Treasured Valley

Some 4th aftermath, unemployment, Palin quits, a weekend of beer and coffee-rubbed cheeseburgers…

The Treasure Valley:

• Shorter than expected fireworks display irks Caldwell mayor. Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas will seek an explanation and apology from the contractors responsible for Caldwell’s shorter-than-expected 4th of July fireworks show. Independence Day revelers praised the quality of the display but some expressed disappointment about the duration.
• Caldwell sees its biggest Fourth of July parade in years. Caldwell’s Independence Day celebration evoked childhood memories and feelings of patriotism in the community, which came together for a downtown parade and festivities in Memorial Park Saturday.
• Uncle Boise: 4th of July Parade Slideshow.
• Firefighters respond to over 180 calls about illegal fireworks. Neighbors band together to put out fireworks-caused blaze
• Humane Society gains more occupants after 4th. How you can help these animals make it home.
• Does Boise have room for dogs to run? Tension has come to a head in Winstead Park, where a group of dog owners has asked the city for select off-leash hours in the park.
• Idaho Gardener: Dear Friends and Gardeners (week 18).
• Jobless rate hits 12.2%. Treasure Valley layoffs send thousands of area residents on work search. The recession hit Canyon County workers with a wallop in June, sending the county’s unemployment rate to 12.2 percent — the highest in the state.
• Idaho unemployment hits 8.3 percent. Idaho businesses hired fewer people last month than they have during June for the last decade, pushing the forecasted seasonally adjusted unemployment rate up another half percentage point to 8.3 percent.
• Crash in Jerome kills Boise man. Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a crash occurred in Jerome which claimed the life of a Boise man.
• Probe targets Nampa broker. Idaho State Police have confirmed that commercial real estate businessman Jerry Gunstream is under investigation in connection with his business dealings.
• inspired designer: Grizzly Bear | Two Weeks.
• Boise Arts: Roundup.
• Boise Daily Photo: Waterfront Art.
• Doin’ it all Idaho Style: STYLE: Vintage Kitchenware.
• First, the good news: Scrapbooking angels.

Politics:

• New right leaning blog at the Idaho Press-Tribune gets taken by a hoax on its second post — how’s that for an auspicious start?
• Delmar Stone: Let’s heal America with ‘liberty and justice for all’.
• From the Editors: Where’s the birth certificate billboards, ads banned? Should a billboard or a paid advertisement that asks — Where’s the birth certificate? — be banned?
• Dennis Mansfield: Turning out the lights on the Religious Right.
• Report: Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Dies.
• Sarah Palin will resign as Alaska governor; won’t seek re-election. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race.
• 43rd State Blues on Palin: here and here.
• Fort Boise: Palin: I’m a quitter.

Booze:

• Had some great beers this weekend: Hair of the Dog Ruth, Barley Brown’s Whiskey Malt Ale, Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale and Kellerweis Hefeweizen — all really great beers.
• Review: Great Divide Belgica Belgian IPA.
• Pyramid Snow Cap Ale to don new label.
• Dr. Vino: Gallup: “On Mars, They Drink Beer; on Venus, Wine”.
• Liquor Snob: I Survived the Drought of ’09. Good read for any Knob Creek fans out there.
• Infinite Beer Can Keychain.

Grub:

• AnchorMommy: Mexican Night: Vegetarian Style.
• Boise Foodie Guild: Food Watch.
• Another Pint Please: Friedapoloza!
• How to Mince Garlic and Ginger. A Microplane is much easier to use than a knife.
• Recipe: Fresh Radish Relish.
• Recipe: Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce.
• Homesick Texan: Texas potato salad, what is it?
• Recipe: Rigatoni with Chickpea Sauce.