Image Up Advertising & Design

| LIFE IN SOLERA | FEBRUARY 2022 | 29 November 2021, tennis players submitted a proposal to the Solera Management and the Solera Board of Directors to build four new pickleball courts. We ask that the Solera Board make a decision to proceed and get professional estimates and opinions on the feasibility. This would be the size of one tennis court. We could not do this on the "Sports Courts" because of the angled corners. Tennis players and pickleball players are working to come to an agreement on this. These courts would do a lot to enhance our community, increase the value of our homes, and attract buyers who are looking for tennis and pickleball courts available at all times. According to real estate representatives, this addition to our community would probably add up to $10,000 to our home values. Proposal: • Build four lighted pickleball courts (the size of one tennis court) in the parking lot area adjacent to Fairway and across from the bocce ball courts. The position of the courts can be moved in any desired area of the parking lot as long as they are orientated north and south and not in the easement. • These courts would also provide a place where pickleball nets would be permanently installed to accommodate a minimum of 16 players at one time for play, practice, or instruction, eliminating the current hazards on the sports courts . Their numbers keep growing and so do the number of tennis players. Currently, the Capital improvement account, that is designated to be used to improve common areas, has a balance of $438,000. Hopefully, the Solera community and the HOA Board will support this proposal. We have so many opportunities in our community: tennis, pickleball, line dancing, golfing, billiards, Bicycle Chain Gang, dance fitness, bocce ball, ping-pong, Zumba, cribbage, scrabble, bridge, Minnesota Canasta, Bunco, crafting clubs, mahjong, Bon Appetit, concerts, Texas Hold 'em, hiking, field trips, holiday celebrations, aqua aerobics, history club, radio club, sippers, quilting, knitting/ crocheting, Tole painting, chair yoga, indoor track and the Fitness Center to name a few! Please help to support this addition to our already impressive, beautiful community. ~ Shirley Ferguson TENNIS TITANS Pickleball was invented in the 1960s in Washington state, but only recently has seen a huge growth in popularity; it now routinely attracts more players than tennis in age 55 and older housing developments. The USA Pickleball Association, which is headquartered in Surprise, Arizona, calls it "the fastest growing sport in North America." It is even starting to make a splash on the high seas. So much so that it was recently added to the sports offered on all 14 Holland America ships. Other cruise lines, including Princess and Regent Seven Seas, also have added pickleball to some of their ships. Surely, there will be more coming. Erik Elvejord, Holland America's director of public relations, says adding pickleball to the company's ships was a no-brainer "because of many requests we were getting from guests. I think the cruise industry has figured out that pickleball is a very inexpensive way to attract and entertain their passengers and will soon become a must- have on-board activity," he says. "It is super easy to learn to play, great fun for all ages and creates camaraderie among fellow shipmates." Tino Carrillo, the Volendam's assistant cruise director who oversees the ship's sports – table tennis, shuffleboard, basketball and pickleball – says the latter has been a hit with the ship's mostly older clientele. "You typically play doubles, so it's less tiring than some other sports," he says. "It's more accessible for everybody. It's something fresh and new that more and more people are enjoying playing." C'mon out and play what others already know – and love – pickleball! We play Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays 9 to 11 am ish (winter hours). For more information, feel free to contact either Sue Miller at (503) 702-4273 or Sandy Stearn at (951) 797-0991. PICKLEBALL PADDLERS

• Cover