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Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
The Savannah Center was jammed tonight to hear a presentation by Mark Morse, President and CEO of The Villages. The main auditorium was filled, as was the other large room which was set up with a video/audio feed of the speech.
Morse is a young man, about early forties, and I think he's probably the grandson of Harold Schwartz. His Dad, I think is Gary Morse, former CEO and now the non-executive Chairman of the Board of The Villages (technically, The Villages of Lake Sumter, Inc.). The youngr Morse arrived on stage in blue jeans and a casual shirt, looking like he had just spent the day deeloping land and building houses, which is exactly what he probably did. His presentation was compete and very upbeat. I won't go into a lot of detail other than the disappointing news that we all may have seen the last of our beloved buffalo. Morse explained that in spite of many, many warnings there had been three human-buffalo "incidents" in the last month and that the decision had been made to remove the buffalo to a place where there would be no interaction with humans. He said that The Villages simply could no longer risk the liability that resulted from the close proximity of humans to wild animals. Morse explained that the entire herd would be moved to "the north 40" within the next few days, presumably never to be seen within our community again. Sad news. Sad...sad... |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Really? What does that mean human-buffalo incidents? I'm very sorry to hear this. Please explain what happened? Thanks. ???
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That is sad. Why couldn't people just watch them from a distance??? I love to drive by them but have never tried to "interact" with them. It's neat to drive visitors by the pastures and show them the grazing herd. Rats.
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Why not get rid of the Gators first?
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We visited TV in January and were awed by the beautiful buffalos. My husband walked up to one and it nearly jumped over the fence at him! No where was it posted to stay away. In fact we were under the impression that everyone fed them carrots. I guess I won't be very popular but I for one am glad to see them go, I think they could be very dangerous :'(
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
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As to Chuck's suggestion about the gators, evidently even our dumbest residents and guest don't try to feed or ride the gators and give them plenty of room. Maybe they could pen the buffalo in an inner corral surrounded by a gator filled moat or wetlands. The only problem would be that you'd have to throw a zebra into the moat occasionally to keep the gagtors from eating the buffalo. |
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I too will miss the buffalo, but I understand the liability issues. One perk for the developer, is that moving the buffalo will leave the large fields where the buffalo grazed, (free for more development?). Maybe this is the time, if the residents have thoughts about how they'd like to see the land developed, to get their ideas out there.
As large as The Villages will be at full build-out, I notice that one thing that seems to be missing from the plan is a large park. Something with walking trails, a tranquil place away from all the traffic and hubub. I don't know if anyone else is interested in that type of thing, but I wish they would consider taking some of the buffalo acreage and turn it into a park. |
Open Land/Grazing Fields
When the buffalo are moved to a safer location, that will leave some pretty significant and well-located chunks of property available for "something". No mention was was made of that. But Mark Morse did present some pretty amazing statistics that he seemed quite proud of--I read that as something that's unlikely to change. He stated in his presentation that fully 45% of the total 20,000+ acres in The Villages has been devoted to open space, wildlife refuges, wetlands, etc. In fact, he specifically noted that a wetland-wildlife area planned near the new Brownwood town center was going to be "spectacular".
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
So sad the buffalo will leave. The buffalo were moved around throughout TV. When a site was going to be built on they were moved to another spot. I hated when they were moved from El Camino Real to make way for Freedon Point.
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We always parked and watched them graze..What a shame they are leaving...Amazing animals ;)
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I am sorry to see them go, also. I tried to warn people a while ago about their strength and the probability of a human-buffalo incident. A second fence could have prevented the incidents. The mom buffalos instinct is to protect the baby buffalo. I was thrilled to see the babies, but did not go near the fence. I did not want Mom buffalo upset. I sure hope the land isn't developed. Aren't there enough places to shop??!!
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That's too bad. Thought the lawyers might win and manage to get the buffalo moved to another location because of liability concerns. :(
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Ronda,
Every time we passed by, John would comment he hoped they would not build where these animals roamed..I sure hope not.. How can people think they could just stop and feed wild animals...There were many times we saw children feeding them carrots.. |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
One of the most amazing attractions of "The Villages" was the buffalo. Visitors as residents alike were facinated with these huge beasts. Couldnt these incidents been avoided with large and obvious warning signs? I am so sorry to see them go.
Unless the pasture land is deemed for development wouldnt it be nice to see minature horses in their place? They are really fun to watch and they are by nature rather sweet and docile. The kids would love them as well as the adults.(Just a thought) |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Noni,
Mini horses would be adorable, but there is also liability with those..You will get people trying to sue if the horse sneezes on them.. |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Hi, i feel sad about the buffalo being moved. I always looked forward to seeing them. They were one of the only things in TV that wasn't man made.
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Does anyone know how an idea like this is presented and to whom? Do you need petitions filled out? Please let me know. Thanks. Knowing how much people love parks one of the cruise ship lines newer ships is having a park in the center of the ship. HB |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Donna,
yes, Im sure your right about that. unfortunately there are those of us from the human race that really know how to screw up a good thing!! ::) |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
I can certainly understand the liability issue...I, too, have seen humans do stupid things around the buffalo. But, I am very sad to see them go. Too bad they can't gather up a number of them into one pen and do a double fence as suggested by Muncle and Ronda. The buffalo are a great marketing tool for young and old alike.
I also am curious with what will happen to the existing fields. I'm not sure any of the fields are currently designated as wildlife/preserve. Certainly the pen around Lake Sumter is destined for commercial development someday. Creating parks/walking trails is a wonderful idea. |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
How sad. I've truly enjoyed just stopping and watching these magnificant animals. I've never understood the need to get close to them, let alone let little ones feed them. That we have to be deprived because of the idiocy of some really irritates me.
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
How very sad that one of the neat and unique features of our community is being taken away due to someone's stupidity. :realmad: There are signs on all the fences indicating it is unwise to get up close and personal with these, wild animals.
We all just recently had the pleasure of watching the births of a new generation and now they will be removed from our viewing. I think the double fence idea would be a good solution. How do we go about suggesting that to the Morse family? |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Oh no, Chuck, not the gators. I love having the gators around. They were here before we
were and I enjoy watching them. I keep my distance...as people should have done with the buffs. Quote:
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Can someone who heard the Mark Morse speech post a detailed summary?
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I want to add another voice for the park. Also second the motion to get a good summary of the speech posted.
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Fear not, the Buffalo may be gone but another herd of something will take their place, if not the Villages will lose their Ag exemption and the very large tax(local)break on the land where the Buffalo roamed.
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It is utterly amazing that people must have warning signs for everything - stay off the top rung of the ladder - don't walk in quicksand - thirld rail is live - point rifle downrange - and so it goes...
And we call the buffalo "dumb animals." It least they don't need a sign! |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
It is sad to think that when I return in October, there will be no more buffalo. They have been such an integral part of Village life and a source of pride for residents.
The "close proximity" of the buffalo to humans could have been easily resolved by double fencing, or electric fencing (which gives a slight shock, unpleasant but not dangerous). The Developer has horse farms and would be well aware of the options. And that is why I don't buy the story that the buffalo are being moved in the best interests of the public. To me, it looks like the Developer wanted to use the valuable buffalo fields for other purposes. (And I don't have a problem with that, he owns the property, and should be able to use it as he wishes). Rather than having a public outcry about losing the buffalo, it is much easier to sell the idea that the buffalo are being moved because they pose a danger to residents. It is hard to believe that anyone would expose themselves or their children to danger from wild animals. There are gators on some of the golf courses, and I've heard of golfers poking them with a club to try to get them to move so they can recover a ball. (Fumar, heard a rumour it was you, but not sure). As a sidenote, when I had horses I backed on a regional forest. I would sometimes go out to feed the horses and find strangers with their children inside the horse paddock patting the horses. They were so surprised when I informed them they were putting their children at risk. Even the friendliest 1,000 pound animal can be unpredictable and dangerous. |
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I agree with everybody who wrote about people either not reading posted signs or not thinking about what they are doing re: dangers. HB |
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IT IS VERY SAD THAT THE STUPIDITY OF A FEW WILL AFFECT THOUSANDS. WE HAVE A BABY BUFFALO BEHIND OUR HOUSE; HOW UNTHINKING CAN YOU BE NOT TO KNOW THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS AND WILL PROTECT THEIR YOUNG. WE TOLD SEVERAL PEOPLE NOT TO GET TOO CLOSE OR THE MORTHER WILL CHARGE.
IS'T THERE SOMEWAY WE CAN KEEP THESE WONDERFUL ANIMALS? |
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That is so sad. People can be so stupid and it just ruins things for those of us who behave sensibly and respect nature. It's not rocket science.....wild creatures will react if they are threatened or feel threatened. And to put their children in jeapody is insane. What a pity that we can no longer enjoy the sight of those magnificent creatures.
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Stupid people again! I hope anyone that has ever approached a Buffalo or gator or any other animal, including a dog they don't know will read this -- I hope they read this and realize what idiots they truly are. :verymad: I am soooo angry about this. Partly, because when my husband had his Veterinarian practice we would get poor dogs in all the time for quarantine because they bit someone and that someone should have known better than to approach an unknown dog or have their kid put their fingers through some fence to pet the "doggie". Carrots to Buffalos! Idiots! Listen villiagers if anyone approaches any one of my pets without my permission, I will charge at you and bite you myself! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
:( I was really sorry to hear about the Buffalo also. Enjoyed seeing the calves--I did not try to pet or feed them. People should know better. As often happens, the many are being punished for the thoughtless few.
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No one mentioned the greedy lawyers who take the cases of dumb people versus animals then ruin it for the masses.
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They were in the pasture by the tunnel under 466 and Morse This afternoon.
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One more point...... There have been several calves born recently, and coincidently some issues with the buffalo. In defense of the animals, the mothers are very cautious and easliy threatened with new calves. Perhaps that is where the problem lies with the litigation. They most likely became aggressive toward the possible threat from humans.The developer has been "raising " buffalo for some time and should have known that perhaps some aggressive behavior was possible with the birth of the calves. Maybe they should have isolated mothers and calves to a nursery area for a while.
I just hate the fact that we will not see then any longer. I am going to write a letter to the newspaper, maybe we all should. |
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:agree: Beady. We should write to the newspaper.
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
This article appeared in today's on-line version of The Daily Sun, and mentions the fate of the buffalo in TV.
News Villages president touts progress in community, cites hometown pride By CURT HILLS, DAILY SUN THE VILLAGES — An overwhelming 97 percent of the thousands of residents who took part in the annual survey indicated they would refer friends and family to consider living in The Villages. Mark Morse, The Villages president and chief operating officer, urged residents to take that satisfaction and appreciation for the community a step further. “Stay engaged,” Morse said in remarks he made Wednesday evening to the general membership of The Villages Homeowners Association. “You were part of the process, you’re going to be part of the process.” Speaking before a full Scarlet O’Hara Theater room crowd at the Savannah Center, Morse said residents all across the community have an opportunity on several fronts to embrace the VHA mission of protecting and enhancing The Villages lifestyle and property values. Morse said it was long his father’s intent to put residents in a position to be heavily involved in the decision making that would impact the community’s lifestyle. He pointed to Gary Morse’s open letter to residents in 2006 in which he urged community development district leaders to find a way to let residents living north of County Road 466 participate in the process. The request led to a straw ballot poll in which the majority of residents polled agreed, but movement stalled in gaining total district approval. A class action settlement was later approved, which included the provision for a resident-elected committee. “What the agreement did is exactly what was proposed in the letter,” Morse said. “We’re looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.” And residents now have the opportunity to make sure the process works, Morse said. “Do what you guys do — get involved,” Morse told the residents. “Elect some good, level-headed people that will protect and enhance our lifestyle and real estate values of the community.” Morse promised that a similar resident-elected committee would be incorporated for residents south of County Road 466 in the coming years. On May 29, the community is expected to surpass 70,000 in population, based on estimates and home closing sales, Morse said. And that’s an audience, Morse said, that needs to be able to elect all of its county commissioners to make decisions that affect their taxes and services. In all three counties, residents currently have that opportunity. But there’s a petition movement in Sumter County that’s seeking to reverse at-large voting for commissioners, Morse said. Those supporters want county residents to be able to select only the commissioner that represents their respective district. Morse said that The Villages community was “disenfranchised” and was not treated equally by commissioners when single-member district voting existed prior to a movement called One Sumter, which returned the county to its historic roots of being able to vote for all five board members. “As I see it, a vote for Reverse One Sumter is a vote against you,” Morse told the residents. He pointed to higher tax rates of $9.25 per $1,000 of assessed property value when commissioners were elected by only those living in the same district. Later, voters approved a return to countywide voting selection. “That created accountability, which is a sweet thing,” Morse said. At-large selection was followed by a lower tax rate that now sits at $5.44 per $1,000 assessed value, Morse said. He said the average home in The Villages today carries a tax bill of $1,128. A return to the $9.25 tax rate would equate to an average tax bill of $1,985 for a Villages resident, an increase of $857. Morse said The Villages has withstood the nation’s economic downturn. “You can’t tell it here,” he said of a housing slowdown, noting that 85 more homes have been sold this year than at the same time last year. And the news on home value is good news for homeowners, Morse said. For Villages homes sold between January 2001 and March 2007, the average home sold for $127,000 and its resale value jumped to an average of $179,000, creating an annual 14-percent return on residents’ investment. For recent transactions since April 2007 to last March, the resale value is still worth an 8-percent return, Morse said. “Your home investment in The Villages is very strong — congratulations on a good choice,” Morse said. Criticism unfounded Morse spent part of the evening expressing his disappointment with outside critics, whom he said, often speak without facts or twisted information. For instance, its been alleged that Morse and his family “own The Villages.” But using a large satellite image of the community, Morse pointed to a few small parcels his family-owned corporation owns, then he used a laser pointer to scan over the vast majority of Villages property. “You guys own the town,” Morse said. “I don’t know if it’s jealously or what, people from outside want to paint a different picture.” He said others are trying to cast a different image of Villages contractors and the homes they build. “We build a great house,” Morse said. He pointed to recent criticism over vinyl siding installation and threats of litigation from those alleging faulty workmanship. Morse said the experience has allowed them to make changes, but it’s also allowed them to see where homeowners can unintentionally damage their own siding by making alterations. And he said some are “stirring the pot” to make matters worse. “The cure is worse than the perceived problems,” he said. Morse confided that his attorneys are recommending that The Villages only honor a one-year express warranty, as required. “We don’t want to do that,” he said of the drastic change, but said the threat has The Villages moving toward changes. “It’s unfortunate that there’s a few people who are using you and your house to fight against me in a personal vendetta,” Morse said. Buffalo leaving Litigation threats are also bringing the end to public viewing of the buffalo, Morse said. The herd has been a focal point of the community, often placed throughout for residents and visitors alike to enjoy. But Morse said in the past 45 days, there have been three incidents with buffalo that are resulting in legal filings. “We just can’t control the critters, both inside and outside the fence,” Morse said. “No matter how many signs we put up, we can’t control that.” He said the buffalo would be removed and placed in fields not accessible to the public. Green before being green was cool “We take a lot of heat for being a big, sprawling retirement community,” Morse said in regards to attacks on the community’s environmental practices. But he said those jabs are unfounded. “We are environmentally conscious, we were green before green was cool,” he said. He said The Villages has completed a variety of enhancements, such as reducing turf areas to save on watering, using grass that requires less watering, installing the most efficient air conditioning units, using reclaimed and lower quality water for irrigation, providing 43 percent of The Villages total space for wetlands, uplands and golf courses, as well as featuring the world’s largest Audubon International certified golf course program. He said The Villages is a golf cart community in which 76 percent of the trips start in The Villages, end in The Villages, and save gas, Morse said. Adding curbside recycling is the latest in a series of environmental steps, Morse said. He said he’s heard the criticisms, such as having to use clear bags as opposed to recycling bins. “It mimics our trash system. We choose not to use bins because we don’t use trash cans,” he said. “When it’s picked up, you can’t tell it’s trash day.” He also pointed out that without recycling, residents would be using the same number of bags to dispose of their garbage, but now it can be divided up, including less expensive recycling bags compared to thicker trash bags. Morse reported the program has a high participation rate. “Our average is 60-percent participation, which is about three times the national average,” he said. Progress ahead Morse also touted the recent and upcoming commercial arrivals, such as Fresh Market, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bonefish, JoS. A. Bank, Amigos, and Big City Grill. He also mentioned the improvements to health care, with a Veterans Affairs regional specialty clinic set for groundbreaking in The Villages this summer and Promise Hospital — an extended care hospital slated for neighboring Wildwood. But Morse said none of the progress would have been possible without the residents. “I’m proudest of you guys — you make this place,” he said. Curt Hills is an editor with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9319 or curt.hills@thevillagesmedia.com. |
Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
If the Buffalo are not going to be visible in The Villages any more, perhaps the school mascot should be changed from a "Buffalo" to a "Litigator" !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Didn't you all hear of the man that was injured because he climbed the fence to feed the buffalo?? He thought he had made them his pets by feeding them, and when they didn't approach the fence he climbed inside and got trampled. He had to be airlifted out of there. Write the Daily Sun if you want, but, it is all about liability.
I thought it was a way to weed out the stupid. I love the park idea, but unless your going to get garden clubs to maintain the beds, it could be too expensive to maintain. |
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Re: Sorry To Be The Bearer Of Bad News
Most of you are right it is SAD...but it's more than "SAD"... it's a major change to our surroundings and it's not fair that the majority is punished because of the stupidity of a few. It's just like everything else...the vocal minority win out over the majority because they dare to stand up and be heard...or in this case...were idiotic enough to climb over a fence!!! There's an old saying about things like this, "...when they came for the Jews I said and did nothing because I wasn't a Jew..." Remember this whole saying???? What it boils down to is if YOU AND ME don't take a stand for what we want and what we believe then nothing will change and things will continue to be taken away from us...little by little by little until TV doesn't even resemble the reason we all moved here.
Yes, a "Park" would be nice...but NOT at the expense of losing the Buffalo grazing in their fields. Put the park somewhere else and BRING BACK THE BUFFALO. Put up a double fence, put up more warning signs (...course anyone stupid enough to climb over a fence into a buffalo herd probably can't read!!!) but PLEASE don't punish 69,997* of us because the other 3 are IDIOTS!!!! *Based on recent statistics and for illustration purposes only!!! |
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