Downtown Shabby opens on B Street

Jamie Casella, left, and Aubree Gardner, owners of Downtown Shabby.

Downtown's newest addition is Downtown Shabby, 348 B Street, specializing in refinished furniture, picture frames, and decorative items too unique and funky to describe.

The store is being run by Jamie Casella and Aubree Gardner, who were at Morgan's Emporium until about a month ago, when they decided they wanted to be downtown.

The store features items from 14 different vendors. Although it's mostly furniture, the merchandise ranges all the way to kids' clothing.

Everything is tied together by Casella and Gardner's gift for presentation. The inside, formerly an accounting office, has been done up in a very Pinterest way. "We dated a cohesive, boutique feel," Casella said. "A lot of people like this kind of stuff."

Hours are Wednesday from 1 to 7 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call Casella at 206-7268 or Gardner at 201-2823. And of course you can check them out -- even like them -- on Facebook right here.

Holding back the money: Are employers paying employees what they're worth?

Interviews are so much fun aren’t they? Aside from all the grueling questions designed to determine your skill set, personality, knowledge, education and behavior patterns, one remaining question always seems to be the hardest to answer.

This question makes candidates tense up, breath harder, stammer barely audible responses and maybe even break out into a sweat. What question could be so terrifying it encourages such awkward and tense responses?

Pretty simple: How much would you like to get paid?

In defense of anyone who has ever applied for a job, this is one of the worst questions to navigate an intelligent and fair response to – ensuring you don’t respond with too high or too low a figure
without knowledge of what the position pays.

From an employer’s side, if candidates respond with a figure lower than what the position typically pays, most employers feel this is a rare treat to be able to pay someone under budget for a position. On the other hand, if a candidate asks for a figure too high usually this means there will be some serious negotiations or the candidate will not be considered.

So if this question has ever stumped you, coming from the other side, you aren’t alone and there are many others who share your pain, including employers trying to negotiate fair rates in many cases.

Anyone who has successfully completed an interview and landed a job more than likely succeeded in answering this question, or possibly was told the starting rate and you agreed to it.

However, after a few conversations with your co-workers who have inappropriately shared what they make every other week. So now you know what your co-worker makes. Maybe it’s more than you or maybe it’s less, but nevertheless it has you wondering whether you getting paid what you are worth.

A word to the wise on sharing salary information. Most companies have policies regarding confidentiality of wages, so this would not be a practice I would recommend ever.

Over the years as an employee I wondered and watched as the economy took its roller coaster of a ride to get to 2014. I have watched salary analysis through different Web sites, read statistics
through state agencies, and predicted at one time shortly after I relocated to Idaho Falls, that
I may have moved to the most underpaid city in the United States.

Then I read this great article by MSN Money this week identifying Idaho Falls as No. 1 in wage growth. Here’s the link http://t.money.msn.com/investing/5-cities-where-wages-are-
soaring#tscptmf. This is no joke.

Keep in mind this article specifically cites statistics related to increase of weekly earnings in conjunction to unemployment rates locally – so there isn’t an MSN Money investigative reporter actually working with local employers to determine who makes this list.

Does this mean employers are paying “market worth” to their employees in Idaho Falls and beyond? There’s not a simple answer to that question.

Economically, you have to remember that employees are resources for a company, subject to basic economic principles such as supply and demand and averaging pricing (wages). If an employer is not paying fairly or at least “market value” for the positions they have they are 1.) less likely to attract solid job applicants – in fact recruiting and hiring is probably a challenge for them -- and 2.) less likely to retain employees.

If there is less “supply” of a certain position or specialty in an area there is more “demand” for
people to fill those positions, which in turn means that market pricing doesn’t likely apply to these positions.

This is in turn means they can’t find people to perform the work that needs to be done and they can’t keep people in the company doing the work that needs to be done. This is a very costly way to operate, and most successful businesses see the financial feasibility and and value of paying market rates (or even above market rates) for their positions.

It also means that if you have a specialized skill set or education within certain industries, you are going to be making money like it is going out of style in contrast with your friends and family that don’t have that same education or skill set (think brain surgeons). Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that your employer is paying you fairly. If you question whether you are being paid fairly, I'll have more to say about it next week.

Monica Bitrick is the owner of Bitrick Consulting Group, a human resources consulting company in Idaho Falls.

Home2 Suites by Hilton coming to Snake River Landing

A picture of a Home2 Suites by Hilton layout, from the company's Web site.

Home2 Suites by Hilton will break ground this month at Snake River Landing directly south of Stockman's Restaurant, with an opening projected for next summer.

The extended-stay hotel will feature 91 suites for the business or leisure traveler. In Home2 hotels, each suite  features kitchen space with appliances and a flexible working area to allow travelers to get business done in a comfortable setting.

The brand also puts an emphasis sustainability, with recycling containers in every suite, Energy Star rated appliances and interiors created from pre-recycles and post-recycled materials. The bath fixtures are selected to reduce water waste, and the saline-based pool utilizes natural minerals rather than chemicals.

The Idaho Falls Home2 Suites will be owned by B&T Hospitality, a hospitality company based in Idaho Falls that also has the local Hilton Garden Inn in its portfolio. B&T selected Snake River Landing believing the development's "live, work, shop, play" credo complements the Home2 brand.

“Our guests will be staying several nights and are looking for an experience of a home away from home. Snake River Landing’s many walking trails, scenery and easy access to restaurants make it an ideal location for Home2 Suites. We know our guests will love it,” said B&T President and CEO Rusty Townsend in a press statement released today.

Hoopes receives distinguished lawyer award

D. Fredrick Hoopes

Longtime Idaho Falls attorney D. Fredrick Hoopes, an eastern Idaho native who has spent his entire career defending those who faced serious criminal charges, was honored July 16 with the Idaho State Bar’s highest honor, the Distinguished Lawyer Award. A partner in Hopkins Roden Crockett Hansen & Hoopes PLLC, he previously earned the ACLU’s Thurgood Marshall Liberty Award.

“With his common sense and country wisdom he was a very successful advocate for truth and justice,” the state bar news release said.

Hoopes represented Charles Fain, who spent almost 19 years in prison, 18 of them on death row, for a murder he didn't commit. Fain was sentenced to death in February 1984 for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of a 9-year-old Nampa girl. The most critical evidence against him at trial was provided by an FBI specialist, who testified that pubic hair found on the dead girl's clothes was similar to Fain's, based on a microscopic comparison.

In late June 2001, after a protracted legal battle, sophisticated new DNA testing proved conclusively that the hairs -- one found in the victim's sock, the other two in her underwear -- did not come from Fain, who was freed that August.

On a personal note, having known Fred since the days reporters, lawyers and judges all had lunch every day in the Bonneville Restaurant and Lounge, I can say I have never met an attorney who believed more fervently in every person's right to the best defense available.

Square One organization begins recruiting

Being an American man in his 50s isn't what it used to be. My grandfather worked for Delaware Power & Light from 1932 to 1966. My father was a teacher for the State of Delaware from 1956 to 1988. My father-in-law worked for Westinghouse from 1948 to 1990. And yes, while I worked for the Post Register from 1981 to 2010, I am now putting a living together the 21st century way: freelance writing, a band, substitute teaching and now a business opportunity called Square One, a business networking program that I have started with Michelle Ziel-Dingman and Monica Bitrick.

If I seem to be backing into this story, it's because the old newsman in me still recoils at the idea running a press release in which I am quoted. The press release is out, the Facebook page is set up. BizMojo Idaho is part of the value equation.

OK, so what is Square One? It is a membership-based organization for networking and education, but not your typical pass-a-lead group. We are looking for owners of small- to mid-sized businesses and mid- to high-level decision makers from larger companies. Membership will be limited in each category, e.g., HVAC, telecommunications, office supplies, real estate, etc.

"We are the only networking group that offers integrated marketing opportunities for all of our members," said Ziel-Dingman. "All members will have regular promotion online via social media and our partnering Web sites at no additional cost."

Meetings will be held twice-a-month at The Grape Van Gogh, 2289 E. 17th Street. Every meeting will feature an educational segment. "We want to teach our members how to develop their leadership skills and improve their communication, no matter what their position is within the company," Bitrick said.

There will be preliminary kickoff meeting Aug. 20 at the Idaho Falls Country Club, with the first regular meeting Sept. 9.

On a personal note, I've known Michelle and Monica for four years and know how effective they are in the business community. I look forward to learning a lot from them, also from the people who join this group. And I think I have some good things to share myself. So if you want to find out more, check out the Square One Facebook page here.