Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1161773
As humans there are many things beyond our control. One of the largest areas we lack any control over is time. We can ignore it but it keeps on going. We can't make it go faster and we can't slow it down. The best we can do is deal with the effects of it passing. While in the grand progres- sion of history, Idaho Falls is barely a tod- dler when compared to other cities around the world, however, we still have put on enough miles that a little TCL is needed now and then. Where the economy is heading is any- one's guess. Current indicators are that things are going pretty well in Idaho Falls. The recently completed Broadway beau- tification project was slightly alarming at first with all the sidewalks and streets being ripped up. When they started to cut down trees I was worried they had gone too far. I was greatly relieved to see the ADA com- pliant curbs and the nice brickwork, along with replacement trees that won't start to lift the sidewalks again until another 75 years go by. Downtown Idaho Falls is really looking to the future by taking the best from its past. Where most modern buildings are built to be almost disposable, many of our down- town structures were built in a different era when edifices were meant to last forever. It's been exciting to watch the decay scraped away from the Bonneville Hotel and await it's rebirth. Likewise, it was fascinating to watch the old Farrell's Store building do an architec- tural strip tease. As each successive facade was seductively peeled away, it exposed more unique original design features. It is hard to believe that such an interesting building had been hidden under such a blasé exterior. I hope its new tenants will do it justice with something more exciting than two-pant missionary suits. Some local big box chain stores have suffered due to competition from online sales. Their vacant shells are hopefully just a temporary blight and they will soon be repurposed into something other than another thrift store. If not, its comforting to know that they weren't built to last and will probably collapse in our next regularly scheduled hail storm. An example of how a phoenix can rise from the ashes and succeed is our very own Celt. What had become a seedy strip joint was transformed into a comfortable Irish Pub. With the recent acquisition of some small adjacent shops, it will be interesting to see what the Celt transforms into when it spreads its wings. Not all that long ago Idaho Falls was one of the largest cities in the state, but thanks to the sprawling subdivision towns grow- ing like a cancer on Boise, that distinction is long gone. Instead we are replacing quantity with quality. You can slap up a big box store and a condo anywhere, but they lack the heart that makes Idaho Falls such a great place to live. Out There by Gregg Losinski 78 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER2019 IF METAMORPHOSIS