January 2014 Students of the Month Honored by St. George Exchange Club

Back Row:
JD Robertson (Dixie State University); Alec Marchant (Tuacahn High School); JessikaTalbot (Dixie High School); Bryan Phelps (Snow Canyon High School); Shonie Christensen  (St George Exchange Club President Elect)

Front Row:
Taylor Bracken (Pine View High School); Addie Beck (Desert HIlls High School); Angelina Gonzalez (December 2013 SOM Snow Canyon High School); Jasmine Escobar (Millcreek High School)

The January Student of the Month recipients were recently honored by the St. George Exchange Club.  The St. George Exchange Club sponsors the Student of the Month Program, which honors one student from the area high schools each month. This program recognizes the students’ accomplishments in academics, service and leadership in their respective schools. Dixie State University recently partnered with the St. George Exchange Club and will provide each of the Student of the Month recipients a one-year, full-tuition scholarship. 

The 48 students recognized each school year by the St. George Exchange Club equates to a commitment of over $175,000 from Dixie State University. The Exchange Club is honored to work with Dixie State University in recognizing and supporting the outstanding high school students of our community.

In addition, one student from the eight students honored as Student of the Month from each high school will have the opportunity to become Student of the Year for their school and receive a college scholarship to the college of their choice from the St. George Exchange Club.

The St. George Exchange Club meets Thursday mornings at 7:30AM at George's in Ancestor Square. For more information about the St. George Exchange Club, contact Brett Labrum at (435) 674-2221.

Congratulations to the St George Exchange Club January 2014 Students of the Month.

HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors - ANNOUNCES NEW HIRE

David Gertsch, certified public accountant (CPA)

St. George, Utah - HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors of St. George, Utah, is pleased to announce the hiring of David Gertsch, certified public accountant (CPA), as an audit manager.

Gertsch brings to HintonBurdick industry audit expertise with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clients as well as specializing in the fields of manufacturing, technology, gaming and hospitality. Previously, he worked at the Las Vegas office of Deloitte & Touche, an international accounting firm.

Gertsch is a graduate of Southern Utah University where he obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy.

“We are very pleased to have David join our team,” said Phillip Peine, HintonBurdick managing partner. “His experience adds both breadth and depth of experience to our auditing department.”

Gertsch is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Nevada Association of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, he has served in various volunteer leadership positions in the Boy Scouts Of America organization, and enjoys being active, playing baseball, golfing and skiing. He and his wife, Staci, are parents of three children: Madison, Brock and Ella.

HintonBurdick currently serves clients in 47 states and some foreign countries with accounting and audit services, litigation support, computer training and systems management, payroll services, tax planning and consulting services.  Offices are located in St. George, Cedar City, Hurricane, and Richfield, Utah, and in Mesquite, Nevada, and Flagstaff, Arizona. For more information, go to hintonburdick.com, or call (435) 628-3663.

JensenBayles - Individual Trustee Considerations – Revocable Trust

When considering an individual trustee for your revocable trust, always consider whether the individual can perform the duties and has the time and integrity to do the job.  Following is a list of factors to consider when deciding upon an individual successor trustee for your revocable trust:

(1)           Honestly and integrity. The most important qualification of a trustee is the trustee's honesty.  A trustee must work to a standard higher than is commonly seen in business today.

(2)           Investment experience. The trustee is responsible for all investment decisions of the trust.  The individual trustee must have an appropriate level of investment skill to make the proper investment decisions or the trustee needs to recognize that competent investment expertise must be hired. Even if an investment professional is hired by the trustee, the trustee must still be able to judge the investment professional's performance.

(3)           Business/administrative know-how. The individual trustee must have the knowledge to understand what must be done to administer the trust. If the trust is running a business or investment activity, the trustee must also have the specialized knowledge to operate the business. If the trustee does not have this administrative expertise, the trustee must hire a professional to provide this knowledge.

(4)           Willingness to serve. The individual must be willing to serve and to accept both the responsibility and the liability attendant to their role as the trustee. It is very important that the grantor ask the proposed individual trustee whether the individual is willing to serve. They must be asked beforehand.

(5)           Time. Even if an individual is willing to serve as a trustee, the grantor must also consider whether the individual has the time to fulfill the trustee's responsibilities.

(6)           Lack of bias. An individual may not be the best trustee if that person will have to make trust decisions that impact what they will ultimately receive from the trust.

Many people first consider the use of an individual as a trustee, for several reasons. First, an individual knows the family and its needs. Second, it is assumed that an individual will serve for free and therefore be significantly less expensive than a corporate trustee. Finally, many individuals believe that bank trust departments traditionally produce inferior investment returns and are insensitive to the needs of the beneficiaries.

JensenBayles, LLP provides a broad spectrum of legal services.  Thomas J. Bayles has been actively providing advice in the areas of trusts, wills, probate and tax planning in the St. George market for over 15 years. Please visit our web site www.jensenbayles.com or call 435-674-9718 and ask for Thomas J. Bayles or Phillip G. Gubler. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice. Please contact an attorney for legal advice specific to your situation.

DOWNTOWN YOGA TO DONATE FULL DAY OF FUNDS TO HEART WALK FOUNDATION

Downtown Yoga in St. George will open its doors Saturday, Jan. 25th, at 9 a.m., to its third annual Yoga Day fundraiser. With one-hour classes running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by donation, proceeds of the day will be donated to Heart Walk Foundation.

The goal of the event is to fund construction of a full greenhouse for the Q'ero tribe of the Andes Mountains in Peru, part of Heart Walk Foundation’s Grow a Mountain Garden campaign. The cost of each greenhouse is $508.

"We love that Heart Walk Foundation is a local charity that has gone global,” said Rebecca Dalley, a Downtown Yoga owner. “The greenhouse project is an amazing endeavor and we are excited to help support it."

Some of the classes offered include Hatha Yoga, Kundalini, Yoga for Balance, and Singing Meditation Bowls. Dalley will also be giving an informative lecture on a 14-day yoga detox. The lecture will begin at noon.

Dalley says that through practicing yoga one can gain increased strength, balance, and a calmer, more focused mind.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to do something good for yourself while helping the Q'ero people to grow leafy green vegetables to add to their diet of potatoes,” she said. “Whether it's your first or 500th class, we hope to see you there.”

Downtown Yoga is located at 50 East Tabernacle. For more information, call (435) 703-9642. For more information about Grow A Mountain Garden, go to heartoftheandes.org.

“HEART OF THE ANDES” DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKES FIRST STOP OF NATIONAL FILM TOUR AT WALLA WALLA

Documentary filmmakers of “Heart of the Andes” announce that the film’s first stop in its national film tour will be at Whitman College, Jan. 30, 2014 in Walla Walla, Wash. The screening will take place in the Reid Campus Center, Ballroom B at 4:30 P.M. It will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker and the head of the non-profit that commissioned the documentary.

Filmed on location in Peru, tells the remarkable story of forgotten, indigenous tribe of people living high in the Andes Mountains. Through the eyes of a small boy, viewers learn something unforgettable about the resilience of human nature, and about finding hope when it seems there is none left to find.

According to writer and director Melynda Thorpe Burt, “The film tells the story of a how an international humanitarian organization, Heart Walk Foundation, stepped in to save a destitute population from starving to death after their own Peruvian government sent them back to their mountain home to die.”

Founders Tim and Penelope Eicher (Tim is a university professor and Penelope a mental health therapist) learned of the plight of the Q'ero Tribes while traveling in Peru in 1993.

“Heart of the Andes” made its festival debut at the DOCUTAH International Film Festival in Sept. 2013. From its first public screenings, the documentary drew statewide media attention and captured interest of some significant members of the film and media industry. Significantly, producer and director Melynda Thorpe Burt signed a distribution agreement with Olive Tree Pictures of New York City, announced a national film tour and received a rave review by a renowned San Francisco film critic. 

According to Pat Denson, president of Olive Tree Pictures, “This film offers a gritty, moving dialogue of the daily struggles of the indigenous Q'ero tribe,” she said. “A once proud people left behind by the sands of time, the film tells how they are courageously surfacing and reaching forth into their future with the help of the Heart Walk Foundation.”

National Public Radio Film Critic Peter Robinson of San Francisco recently published a review of the film in “San Francisco Books and Travel Magazine” about “Heart of the Andes.” Wrote Robinson, “The film raises awareness,” he said. “It is a fine example of powerful storytelling that captures the spirit of place.”

Additional screenings are scheduled to take place in cities throughout the nation including Jacksonville, Fla., Seattle, Wash., New York City, N.Y., Conway, N.H., San Francisco, Calif., San Diego, Calif., Las Vegas, Nev., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Robinson was introduced to the film while covering the DOCUTAH Film festival for his magazine. “I hope to be with the film when it comes to San Francisco,” he said.

According to Heart Walk Foundation Co-founder Penelope Eicher, “This film builds a bridge across two continents and takes viewers truly into the heart of the Andes Mountains and into the lives of the indigenous and impoverished Q’ero people.” 

For more information, call Tenney Clemons Saarelainen, the film’s representing agency, at (435) 674-2846, or follow the national film tour at heartoftheandes.org.

ST. GEORGE’S NEW INN ON THE CLIFF FEATURES EXQUISITE VIEW, CONTEMPORARY STYLE AND CLIFFSIDE RESTAURANT

From Tom and Dorothy Heers, creators of the Anniversary Inns of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, comes an exciting new experience in hotel accommodations in southern Utah. The new Inn on the Cliff in St. George, Utah, offers a 24-hour, breathtaking, panoramic view of some of southern Utah’s most picturesque tourist attractions.

Scheduled to open Feb. 14, 2014, Inn on the Cliff is built uniquely on a cliff’s-edge. Within view are the colorful sandstone formations of Snow Canyon, the snow-capped peaks of Pine Valley Mountain, and the crown, distant horizon of Zion National Park.

In March, the on-site Cliffside Restaurant will open offering elaborate, two-tiered seating and patio dining that extends over the cliff’s edge.

Designed in a warm, contemporary style, Inn on the Cliff rooms are “simply luxurious,” Dorothy Heers says. “Room décor is patterned to integrate with natural surroundings while giving guests the feeling of clean lines, contemporary design and comfort at every level. We wanted to enhance rather than distract from the view,” she says.

According to Dorothy Heers, “We love to provide a fun, unique experience that keeps people coming back,” she said. “That means we provide our guests with a remarkable setting, service and special touches to celebrate special occasions.” For their Anniversary Inn concept, the Heerses were listed among the Top Ten Most Unique Inns by “Roads Best Traveled” publication.

Overlooking the quaint community of St. George and beautiful southern Utah scenery, panoramic windows and a private balcony with every room allow for 24-hour access to southern Utah’s natural beauty. From each room, guests look out over the city including the St. George LDS Temple, historic Towne Square, and pioneer homes.

“At Inn on the Cliff, we want you to come for the view, enjoy the experience, and stay for the rest,” Dorothy Heers says. “We love providing a perfect place for families to recharge after their day’s adventures, or for couples to celebrate honeymoons, anniversaries and the chance to just get away. It’s our service that keeps our guests coming back.”

Located in the former Rococo's, many local residents have been anxiously anticipating the revival of a former St. George favorite destination for dining and hotel stay. Newly remodeled, redesigned and ready to welcome guests to southern Utah, Inn on the Cliff is located at 511 South Airport Road overlooking St. George town proper.

Having spent more than 30 years in building construction, Tom Heers knows something about how to create quality, comfortable living conditions. Tom is a career homebuilder and is past president of the Home Builders Association of Utah. When he and his wife Dorothy decided to venture into the hotel industry, she made room for two things she loves most:  creative expression and cause for celebration.

Inn on the Cliff also offers recreation excursions and entertainment packages to assist guests in accessing all that southern Utah has to offer. Excursions include hiking at nearby petroglyphs, biking on favorite trails at Snow Canyon, kayaking at Sand Hollow reservoir, playing pickle ball at local sport courts, and golfing at stunning local courses. Entertainment packages include local theater venues, galleries, and performing arts venues including the renowned Tuacahn outdoor theater.

 

For more information, call (435) 216-5864, or go to innonthecliff.com. Like their page on facebook and watch for special offers.  https://www.facebook.com/utahcliff

 

JANICE BROOKS TO HOST MLK DAY COMMEMORATION, CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AND MEMORY WALK

Janice Brooks is former CEO at Green Valley Spa and a
professional speaker, public affairs consultant and community activist living in
Ivins, Utah. She will host a community conversation and candlelight vigil Monday,
Jan. 20, to commemorate the lives and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Nelson Mandela.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Day, Janice Brooks will host a community event Monday, Jan. 20, from 5-6 p.m. at Green Valley Spa.

Titled, “The Power to Dream, A Community Conversation,” Brooks will facilitate a discussion touching on themes of sacred activism, social intelligence and spiritual leadership.

The conversation is scheduled to take place at the Green Valley Spa conference room and will be followed by a Martin Luther King, Jr. & Nelson Mandela Candlelight Vigil and Memory Walk at the Green Valley Spa Labyrinth at 6 p.m.

Brooks is a longtime member of the southern Utah community. She is a professional speaker, public affairs consultant, executive leadership coach, community activist, freelance writer, and professional storyteller living in Ivins, Utah.

With completion of her work as CEO at southern Utah’s renowned Green Valley Spa, Brooks is devoting her creative energy and passion to compiling a book of her personal essay and poems, designing and producing corporate, literary and motivational events, and accepting public speaking engagements.

For more information, contact TCS Advertising & Public Relations at (435) 674-2846. This event is free and open to the public and media.

Dementia: How is hearing loss connected? Advanced Hearing & Balance

Eric Maxwell, Au.D.

Too many times as audiologists we have people tell us that they have decided not to treat their hearing loss at this time.  There are many reasons why they choose not to pursue treatment.  Some of these reasons include that they aren’t ready, or that they don’t think that the hearing loss is bad enough right now, or that they will just wait until the hearing loss gets really bad and people have to yell at them…..then they will do something. 

I know that we have previously discussed some of the effects of untreated hearing loss (like depression, anxiety, withdrawal, etc.).  Today, I would like to discuss untreated hearing loss and its effects on dementia. 

There was a recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins otologist and epidemiologist Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D. and other hearing experts, that found that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than older adults whose hearing is normal.  This study also showed that individuals with hearing loss had their cognitive abilities decline 30—40 percent faster than those individuals with normal hearing. 

Lin also found that seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. The study also found that the more hearing loss they had, the higher their likelihood of developing dementia.

Let me repeat that: seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. 

Lin’s study is not the only one that shows this correlation.  Other studies have shown that untreated hearing loss can contribute to a decrease in cognitive function.  Wingfield, et. al. showed that people with hearing loss also have less gray matter in their auditory cortex (the part of the brain that processes the sounds we hear) as compared to those that don’t have hearing loss.  It is thought that since people with hearing loss have to expend so much time and energy on hearing and comprehending what is being said that they don’t have the resources to perform some of the higher level functions involved with hearing.  This lack of stimulation can contribute to dementia and other cognitive disabilities. 

To summarize, if you know or suspect someone who is suffering from untreated hearing loss, please invite them to come into our office.  In doing so, we will be able to determine the best treatment so that their cognitive abilities won’t deteriorate faster than is necessary.  Until next time…………..”Hear’s” to good hearing. 

DOCUTAH OPENS 2014 SEASON

St. George, Utah - DOCUTAH opened the 2014 season with a call for entries on December 10, 2013. Festival organizers are thrilled to report that 59 films have been submitted in the first month. “The DOCUTAH buzz is spreading among documentary filmmakers”, says Festival Executive Director, Christina Schultz. “We’ve had many inquiries from filmmakers since we opened and many of them are explaining that DOCUTAH is a festival not to be missed.”

More than 60 filmmakers and VIP guests accompanied their films during the 2013 festival and that number is expected to increase in 2014 as the festival celebrates year number five. Filmmakers who have been a part of the first four years will be invited back to participate in the festival and enjoy films and the great outdoors of southern Utah. Lani Puriri, DOCUTAH Operations Manager says, “The community and visiting guests can expect an anniversary celebration full of international flare and exuberant fun.”

In its first five years of operation DOCUTAH has received many accolades including the most recent nomination as one of the “25 coolest film festivals in the world” by the international industry trade publication Movie Maker Magazine. The DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival originated at Dixie State University in 2010 and has since put southern Utah on the map, hosting this event that attracts professional, amateur and student filmmakers each fall. Since its inception, more than 1,400 films have been submitted from 60 world countries. Dates for the 2014 Film Festival are September 2-6 followed by Mesquite Best of Fest September 10- 12. Films will screen at various big-screen locations throughout southern Utah and southern Nevada. Festival attendees come for the films, stay for the scenery and depart having experienced inspiration.

DOCUTAH provides an opportunity to envision the world through documentary film. For more information about DOCUTAH and the film festival visit www.docutah.com.