Mayor's Business Day is Tuesday at Shilo Inn

Here's the schedule for the 4th Annual Mayor’s Business Day in Idaho Falls, Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at O’Callahan’s inside the Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay
Boulevard.

Job Fair: Sponsored by the Idaho Department of Labor, 8-11 a.m. Employers interested in participating in the job fair should contact Julie Buttars at Julie.buttars@labor.idaho.gov or by phone, (208) 557-2500, ext. 3562.

Keynote Speaker & Luncheon: John Watts, Partner, Veritas Advisors and lobbyist for the Idaho
Chamber Alliance will present the “2013 Legislative Session Overview” at the luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. Seating is limited. RSVP’s are required at
www.idahofallschamber.com or by emailing kmccullough@idahofallschamber.com.

Business-to-Business Tradeshow: In conjunction with the keynote speaker and job fair, the Greater
Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce will hold the business-to-business tradeshow from 1:30 to 5 p.m., with more than 40 business vendors displaying their products and services. The tradeshow is open to the public. For more information about the tradeshow, please contact Kerry McCullough, programs and events coordinator with chamber at kmccullough@idahofallschamber.com or call (208)
523-1010. 

Reception: The day will finish with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

For more information about this event, visit www.idahofallschamber.com.

Boot Barn plans to open in Ammon; recruiting in Idaho Falls this week

Boot Barn, a Western footwear chain based in Irvine, Calif., with stores in 11 states, is planning to open a store in Ammon in late May and is holding a job fair for managers Thursday and Friday.

The store will be in the Ammon Town Center, where Fashion Bug used to be. The job fair will be at the Idaho Falls Residence Inn by Marriott, 635 W. Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The company has more than 85 locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee and Idaho (Boise and Twin Falls). It carries such brands as Wolverine, Caterpillar, Timberland Pro, Chippewa, Doc Martens, Carhartt, Wrangler, Levis, Chippewa, Danner, Justin, American Worker, Georgia and Rocky.

Bill's Bike Shop opens in new location, sells first bike

A view of the sales floor at Bill's Bike Shop, which opened today at Snake River Landing.

Bill's Bike Shop's, an Idaho Falls institution since 1947, sold its first bike at its new location this morning, a carbon-fiber Cannondale Stumpjumper mountain bike to Jeff Hobbs.

The new store is at 930 Pier View Drive in Snake River Landing. "(It's) what I've been envisioning all along," said Gary Wight, who bought the business from longtime owner Stan Murdock in 2010. With 10,000 square feet store the store features massive tri-level displays, a large classroom and an expanded service area equipped with the latest gear, to help the staff keep up with the massive amount of repair work they do.

The future of the store on South Holmes Avenue, where Bill's has been since 1987, remains uncertain. The current lease goes through August, and they are using it as a warehouse and a place to build bikes.

Wight said that when it came to finding a bike-friendly location, Snake River Landing, with its miles of paved trails and access to the Idaho Falls Greenbelt, presented itself as an ideal place. "I wanted to be where it was bicycle friendly," he said.

The date for a grand opening will be announced later. To find out more about the business, visit the Web page at: http://www.billsbike.com/. On Facebook, they can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bills-Bike-Shop/231427136940710.

Bill's Bike Shop owner Gary Wight in his new office.

Downtown Development Corp. seeks donors for new flower baskets on Memorial

It costs $85 to fund a flower basket in Downtown Idaho Falls this year.

The remodel of Memorial Drive took place last year in the late fall, which means no one has seen it in its summer splendor.

To maximize the effect, for tourist and townie alike, the Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corp. is looking this year for people or businesses to help fund 42 hanging baskets on the Greenbelt. This is in addition to the 76 baskets that will be hanging from light poles downtown.

Cost of sponsoring a basket is $85. Bob Everhart, DDC's executive director, said he is confident they will get the money they need for downtown baskets, but admitted that finding the money for 42 new ones represents a challenge ($3,570, to be precise).

Still, once summer arrives the results ought to be worth it. "Combined with the city planters on Memorial, we think the baskets will make the Greenbelt look amazing," he said.

Anyone who sponsors a basket gets a sign that hangs by it. "You can have your business name put on, your family name, or donate a basket as a ‘gift’ and have their name placed on the sign," said Mala Lyon, the contact person with DDC.

For more information, call (208) 535-0399 or e-mail Lyon at mala@downtownidahofalls.com.

Lobbyist to give legislative overview at Mayor's Business Day

John Watts of Veritas Advisors

John Watts of Veritas Advisors will be the keynote and luncheon speaker April 2 at Mayor's Business Day.

Watts, who served under Idaho Govs. John Evans, Cecil Andrus and Phil Batt, will deliver a 2013 Idaho Legislative Session Overview. The luncheon is from noon to 1:30 p.m. at O'Callahan's, inside the Shilo Inn. Tickets are $25 and seating is limited. Tickets may be reserved online at www.idahofallschamber.com.

A partner at Veritas Advisors since 1999, Watts manages ballot issues and candidate campaigns and presents campaign seminars across the nation and in Canada. He specializes in campaign issue identification, message development, voter targeting and direct mail strategy. He has been lobbying since 1983, representing public and private clients in the Idaho Legislature, including AT&T, Shell, Nestle, Pacific Ethanol, Windland and Watco Railroads.