[Villages Kahuna]

I guess we all know that the policy was changed this year to require the payment of a fee to rent tables and chairs on the squares. But there was never any explanation of why. Some have surmised it was designed to generate extra profit for the developer's Entertainment Department. I have a tough time accepting that they'd irritate so many people in exchange for a pittance of extra revenue in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I assumed the move was made to assert some control over what had become a grossly overcrowded and potentially out-of-control event. But I certainly could be wrong.

Then within the last few days the Entertainment Department was rumored to have announced that they were refunding all payments made for tables and chairs and returning to a normal daily 5 'til 9 entertainment schedule. But on prior New Year's Eves 5 until 9 wasn't normal. The entertainment has been scheduled until midnight on the squares for several years, I believe.

Now there is a story circulating that the reason for the cancellation was that non-Villages residents were predominant among those making the payments for reserved space, tables and chairs. So the Entertainment Department decided to opt out of arranging events that would benefit a large number of non-residents.

Does anyone know for sure what the reasons were for the initial "play for pay" change, and then the cancellation of the whole program and the rumored return to an unattractive 5 'til 9 schedule for a night like New Year's Eve?

By the way, as of tonight (Friday, December 7), The Villages website still shows a schedule of New Year's Eve entertainment lasting until 12:30 AM on both town squares!