Kids’ Corner

MAKE A BIG SPLASH! WATERPARKS IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

By Jill “MamaBug” Frier

Summer is in full swing and it’s hot outside! So what’s the best way to keep your kids busy while keeping them cool and getting them outside into the fresh air? Well, make a big splash and head to the water park, pool or splash pad near you! Here is a list of some of the best water parks in the Valley. Be sure to visit each website for specific hours, pricing, special events, and more info.

WET ‘N’ WILD PHOENIX

Located in the Northwest Valley is one of the best water parks in the Phoenix area. This 25-acre facility on Pinnacle Peak Road, just west of 35th Avenue, is wildly popular and features some fantastic waterslides and pools for kids of all ages. Interactive water slides, super slides and attractions with names Maximum Velocity, the Tornado, the Serpentine Complex, Mammoth Falls, and Desert Racers will keep your bigger kids entertained, while the Crazy Cactus Roaring River raft ride, Soak’em Playground area and newly remodeled wave pool are great places to splash and play for all ages.

The water park also occasionally hosts special evening events, such as their Dive ‘n Movie nights and various activities for teens and adults. Their fireworks shows on holidays throughout the summer are fantastic – and free!

www.wetnwildphoenix.com 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd. Glendale, AZ 85310 BIG SURF WATERPARK

One of the oldest and most popular water parks in the Valley is located in Tempe, at Hayden and McClintock Drive. The Big Surf Waterpark opened it’s doors in October 1969 and is now home to America’s original wave pool, the Waikiki Beach Wave Pool, and more than seven giant, thrill-seeker water slides. Big Surf also has many kid friendly water park attractions, including Bora Bora Bay, Otter Slides for smaller kids, and the Captain Cook’s Landing area for toddlers.

Big Surf also hosts concerts, festivals and other events throughout the year.

bigsurffun.com 1500 N McClintock Dr. Tempe, Arizona 85281

GOLFLAND SUNSPLASH

Golfland Sunsplash, located in Mesa at Country Club and US 60, features over 30 exciting rides and attractions. The water areas are open all summer and include thrilling waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river, and numerous toddler slides and splash areas. Sunsplash features the original water roller coaster, the Master Blaster Water Coaster, as well as speed slides and a variety of multi-story thrill ride slides and giant family raft rides.

The Golfland area is open all year round and features bumper boats, miniature golf, laser tag, car racing and arcade areas. Golfland-Sunsplash also hosts night splash hours throughout the summer and features various special events, festivals and parties throughout the year.

www.golfland.com/mesa 155 W. Hampton Ave. Mesa, AZ 85210

SPECIAL MENTION: NON-PUBLIC WATER PARKS

These water parks are definitely worth mentioning – they all receive rave reviews from their guests. Unfortunately, they are not open to the general public. You need to be a guest of the resort or a resident of the community to use these facilities, but they are great places to make a big splash if you are planning a resort stay in the Valley or are able to take advantage of their hospitality.

JW MARRIOTT PHOENIX DESERT RIDGE RESORT & SPA

Closest to home is the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. They offer their guests both fun and fitness with four acres of sparkling pools on their beautiful North Phoenix property. Their five, interconnected pools include poolside dining, cabana cottages, a lazy river, splashing fountains and a serpentine waterslide.

ARIZONA GRAND RESORT OASIS WATER PARK

The Oasis Water Park at the Arizona Grand Resort features a 7-acre, premium water park. The park activities include huge water slides, a giant wave pool, a 25-person hot tub, the Valley’s only side-by-side active river, and a fun toddler area called Wild Cat Springs. One of their most exciting attractions is the eight-story Slide Canyon tower. The water park is reserved for guests only, but worth considering if you are planning a stay-cation in the Valley.

POINTE HILTON SQUAW PEAK RESORT RIVER RANCH WATER PARK

The River Ranch Water Park at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort offers their guests fun and relaxation in a four-acre water park. The water park features multiple pools, a winding lazy river, cascading waterfalls and poolside dining.

THE WESTIN KIERLAND ADVENTURE WATER PARK

The Adventure Water Park at the Westin Kierland Hotel and Resort features more than 575,000 gallons of water fun, including a 900-foot lazy river for inner-tubing and a 110-footlong water slide. The resort is also home to the Kierland FlowRider, an artificial wave pool that lets visitors “Flowboard” – a combination of surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding using boards derived from wakeboarding.

Take some time this summer to get yourself and your kids out of the heat and into the cool waters of one of the fantastic water parks here in the Valley of the Sun. Be sure to check Ladybug’s Blog (LadybugsBlog.com) for a more ideas for great places to get your kids out of the house and interested places to see around the great

state of Arizona.

HOW SENIORS CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST FRAUD

By Jody Cohen

When it comes to scams, seniors tend to be an easy target because they are more vulnerable and susceptible to fraudulent schemes. Whether it’s fake sweepstakes, implausible investment returns, or the bogus charity scam, the elderly are more vulnerable to certain crimes, especially those living alone. It can occur by mail, phone, in person, or on the internet.

Locally, a scammer posing as an elderly woman’s teenaged grandson recently phoned her and claimed he was in a traffic accident involving alcohol. He claimed he was in a holding cell and needed $6,000 for his release. The “grandson” referred her to his “lawyer,” who told this woman that if she called the parents, the incident would go on her grandson’s permanent record. Enroute to the bank, she was in a car accident and delayed by over 30 minutes, so it was too late to get the money. When she called the scammers, they told her to purchase six $1,000 gift cards at a popular chain store. Fueled by guilt from the scammers and unable to drive because of pain from the accident, she took a cab there, but they’d only let her purchase one card for $950. When neither her bank card nor a check would work, she returned to the cab and relayed the story to the driver, who told her it was a scam. Immediately, she phoned her son and discovered that her grandson was home the entire time. She followed up with a police report.

But according to the FBI, seniors aren’t as likely to report a fraud for several reasons: • They are ashamed of being scammed or defrauded.

• They are unsure as to whom they report it.

• They aren’t even aware they’ve been scammed.

Still, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) offers several ways to protect yourself from scams. It’s important to be an informed consumer and do your research before spending your money. And talk with someone you trust before giving an answer, especially when you feel pressured.

Before doing business with a sales person, be sure to get their name and business name, telephone number, street/mailing address. Monitor your bank and credit card statements and credit ratings; check on any unusual or incorrect information. Never give your personal information such as your Social Security and Medicare number, or credit card and banking information over the phone to someone who initiates the contact with you. Register on donotcall.gov to stop unwanted telemarketers.

Remember to stay involved in your area by becoming active in your neighborhood block watch. Don’t isolate; social isolation can increase your risk of getting scammed.

If you think you’ve been scammed, it is important to take action. NCOA suggests you contact your bank and credit card company and cancel the credit/bank cards that could have been used fraudulently. Also, reset your PIN and passwords. You can also call legal services and Adult Protective Services by visiting their website at: https:// eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx. Or call them toll-free at 1-800-677-1116 weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

Jody Cohen is an independent licensed Medicare Plans Specialist and Educator who specializes in helping Arizona seniors understand the healthcare options available to them in the Medicare platform. She offers a complimentary, thorough needs analysis and reviews the most cost-efficient plan to ensure that medical needs are met with a preferred provider network, and prescription costs are kept to a minimum. Jody also helps her clients capture all the social programs available to them. She can be contacted jodycohen@goibc.net or 602-326-4264.

5 SMART WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR DATA ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The Facebook data breach opened a social media app says users need to do • Know the people you friend. Don’t a private personal account as well as a a Pandora’s box of concerns more to protect their information and be accept friend or follow requests from more public business one.” for social media consumers. aware of how their data can be used. people you don’t know, even if it The company estimated that data appears you have friends in common. • Use strong passwords and don’t firm Cambridge Analytica may “In the past 60 days there has been a “They could be fake accounts from share them. Passwords should be have had information on about 87 profound awakening by the average cybercriminals, bots or just bad memorable only to the user and kept million Facebook users without their social media user about data privacy people,” Relf says. “And the more to themselves. “Likewise, lock your knowledge. and trust regarding social media people you’re connected to, the harder phone with a pin or pattern, so that if companies,” says Scott Relf, CEO and it is to control what happens to the you do lose it, whoever finds it doesn’t In testimony before the U.S. Senate, co-founder of PikMobile Inc. (www. information you post.” have easy access to your entire online Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pikmobile.com), an ad-free social life,” Relf says. promised to do more to protect the media app that allows users to share • Skip the quizzes. Those IQ or privacy of users’ data. But according content through a unique viewing personality tests you find on social • Don’t opt-in to social media facial to studies by the Pew Research Center, platform. media may take you to unsecure sites, recognition. “The only logical reason people haven’t had much faith in social Relf says, making you vulnerable to for your social media service to ask for media firms’ capacity to do just that. A “All of the other social media identity theft by using information your facial recognition is so that they Pew survey last year found that only companies are equally as guilty found on your account as well as the can do an even better job of harvesting 9 percent of social media users were as Facebook – Twitter, Snapchat, answers you provide to the quiz. your data and targeting you with ads,” “very confident” that companies would Instagram, Google. These companies Relf says. protect their data. About half were “not are betraying their users’ trust by selling • Select a private profile for at all” or “not too confident” their data them out, and all of this with virtually maximum control. “Consider your “Ideally, social media users should were in safe hands. no regulations or accountability to needs,” Relf says. “If you use social choose what they feed into their mind anyone.” media mainly to keep in touch with all day long,” Relf says. “Don’t give up With so many people concerned about friends, you may not need a widely control of your news feed to companies what private data is shared by social Relf lists five ways social media users open setting. If you use social media for and advertisers that harvest your data media sites and with whom, the CEO of can better protect their data: work purposes, consider two accounts: for their benefit.”

ANYTIME FITNESS AT 40TH STREET AND THUNDERBIRD ROAD OFFERS CONVENIENT WORKOUTS

State-of-the art equipment. 24/7 access. locations worldwide, which makes it a per- of physical activity each week. Don’t become Almost 4,000 locations worldwide. fect choice for someone who travels but still another statistic and join a gym that offers the prefers to get a regular exercise in their busy most convenient workouts. Sound intriguing? Then Anytime Fitness is the routine. gym just for you! Branden Bunker bought his first Anytime FitGetting adequate exercise in can be tough ness franchise in 2013, located at Baseline and Anytime Fitness is aimed for people who try and always seems like a chore, but Anytime 32nd Street. Now, he currently owns and operto get the most out of their workout and want Fitness lessens that hassle with giving you 24- ates eight of the 30+ locations in the valley, to get in, get out, and on with their busy life. With your membership, you are not only gaining access to all the Anytime Fitness locahour access to their clubs. It’s always a lot easier to work around your schedule, not the gym’s. According to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, less than five percent of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day, and only one in ” “ Less than five percent of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. with two more coming to North Tempe and Christown Mall. Branden says Anytime Fitness is the perfect fit for professionals with busy travel schedules, or your normal, average person who is looking for a good, clean gym that isn’t overcrowded. With all the high-quality equipment, private showers, private restrooms and even a studio for classes, Anytime Fitness is a gym for tions in the United States, but also the 4,000 three adults receive the recommended amount someone who wants to get in, get out, and

get on with their lives. Anytime Fitness also offers private and group training.

The new High Street at Desert Ridge location just opened in September and is attracting a ton of interest from the Desert Ridge residents; but it is a complementary location to the 40th and Thunderbird location.

“We are mindful of our competition, but we are more focused on helping our members reach their goals and being the best club that we can be. When people see the difference between our gyms and other gyms in the area, they are ultimately drawn to us for the overall experience,” Branden says.

Mike McQuarie, a manager at the Thunderbird and 40th Street location, who has been working there for two months, says people prefer Anytime Fitness over big box gyms mainly because of the atmosphere. In addition, with the gym being open 24/7, convenience factor also plays a significant role. Anytime Fitness is not as busy and provides a comfortable environment to exercise, even when you don’t have a lot of time in your schedule, according to McQuarie.

24/7 NEIGHBORHOOD GYM IN PARADISE VALLEY

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