Thursday, June 29, 2011 The Gunnison Valley Gazette Page 5 Work toward your own ThE Outdoor Report Late spring affecting camping conditions financial Independence Day Submitted by DARIN FRANDSEN On July 4, we shoot fireworks, attend picnics, watch parades and otherwise celebrate our nation's independence and the many freedoms we enjoy. But as you go through life, you'll find out how important it is to work towards another type of freedom — financial freedom. That's why you need to put strategies in place to help you work towards your own Financial Independence Day. And there's no way to "sugar-coat" this task, because it will be challenging. In recent years, a combination of factors — including depressed housing prices, rising health care costs, frozen or eliminated pension plans and the financial market plunge of 2008 and early 2009 — has made it more difficult for many of us to accumulate the resources we'll need to enjoy the retirement lifestyle we've envisioned. In fact, the average American family faces a 37 percent shortfall in the income they will need in retirement, according to a recent report by consulting firm McKinsey & Company. But now that we've gotten the "bad" stuff out of the way, let's turn to the good news: You can do a great deal to work towards financial freedom during your retirement years. Here are some suggestions that can help: • Save and invest more. Obviously, the younger you are, the greater the benefit you'll get by increasing your savings and investments. But whatever your age, you'll find that it pays to save and invest more. During difficult economic times, of course, it's not always easy to boost your savings and investments, but try to find ways that are as "automatic" as possible. For example, whenever you get a raise, increase your 401(k) contributions, which come directly from your paycheck. And whenever you get a "windfall," such as a tax refund, try to use part of it for your IRA or another investment account. • Rebalance your portfolio. It's always a good idea to periodically rebalance your investments to make sure they are still aligned with your goals and risk tolerance. But it's especially important to rebalance as you get older and you near retirement. At this stage, you'll want to decrease the volatility in your portfolio and lock in what gains you've achieved, so you may want to move some (but certainly not all) of your more aggressive investments into less volatile ones. • Cut down on debts. It's easier said than done, but anything you can do to reduce your debt load will free up money to invest for your retirement. Work diligently to pay off whatever debts you can and examine your lifestyle to find areas in which you can reduce spending. • Consider working parttime during retirement. Many Americans are now living longer and enjoying happy, healthy retirements. In fact, the concept of "retirement" has changed so that it now includes any number of activities — including part-time work in a completely different area from one's previous career. If you are willing to do even a little part-time work during your retirement years, you can greatly reduce the financial pressures you may face during this time of your life. The 4th of July comes and goes quickly. So put strategies in place now to help you work towards your own Financial Independence Day. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW. Darin K Frandsen Financial Advisor 446 South Mall Drive B-7 St George, UT 84790 435-627-2159 www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC EdwardJones MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING Bailey Farms Proud to Honor Our Great Nation (435) 283-5776 528-5001 Hwy 89 Northeast of Gunnison Open Monday - Saturday SATTERWHITE The First Word and Last Name in Log Homes! LOGTE.A; HOMEW S , Family. Experience. allalily. EMERGENCY the river began to eat away at one of the dikes, but some quick repairs prevented a total breach. Then, over the weekend, the overfilled river changed its direction during high-water in the middle of the night Saturday night. The river cut a new course through fields, coming close to some homes. City crews built a secondary dike in case the river increased its flow in the changed course. They broke a sidewalk adjacent to the river to allow the new stream a way to flow back into its bed. BAREX DAIRY DRINK MILK Owned by Russell Otten & Family Honoring the Birth of Our Nation Cowley Farm & Feed Lot & Venice Feed & Cattle Co. 260 N 400 W • Richfield 896-6333 150 E Main St • Salina • 529-3821 Saluting the USA , lc , !/ i( ," 7 ' \\ i 896-5260 ..-_-_ MOM'S CAFE Prime Rib Fri & Sat plus Full Complete Menu ■ .---:.--_--- :- pA TR r / 529-3921 ALA - Toft \ • \\ Proud to Honor the USA! 528-5001 911 E. Hwy 89 North • Gunnison 11-11g Foss s . . Come Collect You Own Fossil Trilobites! (435) 864-3638 www.u-digfossils.com El Mexicano Restaurant HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA! 2-5787 • 848 S Hwy 89 • Mt Pleasant 529-2132 • 1535 S. State • Salina DUANE'S AUTO WRECKING Offering New & Used Auto Parts at Discount Prices 1-800-624-7062 1190 N. 1600 West • Orem eft- CAR CARE, INC. Repairs 150.3autmetEd. All Makes & Models Guaranteed Lowest 650 So. Main •Ephraim (435) 283-4036 1 ? V fabricating shop "Noah never knew what an arc could do" 435 835-5084 • Manti, UT 0 to Z Glass ) Auto & Residential Glass \ (435) 528-7331 370 N. Main • Centerfield (Servicing all of Sanpete & Sevier County) 10 E. Main • Salina SATTERWHITE LOG HOMES Barclay Mechanical Services of Utah, Inc. ,,,_ t li A complete welding and .!-. ig.,....= _ I ...- „.,__.. _____...-wilik_ N ,,,, ,, 546 N. Main St. • Venice i 4 ?"---, 0--... ..e. -- .-_ -ff/ ,' . il 1 ' We do sell locker beef ,. , GUNNISON tions of roads and sidewalks, either damaged by floodwater or purposely removed to prevent further damage, will have to be rebuilt. But the worst seems to over. "We had a lot lower water last night [Monday night]," she said. "It looks like the river's peaked, and it should run its course." She says it's a bullet the city dodged, but, she added, "We don't want to go through this again." With the professional and financial resources of FEMA to help But she hopes the city won't have to fight flooding by the sweat of its brow. SPRINGER TURNER FUNERAL HOME - - \-.4.--,,',-* .1i.,,,!....,,, .\ ,v, Medical Group (435) 283-4076 • 525 N. Main • Ephraim On Monday, workers stabilized the river bank and forced the water back into the main channel, Nay said. The mayor said the river's flow rivaled that of 1983, but the city had learned from those '83 floods and took steps accordingly. "I don't think people realized how high it was because it didn't seem as dangerous, and that's because we made those preparations," she said. "Those preventive measures really saved the day... We tried to make sure that properties, especially home properties were protected." And that meant the sacrifice of some city property. Por- Continued from Page 1 Located SW of Centerfield in Clarion, UT Ephraim Health Center Think Satterwhite for Log Homes, Rough Lumber, Timbers, Animal Bedding and Firewood O .41,i. Intermountain V Campground is closed due to flood damage; and TwelveMile campground cannot be accessed due to snow. Access to Pete's Hole and Grassy Lake is too muddy for trailers. Although many roads are open, mud and snow at higher elevations make them impassable. Current closures are: East Mountain, Ferron to Mayfield; Orangeville to Ephraim; South Skyline Drive; Most of North Skyline Drive; Little Clear Creek/Lake Fork; Lowry Water Road at Mill Canyon; and the Pinchot Trail. Geyser Pass and La Sal Pass are closed on the La Sal Mountains. The Outdoor Report is Sponsored by: 528-5500 850 N. 200 E. • Ephraim drier ground. Camping is not allowed more than 150 feet off of an official road. The cold weather and slow snowmelt have made it impossible for Forest Service employees to have water turned on and tested at all campgrounds where water is usually available. As of Friday, June 24, water was not on at Gooseberry Campground, and had not been tested at Indian Creek Campground. Water at Indian Creek should be boiled before drinking. Flat Canyon Campground cannot be accessed due to snowdrifts; Big Rock Although most developed campgrounds are open on the Manti-La Sal National Forest, campers should be prepared for mud, fallen trees, and high, swift waterways throughout the Forest. Forest managers are asking that campers stay on roads and camping spurs in campgrounds to avoid damaging campgrounds and getting stuck in the mud. Dispersed camping may not be possible in traditional areas due to fallen trees, saturated soils, and rock falls. If vehicles are making deep tracks in the soil, the driver should stop and return to DAYS Flag Raising Ceremony • Auction • Free Swim Dinner •• The "Outlaw" • Concert • Breakfast Fireworks • and More! mcDonalds • Honoring Our Great Nation EPHRAIM • DELTA. PRICE. RICHFIELD. BEAVER • ST GEORG: RO WNSON PARADE: 9am Saturday TRANSPORT INC. July 1st & 2 nd (435) 529-7472 UTAH HERITAGE Donaldson Insurance CREDIT UNION Aency, Inc. Honoring the Founding of Our Nation Honoring the USA Offices in Moroni, Ephraim, Gunnison & Mt. Pleasant 436-8288 • 84 W. Main • Moroni 558 S. Main • Gunnison rail BURNS SADDLERY INC. BUILDING SYSTEMS INC. 320 West 100 North Ephraim, UT 84627 435-283-4040 www.cobuildings.net Worthington-Leavitt Insurance (435) 528-7253 Honoring the Founding of Our Great Nation 435-529-7484 79 W. Main • Salina Walmart Happy Birthday USA 760 West SR 50 • Salina CcentraCom Digital TV with HD TV & Broadband Internet service Over 230 Channels with packages starting at 512.95 Up to 5 Mbps Broadband Internet as low as $25.95 427-3331 ♦ ur www.centracom.com i.aitallIt in all 111'.15, it I. act nut ,vt Pr,, lisN d for k/4111 ti.•Li S .1( GUNNISON TELEPHONE Co. Happy Birthday USA! 528-7236 29 S. Main • Gunnison S N 0 Iff C 0 L L E G E Welcome to the Celebration Honoring the USA Saluting the Birth of Our Nation 435-283-4006 (435) 283-8189 (435) 283-7154 777 N. Main St. • Ephraim 150 E. College Ave. • Ephraim 96 S. Main, Ste 6 • Ephraim