NEWS 8
LEFAVOUR’S CONGRESSIONAL BID
Among Idaho Democrats vying for public office this year is four-term state legislator Nicole LeFavour. After surprising a number of her constituents with her decision to not run again for the District 19 Senate seat, LeFavour energized supporters when she announced on March 10 that she was prepared to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson in Idaho’s Second Congressional District. “Any thinking person would be humbled and daunted by the enormity of a race like this in Idaho,” LeFavour said while sitting in an empty Senate chamber. She added that after looking at the effects of what redistricting has done for the Second District, she was “excited” by the numbers and her chances of victory. “I wouldn’t [run] if I didn’t see a path, a way in which to do this,” she said. LeFavour said the outpouring of sadness and appreciation over her decision not to run for re-election in the State Senate had only emboldened her commitment to run
for Congress. “People from all over the state who I didn’t know walked up to me with tears in their eyes,” said LeFavour. “I wanted to do something different and not have to watch year after year, how different citizens, from teachers to teenagers to people with mental-health or substance-abuse treatment, are being hurt by different pieces of legislation being passed by the state Legislature. After eight years, it is so hard.” LeFavour’s challenge is considerable. She says she needs to raise as much as $100,000 by a Saturday, March 31, deadline to effectively challenge Simpson. “I’m a very good fund-raiser. I work hard. I’m a good organizer,” she said. Simpson won re-election in 2008 with 71 percent of the vote. But LeFavour isn’t fazed by Simpson’s re-election history, touting the new redistricting that she believes will be in her favor, including districts known for being more populated with Democratic voters. “I would really like to give Congressman Simpson a challenge,” LeFavour said.
A GIANT JUMP FORWARD Project is expected to create 1,000 construction jobs GEORGE PRENTICE ANDREW CRISP
the building and The long nights sent the debris of contentious to a landfill, But meetings with Wade Lambert Boise’s Design of Lambert Review ComConstruction mittee in the fall [who is overseeof 2010 were a ing the project] distant memory came up with on March 22 a better idea, a as construction more sustaincrews began the able idea, and first phases of we’re happy to JUMP—Jack’s support that.” Urban Meeting Lambert’s Place—which, idea involved when complete, JUMP project could be completed as early as summer 2014. recycling the will help rederoof of the fine downtown warehouse, Boise. which was once part of a 1940s stockyard. The 7.5-acre site, framed by Ninth, 11th, Crews are removing 40 panels, each weighing Front and Myrtle streets will include a approximately 3,700 pounds, and transferring 65,000-square-foot, six-story building and them for reuse in a new Caldwell facility. more than three acres of urban green space. JUMP construction is expected to comThe Simplot Family Foundation is footing mence as early as April and could be completthe entire bill for the $70 million project as ed by summer 2014. In between, as many as a tribute to their late patriarch, J.R. Simplot. JUMP will include interactive studios for what 120 construction workers are expected to be the family calls “cooking, creating and invent- on the site daily, with about 1,000 total jobs created through the overall project. ing, multimedia, movement and innovation.” The first order of business was the demolition of the old Compton warehouse at Ninth VIDEO: Watch the JUMP and Front streets. construction team begin “That building can’t be there for us to demolishing the old Compbegin,” said Dan Drinkward of Hoffman Conton warehouse at Ninth and Front streets. struction, the project’s general manager. “Typically, 10 years ago, we would have demolished WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
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