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.