The Park

Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor

623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive

623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com

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From Me To You...

I am planning a getaway for a few days up to the cooler air in the mountains and honestly I can’t wait. There is something about putting yourself in a different place that reenergizes and restores the mind. I recall holidays when the children were young - times that were anything but relaxing - we all felt like we got to start fresh when we straggled back into our house, tired but refreshed.

In today’s fast-paced world, where we often find ourselves caught up in hectic routines and demanding schedules, it’s easy to overlook the significance of taking a break. When we engage in the same activities day in and day out, our minds can become stagnant, and monotony can set in. This lack of stimulation can lead to decreased productivity, creativity, and motivation. However, introducing change into our lives, whether it’s trying a new hobby, exploring a different location, or even altering our daily routine, can provide us with a fresh perspective and reinvigorate our enthusiasm.

Change also allows us to break free from our comfort zones and challenge ourselves. It encourages personal growth, as we learn to adapt to new situations and develop new skills. Stepping outside of our familiar environment and embracing change opens up doors to new experiences and opportunities, expanding our horizons and broadening our knowledge.

By taking a break from our usual routines and engaging in new experiences, we can gain a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for life. Trying new things together with friends, family, or even strangers can foster bonding and create shared memories. It encourages us to connect with others, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections, ultimately enriching our social lives. Even if you cant get away, you should try incorporating change into your routine this summer. It may lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life and as they say, “a change is as good as a rest.”

Catherine Uretsky Editor, Estrella Publishing info@estrellapublishing.com 623-398-5541

On Our Cover

What’s the saying? Better late than never? Well, the West Valley has finally received the new golf cart sales store it has been missing for decades, and it took a couple of locals with a deep history rooted in the West Valley to bring the business to life and for Redline Carts to open its doors.

The owners of Redline Carts, Kyle and Julie Johnson, are not only natives to Arizona, but are from right here in the West Valley. More specifically, Kyle and Julie were born and raised in Goodyear and Avondale, respectively. The couple met in 1998 at Agua Fria Union High School and have been together ever since. Over the past 25 years, Kyle and Julie have built a family, they have moved to Texas and back, and have gotten plugged back into being a part of local community. Today they have six beautiful children, live in the Verrado neighborhood of Buckeye and operate multiple businesses that service the Valley.

Redline Carts is their newest venture and is filling a long-standing need for a high-quality, new golf cart dealership in the West Valley that offer the most innovative brands of golf carts in a clean, modern and friendly environment that people can find the best customer service experience. Kyle and Julie have made Redline Carts not only a great business for the customer, but it is a family business that spans three generations. Their oldest son Kade works full-time at the store, and Kyle’s sister and father also fill critical roles that help provide the best experience possible from initially walking through the front door to the final delivery of a cart to the customer’s front door.

Redline Carts is a proud authorized dealer of ICON EV and EPIC Carts. Through these brands, Redline provides the perfect blend of the industry’s highest quality carts and the best value possible with a premier customer service experience. With a large selection of carts in the

showroom, the dealership offers the perfect cart whether for golf enthusiasts, neighborhood cruisers, or commercial/utility purposes, Redline has a cart for everyone. The store also offers a wide range of accessories and upgrades a customer can add to their cart and make it their own. Even current owners of ICON and EPIC brand carts that may not have bought through Redline can purchase and have accessories installed on their carts through Redline.

With the dealership conveniently located right off I-10 at the intersection of Dysart Rd and McDowell Rd (13277 W. McDowell Rd. Ste. 101, Goodyear, AZ 85395), Redline Carts is strategically placed to service the families of the local communities and courses like Pebble Creek, Litchfield Park, Estrella Mountain, Palm Valley, Verrado, Victory and Tuscany Falls. Redline Carts looks to serve all the West Valley communities of Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Avondale, Buckeye and more.

Redline Carts is open Monday through Friday, 9AM-6PM, and on Saturdays 9AM-7PM. Refer to this article and receive $200.00 off the purchase of any new golf cart!

For more information, please visit RedlineCarts. com or call 623.259.9590.

The Bug Guy

Ah, summertime in the West Valley of Phoenix. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the scorpions and spiders are out in full force. Wait, what? Yes, it’s true. Scorpions and spiders love to come out and play during the summer months, which is why you need pest control to keep them at bay.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Why do I need pest control? Can’t I just squish them myself?”

Admittedly, squishing a spider or scorpion is quite satisfying. But did you know that some spiders and scorpions are poisonous? Yup, that’s right. Not only will they give you a fright, but they could also send you to the hospital. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to avoid the ER as much as possible.

“But I don’t see any spiders or scorpions in my home,” you say. Well, that’s because they’re sneaky little devils. They like to hide in dark corners, under furniture, and even inside shoes (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put on a shoe only to find a spider waiting for me).

That’s where pest control comes in. With their expert knowledge and specialized equipment, they’ll find those creepy crawlies and get rid of them for good.

Plus, let’s talk about the psychological impact of seeing spiders and scorpions ‘on the reg’. It’s enough to give anyone nightmares. You’ll be jumping at every little movement and checking your bed sheets for stowaways. Save yourself the stress and anxiety by investing in pest control. Your mental health (and sleep schedule) will thank you.

So, in conclusion, if you want to avoid poisonous bites, save yourself the stress of daily spider and scorpion sightings, and protect your home from damage, you need pest control. It’s a no-brainer, really. Don’t let those creepy crawlies take over your summer. Call your local pest control company today and live in peace (and without fear).

Submitted by Larry Cash, of Estrella Mountain Pest Control, Estrella resident

Puzzles

Did you know that puzzles can improve your overall mental health? Working on jigsaw puzzles can be an effective way to enhance your mental speed, improve short-term and working memory, and promote more positive mood states through the production of dopamine. A solitary or collaborative activity, the act of putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together has many rewards that can benefit your mental wellbeing.

Puzzles Improve Memory - Working on jigsaw puzzles and similar tasks can improve your working and short-term memory as you mentally manipulate the pieces to fit together by size, color, and location, in addition to frequently recalling where pieces go and whether they fit together, or not. Over time, this can enhance your memory as you make puzzling a regular activity.

Puzzles Improve Problem-Solving Skills and Concentration - When we are solving puzzles, we are reinforcing synaptic connections in our brain. Puzzles force us to look at different ways to solve a problem. In this process, we improve our capacity to come up with hypotheses, test those hypotheses, and adapt our perspective when it does or does not work out. This problem-solving skill can be applied to real life situations and help us think more critically. Furthermore, the act of finding the puzzle pieces that fit together can improve our perceptual abilities and concentration as we focus on what works and what doesn’t.

Puzzles Reduce Stress and Anxiety and Promote Adaptability - Research indicates that puzzles may be advantageous in delaying symptoms of certain disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease and dementias. Puzzles stimulate regions of the brain that elicit feelings of accomplishment, connection, and comfort to people, as well as provide a sense of control. These benefits are enhanced when puzzle building is paired with

interpersonal interactions, thereby promoting social supports and connectedness; a known protective factor against most physical and mental health conditions. In addition, solving puzzles encourages mindfulness states, which may be beneficial for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, and related symptoms. As you focus on putting the puzzle pieces together, it can redirect you from the anxious thoughts that might otherwise occupy your mind and allow you to gain a sense of control over your mind and internal experience.

Simply put, puzzling is a fun and easy way to improve your overall mental wellbeing. Spending time alone with a puzzle is a great way to unwind and reset from a busy day, and working on a puzzle with others can be a great bonding exercise for everyone. It’s important to note that while doing jigsaw puzzles has many benefits, when combined with a healthy support system and consistent care for your diet, exercise, and sleep schedule, this brain-stimulating activity is even more effective.

Submitted

by Dr.

William Marsh, licensed Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Director Quality Management, Southwest Behavioral & Health Services

Summer Fun

Summer in Arizona offers a diverse range of activities that cater to various interests and provide opportunities to beat the scorching heat. From outdoor adventures to cultural experiences, here are some exciting activities that make Arizona an ideal destination for summertime fun.

Water activities play a significant role in beating the Arizona heat. The state boasts several beautiful lakes such as Lake Powell, Lake Havasu, and Canyon Lake, where visitors can enjoy boating, jet skiing, fishing, and swimming. For a unique experience, take a dip in the clear waters of Slide Rock State Park, which features natural water slides formed by the smooth red rocks. For more water based fun, head to one of Arizona’s water parks. Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa and Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix offer thrilling water slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads, providing a cool respite for all ages.

Arizona’s cultural scene shines during the summer months as well. The Heard Museum in Phoenix showcases the art and culture of Native American tribes through its vast collection of artifacts and exhibits. Visitors can explore traditional pottery, jewelry, and textiles, gaining a deeper appreciation for the rich heritage of the region. Tucson’s Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum combines a zoo, botanical garden, and natural history museum, offering an immersive educational experience.

For those seeking indoor entertainment, Arizona is home to numerous art galleries, theaters, and museums. The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix showcases an extensive collection of instruments from around the world, allowing visitors to explore diverse musical cultures. The Phoenix Art Museum and Tucson Museum of Art provide a visual feast for art enthusiasts.

Summer in Arizona means embracing the vibrant festival scene. The city of Flagstaff hosts the Flagstaff Folk Festival, where visitors can enjoy live music performances and workshops. In Tucson, the Arizona International Film Festival showcases independent films from around the globe.

Arizona offers an abundance of summer activities that cater to all interests and age groups. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or a deeper understanding of the region’s heritage, Arizona’s diverse offerings ensure a memorable summer experience.

Perception is Reality

Each person’s perception is that person’s reality. That’s what makes the world go ’round. This can be problematic, though, if that perception contradicts another’s with whom we have to interact. Working with couples, I’m often astounded by how two perceptions of the same event can be so different. Each person’s perception is based on their interpretation vs. entirely grounded in a given reality. I always say that there are at least three sides to every story: yours, mine and the truth–the last of which is usually found somewhere in the middle!

Feelings aren’t right or wrong, but the thoughts that come from them are another matter entirely. They can get us into trouble via the generation of assumptions and other bad choices. How we see a given situation or event is open to interpretation. How we respond is within our control, and our responses are often characterdefining moments. The goal is to see things as clearly as possible, with a balance of rational thought and emotion.

Sometimes, we may struggle to see things clearly. The lens through which each person sees is colored by their past events and experiences. Lenses come in 3 colors: clear, rose-colored and gray. Clear is the most accurate color, and the other two can result in bad decisions based on positive or negative feelings. Rose-colored is the color that Polyanna wears, and these lenses can result in naïveté, being taken advantage of and disappointment when unrealistic expectations aren’t met. For example, trusting too early in a relationship, revealing too much of self and having it used against you by an immature or spiteful person. Seeing through gray glasses can result in sadness, lost opportunities and relationship difficulties. If everything is doom and gloom, self-esteem can be affected, which, in turn, affects motivation and can result in depression or at least chronically negative thinking. Early experiences can create gray lenses that cause us to be more sensitive and take things more personally as well.

Submitted by Jennifer Bellingrodt, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

DISCLAIMER: Material is for informational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.

Dad Jokes

* You can’t blame anyone else if you fall in your driveway…it’s your own asphalt.

* I’ve started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It’s all about raisin awareness.

* I’ve started investing in stocks: beef, vegetable, chicken. One day I hope to be a bouillianaire.

* If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughing stock. Now that’s humerus.

* I accidentally rubbed ketchup in my eyes. Now I have Heinzsight.

* Did you know muffins spelled backwards is what you do when you take them out of the oven?

* Scientifically, a raven has 17 primary wing feathers, the big ones at the end of the wing. They are called pinion feathers. A crow has 16. So, the difference between a raven and a crow is only a matter of a pinion.

* I was walking in the jungle and saw a lizard on his hind legs telling jokes. I turned to a local tribal leader and said, “That lizard is really funny!” The leader replied, “That’s not a lizard. He’s a stand-up chameleon.

* I tried to come up with a carpentry pun that woodwork. I thought I nailed it but nobody saw it.

* Singing in the shower is fine until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera.

* The Black-Eyed Peas can sing us a song but the chick peas can only hummus one.

* Then there was the time Fruit of the Loom took Hanes to court… it was a brief case.

* How much does a chimney cost? Nothing, it’s on the house.

* My friend said she wouldn’t eat cow’s tongue because it came out of a cow’s mouth. I gave her an egg.

* Once upon a time there was a King who was only 12 inches tall. He was a terrible King but he made a great ruler.

* Ran out of toilet paper and now using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, and tomorrow romaines to be seen.

* My friend Jack says he can communicate with vegetables. That’s right...Jack and the beans talk.

* I want to tell you about a girl who only eats plants. You probably have not heard of herbivore.

* I was struggling to understand how lightning works and then it struck me.

* I went to the paint store to get thinner. It didn’t work.

Yum Yum

Tortilla Egg Roll-Ups

Ingredients

4 Large Eggs

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 whole grain tortillas (6-inch)

Optional mix-ins: finely chopped spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers

Preparation

1. Over medium heat, warm a 6-inch skillet.

2. In small measuring cup, scramble one egg.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to skillet, pour in the egg, and swirl so it covers the bottom of the pan.

4. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of cheese and optional mix-ins.

5. Let egg cook about 30 seconds, or until the bottom is cooked, but the top is still a little wet.

6. Press 1 tortilla right on top of the wet egg, and cook another 30 seconds (the egg and tortilla will stick together.)

7. Using a spatula, flip the egg and tortilla over, and cook another 30 seconds until the egg is fully cooked.

8. Remove from pan, let cool slightly, then roll it.

9. Repeat for remaining eggs and tortillas.

10. Eat immediately or store covered in the fridge for up to four days.

You can even make extras to keep in the freezer for up to three months. Using these tips, you’ll be able to throw a crowd-pleasing get-together that your friends and family will be talking about all summer long!

Stay Cool

While a sunny summer is nice, too much of something is never a good thing. Excessive heat can cause dangerous conditions, such as dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are some ways to beat the summer heat:

1. Wear natural fabrics, such as a loose-fitting, white cotton or linen shirt. Dark fabrics absorb light more than lighter ones.

2. Replace the salt lost from excessive sweating with lemon water. One squeezed lemon provides 21% of a person’s daily required dose of vitamin

C. The acid in lemons can damage your teeth so don’t forget to use a straw.

3. Remember that foods rich in fat and protein take longer for your body to digest and therefore require additional metabolic heat. Go for salads to help you feel light and hydrated.

4. Use frozen water bottles to cool down your pulse points including behind your ear, at the bottom of your throat, on your wrist, inside your elbow and behind your knee.

5. Apply a moisturizer that contains aloe vera on sunburned skin. Sunburns slow the skin’s ability to cool itself off.

6. Invest in room-darkening curtains to help keep the light and heat out more efficiently.

7. Avoid heat-producing appliances, such as the dryer. Air-dry your clothes instead.

8. Avoid using the oven, try outdoor grilling or

use a slow cooker to help keep the heat out

9. Ditch your incandescent lights and make the switch to LED bulbs. LEDs give off cooler lighting, which also means your air conditioner won’t have to run as high during summer.

10. Stay indoors or in an air-conditioned area as much as possible. Spending only two hours in an air-conditioned space can help reduce your risk of heat stroke.

With temperatures sky-high this summer, staying hydrated is important whether you’re just sitting in the sun, exercising for recreation or playing sports. If dehydration sets in, you may start to feel tired and dizzy, have muscle cramps or lose consciousness, entirely. Here are some tips to stay ahead of your hydration needs, especially for those who have an active lifestyle:

· Before exercise: Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water within 2 to 3 hours

· During warm-up: Drink 8 ounces of water within 20 to 30 minutes

· During exercise: Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes

· After exercise: Drink 8 ounces of water within 30 minutes

Staying cool this summer can be easier than it seems. But if you or someone you know is suffering from heat stroke or dehydration, go to the nearest hospital or call 911. Please do not delay care.

Submitted by Abrazo Health

Money Matters

If you have teenagers who may be starting to work at part-time jobs, now may be a great time to introduce them to investing — and one place to begin might be a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is a popular retirement savings vehicle — its earnings can grow federally tax-free, provided withdrawals aren’t taken until the investor is at least 59½ and has had the account five or more years. But because a Roth IRA is funded with after-tax dollars, contributions can be withdrawn at any time, penalty-free, to pay for any expenses — including college. Roth IRA earnings can also be used to help pay for college, although these withdrawals will be taxable. However, if a child is the account owner, a lower tax bracket will likely apply.

In 2023, up to $6,500 per year can go into your teenager’s Roth IRA, as long as the amount contributed doesn’t exceed the amount of their taxable compensation for the year. And your child doesn’t have to put all the money in — you and the child’s grandparents can also contribute. In fact, you might want to “match” your child’s contributions up to the limit to provide an incentive for them to continue investing in the Roth IRA. Not only will your matching contribution help build assets but it can also instill in your child’s mind the benefit of earning a match.

Your child may well find a job at a local restaurant or shop, as these businesses have experienced a shortage of workers the past couple of years. But if you have a family business, you can employ your teen to provide income that can go into a Roth IRA.

Furthermore, if the business is one parent’s sole proprietorship, or it’s a partnership in which each partner is the parent, the payments for a child younger than 18 are not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. But wherever your child’s wages come from, using some of them to help fund a Roth IRA can be a good move. For one thing, it gives you a chance to explain the value of putting time on your side when you invest — simply put, the more years you invest, the greater your chances of accumulating the resources you need to meet your goals. And by helping your teen open a Roth IRA, which holds stocks, mutual funds or virtually any other type of security, you can discuss the different risk/reward characteristics of various types of investments — the kind of basic knowledge that all investors should have.

Once your teen’s first paychecks start coming in, consider bringing up the idea of opening a Roth IRA — you may well be opening the door to a lifetime of consistent and informed investing.

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

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