George Kattermann has been Rio Verde Community Association president for the past two years, and a big portion of what has been on his plate is marketing the community.

Kattermann said he believes there are a good many people, including real estate professionals, who view Rio Verde as “God’s waiting room.”

He would dispute that.

“This is not ‘God’s waiting room,’” Kattermann said. “There are a lot of much younger people (here) interested in staying active.

“Our question is what is it they want and can we provide it?”

Even the older residents are showing they are not interested in just sitting around.

VerdeCares is a group working to provide caring services to community residents, and it has organized a monthly “90s luncheon” for residents who are nonagenarians.

They get out, have a good time and socialize about the “old days.”

The split between golfers and non-golfers in the community is now 40/60, according to Kattermann, and he said the number of golfers continues to diminish.

Mike and Kathy Neuhengen, who we met earlier in this series, are avid golfers and moved to Rio Verde for the golf. After they play three to four rounds per week there is still plenty of time for other things.

Neuhengens also make time for hiking and bicycling.

“You can put as much on your plate as you like,” Kathy said.

Kattermann notes that over the past few years the association has taken steps to expand amenities to reach new people.

They tried Pickleball and found a great deal of interest in the game. So much so that the community invested in a two-court facility next to the Tennis Club to accommodate the new interest.

Residents also experimented with bocce ball and expanded that to a community court that gets a good deal of use.

Bocce ball courts have also turned up in the back yards of several residents like Tom and Jan Stengmann who installed a court when they renovated their home.

The Stengmanns also enjoy the fact that they live only a couple of blocks from a trailhead that leads into McDowell Mountain Regional Park, a county facility.

Hiking, more

Hiking has been a staple activity in Rio Verde for a number of years. During the winter season monthly outings are organized for hikers to visit numerous trails in the area including the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve, McDowell Mountain Park and into the Superstition Mazatzal mountain ranges.

Long-time resident Bob Mason was an early organizer of the regular hiking outings.

“The trailhead into the park gives people the chance to get a real taste of the desert where we live,” Mason said. “We have a lower percentage of people who are golfers.

“They are doing a lot of the same things they did 30 years ago.”

More recently a bicycle group has been formed as Rio Verde is in the heart of a natural bicycling area. Getting on a bike and heading out Forest Road to the Needle Rock Recreation Area in Tonto National Forest is a favorite route.

There are also many Rio Verde bicyclists who ride between their community and Fountain Hills, as well as Rio Verde Drive toward Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale.

The Rio Verde Saddle Club has also been a staple of activity for many years. Based at the old Box Bar Ranch site at Rio Verde Ranch, residents are able to bring their horses with them for the winter season.

The horses are stabled and the club has hired a wrangler to oversee the horses for residents.

Much of the riding by Saddle Club members is done along the Verde River and into the Mazatzal foothills across the river from the ranch site.

Peg Zarlengo is president of Rio Verde Country Club and has an obvious interest in promoting golf, but she also realizes there is so much more to the community.

“You see how easy it is to make friends and get involved here,” Zarlengo said. “It’s like being in college, but you don’t have to go to class.”

But you can if you want to. There are art classes and lectures on a variety of subjects to keep you learning and thinking.

The Verdes Art League, with both Rio Verde and Tonto Verde residents, has been a part of the community for many years, and is renowned for its talented artists.

The Center for Spirituality and the Arts at the Community Church of the Verdes presents a series of lectures and concerts each year that is free to residents and the greater community.

There is also a well-established partnership with Arizona State University for an annual lecture series each winter.

Giving back

One remarkable example of the charity that comes from the residents of Rio Verde and Tonto Verde is reflected in the giving this past Christmas.

The annual Christmas Project, managed by a volunteer board this year headed by Chris Gelb, has been part of Rio Verde for decades. In 2013 there were 45 families who received direct assistance from Verde residents. An additional $15,000 in cash went to 12 agencies in the area who serve the needy on a regular basis.

Thousands of dollars are also raised each year in the Verde Communities with golf outings and auctions. Tonto Verde Cooks, a cookbook project to benefit prostate cancer awareness, raised more than $30,000 for the cause.

Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa is a regular benefactor of the generosity of Verde residents and has been for many years. In fact, within the last few years a new housing unit at Sunshine Acres was dedicated and named for Rio Verde resident Pat Hemmer.

Habitat for Humanity has also been the recipient of Verde generosity. This year a team of volunteers is providing construction help and residents are contributing to the 18th Habitat for Humanity project sponsored by the Verde Communities.

“It is the feeling of many people here, ‘aren’t we fortunate to be here,’ and we are able to give back,” Mason said.