October 2025 Email Newsletter

Snapshot – October 2025

October 13, 2025 No Comments

Barbara Daoust

General Manager

First Service Residential

If you missed the September 25, 2025 Board of Directors meeting, here are the highlights of the Manager’s Report. The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for October 30, 2025.

Drainage Projects

Big View Ct. Channel – Sky Island Restoration was selected to complete this project. The project is in the permitting process with the Town of Oro Valley. Project to commence in the fall.
Bridal Veil – This project is currently on hold until the completion of the 27 Mile and Big View Ct. projects.

2025 Capital Projects

The following capital projects have been slated and budgeted for 2025:

RVB streetlight removal – Project completed 1/30/25.
Irrigation repairs along Desert Fairways and Innovation Park Dr. – The project is nearing completion. Final walk through with Northwest Landscaping is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th.
Drainage repairs – 27 Mile Project has been completed, and trail is open to members. Big View Ct project is in the permitting process with TOV.
Wall, restrooms, ramadas painting – The board has selected Facelift Painting. The project includes some walls in the Las Colinas, Mesquite Crest, Reflections, Sonoran Vistas, The Overlook neighborhoods and restrooms & ramadas at Hohokam and Wildlife Ridge Parks. This project is near completion and the final walk through has been scheduled for September 19th.
Replace playground equipment at Somerset Canyon Park – The board selected to replace the current equipment with a Columbia Cascade Model. The equipment is on order.
Roof Tile Renovation for Wildlife Ridge, Hohokam Parks and Bell Tower – The board selected Roofsavers to repair the Bell Tower tile roof, replace tiles on the Wildlife Ridge Park Ramada and clean off the facilities roofs at Wildlife Ridge and Hohokam Parks. This project has been completed.
Asphalt replacement for parking pad located in Mirabella near 27 Mile Trail head and sealing and crack fill for Siena’s roads.
Drinking water fountain replacement – The board approved four drinking fountains to be replaced at 27 Mile, Big Wash, Sunset Ridge and Somerset Canyon Parks. They are on order.

Sealing & Crack Fill Project

The board will be reviewing bids for Siena roadways and the parking pad in Mirabella during the General Session scheduled for September 25th.

VCA Paint Palette

The new paint palette is available on line at the Dunn Edwards website or the community website at Rancho Vistoso Approved Palette (PDF).

VCA Office

During the month of July, the site office relocated two doors down from our previous location in the Mountain View Plaza on Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Please note our new address: 1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd., #111, Oro Valley, AZ 85755.

Community Events

The fall yard sale is scheduled for Saturday, October 18 from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM and the fall event is scheduled at Sunset Ridge Park on Saturday, October 25 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. AAA Landscape will be sponsoring the Fall Event.

2026 Budget

Currently the Finance Committee is working on the 2026 draft budget. The board will be meeting in early October with the Finance Committee to review and discuss the proposed budget. Final adoption of the 2026 budget is scheduled for the General Session meeting on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Did You Know – October 2025

October 13, 2025 No Comments

Gayle Lopez picture — Gayle Lopez – Honey Bee Ridge

What does Día de los Muertos mean and what is its history?

Día de los Muertos translates from Spanish to English as Day of the Dead. Here in the USA, we mourn our loved ones when they pass with funeral services and wearing dark solemn clothing. It is usually a sad time in our families when we have to say goodbye to grandpa forever. Different cultures grieve and treat death differently with traditions that have been around for centuries. One culture that has created a unique and interesting way to face death and the deceased is Mexico. Mexico is colorful, noisy, and lots of fun. The people, the food, and the celebrations are bright, loud, and unequaled. So when it comes to death, in true Mexican style, Mexicans celebrate with color, food, and music.

Day of the Dead is a 2-day celebration where it is believed that the passageway between the real world and the spirit world is open so our deceased loved ones can come back to visit us. What do we do when grandpa comes back from the land of the dead? We make his favorite meal and we offer him his favorite drink. We sing, dance, and rejoice before he heads back to the underworld for another year. The modern holiday is a syncretic blend of ancient Aztec rituals that celebrated ancestors and the Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, introduced by the Spanish. The ancient Aztecs dedicated an entire month to the goddess Miccaihuitl and made offerings to honor the dead.

What are some of the traditions associated with Día de los Muertos?

Traditions include:

Ofrendas (Altars): Families build private altars decorated with marigold flowers candles, and photos of the deceased to encourage the spirits to visit. The Aztecs used to offer water and food to the deceased to help them on their journey to the land of the dead. Now, Mexican families set up beautifully decorated altars in their homes and place photos of the loved ones they have lost along with other items. The ofrendas usually consist of water, the loved one’s favorite food and drink items, marigold flowers candles, bread, and photos of the deceased.

Marigolds (cempasuchil): Marigolds are used during Dia de Muertos celebrations by being placed on the altars and on the burial sites. The Marigold flower is thought to guide the spirits back with their intense color and pungent smell.

Offerings: Favorite foods and beverages of the deceased are placed on the ofrenda so the spirits can enjoy their “spiritual essence”. Pan de Muertos, or day of the dead bread, is an essential part of the festivities and is also placed on the altars. Sugar Skulls are enjoyed by the young and old during this time also. Mole, tamales, pozole, and sopa azteca are prepared by families with the recipes being passed on from generation to generation.

Calaveras (Skulls): A common symbol, represented by sugar or chocolate skulls, masks, and colorful decorations. Skulls are a huge part of the holiday. Skulls were used during rituals in the Aztec era and passed on as trophies during battles. Today, small decorated sugar skulls are placed on the altars. There is nothing grim about these skulls. They are decorated with colorful edible paint, glitter, beads, and sport huge smiles.

La Catrina (Skeletons): In the beginning of the 19th century when cartoonist and social activist José Guadalupe Posada drew La Catrina to protest the Mexican people’s desire to look more European. La Catrina has become one of the biggest symbols of Day of the Dead with people painting their faces with skulls and flowers. These dapper skeletons figure have s become an iconic symbol of the holiday.

Papel picado: Perforated paper that is an integral part of Mexican culture. The art comes from the Aztec tradition of chiseling spirit figures on wood. It is used during Day of the Dead celebrations by stringing them on the altars and in the streets. Ofrendas showcase fire, water, earth, and air. Papel picados represent air on the altar.

Graveside Vigils: In some regions, families visit cemeteries to clean gravestones, have picnics, and spend the night keeping vigil.

Oro Valley Shredding Event – Nov 22

October 13, 2025 No Comments

Town of Oro Valley – Shredding Event

Fight fraud, shred instead!

Prevent ID theft by shredding confidential documents. Bring up to eight, medium-sized boxes to be shredded on-site.

Oro Valley Marketplace

8:00AM – 12:00PM

Saturday, November 22nd, 2025