Victor Lim gave an overview of the history and current work at Biosphere 2.
Linda Shannon-Hills
The Lecture Series focused on some end-of-year topics that are important for many of us as we move into retirement. On Thursday, November 20, a discussion on Medicare was led by Justin Bro, Vice President of Sales for Retirement Insurance Specialists. Justin discussed what coverage you have with Medicare Part A, Part B and Part D. He also discussed Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) and the benefits and disadvantages of this plan versus taking the Part B and Part D. He briefly discussed the recent trends in the program and the impact of the Affordable Care Act in shaping Medicare today and in the future. He stayed to answer specific questions after his talk.
Rebecca Williams, a resident of SaddleBrooke Ranch and an investment advisor for Morgan Stanley Financial, gave a talk on Year-End Tax Tips on Thursday, December 4. She gave attendees a handout with articles and information that could save them money on their taxes. Steve Groth briefly talked about donations to Oracle School that are a direct write-off on your taxes.
Social Security Benefits can be confusing, but speaker David Parra, Director of Community Outreach for AARP, presented slides on the various benefits of social security and what each beneficiary will receive for each of those benefits. A handout developed by David gives a great summary of this information and is available at La Hacienda clubhouse for others to pick up.
SaddleBrooke Ranch HOA January Lectures
January 13, Tuesday, from 2:30-4:00 p.m. a lecture on estate planning, trusts, wills and health care directives. The speaker will be John Shelby, attorney for Hillman & Shelby Law, LTD. Most have wills, trusts or comprehensive Estate Plans, but moving to a new state may require changes to your existing plans. It can be difficult to contemplate some of the issues that arise in estate planning in Arizona, but John will give an overview of some of the areas you should consider to protect you and your family. John has practiced law in Arizona since 2000 and concentrates his practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Tax and Business.
January 22, Thursday, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Victor Lim, a volunteer guide will discuss Biosphere 2. A close neighbor to SaddleBrooke Ranch, the Biosphere 2 is only a few miles east. The Biosphere 2 is an Earth systems science research facility. It has been owned by the University of Arizona since 2011. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system in 1991. Victor will give an overview of its history but will focus more on the work going on at the Biosphere 2 today.