Irina Zlatogorova This was my third time interviewing Stuart Watkins, a well-known member of the SaddleBrooke Writers Group, about his published work. This time, however, the focus was different. Stuart served as both co-creator and editor of The Santiago de Cuba, written by his friend William Pitt, Jr. As a result, my questions centered less…
Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg The Golden Years! Why couldn’t the term be the Platinum Years? After all, platinum is more valuable than gold, and seniors are very valuable. Right? The term the Golden Years gained in popularity in the mid-20th century because of the rise in retirement, as a concept of post-World War II, and…
Pam Wakefield Did you know that the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club offers dog-friendly hikes during the cooler months? The hiking calendar designates certain hikes for including your four-legged family member. These are usually between 3.5 to 6 miles and have mild elevation gain. Recently, eight hikers and three dogs, Ari (for the first three letters of…
Connie Kotke Nearly 80 energetic members of the Verde Sputters descended on the SaddleBrooke One putting green for the annual Crazy Putting Day on Feb. 3. What a riot! Everyone was laughing and cheering as teams of four or five players moved around the 18-hole course. Each hole had a unique challenge—from hitting the ball…
Dale Dillon Lips Laughter, hugs, and a whole lot of line dancing took center stage on Feb. 10 as the SaddleBrooke Line Dance Club hosted its annual Valentine’s Party. This year’s event, themed a western “Round Up,” transformed Cadillac Chaparral Steakhouse into a lively dance hall for 83 attendees, including 51 club members and 32…
Melanie Einbund In early February SaddleBrooke audiences were treated to the delight and comedy of Comedy Klatch’s first-rate production riddled with humor and a lot of “belly” laughter. And let us not forget the costumes and scenic design. The backdrops for each scene were generated AI images that were projected onto the stage. Stated on…
Sean Lewis With the wide variety of interests and activities in SaddleBrooke, there might be hundreds of formal and informal groups that all, quite understandably, communicate via email. With the proliferation of email viruses and spam that we all see today—not to mention unnecessary Reply Alls from group members—it’s important that organizers and coordinators of…
Terese Butler Have you always wanted to learn how to swim but didn’t have the chance? Or maybe you gave it a try but found it difficult and didn’t think it was for you? There are a myriad of reasons why you might have stayed away from the pool, but now is the time to…
Unit Two Happy Hour—First Happy Hour of 2026 BK Koch On Jan. 15 approximately 28 Unit Two residents attended the Happy Hour at the Agave. Conversation was flowing like a bubbling brook as friends and neighbors reconnected, and I again was such a Chatty Cathy that I forgot to take photos. A raffle was held,…
Dale Farland It is tax season, and many of us are thinking about reducing our personal Arizona income taxes. Well, here is a legal way to reduce your Arizona income taxes while helping local charities/nonprofits. It is a win-win! A win as you help a charity and a win for you to reduce your Arizona…