Young Professionals mixer set for April 12

Artist's rendering of one of the homes at Legacy Creek at Snake River Landing.

The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Network will be holding its next social mixer at 5:30 p.m. Thursday April 12 at the model home at Legacy Creek in Snake River Landing.

The event is free, with food, drink, and drawings for prizes, including Jazz tickets and an overnight stay at the Marriot in Salt Lake City. For every guest you bring, your chances at winning will increase.

The group was started in 2008 as a way for future business leaders to network with each other, socially and professionally. YPN is an official committee of the chamber and has a board of directors made up of eight people. Its mixers are free and open to anyone in the 21-to-40 age range. They often feature guest speakers. For more information, visit the YPN Web site, http://www.idahofallsypn.com/

Legacy Creek is a maintenance-free master-planned community. The model home is located at the corner of Snake River Parkway and Whitewater Drive, near Stockman's Restaurant (which is catering the event).

EITC plans career fair for April 23

If you're an employer looking to hire, Eastern Idaho Technical College thinks it might have what you need. EITC is hosting a career fair on April 23 from noon to 4 p.m. for EITC students and almuni.

Graduates with the following skills will be on hand with their resumes:

Marketing & Management
Accounting
Office Professionals
Web Development
Computer Networking
Legal Paraprofessional
Automotive                       
Diesel
Welding
C.N.A.
Practical Nurse
Registered Nurse
Surgical Technologist
Medical Assistant
Dental Assistant
Radiation Safety
Professional Truck Drivers

Booths are free and include a complimentary lunch. Register here http://www.eitc.edu/career_placement.cfm, or call Annalea Avery at 524-3000 ext. 3337, or email her at annalea.avery@my.eitc.edu.

Best Buy Mobile store opening in Grand Teton Mall

While we wait for news concerning the Idaho Falls Best Buy store, Best Buy Mobile will be having its grand opening in the Grand Teton Mall April 11-15.

The Mobile store is located between Sears and JC Penney. In observation of its opening, it will be offering $50 off smart phones with any two-year activation. This applies to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T customers. It does not apply to iPhones.

Last Thursday, Best Buy announced it was revamping its business by closing 50 big box stores, cutting 400 jobs and trimming $800 million in costs. The company, which has about 1,400 U.S. locations, says it also plans to open 100 smaller, more profitable Best Buy Mobile stores across the country.

Going by the map at the Best Buy Mobile Web site, http://origin-m.bestbuy.com/bbyMobileStoreLocator/index.php, the Grand Teton Mall store will be one of the first stores of its kind to open in Idaho.

All eyes on gasoline prices

This is just to note that the gas price gadget on the right side of this page shows Idaho Falls' lowest pump price today was $3.61 a gallon, down from Sunday's price of $3.66 a gallon. It's at the Maverik on Woodruff Avenue.

I don't know if this is a fluke or an aberration, but I think it bears watching. Meantime, here's a link to the page that you would get to if you entered our Zip Code in the box: http://www.automotive.com/gas-prices/34/83401.html?zipcode=83401

Event Center board busy behind the scenes

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

No ground has been broken, but things are moving ahead with the Idaho Falls Event Center.

"I get asked all the time what's going on," said Bob Everhart, a member of the Idaho Falls Auditorium District. "I tell them nothing you can see, but there's a lot happening."

The district's board of directors wants to be certain their proposal has everything they want they come up with a price tag, he said. If having everything turns out to be too expensive, they will start with the basics and have a plan that can be expanded in phases.

One thing the center will have is an ice rink for a professional hockey franchise, which the directors say will be the "anchor tenant." The ice will be covered for trade shows or entertainment.

"We're looking at having our first hockey game in 2014," Everhart said.

In May 2011, Idaho Falls voters approved forming an auditorium district and a 5 percent surcharge on local hotel guests, estimated at $1.5 million a year. Along with fees and ticket sales, that money will be used to run the event center, to be located on 20.5 acres in the Snake River Landing development, whose operator, Ball Ventures, has donated the land.

Everhart said they plan to put out a request for proposals and hire an operator within 60 days. Once ground it broken, most likely in 2013, the project will take 15 to 16 months to finish.

To finance the construction, Everhart said they are looking into having investment grade bonds issued. Rather than going to voters, this can be done with a judge's approval. "The auditorium district in Boise just did it. We're following their lead," Everhart said.

CRSA, the Idaho Falls architectural firm working with the district, has been testing soil to determine what it will cost to excavate the site, which is just south of Pancheri Drive on the east side of Interstate 15. Negotiations with the New Sweden Irrigation District have to be taken care of as well (any time there's an alteration to a canal bank, such as a bridge, it requires the operator's permission.)

As far as design goes, CRSA is working with Sink Combs Dethlefs, a Denver architect that specializes in event facilities and sports arenas.