IdaHome--September/October

Community + Culture + Recreation +

Real Estate

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Anne Frank’s Message: Hope Endures Boise Police Chief Lee

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COMMUNITY 9 Back to School – The COVID EDITION 12 Saying "I Do" at the

Grove Hotel 14 Women's Suffrage at 100 16 BPD Chief Ryan Lee 30 Anne Frank Human

Rights Memorial 20 Sing it Straight

39 Shriner's International

FOOD, ARTS, & CULTURE 26 Women Rock Climbing 34 Playing with Trains

33 Chow Down: Capital City

Public Market Reinvented

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

Contents SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

36 Investing in Boise

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 5 Editor's Letter 7 Contributors

Fall Parade of Homes

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October 2 - 4, 9 - 11, 16 - 18 FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS www.boiseparadeofhomes.com

“Promoting the Responsible Development of our Community Since 1956.”

1956 - That was the year that the first ever Parade of Homes was held in Ada County. The idea of several area builders to start a local Parade of Homes to help promote building and the value it brings to the economy came to be. This idea also generated the start of the Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho, who received the trademark rights from the National Association of Home Builders to hold an annual Parade of Homes show.

DEAR READERS,

W

We are theoretically approaching cooler weather, though Idaho summers tend to push, just a little. This year,

I’ve been grateful for the heat though--good weather that allows us to explore Idaho’s great outdoors when our typical summer activities go on a virus-induced hiatus. This September and October will feel different, baseball having seemingly just begun, concerts moved to digital venues, movie theaters that sit dark, the uncertainty of college sports still circling around us. Not even the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic, a statewide favorite, is happening this year, though it, like everything, will be back. Now, we’re focused on community, telling stories of people instead of events, getting to know one another a bit differently.

We're focused on community and getting to know one another a bit differently.

This summer has been one of learning and introspection for a lot of people. I’m using the time, though there is much less of it for parents, to explore big topics like systemic racism, which involves understanding our history, dark as it may be at times. This month’s issue of IdaHome looks at our own Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, inspired by Anne Frank’s faith in humanity. I’m trying to keep the same faith as I learn how I can make the world a better place for all of us that live here.

We’re also bringing you new Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee, who opens up about what BPD is doing to foster community amongst the call for police reform. School is starting too, and IdaHome looks at what that might look like for teachers, parents, and students alike as we navigate an ever-changing global pandemic. What will the future look like for our young people?

We’ve got some fun stuff too--two solid days of reimagined weddings at The Grove, Boise’s changing food market scene, and a guide to rock climbing in Idaho’s diverse wilderness areas. If you’re looking for feel-good content, we’ve got a Shriner story and some information on startups from a major venture capitalist organization.

For our patio-level outdoorsy readers, we’ve got a cool story about a guy who plays with trains, and more information about how you can too!

H E A T H E R H A M I LT O N - P O S T Editor in Chief

While, at the time of this writing, we know that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is returning but we don’t yet have a date, we’re enjoying the last of the summer, cool drink in hand. And, if you’re curious, the chicks my family purchased in April are now chickens, and they’re going to start earning their keep soon by providing us with delicious eggs. Pandemic or not, time marches on. We hope you’ll march with us.

- Heat her Hamilton- Post

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Community + Culture + Recreation + Real Estate PUBLISHER Karen Day karen@idahorem.com MANAGING EDITOR Heather Hamilton-Post heather@idahorem.com ART AND DESIGN Kristina Case kristina@idahorem.com Kaley Belval design@idahorem.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND SALES MANAGER Marielle Westphal admin@idahorem.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen Day John Webster Meredith Richardson MARKETING, SALES AND DISTRIBUTION karen@idahorem.com IdaHome Magazine is published by Idaho Real Estate Marketplace P.O. Box 116 Boise, Idaho 83701 208-481-0693 © 2020 IdaHome Magazine. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to IdaHome Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher.

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CONTRIBUTORS Karissa Manske is an Idaho native Boise

transplant who graduated with an English degree but found her calling in tech. When she’s not researching, writing, or editing content about the latest technological advances, chances are she’s shopping for thrift store steals or exploring Idaho’s hiking trails.

Leah Hess Victorino is a Boisean, born and raised, and freelancer who takes on research and writing assignments to maintain her unofficial status as perennial student. She is mama and wife to three extraordinary humans with whom she loves to explore the world.

Hayden Seder is a full-time freelance

writer and editor based in her hometown of Ketchum, Idaho. Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in New York in 2010, Hayden’s work has been published in numerous publications including SVPN, The Weekly Sun, Idaho Press, Boise Weekly, Sun Valley Magazine, Taste and more. When not putting pen to paper, Hayden loves rock climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and traveling. www.idahomemagazine.com

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Back to School — The COVID Edition

BY AMBER DALEY

Every August, back-to-school season begins, and with it comes the familiar excitement and nervousness from students and school staff anxious to start a new academic year. There are many of these same emotions this year, but for different reasons.

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic… and Social Distancing?

Due to significant community spread of COVID-19 in several areas of the Treasure Valley, many Idahoans have wondered: what 8

will fall semester look like for their school-aged children? At this time in decades past, families would be crossing items off their back-toschool shopping lists — binders, calculators, pencils, new clothes, and so on. This year, those lists look a little different, and include purchasing face masks or other facial coverings, as well as ensuring tech devices and internet connectivity are set up for possible in-home instruction.

Similarly, teachers and administrators have been preparing

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In this Together “It’s important to remember that every single person is experiencing this. It’s scary, and it has been divisive, but I think communities will support each other and fill in the gaps — and that goes for schools, too. I believe educators will pull together and address what was lost.

Given time, we will all come out of this together.”

— Brittany Cebada-Johnson, 4th-grade Teacher, Endeavor Elementary School

classrooms for their students’ return, but much differently than in years past — removing desks to ensure social distancing, installing plexiglass panels in high traffic areas, purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE), and, in some cases writing their wills. This is certainly no ordinary school year.

There is no shortage of opinions on whether or not to reopen schools — as well as when and how to reopen — either. In fact, few topics related to the pandemic have been as contentious. Politicians, school officials, teachers, parents, and even non-parents from all over the state have views ranging from one end of the spectrum to another — from outright denial of the virus’s seriousness to visceral fear for the lives of their family members.

What makes the situation more complicated is that school isn’t just about academic instruction for many students — it’s where they learn critical social skills and gain access to crucial services that meet their physical and emotional needs. For some, school is the only time each day they might interact with an

adult. For others, school provides an opportunity to be fed breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner.

Whatever your view, nearly everyone can agree: decisions related to the reopening of schools have not been easy.

Approaches differ among school districts, primarily because these lie within different public health districts across the state, which make reopening recommendations.

(However, all final reopening decisions are made by local school districts.) Some are choosing to open schools later than originally planned. Some are beginning the year fully online; others are committed to a hybrid model — with the commitment to reassess their plans if the level of community spread changes (for better or worse).

Note: Details regarding specific districts’ and schools’ reopening plans are likely to change frequently, so we recommend visiting your local school district’s website and/or social media pages.

All this has us wondering: while parents are experiencing a wide range

of emotions related to the upcoming school year, what are administrators, teachers, and other school staff feeling? What measures are they taking to ensure students’ physical, educational, and emotional needs are addressed? We interviewed several individuals who work in various roles in the Treasure Valley’s school system to hear their perspectives — from their fears and concerns to their hopes for one of our community’s most precious resources: our children.

Despite the fears and divisiveness that have affected our communities, there is some good that has come out of this crisis. Explains Joan Bigelow, the school principal quoted earlier,

“We’ve opened up a lot more doors for communication between teachers, parents, and kids. When we went online

in spring, teachers were making a lot of calls, and parents were more involved in their children’s learning,” she says. “It’s great to see the increased communication and the engagement of parents. Teachers are seeing more and more how important it is to have families involved.”

Social Distanced

Above-Since the future is so uncertain, Amy Lenhart, a second grade teacher at Grace Jordan Elementary, has equipped her classroom for virtual learning or in-person learning with social distancing.

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Back-to-School Heroes Most schoolteachers will tell you they’re not in it for the money. And this year, when they would be enjoying most of their summer off, many have spent recent months restructuring their lessons for potential virtual teaching, brainstorming additional ways to help kids navigate through the limitations of online learning, and connecting with past and upcoming students and their families.

Words from the Educators “The beauty of the end of the school year is we always get closure.

But there was none this spring, especially for senior high school students. No one knew when they went home Friday, March 13, they wouldn’t be back. Teachers are hurting, too, because they know to be with their students is where the magic happens. But the things they did for their kids in the spring were phenomenal — the drive-bys, the sidewalk messages — to see their creativity in connecting with their students has been amazing.”

—Lisa Roberts, Boise School District Deputy Superintendent

“Our kids depend so much on their routine — many get both breakfast and lunch at school. But we’re still offering wraparound services even with online learning. We’ll have our food pantries open. We’ve also deployed a huge number of devices and hotspots for families, and provided instructional videos in

different languages to help prepare students for online learning. We wanted to remove that barrier. One teacher even visited a student’s home and directed them how to set that up — all from the front yard, by speaking though a window.”

—Stacey Roth, Student and Federal Programs Administrator

“This situation has caused a lot of anxiety. We want to go back to our typical school year more than anything. I want to meet with my new students and connect with last year’s. What we don’t want to explain to students is that a teacher has passed away or is on a ventilator; we want to do this safely for everybody involved. I think that’s the feeling from educators across the nation. We don’t want to do this remotely, but if it’s what’s best, we’ll make the best of it.”

— Dorinda Grever, Special Education Paraprofessional, Middleton School District

“I have no idea about what’s coming or if I even have a job. A

disadvantage of being a substitute teacher is that we aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits. It’s a dayby-day position; if they don’t need you, they won’t call you. If they go to all online, the re will be no need for subs anywhere. So, we won’t get called, won’t have assignments, and we can’t apply for unemployment and nobody is talking about taking care of us. And that’s saying nothing about safety or any of those issues.”

— Allen Gladfelter, Artist, Substitute Teacher since 2017

“It’s nerve-wracking. My wife is a teacher, and we both receive emails in the wee hours of the morning from administrators and other teachers who are working late.

Some think the school district isn’t doing anything, but many of my colleagues are working 12-hour days. Summer vacation hasn’t really been a vacation — the district has worked nonstop on protocols, and they’re taking recommended guidelines from the CDC. So it’s frustrating to hear complaints when we’re all working so hard to prepare. When we closed in March, kitchens were still open preparing food. Even now, parents can pick up sack lunches. We’re still making sure kids have food, and I’m continually looking at all the ways I can keep myself, the other administrators, and the kids safe.”

— Pat Mac, Kitchen Manager, Boise Elementary School

“I’ve sat out in front of the school with parents, crying. They want to be heard. And I understand what it feels like — I was a single mom without a lot of money or resources. When I speak to parents, I try to model what I wish our entire country was doing: having model discourse — ‘This is how I feel; What is your opinion?’ And that’s what good principals do, they listen.”

—Joan Bigelow, Principal, Grace Jordan Elementary

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Photos by Two Bird Studio Charlotte Thomas and Alex Salviejo met at Riverside Hotel and were the first to wed as part of The Grove’s I Do event.

The Grove’s I Do event was truly a community affair.

From Alpha Lit Boise to Dj Jesse D, businesses came together to make each wedding special.

Gene and Allison Chandler.

Photo by Taylor Bellais Photography

Love in the Time of Covid:

Saying I Do at The Grove

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

When COVID-19 hit Idaho, things quickly changed for everyone. Perhaps nowhere was this more felt than in the hospitality industry, where restaurants, hotels, and wedding venues rapidly shutdown indefinitely. As waiters and brides alike wondered what their future held, plans that had been months in the making ceased to exist entirely.

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“We had a lot of weddings booked for this year that got either canceled or rescheduled. This seemed like a good opportunity to give back when everything is so up in the air and unknown,” explains Roxanne Gualdoni, Wedding and Events Manager at The Grove Hotel.

She’s referring to The Grove’s “I Do” Sweepstakes, a promotion developed to offer 10 lucky couples the chance for some sort of wedding amidst a global pandemic with no identifiable end date.

Couples were asked to submit an entry form and short video introducing themselves in hopes of being selected for a complimentary two-hour private ceremony on the beautiful Grove Terrace. Winners also receive professional photography, decor, seating for up to 50 guests, set up, access to suites for getting ready, and a wedding night hotel reservation. If they chose, they could also add on some time and food for a reception in a ballroom-Gualdoni says that around half chose to extend the party, a fun change in pace since this included brunch receptions, late night receptions, and everything in between. For them, that meant 10 weddings in two days, which is, obviously, new territory.

Choosing just 10 winners was unbelievably difficult because the response was so great, not only for applicants, but also through social media engagement, which brought commenters and community volunteers. Melissa Cleland, who works with The Grove on public relations and marketing efforts, says that she felt honored to read the applications. “They shared so much information about their personal relationships. It was really, really special,” she says.

Gualdoni notes that the event has been a good pickme-up for staff at The Grove too. “It’s quiet, and we’re not seeing the smiling faces you see everyday. In a way, we all needed to be part of this process too. We’re excited,” she says. They’re excited too to donate to the Idaho Foodbank, an effort folded into the sweepstakes when they asked wedding guests to bring canned foods to help the larger community because, as she notes, “we’re all in this together.”

A longtime community partner, The Grove often hosts

The Grove's "I Do" Sweepstakes gave 10 lucky couples a wedding. A treasure for many during a global pandemic full of canceled weddings.

"This seemed like a good opportunity to give back."

fundraisers or offers donations. In this case, Cleland and Gualdoni both credit Vicki Carley, regional director of sales and marketing for Block 22 Hotels with recognizing the increased need to support Idaho Foodbank during a pandemic. “It’s really cool for a strong leader to step up and say ‘This is what we’re doing. This is who is benefiting.’ This is the definition of hospitality,” says Cleland.

One of the best things about the sweepstakes was the variety of responses they received--people who had been together for years, faced struggles, pushed plans.

Newer relationships and injury, sickness, health. And at the heart of it all? The enduring love of ten couples who will share an anniversary weekend for as long as they’re married.

Gualdoni says that, when couples were notified, they were universally excited. “I talked to a girl on the phone whose father-in-law had just passed away. Her fiance wasn’t even in town when I called her. It was like they needed it, just a little thing we could do to lift their spirits. She was in tears--this was just some good news for them, a little pick me up,” she says.

Another couple--both military--had a difficult time scheduling a wedding even before the pandemic. Married on paper but without the party and following months of difficult deployments, The Grove’s sweepstakes presented a perfect option. “The last year apart from each other hurt. We finally get to spend time together, without either one of us leaving for a while,” wrote Taylor Benson. “We are technically newlyweds, but would just absolutely love the chance to FINALLY have a celebration and ceremony in Boise now that we are BOTH here on U.S soil for the first time in a long time.”

Their stories are heartwarming and inspirational, romantic and sad too. Alexandrea Pattan and Justin Buus, for example, who planned to elope and then throw a big party--before she was struck with stage two breast cancer and in the midst of active treatment during a pandemic. She wrote that her last treatment was planned for July 6, and that she’d love to be married in the short window before her reconstructive surgeries.

From childhood sweethearts to coworkers turned friends turned fiances, first dates with family members in tow, love when they weren’t looking for it, second chances, vow renewals, families first, family heartache, injury and love at first sight, love proved very much alive throughout the Treasure Valley.

-Roxanne Gualdoni, The Grove Hotel

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19TH AMENDMENT

WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE AT 100: The Fight Goes On right to vote.

Abigail Scott Dunway traveled the entire Pacific Northwest, campaigning tirelessly up and down Idaho’s dirt roads for suffrage and argued before Idaho’s all male delegation in 1890 that a women’s right to vote be included in the state constitution in 1890.

Suffragists Protest in 1916

BY KAREN DAY

Who was the first woman to cast a vote equal to men in America? Few people would name a 15- year old, Lemhi Shoshone named Sacajawea. As noted in Lewis and Clark’s journals, however, every member of the Corps of Discovery, including Sacajawea, and a black slave named York, voted on where the parties should winter when they reached the Pacific in 1806.

In the American imagination, the west was won by rugged men on foot and horseback- frontiersman cowboys, soldiers, and sheriffs- but history confirms Native American women had been living in the western wilderness centuries before the first white men arrived and women continued to play an equally important role in settling the American frontier. What did the untamed sagebrush plains and mountain ranges offer these female pioneers? Surprisingly, the unincorporated territory called Idaho granted women the right to vote 24 years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

A list of many formidable women populated Idaho’s history. Most thrived and contributed to the settling of the 43rd state anonymously, while a few, like Sacajawea, Polly Bemis, the resourceful Chinese immigrant Polly Bemis, and Emma Edwards, the first and only woman to design a state seal, have carved a their names in our cultural consciousness. But who were the first to rally for the women’s suffrage In Idaho before the near-century long struggle was won nationally in 1920?

In 1883, orphan May Arkwright arrived in the Idaho mining town of Kellogg. By 1901, May and her husband Levi had struck it rich in the Hercules silver mine.

Independent and outspoken by nature, she used her sizeable assets and voice to help secure Idaho women the 14

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Eunice Pond Athey, Secretary of Equal Suffrage Association of Idaho, kept meticulous records of historical progress and setbacks that mapped the struggle until the amendment was law.

Margaret Roberts, nicknamed the “Susan B. Anthony of Idaho,” championed the founding of the State Traveling Library and spoke adamantly for women’s equality.

Women’s fight for suffrage coincided with the push for progress in their daily lives as well. Many social movements intersected in the 19th century, from abolition to child and general labor laws. The passage of 19th Amendment inspired celebration and equality at the ballot box, but not for all women equally. Native American and Chinese women were not considered citizens and therefore, still could not vote. This would not change until 1924.

May Arkwright Hutton - after helping win the vote for Idaho Women, she moved to Spokane and became VP of Washington Equal Suffrage Association.

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Today, we recognize the profound importance of the largest act of enfranchisement in American history as Kamala Harris is the 3rd female and only woman of color to run for the Vice Presidency with a major political party. She is among 26 women serving in the US Senate, while 101 hold seats in the House of Representatives and nine states have female governors.

None of this could have happened without women winning the right to vote. And yet, even with so much progress, the fight for women and many minorities to secure equal pay, representation, and justice under the law, continues.

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BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

BPD Chief Ryan Lee on Technology, Diversity, and Community THERE’S NO TIME like a global pandemic and nationwide call for police reform to move your family, secure housing, and start a new position--just ask Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee, now in his second month on the job.

But Lee wouldn’t have it any other way. “This is the only chief job I’ve ever applied for.

There’s a reason I’m here,” he says.

This is the only chief job I’ve ever applied for.

THERE’S A REASON I’M HERE.

On the heels of 20 years with the Portland Police Bureau, Lee began his tenure in Boise on July 1 after joking to his friends that he’d follow them to Boise if such a job ever opened up. Serendipitously, it did--just a few days after they’d settled in. Lee says his friend called him late in the evening after hearing on the evening news that former Chief Bones would retire. “And much like the experience of many people, you’re here for half a day and fall in love with the place,” he says. “And it isn’t just that it’s beautiful--I was here in winter. It was the people. Everybody was just so welcoming. They were these kind, caring people. This is an amazing community.”

Lee’s resume includes a variety of positions, including

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work in a crime reduction unit, patrol sergeant, and transit task force, as well as time as captain of Central Precinct, which covers Portland’s downtown core. Then, he worked as Chief of Operations, which, as Lee puts it, “is all of the stuff they never make police movies about.” Of course, Lee was familiar with Boise and the Boise Police Department because of the waves they’d made when they began efforts to expand community policing.

“Boise, in the police profession, had made national news for its substantial investment in community policing and for its refugee liaison program. I knew it as a high performing organization, but I also knew there would be a challenge because it is a growing city,” says Lee. Excited by the opportunity to be engaged in a police department heavily committed to community policing and optimistic about helping navigate potentially challenges,

Lee wants to police Boise in a way that makes the people who live here happy, and he’s “ridiculously happy to be here.”

say, the bias may not have been the police who were called there to have an interaction. The bias may have been the call maker,” Lee explains.

Of course, he knows that, even communities as great as Boise, there is room for growth. Relative to population demographics here, BPD is fairly diverse, though there are too few women in the profession in Boise and across the United States. Lee hopes to change that by communicating with diverse populations around the city, encouraging the idea that a wide range of individuals from varying backgrounds are suited to positions within BPD. He also hopes to increase transparency and accountability through technology in an effort to continue to build trust and rapport with the community.

In Boise, interactions with the police tend to be more mild than what has planned out on a national level, which Lee attributes to the focus on community policing.

Neighborhood contact officers and liaison programs exist to reach different demographics and communities, increasing communication and interaction. Lee says BPD takes an active approach to putting out accurate and clear information, while “providing respect and justice and dignity for all people regardless of their walks of life.” He says they also emphasize to their officers that people, especially in a growing community, may be coming from a place of personal or family trauma with police, and that it is the job of BPD to help navigate that

And technology’s role is everchanging for officers across the country--from body cams to social media, officers are more visible to the public than ever before. “I’ve had the good fortune to talk to colleagues over in other parts of the Western world and they all expressed the same sentiment-- a little bit over a decade ago when we really started to see cell phones and then smartphones proliferate-it very much changed our interactions,” Lee says. He explains that smartphones act to confirm our existing bias with the touch of a button, even making it easier to spread misinformation. “We’re also seeing that there’s a real challenge to get society to look in the mirror and

space because they care about the community.

Locally, Lee says that it has perhaps been more evident as of late with a variety of protests and counter protests at City Hall, but that BPD wants to send the message that they’re going to provide space for both sides. “But free speech ends when you commit a crime. We’re going to hold people accountable quickly, apparently, and transparently,” he says.

Like many of us, new Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee is committed to serving the community, something he says the department shares.

“We’re just people who want to make a meaningful human connection,” he says. “I hope that people remember the humanity behind the badge and take time to learn the history of our organization and our commitment before painting us with a broad brush.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOISE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

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My dad always told me to

SING IT STRAIGHT

BY CHERIE BUCKNER WEBB

“Everything Must Change” is the first song I recorded with the late, great Gene Harris in 1997. That song is written on my heart. From the first time I heard it as a teenager, the lyrics and music spoke to me and have offered calming assurance year after year. At times, it has also been a source of excitement and encouragement. I couldn’t wait to see what was next for me, singing professionally, running for office, traveling the world for business, establishing my own consultancy, or simply doing an old thing a new way. “Everything must change. No one stays the same.” Well alright.

“The young become the old and mysteries do unfold.”

The lyrics take me to my teens when I was charged, as the oldest girl to learn the ways of elders. Legacy stuff. It was my responsibility to learn from mom’s oldest sister to make preparations for the burial of loved ones. But why me? Because, as Grandpa Johnson said, it was my duty. ”Gwine away from here now. You know you’re bossy just like your Aunt Ellen and the rest of them first gals.”

It was serious work: choosing clothes, shoes, casket, flowers (“Be sure the colors don’t clash”), music (“Gotta have a home goin’ singer – “one who will ‘sho nuff send family home proper”,) pallbearers – strong men, because the Johnsons are substantial folk. And one of the most critical issues is the order of family viewing the deceased.

This was a crucial protocol andsome body-blocking might be required. There were professional mourners in our family. If a couple of sisters didn’t weep and wail over the body, beg the deceased not to go, almost fall out and have to be carried out by a couple of those strong pallbearers, you just didn’t get it right.

At a very early age my mother began teaching us our history. She taught us about civilizations where Black men and women dwelled, worked, ruled, and prospered. She taught us things she feared we would not learn in school.

She spoke of the inhumanity of the middle passage, the unfathomable things our people survived. She instilled in 20

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us love of learning and an unquenchable thirst for justice.

Thank God, “Nothing and no one goes unchanged.”

“That’s the way of time, nothing doesn’t change.” I, like many young women, dreamed of my wedding day. I loved weddings so much, I did it not once, not twice, but thrice.

Fortunately the third one “took” as my cousin Janiece says.

“Winter turns to spring, a wounded heart will heal…”

With maturity came frightening things: life threatening accidents for both my sons, serious illness for my husband, knee replacement for me and a stroke for good measure and great recoveries- some harsh realities. Folks call me “Ma’am,” when I can hear it, and my hands are looking much like my grandmother’s. Indeed. “Nothing stays the same!”

No matter the years, my siblings and I love each other like crazy, even if, from time to time, we didn’t claim each other. Charles -the boss, Cherie-bossy, Paulette (Pepper) - the contrarian and Carol - the baby: we were a crew!

When our sister, Pepper died, we felt our hearts would surely break, breathing was nearly impossible. And yes, Pepper was a “Pepper” till the end, no funeral, no one checking her out in a casket and cremation! And the love and laughter remain. “The young become the old and mysteries do unfold, cuz that’s the way of time. Nothing and no one doesn’t change.”

The lyricist got it right, “everything must change. And the music calls to me to hold onto what really matters while there’s still time: remain mindful of the past, invest mind, body, and spirit in the future, and understand that we are all interconnected.

And most importantly, love each other like crazy.

The Honorable Cherie Buckner-Webb is a Idaho State Senator, Certified Professional Coach, Consultant and Motivational Speaker

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GET OUT THERE!

Photos by (clockwise): Danka Peter, Malachi Brooks, Joss Woodhead, John Webster

THE END OF THIS SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER IS UPON US. July’s hot blue skies have surrendered predictably to an August orange that blankets our overheated planet with smoke and regrets. September approaches quickly, sparking hotter oranges and reds across the City of Trees. October nights are sure to bring their inevitable chill, but promise nothing for the rest of this strange year beyond a

stranger winter and an influx of entitled city mice seeking cheese and dodging death.

Country mice, on the other hand, have obviously learned to fend for themselves quite nicely. Following nature’s advice, they take to the golden hills before snow. Go wild is good advice, dear human, especially for Idahoans. Foothills, mountains, lakes, and rivers-now is the time. GET OUT THERE!

Photo byTim Foster www.idahomemagazine.com

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The city of Rocks is a climbing mecca for "rock rat" around the world.

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DRONE PHOTOS BY MEREDITH RICHARDSON

WOMEN HIT A WALL:

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY HAYDEN SEDER

Finding Empowerment at City of Rocks

G

Growing up in Idaho, much of my life has been spent backpacking, hiking, and snowboarding.

Loving the outdoors, however, did not necessarily equate to a sense of belonging in those communitiesuntil 2014, when I hit a wall.

Literally. My boyfriend at the time invited me to go rock climbing close to my hometown of Ketchum. The boyfriend didn’t last, but the rush of empowerment I felt while climbing did.

Often seen as a men’s sport, rock climbing sometimes seems intimidating to women. The gear, the culture, and the physical requirements are common reasons that women veer away from wanting to even try to climb. Ironically, women are more predisposed both mentally and physically to hoist themselves up sheer rock walls than men. Granted, gravity is the forever challenge of moving upward and upper body strength would appear to be most important requirement, but the real power should come from your lower body, a strength that many women already possess.

There’s a saying in climbing, “climb like a girl,” which means to focus on lower-body strength, footwork, balance, and flexibility.

This also explains why women are much better than men at dancing backward in heels.

Overcoming the basic fear and challenges, both real and imagined, is the first step upward for women.

And once she actually gets on a rock, the experience of empowerment and strength becomes magnified mentally and physically.

As a climbing teacher, I saw this happen over and over in a recent climbing trip to City of Rocks with six women. All were in their late 20s and early 30s, with various levels of climbing expertise and all were awed by the beauty of this natural cathedral of rocks in south central

Idaho. Offering more than 1,000 routes of varying difficulty, “The City” is a climbing mecca for “rock rats” from around the world.

Brenna, a florist from Bellevue, had climbed on and off in her twenties and decided her 32nd birthday weekend was impetus enough to get back into the sport.

“Rock climbing really helped me find a lot of independence and strength that I didn’t think I had,” Brenna said. “That’s why I brought my mom climbing after her divorce.

She loved it. She had that same feeling of ‘I didn’t think I could do that.’ She’s super scared of heights, but she got that glow of overcoming a fear and knowing she could do hard things.”

Alessandra, a 34-year-old makeup artist from Las Vegas, was basically a novice. Though she had climbed a handful of times in gyms, this was her first time up a real rock face.

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27

climbing story

Those of us with more experience taught her how to belay (fix a climbing rope around a cleat), then sent her up a 5.9-graded route with a challenging “roof ” move. We held our collective breath, watching her scramble and strain to climb over a ledge suspended a couple hundred feet above the earth.

“When I was strapped in my heart started racing,” said Alessandra. “But the other women helped dissipate my fear. I’ve adventured so much with these girls and there’s a natural sense of trust, passion and comradery in this sport that’s just cool. Everyone wants to see everyone win, even if

you don’t make it to the top.”

Alessandra was speaking literally since she had just conquered the steep route and foreboding ledge where others had failed.

I saw the same “glow” in all the participants by the end of the trip. No matter her skill level, each woman came away with a sense of accomplishment, whether from leading a route for the first time, mastering a difficult move, or even just making it a couple of feet up the wall. The power of the rock transformed all of us into empowered women who are also rock climbers.

Climbing Tips for Women

Keep your hips tucked into the wall  Focus on using your feet. Move your feet up the wall and push from your lower body rather than pulling up with your arms.

Keep your arms straight. Holding “Rock climbing really helped me find a lot of independence and strength that I didn’t think I had. That’s why I brought my mom climbing after her divorce."

-Brenna, a florist from Bellevue

yourself into the wall or “chickenwinging” will wear you out.

 Don’t be afraid to ask for advice!  Utilize your strengths like

flexibility, balance, and finesse rather than men’s strengths like upper arm muscle.

Don’t try to go it alone!

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A mural of Anne Frank in Amsterdam. Photo by Ronni Kurtz.

“I get a lot of questions, especially from students.

Well, when did Anne Frank come to Idaho?,” says Dan Prinzing, executive director of Idaho’s Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. “As we know, she never came to Idaho, but something in her story--it so resonated with those who attended the exhibit that it fueled the idea for a permanent tribute,” Prinzing says.

The exhibit he refers to was the traveling “Anne Frank in the World”, which came to Boise 25 years ago this year. Attended by over 50,000 people in the course of a month, it planted the seeds for a more permanent structure in service to human rights--the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, nestled next to the Boise River, tucked away behind The Cabin and Boise Public Library! It is, to this day, the only Anne Frank memorial in the United States, and one of the few places in the world with the entire text of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights on public display.

Prinzing explains that the memorial isn’t so much a tribute to Anne Frank, but to the greater power of her words. Since its inception, the installment has grown far beyond the lifesize bronze statue of Anne Frank, now encompassing a variety of tributes, quotations, artwork, and educational space to celebrate human rights victories and to explore the work we have yet to do.

How A Community Stands Up To Hate: The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

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But let’s back up. How exactly did the original Anne Frank exhibit even get to Boise? “It wasn’t built by the city of Boise, nor was it built by the state of Idaho. It was built and founded by individuals, businesses, and foundations who said ‘Yes. This is who we are.’ From the start, it was a grassroots campaign,” he says.

The monument is officially recognized as a public park and it sits on city land, but the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights controls the messaging and accompanying programming. Expansions require city approval, though the center is still responsible for the fundraising. Recently, the city agreed to expand the license to include a small adjoining parcel of land which will hold the new Wassmuth Center for Human Rights office. “If we really want to project ourselves as a welcoming and a compassionate community, what a positive statement! We have not only the memorial, but this education entity that is devoted to taking the

memorial’s message and sharing it with communities in classrooms around the state,” Prinzing explains.

The memorial’s design is purposeful. Each component is carefully and meaningfully selected and positioned in the space. A bronze Anne Frank sits in the center amidst an amphitheater and concrete etched with quotations and stories. Prinzing explains that the monument could have been only a Holocaust memorial, but, with the inclusion of Universal Declaration for Human Rights, it speaks beyond Anne’s journey--to all of ours.

Prinzing recalls a visit from Anne Frank’s last immediate surviving relative, first-cousin Buddy Elias, who visited the memorial in 2014. “He came to that bronze statue and grabbed her elbow. And he just started to weep. He said, ‘This is my cousin. And there’s nothing like this anywhere in the world, for what you have captured here in the design is a complete story.’ It is the Holocaust. But it is her hope for humanity. He said, ‘That doesn’t exist elsewhere.’ And that resonated with him,” Prinzing says.

Another time, a local educator pointed out that, with the addition of the classroom, the statue of Anne Frank becomes the center, the memorial wrapping its arms around her. “And I thought at the time how symbolic that is, when we are working with those who have been identified or viewed as the other. When are they going to feel safe to come out of their hiding? When they know they have been embraced by a community, when the arms of the community are wrapped around them,” Prinzing recalls.

The memorial is also home to the Spiral of Injustice, a sculpture and model for discussing the Holocaust and other situations in which a person or group is marginalized. Prinzing says that the model emphasizes that injustice begins with words. The companion piece, he explains, is the center’s focus on being an upstander--the positive ways individuals can speak up for others in places like schools.

Prinzing recalls a mother who called to explain that her child was being told to leave the

country on the school playground. “And she said, what so bothered them at the moment, was that there wasn’t a single classmate who stood up in his defense.” This summer, the center is finalizing an upstander (a bystander who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied) toolkit to help create a common conversation.

Since its inception, the memorial has become an integral part of the Treasure Valley. Prinzing remembers a young man who insisted on standing guard when the sacred spot was vandalized in 2017. It is part of the magic of the place--the call to come together in the name of what is right.

In the midst of a pandemic, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights has suspended all physical programming at the memorial and center, though it is still open to the public. Tours are also available online, along with a digital summer reading program that relies on a series of videos produced especially for the endeavor. “And once it goes online, it’s not just local--it’s a national or international resource,” Prinzing says.

Unsurprisingly, their online Human Rights Certification program has also seen growth this summer, as the business community tries to shift the watercooler conversation to diversity, inclusion, ethics, civility, and respect. And though the response to the certification is in response to significant injustice, the center hopes to inspire. “We never want to leave folks hopeless or in the negative. It’s not that you and I have to do the same thing.

It’s just that you and I each do something,” Prinzing says.

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” -ANNE FRANK "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

- MOTHER TERESA

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CHOW DOWN

The Capital City Public Market

REINVENTED

BY KAREN DAY

Refugee Gardens ever-fresh beets

Nora Kicklighter enjoys a plum

In a galaxy far, far away called Boise Pre-COVID, 15,000 people used to gather every Saturday morning to roam downtown streets in search of fresh food, flowers and Idaho-made wares.

Since the post-COVID world remains in our unknowable future, the CCPM has reinvented itself on 34th St in Garden City with lesscrowded charm on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings.

Surfers ride the Boise River rapids which rush along the Greenbelt where bikes whiz past open-air spool tables and shaded stalls packed with rainbows of vegetables, cold beer and the most delicious and authentic Mole Pablano or Popcorn tamales you can taste outside of Mexico.

Today, a bike ride to 34th Street is easier, cheaper and safer than flying to Acapulco. The added delight is a taste of the artisan Mexican authenticity that Daniel Corral and his entire family offer at Inner Circle Catering stall on Wednesday nights.

Another hidden gem is the WePa pop-up, billed as

“Puerto Rican cuisine with a social conscience.”

“This is food the way my mother made it,” says founder, Art Robinson.

There will be nothing but accolades for his mom when you taste her son’s Arroz Con Pollo. Plus, your happy stomach will be donating to a good cause since Robinson donates portion of all profits back to Puerto Rican relief efforts from Hurricane Maria.

Waterwheel Gardens, a downtown market veteran, remains a regular

vendor with farm-fresh peaches, strawberries, jams and jellies from Emmet each week. As well, the refugee gardens thrive on, providing colorful varieties of squash and tomatoes. On Saturday mornings, local artisans line a bigger street venue. As always, everyone is requested and wearing masks. Many of the arts and crafts from 8th street have moved to 34th on Saturdays, as well as a broad selection of veggies and fruit stalls.

On warm Wednesday nights, a musician might accompany your stroll. For many locals, the Saturday morning downtown market had become an enjoyable weekly tradition, with the added delight of serious people watching. The new 34th Street Market provides a tasty hint of that uniquely Boise experience and the always cold beer will ease any nostalgic longing for the long-gone big crowds.

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33

a few times a week. “And that’s how it got started,” Mike says. Now, his garden railroad primarily features two trains that he controls from a remote on his patio table. They wind through miniature buildings, lush garden areas, and even a waterfall, which Mike says was the starting point for his setup.

Playing with Trains

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

“Just ignore my Jersey accent,” laughs Mike Mastropaolo, seated before a garden railroad that takes up half of his sizable backyard. “I’ve liked trains since I was about five years old and more recently when we lived in California, we went up to the Sacramento Train Museum, they had these trains that would run around the ceiling. So I put trains around the ceiling in my bonus room. And when we moved to Idaho, I boxed it all up,” he says.

Soon after, at his new home in Eagle, Idaho, Mike happened upon a flyer in a local hobby shop for the Southern Idaho Garden Railroad Society (S.I.G.R.S.), a local club that met in celebration of backyard trains

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While he advises designing your train setup with a focal point in mind (or something you really want, like the waterfall), he says there really isn’t a rulebook.

Across the S.I.G.R.S. group, there are setups of all sizes, with varying levels of customization. Relative to his own, Mike says there are bigger and smaller setups, elaborate and simple. His own is a labor of love between him and his wife Ellie, who helps put things together from kits and maintains the beautiful landscape that sits between his tracks. “The most special building is this cabin,” he says, gesturing to a handcrafted log house that sits near the front. “And I’ll have a matching barn soon!,” he adds. Built by a friend in the midst of grieving the loss of his wife, each log is handmade, and Mike points out a stone heart in the center of the chimney.

Mike’s favorite train is called Black Widow, though he also runs a little locomotive he says is a bit temperamental. At this scale, G-scale, if you’re wondering, he says that they don’t have sound or the digital decoder when you buy them, so part of the fun is learning to put those finishing touches in. Mike has also added some personality to his train by way

of circus cars, which represent his participation in Shriners International, the group that, among other things, brings an annual circus to town.

Almost everything has to be purchased online, because garden railroads just aren’t that common, and all model trains are not created equally, nor can they run interchangeably. Mike says that each of the group’s railroads are great, because they did them the way they wanted. “None of them are prototypical,” he says. The nice thing about groups like S.I.G.R.S. though is that your train can typically run on your friend’s track, as long as you’re both paying attention. And run they do--most Wednesdays and Saturdays the group of 12 or so gathers at someone’s house with their significant other and a train. “We can run seven or eight trains at one time because they all have their own individual digital address, and we all have controllers. Lots of times, we’ll be busy drinking coffee and eating donuts and we’ll run into each other,” Mike laughs.

Ellie, who has just reappeared in the doorway with an enormous Goldendoodle named Baxter, says she enjoys the social aspect of it too. Both of them say that watching the trains is relaxing, and Mike emphasizes that it is a welcoming space for everyone. “We’re just a social club--we don’t have dues or officers. We’re just a bunch of people getting together and playing with trains,” he says. And if you’re interested in what other clubs are doing, they’ve got conventions around the country for that.

Although most members of the club are retired, there are a few younger folks, and people with a variety of skills--useful, Mike says, when you need help with something. The group is generous in helping with everything from track construction to problem solving, and frequently appears at events like Idaho Botanical Garden’s Bug Day and Fall Harvest Festival to delight the public with their trains. “To be part of the group, you don’t even have to have a train. A lot of us have extra stuff. Just come on over and have some coffee!”, Mike says.

INFO

If you’re interested in learning more, send S.I.G.R.S. an email-Sidgardenrailways@gmail.com!

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WORTH THE INVESTMENT

Investing in Boise: StageDotO Funds Boise Tech Startups with Money and Experience

BY KARISSA MANSKE

As every entrepreneur knows, an idea can only get you so far. In order to perfect and scale a Big Idea, investors and consumers have to join in on the excitement.

There are a variety of ways to find the necessary funding — personal equity, business loans, crowdsourcing, inheritance, selling kidneys on the black market — but capital investments are arguably the golden egg.

that have the potential to be billiondollar companies.” StateDotO clearly sees that potential in Boise.

Plans for the $50 million fund are split between seed money to get startups going and first-round Series A funding for growth capital.

Series A financing is a key stage in a new company’s capital-raising process and is a core principle of StageDotO’s investment decisions.

Startups must find investors while focusing on growth by reaching certain milestones in product development, new talent, and increased clientele. According to StageDotO, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for startups to reach the Series A goal, but reaching that goal is a key indicator of long-term success.

StageDotO doesn’t stop at

In 2019, StageDotO, an earlystage venture-capital firm, caught the attention of Boiseans by announcing their planned $50 million investment in Boise-based tech startups and purchasing office space on Main street in downtown Boise. According to Mike Self, general partner with StageDotO Ventures, “We look for companies 36

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financial investments. Their partnerships also come with business and marketing expertise and mentorship, and chosen companies work at StageDotO’s offices. “We’ve been watching the Boise region for a while,” said Self.

“It’s like Austin 25 years ago. We don’t think there’s a better region to be investing in than Boise. This is a 20- to 25-year play. We wanted to show the community we were serious.”

StageDotO has made good on their promise to invest in Boise’s tech start-ups. At this point, four companies are headquartered at StageDotO’s offices. PlexTrac, a platform for reporting and tracking cybersecurity vulnerabilities; FlipRide, a new way to buy, sell, and finance cars; Crave, a food delivery service partnering with top-tier chefs; and Sindro, a B2B app designed for gyms and studios.

“Boise is really poised to turn an exciting corner in the tech startup community,” said PlexTrac founder and CEO Dan DeCloss. “There’s a wave of innovation in our startup scene and it’s fun to be a part of that.”

“Boise is really poised to turn an exciting corner in the tech startup community.”

-PlexTrac founder Dan DeCloss

PlexTrac is DeCloss’s brainchild, and for about four and a half years, was his side project. Essentially, it is a software platform that assesses a company’s cybersecurity and presents areas needed to strengthen and optimize existing security.

As his client list grew, he realized his side project’s potential to be

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

After initially meeting with StageDotO in April 2019, PlexTrac signed on as StageDotO’s first Boise company in August 2019.

“Since then we’ve been off to the races!” said DeCloss. And his plans for the future aren’t for the faint of heart. “The next couple of years will involve scaling the business, growing brand awareness and the client base, entering into new use-cases of our software, and truly becoming the enterprise platform

for cybersecurity,” DeCloss explained.

DeCloss has found that StageDotO has helped blaze the trail for making Boise-based companies more enticing to additional investment firms.  Mike Self and Devin Wade of “We are getting StageDotO, and early-state venture exposure to other investors that capital firm haven’t invested in Boise yet but are looking to. StageDotO’s Anyone who believes starting presence helps. As we talk to a successful company is a breeze those groups, I posit Boise as the is certainly in for a swift, rude best-kept secret that is getting out.” awakening. But for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, there’s nothing else that satisfies that passion. In DeCloss’s words, “Running a startup is not easy.

It’s the most work you’ll ever do.

I always tell people it’s the most work I’ve ever done but also the most fun I’ve ever had working.”

It seems that’s what StageDotO is offering local tech startups: a chance for people who dream and scheme outside of the box to change things for the better.



something much bigger. In order to dedicate all of his attention to PlexTrac, he quit his day job in March 2019 and met StageDotO shortly thereafter.

Four companies are headquarted at StageDotO's Boise office

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Avimor, Chapter 3 The Art of Living

Avimor is not just a subdivision -- it’s a community.

A rich social life is easy here, and you are cordially invited.

Living well takes effort and thoughtful planning, and, with our Art of Living program, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve your best life. Avimor even has its own Art of Living Director, who plans and coordinates community events that build neighborhoods and social interaction. Avimor is a place for fun, with a variety of events throughout the year, including a robust outdoor calendar with 100+ miles of foothills trails, eight community parks, and a large community center.

Look forward to monthly “Evenings at Avimor, Meet & Greet events, and informative “Avimor 101” presentations about subjects like fly fishing, gardening, Avimor wildlife, snowshoeing, hiking, dog training, birdwatching, and many more. If you like meeting and developing relationships with your neighbors, learning about where you live, weekly hikes and mountain bike rides, holiday parties, and socials, you’ll feel right at home in Avimor.

As Avimor continues to grow, so do the opportunities here. Whether you have an idea for an activity, club, event, our Art of Living Director is committed to making it happen. From hiking groups to bike rides, ski groups to game nights to wine tastings and everything in between, we’d love to help bring your passion to the people--we’ve already got clubs for books, writing, photography, shooting, knitting, and Mahjong and Bunco, and more physical things like aqua aerobics, stretch and yoga classes, and tap dancing and line dancing on our new dance floor. The 12,000 square foot community center proudly hosts kid’s activities too, including preschool dance, music and movement, and swimming lessons. Of course, you can always work out in our state-of-the-art fitness center, where you’ll have no trouble finding a fitness partner or friend for a little conversation.

We love to celebrate too, so look for holiday themed events like Easter egg hunts, Halloween parties and parades, St. Patrick’s Day parties, Christmas tree decorating events, and our famous annual chilli cookoff!

Our community center is just that--a comfortable lounge area, library annex, meeting and exercise space, and gathering place that exists in service of the Avimor community.

Located North on Highway 55 a Mile Above Shadow Valley Golf Course Model Homes Open Daily 10 am - 5 pm 208-939-5360 • www.avimor.com Marketed by Epic Realty LLC • RCE 35084

Shriner's International Healing the World (in a Fez)

BY LEAH HESS VICTORINO

I

Imagine a young girl speaking as guest of honor in an establishment full of biker men in Homedale, Idaho. It may seem an unlikely scenario if you aren’t familiar with the Shriners, but as Jennifer Comstock, mother of a Shriners Hospital patient, describes the event, it makes perfect sense. Comstock recalls a few years back when her daughter, Ava Belle, had the chance to talk to the Shriners about her treatment experience.

“They treat Ava like royalty… everyone wants to talk to her, and they make her feel so comfortable,” Comstock says.

Ava was born with knees bent forward and dislocated hips, conditions that would require multiple surgeries and body braces.

The attentive care she has received at Shriners Hospital has made a big impact on her and her family.

The Comstocks feel like a part of the Shriner family, a testament to one of the organization’s four core values. Known in part for their distinctive headgear, which represents the Arabian theme the fraternity was founded upon, Shriners are bound by their dedication to Brotherhood, Family, Fun, and Philanthropy. The fun-loving and fundraising members of Shriners International support 22 hospitals across North America with a mission to “provide the highest quality care to children with

neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special needs, educate physicians and healthcare professionals, and conduct research that improves the quality of care and quality of life of children and families.”

This network of hospitals accepts children with needs from birth through age 18 regardless of ability to pay.

The Comstock family recently spent Christmas in the Shriners Hospital in Salt Lake City, where Ava underwent a spinal fusion to correct her scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine.

Nobody wants to celebrate the holidays in the hospital, but due to the severity of the pain, the thirteen-year-old opted to have the procedure as early as possible.

On December 23, doctors used two rods and thirteen screws to straighten her spine. In the days following, the Comstock family received a special Christmas edition of the attentive care that they associate with Shriners Hospitals, and as a bonus gift, Ava even grew two inches taller!

Ava was born with knees bent forward and dislocated hips, conditions that would

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numerous examples of what makes Shriners Hospital special, “the hospital experience is not scary there, seeing the same nurses who’ve cared for Ava her whole life and remember her, Christmas presents from the staff for Ava and for her brother.”

Plus, the El Korah local chapter is always invested in making sure that their costs are covered to access care at the nearest facility in Utah.

require operations. Upon the recommendation of a friend of Jennifer’s mother, who happened to be a Shriner’s wife, Ava was taken to a Shriners screening clinic at age one. She has since had multiple surgeries and body braces. Jennifer raves about the personalized care her daughter has received, explaining how Shriners Hospitals have “experience with ‘medically fragile’ or ‘complex’” cases.

In addition to renowned medical expertise, Ava and her family feel grateful for the Shriners for many other reasons. Jennifer recounts

“These kids impacted my life greatly,” says Corey Turner, Past Potentate, which is Shriner for president and chief executive officer. Turner speaks with genuine humility about his personal experience with kids like Kory Puderbaugh and Hunter Woodhall, both inspirational paralympians for Team USA, and it is evident how much these hospitals and this brotherhood mean to patients and Shriners alike. Turner has seen firsthand the benefits of the medical treatment provided by the Shriners Children’s Hospital, but

The fun-loving and fundraising members of Shriners International support 22 hospitals across North America with a mission to “provide the highest quality care to children.

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www.idahomemagazine.com

he would tell you that the rewards don’t end there.

The Shrine allows its members the chance not only to contribute in a meaningful way to these kids, but Turner says he’s gained “lifelong friends, that’ll be there forever.” The Shriners are young at heart, and their zest for life comes through in all they do, whether it be clowning with kids in the hospitals, serving up community breakfast, or even hosting concerts for Treefort Music Festival. They do it all in support of those who they call family.

“Every time Ava sees a Shriner, she always stops and thanks them, and they thank her for saying something,” Jennifer explains.

“They’re just so generous, giving from the heart,” she recalls, thinking of one particular fundraiser where Shriners bid up a dessert auction item to $800 to give it to Ava. “My husband is eager to become one,” she shares, “when you see it, you want to be part of it.”

REAL ESTATE WITH A TRADITION OF TRUST

BOISE

420 W MAIN STREET SUITE 102

Alicia C. Ralston 208-850-7638 www.ralstongroupproperties.com

Alicia C. Ralston 208-850-7638 www.ralstongroupproperties.com www.rals t ongroupproper ti es. com

KETCHUM

191 SUN VALLEY ROAD SUITE 202