October 2020 Newsletter

October 1, 2020    News   

2020 at Silveridge:

A Conversation with George Igualt

By Dale Dauten

Of all the lighthearted comments made about this strange and trying year, these are my two favorites (both anonymous): First…

“2020 is like looking both ways before crossing the street

and then getting hit by an airplane.”

 

And, there’s this one on staying home and social distancing…

 

“Struck up a conversation with a spider today.

Seems nice.

He’s a web designer.”

Yes, it’s a better-to-laugh-than-cry kind of year. And it’s the time of year when it’s a good idea to check in on what’s going on at Silveridge. So we sat down for a conversation with George Igualt, President of property management company McGill Investments. Here are the highlights:

What will the season look like? What activities will we available?

First, I want you to know that our Activities Director, Sue Arneson, is back and ready to have as full a schedule of activities as possible. (You can read her letter below for details.)

The safety of our residents and staff is, of course, our first priority. We’re getting guidance from the Governor’s Office, the County and the City of Mesa. Each have guidelines, and those can change, so we’re working at keeping up with them and following the templates. Our mantra is DO THE RIGHT THING. It’s just not worth it to force an event.

However, we are lucky that we have a lot of open space and big facilities. When we had a residents’ meeting a few months back we were able to have more than a hundred people and still keep everyone six feet apart.

We are now working with tennis and softball and other groups to figure out how to keep safe. For some events, we’ll have to limit the number of tickets, based on social distancing.

In short, we want to have as many as activities as we can, adjusting the capacity to be safe and to meet guidelines. Everything will be on a trial basis – that’s just the way things have to be right now.

Besides issues with covid, what’s been going on with the park over the summer?

When people come back this season, I think they’ll notice a change. We’ve been touching up the whole property. Plus, we’ve done a big cleanup, and we’re bringing up the infrastructure. One thing I’m particularly pleased about:

We now have lights on the pickleball courts.

That sport just keeps getting more popular – about one-quarter of the park is now involved — so it’s great to extend the window of playing time.

Also, we’re in the midst of upgrading the pool area. We’re redoing of the water feature, and we’ve been working on the landscaping, and we added the speakers for music.

I’m a believer that the property should be kept up all year round. I know that there are people who treat the winter season the way some people are about their homes – the ones who only clean up the house before company comes over. But we have more year-round residents now and we want a beautiful park for them; and, no matter when residents come to the park, I want them to see that their investment is being kept up.

Lastly, there are people who missed the management update meeting and who are wondering, what happened with the management of the parks, and how things are working now?

We redesigned our management structure to make it simpler and more responsive. With the other properties I’m responsible for, the structure has always been clear: There’s an Office Manager and a Maintenance Manager and those two are responsible for the park. That’s the way it is here now at Silveridge.

The system works because it’s simple and clear. It’s like a hotel: if a light goes out in the bathroom, who do you call? You don’t call Mr. Hilton. You call the Front Desk. And they know exactly what to do to get the problem fixed. It’s the same here – you see something amiss, you let the folks at the Front Desk know and it gets fixed. Same with the renting of units or selling a unit or checking on availability for an RV – it’s all through the Front Desk.

I can tell you that the new streamlined management is working – most problems are taken care of the same day, or within a day or two.

GEORGE SENT US PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE PARK, INCLUDING SOME “BEFORE” PICTURES, TO ILLUSTRATE THE WORK BEING DONE…

A New Beginning! 

Message From Sue 
Hello My Dear Friends, 
This is a short message to let you know that we will have activities at Silveridge for our 2020-2021 season. There will be more restrictions than in the past; however, we will continue to have fun, food and fellowship! 
Yes, there are some guidelines / rules we have adopted to try to address the safety and welfare of park residents. They will be in effect thru December, 2020 (with late December re-evaluation for relaxation, if possible). They are as follows: 
All park activities such as dances, breakfasts, concerts and club/sports activities will be restricted to park residents only. This will include functions held by tennis, softball, shuffleboard, billiards, and pickleball, as well as any other functions by clubs not listed. 
Bands playing for any dances that are held will be required to stay on or behind the stage and will be allowed to use facilities only if wearing a mask. In addition, only band members will be allowed entry to the park/ballroom. 
We are sourcing “no touch” hand sanitizing stations to be placed at locations in the ballroom, social hall, business office, activity office, post office, gym, theater, library, and pool area. 
The park is planning on keeping the ballroom, pool area, post office, activity office, library, classrooms, and any other common areas open as long as “social distancing” is being practiced. The park is following Maricopa County’s Covid -19 guidelines and residents are encouraged to do the same. Residents can attend modified events under their own recognizance. 
Please be respectful to your friends and neighbors by staying away from any activities or functions if you are not feeling well! 
I am planning mostly outdoor events for Oct. and Nov. This will include a couple of welcome back events, a Veterans Day Tribute with program and music (coffee and cookies included!), an Elvis show and our very special Christmas Dinner show. Watch for Silveridge Connect and the Silveridge website for dates and ticket sales. Tickets can be purchased at the Activity Desk and will be on a first come basis. My Ticket order list will only be through December and subject to change. 
Again, these guidelines will be re-visited in mid-December. I have so much more planned for the rest of the season. Let us have faith in our future. Here’s looking forward to a safe and eventful season and for your safe return to Silveridge. The activity office open on October 1st and Sharon and I will be here to greet you with a smile and an air hug!