David's Anthem Journal

Meetings & Events for Week of May 30

… I depend on Anthem Journal to keep me informed about our community. It’s like having an online newspaper – SCA resident Carol Joyce.

 

 

Here is a preview of significant meetings and events for the week beginning Monday, May 30, 2011. The listed activities are open to all residents with a current Member Card. Venues are subject to change.

In observance of the Monday Memorial Day holiday, the Association office is closed on this day.

 

 

Wednesday, June 1

 

Tickets ($10) for “The Wizard of Vegas Rocks,” which begins its performances on Thursday, can be purchased at the Independence Center Box Office from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. If any seats remain, tickets will also be available starting one hour prior to show time on each performance day.

 

Thursday, June 2

 

 

Early voting in the Henderson Municipal General Election will take place in Anthem Center from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Official election day is Tuesday, June 7.

The only ballot item is the contest for the Ward 4 City Council seat between Sam Bateman and Mike Mayberry. Though the Ward 4 councilor does not specifically represent the Sun City Anthem area, all councilors are chosen in at-large elections.

The turnout is expected to be very low, so you have an opportunity to greatly influence the outcome by voting.

 

Friday, June 3

 

 

 

“How to Control and Eliminate Type II Diabetes” is the subject of the First Friday Health and Wellness Seminar.

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: Delaware Room in Anthem Center.

Admission is free.

 

Saturday, June 4

 

 

On This Memorial Day …

 

 

On this Memorial Day, let us all find a few minutes in our schedules to stop, pause, and silently pay thankful tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to America through all the conflicts that have demanded their shared sacrifice.

 

We’re Five Years Old

 

Dear Readers: Five years ago today, on May 26, 2006, I introduced David’s Anthem Journal to the community, with a mission statement whose essence is as relevant today, I believe, as it was then: To provide Sun City Anthem residents with an independent, literate, responsible channel for sharing timely information about SCA and the immediate world around us.

This post is article number 2,405.

And today your participation stands at an all-time high. We have 1,191 registered subscribers, and in the month of April Anthem Journal was accessed at least once from 3,062 separate computer addresses.

Nearly 1.6 million blog pages have been viewed, and more than 10,000 comments have been posted, to be shared with all our readers.

As technology has evolved, I have endeavored to incorporate creative ways of delivering information to you in an organized, accessible manner, and I am looking forward to more innovation in the weeks and months ahead.

Reader feedback, not just on the blog but in the form of e-mails and personal comments when we meet, suggests positive results in at least two critical areas:

First, my readers tell me they feel more of a sense of community, and of being “in the loop,” because of the information the blog delivers.

Second, I believe I have delivered information that frequently allows readers to personally benefit from what they learn. It may be the opportunity to get free tickets to a show, to attend an event they otherwise might not have known about, or even to save money. I am especially pleased with the results of the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” feature introduced over the past year.

I could go on and on, but the arrival of this five-year milestone is, while a cause for celebration, just one more marker along the path to excellence that I pledge to continue traveling on your behalf.

YOU are the reason for this blog’s success, for we could not be what we are without your support and participation.

Thank you for being with me on this journey, for your words of encouragement, for your many suggestions, and yes, for your constructive criticism and feedback that so often gives me food for thought.

P&G Seeks Volunteer for Opening

 

The Properties & Grounds Committee is looking for a qualified resident to fill an opening on this most interesting group.

The notice below corrects the application deadline date that was included in an e-mail blast sent out by the Association earlier on May 25th.

The corrected deadline is June 6.

 

Don’t Miss the Summer Superstar Concert

Mistinguett Productions made a big splash with Sun City Anthem audiences several months ago when Mistinguett brought several “Legends in Concert” performers to Freedom Hall to perform a country superstars concert.

The audience was very pleased with spot-on impressions by a talented trio who performed as Tim McGraw, Shania Twain and Garth Brooks.

Now Mistinguett is back with a June 12th show called the Rock & Pop Superstar Concert, featuring Marva Scott as Tina Turner and Donna Summer, Martin Andrew as Rod Stewart, and Damian Brantley as Michael Jackson.

The poster below has all the details. Buy your tickets now, at the Anthem Center front desk, before this show sells out.

 

Goodman Reappointed to Senior Citizens Group

 

I am pleased to report that SCA resident Rana Goodman has been reappointed to the Henderson Senior Citizens Advisory Commission.

This reappointment, which I told Henderson officials in recent weeks that I support, and which I was told in return would be forthcoming, is good for Henderson and certainly good for Sun City Anthem, as it is important that a community of seniors have someone from the community looking out for our interests when appropriate, as it was when Rana recently played a lead role in bringing needed senior transportation services to our area.

Rana has rendered good service on the Commission and will surely do so going forward.

Regular readers will recall that some months ago I sent a letter to the City Council, signed onto by a number of SCA residents, expressing concern that Rana’s oversight of her message board was inconsistent with the role of a City volunteer, especially in tolerating offensive images and references to the Holocaust in a post related to criticism of SCA personalities.

In the letter, we took great pains to specify that we were not asking for Rana’s removal or even objecting to reappointment.

In recent weeks, she has taken pains to urge her message-board participants to be more civil and reasonable in their tone. I have seen this change occur, and I have attempted to do the same in my own approach to blog articles, as a number of people have told me they have noted.

So the bottom line is this: Rana is to be congratulated on her reappointment, and I know she will continue to serve with distinction in her position.

Meetings & Events for Week of May 23

It’s good to be in the know. That’s why I’m a faithful reader of David’s Anthem Journal – Sherryl Daly

 

Here is a preview of significant meetings and events for the week beginning Monday, May 23, 2011. The listed activities are open to all residents with a valid Member Card. Venues are subject to change.

 

Monday, May 23

 

Ticket sales for the spectacular Performing Arts Club production, “The Wizard of Vegas Rocks,” continue as the four performances approach sold-out status. Tickets are only $10.

Many tickets were purchased at Anthem Center during the Bucket List and Travel Expo this past Saturday, with some of the show’s attractive dancers (below) garnering attention.

 

Tickets may be purchased this week at the Independence Center Box Office on the following schedule: Monday from 6-8 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 p.m.

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Tuesday, May 24

 

The new SCA Board of Directors will conduct its first Board Book Review at 10:00 a.m. in the Arlington/Bristol Rooms at Anthem Center.

 

Wednesday, May 25

 

 

The Pet Club is pleased to welcome back Margie Klein to the Club’s meeting at 10:00 a.m. in the Penn Room at Independence Center.

No pets allowed this time. Refreshments will be served.

Margie is Wildlife Education Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and her presentation will focus on bird-watching opportunities around the Las Vegas Valley. She will offer tips on how to find and identify birds, and will show slides picturing typical birds that can be seen in backyards and natural wildlife areas.

The presentation will also include practice on using binoculars, and information on bird feeding will be provided.

 

Thursday, May 26

 

The new SCA Board of Directors will hold its first monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. in Freedom Hall at Anthem Center.

 

Friday, May 27

 

The Community Lifestyle Committee will hold its monthly workshop at 9:00 a.m. in the Arlington Room.

 

Anthem Council Elects Troia President

 

The Anthem Community Council Board of Directors elected former Sun City Anthem Board President Jack Troia to the position of Council President at its quarterly meeting, held in Anthem Center on May 19. The position became open when Council President Chris Prickett, a representative of Anthem Country Club, resigned.

The election of Troia was unanimous by acclamation after no other directors stepped forward as a candidate.

Anthem Council, which is not governed by Nevada homeowner statutes, is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the Anthem Master Plan’s common areas, most notably the waterfall features at the main Anthem entrance and a great deal of Anthem’s landscaping. Approximately 10 percent of SCA’s annual homeowner association fees goes to the Council for this purpose.

Other news from the May 19 meeting:

An extensive discussion revolved around the lighting for the aesthetically significant waterfall features at the Anthem main entrance. As the feature ages, there are increasing problems with the lights that illuminate the waterfalls, especially as they spotlight the cascading effect of the water.

Because of technological advances over the past decade, the Council is going to explore installing LED lighting for the waterfalls. The new, especially bright generation of LEDs can last as long as 50,000 hours, compared to about 2,000 hours for “normal” lights. In addition, they require much less maintenance and are reported to be considerably less susceptible to water damage. But the cost to replace existing fixtures with an LED system could be as much as $45,000.

The Council is going to investigate this further, and may seek to have some samples installed for testing.

One audience member recommended consideration of colored lenses over the waterfall lights to create an attractive effect.

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Noting that the meeting agenda included an item referring to “April 2011 Financials.” SCA resident Steve Ballwebber asked how he could see the contents of the financial report. The ensuing discussion seemed to suggest a lack of communication due to the steps a homeowner must take if he is to obtain access to the reports.

This is how it played out: Jack Troia said that if an Association board of directors requested the Council financial reports, the Council would honor the request and provide them, after which the board could arrange to share the information with the community.

Two current SCA Board members, Bella Meese and Wade Terry, were in the room, and this reporter would hope they will advise their fellow directors on how to deal with this issue of concern to some residents.

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Fee-based management services are currently provided to the Council by the Del Webb Community Management Company. But the Council decided to prepare an RFP for management services, with a plan to send out the RFP immediately after its August 18 meeting, with a return requirement by mid-September. These dates are important because the contract with the Del Webb Management Company expires in November.

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The meeting ended on a somewhat discordant note when, during the Member Comment Period, SCA resident Nelson Orth began delivering a diatribe against State Senator Allison Copening, who, when not engaged in her senatorial duties, is a Del Webb employee reporting To Randall Watkins, who also serves as executive director/vp for the Del Webb Management Company. Jack Troia asked Mr. Orth to desist as he began speaking of Senator Copening in extremely unflattering terms. Though Orth toned down his comments slightly, he still managed to use his allotted speaking time to continue excoriating Copening as being hostile to homeowner interests as Orth perceives them to be.

 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Case Updates

 

Readers: This is an update on three recent requests for assistance that were published on behalf of residents.

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On April 28, Stella Giordano asked for help on behalf of a SCA couple. The husband fell in his back yard and believed the fall caused his wedding ring to come off and disappear in his rock landscaping. Stella asked if any readers who own metal detectors could assist in finding the ring.

Four residents visited the couple and scanned the yard thoroughly with their metal detectors in an effort to find the ring.

Unfortunately, the ring was not found, which caused the couple to think that it may have flipped over their fence and down to the rocks bordering the adjacent golf course.

The couple are very grateful to the four residents who rendered assistance, and have sent a heartfelt thank-you card to each of them.

Meanwhile, they took a trip to Galleria Mall and purchased a new wedding band for the husband.

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On May 8, reader Dave Weil asked for recommendations for a reliable contractor to replace his central air-conditioning system.

Readers were asked to contact Dave directly with their recommendations, both pro and con, and many of them did so.

Dave reports that he selected Carl’s Air Conditioning from among the positive suggestions. And the really good news is that the contractor found that the problem was merely an electrical short, which was quickly fixed at minimal expense, thus avoiding the need for an expensive system replacement.

Dave was very pleased with Carl’s service and recommends that company.

But he also created a document that incorporates, verbatim, every recommendation he received, both positive and negative.

Due to liability concerns, I am not publishing Dave’s list here, but I will be happy to e-mail a copy to you if you send me a personal e-mail requesting it.

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On May 9, I published a request on behalf of Lynn Pendleton, who was looking for a SCA buyer for the well-maintained Cadillac that was driven by her late husband, Rich.

Several readers expressed interest and came to see the vehicle.

I’m pleased to report that a deal was closed on May 18 and Lynn has sold the car.

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On behalf of these and other residents who have benefited from the Neighbors Helping Neighbors feature, thank you for showing, over and over, that here in Sun City Anthem, WE CARE!

 

A Resident Could Use Some Cheer

I normally don’t report on health issues affecting SCA residents, as such things are often a private matter.

In this case, I believe an exception is in order.

Former SCA Board member Carl Weinstein is facing heart surgery this week, and once that is out of the way his medical team will have to address some other serious issues that have had Carl going back and forth between the hospital and a rehab facility.

 

 

If you are so inclined, cards and messages addressed to Carl would undoubtedly help speed his recovery. My suggestion is to send your cards and messages to his home address: 2888 Hayden Creek Terrace, 89052.

Carl’s daughter Jenni will receive mail sent to Carl’s address and will get it to him.