Treasure Valley Forest Service Retirees September 2017 Message from the the 1910 fires make most of them seem insignificant. The President 1910 fires were the force that helped reinforce the need By for the USDA Forest Service and was one of the reasons F. Carl Pence for the “10am fire policy” which our generation used as a strategy for response to any fire. Little did we know that RECOMMENDED READING our efficiency in implementing that policy would help create the large fuel loads we now have. I don’t know about you, but I am a “voracious reader”. In the novel Strangers in the Forest Carol Brink writes a This habit is the product of the generation most of us are vivid description of the beauty of forests and the feeling in that included very limited TV and radio reception or one gets when on a pack trip into the deep forest. Having computers to spend free time on when we were young. It done that many times in my career, reading the book also is a product of my makes me pine for another pack trip. She had obviously career. Vicki and I lived been there too. Her story includes a captivating saga of a in some very remote young ranger and some Homesteaders who were trying to places where TV and use the Homestead Act to establish ownership of 160 radio reception was poor acres of Western White Pine in Northern Idaho with the and social diversions objective of selling the land to timber barons for a quick were limited. Thus, long profit. Of course, the 1910 fires interfered with their winter evenings were plans. And in the process, she includes a captivating often spent reading human drama and romance. books. Sometimes we I hope you read these two books, they complement each read the same book other. You might even be inspired to read more of together, at the same Brink’s books. She has authored more than thirty books. time. Fortunately, we She was born in Moscow, Idaho in 1895 and spent most read at about same speed. of her life there which spanned the settlement period of Vicki and I have kept our the area. One of her books, Buffalo Coat provides an reading habit. We find a historical drama around early days in the Moscow area. good book is the best Anyone like me who spent time in Moscow attending the therapy for any form of boredom or stress. Because of it, U of I would enjoy that book. It even discusses the we have a large library of our favorite books. There are potable water issue common to that place. I vividly many books I can’t get rid of because they are so good remember the iron in the water that discolored any of our they are worth more than one reading. Often this library whites as we tried to wash them and if you let a glass of has been a challenge in our frequent moves. Books weigh tap-water set for a time, the iron would settle into a slimy a lot and take up a lot of room. sludge at the glass bottom. ᶲ I have two particular ones I want to recommend for your reading pleasure. They involve the 1910 fires Annual Picnic & Meeting which occurred at a key time in the formation of the USDA Forest Service. One is a documentary of the 1910 The Annual Picnic of the Treasure Valley Forest Service fires, titled “The Big Burn”, written by Timothy Egan Retirees was held at the Municipal Park, shelter 1; 500 S. and the other is a novel titled, “Strangers in the Forest” Walnut St., Boise, Idaho on June 2. The Club furnished by Carol Ryrie Brink. I’ve read both several times and bottled water, coffee, and chicken while everyone just got through with another round of them. brought side dishes to share with the group. We had a “The Big Burn” is an awesome commentary of the short meeting with election of officers. Susan Prentiss political battle associated with the formation of the Forest announced that she and Chuck sold their home in Service. It also provides a vivid description of the drama Emmett and were moving to Arizona. Joan Oliver was involved in personal on-the-ground efforts to combat the elected Secretary-Treasurer to take Susan’s place. Neil fires of 1910. When one considers some of the current Hitchcock was elected as Program chairman. Forest large fires we have dealt with in the last several decades, Supervisor, Cecilia Seesholtz, updated the retirees on the Treasure Valley Forest Service Old Timers’ 1 forest activities. John Kidd, Lowman District Ranger, also represented the forest. Following are the officers for the 2017/18 year. Officers 2017-2018 Name Phone President F. Carl Pence 468-9318 Vice President Woody Williams 672-1390 Secretary-Treasurer Joan Oliver 505-449- 8370 Program Chairman Neil Hitchcock 327-0859 Newsletter Editor Barney Lyons 899-0356 Historian Gene Brock, 376-1377 Chairman R4 Region Old F. Carl Pence 468-9318 Timers' Board Frank Elder 369-4043 Members Pictures from the Annual Picnic and Meeting Treasure Valley Forest Service Old Timers’ 2 Annual Region 4 Retiree Reunion survivor annuitants totaled 2706. Idaho has 26, 626 annuitants and federal employees in 2016. Idaho Our Treasure Valley Retiree group will be assisting with annuitants receive an average of $38,049,000 monthly. the Annual R4 Retiree Reunion, September 12 to 14 in Office of Personnel management showed 2,625, 261 Cascade, Idaho. The reunion is a partnership with the annuitants on the rolls nationally in 2016, with California Boise and Payette Forests. A registration desk will be in having the most annuitants at 215,115. ᶲ the Ashley Inn from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. A time for socializing will begin at 6:30PM. If you have raffle prizes and Silent Auction 100 Years Ago items to be donated, bring the to the registration desk. They will be displayed in the meeting room from the time "It is highly probable that a large number of men they are brought in until after the dinner on Wednesday. engaged in the lumber industry in the Intermountain A field trip by bus to Landmark Ranger Station and region desire to render military service and will do so as informal tour of facilities will be on September 13. The soon as plans for the organization of the army are tour will also include a stop at Poverty Overlook to perfected. It therefore, may be of interest to you to learn discuss the history of Forest Service history in the South that the War Department has requested the Forest Fork Salmon River. Service to perfect plans for the organization of equipment The bus will leave the hotel at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, of a Forestry Regiment which will form a unit of an September 13.and should return to the hotel around 4:30 engineer corps which will go abroad, for service in PM. A social will start at 6:00PM, followed by dinner France at an early date. The duty of the force will be to and annual meeting. convert available timber into material suitable for A concluding informal breakfast will be at 7:30AM bridges, railroads and trenches with the least possible September 14. waste." "The Recorder Herald" Salmon Idaho, June 1, 2017ᶲ There will be lots of opportunities for involvement in putting this together. Please think about volunteering for part of this endeavor. The Ashley Inn is holding a block of rooms for us at a Walking with a friend in the dark is better special rate of $108 plus tax. Camping accommodations than walking alone in the light. are available at two RV parks and the Cascade Lake State Helen Keller Park: • Arrowhead RV Park 955 S. Main, Cascade, ID 208-382-4534, arrowheadpark.com. • Water’s Edge RV Resort, 620 N. Main, Cascade, Are Life Insurance Proceeds Taxable? ID, Reservations: 800-574-2038. watersedgervpark.com. Question-Is it true that life insurance proceeds are • Lake Cascade State Park sites are on a first come taxable income for federal income tax? first serve basis after Labor Day. Hookups should be available. For specific information, Answer-Life insurance proceeds are3 not considered call 208-382-6544 or taxable income for beneficiaries for personal income tax parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/lake. purposes. However, interest paid on Federal Employee’s cascade. ᶲ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) proceeds is reportable as income for federal income tax purposes. The office of Federal Family an Increase in Annuitants Federal Employment Group Life Insurance pays interest on claims from the date of the insured’s death to the date Annuitants covered by Civil Service Retirement System of payment. There is a payment maximum of two years (CSRS) make up 71.5% of all current annuitants, while interest, even if the time from date of death to date of Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) annuitants payment is more than two years. You may wish to comprise 28.5%. FERS annuitants added to the rolls in consult your tax advisor for further advice, 2016 accounted for 70.4% while CSRS annuitants were Source- NARFE Magazine September 2017 ᶲ 29.6%. The employee monthly median for CSRS was $3118 while FERS was $1082. The median is the middle of the range of numbers and shouldn’t be confused with It is Not the Vision but it is what the Vision Does. the average. The total number of annuitants on the roll in Idaho was 15,769.