Halloween safety + Candy buyback + Anne Frank Memorial

With that being said, to accommodate for a mass of trick-or-treaters, Harrison Blvd. will be closed to vehicles from Hill Road to Resseguie Street from 3:30-9:30 pm tonight. Only pedestrian traffic will be allowed. In addition, Boise police will help direct traffic at the intersection of Harrison and Lemp Street, as it will be open to limited traffic.

Drivers should be on high alert tonight. Children are twice as likely to be killed by a car on Halloween night as on any other night of the year, according to AAA. Here are a few tips from the Ada County Highway District when driving tonight:

Ensure your headlights are on early. They’ll help you to spot little (and big) kids that are wandering the neighborhoods this Halloween. They also help those on foot and wheels to see you coming.
Alleyways and Driveways can be extra tricky on Halloween. Use extreme caution when entering the roadway from these dark and narrow locations. Triple-check both directions as you slowly make your way across the right of way and CREEP onto the roadway.

For parents of trick-or-treaters, Boise police recommend the following safety measures tonight:

Use flashlights, glow sticks or reflective tape for higher visibility at night.
Cross at crosswalks and make eye contact with drivers before you cross.
Eat only factory-wrapped candy and stay away from homemade treats or candy from another country.
Do not go to dark, unlit houses. Don’t go inside a stranger’s house.

Happy Halloween!

Annual candy buyback event

If your kids end up with entirely too much Halloween candy, you can sell it to a local dentist’s office.

Grant Dental in Meridian is having its annual candy buyback event tomorrow. The event is open to the public and is happening from 4-6 pm

Grant Dental will pay $1 for every pound of candy up to five pounds. Kids are also encouraged to wear their costumes.

Grant Dental is located at 2275 S Eagle Rd, Suite 150 in Meridian.

Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial

Morgan McDonough writes: The Boise River Greenbelt is largely a recreation destination but a notable and popular place to pause and reflect for Idahoans and visitors alike: The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.

Anne Frank died at age 16, a victim of the Nazi Holocaust. After the war, her diary was published, describing life in hiding during Germany’s occupation of the Netherlands during World War II.

Thousands of miles away in Boise, near the Boise River and the old 8th St. Bridge, this scenic and educational stop on the edge of the Greenbelt is the only Anne Frank Memorial in the United States. It is also one of the few places you can see the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights on permanent display.

The concept for the memorial formed after a traveling Anne Frank memorial came to Boise and attracted thousands of Idahoans. After several years of planning, the memorial opened in 2002 as a gift to the city, resulting from scores of private donations.

The small site is less than an acre and hosts a life-sized bronze statue of Anne Frank, an outdoor amphitheater, the Rose Beal Legacy Garden, and more. The centerpiece is a series of large sandstone walls with quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and other influential figures.

Along 9th St. just a few feet from the busy street, a large piece of sandstone sits alone. It is emblazoned with the words of Anne Frank, memorialized for everyone to see:

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are truly good at heart.”