Guy is swimming all 120 miles of Boise River

By: 
Steve Lyon
Christopher Swain is somewhere
between the Sawtooth Mountains
and the Snake River right
now swimming the length of the Boise
River.
It’s a unique way to bring attention to
the importance of clean water and the
river’s ecology. Swain will
swim the 120 miles of the
Boise River from the Sawtooths
to the confluence with
the Snake River.
He’s done it before. The
New York native swam the
Hudson River and the entire
1,243 miles of the mighty
Columbia River.
Swain got started last
week from the Sawtooths
and is headed downstream.
Swain and his support crew
plan to clean up the river on
his way downstream.
Along the way, Swain will speak to
people about the river’s importance,
both ecologically and economically, to
the Treasure Valley.
It will take an estimated month to get
to the end of the Boise River. He plans to
reach the Snake River by Sept. 8.
He could bring attention to the plight
of Idaho’s dwindling salmon runs by
swimming upstream to the Sawtooths.
That could take a few months. • • •
The folks over at AAA did some research
on distracted driving and found,
not surprisingly, that the technology in
modern cars is taking driver’s eyes and
concentration off the road.
The in-vehicle information
systems in today’s cars
provide drivers with the ability
to talk, text, email and
navigate.
The AAA notes that the
problem of distractions is
even worse for seniors. The
research looked at younger
drivers between 21-36 years
of age and older drivers 55-
75 as they completed various
tasks behind the wheel.
“Advanced vehicle systems
produce a much higher
mental and visual workload for older
drivers than for their young counterparts,”
the AAA said in a press release.
This is no slight to seniors. Using the
technology found in today’s vehicles,
while convenient in many ways, is a total
distraction for everybody. It just takes
seniors a little longer, an average of eight
seconds over younger, tech-savvy drivers
to complete tasks. A lot can happen in
eight seconds if you are fiddling around
with the console screen while driving.
Distracted driving is a real problem in
Idaho. In 2017, the latest year statistics
are available, there were 4,800 crashes
attributed to distracted driving and 39
deaths.
I guess drivers of all ages won’t have
a problem once self-driving cars are on
the road. That can’t come soon enough. • • •
A fan’s notes on the NFL preseason.
In the NFL, as in life, sometimes it
pays to be flexible with career options.
Josh Johnson is a 33-year-old guy
who doesn’t mind moving around. He’s
a journeyman quarterback who has seen
a few stadiums in his pro football career.
Last week, he was signed by the Detroit
Lions as a backup quarterback – the
13th team he’s played for since he was
drafted in 2008.
Media reports said Johnson has
“bounced around” from team to team in
his career.
To me, he’s a working stiff with a
good attitude: Have cleats, will travel.
Just show me the money.
Steve Lyon is the editor of the Weiser
Signal American. Contact him at

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