IDAHO DAY 2015!

Idaho Day 2015, sponsored by the Bonneville County Heritage Association (BCHA) is now a part of history. The Idaho National Laboratory was a gold sponsor for the event. Use of the Colonial Theater and Carr Gallery was courtesy of Terry Miller, with filming of the event by Paul Jenkins of Intermountain Film & Video.

This event, "The Making of the State, Its Cities and Counties, and a Bridge to the Past" held March 4, 2015 at the Colonial theater in Idaho Falls, started at 6 p.m., with a reception and the program at 7 p.m. The reception included viewing artifacts provided by the Museum of Idaho, the Student Contest entries and the Silent Auction. The narrators, Stephen Yates and Kelly Beckstead, provided great education about how the building of Idaho happened, and how Bonneville County has added to the building of our state. Adding to the story, was the digital mapping and video display produced by ISU Intern, Jessica Donnelly.

The program got off to an excellent start with an inspiring invocation by Pastor Don Patterson of the Community Church of God in Christ followed by the presentation of the colors by the Idaho Falls Firefighters Pipes & Drums and the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard with the Pledge of Allegiance by David Pennock, Executive Director of the Museum of Idaho.

Great entertainment was provided by the Idaho Old Time fiddlers, the Fiddling Around group playing "Say Old Man", the 125 4th grade choir students from Westside & Ethel Boyes Elementary Schools in District #91 directed by Jennifer Korenke-Stanger and accompanied by Rachel Barnes with Bruce Stanger on the guitar was a highlight as they sang "Here We Have Idaho". Also providing great entertainment was eleven year old, Miss Pre-Teen Idaho, Ashlyn Allen, singing "Orange Colored Sky" and "God Bless the USA", the Almost Fiddling Cousins group playing the "Orange Blossom Special", and the ever popular vocalist Rob Farnam, singing "How Great Thou Art".

A great addition to the program was the Student Contest Program chaired by Todd Brown and Linden Bateman where 12 contest categories had entries from about 300 students, as all schools in the county, including private and charger schools, were invited to submit entries. Fourteen of those winners received cash prizes of $200 at the senior level and $100 at the junior level. Four of those winners were also invited to give their presentations during the program.

Adding to the success of the program was the generous support for our Silent Auction by businesses in our community and coordinated by RoseMarie Peterson. They are: Apple Athletic, Applebee's Restaurant, Arby's 17th St., Aunt Annie's Kitchen, Batteries Plus (they fix I-Phones, laptops, anything), Cellar, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Chuck-A-Rama, Destinations Inn, Domino's Pizza, Famous Dave's, Farr's Jewelry, Firehouse Grill, Five Guy's Burgers, Geraldine's Bakery, Great Harvest Bread, Jalisco's Restaurant, Jamba Juice, Lucy's Pizzeria, Madsen's Variety, Mary Jane Fritzen, Olive Garden, Outback Restaurant, Pechanga's Restaurant, Papa Murphy's Pizza, Paramount Theater, Perkins Restaurant, Pizza Hut-Broadway, Plum Loco, Reed's Dairy, Rocknak's Hardware, Plus, Sizzler Restaurant, Smitty's Restaurant, Stockman's Restaurant, Teton Toyota, Teton Volkswagon, Texas Roadhouse, and Town & Country Gardens.

The unique keepsake program design and production was provided by Lori McNamara and Kris Burnham and contained education information, pictures, board of directors and volunteers names, choir students, student contest information as well. It also listed the biographies of our narrators, the program agenda, and included messages from Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper and County Commission Chair Roger Christensen.

BCHA sponsored this event in conjunction with this year's 150 anniversary of the Taylor Toll Bridge in Eagle Rock Idaho, now Idaho Falls, and the 125th anniversary of statehood. The Mayor's Proclamation was presented to Mayor Casper by Representative Linden Bateman.

During the 2014 Session, the Idaho Legislature, with legislation by Representative Linden Bateman, established an official IDAHO DAY to be observed each year on March 4th to commemorate the creation of Idaho by President Abraham Lincoln on that day in 1863. Idaho became the 43rd State on July 3, 1890.

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