Over 1,000,000 Have Now Joined Us in Just 3.5 years !... How we Got Started

Thanks to All of You Our Caring Readers

On this Special Day

...and a special guy named Allen Weintraub...

It was on a chilly November in 2012 when, after swimming at the Liberty Center indoor pool, in the locker room, as I was getting dressed, that I struck up a conversation with a stranger ! 

For those who know me, shyness has never been part of my personality, and despite what you may have read elsewhere, I'm a friendly guy who loves people, has a bunch of great friends, a loving wife who puts up with me...and am a "fun guy" to many entertainers in the Las Vegas world of entertainment.

This "stranger" and I discussed both of us coming from the "north side" of Chicago. 

The names of past friends came up in our conversation and I was amazed how many we knew.

I looked closely at him and it hit me like a brick....

I said, "Allen?"  And he in turn looked me and said "Dick"?

And a smile struck both of us as we realized that we last saw each other in the late '60s !

We....were fraternity brothers who hadn't seen each other in almost 50 years.

A long time ago Allen Weintraub was one of 12 original guys who started a local fraternity at the University of Illinois in Chicago.  

That fraternity was originally called "Sigma Delta Pi", a local name that I'm proud to say, developed into a chapter of a national fraternity called "Sigma Alpha Mu", more commonly known in college circles as "Sammies"....

...and I was the "token"....the Catholic kid who was about to get a real education joining a Jewish fraternity !

In my garage, I still have a fraternity paddle with the names of the "founding fathers" engraved on it...and...Allen's name is proudly on that paddle.

I must digress...about that fraternity paddle...

While I refer to myself as a  "collector", my wife, Marla, refers to as a "junker"...

...which in recent times has been more commonly referred to as a "hoarder"...

....which drives her nuts !

I prefer to look at certain collectibles as "memories of youth". 

The wounds in my heart still haven't healed after she "pitched" my leisure suit !

Getting back to the story...

As I was on my way to a class one day, I met another fella I hadn't seen since I was about 8 years old named Bob Able, whom I had originally met when my folks would take my little brother Bobby (now 67..who will always be my "little brother") and I on our annual family vacation to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

After "catching up" with what had taken place in our missing 10 years, he mentioned that he was in a fraternity that I might like to join.

...and so...I did, meeting a bunch of great guys, who over the years made college days...the best partying ever imaginable...especially the time when I placed a Christmas tree in our fraternity house...in August...for a party every Jewish member had never experienced and LOVED every minute of it !

Who was one of those great guys?

A "kid" named Allen Weintraub.

And so my next words to Allen after both of us realized who we were?

"How come you got old...and I didn't ?"

After the smiles, we talked about Sun City Anthem. 

He and his wife, Sharon,  had purchased a home a short time prior to our meeting, and I mentioned to him that I had previously written a column called "As I See It" on the Anthem Today forum...

...was "burned out"... and needed to concentrate on a pretty wife and getting older...

...that... all the attempts at solving the problems of Sun City Anthem's governance woes, were getting to me !

And the result of that conversation...

Anthem Opinions was born !

I'm telling all of you, our readers, this story because today is a special day.

Anthem Opinions has now exceeded...

1,000,000

...hits  to our site, currently averaging between 1,500 and 2,000 separate computers visiting us each and every day !

We've tried to offer our readers a variety of topics that make life a more enjoyable experience using Information Pages to inform you of entertainment venues, uncommon but fun tips, gardening advice, Nevada laws, current events, and of course our most popular feature "Mr. Fix-It" written by Forrest Fetherolf, who is currently running for the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors in addition to the hundreds of other projects he's involved in helping residents with household items.

We also feel it our responsibility to "keep you informed" with local association matters as well. 

With the 2016 Board of Directors election, this has become a dominant subject, but I can assure all of you...

...normalcy and fun will be our main concern after the ballots are counted.

And so...

..to my  friend, fraternity brother, and co-owner of Anthem Opinions, Allen Weintraub ...

...thanks for the encouragement, support, and advice as to the creation and development of a community publication that as our banner states "hopefully will entertain you"!

And of course, our deepest appreciation to all of you, who have joined our Anthem Opinions family of readers.

All of you are the "engine" that keeps us running.

Thank you so much.

Dick Arendt

Anthem Opinions