TONAQUINT DATA CENTER ANNOUNCES MATT HEATON AS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

St. George, UT — The Tonaquint Data Center, a K.H. Traveller project in St. George, Utah, announces the hiring of Matt Heaton to the position of vice president of sales and operations.

A graduate of Weber State University, Heaton comes to Tonaquint Data Center with a Bachelor of Science degree in technical sales, and several years experience working in the information systems industry. Formerly, Heaton was manager of major accounts for Century Link and director of sales for Diamond Wireless in Colorado.

“I look forward to creating a brand and image that resonates with our customer base and support increasing revenue for the company,” Heaton said. “This is an exciting time at Tonaquint Data Center. We are experiencing growth and demand for Internet and backup services, and our current expansion offers important options to our customers.”

Currently, Tonaquint Data Center is expanding its St. George, Utah facility to nearly double its size, ability and services in storing backup data for large and small companies. 

Tonaquint Data Center is the only Tier III data center facility between Las Vegas and Provo. Housing data for multiple Fortune 500 companies, Tonaquint Data Center provides services including IT infrastructure, connectivity solutions, disaster recovery, remote management services, colocation, and more.

For more information, call (435) 628-6164, or go to www.tonaquintdc.com. Tonaquint Data Center is located at Tonaquint Business Park at 1180 West, 1600 South, in St. George, Utah.

DOCUMENTARY FILM FEATURING WAR ENEMIES RECONCILING TO CELEBRATE U.S. PREMIERE AT SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRAR

DACA Productions will celebrate the U.S. premiere of its debut documentary film, “Soldiers’ Sanctuary,” Thursday, April 17, at Seattle Public Library in Seattle, Wash., at the Microsoft Auditorium, with guest subjects of the film in attendance including a southern Utah Vietnam War Veteran helicopter pilot of the infamous Khe Sanh Battlefield.

A touching film about combat veterans healing the wounds of war, “Soldiers’ Sanctuary” follows a diverse group of U.S. war veterans as they travel to the infamous battlefield at Khe Sanh, Vietnam in hopes of finding reconciliation with former enemies of war. Uniquely, the group includes young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as Vietnam veterans. Among veterans featured in the film is Dave Hansen of southern Utah who was stationed at Khe Sanh.

At Khe Sanh, the group participates in an emotional meeting with veterans of the People’s Army of Vietnam. Together, the veteran soldiers participate in an incense ceremony to honor fallen friends, and then go to work side-by-side in planting avocado trees as a symbol of giving new life to peaceful relationships. This historic event is the foundation of the Khe Sanh Peace Garden, a world sanctuary dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen soldiers from all sides of armed conflict and providing opportunity for peaceful face-to-face reconciliation of former enemies.

A first-of-its-kind documentary film, “Soldiers’ Sanctuary” focuses on veterans of all wars and their struggle and varying degrees of desire to reconcile with former enemies. It provides a touching tale of how both sides of war benefit from making interpersonal connections by reaching across former enemy lines to find healing,  understanding, and common ground.  

“My hope is that this film will help many who are interested in moving through personal struggle by way of reconciliation within themselves and forgiveness towards their enemies,” filmmaker Luke Hansen said. “While the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project is helping veterans of war in a very moving way, this film really applies to all who are looking to find personal peace and reconciliation.”

In March 2014, Hansen returned to Vietnam with subjects from his film for its first official screening and world premiere. On March 24, at Hanoi, Hansen shared “Soldiers’ Sanctuary” with an audience including members of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), the Vietnam USA Society (VUS), and the Veterans Association of Vietnam (VAVN). On March 27, the film celebrated its world premiere at Khe Sanh, Vietnam, a former battlefield. Also in attendance were civic leaders, veterans and their families, along with Vietnamese musician, Tinh Mahoney, whose song “Goodbye to My Homeland,” is featured in the film.

Hansen said Seattle was selected for the film’s U.S. premiere because it is hometown to many participants of the 2012 Vietnam trip that is the subject of the documentary. Additionally, PeaceTrees VietNam is headquartered in Seattle – an organization providing significant support to the film and the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project.

Guests will have an opportunity to hear from the filmmaker and subjects of the film at a panel discussion immediately following the screening. Panelists will include the filmmaker’s father Dave Hansen (Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot), along with Michael Fragale (Gulf War veteran), Adam Tousley (Iraq War veteran), Aly McGregor, and Jerilyn Brusseau (PeaceTrees VietNam co-founder). The panel will be moderated by Kevin Espirito (Sr. Manager of Community Engagement at Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs) who traveled to Vietnam with Hansen and the veteran delegation, under the auspices of PeaceTrees VietNam in 2012.

“I was honored to join and witness this amazing event first hand,” said Espirito. “I consider the friends I made on this multi-generational veterans peace trip, American and Vietnamese, my friends for life.

For information about the film or the April 17 screening, go to soldierssanctuary.com or call the film’s representing agency, TCS Creative, at (435) 674-2856. To reserve seating, go to Eventbrite.com and search Soldiers’ Sancturary. More information about the Khe Sanh Peace Garden project can be found at khesanhgarden.org.

The Microsoft Auditorium is located inside the Seattle Public Library at 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wash. The film is 46 minutes in length and the screening will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. 

Dave Hansen of southern Utah plants avocado trees at the Khe Sanh Garden near the old battlefield runway with former enemies of war.

Iraq War Veteran Adam Tousley (red check shirt) plants with multi-generation war veterans in Vietnam.

Filmmaker Luke Hansen (center with camera) of Albany, New York in Vietnam with trip participants.

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Jensen Bayles - Estate Planning: Do I Really Need a Lawyer?

Phillip Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles

In the world of Do-It-Yourself, does it make sense to retain an attorney to complete your estate planning?  We are all aware of the availability of legal documents on the Internet and the ease with which you can purchase a legal package to complete your own Will and some related documents.

I read an article in a reputable business magazine a few years ago in which the writer evaluated five different Will packages she obtained from the Internet or the local office supply.  All of the Will packages were recommended as legal in her state.  After completing the five Will packages, she acknowledged some were easier to use than others and she evaluated her experience.  Her conclusion is key and that is that even after carefully following the instructions in each Will package she still did not have any “peace of mind.”

Sometimes we are so fixated on the little things that we miss the big picture.  We work our whole lives to accumulate wealth to provide for ourselves in our retirement.  Why risk it now?  Some of the Will packages may seem to save you money at the outset, what happens when you pass away?  Have all contingencies been considered?  One small mistake can be extremely costly.

Last week the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of two nieces whose aunt used a Will package in 2004 to complete her Will.  Although the two nieces were not mentioned in the Will, the court ruled in their favor because the Will package did not have a residuary clause providing for the disposition of property not listed in the document.  

The Florida Supreme Court’s opinion included statements from concurring Justice Barbara Pariente who viewed the ruling as a cautionary tale.  “While I appreciate that there are many individuals in this state who might have difficulty affording a lawyer,” Pariente said, “this case does remind me of the adage ‘penny-wise and pound-foolish.’ . . . 

“I therefore take this opportunity to highlight a cautionary tale of the potential dangers of utilizing pre-printed forms and drafting a will without legal assistance.  As this case illustrates, that decision can ultimately result in the frustration of the testator’s intent, in addition to the payment of extensive attorney’s fees – the precise results the testator sought to avoid in the first place.” 

This problem is not unique to Florida.  Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish.  Seek counsel from a qualified estate planning attorney to help you achieve your estate planning goals and “peace of mind.”

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.

Tonaquint Hosts Golf Tournament to Support Rotary Humanitarian Project

St. George, UT – Tonaquint is hosting their 3rd Annual Golf Classic at the Valderra Golf Course at The Ledges on Friday, April 4. Matt Hamlin, CEO of Tonaquint Data Center  stated, "The proceeds of which will be contributed to the St. George Rotary Club Foundation to help fund their Guatemalan Stoves Project. This is our third year hosting this golf event and we are so excited for the companies that will be participating with us. For the first time, we have representatives from Nike Golf who will be making an appearance in St. George and assisting in the tournament."

Nationally known high tech companies including EMC2 Corporation, Emerson Electric Company, CCI Mechanical, CampusBooks.com, Level 3 Communications, Integra, XO Communications, CenturyLink, Waterford, Certiport, Cat, and Vivint, Inc. will be represented at the tournament.

Local businesses including Infowest, busybusy.com, Les Olson Company, Academy Mortgage, South Central Communications, State Bank of Southern Utah, Wells Fargo Bank, and City of St. George will have teams represented.

According to Chris Howard, VP of Sales for Tonaquint, "The 3rd Annual Tonaquint Golf Classic is excited to provide proceeds to the St. George Rotary Club Foundation and their Guatemala Stoves Project. This effort by the Rotarians is working to develop processes and projects that will provide sustainable basic living standards for the Mayan women of Guatemala. Club members are convinced the best way to break the cycle of poverty is by educating the younger generation.  For more information on the Guatemala Stoves Project go to http://www.stgeorgerotary.org/ and follow the link from their home page.

March Students of the Month Honored by St. George Exchange Club

St. George, UT, April 2, 2014 — The March 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 2014 March Students of the Month!

Back Row: St George Exchange Club President Brett Labrum; Chance Ewell (Desert Hills High School); McKlane Ganowsky (Dixie High School)

Middle Row: JD Robertson DSU; Madison Shaffer (Dixie High School); Ashlie Richards (Pine View High School); Brenden Gourley (Tuacahn High School)

Front Row: Shelaine Buschman (Millcreek High School); Yael Mancilla (Snow Canyon High School); Kaylee Brooks (Snow Canyon High School)

BYU Management Society Invites Mark Widmer to Speak

Mark Widmer to Speak at BYU Management Society Luncheon

St. George, UT – The St. George BYU Management Society is excited to welcome Mark Widmer, a professor of Therapeutic Recreation in the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University as their speaker on April 24, 2014 at noon at the Corporate Alliance Hub located in the Tonaquint Business Park at 1487 S Silicon Way, St George, UT. This luncheon is sponsored by the law firm of Durham Jones & Pinegar. Cost of the luncheon is $15.00 payable at the door. RSVPs must be made by April 21, 2014 to drewgubler@gmail.com or by calling (435) 669-4519.

About Mark Widmer

 Mark A. Widmer, Ph.D., is a professor of Therapeutic Recreation in the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. He also teaches in the Executive MBA program. His research focuses on  the effective use of adventure experiences to promote skills, resilience and therapeutic outcomes. He regularly publishes his findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Mark also develops and runs outdoor adventure programs for executive teams and families in locations around the world including Canada, Spain, Turkey, and New Zealand.  These programs focus on skills such as leading strategic change, performance management, innovation, talent development, and thriving in hostile environments. Clients include Hi-tech companies (e.g. Intel), investment firms (e.g. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority), pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Actelion), and healthcare organizations (e.g., American College of Cardiology). Recently, he and his partners founded, Ampelis, combining the management and leadership consulting with programs to help high net worth families identify, build and pass on an intentional family culture, to protect the transition of family well-being and wealth.

Mark grew up in Northern California. His "hippy" parents taught him to love the outdoors. He loves to mountain bike, ice climb, ski, canyoneer, run white water, fly fish, and backpack with his family. He worked professionally as a guide and ski instructor, and also taught mountain biking classes for 23 years. He and his wife Suzy have 4 children ages 25-14 and one 18 month old grand daughter.

Mark Widmer