Sports

Bike - Vistoso Cyclists Pres. Ron Wheeler 801-791-2903 ourwildplaces@gmail.com VP Scott Schlapkohl 970-846-1951 sschlapkohl@msn.com E-Bikes, Mike Hulett 218-443-3203 Mike.e.hulett@gmail.com Membership Tom and Bonnie Bethea 773-680-7228 Group rides: Mon., Wed., Fri., 1200 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. www.vistosocyclists.wildapricot.org

Vistoso Cyclists has over 200 members. We ride yearround to cafe destinations within Tucson and other nearby towns, utilizing both pathways and roadways. Occasional away rides are offered as well as more challenging, longer rides. Our group ride options span from about 20 to 50+ miles. Cafe stops offer coffee and conversation among members. Our Women on Wheels (WOW) group has its own schedule. All schedules can be found within the member area of our website.

Our club hosts social events, and supports both Wheels for Kids and the Interfaith Community Services Food Bank.

For more information about the club, check out our website, or call us.

Miles, smiles and tailwinds.

Billiards Pres. Michael Rittmann 720-427-7235 mrittmann@yahoo.com Mon.-Fri., Noon-4 PM, Catalina Vista/Billiards

The Billiards Club is back to normal operations. We encourage any and all former members, as well as any new residents interested in the game, to enjoy our wonderful facility. We definitely have one of the best pool rooms in the greater Tucson area. Club hours are Monday-Friday, Noon4 PM, and the ladies play Wednesdays, 10 AM-Noon. Birders Group Peggy Smith 520-344-0991 pdsaz@aol.com www.scovbirding.wix.com/birdersgroup Next meeting Fri., September 24, Catalina Vista/Art Studio, 4 PM

John Smith photo

The Rufouswinged sparrow is one of more than 25 species of sparrows in Arizona and one of a few to be found in SCOV. Sparrows, in general, are not very flashy birds and are among the hardest species to ID. Of the many sparrow species, this little seed eater is special because of its very limited range. Mostly a Mexican bird, in the U.S. it can be found only in this small area of Arizona. Because of that, it is often a high-priority target for birders visiting from other countries or states. It has a song that accelerates like a ping-pong ball trapped between the paddle and the table as the paddle descends.

The 92-member Birding Group will resume limited activities in late September and move back to full action starting in October. Beginner or experienced, get on our mailing list and come join us. Bocce Pam Speck speckyp@gmail.com www.scovbocce.weebly.com Mon., Wed., Fri., 5-7 PM, 7-9 PM, Bocce Courts

Bocce is a fun, easy-to-learn activity that people of all ages and abilities enjoy. Newcomers are welcome and may play once without joining the club. Annual dues are just $5. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the starting time. Space limits us each session to the first 32 players, with members given priority.

Gun Club Bill Snead 425-246-8100 wgsnead@gmail.com Meetings suspended until further notice

Meetings of the Gun Club are suspended until it is safe to gather in our indoor meeting room. In the meantime, please consider making use of the Pima Pistol Club (not affiliated with our Gun Club) in Catalina, which is an excellent facility for keeping up your skills.

Hiking Pres. Georgene Porter gvporter@live.com Scheduled hikes are posted on the website www.scovhiking.org

Think of the warm sunshine on your face, the gentle sound of the wind, and the hard rocky feel of the trail under your boots. The National Park Service believes these experiences are not only enjoyable, but they’re good for you, too. Hiking has been proven to have many health benefits, ranging from the physical exercise you get when out on the trail, to the emotional and psychological relief that comes from being in nature. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week of moderateintensity exercise, such as brisk walking. But it can be more fun to hike with friends, meet new people or even discover a new trail, all the more reason to consider joining our hiking club. Check our online schedule of hikes for details. New members need to first take an Orientation Hike which will be offered on Wednesday, September 8.

Sunrise on the SCOV golf course hike. Photo by Jane Budden

Horseshoes Ray Coleman 520-825-2789, Ron Knudson 520-825-9307 Tom Calder 520-730-6345 tom@tomcalder.com Oct.-Apr., Tue., Thu., 2 PM The Pits at Catalina Vista

Hello fun. Welcome men and women. No experience necessary. Bring your own equipment. Easy to learn. The more you play, the better you get. Did you know seniors 70 and older pitch from a shorter distance with less effort and more accuracy? The shorter distance also makes the game more fun for women. YouTube has several videos of everything related to horseshoes. Check it out.

Good exercise, good people and friendly competition.

Pickleball Pres. Tony Masterjohn tmasterjohn15@gmail.com VP Training Doug Brown wizisland@comcast.net Sun.-Sat., 8 AM-9 PM www.scovpb.org

Resurfaced courts and installed wind screens

This summer the pickleball courts have been busy, not only with members playing, but also improvements to the courts. The Pickleball Club would like to thank SCOV and the Maintenance Department for their great work improving the pickleball courts. They installed three fans at courts 3-5. They also installed wind screens on courts 1, 2 and 5, rewrapped the vinyl chairs at the patio between the pickleball and tennis courts and, to top it off, all five courts were resurfaced. They look like tournament courts now. The ball holders and the paddle racks were repainted, and the poles around the courts were painted as necessary. We are proud of our courts now.

Hopefully, in the future, there will be more courts built to accommodate the increase in play during the fall, spring and winter months. Thanks again for your hard work, SCOV and maintenance.

POP Tennis Pres. Brian Goff 520-825-7232 bwgoff@outlook.com VP Sharon Kennedy 206-786-4211 kennesk@comcast.net Treas. Jim Steinmetz 440-552-6173 vintner731@gmail.com Desert Oasis

Come by the Desert Oasis courts to check out play and give it a try. We’ll show you the basics of POP Tennis, explain the rules and have you hit a few balls. Equipment is available for you to use. Dues for 2021-2022 are $5 pp. Schedule May-Sep., 7-9 AM; Oct.-Apr., 8:30-10:30 AM Recreational play: Tue., Thu., Sat. Advanced play: Fri. May-Sep. 7:30 AM; Oct.-Apr. 1 PM Ladies casual play: Wed. Racquetball Pres. Jerry Moss 360-772-0780 VP Brent Stewart 210-324-0178 Mon., Wed., Fri., 8-11 AM, AFC/Racquetball Court

We look forward to playing and getting together for stories and laughs. Stay safe everyone. Table Tennis Co-chairs Pat Norkooli 719-650-9787 patricia.norkooli@live.com Megan Jacoby 949-697-4665 cobymeg@gmail.com Catalina Vista

Good news: The Table Tennis Club is getting closer to resuming its normal mode of operation. Players can choose to play singles or doubles.

Schedule Tue. 1:30-5:30 PM men/women club play Thu. 3:30-5:30 PM men/women club play Fri. 2-5 PM men/women open play Sat. 9 AM-Noon men/women club play Sun. 9 AM-5:30 PM men/women club play

Tennis Pres. Ron Martin 520-395-0608 martin.ron.16@comcast.net Treas. Sherwin Koopmans 520-818-6337 Men’s tennis, Tue., Thu., Sat., 7-11 AM, Jim Benshoof 612-799-5918 Ladies’ tennis, Mon., Wed., Fri.,7-9 AM, Anita Gayheart 360-949-3452, Beverly Johnston 970-744-0697 Mixed doubles next event Oct. 24, Susan Hernandez 310-433-7474

Tennis club friends–win or lose

Tennis Club members are smiling more these days, because the oven-like temperatures and heavy monsoon rains of the summer are ebbing. Players can sleep longer, since they don’t have to get up at 6 AM to beat the heat.

With the exception of balls rolling under some of the new fences, club members are very happy with the extensive renovaton of the Mountain Vista tennis facility.

All SCOV residents are welcome to use our tennis courts. If you have questions or would like to join our club, send an email to Ron Martin.

Please remove spurge from your yards. Spurge is a creeping, lowgrowing weed that is often found in the cracks of driveways and the gaps between the sidewalk and street. It also grows abundantly in river rock.

Wallyball Pres. Walt Nalewicki 520-818-9590 wnalewi@gmail.com VP Don Teiser 520-333-2525 donteiser@gmail.com Treas./Sec. Chris Baird 520-344-9170 cbaird6224@gmail.com Competitive Tue., Recreational Fri., setup 12:45 PM, play 1-3 PM, AFC/Racquetball Ct. www.wallyball.us

Wallyball is a co-ed sport.

Now that the Olympics are over, and we enjoyed watching the volleyball games, some of you might be interested in joining our Sun City Wallyball Club.

Wallyball is volleyball that you play in a racquetball court. We use the side walls during play. You can never hit the ceiling or back walls during serving or volleys. We can have anywhere from three to five players on a side.

Come out to the AFC/Gym and see if this game is for you. We set up and socialize at 12:45 PM, games start at 1 PM. Questions, call or email one of our officers. Play safe and play smart.

Water Volleyball Pres. Barb Satterly 520-825-8965 craftylady838@aol.com Co-VP Sharon Kennedy 206-786-4211 kennesk@comcast.net Co-VP Walt Nalewicki 520-818-9590 wnalewi@gmail.com Treas. John Lesko azjl1946@gmail.com Casual play Sun., Thu., 1-3 PM; Advanced play Mon., 1-3 PM, Desert Oasis

Linda serving it up...”You go girl!”

We look forward to the return of our seasonal members in the coming months. It was a hot, productive summer for water volleyball. Monsoon rains have certainly been a blessing after such a long drought. The lightning and thunder gods have been kind to us as we only had one game day shut down due to their activity. Water volleyball is a game for both men and women, and we encourage you to come and give it a try. Casual play is just that. You can play twice to see if it’s for you, then you can join for the fantastically low dues of only $5 per year. What a bargain. For an extra added attraction, come and watch the competitive teams on Monday at 1 PM. You won’t be sorry. Day Trippers Chair Laura Suchocki 520-612-7226 Membership Laura and Tom Held 520-447-5170 Third Sun., 1 PM, Catalina Vista

Welcome to all our new members. Always bring your checkbooks to meetings to sign up for exciting trips and events. Mon., Sep. 27 – Boyce Arboretum and lunch in Superior at the Silver King

Smokehouse and Saloon. Bus leaves 7:30 AM. Cost: $60 pp. Sign- ups now underway. Monitors Carol Guibert 520-404-1462 and Edie

Phillips 520-292-3920. Tue., Oct. 19 – Fun trip to Tucson Petting Zoo and Tucson Botanical Gardens, lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. $65 pp. Bus leaves 8:15 AM.

Monitors Pam Divis 630-339-6864 and Lynn Krivitz 520-825-7689. Nov. – Visits to several local museums. Monitors Carol Guibert 520-4041462 and Edie Phillips 520-292-3920. Sat., Dec. 4 – Hamilton at Centennial Hall is now sold out, but sign-ups for the wait list now being accepted. Laura Suchocki 520-612-7226. Thurs., Dec. 9-Sat., Dec. 11 – Prescott AZ Acker festival. Sign-ups now underway. Monitor Laura Suchocki 520-612-7226. Sun., Dec. 19 – Christmas dinner following meeting at Catalina Vista. Catered by Catalina Caterers, BYOB, entertainment by Chuck Moses. May 8-15 – Trip to Utah National Parks; sign-ups in January.

RV Club - Sundowners Pres. John McConnaughey 503-580-2465 Captain.Faisua@gmail.com VP Eric Wiley 360-510-1641 w.eric.wiley@gmail.com www.sundownersrvclub.org Membership meetings second Mon., 9 AM

The next scheduled meeting will be in October with a tentative date of October 11, 9 AM. Due to the scheduled renovations to the Activity Center, our club’s meeting time and location may be amended. Please check the Sundowner website for any possible change.

The fall 2021/spring 2022 proposed trips schedule is posted on the website. Please be prepared to sign up for those trips you are interested in joining. Listed are a few proposed trips:

National Radio Astronomy Observatory – Very Large Array; Socorro, New Mexico

Las Vegas, NV

Route 66 Tour; Kingman, AZ

Nevada’s Historic Past Tour; Carson City, NV

Chiricahua National Monument; Wilcox, AZ

Canyon de Chelly, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest; Holbrook, AZ