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50th Anniversary of Ann Morrison Park
The City of Boise will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ann Morrison Park with a free celebration to be held July 4. There will also be an exhibit honoring the Morrison Family Foundation and employees of Morrison-Knudsen.
Ann Morrison Park is named for Ann Daly Morrison, who was born in Centerville in 1885. While working as a secretary at the Statehouse, she met Harry W. Morrison, co-founder of Morrison-Knudsen, Co. They were married in 1914. When Ann died in 1957, Harry Morrison decided to honor his wife’s memory with a park. MK employees built the park, which was deeded to the city on June 7, 1959.
On July 4, the city will commemorate the 50-year anniversary with children’s games coordinated by Boise Parks & Recreation from 3-5:30pm, a concert of patriotic and popular music by the Boise Municipal Band from 5:30-6:30pm, and a ceremony with Boise Mayor David Bieter, Velma Morrison, and retired MK employees from 6:30-7pm. All events will be held in the park near the east end of the fountain. The Fourth of July celebration will conclude with the traditional and wonderful fireworks display.
An exhibit of memorabilia from the Morrison-Knudsen Company and construction of the park will be on display from noon-4pm on July 4, 10am-6pm on July 5, and 12:30-5pm on July 6 at the Boise Depot. Admission is free.
For more information contact the City of Boise, www.cityofboise.org/parks, 384-4240.
Celebrate the 4th of July Safely
In celebration of Independence Day on the 4th of July, friends and families all across the country will light up the night skies with dazzling displays of color, sight, and sound. The National Council on Fireworks Safety wants to remind all Americans to celebrate safely. Here are a few tips provided by the council:
• Obey the local laws and use common sense!
• Read the fireworks instructions and follow them. If an item looks damaged, do not attempt to use it.
• Purchase fireworks only from reputable established dealers. Legal fireworks are tested as to quality and safety. Never attempt to build your own fireworks or use illegal explosives such as M-80s or “Cherry Bombs.”
• A responsible adult should supervise all fireworks usage. Youngsters should watch, but not handle fireworks. When used properly, all fireworks can be safe.
• Fireworks are meant to be used one at a time. Do not attempt to combine or mix fireworks at the same time. Fuses have different burn rates. Actions like this invite accidents.
• Fireworks should never be pointed or thrown at anyone. Make sure people and animals are a safe distance away from where fireworks are being set off. Use them only outdoors, and away from houses and vehicles.
• Caution is important. Use protective eyewear and keep a water hose nearby. Don’t try to re-light a dud. Soak it in water and let it sit for 15 minutes before disposal.
Additional information on the National Council on Fireworks Safety can be found at www.fireworksafety.com
Community Baby Shower July 21
For many new parents, concerns over the financial burden of parenthood or lack of basic parenting skills override what for many is a happy experience. Community Baby Shower, a one-day event held this year on July 21, invites area residents to donate much-needed new baby supplies at any Albertsons store in the Treasure Valley.
Designated area nonprofit organizations and agencies will receive all the goods collected.
Local Albertsons stores will serve
as convenient drop-off locations on
July 21, in an effort also generously
supported by Today’s Channel 6, Blue Cross of Idaho, Hewlett Packard, and Treasure Valley Family Magazine. Make an effort to ensure that every Treasure Valley newborn — and their family—has what’s needed for a happy, healthy start.
Road Trip Music
Eric Herman, one of the most traveled artists in family music, has released a new CD of his humorous, high energy songs, just in time for the summer road trip. What a Ride features 11 new and original songs and several guest artists. Listeners are taken on a musical adventure in the song “Time Machine,” which moves beyond space and time. “The songs are meant as a journey through childhood, from the simpler songs to ones that I hope will make kids think,” explains Herman.
If you are looking for a road trip, Eric Herman will be performing many shows in July and August in Utah, Washington, and Oregon. He will also have one show at East City Park in Moscow, ID on July 9. For a complete schedule, visit www.erichermanmusic.com.
Natural World Connection
According to recent studies, the average child spends six hours a day watching television, playing video games, or using a computer. Meanwhile, participation of children ages 9 to 12 in outdoor pursuits like hiking, fishing, and camping declined by 50 percent between 1997 and 2003.
Author Jennifer Ward is leading the movement to get kids outdoors again. In
I Love Dirt! she encouraged parents to introduce their 4- to 7-year-olds to the wonders of nature. In Let’s Go Outside! Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature — for ages 8–12 (Shambhala), she’s focused on helping parents with older children. Not only is spending time in nature good for physical and mental health, Ward says, but it also helps kids foster a love of nature that will mold them into tomorrow’s environmental stewards.
The book includes activities to match every child’s strengths and personality. The book includes:
• Timeless and Traditional Outdoor Play which includes nostalgic favorites like Capture the Flag, kite flying, and hopscotch.
• Making the Ordinary Extraordinary moves ordinary routines outdoors, with activities like picnicking, moonlight walks, flower preservation, and writing nature poetry.
• Eco-Minded Experiences inspire a love of nature and the desire to protect the environment. Children can garden, make a toad house, create a personal backyard field guide, and turn trash into treasure.
For other great suggestions that will help you get your kids outside, visit www.beoutsideidaho.org, a site designed to connect children with nature in Idaho.
Family Winners!
Thanks to everyone who attended the 2nd annual International Museum Day on May 31, and visited with us at our booth.
Congratulations to our Scavenger Hunt winners, Desert and Rowan Thacker, whose form was randomly selected to win our bag of books, CDs, and DVDs. And to Sarah Wozniak, one of the many who signed up that day for our free Family Weekend E-newsletter (you can too, go to treasurevalleyfamily.com today!) and won our basket of goodies.
Congratulations also go out to our online giveaway winners from our May issue. They received free passes to the Boise Art Museum: Goldie Campbell, Kristen Steele, Stephanie Cooper, Christine Flechter, Carrie Odegard, and Dawn Sauve.
Bugs, Bugs, Everywhere!
Kids just can’t get enough bugs! Bugs Fandex® Family Field Guide (Workman) is perfect for curious kids who want to learn about these captivating creatures. Bugs brings the world’s most mesmerizing creepy-crawlies — insects, spiders, scorpions, and other Arthropoda — to your fingertips. It combines fascinating information about 48 creatures with die-cut, full-color photographs that reveal their subjects’ shimmery wings, iridescent shells, vivid hues, and bold shapes in great detail.
Every card includes an in-depth description, habitat, and scientific name, engrossing and unusual behaviors, field notes on lifecycle, identifiers, and size, as well as sidebars covering topics as the fly’s ability to walk upside-down and how bees make honey.
National Parks Provide Family Fun
The National Park Service (NPS) provides exciting adventures, as well as traditional programs that families come back time and again to enjoy.
The NPS has developed and made available a website to help inform visitors about what’s new in national parks this year, and the many ranger-led programs, activities, and commercial services available.
A few sites in Idaho that provide great summer outings include City of Rocks National Reserve, Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. For more information about these sites, visit nps.gov/state/id.
Fee-Free Weekends is another opportunity provided by the National Park Service this summer. More than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees will be participating the weekends of July 18–19 and August 15–16. For more information, visit
www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.
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