New scholarship in Kuna named in honor of Dustin Curtis

The family of Dustin Curtis, along with Kuna American Legion Baseball, is proud to announce the creation of a scholarship in his name. 2011 will be the first year this scholarship is offered with the hopes that it may continue and possibly expand in the future. The scholarship of $500 will be offered this year to a current graduating senior of Kuna High on the baseball team who is planning on continuing their education.
Applications and information can be found online at www.kunabaseball.com. Anyone wishing to comment or contribute can contact representatives also at the website.
The 2011 deadline for applications will be April 20. The scholarship is meant to recognize young men who love the game of baseball and play with dignity and respect for their fellow teammates and competitors on and off the field, as Dustin exemplified.
Dustin was a standout baseball player at Kuna and was the starting catcher on the varsity team his junior year. His life was cut short by a car accident the summer after his junior year of high school.

Meridian Speedway season schedule in this week's Kuna Melba News

Once again this year, the Kuna Melba News is pleased to present our readers with the complete upcoming schedule at Meridian Speedway. Not only do a lot of Kuna residents head up to Meridian Speedway to check out the action, but we have several local racers who compete at Meridian each week. If you haven't seen it already, check it out, get a copy and keep it for another exciting season at Meridian Speedway. And check back each week with the Kuna Melba News, as we regularly report the results and stories from the previous week's action.

Kuna Melba News launches The Melba Herald

This week, the Kuna Melba News launched a new publication, The Melba Herald, a standalone section devoted entirely to the city of Melba. Back in the days of The Kuna Herald, the owners of that newspaper included a page or two of news about Melba. At the top of those pages, they put "The Melba Herald," to designate it as a separate section. At times, the paper would even swap out the front page of the paper for those copies delivered in Melba. For those copies, they would put The Melba Herald on the front.
Currently, The Melba Herald is a four-page black-and-white section inserted into every copy delivered to Melba subscribers and inserted into every over-the-counter copy sold at the Melba Valley Market.
Right now, we don't have any advertisers in the section. As you may know, it's the advertising that makes it possible to even produce a newspaper. We're hoping that once businesses in and around Melba see the section, they will want to advertise in it and we'll be able to grow it. Advertising rates are going to be pretty inexpensive, $100 for a full-page ad, $50 for a half-page ad, $30 for a quarter-page ad, $20 for an eighth-page ad.
For the time being, we plan on producing this section once a month. The next one will come out on May 4.
In the future, if advertiser support is there, we would like to add Melba City Council coverage, school board coverage, sports coverage.
If you are interested in advertising in The Melba Herald, call Nicola at 922-3008.
And as always, let us know what you think.

College should be a goal for Kuna school district

Kuna school board members had an interesting discussion last month regarding long-term goals they have for the district. Unfortunately, they didn’t come to any solid conclusions or set any concrete goals.
What I see occurring is a clear-cut fork in the road: One leads toward increased professional-technical education in Kuna, and the other leads toward increased emphasis on post-secondary education.
Put more simply: Either train Kuna kids better to get a job right out of high school or push them to go on to college.
I’m not sure Kuna can do both, and I’m not sold on the idea that the Kuna school district should become a job-training center.
What I am sold on, though, is pushing more kids to go on to college.
I agree that not every student should go on to higher education. I also agree that there are many jobs out there that do not require a college degree. Can a student with just a high school diploma go out in the world and make a living? Of course. Can a graduate without a college degree become a success? Of course, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. And it’s only going to get harder for those without a college degree.
According to the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, “Without education and training beyond high school, Idaho students will not qualify for two out of three new jobs, will earn about half that of college graduates, will vote less and need more welfare assistance.”
You could make the argument that, based on the number of new jobs requiring education beyond high school, about 67 percent of Kuna High School graduates should be going on to some form of post-secondary education in order to compete for those new jobs.

Come on over to the Kuna Melba News office tonight

The Kuna Melba News and Idaho Power are co-hosting “First Tuesday” for the Kuna Chamber of Commerce starting at 6 p.m. today, April 5, at the Kuna Melba News office, 326 Avenue D, downtown Kuna.
The public is invited to attend. Don’t miss the the “early bird” drawing, and other prizes, such as a half-page ad in the Kuna Melba News. Refreshments will be provided.
Kuna Melba News publisher Nicola McIntosh will be on hand as well as Idaho Power’s Melanie Willer, customer representative, Customer Relations & Energy Efficiency. Melanie’s territory includes all of Kuna.
Also attending will be Blake Watson, community relations representative, Customer Relations & Energy Efficiency for Idaho Power.
The Kuna Melba News is the leading provider of news and information for Kuna, Melba and the surrounding areas.
Idaho Power is committed and supportive to the communities it serves, by providing reliable, responsible, fair-priced energy services, today and tomorrow.
The event is a great opportunity to learn more about these businesses and network with other members of the business community in Kuna.
For information about First Tuesday, call the Chamber office at 922-9254, email information@kunachamber.com or visit www.kunachamber.com.
The Kuna Chamber…making Kuna a great place to Live, Work and Thrive!

Kuna Chamber seeking businesses for business fair

The Kuna Chamber of Commerce once again will sponsor “Kuna: Celebrate What’s Great – A Business Buzz About” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 4.
Folks, this was a great event last year, and I expect it to be a great event again this year.
The basic idea is this is a great way to inform our local residents about what businesses there are in Kuna. The Chamber is putting this together and footing the bill for much of the costs, such as mailing out a postcard to every household in the Kuna school district.
WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE!
The Buzz About will be held at three locations: Paul’s Market Plaza (corner of Avalon and Kay streets), Marketplace Centre (corner of Main Street and Avenue C in downtown Kuna) and Deer Flat Crossing (corner of Deer Flat and Linder roads).
The Chamber is recruiting members and nonmembers to participate in this year’s event. Cost is $50 for members, $100 for nonmembers. All participants must also donate a prize valued at $25 or more.
If you are not already a Chamber member, now is a great time to join! When you join between now and June 4, you get to participate in the Business Fair for FREE. The cost of a year’s membership is just $150.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, or participating in the Business Fair, please contact Mary Anne Sugai in the Chamber office at 922-9254 or email information@kunachamber.com.

Idaho FFA Foundation is raffling off a vintage tractor

I would love to win this tractor. Don't know where I'd put it....
The tractor recently visited the Kuna FFA program at Kuna High to help raise awareness of the raffle.
The Idaho FFA Foundation is conducting its first ever statewide Tractor Raffle to benefit Idaho FFA members. Tickets are now being sold for $10 each for a chance at winning a beautifully restored classic 1940 International Farmall H Tractor. The tractor stopped at Kuna High School and Melba High School on March 23 to help local FFA members promote raffle ticket sales. Tickets will be sold up until the drawing April 8 during the Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference in Twin Falls.
Canyon County farmer and Farm Bureau member Sid Freeman came up with the idea for the raffle to raise funds for the Idaho FFA Foundation and for scholarships for Idaho FFA students for post-secondary education. He and his wife Pam donated the tractor to begin the project and then he procured all of the donations for the restoration of the tractor, including new tires and a sprayer tank.
“It has been a dream of mine to do a project like this to help Idaho FFA members,” said Freeman, a former FFA member. “FFA has made such a difference in the lives of so many students and helped them go on to be strong leaders in our communities. I want to do my part to advance this outstanding organization and to help provide financial support to important FFA programs.”
“We have a goal of raising $50,000 with the raffle this year,” Freeman added. “Most of the funds raised will go toward scholarships and programs through the Idaho FFA Foundation that benefit students statewide, but the local FFA chapter designated on the winning ticket will also receive a portion of the ticket proceeds.”
“The success of this raffle will be determined by how many tickets the kids are able to get sold. Our hopes are that the citizens of Idaho can see how beneficial the FFA programs are for the communities of our state. And that they will see this effort as an opportunity for them to enhance their own communities.”
Tickets may be purchased from any local Idaho FFA chapter or from the Idaho FFA Foundation by calling 208-861-2467 or emailing your ticket request to lwilder@idffafoundation.org until April 5.

Kuna Boys & Girls Club summer program is returning

Good news, Kuna: The Boys & Girls Club will be returning to Kuna this summer.
Luke has done the summer program for the past two years and loved it. It's a great service for Kuna. Thank you to the local committee members who are bringing this to Kuna.
Registration for the Kuna Boys and Girls Club summer program begins April 1. The Kuna Boys and Girls Club 2011 summer program will run from June 6 through August 5 at Reed Elementary School, 1670 N. Linder Road.
Participants will receive unique, age appropriate and exciting activities each day as well as free lunch and an afternoon snack. Registration is open to youth currently in kindergarten through 5th grade.
Registration fee is $25 (optional packages are available for additional fees). Regular club hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Online renewals begins April 1 at www.adaclubs.org. Member renewals (for those who registered for the previous school year or summer) begins April 1 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at any of the Boys and Girls Club locations:
• Garden City Club: Moseley Center, 610 E. 42nd St., Garden City, ID 83714; 321-9157.
• Meridian Club: 911 N. Meridian Road, Meridian, ID 83642; 888-5392.
• Kuna Club, 1670 N. Linder Road, Kuna, ID 83634; 639-3157
In addition to regular club membership, the following options are available:
• Field Trip Pack - $60; Spice up your Boys & Girls Club summer of fun by adding weekly field trips to exciting locations! Good for the whole summer!
• Early Risers - $250 ($225 for Kuna Club members); Extend your membership hours to 7 a.m. every weekday this summer! Breakfast is served at 8:30 a.m. Price includes special morning programs and activities. Receive 15 percent off Early Risers fee if paid in full or auto pay.

Kuna High science teacher earns prestigious fellowship

Congratulations to Kuna High science teacher DaNel Huggins, who has been selected for an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship.
I have always heard fantastic things about Mrs. Huggins from her students and their parents, so this should come as no surprise. We, as a community, should be very proud that she is receiving this fellowship.
Huggins was selected as one of 28 educators for this prestigious Fellowship after an intense national screening process.
Huggins will be serving her fellowship at the US Department of Energy, Office of Workforce Development. As an Einstein Fellow she will have an opportunity to attain new skills, knowledge and resources related to the national education issues she is exposed to, particularly those related to science, technology, engineering and math education. She will gain a working knowledge of educational policy, exposure to a network of education, and particularly STEM-related, experts, an increased awareness of the depth and variety of resources available through federal agencies, insight and experience into the grant writing and reviewing process, and to numerous resources and opportunities accessible to students and teachers.
She will have access to first-line discussions on education related to the President’s administrative agenda, Congressional initiatives and actions, and those of national organizations to move the needs of STEM education forward in this country.
“As a result of her immersion in this unique environment, she will serve as a valuable resource to your school and district while in Washington and also upon returning home in
2012,” according to a letter to the school district from Kathryn G. Culbertson, program manager for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. “You must be very proud of Ms. Huggins. Not only does DaNel have exceptional credentials as a teacher, she also made a lasting impression during the sponsor interviews in Washington, DC. Certainly she will be missed at home, but rest assured that this experience will provide myriad opportunities to contribute to local education issues and to grow professionally and personally.”

Dominos in Kuna under new ownership

The Dominos Pizza, at 1027 E. Kuna Road in Kuna, is under new ownership. A big welcome to new owners Chad and Shelby Bittner. I had the pleasure of meeting them when I took this photo for this week's issue of the Kuna Melba News. They seem like terrific additions to the Kuna community, and I look forward to them being a great success in Kuna.
The restaurant's phone number is 922-3399, and their hours are Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. The couple purchased the business in February.
Welcome to the Bittners!