JUNE 17 Marks SCA 20th Anniversary

[Rana Goodman]

On Sunday, June 17, 2018 Sun City Anthem celebrates its 20^th Anniversary

My father, who had been quite ill the last four or five years of his life used to try to convince me to move into his home after he passed so that I could care for my mother.  My parents had a beautiful home in an established area near my business in the heart of the city, but, as is often the case in the older parts of our town, over the years the surrounding areas became unsavory and uninviting.

Not only had I no intention of living in that area, but I would never want my mother remaining there either. I tried to convince my father to sell and move often, he would not hear of it and finally I had to concede he was to infirm to move anyway.

In 2003 I lost my father and in the face of my mother’s objections I placed their home on the market and drove her up to Anthem. We toured all of the models and of course I heard what I expected to hear, “no, this is too small, this doesn’t have a big enough yard, My God, you are taking me to the middle of no-where”…. Then she spotted the start of 7 Hills, a few huge homes, and wanted to build over there.

We went to dinner at Trumpet’s and I told her that I really wanted the lifestyle that Sun City Anthem offered. “We can build a beautiful home in 7 Hills Mom, but all we will have is just that, a beautiful home, here we will have a social life too.” Convinced, we kept looking and finally found a huge lot at the very top of Big Sky Village.

At that time there were no other homes at the higher elevation, we had to use landmarks to find the way home. I still heard the refrain that I had moved her into the baron desert, yet within a very, very short time construction began next door, then across the street, then below us and so on.

Within A few months a lovely woman came to the front door with a huge welcome basket from the Big Sky Women’s Group.  Then I noticed that getting the mail each day neighbors passing by always had a friendly smile, a wave or a cheery hello. It was all so surprisingly warm.

Just as I had predicted to my mother, after less than a year the neighborhood was built up and we were truly becoming a community.

My mother was especially fond of dinner at Trumpet’s but socializing at the clubhouse was not for her. One evening I tried to convince her to let me take her over to see if we could join into or start a card game. She loved poker and gin. My dear Mom, at 90 years of age said, with her very proper British air, “Rana, they are all too old, let’s go to the Mirage instead” …..

Whenever I think of our early days here in SCA I am saddened that none of my friends here got to know my mother, she was really a hoot, but not one for meeting new people. Yet, she would have really liked some of the friends I have made in this community.

My village of Big Sky has been the most active of all the villages, when it comes to Women’s social groups. Through that group I have made some wonderful friends that have settled here from all over the United States.

Where else in this town, or the state can you enjoy what we have in SCA for $1200 a year, granted it is our size that gives us the low assessment. However, with all the pro-and con issues our property values have remained high and personally I would not trade my home or the friends I have been fortunate enough to make here for anywhere else in the city.

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