Boise Id

People in Boise, Idaho, have taken pride in favorable lifestyle rankings their city has picked up recently: No. 2 on Forbes' best places for business and careers; No. 9 on Inc.com's hottest cities for entrepreneurs; No. 1 National Geographic adventure town; and No. 8 on Money magazine's best places to live. But one title startled and baffled nearly everyone: city most vulnerable to terrorism in the Western United States.

People in Boise, Idaho, have taken pride in favorable lifestyle rankings their city has picked up recently: No. 2 on Forbes' best places for business and careers; No. 9 on Inc.com's hottest cities for entrepreneurs; No. 1 National Geographic adventure town; and No. 8 on Money magazine's best places to live. But one title startled and baffled nearly everyone: city most vulnerable to terrorism in the Western United States.

Boise Ranks No. 1 for Small Business: The profits for small companies in the Idaho capital have grown at more than twice the national average to $19,711 annually, according to Money magazine's latest survey of the nation's best cities to start or run a small business. Also in the top five were Bellingham, Wash.; Honolulu; Las Vegas and Reno. California communities listee were Redding (ninth), Sonoma Valley (12th) and Sacramento-Lake Tahoe (16th).

Southern Californians who were sexually abused by priests left in ministry by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll want him to resign or be fired. But in Idaho, where Driscoll now serves as bishop of Boise, Roman Catholic opinion appears far more divided after the release last week of internal church documents that detailed his past handling of clergy sexual abuse allegations in Orange County.

The Angels haven't signed any free agents this winter, but they have changed the alignment of their minor league clubs. The Edmonton Trappers of the triple-A Pacific Coast League will remain the Angels' top affiliate and Midland of the Texas League will again be their double-A club. But the Angels have switched their Class A Northwest affiliation from Bend, Ore., to Boise, Idaho.

There have been 139 father-son combinations to play in the major leagues. And every offspring--from Jack Doscher, a pitcher with the Cubs in 1903 who was the first son of a former player to reach the majors, to Ken Griffey Jr.--has to face the inevitable question: How do you measure up to your dad's career? Tim DeCinces probably won't have to worry about that for another couple of years.

Southern Californians who were sexually abused by priests left in ministry by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll want him to resign or be fired. But in Idaho, where Driscoll now serves as bishop of Boise, Roman Catholic opinion appears far more divided after the release last week of internal church documents that detailed his past handling of clergy sexual abuse allegations in Orange County.

Ken Schrader of Concord, N.C., a NASCAR Winston Cup driver, entered the open-wheeled racing ranks Sunday and won the featured 50-miler for United States Auto Club Silver Crown machines at the 12th annual Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic. Schrader took the lead from pole winner Bob Cicconi of Prospect Park, Pa., on the fifth of 50 circuits around the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval and won at an average speed of 126.536 m.p.h.

* Geo. W. Park Seed Co. (has all the flowers mentioned above, plus vegetables), 1 Parkton Ave., Greenwood, SC 28647-0002, (800) 845-3369, or http://www.parkseed.com. Free. * W. Atlee Burpee & Co. (has all the vegetables mentioned above, plus flowers), 300 Park Ave., Warminster, PA 18974-4818, (800) 888-1447, or http://www.burpee.com. Free. * Bountiful Gardens Seeds (untreated and open-pollinated seed), 18001 Shafer Ranch Road, Willits, CA 95490, (707) 459-6410, or http://www.countrylife.

Ventura native Katherine Marie Wakelee died Thursday following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 32. Wakelee was born in Ventura on Oct. 14, 1968, and was a graduate of Ventura High School, Occidental College and University of Hawaii. She worked as an ornithologist for the federal government, specializing in the study of endangered birds. She participated in studies involving the loggerhead shirke and the California condor.

There have been 139 father-son combinations to play in the major leagues. And every offspring--from Jack Doscher, a pitcher with the Cubs in 1903 who was the first son of a former player to reach the majors, to Ken Griffey Jr.--has to face the inevitable question: How do you measure up to your dad's career? Tim DeCinces probably won't have to worry about that for another couple of years.

Boise Ranks No. 1 for Small Business: The profits for small companies in the Idaho capital have grown at more than twice the national average to $19,711 annually, according to Money magazine's latest survey of the nation's best cities to start or run a small business. Also in the top five were Bellingham, Wash.; Honolulu; Las Vegas and Reno. California communities listee were Redding (ninth), Sonoma Valley (12th) and Sacramento-Lake Tahoe (16th).

The Angels haven't signed any free agents this winter, but they have changed the alignment of their minor league clubs. The Edmonton Trappers of the triple-A Pacific Coast League will remain the Angels' top affiliate and Midland of the Texas League will again be their double-A club. But the Angels have switched their Class A Northwest affiliation from Bend, Ore., to Boise, Idaho.

Keene Curtis, a veteran Broadway, television and film actor who won a Tony Award for his role in "The Rothschilds," played Daddy Warbucks in "Annie" on Broadway and was the snippy upstairs restaurant owner on "Cheers," has died. He was 79. Curtis died Sunday from complications of Alzheimer's disease at a retirement center in Bountiful, Utah.

MEN'S DIVISION 1. Jose Luis Molina, Costa Rica: 2:13:23 2. Alfredo Vigueras, Mexico: 2:13:26 3. Julio Hernandez, Columbia: 2:14:50 4. Vladimir Kotov, Belarus: 2:15:30 5. Luis Carlos Da Silva, Brazil: 2:17:04 6. Wieslaw Perszke, Poland: 2:17:50 7. Hector Lopez, Los Angeles: 2:18:20 8. Kawai Nobuharu, Japan: 2:18:28 9. Jose Santana, Brazil: 2:19:05 10. Victor Vikhristenko, Ukraine: 2:19:58 11. Marcos Juarez, Guatemala: 2:20:26 12. Luis Perez Martinez, Guatemala: 2:21:44 13.