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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JUNE 2021 | 3 By Marsha Midgett The elections are over and the new board is seated. Their focus is to ensure that all operations are running smoothly and that the community governing documents are followed. We are working together with FirstService Residential to keep our beautiful community the best-kept secret in California. I would like to thank Sandy Moyer, Jack Sidwell, Dan Comerford, and Frank DiNucci for dedicating their time and effort on behalf of Sun Lakes over the past years. How did June get here so fast this year? It should be a fun one with Charity Week just around the corner. Every volunteer has been hard at work organizing a wonderful week of activities for Sun Lakers and friends to enjoy. More importantly, through the Sun Lakes Charitable Trust, many organizations in our area benefit from your generosity. This year, more than most, our help is needed. Come out, enjoy the fun, and be a part of starting the process of getting back to Sun Lakes "normal!" This past year some of our residents and staff have stepped up and improved our communications through the website, Facebook, and Channel 97. We have many new residents who moved in during the year and haven't really seen Sun Lakes in action. With COVID restrictions, open Board Meetings were a challenge in providing an avenue for members to attend virtually. The talents of Bob Murri and Lee Stone came to the forefront. They have spent countless hours volunteering behind the scenes to get up-to-date information to you in a timely manner. They have worked to continually improve our method of communication. Their dedication to meet the needs of our residents is greatly appreciated. Thank you Bob and Lee! We will soon start formulating the budget for 2022. Our goal is to keep the assessment increase as low as possible. This will be a challenge. The mandatory wage increase will be a factor. As our community ages, repair and replacement costs will be increased. The irrigation system on the golf course will need to be evaluated and possibly replaced. We are looking into expanding the Lounge, an expensive venture that will need the support of the community. The drought-tolerant landscape on the golf course will need to be discussed. Vendors have kept their rates low over the past few years but rising costs with wages and materials will impact our budget. These are just a few areas that will be up for discussion as we look forward to 2022. If you are interested in attending the budget meetings in person, please look for information about open budget meetings. For the past 14 months, social media has been the lifeline to the world outside Sun Lakes. This has been a positive way to stay connected with friends and family. What I have noticed though are some posts are negative and hurtful against other Sun Lakers. Rumors are shared and theories that are not true grow and fester. Before you buy into those theories, please make a phone call to the Administration Office or Board members to verify the validity of information you see in a social media post. I would like to share something Jason Ewals wrote when he was the Recreation Director. Jason states, "As the author B.D. Hawkey once said, 'Good manners cost nothing. Bad manners can cost you your reputation.' With that said, remember to treat others with respect and kindness. This can be achieved by opening a door for a fellow resident or sharing the swimming pool lanes with others when space is limited. With Sun Lakes being such a tight-knit community, keep in mind that everyone interacts with one another on any given day. The way you treat others is the way you will be perceived throughout the community. To ensure your reputation is held in high regard, it's important to treat others the way you would like to be treated. We have to live together, why not get along with one another?" This is just as relevant today as it was then, maybe more so. This past year has been difficult in many ways. As we open our amenities and meet in a normal fashion, let's keep our focus on enjoying each other and finding the good in all. Be kind to one another. Hopefully, by now we are enjoying the Bar, Lounge and Veranda, as well as the Restaurant. Enjoy spending time with your friends and family in our wonderful community at the start of a fun and hopefully, a normal summer. I will leave you with a quote, something Sandy Moyer did each month. I think this one is apropos as we try to return to a more normal way of life. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Gandhi From the President's Desk

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