Calvin Cobb

Roy Underhill of PBS's 'The Woodwright's Shop' has written what could be the world's first-ever woodworking novel: 'Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!' It's a screwball comedy set in 1937 about a woodworker who heads the U.S. government's agricultural 'Broadcast Research' division. Along with his staff of four women (all severely injured WWI volunteers), Calvin studies 'broadcast seed, nutrient and amendment distribution technology and practice' -- that is, what happens when the poop actually hits the fan. But the four women are more interested in developing the world's first supercomputer (using abandoned punch-card machines), and Calvin is more interested in woodworking ... and in one particular woman: Kathryn Dale Harper, host of the radio program 'Homemaker Chats.' How best to woo her? Why, a radio show: 'Grandpa Sam's Woodshop of the Air!' It's an almost-overnight sensation (for measured drawings, write to 'Grandpa Sam's' and be sure to include a 3 cent stamp to cover the cost of duplication). But -- as Calvin discovers -- success breeds jealousy ... a dangerous thing when one's enemy has friends in high places. Can Calvin and his friends save the world through woodworking, one listener at a time? Perhaps -- but first, they'll have to save themselves from Nazis, the clutches of the FBI, bureaucracy and wooden legs that break at inopportune times

Boise of the 21st century is very different from the tiny community established in 1863 at the crossroads of the Oregon Trail and the road to the Boise Basin gold mines. Originally known as "Boise City," it existed as a distribution center for supplies and fresh food for miners. The development of irrigated agriculture and the expansion of transportation networks during the 20th century and an influx of pioneers from many regions of the United States helped the city grow into a technology center during the 21st century. Early residents like Tom and Julia Davis helped create a city filled with green parks and walking paths; author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote brought Boise to the attention of the nation with her writing and illustrations; businessmen J.R. Simplot and Joe Albertson established local businesses that grew to national companies. The music of Curtis Stigers, the literature of Anthony Doerr, and the athletic prowess of Kristin Armstrong have helped focus attention on Boise, which is now recognized as one of the country's most livable communities.

The fourth estate.