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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | AUGUST 2017 | 3 Have you had enough heat yet? We are most certainly experiencing what is often called the "Dog Days of Summer!" Most of us have probably heard or used this term. In our daily conversations, we frequently use phrases that have evolved over generations and found their way into our everyday language. But, do you ever wonder where such terms originate? In this case, the term, "Dog Days of Summer" harkens back to Greek and Roman astrology, and is related to the appearance of the star, Sirius, one of the brightest stars in the summertime night sky. Historically, Greek and Roman astrologers connected this period of time with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever and even bad luck. In Egypt, the return of Sirius to the night sky was seen as a precursor to the annual flooding of the Nile River. So, how did the term "Dog Days" become associated with this time? Essentially, because Sirius follows the constellation Orion, it was referred to as the "dog star" and thus it evolved into the "Dog Days of Summer." So, now you know, but it probably doesn't make the heat any more tolerable! Regardless of the extreme heat we've endured, we are pleased that so many of our residents came out to enjoy the July 4th festivities organized by an energetic group of volunteers. We've heard and read many favorable compliments on social media extolling this year's event. So, kudos to all who played a part in helping our community commemorate this special holiday. July was also a very busy time for our other committees. In particular, the Access Control Committee concluded its extensive research into guard service contractors, and as was announced at the July Regular Session Board meeting, we are now under contract with Southwest Security for our guard services. The ACC performed exhaustive vetting of several competing companies and concluded that Southwest Security easily met or exceeded our specifications. We welcome this new contractor, and trust that you will notice improved service delivery along with the new look. The Emergency Preparedness Committee has also been working diligently to plan and present a community-wide safety fair later in the year. A significant objective of this committee's charter is public education and awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness. And the first component of this is self-sufficiency. Because disasters can strike at any time and to any degree, it is imperative that we be educated and undertake steps to prepare. Please read the EPC articles in the Herald for more information and watch for announcements with more details. Your Board of Directors has also been quite busy. We began the process of developing a Strategic Plan for our Four Seasons at Hemet Community. This will be a major task this year, and more information will be forthcoming about how you can facilitate the process. There will likely be a variety of facets to this project. It is our vision that, once completed, this Strategic Plan will not only identify short and long term goals and priorities for our community, but also provide a road map of how to achieve them. We undertake this endeavor under the premise that "if you don't know where you are going, you will never know when you get there." Message From the Board of Directors Sincerely, and on behalf of your Board of Directors, Jim H., Ken, Tony, Gene, Don and Jim C., Russ Brown President

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