Image Up Advertising & Design

26 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2024 The heat is on and we, as dog owners, must be aware of our pup's needs. When walking your dog in the summer, you should consider these tips to keep them safe and comfortable: • Hydration: Dogs can become dehydrated easily in hot weather, so bring a dog-friendly water bottle and collapsible bowl and offer them water frequently. You can also watch your dog's behavior to determine when they need water. • Protect Paws: Hot surfaces can damage your dog's sensitive paws, so you can try putting shoes or sandals on them. Rubber- soled shoes offer the best protection. • Avoid Hot Pavement: Experts agree that it is generally safe to take your canine pal for a walk in temperatures of up to 68°F, while anything over 77°F is considered very risky. Not only is it crucial that you provide your pets with shade and fresh drinking water, but it's also important that you're aware of the rising temperature of the cement and asphalt around your home and public spaces. Cement and asphalt temperatures rise much more quickly than some would expect. On a 77° day the temperature of asphalt has been recorded as high as 125°, while on an 87° day, the temperature of asphalt has been recorded as high as 143°F. These temperatures can cause your dog's paws to burn in as little as 60 seconds. To protect your pet, consider following the seven- second rule: before heading out for a walk, place the back of your hand firmly against the concrete or asphalt for seven seconds. If you experience burning or discomfort, it's too hot for your pup's paws. • Plan Your Walks: Try to avoid walking your dog during the hottest parts of the day, and look for shady routes. You can also take shorter walks with f lat-faced dogs. • Other Tips: You can try using a cooling mat to give your dog a cool place to retreat to when they get too hot. You can find a wide assortment to choose from on Amazon.com. We are always looking for members for our Canine Corral Steering Committee. If you might be interested, stop by one month and see how we work to make life better for our dogs. For July, because of the holiday, we will be meeting on Wednesday, July 3 at 3 pm in the RCN Conference Room. We will be back to our regularly-scheduled meeting date and time of the first Thursday of the month at 10 am in August. The weather has been crazy. One week it is so hot the dogs want to lay in the shade and the next it is almost too cool. Our regular meet times are 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings and 4 pm Wednesdays. Starting in July, as the weather gets hotter, we will meet at 7 am on the weekends. Please see the Canine Corral website for any changes of meeting times. It is https://www.facebook.com/ groups/CanineCorral. ~ Barbara Morton, Co-Chairman, (559) 269-0908 or barb93720@yahoo.com Canine Corral The process for making the private property of K. Hovnanian Homes into a government-approved conservancy had two key requirements: funding an endowment and approval of a management plan. When construction began in 2005, the builder was prepared to agree to both provisions. Under the CC&R rules for development of Homeowner Associations, the builder had a voting majority for the initial 10 years of development and then the homeowners would assume control. When the real estate market collapsed in 2008, the completion of Four Seasons extended beyond the initial 10-year plan. The homeowners took control of the Board in 2016. At this time, the Board was given a copy of the Long Term Management Plan (LTMP) developed by several government agencies and urged to approve it so the Conservancy could be transferred to the HOA. The LTMP described how and when maintenance in the Conservancy would be conducted. Inspections would be conducted by the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) who would represent all government agencies with an interest in current and future conservation policies. The HOA would then fund all the "corrections" identified by the inspections. The transfer process also required the builder to provide $2.5 million and the HOA $200,000 for an endowment. The endowment would be controlled by a special investment agency and the annual investment returns would fund inspections of the Conservancy by IERCD. The Board presidents refused to sign the draft LTMPs for several different reasons and without their signatures the Conservancy could not be transferred to the HOA. By the time the last homes were built and sold in 2020 and without the earnings from the 26 houses in the Potrero parcel, the builder was unwilling to fund their portion of the endowment. As such, the property will likely never be transferred to the HOA as a government-sanctioned Conservancy. The LTMP does, however, provide information about what, when, and how the infrastructure within this parcel is to be maintained. Except for the trails, irrigation, and fencing, the other maintenance tasks identified in the LTMP (see below) such as the foot bridge, and basins and hardware are not being maintained seasonally. • Quarterly site inspection of Non-Conservation Features and Buffer Zone during nesting bird season March 15 to Sept. 15 (biologist may be needed) • Fencing and signage maintenance • Major trash removal in Conservation area & minor trash removal in Buffer Zone and Additional Maintenance Areas and Basins • Erosion repair within Conservation Area if necessary • Maintenance of irrigation system/bi-weekly application if necessary • Quarterly non-native species removal • Maintenance of hardscape features ~ Len Tavernetti, ltavernetti@hotmail.com Conservancy

• Cover