REC/NEWS REC TYLER C AZ IER
JUST DOING IT Horseshoe Bend moms organize half marathon to help school district CHRISTINA MARFICE
Early on a summer morning, with the rising sun already promising another hot day, three moms crowded around a high table with coffee cups and papers littering its surface. They asked about each other’s families and children, but between the small talk, they inquired about volunteer lists, advertisers and Lillie Crawford, Malissa Meyer and Melanie Flake decided to do something about the shortage of funding in registration fees. public schools and organized the Race 2 the Summit. Lillie Crawford, Malissa Meyer and Melanie Flake have 12 children between them, so moms encouraged the school board to take a This was the first supplemental schoolthey knew that when Horseshoe Bend School different route. funding plan put to a vote in Horseshoe District’s levy failed in March and their kids’ “We told them, ‘if you cut kindergarten, Bend. According to Vickie Renfro, acting favorite programs were in danger of being superintendent of the Horseshoe Bend School you’re hurting the first-graders, the secondcut, it was time to take matters into their graders, third-graders,’” said Flake. “‘You’re District, that may have been a factor in its own hands. hurting everyone above it because they don’t failure. “I was talking to [Flake] on the phone have a foundation. Don’t cut kindergarten. “Horseshoe Bend has never had to seek a about it and she said, ‘We’re talking about supplemental levy before this past year,” Ren- Cut from sports. Parents can pay for that. We this and we’re all complaining about a lot of stuff; there’s a lot to complain about up here.’ fro said. “The community’s proud of that, but cannot pay for a kindergarten teacher.’” Added Crawford, “That’s why the booster they’re just not knowledgeable to the needs of And she asked me what we were going to do club started. It wouldn’t have started if we’d the schools.” to fix it, and I didn’t have an answer,” said cut kindergarten. Nobody’s going to start a The levy failure resulted in the loss of Crawford. “That’s what hit me really hard. booster club for kindergarten.” district funding for the salaries of a physicalWe can’t just talk about it anymore. We need The three moms hope to raise enough to to make a stand and make a huge difference.” education teacher and a music teacher. A high fund transportation for high-school sports, school business teaching position was cut to The three young moms are the organizawhich Renfro said will cost around $10,000. tional force behind Race 2 the Summit, a half part-time, forcing some students to take the However, no final decision has been made class online. Sports funding was cut as well, marathon in Horseshoe Bend that will raise regarding the use of the money from the race. resulting in the loss of district-provided busmoney for the small community’s struggling “We haven’t made any solid commitments ing to sporting events for high-school athletes. schools. All avid runners, Crawford, Meyer to the school or to the boosters, because we But parents and teachers are stepping up to and Flake long dreamed about the possibility don’t know how much money we’re talking fill the void. of hosting a race in their hometown. Now about working with, $5,000 or $500,” said “Currently, we are able to offer a music that their kids’ schools are in need, the race is Flake. “We’ve kind of said, really loosely, and P.E. program in our elementary school becoming a reality. through volunteers and teachers. Everybody’s we’re going to put the money back into the “We talked over the years about how school and into the community. We’re going really stepped up together to fill the gap,” fun it would be to do a race here up to the to research the very best, most-efficient way said Renfro. “All of our coaching staff took summit because that’s a cool road that’s not to use our money.” high traffic,” said Flake. “Then, with the levy 50 percent pay cuts willingly to help us meet Crawford, Meyer and Flake also hope that the bottom line. A lot of those are just comnot passing and the school needing money, their work can help show Horseshoe Bend munity members that are coaching.” [Crawford] finally said, ‘OK, this year we’re residents that adequate funding for schools However, if school going to do it. Let’s can have a positive effect on the community funding receives any do it this fall and use more blows in coming as a whole by replacing lost revenue outside the money for the RACE 2 THE SUMMIT of the classroom. years, the effect could school.’” Saturday, Sept. 25, Horseshoe Bend. “It’s a huge domino effect. It’s affecting be huge, Renfro said. The $250,000 levy Registration deadline: Friday, Sept.. 14. everybody,” said Crawford, who knows a “We don’t have failed with 250 votes district bus driver whose salary was halved another instructional against it, compared Cost: $45 for the half marathon, $40 for the after the levy failure. person to cut,” she 10K, $35 for the 5K, $10 for the kids’ run to only 93 in its favor. race2thesummit.com And although the race won’t take place said. “We are bare School board offiuntil the end of September, the three moms bones.” cials said while many While volunteer ef- contend that it has already had a positive efparents in Horseshoe fect on their town. forts are meeting eduBend are supportive “Things have been neglected because of the community’s schools, residents made it cational needs for now, sports-budget needs there’s been no reason to fix it,” said Flake. clear with the vote that they were not in favor remain. Crawford, Meyer and Flake would like to see the profits from Race 2 the Summit “But now it’s like, OK, we’re drawing 500 of raising taxes to fund them. go toward filling that need. At the time of the people from Boise and we don’t want a “There’s a disconnect between the school levy failure, the district worried about needing broken drinking fountain in the park. We’re and the community,” said Meyer. “We feel to cut its kindergarten program, but the three going to get those things taken care of.” that it was the reason the levy didn’t pass.” WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
Wildfires and hunting season don’t mix.
BIKING ON FIRE The Boise biking community has never been stingy when it comes to sharing both information and its love of the sport, so it should come as no surprise that biking and safety organizations have teamed up to offer a bit of a primer course for those interested in learning more about local biking opportunities. On Sunday, Sept. 9, the public is invited to swing by Ann Morrison Park from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to check out the Boise Bike Crawl. The free event will include info on biking etiquette—on trails and roads—as well as some of Boise’s unique bike laws and safety tips from the folks at Boise Bicycle Project, Look! Save a Life and the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association. Participants can get a quick check of their bike and score free flat fixes and tune-ups, as well as learn more about the importance of bike helmets and maybe even take home a fee one courtesy of ProHelmet. Ada County Highway District representatives will also be handing out free taillights and reflectors. The event will be held at the Old Timer’s Shelter near the Greenbelt. Of course, not every sport is as easy to access as biking. Wildfires burning throughout the state may have an impact on fall hunting—specifically in areas around the Halstead fire near Stanley, and the Mustang Complex fires north of Salmon. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is warning hunters that area closures caused by the large fires could mean they may have to adjust their schedules or cancel their hunts. Game Management Units 21, 27, 36 and 36B are of particular concern. Hunters with permits for these areas can monitor closures online at the Incident Information System website, inciweb.org. While IDFG says it has no plans to adjust season dates because of the fires, hunters do have a few options. First, they can exchange general tags for a different area, although this must be done before the opening of the season. Hunters with controlled-hunt tags may exchange them for general tags before the controlled-hunt season opens. For more info, call 208-334-2592. If the area is completely blocked by fire, IDFG will consider granting rain checks or refunds on a case-by-case basis at the end of the season. Hunters who want to take this option will have to submit their tags, permits and a letter describing what happened and what they want. For more info, visit fishandgame.idaho. gov. —Deanna Darr
BOISEweekly | SEPTEMBER 5–11, 2012 | 31