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WE’RE ALL SEARCHING FOR
SOMETHING MORE
F I N D I T. TO G E T H E R . Fo r t he f ree- s p ir it s t hat hea r t he c a l l of t h e u ndis covered a nd bel ieve t he f u t u re t ru ly is bo u ndl es s , t his p l a ce is fo r yo u , even if yo u do n’ t k now it yet . A nd we c an’t wait t o wel co m e yo u w it h a r m s w ide- o p en.
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CONTENTS FOOD, ARTS & CULTURE 12 Face of Gold 13 The Five Tribes of Idaho 17 Origin Stories 19 Anthony Doerr 36 Media as a Squid Game COMMUNITY 8 Potato Puckheads 25 IdaHome's Guide to the 2021-22 Ski Season
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Luke Caldwell and Clint Robertson Are the "Dads of HGTV" Making the Old New To Be of Service or Not
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 5 Publisher's Letter 7 Contributors
your special day, on the way
NON-PROFIT. ALL GOOD.
Dear Readers,
Happy Holidays! This issue marks the third anniversary of IdaHome magazine and what an enlightening
journey it has been. I had 20 years of experience in journalism when we started the first issue in 2019 and I knew absolutely nothing about publishing. Naysayers were aplenty, then 2020 tried to bury us, but despite challenges, I believed Idaho deserved a premiere lifestyle publication worthy of our amazing people, places, and stories. Literally thousands of pages and readers later, “Thank you” from all of us at IdaHome for proving that my dream, however crazy, could come true. My career affords me the privilege of meeting many interesting people. Some are famous, like Michelle Obama and the Dalai Lama, and others are uber-famous and not that interesting, like…well, I’ll let your imaginations fill in the blank. Most fascinating to me, however, are the normal people I interview, quietly living their lives with extraordinary stories to tell. At the top of my list would be a humble man named Horace Axtell, the Nez Perce tribal historian, language preservationist, pipe carrier, and recipient of the National Endowment for Arts National Heritage Award. A WWII veteran, “Grandfather” or “Uncle” as he was known to many, was born and died (1924-2015) on his ancestral homelands near Lapwai, Idaho. As a spiritual leader of the Seven Drum religion, the tribal wisdom Horace embodied and imparted to others inspired in me a lifelong respect for the importance and honor of being a storyteller. As a holiday gift to you, here’s a link to my TV interviews with Horace Axtell: https://vimeo.com/559200412 Telling stories is the purpose of IdaHome magazine and our writers are dedicated to the facts and art of journalism. This month we welcome Randy’L Teton, the FACE OF GOLD and a tribal consultant, with her cover feature on Idaho’s five tribes. The indigenous voices she represents are authentic and the value the tribes continue to offer to our state, history, and culture deserve volumes, but often go unnoticed. We encourage you to learn more in this issue’s “Origin Story” and by visiting the Idaho State Museum, offering artifacts, creation stories, history, and contributions of each tribe to the land and wildlife of Idaho. Holidays are about giving, and Cherie Buckner-Webb relates why being of service is imperative to living a purposeful life year-round. Our features editor, Heather Hamilton Post, explores diverse traditions old and new. Harrison Berry tackles a prickly subject for us journalists–the aggressive behavior of partisan readership. IdaHome’s entertainment editor brings this issue on storytelling to new heights with her interview with Boise’s own, The Boise Boys of HGTV. And finally, I want to personally thank Anthony Doerr, Idaho’s Pulitzer Prize-winning author, for allowing IdaHome and April Neale the honor of talking to one of America’s greatest storytellers. There’s more—so read on and ENJOY! Best wishes to you and yours,
Karen Day Publisher, Dreamer, Storyteller
Photo courtesy Idaho State Museum www.idahomemagazine.com
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NOVEMBER 2021 publisher K A R E N DAY karen@idahorem.com features editor H E AT H E R H A M I LT O N POST heather@idahorem.com copy editor C A R R I E L IGH T N E R technically speaking editor H A I L E Y M I N T ON art and design J S NGR A F I X K A L E Y BE LVA L design@idahorem.com director of operations and sales manager M A R IELLE W EST PH A L admin@idahorem.com staff photographer K A R E N DAY cover photograph DANIEL LLOY D 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 © 2021 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.
Community + Culture + Recreation + Real Estate
ON THE COVER
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall generally subsisted as hunters and gatherers. They hunted wild game, fished the region's abundant and bountiful streams and rivers, and collected native plants and roots such as the camas bulb. Buffalo served as the most significant source of food and raw material for the tribes. The Shoshone-Bannock currently steward a herd of 400 Buffalo, harvesting native grasses for winter feed and providing tribal members the opportunity to participate in a managed hunts for meat. Responsible herd management has allowed buffalo to once again thrive in Idaho and ensures the First People can continue a traditional way of life.
CONTRIBUTORS Heather Hamilton-Post is a writer and editor in Caldwell. She holds degrees in both agriculture and creative writing and is herself surprised by that. When she’s not writing, catch her at a socially-distanced baseball game with her husband and young sons. Find her work across the web and buried in the lit journals you didn’t know you had. Mike McKenna is an award-winning author and journalist from Hailey. Mike’s writing has appeared widely, from Forbes, People, and Trout to numerous regional newspapers. He has served as the editor of The Sheet and Sun Valley Magazine and is the author of two prize-winning guidebooks, including Angling Around Sun Valley. Micah Drew is a writer currently based in northwest Montana. A multiple Montana Newspaper Association award-winning journalist covering politics, sports, and the outdoors, he has written for Edible Idaho, Boise Weekly, and High Country News. When not in the newsroom, he can be found trail running throughout the West. Mark Oliver has focused his camera lenses on some of the most exciting places and events in Idaho for the last 20 years. He specializes in recreational photography and videography, including the 2021 feature film MASS. Originally from the Wood River Valley, Mark moved to Boise in 2019. His work has represented the biggest recreational brands, including Smith Optics, Scott USA, Eddie Bauer, Skida, and Sun Valley Company. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a master’s degree in journalism, Harrison Berry returned to Boise, where he spent eight years working for Boise Weekly, rising to the position of managing editor. His work has appeared in publications from Business Insider to American Theatre. He currently works for Boise State University. April Neale is an entertainment features writer and has read her work on NPR and Spoken Interludes and writes for various industry trades and entertainment websites. Neale is a member of the Critics Choice Association, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Hollywood Critics Association, Television Critics Association, and other professional entertainment organizations. Cherie Buckner-Webb is a former Idaho State Senator, executive coach, speaker, business consultant, strategist, and fifth-generation Idahoan. In addition to her work in corporate and nonprofit environments, she assists institutions of higher education in the development of diversity curriculum and training and sits on a variety of local and national boards. Hailey Minton is a freelance writer and loves painting with her words. She approaches life with inquisitiveness whether in writing, raising her daughter, or developing her hobbies. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, she has a love for seeing innovators bring solutions to our ever-changing world. www.idahomemagazine.com
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Potato Puckheads Steelheads help Idahoans fall for hockey BY MIKE MCKENNA In Idaho, we usually associate ice with fishing, winter roads, and cocktails. But our view of the cold, slick surface has been changing, Idaho is in the midst of a growing love affair with hockey, one that first caused a twinkle in many a spud’s eye over 20 years ago, when professional hockey found its way to Boise and the Idaho Steelheads team was born.
PHOTO BY MARK OLIVER
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TWO MINUTES FOR HOOKING Way back in 1996, well before Boise was discovered by the masses, it was announced that a minor league hockey team would be moving to town. Folks from all over southern Idaho were asked to vote on a name. Steelheads was the winner. It was the ideal name for a hockey team playing in the rugged Northern Rockies. The tough and tenacious fish make a 900-mile trek from the sea to the heart of Idaho to spawn each year. They don’t let predators or dams or even the hooks of anglers keep them from their goal. When the Steelheads started playing together in 1997, the rink at The Grove was packed with rowdy fans like myself. The team was tough, the crowd was raucous, and a unique brand of Steelheads hockey was born. Now in their 24th season, the scene is still the same just about every night the Steelheads take the ice. “We’re tenacious. We’re a team that’s always going to give you our best,” says Steelheads Captain, A. J. White. “There are
no easy games when you’re playing us.” The three-time captain from Michigan says that there’s no doubt about their home ice advantage at Idaho Central Arena. “Our crowd is arguably one of the best in the league,” says the forward. “We feed off the crowd. It’s a great place to play.” Part of the Dallas Stars minor league system, the Steelheads average over 4,000 fans per game and one of the highest occupancy rates in the ECHL. “We have a really unique atmosphere here. It’s not like bigger venues. It feels like the fans are right on top of you,” Head Coach Everett Sheen says. “The players feed off the fans. It’s so intimate in here.”
HAT TRICKS They say everybody loves a winner, which makes it really easy to love the Steelheads. The team has managed to make the playoffs every year since they started and have also claimed two Kelly Cups as league champions. Of course, in the old days of minor league hockey, fans didn’t care as much
about who won on the scoreboard as they did about who won the fights. But those “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” days are part of a bygone era. While hockey is still a tough and physical sport, “putting on the foil” and bone-crushing hits have given way to speed, skill, and teamwork. The Steelheads’ key to success is being a great team. “Hockey is a very team-oriented game,” Steelheads Assistant Captain Will Merchant says. “At the end of the day, we’re a family. We step up for each other, help each other out.” Coach Sheen, now in his fifth season behind the Steelheads bench, explains that what makes the Steelheads good is really what makes the sport so special. “It’s such a true team game. Not one guy can go out there and win it. It takes every guy in that dressing room to win a game,” Coach Sheen says. “You have to come together as a group of people who have different personalities, beliefs, and backgrounds. You all have to become united for one goal.”
“The players feed off the fans. It’s so intimate in here.” – Coach Everett Sheen
PHOTO BY MARK OLIVER
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A. J. WHITE / PHOTO BY MARK OLIVER
“Hockey is a very challenging sport. I was told at a young age it’s a marathon not a sprint.” – Player A.J. White ICE, ICE, BABY There are only 11 hockey rinks in Idaho, but new rinks are in the works for Moscow and Idaho Falls. Meanwhile, the state’s youngest rink, the Campion Ice House in Hailey, is starting its sixth season and both the youth and adult hockey programs it serves are seeing record numbers. Hockey is thriving from Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston to McCall, Salmon, and the Treasure and Teton Valleys. The Steelheads have been a big part of that. New NHL teams arriving in Las Vegas and Seattle have also helped. But the pure joy of playing the game is what pros like the Steelheads say really gets all the credit. “It’s really growing everywhere. It’s such a great sport. You meet a ton of great peo10
COACH EVERETT SHEEN / PHOTO BY MARK OLIVER
ple,” says Will, who grew up in Minnesota and played college hockey at the University of Maine. “Some of the best times of my life have been going out skating and having fun with friends.” One of the great things about hockey is that its gliding nature—and abundance of padded equipment—makes it a bit easier on our bodies. “It’s a game you can play forever,” says Coach Sheen, who grew up in British Columbia and played at the college level for Holy Cross. Despite not coming from a hockey family and even wearing the wrong gear to his first practice as a kid, Coach Sheen quickly fell in love with the sport. Hockey is not an easy sport, but part of its appeal is the constant challenge it provides.
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“Hockey is a very challenging sport. I was told at a young age that it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” says A. J., who grew up in Michigan and played college hockey at UMass Lowell. “You’ve got to enjoy it and have fun with it,” Coach Sheen advises to new players of any age. “If you’re enjoying something, you’re going to want to put in the extra effort.” “It’s taken a while for the game to grow,” adds A. J., “and once people reach out and try it they realize it really is for everybody; everybody can play hockey.” It has taken hockey a bit of time to catch on here in the Gem State. But thanks in good part to the Steelheads, it certainly seems like hockey has taken ahold of our hearts and more Idahoans are jumping on the band—or Zamboni—wagon.
FA C E O F G O L D BY KAREN DAY
“I was the first person in my family to go to college,” says Randy’L He-dow Teton. “And when I left Idaho to get my degree (BA-University of New Mexico), I never imagined coming back with my face on a coin.” In 2000, Teton, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, was selected to be the model for the face on the Sacajawea Gold Dollar, representing far more than its monetary value. “The image doesn’t represent me,” Teton says, “it represents all Native American women. All women have the dignity of the Golden Dollar’s image.” “I had a wonderful upbringing on the Fort Hall Reservation,” says Teton today, the eldest of five siblings and now a mother of three children. “I grew up watching my father and grandfather ride out on horses at dawn and come home at dusk with a deer. I never bought meat in my life until I went to college. It was so expensive; I wondered how people afforded it!” Teton has used her golden opportunity to enrich the lives of all Native Americans. “The national public platform offered me a chance to encourage and inspire the aspiration for higher education in our culture. You can’t even be a secretary for our Tribal Council without a college degree,” she explains. In the Shoshoni language, “He-dow” means “meadowlark,” a species known for its bright songs that begin at sunrise and continue even while they fly. Fittingly, Teton is the Public Affairs Manager of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and a tribal consultant on tribal history and government in Fort Hall, Idaho. She stays busy with a robust public speaking career and First Peoples advocacy as an independent entrepreneur with FACE OF GOLD, with podcast appearances, and by writing articles for national publications (like IdaHome).
MEDALION BY ARTIST BRODIE SANCHES
PHOTOS BY CRAIG LA MERE-MOZ STUDIOS
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THE FIVE TRIBES OF IDAHO BY RANDY’L TETON (SHOSHONE-BANNOCK)
As an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, I was born and raised on the Fort Hall Reservation in southeastern Idaho, and like my ancestors before me, we have hunted, gathered, and lived off these lands for time immemorial. We have ancient place names for the mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, animals, and even the rocks. When we think of Idaho, we think of majestic mountains, outdoor fishing, and hunting. But in the shadow of those mountains and rivers, our people, who have long inhabited these lands and continue to do so today, are often overlooked. This article is to acknowledge the first peoples of Idaho before state lines existed. Today, five federally recognized tribes populate this state. In the north, the Nez Perce, the Coeur d’Alene, and the Kootenai have existed for centuries. Further south, there are the Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute, and each tribe has a distinct cultural heritage, language, history, and story to tell. Idaho’s topography varies greatly, from high desert plains in the south to vast pine forests in the north with 115 mountain ranges in between. Our first peoples walked the Snake River Plain, Salmon River country and mountains, the Panhandle, and western Idaho. Each area differs dramatically in climate, geography, plants, animals, fish, minerals, and rivers, lakes, and streams and each tribe has a unique connection to the lands occupied by their ancestors. The tribes are considered sovereign nations within the state and each has its designated land base, government, and creation story of how they came to exist. There’s so much rich Native American history that doesn’t appear in textbooks or schools, especially because the tribal perspective is missing. Our story is still unfolding as far as how we have adjusted from being removed from our ancestral lands to present-day reservation lands. Ultimately, we have evolved into becoming “your friendly neighbor.” Hoping to promote a better understanding of our history and culture, some Tribes have invested in casinos, resorts, and spas. But our true value has nothing to do with gambling. Many don’t know that a reservation is similar to a small rural city. Tribes have government offices to conduct tribal government business, healthcare facilities, schools, a post office, grocery stores, gas stations, and
LEO TETON (Shoshone-Bannock) 2021 Grand Marshall, Eastern Idaho State Fair, Blackfoot Idaho. PHOTO BY SUMMER POPEJOY JACKMAN
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Photos are on display and courtey of Idaho State Museum
often, a judicial center to enforce our own law and order. We face similar city-related issues, like a shortage of housing development, lack of infrastructure for a growing population, and dilapidated government buildings. Out of necessity, tribes have learned to advocate with unified voices at state and federal levels, seeking inclusion and fair representation in governmental decision-making. But that is another story. In Idaho, our numbers are lower than any other group, although we still remain as the
first peoples of this land. According to a 2019 U.S. Census study, the Native American population in Idaho is 23,136 (includes self-identified Native Americans). Many of us reside off the reservation in the nearby cities that border the reservation. According to a 2020 Economic Impact Study, the five tribes of Idaho own over 963,323 acres throughout Idaho and have 9,553 enrolled members (and growing). Compared with Idaho’s total landmass of 44 coun-
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe (CDA) are located in northwest Idaho on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation and refer to themselves as the ‘Schitsu’umsh,’ meaning ‘Those who were found here’ or ‘the discovered people.’ Their original lands expanded five million acres throughout northern Idaho into parts of western Montana and eastern Washington State. Currently, the reservation is 344,990 acres with 2,500-plus tribal members. The 2020 Tribal Economic Impact study notes that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe is the second largest employer in north Idaho. Tribal membership elects a seven-member Tribal Council that serves three-year terms. According to Jennifer DeGraffenreid, with CDA Public Relations, “Our Tribe continues to provide consistent employment through our organizations. Our leaders have put a high focus on natural resource preservation and protection in order to foster the lands and restore damages done over hundreds of years.” Education is prioritized by supporting the students through higher education, as well as supporting Idahoans outside the Tribe. Their successful education grants program has contributed millions of dollars to schools and nonprofits all across the state. “We are a small tribe,” says PHOTO BY JACK MCNEEL
In 2016, Coeur d’Alene tribal members carved this shovelnose canoe, one of many efforts to maintain traditions associated with tribal life on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
The Kootenai Tribe is located in northwest Idaho on the Kootenai Reservation near Bonners Ferry and refer to themselves as the ‘Ktunxa,’ meaning “licks the blood” in the Salish language, which refers to how warriors once licked their blades after battling an enemy. The Kootenai Nation consists of seven bands, including two in the U.S.– the Kootenai of Idaho and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe of the Flathead Reservation in Montana. The remaining five bands reside in Canada. As a whole, the seven bands share one symbol referred to in their tribal logo, featuring three moons on a war shield
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ties, the five tribes of Idaho would be ranked 20th in terms of area. However, 151,779 acres of reservation land is actively cultivated, producing an estimated direct revenues/expenditures amount of $135.6 million annually to the state of Idaho. In other words, our individual nations may be vernacularly lumped together as “Native Americans” or “Indigenous,” but our culture and languages are far more distinct from each other.
DeGraffenried, “but we are a committed community that stands by those who need it most and cheer on those who continue to strive and improve themselves.” For example, the Tribe operates a quality medical facility for the entire region that has served as a replicable model across Indian Country. It started as a small clinic near the old tribal headquarters with limited services for the community. Over time, the clinic blossomed into a comprehensive medical facility, not only offering affordable medical and dental care to anyone who walks through the doors, but also providing ophthalmology, chiropractic, specialized diabetes care, behavioral health care, and a committed, community health department. The facility is called Marimn Health (a tribal word meaning ‘to treat’) and has expanded into three separate facilities on the reservation: the healthcare building, the Wellness Center, and the most recent addition, the Coeur Center. The new Coeur Center is a family facility, offering a basketball court, a pool with a slide and lazy river, plus a permanent home for the Tribe’s Boys and Girls Club. Marimn Health is a true community facility, open to anyone in need on a financial sliding scale. The CDA Tribe has successfully integrated business to serve their tribal members, but historical challenges persist today. Currently, land reacquisition is a priority. After hundreds of years of federal government downsizing the aboriginal territory, and lands being sold to non-members, the reservation has become a checkerboard of ownership. DeGraffenreid states, “We want more autonomy over the remainder of our lands, and in order to gain that we have to reacquire acreage and nurture it back to health and protect it as we do our current land base. As the true and intended stewards of this land, we must do all we can to ensure that it is restored to our environmental standards.” To learn more about the CDA Tribe check the monthly newspaper Council Fire or cdatribe-nsn.gov.
and representing the three larger bands. Currently, the reservation sits on 12.5 acres with 168-plus tribal members. Unlike other tribes, the Kootenai of Idaho never signed a treaty with the federal government, which led to the loss of their homeland on the Kootenai River. Landless and in need of help, the Tribe stayed at St. Michael’s Mission until the Department of the Interior provided housing. These housing units still stand today, a dilapidated reminder of the painful history that led 67 members of the Tribe to famously declare war on the United States in 1974.
“My grandmother Amy Trice led a war against the United States,” Vice Chairman Gary Aitkin, Jr. explains proudly. Tribal elder Amy Trice is documented in history as a “Trailblazing Woman” at the Idaho State Museum for her war on Idaho on September 20, 1974. It was a peaceful war, but the bold audacity of the declaration brought the nation’s attention to the plight of the Idaho Kootenai, and at long last, the Tribe was deeded 12.5 acres of land. This was no small victory and proved to be a positive turn for the future. In 1986, the Tribe opened the Kootenai River Inn and in 1996, a casino to generate gaming revenue to assist the Tribe’s growth. According to the 2020 Tribal Economic Impact study, the Kootenai Tribe is the largest employer in Boundary County, Idaho. The Tribe is a founding partner of the Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative (KVRI), which is a memo of understanding signed in 2001 between the Tribe, the City Mayor of Bonners Ferry, and the County Commissioner of Boundary, benefitting the local and regional economy. “Under the MOU,” says Vice Chairman Aitkin, “we are working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on recovering one of our
PHOTO BY ENRIQUE PATINO, NOAA/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Young Shoshone-Bannock tribal members fishing in the South Fork of the Salmon River, 2011. Tribal members are taught traditional methods of spearing fish.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe is located in southeastern Idaho on the Fort Hall Reservation. We refer to ourselves as ‘Newe,’ meaning ‘The People.’ The Tribe consists of several bands of Shoshone and Bannock and was once a larger group with the other Shoshone Tribes throughout Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. In 1868, the Tribe signed the Fort Bridger Treaty, designating the reservation as a “permanent homeland” on 544,000 acres for its growing membership of 6,000-plus. The Tribe is governed by the Fort Hall Business Council, consisting of seven members, each elected for staggered, two-year terms. According to the 2020 Tribal Economic Impact Study, the Tribes is the fourth largest employer in the region and has added more than 4,400 jobs and $400 million annually to the eastern Idaho economy. The study also found that the 110,000 acres of agricultural lands owned by the tribes and individual tribal members produce an estimated $125 million annually in crop revenues. The Tribe also maintains a profitable ‘Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Enterprises,’ overseeing a herd of 300 buffalo, the Donzia Gift Shop, three gas stations, the Trading Post Grocery store, and the Blue Corner Store.
traditional subsistence foods, the burbot fish.” The burbot is the only freshwater cod species in North America and the Kootenai River is the only place in Idaho with a native burbot population. Today, the Tribe helps maintain the fish habitat, managing a hatchery opened in 2014 and employing 30 people. The Kootenai’s resilience and determination now ensure that future generations will learn how to stewart this rare resource and the local ecosystem that sustains it. kootenai.org.
KOOTENAI TRIBE OF IDAHO, FISH & WILDLIFE
Guadalupe Ponce collecting a wild adult sturgeon for the Kootenai Tribe’s hatchery, 2010.
The Tribe also maintains a website, social media channels, and a weekly newspaper, The Sho-Ban News. The Shoshone-Bannock have learned how to advocate wisely for the Tribe. The Fort Bridger Treaty states, “...they [the tribes] shall have the right to hunt on the unoccupied lands of the United States so long as game may be found thereon.” This unique ability allows for tribal members to exercise hunting rights on and off the reservation under the Tribe’s management. The reservation is known throughout southeast Idaho to have the best fishing and pheasant hunting in the ‘Bottoms Area.’ This land is only accessible with a Trespass Permit and is home to the Tribe’s buffalo herd, wild horse herd, and the original Fort Hall Trading Post. The Tribe’s Fisheries Department offers a limited number of ‘non-member’ fishing permits to the public from May 7 through November 21. For more information, visit shoshone-bannock.tribalsites.com/vendor/fish-and-wildlife.html. The natural environment and wildlife have always been inextricably linked to the first peoples. In 1990, the Shoshone-Bannock took action on their commitment to stewardship and petitioned the federal government to list sockeye salmon as an endangered species to draw awareness to all salmon stocks in Idaho. And in April 2021, the Tribe joined a strong, intertribal effort across the Northwest to find a common voice on Congressman Simpson’s ‘Northwest in Transition’ proposal to ‘Save the Salmon.’ Chairman Boyer states, “The Tribes unite to support everyone who lives within the Columbia River Basin. We need a comprehensive approach to the issues of how we manage the Snake River because our salmon are running out of time.” The Tribe’s ultimate goal, aligned with that of Congressman Simpson, is to remove the Lower Four Snake River dams to help restore the fish runs. “This will help protect our culture so our future generations can hunt the salmon like our ancestors,” says Chairman Boyer. To learn more: sbtribes.com/saveidahosalmon. www.idahomemagazine.com
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BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, PHOTO BY BOB WICK
The Shoshone-Paiute Tribe is located in both Idaho and Nevada on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee County, Idaho. The ‘Newe-Numa’ (meaning ‘the people’ in both Shoshone and Paiute) consists of both the Western Shoshone and Northern Paiute bands. The reservation sits on 289,819 acres and has 2,300 tribal members. In 1877, an Executive Order established the reservation and in 1936, their first tribal government was founded. Today, the Tribe is governed by a seven-member Business Council with staggered, three-year terms. The reservation spans two states, but the heart of the government is operated in Idaho. According to Chairman Brian Thomas, “An elder once told me that our Shoshone people were once one people.” In recognition of the Tribe’s presence in Boise, tribal members from Burns Paiute in Oregon, Fort Hall of Idaho, Fort McDermitt Paiute of Nevada, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs of Oregon, and Duck Valley gather at the Eagle Rock Park for the annual ‘Return of the Boise Valley People.’ Cultural gatherings such as this help maintain the oral traditions of storytelling, history, and language for future generations to understand their connections to one another. Like other tribes, the Tribe’s business interests directly coincide with the natural environment. “Elk have always been abundant on the Duck Valley Reservation,” says Chairman Thomas. “As part of the fish and wildlife management, we host an auction for five bull tags for a five-day guided elk hunt on the reservation.” The Tribe also offers guided antelope hunts to non-tribal members from July 15 through October. Fishing permits to three rainbow trout fisheries are available at Lake Billy Shaw (fly fishing) and Mountain View and Sheep Creek Reservoirs. shopaitribes.org/spfish/. Physical distance separates the Shoshone-Paiute from other Idaho tribes and the economic opportunities of major population centers.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK
Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries manages spring Chinook at one of many of the Tribe’s Idaho hatcheries
The Nez Perce Tribe is located in north-central Idaho on the Lapwai Reservation and refer to themselves as Nimipuu, meaning ‘The People.’ The Tribe’s name, Nez Perce, is a French word meaning ‘pierced nose’ originating from French-Canadian fur trappers in the 18th century. Currently, the reservation sits on 770,000 acres with over 3,500 tribal members. The Tribe is nomadic and follows the seasons into areas of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. The Tribe is governed by a nine-member council called the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC) who serve staggered three-year terms. According to the 2020 Economic Impact Study, the Nez Perce is the third largest employer and provides 1,338 employment opportunities to
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Artist Delmar Kelly and tribal chair Ted Howard at Bruneau Canyon Overlook, 2017. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes collaborated with the Bureau of Land Management to develop interpretive signage at the site as part of an educational outreach campaign.
The remote reservation, a wild and beautiful locale with rivers, canyons, high desert terrain, and mountains, makes life somewhat difficult for the community to access needed supplies or services. An average drive from the reservation to a local Walmart is about 100 miles. “In the early days of the reservation, the lands were rich in farmland and had abundant timber. Today, I am concerned about the water quality on the reservation,” says Chairman Thomas. “And wildfires have burned what forest area we have and our only source of firewood. We appreciate the government-to-government relationships we have with the Sawtooth National Forest and the City of Hailey. They have provided our elders and community with much-needed firewood.” The Tribe plans a community project of planting trees that will help provide for the next seven generations. shopaitribes.org/spt/. the region. The Tribe and individual tribal members own 19% of the land on the reservation; 385,227 acres are considered cropland, 261,954 acres are used for grazing, and 100,159 acres are forestlands. Today, the Tribe owns and operates the following successful enterprises: Clearwater River Resort & Casino, The Itse-ye-ye-Casino, two convenience stores, Red Wolf Golf Club, and the Zims Hot Springs. According to the Tribe’s Communications Manager Kayleoni Scott, “The Nez Perce Tribe has one of the largest and most successful fisheries programs in the United States. We brought back the coho salmon to the region after it was declared extinct in 1986.” In 2021, coho salmon made an historic return. In addition to salmon recovery, the Tribe manages several hatcheries, including Cherry Lane and Kooskia, on the reservation. The Tribe has been diligent in supporting U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson’s Columbia Basin Fund initiative to restore the lower Snake River by breaching its four dams and investing in the local communities. The initiative has gained national media attention and unified support from other tribes impacted by the loss of salmon runs in the lower Snake River. Nez Perce Tribal Chairman Samuel N. Penney says, “Our salmon are in crisis. There’s simply no other way to describe the current circumstances.” To learn more: simpson.house.gov/salmon/.
ORIGIN STORIES Come Alive at the Idaho State Museum
COURTESY IDAHO STATE MUSEUM
BY KAREN DAY
“Long ago, there were spiritual beings. Coyote was walking along the beach on the West Coast. He saw a mermaid and she was beautiful. He wanted to get to know her and when he called out to her, she came…they got married and had children. The children were Indians, and they were the forefathers of the great tribes that were to inhabit north and south.” So begins the creation story of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, animated in the Idaho State Museum’s Origin Stories exhibit. “The first thing we did when planning how to interpret the tribal stories was to ask permission of every tribal chairman if we could include their stories,” explains Jan Gallimore, Executive Director of the Idaho State Historical Society. “Everything you see here was co-created with them.” The Origin Stories exhibit is one of several tribal displays created in partnership with tribes during the Idaho State Museum’s recent $17 million restoration project. All displays, including the tribal stories, are woven
into the museum’s concurrent theme of how the land and the people of Idaho shaped each other over time. “The tribes and the land are inextricable, so we envisioned this exhibit as the first display visitors see when they enter, ‘Meet Idaho’s First People,’” says Gallimore. This serene and elegant presentation includes a theater projecting five beautifully animated Creation Stories shared by the Nez Perce, Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai, Shoshone-Bannock, and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. Gallimore adds, “The stories came from the tribes, the music too. We were just the facilitators. Our intent was to portray the tribes in ways that reflected what they wanted to share with the public.” Many people know of Sacajawea and her role in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Chief Joseph and his passionate, principled resistance to his Nez Perce people’s removal can be seen on posters for sale in the Seattle airport. But far fewer know of Chief Looking Glass, architect of many successful military strategies in the Nez Perce War of 1877, whose tomahawk pipe is on display here in
Boise. And fewer still are aware of the Bear Valley Massacre of 1863, when the U.S. Army killed between 270 to 400 Shoshone men, women and children near Preston, Idaho. The museum is rich with these rare and true narratives, artifacts, photos of Idaho’s unique first people, authentically portraying their cultures, history, and current contributions to the state’s economy and environment. “All the tribes wanted to ensure that people saw their homelands and traditional ways of life,” says Gallimore. “To show how treaties affected them and today’s life on reservations. They also wanted to show that they have been here for thousands of years, and they’re still here, preserving the land, water, and endangered species. Most importantly, they wanted respect and the museum did our absolute best to ensure that they receive that respect.” To see and learn more about Idaho’s five tribes, visit the Idaho State Museum in Julia Davis Park. ( history.idaho.gov )
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I AM REVOLUTIONARY INSPIRED A VOICE OF CHANGE MADE OF STEEL A BARRIER BREAKER UNSTOPPABLE
HISTORY.IDAHO.GOV/TRAILBLAZING 610 Julia Davis Dr. | Boise, ID
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NTHONY DOERR: Writing Beyond the Pulitzer
BY APRIL NEALE
Idaho has a history of attracting literary giants, but Anthony Doerr, finalist for the 2021 National Book Award and Guggenheim Fellow, is the only Pulitzer Prize-winning author who calls Idaho home. The Gem State also serves as one of many locations in his expansive new novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, in a nod to the Greek story by Aristophanes titled The Birds. “Cuckoo” is a time-defying journey that celebrates the indelible power of story and its importance to humanity, as well as serving as a literary canary in a coal mine about the faltering planet we appear to be inheriting thanks to careless stewardship. The caveats are more than subtle in this novel that centers on five characters—Zeno, Konstance, Seymour, Anna, and Omeir—who share a tenuous attachment to the same ancient story told by Aethon, preserved and adapted over millennia. The novel artfully reveals how our actions and stories connect the dreamers and outliers of their time in the most unusual ways throughout human existence. Doerr won the Pulitzer Prize for his previous novel, All the Light We Cannot See, a highwire work of literary fiction soon to be a four-part limited series on Netflix, with Shawn Levy and Steven Knight as showrunners. Doerr notes that writing, unlike making movies, offers him the luxury of creating stunning visuals unconstrained by budgets or cameras. ”I never have to think about money when I write a scene at night with old cars in the background. If I want to have a character like Marie-Laure, aged from 8 to 80, no problem. I don’t have to worry about all the things they do.” Sentence upon sentence, Doerr’s books prove that words can conjure a dream as brightly on a page as on any screen. Cloud
ANYHONY DOERR / PHOTO BY ULF ANDERSON
Cuckoo Land is even dedicated to librarians. Organically, it makes sense that Doerr’s involvement in the film series is strikingly humble. “I’m helping them in terms of giving them notes, or I can help them with research. I’ve shared photographs with them that I used to write the book. But beyond that, I’m hoping maybe I can get my boys there for a day or two when they’re filming and otherwise be a cheerleader. I’m hoping they make something really beautiful,” he shares. The new book asks a reader’s imagination to travel from the dystopian future of a dying Planet Earth to the 15th-century, ancient walled city of Constantinople, to a small, lakeside town in present-day
Idaho. The story weaves these unlikely places, times, and people together with the magical thread of one ancient, soaring tale about Aethon, who hopes to become a bird to fly into the clouds and discover a utopian paradise in the sky. “Surrender your disbelief all ye who enter these pages,” sings Doerr’s writing, page by page. And throughout the magical narrative, the five characters and the reader set forth on journeys that ultimately offer hope, humor, and inspiration through the profound power of story. This nascent idea began with Doerr’s fascination with a wall and how the structure preserved ancient Greek and Latin texts handed down throughout time.
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As he explains, “The first seed was reading a lot about walls. Saint-Malo, in Brittany, France, in which about 60% of All the Light We Cannot See is set, has this old medieval wall around it. Although it was destroyed significantly during World War II, American tourists like me can’t quite tell that they rebuilt it so carefully in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. It was part of Hitler’s vast megalomaniacal attempt to build the Atlantic Wall, a series of fortifications, with millions of tons of poured concrete, trying to build a series of defenses all along the Atlantic to stop an invasion from the United States and Britain. Every text that mentioned the history of defensive walls would bring up the walls of Constantinople, which I knew nothing about, but I just wanted to learn a little bit more about them. Even before I finished All The Light We Cannot See, I printed out a 15th-century drawing of the walls of Constantinople. Many sieges over 1,000 years came up against them, and they failed. I wanted to
learn more about them. I didn’t realize that I’d have such a long project until I learned about how books were protected inside those walls, preserving the classics. About 75% of the ancient Greek texts that we have today only exist because of those walls of Constantinople, and then the libraries, masters, and monks were copying them every hundred years by hand, all of these old books. That’s when I started saying, ‘Okay, I’ve got something here.’” The characters of Cloud Cuckoo Land come to life so exactingly that it’s difficult to imagine that the author is not a shapeshifter. Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives with her sister inside Constantinople, embroidering the robes of priests. She is not destined for this work, and through guile and bartering, she learns to read, finding the story of Aethon. Outside of Anna’s protected city is Omeir, born with a cleft palate and demeaned as being afflicted with a demonic curse. He is lovingly raised by his relatives in a safer, remote area
all challenging at different points. Omeir was probably the most challenging because there’s just so little research material for me. There were many more chronicles of the [Constantinople’s] Siege of 1453 from the Greek side. It was just challenging to figure out what he might wear on his feet or what he would eat. What kind of mobility would he be allowed with a cleft palate in the 1400s because it’s so hard to research. So often, I would have to trust my imagination and common sense with his actions.” Disability is a theme with two of the male characters. Seymour has a sensory disorder and cannot process external stimulation in a usual way. Omeir’s cleft palate is left open, a source of danger and bullying. Zeno’s sexual orientation, in a time when no one dared speak of it, weighs heavily in the story as well. “To be a gay man in the 1950s,” says Doerr, “all these complicated things you have to do to survive. I certainly would feel for him as well.” Zeno’s story connects with Seymour over time in a library in rural Idaho. Of the local angle, Doerr shares that Lakeport was created with a mix of familiar areas. “It’s certainly most influenced by McCall. There’s a little Donnelly in there, maybe a little Riggins,” he adds. When asked if Cloud Cuckoo Land has an environmental subtext, Doerr explains that living in Idaho has made him even more attuned to the fragility of the Western lands. He says, “Some of that’s even intentional, a lot of that’s just subconscious and where my attention has been directed the past seven years. The growth in Idaho is wonderful, but it’s challenging also when you see that a mountain bike trail now has houses on it. We’re all just getting used to that, especially during the pandemic. Like when you get to a trailhead, and there are 40 cars parked where normally three would have been. I don’t have any more right to
“Surrender your
disbelief all ye who
enter these pages.” until his conscription to the Sultan’s armies to attack Constantinople. The boy is accompanied by his two loyal companions, his beloved oxen twin brothers, Tree and Moonlight. Omeir and Anna have a shared destiny as the Byzantine and Roman empires fall around them. When pressed about his most challenging character, Doerr says, “They’re
COURTESY HARPER COLLINS
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that trail than anybody else. I’m just trying to get used to the change. How do we all share all these resources that we all value so much when the West is growing so fast? Especially for Seymour’s arc, I read a lot of scientific predictions for the climate. When I started the book in 2015, they predicted that maybe someday there will be million-acre mega-fires in the West by 2030 or 2040. By the time I was finishing Cloud Cuckoo Land, they’re happening almost every summer. I think it’s almost irresponsible if you don’t address it right now.” Idaho’s changes of late also surface in the story of Seymour and Zeno’s paths. As Doerr says, “[My wife] Shauna grew up
double-edged sword because there’s more pressure [to write]. You feel like more people are waiting for what you’re going to make, and that’s a little scary, but then the other side of the coin is that there’s this immense freedom, and your publisher will be willing to publish what you make next. So I thought, well, why not try to make it as challenging and ambitious and weird as I can? Because there was a certain freedom that came with [the awards]. That ratification and the joy of the Pulitzer Prize, which came into our family for about 48 hours. But then you go back to your life. I’m still just picking up the socks and emptying the dishwasher and dealing with the
written, Cloud Cuckoo Land also explores the fears of erasure, our best stories, and our lives’ meanings. His line, “erasure is always stalking us,” is written inside the book, and when asked about its importance, Doerr shares that the personal connection between that penned line stems from his own life experience. He says, “Immediately what comes to mind is my grandma. When I was in high school. My older brothers had gone off to college. My mom said, ‘We’re moving Grandma in with us.’ She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I’d never heard of it before. But over the next two years, we watched dementia steal everything
Tony with his boys in Idaho. PHOTOS COURTESY ANTHONY DOERR
in Boise, most of our friends are lifelong Idahoans, and those are the things people talk about, the changes in the woods, the changes in the rivers, the way salmon used to come up to the mountain lakes or the temperature of the rivers this summer. Water, of course, is an issue on a lot of people’s minds. Also, just being outside more than maybe some of my friends who live in cities. Absolutely. Idaho has influenced that.” Life has changed enormously for Doerr, whose work has earned him a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Pulitzer Prize. These accolades and worldwide notice allow him to breathe as a writer and dream even bigger as he explores the connectivity of history and the impact of our short time here on Earth. “In some ways, it’s like a
kids. You don’t think about it every day after a little while, and you still have to solve all your work problems, but I’ve always felt so grateful to get to do it. And maybe, living where we live [in Boise] is a little easier Often, you’re just making friends and talking to them about your kids. You take the kids to the foothills on the weekend or something. So in many ways, the prize fell away, and you were just faced with your life. And I’m just so lucky to get to write for a living. So I try to remember that, even on the days when you feel like you’ve written yourself into a dead end and you can’t see your way out, and you say, ‘Oh, I can’t solve this.’ There are plenty of mini creative hangovers almost every day.” More than any other novel Doerr has
that was Grandma–her ability to care for herself or ability to know who we were–her entire self gets erased, in a sense. I couldn’t articulate that at the time. Now in my forties, I’m learning that I’ve kind of always been obsessed with the fragility of memory and this idea that erasure is always stalking us, maybe because I watched this happen. You realize it’s always coming for all of us. So in the novel, I’m asking questions all the time about preservation and erasure and maybe the one important thing we can do each day is to try to de-center ourselves and think, ‘What am I doing for the next generations? Can I get outside of my own head?’ Because I think that might help us accept the fact that we’re going to be removed from the world.”
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LET LET US US WELCOME WELCOME YOU YOU HOME. HOME.
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CRUD, CRUST and CORDUROY! IdaHome’s Guide to the 2021-22 Ski Season BY MICAH DREW
BOGUS BASIN: All Good For All! Projected Opening Day: Thanksgiving Distance from Boise: 18 miles (40 minutes) Terrain: 2,600 acres, 1,800 vertical feet Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $73 / Senior (70+) $49 / Teen (13-17) $52 / Junior (7-12) $29 For the third winter in a row, BOGUS BASIN will begin winter operations with a guaranteed Opening Day!- thanks to dedicated investments in snowmaking equipment over the last few years. But as every powder hound knows, we must never ignore the ironic blessing of nature, which can always allow the mountain to open with a generous heap of its own white stuff -just like last year. “There’s nothing like installing a $6 million snow system to bring the early season natural snow,” said Director of Community & Customer Relations Susan Saad. “However, it’s a nice insurance policy as we progress into the season and fill in those spots that get a little bare.” On the heels of last winter’s real estate surge coupled with great snow, Bogus saw record visitation. Saad attributed the boom to having the longest operating hours of any mountain-west resort, as well as making the choice to lower cost on mid-week season passes, which continues this year to encourage visitors to enjoy nonpeak hours. “The new appreciation people have to be able to escape to the outdoors seems to be a
lasting thing,” Saad said. “We’re so fortunate to have Bogus Basin right here and our bright spot was definitely the enthusiasm we had for our night visits.” Recently, Bogus has completed 53 capital improvement projects, totaling $6 million. The resort added nearly 200 parking spaces, including expansion of the ski in/ski out lots and pavement on the main lot. The installation of web-cameras to six parking lots will also benefit guests, allowing drivers to monitor available spaces before making the 172 turns up the mountain and plan ahead, in order to spend more time carving turns down Greenie’s run. After two successful years of snowmaking, the number of fan guns on the slopes has doubled to fifty, ensuring full slope coverage in just half the time. Three new snowcats, including one dedicated for Nordic trails, will better buff the terrain. Saad also said that the resort made investments in efficiency by adding new chairs to the Superior and Morning Star lifts, boosting capacity by 30%. Without last-year’s COVID-protocol limitations on loading, the
PHOTO COURTESY BOGUS BASIN
resort projects will facilitate swifter operations. Translated-than means shorter lift lines. To enhance the après experience, the lodges have received some interior design updates with new furniture and advanced circulation systems, and dining options expanded to the slopes with a new food trailer at the base of the Pine Creek lift. As a nonprofit resort, “everything we make goes back into the operation,” Saad said. “Everything hinges on the success of the season and the ongoing support of the community. If seasons continue going well, we anticipate having the resources to put into the area to keep improving.” In 2016, Bogus outlined a 10-year development plan, but completed the plan in just five years, paving the way for a new proposal this year. While the latest plan is awaiting Forest Service approval, it includes a footprint expansion that will push the resort’s terrain over 3,000 acres. The proposed expansion will include a mile and a half, green trail, five blue trails and two black lines, plus copious amounts of steeper tree-skiing terrain. We all want to believe there is no math involved when we hit the slopes- but if you add up all that new vertical feet- Bogus will almost have a new ski resort within itself !
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TAMARACK RESORT: You’ll Never Know Until You Go Projected Opening Day: November 26 Distance from Boise: 95 miles (2.5 hours) Terrain: 1,100 lift-accessed acres, 2,800 vertical feet Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $80 / Seniors (70+) & Teens (13-17) $52 / Youth (7-12) $34 Entering the Alps-inspired mountain modern TAMARACK Village feels like visiting European Disneyland–it’s meant to impress. After years of ups and downs at the Lake Cascade-adjacent resort, Tamarack is two years into a grand relaunch that you won’t want to miss. According to Tamarack President Scott Turlington, more than $40 million has been invested in the resort since it reopened two years ago, with upgrades to mountain operations as well as the snippets of luxury between each powder run that truly set a ski weekend apart. The Village continues to expand its offerings–an enhanced skier service shop, Tamarack Outfitters, as well as the Jon Reveal Ski and Sports School, are new for the upcoming season, but the additional dining options offered at the Rendezvous Food Hall are certainly a highlight. Turlington believes that emphasizing every ounce of off-slope experience is what will truly set Tamarack apart from its competitors–and the resort is certainly aiming to call out all mountains, including Sun Valley, as competitors. It’s not enough to have great snow, breezy lift lines, and full-slope views of Lake Cascade. Turlington wants resort visitors to feel pampered from morning to night, starting with a boost of spoiled luxury from the full-service Tamarack Spa, opening just in time for Thanksgiving.
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While après is a hallmark of any ski resort, Tamarack is taking dining to another level. In The Village you can get the three Bs–Breakfast, Beer, and Burgers. Breakfast includes donuts made from scratch with a huckleberry glaze, the final touches are being put on a beer wall, and Turlington has his eye on Tamarack claiming the “best burger in Idaho” title. “I want this to be an experiential opportunity where people leave and say ‘the mountain was great and the burger was better,’” he says. On the operational side, Tamarack is working to pair luxury with inclusivity, with initiatives such as the SKY Pass (Student-Kids-Youth), which gives all students from kindergarten through 12th grade in Valley County and New Meadows a free year-round pass to the resort. “You can start in kindergarten, and you can graduate, and this can be your home mountain,” Turlington explains, adding that around 400 students currently have SKY passes. “It’s all about making sure the mountain is accessible to all. It’s an expensive sport, no question about it.” To increase basic access to the lifts, the large domes at The Village have been removed, giving the area a more open, integrative feel. The resort will speed guests onto the lifts with a new express ticketing system that allows the purchase of scannable passes ahead of time so visitors can
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PHOTOS COURTESY TAMARACK RESORT
avoid the lines and receive discounted tickets at self-serve kiosks. Other improvements include expanded snowmaking equipment, WiFi upgrades (to ensure that lift line selfies can be posted in record time), more than 200 added parking spots, and a new outpost in McCall where patrons can pick up passes, and book lodging, lessons and guided trips, while also making Tamarack a more visible brand in town. As with all ski resorts, Tamarack has a proposal into the U.S. Forest Service, and theirs proposes a 3,300-acre terrain expansion and a network of six new lifts including a 10-passenger base-to-summit gondola that will drop passengers at a new facility atop Lone Tree Peak. Until that happens, Tamarack will offer a bread-and-butter slopeside experience to visitors: beautiful runs with a beautiful view of Cascade Lake and mountains beyond mountains. “We don’t try to be anyone else, we just try to be us,” Turlington shares. “We’ll expand to improve our diversity in terrain, but I’ll say, in my opinion, that our best run is a blue run, called Bliss. It’s just over two miles and you can’t get a better experience top to bottom than that.” Truly, you’ve got to see the progress this resort has made during COVID to believe it. Personally, I think they should make a bumper sticker–“Tamarack: Idaho’s Magic Kingdom–great snow, killer burgers, and axe-throwing!”
GRAND TARGHEE isn’t the Treasure Valley’s backyard ski resort, or even in the top handful of slopes nearest the valley, but it’s well worth the cross-state trip for the experience of skiing in the shadow of the Tetons. While the resort shares its mountain range, and weather patterns, with the louder, flashier resorts closer to Jackson, the Wyoming-based but Idaho-accessed resort continues to provide a warm, friendly community spirit. To Treasure Valley newcomers, the resort might be considered a ‘hidden gem,’ but to everyone who knows snow, we know it’s there and hope it remains on the down-low. Targhee made big moves last season by joining the Mountain Collective Pass. This program consolidates and discounts lift tickets to Targhee along with several big-name resorts, including Aspen, Alta, and Big Sky, as opposed to the spendier Epic and Ikon passes. Within the resort itself, the 21/22 season doesn’t bring many flashy upgrades, although Operations Director Mark Neff says that
behind-the-scenes improvements are key to future expansions. Then again, half of the charm of Targhee is its gem-in-the-rough aura. The other half of its allure is just the pure joy of the untouched steep. Neff points out that the completion of a new maintenance facility will take the entire mountain to a new level of efficiency and safety, especially focused on managing interaction between guests and the resort’s snowcats and snowmobiles. The entire operations team is now based out of the new facility, with improved communications. Mirroring Idaho’s population surge, like most all the resorts mentioned, new parking spaces have been added. The biggest change is an impending one–this is the last year that cat skiing will be offered in the Peaked area’s 600 acres of trails. Next season a new Doppelmayr D-Line 6-pak will open to transport skiers up 1,815 vertical feet in just five minutes. This development is sure to make some skiers weep and others rejoice.
GRAND TARGHEE RESORT: Paow Paow Projected Opening Day: November 19 Distance from Boise: 338 miles (5.5 hours) Terrain: 2,600 acres, 2,270 vertical feet Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $93-$115 / Seniors (65+) $72-$85 / Junior (6-12) $42-$49
“I’m sure there are some people who have experienced that terrain over the years of snowcat service, but there are other guests who don’t want to spend the extra cash and I think they’re anticipating the change,” Neff says. “It’s not really terrain expansion, just lift expansion, but people’s eyes are going to get really big and bright when they see the access.” Targhee’s future plans also include an 860acre footprint increase, which will double the resort’s skier capacity, add several new lifts, and include a 6,000-square-foot restaurant. “In this industry, if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards,” says Neff. “Everyone wants their hometown mom and pop ski resort feel, which Targhee has the reputation of having, but we’re delivering a product that most people don’t deliver without charging $200 a lift ticket.” ‘Paow’ is slang for the driest, fluffiest, most lightweight kind of snow that some powder hounds spend season after season seeking like the Holy Grail. Next to your dreams, it’s the closest thing to floating you can feel in your own body. It may be a long drive, but floating on Targhee’s 500 inches of paow is damn close to heaven in Idaho.
PHOTO BY SHANNON CORSI
PHOTO BY RYAN ZIMMER
BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT: Chill Baby, Chill Projected Opening Day: November 27 Distance from Boise: 116 miles (2.5 hours) Terrain: 1,920 acres (18,000 guided backcountry), 1,921 vertical feet Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $80 / Senior (70+) & Teen (13-17) $52 / Youth (7-12) $34 As the calendar flipped over to November, voters were submitting their opinion on the best ski resorts in the nation for USA Today’s People’s Choice Awards and for the second year in the row, BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT was nominated as a finalist for the Top 10 Resorts–last year, only Banff ’s Sunshine Village beat out this central Idaho treasure! McCall’s backyard ski resort saw record visitation last year, which marketing manager, April Whitney, attributes to a combination of the Treasure Valley’s growth and more opportunities for remote workers to sneak away from their laptops for a powder excursion. “We’re expecting vibrant visitation again this year,” Whitney says, noting that Brundage season passes sold out by November. “We want to maintain the chill vibe of the mountain while sharing the experience with as many people as possible. Nine times out of ten you’ll be able to get a day ticket last-minute. We’re trying to preserve that classic Brundage experience.” That experience is tied to Brundage’s identity as an independently owned ski resort since 1961. Along with nearby Tamarack, the mountain is part of the Indy Pass, which offers access to more than 70 indy resorts across the country. Brundage was recently featured in a Teton Gravity Research film, In Pursuit of Soul, which documented 12 independent resorts in North America.
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“The film isn’t your typical powder extravaganza, but it’s a really cool story about some of the unique challenges that independent resorts face,” Whitney says. “It makes the point that there are these community-oriented ski areas in the country and that moniker doesn’t mean they’re not amazing.” In fact, that down-home independence is exactly what makes Brundage amazing. Many locals claim that the McCall resort regularly bags the best snow within two hours of the Treasure Valley for half the price within comparable distances. The view of Payette Lake is postcard-pretty and its proximity (the lake effect) contributes to a deep base with few rocks and more runs in the spring. New to Brundage this year is executive chef Sam Hess, who will bring a Cajun flair to the mountain’s cuisine. More relaxed COVID restrictions will mark the return of the Bear’s Den Snowcat Dinners. Guests can treat themselves to long evenings of cozy conversation and a four-course meal at the mid-mountain log den. Also new for the 21/22 ski season is a redesigned website that offers a more user-friendly grooming report and snow report snapshot so you’ll have all the mountain’s updates before you finish your morning brew. The mountain has updated its partnership with the city of McCall to turn the Brundage Express shuttle into the BLUEBIRD EXPRESS Blue Line, which features a new, 35-person capacity
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BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT – PHOTOS: APRIL THOMAS WHITNEY
shuttle. Après-ski is always more fun with a designated driver to drop you close to your bed. While this season will mark a return to normalcy with a few updates, the excitement spikes as the lens peers into Brundage’s future. The resort just released its 10-year plan in November, highlighting an astonishing makeover. Next year, Brundage will break ground on a new 20,000-square-foot base lodge with an Adventure Center and three new dining options, estimated to open in 2024. In addition, the first phase of residential development will also soon begin. What could be better after a long day of burning quads than the convenience of ski in/ ski out access to 88 overnight accommodations. Brundage has also updated its master development plan to include proposals for lift and terrain expansions, and expanded snowmaking. “For years, we’ve been listening to feedback and suggestions from our guests,” says Brundage Mountain President Bob Looper. “Three common themes always rise to the surface: add more lifts and terrain, improve the lodge facilities, and offer overnight accommodations. Our plan is to deliver on all three of those requests.” Change can’t be escaped anywhere or anytime, especially these days in Idaho. Glistening little north stars like McCall and Brundage mountain are fighting to maintain their chill, while facing the reality that their economic survival requires tourists. Lots of tourists. But progress isn’t all bad, as long as it’s managed with foresight, which is why I’m going to start asking for a ski-in brewery now.
INDY PASS Fast Facts: 80 resorts, 2 days each Price: Adults $589 / Teens $489 / Child $169 With Brundage, Tamarack, and Soldier Mountain as part of the Indy Pass, it’s worth buying just to ski four days at those two resorts. An additional day can be purchased at a resort for 25% off the regular price. Also included is Idaho’s Silver Mountain and Pomerelle Mountain, as well as Lost Trail Powder Mountain on the Idaho-Montana border.
PHOTO COURTESY SOLDIER MOUNTAIN
SOLDIER MOUNTAIN: Mom and Pop’s Black Diamond in the Rough
IKON BASE PASS
Projected Opening Day: December 4 Distance from Boise: 112 miles (2 hours) Terrain: 1,150 acres, 1,425 vertical feet Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $49 / Senior (70+) $19 / Youth (6-17) $29 Small and unassuming at first glance, SOLDIER MOUNTAIN SKI AREA’s two chairlifts offer access to varied terrain, but its real secret lies in the more than 2,000 acres of cat-skiing reaching the summit of Smoky Dome at over 10,000 feet. In fact, Soldier is the only resort to provide
overnight backcountry trips with pristine powder right out your yurt’s front door. If you really want to feel exclusive, rent the entire mountain for $7,500 a day and ski with only your closest 100 friends! For more info: SOLDIER MOUNTAIN REBOOTS in IdaHome PHOTO COURTESY SKI IDAHO
Fast Facts: Unlimited access at 13 resorts, up to 5 days at 31 more Price: Adults $879 / Young Adult (13-22) $679 / Child (5-12) $339 Pick from among 40 worldwide destinations including Zermatt Matterhorn, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Jackson Hole, Deer Valley, and Aspen Snowmass. Ikon Pass holders get designated First Tracks days at each resort for the chance to ski untarnished corduroy before the lifts are spinning for the rest of the public.
EPIC LOCAL PASS Fast Facts: Unlimited access at 26 resorts, limited access at 24 more including 11 Japanese resorts Price: Adults $774 / Teens (13-18) $604 / Child (5-12) $394 While not Rocky Mountain-saturated, the Epic Local Pass can have you getting your powder fill at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail as well as days in Park City and Whistler Blackcomb. Two additional days at Sun Valley, plus half off additional lift tickets, makes this the perfect pass for the luxury resort skier.
SUN VALLEY: Destination Luxury Projected Opening Day: Thanksgiving Distance from Boise: 154 miles (2.5 hours) Terrain: 3,000 acres, 3,400 vertical feet (Bald Mountain) Single-Day Lift Ticket: Adult $104 / Senior (65+) $82 / Child (5-12) $62 For two years in a row, SKI Magazine has named SUN VALLEY as the top mountain in its Annual Ski Resort Awards. If you haven’t been there and skied Baldy since the
mountain opened in Ketchum in 1936–now is better than never since one thing is certain–skiing in Sun Valley will never cost less than it does today.
PHOTO COURTESY BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT
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LukeCaldwell Caldwelland and Luke ClintRobertson RobertsonAre Arethe the Clint “DadsofofHGTV:” HGTV:” “Dads HelpingLocal LocalFamilies Families Helping Outgrown NewSeries, Series,Outgrown ininNew
PHOTO COURTESY HGTV PHOTO COURTESY HGTV
BY APRIL NEALE
HGTV has reimagined their “network dads,” Luke Caldwell and Clint Robertson, known as “The Boise Boys,” in a compelling new format. Their series, Outgrown, is a natural progression from being yet another house-flipping show into something that reflects the current real estate market zeitgeist. “Outgrown is all about making what you have work better for you,” says Clint Robertson. “HGTV executives are wonderful, and we’re fortunate that they bought into us and (we hope) more good stuff to come.” Caldwell and Robertson help Treasure Valley families take their existing homes and renovate them with a better design and flow for additions or subtractions. “We weren’t the ones to envision it,” Luke Caldwell says. “The HGTV executive said, ‘You guys are the dads of HGTV, the family men with amazing families. It’d be so cool to see your families helping other families figure out how to make their houses work for them because you two have been doing that all your lives.’” Luke was happy to see what Outgrown delivers to viewers. “There’s a lot of people who are in Boise who love their homes and don’t want to move, but their spaces are not working for them because families are always changing,” he says. “So how do you make your house layout work for you? Especially now, there’s not a better time to make the home you have work better for you.” Observers see the Boise real estate market still riding a tidal wave of percentage gains. Yet many people find themselves in fluctuating family dynamics and cannot afford a bigger new home in their desired Boise neighborhoods. Clint and Luke found themselves in a similar spot and downsized slightly. Robertson has two sons, Jake and Eli, enrolled in medical school, and the youngest son, Daniel, heading that way soon. “I will never live anywhere in Boise other than the East End,” Robertson says. “We’ve got a new little place where you can spread out. We are empty-nesters now, so we wanted a place that worked better for when the boys come back home.” And Caldwell is looking to design a custom home near the Boise River next to the house he sold. As he explains, “I downsized, shockingly enough. My wife and I had a baby seven months ago. We have eight kids now. And four bedrooms seems like a lot at the time, but with got ten people living under one roof, we truly have outgrown our house. So our goal is to build a home. I’m working on designing it right now. Still, financially, we’re saving up to build a home that will cater to our family long-term, especially with our kids who have special needs. We bought an acre and a half, one house away from our previous house. So we have a spot right near the Greenbelt.” The two men have a profound commonality in their values of fatherhood, family, and tireless hard work. Still, their personalities and skill sets diverge in ways that make them the perfect HGTV partners to bring the aesthetic and the practical together in ways
that define a Caldwell and Robertson eye-catching collaboration. Along with Robertson’s crack construction skills, Caldwell’s eclectic design ethos marries each family’s heirlooms with vintage treasures to create an updated, modern, and functional space, often with new architectural bones. Caldwell says, “I love clean and simple, and I love it always to feel warm and inviting. I think that you’ve got to have that soul to whatever [design] you’re doing. I’m very intentional with design. I think curating unique items, understanding how they can play with textures and organic materials, and meshing them together takes a lot of thought and intention. That’s how I love to design because it gives it meaning.” The catch-22 for many homeowners is where to go next in a hot real estate market that is the right location and affordable. As Robertson says, “I think Outgrown is so timely as prices on housing, in general, are going up and people are trying to make the most of where they are, knowing that if they just sell their house, they don’t always know where they going to go next.” Of course, not everyone has deep pockets to add a luxury kitchen or bath. Robertson notes how to add a tremendous value to a home with a bit of clean-up and landscaping effort. “I think that the first impressions are everything. I thought my wife was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen when we first met, and then I realized, ‘Wow, she’s got an even more beautiful heart than her beauty on the outside,’ but that first impression reeled me in. Making a home’s entry warm and inviting, even the front yard landscaping, is key. If those aren’t where they need to be, it’s hard to get excited about the inside of a house. So do some flower boxes, get inexpensive mulch, cover the beds, repair that front door, or put some shutters on windows. Those are simple things that don’t cost a lot of money and can make a big difference in the home’s value.” The future for HGTV stars Caldwell and Robertson is on a solid footing, but will their names be as recognizable as Chip and Joanna? The Timber & Love brand that birthed “The Boise Boys” series concept has some big plans here in Boise that Caldwell shares. He says, “I’m always looking to expand and to grow Timber & Love. It’s not just a flipping company. I do design consultations, even with a subdivision this year. I’m working with people who want to create different lines and things with me, and I am curating and repurposing vintage one-of-a-kind items. I’ve got a lot of ideas for growing the company and here down at our headquarters. There are going to be some exciting things coming down the line. I’ve got a coffee shop in the works, located on the Boise River, that I will do with my family. We will continue to expand. We also have the realty office in the North End. Boise is my community; having grown up here and being here my whole life, it is amazing to see what’s happening. We’re super grateful. And I’m thankful to play a small part in investing in people’s lives and in their homes.” Outgrown is a ten-episode show that airs on Saturdays (beginning September 18) at 8p|7c on HGTV.
“There’s a lot of people who are in Boise who love their homes and don’t want to move.”
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Making the Old New: Three Stories of Shifting Traditions BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST
BETWEEN WORLDS For Theresia Muli, born in Kenya, the holidays are a family affair. “Most of my Christmas memories as a little girl are of going to church and then having these extravagant meals–things you didn’t normally get to eat–and then going to friends’ homes,” she says. When, in her early twenties, she moved to the United States, Muli says that she had a hard time navigating which holidays to celebrate and how to celebrate them. She struggled with trying to live in both worlds, wanting her kids to be a part of each. Now, she wishes she’d focused more on upholding and creating the traditions that felt special to her family, worrying less about doing things ‘right.’ “But I was growing as a human being in a world that is always changing,” Muli says. Now, her grown children still make it home most holidays, and, instead of church, they enjoy food and family. For Christmas dinner, she prepares the same curries and chapati she grew up eating at Christmas, her children cutting onions and washing potatoes at the kitchen table. Around 5:30,
PHOTO COURTESY THERESIA MULI
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Muli opens her door and welcomes the friends who will share the evening meal. BRICK BY BRICK Each year on Christmas or New Year’s, Amaya Odiaga and her family head to their cabin in McCall. Assuming there is two feet of snow on the ground, they build an igloo. “It takes two or three days, depending on how many people are helping. We’ve slept in the igloo, and last year, my daughter was able to do virtual school from inside, thanks to a long ethernet cable and mugs of hot cocoa,” she says. From her father’s side of the family, Odiaga makes almond roca. “Even when I was away at college, my aunt would mail it to me. It means Christmas is here. Last weekend, my daughter and I were able to help my aunt make it–it’s a very special tradition that will be handed down for generations,” she says. THREE TIMES THE FUN Travis and Annie Estvold became parents to triplets during a global pandemic, though they look forward to a future in
PHOTO COURTESY AMAYA ODIAGA
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which they can get back to converging around the kitchen stove with Annie’s Italian family to make turkey spaghetti on Thanksgiving and beef spaghetti on Christmas–a full day production. While Travis grew up between multiple households, Annie celebrated with her extended family. “I just love the vibe and the atmosphere–all the side conversations, everybody taking photos and running up and down the stairs,” Annie says. Travis loves the way Annie’s face lights up when they take out Christmas decorations. “We tell stories about the ornaments, which we’ve picked up along the way. I think about how fun it will be when the boys are old enough for that too,” Travis says. “When my grandpa was alive, he’d sit in his Lazy Boy chair and yell to the kitchen, ‘Stir the sauce!’ So now we’ll be stirring and tasting, and someone will yell that out. We use my grandfather’s recipe, which he got from his parents who immigrated from Italy. We’d love for the boys to eventually take up the mantle and cook, but no matter what, they’ll be helping,” Annie shares, smiling.
PHOTO COURTESY TRAVIS AND ANNIE ESTVOLD
Experience Matters THREE GENERATIONS OF IDAHO REAL ESTATE BROKERS
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Black, White, and Read All OverMEDIA AS A
BY HARRISON BERRY
Meanwhile, misinformation and so-called fake news spread faster than news sources can fact check–often with the blessing of social media algorithms, says Kyle Moody, an associate professor of communications media at Fitchburg State University. “A false claim presented as such spreads faster due to the nature and appeal of social media,” he explains. “By the time it’s been fact-checked, it’s already been widely disseminated.” In the fall of 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, blew the whistle on the social media giant’s content promotion practices, which have included incentivizing and spreading angry, polarizing, and divisive posts about hot-button issues like the 2020 election, the QAnon conspiracy theory, and COVID-19. Facebook, which holds more than 72% of the global market share of social media, has long been under scrutiny over the algorithm it uses to promote users’ posts. Haugen’s testimony revealed what many suspected, that the social media giant had privileged its financial interests over the information needs of its users, steadily feeding them blistering outrage and outright misinformation to keep up impressions, likes, comments, and shares. The purveyors of misinformation and many journalists have something in common, according to Moody. They may be engaging in a kind of online echolocation. Even trained reporters may use social media to project their political or social identities, attract sympathizers, or troll those who disagree, but the overall effects have been information silos and bitter political division.
Squid Game
Idaho Capital Sun Editor-in-Chief Christina Lords has one of the strongest resumes of any journalist in Idaho, having worked at some of the Gem State’s most prominent newspapers. Hate mail has always come with the job, but helming a nonprofit newsroom has increased the intensity of the vitriol aimed at her inbox. “I’d sit in front of my computer and take a few deep breaths and say that whatever’s in my inbox is not a reflection of me as a person,” says Lords. “I’ve had to accept constructive criticism and take in what’s legitimate and disregard the trolls who show up in my voicemail and inbox. Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, it was pretty rough.” The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened old tensions and added new tensions. People’s hackles have been raised by what they see and hear in the news and from one another, and while people being polarized by the media is an old problem, its incarnation in the age of social media has taken the intensity to new heights. Algorithms privilege content that incites viewers’ emotions and instills an us-versus-them mentality. Anti-civility has become an accepted call to action, and the purveyors of true stories and verified facts have become the targets of harassment and attack. Online aggression doesn’t get Lords down. Her newsroom is one of a crop of nonprofit and small-scale independent news outlets that have broken away from the common business and editorial practices that support journalism and may be the surest signs that straight, sharp reporting is not lost. 36
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened old tensions and added new tensions. The journalist-as-popular-figure is nothing new, but social media has deepened the potential ethical hazards of journalists developing or cashing in on their own brands. In 2021, numerous reporters from a slew of national and international news organizations were fired for their pro-Palestinian tweets, and The New York Times came under fire for terminating the employment of an editor who tweeted about having “chills” when President Joe Biden arrived in Washington, D.C., for his inauguration.
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“We post and try to seem like we’re continuously showing our presence, showing where we are,” Moody says. “The reality of misinformation comes from posting where we are in terms of what we’re thinking about a topic, or on an identity level, that it shows part of our identity.” Traditional American media has always been the playground of financial giants, and just a handful of multi-billion-dollar companies like AT&T, The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, NBC Universal, and others control over 90% of the market share when it comes to producing written and broadcast content. Along with the advent of digital media giants like Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet (the parent company of Google and YouTube) have come new gatekeepers of information. The current Congressional grilling of their unfettered techniques of engaging children’s attention at the cost of safety further erodes public trust in the media. Today, just 36% of Americans say they have trust in mass media–barely up from 32% in 2016. According to the nonprofit journalism school and think tank, the Poynter Institute, more than 90 local newsrooms closed during the 2020-’21 pandemic, and since 2004, 1,800 newspapers shut their doors. Many more have experienced shrinking staffs and diminishing news-gathering resources, leading to the formation of news deserts and a lack of coverage of everything from local school sports to city hall. Most that have perished and all that remain, regardless of ownership, must compete for attention in spaces provided by the new media monopoly: social media companies.
That would seemingly be true for editors like Lords, whose products live primarily online. The Idaho Capital Sun is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit with partners in nearly two dozen states that allow print and broadcast organizations to use their reporting for free with attribution. It also gives Lords the latitude to determine what issues and her small team of reporters cover and how. The result has been a steady stream of timely, sophisticated, and richly detailed stories. “It was just such a strange juxtaposition for me, coming from a company that really does care about page views [Lords is the former editor of the McClatchy Company-owned Idaho Statesman] to where we don’t get that type of pressure. Do the policy stories. Do the un-sexy stories. Do the things that people actually need to read, and do them well. That was the directive to me,” she says. The Idaho Capital Sun is one of several recent entries to Idaho’s local media market. Others include the IdaHome magazine you are reading; BoiseDev, focused on Treasure Valley-area city hall, development, and growth issues; and
Idaho Education News, which specializes in education and the Idaho Legislature. Most reporters still come from traditional news media like print, radio, and television, but their tailored areas of coverage, in-depth storytelling, and alternative funding models are redefining the relationships between news organizations and audiences. Nonprofit newsrooms have been opening nationwide at a rate of about one per month for the last dozen years, according to NiemanLab, and otherwise independent shops are also on the rise. While observers like Moody say it will take time to see if this new trend will have a mass effect on the national media landscape (and particularly journalism), it’s already bearing fruit in Idaho. Lords and her team have made a name for themselves for their in-depth analysis and coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Idaho Legislature and politics in general. When time and resources allow, Lords would like to boost the Idaho Capital Sun’s coverage of housing and growth. She currently has a staff of three, including Audrey Dutton, Kelcie Moseley-Morris, and Clark Corbin, and her eye is on growing her newsroom, not reducing it. For her next hire, Lords would like someone who can report on one of the most important issues facing Idaho: the environment. “That’s something we haven’t hit as well as we’d like,” Lords says. “There are so many public lands issues in Idaho to get at. We did some reporting on the wildfire season and that’s only going to get more important as the years go on.”
Today, just 36% of Americans say they have trust in mass media — barely up from 32% in 2016.
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To Be of Service or Not When I was a youngster, it was deeply ingrained that females were expected to be “in service to others.” We were told that helping others would offer a sense of fulfillment, purpose, responsibility, and connection to our elders and community. It was deemed our duty; an opportunity to contribute to society and experience a broader world view. Men served in the armed forces. Therefore, it was a given that womenfolk were expected to give back in most every other aspect of life. Thank heavens we’ve moved beyond the former stereotypical, culturally engendered expectations about who should be in service to whom. The phrase “in service to others” encompasses far more than traditional male roles in the military, fra-
traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left for dead along the road. A Samaritan happens upon the traveler. Though Samaritans and Jews despised each other, the Samaritan helps the injured man, who is a Jew. The Samaritan stopped to be of service to another in need. Helping anyone without expectation of reciprocity, thanks, or repayment is to be of service. You hear what I’m sayin’? We are all called to be in service of humanity. Some respond. What inspires women and men to augment the rigors of personal, professional, and religious lives to be in service to others and make meaningful contributions? What is the value proposition? I asked a few of the “givers” in my community.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photo By Matt Collomer
ternal organizations, and coaching sports teams. Women may still dominate school bake sales while contributing talent and time for global good. The parable of the Good Samaritan, found in the Gospel of Luke, speaks powerfully to being of service. It tells of a
Phillip Thompson: “Service was modeled as an expectation: necessary to precipitate change or to preserve what must be continued.” Joleen Schow: “Service is a habit. I grew up in a small community; if you didn’t serve, nothing got done. Service
BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB enabled connection and the satisfaction of contributing to the larger community. Later in my career, working for a company that supported volunteerism and service was motivating.” Don Murray: “My parents taught me early on that volunteer work is among the most gratifying ways you can allocate your time.” Luminaries across the world speak to the importance of service. Dorothy Height, American Activist: “Without service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist: “Only a life lived in service to others is worth living.” Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund: “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.” Maya Angelou, Author: “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” Today, communities are experiencing hardships never imagined. Folks are in dire need of connection and support. And so, I invite you to join in the service to others. Take a risk. The rewards are bountiful.
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