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Introduction
The SCA
View-Journal, Inc., was inaugurated
as an e-Journal in November 2003 by Ron Johnson. Originally incarnated as The Sun City Anthem View, we adopted the present name in September 2004, while becomming incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the final days of 2005.
The SCA
View-Journal is a community supported, non-profit effort designed
to promote written expression, commentary and the arts by and for the
residents of Sun City and Solera, two Del Webb age-qualified communities
located in Anthem, City of Henderson, NV.
We are
chartered by
the State of
Nevada as a
nonprofit
corporation
under the
name, The SCA
View-Journal,
Inc. Resident
content is
solicited and welcomed. You may visit our "Invitation to contribute content"
page
by clicking on this Link: Invitation.
Regarding Site Content. For
a quick guide to our site, visit The SCA View
Information Sheet. Our
content is clearly eclectic, reflecting the interests of the residents and
the publisher/editor. In the case of republished articles and book
reviews, and for practical
reasons, we have decided to acquire only information
that is both readily available and at no cost to us.
We have been extremely fortunate in the
past to have obtained the consent or permission necessary to republish at
no cost selected articles from two major national publications, the
Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Daedalus), and from
Commentary magazine, a premier journal of conservative opinion. Efforts to
obtain similar permission from a non-conservative magazine of opinion have
not been as successful. Similar efforts from other periodical publishers
have been equally unsuccessful, but we continue to make those efforts.
Editorials and Commentary
Articles. Editorials and
Commentary articles are typically generated in response to a topic of
potential community interest. In presenting such articles, it always has
been our primary objective to inform, and in doing so to strive to be as
accurate as possible; to highlight important community issues; and, where
appropriate or deemed feasible, to attempt to bring about some modicum of change. Past
editorials & commentary articles are indexed on their respective menu
pages: Editorial Menu Commentary Menu
While not adverse to drawing attention to
certain sensitive or emotionally charged issues, we also recognize that
our aim is not always perfect, and that in the absence of more complete
information, we may have misjudged. We believe those occasions are very
rare.
Our view is that
the community is not ill but is better served by having available diverse
opinion on matters affecting the community and, or the Developer. Such
dialogue is intended to contribute towards
the betterment of our community. It's
only when there is a lack of critical discourse that we should be wary and
concerned about the state and health of our community.
Why Solera? The primary focus of this site is to foster written expression, commentary
and the arts for Sun City's active adult lifestyle. Since the Solera
community represents that same lifestyle as Sun City, shares with Sun City
the same Developer, and has common concerns and interests, the inclusion
of Solera in our target community seemed timely and appropriate.
We have not shied
away from expressing our opinion concerning pressing issues, promoting causes,
challenging certain actions or inactions, and on occasion providing informative reports. Some
of these essays and articles have included the following topics:
Actively & financially supported efforts to mitigate helicopter
noise up until those efforts had the appearance of promoting the
political agenda not of SHOUT but of individuals and protested the failure of SHOUT to
accurately communicate with the community.
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Actively supported proposed modifications to the
CC&Rs.
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While financially supporting the mission of the
Minuteman Foundation, promoted (unsuccessfully) the adoption of preferred
or best charitable design practices in the case of the Minuteman Foundation.
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Challenged (unsuccessfully) certain balloting practices as being
contrary to existing statutory requirements.
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Promoted continued age-qualified housing by
challenging Pulte and the resident leadership Core Group on Anthem Highlands in various
venues.
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Communicated with City officials in an effort to
help mitigate traffic concerns stemming from Anthem Highlands &
Provence.
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Promoted (unsuccessfully) expansion of woefully
inadequate library services to attain levels that are commensurate
with other Del Webb communities.
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Promoted availability of more budget information,
as well as a more open budget process allowing the transmittal of
proposed or recommended budgets to the residents.
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Promoted efforts to broaden access to our community-owned
Trumpets restaurant, currently unavailable to more than 90% of our
residents because of their pricing policies. A "fine" dining experience
does not have to mean a very costly or prohibitive dining experience.
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Special reports on Pulte's Hearing before the
Planning Commission on Provence; on the use of plastic plumbing pipe in
Sun City; on Pulte's Annexation Agreement; and Focus Property Group's
development plans.
Site Problems. If you have a problem on our site or in using our "Sign Up" or "Contact Us" form,
please let us know by sending us an e-mail using our auto e-mail Link instead, SEND AN E-MAIL.
Special
Thanks. We are especially
grateful to and want to express our deeply felt thanks to those residents
who have and continue to support our efforts in some manner, by providing
valued content and, or suggestions, including valued criticisms; by
completing our "Sign-Up" form; by telling others about our publication;
and by those who have expressed their appreciation for our efforts, even
in those instances where we have disagreed.
Site Statistics. Circulation figures are not too meaningful when it comes to visitors
accessing a website. As a result, we do attempt to provide visitor
information by posting selected
website statistics, which are available here: Statistics
Mentor. I am indebted and very grateful for the opportunity to having worked
closely with a certain Sun City resident who by his own demonstrated good
works here had given me the inspiration to contribute to our community in
this rather unique matter. To my dismay, perhaps to a fault, I am
frequently reminded by this person that I should be doing more, thinking
to myself that he must consider me to be a very poor student of his and
not deserving of his continued attention.
Biography. Ron & Olga retired and moved here from
southern CA in 2001. Ron, a former investigator for the Federal
Government, retired with nothing more than the thought of achieving a
little peace and tranquility, along with a long life that we all aspire
to, health permitting, of course. After all, he thought, his dad and
grandfather lived well into their 90s, giving him a fair shot at 25 or
more years of restful seclusion nestled in the heart of Sun City.
But after only a few months here, Ron
learned that following his prostatectomy he had an advanced stage of
prostate cancer, with a less than desirable outcome. This event accounts for the appearance of that out of place
page on our website dealing with the subject of prostate cancer (see Prostate Cancer). While most persons with prostate cancer will actually
die from some other natural occurring disease, far too many people are
dying because of prostate cancer, for which there is no known cure. For now,
though, Ron has no health complaints or
problems and is feeling very good.
Anyone having a question concerning his experience with prostate cancer is welcome to contact Ron at any
time at 617-8172.
In connection with
Pulte's master plan changes for Sun City, Ron became involved in the
Facilities Cost Task Force, which helped to define the range of community
desired amenities and recommended space allocations in advance of the
efforts of the RAC (Recreational Amenities Community). Ron was also active
in providing certain support efforts for use by Favil West and the Core Group
in that group's negotiations with Del Webb that ultimately led to their
memorandum of understanding, i.e., the Agreement.
In the spring of 2003, Ron was instrumental
in the formation of the Anthem Highlands Committee, a group of residents
who were highly concerned about the 2002 decision that reduced the size of
Sun City from 10,000 homes to bring us Solera and the younger family housing development of Anthem
Highlands. Regardless of the reasons we had been given for accepting
Pulte's changes to our master plan, that decision was overwhelming viewed
by residents surveyed as simply wrong for Sun City. Regrettably, that
effort was not destined to succeed.
Permissions and License. Resident contributions and
copyrighted materials (articles and images) may not be copied, reproduced, or
republished in any manner without the written
consent of the author, creator, and/or the publisher.
In the case of Editorials, Commentaries and other work on this site, such
work is covered by and licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Contact Us. To contact us about anything, including problems encountered while
visiting our site, such as inoperative Links, etc., please visit our Contact Information page: Contact Information Page
Name and
Address.
Ron Johnson, Publisher
The SCA View-Journal, Inc.
2040 Rose Cottage Way
Henderson, NV 89052
Tel: 702-617-8172
E-mail: Editor
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