Wayne Hembree Eternal Patrol:
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, December 20, 2024, at 11AM for Holland Club and Perch Base Life member Wayne Hembree at:
Gilbert Memorial Park
2100 E Queen Creek Road, Gilbert, AZ 85297
(Left-click address, above, for a Google map to the Gilbert Memorial Park.)
Immediately following service the family invites you to join them for a Luncheon at the LDS Church at: 2700 E Galveston Street, Gilbert, AZ 85295.
Follow this LINK to view the Eternal Patrol Notice

Deadline for First Quarter 2025 MidWatch:
All input must be in by December 20, 2024, to Chris Gahan, communications@perch-base.org, to be included in next MidWatch Newsletter.
Chris emphasizes that input to the MidWatch is welcome from ALL members, including articles, jokes, etc.

January Monthly General Meeting:
Join us at 1200 hours (noon if you’ve been out a while.) at Dillon's Restaurant,
20585 North 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85308-6821
(Left-click address, above, for a Google map to Dillon's.)
Come at 1100 for time to "socialize."
Roadwork will require lane restrictions and full closures on Loop 101, the interchange ramps and cross streets between 75th Avenue to I-17. Work will occur primarily during overnight hours and weekends to minimize traffic impacts, thus may affect travel time to future meetings at Dillon's starting September 27, 2024.
Although there is presently no closure scheduled for our meeting on January 11, you can check the current status on the ADOT website HERE.
You can also view the live Loop 101 cameras on the AZ511 website HERE.

Perch Base Annual Awards Banquet:
Doors open for the Perch Base Annual Awards Banquet at 1800 hrs. (6:00 PM for those retired and away from military time.) Dinner will be served at 1915 hrs. (7:15 PM).
Tickets will be ready to purchase for $65 per person (same as last year) starting at the November monthly meeting on 11/10/24.
Tickets will continue to be available for purchase until the close of the January regular monthly meeting on 1/11/2025, then the numbers will be provided to the Pebble Beach Tuscany Country Club management.
Meal selections will be made by each attendee when booking and paying for the tickets from the following menu:
1) Chicken Saltimbocca,
2) Grilled Salmon, or
3) Honey Roasted Pork Loin
(There is no selection for beef, which would have cost $20 additional, per order.)
Hors d'oeuvres are included and cherry pie will be provided for dessert.
Dress recommendation is business casual.
The location is the same as previous years, the Pebble Creek Tuscany Country Club in the Chianti Room.
16222 Clubhouse Dr, Goodyear, AZ 85395
(Left-click address, above, for a Google map to the Pebble Creek Tuscany Country Club.)
1. Take the I-10 westbound to the “Pebblecreek Parkway.”
2. “Pebblecreek Parkway” northbound to “Clubhouse Drive.” Left on “Clubhouse Drive.”
3. You will come to a manned gate house. Tell the guard where you are going and you’ll be allowed to pass.
4. Continue approximately ½ mile and you’ll see the Pebble Creek Tuscany Country Club sign.
6. Turn right and you’ll immediately see a parking lot on the right. Enter this lot and continue through towards the far end.
7. Park as available.
8. The building at the far end (north end) of this lot is where the banquet is held.
We will have our Perch Base signs from the float placed to help locate the facility.
Our Keynote Speaker will be Vice Admiral Phillip G. Sawyer (ret). Vice Admiral Sawyer, a career submarine officer, served as a division officer on USS Bluefish (SSN 675), as Engineer Officer on USS Florida (SSBN 728) (Blue) and Executive Officer on USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716). His afloat command assignments were aboard USS La Jolla (SSN 701) and Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 15 in Guam.
Here's some pictures from the last (2024) Annual Awards Banquet.

Laveen Community Parade:
This year's theme is "Laveen’s Got Talent!"
Parade rolls at 11 AM.
The 24th annual Laveen Community Parade will run on Dobbins Road from 43rd to 51st Avenues.
Dobbins Road will be closed from 41st Lane to 51st Avenue from 9:00AM to 1:00PM.
We don't have an assigned staging location yet, so the setup is not specific, but we generally expect to be located on Dobbins Rd. east of 43rd Ave. (Same area we staged last year.) Access will be from 35th Ave facing west.
To get to the float staging area on Dobbins, east of 43rd Ave, it is recommended to take 35th Ave south to Dobbins Road and then head west. Parking along Dobbins is first come, first served.
Staging begins at 8 AM. Members are recommended to arrive there early as parking may be limited and entry by way of published routes will be restricted after 9 AM.
View the PARADE STAGING MAP for the location of last year's staging.
4200 West Dobbins Road, Laveen Village, AZ
(Left-click address, above, for a Google map to staging point.)
Here's some pictures from the 2024 Laveen Parade.

Western Region Roundup:
The Western Region Roundup will be held in Long Beach, California from Thursday, March 6, 2025 thru Sunday, March 9, 2025, at the Queen Mary Hotel.
1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802
(Left-click address, above, for a Google map.)
Although this event "conflicts" with the Perch Base monthly meeting on March 8, which includes the election of base officers, we hope you will attend one, or the other.
Visit the Roundup website for more details.
This 2025 Western Region Roundup is hosted by the USSVI LA/Pasadena Base.
Registration and sponsorship forms are available on the Roundup website and a link to get the discount hotel rate ($749.40 for 3 nights including tax.) is HERE.
Here's some photos from last year's Roundup.