No doubt the newly released FROST/NIXON movie will have something about “Deep Throat.”

We don’t know the reason for ignoring the “local angle” about a historic figure, but it is no doubt a combination of factors like, apathy, lack of institutional memory, news judgement, convenience, lack of staff, etc. Reporter Dan Popkey (of Larry Craig fame) reported on Felt’s Idaho connection more than three years ago—they could have recycled some of that copy.

Whatever the reason for the lack of Daily Paper coverage, it was nice to see a well done piece in the Twin Falls TIMES-NEWS by reporter Nate Popino.

From the TIMES NEWS:
“Felt graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1931 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1935. He married his wife, Audrey, from Gooding, in 1938, and joined the FBI in 1942.

“Thirty years later, he responded to what he saw as attempts from the White House and his own organization to stunt an investigation of the Watergate office building break-in by leaking information to Post reporter Bob Woodward. He insisted that he remain anonymous, receiving the moniker “Deep Throat” from Post editors, and his tips helped lead to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.”

It has been reported to THE GUARDIAN that $30,000.00 worth of steel tables have been stolen from the new Canyon jail construction site on Highway 20/26. The tables were designed and built to go in the living units of the new jail. Solid steel and powder coated from reports supplied to me,the steel tables were stored in a vacant building on the property.

The County Deciders and the Sheriff have an APB out on the tables but apparently have not filed a police report on the theft of county property. All the Politicos are keeping mum on this deal hoping against hope they will turn up before this story gets out to the public.

It is just one more example of getting out ahead of voter approvals on this jail project. The tables in question were built with maintenance department help and stored in a vacant building at the site of the new jail which is subject of a pending lawsuit.

This much steel in one location that was unattended proved to be a magnet for the thieves. It is assumed the tables were stolen and cut up for scrap. All $30,000.00 worth is now probably on its way to make new steel consumer goodies for those of us who have any money left to spend after this past week on Wall Street.

It will be interesting to see if the local media pick up on this fiasco and make the effort to put some Elected Deciders up for public comment on this blunder. The $30K loss of our tax dollars and for the labor and materials to fabricate these tables is now a bad memory that nobody at 1115 Albany wants to talk about.

No doubt it is cheaper–WSJ may even be paying to get into the Daily Paper. OR the Daily fills space at a lower price than paying the six newsroom staffers that got or will get the axe. Most of the page 2 local page was taken up with a rehash of the dude wishing to build a nuke plant in Elmore County.

Back in the “old days” it was fun to sit down at Sunday breakfast and get an expanded view of the week’s events.

Not a word on local stories like the jury verdict in the 3-week long wrongful death trial over the guy who died in the Ada jail. No mention about theft of $30,000 worth of steel tables from a Canyon jail site (the jail project itself faces a court challenge). No look at a less than forthright land exchange for inflated values by Boise City. Not a peep regarding quiet negotiations in Boise and Nampa to sell rights to an Arizona ambulance company to compete with existing county EMS services.

All those stories from a couple of fat old guys who run the BOISE GUARDIAN and CALDWELL GUARDIAN blogs in the spare time! Sources come to the GUARDIANS as the “mainstream media” these days instead of the “legacy press” which apparently lacks the ability or desire to inform citizens of what their local governments are doing–or NOT doing.

First to go was the cost of a new printing press (Nampa will print the Statesman), now they are cutting back on staff, including six in the newsroom. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, we would love to see the Statesman be a father (grandfather?) figure and forget about emphasis on websites, video, etc. An authoritative public voice with an institutional memory and historical record is essential to a community. It also serves as a watchdog (GUARDIAN?) over government excess and mismanagement.

Evidence of the shift in “content” is glaringly apparent in Wednesday’s edition. Many inches of space are devoted to stories about WOLVES, BEAR, FROGS, a swimming LION,and GROUSE…it looked like the freakin Animal Planet!

Meanwhile governments continue to “nationalize” banks, insurance companies, ski resorts, and real estate developments, providing dismal news and no relief for the media giants.

We aren’t surprised to see local politicians jump on this one, but you read the proclamation “first on the GUARDIAN.” Team Dave leader, Mayor Dave Bieter will haul out his old Schwinn cruiser for this photo op and the mainstreamers will oblige with plenty of video and still images. They will ride from the YMCA on State Street to City Hall at 10 a.m. Saturday to celebrate her Gold Medal win at the Olympic women’s bike race.

PROCLAMATION:

Be it known to the World that KRISTIN ARMSTRONG has helped make Boise, Idaho “the most livable
city in America.”

WHEREAS Kristin is the best news since the Fiesta Bowl for local media,
WHEREAS Kristin has worked tirelessly to set an example of leadership and discipline,
WHEREAS Kristin has demonstrated the ability to provide inspiration to young people,
WHEREAS Kristin is a world class athelete bringing credit to herself, her country, and Boise,
WHEREAS Kristin instills pride in her fellow citizens of Boise,
WHEREAS Kristin will bring honor and cash donations to the YMCA,
WHEREAS Kristin emulates the spirit of fun found in the GUARDIAN,

THEREFOR, the GUARDIAN hereby proclaims Saturday the 16th day of August in the year of our Lord 2008 to be “Kristin Armstrong Day.”

By the authority of my editorship of Boise’s leading news blog,
(SIGNED) DAVID R. FRAZIER

The GUARDIAN will also present her with a key to our bike lock in lieu of a key to the city.

UPDATE 8/15– Lt. Guv Jim Risch and Mayor Dave Bieter have both jumped on Kristin’s tandem bike with the GUARDIAN. Risch is offering a proclamation and Bieter is offering a “key to the city.” We are flattered they both copied our efforts.

They offered Reynolds $1,500 and free use of a dirt floor office for a year to start a paper. Brothers Tom and Dick Reynolds (no relation to James) were headed to Idaho City with the printing press. James is said to have jumped on a horse to intercept the printers and set up shop in Boise.

No press in a wagon today. The brass at McClatchy–the latest of several recent owners of the Statesman–said they are chopping 1,400 jobs throughout the 30 paper chain as advertising revenues plummet. They say the aging Statesman press would be using RED INK if replaced. They plan to maintain the existing press for back up and insert printing.

The Idaho Statesman, affectionately known as “The Daily Paper” in GUARDIAN posts, is putting 24 production guys on the street and paying their newsie neighbors at the Idaho Press Tribune in Nampa to put ink to paper.

KBCI-TV Reporter Scott Logan, who traces his own career start as a Statesman copyboy, reported the story Tuesday. The Daily Paper has been hammered by competition from TV people like Logan and of course the GUARDIAN and hundreds of other bloggers.

NOTE–The iconic photos by GUARDIAN editor David R. Frazier were made last month at the Houston Chronical’s gigantic stand alone printing facility in Texas. We never thought of photography without film, but a newspaper without a printing press after 144 years?

We always like to connect with readers, so feel free to call with any comments or ideas. It isn’t our show, but expect to hear about the recent trip to Argentina and the appointment of the new fire chief in Boise.

We all know media wonks love to “tell all” and tip each other on stories they either are too lazy to write or don’t want their names on…it cuts the chances of landing one of those cushy government jobs if you bash the politicos and bureaucrats.

Well, there is now an insider web site called WORKINGPRESSTOO which has a less than friendly approach to the media. The blog is particularly unkind to the Daily Paper and obviously has staffers feeding info from within. The GUARDIAN “dope reporter” award for silly mistakes and clichés pales in comparison.

Reporters never reveal their sources, so it will be great fun to hear of any witch hunts in the newsroom attempting to identify the author or authors of the new blog. One of our sources tells us based on some e-mail traffic a certain senator’s office may be contributing to the bad news blog.

Since we have a lot of media and government readers we figured it was worth informing folks about the new blog which was started last month. Don’t forget to offer good tips to the GUARDIAN as well.

Instead of waltzing the media, our sources say she will be “Waltzing Matilda.” Apparently she is off to Australia for an extended visit to be near relatives who live there. She told the GUARDIAN it was time to try something “different and new.” We wish her all the best and await details on date of departure.

Mayor Dave Bieter couldn’t have had a more strident advocate and defender of every decision. No media outlet from the Daily Paper to the GUARDIAN was immune from her verbal assaults if she felt Team Dave had been wronged in print, on line or on air.

No word yet on which local media maven will fill the vacancy created by Duncan’s departure. Our bet is that someone from the struggling Statesman or KBCI CBS 2 will be at the top of of the list.

The GUARDIAN is not interested in the job and if selected will not serve.

Perhaps it is all influenced by the legislature and the “family values” people. Apparently there are a fair number of people who want to play, but they don’t want to pay. Put another way, no lawmaker is going to spoil their fun and they may be closet GROWTHOPHOBES who wish not to increase the population of our valley.