The Box Office will be open 90 minutes prior to show, only for theater/concert events. All dance tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets can be purchased by phone, in person at the Box Office, or online at www.sl4recdistrict.com.
Joseph
Welcome to May at Sunrise Lakes Phase 4!
Hello everyone! My name is Anna Nicolau, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Social Activities Manager, here at Sunrise Lakes Phase 4. I bring with me a multicultural background—originally from Romania, I’ve lived in Japan for several years and speak seven languages. My experience spans fitness and nutrition, dance instruction, and real estate, and I’m passionate about creating engaging, energetic experiences for our community.
I’m so excited to be part of this amazing team and to bring a fresh perspective to our activities and events! Spring is in full swing, and so is our vibrant community! As we step into May, we’re blooming with exciting events, activities, and opportunities to connect with neighbors and friends. Whether you’re looking to get active, get creative, or just relax and have fun, there’s something here for everyone.
Here’s a peek at what’s happening this month:
May 6th: Summer Kickoff Celebration Dance Ticket Distribution – Stop by the clubhouse to pick up your Summer Kick Off Dance tickets! Tickets will be available from 9am–12pm and again from 5pm–7pm.
May 8th: Movie 1pm & 6pm – Come enjoy the heartfelt film Anora. Two convenient showings so everyone can join!
May 11th: Happy Mother’s Day! – Wishing all the amazing mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures in our community a beautiful and love- filled day. Thank you for all that you do!
May 13th: Tea Dance: 1pm to 3pm – Get your dancing shoes ready! Enjoy an afternoon of music and mingling at our Tea Dance, generously sponsored by Aetna and Metropolitan.
May 14th: Health Chat: 11am – Join us for an educational session presented by JW Healthcare and Private Care Solutions. Learn valuable tips to stay healthy and informed!
May 18th: Pool Party! 5pm to 7pm – Come cool off and enjoy the vibes with DJ PR Censation spinning live at the pool! Great company and good times guaranteed. Don’t forget your sunscreen
May 22nd: Bunco – Join Sandra Hankin for a fun and exciting afternoon of Bunco! A light snack will be provided. Residents only, please.
May 22nd: Movie 1pm & 6pm – Join us for a thrilling screening of Black Bag, a suspenseful and engaging new film.
May 25th: Summer Kickoff Celebration Dance 1pm to 4pm – Let’s start summer right! Join us for an afternoon of fun with DJ Randy spinning the tunes, refreshments served, dancing, You won’t want to miss it.
May 29th: Nancy’s Arts & Crafts 1pm – Come get creative at Nancy’s fun-filled craft session! Just $5 per person –please pay in advance at the box office to reserve your spot.
Check out our Health & Fitness page for classes, activities, and wellness opportunities happening all month long! Make sure to mark your calendars, bring your friends, and come be a part of the fun.
Let’s make May marvelous—together!
Anna Nicolau & the Sunrise Lakes Phase 4 Community Team
We want to thank our amazing sponsors this month: Aetna, Metropolitan, JW Health, Encompass Health, and First Start Healthcare Solutions
Hello Residents,
My name is Cecilia Carranza, but I’m most commonly known as Cece or CC within our community. This is my short introduction for the Sunrise Sun this month, especially for those of you who may not know me personally. I would also like to extend my thanks to all the neighbors who participated in the last election and to those who voted for me to represent Inc. 2 on the Recreation Board. I am excited to have won the Supervisory position for the next two years.
I have lived in Sunrise Lakes Phase 4, Inc. 2, for the past six years and served on the Board of Directors for two years. I am an active member of our community; I enjoy participating in various activities whenever I can, as I still work part-time. I also attend the fantastic parties, shows, and clubs organized by our Recreation Board.
I have a friendly and outgoing personality, and I love helping my neighbors and staying connected with them. I want to emphasize that I am here to represent you to the best of my ability.
I encourage everyone to attend our Recreation Meetings. This is a great opportunity to learn about the improvements we are making and the projects we plan to work on within our community. Your ideas are welcome, and we will consider implementing them into our agenda. As you know, we are here to serve our residents, and we must also consider our budget as we move forward.
Additionally, I encourage you to check out our monthly magazine, Sunrise Sun, which includes information on the activities, shows, and parties that the Recreation Board organizes for our enjoyment.
CECILIA CARRANZA (CC) BOARD SUPERVISOR
REC BOARD NEWS DISTRICT NEWS
Dear Residents,
I’m pleased to report that the work at Satellite 2 pool has been completed. We resurfaced it with upgraded tiles. We replaced critical components in the heater and fixed a leak in the auto- fill which should resolve the water level issue. We also invested in new Vak-Pak housing, which helps protect our expensive pool equipment from the elements and vandalism. Satellite 1 & 3 will have their VAK-PAK housings replaced as well.
The new pool awnings at Satellite 5 look great. Walker Awning will be moving on to the other Satellites in the coming months.
Recreation District Manager
Our mural artist, Skyler Nador, should have completed some of her “nature” murals in and around the Main Clubhouse by the time of this publishing. We’re going to do this in a phased way, so we get to live with them before moving on to more murals. As they say, “Less is more.” We hope Residents find them interesting and beautiful.
We’ve engaged a company to determine why a section of our property, behind the 1st tee, is so wet all of the time – making it difficult to mow and maintain. Hopefully we will be able to resolve this quickly with minimal disruption. Our ultimate goal is to beautify that area and provide comfortable seating for visitors to relax and commune with nature.
On the Association side, we’re working with our landscaper to improve the appearance and health of the greens. The rain we’ve had recently has definitely helped, along with targeted fertilizing and other treatments. Permitting is underway for the sidewalk repair between holes #6 and #7. We hope to complete that job by the end of May if not sooner.
Joseph Mallen SLP4
YVONNE HEPLER CHAIRPERSON
GLENN STRICKLIN VICE-CHAIR
CHARLIE VENTICINQUE SECRETARY
JORGE DEL PINO TREASURER
LUIS DILONE BOARD SUPERVISOR
CECILIA CARRANZA BOARD SUPERVISOR
ST RICKLIN VENTICINQUE
CINCO DE MAYO
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for ‘Fifth of May’) is an annual celebration held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza died months after the battle from an illness, however, and a larger French force ultimately defeated the Mexican army at the Second Battle of Puebla and then occupied Mexico City. Following the end of the American Civil War in 1865, the United States began lending money and guns to the Mexican Liberals, pushing France and Mexican Conservatives to the edge of defeat. At the opening of the French chambers in January 1866, Napoleon III announced that he would withdraw French troops from Mexico. In reply to a French request for American neutrality, the U.S. secretary of state William H. Seward replied that French withdrawal from Mexico should be unconditional. More popular in the United States than in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. Celebrations began in Columbia, California, where they have been observed annually since 1862. Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken for Mexican Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16, commemorating the Cry of Dolores in 1810, which initiated the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. Cinco de Mayo has been referenced and featured in entertainment media, and has become an increasingly global celebration of Mexican culture, cuisine, and heritage.
Events Leading to the Battle of Puebla
Cinco de Mayo has its roots in the second French intervention in Mexico, which took place in the aftermath of the 1846–48 Mexican–American War and the 1858–61 Reform War. The Reform War was a civil war that pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state and freedom of religion) against Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state). These wars nearly bankrupted the Mexican Treasury. On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. In response, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, held a convention in London and joined in alliance to send naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. France, at the time ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to establish an empire in Mexico that would favor French interests, whereupon Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and peacefully withdrew. The empire was part of an envisioned “Latin America” (term used to imply cultural kinship of the region with France) that would rebuild French influence in the American continent and exclude Anglophone American territories.
Battle of Puebla
Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet attacked Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army hit heavy resistance from the Mexicans close to Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The French army of 6,500–8,000 attacked the poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,000. On May 5, 1862, the Mexicans decisively defeated the French army. The victory represented a significant morale boost to the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large and helped to establish a sense of national unity and patriotism.
Events After The Battle
The Mexican victory, however, was short-lived. A year later, with 30,000 troops, the French were able to defeat the Mexican army, capture Mexico City, and install Emperor Maximilian I as ruler of Mexico. The French victory was itself short-lived, lasting only three years, from 1864 to 1867. By 1865, with the American Civil War now over, the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French. Upon the conclusion of the American Civil War, Napoleon III, facing a persistent Mexican guerilla resistance, the threat of war with Prussia, and the prospect of a serious scrap with the United States, retreated from Mexico starting in 1866. The Mexicans recaptured Mexico City, and Maximilian I was apprehended and executed, along with his Mexican generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía Camacho in Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro. On June 5, 1867, Benito Juárez entered Mexico City where he installed a new government organizing his administration. The Battle of Puebla was significant, both nationally and internationally, for several reasons. First, the 4,000 Mexican soldiers were greatly outnumbered by the well-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for almost 50 years. Second, since the overall failed French intervention, some have argued that no country in the Americas has subsequently been invaded by any other military force from Europe. Historian Justo Sierra has suggested in his Political Evolution of the Mexican People that, had Mexico not defeated the French in Puebla on May 5, 1862, France would have gone to the aid of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War and the United States’ destiny could have been very different.
PARKING SPACES
AVAILABLE FOR RENT at the Main Clubhouse Call Office For Details
1pm – 3pm $7pp Sponsored by Aetna and Metropolitan
9:30am
6pm REC BOARD MTG Clubhouse – 9:30am
NOTICIAS DE LA JUNTA
Estimados Vecinos,
Me llamo Cecilia Carranza, pero en nuestra comunidad me conocen mejor como Cece o CC. Esta es mi breve presentación para Sunrise Sun de este mes, especialmente para quienes no me conozcan personalmente. También quiero agradecer a todos los vecinos que participaron en las últimas elecciones y a quienes votaron por mí para representar a Inc. 2 en la Junta de Recreación. Estoy emocionada de haber ganado el puesto de Supervisora para los próximos dos años. He vivido en Sunrise Lakes Fase 4 — Inc. 2 durante los últimos seis años y formé parte de la Junta Directiva durante dos años. Soy un miembro activo de nuestra comunidad; disfruto participando en diversas actividades siempre que puedo, ya que todavía trabajo a tiempo parcial. También asisto a las fantásticas fiestas, espectáculos y clubes que organiza nuestra Junta de Recreación.
Tengo una personalidad amigable y extrovertida, y me encanta ayudar a mis vecinos y mantenerme en contacto con ellos. Quiero enfatizar que estoy aquí para representarlos lo mejor que pueda.
Los invito a todos a asistir a nuestras Reuniones de Recreación. Esta es una excelente oportunidad para conocer las mejoras que estamos implementando y los proyectos que planeamos implementar en nuestra comunidad. Sus ideas son bienvenidas y consideraremos implementarlas en nuestra agenda. Como saben, estamos aquí para servir a nuestros residentes y también debemos considerar nuestro presupuesto a medida que avanzamos.
Además, los invito a consultar nuestra revista mensual, que incluye información sobre las actividades, espectáculos y fiestas que la Junta de Recreación organiza para nuestro disfrute.
Atentamente,
CECILIA CARRANZA (CC) BOARD SUPERVISOR
HEALTH NEWS
Why Balance is a Good Indicator of How Well You’re Aging
A cross-sectional study (meaning the participants were measured at a single point in time) included a total of 40 people — 20 men and 20 women. Half of the participants were 56 years old on average, and the other half were an average age of 74. The following tests were used to assess any age-related declines or differences between men and women:
• Grip Strength – A handheld device was used to measure upper body strength.
• Gait – Participants walked at their own pace on a designated path while their movements were captured using a motion analysis system.
• Balance – Participants stood on plates that measured balance in four different scenarios: on both feet with eyes open, with eyes closed, and on the dominant and nondominant leg with eyes open. In the one-legged tests, participants could hold the leg they weren’t standing on where they wanted. The tests were 30 seconds each.
In considering the results, researchers accounted for factors like the size of the person (larger people tend to be stronger) and height (longer legs usually mean faster walking). Of all the measures, they found that standing on one leg — specifically the nondominant leg — showed the highest rate of decline with age.
“Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires all your body systems to work together. Good balance allows you to carry out your activities of daily living without fear of falling,” says Dr. Kaufman.
Loss of balance could be the ‘Canary in the Coal Mine’
For this study, the researchers looked at three domains related to aging that have all been studied for a long time and then put all those pieces together to see what’s most important, says Carolynn Patten, PhD, a professor of physical medicine at UC Davis Health in California. Dr. Patten specializes in assessment and treatment of motor dysfunction associated with aging and was not involved in this research. These findings could be useful in part because doctors are often pressed for time and there can be a lot to cover in an office visit, she says. “This could help providers focus on a measure such as balance to see how a person is aging. It could be the ‘canary in the coal mine’ that is one of the first things to go, and we need to pay more attention to that,” says Patten
How to improve your balance
The good news is that working on your balance is simple and you can do it just about anywhere, says Kaufman. “You can do this at home while you’re washing dishes or brushing your teeth. Just time yourself on how long you can spend on one leg,” he says. Make sure you have a chair or a wall nearby to catch yourself, says Kaufman. If you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, you are doing well, he says.
“In our group of people over age 65, they averaged 11 seconds. The number that causes concern would be below five seconds. That says you’re at risk of falling,” says Kaufman.
By standing on one leg, you’re training yourself to coordinate your muscle and vestibular responses to maintain correct balance. The vestibular system includes structures inside your inner ear (called otolith organs) and semicircular canals that detect head movements. Your brain uses this information to help you balance.
“If you practice balance, you’re more likely to maintain it. It doesn’t require special equipment, and you can do it every day.”
At Sunrise Lakes Phase 4 Recreation District, we offer a dynamic variety of exercise classes designed for every fitness level and lifestyle. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to push your limits, our welcoming environment and expert instructors make it easy to stay motivated, inspired, and energized!
Meet Our Amazing Instructors:
• Anna, Janina, Pearlie, and Tony, our fabulous team of fitness pros, lead energizing classes that maximize calorie burn and boost cardiovascular health, all in a fun, well-paced setting. You’ll leave each class feeling accomplished and full of energy!
• Josephine, our expert Yoga instructor, helps you find balance and flexibility through guided sessions suitable for all levels. Whether you’re seeking relaxation, mindfulness, or a deeper challenge, her calming yet powerful practice nurtures both your body and mind.
NEW! Training Guidance with Tony — New to the gym or unsure how to use the equipment? Tony, our Exercise Equipment Specialist, is here to help! Check his schedule posted in the gym and let him show you how to use the machines properly and safely. He’ll guide you with technique tips to help you reach your fitness goals effectively.
• Line Dance with Helaine — Get ready to move, groove, and have a blast! Helaine’s high-energy line dance classes feature catchy choreography and great music to help you burn calories while having fun. And if you are new to line dancing, don’t worry — her “Absolute Beginner Line Dance Class” is the perfect place to start!
A Supportive Fitness Community
Our community is all about encouragement, connection, and positive energy. You’ll always feel welcome here, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
Check Our Schedule
Find our full schedule calendar in the magazine’s center page or in the community center lobby — and join us today! Take the first step toward a healthier, happier you. Embrace the challenge, enjoy the journey, and discover the invigorating power of our fitness classes. Your most vibrant self awaits!
