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34 | APRIL 29, 2015 BUSINESS MONTHLY PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
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Mexico and the Caribbean that received the Four Diamond Rating in the past 12 months, qualifying them for the 2015 Four Diamond Award list.
“The Four and Five Diamond Ratings are the highest designations awarded by AAA,” says club spokeswoman Anna O’Donnell. “Receiving a Four Diamond Award signifies this property continues to go above and beyond the mark of ex- cellence in the hospitality industry.”
In 2012, AAA revised its Approv- al Requirements & Diamond Rating Guidelines for lodgings to reflect chang- ing traveler expectations, making the Four Diamond distinction even more difficult to achieve. Today’s travelers are demanding more amenities from lodg- ings like free Wi-Fi, flat-screen televi- sions and eco-friendly designs.
“The Lodge at Whitefish Lake pro- vides extensive services and amenities to visitors in plush and luxurious sur- roundings,” says O’Donnell. “The per- sonalized service and attention to de- tail they deliver ensures each and every guest leaves with an unforgettable expe- rience.”
SONJU INDUSTRIAL RECIPIENT OF PRESTIGIOUS NUNN-PERRY AWARD
Zoe Glasser Breeding has been se- lected to participate in the Congress- Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long, fed- erally funded fellowship for study and work in Germany. Glasser Breeding has studied at Flathead Valley Community College and was selected as one of 75 participants (from more than 700 ap- plicants) for this unique fellowship pro- gram. Since 1984, about 2,000 Ameri- cans have been awarded this oppor- tunity to gain cultural, academic, and practical work experience in Germany, and Ms. Glasser Breeding will be par- ticipating in the 32nd year of the CBYX program (2015-2016).
While in Germany, Glasser Breeding will attend a two-month intensive Ger- man language course, study at a German university or professional school for four months, and complete a five-month internship with a German company in her career field (biotechnology). Partici- pants are placed throughout Germany, and have the opportunity to learn about everyday German life from a variety of perspectives.
CBYX is a reciprocal scholarship program. While American participants like Glasser Breeding and her fellow participants spend the year living in Germany, 75 young German profession- als will also be spending the year experi- encing life in the United States. German participants study at U.S. colleges in the fall and work at local businesses in the spring, all while living with an American host throughout the year. Anyone inter- ested in becoming involved in the pro- gram or hosting a German participant should visit https://cbyx.info/host.
LARRY STAPPLER NAMED PASTORAL CARE DIRECTOR FOR IMMANUEL LUTHERAN COMMUNITIES
The Rev. Larry Stappler has been named director of pastoral care for Immanuel Lutheran Communities.
Pastor Stappler had served as interim director of pastoral care at Immanuel Lutheran since October. He assumed his new role as permanent director on March 29 and will be formally installed by Bishop Jessica Crist of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Montana Synod later this month.
“God is with us indeed, and we look forward to Pastor Larry leading our ministry and advancing our mission of ‘Providing Christian communities of support and loving care,’” said CEO Jason Cronk in announcing Pastor Stappler’s appointment.
Pastor Stappler, who will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination in June, served as senior pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kalispell for nine years, up until 2010. He most recently served King of Glory Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Boise State University in Idaho and a Master of Divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.
Immanuel Lutheran Communities is a not-for-profit organization offering residential living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. Operating since 1957, Immanuel Lutheran remains committed to its philosophy of providing a faith-based environment to enrich the lives of older adults. For more information, call 406- 752-9622 or visit www.ilcorp.org.
NORTH VALLEY HOSPITAL TO OFFER NITROUS OXIDE FOR LABOR
Women in Montana have a new option for pain management during labor and delivery. North Valley Hospital is now offering nitrous oxide by inhalation as an alternative method for pain relief for women in labor at its Birth Center in Whitefish. Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is widely known to rapidly ease pain and has been proven safe for both mothers and their babies.
Nitrous oxide has a variety of benefits including reducing anxiety and the perception of pain. Most women experience its effects in less than one minute, and then it dissipates fully within five minutes after stopping use. It can be started and stopped at any point during labor, depending on the mother’s preference. This gives women a sense of control over the dosage and over the pain.
Some women describe its effects of nitrous oxide as a type of euphoria.
Breathing the gas mixture gives patients additional oxygen and also releases endorphins, helping to reduce the sensation of pain. The gas does not affect the woman’s ability to push during labor, nor does it cause drowsiness. Extensive research shows that the nitrous oxide mixture is safe for both the mother and baby because it is eliminated from the body through the lungs, rather than through the liver.
Nitrous oxide has been used for many years during labor and childbirth in Europe and Canada. It was used in the United States in the 1950s, but was later replaced by other options including epidurals. Fewer than a dozen hospitals in the United States have taken the steps to add nitrous to its list of pain relief options. Many of those offering nitrous oxide are highly respected, university medical centers including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, University of Colorado Denver Medical Center, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
For more information on the use of nitrous oxide in labor, visit the Birth Center page on the North Valley Hospital website at http://www.nvhosp. org/our-services/the-birth-center.
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER OF GLACIER OPENING IN KALISPELL
The community asked, and Michael Hoag answered. Hoag, owner of the Sylvan Learning Center of Missoula, decided it was about time the Flathead Valley had its own.
“We’ve had a continuous stream of inquiries to our Missoula center from families all over Flathead Valley,” Hoag said. “There was a need, and the timing was right. With this new facility, we can serve these communities.”
The Sylvan Learning Center of Glacier will be offering traditional tutoring programs in math, reading, study skills and ACT/SAT prep. Additionally, it will be offering exciting new classes in Robotics, Coding and Math EDGE.
“Sylvan has traditionally been known for its tutoring programs,” Hoag said. “Our students typically see up to three times more growth in their math and reading scores than students who did not receive Sylvan tutoring. But we’re so much more than that now. Our new STEM classes are fantastic. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The Kalispell center will be offering STEM classes and summer camps.”
The Sylvan Learning Center of Glacier is located in Evergreen, across from the Evergreen Schools.
The last remaining touches are being added to the new facility for a late April/early May opening. Hoag hired Montana native, Fleur Philips, to direct the center. She grew up in Polson and is
a University of Montana graduate with a BA in English and secondary education. She also holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University in Los Angeles.
For more information about the Sylvan Learning Center of Glacier, contact Fleur Philips at 406-890-7850 or at [email protected]
With over 30 years of experience and more than 800 locations throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS, visit www.SylvanLearning.com or Sylvan’s Mom Minded blog at www. SylvanLearning.com/blog.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF TOWNHOME NEIGHBORHOOD
Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley held a special ceremony earlier this month to commemorate the completion of 16 total Habitat townhomes in Columbia Falls that have been constructed in the Mitchell Way development. Construction on the project began in May 2011 and used over 50,000 hours from nearly 6,000 volunteers, homeowner “sweat equity,” and donations from local and national building material suppliers to keep the cost of construction low. All families for these homes were also elected prior to construction and with the exception of the final two families moving in at the end of April, all families have occupied their homes
Habitat for Humanity’s Columbia Falls Affordable Housing project is a 16-unit townhome development, eight of which were constructed in part with funding from a $360,000 federal grant. This grant was received by the city through the Montana Department of Commerce HOME Program and managed jointly by the City of Columbia Falls and Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley.
Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley was established in 1989 with the mission of eliminating substandard housing. Due to rapid population growth, an increase in property values and stagnant income levels, the need for affordable housing in the Flathead Valley has increased over the last two decades.
For those interested in volunteering, additional information can be found by calling the Habitat for Humanity administrative office at (406) 257-8800.
AAA RECOGNIZES THE LODGE AT WHITEFISH LAKE
AAA MountainWest is proud to an- nounce a Montana lodging has earned the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award. This year’s recipient is The Lodge at Whitefish Lake in Whitefish. This es- tablishment is in an elite group of 1,544 hotels throughout the U.S., Canada,