Panda Express to build second restaurant in Idaho Falls

Panda Express is waiting for the permits, but plans to start work very soon on a second restaurant in the Idaho Falls area. The plans for the 2,615-square-foot restaurant are on file at the city of Idaho Falls Building Department.

Like the first, on Hitt Road, this one will be near a Wal-Mart, at 720 South Utah Avenue, right where Pioneer Road intersects. It is being developed by Michael Cadell of Rosemead, Calif., who has plenty of experience. Going by his LinkedIn profile, Cadell is facilities manager for more than 125 restaurants in Panda Restaurant Group's Central California and Valleys regions. As construction project manager for the Northern and Central California and San Francisco Bay Area regions, he has built or remodeled more than 40 locations in three years.

The company itself dates back to 1973, when Andrew Cherng and his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, established the first Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena, Calif., to serve gourmet Mandarin and Szechwan cuisine in an upscale, casual-dining atmosphere. The success of that restaurant provided the springboard for the launch of Panda Express in 1983, fulfilling Andrew Cherng’s vision of a restaurant that combined the gourmet cuisine of Panda Inn with a fast-casual format. The first Panda Express opened in the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, Calif.

INL to dedicate Energy Systems Laboratory today

The Idaho National Laboratory's new Energy Systems Laboratory.

The Idaho National Laboratory will have special guests on hand today at 2 p.m. for the dedication of the Energy Systems Laboratory on its Idaho Falls Research and Education Campus, 750 University Blvd.

The ESL is where research is done on ways to integrate low-carbon energy into America’s electrical grid. This includes everything from biofuels research to electrical vehicle performance evaluation.

The dedication program will include remarks in the following order from:
A representative from the State of Idaho
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson
Battelle Memorial Institute Executive Vice President Ron Townsend
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis Miotla
Department of Energy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Renewable Energy Steve Chalk

At the event, the INL representative for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design will announce the certification of the Energy Systems Laboratory. The LEED program recognizes the implementation of practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Chamber seeking nominations for "Distinguished Under 40" award

Thursday is the deadline for "Distinguished Under 40" nominations. Every year the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Network honors 10 men and women who will be the decision-makers of tomorrow. Winners are profiled in Idaho Falls Magazine and recognized at the awards ceremony July 30 at Hotel on the Falls.

The nomination for the award can be found here: http://www.idahofallschamber.com/wwwroot/userfiles/files/distinguished_under_40_nomination_form.pdf

AmeriTitle, Alliance Title & Escrow, now have same parent company

Two of the largest independent regional title and escrow companies in the Pacific Northwest, Alliance Title & Escrow Corp. and AmeriTitle Inc., have joined to create the largest independent title and escrow group in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 600 title and escrow professionals and 73 offices operating in five states.

The companies, both of which have offices in Idaho Falls, will maintain their separate brand identities.

"This is an ideal combination of two great regional companies," said Larry Matney, CEO of Futura Title & Escrow, which announced this morning it had bought AmeriTitle. "Our operations are very compatible and our customers and employees will benefit greatly from the geographical coverage, scale and service capabilities of the new organization."

AmeriTitle founder and president Linda Stelle will remain in her current position. "As we considered the sale of our company, it was important to align with a parent company that was as deeply committed to the Pacific Northwest as we are," she said. "As always, service with commitment to our local communities and customers will be among our highest priorities at AmeriTitle."

Headquartered in Bend, Ore.,  AmeriTitle is one of the largest title and escrow companies in the Pacific Northwest. With nearly 300 employees in offices in Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Boise-based Alliance Title & Escrow Corp. dates back to the 1800s and became part of the Futura Corporation family of companies in the spring of 1995.  It has 33 branch operations throughout Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming.

Some reading for the dreamers

Here are a few links I've run across lately in the "do what you love and the money will follow" department. The first one, from the New York Times, had the catchy headline of "Following Your Bliss, Right Off the Cliff."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/your-money/the-painful-but-liberating-lessons-of-a-career-failure.html?_r=0

The second is from the Onion, so it's satire, but like all good satire it has an element of truth: "Find the Thing You're Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights and Weekends for the Rest of Your Life."

http://www.theonion.com/articles/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionate-about-then-do,31742/

BTW, my band, Happyville, is playing at The Celt on Saturday night.