Work starts on 15-unit retail center at Sandcreek Commons

The crew at work Monday on the new strip mall at Sandcreek Commons.

Work started Friday on the footings and foundation of a 15-unit shopping center at Sandcreek Commons, east of the D.L. Evans Bank and north of where Hobby Lobby and Broulim's are being built. For the moment, the project goes by the prosaic name of Retail A. Altogether, it will have 18,639 square feet of retail space, according to the Plans at the city of Ammon Building Department. No announcements have been made about possible tenants, but given the level of interest and activity at the Ball Ventures-Woodbury Corp. it would be extremely surprising if there weren't at least a few tenants before the end of the year.

The plans at the Ammon Building Department office.

Dad's BBQ owners eye June 1 opening

The new owners of what was Bubba’s on First Street are actually the people who have owned the property all along, Sid Fugate and his daughter, Jeni Baker. Remodeling at the moment, they are hoping to have the restaurant open June 1 as Dad’s.

Baker confirmed that they and the owners of Bubba’s, Brian and Casey Miller, couldn’t agree about a lease, which led to the restaurant closing at the end of April. She said the Millers’ wanted a lease reduction that she and her father couldn’t accept. Without going into details, she said there have been other issues, and they could end up in small claims court.

The cleanup since the restaurant closed has been extensive. “There was an inch-and-a-half of grease on the floor outside the kitchen,” she said. “It took us four days to clean up.”

Once open, they are hopeful about getting some of the old clientele back. Tom Murdock will be coming back as cook. They are hiring wait staff now and are around all day to accept resumes and applications.

Here’s some history for those of you who are interested. The log building was originally the Rib Cage. Bubba’s, an institution in Jackson, Wyo., first opened an Idaho Falls restaurant on 17th Street, then moved to First Street in 1998.

Jim “Bubba” Shivler has nothing to do with the Bubba’s in Jackson and hasn’t for years, but will remain a legend if only for running a place where the manager ticked off Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife at the time, Maria Shriver.

In a story that went viral before anyone was using the term "viral," Manager Linda Heibel told the Jackson Hole News the pair showed up at the restaurant on a busy summer evening. Shriver approached Heibel, introduced herself and asked for a table. Heibel, thrilled to meet the two, said she would put their names on the list and call them when their table was ready.

“‘You don’t understand – we don’t stand in line,’” Shriver reportedly said.

“‘You don’t understand,’” Heibel told Shriver. “‘When Bubba’s here, he waits in line. When his folks are here, they wait in line. He would probably fire me if I seated you like that.’” The two left in a huff and had harsh words for Bubba’s at the airport when their vacation ended.

Idaho Falls Bubba's gone; Dad's Barbecue coming

Closed since April, the old Bubba's will be reopening under a new name.

There’s a sign in front of the old Bubba’s on First Street that says Dad’s Barbecue is coming soon. While we run down that information, here's what we've been able to learn about Bubba's.

Brian Miller, who owned the business with his wife, Casey, said they closed the restaurant after the lease expired April 30. They had tried to negotiate a lower payment with the landlord, but couldn’t reach an agreement, he said. The two live in Washington, D.C., and were having someone run the restaurant for them.

Bubba’s had been in the log building at the corner of First Street and Northgate Mile since 1998. It was damaged in a fire in 2002.

Casey Miller is the daughter of Jim “Bubba” Shiver, who opened the original Bubba’s in Jackson, Wyo. In addition to the restaurant there, there is another Bubba’s in Cody, Wyo.

Miller said they wanted a lower lease payment because they had seen diminished traffic on Northgate Mile and a shift toward 17th Street. “It’s sad, but we really didn’t have any choice other than to pull out,” he said.

Idaho Falls Power recognized by Public Power Association

Here's an old photo of Idaho Falls Power's Gem State Dam, built in the mid-1980s. The bond that financed that project are being retired this year. 

Idaho Falls Power has been named a Reliable Public Power Provider by the American Public Power Association, and is one of 54 publicly owned utilities to receive the RP3 Diamond designation.

Kenneth Stone, energy services and accounting manager at Braintree Electric Light Department of Braintree, Mass., and executive committee member of APPA’s RP3 Review Panel, presented the awards May 18 during the association’s annual Engineering and Operations Technical Conference, held in Sacramento, Calif.

The RP3 designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. The designation lasts for three years.

Idaho Falls Power was one of the four Bonneville Power Administration customers awarded the diamond designation and the only Utah Association Municipal Power Systems member to receive it.
gnation.

“The RP3 review process is very rigorous,” said Jackie Flowers, Idaho Falls Power’s general manager. “The staff at Idaho Falls Power has put in a lot of hard work to serve our community. RP3 represents a much appreciated recognition of this hard work,” she said.

Former Post Register staffer honored

Rachel Cook

Congratulations to Rachel Cook, a former Post Register staff writer honored for a story she wrote for the Bakersfield Californian.

Cook's July 2014 story, "Dental Dangers," on dental licensing and review in California, won the George F. Gruner Prize for Meritorious Journalism May 12 in Fresno. Cook was health reporter for the Californian at the time. Her story focused on Dr. Robert Tupac, whose license was revoked by the state Dental Board and who killed himself the day after he learned of the decision.

Cook is a graduate of Skyline High School and is now an editor at the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.