CB Living

Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor

623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive

623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

All contents © 2010-present day Estrella Publishing LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission from Estrella Publishing LLC is prohibited. Estrella Publishing accepts freelance contributions, there is no guarantee that materials will be used or returned. Some content is provided by Brandpointe. Estrella Publishing is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Advertisers. Estrella Publishing reserves the right to restrict all advertisement to their proper classification and to edit or reject any copy at its sole discretion. Neither this publication nor Estrella Publishing is an agent of or in any way affiliated with the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association, or any of their respective affiliates. This publication has not been approved by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association in any way.

From Me To You...

Hello and Welcome to the first issue of CB Living magazine!

Every month we will bring you articles to inform, games to entertain and a space for you to make your own. I invite you to send me articles, thoughts, suggestions, and requests and I will see what we can incorporate into your CB Living. The magazine will pop into your mailbox at the beginning of each month and hopefully you will enjoy it and look forward to the next one.

A little about us. I am originally from England so I may drop the odd turn of phrase here and there, and my husband hails from NY. Printing has been in my blood since I was a child, one of my mother’s fondest memories as a child was helping her father’s business, delivering papers from the running boards of his car. I grew up learning to set type by hand (backwards!), and never imagined I would be doing it digitally many years later. My husband and I started our first magazine in Estrella almost 12 years ago, and we now produce 9 separate magazines all throughout the west valley.

If you have a local business and would like to see it advertised here, please reach out and we can help you with everything, from soup to nuts! We are proud of our products and that our readers hold on to these magazines longer than most of our counterparts. After all, you never know when you will need the number of that painter or real estate agent and it never hurts to keep a sudoku handy. The puzzles are there to challenge (hopefully not too strenuously) and the articles will give you something to think about.

I look forward to hearing your ideas and comments, the address is below my signature. In the meantime, enjoy your February and spread a little love on Valentine’s Day.

Catherine Uretsky Editor, CB Living Magazine info@estrellapublishing.com 623.398.5541

FEBRUARY EVENTS

F e b . 1 1 - 1 4

Get epic views of downtown Phoenix and enjoy live music, where parties of two can receive a champagne toast and chocolatecovered strawberries for $40. Floor 13 Rooftop Bar

Celebrate your loved one with an evening filled with romance: wine and dine in Alto ristorante e bar, indulging in a specially curated three course menu, and enjoy the sounds of live music from NEON Band at Center Stage Bar.

F e b . 1 4

With candlelit tables, live soothing music and an extensive wine list, Litchfield's, The Wigwam's signature farm-to-table restaurant, provides a perfect, romantic date night to feast on a four-course dinner this Valentine's Day.

3 0 0 E . W i g w a m B o u l e v a r d ,

Chocolate Affaire is a two day family-friendly event that will feature selections of chocolatiers, confectioners, wine elements, live music and unique interactive experiences!

What speaks of Valentine’s Day more than sweet, silky, rich chocolate?

Verde Canyon Railroad didn’t let the pandemic break its tradition. Treat yourself with d l d l appetizers and fe chocolatie

3 0 0 N C l a r k d a l

A l l e n T u r n e

L o a n O f f i c e r | N M L S #

Cell: 602-290-9392

eFax: 866-448-6845

Music is the language of love, and symphonies are the most powerful vocabulary. Take your special one t i h t

Yum Yum

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me (or Engagement) Chicken has been around since the 80’s, but whatever you call it this dish is so good it will have people falling in love with your cooking.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 cup chicken broth, divided

1/2 pound bacon

1 (16-ounce) package angel hair pasta

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

∞ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

∞ To butterfly the chicken, place it on a chopping board. Put your palm on top of the chicken and slice it horizontally through the middle, leaving a small section on the other side uncut. Open out the breast to look like a butterfly.

∞ Melt butter in a large, oven-safe skillet over

medium-high heat. Saute garlic, oregano, and thyme for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. It doesn’t need to be cooked throughout at this point. Add in 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

∞ Bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

∞ While the chicken is baking, brown bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Let it cool on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease, then cut into small pieces.

∞ Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair pasta, stirring occasionally until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

∞ Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it onto a plate and keep warm.

∞ To make the pasta sauce, place the used skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk flour with remaining chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, and whipping cream until combined. Mix in sundried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt.

∞ Toss together the sauce and pasta until evenly coated. Top with chicken and bacon. Enjoy!

MOWW

What is a MOC? And what does it stand for?

The full name of this patriotic ceremony is the “Massing of Colors and Service of Remembrance Ceremony”. This year’s MOC, will be performed on 21 February at the Palm Ridge Recreation Center (13800 Deer Valley Drive in SC West.) The program will start at 11:15 AM with the music of the local renowned Desert Brass Band. Readers of this article are welcome and encouraged to attend . . . since we normally draw 300 attendees, please come early. Thank you.

The purpose of this ceremony is to honor the memory of those who served our nation in times of peace and war, and to recognize the deceased members of the many veterans’ organizations throughout our greater Phoenix area. Our guest speakers offer messages addressing the leadership roles and responsibilities of today’s youth, as they assume leadership roles in their communities.

A past speaker who represents the quality of our speakers is Col Tom Kirk, USAF (Ret). During the Vietnam era, Tom was a POW for five years in Hanoi Hilton with others, such as John McCain. This year’s speaker is LTC Scott Nelson, who will address both Patriotism and today’s Military Life.

With the

Band

The 35-37 flags that will be massed are from other MOWW Chapters, as well as the many JROTC (Junior ROTC) units from the 17 High Schools we support, as well as other flag units such as “Rosie the Riveters” or the “Navy Seabee Veterans of America.”

This year’s program will be closed with a powerful “Echo Taps” that impresses all.

Readers may contact the author of this article, via jerryojenson@hotmail.com to discuss questions you may have.

THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE WORLD WARS Chapter 131, West Valley, AZ PRESENTS

Desert Brass

Legal Advice

NON-STRESS IRA DESIGNATION

For 401ks, IRAs and other qualified retirement accounts, the designated beneficiary form directs how the funds will be paid on your death.

Common problems that arise with beneficiary designations are:

a. The “Estate” or no beneficiary is listed, so a probate is needed and the IRA will lose the ability to be stretched beyond 5 years, increasing the income tax.

b. A beneficiary dies before you, and if the trust was not the IRA’s designee, then the financial company rules apply to who gets the deceased beneficiary’s share.

c. The designated beneficiary is a minor, not a trust for the minor, and so a costly court conservatorship is need and much of the deferred tax benefit is lost.

d. Your spouse, who is not your children’s parent, did not sign a spousal waiver, so your spouse is entitled to at least if not all of funds, not your children.

Remember, currently, an inherited IRA must be paid in 10 years, if the beneficiary is not a spouse. Leaving a portion or all of your qualified retirement account to charity makes sense. The charity does not pay income taxes and will receive more funds than a family member. Other assets which are not taxable then can be left to family or friends.

Sharon Ravenscroft, Esq., The Cavanagh Law Firm, PA, Sun City and Phoenix offices, (623) 815-7451 or Sravenscroft@CavanaghLaw.com. Sharon’s practice focuses on Wills, trusts, probate and trust administration. For more information visit www.sharonravenscroft.com.

Home Sweet Home

Hey Chicken Little, The Sky is NOT Falling…. …The winds have just changed direction.

With the recent increase in inventory and cooldown in buyer demand, we are returning to a more sustainable, balanced market. The two years leading up to May 2022, were a wild frenzy with homes selling in minutes, hours or days well over the asking price. That real estate Bull Market lasted so long that we became lulled into thinking this was the “New Normal”. Any real estate professional that has been in the industry since 2008 or longer, understands that real estate is a rollercoaster ride with peaks, valleys, straight-aways and little bumps along the way. While this slowdown has been uncomfortable, it is nowhere near the mortgage meltdown that shocked the market in 20072008. During the 2007-2012 housing cycle the US suffered a net of 8 million job losses, subprime loans (pick-a-pay, Neg AM and Interest Only) were the norm, homeowners had very little equity, mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures we soaring.

While the path ahead is uncertain and the forecasts range from doom and gloom to a mild hiccup let’s look at what we know for sure:

• In the second quarter of 2022, the average level of equity for homeowners with mortgages hit nearly $300,000, according to CoreLogic. Nov 28, 2022.

• Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 30,677 (only 0.6%) U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions. Dec. 8 2022

•According to Trading Economics, the 30 Year Mortgage Rate in the United States averaged 7.75 percent from 1971 until 2023, reaching an all-time high of 18.63 percent in October of 1981 and a record low of 2.65 percent in January of 2021

Homeowners have A LOT of equity in their homes, a glut of foreclosures IS NOT going to hit the market and interest rates are still below the 30 year average. Embracing the return to a balanced market may take buyers and sellers a few more months. Properties that show in prime condition and are priced appropriately will sell. They may just take weeks or months, not minutes or hours.

Submitted by Kelly Chaplin, Realtor® and CB resident

That’s Showbiz!

The Vista Center for the Arts is the cornerstone of arts and entertainment in Surprise, AZ serving the greater West Valley. Conveniently located near Loop 303, The Vista is an unmatched regional asset, and a prestigious arts and cultural destination. The state-of-the-art facility features 1,300 plush seats, theatrical sound and lighting, and boasts an impressive and expansive lobby for artist exhibitions and community gatherings throughout the year.

Now in its second full season of programming, the Vista draws audiences of all ages, enhancing the lives of residents and visitors alike. The 2022/2023 lineup features a variety of diverse performances including symphonic, theatrical, musical, international and educational shows!

Upcoming Performances

• Feb 5 - West Valley Symphony

• Feb 26 - West Valley Symphony

• Mar 3 - LP and the Vinyl

• Mar 4 - Amy Grant

• Mar 11 - Rodney Marsalis

Philadelphia Big Brass

• Mar 19 - West Valley Symphony

• Apr 29 - The Doo Wop Project

Art Gallery Featuring Local Artists

The Vista is proud to present a juried art exhibit depicting “Another Place, Another Time” by talented artists from the WHAM Art Center in Surprise. The exhibit is sure to evoke memories in each viewer, taking them to past memories or inviting them to imagine places where dreams reside. The gallery is open to the public now through March 9 during regular Box Office hours.

Visit www.TheVistaAZ.com

Box Office Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-2pm 623-523-8888

15660 N Parkview Place Surprise, AZ

Car Show

13th Annual Trilogy Roadrunners Car Show

If you have a special car that you would like to show or you are a spectator that enjoys walking among an eclectic gathering of Custom, Antique, Hot Rod, and Exotic cars, trucks and motor cycles, then the Trilogy Roadrunners Car Show is right for you. The show is planned for Saturday March 4, 2023 from 10am to 1pm in the Trilogy at Vistancia community, 27980 N. Trilogy Boulevard, Peoria. This event is one of the many fundraising events put on by the Trilogy Roadrunners Car Club. This year all proceeds will be donated to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research.

If you want to show your car, pre-registration is now open to the public and is accessed through the “Click Here to Register …” button on the home page of our website at www.

trilogyroadrunners.org A $25 donation for pre-registering your car is payable by check or Zelle. Day of event registration is $35 if space is available. This outdoor event has space for 110 vehicles. The spaces always fill up quickly, so do not hesitate if you are interested in showing your car.

Spectator participation is open to the public and it is FREE. The show will have music and an outdoor café with food and beverages available. Door prize tickets are for sale to all at the show, with door prize drawings periodically throughout the event. Car judging is done by participant and spectator ballots with 1st and 2nd place trophies given in two categories. The first category is for cars entered by Trilogy Roadrunner Club Members. The second category is for the cars of Guests from outside Trilogy.

Set the date on your calendar and bring your car, your family and your friends to enjoy a March day outside in the beautiful Arizona weather.

Samurai Sudoku

This samurai sudoku puzzle is a great way to engage the brain and help develop logic skills. To solve this Samurai puzzle use standard sudoku rules for every 9x9 grid: each digit from 1 to 9 can only appear once in every row, column and 3x3 box. Good Luck!

Solutions are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com

Money Matters

Can you count on Social Security to contribute part of the income you’ll need as a retiree? There’s been an increase in alarming language surrounding the solvency of Social Security, but in reality, its prospects are not nearly as gloomy as you might have heard.

Here’s the story: Under current law, Social Security is estimated to exhaust its trust funds by 2035, after which benefits could be cut by 20%, according to the 2022 Social Security Trustees report. However, the large cost of living adjustment (COLA) (8.7%) for 2023 could cause the trust funds to use up their resources sooner. But this outlook may represent a worst-case scenario. For one thing, the cost of the 2023 COLA will be somewhat offset by higher taxes on workers contributing to Social Security. The maximum amount of earnings subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax jumped from $147,000 in 2022 to $160,200 in 2023. Increasing the payroll tax is another possibility for boosting funding to Social Security. And here’s a political reality: Social Security is a popular program and it’s unlikely that Congress wants to be blamed for

reducing benefits. Of course, there are no guarantees, but it seems fair to say that you can reasonably expect some benefits from Social Security when you retire.

But perhaps the bigger issue is just how much you should depend on Social Security for your retirement income. On average, Social Security benefits will provide about 30% of a beneficiary’s preretirement earnings, according to the Social Security Administration. But the higher your earnings before you retire, the lower the percentage that will be replaced by Social Security.

Still, you’ll want to maximize the benefits that are available to you — and that means deciding when to start taking Social Security. You can begin as early as 62, but your monthly payments could be as much as 30% lower than your normal (or “full”) retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67. Even if you were to wait until your full retirement age before collecting Social Security, you’ll also need to draw on other sources of funding. So, while you are still working, it’s a good idea to keep contributing to your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Ultimately, you should be able to count on Social Security as part of your retirement income. You may want to consult with a financial professional to determine when taking Social Security makes the most sense for you and how you can also get the most from your other retirement accounts. You’ll want a retirement income strategy that’s built for the long run.

Submitted by Wayne Polk, AAMS, Financial Advisor, of Edward Jones