Progress
Southeast Idaho
Idaho State Journal
Introducing the
Portneuf Wellness Complex
Page 12
Some of what’s inside n Pine Ridge Mall n Restaurants n Banks
n Hotels n ISU n Magnida
n Grace Lutheran High n Auto industry n Pocatello event center 1
TableofContents The
Portneuf Wellness Complex
12
Hannah Leone/Idaho State Journal
What’sinside Pine Ridge Mall
3
Auto industry
17
Idaho State University
4
Amy’s Kitchen
18
Banking
6
Montessori
18
Restaurants in Pocatello
8
Coffee
19
Hotels
10
Western States Equipment 20
Economic Development
11
Portneuf Medical Center 20
Event center in Pocatello 14
Charter schools
21
Grace Lutheran High School 15
Magnida
22
16
Health West
22
Old Town Pocatello
2
Shopping for optimism Mall management hopeful about Pine Ridge Mall’s future By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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eneath vaulted skylights and speckled tan ceilings, retailers at the Pine Ridge Mall are beating the mall management’s quarterly projections. “We continue to project optimistically,” said Stephen White, senior vice president for Covington Realty Partners, the mall’s management group. Built in 1981, the mall is home to about 36 retailers inside and five operating on out parcels. This mix of home-grown mom and pop shops and national retailers fill 84 percent of the center’s total possible occupancy.
Journal File Photo
Though the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck has seen better days, the mall’s retailers are seeing sales that are beating projections, suggesting that the shopping center is headed in the right direction. in March, Animal Riders opened in April, Coffee Town opened in June and the Carmike Big D theater expansion quickly followed suit. Soon, Panera Bread will start interior work on its new restaurant located on the site of the old Carmike Theater. In addition, Deseret Book, The
“We want a mix of local, regional and national to keep people shopping at Pine Ridge rather than traveling to other cities,” White said. As far as new businesses to the mall, a Discount Tire store is being built between the Panda Express and Wells Fargo. BCS Dogs opened
Purse Gypsy and Head Over Heels have all relocated their businesses within the mall. Prior to those changes, C-A-L Ranch signed on with the Pine Ridge Mall, marking a major boon for the retail center. See Mall, Page 23
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Idaho State University’s Holt Arena.
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
What’s new at isu
By Josh Friesen jfriesen@journalnet.com
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hile Idaho State University’s plans to develop and build a new, $20 million basketball arena is high on its list of priorities, there are a few things happening that indicate the college is making a splash on a national and global scale. Whether it’s a $1 million upgrade to the ISU Anatomy and Physiology Lab, a $612,000 grant used for scholarships of ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, or partnerships with outside parties for research and development, ISU is establishing itself as a university that can make a mark.
A new place to play basketball In early May of 2015, ISU Director of Athletics Jeff Tingey announced his involvement in the initial stages of building a 4,000-seat basketball stadium on ISU’s campus. Currently, ISU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams play in sepa4
rate arenas. The Bengal men play in Holt Arena, while the ISU women call Reed Gym their home. Over time, both venues have become less than ideal for men’s and women’s collegiate basketball. Reed Gym is outdated and has struggled to house the needs of ISU women’s basketball. Holt Arena is spacious enough for the Bengal football team but too large and hallow for basketball games. Both teams suffer through their respective venue’s issues, and Tingey hopes a new basketball stadium will solve them. “I think the community of Pocatello is interested in this,” Tingey said in a Journal article in May. “The university is interested in this. Basketball and volleyball fans are interested in it. It’s something that would be beneficial to the university, to the student-athletes, to the community in general.” ISU hopes to fund the project through donations from individuals and corporations. But securing the funds will be a massive task. The project will require more money
than ISU’s athletic program has ever raised. Tingey is confident the steps to move forward will come soon. “We know that this needs to happen,” he said. “We’ve heard people say before it can’t be done. ‘This is Idaho. It can’t be done.’ Why not?”
ISU partners with NASA The wildfires that ravaged much of the northwestern United States in the summer of 2015 were combated not just by firefighters, but by a joint venture headed up by Idaho State University and NASA. According to an ISU press release, wildfire managers who were tasked with battling the 280,000acre Soda Fire in western Idaho were aided by a Geographic Information System (GIS) satellite imagery decision support system developed by ISU and NASA. The computerized system is called the Rehabilitation Capability Convergence for Ecosystem Recovery (RECOVER). It takes the form of multilayered GIS maps, deploys automatically and is site-specific. ISU and NASA worked in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, as well as other agencies, to develop it. “The land management agencies are doing all the work to fight the fire,” said Keith Weber, principal investigator on the project and director of the ISU GIS Training and Research Center. “What we are doing is supporting them so they can make good decisions quickly about how to
fight the fire and later how to manage the land after the fire is out.” Over the course of fighting the Soda Fire, BLM requested RECOVER webmaps four separate times. Pre-planning the post-wildfire process even while the fire wasn’t fully contained helped wildfire managers move forward.
ISU Anatomy and Physiology Lab gets a big upgrade The quality of Idaho State University’s anatomy and physiology classes are already sterling. According to a recent ISU press release, a $1 million upgrade to the facility has given it yet another boost, affecting the hundreds of students currently using it and the thousands of students who will use it in the future. “The ability for our professors to teach in the cadaver lab is greatly enhanced by the improvements,” said project manager Doug Simpson. The funding for the improvements were provided by the Idaho Permanent Building Fund.
Idaho State University joins with NuMat NuMat Inc., a world-class research and development and specialized materials fabrication firm, has reached an agreement with Idaho State University for joint research and development conducted at the Research and Innovation in Science and Engineering (RISE) Complex in Pocatello.
The research will involve a number of different areas, including advanced manufacturing, medical isotope production and materials science, according to an ISU press release. “Idaho State University has unique capabilities at the RISE Complex that we feel are perfect for our work in bringing high-quality, specialized materials to the market while also conducting leading-edge R&D on exciting applications that take advantage of these advanced materials.”
ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center awarded grant The National Science Foundation awarded a $612,375 grant to Idaho State University’s Energy System Technology and Education Center (ESTEC), and at least 35 incoming students will benefit from the funding, according to an ISU press release. The grant will allow students to receive up to $4,000 per semester as part of ISU’s five-year Energy Systems Scholars Project. ESTEC specifically targets promising high school students from all over the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West. “We expect to recruit promising students from the ranks of recent high school graduates,” said Lawrence Beaty, ESTEC director. “The success of these students will help to create a broader career path for students interested in STEM careers.”
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Banking: By Vanessa Grieve For the Journal
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onsumer demand has helped drive the direction of banking locally and nationally. New technology is making it possible for consumers to have more power over managing their accounts. Brian Berrett, Idaho Central Credit Union’s chief financial officer, has been in banking and with the Chubbuck-based credit union for 23 years. In his tenure, he’s seen financial institution loan margins shrink and look for new revenue streams. Within the last few years, technological advancements and online banking have dramatically changed the way people bank. Online banking has given the consumer more access and control to manage their own accounts, transfer money and pay bills, among other things. Financial institution mobile applications have made it possible to remotely deposit checks. Amy Rhoads, president of the Pocatellobased Citizens Community Bank, sees people of all ages taking advantage of these services now more than in the past. “Technology has increased consumer convenience at (our) bank exponentially,” Rhoads said. Rhoads said technological advancements have increased security issues and have prompted implementation of additional security software to guard against all types of fraud. “We invest much larger amounts of both time and money dealing with the results of security breaches across the country,” Rhoads said, citing well-known hacks of Albertsons, Target, Bluecross/Blueshield, Harvard and even government agencies like the IRS and the U.S. Army. “Personal information was obtained in each of these and often is used for fraudulent reasons. Our systems and personnel have been increased to try to minimize resulting risks to our customers.” In addition to more secure software, technology and consumer demand have meant boosting information technology infrastructure to make products available and secure. “We have to hire a lot more people in the IT field than we’ve ever had to hire in the past because the consumer demands it, and that is where the market is heading,” Berrett said. “We love adopting (new technology) and we
Embracing new technology and reaping the benefits
6 banking trends this year 1: Brick-and-mortar branches are getting makeovers, moving or taking up less square footage. 2: The advent of the universal banker: Tellers have more responsibilities than just transactions. They are providing more services and pitching products and services to customers. 3: Mobile apps: Following online banking developments, smartphones are quickly becoming the primary banking tool. 4: Security: Financial institutions are beefing up their security and authentication measures, and consumers are given more responsibility to protect their own identity via cellphone locks and antivirus software. 5: New chip cards: Security breaches have prompted financial institutions and credit card companies to roll out EMV-chip cards for greater security than magnetic strip cards. 6: Payment technology: Smartphone wallets and virtual technology could replace cash and coin transactions. (From Bankrate.com) have to have more people on the back side to make sure they are working, test them and make sure they run smoothly, and most of all to make sure they are secure.” Rhoads said the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was passed in 2010, is one example of the new regulations impacting banking practices and customers every day. The increase in federal regulations has caused financial institutions to increase their compliance personnel. “We have created new positions to handle day-to-day regulation requirements and others to monitor and ensure we are in compliance with all of the regulations,” said Rhoads via email. Berrett said Pocatello-based ICCU is one of the largest locally operated financial institutions in the state, and he is amazed at how many people and how much money continues to go to grow the compliance department. “There have been more and more regs that we have to comply with and what that means to 6
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Brian Berrett
“We love adopting (new technology) and we have to have more people on the back side to make sure they are working, test them and make sure they run smoothly, and most of all to make sure they are secure.” Brian Berrett, chief financial officer, Idaho Central Credit Union us is we have to spend a lot more money and resources in compliance and doing things the way we are required to do them,” Berrett said. Even more control lay on the horizon for the
smartphone-carrying consumer. In December, ICCU embraced Apple Pay — a mobile payment and digital wallet service — where members can pay from their credit or debit account via mobile smartphone. Berrett said the Apply Pay product can be used by members with an iPhone 6 or greater. “Once you put your credit card information in the phone, you can just hold your phone to the payment device,” he said, and it will charge purchase to the card. Consumers may soon be able to set limits on their different accounts and turn different accounts on and off using their smartphone. Local consumers may begin to see this service offered through financial institutions in the coming years. A few years ago, ICCU systematically upgraded its ATMs to take a stack of checks or cash, do an optical scan and total the amount before the patron confirms the amount deposited.
Bricks vs. Clicks As technology and subsequent online banking channels increased, the industry speculated the role of physical branches would diminish — the comparison was “bricks vs. clicks.” But the exact opposite has happened, Berrett said. The demand for online and mobile services continues to grow as well as the in-person interaction at banking branches.
“We have to be able to do both,” Berrett said. “We have to provide whatever channel the member wants to access us with.” Rhoads said millennials still want the faceto-face interactions with their bankers just as much as past generations. While the younger generation values convenience, they still value the relationships that can assist them with issues that are larger than everyday transactions. Being a local, community bank means Citizens takes pride in their community and makes investments into the local economy. Their employees also volunteer in community organizations. Being local also means customers can experience personal service and faster banking decisions. “While technology and convenience will always be valuable, the ability to speak with someone who can quickly assist with the opportunities life may present will always be invaluable,” Rhoads said.
Social media Social media has provided a new way for financial institutions to connect with their customers as well as promote what they are doing. Rhoads said the social media forum has allowed the bank to communicate more about their institution than ever before, sharing information about products, services and even
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what Citizens is doing in the community. There is a certain population that prefers to contact ICCU via social media. “I think (social media) plays a significant role if you play it right,” Berrett said. ICCU will run certain online contests to engage the social media population. There is a population those methods won’t reach, Berrett said, but notably, their audience engaging them in social media continues to grow.
Trends in banking are mostly universal ICCU, which has about 26 branches across the state, said consumer needs are very similar in all areas they serve. Geography isn’t a noticeable factor, but Berrett said age may play a part in what products people are interested in. For example, a young person may be interested in a loan rate, where an older person may be interested in the interest rate on a CD. Citizens Community Bank has five branches in east Idaho. Rhoads said people in rural areas — or even large metropolitan areas — may have to travel significant distances to bank where they feel comfortable. “The need to feel secure in their information, privacy and of course their investments, will drive people to those ... institutions,” she said.
More choices for eating out New restaurants coming to Pocatello and Chubbuck By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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everal new restaurants are cooking up plans to open in the area. A Burger King and C-Store is under construction in Pocatello, and a Panera Bread bakery-cafe is coming to Chubbuck. Popeyes Chicken, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and a Red Robin are also talking to Chubbuck officials about the possibility of opening up businesses there. “It’s pretty obvious to me that several things are moving over here in Chubbuck,” said Mayor Kevin England. “There’s a lot of interest being shown.” That’s a good indicator of a growing and strengthening economy, according to Chris St. Jeor, a regional economist for the Idaho Department of Labor. “That much community development taking place is usually a good thing,” he said. He calls the news exciting, but he’s not shocked that restaurants are looking at the Pocatello and Chubbuck areas, which he calls a “gateway to everything.” “Seeing a lot of fast food places coming in isn’t overly surprising,” he said. Although the additional restaurants may encourage more people to stop on their way through town and give residents more choices for
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Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal
The Burger King/Conoco on North Main Street is part of the swelling restaurant construction in Pocatello. While restaurants like MacKenzie breakfast, lunch and dinner, they River put their own twists on the will also bring more competition foods they serve to set themselves to existing businesses. But those apart, Mills believes it’s important already established in the area for businesses to also work together don’t seem that concerned about the and even promote each other. For change. instance, he gives his employees “My philosophy is good competiincentives like gift cards to other tion is good (and) healthy for evrestaurants so they can occasionally eryone,” said Rod Russell, general eat at places where they don’t get manager of Sandpiper in Pocatello, worker discounts. which has been around since the St. Jeor says competition is a mid 1970s. natural part of the business cycle He says it’s only bad competition and there are always some winners — the kind of restaurants that do a and losers in that process. Still, he terrible job and make people think the changes taking place in twice about eating out anywhere — Chris St. Jeor, regional economist for thinks Pocatello and Chubbuck are a good that he worries about. the Idaho Department of Labor thing. Businesses like Red Robin have “Businesses are seeing an opporfound success in other areas, and Russell thinks it’s thrilling that such of MacKenzie River Pizza, which tunity to invest and develop — that’s restaurants are looking at Pocatello opened in Pocatello nearly two great,” he said. “Hopefully we will years ago, agrees. He’s not worried continue to see more development and Chubbuck. going on across all sectors.” “I’m a consumer too. I like having about more competition. choices (when it comes to) places to “Everyone needs to eat and no one (wants to) eat at the same place evgo,” he said. Jim Mills, assistant manager eryday,” he said.
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Businesses are seeing an opportunity to invest and develop — that’s great. Hopefully we will continue to see more development going on across all sectors.
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Inn ADDITION Hotel managers say Pocatello’s growth influences boom in local lodging By Vanessa Grieve For the Journal
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ocatello hotels haves seen a nice increase in the number of stays the past three years. Jeffery Glissendorf, president of the Greater Pocatello Lodging Association and general manager of Townplace Suites by Marriot in Pocatello, sees signs Pocatello is growing and is optimistic of the new lodging options coming to the area. Last year, Holiday Inn Express opened off the Clark Street exit opposite Portneuf Medical Center, and groundbreaking on a Fairfield by Marriott is expected to begin in 2016 with an expected opening in 2017. “A lot of new businesses are coming in right now,” Glissendorf said. “It’s pretty exciting.” Glissendorf said hotel stays are almost evenly split into the categories of tourism, business and long-term stay/relocations. Travelers to Yellowstone National Park are a driving factor on the tourism side. This year, Yellowstone National Park hit a record-breaking 3 million visitors by the end of August, according to the National Park Service. The summer months are the busiest with warm weather, travelers and a variety of events. Glissendorf, who’s been in Pocatello for about three to four years, said three years ago, summer hotels occupancy for the Pocatello-Chubbuck area was at about 80 percent. In 2014 it was about 90 percent. Summer 2015 saw a 9596 percent occupancy. The growth at Portnuef Medical Center, ON Semiconductor, work at the former-FMC plant site, the opening of
hotels that we “Thehavemore the more people
Amy’s Kitchen and the completion of the Portneuf Wellness Complex have contributed to the increased hotel stays. “We’ve seen Pocatello growing in leaps and bounds,” Glissendorf said, citing eateries like Popeyes and Panera Bread that are setting up shop locally. The completion of an event center will also bring more business, Glissendorf said. In mid-September, the Pocatello City Council approved an over 40,000-squarefoot event center to be built near Grace Lutheran Church. The 1,600-capacity building will be built by Grace Lutheran Church off Baldy Drive, east of Interstate-15, and it will be leased to the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District. The project recently secured funding. The new event center will host athletic tournaments, trade shows and concerts, according to Auditorium District executive director Raul Cano. Glissendorf said sporting activities tend to drive the event-end of the hotel business. Spring events like softball, wrestling and others keep Pocatello lodging busy.
stop and look for what they want and I get booked more.
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Tamara Clark
owner of Rapid Creed Bed & Breakfast in Inkom when we have a sellout in the summer we are pushing guests to American Falls and Sho-Ban Hotel and even selling out to Idaho Falls.” He said they view the addition of new hotels coming to the area as a positive. He suspects another one or two hotels could follow after the Fairfield is built, but there are none he is currently aware of. “I don’t see anybody suffering from the new hotels going in,” he said. Tamara Clark, who’s owned and operated Rapid Creek Bed & Breakfast in Inkom for the past seven years, said her business fulfills a specialty niche. One of the differences from a regular hotel is that Clark cooks breakfast for her guests in the bed and breakfast’s kitchen. Many of the ingredients come from a garden outside. “I have quite a few regulars that like it better,” she said. Though she believes some of her clientele come as a result from booked hotels in
Hotel Competition There are a number of older hotels in the area, and Glissendorf doesn’t believe the coming of new hotels will take away from any lodging establishment’s business. He explained that each hotel caters to a certain kind of clientele and tracks what brings guests to the area. “I don’t get the feeling anyone is going to go out of business,” he said. “I think 10
Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal
The Townplace Suites by Marriot and the Holiday Inn Express and Suites are two of the new hotels off the Clark Street exit.
Pocatello, the coming of new hotels could also positively impact her business. More events locally could mean more bed and breakfast seekers. “We’re mostly for couples and sometimes get big groups for family reunions, out of Pocatello, out of the craziness of Lava,” Clark said. “My business is catering to (people looking for a) more homelike atmosphere.” She also believes more hotels and places for guests to stay give visitors more options. If she’s booked, she’ll refer guests to hotels in the Pocatello area or the Harkness Hotel in McCammon. “The more hotels that we have, the more people stop and look for what they want and I get booked more,” she said. Glissendorf believes the Pocatello area has the capacity to host more events in the fall and winter even though the city isn’t much of a destination during those months. He said the lodging association is always looking for events to host September through December. “If people are interested in creating an event or having a larger event (encourage them) to reach out to the lodging association,” he said, adding the GPLA and other groups have funds set aside to help sponsor events. “We’re always looking for things to put the dollars behind. We’ve got a lot of good events.”
Economic development organizations excited about improvements, changes in region defining core industry clusters in the area, developing a website and marketing materials, working on various projects and attending trade shows, Rogers said. Other economic development agencies in the region are also excited about some of the changes they’ve been involved with in recent years. Mike Ennis, business development manager for Bannock Development Corporation in Pocatello, says new and expanding businesses, including Amy’s Kitchen, Great Western Malting Company, Western States Caterpillar, Allstate Insurance, ATCO, SME Steel and others have and are bringing many new jobs and millions of dollars in both investment and overall impact to the area. And many other businesses are continuing to do well, too, he said. Great Rift Business Development Organization, which works in American Falls, Aberdeen and Power County, has also helped make some progress this year. “Our biggest accomplishment has
By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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conomic development agencies throughout the region have seen some exciting changes recently, and officials say they are looking forward to more. Bingham Economic Development Corp. and Grow Idaho Falls Inc. recently joined forces to form the new Regional Economic Development Corporation for Eastern Idaho, known as REDI. The organization also hired Jan Rogers, a longtime executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization, to serve as the new chief executive officer. She began working in her new post in September. As part of its regional approach to economic development, REDI plans to work with development agencies and communities throughout eastern Idaho to leverage all of the resources available and secure new business opportunities, Rogers stated. “REDI's primary mission is to brand
Jan Rogers
Kathy Ray
Kristen Jensen
Ric Sorbo
and market the 14 counties of eastern Idaho and help drive opportunity to the region as well as act as an added resource to the communities and counties of eastern Idaho for new business development including attraction, retention and expansion,” she said. As it begins its work, REDI is focusing on the basics of the business —
been assisting Ric Sorbo, CEO, and project manager Joe McCarthy with the Magnida fertilizer project,” said Kristen Jensen, executive director of Great Rift. “The company has already spent $40 million on the project and has spent millions in Idaho, including providing scholarships for local high school students and other community needs and events. The contractor has been selected and all permits are in place. When final funding is secured, this $2.5 billion project will have a significant impact on Southeast Idaho.” In addition, Great Rift was able to work with the J.R. Simplot Company, Idaho State University and the Idaho Department of Labor to help workers displaced by the closure of the Simplot potato processing plant in Aberdeen. Subsequently, many workers were able to remain in the area, Jensen stated. “This is one of our accomplishments as we were concerned that we would have people leave the area because of the plant closure,” she said. See Development, Page 23
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The Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre is at the center of the Portneuf Wellness Complex. The amphitheater seats up to 11,000 people and has already hosted acts such as the Beach Boys, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Australian Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin 2.
David Ashby For the Journal
Crown jewel of
Progress
New wellness complex offers scores of activities
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By Michael H. O’Donnell modonnell@journalnet.com
ompletion of the 80-acre Portneuf Wellness Complex in the city’s northeast corner off Chubbuck Road and Olympus Drive is the crown jewel of progress seen in the Gate City this past year. The Wellness Center is a collaborative effort between the Portneuf Health Trust —which is fueled by Portneuf Medical Center — Bannock County, Idaho Fish and Game and the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck. The trust invested $15 million in the complex, and maintenance of the completed
project will now be the responsibility of Bannock County. At the center of the complex is a 11,000seat amphitheater nestled along side a 7-acre man-made lake that is fed by an artificial stream from the east slope. In September, the complex held its first large concert which featured the Beach Boys with a warm-up act by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. “People loved it,” CEO for the Portneuf Health Trust Shaun Menchaca said following that concert. “People told me they couldn’t believe they were in Pocatello.” All the concerts held at the center are managed by United Concerts of Salt Lake City. Construction for the new Portneuf Wellness Complex began May 5, 2014, and it opened to the public Sept. 12. 12
“This is a world-class facility,” said Menchaca at the grand opening. “We want people to get active, be healthy and take charge of your life.” The new center will also be a boon to business growth in Southeast Idaho, according to Health Trust board chairman Mark Buckalew, who grew up in Pocatello. He said the complex is the result of a dream and four years of determination. “I grew up here and I never, never thought we’d have anything like this,” Buckalew said. “I’m speechless about this place. This is a game-changing facility.” The complex includes something for everyone. Here is a quick breakdown of what’s offered: n Sports Fields — Six sports fields plus a championship field can accommodate soc-
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This is a world-class facility. We want people to get active, be healthy and take charge of your life.” Shaun Menchaca, chief executive officer for the Portneuf Health Trust
I’m speechless about this place. This is a game-changing facility.” Health Trust board chairman Mark Buckalew
cer, lacrosse and football. The fields are planted with a special variety of sod designed to maintain a tournament-level, even surface. The championship field includes bleachers and a scoreboard. n Sand Volleyball Courts — Four sand volleyball courts will accommodate doubles play and includes seating space for audiences. n Lake and Stream — The community fishing and swimming lake includes an artificial beach on the swimming side and several fishing piers on the fishing side of the lake. The lake was stocked by Idaho Fish and Game with 4,000 rainbow trout this year. The lake also contains Kokanee salmon. n Basketball Courts — Two full outdoor basketball courts with convenient court-side parking and nearby picnic pavilions. n Perimeter Trail — A 10-feet-wide perimeter trail runs over two miles around the entire complex and is open to bikers, joggers, walkers and individuals with dogs on a leash. n Kids Playground — A Crossfit for Kids playground encourages healthy activity among the younger set. n Amphitheater — The largest outdoor amphitheater in the state of Idaho, it can accommodate audiences of up to 11,000 people for performances by top professional acts. While concerts are booked and promoted by United Concerts, the facility will be available for community and performing activities of all types. n Mountain Bike Park — Still in construction, when completed, a gravity-and-pump mountain bike park will feature trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. n Pavilions and Restrooms — Pavilions throughout the facility will accommodate groups as large as class reunions. Restrooms are conveniently located throughout the facility as well. During the grand opening for the complex, Bannock County Commission Chairman Howard Manwaring summed up the project. “When they first approached us, we kind of thought it was a pipe dream,” Manwaring said. “Now it’s a reality.”
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Submitted Illustration
The proposed event center near Grace Lutheran.
Event center moves forward Grace Lutheran, auditorium district working to bring event center to Pocatello By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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race Lutheran Church and the PocatelloChubbuck Auditorium District are working together to bring an event center large enough to accommodate 1,600 people. And they’ve already cleared some significant hurdles. The Pocatello City Council recently approved the rezoning of 8.69 acres on Baldy Avenue from residential-commercial-professional to commercial general to accommodate the 40,620-squarefoot facility. In addition, Grace Lutheran, which is building the multimillion-dollar center that the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District will lease, has secured the necessary funding through its denominational lender, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Jonathan Dinger, pastor of the church, said they will close on the loan as soon as building permits are issued by the city, which he anticipates will happen some time in November. “Grace Lutheran is thrilled to be able to step up and help provide the funding for this facility after numerous, frustrating rejections by other means to acquire funding,” he said, but added that while they are acting as the bank on the project, they won’t be designing or operating the event center. “This is a facility for the community and by the
community and will be governed solely by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District board and not in any way by Grace. We're just happy to provide funding and an opportunity so that the project can move forward and begin to make use of a bunch of vacant land that we used sparingly over the years.” Dinger believes the property on Baldy Avenue provides the perfect location for such an event center because it’s visible from the freeway, is located within walking distance of 750 hotel rooms and seven restaurants and has easy access to the Pocatello Creek interchange. And there are other advantages to the location, too. The event center will be able to share parking and gymnasium facilities with Grace Lutheran, which also runs a school in the area, in the future. “We have a neat reciprocal agreement where we will provide the use of our high school gymnasium to the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District when they have need of a fourth gym for tournament play or overflow space. In return, we get to use one of their gyms for several months in the afternoon hours of the school day during basketball season to help accommodate the eight basketball teams we will have between middle and high school,” Dinger stated. “It's a win-win for both.” The event center is expected to accommodate athletic tournaments, trade shows and concerts in the future, Raul Cano, executive director of the auditorium district, recently told the Idaho State Journal. Dinger said they are in the process of finalizing 14
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This is a facility for the community and by the community and will be governed solely by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District board and not in any way by Grace. We’re just happy to provide funding and an opportunity so that the project can move forward and begin to make use of a bunch of vacant land that we used sparingly over the years.
”
Grace Lutheran Church pastor Jonathan Dinger their plans, along with the engineering and site design, but they hope to begin the majority of the construction work around March and are trying to complete the center by September of 2016. Although Grace Lutheran is hoping to eventually get some return on the property — it could take several years before it produces a net revenue stream — to use for its school and community service efforts, Dinger said they agreed to this arrangement primarily because they feel the event center will be a fantastic addition to the community. “We also think that when our community is blessed by a space that everyone can use and can help improve the economy of our area through increased visitors, income and use, then we all benefit,” he said.
Construction of private high school in Pocatello underway By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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onstruction on a new private high school in Pocatello is underway, and if all goes according to plan, the first ninth-grade classes will take place there in August of 2016. Grace Lutheran High School, which will include a gymnasium and science lab, should be completed by next summer, said Jonathan Dinger, who will serve as the initial headmaster of the school that will be located at Grace Lutheran’s campus at 1350 Baldy Avenue. The school will be about 28,000-square-feet to begin with, but officials hope to eventually expand the building to 40,000-square-feet so it can accommodate between 200 and 300 students, Dinger said. He feels the high school, which will provide a much-needed gymnasium and more space for church, school and community activities, will be a valuable asset to the area. “We need this high school for several reasons,” Dinger said. “First, we're the only community our size in 10 western states that does not offer its citizens a private, full-featured high school. Our only options here are very large, public high schools,
A rendering of Grace Lutheran High School, which is scheduled to be open to students in August 2016.
that the school will be “elitist” or an “Ivy League preppy place.” “That's just not how we do school. What we want people to know is this: If your child attends Grace now and is succeeding, they will certainly succeed in the high school. And if parents will continue to be engaged with their child's education, they will succeed,” he said. “We do expect kids to work hard and do well, and we find that the huge majority of kids do — as long as families are engaged and they will commit to the process. Our kids are pretty regular kids who do pretty extraordinary things.” See Grace, Page 23
or a very small online-only Christian high school at Calvary Chapel. We've found that we're having trouble recruiting talented professionals and businesses to our area partly because of this lack. We also have no high school that's of a more modest size, which many studies show is far more effective in academic achievement and opportunities for involvement.” He feels the school, which will offer students academic rigor and personal attention, could help its graduates become some of the most successful college students in the state. However, he says there is some misperception in the community
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The future of
Old Town
Cydney McFarland/Idaho State Journal
By Cydney McFarland cmcfarland@journalnet.com
I
n the last year, Old Town Pocatello has seen the relighting of the bus depot Greyhound sign and a record-breaking Welcome Back Orange and Black event. These projects are just small steps in a much larger 20-year plan laid out by Old Town Pocatello Inc. “Our largest focus this year has been the master plan — the 20-year plan,” said Stephanie Palagi, the executive director of Old Town Pocatello Inc. “We’ve been re-evaluating the area and finding ways to connect Old Town with the neighborhood and the community, including ISU.” Palagi and other community members hope to make Old Town the cultural and business center of Pocatello. Palagi said the goals of her organization tackle Old Town’s problems both from a public relations stance and a business stance.
The goal is to promote events and projects that “create an atmosphere of charm” in order to make locals and tourist feel welcome to dine and shop in Old Town. This includes a constant beautification effort in order to keep the landscaping and buildings in Old Town looking their best. “If we can show folks what we’re going for, I truly think we can make these projects happen,” said Palagi. “But downtown development is a continuous effort, just like economic and business development.” Palagi and her organization have also worked on promoting economic and business development in Old Town. They put together a 12-week program for merchants and property owners in Old Town. The program covered marketing, customer service, accounting and property care. “There are 242 businesses in downtown, and the majority of them are small businesses,” said Palagi. “We try to support them as best we can.” However, Palagi said they often struggle to find 16
the funding they need for all their projects. But thanks to partnerships with the city of Pocatello, Bannock City Development and Idaho State University, they are able to fall back on some cornerstone events that bring the community together in Old Town. Those events are community staples like the Welcome Back Orange and Black event for ISU students, trick-or-treating, Haunted History Walking Tours and the Night of 1,000 Santas Festival and Light Parade. The next project on the agenda is relighting Pocatello High School’s Indian sign on the auditorium. Palagi said she signed a grant for the project in August. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work and recognize that there is more to be done,” said Palagi. “But statistics show that if you have a strong downtown you have a strong community. We strive everyday to be that strong downtown.
Many changes occurring in local auto industry
Journal File Photo
Phil Meador, right, and his son Jason. Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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etween new businesses, new locations, remodels and changes in ownership, there have been a lot of exciting things taking place in the local auto industry recently. A new Meineke Car Care Center opened at the Westwood Mall in Pocatello earlier this year, and manager Kris Tiede said the business is doing well. “We’ve exceeded expectations,” he said. Tiede said they focus on the experience, not the transaction at the business, which offers everything from oil changes to motor replacements. “Word is getting out about us (and we’re) seeing more business everyday,” he said. Les Schwab also opened its new location on South Fifth in Pocatello shortly before New Year’s Day. The new store, which offers an ample waiting area for customers, a coffee bar, a bright, airy display space and modern equipment, is located northwest of the old location. Phil Meador and his son, Jason, also celebrated the
opening of the new Toyota dealership off Flandro Drive in Pocatello earlier this year. The new Toyota complex is built so a car can move from a quick oil change directly into tire service bays with a state-of-the-art lift system and Road Force balancing equipment. It also includes a car wash, detailing and delivery bays, a showroom and a comfortable lounge area for customers. The Meadors said earlier this year that they were also making changes at their other businesses in town, including Subaru and Ford dealerships. Pocatello Nissan Kia is also planning to open a new location on Flandro Drive — the same stretch of road where Phil Meador Courtesy Ford and the newly built Phil Meador Toyota dealerships are located — next spring in order to better accommodate the growing business. Owner Chris Russell told the Journal earlier this year that the new store will have a larger waiting area for customers and more room for vehicle inventory and servicing. The Cole Chevrolet and Hirning Buick GMC dealer-
ships in Pocatello also completed storefront facelifts and interior upgrades in recent years as part of General Motors’ Standards for Excellence program, which aims to give all its dealerships the same look and feel. “The changes have been pretty great,” said Clay Bailey, new car sales manager at Hirning, adding that they updated the lighting in the showroom, improved the service lane and installed TVs in the waiting rooms. The changes have come at an exciting time when people are showing more interest in some of the newer vehicle models they sell. Bailey said there have been quite a few improvements in technology. Many cars have better navigation and stereo systems, Wi-Fi hot spots and higher fuel mileage than they used to. The local Honda and Hyundai auto dealerships have also experienced some changes this year. Teton Auto Group recently purchased the businesses from Lithia Motors. Earlier this year, the new owners told the Journal that they were putting in a new Honda facility on Hurley Drive and relocating the Hyundai dealership to the previous Honda location on Yellowstone.
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Amy’s Kitchen begins Pocatello operation By Michael H. O’Donnell modonnell@journalnet.com
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he Gate City became home to the latest member of the Amy’s Kitchen family as 2015 began. The California-based, familyowned company took over the 500,000-square-foot facility vacated after Heinz Foods closed in Pocatello. Amy’s Kitchen already operated plants at Sonoma, California, and Medford, Oregon, where it employed about 1,900 people total at the two facilities. Its plans in Pocatello call for expanding the workforce to more than 1,000 people. The company, which specializes in organic and vegetarian foods, is one of the few remaining U.S. companies to craft its own recipes, source its own ingredients and make its products inhouse. When Amy’s Kitchen held an open house last December, co-owners Rachel and Andy Berliner sang praises about the Pocatello location. “The whole thing has been a mir-
Amy’s Kitchen moved into the Heinz Foods plant that closed in Pocatello.
Journal File Photo
merce, and city and Bannock County officials in high gear. Demand for Amy’s Kitchen products had outstripped the production capabilities of its existing two plants. “We had to do it fast and they made it happen,” said Amy’s Kitchen Chief Financial Officer Mark Rudolph. The Idaho Department of Commerce also went to work with its economic development board and worked on getting a Tax Reimbursement
acle,” Andy Berliner said. “We have the best of the best here from Heinz.” The company was able to hire 75 former Heinz workers to help get the Gate City operation functioning and had a workforce of about 200 people by the start of 2015. The company first contacted Pocatello on Oct. 11, 2014 about acquiring the Heinz property. This put Bannock Development Corp., the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Com-
Incentive plan in place for Amy’s. The company is approved to receive a tax credit of 26 percent for 15 years. Bannock County also approved a 75 percent property tax abatement for the next five years that covers the existing Heinz property and any future investments. Amy’s Kitchen uses its various production plants to create over 88 frozen meals, including pizzas, pocket sandwiches, pot pies, entrées, snacks and whole meals that meet the needs of people with special diets, including vegetarians. The company reached half a billion dollars in sales in 2014. Amy’s Kitchen spent more than $14 million in improvements at the Pocatello plant this year, and the Gate City facility has the capacity to have more production than the other two Amy’s Kitchen operations combined. “This project has been a great example of local and state governments working together to bring a new company with a world class reputation to our community,” said Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad.
Montessori education options grow in the Gate City By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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n an old brick schoolhouse in Pocatello, 44 children are trying something new. For the first time in decades, a private Montessori school has opened its doors to elementary-aged children in the Gate City. “I believe strongly in school choice,” said Richard Kirkham, one of the school’s four founders. Inside the Roosevelt Building on East Maple Street, teacher Sandra Morgan floats quietly among six students working on individual tasks. Some are in the first grade, others in third. Each child is doing something different — some working on penmanship as they copy a phrase, another clanking out spelling words on a typewriter and another working on long-form addition. As the children quietly go from one activity to another, strains of classical music play in the background. “The children get to chose what interests them,” Morgan said. “Each day we go through a work plan and they decide
1900s when Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori, founded her first school, but the frenzy was short-lived. Though more than 100 schools sprang up in the space of five years, by the 1920s Montessori had virtually vanished from the education scene. Its revival came in the 1960s when it became a staple in American alternative education. Today, about 4,000 Montessori schools operate across the United States. Of these, about 447 are public Montessori school programs educating about 112,486 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Kirkhams are hoping to incubate a future for Montessori education in the Gate City. Pocatello Valley Montessori School will run on the same calendar year as District 25 and will add more grades as the years go on and demand increases. The Pocatello school will become the fifth private Montessori elementary school in Idaho, according to accrediting body The American Montessori Society. Tyhee Elementary School offers a Montessori-based option. However, it
what order they want to do the jobs in.” A family venture, the school administrators are Matt, Morgan, Richard and Kathy Kirkham. the school year began Aug. 26. “A lot of people are really eager for there to be more options,” Morgan Kirkham said. “Montessori has been great for our family. It is an incredible way to learn and we believe in it enough to start a school.” While the Pocatello Valley Montessori School generally follows both the hours and academic calendar of District 25, most similarities end there. There are no assigned desks, no lectures and every activity is designed for the tactile learner. The new venture in Pocatello attracted 44 students this year — most in the kindergarten and preschool classes. Six children are enrolled in the firstthrough-third-grade combined class. Class sizes will top out at 15. Since its origins in 1907 in Italy, the Montessori method of education has gained a significant foothold in the United States. Interest in Montessori first swept the country in the early 18
also requires students to take the same standardized tests as any other school in the state — a departure from the pure Montessori method. While there are several local and statewide options for a Montessori preschool education, elementary school options are scarce. The options for a Montessori-based education all but disappear once the student turns 12. Idaho does not have any accredited Montessori middle or high schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, fewer than 10 percent of Montessori-based schools nationwide serve secondary students. While a lack of standardized testing makes comparing achievement outcomes difficult, studies in several scientific journals have shown that children educated with the Montessori method don’t fare any worse academically than their public school counterparts. A study in the September 2006 issue of the journal Science compared the outcomes of children at a public inner-city Montessori school with children who attended traditional See Montessori, Page 23
A good cup of coffee By Josh Friesen jfriesen@journalnet.com
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outheast Idaho has an economy that is burgeoning, and the coffee industry is no exception. Actually, if you ask many of those who run the coffee shops around Pocatello, you’ll find that even when times were tough, things were still OK. That doesn’t mean business hasn’t been booming recently, however. “(The recession) wasn’t too much of a complication for such a small shop,” said Samuel Vineyard, assistant manager of Mocha Madness on South Fifth Street in Pocatello. Part of the reason why Mocha Madness was able to continue its course is because of its proximity to Idaho State University. Because the coffee shop is so close to campus, students, professors and faculty are able to make the short jaunt over to get a latte, hang out and study. The same can be said of College Market, located at the intersection of South Eighth Avenue and East Halliday Street, just a few blocks from campus. College Market, which reopened under a new owner, Bart Nawotniak, in December of 2013, has enjoyed an increasing growth in business in each of the past two years. “For me, my semester starts at a level, gets better at the end of the semester, drops down in the summer or winter break and then begins at the exact same level we left off at and goes up,” Nawotniak said. “That’s the way it’s been the last four semesters.” The nearness of the coffee shops to ISU helps offset the fact that many residents of Pocatello — those who are LDS — don’t drink coffee. College kids and caffeine go hand-in-hand, so it’s natural for coffee shops close to campus to have good business.
Travis Oldham, manager of Mocha Madness, pours steamed milk into a cup to make a latte. tion of Jefferson Avenue and Elm Street in Pocatello. Though owner Heather Ross says some of those who drive up for a cup of joe are ISU students, most customers are just motorists looking to grab something on the go. “We’re a convenience society,” Ross said. “And drive-throughs are convenient for people.”
“Our focus is exactly on students and people who want to sit down and read or study,” said Mocha Madness manager Travis Oldham. “We’re designed for that.” Though that may be the case, those coffee shops still cater to the LDS crowd by offering noncaffeinated options like steamers, hot chocolate and Italian sodas. But regardless of faith, it’s ISU students and faculty who serve as the coffee shops’ primary clientele and the primary source of business. “They like my place,” Nawotniak said. “They enjoy the food and the coffee, so they continue to come back. I’m basically just continuing to build a base, and every new semester, I have new students coming in.” While College Market and Mocha Madness can rely on an ongoing funnel from the ISU campus, the same can’t be said to the same degree for Double Shot, which has two drive-through coffee stands: one on Yellowstone Avenue in Chubbuck and the other at the intersec-
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
While customer base and the delivery method might differ between Mocha Madness, College Market and Double Shot, all three have something very much in common: quality. Coffee is something they all take pride in. While they each fill different niches and serve a variety of people, the coffee-drinking community knows they’ll get a great product wherever they go.
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Expanding south
By Cydney McFarland cmcfarland@journalnet.com
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Western States Equipment’s new facility in south Pocatello is set to be complete in spring of 2016.
Western States Equipment’s new facility making headway By Greg Eichelberger For the Journal
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estern States Equipment, an Idaho-based Caterpillar sales and service company, will be completing a new facility in Pocatello. The project was made possible with New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) financing and will retain an existing 115 employees and create at least 24 new jobs, all of which will be available for low-income individuals, over the next five years. Collaboration between several partners brought the project to reality. In 2014, Western States Equipment Company officials announced plans to build a brand new, $15 million dollar facility and equipment display lot near the south exchange with I-15 by Century High School on a 28-acre lot. The new facility includes
an expanded service area and parts department, as well as the equipment display lot. The buildings will span 100,000-square-feet of space. The current site is 2405 Garrett Way. The new building will provide more space for company headquarters and room for more training. With essentially unlimited access to fully qualified staff, Western States has greater capacity to expand. The company expects to add 12 jobs in the next year and 12 more in the following four years. Those with the Bannock Development Corporation indicated the company’s decision to expand was a result of the heavy-equipment dealer’s success. Western States’ plans for expansion were stalled for years because of high construction and rental costs in the area. New Markets Tax Credits gave the company the final piece of financing it needed to build its new facility. In a recent press release provided by Montana CDC, Sen. Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Finance Commit-
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
tee, is quoted as saying, “This public-private partnership is providing new jobs and technical opportunities for Southeast Idaho, and I commend The CDC, Western States Caterpillar, local officials and all those involved in this effort. I also congratulate Western States Equipment Company and their recent expansion in Pocatello with a brand new Caterpillar facility and equipment display lot.” Bannock Development Corporation and Pocatello city officials supported Western States’ expansion. In addition to creating quality jobs, the project is expected to catalyze additional development south of Pocatello on the I-15 corridor. On its website, Western States Equipment Company is shown to have had a long legacy in the Pacific Northwest of providing quality, value and excellence throughout its diverse history. During the early 1900s, J.A. Terteling & Sons Construction Company was a major provider of massive earth-moving projects throughout the United States. 20
hile Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot boasts a new autoimmune institute; Pocatello’s Portneuf Medical Center isn’t planning to make any concrete strides in the next year. “There will be nothing that you will be able to point to, like a new building or institute,” said Todd Blackinton, the director of marketing and public relations at PMC. “Most of our project will continue to focus on patient care.” However according to Blackinton, PMC has made some impressive strides in the last year. Patient satisfaction is now at 77 percent, up two percentage points from last year. The hospital is also at zero percent for infectious cases, meaning very few people have reported contracting new diseases while in the hospital. “This means we have be successful at identifying issues and dealing with them quickly,” said Blackinton. All of this is based on data collected by the hospital. After leaving the hospital, patients receive a phone survey where they can rate their care at PMC and rate the care they got from the doctor who treated them. All that data came back this month. “Really it’s been fun to look back at the progress that has been made,” said Blackinton. Portneuf Medical Center has also made strides in patient care by trying to cut down on wait times. According to Blackinton, the new statistics show that on average patients experience a 4.7-minute wait at the emergency room, a 5.9-minute wait until they get a room after arriving at the emergency room and a 12.6-minute wait to see a provider when you make an appointment. “These times are ahead of our goals and compared to the national average they’re excellent,” said Blackinton. “A lot of these statistics and what we’re focusing on now really does drive at the core of what hospitals are about, and that’s taking care of patients.”
Charter school growth booms, then levels off in the Gem State By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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rom schools that offer camping trips to halls that echo quiet safety, public charter schools are bringing innovative approaches to the same reading, writing and arithmetic taught across the state. About 6.7 percent of Idaho children are educated at one of the state’s 49 public charter schools. More than 800 of those children attend a charter school in Pocatello or Chubbuck. “To me, the demand part is the idea of parents having a choice in their children’s education,” said Michael Mendive, Dean of Pocatello Community Charter School (PCCS). Public charter schools operate much in the same way as public schools: They must achieve the same academic standards, they cannot pick and chose their students and they are funded by state money. However, they can choose to deliver education with a different emphasis or guiding philosophy. Idaho public charter
schools also cannot receive any local tax dollars (for example, levees added onto property taxes). “In general, the state is very supportive of a parent’s right to chose,” said Michelle Taylor, school choice coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education. “Different kids need different things.” Locally, the desire for difference has grown over the past decade. Since its first day in the fall of 1999, PCCS has grown from 120 students to 340, with more sitting on waiting lists. A town away, Connor Academy (previously known as Academy Charter School) is educating 490 students in a new 50,000-square-foot building off Philbin Road in Chubbuck. Last year in its old facilities, the school could only accommodate about 280 children. Prior to the expansion, the average waiting list size hovered around 200 children. Today, waiting lists are lower — between three and 10 students waiting for a spot in each class. The exception is fifth and sixth grade, which has openings at the Con-
Journal File Photo
The Connor Academy Charter School building in Chubbuck. nor Academy. PCCS also has a couple openings in its middle school classes. “We do have middle school spots open this year, which is an anomaly for our school,” Mendive said. “Our current waiting list has around 115 students, which is considerably lower than normal likely due to the doubling of the (Connor) Academy this year.” According to the National Center for Education Statistics, charter education has increased substantially over the past decade. From school
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year 1999–2000 to 2012–13, the number of students enrolled in public charter schools increased from 0.3 million to 2.3 million. During this period, the percentage of public school students who attended charter schools increased from 0.7 to 4.6 percent. Just between 2010 and 2012, the number of students enrolled in public charter schools increased by See Charter, Page 23
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Magnida fertilizer meets another benchmark By Debbie Bryce For the Journal
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A drawing of the proposed Magnida fertilizer plant near American Falls.
fter more than six years in the planning and permit process, the proposed Magnida fertilizer plant project in American Falls is one step closer to fruition with the announcement last month that a contractor had been hired. Magnida Magnolia Nitrogen Idaho CEO Ric Sorbo said KBR Inc. was selected as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project. An agreement with KBR was reached in July. Sorbo said in March that it took 40 permits to get to this point. Magnida will now increase efforts to secure additional investors for the $2.5 billion project. The company plans to build the fertilizer plant near the existing Lamb-Weston potato processing plant, now Con-Agra west of American Falls. The fertilizer plant will use natural gas to pro-
duce nitrogen fertilizer. KBR builds most fertilizer plants in the U.S. A similar project was proposed in 2009, but that proposal was for a coal-fired fertilizer plant. Sorbo said that natural gas is not only cleaner than coal, it’s cheaper as well. Sorbo said last year that the company has spent $40 million developing the $2 billion fertilizer plant. ConAgra contested the air quality permit issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, but the permits were upheld. Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter had multiple meetings with ConAgra and Magnida, and those discussions led to ConAgra withdrawing its appeal in December. Magnida also negotiated with a provider to deliver its feed stock in 2014. Sorbo said the company will spend $120 million annually for
Submitted Illustration
the natural gas used to produce nitrogen fertilizer. During a public hearing last year, Sorbo said Magnida was shopping the project to several international banks to secure financing for the plant. Magnida will put up $500 to $600 million toward completion of the plant. The proposed Magnida fertilizer plant would employ about 1,900 workers during the threeyear construction phase. When it’s complete, the plant will hire 160 full-time workers. Magnida is working to make its presence known in Power County. Last year, the company awarded scholarships to American Falls High School graduates and helped sponsor the annual bird festival. James Tiede owns the 550 acres that the fertilizer plant will be built on.
Health West Inc. one of the fastest growing companies in state The health care clinics have been care providers in Southeast Idaho for over 30 years. A board of directors — half of which consist of Health West patients — run the care provider system. Since 2012, Health West Inc. tripled its staff, the company now employs 145 people. Jennifer Bowen with the PocatelloChubbuck Chamber of Commerce said last year that as well as having a great economic impact on the community, Health West provides a valuable resource to Southeast Idaho: affordable health care. Bowen said the company’s rapid growth and ability to compete and thrive in Southeast Idaho is a testament to the economic endurance of the region. All the doctors at Health West are
By Debbie Bryce For the Journal
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n 2014, the Health West Inc. network included care centers in Pocatello, Lava Hot Springs, Chubbuck, Downey, McCammon, Aberdeen and American Falls. In August of 2014, the health care company broke ground on its eighth facility, The 5,000-square-foot building, located at Eighth Avenue and Young Street, opened in March. Clinic manager Mandy Carpenter said then that the clinic will allow Health West to provide care to more people. Last September, Health West also started offering dental services at their location on West Quinn Road. Dentist
Marcus Neff provides care at the site. Neff has practiced dentistry for 12 years in Idaho Falls, and he now resides in his hometown of Blackfoot. When the dental service opened last year, Neff said Heath West’s philosophy of providing comprehensive, affordable care appealed to him. Health West spokeswoman Amanda Wood said 20,000 patients are treated by Health West providers each year. A nonprofit community health center, Health West Inc. is funded by the Bureau of Primary Health Care funds. 22
board-certified and accepted by most insurance companies. Health West accepts most insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, and slidingscale fees based on income are available at all its medical facilities. Heath West works with Portneuf Medical Center to provide X-rays and lab work at a reduced rate. The care provider also works with local pharmacies to get prescriptions at a lower cost for patients that struggle to pay for medicine, and Health West can also help patients get free or low-cost medicine directly from the drug makers if the medication doesn’t come in generic form. For more information about the Southeast Idaho health care provider, go to www.healthwestinc.org.
Montessori Continued from Page 18 schools. Results indicated that Montessori education leads to children with better social and academic skills. Another longitudinal research study (admittedly supported by the American Montessori Institute) tracked 400 students in Milwaukee. Half the students received only public school education from kindergarten to graduation; the other half attended Montessori schools through fifth grade before transitioning into the public school system. The two groups were carefully matched in terms of gender, ethnicity and family financial status. At the end of the
Charter Continued from Page 21
almost 300,000. Today, there are more than 6,700 public charter schools enrolling about
Grace
Continued from Page 15 Dinger says there is also a misperception that students who attend the school — or any other of Grace Lutheran’s preschool through eighthgrade classes — have to be Lutheran. “We require our teachers to be Christians and most of our faculty are Lutheran, but we love to have kids from many different backgrounds at our school,” he said. It will cost roughly $3 million to build the high school and another $400,000 to set up the science lab, gymnasium, classrooms and locker rooms,
study, which was conducted between 1997 and 2007, test scores and GPAs were compared. The children who had received a preschool through fifth-grade Montessori education graduated with higher GPAs. As with all private educations, outcomes come at a price. According to a 2010 survey by the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, tuitions at private Montessori schools range from a low of under $999 per year to a high of over $14,000 per year. For students in its first- through third-grade class, Pocatello Valley Montessori School is charging $395 per month for 10 months, or about $3,950 per year. More information on pricing and the school is available at www.PocatelloValley MontessoriSchool.Com.
2.9 million students throughout the country. However, after 2012, the growth slowed. According to officials at the Idaho Department of Education, both the number of public charter schools and the number of students attending them have
remained steady — hovering between 6.5 and 6.8 percent of Idaho students for the past several years. According to Taylor, some schools have closed while others have opened, keeping the average for the state at a near constant.
Dinger stated. Thankfully, Grace Lutheran already has a lot of that money. “We’ve had some pretty generous people get us going. John and Edie Schaller made an initial gift of nearly $1 million for this purpose, and we’ve raised about another $400,000 in gifts and pledges,” Dinger said, adding that they’ve received two grants totaling about $315,000. They’re hoping to keep their loan to about $1 million, so they’re currently working to raise another $300,000, he said. Anyone who would like to contribute to the cause can contact Dinger at jdinger@ gracepocatello.org, or write a check to Grace Lutheran High School and mail it to 1350
Baldy Avenue, Pocatello, ID, 83201. “If people want to donate certain services, that could have a real impact as well,” he said. While Grace Lutheran is building the school, it’s also working to get everything ready for its first ninth-grade class. Dinger said they’ve already hired one teacher and are working to fill science and math positions. They’ve also set up a ninth-grade curriculum and daily schedule and have established a relationship with Idaho State University so they can offer dual enrollment and access adjunct faculty to teach foreign language courses and others in the future.
Development Continued from Page 11
Jensen is also involved in ongoing efforts to make community development improvements in Aberdeen and construct a splash park in downtown American Falls, she said. 4-County Alliance of Southeast Idaho (4-CASI), which works in Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin and Oneida counties, has been able to watch small manufacturing businesses expand recently, executive director Kathy Ray said. “These businesses are able to grow because of past grants that provided or improved the infrastructure to their business sites such as industrial
sites, rails spurs, increased electrical power, roads, water and sewer,” she said. “Economic development occurs over time and (it’s) great to see the rewards of past efforts.” Bannock Development, Great Rift and 4-CASI also all mentioned their involvement in an exciting new workforce development initiative, which Jensen said was created to help educate students, parents and teachers about the high demand for professional technical skills in the local workforce. “Our goal is to build a workforce with the skills our local businesses need,” Jensen said. “It is great to partner with community and educational leaders from this region to help our businesses and industries find the skilled workers they need.” 23
Mall
Continued from Page 3 “That was obviously huge for the center,” White said. “They continue to perform beyond expectations, and that’s great for everyone.” Some of the mall space is reserved for community events, which White says have quadrupled over last year. Since January, the Pine Ridge community room and common areas have hosted 38 for-profit events and 26 nonprofit events. “We want Pine Ridge Mall to be a home for anything happening in the community,” White said. “From Chubbuck Days to voter registration, to you name it, we want it to happen at Pine Ridge.” According to White, Hickory Farms will also be returning to the mall for holiday sales. The remaining 16 percent of the mall now sitting empty is the target of pitches to all types of business. “We don’t mark anybody off the list,” White said of their retail mix goals. In March, Pine Ridge launched a survey asking locals what stores they would like to see at the mall. According to White, this information is now being used to convince national retailers that there is a local demand for their stores. “We use the survey information in leasing pitches to stores,” White said. “We are always looking for input.” These discussions have yielded optimistic results, with “several things going
on both inside and outside the mall,” White said. However, he added that he cannot discuss any of it until paperwork is signed. While much of the mall’s vacant space is within management’s power to fill, White explained that some is not. The vacant expanse of anchor store space that once housed Sears is still controlled by the company, meaning Pine Ridge cannot lease it to someone else until Sears relinquishes control. “We will continue to work with them,” White said. Sears dealt a heavy blow to malls when, in December, it doubled the number of stores it planned to close: 253 are on the chopping block. The Sears at Pine Ridge announced its closure in September, a victim of sinking corporate profits. However, the national big box store continues to pay for the space it does not currently occupy. When it comes to tracking the mall’s success, Covington looks at three main metrics: sales per square foot, occupancy rate and budget comparison (in simpler terms, how performance matches up with projections). This budget comparison, done quarterly, is what White says is exceeding expectations. “We are actually beating our budget for this part of the year,” White said. More information on the Pine Ridge Mall can be found at http://www.pineridgemall.com or on their Facebook Page, https:// www.facebook.com/PineRidgeMall.
Ray agrees. “Most exciting and significant is the regional cooperation between economic development leaders, local businesses, ISU College of Technology, public school superintendent and state and local government entities working together to address a real gap in skilled labor in the region,” she said. “Currently, we are investigating ways to encourage the underemployed and young people to gain skills in higher tech positions such as welding, electrical instrumentation, cyber security, drones, nuclear engineering — to name a few.” Ennis is also excited about the effort. He hopes such changes will allow more young people to remain in this area when they begin their careers.
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Progress
Southeast Idaho
Idaho State Journal
Introducing the
Portneuf Wellness Complex
Page 12
Some of what’s inside n Pine Ridge Mall n Restaurants n Banks
n Hotels n ISU n Magnida
n Grace Lutheran High n Auto industry n Pocatello event center 1
TableofContents The
Portneuf Wellness Complex
12
Hannah Leone/Idaho State Journal
What’sinside Pine Ridge Mall
3
Auto industry
17
Idaho State University
4
Amy’s Kitchen
18
Banking
6
Montessori
18
Restaurants in Pocatello
8
Coffee
19
Hotels
10
Western States Equipment 20
Economic Development
11
Portneuf Medical Center 20
Event center in Pocatello 14
Charter schools
21
Grace Lutheran High School 15
Magnida
22
16
Health West
22
Old Town Pocatello
2
Shopping for optimism Mall management hopeful about Pine Ridge Mall’s future By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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eneath vaulted skylights and speckled tan ceilings, retailers at the Pine Ridge Mall are beating the mall management’s quarterly projections. “We continue to project optimistically,” said Stephen White, senior vice president for Covington Realty Partners, the mall’s management group. Built in 1981, the mall is home to about 36 retailers inside and five operating on out parcels. This mix of home-grown mom and pop shops and national retailers fill 84 percent of the center’s total possible occupancy.
Journal File Photo
Though the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck has seen better days, the mall’s retailers are seeing sales that are beating projections, suggesting that the shopping center is headed in the right direction. in March, Animal Riders opened in April, Coffee Town opened in June and the Carmike Big D theater expansion quickly followed suit. Soon, Panera Bread will start interior work on its new restaurant located on the site of the old Carmike Theater. In addition, Deseret Book, The
“We want a mix of local, regional and national to keep people shopping at Pine Ridge rather than traveling to other cities,” White said. As far as new businesses to the mall, a Discount Tire store is being built between the Panda Express and Wells Fargo. BCS Dogs opened
Purse Gypsy and Head Over Heels have all relocated their businesses within the mall. Prior to those changes, C-A-L Ranch signed on with the Pine Ridge Mall, marking a major boon for the retail center. See Mall, Page 23
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Idaho State University’s Holt Arena.
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
What’s new at isu
By Josh Friesen jfriesen@journalnet.com
W
hile Idaho State University’s plans to develop and build a new, $20 million basketball arena is high on its list of priorities, there are a few things happening that indicate the college is making a splash on a national and global scale. Whether it’s a $1 million upgrade to the ISU Anatomy and Physiology Lab, a $612,000 grant used for scholarships of ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, or partnerships with outside parties for research and development, ISU is establishing itself as a university that can make a mark.
A new place to play basketball In early May of 2015, ISU Director of Athletics Jeff Tingey announced his involvement in the initial stages of building a 4,000-seat basketball stadium on ISU’s campus. Currently, ISU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams play in sepa4
rate arenas. The Bengal men play in Holt Arena, while the ISU women call Reed Gym their home. Over time, both venues have become less than ideal for men’s and women’s collegiate basketball. Reed Gym is outdated and has struggled to house the needs of ISU women’s basketball. Holt Arena is spacious enough for the Bengal football team but too large and hallow for basketball games. Both teams suffer through their respective venue’s issues, and Tingey hopes a new basketball stadium will solve them. “I think the community of Pocatello is interested in this,” Tingey said in a Journal article in May. “The university is interested in this. Basketball and volleyball fans are interested in it. It’s something that would be beneficial to the university, to the student-athletes, to the community in general.” ISU hopes to fund the project through donations from individuals and corporations. But securing the funds will be a massive task. The project will require more money
than ISU’s athletic program has ever raised. Tingey is confident the steps to move forward will come soon. “We know that this needs to happen,” he said. “We’ve heard people say before it can’t be done. ‘This is Idaho. It can’t be done.’ Why not?”
ISU partners with NASA The wildfires that ravaged much of the northwestern United States in the summer of 2015 were combated not just by firefighters, but by a joint venture headed up by Idaho State University and NASA. According to an ISU press release, wildfire managers who were tasked with battling the 280,000acre Soda Fire in western Idaho were aided by a Geographic Information System (GIS) satellite imagery decision support system developed by ISU and NASA. The computerized system is called the Rehabilitation Capability Convergence for Ecosystem Recovery (RECOVER). It takes the form of multilayered GIS maps, deploys automatically and is site-specific. ISU and NASA worked in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, as well as other agencies, to develop it. “The land management agencies are doing all the work to fight the fire,” said Keith Weber, principal investigator on the project and director of the ISU GIS Training and Research Center. “What we are doing is supporting them so they can make good decisions quickly about how to
fight the fire and later how to manage the land after the fire is out.” Over the course of fighting the Soda Fire, BLM requested RECOVER webmaps four separate times. Pre-planning the post-wildfire process even while the fire wasn’t fully contained helped wildfire managers move forward.
ISU Anatomy and Physiology Lab gets a big upgrade The quality of Idaho State University’s anatomy and physiology classes are already sterling. According to a recent ISU press release, a $1 million upgrade to the facility has given it yet another boost, affecting the hundreds of students currently using it and the thousands of students who will use it in the future. “The ability for our professors to teach in the cadaver lab is greatly enhanced by the improvements,” said project manager Doug Simpson. The funding for the improvements were provided by the Idaho Permanent Building Fund.
Idaho State University joins with NuMat NuMat Inc., a world-class research and development and specialized materials fabrication firm, has reached an agreement with Idaho State University for joint research and development conducted at the Research and Innovation in Science and Engineering (RISE) Complex in Pocatello.
The research will involve a number of different areas, including advanced manufacturing, medical isotope production and materials science, according to an ISU press release. “Idaho State University has unique capabilities at the RISE Complex that we feel are perfect for our work in bringing high-quality, specialized materials to the market while also conducting leading-edge R&D on exciting applications that take advantage of these advanced materials.”
ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center awarded grant The National Science Foundation awarded a $612,375 grant to Idaho State University’s Energy System Technology and Education Center (ESTEC), and at least 35 incoming students will benefit from the funding, according to an ISU press release. The grant will allow students to receive up to $4,000 per semester as part of ISU’s five-year Energy Systems Scholars Project. ESTEC specifically targets promising high school students from all over the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West. “We expect to recruit promising students from the ranks of recent high school graduates,” said Lawrence Beaty, ESTEC director. “The success of these students will help to create a broader career path for students interested in STEM careers.”
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Banking: By Vanessa Grieve For the Journal
C
onsumer demand has helped drive the direction of banking locally and nationally. New technology is making it possible for consumers to have more power over managing their accounts. Brian Berrett, Idaho Central Credit Union’s chief financial officer, has been in banking and with the Chubbuck-based credit union for 23 years. In his tenure, he’s seen financial institution loan margins shrink and look for new revenue streams. Within the last few years, technological advancements and online banking have dramatically changed the way people bank. Online banking has given the consumer more access and control to manage their own accounts, transfer money and pay bills, among other things. Financial institution mobile applications have made it possible to remotely deposit checks. Amy Rhoads, president of the Pocatellobased Citizens Community Bank, sees people of all ages taking advantage of these services now more than in the past. “Technology has increased consumer convenience at (our) bank exponentially,” Rhoads said. Rhoads said technological advancements have increased security issues and have prompted implementation of additional security software to guard against all types of fraud. “We invest much larger amounts of both time and money dealing with the results of security breaches across the country,” Rhoads said, citing well-known hacks of Albertsons, Target, Bluecross/Blueshield, Harvard and even government agencies like the IRS and the U.S. Army. “Personal information was obtained in each of these and often is used for fraudulent reasons. Our systems and personnel have been increased to try to minimize resulting risks to our customers.” In addition to more secure software, technology and consumer demand have meant boosting information technology infrastructure to make products available and secure. “We have to hire a lot more people in the IT field than we’ve ever had to hire in the past because the consumer demands it, and that is where the market is heading,” Berrett said. “We love adopting (new technology) and we
Embracing new technology and reaping the benefits
6 banking trends this year 1: Brick-and-mortar branches are getting makeovers, moving or taking up less square footage. 2: The advent of the universal banker: Tellers have more responsibilities than just transactions. They are providing more services and pitching products and services to customers. 3: Mobile apps: Following online banking developments, smartphones are quickly becoming the primary banking tool. 4: Security: Financial institutions are beefing up their security and authentication measures, and consumers are given more responsibility to protect their own identity via cellphone locks and antivirus software. 5: New chip cards: Security breaches have prompted financial institutions and credit card companies to roll out EMV-chip cards for greater security than magnetic strip cards. 6: Payment technology: Smartphone wallets and virtual technology could replace cash and coin transactions. (From Bankrate.com) have to have more people on the back side to make sure they are working, test them and make sure they run smoothly, and most of all to make sure they are secure.” Rhoads said the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was passed in 2010, is one example of the new regulations impacting banking practices and customers every day. The increase in federal regulations has caused financial institutions to increase their compliance personnel. “We have created new positions to handle day-to-day regulation requirements and others to monitor and ensure we are in compliance with all of the regulations,” said Rhoads via email. Berrett said Pocatello-based ICCU is one of the largest locally operated financial institutions in the state, and he is amazed at how many people and how much money continues to go to grow the compliance department. “There have been more and more regs that we have to comply with and what that means to 6
“
Brian Berrett
“We love adopting (new technology) and we have to have more people on the back side to make sure they are working, test them and make sure they run smoothly, and most of all to make sure they are secure.” Brian Berrett, chief financial officer, Idaho Central Credit Union us is we have to spend a lot more money and resources in compliance and doing things the way we are required to do them,” Berrett said. Even more control lay on the horizon for the
smartphone-carrying consumer. In December, ICCU embraced Apple Pay — a mobile payment and digital wallet service — where members can pay from their credit or debit account via mobile smartphone. Berrett said the Apply Pay product can be used by members with an iPhone 6 or greater. “Once you put your credit card information in the phone, you can just hold your phone to the payment device,” he said, and it will charge purchase to the card. Consumers may soon be able to set limits on their different accounts and turn different accounts on and off using their smartphone. Local consumers may begin to see this service offered through financial institutions in the coming years. A few years ago, ICCU systematically upgraded its ATMs to take a stack of checks or cash, do an optical scan and total the amount before the patron confirms the amount deposited.
Bricks vs. Clicks As technology and subsequent online banking channels increased, the industry speculated the role of physical branches would diminish — the comparison was “bricks vs. clicks.” But the exact opposite has happened, Berrett said. The demand for online and mobile services continues to grow as well as the in-person interaction at banking branches.
“We have to be able to do both,” Berrett said. “We have to provide whatever channel the member wants to access us with.” Rhoads said millennials still want the faceto-face interactions with their bankers just as much as past generations. While the younger generation values convenience, they still value the relationships that can assist them with issues that are larger than everyday transactions. Being a local, community bank means Citizens takes pride in their community and makes investments into the local economy. Their employees also volunteer in community organizations. Being local also means customers can experience personal service and faster banking decisions. “While technology and convenience will always be valuable, the ability to speak with someone who can quickly assist with the opportunities life may present will always be invaluable,” Rhoads said.
Social media Social media has provided a new way for financial institutions to connect with their customers as well as promote what they are doing. Rhoads said the social media forum has allowed the bank to communicate more about their institution than ever before, sharing information about products, services and even
7
what Citizens is doing in the community. There is a certain population that prefers to contact ICCU via social media. “I think (social media) plays a significant role if you play it right,” Berrett said. ICCU will run certain online contests to engage the social media population. There is a population those methods won’t reach, Berrett said, but notably, their audience engaging them in social media continues to grow.
Trends in banking are mostly universal ICCU, which has about 26 branches across the state, said consumer needs are very similar in all areas they serve. Geography isn’t a noticeable factor, but Berrett said age may play a part in what products people are interested in. For example, a young person may be interested in a loan rate, where an older person may be interested in the interest rate on a CD. Citizens Community Bank has five branches in east Idaho. Rhoads said people in rural areas — or even large metropolitan areas — may have to travel significant distances to bank where they feel comfortable. “The need to feel secure in their information, privacy and of course their investments, will drive people to those ... institutions,” she said.
More choices for eating out New restaurants coming to Pocatello and Chubbuck By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
S
everal new restaurants are cooking up plans to open in the area. A Burger King and C-Store is under construction in Pocatello, and a Panera Bread bakery-cafe is coming to Chubbuck. Popeyes Chicken, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and a Red Robin are also talking to Chubbuck officials about the possibility of opening up businesses there. “It’s pretty obvious to me that several things are moving over here in Chubbuck,” said Mayor Kevin England. “There’s a lot of interest being shown.” That’s a good indicator of a growing and strengthening economy, according to Chris St. Jeor, a regional economist for the Idaho Department of Labor. “That much community development taking place is usually a good thing,” he said. He calls the news exciting, but he’s not shocked that restaurants are looking at the Pocatello and Chubbuck areas, which he calls a “gateway to everything.” “Seeing a lot of fast food places coming in isn’t overly surprising,” he said. Although the additional restaurants may encourage more people to stop on their way through town and give residents more choices for
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Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal
The Burger King/Conoco on North Main Street is part of the swelling restaurant construction in Pocatello. While restaurants like MacKenzie breakfast, lunch and dinner, they River put their own twists on the will also bring more competition foods they serve to set themselves to existing businesses. But those apart, Mills believes it’s important already established in the area for businesses to also work together don’t seem that concerned about the and even promote each other. For change. instance, he gives his employees “My philosophy is good competiincentives like gift cards to other tion is good (and) healthy for evrestaurants so they can occasionally eryone,” said Rod Russell, general eat at places where they don’t get manager of Sandpiper in Pocatello, worker discounts. which has been around since the St. Jeor says competition is a mid 1970s. natural part of the business cycle He says it’s only bad competition and there are always some winners — the kind of restaurants that do a and losers in that process. Still, he terrible job and make people think the changes taking place in twice about eating out anywhere — Chris St. Jeor, regional economist for thinks Pocatello and Chubbuck are a good that he worries about. the Idaho Department of Labor thing. Businesses like Red Robin have “Businesses are seeing an opporfound success in other areas, and Russell thinks it’s thrilling that such of MacKenzie River Pizza, which tunity to invest and develop — that’s restaurants are looking at Pocatello opened in Pocatello nearly two great,” he said. “Hopefully we will years ago, agrees. He’s not worried continue to see more development and Chubbuck. going on across all sectors.” “I’m a consumer too. I like having about more competition. choices (when it comes to) places to “Everyone needs to eat and no one (wants to) eat at the same place evgo,” he said. Jim Mills, assistant manager eryday,” he said.
“
Businesses are seeing an opportunity to invest and develop — that’s great. Hopefully we will continue to see more development going on across all sectors.
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Inn ADDITION Hotel managers say Pocatello’s growth influences boom in local lodging By Vanessa Grieve For the Journal
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ocatello hotels haves seen a nice increase in the number of stays the past three years. Jeffery Glissendorf, president of the Greater Pocatello Lodging Association and general manager of Townplace Suites by Marriot in Pocatello, sees signs Pocatello is growing and is optimistic of the new lodging options coming to the area. Last year, Holiday Inn Express opened off the Clark Street exit opposite Portneuf Medical Center, and groundbreaking on a Fairfield by Marriott is expected to begin in 2016 with an expected opening in 2017. “A lot of new businesses are coming in right now,” Glissendorf said. “It’s pretty exciting.” Glissendorf said hotel stays are almost evenly split into the categories of tourism, business and long-term stay/relocations. Travelers to Yellowstone National Park are a driving factor on the tourism side. This year, Yellowstone National Park hit a record-breaking 3 million visitors by the end of August, according to the National Park Service. The summer months are the busiest with warm weather, travelers and a variety of events. Glissendorf, who’s been in Pocatello for about three to four years, said three years ago, summer hotels occupancy for the Pocatello-Chubbuck area was at about 80 percent. In 2014 it was about 90 percent. Summer 2015 saw a 9596 percent occupancy. The growth at Portnuef Medical Center, ON Semiconductor, work at the former-FMC plant site, the opening of
hotels that we “Thehavemore the more people
Amy’s Kitchen and the completion of the Portneuf Wellness Complex have contributed to the increased hotel stays. “We’ve seen Pocatello growing in leaps and bounds,” Glissendorf said, citing eateries like Popeyes and Panera Bread that are setting up shop locally. The completion of an event center will also bring more business, Glissendorf said. In mid-September, the Pocatello City Council approved an over 40,000-squarefoot event center to be built near Grace Lutheran Church. The 1,600-capacity building will be built by Grace Lutheran Church off Baldy Drive, east of Interstate-15, and it will be leased to the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District. The project recently secured funding. The new event center will host athletic tournaments, trade shows and concerts, according to Auditorium District executive director Raul Cano. Glissendorf said sporting activities tend to drive the event-end of the hotel business. Spring events like softball, wrestling and others keep Pocatello lodging busy.
stop and look for what they want and I get booked more.
”
Tamara Clark
owner of Rapid Creed Bed & Breakfast in Inkom when we have a sellout in the summer we are pushing guests to American Falls and Sho-Ban Hotel and even selling out to Idaho Falls.” He said they view the addition of new hotels coming to the area as a positive. He suspects another one or two hotels could follow after the Fairfield is built, but there are none he is currently aware of. “I don’t see anybody suffering from the new hotels going in,” he said. Tamara Clark, who’s owned and operated Rapid Creek Bed & Breakfast in Inkom for the past seven years, said her business fulfills a specialty niche. One of the differences from a regular hotel is that Clark cooks breakfast for her guests in the bed and breakfast’s kitchen. Many of the ingredients come from a garden outside. “I have quite a few regulars that like it better,” she said. Though she believes some of her clientele come as a result from booked hotels in
Hotel Competition There are a number of older hotels in the area, and Glissendorf doesn’t believe the coming of new hotels will take away from any lodging establishment’s business. He explained that each hotel caters to a certain kind of clientele and tracks what brings guests to the area. “I don’t get the feeling anyone is going to go out of business,” he said. “I think 10
Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal
The Townplace Suites by Marriot and the Holiday Inn Express and Suites are two of the new hotels off the Clark Street exit.
Pocatello, the coming of new hotels could also positively impact her business. More events locally could mean more bed and breakfast seekers. “We’re mostly for couples and sometimes get big groups for family reunions, out of Pocatello, out of the craziness of Lava,” Clark said. “My business is catering to (people looking for a) more homelike atmosphere.” She also believes more hotels and places for guests to stay give visitors more options. If she’s booked, she’ll refer guests to hotels in the Pocatello area or the Harkness Hotel in McCammon. “The more hotels that we have, the more people stop and look for what they want and I get booked more,” she said. Glissendorf believes the Pocatello area has the capacity to host more events in the fall and winter even though the city isn’t much of a destination during those months. He said the lodging association is always looking for events to host September through December. “If people are interested in creating an event or having a larger event (encourage them) to reach out to the lodging association,” he said, adding the GPLA and other groups have funds set aside to help sponsor events. “We’re always looking for things to put the dollars behind. We’ve got a lot of good events.”
Economic development organizations excited about improvements, changes in region defining core industry clusters in the area, developing a website and marketing materials, working on various projects and attending trade shows, Rogers said. Other economic development agencies in the region are also excited about some of the changes they’ve been involved with in recent years. Mike Ennis, business development manager for Bannock Development Corporation in Pocatello, says new and expanding businesses, including Amy’s Kitchen, Great Western Malting Company, Western States Caterpillar, Allstate Insurance, ATCO, SME Steel and others have and are bringing many new jobs and millions of dollars in both investment and overall impact to the area. And many other businesses are continuing to do well, too, he said. Great Rift Business Development Organization, which works in American Falls, Aberdeen and Power County, has also helped make some progress this year. “Our biggest accomplishment has
By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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conomic development agencies throughout the region have seen some exciting changes recently, and officials say they are looking forward to more. Bingham Economic Development Corp. and Grow Idaho Falls Inc. recently joined forces to form the new Regional Economic Development Corporation for Eastern Idaho, known as REDI. The organization also hired Jan Rogers, a longtime executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization, to serve as the new chief executive officer. She began working in her new post in September. As part of its regional approach to economic development, REDI plans to work with development agencies and communities throughout eastern Idaho to leverage all of the resources available and secure new business opportunities, Rogers stated. “REDI's primary mission is to brand
Jan Rogers
Kathy Ray
Kristen Jensen
Ric Sorbo
and market the 14 counties of eastern Idaho and help drive opportunity to the region as well as act as an added resource to the communities and counties of eastern Idaho for new business development including attraction, retention and expansion,” she said. As it begins its work, REDI is focusing on the basics of the business —
been assisting Ric Sorbo, CEO, and project manager Joe McCarthy with the Magnida fertilizer project,” said Kristen Jensen, executive director of Great Rift. “The company has already spent $40 million on the project and has spent millions in Idaho, including providing scholarships for local high school students and other community needs and events. The contractor has been selected and all permits are in place. When final funding is secured, this $2.5 billion project will have a significant impact on Southeast Idaho.” In addition, Great Rift was able to work with the J.R. Simplot Company, Idaho State University and the Idaho Department of Labor to help workers displaced by the closure of the Simplot potato processing plant in Aberdeen. Subsequently, many workers were able to remain in the area, Jensen stated. “This is one of our accomplishments as we were concerned that we would have people leave the area because of the plant closure,” she said. See Development, Page 23
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This is a world-class facility. We want people to get active, be healthy and take charge of your life.” Shaun Menchaca, chief executive officer for the Portneuf Health Trust
The Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre is at the center of the Portneuf Wellness Complex. The amphitheater seats up to 11,000 people and has already hosted acts such as the Beach Boys, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Australian Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin 2.
I’m speechless about this place. This is a game-changing facility.” Health Trust board chairman Mark Buckalew
David Ashby For the Journal
Crown jewel of
Progress
New wellness complex offers scores of activities
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By Michael H. O’Donnell modonnell@journalnet.com
ompletion of the 80-acre Portneuf Wellness Complex in the city’s northeast corner off Chubbuck Road and Olympus Drive is the crown jewel of progress seen in the Gate City this past year. The Wellness Center is a collaborative effort between the Portneuf Health Trust —which is fueled by Portneuf Medical Center — Bannock County, Idaho Fish and Game and the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck. The trust invested $15 million in the complex, and maintenance of the completed
project will now be the responsibility of Bannock County. At the center of the complex is a 11,000seat amphitheater nestled along side a 7-acre man-made lake that is fed by an artificial stream from the east slope. In September, the complex held its first large concert which featured the Beach Boys with a warm-up act by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. “People loved it,” CEO for the Portneuf Health Trust Shaun Menchaca said following that concert. “People told me they couldn’t believe they were in Pocatello.” All the concerts held at the center are managed by United Concerts of Salt Lake City. Construction for the new Portneuf Wellness Complex began May 5, 2014, and it opened to the public Sept. 12. 12
“This is a world-class facility,” said Menchaca at the grand opening. “We want people to get active, be healthy and take charge of your life.” The new center will also be a boon to business growth in Southeast Idaho, according to Health Trust board chairman Mark Buckalew, who grew up in Pocatello. He said the complex is the result of a dream and four years of determination. “I grew up here and I never, never thought we’d have anything like this,” Buckalew said. “I’m speechless about this place. This is a game-changing facility.” The complex includes something for everyone. Here is a quick breakdown of what’s offered: n Sports Fields — Six sports fields plus a championship field can accommodate soc-
cer, lacrosse and football. The fields are planted with a special variety of sod designed to maintain a tournament-level, even surface. The championship field includes bleachers and a scoreboard. n Sand Volleyball Courts — Four sand volleyball courts will accommodate doubles play and includes seating space for audiences. n Lake and Stream — The community fishing and swimming lake includes an artificial beach on the swimming side and several fishing piers on the fishing side of the lake. The lake was stocked by Idaho Fish and Game with 4,000 rainbow trout this year. The lake also contains Kokanee salmon. n Basketball Courts — Two full outdoor basketball courts with convenient court-side parking and nearby picnic pavilions. n Perimeter Trail — A 10-feet-wide perimeter trail runs over two miles around the entire complex and is open to bikers, joggers, walkers and individuals with dogs on a leash. n Kids Playground — A Crossfit for Kids playground encourages healthy activity among the younger set. n Amphitheater — The largest outdoor amphitheater in the state of Idaho, it can accommodate audiences of up to 11,000 people for performances by top professional acts. While concerts are booked and promoted by United Concerts, the facility will be available for community and performing activities of all types. n Mountain Bike Park — Still in construction, when completed, a gravity-and-pump mountain bike park will feature trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. n Pavilions and Restrooms — Pavilions throughout the facility will accommodate groups as large as class reunions. Restrooms are conveniently located throughout the facility as well. During the grand opening for the complex, Bannock County Commission Chairman Howard Manwaring summed up the project. “When they first approached us, we kind of thought it was a pipe dream,” Manwaring said. “Now it’s a reality.”
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Submitted Illustration
The proposed event center near Grace Lutheran.
Event center moves forward Grace Lutheran, auditorium district working to bring event center to Pocatello By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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race Lutheran Church and the PocatelloChubbuck Auditorium District are working together to bring an event center large enough to accommodate 1,600 people. And they’ve already cleared some significant hurdles. The Pocatello City Council recently approved the rezoning of 8.69 acres on Baldy Avenue from residential-commercial-professional to commercial general to accommodate the 40,620-squarefoot facility. In addition, Grace Lutheran, which is building the multimillion-dollar center that the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District will lease, has secured the necessary funding through its denominational lender, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Jonathan Dinger, pastor of the church, said they will close on the loan as soon as building permits are issued by the city, which he anticipates will happen some time in November. “Grace Lutheran is thrilled to be able to step up and help provide the funding for this facility after numerous, frustrating rejections by other means to acquire funding,” he said, but added that while they are acting as the bank on the project, they won’t be designing or operating the event center. “This is a facility for the community and by the
community and will be governed solely by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District board and not in any way by Grace. We're just happy to provide funding and an opportunity so that the project can move forward and begin to make use of a bunch of vacant land that we used sparingly over the years.” Dinger believes the property on Baldy Avenue provides the perfect location for such an event center because it’s visible from the freeway, is located within walking distance of 750 hotel rooms and seven restaurants and has easy access to the Pocatello Creek interchange. And there are other advantages to the location, too. The event center will be able to share parking and gymnasium facilities with Grace Lutheran, which also runs a school in the area, in the future. “We have a neat reciprocal agreement where we will provide the use of our high school gymnasium to the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District when they have need of a fourth gym for tournament play or overflow space. In return, we get to use one of their gyms for several months in the afternoon hours of the school day during basketball season to help accommodate the eight basketball teams we will have between middle and high school,” Dinger stated. “It's a win-win for both.” The event center is expected to accommodate athletic tournaments, trade shows and concerts in the future, Raul Cano, executive director of the auditorium district, recently told the Idaho State Journal. Dinger said they are in the process of finalizing 14
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This is a facility for the community and by the community and will be governed solely by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District board and not in any way by Grace. We’re just happy to provide funding and an opportunity so that the project can move forward and begin to make use of a bunch of vacant land that we used sparingly over the years.
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Grace Lutheran Church pastor Jonathan Dinger their plans, along with the engineering and site design, but they hope to begin the majority of the construction work around March and are trying to complete the center by September of 2016. Although Grace Lutheran is hoping to eventually get some return on the property — it could take several years before it produces a net revenue stream — to use for its school and community service efforts, Dinger said they agreed to this arrangement primarily because they feel the event center will be a fantastic addition to the community. “We also think that when our community is blessed by a space that everyone can use and can help improve the economy of our area through increased visitors, income and use, then we all benefit,” he said.
Construction of private high school in Pocatello underway By Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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onstruction on a new private high school in Pocatello is underway, and if all goes according to plan, the first ninth-grade classes will take place there in August of 2016. Grace Lutheran High School, which will include a gymnasium and science lab, should be completed by next summer, said Jonathan Dinger, who will serve as the initial headmaster of the school that will be located at Grace Lutheran’s campus at 1350 Baldy Avenue. The school will be about 28,000-square-feet to begin with, but officials hope to eventually expand the building to 40,000-square-feet so it can accommodate between 200 and 300 students, Dinger said. He feels the high school, which will provide a much-needed gymnasium and more space for church, school and community activities, will be a valuable asset to the area. “We need this high school for several reasons,” Dinger said. “First, we're the only community our size in 10 western states that does not offer its citizens a private, full-featured high school. Our only options here are very large, public high schools,
A rendering of Grace Lutheran High School, which is scheduled to be open to students in August 2016.
that the school will be “elitist” or an “Ivy League preppy place.” “That's just not how we do school. What we want people to know is this: If your child attends Grace now and is succeeding, they will certainly succeed in the high school. And if parents will continue to be engaged with their child's education, they will succeed,” he said. “We do expect kids to work hard and do well, and we find that the huge majority of kids do — as long as families are engaged and they will commit to the process. Our kids are pretty regular kids who do pretty extraordinary things.” See Grace, Page 23
or a very small online-only Christian high school at Calvary Chapel. We've found that we're having trouble recruiting talented professionals and businesses to our area partly because of this lack. We also have no high school that's of a more modest size, which many studies show is far more effective in academic achievement and opportunities for involvement.” He feels the school, which will offer students academic rigor and personal attention, could help its graduates become some of the most successful college students in the state. However, he says there is some misperception in the community
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The future of
Old Town
Cydney McFarland/Idaho State Journal
By Cydney McFarland cmcfarland@journalnet.com
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n the last year, Old Town Pocatello has seen the relighting of the bus depot Greyhound sign and a record-breaking Welcome Back Orange and Black event. These projects are just small steps in a much larger 20-year plan laid out by Old Town Pocatello Inc. “Our largest focus this year has been the master plan — the 20-year plan,” said Stephanie Palagi, the executive director of Old Town Pocatello Inc. “We’ve been re-evaluating the area and finding ways to connect Old Town with the neighborhood and the community, including ISU.” Palagi and other community members hope to make Old Town the cultural and business center of Pocatello. Palagi said the goals of her organization tackle Old Town’s problems both from a public relations stance and a business stance.
The goal is to promote events and projects that “create an atmosphere of charm” in order to make locals and tourist feel welcome to dine and shop in Old Town. This includes a constant beautification effort in order to keep the landscaping and buildings in Old Town looking their best. “If we can show folks what we’re going for, I truly think we can make these projects happen,” said Palagi. “But downtown development is a continuous effort, just like economic and business development.” Palagi and her organization have also worked on promoting economic and business development in Old Town. They put together a 12-week program for merchants and property owners in Old Town. The program covered marketing, customer service, accounting and property care. “There are 242 businesses in downtown, and the majority of them are small businesses,” said Palagi. “We try to support them as best we can.” However, Palagi said they often struggle to find 16
the funding they need for all their projects. But thanks to partnerships with the city of Pocatello, Bannock City Development and Idaho State University, they are able to fall back on some cornerstone events that bring the community together in Old Town. Those events are community staples like the Welcome Back Orange and Black event for ISU students, trick-or-treating, Haunted History Walking Tours and the Night of 1,000 Santas Festival and Light Parade. The next project on the agenda is relighting Pocatello High School’s Indian sign on the auditorium. Palagi said she signed a grant for the project in August. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work and recognize that there is more to be done,” said Palagi. “But statistics show that if you have a strong downtown you have a strong community. We strive everyday to be that strong downtown.
Many changes occurring in local auto industry
Journal File Photo
Phil Meador, right, and his son Jason. Kendra Evensen kevensen@journalnet.com
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etween new businesses, new locations, remodels and changes in ownership, there have been a lot of exciting things taking place in the local auto industry recently. A new Meineke Car Care Center opened at the Westwood Mall in Pocatello earlier this year, and manager Kris Tiede said the business is doing well. “We’ve exceeded expectations,” he said. Tiede said they focus on the experience, not the transaction at the business, which offers everything from oil changes to motor replacements. “Word is getting out about us (and we’re) seeing more business everyday,” he said. Les Schwab also opened its new location on South Fifth in Pocatello shortly before New Year’s Day. The new store, which offers an ample waiting area for customers, a coffee bar, a bright, airy display space and modern equipment, is located northwest of the old location. Phil Meador and his son, Jason, also celebrated the
opening of the new Toyota dealership off Flandro Drive in Pocatello earlier this year. The new Toyota complex is built so a car can move from a quick oil change directly into tire service bays with a state-of-the-art lift system and Road Force balancing equipment. It also includes a car wash, detailing and delivery bays, a showroom and a comfortable lounge area for customers. The Meadors said earlier this year that they were also making changes at their other businesses in town, including Subaru and Ford dealerships. Pocatello Nissan Kia is also planning to open a new location on Flandro Drive — the same stretch of road where Phil Meador Courtesy Ford and the newly built Phil Meador Toyota dealerships are located — next spring in order to better accommodate the growing business. Owner Chris Russell told the Journal earlier this year that the new store will have a larger waiting area for customers and more room for vehicle inventory and servicing. The Cole Chevrolet and Hirning Buick GMC dealer-
ships in Pocatello also completed storefront facelifts and interior upgrades in recent years as part of General Motors’ Standards for Excellence program, which aims to give all its dealerships the same look and feel. “The changes have been pretty great,” said Clay Bailey, new car sales manager at Hirning, adding that they updated the lighting in the showroom, improved the service lane and installed TVs in the waiting rooms. The changes have come at an exciting time when people are showing more interest in some of the newer vehicle models they sell. Bailey said there have been quite a few improvements in technology. Many cars have better navigation and stereo systems, Wi-Fi hot spots and higher fuel mileage than they used to. The local Honda and Hyundai auto dealerships have also experienced some changes this year. Teton Auto Group recently purchased the businesses from Lithia Motors. Earlier this year, the new owners told the Journal that they were putting in a new Honda facility on Hurley Drive and relocating the Hyundai dealership to the previous Honda location on Yellowstone.
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Amy’s Kitchen begins Pocatello operation By Michael H. O’Donnell modonnell@journalnet.com
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he Gate City became home to the latest member of the Amy’s Kitchen family as 2015 began. The California-based, familyowned company took over the 500,000-square-foot facility vacated after Heinz Foods closed in Pocatello. Amy’s Kitchen already operated plants at Sonoma, California, and Medford, Oregon, where it employed about 1,900 people total at the two facilities. Its plans in Pocatello call for expanding the workforce to more than 1,000 people. The company, which specializes in organic and vegetarian foods, is one of the few remaining U.S. companies to craft its own recipes, source its own ingredients and make its products inhouse. When Amy’s Kitchen held an open house last December, co-owners Rachel and Andy Berliner sang praises about the Pocatello location. “The whole thing has been a mir-
Amy’s Kitchen moved into the Heinz Foods plant that closed in Pocatello.
Journal File Photo
merce, and city and Bannock County officials in high gear. Demand for Amy’s Kitchen products had outstripped the production capabilities of its existing two plants. “We had to do it fast and they made it happen,” said Amy’s Kitchen Chief Financial Officer Mark Rudolph. The Idaho Department of Commerce also went to work with its economic development board and worked on getting a Tax Reimbursement
acle,” Andy Berliner said. “We have the best of the best here from Heinz.” The company was able to hire 75 former Heinz workers to help get the Gate City operation functioning and had a workforce of about 200 people by the start of 2015. The company first contacted Pocatello on Oct. 11, 2014 about acquiring the Heinz property. This put Bannock Development Corp., the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Com-
Incentive plan in place for Amy’s. The company is approved to receive a tax credit of 26 percent for 15 years. Bannock County also approved a 75 percent property tax abatement for the next five years that covers the existing Heinz property and any future investments. Amy’s Kitchen uses its various production plants to create over 88 frozen meals, including pizzas, pocket sandwiches, pot pies, entrées, snacks and whole meals that meet the needs of people with special diets, including vegetarians. The company reached half a billion dollars in sales in 2014. Amy’s Kitchen spent more than $14 million in improvements at the Pocatello plant this year, and the Gate City facility has the capacity to have more production than the other two Amy’s Kitchen operations combined. “This project has been a great example of local and state governments working together to bring a new company with a world class reputation to our community,” said Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad.
Montessori education options grow in the Gate City By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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n an old brick schoolhouse in Pocatello, 44 children are trying something new. For the first time in decades, a private Montessori school has opened its doors to elementary-aged children in the Gate City. “I believe strongly in school choice,” said Richard Kirkham, one of the school’s four founders. Inside the Roosevelt Building on East Maple Street, teacher Sandra Morgan floats quietly among six students working on individual tasks. Some are in the first grade, others in third. Each child is doing something different — some working on penmanship as they copy a phrase, another clanking out spelling words on a typewriter and another working on long-form addition. As the children quietly go from one activity to another, strains of classical music play in the background. “The children get to chose what interests them,” Morgan said. “Each day we go through a work plan and they decide
1900s when Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori, founded her first school, but the frenzy was short-lived. Though more than 100 schools sprang up in the space of five years, by the 1920s Montessori had virtually vanished from the education scene. Its revival came in the 1960s when it became a staple in American alternative education. Today, about 4,000 Montessori schools operate across the United States. Of these, about 447 are public Montessori school programs educating about 112,486 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Kirkhams are hoping to incubate a future for Montessori education in the Gate City. Pocatello Valley Montessori School will run on the same calendar year as District 25 and will add more grades as the years go on and demand increases. The Pocatello school will become the fifth private Montessori elementary school in Idaho, according to accrediting body The American Montessori Society. Tyhee Elementary School offers a Montessori-based option. However, it
what order they want to do the jobs in.” A family venture, the school administrators are Matt, Morgan, Richard and Kathy Kirkham. the school year began Aug. 26. “A lot of people are really eager for there to be more options,” Morgan Kirkham said. “Montessori has been great for our family. It is an incredible way to learn and we believe in it enough to start a school.” While the Pocatello Valley Montessori School generally follows both the hours and academic calendar of District 25, most similarities end there. There are no assigned desks, no lectures and every activity is designed for the tactile learner. The new venture in Pocatello attracted 44 students this year — most in the kindergarten and preschool classes. Six children are enrolled in the firstthrough-third-grade combined class. Class sizes will top out at 15. Since its origins in 1907 in Italy, the Montessori method of education has gained a significant foothold in the United States. Interest in Montessori first swept the country in the early 18
also requires students to take the same standardized tests as any other school in the state — a departure from the pure Montessori method. While there are several local and statewide options for a Montessori preschool education, elementary school options are scarce. The options for a Montessori-based education all but disappear once the student turns 12. Idaho does not have any accredited Montessori middle or high schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, fewer than 10 percent of Montessori-based schools nationwide serve secondary students. While a lack of standardized testing makes comparing achievement outcomes difficult, studies in several scientific journals have shown that children educated with the Montessori method don’t fare any worse academically than their public school counterparts. A study in the September 2006 issue of the journal Science compared the outcomes of children at a public inner-city Montessori school with children who attended traditional See Montessori, Page 23
A good cup of coffee By Josh Friesen jfriesen@journalnet.com
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outheast Idaho has an economy that is burgeoning, and the coffee industry is no exception. Actually, if you ask many of those who run the coffee shops around Pocatello, you’ll find that even when times were tough, things were still OK. That doesn’t mean business hasn’t been booming recently, however. “(The recession) wasn’t too much of a complication for such a small shop,” said Samuel Vineyard, assistant manager of Mocha Madness on South Fifth Street in Pocatello. Part of the reason why Mocha Madness was able to continue its course is because of its proximity to Idaho State University. Because the coffee shop is so close to campus, students, professors and faculty are able to make the short jaunt over to get a latte, hang out and study. The same can be said of College Market, located at the intersection of South Eighth Avenue and East Halliday Street, just a few blocks from campus. College Market, which reopened under a new owner, Bart Nawotniak, in December of 2013, has enjoyed an increasing growth in business in each of the past two years. “For me, my semester starts at a level, gets better at the end of the semester, drops down in the summer or winter break and then begins at the exact same level we left off at and goes up,” Nawotniak said. “That’s the way it’s been the last four semesters.” The nearness of the coffee shops to ISU helps offset the fact that many residents of Pocatello — those who are LDS — don’t drink coffee. College kids and caffeine go hand-in-hand, so it’s natural for coffee shops close to campus to have good business.
Travis Oldham, manager of Mocha Madness, pours steamed milk into a cup to make a latte. tion of Jefferson Avenue and Elm Street in Pocatello. Though owner Heather Ross says some of those who drive up for a cup of joe are ISU students, most customers are just motorists looking to grab something on the go. “We’re a convenience society,” Ross said. “And drive-throughs are convenient for people.”
“Our focus is exactly on students and people who want to sit down and read or study,” said Mocha Madness manager Travis Oldham. “We’re designed for that.” Though that may be the case, those coffee shops still cater to the LDS crowd by offering noncaffeinated options like steamers, hot chocolate and Italian sodas. But regardless of faith, it’s ISU students and faculty who serve as the coffee shops’ primary clientele and the primary source of business. “They like my place,” Nawotniak said. “They enjoy the food and the coffee, so they continue to come back. I’m basically just continuing to build a base, and every new semester, I have new students coming in.” While College Market and Mocha Madness can rely on an ongoing funnel from the ISU campus, the same can’t be said to the same degree for Double Shot, which has two drive-through coffee stands: one on Yellowstone Avenue in Chubbuck and the other at the intersec-
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
While customer base and the delivery method might differ between Mocha Madness, College Market and Double Shot, all three have something very much in common: quality. Coffee is something they all take pride in. While they each fill different niches and serve a variety of people, the coffee-drinking community knows they’ll get a great product wherever they go.
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Expanding south
By Cydney McFarland cmcfarland@journalnet.com
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Western States Equipment’s new facility in south Pocatello is set to be complete in spring of 2016.
Western States Equipment’s new facility making headway By Greg Eichelberger For the Journal
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estern States Equipment, an Idaho-based Caterpillar sales and service company, will be completing a new facility in Pocatello. The project was made possible with New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) financing and will retain an existing 115 employees and create at least 24 new jobs, all of which will be available for low-income individuals, over the next five years. Collaboration between several partners brought the project to reality. In 2014, Western States Equipment Company officials announced plans to build a brand new, $15 million dollar facility and equipment display lot near the south exchange with I-15 by Century High School on a 28-acre lot. The new facility includes
an expanded service area and parts department, as well as the equipment display lot. The buildings will span 100,000-square-feet of space. The current site is 2405 Garrett Way. The new building will provide more space for company headquarters and room for more training. With essentially unlimited access to fully qualified staff, Western States has greater capacity to expand. The company expects to add 12 jobs in the next year and 12 more in the following four years. Those with the Bannock Development Corporation indicated the company’s decision to expand was a result of the heavy-equipment dealer’s success. Western States’ plans for expansion were stalled for years because of high construction and rental costs in the area. New Markets Tax Credits gave the company the final piece of financing it needed to build its new facility. In a recent press release provided by Montana CDC, Sen. Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Finance Commit-
Josh Friesen/Idaho State Journal
tee, is quoted as saying, “This public-private partnership is providing new jobs and technical opportunities for Southeast Idaho, and I commend The CDC, Western States Caterpillar, local officials and all those involved in this effort. I also congratulate Western States Equipment Company and their recent expansion in Pocatello with a brand new Caterpillar facility and equipment display lot.” Bannock Development Corporation and Pocatello city officials supported Western States’ expansion. In addition to creating quality jobs, the project is expected to catalyze additional development south of Pocatello on the I-15 corridor. On its website, Western States Equipment Company is shown to have had a long legacy in the Pacific Northwest of providing quality, value and excellence throughout its diverse history. During the early 1900s, J.A. Terteling & Sons Construction Company was a major provider of massive earth-moving projects throughout the United States. 20
hile Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot boasts a new autoimmune institute; Pocatello’s Portneuf Medical Center isn’t planning to make any concrete strides in the next year. “There will be nothing that you will be able to point to, like a new building or institute,” said Todd Blackinton, the director of marketing and public relations at PMC. “Most of our project will continue to focus on patient care.” However according to Blackinton, PMC has made some impressive strides in the last year. Patient satisfaction is now at 77 percent, up two percentage points from last year. The hospital is also at zero percent for infectious cases, meaning very few people have reported contracting new diseases while in the hospital. “This means we have be successful at identifying issues and dealing with them quickly,” said Blackinton. All of this is based on data collected by the hospital. After leaving the hospital, patients receive a phone survey where they can rate their care at PMC and rate the care they got from the doctor who treated them. All that data came back this month. “Really it’s been fun to look back at the progress that has been made,” said Blackinton. Portneuf Medical Center has also made strides in patient care by trying to cut down on wait times. According to Blackinton, the new statistics show that on average patients experience a 4.7-minute wait at the emergency room, a 5.9-minute wait until they get a room after arriving at the emergency room and a 12.6-minute wait to see a provider when you make an appointment. “These times are ahead of our goals and compared to the national average they’re excellent,” said Blackinton. “A lot of these statistics and what we’re focusing on now really does drive at the core of what hospitals are about, and that’s taking care of patients.”
Charter school growth booms, then levels off in the Gem State By Sarah Glenn For the Journal
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rom schools that offer camping trips to halls that echo quiet safety, public charter schools are bringing innovative approaches to the same reading, writing and arithmetic taught across the state. About 6.7 percent of Idaho children are educated at one of the state’s 49 public charter schools. More than 800 of those children attend a charter school in Pocatello or Chubbuck. “To me, the demand part is the idea of parents having a choice in their children’s education,” said Michael Mendive, Dean of Pocatello Community Charter School (PCCS). Public charter schools operate much in the same way as public schools: They must achieve the same academic standards, they cannot pick and chose their students and they are funded by state money. However, they can choose to deliver education with a different emphasis or guiding philosophy. Idaho public charter
schools also cannot receive any local tax dollars (for example, levees added onto property taxes). “In general, the state is very supportive of a parent’s right to chose,” said Michelle Taylor, school choice coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education. “Different kids need different things.” Locally, the desire for difference has grown over the past decade. Since its first day in the fall of 1999, PCCS has grown from 120 students to 340, with more sitting on waiting lists. A town away, Connor Academy (previously known as Academy Charter School) is educating 490 students in a new 50,000-square-foot building off Philbin Road in Chubbuck. Last year in its old facilities, the school could only accommodate about 280 children. Prior to the expansion, the average waiting list size hovered around 200 children. Today, waiting lists are lower — between three and 10 students waiting for a spot in each class. The exception is fifth and sixth grade, which has openings at the Con-
Journal File Photo
The Connor Academy Charter School building in Chubbuck. nor Academy. PCCS also has a couple openings in its middle school classes. “We do have middle school spots open this year, which is an anomaly for our school,” Mendive said. “Our current waiting list has around 115 students, which is considerably lower than normal likely due to the doubling of the (Connor) Academy this year.” According to the National Center for Education Statistics, charter education has increased substantially over the past decade. From school
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year 1999–2000 to 2012–13, the number of students enrolled in public charter schools increased from 0.3 million to 2.3 million. During this period, the percentage of public school students who attended charter schools increased from 0.7 to 4.6 percent. Just between 2010 and 2012, the number of students enrolled in public charter schools increased by See Charter, Page 23
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Magnida fertilizer meets another benchmark By Debbie Bryce For the Journal
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A drawing of the proposed Magnida fertilizer plant near American Falls.
fter more than six years in the planning and permit process, the proposed Magnida fertilizer plant project in American Falls is one step closer to fruition with the announcement last month that a contractor had been hired. Magnida Magnolia Nitrogen Idaho CEO Ric Sorbo said KBR Inc. was selected as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project. An agreement with KBR was reached in July. Sorbo said in March that it took 40 permits to get to this point. Magnida will now increase efforts to secure additional investors for the $2.5 billion project. The company plans to build the fertilizer plant near the existing Lamb-Weston potato processing plant, now Con-Agra west of American Falls. The fertilizer plant will use natural gas to pro-
duce nitrogen fertilizer. KBR builds most fertilizer plants in the U.S. A similar project was proposed in 2009, but that proposal was for a coal-fired fertilizer plant. Sorbo said that natural gas is not only cleaner than coal, it’s cheaper as well. Sorbo said last year that the company has spent $40 million developing the $2 billion fertilizer plant. ConAgra contested the air quality permit issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, but the permits were upheld. Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter had multiple meetings with ConAgra and Magnida, and those discussions led to ConAgra withdrawing its appeal in December. Magnida also negotiated with a provider to deliver its feed stock in 2014. Sorbo said the company will spend $120 million annually for
Submitted Illustration
the natural gas used to produce nitrogen fertilizer. During a public hearing last year, Sorbo said Magnida was shopping the project to several international banks to secure financing for the plant. Magnida will put up $500 to $600 million toward completion of the plant. The proposed Magnida fertilizer plant would employ about 1,900 workers during the threeyear construction phase. When it’s complete, the plant will hire 160 full-time workers. Magnida is working to make its presence known in Power County. Last year, the company awarded scholarships to American Falls High School graduates and helped sponsor the annual bird festival. James Tiede owns the 550 acres that the fertilizer plant will be built on.
Health West Inc. one of the fastest growing companies in state The health care clinics have been care providers in Southeast Idaho for over 30 years. A board of directors — half of which consist of Health West patients — run the care provider system. Since 2012, Health West Inc. tripled its staff, the company now employs 145 people. Jennifer Bowen with the PocatelloChubbuck Chamber of Commerce said last year that as well as having a great economic impact on the community, Health West provides a valuable resource to Southeast Idaho: affordable health care. Bowen said the company’s rapid growth and ability to compete and thrive in Southeast Idaho is a testament to the economic endurance of the region. All the doctors at Health West are
By Debbie Bryce For the Journal
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n 2014, the Health West Inc. network included care centers in Pocatello, Lava Hot Springs, Chubbuck, Downey, McCammon, Aberdeen and American Falls. In August of 2014, the health care company broke ground on its eighth facility, The 5,000-square-foot building, located at Eighth Avenue and Young Street, opened in March. Clinic manager Mandy Carpenter said then that the clinic will allow Health West to provide care to more people. Last September, Health West also started offering dental services at their location on West Quinn Road. Dentist
Marcus Neff provides care at the site. Neff has practiced dentistry for 12 years in Idaho Falls, and he now resides in his hometown of Blackfoot. When the dental service opened last year, Neff said Heath West’s philosophy of providing comprehensive, affordable care appealed to him. Health West spokeswoman Amanda Wood said 20,000 patients are treated by Health West providers each year. A nonprofit community health center, Health West Inc. is funded by the Bureau of Primary Health Care funds. 22
board-certified and accepted by most insurance companies. Health West accepts most insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, and slidingscale fees based on income are available at all its medical facilities. Heath West works with Portneuf Medical Center to provide X-rays and lab work at a reduced rate. The care provider also works with local pharmacies to get prescriptions at a lower cost for patients that struggle to pay for medicine, and Health West can also help patients get free or low-cost medicine directly from the drug makers if the medication doesn’t come in generic form. For more information about the Southeast Idaho health care provider, go to www.healthwestinc.org.
Montessori Continued from Page 18 schools. Results indicated that Montessori education leads to children with better social and academic skills. Another longitudinal research study (admittedly supported by the American Montessori Institute) tracked 400 students in Milwaukee. Half the students received only public school education from kindergarten to graduation; the other half attended Montessori schools through fifth grade before transitioning into the public school system. The two groups were carefully matched in terms of gender, ethnicity and family financial status. At the end of the
Charter Continued from Page 21
almost 300,000. Today, there are more than 6,700 public charter schools enrolling about
Grace
Continued from Page 15 Dinger says there is also a misperception that students who attend the school — or any other of Grace Lutheran’s preschool through eighthgrade classes — have to be Lutheran. “We require our teachers to be Christians and most of our faculty are Lutheran, but we love to have kids from many different backgrounds at our school,” he said. It will cost roughly $3 million to build the high school and another $400,000 to set up the science lab, gymnasium, classrooms and locker rooms,
study, which was conducted between 1997 and 2007, test scores and GPAs were compared. The children who had received a preschool through fifth-grade Montessori education graduated with higher GPAs. As with all private educations, outcomes come at a price. According to a 2010 survey by the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, tuitions at private Montessori schools range from a low of under $999 per year to a high of over $14,000 per year. For students in its first- through third-grade class, Pocatello Valley Montessori School is charging $395 per month for 10 months, or about $3,950 per year. More information on pricing and the school is available at www.PocatelloValley MontessoriSchool.Com.
2.9 million students throughout the country. However, after 2012, the growth slowed. According to officials at the Idaho Department of Education, both the number of public charter schools and the number of students attending them have
remained steady — hovering between 6.5 and 6.8 percent of Idaho students for the past several years. According to Taylor, some schools have closed while others have opened, keeping the average for the state at a near constant.
Dinger stated. Thankfully, Grace Lutheran already has a lot of that money. “We’ve had some pretty generous people get us going. John and Edie Schaller made an initial gift of nearly $1 million for this purpose, and we’ve raised about another $400,000 in gifts and pledges,” Dinger said, adding that they’ve received two grants totaling about $315,000. They’re hoping to keep their loan to about $1 million, so they’re currently working to raise another $300,000, he said. Anyone who would like to contribute to the cause can contact Dinger at jdinger@ gracepocatello.org, or write a check to Grace Lutheran High School and mail it to 1350
Baldy Avenue, Pocatello, ID, 83201. “If people want to donate certain services, that could have a real impact as well,” he said. While Grace Lutheran is building the school, it’s also working to get everything ready for its first ninth-grade class. Dinger said they’ve already hired one teacher and are working to fill science and math positions. They’ve also set up a ninth-grade curriculum and daily schedule and have established a relationship with Idaho State University so they can offer dual enrollment and access adjunct faculty to teach foreign language courses and others in the future.
Development Continued from Page 11
Jensen is also involved in ongoing efforts to make community development improvements in Aberdeen and construct a splash park in downtown American Falls, she said. 4-County Alliance of Southeast Idaho (4-CASI), which works in Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin and Oneida counties, has been able to watch small manufacturing businesses expand recently, executive director Kathy Ray said. “These businesses are able to grow because of past grants that provided or improved the infrastructure to their business sites such as industrial
sites, rails spurs, increased electrical power, roads, water and sewer,” she said. “Economic development occurs over time and (it’s) great to see the rewards of past efforts.” Bannock Development, Great Rift and 4-CASI also all mentioned their involvement in an exciting new workforce development initiative, which Jensen said was created to help educate students, parents and teachers about the high demand for professional technical skills in the local workforce. “Our goal is to build a workforce with the skills our local businesses need,” Jensen said. “It is great to partner with community and educational leaders from this region to help our businesses and industries find the skilled workers they need.” 23
Mall
Continued from Page 3 “That was obviously huge for the center,” White said. “They continue to perform beyond expectations, and that’s great for everyone.” Some of the mall space is reserved for community events, which White says have quadrupled over last year. Since January, the Pine Ridge community room and common areas have hosted 38 for-profit events and 26 nonprofit events. “We want Pine Ridge Mall to be a home for anything happening in the community,” White said. “From Chubbuck Days to voter registration, to you name it, we want it to happen at Pine Ridge.” According to White, Hickory Farms will also be returning to the mall for holiday sales. The remaining 16 percent of the mall now sitting empty is the target of pitches to all types of business. “We don’t mark anybody off the list,” White said of their retail mix goals. In March, Pine Ridge launched a survey asking locals what stores they would like to see at the mall. According to White, this information is now being used to convince national retailers that there is a local demand for their stores. “We use the survey information in leasing pitches to stores,” White said. “We are always looking for input.” These discussions have yielded optimistic results, with “several things going
on both inside and outside the mall,” White said. However, he added that he cannot discuss any of it until paperwork is signed. While much of the mall’s vacant space is within management’s power to fill, White explained that some is not. The vacant expanse of anchor store space that once housed Sears is still controlled by the company, meaning Pine Ridge cannot lease it to someone else until Sears relinquishes control. “We will continue to work with them,” White said. Sears dealt a heavy blow to malls when, in December, it doubled the number of stores it planned to close: 253 are on the chopping block. The Sears at Pine Ridge announced its closure in September, a victim of sinking corporate profits. However, the national big box store continues to pay for the space it does not currently occupy. When it comes to tracking the mall’s success, Covington looks at three main metrics: sales per square foot, occupancy rate and budget comparison (in simpler terms, how performance matches up with projections). This budget comparison, done quarterly, is what White says is exceeding expectations. “We are actually beating our budget for this part of the year,” White said. More information on the Pine Ridge Mall can be found at http://www.pineridgemall.com or on their Facebook Page, https:// www.facebook.com/PineRidgeMall.
Ray agrees. “Most exciting and significant is the regional cooperation between economic development leaders, local businesses, ISU College of Technology, public school superintendent and state and local government entities working together to address a real gap in skilled labor in the region,” she said. “Currently, we are investigating ways to encourage the underemployed and young people to gain skills in higher tech positions such as welding, electrical instrumentation, cyber security, drones, nuclear engineering — to name a few.” Ennis is also excited about the effort. He hopes such changes will allow more young people to remain in this area when they begin their careers.
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