Interesting Quotes from Mark Morse

[Cedwards38]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:

[Bogie Shooter]

Just makes you wonder how some posters can post such vile remarks.

[Jayhawk]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:

Completely agree. They have created and maintained a paradise. We love it.

:a040:

[Challenger]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:

it is axiomatic-"no good intention or deed goes unpunished"

Hopefully the acorn again will not fall far from the oak. This family has a great ethic and legacy and we are reaping the benefits of their efforts.

Oh, buy the way they made alot of money- It's called the American Dream.:super:

[janmcn]

Mark Morse also referred to the Orange Blossom Country Club as the Orange Blossom Recreation Center. Did he ever explain this discrepancy, for those of us who didn't attend?

[NotGolfer]

He talked about the fact they closed the restaurant to make updates as well as the golf course. Said it wouldn't be fair to whomever takes over the restaurant to do so while the golf course is closed. Said more would happen with this, this fall. Talked about expansion of an outdoor restaurtant and bar. So, in answer to the question of "correction"....don't remember that coming out of his mouth. So much was being talked about unless one took notes and we didn't it's hard to remember. The Sun is a re-cap of the evening!

I so want to wish the Morse family a HUGE thank you for ALL that they've done with making our community what it is. It was emphasized we're one of a kind. I'm very happy and proud to be a citizen here as it's a HUGE blessing to be sure.

[champion6]

Thanks for starting this thread. Here are some additional notes from the meeting. These are notes that don't appear in the article in today's Daily Sun.

At this time there are 51,778 homes in TV.
At this time there are 101,348 residents in TV.
Average age of men: 70
Average age of women: 68
New businesses soon to be located in Brownwood: SAS Shoes, Dunkin' Donuts, Village Cycles, TooJay's.
A typical commercial lease is for five years.
There were 53 lease renewals last year.
TV commercial is at 98% occupancy.
The programming that will be booked at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (formerly Church on the Square) will be determined by us residents. They will try different entertainment. The types that are successful will be repeated.
The Charter School has a 98% graduation rate. 92% go on to college.
They expect to have over 3,000 students this fall.
Charter school in the workplace - this is one of only two in Florida.
One-third of the students have a parent in the medical field.
Citizens First Bank opened 9,584 new checking accounts last year.
Citizens First has 68 ATMs.
TV Health System has 36 doctors.
17 docs have full patient lists.
At this time the TV Health System serves about 20,000 patients.
TV Health System has about 200 employees.
TV has 73 pools, 120 pool tables, 170 pickleball courts.
The number of TV residents participating in the Senior Games exceeds the total in the rest of Florida.
In 2013, the new home average selling price was $266,000.
In Q1 2014 the new home average selling price was $292,000.
In Q1 2013 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $199,326.
In Q1 2014 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $253,179
TV expects to begin selling homes in TV of Fruitland Park area in Q2 2015.

[Erijo]

This is just a thought, only a thought. I don't know if this is feasible, so here goes! Would it be possible to somehow videotape LIVE to all the rec centers so that everyone could see/hear the presentation. There would be a special TV so that what was being presented at the Savanah Center could be sent via closed circuit to all the centers? Does that make sense? Is that even possible? Just a thought.

[DeanFL]

Thanks folks for this Thread - very informative. We're new to TV, 3 months now. Love it. I had the chance to move to TV 8 years ago, but did not buy into the "buying the Lifestyle" matter. I was single. Moved to a 55+ comm in Leesburg. Since then - connected with my gal for 6 years now - we visited TV often, and dreamed of moving. Dreams come true. Bought our new home/lot in Dec - moved in Feb.

Thank you Schwarz' and Morse. For the concept of TV and the great development. I for one, never begrudge the "1%rs" - esp the percentage that built the wealth themselves. If the Developers did not deliver and believe themselves - TV would not continue to attract buyers. Thank you - all connected with the Morse' family and business. Keep it up - we love it!

[EnglishJW]

Champion6 - thank you for posting this additional information.

[Abby10]

To Mr. Morse and the OP that posted this -

:mademyday:

[EnglishJW]

The Sun is a re-cap of the evening!


Is there any chance of publishing the Sun article on TOTV?

[OBXNana]

Thanks for starting this thread. Here are some additional notes from the meeting. These are notes that don't appear in the article in today's Daily Sun.

At this time there are 51,778 homes in TV.
At this time there are 101,348 residents in TV.
Average age of men: 70
Average age of women: 68
New businesses soon to be located in Brownwood: SAS Shoes, Dunkin' Donuts, Village Cycles, TooJay's.
A typical commercial lease is for five years.
There were 53 lease renewals last year.
TV commercial is at 98% occupancy.
The programming that will be booked at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (formerly Church on the Square) will be determined by us residents. They will try different entertainment. The types that are successful will be repeated.
The Charter School has a 98% graduation rate. 92% go on to college.
They expect to have over 3,000 students this fall.
Charter school in the workplace - this is one of only two in Florida.
One-third of the students have a parent in the medical field.
Citizens First Bank opened 9,584 new checking accounts last year.
Citizens First has 68 ATMs.
TV Health System has 36 doctors.
17 docs have full patient lists.
At this time the TV Health System serves about 20,000 patients.
TV Health System has about 200 employees.
TV has 73 pools, 120 pool tables, 170 pickleball courts.
The number of TV residents participating in the Senior Games exceeds the total in the rest of Florida.
In 2013, the new home average selling price was $266,000.
In Q1 2014 the new home average selling price was $292,000.
In Q1 2013 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $199,326.
In Q1 2014 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $253,179
TV expects to begin selling homes in TV of Fruitland Park area in Q2 2015.


We live out of state and don't get the Daily Sun. Thank you for this information. Sometimes we wonder if we did the right thing to buy in The Villages before retirement and this further confirms the decision was right.

[ureout]

I agree that TV is the best....the only negative thing i took from the article in the daily sun was the back door jab that Mark Morse made when he praised the VHA which is essentially the developers mouth piece and he said You guys as an organization wake up to being positive, you choose to be happy, you choose to give feedback in the same manner, no name calling, no sensationalism, no ugliness.....if that isnt a slap at the POA and maybe a little ugliness and pettiness from Mr Morse

[Quietman]

This is just a thought, only a thought. I don't know if this is feasible, so here goes! Would it be possible to somehow videotape LIVE to all the rec centers so that everyone could see/hear the presentation. There would be a special TV so that what was being presented at the Savanah Center could be sent via closed circuit to all the centers? Does that make sense? Is that even possible? Just a thought.

In past years the entire presentations have been repeated on VNN, Channel 2 of Comcast cable. There were at least 4-5 rebroadcasts during the week after original. Hopefully they'll do it this year too.

[PaPaLarry]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:
I really agree with that!!! They worked hard to put smiles on our faces. Any profit they get out of it, is well deserved. How can you not like living here?

[Bogie Shooter]

Daily Sun front page as part of the headline article.

You can watch the VHA's "An Evening with the Developer" in its entirety on Comcast Cable's Channel 2 at noon,3,6, and 9PM Saturday. From start to finish, you'll get the news from developer Mark Morse and family.

[bluedog103]

Just makes you wonder how some posters can post such vile remarks.
Very true Bogie.

[swrinfla]

champion6:

Obviously your shorthand is faster and better than mine! I started out with the intent of compiling a list of Mark's statistics, but quickly abandoned the idea.

I have attended at least 9 of these presentations. They've never been boring, always've been informative. This year's was exceptional in the plethora of immediate and extended family on stage.

Well done!

SWR
:beer3:

[annmarie]

Thanks for the info!

[mrbgull]

Thank you it's a dream

[njbchbum]

Mark Morse also referred to the Orange Blossom Country Club as the Orange Blossom Recreation Center. Did he ever explain this discrepancy, for those of us who didn't attend?

He talked about the fact they closed the restaurant to make updates as well as the golf course. Said it wouldn't be fair to whomever takes over the restaurant to do so while the golf course is closed. Said more would happen with this, this fall. Talked about expansion of an outdoor restaurtant and bar. So, in answer to the question of "correction"....don't remember that coming out of his mouth. So much was being talked about unless one took notes and we didn't it's hard to remember. The Sun is a re-cap of the evening!

I so want to wish the Morse family a HUGE thank you for ALL that they've done with making our community what it is. It was emphasized we're one of a kind. I'm very happy and proud to be a citizen here as it's a HUGE blessing to be sure.

Can you say El Santiago?

[2BNTV]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:

There are not enough words to describe my feeling of thankfulness, to the The Morse family for creating and maintaining this paradise. When I first saw TV, seven years ago, I couldn't believe such a beautiful place existed on earth.
:BigApplause: :BigApplause: :BigApplause:


Thanks for starting this thread. Here are some additional notes from the meeting. These are notes that don't appear in the article in today's Daily Sun.

At this time there are 51,778 homes in TV.
At this time there are 101,348 residents in TV.
Average age of men: 70
Average age of women: 68
New businesses soon to be located in Brownwood: SAS Shoes, Dunkin' Donuts, Village Cycles, TooJay's.
A typical commercial lease is for five years.
There were 53 lease renewals last year.
TV commercial is at 98% occupancy.
The programming that will be booked at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (formerly Church on the Square) will be determined by us residents. They will try different entertainment. The types that are successful will be repeated.
The Charter School has a 98% graduation rate. 92% go on to college.
They expect to have over 3,000 students this fall.
Charter school in the workplace - this is one of only two in Florida.
One-third of the students have a parent in the medical field.
Citizens First Bank opened 9,584 new checking accounts last year.
Citizens First has 68 ATMs.
TV Health System has 36 doctors.
17 docs have full patient lists.
At this time the TV Health System serves about 20,000 patients.
TV Health System has about 200 employees.
TV has 73 pools, 120 pool tables, 170 pickleball courts.
The number of TV residents participating in the Senior Games exceeds the total in the rest of Florida.
In 2013, the new home average selling price was $266,000.
In Q1 2014 the new home average selling price was $292,000.
In Q1 2013 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $199,326.
In Q1 2014 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $253,179
TV expects to begin selling homes in TV of Fruitland Park area in Q2 2015.


Great info C6. The best is yet to come. :smiley:

[golf2140]

Can you say El Santiago?

Can you say Jersey Shore with all it's traffic, noise and smell

[Steve & Deanna]

I say good for the Morse family. It appears that the kids didn't grow up to be 'entitled' as a lot do today from videos we've seen as Brownwood was in the works. They all seem to start at the bottom, as it were, and work their way up. Sorry we missed that meeting as we had pressing health issues with one of our children. Is there a video of this meeting somewhere?

[Scoops]

In past years the entire presentations have been repeated on VNN, Channel 2 of Comcast cable. There were at least 4-5 rebroadcasts during the week after original. Hopefully they'll do it this year too.


The only problem is I don't have Comcast. We have Brighthouse as do many other people that live south of 466A so a replay at the Rec Centers would be a great idea.

[njbchbum]

Can you say Jersey Shore with all it's traffic, noise and smell

Are you saying I am part of or responsible for traffic, noise and smell?

[tedquick]

Thanks for starting this thread. Here are some additional notes from the meeting. These are notes that don't appear in the article in today's Daily Sun.

At this time there are 51,778 homes in TV.
At this time there are 101,348 residents in TV.
Average age of men: 70
Average age of women: 68
New businesses soon to be located in Brownwood: SAS Shoes, Dunkin' Donuts, Village Cycles, TooJay's.
A typical commercial lease is for five years.
There were 53 lease renewals last year.
TV commercial is at 98% occupancy.
The programming that will be booked at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (formerly Church on the Square) will be determined by us residents. They will try different entertainment. The types that are successful will be repeated.
The Charter School has a 98% graduation rate. 92% go on to college.
They expect to have over 3,000 students this fall.
Charter school in the workplace - this is one of only two in Florida.
One-third of the students have a parent in the medical field.
Citizens First Bank opened 9,584 new checking accounts last year.
Citizens First has 68 ATMs.
TV Health System has 36 doctors.
17 docs have full patient lists.
At this time the TV Health System serves about 20,000 patients.
TV Health System has about 200 employees.
TV has 73 pools, 120 pool tables, 170 pickleball courts.
The number of TV residents participating in the Senior Games exceeds the total in the rest of Florida.
In 2013, the new home average selling price was $266,000.
In Q1 2014 the new home average selling price was $292,000.
In Q1 2013 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $199,326.
In Q1 2014 the pre-owned ave. selling price was $253,179
TV expects to begin selling homes in TV of Fruitland Park area in Q2 2015.

Fantastic information -- thank you. My wife and I purchased in TV last June and will be moving into our house Oct 1st of this year. We have very good friends who live there already. As I go about my business/church life where we live now I speak often and proudly about TV. This information is very much appreciated.

[Lbmb24101]

Champion6 - thank you for posting this additional information.

Ditto

[RErmer]

So nice to have a thread where there are thanks to the developer instead of bashing. I love living here, and appreciate the vision it took to build this wonderful place. The developers (including all related entities) are entitled to their profits.

[NottaVillager]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:
While there seems to be no reason to doubt what Morse had to say about them staying directly connected to TV, there is no doubt that he would say that even if at the same time they were planning to sell off their interests. I would think that many who live in TV have had experiences with major companies who tell the story that they are "here to stay" and then 6 months later close or sell off their operations to someone else. While I think it quite likely that they would indeed stay, in this day and age "we're here to stay" has often been a reason to cast a wary eye.

[Bogie Shooter]

Are you really "Notavillager"?

[janmcn]

While there seems to be no reason to doubt what Morse had to say about them staying directly connected to TV, there is no doubt that he would say that even if at the same time they were planning to sell off their interests. I would think that many who live in TV have had experiences with major companies who tell the story that they are "here to stay" and then 6 months later close or sell off their operations to someone else. While I think it quite likely that they would indeed stay, in this day and age "we're here to stay" has often been a reason to cast a wary eye.


Of course, Mark Morse is not going to stand up in front of a packed audience of residents and say 'the family and I can't wait to get the heck out of here'. As 'deep throat' told Woodward and Bernstein "follow the money".

[Leisurelady25]

I agree !! Very nice family

[ilovetv]

Of course, Mark Morse is not going to stand up in front of a packed audience of residents and say 'the family and I can't wait to get the heck out of here'. As 'deep throat' told Woodward and Bernstein "follow the money".

Follow the work ethic!

[NottaVillager]

Of course, Mark Morse is not going to stand up in front of a packed audience of residents and say 'the family and I can't wait to get the heck out of here'. As 'deep throat' told Woodward and Bernstein "follow the money".
They are business people and they will do what is in their best interests. If it's in their best interests to stay that's what they will do. But if it's not in their best interests, someday there might just be a "new sheriff in town".

I think Gary Morse is a genius..I admire him greatly. I also think that Mark Morse doesn't head off to the bathroom without the old man knowing it.

Plus..there is a lot of history in American business where the first generation starts something, the second generation builds on it, and the following generations either live off the fat of the land or sell it off.

I'm not trying to start any trouble here, but as the poster pointed out Mark Morse would not stand up and tell a packed house that they are selling out. (or even THINKING of selling out) Even if they were to sign the papers the next day. That's just not the way business happens.

And again, there's no reason to think that they might sell off. But if they were it wouldn't be announced until it was a done deal and the ink on the contracts was dry.

[2-crazy]

I love America but I also look at her with critical thinking an analyze her actions in my name around the world and at home. The Morse family should be proud of what they accomplished and will do whatever they feel is right and moves them in the future. Given that fact we should remain active in the communities for we are part of the success of The Villages.

[Duckfinger2]

We can all play arm chair quarterback, but only the Morse family knows what they are going to do or not do.
Why worry about something you can not change, go with the flow or make a change.
I for one will ride this horse until it drops we love it here !!

[NottaVillager]

We can all play arm chair quarterback, but only the Morse family knows what they are going to do or not do.
Why worry about something you can not change, go with the flow or make a change.
I for one will ride this horse until it drops we love it here !!
If you are happy here there's no reason NOT to look at it that way.

[mickey100]

They are business people and they will do what is in their best interests. If it's in their best interests to stay that's what they will do. But if it's not in their best interests, someday there might just be a "new sheriff in town".

I think Gary Morse is a genius..I admire him greatly. I also think that Mark Morse doesn't head off to the bathroom without the old man knowing it.

Plus..there is a lot of history in American business where the first generation starts something, the second generation builds on it, and the following generations either live off the fat of the land or sell it off.

I'm not trying to start any trouble here, but as the poster pointed out Mark Morse would not stand up and tell a packed house that they are selling out. (or even THINKING of selling out) Even if they were to sign the papers the next day. That's just not the way business happens.

And again, there's no reason to think that they might sell off. But if they were it wouldn't be announced until it was a done deal and the ink on the contracts was dry.

I agree completely. They are business people and they have houses to sell. If there are any announcements to be made, it will be after buildout. Of course they may stay involved after buildout, that remains to be seen. Things happen, and as with all things, there are no guarantees.

[Garden guru]

At the "Evening with the Developer" meeting of the VHA last night (5/14/14), Mark Morse was very candid and open, as well as all the other family members who accompanied him. I was very impressed with the directness and sincerity. He stated (paraphrased but closeJ):

1. We (the family) will be here in perpetuity.
2. We will have jobs here for our grandchildren (most of whom came on stage and were very small children.)

I'm happy about this. It's obvious that this family loves what they do and is proud of what they have done. Your thoughts?:a040:

So what makes anyone so certain that "very small children" are going to want anything to do with this place decades from now when they become adults? Seems to me that kids have a funny way of making up their own minds about their own lives, as well they should. Get real, folks. The guy is a businessman, pure and simple. Anything he says should be taken with the grain of salt.

[NottaVillager]

So what makes anyone so certain that "very small children" are going to want anything to do with this place decades from now when they become adults? Seems to me that kids have a funny way of making up their own minds about their own lives, as well they should. Get real, folks. The guy is a businessman, pure and simple. Anything he says should be taken with the grain of salt.
This is true. Many times younger generations do not want to do what the earlier generations set in motion. This is most evident on today's family farms. And many times once Grandpa & Dad are gone..the offer to sell out and enjoy is too great to resist.

While this story does not involve a "family" business it does speak to the "we're here forever" statement....

I grew up in a small town in upstate NY called Owego. Owego is about 10 miles west of another small town called Endicott. Because of the way the school lines were drawn, while I lived in Owego, I went to school in Endicott.

Endicott, NY just happens to be the birthplace of a little company called IBM. In 1980 the population of Endicott was about 20,000 people. Owego's population was about 6,000. In 1980 IBM-Endicott and IBM Federal Systems Division in Owego employed 25,000 people. (Talk about FULL employment!) This number did not take into account the hundreds or thousands of people who were in the employ of a number of ancillary businesses located around IBM who were side suppliers or sub-contractors.

IBM was the local corporate "Santa Claus" to the local school districts, fire departments, police departments and charitable organizations. They operated a FREE country club for IBM employees and their families. At Christmas time each employee's children received an age-appropriate wrapped quality Christmas gift.

Many people my age walked out of the high school on graduation day, crossed the street, walked to the northern end of Washington Avenue and in the door at IBM's HR department and walked right into what they THOUGHT was a lifetime job. It always had been and there was never any reason to think differently.

My father was a R&D engineer for IBM. My wife's dad was a chemical engineer at IBM. Most people we knew worked at IBM. When the infamous words "Houston..we have a problem" were uttered from Apollo-13 there were a whole lot of lights that snapped on in Owego since many of the rocket's systems had been built in Owego.

IBM had started in Endicott and would be there forever. The company had expanded it's buildings and campuses..The words from IBM couldn't have been more positive.

But...In the late 90's it all came to a screeching stop. IBM essentially left town. They went from a workforce of 25,000 down to about 400 today. Building after building is empty with no hope of it ever being reused. They shuttered their newly-expanded R&D lab and either transferred or discharged the engineers employed there. The Owego plant was sold to several different companies, although it has now once again found some footing under Lockheed, and the new Marine-One helicopter will be produced there in part.

Virtually all of the guys I knew who had graduated from high school and walked right into what they thought were lifetime jobs are now unemployed or employed in jobs that don't even come close to the pay and benefits they had under IBM.

This story has happened in many places..but IBM was/is a "tech" company and we keep getting told that the future is tech. There was never the slightest whiff that IBM would ever leave it's birthplace. And then one day they were..GONE. The corporate announcement was that it was a BUSINESS decision.

So while the Morse family says that they are "here to stay"..and they very well may be. However the day may come when the BUSINESS decision for the family might very well be a fat payday and a farewell to TV.

[Bogie Shooter]

It really does not pay to worry about something you have no control over. Or for that matter to speculate about the dire outcome.

[graciegirl]

This is true. Many times younger generations do not want to do what the earlier generations set in motion. This is most evident on today's family farms. And many times once Grandpa & Dad are gone..the offer to sell out and enjoy is too great to resist.

While this story does not involve a "family" business it does speak to the "we're here forever" statement....

I grew up in a small town in upstate NY called Owego. Owego is about 10 miles west of another small town called Endicott. Because of the way the school lines were drawn, while I lived in Owego, I went to school in Endicott.

Endicott, NY just happens to be the birthplace of a little company called IBM. In 1980 the population of Endicott was about 20,000 people. Owego's population was about 6,000. In 1980 IBM-Endicott and IBM Federal Systems Division in Owego employed 25,000 people. (Talk about FULL employment!) This number did not take into account the hundreds or thousands of people who were in the employ of a number of ancillary businesses located around IBM who were side suppliers or sub-contractors.

IBM was the local corporate "Santa Claus" to the local school districts, fire departments, police departments and charitable organizations. They operated a FREE country club for IBM employees and their families. At Christmas time each employee's children received an age-appropriate wrapped quality Christmas gift.

Many people my age walked out of the high school on graduation day, crossed the street, walked to the northern end of Washington Avenue and in the door at IBM's HR department and walked right into what they THOUGHT was a lifetime job. It always had been and there was never any reason to think differently.

My father was a R&D engineer for IBM. My wife's dad was a chemical engineer at IBM. Most people we knew worked at IBM. When the infamous words "Houston..we have a problem" were uttered from Apollo-13 there were a whole lot of lights that snapped on in Owego since many of the rocket's systems had been built in Owego.

IBM had started in Endicott and would be there forever. The company had expanded it's buildings and campuses..The words from IBM couldn't have been more positive.

But...In the late 90's it all came to a screeching stop. IBM essentially left town. They went from a workforce of 25,000 down to about 400 today. Building after building is empty with no hope of it ever being reused. They shuttered their newly-expanded R&D lab and either transferred or discharged the engineers employed there. The Owego plant was sold to several different companies, although it has now once again found some footing under Lockheed, and the new Marine-One helicopter will be produced there in part.

Virtually all of the guys I knew who had graduated from high school and walked right into what they thought were lifetime jobs are now unemployed or employed in jobs that don't even come close to the pay and benefits they had under IBM.

This story has happened in many places..but IBM was/is a "tech" company and we keep getting told that the future is tech. There was never the slightest whiff that IBM would ever leave it's birthplace. And then one day they were..GONE. The corporate announcement was that it was a BUSINESS decision.

So while the Morse family says that they are "here to stay"..and they very well may be. However the day may come when the BUSINESS decision for the family might very well be a fat payday and a farewell to TV.


Could be....and then it could be they are telling the truth. Most of us love it here, why shouldn't "they" love it here too?

[ilovetv]

This is true. Many times younger generations do not want to do what the earlier generations set in motion. This is most evident on today's family farms. And many times once Grandpa & Dad are gone..the offer to sell out and enjoy is too great to resist.

While this story does not involve a "family" business it does speak to the "we're here forever" statement....

I grew up in a small town in upstate NY called Owego. Owego is about 10 miles west of another small town called Endicott. Because of the way the school lines were drawn, while I lived in Owego, I went to school in Endicott.

Endicott, NY just happens to be the birthplace of a little company called IBM. In 1980 the population of Endicott was about 20,000 people. Owego's population was about 6,000. In 1980 IBM-Endicott and IBM Federal Systems Division in Owego employed 25,000 people. (Talk about FULL employment!) This number did not take into account the hundreds or thousands of people who were in the employ of a number of ancillary businesses located around IBM who were side suppliers or sub-contractors.

IBM was the local corporate "Santa Claus" to the local school districts, fire departments, police departments and charitable organizations. They operated a FREE country club for IBM employees and their families. At Christmas time each employee's children received an age-appropriate wrapped quality Christmas gift.

Many people my age walked out of the high school on graduation day, crossed the street, walked to the northern end of Washington Avenue and in the door at IBM's HR department and walked right into what they THOUGHT was a lifetime job. It always had been and there was never any reason to think differently.

My father was a R&D engineer for IBM. My wife's dad was a chemical engineer at IBM. Most people we knew worked at IBM. When the infamous words "Houston..we have a problem" were uttered from Apollo-13 there were a whole lot of lights that snapped on in Owego since many of the rocket's systems had been built in Owego.

IBM had started in Endicott and would be there forever. The company had expanded it's buildings and campuses..The words from IBM couldn't have been more positive.

But...In the late 90's it all came to a screeching stop. IBM essentially left town. They went from a workforce of 25,000 down to about 400 today. Building after building is empty with no hope of it ever being reused. They shuttered their newly-expanded R&D lab and either transferred or discharged the engineers employed there. The Owego plant was sold to several different companies, although it has now once again found some footing under Lockheed, and the new Marine-One helicopter will be produced there in part.

Virtually all of the guys I knew who had graduated from high school and walked right into what they thought were lifetime jobs are now unemployed or employed in jobs that don't even come close to the pay and benefits they had under IBM.

This story has happened in many places..but IBM was/is a "tech" company and we keep getting told that the future is tech. There was never the slightest whiff that IBM would ever leave it's birthplace. And then one day they were..GONE. The corporate announcement was that it was a BUSINESS decision.

So while the Morse family says that they are "here to stay"..and they very well may be. However the day may come when the BUSINESS decision for the family might very well be a fat payday and a farewell to TV.

While I think we all understand the point made above, as Villages homeowners we do not depend on the developers for our livelihood nor a 40-year career and pension.

We 50,000+ homeowners also do not depend on the developer for our housing, commercial nor recreational needs. We all own our own single-family homes on which half have no mortgage, and our community development districts own or will eventually own all the recreational facilities and venues.

The developers own the millions of square feet of commercial leasing properties, and they wisely built this place with a smart consumer base that does not want to go farther than a golf-cart ride to shop, much less go out of town. They, or somebody they know, will probably continue that huge revenue generator. If they don't, somebody will.

If we don't like it in the future, we can move.

[NottaVillager]

Could be....and then it could be they are telling the truth. Most of us love it here, why shouldn't "they" love it here too?
No reason that they don't. But remember..they are business people running a business. In the end they will most likely ALWAYS choose what is best for business and themselves.

[Bogie Shooter]

No reason that they don't. But remember..they are business people running a business. In the end they will most likely ALWAYS choose what is best for business and themselves.

And it appears that is bad, bad, bad.............................
Remember you could be wrong.

[NottaVillager]

And it appears that is bad, bad, bad.............................
Remember you could be wrong.
I don't think it's bad. If any of my posts gave that impression I never meant it that way.

[Bogie Shooter]

That's the way they come accross, usually the negative side of the discussion.

[slipcovers]

That's the way they come accross, usually the negative side of the discussion.

It didn't come across as negative to me, only that NOTHING is a sure thing. As notavillager lived thru IBM firsthand , the same could be said with Wang, Digital, and many more big companies. No one knows what would happen if the Morses pull out. Would people panic and sell, causing the bubble to break? If there were a few more sinkholes would people keep buying? I don't think so. No one knows the future.

[buggyone]

It didn't come across as negative to me, only that NOTHING is a sure thing. As notavillager lived thru IBM firsthand , the same could be said with Wang, Digital, and many more big companies. No one knows what would happen if the Morses pull out. Would people panic and sell, causing the bubble to break? If there were a few more sinkholes would people keep buying? I don't think so. No one knows the future.

Just as no one knows the future, no one is forced to move to The Villages. Maybe you and some others who are not yet Villagers may want to re-think your plans in light of the uncertainty of the Morse family selling out and sinkholes opening up all over The Villages.

[Bogie Shooter]

Good advice.

[slipcovers]

Just as no one knows the future, no one is forced to move to The Villages. Maybe you and some others who are not yet Villagers may want to re-think your plans in light of the uncertainty of the Morse family selling out and sinkholes opening up all over The Villages.

You missed the point, WHEREVER you live there is NO guarantee that demand or prices will go up or down, TV included. Or what mother nature will do.

[yabbadu]

For all those that are so worried about the future and the villages. It seems to me that you have two ways to go! Sell or wait for God to call you. One way your in control and the other is up to your God!
May God bless you with either way!

[slipcovers]

For all those that are so worried about the future and the villages. It seems to me that you have two ways to go! Sell or wait for God to call you. One way your in control and the other is up to your God!
May God bless you with either way!

Barney, you are so right, and may God bless you.

[rduval]

Thanks for sharing!