As some of you may know, Cathy has spent much of her time over the past 8 years watching two of our grandchildren while their mother taught. She has thoroughly enjoyed being with them, being involved in their development, and teaching them since Cathy is a retired teacher herself.
So, it was with a little bit of grief, mixed with an equal amount of relief, that the youngest started kindergarten this year. She wasn’t sure what she would do with so much time on her hands, but then she found that the Hospital needed a grant writer. So, Cathy threw herself into using her research and writing skills for a good cause while still having plenty of time for herself.
However, last week Cathy got a call from our daughter. It turns out that the youngest grandson needed some Grandma time. So, on Friday the two of them had the day to themselves doing whatever they wanted to do. They even roped Grandpa into taking them for pizza that evening. I think they both had a great day! And Grandma had a happy heart.
Friday was also the deadline for filing to get one’s name on the City Election ballot for this November. There are three 4-year City Council positions open, a 2-year City Council position, and the Mayor position. At 5:00 on Friday there were six candidates who had filed for the three 4-year positions including incumbent Larry Hogg, Herb Haun, Kerry Nyce, Susan McCoy, Christina Stanley, and Katie von Brethorst. There was one candidate to file for the 2-year position, Margie Chipman. Congratulations Margie!
On the Mayor’s position, it looks like you will be stuck with me for another four years since there were no other candidates to file. I look forward to continuing to serve you to the best of my abilities.
In City matters this week, Pat Malay from the Street Department had Mike Campbell and me meet him at Memorial Park to take a look at the beloved hillside above the football field. The hillside grass is dying due to a weed that is choking out the grass. As the weeds die out in the fall the hillside turns brown. This is the reason the hillside looks much different than the rest of the park.
There are two choices in dealing with this issue. We can either let it stay the same and watch the weeds spread. Or we can kill a section at a time, water the section to make the weeds grow again, kill it again, and replant grass.
To me, in order to have a healthy park, the only choice is to kill and replant. However, this will cause some inconvenience.
We will probably divide it into three sections starting at the north end. This will allow the hillside to be continued to be used for football home games this season. This would also have the hillside ready for the baseball season in the spring. The football section would then probably be replanted in the spring.
However, killing and seeding the norther section this fall might require this area to blocked off for snow sledding this winter. The southern portion above the football field would still be open, but any kid will tell you that the sledding is much better on the steeper north end. We will have to see how strong the grass is and how deep the snow is this fall before a decision can be made.
Also, for those of you who might be interested, the City has an opening for a part-time clerk in the front office. If that is something you might be interested in, please contact Natasha at City Hall, or call 208-414-1965.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you are enjoying this great fall weather. Weiser really is a great place to live, work, and play!

Cathy and I had the pleasure of having one of our daughters stay with us for a few days last week. There have been some woodworking projects that have been moving forward slowly and she wanted to just have some time together.
The last thing we did was get the canoe out Saturday morning and go fishing at Mann Creek Reservoir. The morning was beautiful. The water was like glass. The paddling was easy and smooth. We had the privilege to watch a bald eagle cruising for a meal. We even introduced the dog to canoeing.
We didn’t catch any fish, or even get a nibble, but spending the time on the lake with my daughter was great!
In City business this week, all of the crews are working at full throttle.
Lonnie Chambers in the Wastewater Department would like to let you know they will be jetting sewer lines. The crew will begin on the west side of town north of Main Street and south of the canal. What this means is that the Wastewater folks will be sending high pressure water down the sewer lines to clean them out and remove any obstructions that may have built up.
So, if you hear strange rumblings from your sink, toilet, shower, or tub remain calm and do not call Animal Control. It is just your friendly neighborhood city employee making sure everything continues to flow smoothly.
Speaking of sinks, toilets, showers, and tubs, last week I mentioned that on September 12, the sewer lines will be smoke tested to look for leaks in the system. This test will be performed throughout town. The crew will be looking for smoke comeing out where it should not in order to identify leaks in the system. One of the consequences of this testing is that if a p-trap in a business or residence does not have water in it, smoke will come up through that p-trap.
Because of this, you might want to make a note on your calendar for September 11 to run water down each drain to make sure the smoke, which is harmless, does not come into your home or business.
Another item you may be interested in is that the Street Department will be getting asphalt to patch holes over the next couple of weeks. If you have a pet pothole that may not be on our radar, please let us know by calling the City at 208-414-1965. We will do our best to make sure that each of these pets receives the attention they deserve.
Last week, I also mentioned that the Street Department would be coming around over the next few weeks to trim trees that obstruct signs or City equipment from performing their work. Unfortunately, the City crews are not arborists nor do they have the time to trim the trees for appearances. So, if you would like to maintain the appearance of any trees that obstruct signs or work, trimming them yourself or hiring the job done from a service soon would be advisable.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you take advantage of the outdoor gems around us! Weiser really is a great place to live, work, and play.

I think it is safe to say we have received enough rainfall this week. There were reports of flooding in Payette and Ontario. I was pleased when driving around Weiser Monday morning to see that most of Weiser’s storm-water drains were working well with only some minor backing up.
Speaking of water, in case you happen to live or are driving up north of the Golf Course you may notice a little activity on the water tower that greets you on the right-hand side. Last Monday, a major rehabilitation project started on the tower which was built in the 1950’s. This project will repair steel work in the roof and paint the tower inside and out.
The roof is what prompted the need for rehabilitation. The moisture within the tower was gradually weakening the structure.
In 2021 and 2022 the City received a total of $1,156,000 in Federal dollars to be used for water, sewer, or broadband projects. The City planned to use half the funds for the tower and half for a waste-water project. The City’s engineer predicted the bids to be between $600,000 and $750,000.
However, the low bid for the tower project came in at $1,038,800. The only other bid was in excess of $1.9M. Talk about sucking the air out of the room.
The choices were to either go ahead with the project, hold off to see if prices would come down this winter when building demand was lower, or put the project on hold for some time in the future. After checking with other contractors known to the City who did not bid, we found that materials cost were the driving force on the bids.
So, the City chose to proceed with the project knowing that the cost would probably not come down and putting the project off for a later time would only mean the roof would deteriorate further and add to the cost down the road. (In case you were wondering, the cost of a new tower would be in the ballpark of $4.5M.)
In other City news this week, Pat Malay in the Street Department would like you to know that if you have trees that hang over the streets, you may want to trim them in the next couple of weeks. If you are unable to, the Street Crew will be doing it for you starting soon. However, the trees will be shaped to the needs of the City vehicles and to make street signs visible. Aesthetically, the City’s tree-trimming may not be pleasing to the eye, but it will be functional.
So, if your tree hangs over the street or sidewalk, needs trimming, and you would like to maintain its curb appeal, you may want to take care of it soon.
Also, if you would like to see an interesting sight, you may want to watch your nearest manhole cover on September 12. At that time, Lonnie Chambers in the Waste-Water Department will be smoke-testing the sewer lines for leaks. The process involves going to different points in town and pumping smoke into the lines to see where, if any, smoke comes out of the lines so they can detect where repairs need to be made.
You also may want to make sure your home’s p-traps have water in them, otherwise you may find harmless smoke coming from your sink, tub, or shower. It could prove interesting. So, please mark September 12 on your calendar and run a little water down your drains.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you have a great one!

Wow! That was quite the thunderstorm Sunday morning. I don’t know that I have experienced one in Weiser that lasted that long or rained that hard as Sunday’s did.
There was something else unusual that happened this last week. Actually, several unusual things happened, but I would like to point this one out in particular.
It started off with an email from an individual at about 10:00 in the morning. The first part was about how she appreciated the new sidewalk on W. 9th Street. She and her husband use the sidewalk for their workout routines. However, on the north end of the sidewalk, the puncture vines were out-of-control and she wanted to know who to contact. I saw the email a little after noon but was unable to reply until about 1:10. I thanked her for notifying me and I would send the Street Department up to take a look and take care of it.
However, by then, this individual had gone to the trouble of pulling and bagging the puncture vines herself! She indicated that there were 6 to 8 bagsful.
Her efforts were extraordinary. Not only did she take the time and trouble to let the City know there was a problem, but she also took it upon herself to take care of it. She chose to be a good public servant and just did it. Holly, I hope you are reading this. Thank YOU!
That brings me to the topic I’d like to write about today. If you see something that needs to be taken care of in town, please call the City at 208-414-1965 to let us know. The City employees are dedicated public servants who are here to serve you. However, in a City the size of Weiser, even the most dedicated of people cannot always see everything that needs attention. If you see something that you think needs to be taken care of, let us know. There are certain things that we cannot do but let us know anyways. We will be as accommodating and helpful as we can be.
Also, if there are issues with the City, please call or visit. City employees, myself included, are always willing to talk and hear what you have to say. Most issues can be addressed by just talking one on one. If satisfaction cannot be reached by talking with City Hall, we can discuss the option of speaking with the City Council. So, please, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Speaking of letting us know, Sunday’s storm knocked out power to a section of town. The Electrical Department didn’t respond to get the power back on for several hours. It turns out that no one called the City to report the outage. Without a call, the Electrical Department has no way of knowing that there is a problem. The same is true for the other City Services. So, if your power is out for more than a few minutes, please call the City at 208-414-1965 no matter the time or day. If you are calling after hours, you will be directed to options to direct your call – Electric, Water, Sewer, Garbage, Streets, etc. At this time, our phone system does not have Caller ID to let us know who called. So, if no one picks up immediately, please leave your name and number and what you are calling about. The On-Call individual will get back with you within a short time to take care of your needs.
Well, that’s it for this week. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you are thinking. Have a great week!

You may not believe this, but this last week was rather plain for Cathy and me. We didn’t go hiking, or go for an excursion, or do anything other than go to a movie. You see, we stuck around to water a yard, do some weeding, and feed a fish so that our daughter’s family could take a trip to the coast. For our efforts we were rewarded with pictures and videos of giant sandcastles, grandkids running through waves, sunsets, and a myriad of other moments. Sometimes a rather plain week is just right.
Speaking of weeding, Pat Malay of the Street Department would like you to know that they are very much aware of the weeds growing on the sidewalks and streets. The crew is going around spraying the weeds, but by the time they have finished going from one end of town to the other, the weeds where they started look like nothing has been done. We knew going into this summer the weeds would be an issue due to all of the rain this spring. Spraying is just a continual job this year.
One change you may be interested in is that the Recreation Department is moving into the Vendome Office. In talking with the Chamber of Commerce to renew the agreement for managing the Vendome, it turns out that the Vendome office no longer suits the Chamber’s needs. So, the City is moving the Recreation Department to the Vendome! With that, the Recreation Department will also be managing the facility. If you have an event you would like to hold at the Vendome, Jhonna will be staffing the office which will be open from 8:00 to 5:00 with interludes for lunch and errands.
I don’t know about you, but it seems strange that summer is already half over. With that being said, it is time to start signing up the kids for Football and Basketball Camps, as well as Fall Tackle Football and Fall Soccer. Not all the sign-up dates are the same, so please double check for those items you are interested in.
We will start off with the camps.
A FREE four-day Basketball Camp is scheduled for 1st through 4th graders from Monday August 7th through the 10th at the Weiser Community Church. At the end of the camp there will be a barbeque for the participants and their families. If you have any questions, please contact Karlee Lerew at 253-297-5519. This particular Camp is not affiliated with the City. The Recreation Department is just helping out with the advertising and registration. The sign-up deadline is August 2nd at the Recreation Department at the Vendome.
The 7th and 8th grade Football Camp will be held August 7th through the 10th from 7 to 9 p.m. at the High School practice football field. The registration fee, which includes a shirt, is $40. The camp will be conducted by Weiser’s High School and Middle School Football Staff. The camp is no contact. For questions contact Tom Harrison at 208-589-3999. The sign-up deadline is August 2nd at the Recreation Department at the Vendome.
The Football Camp for 3rd through 6th Grades will be held August 14th through the 17th from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. at the High School practice field. The registration fee is $40 which includes a shirt. The camp will be conducted by the High School Football Staff, Youth League Coaches, and Varsity Players with no contact. If you have any questions, please call Tom Harrison at 208-589-3999. The registration deadline is August 9th at the Recreation Department.
Now on to the fall sports programs.
The Youth Tackle Football registration deadline is August 2nd at the City Hall Recreation Department. Game days will be Monday and Wednesday. The fee for this program is $65 for City residents and $70 for County dwellers. (A $10 late fee will be charged after August 2nd.) If you have any questions, please contact Jhonna or Ken at 208-414-0301 or come by the Recreation Department office at the Vendome.
Last, but certainly not least, the Fall Soccer program for 1st through 6th grades has a registration deadline of August 2nd at the Weiser Recreation Department. The registration fee is $35 for City residents and $40 for those living in the County. (A $10 late fee will be charged after August 2nd.) Players must have shin guards and a reversible jersey, which can be purchased at the Recreation Office. Game days will vary depending on the age group.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you are staying cool. Have a great week!