“Spring flew swiftly by, and summer came; and if the village had been beautiful at first, it was now in the full flow and luxuriance of its richness.” Charles Dickens said it best – Summer begins!
Pool fun, BBQ, picnics on the beach, and our fair town becomes an oven. Sigh… I recently visited the Pinecrest Farmer’s Market and it was like swimming in a hot tub. I love the heat and sun of South Florida; however, as the song says, “Feeling hot, hot, hot!” is one of the reasons why so many of us hop in our cars or grab a flight this time of year to get out of Dodge.
So, crank up the A/C and enjoy your summer vacation, but please be safe. First, make sure you contact the Pinecrest Police Department and file what they call a “Watch Order” indicating how long you’ll be away on vacation, what cars will be left in your driveway, who is authorized to be at your house, etc.
While the police can’t guarantee that your property will be 100 percent secure, at least you’ll know an officer will make a point to drive by your house on a daily basis to ensure everything appears safe and sound. Also, remember that piles of newspapers and an over-flowing mailbox send a strong message to anyone who is wondering whether you’re home.
One of the nice things about travel is that when so many neighbors leave the village, our traffic eases up. Kids are out of school, and hopefully not buried in their electronic devices – but, parents are off the road and so are crazy teenage drivers. Still, be careful driving – even if it is tempting to race to the beach or a nearby pool party.
Our big summer holiday is, of course, July 4th – Independence Day! While I recently looked for some acknowledgement of this hugely popular all-American event on the Pinecrest website, nothing but a regularly scheduled Game Day popped up.
Maybe this is a good thing – not having an expensive celebration, that is. The price of fireworks is truly skyrocketing – pun intended – as those blasts are crazy costly. Some neighboring municipalities, not to mention any names, spend over $100,000 – for how long, 15 minutes? That’s a steep fee for any elected official to justify if you’re claiming to be a good steward of the taxpayer dollar.
Don’t get me wrong, fireworks are great. They provide a stunning array of colors, with plenty of “oohs” and “aahs,” but these mind-blowing displays are also budget blowing for small municipalities. There are plenty of larger cities, with bigger budgets, nearby. I say, let the expense of fireworks fall on those cities.
When you have a big budget, like $7.4 billion for the county, having firework fun is great. So, I’m letting Pinecrest off the hook on this one – sort of… Game Day? Really? Is playing Mah Jong and Dominoes an Independence Day tradition that I am not aware of?
So, please enjoy your summer – whether it’s local or on the road. And be sure to slice up a watermelon or toss some peaches in your tropical salad. (You knew I wouldn’t be able to make it through here without reminding you to enjoy seasonal produce.)
Summertime… go have fun or stay in and stay cool. Either way, give me a shout and let me know what you think.
About James Field: James is committed to keeping in touch with the Pinecrest community and hopes you welcome his insights on issues affecting Village residents. Please send an e-mail to jfieldjr@gmail.com with questions or comments.
