'Moscow at its best'
May 1—A Moscow couple who spend their days working to help other community members were bestowed a prestigious local honor.
Nils Peterson and Krista Kramer are this year's Moscow Renaissance Fair king and queen. Visitors can catch them in their royal regalia during the annual event taking place Saturday and Sunday at East City Park.
"It's Moscow at its best," Kramer said about the Ren Fair.
Kramer and Peterson have strong roots on the Palouse. Peterson grew up in Pullman and Kramer went to elementary school in Moscow.
They first met one summer at an Idaho Repertory Theater production in the Hartung Theater, in Moscow.
The couple moved to Oregon while Kramer completed graduate school at Western Oregon College. They moved back to Moscow in 1992 after a few years in Oregon's Willamette Valley and a year in Scotland.
Peterson spent 26 years working for Washington State University, while Kramer worked for the Disability Action Center for 23 years.
They both continue to stay busy in fields aimed at making lives easier for community members.
Peterson is the executive director of the Moscow Affordable Housing Trust, which is a nonprofit that sells homes to low-income buyers at a below-market price.
Peterson said five new affordable homes will be available for sale this summer off Palouse River Drive. One of them is designed by University of Idaho architecture students. The trust also recently announced a partnership with Palouse Habitat for Humanity to build more affordable homes in the area.
Kramer is continuing to help people with disabilities, this time with the Idaho Assistive Technology Project.
She said it is a statewide program that helps people with disabilities access assistive technology to meet their needs. For example, Kramer is teaching people how to use the accessibility features on smartphones and tablets.
Peterson succinctly summed up why he and Kramer continue to be involved in helping others through their work.
"It seems like they're important things to do," he said.
Their involvement in the Ren Fair started when they joined the Palouse Folklore Society's contra dancing group.
They have danced at the Ren Fair maypole for the past three decades and often have worked in the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse food booth.
Kramer said when they were named king and queen of the Ren Fair, they couldn't help but giggle.
"It's an honor," she said.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
