The VPNA is home to an exciting new summer concert series: Music on the Water! On Saturday, July 22 from 2pm to 9pm, the second of three concerts will take place at Esther Simplot Park.

FYI Quinn’s pond is open; however, the ponds at Esther Simplot Park are still closed due to high levels of E. Coli.

This Saturday, April 29 is the annual Run for Autism at Veteran’s Park. Due to the closure of the greenbelt, the charity run/walk will be going through residential streets in the Veterans Park East neighborhood as well as the Idaho Department of Transportation property. 

The plan for a new Whittier Elementary School and the possible secession of the West End from the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association will be among the topics under discussion at our annual general meeting. The meeting will be held at Whittier Elementary School, 301 N 29th St, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 17. All VPNA residents are urged to attend. We need your energy and your input!

Elections will be held for treasurer and webmaster, and for neighborhood representatives from Pleasanton, Park Davis, Veterans Park East, Heron Hollow, Taft Manor, Independence Park and Quail Glen. Board members attend a meeting the third Monday of every month.

After the successful passage of a $172-million school construction bond last month, the Boise School District now plans to build a new school on the Whittier site. The City of Boise has not yet approved the design for the new school, which will be a defining fixture in our neighborhood for decades, if not a century. We will provide an update on the plan and urge residents to attend the meeting to provide input now, while changes are still being made.

The VPNA board has also been discussing a possible split of our neighborhood association. All the neighborhoods east of Whitewater Boulevard would form a new West End Neighborhood Association. The remaining neighborhoods west of Whitewater Boulevard would remain as the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association. Come hear why the board supports this idea and why it could benefit all of our neighborhoods.

We also hope to have an update on West End business developments from Jay Story, the West End Project Coordinator for the City of Boise and the Capital City Development Corporation.

by Rae Brooks

Before a crowd of hundreds, and to the strains of the Boise High School marching band, Esther Simplot used a giant pair of scissors yesterday to cut a ribbon to officially open the new park along the Boise River that bears her name.

Esther Simplot

Boise City Council President Elaine Clegg called the 55-acre Esther Simplot Park the newest in Boise’s “ribbon of jewels” along the Boise River. The city now has 350 acres of parks along the river, matched by 26 miles of Greenbelt path on each side.

“Esther Simplot is going to be the one that connects us to the water,” said Clegg. She called the park “a new place in the West End” and wondered if it might become “too popular.” Under sunny skies, canoeists and paddle-boards were already enjoying the new Esther’s Pond behind her.

Construction of the multi-million-dollar park began in February 2015. The Simplot family foundation, which footed the construction bill, has not released figures, but Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway said the city had previously estimated building costs at $11 to $12 million.

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter told the crowd that Esther Simplot is likely to be the last park built along the Boise River in the city’s urban core. The new park, he said, has one and a half miles of paths, 630 newly planted trees and 4,000 tons of boulders imported from a ranch in Weiser, Idaho.

“For divers,” he added, “there’s a car, a van and a boat at the bottom of the pond. These are the ones we wanted there, not the ones we didn’t.”

Old vehicles were among the contaminated materials discovered during park excavation. Park builders removed 150,000 cubic yards of petroleum-laced soil and other debris. At the peak of the operation, 45 large dumptrucks an hour were carting off loads to the landfill.

The added removal costs put the park’s design at risk. But the city came up with $4 million for the cleanup, while the Simplot family foundation added an additional $1.5 million.

Scott Simplot

Bieter called the construction of Esther Simplot Park “the toughest project I’ve been involved in in 13 years as mayor.”

Scott Simplot, youngest son of the late J.R. Simplot, told the crowd that the Simplot family wanted the park to harken back to an old-fashioned swimming hole. He recalled fondly how, while growing up in Boise, he would shinny up a tree hanging over a pond, tie a rope to a branch, then climb back down and swing out on the rope into the water.

“I don’t know what we’ll do when one of these trees grows over the pond,” he said. “Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have the world’s greatest swimming hole.”

Idaho Food Bank distributing food at Whittier Elementary School

The Idaho Food Bank will be working in collaboration with the Whittier Communities School. They will be coming to Whittier (301 N 29th St, Boise, ID 83702) the 3rd Thursday of every month for approximately one hour after school (4pm-5pm). On Thursday, October 20th, the Idaho Food Bank will be distributing food at a later time 5:30pm-6:30pm to coincide with Math Night being held at the school.

Whittier Elementary Auctioning Artistic Pumpkins to Raise Funds

Whittier Elementary School is auctioning off festive painted pumpkins to raise funds to send students to McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) in the spring. Bids can be placed on 10 decorated pumpkins at the school main office during school hours until Monday, 10/24.

We’ll be discussing changes to the VPNA bylaws at our October board meeting.

Article IV, Section 1 of the bylaws would be amended to include the Webmaster as an Officer of the Board.

Time: 6:30-8pm
Date: October 17, 2016
Location: Davis Park Apartments multi-purpose room

There are two public meetings coming up where the VPNA will likely testify on the Moore St project. The first is the ACHD Commission meeting tomorrow night, Wednesday July 27 at 6pm. The ACHD will decide whether it will allow an extension of 32nd St to Whitewater Park Blvd. The second is a meeting of City of Boise Planning and Zoning this Monday, August 1 at 6pm. City of Boise P & Z will decide whether to approve or deny the project. If it is approved, it will be sent to the Boise City Council for approval. Individuals can also testify at both meetings. Please arrive a few minutes early if you’d like to sign up to testify.

We are hosting a potluck at Fairview Park this Tuesday evening at 6pm! Please bring a dish and/or a donation for our new swing if you can. The City of Boise has given us almost $50,000 in a grant to install 2 Biggo swings and provide limited electricity access in Fairview Park. Thanks to a generous $250 matching grant from Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Trademark Church, we just need to raise $250. Any donation ($5, 10, 20, etc) helps. Thank you!

A special VPNA meeting will take place Monday, July 25 at 6:30 pm at Davis Park Apartments multi-purpose room. Board members will discuss the VPNA’s input to the Planning and Zoning meeting regarding a proposed 50-unit development on Moore St.

Robert Reed from Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority, the organization proposing the development, will present at the beginning of the meeting.

Please note the new location. This is our normal board meeting location.

Local produce Wednesdays noon to 1pm at Veterans’ Park! Every week until August 17.

See Boise Farmers’ Mobile Market’s Facebook page or website for more details.