.
• Wednesday, November 26th: Liver & Onions or Country Fried
Steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, Graham crackers, whole wheat
bread and 2% milk.
• Thursday, November 27th: Thanksgiving Day; ceneter closed.
• Friday, November 28th: Center still closed.
• Monday, December 1st: Spaghetti, Italian blend veggies, fruit,
French bread and 2% milk.
For more information, call 888-5555 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Lunch is served at the Eagle Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.
Valley Times
A designated driver is as
close as a local phone call. “Let
us drive you home.” Safe transportation for late nighters on the
weekend in Meridian, Eagle,
Star, Garden City and Hidden
Springs areas. Even a first-time
DUI conviction can cost upwards of $10,000 in fines, court
costs and attorney fees. Protect
yourself and your assets and life
safety. Play it smart and avoid
costly mistakes. For more information, call 631-7744.
Send your news to editor
@valleytimesidaho.com. Deadline is every Friday at noon.
Questions? Call 407-5224.
Ada’s electronics recycling
program...Anytime between
7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Monday-Friday and from 8:00
a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, the
Ada County Landfill, 10300 N.
Seaman’s Gulch Road, accepts
electronic equipment for
recycling at no charge. Bring old
cell
phones,
cameras,
computers, televisions etc. and
let the attendant know. Do the
right thing for our environment
and recycle whenever you can,
including taking glass to
receptacles. Visit http://www.
adacounty landfill.com.
“Our lives are determined
by the grooves in our brains we
program ourselves.” – Paramahansa Yogananda
Whether it’s your company’s party or a celebration
with friends or family, check out
the local pros at My Masterpiece Parties at 603 E. State
Street in downtown Eagle. Call
Michelle at 938-1370.
Star Senior Center
activities
Center hours are 10:00 a.m.
to 1:45 p.m. during the week.
Lunch and bus rides are on a
donation basis. Enjoy Dominoes
and shooting pool before lunch
each Wednesday and Friday.
Bingo is played after lunch each
Wednesday and Friday, and Pinochle each Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Books, books on tape, VCR/
DVD movies and CDs/cassette
tapes are available in the office.
The bus is available for pickup
if you need a ride to the center;
call the number below. For information, call 286-7943. Come
visit the center; it’s a great place
to “hang out.”
Integrity Computer
Consulting & Repair
(208) 288-4345
815 Main Street
in downtown Meridian
‘We offer professional
service and affordable rates’
Page 3
Idaho Power to discuss alternative energy
On November 25, Idaho Power will participate in an alternative energy update hosted by the Idaho Council on Industry and
the Environment. This panel discussion will focus on the latest
developments in alternative energy such as solar and wind.
The conversation will also look at how to integrate alternative energy with traditional sources and how the power is
moved from where it’s generated to where it’s used.
Holiday Food Drive goes on-line
This holiday season, you can leave those heavy turkeys at home
but still give to those in need via The Idaho Foodbank’s online
“Virtual Food Drive.”
For the second year running, Idaho Power has teamed with the
Foodbank to offer employees a simulated version of the traditional
food drive. The online system is an easy way to coordinate the
efforts of employees from different departments, buildings or even
regions. Last year, Idaho Power employees raised enough money
through the on-line system to provide several hundred turkeys and
other food items.
Learn more about the on-line food drive via the Idaho Foodbank’s web site including how to set up a Virtual Food Drive for
your company or organization.
Don’t let winter weather upend you
Ice and snow have arrived, creating hazardous walking conditions in many areas. Idaho Power crews often work in challenging
conditions, and they know that slips and falls can cause serious
injury. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slips, trips and falls are the second leading cause
of injury to workers in the United States.
What can you do to help keep yourself upright and prevent
injury? Recognize hazardous conditions and take proper precautions:
• Wear boots or shoes that provide traction. Slick leather or
plastic soles increase the risk of slipping.
• Watch for snow-covered ice, black ice and uneven surfaces,
especially on steps or grades.
• Use three points of contact when entering or exiting your
vehicle.
• Walk in designated walkways as much as possible — don’t
take shortcuts.
• Place your full attention on walking. Wait to talk on your cell
phone or rummage through your wallet or handbag.
• Go slow and stay relaxed; take small steps and extend your
arms out to your sides for balance (hands out of pockets).
Ada Community Library Victory Branch, 10664 W. Victory
Road (corner of Five Mile & Victory roads, will host a second
round of five free “Let’s Talk About it” scholar-led book discussions from the NEH and ALA of Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys with the theme Connected Histories. The discussions will
be on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on November 19 and Leo Africanus
by Amin Maalouf on December 10. Dr. Megan Dixon & Dr.
Maimuna Islam (Dali) from The College of Idaho will be the group
scholars.
Books are available through the LYNX library hold system or
at Victory. A Worlds Connect program on Nigeria will be at the
Meridian Library Main Branch in November. Visit www. adalib.
org/victory, the Worlds Connect FaceBook page or call 362-0181.
Visit the LITTLE FREE LIBRARY in Meridian City Hall’s
outdoor plaza. Take or leave a book is how it works. Information: Shelly Houston at 489-0531 or [email protected].
EHS Choir to perform December 12-13
(continued from Page 1)
Eagle High School is the only high school located in the Eagle/
Star, Idaho community. The EHS Choir is one of the largest choral
programs in the state of Idaho with more than 200 voices. The
program has received superior (top ratings) at choir festivals across
Idaho and the western United States and has been selected to perform at both state and regional musical conferences.
Eagle Urban Renewal Agency update...At its Tuesday, November 25th meeting, the Eagle City Council agenda has, under
7H, TR-01-14, Tri-City Meats tree removal application by Nick
Zenovich and Randy Hetrick to remove all of the trees on the property on the southeast corner of W. State Street and Olde Park Place
at 45 W. State Street and 96 Olde Park Place. This meeting is one
week prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Urban
Renewal Agency on Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:00 p.m. At their
last meeting, commissioners/Council members continued their discussion of a possible lease of the site to December 2nd.
Page 4
Valley Times
November 24 , 2014
A Look Back in Time...by Lila Hill
Community Calendar events
(The Meridian History Center is to the left of the front door
of City Hall. Photos and other items are on display. The center’s
hours are Monday through Friday from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Volunteers
are needed to help us stay open more days. The Meridian Historical Society wishes to add to its collection of the Polk Directories of
Boise City and Ada County. If you
have any and would like to donate
them, they may be left at the History
Center any afternoon between 1:00
and 3:00 or at the City Clerk’s Office
during office hours from 8:00 a.m.5:00 p.m. For more information, visit
www.wix.com/meridian historycente
/meridian-idaho, www.meridiancity.
org/HPC and Facebook. Looking for
Meridian history source materials?
Your local library has They Came to
Lila Hill
Build a Community by Hill and
Davidson, 1986; Before the Times, Meridian Historical Society
1885-1909 extracts; and “History of the Meridian School District”
by Doug Rutan, a doctoral thesis. The History Center at Meridian
City Hall has copies of the first-named book for $15 and Before the
Times for $25. The office is open from 1:00-3:00 p.m. weekdays.
The Meridian Times is available on microfilm at the Idaho State
Historical Library and Archives in Boise. It is located on the righthand side of the road as you approach the old penitentiary and is
open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m.-4:00
p.m. Call the center at 489-0602; leave a message.
100 Years Ago
Meridian Times
November 27th, 1914
A long-needed safeguard is this week being installed by the
Independent Telephone Co. on the telephones in and around Meridian at an expense of $300. Every phone on the line is being
“grounded;” that is, a wire is run from a position near the instrument to an iron rod driven into the ground. A stroke of lightning
will then be arrested from following the wires into and out into a
room in which the phone is located; instead, it is taken into the
ground.
Did you ever see 900 pounds of beeswax? This amount the
E.F. Atwater Co. has on hand, ready for shipment to Kansas City,
Missouri from their apiary in Meridian. These are in sizes from 2
lb. to 50 lb. and are expected to bring about 30 cents a pound on the
city market. The shoemaker and the housewife both use considerable of the project.
Mr. Frank Gess was in Meridian this week from California. He
is gradually closing out his interests in Ada County and expects to
lease his farm east of Meridian for a term of years. (The Village
property was owned by the Gess family at that time.)
A special meeting of the Meridian town board is called for
today to take steps to have all the town dogs muzzled. It might
include the town gossips. (Local dogs have recently had rabies and
M.W. Keller was bitten by one suspected to have the disease this
week.)
Seventy-five years ago Meridian Times November 24th , 1939
Whole milk brings 41 cents a pound this month at the Meridian creamery. Butterfat brings about 34 cents. The differential of 7
cents is caused by the high price of powdered milk. This product of
our creamery is quoted at twice the amount it was a few years ago.
Why such a demand is partially explained by the fact that it can be
a valuable article for export should the warring nations need this
condensed product.
Foreman Endecott has a force of a dozen Works Project Administration workers on the streets of Meridian on the government
product allotment. They’re doing good work espececially (sic) in
building curbing etc. The project has considerable money on hand
for this special fund, but there is inconvenience from the fact that
the WPA force can do no work in the alleys. Endecott takes the
place of Ira Voorhees, who has been on the job for some time.
The damaged grocery stock of Eldon Gray and Carl Mayes has
been disposed of and insurance adjusters will not appraise the loss
in the big fire that practically wrecked the Stalker building on November 5th. No announcement of the probable disposition of the
building has been made.
Fifty Years Ago Meridian News-Times November 26th, 1964
Police Chief Gene Hiner assisted by local and state police officers on Tuesday afternoon arrested a 28-year-old man wanted at
Kelso, Washington on a kidnapping charge. The suspect and runaway juvenile female had been living in the area. Mayor Don Storey
pointed that this is the third time in nine months that Meridian
Police have apprehended fugitives with felony charges in other
states.
The Idaho Savings and Loan Association of Boise has pur-
• Alzheimer Support Group meets the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. in the Meridian
Senior Center. Anyone caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is encouraged to attend. For more
information, call Coordinator Cindy Hill at 888-5555.
• The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4000 & Auxiliary meet the second Tuesday of
each month at the VFW Hall, Meridian & Broadway. Information: 855-0420.
• The American Legion Meridian Post 113 meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
at the American Legion Hall, 22 W. Broadway Avenue. Information: 590-1710.
• The American Legion Middleton Post 39 meets the last Monday of each month at the Sunrise
Cafe, Middleton. No-host dinner 6:00-7:0 W0 p.m., meeting at 7:00. All current and former military
are invited to join. Contact the Commander at 890-2907 or visit www.eagleid.com/post39.
• American Legion Post 127 & Auxiliary of Eagle meet on the second Tuesday of the month at
7:00 p.m. the Eagle Sewer District, 44 N. Palmetto Avenue, Eagle. For more information about the
organization and its activities, contact Mike Foley at 375-0793. All veterans are invited to attend.
• The Eagle Chamber of Commerce holds its monthly luncheon on the second Tuesday of
every month from noon to 1:00 p.m. at Eagle Hills Golf Course. For more information, call 939-4222
or e-mail [email protected].
• Eagle Lions Club meets the first and third Wednesday at Casa Mexico, 383 W. State Street in
Eagle at noon. For more information including membership, call Hugh Fryling at 258-3630.
• The Eagle Optimist Club meets every Tuesday at noon at Willowcreek Grill, 1065 E. Winding
Creek Drive. Call Gretchen Brown at 208-854-3623 or Mike Harris at 208-947-9368.
• The Eagle-Star Rotary Club meets every Thursdayat noon at Plantation Country Club, 6515
W. State Street. For additional information, call Robin Dodson at 373-1705 or e-mail dodsrobi
@isu.edu.
• First Friday ART IN EAGLE, 4:00-9:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Eagle Arts Commission. “Growing
and Celebrating the Arts to Strengthen Community.” Visit www.EagleArts.org.
• The Knitting Club, a group devoted to knitting items for various charitable organizations,
meets at Eagle Public Library, 100 N. Stierman Way, Eagle, Idaho 83616. For more information, call
Margaret at 939-7162
• Meridian Lions Club meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday mornings at Hampton Inn & Suites,
875 S. Allen Street, from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. For additional information, call Loraine Hand at 376-5752.
• The Meridian Chamber of Commerce meets the 1st & 3rd Tuesday; RSVP to 888-2817.
• Meridian Kiwanis Club meets every Wednesday at noon at Louie’s, 888-0044.
• Meridian Lodge #47, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, meets the second Tuesday at
the Masonic Temple, 800 East 2nd Street, Meridian at 7:30 p.m. 888-1455.
• The Meridian Noon Lions meet the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at noon of each month at Fiesta
Guadalajara, 704 E. Fairview Avenue in Meridian. Guests are always welcome. For more info, contact
Del Oswald at 453-2134 or [email protected].
• Meridian Optimist Club meets every Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. at JB’s Restaurant, 1565 S.
Meridian Road, Meridian, 895-0419.
• Meridian Rotary Club meets Mondays at Meadowlake Village east of St. Luke’s Meridian
Medical Center at noon, 344-1117 or 439-6973.
Mailing address: IDAHO UNCLAIMED PROPERTY, P.O. BOX 83720, BOISE, ID 83720-9101
Telephone: 877-388-2942 (Toll Free), (208) 332-2942
Web Address: www.sto.idaho.gov, click on Unclaimed Property
Gabriel Baeza, Eagle ID 83616; Kevin Culligan, Eagle ID 83616; Custom Home Marketplace Inc., Eagle
ID 83616; Ann M. Booth, Meridian ID 83680; Thomas R. Booth, Meridian ID 83680; Lisa L. Checch, Meridian ID 83642; Candy L. Coltrin, Meridian ID 83642; Isreal Espinosa, Meridian ID 83642; Dawn Garrett,
Meridian ID 83642; Meridian Towing, Meridian ID 83642; Allen Miller, Meridian ID 83642; Ursula Orr,
Meridian ID 83642; Tim L. Rhodes, Meridian ID 83642; Toby N. Rhodes, Meridian ID 83642; Bruce Stanger,
Meridian ID 83642; Kacie R. Stephan, Meridian ID 83642; Pamela K. Stephan, Meridian ID 83642; Anthony
Tucison, Meridian ID 83642; Rosalynn Tuggle, Meridian ID 83642; K.R. Van Leuven, Meridian ID 83642;
Scott R. Webb, Meridian ID 83642; Jack D. Wells, Meridian ID 83642; Gilbert Carl Wheeler, Meridian ID
83642; Jessica Winkelman, Meridian ID 83642; and Arnold Lee, Star ID 83669.
Eagle Senior Center in the news...Every second Wednesday, the St. Luke’s Humphreys Diabetes
Center Foot Clinic offers foot care. Cost is $30 and includes filing callouses, trimming nails, checking
for nerve damage and assessing overall foot health; call 287-3066. On the last Thursday, the
Alzheimer’s Association Greater Idaho Chapter’s free workshop is from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at St. Luke’s
Eagle, 2nd floor, 3101 E. State Street. For more information, call President Laurel Jobes at 939-0475.
Keep your shopping dollars close to home...Always look for
the “Grown in Idaho®” seal when you shop for potatoes at the
local market. When it comes to our state’s economic health, your
shopping habits matter a lot. Help support our state’s best-known
produce. For facts, tips and recipes, visit www. idaho potato .com.
chased all the capital stock of the Meridian Building and Loan Association, effective Wednesday,
November 25th. The Meridian Building and Loan Association was organized in 1911, with Orville
Jackson of Eagle serving as president throughout the years. The late Kenneth Edmiston was in charge
of the Meridian office as secretary-manager for many years, until his death this year.
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Barfuss and six children have purchased the Ralph Van Paepeghem house on
E. First Street. Barfuss is a state policeman and has been transferred to this area from Downey.
Mrs. Gene Bidondo showed movies of her family’s trip to France during the meeting of the Upper
Fairview Grange.
Twenty-five Years Ago
Valley News
November 29th, 1989
Monday’s announcement of the closure of six area Smith’s Food/Drug King supermarkets including Meridian’s has sent ripples of concern throughout the community. Loss of revenues and
inability to expand operations were cited as some of the reasons for the chain’s decision to pull out of
the Treasure Valley. The store has been in the Meridian Shopping Mall (Cherry Plaza) for the past 11
years. The local store employs 55 people and grosses about $19.4 million per year, Manager Walt
Ford reported on Tuesday.
Meridian’s Winterland Parade featured both the Meridian and Centennial high school marching
bands. Sixty parade entries filled the route from the Speedway north to Cherry Lane. Terry Smith was
parade marshal. Tina Sweet and Steve Anderson were the Man and Woman of the Year. Other notables
in the parade were Meridian City Council members, Miss Meridian 1990 Stephanie Smith, Chamber
of Commerce President Moe Alidjani and City Clerk Jack Niemann.
Valley Times
November 24, 2014
Page 5
ONE VET’S VIEW
John H. Burns, [email protected], www.rockofhonor.com,
Facebook: Rock of Honor, www.jhburns.com
President, Rock of Honor Memorial [email protected]
Telephone: 515-9200
Poppies, No-Man’s Land and the Armistice
By John H. Burns
What do you know about World War I?
Do you know about the poppy? Do you know about “No-Man’s Land” or the Battle of Belleau
Wood?
I don’t think there is anyone left who served in the “War to end all Wars.” They have gone
beyond memory. However, I remember my two uncles who went overseas with the Blue and Gray
divisions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).
They were Uncle Andrew and Uncle Frank. They deserve my mentioning them; it is my way of
saying, “Thank you for your service.” I don’t think anyone ever said that to them back in those days
of post-World War I.
It just wasn’t done. I have photos of them in uniform that I treasure. Uncle Frank received the
Purple Heart and Uncle Andrew was gassed.
I can recall their laughs and their smiles. There aren’t too many like me left, either, who can say
they knew a World War I Veteran. Soon those of us who fought in the Second World War, another one
of the wars that was to end all wars, will be gone beyond memory.
Both uncles were proud members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. My two brothers and I are
also proud VFW and American Legion members. The advantage and privilege of belonging to a
Veterans’ organization is that in times of trouble, the VA and the VA hospital, the VFW and the AL
and other veteram organizations are there like a “buddy” to guide you along. So if you’re a Vet
reading these words, contact your town’s veterans’ organizations. They are there for you and your
family in times of stress.
One of the perks of membership is the monthly magazine the organizations send out. This month’s
edition of the VFW featured “How to discover Your WW1 Veteran Ancestors.” A list of resources for
further information includes:
• Cyndi’s List (free) on the U.S. in WW1:ww.cyndislist/ww/1/us’
• Ancestry.com (subscription) for numerous World War 1 Collections, including: Georgia, World
War 1 Service Cards, 1917-1919.:http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbikd=3129
• New York, Abstracts of World War 1 Military Service, 1917-1919:http://search.ancestry.com/
db.aspx?dbid=3030
• U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938;hsttp://search.Ancestry.com/
search/db.aspx?dbid=1200.
Happy Thanksgiving
BY RICH NESBIT
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Too often, we forget how lucky we are and what we have to be
thankful for. So I started a tradition in my home. As is the tradition in my home, we share what we
are thankful for.
First and foremost, I am thankful for my faith and belief in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He
has never let me down and as my faith deepens, I am constantly reminded how great He has been to
me.
I am thankful for my family, friends and associates. I am thankful that Frank Thomason is my
editor and gives me the ability and latitude to write my thoughts down. He is a great mentor for me
and I am thankful for his mentorship, as well.
I am thankful that Mayor Tammy asked me to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission
and I was able to accept. I am thankful for all those who serve with me and who have so much
knowledge and abilities.
I am thankful for all my friends at the Steelheads. What a great group!
I am thankful for my business being able to support my wife, children and the life-style we are
leading where family is first. This is a true blessing. A special thank you goes to all who used my
services and helped me reach my goals.
I am thankful for all the people in the businesses that support my business, as well including title
companies, loan officers and inspectors; the list is endless.
I am thankful for the roof over my head and the food on my table.
I am thankful for you, my dear readers. I am absolutely amazed how
many times people recognize me and send me comments on my articles. I am
and feel so blessed every time it happens. Thank you, dear readers.
And now a toast (I wrote
Cell phone (208) 249-2355
this myself and it is pretty good,
Direct 208-287-0367
even if I say so myself): Here’s
Toll Free 888-201-2854 Fax 208-327-9859
to a roof over our heads, heat in
Visit RichNesbit.com
the home, and food on the table
Rich Nesbit
as we are surrounded by family
and friends, all blessed by the Lord. Everything else is an extra.
From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving1
All the Best from Richie Rich
Education advocate Trent on November 28 DIALOGUE
On the November 28 edition of DIALOGUE host Marcia Franklin interviews education advocate and motivational speaker Tererai Trent, Ph.D.
The show airs Friday, November 28, at 7:30 p.m. and repeats Sunday, November 30, at 5:00/4:00
p.m. MT/PT.
Trent, who is featured in the book Half the Sky, grew up in rural Zimbabwe. She had always
wanted to get an education, but wasn’t allowed to. She was married as a young girl, and by 18 she
had three children.
(Continued in next columns, across at right and above)
John Burns
Contributions are greatly
appreciated to the:
VETERANS ROCK OF
HONOR MEMORIAL
Post Office Box 1531
Meridian, ID 83680-1531
Ed. note: John Burns’ collections of short stories are available from
amazon.com; his publisher, Crystal Dreams; or himself at
[email protected]. They’re great reading & gifts!
John Burns’ short story, “Pavan for Sylvia,” is featured in the
Fall edition of Hynos magazine available at Barnes and Noble and
Hastings bookstores.
The Meridian Senior Bridge group meets every Thursday
and Friday at 12:30 p.m. at Ten Mile Christian Church on the
northwest corner of Ten Mile and Franklin roads. Questions?
Call 288-2497.
Courtship
By Becky McKinstry • www.coach.usana.com
There is a fading line between courtship and complacency when
it comes to people, health and careers.
Courtship inspires us to be attentive and appreciative and fills
us with enthusiasm and excitement. When things are new, we learn
more, pay attention and push ourselves a little harder.
We hardly notice any inconvenience of getting outside our
routine when a new person comes into our life whom we want to
know better. We may take up dancing or bicycling just so we can
spend time with this person.
We become more open to the possibilities. Courtship drives
curiosity and creates a desire to do well in the areas that matter
most in life.
Being a parent is one of our most important roles and is a
perfect place for a long-term courtship. It promotes listening intently, being excited about the smallest of things and having enough
patience that it never runs out.
Being a spouse or partner should also be all about the courtship, year after year. What won over the person you couldn’t wait
to start the rest of your life with?
Was it the adventurous part of your personality, your compassion or how you made them feel when they spent time with you?
What small daily acts of kindness did you do and what did they
love most?
When it comes to your career, when you start a new job do
you put more effort into it than the one you had been at for a while?
Courtship in a career can create big momentum.
It’s an opportunity with plenty of potential when you stay in
the courtship phase and grow. Complacency, on the other hand,
creates low energy and low effort.
We create big spaces for things and people that we under- appreciate and ignore, so day by day we remove any evidence of the
lost or faded courtship. Complacency has a tendency to kill courtship and encourages us to take life and all it’s filled with for granted.
The daily routines become ruts and we
become much less interesting to the people
and jobs we once courted. Complacency is
also dangerous when it comes to our health;
the body we once loved and admired is now
taken for granted. We eat junk, add extra
pounds and ignore our hearts by sitting too
much.
Putting the courtship back into your relationship with healthy habits keeps you at
Becky McKinstry
your best. Being at your best allows the many paths of courtship to
overflow into all aspects of your life.
I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season.
Undeterred, Trent taught herself to read. As an adult, inspired
by an aid worker from Heifer International, she wrote down her
goals, which included getting a Ph.D. in America. After saving
money for years, she was finally able to go to the U.S. for her
education. Her mantra: “It is achievable.”
Today, with two master’s degrees and
a doctorate, Trent is the founder of a nonprofit to help build schools in her native
Zimbabwe. Oprah Winfrey has called Trent
her “all-time favorite guest.”
She was in Boise earlier this year as
the keynote speaker for the 2014 Idaho
Women’s Charitable Foundation confer- Tererai Trent, Ph.D.
ence.
Page 6
Valley Times
November 24 , 2014
Opinion - Editorial
New marijuana reform group in Idaho
Introducing Idaho’s newest Marijuana reform group, New
Approach Idaho.
Founded by members of Idaho Moms for Marijuana, and
former members of the now-dissolved Compassionate Idaho, New
Approach Idaho will lead the way in the reform of Idaho’s archaic
and illogical marijuana laws.
Currently in its genesis stage, New Approach Idaho has many
plans to raise awareness and increase discussion about marijuana
throughout the state including town hall meetings, awareness rallies, community meet-and-greets and a new citizens’ initiative focused on full legalization, harm reduction, education and distinguishing between recreational, medical, industrial and agricultural
aspects of the cannabis plant.
Anyone interested in getting involved can contact us through
our facebook page at www.facebook.com/newapproachidaho and
our newly forming web site, www.legalizeidaho.org.
If you have questions, contact Founding Director/Team Coordinator of New Approach Idaho Serra Frank at 420mommy@gmail.
com or (508) 850-2807 or co-founder Bill Esbensen at w_esbensen
or (208) 407-7317.
Our Community Organizer-in-Chief and his departing Attorney General have more than weighed
in on the apparently impending race riot in Ferguson/St. Louis, Missouri. Eric Holder actually went
there (on the government’s, meaning our) dime to meet with and encourage the rioters, while it was
revealed last week that Obama met privately with their representatives in the White House and told
them to “stay the course,” meaning continue to incite racial hatred even though a grand jury is likely
to acquit the white police officer who shot “an unarmed black teenager” who just happened to have
his head and body inside the police car attempting to wrest the pistol away when the first shot was
fired, according to half a dozen black witnesses. Never mind the truth; the lawyers and looters are
waiting for any excuse to riot, rob and raid. – Frank Thomason
Medicaid expansion is the bad
idea that just won’t go away
By Wayne Hoffman, President, Idaho Freedom Foundation
Imagine an eight-ounce glass of water on a kitchen counter. The glass is almost full. I could, as a
matter of public policy, declare that the glass should hold 16 ounces of water. But my declaration
won’t make the glass larger. It certainly won’t make the water tastier. And if I do decide to pour more
water into the glass, the overage, unsurprisingly, would spill onto the floor.
Similarly, expanding Medicaid won’t mean Idaho will miraculously have more doctors, more
nurses and more practitioners of any kind. It won’t cure disease. It won’t even stop your runny nose.
There are three populations that would be most served by Medicaid expansion, and it’s not
whom you think.
(1) Predominately childless, able-bodied adults. Not the poorest. Not the neediest. Not people
who are disabled and unable to work.
(2) The medical providers: Big Medicine and Big Insurance. They’ll rake in the dollars, courtesy
of the taxpayers, and they’ll do it at the expense of the future generations of Americans who are stuck
paying the bill, as well as older Americans who are seeing cuts in Medicare to pay for it all.
(3) Politicians and bureaucrats. Suddenly, Americans who previously never needed to interact
with government will be roped into a system that makes them dependent on decisions made in Washington, D.C., and Boise.
Prior to the November election, we were told that Medicaid expansion is off the table for Idaho
lawmakers. But the folks who are pedaling the tired medicine of Medicaid expansion haven’t given
up. They’ve created yet another (a third, in fact) variation of the same theme. As before, they’re
promoting their claim that expansion of Medicaid will save taxpayers tons of money because the
federal government will absorb most of the costs associated with the effort.
This time, the proposal is to have newly eligible Medicaid participants earning between 100 and
138 percent of poverty sign up for insurance via the state insurance exchange, using Medicaid expansion dollars. Poorer participants would be enrolled in the regular, though retooled, Medicaid program.
It’s a variation of a theme we’ve seen in other states. Pro-expansion forerunner Arkansas produced the notorious “private option” for Medicaid expansion, buying insurance plans for new Medicaid enrollees. Now comes a report that the program will actually cost taxpayers $778 million more
than anyone was expecting. It’s no wonder that Arkansas’ new governor and Legislature are itching
to ditch the program come 2015.
Gov. Butch Otter’s Medicaid task force is playing up the savings to
local and state governments, which would be able to end their participation in Idaho’s unique and horrible single payer health care program that
drains taxpayers of about $52 million a year. Lee Heider, a Republican
from Twin Falls who chairs the Senate Health and Welfare Committee,
voted with his fellow task force members, saying the potential savings
“will be the selling point. I think it does have some merit.”
There’s nothing meritorious about a program that puts our country
deeper in debt, nothing meritorious about a program that will make ablebodied Americans dependent on government and certainly nothing meritorious about a program that will decrease the quality of health care and
Wayne Hoffman
access to it.
Crapo on Obama’s executive order on
immigration announced November 20
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Idaho senior Senator Mike Crapo issued the following statement on President Obama’s decision to
issue an executive order on immigration that could apply to as
many as five million illegal immigrants:
“Rather than listening to the American people and respecting
their voices in the last election, the President will instead impose
his deliberately divisive action on the important issue of illegal
immigration,” Crapo said. “This unfortunate choice by the President will, most importantly, hurt immigrants in the long run and
undercut future prospects for lasting immigration reform.
“In addition, the President has done an about-face on his executive role. Just last year, he said, ‘I’m not the emperor of the
United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed.’
“However, his administration has repeatedly tried to sidestep
Congress through the use of Executive Order. The inherent checks
and balances between the branches of government are a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy and these actions set a dangerous precedent by violating our basic Constitutional principles.
“No one should gain any advantage or benefit toward citizenship or legal permanent resident status because of illegal entry into
the United States. The unilateral legal protections provided lawlessly to millions of illegal immigrants by the President, benefits
that legal immigrants must wait years to obtain, pose a profound
threat to our immigration system and rule of law, discouraging
those who seek to come to America from doing so legally.
“I will continue to press for a solid solution that will secure
our nation’s borders and advocate for sound, sensible immigration
policies.”
Crapo previously called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
for the immediate consideration of legislation to prohibit the President from implementing sweeping immigration reforms through
the use of executive orders.
Treasure Valley ‘walked united’ to help
end breast cancer at Kleiner Park
More than 250 residents throughout Treasure Valley rallied
together on October 18th at Kleiner Memorial Park for the American
Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer community
walk, raising approximately $40,000.00
“The event was an inspirational example of passion in action,”
said Mary Cozby, American Cancer Society. “Our community
responded and took positive steps to help finish the fight against
breast cancer.”
The 2014 walk was made possible in part by the support of
Ford, BodyBuilding.com, Twin Peaks Restaurant, Saint Alphonsus
and others. Bodybuilding.com ran a promotion throughout October
where $2 for each purchase of their “fit miss” products went toward
the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, raising over
$12,000. Twin Peaks Restaurant raised almost $6,000 through their
Annual Bra Auction event and Saint Alphonsus raised $1,000.
“We were thrilled to partner with FitMiss to support the
American Cancer Society,” said Kirk Calzacorta of BodyBuilding
.com. But breast cancer remains the most common cancer among
women in the U.S. other than skin cancer and is the second leading
cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
(Continued on next page, across at right)
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 7
Catholic Charities welcomes new immigration
action, warns against unauthorized practice
Published continuously in Western Ada County since August 2000
Valley Times
Now in our fifteenth year of continuous publication in western Ada County
Published every Monday by Valley Times, LLC
Current issue available on the web site: www.valleytimesidaho.com
Publisher/Editor: Valley Times, LLC
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1790, Eagle ID 83616
Fax: 381-0160 • web site: www.valleytimesidaho.com
Advertising information: Call 407-5224
Marketing/Subscription Specialists: Becky McKinstry, Tom McKinstry
E-mail: [email protected]
Reporter/Photographer: Anita Torres
Subscription price: $38 yr./$45 out-of-state
Newsstand price: 50 cents per issue
Periodicals postage paid at Eagle, Idaho 83616 under USPS No. 010-467
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Valley Times, LLC, Box 1790,
Eagle ID 83616
Contributors: Lila Hill, Becky McKinstry, John H. Burns and Rich Nesbit
Member: Eagle Chamber of Commerce (Community Partner Award, 2013),
Meridian Chamber of Commerce (Small Business Award, 2010)
Meridian Downtown Business Association (Board member, 2014)
Risch responds to executive immigration action
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch made the
following statement on President Obama’s announcement on
November 20th of executive action on immigration:
“These are troubling times for America, when the President of
the United States by executive decree seizes the Constitutional
lawmaking power that belongs to the first branch of government.
Regardless of the issue or who is president, every American should
be deeply distressed by this new government the president is
attempting to establish.”
Raul reacts to ‘immigration reform’ news
BOISE – (KBOI) Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador has become a major voice on immigration reform in the Republican Party.
He’s also been outspoken on President Obama’s executive action
on deportations.
Obama said he took executive action because Congress refused to act, even after the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration
reform bill over a year ago.
Rep. Labrador said the House was working on a bill of its own
because the Senate version held off on enforcement
“You cannot have immigration reform by making promises of
enforcement in the future,” Labrador said. “You need to deal with
the enforcement issue first and then you can decide what you are
going to do with 12 million people that are here.”
The congressman has questioned the constitutionality of the
executive action, and says Republicans plan to fight it using any
tools necessary.
Democrats, on the other hand, believe the President’s order is
within the law. Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona said it’s a
necessary first step for reform.
“I think what the president did was brave and what the president did was smart,” Grijalva said. “It did not cover everyone that
should be covered with immigration reform; that’s a legislative
permanent fix that needs to occur.”
Rep. Labrador said Republicans are working on a full immigration reform bill as they prepare to take control of the House and
Senate in January.
Some Republican lawmakers have used harsh rhetoric during
the immigration debate over the last few years.
Congressman Labrador said that won’t be acceptable if they
want real reform to get done.
“Anytime you are talking about policy, you should tone it down.
Labrador said. “I always say you should have conservative policy
in a moderate tone. You should be careful how you speak to the
American people. You should be careful how you talk to all the
different groups.”
The chance of a woman developing invasive breast cancer at
some time in her life is about 1 in 8. In 2014, approximately 232,670
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000
will die from the disease in the U.S.
Since 1993, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has been
the American Cancer Society’s rallying cry to build awareness and
generate funds to fight breast cancer. In that time, 10 million walkers in nearly 300 communities across the nation have collected
over $594 million. With one in every two newly diagnosed women
turning to the American Cancer Society for help and support, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer funds are used to make a difference by helping people take steps to reduce their risk of breast
cancer or find it early when it is most treatable. Visit cancer.org or
call (800) 227-2345.
Catholic Charities of Idaho (CCI), one of the few nonprofit agencies providing immigration services in the state, welcomed President Obama’s executive action as an important first step toward
protecting immigrants and strengthening families. The proposed administrative relief will benefit
nearly five million individuals and help many contribute more effectively to the betterment of their
families, local communities and our nation.
Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, MSpS, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration, acknowledged the news stating, “We have a long history of welcoming and
aiding the poor, the outcast, the immigrant and the disadvantaged. Each day, the Catholic Church in
the United States, in her social service agencies, hospitals, schools and parishes, witnesses the human
consequences of the separation of families, when parents are deported from their children or spouses
from each other. We’ve been on record asking the Administration to do everything within its legitimate authority to bring relief and justice to our immigrant brothers and sisters. As pastors, we welcome any efforts within these limits that protect individuals and protect and reunite families and
vulnerable children.”
While this relief will provide legal protection and work authorization for many immigrants deserving to remain in our country, it does not provide a permanent solution to our broken immigration
system. Joining our voices with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, we renew our call for
congressional action for comprehensive reform that will provide workers with a path to permanent
citizenship, prevent families from being split up and protect children coming from violence stricken
homelands.
In light of the new administrative rules, CCI warns against the threat of the unauthorized practice
of immigration law (UPIL). We urge immigrants to seek legal advice from qualified attorneys or
nonprofit agencies recognized by the Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA),
such as CCI. Only attorneys or BIA accredited representatives should be assisting immigrants with
their applications for relief.
CCI stands ready to assist immigrants eligible for relief with credible, high quality legal services
and accurate information. Community partners are encouraged to refer all potential applicants to CCI
and help deter the practice of unqualified practitioners. Additional, up-to-date information related to
President Obama’s administrative relief and where to find legitimate immigration legal assistance can
be found at www.ccidaho.org
Civil rights lawyers descend upon Ferguson
By Tim Reid
FERGUSON Mo (Reuters) – Hundreds of civil rights lawyers from across America are descending on Ferguson, Missouri as police and protesters prepare for a grand jury decision on whether to
charge the officer who killed an unarmed black teenager in August.
The attorneys are arriving in Ferguson as talks between protest groups and police have stalled
over a refusal by officials to rule out the use of riot gear, tear gas and militarized equipment if
demonstrations turn violent should a grand jury decide not to indict police officer Darren Wilson,
protest leaders say.
Wilson, who is white, shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in a Ferguson street on August
9. The death sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests, and hundreds of arrests. The grand jury
decision on whether to indict Wilson is imminent and police fear another wave of violence if he is not
charged. Tensions in Ferguson and the St. Louis area are running high.
The lawyers, some from as far afield as New York and California, have responded to calls from
the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and protest groups in Ferguson to monitor police behavior in the wake of the grand jury decision. They will also take an aggressive legal posture, the attorneys said, filing quick fire lawsuits to fight potentially shoddy jail conditions, onerous bail bonds
and civil rights abuses.
“We will be using the sword as well as the shield,” said Justin Hansford, a St. Louis University
law professor who is part of the legal team. “We have lawyers from Washington, New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago. They won’t just be observing. They will be filing lawsuits.”
Prominent civil rights lawyer Vince Warren, executive director of the New York-based Center
for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has been in Ferguson since Monday. Nicole Lee, an international
human rights lawyer from Washington, arrived on Wednesday.
Warren said 280 lawyers and law students had answered emails and have volunteered to travel to
Ferguson. The lawyers are taking instructions from the CCR, the National Lawyers Guild, the Missouri Chapter of the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
“We are in a crisis situation and we are here to ensure police let people voice their anger and
frustration and don’t crack down on protesters as hooligans,” Warren said.
Diane Balogh, of the Missouri ACLU, said the organization had held a dozen training sessions
with 100 legal observers in recent weeks. The ACLU is providing them with a mobile phone app
allowing them to upload video of police behavior to a secure central database. Ferguson police have
been wearing video devices since September.
Protest leaders have held meetings, and conference calls, with John Belmar, the St. Louis County
Police chief, Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and St. Louis City police
chief Sam Dotson since mid-October, protest leaders and police say.
The focus of the talks has been on 19 “rules of engagement” proposed by the Don’t Shoot Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 community and protest groups. The police have agreed to about a
dozen of the rules, but have stayed silent on the use of tear gas and riot gear.
“The area we are most concerned about is the militarized response, and we are still waiting to
hear on that,” said Denise Lieberman, a lawyer and co-chair of the Don’t Shoot Coalition.
Tory Russell, a founder of the protest group Hands Up United, said he had only been asked to
one meeting with police officials, in late October, which he attended.
“All they wanted to know was where we are going to be after the grand jury decision,” Russell
said. “They didn’t tell us where they were going to be. It was just a dig for information. We don’t
trust them at all.”
The St. Louis County Police, city police and the Missouri Highway Patrol did not respond to
requests for comment.
Page 8
Valley Times
2014 property tax payments due December 20
Boise – The Ada County Treasurer’s Office would like to remind property owners that 2014
property tax payments are due by Saturday, December 20th.
Before making a payment, it is recommended that property owners confirm whether they are
directly responsible for making property tax payments, or if their lender does so on their behalf.
Anyone who refinanced within the last six months should review their loan documents to determine
if property taxes were paid at closing, or if funds were sent to their lender for subsequent payment.
Additionally, when refinancing, the original lender often refunds the amount that was being held in
escrow, and a property owner may not realize those funds were set aside for property tax payment
purposes.
There are several convenient methods for making property tax payments:
• In person. Tax payments may be made in person at the Ada County Courthouse, 200 W. Front
Street, Boise, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We accept cash, check, money
order or cashier’s checks.
• By mail. Payments may be mailed to: Ada County Treasurer, P.O. Box 2868, Boise, ID 83701.
• E-check at county web site, www.adacounty.id.gov/treasurer, $3 flat fee.
• Credit/debit card or E-check On-line or by phone; visit www.officialpayments.com or call 1800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829); use Jurisdiction Code 2212. Fees vary by payment type and
amount.
For more information, visit www.adacounty.id.gov/treasurer; select the ‘Tax Collection’ tab and
then ‘Choosing a Payment’.
To avoid potential last-minute problems when paying electronically, make electronic payments
well in advance of the due date. Mailed payments MUST be U.S. Post Office postmarked by December 20th, as payments postmarked after December 20th are subject to a 2% late charge plus interest,
which accrues at 1% per month beginning January 1, 2014. Pitney Bowes or digital stamps do not
qualify as a postmark. To assure accurate processing of mailed payments, request a hand cancellation
at the Post Office.
Taxpayers may now register to receive future tax documents electronically. Go to https://
adacountyid.viewyourinfo.com/index.php.
Call the Ada County Treasurer’s Office at 287-6800 with any questions regarding property tax
payments.
Give thanks this season by donating blood to the Red Cross
The American Red Cross asks eligible donors to make an appointment to give blood to help
ensure sufficient blood supplies are available for patients this holiday season.
Blood donations often decline during the holidays when donors get busy with travel and family
gatherings, but the need for blood remains steady. Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.
Eligible donors with all types are needed, especially those with O negative, A negative and B
negative. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment, download the Red
Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
As extra encouragement to donate blood during the busiest time of November
for many people, presenting blood donors from Nov. 26 through Nov. 30 will receive a limited-edition Red Cross potholder stuffed with unique celebrity chef recipes, while supplies last. Thanksgiving recipes are courtesy of Mario Batali, Rocco
DiSpirito, Alex Guarnaschelli and Mike Isabella.
• Eagle, December 6, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Eagle Public Library, 100 N Stierman Way
• Meridian, December 8, noon-5:00 p.m., Ten Mile Christian Church, 3500 W. Franklin Road
and December 11, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Vibra Hospital of Meridian, 2131 S. Bonito Way
Meridian OKs Hill’s Century Farms Subdivision
At its November 18th meeting, members of the Meridian City Council unanimously approved
AZ 14-012, Hill’s Century Farm by Brighton Investments, LLC for annexation and zoning of 223.73
acres at 5340 S. Eagle Road with an R-8 zoning district. They also approved PP 14-014, a preliminary plat consisting of 675 building lots, 47 common-area lots and one other lot for an elementary
school on 221.8 acres.
John Stamper, who lives east of the site in the City of Boise, testified against the project, saying
the Ada County Highway District “won’t be able to keep up with the builders and the existing roundabout (at Eagle and Amity roads) causes terrible traffic problems.” He also said he’s concerned about
the new elementary school. “There’s already 1,400 students at Lake Hazel Middle School” and there
should be another one close to this project. “We need another middle school,” he said. Stamper also
referred to the “hilly intersection” at Eagle and Lake Hazel roads. “We need infrastructure before
building,” he said.
Another nearby property owner, Gordon Crofts, who has lived for 33 years on 40 acres adjacent
to the site, testified in favor of the project and said there’s “tolerable traffic” at Eagle and Amity roads
that is handled by the roundabout.
In other business, Council members approved TEC 14-006, a one-year time extension on the
preliminary plat for Jericho by Viper Investments, LLC, on the west side of N. Jericho Road south of
Chinden Boulevard. Developer’s representative Becky McKay said an existing structure on the property “will be offered to the Meridian Fire Department for a practice burn or torn down.”
The council also approved VAC 14-006, for Spurwing Rim lots 7 and 8, block 1 by The Club at
Spurwing north of Chinden Boulevard east of N. Jayker Way to vacate the 10-foot-wide public
utility, drainage and irrigation (PUDI) easement along the shared lot lines platted with Spurwing Rim
Subdivision.
Council also approved FP 14-041, a request by LEI Engineers for final plat approval of Chinden
and Linder Crossing Subdivision, nine commercial lots and two common lots on 9.43 acres in a C-C
zoning district on the northwest corner of Chinden Boulevard and N. Linder Road.
Council also approved FT 14-040, Scentsy Commons Subdivision by Hot1, LLP, represented by
Dave Yorgason for 3001 E. Commercial Drive and 2701 E. Pine Avenue, request for final plat approval of seven building lots on 60.73 acres in I-L (Industrial-Light), L-O (Limited-Office) and C-G
(Commercial-General) zoning districts.
(Continued on next page)
November 24, 2014
Learn to speak in public for greater confidence and success
in life. Eagle Toastmasters meets every Wednesday from 8:009:00 a.m. at Foothills Christian Church, 9655 W. State Street,
Boise 83714. Visit www.eagle ID toastmasters. org.
Sandler Sales trainer speaks at chamber luncheon
Jim Stephens, owner of Crossroads Business Development and
Training, has been providing business sales tools using the Sandler
Sales program for the past 16 years.
He helps to define the tough questions that provide business
growth and vision. He spoke at the Meridian Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week and covered topics on business mediocrity and how much it costs a company, the value of time management, and what a business pipeline looks like when as a salesperson you are invited into an appointment versus pushing your own
agenda.
Stephens is an expert when it comes to training sales teams on
skills such as the value of asking questions, persistence, innovation and how business grows when a salesperson asks for the order. The steps in the Sandler Sales Training program teach consistency and include building rapport in the presentation and trial
close.
“Seventy percent of a salesperson’s time should be spent in
active listening and thirty percent asking questions,” he said.
“The core of success is learning
to see the value of what you offer and understanding the needs
and motives of your customer.
“Seventy percent of people
Jim Stephens
buy because they feel heard,
thirty percent buy because of low price and most people will pay
more when they feel listened to.”
For more information, call Jim or Julie at (208) 429-9275 or
check out their tools on-line at www.crossroads.sandler.com.
Nampa native serves with VAQ-132
http://www.navyoutreach.org/nampa-idaho-native-serves-vaq132/
By Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – A 2004 Nampa High School graduate
and Nampa, Idaho native is serving with the U.S. Navy’s aviation
Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132), also known as the
“Scorpions”.(See color photo of Layton, across at right)
Chief Petty Officer Robert Layton is an aviation structural
mechanic with VAQ-132, a Whidbey Island-based squadron that
operates the Navy’s newest electronic warfare aircraft, the EA18G Growler.
Layton contributes to the squadron’s mission by working on
the structure and hydraulics for the aircraft.
Built to replace the EA-6B Prowler, the EA-18G Growler is a
carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft and the cornerstone of the
naval Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) mission. It’s platform is
derived from the combat proven F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft,
and adds a sophisticated electronic warfare suite that enables it to
suppress enemy air defenses as well as electronic attack operations.
“It’s a new, innovative use of an older platform,” said Layton.
“It’s an exciting time to be in the squadron.”
The Growler has two seats, is over 60 feet long, and can weigh
up to 66,000 lbs. when fully loaded with all missiles and electronic jammers. It is capable of traveling over 1,100 miles per hour;
around 1.5 times the speed of sound.
Layton said he is proud to be a part of the 187-member squadron that is ready to defend America at all times and enjoys working.
“There’s a strong team in the squadron,” explained Layton.
“We have an amazing sense of camaraderie.”
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied with VAQ-132. The men and
women keep all parts of the squadron running smoothly. This includes everything from maintaining aircraft airframes and engines,
to processing paperwork, handling weaponry, and flying the aircraft.
“Every day I am constantly impressed by my exceptional sailors,” said Cmdr. David J. Rueter, VAQ-132’s commanding officer.
“My team is filled with hardworking and highly qualified professionals who hold uncommon levels of responsibility and accountability in support of our mission: Provide worldwide tactical Airborne Electronic Attack against targets at sea or ashore in support
of U.S. and Coalition combat forces.
“They embody the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and
commitment to the fullest.”
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 9
D.L. Evans Bank promotes Walden to
Cole-Emerald branch Operations Officer
Andrea Walden
John V. Evans, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of
D.L. Evans Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Andrea
Walden to Operations Officer at the Cole and Emerald branch.
Andrea has over 25 years of banking experience and has been
with D.L. Evans Bank since 2006. She is committed to serving her
community by actively being involved in the Susan G. Komen
fundraisers and the Leukemia Lymphoma fundraisers.
“I am looking forward to building and expanding personal and
business banking relationships in the Treasure Valley area,” she
said. Andrea invites her customers, friends and family to visit her
at the Cole and Emerald branch located on 7450 W. Emerald. She
may be reached at (208) 321-1484.
Meridian City Council (continued)
Finally, Council members approved Ordinance No. 14-1631,
amending Title 3, Business and License Regulations, Chapter 8,
Private Security Services of the Meridian City Code, for the purpose of deleting 3-8-2, License Required; Exemptions; 3-8-3, Application for License; 3-8-4, License Issuance; Denial; Revocation;
and amending 3-8-5, Operating Requirements and 3-8-6, Penalty;
and providing an effective date.
CPO Robert Layton, aviation structural mechanic with VAQ-132.
Experience Christmas in
the Village at Meridian! Start
the season off at the annual Tree
Lighting Ceremony in Fountain
Square on Friday, November 28
from 6:00-6:30 p.m. and welcome Santa to his house at the
Village.
Join in the joyous sounds of
the season with carolers Jennifer Bach, Michele Eastland,
Georgie Manning, Dallin McAllister and Eric Olson & the
Ambrose School Bell Choir.
Take in the sights of the season
with the Dance Unlimited dance
team.
Special thanks to Franz
Witt, Tree Lighting sponsor, for
bringing this special event to the
community!
Page 10
Valley Times
November 24, 2014
Eagle Senior Center undergoes needed interior renovations
The Eagle Senior Center at 327 W. State Street in downtown Eagle has undergone several needed
interior upgrades. Specific areas addressed include painting of the walls and improvements to the
restrooms, kitchen and boutique.
“We appreciate what the City of Eagle does for us,” said President Laurel Jobes. “We received
$11,000 to do the improvements.”
Lunches are served at the center every Tuesday and Thursday and Jobes said plans are in the
works to add a Monday luncheon. Eagle seniors are active and do much more than attend lunches,
listen to entertainment and programs and participate in exercise classes. “We take field trips and do
things off the calendar,” Jobes said. Last Friday, she drove a vanful of seniors to Marsing for lunch at
a restaurant overlooking the Snake River.
“We’re working with Valley Transit to bring more transportation options to Eagle for seniors and
others,” Jobes said. “It would be like a bus service where I can take the people who don’t drive to
hospitals, beauty parlors, the grocery store and other destinations, all within Eagle. Call 939-0475.
Charlie Rountree and Dwight Tovey of the Idaho Pancreatic
Cancer Network at the November 18 meeting. At far left in the
rear is Councilman David Zaremba.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
President Laurel Jobes wields the oversized scissors at last week’s ribbon cutting sponsored by the Eagle Chamber of Commerce.
Meridian Council President Charlie Rountree at last Tuesday’s
council meeting read a proclamation signed by the absent Mayor
Tammy de Weerd proclaiming November as Cancer Awareness
Month.
Pancreatic Cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in
the United States and is slated to become #2 by 2020. “It is our
goal to see the 5-year survival rate double by 2020,” said Cindy
Roberts Tovey of the Idaho Pancreative Cancer Network.
This year, 46,420 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer in the U.S. and 39,590 will die from the disease; 73% of
individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die in the first year,
most in 3-6 months. The 5-year survival rate is just 6%.
There is no early detection. The cancer can grow for up to 10
years before it is finally detected and by then it is usually too late.
There has been only one new drug approved by the FDA in over
10 years. Pancreatic cancer receives only 2% of the National Cancer Institutes budget, which when you look at the attached charts
may help explain in part why the survival rate is so low.
“In the Fall of 2009, we started with a group of five individuals who wanted to make a difference,” Cindy said. “In September,
we held our 4th walk, PurpleStride, with 825 participants. We anticipate continued growth as we Wage Hope for those who are
fighting now and those who are no longer able to.
“We have one more event tentatively scheduled for next week
on the 25th,” she said. “We will build a large purple ribbon on the
Capitol steps with luminaries that will light up that evening. I say
tentatively since we had to reschedule from last week because of
the weather which has also delayed the Christmas tree going up in
front of the Capitol. Our project will be delayed until that tree
lighting ceremony happens.”
Learn more about pancreatic cancer at www.pancan.org.
Phosphates worse than death...Many laundry detergents contain phosphates, which soften hard water. Once they’ve done their
job in your washing machine and gone through the sewage works,
they can cause problems in waterways. Because algae feed on phosphates, high levels can cause algal blooms, which use up all the
oxygen in the water, suffocating plant and animal life. Help to
protect rivers and other waterways by choosing phosphate-free detergents and cleaning products. Joanna Yarrow, 1,001 Ways to Save
the Earth (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2007), number 674
Looking for a venue
for your Holiday
party?
Support the American Legion veterans’
organization that supports our community.
Call 590-1710 for reservations.
Host your event at the
American Legion building!
• Christmas/Thanksgiving party
• Weddings/Anniversaries and Dances
• Retirement Parties
• Birthday Parties
• Business Meetings
• Annual Seminars
• Professional Training
• Organizational Dinners
• Church Services
• Bazaars or Craft Shows
• Youth Organizations
• Family Celebrations
• Health Clinics
• Political Events
• Fund Raisers
NMaRs?rel 0
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 11
Winning the pageant was a literal ‘crowning’ moment.
Chaise Goris of Eagle crowned Miss
Idaho Teen USA, advances to nationals
After four years of “Chaise’ing” her dream, Eagle resident
Chaise Goris won the title of Miss Idaho Teen USA and will represent the Gem State for Miss Teen USA 2015.
Coincidentally, she was crowned the 33rd Idaho queen in the
Miss Teen USA pageant system on her 18th birthday.
Chaise is a freshman at Boise State University, where she lives
on campus. She is working toward a degree in communications
and hopes to receive an internship with a local news station. Upon
graduation from Eagle High School in May 2014, Chaise was
awarded the Broadcast Student of the Year award for her excellence in anchoring as well as editing and camera work behind the
scenes.
She was also voted by her senior high school class as most
likely to become famous and they just might be right as she is now
a public figure since becoming Miss Idaho Teen USA.
In 2013 Chaise donated her hair to Locks of Love and wants
to spread the word about personal donation whether it be hair, blood,
bone marrow or even just signing a donor card. A classmate tragically passed away and when her parents donated her organs, it
inspired Chaise to give something of herself, as well.
Fitness also is important to Chaise, a nationally qualified bikini competitor in both the National Physique Committee and
National Gym Association of professional bodybuilding. She is
the youngest Idahoan ever to win first place in an open competition in a women’s bikini division of an NGA show. As a little girl,
she appeared on TV shows including “The Gilmore Girls” and
“Criminal Minds.” She also worked for Mattel and Disney as a
model. She is also a rollercoaster and zipline enthusiast as well as
an onstage fitness competitor.
The foundation of finance for business
• Year-End Planning / Tax Returns
• Complimentary Second Opinion
• Tax Analysis, Review and Advantages
• Bookkeeping and Accounting Services
• Annual Finance Planning
• CPA Services/ Audit
Contact our office – 208-947-2400
1850 N Lakes Place - Meridian ID 83646
Valley Times
Page 12
November 24 , 2014
fuzzypawzrescue
Mouser is a 4-5-year-old male Domestic Short Hair who is a real
sweetie and loves to hang out with his people and chill. He is loving,
affectionate and independent at the same time. He enjoys relaxing in
someone’s lap but also loves lying in the sun snoozing. This boy does
really well with dogs (he has lived with three); if they step out of line, he
will bat at them. The dogs sure know who the real boss is and everybody
is happy. Mouser likes to play now and again but is not what you would
consider a high-energy cat. He will be a great companion for almost
anyone. Mouser is neutered and current on his shots. If he sounds like a
good fit for you, please fill out the application for him at http://
fuzzypawzrescue.com/adopt/adoption-application-2/ and his foster mom
will get back to you as soon as possible. Mouser’s adoption fee is $10.
Bald is BEAUTIFUL! Chip, a 5-year-old purebred Chinese Crested,
came to Fuzzy Pawz Rescue when his former owner could no longer
care for him. This handsome boy loves to hang out with his foster family
and will curl up on a doggie bed next to you or in your lap (his favorite).
He loves to give kisses. If you talk to him, he will talk back and tell you
all about his day. While he really likes people, his tolerance level is low
for young kids; we are requiring he go to a home with kids 12 and older.
He is good with other dogs (his foster home has three) and loves to play
chase with them. Chip spent some time in a home with a cat and did fine
until the cat gave him a swat; then he became a little too interested in the
cat. He would do fine with a cat that is dog savvy and plays the “ignore”
card. Chip is house trained (provided he is given regular potty breaks)
and crate trained. He is very polite on a leash and when taking a treat. He
will do best in a home with someone who is home during the day or is
home on and off during the day. Chip will require a yard with a fence at
least 5 feet tall as he is able to jump quite high. He has some skin issues
(common in his breed). We have changed his diet (grain free only), given
him a good bath and provide regular doses of 100% organic coconut oil;
he is already showing signs of improvement. Chip will need to go to a
family that knows and understands what his breed needs with regard to
diet and bathing; a home that has had or currently has Cresteds will be
considered first for adoption. He is neutered, vaccinated and
microchipped. If you can offer Chip a lifetime of happiness and the special care he needs, please fill out an application at http://fuzzypawzrescue.
com/adopt/adoption-application-2/ and his foster mom will get back to
you as soon as possible. Chip’s adoption fee is $150 .
59 N. Five Mile Rd.
Boise
378-9887
The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon
Gerome Ferris (1899). The painting shows common misconceptions about the event that persist to modern times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits and the Wampanoag are
dressed in the style of Native Americans from the Great Plains.
(www.wikipedia.org)
Mouser
INSPIRE, the Idaho Con-nections Academy, is now meeting
the needs of Eagle students who learn better outside the traditional
classroom setting. For information about this fully accredited virtual
public school serving grades K-12, visit www.connections
academy.com/idaho-online-school/events.aspx? idEvent=11909.
Meridian Wildlife Sightings by Larry Woodard
Canada geese and COPD
Chip
Looking for a pet? Visit a
local shelter, where you’ll find
many adoptable, adorable animals needing a loving home.
Our friends in Meridian named LaDene and Frank have a nice
home bordered by a moderate-sized irrigation ditch.
This Fall, they were working in their backyard adjacent to the
ditch when a small flock of Canada geese came noisily honking
down the ditch. As they passed by, one old honker dropped out
and landed in their yard.
He was just totally winded. Balancing on his outstretched
wings, he lowered his head between his knees to just catch his
breath. After several minutes of
regaining his breath, he raised
his head to see his flock returning and as they passed by, he
arose to join them and head for
the nearest cornfield.
This event proves that geese
and I suspect most wildlife suffer in their old age from COPD
(chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease). So when cold weather
affects your breathing, just put
your head between your knees
and relax for a few moments.
210 Fairview Avenue
Meridian
3321 S. Federal Way
Boise
888-4145
342-9270
Vietnam Veterans
Chapter 1025
22 E. Broadway
American Legion Hall
Meridian
Meeting time 7:00 p.m.
First Tuesday of the month
Spouses are invited, too.
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 13
The First Thanksgiving feast in 1621 by Betty Kusler
It is over 390 years ago when we celebrated our first Thanksgiving feast in the United States. The
remaining Pilgrims arranged this three-day celebration to thank God for His many blessings. The
Meridian Historical Society has written the following account in its newsletter. Thanks, Carol Jetton.
The First Thanksgiving Feast
The famous first Thanksgiving feast is believed to have taken place in autumn in the year 1621.
The Pilgrims organized the feast right after the first harvest. It was a gesture to thank God for helping
them survive the bitter winter.
It was also celebrated as a display of gratitude towards Indians. The feast took place in Plymouth,
Massachusetts. The traditional “first feast” formed the basis for the modern Thanksgiving Day celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year.
According to historians, the first Thanksgiving feast was eaten outside as the colonists didn’t
have sufficient space to accommodate everyone. Native Indians were invited to the feast as they were
the ones who taught the Pilgrms how to grow food. The feast was held to rejoice in their fruits of
labor.
The feast is described in a firsthand account presumably written by a leader of the colony, Edward
Winslow. According to him, the Governor had sent four men to kill as many fowl as they could. The
feast was attended by 90 people who enjoyed ducks, turkeys, geese, swans, venison, fish and clams,
watercress, lobster, dried fruit including plums. The feast continued for three days and was accompanied by lots of dancing and merry-making.
The feast was not repeated for the next four years. The next Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in
the year 1626, a year that witnessed a severe drought which was eventually followed by rains due, it
was thought, to prayers.
George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. The idea attracted mixed
reactions. After a national campaign of nearly 80 years, in 1863 in the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving.
Since then, we have also recognized this holiday as a family reunion day. We often travel great
distances to celebrate the day with family members. We need to be as thankful as the Pilgrims were.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Share your ‘bounty’ with your loved ones
By Andy Pfost
It’s almost Thanksgiving, a holiday that once celebrated the harvest season. Although many of us
today may not be directly connected to agriculture, we still gather on Thanksgiving with our loved
ones to share whatever “bounty” we may have. But this practice doesn’t have to begin and end with
food. Why not incorporate the spirit of sharing into your overall financial strategy?
Here are a few suggestions for doing just that:
• Make financial gifts. You could give shares of stock to your loved ones, or perhaps give them
money to help fund their IRAs. (They must have earned income, however, to be eligible to contribute
to an IRA.) You can give up to $14,000 per year, per recipient. If you are married, you and your
spouse can each give up to the $14,000 yearly limit.
• Invest in your children’s future. To help your children meet the high costs of higher education,
you might want to invest in a college savings vehicle. One option to consider is a 529 plan. When you
contribute to a 529 plan, your earnings are subject to tax-free growth potential and distributions are
free of federal taxes, provided they are used for qualified higher education expenses. (Keep in mind,
though, that Section 529 plan distributions not used for these qualified expenses may be subject to
income tax and a 10% penalty.) Furthermore, if you invest in your home state’s 529 plan, you may
receive state tax incentives. Tax issues for 529 plans can be complex, though, so you’ll need to
consult with your tax advisor about your situation. Another benefit of 529 plans: You control the
assets right up to the point at which they are actually used. So, if you have been putting away money
for a particular child (or grandchild) and he or she decides against college, you can easily switch to
another beneficiary.
• Review your insurance policies. If something were to happen to you,
is your life insurance sufficient to take care of your family? In other words,
would there be enough money available to pay off your mortgage, send
your children to college and help your surviving spouse meet at least some
of his or her retirement expenses? A financial professional can help you
determine if your life insurance is sufficient for your needs.
• Consider involving your family with your estate plans. To help ensure your wishes get carried out the way you intended, consider keeping
family members informed of your estate strategy, which could involve
your will, living trust, power of attorney and other legal documents. And
don’t forget to keep your beneficiary designations up to date on your retirement accounts and your life insurance policy. So if you’ve gone through
Andy Pfost
changes in your family situation, such as a divorce or remarriage, work with your professional team,
including your financial advisor and your tax and legal advisors, to make sure your investment
strategy aligns with your estate goals.
Once the turkey is eaten and the football games have ended, Thanksgiving will draw to a close.
But consider these strategies sharing your “bounty” with your loved ones all year long and throughout your lifetime.
Eagle Business Alliance to hold organizational meeting on December 3rd
The Eagle Business Alliance announces an organizational meeting on Wednesday, December
3rd at 4:30 p.m. at Bella Aquila Restaurant, 775 S. Rivershone Lane.
“Our community is the best place in Idaho for people to raise a family and enjoy our state’s
fantastic quality of life,” said John Foster. “But that can’t be enough. We need the City of Eagle to be
a great place to work, a great place to start a business and a great place to recreate. The best people to
share that vision are our community’s business leaders, people with an understanding of how far
Eagle has come and how far it could go toward becoming one of the best places in the Northwest.”
Goals include giving the community’s business leaders a voice with their civic government to
advocate for what businesses need to grow and prosper, as well as for a vision of our city that will
attract economic development and smart growth. The focus is on collaborating with elected leaders
Johnson named Director of Development for IPT
Jenifer Johnson, vice president of development for The Idaho
Foodbank since 2009, has been named director of development
for Idaho Public Television.
“Jenifer began her career as a student producer at our own
KUID/Moscow, so this job brings her full circle back to Idaho
Public Television,” said Ron Pisaneschi, general manager.
Johnson has worked in production and community relations
at television stations KREM in Spokane and KCPQ in Seattle. She
has also worked in public relations, marketing and fund-raising
for the Easter Seal Society of Seattle and Boise’s Bogus Basin
Mountain Recreation Area.
“We are excited to have Jenifer as our new director of development,” Pisaneschi added. “Her wealth of experience in
fundraising, management and television make her the perfect person to lead our fund-raising efforts.”
At The Idaho Foodbank, Johnson has been responsible for managing a staff of 11 professionals in fundraising, food acquisition,
marketing and outreach. Johnson and her team have been responsible for meeting or exceeding The Foodbank’s annual fund-raising goal of $6.1 million and for supporting the annual growth in
food acquisition from 6 million pounds
in fiscal year 2009 to more 15 million
pounds this year.
At IdahoPTV, Johnson will supervise a staff of nine that is responsible
for raising more than 60 percent of the
station’s $8 million operating budget.
She will be introduced during DecemberFest and join Idaho Public Television in mid-December.
Jenifer Johnson
and civic officials to improve the City of Eagle in three key ways:
• Recreation. The community needs events, attractions, facilities and entertainment so people can stay in Eagle.
• Transportation. Eagle needs high-quality, high-capacity roads
and bridges to prevent congestion and facilitate development.
• Infrastructure. The community needs a “pro-growth” vision
and wise planning to anticipate future needs.
The plan to start is to host regular meetings of a founding board
and begin planning regular events where business leaders can meet,
network and engage elected officials on the issues important to the
businesses of Eagle. We are hopeful that the core membership will
be made up of community leaders and business owners who are
directly impacted by the decisions made by our elected officials.
Tell your friends and neighbors to visit the web site at
www.GoEagle.biz and sign up for more information. We are also
hoping to attract seed funding from founding members.
Valley Times
Page 14
Albertsons donates 1,320 meals and truckload
of toilet paper for Foodbank to help the needy
BOISE – At a time of year synonymous with boisterous family gatherings and extravagant meals,
there are many Idaho families who are facing the prospect of a bare pantry for the holidays. With the
help of Albertsons, and their generous customers across the state, many of those families will now
enjoy a holiday meal.
On Friday, Albertsons delivered 1,320 Thanksgiving dinners to The Idaho Foodbank, donated by
customers through its “Turkey Bucks” campaign, which enables customers to round up their purchase or add $1, $5 or $10 as a donation.
“We are very fortunate to live in a community that cares about their neighbors,” said Susan
Morris, President of the Intermountain Division for Albertsons. “Every year, we’re honored and
humbled by the generosity of our customers and our Albertsons associates who work together to help
provide holiday meals to so many people served by the Idaho Foodbank”
Along with the truckload of turkey dinners, Albertsons also dropped off a truck filled with bathroom tissue donated by Oasis Brands, Inc.
“Albertsons is a partner that is ‘all-in’ when it comes to the effort to solve hunger,” said Karen
Vauk, President and CEO of The Idaho Foodbank. “The kind gift of 1,320 Thanksgiving meals by
Albertsons and the gracious gift of bathroom tissue by Oasis will mean the world to the people we
serve this holiday season.”
Susan Morris of Albertsons and Karen Vauk of The Foodbank.
About Albertsons LLC Albertsons is working to become
the favorite food and drug retailer
in every state in which it operates.
An Idaho-based company with a
rich history extending back to
1939, Albertsons stores now operate in 16 states at over 600 locations. For more information about
Albertsons,
visit
www.albertsons.com
or
www.facebook.com/albertsons.
About Oasis Brands, Inc. Founded in May 2010, Oasis
Brands, Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, Virginia-based consumer
products company committed to
innovative brand development, and
uncovering category and consumer
insights for the U.S. Retail marketplace. The Oasis Brands portfolio
includes the fastest growing brand
in America – Fiora® tissue and
towels. For more information on
(Concluded in next columns,
above at right)
November 24, 2014
Oasis Brands, visit www.oasisbrands.com.
The Idaho Foodbank is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit
organization founded in 1984, and is the largest distributor of free food
assistance in Idaho. From warehouses in Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello,
the Foodbank has distributed more than 135 million pounds of food to
Idaho families through a network of more than 230 community-based
partners. These include rescue missions, church pantries, emergency
shelters and community kitchens. The Foodbank also operates directservice programs that promote healthy families and communities through
good nutrition. Visit http://idahofoodbank.org.
Some of the many volunteers from Albertsons and The
Foodbank who made this generous gift possible.
Helping the needy with dinners donated by Albertsons.
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW
Located near the Interstate at 953 S. Industry Way in Meridian (east of WinCo)
888-9111
HOWARD R. FOLEY
MARK S. FREEMAN
PATRICK J. GEILE
LEAH F. SHOTWELL
ROBIN M. LONG
MATTHEW G. BENNETT
LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS
• Bankruptcy • Employment Law
• Real Estate • Business Formation
• Contracts • Wills & Trusts
• Criminal Defense • Banking & Finance
• Condemnation • Accidents & Injuries
• Divorce & Child Custody
• Products Liability • Collections
• Corporations & LLCs • Discrimination Claims
• Complex Litigation • Estate Planning
• Construction & Development
Valley Times
November 24, 2014
Page 15
19th annual East-West Shrine All-Star
Game set for November 28 at EHS
Borah Lions tame Rocky Mountain
Grizzlies 51-38 in game held Nov. 22nd
BOISE – The El Korah Shriners have announced the rosters
for the 19th annual East-West Shrine All-Star Game featuring the
top high school eight-man and 11-man football players from District III.
The best seniors from local high schools will come together to
compete against each other one more time while helping raise
money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children and Patient Travel
Fund. Two football games will be held Friday, November 28 at
Eagle High School, 574 N. Park Lane, Eagle. The eight-man game
will start at 11:00 a.m. and the 11-man game starts at 2:00 p.m.
One admission price gets you into both games. The cost is $12 for
adults, $6 for students with activity cards, and children age five
and under are free.
“We are so excited to bring these games to the Treasure Valley
every year,” said Corey Turner, Game Director, El Korah Shriners.
“We have had the privilege of watching some great athletes compete while raising money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Their participation and the communities support means a lot to us
and the Shriner kids.”
Donations are deductible as charitable contributions. The
money raised will help pay for hospital and travel expenses for
children recommended to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Rosters include 89 seniors for the 11-man game and 36 seniors for the eight-man game. Local schools being represented include:
• 11-man East Team: Bishop Kelly, Boise, Borah, Capital,
Centennial, Cole Valley, Emmett, Homedale, Kuna, McCallDonnelly, Melba, Mountain Home, Parma, Rocky Mountain, Timberline
• 11-man West Team: Caldwell, Columbia, Eagle, Fruitland,
Marsing, Meridian, Middleton, Mountain View, Nampa, Nampa
Christian, New Plymouth, Payette, Skyview, Vallivue, Weiser
• Eight-man East Team: Greenleaf Friends Academy, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho City, Notus, Rimrock, Wilder
• Eight-man West Team: Cascade, Council, Garden Valley,
Tri-Valley
Borah
4
20
17
10
51
Rocky Mtn.
4
7
15
12
38
Borah - Kiana Corpus 17 points, Alesia Jones 4, Rachael
Schoonover 6, Alyssa Bolt 4, Kayla Bryant 8, Lizzy Hemphill 5,
Michal Bilger 7. Rebound leader: Corpus, Bilger, Jones 5. Assist
leader: Corpus 5.
Rocky Mountain (2-1) - Maddie Hall 10 points, Allie Clegg
3, Carlee Moser 4, Maddy Smith 8, Maya Rodgers 7, Layci Verity
2, Rachel Fielder 4. Rebound leader: Rodgers 8. Assist leader:
Moser 6.
Prep Football
Roundup
Highland 56, Mountain View 21 for 5A
state football championship at Boise
The 11-0 Highland Rams easily defeated the 10-2 Mountain
View Mavericks last Friday at BSU’s Albertson Stadium.
The Rams scored the first two touchdowns in the first period,
on runs of two and 35 yards by Garret Christensen, with Connor
Atkinson kicking the point-after. The Mavericks responded with a
17-yard scoring scamper by Garrett Collingham, with Matias Lamberti kicking the extra point as Highland led 14-7.
The second period saw each team score one touchdown, Highland on a two-yard pass from Dakota Tillotson to Kamron Farnsworth followed by a point-after kick by Atkinson, and Mountain
View on a 44-yard scoring psss from Collingham to Ryan Haun.
Lamberti’s point-after made it 21-7 at the half.
The high-powered offense of Highland came alive in the third
period, which saw the Rams score four touchdowns to only one for
the Mavericks. Tillotson ran it in from nine yards out, Ethan Williams scored on a 30-yard interception return, Christensen scored
on the ground from three yards out and Tillotson connected with
Connor Harding for a 26-yard touchdown. For the Mavs, Collingham rushed for 86 yards and their only third-period score.
The game was out of reach when the fourth and final period
opened. Highland scored the one touchdown on a 23-yard pass from
Tillotson to Christensen.
The Rams’ signal caller, Tillotson, finished with 238 yards on
21 connections in 29 passes and one interception, while the Mavs’
Collingham threw 31 times and completed 16 for 175 yards, also
with one interception.
On the ground, Christensen carried the ball 14 times for 129
yards for Highland, while Collingham carried it 27 times for 185
yards.
Readers. send your individual and team sports news to editor@ valleytimesidaho.com. Send photos (in color or black and
white) as separate attachments in jpg. Deadline is every Friday
at noon for the following Monday’s issue unless other arrangements are made in advance. Also, request hard copies or an electronic/digital version for your friends and family members.
Girls Basketball
Rocky Mountain
70, Skyview 55
Cole Valley Christian 63, Payette 34
Rocky Mtn. 13 15 18 24 - 70
Skyview
7 18 10 10 - 55
NAMPA – The Grizzlies invaded Hawks Gym on Friday
and grounded their hosts 70-55
in an early-season nonconference game to improve to 2-0 on
the season.
Maddie Hall scored 21
points, Allie Clegg 16 and Maya
Rodgers, 12 to pace Rocky
Mountain. Rodgers also led in
rebounds with six and in assists
with four.
For the hapless Hawks, who
fell to 0-3 overall, Hailey Graviet scored 13 points, Kayla
Turcato 12 and Natalie Bailey,
nine. Turcato also led her team
in rebounds with 14 and in assists with three.
Eagle Mustangs
71, Columbia 19
Columbia 5 7 3 4 - 19
Eagle
16 21 23 11 - 71
Columbia - Amanda Miller
2, Tianna Williams 2, Jacuelen
Olanda 4, Maquenna Quintero
1, Chorey Curry 9, Shenae Krets
1. Rebound and assist leaders
not provided.
Eagle (2-0) - Abby Mangum 15, Bentli Corta 4, Mary
Trumbel 5, Janie Dean 7, Bixie
Lainhart 2, Jenny Stevens 6,
Cassidy Tiegs 17, Lauren Abel
6, Katelyn Murray 9. Rebound
leader: Stevens 11. Assist leader:
Abel 4.
Mountain View 78,
Boise Braves 60
Mtn. View 14 26 19 19 - 78
Boise
19 16 13 12 - 60
Mountain View (2-0, 1-0)
- Slocum 43 points, Carrillo 10,
Case 10, Perry 8, Routhier 7.
Rebound leader: Routhier 8.
Assist leader: Slocum 6.
Boise (1-1, 0-1) - Simpson
16 points, Hadden 15, Orton 12,
Lee 9, Robinson 5, Dingel 3.
Rebound leaders: Simpson 13,
Johnson 10. Assists leader:
Orton 5.
Cole Valley
23
18
11
11
63
Payette
10
5
10
9
34
Cole Valley Christian (1-2) - Katelin Baker 2, Elly Campbell
1, Paige Albers 2, Madison Holly 17, Sarah McClure 7, Lindy
Wextendorf 6, Holly Golenor 5, Danika Langely 17, Julia Branahl
6. Rebound leader: Langely 6. Assist leader: Wextendorf 4.
Payette (0-3) - Robyn King 3, Krystal Benitez 4, Sothie
McGrah 9, Katee Win 15, Natalie Gerdes 2, Rosa Cedallas 1. Rebound leader: Benitez 4. Assist leader: Not provided.
Free flu shots, hep C & TBI screenings
coming November 30 at ISU-Meridian
Free flu shots and screenings for hepatitis C and traumatic brain
injury are among services offered at a community health screening Thursday, November 20 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Idaho State
University-Meridian Health Science Center, 1311 E. Central Drive.
The screening is the third of six scheduled at various Treasure
Valley locations through March for adults with no insurance or
limited access to preventive health care. Appointments aren’t necessary.
Screening co-director Dr. Glenda Carr reminds adults to immunize against the flu. “An immunization not only protects you
but can help others from getting the flu, especially if you are around
the young, the elderly or people with chronic health conditions,”
said Carr, an ISU-Meridian clinical assistant pharmacy professor.
Other free services include:
• Blood pressure checks, medication reviews and disease education
• Dental evaluations
• Depression and alcohol screenings and questionnaires
• On-site testing for blood sugar levels, cholesterol and HIV
• Hearing and eye screenings
• Nutrition assessment and recommendations
• Health education
The Centers for Disease Control recommends people born between 1954 and 1965 get screened for hepatitis C, a blood-borne
infection that increases a person’s chance of developing cirrhosis
and liver cancer. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
“Hepatitis C can take up to 30 years to seriously affect the
liver,” said Judy Thorne, ISU-Meridian’s viral hepatitis and HIV
educator. “If an individual knows that they have chronic hep C,
they can take proactive steps toward better health.”
The traumatic brain injury screenings are new this year, thanks
to federal funding awarded to ISU’s Institute of Rural Health. IRH
researcher Russell Spearman notes more than 32,000 Idahoans are
living with a severe traumatic brain injury sustained in car crashes,
military combat or playing sports.
The free Community Health Screening Program began in
March 2010 through a partnership with ISU-Meridian, Ada County,
Central District Health, and the Idaho Department of Health and
Welfare. The full screening process takes about 90 minutes and
patients in immediate need are given appointments at low-cost Treasure Valley clinics for additional care.
For more information, call 373-1700 or e-mail healthy
[email protected].
Christmas in Downtown Meridian December 1st-6th...It’s almost time to kick off the holiday season
in Meridian! Christmas in Meridian presented by Borton-Lakey Law & Policy starts December 1st. The
feature event is the Winter Lights Parade on December 5th with fireworks presented by Connections Credit
Union. Mayor Tammy de Weerd will be joined by Kevin and Brenda Mee of Lite 107.9 on the Commercial
Tire Center Stage to begin with the new Winter Lights Fun Run presented by The Pulse Running and Fitness
down the parade route. Costumes, lights and ugly sweaters welcome! Visit the Christmas in Meridian web
site for registration information. The parade will begin immediately after at 6:30 p.m. and will culminate
with the lighting of Meridian’s Christmas tree in Generations Plaza on the corner of Main and Idaho. You
won’t want to miss this fantastic light display. The Downtown Business Decorating Contest presented by
Idaho Independent Bank will be conducted December 1st-4th leading up to the parade. Download a map of
participating businesses from the event web site, bring your family downtown to check out the lights and be
sure to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award. Winners will be announced during the Winter Lights
Parade and will receive a sign outside their businesses throughout the month of December. Call 888-3579.
Valley Times
Page 16
Mayor Tammy’s
Musings
Holiday safety
in Meridian
MPD Supervisor’s Log
Friday, November 14th, 2014
• Vandalism, 2100 block of N. Meridian Road.
• Runaway, 200 block of W. Cranmer.
• One juvenile arrested for DUI and
minor in possession of alcohol.
• Cody Bigelow, 20, was arrested for
disturbing the peace and minor in possession of alcohol.
• Domestic - verbal, 200 block of E.
James Court.
Saturday, November 15th, 2014
• Vandalism, 3000 block of W. Malta.
• Jacob Scott, 19, was arrested for petit
theft.
• Petit theft, 3700 block of E. Fairview
Avenue; three subjects cited.
• Darrell Nance, 33, Desiree Lopez, 23,
and Thomas Phillips, 30, were arrested on
warrants, for providing false information,
carrying a concealed weapon and petit theft.
• Jaeda Williams, 18, was arrested on
a warrant for grand theft.
• Domestic - verbal, 2000 block of W.
Lonesome Dove Street.
• Daemeaon Allen, 25, was arrested for
pedestrian under the influece.
• Disturbing the peace, 2300 block of
W. Wapoot Drive.
• James Douglas, 27, was arrested for
DUI.
Sunday, November 16h, 2014
• Domestic - verbal, 6300 block of N.
Maximus Place and in the 1300 block of W.
Fairwood Drive.
• Petit theft, 700 block of W. Overland
Road; one subject cited.
• Scott Williams, 62, was arrested for
DUI/excessive.
• Crystal Harding, 29, was arrested on
a warrant.
Monday, November 17th, 2014
• Grand theft, 1000 block of W. Pine
Aenue, in the 4000 block of N. Molly Way,
in the 400 block of W. Overland Road, in
the 4900 block of N. Three Links and in the
2700 block of E. Pine Avenue.
• Unattended death, 3100 block of N.
Meridian Road and in the 1400 block of E.
Meadow Creek.
• Domestic battery, 1400 block of W.
Darrah Drive.
• Michael Maddox, 18, was arrested
for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and concealment of evidence.
Tuesday, November 18th, 2014
• Attempted residential burglary, 3200
block of N. Gaviola Avenue.
• Possession of marijuana & paraphernalia; one subject cited.
• Heath Compton, 44, was arrested for
DUI.
• Devon Schalesky, 30, was arrested
for trespassing, indecent exposure, possession of paraphernalia and obstructing law
enforcement.
Wednesday, November 19th, 2014
•Vehicular burglary, 100 block of E.
Blue Heron.
• Possession of paraphernalia with intent to use; one subject cited.
• Daryl Smith, 43, was arrested for
DUI.
• Heather McDowell, 24, was arrested
on a warrant.
Thursday, November 20th, 2014
• Scott Swenson, 28, was arrested for
possession of marijuana & paraphernalia.
• Commercial burglary, 1000 block of
S. Progress Avenue.
• Domestic battery, 600 block of E.
Willowbrook.
• Trespass of privacy, 2500 block of
N. Springtime.
• Battery on law enforcement, juvenile
beyond control, and juvenile detention hold
order; one subject arrested.
(Release of additional information is
subject to the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act. Names of minors are routinely withheld from publication. For more
information, call 888-6678 during regular
business hours.)
Talking turkey...(NAPS) –
The gizzard is part of the bird’s
stomach that helps it digest
harsher and more solid items,
such as seeds.
Meridian might be one of the safest cities in Idaho and the
country, but we are certainly not immune to crime and as a community and individuals we need to be vigilant. While the holidays
are always a very special time, unfortunately some view this season as an opportune time to prey on others. That’s why we discussed several safeguards our citizens can employ at a recently
held Town Hall meeting.
Bolstering your safety starts at home. From ensuring all doors
in homes and vehicles are locked to making sure garage doors are
closed at night, we often overlook what some see as ports of entries to our homes or quick opportunities for theft. An electronic
garage door opener left in a car parked in your driveway can present
a free ticket to your garage belongings and/or access to an unlocked man-door in your garage providing entry into your home.
Lighting is an essential component to home safety as well.
Thieves generally stay away from well-lit areas. We know many
citizens like to turn off porch lights to save on electrical costs, but
we encourage you to keep the lights on, especially during the holidays.
And don’t forget about dangerous situations you might create
inside your home. Did you know that most house fires begin in the
kitchen? That’s why it is important to never leave food unaccompanied while a stove is turned on and make sure you turn off your
oven after you’re done preparing your favorite holiday meal or
dessert.
It is important to protect ourselves and our children in the
home, as well as on-line this season. First and foremost, be aware
of what information you are sharing via social media and other
sites. Letting your on-line friends know about a holiday vacation
or outing also lets burglars know when you will be gone. Another
best practice is to only use the GPS function on your phone when
necessary. Many phones are now equipped with GPS, which can
let your associates and criminals know, within 6 feet, of your whereabouts. As predators utilize fake accounts to gain access to you
and your children, a good rule to follow is to not have more than
200 friends in any given application and parents should monitor
their children’s accounts at least once a week.
Scammers love the holidays as well, with many asking for
money to be sent electronically. Please remember, if it seems too
good to be true, it probably is. Be wary when using Craigslist,
Facebook vendor groups and pages and lottery scams as these are
popular for enticing people to pledge money for false products. If
you suspect you are being scammed, please ask for a return phone
number and name if possible and then alert the Meridian Police at
888-6678, 311 or 911. Another best practice in this regard is to
deal locally whenever possible.
You may watch the full video from the Town Hall meeting on
our web site, www.meridiancity.org, to learn more about these tips
and much more. If you need any additional information on how to
keep you and your family safe, you may also contact the Meridian
Police Department.
I hope your holiday season is a blessed one. If we all look out
for one another and take some commons sense steps including the
safety steps listed above, we can make this a more joyous time for
all.
Still time to file a claim against AT&T Mobility
BOISE – Attorney General Lawrence Wasden remindd customers of AT&T Mobility they may be eligible for a refund. The
settlement provides $80 million to be distributed nationwide in
refunds to consumers.
The deadline to file claims is May 1st, 2015. Idahoans may
access the claim form from the Federal Trade Commission’s web
site at www.ftc.gov/att. If you are unsure about your eligibility for
a refund, visit the claim web site or call the Claims Administrator
at (877) 819-9692. Customers who use AT&T Mobility for their
wireless services may be entitled to a refund for unauthorized
charges or “mobile cramming,” according to a settlement with the
other 49 Attorneys General, the District of Columbia, the Federal
Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
Consumers who had been “crammed” often complained about
charges, typically $9.99 a month, for “premium” text message subscription services including horoscopes, trivia and sports scores or
others they had not authorized or requested.
November 24, 2014
Legal Notices
NOTICE OF HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the Ordinances of the City of Meridian
and the Laws of the State of Idaho that the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City
of Meridian will hold a public hearing at the Meridian City Hall, 33 East Broadway Avenue, Meridian, Idaho, at the hour of 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2014 for the
purpose of reviewing and considering the applications of:
ACNW Properties, LLC for Conditional Use Permit approval to operate an indoor recreation facility in an I-L zoning district for ACNW Indoor Recreation Facility
located 1471 E. Commercial Drive.
DBTV Southridge Farm, LLC for Rezone of 3.05 acres from R-15 to TN-R; 1.67
acres from R-4 to R-8; and 0.83 of an acre from R-8 to R-4 AND PP 14-017 for Preliminary Plat approval consisting of 167 single-family residential building lots and 32 common/other lots on 48.56 acres of land in the R-4, R-8 and TN-R zoning districts for
Southridge Estates Subdivision generally located south of W. Overland Road between
S. Linder Road and S. Ten Mile Road (This item has been Re-Noticed from November
20, 2014)
More particular descriptions of the above properties are on file in the Community
Development Department office at Meridian City Hall, 33 East Broadway Avenue, Meridian Idaho and are available for inspection during regular business hours, Monday
through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
Copies of the above applications are available for review upon request. Any
and all interested persons shall be heard at said public hearing, and the public is welcome
and invited to submit testimony. Oral testimony may be limited to three (3) minutes per
person. Written materials may be submitted seven (7) days prior to the above hearing
date so that all interested parties may examine them prior to the hearing. All materials
presented at public meetings shall become property of the City of Meridian. Anyone
desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 888-4433 at least 72 hours prior to the public meeting.
PUBLISH 17th of November and 1st of December 2014.
JAYCEE L. HOLMAN, CITY CLERK
PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF EAGLE
Legal notice is hereby given that the EAGLE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
will hold a public hearing December 15, 2014, at 6:00 P.M. at Eagle City Hall to consider
the following:
APPLICATION #: A-04-14/RZ-04-14/CU-07-14
APPLICATION BY: Shane and Sharon Mace
PROJECT SUMMARY: Shane and Sharon Mace, represented by Rick McGraw, are
requesting approval of an annexation and rezone from RUT (Rural-Urban Transition –
Ada County designation) to R-E (Residential-Estates up to one (1) unit per two (2) acres)
and conditional use permit approval to allow for a mobile home occupied by a family
member to be located upon a lot in which a single-family dwelling already exists. The
applicant is also requesting conditional use permit approval to allow for existing accessory
structures to remain within a required setback.
PROJECT LOCATION: The 4.6-acre site is located approximately 1200-feet west of
the intersection of South Chipper Way and South Locust Grove Road at 1960 West Joplin
Lane.
Application materials and a specific legal description are on file for public inspection at
Eagle City Hall, 660 Civic Lane. Public testimony is encouraged at the public hearing and
written comments will be accepted no later than five (5) working days prior to the public
hearing. Auxiliary aids or services for persons with disabilities can be made available by
calling the City Clerk (939-6813) at least three days prior to the public hearing. Publication
Notice may be provided in the Idaho Statesman or the Valley Times.
The Ada County Highway District may also conduct public meetings regarding this
application. If you have questions about the meeting date or the traffic that this
development may generate or the impact of that traffic on streets in the area, please
contact the Ada County Highway District at 387- 6170. In order to expedite your
request, please have ready the file number indicated in this notice.
Publish: November 24, 2014
Want to make a difference? Get involved in a service club in
your community. Your local City Hall and Chamber of Commerce
have a list of clubs and other local causes that could use your time.
YOUNG AMERICAN
CREATIVE PATRIOTIC ART
This contest is open to students in grades 9-12. The top national prize is a $10,000 scholarship. Other prizes range from $5,000
for second-place down to $500 for fifth through eighth place. The
first-place winner will also receive a plaque, airfare and two night’s
lodging to attend the Ladies Auxiliary National Convention. The
national first-place winning entry will be featured on the cover of
Ladies Auxiliary VFW Magazine. Second and third place will be
featured in the magazine and all eight top prize winners will featured on the Ladies Auxiliary web site, www.ladiesauxvfw.org.
Deadline is March 31st, 2015. Send entries to the Post & Auxiliary 4000, Irene Godby, 34 E. Waterbury Lane, Meridian ID
83646, phone (208) 855-0420 or June Pack at (208) 888-2839.
School career counselor will have copy of the entry form or
interested students may call June Pack at 888-2839 for a copy.
You may see last year’s winners at www.ladies auxvfw. org/
Young American Creative Patriotic Art.
Readers, send your group/organization and individual news to
[email protected]. Attach photos in jpg or pdf format
and include names. The deadline is every Friday at noon for the
upcoming Monday issue. We welcome items from service clubs as
well as families about the positive difference in lives that are made
every day in our community but mostly go unheralded.
November 24, 2014
Legal Notices
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
UV DISINFECTION EQUIPMENT FOR WWTP
CITY OF MERIDIAN
The City of Meridian is requesting sealed Proposals for UV DISINFECTION EQUIPMENT FOR WWTP. Proposals will be received by the City of Meridian, Purchasing
Department, at the City Hall Building located at 33 East Broadway Avenue, Ste. 106,
Meridian, Idaho 83642, until 4:00 p.m., prevailing local time, DECEMBER 11, 2014.
A complete RFP package is available at City of Meridian Purchasing Department located
at 33 East Broadway Avenue, Ste 106, Meridian, Idaho 83642 or online at the City of
Meridian web site at this address: http://www.meridiancity.org/purchasing.aspx?id=5961
Aprebid meeting will be held on November 24, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. at Meridian City Hall,
Finance Conference Room, 33 E Broadway, Suite 106, Meridian, ID. Proposers may
phone in to participate at (208) 489-0417.
All questions concerning this Invitation for Bid or requests for additional information
should be directed to: Keith Watts at (208) 489-0417.
DATED this 13thday ofNovember 2014
Keith Watts, Purchasing Manager
THE CITY of MERIDIAN, IDAHO
Run Dates: November 17, 2014 and November 24, 2014
Public Service Announcement
The Board of Ada County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on December
3, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Main Hearing Room #1235, on the first floor,
at 200 W. Front Street, Boise, ID to discuss Project #201401149 ZOA, Ada County: A
request for zoning ordinance text amendment to repeal Chapter 8-3F: Flood Hazard Overlay District in its entirety and replace it with a new Chapter 8-3F: Flood Hazard Overlay
District; also amending Section 8-1A-2 to add Figure 18: Special Flood Hazard Area
Diagram.
Auxiliary aids or services for persons with disabilities are available upon request.
Call 287-7900 or 287-7979 (TDD) by 5:00 p.m. prior to this public hearing so that arrangements can be made.
Planner assigned to project: Megan Basham, 287-7944
Valley Times
NOTICE OF HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the Ordinances of the City of Meridian
and the Laws of the State of Idaho that the City Council of the City of Meridian will hold
a public hearing at the Meridian City Hall, 33 East Broadway Avenue, Meridian, Idaho, at
the hour of 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 for the purpose of reviewing and
considering the applications of:
Clarence McLain for Amendment to the Future Land Use Map contained in the
Comprehensive Plan to change the land use designation on approximately 2.92 acres from
Low Density Residential (LDR) to Commercial AND Annexation of approximately 1.44
acres from R1 zoning district in Ada County to the C-G (General Retail and Service)
zoning district for Tribal Fire generally located north side of E. Overland Road and east
of S. Topaz Avenue;
Wal-mart Real Estate Business Trust for Preliminary Plat approval for five (5)
commercial lots on approximately 26.16 acres in the C-G zoning district for Coleman
generally located northwest corner of N. Ten Mile Road and W. McMillan Road.
More particular descriptions of the above properties are on file in the Community
Development Department office at Meridian City Hall, 33 East Broadway Avenue, Meridian Idaho and are available for inspection during regular business hours, Monday
through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
Copies of the above applications are available for review upon request. Any and all
interested persons shall be heard at said public hearing, and the public is welcome and
invited to submit testimony. Oral testimony may be limited to three (3) minutes per person. Written materials may be submitted seven (7) days prior to the above hearing date so
that all interested parties may examine them prior to the hearing. All materials presented
at public meetings shall become property of the City of Meridian. Anyone desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings, please contact the
City Clerk’s Office at 888-4433 at least 72 hours prior to the public meeting.
PUBLISH 24th of November and 8th of December 2014.
JAYCEE L. HOLMAN, CITY CLERK
Meridian Library offers free basic
computer classes for adults
Ada Community Library Victory
Branch has free programs in December
The Victory Branch at 10664 W. Victory Rd., Boise (corner of
Five Mile & Victory Rd.) has fun programs this December for a
mix of age groups as follows:
• Wednesday, December 3rd, Interfaith Dialogue as a Basis
for Conflict Resolution, 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Decembe 4th, Learning Lunches: Creating Calm
for Christmas, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 9th, Thyme for Murder- Mystery Book
Group, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 10th, Bridging Cultures LTAI- Leo
Africanus Book Talk, 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, December 13th, CAT (Chaotic Acts of Theatre)
for the Holidays, 2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dece,ber
17th, Steampunking: READ
posters made in Style(s), 6:30
p.m.
• Friday, December 19th,
Sack of Stoats for the Holidays: Celtic music, 6:30 p.m.
Check out our web site at
www.adalib.org/victory for
more information or call 3620181.
By Trisha Rhine
Upgrading your computer? Thinking about getting a new one?
Frustrated with the one you have now?
The Meridian Library District now offers a wide variety of
basic computer classes for adults. These classes are offered free of
charge to the general public with no registrations or signups
required.
Patrons may bring in their own laptop or borrow one of the
library’s. Classes are offered at different times each week and last
about an hour.
Keep in mind that we cannot fix your computer but would
love to help you learn more! To see a list of upcoming classes and
dates, stop by the Meridian Library on Cherry Lane to pick up a
catalog and schedule or visit the library’s web site at wwwmld.org.
The Meridian Library District also offers free one-on-one appointments for patrons who are unable or feel uncomfortable attending a computer class. In this one-on-one session, you will receive up to an hour of the library’s staff or volunteer’s undivided
attention to help you with a wide range of activities, the most popular of which are being able to download and use the library’s digital content on your personal device.
If you have any questions, contact Trisha Rhine via e-mail at
[email protected] or by phone at (208) 888-4451.
Page 17
SW Idaho highway
construction report
BOISE - Crews do not anticipate working on Thursday, November 27th. Activities this week are
weather dependent.
•I-84, Broadway Avenue Interchange
Crews continue to place
soundwall panels along the westbound on-ramp and continue to
excavate the stormwater drainage
area behind the soundwall.
For more information on this
project, see the project web site at
http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/apps/
broadwayinterchange/default.html.
• I-84, Gowen Road Interchange
Lane restrictions on east- and
westbound I-84 remain in place.
When weather allows, crews will
restripe the roadway and ramps and
open the interstate back up to two
lanes in each direction.
For more information on this
project, see the project web site at
http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/apps/
goweninterchange/default.html.
• I-84, Meridian Road Interchange
Crews are currently constructing bridge piers, columns and walls
on the east half of the bridge. Crews
are beginning to install new signal
foundations at the northeast and
northwest corners of the intersection of Meridian and Overland
roads. Ultimately, the existing signal poles will be replaced with new
relocated poles to accommodate
the widening of Meridian Road.
Visit http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/
apps/meridianinterchange/
default.html.
F&G’s Rainbow Trout
Stocking Schedule
The Nampa Hatchery will release more than 10,000 catchablesized rainbow trout in December.
• Boise River above Glenwood
Bridge on December 1, 1500;
below Glenwood Bridge, 750
• Eagle Island Park Pond,
December 1, 450
• Marianne Williams Pond
(Boise), December 8, 450
• Marsing Pond, December 1,
500
• Parkcenter Pond (Boise),
December 8, 900
• Quinns (Clocktower) Pond
(Boise), December 8, 450
• Riverside Pond (Boise), December 8, 720
• Rotary Pond (Caldwell), December 1, 500
• Sawyer’s Ponds (Emmett),
December 1, 450
• Veterans Park Pond (Boise),
December 8, 450
• Wilson Springs (Nampa),
December 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 500
each date; and on December 8, 22
and 29, 300 on each date
The number of trout actually
released may be altered by weather,
water conditions, equipment problems or schedule changes. If delays
occur, trout will be stocked when
conditions become favorable.
“Give a man a fish and he
will eat one meal; teach him to
fish and he will sit in a boat all
day.” – Anonymous
Page 18
The regular monthly meetings of the Eagle Arts Commission
have been changed to the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30
a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. E-mail artscommission
@cityofeagle.org.
Valley Times
“The love of a parent for a
child is the love that should
grow towards separation.”
– Kahlil Gibran
Starring: Anupam Kher
Genre: Documentary
Directed By: Paola di
Florio & Lisa Leeman
http://www.awakethe
yoganandamovie
Awake: The Life of Paramahansa Yogananda
Movie Review...Compared to most movies, even those which lay claim to relevance and meaning as opposed to so many films that consist of little more than mindless violence and promiscuity,
Awake offers insights into the life and times of Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian guru of yoga and
meditation who spent 15 years in the U.S. teaching Americans in New York and Los Angeles the
ways of the swami until a fickle news media ran him into seclusion and then back to India.
Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi, was written in the 1940s but continues to influence
followers around the globe. Among those who gave out countless copies to friends and acquaintances
were the late George Harrison of the Beatles and Steve Jobs of Apple-founding and development
fame.
There is much to glean from this Eastern philosopher who came to America to challenge Westerners’ way of thinking and action. From a review of the movie found at www.imdb.com:
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda is an unconventional biography about the East Indian mystic
who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s. Paramahansa Yogananda authored the
spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is a go-to
book for seekers, philosophers, and yoga enthusiasts today.
“By personalizing his own quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path,
Yogananda made ancient Vedic teachings accessible to a modern audience. Known as the ‘Father of
Yoga in the West,’ he attracted countless followers in his day. Filmed over three years with the
participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern
and ancient, East and West and explores why millions today have turned their attention inward,
bucking the temptations of the material world in pursuit of self-realization.”
Yogananda knew and interacted with Mohatma Ghandi and other world leaders. While in the
U.S., his first public lecture attracted 6,000 people in Los Angeles and he was later invited to the
White House to meet President Calvin Coolidge. He noticed all the members of his audience in
Washington, D.C. in the 1920s were white, so he opened up another venue for “my black Negro
friends,” as he called them, a remark that would no doubt be deemed racist by today’s hypocritical,
November 24, 2014
Eagle Parks & Pathway Development
Commission mulls new Lakemoor Park
By Anita Torres
At last Tuesday’s Eagle Parks & Pathway Development Commission, Chairman Randy Zollinger suggested adding a 10th short-term goal
of the development of Lakemoor Park.
About 28 acres are being donated to the City of Eagle off Eagle
Road and Colchester behind the Lakemoor subdivision. A past conversation was referenced about developing a pathway from the Lakemoor
park to the greenbelt involving a need for right-of-way and extension of
the greenbelt pathway to the park.
“We recommend the city shouldn’t take on the park unless it does
have access to the greenbelt,” Zollinger said. “I suggest adding the
greenbelt extension to the proposed Lakemoor Park as a short-term goal.”
A discussion ensued about the park proposal. Last year, city staff
approached the council to accept the park with the caveat that this pathway be extended. The park was to be open and natural with a picnic
structure in a passive/wetland area with a water feature, a public restroom
and a parking lot, all to be developed with park impact fees.
The focus point was an access spot to the greenbelt. Funding for the
park has reportedly been approved, but amounts and numbers were not
mentioned. (Later in the meeting, it was confirmed that the City Council
had not approved any funding for Lakemoor Park development.) There
was also some discussion with doing a partnership with Boise concerning the park and the watershed exhibits facility but the staff was not
entirely sure if that was still a current maintained collaborative effort.
Boise appears to have issues with Laguna Pointe that need to be
resolved before the larger city would retract its reluctance to provide an
easement of the greenbelt’s pathway to the park ($180,000 was said to
be part of a budget with the park).
Zollinger said there is a concept plan that was displayed by Parks &
Recreation staff to the City Council.
“Once the path is extended then we feel like the city can invest its
own money developing more specific plans, so what’s been drawn up
today has been very conceptual,” he said.
“Mr. Chairman, I think you need to be careful about assigning the
size of park without some justification of that, so I would just caution
the commission,” said Commissioner Charles Baun in reference to the
100-acre detail in continued discussion on long-term goal number 2.
Zollinger agreed. “That might be too specific so it may need to be
reworded,” he said. “We could establish a sports complex working group
to begin evaluation of a large parcel of ground to accommodate a sports
complex”.
Commissioner Dan Friend suggested that long-term goal #5 should
be removed due to the inability of Parks and Pathways to operate such a
task. It might prove too difficult and the chairman may not find an irrigation company or private property that would allow access for installed
pathways along an irrigation canal.
Although it was said that Meridian did have success getting pathways along canals, Eagle has not had that success when contacting irrigation companies. The irrigation areas are generally locked and gated in
the Eagle area, in addition to the liability issues that fall on all propertyinhabiting parties from the public attempting to swim in the canals and
causing damage or possibly drowning.
The 5 long-term goals after discussion:
1. Develop a management system for the Eagle Foothills to include
maintenance to provide public access trails (walking, hiking, biking).
2. Establish a sports complex working group and begin evaluation
of a large parcel of ground to accommodate a sports complex. (Some
steps approved by the City Council are to develop a citizen advisory
group and possible hiring of a local Realtor, topics saved for future agendas).
3. Establish community garden plots: In 2007, the operations staff
found community gardens an exciting building opportunity. They are
generally run by a church/nonprofit and placed in spots where space is
sparse for gardening and could perhaps be placed in vacant lots around
town,.
4. Over/Underpasses on State Highways 44 & 55 for pedestrian and
bike crossings other than just stop lights. More input is needed from
ITD.
5. Pathways along irrigation canals were removed from the goals.
Commissioners discussed making the goals more formal as guidelines
that could be altered and/or incorporated into the master plan.
Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to review PPDC
goals on an annual basis and allow the staff to adjust to any unforeseen
changes throughout the year in addition to removing long term goal #5.
In other business, commissioners removed the Skyhawks contract
from the agenda. The commission had recommended it be entered into
but the City Council at its last meeting postponed the agenda item and it
will be back on the council agenda for the November 25th meeting.
pro-criminal-regime media.
The U.S. media in the 1920s and 1930s were in many respects
just as two-faced and shallow as they are today. In fact, Yogananda
allowed the fickle media’s turning on him to depress and eventually drive him out of America. The irony of his life appears to be, at
least on one level, that this supreme guru who influenced so many
more people all around the globe could not overcome the negative
effects of PR practiced on him by reporters and editors who understood and cared nothing for his teachings. – Frank Thomason
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 19
Hill’s Century Farm project
illustrates change in Meridian
When Angus Hill homesteaded in 1801 in what is now southeast Meridian and later built a house for his wife, five sons and
two daughters, the area was mostly sagebrush. As a single man,
Angus donated one and then moved the fence to include two acres
for use by the Hillsdale School District on the southeast corner of
Eagle and Amity Roads.
Angus’ son Earl, 92, recalls walking the quarter-mile from their
home to the school, which was a two-room building in 1908 housing eight grades and gradually accommodated 4th- and 5th-graders in its last school year, 1959-60.
The Hill family was also connected to the Village and then the
City of Meridian. At one time, Angus owned a well-known building that served as a social center on the northeast corner of Broadway Avenue and E. 2nd Street, where dances and other community
events were held. “I helped carry chairs up the stairs” in the nowrazed Parkin Hall, he said.
Earl’s wife, Lila, is the Meridian historian and co-author of
They Came to Build a Community: Meridian, Idaho and the People
Called Methodists, published in 1986. That year, she and Earl helped
established the Meridian Historical Society. In 2008, the City of
Meridian provided a History Center inside the new City Hall that
sits on land formerly occupied by the creamery.
From a local historical perspective, Angus Hill’s descendants’
donation and sale of land for a new YMCA and elementary school
plus other facilities is a continution of what Angus started nearly
125 years ago. Meridian has always been a community that pulled
itself up by the bootstraps and benefited from collaboration between private and public resources.
Mayor Tammy de Weerd said the collaboration “shows a clear
promise to what our youth, families and business community should
expect in leveraging dollars and efforts for our youth.”
Lila and Earl Hill listen to son Marti at the press conference.
Looking south from Marti Hill’s property east of Eagle Road south of Amity Road where
Brighton Investments will develop Hill’s Century Farm at 5340 S. Eagle Road after the Meridian
City Council approved annexation and zoning of 223.73 acres on November 28th. (Page 8)
Obituary: Betty Jean Finnegan
On November 16, 2014 Boise resident Betty Jean Finnegan, 64, passed away unexpectedly in
Meridian at the age of 64. Funeral Mass was held on November 20th at Holy Apostles Catholic
Church.
She was born on December 15, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Robert and Jean
Christofferson. Betty grew up in North Olmsted, Ohio with her three younger sisters. In her younger
days, she was active in whitewater rafting, volleyball and snow skiing.
She married her best friend, Jerry “Frog” Finnegan, on September 27, 1975 at St. Mary of the
Falls Catholic Church in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. They lived in Mentor, Ohio until they moved in 1991
to Boise. They enjoyed traveling the country throughout their 39 years of marriage while raising
their five children. Betty enjoyed the outdoors, whether driving through the mountains or working in
her garden. Her warm smile was always brightest when surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
Betty was a member of Holy Apostles Catholic Church, where she volunteered for the Council of
Catholic Women, Queen of Heaven Rosary Makers and St. Vincent de Paul. Throughout her life, she
volunteered for Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA and helped form the Cloverdale
Ladies Society. But the vocation she was most passionate about was being a stay-at-home mom.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry; her children Jason (Victoria)
Finnegan of Temecula, California, Lisa (Jimmy) Ford of San Antonio, Texas;
Michelle Finnegan of Nampa, Julie (Jason) Nilsson of Roy, Utah and Brian
Finnegan of Boise; her grandchildren Brianna, Bryce, Aurora, Caidence,
Aaron, Mikayla and Ashley; her sisters Nancy (Frank) Benkalowycz, Barbara Christofferson, Judy (Dan) Buttler and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Jean
Christofferson, and her daughter, Kelly.
Remembrances may be left for the family at www.AccentFuneral.com.
Services were under the direction of Accent Funeral Home, Meridian.
November 24, 2014
Valley Times
Page 20
‘A History of Southern Idaho railroads’
Centennial High School Performing Arts Center
Eriks Garsvo is only 22 but already commands a wealth of information from research and riding
on southern Idaho railroads. His presentation at Meridian City Hall on November 19th was cosponsored by the Kuna and Meridian historical societies and drew about 25 attendees.
Clad in conductor’s attire, Garsvo took the audience on a virtual tour with photographs and memorabilia from the beginning of the Union Pacific Railroad and its passenger service in the latter half of
the nineteenth century. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln, who before his election as President had traveled
to Omaha, Nebraska in 1859, signed the Pacific Railroad Act.
That legislation led to the meeting of the west- and eastbound track-laying crews at Promontory
Point, Utah on May 10, 1860 and the driving of the golden spike. Larsvo showed a photo of that
celebrated event featuring Grenville Dodge shaking hands with Union Pacific Director Leland Stanford
(later of Stanford University fame).
Railroad building was largely due to the efforts of Grenville Dodge (1831-1916), Union Pacific
chief engineer “who found a pass through the Laramie Mountains” in Wyoming that made extension
of track possible into and through Idaho, Garsvo said.
In 1881, the Oregon Shortline was organized as a subsidiary of Union Pacific and so named
because it represented a “short line” from Wyoming through Idaho to Oregon. Interestingly, the first
railway in southwestern Idaho ran from Granger, Wyoming on its way to Huntington, Oregon through
southern Idaho and Pocatello and extended to Nampa and eventually Meridian and then Boise.
The early trains carried freight and mail. Passenger service to Idaho’s capital commenced on
April 16, 1925, with the completion of construction of the Boise Depot.
The railroad was a crucial part of early Meridian’s development and passenger service continued
until the 1970s. Union Pacific tore down the Meridian depot that sat along the tracks just east of Main
Street. The old sign of “Meridian” from that small wooden building may be seen today in the Meridian History Center at City Hall,
open from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. most weekdays.
www.meridian
symphony.org
The
Gathering
Place
50 E. State Street in
Downtown Eagle
230-1180
Eriks Garsvo
Noach Gliddon, 11, attended with his family.
Beer Specials, Board Games,
Snacks & Fun!
featuring Beer Pong tables
Full Bar
Also, Happy Hours 1/2 off
ALL drinks
M-F 3:30-6:30
Watch the Vandal game
Saturday, November 29
to be announced vs. the
Appalachian State
Mountaineers at Kidd
Brewer Stadium,
Boone, North Carolina
O