UI receives $2.56 million in nuclear research grants

The United States Department of Energy has awarded $2.56 million in new research and development projects to the University of Idaho, the largest amount awarded to any single institution. In addition to the three grants, DOE's Nuclear Energy University Programs division also awarded UI a three-year graduate fellowship.  
 
The money comes from $47 million awarded by NEUP nationwide, for scholarships, fellowships, research grants and university research reactor upgrades. The purpose is to support nuclear research and development and train a new generation of nuclear expertise at 46 colleges and universities.
 
“The NEUP research grants awarded to the University of Idaho will support cutting edge research that will ensure the continued generation of safe and reliable nuclear energy," said Robert Smith, associate vice president and CEO for University of Idaho-Idaho Falls Center and associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. "(The) awards show a continuing return on Idaho’s investment in the University of Idaho and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies,” .
 
At the University of Idaho-Idaho Falls Center, the projects were awarded to three scientists:

Supathorn Phongikaroon, principal investigator on a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy project that aims to measure and analyze concentrations of dissolved used nuclear fuel in high temperature ionic liquid. This process could help reduce the risk of nuclear material proliferation and develop safeguarding technology. Total award: $820,000
 
Akira Tokuhiro, principal investigator, and Milos Manic and Vivek Utgikar, co-principal investigators on a hybrid energy conversion system that can be applied to next generation nuclear power plants linked to other renewable energy sources. Hybrid energy systems combine baseload power, such as nuclear, with renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, offering efficient and reliable energy sources for energy security. Total award: $877,000.
 
Vivek Utgikar, principal investigator on a project to develop of intelligent control systems for next generation nuclear reactor systems, which will use reactor heat directly in processes such as synthetic fuel production. Utgikar's project is to develop mathematical equations that describe the steady state and transient behavior of the system composed of the nuclear reactor and intermediate heat exchanger transferring the heat to the chemical process. Control strategy based on these equations will be devised to maintain the operation and enhance the safety of the system. Total amount: $869,997.

In addition, Richard Skifton was awarded a $50,000 annual graduate fellowship for the next three years. Skifton, who is currently completing a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, will use the funds to support his doctoral studies at the University of Idaho.

https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt/community/neup_home/600

The future of air service in Idaho

Many cities Idaho Falls' size would envy the air service the city enjoys. But the trends in regional air travel -- bigger planes and longer flights -- are making it more challenging to maintain regular air service between Idaho Falls and Boise.

The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is planning a summit Tuesday on the future of air service in Idaho. The chamber is pushing for the re-establishment of routes that have included Boise in the past, and possibly creating new ones.

The keynote speaker will be aviation futurist Michael Boyd, president of the Evergreen, Colo.-based consulting firm Boyd Group International. Boyd will give "a blunt assessment of Boise's position and tell us what other cities are doing to keep and attract air service," the chamber said in a press release.

Other speakers will include new Boise Airport Director Rebecca Hupp and state Rep. Wendy Jaquet of the Sun Valley/Ketchum area, who advocates for commercial air service to and from Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey.

I'd like to think someone from Idaho Falls going to this meeting. I know there are plenty of people who would like to see the return of regular air service between here and Boise. Until 2010, we had Horizon Air. In 2011, Seaport Air made a stab at the route, but didn't last six months.

The irony is that the trends driving regional air service -- bigger jets and longer routes -- are the same thing that have made the Idaho Falls-Boise route hard to sustain.

Here a digest of an article I wrote for the Idaho Business Review, which ran May 4:

In the early 2000s, the average size of a regional commercial airplane was 37 seats. Today, it's 55, and those seats have to be paid for, said Jack Penning of Portland, Ore., director of market analysis for Sixel Consulting. What is making the flight between Idaho Falls and San Francisco possible is the same thing that is making inland regional routes harder to sustain. "Smaller regional markets have been squeezed out because of a lack of appropriate aircraft," Penning said.

What would be ideal for an Idaho Falls-Boise route would be a plane like the 19-seat Beechcraft 1900 turboprops Silver Airways uses on its routes in Montana. Idaho Falls Regional Airport Manager Len Nelson said Silver is one of three small carriers he is trying to woo. But he and Penning, with whom he works closely, know the challenges.

"Airlines are reluctant to move craft away from established routes," Penning said. "You've got to convince them you've got something that will be viable for them."

In a 20-year projection from 2007, the Idaho Division of Aeronautics estimated that Idaho Falls' total number of emplanements would  rise from 168,503 to 297,400.

Despite the number of people that opt to drive to Salt Lake City or Boise (one reason Seaport cited for abandoning the route) Idaho Falls' isolation still works in its favor. A study by Sixell Consulting estimated there are 294,557 people within 60 minutes of Idaho Falls. Within two hours' drive time, that number expands to 665,359.

And then there is the  number of people traveling on government business, mainly connected to the Idaho National Laboratory.

"We have a lot of government people who fly out of here," Nelson said. "We've never really measured it, but on a 50-seat airplane I would estimate the people who work for the government or government contractors make up 25 or 30 percent."

Without the federal government and the Idaho National Laboratory, airport would be a lot smaller. Likewise, the business travel helps Idaho Falls get what it wants. "If they call up Delta Airlines and say, 'We need this,' Delta is going to pay attention," Nelson said.

A case in point: SkyWest's Delta Connection began sending 76-seat Canadair RJ 700s into Idaho Falls on May 2. The planes have first-class cabins, something Idaho Falls hasn't seen since Delta stopped its 737s in 1997.

SkyWest, which operates both the Delta Connection to Salt Lake City and United Express flights between Idaho Falls, Denver and San Francisco, has brought RJ 900s into service, freeing up the RJ 700s for other routes. Right now, the only RJ 700 that comes to Idaho Falls arrives late at night and leaves early in the morning, but if those flights are full more could be coming, Nelson said.

There are tremendous challenges for airports the size of Idaho Falls Regional. Nelson said the airport hired three new staffers in 2011 to monitor the runway surface. "They want our runways scraped down to the bare pavement all the time. Costs are getting higher and higher. Then you add sercurity. Every week we have a new rule. An airport like Los Angeles can take it in stride, but any increase in cost to us is a real big issue," he said.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/05/09/2109247/boise-chamber-of-commerce-to-hold.html#storylink=cpy

Stevens-Henager grand opening set for May 24

Stevens-Henager College's campus at Snake River Landing in Idaho Falls.

Stevens-Henager College will be having a ribbon cutting and grand opening May 24 at its Idaho Falls campus, at Snake River Landing.

The ribbon cutting by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will  be at 11:30 a.m. An open house and lunch, catered by Buffalo Wild Wings and Mi Amor Catering, will follow, lasting until 1:30 p.m.

Stevens-Henager goes all the way back to 1891, when it was founded in Ogden, Utah, as Intermountain Business College by James Ayers Smith, an educator from Nebraska who wanted to teach commercial subjects and place graduates in business positions. It changed owners and names several time, becoming Smithsonian Business School in 1910; Moench University of Business in 1938; and Ogden Business College in 1940.

It became Stevens-Henager in 1959 and established its first branch campus in Provo in 1978. In addition to Provo and Idaho Falls, it now has branch campuses in Murray and Logan, Utah, and Boise.

Survey gives Idaho A+ for small business friendliness

After a two-month survey of more than 6,000 small business owners nationwide, Thumbtack.com has released new data showing that Idaho ranked first for overall small business friendliness.

"Asking entrepreneurs to rank state friendliness to their businesses is a powerful resource for helping policymakers understand the needs of business owners and for helping aspiring founders understand the full dimensions of their business environment," said Dane Stangler, director of research for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a partner in the study.

Two of the survey's findings might be considered surprising:

• Small business owners said licensing requirements were nearly twice as important as tax rates in determining overall business friendliness.
• An important predictor was whether small business owners are aware of the state or local government offering training programs for small businesses.

The Gem State earned an 'A+' overall, edging out Texas for the top spot. This ranking was achieved despite it ranking sixth-worst nationwide for the cost of hiring a new employee.

As I browsed the link, www.thumbtack.com/survey, I saw two comments from Bonneville County business owners. I think they're worth sharing.

“It requires basic licensing and liability insurance, which is fairly easy to comply with. Only in the recent few years have contractors been required to have a state license and be insured. At first, some complained about this requirement, but what it has done is minimize the "fly-by-night" businesses who weren't reputable, and it has given clients more security when hiring a contractor.”

— Home builder, Bonneville

“Anyone with little or no training at all can start a business here. Hell, you don't even have to speak, read or write English. In the retail business, all you have to do is rent a location, and pay the sales tax collected; that's it! Knowledge of what you sell or the service that you perform is non-existent here. It's a right-to-work state. In the service industry or construction industry, just slap a sign on your truck and you are in business. Handymen with no formal training are considered general contractors and can build whatever they want without proper training, guidance, or knowledge of the construction code, if there is one. There is no union, no journeyman and have very little inspections if any. That includes the health department for food service. If you own a restaurant, you will be lucky if the health department inspects you once every two years. Shameful! In my profession, as a tree service, if you have a craftsman, chainsaw, and a pick-up truck with a trailer, you are considered a bonafide tree service. If you can start the saw or a handyman, you are now a certified arborist, no joke! I spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in training and safety for my people to no avail; the only satisfaction I receive is knowing that while they are working for me, the job will be done right, and safely.”

— Arborist, Bonneville

Sno Shack expands to six locations, plans rebranding



Sno Shack will have six locations in the Idaho Falls area this summer.

Aside from local golfers, nobody could be more pleased by the mild spring weather than Preston Walker, now in his eighth year of selling shaved ice in the Idaho Falls area.

Walker started Sno Shack -- which he plans to rebrand this summer as SnOgo -- while he was in college. "It did better than we thought it would," he said. "We found a little niche."

Walker said he has seen other shaved ice businesses come and go, but what's kept him in business is the consistency of his product and speed of service. "I harp on the texture of the ice," he said. "It has to be soft but not mushy. We hate to tell anyone we're out of flavors. If our customers are happy, they keep coming back."

The first summer, Sno Shack had one location. This year there will be six, with two new stands, both in Ammon -- one at the northeast corner of Hitt and Sunnyside, the other on 17th Street next to Ace Hardware.

Walker will have nearly 45 part-time employees this summer, the majority of them high school- and college-age girls.

Sno Shack offers nearly 80 flavors, plus toppings that include cream from Reed's Dairy. Walker guessed that he will be mixing at least 75 gallons of sugar water a week between now and mid-September, when they typically shut down.

"It's a lot of work, all day, every day," he said. "But we treat it like a real business. We would like to perfect it to the point where we can franchise it."

Sno Shack is open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 9 p.m., Friday from 2 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Once the school year is over, weekday hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. This is also the first year they will be taking credit cards.

For those of you who can't let go of the idea of Trader Joe's ...

We managed to stir up some excitement last fall after reporting that a mysterious "specialty grocery store" had called the city of Idaho Falls' assistant planning director Brad Cramer about our area. Who could it be? By far, the biggest number of wishful thinkers said they wanted to see Trader Joe's come to town.

We spoke to Trader Joe's at the time and they told us they planned 18 months in advance. There were no plans for a store in Idaho Falls in that window. That means you'll have to get your Two-Buck Chuck from your friends or relations or hit the road for California, which is never a bad idea.

Nothing has changed since then, but for those of you who can't let go I want to offer you this link I found: http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/coming-soon.asp.

And here's a link to a review of the best and worst of Trader Joe's, which I found entertaining: http://www.thedailymeal.com/best-and-worst-products-trader-joes/4472/comment/reply/21182?utm_source=Outbrain

Bowl-ero gets new owners, plans to reopen May 20

The front door at Bowl-ero Lanes, 670 First Street, Idaho Falls.

Bowl-ero Lanes, closed since the end of April, will be reopening May 20 with different owners but the same management.

Pat Verhoff, who has managed the center at 670 First Street for the past five years, said the closing had to do with an auction sale related to the former owners, MicroInvest LLC, of Layton, Utah. There was anauction last Wednesday at Alliance Title, and when no bids were entered the 24-lane facility became the property of Stonefield Inc., LLC, a mortgage broker in Sparks, Nev.

Stonefield also owns the Wild Island Family Adventure Park in Reno, a complex that includes bowling, water slides, laser tag, go-karts, miniature golf, a bar and cafe (Web site: www.wildisland.com).

Verhoff said the new owners have big ideas about expanding beyond bowling, because the old idea of bowling as blue collar pastime no longer holds true. A report issued last year by the White Hutchinston Leisure & Learning Group, "What's Happening to Bowling?" turns a lot of preconceived notions upside down. Some key points:

• League bowling used to generate about 70 percent of a bowling center's business. It now generates only about 40 percent, and is continuing to decline.
• Bowling has become a white-collar pastime, and 46 percent of all bowlers are girls and women. In 2007, 42 percent of bowlers had household incomes of $75,000 or higher, compared to just 30 percent of the total U.S. population. More than 25 percent of bowlers came from households with $100,000 or higher incomes, compared to only 18 percent of all U.S. households.
• More than one-third of all children 6 and older bowled in 2007. That participation rate is 80 percent greater than the average for all age groups. The next highest participation rate is with young adults up to age 34. The 6 to 34 age group contains two-thirds of all bowlers.
• Bowling faces a challenge from virtual bowling at home, particularly the Nintendo Wii video game system. While the lacks the excitement of the real experience, the in-home game offers a social experience with family or friends at a much more affordable price.

Idaho Falls has very active leagues and Bowl-ero, which opened in 1961, has loyal longtime bowlers. Nevertheless, successful bowling centers in the future are likely to be upscale and diversified. The White Hutchinson report's conclusion:

"(We) find the demand for bowling is elastic, based upon the quality, atmosphere and presentation of bowling. The more centers that match the tastes and values of upscale consumers, the more those consumers will come out to bowl. Think about it. Would you want to spend time in one of those smoky, stodgy, dark prehistoric bowling alleys offering food less appealing than what you find at the State Fair? Of course not. Introduce a new, contemporary bowling center in that same market, and open-play bowling attendance will suddenly shoot up."

To read the full report, follow this link: http://www.whitehutchinson.com/leisure/articles/whats-happening-to-bowling.shtml