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Southeast Valley Ledger
All of your eggs in one basket
September
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Scorpion Scavenger Hunt at San Tan Mountain Regional Park What has 8 legs, 2 pincers, and glows under a black light? SCORPIONS! Set out on a desert exploration at night as we search for these fascinating creatures and find out just how cool these amazing arachnids really are. We will be hiking 1 mile, round trip, on the Goldmine Trail; bring plenty of water, proper hiking attire, and a flashlight (black lights also encouraged, but are optional). Black lights will be available to rent at the visitor center through the Friends of San Tan. For more information call (480) 655-5554.
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September 4, 2013
CaZBA Seventh Annual Butterfly Count Central Arizona Butterfly Association's Dave Powell invites you to help with this annual butterfly census; the Arboretum opens at 8:00 a.m. from Septemberthrough-April, and this annual tally begins at 8:30AM sharp, so please arrive as soon after Eight O'Clock as possible so we can divide into teams. Our total count circle has a 15 mile diameter, covering the same approximate region as the Christmas Bird Count: a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle. For lunch we will get together in a local restaurant in Superior (or you can bring your own), and we will exchange findings & information. 79 species of butterflies appear on the Arboretum's checklist, while the record for most species observed in a single day is 44 by Marceline VandeWater during the same count 3 years ago! Xami Hairstreak is one of specialties that has been found in the past at the BTA. Starts at 8:30 a.m. Read more and connect with CAZBA.org
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All About Saguaros at San Tan Mountain Regional Park Why do saguaros grow arms? How old do they get? What are the unique strategies they use to survive and thrive in our desert? If you would like to know the answers to these questions, or any questions you may have about saguaros, then this one-hour presentation is for you! Bring your sandwich to the “Brown-Bag It” series inside our Visitor Center as Ranger B from Usery Park shares his love for the “jolly green giant of the desert.” From 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. for more information please call (480) 655-5554. Geology walking tour at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum Local geologist Alan Seymour returns as guide for this once-a-month walk, a chance to see rocks and volcanic formations along our main trail on a guided tour that compresses almost two billion years of geologic history into just over one educational hour! Learn about Pinal schist, the volcanic origins of Picket Post Mountain and the Apache Leap tuff. Starting at 8:30 a.m. For more information please call 520-689-2811.
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October
Pumpkin & Chili Party at Schnepf Farms Hay rides, carousel, 4 acres corn maze, 10 acre celebrity corn maze, miniature golf, flying farmer ride, country road rally, jumping pillows, petting zoo, honeybee adventure, swinging lady bugs, roller coaster, witch mountain giant slide, tennis ball launch, lil farmers play yard, bon fires & marshmallow roasting, extreme canine dog show, BMX stuntmasters show, Hillbilly Bob’s Pig Races and fireworks Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 9:30pm. New this year: Rock climbing wall and outdoor movies on Friday & Saturday nights Thursday – Sunday the entire month of October. (October 31st open til 4pm) for more information call (480) 987-3100. www. schnepffarms.com/event/pumpkin-chili-party
Visit our online calendar: http://bit.ly/ZuNSoD
By Chris Clark AZ Family Financial Services Special to the Ledger “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket” is common sense advice passed down for generations. Most of us probably understand and agree with the concept. If I asked you to put all of the money you could get your hands on into this one great investment I had you probably wouldn’t be in a big rush to break out the checkbook. However, when your employer came to you and said the same thing you probably jumped at the chance. That’s exactly what happens for most people who participate in their company sponsored 401(k) plan. Contributing to a 401(k) plan is a good idea for many people. It’s a convenient way to consistently save money and defer taxes. It’s even better when you get a company match on those dollars too! The problem comes when your 401(k) is your only form
of savings. At that point you have concentrated your risk and in effect “put all your eggs in one basket.” Our recent economic conditions made it clear that having all of your retirement assets in the stock market can be devastating during a down market. Run–ups over the past couple of years have certainly mitigated some of the damage, but many people have had to make big changes to their retirement dreams. There are a few things you can do to change the odds in your favor and reduce the market risk to your portfolio. The first is to do more research on the funds available in your plan. You may have just glanced at the summary of historical returns and chose one or two funds based on past performance. Perhaps you asked a coworker or picked a target date fund based on your age. You might have thrown all the papers in the air and picked the fund that landed on top (I’ve seen
Church Directory
Psalm 1:2
St. Michael the Archangel Church 25394 N. Poseidon Rd., Florence • 520-723-6570 Rev. Fr. Dale A. Branson, Pastor
www.stmichaels77.org • pastor@stmichaels77.org
Weekend Masses (held at Copper Basin K-8 School) Saturday 4 p.m., Sunday 8 & 10:30 a.m. CCD Classes Sunday 9:15 a.m.
Our current teaching series is: “Bad to the Bone” 4815 W. Hunt Hwy, Queen Creek • 480-677-2100 www.mvfcaz.com Service Times ...............................................Sunday 9:15 & 11 a.m. Children’s Classes held during all services 4th/5th grade & Jr. High ......................................Sunday 9:15 a.m. Sr. High School .......................................................... Sunday 11 a.m.
Call Mila Besich-Lira at 520-827-0676 or email at mila@sevledger.com to be included in the directory today!
Chris Clark, AZ Family Financial Services it happen!). A little research is worth the effort to protect your retirement dreams isn’t it? Start with resources such as Morningstar and avoid commercial publications and TV personalities. You can also hire a professional to help you. The next thing you can do, especially if you have saved a significant amount of money, is to complete an “in–service withdrawal” from your plan. Most plans allow for withdrawals even while you continue to work and contribute to your 401(k). This is a great way to take advantage of your company match and the growth potential offered by your 401(k) plan while occasionally ‘taking money off the table.’ You can direct this money to other investments outside of your 401(k) plan without penalties or tax consequences so long as you follow the IRS rules to the letter. Don’t make a mistake and don’t try it on your own if you’re not certain about the regulations. You will need to read the plan documents to find out if your employer’s plan allows for these withdrawals. Even if someone tells you that they aren’t allowed, look at the documents yourself because many people simply don’t know about them. It’s important that you have Finance, Page 13