March 2010
Welcome to the VILLAGE HIGHLIGHTS, a dynamic news column that is being constantly updated. We welcome suggestions and input from current and future neighbors and can be reached through the “Contact Us” link of this website or by calling (520) 647-7777 . Alan Simpson, Academy Village On-Site Liaison for Doucette Communities
Poetry Reading: Poet Connie Wanek will read from her new collection “On Speaking Terms”, on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:30 pm. Connie has been named a Fellow of the Library of Congress and has published in many journals, including The Atlantic Monthly and Poetry Magazine. She will sign books after her reading.
French Dinner and Live Music Cocktail Hour: The Academy Cafe has planned another special event on Thursday, March 11, starting at 5 pm in the Long Gallery. No reservations are required for the live music Cocktail Hour but reservations only please for the French Cuisine with select French Wines Dinner beginning at 6 pm. Please call Lorraine Nelson by March 8 to reserve a table.
TAV Assisted Living Facility Almost Complete: Resident Gary Fenstermacher announced recently that the construction contractor will turn over the Villa to the Academy Services Corporation on February 17. Landscaping will begin as soon as the construction work is finished. For those of you who may not be familiar with our latest neighborhood addition, the Villas at Academy Village is an assisted living facility consisting of two one-story residential style buildings. Each will offer a home-like environment as well as the highest level of personal care for up to ten residents. These residents will, in addition to their own social and health-related programs, have full access to all programs and activities available to independent residents of Academy Village. The proposed staffing ratio exceeds those of most other comparable facilities in the metropolitan Tucson area. Made possible by donations of more than $3 million, raised entirely from Village residents, and land donated by the Doucette organization, the Villas are expected to become a premier non-profit facility of the highest quality. Further information may be obtained from Debbie Engen, the on-site administrator at (520) 647-0980 or dengen@watermarkcommunities.com.
Artist in Residence: One of the joys of living in our Village is the opportunity to concentrate on previously neglected interests. Resident Marianne Rowe is a prime example.While she has a doctorate in Germanic Literature and Linguistics and spent much of her career teaching writing both in the U.S. and abroad, her lifelong love is painting. Not surprisingly, her primary influence is German Expressionist art and the Neo-Expressionist Anselm Kiefer who uses canvasses that are highly textured with sand, straw and other natural materials. From formal art classes at the age of 12, Marianne went on to study at the Museum School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX, the Radcliff Institute in Cambridge, MA, the Massachusetts College of Arts in Boston, the School of the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA and the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society. Her diverse body of work includes a variety of media – watercolor, oils, encaustic and acrylics. her subjects include branching of trees, flowers, marine forms and marshes but her current paintings are touched with texture and luminescence that suggest a deep space galaxy formation born in her vivid imagination. We highly recommend a visit to her web site: www.mariannerowe.com.
Dancing Lessons: Lessons for dancing to Big Band music will be held in the Activities Room on four consectutive Fridays starting February 19 and ending March 12. Festivities begin at 3:00 pm under the guidance of Louis Rojo from Studio West School of Dance here in Tucson. The total fee per couple is $48 and sign ups are being handled by Villager Carolyn Grossman.
Hiking Trail System: For those of you who are looking for more exercise on a regular basis, we encourage you to investigate our Village’s on-site hiking trails. Totalling just under three miles, these trails were created by a few of our residents over several years. There are three main trails that range in difficulty depending on the terrain, pathway composition and levelness which allows nearly everyone the opportunity to enjoy them. All of the trails are marked with cairns and some have “view benches” where hikers may rest and enjoy the scenic Rincon Mountains. Because of the natural washes and desert flora that have been undisturbed within our Village, it is surprising how peaceful and isolated the hiking experience can be, all within a few hundred feet of our homes. Colored charts of the Trails updated by resident Bob Winder are available from the HOA or the Doucette Sales office.
