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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | AUGUST 2016 | 3 By Doug Swenson FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK Over the past 17 years that I have lived in Sun Lakes I have seen many changes. Most of these changes have been for the betterment of the residents of this community. We all thank the people involved over that period for making those changes. The three things that have never changed are speeding, not stopping for stop signs and bicycle riding. The rules for these three are very simple to understand and should be very easy to adhere to. Please remember them when you are out and about. We do not want any issues that could have easily been avoided. As many of you know, the Master Board purchased a photo radar machine which is being considered for use on our streets. Many people have spent a lot of time working on this project trying to put together a workable approach to its use in the future. I am not going into any specifics about this but I wanted all the residents to know this is being worked on. The reason I bring it up is because this whole subject could be a non-issue if the residents of Sun Lakes would obey the speed limits. There are three different speed limits within Sun Lakes: Country Club and Gleneagles are 25 miles per hour, the three sub-associations speed limit is 15 miles per hour and all other streets are 20 miles per hour. These limits are very easy to understand, but we see speeders every day. We are working on educating all the vendors and other workers inside our gates, but the largest group of people violating these rules are the residents of Sun Lakes. We are in the process of posting these limits on all streets as you enter from Country Club Drive. Please pay attention to them and DO NOT SPEED. The second thing that has not changed, but has gotten worse, is the stop sign issue. We see residents who totally ignore stops signs wherever they go. A large number of drivers of cars do this but I feel a larger number of golf cart drivers ignore stopping all together. I have talked to many cart drivers who feel that the stop signs are only for other vehicles and they have no intention of ever stopping at a stop sign. We have many walkers within our gates and since we are a 55 plus community, not all of us are as quick or agile as we used to be. This means that for some of us, crossing a street at a stop sign which used to be safe, is now very unsafe. Please stop for all STOP SIGNS. The third thing that hasn't changed are the bicycle riders not obeying the rules for such transportation. The bicycle riding rules are the same as for a car. You must ride on the right side of the street and you must obey all driving rules. Some riders think that not only are they supposed to ride against the traffic but that you are supposed to ride on the sidewalk. The word is sidewalk and it means it is for walking, not riding your bicycle. I also see bicycle riders ignoring stop signs, which is against the law. Remember that riding a bicycle at night can be very dangerous so make sure you are wearing light or reflective clothing. The 4th of July celebration this year was great. The decorated carts that participated were outstanding making the judging very difficult. The variety of classic cars on display was across the board which gave all the spectators something of interest to enjoy. I would like to give a special thanks to District 7 for their military float. There was a wide variety of activities to participate in and to watch. Once again, the Recreation Committee did an excellent job putting it together and then manning each venue. Next time you see someone from the Recreation Department, give them a big THANK YOU for all their efforts. Hope you all had a wonderful day wherever you chose to celebrate.

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