Well, Cathy and I took that trip to Gettysburg last week where we spent four days going through the National Park Service Museum, exploring the battlefield, taking a guided tour, and visiting the National Cemetery where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address.

It was incredible to be on the battlefield where such a significant part of our nation’s history took place and to see the terrain that the soldiers fought on. It was almost eerie to be standing where Pickett’s men made their famous charge that ended in hand-to-hand combat. At the time, there were cannons blasting, soldiers firing point blank, stabbing with their bayonets, using their rifles as clubs, and men screaming and dying. The noise was so horrific that one unit of cannoneers were bleeding from their ears. And now, standing in the same place, we only heard the peaceful sounds birds chirping and the wind blowing. The contrast was almost too much to take in. To quote Lincoln, it felt like we were on “hallowed ground.”

If you ever have the opportunity to go, it is well worth the time and effort.

Now on to City business.

Carl Smith, our Police Chief, wants to let you know that there is at least one individual in town going through unlocked cars. It doesn’t appear that much has turned up missing, but Chief Smith would like to remind you that locking your cars would help stop this activity.

Also, the Electric and Water Departments will be working on the far end of Pioneer Street this week. So, if you are going out that way, please be aware and slow down for the workers.

The Parks are now fully open for the season. The playground equipment where the slide was broken has been repaired. (It took sooooo long to get the replacement.) All of the restrooms are open. Even the wastebaskets have been repaired where needed and painted. So, I hope you get out there and enjoy your parks.

The City Crew will be doing a city-wide alley cleanup starting this week. Rather than just going through and picking up what was left from fall cleanup after the snow flew it was decided to make a clean sweep for the spring. So, if you are able to get your trees and shrubs trimmed, last year’s flowers pulled up, and the winter grass from the flower beds out into the alley, the City guys will come pick it up and you won’t have to look at it all summer.

In addition, Ken Anderson of the Recreation Department would like to let all of those people who are lifeguards who would also like to teach swimming lessons, that a Water Safety Instruction class will be available at the Nampa Recreation Center. The class will take place on Friday, May 27th, then Monday, May 30th through Thursday, June 2nd. You may register online starting April 4th at nampaparksandrecreation.org. Click on Rec Center and follow the instructions from there. If you have any questions just talk to Ken by calling 208-414-0301.

Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you have a chance to enjoy YOUR parks this week!

Well, Cathy finally did it! We have talked about going to Gettysburg for at least the last ten years. Cathy and I both are something of history nerds. So, Gettysburg is high on our bucket list. Now, she pulled the trigger and booked the trip.

The battle itself is fascinating. The Confederate Army under General Lee was moving into Pennsylvania with the aim of taking Harrisburg, the state capital. The Union Army, under General Meade, was marching north from Washington to intercept. Lee issued orders to not engage the North until the entire army was together. The advance unit from the South was about 10 miles outside of Harrisburg, which is about 40 miles north of Gettysburg. However, one of the Confederate generals going past Gettysburg heard they made shoes in the town and took his men to go get some.

But before they got there, they happened to be spotting by a Federal calvary unit, whose commander decided this would be a good spot to take on the soldiers in front of him.

Neither Lee nor Meade, wanted to fight at Gettysburg. But troops kept coming up and within hours a major fight was underway. At first it looked like the Union soldiers were going to win the day. Then their line broke and they were just about routed. They fell back on high ground just south of town to dig in. And more troops from both sides just kept coming and coming.

The resulting three-day battle could have gone either way so many times. Uncharacteristically hesitant generals, last moment adjustments, troops arriving just in time, among other things kept the outcome uncertain until the last terrible uphill charge by the South. In the end, Lee suffered his first substantial defeat in the bloodiest battle in our country’s history. It is estimated there were over 50,000 combined casualties.

And the war ground on for another year and nine months.

However, slavery, the most divisive issue for the young United States, the world’s first experiment in government by the people, was settled.

May we, as a country, never have to settle our differences in the same way again.

Now moving on to lighter subjects, in City news this week, I heard there was going to be an invisible magic leprechaun at the library on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17 who is going to make all of the late fees disappear for anyone coming in that day. So, if you have any overdue books, Thursday is the day to have dues wiped away.

Also, you may have noticed the long-awaited exercise equipment is installed in City Park. Go by and take a look. Thanks again to the hospital employees who spear-headed this effort to make our town healthier.

In addition, I wanted to remind all of you young softball and baseball players, to register for the 2022 season. The deadline is April 13. The fees for co-ed T-ball and Coach Pitch players (ages 4-9) are $30 for Weiser residents and $35 for county. The fees for all U-11 through U-15 players are $47 for Weiser Residents and $52 for county residents.

Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you have a blarney good St. Patrick’s Day!

I don’t know about you, but at this time of year, I am ready to get outside and do things. I want get off my exercise bike at home and actually ride my bike along the roads. I want to go for walks without having to bundle up. I want to enjoy the sun on my face and the breeze in what is left of my hair.

Well, if you are like me, you may be interested in the things I’d like to talk about this week.

With the events going on in Ukraine and the effect this has had on gas prices, we all may be thinking more about walking in the near future. Have you ever thought about ways to make Weiser more walkable?

It just so happens that coming up in April, on the 26th and 27th, there will be a “Walkability” training session at the Vendome sponsored by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare through their local extension, Southwest District Health.

The day and a half training session will be for local decision makers and interested parties to learn:

What makes Weiser walkable
How walking enhances health and economic outcomes
How planning and design policies impact walking
How to conduct a “walking audit”
How to advocate for changes in community design
About available technical resources

The City Council members and a few other community players have already been contacted about this training. The response has been positive. In the next few days, I will be reaching out to other leaders within the community and the surrounding area to urge their participation.

If you are unable to commit to the full day and a half, but can spend a half day, the first morning would be what you would want to attend for a concentrated education. The training looks like it is designed to be just as much fun as it is informative. So, if you would like to attend this free training, you can RSVP to Daniel Adams at Southwest District Health. His telephone number is 208-296-0847. I hope to see you there!

Also, you may start seeing something new in northwest corner of City Park (the one next to the Courthouse) in the next couple of weeks. The outdoor gym equipment, purchased by Weiser Memorial Hospital, mainly by employee donations, finally arrived a few weeks ago. It was originally anticipated to be here late last summer, the space was prepped in the park, the concrete was poured, but as with so many other things, it was delayed due to shipping issues. Once it arrived, we needed to wait until freezing temperatures would not create issues with the installation. Now it’s ready to go!

I would like to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to the WEISER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES and to other contributors who donated this very generous gift to the City for the park! You are demonstrating your commitment to the health and well being to this community in this practical and valuable way! THANK YOU!

Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you enjoy whatever activity you choose for yourself out there!

Last week, Cathy and I went to Phoenix so that I, as a trustee of our hospital, could attend the American Hospital Association Rural Hospital Conference along with three leaders from Weiser Memorial Hospital. Cathy and one other spouse enjoyed themselves, while the rest of us spent most of our time listening to speakers and finding out about a variety of issues and possible solutions facing rural hospitals across the country. The conference, as always, was valuable, provided good information, and was worth the time.

This week, there is a lot of City news, so I’ll get right to it.

The City Fire, Rural Fire, City Police, County Sheriff, and Ambulance Departments, along with the State of Idaho and the 101st Civil Support Unit of the U.S Army will be conducting a hazardous materials exercise on Thursday, February 17th in the area of the Vendome. The Vendome parking lot will be pretty much taken over by the HazMat units. Traffic may be slower in the area for short periods of time due to the exercise. This type of training is critical to familiarize our emergency services on how to react to a live situation.

In other happenings, the City Recreation Department is taking registrations for Spring Soccer for First through Sixth Grade children. The registration deadline is March 2nd. The fee is $35 for city residents and $40 for county. After March 2nd there will be a late fee of $10. Players must wear shin guards and a reversible red and blue jersey. For those parents who do not have these items, they are available at the Recreation Department for $25.

The Recreation Department is also taking registrations for Youth Baseball and Softball – ages 4 through 15 years. The deadline is April 13th with a late fee of $10 thereafter. The fee is $30 for city residents and $40 for county for ages 4 through 9 years, and $47 for city residents and $52 for county for players ages 10 through 15.

Registration forms and details for the soccer, baseball, and softball programs can be found online at cityofweiser.net/recreation/ or picked up at the Recreation Department at City Hall. If you have any questions, you can call the Recreation Department at 208-414-0301.

A couple of weeks ago I had stated that the alley cleanup would resume as soon as the cold weather broke and the piles of debris had thawed. However, the night time temperatures have remained in the mid-twenties and the forecast is predicting it may be some time before there is a change. So, the City crews will be holding off and making a spring cleanup after you have had a chance to trim your trees and shrubs. We will then be around again, as usual, in the fall to pick up your summer accumulation of yard waste.

Speaking of picking things up, the Garbage Department has been experimenting with different routes to efficiently pick up garbage twice a week on a year-round basis. They have now figured out a routine to effectively provide this service to you. This next week, starting on February 22, garbage will be picked up twice a week on a regular basis. There is not enough space in this article to provide you with details of what days your trash will be picked up. Just know that you should be noticing fewer overloaded containers when you empty your trash.

Well, that’s it for this week. Have a good week! Weiser really is a great place to live!