Community Speed Limit Reminder

Unless otherwise posted, the community speed limit throughout Festival Ranch is 25 mph.  Please obey this law for everyone's safety and pass it along to visiting family and friends. Pulte trucks and contractors have been reminded as well.  Thank you. 

Pet Courtesy

Pets make a wonderful addition to any family but remember part of being a pet owner is making sure your pet is not a nuisance to others.  Your community is a pet friendly community but please take notice of some of these reminders.

Pet Owner Basics

• If your pet is barking, bring it inside so it doesn't disturb the neighbors
• Pick up after your pet.  If you take your pet for a walk bring several baggies so you can pick up the feces.  Yes, it is gross and yes, you have to do it.  One bag may not be enough.  Also remember to clean your yard of feces weekly so the smell does not spread from your yard.
• When your dog is not in an enclosed area, remember to keep your pet on a leash.  Arizona State Statues requires that dogs be leashed when in public parks and school, but the county laws and city laws are generally more restrictive, but vary from place to place.  Become familiar with the leash laws in your area.  The Sun City Festival Rules and Regulations contain guidelines for pets and animals outlined in Exhibit C of the Declaration with several common pet etiquette rules including, "Pets must be leashed or fenced when outdoors at all times." Leashes used must be the traditional, physical leash, not an electronic leash.

Neighboring a Dog or other Pet

• If your neighbor’s dog is barking, KINDLY contact the neighbor to let them know of the problem.  They may not be home to be aware of the problem.  Remember the old saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar.  Pounding on someone’s door and yelling obscenities is not likely to help the situation and will only cause the dog to bark more.

View Maricopa County Animal Control on the Arizona Revised Statute of Dog Ownership.

City of Buckeye Now Handles Community Streetlight Outages

The City of Buckeye now handles the maintenance and repair of all city street lights in the Festival Ranch community.  You should no longer contact APS for this issue.

Information still necessary to report a street light outage includes: Pole number, (found on pole facing street & begins with letter "S"), closest street address, major cross streets, problem description, and additional comments.

If you wish to report a streetlight outage, you can click here  or visit www.buckeyeaz.gov ,  go to Online Assist, then select Customer Service Line, then Select the Streetlight Outage and fill in the appropriate information.  You may also contact them by phone at 623-349-6800, option 5.

If you have other City of Buckeye related issues, the Customer Service Line mentioned above offers many other opportunities to ask questions, make comments, or to get help.

Living in the Desert Southwest, we all realize the importance of conserving water. A few indoor and outdoor water saving tips are below. Learn many more ways to save water inside and outside your home by clicking on this link: http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/

INDOOR

1. Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand. Now, Energy Star dishwashers save even more water and energy. 
2. Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
3. Cook food in as little water as possible. This also helps it retain more nutrients.
4. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
5. When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
6. Washing dark clothes in cold water saves water and energy, and helps your clothes retain their color.
7. If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a WaterSense® labeled model.
8. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.
9. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That's up to 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
10. Consider buying a dual-flush toilet. It has two flush options: a half-flush for liquid waste and a full-flush for solid waste.

OUTDOOR

1. Use porous material for walkways and patios to prevent wasteful runoff and keep water in your yard.
2. Choose the right Arizona-friendly plants and watch them thrive in our desert environment.
3. Adjust your lawn mower to the height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Taller grass shades roots and holds soil moisture better than short grass.
4. Remember to weed your lawn and garden regularly. Weeds compete with other plants for nutrients, light and water.
5. If water runs off your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption.
6. Remember to periodically check your sprinkler system valves for leaks, and to keep sprinkler heads in good shape.
7. Pruning properly can help your plants use water more efficiently.
8. Use sprinklers that deliver big drops of water close to the ground. Smaller drops and mist often evaporate before hitting the ground.
9. Minimize or eliminate the use of waterfalls and sprays in your pool. Aeration increases evaporation.
10. Use a pool cover to help keep your pool clean, reduce chemical use and prevent water loss through evaporation. 

White-Lined Sphinx Larvae/Moth
August 28, 2014

Several Sun City Festival residents have brought to our attention that they have noticed large yellow or green larvae (caterpillars) and large moths in and around the community. We reached out to our exterminator for more information and would like to share it with you.

The white-lined sphinx is pretty common in the deserts, but tend to emerge right after big storms. It is a migration of caterpillars - the larvae of the white-lined sphinx moth. Every year about this time they pick up and move in great masses.

They can be anything from yellow and green with black dots or stripes, to black with just a bit of yellow. They have a prominent horn-like thing toward the rear of the body. When threatened or scared they rear up their heads, trying to look tough, and sometimes spit out a thick green liquid. They aren't poisonous, so don't worry about them.

Just why they set off on these migrations isn't quite clear. One idea is that they are looking for more suitable soil to dig into to pupate - turn into adult moths. Or maybe they have just depleted the sources of food in their old neighborhood.

And nobody knows how they decide where they're going or if they follow the same routes every year or why they might pick one neighborhood over another.

> Additional Information

Display of the United States Flag

There is no absolute prohibition in federal law on flying the flag twenty-four hours a day. The Flag Code states: "It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during hours of darkness." So, please be sure sure to illuminate your flag if it is flying after sunset.

We are alerted by the government when the flag should be flown at half-staff.

Learn more about flag etiquette.

Sun City Festival Weapons Policy

The Board of Directors recently enacted a Weapons Policy for the Sun City Festival Community Association. All residents are asked to review this policy located on our Festival Web Portal. You must sign in to the Festival website to view the policy through the Community Governance menu.

Weapons Policy   HOA Community Guidelines

Bicycle Awareness

Drivers of all types of vehicles, including golf carts, need to stay aware of bicyclists riding on the streets of Festival Ranch. Bicyclists should know the rules of the road and ride in single file on the right side of the road, not side-by-side so that drivers may pass. > More information on AZ Bike Rules and Saftey

 Sun City Festival Golf Car Usage

All streets within Sun City Festival are public and subject to the laws of the Town of Buckeye and the State of Arizona. The following regulations apply to golf cars operated within Sun City Festival.

A. Drivers of golf cars must have a valid automobile driver's license.

B. Drivers of golf cars are responsible for any damage or injury caused by their negligence or willful misconduct.

C. Golf cars shall be subject to vehicle use restrictions and may not be driven or parked on any property within Sun City Festival except streets, parking lots, concrete driveways and designated golf car paths. Golf cars may not be driven on community sidewalks. Golf cars driven or parked in violation of this rule or the Declaration shall be subject to the remedies provided in the Declaration, including towing.

D. Golf cars driven on the streets shall be operated in the same manner as automobiles. Golf cars must be registered with Arizona's Motor Vehicle Department, and drivers must observe all traffic regulations and use proper hand signals. Automobiles should keep a safe distance behind golf cars to not put anyone in danger.

E. Golf cars shall be driven in the middle of the lane of traffic in the same manner as any other vehicle. Do not attempt to “hug” the curb so as to allow a tailing vehicle to pass. This creates a more dangerous circumstance.  Automobiles should not pass golf carts. However, golf cars should move out of the way if they are slowing down traffic. Golf cars are not allowed to drive on streets where the speed limit is over 35 mph.

F. No gas operated golf cars are allowed on golf courses within Sun City Festival.

G. Use of golf cars outside of Sun City Festival is subject to applicable state and local laws and any applicable golf course rules and regulations.

Sun City Festival Named In Top 50 Places To Retire!

Congratulations!  Where to Retire Magazine has named Sun City Festival as a top community in the nation!  Del Webb’s two actively selling Sun City communities in the Valley have been listed among the 50 Best Communities in the nation by Where to Retire Magazine.

Where to Retire revealed “The Short List: 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States” in a press release discussing the bimonthly magazine’s July/August issue on newsstands June 21.  More Del Webb communities nationwide were listed than any other active adult builder including Sun City Festival and Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch!

The other Del Webb communities on the list are: Sun City Shadow Hills in Indio, CA; Anthem Ranch by Del Webb in Colorado; Stone Creek by Del Webb in Florida; Sun City Peachtree by Del Webb in Georgia; and “Hall of Fame” communities Sun City Hilton Head by Del Webb in Bluffton, South Carolina and Sun City Texas by Del Webb in Georgetown, TX.

According to the release, Where to Retire editors gathered information on more than 150 communities across the nation and eventually zeroed in on communities in 17 states that are amenity-rich, with clubhouses, recreation and activities to help residents stay fully engaged.

Congratulations to all residents and thank you for making this a great place to live!