...for the Holidays
Relaxation awaits.
Photo by Summer Jackman.
Dear Readers,
For two years, my 6-year-old son Parker sang "The Twelve Days of Christmas" all season long. On the second day of Christmas, he was certain that the singer had been gifted two "turtle Dougs," and no amount of inquiry would persuade him otherwise. His conviction was steadfast and tenderhearted. He’s grown and changed a lot over the last year, and he’s shifted his song to the more traditional version in which doves are exchanged (still weird). Time makes fools of us all, I guess.
I am thankful for children, and the childlike wonder that makes this season magical. It allows me to step outside of myself to see the bigger world. It reminds me to seek connection, and to open myself to others.
Elmo broke the algorithm in early 2024 when he asked, simply, "How is everybody doing?" From X to Instagram and Facebook to Reddit, people collectively unburdened themselves on our favorite furry muppet. His responses to everything from rent crises to relationship problems offered genuine empathy that made us nostalgic for childhood, but also affirmed our grownup problems. Since then, Sesame Street’s most gifted therapist has continued this spirit of generosity with check-ins, well wishes, and love. It is this spirit of curiosity and compassion that I hope to carry with me into the new year amidst a season of massive changes in weather, daylight, and administration. This issue of IdaHome brings you such stories of evolution in many forms.
Editor in Chief
Limberlost Press is keeping print alive in the age of digital. Boise State University is exploring athletics in a new conference, and textile artist Tunde Odunlade takes readers on a colorful journey that spans the globe. Look for an update on your favorite ski resorts—they’ve just received the sort of snow that makes us excited about hitting the slopes.
If you’re not a skier but are looking forward to exploring the outdoors during this cooler season, read about local birdwatching—they aren’t all leaving for the winter, so get out your binoculars and wait! Enjoy a variety of holiday events around the state, discover the darker history of "The Nutcracker," and learn about the fiscal impact Idaho arts are having on our larger community. Finally, explore Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse, an incredible building that hosts programming and equipment for veterans and adaptive athletes alike.
No matter your political party, you’re probably also thinking about the 2024 U.S. Elections, which saw a second term for Donald Trump. Constitutional expert David Adler presents a look at what that means, constitutionally speaking, as we enter the new year and the exchange of power.
As the daylight gets shorter still, many of our animal friends enter some sort of hibernation. In many ways, we’re beginning to do the same. In my home, this means evenings at the park have been exchanged for board games and Mario Kart. The good snacks. Mornings that drag on, and breakfasts that become brunch. A whole flock of turtle Dougs.
This is a sleepy season of family and food, and I hope you’re finding the beauty in slowing down just a little bit with the people who are important to you. Like Elmo, take joy in the deep friendships, lean into the opportunity for learning, and let your values guide you. 2025 is around the corner, and I’m sure it will offer surprises, changes, and our favorite red muppet laughing in the new year.
Stay Warm, Heather
NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2024
publisher
KAREN DAY
karen@idahorem.com
editor
HEATHER HAMILTON-
POST
heather@idahorem.com
art and design
JASON JACOBSEN jsngrafix@gmail.com
KALEY WRIGHT design@idahorem.com
director of operations
MARIELLE WESTPHAL admin@idahorem.com
staff photographer
KAREN DAY
cover photograph
SUMMER JACKMAN
social media
APRIL NEALE april@idahorem.com
director of sales and marketing
MONA WARCHOL mona@idahorem.com
CONTRIBUTORS ON THE COVER
Original photo by Summer Jackman, a landscape and wildlife photographer and native Idahoan with deep roots in the Mountain West.
The Great Gray Owl, the world’s largest species by length, is a nomadic bird that doesn’t follow a typical migration pattern. Instead, it follows the food. If you’re in the woods that befall much of the Northwest, listen for the deep, booming whooooo, which gradually descends in scale.
Idaho 83701 208.481.0693
April Neale Jodie Nicotra
David Gray Adler
Aurora Stone Mehlman Drew Dodson
Alan Heathcock
Sonya Feibert
Dave Southorn
Juliana Rennó Bounds
Karen Day
Chelsea Chambers
Heather Hamilton-Post
Eyes to the Sky
The
beauty of birding
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.”
Baba Dioum
BY CHELSEA CHAMBERS
Finding the right path can be challenging. But if we pay attention and stay open to the possibilities, we will often find ourselves in the midst of life-defining moments.
“I spent my childhood exploring the woods, lakes, and streams of Michigan,” shared Deniz Aygen, Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Viewing Biologist. “On my first day of 11th grade, I stepped into my conservation biology classroom to find a table covered with 20 taxidermy birds. That entire year was dedicated to learning about birds. It all culminated in a week-long camping trip to put our skills to use. During that trip, my ‘gotcha bird’ was a Kirtland’s Warbler, an endangered species endemic to the young jack pine forests of central Michigan. That moment solidified my path.”
PHOTO BY CLAYTON CHASE
Aygen went on to become a bird biologist, earning her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina. Shortly after, she found her way to Idaho and began her career at Idaho Fish and Game. “I co-developed the Idaho Birding Trail in 2005 and helped
launch the Bird by Bird Program in 2009. My passion lies in promoting nature appreciation, wildlife viewing, and outdoor recreation, while emphasizing the conservation of nongame wildlife and their habitats across Idaho,” she said.
Through hard work, Aygen has transformed her passion into a lifelong career and is committed to bringing that same passion to education and outdoor experiences across the state. Her programs and wildlife viewing guides are printed by the thousands and feature pocket-sized guides on ungulates, owls, and bats—with more on the way.
“The Treasure Valley offers some fantastic birding spots,” Aygen said. Among the many are Kathryn Albertson Park, Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve, Eagle Island, and Foote Park.
But for those looking for the “ultimate birding destination in Ada County,” Aygen highly recommends the Blacks Creek Bird Reserve. “It tops the list with more than 240 species recorded. The best times to visit are during spring and fall migration, when waterbirds are abundant,” she said. “Blacks Creek provides critical habitat for many bird species, including the Long-billed Curlew, a species of greatest conservation need in Idaho.”
Although Aygen adores birds of all kinds, she says she is particularly fond of the Belted Kingfisher, which can often be spotted along the Boise Greenbelt. “This sassy, stocky blue-gray bird with a large, crested head and loud rattling call is an expert fisherman, diving beak-first into the water to catch its prey,” she said.
“The Treasure Valley offers some fantastic birding spots.”
Center
Bottom: Aygen, a Fish and Game Wildlife Viewing Biologist, is a passionate advocate for responsible wildlife observation across the state. Her pocketsized guides offer helpful advice on ungulates, owls, bats, and more. Find out about Idaho’s Watchable Wildlife events at https://idfg.idaho. gov/watch/wildlife/events. IMAGES COURTESY
Top and center left: Deniz Aygen / PHOTO COURTESY OF DENIZ AYGEN, IDAHO FISH AND GAME
right: Belted Kingfisher.
OF DENIZ AYGEN, IDAHO FISH AND GAME
For birdwatchers, there is always a “gotcha” bird—a reason to forever scan the skies.”
Another revered Idaho birder is Wallace Keck, who recently retired from more than two decades as the superintendent and park manager of both Castle Rocks State Park and the City of Rocks National Reserve in Almo. The combined land area between these two sister parks spans more than 14,000 acres in southern Idaho and is a prominent area for rock climbing, camping, and of course, birding. According to the National Park Service, the official checklist for this area boasts 187 different bird species, including the Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Cedar Waxwing.
A birder for over 40 years, Keck has captured thousands of incredible photos from his adventures across Arkansas and Idaho. “I started birding in college. Not only was the professor responsible for opening my eyes to a whole other world, but I have used that knowledge to help
other land managers and members of the public experience the often-overlooked world of birds—their ecology and importance to all of life,” he shared.
Keck enjoys the comradery of birding with like-minded birders and spending quality time in nature, but firmly believes in the power of birding to expand our understanding of the natural world. “Birding leads to a deeper awareness of the importance of conservation,” he said. We must protect our beautiful outdoor spaces, and we protect only what we love and understand.
Alongside City of Rocks, there are thousands of amazing places across Idaho to find birds—including your own backyard—but Keck also recommends the Hagerman Valley (just over an hour outside of Boise) and the Market Lake Wildlife Management Area. He can often be found looking, or listening, for the
Pinyon Jay, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and the Black-throated Gray Warbler. For birdwatchers, there is always a “gotcha” bird—a reason to forever scan the skies. Whether it is the tall and skulking Great Blue Heron, the melodic Western Meadowlark, or the busy Northern Flicker, the bird is certainly the word.
Top left: Cedar Waxwing. PHOTO COURTESY OF IDAHO PARKS AND RECREATION. Center left: American Kestrel. PHOTO COURTESY OF IDAHO PARKS AND RECREATION. Top right: Pinyon Jay. PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLACE KECK. Above: Ash-throated Flycatcher. PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLACE KECK
From Mountain West to Pac-12
Boise State navigates the new business of college athletics
BY DAVE SOUTHORN
To best understand the fastchanging college athletics landscape, you don’t need to know which basketball players you will see in the NBA—you’ll need an MBA. In no period has there been as much of a shift as in the last five years with wide-open transfer capabilities, pay for players through name, image, and likeness agreements, and potentially the biggest— conference realignment.
Since 2021, 33 schools have changed conferences, 15 just in the 2024 college football season. And in 2026, Boise State will join that list with a move from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.
“When it came down to making the final decision, we chose this path because it puts Boise State in the best position for success and is in the best interest of this university and community,” Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said on Sept. 12, the day of the announcement.
However, the decision is anything but a guaranteed success. As it currently stands, it’s much more of a calculated risk.
During the 2024 season, the Pac-12 has just two teams—Washington State and Oregon State. Yes, you read that correctly. Once the home of some of the top athletics programs in the country— like Stanford, Oregon, USC, and Washington—10 schools left for the Big Ten (four), Big 12 (four), and Atlantic Coast Conference (two).
Ashton Jeanty, Albertsons Stadium.
Joining Boise State in the Pac-12 will be familiar faces in San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Utah State. Semi-prominent schools such as UNLV, Memphis, and Tulane all turned down interest, while basketball powerhouse Gonzaga (which has no football team) accepted an invitation.
“There are several questions yet to be answered and we have a strong direction with time to build something epic,” Dickey said on Sept. 12.
The NCAA requires a conference to have eight members—the Pac-12 has been excepted because of its unprecedented shift—so the group will need to add at least one more before the 2026 season.
Adding to the mystery of the move is perhaps the biggest driver of it all—money.
That is why any school moves conferences, and why USC and Rutgers
have played a Big Ten conference game this season, the road team traveling 2,500 miles for a Friday night game. Media rights are king, the money big and not always clear to most fans.
But Dickey and others are confident that the reformed Pac-12 will bring in enough media interest to make it all financially worthwhile—even if Boise State will be subject to an $18 million exit fee.
Currently, Boise State makes a little more than $5 million annually through the Mountain West’s television rights deal. It is unclear what sort of deal the Pac-12 would bring in, though it would not be the $30 million per year that the old Pac-12 schools turned down (which led to its collapse).
Longtime West Coast reporter Jon Wilner wrote that “an average of $10 million per school per year
seemingly approaches the ceiling for the rebuilt Pac-12.”
“In my opinion, we have the next five years to determine the next 30 for us,” said Dickey. “We have to double down, and I’m going to always bet on us.”
Of the last 11 Mountain West football championships, ten have been won by schools planning to join the Pac-12. It should provide a step up in terms of conference strength for Boise State, bringing along some of its primary rivals and should be an excellent basketball conference, too.
“Boise State football, Boise State athletics, it’s been on the rise for years,” said Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson. “…I’m so excited for the future, it’s a huge moment for Bronco Nation.”
“...we have a strong direction with time to build something epic.”
Top Left: Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey on the sidelines Sept. 28 against Washington State. Left: Boise State University faces Georgia Southern in season opener. Above: Linebacker Andrew Simpson at Oregon. PHOTOS
Idaho’s favorite holiday events Glow in the Snow
BY APRIL NEALE
Idaho's crystalline-covered foothills and mountains are the backdrop for our biggest cities, with old-fashioned street lights and traditional events made for everyone to bundle up, get social, and make merry. From Coeur d'Alene to Boise and McCall to Sun Valley, insiders offered their no-miss holiday picks, so book your hotels and make plans to visit the entire Gem State in all its cinnamon-sugared, hot cocoa-y glory. Before you usher in the new year with the annual day and nighttime festivities of the New Year’s Eve Idaho Potato Drop at Cecil D. Andrus Park, get into the spirit of the season with IdaHome. Boise, Idaho's capital city, boasts a visually arresting blend of old-fashioned holiday decor, elaborate window art, European-style holiday markets, and unusual holiday
traditions. "There are so many can't-miss holiday events in Boise, including Winter Garden aGlow at the Idaho Botanical Garden, “The Nutcracker” and Boise Philharmonic's Holiday Pops concert at the Morrison Center, and of course, the iconic New Year's Eve Potato Drop,” said Visit Boise executive director Carrie Westergard. “Additionally, I love sharing Capital City Public Market's Winter Market (in downtown Boise) with visiting friends and family looking for local crafts and seasonal treats."
Westergard also looks forward to the return of downtown Boise's Glide on Grove and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl football game on December 23. “These are just some of the events that capture the heart of the season and make for unforgettable holiday experiences," she said.
Idaho Botanical Garden’s Winter Garden aGlow.
You might also travel up Highway 55 to the stunning hamlet of McCall, a postcard-perfect lake that takes the holidays and winter festivals to heart. McKenzie Kraemer, McCall Chamber's marketing director, enjoys McCall’s small town feeling, which she described as “an old-fashioned Christmas.”
“It's a beautiful time to shop local, and many authors come to do book signings and the stores serve up mulled wine while you shop and stay open later—especially on the weekends,” she explained.
Her top five events include the downtown tree lighting, which overlooks the lake at Rotary Park and closes the street. “There are carolers, and Santa comes on the firetruck by the local fire department. You can come down, grab some hot chocolate, go ice skating, or ice bumper cars at the ice rink while you wait for Santa,” Kraemer said.
Feeling charitable? Kraemer also recommends the Snow Ball, a formal dinner and auction for the Payette Lakes Ski Club, benefitting Little Ski
Hill and Bear Basin Nordic Center, or the festive Payette Lakes Progressive Club Festival of Trees, which raises money for scholarships for local high school students.
Or celebrate the season at a ski resort. Brundage Mountain’s Light Up the Night offers fireworks at the Bluebird Chairlift and live music; it's familyfriendly and free to attend. Tamarack Resort does an amazing fireworks show on New Year's Eve too.
“A bonus holiday event to note is the Manchester Ice & Event Center Holiday Ice Show, where high-caliber national champions come to skate. And if anyone's looking for additional events, they can always visit our event calendar at calendar@visitmccall.org, the Chamber's website," Kraemer said.
Mackenzie Macomber, marketing coordinator for the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association calls the downtown atmosphere “magic” during the holiday season, with events like the Lighting Ceremony Parade and Elf on the Shelf, which have begun the same weekend for 32 years. With over 50 floats and parade entries, locals and visitors come together to enjoy the parade and the fireworks.
Top: Brundage Light Up the Night. PHOTO BY GARY ERTTER, COURTESY OF BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT.
Above: Brundage Light Up the Night Torchlight Parade. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT.
“If you've ever been to Coeur d'Alene during the holiday season, every tree has lights on it. This year's theme is ‘A Super Holiday,’ so parade entries and anyone who wants to can dress up as their favorite superhero—the Hulk to Batman or a favorite doctor or someone special in your life,” Macomber said.
Elf on the Shelf, a four-week event held over the weekend every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, is a scavenger hunt where Santa sends scout elves to participating downtown businesses, and the elves will hide in the businesses. Visitors get a passport and search for the elves—when they find them, they get a passport stamp and a prize.
“You can also find Santa at the STCU Downtown Coeur d'Alene Branch,” Macomber added.
Jessica Maynard, operations manager for Visit Sun Valley, recommends a winter visit to this charming mountain resort, which offers a huge variety of activities in and around the city.
“I've enjoyed bringing my daughter to the annual Winter Wonderland Kickoff, which includes a scavenger hunt, cookie decorating,
and many fun family activities. Seeing Santa, taking photos with Santa, and just enjoying the time together,” she said.
A local favorite is the Sun Valley tree lighting ceremony, which features ice sculpture demonstrations, the carolers, Santa, and the Sun Valley Holiday Market, where you can stroll around and find gifts. There’s also the Holiday Bazaar, which is a juried art and craft
show featuring authentic handmade artisan gifts from more than 70 artists from across the Intermountain West.
“It's a fundraising event that supports the mission of the Papoose Club, which is to support cultural, social, educational and athletic activities of Blaine County youth," Maynard explained. “The holiday season is a magical time to visit the area.”
Coeur d’Alene Elf on the Shelf. COURTESY OF COEUR D’ALENE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION
Lighting Ceremony Parade. COURTESY OF COEUR D’ALENE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION
Lighting Ceremony Parade. COURTESY OF COEUR D’ALENE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION
Sun Valley Holiday Bazaar. COURTESY OF PAPOOSE CLUB
Sun Valley Winter Wonderland Market and Tree Lighting. PHOTO BY HAYDEN GILMOUR
BY AURORA STONE MEHLMAN
Imagine Christmas Eve and a richly decorated home enrobed in smells from the night’s feasts—roasted meats, spiced cider, and fresh-baked sugar cookies. Outside, glittering snow coats the neighborhood. Inside, little Clara awakens, slips from her blankets, and creeps down chilly stairs to the light-decked Christmas tree. Below the tree stands her favorite present, the nutcracker. There, in foreboding
“What would the holidays be without ‘The Nutcracker’?”
The Nutcracker’s Dark Fantasy BALLET and BEYOND:
darkness, Clara cradles the broken toy. Soon she sees the grinning face of her eccentric godfather in the shadows and the scurry of enemy mice. Suddenly, the nutcracker comes alive. He fights the mice and leads the girl through a fantasy land, rich in color and candy, inhabited by outlandish characters. In the morning, she awakens under the tree. Was it all a dream? In Idaho and around the world, this story is perhaps the most popular tale of Christmas Eve magic. As Ballet Idaho’s Cassie Mrozinski asked, “What would the holidays be without ‘The Nutcracker’?”
Every year, Ballet Idaho, accompanied by the Boise Philharmonic, delights Treasure Valley residents with their production of “The Nutcracker”. They stage the two-act classical ballet first set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
choreographed by Marius Petipa, and performed by the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892. In the United States, the ballet premiered in 1944 at the San Francisco Ballet, but gained widespread popularity when George Balanchine created a version for the New York City Ballet in 1954. Balanchine’s version was the first to feature children, a tradition that Ballet Idaho has carried on, with over 100 students from the Ballet Idaho Academy in the current cast. The ballet, with its gorgeous costumes and colorful sets, has been the introduction to performance and dance for countless people over the decades, both young and old—one of whom is the current executive and artistic director of Ballet Idaho, Garrett Anderson. Though Garrett’s initial introduction to ballet occurred while accompanying
Main photo: Soloist Elizabeth Kanning.
PHOTO BY KYLE GREEN, COURTESY OF BALLET IDAHO INSET PHOTOBY MIKE REID, COURTESY OF BALLET IDAHO
his mother to her recreational dance class, he recalls when he saw “The Nutcracker” and “first became aware of children on stage.” Eventually, he won the role of Fritz, though he hadn’t yet begun dancing. Catapulted into professional dance by the experience, he went on to become a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet and the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Much to the region’s good fortune, he later relocated to Boise and Ballet Idaho. Now he brings his own children to “The Nutcracker” every year and champions “nostalgia for ‘The Nutcracker’ tradition,” recognizing the importance of the performance for Idaho communities. “[‘The Nutcracker’] is many people’s entry point to ballet, and even music and stage production,” Garrett said, a place where community comes together during the holidays, both for the audience and those behind the scenes.
named Maria, is haunted by frightening visions of a seven-headed mouse king. After she suffers a serious injury, her godfather, Drosselmeyer, fills her in on the backstory of a beautiful princess, Pirlipat, who has been cursed by the mouse queen. Drosselmeyer’s nephew eventually frees Pirlipat but acquires the curse. Deformed as a result, he is subsequently spurned by the princess. Eventually, Maria breaks the curse. Returned to human form, the young man marries Maria, and they rule over her fantasy land come to life.
and figurative artwork from
Ballet Idaho’s “The Nutcracker” is a whimsical, popular representation, but another Boise artist, Anya Anderson (no relation to Garrett), captured the original story’s darker nature in her newest collection. In 1816, the German writer and staunch Romanticist ETA Hoffman published his novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Hoffman visualized his fantastical story as a counterpoint to the rise of rationalism. In Hoffman’s prose version, the little girl who has been gifted the nutcracker,
The longtime Boise artist and dollmaker Anya, who originally hails from Russia, has always been fascinated by folk tales. She became acutely drawn to Hoffman’s Nutcracker after the war in Ukraine broke out, recognizing parallels between war and the story’s themes of vengeance, moral reckoning, and idealism. Her dolls, each of which represent a character in Hoffman’s work, are astonishingly detailed, with life-like faces, fantastical costumes, and an element of realism that makes a viewer feel the dolls might awaken when the gallery lights dim. Anya started out as a painter, but when she first needled a felt doll more than a decade ago, she said she had a “moment of magic when the little face looked back at me.” After studying in Portland, Oregon under EJ Taylor, she began creating art dolls. First, she forms the skeletons from Styrofoam or foil, and then builds the bodies with paper clay, layer by layer, until the unique character of the doll emerges. Anya appreciates Hoffman’s complex story and the eventual triumph of good. Ultimately, both Hoffman’s version and our modern nutcracker ballet converge in their celebration of childhood and whimsy, as well as their ability to generate tradition and community spirit.
The many iterations of “The Nutcracker” have mesmerized artists, dancers, and audiences for centuries. This holiday season, you too can be captivated by the magic. Catch Ballet Idaho performing “The Nutcracker” December 6 to 16 and visit Anya’s dolls at Art Source Gallery through November.
Fantasy
“The Enchanted Nutcracker and the Kingdom of Dolls” by Anya Anderson. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANYA ANDERSON
WINTER IS BACK!
BY DREW DODSON
Winter is once again upon Idaho, and if you’re a ski bum like me, you’ve been counting down the days since the moment that chairlifts stopped spinning last spring. Luckily, ski resorts across the Gem State have been hard at work to make it even easier to enjoy this season’s white and u y spoils—which could be abundant amidst the La Niña weather pattern currently projected for the Paci c Northwest.
PHOTO
Brundage Mountain resort
At Brundage Mountain Resort, near McCall, a new 18,000 square foot lodge greets guests upon arrival at the mountain’s base area. Known as the Mountain Adventure Center, the lodge was designed with the goal of getting guests onto the mountain as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“We started with the new Centennial Express Chairlift last year, and then we went to the things that are going to affect people the most, which is your guest experience, your arrival experience, and your departure from the lodge out onto the mountain,” said Brundage General Manager Ken Rider. “We wanted to make that as efficient and enjoyable as possible.”
Toward that goal, the Mountain Adventure Center features a more efficient pick-up and drop-off zone, additional lift ticket kiosks, a coffee shop, and a convenient “one stop shop” for equipment rentals, ski school, day lockers, real estate inquiries, retail, public restrooms, and check-ins for guided snowcat skiing expeditions.
Upon exiting the new lodge onto what the resort has dubbed “The Snowfront,” guests find themselves on a paver patio at the doorstep of the Bluebird Express Chairlift. In other words, the “Best Snow in Idaho,” per the resort’s longtime slogan, is now mere feet from guests the moment that they are outfitted to hit the slopes.
Brundage Mountain Resort’s new Mountain Adventure Center brings key services to a single location, including ticketing, guest services, locker rooms, and more. This year, the resort celebrated a Halloween snowfall.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT
PHOTO BY GARY PETERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT
sun Valley resort
Bogus Basin
Meanwhile, Boise’s beloved Bogus Basin boasts two upgraded chairlifts for the coming season, most notably a new four-person Bitterroot Chairlift. The lift replaces a 1973 two-seater and more than doubles the uphill capacity in Bitterroot Basin, located behind Pioneer Lodge.
The upgrade means the Bitterroot Chairlift will operate seven days per week instead of only on weekends and holidays. The chairlift upgrade also dovetails with additional lighting, significant brush clearing, and a new blue run called “Wake Up Jim” in Bitterroot Basin. The result is an abundance of new intermediate off-piste skiing and improved access to family-friendly terrain all season long.
A second chairlift upgrade at Bogus doubles the vertical rise and passenger capacity on the Coach Chairlift, which serves the resort’s beginner slope, known as Coach’s Corner. The expansion also created Ida Belle, a new run from the top of the relocated chairlift.
“Our premier teaching area has tripled in length,” said Cissy Madigan, resource development manager for Bogus. “The new lift alignment now provides families with three distinct routes down, allowing all skill levels to enjoy the beginner lift together.”
Bogus replaced two of its oldest chairlifts this summer to double the capacity of the lifts and improve the runs they serve. There’s also facility and infrastructure improvements, new trails like Wake Up Jim in the Bitterroot Basin, and more.
Finally, Sun Valley Resort is welcoming in a new six-person chairlift that improves skier and rider access on Bald Mountain. The new Seattle Ridge Chairlift increases uphill access by 20%, or about 600 people per hour, compared to the 28-year-old four-person chairlift it replaces.
Pete Sonntag, vice president and general manager at Sun Valley, said the upgrade comes at the “perfect time” with the resort set to host the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup from March 22-27. The event draws the sport’s top athletes from around the world, including the likes of American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, to compete in various disciplines, including slalom, giant slalom, and downhill skiing.
“We have so much to be excited about this season, from expanded terrain to hosting the first-ever Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals this spring,” said Sonntag.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOGUS BASIN
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY RESORT
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOGUS BASIN
IDAHO OUTDOOR FIELDHOUSE Unites Veterans and Adaptive Athletes Under One Roof
BY JULIANA RENNO BOUNDS
It’s Monday at noon, which is wheelchair basketball time at Boise’s Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse. The game is fast-paced, competitive, and exhilarating to watch.
Strapped on their sports wheelchairs, the athletes gather on the shiny court overlooking the Boise Greenbelt, moving around with agility and mastery, bouncing, passing, and shooting.
Yes, they’re competing, but more than playing, they are building community, supporting one another, learning, and getting involved—all in a place designed to serve two local communities.
The Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse is a facility created by an initiative of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family (JKAF) Foundation with a vision to give veterans and Idahoans with disabilities a place to engage in community and life through sports and other personal growth opportunities.
The fieldhouse is also home to two organizations supported by the JKAF Foundation: Mission43 and the Idaho office of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Although housed in the same facility, the organizations function separately, with different eligibility requirements to qualify for the services and programs provided at the fieldhouse.
John Moyle, a member of Mission 43, the organization serving veterans and their spouses in Idaho, said that the fieldhouse enhances Mission43’s programs and services.
“This facility goes above and beyond,” he said.
Stacia Albiston, communications officer for the JKAF Foundation, said the foundation was determined to create a space for both organizations to thrive. “We found there was a lot of synergy between the two organizations, and they needed their own headquarters, ” she said.
The foundation partnered with a few architects to design the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse to be a fully accessible facility with universal design features and integration of the great Idaho outdoors.
“We asked the athletes: how can we get you here in the best way possible? What would make this place a place you would want to be at?” said Albiston.
From ideation to completion, the building was “a labor of love” for four years, officially opening its doors on Veteran’s Day in 2023.
Built on seven acres in Southeast Boise, the fieldhouse features not only a full-size basketball court, but an adaptive swimming pool, cold plunge and hot tub areas, a fully-equipped weightlifting gym catering to all ability levels, a climbing wall, conference rooms, and maintenance rooms for a variety of adaptive sports equipment.
At the fieldhouse, eligible members can participate in fitness classes based on their goals and abilities. If their focus is an adaptive sport, the Challenged Athletes Foundation provides equipment along with programming.
Those who are members of Mission43 can also take part in educational and professional growth programs, while also finding employment resources and other engagement opportunities.
MISSION43
The JKAF Foundation created Mission43 in 2016, with a goal to make Idaho a fulfilling and desirable place for post-9/11 veterans, military members, and their spouses to live after the military. The mission was to highlight the best Idaho has to offer including accessible recreational options, community engagement, and personal and professional growth opportunities.
“We found there were not a ton of services for folks needing help transitioning back to civilian life,” said Albiston. “They are talented leaders and community members.”
Moyle, who was a combat controller in the Air Force, said that transitioning to civilian life can be a challenge for veterans and their families, affecting their physical and mental health. Together, Mission43 and the fieldhouse give veterans the tools that they need to succeed.
“These are people who strive for a purpose and this organization and this facility help—we are all here to grow and help each other,” he said.
Moyle joined Mission43 after leaving the military in 2020 and moving to Idaho with his family from North Carolina. He has been part of many programs with Mission43, including entrepreneurship classes, learning about
running a business and putting some of his ideas into practice.
All services provided by Mission43 are free to members, and according to the website, the organization has helped more than 3,000 veterans and their spouses, with close to 10,000 members currently around the state.
He believes that having Mission43 operating out of the fieldhouse has strengthened the initiative. “This facility allowed us to build a massive community
with the people who want to be involved,” Moyle said.
To learn more about the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and Mission43, visit www.idahofieldhouse.org.
This is a two-part story on the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and the two organizations operating at the facility: Mission43 and the Challenged Athlete Foundation-Idaho. Our next article will share a little more about the CAF-Idaho and its programs.
PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF IDAHO OUTDOOR FIELDHOUSE.
A Boost for Boise’s Creative Scene
Report Shows Arts Contribute to Economic Success
BY ALAN HEATHCOCK
Boise is a vibrant town, expressive and inclusive, filled with public art and music venues, dance troupes, live theater, literature, culinary arts, architecture, photography, and film. Not to mention all the ways that these artistic disciplines intersect with the greater business community, with technology, and even with sports and politics.
Scoggin Capital Investment CEO Andrew Scoggin spoke recently at an event hosted by the Boise Metro Chamber. “Good art is healing, it is inspiring, it is challenging, it is heartbreaking, but also uplifting. Art immortalizes, art transports us, art renews us, and art, at its best, improves each person it touches,” he said. So how exactly do we quantify it? The City of Boise has taken on the challenge to
define and measure the health of creativity in our community through a collaboration between the city’s Department of Arts and History and the Office of the Mayor, called the Creative Economy Assessment. The report is a comprehensive review of the city’s Creative Economy (the sector of the economy that focuses on creative and artistic works), which not only details how the arts improve the quality of life for citizens through leisure and enjoyment, but also draws a correlation between the arts and economic vitality. By referencing data from a variety of sources, the report allows a qualitative analysis to be used to form policy recommendations for the city.
“I think we’re at a place right now where our city has never felt more vibrant,” said Sean Keithly, the City of Boise’s director of economic development. “We’re trying to help an
ecosystem and build around uncommon intersections in our community where you have representatives from government agencies, arts organizations, and the private sector. It’s a spirit of helping people become invested in the community that will ultimately drive a network-based support structure for creatives and the arts.”
Flowers for J.J. Saldaña (2024) by Bobby Gaytan.
PHOTO BY WYTSKE VAN KEULEN, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Kid Lightning by Arts & History Grant Recipient LED.
PHOTO BY OTTO KITSINGER, COURTESY OF LED
The Creative Economy Assessment validates Keithly’s assertion that Boise is doing well. Through sales, occupational, demographic, and location data, a Creative Vitality Index (CVI) score has been determined. Boise’s CVI score of 1.39 is 39% above the national average, 79% higher than the metropolitan area, and 136% higher than the state of Idaho at large. That score has remained steady over the past decade. Since 2012, creative industry sales have increased by 116%, with a 20.33% increase in creative jobs, which make up 6.3% of all employment in Boise.
A Creative Economy with a robust CVI score suggests a place with cultural/artistic amenities that improve quality of life, but also is indicative of economic growth and vitality. To be able to give qualitative data that highlights the importance of the Creative Economy at large and be able to drill down into the data to find what’s working well and what needs improvement, can be employed as a tool of advocacy when policy decisions are being made.
Tilly Bubb, cultural planner for the City of Boise’s Department of Arts and History, who wrote her PhD dissertation on the Creative Economy, said, “One of the primary things that blocks policies that support the Creative Economy is politics. An elected official who doesn’t understand the Creative Economy, or has a preconceived notion about what art is, might block a policy. The CVI is data to help us understand conditions and how the Creative Economy stands up against other industries. It demonstrates the value of investing resources in this area as a city.”
Above: Reclaimed Majesty (2022) by Serena AllenSzatkowski. PHOTO BY VISIONKIT, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Right: The Past and Present Trails of History (2022) by Vina Domingo. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Above: Story Story Night (City of Boise Cultural Ambassador 2024-2025), Late-night Show: SiGHT. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA BIRKINBINE
RIght: City Steps Guided Public Art Tour, Artwork: Gentle Breeze (2021) by Matthew Mazzotta. PHOTO BY DANIEL OLSON, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Bubb is cautiously optimistic about the health of the city’s Creative Economy. “In terms of the number of arts organizations, and the number of creatives at work, Boise is doing well,” Bubb said. “But it feels precarious to me. We need to stay vigilant. We’re about to launch three surveys that will go into arts organizations, individual artists, and the general public, to try and evaluate how we’re doing. We need more feedback.”
Sean Keithly agrees that though data suggests Boise’s Creative Economy is doing well, more work can be done. “There are many success stories,” he said. “Idaho Film Society and Treefort Music Festival to name a couple. But at the same time, we need a broader base of support that will ultimately be part of future success stories. We need to do a better job of bringing people together to keep the Creative Economy thriving.”
Scoggin, and others like him, are dedicated to doing their part. “We are committed to investing both capital and time in supporting a thriving arts community in Boise and the Treasure Valley because we know the value, both personally and economically, in such investments. We want to continue to join with the many others in this community who also see this value in living in a place that is highly livable, vibrant and full of life,” he said.
To help the City of Boise understand how they can better serve the creative community and galvanize that crackling artistic energy that makes Boise a great place to live, take a few minutes to fill out the Cultural and Creative Industries Community Survey at: boiseartsandhistory.org.
Above: Artificial Flowers by Arts & History Grant Recipient LED. PHOTO BY BROOKE BURTON, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Left: Arts & History Grant Recipient Boise Philharmonic.
PHOTO BY BURTON BROOKE, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Above: City Steps Guided Public Art Tour, Artwork: Suffrage Quilt (2020) by Stephanie Inman. PHOTO BY DANIEL OLSON, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Left: E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) (2022) by Addie Boswell.
PHOTO BY VISIONKIT, COURTESY OF BOISE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & HISTORY
Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
The enduring art of Limberlost Press MAGIC IN THE MOUNTAINS
BY SONYA FEIBERT
Our tale begins in a log house in the mountains of Idaho. Inside, magic abounds as stories are brought to life. In an age when books are attacked, our heroes valiantly print and hand-sew books that give rise to new and beloved voices. Their stories reach people who are changed by them, who see hope and wonder in a diligently letterpressed, hand-sewn chapbook. Words are immortalized in the minds of mortals.
This is the (maybe slightly fairy tale version) story of Rick and Rosemary Ardinger, the founders of Limberlost Press. In the mountains of Idaho, they dedicate their days to the exacting art of letterpress—printing poetry chapbooks and books from authors you’ve likely heard of, and some you may not know yet.
Rick graciously shared more about Limberlost’s process and what this publishing method means to the Ardingers.
What value do you see in letterpress printing?
A letterpress-printed book is a collector’s item. It is a limited edition for discerning readers.
Digital printing is now making hard-copy books more easily accessible and affordable to print, and consequently, thousands more hard-copy books of poetry are published every year.
It’s been our hope and belief that a letterpress-printed limited edition— something that requires a commitment to an edition of work that is limited to a certain number—will elevate interest in the work through the unique presentation, where the printing compliments the work.
What are a few of your dream projects?
Authors you'd love to collaborate with, or collections you'd like to publish?
We have had many dream projects over
the years, publishing established writers we very much admire and giving voice to young and/or less well-known writers that we have believed in and made a commitment to.
Our dream projects over the years have included books by writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jim Harrison, Sherman Alexie, Gary Snyder, Margaret Aho, John Updike, Jennifer Dorn, and others—several Pulitzer Prizewinning writers. We’ve admired all these writers and have enjoyed collaborating to produce books set apart from their other work produced by major publishers.
In the forthcoming 2025 edition of The Limberlost Review, we’ll publish works by such noteworthy writers as Bonnie Jo Campbell, Wendell Berry, Judith Freeman, and National Poet Laureate Ted Kooser—alongside many writers from Idaho and the West.
Since 1995, we’ve published four limited edition chapbooks by Native American writer Sherman Alexie, a National Book Award-winning writer whose works have been banned by school districts in Meridian and elsewhere. Sales of his books have allowed us to make the financial investment to publish works by less wellknown writers.
This is the job of small presses like Limberlost.
What keeps you inspired? Where do you turn for inspiration?
What keeps us inspired is the work. We’ve been at this for nearly 50 years now, 2026 being our 50th anniversary since launching the first Limberlost Review in 1976 as a small press magazine of poetry.
We get our inspiration from reading.
Also, we love where we live, love Idaho—despite its intolerant right-wing politics—and love living in the mountains north of Boise, halfway to Idaho City. We moved to Idaho for grad school in 1977.
Every day, we wake to the morning sun on Aldape Summit as our view of the world before anything else intrudes, and Aldape Summit is the last view we have across the canyon we live on the edge of. Elk and deer visit every night. Coyotes cross our property often and make their presence known most nights. We feed the birds and for several years a wild cat who will never let us get close enough to touch. We burn wood through the winter and enjoy the solitude.
What are some qualities you've noticed about writers of the West and Idaho in particular? Any connections or commonalities that stand out?
The landscape is present among writers of the West, whether they specifically write about it or not. Critics say it is a regional focus, but distance is something we all seem to know here. I like to think of Western writers as cultural lookouts, much like Forest Service lookouts on mountain tops (a number of which
I’ve hiked up to), sending in their observations, reports, personal pleas, stories of personal disaster, and epiphany. We’ve loved—and published—the works of writers from New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, California, and Colorado. I warmed to it all soon after arriving in Idaho as a kid in 1977
Any advice for aspiring or emerging writers?
Read.
Read the works of the great writers and learn from them, maybe even retype their work to get their sense of line.
I also recommend that young writers write what they know, and continue to try to get their work published in small magazines—be they online or print—as it is important to have the validation of editors who publish your work. Don’t rush to self-publish a book before you have the validation of a number of editors who see value in your work.
BY JODIE NICOTRA
Whether artists are born or made is a matter of debate, but for Nigerian artist Tunde Odunlade, his creative destiny was literally written into his name.
“When people ask me why I chose art, my straight answer is that art chose me, because ever since I was born, it was predicted. I was never conscious of this. But while growing up, all I knew is anything that is
A COLORFUL JOURNEY FROM NIGERIA TO BOISE
Tunde Odunlade’s beaded batik tapestries weave stories in fabric, wax, and dye
art, I gravitated to it: music, drama, drawing, and more,” Odunlade said. Odunlade comes from a royal family of the Yoruba people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. As Yoruba tradition has it, on the eighth day after he was born, he received his names. In addition to family names that serve as his official identity, Odunlade also received a number of oracular or private names, taken from family
history. One of these names, Ladire, means “one who makes Adire batik” [a form of textile art that uses wax and dye]. Another means “one who sojourns and never suffers, who embarks on a journey from home always prepared.” And yet another means “someone you meet and want to meet again.”
It doesn’t take long to recognize how the names have shaped Odunlade’s life path. A prolific and internationally
Animal Paradise / PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
recognized artist, Odunlade has works in the Smithsonian and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He’s been the recipient of prestigious awards from places like the Andrew Mellon Foundation and MacArthur Foundation. He travels the world—creating, performing, teaching, and serving as a cultural ambassador. And he leaves an impression.
“He's a bit of a character. He's got a great personality, very outgoing, very gregarious,” said John LaBry, who is coordinating a Boise exhibition of Odunlade’s work.
The show includes some of Odunlade’s innovative textile designs, created through a process he dubs BBQT, for beaded batik quilt tapestry.
Batik is a process of waxing and dyeing fabric that produces paintinglike textiles. Odunlade innovates on the batik process by layering and perforating fabrics before batiking. He then adds applique and beads to make a complex, colorful, and unified image.
Like others of the Osogbo School, an influential 1960s Nigerian art movement, Odunlade incorporates traditional themes and techniques with contemporary perspectives.
“My art focuses on Yoruba mythology, Yoruba proverbs, the life of the people I live with, and my experience traveling around the world as a traveling artist,” he said. “All of these come together to form my inspiration as an artist.”
One of the pieces, from LaBry’s private collection, is titled “The Soulful Saxophonist.” It was inspired by Odunlade’s visit to the New Orleans Jazz Festival and incorporates the colors of both the festival and Mardi Gras.
Another, called “The Thoughts of an Artist,” incorporates a figure holding a brush, surrounded by paints and materials, with yellow zig-zags coming from the head. For Odunlade, it represents the process of artistic inspiration.
“The way an artist operates is that he doesn’t think straight,” he said. “Some
form of a thing comes into his brain, and that’s the instant he gets inspired. At that point, he must do something, because if he doesn’t grab that inspiration when it comes, it may never come back again. Even though I say creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, if you lose that 1%, you’ll never see it again.”
Art for Odunlade is magic, spirituality, communication, and healing. But above all, he believes, art does things.
“Art for me has all these potencies, and that is why I say I don’t believe in art for art’s sake. I believe in art with a purpose,” he said. “And that's the thoughts that run through my mind every blessed day: How do I make the world a better place using my art to support my country, to help my society, to alleviate poverty, to communicate with people that I meet on my way and make their life better?"
An exhibition of Odunlade’s works will be on display from November 7 through December 31 at the Delia Dante Gallery in downtown Boise.
The Concrete Jungle / COURTESY OF FIREFUSION STUDIO & DELIA DANTE GALLERY
The Opulent Society / PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
Accuracy in Time / PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
BY DAVID ADLER
Presidential elections have consequences, as they say, and national airwaves are filled with voices engaging in speculation and prediction about the legislation, policies, and actions that President-Elect Donald Trump will promote in his second term. Whatever Trump chooses to do, this much should be said about his presidency, as it should be said about any presidency—the nation’s chief executive has, by virtue of his Oath of Office, an obligation to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the rule of law.
For the founders, the rule of law was vitally important to the Republic that they had conceived, and which they hoped would endure for the ages. John Adams, author of the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution—the world’s oldest written constitution—said that our nation was “a government of laws and not of men.”
For Adams, the rule of law was a majestic phrase, reflective of a noble purpose. It represented the North Star for those
Why the Rule of Law Must Endure: Liberty, Justice, and Civilization Require It
who had, in the American Revolution, defeated England and shrugged off the arbitrary whims of King George III.
For the founders, the rule of law meant that men are secure in their rights to life, liberty, and property by clear and fair laws, falling equally on all and fairly administered.
The French philosopher, Voltaire— among the most influential of the Enlightenment writers who captivated our founders—explained even before the Revolution, that “Liberty consists of dependence on nothing but law.” He described it as “the greatest benefit I know, and humanity’s most glorious right, which is to depend only on men’s laws and not on their whims.” Voltaire’s ideas, in sync with the emerging constitutional theories in 18th Century England and embraced by contemporary American writers, were clear: law, born of justice and reason, is the basis of civilized society.
Because of their experience under King George I, whom they regarded as
a tyrant and—based on their extensive reading of history—which demonstrated the threat that executive power represented to liberty, the Framers of the Constitution sought in their invention of the presidency to subordinate the president to the rule of law, a historical first, of which they were justly proud.
The office, moreover, was sharply limited with powers carefully eked out from the much broader, more general discretionary powers granted to Congress—a decision, James Madison explained, that reflected the fact that in a Republic, the legislature is the first branch of government.
The Framers reinforced the limited role that the president was expected to play in the newly minted scheme of governance by emphasizing the solemn duty to “take care to faithfully execute the laws of the land.” That responsibility—the most important of the president’s duties— combined with the Oath of Office and the Framers’ emphatic rejection of the prerogative power of the British
WHITE HOUSE, PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Monarchy, meant the president was, at all times, restrained by the Constitution and the laws of the land. “Our peculiar security,” Jefferson stated, “is the possession of a written Constitution.” The president, like all governmental officials, Jefferson declared, was “bound by the chains of the Constitution,” precisely because the founders were wary of the temptation of those in office to abuse their power.
The written Constitution was the highest expression of the “rule of law,” designed to limit the exercise of authority and to hold governmental agents accountable. Once limits were prescribed, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison (1803), that they could not “be passed at pleasure.” Marshall added that it was because constitutions were bulwarks against oppression that they “have been regarded with so much reverence.”
The reverence for the Constitution, of which Chief Justice Marshall spoke—
Clockwise from top left: Signing of the United States Constitution with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton (left to right in the foreground).
PAINTING HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Chief Justice John Marshall. ASHER BROWN
DURAND, CC0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
President Nixon, with edited transcripts of Nixon White House Tape conversations during his address to the Nation. National Archives & Records Administration. PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMON Donald Trump, 58th Presidential Inauguration, 2017. PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
the textual strictures imposed on the presidency and the tradition of respect for constitutional and democratic norms— had served, with occasional exceptions, to adequately check the historical exercise of executive power. It was the Watergate Affair and President Richard Nixon’s extraordinary concentration of power in the executive that introduced the American people to the spectre of authoritarianism.
Nixon’s aggrandizement of power, his techniques and practices, if effectively imitated by his successors, would destroy the fabric of trust on which our democracy rests. Nixon ignored, fundamentally, his obligation to obey the Constitution and the laws of the United States. His declaration that, “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal,” harkens to King Louis XIV, who asserted, “I am the State.” There is for the president a moral duty, indeed, an absolute duty to obey the Constitution. To disobey is to
deny the idea of constitutionalism and the idea of law itself.
Liberty, justice, and, indeed, Republics are not saved when a president abandons constitutional principles, traditions, and norms. Those who founded our nation, and those who have sacrificed their lives to defend the rule of law, including those who formed the Greatest Generation and defeated the Axis nations, which sported values and ambitions that posed an existential threat to our democracy, deserve our heart-felt thanks, which are best demonstrated through our continued commitment to the values and principles that truly distinguish America as a “shining city on a hill.” At all events, it remains the duty of American citizens who believe in liberty to fight for legal limits to arbitrary power and the responsibility of the government to the governed. The Spanish artist, Goya, graphically portrayed the consequences of the abandonment of reason in one of his etchings, inscribed, “The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.”
