Almost 150 responses were received.  This is too small of a sample to be statistically accurate.  However, it is large enough to be representative and informative for the views of Villagers about the issues and questions in the survey.

The survey asked for a numerical rating of between 1 and 10 for each question where 10 was the highest or best rating.  The ratings for all 20 questions were individually tabulate and averaged for only those responding for that question. 

The POA is happy with the way this survey turned out.  We may repeat a survey like this on an annual basis.

The ratings are listed below.  The POA’s comments and interpretations follow. 

Ratings General Questions: Local Fire Services                    8.3 Emergency Health Services              8.0 Cleanliness of Streets/Comm. Areas        7.8 Villages Taxi Services                    7.7 Entertainment on the Square        7.7 Championship Course Condition              7.6 Common Area Landscaping              7.5 Executive Golf Course Condition              7.0 Neighborhood Watch                    6.8 Villages Media Group : Villages Radio Station in General        6.4 Villages TV Station in General              5.8 Daily Sun Newspaper in General              5.3 Daily Sun Objectivity                    3.6 District Administration : Villages Central District Gov’t              3.8 Villages Administrator Performance        3.2

POA members are mostly satisfied with the services and features surveyed in the General Questions category.  The ratings shown here were generally the highest of any of the groups of questions.  Fire and Health services were rated the highest.  The Neighborhood Watch was rated the lowest.  Golf course conditions rated in the 7.0-7.6 range — these should have rated higher for what are primary features in The Villages.  Villagers are generally satisfied with common landscaping and the cleanliness of facilities.

Ratings were much lower for the Villages Media Group.  The newspaper, radio, and TV station in general scored poorly in a range of 5.3 to 6.4.  The Daily Sun was rated very low (3.6) for objectivity which appears to validate a common complaint often voiced by Villagers.

The Villages District Administration also rated in the very poor range of less than 4.0.  Villagers are not very happy with the District government.  The performance of the District Administrator showed the lowest rating of all 20 questions in the survey with a rating of 3.2.  This also appears to validate a concern voiced often by Villages residents that the District Administrator is at times unresponsive to the needs, concerns, and interests of some residents.

Among Homeowner organizations, the VHA faired poorly (4.8) in the ratings compared to a higher rating for the POA (8.5-8.9).  This was not an unexpected outcome in this survey of primarily POA members.  However, the ratings do represent the actual assessment of a major group of Villages residents that the POA is performing well and up to expectations.  Actually, the POA got the two highest ratings for any of the 20 questions.  The CIC faired very poorly in the ratings, and this seems to represent a lack of understanding of the function and activities of the CIC.

Overall, the POA was satisfied with the results of this survey and the insights provided.  We are hopeful that when District Administration and the developer read these comments, they will try to address the issues and concerns identified.  Perhaps questions like these should be included in the annual survey conducted by District Administration.  The POA would be happy to assist the District in preparing the questions for that annual survey.

This month’s column deals with Red Herrings.  What, you say, are Red Herrings?

Red Herring is a slang term used to describe a irrelevant argument used to divert attention away from a more important issue.

The usual example is of a group of people debating an important issue when someone throws a real Red Herring onto the table.  All discussion stops as the group’s attention is diverted to and focused on the Red Herring.

In this example, the Red Herring is the irrelevant distraction from the main topic of importance.

The VHA has a big Red Herring that it refers to as its Annual Spaghetti Dinner. 

Now, a homeowners’ organization should focus on homeowners’ issues and concerns.  Right?  

But, the VHA has a Spaghetti Dinner.

Did the VHA support the POA on its call for a moratorium on further purchases of overpriced Villages facilities from the developer? — No!

Did the VHA support the POA on its call for the direct election of the VCCDD supervisors by all residents in the Villages? — No!

Did the VHA support the POA on its call for the resignation of VCCDD supervisors over possible conflict-of-interest issues? — No!

These are three very important issues.

What did the VHA do instead? — It had a Spaghetti Dinner!

This is the VHA version of a Red Herring.

The VHA avoids the important homeowner issues — while it serves up Spaghetti.

Perhaps next year it can also serve some Red Herrings at its Spaghetti Dinner.  Bon Appétit!!

CHEERS - To residents who pick up the Lady Lake Magazine and POA Bulletin from driveways when they are delivered to a vacant or temporarily unoccupied house.  Thanks.

JEERS – To car drivers who park on parking lot lines rather than in between them.  Can’t you be more careful?

JEERS – To residents who resort to vulgar responses when confronted about a problem or their actions.  Can’t you be more civil?

CHEERS – To Lowe’s and Target for starting construction on your eagerly anticipated superstores.  Same CHEERS for the new, soon-to-opened Ruby Tuesdays restaurant.

JEERS – For the new bridge over Lake Mira Mar.  Yes, we needed a new bridge.  But, this one has no charm.

JEERS - To the Businesses on La Plaza Grande in the Silverlake Area for keeping the restrooms locked.  Early walkers who find themselves a mile from home when nature calls no longer have these facilities available to them.

CHEERS – To all the POA members who brought food dishes to our December Holiday party.  And, to Ollie’s for the wonderful frozen custard treats at our January meeting.  They were great! – And, we even had seconds!

JEERS – To the Village.net services for a 21.7% increase in the dial-up Internet service charge.  More JEERS for charging about $5.00 a month to make tee-time reservations on the system for golfers who do not use the full service.

JEERS – To the Villages Central District for allowing shrubbery to grow too wide or too tall at some intersections, thus affecting vision for drivers.  Does anybody in the district review this periodically?  Also, drivers who don’t realize these problems and adjust their driving accordingly. 

I say keep your mind alive.  Your body may age, but you will never grow old.
Most people I know at some point yearn for retirement.  Some are ready at 37, others 77, some never.  

Retirement means different things for different folks.  Webster places a rather negative spin on its meaning.  The vendors and the advertisers come up with the “Golden Agers” and the “Senior Citizens” bit, attempting to create an artificial status for the older set.  Now that we are no longer gainfully employed does not mean that we have stopped thinking, feeling, and caring about the world around us and how we interact with it.

Inevitably you encounter the “let George do it” group.  George, after a while, begins to make decisions for you.  Because you appear apathetic, he thinks you are no longer interested in what takes place in this hemisphere.  You are a rational, intelligent, and reasonable human being.  George thinks you are stupid, lazy, apathetic, not wishing to be involved.  Who is right?

The moral to this story is to be alive.  Take responsibility for your life and be also accountable.  Give back to your community a small percentage of what you have gained.  It will surely foster self gratitude, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

We now have two lifters and eighteen leaners.  The cycle has been broken.  Let’s all work on it some more.

The above was submitted by Russ Day with permission of the author.