As summer fades, our lighting should not

As summer winds down, the days grow shorter, as is the way of Nature. And, that means more hours of dusk and darkness. 

That also means we would be well-advised to raise our level of awareness when it comes to community safety on the Terrace. 

As we recently were informed by Tom Wade, our Community Safety Committee chair who had requested on our behalf that the City of Troy improve lighting on the Terrace, the city will NOT be doing so for the foreseeable future. 

We were fortunate several years ago, with John Paccione -- also a Safety Committee member -- spearheading the effort, to upgrade the lighting at the entrance to Hyland Drive, and to help several homeowners upgrade their front-yard lighting. However, we need more attention to such details. 

Some owners have upgraded their front-yard pole lights, but many have not. So, we have a mix of dull bulbs, even some original pole lights that have long provided inadequate illumination because their once-transparent panels have oxidized, and others that have been out of commission for months. All of that has resulted in dark areas on the Terrace that invite nefarious activity. 

During the COVID pandemic, we saw a marked increase in the number of non-residents regularly walking through the neighborhood. While the vast majority are neighbors from Highpointe and even the Terrace at Stoneledge, it is not inconceivable that some may have been looking for vulnerabilities. 

To that end, the Community Safety Committee and the THCA Board are asking that the owners/residents of each home review their individual lightning situation. 

• If you have original pole lights, that means they are 25 years old or so, and are badly outdated. A professional electrician can provide guidance about whole or partial replacements.

• If you have not upgraded individual pole light bulbs to modern LED bulbs, the Committee (Tom, John, and Bill Shover) can advise you on how to do so at minimal cost. 

• If your lights do not work at all, that obviously can and should quickly be remedied. 

While such efforts will not completely compensate for the City's decision not to help, it will "light a candle in the darkness" and help make our community just a bit safer. 

Thank you for your attention and, we hope, your efforts to help you and your neighbors.

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