CALDWELL — Caldwell trustees Monday appointed Erin Smith to a vacant school board seat. 

A Caldwell native with two daughters who graduated from the district, Smith is executive director for the Caldwell Foundation for Educational Opportunity, a nonprofit that raises scholarship money for graduating seniors. 

Smith told the board that she hopes to boost student attendance, increase parent engagement and strengthen local business relationships with the school district. She previously worked in retail management and as an office manager for a funeral chapel and for the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce.

“We really want to show that we are the place to be,” Smith said. 

Smith was one of four applicants to a vacant seat formerly held by Andrew Butler, who resigned Oct. 27. Trustees interviewed three applicants Monday after one withdrew before the board’s regular meeting.

The other two applicants who were interviewed were: 

• Don Atkinson, a longtime softball coach and co-founder of the Caldwell Girls’ Athletic League Softball (GALS), a nonprofit youth sports league.
• Ronald Bonneau, a former College of Idaho ski instructor whose wife taught in local public schools. 

After the board asked each candidate seven questions, Superintendent Shalene French told trustees that they had to deliberate and select a candidate publicly, which led to an awkward 20 minutes of stalling. 

Trustee Trish Robertson filled the silence by telling candidates that the volunteer job is a “huge time commitment.” As the board’s only retired member, Robertson said, she’s responsible for serving on committees and attending meetings scheduled in the middle of the day. 

This prompted Bonneau to abruptly withdraw his application. Bonneau, who is recently retired, said he needed to talk about the time commitment with his wife. “I know what a full-time job looks like and this is looking full-time,” he said. 

Bonneau’s withdrawal left just Smith and Atkinson. Trustee Manuel Godina finally said Atkinson was his top choice. “You guys are all great people. I’ve just known Don (Atkinson) for a long time,” he said.

Robertson and fellow trustees Marisela Pesina and Travis Manning preferred Smith. 

“All three were phenomenal,” Robertson said. “You guys made it really difficult.” 

When it became clear that Smith had majority support, trustees unanimously voted to appoint her.

Smith’s application had recommendation letters from eight people, including current and former district teachers and students. 

Smith could officially join the board as soon as its next meeting. She will be one of two new trustees come January. That’s when Sam Stone will join the board after running unopposed for Pesina’s seat. Pesina chose not to seek reelection as she unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Caldwell City Council. 

Here’s how the school board will look next year: 

• Trish Robertson – Zone 1 (term expires 2029).
• Manuel Godina – Zone 2 (term expires 2027).
• Travis Manning, chairman – Zone 3 (term expires 2027).
• Erin Smith – Zone 4 (term expires 2027).
• Sam Stone – Zone 5 (term expires 2029).

By Sasha Buchert, Lambda Legal Counsel, Nonbinary & Trans Rights Project Director

For as long as I can remember, people have been throwing wiffle balls, basketballs, footballs, dodgeballs, volleyballs, frisbees, hockey pucks, and boomerangs at me.

As an adult, I’m now part of an adult softball league, where I get softballs hurled at me all the time. Lots and lots of softballs. To be honest, I have loved every second of it. I love to play.

Yes, it’s the feeling of my body in motion — the bat swings, the desperate sprinting, the catches in the field — but there’s more to it than the physical aspects. I love being part of a team for many, many reasons. 

One reason I love sports is that it is a great way to make friends. Some of my closest friendships have come through sports. Sharing a series of intense experiences with a group of people that you’ve come to rely upon and trust has led to the forging of lasting connections that often transcend the playing field. Many of my teammates have become permanent members of my friendship network. I turn to them for advice, consolation, and countless other reasons beyond athletics. 

Sports has also taught me about how to be a team player. Sometimes, especially whenever ego rears its ugly head, being on a team can be miserable. But there are very few experiences that rival being part of a team that is “clicking” — where everyone is lifting one another up and, regardless of the score, everyone is having a good experience. That magical “click” is something I actively try to nurture in both my professional and personal relationships.  

The importance of persistence is another thing I have learned from sports. No matter how much training you’ve done, or how much natural athleticism you enjoy, you are going to have periods when you are not performing well. Athletics teaches you to persevere through those difficult periods. We all experience slumps, injuries, negative self-talk, and other hurdles. Athletics teaches you that there are no short cuts, but that you will succeed if you are willing to put in the hours. Again, this kind of persistence has constantly paid off for me, both on and off of the playing field.

One other, underrated benefit of playing sports, especially outdoor sports, is the connection with nature that sports provides. It is deeply mesmerizing to stand in a field and watch trees swaying in the wind, hawks soar above me (along with the softballs), and hear dragonflies buzz around my head. Especially at dusk, when the conversations slow, geese fly by in their teams, crickets cheer, and bats (both kinds) dart across the sky. 

In short, playing sports has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, and I believe everyone — including transgender people — deserve access to its joys and benefits.

How Politicians are Failing the Young Trans People of America

I literally cannot imagine my life without sports, and it is sickening to see hypocritical politicians viciously and vacuously disparage young transgender people who simply want to throw a softball, shoot a hoop, or run track with their friends. 

These self-proclaimed “experts” demonize transgender kids, warning against the evils of their inclusion. But when pressed, they are unable to name a single transgender athlete in their state. 

The rank hypocrisy underpinning these bills is disgusting. Mean-spirited politicians make a big show of protecting women by banning a handful of trans girls from playing sports, while they simultaneously do everything in their power to restrict the rights of women in so many other facets of their lives. From restrictions on the reproductive rights of women, equal pay for women, voting rights for women, and their obstinate refusal to support public policies that would empower women (such as subsidized child care), their cruelty and hypocrisy know no bounds.

Lambda Legal is Fighting Back, and the Facts Support Us

Lambda Legal, on the other hand, stands loud and proud behind its mission. For more than 50 years, we have been fighting to defend the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV, and that includes trans athletes. That is why we are representing a young trans girl who simply wants to play sports with her friends. 

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a teenager from West Virginia, wants to participate in her school’s track team activities for many of the same reasons I love playing sports. And of course, she wants to participate because she is a kid and because it is FUN. But politicians in her home state want to exclude her and to permanently ban her from participating.

That is why on January 13, 2026, Lambda Legal is taking Becky’s case, B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. We believe kids should be able to play, regardless of whether they are trans. 

There are many different legal arguments that anchor our case. But I want to close by emphasizing the following points, especially to help dispel the misinformation often spewed by anti-trans politicians and so-called “I’ve done my own research” experts:

• Trans girls actually make up a tiny proportion of athletes in women’s sports. Trans youth make up only 1.4% of all 13 to 17-year-olds, and half of those (0.7%) are trans girls. Few of them play sports. Therefore, it is statistically impossible (and irresponsible and ridiculous) to argue that trans girls will upend women’s sports.

• The facts show that participation among high school girls has remained the same or increased in states where there are inclusive policies allowing trans students to participate in accordance with their gender identity. In contrast, participation among girls has decreased in states that have harmful bans. 

• Research studies that are cited to support bans never involve transgender athletes. They compare cisgender women and cisgender men. 

The most important policy argument, however, is that athletics provides countless endless benefits to those who wish to participate. (Like myself!) Depriving kids like Becky the opportunity to play will likely result in long-term negative impacts. We can’t let that happen, and we won’t.

Learn more about B.P.J. v. West Virginia by reading our case page.

Game Details: Sunday, Dec. 14, Clemson, S.C., 2 p.m.

Tickets: Click Here

TV: ACCNX

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Clemson Game Notes: Notes

Promotions: Youth Day Game, 500 Kendama Giveaway, Spyros Bros Halftime Show, & Superhero and Princess Appearances

Clemson, S.C. – Clemson women’s basketball hosts Pitt in its second ACC matchup of the season in Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 7. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will stream live on ACCNX.

SETTING THE STAGE

The Tigers are looking to extend their current single-game win streak and reach .500 in league action. The Panthers have one two of their last three contests as they enter their first ACC game of the year.

THE CLEMSON-PITT SERIES

Clemson trails in the all-time series against Pitt, 11-10, and the Panthers are on a two-game series win streak. The pairings between the Tigers and the Panthers span back to the 1976-77 season. In the last clash, Pitt topped Clemson, 72-59 (Dec. 21, 2018).

LAST TIME OUT

Clemson used a 48-point second-half surge to top App State, 78-59, at Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Mia Moore logged a season-high 21 points, and Taylor Johnson-Matthews added a season-best 20 points to become the first pair of Tigers to score 20-plus points in a game since Amari Robinson (24) and Dayshanette Harris (22) against Miami (Feb. 8, 2024) last season. Senior forward Raven Thompson (11 points) shot 100% (3-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, & 4-4 FT) for the second-straight game. Senior guard Rachael Rose (season-high five assists) has dished out three or more assists in five games so far this season. For the first time since November 2023, Clemson knocked down 20-plus free throws, finishing the game with 21 makes at the line.

BEST OF THE TIGERS

In the latest Nitty Gritties Report, Clemson is ranked 51st in the NET, 18th in the NET SOS, and 50th in the WAB. The Tigers are led by the scoring duo of senior guard Mia Moore (12.6 ppg.) & junior guard/ forward Rusne Augusinaite (10.8 ppg.). Augusinaite is also averaging 2.5 3PM Per Game (3rd in the ACC). Moore holds a team-best 6.5 rebound average and 4.9 assists average (5th in the ACC). Senior guard/forward Hadley Periman is the squad’s leading shot blocker (1.1 bpg.) (15th in the ACC).

SUNDAY, DEC. 21 CANNED GOODS DONATION DRIVE

Clemson women’s basketball will be hosting a Canned Goods Donation Drive (Benefiting Paw Pantry & The Nook) on Sunday, Dec. 21 vs. North Florida. Tiger Fans who bring donation items will receive $5 off admission to the game against North Florida. Items in need include: Wipes, bar soap, shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, feminine products, Dry goods, canned goods, rice, pasta, Sugar, oil, cereal, canned soup, shelf-stable milk, canned meat, condiments, instant oatmeal/grits, and granola bars.

TIGERS INK MONSTER SIGNING CLASS: HIGHEST EVER IN PROGRAM HISTORY!

The incoming 2026 class is the highest-ranked signing class in program history and ranks third nationally (per 247 Sports) and sixth nationally (per ESPN). Coach Poppie, who is in his second year at the helm, has signed six Top-100 recruits in two years. Prior to the Poppie Era at Clemson, the program has only had six Top-100 recruits in the previous 12 years.

The Class includes: Trinity Jones, Kimora Fields, Julia Scott, Meeyah Green, and Dyarri Braddick.

RACHAEL ROSE NAMED TO NANCY LIEBERMAN PGOTY PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Senior guard Rachael Rose is 1-of-20 players (1-of-6 in the ACC) named to the 2026 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason watch list, announced by Hoophall & the WBCA. The Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman. Fans can vote for Rose here.

TICKETS

Fans can purchase women’s basketball tickets by calling 1-800-CLEMSON or at ClemsonTigers.com/Tickets/.

FOLLOW CLEMSON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

For complete coverage of Clemson women’s basketball, follow the Tigers on social media (X | Facebook | Instagram).

One of the things that’s struck me in returning to The New Era is how the community has rebounded from COVID.

Even in the summer of 2023, when we thought we were “retiring,” things were not back to “normal.”

One gauge of that, at least for me, was that when I would go to a school campus to report, many kids would just ignore me if I greeted them as I walked by in the halls.

Now, I’m certainly not the most magnetic personality in the world, but I often got the sense that these kids were bothered that I was even trying to give them attention.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

Stony stare straight ahead.

After all, we didn’t know each other, so why would I be talking to them?

That’s changed – not universally, but youngsters now seem a lot more relaxed to me than they did even a few years ago and that’s good news. Yeah, they’re still more interested in TikTok than, say, greeting me, but they seem more open to communicating with a stranger, and it’s not just because I subbed some of their classes while I was away from newspapers.

Participation in sports was on the upswing by then, but it wasn’t really what it had been in, say, 2019 – at least the athletic maturity wasn’t there yet. We’re really starting to see some real differences now, I think. It’s nice to see the COVID pandemic growing rapidly smaller in the rear-view mirror.

But it’s not just the youngsters.

I bring this up because I’ve been reminded recently of the importance of community interaction.

What triggered this was Lebanon’s travails with its football stadium, which you may have read about earlier this fall. (If you didn’t, you can at www.sweethomenews.com/lebanon-high-school-asks-for-help-to-capture-1-million-prize).

In considering what life in Lebanon must be like without a facility to host football games, graduation and other sports and community events, I started reflecting on the importance of community events.

In today’s world, I think that’s become particularly true. The value of youth sports is multiple but one that’s key is how these activities provide a distinct social bond in Sweet Home, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Scio, Philomath, Junction City and thousands of other small communities across the nation.

And, in Lebanon’s case, when you don’t have a facility in which to gather to have that community, that fan experience, well, you’re up a creek.

I was reminded again of the value of community earlier this fall when Sweet Home celebrated its Homecoming Week with an historic football victory over a foe the Huskies had not defeated in recent memory.

Thankfully, the stands were packed and the Sweet Home faithful were lined up, five deep, around the bend in the track – as one old-timer noted to me, “just like the good old days.”

It was good to see. But it was just of many examples.

My wife and I were at the Christmas Tree Auction Saturday night and, although it might not have been a record-setting night in terms of cash flow, it was a good one, organizers said. It was pretty much a sell-out and people clearly were having a good time. I did (which sometimes isn’t the case, I have to admit).

But as I drove around earlier in the day, I noticed what seemed to be more than usual foot traffic on the sidewalks earlier that day. People appeared to be out and about, going to the bazaars, flocking to the Evangelical Church men’s Christmas Tree sale. OK, that was a bad pun.

Granted, I’m just speaking anecdotally here – I didn’t grill the proprietors to see how they did, but the general sense I got was that people aren’t huddling in their houses. And that’s a good thing.

There was a big crowd Friday night at the Singing Christmas Tree performance, bigger than a lot of ones I remember.

Earlier this year, National Night Out and the reincarnated Sweet Home Rodeo were big successes. So was the Jesus Festival. And the Harvest Festival. Those were all events that brought the community together.

In this holiday season, you can pat yourself on the back if you participated. And if you haven’t, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in something beside your TV screen. The Parade of Lights is one, on Saturday night. See details on it and other holiday events starting on page 2.

In an age in which there’s way too much paranoia and hostility in public, it’s just nice to see people getting along and having fun together.

Hope your holiday season is full of healthy fun!