Ohman takes seat on auditorium district board

John "Mick" Ohman

The Idaho Falls Auditorium District (IFAD) has added John “Mick” Ohman to its board of directors, filling the vacancy left by Ryan Meikle.

Ohman has been an attorney in Idaho for more than 40 years. He received his BSBA and Juris Doctor degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He is an active contributor to a wide range of local charitable organizations and activities, served as an officer in the United States Army, and has served as Chairman of the Idaho Transportation Board. He is a member of the Idaho and Nebraska State Bars, the United States District Courts, the United States Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

The Idaho Falls Auditorium District was established in 2011 and is involved in the planning and eventual construction of an events center in the Snake River Landing development on the city’s south side. Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Business Development Center, 425 N. Capital Ave. For more information, visit www.idahofallsauditoriumdistrict.com.

Idaho Falls real estate agent elected to Women's Council of Realtors executive committee

Chris Pelkola Lee

Idaho Falls real estate dynamo Chris Pelkola Lee was elected to the executive committee of the Women’s Council of Realtors at its annual national conference, which ended Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

Lee is the owner of simpLEE Home. A native of the Chicago area, she has been a licensed Realtor in Idaho since 2007 and a licensed associate broker since 2011. Her certifications include:

• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
• Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
• Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
• Performance Management Network (PMN)
• Short Sales and Foreclosure Resources Certification (SFR)
• REALTOR® Technology Certification (ePRO)

“I find I have become quite passionate about guiding my clients through the transaction process and helping them avoid potential pitfalls and inherent risks along the way,” she said. “The data is out there for everyone. My role is as a guide, trusted advisor and negotiator.”

The Women’s Council of Realtors dates back to the 1930s, when the National Association of Real Estate Boards witnessed a growth of women working in real estate and an increased participation of women at national conventions. A Women's Division had been created in 1924 by the California Real Estate Association, and in 1938 National President Joseph Catherine encouraged the formation of a national Women's Council after being impressed by the California group.

At the time, NAR was already 30 years old, but most decisions were still made by local boards — most of which were resistant to offering membership to women. However, the National Association was ready to recognize women in real estate, and a positive vote resulted in the formation of a women's division at the Annual Convention in Milwaukee in November 1938. Thirty-seven ambitious women represented nine states at that meeting for Women's Council's inception.

For more information about Lee, here is a link to her Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/IFListings/?pnref=lhc

Idaho Business Review seeking Women of the Year nominees

The Idaho Business Review is taking nominations through Nov. 14 for its annual Women of the Year honors.

The award honors women who are shaping Idaho's economic and community well-being through their outstanding leadership, mentoring efforts and community involvement. Now in its 12th year, IBR's Women of the Year is presented by Hawley Troxell Attorneys and Counselors.

Two eastern Idaho finalists honored earlier this year were Rebecca Noah Casper, mayor of Idaho Falls, and Dana Boothe Kirkham, mayor of Ammon. No  arguing with their selection, but perhaps it would be a good idea to widen our scope a little more this year.

Nominations are open to successful women from public, private and
charitable businesses in Idaho. The application deadline is Nov. 30 and the finalists will be announced Dec. 16. The gala will be held in Boise on March 9. Women can be honored up to three times, earning them a place in the Circle of Excellence.

Here is a link to the nomination form: http://idahobusinessreview.com/nominate/

Here’s a link to the program from last spring: 2016 Idaho Business Review Women of the Year

Madsens retiring from craft business after nearly 40 years

The sign at Madsen's store on West Broadway, which has been open since 1999. Before then, Dale and Pat Madsen were in the Skyline Shopping Center.

By CARRIE SNIDER
EastIdahoNews.com

After nearly 40 years of hard work and memories, owners Dale and Pat Madsen are retiring.

The Madsens have developed long-lasting relationships with their customers over the years.
Dale is often found on the floor of the store in his signature hat his children gave him several years ago. He’s a definite people person with a frugal nature and good business savvy, Pat said. Plus, he just loves what he does.

Their customers are not happy to see the store go. “We’ve had customers come in and say, ‘We aren’t sure how we are going to get on without you,’” said Dale.

The store as it is today got its start after Dale earned his degree in business management, and he found that working in the Sears management program in Utah wasn’t his cup of tea.

“I wanted to get back to where I grew up,” said Dale, who is originally from the Rigby area.
He and Pat had two small children at the time, and Pat remembers Dale calling her with the news.

“He told me he had quit Sears and had a job in Idaho Falls, and we didn’t even have a place to live yet,” said Pat.

But it all worked out just fine, she added. Dale went to work for the Ben Franklin store in the former Skyline shopping center at the corner of Broadway and Skyline in west Idaho Falls. It was a popular franchise variety store, and Dale thrived there. After four years, he bought the store from the owner.
As the business landscape changed, more people headed to big box stores for variety items, but

Dale’s store had a loyal following of those looking for unique crafts and fabrics. So in 1999, they bought the land and built the building where Madsen’s sits today, changing the name and focus to be crafts, fabric and framing.

“It was a big investment, but it worked out,” said Pat.

These days, Dale directs the day-to-day operations, while Pat takes care of payroll and ordering all of the fabric—a big job by itself, but one she has loved.

“I’ve been sewing since I was 8 years old,” she said. “People love our fabric. The quality is different.”

Pat said that the type of sewing people do has changed a lot over the years; many people used to sew their own clothes, but these days it is all about quilting.

“This has become the go-to place for the quilting groups in the area,” said long-time employee Sallie Hobbs.

Hobbs will miss the atmosphere of Madsen’s, where she will spend a lot of time cutting fabric up until closing day.

“Dale is optimistic and honest. It is a good place to work,” she said.

It’s also been a good place for the Madsen family. Dale and Pat have seven children and 24 grandchildren, and they fondly remember raising their children while juggling their time being small-business owners. In fact, the Madsens often brought their children to the store to help out with different things.

“When our kids get together they talk about all the stuff we made them do, like stocking yarn, building bikes, inventory, and building trampolines on Christmas Eve,” Pat said.

Although owning your own business is tough and isn’t something you do if you want to be a millionaire, it has its advantages, the couple said.

“Dale has been able to take the time to coach basketball and baseball,” Pat said.

Now, although Dale and Pat plan to keep their trampoline and swing set business open, they will be able to visit their family more.

“When it’s time to retire, you just know,” Pat said.

Remodeling permit issued for Black Bear Diner on 17th Street

The Black Bear Diner in Chubbuck, which opened earlier this year.

Looks like work has finally started on converting the Rusio’s building at 1610 E. 17th Street to a Black Bear Diner. In addition to the chain link fence around the work site, city records show a commercial remodel permit, applied for Aug. 12, was issued on Tuesday.

The general contractor on the 458,104 square-foot project is Bateman Hall. There is no set date for an opening yet. The space has been vacant since Rusio’s closed in 2015, but developer Shane Murphy of Venture One Properties announced in May he had lined up Black Bear, a company based in Redding, Calif., which already has a restaurant in Chubbuck.

The chain dates back to 1994 in Mount Shasta, Calif., when it was founded by Bob and Laurie Manley with help from Bruce Dean.  The franchise has grown to more than 76 locations in eight western states, including two in Idaho, in Boise and Chubbuck. Black Bear Diner was recognized in 2015 by Franchise Times as one of the smartest growing brands.

Black Bear features a rustic motif with "over-the-top bear paraphernalia". Every restaurant is decorated with a 12-foot-tall black bear carving by artist Ray Schulz. Additional murals and artwork are created for each restaurant by Steve and Gary Fitzgerald and Colleen Mitchell-Veyna.

The menu format mimics an old newspaper titled, “The Black Bear Gazette,” with articles on the front page. It offers family meals such as breakfast, burgers, salads, and shakes. Pies, bread and cobblers are prepared on site.


For a full menu and additional information, visit blackbeardiner.com.

Angel Fund reps to visit Idaho Falls Nov. 2

Kevin Learned, Mark Roberts and Vina Rathbone from the Gem State Angel Fund will be coming to Idaho Falls Nov. 2 to talk about the possibilities for angel investment in eastern Idaho.

The Gem State Angel Fund is a state-wide angel fund that claims as its mission investment in promising start-up companies from across the state. It is being organized by the Boise Angel Alliance, which was founded in 2004, a time when entrepreneurial activity in the Treasure Valley was anemic. The BAA not only created capital, but also became one of the prime encouragers of entrepreneurial activity. Members provided coaching and worked with other entrepreneurial support groups to further develop entrepreneurs.

Twelve years and three funds later, there is a entrepreneurial support system in place including many government and private programs, several entrepreneurial co-working facilities, and residential incubators.
Just as accelerators and incubators foster the development of novice entrepreneurs, angel funds incubate new angels. By participating in an angel fund, members learn best practices alongside more experienced angels, and reduce their risk through a diversified portfolio.

The Gem State Angel Fund is an investment fund seeking to pool the capital resources of accredited investors and invest those resources in early or pre-revenue stage companies located within Idaho. The fund’s objective will be to promote business and economic development in the region while providing its members with the potential for investment returns. The fund is selling up to 40 units of membership interest at $50,000 per unit.

The event in Idaho Falls is being sponsored by Key Bank, Research & Business Development Center, Moffat Thomas and the Idaho Small Business Development Center. To register, follow this link: Gem State Angel Fund Event Tickets.

City Bagel & Bakery now open in downtown Idaho Falls

City Bagel & Bakery, now open, involved extensive remodeling of an old downtown property.

It took a lot longer than they anticipated, but Lynn and Gene Winter and their family have opened City Bagel & Bakery in the 101-year-old Shane Building, at the corner of Shoup Avenue and A Street.

This is the space formerly occupied by Lily’s Consignment. With 1,200 square feet for the dining area (on two levels) and 800 for the kitchen, the overhaul has been a top-to-bottom enterprise. They tore out three ceilings and peeled away decades’ worth of changes. The only things remaining from Lily’s are two dressing rooms, which are now used for airbrushing cakes.

The Winters are joined in the business by their daughters Jill, who handles payroll and human resources, and Angie Suseno, who works in the kitchen, son-in-law Sigit Suseno, son Michael and chef Martie Jaramillo. They are serving bagels and baked goods, developing a menu for soups and sandwiches and waiting on a beer and wine license.

They wanted special for their coffee and landed upon Gillie’s Coffee Co., one of New York City's oldest and most successful coffee merchants. If you’ve never seen nitro coffee on tap, this is your chance.

The bakery opened Oct. 15 with a blessing from their pastor at St. John Lutheran Church. They are looking forward to a grand opening sometime later this year.

Baking is nothing new to Winter. Her mother, Marjorie Bidwell, and aunt, Beth McCammon, had a custom bakery in Pocatello, and in high school and college she worked in a German bakery inside the long-gone OK’s grocery store.

She later became the Post Register’s creative services director, but continued making custom wedding cakes, even winning prizes with them. “It’s just something I’ve always liked to do,” she said.

When she left the Post Register in 2007, she began baking more and charging for her work. The business grew, and she started looking at locations in earnest in 2013. “We’re really happy to be downtown,” she said.

JFoster & Associates earns special small business certification

Julie Foster

JFoster & Associates, a small business located in Idaho Falls, has been accepted into a federal program that makes it eligible to compete for and receive certain federal contracts and receive business development assistance.

The designation under the 8(a) Small Business Development program opens many new doors for JFA, said owner Julie Foster.

The 8(a) program was created to help underrepresented small business owners break into government contracting and give them assistance and resources. It involves a rigorous application process and usually takes two years to qualify. Foster managed to gain certification in a year and a half because she had more than 25 years in the construction, energy, and engineering industries, where she worked in contract, project, and program management. She also has a strong business development background. She opened JFoster & Associates, LLC in March of 2015.

Foster has also been highly involved in civic organizations and committees that benefit her community, and was recently named to the State of Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance  Communication and Outreach Task Force.

She was raised in Pocatello, and has lived in Idaho Falls for the past 15 years. She is a graduate of Idaho State University, and her sons are attending College of Idaho and Boise State University.

“I love Idaho and want to continue to serve and give back to my community wherever I can.  I want to help secure a better future for our kids and the next generations.”

The 8(a) program works in two phases over nine years and offers specialized business training, counseling, and marketing assistance and the opportunity to receive sole-source contracts. Additionally, the Woman-Owned Small Business federal contract program authorizes contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible small businesses owned by women.

“These are amazing programs, and we are honored to be a part of them,” Foster said. Foster is excited about the certification and the doors and opportunities it allows for her business. Her focus has been on local business, including the Idaho National Laboratory and the Idaho Cleanup Project, but the program will enable her to launch into larger prime contracts for the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

Exodus Escape Rooms opening on Park Avenue

Jennifer and Steve Jones

Steve and Jennifer Jones are getting ready to open what will be a first for Idaho Falls, Exodus Escape Rooms, at 387 Park Avenue.

An escape room is a physical adventure game in which players are locked in a room and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles and escape within a set time limit. Inspired by "escape the room" video games, they started in Asia about 10 years ago, spread to Europe and eventually the United States. Games are set in a variety of fictional locations, such as prison cells, dungeons and space stations, and are popular as team building exercises.

The Joneses said they had fun participating in escape rooms in Utah and California, and saw the field was wide open in Idaho Falls. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to connect with each other,” said Jennifer Jones. They are looking at opening Nov. 1, and are busy remodeling two rooms.

Nobody gets locked up in either room, it’s more of a race against time. The first room, “The Family Jewels,” for two to eight players, involves playing at being cat burglars assigned to break into “Great Auntie’s” house, find her fortune and escape with it within an hour, because the alarm has notified the police. The second room, “Contagion,” involves preventing a mad scientist from releasing a deadly virus onto the world. It has to be found and extracted within an hour.

The scenarios can accommodate two to eight players. “We’re just looking to provide something for date night that’s different from dinner and a movie,” Jennifer Jones said.

Jennifer was working at Biolife International before embarking on this small business adventure. Steve remains employed by the Sleep Center at Mountain View Hospital.

To learn more or book an engagement, visit the web site at Exodus Escape Rooms. The Facebook page can be found here.

Idaho Falls man develops Slydisk game, giving demo Friday at Tautphaus Park

Tracy Scott of Idaho Falls has a new game to introduce to the community, Slydysk, which combines elements of bocce, curling, bowling, and shuffleboard.

He will be giving a demonstration, and inviting guests to play, Friday night at 9:15 at the Tautphaus Park ice rink.

Scott has developed Slydysk with a company called TESENT Games, and has been funding the project with a Kickstarter page. As of this morning, he’d raised $2,790 from 22 backers. You can visit the link here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/icebocce/slydysk-playing-the-game-of-icebocce.

Scott grew up playing hockey in Idaho Falls, so he is no stranger to what might be possible. Here is a video of him explaining his inspiration for this game.

“Slydysk can be played individually or with teams,” he said. “It is easy to learn and suitable for all ages, meaning anyone can get involved. The team behind this fun game is crowdfunding on Kickstarter to get the product launched. Backers will get to enjoy awesome rewards, including stellar deals on Slydysk sets.

Small businesses in clean energy invited to collaborate with national labs

Small businesses in the clean-energy sector have another opportunity to apply for technical help from U.S. Department of Energy labs through the Small Business Vouchers Pilot.

Johanna Wolfson, Technology-to-Market director in the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, launched the pilot’s third round on Oct. 10 at South By Southwest Eco in Austin, Texas. The pilot, part of EERE’s Lab Impact portfolio, aims to help small businesses bring next-generation clean-energy technologies to market faster by giving them access to expertise and tools at national labs.

The SBV Pilot opened its first funding round in fall 2015 and launched its second last spring. Since then, nearly 800 applications have been reviewed, and 76 small businesses from 25 states have been awarded a total of $14.7 million in vouchers.

EERE recently announced a Small Business Voucher to help Idaho National Laboratory continue work on an electrochemical process to recover gold, silver, palladium and other metals from discarded cell phones and other electronic devices. The lab has received money to work with e-Materials Recovery, a company based in Austintown, Ohio, that has developed a processes that reduces printed circuit boards to char without producing the toxic fumes associated with more widely used smelting processes.

INL researchers Tedd Lister (right) and Luis Diaz-Aldana are reclaiming base metals and rare-earth elements from used cell phones and other electronics. Through the Small Business Voucher program, they are collaborating with a e-Materials Recovery of Austintown, Ohio. (INL photo by Chris Morgan)

To read the story, follow this link: Recyling Critical Materials: Collaboration With Ohio Company to Recover Gold, Minerals From Electronic Devices.

For this third round, EERE welcomes the chance to collaborate with small businesses that have little to no experience working with a DOE national laboratory.

Individual vouchers range from $50,000 to $300,000 per small business and can be used to perform collaborative research or access to lab instrumentation or facilities. Companies selected must also provide a 20 percent, in-kind cost share for completing voucher work.

Vouchers are available in nine clean-energy research and development areas:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Bioenergy
• Buildings
• Fuel cells
• Geothermal
• Solar
• Vehicles
• Water
• Wind

Businesses interested in SBV funding must be U.S.-based and U.S.-owned, with no more than 500 full-time employees worldwide. In rounds three and four, $12 million is available for vouchers. Companies have until Nov. 10 to submit RFAs.

To learn more about Idaho National Laboratory’s expertise and the process to submit a RFA, please visit http://www.SBV.org or contact Tammie Borders, tammie.borders@inl.gov (208-526-3992).

Teton Guitars auctioning off guitar for Breast Cancer Awareness

Teton Guitars, a subsidiary of Chesbro Music, is auctioning off one of its models this month to help raise awareness about breast cancer. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so this is the time of year you see a lot of efforts like this.

The auction, for a STF105CENT, is on eBay, and you can find it by clicking here. The STG105CENT is Teton Guitars’ best-selling acoustic-electric. It features a solid western red cedar top with layered mahogany back and sides. It includes Fishman electronics with its grand concert body shape and has a 25.5” scale length. The front of the guitar has a pink ribbon painted on it with a finish applied over the paint. The ribbon was hand-painted by  Jeremy Webster, host of Teton Guitars’s “Teton TV” YouTube channel, and was applied to mask a slight cosmetic irregularity in the wood, which rendered it “B” stock. The classic Teton sound, structure, and playability are not compromised The guitar comes with a Teton Guitars branded gig bag.

Every penny the auction raises (minus eBay fees) will be donated to the Teton Cancer Institute to help them provide treatment to those who are unable to afford it. The auction ends next Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7 MDT.

Anyone with questions can contact Ben Parker at 208-932-1228 or ben@tetonguitars.com.

INL welcomes first Russell L. Heath Postdoctoral Associate

Dr. Cheng Sun

Idaho National Laboratory is welcoming Dr. Cheng Sun as its first honoree under the Russell L. Heath Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate Program.

“This is INL’s first distinguished postdoctoral appointment and we look forward to it being the first of many,” said Mark Peters, INL lab director.

Sun comes to INL from Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he has been a postdoctoral associate since May 2013. He holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Texas A&M University. His research areas include advanced structural materials, nanostructured materials, and mechanical property relationships of materials in extreme conditions such as high temperature and high flux.

"We are pleased and excited to announce and introduce our first Russell Heath Distinguished Postdoc to the INL," said Kelly Beierschmitt, deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology. "Dr. Sun's expertise and passion has distinguished him among his peers and we look forward to what he brings to our scientific community."

The Russell L. Heath postdoctoral appointment has been established to attract, recruit, develop and inspire early-career researchers who have the potential to develop into INL’s future scientific and technical leaders. It is named after Dr. Russell L. Heath, who came to the Atomic Energy Commission's National Reactor Testing Station in 1952, gained an international reputation as the "Father of Gamma Ray Spectrometry." The national laboratory now called INL was established as the AEC’s National Reactor Testing Station in 1949.

“We have high hopes for all of our postdoctoral appointments and believe we are going to see great things from our first distinguished postdoc, Dr. Sun,” Peters said. “This marks the beginning of a new adventure for INL, one we anticipate brings even greater attention to our reputation for outstanding science and innovation.”

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

For more information on Dr. Cheng Sun’s appointment as Russell L. Heath postdoctoral associate, see www.inl.gov. See more INL news at www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory.

New Fort Hall Casino groundbreaking set for Oct. 17

An artist's rendering of the new Fort Hall Casino, which will be attached to the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center.

The Fort Hall Business Council has planned an official groundbreaking Oct. 17 on its $35 million expansion to the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel & Event Center.

The project, dubbed Casino Expansion Phase II, includes a 72,984-square-foot casino that will be directly attached to the existing event center.

Ormond Builders, Inc. of Idaho Falls, has been named the new contractor for the project, according to a press release. The contractor provided one of several bids submitted and reviewed by the Business Council and the Tribes’ project team, which includes the Tribes’ finance, planning, TERO/TOSHA, and gaming staff.

According to the release, the construction agreement includes a one-story new casino, an 8,084-square-foot bingo hall, and a pre-function corridor with connected storage.

The pre-function corridor and storage will be located along the north side of the existing Chiefs Events Center. It will complete functional requirements not started during construction of the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center.

Groundbreaking for the new venue was originally set for early spring, but the project stalled when the original architect, Indian-owned, Thalden-Boyd-Emery Architects of St. Louis, withdrew.
It is estimated the project will add about 90 jobs over a 16-month construction period.

Stan's Paint Clinic moves to new location

Hutch Gold, who owns Stan's Paint Clinic with his wife, Robin.

Stan’s Paint Clinic, a fixture on Northgate Mile next door to North Hi-way Cafe for 41 years, has moved to a new address in the Country Club Shopping Center, next door Radio Shack.

Owners Hutch and Robin Gold made the move in early September, and are hoping to have a grand opening sometime in early October. Their location, 1521 Northgate Mile, used to be Hollywood Video, and some of the old video store artwork was still on the walls when I poked my nose in Wednesday afternoon.

In making the move, they have doubled their floor space from 4,000 to about 8,000 square feet. They are very happy about the parking in front. Their old location was sold to Wes and Roxanne Smith, owners of the North Hi-way and also the Blue Wave on Rolland.

Stan’s Paint Clinic carries consumer, professional, industrial and automotive paints, as well as a full array of supplies. For more information, call 523-0031.

Kneaders in Ammon opening Friday morning

Staff at Kneaders were busy Wednesday getting the restaurant ready for its official opening Friday.

Kneaders in Ammon’s Sandcreek Commons shopping center has been serving customers in the the past few day through a soft opening and special events, but the actual opening is at 7 a.m. Friday. Free French toast — all you can eat — will be served to the first 100 customers (who will also receive t-shirts).

The restaurant is being managed by Bobbi Elliot, previously the food service manager at the Flying J Travel Stop near Interstate 15 Exit 113. The restaurant is 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.

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 more than 42 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 is company owned.

Eric Isom, chief development officer of Ball Ventures, the co­-developer of Sand Creek
Commons, said that when courting tenants for their projects they have sought a lot of input from locals. Because so many people travel from eastern Idaho to Utah, there has been a lot of interest in Kneaders. “It’s been one of the most common requests in the last two or three years,” he said.

EIRMC launches canned food drive to mark 30th anniversary

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this fall. The hospital opened its doors on Dec. 22, 1986.

One of the ways it plans to observe the occasion is with a canned food drive. The goal is to collect 30,000 cans to benefit 11 food banks in the region EIRMC serves. The hospital sees patients from all over eastern Idaho, from Driggs to Blackfoot, including Idaho Falls.

“We are thrilled and honored to participate in EIRMC’s celebration of three decades of caring for our community,” said Bud Langerak, executive director of the Community Food Basket in Idaho Falls. “The coinciding food drive will help several food pantries serve our friends and neighbors with food insecurity. I encourage our communities to support this great event with food donations at EIRMC and the free online donation process.”

Community members can help with the food drive in two ways. They can drop off cans of food in the EIRMC main lobby or cafeteria at any time. Or they can deliver canned foods to the participating food banks and tell them it is for the EIRMC food drive.

Second, community members can visit EIRMC30Years.com to “virtually donate” to the food drive. Visitors can submit their email each day and EIRMC will donate on their behalf.

The EIRMC30Years.com website includes a count of the total cans donated so far, which is updated weekly. On the website, visitors will also find historical photos, stories from longtime employees, EIRMC history, and other information about the 30 year anniversary.

The canned food drive is scheduled to run through the end of December.

Here is a complete list of food banks: Community Dinner Table (Blackfoot Community Pantry), Community Food Basket (Idaho Falls), Cornerstone Pentecostal Food Bank, Family Crisis Center (Rexburg), Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen, Jefferson County Food Bank, North Bingham County Community Food Bank, North Fremont Food Pantry, Salvation Army (Idaho Falls), St. Vincent de Paul, and Teton Valley Food Bank.

Pinecrest Event Center opens Friday

A seating area in the new Pinecrest Event Center, which opens Friday.

Pinecrest Event Center, 505 E. Anderson Street, is opening for its first event this weekend. This is the space that used to be Lamont’s in the Country Club Mall. With more than 25,800 square feet, including a 19,500 reception hall, it is equipped to handle banquets up to 1,600 or a theater setting of up to 2,100 people.

Business owners Jay and Cathy Dye saw a need for a place that could handle large parties, banquets and receptions, trade shows and special events. For the past two holiday seasons, the only sizable option in Idaho Falls has been the Shilo Inn.

The calendar has been filling up. Following the Home Improvement and Remodeling Expo this weekend, events include the Habitat for Humanity Hoedown (Sept. 30), the Pink Dance Party Zumbathon benefit for the Rex and Tiffany Redden Foundation (Oct. 1), the 10th Annual Policeman’s Ball (Oct. 7), and the Idaho Falls Gem and Mineral Rock and Jewelry Sale (Oct. 8). In November the Idaho Falls Ski Club Sale and Fest will be there, as will the 42nd Annual Festival of Trees.

For more information, call (208) 227-8088, or check out the Web page, pinecresteventcenter.net/.

I.F. Advertising Federation holding annual kickoff Thursday

The Idaho Falls Ad Federation will be starting its 2016-17 season with its annual Season Kick-off and Recruitment Party Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Snow Eagle Brewery, 455 River Parkway.

IFAF is a non-profit, volunteer trade organization made up of members in the marketing, advertising, design, web, social media and public relations industries. Its avowed purpose is to promote professional development among its membership and foster creativity through education. It hosts a monthly “Lunch and Learn” session, where guest speakers share expertise and offer inspiration.

Thursday's mixer is a way to meet creatives, designers, and media representatives while enjoying food and drinks. Memberships will be on sale.

For more information about AdFed, visit the organization's Web site: https://ifadfed.wordpress.com/

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?