Up The Hill is a free, monthly magazine produced by Estrella Publishing for the residents of Estrella & CantaMia.
A magazine for Estrella & CantaMia residents From Your Neighbors, For Your Neighbors Up The Hill
May 2026 1
Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
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Published by Estrella Publishing LLC, PO Box 6962, Goodyear AZ 85338. Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor Talia Ebert, Assistant Editor Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive 623.398.5541 info@EstrellaPublishing.com
All contents © 2010-present Estrella Publishing LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission from Estrella Publishing LLC is prohibited. Estrella Publishing accepts freelance contributions, there is no guarantee that materials will be used or returned. Estrella Publishing is not responsible for the content of contributing writers and advertisers and assumes no responsibility for errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Advertisers. Estrella Publishing reserves the right to restrict all advertisement to their proper classification and to edit or reject any copy at its sole discretion. Neither this publication nor Estrella Publishing is an agent of or in any way affiliated with the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association, or any of their respective affiliates. This publication has not been approved by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association in any way. RICHARD TAX SERVICES LLC
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May 2026 3
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From Me To You...
There are things your mother tells you that you nod along to, fully confident she is wrong, only to arrive at fifty and realize she was right about every single one of them. Handwritten cards are on that list. After my wedding, while my new husband and I were packed and ready to leave for the airport, my mother sat herself down in the armchair by the front door and simply refused to move. She was not leaving, she informed us cheerfully, until every last thank you card was written, addressed, and sealed. Not started. Not mostly done. Finished. She had stamps. She had time. She had her knitting and a cup of tea. She had absolutely no intention of budging. I thought she was being ridiculous. We had a flight to catch and a honeymoon to get to. What possible difference could it make if the cards went out next week? Or the week after? People didn’t really expect them, did they? They did. And more than that, they remembered them. What I didn’t understand then, and what I have only come to appreciate as I’ve become older, is that
a handwritten card is one of the last truly personal things we send each other. It takes actual effort. You have to find a card, locate a pen that works, think of something to say, write it legibly, and then physically put it in a mailbox. Nobody does all of that by accident. They did it for you, on purpose. The other point is this - mail these days is mostly bills, takeout menus, junk, and your favorite magazine ;) So when something arrives with your name written by an actual human hand, everything stops. You sit down, read it twice, and then put it on the mantelpiece where it stays for a week as a reminder that somebody was thinking of you. My mother knew all of this, of course. She always did. She was right about the cards, right about the sunscreen, and probably right about that boyfriend in 1987. I should have written that on a card and sent it to her years ago. She would have put it on her mantelpiece. Catherine Uretsky Editor, Up The Hill Magazine info@estrellapublishing.com 623.398.5541
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The Bug Guy
They Were Here First : Pest Season in the West Valley
The ants arrive next, organized with a military precision that would impress a logistics consultant. Argentine ants form supercolonies that span the whole street, which means your neighbor Dave’s failure to treat his yard last October is now your kitchen’s problem. They have located the crumb under your refrigerator, have opinions about it, and are sharing those opinions with forty thousand of their closest friends. Cockroaches, meanwhile, are simply living their best life. The desert variety did not get the memo about being secretive. They walk across your kitchen at noon. In good lighting. Making eye contact. They are 65 million years old and have survived five mass extinctions, and something about that history makes them extremely difficult to embarrass. The solution, of course, is a good local pest control plan — perimeter treatment, sealed entry points, and the monthly visit from a professional who has seen things and remains calm about them. Schedule it before May hits, not after. Treating an active infestation reactively is like mopping during a monsoon. The West Valley is beautiful, warm, and gloriously sunny. It is also, technically, a desert, and the original residents — the ones with exoskeletons — have not forgotten that. Shake your shoes. Call your guy. Enjoy the sunsets. Submitted by Larry Cash, of Estrella Mountain Pest Control, Estrella resident.
Every Spring, West Valley residents perform the same sacred ritual: stepping barefoot onto the patio, inhaling the warm desert air, and immediately retreating inside after spotting something with eight legs that appears to be assessing property values. Welcome to pest season. The scorpions have been planning this since February. The bark scorpion is the undisputed mascot of the West Valley in May. Translucent, glow-in-the-dark under a blacklight, and capable of squeezing through a gap the width of a credit card, it is nature’s way of reminding Goodyear, Avondale, and Surprise residents that no amount of HOA dues buys you safety from the Sonoran Desert. They climb walls. They climb ceilings. They have been found inside shoes, towels, and — in one legendary Buckeye incident — inside a Croc, which frankly feels like a personal attack.
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May 2026 5
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Silent But Invisible
Our Congress has a laundry list of laws to debate, dissect, and delay, yet one of the most important subjects of all—the English language—isn’t even on its agenda. We teach our children mathematics. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: 2 + 2 = 4. But when we teach them how to read and write, those same ifs, ands, and buts seem to buzz around their heads like bees in a hive. They see a word, but hear something else entirely. They read knee , and sound it out as k-nee . Then the teacher informs them that the k is silent. The same happens with thumb , island , talk , hour , and a host of other words filled with silent letters. Are we intentionally confusing our children? Might it be better for their mental health if we simply eliminated silent letters altogether—made them vanish into linguistic history? Silent letters are fossils. They preserve history and often reveal a word’s origin, but they do not help us read or write. If someone wants to know why a word has a silent letter, they can look up its etymology—and
then get on with reading and writing without extra, unpronounced baggage. “Oh,” you say, “but what about words that need silent letters to distinguish meaning?” That’s called a silent- letter disambiguator—quite a term for something that, ironically, contains no silent letters itself. Not and knot is one example; whole and hole is another. These homonyms are common in English, as are homophones and homographs. Oh, the confusion our children must endure! But what if we dropped the k in knot and wrote, “He tied a not on his shoelace”? Surely context would carry the meaning. Willn’t it? There are roughly 200,000 commonly used words in the English language, not including technical terms, slang, acronyms, and the like. Whew. Reading and writing would surely be easier if we trimmed the excess—especially words that seem no longer necessary, such as disambiguator , homonym , homophone , and homograph . Come on, Congress. Put the English language on your agenda.
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Mother’s Day WRAPPED IN LOVE. WORN FOREVER.
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May 2026
Kindness Corner
May is often filled with milestones. Graduations, celebrations, and transitions mark both endings and beginnings. In these moments, kindness provides grounding and perspective. Watching the comfortable and familiar become replaced with the new and uncertain can place an uneasy sense expectation in our core. Some see the change, the promise as exciting while others see it as daunting. Ultimately, we must remember that one person’s perception of change can be distinctly different from another person’s perception. Indeed, these milestones of change can bring mixed emotions. Pride and excitement may exist alongside anxiety or uncertainty. Kindness helps us acknowledge this complexity. Offering encouragement without expectation, listening without judgment, and recognizing effort without judging outcomes. This measured approach can make these transitions feel less overwhelming. As May is full of activities, the self-imposed pressure to be available and family-pressured expectation of keeping up appearances, can take a toll. Lean into self- kindness and self-awareness in these times of tension. Kindness towards oneself is especially important during busy seasons. High expectations can lead to self-criticism when things do not go perfectly. Choosing
self-compassion. Allow yourself time to rest, accept imperfection, and recognize limitations. This approach helps maintain balance and emotional health. From a relational perspective, kindness strengthens connections during change. Simple acts, such as expressing gratitude or offering help, reinforce trust, and mutual respect. These gestures communicate that people matter beyond their accomplishments. The benefits of kindness extend beyond emotion. They improve mental clarity, they reduce stress, and they foster cooperation. Practically, they help individuals navigate transitions from one stage of life to another with greater confidence and resilience. May reminds us that success is not measured solely by milestones reached, but by how we support one another along the way. Kindness ensures that transitions are not only productive, but meaningful. By practicing compassion during times of change, we create lasting memories rooted in connection rather than pressure. What acts of kindness can you bring forth this month? Find one thing to celebrate with yourself, a person you love, a person you casually know, and a stranger. As you reach out to those beyond your inner circle, showing kindness to a stranger, you will feel full of love and kindness. You will bloom with milestones of possibilities.
Submitted by Timothy Hunter Mathews, Estrella Resident
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Go Cards! Cook With Zona
5. Ask a grown-up to slice the roll into rounds about an inch thick. 6. Arrange them cut-side up in your lunchbox so the rainbow shows! Tip: Press the roll firmly before slicing so the pinwheels hold their shape.
May is the perfect time to get into the kitchen. The farmers’ markets are full of bright, fresh produce, and with the end of the school year just around the corner, there is plenty to celebrate. These two recipes are simple, colorful and delicious. They make a great lunchbox, a lovely Mother’s Day surprise, or just a fun Saturday afternoon project. Read through the recipe first, wash your hands, and let’s get cooking! Rainbow Pinwheel Wraps
Sunshine Pasta Salad Prep: 20 minutes |Makes 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes | Makes 4 pinwheels
Ingredients: • 1 large flour tortilla
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese or hummus • A handful of shredded purple cabbage • A handful of shredded carrots • A few slices of cucumber • A few leaves of fresh spinach Instructions: 1. Lay the tortilla flat on a clean surface. 2. Spread the cream cheese or hummus evenly across the whole tortilla. 3. Layer the vegetables across the middle. 4. Roll the tortilla up tightly from one end.
Ingredients: • 2 cups cooked pasta, cooled (bowties or penne work well) • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 cup corn kernels (canned is fine) • 1 cup cucumber, diced small • Half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese • 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice • Salt and pepper to taste Instructions:
1. Cook the pasta with a grown- up’s help, then drain and let it cool completely. 2. Combine the pasta, tomatoes, corn, cucumber and cheese in a large bowl. 3. Mix the olive oil and lemon juice together, then pour over the salad and stir. 4. Season with a little salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until lunchtime. Tip: This tastes even better the next day, so try making it the night before!
Want to see previous recipes by Zona? Scan the QR code to see all past recipes on our website!
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Healing takes Give yourself some grace. time.
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Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
Desert Creatures The sun has barely come up. The desert trail is quiet. Then zoom, something darts across the path. Fast, crested, completely unbothered. That was a Greater Roadrunner. It runs at nearly 20 miles per hour, and yes, it can catch rattlesnakes.
The Gila Woodpecker You’ll hear this one before you see it: a loud, raspy call like a toy laser gun. The Gila Woodpecker drills into saguaro cacti to nest. When it moves out, elf owls, snakes and starlings move in. One bird, dozens of neighbors. The Desert Tortoise Slow, ancient and calm. Some tortoises live to 80 years old, meaning one crossing a trail today may have been walking these same paths when your grandparents were kids. May is one of the best months to spot one. If you do: look, but don’t touch! The desert looks empty only if you’re moving too fast to notice. This May, slow down, walk the trails early, and look closely. Before You Head Out Always go with a responsible adult. Go early, turn back if it gets too hot. Bring more water than you think you’ll need, wear a hat and sunscreen, and watch where you step. Never touch wildlife. Stick to marked trails, tell someone where you’re going, and know the signs of heat illness. Seek help immediately if someone feels unwell.
Here’s the thing about our desert: it is packed with incredible wildlife. You just have to know where and how to look. May is the perfect month, before the summer heat sends everyone indoors. So lace up, grab some water, and meet your wild neighbors. The Greater Roadrunner The desert’s most entertaining bird barely flies. It prefers to sprint. Catch it early on any desert trail, spreading its wings wide to warm up in the sun. Fast, fearless and a little ridiculous-looking. The Black-tailed Jackrabbit Those enormous ears aren’t just for hearing. Blood flows through them, the breeze cools it down, and cooler blood circulates back through the body. Built- in air conditioning. Find them in open areas at dawn, sitting perfectly still, absolutely convinced you can’t see them.
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It all comes down to
having the right Realtor! An unfortunate thing can happen when you choose the wrong agent in today’s market… Nothing! Estrella inventory is climbing fast with an average 90 days before a home even goes under contract.
A ERIAL & T WILIGHT P HOTOGRAPHY :
A full-time, proactive, educated, and dedicated agent celebrating my 20th year selling homes in Estrella, with 10 prior years in advertising for some of the valley’s top home builders, I market your home to maximize your sale! My husband, Darin Smith, is a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. With over 20 years of professional home valuation experience I’m happy to partner with him to help my clients determine the best sale prices to accomplish their goals. As a team, we provide all the tools and information you need to make a smart move in ANY market.
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Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
Healthy Lifestyle
Staying Active When It’s 100°F May is the sweet spot. Mornings are warm but still workable, the parks are quiet before 7am, and there is just enough time to walk a few loops before the heat takes over. By June that window closes - daytime highs push past 110 degrees and staying active requires a different plan altogether. The good news is, that plan is not complicated, you just need to make it before summer arrives. Use the morning while you have it For now, get outside early. Before 8am in May, most shaded paths and community park loops are entirely manageable. Bring water, wear a hat, and pay attention to how your body feels. If you are on regular medication, it is worth a quick conversation with your doctor or pharmacist about whether any of it affects heat tolerance. Some common medications do, and knowing that now is far more useful than finding out mid-July. Plan your indoor summer When outdoor walking stops being practical, the options that work best for most seniors are aquatic exercise, chair yoga, and structured group fitness
classes at community recreation centres. Water- based exercise is particularly good because it reduces joint stress significantly while still building strength and cardiovascular fitness. If you are on Medicare Advantage, check whether your plan includes SilverSneakers. A large number of West Valley seniors already have free gym access through this benefit and have never used it. Mall walking is another option worth taking seriously. It is flat, air-conditioned, free and social. Several local malls open their doors early specifically for walkers. No membership, no equipment, no excuses. Keep it consistent The hardest part of an Arizona summer is not the heat itself. It is the way a disrupted routine quietly becomes no routine at all. Group activities help with this more than solo exercise does. A class you have paid for, a walking partner expecting you, a pickleball game already on the calendar. These things create the small obligations that keep people moving when motivation alone is not enough. The seniors who come through an Arizona summer feeling good are almost always the ones who sorted their routine before the heat made it urgent.
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Home Sweet Home
Embracing Meaningful Maximalism In 2026, “meaningful maximalism” is emerging as one of the most refreshing shifts in home design - and it’s making an impact in real estate. After years dominated by minimalism and all-white interiors, homeowners and buyers alike are embracing spaces that feel more personal, layered, and full of character. It isn’t about clutter or excess - it’s about intention. Every piece in a home tells a story, whether it’s a collected artwork, a vintage find, or a bold statement piece that reflects the homeowner’s personality. Instead of stripping spaces down to the bare essentials, this trend encourages thoughtful curation, where design feels lived-in and authentic rather than staged or sterile. Color plays a major role in this movement as warm tones, rich hues, and mixed patterns are replacing the once-popular neutral palettes. Accent walls, wallpaper, and textured finishes are being used to create depth and visual interest throughout the home. Layering is another key component. From textiles like rugs, throw pillows, and curtains to mixed materials such as wood, metal, and stone, homes are being designed with dimension in mind. This creates a sense
of comfort and warmth that many buyers are now prioritizing. From a real estate perspective, meaningful maximalism presents both an opportunity and a strategy. While overly personalized homes can sometimes deter buyers, a well-executed maximalist approach can enhance a property’s appeal. Thoughtful staging that incorporates color, texture, and unique design elements can help a home feel memorable and emotionally engaging - two factors that often lead to stronger offers. Importantly, this trend aligns with a broader shift toward authenticity in how people live. Buyers are no longer just looking for a “perfect” home; they’re searching for a space that feels genuine and inspiring. Meaningful maximalism delivers on that desire by showing how a home can be both beautiful and deeply personal. As 2026 continues, this trend highlights an important takeaway for homeowners and sellers alike: the most impactful spaces aren’t the ones that look like everyone else’s - they’re the ones that tell a story.
Submitted by Tara Rutkowski, Realtor and Estrella Resident
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First Friday Goodyear Brings Family Fun to the West Valley As of November 2025, Goodyear has finally brought First Friday to Goodyear Ballpark. The event features a wide variety of fun for adults and children, and is a much closer drive rather than going all the way to Phoenix First Friday. For the kids, there is cornhole, bounce houses, henna, a petting zoo, Connect Four and there was even the Easter Bunny there to take pictures with. The petting zoo had many animals, including rabbits, a baby 1st Friday
cow, a pig, sheep, and goats that can be heard from the parking lot. Children were feeding those friendly animals with cups of food which were given to them upon entering the petting zoo. If you are hungry, there is an endless array of food trucks selling everything from barbeque, Cajun food, tacos, to sweeter options such as acai bowls and boba. There were vendors everywhere selling many handmade products from their businesses, you can browse through jewelry, candles, loose leaf tea, band shirts and hand crocheted products. All of the vendors are very friendly, and many were handing out free samples of their food and drinks. I sampled some tea and ended up getting a cup of peach tea, which was sweet and perfect for a Spring day. This event is also a great way to support small businesses, which I spoke to a couple of the vendors about. Some of the businesses have been around for a very long time, while others had just started a year ago. They spoke about how they have seen a difference made for their business from doing First Friday and encouraged those starting a small business to keep going no matter what adversities they face.
Tails Are Wagging Dog Sitting Services by Debbie & John Short & long-term stays Drop-ins with your furry friend Meet & Greet beforehand
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The event is very safe, with Goodyear Police Department as well as the fire department on standby. There are tables set up everywhere for you to sit down and relax and enjoy the beautiful Arizona sunset. With music playing from the DJ booth and a cool breeze in the air, the event is a refreshing new way to start the month off. Submitted by Alyssa Gonzales, local resident and aspiring journalist.
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The Doctor Is In
What Does it Actually Mean to Be “Triggered”? The word “triggered” in clinical psychology is a specific biological event that has to do with misinterpreting the present as the past. If you’ve ever found yourself overreacting to a small comment or snapping at someone you love over something trivial, you’ve likely experienced a trigger. Think of your brain as having an Internal CEO (the prefrontal cortex) and a Security Guard (the amygdala). The CEO is responsible for logic, planning and rational thought. The Security Guard is responsible for one thing: survival. When you experience a trauma or a high-stress event, your Security Guard takes a snapshot of the environment— the smell of the room, the tone of a voice, etc. A trigger is when that Security Guard sees one of those snapshots in your current life and sounds the alarm. Within milliseconds, your CEO is escorted out of the building and your survival hardware takes over. This is why you can’t “think” your way out of a trigger in the moment; your logical brain isn’t even online yet. The most important thing to understand is that a trigger is a Time-Travel Error. Your nervous system doesn’t realize it’s 2026. It
your brain to acknowledge the current environment. 3. The Reality Check: Once you’re calm, ask the CEO to look at the data. “Is the person in front of me actually a threat, or do they just sound like someone who was?” Being triggered is a sign that your brain’s trying to protect you. The goal isn’t to never be triggered again—it’s to shorten the time it takes to realize you’re safe in the present. Submitted by Dr. J. Paweleck-Bellingrodt, Psy.D. Material is for informational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.
thinks it’s back in the original moment of pain. Your heart races, your breath gets shallow and your muscles tense because your body’s preparing for a fight that ended years ago. So, how do we update the software? 1. Acknowledge the Hardware: Instead of shaming yourself for overreacting, label the event. Tell yourself: “My Security Guard is sounding the alarm. This is a physiological response, not a current reality.” 2. The 5-5-5 Rule: Find 5 things you can see, 5 things you can hear and 5 things you can feel. Grounding forces
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M OUNTAIN R ANCH F AMILY & C OSMETIC D ENTISRTY
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24 Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
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Solutions are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com, or scan the QR code.
May 2026 25
Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
Business Directory
ADVERTISING Up The Hill/Estrella Publishing AUTO SERVICES A Plus Automotive Mobile Repair Daniel’s Total Car Care Moody’s Auto Glass BUSINESS & LEGAL SERVICES Insurance & Financial Rep - C Tornetta Ganyo Insurance Agency Mahoney Law Office Medicare Broker - L Williams Richard Tax Service State Farm Insurance - D Aaron EDUCATION Arizona Dermatology Specialist Healthy Life Family Medicine Mtn. Ranch Family Dentistry West Phoenix Pediatrics HOUSEHOLD SERVICES 5 Dog Electric Al’s Plumbing A Quality HVAC AC & Heating Blue Line Painting Century Glass & Mirror Consider It Finished Painting Estrella Mountain Pest Control General Exterminating Pest Control JBS Roofing Lyons Roofing Nuñez Painting Paint Corps of Phoenix Pat’s Air Conditioning & Heating Great Hearts Roosevelt HEALTH & BEAUTY
623.398.5541
623.986.1586 623.873.0949 623.205.4598 480.246.7261 623.439.2525 623.518.3513 623.267.1662 623.925.9953 480.948.2005
PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air Tails Are Wagging West Valley Fans & Blinds LANDSCAPING & POOL CARE Fujiwara Landscape Design Sierra Vista Landscapes REAL ESTATE CB Realty - Anthony Hurwitz Keller Williams - The Rider Elite Team Realty One Group - Debbie Beck Realty One Group - Jen Polansky Realty One Group - Tara Rutkowski Realty One Group - C Trachsel-Smith Realty One Group - K Svabik Realty One Group - Rhonda Watson West USA Realty, Estrella - Martin Sears RETAIL & RECREATION Arizona Broadway Theatre Cruise Planners - S Johnson Estrella Community Services Office Off The Hook Meat Shop Osborne Jewelers
602.613.4130 516.652.7565 623.600.8893 858.204.0168 623.238.5713 310.702.1055 602.315.8749 805.746.2367 480.577.3918 623.640.6546 623.474.6511 602.402.9215 602.403.4136 623.853.3380 623.776.8400 855.698.7285 623.386.1112 623.248.1206 623.925.1815 623.259.9590 623.932.0922 480.975.1750
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Redline Carts Roman’s Oasis T&T Martial Arts Academy
26 Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
May 2026
Your Roof Called:
This is getting embarrassing...
New Construction, Repairs, Recovers, Maintenance Installation of Gutters Shingles, Tile, Built Up, Single Ply, Foam & Coatings, Metal, Shake
www.JBSroofingAZ.com
ROC #’s: 061127 - 287012 - 198009 - 082024 - 318282 ROC #’s: 061127 - 287012 - 082024 - 318282
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Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
28 Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
May 2026
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