Another downtown loss, but a bit of good news, too

Postscript April 19, 2010: Listen to a Boise State radio story about Boise Blue and "The Art of Saying Goodbye."

Postscript February 12: While it doesn't diminish the loss of Boise Blue, I heard some really good news yesterday after I posted this. Another locally owned business - a real fixture in the Think Boise First movement, in fact - will be relocating downtown this summer. The news is not yet widely known, so I won't say which one, but it's a business that knows what it takes to beat the trends toward online shopping and big-box price wars.

I am a strong believer in local businesses and downtown Boise, and although closures like Boise Blue and Macy's give us all pause (especially amid a still-rough economic climate), there are still many people who would prefer to shop, eat, hang out, and even live downtown.

Just a few weeks after Macy's announced it will close its downtown Boise location, I was saddened to read today that Boise Blue Art Supply, a downtown fixture for decades, will be closing soon. The store has been suffering from lack of parking, the congestion wrought by the long Capitol renovation project, and - everyone's favorite bogeyman - online shopping.

I'm not in the market for art supplies very often, but I stopped in a couple of times. Once was to buy a cheap ballpoint pen when I found myself downtown without one. Late for a meeting at the Statehouse, I lay my money on the counter and begged the staff - waiting on another customer - to keep the change so I could get on my way.

Another time, shortly after I moved to Boise, I was captivated by an exhibition of student photography showcased in Boise Blue's windows along Jefferson Street. I went inside to learn more, and the staff kindly gave me the name and phone number of the Boise School District employee who coordinated the project.

That's the kind of community-minded support that artists mentioned in today's Idaho Statesman article by Anna Webb. "It's sad when any business closes, but it's especially sad when it's a business like Boise Blue that's supported the art community for so many years," Cherry Woodbury of the Idaho Watercolor Society said.

And of course, Boise Blue's name (originally derived from an early focus on architectural blueprints) took on a whole new meaning in recent years, as blue became the color most associated with Boise. The store often had a pro-Broncos message on its reader board.

Boise Blue will be missed, and its closure offers yet another reminder that it's good to shop locally, with Boise-based businesses, whenever and however we can.

Chaos and joy with the Boise Flash Mob!

I love Boise Flash Mob. Today's - an "Everything's Fine" Non Protest at City Hall - was one of the best yet. Go here for more pix.

From Thai to trout: Idaho's Magic Valley

I took a road trip this week to the Magic Valley, where I lived my first 15 years in Idaho, from 1989 to 2004. The occasion (and highlight) was a Let's Talk About It program on Edward Abbey's classic book Desert Solitaire at the Kimberly Public Library, but I managed a few other stops.

Twin Falls is a commercial destination for a wide region, since it's the biggest city by far between Boise and Pocatello. Most people beat the path of least resistance to the retail center of Blue Lakes Boulevard and Pole Line Road, but downtown Twin Falls is a charming, walkable area where you can visit such locally owned businesses as Rudy's - A Cook's Paradise; see a first-run movie at the historic Orpheum Theater; browse at the Magic Valley Arts Council's Full Moon Gallery; and have some of the Northwest's best Thai food at Prasai's. The latter's original location at 428 2nd Ave. E. (a few blocks from the downtown core) is perhaps my favorite restaurant in Twin. Check out #52 - spinach, chicken, and peanut curry - on its wide menu for one of our state's best meals.

Driving into Kimberly on Thursday evening, I noticed that the lights were still on at The Quilt Barn on the small town's main drag. It turns out that tiny Kimberly has become something of a destination for quilters. (There was even a quilt show at the library.)

I stayed overnight at the Best Western Twin Falls, which used to be an Ameritel. I was most impressed here by the recliner in my room; by the half-dozen or so varieties of cookies set out in the evenings (I reluctantly chose just one); and by perhaps the best breakfast buffet I've seen at any chain motel, complete not just with hearty starters including waffles and biscuits and gravy but healthier fare such as peaches and cottage cheese. The scrambled eggs were good, too, especially with salsa.

I skipped I-84 for the first leg of my trip home on Friday morning, instead sticking to US Highway 30. After a stop at Filer Elementary School (where I accompanied the students on their 50-mile walk in May 2003 for an article for Parade magazine), I drove on into Buhl, also known as Trout Capital of America. Buhl's highlights include the Cosmic Jolt Cafe, Cloverleaf Creramery (in the former Smith's dairy store), and this fantastic piece of public art by Cindy Darnell installed in 2006 on the main corner downtown.


Twin Falls and the Magic Valley are a worthy overnight or weekend destination anytime of year, and they'll be even more so come spring and summer, when the roar of Shoshone Falls and festivals like the Snake River Canyon Jam give travelers extra incentives to visit.

Julie Fanselow is the author of several books including Idaho Off the Beaten Path, the most frequently updated guidebook to the Gem State.

Story and photos copyright 2010 by Julie Fanselow

John Doe shooting music show pilot in Boise

There's an interesting item in Michael Deeds' Scene magazine column today, buried beneath speculation about what concerts we may or may not see in Boise in 2010. John Doe of the great punk band X is teaming with Boise's Wide Eye Productions to shoot a pilot for a new TV series called "John Doe, American Music." It's happening this very Sunday evening (January 24) at Pengilly's. Deeds says that Doe will interview Boise-based musicians including Curtis Stigers, A.K.A. Belle, Bill Coffey, Ned Evett, Steve Fulton, Hillfolk Noir, Jeremiah James, and Johnny Shoes.

"Television needs a great music show," Wide Eye's Tom Hadzor told Deeds. "John Doe's the kind of guy who can deliver one." Well, TV does have a great music show in Later ... With Jools Holland, but it could use a great American music show, especially one that gives viewers a sense of place as it showcases a region's sound. So best wishes to Wide Eye and to our Boise musicians. Here's hoping "John Doe, American Music" finds a national niche.

Speaking of X, Something Gone, the latest disc by onetime North Idaho resident Exene Cervenka is a wonderful throwback to her Running Sacred and Old Wives' Tales days of a decade ago. Exene learned last year that she has multiple sclerosis, but in a statement on her website, she says she intends to keep on keeping on. Something Gone is proof of that.

Getting with the (comp) plan

I was down at the second Urban Lunch today to hear Tricia Nilsson talk about updates to Boise's Comprehensive Plan, Blueprint Boise, which is now open for public review. Nilsson said that, in sum, her work and that of other city planners is about helping city residents have "the best day possible." In other words, the basics should be covered: We shouldn't have to think about whether the police will come when we need help, whether our children can walk to school safely, or whether our toilets will flush in the morning. But it's good to have some "extras," too: Nilsson described how, about an hour after the new branch library opened at Cole and Ustick last year, a young girl was on one of its computers, checking out a TV show from her native Somalia via YouTube.

The draft comp plan is posted on the city website, and Nilsson encouraged Boiseans to read it and offer feedback, either via email or at one of several community meetings that'll take place in February ahead of the official public hearings later this year. Echoing her earlier comment, Nilsson added that planners are interested in learning where people in Boise are not having a good day, whether it's due to a lack of sidewalks and street lamps (I'll note that we have neither in much of my neighborhood near Vista and Overland) or problems with other basic infrastructure needs.

Urban Lunch will typically take place from noon to 1 the third Wednesday of each month at the Water Cooler, 1401 W. Idaho Street in the Linen District. (The next one is February 17.) You can sign up for announcements at Facebook.

Sharon Fisher from NewWest.net was at today's event, too; I'll link to her post here once I see it.

One year ago ...

Here's a three-minute cloudcast (as opposed to a podcast) that I made reminiscing about Inauguration Day a year ago. It's mainly a thank-you note to Washington, DC, for the good humor, grace, and efficiency with which the nation's capital handled its big day last January 20.

I like the cloudcasting concept, and I hope to do some music mixes there sometime soon, too.

Are we (happy) yet?

I recently finished reading a book I got for Christmas, The Geography of Bliss by NPR correspondent Eric Weiner. The subtitle is "One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World."

Weiner may be a congenital grump, but I smiled - and even laughed out loud - many times while reading this "philosophical self-help humorous travel memoir." That's why I'll be listening in at 5:30 p.m. Friday (January 15) or 11 a.m. Sunday (January 17) - or via podcast - when Weiner talks with Boise State University President Bob Kustra on his New Horizons show.

On his website, Weiner is asking readers to share their happiest places. I just looked at that page and saw this on top of the list:

The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. Many natural hot springs, quiet mountain passes, clear creeks. Camping is private and secluded in September. But it wouldn’t be a happy place without my husband. It’s all about the sharing. - Melissa

How about that?

Reading Weiner's book, I felt most intrigued by Iceland and Bhutan and least attracted to Qatar and Moldova. But I think it's possible to be happy pretty much anywhere, as long as you're willing to take responsibility for creating the sort of life you want. In fact, Iceland seems to be a perfect example of that.