Voigt Davis becomes affiliated with national real estate network

Voigt Davis, a longtime Idaho Falls real estate agency, has joined the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network. The company will remain under the leadership of owner John Tanner, broker Patricia Davis and partner Brian Thompson, who hope to benefit from the marketing resources the affiliation brings.

In a press release, Tanner was quoted as saying it was important to align the agency, which has been in the community nearly 30 years, with a national brand name. The Better Homes and Gardens network brings digital tools and strategies that Voigt Davis hasn’t had before. “We are certain that the newfound technology proficiency and overall support will bring us to the next level of success,” he said.
 
Headquartered in Madison, N.J., the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network has roughly 280 franchise agencies in 28 states, the District of Columbia and Canada, with 9,100 sales associates. Voigt Davis is the second franchisee in Idaho.

Vendors sought for 'Boo at the Zoo'

The festive lights last year at "Boo at the Zoo."

Summer will be with us another month, but the days are getting shorter, back to school sales are happening and the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society is once again seeking vendors to participate in “Boo at the Zoo,” Oct. 28, 29 & 30.

Now in its 15th year, “Boo at the Zoo” is a “merry, not scary,” family-friendly Halloween event that attracts more than 10,000 guests. One popular element is the trick-or-treat stations throughout the zoo, sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

The event also features more than 500,000 lights, dozens of inflatable decorations, nightly costume contests, crafts and games. Depending on sponsorship levels, vendor promotions include radio, website, social media and print. Vendors will also be listed in the zoo’s Animal Challenge Newsletter,  which reaches more than 1,300 members.

Vendor fees are $100 for businesses, $50 for non-profits. Booth space is limited, so haste is advised. All proceeds, after expenses, are donated to the Idaho Falls Zoo.

For more information about the event, visit the zoo online — Tauthphaus Park Zoo — or contact Laurie Gravatt at (208) 612-8421 or tpzs@cableone.net.

Panera Bread plans bakery-cafe in Idaho Falls

An artist's rendering of what the remodeled property might look like.

Panera Bread, a national chain of bakery-cafes, has filed paperwork with the city of Idaho Falls indicating it plans to open in part of the vacant CD World building on Hitt Road.

The papers, filed with the Idaho Falls Building Department in late July, represent the first step in the process. The real estate broker, Mark Bottles Real Estate Services of Boise, is still looking for a tenant to lease space on the north end of the 8,970-square foot building, at 2820 S. 25 East.

As of June 30, Panera Bread had 1,926 bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada, operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Café names. Going by the company’s Web site, this will be the first Panera Bread between Fort Collins, Colo., and the Boise area. The company’s development strategy calls for franchisees to open a number of units, typically 15 bakery-cafes over a period of 6 years. They must have a proven track record as restaurant operators, net worth of $7.5 million and liquid assets of $3 million.

Panera Bread began on the East Coast in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co. In 1993, Au Bon Pain purchased Saint Louis Bread Company, a chain of 20 bakery-cafes located in the St. Louis area. In 1999, all of Au Bon Pain's business units were sold except for Panera Bread, and the company was renamed Panera Bread.

In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a majority stake in Paradise Bakery & Café, a Phoenix-based company with more than 70 locations in 10 states, mainly in the west and southwest). The Company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009. Since then, it has reach a market capitalization of $4.5 billion. Panera Bread has been recognized as one of Business Week's "100 Hot Growth Companies" and the Wall Street Journal's Shareholder Scorecard in 2006 named it the top performer in the restaurant category for one-, five- and ten-year returns to shareholders.

Construction Solutions files plans for new headquarters

Construction Solutions Co. has filed plans for a new building in Ammon, at the corner of 14th North and Terrill Drive.

Operating from an office on McNeil Drive, the company has been active in the area for more than three years. “We just thought it was time to move into our own building,” said Jared Turner, who is partners with Eric Wall and Jim Turner in the company.

Turner said business has been growing for the company. They built the new D.L. Evans Bank at Sandcreek Commons in Ammon, and did remodels for Apple Athletic Club and McAffee Security at Snake River Landing. On the restaurant side, they built the Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Idaho Falls, the Noodles and Co. shell on Hitt Road and have been involved with NPC International, which operates over 1,250 Pizza Hut units in 28 states.

They plan to break ground on the new building in the next few weeks and have it done by early 2016. Located on 1.4 acres, it will be 8,050 square feet and divided into four sections. Construction Solutions will use one section for office and another for its shop and lease the other two sections to tenants, Turner said.

Hobby Lobby opens long-awaited Ammon store

Jami Ingle of Idaho Falls at the Ammon Hobby Lobby store opening Monday.

The long-anticipated opening of Hobby Lobby went off this morning, with refreshments and a ribbon cutting by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber Ambassadors, but the line that marked the opening of next-door Cabela’s in May were noticeably absent.

Store Manager Brad Bassett, who moved to the area from Phoenix, Ariz., a few weeks ago, said there were about 30 people outside at 8:30 a.m. Once the formalities were finished, slightly after 9, the 50,000-square-foot store was officially open for business. Bassett said the store employs about 55 people, down from the 87 who were needed to get it up and running.

Store Manager Brad Bassett

As noon approached, the number of customers continued to grow. Buying a 30-by-40-inch frame for a mirror in her living room, Jami Ingle of Idaho Falls said she was glad the wait was over.

“I was excited to find a frame this big,” said Ingle, who has made trips to the Hobby Lobby store in Logan Utah. “I think it’s great. I’m excited that it’s finally here.”

Mid-store, with a shopping cart that was filling up with artificial flowers and gifts, Kathy Peterson said she had come more out of curiosity. “It’s the new store in town, you know? You’ve got to check it out.”

Peterson said she thinks the Idaho Falls-Ammon area has crafts-crazy people to support any number of stores like Michaels, Porter’s, JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby. “I think competition is a good thing, no matter where it is,” she said.

Although the majority of customers late Monday morning were women, there were men in the store. Brad Christensen, a member of the Ammon City Council, said he’d stopped in out of curiosity.

“It looks like there’s a lot of enthusiasm for it,” he said.

Christensen also said he planned to buy something for his wife, Nicole. “Something to decorate the living room, probably. She’s always decorating,” he said.

Old Family Dollar store on South Holmes to reopen as Dollar Tree

The old Family Dollar store on South Holmes Avenue, which will reopen soon as Dollar Tree. (Trevor Paesl photo)

Today's entry in the "Inquiring Minds Want to Know" Department comes courtesy of Trevor Paesl, who was curious about the work going on at the closed-down Family Dollar store at 1875 South Holmes Avenue. Trevor was even kind enough to send a photo for us to use.

In a quick call to the City of Idaho Falls Building Department, we learned it's being remodeled to become a Dollar Tree. A certificate of occupancy is expected to be issued next week.

Although the Family Dollar on North Woodruff near WinCo Foods has remained in business, the South Holmes store has been closed since spring 2014, when the company announced it was having problems. Family Dollar’s shareholders approved in January a $8.5 billion takeover bid by Dollar Tree, turning down a competing offer from Dollar General.

The merger had to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission, and that approval didn't come until earlier this month, when Dollar Tree and Family Dollar announced they'd agreed to sell 330 Family Dollar stores, settling a complaint that their proposed merger had the potential to hinder competition.

Idaho Falls airport unveils new logo, Web site,

Idaho Falls Regional Airport is unveiling both a new Web site and logo and name they hope will be easier to use and remember.

IFlyIDA.com includes a custom-designed logo as well as resources for travelers including a cost comparison calculator and booking widget.

The launch of the new branding components are part of the city's comprehensive air service marketing plan, aimed at boosting awareness in the community of what the airport has to offer. The plan was prepared by Sixel Consulting Group, based in Eugene, Ore., and paid for out of the airport's 2014-2015 marketing budget. The cost, approximately $30,000, involved stakeholder meetings, branding research and development, and the preparation of the plan. The contract with Sixel was approved Sept. 25, 2014, at the City Council's regular meeting.

To celebrate the launch, IDA is hosting an “I fly IDA because ... ” giveaway that asks entrants to tell why they choose to fly out of Idaho Falls.

Given the growth at the airport in traffic and the major renovations that have taken place over the last few years, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper said she is eager to see what the marketing plan can accomplish.

“One of the recommendations from last year’s Airport Citizen Review Committee was to introduce a new marketing campaign to help reduce the amount of ‘leakage’ to other airports and to help change the perception that it’s cheaper to fly out of Salt Lake City," she said. "Hiring a marketing firm with extensive experience in airport marketing has already proven to be beneficial.”

IFlyIDA.com integrates the airport’s three letter airport code “IDA” into an easy-to-remember URL that distinguishes and identifies the airport to travelers. The Web site was custom designed to be mobile-friendly and includes a cost calculator and booking widget.

In addition to airfare, the cost calculator estimates the total cost of flying out of two other area airports based on the amount of money one would lose in travel time away from work, as well as gas and parking. The booking widget calculates automatically airfares to and from IDA and allows customers to book flights based on available options. To assist travelers with planning, real-time flight status updates, a flight tracker and air traffic map are also included.

The new, exclusively-designed logo highlights the airport’s three-letter code as a key distinguisher while the airport's official name is in smaller type.

“The launch of IFlyIDA.com and our new logo are important components of our marketing initiatives this year,” said Airport Director Craig Davis.

To enter the “I fly IDA because ... ” contest, complete the entry form found at Facebook.com/IFlyIDA or Woobox.com/n5baq3 and tell your story.  The promotion started today and wraps up Aug. 25 at 11:59 p.m. Each week, one participant will win a $200 Delta Air Lines or United Airlines gift card, and one contestant will win a trip for two to Las Vegas, or Phoenix-Mesa on Allegiant. Fans who share the promotion and get their friends to enter the giveaway will receive one additional entry.

Bond payoff saves Idaho Falls Power customer electric bill pain

On the local public power front, there is good news and bad news balancing each other out.

On Wednesdy, The Bonneville Power Administration announced it would be raising power and transmission rates for two years beginning Oct. 1. Idaho Falls Power, 41 percent of whose budget pays for power from BPA, is looking at paying $2 million more each year.

The good news is that with its hydropower project bonds paid off, Idaho Falls Power will be absorbing the BPA rate hikes and still lowering customers' utility bills.

“In 2015, we retired the debt associated with our locally-owned hydropower plants. With those debt payments off the books and in light of other efficiency measures we have implemented, we intend to absorb the rate increase from BPA and pass along a reduction in the consumptive use rate,” said Jackie Flowers, Idaho Falls Power general manager. “Most customers will see a decrease in the electric portion of their utility bill.”

The utility's proposed rate structure will be discussed at the Aug. 10 City Council work session.
Following that, Idaho Falls Power  will host three open houses on Aug. 12, inviting customers to their office to learn how the utility sets rates and hear more details about the proposed changes to rate structure. Open house times will be 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 8 p.m.

The cost of service model calls for the residential electric consumptive rate to drop from 6.25 cents per kilowatt-hour used to 5.78 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half the national average of nearly 13 cents per kilowatt hour. The consumptive use rate decrease will be offset by an increase in the monthly customer service charge, from $10 to $15, to better capture “fixed costs” associated with keeping the city’s electric system in readiness. The model actually calls for the monthly customer service charge to be $18.

Idaho Falls Power also plans to implement a power cost adjustment as a component of its rate structure that will fluctuate annually, in order to more transparently pass along power supply costs.

The PCA will be a new line item on the bill and will be adjusted annually to reflect the previous year’s power supply costs. In good water years, the PCA may lead to a reduction in electric bills. In bad water years, the PCA may lead to an increase in electric bills. While the current water year has been mixed, this year the PCA will lead to an additional 0.43 cent per kilowatt-hour reduction in consumptive use rate for residential customers.

REDI hires Jan Rogers as new CEO

Jan Rogers

Jan Rogers, executive director of the Twin Falls-based Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization, has been named CEO of the Regional Economic Development Corp. for East Idaho. She will take the position in mid-September.

Rogers has been involved in Idaho economic development for 14 years and has been credited with bringing Chobani and Clif Bar to the Magic Valley. Earlier this month the six-county region was selected as one of the top 12 U.S. manufacturing communities by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership – and one of four U.S. regions in the Food Manufacturing category.

REDI was formed this past spring when Bingham County Economic Development and Grow Idaho Falls merged.

Former church could see something cooking inside its walls

Tyler Price would like to renovate this building on 13th Street into a culinary school.

I am on the East Coast till the end of the month but want to post periodically to reassure readers that I have not deserted you completely. This isn't France, where the whole country shuts down for a month in the summer, although here in Wilmington, Del., one of my favorite sub shops has closed down for two weeks, as has my mom's favorite bakery.

I saw this link Monday on the new, improved East Idaho News Web page, a story written by my old Post Register colleague Shel Williams. It seems the property on 13th Street between South Boulevard and Lee Avenue could have a new lease on life.

The pictures of graffiti inside remind me of the condition the O.E. Bell building was in before it was renovated to its present splendor. It would be equally bad to lose a building like this one on 13th Street (which, incidentally, has an auditorium where I once staged a production of Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam," in 1985.)

Here is a link to the story: http://www.eastidahonews.com/2015/07/former-church-could-see-something-new-cookin-inside-its-walls/. I would encourage you as well to check out the East Idaho News Web site, because the crew at Riverbend Communications, led by Nate Eaton and Nate Sunderland, have put a lot of effort into making it into something special.

Double Down celebrating anniversary this weekend

Double Down Betting Bar & Grill, 3078 Outlet Boulevard, is inviting the community to celebrate its one-year anniversary with a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and a full weekend of entertainment. The ribbon cutting will be Friday at 10 a.m. In the evening, entertainment starts at 7 with the Two Brothers Hypno Show, followed by karaoke and a live DJ.

On Saturday night, there will be live music by the Saloonatics. If you have a brand, bring your iron down to brand the bar at 6 p.m. There will be an old-time photo booth with prizes for people with the best Old West attire.

It has not been a year without controversy for Double Down. The issue of historical racing machines came front and center earlier this year in the Idaho Legislature, with lawmakers passing a bill banning them, claiming they were too similar to slot machines. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Butch Otter.

A little background: Pari-mutuel betting on horses in Idaho has been legal since 1963, and the Legislature authorized simulcasting in 1990. Before July 2011, however, simulcasting was only allowed at live horse racing facilities, Sandy Downs in Bonneville County's case. That year, the Legislature passed a bill allowing simulcast horse betting from other venues, supporters arguing that off-track locations could provide a better atmosphere, food and other incentives to attract paying customers. The 2011 bill did not allow new simulcast betting venues to be set up, but instead allowed existing operations like the one at Sandy Downs to move.

In 2014 the Legislature approved HB220, allowing pari-mutuel betting on historical horse races, which is done on machines. When a player makes a wager on the machine, a race is randomly selected from a video library of over 60,000 previous races. Identifying information such as the location and date of the race, and the names of the horses and jockeys, is not shown.

The player is able to view a "Skill Graph" chart from the Daily Racing Form, showing information such as jockeys' and trainers' winning percentages, and based on this handicapping information the player picks the projected top three runners in order of finish. Many players use a "handi helper" feature, which allows the machine to automatically make the selections.

Early versions of the terminals looked like self-serve wagering terminals, but over time some began to mimic slot machines, with symbols on spinning reels showing the results of the player's wager and the video of the actual race consigned to a 2-inch square in the corner of the screen.

In Idaho, this drew the ire of anti-gambling forces and also Native American tribes, the latter considering the machines competition to what they offer on their reservation casinos. Senate Bill 1011 repealed the Legislature's prior approval of the devices, passing the House by a 49-21 vote and the Senate 25-9.

Otter vetoed the bill in April, and the Senate’s 19-16 subsequent vote to override the veto fell five votes short. Otter has called for a moratorium on any new instant racing machines and indicated that he wants a special investigative team to look into whether the machines violate the Idaho Constitution, which prohibits slot machines.

Double Down's phone number is 521-5102. For questions on gaming, call 521-4729.

Venezuelan restaurant due to open soon in Idaho Falls

Ciomara Robirds, who plans to open a Venezuelan restaurant in Idaho Falls this week.

In the expanding array of world cuisine, Idaho Falls is about to get a Venezuelan restaurant, Gourmet Cio, at 1480 Freeman Avenue.

The owner, Ciomara Robirds, is no stranger to cooking. Before coming to the United States in 2000 she ran a restaurant in Venezuela. After moving to Idaho Falls in 2007 with her husband, Terrance, she put in five years at the Olive Garden, where she earned the sobriquet of “Soup Queen.”

Still, opening her own restaurant has always been a goal. “A person has to dream,” she said. Interviewed last Friday, she said she is hoping to start serving food on Thursday. A grand opening will come later, but she wants everything running smoothly before that happens.

What can a person expect in the way of Venezuelan cuisine? Because of its geography and cultural influences, Venezuelan food has a lot of variety. There are European influences, especially Italian, Spanish and French, as well as indigenous and African tastes. The food on the Caribbean coast is a lot different from the food of the Andean and Amazon regions.

Gourmet Cio’s menu will offer such dishes as tostadas made with plantains; cachapas, which are pancakes made from a puree of corn, sugar, salt and oil then folded over with a large piece of a soft white cheese inside; pasticho, the Venezuelan version of lasagna (the Italian word "pasticcio" actually means lasagna); and empanadas -- deep fried, stuffed corn flour patties typically filled with cheese and minced meat.

City Council begins budget work sessions Monday

Follow this link to view all the city's draft budget documents:

http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-council.html.

The Idaho Falls City Council is gearing up for the 2015/2016 budget season. As with all City Council meetings, the public is invited to attend.

The council is starting off with proposed expenditures of $190,889,392, up nearly 7.5 percent from $177,578,424 this year. The draft proposal is for a general fund expenditure increase of $1.97 million, a 4.27 percent boost from the current fiscal year.

A series of work sessions to discuss the budget will be held at City Council Chambers, 680 Park Avenue. The first will be Monday from 2 to 5 p.m. The second will be Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the last will be July 31 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

After that, the Council is scheduled to adopt a tentative budget Aug 13. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 3 and will be available to view via live stream on the city’s Web site.

Citizens are welcome to attend any or all of these meetings or reach out to City Council members independently.  The budget calendar, Council contact information and draft budget documents can be found online or by calling the City Clerk’s office at (208) 612-8415.

Here are links to the city's current budget documents:

• DRAFT Property Tax Calculation
• DRAFT All City Expenditures
• DRAFT Revenues_Expenditures
• DRAFT General Fund Revenues
• DRAFT Budget Comparison

Great Race for Education is next week, pre-race activities alreay underway

Who is ready for a beach party?

Starting Monday, you may see people running around downtown Idaho Falls in the early morning and late afternoon looking through flowerbeds and on windowsills. If they appear agitated, it’s because they take The Great Race for Education quite seriously.

The race itself, which in seven years has become one of Idaho Falls’ biggest fund-raisers, is on Friday, but winning pre-race challenges in the four preceding days can give a team a big advantage.

In 2014, the Great Race netted nearly $35,000 for the Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation, which distributes scholarships to EITC students. EITC Foundation Director Natalie Hebard said they have already collected $30,000 and that this could be the race’s biggest year ever.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Great Race is an event in which teams are given clues that lead them to different locations around downtown Idaho Falls, where they perform challenges. Once they've performed five challenges they head back to Snake River Landing. The first ten teams to return advance to the second round of challenges. How quickly teams get back to the finish line has a lot to do with how quickly they can decipher clues, which they receive over the cellphone from their team owners at base camp. Teams can also buy additional clues, with the proceeds going to the EITC Foundation's scholarship program.

The theme this year is Summer Beach Party (last year it was disco fever, the year before superheroes). Major sponsors are Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Mountain View Hospital and Snake River Landing.

The race's support in the community has grown dramatically. In 2010, once the expenses had been calculated, EITC Foundation reported proceeds from the race around $13,000. In 2013, the foundation came away with nearly $40,000.

This is Hebard’s second year at the helm (her predecessors were Melissa Bean and Michelle Ziel-Dingman), and she has instituted some things she saw were lacking last year. For instance, there will be bottled water at the finish line, laminated challenge cards on lanyards, and wristbands to keep party crashers from descending on Snake River Landing.

Although race day is in mid-July, the buildup starts in April with the Trashion Fashion Show at the city of Idaho Falls' Earth Day event. There is active promotion on social media, all with the goal of raising money and recruiting new teams.

Once the race is done, everyone enjoys food, music and a special rapport that comes from having done something really significant for the community.

Hebard said there is still time for anyone who wants to become a team owner to register. In addition to participating in the event, the $50 registration fee gets a team owner a t-shirt, swag bag, drink tickets and a catered meal.

Between now and race day, here are some deadlines and reminders:
• Team Owner pre-party is 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the Apple Athletic Club. The event is posted on Great Race Facebook page with details, please RSVP.
• Pre-race clues – Starting Monday and through Thursday, clues will be released at 7 a.m. each morning and again in the evening at 5 p.m. As in previous years, these will be released on Facebook and via text if you sign up for text alerts.
• Pre-race Facebook Auction – Thursday from 5:30 until 8 p.m. you can bid on items that will help you during the race.

If any teams are raising funds for clue money, Hebard would like to publicize them on the Great Race Facebook page. If you do not pre-purchase a clue package, please be aware you will be given only one clue after the completion of each challenge. This will limit your competitiveness in the race. Additional clues may be purchased for $50 per clue on race day.  Team owners can help you solve clues and can purchase the additional clues at base camp.

There will be new teams from Bank of Commerce, Ethel Boyes Elementary School, Progression and John L. Scott Real Estate competing this year. Hebard said today she can still take four more teams if some business or organization wants to put up $250 to register.

The winning team will get a $1,000 scholarship named after it, the second place team a $500 scholarship and the third place team a $250 scholarship.

The MCs of the event will be Mariha Berrett, EITC’s fire service testing coordinator, and Dusty Bee. Matt Balderree, owner of Celestial Imaging, will be filming the event with his drone. As usual, the clue master’s identity is being kept secret.

For more information call the EITC Foundation office at 535-5398.

Stenquist joins Moffatt Thomas Idaho Falls office

Jerry Stenquist of Moffatt Thomas

The Idaho law firm of Moffatt Thomas has added attorney Jerry Stenquist to its Idaho Falls office.

Stenquist has a broad practice that includes banking and creditors’ rights, commercial litigation, property law and health law, a news release from the firm said.

He earned his undergraduate degree at Utah Valley University, then attended George Washington University Law School. He has experience in congressional internships, student leadership and leading domestic and international volunteer groups. He is licensed to practice law in Idaho, Montana and Utah.

As a community volunteer to the Haitian population in south Florida from 2002 to 2004, Jerry learned to speak Haitian Creole fluently. Jerry is an accomplished musician who has played in various jazz, rock, and blues bands, including the George Washington University Jazz Band. He is married, with two children.

Moffatt Thomas has been providing legal services to the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest since 1954, serving clients in the full spectrum of business, litigation and regulatory areas. For information, go to www.moffatt.com.

Museum of Idaho rolls out redesigned Web site

A screen shot of the Museum of Idaho's new, redesigned Web site

The Museum of Idaho has undergone a Web site remodel, making it easier find information about exhibits, classes and events and making it easier to donate online.

As a part of a capital campaign, the Museum has partnered with Kraupp Inc., a local Web design company, to provide long-term service, consulting and strategic support for the website.

The site, www.museumofidaho.org, offers an entirely redesigned user interface compatible with current browsers and responsive to mobile devices. It allows people and businesses to donate online and to allocate donations to specific aspects, including the Museum’s Sustainability Capital Campaign.

“We feel that this newly-designed website is vital in not only connecting with our patrons in southeast Idaho but also in drawing tourists to our area which will increase the economic impact to our region. We are thrilled with what Kraupp Inc. has accomplished and are proud to partner with them,” said David Pennock, the museum's executive director.

Idaho Falls hires economic development coordinator

Dana Briggs

Dana Briggs has been hired to be the city of Idaho Falls’ new economic development coordinator, a position Mayor Rebecca Casper indicated she wanted to create when she ran for office in 2013.

Briggs, who starts Aug. 3, comes to the city from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, where she served as the programs and events director for three years. She received her MBA in management and corporate relations from Idaho State University and a bachelor’s degree in recreational leadership from BYU-Idaho. She was also a team leader/analyst for the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center from April to July 2013, has worked with Bengal Solutions at ISU and is an adjunct faculty member at BYU-Idaho. Her areas of expertise include analytical and organizational skills, high-volume negotiations and projects, strategic/tactical planning, public relations and business communications.

A hiring committee of six, including Casper, City Council members, city officials and representatives of the Regional Economic Development Corp., interviewed a number of candidates last week. The panel voted unanimously to hire Briggs.

In her new role, Briggs will lead and oversee short- and long-term planning of economic development and policy formation activities, working in conjunction with organizations such as REDI. She will prepare and maintain information on utilities, taxes, zoning, community services and financing tools. She will also coordinate project and program activities and services between various departments, public and private agencies, organizations and individuals.

“Ms. Briggs is an eastern Idaho native and has a keen understanding of our current business climate— strengths and weaknesses — as well as a working knowledge and familiarity with many of the key players in local economic development circles,” said Casper, in a news release. “The city is fortunate to bring in another young professional who is full of promise, knowledge, skill and integrity to join our ranks.”

Idaho Falls contracts with Canadian company for financial management, billing

The city of Idaho Falls has contracted with the Canadian company Cayenta to upgrade its antiquated financial management and utility billing software.

The cost of the project, to be implemented over two years, has been estimated at $3 million. Over the past two years, city leaders have set aside money and studied potential vendors, looking for a system that will give citizens more billing and payment options and a more efficient system for administering payroll and work orders.

Based in Barnaby, British Columbia, Cayenta is a division of N. Harris Computer Corp. that has contracts with utilities and communities throughout North America.

Idaho Falls first started using computers in its billing in 1965, and has been relying on a system that was put in place when Jimmy Carter was still president. An update was long overdue.

The project with Cayenne involves software licensing, implementation services, travel expenses for company representatives, servers, network equipment and other material.

“We are excited about implementing this new, robust system that will replace our 35-year-old-plus, outdated system with an integrated solution,” said Idaho Falls City Controller Thane Sparks, who is managing the project from the city’s end.

“When the software conversion is completed, it will allow city personnel to do their jobs more efficiently and provide better, more expedited service to the citizens of Idaho Falls,” he said. “For example, service personnel will be equipped with mobile devices so they will no longer find it necessary to come into the office to pick up work orders. Real-time work orders will be sent directly to their devices, allowing them more time to be out in the field working.”

The project will be completed in two 15-month phases. The first phase will update utility billing and customer information system and integrate existing GIS data. The second will update the financial management system, payroll, work, asset and mobile management.

Idaho Falls services an area of 22 square miles with an estimated population of more than 58,000 and more than 26,000 Idaho Falls Power accounts. On the payroll end, the city employs between 625 to 1,100 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, depending on the time of year.

Sandcreek Commons has come a long way in one year

Workers on the north wall of the Broulim's store at Sandcreek Commons.

It might not seem obvious, but it was a “his and hers” logic that put Cabela’s and Hobby Lobby next door to each other at the Sandcreek Commons shopping center on Hitt Road.

This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of women who are interested in outdoor and camping gear. But when putting together a 91-acre, $80 million shopping complex it’s all about finding the right mix, said Eric Isom, chief development officer for Ball Ventures, the company driving the project (in which Salt Lake-based Woodbury Corp. is a partner).

Eric Isom of Ball Ventures

On a basic level, Cabela’s is for dad, Hobby Lobby (which opens Aug. 3) is for mom, and both are stores that Idaho Falls and Ammon residents have been driving hundreds of miles to visit now in their back yards.

Phase One, which covers about 40 acres, has room for four anchor tenants. Cabala’s opened in May, Hobby Lobby is scheduled to open its doors Aug. 3 and Broulim’s, the Rigby-based supermarket chain, is on track to have its store open by the end of the year.

As for the last 50,000-square-foot anchor box, “We’re really trying to find the right tenant,” Isom said. “We will be pretty selective.”

Isom said they knew Sandcreek Commons was going to take off in 2015. In early June 2014, at the groundbreaking for D.L. Evans Bank, Cabela’s had already been announced. Once that was public knowledge, the other pieces fell into place. The news about Hobby Lobby and Broulim’s broke in September.

Right now, the nearest Hobby Lobby is in Logan, Utah. “People are excited it’s coming here,” Isom said. When they posted the opening date on Facebook, the news got more than 800 likes in less than an hour.

In addition to the anchor stores, several leases have been signed for space in the 18,639-square-foot retail center, next to the Broulim’s store. Isom said they are careful to let the tenants make the announcements themselves, but said the center will feature what one typically expects in a grocery anchored retail center: fast food, haircut places, etc. 

Eventually, they anticipate developing 320,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and service space.

All this is happening in addition to the development Ball Ventures is doing at Snake River Landing, where the Home2 Suites by Hilton is scheduled to open in late summer and a deal has been made with a residential developer for upmarket condos south of the Curtis-Wright ScienTech offices.

Isom said he is cautiously optimistic about the local economy. Snake River Landing got started in 2007 and had the advantage of leases that had been signed before the recession hit. They also had the advantage of being in a location where people wanted to be.

But with projects in 14 states, as far away as Florida, Isom said he sees what goes on with economic development all over the country and what Idaho could be doing that it isn’t — local option taxes, increment financing on sales taxes, property tax rebates, to name a few.

“In general, we need to continue to find ways to incentivize and encourage economic development,” he said. “We don’t have nearly the tools here in Idaho that there are in other places.”

As it stands, Phase One of Sandcreek Commons — everything happening north of Judy Street — will add nearly $80 million to the local tax base and 1,200 new jobs.

The line outside Cabela's when it opened.

 

Alpha Graphics eyes late summer for new building opening

Alpha Graphics Sales Manager Travis Powell in front of the company's soon-to-be new home on Woodruff Avenue

For Alpha Graphics of Idaho Falls, a new, larger building can’t be finished a moment too soon, said Sales Manager Travis Powell.

Right now, they have approximately 6,000 square feet divided between two buildings. When they move into the new building off Woodruff Avenue — probably in August — they will have 12,000 square feet under one roof, with an efficient floor plan and room to grow.

The Idaho Falls Alpha Graphics is a franchise operation owned by Lynn Nelson. There are about 300 stores in the United States and various countries.

The company offers traditional printing and signs as well as digital and offset printing and promotional items. Since opening in late September 2010, the Idaho Falls store has seen growth of about 30 percent each year, Powell said.

That growth made a larger facility critical, he said. The project is being financed by D.L Evans Bank and managed by Construction Solutions Company.

A little bit on the history of Idaho Falls and the Pioneer League

I will be speaking pre-game tomorrow night at Melaleuca Field for five or 10 minutes about baseball in Idaho Falls. This is something I prepared for anyone who is interested.

One of the things that impressed me about Idaho Falls when I first came here 35 years ago this week was the presence of minor league baseball. I was best man in a wedding in which the father of the bride was Gene Bush, president of the Idaho Falls Baseball Club. As part of the fun, the wedding party went to an afternoon Angels game July 3 at McDermott Field. I thought, "How cool is this?" It was a good first impression -- an look where I am now.

Ziel-Dingman declares candidacy for I.F. City Council

Ziel-Dingman

City Council elections are this November and the first person to announce a candidacy is Michelle Ziel-Dingman, a local business owner and longtime non-profit advocate. Ziel-Dingman put out a press release Wednesday announcing she is running for Seat 1, currently occupied by Sharon Parry.

For the sake of full disclosure, more than five years ago she and I started the band Happyville. It has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life, and to say that I am fond of her would be an extreme understatement. At a regular news organization I would have to recuse myself from writing about her, but this is my blog and I can write whatever I want.

Currently the CEO of Artcore Visual Studio in Idaho Falls, Ziel-Dingman's past professional experience includes her time as the executive director of Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation. Before that, she was the marketing director for Snake River Landing/Ball Ventures and Grand Teton Mall (General Growth Properties).

She currently serves as chairwoman of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber Ambassadors and is involved with a variety of non-profit organizations including The Soup Kitchen and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. She was a key player behind two of the area’s major fund-raisers, The Great Race for Education and Dancing With the Idaho Falls Stars.

Ziel-Dingman has served on the boards of the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, EITC Foundation, Idaho Falls Advertising Federation and the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Mayor's Business Day planning committee, Mayor's Scholarship Committee, and most recently, Idaho's Hometown Hero Medal. Professional honors include the Idaho Aspen Award from the Small Business Development Center and the “Accomplished Under 40” award from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Her campaign treasurer is Darin Dallimore.

Hotel on the Falls restaurant, lounge and convention center being remodeled

Carpet and materials stacked up inside the restaurant at the Hotel on the Falls

After being locked up for close to nine months, there is finally work going on inside the Hotel on the Falls’ restaurant, lounge, banquet spaces and motel rooms.

The chainlink fence came down after property owner Dane Watkins signed a joint operating agreement with Colorado Hospitality Services of Northglenn, Colo., which bought the eight-story, 85-room tower at an auction in January for $2.3 million. Under the agreement, Watkins is leasing the space to Colorado Hospitality owner Bruce Rahmani of Denver, who is charged with remodeling and finding a company to run the restaurant and kitchen.

Event coordinator Tom Williams said they hope to have the motel rooms open by early July. It will probably be October before the restaurant and lounge are open for banquets and conventions, but they are already getting calls about events during the holiday season.

Watkins abruptly closed the restaurant, lounge and motel last August over a dispute with the company managing the facility, Om Shiv Ganesh, which was also managing the tower. The tower had gone into receivership in June when the owner, Idaho Hotel Holdings, filed a default judgment against Om Shiv Ganesh for more than $3.4 million, claiming unpaid mortgage payments and taxes.

Westerra Realty & Management, a Salt Lake company, managed the property until Rahmani bought it Jan. 22. The tower reopened at the end to March. Situated in a prime location by the falls, Williams said the tower has been doing well. It was sold out completely the weekend of the Beer Fest and the following week, when a Little League tournament was held in Idaho Falls.

Known for years as the Westbank, the property dates back to 1928, when Ferris Clark, son of Mayor Barzilla W. Clark, built two log buildings by the Snake River to accommodate motorists on their way to Yellowstone National Park. Over 52 years, Clark expanded with a red brick motel, then a restaurant and lounge, then more motel rooms. He retired in 1980 and died in 1987 at age 79.

After Clark left, the property went by different names, including Red Lion and finally the Hotel on the Falls. Until 2012, it was owned by Jim and Sharon Bennett and Robert and Sharon Paulus, the children of Olga Gustafson Rigby. That year, however, the hotel was deeded to trusts set up by the families while Watkins bought the motel, restaurant, lounge and convention center.

Idaho Falls, Ammon to reconfigure intersection at 25th Street and Hitt Road

The plan for a new signal at Hitt Road and 25th Street

It might be a little soon to think about the holiday season — Christmas is still more than six months away,  at least until Thursday — but here are early tidings of comfort and joy: Getting onto Hitt Road from the Target parking lot is going to be a lot easier by the end of this year.

At a work session Monday, the Idaho Falls City Council approved the reconfiguration of the traffic signal at Hitt and 25th Street, just south of the Ammon Town Center.

The city of Ammon has agreed to build an access road from the shopping center parking lot with left- and right-turn lanes. In effect, the intersection will become what was discussed years ago, a four-way traffic signal far enough from the signal at 17th Street to keep traffic on Hitt flowing in an orderly way.

This is much better than placing a traffic signal at the main entrance into the Target parking lot, said Chris Fredericksen, Idaho Falls Public Works director. “When you have traffic signals spaced too close together, they don’t function property, so we’ve always been reluctant to place a signal there.”

The solution approved Monday is to have a westbound, exit-only lane at 25th and Hitt. The reconfiguration will allow traffic to go straight, turn right and turn left out of the shopping center.

The cost has been estimated at under $200,000, and will be shared 50-50 between Idaho Falls and Ammon, with Ammon paying for the access road from the shopping center.

“This project is yet another joint effort to improve both safety and address traffic flow on Hitt Road,” said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. “There is great willingness between the two cities to make the improvements happen in advance of the busy shopping season.”

Since April 2014, council members from each city have been meeting to discuss the intersections at Hitt Road and 17th Street, 25th Street and Sunnyside Road. With Cabela’s open and Hobby Lobby scheduled to open Aug. 3, the Sunnyside intersection and road improvements to the south were the top priority.

But the situation at Target has long been a frustration. “The public has waited long enough for better, safer movement in and out of Ammon Town Center,” said Ammon Mayor Dana Kirkham.

Bank of Idaho plans customer appreciation day for Friday

Bank of Idaho will host a “Customer Appreciation Day” at its downtown Idaho Falls branch, 399 N. Capital Ave., Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A “shred” truck also will be on hand for customers who want to destroy old documents. There will be food from Dickey’s BBQ and a customer give-away.

Founded in Idaho Falls in 1985, Bank of Idaho has branches in Pocatello, St. Anthony, Ashton and Island Park. For more information on Customer Appreciation Day, call 524-5500.

Entrepreneurs' Platform set for Tuesday at EITC

Local Almond Milk, an Idaho Falls company, will be one of the presenters at the Entrepreneurs' Platform at EITC Tuesday.

The Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center (E Center) and Founder’s Forum will be holding its next Entrepreneurs’ Platform Tuesday at Eastern Idaho Technical College.

The Entrepreneurs’ Platform seeks to bring together local entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders to learn about new businesses and ideas, expand professional networks and help grow the economy. Audience members can support the Platform presenters by offering resources, including expertise, contacts, etc., after their presentations.

Sponsored by the Idaho National Lab and Eastern Idaho Technical College, Tuesday’s Platform, will be held in Room 541 of the the Alexander Creek Building from noon to 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Each of the businesses presenting is seeking mentoring and resources to continue to grow. The presenters include:

Landon Walker: Owner of Local Almond Milk, which produces local almond and cashew milk.

Joseph Cammack: Co-founder of ArmsReach, a bedside organizer. This product started at Eastern Idaho’s Start-up Weekend last October.

Coulton Woods and Stephan Larson: Starts of FiXD, which provides insurance for cell phones and tablets.

For further information on the Entrepreneurs’ Platform or the mission of the E Center, contact Megan Luthy at 208.356.5009 or visit www.idahoecenter.org.

Tradehome Shoes plans store in Grand Teton Mall

A Tradehome Shoes store somewhere in America

Tradehome Shoes has filed plans with the Idaho Falls Building Department to put a store in the Grand Teton Mall.

This will be its third store in Idaho. It has one in Twin Falls and another in Boise.

The company was founded in 1921 and is based in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. It currently operates more than 100 stores in 20 states, including two in Idaho, in Boise and Twin Falls. Its stores carry nearly 100 brands from Dr. Martens to Adidas to Johnston & Murphy.

Here are the company’s social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/TradehomeShoes1921
http://www.tradehomeshoes.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/TradehomeShoes

Idaho Falls liquor store opens in new location

Store 203, now at 385 North Woodruff Avenue

Idaho Falls doesn’t have a new liquor store, just a bigger one in a location with better traffic.
The new state store, at 385 North Woodruff Avenue, between WinCo Foods and Great Clips on Woodruff Avenue, replaces the one at at 2105 Niagara Street.

“I just love the lighting,” said cashier Debbie Peterson, who came over to the new store when it opened Tuesday.

Although beer and wine are sold in grocery and convenience stores in communities where local authorities allow it, hard spirits in Idaho are sold in state-owned stores that are licensed to franchisees. Idaho Falls has three stores and Ammon has one.

The Woodruff Avenue store is managed by Jason Fitch. A move from Niagara had been in the works since the liquor store opened in the Teton Spectrum in Ammon, Peterson said. The space on Woodruff had been vacant for more than a year, ever since the party supply store had moved out.

Hours at Store 203 are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Delta begins flying Airbus jet daily into Idaho Falls

Delta has begun flying an Airbus A320 into Idaho Falls Regional Airport every night.

After nearly 20 years, Delta Air Lines has begun flying big jets back into Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

The seating plan of an A320

Since May, an Airbus A320 has been flying in from Salt Lake City every night at 10:20 and leaving at 8 the next morning. Airport Director Craig Davis said that while the original plan was for a trial period, he has since been told the flights will be permanent.

Delta stopped flying 737s into Idaho Falls in the 1990s, opting instead to have Skywest provide service with Brasilia turbo-props and Canadair regional jets. The Brasilias are long gone, and the CRJs are reaching the limit the Federal Aviation Administration is willing to allow them to remain flying in United States airspace. “(They’re) timing out and being decommissioned, and the big question is what is going to replace them.

With 12 first class seats and 148 seats in the main cabin, the Airbus is a much larger and roomier plane. This is the same jet Frontier was briefly flying between Idaho Falls and Denver in 2014 (a new CEO changed the company's business strategy, and Frontier pulled out of smaller markets). Davis said he does not know whether more big commercial jets will be coming to Idaho Falls, but sees the Delta flight as a positive sign.

On a less celebratory note, he said he does not see fares out of Idaho Falls coming down until Delta and Alaska Air settle the feud they are having over the Salt Lake to Seattle route. At a recent conference he attended, an executive from one of the carriers told him that could take 12 to 18 months.

“Obviously we’d like to have Delta drop its rates,” he said.

What's the status of the Event Center?

I

The ground at Snake River Landing where the Idaho Falls Auditorium District hopes to build its event center.

In a community where “bond” is considered by many a four-letter word, the people in charge of the Idaho Falls Auditorium District know they have their work cut out for them.

Right now, the district has roughly $4.5 million in the bank, collected from donations and the bed tax local hotels have been paying since voters approved the district’s formation in 2011. In normal real estate terms, that much money might be enough for a down payment on a $35 million facility. But this isn’t a normal real estate deal.

“We didn’t anticipate it would take as long to get anything done,” said Bob Everhart, who directed the campaign to get the auditorium district approved by voters and now sits on the board. As someone who has probably taken more questions about the event center than anyone, he said he hears two main concerns.

• Will it affect property taxes?
• Will taxpayers be stuck with a white elephant if it fails financially?

No one’s property taxes will go up, he said. The auditorium district collects enough money to pay off its indebtedness, and revenues from the bed tax have been growing. At the board’s April 8 business meeting it was reported that revenues were up 11 percent over the previous year. Everhart said he expects even more money to be coming in once the Home2 Suites by Hilton at Snake River Landing opens in late summer.

If the auditorium district were to ask voters to approve the issuance of bonds those bonds would be paid off over time not with property taxes but with money collected from the bed tax. Communicating that message would be essential to getting a yes vote. Likewise, if the event center were to fail financially, Idaho Falls taxpayers would not be on the hook. The city has no liability. “The law says an auditorium district cannot fall back on any governmental entity if it fails,” Everhart said.

Dave Lane, the district’s executive director since January, says several things have to be done before ground can be broken. First, the 22-acre parcel at Snake River Landing, which has been donated by Ball Ventures, has to be annexed into the city of Idaho Falls. That matter is coming before the Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission at its meeting Tuesday, June 16.

Dave Lane, the auditorium district's executive director since January.

If the Planning Commission makes a favorable recommendation to the Idaho Falls City Council -- there's no reason to expect it won't -- and the council votes to annex the land, the next issue is road access. The plan calls for one entrance from Event Center Drive, to extend from Snake River Parkway over the Battle Canal. A western entrance will come in from Pioneer Road, which is at the moment two lanes of old, county blacktop winding between Pancheri Drive and Sunnyside Road. It will need to be widened at least, and how the work will be paid for is still being discussed.

Lane said he has had one meeting with the Bonneville County Commission and got the impression that they were eager to help. “My sense is that there aren’t too many people who don’t want the event center,” he said.

As city manager of Blythe, Calif., before he came to Idaho Falls (his children and grandchildren live here), Lane said he has a lot of experience with bonds. “There have been cases where I’ve had to break it down by asking people whether they would be willing to give up two sticks of gum a day to pay for something that would benefit the community, but this doesn’t even involve that,” he said.

As for other sources of funding, there are naming rights options. “There are major businesses in town that would literally like to see their name in lights,” Lane said. Other business owners are simply interested because they think an event center would be good for their business.

Though nothing is final, the district board has had talks with Elmore Sports Group, which runs Melaleuca Field and the Idaho Falls Chukars, about operating the event center. Under such an arrangement, the business would be run by the operator, who would be responsible for the business’ viability.

It has been 20 years since Idaho Falls community leaders first started talking about building a “comprehensive multi-purpose complex in southeastern Idaho.” Those were the words used in 1995 by a group calling itself the Snake River Valley Events Center.

The plan at that time was to build a facility that could host trade shows, rodeos, concerts and sporting events. It was to be on 10.2 acres north of Idaho Falls, on land that H-K Contractors was willing to donate.

Driven by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, boosters determined the best way to move forward was to form an auditorium district, legally enabled to collect a “bed tax” of up to 5 percent from people staying at local hotels. The matter would have to be decided in an election by a simple majority. What followed in early 1999 was a public war of words, the opposition led by AmeriTel, a Boise-based hotel chain that argued the tax would hurt its business and drive customers elsewhere. The measure failed, 6,386 voting no to 5,766 voting yes, and the event center backers regrouped.

After nearly 10 years of study, another election was scheduled for May 2011. This time the organizers opted to hold the vote in a much more narrowly defined area — mainly Idaho Falls — and it passed with 63 percent of the voters in favor.

The U.S. Geological Survey HARN marker from 1959

By 2012, board members were talking about breaking ground the next year. The Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the plat and annexation, but before the matter got to the City Council it hit a snag over a U.S. Geological Survey High Accuracy Reference Network (HARN) marker. Embedded in lava rock in 1959, the marker was the central reference point for survey lines in central Bonneville County, including the lines established to make sure the Gem State Dam wasn’t shifting from where it was built in 1985. USGS rules dictate that it had to be kept clear, which presented a problem as it lay exactly where the entrance to the parking lot was to be located.

One of Lane’s first tasks as executive director was to find the person at USGS who could get the marker moved. He was also aided by the USGS’s adopting Global Positioning System technology, rendering old brass markers obsolete. The matter has been settled, and the reference point has been moved to west of Interstate 15. In fact, the USGS has asked for the marker so it can put it in its museum in Washington, D.C.

The proposed layout for the event center

United Way seeks children's books for summer reading

Starting today at 11 a.m. at Barnes and Noble in the Grand Teton Mall, the United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County is hosting the first-ever United Way Children’s Book Drive.

Summer Learning Loss has been identified as a real problem for lower-income students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. During summer, low-income students regress by more than two months in reading achievement while their middle-class peers make slight gains. It’s a gap that widens for low-income children each year as they progress toward graduation.

According to the Idaho Department of Education, 63 percent of low-income first graders were reading at grade level in the spring of 2013. When they returned in the fall as second graders, only 41 percent were reading at grade level.

The good news? We can do something about it! A large-scale study of elementary students in the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk revealed that reading four to five books over the summer potentially can prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall.

Your donations of new or gently used books can help. Simply drop off children’s books at one of our book drop-off locations (listed below). We will make sure your books get into the hands of local kids who really need them.

List of Donation Drop-off Sites

United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County

151 N Ridge Ave #180

Idaho Falls, ID 83402

208) 522-2674

Barnes and Noble (June 15 only)

Grand Teton Mall

2300 E 17th Street Suite #1101

Idaho Falls, ID 83404

(208) 552-1452

Great Harvest Bread Co.

360 A Street

Idaho Falls, ID 83402

(208) 522-7444

1505 E. 17th Street

Idaho Falls, ID 83404

(208) 542-0812

Bank of Idaho

399 N. Capital Avenue

Idaho Falls, ID 83403

(208) 528-3014

1800 Channing Way

Idaho Falls, ID 83403

(208) 528-3044

Apple Athletic Club

2030 Jennie Lee Drive

Idaho Falls, ID 83404

(208) 529-8600

Citizens Community Bank

Taylor Crossing

900 South Utah Avenue

Idaho Falls, ID

(208)529-6805

2797 South 25th East

Ammon, ID 83406

(208) 239-8720

452 North 2nd East

Rexburg, ID 83440

(208) 356-5377

Snake River Landing Discovery Center
901 Pier View Drive Suite #104 (Next to Kool Beanz Café)


Idaho Falls, ID 83402

(208) 523-3794

Idaho Falls School District 91

690 John Adams Parkway

Idaho Falls, ID 83401

(208) 525-7504

(208) 525-7537

Idaho National Laboratory

Employees can bring books to work to donate

Albertson's 

590 East 17th Steet

Idaho Falls, ID 83404

(208) 523-0950

US Bank 

330 Shoup Ave

Idaho Falls, ID 83402

585 1st Street

Idaho Falls, ID 83401

1555 W Broadway
Idaho Falls, ID 83402

KeyBank

1625 Northgate Mile

Idaho Falls, ID

(208) 525-6320

501 W Broadway Street

Idaho Falls, ID

(208) 525-6200

2655 East 17th Street

Idaho Falls, ID

(208) 525-6315

INL researcher taking part in online "Energy of Star Wars" panel

Vishal Patel of the Idaho National Laboratory's Center for Space Nuclear Research

If you’re eager for the new Star Wars movie but tired of watching the same trailers on YouTube, you are in luck.

As part of Space Week, the Department of Energy is hosting “The Energy of Star Wars: A Google Hangout” on Friday at 2 p.m.

Experts from across the DOE complex, including the Idaho National Laboratory's Vishal Patel, of the Center for Space Nuclear Research, who studies how new forms of nuclear power could fuel tomorrow spacecraft, will be online to answer your questions.

• How much energy would it take to run a Death Star?
• What type of energy source could power a lightsaber?
• Did Mace Windu really have to die?

To frame a question on social media, use the hashtag #StarWarsEnergy. Here are the links:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Google+

Or if you want to use e-mail, send your question to newmedia@hq.doe.gov.

In addition to Patel (whose alter ego in the Star Wars universe, according to the Star Wars Name Generator, is Opeseg Eclipseblast, a Jedi Master from Wroona), the panelists include:

Cathy Plesko, an applied physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory who uses supercomputers to model what happens when an asteroid hits a planet.
(Star Wars alter ego: Azha Cosmosflame, a wandering trader from Riflor.)
Peter Thelin, a master optician from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory whose expertise is cutting and shaping materials by hand so they can be used by Lawrence Livermore researchers to explore the universe.
(Star Wars alter ego: Suhail Statind, a cantina owner from Tarento.)
Chris Ebbers, a physicist from Lawrence Livermore who uses lasers to study crystals.
(Star Wars alter ego: Bohtsan Cosmicburn, a cantina owner from Rian.)

You can watch at energy.gov/starwars or on the Google+ page.