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Show Page 2 The Gunnison Valley Gazette Thursday, September 4, 2008 The power of change Off the Cuff By ANDY HILL Politics can be a tricky subject. For a while now I have wanted to write on this theme, but have hesitated for one reason or another. But I have decided that now is the time. Part of this is because we are in the midst of an eight week countdown to electing a new President. But more importantly it is because I think everyone should be more involved in our world around us. Every once in a while you see something that completely changes your outlook on life. One of mine came two weeks ago as I stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. As I looked back towards the city, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like that warm August day in 1963 when some 200,000 people gathered to hear the late Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his ever-powerful speech that forever changed our country. I am sure that many of them left inspired that day, changed forever and committed to making their own lives better, as well as those around them. After the feelings on those steps, I thought that I had caught the American spirit of change. But what I saw next would take this to a whole new level. Arlington National Cemetery is a hollowed, serene place. It is the very definition of honor, service, and pride. It is the most reverent public place that I have ever visited. Words cannot describe the feelings as you watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or the eternal flame as it burns at the grave of the late President John F. Kennedy. It is a special place. A spiritual place. A place that changed the way that I look at things. As I thought about my experience on the plane ride home, I couldn’t help but think how different all of our lives might be if President Lincoln had not made his Gettysburg Address. Or if all of those proud soldiers, who now rest in Arlington, had not been brave enough to give everything they had to help to protect all of the freedoms that we now enjoy. I would bet that things would be much different than they are today. All of us will soon have an opportunity to be a part of the process where we will chose the next leader of our country. It will not matter whether they are Republican or Democrat, what really counts is what they will do for our country. Because of this we all have an obligation to do a little homework and become more familiar with the issues at hand. Read the newspaper. Check the internet. Watch the news. It is not important how you do it, only that you do something. The great statesman Alexander Hamilton once wrote, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” We have a moral obligation as citizens to know what is going on around us and how we feel about it. That does not mean that one person’s views are right and another’s are wrong. It only means that we should be educated on the issues to know how they will affect our own lives and circumstances. The time to act is now. Don’t let the future be determined by everyone else. Get out and make a difference. Start small and think big. Then at the end of the day, no matter the outcome, at least you did what you felt was right to make a change. That you did what you could to make things better. Mark Henline/Gunnison Valley Gazette JL Larsen and Juan Larsen of Freedom Ford and RV have donated Yamaha Rhino’s to the Sanpete County Search and Rescue for the past 11/2 years. These machines have assisted in the rescue of several individuals who have been either lost or hurt in Sanpete County. On Thursday August 21st Sheriff Holman and the Search and Rescue made Juan and JL honorary members of the Sanpete County Search and Rescue. Pictured Left rear: Secretary Ryan John, 1st Vice Eddie Shelley, Commander Boyce Mulder, Sheriff Kevin Holman, Sgt. Greg Peterson, 2nd Vice Preston Pritchard. Front: Vicki Larsen and JL Larsen. Remember When... Gunnison Valley High School Cheerleaders • 1972 Letters to the editor... Front row: Marie Nielsen, Vickie Steinmann and Suzanne Andersen. Second row: Kendra Nielson and Janet Peterson. Third row: Cindy Fowlkes and Lori Christenson. Back row: Denise Sorenson, Elaine Yardley and Diane Madsen. THANKS TO THOSE WHO PRODUCE OUR COUNTY FAIR Our Sanpete County Fair just ended and again has thrilled and pleased not only county residents but many visitors as well. The weather was great, the participants prepared, and the spectators enthusiastic. For all of this, except the weather, we owe a huge “thank you” to Brad and Lori Bown. They have spent the past 14 years serving this county as fair co-chairs. They have contributed endless hours and a huge effort to accomplish this endeavor. We again express thanks to them and their able and willing committee. We hope that all of you noticed the facelift as the fair- grounds this year. Kay and John Jensen assigned themselves this overwhelming project. Anyone who knows Kay, knows that if she starts something, she will finish it. She recruited a few good people, who helped, and then she moved forward. The results were unbelievable; fresh paint on everything; grounds cleaned up and weeds eradicated. We really do appreciate all of their determination, work and time. Also, “thank you” to those who helped in any way. Several people from the Concerned Citizens of Sanpete County furnished meals and refreshments to the painting crews and on occa- Family Heritage Financial LlC Mortgage company is the areas fastest growing Mortgage Company PURCHASE • REFINANCE • BUILD EASY AND FAST CONSTRUCTION LOANS NO SURPRISES • FAST CLOSINGS WE KEEP YOU, THE CUSTOMER, OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY “VA” LOANS NOW AVAILABLE! Now is the time to change that variable rate to a fixed rate. Locations to serve youChontae - Gunnison 528-5933 Shanel - Spanish Fork 801-885-7372 Susan - Heber 435-654-5566 Toll Free 800-584-1890 familyheritagefinancial.com sion, grabbed a brush or roller and helped. Obviously, this county fair ranks right at the top of the rural, historic fairs... 92 years of excellence! We appreciate the financial support that the commissioners gave the fairgrounds improvement project. Also, thank you for the timely reconstruction of the fence and grounds. It takes many hands to produce a successful county fair. To all of you, a huge “thank you.” Sincerely, Kaye Crane Kathy Frischknecht Concerned Citizens of Homespun Philosophy by Gene & Donna Peterson As a youngster my elders taught me, (and they made the point quite clear.) Use my tongue only when needed, And always use my ear. WEATHER Lane Henderson, Publisher Mark Henline, Editor & Advertising Jodi Henline, Office Manager Call: (435) 528-5178 for subscription, news or advertising. FAX: (435) 528-5179 E-mail gazette@gtelco.net The Gunnison Valley Gazette is published each Thursday by Gunnison Valley Gazette, L.L.C., 328 North Valley Drive, P.O. Box 143 Gunnison, Utah 84634. Bulk rate postage (permit No. 11) is paid at Gunnison, Utah. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gunnison Valley Gazette, P.O. Box 143 Gunnison, Utah 84634 Deadlines: News and advertising, Noon, Monday prior to publication. Subscription prices: One year, $25 in Sanpete County, one year, $30 outside Sanpete County. Single copy price 75 cents. Advertising rates available upon request. All articles and photographs submitted for publication are subject to editing and only will be used if the editor deems them newsworthy. The editor reserves the right to hold submitted news items for space reasons. Copyright Gunnison Valley Gazette, Gunnison, Utah 2005. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse or transmittal of all matter herein is prohibited without prior written permission by the publisher or editor. Thursday 81/47 Sunny Friday 80/49 Sunny Saturday 82/49 Sunny Sunday 84/50 Sunny Gunnison’s Weather brought to you by Gunnison Telephone Co. Sponsored by HERMANSEN’S MILL 204 South 1st East • Gunnison 528-3136 Feeds • Grain Storage • Fertilizer Seeds • Farm Supplies • Chemicals Balance is key in successful investing Balance is essential to almost all parts of our lives. We balance work and family issues. We can balance our indulgence for desserts with an extra trip to the gym. We even balance our checkbooks. But sometimes, we let our investment portfolios get out of balance — and that can be a costly mistake. Of course, for your portfolio to become unbalanced, it had to be balanced to begin with. When you developed your investment strategy, you probably made sure your asset allocation—the percentage of your portfolio that you invested in each asset class, such as stocks or bonds — reflected your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. In short, your portfolio was balanced. However, over time, the amount of your portfolio devoted to a certain asset class could “drift” from your initial asset allocation. This drifting process can lead to an unbalanced portfolio— and leave you vulnerable to market forces in ways you hadn’t anticipated. To illustrate this point, let’s assume you began investing in 1982 with a portfolio weighted 50 percent in stocks and 50 percent in bonds. But following the long run-up in stock prices, nearly 80 percent of your portfolio’s value might have been in stocks by the beginning of 2000, assuming you never rebalanced your holdings. This 80-to-20 stock-bond ratio probably was much too risky for you. As it turned out, your portfolio would have reached the 80 percent stock level at a very inopportune time— right before the stock market decline of 2000 – 2002. Consequently, to help avoid taking on too much risk, you should consider rebalancing your portfolio at regular intervals to bring it back to the asset allocation that’s right for your needs. In the above example, this would have meant reducing your exposure to stocks and adding more bonds. But rebalancing your portfolio can do more than just restore your asset allocation— it can also help you take some of the emotions out of investing. How? Consider, once again, the huge rise in stock prices from 1982 to 2000. Caught up in the euphoria of a seemingly endless bull market, many investors got greedy and kept buying more and more stocks — including the so-called “dot-com” stocks, many of which had ambitious business plans but little, if any, actual earnings. When the technology “bubble” burst in 2000, these stocks sank — and so did the fortunes of their investors. Then during the stock market slump over the next couple of years, investors, driven by fear of more big losses, sold stocks at lower and lower prices. The biggest sales occurred in 2003 — right as the market was set to rebound over the next few years. To sum up: Greed and fear caused many investors to “buy high and sell low” — the opposite of the “golden rule” of investing. But if these investors had systematically rebalanced their portfolios along the way, they could have helped avoid the negative results that can arise when emotions dictate investment decisions. (Even so, asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.) Your financial advisor can help you establish a rebalancing strategy. But don’t wait too long to begin. A balanced portfolio is an essential step toward helping you achieve your long-term financial goals. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. |