MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!
September 20-23, 2009
Join us in Boise, Idaho, for NAHO's
2009 Professional Development Conference

The National Association of Hearing Officials will hold its 2009 Annual Professional Development Conference in Boise, Idaho. In addition to the usual array of outstanding workshops, there will be opportunities to visit with colleagues in more informal social settings. The Boise area also offers wonderful recreational and cultural opportunities so allow plenty of time to partake of those. To whet your appetite, Mark Richmond (ID) and Ellen Anderson (WA) have provided some helpful hints and previews of what awaits NAHO attendees in September.

It’s pronounced BoiSe not BoiZe.

Sitting at the junction of the arid plateau of the high desert and the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the capital of Idaho offers all the outdoor advantages of more ballyhooed Western towns. Boise has a population of about 190,000, but it is still a small town at heart, and it attracts active professionals and young families who will tell you that theirs is a great hometown — just don’t let too many people know. We wouldn’t want those trail heads or gathering spots to get too crowded. A rejuvenated downtown and a budding arts community mean that after a day of rafting on the Payette River, mountain biking in the foothills or carving at Bogus Basin Ski Resort you don’t have to turn in once the sun fades behind the Snake River.

A century ago, Basque shepherds tended flocks in the grassy foothills around Boise. Today the mayor and many other prominent Idahoans claim Basque heritage. Learn about the Basques’ culture, like their love of a stirring strongman competition, at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center located across the street from the Grove Hotel.

The city is also home to a number of museums, including the Boise Art Museum, Idaho Historical Museum, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Idaho Black History Museum, Boise Watershed and the Discovery Center of Idaho. Several theater groups operate in the city, including the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Boise Little Theatre, Boise Contemporary Theatre, and Prairie Dog Productions. On the first Thursday of each month, a gallery stroll is hosted in the city’s core business district by the Downtown Boise Association. The city also has an Egyptian Theatre. In the Fall season, Downtown Boise hosts a film festival called Idaho International Film Festival.

The Boise Centre on the Grove is an 85,000- square-footconvention center that hosts a variety of events, including international, national, and regional conventions, conferences, banquets, and consumer shows. It is located in the heart of downtown Boise and borders the Grove Plaza which hosts numerous outdoor functions throughout the year.