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Show Tues/Wed/Thurs, December 28-30, 2004 The Park Record A-20 Anticipating needs keep riders happy Guest Services helps visitors stay one step ahead of the game New law changes rules for making a car donation By CASEY R. BASPEN Of The Record stuff Joe Rahini likes to talk. As the guest services supervisor for The Canyons Resort, he gets to do a lot of it. He admits to rarely being presented with new questions, they are typically all the same: "Do you have day care?" "Where are the bathrooms?" "Where can I buy tickets?" " D o you have Sunday worship services?" "How much snow did you have last night?" . Hut, Rabini's theory is to anticipate and accommodate. Simply, to do what he can to keep skiers happy- He says, "At guest services we meet, we greet, if they have a problem we try to rectify the problem. 'File goal is to keep them coming back. Guest services is the thumb thai stieks out. We're the first people they're going to converse with and we're the last people they eonverse with." Rahini has been serving the public tor most of his adult life. He worked for the East Bay Regional Park District in California for 32 years, part of which was spent as fire chief and unofficial public information officer. He recalls a massive fire in 1991 where 26 lives were lost one baltalion chief, one Oakland officer and 24 citizens. After three days of battling the blaze, the weather changed allowing the fire to be extinguished. Hie incident is still fresh in his mind as he recalls the story- After nine more years of service, Rabini decided to move his family from California to Park City where he and his wife. Lucy. began volunteering for The Canyons Resort. At thai time. Rabini was work- Briefs As taxpayers plan their charitable giving, donors should understand Ihe way that the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 will alter the rules for the contribution of used motor vehicles, boats and planes after Dec. 31, 2004. Next year, if the claimed value of the donated motor vehicle, boat or plane exceeds S500 and the item is sold by the charitable organization, the taxpayer is limited to the gross proceeds from the sale. Under the new rules, the charitable organization must provide an acknowledgement to the donor within 30 days of the sale stating the amount of gross proceeds. Alternatively, if the chanty significantly uses or materially improves the vehicles, the charity must certify this intended use and duration and provide an acknowledgement to the donor within 20 days of the contribution, For the remainder of 2004, however, the new rules do not apply. Under the rules in effect for 2004, taxpayers will be able to deduct the fair market value of the contributed property. Utah's real estate license renewal system takes-off GRAYSON Y/ESTjMflK RECORD Guest Services Supervisor Joe Rabini believes the key to keeping guests safe and happy is to anticipate and accommodate. The Canyons offers assistance through tours and flyers that detail snow conditions. inn f°r l n c newly formed Courtesy Patrol. In 2002. after refusing the position once. Rabini accepted the job of guest services supervisor. He says. "Our job is lo be informative on the mountain. If you see someone standing there with a trail map, go help them. If you see someone with a camera, ask to take a picture of their family." Each morning Rabini arrives at 'Hie Canyons at d:3() a.m. to print out the "resort report." He makes 300 copies and distributes the information strategically. Here guests can find where groomed trails are located, where the bumps are. where the powder is and how much snow has fallen. Guest services also provide tions. Lines quickly formed. To pass the iin;e. Rabini had Balance Bars distributed to those who waited. The simple gesture turned anxious skiers into satisfied customers. "It's just keeping the skier as happy as possible," says Rabini. "You can't eliminate the surprises on the hill, but you can help minimize them. We cover the bases Ihe best we can." After two years working for The Canyons Resort and helping to improve the guests' experience. Rabini still appears to love his job. He says. "For the most part people aren't that hard lo please. When you're plunking out a lot of money for your family you want lo see them have a good time." three free lours of the mountain. AH are blue runs, which make tours accessible lo novice and advanced skiers. Last year, approximately 1.000 people took advantage of the service. When not overseeing a staff of four full-time employees, five part-time employees, two concierges and twenty-five volunteers, or directing guests lo the second floor of !he Grand Summit Hotel for child care and organizing Sunday's noiulenominational worship service at Red Pine Lodge. Rabini manages to occasionally lead private tours one of the highlights of his job. Looking back at his career. Rabini recalls one occasion when ski lifts had to be slowed to a crawl due Lo poor weather condi- The Canyons test-runs its first biodiesel cat "I've run cat crew as head groomcr for six years and was promoted to manager two years Sundance Film Festival. ago." he explains. "Whal thai Neuhauser has worked al The means is: my job is year round. I Canyons for several years and spend all summer taking care of clearly cares very deeply about the mountain and all the excava-• preserving the .environment. tion work, cutting traijs and • Continued from A-19 The petroleum emissions add up. Neuhausur refuses lo wail for others lo make the switch to B20. "I'm looking for ways in my department to be more environmenially Iriendly and practice stewardship with the company." forestry." The snowcal fleet a I The Canyons dispatches two sevencat groups every day. The first begins at four in the afternoon and returns al midnight; the second begins at midnight and continues until !0 in the morning. As part of Utah Governor Olene Walker's initiative to make slate government more accessible, the new online Licensing Renewal System is now available to all real estate licensees 24/7-at no additional cost. The online License Renewal system may be accessed through the Division's Web site: www.commerce.utah.gov/dre. Licensees need only to click the icon "Online License Renewal" on the lower right side of the Division's home page. To renew a license, the licensee will be asked to do the following: 1. Confirm real estate entity affiliation 2. Respond to five qualifying questions 3. Sign an electronic affidavit 4. Make payment with appropriate credit card (Visa or Master Card) 5. Print confirmation of renewal, which includes receipt of payment A renewed license certificate will be mailed to the licensee within one month after online renewal has been completed. Medicare offers drug savings for seniors Medicare recently announced two programs to benefit seniors with their prescription drug costs, the first program is a discount card that provides several comprehensive savings plans for prescription costs. The second supplemental benefit program is available to qualified seniors only and provides a $600 credit per year towards paying for prescriptions, to determine whether you or a senior in your care qualifies for the credit, please visit www.medicare.gov. // is an apt name for this one-of-a- ; Grand windows provide breathtak- 9' ing views to the high Unitahs, 25 miles to the East. Skiing begins and ends literally at your back door. And no detail - from an original Robert Graves circular bath tub to a magnificent custom-designed Douglas Fir truss - has been spared in what may well be : Park City's most finely crafted luxury home/ • & . wCftt, #118 Colony at White Pine Canyon You must see it - experience it - to believe it. Price Furnished upon request. Shown by appointment only. Twenty-four hour notice, preferred. Fred Vallejo r ;L 435 901-2015 • 800 641-1884 fredv@inwutah.com www.fredvallejorealestate.com Dornbush R E A L E S T A T E * Information herein, although deemed reliable, is not guaranteed. Buyer to verify square footage. |