BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
What do you give to a person who has lost everything?
Work gloves, gift cards and restaurant certificates top the list of items needed by victims of Monday’s fire in Southeast Boise.
“Kitchen supplies and food are good ideas, but then you think, they have no kitchen,” said Patti Wagstaff who has been working with families in the Oregon Trail Heights neighborhood.
Wagstaff said men are asking for tools to replace the things lost when their garages went up in smoke.
“They’ve been asking for gloves and shovels to dig through the ash. Trash bags,” Wagstaff said. “Just basic needs.”
Volunteers are needed, but coordination is being handled through the Boise Fire Department’s Burnout Fund. Volunteers who would like to help are asked to call Charlie Ruffing at Fire Station 14 at 590-1437.
“We gave out $500 cash and gift cards to all the families yesterday,” Ruffing said. “And we hope to be able to do that again today.”
Ruffing said community support has been overwhelming.
Acorn Storage in Meridian has donated a storage unit to everyone who suffered damage from the fire.
“This will give us a place to store things until the families have a place to put them,” Ruffing said.
Ruffing said the best way to help is to give gift cards or certificates, especially from home improvement stores and restaurants.
“I know people want to bring food, but we’ve gotten some canned food and these people just have no way to use it,” Ruffing said.
He said disposable food such as granola bars and other sack lunch items that can be consumed at the work sites are good to give.
Most victims are staying in hotels or with friends, Ruffing said.
“The Grove Hotel has been great,” Ruffing said. “They offered lodging for everyone for a week.”
Help has poured in “from the business side to neighbors down the street,” Ruffing said. “I’m used to dealing with one house or at most with a four-plex. To deal with 20 houses is overwhelming”
The things needed most:
• Disposable gloves
• Booties to go over shoes at the worksite
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Toiletry items
• Disposable coveralls
• Gift cards
• Money cards
• Cell phones
• Computer access
• Cash
• Transportation
• Food items
• Pet care
• Medical supplies
MORE WAYS YOU CAN HELP
There are several efforts under way to help residents impacted by the Oregon Trail Fire. They are:
Red Cross of Greater Idaho Disaster Relief Fund: Money only. Clothing, blankets or other items cannot be accepted. Info: 800-853-2570.
Boise Burn Out Fund: Members of the Boise Firefighters Local 149 will be at Alive After Five from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, to raise money for the Burn Out Fund to help victims of the Southeast Boise fire.
Boise State University: Counseling is available by calling 426-1601. Financial donations made on campus will go to the Red Cross of Greater Idaho Disaster Relief Fund
Donation canisters: Student Union information desk, registrar's office on the first floor of the Administration Building and the parking and transportation offices until Sept. 3.
Clothing, blanket and linen collection: Student Union information desk, Administration Building first floor and the parking and transportation offices until Sept. 3. Items will be given to the Boise Burn Out Fund.
Textbook replacement: Students who may have lost their Boise State textbooks due to the fire should call 426-1418.
The Columbia Village Homeowners Association donation site: 10 a.m. Saturday, Columbia Village recreation center, for donations of clothing and household items.
The Grove Hotel, 248 S. Capitol Blvd., is offering complimentary one-week stays for those who lost their homes. Call 333-8000.
Bed, Bath and Beyond: Families who have lost their homes are asked to go to the store at 3615 S. Federal Way between 8 a.m. and noon on Thursday morning to register to have their valuables replaced. The registry will then be available to the public, who can buy the items for families at a 20 percent discount. Info: 344-8886.
Citadel Broadcasting (Magic 93.1): Accepting donations of clothing, money, gift cards and free services for the fire victims at its office at 15th and Bannock streets in Boise.
Riverside Elementary: Raising money and taking donations at 2100 E. Victory Road for teacher Brooke Linville, who lost her home in the fire. Linville, a resource room teacher whose first day at the school was Monday, is 33 weeks pregnant and lost everything, including baby shower gifts.
Sizzler restaurants: Drop off clothing or household items at any Sizzler and get a $5 coupon.
The UPS Store #4172: The UPS Store in the Columbia Village Shopping Center (338-9979) is offering to have all mail, packages, and any courier correspondence for displaced residents delivered directly to the 6568 S. Federal Way store at no charge. This includes regular mail as well as anything donated to them (either dropped off or shipped). For more information, call owner Chris Wyatt at 830-5634.
Idaho Department of Insurance: Personnel are available to answer coverage questions and assist homeowners in contacting insurance companies. The department also has tips for consumers regarding homeowners insurance, including a household inventory form, at www.doi.idaho.gov. For more information, call 334-4250 in Boise, or 800-721-3272 toll free statewide.
Gold’s Gym Treasure Valley: Accepting donations of clothing, cash and gift cards starting Thursday, Aug. 28. Donate at any of the four Treasure Valley locations; each donor will receive a two-week Gym pass: ParkCenter -- 801 E. ParkCenter Blvd.; Downtown Boise (Grove Hotel) -- 245 S. Capitol Blvd.; Cole & Fairview -- 7316 W. Fairview; Meridian -- 1455 Country Terrace Court. Call 389-GOLD.
Buck’s 4x4 Off-road Center: Lunch and dinner is being offered to anyone who makes a donation to benefit the Red Cross which in turn will benefit the families that were affected by the fire. This offer is from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through Friday, Aug. 29. Buck’s 4x4 Off-road Center is at 4500 W Chinden Blvd. in Garden City. For more information, call general manager Steve Dance at 343-2061.
Boise Moose Lodge Spaghetti Feed: Donations of money, food, clothing and school supplies will be accepted from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday at 8931 W. Ardene St.
Jensen Eye Associates: The Nampa business is donating contact lens cases and solution, and they are offering replacement contacts and glasses at their cost. Jensen Eye Associates is at 1615 12th Ave. Road, Suite A, in Nampa. For more information, call Jan Clark at 467-3271.
96.9 The Eagle: The radio station is collecting funds and items for the Boise Burnout Fund. K.O.P.E.G (Keep Our Planet Earth Green) is recycling old cell phones, mp3 players, ink cartridges, etc., and the money will be donated to the Burnout Fund. Items may be dropped off at the radio station 1419 W. Bannock in Downtown Boise from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (excluding Labor Day); at any Boise Fire Station; or where ever 96.9 The Eagle may be broadcasting live in the Treasure Valley.
Quality Heating & Cooling: Working with the Boise Fire Department Burnout Fund in creating specific care packages for each of the families. Quality Heating & Cooling is collecting gift cards, clothing, toiletries, school supplies, baby items, etc. and putting them together for the families. They will be collecting through Sept. 2. For more information, call Ashley Van Cleave at 377-3555.
Market Real Estate: Real estate agents from Market Real Estate in Meridian will accept donations for the Boise Fire Department’s Burnout Fund from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, at 1857 W. Millennium Way. The event will feature balloon sculpting, a bounce house and cookies from the Idaho Mom’s Network. For more information, call 409-8892.
Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Disaster Relief: Non-profit, volunteer organization can provide ash and debris removal for those whose homes and contents are considered a total loss from fire damage. For more information, call Kathe Rhodes at 208-756-4216.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
08-24-08 -- Star native known for service, love of roses
 |
| The simple headstone for Joy Ayers shows no indication that he was a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star. |
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
On most days, a light breeze barely moves the branches of the giant box elder trees at the Star Cemetery.
The solid headstones below contain names, dates, sometimes poetry. But they provide only a glimpse of the lives of those like Joy Ayres who lie buried beneath the carefully groomed lawn.
The land for the cemetery was donated by Joy's grandparents in 1900, and his grandmother planted and nurtured the box elder trees that once lined the cemetery. Two remain.
Across the cemetery from his grandparent's marker, two small American flags have been pushed into the dirt next to Joy's headstone.
A treble clef and a rose are carved into the granite next to his name and the date of his death - Independence Day, 2008.
Many people attending the Aug. 2 funeral service expected little more than a simple ceremony for a simple man who moved away from home to serve in World War II.
But after taps was played and the flag that draped the casket was given to Waldtraut "Val" Ayres, his wife of 48 years, word began to spread about the man who served his country in three wars.
Joy, known by most people as a gentle man who loved to grow roses and listen to fine music, was born in Star in 1914.
Ayres was a soldier who in 1970 retired at age 56 after 24 years with the Army.
He worked as a medic and later in the finance corps.
Among the ribbons he wore on his uniform was a red ribbon with a single blue stripe, signifying he was decorated by the Army with a Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious action in conflict.
An oak leaf cluster he wore with his medal showed that it was the second time during his service in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam that he had been decorated with the honor.
An Army Commendation Medal, again with an oak leaf cluster, shows his sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service.
Val said besides his medals and some handwritten journals, she has only limited information about his service.
"He never talked about it," Val said.
The two met and married soon after the end of the Korean War while Joy was stationed in Berlin.
Another assignment took the couple back to America for a short time, but war soon took him to the other side of the world again.
Joy served in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive in 1968 when the North Vietnamese army made a massive surge in an attempt to crush the South Vietnamese army and its allies.
A simple journal entry in his personal papers reads, "3 Jan. '68 "The Year of TET" - 4 Feb. '69, U.S. Army, Pacific (Vietnam).
More medals - including the Vietnam Gallantry Cross given by South Vietnam to soldiers honoring deeds of valor in battle - recognize his service there.
Joy came home from war for the last time in January 1970 and went to work for a library district in Olympia, Wash.
His focus turned to Val, who sang opera as a young woman before the war destroyed Berlin.
"He loved good music. And we attended the opera often," said Val. She chuckled and then said, "I wouldn't have married him if he didn't."
Val also said Joy loved to play the piano. "It was his second hobby," she said.
The two started growing roses and became well known for their work with the Centennial Rose Garden in downtown Olympia.
Joy and his wife raised the money for the garden, which today contains a collection of about 100 varieties of roses.
Although his 93 years took him around the world many times, Joy was returned home to be buried among the dozens of family members representing six generations of Ayres in the Star Cemetery.
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
08-07-08 -- FAA will honor veteran pilot for a half-century of safe flying
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
Don Taylor of Emmett began flying his dad's BT13 when he was 12 years old. That was in 1945.
On Friday, Taylor will receive the FAA's prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. He'll be one of only 1,218 pilots who have received the award since its introduction in 2003.
It will be a surprise. He thinks his family is gathering to celebrate his upcoming 75th birthday. (They plan to hide this article and are asking his pals not to give away the secret.)
The award honors pilots for maintaining safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft.
That's not to say Taylor's never crashed his plane. He has. Plenty of times. But so did Orville and Wilbur Wright.
"The ability to crash is a talent in its own right," said Charlene Taylor, who has been in love with her crop-dusting husband since they were children.
"We've been married for 54 years, and I've never regretted it," she said. She doesn't hold a pilot's license herself but often flies with Taylor.
"The last time he went down he had spray in the hopper and he knew he had to take it down," she said.
The way his wife tells it, Taylor simply said, "OK, let's get this over with."
"He knew (the plane) was going (to flip) over on its back because the field he hit was freshly corrugated," Charlene Taylor said.
"You've probably seen bumper stickers that say 'God is my co-pilot.' Well, Don always said, 'I'm the co-pilot. God's the one flying this plane.' "
Taylor walked away from that crash as he had before.
CROP-DUSTING
Taylor retired from crop-dusting at age 73.
"He told me he'd retire when he turned 70. When he tuned 70 he said he'd retire when he was 71. When he finally did quit he said, 'I thought it was time I kept my promise,' " Charlene Taylor said.
Taylor still flies though, but now he does it mostly for fun. He's also a flight instructor and he holds licenses to inspect and certify planes, which he does regularly.
Taylor earned his commercial pilot's license in the 1950s and he got his first crop-dusting job soon after that when a friend saw him doing touch-and-go's and convinced him to join his company.
"He loved it," his wife said. "It suited him well. But it wasn't as fun for me as it was for him."
She said she remembers the pain he went through one year while the family was living in Modesto, Calif., when three close friends - two of them fellow crop-dusters - lost their lives in plane crashes.
"Most people think it was work, and it was. It was very hard work," she said. "But he was blessed to work at something he enjoyed."
STILL FLYING
Today, Taylor regularly flies his Piper PA14, a plane made in the 1940s. His wife doesn't join him much, though. She prefers the couple's other plane, a Cessna 182 that is more comfortable
"I can get us through the sky." she said. "I can take off, but I've told him I don't think I could land it. But he always tells me, 'You don't need to worry about that. They've never left one up there yet.' "
Charlene Taylor credits her husband's safety record to long hours of practice, and said she remembers last week watching as he practiced landing and taking off near the home.
"He told me he wished it was a little more windy because he needed practice flying in a crosswind," she said.
"He tells all his students you're never too good that you don't have to practice," she said.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Thursday, August 14, 2008
08-14-08 -- Eagle horseman killed in motorcycle crash
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
A well-known member of the equestrian community died Wednesday when a car hit his motorcycle head-on on Idaho 44 west of Eagle.
Jared Higginson, 53, of Eagle was a manager of Flynn's Saddle Shop on State Street in Boise for many years.
Family friend Lynn Hightower said Jared was known as a dedicated husband and father of four, ages 5, 7, 11 and 17.
"This is just a shock to anyone who knew him," Hightower said. "He was absolutely a dedicated father who tried to be a huge part of his children's life."
Hightower normally talks to the news media in her role as the Boise Police Department's spokeswoman. But on Wednesday, she spoke for herself and others who knew Higginson well.
Higginson was an active part of the Chickasaw Choctaw 4-H Club, of which his 11-year-old daughter was a member. Club members begin competition at the Western Idaho Fair Thursday, Aug. 14.
"This is tough," said Hightower, who also has a daughter in the club. "But you know, I think they are just going to pull it together and support the family as they show throughout the fair."
Higginson was well regarded as the authority on Western tack and reining in the Valley.
"There are a lot of horses around here that are a lot better off because horse owners trusted him," Hightower said.
Higginson, a lifelong resident of Eagle, also was active in his LDS ward, Hightower said.
According to the Ada County sheriff's office, Higginson, who was wearing a helmet, was on his way to work when the driver of a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass veered from a westbound lane across three lanes of traffic into the path of Higginson's 1990 Triumph.
Investigators don't yet know what caused the driver to cross into oncoming traffic.
The driver of the car was taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
No charges have been filed, and officials said the name of the driver, a Garden City man believed to be in his 60s, will be released only if charges are filed.
David Kennard: 377-6436
A well-known member of the equestrian community died Wednesday when a car hit his motorcycle head-on on Idaho 44 west of Eagle.
Jared Higginson, 53, of Eagle was a manager of Flynn's Saddle Shop on State Street in Boise for many years.
Family friend Lynn Hightower said Jared was known as a dedicated husband and father of four, ages 5, 7, 11 and 17.
"This is just a shock to anyone who knew him," Hightower said. "He was absolutely a dedicated father who tried to be a huge part of his children's life."
Hightower normally talks to the news media in her role as the Boise Police Department's spokeswoman. But on Wednesday, she spoke for herself and others who knew Higginson well.
Higginson was an active part of the Chickasaw Choctaw 4-H Club, of which his 11-year-old daughter was a member. Club members begin competition at the Western Idaho Fair Thursday, Aug. 14.
"This is tough," said Hightower, who also has a daughter in the club. "But you know, I think they are just going to pull it together and support the family as they show throughout the fair."
Higginson was well regarded as the authority on Western tack and reining in the Valley.
"There are a lot of horses around here that are a lot better off because horse owners trusted him," Hightower said.
Higginson, a lifelong resident of Eagle, also was active in his LDS ward, Hightower said.
According to the Ada County sheriff's office, Higginson, who was wearing a helmet, was on his way to work when the driver of a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass veered from a westbound lane across three lanes of traffic into the path of Higginson's 1990 Triumph.
Investigators don't yet know what caused the driver to cross into oncoming traffic.
The driver of the car was taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
No charges have been filed, and officials said the name of the driver, a Garden City man believed to be in his 60s, will be released only if charges are filed.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Saturday, August 9, 2008
08-09-08 -- Wind, lightning heat up Idaho's fire season
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
WHERE THE FIRES ARE BURNING
Are structures threatened? No, most of the fires are burning in remote areas. Firefighters have extinguished or otherwise protected nearby buildings.
Are campgrounds open? Yes. No evacuations have been ordered.
Is this a good fire year? The fire season began later this year because of high moisture content in forest vegetation. Over the past five years, an average of 45,000 were already burned in the Boise National Forest by Aug. 1st. This year, just 24 acres had been.
IDAHO'S FIRES
The Rattlesnake fire was burning 1,000 acres in the Nez Perce National Forest about 30 miles west of Darby, Mont. The fire is zero percent contained.
The Cabin Creek fire was burning 5,494 acres in the Payette National Forest about 35 miles west of Cobalt. The fire is zero percent contained.
The Rush Creek fire was burning 1,435 acres six miles southwest of Taylor Ranch.
TALK TO A RANGER
Cascade Ranger District, (208) 382-7400
Emmett Ranger District, (208) 365-7000
Idaho City Ranger District, (208) 392-6681
Lowman Ranger District, (208) 259-3361
Mountain Home Ranger District, (208) 587-7961
25 small blazes are reported after overnight storms. Check for updates before visiting forests
Fire danger is high in the Boise and Payette national forests, and visitors should check where fires are before heading out.
Fire managers sent small teams of three and four firefighters to 25 new fires Friday morning as numerous lightning strikes ignited dry grass and timber from Idaho City to Atlanta.
The number of fires reported from overnight thunderstorms grew to 25 in the Boise National Forest on Friday.
Lightning late Thursday night and Friday ignited 11 new fires on the Payette National Forest, all less than an acre in size, officials said.
But fire experts said it could be worse.
This time last year, nearly 200,000 acres of Boise National Forest were in flames. As of Aug. 1 this year, just 24 acres had burned. And most of the fires ignited by the most recent storm were less than an acre.
Both ground vegetation and trees have higher moisture content this year, and that has helped push the fire season later, Olsen said.
He also said rain from passing storms has kept fires small enough to give crews time to get to the scene.
The most recent fires were scattered across the Idaho City and Mountain Home ranger districts. Firefighters were on the scene of one fire near Atlanta Thursday night.
Olson said fires are staffed based on their threat to people and property, but at least three of the new fires were in remote locations where fire managers are considering allowing them to burn to help maintain forest health.
But hikers, fishermen and other adventure seekers should be cautious this month.
"August is a critical fire month, and the forest has 40 percent of its fires in that month," Olson said. "The public is encouraged to be careful with campfires and other flammable material during this high fire-frequency month."
Backcountry travelers are advised to check in with local ranger districts for updated fire status and conditions.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Sunday, July 27, 2008
07-27-08 -- In Remembrance: ’Tish’ Koto always had friends in mind
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
Born near Salem, Ore., Tsuchi "Tish" Koto grew up during a confusing time in U.S. history.
The Fruitland resident died May 9 from complications related to cancer.
At the end of 1941, when Tish was 20 years old, the nation changed forever.
Japan declared war on America by bombing Hawaii in December 1941. Young men flocked to recruiting stations to sign up for the military.
By the beginning of 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the evacuation of more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese heritage.
Tish and her family were among those affected by the growing anti-Japanese sentiment and growing fear, especially on the West Coast, that anyone of Japanese descent could be a spy. More than two-thirds of those put in the camps - officially called relocation centers - were U.S. citizens and about 10 percent were in the military.
Around the same time Earnest Koto, a young man living in Ontario, enlisted in the military.
While waiting for deployment orders to France, he signed on with Morrison-Knudson to build barracks and facilities to house those who were moved to 33,000 acres of arid south Idaho desert.
Tish and her family arrived at the relocation camp of Minidoka on Sept. 7, 1942.
"What a town!" Tish says in the journal she kept during her train ride from the lush Oregon Coast. "Only one depot just recently made."
Mike Koto, Tish's son, said he's not sure how his mother and father met. But he said internees were often allowed to attend social events involving those from outside the camp.
"She looked at it as an adventure," Mike said.
Her travel log supports that as she writes about the "Special Train Ride" and places the train stopped or passed along the way.
"Multnomah Falls, 4:50 p.m.; Horsetail Falls, 4:53 1/2 p.m.; Bonneville 5 p.m.; They sure fixed the roads nicely (Eagle Creek Forest)," she wrote.
Earnest and Tish were married after the war in 1947 and made their home in Shoshone where Ernie and his brother, Tom Koto, owned the Boston Cafe.
After Tish's seven-year battle with tuberculosis beginning in 1949, Tish and Earnest moved their small family to Twin Falls, where the brothers opened Koto's Cafe. Tish worked in the kitchen at the cafe until she retired in 1977.
In her later years, Tish moved in with her oldest son.
"That is part of the family tradition," Mike said. "To care for older family members."
Keeping family close was part of who she was, Mike said.
"When we were sorting her things after she died we found hundreds of cards she was planning to send out to friends," he said. "They were just notes to say, 'Hello. I'm thinking about you.'
"That's how she was."
Childhood memories of the Oregon Coast prompted trips as often as she could get away. Her last visit was just months before she died.
Family and friends said Tish never mined talking about her stay at Minidoka, but her life was known for much more than what many consider a dark part of American history.
She was well known for service through her church, especially coordinating and cooking meals for various functions.
Tish also enjoyed her garden, providing flowers to friends and church members.
The things she treasured in life most were her faith, family and friends.
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
07-13-08 -- Surveyor met the love of his life in Thailand, settled in Idaho
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
Doug Kimmel, a young man serving in the Air Force in Thailand during the Vietnam War, looked forward to his regular trips across the shared base to the office of a pretty young Thai girl named Kathy.
She was suspicious of the handsome young American "because he was always trying to talk to her," said Dara Kimmel, Doug's daughter, who now lives in Seattle.
Then one day he came in and told her that it was a special day in America and asked if she would like to have dinner with him.
Kathy had learned a little English in school, but not enough to carry on a conversation with her suitor, certainly not enough to speak to him during a date.
"It was Christmas," Dara said. "And she said she would go, but her brother came along to translate."
She said that during that first "date," Kathy mostly sat quietly while her brother and her future husband chatted.
Not long after that, Doug came across the base to see Kathy again; this time he was in his full uniform. He shook her hand and then asked if he could write to her. He was going back to America.
During the next few months, he would write letters to her and she would occasionally write back.
Then came the letter from America with a marriage proposal. Kathy ignored it.
The letter was followed by a visit by officials from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand telling her that a man in America had asked her to marry him.
She didn't know what to tell them at the time, but she soon found her answer in a drug store window while shopping in Bangkok.
The answer was written on the face of a picture postcard. It showed a gypsy looking into a crystal ball with the word yes displayed on it. She had her answer, bought the card and sent it to Kimmel in America, Dara said.
While making arrangements to fly to the United States, Kathy's mother gave her some gold jewelry and told her daughter that if Kimmel didn't show up or if he treated her poorly, she was to sell the jewelry and come home.
Doug and Kathy were married for 32 years before Doug died of brain cancer at age 61 on June 20 at their home in Boise.
After college, Doug spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps. He joined the Air Force in 1972. Later, Doug went to work for the Bureau of Land Management as a surveyor and worked in Oregon and then Idaho, where he and Kathy raised their daughter.
"We had a great family. I feel closer because it was just the three of us," Dara said, explaining that she saw extended family only occasionally.
"He loved being outdoors," Dara said. "He was super fit. He liked to hike and take us to places where he had surveyed."
She said she and her dad enjoyed high adventure hikes that took them to Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as hikes closer to home.
Kathy never had to sell her mother's jewelry, and the family returned to Thailand many times to visit her family, Dara said.
"He loved Thailand," she said. "And mom's family loved my dad."
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
Doug Kimmel, a young man serving in the Air Force in Thailand during the Vietnam War, looked forward to his regular trips across the shared base to the office of a pretty young Thai girl named Kathy.
She was suspicious of the handsome young American "because he was always trying to talk to her," said Dara Kimmel, Doug's daughter, who now lives in Seattle.
Then one day he came in and told her that it was a special day in America and asked if she would like to have dinner with him.
Kathy had learned a little English in school, but not enough to carry on a conversation with her suitor, certainly not enough to speak to him during a date.
"It was Christmas," Dara said. "And she said she would go, but her brother came along to translate."
She said that during that first "date," Kathy mostly sat quietly while her brother and her future husband chatted.
Not long after that, Doug came across the base to see Kathy again; this time he was in his full uniform. He shook her hand and then asked if he could write to her. He was going back to America.
During the next few months, he would write letters to her and she would occasionally write back.
Then came the letter from America with a marriage proposal. Kathy ignored it.
The letter was followed by a visit by officials from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand telling her that a man in America had asked her to marry him.
She didn't know what to tell them at the time, but she soon found her answer in a drug store window while shopping in Bangkok.
The answer was written on the face of a picture postcard. It showed a gypsy looking into a crystal ball with the word yes displayed on it. She had her answer, bought the card and sent it to Kimmel in America, Dara said.
While making arrangements to fly to the United States, Kathy's mother gave her some gold jewelry and told her daughter that if Kimmel didn't show up or if he treated her poorly, she was to sell the jewelry and come home.
Doug and Kathy were married for 32 years before Doug died of brain cancer at age 61 on June 20 at their home in Boise.
After college, Doug spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps. He joined the Air Force in 1972. Later, Doug went to work for the Bureau of Land Management as a surveyor and worked in Oregon and then Idaho, where he and Kathy raised their daughter.
"We had a great family. I feel closer because it was just the three of us," Dara said, explaining that she saw extended family only occasionally.
"He loved being outdoors," Dara said. "He was super fit. He liked to hike and take us to places where he had surveyed."
She said she and her dad enjoyed high adventure hikes that took them to Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as hikes closer to home.
Kathy never had to sell her mother's jewelry, and the family returned to Thailand many times to visit her family, Dara said.
"He loved Thailand," she said. "And mom's family loved my dad."
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
July 13, 2008 -- Surveyor met the love of his life in Thailand, settled in Idaho
By David Kennard, The Idaho Statesman
Doug Kimmel, a young man serving in the Air Force in Thailand during
the Vietnam War, looked forward to his regular trips across the shared
base to the office of a pretty young Thai girl named Kathy.
She was suspicious of the handsome young American "because he was
always trying to talk to her," said Dara Kimmel, Doug's daughter, who
now lives in Seattle.
Then one day he came in and told her that it was a special day in
America and asked if she would like to have dinner with him.
Kathy had learned a little English in school, but not enough to carry
on a conversation with her suitor, certainly not enough to speak to
him during a date.
"It was Christmas," Dara said. "And she said she would go, but her
brother came along to translate." She said that during that first
"date," Kathy mostly sat quietly while her brother and her future
husband chatted.
Not long after that, Doug came across the base to see Kathy again;
this time he was in his full uniform. He shook her hand and then asked
if he could write to her. He was going back to America. During the
next few months, he would write letters to her and she would
occasionally write back.
Then came the letter from America with a marriage proposal. Kathy
ignored it. The letter was followed by a visit by officials from the
U.S. Embassy in Thailand telling her that a man in America had asked
her to marry him.
She didn't know what to tell them at the time, but she soon found her
answer in a drug store window while shopping in Bangkok. The answer
was written on the face of a picture postcard. It showed a gypsy
looking into a crystal ball with the word yes displayed on it. She had
her answer, bought the card and sent it to Kimmel in America, Dara
said.
While making arrangements to fly to the United States, Kathy's mother
gave her some gold jewelry and told her daughter that if Kimmel didn't
show up or if he treated her poorly, she was to sell the jewelry and
come home.
Doug and Kathy were married for 32 years before Doug died of brain
cancer at age 61 on June 20 at their home in Boise. After college,
Doug spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps. He joined the Air
Force in 1972. Later, Doug went to work for the Bureau of Land
Management as a surveyor and worked in Oregon and then Idaho, where he
and Kathy raised their daughter.
"We had a great family. I feel closer because it was just the three of
us," Dara said, explaining that she saw extended family only
occasionally. "He loved being outdoors," Dara said. "He was super fit.
He liked to hike and take us to places where he had surveyed."
She said she and her dad enjoyed high adventure hikes that took them
to Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as hikes
closer to home.
Kathy never had to sell her mother's jewelry, and the family returned
to Thailand many times to visit her family, Dara said. "He loved
Thailand," she said. "And mom's family loved my dad."
Doug Kimmel, a young man serving in the Air Force in Thailand during
the Vietnam War, looked forward to his regular trips across the shared
base to the office of a pretty young Thai girl named Kathy.
She was suspicious of the handsome young American "because he was
always trying to talk to her," said Dara Kimmel, Doug's daughter, who
now lives in Seattle.
Then one day he came in and told her that it was a special day in
America and asked if she would like to have dinner with him.
Kathy had learned a little English in school, but not enough to carry
on a conversation with her suitor, certainly not enough to speak to
him during a date.
"It was Christmas," Dara said. "And she said she would go, but her
brother came along to translate." She said that during that first
"date," Kathy mostly sat quietly while her brother and her future
husband chatted.
Not long after that, Doug came across the base to see Kathy again;
this time he was in his full uniform. He shook her hand and then asked
if he could write to her. He was going back to America. During the
next few months, he would write letters to her and she would
occasionally write back.
Then came the letter from America with a marriage proposal. Kathy
ignored it. The letter was followed by a visit by officials from the
U.S. Embassy in Thailand telling her that a man in America had asked
her to marry him.
She didn't know what to tell them at the time, but she soon found her
answer in a drug store window while shopping in Bangkok. The answer
was written on the face of a picture postcard. It showed a gypsy
looking into a crystal ball with the word yes displayed on it. She had
her answer, bought the card and sent it to Kimmel in America, Dara
said.
While making arrangements to fly to the United States, Kathy's mother
gave her some gold jewelry and told her daughter that if Kimmel didn't
show up or if he treated her poorly, she was to sell the jewelry and
come home.
Doug and Kathy were married for 32 years before Doug died of brain
cancer at age 61 on June 20 at their home in Boise. After college,
Doug spent two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps. He joined the Air
Force in 1972. Later, Doug went to work for the Bureau of Land
Management as a surveyor and worked in Oregon and then Idaho, where he
and Kathy raised their daughter.
"We had a great family. I feel closer because it was just the three of
us," Dara said, explaining that she saw extended family only
occasionally. "He loved being outdoors," Dara said. "He was super fit.
He liked to hike and take us to places where he had surveyed."
She said she and her dad enjoyed high adventure hikes that took them
to Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as hikes
closer to home.
Kathy never had to sell her mother's jewelry, and the family returned
to Thailand many times to visit her family, Dara said. "He loved
Thailand," she said. "And mom's family loved my dad."
Saturday, July 12, 2008
07-12-08 -- Travelers lose four ExpressJet flights to California
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
Boise travelers will lose four daily nonstop flights to Southern California in September because ExpressJet plans to cease commercial flights.
Boise travelers will lose four daily nonstop flights to Southern California in September because ExpressJet plans to cease commercial flights.
ExpressJet Airlines says rising fuel costs forced its decision to suspend flying under several lines after Sept. 2.
The carrier has two nonstop flights from Boise to San Diego and two to Los Angeles/Ontario.
"We regret losing their service," said Larissa Stouffer, a spokesman for the Boise Airport.
ExpressJet says it agreed to terminate its agreements with Delta Air Lines effective Sept. 1 and will cease its branded commercial passenger flight operations on Sept. 2.
"On behalf of everyone at ExpressJet Airlines, I would like to express our gratitude to the communities that provided such a warm welcome and were always supportive of our branded service," said Jim Ream, president and chief executive officer. "If we had any other choice, we would not take this difficult action. However, rising fuel prices has made the operation impossible to sustain."
Boise travelers planning a trip to San Diego and Los Angeles can find flights on other airlines, but none offer nonstop service.
"They represented a small percentage of our passenger service and daily flights, but other carriers will accommodate passengers going to those destinations," Stouffer said.
Tickets on ExpressJet Airlines for travel before Sept. 2 will not be affected, the airline said. The company will continue selling tickets for any customers who want to travel before Sept. 2.
Customers holding tickets for a flight after Sept. 1 should contact ExpressJet Reservations at 888-958-XJET (9538) to request a refund.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
07-08-08 -- 2 people hurt in plane crash northeast of Yellow Pine
Two people were hurt Monday after a small plane crashed at a mountain resort north of Yellow Pine.
According to a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, one person sustained serious injuries and the other person had minor injuries after the plane came to rest about 75 feet past the airstrip in Big Creek.
Both people were flown by air ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for treatment. Officials have not released the names of the injured.
Cascade Rural Ambulance and the Valley County Sheriff's Department responded to the crash site in the Payette National Forest on the edge of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, according to a sheriff's spokesman.
Officials did not say whether the plane was taking off or landing at the time of the crash.
According to Allen Kenitzer with the FAA, the owner of the Mooney single-engine plane, which was built in 1965, is Kjell W. Nielsen of San Diego.
According to National Transportation Safety Board records, the plane was involved in another crash in 1967 when the pilot failed to deploy the landing gear while landing at an airstrip in Chico, Calif.
An investigation by the NTSB will begin as soon as an investigator arrives at the crash scene, Kenitzer.
"He'll begin by talking to the people in the airplane, who, thankfully, survived," Kenitzer said. He said a preliminary report will be released in about two weeks.
Two crashes have taken place recently at the Big Creek airstrip. In both cases, everyone involved survived.
In August 2007, a pilot was hurt when his two-engine Piper overran the departure end of the runway and slid down an embankment.
In July 2006, a pilot was hurt when his single-engine Cessna collided with trees during takeoff at the airstrip. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
07-01-08 -- Treasure Valley setting up for perfect heat storm
PLAN AHEAD
BY DAVID KENNARD AND PATRICK ORR - local@idahostatesman.com
Forecasters say the heat will remain in the high 90s through Thursday.
Friday, Independence Day, is expected to drop to 93 degrees.
The holiday weekend also is expected to remain hot and dry with highs in the mid to high 90s.
BY DAVID KENNARD AND PATRICK ORR - local@idahostatesman.com
A forecast of scorchingly hot weather, low relative humidity and wind is a recipe for grass and brush fires in the Foothills and other parts of the parched Valley.
And when you add the purchase of (often) illegal fireworks and Fourth of July rowdiness - well, fire officials are concerned.
It's not like nature needs any help starting fires.
Look at Sunday. A record high of 105 degrees, a blazing sun and a venting propane tank led to a disastrous fire that claimed two homes in East Boise.
And fire officials are still trying to figure out what started a brush fire that burned about 3 acres near Camel's Back Park and 8th Street, though they think it was human-caused.
With the Foothills pretty much dried out, a grass or brush fire started by a careless person is the kind of problem that Boise firefighters and wildland firefighters with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service desperately want to avoid this week. So they are urging people to be careful, especially if they choose to light off fireworks this weekend.
Firefighters also want to remind people that all fireworks are banned in the Foothills.
And if you are caught with illegal fireworks, you face the possibility of a $100 ticket, $40 in court costs and having your stash confiscated. Boise fire inspectors will likely have several patrols active Friday night after the city fireworks display at Ann Morrison Park.
SUMMER HEAT
Sunday's record-setting 105 degrees comes just 20 days after snow fell over the Treasure Valley.
"More extreme weather is expected as the climate changes," said Valerie Mills, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boise. "The so-called global warming has different changes for different places."
In Boise, that translates to hot, dry days at least through summer and fall and possibly into the winter months as well, Mills said.
The Pacific Ocean's La Nia that brought so much snow and rain to the Northwest during winter months may not be around to help us next winter.
And it will provide no relief from the heat during summer.
What we can expect is more hot days and very little rain, she said.
Escape from the heat may be difficult without going to some extreme - or running the air conditioner.
An escape to the high country is one option, but even with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than in the Treasure Valley, an 85- or 90-degree day in McCall is still very hot.
In most cases, the higher you climb, the cooler the temperatures will be. Ketchum and Stanley are forecasting highs in the mid to high 80s this week.
Temperatures along the Boise River may keep you cooler. Even a slight breeze blowing across the 55-degree water lowers the temperature along the shaded Boise Greenbelt 10 or 15 degrees.
AIR QUALITY
For many people, especially those with breathing difficulties, spending time outside won't be an option.
The rising air quality index already has pushed the Treasure Valley into the moderate category, triggering a yellow air-quality alert.
Leonard Herr, regional air quality manager with the Department of Environmental Quality, said poor air alerts could come as soon as Tuesday if the air quality index rises above 60, which would spark a ban on open burning in the Valley.
On Monday, the index was forecast for 55. If it rises above 100, which could happen as smoke from California fires moves into the area, the DEQ would issue an orange alert, one level below a red alert, or "unhealthy" category.
Last Fourth of July, the DEQ issued a red alert when smoke from fireworks thickened the air.
When the air gets that bad, it makes it difficult for everyone - not just those sensitive to poor air quality - to experience health effects.
David Kennard: 377-6436
Sunday, June 29, 2008
06-29-08 -- In Remembrance: Johnne Miller loved enjoying Idaho’s outdoors in every season
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
Their picture hangs in the lodge at Bogus Basin.
Standing in their patch-covered ski jackets and wearing the leather boots and big sunglasses of the day, the five women smile in the bright sun on the side of the mountain high above Boise.
They are the first five women ski patrollers at Bogus to be admitted into the National Ski Patrol, an elite group of highly trained patrollers known for their skill and love of the sport.
The five became four on June 10 with the death of Johnne Miller of Boise.
The breast cancer she beat 12 years ago came back earlier this year and settled in her bones. Johnne would have been 77 on July 4.
The woman who would for the rest of her life embody the spirit of Idaho recreation, began her journey early when she met Boise High School track star Zee Miller. She married her high school sweetheart soon after graduating in 1949.
From that time on, the couple spent weekends and vacations either on the ski hill or behind a ski boat.
Mary Chapel, who was much younger than her older sister, remembers Johnne as a woman always looking forward to the next adventure.
"She always felt like she had to take one of us," she said of Johnne and her five siblings. "She'd pick us up and go waterskiing or four-wheeling."
After high school Johnne spent 11 years working for the Bureau of Land Management in Boise, giving her the chance to learn more about the places she loved.
Most folks remember Johnne and Zee as the owners of Miller's Marina, which they opened together in 1960.
For the next 35 years, the couple surrounded themselves and their three children with the tools they needed to get into the Idaho backcountry they loved.
"I remember as kids, Johnne and Zee would invite (us) to go water skiing. Ever patient, Johnne and Zee would pull us almost up and then we'd go down again," said Johnne's grandson, Adam Hunter of Nampa. "They kept circling and getting us started again and again until we could water ski. ... I will always remember how fun those days were."
Johnne quit snow skiing in the late '70s when thrombosis in her ankles prevented her from wearing ski boots. But she quickly switched to snowmobiling to get her up into the mountains.
Even after she was diagnosed, treated and recovered from breast cancer in 1995, she found herself back on the seat of four-wheelers and snowmobiles, riding into the backcountry.
Framed pictures cover the walls of Johnne and Zee's home, and photo albums, jammed with pictures of Johnne, Zee and their family are scattered throughout the home. The pictures are set against snow-covered peaks in the Trinities or the spray of water behind a ski boat at Lucky Peak. There are strings of fish caught at various trips to Red Fish Lake near Stanley or Warm Lake.
In many of the shots, you can see Johnne smiling from under the face shield of her helmet while sitting on her bright red snow machine.
It is the same smile of that young woman so many years ago standing on the side of a ski mountain with her friends on the Bogus Basin ski patrol.
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
Standing in their patch-covered ski jackets and wearing the leather boots and big sunglasses of the day, the five women smile in the bright sun on the side of the mountain high above Boise.
They are the first five women ski patrollers at Bogus to be admitted into the National Ski Patrol, an elite group of highly trained patrollers known for their skill and love of the sport.
The five became four on June 10 with the death of Johnne Miller of Boise.
The breast cancer she beat 12 years ago came back earlier this year and settled in her bones. Johnne would have been 77 on July 4.
The woman who would for the rest of her life embody the spirit of Idaho recreation, began her journey early when she met Boise High School track star Zee Miller. She married her high school sweetheart soon after graduating in 1949.
From that time on, the couple spent weekends and vacations either on the ski hill or behind a ski boat.
Mary Chapel, who was much younger than her older sister, remembers Johnne as a woman always looking forward to the next adventure.
"She always felt like she had to take one of us," she said of Johnne and her five siblings. "She'd pick us up and go waterskiing or four-wheeling."
After high school Johnne spent 11 years working for the Bureau of Land Management in Boise, giving her the chance to learn more about the places she loved.
Most folks remember Johnne and Zee as the owners of Miller's Marina, which they opened together in 1960.
For the next 35 years, the couple surrounded themselves and their three children with the tools they needed to get into the Idaho backcountry they loved.
"I remember as kids, Johnne and Zee would invite (us) to go water skiing. Ever patient, Johnne and Zee would pull us almost up and then we'd go down again," said Johnne's grandson, Adam Hunter of Nampa. "They kept circling and getting us started again and again until we could water ski. ... I will always remember how fun those days were."
Johnne quit snow skiing in the late '70s when thrombosis in her ankles prevented her from wearing ski boots. But she quickly switched to snowmobiling to get her up into the mountains.
Even after she was diagnosed, treated and recovered from breast cancer in 1995, she found herself back on the seat of four-wheelers and snowmobiles, riding into the backcountry.
Framed pictures cover the walls of Johnne and Zee's home, and photo albums, jammed with pictures of Johnne, Zee and their family are scattered throughout the home. The pictures are set against snow-covered peaks in the Trinities or the spray of water behind a ski boat at Lucky Peak. There are strings of fish caught at various trips to Red Fish Lake near Stanley or Warm Lake.
In many of the shots, you can see Johnne smiling from under the face shield of her helmet while sitting on her bright red snow machine.
It is the same smile of that young woman so many years ago standing on the side of a ski mountain with her friends on the Bogus Basin ski patrol.
David Kennard: 377-6436
In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, e-mail dkennard@idahostatesman.com.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
06-17-08 -- Cannons bring back sounds of Civil War era
A Boise man spearheaded restoration of the Napoleon howitzers now fired for a variety of occasions.
ELSEWHERE
Photo Courtesy The Idaho Civil War Volunteers
Specially trained members of The Idaho Civil War Volunteers fire the Napoleon cannon — an original Civil War cannon — during a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.
ELSEWHERE
THE NAPOLEONS
THE NAME: Known as the workhorse of the Civil War, the 12-pound field gun first appeared in the 1850s in France and was named in honor of French Emperor Napoleon III. Generically, its name is the 1857 was gun howitzer.
WEIGHT: The tube weighs about 1,300 pounds. Together with the carriage, the cannon weighed almost one-and-half-tons. It was pulled by a team of six horses.
SEE THEM IN ACTION: The Napoleons will be fired again Oct. 4-5 at Freezeout Hill in Emmett.
BY DAVID KENNARD - dkennard@idahostatesman.com
The sound of 12-pound Napoleons echoing across the hills and valleys of Virginia, Pennsylvania and the battlefields of the Civil War once signaled the approach of war.
During their use in the 1850s and '60s, the two-and-a-half-ton cannons struck fear among troops ordered to fight within their range.
They could fire a 12-pound cast iron ball or exploding shot about a mile and were accurate up to almost a half a mile.
For close-range fighting, their gunners filled the cannons' bellies with shrapnel and fired them like giant shotguns, cutting down wide swaths of enemy forces.
By the end of the war, factories in New England had manufactured more than 1,100 of the Napoleons. Confederate troops reproduced about 600 for battle.
But after 1865, the roar of these feared giants fell silent. Many found their way to scrap yards; other were kept by collectors.
NAPOLEONS IN BOISE
Two Napoleons turned up in Boise as sentinels at the entrance of the Old Soldiers Home built in 1893 west of Boise where Veterans Memorial Park now sits.
They remained resting silently on their massive wooden carriages as veterans of the Civil War passed away.
They later welcomed veterans from the Spanish American War and then World War I and World War II.
Sometime in the mid-1960s, 100 years after fire and smoke last belched from the solid bronze weapons, the Napoleons found a new home - presumably their final resting place - cast in cement as monuments on the Veterans Administration grounds in North Boise.
And there they sat for 30 more years. Waiting. Unnoticed. Silent.
RESTORING THE GUNS
Ken Swanson of Boise was a 13-year-old boy in 1963 when his family loaded up the family car for a summer trip to Gettysburg, Pa.
They didn't know it at the time, but the battleground, the bloodiest in Civil War history, was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Dressed in Union and Confederate colors, "soldiers" re-enacted the three-day battle credited as the turning point of the war.
The sound of drums and bugles competed over the drone of cicadas in the nearby locust trees. The smell of black powder from pistols and rifles hung in the muggy July air.
And cannons fired. Big ones, Napoleons.
Swanson grew up, served in the Vietnam War and came home with an appreciation for military history.
It wasn't long after he moved to Boise in 1978 that he first noticed the guns sitting in front of the veterans hospital.
Volunteer work frequently took him to the grounds and past the Napoleons, and he quietly began to hatch his idea.
It wasn't until 1999 that Swanson got permission from the state to break the cannons free from their cement home.
"They were green beyond green," Swanson said, describing the color of 150-year-old guns. "It didn't hurt them. They were filled with trash. Paper cups, bird's nests, bugs."
TNT Auto Salvage helped liberate the 1,300-pound guns and bring them into the possession of the Idaho Historical Society, where Swanson was working as special project manager.
State funding of about $20,000 paid for the replica wooden carriages made by Paulson Bros. Ordnance Corp. in Wisconsin.
With the tubes now back in place on top of authentic carriages, the guns looked as they did when they rolled out the factory.
From markings on the barrels, Swanson learned the guns were made in the late 1850s in Boston by Revere Copper Products, the manufacturing company founded by Paul Revere that is still in operation today.
Each gun was cast in solid bronze, and then the centers were milled to accept a 12-pound ball.
Each cannon carries a stamp with a manufacture date and the order in which the Army accepted them for use.
After Swanson had each gun X-rayed, he found no cracks or other imperfections in the casting work.
The guns could actually be fired.
FIRING THE NAPOLEONS
On June 5, 2001, the city of Boise issued an official proclamation approving the firing of a weapon "by the participants in the Civil War Skirmish and Cannon Firing at Veterans Memorial Park."
Swanson finally had clearance to fire his Napoleons.
That was a Tuesday. Then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was designated to pull the trigger on the following Saturday in front of the crowd gathered to watch the cannons roar.
On Friday Swanson and a small group of a folks from the Idaho Civil War Volunteers wrapped about one-and-a-half pounds of black powder in a bundle of tin foil and slid it down the throat of each cannon.
A priming wire pricked the package. The primer went into the vent at the rear of the canyon. And finally the gunner pulled the lanyard that sent a spark into the bowls of each cannon.
Fire and smoke shot from the muzzle of each gun.
"It was just a thrill to see them fire after 140 years," Swanson said.
The next day Kempthorne repeated the test, this time to the cheers of those watching the demonstration of the cannons that had once been almost forgotten.
Since that day, the Napoleons have become a regular part of Memorial Day ceremonies, school events and state celebrations.
"Nobody really appreciated them for what they were," Swanson said.
He said his goal with the cannons was always to let people experience them and relive history close up instead of in static displays or books.
"I'd rather see them like they were meant to be used," Swanson said.
David Kennard: 377-6436
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