WWHD ?
Construction of the square was another matter.
"We couldn't get any banks to finance it. They said, 'What would we do with it if we had to repossess it?' " Morse said of the one-acre park.
In stepped Harold Schwartz, founder of the development, who donated $1 million to build the square.*
*From the Orlando Sentinel many moons ago.
A few of my neighbors were friends with Harold. They have told me stories of how Harold loved music and parties. He built the first town square on the historic side where El Ranchito is today. When Orange Blossom Gardens incorporated into The Villages, building of an Old Fashioned Spanish Town started across Rt 441. An architectural firm from Canada was hired to design the entire town but first the family had to sit down and write a fictitious story of the town's history. The story starts with a town square was built around the fountain of youth discovered by Ponce De Leon. I have a copy of that entire story building by building, family by family that was generated. FYI the names painted on the buildings in SS are from the story.
Also my neighbors have told me of a story when lightning struck the oak tree by the drink shack near the movie theater. Again Harold stepped in and had a mature live oak put in it's place out of his own personnel monies.
My guess is Harold would not be tinkering with the happy hour.
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