Holiday Hours

WED 12/24: 8AM - 2PM, XMAS EVE

THU  12/25: CLOSED, XMAS DAY

WED 12/31: 8AM - 5PM, NEW YEAR'S EVE

THU  01/01: CLOSED, NEW YEAR'S DAY

Northstar Delivers Daily and "Weekly"

The Boise Weekly has recently contracted Northstar to deliver their papers in the downtown sector. We have some modified cargo trailers with 50 gallon plastic tubs to keep the news clean and dry. We're currently hitting about 80 stops every Wednesday morning and stocking close to 3,200 papers, all delivered in about 2.5 hours and like always, with zero emissions. 

Think Boise First

N* in print...

Northstar appeared in an article written about Boise's own Drake Cooper ad agency. 

The October issue of the photography trade magazine PDN featured reprints of the killer posters Joe and Jennie at DC made for us. The design world has certainly taken note of their extraordinary work and we look forward to printing and displaying the posters soon.

Northstar on the News

Channel 6 Living Green story about Ladd Pharmacy & Northstar Cycle Courier, click HERE.

Best of Boise!

For the second time in three years, Northstar received Best Bicycle Courier Service in The Boise Weekly's annual "Best of Boise" issue. Thanks, BW! Thanks, Boise!

New Day Rising

Well, plenty has happened here in Messengerville since we've posted anything about the biz. As you can see from the new logos and website we have undergone an extreme makeover as the good folks at Drake Cooper have been kind enough to take us under their design and marketing wing. We are currently producing some of the fun stuff associated with running a small business: new gear! Look for tee shirts, hats and stickers adorning everyone and everything in the very near future.  

 Our business is growing rapidly and we have found ourselves adapting to the changing needs of the marketplace. We are rolling strong with baskets, racks and trailers in order to accommodate the increased need for "green" cargo deliveries. We continue to expand into the legal sector and our poster distribution service is hopping.  

 As some of you may have noticed, I was gone for two weeks on paternity leave, enjoying time at home with my son Liam. An important delivery to say the least. I want to thank Warren for stepping up and keeping Northstar rolling so smoothly in my absence. Thanks, 88.

On this first day of autumn it's apparent there is change in the air and we here at Northstar are looking forward to it.

Patrick, Messenger #77, 9.22.08

Congratulations Kristen!

Northstar would like to congratulate Boise's own Kristen Armstrong for her Olympic gold medal performance in Beijing yesterday. Way to go K!

Northstar in the News

Channel 2 spoke with Warren from Northstar and Elaine from Ladd Pharmacy today. Check out the video version of the following text here.

Boise pharmacy gives a green spin to protect Mother Earth
By Meteorologist Jennifer Robbins

BOISE - One Boise pharmacy hopes to make a little green by going green, and it goes beyond their energy-efficient lighting. They are including a creative way to deliver medications, that is, the prescription pills poured at Ladd Family Pharmacy is delivered using foot-power.

"Pharmaceuticals travel easy by bike not particularly large or bulky," said Warren O'Dell of North Star Courier. "We are able to help them reduce their carbon footprint."
Ladd Family Pharmacy opened this week, and they partnered with North Star Courier to put a "green spin" on deliveries.
"There are more and more cars on the road everyday, creating more and more greenhouse emissions," O'Dell said.

Pharmacist Elaine Ladd says her store is built out of green materials and she hopes such a foundation will allow her to build on bigger goals, that is, protect Mother Earth from what she prescribes to her patients.
"Medicine and drugs are actually leeching into the water supply through the landfills and there hasn't been a proper disposal of medications, so I'd like to change that," said Elaine Ladd, Ladd Family Pharmacy owner and pharmacist.
It's a program called "Drug Take Back," but, first, it needs support from state government.
"That consist of actually changing policy and changing law, which is a long process," Ladd said.
The program allows people to bring expired drugs to their pharmacist, so they aren't dumped in the wrong places.
"We could hire a service that could actually destroy them properly," Ladd said.
But for now, Ladd hopes Boise's first of its kind pharmacy, will make Eco-friendly differences one delivery at a time.
According to a study by the US Pharmacist Publication, nearly 5,000-tons of pharmaceuticals are discarded annually in the United States.
Ladd says only a handful of states, including our neighbors in Oregon, are part of the "Medication Take-Back program," and right now, it's illegal in Idaho to take back your prescription drugs to pharmacists.


Find this article at:
http://www.2news.tv/news/26258159.html

Grand Opening!

Congratulations to Ladd Family Pharmacy on their grand opening.

Northstar is proud to lend our services to their new venture and we look forward to helping them continue with their success. 

Thanks to Kip and Elaine for letting us promote our independent business through yours, you guys are the best!

Ladd Family Pharmacy is located at 1109 S. Broadway (right next to the blue turf of Bronco Stadium). 

For more information please visit:  LaddFamilyRx

B+S Alleycat Saturday 07.05.08

Art by Noble Hardesty

What? Bars & Stripes Third Annual Alleycat Race with Northstar and the Boise Weekly
When? Saturday July 05, Registration 5:30, Race 7PM sharp!
Where? Start is Boise Weekly offices on 5th/Broad streets

Check out this weeks BW for the sweet, full-color back page ad with all the important details.
Thanks in advance to Noble at Test Tube Kitty, Red Hook Brewing, Embroidered Images and O'Michaels Pub.
See you Saturday night!

Alleycat Alert

Northstar Courier and the Boise Weekly will be hosting the third annual Bars & Stripes alleycat race.
The event will be on Saturday July 5th, registration 5:30-6:45, race is 7:00 pm Sharp!
Meet at the Boise Weekly at 5th and Broad streets, bring some cash, an i.d.(the race is 21+) and a
backpack or messeneger bag. Stay tuned for more info.

Gang Green

Northstar perused all of the green goodness of the first annual Idaho Green Expo on Saturday.

Towards the entrance the organizers had lined up a camera and attendees had the opportunity to proclaim how they themselves were helping to make Idaho green.We chose to shamelessly plug our business but our statement actually turned out to be "greener" than most. Fortunately, we don't ride bikes resembling the one I drew on the board. The event was really cool, we met plenty of folks that are making some serious efforts towards renewable, sustainable products and services. Check it out here http://www.idahogreenexpo.org/

Coffee Run

Warren was dispatched to pick up this empty beverage container that he had delivered (full of Thomas Hammer coffee!) to a downtown office late last week. The container barely fit into his Chrome messenger bag and I watched as he narrowly avoided getting doored by an inattentive motorist and then passed a delivery van rolling back to the Hammer. Nice work #88, take a coffee break.

May 12-18 is BIKE WEEK!

Monday March 12th kicks off the 6th Annual Boise Bike Week. Northstar will be helping with the "Messenger Race" at Satchel's on Thursday the 15th, 6:30 PM, helmets/waiver required.
For a full listing of events please visit http://www.boisebikeweek.org/2008schedule

Friday (National Bike to Work Day!) come down and see us at the May in Motion alternative transportation event, 8AM-1PM, 8th Street between Bannock and Idaho.
http://www.commuteride.com/MayInMotion.aspx

Saturday/Sunday is the first Idaho Green Expo, on the Grove. Admission is free.
" The Idaho Green Expo wants to encourage you to ride your bike to the Expo and is offering Free Bike Valet parking for anyone who does! BYRDS (The Boise Young Rider Development Squad) will take care of your bike while you enjoy all the happenings at the Expo. BYRDS is a Treasure Valley bicycling program designed to introduce young people (ages 6 to 18) to the sport of cycling. The Bike Valet Service is free but we encourage you to throw a little green their way. Donations will go directly to BYRDS". http://www.idahogreenexpo.org/default.asp

Today!

The TVCCC used our emissions-free delivery service to distribute the flyers for this event.

Hammer Time

Northstar couriers drink a lot of coffee and our cup of choice

just went from orange to green. Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters

recently introduced a new compostable, biodegradable cup made from

fully renewable resources. Good coffee, great idea.

http://www.hammercoffee.com/

Poster Distribution

We are currently distributing posters for the

Boise Art Museum's upcoming exhibition:

Marsden Hartley American Modern

March 15 through June 22, 2008.

Visit BAM here for more info: www.boiseartmuseum.org

BOB goes where he's towed.

Northstar would like to thank the fine folks at BOB gear for providing us with our new lunch delivery trailer: the BOB Ibex. Jana and Brent gave us the tour of their Boise facility on Friday morning and by lunchtime we were delivering sushi and tacos to hungry customers downtown. Transporting Miso soup has never been so easy!
The snow, sleet and rain was perfect for testing out the waterproof BOB messenger bag as well.
Thanks BOB, we're happy to have you on board.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor inversion...