Journal Notes—May 2019

by Michael Hamline, Editor / Published May 2019

On the last Monday of May (May 27), the nation will stop to observe Memorial Day. John A. Logan, founder of Decoration Day, which would later be renamed Memorial Day, remarked, “Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic.” He shared these words not long after the Republic saw at least 620,000 (360,222 in the Union) men die in the Civil War. According to the website www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts, America lost 405,399 soldiers in World War II; 116,516 in World War I; 58,209 in Vietnam; 36,516 in Korea; and 6,626 in Iraq and Afghanistan—there are additional wars and soldiers killed listed on the site.

Regardless of one’s politics or views on whether the U.S. should or should not have been involved in these wars, there is no denying that the soldiers killed gave their lives for the preservation of the Republic, beginning with the Union soldiers and a way of life—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—in the other wars. This Memorial Day let’s honor these soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice and let us not forget to pass this honorable tradition on to our children and grandchildren.

This issue features the Sunset & Sand (Tampa to Naples) Preferred Service Provider’s Guide on page 36. These service providers stand ready to assist communities on the West Coast of Florida, and you can learn more about each company by reading their company profiles and visiting their website, so you can utilize them to help maintain your property and improve it.

On page 14, Brie Peterson with Envera Systems has written an article entitled “Community Security Misconceptions.” In the article, she details several issues communities will need to work through. These include making the appropriate financial investment in security and technological upgrades, setting realistic expectations of what security systems can and cannot accomplish, and communicating clearly about the community’s expectations and what the security system can deliver.

Enjoy May and drop us a line when you get an opportunity.

Editor