The Front Porch by Estrella Publishing

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Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

February 2021

Catherine Uretsky Publisher & Editor

Christie Giannetto Associate Editor

Al Uretsky Publisher & Sales Exec

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 623.594.9283 info@EstrellaPublishing.com Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive 623.594.9283 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.

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February 2021

Welcome to your February edition! Have you taken a walk lately? If not, I recommend it. The air is crisp, and the leaves are falling which, to me, represents the shedding of the old and the anticipation of the new. I love that “fall” in Arizona coincides with the beginning of the year. January was a little crazy, so I think we are all hoping for a fresh start to the new year in February. After all, it is never too late for a fresh start! Speaking of fresh, I have read that Flagstaff has a fresh layer of powdery snow this week. If you

are a skier or snowboarder, a trip to Snow Bowl might be in order. If not, Flagstaff Snow Park is a great place to take the kids (or kids-at-heart) sledding this time of year. Since my own kids were infants, I have been hanging onto their winter snow clothes, so don’t fret if you don’t have the right gear for the snow. I keep a bin in my garage full of boots, snow suits, gloves, and hats in all sizes. We have a boy and a girl, so I typically have every kids’ size from infant to teen in both genders, plus several sets in adult sizes. Feel free to reach out via Facebook Messenger or email at Christie@AZLifestyleTeam.com if you would like to borrow something! Our tradition is to go skiing at Snow Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday since it’s usually a slow day on the hills and lift tickets are less expensive. This year, we are going on Valentine’s day though – I was able to snag lift tickets for $14 each! Pro tip: prices vary based on demand so keep an eye on the Snow Bowl website and if you see a good deal, book it! In the words of John Burnside, “Snow isn’t just pretty. It also cleanses our world and our senses.” We can all use a good cleansing right about now, don’t you agree? See you on The Front Porch!

Christie Giannetto | Assistant Editor | The Front Porch Magazine

Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

February 2021

On Our Cover

Jim and Molly married in 2001 and moved to Surprise from West Virginia in 2014. They purchased a home in Marley Park four years ago. They chose Surprise after visiting friends here. Like everyone else, they love the tree-lined streets, the architectural diversity of the homes, and the people that make up the community. In 2019, Jim and Molly took custody of their grandson, James, and have been raising him with the help of Jimâ€™s mom and stepdad, Diane and Chuck. They feel Marley Park is the perfect place for an intergenerational family.

Molly is a Nurse Practitioner at Abrazo Spine Institute. She has been a nurse since 2003 and completed her NP program at GCU in 2017. Jim is a BSN at Abrazo West Campus. He graduated from nursing school in 2014 and completed his BSN at NAU in 2017. Jim has been working in the COVID unit at Abrazo since December. He has a pressure wound on his nose from wearing an N95 mask. Nearly a year into the pandemic, Jim must still reuse masks for days and reuse gowns for an entire shift. He says that sometimes a ventilator is only available for one of his

patients because another patient has died. It is a stressful time for Jim and his colleagues. Jim says he is not a hero, however. He says anyone who does their job in these tough times is a hero. He says the lady who serves his coffee every morning is a just as much a hero as he is. Jim and Molly both recently received their second dose of the COVID vaccine, which has provided a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. Their grandson, James, attends Marley Park Elementary School. Because he has developmental delays, they are grateful he has been able to attend in-person most of the time. Jim says Marley Park Elementary has been the best thing for James. The staff there have accepted him with open arms, and everyone has been so supportive. They are all looking forward to the days when COVID is in the distant past, but in the meantime, they are grateful to be part of a wonderful community and to be serving the larger health care community in its time of greatest need. Submitted by Christie Giannetto | Marley Park Resident

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February 2021

Life Hack

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” ~Thomas Fuller I am so excited to be able to keep writing for The Front Porch Magazine! I really loved the topic of happiness that I wrote about last year. I especially enjoyed it throughout 2020, which has become one of the worst years we have seen in quite a while. Many people went through many difficult times; some lost jobs, some lost family members, and some lost happiness. However, in 2021, I am continuing to do those exercises of happiness, to ensure that I am being who I want to be. Happiness does not come easy, but if we continue to work for it, 2021 can be a better year! Throughout 2021, I want to share some of my favorite life hacks with you. Of course, you you could just look up life hacks and figure out things yourself, but I want these to be deep life hacks. I want to give you things that will truly improve your life.

This month, as the trial run, I want to do talk about goals. I know that with the new year, we all have our new year resolutions, but it is February now and most of those have already been forgotten. Instead, I want to help us stay with our goals throughout the year, and not just the first month. To stick with your goals, you must be devoted to them. For this, I suggest spending fifteen minutes a day on your goal. Just fifteen minutes. I am sure most of us spend that much time on social media, or doing something unproductive, so let us focus that time on one of our goals. To keep me accountable, I will share one of my personal goals, to make me spend the time to do it. My goal is: spend fifteen minutes a day reading inspirational talks and uplifting thoughts to get through my day. I’ll report back next month on how this goal is going. Until then, “Work hard, dream big, live life.” ~Unknown Submitted by Olivia Black | Age 15 | Marley Park Resident Huge Customer Deals and Savings Owner Mason Ashton

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February 2021

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February 2021

Home Sweet Home The housing market recovery coming into the new year has been nothing short of remarkable. Many experts agree the turnaround from the nation’s economic pause is playing out extremely well for real estate, and the current market conditions are truly making this winter an ideal time to make a move.

Continued low mortgage rates have set buyers up for significant long-term gains. It is less expensive to borrow money for a home loan today than it has been in years past. Although mortgage rates are expected to remain relatively low in 2021, even the slightest increase can make a big difference in payments over the lifetime of a home loan, so buyers should capitalize on the opportunity before mortgage rates start to rise. CoreLogic notes the average equity homeowners gained since last year is $17,000. That is a tremendous amount of forced savings for homeowners, and an opportunity to use this increasing equity to make a move into a home that fits your changing needs this season. According to leading experts, home prices are forecasted to continue appreciating. Today,

Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

many experts are projecting more moderate home price growth than last year, but still moving in an upward direction through 2021. Knowing home values are increasing while mortgage rates are so low means that buying a home before prices rise even higher is a strong long-term investment. With today’s low inventory of homes on the market, sellers are in the driver’s seat. The competition is high among buyers, so homes are selling quickly. Making a move while so many buyers are looking for homes to purchase may mean your house rises to the top of the buyer pool. Selling your house before more listings come to the market in the traditionally busy spring market might be your best chance to shine. If you are considering making a move, this may be your moment, especially with today’s low mortgage rates and limited inventory. Connect with your local real estate expert to get you set up for success! Submitted by Christie Giannetto | REALTOR® | Arizona Lifestyle Team | HomeSmart

February 2021

Cybersecurity As I talked about last month, tech companies such as Google create a profile about you with the usage of their products, track you online, and sell ads directed at you. They make money from your personal data. I encouraged you to try more private tech such as the web browser Brave. Recently, I read that Google finalized their deal to purchase Fitbit, the popular healthy lifestyle tech wearable that is everywhere. My first reaction was: Google bought Fitbit, wait, what? I used a Fitbit wrist device for a few years. I enjoyed monitoring my health in real time. Steps walked, heart rate, sleeping patterns, and location are all part of Fitbit data that when you sync your device is sent to the company. Over time, I grew concerned about what they did with that very personal data and stopped syncing my device. Eventually, I stopped wearing the device altogether. Google data plus Fitbit data causes a pause for reflection. One company could own your profile with many pieces of data about your personal life. If you use Google, they already own a

great deal of data about you. Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Drive, YouTube, and many others mean Google knows what you are doing, where, when, and what you are watching. Adding the element of your personal health data is worth considering. Who do you want to share your personal data with? What is the cost to you for sharing your personal data? My purpose is to raise awareness of privacy issues in our daily lives. Being an informed consumer is important. You may still want to use Google, Fitbit, and other tech products, but you should be aware of what data they have about you. Right now, it seems that it is all about money - ads they sell to target you. But that could change, and they could do something else with your personal information. Google wants people to trust them. But are they trustworthy with your most personal, sensitive information? Until next month, consider your personal privacy Marley Park. Submitted by Steve Poling | Marley Park Resident

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February 2021

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February 2021

Marley Park News What is coming to the Marley park area?

Looking for a breakfast place? Over Easy, a local breakfast favorite, is taking over the old Mucho Burrito location in the In and Out Burger parking lot on Bell just east of Bullard. Do you like escape rooms? How about axe throwing? “BadAZ Axes” and “Axescape Room” have made us aware that they are planning to take over the old gym on the southeast corner of Greenway and Loop 303. Be on the lookout for an opening date announcement. Do you like tabletop games? The Dungeon Gaming Center has opened on Reems and Bell Road next to Booty’s. They are a game retailer and a game play location. Please take a moment to stop in and welcome them to the community and get yourself a 20-sided dice. Congratulations to State 48 Brewery! They were ranked #14 on the list of Arizona Breweries in the Phoenix Business Journal ranked by barrels of beer brewed.

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We have a new community park coming to the corner of Parkview and Greenway. The dirt lot in front of Countryside Elementary is being converted into about 8 acres of city park. We are just entering the design phase, so please send me any suggestions you have for the new park. Fire Station 308 is being constructed on the corner of Cactus and Litchfield. We just issued the building permit, so you should see the building going up very soon. Our February Council meetings will be on February 2nd and 16th. Live and past Council Meetings can be viewed at https://surprisetv. surpriseaz.gov/. Agendas are posted on our website by the Friday before, so you can see what will be discussed and send me any questions you may have. Anytime you have a question, concern, problem, or idea about the City of Surprise, please contact me directly at chris.judd@surpriseaz.gov or at 623-222-1326 and I will do what I can to help or get an answer. Submitted by Councilman Chris Judd

February 2021

Spiritual Thoughts

My parents told me numerous times in my childhood that I would make a fabulous lawyer because I liked arguing so much. I disputed many things with my parents as I was growing up, but I never disagreed with that statement. In fact, I still find myself being contrary to other people in conversation just for the pure joy of it. It makes me feel alive and challenges my intellect, like a superhero for truth and justice.

We all have God given characteristics and gifts that are meant to bless the world in wonderful ways. God fashioned me to be a lover of justice and debate for a reason. Challenging other people to think from a different perspective and questioning prideful thoughts has been special skill of mine. As it turns out, this gift has manifested into a great weakness when I am not careful. I have hurt people for the sake of being “right” and I have frustrated people with my stubbornness. I have deemed the argument more important than the relationship an embarrassing number of times and it has caused other people, as well as myself, a lot of

Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

heartache. I have learned, however that there are some debates that are not worth entertaining. The love and relationship I have with other people far supersedes having to win the argument. Let me tell you though, the two sides of myself are constantly at odds. The temptation to debate an acquaintance on social media has compelled me numerous times to write a heated, lengthy comment with my finger hovering over send. Closing my eyes, I access the peacemaker in me and understand that I would not be enhancing the relationship with my statement but wounding it. Summoning as much willpower as it took to write my comment, I move my finger to delete. The apostle Paul once said about himself “… when I am weak then I am strong.” Jesus gives us all the strength to counteract the weakness within ourselves. Let us all depend on God to bless us with the ability to use our gifts for the good of the world and the opposing attribute to temper our gifts, so they do not become our downfall. Submitted by Josie Flancbaum | Marley Park Resident

February 2021

Teen Time

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life and be without flavor.” -Eleanor Roosevelt The first month of 2021 brought challenges, and honestly it makes me wonder when (or if) the world will ever return to some semblance of normal. I think we were all expecting a calmer to start the new year, and instead we got a January that was arguably as eventful as all of 2020. I have found myself stressed, anxious, and upset about the way the world is currently. That is why I decided to talk about social media’s influence over our lives this month. Clearly at this point we should all have accepted that we truly do not know what life will throw at us in the next month, day, or even hour. Throughout 2020, and especially in January 2021, I found myself glued to the internet because it felt like if I looked away for even a moment, the world might explode, and I would miss it. Social media did not help the feeling of impending doom that I was experiencing because everywhere I turned, I was bombarded with articles and ads about what was happening in the news.

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While social media can be a positive thing at times, putting too much of yourself into the various platforms can completely drain you. I must remind myself frequently to take breaks, otherwise I see a serious decline in my mental state. Even though the world may explode while I am offline, I find my overall mood to be much better when I bring myself back into the internet world. Social media and the internet in general can completely control our lives if we let it, and that is why this month I encourage you strongly to examine your social media habits and perhaps take a break and let yourself breathe away from the chaos. While I agree with Eleanor Roosevelt that life is more interesting when it is not so mundane, I do wish that after an entire year of rollercoaster events things would start to slow down. Give yourself time to breathe, let yourself step away for a moment, and find your way back to other means of spending your time. Have a great month, everyone. Submitted by Emily Poling | Age 16 | Marley Park Resident

February 2021

Perspectives of a Teacher Mom A new year is has begun. The new year is supposed to be a time to make over our appearances and souls; a reset button for our lives, if you will. It is known as a time to make new challenges a top priority, and a time to let last year’s regrets be bygone in life’s rear-view mirror, while eagerly looking ahead to fresh adventures. The new year reminds me that my children are getting older, and rather quickly. As a person, it makes me worry that I have not been doing things right in my life. As a teacher, I always realize that half the school year is gone, and the half that remains. I am a mother with a child in their last year of primary school, and another child in their last year of middle school. How did this happen so fast? I do not know, but how I desperately would love one more day with each of them as babies and toddlers. A new year means one year further away from my sweet little innocents. I am a person who has so many unmet goals. Mentally, spiritually, and physically, I still have so much to learn and try. In all that I have attained,

have I really changed for the better, or am I stuck in my same old ways? A new year means one year further from my youth. I am an educator who has too many standards left to teach, and not even close to enough months left to teach them. A new year means, half a school year, quickly passed, and too much instruction left to impart. I guess I should apologize for the melancholy. Does the new year bring anyone else an ‘out of sorts’ kind of feeling? And yet...I cannot begin to count the remarkable days and moments that I have had with my children. How spectacularly blessed my husband and I have been. Despite my many, many, imperfections as a person, I cannot be more grateful that I’ve yet to give up trying. I am not accomplished enough, close enough to my creator, or skinny enough, but I will keep my fingers crossed, and my prayers going. Submitted by Theresa DeLong | Marley Park Resident

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Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

February 2021

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February 2021

Puzzles & Games

Samurai sudoku puzzles consist of five overlapping sudoku grids. The standard sudoku rules apply to each 9 x 9 grid. Place digits from 1 to 9 in each empty cell. Samurai Sudoku Puzzle #01 Every row, every column, and every 3 x 3 box should contain one of each digit. Good Luck! Solutions are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com This samurai sudoku puzzle is a great way to engage the brain and help develop logic skills. There are 5 overlapping grids with one unique solution. Each of 4 corners are shaded. 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.

5 8

8 1

5 4 2

3 5

5 4

2 6 3

2 8

1 7

6 2

2 3

4 7

5 1

6 1

8 5

2 7

8 3

4 2

7 9

Samurai sudoku grid, symmetric, beginner No 1 Created: https://www.sudoku-puzzles-online.com

Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine

February 2021

February 2021-Back.qxp_Layout 1 1/18/21 2:00 PM Page 1

SOLD IN MARLEY PARK

Christie Giannetto

You are invited to contact me today for a FREE home value analysis 602.740.2313

More homes sold in Marley Park than any other agent since 2013!* COMING SOON

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14299 W Valentine St

15169 W Corrine Dr

14932 W Voltaire St

12730 N 154th Ln

17425 W Willow Ave

List Price....................$345,000 Sq Ft ...............................1,915 Lot Sq Ft..........................5,374

Homestead at Marley Park

List Price....................$360,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,418 Lot Sq Ft..........................7,593 Amenities............... 3 Car Garage ................................Dual Master

List Price....................$275,000 Sq Ft ...............................1,382 Lot Sq Ft..........................6,342 Amenities ...... Beautiful Backyard

List Price....................$340,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,085 Lot Sq Ft..........................6,600 Amenities ............ Mountain View

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14148 W Willow Ave

15261 W Valentine St

14133 W Valentine St

14797 W Pershing St

14878 W Georgia Dr

Sold Price ..................$440,000 Sq Ft ...............................3,394 Lot Sq Ft........................10,680 Amenities .............. 4 Car Garage

Sold Price ..................$334,890 Sq Ft ...............................2,027 Lot Sq Ft..........................5,175

Sold Price ..................$350,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,619 Lot Sq Ft..........................7,341 Amenities .............. 3 Car Garage

Sold Price ..................$315,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,104 Lot Sq Ft........................12,270 Amenities ............... Quarter Acre

SOLD

15127 W Dahlia Dr

15249 W Georgia Dr

13152 N 147th Ln

15432 W Corrine Dr

12653 N 143rd Ln

Sold Price ..................$415,000 Sq Ft ...............................3,328 Lot Sq Ft..........................8,160 Amenities........................... Pool

Sold Price ..................$363,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,773 Lot Sq Ft..........................7,800 Amenities ...... Pool, 3 Car Garage

Sold Price ..................$412,000 Sq Ft ...............................3,695 Lot Sq Ft........................10,377 Amenities ......Casita, 6 Bedrooms

Sold Price ..................$330,000 Sq Ft ...............................1,907 Lot Sq Ft..........................6,600 Amenities.. Former Builder Model

Sold Price ..................$372,000 Sq Ft ...............................2,486 Lot Sq Ft..........................7,800 Amenities ...............3 Car Garage

Sold Price ..................$289,895 Lot Sq Ft..........................3,600

Homestead at Marley Park Buyer Represented by Arizona Lifestyle Team Buyer Specialist.

Buyer represented by Christie Giannetto.

Homestead at Marley Park Buyer Represented by Arizona Lifestyle Team Buyer Specialist.

Your Marley Park Neighbor and Real Estate Specialist *Information obtained from Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. Excludes new construction. As of 1/1/21.

Christie Giannetto | REALTORÂ® Arizona Lifestyle Team HomeSmart 602.740.2313 15543 N Reems Rd | Ste 139 Surprise AZ 85374 Christie@AZLifestyleTeam.com AZLifestyleTeam.com

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February 2021