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Show Page 9 THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER BRYCE VALLEY AREA NEWS -'i ...by Vicki D. Syrett 679-8687 or vickidiane36@hotmail.com Happy New Year to everyone!! Our wish to you is that you will have a safe, happy and special year ahead. Herb and Dorie Baugh had all of their family home for the Christmas celebration. Dorie's brother Wayne Goulding from Cedar City was here. Son Chris Baugh of Las Vegas, daughter Jana Baugh of Castle Rock Colorado, daughter Can and husband Chris Gillespie of Castle Rock, Colorado and their daughter Alii were here to unwrap presents and have a Merry Christmas together. Joining them from Tropic was Dana Courtright and daughter Emilee. The people from Castle Rock were going to fly but the airport was closed due to the storm so they decided to drive out and almost didn' t make it. The roads were snowy and full of others traveling. The trip home was long and slow but they finally made it safely. They all had a fantastice holiday and enjoyed being together, for awhile. Lynden and Giovana Sudweeks had their family home for this Christmas. Craig and KristaTaylor of St. George, Zack and Kara Owens and daughter Chanlee of Panguitch, Willie and Kori Flores and daughters Alycia and Ambry and son Ashton of Tropic were among the celebrants, and Kaycee and Lynden Sudweeks all came to celebrate together. Along with Alyson, Giovana and Lynden they had a houseful and enjoyed the Christmas holiday. Dana Courtright was in St. George recently and so she dropped in on Jack and Mae Chynoweth to say hi and wish them a Merry Christmas. They seem to be doing well even though they miss Tropic and would love to come back home. Jack is still trying to get back on his feet. The Chynoweths want everyone to know they miss them and to say "Hi" to you. Gary and Sandy Johnson were able to visit with all of their daughters, their spouses and their children over the Christmas Holiday.. Of course these children were Gary and Sandy's grandchildren. Brady and Sarah Bradshaw, along with their two children, Sadie and Ayden, flew up from Lubbock, Texas to join in with the celebrations. Sarah shared the exciting news of their new addition to join their family in March. Mike and Stacie Jensen and children, Cambry, Makay, and Ian came over on the day after Christmas, which just happened to be Mike's birthday. Mike is the son of Art and Vicki Syrett. Mike got the computer straightened out for Vicki and helped Art with a project in the yard and then we took them to din- 1 ner at Ruby's Inn were the waiters and waitresses sang Happy Birthday to him and he was very embarrassed but loved it. They just got home before a big snowstorm hit and they got a lot of snow in Cedar City. Then the following Thursday, David and Debbie Jensen and Joanna, Joseph, and Joshua came down from Richfield to ring in the New Year with Art and Vicki. We played games, ate, went to Church and watched the Fireside for the Youth, which was great. David and son Joseph worked with Grandpa on the fence (brick wall) and it is beginning to actually look like a wall. It was a nice holiday week for all of us. Our Sacrament Meeting today consisted of talks by some familiar faces. Bode Mecham, son of Stan and Nellie Mecham, Mitch Littlefield, son of Marion and Catherine Littlefield, and William Mortensen, grandson of Charlie andEva Dean Francisco gave wonderful talks and enlightened us as to how their lives have been going. Cheyenne Syrett sang a solo and it was beautiful. Earlier in joint meeting of Relief Society and Priesthood Eric and Tracy Syrett filled us in on the Family History Center and doing Research there. It was a very nice meeting. Darrell Kallahan Shakespear, son of Darrell and Kayleen Shakespear of Las Vegas, Nevada, has received his mission call to the Philippines Cauayan Mission. He will go into the Mission Training Center on April 4,2007. Kallahan's proud grandparents are Jim and Louise England of Tropic and the late Preston LaMar Shakesper Jr. His great-grandmother is Ora Brinkerhoff of Tropic. His great-grandfather is Norman Mazel Littlefield of Las Vegas, Nevada and the late Deanna Henderson Littlefield. Congratulations to the Young Women of Bryce Valley High School on winning first place in the Basketball Tournament in Panguitch. Great job girls. You have been playing so well this year. Keep it up. The Kay Willis* were" here visiting with Bob and Beverly Syrett and family for the holidays. They are looking good and it was great to see them. Saw Stan and Nellie MechanVs daughter, Debbie Miller and family here for the holdiays. Congratulations Nellie on your retirement. Enjoy it and keep busy. Jerry and Carol Pollock report that son, Shane is out of Iraq and is now stationed at Ft. Hood in Texas. Shane reports that he had some very sleepless nights after his helicopter accident. Carol did too. It is always the aftermath that can scare you thinking about what could have happened to you. The Pollock's other son, Wade and wife Alisha were here for the Christmas celebration. They live in Layton Utah. Larvin and Eva Pollock had-company over the Christmas Holiday. Brent and Pauline Pollock of Richfield came with their family to stay with the Pollock's who are Pauline's parents. Another Pollock daughter, Marion and husband Blake Allen and family came from Orem to visit over the holidays. Jerry and Carol Pollock went to Ephraim for and annual Christmas Breakfast held by a former Bishop. They go every year and have a great time. Bill and Stacey Pollock now live in Ephraim where Bill teaches at Snow College. They have them a beautiful home there and are enjoying the area. These people are all children of Larvin and Eva Pollock of Tropic. Marie Niemann reported that her father had been in a bad automobile accident but seems to be doing well. It was a big scare for her and she is glad it wasn't more serious. We wish him a very speedy recovery. We sent our best wishes to Patriarch Jim Clarke and hope he is soon well and up and around. He hasn't been feeling well and so we want him to know he is in our prayers and thoughts. Have you made your New Year's Resolutions yet? Keep them simple and just two or three of them and they will be a lot easier to keep. Hope everyone has a great New Year and stayed safe and sane. Call your articles in. kO'r ALL ABOARD! Our Brace Caboose is now making life easier for our patients in outlying communities: Beaver, Bicknell, Circleville, Delta, Ephraim, Fillmore, Gunnison, Manti, Milford, Junction, Monroe and Salina. On days we're in the mobile office, our office phone is forwarded to us, so we can still be reached. 1-888-BRACEME 150 E 200 N * Richfield, UT JANUARY 4,2007 Power of Attorney: Potential Tool for Fraud THE ELDERLAW FORUM Professor Michael Myers A power of attorney is a valuable estate planning tool; however, it has the potential for perpetrating fraud. It can be used to deplete an estate. That is what happened in a case brought to the USD Senior Legal Helpline by a 69-year-old woman who was named in an aunt's will to receive a parcel of farmland. When the aunt died six months ago at age 82, the caller learned that the land had been sold to a nephew for half its fair market value through a power of attorney prepared by an attorney who should have exercised greater oversight. The nephew lives in a coastal state and was not mentioned in the aunt's will. Last summer he traveled to the upper plains community where the aunt and her sister, also in her 80s, resided. The sister was named in the will as the personal representative. The aunt, in failing .health, also had her sister's name placed on a joint checking account. The nephew persuaded the aunt's sister to withdraw money from the account and "loan" it to him for the purpose of purchasing die farmland intended for the helpline caller. He and the sister then had a lawyer draft an all-inclusive power of attorney that specifically gave the sister, as agent, power to sell the farmland to a family member. He and the sister then took the power of attorney to the aunt, who was terminally ill in a nursing home and barely able to make a mark on the power of attorney signature line. Nursing home employees witnessed the "signing." The sister then used the power of attorney to convey the land to the nephew, again, at half its market value with money taken from the aunt's checking account. The attorney for the aunt's estate discovered the fraud. She filed an action against the nephew and sister, who have agreed to return the money and land to the estate. The states attorney for the county where the will is being probated has so far declined to file criminal charges. The sister has been replaced as personal representative. This is a case of estate planning gone awry. The aunt executed a will drafted by legal counsel. She designated who should receive her property upon her death. She planned her funeral. She acted responsibly and with foresight But she could not plan for a nephew with fraudulent intent. Lawyers who draft powers of attorney have a duty to make certain the person who is giving away legal powers has independent representation. - (Pro bono legal information and advice is available to persons 55 and older through the USD Senior Legal Helpline at 1 -800-747-1895; mmyers@usd.edu) |