EEK, IT'S A MOUSE!

Yes, I have a bat...er...mouse... in my belfry. A mouse, I say, because I have only seen one at a time. They don't scurry around in mobs, like roaches, and a mouse doesn't mind taking a dive for a kabibble right under my nose in broad daylight--although I think that was an error in judgement on his part. His bud said, "Mistake, buh-ig mistake, Harold."

Now, when I mention kabibbles, one might misunderstand and think I'm untidy. Judging by the general maligning they get, not to mention downright horror-accompanied-by-creeping-flesh at the mere mention of the little tykes, it would not bode well for me to admit that , no, I am not untidy, I just feel sorry for the starving little buggers and only pick out the tastiest dainties (nuts, bird seed, healthy cat-crunchies & homemade bread crumbs) for them and leave them on a pretty dish under an antique buffet at night, so they'll feel safe darting to and fro. No, I won't admit to it.

I feel lucky that they contain their foraging to my kitchen floor. So far, not one has ventured to my bedroom, but woe for me if I happen to drop a sticky crumble of my midnight snack on my nightie--I may be feeling little twitchy-whiskers in my bed--hmm, though maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Now, you may be wondering why I'm talking about rodents on New Year's Eve. Well, there hasn't been much news coming my way so I've been gathering up a little here and there, like a mousie storing seeds. If you want to go out, it looks like dinner is served in Crouch. Check out The Longhorn Bar and Grill Menu, which should be pretty good. For a bit of a thrill, call the Thunder Mountain Party Train in Horseshoe Bend. For dancing, dinner and big pizazz, Terrace Lakes has a special NYE dinner planned for you and the fireworks show starts at midnight. If you go out, take care and call a friend if you drink too much.

Happy New Year to all critters, great and small, on this frigid winter's night. I wish you shelter, a kiss for the new year, and may all Garden Valley nibblers have enough kabibbles to fill their tummies and warm their hearts.

SENIOR CENTER CLOSED TUESDAY

Due to storm warnings, the Garden Valley Senior Center will be closed on Tuesday, December 28. All activities and dinner are cancelled. The Center will also be closed for the New Year Celebration this Thursday.

The meal scheduled for today will instead be served next Tuesday, January 4. Get ready for a South of the Border Happening, with Hot Beef Tamales, Happy Hour Corn, Sassy Tortilla Soup with Corn Chips, Mandarin Oranges, Salad Bar (for sissies) and for dessert, Tres Leches Cake. Ole!

See You In The New Year At The Senior Center.
Have a Safe and Warm and Wild As You Like Holiday!

Letter to the Editor: Newspaper Bias

Dear Editor:

Most newspapers publish a “letters to the Editor” policy. The Idaho World policy limits length to 400 words and requests letters must be written by an individual with their name, address and phone number included. Good taste and inoffensive material is also understood.

The Idaho World has the legal right to refuse to publish any submitted material, but at the same time has an obligation to protect the free speech rights of the public. The letter by Kati Ward defending her mother is in good taste, well constructed, coherent, and lacks any threats or false accusations. It also appears to be entirely composed by the writer. Indeed, that letter meets all the criteria for publication. The IW should publish this letter in a future paper. Failure to do so would not only show preferential bias in this controversy, but I submit such action would offend the constitutional rights of the writer.

Rich Smith
Garden Valley

Events: Christmas Week

Syringa Club members will celebrate their December meeting and Christmas Potluck at a private home in Garden Valley, on Thursday, December 23, at Noon.

Syringa is a service club which began in association with the General Federation of Women's Clubs and members continue to serve the community in many different ways. If you are interested in attending the Potluck, contact Marlo Glauser at 462-3183. Don't be shy!

Christmas Concert at St. Judes Catholic Church on Banks Lowman Highway, December 24, 5:00 p.m. This will be a special musical delight, with vocals and instrumentalists and everyone is welcome to attend this Christmas Eve celebration.

The Merc Says Happy Holidays and a Very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Gerold and I want to thank everyone for your continued support and feedback throughout the year! What an exciting year it’s been with the new store finally starting.

To finish out 2010, we continue to offer great Holiday Deals. You’ll find the sale signs throughout the store in each department!

Peter has a limited selection of fresh made pies in the Deli. In addition, we brought in Edwards Pecan Pies for the Holiday Week!

Store Hours for this Weekend are as follows:

Christmas Eve 8 am – 9 PM - The Chevron will be open until 10PM

Christmas Day – we are open 10am – 12noon ONLY. The Chevron will be open 10 am – 2pm

Sunday, we are back to regular hours.

Have a great Christmas with friends and family and please stay warm and safe. We value your business and look forward to your next visit.

Greg and Gerold

Letter To The Editor

The following Letter to the Editor was originally written for and mailed to the editor of the Idaho World newspaper. An article published in the 12/15 edition of the IW quoted School Board Trustee, Alan Ward, who was responding to School Board Trustee Janell Ward's letter of resignation, presented on the eve of her recall election. This letter by Kati Ward was rejected by the editor, for reasons which make the 19-year old feel insulted, because she composed the letter herself, contrary to the editor's comments, and wrote the letter from her heart.

The editor of the GV Daily News has no problem allowing college students to comment on the squabbles of the adults in the community and welcomes their observations. Speaking of "using your children as pawns", which, in fact, the IW must clearly approve of, considering its support of other parents using their younger children to carry placards and harass school superintendents, it will be quite interesting to watch the continuation of the game. Pawns are considered the weakest pieces, but they may not move backwards--something that perhaps our school "friends" could emulate. Hats off to Pawns.

To the Editor,

I would like to make a few comments on Alan Ward’s statements regarding Janell Ward’s resignation. I am Kati Ward, Janell’s daughter, and I just want the community to know the facts, not the lies that Mr. Ward told. How I know that Mr. Ward isn’t telling the truth is that I overheard the whole phone conversation that took place while we were in Florida. It was my cell phone he called on and the volume was up loud so I heard both of them talking.

My mother did not admit to breaking executive sessions, because what she told Mr. Ward was that everything she told the letter writer (who asked her to tell them) was from open session and what Brian Julian, the lawyer, told the community. Plus Channel 7 taped the meeting. Mr. Ward never advised her of her rights, it never even happened. He launched into the conversation, accusing her and not even asking her what happened or if she did it. The open session with Brian Julian took place on July 1; Mr. Ward didn’t get onto the school board until July 19th. So what was said in executive and open session Mr. Ward does not know since he was at neither of the meetings.

When my mother referred to unethical behavior, she was referring to how Mr. Ward handled the situation in Florida and the things he did during her recall.
My mom doesn’t blame him for her resignation; he’s just part of the whole equation of problems. The main reason for her resignation, as she stated before in her letter, is her health. At her last doctor’s appointment, her cardiologist told her that her heart wasn’t doing as well, because of all the stress of being on school board. Mr. Ward’s actions were creating more stress for my mom, especially since he is a family member.

I want to know where in my mom’s resignation letter she lays complete blame of her resignation on Mr. Ward, because I can’t find it.

Kati Ward

CROUCH CITY COUNCIL: Food Bank Distribution & Energy Assistance

Rob Christensen, of Western Idaho Community Action Partnership (WICAP), made a pitch to the City for the use of the Community Hall for community service, two times a month.

This WICAP program was formed out of the War on Poverty Act, and is part of the contract with Health and Welfare. Christensen said benefits will be less this year, but he wants to offer assistance on Homeless Prevention, Head Start and Home Energy Assistance for low-income families. The Council agreed to the partnership.

There will be Food Bank Distribution and Energy Assistance this Thursday, December 23, between 10 a.m. - Noon, at the Community Hall. If you do not have a file, please bring the most recent copy of your utility bill, proof of income for 3 previous months, Social Security cards for all persons in your household and proof of citizenship or permanent residence.

Wastewater Update: The City has received a letter of support for the sewer system, from Boise County Board of Commissioners. Council wants to get information to the public regarding the wastewater system and bond election, but at this time, there is no public hearing set. City Attorney John McFadden feels residents should be referred to an expert. You could contact Larry Evans, Division Manager, Forsgren Associates. Mail him at levans@forsgren.com. Phone: (208) 342-3144. Gary Ashby is the engineer who has been working with the City of Crouch.

It turns out there has been no formal study on the wet area by the river, on Village Circle; some residents have shown concern that there has been some construction dumping in this area. There is also a manmade pond that the City thinks will require protection. It will be looked into.

The clerk received indication from GV Library President, Richard Wilson, that the library will not be using the old library building, once they have moved into the new one.

Community Hall News: The clerk reported that Dick Polley will be installing new windows in the old girl. Meanwhile, the new insulation is working and people are noticeably warmer. Heat and air will also be installed.

The nice news is Kim Bosse has permanently returned to the little office behind the Hall, as City Clerk; Jody Waltman, who has served as Deputy Clerk for most of 2010, will remain for a while to help clean up files.

The next Council meeting will be on Wednesday, January 12, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., in Crouch Community Hall. For information, contact City Clerk, Kim Bosse, at 208-462-4687.

School Board Updates

At the Garden Valley School board meeting, December 13, board trustees assured patrons that the Annual Idaho School Board Association Convention this fall was worth the money and time, with many workshops available for their continuing education. GV School Music Director, James DeFoe, took some of his music students to the convention and the organization recognized the fine performance with a letter to the District.

If you have an interest in checking out the different presentations of the convention, many workshop leaders have provided these electronically for the public. Go to www.idsba.org.

The board approved Superintendent Tomlin’s recommendation to use the Education Jobs Bill funds toward restoring teacher contracts to no furlough days; this led to the amendment of the annual budget, which included four furlough days on teacher contracts.

It was agreed that setting policies is a major responsibility of the board and it is now imperative that they get done quickly. In 2010, the school brought forth four policies, through using a volunteer policy committee. In answering a patron’s query, Dr. Tomlin explained that unless the committee members are lawyers, it becomes too complex and time-consuming. “When volunteers are involved with review,” he said, “then the committee makes sense.”

The board considered pros and cons between adopting in whole the Idaho State Board model policy manual or to renew the policy set agreement with Eberharter-Maki & Tappen. Clerk of the Board, Paula Fox, added her opinion that the ISBA is more accessible for answers and communication, and Attorney for the District, Amy White, kicked the board in the butt: “Pick a direction and get moving; either way, you have 350 policies to get through!” The board finally approved the ISBA policy manual.

At the June 14 budget unveiling, when Superintendent Tomlin presented his budget recommendations for the 2010-11 school year, he ended it by stressing that the District must run and pass a supplemental levy next spring. The school needs $350,000 for the next two years, for the survival of programs and to keep a majority of staff. Because of the Boise County deadline to hold an election on March 15, 2011, the board needed to act swiftly, to be able to notify the County of their intention. Tomlin reminded them, “Notifying them of the intent does not mean we must do it.”

Amy White warned that the next possible date for levy election is May 17 and the teacher contracts must go out by May 13, which would be a pretty difficult feat, not knowing whether they had the levy or not. (Clarification: May 17 would be the date for board trustee elections. Under the new consolidation laws, the District has been advised by some that the levy election could take place with the trustee election. The District is awaiting a definitive answer on this.) The next available time for a levy election would be in August. The motion to notify the County of intent for a March 15 levy election was passed.

Now that the new school is up and running, it is time for an inventory of all fixed assets. Dr. Tomlin said, “There are budget and liability implications on not having up-to-date inventory. We own a lot of stuff. One of the best ways to protect it is to have inventory done.” The board voted to initiate bids for a fixed asset inventory and insurance appraisal.

Mark Dixon, of Harlow’s Bus Service, showed up to inform the board of updates on routes and schedules. There is much concern about the earlier, hence darker and more dangerous, times the kids are walking on the roads in bad weather. The board will consider the situation.

Principal Bob Vian informed patrons of programs the students are involved in. The online science class will be vying for Idaho Science Scholarships. “Study Lunch” has been introduced into student life; Vian says there is a problem with homework, so if it’s not turned in, kids get to “hang with Mrs. Doyle”.

Vian would like to see the school asking for larger financial donations, so they would have to ask less often. Patron Dick Goetsch got some chuckles when he suggested the principal, with his closely-shaven pate, don a saffron robe.

The next school board meeting will be Monday, January 10, at 6:00 p.m., in the Multi-Purpose Room. For information, contact Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mike Tomlin, at 208-462-3756 x1012, or mtomlin@gvsd.net or Clerk of the Board, Paula Fox, at 462-3756 x1013, or pfox@gvsd.net. Board contact information can be found at gvsd.net.

Calling Garden Valley Wine Enthusiasts

Neighbors With News

The Garden Valley Wine Tasting Club has been going strong for years and the monthly gatherings offer an opportunity to meet interesting people in a private home setting, while gaining knowledge and familiarity with different wines. To be added to the mailing list, contact Rod. There is usually an approximate fee of $10 per person for the evening, and Rod will advise as to what appetizers will taste best with the wines of choice for each tasting.

Rod Murchison generously lends his time and expertise to organize the tastings and bring in distributors who make their wines available for tasting and purchase, if you taste something you would like to enjoy at home.

Dear Wine Enthusiasts,

There are no hosts signed up for 2011, so every month is currently available. As usual, I will give the dates to whomever asks for them first so, if you have a particular month you want to host a wine event, please let me know as soon as possible. Since I have begun to take the glasses with me after each event, hosts don't have to wash the glasses or arrange to transfer them to the next host, so it is easier to be a host.

The thanks of the club are due to those who hosted an event in the last year. They are Wild Bill's, Terrace Lakes, Jo and Jay Rais, John and Marilyn Cottingham, Alan and Andrea Metos, Bruce Cerny, Jamie Anderson and Bill Sipple, and Lorraine and Tim Bollinger. Please thank them when you see them.

There were two bottles of port left after the tasting on Saturday by people who said that they wanted to purchase a bottle but then forgot to do so. Tim and Lorraine have one bottle and I have the other. If you forgot to get your port you can contact one of us and make arrangements to get it. The price is still $16.50 as it was on Saturday.

With memories of wines consumed and anticipating those to come,
Rod Murchison
462-8065

SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT TONIGHT!

Neighbors With News

Mr. De Foe ( the Foe meister : ) and the children will bring this valley another fine opportunity for an extraordinary, seasonal event, the 2010 Christmas Concert at the Garden Valley School in the Multi-Purpose Room .

The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the performance begins at 6:30 p.m., ending around 8:00 p.m.

**Thank you to Georgianna Goestch for the information. I know this to be true--that James DeFoe has done a marvelously magical transformation of the Garden Valley School music department and this concert should prove to be just one more excellent performance by his talented vocal and instrumental students.

Ward Cites Reasons For Resignation from School Board

GV School Board Trustee Janell Ward, center, looks pensive during what she privately knew was to be her final meeting.

Janell Ward was the last Garden Valley School Board trustee on the list for the process of recall, set into motion over two years ago by people who call themselves the Friends of the Garden Valley School District. This list, and the threat of recall, was given to then Chair of the Board of Trustees, Marlo Glauser, as reparation for the loss of Superintendent Stan Kress.

Glauser resigned from the board in June, 2009. The first trustee made to endure public humiliation, lies and slander, by this group of tormentors, was Chair of the Board Elizabeth Dunn. She lost the recall election by two votes and many thought it was because the community simply didn't believe this sort of thing could happen here.

Current Chair Terry Elmore was then put to trial, with the same degree of slander and lies, but she was ready for them and took to the streets to maintain her position as trustee. She prevailed.

Meanwhile, the Fiends were (and still are) at the throat of Superintendent Mike Tomlin, because he is the protector of Business and Human Resource Manager and Clerk of the Board of Trustees, Paula Fox, who became the target of the group, which was obsessed with avenging her exposure of Kress's bad financial management.

As things got really hairy, Board Trustee Pete Wier resigned, citing family concerns.

When the Board of Trustees began to search for new, acceptable trustees, it became a polarization between the good guys and the bad guys, depending on whether you were an avenger or defender. Jeff Bass came on as a good guy for the defenders, but he has already made a public declaration of his intent to ride out his term and that's it. Alan Ward came on as a (bad? good?) guy for the avengers and it has been distressing for some onlookers to observe his active participation in the process to recall his sister-in-law, Janell Ward.

At the July 19, 2010, school board meeting, Mr. Ward (shown being sworn in) was among the applicants who vied for the position of trustee for Zone V. When asked if he could accept the decisions of the board, he replied, "The worst thing you can do is to continue to oppose the decisions that have been made." Janell Ward posed the question to them, "Do you feel you can be a team player--deal with the community, four board members, a clerk and a principal?" Mr. Ward assured her with his response: "It's probably the best of why I'm here. I've done this before and had good success. You bet!"

Shelly Overlie has been the driving force behind the petition for Janell Ward's recall. In her possession is an affidavit which she says she has used to gain signatures on the petition. The person who gave her the affidavit wrote that Mrs. Ward shared a confidential personnel matter with the accuser. This accuser has remained nameless, even to Mrs. Ward, in a GV School era where public accusations have been tossed about left and right and accusers have put themselves or others on the line.

So why the secrecy? Why be willing to accuse a public person whom you believe to have broken the law and not identify yourself? Perhaps this person is not quite so innocent herself and has perhaps already dishonored herself in the eyes of the school. We can only surmise who might be willing to give the Fiends a hand in their ousting of the final board member who sat on the board during the demise of Kress. Even more to the point is that it absolutely must be remembered, in the name of justice, that an affidavit is not a statement of proven fact, but a statement sworn to be true.

We will probably never know the answers to these questions. Janell Ward has let the school off the hook, thereby saving the money which would have been wasted on another (3rd) recall election. She attended her last board meeting as Trustee for Zone III last evening, December 13, and when the board returned from executive session, the letter Ward had left with the board was read in public by Attorney Amy White:

School Board Trustees,

I have served faithfully on the school board for two and a half years, and have enjoyed helping the children of our school district. I have, during my service, been accused of having a personal agenda as a Trustee. That is true. I have made it my personal agenda to ensure the Lowman School remains open and well-staffed. I have also made it my personal agenda to ensure our students with special needs receive the services they deserve and that are required by law.

I have also been falsely accused, by individuals with their own personal agenda, of leaking confidential personnel information from school board "executive sessions", which is not true. In fact, secret and threatening letters were read to me over the phone by Alan Ward while I vacationed with my family in Florida. These letters contained false accusations and apparently were an attempt to "Blackmail" me into resigning IMMEDIATELY from the school board.

When I refused to resign, individuals continued to spread untrue stories and false accusations about my character in an effort to remove me from the school board, leading up to the election planned for tomorrow. There need be no election.

During my last visit to Virginia Mason Hospital, I consulted with both my cardiologist and my cancer doctor about the stress I was feeling from being a school board trustee. They both strongly recommended that I resign, as it is affecting my health. Given the current situation, I no longer have it in me to serve on a board with a trustee who has shown such unethical and I believe, unlawful behavior. It is especially stressful, as the trustee is a member of my family.

So I, Janell Ward, resign from my position as Zone III Trustee, effective immediately.

---
The position of School Board Trustee is an important and time-consuming job. As volunteers, these community members must receive continuing education in many different facets of running a school; from learning the role of trustee, through school finance, ethics, health and healthcare reform, migrant education and many other subjects, not to mention policy studying and making, dealing with constituent concerns and attending demanding regular and special meetings, this is not a job for sissies.

If a person is willing to spend the time and effort to not only campaign publicly for (currently, in this town) a thankless volunteer job and then spend the amount of hours necessary to do the job, we could at least give them the support they need to do the thankless job. Too many observers on the sidelines forget that these folks put themelves out there to try very hard to make the right decisions.

What has happened the past year in this school community is indeed a travesty. It seems the saga will continue until misguided retaliation is deemed complete. Agendas are fine, as long as they do not hurt anyone; but, some on the school board the past year have been damaging. I wish the new board wisdom and insight, for they surely need it right now.

Thank you Janell, for your time and conscientiousness in helping the kids. Yes, the kids--again. When will we ever remember this is all in the name of educating our community's young?

WARD RESIGNS: Tuesday Recall Election Cancelled

At the conclusion of the regular Garden Valley School Board meeting held this evening, Monday, December 13, Zone 3 trustee Janell Ward resigned by letter, from her position.

Her unexpected resignation makes the Tuesday, December 14, recall election
unnecessary and the election has been cancelled by action of the board.

Also cancelled is the special board meeting to accept the results of the
recall election scheduled for Tuesday, December 14, 2010.

A vacancy has been declared in trustee Zone 3.

Stay tuned Tuesday for complete story.

Low Power Radio in Garden Valley: Why the Holdup?

RADIO WOES!

By Rich Smith

Several folks have been asking about the status of Garden Valley Communications Inc. and efforts to start a Low Power FM noncommercial radio station in Garden Valley.

The FCC has continued to withhold our application for a Low Power FM license, awaiting the results of pending Congressional legislation. Last year (2009) the House passed the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 (LCRA, HR 1147) and sent it on to the Senate (as S592) for a floor vote. This legislation makes it possible for rural communities such as Garden Valley to obtain and operate a noncommercial low power FM station. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has vigorously fought LPFM since it first gained Congressional approval in 2000. They have succeeded in stalling licensing and legislation for LPFM since 2002, when they demanded a Congressional investigation into so called “interference” that LPFM would have on commercial high-power FM stations. Two and one half years and $2.2 million tax dollars later, the FCC concluded there was no such interference, something that a short engineering study and common sense could have resolved at no cost to the taxpayer.

The NAB has successfully stalled a Senate floor vote on S592 by falsely claiming that this bill is unnecessary and there are plenty of FM channels available for LPFM. The facts are different. Until the rules of S592 are implemented, despite our distance from Boise, there are no available LPFM channels in Garden Valley. The NAB also successfully lobbied to add an addendum to S592 requiring an economic study to determine “the financial impact LPFM will have on commercial FM”, another delaying tactic that will hold up licensing for months if not years.

With few days left in the 111th Congress, it unlikely that S592 will come to a floor vote. Our best hope is the 112th Congress will delete the provision for an economic study and vote on this bill. I wrote Senators Crapo and Risch telling them of the Garden Valley Communication Inc. plans and they are supportive of S592 and our efforts to bring local FM radio to Garden Valley.

The bottom line is that our application for a license to operate LPFM in Garden Valley languishes at the FCC until this legislation is resolved. For more information contact Rex Lefevre or Rich Smith, or if you want to add your opinion about S592, write or call senators Crapo and Risch.

Contact:

Rich Smith: 208-462-3013; richsmith5@netscape.com

Rex LeFevre: 208-462-2303

www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

www.risch.senate.gov

Photo by Angel

MERC SELLING All Along The River

NEIGHBORS WITH NEWS

The Merc is assisting the Garden Valley Library with their fund raising efforts and are displaying copies of All Along the River, by Nellie Mills. Mrs Mills wrote this history in 1963 and the Library has recently republished the book in hardback. Each copy is $25 and all proceeds go to the Library. You’ll find copies of the book on our Magazine rack just in front of the cashiers…….a perfect Christmas Gift!

Notes From Greg and Gerold:

It’s the Season for visiting Friends and Family and hosting or attending Holiday Parties. Don’t forget to check the Merc for your Holiday Party goodies.

This week you’ll find a new selection of Holiday cookies, brittle, fudge, crackers and cheeses. The Deli is prepared to assist you with party trays ranging from classic meat and cheese, to vegetable and condiment trays.

We are continuing clearance pricing on Christmas items and toys. In addition, you’ll find Western Family fabric softener sheets and Western Family liquid laundry soap on sale –

Dryer Sheets – 2 boxes for $4.00

Laundry Soap – Two 50oz containers for $5.00

It’s not the Holidays without fresh produce and citrus. We’re very pleased with the quality of the fruit and the sweetness of the tangerines, Clementine and naval oranges now in the store.

For you gourmet cooks, Baby Bok Choy is in

For meat lovers, Sugar Tree Spiral Hams only $1.89 per pound

News on Construction

Many of you have asked if the construction workers were able to close in the building prior to bad weather. The answer is yes and work continues.

Happy Holidays!

Global Warming

NEIGHBORS WITH NEWS

Garden Valley resident Rich Smith muses on the state of Global Warming

As I continue to shovel the last few inches of snow out of our walkways (I have measured 36 total inches thus far and it isn’t even winter yet), and defrosted my frozen water pipes last month, my thoughts turned to global warming and the United Nations Conference on climate policy in Cancun, Mexico this week.

Last year a group of “save the planet” experts failed in their attempt to impose worldwide limits on carbon emissions. The Copenhagen draft treaty of September 15th, where in paragraph 38 of Annex I explicitly stated that a world government was their aim, has been omitted from this year’s more subtle proposal. Should they succeed in this latest attempt (which is doubtful) the UN would have the authority and power to impose carbon emission controls on all member nations, regardless of any existing national laws such as our Constitution.

Many parts of the Copenhagen draft exist in the present “American Clean Energy and Security Act" that was passed by the House and is stalled in the Senate. Also known as the “Cap and Trade” bill sponsored by Senators Kerry and Lieberman, the goal is to bring it to the Senate floor before the 111th Congress adjourns this month, but right now this looks unlikely. Expect to see Cap and Trade bill debated in the Senate next year.

Community Choir Celebrates The Season

The old town hall will rock this Saturday night with sounds of the Christmas and Solstice Season. Join Garden Valley Community Choir members for their 5th Annual Winter Concert, featuring sacred songs, festive carols and holiday favorites.

Four years ago last September, Rich and Robbie Wilson and Gary and Anita Sherwood were feeling the lack of a musical core in the valley and decided to put out the call for people who like to sing and perform, not knowing if anyone would respond. A group of folks showed for the first meeting and sat in a circle sharing their enthusiasm for the dream; within a few weeks, thirty choir members were rehearsing together for a possible concert, under the generous volunteer efforts of Director Gary Sherwood and accompanist Jodi Mabe.

That December, the choir made its first appearance as singers "just having fun". Some members are experienced musicians and performers, others have had a little of the spotlight in their pasts and others learn by ear and get through their laps in their own time. The choir has retained a cohesive group of about twenty and the sounds just keep getting better, with two different shows each year.

This season, the choir has already appeared at the LDS Community Christmas Dinner, the Downtown Crouch Tree Lighting, and the Community Holiday Concert and will entertain the Project Patch community next Tuesday. The Saturday concert will show off the repertoire they have been working on through the fall.

Bring the family for an evening of music and stay afterwards for refreshments and a little Christmastime mingling.

Where: Downtown Crouch Community Hall, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, December 11. For information about the choir, contact Gary Sherwood, at 208-462-2500.

THIS WEEK IN GARDEN VALLEY & GLIMPSES OF A FUN WEEK PAST!

MEETINGS:

Wednesday, 12/8, 6:30pm: Crouch Council

Community Hall, downtown Crouch.

It looks like this will be a shorter-than-usual

meeting, due to absences.

Thursday, 12/9, 10:00am: Friends of the GV Library

Regular meeting at Terrace Lakes.

These are comfy meetings--if you are thinking

of getting involved, just show up and grab a cup of coffee. Brainstorming, fundraising discussions and general fun library stuff. If you haven't gotten your copy of All Along the River

look for it in the library--a beautiful repro for $25.

-------

Thursday, 12/9, 6-8pm: Chamber Christmas Social

Longhorn Restaurant, Downtown Crouch.

$10 at door, chow down Deb's to-die-for appetizers.

Pay as you go bar.

208-462-4620

Saturday, 12/11, 7pm: Community Choir Concert

Community Hall, Downtown Crouch

Get in the spirit of the holidays with

this lively group of singers.

Refreshments afterwards.

Last week offered lots of diversions from the

icy cold and snow digging. The LDS Church served up a delicious dinner, while the kids and Community Choir entertained.

The Tree Lighting was a sing-a-long success

and take a look at some of the creative offerings at the GV and Lowman Crafters Bazaar.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

JOLLY WINTER WEEK-END WITH MUSIC and BAZAAR!

LDS CHURCH DINNER, MUSIC & CRECHE EXHIBIT
Friday night, December 3, dinner at 6:30 pm--All Welcome!

Come and view the the community collection of nativity scenes. Serene or jaunty or just plain cute--the sacred event of Christ's birth is celebrated well in this exhibit.

After a hearty dinner, relax and enjoy the kids perform, the Community Choir sing a few songs and don't miss Santa and the Mistress Claus.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR:

GARDEN VALLEY &

LOWMAN

CRAFTERS
Saturday, December 4, 10-4

GV School Multi-Purpose Room

Local artisans and crafts people

along with fundraising projects.

DECEMBER 4: DOWNTOWN SHOPS OPEN TIL 7PM

Before you sing at the tree lighting, plan to do your shopping in

Downtown Crouch and have dinner at the Longhorn, Wild Bill's Bistro or the Dirty Shame. Happy Holidays from all of our shop owners!

TREE LIGHTING AND COMMUNITY CHOIR CAROLING

Saturday, December 4, 6:00pm, on the Longhorn Deck.

Bundle up yourself and the kids, get some hot drinks in town and sit on the deck for a Sing-Along with the Choir. No need to freeze; roast yer toasties at the fire pit, next to the beautiful giant Christmas Tree. Fun for the Family.

GARDEN VALLEY CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Sunday, December 5, 8:00pm, LDS Church (Banks Lowman Road)

Eva Bailey has been the driving force behind this special musical extravaganza (in Garden Valley!). Her love of good music and belief that we can do it here in this small town has motivated her to gather together some of the best of our musicians for this now annual non-denominational Christmas concert.

Performances will include Native American flute, piano and organ, chamber strings, French horn, solos, duets and other vocal ensembles.

The LDS venue is a beautiful room in which to appreciate the quality of talent that will be presenting tonight.

Greg and Gerold send news from the Merc:

December is a big baking month, so don’t hesitate to walk the aisles and realize you’ll probably find a lot of what you need. Peppermint extract is now back in stock, as well as Heavy and regular whipping cream.

Christmas items are the news at the store this week. We need room on our shelves for grocery products, so all of Christmas is priced to move and move quickly.

100 string lights for $1.50
Boxed Holiday Cards – under $3.00

Tree Stands – heavy duty $9.99

Floor trays – can be used for the tree or in Garages for tools, etc

Tinsel – 50 cents a package

Ornaments - $1.00

Toys – lots of clearance sales on these items

Much much more……………including wrapping paper, tape, gift bags, cello bags for homemade candy, etc…….

How about some specials on General Merchandise? Well, we have a great sale through Sunday on the following:

Western Family 96 oz Lavendar Bleach - 2 for $3.00

Western Family Fabric Softener Sheets - 2 for $4.00 (each box is 80 sheets)

Western Family 2x Classic Detergent and 2x with Bleach Alternative - 2 for $5.00 (These are our highest selling laundry products- each container is 55 oz’s)

Deli News
Holiday items are beginning to appear in time for your Holiday Parties:
Cookies
Cheese Balls
Cheese Cakes
Pumpkin Cake Rolls
Party Trays (meat, cheese, veggie, etc) – please order at the Deli at least 24 hrs in advance.

We hope you have a great Holiday Season and please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can help! We hope to see you at the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Tree Lighting this Saturday, Dec 4th at 6pm (Longhorn). The Community Choir will sing a few Holiday Selections and then we’ll turn on the lights!!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR A SUCCESS!

LET IT SNOW--DON'T MATTER IF WE'VE GOT SHOPPING TO DO AND A FUN PLACE TO GO. SATURDAY'S CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AT THE COMMUNITY HALL DREW FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY, WHO PULLED ON THEIR BOOTS AND
WEATHERED THE LITTLE SPECKLES THAT GOT BIGGER AS THE HOURS PASSED.

CHOCOLATE KAHLUA CAKES, CANDIES AND JAMS WERE TEMPTING TO DIG INTO, WHILE PERUSING THE GOODS--AND SIZZLING DOGS MADE THE GOING EASIER.

ANITA SHERWOOD, BELOW, ENERGETICALLY TOOK CHARGE OF THE BAZAAR AND DONATED PROCEEDS TO THE GV COMMUNITY CHOIR.

THE ONLY PROBLEM HERE WAS
CHOOSING WHICH GIFTS TO BUY.

TALENT ABOUNDS IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY AND THE BAZAAR ATTRACTED SOME FINE VENDORS FROM DOWN BELOW!

NEIGHBORS MET TO SAY HELLO AND FAREWELL, AS SNOWBIRDS ARE GETTING READY TO FLY...PLANS WERE MADE, WISHES OF HOLIDAY CHEER EXPRESSED.




DELICIOUS SCENTS IN THE AIR FROM LAVENDER AND GOURMET CANDLES--YES, SMELLING GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT, IN BLACKBERRY, CINNAMON AND, WELL, I COULD JUST NIBBLE MY NEW BAYBERRY CANDLE.

THE HANDCRAFTED WARM FUZZIES
WERE BEAUTIFUL. WALKING STICKS DID, IN FACT, WALK OUT WITH HAPPY OWNERS, ALL SMILING!

A TOUCH OF QUAINT VINTAGE ADDED OLD WORLD CHARM.


SHOPPERS HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE NEXT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, AT THE GARDEN VALLEY & LOWMAN CRAFTERS' HOLIDAY BAZAAR & FUNDRAISER, HELD AT GV SCHOOL, 10am to 4pm.

DOWNTOWN CROUCH SHOPS WILL BE OPEN ALL DAY UNTIL 7PM.

HAVE YOUR DINNER AND JOIN THE COMMUNITY CHOIR FOR THE TREE LIGHTING ON THE LONGHORN DECK, DOWNTOWN CROUCH AT 6:00 PM.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

LASTING LEGACIES: GV Friends of Library To Collect Oral Histories

In December, 2008, the Garden Valley Library was awarded a $60,000 grant by the Paul G. Allen Foundation. The grant application stipulated that a third of the award money would go toward historical and cultural education. In the past year, the Friends of the Garden Valley Library have formed a committee to learn about and record oral histories of Garden Valley, to preserve the memories of pioneers who have enriched the community.

The 63rd Pacific Northwest History Conference celebrated the 100th anniversary of Washington women's achievement of the right to vote. This was a perfect venue for the Friends of the Library to become educated on what constitutes oral histories and how to acquire them. To help develop the library's "Lasting Legacies" project, Library Director, Kathy Smith, Board Trustee Jody Mabe, and Friends of the GV Library Georgianna Goetsch and Lu Vincent were partly funded by the grant, to attend the conference.

Academic, oral and independent historians, preservationists, archivists, musicologists, genealogists, community activists and others gathered on November 3-5, at the beautifully restored historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, for the conference, which revealed new scholarship, current trends and exciting avenues for new research and presentation.

Jody Mabe said, "We all agreed the conference was very good. As far as the oral history component, we picked up some very useful ideas on practical matters we've encountered while doing interviews. For example, we've wondered when the interviews are transcribed whether we had to include every pause or "uh" as someone gathered his or her thoughts. It turns out we can do a verbatim interview but also include a semi-verbatim version, which edits out some of those kinds of remarks. We also learned we need to be more thorough in giving some biographical background on each subject interviewed."

The three-day conference offered many informative sessions pertinent to the Garden Valley "Lasting Legacies" project. "Into The Wilderness" considered what draws women into the wilderness and specifically covered the political, economic, exploratory and recreational contributions of women.

Another session looked at Idaho Women's History Day, and highlighted three research papers by Boise State University students: One on the voice of Basque women in American Radio; another on the influence of May Arkwright Hutton's Idaho experience on the suffrage movement; and farmer, poet and author Agnes Just Reid as sketcher of the agrarian history of the Snake River Valley.

Sessions on Women and Social Change, Cultural and Historical Legacies-Women in the Arts, Interpreting the Life and Work of the Game Changers and History Makers, Women Activists and Newsmakers--all involved the art of gathering personal history.

The basic seminar on oral history clarified the purpose and intent of the interviews as being not so much oral tradition and folklore, as to drawing out the memories of daily, weekly, yearly experience of a single life.

Georgianna Goetsch enthused about the three-day conference, which honored the women who were pioneers in their own right, founding hospitals, schools and libraries, along with creating impressive textiles, writing literature, and adeptly running homes.

There were some excellent audio-visual workshops just for general interest; i.e., the blues singer Lee Morse and some early footage (1920's-30's) of her performances. Jody Mabe said they also had a chance to visit the IMAC museum and the Spokane public Library for ideas.

The Friends of the Garden Valley Free Library have already begun recording oral histories, which will add a rich and integral part of the local history collection at the new library.

GARDEN VALLEY WEEK-END: COMMUNITY BAZAAR!

Garden Valley has put on it's Winter Coat for You. Decorations are up, the Holidays are here, the shopping is full of Beautiful Clothing, Jewelry, Fabulous Gifts and Home Decor and a Cozy Bookstore to Snuggle up with a Coffee. Shop this Week-End in Downtown Crouch!



Friday Night is Wild Bill's
Coffee & Bistro

$7 All You Can Eat
Spaghetti!
Under 10, $3;
Under3, Free

FRIDAYS: 4-9 pm

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. CROUCH COMMUNITY HALL

THIS IS THE ONE WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. THIS IS THE DAY. THE GREAT CRAFTERS OF THE VALLEY WILL COME TOGETHER WITH HOMEMADE TREATS AND HANDMADE CRAFTS OF CLOTHING, JEWERY, ORNAMENTS, GIFTS & HOME PRODUCTS.

SHOP AT THE BAZAAR & THEN CROSS THE STREET TO OUR QUAINT SHOPS.

WHEN YOU GET HUNGRY, SIT DOWN AND REST YOUR FEET AND WEARY SHOPPING BONES AT THE LONGHORN, DIRTY SHAME AND WILD BILL'S, IN CROUCH. IF YOU FEEL LIKE A PRETTY DRIVE, HEAD UP THE MIDDLE FORK TO TERRACE LAKES RESTAURANT.

GRANNY'S CLOSET at THE SENIOR CENTER IS

A SHORT DRIVE AROUND TWO CORNERS UP THE MIDDLE FORK.

THIS IS WHERE THE DEALS ARE. Gently used clothing, housewares, books, blankets & linens, and hardware. This week we have lots of holiday sweaters and kiddie clothing.

DON'T GO HOME TIL YOU'VE SEEN GRANNY'S.

OPEN THIS SATURDAY: 10am til 4pm

JOB CREATION/RETENTION COUNCIL November Update

With the recent changeover in Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce officers, there is a new focus for the organization. When Greg Simione handed over the presidency to Diane Caughlin and John Cottingham, as co-presidents, he said, "It is time for the Chamber to go to the next level.” Thus the focus on job creation/retention in Garden Valley and in Boise County. Simione will remain as Chamber advisor.

The Chamber of Commerce will continue to present the local programs as in the past, headed by Diane Caughlin. The job creation/retention program, headed by Cottingham, will begin with a strategic planning meeting on January 13, at 6:00 p.m., in the Crouch Community Hall.

The Chamber will then train sales teams and actively pursue new business opportunities for Garden Valley, to create new jobs and retain jobs at existing businesses. Caughlin says grants are available from the U.S. Economic Development Agency and other organizations, for which the Chamber will compete with a well structured economic development program.


All interested Chamber members are invited to join the Council and contribute to Garden Valley’s economic growth. Not a member? Join. It is easy and inexpensive. Complete information is on the web site, at www.gvchamber.org or call John Cottingham at 462-3178.

Job Creation/Retention Council
by Garden Valley Chamber Co-President John Cottingham

The Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a "Job Creation/Retention Council" to promote new jobs and retain existing jobs in Garden Valley. The valley has some features that will draw new employers, but we need to educate them about those features and present the best face possible. It is even more important to improve the chances for success of our existing employers.

Jobs are scarce, and good, well paying jobs are even more scarce. The Idaho Department of Labor figures in August, 2010, indicated that Boise County unemployment was 7.6%, and that’s just those on their rolls. Counting those who have given up looking for a good job, the number is probably double that. It is time to do something about that, for the benefit of Boise County residents and businesses.

The Chamber has initiated an organization called the “Job Creation/Retention Council” specifically to address that problem. Its objectives are to keep employers from closing or relocating and to assist in business expansion and new job creation. Historically, 70% of new jobs come from existing successful employers, so there is our focus.

The first thing the Council will do is to identify community needs. It will begin with a SWOT analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It will be an "inventory" of Garden Valley. From that analysis, the Council will build a strategic plan (3-5 years) and within it, a business plan (1 year). That identifies the prioritized steps we must follow to be economically successful. The Chamber will implement the action plan and train sales teams to promote Garden Valley to our target employer categories. The Chamber will initiate adult education programs to improve the skill sets of our residents, to meet the requirements of prospective employers.

All this gets done with the desire to maintain our pristine environment and rural life style. It will take our whole community to make this happen. If you have an interest in helping Garden Valley residents to be successful, please contact the Chamber or call me at 462-3178. If you want to bring jobs to Garden Valley , contact the Chamber or me.

John B. Cottingham
28 Southfork Lane
PO Box 802
Garden Valley, ID 83622
Ph: 208-462-3178
Cell: 208-908-3818
Email: cottinghmj@aol.com
Chamber: info@gvchamber.org
(208) 462-5003

WOLVERINES OFF TO MILK BOWL!

TAKE THE PANTHERS!
The Garden Valley Wolverines
were victorious over the Salmon River Savages last Saturday, with a gripping 24-22 win, thus capturing the opportunity to scrap with the feisty Carey Panthers for the State Championship.

The game begins Saturday, November 20, at 1:00 p.m.
at Eagle High School, 574 N. Park Lane, Eagle, Idaho.


Photos from last Saturday's State Semi-Finals Game

Above: Wolverines coming through the fan tunnel were captured by John Ward.






Right: Team captains taking field at start of the game. By Linda Bass







Left: David Bagnard grabbed a nice shot of the seniors taking the field after half time.









Nathan Updike is caught going for a long pass by Linda Bass.


















Team all smiles after the win!
By John Ward

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: November Updates

The first order of business at the November 11 Chamber of Commerce social was election of new officers. Chamber President Greg Simione stepped down this month. He has been a dynamic leader for the Chamber and members are grateful for all he’s done.

John Cottingham and Diane Caughlin were elected to serve as co-presidents. Julie Leslie will serve as vice-president. New member Jon Jauregui stepped up to cover secretarial duties. Vicky Buford will maintain the treasury. Lee Sells and Blake Oseen, not being at the meeting to balk, were elected again to serve as members-at-large.

The Holiday Social, on December 9, will be held at The Longhorn Restaurant, at 6:00 p.m. Diane will talk to Deb and make arrangements for the food, which will be hors d’oeuvres; drinks will be cash bar. The door is anticipated to be $10 per person and paid guests are welcome. Please RSVP: (208) 462-5003 or info@gvchamber.org

Marlene Robison Cloud will be moving the Chamber bulletin board to the area by the Red Rooster. It will again be moved to the new Merc, when it is finished.

FYI: The Chamber phone is at Diane Caughlin’s office. (208-462-5003)

Caughlin gave a little historical information on the GV Chamber of Commerce: A long time ago, it was called the West Boise County Chamber. After it became defunct, 15 years passed before it was reborn as the GV Chamber of Commerce, organized by Beth Shuman. There are now over 80 members, with an average of 20 attending the social each month.

Over the years, Chamber members have put on many events and learned a lot—mostly, that there is not much profit in them. The Chamber has retained sponsorship and organization of Spring Fling, 4th of July and Trunk or Treat. Caughlin says the Christmas Tree Lighting was an idea she brought back with her, from a small German town where she and Jeff lived during Desert Storm. The Longhorn has taken over this tradition for the town. Members may be asked to participate in the decoration.

Member/Business Updates:

John Cottingham-- Economic Development Council: We have a major asset in the old school site and it could be leased from GV School, to develop a job-creation incubator; this plan could help bring jobs to Garden Valley and the rest of Boise County. John’s intent is to apply for a $500K grant from the Economic Development Agency. He would like to use in-kind labor, as a match for the grant. This will be an on-going project for John, who says he’s driven by the desire to make the Valley work.

Angel—GV Senior Center: The Center is desperate for a new stove, so Marcie Pyorre and Darla Knights are selling Avon, in case you see them coming (open your wallets). Granny’s Closet will supplement, to help out. Volunteers are needed for small maintenance jobs, the list of which keeps getting longer. Seniors have signed an agreement with the County to be an emergency center for disasters. Any ideas for a solution to the icy parking lot are welcome.

Carol Smith--Syringa Club: Community Birthday Calendars are ready and for sale, for $5; they will be sold by members, at the Senior Center and at the December 4 Bazaar at the GV School. The funds made on this go back into the community, including the Horizon Project.

*In January, John Cottingham would like to hold a two-hour session with anyone interested in discussing strengths and weaknesses for Garden Valley, to be used for the grant application and to build a foundation for the Economic Development Council. It was suggested that we have the regular meeting, with this meeting afterwards.

Happy Thanksgiving to All. Be sure to join your Chamber peers for a joyous holiday celebration at The Longhorn! Next business social is Thursday, January 13, 2011, at Crouch Community Hall.

To contact the Chamber, mail to: info@gvchamber.org or call 208-462-5003.