Melaleuca expansion expected following block grant to Bonneville County for sewer, road improvements

The stage is set for a major expansion of Melaleuca's operations in the New Sweden area with the announcement of a $399,000 grant to Bonneville County for sewer line extensions, a lift station and roadway widening.

The money, announced Wednesday by Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered through the state's Community Development Block Grant program. In addition to the block grant money, Melaleuca is contributing $1 million.

It is intended to support the construction of a new 350,000-square-foot business campus. Melaleuca already has a built a packing plant/warehouse and laboratory in the area, west Interstate 15, near Exit 113
. The new development is expected to create 40 jobs and make 6,600 acres more suitable for small business development.

"(The) state is pleased to be a partner in this effort,” Otter said. “Infrastructure improvements often are a key factor in helping a business expand or recruiting a new company to the area.”



Otter's approval came after an Idaho Economic Advisory Council meeting in Pocatello earlier this month, at which members approved the grant and also $175,000 for waterworks in Clearwater County.

Some wisdom for 'American Idol' wannabes

Meditating on the "American Idol" auditions coming to Idaho Falls, it dawned on me that they're not just looking for good singers. They're looking for really bad singers, too. If you have a hankering to be humiliated in front of millions, this could be your big chance. Alas, I am too old to entertain such dreams.

Everyone's favorite from Season Six, Sanjaya

Think about it, though. Every season, the first five shows seem to be devoted to the judges enduring an endless parade of people with questionable talent. A friend of mine who tried out in Las Vegas several years ago (and who has a very good voice, by the way) said she was shocked by how rigged the process seemed to be. Really bad singers made the cut while the good singers all seemed to have agents with a direct line to the show's producers, she said.

Reality TV? Get real. If you think you have a shot, by all means you should try out. Just don't be too upset if you get more reality than you expect.

Several years ago I went to Salt Lake City when I heard the road production of "Les Miserables" was having auditions. I went for the purpose of writing a story, but figured it would be a better story if I, in the spirit of George Plimpton, tried out myself.

The downtown Red Lion was mobbed. I filled out the paperwork, then waited four hours (I had brought a book to read.) When my time came, I walked into a room with nine other people. Three people at a banquet table looked at us. "You and you, come back at 4. The rest of you, thank you very much."

I was in the "thank you very much" group. Talking later to the producer, I was told I had been "typed out." It was nothing personal. I was either too old, too short or whatever.

I'm guessing the same thing may have happened when I tried out for "Jeopardy!" The show's "Brain Bus" came to Jackson, Wyo., and at the end of the day I was among nine finalists who'd passed the test. We played a mock game so the judges could observe us and take notes. I thought I did pretty well, but the call never came in the year that followed.

This comes from an American Idol blog called VoteForTheWorst.com: "During the initital auditions, the producers of Idol only let certain people through. Many good people are turned away and many bad singers are kept around to see Simon, Paula and Randy so that America will be entertained ... American Idol lets many contestants into the top 24 who have no chance to win. These people are placed in the competition for ratings, and when they start to perform poorly the viewing audience laughs and generally votes them out."

Celt Pub opening in I.F. now looks more like mid-August

Jim McGeachin

Jim and Janice McGeachin had hoped to open their Irish pub on Friday, in time for the birthday of their son, James, but it's not going to happen. They will be celebrating there with the band they hired for the occasion, Swagger, from Park City. But it looks more like The Celt Pub is going to have a soft opening in mid-August, with a grand opening Aug. 24-25.

The project, at the corner of Broadway and Park Avenue, has been bigger and more involved than they ever imagined, said Jim McGeachin. "Before we could do anything, we had to completely gut it," he said. The basement had a dirt floor, so they poured a foundation. Floor joists had been cut to make way for stairs, so they had to do major structural renovation.

The Celt Pub's dumbwaiter

"There wasn't a single wire we could use. It's completely new wiring and new plumbing," he said. There are walk-in coolers in the basement, as well as a dishwashing room served by a dumbwaiter.

With the structural work done, the building has more integrity than it's probably ever had. The hardwood floors are being stained this week.

People have been very eager to know about The Celt Pub's progress. "I've been involved in business my whole life, but I've never been involved in anything with the level of excitement this has," McGeachin said.

He has also become a downtown booster. "I think we're really going to add something and make downtown a place people want to come. At this point, I'm very excited about it. I like a business that I can build with my hands."

The Celt will have six taps devoted to European brews, six devoted to domestic, and 12 for craft beer. It will also serve wine and mixed drinks. Food will be served, although they haven't started interviewing chefs yet.

Visit The Celt's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/The.Celt.Idaho.Falls

Taplines in the basement walk-in cooler

American Idol to hold auditions in Idaho Falls next month

This just in: "American Idol" will be auditioning performers in Idaho Falls this summer. This comes directly from the show's Web site:

The series will leave no stone unturned in its quest for talent, and for the first time ever, will embark on the “AMERICAN IDOL Small Town Audition Bus Tour,” a 10-town nationwide mobile tour offering hopefuls a chance to audition for IDOL. The mobile audition bus will hit the road next month, giving thousands of hopefuls the chance of a lifetime. The “AMERICAN IDOL Small Town Audition Bus Tour” will stop at the following cities: Idaho Falls, ID; Billings, MT; Casper, WY; Rock Rapids, IA; Iowa City, IA; Bowling Green, KY; Clarksdale, MS; Joplin, MO; Dodge City, KA; and Grand Junction, CO. Specific locations and dates to be announced. Please keep checking www.americanidol.com for forms, rules and terms and conditions.

INL physicist receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers



Derek Gaston

Derek Gaston of the Idaho National Laboratory was one of 96 researchers named Monday by President Barack Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
"Discoveries in science and technology not only strengthen our economy, they inspire us as a people." Obama said. "The impressive accomplishments of today’s awardees so early in their careers promise even greater advances in the years ahead."

The recipients are employed or funded by the following departments and agencies: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Interior, Veteran Affairs, EPA, NASA and the National Science Foundation. Established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the awards are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

Here is a link to an INL-produced video on Gaston's work in multi-physics:

A new tale from the e-commerce learning curve

That international object of desire, the Epiphone Tom Delonge Signature ES-333

Until now, I have dreaded the thought of someone overseas wanting to buy a guitar. International rates for large packages are prohibitively expensive, to the point where the shipping costs more than the guitar itself. Moreover, it's easy to get burned. I learned this the hard way seven or eight years ago when I sold a Fender P-bass to a guy in Italy, shipped it to him and then got slapped a few weeks later with a claim that it hadn't been delivered.

So you can imagine my reticence last week when I got an inquiry through our Amazon store (http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A2B8QRMTEXNOMS) from Levi, a gentleman in Tamworth, Australia, asking about a guitar that has been hanging on the Piano Gallery Music Superstore's wall since October 2010, an Epiphone Tom Delonge ES-333. (Let me say right now, I get a kick being addressed as "Mate.")

Everybody knows I want to get every guitar in the store into the hands of people who will love and appreciate them. It's kind of like a pet adoption agency, and the Tom Delonge guitar is one of my favorites. But shipping it to Australia ourselves -- USPS, UPS, Fed Ex or DHL -- would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $700, which obviously will not do.

All seemed bleak until Levi mentioned www.MyUS.com, in Sarasota, Fla., apparently an alternative used by a lot of people Down Under. Here's how it works: For $10, Levi can set up a U.S. address, which is where I ship the guitar he's bought on Amazon.

Veteran digger that I am, this is what I learned from Hiram Pedraza, an account rep for MyUs. The company ships 12,000 to 15,000 parcels a day. Between 30 and 35 percent of their business via  Amazon sales. Their biggest markets are the United Kingdom and Australia, where guitars apparently cost three times what they do here.

I thought this would be of interest to anyone with an interest in e-commerce. Here's a useful link if you want to know more: www.myus.com/en/how-it-works/

New agent joins Anderson Group at Keller Williams

Cyndi Schwicht

Cyndi Schwicht has joined the Anderson Group at Keller Williams Realty East Idaho Market Center in Idaho Falls. Originally from Portland, Ore., Schwicht comes to real estate after several years in the music. She studied piano performance at Ricks College and Portland State Univeristy, and taught piano for over 20 years. She is also a graduate of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology. Her passions include her family and helping people.

"We are truly lucky to have Cyndi join us here at Keller Williams" says broker Greg Vinnola. "We know Cyndi will be a great fit and that our customers will truly benefit from her joining us."

She can be reached by e-mail at cyndischwicht@gmail.com. The Keller Williams Realty East Idaho Market Center is located at 3525 Merlin Drive, and its phone number is (208) 529-8888.