Monthly Archives: February 2011

Community Education Programs

Have you ever taken advantage of Boise School’s Community Education programs?

What would you like to learn? Business? Photography? Computers? Cooking? Dance?

Did you know you can sponsor scholarships?

What could you teach? Do you have a skill you would like to share?

Community courses are informative and fun classes are open now

Take a moment and check it out HERE

Offering Lifelong Learning Opportunities to the Treasure Valley for 40 years.

Our Winter 2011 session begins January 25. Registration will be open on January 3, 2011 at BoiseLearns.org.

Community Education opens Boise School District buildings for your enjoyment. A wide variety of classes, led by volunteer instructors, are available during evening hours.

Patrons may register for a class through the first date the class meets. Classes are open to all students, regardless of age or interests, and are on a first come, first serve basis. You’ll find all the information you need about our classes, program procedures, and registration details right here on our website.
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Annual meeting Minutes for Feb 16th 2011

West Bench Neighborhood Association

Annual Meeting Minutes

February 16, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:08pm by Graham Paterson at the Library at Cole and Ustick.  Graham welcomed the large crowd and spoke about the purpose of the WBNA which is to work with the City of Boise on problems and issues in our area.  Graham described the boundaries of the WBNA.

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“Alive at 25” Free classes offered

Great class for young drivers:

>>> Alive at 25 Instructors (Todd Bilbo) 2/17/2011 9:09 AM >>>
Good morning,

We’ve had some really good turn outs to the Alive at 25 courses so far, but we want to make sure we’ve reached every 15-24 year old. We will be teaching a class this Monday, February 21, 2011 which is a school holiday and many will be off work or school. Go to the website and sign your teens up! The class is free to the students, and we provide pizza about half way through the course.

The class covers the dangers of driving drunk, while texting, while speeding and many other important areas. The videos drive home the reality of what’s being taught and we’ve never had a student leave stating that the class did not impact them in some way. Stats prove that graduates of this course are far less likely to make the same bad decisions they would if they have not attended.

We hope to see a full class! Thanks for supporting the course.

Class details:
Monday February 21, 2011
4:00-8:30 PM
Boise Police Department/City Hall West

http://aliveat25.us/id/

Sincerely,

Alive at 25 Instructors

Annual meeting

Last nights annual meeting was a big success. Thank you to everyone who came and contributed to a spirited discussion on taxes, government spending and education.

Congratulations to our newly elected board members. Some maintaining their rolls and others stepping up to take on new responsibilities. Watch for meeting minutes and updated board contact information in the near future

Again thanks you to our board, speakers and all those who came.

BPD is Social


Traffic issues are the most common concerns police hear from citizens. Boise PD is using our facebook and twitter sites to help educate drivers about Idaho’s traffic safety laws!

TODAY’S TRAFFIC TIP: Something New! Because you asked for it!

Boise, Feb. 14, 2011 – Boise PD is launching a new feature for our facebook & twitter sites focused on increasing traffic safety education.

Regularly, we’ll feature a traffic law that, for some may be a reminder, and for others may clarify confusion on questions like how far ahead of a lane change are you required to signal? What are Idaho’s child car seat laws? What is required for a ‘stop’ to be legal? What requirements do you have as a driver when you encounter a funeral procession? What are Idaho’s laws regarding bicycles on our streets? Anything that deals with traffic safety will be covered.

This idea came from citizen comments and questions to BPD via our social networking sites. In fact, the feature will start with the traffic rules citizens requested more education on! If you have questions or suggestions for Today’s Traffic Tip, please join the conversation and “follow” or “like” Boise Police on facebook and twitter. The links are at the top of this page!

The goal of this effort is to increase safety for all of us on Boise’s roadways.

Neighborhood Watch Luncheon

You are invited to our quarterly Neighborhood Watch Luncheon on Thursday, March 3rd, at Casa Mexico Restaurant (Fairview, just east of Five Mile) from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. They take cash, credit and debit cards.

If you can come, please RSVP to me by Tuesday, March 1st.

We have an exciting agenda planned!
1) Derek Landlands (Boise Police Dept) will share briefly about the Abandoned Vehicle process
2) I have asked a few BPD Officers to address juvenile issues, graffiti and dispatch.

It might be helpful if you email me questions and concerns that you want addressed (preferably on the above issues) and I’ll give those to the officers ahead of time.

Also, and even more importantly, we want to recognize and honor a neighborhood and a Neighborhood Watch Chairman.

Thank you.

Charlene Miller
Crime Prevention Unit
Boise Police Department
333 N. Sailfish Place
Boise, ID 83704
208-570-6070
cmiller@cityofboise.org

Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting Wednesday the 16th at 7:00 PM

Library! at Cole and Ustick

  • Special Guest Speakers: We have secured legislators from districts 15 and 16 to speak
  • Election of officers
  • Meet and greet neighbors

West Bench Neighborhood Accosiation WBNABoise.org

New Mini Grant Program

This grant program specifically calls out Neighborhood associations so I thought I would pass it on.

Ronnie

Hello!
You are receiving this email because I thought this new grant pilot from the Boise City Department of Arts & History — the Performing Arts& Cultural Community Celebration Grant — might be of interest. The main idea behind the grant is to help make it a little easier for those of you who want to create or continue presenting community events and celebrations to include performing artists.

Although it is difficult to articulate exactly, the grant is intended for those who are sincerely attempting to first and foremost, create a community-building event. It will be up to the panel review to determine this objective from the application narratives. (Department of Arts & History staff remain neutral throughout the grant review process.)

The pilot opened late yesterday (after some technical glitches!) and closes March 11, 2011.

Details are provided in the link — but since it is a pilot project, I fully expect that we will need to clarify some details. So don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!

And here is the link:
http://artsandhistory.cityofboise.org/Opportunities/Grants/page62590.aspx

Sincerely,

Amy


Amy E. Fackler
Cultural Programs Manager
City of Boise, Department of Arts & History
phone: (208) 433-5675/fax: (208) 433-5673
afackler@cityofboise.org
www.boiseartsandhistory.org

2011, The Year of Idaho Food

Year of Idaho Food Flyer

Got this from the Treasure Valley Food Coalition, Thought I would pass it on

Ronnie

Hello,

I am writing today to provide information to the City of Boise’s registered neighborhood associations about 2011: The Year of Idaho Food. The Year of Idaho Food is a grass-roots, year-long, statewide look at the surprising variety of foods grown in Idaho – and not simply focusing on the foods themselves, but also on the social, economic and environmental significance of those foods. Think of The Year of Idaho Food as a garden bed from which many ideas and stories can spring into new life and new appreciation.

The Year of Idaho Food website http://www.NWfoodnews.com/category/year-of-idaho-food provides an opportunity for people throughout the state to share ideas, stories, photographs – anything that explores a connection to food and agriculture in Idaho, as well to learn of events planned around monthly themes to promote community discussion and civic engagement around the subject of food.

I encourage you to visit the website often so that you may keep abreast of the many exciting projects taking shape or already underway in neighborhoods and communities across Idaho. I hope that you will also take a look at the submission guidelines found on the webpage and consider sharing at least one story of your own. Whether your story is inspired by a desire to coordinate gardening efforts in your neighborhood, document your neighborhood’s agricultural past, or to grow the local economy through sustainable urban agriculture, it, like the other stories on the website, will help us to connect with one another. Finally, I encourage you to discuss both the opportunities and the challenges so that others engaged in similar community building efforts may learn from your experiences.

Locally, the Treasure Valley Food Coalition (TVFC) has sown a few seeds in the bed— organized at least one event or activity for each month of the year. We’re hoping many more seeds will be sown and begin to grow as individuals and organizations across the state decide to participate. Several neighborhood associations in the Treasure Valley have already contacted us wanting to learn how they can get involved in the Year of Idaho Food. In response, we have put together a list (below) of ideas for neighborhood associations to consider implementing. Also, in a separate attachment is an electronic copy of the Year of Idaho Food general information flyer. Please distribute this as you see fit to members of your board and beyond. And finally, if the Treasure Valley Food Coalition can assist in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us. TVFC is eager to hear about any and all food and garden-related initiatives taking root in Treasure Valley neighborhoods.

Thank you for your time and interest,

Amy Hutchinson, TVFC member

amynhutchinson@yahoo.com

Off leash dog parks??? Your Feedback is requested

Neighbors are invited to provide feedback on a proposed pilot program to allow off-leash dogs at eight parks throughout Boise.

The citizen Park & Recreation Commission and the Boise Parks & Recreation Department are seeking input to determine if there is neighborhood support for the proposed plan The parks identified as possible locations for the dog off-leash pilot program are:

Except for Winstead Park, dogs would be allowed off leash during early morning and/or evening hours at parks selected for the pilot project.

To avoid conflicts with user groups and park reservations at Winstead Park, dogs would be allowed off-leash during daylight hours from Nov. 1-March 31.

Sites were identified based on current uses, scheduled activities, geographic diversity, site access, parking, maintenance and financial impacts.

Existing regulations requiring owners to pick up after their pets would still apply. Additional mutt mitt dispensers and trash cans would be installed, and animal control officers and Boise Parks & Recreation staff would closely monitor compliance with the rules and evaluate seasonal park use patterns.

Neighborhood feedback is being gathered via:

  • Questionnaires mailed to nearby households
  • Online survey
  • 8 public meetings to be held Feb. 17-March 9

Public meetings for each park have been scheduled from 6-7 p.m. at:

Feb. 17: Cypress Park – Trail Wind Elementary Cafeteria, 3701 E Lake Forest Drive

Feb. 22: Manitou Park – Garfield Elementary Cafeteria, 1914 S Broadway Ave.

Feb. 23: Winstead Park – Morley Nelson Community Center, 7701 W. Northview St.

Feb. 24: Redwood Park – Library at Ustick, 7557 W. Ustick Road

March 1: Castle Hills Park – Cynthia Mann Elementary School Library, 5401 W. Castle Drive

March 3: Hillside Park – Library at Collister, 4724 W. State St. (Hillside)

March 8: DeMeyer Park – Boise WaterShed, 11818 W Joplin Rd

March 9: Sunset Park – Library at Collister, 4724 W. State St.

Feedback will be compiled for consideration by the Park & Recreation Commission. No start date has been established for the one-year program.

Currently, dogs must be leashed and owners must pick up after pets in all city parks. Parks are open from sunrise to sunset.

The City of Boise operates dog off-leash parks at three sites:

A fourth temporary dog off-leash area is planned for the Sterling site on Mitchell Street, pending funding.

For information, see www.cityofboise.org/parks or call the Parks Administration Office at (208) 608-7600. ###a