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As the season draws to a close and the Arizona From the General Manager spring is upon us, I`d like to thank you all for choosing to spend your winter with us at Palm Creek. I am honored to work with this team of dedicated employees and acknowledge the focus and long hours that go into making Palm Creek happen. I would also like to thank all the tireless individuals, clubs and groups that provide our residents with diverse opportunities to participate, learn and experience activities that will enhance their lives. As we move towards next season there will be some changes that we are excited about. We hope these changes will also enhance your experience at Palm Creek. During the summer months we will keep you posted as things progress. Kevin Flynn I wish you all a safe and happy journey and look forward to seeing you again next fall. General Manager —Kevin
Looking for Tips to Summerize Your Home or RV? Stop by Guest Services to pick up our helpful brochure!
Notice anything different in this month’s edition of The Happenings? Yes, we have combined event and activity information with ads that normally would appear in the Ad Corner. Several advertisers expressed interest in advertising to our year-round residents so we have combined our publications into one. You’ll see this combination through September. Expect to see an edition of The Happenings published each month now!
3 Guest Services
Another wonderful season is coming to an end. Thank you for choosing to spend your winters at Palm Creek! To our annual guests: As always, don’t forget to check out with Guest Services so we can note you have left the resort and stop your sewer & trash charges. To our seasonal guests: Please make sure to pay any outstanding utility bills before you depart. Don’t forget to return your mailbox keys. You can return them to Guest Services, the Mail Room or leave them in the Guest Services door in an envelope with your name and site # on them. There is a $5 charge for unreturned keys. Remember to pull out to the left when leaving your site. Christy Kochen Behrens Guest Services Manager And, don’t forget to make your reservation for next year! For the first time this year, we were sold out during February and we anticipate next season to be just as busy so don’t wait to get your favorite site for next season!
OVERFLOW PARKING: ALL cars must be removed from overflow parking by April 30th. For those of you staying this summer, the overflow parking area at the North Gate will be available.
COVERING YOUR CARS: It’s best if you don’t cover your cars at all as the tarps don’t withstand the wind very well. But if you choose to, please remember to secure the tarps; and you may NOT use blue tarps.
FIELD STORAGE: ALL rigs must be removed from field storage by April 30th. If you need to leave your rig here over the summer, it must be moved to a site in the southeastern section of the park. Please contact Guest Services for details and to reserve a site. Please note that Guest Services’ hours will change, effective April 20th. Our hours will be Monday thru Friday, 8:00am—4:00pm. Have a wonderful summer! —Christy
Last summer we switched to the Sun referral program – SunRewardMe. There was a little confusion as to how the new program worked so we were lenient in referral procedures. However, moving forward, it is important that you enter your referrals into www.SunRewardMe.com PRIOR to your referee making their reservation.
Also, only enter one name (i.e., “John Smith”) as opposed to a couple (i.e., John & Betty Smith). Finally, the program issues the rewards after your referee vacates the park.
Please contact Guest Services if you have additional questions. As always, we appreciate your referrals!
4 5 Events and Activities
Thank you to everyone who participated in our events throughout the season. I really do appreciate all your positive feedback, which inspires and motivates me to find new and exciting things for us to do. I’m still here for the month of April and will be planning all our fun for next season, so rest up over the summer! See you in the fall! —Marion
Marion Nelson Event Manager
Here we are at the closing of our winter season when all of our snowbird friends will be leaving us. We will miss all of you, but we look forward to your return in the fall.
The Activities Office will be open until April 12th. We will continue to hold activities for our full-time residents and look forward to our Cinco de Mayo celebration in May. The number of activities will be reduced, especially during construction, but we want to give our residents opportunities to socialize during the summer.
We have a lot to look forward to with our new and larger Ballroom. I would like all of you to know that seating will be different than what you are used to, so if you are requesting a certain seat or table I would like to remind you that they will not be in the same location as in the past. I will not know specific locations until I can actually go into the new Mary Ann Brown ballroom and set up tables and chairs to see what will work for us. Activities Manager I have a clipboard in the office for any suggestions on new bus trips for this upcoming season. I would love to see any ideas that you have.
To those of you heading out for the summer, I wish all of you a safe and happy trip home and I look forward to seeing you this fall.
—Mary Ann
Marion Nelson presents a $4,312 check to Casa Grande Fire Department, representing funds raised through the sold-out Firemen’s Spaghetti dinner this year.
6 7 Events and Activities Tuesday, Apr 11th Let’s do one last Nine-and-Dine! Monday, Apr 3rd We will have a shotgun start at It’s Bingo! Doors open at 9:00am with lunch on the Bistro 5:30pm, card sales at 6:00pm Patio at 11:00am. Cost is $23 for and Bingo starts at 7:00pm in golf, lunch and prizes. Sign up at the Pro Shop. the Ballroom.
Wednesday, Apr 12th Wednesday—Sunday, Apr 5—9th It’s our last day of the Why not join in the activities of the season for The Bistro. Good Sam Rally? Pick up a copy of Come by for a tasty their program in Activities starting breakfast or lunch! April 2nd.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ARIZONA REPUBLIC SUBCRIBERS The Circulation Department at the Arizona Republic has indicated subscribers must contact their department prior to leaving for the season, or you will continue to be billed for a subscription regardless of what you indicated on your order form. They suggest contacting their department three to four days prior to your leaving, so you can make sure the paper is stopped. You need to call (602) 444-1000 to stop the paper. After the first prompt, press zero (0) and you will get to a “real” person to speak with you. —Activities Office Save the Date
May 5th: Cinco de Mayo Celebration Join us to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Friday, May 5th, at noon in the SanTan Room. Lunch will be catered by Macayo’s. The cost is only $5 pp. BYOB. Purchase tickets by April 28th from Guest Services.
8 Water Aerobics Club News Starting April 3rd, water aerobics will be conducted once daily at the North Pool at 8:30am. As the weather gets warmer, the time will change to 8:00am, but Linda will announce the date later in the season.
Duplicate Bridge We will continue to play in the Sonora North Room at 6:00pm until sometime the second week of April. The exact date will be announced.
History Book Club Dave Reiter will be staying here until early May! He will continue the ever-growing Palm Creek History Book Club. Meetings are in the Cholla Room, every Thursday at 6:30pm. All are welcome to join, or just to observe. Need info? Email [email protected], or call 314-406-2359.
Poker Texas Hold’em is played year-round at the resort. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, tournament play starts at 6:30pm. If we have enough players, you can bet we’ll play! We will hold Ladies Poker on Tuesday, April 4th, at 6:30pm. We will canvas the group at that time to determine future Ladies Poker dates. Omaha Hi/Lo is played on Tuesdays and Sundays at 6:30pm, as well as on Saturdays at 1:00pm. Poker is played in the Adobe Room.
The North Gate Closes April 15th
9 Club News Pottery Starting April 3rd, our pottery Studio will be open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Come start your summer projects! We will close in October for a few weeks for cleaning and prep for opening for the winter season on November 6th.
Cardio Aprilates Cardio Aprilates class runs thru Thursday, April 6th. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am—9:30am in the Ballrooom. Class will resume October 17 for the 2017/2018 season.
Tennis Club Our tennis program is slowing down this month, but at the same time going strong! We have quite a few who stay through April. Tennis in Palm Creek will stay busy thru April 10th, when organized play ends. We will still have informal play early morning thru mid- May. Come on out for some exercise! The 2016/2017 season was too busy.....is that possible? No it is not! Our club loved all of the tournaments, including the Inter-Club tournaments with Cottonwood in Chandler, the Leagues, Round Robins, Clinics, Social Play, Wednesday Happy Hours and the never-ending fabulous Social Parties! Thanks to our wonderful teams of Tennis Volunteers and to Sun Communities for their support.
Bicycle Club The Palm Creek Bicycle Club is headed up by Dave Reiter. Dave will be here at Palm Creek until early May. The Bike Club rides Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. He welcomes self-sufficient riders, with helmets and extra tubes. Mileage averages 30/50, 12/15mph. Email [email protected] for ride schedule.
“I’m pretty sure that eating chocolate keeps wrinkles away because I have never seen a 10 year old with a Hershey bar and crows feet.” ― Amy Neftzger
10 In Review
11 In Review
12 In Review
13 In Review
14 In Review
15 Sales
It’s Time to Design Your Dream House!
With the announcement of our expansion plans comes the opportunity for you to design that home you have always dreamed of. Maybe you’d like a spacious Village Home or perhaps a more compact Resort Cottage. Maybe you’d like RV parking or a garage or a shed. Whatever your dream looks like, you can make it come true now at Palm Creek. All new homes now include a landscaping package (wall, pavers, planter boxes and more). So you’ll get the landscaping package PLUS a two or three year rent incentive and a seven year home warranty! Isn’t the Easter Bunny nice?
Stop by to talk with one of our sales agents and let us help you make your dream home a reality. Let’s get started now so that your home will be ready when you return next season.
16 The Sales Team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who purchased a home this Sales season. We truly appreciate your joining the Palm Creek community.
If you return home and decide you’d like to purchase a home, just call us. We are here all summer to help you!
Wow, what a season! And it is still going strong.
Purchase your home this month and have it ready when you return in the Fall . We have only two golf course sites left. It’s time to build that dream home!
We still have a wonderful selection of move-in ready two bedroom, two bath homes. They are approximately 900—1300 square feet.
We also do have a great selection of pre-owned homes. These homes range from 400 square feet to Nancy Paupst 1200 sq. ft. and are listed at all price points. Sales Manager During the summer month please take advantage of our “ FLY, DRIVE and BUY” program. If you travel here during the summer and purchase a new home you will be reimbursed $1,000.00 of your travel expenses.
Have a great summer!
—Nancy
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SALES HOURS
Monday—Friday 9:00am—4:00pm Saturday and Sunday 11:00am—4:00pm Until April 15th
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Pro Shop It is hard to believe that April is here already. Where did the season go? On behalf of the Pro Shop staff, Starters and Marshals, it was a pleasure to have all of you here this season and we hope you enjoyed our new events. Golf leagues are winding down and will end the first or second week of April. Our “happy hour” special will continue to run until the end of the month. This is unlimited golf after 4:30pm for $8 per person. Our hours of operation in April for the first two weeks are 7:30am to 5:00pm. Our hours of operation from the 16th through the 30th are 7:30am to 3:00pm daily. The Pro Shop will close for the season on April 30th. Come visit the Pro Shop all month in April for our end of season “spin and win” sale. Come spin the wheel and receive discounts of up to 60% off Pro Shop merchandise.
Mark A. Kenner, PGA If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Pro Shop.
The Club Championship was a huge success with 73 players participating this year. The results are as follows:
Men’s: Women’s:
4th flight gross Larry Marik 3rd flight gross Brenda Sessions 4th flight net Mike LaGuire 3rd flight net Remy Maul 3rd flight gross Johnny Prewitt 2nd flight gross Mary Ann Hansen
3rd flight net Jerry Rich 2nd flight net Lorna Hatton 2nd flight gross John Bywater 1st flight gross Barbara Ellis 2nd flight net Ken Fullington 1st flight net Vicki Wilson 1st flight gross Steve Poseler Overall Gross Champion Barbara Ellis 1st flight net Bill Bragg Overall Net Champion Brenda Sessions Overall Gross Champion Steve Poseler
Overall Net Champion Jerry Rich
Golf Chuckle “Actually, the only time I ever took out a one-iron was to kill a tarantula. And I took a 7 to do that.” – Jim Murray
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Pro Shop
Larry Foss Denny Holliday Feb 10th Feb 12th Hole #5 Hole #16
19 The Bistro This season has gone by so fast. It’s hard to believe it’s time to write my last newsletter. The Bistro’s last day of the season will be April 12. I am so looking forward to next season since I’m sure you have read about our new kitchen. I plan on being very busy working on new menu ideas for the Bistro, patio lunches, and working with Marion on great meals for dining in our newly expanded ballroom. Thank you to so many people who have made my first season as Kitchen Manager enjoyable, challenging, exhausting and most of all rewarding. Have a safe and happy summer. See you next season!
Robin Perry After 15 years of living at Palm Food Service Manager Creek and 6 years being the Sports Grill Supervisor, Bob and Sherian Fahrenbruch will be moving on to a new phase in their life. They have bought a new home, in the country in Colorado and will be moving closer to their family. Bob said they want to get back to their hobbies and he is ready to start back doing what he loves the most which is wood working. Sherian is going to fire up her kiln and do glass and jewelry projects. Having their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren there is also Bob Fahrenbruch an added bonus. I personally want to thank Bob and Sherian for the Sports Grill dedication that they have always expressed running the Sports Grill. They Supervisor will be greatly missed and hard to replace. Thank you to you both and we wish them all the best!
My gosh, here it is April already. The time went by so fast. Be sure to return your Mail box Mail Room key to us and tell us what you would like done with any mail that arrives after you leave. We will go over a couple of options with you when you come in.
We will be going to our summer hours on April 24th. The Mail Room will be open Mon-Fri 10:00am—2:00pm, closed Saturdays and Sundays. There will be no delivery of mail on Saturdays.
Please be sure to contact us about two weeks before your return at (520) 876-8978 or [email protected], so we may pull your labels and stop forwarding your mail.
I want to say “Thank you” to our Mail Room staff that worked so hard this winter dealing with record breaking packages and mail. What a special dedicated crew they are and are truly appreciated! Donna Cox Mail Room Supervisor May you have safe travels home and a very “Happy Easter.”
20 Community News Market on the Move Date: Saturday, April 1st Time: 8:00—11:00am The first Saturday of every month come and enjoy this farmers market-like atmosphere is where we will bring in truckloads of produce and for a donation of $10, you can get up to 60 lbs. of fresh produce which you can share with everyone. Please bring a box or basket to bring your produce home. Produce is first come first serve so we recommend arriving early. Location: Sun Life Center For Children located at 1856 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande.
Country Thunder Date: Thursday, April 6th thru Sunday, April 9th Time: Varies If the top names in country music interest you, consider Country Thunder in Florence. Blake Shelton, Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, the Oakridge Boys, as well as many other country groups will be performing at this 23rd annual country music festival. For more information so to www.arizona.countrythunder.com. Location: 20585 E. Price Station Rd., Florence, AZ 85132
Easter Celebration Date: Saturday, April 14th Time: 9:00—11:00am Casa Grande celebrates Easter with egg hunts, Easter basket making, egg decorating, crafts and photos with the Easter Bunny. Free admission. Location: Paul Mason Park, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande, AZ 85122.
Party in the Park Concert Series Date: Friday, April 21st Time: 6:00—9:00pm A series of free concerts are held at Peart Park from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in the spring and fall seasons. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and start your weekend off right with an evening in the park. For more information, call (520) 421-8760. Location: Peart Park, 350 E 6th St, Casa Grande, AZ 85122.
Movie in the Park Date: Friday, April 28th Time: 6:00—9:00pm Grab your lawn chair and head over to Paul Mason Park for Disney’s Moana. Free admission. Pre-show activities start at 6:00pm; the movie starts at 7:30pm. Location: Paul Mason Park, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande, AZ 85122.
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Key Telephone Numbers
Guest Services (520) 421-7000 All other offices (520) 876-xxxx
Activities x8980
Billiards x7953
Bistro x7950 Food Services x8982 Gate House x8960 Guest Services x7000
Kitchen x7914 Lapidary x7968
Mail Room x8978
Pottery Room x7972
Pro Shop x8971
Rental Office x8933
Sales x8993
Sewing Room x7975
Silversmith x7966
Social Media x8918
Stained Glass x7919
Wood Shop x7954
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