Up The Hill

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 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 content of contributing writers and advertisers 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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• We perform weekly detailed home inspections while you are away.

• Long/short term, vacations, VRBO properties.

• Providing you peace of mind.

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• Skilled and dependable professionals

• *Handyman / Maintenance

• *Housekeeping

• *Landscape Design – Construction – Maintenance

• Irrigation repair

KEY HOLDER SERVICES

• Meet with contractors at your home.

• Provide access and reporting for service providers.

• Greet guests at your home on your behalf and close upon departure.

From Me To You...

They say that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”, and we can certainly hope so. This winter has been wet and cold, and I for one am ready for some sweet, warm, lamb-like weather before we rush into the blast furnace that is summer in the desert.

It was March 2004 when we first came to Arizona to look for a house. We left the chill of a New York spring and landed in 82 degree sunshine. At the time we could not imagine it getting any hotter. We kept asking people, “How hot does it get here in the summer? Is it much warmer than this? How will we survive?” I suppose it is all relative. Now, the thought of 82 degrees makes me feel warm and cozy, I would discard my sweater for sure, but would probably not switch to shorts quite yet.

Growing up in the frigid North of England I remember a heat wave in the summer of 1976 when the thermometer made it all the way to 86 degrees! We did not have air conditioning, or even ice cubes for our drinks, but what we did have was thick stone walls and heavy curtains

to keep out the heat. I also had no responsibilities and nowhere to be, so that was a glorious summer for me.

Adapting to the severity of Arizona summers has to be the hardest part of living here. As I drove our car west that first summer, I watched the thermometer climbing and climbing, hardly able to believe it could get so hot. Now I think nothing of going for a walk, or joining a pickleball game on a summer evening when it is 104 degrees or more.

It is amazing how adaptable we are when we have to be. As someone famous once said, “God never gives us more then we can handle”and so far that seems to be true. I will enjoy as many balmy days as I can get before it heats up; and even when summer hits I can relax, knowing that no matter how hot it gets I have access to as many ice cubes as I want.

Catherine Uretsky Editor, Up The Hill magazine info@estrellapublishing.com 623-398-5541

Social Media Danger

Protecting your child’s safety and exposure to illicit drugs can be challenging when the world is at their fingertips. Social media can be an easy outlet for young people to find and sell drugs, and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to social media drug trafficking because of their high social media usage. Platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook are being utilized by drug trafficking networks in establishing new clientele and meeting the demand more directly and discreetly.

How are drug traffickers using these platforms to market and sell drugs? There are many ways, here are some common ones to be aware of:

• They follow youth on social media platforms and use direct messages and comments on posts/stories to market drug products by using code words or emojis

• They market their products using their own platform to post stories showing drugs and promote drugs through sharing photos of money, expensive clothes and jewelry, etc. to upsell drug product

• They use encrypted communication apps, such

as WhatsApp or Telegram to set up meet times, deliveries, and payment for drugs.

What precautions can parents and caregivers take to protect their child?

• Know the dangers of counterfeit drugs and stay up to date on language/emojis around drug trafficking; Fentanyl is currently being referred to as “skittles,” “popcorn,” “confetti,” and “blues” (see the above infographic for common emojis used for drug trafficking).

• Talk with your child about safety features and privacy settings on social media platforms; some include turning off location and map features on Snapchat, setting all profiles to private, deleting messages from unknown numbers in encrypted messaging apps, and blocking/reporting any profiles that are unfamiliar or come across as scams

Michelle Sambrano is director of Prevention Programs for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. For more information and resources, visit https://www.sbhservices.org

REALTRENDS TOP TEAM

We were honored, once again, to be recognized in 2021 as the top 14th team in the US by volume.

IN THEIR WORDS

“Our experience with The Rider Elite team has been exceptional since day 1! They always made sure we had everything we needed, made sure to let us know they were available whenever we needed them, and every person we interacted with was so nice!”

Dont Wait To File

Tax season can be a stressful time of year. However, if you qualify for a tax refund, it can be used to pay off bills and debt or add to your savings for a rainy day.

“For the past 40 years, Jackson Hewitt has advocated for hardworking Americans, and we know the current economy has impacted many. We understand people are worried about money and rising costs, along with the potential of receiving a lower tax refund this year, since all the pandemic government benefits have ended,” said Kim Hudson, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. “Now more than ever, every dollar matters, so don’t wait to file.”

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is now accepting and processing 2022 tax returns. While you can wait until the April 18 deadline, here are four reasons you should file your tax return early.

1. Get your refund early

Some people put off filing because they don’t believe they’ll get a refund. However, according to the IRS, over two-thirds of American taxpayers are typically entitled to a refund. That means the earlier you file, the earlier you’ll get your money and avoid processing delays.

2. More time to pay

A popular myth about filing taxes is that you must pay what you owe when you file. In fact, if you file early, you do not have to pay until the return due date of April 18 this year.

The benefit of filing early when you owe money to the IRS is that you will know what you owe in advance of the payment due date, giving you more time until April 18 to set aside those funds or spread the cost over the next few months, which means less financial stress.

3.

Protect your personal information

Tax season is a busy time for fraudsters. With just a few pieces of your personal information (your name, birthday and Social Security number), they can submit a fraudulent tax return to get your refund and steal your identity.

Many taxpayers won’t realize their personal information has been compromised until they attempt to e-file their taxes and find that someone has beaten them to it. By filing early, you’re locking your personal data and preventing scammers from stealing your refund and identity.

4. Reduce stress

If you’re rushing to get your taxes filed before the deadline, chances are you’ll forget to include essential information and documents.

By preparing to file early, you’ll have more time to gather your documents, review your tax return, and speak with your Tax Pro - helping you feel more confident and less stressed. If you wait until too close to the April deadline, you could make a mistake requiring the filing of an amended income tax return or subject yourself to paying penalties and interest.

There’s no reason to wait until April 18 to file your taxes. Submit your tax return early and reap the financial rewards and peace of mind.

Gymtimidation

Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle at every age, but it is particularly important for seniors. Why? Sharlyn Green, a national trainer with SilverSneakers, says it goes beyond physical wellness. “Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, boost your memory and decrease the risk for some diseases such as Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” she said. The problem is, a gym can be intimidating! To help everyone feel comfortable and confident Green recommends these steps:

Step 1: Get a tour

Have someone who works for the gym show you where everything is. Don’t expect to understand immediately what it all does or how to use it. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask questions during or after your tour. Employees at a good gym will be happy to help you.

Step 2: Request a training program

People new to gyms typically get the best results from a personalized program created by a trainer. Print out the program for reference and to record what you do - which machines, how

much weight, how many times you lift.

Step 3: Know the exercises in your program

Work with a trainer who can guide you on proper techniques so you get the most out of your workouts and prevent accidents. Understanding the equipment and gym etiquette is important for your safety and others’.

Step 4: Learn how to adjust machines

You may need to adjust certain machines every time you use them. When in doubt, ask. It’s better to pause and use a machine correctly than go forward and risk hurting yourself or others. A trainer or gym employee can help you, so don’t be shy.

Step 5: Know how much weight or resistance to use

A good trainer will guide you in finding the appropriate weight or resistance for each exercise and share that information in your program. Use this as a foundation and adjust as needed, keeping in mind that as you progress, you’ll likely make changes to continue your health journey.

Again, if something isn’t clear, ask!

Yum Yum

Stuffed Peppers - Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/4 pound lean ground deli ham

1 cup of white or brown rice, cooked

6 large bell peppers (any color)

3/4 cup of onion, diced

3 teaspoons of garlic, minced

1 cup of cooked white rice

1 teaspoon of salt

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes

4 ounces of tomato sauce, divided

1/4 cup of golden raisins

1/4 cup of toasted slivered almonds

1 teaspoon of salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon of dried leaf oregano

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees

* Bring a large pot of water to a boil

* Cut the tops off your peppers and set aside.

Carefully pull out the seeds and membranes, creating a cavity inside

* Dip the peppers into the boiling water, letting them cook for just 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, and drain on a paper towel

* Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet for 5 to 7 minutes until translucent

* Toss in the cooked rice, half of the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, raisins, toasted almonds, seasonings, salt and pepper

* Stir to combine and cook until just heated through

* Grease a casserole dish by using a paper towel and a tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking

* Place the peppers in the casserole dish and spoon the meat and vegetable mixture into each of the prepared peppers

* Top each pepper with about a tablespoon of the tomato sauce

* Sprinkle with a little oregano and chopped cilantro, and cover the dish with foil

* Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes

* Carefully remove from oven, let cool and enjoy!

The Bug Guy

Wow! Can you believe spring is right around the corner bringing warmer weather and more visibility to spider activity. For many, the mere sight of a creepy crawly spider scaling a wall or lurking in a webbed corner gives people the heebie-jeebies— but why? Over time, many myths and misconceptions about spiders have evolved, resulting in a multitude of terrified reactions.

While spiders can be a nightmare for homeowners, most species are nothing more than a source of unexplained fear. Here are a few well-known legends about this eight-legged arachnid and detailed the truths behind them.

Myth #1: The average person swallows about eight spiders a year when sleeping: This urban legend has become one of the most widespread rumors – it’s false. In reality, it’s highly unlikely for a person to swallow even one live spider when sleeping.

Myth #2: Daddy longlegs are one of the most poisonous spiders, but their fangs are too short to penetrate human skin: This myth is false. How can a spider inject venom into the human body if they are too short to pierce skin tissue? Arachnologists at the University of California said, “There is no reference to any pholcid spider [read “daddy-long-legs”] biting a human and causing any detrimental reaction… Furthermore, there are no toxicological studies testing the lethality of pholcid venom on any mammalian system.” Simply put, there no facts to support this legend.

Myth #3: All spiders are dangerous: Spiders have lived around us for centuries and most aren’t harmful to humans; in fact, many species are beneficial to the environment. Spiders are predators, feeding mainly on insects, so they help to reduce the number of pests in homes and gardens. While it’s true that all spiders have a venomous bite, only a few species are medically dangerous. In Arizona, only the widow spiders pose a health threat. And, contrary to popular belief, most tarantulas are harmless.

If you believed any of these myths, you’re not alone. There are many misconceptions about spiders, however, we encourage homeowners to take preventative steps to keep spiders from gaining access to your home. Consider storing clothes and shoes in plastic containers, sweeping away webs, and remove clutter from garages. If you suspect a spider infestation, contact a licensed pest professional for treatment.

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

RICHARD TAX SERVICES LLC

The Importance of Youth Sports

Sports can have a significant impact on young people. We recognize the variety of benefits that come along with kids being involved in sports. Playing sports can promote a healthy lifestyle and teach kids transferrable skills that they use far into adult life.

Being on a team teaches kids valuable social skills. They learn how to share, value diverse skillsets, trust others, and support and encourage one another. Because sports can play such an important role in young people’s lives, it is important to ensure that all

sports teams and environments are diverse, equitable, inclusive, supportive, and safe. These environments are very influential in the young athletes’ development so creating equal, safe environments should take priority over winning.

Along with the social benefits, being involved in athletics can also teach accountability and discipline. These skills can be applied in all aspects of life—from health and exercise to relationships with others and school habits. By learning these skills early, athletes learn their value as an individual and take responsibility for their own success.

Being a part of a sport feels good and can help boost self-esteem when the environment is healthy, supportive, and encouraging. If your child is interested in sports, encourage them to try out!

Submitted by Dan Blair of EMR Sports

Blessed AND Depressed

Many people feel so blessed in their lives, so fortunate, yet they also feel depressed and they don’t know why. Some feel guilty about it, others are confused. Guess what? Gratitude and depression are NOT mutually exclusive. Here’s why:

1. Just like our parents can pass on their eye color or their predisposition for diabetes, they can pass on depression and other mental health conditions. Your life may be great, but you still have to contend with genetics that aren’t within your control.

2. Just because there are many good things in your life doesn’t mean there aren’t also bad things, too. Maybe you live well, but you’re lonely. Maybe you have a happy marriage and healthy kids, but you also have an incurable illness. Maybe you have a good life and support system, but you just lost your spouse of many years.

3. Even though you are very blessed now, it doesn’t mean that you haven’t had a rough childhood or life before now that’s left an indelible impact on your mental health.

4. We face a very real enemy. Satan’s job is to keep us away from God. He tries to make us doubt God and the plan He has for us, including putting thoughts in our heads that are dark or depressive.

5. Human nature is to focus on the negative. The brain processes negative emotions more

thoroughly than positive ones. For every negative comment we hear, it takes at least five positive comments to counteract it.

6. Things aren’t always as they seem. Just because someone has a good life on the outside doesn’t mean that things are good behind close doors. Maybe they secretly live with an addict, maybe they’re being abused, maybe they’re in so much debt they can’t see straight. The cover of the book may be beautiful, but the content really sucks.

Next month, we’ll discuss six things you can do to combat feeling blessed and depressed.

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.

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

Colorectal Cancer Risks

Every year the month of March is recognized as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. It’s your annual reminder that screenings that can detect polyps or early cancers in the colon can be lifesaving.

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Unites States, and the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. During the pandemic, many put off their annual screenings, and now is a great time to get back on track.

Nearly all colorectal cancers start with a polyp, which is small area of unchecked growths on the inner lining of the colon. Polyps and colon cancers rarely create symptoms such as pain or bleeding. Early detection and treatment, even before symptoms appear, results in improved survival rates, according to doctors at Abrazo West Campus.

“The colon is the lowest part of the intestine, also called the large intestine. Its inside lining where growths called polyps can appear, and

some polyps can grow into colon cancer. Through colonoscopy, doctors can inspect the inside lining of the colon and remove polyps which helps prevent cancers from forming,” explained Dr. Sushil Pandey, a colorectal Surgeon on the medical staff at Abrazo West.

It’s important to find cancers early or find them as polyps and have them removed, he said. The incidence of colon cancer is increasing among younger people, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that screenings begin at age 45.

“The risk of developing colon polyps and cancer increases as one ages. The majority of colon cancer is found in patients without any symptoms or a family history of colon cancer. We all need a colonoscopy starting at 45 years old unless you have a first-degree relative with colon cancer or polyps, where one should consider being tested earlier than age 45,” said Dr. Carlos A. Esparza, a colorectal surgeon on medical staff at Abrazo West Campus.

If you think you are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, speak with your doctor about when to begin screening, which test is right for you and how often to get tested.

Home Sweet Home

Selling Your Home? These Home Selling Rules Are No Longer Relevant

The market is changing. While bidding wars, sky-high prices, and homes flying off the market were a reality just a few months ago, rising mortgage rates, changing economic conditions, and increasing inventory have caused a serious shift in the Phoenix market. And if you’re selling your home, it’s important to operate under the conditions of the market the way it is now, not the way it was last year or a few months ago.

So what, exactly, does that look like?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined some of the widely believed rules about selling a home in today’s market that are no longer true (and that you’ll definitely want to consider breaking!), including:

• Pricing your home as high as you’d like. There was a time when sellers could virtually put any price tag on their home and it would sell, often for even higher than their asking price. But those

days are over, and if you want to successfully sell your home in today’s market, you need to price your home conservatively and in line with its current market value.

• Don’t worry about offering concessions. At the height of the buying frenzy, buyers were bending over backwards for sellers, and that meant sellers could forgo any concessions. But now that the market has cooled if you want to sell your home—and sell it quickly—offering concessions to buyers (like helping them “buy down” their mortgage rate or cover closing costs) isn’t out of the question.

• Home staging isn’t necessary. There was a time when just about any home would sell, regardless of how it looked. But now that buyers are more selective, you’ll want to do everything you can to make your home marketable and appealing— and that includes investing in professional staging, decluttering, and painting.

Submitted by Tara Rutkowski, Realtor and Estrella Resident

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

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REAL ESTATE

AZ & Associates - C Yeo

Coldwell Banker Realty - A Hurwitz

Elite Mortgage Group - C Givens

HomeSmart Realty - The Lang Group

Keller Williams - The Rider Elite Team

Realty One Group - J Polansky

Realty One Group - T Rutkowski

Realty One Group - B Tissell

Realty One Group - C Trachsel-Smith

Realty One Group - R Watson

Robson Reserve at PebbleCreek

West USA Realty, Estrella - M Sears

RETAIL & RECREATION

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