Van Ashton of Idaho Falls Power honored for energy efficiency work

Van Ashton

Van Ashton of Idaho Falls Power has been recognized by the Northwest Public Power Association for his career in the public power industry and his work at advancing energy efficiency.

It is estimated that Ashton’s leadership has resulted in 70 million kilowatt-hours of energy savings over his career. Ashton accepted the Jim Brands Award Tuesday at the NWPPA’s Communications and Energy Innovations Conference in Missoula, Mont.

In 1983 the average winter consumption for electrically heated homes in Idaho Falls was 2,645 kilowatt-hours. Today, it is 1,676 kilowatt-hours.

Ashton was hired in 1981 as IFP’s first customer service representative. He was a strong advocate among Idaho’s public power utilities to develop and implement energy efficiency measures within the Idaho Energy Authority (IDEA).

"Van's legacy at Idaho Falls Power will be the tremendous success of the energy efficiency programs that he developed and implemented," said Jackie Flowers, Idaho Falls Power's general manager. "The savings realized through those programs have helped us extend the capacity of our local power assets and weather some rocky times in the industry."

At IFP, Ashton led the creation of weatherization programs for residential and commercial customers. Between 1982 and 1989, an average of 1.3 million kilowatt-hours were saved annually through the conservation department. In 2008, IFP launched an advertising campaign called Switch to Energy Efficiency that has resulted in big increases in participation in the utility’s energy-efficiency programs. Since 2009, an average of 5.7 million kilowatt-hours have been saved annually through these programs.

In 2010, IFP began working with the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project. Ashton turned his attention to customer participation and testing, coordinating the installation of Demand Response technology in the homes of 1,200 volunteers. The technology proved capable of bolstering the utility’s energy efficiency and conservation measures and will soon be incorporated into the Energy Services program.

“Van has worked extremely hard to be an advocate for his utility, as well as neighboring utilities, in all of his dealings with BPA," said Mary Beth Evans, Bonneville Power Administration's  Energy Efficiency representative. "He is viewed by his peers as a leader in his industry and is looked up to by many. Van has a vast historical knowledge in the utility industry, and he is able to communicate that knowledge effectively with others.”

UAMPS decision on SMRs at INL expected by early 2017

NuScale Power's Proposed Plant Site Layout

Public Power Daily is reporting that Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, of which the city of Idaho Falls is a member, expects to make a decision in early 2017 on whether it wants to start the application process with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a combined construction and operating license for Small Modular Reactor development by NuScale Power on the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory site.

Here's a link to the story: UAMPS identifies preferred site in Idaho for small modular reactor project.

A few things that jumped out at me. The project “is scalable, depending on how many UAMPS members are involved,” said LaVarr Webb, a spokesman for UAMPS, in a Sept. 7 interview with the American Public Power Association. Each reactor would be rated at 50 megawatts and, if the maximum of 12 were put on the site the project would have a capacity of 600 MW, Webb said.

The Utah public power agency has not decided how many SMR units it would want to have in order to go ahead with the project, but UAMPS “would want to get closer to 12” rather than go with just one or two reactors, Webb said.

Idaho Falls Power has been looking for a source of affordable baseload power for at least 10 years. I remember the trip I took in 2006 with Mayor Jared Fuhirman, utility director Jackie Flowers (new on the job at the time) and the City Council to Delta, Utah, when UAMPS was looking to buy into a third coal-fired plant planned for the Intermountain Power Project site. Here's an Associated Press story from the Salt Lake Tribune that ran then: Idaho Falls may buy coal-fired power from Utah.

IPP3, slated to be built by 2012, never got off the drawing board, but Idaho Falls' need for dependable, affordable power at critical times of the year, especially summer, has not gone away. Reliance on run-of-river hydropower from the dams the city built in the 20th century gives it bragging rights for renewables in its portfolio, but the longstanding relationship it has had with Bonneville Power Administration is changing. To me, building a new generation of nuclear power plants on the Idaho desert represents a return to our roots of sorts. This is where nuclear energy was pioneered in the 1950s. I know there is massive enthusiasm for it in Idaho Falls, and that it would create many, many new jobs.

I'm curious to hear what our fellow Idahoans in Twin Falls, Ketchum and Boise are going to have to say about it, which is why I will be curious to see whether these SMRs can be built and online by 2024. Not to pour cold water on anyone, but have you ever seen what happens when lawyers start talking to each other? Wasn't it Eddy Arnold who had a big hit with the title Make the World Go Away?

Community Pathways group funds bike repair on River Walk

Two young cyclists at the bike repair station at B Street and Memorial Drive.

Biking in Idaho Falls just became easier thanks to a generous donation by members of the Idaho Falls Community Pathways (IFCP).

The Dero Fix-it bike repair station recently installed on the River Walk by Memorial Drive and B Street is the first of its kind in Idaho Falls. The station includes a bike stand with tools that are connected by cables. The station also includes pumps that accommodate different valve types. There’s even a QR code on the tower that cyclists can scan with their smartphones to get instructions on such things as fixing a flat tire, adjusting gears and removing a wheel.

Idaho Falls Community Pathways is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting people-powered transportation in Idaho Falls. The organization raised the $1,600 needed for the repair station through donations and fund-raising events such as Earth Day and the Foothills to Freedom Run.

“There are similar devices around the Boise and Jackson pathways,” said IFCP Secretary, Mitch Plummer. “We’d like to see other stations along the River Walk in Idaho Falls and would encourage other organizations to help sponsor them.”

Since 2007, IFCP has also installed flags at more than 60 pedestrian crosswalks throughout Idaho Falls and surrounding areas. Maintenance of the flags is provided by donations, grant money from Walmart and the Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Over the last several years, the organization has also worked with the City of Idaho Falls Public Works Department to leverage approximately $90,000 in Safe Routes to School grants to build bike and pedestrian pathways at Eagle Rock and Taylorview Junior High Schools.

“We are very fortunate to have such an engaged and active organization committed to working with the city to provide safe non-motorized pathways in and around Idaho Falls,” said Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Director, Greg A. Weitzel.

The Parks and Recreation Department is also working on installing six new bike racks to be located next to the restrooms around the River Walk.

“We are grateful for this generous donation. As Idaho Falls becomes a more bike-friendly city, I hope we will see more repair stations and bike racks spring up to support maximum enjoyment for our community,” said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper.

Kneaders reports plan to open in Ammon Sept. 30

The latest on Kneaders is that they are planning to open their restaurant in Ammon on Sept. 30. I was told this Thursday when I called their office in Utah. The date is subject to change, but that’s the scoop.

If you’re interested in applying for a job, here is the link: https://kneaders.applicantpro.com/jobs/

The Utah-based bakery and cafe chain is popular with many eastern Idahoans. “It’s been one of the most common requests in the last two or three years,” said Eric Isom, chief development officer of Ball Ventures, a partner in the Sand Creek Commons shopping center.

The building permit filed March 30 shows plans for building of 4,214 square feet, with a kitchen and serving area of 2,226 square feet and a seating area of 1,618 square feet. Occupancy for the entire restaurant is 143. The original estimated completion date entered was July 31, but that obviously didn’t happen. Don’t ask me why, and good luck asking them.

Kneaders dates back to 1997, when it was founded by Gary and Colleen Worthington. It specializes in European hearth breads made from scratch on site daily, as well as gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries and breakfast items. It also provides catering services for groups of all sizes, from birthday parties to weddings, and offers a variety of retail products including award-winning gift baskets and holiday-themed gifts.

So far, the company has locations in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Idaho, where it opened its first store in Meridian. Like many chains, there is a mix of franchise operations and company-owned stores. The Ammon restaurant will be company owned.

Development team selected for Bonneville Hotel restoration

The development team's artistic rendering of a restored Hotel Bonneville.

The Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency has selected The Housing Company, Myers Anderson Architects and Bateman-Hall General Contractors for the renovation of the historic Bonneville Hotel, at Park Avenue and Constitution Way.

In February, the agency issued a Request for Proposal to developers for renovation plans for the structure. Three proposals were received. After eliciting input on the proposals, a public meeting was held Aug. 18, where applicants were invited to make presentations regarding their approaches.

The proposals and public comment were reviewed, and the agency selected the development team during a meeting Aug. 25.

“This was a very difficult decision, as we had to decide between excellent proposals,” said Lee Redford, the Redevelopment Agency’s chairman. “The proposals were submitted by experienced and creative groups. After extensive consideration, we chose to proceed with the proposal presented by The Housing Company. We appreciate the contributions of these developers and their commitment to improving downtown Idaho Falls, and we look forward to the successful completion of this important project.”

The project will be a mixed-use development with commercial, retail, restaurant and residential spaces. The residential spaces will include studio, and one- and two-bedroom units. The estimated project cost is $10 million. Approximately $440,000 will be funded by the agency while the majority of the funding will be provided by housing and historic preservation tax credits.

A copy of the development team's plan can be found here: Bonneville Hotel Proposal.

The agency has held all along that the facades and features of the building, which was completed in 1927, be renewed or restored. Much of the historic interior detail has been removed throughout the years, and the development team plans to remove most of what is inside. “Our proposed scope of work would include a full demolition of the interior space improvements,” said the document that was presented to the Redevelopment Agency. This includes the removal of all existing plumbing and delivery lines and soil lines, down to the basement and from the basement to the street’s main discharge line. All electrical wiring and fixtures will be removed and discarded except for any fixtures with historical value, which will be sent out for repair and rewiring.

The team said that in conversations with people interested in leasing or buying commercial and retail space two issues came up. One was space for food storage, for a small grocery store or restaurant. The other was all the old mattresses, engine blocks and building elements discarded in the first floor space where the restaurant used to be, and the holes in the walls were pipes were patched, electrical lines recently routed. The dishevelment “only intensifies the difficulty potential owners have in seeing what could be.”

THC was responsible for the restoration of the Whitman Hotel in Pocatello. The company also manages more than 1,500 units, currently assessed at over $48 million.

The proposed plan also includes a roof deck at the second level that will be accessible to both commercial and residential occupants. The deck will include landscaping and exterior amenities for dining, events and relaxation.

"The Housing Company, Myers Anderson Architects and Bateman-Hall Contractors are proud to have been selected by the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency for the renovation of the iconic Bonneville Hotel,” said Douglas Peterson, director of The Housing Company. “We look forward to working with the Agency in finalizing a plan that will benefit the community for many years to come,"

The development team will meet individually with the current tenants in good standing to find reasonable and comparable housing in the area. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2017.

Tammie Whyte joins Thornton Oliver Keller in Idaho Falls

Tammie Whyte

Thornton Oliver Keller Commercial Real Estate has added Tammie Whyte to its eastern Idaho brokerage services team. Whyte specializes in leasing and selling office, industrial, and commercial real estate.

She brings with her years of real estate, legal and business experience in a career that includes practicing in all areas of real estate law and real estate contractual matters. In 2009, she established TDW Law Contract Services, Inc., where she worked closely with client principals and employees helping in the liquidation of a $1.2 billion portfolio of loan assets. She was also responsible for the oversight of legal services for assets in 17 states as well as assisting in the development of the business processes of the companies and assisting in the successful completion of FDIC audits of the portfolio. Before that, she spent six years managing an independently owned title insurance company in Southeast Idaho.

Whyte completed her undergraduate work at Fort Lewis College, in Durango, Colo., and earned her Juris Doctorate degree at Creighton University Law School. She has served as the chair of the Citizens Law Academy, president of the Idaho 7th Judicial District Bar Association, and as a board member for a number of Southeastern Idaho charitable organizations.

Carter's opening store in Ammon Town Center

Ever since my Shoptalk days at the Post Register, I have always been grateful for anyone with a question of a piece of information about new business in the community. Regardless of how it may seem, I am not omniscient. Not by a long shot!

Anyway, I got this email from Jonathan Young on Friday and thought I'd share itL

"My wife and I usually go down to Carter's children's clothing stores in the Salt Lake City area every couple of months since those are the closest to Idaho Falls. I was checking their website the other day to see which store was actually closest to us and the results showed a Carter's opening in Ammon Town Center in October. I believe that is the same location as Albertson's and Boot Barn. I figured your website would be a good way to get the word out to families in eastern Idaho that have young children and love Carter's."

And it's true. The store locator on the Carter's Web site shows that Carter's is coming to Ammon Town Center, 2037 S. 25th East.

Carter’s is the leading brand of children’s clothing, gifts and accessories in America, selling more than 10 products for every child born in the U.S. The company dates back to 1865, when William Carter, an immigrant from Derbyshire, England, built a mill in Needham, Mass., and began manufacturing clothing for children. By the early 1960s, the William Carter Co. manufactured at seven mills in Massachusetts and the south. Nothing the company sells today is made in the U.S.A. The Carter family sold the business in 1990, and it was bought by the Berkshire Investment Group in 2001 from for $450 million from Investcorp, the Bahrain-based merchant bank that had bought the company in 1996. Carter’s acquired the Oshkosh B’Gosh line of children’s clothing in 2005. 

INL names new tech deployment director

Jason Stolworthy

Idaho National Laboratory has named Jason Stolworthy as its new Technology Deployment director. Stolworthy worked at INL for a decade before spending the last three years in the country of Qatar, establishing an intellectual property and technology transfer office for the its government.

Technology Deployment works to deploy and transfer INL-developed technologies to the private sector. Over the past decade, INL has signed 697 new technology license agreements, executed 145 competitive research and development agreements, and completed 417 agreements with federal agencies and private sector entities worth nearly $1.4 billion.

“Moving R&D from the lab to the private sector increases the return on investment from federally funded research, and gives more Americans access to cutting-edge energy technologies,” said Amy Lientz, director of INL’s Partnerships, Engagement and Technology Directorate, which oversees Technology Deployment.

An attorney with a law degree from the University of Idaho, Stolworthy also holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biochemistry from Idaho State University and a master’s in engineering from University of Idaho. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Idaho State Bar, and the Montana State Bar.

Before working at INL, he drafted patent applications, provided opinions, and licensed intellectual property for Washington State University Research Foundation, Qatar Foundation, Hamad Medical Center, Stars of Science Reality TV Show and Qatar University. Stolworthy oversaw intellectual property protection, research and technology related agreements, including a group of attorneys and intellectual property specialist in his international work. Stolworthy’s industry experience includes working for FMC, Simplot and Chemonics. He previously taught Government Contract Law at the University of Idaho.

He has served on the Battelle Commercialization Council and was elected by his peers to chair the Technology Transfer Working Group created by congressional legislation in 2005. He has served as vice chair on the Idaho State Bar’s intellectual property committee. He was appointed by the Governor of Idaho to serve on the Idaho Innovation Council, which was instrumental in increasing Idaho’s focus on technology transfer by instituting a technology transfer function at Idaho State University and establishing uniform technology transfer policies for Idaho universities.

Mark Kaczor, who has been the acting Technology Deployment director, was named INL's senior commercialization lead. More information on the new INL Technology Deployment team is available at www.inl.gov.

EIRMC Imaging Center offers 3D mammography

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s Imaging Center has become the first provider in southeast Idaho offering new 3D mammography.

This new technology detects breast cancer earlier and more accurately, which is important when you consider that breast cancer is 99 percent curable when detected early. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

In 2D mammography, the complexities of breast tissue are reduced to a flat image. In contrast, 3D mammography technology takes many images of the breast, layer by layer, increasing accuracy and detection, and reducing false positives significantly. In fact, 3D mammography detects 41 percent  more invasive breast cancers and reduces false positives up to 40 percent. That means less stress for women with nothing to worry about, and faster treatment for women when it matters.

Health insurance covers an annual screening mammogram each year for women 40 and over. There is no additional cost at EIRMC for a 3D mammogram. Additionally, EIRMC does not require a doctor’s referral for a screening mammogram.

The American College of Radiology suggests that women should have a mammogram each year, beginning at age 40.

GAIN Initiative director named by INL

Dr. Rita Baranwal, new GAIN director

Westinghouse executive Rita Baranwal has been selected to head the Idaho National Laboratory-led Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative. As GAIN director, Baranwal will lead efforts to support the development of innovative reactor technologies in the U.S. She will begin in her new role Aug. 22.

“Rita brings a wealth of industry experience and nuclear fuels and materials science expertise to her new role,” said Dr. Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, associate lab director of Idaho National Laboratory’s Nuclear Science & Technology directorate, who announced the selection. “I’m confident that she will provide strong leadership for the GAIN program as it continues to grow as a catalyst for innovation in advanced nuclear technologies.”

Baranwal served most recently as director of Technology Development in the Engineering Center of Excellence at Westinghouse Electric Corp., and has held many other roles in nuclear fuel design and engineering. She holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan.

Vietnamese restaurant opens on Idaho Falls side of Hitt Road

The interior of Cyclo on Hitt Road, Idaho Falls' new Vietnamese restaurant.

I’ve said for years that Idaho Falls would not reach full culinary maturity until it had a Vietnamese restaurant. That has finally come to pass with the opening of Cyclo at 2994 S 25th East, where Togo’s was briefly.

If you want to visit the Facebook page, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/cyclo.VietnameseCuisine/home. There are plenty of reviews already, and you can look at them here: Cyclo reviews. For a link to the menu, click here: http://cyclocuisine.com/menu/.

The registered agent on file for the restaurant is Cody Do of Boise, who filed papers in March. Cyclo is a common name for Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle taxi that appeared in Vietnam during the French colonial period after a failed attempt to introduce rickshaws. A double-seat cyclo is supported by the two front wheels, with the driver sitting behind.

INL interns to give presentations Thursday

Interns at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will present information on the work they accomplished over the summer during an expo and awards ceremony Thursday at the Energy Innovation Laboratory, 775 University Boulevard.

The awards ceremony will be at 1 p.m., with the expo immediately afterward. Both events are open to the public.

This year boasts more participants than last year’s expo, with approximately 100 of INL’s 350 interns expected to participate. INL interns span educational levels from high school students to university undergraduate and graduate students. Over the summer, interns worked alongside researchers who specialize in a variety of fields ranging from geothermal energy to computational modeling, nuclear science and technology.

INL also will recognize the Mentor of the Year, an award given to an employee who has done an exceptional job working with students. Seven awards will be handed out, including first place in four expo categories, best digital/graphic, best technical presentation, and best overall expo entry.

INL is part of the DOE's complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.

See more INL news at www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory.

Jackson Hole Junction groundbreaking set for Thursday morning

A conceptual rendering of how Jackson Hole Junction might be laid out. 

There will be a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning at 11 on the Jackson Hole Junction development, on Sunnyside Road between Teton Toyota and Interstate 15.

The 42-acre project was announced in June 2015. Matt Morgan of Morgan Construction is spearheading the project.

Millions of dollars in development has taken place since Sunnyside Road was connected with Interstate 15 in 2007: Teton Toyota and Teton Volkswagen, Smith Honda and Smith Chevrolet and Ron Sayer BMW, which is due to open in spring 2017.

Morgan told the Post Register in 2015 that the conceptual plan for Jackson Hole Junction calls for one big box store and a hotel, banks, a gas and convenience store, fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants, smaller retailers and some two-story office space. He said they plan to develop the land in phases over five to seven years.

Culver's restaurant opening on Pancheri Drive, in Taylor Crossing development

Culver’s will be opening a restaurant in Idaho Falls on Pancheri Drive, in the Taylor Crossing on the River development. It will be the fourth in Idaho. The first was opened in Twin Falls in 2014, by Eugene Smith, a fourth-generation Wisconsin dairy farmer who left agriculture and moved west to open a franchise. As an alumnus of Ricks College, where he studied dairy farming, Smith had some experience with eastern Idaho.

The chain dates back to 1984, when George Culver, his wife, Ruth, son Craig, and daughter-in-law Lea, opened the first Culver’s Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers in Sauk City, Wisc. Franchising began in 1987, and after a shaky start the chain expanded into Milwaukee and Madison. By the end of 2011, there were 445 Culver’s restaurants in 19 states.

For more information, here is the link to the company’s Web site: www.culvers.com.

Comments sought on Bonneville Hotel renovation proposals

An old postcard of the Hotel Bonneville, built in 1927.

The Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency Executive Board is seeking public comment on three proposals it has received for renovation of the historic Bonneville Hotel in at Constitution Way and Park Avenue.

The agency issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in February, inviting developers to submit renovation plans for the structure. Three proposals were received. One was from a group consisting of The Housing Company, Myers Anderson Architects and Bateman-Hall General Contractors. The second was from  Widmyer Corp. of Coeur d'Alene. The third was from Thomas Development Co. of Boise.

Copies of each plan can be found here:

Proposal 1

Proposal 2

Proposal 3

Built in 1927 by a community-based consortium, the Bonneville was for years downtown’s prime meeting space. “(It) plays an important role in strengthening downtown Idaho Falls,” said Lee Radford, the Redevelopment Agency’s chairman. “Because this is an important decision for our downtown, the Redevelopment Agency hopes to hear from members of the public regarding which of the proposals best accomplishes the criteria and goals identified in the RFP published earlier this year.”

The agency will hold a public meeting Aug. 18 at noon in the City Council Chambers, 680 Park Avenue. Each of the three project applicants will make a presentation.

Prior to that meeting, the Redevelopment Agency invites members of the public to review the proposals and submit comments regarding which proposals would best accomplish the goals and criteria stated in the RFPs. Comments can be submitted by email to the Redevelopment Agency’s executive director Brad Cramer at bcramer@idahofallsidaho.gov. The deadline for comments is Aug. 17 at 5 p.m.

A Street Soup Market opens in downtown Idaho Falls

Anyone looking for a healthy alternative to fast food at lunch time now has another place to go in downtown Idaho Falls, A Street Soup Market, at 445 A Street.

This is right next door to Black Rock Fine Wine & Craft Beer and across the street from the Colonial Theater. Chef and owner Bryan Lloyd says he has simple goals: to provide simple and fresh soups, sandwiches, salads and artisanal bread baked daily, and fast and friendly service.

“We make everything in house. The sauces and dressing are all made from scratch with the finest ingredients,” he said. “Our meats are seasoned, roasted, and sliced in house.  We make all the soups from carefully picked and sourced ingredients.  We hope you enjoy the food and can taste the time and love put into every bite.”

For a look at the menu, go here: http://www.astreetsoupmarket.com/. To keep up with them on Facebook, here.

The restaurant does take out, and can be reached by phone at (208) 419-3483.

Footnote: A lot of you have been asking when Kneaders is opening in Idaho Falls. I called their corporate headquarters in Utah the other day and the woman I spoke to said they had no set date. I will keep you posted, but that's the news for now.

Lip sync contest to benefit local charity

Tobin Cleaning & Restoration is inviting the community to participate in Lip Sync Battle 2016 next Wednesday at 7 p.m at Civitan Plaza, at the corner of Park Avenue and B Street.

The event is to raise funds for the Idaho Falls Area Humanitarian Center, an organization that supports nearly 100 service organizations.

“Our organization saw the tremendous work of the Idaho Falls Area Humanitarian Center and were impressed by all they do to serve the community,” said Rhett Judy, owner of Tobin Cleaning & Restoration. We wanted to help assist them in their mission by creating a new fund-raising event that will bring the community together for a fun, family-friendly evening that will help others in need, while bringing a few good laughs.”

Teams will check in from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Opening remarks begin at 7:30 p.m. by emcees Brad & Tara from Z103 Morning Show. Performances can be up to 1 1/2 minutes. Props, costumes, and FUN are encouraged. There will be cash prizes for the top three performers.

Download the form at www.tobinrestoration.com and register by Monday by dropping your form off at Tobin Cleaning & Restoration, 3466 E. 20th North, or by e-mailing it to krista@tobinrestoration.com.

Bateman-Hall/Hogan selected as construction manager for Event Center

An architect's rendering of what the Idaho Falls Event Center might look like.

The Idaho Falls Auditorium District has selected Bateman-Hall/Hogan as the construction manager/general contractor for the Idaho Falls Event Center. With about $6 million in the bank, Board Chairwoman Cindy Ozaki said they plan breaking ground on the project in 2017.

The cost of the project has been estimated at $35 million. The district, funded through a hotel bed tax approved by voters in 2011, is collecting about $1.6 million a year.

Bateman-Hall/Hogan submitted a request for qualifications July 1 with three other firms. All four teams were invited for interviews. Bateman-Hall/Hogan’s experience, relationships, and personal commitments impressed the selection committee, Ozaki said.

Bateman-Hall/Hogan has been the contractor on several of the large construction projects in the Idaho Falls area in the last 10 years, including Melaleuca's corporate headquarters, the four new elementary schools in Idaho Falls School District 91, and the Smith Group's Honda and Chevrolet dealerships on Sunnyside Road.

From here, the process has two contract phases. The design phase allows the contractor to work as a team member with the architects and the project owner to identify risks, provide cost projections and refine the project schedule. Once the design phase is complete, the contractor and project owner negotiate the gross maximum price of the construction contract. If all parties are in agreement, construction starts.

The drive for an events center dates back to 1995, when community leaders first started talking about building a “comprehensive multi-purpose complex in southeastern Idaho.”

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. A vote was scheduled for early 1999 and erupted into public war of words, with the opposition led by AmeriTel, a Boise-based hotel chain arguing the tax would hurt its business and drive customers elsewhere. The measure failed, 6,386 to 5,766, and the event center backers went back to the drawing board.

In May 2011, organizers opted to hold the vote in a much more narrowly defined area — mainly Idaho Falls — and it passed with 63 percent of voters in favor.
Ozaki said the Idaho Falls Events Center will be home to a minor league hockey team. The center could also host indoor football, soccer, rodeo, truck pulls, concerts and other events with upward of 6,500 seats. It may also include a 10,000-square-foot banquet space.

“There is nothing in Idaho Falls that can handle this kind of crowd,” Ozaki told the Idaho Business Review in June. “That’s why this is so important.”

The center is to be built on 23 acres at Snake River Landing, the 450-acre mixed-use development near Interstate 15 that includes offices, retail, residential and a hotel. Snake River Landing developer Ball Ventures donated the land to the auditorium district, and it was annexed into Idaho Falls city limits in September 2015.

If the auditorium district were to ask voters to approve the issuance of bonds, those bonds would be paid off over time with money collected from the bed tax, not property taxes, Board Member Bob Everhart told BizMojo Idaho in 2015. 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 would have no liability. “The law says an auditorium district cannot fall back on any governmental entity if it fails,” he said.

Lost Rivers Hospital celebrates relationship with University of Utah

Lost Rivers Medical Center in Arco has served Butte and southern Custer County for nearly 60 years.

Lost Rivers Medical Center will be having a celebration at noon today of its new partnership with University of Utah Health Care.

The agreement sets the stage for LRMC — a facility in Arco that has been on shaky ground more than once in its 58-year history — to provide improved patient access for high-risk medical specialties like advanced cancer care, clinical trials, complex cardiovascular care, neurosciences, and transplant services. It also may include expanded use of tele-health services, as well as satellite clinics staffed by University of Utah specialists.

The agreement also offers the opportunity to benefit from the work the University of Utah is doing around staff development and business efficiency.

“We recognize that no one wants to leave his or her community when they get sick,” said Gordon Crabtree, interim CEO of University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics. “The goal of this partnership is to enhance Lost Rivers Medical Center’s ability to serve the residents in the region with high quality care and better access to specialty care not currently available.”

LRMC CEO Bradley Huerta said he hoped the new partnership will greatly enhance both the accessibility and quality of healthcare. The affiliation does not change ownership, local control and governance, or restrict patient choice in providers.

Lost Rivers Medical Center was originally established in 1958 as an association.  It was operated by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who operated the facility until 1975.

Currently, it operates as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), the designation of which was established by law under the Medicare program.  To be designated as a CAH, a hospital must be located in a rural area, provide 24-hour emergency services, have an average length-of- stay for its patients of  96 hours or less, be located more than 35 miles (or more than 15 miles in areas with mountainous terrain) from the nearest hospital or be designated by its
State as a “necessary provider.” Hospitals may have no more than 25 beds.

Today’s celebration will be in the parking lot beside the Bengal Pharmacy. There will be a free barbecue lunch and tours of the hospital will be available.

Of Facebook and foodies and cast iron skillets ...

Finex cast iron cookware on display at Rush's Kitchen Supply in Idaho Falls.

If you’re the type of person who says, “$200 for a cast iron skillet? You’ve got to be kidding!” rest assured that you’re in good company.

Alex Constantino of Rush’s Kitchen Supply said he had the same thought when he was recently approached by a sales representative from Finex Cast Iron Cookware Co., a Portland, Ore., company that makes artisanal cast iron cookware. While he agreed to take on a few pieces to see how they do -- they are on display at the front of the 345 Lindsay Boulevard store -- he’s says he’s still wrapping his head around the idea that someone might spend four times as much money on a Finex skillet as they would on a Lodge skillet at C-A-L Ranch.

Of course, Rush's has its share of “gotta have” customers, who will spend top dollar on Le Creuset or All-Clad cookware. And cast iron is the latest foodie obsession. What brought me into the store for a look was a story in the New York Times that I saved on my iPhone, Fashioning Cast-Iron Pans for Today’s Cooks.

I suppose this is how commerce works in the 21st century: Knowing from my posts and clicks that I am interested in food and cooking, Facebook routinely puts New York Times food stories in front of me. I save the links. I suppose I am still old-fashioned in that I went to a brick-and-mortar store like Rush’s. I could have looked on Amazon.com or eBay. But I like to keep business local when I can. For his part, Alex seemed amazed that it was a New York Times story that got me in the door.

Did I buy a Finex skillet? No, not on the spot. But they are gorgeous. Each pan is handcrafted and takes about 12 hours to make. They come pre-seasoned, with care instructions. I mentioned it to my wife, because my birthday is less than three weeks away. Overall, the 10-inch skillet with lid appealed the most. The 12-inch skillet was so heavy that a person could develop a truly monstrous tennis forehand from using it.