EXPANSION PLANS FOR PALM CREEK

Here's the announcement we've all been waiting for!!!!  Sun Communities is going to pour MILLIONS of dollars into our wonderful resort!  This flyer will appear in all mailboxes today.  

The most anticipated construction will be an expansion of our existing ballroom.

◌ Ballroom will increase from 6,945 S.F. to 17,845 S.F.

◌ Current seating capacity will increase from 400 to 800 persons (may vary by event)

◌ Stage area will increase from 780 S.F. to 885 S.F.

◌ Addition of storage/dressing room will be added behind stage

◌ Kitchen will increase from 650 S.F. to 2,400 S.F.

◌ New 935 S.F. lobby area with drop off zone

◌ Newly expanded restroom facilities

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The north east corner of the property will be developed from this:

 to this:

New larger home sites with room for oversized sheds or garages

PHASE 3B & 3C 

◌ 99 additional RV spaces indicated by red starbursts

 ◌ 2 new fenced pet parks with adjacent shade pavilions

 ◌ Large premium 50’ x 70’ greenbelt home sites will accommodate custom homes and rear patios 

◌ Large premium end cap home sites will accommodate garages for oversized sheds 

◌ Walking and fitness trail

Home with RV parking

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A NEW AMENITIES AREA (northeast corner)

AMENITIES COMPLEX Amenities complex will include: a pool, shade pavilion, lawn area, bath house, laundry, mail center and assembly room

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Larger lots available in Phase 1

Sites eligible for lot conversion in Phase 1: 

Sites 749-832 and Sites 303-358 

(Expand from 3 sites to just 2 sites)

Space available for larger homes at this side of the park.

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New Building for Pro Shop and Gift Shop

◌ New Pro Shop/Gift Shop building with drive-up loading/unloading 

◌ Extended pergola coverage of outside areas 

◌ Redesigned practice green 

◌ Additional golf cart parking

Expanded Bistro with inside dining area:

◌ Indoor Bistro seating for 50 persons 

◌ Addition of 3 fire pits

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Sewing room will be relocated:

◌ Relocated to area north of lawn bowling and model homes, indicated by red starburst 

◌ New landscaping and exterior enhancement 

◌ Set at ground level 

◌ Additional parking - easy access

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RV STORAGE and OVERFLOW PARKING

◌ RV/ATV storage will be available on select sites with new home sales in Phase 3 

◌ Summer (off season: 4/1-12/1) RV storage is available 

◌ Winter (in season: 12/2-3/31) RV/ATV storage will be available  for 2017/2018 season - limited to 60 storage spaces 

◌ Limited overflow car/truck parking will be available by permit until 5/1/2018 at the rate of $40/month 

◌ Storage/parking reservations will be accepted on or after 9/1 each year on a first-come basis

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PARK PHONE SYSTEM

The Palm Creek in-house phone system will be discontinued as of 7/1/2017. Obsolete analog equipment has outlived its useful lifespan. We have identified some modern cost effective alternatives for our residents not already using cell phone technology. Log on to www.magicjack.com.

(We'll miss the convenience of the phone system but understand how the analog equipment is obsolete.  Welcome to the digital age!)

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This will be an exciting summer for us!!  You can bet that Don and I will be out with cameras in hand getting lots of photos for you folks back home.  Stay tuned!  

Another Quilt of Valor Awarded

Mike Murrin was presented with a Palm Creek Quilt of Valor on Friday, February 24, 2017.  Mike is a Vietnam Era Army veteran.  The quilt was made by Diana Shane of the Palm Creek Quilt Guild.  

Many members of the Palm Creek Quilt Guild make Quilts of Valor.  These ladies enjoy sewing and quilting; but they also want to show their gratitude to members of the military for their service to our country. The Quilts of Valor project is our way of saying "thank you" to the men and women who dedicate their time and efforts to protect us and our great country.

The Palm Creek Quilt Guild makes and presents Quilts to both United States and Canadian military.  Mike Murrin was the recipient of the quilt given away as a door prize at the Palm Creek Quilt Show as part of the Quilt of Valor display.

Diana Shane is on the right in the photograph, Mike's wife is to his left and next to her is Maureen Edwards, one of the Quilt of Valor coordinators for Palm Creek.Mike Murrow was presented with a Palm Creek Quilt of Valor on Friday, February 24, 2017.  Mike is a Vietnam Era Army veteran.  The quilt was made by Diana Shane of the Palm Creek Quilt Guild.  

Many members of the Palm Creek Quilt Guild make Quilts of Valor.  These ladies enjoy sewing and quilting; but they also want to show their gratitude to members of the military for their service to our country. The Quilts of Valor project is our way of saying "thank you" to the men and women who dedicate their time and efforts to protect us and our great country.

The Palm Creek Quilt Guild makes and presents Quilts to both United States and Canadian military.  Mike Murrin was the recipient of the quilt given away as a door prize at the Palm Creek Quilt Show as part of the Quilt of Valor display.

Diana Shane is on the right in the photograph, Mike's wife is to his left and next to her is Maureen Edwards, one of the Quilt of Valor coordinators for Palm Creek.

Internet News from Gary Lambert

I received this message from Gary Lambert early this morning:

Sue… Please pass along…

A quick status update on the residential internet system. Many of you had lodged complaints that the internet was slow or that you were having trouble connecting to web pages over the past couple of weeks. Dish diagnosed a hardware problem, and that part was replaced on Friday afternoon. That fixed part of the problem, but it quickly became apparent that there were still issues. They finally uncovered a networking bottleneck (Not hardware at Palm Creek) that was holding up communications and making the network look slow. Those issues were resolved yesterday afternoon, and I have already heard from a couple of residents who say it is now back to normal.

The Resort is fuller than it has ever been, and the network is running much faster than it ever has. As we push the performance up, the weak spots are exposed.  This has happened twice so far this season. Some things you just don’t see until the system is loaded up. I realize that this is a problem for some, but every time we uncover and fix issues of this sort, the network becomes stronger as a result. I apologize for this inconvenience, but we are determined to make it fast and reliable for the benefit of all, and we will strive to quickly fix these sorts of issues as they are uncovered.

As always you are welcome to contact me at glambert@suncommunities.com with any questions or issues that you may have.

Thank you for your patience.

Gary Lambert

Operations Manager

Internet Interruption

Just received this note from Gary Lambert:

Sue,

Please pass along…

Today at about 2:30 we had to do an emergency repair on the internet. Some have been complaining about the internet going up and down at their sites for seemingly no reason. Dish has been working on this, and has determined that it is probably a part that is failing. They asked for and I gave them permission to shut the system down for approximately 30 minutes this afternoon to correct the problem. If we let it get worse, many people might have difficulty over the weekend (or worse, it could go hard down), so I figured it was best to do it now and prevent a weekend full of issues.

I apologize for the lack of warning on this, but hopefully it is worth it.

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*My comment:  Yes.  An ounce of prevention is better than a whole weekend without internet.  Thank you, Gary!

Tennis Club Cancer Donation

Congratulations to the entire Tennis Club for their enthusiasm and fund raising for the Cancer Awareness weekend.  Today they donated $2,345 on behalf of their members.

Marion Nelson, Roberta Gill, Don Baggett, Kevin Flynn

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Computer Club Meeting for this Wednesday, February 15, 9:30 in the SanTan Room.
Our guest speaker will be Sandy Morin to talk about the history and intricacies of the electronic bulletin board called "NextDoor".

I'll also be there to talk about the Palm Creek blogs and different ways we communicate throughout Palm Creek.  Come join us for some great information.

Pickleball Addicts

OMG!  Larry Barnhart sent this photo we thought worth sharing.  That's definitely dedication to their sport.

Photo was taken December 2016 in Wenatchee Washington.

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Let's take a quick walk down the corridor in the Admin building.  

The front desk is constantly busy with registering guests:

Across the hall is the billiards room.

Then comes the busy library:

The mail room is bustling with newcomers checking in and others picking up packages.

Last stop down the hallway is the silversmithing lab.  Lots of activity there too.

In other words, the whole joint is jumping.

It's time for some peace and quiet while we enjoy the sunshine.  How about a game of Mahjong out on the patio?  

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Received a cute email from a Canadian friend.

COMPUTER TRAINING -- Geeks on Tour

Want to learn more about your smartphone, iPad, tablet, or computer???  Mark your calendars now!

Chris and Jim Guld from "Geeks on Tour" will be staying here for a few days between the FMCA rally in Chandler and the Escapade in Tucson.  They are willing to present some of their best seminars to our Palm Creek residents too.

Saturday, March 11, 12:30 to 3:00  SanTan Room
     What does this button do?  Smartphones!  Everyone is getting them, but do they know what they have?  These are computers that also happen to make phone calls.  There is a lot to know about how to use them - and that's not even counting all the Apps!


Sunday, March 12, 12:30 to 4:00  SanTan Room
     To all the club and activity members:  This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about your blog or website as a communication tool to your members.
     To RV travelers and especially full-timers!  Learn how to create a simple blog to keep as a journal of your travel and adventures.  Paste photos and/or videos of your trips to share with family and friends back home.
   

Blogs-2

Blogging; Every Group Needs a Blog

For people who already have a blog, or those who just want to see what can be included beyond the simple journal type of website. The seminar will use Blogger.com and Windows Live Writer to demonstrate how to include YouTube videos, Google Photos Slideshows and map images in your blog posts or sidebars. You will also learn how to integrate the Facebook and Twitter micro-blogging environments with your main blog.  Perfect for clubs.

#7 Every Traveler Needs a  Blog

Blogger: Make a Free Website and Online Photo Album

Making your own free website and online photo album using Blogger and Google Photos. Imagine taking that trip of a lifetime. Blogger gives you a free and easy-to-maintain website for the stories, photos, maps and videos of that trip. You can then print a coffee table book to remember the trip for years to come.  Or … if you have a hobby, club, or small business to share with the world, a website is the way to do it! This seminar will introduce you to Google’s free website and photo tools, Blogger.com and Google Photos Albums.  Learn how to start a Blog/Website and add stories, photos, maps, and videos with Geeks on Tour’s easy to understand, step-by-step instructions.

Wednesday, March 15, 9:30 to 4:00 SanTan Room

     Come join us at our weekly Computer Club meeting where Jim and Chris will be our guest speakers.  The topic is Google Photos showing us how to post and share our photos in the cloud.  We'll also be discussing Picasa editing tools and how to organize all your photos.  We'll even discuss the camera options on our cell phones.  Break for lunch and join us on the Palm Creek pool patio.  The afternoon session will be a continuation of all of the above topics.

Be sure to bring your computer, smartphones, tablets, iPads, etc. for hands on training.  Classes are FREE.

Sign up on the Computer Club clipboard in the Activities Office or email Sue Hepler at suehepler1707@gmail.com

They're Here

Remember the famous line: .... "Build it and they shall come?"

Well....they're here!

The park is absolutely brimming with fun loving people enjoying all the resort has to offer.  

My morning ride around the park showed only a very few open spaces.  Almost every site is filled.  I heard from a staff member that we're at an all time high capacity.  Bravo!!!

I'd like to meet the folks who decorate this cactus every season.  I'll bet they're a lot of fun.  It's not easy to dress a cactus!

 Monday I stopped in the Adobe Room to see what was going on in there with all the women.  Oh.....it is the Yarns and Threads group busy at work.  They used to be called the "Red Work" group but have changed their name to get more people to join.

My Grandma would have called it a quilting bee or a sewing bee as it looks like a group of friends just get together to work on their individual projects and enjoy the company.

Talk about intricate needlework!!!  Wow!

Many of the girls were working on blankets.  They used up their odd yarns to make Grannie squares and then they're knitting them all together to make lovely warm gifts for needy folks.

If you like to knit or crochet ... or any kind of needle work, they'd love to have you join them.  Looks like a very friendly group.

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Line dancing is another very popular event.  I stopped in and took a quick beginner's class with DeeDee.  She is a fantastic instructor!  

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This is the week of the Palm Creek pickleball tournament.  Hundreds of players are gathered to watch and participate in the activity.  The weather is absolutely perfect too!

Tournament or no tournament, all 32 courts are filled any day I wander over there.

Donna Christiansen is the president this year so was busy overlooking the event.

Congratulations to the whole group that not only play the game but also volunteer to manage and staff their events.  They hold daily round robins, lessons, tournaments, maintain the courts, work the concessions, etc.  They're very dedicated to their sport.

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       Getting older has some fun moments.  My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 pounds .... only have 15 to go.

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Ate salad for dinner, mostly croutons & tomatoes... Really, just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce... And cheese... OK, it was a pizza... I ate a pizza.

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I don't mean to brag, but I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hoursand 20 minutes.

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