Association News

Our mission as the SCOV Board is to lead in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in Sun City Oro Valley as an active adult community.

All Board minutes, agendas and reports are available online and in the SCOV Library. Board meetings are open to residents.

Board of Directors jmitchscov@gmail.com

by Jim Mitchell With our tagline “It’s more than living, it’s a lifestyle,” we all proudly proclaim that we came to Sun City Oro Valley to truly enjoy an active, adult lifestyle. That’s why we have more than 140 clubs to satisfy the diverse interests of residents–from arts and crafts to cultural, dance, exercise, games, travel and more.

In addition to enjoying various clubs, it’s important to remember that they are all led by resident volunteers. The same is true for more than 20 committees that help guide us. If you have interest and experience in an area, consider volunteering.

With 2,488 homes and over $28 million in total common assets, running SCOV responsibly is a complex task. In that effort, we realize that there are differences of opinion in how it should be done and what our future should look like. But those differences can always be expressed in a civil manner. While it may be fun to commiserate with like-minded folks on social media, speculation, rumors and opinions usually fail to advance a cause. Instead, consider getting facts by asking questions under HOT TOPICS on our website or email committee and club chairs, staff or Board members. We will respectfully respond even if it’s not an answer you want to hear. For major issues, any group of residents can petition to have an initiative placed on the ballot by submitting a petition with signatures from 10 percent (249) of households.

Lately, some opinions have been expressed in a vitriolic, divisive way, not just to Board members, but also to other residents. No matter which side of an issue you are on, that is not our proclaimed lifestyle. And it is time for it to stop.

Like committee chairs, Board members are resident volunteers, but with three-year terms. In my third year, I know that those I’ve served with have been conscientious about their responsibilities for the leadership and financial stability of SCOV. And I know that most residents support us in our efforts. For that, we are thankful. General Manager - Mark Wade mwade@suncityorovalley.com 520-917-8080

Many of you have invested in various types of measures to grow your net worth. I’m sure you do the research and decide on which investments you believe will do you the most good. Some of you may also hire an investment advisor to help give you advice.

You may have wondered how your investment in your home here at Sun City Oro Valley is doing. Here’s some information from public records we’d like to share with you:

This year we’ve averaged six homes actively listed on the market each month. Many homes sell before being listed. As a result, we show the number of homes closed/sold in July = 20; June = 14; May = 20; April 24; March = 31; February = 17 and January = 9.

You may be thinking selling that many homes is good, but what about the price? Are those who are selling getting a fair price? Here is your answer: Homes that sold in January averaged $226 per sq. ft. compared with June’s average of $257 per sq. ft.. That is a difference of $31 per sq. ft.. So, for a 2,000 sq. ft. home the price increased by $62,000 since January. And in the past year, the same 2,000 sq. ft. home increased in selling value a whopping $126,000 as the price per sq. ft. increased from $194 per sq. ft. in June of 2020 to $257 per sq. ft. in June of 2021.

When you purchased your home in Sun City Oro Valley, it may have been one of the better (if not the best) investment decisions of your life.

Thank you for investing in us, we’re glad you’re here!

AFC: 5 AM - 5 PM Desert Oasis: 9 AM - 5 PM The Views Restaurant: 7 AM - 8 PM Pro Shop: 6 AM - 5:30 PM Activity Center, Catalina Vista, Library and Welcome Center will be closed.

Association News...........................3 Association Committees ................7 Golf.................................................9 On the Cover ...............................10 Coming Events .............................11 Workshops and Classes................12 Memoriam....................................12 Clubs ............................................12 Arts, Crafts & Hobbies..............12 Continuing Education ................16 Cultural & Social........................17 Dance ........................................20 Exercise.....................................21 Games .......................................24 Music .........................................25 Sports ........................................26 Travel.........................................29 Partnered Organizations ..............30 Extended Community ..................30 Photo Scrapbook....................30, 32 Classifieds.....................................31

Adapted from the University of Arizona College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Many SCOV residents move to Oro Valley from climates very different from the dry Sonoran groupings, rock outcroppings and washes shall be preserved. The majority of introduced Plant materials will be indigenous, Desert thinking that the only thing arid or semi-arid Plants insurthat grows here is cactus. While ing minimal water usage and cacti obviously do well, you don’t compatibility with the natural have to give up color in your land- environments. Where any natuscape when you move to the des- ral areas are disturbed during ert. There are a number of drought- the course of construction, they tolerant plants that grow here and shall be revegetated to insure many will have bursts of color for an uninterrupted sense of “fit” you to enjoy for many months of between the community and its the year. Fortunately, you probably physical environment.” sold your lawn mower before you A list of Prohibited Plants can moved, as most yards here have a gravel base which offsets the color of your plantings and helps to reWell-planned landscaping provides a color contrast with the gravel and enhances the home’s curb appeal also be found in the Development Standards. Look for plants that are known duce the number of weeds. With for hardiness–an ability to tolerjust a little bit of research and planning, you can have a yard ate extreme conditions. In Oro Valley, that means temperathat’s low maintenance and water tolerant yet gives you some ture extremes from freezing to over 100 degrees. Drought green and blooming flowers for your enjoyment. tolerant or low water plants are important factors. Pictured

Don’t let this year’s near-record moonsoon rain mislead you: below are a few that fall in those categories but still provide most of the year is dry, and it’s best to plan for plants that re- brilliant pops of color: quire a minimum amount of water. While the goal may be to Consult with an experienced landscaper to help you plan have a xeriscape yard (requiring no irrigation), most will opt for your irrigation system and plantings. This is invaluable if a drip irrigation system in order to have a year-round display. you’re new to the desert, as the experts know how much

The Sonoran Desert has a subtropical climate with hot water plants need, best placement in the hot sun and how to summers, mild winters, and 3 to 15 inches of rain each year. install drip irrigation or repair an existing system. They’ll also Most of the rain falls during the summer monsoons. know the best schedule for setting up an irrigation timer,

If you are considering changes to your existing landscap- which many consider an essential component of the system. ing, look first to the SCOV Development Standards. Sec- Visit UArizona’s desert landscaping website for a wealth tion 3.2 states “The Sun City Oro Valley landscape is based of information about plants that are suitable for our environon a philosophy of compatibility with the existing Sonoran ment: www.desertlandscaping.arizona.edu. Desert, sensitivity to its fragile ecosystems, a commitment Source: The University of Arizona College of Agriculture to low water usage and energy conserving techniques. To & Life Sciences. this end, existing natural features such as unique vegetative

Trailing Lantana can be used as both a landscape and container plant. It attracts birds and butterflies and is fast growing. Texas Ranger is a shrub that bursts into bloom of usually purple flowers after a rain. Mexican Bird of Paradise is another shrub with showy flowers. It is considered winter hardy, but some branches may freeze. It usually comes back nicely with pruning.

Asst. General Manager - Robin Coulter rcoulter@suncityorovalley.com 520-917-8070

I find the shows about “how something is made” fascinating. Recently, my granddaughter and I watched how rainbow sprinkles were made. Who knew so much effort and steps went into those colorful confections that dot that scoop of ice cream? That had me thinking about how the Tipster is made. You may not know how many steps go into producing this amazing communication tool for SCOV. So, let’s find out How the Tipster is Made.

The Tipster production cycle takes about three weeks each month. It begins with creating the magazine template. The cover photo is then selected. The photo is submitted by talented residents and is an exciting start to the informational masterpiece within. The magazine’s text heading color is selected from a feature color found in the cover photo. This creates continuity throughout the magazine. Next, the articles are added. Articles are submitted through a web form from over 200 contributors, due by the 8th of each month. Those articles are then transferred into the month’s template, which is in Adobe InDesign. The process takes a large portion of production time over the three-week cycle. Any photographs submitted with the articles are formatted and placed in the magazine. Contact and building hours from page 2 are updated. Reports for new neighbors and financial information is placed.

A draft is created and submitted to the Tipster Editorial Committee who reads the articles, fine tunes them, checks for accuracy and compliance with Tipster Article Standards such as the format for day, date, time and place, making those consistent throughout the magazine. The editors meet and discuss any ideas and suggestions for improvements. All those edits are transferred into the template. The columns are laid out in the template, announcements are designed and placed. Photo galleries with tag lines and photo credits are created. A second draft incorporates first draft corrections, announcements and photo galleries. This draft is reviewed by a smaller set of Tipster editors. Draft two changes are then made to the magazine copy. Our Tipster Editor, Layout & Designer, Marsha Dean is creating the ads, going through an approval process with the advertiser and then placing the ads in the magazine.

When all these steps are completed, the document is uploaded to the printing company, printed, boxed and delivered to SCOV. Marsha creates a digital copy and Kat Peabody, our webmaster, uploads the document to the website and posts its availability to Facebook.

While all these tasks are occurring, advertisers are contacting Lisa Orach and Monica Clark to inquire about placing ads. They are invoicing, tracking monthly receipts and receiving payment. Flyers are submitted to Pam Sarpalius and Coco Sullivan for approval. The flyers are either delivered to SCOV or printed at SCOV and then taken to the Auditorium for collation by Tempe and Dave Johnson and their team of Tipster collators. Once collated, the Maintenance Department, led by Ken Sandrock, distributes the collated Tipsters to SCOV buildings and staff maintains the stock where you may pick up your copy.

And there you have How the Tipster is Made. I hope you enjoy reading it. Program/Facilities Director - Pam Sarpalius psarpalius@suncityorovalley.com 520-917-8077

We sure had one great record-breaking monsoon season. The Catalina Mountains showed great green coverage, which we have not seen in a long time.

As renovation of the Activity Center nears, I am searching for new activities for residents. Next month’s bus trip is to the Mesa Flea Market. Come home with some great finds, plus, you don’t have to drive. Please remember that my office door is always open, I always answer voice mails and emails, so pass on any ideas for fun events.

Community Services - Katy Mosier scoroval@ciramail.com 520-917-8058

We have been blessed (or cursed depending on your point of view) by all the monsoon activity in recent weeks. The good news is that the added rain is welcomed because we need it. But the bad news is that it makes plantings in our yards and common areas grow like crazy. This is the first really active monsoon that many of our newcomers have seen. Many of you who are newer residents or seasonal residents still have no idea of the impact the monsoon rains have on the growth of plantings and especially weeds.

In prior messages during years when there has been little monsoon activity, I have suggested that you investigate preemergent herbicide for your yards so that there are fewer weeds. Some probably thought there was no need, because we haven’t gotten that many weeds. True to a certain extent.

But this year’s moisture is reason to re-examine what preemergent will do for your yard. If you look at the weed growth in our community, it is astounding in comparison to the last two years.

We ask four things of you during this period of growth:

Patience – Plants and weeds will grow. Please be patient with landscapers and neighbors who are making an effort to address landscape problems.

Communication – If you are a seasonal resident, please communicate with your neighbors to see if your yard has a weed problem. If you are a friendly neighbor of someone who is currently out-of-town, share a picture of just how stunning their weed problem has become. They probably have no idea.

Research – Talk to a landscaper or google pre-emergent use in Arizona.

Action – If, after thorough study, you see no issue, have pre-emergent applied to your yard. You will thank yourself when the next round of weeds do not appear. Your neighbors will be especially grateful.

But in the meantime, please remove the weeds that have already graced your yard.

Remember to fill out an In-House Submittal Form online if you are going to have new underlayment installed on your roof and are using the same tiles.

Due to the timing of our annual audit, the financial statement for July is not included in the September Tipster. Financial statements can be found on our website www.scovaz.com and in our SCOV Library.

The complete audited financials will be available on the website and in the SCOV Library before October 31 as mandated by the Bylaws. A copy will also be available in the Administration offices.

Money Matters will return with the October issue of the Tipster.

The Finance & Budget Committee meets on Monday, October 25, 2 PM, Zoom.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 917-8060, or email me at rtrenary@suncityorovalley.com. Randy Trenary, Controller

Welcome New Neighbors – July

001 Harold & Shelly Andrews 002 Jon & Cathy Cornell 003 Dean & Roxanne Klas 003 Raymond & Patricia Hart 005 Philip & Elizabeth Marinelli 005 Robert Neuendorf & Donna LaMarche 005 Diane Brown 006 Jeffrey & Blanca Young 006 Philip & Ann Ogorzalek 007 Donald & Barbara Armes 007 Joy & Lionel Newton 009 Elizabeth Mattingly 010 Anna Williams 11B Richard & Joanne Sathre 012 Grant & Kathleen Craig 012 Julia Abston 012 David & Sharmin Schingle 017 Mary & Sallyann O’Donoghue 017 Joan Lloyd 017 Ronald Morlan & Diana French Arvada, CO Savage, MN Camas, WA Hancock, WI Huntington, NY Oro Valley, AZ Palm Desert, CA Tucson, AZ Winfield, IL Oro Valley, AZ Tucson, AZ Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ Maple Grove, MN Sherman, TX Manhattan Beach, CA Oro Valley, AZ St. Augustine, FL Oshkosh, WI Garden Prairie, IL

July 2021 Housing Resale Information Resales For the Month YTD 2021 20 135 2020 6 94 2020 Total Sold - 167

2021: Active Listings as of 7/31/2021............................6 2020: Active Listings as of 7/31/2020..........................12

Source: TARMLS® July 2021 Average Age of New Owners: 69 SCOV Library - Michelle Mooney www.suncityorovalley.com/amenities-facilities/library Online catalog: https://evolveopac.infovisionsoftware.com/suncityorovalley mmooney@suncityorovalley.com 520-917-8083

Working alongside Kate Cusumano for the month of August has been incredibly rewarding. The history of the Library and its volunteers make this an amazing place to be. I feel incredibly fortunate to live and work within this community.

I am a new resident of SCOV. After three decades of teaching, first in California and then Oregon, my family is very happy to call Arizona our home. Teaching reading and helping people find that perfect book has been one of the highlights of my career. I look forward to continuing this tradition in my new role as librarian.

September author events include art historian and author Laura Morelli speaking about her new book, The Stolen Lady. This live Zoom event is on Wednesday, September 29, 1 PM. We will also welcome Julia Cooke in person to speak about her new book, Come Fly the World, Thursday, September 30, 12:30 PM, Catalina Vista.

Please stop by introduce yourself, check out some great books and let me know if I can help in anyway.

Recreation and Fitness - Lonnie Davis ldavis@suncityorovalley.com 520-917-8073

The message is clear: You have to find a way to keep your stress at a reasonable, healthy level and figure out how to put a damper on stress before it gets out of hand.

Stress management is a key element of healthy living, It also goes along with other healthy lifestyle factors, such as eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and staying active.

One of the best ways to manage stress is through regular physical activity and exercise. Exercise reduces stress and improves health in so many ways. Physical activity can boost mood, improve energy and significantly improve both quality and quantity of sleep.

Practice yoga, or find time each day to meditate. Simply take a few minutes to yourself. Switch off your computer and cell phone to disconnect and de-stress. Treat yourself to a mini vacation to escape from the daily grind.

Contact Lonnie Davis, AFC Coordinator, to discuss questions or problems with the AFC. AFC and Desert Oasis hours of operation are on page 2.

Tuesday, September 14, the AFC pool and spa will be closed for cleaning and shock treatment and will reopen the following morning at the regular time.

Wednesday, September 15, the Desert Oasis pool will be closed for cleaning and shock treatment and reopen the following morning at the regular time.