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Would you like your message to reach our customers? Contribute to magazine with educational articles, stories, or other content, or by advertising with us! Please contact collab@swmlife.com or 435-773-6456. Sandy Naylor has infused her creative passion as editor, writer, & designer into SunWest’s publications for over 12 years. She loves creating educational & entertaining products for our customers. sandy@swmlife.com
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In 1989 the Soviet Union traded 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer with Pepsico in exchange for Pepsi to be sold in the Soviet Union. This trade made Pepsi the 6th largest military power in the world at the time.
By Joseph Brimer, SunWest’s Human Search Engine This has always been, without a doubt, my favorite historical fact of all time. Put yourself in the shoes of the CEO at the time, can you imagine a staff member walking into your office to say that the Soviet Union has offered real navy ships in exchange for your product? If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering how Pepsi pulled this off, and believe me, the backstory is just as interesting. It actually all started in 1959 when the “American National Exhibition” was in Moscow to show the soviet nation who the U.S. was. Then-Vice President Nixon was sent to attend the opening night. By multiple accounts of those present, Nixon and Soviet leader Khrushchev got into a heated argument on the topic of whether communism or capitalism was better. It spilled into multiple rooms as the two leaders walked the exhibit, causing quite the stir. Shortly after, both leaders arrived at the Pepsi booth where Khrushchev was served the American beverage along with a Soviet made one. While the Soviet leader declared the American beverage the winner, nothing ever came of the declaration due to the Cuban Missile Crisis shortly thereafter. It wasn’t until the mid 70’s that the beverage company and the nation were able to link up once again. In exchange for the soda, Pepsi would receive Stolichnaya Vodka to exclusively sell in the U.S. market. When the pact was close to expiring, and knowing they didn’t have enough Vodka to extend the contract, and that their currency wouldn’t be accepted; the Soviet Union did what anyone desperate enough for a caffeinated drink would do. They reached out to Pepsico with a unique idea; offer to make them the 6th largest military power in the world by giving them over $3 billion dollars worth of warships. Clearing hurdles with the U.S. Government, Pepsi agreed to the deal. Afterwards they sent the ships to a Swedish company for scrap recycling. What are some of your favorite historical facts? We’d love to hear from you! Just drop an email to collab@swmlife.com Joseph Brimer is a Resident Specialist here at SunWest Management. If you have a question about your Member Portal, compliance, architectural review or governance, Joseph has the answer! He relishes being a problem solver and doing for others, so he’s a perfect fit for the SunWest team! Contact Joseph at josephb@swmlife.com www.swmlife.com l 3
Dryer Vent Cleaning
Let the sun
SHINE IN! How often do you have your windows cleaned? Chances are you’ve been putting it off, and it’s easy to forget just how much light a clean window lets in! At minimum, cleaning your windows is an important step in your deep cleaning routine in the spring and fall. It makes everything in your home look and feel better, and can help extend the life of your windows.
Top 5 reasons to regularly clean your windows: 1. Prevents Glass Degradation – Remove fine dirt that can enter the glass’ pores, contaminating and corroding the windows. 2. Improve Your Curb Appeal – You’ve seen the outside scenery and blue skies reflected on your windows, and so does everyone else. 3. Stop Bad Air Quality – Dirt and dust buildup can impact your air quality. If the air in your home seems more stagnant than usual, a window cleaning can help to clear the air.
Y o u can depend 4. Better Heating Efficiency – Capture the on SunWest, your solar heat during cooler winter months without trusted resource installing any special equipment. for all your home 5. Enjoy A Better View – “I can see clearly now maintenance needs. the dirt is gone.” It’s your window to the world, and Let us help you make you deserve the clearest view possible! your home shine! 4 l www.swmlife.com
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Planting this Fall? Get on the Schedule Now! This fall is expected to be especially busy with landscape plantings. Fall is always an excellent time to plant as new plants benefit from the cooler months to become established in their new home, giving them the best possible start in the spring. This year many summer plantings have been pushed to fall to comply with Utah’s water conservancy plan, so the fall will be BUSY! Beat the rush and reserve your spot today!
Let those Windows SPARKLE! Are your windows looking a little dirty after all this rain? We’ll remove all that dirt and grime and make your windows shine!
Call us for all your home and landscape needs!
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l a n o s a Se s e i r o m e M By Nick Boulton, SunWest’s Landscaping Whisperer Growing up in Salt Lake, my family had a cabin up in Big Cottonwood Canyon that my Grandfather and my Dad built when Dad was in his youth. Dealing with winter months, a full time job, and being able to financially afford it, it took them several summers to build it. But because of their great efforts and labors, my siblings and I were able to enjoy this. As a child, we would spend a lot of weekends up there, and sometimes even weeks at a time, and I learned to enjoy the seasons there. During the winter our car couldn’t make it all the way to the cabin, and we would have to hike through waist deep snow, pulling sleds behind us with all our food and gear. As my Mom and Dad would walk ahead of us, they would make wide, deep footsteps in the snow that we would follow to help us through the deep snow. As we hiked in, it would be easy to spot an occasional moose, elk or deer hanging in the tree line against the white snow. I remember multiple occasions coming up on a bull, or a mother moose and
her young calf, and my Dad slowly turning around to tell us not to move for fear that it would charge. At times we would watch and wait for extensive periods for it to move on, and our feet were freezing in the snow. Although sometimes it felt like forever, we learned to enjoy wildlife. Once we settled in we would go sledding, and work for days building snow caves off the side of the cabin. During the summer we spent a lot of time catching squirrels and chipmunks with a box propped up with a stick and a string tied to it, or fishing for trout in the Big Cottonwood Canyon River. It was in this river that my Dad taught us to fish and appreciate what we have been given. I learned to love both of these times of year as they built so many memories for me and my siblings, but my favorite time to be up there was during autumn. The leaves would change to beautiful orange, reds, purples, and yellows. At an early age I remember loving this time of year and looking forward
When Nick Boulton joined SunWest Management as our Landscape Coordinator he brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. He is a great resource to have in your back pocket. If you would like help with your yard or have questions about plants, Nick would love to connect with you. You can reach Nick at services@swmlife.com or 435-773-6456. 6 l www.swmlife.com
to all the beautiful colors that the leaves would change to, the crisp cool feeling of the air, and the break from the heat of the summer. My family, unfortunately, no longer owns this cabin, but even today when autumn comes around, it sends floods of memories back to my childhood. Because of this, autumn is still my favorite time of year.
Why Do Leaves Change Colors? The autumn colors are gorgeous, but have you ever asked yourself why some leaves change colors? The truth is, those colors are actually always there, but just hidden. Throughout spring and summer the deep green color that we see is hiding those colors with a chemical called chlorophyll. This chemical helps absorb sunlight to turn it into food. As shorter days with less sunlight begin to happen, and cooler temperatures set in, the trees break down the green pigments of chlorophyll and nutrients stored in the leaves. This nutrient is then moved to the roots of the tree and stored there until the spring. Then we start to see these amazing colors that have been hidden from our eyes. Here in the Southwest we don’t see the variety seen in the Northeast, but there is still fall beauty to enjoy. As we begin to slowly move into cooler weather and start to see Autumn come about, I hope you enjoy this fall weather and the colors that it brings. www.swmlife.com l 7
By Casey Ritter, SunWest’s Events Superstar “Living in southern Utah we are able to enjoy the outdoors year round and we often hear about the importance of staying hydrated, applying sunscreen, or stretching after a run. Another important safety focus is guarding our personal safety. No matter where we live or how strong we believe we are, personal safety is something we should all be vigilant about. On social media I follow a woman named Robyn, who knows from personal experience how vital protecting personal safety is. When she was 18 she was attacked while running in Southern Utah on a public, paved city trail in broad daylight. Here are six safety tips to help you stay safe when walking or running outside: 1: Always tell a responsible adult where you are going and the estimated time you will return. If you don’t come home on time, they can immediately check on you. 2: Run in well-lit, and populated places. Run in areas that are not isolated or overgrown, and switch up your routes so someone can’t predict where you will be. 3: If you wear earbuds, only wear one. Wearing earbuds can distract you and silence the noise around you. You wouldn’t be able to be alerted to someone approaching you, or a car following too closely. 4: Carry a personal protective item like pepper spray. 5:
Make yourself less of a target. * Don’t be distracted; stay alert. * Eliminate the element of surprises. Look at someone directly in the eyes if you feel threatened. * Tell people if they make you feel uncomfortable or encroach on your personal space.
6: Make anyone approaching you think you (and they) are being watched. Pretend you are talking on the phone and (loudly) say something like, “yeah, I’m out for a run, where are you? Wait, you can see me? Where are you? (look around like you’re searching for your friend) Let’s finish our run together.” If a would-be attacker thinks you are talking to someone close by who can see you, it makes you an unattractive target and discourages them from taking the risk. Of course the most important defense we all have is to use our good sense to minimize the risks when running or walking outdoors. Take precautions, invite a buddy, be alert and don’t assume it can’t happen to you. You’ll have more fun enjoying the outdoors if you make personal safety a priority! As the Event Coordinator for SunWest Management, Casey infuses her creativuty into the activities and events she plans for our communities. She is a former dancer with the Rocky Mountain Repertory Ballet, and loves meeting people and creating friendships. caseyr@swmlife.com 8 l www.swmlife.com
An Estate Planning Nugget By Ben E. Connor, Estate Planning Attorney, The Connor Law Firm, PLC, St. George, Utah 435-359-1414 If there is anything we’ve learned after nearly two years of Covid-19, it’s that life is fragile and the future is unknown. It has also shown us the importance of creating or updating an estate plan. None of us know what tomorrow will bring, so for your own peace of mind and the good of your loved ones, it is important to have a comprehensive plan in place. There are several key documents an estate plan should include to protect you and your family if you should suddenly become very ill or pass away: Revocable Living Trust In a revocable living trust, you can name yourself as a trustee and continue to exercise control over the money and property you transfer to your trust. Your trust can specify when and how the funds should be distributed to your beneficiaries when you pass away. Further, if you have transferred all of your property into the trust, it will not have to go through the probate process which can be expensive, time consuming, and open to any member of the public. Last Will and Testament A Will enables you to specify the individuals you would like to receive your money and property. For many, however, a will alone is not the best solution, as it is only effective after you pass away and does not avoid probate. Powers of Attorney (Health & Financial) Using a power of attorney, you can name people you trust to make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf. Advance Directive/Living Will Your advance directive, also known as a living will, is a document that spells out your wishes for the end of your life. For example, whether or not you want to be placed on life support if you are in a vegetative state or have a terminal condition. HIPAA Authority Due to privacy laws, medical institutions are not allowed to provide any information concerning your condition even if you are a patient, unless the person inquiring is listed as a permissible person. The HIPAA Authority is an affidavit (signed and notarized) which lists those persons you approve of as a healthcare information recipient. www.swmlife.com l 9
e t i r o v fa S E P I REC
Wonderful Fudge Sauce By Sandy Naylor, SunWest’s Communication Guru Just smelling this sauce cooking is enough to throw me back to my childhood. It was a special occasion when my uncles came to visit. Special occasions with them meant sprawling over every chair, cushion, and available floor space – rain, snow, or boiling sunshine – our ears and imaginations glued to the stories they and my dad shared of their adventures growing up (I have no idea how any of them survived to adulthood), and indulging in the rare treat of ice cream topped with my mom’s “special sauce.”
¼ C Butter 1/3 C Cocoa Powder ½ Can Evaporated Milk 1 C Sugar ¼ tsp Salt 1 tsp Vanilla
Melt butter in saucepan, stir in cocoa, sugar, and salt and mix well. Stir in milk, slowly at first to make a smooth mixture. Bring mixture slowly to a boil. Add vanilla. Serve over ice cream. 10 l www.swmlife.com
All About
Knives By Brent Averett, Mr. Knife Guy, 435-565-6433 l www.MrKnifeGuy.com A knife is the most primitive tool. Its uses are endless. Millions of people use cutting tools in their professions every day. The science of metallurgy and ergonomics converge with the art of design to produce a specific tool for a specific job that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye. There are several general areas where knives serve importance. These are a few:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
until you actually carry one or go to slice a tomato. There are dozens of articles explaining why you should have your kitchen knives professionally sharpened once or twice a year. Stop by Mr. KnifeGuy® to learn more about the importance of different knife blade steels from Carbon to Stainless to Powdered Steels. I look forward to meeting you
Men t ad a ion this n dIw shar ill p your en one of kniv e FREE s for !
Culinary Hunting/Fishing Camping/Survival Manufacturing Emergency Response Every Day Carry (EDC)
If you eat, travel, work or wear clothes your life will be greatly improved by having quick access to a quality, sharp cutting tool. The funny thing is that you won’t know how much you would use that tool
I can sharpen anything with an edge: scissors/shears, lawn tools, chisels, axes, etc.
My name is Brent Averett and I started Mr. KnifeGuy® in 2000. I love knives and I wanted to educate individuals on their use and safety. In the 21 years that I have been in business I have formed many wonderful relationships. I love to care for cutting tools through restoration. Tip replacement, sharpening & cleaning. www.swmlife.com l 11
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