Environment
“Respect The Culture!”
Just returned from a week of warm weather in Hawaii and came away with a thought provoking bumper sticker observation. RESPECT THE CULTURE was actually emblazoned on the tailgate of a small truck. It got us to thinking. How many of the thousands of newcomers to Boise and Idaho in general come here to join […]
Parks Restriction Garners Signature Quota
A petition drive aimed at restricting Boise politicos from selling park and open space real estate without citizen approval has obtained enough signatures to make the 2023 November ballot. A group calling itself the “Boise Parks Association” ran the effort. Here is what they say in-part in a press release: On December 30, 2022, the […]
Bikeboy Peddles 200,000 miles
The following feature by “BIKEBOY” is a bit long, but it took him years of huffing and puffing the streets of Boise to chalk up 200,000 miles. Here is his account of life on the street. BY STEVE HULME In 1986, I was a working-class guy, married with two kids and another on the way. […]
Feathered Friends Find Feeder
The snow has covered the ground and made home bird feeders a popular stop for our feathered friends. For those who think the GUARDIAN is “for the birds,” you are correct. We enjoy watching the gold finches flock to the thistle feeder as well as the multitude of other small birds who visit the wild […]
Water Bond Has Gravitational Force
The GUARDIAN has a basic understanding of gravity and understands water runs downhill (downstream). The largest bond in the history of local government in Idaho seeks authority to build a sewer treatment plant in the eastern part of Boise. It is the ONLY item on the November 2 ballot which can be voted upon by […]
Pure Thoughts On Clear Water Issue
The following information is in regards to the “water renewal” (sewer) bond financing scheme on the November 2 Boise City ballot. GUEST OPINION By ERIKA BENSON What most voters will not know is there are other Federal funding sources that can pay for a lot of this, but Boise is going to use these monies […]
Dirty Tricks On Clean Water
In a classic “fox guarding the hen house” move, Boise city councilors favoring a sewer bond to accommodate development and increased population have approved a ballot proposal with no input from the public or folks who may be opposed to increasing public debt. Labeling the proposed sewer funding hike totaling $810 MILLION as “water renewal,” […]
Despite Weeds, Post Office Is Open
Although it is quickly being overgrown with weeds throughout the landscaping, sidewalks, and parking lot, the Overland Station Post Office on Federal Way is still open. The GUARDIAN has mentioned the weed problem repeatedly to clerks, but to no avail. Insiders tell us the guys with neckties claim there is no money to care for […]
Park Land Worth $128,000,000 Up For $15 million Trade
Irate neighbors in SW Boise were provided some deadly ammunition Monday when the Boise School District announced a deal to sell 15 acres of surplus land adjacent to the 160 Murgoitio Park site for $800,000 per acre. That 160 acre parcel is south of the Victory Road School District headquarters and West Jr. High, between […]
And The Survey Says…
About 6,000 Ada County residents responded to a survey from the county commishes regarding what to do with the Fair Grounds (EXPO Idaho). A whopping 84% wanted to leave the venue in its current location at Chinden and Glenwood. The survey offered three choices of suggested use of the 247 acres of public land. Respondents […]
Scientist Warns About Waste Water In Canal
GUEST OPINION BY Richard Llewellyn, PhD Biochemistry Boise City plans to dump water they claim is “treated” into the Farmers Union Canal and the practice could be costly for water users and property owners alike. Turns out the water is laced with trace chemicals from dozens of sources and it just may lead to a […]
Foothills Levy Spending Update
The recent purchase of 325 acres of foothill land by Boise City from the family of Gov. Brad Little prompted one GUARDIAN reader to do a little research on the activities of the committee entrusted to spend the $10,000,000 levy. Here are some results of their examination. The (Little) parcel is not within the current […]
F&G Posts Wildlife Porn
Things are slow during these days of house arrest forced by COVID-19, but the folks at Idaho’s Fish and Game Department have added some spice with “camera trap” images including one which shows black bears at an intimate moment. The image is included in a series of photos within a PRESS RELEASE sent to Idaho […]
Idaho F&G: How Not To Say “Killed”
The folks at Idaho Fish and Game have set a new standard when it comes to euphemisms. We have all heard “harvest,” and “lethal means” used when it comes to killing wildlife, but the latest terms of “wolf control actions, remove wolves, reduce predation, improve elk survival, management plan,” all boil down to the same […]
Idaho’s Well Trained Wildlife
The GUARDIAN took advantage of the sunny day Tuesday and made a wildlife viewing journey to Garden Valley. It has been a while since we visited the area in spring and we were surprised at the way the deer and elk have been trained by Idaho Fish and Game biologists. The two big game species […]
The Case For “Term Limits”
We just returned from a visit to Hawaii’s “Big Island” where we observed a public notice sign on Alii Drive–the posh oceanfront street packed with hotels and condos. The proposed project included “60 condos and 20 AFFORDABLE HOUSING units!” That prompted us to ponder just exactly what constituted “affordable” on the trendy real estate? Then, […]
City Plans To “Sell” Sustain able Energy
Boise City Council approved 10 firms to work at the behest of the mayor on undisclosed ” “miscellaneous on-call climate, energy and sustainability services.” The $150,000 amount is pretty much an open ended allotment for the city while it pursues its goal of being 100% renewable-energy powered by 2035. The resolution giving the mayor authority […]
Survey Shows “Growing Too Fast”
For years the Boise State University Public Policy Institute survey results served as the justification for Boise’s Team Dave to push for public safety, transportation, and parks to accommodate the growth. The standard response to critics of growth was, “You can’t stop growth. People just want to come here.” Now, more than 70% of those […]
Three Ada Officials “No Longer Work Here”
It took a couple of weeks, but the new Ada Commishes, Kendra Kenyon and Diana Lachiondo, have apparently made some personnel changes. Let’s hope they did a better job of crafting their staff than the previous pair that cost taxpayers about a million and a half dollars as a result of a lawsuit. Chief of […]
Treat The Cause, Not The Disease
We note Mike Wetherell’s Statesman OPINION regarding planning for mass transit failed to get to the core cause of our “transportation woes”–GROWTH. Rather than create more cancer treatments and simply concede “cancer will always be around,” let’s eliminate some of the causes. Wetherell’s admonitions to clear freeway medians and expand rights-of-way along State Street sound […]
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