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CONTENTS TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 12 Virtual Reality Expands into 2022 31 Cryptocurrencies: Mysteries, Myths, and Truths 34 Natural Intelligence Systems COMMUNITY 8 Cross-Country Skiing Your Troubles Away 14 Idaho's Fight for Educational Internet Access 18 Saint Alphonsus' Cancer Institute
Photo courtesy of Mark Oliver.
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What I Learned from (Almost) Dying 24 Mariel Hemingway in Idaho and with Intention 28 Ketchum's Limelight Hotel Gives Back 37 Mayor Lauren McLean Talks 2022 40 Listen Up: Ain't I a Woman and Bell Hooks ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 5 Publisher's Letter 7 Contributors
a mountain for the community, now that’s
the story of non-profit recreation in the west
For 79 years, Bogus Basin has been an integral part of the Treasure Valley community, a source of countless memories for individuals and for generations of families. Located 16 miles above downtown Boise, the non-profit recreation area is visible from throughout the valley. Whether you are commuting to work, picking up kids from school, or heading up with your family, you probably see the iconic radio towers at the summit every day. 79 years later, that dream is still thriving. While the population of the Treasure Valley has grown significantly, from 25,000 to over 760,000 since Bogus Basin opened in 1942, the mission remains unchanged to the core of the organization - provide affordable, accessible and fun year-round mountain recreation and education to the Treasure Valley. In 2016 Bogus Basin adopted a comprehensive, ten-year master plan to assure the recreation
area’s long-term viability. The plan mapped out how to transition Bogus Basin from a one-season business model and help achieve its potential as a year-round destination for recreation and education. Summer development included The Glade Runner Mountain Coaster, a revamped base area with added activities, expanded hiking and biking trails, community events, and The Basin Gravity Park, a lift-accessed downhill mountain bike park. The plan also focused on the importance of improving winter operations and facilities. The mountain experience was enhanced by providing upgraded access for beginners, replacing the dated Morning Star chair with a new high-speed quad lift, expanding expert terrain, and improving amenities. Introducing an extensive snowmaking system has assured a dependable winter opening date to provide reliable and critical income.
Following several strong winter seasons and excellent season pass sales, the area was able to implement the year-round master plan in just five years. In summer 2021, a new master plan was adopted, preparing the non-profit for future expansion opportunities. New runs, lifts and facilities for the winter and new trails, programs and events for the summer, combined with expanding community impact activities will connect significantly more residents with healthy, fun outdoor opportunities. For nearly 80 years, residents and guests of the Treasure Valley have had a special place to escape from the city below. A deep breath of fresh air, an awe-inspiring view, a mountain friendship, or working with classmates to build a fort in the forest - there are countless reasons Bogus Basin is a place to visit and explore for 80 more years to come.
Dear Reader,
As 2022 rolls in, life already feels as if we are all watching GROUNDHOG
DAY go viral on repeat. However, there are so many reasons to look up in the
new year– and not just at the mind-blowing James Webb telescope or buzzworthy billionaires orbiting in space. As IdaHome begins our fourth year of publication
(!!) I want to thank you for reading, liking, and passing forward our magazines, tweets, Instagram stories, juicy gossip, and polymathic content. You are the
reason IdaHome now has more than 100,000 online monthly readers and why
20,000 free magazines disappear in two weeks! Secondly, as I type, I’ve tested
negative but remain in quarantine with my twice-vaxxed, Covidian 15-year-old.
Thrice vaxxed, I’m lucky that only my sense of smell is Omi-diminished, which might be a plus since we live with a
dog, cat, and tennis shoes that always smell like crimes against humanity. I’m living proof that deadlines endure even when life stinks.
31 deadlines later, this month’s IdaHome focuses on technology and how it applies to learning, living, giving,
dying, and flying virtually over the Himalayas. Apple hit 3 trillion invisible dollars in net worth and Facebook is so
very Meta - but what exactly has big tech done for me and you besides allowing 4 million of us to view Machine Gun Kelly’s proposal to Megan Fox? Our writers distilled that baffling question into some practical answers.
Jeffrey Wise reveals everything you wanted to know about cryptocurrency but were too mystified to ask.
“Technically Speaking” editor, Hailey Minton, explores VR and AI, inescapable giants masquerading as tiny acronyms that rule our future. And as complicated and scary as technology might appear, it can save your life. April Neale
explains how Saint Alphonsus Cancer Institute is bringing state-of-the-art treatment and specialists to the Treasure Valley. April also posed some tough questions to Boise Mayor, Lauren McLean, and received tougher answers on
head-butting topics like the pandemic, climate, and affordable housing. One of the toughest questions in life is, ‘What if today was your last day?’ Tommy Ahlquist has faced that question many times, as an emergency room physician, and suffering two heart attacks. In these uncertain times, I encourage you to read his poetic, honest essay on the inescapable.
Admitting our failings is never easy, but brutal truths can make life more beautiful, as Mariel Hemingway reveals
to Dana Plasse. It’s an inspiring interview about how finding the courage to face the dark side allowed her to find the strength and happiness to help others. There’s pretty pictures too- so read on! Be well! Enjoy!
Karen Day
“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” –Harold S. Kushner American rabbi, author www.idahomemagazine.com
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J A N U A R Y/ FEB RUARY 2022 publisher K A R E N DAY karen@idahorem.com features editor H E AT H E R H A M I LT O N POST heather@idahorem.com copy editor C A R R I E L IGH T N E R technically speaking editor H A I L E Y M I N T ON art and design J S NGR A F I X K A L E Y BE LVA L design@idahorem.com director of operations and sales manager M A R IELLE W EST PH A L admin@idahorem.com staff photographer K A R E N DAY cover photograph TAL ROBERTS courtesy photographs: UNSPLASH - PAGES 12, 13, 14 Marketing, Sales and Distribution karen@idahorem.com IdaHome Magazine is published by Idaho Real Estate Marketplace P.O. Box 116 Boise, Idaho 83701 208.481.0693 © 2022 IdaHome Magazine. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to IdaHome Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher.
Community + Culture + Recreation + Real Estate
ON THE COVER
“A hell of a lot of state, this Idaho,” said Earnest Hemingway on his first visit to the Gem State. Like her grandfather, Mariel Hemingway chose the Wood River Valley over Hollywood, finding that her heart, mind and body belonged in Idaho. IdaHome Magazine talked with Mariel about her life now and how gratitude, joy and love are fueling her next big adventure: destigmatizing mental health. Photo courtesy of Tal Roberts.
CONTRIBUTORS Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Ball Ventures Ahlquist, was an ER doctor for 18 years, treating over 45,000 patients before starting Stat Pads in 2001, which is now the premier defibrillation service company in the U.S. He started Ahlquist Development in 2005, merging in 2018 with BallVentures. In 2018, Tommy also ran for governor of Idaho against Brad Little. He is a committed father, husband, community leader and fly-fisherman. Jeffrey Wise is a former “real estate-flipper” and current cryptocurrency enthusiast. He admits he has been lucky and successful at both endeavors which allows him to split his time between the Idaho foothills and Maui, gardening, and eating organic in the eternal sunshine of his well-balanced work and play life. Micah Drew is a writer currently based in northwest Montana. A multiple Montana Newspaper Association award-winning journalist covering politics, sports, and the outdoors, he has written for Edible Idaho, Boise Weekly, and High Country News. When not in the newsroom, he can be found trail running throughout the West. Sabina Dana Plasse is a professional writer and editor from Baltimore, Maryland, who moved to Idaho more than 15 years ago. Besides writing and editing, she launches start-up events, assists businesses with publicity and marketing, and is an active film reviewer. When not working, she is enjoying the outdoors, traveling, and watching movies. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a master’s degree in journalism, Harrison Berry returned to Boise, where he spent eight years working for Boise Weekly, rising to the position of managing editor. His work has appeared in publications from Business Insider to American Theatre. He currently works for Boise State University. April Neale is an entertainment features writer and has read her work on NPR and Spoken Interludes and writes for various industry trades and entertainment websites. Neale is a member of the Critics Choice Association, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Hollywood Critics Association, Television Critics Association, and other professional entertainment organizations. Cherie Buckner-Webb is a former Idaho State Senator, executive coach, speaker, business consultant, strategist, and fifth-generation Idahoan. In addition to her work in corporate and nonprofit environments, she assists institutions of higher education in the development of diversity curriculum and training and sits on a variety of local and national boards. Hailey Minton is a freelance writer and loves painting with her words. She approaches life with inquisitiveness whether in writing, raising her daughter, or developing her hobbies. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, she has a love for seeing innovators bring solutions to our ever-changing world. Lex Nelson is a Boise-based reporter, ghost writer, blogger, and food enthusiast. She specializes in food, art, and environmental reporting, and her work has been published by Boise Weekly, The Idaho Press, Edible Idaho, Visit Idaho, and more. www.idahomemagazine.com
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Cross-Country Skiing Your Troubles Away Idaho offers hundreds of miles of cross-country ski trails, meaning exercise and peaceful adventure are just minutes away BY MICAH DREW
S
o you want to avoid lift lines but still want to enjoy the feeling of gliding on fresh snow and breathing in mountain air? Welcome to Idaho, with hundreds upon hundreds of miles of cross-country ski trails waiting for you. But wait—skiing with no mechanized lifts?!
PHOTO TOM HELMER
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Cross-country skiing is an umbrella term that includes two types all-women’s masters ski program in the country, offering beginner of skiing: classic skiing and skate skiing. classes all the way up to race-specific training. Subgroups dedicate Classic skiing is the original version of cross-country that themselves to classic skiing and classes for those who want cominvolves using a “kick and glide” stride to move skis in a parallel petitive, high-intensity weekly workouts. motion. On groomed trails, skiers use grooved tracks to stay in line, The VAMPS have been so successful that Ritz says several atbut the technique can also be used off-trail in the backcountry. tempts have been made to start a similar group for men. However, Skate skiing, on the other foot, looks a lot like its moniker imnone of the four versions of men’s groups have been as big of a hit. plies: imagine speed skating in the Olympics or roller skating down The current iteration, the DONS, has survived for a few years with a sidewalk and apply that motion to the snow. Skate skiing is a fast- about 25 regulars. Maybe, the males just need to switch to a Greek er discipline that uses the diagonal side-to-side stride to glide across acronym like KSS, the Kappa Sigma Snowmen? groomed corduroy. Ungroomed- or “I’ve been a competitor all my life backcountry-friendly, it’s not. and pride myself in my athletic purFor centuries, cross-country skiing suits,” Ritz says. “But honestly, my has been a favored form of transporbiggest accomplishment is forming tation in northern regions with long the VAMPS. It’s made a difference winters, which explains why Scandifor hundreds, if not thousands, of navian countries have dominated the women and that’s really special.” Olympic sport since the first winter games in 1924. Despite its lengthy ANYONE, ANY AGE “There are a lot of sports out history, however, cross-country skithere that you see on TV at the ing remains the less-popular cousin Olympics like shot put or running to hitting the downhill alpine slopes. the 100-meter dash that you’re just In Sun Valley, often called Nornot going to do as a leisure activity dicTown, USA, Muffy Ritz has been PHOTO MUFFY RITZ for the rest of your life,” Ritz says. working to change that for the last Cross country skis (above) “Cross-country skiing is a lifetime 25 years. and The VAMPS, one of the largest activity — it doesn’t matter how Since 1978, Ritz has been a all-female masters programs in the country, based out of Sun Valley, Idaho (below). old you are when you start, it’s an competitive skier, first as an all-inclusive sport. Even people in All-American at the University their 80s can start.” of Colorado, then racing internaRitz recommends that anyone tionally with the Rossignol Nordic who wants to get into cross-counTeam and the U.S. Ski Team. In try skiing start by visiting your 1996 she was living in the Wood local ski shop that specializes in River Valley and coaching the Sun cross-country equipment. She says Valley Ski Education Foundation’s that even “rank beginners” should cross-country teams and realized rent or buy the best equipment there were few opportunities for they can afford. adult beginners to learn to ski, and “It really makes a difference to even fewer for women. have quality equipment rather than “For a long time, middle-aged old gear from a thrift store,” Ritz women really weren’t doing a lot of says. “And on day one, take a lesson. sports,” Ritz says. “Women would PHOTO MUFFY RITZ I’ve seen too many people get frusfollow their husbands, but no one trated because they fall down and don’t understand what they’re would teach them how to ski, so they’d just futz around on the supposed to be doing with their feet.” snow, frustrated.” On snow, inexperience quickly breeds frustration. Start on the After she was approached by a woman who wanted some lesflats and follow the easiest routes. In the beginning, keep to the sons, Ritz decided it would be more fun to organize a like-minded maintained trails. Many resorts and public trails grade their routes group. Almost accidentally, the VAMPS (Vomen and Muffy’s the same way as ski resorts — green trails are easy, blue – intermeProgramS) bloomed in the snow. diate, black – most difficult. “We found a niche that needed to be filled,” Ritz says. “WomStay upright, move forward, and congratulations! You’ve picked en began flocking to the group. I had to hire a friend who was a up a new sport! All you need to do now is “repeat,” and you’re sure former ski team member. I remember waking up in the middle of to improve. the night in a panic not knowing what to do about it. I thought I’d “Cross-country skiing will make you live longer, no matter created a monster!” The VAMPS began with four women and within five years grew when you start,” Ritz says. “There’s more than anecdotal evidence to more than 120. Now in its 25th year, the group is the largest that active people live longer, healthier, more meaningful lives.” www.idahomemagazine.com
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TAKE IT UP A NOTCH Once you’ve learned to ski, you can add in some workouts to increase physiological benefits. “The thing about XC skiing, it’s one of the few sports that uses almost every muscle in your body,” Ritz says. “The big muscles, the little stabilizing muscles… in terms of fitness it improves your lungs, endurance, power, strength, and agility.” Like swimming, this sport taps into almost every system. Dr. Steven Gaskill, a former U.S. Nordic coach and exercise physiologist, agrees that cross-country skiing offers one of the best all-around aerobic fitness activities while also connecting you with nature — a known psychological boost. Gaskill adds, “And it’s easy on the joints, as long as one stays upright. “ As with all aerobic exercise, Gaskill notes that skiing improves heart health, reduces blood pressure and risk of diabetes, and can improve cholesterol profiles, especially with higher-intensity workouts. Ritz says her favorite workout to do on skis is intervals. She recommends taking a specific distance, from one to three kilometers, and then doing laps on that course, with breaks after each lap, aiming for consistent times. “You get immediate feedback when you look at your watch,” Ritz says. “Suddenly, it’s not just a long section of trail. You can vary the challenge by working to get a few seconds faster on each lap.” So get out there and get up on those cross-country skis! The wide-open winter wonderland and better health awaits! Muffy Ritz competes in the 2018 Boulder Mountain Tour in Ketchum. PHOTO MUFFY RITZ
PHOTO TOM HELMER
The view from a backcountry yurt maintained by Idaho Parks and Recreation.
FIND A TRAIL Muffy Ritz has skied around the world and has favorite trails in Alaska, Wisconsin, and Lillehammer, Norway, but many of her top trails are right in Idaho, including those around Galena Lodge near Ketchum and around West Yellowstone. Here’s a quick guide to get you out and skiing! Bogus Basin: The Frontier Point Trail Network boasts 37km of trails groomed every morning, with an added bonus of 4.5km of lighted trails to ensure that the skiing doesn’t have to stop at sundown. The Nordic lodge offers lessons and rentals and you can buy day passes or opt for a full season pass. The Bogus Basin Nordic Team offers several community races throughout the winter for a chance to try your hand at skiing fast! McCall: In the winter McCall is a veritable hub for Nordic enthusiasts. Jug Mountain Ranch, Tamarack Resort, the Activity Barn, and the Bear Basin Nordic Center all offer rentals and miles of trails. Wood River Valley: The Blaine County Recreation District maintains miles of trails around the Wood River Valley. The 32km Wood River Trail links all four valley communities. Quigley Canyon east of Hailey provides another 13km of mostly beginner trails while the Harriman Trail provides a 20-mile connection between Ketchum and Galena Lodge. Of course, Galena is known for having some of the best trails in the country; Galena has more than 50km of groomed trails including several mellow loops from the lodge. Galena has certified ski instruction and a full-service ski shop and has four overnight yurts just a short ski away. Learn more by visiting bcrd.org. PARK N’ SKI The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation maintains 17 Park N’ Ski locations that access more than 180 miles of groomed and ungroomed trails across the state. Passes are $7.50 per day or $25 per year. Idaho City: Driving up Highway 21 from Idaho City offers a series of Park N’ Ski locations, ensuring that even if a lot is full there’s another one just down the road. Stop at Woop-Em-Up, Gold Fork, or Banner Ridge to access 50 miles of interconnected groomed trails. Head all the way up to Beaver Creek Summit for an additional three miles. To learn about the other 13 Park N’ Ski location in the state, visit parksandrecreation.idaho. gov/activities/xc-skiing/park-n-ski-in-idaho/ Yurt Life: As an added backcountry gem, Idaho State Parks operates several backcountry yurts that can be accessed via skis in the winter. Each yurt is a circular, Mongolian-style domed tent that can sleep up to six people. All of the Highway 21 ski areas offer access to yurts. The yurts are designed to be self-guided backcountry experiences but they book up early, so plan ahead! STATE PARKS Idaho Parks and Recreation also grooms Nordic trails at more than 10 state parks including Harriman, Castle Rocks, Farragut, Lake Cascade, Ponderosa, Priest Lake, and Winchester.
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VIRTUAL REALITY EXPANDS INTO 2022 Are There Risks?
PHOTO STELLA JACOB
High-tech VR development and testing at Silverdraft in Boise.
a designated “cave,” stand in front of a canvas, or wear glasses that track from a wearer’s point of view. Depending on the type of VR, users interact within an environment with controllers and sensors that track eye and body movement. Some virtual worlds are pixelated and clearly animated, and some replicate what we see in the real world, with visuals ranging from blocky to extreme realism. However, all graphics are now COURTESY SILVERDRAFT clear and highly-evolved. From an exclusive tool once used to train surgeons and pilots, VR BY HAILEY MINTON is quickly becoming ubiquitous and affordable in our daily lives, Want to flap your wings over the Empire State Building? Ski allowing anyone to immerse themselves for entertainment, job a double-black diamond in the French Alps without breaking training, healthcare assessments, and education. bones? Swim with Great White sharks and keep your legs? Human Resource departments are turning to VR for soft skills Virtual reality is one of the fastest-growing frontiers in training, especially as remote work has accelerated during the the technological world since it was created in 1968 by Ivan pandemic. Banks, call centers, and customer service positions Sutherland and his student, Bob Sproull. At the time, a huge, offer new hires practice sessions, putting them in front of virtual head-mounted contraption was suspended from the ceiling and customers before sending them into the workplace. Josh Bersin, proved far too heavy for application within the general marketa HR industry analyst, claims that VR immersion leaves a lasting place. And until the mid-1980s, VR was still considered the stuff impact because “experiential training” has been proven to be far of magic realism for video gaming and science fiction. Today, more effective than traditional methods. mirroring the blast-speed of all technology in our daily lives, kids According to Faisal Aqlan and Hui Yang’s article in ISE Magput on VR headsets and dance with robots so real that research azine, VR is also expanding into detecting mental disorders with shows that they elicit empathy in humans. Oculus, a new Mesensor-based virtual reality. According to the World Health Orgata-aka-Facebook VR headset, was the top-selling Christmas nization, 35% to 85% of mental health conditions remain undepresent at Costco in 2021, and Apple promises to release an tected and undiagnosed. VR places subjects in a virtual room where ever-over-achieving version in 2022. they are directed to complete tasks. The device meanwhile collects Most people think of a headset when they picture VR, but the eye-tracking data in conjunction with the spoken feedback from methodologies of experience are also evolving. People can enter 12
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staggering amount of data. Vast amounts of computing carry the concern of heat build-up in computers and consequently, the dropping of frames in a viewer’s virtual world. Silverdraft provides solutions to prevent that from happening. Gile has seen dropped frames that leave users feeling dizzy and suffering from headaches. “None of us know the longterm effects of that,” she says. Dropping frames is more common in consumer-ready VR since the user’s experience is dependent upon their computer’s processing ability. However, there haven’t been long-term studies on the physical or cognitive effects on users because VR use is developing faster than user analysis. Gile believes that VR that provides the most perfect realism lessens the risk of any yet unforeseen, long-term effects. In truth, one user died wearing VR glasses by stumbling into his glass tablebut most programs now offer alerts when physical obstacles threaten. Risks or not, VR development and application will continue to accelerate, expand, and become more affordable. If you can imagine it, most likely, it will “virtually” become real soon. And honestly, what better way to escape couch quarantine than driving in Nascar, scuba diving a tropical reef, or flying past Mount Everest?
PHOTO KAREN DAY
the user. Anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia are often revealed from the data and appropriate treatment can be initiated. Medical applications of VR are beginning to prove limitless. Another application places healthcare workers in the first-person perspective of someone with age-related cognitive decline. This decline can be due to Alzheimer’s, hearing or vision loss, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia. This POV experience gives family and caregivers a heightened level of empathy for those suffering from these conditions. The highest-end VR technology comes closest to making the virtual world look like our real one. Clouds swirl around your ankles depicting an incoming storm, or the vehicle you’re designing mirrors perfectly what you’ll see after you send it to production. Full global illumination incorporates light reflecting off objects in the same way it does off a lake or metal. Instead of pixelated avatars or settings, even snow looks so real that your hands reach out and truly expect to feel the biting cold. Capturing that kind of three-dimensional depth in a virtual setting requires massive amounts of computing. Silverdraft, a Boise-based company, specializes in the supercomputing power that backs up these hyper-real virtual worlds. Many Silverdraft clients have millions of design dollars at stake and testing and finding solutions to problems virtually before building expensive prototypes can avoid expensive mistakes. “When you’re in a virtual environment, your brain needs to forget that it’s not real,” says Amy Gile, Co-Founder and CEO of Silverdraft. “You can get lost in that world. When your brain believes it, your creativity can grow; your brain can learn specific skills.” “It is easier to move pixels than dirt,” Gile explains. ”If you’re able to build and design a car, test it, and do studies on that vehicle before you physically make it, it saves you time and money and iterations. It’s more sustainable.” To visualize data and take it from second to third requires a
Amy Gile, CEO of Silverdraft Supercomputing
“VR that provides the most perfect realism lessens the risk of any yet unforeseen, longterm effects.”
PHOTO XR EXPO
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The UP and
UPload Idaho’s fight for educational internet access BY HARRISON BERRY
I
n 2019, the Heritage Orchard Conference, held at the University of Idaho’s Sandpoint Agriculture Center, brought nearly 100 people to the facility near Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho. There, presenters discussed best practices for the amateur apple-grower, and local efforts to identify and preserve the more than 16,000 named varieties of apple known to grow in the United States. “We have an apple called a Strawberry Parfait that has strawberry notes to it. Another has a melon flavor. A lot of these are never going to be commercially grown … but a lot of these apples could have disease resistance that could be used in a modern breeding program. It’s definitely important work that’s being done,” says Sandpoint Agriculture Center Superintendent and Orchard Operations Manager Kyle Nagy, who hosts the conference. The next year, in 2020, the University of Idaho connected all of its extension campuses to broadband internet. When it went online, the Heritage Orchard Conference drew more than 1,200 virtual attendees from 49 states and 18 countries. Among them was John Bunker of the Maine Heritage Orchard, a legend in the orchardist community and a personal hero of Nagy’s. Broadband internet has in living memory gone from a luxury to a necessity. In the area of education, it’s a determining factor in whether children have access to learning materials and even their instructors — or, in the case of the Heritage Orchard Conference, between niche regional interest and a high-profile international audience. Idaho ranks 39th in the nation when it comes to broadband access, and there are significant hurdles to improvement. The Gem State is largely made up of public lands and rural areas; building state-of-the-art infrastructure is pricey, and some areas are serviced 14
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PHOTO SOKMEAN NOU
Apples + apples = internet access + rural education
by just a handful of internet service providers (ISPs). Though more than 70% of the Idaho population has access to quality broadband, many areas of the state do not meet the national standard 25MB/3MB download/upload speed. According to Microsoft, there may be more than 123,000 Idaho K-12 students living in households not using the internet at broadband speeds.
PHOTO BRENT LOOYENGA
“In 2020, the University of Idaho connected all of its extension campuses to broadband internet. When it went online, the Heritage Orchard Conference drew more than 1,200 virtual attendees from 49 states and 18 countries.”
A political consensus behind internet expansion for students has been building for years, but a past experiment with education technology ended in failure. In 2008, Idaho lawmakers were told that the Idaho Education Network (IEN), a broadband network connecting Idaho schools coupled with a huge investment in classroom technology, wouldn’t impact the state’s general fund. Six years later, a judge tossed out the contract that enabled IEN, leaving taxpayers on the hook for tens of millions of dollars and ultimately shuttering an early attempt at bringing Idaho classrooms into the 21st century. As the need for educational internet access increased, the collapse of IEN put Idaho students still further behind students in other states. At $7,833, Idaho spends less per student than nearly every state in the country, and poor rural Idaho students have one of the steepest achievement gaps
compared to their rural peers in the nation. If the internet is central to education, and education is central to important future outcomes, Idaho has a lot of catching up to do. The pandemic quickly revealed deficiencies in Idaho’s statewide network. Before, school had filled a secondary but significant role as a place where students went while their parents worked. Suddenly, online learning shared literal bandwidth with parents who were also working from home, often on unstable, expensive, or substandard internet connections. “People have been talking about broadband for years, but the pandemic focused everyone’s attention. I’ve heard from county commissioners who say their kids don’t have access to online learning because of broadband,” says Eric Forsch, broadband development manager for the Idaho Department of Commerce’s Idaho Broadband Advisory Board.
“Idaho spends less per student than nearly every state in the country...”
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Formed at the recommendation of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s 2019 Idaho Broadband Task Force and established via House Bill 127 in 2020, the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board funnels state and federal money into internet infrastructure projects. In a short period of time, it has funded dozens of individual internet service expansions, including connecting the University of Idaho’s extension campuses. So far, it has disbursed $10 million in funds to qualifying projects. Modeled on Idaho’s system of water boards and subject to legislative oversight, the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board sidesteps the executive branch-level practices that led to the demise of IEN while ensuring that federal grant dollars are spent in accordance with guidelines. Started with $35 million from the Idaho Legislature, it boasts significant financial resources, including a $10 million CARES Act grant, and works alongside numerous other high-dollar programs aiming to extend and improve internet access in Idaho. That influx of federal funds, however, could be a source of political friction for some legislators. Many lawmakers are skeptical of the obligations that come with federal money. Others are concerned that federal grants may not be reliable, long-term resources. Representative John Vander Woude (R-Nampa) is the chairman of the Broadband Advisory Board, and he belongs to the latter
camp, warning that using federal funds at such a scale could raise eyebrows in the Idaho Legislature. Political hurdles, however, don’t change the need to continue fighting for more, higher quality, and less expensive broadband access, he says. The internet has simply become indispensable. “If all the kids are back in school, that doesn’t stop the need for there to be broadband. We’re focusing on education, but when the pandemic’s over and kids are back in school, I hope we don’t say we don’t need this infrastructure, this broadband, anymore,” Vander Woude says. When IdaHome spoke with Kyle Nagy, he was in the middle of the latest Heritage Orchard Conference, which was being held online, and the number of participants and listeners-in was already on track to meet or beat 2021. Attendance, however, isn’t just a number: It’s a measure of the spread of ideas and research — the lifeblood of universities. Expanding broadband to the Sandpoint Agriculture Center has made it an Idaho internet success story that many interested in the future of education in the Gem State hope to repeat — not to mention a hub for orchardists and the conservation work being done to identify and recover apple varieties. “This is now something that people all over the world are familiar with and getting information from. It’s grown far greater than I ever anticipated it would,” Nagy says.
“If all the kids are back in school, that doesn’t stop the need for there to be broadband.”
An aerial view of the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center
PHOTO MICHAEL BOREN
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Saint Alphonsus’ Cancer Institute The New Frontier of Treatment and Healing BY APRIL NEALE
A
cancer diagnosis is one of the scariest moments in a person’s life. Thanks to the expansion of Saint Alphonsus Cancer Institute, Idahoans who previously had to travel out of state for specialists and surgery can now fight and heal the disease close to home. Many hospitals feature oncology units, but under the leadership and vision of Dr. Scott Pierson, Saint Alphonsus continues to aggressively recruit outstanding specialists from cancer centers across the country. Many new hires are fellowship-trained female oncologists, surgeons, and radiologists from top-tier medical facilities in the east. Pierson’s vision is to create the very best cancer treatment center in the Pacific Northwest by attracting top medical talent that focuses on serving the “ whole patient” with a connected team approach. This includes an innovative nurse-navigator program, cutting-edge technology, advanced drugs, and thorough screenings. This concentrated brain trust of doctors, medical staff, and administrators under Dr. 18
Pierson’s guidance continues to attract more physicians. These incoming oncologists and specialists align with Dr. Pierson’s commitment and vision. For those Idahoans who undergo chemo, radiation, and continually bounce between doctors in different cities, or states, this “all-under-Saint Al’s-roof ” solution offers a reprieve from additional stress and costs in treatment. However, an elaborate building alone does not make a top-rated institute, says Dr. Pierson. “We’re always trying to recruit those with the most expertise. And as our program is growing, so is the area, and there are more patients. Boise is a great medical opportunity market because it’s under-saturated with physicians compared to many other big cities. So for the physician who wants to come in and build something, it’s a great opportunity,” he adds. Pierson and some of his expert oncologists share an appreciation for the quality of life in the Treasure Valley. The lifestyle incentive, combined with Saint Al’s intention to create a Cancer Institute on par
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with M.D. Anderson or Sloan-Kettering, is creating a medical buzz about Boise. “I think the physicians who come here see the quality across the board with the medical community,” Pierson said. “If you want that combination of a small city and outdoor lifestyle, and if you have a family too, those things align. Saint Alphonsus is upping our game by providing the highest level of care without patients having to travel out outside the state.” Dr. Camille Berriochoa is a native Boisean who is now a top radiation oncologist. She graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in radiation oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. In 2021, Dr. Pierson brought Dr. Berriochoa on to his growing team. “Coming back was always a real longing of mine,’ Berriochoa said. “I’m from Boise; my husband is also, so our family primarily drew us here. And having the opportunity to work at Saint Alphonsus was a big draw.”
The concept of whole patient care is a common thread connecting every doctor. Dr. Berriochoa added, “I’m excited to work with a group of talented, invested physician colleagues. What I feel here is that the foundation of good cancer care is good communication among providers. We can have all sorts of technology, but if we’re not all on the same page about a patient
and working together for their progress, it’s hard to make that progress. So, we call each other all the time and work collaboratively with the patient and for the patient. We care very much about doing that because it optimizes a patient’s care.” Dr. Pierson notes that the Institute’s advanced technology improves outcomes, especially with robotic
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAINT ALPHONSUS/TRINITY HEALTH
Top: Dr. Scott Pierson; Left to right: Dr. Leah Stockton, Dr. Camille Berriochoa, Dr. Ian Qureshi
“I think the physicians who come here see the quality across the board with the medical community,”
surgeries performed by Dr. Stockton and other surgeons. “Our surgeons do robotic surgery, which leads to faster recovery times and more precise surgery,” he explains. “And that’s important for all surgeries, but cancer surgery in particular. So we are a leader in robotic surgery for sure.” For radiation, one of the newest technologies is GammaTile Therapy. According to Dr. Berriochoa, the radiation therapy tools have made patients’ lives far more comfortable. “We have these great technologies to allow us to be precise with our radiation therapy,” Berriochoa says. “That means more potency in the targeted treatment delivery while
being more effective at protecting nearby structures that are critical to normal bodily function. “For example, we have radiosurgery for the brain and the spine, and those are very focused treatments we deliver with our newest machine called TrueBeam®”. Dr. Leah Stockton is a newer addition under Dr. Scott Pierson. She did her fellowship in surgical oncology at Philadelphia’s Fox Chase Cancer Center, the first in Idaho to achieve that fellowship. “The whole purpose of the fellowship is to give surgeons a deeper understanding of what oncology really is,” Stockton says. “These are all surgeries that we’ve touched on in our general surgery residency. Still, during the fellowship, you get an in-depth look at how to do the surgeries and how they interact with the medical and radiation side.” Dr. Stockton shared that the Institute’s expansion is attracting industry attention. “I’ve been here for just over three months now, and I’m already fairly busy. And I hope that within a couple of years, I will find a partner to share the workload. That’s my goal. To help bring in a recruit from and continue to build the surgical oncology side of things.” Another member of the team, Dr. Ian Qureshi, a hematology and oncology specialist, notes that the energy is palpable with the incoming migration of talent. “As quickly as new doctors arrive,”Qureshi says, “it seems like everybody’s busy already.. It’s not that anybody is happy about a diagnosis of cancer, but to receive treatment near where they live and have medical staff and nurse-navigators dedicated to managing the side effects — those patients are really taken care of.” Before Dr. Pierson consolidated these adept oncologists, many patients had to travel to Portland or Salt Lake City. A cancer diagnosis can be devastating, but St Alphonsus Cancer Institute’s continuity of care is concentrated on making everything as easy as possible. It’s comforting for all involved to know that treatment and healing can happen close to home at one of the best cancer facilities in the U.S.
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“What I Learned From (almost) Dying” BY TOMMY AHLQUIST
I had just pulled my horse out of the trailer and was carrying a 50-pound bag of grain to the stable when it hit me. For years, I had heard patients describe the “elephant on their chest” and now, that elephant was on mine! I called my wife, Shanna, and she raced me to the ER in McCall. I remember the ECG printing out and seeing the ST elevations before the tech could even rip the sheet from the machine. It was difficult to process what was happening medically, but more importantly, what did this mean? It was during the transport in the helicopter to Boise that the reality of the situation hit me. Unlike prior feelings when I had surgery, I knew this was going to be it for me. This was not my first heart attack. Twelve months earlier, I’d experienced a significant brush with death. I’d already been given my second chance. A new year is when we look forward to a fresh start. It’s a continued opportunity to reset goals and ambitions. I’ve always loved making New Year’s resolutions. I write them down and revisit them as motivation for improvement. Writing them down in four categories helps me focus on areas of my life that sometimes get ne“...looking back, glected. Those four areas are physical no matter how health, spiritual seriously I looked well-being, family, and business. It’s ahead, I now like rewriting a realize I took my self-help book for health and life for myself each year. For 52 years, the granted.” calendar would change, goals would be reset for the future, but looking back, no matter how seriously I looked ahead, I now realize I took my health and life for granted. Sure, there was the eternal reminder to watch my weight, but the fundamental act of waking up each day in order to carry out my objectives was never even considered. From the moment the cardiologist said, “You’re a mess, you have the widow-maker in your LAD and malignant origin of your right coronary artery,” I was no longer the man I’d been an instant before. Doctor, husband, father – all the ways I defined 20
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PHOTO COURTESY TOMMY AHLQUIST
myself melted into the realization that I am merely a hopelessly mortal human being. I found myself on my knees pleading for more time. There were no thoughts of my “to-do” lists for the future, only the will to keep breathing, to wake up from this nightmare and hug my family again. I did not forget this, lying on the operating table, looking up at my best friend from medical school who was preparing to pry open my ribs and attempt to repair my heart. My first grandchild had just turned six months old. I longed for his baby-soft cheek against mine and his instant grin when I called him my Best Buddy! I desperately wanted just a little more time. Gratitude, humility, and love are powerful words, but these words connect us to feelings that are indescribable. Opening my eyes after surgery, I was filled with so much gratitude, humility, and love. Words were insignificant compared to the intensity of these feelings.I woke in awe of the miraculous, simple act of breathing. I was elated by thoughts of eating breakfast with my squabbling teenagers, a morning kiss from my wife, the sun blaring off the Payette as I rounded the next bend in the river on my horse. Most importantly, I felt peace. Simply breathing was more than enough. I do not know what surprises or sorrows are around the next bend in the river. But, I do know that it could be my last. Relationships matter most. Idle intentions are best replaced with thoughtful actions. My heart literally broke and I woke up to my mortality. Sure, sometimes I forget that life is a gift and not just a cliche on a bumper sticker. I honk my horn impatiently, eat too much pie. But, eventually, I remember to be grateful, to be patient, to be kind, to say “I love you,” and to breathe deeply. These words are now at the top of my “to-do” lists.
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Mariel
Hemingway in Idaho with Intention
BY SABINA DANA PLASSE
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or many, Mariel Hemingway is a household name that is synonymous with American life, culture, history, and prominence. Her grandfather, Ernest Hemingway, a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner, changed American literature. On her own, Mariel garnered a Golden Globe, Academy Award, and BAFTA nomination as a young actress. Her performance in Woody Allen’s Manhattan (among many of her films) was memorable and launched her career as a notable and accomplished actress. Mariel has raised two daughters, whose careers are flourishing, and she is very happy in a long-time relationship with her life partner, Bobby Williams. She is ready to take on her lifelong dream of making mental wellness a priority for Americans and the world. “Idaho is my home,” says Mariel. “It’s unlike any place I know. There is the shiny life of Sun Valley, where glitz and glamour types have come since the ‘30s and ‘40s, and then there’s Idaho as what it is. Those who stay in Idaho get it. It is a soulful understanding. There’s something about being here that makes you real.”
PHOTO TAL ROBERTS
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Idaho has always been home for Mariel. It’s where she grew up, lived most of her life, and raised her daughters. She has not only found inspiration and a calling to help people battling mental health issues, but Mariel has also taken on new projects in the role of producer, a role she cherishes. Since offering the world a glimpse of her life and family in the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award nominee documentary, Running from Crazy, by Barbara Kopple, followed by the release of her book Out Came the Sun: Overcoming the Legacy of Mental Illness, Addiction, and Suicide in My Family in 2015, Mariel continues to thrive on these accomplishments and spark new opportunities. “I’ve been speaking around the country, and I have discovered many groups that are doing very effective work in the mental health space and with addiction and suicide prevention. However, in general, no one knows where to go, for instance, if a child is bipolar or suicidal or how to handle senior depression,” she says. Mariel is a supportive and outspoken champion for open discussion of mental health and wellness resources. She is launching the Mariel Hemingway Foundation to answer a need and a calling, especially since the pandemic. “I started the Mariel Hemingway Foundation to be a resource and a place to find answers,” she explains. “I am raising seed capital to move this into the next phase with an app that will work around the country that anyone can use to find mental health support wherever they are. In addition, I want to create a show to talk to kids, famous people, firemen, and people who want to share their stories and experience with addiction, suicide, cutting, or anything that has compromised their mental health. I want people to share their stories about how they survived and are continuing to survive.” Mariel knows this world well and is open to sharing her own experience with depression and suicidal thoughts. “I know what it’s like. The more I talk about it, the easier it becomes,” she says. “I want to hear people’s stories and figure out where they
are and what is happening in their communities to find what is helpful. I want to give visual inspiration with a sense of hope and solution for every individual who needs it. I want to do this because it doesn’t exist. I want to bring light to it. People are not alone, and there are different types of help from holistic tendencies, medications, and so much more. I want to help create community and a place for people to go.” Voices like Mariel’s give people the confidence to seek help. With increased awareness and by addressing issues productively, a new path to make mental health a part of everyday society’s conversations can exist. Mariel is working on her foundation
aware that one size does not fit all regarding mental health and finding well-being. “Holistically, there’s a great deal that’s needed,” she says. “We need to get back to having conversations. It is important. It’s about the variables and choices. Everyone must be willing to talk about it with information and support. We need to move away from the term ‘crazy’ into more understanding.” Being focused on health and wellness is not a fleeting pastime for Mariel. She has been part of the mental wellness call for decades, if not her entire life. “After what we have been through, throughout the world, everyone is feeling anxious and apprehen-
PHOTO TAL ROBERTS
“People are not alone,
and there are different types of help from holistic tendencies, medications, and so much more. I want to help create community and a place for people to go.” with insurance companies and their behavioral health areas to support and create an extensive reach. “It’s exciting because insurance companies need to address mental health powerfully and effectively. Education is showing that our physical bodies and mental states are linked. One doesn’t go without the other. Opening all these doors is important and needed now,” she adds. When it comes to mental health, it’s more often about checking boxes instead of checking in. Mariel’s life experiences, her dedication to a life of health and wellness, and her understanding of the human condition makes a bona fide difference. She is
sive about the future. It has nothing to do with belief systems. Everyone has underlying anxiety about our choices and the world we live in. It’s a tough time for many humans. I want people to feel better about the lives they lead and give them resources, to reach out and talk to people who feel the same way,” she shares. Mariel’s is a voice that’s there for those in need, not only because she has grown up with mental health challenges all around her, but also because she has had her own battles. She’s not afraid to reveal her personal struggles and wants others to feel comfortable doing so as well.
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“I had family shame and embarrassment about mental health,” she says. “However, no one has a new story about this. Millions of people have gone through similar situations at every level. Yet, it’s the effect of the humanity of a single person who has had a traumatic experience that helps you begin to understand that community is most important, along with being able to say, ‘We’re all in this together,’ because we are.” Evolving and having the freedom to speak freely about mental health and wellness is a topic that has been far from taboo since the pandemic. Yet has it been embraced even in our new world existence? “It takes a person willing to say we all have issues,” says Mariel. “My family didn’t know, and that was the time they lived in, which was very different than today. Doing things that no one did and coming from a generation that didn’t speak as we do now, the judgment didn’t exist for someone like my grandfather, who wrote about relationships, women, and the sport of hunting. It was part of his makeup to live in the moment, and
he loved the outdoors. But unfortunately, he may have suffered for a very long time, and drinking was self-medication to numb the overwhelming feelings he had.” Mariel is working on other engaging projects, including producing a show about her grandfather’s book, A Moveable Feast. A semi-fictional period piece that includes her sisters, it is a project that has been in the works for some time. As much as she loves being on camera, especially speaking and having conversations, Mariel enjoys the producer role. “It’s creating with less ego involved,” she says. “I find it liberating.” At her side, Mariel’s entrepreneur partner, Bobby, is doing his cutting-edge health and wellness exploration with the Stratosphere ATC Chamber, which allows a human to achieve the elevation of Mount Everest in only minutes and then return to current elevation – a fascinating health invention. His work is excitingly progressive, and as a couple, Mariel and Bobby are a 21st-century model of living. As they navigate a world in need of relief, healing, and
achieving wellness, their dedication to the mind and body connection is a propeller to both remedy and achievement. “Bobby is in the throes of launching a state-of-the-art health machine that significantly shifts physical health,” tells Mariel. “It is these types of efforts, which take time to manifest, that have meaning, a lasting effect, and an impact.” At 60, Mariel is ready for the more difficult challenges she is taking on and admits that, as a woman, it’s not easy. “The pressure to be a woman is hard, especially if you have been youthful and active your whole life. You don’t feel old, but your body changes. It works to stay healthy, but you must do it properly, and it is a great deal more work, but it’s much more rewarding. Your whole being is stepping up to the plate to keep up with mental and physical and emotional demands, so you need to have structure. You must face and conquer. As Bobby says, ‘We are going to make 60 the new 30.’” marielhemingwayfoundation.com @marielhemingway
“Everyone must be
willing to talk about it with information and support. We need to move away from the term ‘crazy’ into more understanding.”
PHOTO TAL ROBERTS
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Fall in love with the Wood River Valley Dancing, Dining, Fly Fishing, Fat Biking, Skiing, Shopping and so much more! Discover all the Wood River Valley has to offer in the winter. w w w. v a l l e y c h a m b e r. o r g
Book a Room, Help a Child
Ketchum’s Limelight Hotel Gives Back
PHOTO COURTESY LIMELIGHT HOTEL
PHOTO COURTESY SWIFTSURE
BY LEX NELSON
In the summer of 2021, a dozen kids from Wood River Middle School and Wood River High School arrived at Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Bellevue for an equine-facilitated learning session. These weren’t typical students on a field trip. The kids were part of The Bluebirds, an adolescent mental health and suicidal support group sponsored by The National Alliance on Mental Illness - Wood River Valley (NAMI-WRV ). Students who join The Bluebirds are locked in battles with mental illness, and 28
working with horses at Swiftsure helps them fight it. The time spent with gentle animals is a vehicle for social-emotional learning. As Swiftsure Executive Director Paul Bennett puts it, “The environment promotes healthy social interaction, respect, and team-based problem-solving.” The therapy session at Swiftsure last summer was one of several made possible by an unusual donor — the Limelight Ketchum Community Fund (LKCF). The fund was created in 2017 by the Limelight Hotel Ketchum, one of three hotels in the Limelight Hotels group. Every year, its grant cycle supports up
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to 13 organizations in the Wood River Valley focused on mental health, domestic abuse, and crisis care. In 2020, the Fund donated $5,280 to Swiftsure and $2,500 to NAMI. “[Those funds] went to direct costs like paying the instructors, the arena, the cost of the horses — all of that good stuff,” Bennett says. Dollars pour into the LKCF from a variety of sources. “The Fund is financed by contributions from the Limelight Hotel Ketchum’s operations, by employees through an optional paycheck deduction, and by
PHOTOS COURTESY SWIFTSURE
“So many kids are having anxiety. They were isolated from friends and coming back [to school] was a lot for them — it still is.”
guests through an optional $1-per-night donation,” explains Meaghan De L’arbre, the Public Relations Senior Manager of Limelight Hotels. “The board of directors, made up of Limelight Hotel Ketchum employees, determines which qualified applicants receive a grant.” The Blaine County Education Foundation (BCEF) is another of those qualified applicants. It focuses on helping underprivileged kids and teens in public schools by paying individual fees for field trips, sports, and after-school activities; offering scholarships; giving grants to teachers; and more. BCEF received $3,040 from the LKCF in 2018 and another $3,000 in 2020. In 2018, that money funded the creation of the A101 Special Needs Program in partnership with Jaime Rivetts of the Idaho Social Learning Center. The program teaches social skills to kids with autism and other special needs. The 2020 funds were initially intended for after-school academic support. But when COVID-19 hit, BCEF pivoted to focus more on mental health. They used the grant funds to pay for online support groups for middle and high school students, also spearheaded by Rivetts. “So many kids are having anxiety. They were isolated from friends and coming back
[to school] was a lot for them — it still is. Fortunately, we were able to start a new program thanks to that funding,” says BCEF Executive Director, Kristy Heitzman. Since 2016, the LKCF has distributed roughly $150,000 to charitable organizations, and didn’t slow down in 2020. In fact, when the Limelight Hotel Ketchum reopened after lockdown it donated an additional $15,000 to The Hunger Coalition, The Senior Connection Meals on Wheels Program, NAMI, and the Crisis Hotline to help combat the effects of COVID-19. That gift went beyond LKCF’s usual grant cycle of roughly $25,000-$30,000 per year. “Our organization does not have very deep pockets so we have been funding our services week by week and month by month,” Teresa Beahan Lipman, executive director of The Senior Connection, says. “This is AMAZING news. We have grown 382% in two months and this is much needed and greatly appreciated!” The Limelight Hotel Ketchum is far from the only hotel with a giveback component. Limelight Hotel employees in Colorado also run the Caring for Community Fund to support organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley (home to Limelight’s Aspen and Snowmass hotels).
That fund has given $580,000 since 2017. Outside of Limelight, The Washington Post reports that other “socially conscious hotels” like the Ace Hotel in Chicago and Caesars Entertainment make donations ranging from money and volunteer hours to soap. Last year, Forbes highlighted the Hyatt Loves Local program, which was created in 2020 to “support local businesses with resources, operational sites, and publicity during the COVID-19 pandemic” and funds more than 160 small business collaborations across the globe. More hotels might soon follow this model, because as it turns out, giving back is good for business! One study from Horizon Media’s Finger on the Pulse found that 81% of millennials “expect companies to make a public commitment to good corporate citizenship.” If you stay at the Limelight Hotel Ketchum this ski season, consider opting in to the $1-per-night donation to help local causes when your head hits the pillow. You’re sure to sleep better knowing that your dollar will help others.
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CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Mysteries, Myths, and TRUTHS
BY JEFFREY WISE
When I first heard about crypto in 2013, I was sitting in a physics class at Ohio State University. At first, it simply sounded like a novel way of approaching money, but too complicated for a regular guy like me to wrap my mind around. But I’m innately curious, so I dove deep into this murky topic, including supply charts and the method of issuance of Bitcoin. I didn’t understand exactly what it was that I was learning, but the concept, however vague, seemed likely to somehow, someday, affect my personal financial reality. Here I am, nine years older, still a regular guy, with my mind and finances firmly wrapped around how cryptocurrencies work. The purpose of this article is not to go into those operational intricacies. I just want to share the basics of the technology for those regular people, like me, who are curious but have no idea why or how Bitcoin even exists, let alone how it gains and holds value. Let’s first admit that cryptocurrencies seem kind of like unicorns – they probably don’t exist because you can’t see them. To begin, the whole idea of decentralized currencies and blockchain is rooted in the idea of “digital scarcity.” That concept never even existed before Bitcoin “turned on” in 2009. This concept is really hard to grasp because it’s so dissimilar to paper currency – you can’t stuff it in your wallet and the Federal Reserve can’t print more if we, aka the U.S. Government, runs out. That’s a different kind of scarcity, but if you look closely, it’s still “manufactured scarcity.” The fact that the Feds aren’t guaranteeing the value of cryptocurrencies makes the investment sound scary or frivolous, especially when you use hard-earned paper dollars to buy it. But think more deeply and you’ll discover one of the basic tenets of cryptocurrencies: If the Feds aren’t controlling issuance, that also means the Feds aren’t controlling the assigned value of this “digital” method of exchange. Hmmmm. So who does control the value?
ALL PHOTOS STOCK.ADOBE.COM
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“It’s a new and exciting evolution of the use of digital technology –and the human methodology of exchange.” To simplify, I’ll use an analogy with digital photos. A digital photo is a series of 1s and 0s encrypted and decrypted depending on if you’re taking the photo or looking at the photo on a digital device. Using current technology, it can be copied and sent an infinite number of times. This makes it very convenient to program and send using the internet in its current iteration, but once you share it, there is no way of preventing innumerable copies from being created and shared. It is also possible, although unlikely, that someone can hack into your accounts and steal this digital data, just by the nature of the data being centralized. Being centralized creates single points of failure in any digital system. Hence, cyber-security is considered one the greatest perils to national security. And what about all that Amazon shopping? Or typing your social security number on the IRS website?
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Blockchain changes all of this. Imagine you take a photo using a digital camera and instead of saving it on your device or “in the cloud,” it’s minted as a “Non Fungible Token” or NFT and saved into your personal “digital wallet.” In this scenario, you own that photo and no other copies of it can exist without you explicitly creating them. Now let’s say you only create a single NFT of that photo. This makes it possible for you to send that photo securely to anyone on the planet, but once you send it, you no longer have it or even a copy of it. This example explains the fundamental principle of the idea of digital scarcity. Everything you create is a Mona Lisa, singular and priceless, or worthless, depending on demand. That’s how cryptocurrencies work. It’s a new and exciting evolution of the use of digital technology –and the human methodology of exchange. (Check out the History of Currency for relevance.)
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Bitcoin takes advantage of this digital scarcity and is designed to increase scarcity over time by utilizing a diminishing issuing supply schedule. This allows for a digital account of supply that cannot be manipulated, can be predicted, and sets the stage for humanity to have its first monetary supply that is fair, transparent, and which cannot be inflated by way of new issuance. How this is accomplished is beyond the scope of this article, but imagine an open source, global, decentralized network that has no central authority and the security of the network is ensured by physics and math, outside of the influence of any single government or corporate intervention. This revelation can be disturbing or delightful depending on how comfortable you are with anything to do with physics and higher math. In other words, Einstein would probably have bought Bitcoin on its first issuance. Elon Musk did not need Einstein’s example.
Now imagine a world where the idea of having individual accounts for every online service is outdated. The new way of utilizing online services allows you, the user, to be in complete control of which companies have access to what information about you and that access can be revoked at any time at your discretion. This is accomplished by the use of a “digital wallet.” All of your personal information would be held in this digital wallet and only the information that is absolutely necessary would be shared with any companies to which you decide to grant access. When you’re done using their service, you revoke access and they no longer have the ability to communicate with you or use your personal information. This equals digital efficiency, security, and freedom. Please remember, I’m a regular guy. It’s not my intention nor profession to give financial advice. The purpose of this article is to help paint the picture of why these assets are being created, how they exist, and to share the opportunities cryptocurrencies present. I know these things to be true because in March of 2020, when the world markets crashed due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw an opportunity in Bitcoin. At the time, the likelihood of Bitcoin falling more than the $3,800 per Bitcoin price bottom was highly unlikely. This is because I understood that Bitcoin represents a market that is not controlled by any particular country or organization. I also understood that the next “halving” (a word used to describe the halving of new Bitcoin issuance every four years) was happening in May of 2020. That would predictably create a supply squeeze, driving the price up. That’s when I decided to put much of my last six years of hard-earned profit from flipping real estate into Bitcoin and a few select crypto projects. That choice, which some considered a risk, provided a more than 4,000% return with ongoing interest payments.
It’s important to point out that some crypto projects are like the Wild West, forging ahead without meticulous study, and some are being developed with a more methodical approach. Regardless, the crypto world continues to gain traction. Entire countries now utilize Bitcoin as their primary currency along with the USD. This progress towards legitimacy and acceptance holds the promise
of giving the power of money back to the people by removing the need for a third party to facilitate transactions and control of value. Shells, wampum, whiskey, or gold – currency has been around and changing since hominids began wandering this earth, deciding what money is and what it can do. Welcome to the crypto chapter in the history of currency. It is a reality. Unicorns remain debatable.
BRIEF HISTORY OF CURRENCY 2000 B.C. GOATS, PIGS AND WHATEVER WORKS Before currency, there was barter-animals, food, goods- but imagine the disadvantages. Was a big goat that would age but provided milk worth more than 2 small ones? 1,200 B.C. COWRIE SHELLS Once upon a time, humans traded the rare Cowrie shells of sea snails as currency. The creatures, usually found in deep sea beds, required free diving expertise in ancient times. The hard, smooth shells, sans snails, varied in size and prevented forgery, but were not accessible to the landlocked. 1,000 B.C. METAL COINS The Stone Age brought forth advancements in creating standard units of account for value with metals. China forged imitation Cowrie shells in copper and bronze. Other civilizations used copper, gold and silver to create the first medal coins, which were durable, small and divisible by weight. However, fakery was rampant, and transactions were made difficult across cultures, especially trading from Europe to Asia and Africa. Spices you can eat. Silks you can wear. But what good is a little round piece of metal when riding camels across the Gobi desert? 550BC GOLD Gold, the lustrous, chemically- inert compound found in the earth was highly valued since prehistoric times and used predominantly for jewelry and worship for 2,000 years. In 1,500 BC the Egyptian Empire, rich with deposits in Nubia, established this mineral as the first official medium of exchange in international trade. Thank Tutankhamen and Cleopatra for the Gold Standard. A.D. 618- 907 PAPER FIAT Paper money, which must be backed by the issuing government, came about with the Tang Dynasty in China. This form of currency, the yen, euro or dollar have value because all societies agree that it does. Paper money is easy to carry, divide and trade without argument except at a flea market. Governments prefer it because they have central bank control and must compete for economic dominance. But- can you imagine there was some resistance to agreeing a lump of gold was worth a few pieces of paper? Think about this in relation to societal and governmental “crypto-resistance.” A.D. 2000 -- DIGITAL BLOCKCHAIN ….REMEMBER: This article is just an FYI history lesson about the future!
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TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Natural Intelligence Systems AI IS EVERYWHERE BY HAILEY MINTON
“Mary had a little ____.” “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your ____.” If you are familiar with these nursery rhymes, your brain automatically fills the gaps with “lamb” and “hands.” Brains are trained to recognize sequences, which helps us correctly predict missing information. You’re probably not aware of it, but our brains look for patterns and fill in gaps with predictions as we go about our days. We base decisions off of those patterns. Natural Intelligence Systems won the most innovative company in Idaho award for 2021 because they are building an AI system that emulates the pattern-based operating system of our brains. For an AI system to operate, you have to feed it a lot of information. Within that information are sequences of patterns. All AI systems, whether mathematics-based or pattern-based, have to feed on what is called training data. Once the system has seen the data, then it has learned to make predictions about any future information it might see. Your brain consumes about the equivalent of 20 watts of power as you are awake and reading this. That’s about as much energy as is needed to power a small light bulb. “[Brains] are tremendously more powerful than the best AI systems,” says Paul Dlugosch, CEO and founder of Natural Intelligence Systems. Mathematically-based systems provide only a fraction 34
PHOTO COURTESY PAUL DLUGOSCH
Natural Intelligence Systems software engineers Matt Adsitt (left) and Anthony Harris.
of the capability of a human brain at a much higher energy cost. These mathematical systems can take thousands of watts to operate. They require a hundred times more energy than pattern-based AI because of the vast number of mathematical calculations they compute. “They’re solving the problem in the wrong domain,” says Dlugosch. That is why instead of trying to build upon the mathematics-based AI system, Natural Intelligence Systems is taking an entirely new approach. The company is working on pattern recognition instead of converting data into a mathematical problem. “When you stay in the domain that the human brain works in, it changes how AI can be implemented, and frankly it results in a better AI… The first thing we do in our system is take all the information as fast as it comes in and change it to digital patterns,” says Dlu-
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gosch. Mathematical systems, on the other hand, turn it into a number. He adds, “You can’t see it. We could print [the pattern] out in a form. From that moment forward we’re working in a system that is much more like the brain.” The energy savings isn’t the only perk from this technology. The mathematical operations in AI used today act like a data blender that is hard to unravel. It doesn’t give the reasons why it came to a decision. Natural Intelligence’s pattern-based AI is intrinsically explainable. Dlugosch says that when it tells us why it reached a certain conclusion, it makes us smarter and increases confidence in the conclusion the system came to. For example, more and more loan applications are being sent to AI systems instead of loan officers. Dlugosch anticipates that AI is going to have tremendous societal
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Above: Most of the Natural Intelligence Team is gathered during a team-building event at the local axe-throwing facility. Below right: Paul Dlugosch, Founder and CEO of Natural Intelligence Systems
impact because there is a relentless drive for efficiency. These systems don’t take sick days, they don’t need benefits, and they can do a better job of making the prediction of a person’s ability to pay back a loan. However, current systems will only tell whether John Doe was approved or not, without any reasoning to explain that conclusion. A natural intelligence system could give all the reasons and factors and help John see the shortest path to be qualified for a loan. “Imagine someone doing cancer research. When they put patient data into a system, the system simply comes back and says this patient is likely to develop malignant cancer. That’s a good start, but it would be much more valuable if it could explain why,” says Dlugosch. “We’re taking the most advanced neuromorphic computing principles and we’re engineering a way to realize that in a
computer chip. That is the magic of what we’re doing,” says Dlugosch. The firm just completed a contract with the Department of Defense and is currently under contract with NASA. “We’re engaging with selective customers and all of this work really is designed to help us move forward to start applying our technology to real world problems,” he explains. They are testing their system and verifying that it can perform under the conditions that potential customers have. It is not commercially available yet, but that is their aim. There have been millions of hours of work put into the mathematics-based AI system as it has been continuously developed over the last 50 years. Dlugosch says that it has advanced basically as far as it can go, adding, “We’re a team of 18 people. To our knowledge, there’s no one else developing this technology.” It is a lofty goal to one day
replace all mathematics-based AI systems, but Natural Intelligence Systems is doing more than just dreaming about it.
PHOTO COURTESY PAUL DLUGOSCH
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MAYOR Lauren McLean Talks 2022 BY APRIL NEALE
Boise is no ordinary capital city. Instead, the dynamic City of Trees is where many people want to live, work, and recreate. And because a river runs through it, the residential communities in town are right alongside glorious hiking trails and open spaces, playgrounds, and parks. This visionary preservation of open urban adjacent spaces owes a great deal of debt to the current mayor, Lauren McLean. In 2001 and at age 27, McLean spearheaded the historic Boise Foothills Open Space Campaign to protect the Boise Foothills for future generations. In 2011, she entered local politics and was appointed to Boise’s City Council, was twice re-elected, and then was selected to become Council President in 2017. In 2019, she routed the deeply entrenched mayor, David Bieter, with 65.5% to his 34.5% in a historic race to become the city’s first female and youngest mayor. Boiseans seem to share a deep sense of local pride. Mayor McLean, born in Boston, has proudly PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF BOISE called Boise home since graduating from college. “I was told once by the director of a foundation PHOTO STOCK.ADOBE.COM that he’d never heard anyone talk about the city where they Then, I talk about open spaces, and of course, I talk about the lived in the same way that I talked about the city that I love so energy that we bring to this place and how that impacts the endmuch, and that’s when I was on [city] council,” says McLean, less sense of opportunity and possibility that we as Boiseans have adding, “I talk about our people first and how committed because we’re so intentional in loving and protecting this place we are to each other and how the Boise way of life includes that we call home.” opening your arms to friends, neighbors, and new arrivals.
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Mayor McLean pedaling to power live music at First Thursday.
PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF BOISE
A city infused with tremendous energy demands that the mayor be in constant motion. McLean is seen at ceremonies, inductions, awards, memorials, and celebrations of the unique cultures that make Boise a hot destination. Yet it’s clear that maintaining the quality of life is at the forefront of the Mayor’s daily docket. “I moved here when I was 24. What struck me about Boise and the reason we wanted to make this our home was the beautiful open spaces with ready access to trails and an incredibly vibrant downtown and strong neighborhoods where you could live and then work easily downtown,” says McLean. “It’s what made us decide that this is where we wanted to build our life. And while the city has changed, that energy, optimism, and vibrancy still exist, as does the deep connection that folks have here to this place. And that makes it special.” Not every day in Boise is perfect, and the city has gone through some rough patches. For example, in late 2020 the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial was defaced by Nazi graffiti. It was done again recently on the nearby greenbelt walls near the Memorial, the only Anne Frank Memorial in the United States. 38
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None of this undercurrent of hate is lost on McLean, who is Jewish and grew up in Houston’s Meyerland, a predominantly Jewish community. She says, “It’s an affront to our entire community. And we have said clearly that this is not okay. We will not tolerate it. And it’s up to residents of all faiths to stand with our Jewish neighbors, to stand with and for our city in not only denouncing this, but also in determining how we can make it clear that this is not welcome here.” Contentious issues also include access to affordable housing. Boise is a national example of supply and demand red-hot capitalism when it comes to real estate. And McLean is working overtime to include a percentage of development that will be earmarked for lower-income folks who work in the city. “To have a city that is as livable as ours, we have to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to find a home at a Boise budget. It’s a priority of ours,” notes McLean, who shares her beginnings in town. “I think back to the fact that my husband was 23 and I was 24 when we bought our first house here on one income, only a year out of college. And because we were able to do that, we were able to build a solid foundation and to create a life and build a family here while paying student debt and everything else all on our own.” McLean notes that housing prices matched Boise budgets when she arrived. “I hear from so many residents that their kids, like my own kids, wouldn’t be able to do the same, so this is real for me. And it’s personal,” she adds. Boise was recently named the most financially unlivable city by CBS media research, with the mean price of a single family home at $533,000, which is TEN times the mean Treasure Valley annual income of $53,000. McLean has a plan for increasing affordable units. As she explains, “We look at housing from several different fronts. First, we have to help keep those already housed in their homes. So [we are] working with Jesse Tree and other organizations to prevent eviction because the most strategic and easiest step to making sure people are housed is keeping them housed. You might have seen that with Boise City Housing Authority, we had access to emergency rental assistance funds, and we have dispersed 100% of those funds. We’ve asked the federal government to send some of the Idaho funds directly to Boise because the state has not dispersed nearly as many funds. They’ve probably dispersed less than 10%. So I’m proud of the partnership with Boise City Housing Authority to make that happen and look forward in January to having more funds to assist residents.”
Developers, too, clearly hear the mayor’s priorities when they present plans to the City Council. As McLean says, “We’re also working to ensure that houses are being built for Boise budgets. And right now, I’m using our city land trust, where we’ve looked at the plot of land that we have in our coffers as a city that is better utilized for housing. We have 370 affordable housing units that are in the pipeline. And then we’ve also got to make sure that there’s enough housing being built. In the last nine months, we have approved about 1,600 units at different price points here in the city. And in 2022, we’ll be looking at some pilot projects related to accessory dwelling units and tiny homes.” McLean also has concerns for the growing homeless population in Boise, compounded by Ada County Commissioners withdrawing more funds for the housing-first program. She says, “There is the importance of supporting those who are unhoused, and permanent supportive housing is a data-proven, time-tested best practice. New Path [housing] has made a huge difference in the lives of those residents and nonprofit healthcare, and frankly, city leaders are committed to that model, and we look forward to doing more together. But, unfortunately, the county chose to pull away from a proven model that has been helping keep people off the streets here in our city.” One potential windfall can be the state’s initiatives for investing in green energy sources, providing incentive for jobs and projects that will make Boise a sustainable city of the future. The potential hinges on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which McLean was invited to Washington, D.C., to witness. She was thrilled to be there. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvest in our infrastructure in the state,” she says. “I’m excited about the opportunity it creates for regional transit and public transportation and grateful that the airport will receive funds for further infrastructure build-out.” The “clean” part of this deal truly excites McLean. “There are funds for electrification fleets and electric vehicles, which aligns with our priorities as well as clean water and of course, roads and bridges. When I think about and listen to Boise
residents, they talk about the value they place on clean water and have said loud and clear with the bond passage that they want to see the city invest in these areas,” she explains. “We are also working to create economic opportunity through our transition to clean energy in the long run. This infrastructure bill will help us do that if we seek every opportunity to apply for grants possible. And of course, work closely with the state because they’ll be receiving the bulk of the fund.” Idaho’s population is demographically in flux, but state politics remain predominantly conservative-ruled. Regardless of partisan divisions, McLean agrees that the majority of residents share a concern to protect our scenic state. “I want to thank [Idaho] senators James Rische and Mike Crapo for voting for the Bipartisan Infrastructure deal. They saw this as a good investment in our state and the nation. Climate, quality of life, love of the outdoors, and understanding that clean water and clean air is important for our health and well-being unites all people in this state,” she says. The future is always hard to predict. Still, with intelligent planning, data, and a deep sense of loyalty to the people and promises that got her elected, McLean keeps her intentions transparent and focused on policies that equally support every constituent and our beautiful, fragile environment. As she states, “These are issues that get to the core of what it means to live healthy and vibrant lives and to create opportunity for our grandkids, regardless of political party or where we live in the state. Idahoans agree on those concepts.” PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF BOISE
Mayor McLean talks with Acuarela Spanish Preschool owner Belen Guillen. www.idahomemagazine.com
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Ain’t I A Woman and Bell Hooks In the course of my lifetime, so many wonderful people from a multitude of backgrounds, ages, professions, and relationships have “prophetically” shared their calling on my life – their word of truth for me. Neighborhood soothsayers, pastors, root workers, talent scouts, musicians, business folks, friends, foes, visionaries, mystics, and family have shared the “real purpose” for my life. No big surprise, they differed greatly. As a “colored” girl from the south side of the tracks, I have realized many of their prophecies. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, work for and with great organizations nationally and internationally, and make beautiful music with talented artists in venues near and far. I serve on local and national boards, and I have built and operate a couple of businesses. I am also blessed to have an amazing extended family. Have mercy. I am very grateful and extremely humbled just writing these words.
In my youth, Idaho just didn’t provide entree to Black professional women; there were few leaders and thinkers who questioned, disagreed, and spoke their truths with power and clarity about the experience of the marginalized. But I did have access to strong role models, fearless individuals who would question, disagree, and speak the truth of the marginalized with power and clarity. Black women writers brought the larger world within reach. Today, I pay homage to Bell Hooks, one who honored the past with truth, faced injustice fearlessly, and illuminated the struggles of Black women in not only the white world, but also in the cultural context of the Black community. Ms. Hooks, author, visionary, activist, feminist, sister, passed away in late December 2021. Her passing broke my heart. Though I never met her, she was one of my sister-writer-mentors. I often felt as if she walked with me. Her work, “Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism,” truly struck a chord with me that continues to ring in my ear. First,
BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB sion, duality, faux acceptance, and how the interconnectivity of race and gender perpetuates oppression within and across cultures. Bell Hooks supported my determination to realize a synergy of mind, body, spirit that I had not known before “meeting” her. Her courageous honesty ignited a fire in me to “come out as feminist” without apology, to strive for congruence
“I pay homage to Bell Hooks, one who honored the past with truth, faced injustice fearlessly, and illuminated the struggles of Black women in not only the white world, but also in the cultural context of the Black community.” WIKICOMMONS
In retrospect, “doing these things” has been daunting, exhilarating, exhausting, and made my life purposeful. All that “doing” has been the labor toward becoming the Cherie I am called to be. But I didn’t do this alone. I am ever grateful for those who shared the keys toward achieving a harmonious wholeness of mind, body, and spirit. 40
because the title refers to Sojourner Truth’s famous speech, “Ain’t I A Woman,” and also because it was one of the first books I read detailing the systematic disrespect and sexual objectification of Black women in America. She chronicled the challenges of Black women from slavery up to the time of publication of the book. She spoke directly about oppres-
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and authenticity. Unspoken notions about what constitutes a “good Black girl” were dispelled and replaced with the wholeness of embracing all rights, independence, and uniqueness due to me. Bell Hooks, thank you for your indomitable spirit, illuminating words, righteous legacy, and for shedding light on the darkness.
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