Published by Estrella Publishing LLC, PO Box 6962, Goodyear AZ 85338. Additional copies and article reproductions can be obtained for a fee by contacting info@EstrellaPublishing.com
Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor Christie Gianetto Assistant Editor
Talia Uretsky, Assistant
Editor
Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive 623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com
Welcome to another edition of The Front Porch magazine! In this issue we feature the King family, who have been cherished members of Marley Park for 16 years. While their story is the main highlight of this issue, our cover photo—featuring their kids dressed up for Halloween—captures the playful spirit that makes our neighborhood shine.
In addition to the King family’s story, we want to emphasize the importance of community involvement, especially for our Homestead at Marley Park residents. Our magazine thrives on the stories, news, and events that you, our neighbors, share. To keep everyone informed and engaged, we need your input. Whether you have an upcoming event, a neighborhood milestone, or any other news to share, please let us know. Your participation is crucial in making The Front Porch a true reflection of our vibrant community.
We’re also thrilled to announce the arrival of a new baby to our Marley Park family—congratulations to the growing family! If you have a new arrival in your family that you’d like to announce, please reach out to us. We’d be delighted to share your joyous news with the community.
Looking ahead, don’t miss the Marley Park Craft Fair, a fantastic event where both adults and kids can showcase their creativity and enjoy a day filled with handmade crafts and fun activities.
It promises to be a highlight of the year and a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate local talent. And of course, the annual Community Garage Sale is just around the corner. This beloved
tradition is a great way to find unique items, declutter, and connect with your neighbors. It’s a wonderful example of the community spirit that defines Marley Park.
Wishing you a wonderful spooky season. In the words of Steve Almond, “Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.”
See you on The Front Porch!
Christie Giannetto, Assistant Editor, The Front Porch Magazine
Meet the King family, who have called Marley Park home for nearly 16 years. Justin and Amanda fell in love with the neighborhood’s porches and greenery, which reminded Amanda of her East Coast roots in New Jersey, where she lived until moving to Arizona at 13. High school sweethearts, Justin and Amanda married in 2009, and their family has grown to include three wonderful children—Madisyn (13), Camryn (almost 10), and Sage (6). The kids are always busy with after-school activities, keeping their parents on the go between softball for Madisyn, dance and soccer for Camryn, and a rotating lineup of seasonal sports for Sage.
As Halloween approaches, the Kings are looking forward to one of their favorite Marley Park traditions. Every year, the neighborhood comes alive with festive decorations, creating the perfect setting for trick-or-
On Our Cover Announcements
treating. The King children are especially excited to show off their costumes and enjoy the fun and safety of Halloween night in the neighborhood. It’s a tradition they’ve enjoyed year after year, and the family loves seeing how the community embraces the spooky season with such enthusiasm.
Amanda, a preschool teacher who recently began substituting in the Dysart District, and Justin, who works in relocation management, find joy in family time. They love watching their kids excel in sports, sharing movie nights, and getting crafty with Amanda’s Cricut. This season, they even joined a Surprise co-ed kickball team with friends, proving that the Kings love to stay active as a family. Along with their loyal golden retriever Oaklee, the King family is proud to be a part of the Marley Park community.
The Lambertson family is thrilled to announce the arrival of their newest addition, Emma Rae Lambertson, born on July 24, 2024, at 1:14 PM.
Emma is welcomed with love by her proud parents, Jeremy and Charlotte Lambertson, and her excited big brother, Jackson.
The family is overjoyed and grateful for this precious new chapter in their lives! Welcome to Marley Park, Emma!
Functional Movement
Oh, my word, my back hurts! How in the world am I going to put on my socks? Why does my right knee feel like that? What is that popping sound coming from my hip? Goodness gracious, I feel stiff. My kids want me to do a cartwheel; that’s just funny.
Does this sound like the grumbling of a forty-year-old? I thought I had a good twenty years until I experienced all these aches and pains. Every stiff neck, every ache in my lower back, every pop of a joint would send me into a melancholy defeat. My days of being able to get on the floor and play with my kids were gone. If I had known I was too broken to move normally anymore, I would have paid closer attention and held onto those precious moments a little tighter.
I was listening to a church service with my husband one day. The pastor shared a challenge between him and his coworkers. They planked every day for a year and incrementally increased the time until they were able to plank for ten minutes! I was inspired! My husband, son, and I began our own plank challenge, starting with one minute and increasing the time by ten seconds every other day. We
would listen to music while the timer ticked away. It was not long until we achieved a two-and-a-halfminute plank!
Around this time, I was getting ready for work one morning. I bent down to tie my shoes and automatically scrunched up my face, expecting a stab of discomfort in my lower back. I had the shock of my life. I was tying my own shoes with no pain! Where did it go? Pain doesn’t just disappear into thin air. Why is it gone?
My husband smiled at me as I celebrated my pain free condition. He had been suggesting functional movement exercises, like planking, to me for months. Don’t you hate it when they’re right?
Functional movement mimics everyday motion and activities. These exercises use everyday motions in repetition while strengthening muscles and joints.
People that implement functional movement into their daily routine have improved balance and coordination, improved flexibility and mobility, and better posture and movement patterns. Not to mention, they burn more calories and prevent potential injuries. Planks, squats, good mornings, lunges, push-ups, and bridges are all great examples of functional movement exercises to get you started. Try the 7M Workout app as well. It’s a free app that has loads of short functional movement workouts to begin your journey to a more usable body.
Submitted by Josie Flancbaum, Marley Park Resident
Garage Sale
The Marley Park neighborhood is buzzing with excitement as the twice-annual Community Garage Sale approaches. Mark your calendars for November 2nd! Starting at 7:00 am, the neighborhood will come alive with bargain hunters and treasure seekers.
This beloved tradition takes place on the first Saturday in March and November, offering residents a chance to declutter their homes, earn extra cash, and connect with neighbors. You can set up your own sale right at your doorstep in your garage, driveway, or yard.
The Marley Park Community Association manages advertising and provides signs at the main entrances. Residents are encouraged to create their own directional signs to help shoppers easily find all the hidden treasures.
One of the highlights of the Community Garage Sale is the beautiful Arizona fall weather. With the summer heat behind us, participants can enjoy a pleasant and comfortable shopping experience. The cool air and clear skies create the perfect atmosphere for browsing items and chatting with neighbors.
The variety of goods available at the sale is always impressive. From furniture and appliances to clothing and toys, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re hunting for a unique home accent or gently used baby gear, the event offers endless possibilities.
Beyond great deals, the Community Garage Sale promotes a strong sense of community spirit. It’s an opportunity to meet new people, build connections, and strengthen the bonds that make Marley Park special. It’s more than just buying and selling; it’s a day to come together and celebrate the neighborhood.
Craft Fair
Get ready to kick off the holiday season with a celebration of creativity and community at the Marley Park Craft Fair! Hosted by the MPCA Lifestyles and Engagement Advisory Committee, this exciting event will take place on Saturday, November 2nd, from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Heritage Club parking lot.
The Marley Park Craft Fair is a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to showcase their crafts and talents while connecting with the community. Whether you’re an experienced artisan, a young entrepreneur, or simply looking for unique, handmade items, this event is the perfect place to celebrate the creativity that thrives in our neighborhood.
Vendor spaces are available for both residents and nonresidents. Children in the community are encouraged to participate by renting tables at a discounted rate of $5, providing a fantastic way for young entrepreneurs to share their creativity. Marley Park residents can reserve a parking space for $15, while non-residents can do so for $30, pending availability. Whether you’re showcasing homemade crafts, delicious baked goods, or other handcrafted treasures, this is the ideal event to share your talents with others.
If you’d like to be part of the craft fair as a vendor, reserving a space is easy! Simply contact Kara Lowry, Lifestyle Director for Marley Park, at Kara. lowry@fsresidential.com or call 623-466-8825. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, firstserved basis, so be sure to secure your spot early. Vendors are responsible for bringing their own tables, chairs, and displays, and set-up will begin at 6:00 AM to ensure everyone is ready to go by 7:00 AM.
For those who are more interested in shopping than selling, this event promises a variety of unique, handcrafted items perfect for gift-giving or treating yourself. From holiday decorations to homemade jewelry, there’s something for everyone at the Marley Park Craft Fair.
Come join us for a morning of fun, shopping, and community spirit. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Craft Fair and celebrating the creativity that makes Marley Park such a special place to live!
info@sadd.org
Community Involvement
In recent years, The Front Porch Magazine has served as a valuable connection point for both Marley Park and Homestead at Marley Park residents. Though the two communities are distinct, they share a vision of fostering deeper neighborly connections, encouraging residents to venture beyond their front porches, and engage in meaningful community activities.
As the Homestead at Marley Park neighborhood grew, a need arose to ensure that its residents felt equally represented in The Front Porch Magazine. Residents of Homestead at Marley Park voiced concerns, feeling that the magazine was too heavily focused on Marley Park and lacked sufficient coverage of their own neighborhood’s events and happenings. In response to this feedback, The Front Porch made a concerted effort to bridge the gap by including more content relevant to Homestead at Marley Park, with information provided directly by the community’s residents.
However, a new challenge has emerged. Last month, Cariann Franco, the Community Manager for Homestead at Marley Park, reached out to the editorial team with a request to cease publishing event and activity information specific to Homestead. According to Franco, any such content must first be presented
to and approved by the HOA board before it can be shared with the wider community. This policy shift has left The Front Porch magazine in a position where it can no longer include unapproved Homestead-related content.
This situation presents an important question for residents of Homestead at Marley Park: Is it important enough to you to have your events featured in The Front Porch? If so, a volunteer will need to step forward to take on the responsibility of bringing event information to the HOA board for approval. The magazine has always reflected the community, and its content is shaped by those who contribute to it. If someone feels passionate about keeping Homestead events a part of the magazine, now is the time to act.
For those interested in voicing their opinion on the policy, you can reach Cariann Franco at 623-2194491. If you’re willing to take on the task of seeking board approval for Homestead events, The Front Porch welcomes your involvement. Together, we can continue to foster a sense of unity and shared experiences across both Marley Park and Homestead at Marley Park.
Submitted by Christie Giannetto, Assistant Editor, The Front Porch Magazine
Home Sweet Home
If you’ve been trying to keep up with home prices lately, you’re not alone. There’s so much information swirling around that it can be difficult to figure out what your next move should be, whether you’re buying or selling. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s really going on with and how it might impact your decisions.
Home price appreciation across the U.S. is starting to slow down. While this means that prices are still increasing, they’re not climbing at the rapid pace we saw in previous years. Every indicator still shows price growth, so even though it may feel like prices are stabilizing, they continue to trend upward—just not as dramatically as before.
Where home prices go from here will depend largely on the balance between supply and demand, which can vary significantly from one market to another. Nationally, the number of homes for sale is increasing, but it’s still not enough to meet buyer demand. This imbalance is keeping pressure on prices, even as the rate of appreciation slows. According to Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, low but growing inventory has introduced more balance into the market, which is helping to keep price growth in check.
Another factor to consider is mortgage rates. As experts predict rates may decline in the coming months, more buyers could re-enter the market. Increased demand could lead to further price hikes, even if the supply of homes for sale improves.
While national trends provide a broad overview, real estate is always local—especially when it comes to home prices. Your local market may behave differently based on its unique supply and demand factors, making it essential to work with a knowledgeable real estate agent. Whether you’re planning to sell and need to price your home accurately or are looking to buy and want to find the perfect fit for your budget, a local expert can provide the most relevant data and guidance.
Home prices are still rising, though not as fast as before. If you’re considering buying, selling, or simply curious about your home’s value, working with a local real estate agent can help ensure you get the information and support you need to make confident decisions.
Submitted by Christie Giannetto, REALTOR®, ΓEAL Broker
Legal Advice
Trusting Your Trust Will Work
The proper use of a trust will allow your estate to avoid a court probate. Probates add administrative requirements such as giving notice to all heirs–even heirs you may be omitting from your estate plan.
A trust allows one person to have centralized control to collect your assets, pay last bills and make the distributions the way you plan. A revocable trust can be amended and changed over time – as your goals for family or friends change.
Trusts avoid the need for a court conservatorship when leaving money or property to minors, whether children or grandchildren. A court conservatorship is more costly and burdensome than a probate. Also, trusts can provide incentives for minors for education and employment.
Estate planning does not need to be complex or confusing. You deserve to have your questions answered when they arise. Our documents are drafted to provide the benefit of avoiding obstacles and disputes, whether you have multiple beneficiaries or one special heir.
Sharon Ravenscroft, M. Scott Rowan, Attorneys, The Cavanagh Law Firm, PA, Sun City and Phoenix offices, (623) 815-7451 or Sravenscroft@ CavanaghLaw.com; legal practice focused on Wills, trusts, probate and trust administration. For more information www.sharonravenscroft.com
Puzzle Time
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. Solutions are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com
