Odds and ends from the Idaho Falls development front

It's pretty quiet on the building front, but there are signs that things could be on the uptick, said Brad Cramer of the Idaho Falls Planning Department.

The city planning and zoning commission and City Council  have approved a plat for a 16-lot subdivision called Bristol Heights, located south of Sunnyside Road, on land belonging to Lee Gagner. "We haven't seen a plat that size for years," Cramer said.
Likewise, the City Council on Thursday night approved 22 townhomes at John Adams and St. Clair. "I'm not sure yet if it means a lot," Cramer said. "There must be a decent market for those townhome type properties."

On the commercial front, Cramer echoed what Pentad Properties' Brent Wilson said last week, that everything seems to be on hold as developers wait to see what sort of action might be coming from Costco, which has been eyeballing ground in the Idaho Falls-Ammon area.

March opening planned for indoor trampoline park

Trampoline enthusiasts will soon have a new place to jump yearround in the Idaho Falls area. Eyeballing a March opening, iJump Idaho aims to be southeast Idaho's first indoor trampoline park. The address is 2670 E. 14 North, off Hitt Road, near Majestic Auto Body.   The business is currently taking applications, and looking for people college-age or older who are trustworthy, honest and fun. Here is a link to the online application form: http://fs9.formsite.com/ijump/form2/index.html.   In addition to wall-to-wall trampolines, the complex will also include a dodge ball court, open jump area, a three-trampoline foam pit and a separate area for younger-aged children.   We will have a more detailed report as the date draws nearer. Here is iJump Idaho's Facebook listing: http://www.facebook.com/ijumpidaho

INL engineer named to '40 Under 40' list

Jorge Navarro, 31, of the Idaho National Laboratory, has been named one of the "40 Under 40" by Hispanic Engineer Information and Technology magazine.

Navarro was born in Mexico. After high school he worked as a computer data capture analyst then enrolled in the University of Guanajuato mining engineering school. After switching his major to chemical engineering, he transferred to the University of Utah, where he received his bachelor's degree. He is now pursuing a Ph.D in the nuclear engineering graduate program.

He came to the INL in 2008 as a space nuclear research summer fellow. He has since worked on upgrading methods and codes for the Advanced Test Reactor, developing non-destructive gamma spectroscopy techniques to support the fuel management process.

In 2009, he became a United States citizen.

A good joke could pay off when asking for a raise

When it comes to asking for a raise, it could pay to have a sense of humor.

As unlikely as it sounds, a recent study from the University of Idaho suggests that when asking for a raise the best approach is to shoot the moon -- but do it with a wink. Psychology professor Todd Thorsteinson found that people requesting implausibly high raises ended up with 9 to 10 percent more on average than those who didn't.

Thorsteinson took 206 college students and asked them to determine the starting salary of a hypothetical administrative assistant who was well qualified and had previously earned $29,000.

Candidates who facetiously asked for $100,000 were given $35,523 on average. Those who simply asked for what they thought was reasonable got an average of $32,463, the Harvard Business Review reports.

Thorsteinson suggested that “mentioning an extreme figure in jest can set a high ‘anchor’ for the final offer while minimizing negative reactions from the employer.”

Dickey's Barbecue Pit opening Friday in Idaho Falls

Dickey's Barbecue Pit on 17th Street will be opening Friday at 11 a.m., and in observance of the occasion will be giving the first 100 customers free pulled pork big barbecue sandwiches.

"We are happy to be in Idaho Falls and the community is extremely excited for us to open," said local franchise owner Deanne Wilkins, who operates the restaurant with her husband, Bob. The new location is 2,000 square feet and located at 2090 East 17th Street, just west of the Grand Teton Mall and next door to Fiesta Ole.

Bob Wilkins is a business partner of the Dickey's in St. George, Utah. He and DeAnne are currently looking for a site for another location in Pocatello.

Customers are encouraged to check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/DickeysIdahoFalls. On Feb. 6, one lucky Facebook fan will win a $100 Dickey's gift card.

Texas-based Dickey's Barbecue Pit opened in 1941 and began franchising in 1994. It currently has 206 locations in 36 states nationwide.