{"id":7249,"date":"2017-01-31T17:01:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T17:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/silveridge.com\/?p=7249"},"modified":"2017-01-31T17:03:13","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T17:03:13","slug":"february-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silveridge.com\/?p=7249","title":{"rendered":"February Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

CLICK HERE<\/a>to view as PDF you can PRINT <\/p>\n

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Whatever She’s Selling, We’re Buying<\/h2>\n

By

\n Dale Dauten, Syndicated Columnist
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\n You could guess that Sue Arneson had a successful career in sales. She has that infectious energy that makes you want to join in, one of those people you just can\u2019t imagine saying no to. As a girl, she toyed with becoming a nun, and if she had, well maybe everyone at Silveridge would now be Catholic.\n <\/p>\n

\"Sue<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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“THAT’S HOW YOU BECOME PART OF THE PARK”<\/h3>\n

\n I sat down with Sue to talk about how she came to be the Activities Director at Silveridge and we soon were discussing her past career. For 30 years she worked for a national interior design\/decorating company, many of those years as Director of Sales. She had a hundred sales consultants working for her, and became a certified instructor, doing training and recruiting throughout the firm. She says, “The thing I learned in sales that keeps coming back to me is Interest\/Enthuse\/Date. You have to find what people are interested in, then get them enthused and then set the date, by which I mean that you get a commitment to get started.”\n <\/p>\n

\n She then went on to explain how she puts that principle to work at Silveridge, describing what transpires when she meets a new resident, exploring their interests, then getting them enthused — by describing how volunteering is the way to get to “know people and know the park” \u2013 then figuring out the day they’ll start.\n <\/p>\n

\n She added, “The volunteers make everything possible. That\u2019s how you become part of the park.” No wonder she has 300 volunteers, happy to pitch in.\n <\/p>\n

\n With that, Sue pulled out her list of groups and activities. “There are 50 of them \u2013 50! \u2013 so if you have interests, you’ll find others to share them with. And that doesn\u2019t include the events, all the boogies, dances, shows and concerts \u2013 there are 35 of those this season.”\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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THE TEAM<\/h3>\n

\n Next, she picked up a wood carving of a single word that she says fits the philosophy of the Activities team:\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n \"SUE\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\n In addition to all those volunteers, Sue has an Activities Team: there’s Jill Belcher, Assistant to the Activities Director, William Shelton, who heads setup\/prep, and Jerry Colling and Tracy Gagnier, who run the kitchen.\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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\n Plus, Sue passed along these photos of some of the volunteers who are regular contributors to the Activities Team.\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge
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\n Pictured are just a few of the 100 and volunteers serving at an event. The kitchen serves at over 70 events throughout the year. Chef Jerry Colling and Head Volunteer Coordinator, Tracy Gagnier pictured on the left.\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n \"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n Working on the Newsletter are volunteers from left to right: Jerry Byker, Esther Rusk, Judy Albright, Marjorie Byker and Richard Rusk. This team puts the inserts in the newsletter. Another team collates all inserts ahead of time.\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n \"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n These gals cheerfully volunteer in The Activity Office. Pictured from left to right are: Back Row: Annette Viscomi, Marge Ranstrom, Lois Oberg, Nancy Swain, Sandy Kennedy, Linda Huss and Jill Belcher. Front Row: Sharon Beckett, Maxine Flentje, Marge Factor, Sue Arneson and Karilyn Martinsen. Not pictured are Ginny Wander and Cheryl Fowler.\n <\/p>\n

\n There are many more volunteers, but with limited space not everyone could be pictured.\n <\/p>\n

\n Currently the Activity Office is handing out the new Business Directories. Please come down and sign for yours. The Activity Office is where you purchase all your tickets, order the Az. Republic, buy stamps, \u201cLost and Found \u201cand does copies and faxes. Jill types all the messages on Channel 6.\n <\/p>\n

\n Sue is grateful for the many helpful hands that make the Activity Department run successfully!\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
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\n But let\u2019s back up, and fill in Sue\u2019s journey to join us at Silveridge.\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
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FARMER’S DAUGHTER<\/h3>\n

\n “I was a farmer\u2019s daughter,” Sue began. “I was the oldest daughter, out of eight kids, and so I became my mother\u2019s right hand, the Second Mom.” This was on a family farm near Highmore, South Dakota. (If you\u2019re thinking that story sounds familiar, our GM, Rhonda Ciacco, was also raised on a farm in South Dakota.)\n <\/p>\n

\n Sue went to a one-room schoolhouse, all eight grades in that one room, and at home she cleaned chickens and cooked meals. She smiled as she recalled one detail: “I was the baker. We baked every day.” That lasted till the local priest spotted her potential and helped her get a scholarship to go to boarding school, a Catholic high school, four hours away, run by nuns. Then it was off to Northern State College. She says of that time, “I got close to becoming a nun, but met my husband instead.” That\u2019s Jeff, who was in the Air Force, stationed in Grand Forks. They married, moved to Minnesota, Jeff left the military to take a series of police jobs around the Twin Cities area, they had three kids, and soon Sue found her way into sales.\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n (Sue and Jeff with their kids and grandkids)\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
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COMING TO SILVERIDGE<\/h3>\n

\n Sue and her husband, Jeff, made visits from Minnesota to Arizona, and came often to Silveridge. That\u2019s because Sue\u2019s mom, Marjorie, had become a seasonal resident at the park. It wasn\u2019t too long till Sue and Jeff wanted more of Silveridge, and in 2005 bought a place in the park of their own. “Why not? was our thinking. We liked the people and we liked the park.”\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n Then, in 2010, Sue got word that the Activities Director, Donna Ward, had announced that she\u2019d be retiring. Sue had herself been retired a while. and found herself reacting to the news of Donna\u2019s departure by thinking, “I could do that.” Oh, yes, she could. After a year as Donna\u2019s assistant, she took over the Director\u2019s job. Of that decision, Sue said, “It was a good fit. I knew the park and the park is family. I knew this was God\u2019s calling for me for this time.”\n <\/p>\n

\n How did her husband react to her going back to work? She reports that “Jeff is my number one volunteer.”\n <\/p>\n

\n They spend the season, from September to April, at Silveridge and then return to their beloved home on Round Lake in Minnesota. This year they\u2019ll be going back to the new pontoon boat they just bought and Sue asked me to include this:\n <\/p>\n

\n “Jeff and I would like to invite any of our Silveridge family to come for a visit and have a ride in the new boat.”\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n (Round lake at Sunrise)\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
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THE SILVERIDGE FAMILY<\/h3>\n

\n Last year, Sue undertook the labor-intensive project of creating a book about Silveridge and its residents; she chose the title, The Silveridge Family. That title expresses exactly how she thinks about the park. She says, “My philosophy is find out what people want and give it to them. As we get new residents, I can see the tastes and interests are changing and we\u2019re changing with them.”\n <\/p>\n

\n And then there are all those clubs and activities: “We just had a Club Expo and nearly 300 people showed up to have breakfast and to see what clubs they might want to explore.” And that\u2019s all it takes \u2013 if you have an interest, Sue will get you enthused and set a date to get you started.\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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MESSAGE FROM SUE<\/h3>\n

\n Given our special feature on Sue Arneson, we don’t have her usual “Message”, but click here<\/a> for a PDF copy of her monthly printed edition of the Sun<\/i>.\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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\n Our sister park is having a big car show in February… please plan to come…\n <\/p>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

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CLUB UPDATES<\/h3>\n

NEW PICKLEBALL OFFICERS<\/h4>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n From left: Allan LePoudre-Secretary; Gail Caraca-Treasurer; Gary LaValley-president; Julie Erickson and Larry DeMarchi- joint Vice Presidents. Marcy LaValley will be the new communications officer. We are now over 160 members.\n <\/p>\n

NEW COMPUTER DESKS & MONITORS<\/h4>\n

\"Silveridge<\/p>\n

\n The Computer room has new desks and monitors. Check online for class schedules or check the computer boards across from the Activity Office. Pictured are Jim Copeland and Vail Williams\n <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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DIRECT TV: OUR NEW EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER<\/h2>\n

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\n Empire Communications has been chosen as our exclusive provider for Direct TV. Instead of simply getting installers sent out from an out-of-town office, we get personal attention from Empire, nearby in Mesa.\n <\/p>\n

\n The folks from Empire will be joining us for upcoming coffees, and will provide complete details.\n <\/p>\n

\n Empire Communications
\n 4830 East Main St #5
\n Mesa, AZ 85205
\n 800-403-8402<\/p>\n


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CHECK OUT ALL THE UPCOMING ACTIVITIES<\/h4>\n


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\n \"Silveridge<\/p>\n

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\n VIEW EVENTS CALENDAR ON OUR WEBSITE
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VISIT SILVERIDGE.COM<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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READ THE SILVERIDGE SUN<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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VIEW NEWSLETTER AS PDF<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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