Archive for August, 2009
Mayor Hotline August 22 to 28
LOTS OF TRASH TALK, BIKE SAFETY, NO TO FIRE AMBULANCE, HOMELESS AND KIDS BAD MIX 8/24/09 Mark Rinehart 5326 Kootenai Boise, ID 83705 EMS: Reference please: the current discussion between the Boise Fire Department and the Boise Ada Paramedics. Comment: I think the Fire Department is doing what they do best, other than fight fires, […]
Praying Mantis, Nature’s Garden Guardian
The day job includes making photos for textbooks and we just couldn’t resist sharing this one made in the back yard. Many gardeners consider mantises to be desirable insects, as they prey upon many harmful insect species. Organic gardeners who avoid pesticides may encourage mantises as a form of biological pest control. Tens of thousands […]
Quick Thinking Girl Saves Sister
A summer blackberry picking outing on August 20 resulted in a near tragedy when 8-year-old MaKayla Moss fell into a West Boise Canal canal. MaKayla and her sister Brianna,13, were “adventuring” along the canal, picking berries when the younger girl reached out to a duckling swimming past. In an instant she found herself in the […]
Town Hall Meeting Video On Line
The unedited video of the GUARDIAN’S Monday Town Hall Meeting to discuss the ambulance issue is available on the ADA COUNTY website. Click on the notice appropriate listing. It is about an hour and a half with a 10 minute intro by the fat bald GUARDIAN editor. No allegations of bias please, we would gladly […]
Boise Pays To Ship Recyclables To Portland, Seattle
Information provided to a citizen by Boise City’s Trash Programs “solid waste coordinator” touched off a GUARDIAN investigation revealing Boise is shelling out big bucks for tons of junk. When a GUARDIAN reader inquired about distribution of revenues (if any) from recycling under the new “Curb It” program, a Boise staffer wrote to her, “It […]
Votes Cost More With Technology
A new election headquarters complete with optical scanners, ballot storage, and everything else that is needed to run an election is up and running at the Ada County “Benjamin Lane Campus.” A public open house is set for Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the new “Election Central” on Benjamin lane behind […]
Ada Beats Boise Again In Supreme Court
In a 5 zip decision, the Idaho Supreme Court has ruled that Boise City must provide courtroom space for the magistrate court handling Boise cases. State law says district court judges have authority to order cities to provide adequate quarters and equipment for the magistrate division and those costs can be offset by court-imposed fees. […]
Boise City Ambulance Plan On “Hold”
In a letter to Ada Commish chair Fred Tilman ( with the Commish’s name spelled incorrectly), Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said he and the council have put their plans to get an ambulance transport license on “hold.” They cryptically refer to the GUARDIAN revelations (and subsequent legacy media coverage) over the past three weeks as […]
Boise Officials “No Show” At Town Hall Meet
About 60 concerned citizens and a handful of Ada County EMS paramedics got together for the GUARDIAN Town Hall meeting at the library Monday to discuss the status of ambulance service in the county and city. Sadly, the Boise Firefighters union accused the GUARDIAN of bias on the issue and boycotted the meeting after previously […]
Mayor Hotline August 15 to 21
TRASH TALK, DEAD TREES, GRAFFITI, HEROINE 8/20/09 Susan Merritt Special Recognition: I just wanted to ask if you give any kind of awards for saving someone’s life because I know a little girl who saved her sister’s life yesterday when she fell into the canal. Her sister is 8 years old and couldn’t swim so […]
Sneaky Language In Revised Ordinance
Boise City Councilors have just come off an intense season of budget work and approvals during tough economic times, but it appears they don’t know the status of important city government issues. Councilors are about to approve an ordinance that will give the fire chief additional sweeping authority, including going into the ambulance transport business. […]
Boise Fire Contemplates Stretcher Purchase
While Team Dave sent a letter to a citizen signed by Mayor Dave Bieter claiming that “neither the council nor the mayor has authorized emergency transport…,” it would appear that plans are forging ahead to do just that without any public discussion or prior council action asking for staff to work on a BFD ambulance […]
Commish Baker Proposes ACHD Budget Cuts
Ada County Highway Department Commish Sara baker has proposed some across the board budget cuts in HER BLOG. She may qualify as a “rebel with a cause” by seeking $1,000,000 in savings. While the local street budget for the county is not the hot button issue of ambulance service, there are many similarities in the […]
You Don’t Have To Eat Wolf Meat
When it comes to wolves, we can only assume reader Gordon was asking about the four legged variety of wolves and not the political variety. No doubt the tag and bag limits might be appealing. One could argue both varieties are carnivores. Q- “If Idaho now has tags, hunting season and limits on wolves, doesn’t […]
EMERGENCY! Meeting At LIBRARY!
THE BOISE GUARDIAN WILL SPONSOR A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PROS AND CONS OF A CITY OPERATED AMBULANCE SERVICE. LOCATION: Boise Library! on Capitol Blvd. auditorium (entrance around back) TIME: 7p.m. Monday August 24 FORMAT: Town Hall forum with BFD and EMS each presenting up to 10 minute openers. Since the GUARDIAN broke the […]
Boise Ambulance Deal Full Of Holes
Bids will be opened at 1:30 Wednesday for a new Boise Fire Department ambulance, but even at this late date it is not a “done deal.” The City is rushing to get an ambulance transport license from the State of Idaho in advance of anticipated new administrative rules that would require officials to consider the […]
Mayor Hotline August 8 to 14
LOTS OF TRASH TALK, AMTRAK NOT ALL POSITIVE, TOWING IN THE PARK 8/11/09 Jason Hill Boise, ID Amtrak: I was just calling about the whole Amtrak thing and I do not think that the Mayor is on the right track with that. We don’t need any more taxes in this city; we have enough in […]
Emergency Docs Oppose Boise FD Ambulance
The doctors group responsible for emergency room care at St. Alphonsus hospital, Idaho Emergency Physicians, has notified Team Dave they oppose a plan for Boise Fire Department to enter the ambulance business. In a letter to Mayor Dave Bieter and the Boise City Council, the docs pretty much say the emergency transport business isn’t broken […]
Mayor Hotline August 1 to 7
BOISE NEEDS A MISSISSIPPI LAW 8/2/09 Matta Jo Fox Panhandlers: I am visiting from Mississippi and I’m staying here with my daughter who lives in Boise. My daughter and I were quite concerned going down to the Bodo area and the Grove fountain for some functions down there, about all the vagrant people who are […]
Caldwell Bankrolls Oregon’s TVCC
WE GOT THIS STORY OF BLATANT ABUSE OF URBAN RENEWAL FUNDING FROM THE CALDWELL GUARDIAN. LOOKS LIKE THE NEW COLLEGE OF WESTERN IDAHO NEEDS TO DO MORE THAN BUY ADVERTISING. By Paul Alldredge Caldwell GUARDIAN Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency board approved a draft resolution to “loan” $297,700 to TVCC this past week. The “loan” will […]
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