From the monthly archives:

July 2006

Should Idaho Falls try the Chicago pay raise?

by Joe Vandal July 31, 2006

Chicago’s city council last week voted 35-14 (veto-proof) to require 90,000 square foot retailers with $1 billion annual sales to pay $10 per hour in wages and another $3 per hour in benefits at all stores in city limits.
Could anyone imagine the Idaho Falls city council voting to require a similar measure, so wages [...]

42 comments Read the full article →

KIDK website could use archive function

by Joe Vandal July 30, 2006

I don’t mean to keep making our local KIDK channel 3 television network my punching bag, but this keeps happening online and it’s hurting their own reputation.
I’m talking about archiving. I keep seeing websites that link to a KIDK news story, but when you get to the KIDK website, it’s an error 404 ‘page not [...]

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Today at Idaho Falls Artisan’s Market

by Joe Vandal July 29, 2006

I was excited after reading about the new Idaho Falls Artisan’s Market in this morning’s Post Register. I made sure to go by there and take some pictures, always obtaining permission from all product sellers before photographing their wares.
The pictures are optimized down from original size, but may take a minute to load over [...]

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Steering the ship slightly

by Joe Vandal July 29, 2006

Anyone remember that episode of Frasier where him and Niles open a piano bar and have grandiose visions for what their experience will be, but then it turns out to be a gay bar?
I would be pretty bummed too if IdahoFallz.com became a gay-centric website. Nothing against gays, just not my thing. I’d also [...]

7 comments Read the full article →

Free Business Directory Listings

by Joe Vandal July 28, 2006

We are publishing a free local business directory as a free service to the Idaho Falls business community.
We hate most “business directories” because it’s only a list of who paid. We want IdahoFallz.com to become the absolute best city-based business directory, with more information than even the phone book has.
IdahoFallz.com users will know [...]

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A Young Man’s Take on Gay Marriage in Idaho

by JeremyPlo July 27, 2006

In recent editions of the Post Register, countless local residents have joined in an epic debate over whether or not it is appropriate that we, as a society, can accept marriages between one man and one man or one woman and one woman, or whether it is in better wisdom to make changes to our [...]

135 comments Read the full article →

Idaho Falls should annex north and east

by dnix0112 July 26, 2006

I drive to work from the foothills to the westside every workday, I mainly use Lincoln Road or Iona Road. There is alot of residential growth in that area, and the use of these roads reflects that. These roads are rundown, and are in need of repair. I understand that these areas are in Bonneville [...]

10 comments Read the full article →

Eagle Rock Art Guild 2006 Sidewalk Show

by Joe Vandal July 25, 2006

I dissed the Idaho Falls art scene a few weeks ago, pretty much saying it was too vanilla and bland for my tastes. I took one of my kids out the annual art show on the greenbelt last Saturday (as I do every year). I wanted to interview a few artists about their work and [...]

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Steel, Stone, Paper & Paint Review

by Joe Vandal July 25, 2006

I took one of my kids out Saturday for some art exposure in Idaho Falls. We first went to the Eagle Rock Art Museum for an opening of sculptor Mark Stasz and painter Dave Thomas.
Anyone should at least drive by the museum (by the library) to see the amazing, large sculpture installed in front of [...]

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Is there a good ol’ boy network controlling Idaho Falls?

by Joe Vandal July 24, 2006

I’ve heard the phrase all my life in television, movies, print, and around town. The phrase has come up quite a few times recently in conversations on IdahoFallz.com and around Idaho Falls. We may as well bring it out to the light:
Is there a good ol’ boy network controlling Idaho Falls?
I found a Wikipedia entry [...]

29 comments Read the full article →

Teacher Merit Pay Only Effective If Overall Increase

by Joe Vandal July 21, 2006

I have taught computers in public schools, so I can empathize with teacher concerns about merit pay. They are concerned it is just another ploy to avoid paying teachers any more, and it holds the potential to pay them even less.
I’ve also worked in corporate environments with bonus structures, so I can clearly see how [...]

30 comments Read the full article →

Downtown needs a parking garage

by dnix0112 July 20, 2006

The City of Idaho Falls has the answer, they just need to find the money. A six story, maybe more, maybe less, parking garage should be built.
There is plenty of room at the current downtown parking lot to get this done. If my memory serves me correctly, it is in the center of downtown [...]

22 comments Read the full article →

Idaho Falls should expand along Snake River

by Joe Vandal July 19, 2006

Idaho Falls should focus on annexing land and encouraging smart development north and south along the Snake River. The reason for this obviously builds on our success with the beautiful greenbelt.

Expanding along the river would afford opportunities to create more water activity zones, such as more man-made falls, rapids channels for kayak races, paddle [...]

42 comments Read the full article →

Matrimonial perspective

by Joe Vandal July 18, 2006

Married for 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, “Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25 year old blonde.
“Now, [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Open Mike for City Workers

by Joe Vandal July 17, 2006

Idaho Falls city workers and anyone with knowledge of city inner workings are invited to comment in response to this article if they wish to anonymously report misdeeds, fraud, or abuse.
This is in response to both the front page article in the Post Register yesterday and subsequent conversations that took place in the IdahoFallz.com chatbox. [...]

100 comments Read the full article →

Dinosaur Legos Set Stage for Quality Memories

by Joe Vandal July 16, 2006

It was only $20 at Toys ‘R Us, but this Lego set we got our 6-year old boy for Easter proved to be a real winner in our family.
We had bought other generic Lego sets and Star Wars sets before, and occasionally played with them. However, this set contained two instruction books that used [...]

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It’s Time for Idaho Falls to Help the Invisible Children

by JeremyPlo July 15, 2006

Imagine the entire city of Idaho Falls disappears. All of your friends, children, uncles, gas station attendants, the mayor, the garbage man, even yourself, gone wihout a trace. Now, imagine that nobody notices or cares.
This is exactly what is happening in Northern Uganda, where a 13-year civil was has killed hundreds of thousands [...]

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Free Long Distance Calls

by Joe Vandal July 14, 2006

I missed this revolutionary announcement back in May, and just heard about it a few days ago in the ‘Cranky Geeks’ podcast.
The big deal is that anyone with a computer, broadband connection, speakers, and cheap microphone can dial free long distance calls anywhere in America or Canada. Yes, you can make totally free and [...]

6 comments Read the full article →

4th of July Contest Winner

by Joe Vandal July 13, 2006

We picked a winner in our first-ever contest, last week’s 4th of July 2006 Contest that asked for five freedoms guaranteed in our First Amendment.
While the response was disappointing (only 29 entries), the winner was not disappointed! In the interest of proving it was all kept ‘top shelf’, I’ll describe the procedure to pick our [...]

10 comments Read the full article →

The Perils of Being a Pedestrian in Idaho Falls

by JeremyPlo July 13, 2006

I try to ride my bike everywhere I need to go. I do this mainly because I lack the monetary resources to buy a second car for my wife to use, but also because gas prices are absurd, fossil fuels are killing our planet, and it’s good for the soul to use one’s legs [...]

28 comments Read the full article →

Local News Websites Need Comments Function

by Joe Vandal July 12, 2006

I suggest our local news websites implement comments functionality so viewers can respond to reported stories.
Wired Magazine last month identified ‘People Power/Peer Production’ as one of six big trends now powering the global economy. Big companies harnessing the distributed labor force of visitors include Amazon with peer reviews, News Corp/MySpace with hosted sites, and [...]

3 comments Read the full article →

Intellectually-engaging art gallery would grow IF art scene

by Joe Vandal July 11, 2006

I love art and wish, like many others, that Idaho Falls had a bigger art scene. However, I ask if our weak art scene is due to a local aesthetic apathy or boredom with the local art that is displayed? Landscapes, horses, fruit, fishermen, and old barns are pleasant to view, but do not intellectually [...]

16 comments Read the full article →

Zero-Interest Loans from Idaho Falls Power

by Joe Vandal July 10, 2006

Our Idaho Falls Power utility has a great and under-publicized program to help you get new windows and make other energy-efficiency improvements at your home.
I replaced 11 windows in my ‘new’ home through this program, including a large living room window and a patio door. It added $43 monthly to my bill for five years, [...]

6 comments Read the full article →

Dex Plus turns out to be useless ad-vert

by Joe Vandal July 9, 2006

I previously wrote that I thought the little ‘mini-yellow pages’ distributed last winter by Dex Plus was kinda cool. I liked how small it was and that it could fit into a briefcase.

Then I tried to use it the other day.
I needed a local printer, and thought I would look it up on the way. [...]

3 comments Read the full article →

City needs porta-potties at fireworks show

by Joe Vandal July 8, 2006

I heard some people complain about the lack of porta-potties at this year’s Idaho Falls fireworks show. They sat on the east bank, across from the recreation center. The only public restrooms they could find were the permanent ones located kitty corner to the Eagle Rock Post Office. When they arrived, they found a line [...]

2 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

July 2006

Should Idaho Falls try the Chicago pay raise?

KIDK website could use archive function

Today at Idaho Falls Artisan’s Market

Steering the ship slightly

Free Business Directory Listings

A Young Man’s Take on Gay Marriage in Idaho

Idaho Falls should annex north and east

Eagle Rock Art Guild 2006 Sidewalk Show

Steel, Stone, Paper & Paint Review

Is there a good ol’ boy network controlling Idaho Falls?

Teacher Merit Pay Only Effective If Overall Increase

Downtown needs a parking garage

Idaho Falls should expand along Snake River

Matrimonial perspective

Open Mike for City Workers

Dinosaur Legos Set Stage for Quality Memories

It’s Time for Idaho Falls to Help the Invisible Children

Free Long Distance Calls

4th of July Contest Winner

The Perils of Being a Pedestrian in Idaho Falls

Local News Websites Need Comments Function

Intellectually-engaging art gallery would grow IF art scene

Zero-Interest Loans from Idaho Falls Power

Dex Plus turns out to be useless ad-vert

City needs porta-potties at fireworks show

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