High Desert Business Journal Nov/Dec 2012

november/december 2012 PAGe 1

High Desert Business JournalT H E I N D E P E N D E N T B U S I N E S S A U T H O R I T Y O F T H E V I C T O R V A L L E Y

Vol. 3 No. 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

See COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEContinued on page 4

High Desert Business Journal 12277 Apple Valley Road, #384 Apple Valley, Ca 92308

Time-Dated Material – Do Not Delay

PResoRTeD sTANDARD

U.s. PosTAge PAiD

sANTA ANA, CA

Permit No. 113HomeSource Make Over ................................6

2014 Healthcare ................................................7

Fiscal Cliff .............................................................8

VoIP ........................................................................9

Real Estate ...........................................................10

In this IssueCommercial RE ...................................................11

Affordable Cremations ....................................12

Country Oak and Stove ...................................13

Arts & Culture .....................................................14

Business Calendar .............................................15

A new economic study, “West is Best: How Public Lands in the West Create a Competitive Eco-nomic Advantage,” found that

public lands give western states economic advantages including better job creation, higher personal income and population growth, as well as a quality of life that helps attract entrepreneurs.

The study shows the western United States, including California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, is outperforming the rest of the country in key economic factors, and that protected federal lands, such as national parks, monuments and wilderness, are providing western states with a competi-tive economic advantage that has helped

create more jobs, especially in the high tech and services industry, and increase per capita income.

It also shows the west’s outdoor quality of life has enabled rural and urban west-ern communities to recruit entrepreneurs and retain talented employees, leading to a diverse and growing economy.

As the West continues to shift from a natural resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, the key to competitiveness is increasingly the abil-ity to cultivate and attract innovative companies and an educated workforce. Research shows that these companies and individuals are increasingly “footloose” and are drawn to the West’s high quality of life, which includes outdoor recre-ational opportunities and attractive natural

landscapes.“In the ebb and flow of the global

economy, states can no longer rely solely on strategies of keeping costs low and providing incentives…. Instead, states must create the right business climate that allows companies and entrepreneurs to create 21st century jobs.”1

–U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Enterprising States 2012

In the fierce global competition for business and talent today, the West has a clear competitive advantage in its public lands. The West has more federal public lands, and protected public lands such as national parks and monuments, than any other region of the country. These lands offer access to hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing, boating, and other forms of recre-

ation, and provide a scenic backdrop to the region’s communities.

Protected public lands also provide personal income rewards for local resi-dents. A statistical analysis done as part of the new report shows that, for non-metro counties in the West with protected federal lands, for every gain of 10,000 acres of protected public land, per-capita income in that county in 2010 on average was $436 higher.

According to the new Headwaters Economics report:• Over the last four decades, western

states are generally outperforming

The High desert’s natural resources are a measurable economic asset, according to a new study “West is best: How Public Lands in the West create a competitive economic Advantage,” conducted by think tank, Headwaters economics. The report found that found that public lands give western states economic advantages over the rest of the country, including better job creation, higher personal income and population growth, as well as a quality of life that helps attract entrepreneurs. “Quality of life is our ace in the hole,” stated Ray Rasker, PhD in economics and Executive Director of the economic non-profit. “We wanted to see if, in light of the recession, people still care about where they live. And we found amenities matter.” As the West continues to shift from a natural resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, the key to competitiveness is increasingly the ability to cultivate and attract innovative companies and an educated workforce. research shows that these companies and individu-als are increasingly “footloose” and are drawn to the West’s high quality of life, which includes outdoor recreational opportunities and attractive natural landscapes. “Tal-ented people want to live where there is a high quality of life. All over the rest of the country, regions are trying to create open space and buy parks and trails and other resources. We don’t have to do that here, it’s all around us.”

Public Lands Key to Competitive Advantage in the West

New Study Shows Outdoor Quality of Life is an Economic Asset

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2005 AudiA4 2.0T

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2003 Ford Explorer Sport XLS

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2006 Chevy Equinox LT

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2005 VW Passat GLS

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2004 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

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2009 Scion xD Hatchback

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2010 Nissan Cube 1.8S

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2003 Nissan Frontier XE

$13,800

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2013 Lancer ES

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MSRP .........................$17,890Dealer Discount ..........$2,391Owner Loyalty Rebate .....$500


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*0% APR fi nancing for 60 months. On approved credit. All factory rebates in lieu of special rates offered by Mitsubishi Credit and special rates are not available with any advertised price. All vehicles subject to prior sale. Prices plus government fees and taxes, destination charges, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, any emission testing charges. All advertised prices not eligible for leases. Any loan is subject to lender’s approval.1) Must be current Mitsubishi registered owner to qualify for loyalty rebate. 2) Active and reserve military personnel currently a member of the US military whose active duty can be certified with a valid Dept of Defense Geneva Conventions. **Must show proof. ID card can be validated by checking for the presence of the US Department of Defense Eagle Hologram. Vehicle photographs for illustration purposes only, not of actual vehicle for sale. This ad will expire at close of business 9/12/12.

NEED CREDIT? NO PROBLEM! WE ARE THE FINANCING SPECIALISTS! Bad Credit? No Credit? BK OK!*Excludes Raider, Lancer Evolution and Lancer Ralliart•• See Dealer For Complete Details.

USED CAR INVENTORY

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$9,988

$5,988

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2004 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

2006 Ford F-150

2005 Chrysler Town & Country

2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

2005 VW Passat GLS

2006 Chrysler 300

2009 Scion xD Hatchback

2000 Acura Integra LS

2003 Nissan Frontier XE

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Stock # V13093B • 2 Dr, Auto 4.2L, V6

Stock # C12292A • 4 Dr, Auto, 3.3L V6

Stock # V12104A • 2 Dr, Auto, 2.4L

Stock # V2761A • 4 Dr, Auto, 2.2L

Stk. #CM2223 • 4 Dr, Auto, 1.8L

Stock # V12181A • 4 Dr, Auto, 2.7L, V6

Stk. #S10242A • 4 Dr, 5-speed, 1.8L

Stk. #CM2158 • 2 Dr, Auto, 1.8L

Stk. #CM2298 • 4 Dr, Auto, 3.3L V6

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Commercial Industrial Specialist repre-sented the landlord and tenant.

• A $3.3 million office sale of Sterling Centre in Redlands was closed by local agents. The seller, Pacific Western Bank, was represented by Donald P. Brown of Lee & Associates Inland Empire North, Managing Director/Principal Matthew Sullivan Lee & Associates Investment Services Group and Senior Vice President Rich Erickson of Lee & Associates Riverside. The buyer, Lynn Chao of the Law Office of Lynn Chao was represented by Shari Varnoos of RE/MAX Commercial.

• Hydroform USA, a leader in aircraft manufacturing services, purchased two industrial buildings totaling 5,440 sf on 3.96 acres on Lemon Street in Hesperia. Donald P. Brown and Elizabeth Brown represented the seller and the buyer.

sBCWIB IdentIfIes County’sdemand employment seCtors

The San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board conducted a study to identify the top demand sectors for employment in San Bernardino County. The results showed manufacturing, health care, transportation and logistics, energy and utilities, and construction are the top five industries that will be seeking a skilled workforce in San Bernardino County to fill available jobs. The Workforce Investment Board commis-sioned a study by the ERISS Corporation so it can focus its limited resources in the county’s demand industries, working with the county’s competitive advantages to create a trained and skilled workforce.

Employers and job seekers who are interested in the Workforce Investment Board programs may call: (800) 451-JOBS or visit www.csb-win.org.

ColdWell Banker CommerCIal launChes smart phone app

Global market leader Coldwell Banker Commercial, known for their cutting edge high tech marketing, has launched a smart phone app that enables property, office and professional agent searches on the go.

“This is an exciting and necessary step for our firm,” stated Chris Lamoreaux, Marketing Director for the High Desert’s leading commercial real estate office, Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Solutions. “People want to be productive wherever they are, and have information available to them on demand. This app is intuitive, quick and convenient, and gives our clients the ability to search and research in real time.”

The first-ever international search application will allow clients and poten-tial clients to search for properties, office listings and professional agents from their iPhoneTM and AndroidTM-powered

• Two commercial suites at Grand View Plaza, located at 13330 Ranchero Road in Oak Hills, have been leased. Coldwell Banker Commercial’s team of Walt and Janette Wehrmann represented both the landlord and tenant during the transac-tion.

• ±5 .62 acres of land zoned for high density housing at the corner of Chamberlaine and Verbena in Adelanto have sold. Coldwell Banker Commercial’s Land Specialist Mehdi Mostaedi and Bob Basen represented the seller.

• Mehdi Mostaedi of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented the seller in the transaction for a ±5,000 SF Industrial Building located at 26550 National Trails Highway in Helendale.

• ±4 .26 acres of property off of Mariposa Road in Hesperia sold. Coldwell Banker Commercial Senior Vice President Mehdi Mostaedi represented the seller.

• A ±5,740 SF bank-owned commercial property sold for $151,000 on 20744 Thunderbird in Apple Valley. Coldwell Banker Commercial’s REO Specialist Josh Rey represented the seller.

• A commercial building located at 21929 on Highway 18 in Apple Valley sold for $80,000. Coldwell Banker Commercial’s Josh Rey represented both the bank and the investor.

• The Orthopaedic Institute of California leased ±3050 square feet of medical space located at 15201 11th Street, Suite 440 in Victorville. Office Specialist Walt Wehrmann of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented the ten-ant.

• Jason Lamoreaux, President of Coldwell Banker Commercial, represented both the buyer and seller in a receivership sale for a ±80 acre property located along Fort Cady Road in Newberry Springs.

• Bank owned property on Hesperia Road and Smoketree in Hesperia, consisting of a retail building and a billboard has sold. Hesperia Josh Rey Coldwell Banker Commercial REO Specialist rep-resented the buyer and the bank.

• 12061 Jacaranda leased to Farmer’s Agent John Wales. Coldwell Banker Commercial Office Specialists Walt & Janette Wehrmann represented both land-lord and tenant.

• 13605 Bear Valley Road sold to Horace Mann Insurance. Coldwell Banker Commercial represented the landlord and seller.

• 17130 Muskrat in Adelanto has leased to a cast aluminum company. Janette Wehrmann, Coldwell Banker

PubLisHerPaisley Taylor

[email protected]

AdverTisinG

Paisley Taylor / 760.403.2136

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BUSInESS BRIEFS

Vol. 3 no.6november/December 2012

12277 Apple valley rd. , #384Apple valley , ca 92308

devices.The Coldwell Banker Commercial

app instantly locates nearby commercial real estate listings and local CBC offices; giving you access to search over 15,000 properties for sale or lease by Coldwell Banker Commercial offices. With this app, you can find Coldwell Banker Commercial professionals and locations, quickly get driving directions, and email listings.

Because of its national reach in pri-mary, secondary and tertiary markets, the Coldwell Banker Commercial app connects clients to unique commercial real estate opportunities in thriving and upcoming markets.

apple Valley reports sales tax gaIn for nInth ConseCutIVe quarter

According to the second quarter sales tax report, which represents sales trans-actions from May to June of this year, gross sales tax collections for the Town of Apple Valley were up slightly by 4.7% from the same quarter one year ago. This increase represents an additional $50,782 in sales tax collections during the quar-ter on a year-over-year basis. Sales tax growth estimates for the remainder of cal-endar year 2012 are projected at between 4.5% - 5.0%.

“This quarterly gain represents the ninth consecutive quarter of sales tax growth on a year-over-year basis since the economic recovery began,” said Marc Puckett, Assistant Town Manager of Finance and Administration. “The sus-tained growth in our retail sales in Apple Valley is a clear indication of the broad-based economic recovery that is under-way. However, this news will not detract from the fiscal discipline the Town has exercised, and needs to continue exercise moving forward.”

As a whole, sales tax collections in San Bernardino County increased by 8.7% on average during the quarter, and Southern California increased by 7.4% during the same period. Statewide, second quarter sales tax collections were up 7.5% overall during the period.

According to Puckett, only three of the 25 communities in San Bernardino County (Grand Terrace, Needles and Upland) experienced a year-over-year decrease in sales tax collections during the quarter. Of the high desert communi-ties, Adelanto lead in sales tax growth (on an adjusted basis) with an increase of 9.5%, followed by Victorville (8.6%), Barstow (6.6%) and Hesperia (4.1%).

In Apple Valley, of the major industry groups, building and construction had the highest percentage increase with 39.5% over the same quarter in the prior year.

Submit your business briefs to theHigh Desert Business Journal [email protected].

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• Competitive AdvantageContinued from page 1

the rest of t he country. The region’s employment, for example, grew by 152 percent compared to 78 percent for the rest of the country.

• This western job growth was almost entirely in services industries, such as health care, real estate, high-tech, and finance and insurance, which created 19.3 million net new jobs, many of them high-paying, from 1970 to 2010.

• Western non-metropolitan counties with more than 30 percent of the county’s land base federally protected--such as national parks, monuments, wilderness areas, and other similar designations--increased jobs by 345% over the last 40 years. By comparison, counties with no protected federal public land increased jobs by 83%.

• Per-capita income in western non-met-ropolitan counties with protected public lands is higher than in other similar counties. For every gain of 10,000 acres of protected public land, per-cap-ita income in that county in 2010 was on average $436 higher. So a county with 50,000 acres of protected public lands was $2,180 higher; while one with 100,000 acres of protected public lands would have a $4,360 higher per capita income in 2010. For perspective, that same year the average per capita income for non-metro western counties was $34,870.

General findings:• Higher-wage services industries, such as

high-tech and health care, are leading the West’s job growth and diversifying the economy.

• Entrepreneurs and talented workers are choosing to work where they can enjoy outdoor recreation and natural land-scapes.

• Increasingly, chambers of commerce and economic development associa-tions in every western state are using the region’s national parks, monuments, wilderness areas and other public lands as a tool to lure companies to relocate.

• High-wage services industries also are using the West’s national parks, monu-ments, wilderness areas and other pub-lic lands as a tool to recruit and retain innovative, high-performing talent.

The study was completed by Headwaters Economics, a non-profit eco-nomic research group based in Bozeman, Montana that specializes in community and economic development. The full report, state summaries, and other docu-ments can be found at: http://headwater-seconomics.org/land/west-is-best-value-of-public-lands/ n

Contact: Ray Rasker, PhD, Executive Director, Headwaters Economics, 406-570-7044, [email protected]

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300% 350%

$7,000$6,000$5,000

$4,000 $3,000$2,000 $1,000

$00 acres 50,000 acres 100,000 acres 150,000 acres

Protected public lands

$0

$2,180

$4,360

$6,540

http://headwaterseconomics.org/

land/west-is-best-value-of-public-lands/


High Desert is Gateway tonational Parks and Public Lands

Recreation-Based Lifestyle and Open Spaces are Economic Assets to Region

The High Desert’s bounty of nature and open space has a measurable economic benefit, according to a study conducted by Headwaters Economics, an economic think tank. The California desert region

provides residents with highly desirable lifestyle amenities, including the varied terrain of a wide open desert as well as proximity to mountains, lakes and rivers, and even open sky. Serving as a gateway to National Parks and public lands, including Joshua Tree National Park, the Angeles National Forest, and the Mojave National Preserve, the High Desert is rife with assets that can help the region recruit high quality businesses, talented professionals and residents that seek out high quality outdoor environments.

Natural resources in and around the California High Desert region set the stage for a myriad of outdoor activi-ties including hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, biking, motorcycling, jeeping, dirt biking, mining, cycling and running. Open spaces make the region particularly well suited to popular mud runs, and the open airspace allows for “sky hobbies” including ballooning, soaring and flying airplanes. Nearby alpine lakes give easy access for fish-ing, swimming, boating and kayaking, and local mountains offer winter snow sports. The desert’s unique mineral deposits and biodiversity attracts biologists and geologists and hobby miners. Does this all sound like a brochure? It should. All of this adds up to a tremendous economic asset for the High Desert region, and a powerful marketing tool for attracting desirable businesses and well educated pro-fessional talent.

According to a new Headwaters Economic Report, west-ern states with access to such natural amenities have an economic advantage over other areas. “This study shows that entrepreneurs and America’s most talented workers are choosing to live in places where they can enjoy outdoor recreation and a better quality of life,” said Ray Rasker, PhD, Executive Director of Headwaters Economics, the nonprofit economic group that completed the report. “By highlighting access to national parks, forests, and other public lands, western communities and companies have cre-ated new jobs faster than the rest of the U.S.”

“This is important information for us as we evolve our marketing strategy for the High Desert,” stated Janice Moore, CEO of the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It validates what Apple Valley has adopted as their vision for the town. Apple Valley already has set aside areas for open space that can’t be touched, and quality outdoor rec-reational space is part of the town’s “Better Way of Life” approach.”

A well planned marketing campaign paired with intelli-gent, high quality media is also key to getting the word out to both the local community as to what assets are available, and to the investment and business community that is being invited to look at an area. Ray Rasker, PhD, and Executive Director of Headwaters Economics says billboards were used in one rural town to attract high quality talent. “The billboard said “Why work for AAA Technologies? Advantages? You get to live here.” Rasker refers to another city that has marketed itself as a park with a city in it. “There is a real advantage to living in a remote area. What workers are looking for is this really unique quality of life. They don’t want to live in the big city and commute. In a rural area, in the afternoons after work, before you know it they are off on their motorcycles enjoying themselves – off fishing. That’s a real competitive advantage.”

Rasker points out that companies are more able to locate in rural areas partly due to telecommunications. “Companies can hire professionals from nearly anywhere, who can work from remote, home-based offices.” Rasker points out that many high tech companies are locating in unexpected rural places like Bend Oregon. “It’s happening all over, in places you thought were too small for this to happen.” One small town Rasker is familiar with had a soft-

ware company sell for over a billion dollars. “The employ-ees took their stock option money and invested in their own start-ups. Now they have 15 to 20 high tech companies in this one small town.”

What led the think tank to do this study? “We had looked at this in the past,” said Rasker, “and we wanted to see, in light of the recession, if amenities still matter. And they do. People care where they live.”

FIGURE 1: WEST VS. NON-WEST, EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, INDEXED, 1970 TO 2010

FIGURE 18: AVG. INCREASE IN PER CAPITA INCOME FROMPROTECTED PUBLIC LANDS, NON-METRO WEST, 2010

Population and personal income growth (adjusted for inflation) in the West also have outpaced the rest of the country. From 1970 to 2010, the West’s population grew by 107 percent compared to 41 percent for the rest of the country, and real personal income in the West grew by 234 percent compared to 149 percent for the rest of the country.3

The West as a WholeAs the line graph below shows, across the West services sectors created 19.3 million net new jobs, or almost

100 percent of net new jobs in the West, during the last four decades. Non-services sectors as a whole are hold-ing steady from an employment standpoint as the broader economy expands.9


No matter what stage your business is in, Wells Fargo can help you get the financing you need. We have lending options to help, including:

• Commercial real estate loans • Vehicle financing • Construction loans • Lines of credit • Equipment financing • And more

Plus you’ll also have a dedicated business banker to help you along the way. By getting to know you and your business, our experienced business bankers can create customized solutions to help meet your specific needs.

Come see a Wells Fargo business banker about financing the growth of your business today.

Steve Clark Senior Vice President 760-432-5346 [email protected]

Helping build businesses across the High Desert

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© 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (722759_05416)

HomeSource Makeover FinishedThe HomeSource first annual Home Makeover winners have a new kitchen. Joseph and Diane Brilliant were sur-

prised last spring as makeover winners by an “award crew”, including the HomeSource realty team, radio and other press. “We look forward to growing this exciting event over the years,” said Chris Lamoreaux of HomeSource. “We are already working on next year’s program.”

Demolition and construction was completed by ServPro of Victorville, design consultation was provided by Donald Tatera of Decorating Den Interiors, and additional services were provided by Intricate Tile & Design, Set N Stone Granite & Tile, Sparkle Cleaning Services, Carpet Club, and Christopher Homes Construction. n

Professional interior designer donald Tatera of inte-riors by decorating den consults with the brilliants to coordinate selections of flooring, granite and tile for the final look. ServPro installed the new kitchen and intricate Tile and design and set n stone Granite & Tile provided much of the materials.

The servPro team demolishes the brilliants’ kitchen, pulling out appliances, cupboards, flooring and light-ing fixtures.

The Homesource team and owners of in-tricate Tile and design, servPro and interi-ors by decorating den pose with the bril-liants in their new kitchen.

The brilliant’s fully remodeled kitchen fea-tures new flooring, cupboards, appliances, countertops and tiling. “it’s beautiful,” said diane brilliant, whose birthday was the same day as the reveal. Her husband en-tered them into the contest and it was a surprise to diane when they won.

The brilliant’s fully remodeled kitchen fea-tures new flooring, cupboards, appliances, countertops and tiling. “it’s beautiful,” said diane brilliant, whose birthday was the same day as the reveal. Her husband en-tered them into the contest and it was a surprise to diane when they won.


By Casey armstrongPresident, CEOArmstrong Fairway Insurance Center

The world of healthcare is changing fast, and there are many impacts on employers and employees. Here are some key points about

what to expect. This is a partial summary, and there is much more to know about the new health insurances programs. Contact a health insurance professional for more information.

Exchange – You will be hearing this word a lot. It is simply the term for a new, additional place to shop for and buy health insurance. Exchanges do not replace private places to buy insurance and are simply another resource.

2014 - As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), beginning in 2014 ALL Americans must have a minimum amount of health insurance, or be taxed by the govern-ment. Those who don’t get health insurance coverage at work, or who cannot afford it, may be able to obtain insurance through an exchange.

Exchange Model Options – On the exchanges, individuals and small businesses

Healthcare Guide for 2014 can buy qualified health plans (QHPs). Each state is required to have an exchange and each state determines how its exchange will be set up. Exchanges can be set up in one of three ways.

State-run facilitator model – Any carrier meeting minimum federal and state requirements set for the health insurance exchanges can be in this exchanges. Carriers compete in an open market.

State-run active purchaser model – The state solicits bids from health insurance companies and deter-mines which plans it will offer. The state directly negotiates the price and benefits offered.

Federally run model - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) runs the exchange in states that choose not to create one.Four Levels of Coverage – each level,

or tier, of coverage (bronze, gold, silver or platinum) will have several plans to choose from. Bronze plans will have the lowest monthly premium but cost shares will be more when health care services are pro-vided. Platinum plans will have the highest monthly premium, but cost shares will be less when health care services are provided. All plans must include “essential health benefits” as defined by the health care reform law.

SMALL BUSINESSESSHOPs – Small Business Health Options

Programs, or SHOPs are for Small Group Employers (less than 49 employees). Small businesses have three options for health insurance in 2014:• Offer a fully insurance plan through

either a SHOP exchange or the traditional market.

• Offer an ASO plan, if allowed by state law, where essential health benefits and tier requirements don’t exist.

• Stop offering coverage and let employ-ees buy an individual plan on or off the exchange.

Subsidies for small employers – tax credits will increase for employers with 25 or fewer employees with an average wage of less than $50,000 a year, who offer cover-age through an exchange. The credit will cover up to 50% of the employer’s cost, or up to 35% for small nonprofit organizations. Employers will be eligible for credits in the first two years they offer coverage through an exchange. Credits decrease on a sliding scale as group size and employee wages increase. Other options may exist, such as defined contributions, or adjusting contribu-tions by an employee. Employers give each employee a certain amount to spend on health insurance they find themselves.

LARGE GROUP EMPLOYERSEmployers of 50 or more employees will

have three options for health care coverage starting in 2014:• Offer health insurance, either fully

insured or ASO, that meets the minimum coverage definition and is affordable.

• Offer some level of coverage that does not meet minimum requirements, and pay the employer penalty.

• Stop offering coverage, let employees buy through the individual market exchange,

and pay the employer penalty.

Penalties for large group employ-ers – If minimum coverage is not offered to full-time employees, and at least one employee gets subsidized coverage through an exchange, then a $2000 penalty is assessed for each employee after the first 30. If minimum coverage is offered to full-time employees but is not affordable for an employee, and that employee gets subsi-dized coverage through an exchange, then a $3000 penalty is assessed for each employ-ee getting subsidized coverage. Health care reform does NOT require employers to contribute to the premium (although if they do not, their plan may not be “affordable”, putting the employer at risk of penalties; or offer dependent coverage.

TaxesIndividuals and employers may be

responsible for other taxes and fees related to health care reform, including tax on high earners, tax on unearned income, pharma-ceutical industry fees, comparative effec-tiveness research fees, ACA insurer fees and more. See your tax advisor for more infor-mation and advise. n

For more information about this article, contact Casey Armstrong, at (760) 245-2561.


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by Kim Magana,Chief Investment Officer,Marathon Capital Management

The fiscal cliff is a term coined by The Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke after the debt ceiling impasse was resolved in late 2011. It is now a term used by observers and

media to describe a combination of $668 billion in automatic federal spending cuts and tax increases that may take effect January 1st, 2013 – this could push the United States into recession (see chart). “If the fis-cal cliff isn’t addressed,” warned Bernanke in a Sept. 13 appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, “I don’t think our tools are strong enough to offset the effects.” After disavowing central-bank responsibility if the U.S. economy falls off the fiscal cliff, Bernanke added, “So I think it’s really important for the fiscal policy makers to, you know, work together and find a solution.”

Two months later and weeks after the election, Washington has yet to find a solution. If they fail the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warns of a contraction in the first half of 2013 or an outright recession. Removing over $600 billion from the U.S. economy would likely result in a 4.0% negative impact to GDP.

Possible resolution outcomesAction to prevent a debacle may come in the

“lame duck” session of Congress between November election and end of the year, but it is possible a grand deal won’t be made until well into next year. Therefore policy makers may extend tax cuts into 2013, at least for citizens making under $250,000 per year.

When the final deal is hammered out, expect income tax rates on high earners to rise to 39.6%

including qualified dividends which are currently taxed at 15%. Tacking on a 3.8% Obamacare tax and the newly-passed California top rate of 13.3%, an over-$250,000 dollar earner would be paying 57% in taxes. Expect capital gains taxes to go from 15% to 20%.

For earners under $250,000, hopefully tax brack-ets will remain the same - part of Obama’s promise. Expect the 2% payroll tax holiday not to be renewed.

Spending cuts of $136 billion will be negotiated and it is hard to say which sectors will be impacted, although some are sequestered such as defense, expiration of extended unemployment benefits and Medicare for a total of $100 billion. Given the slow trajectory growth of the economy, expect many of these changes to be deferred or altered. Individuals may want to take steps to accelerate income into 2012 in an effort to reduce the impact of the prospec-tive of higher taxes.

The fiscal cliff’s tax hike and spending cuts were designed to force the executive and legislative branches come to grips with the unsustainable budget deficit. The real irony of the fiscal cliff it was cre-ated by Washington via reckless spending. This huge imbalance between federal expenditures and revenues is a large structural issue for the U.S. economy and will eventually have to be addressed.

Winston Churchill once quipped “Americans can be counted on to do the right thing – after they have exhausted all other possibilities.” n

Kim Magana is the CIO of Marathon CapitalManagement and serves as an investment analystfor other financial companies as well.For questions about this article,you can reach him via email [email protected]

Fiscal Cliff and the Economy


By mIke derPresidentAdvanced Micro Technologies

Alexander Graham Bell’s great-est accomplishment was the in-vention of the telephone. Little did he know that since March

3, 1876, the birthdate of the telephone, this seemingly simple device would be used to talk to virtually anyone anywhere, perform myriad tasks such as paying bills, and play an ever increasing key role in the business world. A business today has many choices when it comes to their communication needs. Today’s most common systems in the business world are POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), digital systems or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

FeaturesUnderstanding your communication

VoIP Business Phone Systems Communications Customized for Your Needs

needs is paramount when shopping for a new phone system. How many phone lines are needed and how many extensions? What features are important? Do you need inter-national calling on a regular basis? Voice mail to email? Not all features are available across all systems. One feature many busi-nesses are using today is unified messaging, which delivers voice mail messages to your email inbox. With the popularity of this once VoIP-only feature, many digital sys-tems are now offering unified messaging as a standard as well.

The phone system is only half the equa-tion. Without the appropriate technology on the carrier side, VoIP would not function. Fortunately, many telephone carriers offer SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which is responsible for controlling communication sessions over internet protocol. Generally, the carrier will provide the equipment for the integration of SIP lines which will facil-itate the use of VoIP technology in either your digital or PBX phone system.

POTSMost carriers now offer unlimited long

distance charges with plain old telephone service (POTS), which virtually negates the cost savings associated with the more expensive VoIP technology. Though older, lower in bandwidth, no mobile capabilities and a “vanilla” choice as far as features are concerned, POTS is the leader when it comes to reliability. The benchmark

that telephone service providers aspire to is 99.999% dial tone availability. Simply put, this “five nines” reliability standard is equivalent to having dial tone when you pick up the hand set for all but approximate-ly five minutes per year. VoIP technology cannot offer this level of reliability.

VoIPOne feature that a VoIP can offer that

a POTS cannot is the ability to connect multiple branch offices. This ability is help-ful especially when you have a staff of tele-commuters of if you have an employee in one location who needs to “dial in” to another location. Of course, making a call outside of the network would still require that you need to go through a carrier. Most digital systems can also provide office to office connects but may need special equip-ment to do so. This feature benefits large organizations with multiple sites more than those with a single office.

DigitalA look at digital phone systems finds

them packed with call processing features, many that have evolved from many years of design, development and implementation fueled by customer needs. Many digital systems are cordless phone capable, can provide external paging, allow analog ports, door phones, external ringers and auto-matic door lock integration just to name a few. These features may not exist on some VoIP systems although they may not be far behind in the implementation of some of these features knowing that they are neces-sary in today’s business environment. With all the features available on digital systems, it is more important than ever to know what your communication needs are.

Most of today’s digital systems are capa-ble of integrating VoIP technology. Doing so would require a larger capital outlay, but you would have a feature rich system that gives you the best of both worlds.

InfrastructureAnother area that needs to be studied

when in the market for a phone system is the backbone of the system itself within the organization. It is a good idea to evaluate the hardware needs of the phone system and compare it to what you already have to see if you have what it takes to successfully integrate the system into your communica-tions network or if you would have to make

a significant investment to bring your net-work up to a level that will allow your sys-tem to function to its full potential.

It is important to access your network traffic and capabilities when looking at a phone system that will communicate via your network. Inadequate infrastructure can result in conversation cutoff and interfer-ence during a call. Moreover, with finite static systems such as digital systems, it is important to assess current needs and pos-sible future needs in order to “grow” the phone system without having to replace the whole system because it has reached its limit.

With all this in mind, I suggest choos-ing an authorized dealer with both Digital and VoIp phone systems. They can help you evaluate your needs and help to provide the right solution for your business. Authorized dealers have manufacturer training and have access to technical support engineers, sys-tem software updates and technical bulletins for the manufacturers they represent. Should a problem arise, an authorized dealer can request the support of upline engineers to remote diagnose the system and send out replacement hardware if necessary.

It is also important to choose a name brand system, (Avaya, Cisco, NEC, Vertical, Toshiba and ESI to name a few). Your com-munications system is a long term invest-ment and choosing a quality system from a manufacturer with a proven track record will insure that you will have support for a long time to come. Should the installer go out of business, you can contact the manu-facturer for support. They can provide you with the name of a new dealer to handle any problems that you might have with the system.

I have been writing articles here at the journal and would like some reader feed-back. I am going to being giving away a Kindle Fire for your feedback. Just go to my website http://www.admt.com click on the reader feedback link at the bottom and fill out the feedback form. I promise only to contact you if you win. n

Contributor Micheal Der is the owner of Advanced Micro Technologies,a Network/Systems Integration company that provides IT consulting services to small, medium and large enterprise businesses. For questions or comments, you can email him at [email protected]


Strengthening Housing Market for 2013 HomeSource Residential Reports

2012 is ending on a high note for housing. As HomeSource Real

Estate reports, most indicators show an improving market for both existing and new homes in the High Desert and nationwide. The overall residential market has experi-enced a strong second-half in 2012, with key indicators such as home prices, home equity, housing starts and inventory all trending positive and pointing to a stronger 2013.

Nationally, housing prices have been steadily increasing all year, with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reporting that all major regions of the United States increased in September from 2011 levels. In fact, the median home price in the U.S. was $184,900, an increase of 11.3% from September 2011.

The Victor Valley has seen an even larger jump in housing prices, with an increase of over 15% from the previous

year. Home sales are up from 2011 as well, with transactions up 11% year over year in October.

NAR estimates that over 4.75 million homes will be sold in 2012. While trans-actions and sale prices have increased, the limited inventory nationwide has contrib-uted to the reduction in transactions in the 3rd quarter of 2012. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun states, “More people are attempting to buy homes than are able to qualify for mortgages, and recent price increases are not deterring buyer interest. Rather, inventory shortages are limiting sales, notably in parts of the West.”

HomeSource Real Estate sees this exact scenario taking place here in the High Desert. While home sales have decreased slightly with 355 houses sold last month in the Victor Valley, there are only 742 homes currently on the market. With barely two months of inventory in the market, the High Desert cannot keep up with demand right now. NAR econo-mists estimate that 6 months of inventory is needed for a healthy residential real estate market. The lack of inventory in the Victor Valley is especially noteworthy considering just 4 years ago over 4,300 homes were on the market.

Another bright spot for the residential real estate market is the number of hous-ing starts this year in the U.S. According to Reuters, housing starts in October rose to their highest rate in more than 4 years. Housing starts increased 3.6% to an annu-al rate of 894,000 units, a level not seen since July 2008. Housing starts are also trending well above the rate anticipated by economists, who expected a slowdown to 840,000 units for 2012.

New housing starts are a key indica-tor for future projections in the market. Homebuilding in the second half of 2012 has been so strong that it is expected to add to the U.S. GDP growth this year for the first time since 2005. Homebuilding was a huge job generator in the mid-2000’s and any recovery in housing starts is expected to have a major impact on employment nationwide. NAR states that economists predict for every new house built, at least 3 jobs are created.

While most indicators are trending positive for growth in 2013, HomeSource Real Estate finds limited inventory and a lack of financing is still weighing down the market. In September, the Federal Reserve announced it would buy $40 billion in mortgage - backed securities per month until employment improved substantially throughout the nation. This effort by the Federal Reserve is designed to bring down borrowing costs, allowing more people to afford purchasing a home.

A program that has been effective for distressed homeowners has been the Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief. Typically, homeowners that are forgiven debt by foreclosure or restructuring of their mortgage by financial institutions are taxed on the amount. The program allows many taxpayers to exclude for-given debt on their principal residence for tax purposes. This program expires on January 1st unless Congress moves quick-ly to extend the program. Whether or not the Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief is extended in 2013 for distressed homeown-ers may have a dramatic impact on hous-ing and inventory in the coming year.

The biggest uncertainty right now fac-ing the U.S. housing market is the loom-ing “fiscal cliff” of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that take effect in January if Congress does not act. Although Congress is working on a com-promise to avoid the “fiscal cliff”, if no deal is reached, it could have a negative impact on the housing market. Economists predict that tax increases and spending cuts will directly affect the stock mar-ket, mortgage interest rate and increase unemployment well into the first half of 2013. While the “fiscal cliff” could halt all momentum from 2012, the silver lin-ing is that much of this can be avoided or reduced by Congress.

Despite the uncertainty in Congress, HomeSource Real Estate finds that con-sumer confidence has not been affected. The Conference Board reported that October’s consumer confidence increased to its highest level in over 4 years, at 72.2. Consumer confidence affects all sectors of our economy, including the housing market. It also serves as a major indicator for future job growth, primar-ily because almost 70% of all economic activity is driven by consumer spending in the U.S.

The recent trends in housing have fol-lowed consumer confidence both nation-ally as well as in the High Desert. The past year has provided steady strengthen-ing of the market and the foundation for a true recovery going forward. HomeSource sees renewed optimism for 2013 as hous-ing prices continue to go up. NAR econo-mists believe housing will build upon the momentum that 2012 has provided and continue its growth cycle in early 2013. n

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Commercial Real Estate Investment Trends Land is moving in the High Desert Market

Land is undervalued in the High Desert and gradually we are getting noticed. Investors are starting to come due to the avail-

ability of land. Fortunately for us we have a lot of land. As long as you can buy either commercial or industrial buildings under replacement costs, there is no demand for land. Investors shy away from buying any land and they are not sure how long it will take for any price appreciation to take place. Also the financial institutions have dumped a lot of land at huge price reductions into the market. They have had to reduce prices drastically to appeal to investors to buy. Developers generally buy when they are ready to build and they don’t hesitate to wait and pay the market price.

Industrial LandOver the last 4 years the industrial

market has done very well. The excess

Victorville, CA – Every commercial real estate firm in the country including Coldwell Banker Commercial was closely following the Presidential election this cycle as its outcome was expected to have a greater impact on commercial develop-ment than that of any other in the past 50 years. It was a contentious and expensive Presidential election, with both sides spending upwards of $6 Billion in cam-paign spending. And yet in the end, the status quo really won, giving developers, retailers, investors and companies a sense of what to expect for the next 4 years.

President Obama won in a close but decisive victory, capturing the popular vote by 3% and over 60% of the elec-toral votes. Congress’s makeup changed slightly but the majorities stayed the same, with Democrats keeping a major-ity in the Senate and Republicans keep-ing a majority in the House. With a split along party lines between our Executive and Legislative branches, gridlock in Washington is still possible but history has shown that a more conciliatory and bi-partisan approach from both sides usu-ally forms after a close re-election of a President.

So what does this mean for commercial real estate?

The immediate result is the stabiliz-ing of markets that were uncertain of the direction of the country prior to the elec-tion. The greater affect will be on con-sumer confidence as the country moves

How the ElectionResults Will Impact on

Commercial Real Estate

inventory was absorbed quickly and new construction is happening all over in Southern California. Also the future out-look for industrial space has never been so good. Currently there is over 26 mil-lion square feet of Class A building that is under construction just on speculation. This is historical and it’s all due to the expansion of E-Commerce and return of manufacturing to the United States. The online sales are increasing every year and simply put that translates into demand for additional facilities for storage and distribution centers for their products. These distribution centers are getting larger and they need land to build these facilities and it’s getting harder to find 20 to 50 acre parcels of land for develop-ment in Southern California. Therefore we should expect an increase in demand for industrial land for development in the High Desert.

forward. According to The Conference Board, almost 70% of economic activ-ity in the U.S. is driven by consumer spending. Commercial real estate and retailers use this key indicator for future projections and to assess current expecta-tions. The Conference Board noted that October’s consumer confidence increased to its highest level in over 4 years, at 72.2. Now that the election is over, consumer confidence is expected to boost even higher as consumers see less turbu-lence with government and feel less anxi-ety about the direction of the country.

Both national and local retailers have already noticed this trend in the High Desert. National companies such as Panera Bread, Beef O’Bradys and Ulta Beauty are making their first splash in the High Desert market this year while other retailers such as JoAnn Fabric & Craft and Walmart have recently moved into new locations that provide more space and freeway frontage. Retailers and professionals in commercial real estate are now pivoting away from Washington politics and looking more to areas like the High Desert to see how consumer con-fidence is translating into a stronger and more vibrant economic recovery. n

For information on retail leasing options available in the High Desert, contact Cold-well Banker Commercial by email at [email protected] or call (760) 684-8000.

Commerical LandMajor retailers purchased their land

before the down turn in the Real Estate market and ended up paying high prices. Wal-Mart purchased their land before the recession and has already opened two locations and has plans to open two more additional stores in the High Desert in the coming years. Other major retailers are in the same situation, some still sitting on their land waiting for the opportune moment to build. In general, our retail market was not over built and develop-ments will continue. The demand for key locations is quite strong. Availability of basic infrastructure like water, sewer and road access should make any investment in commercial property safer. The High Desert has a lot of land, however very little of that land has the basic infrastruc-ture.

Apartment Land

Apartment land prices have increased

due to stabilization of rents and continua-tion of demand from investors for income property. Availability of financing for apartments has also helped the increase in demand. For apartment land, it’s amaz-ing; you can actually get a construction loan for 3.5% interest rate. There is also talk of overbuilding of apartments in the Inland Empire

Residential LandResidential land has experienced some

interest, only from investors, not builders, yet. It seems like most of the residential developers already have sufficient inven-tory of single family residential land but recent home price appreciation has caught the attention of some land investors. Paper lots with existing approvals are the favorite of today’s residential land inves-tors. n

Mehdi Mostaedi is the Land Specialist for Coldwell Commercial Banker. He can be reached at 760-684-8044.

By mehdI mostaedISenior Vice PresidentColdwell Banker Commercial


Affordable Cremations Providing Loving Service for Loved Ones

By HDBJ Staff

End of life arrangements are not the most pleasant of life’s duties, but when it is time to take care of loved ones who have passed, the service

provided by those who take care of such things becomes incredibly important.

Dave and Carla Carlson, the new owners of Apple Valley’s Affordable Cremations, have spent 25 years in the mortuary industry. With five years under their belts as own-ers, they have now added direct cremation to their services. “We are here to serve the community,” says Dave, whose company provides cremation services at half to a third of industry rates. “When a family has worked with us, we want them to say we took care of them, and at a reasonable price. We take care of them by being respectful, and giving them quality service. We are looking to serve fami-lies generationally.”

The Carlsons own businesses throughout California including mortuaries in Inglewood and Hawthorne. Carla runs her own credit

repair business in Fontana. Adding the Apple Valley location, where the Carlsons have fam-ily, made sense to their expansion. “We had been outsourcing the cremations at our other locations. Now we bring the decedents here.” The Apple Valley location is equipped with two retort machines with which the crema-tions are performed.

“We are obtaining accounts with other mortuaries, said Dave. “We can service Southern California from here.” He explains what is immediately obvious when one visits the facility, that what sets them apart from other crematories is their professionalism and care for detail. A clean, pretty lobby flanked by professional offices greets visitors. Toward the back are consultation rooms featuring various urns and commemorative items.

“This is a family owned and operated company, which is very different from being a corporation. We are much more affordable, especially in this economy.” Their pricing for the High Desert is significantly lower than what they charge down the hill as well. “We want to be able to serve and help those fortu-

nate and less fortunate in a time of need. Life is short. This shouldn’t cost a fortune.”

The desire to serve is what got Dave involved in the mortuary business in the first place. Two life-changing events hit him hard. “I worked in a bank that got robbed and decided I would change careers if I lived.” Shortly after that Dave was involved in a debilitating motorcycle accident that killed his friend. “I was told I would probably never walk or have children. I lost my teeth and had internal damage. I decided I needed to change my life. It pushed me into doing something to help those in need, and to do something as a tribute to my friend Roger.”

Making specialized death masks for the famous and not-so-famous, Dave spent nine months rehabilitating. “Now I walk fine. I have three kids and a wonderful family. I have fake teeth and am above ground. Things happen in your life and you have to either make them a positive or negative. The Lord knew in my heart I needed something bet-ter to do to help people. That’s how I was raised.”

After rehabilitating, Dave worked at a mortuary for two weeks free of charge and decided on his new career path. Taking a job in Pomona, he knew one day he wanted to be an owner. “I did whatever it took to save up – recycled cans, took odd jobs in the busi-ness, see a penny pick it up. It was like that. I worked and worked and saved, and an oppor-tunity came and I was able to put the numbers together and bought our first mortuary.” Two years later he says he got crazy and bought a second. Two years after that, the Carlsons purchased the Apple Valley business.

“We purchased the business from the previous owner, Steve Atmore,” explained Dave. “We got a referral that he might be interested in selling, so we made an appoint-ment, came up and visited a few times, talked a little more and came to an agreement.” Dave says Steve had other big corporations offering more for the company, but selected the Carlsons based on their philosophy about serving the community. “We shared the same idea about giving families what they need at a reasonable price. There’s no need to take advantage and give a black eye to the indus-try. He liked the family owned and operated mom and pop idea,” said Dave. “He is still happy about the decision.”

Community service is key to the Carlsons’ work. All decedents who are active or have ever served in the military receive a sig-nificant discount. Cremation and mortuary services for fallen heroes include a keepsake from the Carlsons - a memorial blanket/tapes-try, customized with a photo of the decedent. “These are really popular,” explained Carla. “And there is no advertising on it. It really is a gift.”

The Carlsons are involved with many ser-vice organizations and have served hundreds families of California Highway Patrol, LA County Fire and LAPD. “Families go and

spend thousands and thousands of dollars at these other places that take advantage of these fallen heroes,” said Dave. “We take care of them for nearly nothing. What we get from the families in return is tenfold.”

Services provided by Affordable Cremations includes picking up the decedent, meeting with the family, making arrange-ments for burial at their other facilities, or cremation at the Apple Valley facility, meet-ing with churches and ministers, and help-ing arrange for flowers, programs and the cemetery. “We have really good working relationships with other service companies. We are up front, honest and reasonably priced and work with other companies that are the same.”

The Carlsons work hard. Dave is up at four in the morning working in Los Angeles until about five at night. Carla runs the credit repair business in Fontana or the cremation business in Apple Valley during the day. Dave works in Apple Valley until ten. “I sleep from ten to four. Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” he quotes. Affordable Cremations is staffed by local associates. “And I am available 24 hours a day to anyone that ever needs me.”

What’s the secret to their success? “My wife,” Dave is quick to respond. “Behind every good man is a good woman.” Married for almost 25 years, the two are nearly finished raising their three children, twin daughters and son. “I work for them.” With daughters married and son nearly finishing high school and set to leave for two years on a mission, Dave anticipates life as an empty nester. “Well, I think we will work a little harder, a little longer,” he said. n

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The carlsons provide discounted services to anyone who has served in the military. They also provided services nearly free to families of fallen heroes including police and fire. Memorial blankets, often hung as tapestries, are a gift from the carlsons to the families they serve.

memorial urns come in a variety of styles. matching smaller urns are popular for shar-ing remains with additional family members. relatively new are the memorial tree urns where the remains are placed in a clay vessel that when planted will grow into a tree.


Country Oak and Stove High End Furniture and Stoves for the Valley

“Buy it right once, and economically you will be ahead.” That’s the bottom line for Country Oak and Stove store owner Bart Strittmatter. It’s a secret to most that Country Oak and Stove offers such a diverse array of furniture, stoves, patio furniture, mattresses and more. Specializing in high qual-ity American-made products, Country Oak and Stove provides furniture that is an investment in quality.

Bart is well-versed in what constitutes a quality piece of fur-niture – just ask him and he will tell you all about how furniture gets made – it’s his passion. He can explain how latex is harvested from trees, how mat-tresses are made, the best way to cut leather, why rubber trees are being cut down in China and why certain woods don’t work well in the des-ert. Carrying hand-made furniture made by the Amish, American made upholsteries manufactured in Wisconsin, and leather recliners made in North Carolina, Bart’s store offers quality that most seek down the hill.

“I don’t want to sell something that

is going to fall apart,” says Bart. “I want to give people something they can make a home with. Our tables are solid wood. You can follow the grain right over the end of the table. Our chair frames are made from real wood – not plywood

or particle board. People don’t know what is in their furniture because

it’s underneath in the bone structure.” Bart explains

their mattresses are 100% manmade from latex, “not recycled foam from another country.” Hardwood

frames are pressure blocked, and not stapled together.

The former banker’s future path as a furniture store owner was unlikely. Working as a banker, and building his home in Wrightwood, Bart wanted to

install four fireplaces. With a pur-chase of six, he could become a dealer. Finding a neighbor who wanted two fireplaces, he com-bined the order and borrowed a flatbed truck to pick up the order.

Parking his truck at a local café, he went inside to have pie with the guys.

“I was sitting at the counter listening to a man telling me about the septic tank

he was putting in, and a man walks in and wants to know who is selling fireplaces,” says Bart. “He had to ask three times before I realized it was me.” Put on the spot to sell two of them, Bart figured out a price. When asked if he installed, Bart said he was busy. The customer said he’d installed hundreds of them, and asked Bart to help. “That’s how I learned to put them in.” People started walking into the bank asking for him for fireplaces. “I saved up for 11 months, and then opened the store in August 1978.”

Weathering three recessions, business has not been easy, but Bart has remained successful. Expanding over the years, Country Oak and Stove is near the Bear Valley Road exit off of the freeway. After stove season ends this year in March, Bart plans on his final expansion. “I have a desire to finish the vision God gave

me, which is to build a home design cen-ter with everything you would want to furnish a home inside and out in a one stop shop.” Once final, Country Oak and Stove will have a furniture store, patio store with outside display area, a light-ing store and a design center for kitchens and baths. And of course, a stove store. Importantly, a 300 square foot sign “like Rancho Motors” has been approved by the City of Hesperia.

When he’s not running his business, Bart enjoys his 4 kids, 9 great grandkids and 2 “greats”. He takes what he earns to travel around the world and teach in bible schools, entrepreneurial schools and at pastors’ conferences. “Everybody has different gifts,” says Bart. “We just help people enjoy those gifts. Life has to be fun.” n

country oak and stove features high end recliners from distinction Leather in north carolina. “it’s one of our most popular items. People don’t believe they are recliners,” says bart, owner of country oak and stove furniture store. bart keeps coffee cups sit-ting on the arms to show that when a customer reclines, the cup won’t spill. Like all of their furniture, the recliners are made from the highest quality materials and are American made. .FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED.STAFF AVAILABLE 24 HOURS.FREE PRE-ARRANGEMENT SERVICES.FULL SERVICE OFFERING QUALITY

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bart also purchases inventory from Las vegas showrooms to get good deals for valley residents. “We have the largest selection of Tiffany lamps in the desert,” he says.


Arts & Culture PAge

Victor Valley community concert SerieSwith the support of the newton t. Bass Foundation

All concerts are presented at theVictor Valley CollegePerforming Arts Center18422 Bear Valley RoadVictorville, CA. 92395(760) 961-0486Purchase tickets online athttp://vvcommunityconcerts.org

yana reznikSunday January 27, 2013 • 2:30pm

Yana Reznik is a versatile concert pianist with a modern view on presenting clas-sical music. She has played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Phil the House Concerts at Disney Concert Hall, the Mos-cow Chamber Orchestra, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, University of South-ern California Symphony Orchestra and Concert Symphony Orchestra, the Torrance Symphony Orchestra and the Stanford Wind Ensemble.

She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Roland V-Piano Grand at the NAMM show in Anaheim, the Lincoln Center at Alice Tully Hall, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Zipper, Thayer and Steinway Halls in Los Angeles, and has been presented by the Los Angeles Bach Festival, the Maestro Foundation, Laguna Beach Live, Sundays Live at Four (KUSC), the Sunset Series in Los Gatos, Classical Underground, the Colburn Chamber Music Series, the Huntington Arts Festival in New York, Classical Music Encounters of Orange County and the Western Society of Chamber Music.

Born in Moscow, Ms. Reznik holds a bachelor of music degree from the Man-hattan School of Music, a master of music

degree from the University of Southern California, and a Professional Studies Certificate from the Colburn School of Performing Arts, where she was under the tutelage of Phillip Kawin and John Perry. She has also studied at the Rachmaninoff School of Music in Moscow, Russia with Raisa Bekerman and at the Interlochen Arts Academy with Stephen Perry.

In 2010, Yana Reznik created the ‘Ar-tistic Voyage’ concert series: a visionary gathering of musicians and artists to benefit humanitarian organizations around the world. As the series Founder, Director and pianist, she has invited members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras, the New York based Biava String Quartet and musicians and faculty from the Colburn Conservatory of Music to perform along with exhibitions of leading painters and photographers. (www.artisticvoyage.org)

Ms. Reznik is also the Artistic Direc-tor, pianist and host for the ‘Live at the Lounge’ classical concert series at the world renowned Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. Together with owner Mike Lacey, Ms. Reznik is bringing clas-sical music to unconventional venues and settings, where classical music can be more accessible to a broader audience. Each week the concerts attract world-renowned performers that collaborate with Ms. Reznik at the piano. (www.liveatthelounge.com)

terry BarBerSunday February 17, 2013 • 2:30pmWith an extraordinarily broad vocal

range and natural fluency in a wide range of musical styles, American countertenor Terry Barber is a performer in a class by himself. He has been featured on some of the world’s most prominent stages and has worked with many of the music industry’s most prestigious songwriters, composers and producers. His recorded voice has appeared on every

major label, as well as his own label, rE-volv Music. Whether performing classical or popular favorites, he “breathes new life into everything he sings,” and crafts what the Los Angeles Times calls “performances of great vitality and verve.”As a member of the multiple Grammy-

winning ensemble Chanticleer, Terry was called “...the jewel in Chanticleer’s crown...” With them, he worked his way through the repertoire performing opera, classical, gospel, jazz and folk music in a dozen languages at over a hundred concerts around the globe. In 2002, Terry joined the roster of the

Metropolitan Opera for their staging of Sly, starring Placido Domingo. He made his New York City Opera debut in 2001 in Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria and covered Daniel Taylor in the NYC Opera’s produc-tion of Handel’s Rinaldo starring David Daniels. In summer of 2002 he performed at the International Spoleto Festival both the Spirit and the Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.Terry made his debut at Carnegie Hall in

2004 singing the role of Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus with the National Chorale under Martin Josman. He was also featured with the Portland Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s Messiah under the direction of Nicholas Kramer and with the New Trinity Baroque Orchestra of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (with Evellyn Tubb) which prompted the Atlanta Journal Constitution to rave that “...his grasp of the texts and elegant phras-ing made for charismatic singing.” and “Barber has star quality”.Following incredible success at Moscow’s

Svetlanov Hall for the international “Art-November” festival last year, Terry will return to Russia for the third time at the specific request of the Lithuanian compos-er, Georgs Pelecis, to perform his “Rev-elation”, a grand work for countertenor, trumpet, and piano soloists and orchestra.In 2009, Terry founded Artist for a Cause,

a non-profit corporation created to orga-nize collaborations between artists and the charities they support. His personal performance project for the organization, A Sacred Journeyfeatures Terry singing sacred music in the baritone, tenor, alto, and soprano ranges by the best composers through time. The U.S. tour began in early 2010, has its 35th performance this year, and has raised thousands of dollars for community outreach.Terry received his Bachelor of Music

degree in vocal performance as well as the Musical Theater Certificate from North-western University. He received his Master of Music degree in historically informed performance from London’s Trinity Col-lege of Music where he also received a post-graduate performance certificate with highest distinction. Immediately follow-ing the completion of his degree, Terry was hired to teach advanced vocal ensembles at Trinity College, while simultaneously tour-ing England with the Kent Opera’s produc-tion of Monteverdi’s Orfeo.

Prima trioSunday April 28, 2013 • 2:30pm

The Prima Trio was founded in 2004 while its members were studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, and made its début at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC in 2006.

In 2007, the Prima Trio triumphed at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, winning the coveted Grand Prize (out of no fewer than 137 entries from across the country and around the world), as well as the Gold Medal in the Senior Division. In addition, the Prima Trio was awarded a Midwest Winner’s Tour and a European début at Italy’s Emilia Romagna Festi-val, as well as a total of $10,500 in prize money. The finals round and a grand-prize winner’s concert and reception were held in Leighton Concert Hall at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

In recent seasons the trio returned to Washington, DC with two concerts on the prestigious Dumbarton Oaks series, and performed at the Athenaeum in La Jolla, CA; the Dayton Art Institute; and CityMu-sic Columbus (celebrating the series’ 25th anniversary). Highlights of past seasons include débuts in Chicago (on the Music in the Loft series) and Cleveland (for the Cleveland Chamber Music Society), and four concerts at Germany’s prestigious Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival.

Almost unique among trios, the Prima Trio actually plays four instruments, since Gulia Gurevich switches between violin and viola during the concert! Their reper-toire ranges from beloved chamber music standards to such exotic gems as Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian’s soulful Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano to S. I. Glick’s festive “The Klezmer’s Wed-ding.” The “grand finale” of every concert is “Serenade” by American composer Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q. Bach)—its uproari-ous, hoedown-like finale never fails to draw a “laughing ovation”!

“A virtuosic tour de force . . . a whirl-wind of joy.” —Palm Beach Daily News


Adelantochamber of commercemonthly chamber Luncheonsecond Wednesday ofeach month11:30 am – 1:00 pmHeld at: Mavericks Stadium Conference Center12000 Stadium Way, AdelantoMember $15, Non Member $20PO Box 712, Adelanto, CA 92301

(760) 246-5711 www.adelantochamber.com

Apple valleychamber of commerceGeneral membership LuncheonThird Wednesday of each month11:45am – 1:00pmHeld at: Apple Valley Golf Course15200 Rancherias Rd., Apple Valley$20 with RSVP, $25 without16010 Apple Valley RdApple Valley, CA 92307

(760) 242-2753 www.avchamber.org

Barstow Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 698Barstow, CA 92312(760) 256-8617www.barstowchamber.comHesperia Chamber of Commerce14321 Main Street Hesperia, CA 92345Phone: 760-244-2135 | Fax 760-244-1333

The High desert Hispanic chamber of commerceeye opener breakfast meetingsecond Tuesday of each month7:30am - 8:45amHeld at: Green Tree Golf14144 Green Tree Blvd, Victorville, CA Members $15.00 - Non-Members $20.0014286 California Ave, Suite 104, Victorville

(760) 241-6661 www.hdcc.org

Lucerne valley chamber of commercemonthly chamber meetingsecond monday of each month5:30pmHeld at: LV Senior Center32750 Old Woman Springs Rd, Lucerne Valley(760) 248-7215PO Box 49132750 State Highway 18Lucerne Valley, CA 92356 http://www.lvcal.org/chamber/

Phelan Chamber of Commerce9501 Sheep Creek Road, Phelan, CA 92371(760) 868-3291 www.phelanchamber.org

victorville chamber of commercevictorville morning insightFirst Wednesday of each month7:30 Am - 9:00 AmHeld at: Victorville Conference CenterHilton Garden Inn. 12603 Mariposa Rd, Victorville 14174 Green Tree Blvd, Victorville, CA (760) 245-6506 www.vvchamber.com

In 2010 I was fortunate enough to travel to China with the Victorville Chamber of Com-merce. It’s hard to know where to begin since this visit shattered all of my preconceptions about the people and the culture in a country with 20% of the world’s population.

The trip was all inclusive — airfare, hotels, meals, and excursions— and at a price that would barely cover your airfare today.

The cities we visited were ultra-modern and there is no question that China, with all of its ancient palaces and temples, has entered the 21st century. All of the iconic destinations like the Great Wall, Tian An Men Square, the Olympic Village and Shanghai were included along with a wide variety of historically sig-nificant and stunningly beautiful places.

There was never a dull moment during our 10-day trip, and my husband and I consider it one of the most fascinating experiences of our lives.

You travel from a place like Beijing with its towering skyscrapers and the Forbid-den City to the countryside where the culture is vastly different. With a land mass of over 3.5 million square miles and a history going back over 5,000 years there is no end of interesting things to see and do. This particu-lar trip managed to show us huge diversity and give us a new perspective on one of the world’s most important, emerging countries

The organization, tour guides, accommoda-tions and door-to-door service were excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend this trip which lived up to its claim as “the vaca-tion of a lifetime”.

Margaret R. Peterson, PhDChief Executive OfficerDesert Valley HospitalDesert Valley Medical Group

CAlendArBusInessHdBJ

Victorville Chamber of Commerce

ChinaApril 3 - 11, 2013

Take The Vacation of a Lifetime

Nine Day All Inclusive Trip

• Round Trip International

Airfare from LAX

• Chinese Domestic Airfare

• 4 and 5 Star Hotel

Accommodations

• 3 Meals Each Day

• Deluxe Bus Tours

• English Speaking Tour

Guides

• Entrance Fees to Cultural

Attractions

All for Just

$2,199

Contact Lisa De La Cruz at [email protected]

Victorville Chamber of Commerce, 14174 Green Tree Blvd., Victorville

(760) 245-6506

For more information: www.cityofhesperia.us/[email protected] 760/947-1906

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The vacation of a Lifetimevictorville chamber of commerce Trip to china

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High Desert Business Journal Nov/Dec 2012