Boise Weekly 2016 Annual Manual

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OUR GUIDE TO LIFE, THE TREASURE VALLEY AND EVERYTHING

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2016

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BOISEweekly STAFF Publisher: Sally Freeman sally@boiseweekly.com Associate Publisher: Amy Atkins amy@boiseweekly.com Office Manager: Meg Andersen meg@boiseweekly.com Editorial Editor: Zach Hagadone zach@boiseweekly.com News Editor: George Prentice george@boiseweekly.com Staff Writer: Harrison Berry harrison@boiseweekly.com Listings Editor: Jay Vail Listings: calendar@boiseweekly.com Contributing Writers: Amy Atkins, Harrison Berry, Patty Bowen, Zach Hagadone, Alex Kiesig, Chuck McHenry, Andrew Mentzer, George Prentice Creative Art Director: Kelsey Hawes kelsey@boiseweekly.com Graphic Designers: Jason Jacobsen, jason@boiseweekly.com Jeff Lowe, jeff@boiseweekly.com Contributing Artists: Laurie Pearman, Patrick Sweeney Advertising Account Executives: Ellen Deangelis, ellen@boiseweekly.com Jim Klepacki, jim@boiseweekly.com M.J. Reynolds, mj@boiseweekly.com Digital Media Account Executive: Lisa Clark, lisa@boiseweekly.com Circulation Man About Town: Stan Jackson stan@boiseweekly.com Bar Bar Inc. prints 40,000 copies of Annual Manual, which is available free of charge inside the July 27, 2016, edition of Boise Weekly at more than 1,000 locations, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of this edition of Annual Manual may be purchased for $3, payable in advance. No person may take more than one copy, without permission from the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTS / MUSIC / CULTURE Get to know local artists 10

LIFESTYLE Meet the Boiseans who helped build the city 18 Best of Boise - a look back at the 2015 winners 26 Learn history through Boise’s famous trees 28

REC & SPORTS Explore Boise area motorcycle treks 32 Pick your favorite trail 36

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The entire contents and design of Annual Manual are ©2016

by Bar Bar, Inc. Boise Weekly is an independently owned and operated newspaper.

FOOD & DRINK Find out how paella is made on the Basque Block 38 Check out some of Boise’s ethnic markets 40

ODDS & ENDS See a timeline of Boise’s wild past 44 Just the facts with the BOIndex 46

CALENDAR 48

C OVE R A R T:

MARKETPLACE 51

BY K E L S E Y HAW E S

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LIFE AND TIME IN THE CITY OF TREES In years past, we’ve referred to Annual Manual as “our guide to life, the Treasure Valley and everything.” That’s a pretty broad mandate, to say the least, and it’s debatable whether we’ve achieved that goal in the six iterations of this publication. However, this year, we think we might have gotten closer than usual.

Near the front of the magazine, you’ll find a series of profiles on local artistic luminaries, specifically notable for their work in theater, dance, film, music and literature. We chose those artistic disciplines deliberately, as they each require not only a community to consume the fruits of their labors but those labors themselves require a community to accomplish.

The act of creating a work of art may be a solitary activity, but within it is a multitude of personalities representing the artist’s internal and external world. What’s more, plays need actors, dances need dancers, films need actors, bands need members and books need readers. Each of those art forms builds a community of its own, draws from community and, ultimately, feeds that strength back in the form of a shared culture that informs our identity as (you guessed it) a community.

Get used to that theme, because we pivot from a living, breathing, vibrant Boise to an exploration of the citizens who made us who we are.

Yep, we hung out in a bunch of cemeteries, getting to know those Boiseans whose shoulders we stand on—in a cemetery, that figure of speech takes on a slightly macabre literal sense.

Back above ground, we looked at another feature that defines the Boise community: our trees, with a tour of some of the most historically significant members of our urban forest.

As pondering the dearly departed gives us a feeling for the origins of Boise, the trees that grace our streets, yards and parks were quite often witnesses to those origins. To know our arboreal neighbors is to gain a deeper appreciation for the long, sometimes difficult growth of this high desert settlement, which has flourished in the shade of their limbs.

Beyond that, our woody residents serve as a symbol of Boiseans’ often remarked upon love of the outdoors and nature. We follow that trail in more ways than one, with a selection of profiles on unique motorcycle routes and a listing of the trails that make us one of the West’s premier areas for hiking and biking.

If Boise is a city of artists, trees and adventure, it’s also a city of eaters. If we actually are what we eat, Boise is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. We focused on the variety of ethnic tastes that represent the diversity of our community—from Basque paella to a sampling of international markets where you can experience flavors from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America.

Finally, we offer a year’s worth of events listings, so you can plan another trip around the sun in this place we call home.

This might not be the definitive guide to “life, the Treasure Valley and everything,” but it is a compelling portrait of what makes Boise the community it is.

—Zach Hagadone

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INTROD U C TION

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AUTHOR

ARTISTS OF STAGE, SCREEN AND BOOK SHELF Profiling some of Boise’s key cultural players AMY ATKINS AND HARRISON BERRY In 2002, Richard Florida wrote a book titled The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life. It soon became a national bestseller. The author suggests cities are “cauldrons of diversity and difference” and “fonts for creativity and innovation,” the antithesis of what many city planners see as the key to growth: commerce.

While creativity and capitalism needn’t be mutually exclusive, quality of life is often measured not in dollars but in galleries, theaters, concert halls and bookstores—and a community’s ability to support those creating the plays, films, performances and publications to fill them.

Boise is home to an incredible array of artists whose work beautifies and strengthens our community, thereby attracting more creativity and, yes, even commerce. We are fortunate they choose to call Boise home, and it would require thousands of pages to profile them all. While we’d be up to the challenge, we don’t have the space, so we selected a handful of artists whose work exemplifies what a creative, classy place Boise is.

TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015 BEST LOCAL BAND 2006 Built To Spill 2007 Built To Spill 2008 Built to Spill 2009 Pilot Error 2010 Built To Spill 2011 Built To Spill 2012 Built To Spill 2013 Hillfolk Noir 2014 Big Wow Band 2015 Built To Spill

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CHRISTIAN WINN In May 2016, local author Christian Winn received some news that, even a few months later, he was still wrapping his head around: He was named Idaho’s writer-in-residence by the Idaho Commission on the Arts.

“I’m still in shock,” Winn said.

Becoming Idaho’s writer-in-residence lands Winn among the ranks of renowned Gem State writers like Pulitzer Prize-winning Anthony Doerr (2014’s All the Light We Cannot See), New York Times bestselling author Brady Udall (2010’s The Lonely Polygamist) and Diane Raptosh (2013’s American Amnesiac), Boise’s first ever poet laureate.

The fellowship lasts three years, comes with a $10,000 award and provides Winn an opportunity to give readings in communities all across Idaho, particularly in rural areas. He’d like his visits to include interactive elements.

“I’d like to do something collaboratively with local writers or schools,” he said. “Maybe bring another writer with me … or do a workshop or a detailed Q&A along with a reading.”

This summer, Winn will begin fulfilling his residence duties, reading from his acclaimed 2014 collection of short stories, Naked Me (Dock Street Press).

Even the above-mentioned Doerr is a fan—the blurb on the cover of Naked Me is his: “Winn writes glittering stories about trapped, beaten and restless young people, reluctant adults living under financial pressure and nursing wounds and wearing out their welcomes.” Though he’s best known for his fiction, he’ll also share his poetry and creative non-fiction with Idaho audiences.

Even better, Winn hopes by the end of 2016 to have a new book to share: What’s Wrong With You Is What’s Wrong With Me, a collection of four longer stories or “novelettes.”

The line “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach,” from George Bernard Shaw’s early 20th century play Man and Superman couldn’t be less true when it comes to Winn. He spends nearly as much time teaching writing as he does writing: He’s an award-winning author, an adjunct professor in creative writing at Boise State University (where he received his MFA); he conducts writing camps at The Cabin; he founded Storyfort, the literary arm of the annual Treefort Music Fest; and, in 2003, he created the Writers Write Workshops, an ongoing fiction writing program “with an eye toward publication and/or acceptance into graduate writing programs, or to simply understand better what it means to be a practicing writer.” One of the best ways to better understand writing is to read, and Winn has his students explore the likes of Flannery O’Connor’s “Writing Short Stories.”

“It’s an essay, but it’s also a really interesting breakdown of story and what stories are meant to do,” Winn said. “Writing is as much a craft as it is an art. I like to use the word ‘sensibility.’ [You have to] establish that sensibility of what is good writing and why it’s good, then move toward that in your own writing.”

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L AURIE PE ARMAN

PLAYWRIGHT

FILMMAKER

HEIDI KRAAY

RON TORRES

The most common word out of Boise playwright Heidi Kraay’s mouth is “how.”

Youth Lagoon’s critically acclaimed music video for “Montana” (2011) has In light of her many minor projects, shopping around her new play and been viewed on YouTube more than 16,000 times and counting. A meditation establishing a creative cooperative with other dramaturges, one might mistake on coming to terms with adulthood and the past, it has been compared to her core question for, “How am I going to do all this?”

Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and was a breakout moment for its editor However, Kraay is far more interested in how she can make art work for and assistant director, Boise filmmaker Ron Torres. others: “For me, as a privileged white person who just got an MFA, how can I “It was this perfect storm of right filmmaker, right musician, right moment connect with someone with a completely different background from me.” for Boise music and also the idea of Internet content starting blowing up,” he Kraay has long been a mainstay of Boise’s theater scene. After graduating said. “It came together as a launching point for us to start doing things in a from Boise State University, she became active teaching at The Cabin and more legitimate way.” performing with practically every theater company in town, including Boise “Montana” was more than Torres’ launch pad, however—it’s also an exemContemporary Theater and HomeGrown Theatre. plar of his work. Recognition and success have come gradually for Torres.

In spring 2016, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Inquiry, He picked up a camera for the first time at age 12 and never put it down.

Interdisciplinary Arts from the California Institute of Integral Studies. With her Torres worked for five years making corporate films for Bodybuilding.com and diploma in hand, she’ll work with development theater companies to put How recently became involved in the Buck the Quo campaign, which is geared to Hide Your Monster, the play she wrote as part of her studies, on stage. toward helping Idaho high schoolers plot a fulfilling post-graduation life plan.

The play, which has already received stage readings at HomeGrown Now, he said, the time is ripe to pursue more creative, personal filming Theatre and Boise Contemporary Theater, explores fear and how it changes projects that touch on themes similar to those in his work with Youth Lagoon. relationships between people. In writing it, Kraay made conscious connections “It’s time for me to start focusing on projects that zero in on my voice to personal, social and political tensions she saw in the real world—tensions, more,” he said. she said, that are addressed by her area of study and artistic philosophy.

Those projects have included works like his award-winning 2016 i48 Film “It’s really easy to be against each other; it’s easy to disconnect and it’s easy Festival entry, Family Outage. His short film Jason, Torres said, marked the to fall into patterns of, ‘How do I become about me against you?’ but I think by moment when Boiseans began to see him as primarily a filmmaker. Currently learning, we’re getting better,” Kraay said. “I’m getting much more interested in he’s working on a screenplay for a feature-length film, Steggy, in which he’ll the things happening socially right now that need to be uncovered.” play a man who begins identifying as a dinosaur after inheriting a large sum of For her, theater is all about connections, like her developing dramatic colmoney from a dead family member. laboration with Sarah Gardner and Tracy Sunderland, Migration “A lot of people think I grew this beard for hipster purposTheory, that got its start during Boise Contemporary Theater’s es,” Torres said, noting the cascade of reddish hair that nearly TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 production of “SuperSecretSiteSpecificSomething” in 2015. covers his chest “but there’s been a character in my head for Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015 Nevertheless, she’s also decompressing with “lots of short about two years now that hinges on this idea of what do you do projects” like 10-minute plays, essays and poems before getting with wealth and your means.”

BEST LOCAL MUSICIAN 2006 Rebecca Scott to work on her next big project: a children’s play that deals with Torres moved to Boise at age 18 from Pocatello, and he 2007 Curtis Stigers loss, grief and friendship. said the City of Trees has been good to him. Though he said 2008 Rebecca Scott Like much of her previous work, it will be about communihis upbringing in Pocatello continues to make him feel like an 2009 Rebecca Scott cating complicated problems in ways anyone can understand. outsider, starting his film career and founding creative space 2010 Rebecca Scott “How do we bring this world of grief and articulate it to Studio 208 (951 E. Front St.) has him optimistic about his future 2011 Rebecca Scott 2012 Curtis Stigers children?” she said. and that of Boise’s film culture.

2013 Curtis Stigers “There are amazing peers in this city. It’s an amazing time to 2014 Clint Budge be a maker here,” he said.

2015 Curtis Stigers

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L IL A R AE

L AURIE PE ARMAN

CHOREOGRAPHER

FILMMAKER

MARLA HANSEN

GREG BAYNE

More than 35 years ago, Marla Hansen took a job dancing with American Festival Ballet in Moscow, Idaho. When AFB moved to Boise, Hansen and her husband Alfred came with it. Hansen danced with AFB—which would eventually change its name to Ballet Idaho—for nine years before leaving to co-found Idaho Dance Theatre with her husband in 1989. Though her background was in traditional ballet, she wanted IDT to embody a more modern approach.

“Idaho Dance Theatre is a contemporary company with ballet- and technical-based dancers, but they can also do hip-hop, breakdancing and improvisation,” said Hansen, IDT’s artistic director.

Since soon after its inception, IDT has been associated with Boise State University, and many think it’s a part of the Theatre Arts Department. It’s not.

“The only thing we have with Boise State University is a memorandum of agreement,” Hansen said. “We’re a professional company in residence, we have our own board of directors, we are fiscally separate.”

The perception that IDT and the university are connected is understandable: The company rehearses and performs on campus, and Hansen has been a Theatre Arts faculty member since shortly after she started IDT. “[Back then] Boise State had just three [dance] classes, all beginner levels.

There was ballet, jazz and, of all things, a choreography class,” Hansen said.

The university offers a minor in dance and a look at currently available courses shows offerings in ballet, jazz, modern, pointe, repertory and even movement and dance for performing artists.

The increase in courses coupled with IDT’s broad dance spectrum have opened the door for both people who want a career in dance and those who don’t necessarily, but who do want to include it in their curriculum or lifestyle.

“Dancers come to Boise State to get a degree and then realize they can dance and get paid as well. And one of the most amazing dancers we ever had now has a Ph.D. in physics,” Hansen said.

It’s a feat for any organization to be around four decades, particularly a non-profit arts organization. Hansen is proud not only of IDT’s longevity but also of what the company has accomplished both internally and externally.

“What is to me the coolest thing ever is that we are still working, creating and building dance artists and giving opportunities for choreographers, dancers and audiences to experience the kind of dance that normally you wouldn’t experience unless you were in a large city,” Hansen said. “The thing I’m so grateful for is that we have been able to make a career doing something a lot of people would think was darn near impossible in a city of this size. ... I feel like it has been an amazing process, and it’s not over. “

In 2015, Greg Bayne released his feature-length documentary, Bloodsworth: An Innocent Man, the story of the first man exonerated by DNA evidence. The following year, he helped make Carbon, the beautiful science fiction short film about a woman killing her doppelgangers. After years of producing films with heavy subject matter, Bayne is jumping into lighter-hearted fare.

“It’s such a weird story. I just had ‘self-help book,’ ‘robbery,’ ‘salesman’ and sort of played with it from there,” he said.

That “weird story” is 6 Dynamic Laws for Success in Life, Love & Money, which Bayne hopes to release in 2017 in time for the film festival circuit.

The film centers on a con man who believes the location of money stolen during a bank robbery has been coded into a 1960s-era self-help book. Shot in black-and-white, 6 Dynamic Laws will have a noir feel and evoke screwball comedies of the 1940s.

“This is interesting for me, because I’d done feature work before; I’ve done documentary features; but in terms of a narrative script, it’s so far removed from the stuff I’ve been doing,” Bayne said.

Like many filmmakers, Bayne has experience with every aspect of film production. After attending Vancouver Film School in British Columbia in the early 1990s, he made his first feature.

“It was not good,” he said. “I did not, at 21 or 22, have storytelling chops.”

Still, for the next decade he worked editing, shooting and photography jobs on other directors’ sets. The experience gave him competence in a variety of filmmaking disciplines, preparing him to make more mature films when he returned to directing. The editing experience has come in particularly handy.

“It’s sort of like someone has a bag of sentences and says, ‘Write a book.’ It’s important to find emotion in a story all from existing footage,” he said. “It has been a training ground for me for storytelling.”

TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 Bayne splits his time between Nampa and Winners of the Best of Boise, New York, where his wife teaches, and said he 2006-2015 keeps ties to Idaho because of the Gem State’s BEST LOCAL ARTIST unique landscape, which he said isn’t often repre2006 Erik Payne sented in film.

2007 Ward Hooper His other reason for choosing Idaho is its posi2008 Tyler Bowling 2009 Ben Wilson tive filmmaking culture.

2010 Ben Wilson “I outlined this script in January and started 2011 Erin Cunningham shooting in early June,” he said of 6 Dynamic 2012 Ward Hooper Laws. “There was an attitude [among the people 2013 Erin Cunningham 2014 Erin Cunningham he worked with] like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’”

2015 Sue Latta

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L AURIE PE ARMAN

L AURIE PE ARMAN

MUSICIAN

ANDREW STENSAAS

CHOREOGRAPHER

LAUREN EDSON

Like so many musicians, Andrew Stensaas grew up in a musical family. The Local choreographer/dancer Lauren Edson began training when she was tiny. youngest of four siblings—and the only boy—he was often conscripted into his At the age of 3, she was doing more in a day than many adults do in a week. sisters’ shows.

“When I was really young, my mom put my sister and me in just about any“I’m the youngest by five years,” Stensaas said. “The girls would put on full thing. I was in gymnastics and swimming and sports and music. I was incredibly performances of Grease and The Music Man. They’d put the music on the shy. I think my mom thought I was mute,” Edson said, laughing. “In social situarecord player and we’d dance and sing. We’d do the whole thing. They loved it. tions, I was just really awkward and introverted and was really only connected Sometimes, they’d even create their own shows.” to my mom and a few close friends.”

It wasn’t just the kids who performed. Stensaas’ mother was in a gospel trio She couldn’t vocalize her feelings but, even as a toddler, Edson did have that toured churches in the Midwest from their home in Mason City, Iowa. something to say. She discovered her voice in dance.

When Stensaas was 10 years old, the family moved to Boise after his father “I found really quickly that it was the perfect vehicle for expressing myself took a job with an insurance company. Stensaas continued with music, gravitatand being creative,” Edson said. “I always remember at a very young age I was ing to the drums and, at age 19, forgoing a degree in business with a finance making dances, or dancing, or just finding a space to create movement. Being emphasis, he packed up and headed to Portland, Ore. to start a band. on stage, I found that although there was a vulnerability to it, I felt like I was “My family was skeptical, but I was pretty determined,” he said. being seen in a way I hadn’t been in other situations.”

As with his business degree, the drummer wanted to try something else.

Now in her early 30s, Edson is still rather quiet and reserved… at least off “It was the first time I wanted to approach singing,” the 35-year-old Stenstage. Onstage, she’s like a four-star general: confident and commanding. saas said. “I was influenced by a lot of music. The oddest influence was Tool “[Off stage], I like to take a situation in and try to navigate it. … I tend to be [and] Maynard James Keenan’s singing.” more reluctant. I don’t really want attention,” Edson said.

Stensaas was drawn to Keenan’s scream and “aggressive nature” and wantWhen she’s performing, however, she enjoys attention. It’s not a persona; ed to blend those aspects with a pop or rock sound. Then he saw Tool live. she really likes the “juxtaposition of weaving in and out” of these parts of her.

“I’d never seen anything like that,” he said, a hint of awe still in his voice. “[Onstage] is me in the most heightened, exaggerated version in some “The theatrics and the strong [musicianship] was so visceral. I loved the drama ways,” Edson said. “I had a teacher that talked about performing like you have but also the intelligence with which they approached all the facets of what ‘Spock ears’ on: You’re super alert, aware of your surroundings, and giving and they were doing, from lyrical content to exploring concept. I was blown away.” receiving the energy of the audience. I find that performing is really the most Soaring on what he called a “huge epiphany” following that show, Stensaas euphoric state for me. I feel completely present and invested, but also like my did start a band. With a video on MTV2 and a growing fan base, the band was body is guiding me in a way that I don’t even have control of.” headed to the next level—until infighting, a lack of management and a national Edson does like being in control, too, and a few years ago began dedicatrecession pushed them off the path completely. ing more of her time to choreography. When her desire to create her own Feeling defeated and unable to find work, Stensaas hung his head and work surpassed her joy in fulfilling someone else’s vision, she started her own moved back to Boise. Now a multi-instrumentalist, he continued to play music, project, which morphed into LED, a performance-art collective co-founded by taught at Boise Rock School for a few years, started a band her favorite collaborator, local musician/husband Andrew with friend and BRS co-founder Ryan Peck, and met his Stensaas (see this page).

TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 future wife and collaborator, dancer/choreographer Lauren LED’s debut work—This Side of Paradise, an exploration Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015 Edson (see this page), with whom he co-founded LED, a of the relationship between F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald— BEST LOCAL VENUE TO SEE LIVE MUSIC performance-art collective of original dance, music and was a success and confirmed Edson and Stensaas work 2006 The Big Easy multimedia, in 2015. well together.

2007 The Big Easy “We decided this is what we want to do for a living,” “I’d never collaborated with anyone in that way be2008 Knitting Factory Concert House 2009 Knitting Factory Concert House Stensaas said. “Right now it’s a modest living, but I think all fore,” Edson said. “There was a real sense that we could 2010 Knitting Factory Concert House of these components of our lives set us up in such a way share with each other what we wanted in the work … and 2011 Knitting Factory Concert House that we’re confident about what we’re doing. We didn’t we created in such a way that we were not holding on to 2012 Idaho Botanical Garden/ Outlaw Field have any expectations other than we wanted to make sure what we had but bringing our knowledge and intuition 2013 Idaho Botanical Garden/ Outlaw Field what we were creating was the best stuff we’d ever created and putting it together in a way that felt like it was greater 2014 Idaho Botanical Garden/ Outlaw Field 2015 Idaho Botanical Garden/ Outlaw Field every time. That’s what we’re going for.” than either of us.”

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Soprano

Eleni Calenos returns to Boise as Tosca

Join us! Subscriptions as low as $57 Rodgers & South Pacific Hammerstein’s in concert Aug. 19, 7:30pm, 2016 The Egyptian Theatre Aug. 21, 7:30pm, 2016 Family Night at Scentsy Amphitheater Aug. 22, 7:30pm, 2016 Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater

J. Strauss Jr.’s Die

Fledermaus

Nov. 4, 7:30pm & Nov. 6, 2:30pm, 2016 The Egyptian Theatre music by Schubert

Winterreise Project Jan. 20, 7:30pm, 2017 a Lauren Edson & Jason Detwiler collaboration

Puccini’s Tosca Feb. 24, 7:30pm & Feb. 26, 2:30pm, 2017 The Morrison Center

Massenet’s Werther May 5, 7:30pm & May 7, 2:30pm, 2017 The Egyptian Theatre

Opera + Martini = Operatini!

Come to a relaxed atmosphere for great food, a specially designed martini, and the cast of the upcoming production singing their favorite opera and musical theatre pieces.

"MXBZT BU QN t FBDI DPVQMF "VH t Some Enchanted Evening 0DU t Let’s Have a Ball 'FC t I Lived for Love "QS t Forget Your Sorrows The Sapphire Room at The Riverside Hotel

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DEATH BECOMES THEM Exploring the solemnity and beauty of Boise’s cemeteries WRIT TEN BY CHUCK MCHENRY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEL SE Y HAWES FORT BOISE MILITARY RESERVE CEMETERY Unless you’re the one in the hole, a cemetery can be a cool place to visit. Somber quiet, beautiful vistas, deep and profound thoughts of life, the nature of grief, the brevity of human existence and the certainty of death; a cemetery is the working definition of the phrase “at rest.” Stand before a grave and the contrast between the living and dead is held in that stillness and the frank message of the marker. Each marker is a testimony to remembrances of loved ones—and also a reassurance that a life lived mattered to someone on this side of the grass.

Cemeteries as we know them in America didn’t start being established until about the 1830s.

Family plots, municipal burial grounds and church graveyards held our dead. But as towns grew the need to both memorialize and separate the dead from the living became necessary. Into the 20th century, cemeteries began to be called “memorial lawns” or “parks.” A euphemistic distancing from the starker realities of death that cemeteries represented, memorial park cemeteries tend to be more park-like, with ponds, purposeful landscaping and few—if any—upright markers. It should be noted most people in today’s hyper-industrialized society will venture to a cemetery for just two reasons: to go to someone else’s funeral, or their own.

The practicality of a cemetery as a place to hold and memorialize the dead, though, is counterbalanced by the beauty and tranquility one can find there. The adage that dead men tell no tales stops at the cemetery gate, because a thoughtful walk through one conjures forth all kinds of tales.

While there are many places in this river valley where people have been buried—sometimes hastily, sometimes in large numbers, some marked and many more unmarked—there are six established cemeteries in Boise, each with its own important history, occupants and obscure curiosities.

KNOW YOUR BURIAL RIGHTS Below are a few things you might want to know before you or a loved one is put in the ground: Like many businesses, funeral homes like to offer packages for consumers. Be aware that you do not have to “bundle” your burial. While various cemeteries may have requirements of their own regarding containers for burial, you can certainly look elsewhere for your casket. You’re not even legally obligated to be buried in a container of any kind (for instance, Islamic tradition states the deceased be wrapped only in a shroud for burial). In Idaho, only licensed funeral homes may sell caskets, but you can always purchase your own elsewhere. Funeral homes are required by federal law to accept your casket choice. eBay.com has several kinds of caskets for sale and auction—including an “antique solid wood old burial casket w/wavy glass viewing window” for just $630—and you can also get one for less than $1,000 on Costco’s wholesale website (but they come in packages of three). If you’re into real practicality—and good planning—haul out the circular saw and build your own.

If burial will take place more than 24 hours after death, Idaho law requires the body to be embalmed.

While most people are buried in established cemeteries, Idaho law allows for burials on private property. But before you get the backhoe going in the backyard, make sure to check the county or town zoning laws regarding burying human remains.

If being buried at sea is your thing, it can also be arranged. Bodies have to be dumped overboard no closer than three nautical miles from land and the water must be at least 600 feet deep. Also, the feds ask that you let them know within 30 days after the burial, and the body needs to sink to the bottom “rapidly and permanently.”

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Location: 1101 Mountain Cove Road Website: parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/parks/fort-boisemilitary-reserve-cemetery Founded: 1863, the same year the fort was established Size: 1.2 acres Number interred: 251

History: In the early afternoon, on a bright sunny day, you will hear three distinct sounds here: the intermittent clang of the pull chain against its flagpole as the American flag whips in the wind; the occasional, echoing volley of gunfire working up the gulch from the Boise Police Department firing range down the road; and the type of eerie silence only a hillside dotted with the tombs of American soldiers can offer. It is a profound quiet.

The original cemetery sat at the bottom of Cottonwood Creek—about one-half mile from its current location. Heavy flooding during the turn of the 20th century unearthed many of the graves, washing them into town and freaking out the citizens; so, in 1906, the Army disinterred the graves and moved them to the hill above Mountain Cove Road. The grounds were eventually donated to the city of Boise in 1947, along with the understanding that the cemetery be preserved as a historic site and kept in its natural condition.

The uniformity of the veterans’ markers—most have a Union shield border with the name, rank and post of the interred—offer a chilling regiment to the accounting for the dead.

What to look for: The land here is pretty much the same as it was when these graves were moved in 1906.

There is no irrigation and native grasses bend in the wind amid the headstones.

Space still available? Not really. The cemetery was established for Civil War veterans and their families and is now considered a historical landmark. A few graves were found nearby as recently as 1998 and interred in the cemetery. It’s certainly possible—some think probable—that a few more unknown, unmarked casualties of that war are patiently waiting to be found and placed alongside their comrades.

How’s the view? The view of the eastern Boise foothills with the pine tree-flecked mountains of the Boise Front in the background is lovely and sublime.

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SYMBOLISM Ever see an image carved on a headstone and wonder what it means? Here’s a list of some of the most common symbols found in cemeteries worldwide.

Urns/drapery: These symbolize mourning. In ancient Egypt, the body’s organs were often placed in an urn. Many of the urns seen on tombstones are draped in a cloth, referencing a time when the dead were often placed in the parlor of the deceased’s house for up to three days for family viewing. Family pictures, portraits and mirrors were draped out of respect for the dead. The coffin was often draped with a black cloth. The draperies also served as a way to make the room more “homey” for the deceased.

MORRIS HILL CEMETERY Location 317 N. Latah St. Website: parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/parks/morrishill-cemetery Founded 1883 Size: 60 acres Number interred/entombed: 32,373

History: When founded in 1883, Morris Hill was still pretty far outside of town—which was the norm for cemeteries at the time. Getting bodies up to its Bench location became considerably easier in the late 1880s, when the electric trolley system was installed and a kind of trolley car “hearse” carried caskets up to the cemetery.

Now situated squarely in the heart of the Boise Bench, Morris Hill holds the most interesting and eclectic interments.

Stunning in its variety of markers, with more than 50 sections, Morris Hill hosts politicians, paupers, assassins, business owners, and every ethnic and religious community that ever called Boise home.

The Saint John’s section is devoted entirely to the burial of Boise’s Catholics. There’s an understandably huge Basque section, the Beth Israel Jewish section, three separate military sections, as well as the Ada County section—set aside for the indigent and the Japanese and Chinese communities. There’s even a section devoted to Boise’s deceased Gypsies.

What to look for: The walking tour available on Morris Hill’s website serves as a valuable overview of the many famous people buried here. Some names are immediately recognizable. Famous Atlanta prostitute “Peg leg” Annie is here. The first Jewish governor in the United States, Moses Alexander, is buried in the Beth Israel section. Harry Orchard, who died in the Idaho State Pen at the age of 88 is here.

It was Orchard who famously blew up former Governor Frank Steunenberg in Caldwell in 1905.

The “Lion of Idaho,” Senator William E. Borah, is here. Newer dignitaries include business barons Joe Albertson and J.R. Simplot; and, in 2014, Paul Revere, “The Last Madman of Rock and Roll,” was interred here. His marker bears a haunting photo of Revere in his requisite tricorner hat etched into the granite along with the words “He came. He rocked. He left.”

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Sen. Frank Church and James Jesus Angleton are both here, continuing their association together into the afterlife.

Angleton, head of counterintelligence for the Central Intelligence Agency, and Church shared the same congressional committee room in the mid-1970s, when the Church Committee took on the CIA and FBI in a governmental search to uncover illegal intelligence gathering.

Born in Boise in 1917, Angleton was undoubtedly one of the most shadowy figures in the CIA during the Cold War. His dossier is practically James Bondian in scope and content. Ferreting out global Communist threats, the Kennedy assassination and some of the more bizarre methods thought up to eliminate Fidel Castro in the early 1960s—including exploding cigars and poison-filled fountain pens— reveal a colorful, maybe a bit paranoid, master spy.

Church’s committee members grilled Angleton and his CIA cronies on their numerous covert activities, and the two Idahoan government workers certainly shared a mutual animosity and distrust.

At Morris Hill, though, Frank Church and James Angleton have finally found some common ground.

Their graves are about 300 feet apart.

There is a funerary burner in the Chinese section. Mourners make tissue-paper representations of cars, boats, houses and other luxuries that are then burned. The smoke follows the soul of the dead so he or she can have riches in the afterlife.

The Morris Hill Mausoleum, completed in 1938, holds 384 above-ground crypts and more than 120 glass and brass niches for cremated remains.

There are about 110 victims of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 buried in Morris Hill. The disease tore through Southwest Idaho from late September 1918 to January 1919.

Space still available? Yes, there is still room for about 2,000 more interments.

How’s the view? In the heart of the Bench, Morris Hill is an oasis of well-groomed grass and huge, old shade trees with a latticework of drivable paths that wind among the markers in its 50-plus sections.

Wind and birdsong reduce the traffic noise on Latah and Emerald to a low hum.

Hands: A hand holding an open book usually indicates the deceased was true to his or her faith. Hands clasping each other—as in a handshake—are often found on the monuments of married couples.

Check out the frilly cuffs of the woman’s hand and the cuffed (sometimes, there are even cufflinks) of the man’s hand. The hand clasping the other is typically the first spouse who died, welcoming the other. A hand reaching down is the hand of God welcoming the deceased to heaven.

Angels: Older cemeteries have angels in various attitudes, from weeping to exaltation, and their symbolism is pretty straightforward. A cherubic, sleeping angel typically symbolizes the deceased is a child.

Masonic: The compass and square, often with a “G” for God (in English speaking countries) in the middle.

Odd Fellows: Three linked chains—sometimes the letters F, L and T for Friendship, Love and Truth will be inside of each link

Roses: If the rose is open, it means the person lived a full life, a rose bud is typically on the marker of an infant or child.

Animals: Doves and lambs are most often found on the stones of infants or children. They represent purity and innocence.

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PIONEER CEMETERY Location: 460 E. Warm Springs Ave. Website: parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/parks/pioneercemetery Founded: 1872 Size: 5 acres in five sections Number interred: 1,806

History: Pioneer Cemetery was established, initially, as a result of erosion in the Boise Foothills. Flumes were built to stabilize and divert the constant flooding that had uncovered and carried away caskets from Fort Boise (Flume Street borders Pioneer to the east). The spot served as a municipal burial ground until 1872, when property owner John Krall sold 5 acres to the Boise Masonic Order and the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows, two local fraternal organizations that immediately began burying members and family there.

The Masonic Cemetery, as it was known then, was deeded to the city of Boise in 1920, which has retained ownership ever since. Pioneer serves as the final resting place for many of early Boise’s most prominent citizens.

What to look for: Pioneer is a who’s who of Boise city history. There is a walking tour available on the city’s website, with nearly 40 stones to check out.

The monuments for 11 city mayors and four state governors are here. The first Boise chief of police and sheriff of Ada County, Orlando “Rube” Robbins, is buried here. Often called the “Wyatt Earp of Idaho,” Robbins is credited with bringing law and order to Boise while it was still a wild, frontier town.

Many of the earlier stones include Masonic and Odd fellows symbols. Look for the Masons’ square and compass and the Odd fellows’ three linked chains.

Another fraternal order, the Woodmen of the World, is well represented here, too. The monuments may look like tree stumps or stacked logs. A benefit of

being a Woodmen of the World member was your monument was free.

“White Bronze” zinc monuments abound here, and there are several in Morris Hill and a few in Dry Creek, as well. The Monument Bronze Company in Connecticut made these monuments from 1874-1914 (the zinc was redirected for the war effort during WWI, and the company never went back to making monuments after 1918).

Catalog and door-to-door salesman sold various castings—angels, urns, soldiers, animals—that were crafted at three subsidiary foundries and assembly plants back East, then sent to the Connecticut company to be welded together. Individualized plates with the deceased’s information were bolted to the frame. The monuments are hollow, and withstand erosion and the wear and tear common to being exposed to the elements (as well as cemetery lawn sprinkler systems). You will recognize them not only for their gray/blue color and height—often more than 10 feet tall—but because they have endured so much better than most of their stone counterparts. The Oakes monument in Pioneer is a great example.

Space still available? Yes, licenses to inter are still available in most sections and can be purchased from the city.

How’s the view? Bordered to the south by Warm Springs Avenue and just across from Dona Larson Park, this East Boise cemetery seems a natural extension of the neighborhood in which it sits. Deer, squirrels and the occasional Northender out for a walk frequently wander among the graves. Many of the old monuments share space with mature shrubbery and slowly deteriorating low border fencing.

It’s a tranquil, antiquated, shady setting with benches and rose gardens.

DRY CREEK CEMETERY Location: 9600 Hill Road Website: drycreekcemetery.com Founded: 1865, became a taxing district in 1936 Size: Around 100 acres—60 developed and 40 undeveloped Number interred/entombed: 17,000

History: The earliest burials in this cemetery in the west Boise Foothills date to 1865, commingled with brand new, etched granite markers in a tremendous expanse of green lawns and huge trees.

What to look for: There are many really cool, upright tombstones with personalized etchings here, including portraits of the interred, vivid landscapes, favorite cars, poems and other memorabilia etched into the granite—some in full color.

Among the notable markers is Mark Stahl’s gravesite. Stahl, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 1997, was the first—and so far only—Boise police officer killed in the line of duty. The top of his marker bears the emblem of the Boise Police Department and there are a scattering of police badges and tokens at the base.

At the northern border of the cemetery there are a series of hedges organized in the form of a huge, elaborate cross Space still available? Yes, there is a lot of room for cemetery development here.

How’s the view? From its spot in the western part of the Boise Foothills, the view from Dry Creek is stunning. Sage and juniper dot the surrounding hills and the city spreads out below to the south. On a clear day, you can see the Boise Airport to the east and almost all the way to Nampa in the west.

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IDAHO STATE VETERANS CEMETERY Location: 10100 N. Horseshoe Bend Road Website: veterans.idaho.gov/idaho-state-veterans-cemetery Founded: 2004 Size: 76.5 acres with 17 developed acres Numbered interred/entombed 7,183 with 700 interred or entombed last year

CLOVERDALE FUNERAL HOME, CEMETERY AND CREMATORY Location: 1200 North Cloverdale Road Website: cloverdalefuneralhome.com Founded: 1935 Size: about 50,000 acres Number interred/entombed: approximately 13,000

History: Established on what was then the outskirts of Boise, Cloverdale’s design and landscape bends toward the early 20th century idea of a “memorial park” rather than a cemetery. Places to reflect and grieve—including ponds peppered with waterfowl, numerous memorial benches and manicured lawns—are scattered throughout the grounds.

There are few upright markers in Cloverdale, removing the most iconic aspect of a cemetery from view.

Flat markers are cheaper, require less upkeep and also make for easier mowing of those tremendous expanses of lawn.

What to look for: Born in Pocatello, Hamer Budge served in the House of Representatives from 1951-1961. In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave him a seat on the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he eventually served as chairman from 1969-1971. He died in 2003 at the age of 92.

Cloverdale’s website includes a video enjoining you to explore their “garden designed for cremation,” which is completely “unique to Cloverdale.”

Space still available? Yes. And Cloverdale offers the full-service funeral package, including caskets, chapel service, burial or cremation.

How’s the view? Certainly, in 1936, this area was probably surrounded by farmland and sagebrush.

Today, the cemetery sits at the busy corner of North Cloverdale and Fairview Avenue, and the intermittent bleating of car horns breaks the serene stillness from time to time. With so few upright markers, huge swaths of well-manicured grass, dotted with clusters of large trees and water features, Cloverdale feels far more like a park than a place to hold the dead.

But the cemetery is big, and it’s not hard to find a quiet and serene place to sit and ponder the big mysteries.

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History: Located just north of Dry Creek Cemetery, the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery spreads out below a huge American flag on a raised overview at its northern end. Established for veteran burials in 2004, the cemetery conducts official military ceremonies at the rate of nearly 60 per month.

The land for the cemetery includes about 40 acres donated by the J.L. Terteling Company in 2002 and the remaining acreage purchased from the Dry Creek Cemetery District. Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne dedicated the cemetery to the state in 2004.

What to look for: On almost any given day, a ceremony of interment will be taking place here.

Veterans are given full, military funeral honors including the playing of “Taps,” the folding of the flag and an honor guard detail.

Space still available? Yes. Most World War II vets are now in their 90s and, according to the latest statistics, about 430 die each day across the country.

The Idaho Veterans Cemetery is designed for another 25 years of service. Interment fees for veterans are covered by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

How’s the view? The cemetery grounds are both achingly patriotic and awe-inspiring, certainly befitting the people interred here. The American flag that waves from a nearby hilltop is huge and, from that high vantage point, you stare somberly at the rows and rows of uniform markers below. The view is simultaneously inspiring and sobering. Beyond the graves, the nearly full east to west expanse of the Treasure Valley unfolds like a promise.

According to Slate.com, more than half the deaths in the U.S. now end in cremation. The two main reasons are obvious: relatives of the dead are more dispersed than ever—it’s hard to make the long trip to visit grandpa’s gravesite. Also, economically speaking, it’s considerably cheaper to be cremated than buried. The average cremation and memorial program will run you about $3,200 while it’s around $7,500 to be buried.

Many cremations now skip the memorialization cost altogether—just put grandpa’s ashes on the shelf next to grandma’s watercolor of the lake house. Plus, you can do stuff with ashes that you can’t do with a casket. Spread them over a favorite landscape; split them up among family members; drop them from airplanes or boats, or a moving car on a favorite stretch of highway. Some people have even cast bullets from their loved one’s ashes and shoot them at various woodland creatures out of respect for the deceased hunter of the family.

As of 2013, 58 percent of Idahoans chose cremation over burial. But make no mistake: a cemetery is a place of community. Walk among the markers in Boise’s cemeteries and the living can view the dead as members of a place and a time in this town.

Ashes don’t keep that kind of company. A cemetery is full of people like you: people who lived a long time, or barely any time at all; who loved, wandered, married, divorced, fought in wars, stood in grocery lines; tried to make a difference in the time they had.

If nothing else, a graveyard is a visual commemoration of life, each headstone saying for the person it marks, “I was here.”

A NOD TO THE PARANORMAL The older cemeteries in town have been subject to both professional and amateur ghost and spirit hunters throughout the years. Paranormal activity reported in Boise area cemeteries include the sound of a galloping horse on the edge of Dry Creek Cemetery (heard at about 2:15 a.m.); the spirits of women and children wandering the unmarked graves in Fort Boise Veteran’s cemetery; and numerous reports of bouncing orbs, creepy sounds and other phantasmal occurrences.

There is no doubt walking among old headstones late at night gives one the heightened sense that the spirits of the dead are on the verge of releasing their electro-plasmic powers on the living. If you decide to investigate local haunted hot spots, though, be aware that all Boise cemeteries shut their gates at dusk each day. Contact the cemetery administrators before grabbing your EMF meter and thermal scanner to venture into the night.

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A

s s gear up for the 2016 Best of Boise survey, set to publish in the Wednesday, Sept. 28 edition of BoiseWeekly, it’s worth taking a look back at the 2015 winners. Want to find the best in eats, drinks, entertainment and retailers? Look no further than this roundup of top-notch local businesses, as selected by our readers last year. Let this be your guide to discovering the best the TreasureValley has to offer, and don’t forget to pick up your 2016 installment in September or go online to boiseweekly.com.

Public Eye

Arts and Entertainment

BEST LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

BEST LOCAL MOVIE THEATER

01. Idaho Humane Society 4775 W. Dorman St. BEST LOCAL NEW ADDITION TO DOWNTOWN BOISE

02. Guru Donuts 204 N. Capitol Blvd.

BEST LOCAL CULTURAL ATTRACTION OR MUSEUM

03. Old Idaho Penitentiary 2445 Old Penitentiary Rd.

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04. The Flicks 646 Fulton St. BEST LOCAL JEWELRY MAKER

05. M & M Jewelers 6740 N. Glenwood St., Garden City

Sports and Recreation BEST LOCAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR

06. Marisa Weppner–Sage Yoga and Wellness 242 N. 8th St. #200

BEST LOCAL OUTDOOR GEAR STORE

07. Outdoor Exchange 1405 W. Grove St.

Goods and Services BEST LOCAL FURNITURE STORE

08. Ricochet Home Consignment 5777 Glenwood St., Garden City BEST LOCAL BOOKSTORE

09. Rediscovered Books 180 N. 8th St.

BEST LOCAL CAR DEALER

10. Fairly Reliable Bob’s 2304 Main St. BEST LOCAL CLOTHING STORE

11. Banana Ink 214 N. 9th St. BEST LOCAL HAIR SALON

12. Graeber and Company 350 N. 9th St. #103 BEST LOCAL HOLISTIC CARE PROFESSIONAL

13. Dr. Kyle Blevins, DC and Dr. Jennifer Dorn, DC–BoDo Chiropractic 405 S. 8th St. #290

BE ST O F B OIS E MA P

BEST LOCAL NURSERY OR GARDENING STORE

BEST LOCAL BARBECUE

14. Edwards Greenhouse 4106 Sand Creek St.

19. Goodwood BBQ Co. 19.a. 1140 N. Eagle Rd., Meridian 18.b. 7849 W. Spectrum St.

BEST LOCAL LANDSCAPER

BEST LOCAL THAI FOOD

15. Franz Witte 9770 W. State St. * 530 Hwy 55, McCall BEST LOCAL VETERINARIAN

16. Dr. Dawn Sessions–Broadway Veterinary Hospital 350 E. Linden Ave. BEST LOCAL WINE SHOP

17. Boise Co-op Wine Shop 915 N. 8th St.

Food and Dining BEST LOCAL MEDITERRANEAN FOOD

18. Mazzah Mediterranean Grill 18.a. 1772 W. State St. 18.b. 404 E. Parkcenter Blvd.

20. Mai Thai Restaurant and Bar 750 W. Idaho St. BEST LOCAL FAMILY RESTAURANT

21. Smoky Mountain Pizzeria Grill 21.a. 1805 W. State St. 21.b. 415 E. Parkcenter Blvd.

21.c. 127 E. State St., Eagle 21.d. 908 E. Fairview Ave., Meridian * 2007 N. Cassia St., Nampa * 1465 American Legion Blvd., Mountain Home * 200 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum

Bars and Nightlife BEST LOCAL DANCE CLUB BEST LOCAL GAY CLUB

23. The Balcony Club 150 N. 8th St. #226 BEST LOCAL MARTINI BEST LOCAL BLOODY MARY

24. Rice Contemporary Asian Cuisine 228 E. Plaza Dr., Eagle BEST LOCAL SPORTS BAR

25. Taphouse Pub and Eatery 760 W. Main St. BEST LOCAL STRIP CLUB

26. The Torch Lounge 1826 W. Main St.

BEST LOCAL SEAFOOD

22. Lucky Fins 22.a. 801 W. Main St. 22.b. 1441 N. Eagle Rd., Meridian * location not shown on map

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THE CITY OF TREES A growing history WRIT TEN BY Z ACH HAGADONE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEL SE Y HAWES Trees are synonymous with Boise. The French word bois (or “wood”) entered the local lexicon when traveling trappers referred to our downtown waterway a la riviere boisee, “the forested river.” It was natural that we should we grow into the City of Trees or, to borrow from the French, la ville boisee, “the forested city.”

Boise’s history sprouts from the roots of its urban forest, with some of its oldest and most historically significant citizens still quietly thriving in plain sight. Still, we have lost a good number of some of our most distinguished woody residents—trees planted by U.S. Presidents Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft were removed from the Idaho Capitol grounds due to disease, damage or to make way for the Statehouse renovation, which was completed in 2010. Among the other trees that were lost to the Capitol Mall construction was a Douglas fir that was one of 50 seedlings taken to the moon by Apollo 11 in 1969.

There remain plenty of important trees to appreciate, however, and Boise Weekly took a spin around town to get to know a few of these—literal—pillars of the community.

ANNE FRANK HORSE CHESTNUT SAPLING Anne Frank Memorial, 770 S. Eighth St.

Looking out the window of her attic sanctuary, teenaged Anne Frank could glimpse little of the natural world. That is, except an old horse chestnut tree growing in the garden of the house where she and her family hid from the Nazis.

Frank’s family fled to the Netherlands when German dictator Adolf Hitler came to power in the early 1930s and were trapped in Amsterdam by the Nazi occupation. They sought refuge in a series of small rooms hidden in the building where Anne’s father worked and stayed there for two years, until they were betrayed and arrested in 1944.

Anne died at the Treblinka death camp. She was 15.

During her years in the attic, Frank wrote often of the horse chestnut in her famous diary.

“The two of us looked out at the blue sky, the bare chestnut tree glistening with dew, the seagulls and other birds glinting with silver as they swooped through the air, and we were so moved and entranced that we couldn’t speak.”

The only member of Frank’s family to survive the Holocaust was her father—and her tree, which was established as a memorial. In 2005, caretakers discovered the tree was suffering from a fungal infection. Chestnuts were gathered and used to grow saplings, some of which were offered to communities in the United States.

In 2015, the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial received one of the 11 saplings gifted to the U.S. Among the other sites chosen by the Anne Frank Center were the White House, Liberty Park (where the World Trade Center once stood), Boston Common, and Holocaust centers in Washington and Michigan.

Planted in a section of the memorial opposite the plaza—which features a statue of Frank peering from a window— the Boise Anne Frank sapling grows behind a protective iron fence, surrounded by pink roses. Behind the small tree stands a rock wall bearing an inscription from Bill Wassmuth, the late Catholic priest who did battle with white supremacists in north Idaho during the 1980s and ’90s, and for whom the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights was named.

The quote, as vital today as it would have been in Frank’s time, reads: “Saying ‘yes’ to human rights is the best way to say ‘no’ to prejudice.”

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TREE OF GERNIKA 607 Grove St.

Visitors to the Basque Block may not be aware, but when they walk past the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House—the squat brick house behind a white fence near the center of the block—they’re walking past one of the great symbols of resilience and freedom in Western European history.

Since at least the Middle Ages, members of the fiercely independent Biscayan people—a province of the now Autonomous Community of the Basque Country in Spain—gathered under an oak tree in the city of Gernika (or Guernica, in Spanish) to promulgate their fueros (local laws), which were among the most freedom-minded of the era.

So sacred was the Tree of Gernika—known as the Gernika’ko Arbola—that it was re-planted from acorns several times, creating an arboreal dynasty.

The so-called “father” oak was planted in the 1300s and lived for a reported 450 years. No less than Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella stood beneath the tree and swore an oath to protect the fueros of the Biscayans and the Basques in general. The second or “old” tree stood from 1742-1892.

To this day, its trunk resides in a special temple next to the traditional seat of Biscayan government. That tree was subject to a sonnet penned by William Wordsworth, in which the poet referred to the “Oak of Guernica” as possessing “holier power/ Than that which in Dodona did enshrine” and suggested better it should be cut down and its branches brought asunder “If never more within their shady round/ Those lofty-minded Lawgivers shall meet, Peasant and lord, in their appointed seat, Guardians of Biscay’s ancient liberty.”

The third tree went into the ground in 1858 and had, possibly, the most violent life of them all.

In 1937, amid the civil war sparked

by Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco’s seizure of power, the city of Gernika fell victim to the first instance of carpet bombing. Armed with pilots and equipment from Nazi Germany, Franco’s forces obliterated the town, resulting in hundreds if not more than 1,000 civilian casualties (the death toll has been disputed since the bombing).

Left standing among the rubble, however, was the Tree of Gernika—unscathed before the collonaded temple that, even now, houses the Biscayan Assembly.

The atrocity shocked the world, prompting Pablo Picasso to create one of his most iconic works, Guernica, which depicted the devastation visited on the people and animals of Gernika by the fascists.

Suffering from a fungal infection, the tree that survived Franco died in 2004. However, it lives on in Boise, which is one of Gernika’s three sister cities.

Boise might be the City of Trees, but the Basques could well be called the People of Trees, and at no time has that mutual affection been more on display than when a sapling from the original Franco-era Tree of Gernika was planted in Boise during a historic 1988 visit from Lehendakari Jose Antonio Ardanza, president of the Basque government.

The tree cemented the Basque Block not only as a cultural heart of Boise, but a site of significance for Basques all over the world. The achievement would not happened without Adelia Garro Simplot’s efforts to acquire much of what we now call the Basque Block, including renovations and preservation of some of the city’s most significant historic buildings.

Today, the tree casts luxurious shade from its stout trunk, which features thick branches that spread into powerful offshoots cloaked in dark, closely woven bands of vertical bark. Its bottommost leaves hang to within no more than six feet from the ground, loaded with acorns—a further symbol that it will continue to live on, as vibrant in the face of history as ever.

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NORTHERN RED OAK 210 Main St.

Among the most important early Boise buildings was the assay office at the corner of Third and Main streets.

Built in 1871, the U.S. Assay Building was a seat of federal authority at a time when Idaho was taking an increasingly large part in the nation’s mining output.

According to the Idaho State Historical Society, between 1861 and 1866 the Idaho Territory—it wouldn’t become a state until 1890—contributed $52 million worth of gold, or about 19 percent of the national total. With so much wealth coming out of the ground, it was decided the territory needed an assay. With $75,000 approved by Congress, ground was broken in 1870.

Part of developing the site included planting trees. Among the many trees still growing on the grounds is a northern red oak believed to be one of the oldest trees in Boise.

Located on the west side of the building, this particular oak has outlasted much of old Boise—including the original function of the assay office.

The building was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service in 1933 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965, making it one of 10 such designated sites in the state. The Idaho State Historical Society took ownership in 1972 and, today, the building is home to the State Historic Preservation Office and Archeological Survey of Idaho.

The stately red oak rises higher than 70 feet with a girth of more than 40 inches. Its branches fan out high on the truck to create a sweeping pool of shade that—on the July day we visited—had attracted one Boisean for an afternoon nap in the grass. Indigenous to the eastern United States, northern red oaks can live up to 300 years. However, the assay’s oak may be facing the axe as falling branches present hazards to life and property.

As it stands at the time of this printing, however, this is one of the first specimens that put the “trees” in the City of Trees.

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KENTUCKY COFFEETREE Julia Davis Park, northwest of the Gene Harris Bandshell

Of the Kentucky coffeetree, the Arbor Day Foundation notes there are “certainly no two exactly alike.” For almost 110 years, Boise has hosted two coffeetrees in Julia Davis Park and, while certainly not exactly alike, they have shared (approximately) the same patch of ground.

The first of Boise’s coffeetrees was planted in 1907 by W.E. Pierce, who served as mayor from 1895-1897 and could be credited with getting the whole “City of Trees” thing started.

Regarded as one of Boise’s pioneering developers, Pierce was responsible for the planting of more than 7,000 trees to grace the city’s streets.

Pierce’s coffeetree was put in the ground the same year Julia Davis Park was established, thanks to a donation of land from early Boisean Thomas Jefferson Davis. A century later, and with the original tree gone, another coffeetree was planted in 2007 to mark the park’s 100th anniversary.

So named because of (failed) attempts to brew coffee from its large seed pods, the coffeetree is tougher than its slender trunk of vertical bark strands and upswept, oblong leaves might at first appear. The Arbor Day Foundation describes it as, “Drought-resistant.

Tolerant of pollution. Adaptable to a variety of soils.”

The coffeetree in Julia Davis Park cuts an elegant figure in a wide grassy area adjacent to the Gene Harris Bandshell. Though it might at first be difficult to pick out from the crowd of trees in the park, with a keen eye a visitor will notice its slightly tapered crown of narrow leaves makes it look just a bit different from the others.

Walk closer to the tree and you’ll see a small plaque noting its planting on June 23, 2007. Think back another 100 years and you’ll be standing on one of the spots where Boise first started investing in its famous urban canopy.

L I F E ST Y L E

aturi Fe ng

Wusthof / Chantal / Le Creuset Pizza Craft / Cole & Mason Shun / Zyliss / Tovolo

F ea ring tu

Cuisinart / Staub

Downtown Boise GIANT SEQUOIA 148 E. Jefferson St.

Though not especially tall—more on that in a bit—the giant sequoia rising from the middle of the St. Luke’s Hospital grounds is massive at its base.

Brought from central California by Emil Grandjean, Idaho’s first regional forester, the sequoia was gifted to highly respected Boise Dr. Fred Pittenger, who then lived on the site. Pittenger planted the tree in his front yard in 1912 and it has grown alongside St. Luke’s—or, rather, St. Luke’s has grown around it—ever since.

Located at the intersections of Avenue B, West Jefferson, Fort and Reserve streets, the tree juts from a disused, bark strewn corner near the St. Luke’s human resources building.

Measuring more than 88 feet tall and 18 feet around, the St. Luke’s sequoia presents a slightly odd profile: robust and powerful at the base and supporting dense foliage that spreads to cover much of the corner, it abruptly tapers into a dramatically narrow point at the top.

It acquired its strange shape by accident. Among the St. Luke’s sequoia’s distinctions is that it served as Boise’s first official Christmas tree. However, in the mid-1980s, it became clear that the strings of lights were killing the tree from its crown down while asphalt and hard-packed soil around its base was killing it from the roots up.

According to Crandal Bourdreaux, writing on the blog boisethegreat.com, the already-dead portions at the top of the tree were removed and a limb was redirected to repair the decapitation. “Although it has worked to a great degree,” Bourdreaux wrote, “it still looks as though there is a vegetative nipple on the top of the tree.”

Sequoias have been known to live for more than 3,000 years, but there’s a chance this particular specimen may not live out its ample days in its current location.

As St. Luke’s gears up for a massive, TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 years-long expansion of its Boise campus, Winners of the Best of Boise, the giant sequoia may need to pull up roots 2006-2015 and move on. According to an FAQ from the BEST LOCAL GAY CLUB hospital, it is the opinion of a tree reloca2006 The Balcony Club tion firm in northern California that Boise’s 2007 The Balcony Club sequoia is “an excellent candidate for suc2008 The Balcony Club cessful relocation.”

2009 The Balcony Club What’s more, St. Luke’s stated it has ap2010 The Balcony Club proached the Boise Forestry Office to gauge 2011 The Balcony Club whether the city would be interested in 2012 The Balcony Club taking it off the hospital’s hands.

2013 The Balcony Club Who wants to suggest where to put an 2014 The Balcony Club 88-foot-tall, 18-foot-wide tree?

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GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE Six motorcycle routes a stone’s throw from Boise WRIT TEN AND PHOTGRAPHED BY ANDREW MENTZER

DUAL SPORT RIDES Make no mistake, Idaho is a motorcycle state and Boise is a motorcycle city. How does 30,000 miles of rideable dirt sound? Perhaps 5,000 miles of state highway gets your motor running? It’s Mecca if you get your jollies on two wheels.

There are nearly 2,000 motorcycles listed for sale on Craigslist (by owner) in the Boise area at any given time during riding season. Compare this to a mere 600 bikes listed for sale in New York City or 450 bikes in the entire state of Wyoming.

The volume of dealers in Boise representing virtually every segment in motorcycling and every major brand is no surprise. From cruisers to sportbikes, adventure touring bikes to purebred dirt machines, Idaho is home to a wide swath of power sports styles.

Whatever your preference, you don’t have to venture far to get your fix, as there are myriad epic TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 rides a tank or two of gas from the City of Trees.

Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015 Here is a by-no-means complete but healthy list of places to check out close to town, covering both BEST LOCAL BIKE SHOP dirt and street excursions.

2006 George’s Cycles 2007 George’s Cycles 2008 George’s Cycles 2009 George’s Cycles 2010 George’s Cycles 2011 George’s Cycles 2012 Boise Bicycle Project 2013 George’s Cycles 2014 George’s Cycles 2015 Boise Bicycle Project

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BOISE RIDGE ROAD It’s been a long day at work. You need to get away—quick. Jump on your dirt-worthy machine and head for the hills.

The Boise Ridge Road, officially Road No. 275, runs from the top of Rocky Canyon Road at Aldape Summit all the way to Bogus Basin (and beyond). There is a shorter option, via Sunset Peak Road, should you decide to head back to town down Eighth Street.

From the Ridge Road’s sweeping vantage point, you’ll enjoy continuous 180-degree views of both the city of Boise to the west and Boise County to the east from roughly 5,500 feet elevation. Best of all, a competent rider can cover the short route in just over an hour.

Be careful though—a mixture of mountain bikers, dirt bikers and 4x4

vehicles can be found on this narrow path, especially during the summer months.

Getting There: Head up Reserve Street from downtown. Reserve turns into Shaw Mountain Road before dropping into Rocky Canyon. Head up the hill about 7.5 miles to Aldape Summit (4,787 feet) and hang a left. Follow this up a steep climb—it levels out just up the road.

After eight miles, you’ll come across a left turn option to North Eighth Street. Head back to town or stay on Road No. 275 all the way to Bogus Basin Road.

If you continue along to Bogus, be careful to stay on Road No. 275, as there are a handful of offshoots that can be confusing (like 275E).

All said and done, you’ll cover 25-70 miles, depending on when you choose to head home.

R E C & S PO RTS

SILVER CITY One of the more historic retired mining towns in the western United States, Silver City (6,200 feet elevation) is an easy jaunt for people looking to get into the high country from the Treasure Valley.

The changing landscape on the way up is well worth the drive, taking travelers from arid desert to grassy canyons to the high alpine forest of South Mountain.

When you get to the 156-year-old town, you’ll be greeted by 75 building relics that take you back in time. Don’t be fooled, though, many buildings and homes in Silver City are outfitted with solar power, giving them an oddly modern flare.

You can venture farther west of Silver City toward Jordan Valley, but the road gets a little rougher.

Getting there: Head west on I-84 and take the Highway 45/78 exit to Murphy. Just before Murphy turn right on Rabbit Creek Road. Head 25 miles up the hill and you’re there. This trip is roughly 150 miles, out and back.

ATLANTA What’s not to like about Atlanta, Idaho? It’s out of the way, has some cool history behind it and there’s a lot to do if you like to play outside.

Located up the Middle Fork of the WWW.B OI SE WE E K LY.COM

Boise River at the base of a bunch of 9,000-plus-foot peaks, Atlanta is deceptively close to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Not far from Featherville, the North Fork of the Boise and some great trail systems, this old mining town boasts an old school economy with active mining still in play. There are usually one or two restaurants open, depending on the day of the week, which makes it a great adventure bike day trip or overnighter destination.

Don’t expect five-star service, however. Little has changed since the town’s founding in 1864. There are many unimproved camping options on the way up and around Atlanta, as well as quite a few hot springs.

Getting there: There are three options to access Atlanta. The more popular ones from Boise both head west on Highway 21 toward Idaho City. You can take the Arrowrock Dam road north all the way to where the reservoir meets the Middle Fork and continue several hours into town, or you can continue past Idaho City toward Mores Creek Summit and hang a right on road 362 and follow the signs.

Plan on spending at least a full day making the roughly 200-mile round trip.

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STREET RIDES LOWMAN LOOP When it comes to carving up the tarmac on your street machine, there are few better rides than the Lowman Loop.

It has the best of most worlds with fast uphill straightaways, tight and twisty canyon sections, and epic scenic vistas. You’ll get those abdominals working though, as there are far more curved sections than straight.

Stop in Crouch along the way for a bite to eat, then push through hot springs country. A dip in the natural riverside soaking pools at Pine Flats is always nice after some time in the saddle.

When you reach Lowman, stop to take in the clarity of the South Fork of the Payette River. It rivals the South Island of New Zealand’s rivers for transparency.

After summiting some picturesque ridges in the Boise National Forest around Mores Creek, a stop at Trudy’s Kitchen in Idaho City for some homemade pie comes highly recommended.

Getting there: Head north on Highway 55. At Banks, take BanksLowman Road to Lowman. From there head south on Highway 21 back to town.

You’ll cover 175 miles on this mini-tour.

HIGHWAY 52 If you’re a fan of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” you’ll like this one. Highway 52 is a lovely excuse to take the long way.

Parallelling I-84 to the north and running from Horseshoe Bend to just 34 c ANNUAL MANUAL 2016-2017 c BOISEweekly

outside Payette near the Snake River, this route will give you a full dose of rolling Idaho two-lane in a relatively short amount of time.

Skirting the Payette River and Black Canyon Dam, Highway 52 meanders through beautiful old farmland and some of the quieter towns on the periphery of Boise’s urban bustle. Hit up Kit’s Riverside Cafe in Horseshoe Bend for some grub before jumping on your rural route. When you reach Emmett, you can take Highway 16 back to Boise or continue all the way to the Oregon line.

This is one of southwest Idaho’s better cruiser bike routes.

Getting there: Head north on Highway 55. On your way out of Horseshoe Bend, take a left on Highway 52 and ride to your heart’s content.

HIGHWAY 78 The Snake River Corridor is one of the greatest natural resources of southwest Idaho. From vineyards to sand dunes, you’ll get a little bit of everything on this ride. The mighty Snake is within sight most of the way, offering a peaceful backdrop to your efforts.

Catch some shade and soak your toes at historic Givens Hot Springs. Detour over to Celebration Park for a little history lesson before pushing through to the Black Sands Marina on CJ Strike Reservoir for a bite to eat.

Getting there: Start just outside Nampa on the northern fringe of Lake Lowell on Highway 55/95 southbound.

In Marsing, get on Highway 78 and head east for as long as you please.

R E C & S PO RTS

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KEL SE Y HAWES

TRAILS Ridge to Rivers is a system of nearly 200 miles of roads and trails in the Boise Foothills. When someone moves to Boise because of the recreational opportunities, Ridge to Rivers is often what brought them.

(Courtesy City of Boise) #1 HIGHLANDS TRAIL

#7 ORCHARD GULCH TRAIL

1.7 miles, singletrack trail connecting #31 Corrals Trail and lower #30 Bob’s Trail.

1.6 miles. Orchard Gulch contains numerous fruit trees reminiscent of an earlier era.

#2 FIVE MILE GULCH TRAIL

#8 LUCKY PEAK TRAIL

3.4 miles. Five Mile Gulch is a large drainage containing mature stands of Cottonwood and locust trees seldom seen in the foothills.

6 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Multi-use 4-WD trail is an intense workout with great views of the Treasure Valley. Access from #12 Homestead Trail and route E Shaw Mountain Road.

#3 WATCHMAN TRAIL

#15 TABLE ROCK TRAIL 1.6 miles. Hike or ride from the Old Penitentiary to the top of Table Rock. Trail connects to #16 Table Rock Loop, #19 Castle Rock Loop and #17 Table Rock Quarry Trail.

#15A OLD PEN TRAIL .55 miles. Trail provides views of the Old Penitentiary and Idaho Botanical Garden and is an alternative to the lower segment of #15 Table Rock Trail.

#16 TABLE ROCK LOOP (EAST) 1 mile. Eastern segment of Table Rock Loop Trail. Provides great views of the Boise River and East Boise.

#16 TABLE ROCK LOOP (WEST) .6 miles. Western segment of #16 Table Rock Loop Trail.

Connects #15 Table Rock Trail to #14 Tram Trail. Allows access to #16B Rock Island and #16A Rock Garden trails.

3 miles. Trail connects lower segment of #2 Five Mile Gulch Trail with the upper end of #26 Three Bears Trail and #6 Curlew Connector. Provides excellent views on fun singletrack.

#9 URBAN CONNECTION

#11 WEST HIGHLAND VALLEY TRAIL

#16A ROCK GARDEN TRAIL

#4 EIGHTH STREET MOTORCYCLE TRAIL

1.7 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

While strenuous, it’s one of the easier routes into this wildlife area.

.68 miles. Loops off of eastern segment of #16 Table Rock Loop Trail. Allows access to #16B Rock Island Trail.

#12 HOMESTEAD TRAIL

#16B ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (EAST)

5.8 miles. Multi-use motorized trail that provides access for ATVs and motorcycles.

#4A HULLS RIDGE .44 miles. Multi-use motorized connection to the Boise Ridge Road. Access from #4 Eighth Street Motorcycle Trail.

#5 FREESTONE RIDGE 2 miles. Multi-use non-motorized trail. Access from #42 Fat Tire Traverse or #26 Three Bears. Connects to #6 Curlew Connector (motorized).

#6 FEMRITE’S PATROL 3.5 miles. Multi-use motorized trail. Access from #4 Eighth Street Motorcycle Trail (motorized), #5 Freestone Ridge (non-motorized).

1.25 miles. Provides a mid-trail connection between #30 Bob’s Trail and #1 Highlands Trail.

2.1 miles. Dogs on-leash only. The climb of 1,000 feet takes you into the heart of this wildlife area. It’s an aggressive, multi-use, non-motorized route.

Connects to #8 Lucky Peak Trail (motorized).

#13 COBB TRAIL 1.7 miles. Dogs on-leash only. Often combined with other trails for a loop, the route passes old homesteads and springs. Access from #8 Lucky Peak Trail or #11 West Highland Valley Trail.

#14 TRAM TRAIL 1.2 miles. From Warm Springs Boulevard, trail climbs up to the #17 Table Rock Quarry Trail. The upper two-thirds follow the historic Table Rock Tram route.

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.78 miles. Eastern segment of #16B Rock Island Trail.

Features banked turns, jumps and moderate to advanced rock features. Accessed by #16 Table Rock Loop Trail.

#16B ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (WEST) .84 miles. Western segment of #16B Rock Island Trail. Features moderate to advanced technical features. Respect this opportunity for techinical riding by staying on routes.

#16B ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (DEER PATH) .17 miles. Following an old deer path, this leg of Rock Island Trail provides a midway connection with #14 Tram Trail and #16 Loop Trail. Managed

as a technical mountain biking opportunity, users are asked to yield to downhill riders.

#16B ROCK ISLAND (JUMP LINE) .2 miles. This leg of Rock Island Trail provides a progressive jump-line for beginning to advanced riders. Managed as a technical mountain biking opportunity, users are asked to yield to downhill riders.

combined with any number of trails in Military Reserve, makes a great loop. It affords wonderful views of downtown Boise and surrounding parts of Military Reserve. Access from #27A Toll Road Trail and #20 Ridge Crest.

Cottonwood Creek Trail and all connected trails.

#22A CENTRAL RIDGE SPUR (NORTH)

#26 THREE BEARS TRAIL

.33 miles. Northern segment of #22A Central Ridge Spur.

#17 TABLE ROCK QUARRY TRAIL

#22A CENTRAL RIDGE SPUR (SOUTH)

.73 miles. Trail connects Tram Trail, Table Rock Trail and Table Rock Loop Trail.

.55 miles. Southern segment of #22A Central Ridge Spur.

#18 QUARRY TRAIL .55 miles. Trail provides views of historic quarry activity as well as views of Boise’s East End. Access from #15 Table Rock Trail and #19 Castle Rock Loop.

#19 SHOSHONE-PAIUTE TRIBES LOOP 1.4 miles. Trail loops around Castle Rock. Access from #15 Table Rock Trail or #19A Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Trail.

#19A SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBES TRAIL

#22B FREESTONE CREEK TRAIL .35 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Pedestrian-only trail. Provides a bike-free experience from Freestone Creek Trailhead to the southern segment of #22A Central Ridge Spur.

#22C MOUNTAIN COVE .96 miles. Trail provides an alternative to riding or hiking Mountain Cove Road. Allows access to #23 Military Reserve Connector, #20 Ridge Crest, #26 Three Bears Trail.

.54 miles. All weather trail that provides a view of Castle Rock from below. Access #19 Shoshone-Paiute Loop and all connecting trails.

#23 MILITARY RESERVE CONNECTION

#20 RIDGE CREST

#23A ELEPHANT ROCK LOOP

1.2 miles. This trail links the Cottonwood Creek and Freestone Creek drainages. Access from #27A Toll Road Trail and #22C Mountain Cove.

.5 miles. Trail provides a short loop opportunity with views of downtown Boise.

.64 miles. Trail connects central foothills trails to trails in Military Reserve.

#25A EAGLE RIDGE LOOP .89 miles. Trail loops around Eagle Ridge. Provides great veiws of downtown Boise and the foothills.

4.7 miles. Trail provides link between lower and upper foothills trails. Access from Mountain Cove Road, Rocky Canyon Road or #26A Shanes Trail.

#26A SHANE’S TRAIL 1.8 miles. Trail provides link between the Military Reserve trails and trails in the upper foothills. Combine with #26 Three Bears Trail for a great mid-elevation loop.

#26A SHANE’S TRAIL TO ROCKY CANYON .43 miles. Trail provides access to #26A Shanes Trail and all connecting trails.

#27 COTTONWOOD CREEK TRAIL .96 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Often referred to as “The Black Forest,” this is a pleasant trail through cottonwood stands and open sagebrush flats. Please avoid the volunteer trails, because those areas are for wildlife.

#27A TOLL ROAD TRAIL

#20A BUCKTAIL TRAIL 1.3 miles. Trail provides rolling single-track across grassy flats.

#21 THE PONDS LOOP .54 miles. Trail loops around Military Reserve flood basin offleash area. Access #25 Eagle Ridge Trail, #25A Eagle Ridge Loop and all connecting trails.

#22 CENTRAL RIDGE TRAIL 1.9 miles. This trail, when

.67 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail provides a route to the interior of Military Reserve.

#28 CRESTLINE TRAIL #24 SIDEWINDER TRAIL 1.3 miles. Multi-use nonmotorized trail. Trail winds along the south side of Hulls Ridge providing great views and fast single-track. Access from #28 Crestline Trail.

2 miles. One of the most heavily used trails in the Ridge to Rivers system. Trail provides a multi-use non-motorized route to less crowded trails in the foothills.

#25 EAGLE RIDGE TRAIL

#29 LOWER HULLS GULCH TRAIL

1 mile. Parts of this trail are surfaced with asphalt, so it’s a good foul-weather alternative, with fine views of downtown and a bird’s-eye perspective of Cottonwood Creek. Access #27

2.8 miles. One of the most heavily used trails on the Ridge to Rivers system. Following Hulls Creek, this trail provides moderate technical riding opportunities.

R E C & S PO RTS

#30 BOB’S TRAIL

#38 THE GROVE

#58 HARRISON RIDGE TRAIL

#81 POLECAT LOOP

#103 OREGON TRAIL

#126 BIG-STACK CUTOFF

1.65 miles. Multi-use nonmotorized Trail. Access from #31 Corrals Trail or from Eighth Street connection.

.26 miles. Trail provides a pedestrian-only experience through an area of native and exotic trees providing a nice shade alternate to the hot sagebrush environment of the foothills.

1.2 miles. Managed by the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, this trail provides an overlook of Harrison Hollow with views of the Foothills to the east.

5.8 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail features great views of the Treasure Valley and Boise Ridgeline while providing single-track around the perimeter of Polecat Gulch.

1.12 miles. Dogs on-leash only. This trail runs through the Oregon Trail Reserve parallel to the historic Oregon Trail—ruts from the Oregon Trail are visible.

.75 miles. Big-Stack Cutoff provides a “cutoff” route between #124 Mr. Big Trail and #125 Freddy’s Stack Rock Trail.

#71 RED TAIL TRAIL

#82 DOE RIDGE TRAIL

2.99 miles. This trail is the main trail in the Hidden Springs area. Loops are possible when Red Tail Trail is combined with other Ridge to Rivers trails and roads.

.83 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail provides loop opportunities when combined with #83 Quick Draw Trail or #81 Polecat Loop.

ACCESS (#110 SEAMAN GULCH TRAIL)

#31 CORRALS TRAIL 5.39 miles. Multi-use nonmotorized trail. Provides a route from Bogus Basin Road to Eighth Street.

CONNECTION TRAIL (#31 CORRALS TRAIL) .65 miles. Multi-use non-motorized trail. Provides access to #31 Corrals Trail from Miller Gulch parking area.

#32 SCOTT’S TRAIL 1 mile. Multi-use non-motorized trail. Provides a route to upper Eighth Street from #31 Corrals Trail.

#33 HARD GUY TRAIL 4.9 miles. Multi-use nonmotorized trail. Ride from sagebrush grasslands to broken timber slopes. If you take on this trail, be prepared for a tough climb. Access from #31 Corrals Trail. Connects to the Boise Ridge Road.

#39 RED CLIFFS 1.5 miles. Trail provides great views of Hulls Creek and downtown Boise. Access from #29 Lower Hulls Gulch and #28 Crestline.

#83 QUICK DRAW TRAIL #39A KESTREL TRAIL

#72 LOOKOUT LOOP

1 mile. Trail provides a great way to connect to the central foothills trails and is a great alternative to coming down Lower Hulls Gulch.

.3 miles. Access from #71 Red Tail Trail. Provides great views of lower Dry Creek and the community of Hidden Springs.

.36 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail provides a quick loop option when combined with #81 Polecat Loop and #82 Doe Ridge.

#73 BITTERBRUSH TRAIL

#91 DEER POINT TRAIL

.65 miles. Trail provides access to #71 Red Tail Trail from Cartwright Road.

2 miles. Trail provides a moderate route from Simplot Lodge to the #92 Shindig Trail/#94 Elk Meadows Trail junction.

#40 CAMEL’S BACK TRAILS 2 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Pedestrain-only trails offer great tree-top views of the North End.

#41 15TH STREET TRAIL .45 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail provides access to Camel’s Back-Hulls Gulch Reserve area from 15th Street.

#74 CHUKAR BUTTE TRAIL 4 miles. Popular with equestrian users, this trail provides expansive views from Hidden Springs to Sweet Connie Trail via old two-track road and a mix of flowy and technical single-track.

#34 HULLS POND

#42 FAT TIRE TRAVERSE

.25 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Provides a short walk for small children and a great opportunity for bird watching.

1 mile. This multi-use non-motorized trail, links #5 Freestone Ridge Trail (non-motorized) to #4 Eighth Street Motorcycle Trail (motorized), just east of the Sidewinder junction. The trail offers great views and provides an important midfoothills connection.

#75 CURRANT CREEK TRAIL (WEST)

#50 HIPPIE SHAKE TRAIL

.4 miles. Eastern segment of Currant Creek Trail. Access from Cartwright Road.

#35 GOLD FINCH .34 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Trail provides a multi-use, nonmotorized, route from #36 Red Fox to The Grove Trailhead.

#35A RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD TRAIL .32 miles. Dogs on-leash only.

Provides a pedestrian-only route, crossing Hulls Creek to Chickadee Ridge.

.5 miles. This trail provides short loop opportunities from Harrison Hollow when combined with Who Now Loop and Kemper’s Ridge.

#51 WHO NOW LOOP TRAIL #35A RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD TRAIL (MIDDLE) .25 miles. Dogs on-leash only. Middle segment of RedWinged Blackbird Trail. This trail provides a pedestrian-only Route from Grove Trailhead to Chickadee Ridge.

#36 RED FOX TRAIL 1.6 miles. Dogs on-leash only (Camels Back to 15th Street Trail). This trail is a main artery and provides a multi-use nonmotorized route from Camel’s Back Park to the rest of the trails in the Camel’s Back-Hulls Gulch Reserve area.

#36A CHICKADEE RIDGE TRAIL .61 miles. Trail provides a bird’s-eye view of Hulls Gulch Reserve.

CONNECTION (#36A CHICKADEE RIDGE) .15 miles. Trail provides a connection between Chickadee Ridge and The Grove Trailhead.

#37 OWL’S ROOST .63 miles. Trail runs along a riparian area made up of native and exotic vegetation. Bird watchers may catch a glimpse of roosting owls.

WWW.B OI SE WE E K LY.COM

1.3 miles. This true loop trail intersects several other trails in the Hillside to Hollow Reserve, providing users short and long loop options.

.4 miles. Western segment of #75 Currant Creek Trail.

Access from #71 Red Tail Trail.

This segment is maintained by Hidden Springs.

#75 CURRANT CREEK TRAIL (EAST)

#76 PEGGY’S TRAIL 4.7 miles. Popular with equestrians. Because this trail is located primarily on private land utilized for cattle grazing, please stay on trails and slow down near cattle.

#77 SWEET CONNIE TRAIL

1 mile. With steep ups and downs this trail spans the highest ridge and crosses the highest points in the Hillside to Hollow Reserve, providing great views of the foothills and the North End.

6.1 miles. Popular with equestrians, this trail connects Shafer Butte area trails with trails of the lower foothills.

It descends from forested heights to open lowlands with a mix of steep, rolling and tight technical rocky single-track. Access via #120 East Side Trail.

#53 BUENA VISTA TRAIL

#78 DRY CREEK TRAIL

1.7 miles. Climbing from Hill Road to the highest ridge in the Hillside to Hollow Reserve, this trail provides access to the heart of the reserve and offers views from the tree-tops to ridgeline overlooks.

7 miles. Connecting lower Bogus Basin Road and the Boise Ridge Road, this trail ascends one of the largest drainages in the foothills as it winds through desert riparian habitat to pineand fir-covered slopes.

#55 WEST CLIMB TRAIL

#79 SHINGLE CREEK TRAIL

.3 miles. This trail provides quick access to the Hillside to Hollow Reserve from Ussery Street.

4.2 miles. Ascending a major tributary to Dry Creek, this trail provides loop opportunities with #78 Dry Creek Trail and #33 Hard Guy Trail.

#52 KEMPER’S RIDGE TRAIL

#57 HARRISON HOLLOW TRAIL .9 miles. Managed by the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, this trail provides an out-and-back all-weather opportunity and provides access to the heart of the Hillside to Hollow Reserve.

#80 SHEEP CAMP TRAIL .8 miles. This trail connects #33 Hard Guy Trail to #78 Dry Creek Trail.

#92 SHINDIG TRAIL .74 miles. Trail provides a route between #91 Deer Point Trail/#94 Elk Meadows Trail and lower ski area cat tracks.

#93 THE FACE TRAIL 1.2 miles. Trail provides a route across the face of Shafer Butte. Access from #95 Tempest Trail or #94 Elk Meadows Trail.

#94 ELK MEADOWS TRAIL 1.4 miles. Trail provides a route around the east side of Shafer Butte. Access from #91 Deer Point or #140 Lodge Trail.

#95 TEMPEST TRAIL .53 miles. Trail provides access to the north face of Shafer Butte. Access from #140 Lodge Trail.

#96 BREWERS BYWAY 1 mile. Trail provides route from Pioneer Lodge to the top of #92 Shindig Trail. Features rolling single-track through timbered and rocky slopes.

Use as easier access to higher elevation trails.

#97 MORNING STAR 1.5 miles. Trail offers route from Pioneer Lodge to Simplot Lodge.

#98 AROUND THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL 6.4 miles. Enjoy panoramic views while circumnavigating Shafer Butte. Access via #91 Deer Point Trail, #97 Morning Star Trail or Pioneer Lodge.

.4 miles. Provides access to #110 Seaman Gulch Trail from Seaman Gulch Road.

.87 miles. Maintained as a ski area cat track, Lodge Trail provides access to the north face of Shafer Butte and several connecting trails. Access from Pioneer Lodge.

#110 SEAMAN GULCH TRAIL

#141 PIONEER TRAIL

1.74 miles. Connects to #112 Wild Phlox Trail and #111 Valley View Trail.

.76 miles. Maintained as a ski area cat track.

#142 SUNSHINE TRAIL #111 VALLEY VIEW TRAIL .32 miles. Access from #110 Seaman Gulch Trail. Check out the great views of West Boise.

.68 miles. Maintained as a ski area cat track, Sunshine Trail connects #140 Lodge Trail to #92 Shindig Trail.

#112 WILD PHLOX TRAIL

#143 BOGUS CREEK TRAIL

.78 miles. Provides a loop opportunity when combined with #110 Seaman Gulch trail.

.5 miles. Maintained as a ski area cat track, Bogus Creek provides a route from #92 Shindig Trail/#141 Pioneer Trail junction down to Simplot Lodge.

#113 BIG SPRINGS LOOP .78 miles. Trail provides loop opportunities when combined with #114 Veterans Trail.

Access from Big Springs Boulevard.

#114 VETERANS TRAIL 1 mile. Trail provides route from the east entrance of Dry Creek Cemetery to the west end of Big Springs Boulevard. Please respect Dry Creek and Idaho veterans cemeteries by staying on designated trails.

#115 RABBIT RUN 1.7 miles. Trail provides the main link between the Idaho Velodrome trails and Ridge to Rivers trails in the area. Access from #113 Big Springs Loop.

#116 REI CONNECTION .5 miles. Trail provides a loop opportunity between #115 Rabbit Run and #113 Big Springs Loop. Access from #113 Big Springs Loop and D’s Chaos Idaho Velodrome trail.

#120 EASTSIDE TRAIL 6.4 miles. Main trail west of Bogus Basin Road. Access from Bogus Basin Road

#122 SINKER CREEK TRAIL 2.8 miles. Trail provides a loop off #120 Eastside Trail. Access from #120 Eastside Trail. Connects to #123 DB Connector and #124 Mr. Big Trail. If you go down, be prepared for the climb out.

#123 DB CONNECTOR TRAIL #101 BASALT TRAIL

#140 LODGE TRAIL

1.75 miles. Dogs on-leash only. Basalt Trail provides loop opportunities for users of the Oregon Trail Reserve and great views of the basalt cliff it’s perched on.

.41 miles. Trail connects the middle of #120 Eastside Trail to the middle of #122 Sinker Creek Trail. Provides several loop options off of both #120 Eastside and #122 Sinker Creek trails.

#102 RIM TRAIL

#124 MR. BIG TRAIL

1 mile. Dogs on-leash only.

Rim Trail overlooks the Boise River valley and provides a pedestrian-only experience.

Users will discover the historic Kelton Ramp, as well as three interpretive overlooks and numerous interpretive signs.

1.6 miles. Trail connects the southern end of #120 Eastside Trail to #122 Sinker Creek Trail.

#144 CABIN TRAVERSE TRAIL .75 miles. Maintianed as a ski area cat track, Cabin Traverse provides access to the top of Shafer Butte. Access from #94 Elk Meadows Trail.

#145 REDTAIL NORDIC TRAIL 1.2 miles. Maintained as a ski area Nordic trail, Redtail Nordic provides a non-motorized route to #147 Nordic Connector and #148 Lower Loop Nordic trails.

#146 SAPPER’S RETURN TRAIL 1.2 miles. Maintained as a Nordic trail, Sapper’s Return provides a route from the north end of #145 Redtail Nordic Trail to the Nordic Center.

#147 NORDIC CONNECTOR TRAIL .77 miles. Maintained as a ski area Nordic trail, Nordic Connector provides a nonmotorized connection between #145 Redtail Nordic and #120 Eastside Trail.

#148 LOWER LOOP NORDIC TRAIL 1.7 miles. Maintained as a ski area Nordic trail, Lower Loop provides a lower non-motorized route between #145 Redtail Nordic Trail and #120 Eastside Trail.

#149 PACKING TRAIL .72 miles. Maintained as a ski area Nordic Trail, Packing Trail provides a route up the north face of Shafer Butte. Access from #140 Lodge Trail.

#FS 190 MORES MOUNTAIN LOOP 1.5 miles. Trail provides a loop opportunity, around Mores Mountain, when combined with NFD Road 374.

#125 FREDDY’S STACK ROCK TRAIL 3.5 miles. From the #120 Eastside/#124 Mr. Big junction, Freddy’s provides a route to and around Stack Rock.

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L AURIE PE ARMAN

THE TASTIEST SHOW IN TOWN The Basque Market’s street-side paella is a sight, smell and flavor to behold ALE X KIESIG pounds of chorizo—sliced in half moons—went From a block away, the fragrance of frying onions into the pan. Arredondo identified this as chorizo and peppers told me I was late. At noon every riojano, a smoky pork sausage imported from Spain, Wednesday and Friday and on Thursday nights, but said the market also uses local chorizo from Basque Market chef Jake Arredondo serves paella Gem Meat Packing. After a few minutes, the sausage directly from the pan to guests lined up on the patio. released its color into the pan, an unctuous orange To see the process of big-batch paella cooking in the like nothing else. open air, get there early. By 10:45 a.m., the vegetaArredondo scattered kosher salt and scooped bles were already at a low sizzle. out two cups of minced garlic. This drew in passArredondo brought me up to speed: the chef had ersby like dark magic—the smell of garlic in such slicked the surface of the hot paellera—a shallow, heaps makes people stop and smile. Next came a handled disc three feet across and evocative of a quarter-cup of smoked paprika and, over the next 20 gong—with a blend of canola and olive oils. Then, minutes, everything absorbed a deep brick red. into the paellera went two pounds each diced white Arredondo kept moving. He poured in two bags onion and green bell pepper, which Arredondo totalling four pounds of short-grain Valencia rice, turned in the oil with a flat-nose wooden spoon. This pretty as pearls, then stirred to incorporate. An batch would yield enough for 40 people; the Basque assistant arrived from the kitchen with a pot of Market has pans that will feed as many as 100 and broth—about two gallons of 200 eaters, as well. chicken stock to which he’d In the shade of a not-too-hot morning, ArTOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 added 10 ounces of white redondo predicted he’d sell out.

Winners of the Best of wine, 25 threads of saffron The Basque Market prepares seafood Boise, 2006-2015 and a pinch of turmeric. and vegetarian versions of the traditional BEST LOCAL BAR Arredondo flooded the Spanish rice dish at events and at different 2006 Neurolux rice with a giant ladle, just times on the patio. The most popular is the 2007 Neurolux enough liquid to cover, then one I saw made, paella mixta, which pulls in 2008 Neurolux cranked up the flame. He chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams and mussels.

2009 Neurolux dragged lines through the The next hour was full, which meant the 2010 Pengilly’s Saloon pan with his spoon, then ingredients must be prepped ahead, por2011 Pengilly’s Saloon 2012 Neurolux patted the rice back down tioned and pre-cooked where necessary.

2013 Neurolux to submerge it.

Vegetables shining in the heat, two 2014 Pengilly’s Saloon 2015 Pengilly’s Saloon

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As it cooked, the surface bubbled and split into pools; whorls of red oil and liquid the color of marmalade. Slowly, the grains of rice fattened and lifted to the surface. Steam blew off the pan toward me, and I was in its spell, too.

The assistant appeared again with a bowl of shellfish and, at the 50-minute mark, Arredondo began tucking raw shrimp into the rice. He set out to get seafood in every portion of the paella served and he was right—I counted exactly 40. Next he arranged two pounds each clams and mussels, the upright black shells like a nest of open bird beaks. Then he divided roasted chicken across the rice. Over this, another few ladles of stock. Arredondo and his assistant tested around the edges of the pan to see whether the paella was done.

A few garnishes finished the dish, filling it with color: a pound of roasted red peppers; two-anda-half pounds of trimmed green beans (in place of peas, which Basque Market owners Tony and Tara Eiguren actively dislike); and a few dozen wedges of lemon. A final blast of heat lightly toasted the rice on the bottom of the pan.

“We’re there,” Arredondo said, and people were lining up, plates in hand.

As he dished me up a generous portion, I thanked him for the food and for sharing his process. Perhaps it was anticipation properly built, but it was the best paella I’d had from the market. And the show is always free.

BASQUE MARKET • 608 W. Grove St. • 208-433-1208 • thebasquemarket.com FOOD & DR IN K

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KEL SE Y HAWES

THINK GLOBALLY, EAT LOCALLY Eight ethnic markets in Boise to help broaden your culinary horizons PAT T Y BOWEN AND HARRISON BERRY

Boise might be the most remote metropolitan area in the Lower 48, but that doesn’t mean it’s bereft of international fare. A kaleidoscope of ethnic markets dot the city, offering cuisine and goods drawn from almost every continent (if someone can point us to an Australian or Antarctic market, please do).

We selected six locations to highlight the diversity of Boise’s retail culinary options and point people looking to expand their palates in the right direction.

TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015 BEST LOCAL FINE DINING 2006 MilkWay 2007 Cottonwood Grille 2008 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2009 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2010 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2011 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2012 Barbacoa 2013 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2014 Chandler’s Steakhouse 2015 Barbacoa

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ASIA MARKET

CAMPOS MARKET

9975 W. Fairview Ave., 208-321-4502

413 N. Orchard St., 208-658-0644

Unlike in our neighboring coastal states, it is difficult to find good Asian imports around here to snack on.

With everything from rice crackers to small bento boxes, Asia Market stocks the essentials for people looking for authentic Asian goods.

Refrigerators lining the wall are stocked with a wide selection of mocha and, across the shop, fresh produce like Chinese broccoli is perfect for upgrading an Asian dish.

For something different and delicious, try a Grass Jelly drink—a line of sodas filled with jelly chunks—or choose from the plethora of unfamiliar KitKat flavors (both strawberry and green tea are definitely worth trying).

The army of colorful, low hanging pinatas are the first thing to greet customers entering Campos Market. The Mexican shop gives visitors a tiny taste of the open air markets of Central America with a deli of assorted raw meats; a restaurant selling cheap, authentic Mexican dishes; and long aisles of differing trinkets and packaged foods covered in Spanish language writing. There is a sitting area in the center of the shop, so regardless of what eaters buy, they can enjoy it in house with traditional Mexican music playing from the store’s speakers.

Customers who walk in hungry should try Campos’ chorizo meat on either tacos or burritos. It’s rich, authentic flavor won’t leave anything to be desired. Campos Market also sells plantains, a type of bananas severed fried bringing out their strong sweet taste.

FOOD & DR IN K

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KEL SE Y HAWES

BOEX (BOSNIA EXPRESS) 4846 Emerald St., 208-433-9955

Mostly hidden by its strip mall surroundings, BoEx captures European cleanliness and class. Its friendly, proud owner, Eki Dusahka, welcomes customers while they walk across shining hardwood floors and glance at the shelves glistening with European wines. BoEx’s selection of paninis is unrivaled by any other restaurant in Boise—all of which are worth trying, especially the House Special and Nutella varieties. The cafe deli also serves gyros and baguettes.

The store’s confectionery section has a wide selection of foreign sweets, including a wall of popular European chocolates like Milka, Ritter and (Dusahka’s favorite) Mozart.

Readers who pop in for a drink at BoEx’s bar should try Plantaze Vranac’s Pro Corde, a smoky red wine or Karlovacko Pivo, a white lager beer.

EAST AFRICA GROCERY AND COFFEE 5214 W. Fairview Ave., 208-322-6770

The smell of East Africa Grocery and Coffee is a combination of incense, coffee and cardamom. It’s the first thing visitors experience when they step into the store, housed in a modest shopping center on Fairview Avenue, and it stays with them long after they leave.

The shop is a repository of all things rich, from delicately spiced, home-made cookies and shrink-

wrapped dates—popular during Ramadan—to Hilal goat meat and unroasted Ethiopian coffee beans (both of which can be bought in ZipLock bags by the pound). Patrons can buy pre-paid phone cards to call family in far reaches of the world; huge bags of corn and wheat flour; and African-style clothing, foods and housewares.

East Africa Grocery and Coffee also a sports lounge where people gather to watch soccer matches while drinking black tea and coffee, sitting in white plastic lawn chairs and cheering on favorite players when they appear onscreen. More than a grocery, for its patrons, East Africa Grocery and Coffee is a hangout, an outlet and a reminder of home.

ing Mithai—small, colorful Indian sweets usually made with nuts, sugar and milk, and often eaten during holidays and times of celebration.

INDIA FOODS

THANA’S LITTLE WORLD MARKET

6020 W. Fairview Ave., 208-387-0000

4101 W. Overland Road, 208-331-3033

ISHTAR MARKET 4516 W. Overland Road, 208-275-8437

When looking to satisfy a craving for hummus and naan, Ishtar Market is the place to go. The kosher deli has a wide selection of Middle Eastern dishes including kebabs, rice soup, chicken and fish.

The market also carries a large selection of packaged imports and, for the chef in your family, Ishtar Market makes its own blend of seven different spices, perfect for perking up a ricebased recipe.

Hindustani music is the soundtrack Thana’s Little World Market for a trip down the colorful aisles at exudes an authentic, rural Southeast India Foods. Pastries and Asia vibe. The traditional dishes line the wide aisles are TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 insides of large refrigeraflanked with Winners of the Best of Boise, tors, and nearby are small floor-to-ceiling 2006-2015 piles of produce from India: shelves lined BEST LOCAL COCKTAIL drumstick leaves, Indian cuwith beverages 2006 Bardenay cumber and fresh jackfruit. and snacks, like 2007 Bardenay In the back of the shop, long the basil seed 2008 Red Feather Lounge 2009 Red Feather Lounge strings of fake flowers, statdrink with 2010 Red Feather Lounge ues and piles of incense— honey, which is 2011 Red Feather Lounge the lily and moon scents are subtle, sweet 2012 The Modern Hotel and Bar both lovely—share space and as delicious 2013 The Modern Hotel and Bar with ghee, mustard oil and as it is strange.

2014 The Modern Hotel and Bar sweets. We recommend tryThe quintes2015 The Modern Hotel and Bar

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sence of the shop is in its fresh produce. Jack Fruit, a large tropical berry similar in texture and taste to pineapple, is sold next to fresh kaffir lime leaves, which are sour and a good ingredient to give tang to any noodle dishes. The market even occasionally receives a shipment of lychee seeds or rambutans.

Although the shelves of packaged snacks may seems daunting, a quick dessert can be made by boiling coconut milk, brown sugar and tapioca pearls—all sold at the store—and served over ice. We recommend it.

TRES BONNE 6555 W. Overland Road, 208-658-1364

The only thing more heartwarming than the homemade soups of Tres Bonne is its ambience. On each sky blue tablecloth of this European cafe is a small bowl of gummy bears and a small vase of flowers. The wide variety of sandwiches are served on homemade bread and their European real hot chocolate lives up to its name with a thick, creamy taste.

On the other side of the cafe is a wine shop and bar with a large selection of European wines and beers. Because their selection is all imported, their chardonnays haven’t been soaked in wood chips and have a less oaky, softer taste. It is worth noting Tres Bonne’s Fuggin Awesome and Effin Awesome imperial lagers also live up to their names.

FOOD & DR IN K

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BOISE THROUGH THE YEARS

TOP 10 OF THE PAST 10 Winners of the Best of Boise, 2006-2015

French-Canadian trappers summit the hills east of the Treasure Valley, spot the groves of cottonwoods growing along the river and exclaim, “Les bois!

Les bois!” (“The trees! The trees!”), thus giving Boise its name. Soon after, trappers continue west, where they see many more trees.

Gold fever hits the region and Fort Boise is established by the U.S. Army.

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The territorial secretary steals the state seal from the city of Lewiston, rides south and establishes Boise as the new state capital. North Idaho gnashes its collective teeth (and still hasn’t stopped).

Streetcars are introduced to Boise but cease operations 37 years later. When Mayor Dave Bieter attempts to revive idea in 2009, critics call it his “trolley folly.”

Native Americans are forcibly removed from Boise and sent to eastern Idaho.

BEST LOCAL PUBLIC ART 2006 Anne Frank Memorial 2007 Anne Frank Memorial 2008 Homage to the Pedestrian 2009 Homage to the Pedestrian 2010 Traffic Box Murals 2011 Freak Alley 2012 Freak Alley 2013 Freak Alley 2014 Freak Alley 2015 Freak Alley

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal builds the Ada County Courthouse; permanent buildings for Boise Junior College, North Junior High School, the Boise High School gym and Boise Gallery of Art; and Bogus Basin Road.

ODDS & E NDS

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

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Monday-Friday 7am-9pm Saturday 9am-9pm 110 S. 5th St. (5th & Main Downtown) 208-344-WINE (9463) www.capitolcellarsllc.com

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BOISEweekly c ANNUAL MANUAL 2016-2017 c 45

Year Boise’s Community Forestry Unit was established: 1952 Year Boise was recognized as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA: 1978 Percentage of the Boise city area covered by tree canopy: 16% Amount of money Boise’s community forest offsets in reduced stormwater, summer cooling and air quality health impact costs each year: $4,166,300 Most common tree species in Boise: Maple, accounting for nearly 20% of all trees Least common tree species in Boise: Catalpa, accounting for less than 2.5% of all trees

Number of trees estimated in the 266-square-mile urban area of the Treasure Valley: 2,400,000 Idaho population in 2014: 1,634,000 Approximate percentage of Idaho’s state population living in the Boise Metro Area in 2014: 40% Total number of 10- to 12-inch rainbow trout released along the length of the Boise River from June 27-July 29, 2016: 15,200

A two-headed calf dies at an Idaho ranch. A taxidermied version soon appears at the Idaho History Museum in Boise.

Children call him (them) “Deja Moo.”

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Number of giant rooster statues in the city of Boise: 1 Number of mechanical washer women on Vista Avenue: 1 Number of pink donut sculptures in downtown Boise: 1 Number of times Dave Bieter has been elected mayor of Boise: 4

Length of the Greenbelt along the Boise River: 25 miles

The last year in which a Boise mayor won a fourth term: 1957

Number of parks and facilities managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department: 129

Number of Google search results returned for “Boise Mayor David Bieter Most Livable City”: 3,530

Number of pools managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department: 7

1,500 men are questioned and 16 are arrested in a police sweep of Boise “homosexual underground,” later to be known as “The Boys of Boise” scandal.

The city bans dumping of trash into the Boise River.

Number of bikes in the Boise GreenBike f leet: 114

An anonymous donor buys the Egyptian Theater, saving the landmark from an urban renewal wrecking ball. Much of the rest of Boise’s historic downtown is not so lucky.

Boise Weekly

Boise celebrates its 150th anniversary, chooses to forget some of its less savory history.

begins publication.

World celebrates.

Boise State University unveils its blue turf at Bronco Stadium. Sports analysts begin calling it the “Smurf Turf.”

Mayor Brent Coles resigns and is jailed after admitting to misuse of public money.

Coles lies about being a late-night newspaper carrier when caught in a car outside the home of a city staffer with whom he was allegedly smitten.

The Idaho State Penitentiary is featured on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. No ghosts found.

The Eighth and Main Building, home of Zions Bank’s Idaho headquarters, opens on the site of downtown Boise’s infamous “hole,” after many claimed the site was doomed following curses, fire and previous construction fumbles.

ODDS & E NDS

WWW.B OI SE WE E K LY.COM

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CALENDAR August BRAUN BROTHERS REUNION FESTIVAL For a small town, Challis really knows how to throw a great party. Need proof? Check out the annual Braun Brothers Reunion Festival.

Everyone is an honorary Braun during the three-day festival, which historically includes performances by Braun relatives Reckless Kelly and Mickey and the Motorcars, along with dozens of special musical guests. Challis, braunbrothersreunion.com

WESTERN IDAHO FAIR

HERMIT MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Western Idaho Fair at Expo Idaho has grown and evolved but stays true to its roots, with livestock shows, 4-H projects, carnival rides, games and fair food offerings suggesting you toss your diet out the window for a week. The fair is a highlight of summer in the Treasure Valley, drawing kids and adults for some family friendly fun, live concerts and food on a stick. Garden City, idahofair.com

Come out of your shell for the Hermit Music Festival, bringing together craft food, beer and wine; workshops; a square dance; and, of course, local and regional bands. Now in its fourth year, the hoedown will go down Friday, Sept. 2-Sunday, Sept. 4 at Indian Creek Winery in Kuna. If you haven’t yet hit up Hermit, now is your chance to see what makes this festival such a country-fried good time. Kuna, hermitmusicfestival.com

September

HYDE PARK STREET FAIR Boise’s North End neighborhood has always been proud of its historic character and independence—and never more so than during the annual Hyde Park Street Fair. Each year the community gathers in Camel’s Back Park for three days of music, food, vendors and assorted cultural fun. The schedule includes entertainment ranging from traditional ethnic dancers to jam bands, and booths from an array of community groups. If nothing else, this family friendly celebration is some of the best people watching in town. northend.org

A CHEF’S AFFAIRE CALDWELL NIGHT RODEO You know you’re in the West when “rodeo” can be used as a noun or a verb. Around these parts, few are bigger than the Caldwell Night Rodeo—one of the top rodeos (noun) in the country, drawing more than 40,000 fans to watch five nights of competition. Get ready to rodeo (verb) with bronc busting, bull riding and steer roping, as well as big-name concerts at the Simplot Stadium. Caldwell, caldwellnightrodeo.com

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a personal chef? Taste test the good life at the 18th annual A Chef’s Affaire. Some of the area’s top chefs will come together at the Boise Centre to create an evening of fine cuisine while diners bid on the chance to have one of the chefs create a meal in their home. The eventis the premier fundraiser for the Idaho Foodbank. idahofoodbank.org

of the pungent hope cons as they can carry, then zoom back to the brewery to whip up the freshest, hoppiest beer possible. More than two dozen breweries take part in the Freshtival, representing cities from across the state. The block party goes down Oct. 1, 2016 in front of Boise Brewing in downtown Boise, with food, tunes and, of course, loads of beer. hoptoberfreshtival.com

IDAHO HORROR FILM FESTIVAL Launched in 2014, the Idaho Horror Film Festival has been a screaming success, bringing spine-tingling terror to downtown Boise for three days of dread in October.

What better way to celebrate scary season than with a slate of bone-chilling flicks and special events? Plan to have a boo-tiful time from Oct. 13-15, 2016. facebook.com/ Idaho-Horror-Society

ART IN THE PARK

Head to Donnelly for this rocking two-day outdoor music fest, hosted in the pristine mountain air at Tamarack Resort. For the 2016 edition, set for Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13, ten nationally known artists perform with Michael Franti and Spearhead kicking off the jams with a headlining set at the main stage, located at the base of the mountain. Get there early, on Thursday, Aug. 11, to hear performances at the Heritage Camp Site. Beyond music, attendees enjoy food and beverages; zip lining, rafting and hiking; craft booths; a fun run, parade and street dance; even a rodeo. Donnelly, thehuckleberryjam.com

For three days in September, Julia Davis Park hosts what seems like the valley’s entire population as crowds pack the otherwise peaceful park for one of the biggest and most popular arts events of the year. Art in the Park brings more than 250 artists and crafters from around the region (and country) to the park for a sale and fundraiser benefiting the Boise Art Museum. People of all ages wander past the booths, dodging strollers and chatting with neighbors, as they search for handcrafted treasures. boiseartmuseum.org

NEW BELGIUM’S TOUR DE FAT

Don’t spend your time “at the coo’s tail,” as the Scots say (translation: “Dragging your feet”), hitch up your kilt and hit the Treasure Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games.

Events run all day at Expo Idaho, including traditional music and food, drink, dancing , a parade and Highland games featuring both amateur and professional athletes. Garden City, idahoscotts.org

Boise loves its bikes and its beer, which is probably why the Boise stop of New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat is among the top fundraisers of the entire tour. Each year, the Tour de Fat rolls into Boise and brings a twowheeled parade of fun. The traveling event celebrates bike culture while raising money for local bike organizations in each city. The event includes a costumed morning bike parade through downtown, a day in the park filled with live music, bike-oriented booths, activities and, yes, beer. newbelgium.com

CELTIC FESTIVAL AND HIGHLAND GAMES

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IDAHO HUMANE SOCIE T Y

KEL SE Y HAWES

HUCKLEBERRY JAM

SPIRIT OF BOISE BALLOON CLASSIC

SEE SPOT WALK

For more than 20 years, the Spirit of Boise has filled the skies above Boise with balloons from across the region. The public can watch the morning launches from Ann Morrison Park or check out the skills competitions, while the lucky ones get to see what Boise looks like from above. spiritofboise.com

There’s nothing happier than a dog on a walk. Multiply that boundless joy by more than 3,000 and you have See Spot Walk—the largest dog walk in the state. Join fellow dog lovers on the first Saturday in October each year for a 1-mile jaunt around Julia Davis Park. Proceeds benefit the Idaho Humane Society. idahohumanesociety.org

October

November

BOISE WEEKLY COVER AUCTION

EMPTY BOWLS

Every fall, the original artwork published on our cover is auctioned to raise money to support the Boise Weekly Cover Art Grant, which doles out funds to area artists and arts organizations and, of course, helps fund BW’s journalistic mission. More than a feel-good event, the auction is a helluva party with the excitement of a live auction. This year, the shindig is at JUMP. boiseweekly.com

There are few things better than a warm bowl of soup on a chilly autumn day—unless it’s warm soup in a handcrafted bowl that helps families in need. Each year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Idaho Foodbank hosts Empty Bowls in the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise, giving the public the chance to buy bowls and fill them with gourmet soups from some of Boise’s favorite restaurants. The handmade bowls are donated by local potters and pottery shops, with all proceeds going to help feed the hungry. idahofoodbank.org

HOPTOBER FRESHTIVAL Now in its third year, Boise Brewing’s Hoptober Freshtival ranks as the biggest fresh hop beer festival in the state. What is fresh hopped beer? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like.

Brewers rush to the fields, gather as many

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swimming and biking in some of the most remote, treacherous and stunning locations on the globe. banffcentre.ca

FESTIVAL OF TREES Boise is the city of trees, and this festival highlights the title. Rows of trees decorated with charming ornaments and themes pack the Boise Centre while live music from local orchestras serenade onlookers. Seasonal games and activities are also a big part of the event, which is an important holiday tradition in the city that loves its trees. facebook.com/festivaloftreesboise

MCCALL WINTER CARNIVAL

WINTER GARDEN AGLOW Winter may be the darkest time of the year, but the chilly nights at Winter Garden aGlow usually shed some light on the season.

Beginning in late-November and running through early-January, the Botanical Gardens are strung with more than 300,000 sparkling lights to create a winter wonderland, no matter the weather. idahobotanicalgarden.org

What was inspired half a century ago by the Payette Lake Winter Games has grown into a cultural juggernaut. Enormous snow sculptures, a parade, a bike race, art auctions, a comedy show and live music—but especially the gigantic snow sculptures—bring thousands of people to the resort town each year for a week of winter fun. McCall, mccallchamber. org/winter-carnival

February FLYING M VALENTINE FOR AIDS Since 1993, Flying M Coffeehouse has hosted its annual Valentine for AIDS—a silent art auction benefiting the Safety Net for AIDS Program. Since it was founded, Valentine for AIDS has raised more than $280,000. facebook. com/valentineforaids

December

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FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL Bundle up for this bowl at Albertsons Stadium, which pits a Mountain West team against a Mid-American Conference team in “the nation’s longest running outdoor cold-weather bowl.” famousidahopotatobowl.com

BALLET IDAHO’S NUTCRACKER Seeing Ballet Idaho’s festive Nutcracker at the Morrison Center is as much of a holiday tradition for some as trimming the Christmas tree. balletidaho.org

IDAHO POTATO DROP Watch a potato the size of a Winnebago majestically descend from on high, ringing in the new year in downtown Boise and signifying the high point of a massive party that has made headlines around the country. idahopotatodrop.com

January BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Canadians are known for being nice, but the athletes featured in the Canada-based Banff Film Festival are far from soft. For three days at the Egyptian Theatre, watch shorts and movies of people climbing, skiing, rowing,

WWW.B OI SE WE E K LY.COM

March BOISE FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW While March might be a soggy mess in some places, in the high desert of the Treasure Valley it’s the legit beginning of spring. Celebrate the start of the season with the Boise Flower and Garden Show, which takes over the Boise Centre with seminars, wine and jazz nights, sales and vendors, displays, auctions and a flower show. gardenshowboise.com

SUN VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL Sun Valley is not only a sanctuary for the rich and famous but home of the Sun Valley Film Festival, which has become a much vaunted event among both audiences and auteurs. It’s also a proving ground for films that may lead to the kind of wealth and notoriety that make a hideaway necessary. Sun Valley, sunvalleyfilmfestival.org

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TREEFORT MUSIC FEST

ANIME OASIS

BOISE HAWKS

I48 FILM FESTIVAL

Visitors are beginning to plan trips to Boise around this multi-day festival that has, since its launch in 2012, garnered national attention by filling venues across downtown Boise with readings, films and panels, as well as hundreds of performances by local acts and touring bands that stop in Boise on the heels of SXSW shows. treefortmusicfest.com

For more than a dozen years, local anime addicts, cosplay connoisseurs and manga maniacs have gathered at Anime Oasis to celebrate the popular Japanese cultural export.

Anime Oasis runs sunup to sundown for three days at multiple locations in downtown Boise, and is so full of panels, games, films, music and more, that even with no sleep, it would be nearly impossible to see everything. But it’s tanoshii to try. animeoasis.org

Opening night at Hawks Stadium is the symbolic start of summer and full of promise for Boise Hawks fans, who can count on our local baseball team to always play a good, entertaining game. Garden City, boisehawks.com

This long-running competition gives auteurs 48 hours to make a short film: conception, writing, filming, editing—everything must be done in those two days. Though it’s a stress-inducing process, i48 awards prizes to the best of the best and shines a spotlight on the breadth and wealth of talent in the Treasure Valley in living color across the big screens at The Flicks and Egyptian Theatre. idaho48.org

April RACE TO ROBIE CREEK The Race to Robie Creek is the “toughest halfmarathon in the Northwest.” Setting off from Fort Boise, runners climb the 4,734-foot Aldape Summit. Registration fills within minutes, so get some high-speed Internet and be ready when registration opens. robiecreek.com

BOISE MUSIC FESTIVAL The Boise Music Festival brings in high-profile national, regional and local acts to Expo Idaho to perform on five stages. Plus, it has a 21-and-older area and a carnival with rides.

Garden City, boisemusicfestival.com

IDAHO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL Against the spectacular Boise foothills, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival performs the works of William Shakespeare as well as plays and musicals by the world’s best playwrights. idahoshakespeare.org

For two days, the community heads to the Ahavath Beth Israel synagogue to load up on traditional Jewish food and music as part of a fundraiser for the congregation. The public is invited to take tours of the building, built in 1896, which is the oldest synagogue west of the Mississippi River. ahavathbethisrael.org

This event might bear an Idaho zip code, but it casts a much wider net, celebrating wineries, breweries and distilleries not only from the Gem State but entire West Coast.

With a focus on emerging, boutique and family owned companies, Taste 208 has done nothing but grow since it debuted in Boise in 2011. It’s not entirely about libations, though, with an emphasis on local food as well. taste208event.com

May

June 208 TATTOO FEST You don’t need a tattoo to find something relatable at this fest: performances, displays from more than 100 super-talented tattoo artists and crowds of the resplendently inkadorned filling Expo Idaho. Perfect for people watching. 208tattoofest.com

AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK

ALIVE AFTER FIVE

Every year cities across the nation hoist a few cold ones in celebration of high quality suds—and Boise is no slouch in the beer department. With craft breweries popping up all the time, there is no shortage of opportunities to explore the work of local brewmasters, with tastings, special releases, parties, tap takeovers, games and events all over town. craftbeer.com

Alive After Five is not only the place to see and be seen but to see some great local and touring bands. For the first time in decades, the concert series is moving back to the Grove Plaza in 2017 after construction required it to spend 2016 on the Basque Block. The shows run Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and are open to music lovers of all ages. downtownboise.org

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FANDEMONIUM During Fandemonium, the Grove Hotel is filled with sci-fi and fantasy fans enjoying this convention, which focuses on the heart of popular culture with special guests, panels and events for those with interests in tabletop gaming, videogames, comic books and more. fandemonium.org

GREAT GARDEN ESCAPE CONCERTS The Idaho Botanical Garden has become the go-to spot for outdoor music. Audiences looking for a laid-back evening find it at the weekly Thursday night performances June through September during the Great Garden Escape series. Watch from picnic blankets in the Meditation Garden as some of the Treasure Valley’s best acts perform. idahobotanicalgarden.org

GREEK FOOD FESTIVAL The French may have joie de vivre and the Italians own la dolce vita, but the only guide to life you need to know from the Greeks is opa— or more accurately, opa! Greeks know how to celebrate, and the community joins the party every spring when Boise’s Greeks celebrate their culture with food, music, dancing and assorted merrymaking. For two days, the grounds of the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church are the center of the fun, with Greek entrees and desserts that keep the crowds refueled for treks to the beer and wine garden. boisegreekfestival.com

JAMES MA X

TASTE 208

J O S H G RO S S

Record Store Day celebrates the independent businesses that bring music to our ears. At Boise’s Record Exchange, it’s a full-blown Record Store Weekend of exclusive releases, listening parties, live shows and more. therecordexchange.com

If you think the high point of Russian cuisine is vodka, then you don’t know borscht. The valley’s Russian community shows off the depth of its culture each spring with the Russian Food Festival, filling tummies with everything from piroshki and cabbage rolls to oreshki. But that’s not all—the two-day festival is filled with folk tales, traditional crafts and tours of the St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church. And, yes, there will be borscht. stseraphimboise.org

There’s tough and then there’s Ironman tough. Each year, triathletes gather in Boise to test their mettle in the 70.3-mile race, which includes a bike race, a swim in Lucky Peak Reservoir and a foot race back to the downtown finish line. If you’re not up for one of the toughest physical challenges around, spectators join in the celebration at the end. One thing’s for sure: Once you witness these worldclass athletes, you’ll feel compelled to increase your own workout routine. ironman.com

DELI DAYS

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RUSSIAN FOOD FESTIVAL RECORD STORE DAY

IRONMAN 70.3 BOISE

MERIDIAN SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL If there’s one thing that can give the natural beauty of Idaho a run for its money, it would be its artists. Local artists and vendors will be packing into Meridian’s Stoney Park to serve up Treasure Valley talent and delicious food while art enthusiasts spend the day meandering through the sea of booths. facebook.com/ meridiansummerartsfestival

MUSIC FROM STANLEY Music From Stanley is more like a bunch of awesome little vacations than a typical concert series. Every Sunday, 5-7 p.m., from mid-June to early-September, the panoramic Redfish Lake serves as the backdrop for free performances by Idaho and national musicians performing at the Redfish Lake Lodge.

The concerts are captured for a radio show hosted by musician Douglas Cameron. The shows, which include interviews with the musicians, air on KBSU, KBSW and KISU in the fall.

It’s like a photo album of memories—for your ears. Stanley, musicfromstanley.com

NATIONAL OLDTIME FIDDLERS CONTEST AND FESTIVAL Each year, Weiser gets amped for a week of serious fiddlin’ around with contests for seniors, adults, young adults, juniors and even small-fries. There is also a banjo contest and a full schedule of workshops for everyone from beginners to masters, along with an impressive slate of live music and a parade. Here’s CA L ENDA R O F E VE NTS

of the year—literally and figuratively. Ask any of the 20,000-plus spectators. boisetwilightcriterium.com

a bit of advice: If you come across a young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot, do not challenge him. He’s the best there’s ever been. Weiser, fiddlecontest.org

BOISE’S FUNNIEST PERSON SAVOR IDAHO

MARKETPLACE

Asking amateurs to get on the Liquid Laughs stage and tell jokes can be as cringeworthy as watching Donald Trump announce he’s running for president (*rim shot*). Boise’s Funniest Person takes the cringe out and ups the worthy by pairing newbies with comedy pros, and it’s one of the best new events on the books… no kidding. boisesfunniestperson.com

Hosted by the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, Savor Idaho puts the spotlight on Gem State wineries and restaurants with an outdoor event at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Wine, good food and a stroll through the garden—you really can’t go wrong with that combination. Savor Idaho has perfected the formula, bringing wineries from across the state for a day dedicated to Idaho’s burgeoning wine industry. Crowds can stroll the gardens as they sample the wineries’ wares while chefs from premier eateries offer tastes of their creations. savoridaho.org

LIBRARY! COMIC CON This event at the main branch of the Boise Public Library, is dedicated to comic books, graphic novels, all things sci-fi and fantasy and the like; as well as to the artists who create it all and the people who love it.

Citizens of Nerd-, Geek- and Fandom, rejoice! boisepubliclibrary.org

KEL SE Y HAWES

STANLEY SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN MUSICFEST Head for the hills, because they are most definitely alive with the sound of music. Each year, the Mountain Village Resort in Stanley hosts two rounds of its Stanley Sawtooth Mountain Musicfest—one in June and one in early July—featuring scads of regionally and nationally known musical artists. Beyond the awesome tunes, you get to experience it in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Stanley, mountainvillage.com

MOUNTAIN HOME COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL The 2015 inaugural MHCMF booked some of country’s biggest musicians for the massive three-day fest: Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Parmalee, master mixer DJ KO and superstar Blake Shelton to name a few. Kick-ass musicians plus top-notch camping packages might make Mountain Home a new summertime destination vacation spot. Mountain Home, mountainhomefestival.com

WORLD VILLAGE FESTIVAL

SNAKE RIVER STAMPEDE

As the refugee and immigrant populations continue to grow and change in Boise, it has become imperative that the city grow and change as well. Global Lounge, a local nonprofit organization, hosts the World Village Festival at Capitol Park with a goal of preserving cultural traditions and educating the community on global awareness. worldvillagefestival.com

For something that’s celebrating its 100th birthday, the Snake River Stampede hasn’t missed a step. One of the top-ranked rodeos in the country, the Stampede—held at the Ford Idaho Center—is bigger than ever with a full lineup of hard-riding cowboys and cowgirls taking part in some of the top rodeo action in the business, from bull and bronc riding to barrel racing. The action isn’t only in the arena, though. Days are filled food, drink and entertainment. Nampa, snakeriverstampede.com

July BOISE TWILIGHT CRITERIUM The heat is intense during this annual men’s and women’s road-cycling race, which attracts world-class cyclists who represent dozens of professional and semi-professional racing teams. Not only is the Boise Twilight Criterium hosted in July, but watching the riders zip around and around downtown Boise at mindboggling speeds is one of the hottest events WWW.B OI SE WE E K LY.COM

ST. INAZIO FESTIVAL The annual St. Inazio Festival is when the region’s Basque community—and everyone else—comes out to play. From live music to traditional Basque dancing to killer Basque cuisine and plenty of spirits, this is a three-day excuse to let go. Basquecenter.com

THE CAT DOCTOR At The Cat Doctor, we love and adore cats! We are dedicated to providing exceptional care to our patients and clients alike. Come by and visit us anytime for a tour, and see what makes us unique.

9151 Ustick Road, Boise, ID 83704 327-7706

www.catdr.com

SUMMERFEST 2017 Classical & Pops Music Festival Nationally and regionally acclaimed orchestral musicians and featured soloists are invited to McCall each year for a week of concerts.

Visit our website for upcoming dates and details.

McCall Music Society PO Box 558 • McCall ID 83638

www.McCallMusicSociety.org LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

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