Stories from Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The annual Mountain Home Garden Tour, "Through the Garden Gate," will be held this Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour will showcase several local gardens and conclude with an "after tour" garden party at the Basque Park, corner of N. 3rd West Street and W. 2nd North Street, beginning at 4:30 p.m...

The city council is considering charging city residents with two new utility fees -- a "street lighting" fee and a "storm water drainage" fee. These fees, $1 each, will be added to monthly utility bills. The charges would cover maintenance of the city's lighting in residential areas and a better system for storm drainage. ...

The Elmore County Sheriff's Office is reminding area residents that it is illegal to congregate, loiter or jump from any bridge in the county. An ordinance preventing that activity was passed by the county last August. The sheriff's office will soon be installing signs on all the major bridges in the county notifying people of the ordinance...

Changes in plans for traffic flow and the sudden lack of bleachers for the upcoming Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo, triggered a tempestuous meeting of the city council last week. Rodeo committee members, with support from concerned citizens and Chamber of Commerce members came to the council hoping that the city council would help with the concerns...

The Mountain Home Historical Museum has launched a "Mannequins Around Town" project. Mannequins Around Town features eight display's using historical pieces from the Mountain Home Historical Museum. The first displays were placed June 11 and will rotate weekly at various local businesses until Aug. 8...

The Mountain Home Public Library is inviting children and teens to participate in this year's Summer Reading Program. Children in families who live outside of the city's limits can get a special free library card valid from June 25 through July 31. Once issued the card can be used to check out juvenile and teen books for the summer program. ...

Taunya Page, director of Mountain Home High School's theatre department, is holding auditions for students entering grades 9-12 to produce "The Wizard of Oz" this summer. In the style of Missoula Children's Theatre, the production will be rehearsed and produced in one week. Students auditioning should be willing and able "to make a considerable time commitment from July 6 - 11 for rehearsals and performances," Page said...

by Michael Nowotny Mountain Home News Relay For Life events began with the Purple Parade Monday, joined by the Mountain Home City Council, 366th Fighter Wing Commander John Bird II and Grand Marshal Joy Radzik. Radzik, a cervical cancer survivor who was diagnosed back in 1960, has recently been recognized as the longest living cancer survivor by Relay For Life...

Legacy Park hosted a Free Fishing Day event Saturday, where several local kids fished for free on the banks of Legacy Park's pond. During Free Fishing Day, residents who weren't interested in attending the event at Legacy Park or any other sponsored event could still fish anywhere in Idaho without a license...

The Elmore County Girls Fastpitch Softball Team, U12 Sting Black, won the End of Season Tournaments held in Kuna, June 4-6. It was the first time Mountain Home has won this tournament. Throughout the tournament playoffs, the U12 Sting Black team finished 6-1. The U12 Sting Black Team finished its regular season 12-0...

Dear editor: I am a City Letter Carrier here in Mountain Home and have been our annual letter carrier food drive coordinator for the past three years. Every year we announce the drive in the paper the week before and than have a thank you put in the next week...

Dear editor: As many know, I have been researching some facts with regard to the Western Elmore County Recreation District and the proposed recreation facility. Since 2002 citizens of Elmore County, within the WECRD district, have been taxed to build a recreation facility. ...

Dear editor: Although a Comprehensive Plan is not a legally binding document, it should be considered as a tool that leaders in Elmore County can rely upon to guide development decisions. When the County Commission voted on Monday morning to direct Planning and Zoning to consider amending the Comprehensive Plan, it may have been undermining the validity vested in the Plan by the public and by the Commission itself...

Dear editor: Rezone, what a pickle you have gotten Elmore County in. Unfortunately Ms. Schindle does not have the experience or knowledge to give advice on land issues. If you did not attend Monday's meeting for the rezone, you didn't miss much. Ok, you missed mass confusion...

Dear editor: Once upon a time, there was a charismatic fellow with rare speaking talent and an uncanny ability to hold crowds in the palm of his hand on emotion alone. Using economics as a springboard, he swooned the people with what they hungered to hear...

Dear editor: On the night of June 6, 2009, Owyhee County experienced a rain storm unlike anything that had been seen here in the past thirty years. People's lives and property were in serious jeopardy. In the midst of all of this chaos, we lost one of our own...

Dear editor: I wanted to let everyone know about a great program happening at East Elementary right now. FREE FOOD for kids. Monday through Friday, breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children 18 years old and younger are FREE...

Darlene and Doug Black have announced the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Maureen Black, to Stehvn John Tesar, son of Susan and George Tesar of Viera, Fla., formerly of Mountain Home. Kelly is a 2003 graduate of Eagle High School and graduated from the University of Idaho in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Microbiology. She is employed by Microbial-Vac Systems, Inc., as a research scientist, in Jerome...

Tom and Michelle Meyers of Grand View have announced the upcoming wedding of their daughter, Chantel Meyers, to Kyle Moore, son of Mark and Crystal Moore of Mountain Home. The couple will be married on Saturday, July 18, 2009, in Grand View. A wedding reception will be held at 7 p.m., after the wedding at the American Legion Hall in Grand View...

James and Patricia Perry, of Rigby, have announced the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Perry, to Tony Ketterling, son of Terry and Linda Ketterling of Mountain Home. Tony graduated from Boise State University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He currently is employed at TLK Dairy in Mountain Home...

Richard and Bonita Miller will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with family at friends at Waters Edge in Cascade on June 20. They were united in marriage on June 20, 1959, in St. James Church in Bay City, Mich. The couple made their home in Mountain Home in 1991...

The Mountain Home Royals picked up three wins last week out of four games played in American Legion baseball. Royals 7, 7 Seminoles 5, 9 The Royals managed a split with the Boise Seminoles last Wednesday night at Fort Boise, winning the first game, 7-5, and dropping the nightcap, 9-7...

Nickayla Skinner of Mountain Home High School has been named the 2008-09 Gatorade Idaho Softball Player of the Year. Skinner is the first Gatorade Idaho Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Mountain Home High School. The award, presented by the Gatorade Company in partnership with ESPN RISE, recognizes "not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field (that) distinguishes Skinner as Idaho's best high school softball player," the company said in a prepared statement.. ...

With the 2008-2009 District 2 High School Rodeo season coming to a close, three Mountain Home High School graduates have qualified for the state rodeo finals in Pocatello starting Monday, June 15, and concluding on Saturday, June 20. Cory Hurley placed second in reserve champion bull riding. Billy Graham placed third in bull riding and saddle bronc riding. Kia Vines placed fifth in cow cutting, to qualify for the finals...

The Annual Bob Mullen Memorial Scholarship Golf Scramble will be held June 21 at Vineyard Greens Golf Course, Glenns Ferry, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Cash prizes will be given. Cost is $40 per person and includes greens fees, golf, lunch and refreshments. Golf carts are not included in the price...

The top senior football players from around the state will be in Pocatello this weekend for the wannaplaycollegesports.com All State Games. Among those will be six Mountain Home Tigers. Playing for Team Treasure Valley in the 4A-5A All-Star game is Kyle Kerfoot at quarterback, Billy Derome and James Bailey at linebacker, Jesse Donez at defensive back, Tallon Pauly at safety and Ricky Lee at wide receiver...

Mountain Home High School alumni will be playing in the first annual MHHS Alumni Baseball Game Saturday evening at Eastside Park. The event begins with a barbeque at the baseball fields at 5 p.m. Saturday, with a whiffle ball game for the kids on the varsity field and a home run derby on the JV field...

The Elmore Medical Center Foundation will host the 2009 Annual Golf Classic and Silent Auction on Saturday, Aug. 1. The Golf Classic will raise money for a ventilator for the acute care unit of the hospital to support post-surgery patients. It also will be used to help grow the hospital endowment fund. The estimated cost of a ventilator is $17,000...

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking public review and comment on a dozen proposed rule changes affecting fisheries and fishing opportunities here in Idaho. The changes would clarify existing rules, make changes to improve opportunity, increase management flexibility and correct errors in state rules...

In loving memory of our father and husband, Ralph (Fuzzy) J. Miller. Dad was born on October 21, 1917, and passed away on June 11, 2009, in Mountain Home.