Tap-N-Fill plans May opening at Snake River Landing

Lovers of craft beer will have a new watering hole in May, Tap-N-Fill, a new growler-to-go business, which is opening in Snake River Landing.

Owners Susan and Jeff Gardner will open Idaho Falls’ first growler station next door to MacKenzie River Pizza, at 1494 Milligan Road, near the river and the Greenbelt Trail System in Snake River Landing.

They plan to offer a convenient location for beer fans to enjoy a large variety of craft beer straight from the tap for at-home or on-site consumption. Tap-N-Fill customers will be able to purchase a growler, typically a half-gallon container specifically designed for holding draft beer, or refill personal growlers from a selection of more than 40 taps. They will also have ciders, kombucha, taster trays to sample a variety of brews, and hope to offer mead as well.”

Operating hours will be Monday through Saturday from noon until 10 p.m.

NuScale announces roadmap for SMR operation at Idaho site by 2024

NuScale, which is developing a 50 MW small modular reactor, provided new details last week on the timeline to having a first-of-kind commercial unit in operation. A company spokesman presented a detailed roadmap for the deployment and a roadmap during a keynote address to the International SMR and Advanced Reactor Summit, which took place last week in Atlanta.

Follow the link to read the story on the neutron bytes.com blog:

NuScale announces roadmap for SMR operation at Idaho site by 2024

EIRMC volunteer named national finalist for award

Jim Pletscher is many things — a veteran, philanthropist, and volunteer in Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department.

It is people like Pletscher that EIRMC is seeking to recognize during National Volunteer Week. Before and after shifts, he can be found cleaning up cigarettes butts in the parking lot, jump starting cars, or chatting with patients and staff.

Earlier this year, Pletscher was selected as one of the winners of EIRMC’s Frist Humanitarian Award. He went on to win that same honor the division level of EIRMC’s parent company, Hospital Corporation of America, and this week he was was notified that he was selected from over 165 nominations as one of the two national finalists for the Volunteer Frist Award.

This is the first time that EIRMC has had anyone recognized at the division or national level.
Here are some fast facts about the hospital’s volunteers:

• There are 126 volunteers helping in 15 different areas.
• In 2015 they donated more than 25,000 hours, which would amount to 12 full-time employees.
• The average monthly hours donated was 2,100.
• Shuttle drivers average 2,400 rides/month.

Overall, EIRMC volunteers employ professional skills as patient ambassadors, chaplains, and pet partner team members.

For more information, visit www.eirmc.com.

Garden Gate Nursery welcomes new generation

Rigby's Garden Gate Nursery

Garden Gate Nursery of Rigby is about to see a “changing of the guard,” as longtime owners Gary and Prudy Gneiting prepare for retirement.

The Gneitings were looking at closing up altogether when their son Alan and his wife, Krista, bother Rigby High School graduates, decided to return from Boulder City, Nev., to take over the family business.

Garden Gate Nursery dates back to 1966, when Blaine Lundquist built his first greenhouse. The business had changed hands twice when Prudy Gneiting stopped by in the spring of 1998 to buy some planting soil. She and her husband ended up buying the nursery and were also able to purchase property east of the nursery, where they expanded the greenhouse and added a modern storefront facing the Annis Highway.

It is the only nursery in Rigby and is a popular place in spring and early summer.

Former high school sweethearts who were married in 1996, Alan and Krista Gneiting have lived in Boulder City for the past eight years, where Alan was involved in mining and excavation. Gary and Prudy Gneiting have agreed to help with the nursery until their children have learned all aspects of the business.

For more information regarding Garden Gate Nursery, call (208) 760­0711 or visit the Web site, Gardengaterigby.com

Restaurant, convention center slated to reopen

An old postcard of the Westbank from the 1960s

While a name has yet to be determined, the old Westbank restaurant, lounge and convention center are scheduled to be reopened soon.

Joel Henry, who has been running Republic America Grill and Tapa Bar since the fall of 2013, has gone into partnership with Bruce Rahmani of Denver, Colo., whose company, Colorado Hospitality Services Inc. of Northglenn, Colo., bought the eight­-story tower in January 2015. The two are leasing the property from Dane Watkins, who locked everything up in late summer 2014 in a dispute with Om Shiv Ganesh, the financially troubled company running the tower and leasing the restaurant and convention center.

Henry said he is shooting to have the business open by June 1, but hopes to have the lounge open earlier. “It’s going to allow us to do all sorts of things,” he said.

Since moving into the convention center’s office, much of his time has been spent going through the files to gather information about people and organizations who have used the space for meetings, parties, receptions, etc. Since the convention center has been closed, the only place in Idaho Falls available for big functions has been the Shilo Inn.

Henry, 32, grew up in Traverse City, Mich., where he became executive chef of Poppycock's, a local restaurant, at age 21. He attended the Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, R.I. "I believe in old­ school, no ­frills cooking," he said. No­ frills doesn't mean no imagination, however. "If you're not creative enough, there's no reason to be doing what you're doing," he said.

He plans to keep the Republic name for the new location, with tapas and small plate offerings. For the restaurant in front, however, he is debating between Italian or a steak­ and­ seafood. He also has plans to turn the building where the Republic is now into a delicatessen. “There are seven places to eat by the river right now, but they’re all sit­-down restaurants,” he said. “It would be nice to have a place where you could go in and get a sandwich.”

Overall, Henry is going to be spending more time in the office and less in the kitchen. At the various locations, he anticipates managing between 25 and 30 people.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, but we’re all in this together,” he said.