Unit 17 – Bye-bye summer
Mary Gelinas
Bye-bye, summer and hello, fall! Unit 17 is already making plans for its fun activities. The social committee met on Sept. 7 to discuss plans for the upcoming events.
Arlene Des Jardins will continue as chair and keep the unit directory up to date. Co-chairs are Betsy Lowry and Linda Gray. David Dodd tracks finances and is the email communicator. Brenda Seaman is our sunshine ambassador. Jake Jacobson keeps the Wednesday night bridge going. Mary and Bob Gelinas will do publicity. Faith Fromson and Patrick Polencheck are freelance, long-time members with a lot of ideas, and will help wherever it is needed. The social committee is always open to new ideas and members, so join in the fun!
Everyone enjoyed the “Summer Bye-Bye” at Elissa and Chris Cochran’s on Aug. 31. The next big event is the Halloween Party on Oct. 30 at the SaddleBrooke One Activity Center. Along with fun and games, there will be an outstanding supper of pizza with all the accompaniments. Costumes are optional, but are a great part of the fun. Watch for the flyer with all the details.
Unit 3-S residents potluck and trivia
Brenda Newitter
On a hot Aug. 15 night in SaddleBrooke, about 30 members of Unit 3-S got together for a scrumptious potluck dinner at the home of Debbie and Bob Muise. The expert cooks made dishes that were from their childhood years: mac and cheese, meat loaf, salad and desserts made from, what else but jello? Everything was delicious!
After dinner, everyone played a fun game of trivia. The question of the night that caused the most “thinking” was, “Who were Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield?” Give up? The Righteous Brothers!
There were four trivia teams of Unit 3-S residents and the winning team won scratch off lottery cards.
Unit 48 News
Madelaine Salas
A warm August evening was perfect for trying out one of the newest northwest-side restaurants. This month, 24 Unit 48 residents ventured out to the recently opened Trident Grill IV located at Ina and Shannon. A surprising number of individuals showed up, since all our winter visitors have left our SaddleBrooke streets pretty empty these days.
We were not disappointed. While the space in which we were seated was probably suited more for a group of 18, and not 24 diners (especially the noisy ones from SaddleBrooke!), it sure produced a lively and spirited dining experience. The restaurant’s décor of exposed ceiling ductwork and garage doors as walls made for a fun sports bar vibe. And with such a wide and varied menu, everyone was easily able to find something to tempt them. Getting food out to a party of our size in a timely and orderly fashion can be a challenge for many restaurants but for a newly-opened restaurant, the Trident seems to have grasped the technique. It was particularly surprising to this reporter, because I believe this was the first time it has ever happened with our group, was that the restaurant manager came out to thank us personally and sincerely for choosing to come out and try the restaurant. It was an appreciated touch. Several new Unit 48 residents bravely joined us that evening. We welcomed Elizabeth Posey, Kirk Warburton, Patrick Travers, and Albert Ericson to our neighborhood. Have a great rest of summer!
Life is great in 48!
Unit 49 Dining Divas
Carole Wenz
This past year has been a great one for the Dining Divas of Unit 49. Beginning with September, the Divas had a garden luncheon at Tohono Chul, followed by a trip in October to Phoenix for a tour and luncheon at the Wrigley Mansion. In November, the ladies stayed close to home with a luncheon at the Mesquite, along with a holiday wine and cocktail tasting with our own Tom Oetinger of Unit 49. December saw us at Vivace’ for a holiday luncheon and gift exchange for 30 ladies. The gift exchange proved to be a fun time with both nice and naughty gifts.
With the start of the new year, our ladies went to the Tucson Museum of Art to see the “Thirty Americans Exhibition,” followed by a luncheon at El Charro. February brought us cold and rain and we had to re-schedule our trip to the Tubac Festival of the Arts for the following day. The weather on Thursday provided us with a great, sunny day, but alas, it was still cold. Shopping at the fair was followed up by a luncheon at the Tubac Golf Club, and a good day was had by all.
In March, we enjoyed an Italian luncheon at Bottega Michelangelo with many of our new ladies in attendance. We did a table sharing of who we were, where we came from, what our hobbies were, and what we were doing in regard to group activities, sports, and crafts in SaddleBrooke. For some of us who have been here for many years, the comment was heard over and over again: “I didn’t know you did that!” April and spring saw us at the Persian Room in Thornydale for our luncheon and a taste of Mediterranean food.
In May, we had a luncheon, catered by Carrabba’s, at Carole Wenz’s house, followed by a swim party and dessert at Gail Thom’s house. A fun time was had by all 22 of us. Cherrill Kallio was the door prize winner of a lovely food basket.
The Dining Divas committee of Carole Wenz, Gail Thom, Denise Anthony, and new member Carol Taylor, are already hard at work planning the luncheons and tours for the 2019-20 year.