Ten years ago, the land around Riggs Road between Higley and Power didn’t really scream country club living.

Now, much of the barren desert is covered by lush fairways and greens and a beautiful  clubhouse and sports facility sit at the peak of a road called Country Club Drive.  Seville Country Club is what bloomed out of the desert 10 years ago and now its members and staff are preparing for a year-long party in celebration of this milestone.

“It’s going to be a great celebration,” says Ryan Barmore, membership director at Seville. “We’re going to have a year’s worth of fun events for our members to enjoy.”

To kick it off, Seville has launched an innovative program to invite new members to join in the festivities. Barmore says the club is offering a new seasonal membership package for those who call Arizona home during the cooler months. Those who own a home outside of Arizona can get a 25 percent discount on the annual dues for memberships that run from either November through April or December through May.

“It’s not common for a club in Arizona to offer a seasonal membership,” Barmore says. “It’s very unique.”

Seville will also give local residents who may be interested in joining the country club a chance to be a “Member for a Day” on two Mondays in December. A limited number of golfers will get a chance to play the private course, which recently opened after overseeding in October, and also have lunch at Bolero’s.

Those interested in either the seasonal membership or the “Member for a Day” program can contact Barmore at (480) 279-3040 or at ryan.barmore@ourclub.com.

Seville Country Club opened in 2001 with a vision of community with a resort feel. The golf course was designed by Gary Panks, who has created some of the finest golf courses in Arizona and throughout the United States. Besides Seville, Panks designed Silver Creek Golf Club in White Mountains, which was selected by Golf Digest as Arizona’s

“Best New Public Course” for 1986, and Sedona Golf Resort in Sedona, which was named one of the “Three Best Resort Courses You Can Play,” also by Golf Digest.

Seville also offers a state-of-the-art sports club that includes three tennis courts, a 3-story high waterslide, splash pad, sports pool, lap pool and cabanas, sand volleyball courts, outdoor basketball courts and exercise studios for group classes or private instruction and training.

Members and the public can both enjoy Bolero’s restaurant, which offers contemporary American cuisine, with an emphasis on food quality and engaging service. Bolero’s features an array of in-house, chef-prepared dishes that will appeal to everyone in the family.

Those interested in golf or sport club memberships can call Barmore at (480) 279-3040.

Written by Louis Sacco

Twenty degrees cooler in the summer than the Arizona deserts, San Diego offers you and your family proximity to Mexico, miles of beaches, SeaWorld, the attractions of Balboa Park and other well-known venues such as the Wild Animal Park.

At the same time, don’t forget about excellent lesser-known opportunities in the northern areas of the city and beyond: beach communities such as La Jolla and Oceanside and up to Laguna Beach and east to Escondido, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert. Many of these attractions are available taking U.S. Route 101, which you can connect to in California via State Routes 56 or 78 from Interstates 15 or 5 or SR 163.

“With 36 miles of beaches, San Diego North offers a variety of water activities that individuals and families can enjoy,” says Hilary Townsend, director of public relations for the San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The temperate climate in San Diego North allows for these outdoor activities to be experienced year round. There’s always something new to enjoy.”

Start at surfing-rich Oceanside. Its pier is the longest wooden version on the West Coast and provides a surf break, making both sides a popular location for the sport. Also, the California Surf Museum documents the area’s surfing culture and history.

Among the finest places to stay in the area is, just north, the 396-room Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, where the children can participate in the new Jean-Michel Cousteau’s “Ambassadors of the Environment,” with natural experiences through excursions, games, multimedia presentations, discussions and activities.

At Legoland in Carlsbad, the just-opened water park features a variety of attractions including Build-A-Raft, where children can help construct a Lego variety, enjoy several water slides, a 45-foot-tall tower playground and two wading areas. Adjacent to Legoland is the new child-focused Sea Life Aquarium, which features, among many species, more than 50 sharks from 14 different species.

Just south, in La Jolla, is the world-famous Birch Aquarium, which contains interactive exhibits that showcase discoveries of Scripps oceanography explorers through displays, touchable tide pools with anemones, hermit crabs, mussels and sea plants.

Swamis Beach, also in Encinitas, was immortalized in “Surfin’ USA” by the Beach Boys, and overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple, an idyllic garden for meditation and views.

Another beach town is Solana Beach, where adults in particular will enjoy the Cedros Design District with its 85 boutiques and art galleries. For evening entertainment, stop in at the Belly Up Tavern, which attracts a variety of bands. Just north of San Diego are two favorite coastal towns: upscale Del Mar and La Jolla. Del Mar Village has many specialty boutiques and outstanding café-style patio dining.

In La Jolla, visit the oceanfront Museum of Contemporary Art, with rotating exhibitions and an outdoor sculpture garden. Or, shop, dine or gallery hop on Prospect and Girard.

If you stay at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, known for its world-class hospitality and adjacent golf course, you can hike to the beach through moderately challenging shore trails. But make sure your group comprises hikers with appropriate footwear and sunscreen. A shopping-loving friend of mine, whom I had sold on the hour or so trek, is still reminding me that this wasn’t exactly the La Jolla she had bargained for!

For more information, see www.SanDiegoNorth.com.

Written by David M. Brown

Miles Beccia, personal trainer at Snap Fitness in Queen Creek, is looking for some losers who want to be winners. Snap Fitness is hosting a “Biggest Loser” contest through December 16 with great prizes for winners in the following categories:

• Total Body Transformation

• Most Total Inches Lost

• Most Body Fat

• Percentage Lost

• Most Total Weight Lost

Participants must commit to at least two times weekly in any of the following programs to enter the contest: morning boot camp and/or Pilates; FIT-TEAM group personal training; or three levels of 1-on-1 personal training sessions.

Beccia says the Fit-Pro Teams program have become popular as they provide great training in small, group setting that is fun and filled with energy with a lot of social motivation.

“You really become accountable to your group,” he says.

Boot Camp classes are led by a fitness professional that are designed to condition muscle, increase endurance and reduce workout boredom. They have many structured levels to meet any participants needs.

Another training option at Snap Fitness is Pilates, which helps sculpt and strengthen the body’s torso, or “core.” Pilates uses mat exercises and equipment with controlled movement to tone and strengthen the body. Instructors at Snap Fitness show how building flexibility, strength and coordination help for a full-body conditioning experience.

Get better workouts and better results with the help of Snap Fitness Personal Training. Whether you’re a first-time exerciser looking to get started on a plan, or an experienced athlete ready to take your workouts to the next level, Snap Fitness is dedicated to helping you reach your fitness goals.

Snap Fitness is located at the southeast corner of Rittenhouse and Ocotillo, 21258 East Rittenhouse in Queen Creek. Those interested can call (480) 987-1255 or visit the website www.snapfitness.com/queencreek.

Written by Louis Sacco

More and more valley residents are realizing it’s time to stay put in their homes due to the current market conditions in real estate. We call this group, the “stay-at-homers.” Many are realizing now is not the time to move unless absolutely necessary. As the result, folks are looking for ways to beautify their homes without breaking the bank.

Have you ever stopped to think about the dollars you can save by turning to your local merchant for your furnishings and home services? Ikea and Ashley Home Furniture are terrific stores with phenomenal products, but have you ever considered what it means to our state when you buy from a locally-owned business? Not only can you save money by supporting your local merchants, but you are also supporting the state programs and services funded by the dollars generated by your purchases. “When you shop at a locally owned business, 45 cents of every dollar stays in Arizona — versus only 13 cents of every dollar spent at a national chain,” says Local First-Arizona, a nonprofit organization working to strengthen communities and local economies.

A new way for valley residents to find the perfect match to local home décor hidden gems (unique home décor stores and experienced home service professionals) is through a new online, free, real time, matching application for consumers provided by iSearchDecor. iSearchDecor is a locally based company that, at no charge, provides an easy way for consumers to venture out of their immediate vicinity and find local hidden gems that one may have never found on their own. Many people tend to go to the same places over and over again, or aimlessly drive around not knowing where to go. With iSearchDecor, instantaneously, consumers can receive targeted information on where to go for exactly what they need in home decor. A map is even provided for quick reference.

Look to a local merchant first for all of your home décor and home service needs. By supporting them, you are also supporting your community and your state.

iSearchdécor is the Nation’s premier, no charge, on line, real time, matching application for consumers who seek the perfect match to local home décor hidden gems (unique home décor stores and experienced home service professionals). To learn more about the program, to find hidden gem stores and service professionals, and to receive exclusive insider savings on purchases, visit: www.iSearchDecor.com and include SanTan210 in the “How Did You Hear About Us” field.

Alicia Guerrieri is founder of iSearchDecor.com.

Written by Alicia Guerrieri

With 360 days of sun each year, Arizona is one of the most popular outdoor states in the country. However, there’s a hidden danger, and many families aren’t aware of the full extent of this threat to themselves or their children.

Did you know that as little as 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure can result in lifelong damage to skin? Tanning booths, once thought to be a safe, cause irreversible skin damage that can be especially lethal to teens whose skin is more easily damaged.

Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer nationally, with more than 1 million cases reported annually. Although it’s perceived as being less dangerous than other cancers, it claims a life every minute. On the positive side, skin cancer is preventable with proper protection that starts early and continues for life.

Most skin cancers are rooted in a lack of protection that occurs during childhood. Over the years, damage compounds and the skin’s ability to repair itself breaks down, leaving a person vulnerable to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and the most deadly, melanoma.  It is very important to note that only one sunburn could lead to cancer.

At Deseret Aesthetic & Lifestyle Institute, we provide free skin assessments using state-of-the-art imaging equipment that painlessly lets us peak under the skin’s surface.  By snapping a picture with our Beau Visage equipment, we see damage to blood vessels, melanin, and any potentially dangerous conditions– all before they are visible to the eye.  With intervention and care, most skin damage can be reversed; even damage that occurred years ago.

To keep safe, use only sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or greater that offers both UVA and UVB protection. Deseret Aesthetic can help you the select highly effective sun care products that won’t cause breakouts, a concern for acne-prone teens, who often avoid sunscreen for this very reason.

You can minimize your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by seeking shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter before you need relief from the sun. To be safe outside, always wear daily sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Your best bet is to protect your skin anytime you’re outside—even when you’re in the shade.

Dr. Gregory Allen, M.D. is the founder of The Shun the Sun Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and fighting skin cancer. As a practicing physician, Dr. Allen is alarmed at the startling rise in skin cancer cases, especially among young people.  A volunteer lecturer at local schools and churches, he sees a widespread lack of awareness regarding the dangers of being out in the sun unprotected.  Arizona has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the nation. He is the medical director of Deseret Aesthetic & Lifestyle Institute, located at 1425 South Greenfield Road, Suite 102, Mesa, Arizona 85206, (480) 832-7546, www.deseretskin.com.  The clinic, which specializes in wellness and anti-aging treatments, offers free cancer screenings and skincare evaluations.

Written by Dr. Gregory S. Allen, M.D.

Three Valentine’s Spots to Set Your Heart On

The East Valley may not be the heart of the culinary world, just yet, but if you want to spend some special moments with your heart’s desire this Valentine’s Day, here are three local places that combine warmth, good food and an excellent selection of wines.

Cork, 4991 South Alma School Road, Suite 1, in Chandler offers an eclectic menu, explains owner/general manager and sommelier, Robert Morris. “Our menu changes frequently, and we specialize in a multi-course style of dining, with two to three courses the norm,” Morris says. Cork has a small bar/café area for intimate rendezvous. The restaurant’s wine list, with more than 400 selections, has obtained a Wine Spectator

“Award of Excellence,” Morris notes.

Another stop in Chandler is D’vine Wine Bar & Bistro, 3990 South Alma School Road. Owner Mark Nowicki also has a location, the original, in the Las Sendas community of northeast Mesa. The Chandler restaurant opened June 1, 2007.

“D’vine is a comfortable location to unwind, listen to live entertainment and indulge in a chef-driven menu,” says Nowicki, adding that live entertainment is scheduled the evening of Valentine’s Day.

You can also enjoy the D’vine experience at the bar. “Our award-winning wine list is extensive yet approachable,” he says. “Servers are well trained in selecting the optimal wine to complement the guest’s tastes

and/or food choice.” David Newton is the sommelier in charge of the D’vine wine program, assisted by Josh Ronding in Chandler.

The restaurant offers 200 different labels focusing mostly on New World wines — U.S. (in particular, Napa) South America, Australia — with a few Old World French and Italian wines as well.

In Gilbert, consider Vine Expressions Wine Bar, 1030 South Gilbert Road, Suite 103, in Gilbert Town Square. Gilbert residents Darlene and husband Davin Smolnisky opened the town’s first wine bar three years ago.

This year for Valentine’s Day, Vine Expressions is holding an afternoon wine tasting, 2–4 p.m. for couples to enjoy before dining at one of the East Valley’s fine restaurants.

The wine bar offers several hundred different wines from around the world, with more than 30 options by the glass. The glass menu changes every three months to give customers new wine options. Vine Expressions will also special order wines not in the store.

With their wine, customers enjoy appetizers, panini’s, salads and desserts. Wine tastings are every Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m., and live music is scheduled every Saturday night, 8 to 11p.m.

For Valentine’s Day and any day, Vine Expressions offers camaraderie and good wine. “I love looking throughout the bar at night and knowing almost everyone’s name and how they found me. There is great sense of community among our customers,” she says. “You may walk in alone and not knowing anything about wine, but you walk out with a new favorite wine and having met new friends, telling them you will see them again next week. I can’t imagine it any other way.”

Written by David M. Brown

Season’s harvest can create a rustic centerpiece

The holidays offer so many opportunities to showcase the bounties of the season. Take advantage of fall’s colorful gourds and hearty plants to create a centerpiece that celebrates the holiday’s humble beginnings.

Three small cabbage plants can be rooted in a white pumpkin and accented by beaded pins and delicate white blossoms. Smaller gourds surround the arrangement; some have been hollowed out and used as candle votives. Suit your centerpiece to your personal style by playing with different shapes and colors, or swapping seasonal plants for autumnal blooms. Step-by-step, Cyndie Turtoro of Design in Decor (www.designindecor.com) shows you how.

Carve a large opening around the stem of your pumpkin, leaving plenty of room for your arrangement. Remove the stem cap, and use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. If using seasonal plants, remove them from their containers and pour any loose soil into the gourd. Extra potting soil may be needed to keep plants in place. If using fresh flowers, line the gourd with plastic wrap, insert floral foam, and add ice water for extra longevity.

Insert plants or flowers and arrange as desired. Tip: Ornamental cabbage, as pictured in this article, is part of the Brassica family, which also includes mustard greens and kale. Brassica plants come in a variety of colors, from deep purple to white, and will keep for long periods of time.

Accent your centerpiece with ornamental pins or beads, rhinestones—anything you wish.

To create candle votives, cut off the bottom of the gourd first, so it will lay flat. Carve out the top, and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Tip: Artichokes also make fun, festive votives. Remember to trim the sharp points off of the leaves!

A centerpiece using seasonal plants can be made several days before your event. Turtoro recommends putting arrangements outside at night for longer lasting freshness. Fresh flower arrangements can be made one day before, taking care not to bruise lighter colored blooms.

Lori Archibald is executive editor of LetsPartyMagazine.com. Visit the website for party-planning ideas, how-to articles, recipes, theme parties, DIY décor and more.

Written by Lori Archibald

Photography by Xaris Studio

Clark Kent used to wear glasses to hide his identity as Superman. In these days, the right eyewear can turn you into Superman … or Superwoman as the case may be.

Community Magazines went to Premier Eyecare of Arizona to get the right frames to enhance any face. S.I.M. Fashion/Film Agency of Gilbert provided the models and photographer Bridgette Marie put it all together.

Premier Eyecare is located at 3271 East Queen Creek Road, Suite 107 in Gilbert. Call (480) 892-3937 or visit it on the Web at www.premiereyecareaz.com.

Photography by Bridgette Marie (www.bridgettemarie.com)

Models Zandrea and Laura provided by S.I.M. Fashion/Film Agency Eyewear provided by Premier Eyecare of Arizona

“The Positive Place for Kids” in the East Valley is about to become a whole lot more positive.

In September, the Boys & Girls Club Compadre Branch in downtown Chandler opens the doors to its brand new home where more than 2,000 kids a year will feel safe to learn, grow and have fun. In describing the condition of its site since 1983, Branch Executive Mindy Elias says, “Oh goodness, it’s old and not fitting the kids we’re serving now.”

Thanks to Mayor Boyd Dunn keeping a promise, city council and the voters supporting it, the new 33,000-square-foot facility has been good news from the start. Everything worth saving from the old building was donated to other local nonprofits. The new structure was completed for a cost of $7 million, about $1.4 million less than the approved bonds.

Beyond saving greenbacks, the new Boys & Girls Club is a Leed-certified building with the highest environmental standards. The kids really learned about the environment throughout the construction, even doing walk-throughs every Thursday with the Chase Building Team. There’s been no vandalism, nothing stolen, total protection from the community, making it one of the easiest builds Chandler has ever seen.

Inside the new facility, everything will be new. Thanks to Intel generosity, this site will host the world’s largest Intel Computer Clubhouse with 45 computers for the kids. The Wellcare Foundation is providing a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office where kids will receive free care.

It’s got a soundproof music studio, a video production studio, a gymnasium, meeting rooms which other nonprofits will share, and a full-service kitchen where in addition to feeding  young hearts and minds, the Boys & Girls Club will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who otherwise might go hungry.

Outside, the old structure was demolished to make way for the new parking lot. Outside is where the public can help, too. The club is looking for donors at www.clubzona.org who want their name on one of 1,800 bricks paving the front entrance. This money goes directly into programs for the kids paying for everything from food in their tummies to crayons in their little hands.

That Chandler has so championed this cause is pleasantly mind-boggling to Mindy Elias.  At age 5, she began in the Boys & Girls Club in Tempe, got her first job there, and has been the Queen Caretaker of the Compadre Branch kids for 10 years. “I have the best job in the world, and to be so supported by the city and the voters it’s just been amazing.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley’s annual membership fee is only $20. No one is ever turned away if they are unable to pay the fee, making it the ultimate No Child Left Behind program.

“The Positive Place for Kids” in the East Valley is about to become a whole lot more positive.

In September, the Boys & Girls Club Compadre Branch in downtown Chandler opens the doors to its brand new home where more than 2,000 kids a year will feel safe to learn, grow and have fun. In describing the condition of its site since 1983, Branch Executive Mindy Elias says, “Oh goodness, it’s old and not fitting the kids we’re serving now.”

Thanks to Mayor Boyd Dunn keeping a promise, city council and the voters supporting it, the new 33,000-square-foot facility has been good news from the start. Everything worth saving from the old building was donated to other local nonprofits. The new structure was completed for a cost of $7 million, about $1.4 million less than the approved bonds.

Beyond saving greenbacks, the new Boys & Girls Club is a Leed-certified building with the highest environmental standards. The kids really learned about the environment throughout the construction, even doing walk-throughs every Thursday with the Chase Building Team. There’s been no vandalism, nothing stolen, total protection from the community, making it one of the easiest builds Chandler has ever seen.

Inside the new facility, everything will be new. Thanks to Intel generosity, this site will host the world’s largest Intel Computer Clubhouse with 45 computers for the kids. The Wellcare Foundation is providing a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office where kids will receive free care.

It’s got a soundproof music studio, a video production studio, a gymnasium, meeting rooms which other nonprofits will share, and a full-service kitchen where in addition to feeding  young hearts and minds, the Boys & Girls Club will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who otherwise might go hungry.

Outside, the old structure was demolished to make way for the new parking lot. Outside is where the public can help, too. The club is looking for donors at www.clubzona.org who want their name on one of 1,800 bricks paving the front entrance. This money goes directly into programs for the kids paying for everything from food in their tummies to crayons in their little hands.

That Chandler has so championed this cause is pleasantly mind-boggling to Mindy Elias.  At age 5, she began in the Boys & Girls Club in Tempe, got her first job there, and has been the Queen Caretaker of the Compadre Branch kids for 10 years. “I have the best job in the world, and to be so supported by the city and the voters it’s just been amazing.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley’s annual membership fee is only $20. No one is ever turned away if they are unable to pay the fee, making it the ultimate No Child Left Behind program.

Written by Thomas Baldrick