St. George Exchange Club Installs New President and Other Officers

The St. George Exchange Club held their installation banquet at the Best Western Abby Inn on Thursday, June 26th, and installed their new 2015-2016 Club President James McFadden. McFadden presented outgoing Club President, Shonie Christensen of the Allstate The Shonie Insurance Group with a plaque for her leadership and dedication to the Club the past year. Other new board officers installed include Shonie Christensen – Past Club President, Dustin Schofield – President Elect, Tia Stokes – Club President Elect Elect, Kendal Clement – Club Board Secretary, Ben Smith, Club Treasure, Anthony McMullin – Club Board Member, Neal Smith – Club Board Member, Mindy Suttner – Club Board Member, Jinks Dabney – Foundation Board President, Brent Bills – Foundation Treasurer, Danny Wittwer – Foundation Board Member, and Tyler Wittwer, Foundation Board member.

The St. George Exchange Club meets weekly and their members are very involved in doing community projects throughout the community each year. The Club just received the Dixie Spirit Award From the Chamber of Commerce this past January 2015.

The national charter is focused on child abuse prevention and the St. George Exchange Club is active with the area Children’s Justice Center. Some of the events sponsored by the St. George Exchange Club include Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, The Ironman Kids Fun Run, St. George Marathon Mayor’s Walk, giveakidaflagtowave, and the local high school Student of the Month scholarship program. The St. George Exchange Club recently pledged a $100,000 donation to the City of St. George’s new All Abilities Park.

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 James McFadden at 435-632-7978.

James McFadden, current 2015-2016 Club President, presenting Shonie Christensen, past Club President, with an award for her past contributions to the club.

From back row, left to right
Jinks Dabney – Foundation Board President, Danny Wittwer – Foundation Board Member, Anthony McMullin – Club Board Member, Brent Bills – Foundation Treasurer, Neal Smith – Club Board Member, Shonie Christensen – Past Club President, Tia Stokes – Club President Elect Elect, Kendal Clement – Club Board Secretary, and Dustin Schofield – President Elect

Front row, left to right
James McFadden, Current 2015-2016 Club President and Mindy Suttner – Club Board Member.  Missing from the photo is Ben Smith, Club Treasurer and Tyler Wittwer, Foundation Board member.

REGIONAL CPA FIRM HINTONBURDICK ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF DEAN BURDICK & FAREWELL OPEN HOUSE JUNE 30

Dean Burdick

St. George, Utah, June 2015 — HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors, a leading regional accounting firm with offices in Utah, Nevada and Arizona, announced that Dean R. Burdick, senior partner, will retire effective June 30, 2015.  Recipient of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants’ 2013 “Outstanding CPA in Public Practice” award, Burdick has worked with and served clients for over 34 years.  “Dean has become well known throughout the region for his expertise in tax law,” said Phillip Peine, HintonBurdick managing partner. “He is a remarkable professional who has exemplified HintonBurdick’s core values. Dean set a great example for all of us and we wish he and his family all the best in their next phase of life.”

To celebrate Dean’s career and achievements and to express our appreciation for his exemplary contributions, we invite Dean’s clients, friends and colleagues to join us in honoring Dean on June 30, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., at our office in St. George, Utah, 63 S. 300 E. Suite 100.

After graduating Cum Laude from Brigham Young University in 1981, Dean began his career at the Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Company (KPMG) Billings, Montana, office, where he served as tax manager.  In 1985, Dean returned to Utah to direct HintonBurdick’s tax practice. Dean is active in the community and has served on the Board of Directors of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council, the BYU Management Society, Dixie State University Athletic Booster Club, the Art Around the Corner Foundation, the St. George Exchange Club, and the Virgin River Land Preservation Association, as well as serving as a member of the Southern Utah University National Business Advisory Council.

Dean grew up in Montpelier, Idaho and has been married to his lovely and talented wife, Marsha, for 36 years.  The Burdicks are the proud parents of two sons, Kenneth and Steven and 3 grandchildren (plus one on the way).  After retirement, you will find Dean on the golf course, traveling, and actively involved in church service.

About HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors
HintonBurdick currently serves clients in all 50 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 www.hintonburdick.com, or call (435) 628-3663.

Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements: Is it too late to get it in writing?

Phillip G. Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles, attorneys at law

 

            You just got married— for the second time.  While everyone is congratulating you on finding love again, your children are disappointed you did not enter into a Prenuptial Agreement before your marriage.  Your new spouse’s children likely share similar concerns.  You and your new spouse are adults; you have a verbal agreement about paying bills and handling your estates.  Why are your children so concerned about your new life?  Are they overreacting? 

            Many who have experienced a parent in a second marriage attest that it’s a time of excitement.  They hope their parent will be happy and enjoy companionship yet there are many underlying concerns that can be a white elephant in the room during conversation.  Will I still inherit my mother’s rocking chair?  Or will it be mistaken by the other side of the family for their great grandmother’s?  In order to avoid further turmoil at the time of a parent’s death there are practical matters that need to be considered.  For instance, each partner will bring assets and debts to the marriage.  You may both own homes and need to decide in which home you will reside.  There will be questions about taxes, upkeep, and whether the new spouse will continue to live in the home after you pass away.  Children from a previous marriage may feel threatened that their perceived “inheritance” will go to the new spouse or the new spouse’s children.  In addition, the new spouse’s asset to debt ratio may not be favorable and you may not be in a position to pay your new spouse’s debts.  Your children’s concern may be that your assets will be depleted paying for debts that were not incurred by you.

One way to keep each party’s assets and premarital debts clearly separate is by entering into a Prenuptial Agreement before marriage.  While that may be the recommendation from the legal community and your children, a Postnuptial Agreement is another way to delineate each party’s assets to keep them separate.  Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements, like any contract, must be clearly written.  They are voluntarily signed by both parties, and indicate there has been reasonable disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the other party.  Litigation related to Pre- and Postnuptial agreements almost always centers on whether the terms of the agreement are clear, the agreement was signed voluntarily, and if the disclosure was reasonable.   For this reason, we recommend that each party review such agreements with their respective counsel.

            Congratulations on finding love again.  Let us help you preserve the peace in your home and newly extended family.  Whether you are planning to marry again or have already remarried, it is not too late to get it in writing. 

The attorneys at JensenBayles, LLP provide 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

Ripping Your Ears with Rock. Advanced Hearing & Balance

Kimball B. Forbes, MCD

Ripping Your Ears with Rock
 
Repeated and prolonged use of personal electronic devices are putting young people at risk of losing their hearing permanently.

“I love listening to music all the time and kind of loud sometimes to drown everything,” said a Utah teen.  It’s a way of life for the average teen.

“(I listen to music) almost every day for a few hours, like when I go to the gym,” said another local teenager.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization warned that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to recreational noise such as unsafe use of personal audio devices, smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues like nightclubs, bars and sporting events.

Sreekant Cherukuri, a specialist in treating ear, nose and throat, told NBC News that using iPods and (smartphones) was probably the largest cause of hearing loss in millennials.

The Indiana doctor estimated hearing loss among today's teens is about 30 percent higher than in the 1980s and 1990s. "You (once) had a Walkman with two AA batteries and headphone thongs that went over your ears," Cherukuri told NBC News. "At high volume, the sound was so distorted and the battery life was poor. Nowadays, we have smartphones that are extremely complex computers with high-level fidelity.”

Hearing loss occurs because the inner ear repeatedly gets pounded with sounds over 85 decibels.

“You’d be surprised at how soft 85 decibels is, said Kimball B Forbes, Clinical Audiologist in Southern Utah.  People at a rock concert are exposed to at least 100 decibels, and sometimes even up to 120 decibels.”

Data from studies in middle- and high-income countries analyzed by WHO indicate that among teenagers and young adults ages 12 to 35, nearly 50 percent are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices, and around 40 percent are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues.

This type of hearing loss is 100 percent preventable. There are things people can do to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk. Another recommendation is using the 60-60 rule — keeping the volume under 60 percent at a maximum of 60 minutes a day.

Call 435-688-8866 for a hearing evaluation with an audiologist if you suspect possible noise damage from guns or music.

Kimball B. Forbes, MCD, has been in the St. George area for the past 27 years and is a co-owner of Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists. His wife’s name is Jonna and they are the proud parents of 8 children and 4 grandchildren. Kimball is passionate and enjoys helping to build better relationships through better hearing. He is the longest tenured Audiologist in southern Utah. In his early years in practice in southern Utah and Nevada, he established 11 hearing clinics which are thriving today under his direction and leadership. Kimball graduated with his Master’s of Communication Disorders in Audiology from Brigham Young University in 1982. He specializes in:

Hearing Aid Sales, Service and Counseling Specialist
Earmold and Hearing Protection Specialist
Diagnostic Medical Hearing Assessments for Adults and Children

St. George Exchange Club to Dedicate Freedom Shrine

St. George, UT, May 6, 2015 — The St. George Exchange Club will dedicate a new Freedom Shrine at George Washington Academy on Friday, May 8 at 10:30AM. The Freedom Shrine is an impressive display of a collection of historic document replicas that serves to remind all of us of the great efforts that have been taken to ensure our freedom. The Freedom Shrine originated with the Freedom Train that toured the nation in 1947 carrying an exhibit of historic documents. It serves as an educational tool in schools and as a motivational display in public arenas.

The National Exchange Club is a service organization with 700 clubs and more than 21,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. In St. George, the Exchange Club is active in a number of fundraising events and is focused on helping youth through giving scholarships, awards and opportunities to share their talents. The national charter is foxed on child abuse prevention and the St. George Exchange Club is active with the area Children’s Justice Center. Some of the events sponsored by the St. George Exchange Club include Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, The Ironman Kids Fun Run, St. George Marathon Mayor’s Walk, giveakidaflagtowave, and the local high school Student of the Month scholarship program. The St. George Exchange Club recently pledged a $100,000 donation to the City of St. George’s new All Abilities Park.

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 Shonie Christensen at 435-767-9000.

Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialist. Similarities of Phones and Hearing Instruments

Dr. Lance F. Greer, Au.D., FAAA

Similarities of Phones and Hearing Instruments

This past spring break, I took my family to San Antonio to visit all of the interesting sites to see, including the Alamo, the Riverwalk and the historic little German village of Gruene.  I was very fascinated with the whole trip and the history of that area as were my wife and children.  One of the stores that we all enjoyed to spend some time in was an antique store in Gruene.  We rummaged through interesting items that were much older than the era of my childhood, which was only the late 70’s to early 80’s.

I ran across an item that, due to it being in the store, was considered an antique but that was a common household item when I was a boy.  In fact we had one in the home I grew up in.  It was a wall mounted telephone with the rotary dial with the long extension cord.  I am not even talking of the really old, first generation rotary dial, wall mounted phone.   I don’t consider myself old by any means, but I was interested because in that moment it dawned on me that by phone standards today, this phone was truly a relic.

In the short span of 35 years since my childhood, phone technology has come a long, long way.  Now we have phones that have a mirade of features such as; call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID and voicemail to only name a few.  Additionally we have smart phones that contain not only these features but capabilities that allow you to surf the internet, trade stocks and turn on the AC to your home before you arrive home from a vacation.  It is truly amazing what has happened with telephone technology in the past 30-40 years.

Very often, I have people that come into my office who are skeptical about getting help with their hearing loss because all that they can think of is what Uncle Bob used to wear over 30 years ago.  They are afraid of a big, clunky hearing aid that the whole world can see.  I would be afraid too if this was all the working knowledge of hearing ads were.  I think I would be afraid to build a home today thinking that all I would get by way of communicating with my friends and family was an big boxy rotary dial telephone that required me to wander no further than about 10 feet of where it was mounted on the wall like was the case when I was a child.

Today, hearing care solutions are so different than what they were 30 years ago, even 5-10 years ago. We now have solutions that are 100% invisible and can be worn for 3 months straight without having to take them out of the ear or change the battery.  We have solutions that if lost can be found using GPS technology or that can link your hearing devices with your smart or cell phone wirelessly via blue tooth technology for premium voice reception directed right into your ears.  Just keep in mind that hearing care solutions today are nothing like what Uncle Bob use to wear 30 years ago.  For the latest on advanced hearing care solutions contact Dr. Lance Greer at Advanced Hearing & Balance located at the Coral Desert Health Center, 1490 E. Foremaster Dr. #360, St. George, UT or by calling 435-215-1402. For more information go to http://www.hearingaiddoctor.com.

Dr. Lance F. Greer, Au.D., FAAA, grew up in Heber, Arizona and has been in the St. George area for the past 14 years and is a co-owner of Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists. His wife’s name is Shannon and they are the parents of 5 children. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their team of swimming children. He has been a member of the Dixie Sunrise Rotary Club and enjoys serving others in the community. in 1998, Dr. Greer developed the newborn hearing screening program at DRMC and currently serves as the Director of this program. He graduated with his Masters of Science in Audiology in 1997 from Brigham Young University and was conferred his Doctor of Audiology degree from the PCO School of Audiology in December 2003. Dr. Greer specializes in:

• Hearing Aid Sales, Service and Counseling Specialist
• Earmold and Hearing Protection Specialist
• Diagnostic Medical Hearing Assessments for Adults and Children
• Diagnostic Balance and Dizziness Assessment of Adults
• Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist
• Industrial Hearing Conservation Specialist

St. George Chapter of the BYU Management Society to Hold Luncheon on April 30.

St. George Chapter of the BYU Management Society is holding a Luncheon at noon on April 30, at the Courtyard by Marriott, located at 185 South 1470 East, St. George. The Luncheon will feature Robert Spendlove, Senior Vice President and the Economic and Public Policy Officer for Zions Bank. The cost of the luncheon is $15.00. Please bring a business card to enter the door prize drawings. To RSVP send an email to Drew Gubler at drewgubler@gmail.com.

Robert Spendlove, Senior Vice President and the Economic and Public Policy Officer for Zions Bank

Robert is a Senior Vice President and the Economic and Public Policy Officer for Zions Bank. In this capacity he monitors and reports on economic indicators and public policy developments for the bank.  Founded in 1873, Zions Bank is Utah's oldest financial institution and it operates locations in communities throughout Utah and the Intermountain West.

Robert's research interests are primarily in the areas of macroeconomics, demographics, financial markets and public policy.  He frequently gives economic presentations to a variety of civic, educational and business groups.

Robert also serves in the Utah House of Representatives, where he was elected in January 2014. He proudly represents District 49 in the Legislature, covering parts of Sandy and Cottonwood Heights cities. He is the Vice Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He also sits on the Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee, and the Social Services Appropriations Committee. 

Robert formerly worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Federal Relations to the Utah Governor's Office, where he advised Governors on a variety of policy issues and assisted in the development and implementation of the public policy agenda. Robert also served as the Washington, DC representative for the Governor’s Office, acting as a liaison between the State of Utah and a variety of multi-state and federal organizations, as well as Congress, federal agencies, and the White House.

His previous experience includes time as the Governor's Chief Economist and the State Demographer, where he served as the Chair of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisers, Chair of the Utah Population Estimates Committee, and President of the Wasatch Front Economic Forum.

Robert received a Master’s of Public Administration with an emphasis in economic public policy at the University of Utah, where he is currently an adjunct instructor of public policy.

Robert is married and the father of four children.

For more information or to RSVP contact Drew Gubler at drewgubler@gmail.com or go to drewgubler@gmail.com to register.