The Independent News September 2015 issue

SEPTEMBER 2015

Volume 6 • Issue 9

www.theindnews.com

Residents in Payette, Eagle Brace for Sept. 16 Hearing on Gas & Oil Drilling Alta Mesa possesses 13 ‘split estate’ leases in Eagle: Residents have ‘no idea’ group says

By Philip A. Janquart BOISE – A hearing to determine whether an oil company can force landowners to sign leases for gas and oil drilling on their property will be held Sept. 16 at the Capital building in Boise.

Alta Mesa Holdings, Inc. owns about 15 gas wells in Payette County near the rural farming communities of Fruitland, New Plymouth and Payette.

Some residents say they fear they may be forced to sign leases that would give Alta Mesa the right to drill for resources that exist under their homes, through “any means necessary.”

The Texas-based company offers landowners the opportunity to invest in its venture through outright investment in return for a royalty on the natural resources that are acquired. Residents who can’t afford to make an up-front investment can pay the company back through payments taken out of their royalty awards.

way because Some landownmany mortgage ers, who want companies renothing to do serve the right with the drilling, to accelerate a say they may end mortgage if the up being forced property is to sign leases leased, sold or through what the transferred withgas and oil indusout notice. try calls “integra“What they are tion.” doing is forcing Citizens Allied residents to sign for Integrity and leases for the Accountability mineral rights to (CAIA), an exA worker discards waste at a 'mini-refinery' their property,” panding grass located off I-84, at the New Plymouth's Exit 9, west roots organization of Eagle. The refinery will process gas from drill she said.

“Through laws dedicated to chalpads in New Plymouth, Fruitland and Payette passed by Idaho’s lenging “big oil,” legislators over the past three years, Alta Mesa calls it “forced pooling.” can force property owners to sign a lease that Executive director Alma Hasse, a Payette allows them to extract the resources in the County resident, says homeowners who sign ground through any means necessary.” leases could be putting themselves in harms

Alta Mesa has submitted two applications to the Idaho Department of Lands’ Oil and Gas Commission, seeking approval to force landowners to sign the leases or suffer a 300 percent penalty on the investment they would have made in the venture, which, in some cases, is hundreds of thousands of dollars.

At a preliminary hearing last month, Alta Mesa claimed it served notice on residents within two “spacing units” in Payette County about its intention to proceed with the integration process. Several residents, represented by local attorneys, have since come forward, stating they were in fact not notified in time to attend the preliminary hearing and that, as a result, have had very little time to respond within the 21-day deadline.

The Sept. 16 hearing gives Alta Mesa and respondents the opportunity to make their case for or against approving the applications.

Continued on page 5

By Philip A. Janquart Eagle city councilman Stan Ridgeway has announced he is running for Mayor in the November 2015 general elections.

Ridgeway, elected to the city council two years ago, says he was inspired to run for mayor after watching how the city has operated in the past.

“I started going to city council meetings about three years ago, and just watching the way our city council ran, I questioned whether our mayor had the necessary experience to guide city staff and the council,” he

said, referring to Eagle Mayor Jim Reynolds.

“To me, it was obvious: council members were interrupting him, and talking over him, and he never used the gavel. It made me question ‘who is running the ship?’”

Ridgeway came to Idaho from Alaska where he served two terms on the Juneau Board of Education and one term in the Juneau Assembly (city council).

Ridgeway also noted a lack of transparency and “respectful” communication between the Eagle city council and its constituents.

“Before I was elected to the council, I attended numerous meetings where Eagle residents were interrupted, berated and harassed while giving testimony before the council,” he said. “It’s the mayor’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen. The mayor must assure the taxpayers that they can come before their elected representatives without fear of being rebuked.”

Ridgeway was the Deputy Director for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and a Program Coordinator for the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services and Labor before retiring in 2003 as the Deputy Director

of the Alaska Division of Insurance.

He says Eagle’s city leaders need to take a more “Fiscally conservative” approach to spending taxpayer dollars.

“I think Eagle has made some bad investments that seem to benefit private enterprise while Eagle taxpayers foot the bill,” said Ridgeway. “The Terrain Park is a perfect example. The deal was done without going through proper bidding procedures, without thoroughly vetting the applicant and without the city doing its own, independent financial analysis of the proposal.”

He also takes a distinct stance regarding private property rights and the processes involving the development of the city’s annual budget, adding that he feels the city was too aggressive in how it handled the abandoned gas station at State Street and Eagle Road.

“In some cases the property owners were hampered by Eagle city leaders’ actions from developing their property,” he said. “Eagle has spent far too much time and taxpayer money on issues where I think we are on questionable legal footing. I believe a strong mayor would direct the council to carefully

weigh a situation like this before taking action and choose a more appropriate, potentially successful path.”

Ridgeway says he believes a strong leader would “take a different, more conservative approach to budgeting” than Eagle city leaders have in the past.

“The mayor should work with staff to determine each department’s needs, then seek input from each council member before putting together the budget,” he added. “The process currently has the council determining how much they can raise the budget within the legal limits, then they look for ways they can spend the money. That’s not an efficient, cost-effective way to budget.”

If elected, Ridgeway would nominate an individual to take his place on the council. The council would then be tasked with confirming the nomination.

Look for The Independent’s Oct. 1 story on all the candidates running for mayor, as well as the candidates running for the two open city council seats being vacated by Mark Butler and Mary McFarland, who are not running for re-election, according to Butler.

Eagle Councilman Ridgeway Announces Run for Mayor

Eagle Mayoral Candidate, Stan Ridgeway

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID EAGLE, IDAHO PERMIT NO. 60

ECRWSS

POSTAL PATRON LOCAL

City of Eagle Honors Steve Gleason pg. 4

Eagle PT Celebrates 20 Years pg. 11

Star’s New Mural pg. 18

PAGE 2 • September 2015

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Editor’s Notes

Happy September and Happy Back to School! Our youngest son is back at BSU for his second year. This year, he’s moved out of the dorms and is sharing an apartment with three of his buddies. He moved into one of the newly built apartments and was so excited, he was counting down the days. He’s also looking forward to getting back to his classes…wait, did I just write that?

Even though he’s still close by, it’s with mixed emotion that I said goodbye again this year. It doesn’t seem to get any easier. I’m both happy to see him progress in his Melissa Upton life and selfishly sad because I miss him like crazy. He’s been a great help this summer doing some photography work for us at TIN and also working with my husband in our other business. I wish him luck and hope that he’ll still come home some weekends.

One thing that I am fully happy about is the change of seasons. Fall is my favorite season, with the changing foliage and the crisp air. Although my husband is a fan of the warmer temperatures, as I get older I’ve realized that heat is not my friend, so I’ve been staying out of it as much as possible.

Here at TIN, we have been busy working on the new website. It will launch very soon; with it will come some email changes, but we’re working to make it as seamless a transition as possible. We’ll be announcing the launch on our Facebook page, so stay tuned!

We continue to receive some great feedback from all of you and truly cool story ideas.

One such idea will come to fruition next month. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be starting a new column about unique hobbies going on in our community and we need your help! Share your hobbies with us at theindnews.story@gmail.com and we may feature your story!

Have a great September and, as always, thank you for your loyal readership.

Cheers!

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Idaho Judge Says Ag-Gag Law Unconstitutional

By Philip A. Janquart BOISE - Idaho’s “ag-gag” law, which criminalizes undercover investigations of the state’s agricultural facilities, restricts free speech and violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill cited the late Upton Sinclair and his 1906 novel “The Jungle” in an order granting partial summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by several advocacy groups challenging the legislation.

The Pulitzer Prize winning author gathered material for his novel by hiding his identity and signing on as an employee at a Chicago meatpacking plant where he exposed horrendous labor conditions.

It is the same tactic used by the Los Angeles-based animal rights group Mercy for Animals, which exposed the “brutal abuse of cows” at Bettencourt Dairies’ Dry Creek Diary in Hansen, Idaho, in 2012.

Video shows the dairy’s employees using a tractor and chain to drag a cow by its neck and workers beating, kicking and jumping on cows.

The group drew national attention when it released the video, which was aired on ABC News’ “Nightline,” but compelled the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, an organization representing the state’s dairy farmers, to draft and sponsor what ultimately became Idaho’s ag-gag law.

The law, passed under an “emergency measure,” makes it illegal to secretly film “agricultural production” and provides up to a $5,000 fine and a one-year prison term for violators.

Supporters of the legislation say the industry has a right to protect its interests.

Last year, Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, compared animal activists and whistleblowers to “marauding invaders centuries ago who swarmed into foreign territory and destroyed crops to starve foes into submission.”

He added: "'[T]errorism has been used by

State Could Appeal to 9th Circuit

enemies for centuries to destroy the ability to produce food and the confidence in the food's safety.”

Activists, however, filed a 52-page complaint against the State of Idaho and Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, in March 2014, after the state legislature passed the alleged industry-driven HB 1337, later dubbed the “ag-gag” bill.

The bill was signed into law by Otter, a longtime cattleman and Star resident, in February 2014.

The lawsuit includes a long list of plaintiffs, among them the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Center for Food Safety, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho and the Western Watersheds Project, along with news journal CounterPunch, Washington, D.C. journalist Will Potter, freelance Idaho journalist Blair Koch and agricultural investigations expert Daniel Hauff.

Mercy for Animals is not a party in the lawsuit.

Winmill partially denied the State’s April 2014 motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, preserving the plaintiffs’ First Amendment and equal protection claims in a September 2014 order.

Lead plaintiff ALDF filed a motion for partial summary judgment the following November.

Winmill, citing Sinclair, said his actions in Idaho’s current political climate “would expose him to criminal prosecution under [Idaho’s law].”

The State argued the law is not meant to suppress free speech but to protect private property and the privacy of owners.

Winmill rejected the notion, pointing to current laws that already provide those protections.

“As the story of Upton Sinclair illustrates, an agricultural facility’s operations that affect food and worker safety are not exclusively a private matter,” he wrote in Monday’s 29page order.

“Food and worker safety are matters of public concern. Moreover, laws against trespass, fraud, theft and defamation already exist. These types of laws serve the property and privacy interests the State professes to protect through the passage of [the ag-gag law] but without infringing on free speech rights.”

Winmill said the law violates the First Amendment, as well as the equal protection clause “because it was motivated in substantial part by animus towards animal welfare groups, and because it impinges on free speech, a fundamental right.”

In terms of the equal protection claim, Winmill said that the State fails to show why the dairy industry and other agricultural facilities “deserve more protection than other private businesses.”

The State said that agriculture is vital to Idaho’s economy and that agricultural facilities are common targets for undercover investigations.

“The state’s logic is perverse,” Winmill said in response. “In essence, the State says that (1) powerful industries deserve more government protection than smaller industries, and (2) the more attention and criticism an industry draws, the more the government should protect that industry from negative publicity or other harms. Protecting the private interests of a powerful industry, which produces the public’s food supply, against public scrutiny is not a legitimate government interest.”

Winmill cited Whitney v. California to drive home his point about the First Amendment: “Society has the right and civic duty to engage in open, dynamic rational discourse.

These ends are not well served when the government seeks to orchestrate public discussion through content-based mandates.”

ALDF lead attorney, Matthew Liebman, said he was impressed with Winmill’s order.

“It vindicates the people’s right to know how animals are being treated on factory

farms,” he said, adding that the decision could set a precedent in other states where similar laws either exist or are being considered.

“This decision is limited to Idaho and not binding anywhere else, but the practical effect should reverberate throughout the industry and make them think twice about pushing their statutes in other states,” Liebman told The Independent. “This law (in Idaho) was part of the industry’s concerted effort to silence critics.”

There are seven other states that that have very similar laws, including Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and North Carolina, according to Liebman who said ag-gag was defeated in at least 18 states.

There have been over 30 bills introduced in state legislatures in support of criminalizing whistleblowing activity at agricultural facilities, according to Liebman.

An appeal would go in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, but there has been no indication whether the state plans to do so.

“I haven’t heard anything one way or another, but we are prepared to defend it (the decision) on appeal,” Liebman said.

“I think the state should realize that and move on, and save the taxpayers money trying to suppress people’s rights. Either way, we will continue to fight.”

In the meantime, the “court will issue an order and judgment that would enjoin enforcement of the statute and prohibit the attorney general from bringing lawsuits,” Liebman said.

Clay Smith, for Idaho’s attorney general’s office, said he could not comment on whether the state will appeal the decision.

Press liaison Todd Dvorak said, “All I can say right now is that we are reading the decision and considering the options. We haven’t made a decision on how to proceed.”

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

COMMUNIT Y

Westside Pizza Employee Who Stole $8,000 Still Not Arrested Law enforcement says prosecutor’s office back-logged with cases.

By Philip A. Janquart STAR – Sometimes you can do everything right, but still hit that unforeseen bump in the road.

Sasha and Matt Johnson opened Westside Pizza about a year ago after buying into a successful and expanding franchise, and choosing what they describe as the perfect town to do business and raise a family.

Sasha, 27, says they visited 22 communities before settling on Star.

“We drove nine hours through the night to get here,” she said. “When we got here, I saw eight boys with backpacks and fishing poles, riding their bikes to the river, and the girls here ride their horses without a saddle or bridle, they just ride them. When I saw that, I was like “Ahhhh, this is it! This is where I want my children to grow up.”

The pair moved to town with their two young children in 2014 and opened their store on Star Road.

The business has been doing well, but Sasha, a first-year business owner who studied business management, said the decrease in revenue following the New Year holiday was more than she had anticipated.

“January, February and March are the slowest months in business, especially for a place like this,” she said. “People have New Year’s resolutions, they are not eating carbs. I was prepared that it was going to slow down, but how much, I didn’t know. I thought, ‘Gosh, it really hits hard around here. We are really going to have to change some things to prepare for this next year.”

She didn’t realize, however, that an employee was revising cash delivery tickets at the end of the night and pocketing the money.

“On June 17, we had a revised ticket that was on our back counter from our night closer,” Sasha explained. “It was a $50 cash order, and it was placed at 5 p.m., but it was revised at 9:48 p.m., and set to a penny.”

Using the company’s system software, she uncovered a paper trail and ultimately discovered that same employee had pocketed $6,000 in cash. With food and other related costs, the total loss comes to about $8,500.

Sasha, who said she was “shocked,” immediately called the Star Police Department.

“They were absolutely great,” she said.

“The Star police came out right away and took my report and put a detective on it. He (the employee) was really upset and admitted to everything.”

The Case Stalls Out With an admission in hand, a paper trail and some corroborating surveillance video, it

might seem fairly open and shut, but the Johnsons’ case is in a stack of cases, sitting on someone’s desk at the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.

Justice will eventually be served, Sasha said, but the insurance company won’t address her claim until it receives a copy of the police report.

A simple request? Not exactly.

The report won’t be released until the prosecutor’s office has reviewed it and issues an arrest warrant, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

An arrest warrant cannot be issued until the case is reviewed by the prosecutor’s office, which, as of Aug. 13, had yet to happen. “$8,500 is a lot of money,” Sasha bemoaned.

The System Ada County Sheriff’s Office detective Justin Elliot, who handled the investigation, said he is monitoring the case, but that the prosecutor’s office is bogged down with many cases.

“They have a stack they have to look at,” he said. “They have several cases they receive every week and with it being summertime, they are busier than they are in the winter.”

Star Police Chief John Laraway said it is unfortunate that Johnson must wait, but that the prosecutor’s office must prioritize.

“Justin (Elliot) routed the case to the prosecutor where there is a screening process,” Laraway explained. “They look at the case and eventually agree to issue a warrant, but that can take time,” he said. “Usually you have one attorney sifting through cases, deciphering them and splitting them up, and pushing the serious ones through. On top of that, the attorney looking at a case could ask that a person is re-interviewed, or maybe they want more information, and all of that causes a backlog.”

Eagle Police Chief Pat Calley agreed, saying there are only so many attorneys at the prosecutor’s office to handle what is usually a large workload.

“There are many factors in a case, and they look at it against the totality of all the cases they have,” he said. “You are also looking at things like judges and what is on the court’s docket, which determines how long it could be before the case goes to trial.”

Meanwhile, Johnson said she continues to wait. She is a little frustrated over the circumstances, but optimistic that everything will work out.

“He (the former-employee) was very, very sorry,” she said. “It’s just very sad he did what he did. I feel I’m a good judge of character, and I wanted to give him a chance. But we are moving forward. We love living in Star, the community, and we love what we do.”

September 2015 • PAGE 3

PAGE 4 • September 2015

EAGLE NEWS

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Lazy J Property Cleaned Up, EPA Says Neptune selling acreage for $400,000

Eagle Honors Gleason in Service Recognition Ceremony

By Philip A. Janquart with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

The City of Eagle honored Eagle Police “I’ve been volunteering my services because Department volunteer Steve Gleason at the of my background,” he said. “I wanted somebeginning of an Aug. 11 city council meeting, thing to do and my neighbor said I should thanking him for his time spent working as look into the Ada County Sheriff’s Office the department’s “eyes” and “ears” within volunteer program. I thought ‘this is fantastic.’ the community.

It’s been very rewarding. Our job is to be the The city has been honoring local volunteers eyes and ears for the police, but I love people with its service recognition award. and love talking to people, so I Gleason grew up in Hartford, am very much focused on the Conn. and spent the first nine public relations aspect.” years of his professional career Gleason has made a “huge” as a police officer for the Hartimpact in the community and ford Police Department. He later for the Eagle Police Department became a special agent for the since he began volunteering, Diplomatic Security Service according to the city, which (DSS) within the Bureau of stated that “Steve is always Diplomatic Security under the quick to share a smile … and U.S. Department of State. help with a flat bike tire.”

“It is the foreign legion of He logs about 200 hours per law enforcement,” Gleason told year, patrolling Eagle’s trail The Independent. “There are system on the department’s field offices around the nation, four-wheel Kawasaki “Mule.” He but also in every embassy and also takes part in events such as consulate in the world. I worked Traffic Safety Team, ACSO Pubmostly in counter terrorism, all lic information and Youth ProEagle Mayor Jim Reynolds over the world.” grams. presents Ada County The DSS is the law enforceHe says he loves the outdoors Sheriff's Office volunteer ment arm of the Department of and his three-wheel “Spyder” State and consisted of about 500 Steve Gleason with the motorcycle. city's service recognition special agents when Gleason At the Aug. 11 council meetaward started working for the agency. ing, Mark Butler related a story Its primary task is to protect visiting foreign about the first time he met Gleason. dignitaries and U.S. diplomatic missions over“I never met him until a few weeks ago. seas. The number of special agents has grown A friend of mine and I were sitting down to around 2,500 in recent decades because of smoking a cigar on a bench on the river and the threat of terrorism, Gleason said. here comes this fella on this little moto-thing, Gleason, who lives in Avimore, retired four-wheeler,” he said. “He stopped by and about 11 years ago after 25 years of service in chatted, and left, and other people who were the DDS and 34 years in law enforcement. there said they had encounters with Steve He and his wife Linda, who have been married before and he’s just a great guy. This is what 42 years, came to the Treasure Valley from Eagle is all about.”

Fairfax, Va. about two years ago. They discovMayor Jim Reynolds said “We are glad you ered the area after visiting their youngest live here and share your time and talents.” daughter at the University of Montana, in “I’m not really sure why I was chosen for Missoula. this recognition, because all the volunteers “We spent about a week there, then rented deserve recognition,” Gleason said. “This is a car and came to Boise,” Gleason explained. such a great community and that encourages “We heard about Boise from our neighbors. us to come back and do what we do because About six months later, my wife informed me you are dealing with people who are so supwe were moving to Boise. I had spent so many portive and welcome your presence. I like years dragging her around the world, I knew people and have been a people person all my it was her turn.” life, and spent most of my career looking at Gleason says he loves the area, especially bad people, so it’s really nice dealing with the how “friendly” the people are, and was good people.” thrilled to learn of the volunteer opportunity

By Philip A. Janquart EAGLE - Buildings and piles of debris that contained asbestos have been cleared from property in Eagle, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA told landowner Ryan Neptune in April that he must comply with federal law for the demolition and disposal of dilapidated buildings on the “Lazy J” property, located off Horseshoe Bend Road (old Highway 55), or face harsh monetary penalties and even criminal sanctions.

“Mr. Neptune was ordered to follow the federal requirements for cleaning up the debris and the remaining buildings, and he has done that,” said John Pavitt, the EPA’s asbestos program manager. “A contractor cleaned up the site and the materials were properly marked and disposed of at a landfill.

I received the contractor’s records, proof of disposal and photos for verification. All the terms have been followed and we consider the order to be closed-out.”

The agency’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement, in Seattle, Wash., issued a compliance order in April 2015 under the federal Clean Air Act following an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the property.

A December 2014 complaint triggered the investigation, which revealed the buildings did in fact contain asbestos and that debris piles left after their partial destruction were “lying out in the open.”

The EPA told Neptune in February 2015 he was obligated by federal law to properly clean up the mess, ultimately issuing the compliance order.

Neptune, who hired a company to remove the asbestos, followed the EPA’s instructions, prompting the agency to “close-out” the compliance order.

“There are still some tires there, and there was a pile of concrete, but that is outside the scope of the order, so as far as we (EPA) are concerned, it (the order) has been fulfilled,” said Pavitt, who added that the EPA is still taking a look at the circumstances surrounding demolition activity at the site in late 2014.

Fines could still be levied against Neptune if he is found to have illegally destroyed the structures on his property despite a report by Intermountain Construction & Abatement indicating the buildings were contaminated.

“We have not completed our review of Mr. Neptune’s actions surrounding his destruction of the buildings,” Pavitt told The Independent. “Our first concern was for the public, in getting the asbestos cleaned up and having it disposed. Mr. Neptune did what he was supposed to do.”

He could not say how long it will take the EPA to complete its review, but said it shouldn’t go beyond a couple months.

“There is no need for it to go on longer than that,” Pavitt said.

Ada County code violations?

Officials told The Independent on Aug. 14 an Ada County code enforcement investigation is still on hold while the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) conducts its own investigation surrounding soil at Neptune’s property that is said to contain lead.

Recipe Corner BBQ B EEF P IE P OCkETS

Neptune told The Independent in an Aug. 18 phone interview that the IDEQ took “two soil samples” and that “both came back extremely low.”

He added: “There is nothing to talk about.”

Maureen Vincenty, an IDEQ hazardous waste science officer handling the case, was still on vacation Aug. 20 and could not be reached.

Dean Ehlert, IDEQ’s ground water remediation manager, however, confirmed that soil samples taken from the site did contain lead, but not enough to trigger mitigation.

“They did some sampling and the soil did have elevated levels of lead, but not high enough to require clean up,” Ehlert told The Independent. “If you look at a property with that age, there are chances you are going to find lead, especially considering there was lead gas sold there and there was lead paint.

It’s not unusual to find lead at a facility like that.”

Property for sale The Lazy J property, meanwhile, has been listed for sale.

“Yes, we have it up for sale,” Neptune confirmed. “We are seeing what kind of interest there is on it.”

Neptune said he bought the property, which has only caused him aggravation, to help the City of Eagle.

“It was never intended for the snowpark,” he said. “We bought it because the city complained about it, because it was someone’s else’s crappy property and we thought we’d buy it and clean it up for the city.”

Eagle City councilman Mark Butler said he’s just happy the land is now clear of contamination.

“I’m real happy it’s cleaned up,” he said, adding he was not sure what the future holds for the property. “It’s perfect zoning, but in the wrong location. It’s zoned C2 commercial, which allows for any commercial use you can imagine. I could put a bar, restaurant, auto body shop or anything. You would just have to submit a site plan and there is no public involvement. The only problem is that the road is basically a dead end.”

Realtor Natalie Lemas Hernandez, of the Nancy Lemas Team, said the 1.98-acre parcel has been priced at $400,000.

Neptune did not disclose how much he originally paid for the property, but Butler said he believes he purchased it for $170,000.

Lazy J property is up for sale

Have a recipe to share, email it to theindnews.story@gmail.com

A manpleasing meal that your whole family will love! Whips up in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground beef 1 (18 oz.) bottle BBQ sauce, I love Sweet Baby Rays 1 cup shredded cheese, divided (I use Cheddar or Colby Jack and Monterey Blend) 1 box refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust Instructions 1. Cook ground beef in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Drain out juices.

2. Pour BBQ sauce into pan and stir until ground beef is evenly coated.

3. Unroll both sheets of refrigerated pie crust dough. Cut each of the round pie crusts into quarters (or smaller if you want smaller sections) 4. On one quarter of pie crust dough, put ¼ of ground BBQ beef (about ¾ cup.)

Then sprinkle on ¼ cup shredded cheese over top of the beef.

Place a second quarter of pie crust dough over the top (make sure it lines up with bottom quarter) and pinch seams to seal off. You can flute the pie crust edges for a prettier look.

5. Repeat until you have 4 pie pockets (or more if you cut your pie crusts into smaller sections).

Cut about three small slits on the tops of each pie pocket for breathing.

6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Recipe by Chef in Training at http://www.chefintraining.com/2012/10/bbqbeefpiepockets/

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Jerry’s Repair Changes Ownership

Driving past 10412 Highway 44 in Star, you can see the new look at Jerry’s Repair and Star Auto Parts - the red lettering is mounted on a snow white building. While the name and address remains the same, the ownership and management has changed.

Jeff Lloyd recently purchased Jerry’s Repair and Star Auto Parts. He has lived in Eagle for the last 18 years with his wife, Mary, and their four boys. In the past, Jeff has managed an auto repair shop as well as a heavy equipment shop and several parts stores. He has spent the last 23 years selling tools and training auto technicians in using computerized diagnostic equipment.

Along with the ownership change, Jerry’s Repair has added state-of-the-art air conditioning equipment, diagnostic equipment, scanners, up-to-date fuel injection cleaning system, and other tools to meet the ever changing needs of today’s newer vehicles. An additional heavy duty lift to handle heavy weight pickups, etc. is also in the works. Not just a face lift on the outside, but a new waiting room has been added for customers’ convenience.

Jeff is very pleased that Randy Horacek will continue as the lead technician in the shop.

JERRY’S REPAIR (208) 286-7444

Star Auto Parts Under New Management

Jeff has added Brenda Carver, long time Star resident, as the new manager of the parts store. Brenda, who has spent the last 15 years working at Eagle Auto Parts, brings her automotive knowledge and parts expertise. Her abilities will help with updating inventory to reflect the cars registered in the Star and surrounding areas.

Jeff and Mary have enjoyed meeting new and past customers in Star and the surrounding area. Come see the changes and watch for the grand opening celebration.

STAR AUTO PARTS (208) 286-7222

Mary, Jeff, Randy and Brenda of Jerry's Repair & Star Auto Parts

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TRINA’S

FITNESS CORNER A little bit about me

became my first patient.

I read books; I signed up and watched every functional medicine forum out there. I met with a GAPS practitioner – it was then I realized I was not going crazy and I wasn’t going to die. But I did come to the realization that I most likely had an autoimmune issue and it was going to take a long time to get it under control.

I suspect that I have ALWAYS had leaky gut but never recognized my symptoms. In general, it is not normal to not have a bowel movement on a daily basis. It is not normal to have potty issues after eating a spicy and rich meal. It is not normal to have bloating, gas, and heartburn after eating a meal. Eating a high fiber diet can be worse for some, while others do well on high fiber. Taking a probiotic may be the answer for some, but start slow and work your way up to a tolerable dose. Following an elimination protocol might be the answer. But seek advice and do your research. Knowledge is power!

It is because of my first patient (me) that I have continued passion for nutrition and functional medicine. This is also when I realized that my Certified Personal Training certification taught me nothing about alternative health (so I let that expire).

Several books worth reading are Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and Nourishing Broth. There are many informative functional medicine practitioners out there to follow - Dr Allison Siebecker, Dr Michale Ruscio, and Chris Kresser, just to name a few.

Consult your physician before starting a fitness or exercise program. Trina’s column is written for educational purposes only. In no way is it to diagnose, cure or treat any medical conditions.

Trina K Kubitschek. Owner of CrossFit Station.

A proud mom of Kayla, Kasson, Violet, and Evelyn. Trina has more than 14 years of experience and a drive to help individuals find and succeed in their fitness goals.

Visit Trina at http://crossfitstation.com

For 2 ½ years I have suffered from leaky gut.

When I was 7 months pregnant with my 4th child, my family and I all got the flu. We quarantined ourselves: it was the worst ever.

Eventually we all got better, but my symptoms never went away. I continued to suffer a neverending battle of upset stomach and chronic diarrhea. At my next doctor’s visit, instead of gaining weight, I was losing. The doctor had been worried and put me on bed rest; I went through weekly stress tests. They wanted me to eat and eat anything and everything. I explained to my doctor that we followed a no grain based diet. The doctor’s response was “you made yourself this way. You are sensitive to gluten because you are avoiding gluten.”

After Evelyn was born, I worked hard to keep my weight and milk production up. I ate higher calorie foods, started eating protein bars, and drank smoothies; I ate oats, rice and some cheese. My symptoms got worse! I was fed up. I went to visit our local family physician. She ran every test possible. I had nothing obvious; every test came up negative. (I found out later that if you avoid grains your celiac sensitivity test will be negative) Our family doc was stumped. She sent me to a G.I. specialist, the specialist gave me some pills and said, “I think you are over the hump and this will pass.” It was then when I started to take my own health into my own hands: I

Oil Drilling

Continued from page 1 CAIA attorney Nick Warden, who expressed concerns over how the application and response procedures have been handled by the commission, says the hearing marks uncharted territory in the state of Idaho.

“To my knowledge this is the first contested integration proceeding in Idaho so I cannot speak definitively to what we can expect,” he told The Independent. “However, it is my understanding that Alta Mesa has filed two applications with the commission asking it to enter an order forcing mineral interest owners within the two proposed spacing units to join the pool. The hearing is to decide whether Alta Mesa's requests should be granted and to determine what terms of integration will be contained in the commission's orders.”

While he could not specify how long that could take, Warden did confirm that the commission could act quickly.

“To my knowledge, there is nothing preventing the commission from deciding at the hearing whether to grant Alta Mesa's requests and enter a decision verbally on the record,” he said. “However, it is also possible that after hearing the evidence they will take the matter under advisement and issue a written decision sometime after the hearing is held. I am unaware of any timeline requiring the commission to issue a decision within a certain timeframe after the hearing is held.”

Hasse says she believes the commission’s procedural actions thus far indicate its intention to try to push the approval through.

“They were going to just rubber stamp this and if we (CAIA) hadn’t filed a response to Alta Mesa’s applications, this may already be a done deal,” She said. “The silver lining for me, for all of this, is that this is going to be the issue that makes people wake up and start demanding accountability of our politicians, not just voting because they have a ‘D’ or an ‘R.’ We need to look at their track record and voting history. If we don’t start doing that, we are almost dead in the water.”

Eagle next?

Hasse says that residents in Eagle should watch out because drilling is coming this way.

The situation here, however, is different.

The Independent has obtained copies of 13 “split estate” leases between the State of Idaho and Alta Mesa, which gives the company the right to begin drilling for oil or gas that exists under private property owners’ homes in Eagle, and without permission.

The leases, signed in 2014, include land in both Star and Eagle.

Maps on the Idaho Department of Lands’ website site show blocks of leased land off Canada Road and Blessinger Lane in Star; off Highway 16, near Firebird Raceway, and

September 2015 • PAGE 5

Beacon Light Road at 3 Horse Winery; at Beacon Light Road, near Eagle High School; and in Boise, at Hidden Springs.

Hasse says residents from Ada, Payette and Gem Counties should plan to attend the Sept.

16 hearing, which is open to the public.

For more information, log on to www.info@IntegrityAndAccountability.org, or leave a message for Hasse at (208) 963-5707.

To view a map of the oil and gas leases, visit: http://www.idl.idaho.gov/oil-gas/leasing/2015-0514-map-active-oil-gas-leases.pdf.

In addition, The Independent News will make available the documentation of one of the Beacon Light Rd gas leases on its website: www.theindnews.com.

If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day – go fishing.

If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune.

If you want happiness for a life time – help someone else. ~ Chinese proverb

PAGE 6 • September 2015

For all programs: Preregistration is required at www.cityofeagle.org/recreation

SEPTEMBER PROGRAMS

circular movement and leverage, this makes Aikido a great option for adults, teens, kids, men, and YOUTH PROGRAMS women. Idaho Martial Arts • 4 weeks | $40 LACROSSE / 4-8 yrs 9/9-9/30 W 7-8:15 p.m.

This is the perfect non-competitive environment to FIT & SAFE CIRCUIT TRAINING / Ages 18+ teach your child the fundamentals of lacrosse. The IMA Self Defense Circuit Training takes the class curriculum is designed to educate your child interval/station fitness concept to the next level. Inthrough a variety of fun and unique activities that fluenced by the functional fitness and HIIT (high inhelp them to develop lacrosse skills. Each class will tensity interval training) approach, IMA Self Defense focus on a new skill of the week while also reviewCircuit Training focuses on basic human movements ing previously learned skills and techniques. This for self-defense (push, pull, jump, run, kick, block, program is not recommended for young athletes punch etc.) by employing a combination of tradiwho are searching to play in a competitive league tional weightlifting/callisthenic drills. Be prepared for environment. Merrill Park • 4 weeks - $40 a high intensity interval workout with self-defense 9/8-9/29 Tu 4:30-5:15 p.m. Age 4 moves that keep you safe.

9/8-9/29 Tu 5:30-6:15 p.m. Ages 5-6 Idaho Martial Arts • 4 weeks | $40 9/8-9/29 Tu 6:30-7:30 p.m. Ages 7-8 9/12-9/23 Sa 8-9 am BASKETBALL / 5-10 yrs SMART PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY / Ages 18+ Using a progressive curriculum and focusing on the In the ongoing mobile imaging revolution, sensors, whole player, we teach your child the skills they need both on and off the court to be a better athlete. Our lenses, and technology are getting steadily more sophisticated, and myriad new creative apps have put basketball specific coaches will focus on respect, smartphones on the cutting-edge of photography teamwork, and responsibility as they teach a “skill of the day” and progress into drills and games. Athletes today. This workshop taught by professional photographer George Manlove focuses on the technical aswill learn how to pass, shoot, dribble, and rebound. pects of how to get the best images from our This is an unforgettable experience for young athletes! smartphones while also delving into the creative All participants receive a basketball to take home. side of smartphone photography. Learn about expoMerrill Park • 4 weeks - $40 sure, composition, artistic vision, creative apps, and 9/9-9/30 W 4:30-5:15 p.m. Ages 5-6 storytelling. With your smartphone in hand, go on 9/9-9/30 W 5:30-6:15 p.m. Ages 7-8 photo shoots in downtown Eagle.

9/9-9/30 W 6:30-7:30 p.m. Ages 9-10 Finer Frames • $35 SOCCER / 2-8 yrs 9/9 W 6-8 p.m.

This program will teach your child the fundamentals DRAWING 101 / teen & adult of soccer. Using a progressive curriculum, campers Drawing is one of the major forms of visual will gain the technical skills and sports knowledge expression and establishes a solid foundation for required for that next step into soccer. Curriculum many disciplines in the Visual Arts. This class will is taught using games, skill-based drills and fun! All teach beginning students the basics of drawing with participants receive a soccer ball to take home. graphite/pencil, covering important topics as the Merrill Park • 4 weeks | $40 necessary tools, line, shape, value, and texture.

9/10-10/1 Th 4:15-5 p.m. Ages 2-3 Come discover your hidden talent, as well as the 9/10-10/1 Th 5:15-6 p.m. Ages 3-5 many rewards and benefits of a solid classical 9/10-10/1 Th 6:15-7:30 p.m. Ages 5-8 instruction in this medium.

MULTISPORT / 4-6 yrs Eagle Public Library • 4 weeks | $65 + supplies Skyhawks multisport program is designed to intro9/14-10/5 M 12:30-2 p.m. duce athletes to a variety of different sports in one BEGINNING CHARCOAL / teen & adult setting. For this program, we combine basketball, Charcoal has a unique look and texture unlike any soccer, and lacrosse. Athletes will learn the rules other artistic medium. It remains a favorite among and essential skills of each sport, along with vital artists due to its versatile nature. It can provide life lessons such as respect and teamwork. beauty and depth of value unlike any other drawing Merrill Park • 4 weeks | $40 implement. Students will learn about the basic 9/11-10/2 F 4:30-5:15 p.m. Ages 4-5 tools, substrates to work on, control of the 9/11-10/2 F 5:30-6:15 p.m. Ages 5-6 medium.as well as line, shape, and achieving value MARTIAL ARTS/KARATE KICKSTART differentiation. We will use black as well as white LEVEL I SHODAN / 6-12 yrs charcoal.

Some drawing experience preferred, but Learn the principles and techniques of Washin Ryu not necessary.

Karate, traditional Japanese Karate similar to Eagle Public Library • 4 weeks | $65 + supplies Shotokan. Classes focus on the development of 9/16-10/7 W 12:30-2 p.m. self-defense, self-discipline, and physical fitness.

IMAGINATIVE WATERCOLOR / Ages 18+ Open to beginning level students. Sessions are offered on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Earn Bring your imagination to life through watercolor in your first stripe upon completion. Includes t-shirt this beginner-friendly class. Students will learn deand belt. Idaho Martial Arts • 4 weeks | $70 sign principles and how to apply colors. Bring your 9/8-10/1 Tu/Th 4:30-5:15 p.m. Ages 6-8 dreams and ideas for abstract painting fun!

9/8-10/1 Tu/Th 5:15-6 p.m. Ages 9-12 Eagle Art Gallery • $50 KIDS NIGHT OUT / 6-10 yrs 9/14 & 9/21 M 3-5:30 p.m. or 6:30-9 p.m.

Do your kids need a night out? Send them to us VOLLEYBALL / Ages 16+ for a fun night for them and you! We will play Let’s enjoy the last few weeks of warm weather with games, make crafts, eat pizza, and watch a movie. a fall sand volleyball league! This 4 v. 4 co-ed Eagle City Hall league will include 5 weeks of games on the sand $32 (sibling discount available) court at Merrill Park. This league will have no 9/26 Sa 5:30-9:30 p.m. referees; teams will self-officiate.

ENCORE THEATER CLASS / 6-10 yrs Competitive and recreational divisions available.

Does your child love the limelight? Or are they Merrill Park, 637 E. Shore Drive nervous about class presentations and public 5 weeks | $40/team + $10 player fee per person speaking? From the shy to the boisterous, this 403-8 9/20-10/18 Su 1-7 p.m. theater class is for everyone! Kids will play games CORNHOLE / Ages 21+ and do activities to help them find their voice and Join everyone’s favorite leisure activity in our inauspeak out. They will explore and develop theater gural cornhole league! If you have fun playing cornskills and share ideas, express their creativity, and hole at BBQs and tailgates, join the fall league and work collaboratively. The final day of class will put your skills to the test. Teams of 2 will compete feature a performance! Eagle Elementary of the for 5 weeks. Merrill Park, 637 E. Shore Drive Arts Cafeteria • 6 weeks| $60 9/21-10/26 M 6:30-7:30 p.m.

5 weeks | $40/team DRAWING 101 403-9 9/10-10/8 Th 5:30-7 p.m.

Drawing is one of the major forms of visual expresFAMILY PROGRAMS sion and establishes a solid foundation for many EAGLE SATURDAY MARKET CAR SHOW disciplines in the Visual Arts. This class will teach Do you like hot-rods, vintage trucks, and the like? beginning students the basics of drawing with Come check out the inaugural Eagle Saturday Market graphite/pencil, covering important topics as the Car Show at City Hall! Do you have a car you would necessary tools, line, shape, value, and texture. like to enter? Call City Hall for more information at Come discover your hidden talent, as well as the 208-489-8763. Eagle City Hall - Free many rewards and benefits of a solid classical in9/19 Sa 10 am-2 p.m. struction in this medium.

Gazebo Concert Series Eagle Senior Center • 4 weeks | $65 + supplies The Gazebo Concert Series is a free concert series 9/14-10/5 M 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month, May-September.

ADULT PROGRAMS Bring a blanket and a picnic, or enjoy food from AIKIDO / Ages 14+ Eagle businesses. September’s concert features Aikido is a defensive Japanese martial art that fonationally touring band, Hollow Wood! cuses on blending with and redirecting an oppoHeritage Park - Free! nent’s energy/attack rather than relying on strength 9/24 Th 6-9 p.m. or direct aggression. Because of the emphasis on

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

~ Letter to the Editor ~

We Deserve the Best… But it’s All Up to Us

I have watched the people we elect over the many years and ask, why do we seem to elect such a wide spectrum of good and bad officials? Why do we all too often elect politicians that are clearly out to better themselves, bolster their ego and pocketbooks, instead of truly, honestly and ONLY doing it to represent their community? It’s my belief that far too often, we voters are victims of our fast-paced lives, seeking the fast soundbite solution. I hate to say it, but sometimes we make our decisions like the bass going after the first shiny lure that flashes by, only to get hooked into a long, painful battle that ends up in a pan of hot grease.

To avoid such regrettable situations, at all levels of our election experience, it is up to each one of us to seek the deeper reasons why we vote for a candidate, and elect the people that ultimately drive toward a positive future through the vision of the community.

Our Eagle government is a prime example of a broken and dysfunctional system. And we, the voters, are accountable for that state. We currently have long seated elected officials that do not have any desire to purely represent the community at large, and instead, wish to form and extend a negative strangle hold on you and I. Their backroom planning to advance themselves and recruiting of others to carry on their autocratic reign is currently underway.

If we as a wholesome, value-based community wish to have our city managed in the light versus the backroom shadows, we must make a stand now. The craziness and unscrupulous actions of the last four years is in our combined voting power to stop this November. The unhealthy conniving and sinister behavior of our elected city government needs to cease, and be replaced by people who we meticulously scrutinize as worthy to speak on our behalf, and most importantly, truly want to listen when we speak to them.

We have let this madness and the Eagle City carnival go on long enough. We have all endured ten or more years of being held hostage by far less than well-intended representation.

This fall, we have a golden opportunity to change the course of the mal-intended occupation of our community and finally take back the control of our City’s destiny.

We should challenge ourselves to truly stop and think hard about the deep seated values of our candidates, look into their past, their local business affiliations and their real motivation toward running for office. I believe that if we as a united community can agree to take a bit more time in evaluating candidates before we vote, a remarkably improved outcome will be the result.

John Grasser, Fellow Eagle Citizen

Pub House Press, Inc. dba The Independent News © 2015 PO Box 166, Star, ID 83669 • (208) 550-3111 • theindnews.story@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor Melissa Upton, (208) 550-3111, theindnews.story@gmail.com Advertising Randy Miskimon, (208) 794-6858, randym.theindnews@gmail.com Graphic Designer Mary Shaw Reporters Phil Janquart, Mickie Park Printer Owyhee Publishing

DEADLINE:

To be included in the next issue all information and ads must be submitted by

September 15, 2015

The Independent News is published monthly, on the 1st. It is a free publication mailed direct to homes in Eagle and Star, with additional distribution in West Boise and North Meridian. Distribution of this publication does not constitute responsibility for products or services advertised. Article submissions, opinions or letters to the editor published in The Independent News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. The publisher of The Independent News reserves the right to edit material on length and clarity and to reject any material deemed libelous or offensive in nature. Advertising or submissions may be rejected at any time, for any reason. The entire contents of The Independent News is copyrighted by Melissa Upton, Publisher.

September 2015 Contributors:

Gretchen Anderson, Steve Bumgarner, Patrick Calley, Norma Dawson, Anna Eaton-Merkle, Tami Galt, Rita Gambino, kim Ingraham, Philip Janquart, Trina kubitchek, Joy Lear, Joanne M.W. Love, Pam Lucas, Mickie Park, Joe Prin, Nathaniel Sillin, Caitlin Straubinger, Tamara Sullivan-Watson, Loni Trude, Melissa Upton, Tom Wick Press Release Policy

The Independent News publishes press releases distributed by businesses or organizations. The release should be NO MORE than 300 words in length. If a release is submitted that is longer, The Independent News will either send it back to you for editing, or we will edit it. If you are a new business in town, or an existing one that would like some coverage, The Independent News routinely provides business profiles for our local businesses. Please contact us at 550-3111or email us at theindnews.story@gmail.com.

Letters to the Editor Policy

Maximum length is 250 words, 600 words for a Guest Opinion.

You must identify yourself and include a phone number where you can be reached for verification. We will not publish telephone numbers or email addresses. All letters printed are the opinion of the writer and The Independent News cannot verify the accuracy of the information submitted. Any material submitted that is deemed libelous, offensive or in poor taste will not be printed. All material is subject to editing by this newspaper. Guest Opinions will be printed on a case by case basis and all material submitted will be printed as space allows. You may submit letters to theindnews.story@ gmail.com or mail to PO Box 166, Star, ID 83669.

The Independent News can be found at these and other locations: EAGLE: • Albertsons • Burger Den • Busters • Big O • Eagle City Hall • Eagle Chamber of Commerce • Eagle Library • Idaho Athletic • Justos Tesoro • Les Schwab • Perks of Life • Rembrandts • Shady Acres • St Al’s-Eagle • St Luke’s-Eagle • Winco STAR: • Star Library • Star Merc • Star Café MERIDIAN: • Fred Meyer, Linder at Chinden • Stinker, Eagle Road MIDDLETON: • Ridley’s • Sunrise Café • The Cottages If you would like us to add your business to our distribution list, please call 550-3111 or email us at theindnews.story@gmail.com

w w w. t h e i n d n e w s . c o m

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

September 2015 • PAGE 7

CIT Y OF EAGLE

EAGLE LIBRARY September Events The Library will be closed Monday, September 7 for Labor Day.

~~~~~~~~~~~ ON-GOING PROGRAMS ~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, September 14, 21, 28 Baby Readers: 10:30 a.m. (birth – 18 months) Stories, songs, and fingerplays for babies & caregivers.

Monday, September 14, 21, 28 Knee Deep in LEGOS™: 4:00 p.m. (ages 6+) Weekly program for children ages 6 – 12 to use their creativity in building/designing with LEGOS. Tuesday, September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. (18 months – 3 years) Stories, songs, and crafts for toddlers and caregivers.

Tuesday, September 8, 22 Alzheimer’s Support Group: 2:00 p.m. (adults) Co-sponsored with Alzheimer’s Association Greater Idaho Chapter, the Eagle Public Library offers support for individuals and families whose lives are touched by Alzheimer’s.

Wednesday, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Music & Movement: 10:30 a.m. (birth – 5 years) Early literacy skills are built through rhythm and motion in this interactive program for young children and their caregivers.

Wednesday, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Tales to Tails: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (ages 5+) Increase your reading ability and confidence by reading to man’s best friend from Helping Idaho Dogs. Registration is required; contact the Youth Services staff at 939-6814, ext. 113.

Wednesday, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Teen Advisory Board (TAB): 4:15 p.m. (teens 14+) Earn volunteer hours, socialize with your peers, and help your Library!

Thursday, September 3, 10, 17, 24 Preschool Story Time: 10:30 a.m. (3 – 5 years) Stories, songs, and crafts with an emphasis on school-readiness skills.

Friday, September 4, 11, 18, 25 Ready, Set, School! 10:30 a.m. (3 – 5 years) Stories, songs, and crafts, with an emphasis on school-readiness skills.

Friday, September 11, 25 Nutty Knitters of Eagle Public Library: 10:00 a.m. (adults) Local knitters and crocheters provide infant, youth, and adult knit products for those in need. Join them to knit for charity, or to make friends with people with common interests.

If you want to learn to knit, stop by; you’ll receive a lot of free advice. The Nutty Knitters will gladly accept donations of yarn, which may be left at the Library’s front desk. For more information: nuttyknitters.weebly.com.

Friday, September 18 Teen Volunteer Orientation Applications for volunteer positions to begin in September are due September 18.

Orientation is September 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL PROGRAMS ~~~~~~~~~~~

September’s Artists of the Month Thursday, September 17 Scott Didrikson, Photography.

Homeschool at the Library, 2:00 p.m.

Long-time Eagle resident and one of the Founders Silly and Serious Science Stations of the Eagle Camera Club and Hewlett-Packard Friday, September 18 Camera Club.

After School Movie: 4:15 p.m. (all ages) Karin Slagle, Quilts.

Summer’s Shadow Long-time Eagle resident and avid quilter who Friday, September 18 loves “handmade things because they’re personal Family Game Night, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and precious.”

Bring your family and friends for an evening of Saturday, September 5: gaming at the Library. Games from the Library’s Basic Computer Questions: Open Lab, 2-3 p.m. collection will be available for play.

(Conference Room) Get answers to your questions Saturday, September 19 about computers, e-mail, the internet, and more.

Car Show, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 8 The City of Eagle’s Park and Recreation DepartHead’s Up, 6:00 p.m. (middle/high school) ment’s annual car show. Vintage automobiles Guess the answer to your friend’s clues in the will be on display at the Library and City Hall. fast-paced game featured on “Ellen.”

Tuesday, September 22 Thursday, September 10 Small Business Workshop, Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Eat, Play, Grow: My Five Senses 10:30 a.m.

(Adult) Seasonal Industries: (3 - 5 years) A series of healthy lifestyle lessons Preparing for the off-season. presented in a fun interactive format for Tuesday, September 22 preschoolers.

After School Fun: Seed Collage, 4:15 p.m.

Thursday, September 10 (6-12 years) Make a beautiful seed collage.

Your 24/7 Library: E-books and Overdrive, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, September 22 (Conference Room) Learn how to access your America’s Home Videos Classics, 5:30 p.m. library’s digital collections anytime - anywhere. (middle/high school) Thursday, September 10 Laugh at the guys who thought it was a good Save your seeds! 6:30 p.m. (All Ages) idea to jump off the roof onto the trampoline.

Learn to save seeds from your favorite flowers and Wednesday, September 23 vegetables in this presentation by Casey O’Leary.

Teen Volunteer Orientation, 4:15 p.m.

Also learn about the Eagle Public Library’s Seed A mandatory orientation for all Steward program beginning in 2016. new teen volunteers. Must be 14-years-old Saturday, September 12

by October1, 2015.

Saturday Creations: Recycle Old Christmas Applications are due September 18.

Cards, 2:00 p.m. (Adults) Thursday, September 24 Tuesday, September 15 Eat, Play, Grow: Move to the Beat 10:30 a.m.

Your 24/7 Library Help: Open Lab, 2-3 p.m.

(3 - 5 years) (Conference Room) Get answers to your A series of healthy lifestyle lessons presented in questions about downloading e-books, a fun interactive format for preschoolers. e-magazines, e-audiobooks, streaming movies Thursday, September 24 and music from your library.

Getting to Know Your iPad, 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 15 (Conference Room) After School Fun, 4:15 p.m. (6 - 12 years) Learn how to get the most out of your iPad. Make your own bouncy ball and playdough with Friday, September 25 these fun science activities.

After School Movie: 4:15p.m. (all ages) Tuesday, September 15 The Boxcar Children Duct Tape, 6:00 p.m. (middle/high school) Saturday, September 26 Use your creativity and take your duct taping skills Sauces, Salsa & Pesto 2:00 p.m. to a new level – create a masterpiece beyond the Learn to make sauces, salsas and pesto with common duct tape wallet. ingredients from the Library’s patio garden.

Tuesday, September 15 Tuesday, September 29 Chat with the Director, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

After School Fun: Treats of the Harvest, Do you have ideas to improve library services or 4:15 p.m., (6- 12 years) do you have questions about the library.

Learn to make delicious and nutritious apple Stop by the Library’s Study Room B treats to kick-off the harvest season. and chat with the Library’s Director.

Tuesday, September 29 Thursday, September 17 Mario Cart Competition, 6:00 p.m.

Eat, Play, Grow: Fabulous Fruits 10:30 a.m. (middle/high school) (3 - 5 years) A series of healthy lifestyle lessons Play on the big screen and in a fun interactive format for preschoolers. compete to beat your friends.

www.eaglepubliclibrary.org

American Legion Eagle Post 127 meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, except for Jun - Aug. Time: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Place: Eagle Sewer District Bldg, 44 N Palmetto Ave in Eagle.

Veterans welcome

To learn more about the

Eagle Chamber of Commerce: www.eaglechamber.com.

The chamber is active in the community and proactive in helping business members network and better achieve their goals.

The Briefing with Chief Calley

I came across this in the Farmer’s Almanac: “The songbirds leave us at the summer’s close. Only the empty nests are left behind, And piping’s of the quail among the sheaves.”

This passage comes from the works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Now, I know some of you are saying, “Calley are you really quoting poetry?!?” Yup, I sure am.

I absolutely love summer. I also love the summer’s end. The change of season causes reflection, and I have so many great reflections to look back on.

This September will mark one year that I have been in the Chief’s position at the Eagle Police Department. I thank every one of you for this great opportunity. The Eagle Police had a terrific summer. If I may share just a few reflections and thoughts: The Chief’s Challenge: This is an initiative that allows our youth to participate in a physical fitness activity that focuses on leadership and character development. It is designed to allow participation in any or all weekly events. Summer is busy, and kids have so much to do. We hope that this program allows them to build their future as leaders, no matter what their participation level was. Many of our participants returned week after week and developed before us. We look forward to doing this again. Watch the Eagle Parks and Recreation guide for the 2016 program

National Night Out: What a great night! Nearly 200 community members participated in the Eagle Police and Fire program on August 4. There were games, food and water fights! We thank you for your support. We hope you had a great time and left with ideas and inspirations to make your neighborhood a better place.

School Bells: Schools are back in session. Watch out for our children. School zones will be a traffic enforcement emphasis… always. Slow down and enjoy the sounds and sights of school days. The children are our future…protect them and guide them.

Community Events: There are so many things going on in the Treasure Valley. There are concerts, runs and sporting events. Festivals, fairs and fun…

Be safe getting there.

The Chief’s Challenge July 22, 2015

City of Eagle Meetings

Eagle City Hall 660 E. Civic Lane • 939-6813 www.cityofeagle.org

Eagle City Council Meetings 2nd and 4th Tuesday • 6:30 p.m.

Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting 1st and 3rd Monday • 6:00 p.m.

Park and Pathways Development Commission 3rd Tuesday • 6:30 p.m.

Eagle Arts Commission Meeting 1st Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Eagle City Hall

Eagle Sewer District Board Meeting 2nd Monday of the month • 6:00 p.m.

District’s administration building 44 N. Palmetto Ave., Eagle, 939-0132

Eagle Historic Preservation Commission Meeting 2nd Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Eagle Historical Museum (67 E. State St.) Eagle Government Relations Committee Meeting 4th Wednesday, 9-10 a.m., Bank of the West 47 E. Riverside Drive, Eagle, ID Call Eagle Chamber 939-4222

Eagle Senior Center 312 E. State Street, 939-0475 Monday: Exercise at 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday: Lunch & Pinochle at 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday: Exercise at 9:00 a.m.

Thursday: Lunch & Bingo at 12:00 p.m.

Friday: Exercise at 9:00 a.m.

PAGE 8 • September 2015

EAGLE NEWS

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

EAGLE SENIOR CENTER

312 E. State St, 939-0475 –Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs - 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sept 1: Sept 2: Sept 3:

Senior Goldmine Newsletter Arrives Appointment Day/doctor appointments, bank, hair, etc. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Lunch- Noon/Music followed by Bingo and Pinochle Old Time Fiddlers Jam 6:30 p.m. open to public Sept 4: Lunch- Noon at Star Senior Center – Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 5: Trip to Zoo Boise – Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 7: Labor Day - Center is Closed Sept 8: Lunch- Noon/Music - followed by Bingo and Pinochle Boise Hawks Baseball Game. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 9: Appointment Day/doctor appointments, bank, hair, etc. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Foot Clinic/Cost $25/starts at 9 a.m. Call 287-3066 to make appt Sept 10: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 11: Lunch- Noon at Caldwell Senior Center– Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 12: Starlight Theater: “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” – Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 14: Lunch- Noon/Gospel Singers Sept 15: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 16: Appointment Day/doctor appointments, bank, hair, etc. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Shopping at Walmart 5 p.m. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 17: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 18: Lunch- Noon at Meridian Senior Center. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 21: Lunch- Noon/Laughing Yoga Sept 22: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 23: Appointment Day/doctor appointments, bank, hair, etc. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 24: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 25: Bingo at Meridian Senior Center. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 26: “Mystery” Trip, Contact Micky at 440-0266 Sept 28: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 29: Lunch- Noon- followed by Bingo and Pinochle Sept 30: Dinner at Sizzlers 6pm, Contact Micky at 440-0266 Regular Weekly Activities Pool before Lunch Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Bingo before Lunch Thursday 11:30 a.m.

Bingo and Pinochle after Lunch each Tuesday and Thursday Pinochle 1:00 p.m. every Saturday Bridge every Wednesday 10:00 a.m.

Fit and Fall Exercise-9:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday & Friday - $1 Donation Square Dancing every Tuesday-7:00 p.m. Contact Roy at 376-9378 “Love Me Two Times” Boutique open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Transportation to Lunch available on a donation basis. Contact Micky at 440-0266 Transportation to Pinochle at Star Senior Center-Fridays at 6:00 p.m. Contact Debby at 577-8002

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -

to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ~Viktor Frankl

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

By Melissa Upton Earlier this summer, my Facebook page seemed to explode with friends talking about a certain amazing life-changing “miracle cure” supplement they had begun taking. They were experiencing energy they hadn’t had in 10-20 years, they were eating healthier and losing weight without trying, and they were sleeping like babies. All the things I wanted!

These enthusiastic posts piqued my curiosity, so I contacted one of these friends and asked for more information.

This friend explained the program and showed me the website where I could further research the products.

The products are marketed as a lifestyle plan and purport to help with digestive issues, mood, energy, sleep disturbances, immune support, stress and weight management, memory issues, as well as aches and pains. Other than being treated for hypertension for many years and needing to lose 10 pounds (more or less), my doctor has always given me a “healthy” rating. However, as I age, I am experiencing lower back pain, frequent heartburn, memory issues, and insomnia. To me, if this program worked on even half of my issues, it would be my Holy Grail.

Since I’m willing to try almost anything once (except monkey brains or skydiving), I said, “Sign me up!”

My package arrived within a few days and I jumped right in. Following the instructions, I took the supplements in the morning before breakfast. I was told that the B vitamins in the supplements were better absorbed on an empty stomach.

Because the ingredients include caffeine, I was warned not to drink coffee. This worried me. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but I need my one cup to get my day going, otherwise my brain is in a fog all day and I’m needing a nap by 3 p.m. I also have tried different supplements throughout the years and know that they take time, sometimes weeks or months, to work, if they do at all.

HEALTH NEWS

Miracle Cure or Health Risk?

I abstained from my morning coffee, however, blood levels as a precaution.

Two days later, I received the results of my and prepared for a nonproductive day. lab work. I was shocked to learn that I had Was I surprised. By mid-morning, my head “abnormal liver function tests”. My doctor was clear. No brain fog. My day progressed in directed me to immediately discontinue use a productive, focused way. I was in a really of the supplements and retest in 2 weeks. good mood too. Was it the power of suggesThat was the longest two weeks I think tion, I wondered? Had I psyched myself into I’ve ever experienced. Not to mention I could believing that this would work immediately?

I tend toward the realistic (some say skeptical) no longer take the supplements that had me feeling so great! Gone were the way of thinking, but I couldn’t restful nights, great moods, and believe I felt this great. feelings of peace. I had a family As the days became a week, history of kidney and liver I was amazed. No matter the disease, so I wasn’t convinced stress of the day before, I woke it was the supplements in a great mood, eager to face wreaking havoc with my the next challenge. I was chooscrucial organs; I’d only been ing, and actually craving, healthy taking them for two weeks, food. My heartburn was gone. for Pete’s sake!

The only issue that remained So, instead of sleeping and was my achy back; however, generally enjoying life, I began I was in such a good mood, it researching. First, I wanted didn’t bother me as much as to decipher the lab results. usual. I had so much energy Specifically, my Alanine that I spontaneously decided to take my son on a road trip to the Credit: U.S. Food and transaminase (ALT), aspartate Drug Administration aminotransferase (AST), and Oregon coast. Life was good. alkaline phosphatase (ALP) No, scratch that. It was great! levels were high. In addition, my glomerular Upon my return, and after raving to my filtration rate (GFR) was abnormal. According brother and sister-in-law about the program, I visited my doctor for a previously scheduled to the MedlinePlus website, the high ALT, ASP, and ALP results may indicate liver routine check-up. damage. The GFR measures how well the As a side note, I have the greatest doctor. kidneys are working.

She’s an internist at St. Luke’s who takes the Next, I researched some of the ingredients time to get to know her patients and their issues. She is incredibly personable, kind, and in the supplements. Dietary supplements fall under the FDA’s jurisdiction, since they are knowledgeable. considered a “food”; however, they are As she and I moved through our evalualoosely regulated. Many dietary supplements tion, I mentioned that I had begun taking include what are called proprietary blends. these incredible supplements. I had brought the packages containing the list of ingredients According to the FDA’s website, the only requirements with these proprietary blends on them for her to look over since saying I is that they be listed in order of weight (most was simply taking a supplement was too to least), along with the total weight. Supplegeneric an answer. She looked over the list ment companies are not, however, required and expressed her concern over some of the proprietary ingredients, particularly green tea to list individual amounts of each ingredient.

I focused on green tea extract since my extract. Even though I wasn’t yet due for my doctor had specifically mentioned it. In the annual blood work, we agreed to check my supplement I had been taking, it is listed 9th

September 2015 • PAGE 9 out of the 25 listed proprietary blend ingredients. So, it wasn’t the most abundant ingredient in the blend, but it certainly was not the least.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine website (http://livertox.nih.gov/GreenTea.htm) reports that “Green tea extract and concentrated infusions of green tea have been implicated in many cases of clinically apparent acute liver injury, including instances of acute liver failure and death.” The site notes, however, that “Drinking green tea has not been associated with liver injury…” It is the higher concentrated doses of the extract that may cause liver toxicity in some.

The problem is that it is unknown how much of each “proprietary” ingredient is included in these dietary supplements because it is not required to report the amount. Millions of people are consuming these and other similar supplements each day without knowing exactly what they are consuming and what it may potentially be doing to their bodies.

My experience has a somewhat happy ending: two weeks later, I was retested and all of my blood levels were back to normal. I feel very lucky that my doctor appointment came when it did. I am once again, however, tired all the time, experiencing frequent heartburn, not sleeping well, and in crabbier moods than I wish. My internal organs are probably okay with it, though, at least for now.

I have purposely kept the name of the “wellness” company out of this article because it is not necessarily about this particular brand. There are many choices in the supplement industry that may have similar side effects. Healthline.com states that Americans will spend over $20 billion in supplements this year. If you are one of those consumers, please make sure you seek your doctor’s advice and that you are being regularly tested for any complications.

For anyone taking or considering taking dietary supplements, check out the FDA’s information: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ DietarySupplements/UsingDietarySupplements/ucm109760.htm.

PAGE 10 • September 2015

EDUCATION

KIDS RETURNING TO SCHOOL ENCOUNTER ROAD RISKS

AAA: Slow down, ditch the distractions and keep an eye open for children

BOISE – (August 17, 2015) – Thousands of young children walking or cycling along residential streets—many for the first time—will be at considerable risk during the next month or so as schools throughout Idaho re-open for the year, AAA says.

AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign draws attention to the perils young pedestrians and bicyclists face when they share the road with motorists, especially during the first weeks of school.

“Youngsters’ size and inability to accurately judge car speeds and comprehend the potential for danger make them particularly vulnerable,” says AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson.

Drivers are unpredictable, too, Carlson says, because their attention may be shortcircuited by a hot cup of coffee, an incoming text message or an unsettled child in the backseat. Drivers who have become accustomed to quiet streets in their own neighborhood during the summer months should reprogram their driving patterns to account for flashing yellow school lights, school buses, and busy intersections.

While the number of pedestrians killed in Idaho motor vehicle crashes remained unchanged at 14 in 2014 compared to the prior year, the total pedestrian crash count rose to 245, the highest in at least five years.

In 96 percent of those crashes, a pedestrian

received some kind of injury, and 37 percent of the crash victims were 19 years of age or younger.

Idaho statistics also show that young bicyclists were represented in 100 of the state’s 295 fatal or injury crashes last year. Among all bicyclists involved in crashes, 18 percent were 4 to 14 years old.

AAA offers the following safety tips for motorists: Ditch distractions. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles the crash risk.

Stay alert. School zones and residential streets will be busy with pedestrians, bikes and buses.

Stop means stop. One third of drivers roll through stop signs in their own neighborhood.

Slow down. A speeding ticket in a school zone will set you back $156.

Brake for the bus. Don’t drive around a stopped school bus. It’s dangerous and illegal.

Plan ahead. Leave early enough for work and modify your route, if necessary.

AAA also encourages parents to plan their children’s safest route to school. Whether children are walking or biking, practice the route together before school starts for the year, or during the first few weeks of classes.

Make sure your children have the confidence and information to help them stay safe.

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Sidewalk Talk

TIN Reporter, Mickie Park, visited with Eagle High School teachers and staff and asked….

“What advice and/or suggestions would you give your students for the 2015/2016 EHS Year?”

Ashley Mayhugh, Sports Med 1 & Health Occ “Be committed in whatever you do... school, sports and friendships.”

kim Steffensen, Bookkeeper “Do what you enjoy, have fun and be happy.”

Jayne White, Main Office Secretary “‘Be on time always for everything...school or work.”

Jason Robarge, Assistant Principal “Very Simple….all students need is to get involved & have a great year.”

“The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way we can grow is if we change. The only way we can change is if we learn.

The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we are exposed is if we throw ourselves into the open. ~ C. Joybell

A Teacher’s

Perspective

TRUE BLUE

By Anna Eaton-Merkle The other day I took my car in to get the oil changed and it ended up costing me almost $2000. Although it would, no doubt, have cost me considerably less had I just gone to the quickie lube to get the oil changed, they would also have not been able to diagnose my missing brake pads, cracked timing belt, dripping transmission, and leaky water pump.

So I guess I’ve got that going for me. While some may have just scrapped the car – it certainly crossed my mind – I guess I just don’t give up easily. Once I become attached to something, I don’t readily let go.

This is not necessarily always a good thing.

Call me stubborn, bull headed, or even tenacious; the truth is, I just don’t like change.

I have been known to hang on to shoes, boyfriends, even jobs, way longer than their natural lifespan would recommend. My closet is currently overflowing because I have a hard time getting rid of something that still fits me, even if it is horribly out of style. My family room shelves are full of DVDs that my kids haven’t watched in years and I have been driving around with a TV in the back seat of my car because it is perfectly good, but goodwill doesn’t want it. There is a distinct possibility that I am well on my way to becoming a hoarder. Therefore, fixing my 10 year old car, rather than scrapping it was never really an option for me.

Call me stubborn; I like to call me loyal. I would rather wear a pair of old jeans that still fit after 10 years than have to get used to something new. Oh, I still buy the new stuff – but some days I just don’t want to have to

deal with unusual pocket placement or belt loops that are not in the right places. I hate it when my phone is eligible for an upgrade – it usually takes me the full two years just to figure out how to operate the phone I have.

Who wants to start over? I hate it when my running shoes are starting to wear out because that means I am going to have to get used to a new pair. To prevent this from coming as too much of a shock to my feet, I keep all my old pairs and rotate through them so that none of them wear out completely while I am breaking in the new pair.

Therefore, fixing my car, although expensive, was a much better option for me than trading it in on something new. No way am I currently of the frame of mind to successfully navigate a new operational system. I know all my car’s little quirks and rattles and I already have the radio stations programmed in. I am good for a few more years.

So now, school is about to start and I have to learn 180 new names and faces. This is a bittersweet time of year for me because I miss my old students and their familiar smiles. Remember, I don’t let go easily. In the last 26, I have had well over 3500 students. I wish I could say that I remember them all, but just like my overflowing closet, my brain still wants to hold on to every student. So even though I may not always be able to match the names and the faces and the years I spent with them, I don’t ever let them go. This is the paradox of teaching, I guess. The more students I have had, the easier it becomes for me to welcome the new ones. Maybe I am a bit of a hoarder after all.

Anna Eaton-Merkle lives in Eagle and teaches English to seniors and sophomores at Eagle High School. Her writing can also be found on her blog www.thinkinginthemargins.com. She is currently working on publishing a collection of essays and children’s books.

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

September 2015 • PAGE 11

BUSINESS

Eagle Physical Therapy Celebrates 20 Years

By Philip A. Janquart One day you are cutting a ribbon for a grand opening, the next you are wondering how 20 years slipped by so quickly.

The pictures and trinkets that partially adorn Randy Langley’s office chart a life journey that includes a wife and four kids, motorcycle trips to places like Kentucky and Arizona, work with Navy Seal teams in Virginia and humanitarian missions half-way around the world, in Kenya.

In between, there has been lots of work.

Langley, 46, opened Eagle Physical Therapy in September 1995. He says he never entertained notions of rapid growth or plans for aggressive branding or franchising.

“I just wanted to provide the best care possible and grow with the community,” he said, leaning back in his chair and scanning the pictures on the wall.

Langley has accomplished those goals, but says, like many, that he could not have anticipated Eagle’s rapid growth.

“We opened the same month as the high school (Eagle),” he said. “It’s been amazing to see the changes, and we’ve changed and adapted with the community. It’s been great.”

Eagle Physical Therapy was the first to provide therapy treatment in Eagle. The business is doing better than ever despite the arrival of competition and the healthcare industry’s changing landscape.

“Eagle has grown a ton, and there are several other physical therapy places in town, but we’ve had the best year we’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s a testament to the support of the community in a healthcare climate where it’s becoming more difficult for independent practitioners because the hospitals have acquired so many of the physicians and they want to try to keep the referrals in house.

For us to get referrals from those doctors, as well as independent doctors, I think it speaks to the quality of the staff that we have and the quality of care that we are giving because we are still getting those referrals even when it’s not easy for them to come to us.”

Langley says thousands of patients have come through his doors over the years and that many of them have remained loyal to Eagle Physical Therapy.

“Physicians are strongly encouraged to keep care in-house, but we have seen so many patients that, when they go back to a doctor for something else, say ‘I really want to go see the guys at Eagle Physical Therapy,’” he explained. “Doctors have a hard time not letting them see who they want, and saying ‘Well, we have to stay in the St. Luke’s or the St. Al’s (St. Alphonsus) system.”

Inside Eagle PT

Randy Langley of Eagle Physical Therapy

Langley says his family has grown in unity over the years, with a missionary trip to Kenya helping them forge a stronger bond and an appreciation for life in the United States.

“There is this organization out of Meridian called ‘Expansion International’ and they do medical mission trips,” he said. “In 2009, my wife and all four kids went to Kenya and it changed our trajectory. It opened our eyes to people’s needs around the world. We have so much [in the U.S.].”

Langley, who has been to Kenya three times, says physical therapy is only part of what he does with the organization.

“I also helped with a clean water project, putting in water filters at a refugee camp so they have clean water to drink,” he said. “I have to remind my kids every now and then ‘Look what we get to do. We get to turn on the water and we get all we want, and it’s clean and we can drink it, and take a shower.

They (Kenyan refugees) walk a half a mile, carrying a five-gallon bucket of water back to their house, and it’s contaminated water at that. So to be able to provide a resource for them, to purify that water, it was huge.”

Langley, who is part owner of a physical therapy office in east Boise, says his plan for Eagle Therapy is to simply keep providing top quality care.

“Our goal as a business is to provide the best care we can,” he said. “But I also know that over time, if you are not growing, you are falling back, so we will continue to improve and get better at what we do, meet the needs of the community and stay competitive by keeping on the cutting edge.”

Langley says one of the things that keeps him going are the personalities he encounters in a day.

“People make your job interesting,” he said. “You get to understand who they are and what they do, what makes them tick, and that’s what makes this job interesting and colorful. We get to invest a lot in our patients, and we enjoy that.”

Eagle Physical Therapy will be celebrating their anniversary with an open house. See their ad in this issue for more information, log on to www.eaglephysicaltherapy.com, or call (208) 939-3332.

Sew Fixed Up

By Mickie Park Lori Applegarth is the owner and seamstress of Sew Fixed Up. She opened in March of 2015 under the name of Bellissimo. Bellissimo started as a consignment boutique offering amazing bridal and party gowns as well as expert on-site alterations.

However, in August Applegarth officially changed the name to Sew Fixed Up. Along with the name, they will now be offering more to the community and to the surrounding areas.

Sew Fixed Up has hired two additional seamstresses to accommodate more specialty work, including bridal and party gowns, mending, home decor, custom sewing, and sewing machine repair.

Beginning in September 2015, sewing classes will be offered in the evenings.

Whether you are an expert or just a beginner, Applegarth will teach you the ins and outs of sewing.

Applegarth has been sewing since she was 12 years old. It has always been her passion.

Sew Fixed Up is located at 9738 W. State St., open M-F 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

She worked as a seamstress for many years at local sewing shops. Last year, the timing was right and the location was perfect, so she followed her dream of owning her own shop.

Sew Fixed Up is open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They are located at 9738 W. State Street in Star in “Toon Town”.

They can be reached at 999-2763 or by email at lori@sewfixedup.com. Their website is coming soon. Stop in and say hello.

Hot specials right now: Jeans hemmed for $12.00!

Call today for September Sewing Classes.

Stop in and say hello to Lori Applegarth owner & seamstress of Sew Fixed Up. Lori has over 30 years of experience & loves what she does

PAGE 12 • September 2015

THE ARTS

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Harper Lee Catches Up in Go Set a Watchman

of these discussions is whether African Americans can provide for themselves or will they always be want of the “head start” Lyndon Johnson said that they needed.

Hypocrisies ensue: One may women’s (individual) rights but not states’ rights. Corollaries ensue.

Then peace, harmony, and Scout realizes she (and we) can be a part of society and she can stand for what she believes without relying on the knowledge or assurances of others.

Watchman is actually Lee’s first draft of life in Maycomb; her editor encouraged her to create a backstory and the result was Mockingbird which does make a better first book. The political discussions in Watchman read more like a textbook than conversations, nevertheless engaging because of the dialogue between father and daughter. As one reads Watchman, the reader should keep in mind that Mockingbird is the sequel; it is the backstory to what Lee relates here.

Since it’s been about a decade since I’ve last read Mockingbird, I took the opportunity to read Watchman and then its intended sequel. As a great a novel Mockingbird has been for me and so many, the characters are even more fully developed. If you take the time to read Watchman, I encourage you to read Mockingbird again; it’s a real treat.

Grab your refillable buckets o’ popcorn, folks, because Hollywood decided to release more than one great movie in a month!

Where to start? I’d say run, don’t walk, to your nearest theater for one of the best movies of the year: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. From the opening to the final endmark of the closing credits there is everything to enjoy about U.N.C.L.E., including, easily, one of the best soundtracks of the year.

Hands down it is well worth the twelve bucks. U.N.C.L.E is director Guy Ritchie’s best work yet. He also produced and wrote the script, a simple storyline which is flawlessly executed. The backdrop of the story is the 1960’s Cold War where opposing US and Soviet spies are forced to work together (this could have been easily contrived, but no, it is well-played with great acting by Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill). I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t predictable, but the movie went so fast…who cares? At the end of the movie, the character Napoleon Solo asks, “How’s that for entertainment?” in the best bad-guy(girl)-getsit-in-the-end scene ever. Don’t miss this one.

Another great spy film worth your twelve bucks is Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Cruise actually passed up the part of Napoleon Solo to reprise his role of Ethan Hunt. Where all the Mission: Impossible movies focus on the stunts, Rogue Nation (the fifth in the movie series) capitalizes on stunts. This movie rolls fast between stunts and each is well directed and choreographed so that you’re not exhausted after each play.

New to the series is Alec Baldwin (who plays an excellent foil) and Rebecca Ferguson as a British spy. Excellent show.

On the more comedic side was Adam Sandler’s Pixels. I’m not an Adam Sandler fan, and I like Kevin James even less. But somehow these two buffoons pulled it off in Pixels. You can wait for this one to play at the cheap seats, but worth your four bucks for some light-hearted and ridiculous entertainment. Definitely quite a few laugh-out loud moments (and I don’t even like comedies).

On the slower side, I recommend Ricki and The Flash. This is a simple movie, simple story, nothing really amazing here except for Meryl Streep. She is an amazing actor and I sat stunned that she could pull off this 60 year old bar-singing rock “star” who had left her young family to pursue stardom.

Estranged from her family for years, her ex-husband calls her home to care for their recently divorced daughter. Yeah, sure, it all works out, but still a good show.

Well, I saved the worst for last. Fantastic Four. If you’re still regretting that you wasted money on the 2005 reboot, don’t waste any more money on the 2015 reboot. The opening scenario had promise, but there was not one single enjoyable scene watching these four foul-mouthed “superheroes” do absolutely nothing. Worst acting, worst CGI, worst everything. You know how some movies are so bad you laugh at them? This one is worse.

Actor/Director Connor Williams, who produced the award winning movie "Spoilers The Movie", is now self-distributing it through the month of September. The movie has played in 10 states and has won several awards in four different film festivals. Williams, who made the film at 17 years of age heading into his senior year at Eagle High, has accepted a scholarship to a film school in Los Angeles.

"It's a great scholarship but it doesn't cover living expenses. Connor said, " I'm hoping the people in Eagle and Star rent my movie. Huge difference between renting places here and renting in Hollywood." To rent Spoilers go to www.spoilersthemovie.com.

Anyone that rents the movie will get FREE ice cream from Grinkers in Eagle!! "It's awesome that Grinkers is supporting me like this.

Mr. Barbey (owner of Grinkers) is awesome."

Connor has been busy since graduating. He taught underprivileged kids in Texas how to make movies. He was the lead actor in a movie that wrapped August 27th in Utah. He also is cast in a movie starring Quinton Aaron "Big Mike" from The Blindside that starts shooting in December. We will have a full story on Connor Williams in our October issue.

uCritic...... By Tom Wick, Universal Critic

Answer on page 15 ACROSS 1. *It featured Mr. T 6. Middle-earth dweller 9. Slavic monarch 13. Paparazzo's quest 14. India's smallest state 15. Haul with a tackle 16. Raja's wife, pl.

17. Address abbreviation 18. *Bert's roommate 19. *Gilligan's domain 21. *Andy Griffith, e.g.

23. *Alex P. Keaton accessory 24. Coal miner's layer 25. Part of overalls 28. Give up 30. World-wide 35. *Fonzie's comeback: "Sit ____ ____" 37. On bottom of coffee mug 39. Swelling 40. "No problem!"

By Tom Wick Scout, from the ever-popular To Kill a Mockingbird, now in her twenties returns home via rail because she is afraid of flying and flying machines. She fears driving, “hates to operate anything mechanical more complicated than a safety pin, is irritated by folding lawn chairs, and never learned to ride a bike or use a typewriter.” The beloved tomboy grew up expecting the world to fix itself and fix it for her.

The controversial publication of Harper Lee’s second, and probably final, writing is not really a novel, per se. Reading Watchman would be like sitting with Lee 55 years after she told her first tale and catches you up on the Finches and goings-on of Scout’s hometown Maycomb, Alabama.

The main storyline takes place over two days but most of the chapters relate Scout’s flashbacks of her youth and her internal reflections of her right to observe society, not be a part of it. We learn that she loves a boy from her childhood, a friend of her now deceased brother, Jem. Love in the sense that she wants a constant bedmate, “not someone to protect her” since, in marriage, “she would lose her identity.” Besides, Scout ponders, if she got married, “She would have to wear a hat. She would have to have babies, then drop them by accident and kill them.”

Scout, now called Jean Louise, becomes politically and ideologically engaged with her father, the famed attorney Atticus Finch and the man that loves her, Henry. At the heart

41. Brown with a tinge of red 43. Like an ear infection 44. Server's request 46. Like Gulf Stream 47. Driver's road display?

48. Complicated situations 50. Air of allure, slang 52. Popular sauce on Chinese food 53. Louboutin's creation 55. Ford Explorer, e.g.

57. *"Cheers" spin-off 61. Characteristic to consider 64. Cured item popular on bagels, pl.

65. *"Doctor Who" broadcaster 67. ____ Jane 69. Audience's approval 70. Charged particle 71. Two under on one hole 72. Increases or adds to 73. Foot digit 74. Chased up a tree

DOWN 1. Credit card rate 2. Bangkok native 3. Ages and ages 4. Not upright 5. Tessarae artwork 6. "Goodness gracious!"

7. Chop off 8. Casper the Friendly Ghost's uncle 9. Unit of pressure named after Torricelli 10. Pueblo tribesman 11. "Clueless" catch phrase 12. Coral barrier 15. "The Love Bug" 20. Must-haves 22. Take greedily 24. Oozing 25. *Kind of buddies 26. Accustom 27. They flock together?

29. *He took over for Bob Barker 31. O in b.o.

32. Greek Bs 33. Friend from Mexico 34. *Cagney's partner 36. Phil Mickelson's ball prop 38. *"That ____" with Marlo Thomas 42. Aggregate 45. Withstand 49. Female 51. *Kermit, e.g.

54. Galactic path 56. Type of consonant 57. Bolt 58. *Third from the sun 59. Car shaft 60. Neptune's realm, pl.

61. Teenager's woe 62. Zoo room 63. Bathroom flooring 66. Fan's discontent 68. *____ Flanders of "The Simpsons"

Spoiler the Movie

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

om d n a R ts h g u Tho

liability for our municipality.

I think we all agree, cell phone towers are NOT attractive. The tall, grey, teepee-like structure sticks out like bad hair on a presidential candidate. But, they are a necessity.

Mary told me there were several “public” sites proposed—but anyone within eye shot of the sites, complained. That’s when she showed me some really cool photos of camouflaged cell towers, in fake trees. Heck, they had Blue Spruce, Ponderosa Pine and Log Pole Pine designs. I was really impressed. They looked very real…almost attractive.

That’s why I was thrilled when I recently spotted another type of “camouflaged” cell tower. I’d been in Park City, Utah and had driven by the Yarrow Hotel (now a DoubleTree property) a dozen times without noticing what was on their bell tower. Well, those Sneaky Petes…

That dang cell tower blended right in. And, it was right in town. I was so excited, I had to take a photo. I was taking some shots, when the hotel’s concierge approached. He was very nice and informed me that there are three carriers who use the tower and DoubleTree collects rent on the tower (bonus!). He went on to tell me that cell towers are actually everywhere in big cities—built into the urban architecture.

Eureka! I had to share this with my friends!. I posted the photo and complained (just a little) about our feeble service. It was a popular post and in the end, my friend Mary responded to it. She announced Eagle has approval for two new towers. Yay, for improved service! And, who knows, they may not be your 1990 version of a cell tower. The two new towers may just blend right into our Eagle architecture…

By Gretchen Anderson

“Can you hear me now?” “No?” If you live in Eagle, you can relate. I was stunned when I heard that Boise’s little, bedroom community is sorely underserved in the cell phone tower department.

The last tower was erected in the early 1990s.

I learned this last year as I was enjoying some appetizers at DaVinci’s. I ran into my friend, Mary, who sits on the Eagle City Council. She said the council couldn’t get additional towers approved because of the NIMBYs. I had never heard the term.

“What’s a NIMBY?” You know, those individuals who want all the perks of having the sweet life—but none of the responsibility of making it happen.

They are called the “Not In My Back Yard” people, or NIMBYs. And, that’s why the cell phone service has been so crappy, for so long, in Eagle.

“What’s the big deal?” You ask? So what if you have dropped calls every time your mom dials you? It is a big deal, in terms of safety. If there is an emergency, we as Eagle residents, need to be able to call for help. And, as more and more Eagle folks “cut the cord” on their landlines and rely solely on their mobile devices for communications, it becomes a ©September 2015 Gretchen Anderson. Gretchen Anderson is an award-winning writer and author of “The Backyard Chicken Fight.” It is available on Amazon.

Contact Gretchen at gretchen.anderson@me.com.

Joe’s View

You have seen them. The photos of “epic fails”, or home repair solutions that are absolutely astounding as to the stupidity involved in their creation. These photos (or evidence) exist for car repair, animal care, sports, just about anything where if it can be done wrong, it probably has. And here is the picture to prove it.

Do these examples really exist? Are they some clever photo manipulation just to amuse us or did someone really think that this was a good idea at one time?

Most are for real. I know this because just in the few years I have been on this planet, and the fewer years I entertained myself as a remodeling contractor, I have seen my own share. And, in this moment of self-confession, I have to admit I may have created a couple “epic fails” myself.

Most of the photographic ones that really catch my attention seem to involve plumbing and electrical. If we break these down individually, plumbing fails can make you wet.

Electrical fails make you dead. So that right there is an important and distinctive separation.

I admire the radiator hose “S” Trap under the kitchen sink, or the toilet installed halfway into the shower, just in case you want to do both at the same time. Creativity at its finest. Now the electrical outlet installed in the wall of the same shower? When did this make sense to someone?

Hybrid concoctions make me chuckle also.

The strapped in electric drill with an Allen tip to spin the burnt out disposal under the sink. The wood stove elevated on three layers of cinder blocks because they didn’t have enough stove pipe. License plate roof patches in place of shingles. What is behind these solutions? Perceived necessity. At the moment of inception, these made perfect

sense. In fact, I have a feeling the creator was downright proud of themselves. Hey, they were using what they had to fix a problem.

This in a way is to be admired.

My line gets drawn when the solution becomes dangerous or fraudulent. I receive text photos from home inspectors showing me what they found. These have included wiring connections wrapped with duct tape stuffed into plastic bag laying in the attic.

Dryer ducts made out of ABS Sewer pipe.

Even windows installed backwards! Really.

You can never know or see into, through, or under everything in your home. You never know what those living there before you did and covered up. Out of sight, out of mind.

A lot of these “creative solutions” I found in remodeling homes actually worked, and for a surprising amount of time. Eventually they would have failed. And yes, sooner than if they would have been done right to begin with.

There are often the best of intentions to come back and “do it right”. “This is only temporary” has been spoken by me several times only to forget about it for a long time because it worked.

Without exception, I cannot think of anyone who regretted doing something the right way. With “the right way” comes pride and a guilt-free conscience. You also usually do not have to worry about hurting others or causing distress for “the next guy” because of your corner cutting.

I have heard the phrase: If you want it fixed, with what you have, and you need it to last, ask a Farmer to do it. After restoring a couple old Farmall tractors, I can agree with this. It was ugly, but by gosh it worked and probably would for a long time to come.

Something around your house you need to correct? Do it now and do it right. You will sleep better tonight.

Listen to The HomeFix Radio Show with Joe Prin, Saturday mornings, 7-10 AM on 670 KBOI or on your mobile device through Facebook at “The HomeFix Radio Show”. Email to joe@joeprin.com.

Podcasts of previous radio shows and columns are available at JoePrin.com.

September 2015 • PAGE 13

Check out our website www.theindnews.com for up to date information on where to donate blood.

Blood is always needed, but even more so in the summer months.

PAGE 14 • September 2015

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

New DMV online app allows instant check of vehicle-title status

BOISE -- Check the status of your motor-vehicle title online and for free using a new Vehicle Title Status Checker app, recently launched by the Idaho Transportation Department’s Division of Motor Vehicles.

The new online feature allows DMV customers, auto dealers, banks and county motor vehicle offices to instantly check the status of an Idaho motor-vehicle title application. The new web-based application only requires a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from the vehicle being checked, explained ITD Vehicle Services Manager Amy Smith.

“No personal-identifying information is displayed,” Smith said. “This application simply allows the viewer to see if a title has been issued or is in progress. It will also show a notation if a lien holder is recorded.”

If a title has been issued, the title status checker will show the issue date for the title and allow a viewer to see if they have the most current Idaho title. The checker also will show if a title has been applied for, and the application’s current status.

“The best part is that there is no fee required, and the feature is open to everyone,” Smith said. “This new online application was created to help Idaho DMV customers check to see if their title has been issued after applying at a county office, without the necessity of calling DMV or the county office.”

“You can also use this application to deter-

mine if an Idaho vehicle title that someone is presenting you is valid,” she added. “You may want to do this before buying a vehicle from an individual, providing a loan for a vehicle purchase and recording a lien, or taking a vehicle in on trade as a dealer.”

A vehicle’s VIN can be found on its registration document. The VIN can also be found on the vehicle itself, usually on a plate located on the dash just under the windshield on the driver’s side, or on a decal located on the driver’s side door edge or doorpost.

Only title applications recorded in the title system, by either a county assessor’s vehicle office or ITD, are accessible. Titles are typically mailed the business day following the title-print date. If there is a lien holder recorded, the title or electronic title record will be sent directly to the lien holder and not to the titled owner.

To use ITD’s Vehicle Title Status Checker, go to itd.idaho.gov and click on “DMV Online” to access Idaho DMV Online Services.

Once there, look for the “Vehicle Title Status Checker” link.

Questions? Visit us online at itd.idaho.gov, follow ITD on Twitter (@IdahoITD) or Facebook and check travel conditions at 511.idaho.gov or dial 5-1-1. Please slow down in highway construction zones and pay attention. Safety for drivers and workers is our highest priority.

(Boise) – Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney are warning business owners to protect themselves against a new scam targeting Idaho businesses.

In recent weeks, business owners have reported receiving postcards entitled “Important Compliance Notice” from a company identified as Division of Corporate Services, Business Compliance Division. The message mentions potential compliance violations, but is vague on what those compliance issues may be.

The cards also include a phony legal citation and a telephone number to call if recipients hope to avoid potential fees and penalties.

“I want business owners to know that this postcard is deceptive and should be ignored,”

Attorney General Wasden said. “We encourage business owners who receive these bogus notifications, as well as those who have already called and interacted with the company, to file complaints with my office.”

The postcard informs business owners they must purchase a certificate of “goodstanding” from the company. Such a certificate is not required by the Secretary of State’s office or the Idaho Uniform Business Organizations Code, Secretary of State Denney said.

Wasden said his Consumer Protection Division has received multiple reports from business owners concerned about being in compliance.

Business owners interested in filing a complaint, please visit: http://www.ag.idaho. gov/consumerProtection/forms/ComplaintFormInformation.html

BOISE - Check the tires. Check the engine.

Check the gas. Check the web.

Just in time for the end-of-summer flurry of travel, drivers now have a new online tool to help plan their next road trip: The North/ West Passage Operations and Travel Information Integration Sharing (OTIIS) Project.

Roadstosafediscovery.com launched in July 2015.

Although individual states provide traveler information — Idaho Transportation Department has a Traveler Information website at 511.idaho.gov, which will eventually be linked to the new OTIIS site — users now have a corridor-wide tool to extend beyond individual state lines and offer unique trip-planning features. Frequent highway work and extreme winter weather conditions pose significant operational and travel-related challenges.

“The website illustrates the natural evolution from a traveler information portal centered on one state, to a corridor-based portal that is not constrained by state borders,” said ITD Operations Engineer Robert Koeberlein.

“Our customers will find that the website will add a new dimension to trip planning and contribute to improved highway safety and traveler convenience.”

Recognizing the value of coordinated, cross-border collaboration, the Federal Highway Administration’s Multistate Corridor

Operations and Management Program selected the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., to develop, deploy, and operate the OTIIS Project.

WTI, the MSU Computer Science Department development team, and team members from Athey Creek Consultants, worked with the eight state departments of transportation along the corridor to research, develop, and test technology solutions to assist with trip planning.

The website provides the ability for commercial drivers and long-range travelers to plan based on current and forecasted information for routing and scheduling decisions.

In essence, the system will provide information that can influence positive driver behavioral change.

The North/West Passage Traveler Information website is ready to assist private and commercial vehicle drivers with trip planning. VisitRoadstosafediscovery.com before your next road trip across the North/West Passage to guide you safely to your destination.

Questions? Visit us online at itd.idaho.gov, follow ITD on Twitter (@IdahoITD) or Facebook and check travel conditions at 511.idaho.gov or dial 5-1-1. Please slow down in highway construction zones and pay attention. Safety for drivers and workers is our highest priority.

Attorney General, Secretary of State Warn Business Owners to be Aware of Scam

Idaho part of new North/West Passage multi-state trip planning and traveler information website

September 2015 • PAGE 15

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

LifeSpring Christian Church to observe Patriot Day on Sept 6

LifeSpring will be having a special service to honor our local Emergency Personnel.

We have invited the Star Fire Department, Star Police Department, Ada County Paramedics and Ada County Dispatch.

There will be a reception at 10 am with a presentation being made to each Department at our 10:30 a.m. service.

Patriot Day is a time to remember and to honor the people in our community that are there for us in a time of crisis.

We want to honor our local heroes and say thank you for what you do.

We want to invite the community to come and honor our local heroes with us on that day.

Patriot Day is an annual observance on September 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.

On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. The hijackers then deliberately flew three of the planes into two important buildings, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The loss of life and damage that these hijackings caused form the biggest act of terrorism ever on United States soil.

Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks and the economic impact was immense.

For additional information contact Larry Osborn@ osborn.larry@sbcglobal.net or 208-629-2001.

LifeSpring Christian Church • 174 N. Star Road, Star, Idaho • (208) 629-2001

Troubleshooting and Maintaining your Vehicle's Cooling System

The cooling system in your car works to keep your engine from overheating, which is very important job. If your vehicle overheats, it could mean the death of your engine. There are a lot of steps involved, so in this article, we’ll troubleshoot and flush the system. Next month, we’ll finish up with the thermostat.

If steam starts coming from under the hood of your car, turn off the air conditioning, open your windows, and turn your heater on full blast. This will help draw some of the heat from your engine, but unfortunately it will draw into your vehicle.

You do not want your vehicle to overheat, so if Steve's Auto Care isn't anywhere in sight, pull over and shut off the engine immediately. Call Steve at 208 863 2748.

Why your car may overheat: Leaking in your cooling system, thermostat problem, fan belt is loose, water pump problem, low oil level, bad radiator hoses, dirty radiator plugged with debris, Timing needs adjusting (in older vehicles) and needs coolant.

Checking and Adding Coolant: Regularly checking fluids is a good plan for your wallet and for your safety. Let's begin by learning how to take off the radiator cap. NEVER try to remove a radiator cap when the engine is hot. You will want to wait at least 20 to 25 minutes so that the engine has time to cool off. Observe safety rules (pull back long hair, take off dangling jewelry, etc.).

After the engine has cooled, remove the radiator cap by following these steps: 1. Some vehicles have safety caps that, after being popped, allow pressure to escape. If you have a safety cap, very carefully pop it now. Step back while the steam escapes and then go back and twist the cap in a counterclockwise motion. If you don't have a safety cap, use an old t-shirt or rag and place it over the cap before you turn. This will keep your hands from getting burned.

2. If, after turning the cap things have not settled down, meaning there's a lot of hissing and steam or coolant escaping, Righty Tighty the cap back on and wait for the engine to Steve Green cool down a little of Steve’s more.

Auto Care 3. When it's safe to take the top off, twisted in a counterclockwise motion and open the cap away from your body. The radiator cap is pressurized. Check how much coolant you have, and the quality of it.

Flushing your Vehicle's System: Flushing the radiator helps keep the cooling system clean of rust and settling debris.

The maintenance schedule in your owner's manual will tell you when you should have your cooling system flushed and refilled.

The most common service interval recommendations are every 24 to 36 months or 24,000 to 36,000 miles, but many later models vehicles now have coolant that is designed to last 50,000 miles.

Given the environmental concerns alone, flushing the cooling system is a service that's best left to the professionals and, here at Steve's Auto Care, we would gladly do that for you and dispose of the antifreeze properly.

Stay tuned next month. We’ll finish up working on the cooling system by checking and replacing the thermostat.

If you have any questions or any tips you'd like me to write about for The Independent News, feel free to contact Steve at Steve's Auto Care (208) 863-2748.

Have a Safe and Blessed month.

This is a Paid Advertorial

Steve's Auto Care (208) 863-2748

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

An affordable way to advertise your business or service!

Over 16,000 copies distribution to Eagle and Star, with drops in N Meridian and W Boise!

Call 794-6858 or email theindnews.story@gmail.com

Food Donation Needed Eagle Foodbank

Distribution Days are the first and third Thursday of every month 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and the last Tuesday 6-7 p.m.

149 W. State St, Eagle, in the rear of the Customedica Pharmacy building.

Donations of non-perishable food items may be dropped off at donation bins located in the Eagle Main Fire Station, the Eagle Public Library and in Albertsons.

The Eagle Foodbank is also open most Fridays from 4-6pm to receive non-perishable donations. Donations may be mailed to: Eagle Foodbank, PO Box 1081,Eagle, ID 83616.

Hope Lutheran Food Bank

Open Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

After-hours by appointment.

939-9181,office@hopeeagle.org www.hopeeagle.com.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

To view our current, updated calendar or for event submission information please visit our website at www.theindnews.com.

Library calendars, Eagle and Star city meetings, and Chamber of Commerce information can be found listed separately throughout the newspaper.

City of Eagle news, pg. 6 & 7; City of Star news, pg. 16 and on the online calendar at

www.theindnews.com

PAGE 16 • September 2015

CIT Y OF STAR

A Thank You for a successful Back to School drive.

Supplies will be taken to schools.

Current Needs: Canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce, and soup.

Personal care items needed are: Bar soap, laundry soap, sample/hotel shampoo and conditioners, lotion, etc.

Star Outreach needs volunteers. Contact Connie 208-340-2702 If you need assistance or know someone who does we are open every Thursday 3-5 & the third Thursday 3-7 or call 779-0046.

Star Outreach

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Star Outreach- Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a Public Charity under Internal Revenue section 501 (c) (3)

Check us out at staroutreachonline.com.

September 2015 Star Chamber Calendar

THE BOARD HAS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO Larry Osborne taking over the Treasurer position. Larry comes with an impressive resume and a go to and get it done attitude. We hope you will take time to meet him in the September meetings.

Sept 3rd @ 11:45 am- OUT TO LUNCH WITH THE CHAMBER Come network and enjoy meeting new business folks. Eat well and bring a raffle or two, and bring a business friend with you. Sully’s on the Patio.

Sept 3rd @ 12:45 pm – RIBBON CUTTING FOR A NEW BUSINESS Come support your new business(es) in their grand opening and ribbon cutting events. We need to have a good crowd to help with banners and more. ALLSTATE INSURANCE - Toon Town near Central Self Storage (Estrella Plaza).

Sept 17th @ 6:30 pm – MEMBERSHIP DRIVE DINNER EVENT Star Chamber of Commerce invites all business owners: Star is growing and expanding in all directions. Please bring a business owner friend and the more you bring the better chance you have to win a $200+ prize that will help you in your business. This is dinner, dancing, silent auction and raffles and help us expand by encouraging one or more businesses to join the Star Chamber. There will be a Live Band and No Host Bar. Our Event, is FREE of charge and we ask that you consider purchasing raffle tickets and participate in the Silent Auction. We invite you to join us for lots of fun and some freebies. We also ask each member business to bring 2 Raffle items, and a business friend and/or a Silent Auction Item. Heron River Clubhouse SNEAK PEAK: OCTOBERFEST (SUNDAY, OCT. 5TH) CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE NEEDED: Volunteers and businesses _______to participate. Email us for info!

Star Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 72, Star, ID 83669 Phone: 208-908-5476 / Text 208-350-1223 www.StarIdahoChamber.com • President@StarIdahoChamber.com

On Thursday, September 17 Loni Trude, Author, Motivational Speaker, award-winning Photographer and Balloon Artist will give a talk at the Star Chamber of Commerce Membership Drive Dinner at 7 p.m.

The location is TBA. Loni will use John Maxwell's inciteful material, "Searching for Eagles."

Loni gave this talk to the Caldwell Ambassadors. The Director, Theresa Harden, said, "We have an animated, fun-loving group of Ambassadors. This is the very first time I've seen them like statues and listen--without chattering or throwing things at each other."

Come and hear why you're an "eagle" or how you can spot one.

"Eagles don't flock. You have to catch one—one at a time." John Maxwell.

For more information call Tamara Sullivan-Watson, President 208-350-1223.

Star Parks and Recreation

We, the City of Star Parks and Recreation committee, are dedicated to providing and preserving the highest quality of parks and services for as many citizens as possible with the resources available.

New**Star Elementary Bench Exercise Series Fit and Fall Prevention™ Class incorporated into the benches at Sponsored by Central District Health.

Star Elementary Track are all ready for your fall No Cost – Join Anytime! shape up. Look for orientation dates on Held at Star City Hall 10769 W. State St. Star Recreation Facebook page.

10:30 - 11:15 a.m., Monday Wednesday, Friday FREE STAR MOVIE SERIES Call Kim for more details 286-7247. at Blake Haven Park co-sponsored by Star Pilates Tuesday and Thursday Elementary. “Big Hero“ September 11 will start 8:30-9:30 a.m. taught by experienced instrucat dusk. Popcorn and water provided by local tor Julia Hilleary. Class meets at Star City Hall sponsors. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. and all abilities are welcome. $25/class per Winter Basketball Registration: month. Class will be ongoing with the minimum Sept. 1 thru Sept 18 of 6 participants. Please bring a mat. $20.00 resident/ $25 non-resident Yoga classes to resume this fall Ages 6 to 11: on Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10 a.m. at Star The season will begin Nov. 2 thru Feb. 26.

City Hall. Bring yoga mat and $25 per month.

There will be 3 divisions 6&7, 8&9, & 10&11 Date TBD. Call 286-7247 or check all divisions will play 6 to 8 games Star Recreation Facebook page. and have at least 1 practice per week Needlepoint for all ages and abilities depending on the age division. taught by the talented Dyan Kastner. Classes Games and practices will be weeknights will be held on Wednesday 4:30-6 p.m. at Star Monday thru Thursday at Star Elementary.

City Hall $5.00/class. No experience needed.

Bring project or call for suggestions at 286-7247.

For current Star Parks and Recreation activites, information, and registration http://staridaho.org/parks/activities.php, call 286-7247 or visit City Hall.

Be our friend on Facebook for the latest changes and happenings!

Or, if you have ideas for new programs we would love to hear from you!!

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Star Senior Center

102 S. Main Street, 286-7943 • Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Are you a senior or know a senior in Star? Please Join us this month and meet old and new friends

September 2: September 4: September 4: September 7: September 9: September 15: September 16: September 16: September 17: September 21: September 25: September 29:

September Activities: Goldmine Newsletter arrives Blood Pressure taken by the Star Firemen Music by Bob Comstock – starts at 11 a.m.

Walmart Shopping - Contact Bethe at 286-7943 Board Meeting Appointment Day/$12 haircuts, bank, doctor appointments, etc.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. - Contact Bethe at 286-7943 Birthday Recognition Music by Bob Comstock Appointment Day/haircuts, bank, doctor appointments, etc.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. - Contact Bethe at 286-7943 Outing to Stagecoach Restaurant - Contact Bethe at 286-7943 Root Beer Floats between 11 a.m. and noon – free Outing to Horseshoe Bend Senior Center - Contact Bethe at 286-7943

Regular Weekly Activities: • Dominoes and pool before lunch each Wednesday and Friday.

• Bingo after lunch each Wednesday and Friday.

• Pinochle each Friday at 7 p.m.

• Books, books on tape, VCR movies, and cassette tapes are available in the office.

• Bus is available for pick up if you need a ride to the Senior Center (286-7943).

• Lunch and bus rides are available on a donation basis.

• AA Meetings each Monday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Women’s AA Meetings each Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ready your golf clubs, practice your swing, and pack your bags!

Ready your golf clubs, practice your swing, and pack your bags!

The Swing for Sight Golf Tournament is coming up soon and the Star Lions Club invites you and your family and friends to be part of the fun.

The 4-player, team-scramble tourney will begin at 8:00 a.m. on September 24th at River Birch Golf Course.

Lunch and goody bags will be provided for entrants, and Hole-in-One, Raffle, and Team prizes will be awarded. Are you ready to claim $15,000 for a Hole in One? Even if you’re not a golfer, you can help in this worthy cause. The Star Lions are still looking for hole sponsors and prize donations for the tournament. To register your team or find other ways to help, go to

www.starlions.org and click Swing for Sight at the left side of your screen.

Registration forms can also be picked up at the Idaho Independent Bank and the Edward Jones office in Star.

Proceeds from this event will go towards purchase of a PlusOptix Vision Screener, which will be utilized by Lions members in Star area schools and daycare centers. A one-second screening by this new machine can spot multiple vision problems in children as young as six months of age.

Current sponsors include Dr. Brandon Taylor at Star Dental (Hole-in-One sponsor), Idaho Independent Bank, Star Construction, Edward Jones, Dave Mackley Construction, Smith and Coehlo, Jim and Shari Hunter, and Eye to Eye.

City of Star Meetings

Star City Council Meetings

1st and 3rd Tuesday • 7:00 p.m.

Star City Hall

Star City Hall

10769 W State Street • 286-7247 www.staridaho.org

STAR LIBRARY - September Events September is National Library Card sign-up month It’s the smartest card in your wallet, and the most important School Supply for your child!

This is the best deal in town - FREE to those within the library district!! Check out our video games, graphic novels, new books on CD, as well as all your favorite authors, DVD’s, and magazines. ASK US if you don’t see what you want!

Mondays 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 Minecraft play (ages 8+), 4-5 p.m.

Preschool Play and Learn Story time X-box and online versions.

(3–5 years), 10:30 a.m.

Thursdays 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24 After-School Adventures Babies and Toddlers story time (grades 1~6), 4-5 p.m. (ages 0-3), 10:30 a.m.

Each week features a new craft activity Stories, fingerplays, and songs for little ones plus a story! and a parent.

Tuesdays 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29 Maker Time (all ages), 4 p.m.

Star Quilters We will be making automatons, giant masks At the library, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and more.

Open to anyone interested.

Fridays 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25 Teen Tuesdays (12 and up), 4-5 p.m.

Music and Movement (all ages), 10:30 a.m.

A time to socialize and have some fun.

Kids learn rhythm, coordination and other skills This month will feature Indie Flicks, Money while moving to music. know-how, Books ‘n Bites, and more.

Saturday 9/12 Puppet Show on 9/29, 4:30 p.m.

“Beyond the Book” discussion for adults, all ages welcome.

10 a.m.. We are reading The Year of Magical Wednesdays 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30 Thinking, by Joan Didion. Stop by the library Star Knitters early to pick up a copy of the book and join us At the library, 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. for a rousing discussion.

Open to anyone interested. *Preschools and daycares are welcome to call the library to schedule a story time visit!

The Star Branch Library will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day. For more information on any of these programs, please call the Star Branch Library at 286-9755 or www.adalib.org. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, too!

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

STAR NEWS

September 2015 • PAGE 17

End of Summer Carnival Celebrates its Summer Reading Program

By Mickie Park The Star Branch Library Summer Reading Program was another great success and one to add to the books. The theme was ‘Every Hero Has a Story’ and the program ran June 1 to August 10.

The program had something for everyone and included activities for all ages. Participants read books of their choice including

audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and comic books; recorded their completion on a summer log; and turned the log into the librarians. Prizes were awarded for completion.

The recurring summer program is a great way to keep kids involved in reading during the school break.

Balloon Animals were a favorite activity

Bounce House Fun

JT getting the duck from one side of the pool to the other

Volunteer Birgit painted Skye a special Butterfly

To commemorate the end of the reading program and all the readers’ accomplishments, the library held a summer-end carnival on August 10. Approximately 100 kids participated in the bounce house, the cupcake walk, face painting, and balloon making animals.

A special thank you from the Friends at

Star Library to the local businesses that helped make this Summer Reading program a great success: Star Mercantile, Discovery Center, Roaring Springs, Texas Roadhouse, Smoky Mountain Pizza and Idaho Ice World.

Be sure and check the calendar each month right here in The Independent News for current events at the library.

Volunteer Meno does her Balloon Magic

Lucky Cupcake Walk winner Ari picked her favorite cupcake from Volunteer Mary

PAGE 18 • September 2015

STAR NEWS

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

Sunsets in Star...The New Mural

By Mickie Park Steve Green with Star Auto Care has once again gone above and beyond for the community of Star.

Earlier this year, Green held a contest to challenge any artist, a beginner or a pro, to draw a picture of what Star meant to them.

While the pictures submitted were all amazing, one stood out.

Makayla Walls of Star won the contest and today her vision of Star is being shared with the community and visitors alike.

Walls is a 10th grader; art, ballet and school are her passions. When the contest was announced, she knew immediately what she would paint. Walls loves our beautiful sunsets. She feels our community is fortunate to be afforded so many opportunities to view

gorgeous sunsets almost every night.

When Green received the art piece, he knew he wanted to share it with the community. With city council approval, artist Stephanie Paulson was commissioned to paint the mural on the east side of his building. Paulson worked tirelessly as she painted the ‘Sunsets in Star’ art piece in the heat of summer.

The mural is taking shape and is already breathtaking as you drive through town. It’s not complete yet, says Paulson, but the vision from the original art piece is almost finished.

Together, Walls and Paulson will be working on the final touches and soon all will be able to enjoy the beauty of Star as seen through the eyes of Makayla Walls.

The beginning of the Sunsets in Star Mural

Stephanie hard at work

Artist Makayla Walls, Owner Steve Green & Painter/Artist Stephanie Paulson

Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

“If you don’t like something, change it.

If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. ~ Mary Engelbreit

By Nathaniel Sillin As the economy improves, today's sellers are facing a very different environment than they were before the housing market stumbled in 2006.

Today's housing market features new procedures and standards, not the least of which are continuing borrowing hurdles for prospective buyers. If you are thinking about a home sale in the coming months, it pays to do a thorough overview of your personal finances and local real estate environment before you put up the "for sale" sign. Here are some general issues to consider: Make sure you're not underwater.

You may want to buy a new home, but can you afford to sell? The term "underwater" refers to the amount of money a seller owes on a house in excess of final sales proceeds.

If what you owe on the home – including all selling costs due at closing – exceeds the agreed-upon sale price, then you will have to pay the difference out of pocket. If you're not in a situation where you absolutely have to sell now, you may want to wait until your financial circumstances and the real estate market improves.

Evaluate your finances.

Before you sell, make sure you are ready to buy or rent. Making sure all three of your credit reports (https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action) are accurate is an important part of that process.

Consider "for sale by owner" vs. "for sale by broker."

"For Sale by Owner" (FSBO) signs were a common sight in many neighborhoods during the housing crisis. Shrunken home values convinced many sellers to sell their property themselves rather than pay 5-6 percent of

profit in broker commission. However, consider what a licensed real estate broker could accomplish in your specific situation.

Many experienced brokers have market knowledge and negotiating skills that could potentially get a better price for your property. Deciding which route to take shouldn't be an overnight decision. Check leading FSBO and broker sites and talk with knowledgeable friends, attorneys and real estate professionals to learn as much as you can.

Think twice before spending on improvements.

Not every home construction project pays off at sale time. Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report (http://www. remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2015/) tracks both pricing and cost recovery for leading remodeling projects. Before fixing up a bathroom, kitchen or any other area of your home, research whether the work will actually pay for itself at sale. For many sellers, it might be advantageous to hire a licensed home inspector to identify any structural, mechanical or major appliance repair issues that could delay or compromise a sale.

Don't forget moving costs.

According to the American Moving and Storage Association, a leading industry trade group, the average professional interstate move of 1,220 miles costs an average of $5,630; in state, the average moving cost is $1,170. After all the costs involved in selling a home, don't forget how much it costs to relocate.

Bottom line: Selling your home requires planning.

Before putting it on the market, get solid, qualified advice on how to sell smart in a still-recovering housing market.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa's financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com V<>L:”“RX

Urban Farm Girl

The Hammock

By Joanne M.W. Love It was the day after high school graduation this past May. The projects, parties, and ceremonies were behind us. This particular spring brought with it an unparalleled level of busyness for our family. As we waved goodbye to our senior who was leaving on a trip with family, our middle child put his arm around me and said, “Let’s go swing on the hammock, Mom.” Walking through the backyard I felt guilt gnawing at me, realizing I couldn’t really recall when I’d had a minute to even hug him during this past, crazy week. In typical middle-child fashion, he had willingly let himself be overlooked as he pitched in on the frontlines throughout the graduation madness.

We stretched out, side by side on the hammock, silently rocking and listening to the wind stir the leaves above us. I kept thinking, “He really needed this,” and was resolved to swing all afternoon if that’s what he wanted. But with each passing swing of the hammock, I became more cognizant that it was ME who needed this.

I realized it’s the first time either one of us had been still in months. I also realized that the hourglass had officially tipped. He would be the next child graduating and leaving home and the two-year countdown was beginning. I am NEVER getting out of this hammock.

Much to my chagrin, my hammock time came to an abrupt end after 20 minutes, with my “middle” rolling out, declaring he had to go. He had summer homework, his job, and friends to “hang with” (probably not in that order). Summer homework?!! Why’d we have to send you to school and teach you responsibility? This feels awful.

Fast forward to midsummer and my husband and I have had more evenings at home without kids than with kids this month. At first we were happily surprised. Like teenagers without parental supervision, we were downright giddy and made good use of our time (insert picture of our kids looking horrified at the mere suggestion of this). But as a noticeable pattern developed, my giddiness dissipated. We’re not

OUTDOORS V<>L:”“RX

empty-nesters yet!! Why is our nest looking empty?!!

Skip ahead to August and now I’m standing on a college campus, staring at a copy of our oldest son’s official college classes. As I step outside my body and tell myself to breathe, I see nothing but irony in all of this childraising hullabaloo... cruel, cruel irony. As we devote our lives to a crescendo of loving them, teaching them, and preparing them to leave… they do.

I’m not READY for this! (I distinctly remember having a similar thought one week before giving birth to this child).

How quickly life shifts. Until now, summer signified a new flavor of scheduled activity.

I’d even feel a little guilty as we lazily stayed in pajamas the first day school was out. We packed in adventures and experiences for the kids; filling the calendar with camps, retreats, and family vacations. However, this summer, the activity is centered around responsibility and beginning preparations to leave home.

I feel myself holding on harder, wanting to hunker down longer on that hammock with all of them. Time stands still when we’re swinging on the hammock. The stillness of our bodies lets us take in the breezes through our toes, the cacophony of nature surrounding us, and as my cheek rests against their heads, I can smell each of them as they were when they were two. The guilt that once nagged me if there was too much empty calendar space, is replaced with a new sense of desperation to just “be” with them.

I don’t want a full calendar; I don’t want to go anywhere. I want only to pig-pile in the hammock, in our pajamas.

Summer is now drawing to a close and in ten days, we’ll be bringing our first-born to college.

I’m fully aware that my impulse to be a physical ball-and-chain around my kids’ ankles is futile.

While I couldn’t stop the palpable beast of summer that still managed to consume everyone’s lives for 3 months, I’ll look back at it with no regret over the willfully calculated, lazy moments. I began and will end this summer, with each of the kids, on the hammock.

© Urban Farm Girl: Raising Critters & Kids, Awarded Idaho Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism for best Weekly General Column.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.

These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.

Beautiful people do not just happen. ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Attorney General announces $71 Million Settlement with drug maker, Amgen

(Boise) –Amgen, the maker of Aranesp and Enbrel, reached a settlement with Idaho and 48 other state attorneys general, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said today. Idaho will receive $818,541 from the $71 million multistate settlement.

The settlement resolves allegations that Amgen violated the Idaho Consumer Protection Act by unlawfully promoting the medications, Aranesp and Enbrel. Aranesp is used to treat certain types of anemia. Enbrel is used to treat a number of conditions, including plaque psoriasis.

The complaint and consent judgment filed today alleges that Amgen violated state consumer protection laws by: 1. Promoting Aranesp for dosing frequencies longer than the FDA approved label without competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate the extended dosing frequencies; 2. Promoting Aranesp for anemia caused by cancer without having FDA approval or competent and reliable scientific evidence to support it; and 3. Promoting Enbrel for mild plaque psoriasis even though Enbrel is only approved by the FDA to treat chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

“Many Idahoans used these medications and relied on the representations made by the manufacturer,” Attorney General Wasden

September 2015 • PAGE 19

said. “This settlement will ensure that Idaho consumers will now be provided the truth about these drugs and how to appropriately use them.”

The Consent Judgment also requires Amgen to change its marketing and promotional practices. Amgen can no longer: • Make any written or oral claim that is false, misleading, or deceptive in promoting Enbrel or any drug in the same class as Aranesp; • Represent that Enbrel or any drug in the same class as Aranesp has any sponsorship, approval, characteristics, ingredients, uses, benefits, quantities, or qualities that it does not have; • Publish or promote Enbrel or any drug in the same class as Aranesp for an Off-Label use to a Health Care Professional; • Allow Amgen Marketing and Amgen Sales to initiate interactions with a compendium or determine the content of any materials for submissions to a compendium relating to Enbrel or any drug in the same class as Aranesp; or • Submit a Special Supplement to a compendium to support an Off-Label Use of Enbrel or any drug in the same class as Aranesp or use a third party to lobby a compendium on Amgen’s behalf without notifying the compendium that it is acting at Amgen’s request.

The Mrs Idaho America pageant will be held October 3, 2015 at the Capital High School Auditorium in Boise Idaho. This event will feature 27 beautiful married women ranging in age from 24 – 44 from across our great state. The delegates are vying for a prize package valued at more than $10,000 and the opportunity to represent Idaho at the national Mrs America pageant. Mrs Idaho America 2015, Charity Majors of Boise will be crowning her successor.

Tickets for the event are available at www.mrsidahopageant.com.

2016 Delegates are: Kimberly Paige, Mrs Bannock County Laina Walkington, Mrs Coeur d'Alene Melissa Nelson, Mrs Pocatello Stormie Woolsey, Mrs Dalton Gardens Christie Flynn, Mrs Boise Foothills Trinity Bladt, Mrs Fairview Michelle Jacobi, Mrs Marsing Karyn Holt, Mrs Mica View Erin Balik, Mrs Meridian Metro Lauren Gettman, Mrs Hayden Lake Bridgette Summers, Mrs Bonneville County Michele Sheets, Mrs Kootenai County Sandy Carey, Mrs Boise River Jodey Harmon, Mrs Snake River Stacy Pittman, Mrs Payette County

Corilynne Smith, Mrs Northern Lakes Katie Denning, Mrs Canyon County Kimberly Zweiger, Mrs Eagle Hills Shawna Walz, Mrs Tri-Counties Heather Harrington, Mrs Ada County Suzy Hawkes, Mrs Floating Feather Jessica Bonar, Mrs Hayden Stephanie Schoenfeld, Mrs SE Boise Rebecca Stonhill, Mrs Star Christi van Ravenhorst, Mrs McCall Melissa Rhodehouse, Mrs Idaho Falls Courtney Lehosit, Mrs Treasure Valley The Mrs. Idaho America Competition is an exciting and rewarding program that recognizes Idaho’s married women and is the official state preliminary to the prestigious Mrs. America Pageant.

Applications for the 2017 pageant will be accepted beginning January 1, 2016, visit our websitewww.mrsidahopageant.com Delegates must be of good moral character, married, at least 18 years of age, a US Citizen and a resident of Idaho. Areas of competition include Personal Interview, Physical Fitness and Evening Wear.

For additional information email mrs idahoteam@yahoo.com or call Susan 208- 859-3809 or Sher 208-870-3722.

ROOF DAMAGE

PAGE 20 • September 2015

The Independent News • www.theindnews.com

from WIND or HAIL ?

CALL US FOR A FREE INSPECTION

Your homeowners Insurance may cover wind damage. We are still inspecting roofs for hail damage, but see many with wind damage, especially to the older 3-tab type roofing.

Star, Meridian and all surrounding areas were affected by wind damage.

Tired of waiting for your roofer?

We can put your roof on in days - not weeks or months.

LOCAL CONTRACTOR CHOOSE A

921-1445

A local company with 25+ years of experience.

Call us for a free inspection.

CF Construction provides a 10 year workmanship warranty.

Roofing materials we use have a 30 year (or more)manufacturer’s warranty.

Established in 2003, we live and work in Eagle.

We serve our community and we serve our customers.

CF Construction will be there during the entire process

Obtain a FREE inspection now on Residential or Commercial roofs • Damage is typically not visible without a close inspection.

• There is a time limit to file a claim with your insurer.

CF Construction takes all the hassle out of the claim process With our years of local experience: • • • •

We meet with the insurance adjustor at your home.

We show adjustor all areas of damage; roof, gutters, garage door, etc.

We are your Advocate through the entire process.

We can help explain all the paperwork.

BEWARE

Companies from out of state that “chase storms” and temporarily set up offices are working the area.

If they leave when the work is done, how will they provide you with warranty work? Any company with a registration # of 36000 or higher registered with the state after the storm and is not a long established company. There are local contractors that have a Reg. # higher than 36000. PLEASE BUY IDAHO! Please check every contractors registration # and look up thier history on the state website - even local contractors. You want to know how long every contractor has been in business.

Go to ROOFINGEAGLE.COM and click on the state links. Please check all registration numbers of the subs too.

THERE ARE MANY GREAT IDAHO CONTRACTORS - USE US!

WWW.ROOFINGEAGLE.COM