Image Up Advertising & Design

FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2022 31 Hello friends. The Safety Committee is committed to enhancing the safety of our beautiful community. In keeping with our commitment to safety, the following are some issues we have been addressing. Projects in the works: • Proposed installation of handrails in the Amphitheater. • Proposed installation of additional Stop Signs on Green Creek Trail. • Evaluation of safety suggestions identified for The Lodge, The Summit, and The Courts. • Proposed scheduling for additional CPR/AED training. Bicycle safety concerns were raised during our January Safety Committee meeting. Here are a couple of reminders for bicyclists: • Obey all rules of the road. • Obey all traffic signs and pavement markings. • Be constantly aware of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. • Make yourself as visible as possible at night or in low lighting conditions, including equipping the bicycle with a light and reflectors and wearing light colored clothing or a reflective vest. • Note: The riding of bicycles on any of the Four Seasons trails is not allowed. TIPS FOR DRIVING IN THE DARK: Avoid Night Blindness During the winter months, we experience decreased daylight hours, and we find ourselves driving more in nighttime and low- light conditions. You may not know the name for it, but if you drive at night, you've probably experienced situational night blindness. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), it can occur when you are temporarily blinded by a bright light such as an oncoming car's headlights. When you are momentarily blinded by a bright light, your pupils contract and adjust to the sudden light intensification. Then when the light passes, your pupils readjust to the subsequent lower light level by dilating. So, what's the issue? During the brief time your eyes are making these adjustments, your vision is impaired. Without enough light, we lose much of our contrast sensitivity (i.e., the ability to distinguish objects from the background) and peripheral vision (i.e., the ability to recognize objects at the edges of our visual field). To help you navigate nighttime driving, the NSC offers these tips: • Drive within the visual range illuminated by your headlights, not by what you think you see beyond them. At night, headlights limit our view to only 250 to 350 feet of road ahead. • Adjust your rearview mirror to the nighttime setting to dim any headlight glare coming from behind. • Focus your eyes on the right edge of the road to avoid being blinded. • Keep your windshield and headlights clean inside and out. • Shift your view between the road and your vehicle's rear and side mirrors. • Turn your head from side to side to increase your peripheral vision. • Use high beams when you can. The Safety Committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 am in the RCN Conference Room. We encourage you to join the meeting should you have any concerns or if you would simply like an update on our ongoing safety projects. Please drop by if you are interested in joining the Safety Committee. We are always looking for energetic new members. All the best. ~ Frank Hilberg, hilberg frank@gmail.com Safety Committee Landscape Committee As of this writing, the Landscape Committee submitted a request to the Board of Directors to plant a Cedar Cedrus Deodara 'Aurea' pine tree at our Lodge. If the Board approves our recommendation, you will see this new tree in the not-too-distant future. This tree can grow up to 70 feet with a width of 40 feet, has a good growth rate, and is relatively easy to grow. It can withstand wind, heat, and drought and is insect resistant. While this tree will be less than eight feet tall when planted, over the years it will grow and allow us to decorate it during the holiday season and provide shelter to our numerous birds the rest of the year. We looked at different options for a holiday tree and chose the Deodara as it was best suited to our climate. We also took into consideration watering needs and the beauty it will add to our community. Our committee works closely with Park West and FirstService Residential to keep our community as luscious and green as possible. Each member of the committee has a vote on what we should plant (based on a plant palette appropriate for our growing zone) if we need to replace plantings. We also have access to an arborist who advises us on the care and maintenance of our trees. Our goal is to keep Four Seasons Beaumont a beautiful place to call home for all of us. We are always looking for new committee members to join our team. We meet most Friday mornings and walk different areas of the community to look at plants to determine if any need extra maintenance or replacement. If you like to walk and enjoy looking at our plants and trees, please feel free to join us on a weekly walk. Please contact Shannon Shelton or Kathryn Hughes of FirstService Residential to find out where we are meeting on Friday morning as meeting places change weekly. Residents are also welcome to attend our monthly meetings which are every third Tuesday of the month at 1 pm in the RCN. ~ Brenda Steckler

• Cover