17th Street Starbucks opening planned for May 12

A spokeswoman for Wadsworth Development said this morning that the new Starbucks at 900 E. 17th Street is scheduled to open next Monday, May 12.  This will be the second free-standing Starbucks in Idaho Falls.

Random Musings: From rubber cement to Google page rank

Confession time: I can not say the word "media" without inwardly cringing. I started with a typewriter and a pot of rubber cement*, and I feel entitled to consider myself a member of the press for as long as I want.

Nevertheless, well into the 21st century it should be obvious to anyone this Internet craze shows no sign of ending. If I am to keep eating, I must acquaint myself with such things as search engine optimization, keywords and page ranks.

I am a "content generator" now, and if one goes by my Google page rank I'm not doing too badly. Last week I ran across a Web site, http://page-rank-calculator.com, where you can enter your URL and it will give you your page rank and an arbitrary monetary value. After two-and-a-half years, BizMojo Idaho has a page rank of 3 (moderately impressive) and a valuation of $2,460 (not as impressive, unless you know something I don't.)

I've read the highest page rank one can get is 10, but I think it's 9, because 9 is the page rank Google and Facebook have achieved and let's face it, who's going to get a better scores than Google or Facebook?

Oh yeah, IRS.gov is a PR 9 site, as is the much-maligned Healthcare.gov. Apple has a 9, Microsoft has 8, which ought to spark some debate, I'm sure.

Are the Beatles really more popular than Jesus? It's actually a tie. According to the Page Rank Calculator, both TheBeatles.com and Jesus.com have PR 6 ratings. (Note: Jesus.com is actually the URL of Metropolitan Community Churches. It was very canny and perhaps very bold of them to stake their claim to this Web address.)

If you want to check out your own site, I've posted the link. Just don't come crying to me if your score doesn't measure up to your expectations.

Here are a few links that explain the meaning of page rank better than I can. I found them by Googling "page rank explained," and these were the top three results:

PageRank (Wikipedia)
What Is Page Rank and How Do I Use It?
The Google Pagerank Algorithm and How It Works

*When we wanted to move sentences and paragraphs around in a story, like we do on computer screens today, we would cut the typewritten copy and paste the sections where we thought they belonged. It was primitive, but I'm proud to have come from that era.

Togo's franchise planned for Idaho Falls

A picture of a Togo's from the company's Web site 

Togo's Eateries, has announced it will be coming to Idaho Falls, as part of an expansion that includes franchise agreements to develop five restaurants in eastern Idaho and eight in Salt Lake City.

The Idaho Falls restaurant is one of five that Ty and Debbie Jenkins are signed on to develop, along with Twin Falls, Pocatello and Rexburg. Ty Jenkins is CEO of DocuTech, a company that develops and markets Web-based mortgage compliance software.

Overall, Togo's has more than 325 locations open and under development throughout the West. Last year, the company launched a franchise development incentive program to drive expansion in key growth markets. Both new and existing franchisees who sign new agreements for three or more locations receive reduced royalty fees for the first two years for each new restaurant developed in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona. Additionally, franchisees benefit from $10 million for remodels and transfers, as well as $5 million to build new restaurants.

To become a part of the Togo's team, candidates should possess liquidity of $150,000 for a single restaurant and a net worth of $300,000. Area developers looking to develop three or more restaurants should have liquidity of $450,000 and net worth of $900,000. Special incentives are available for qualified franchisees interested in opening three or more restaurants.

Grow Idaho Falls adds staffer

Kim Merrill

Grow Idaho Falls has added Kim Merrill to its staff, joining CEO Linda Martin and Business Development/Investor Relations Manager Tami Henvit.
Merrill has come back from Boise's Treasure Valley, where she was a real estate advertising representative for the Idaho Press-Tribune.

Before moving to Caldwell, I knew her as an advertising account representative for the Post Register. Welcome back, Kim. It was a truly pleasant surprise to see you Tuesday at the Mayors' Business Day.

Grow Idaho Falls, for those who need a little background, is an investor-based economic development organization that started in the early 1990s as Initiative 2000. It became the Eastern Idaho Economic Development Council before changing its name to the less cumbersome Grow Idaho Falls.

For more information about what they do, call 522-2014 or visit the Web site, www.growidahofalls.org.

Martina McBride to headline Hawkfest 2014

Country superstar Martina McBride will be the headliner this year at Hawkfest 2014, sponsored by 105.5 The Hawk and Riverbend Productions.

Tickets for the July 5 show go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. at hawkfestidaho.com, in person at the Idaho Falls Arts Council box office, 498 A Street.

The recipient of more than 15 major music awards, McBride got her big break opening for Garth Brooks. She starred with George Strait on his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour.

The festival will also feature Craig Morgan ("That’s What I Love About Sunday," "Red Neck Yacht Club," "International Harvester," "Wake Up Lovin’ You"), ACM Top Vocal Group Gloriana ("Wild At Heart," "Kiss You Good Night," "Best Night Ever") and new country artist John King ("Tonight, Tonight"). For more information, visit

Riverbend Productions is a division of Riverbend Communications, which operates Classy 97 (KLCE-FM), Z103 (KFTZ-FM), 105-5 The Hawk (KTHK-FM), KBEAR 101 (KCVI-FM), NewsTalk 97.7FM (KLBY-AM/KBLI-AM), Riverbend Outdoor, and Riverbend Digital.