parades in squares
 

:ohdear: Did anyone hear that the parades in the town squares are going to end in 2013? Spoke to Pat from Amenities Advisory Committee and she said yes. No more parades.

Does Pat not know what she is talking about?? Or are you looking for rumor confirmation??

I received the following by email today but cannot vouch for the validity of the information:
-------------------copy of email-----
I called the Villages Entertainment Department & they verified that starting in 2013 there would be no more parades
(352-750-5411). You may wish to attend a meeting this Wednesday at Savannah Center 1:30PM . It is the AAC Amenities Advisory Committee to let them know how you feel. If many Villagers show up it may influence them. Even if attending the parades is not your thing it is important to show the developers that we care about The Villages and what it has to offer- that you would like to be a part of the decision of what is removed.

From: xxxxx
Sent: Monday, November 5, 2012 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: , News -IMPORTANT

So I would be happy to go and help give the outline of meeting & stay with any one (more the better) that can attend Wed at 1:30 at Savannah. They need to be available for about 2 hours, maybe less, the agenda looks very light. I can tell you that the Entertainment group works WITH but not for the governing body of Villages. They can put any type of performances on-at any of THE VILLAGES owned and operated commercial areas, which the squares are. But I understand the implied promise & enjoy all the extra stuff they have now. So maybe just getting the question out there will bring more interest and information. Let me know if anyone can make it, I can't speak for them, have no facts or firsthand knowledge of the situation, sorry.



Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: News -IMPORTANT

Nadia, the Entertainment Dept. organizer/contact for The Villages is telling all the club leaders this. She is the one who schedules all the clubs/performances for each festivity, what time and square, etc. All this was just announced to the clubs within the last week (or less). What additional info I learned today is that all parades for 2013 (and beyond) are canceled, no longer happening. The "Fest" activities will tentatively include additional performances from the clubs/groups (in addition to the nightly music)...IE: the Italian Fest may have performances from say, the cheerleaders and belly dancers, provided they wear the appropriate colors and dance/perform to the appropriate music, IE; Italian music (which isn't a biggie as I think the groups try to do that anyway). But, subject to change. They are not giving a specific reason, however, speculation is it all boils down to dollars and cents. If they feel they're not making enough profit they stop doing it. Irregardless of the fact they use these festivities to lore folks here to live. I spoke with the ex-president of the Maryland club who filled me in on a little insight. She said that because folks here are retired they'll all wait for someone else to do something about this. If we only have a few folks upset nothing will happen. If, as a huge group of 80,000, we stand up to the developer and say we aren't happy about this or how can we take this over and handle it ourselves in the future, we might have a chance of getting a positive result. As the Maryland group, they used to rent the polo grounds/table area and kitchen to boil their own crabs for 200 people. They would rent it for one day from 8am to 9PM and cook the crabs for $200. When the developer took the grounds (back) over they raised the fee to $600 and said the club would have to use one of their caterers, either La Hacienda or Katie Belles, cause of course, they own them. Needless to say, the Maryland group stop this event.

Everyone I've talked to about this is extremely upset. I know some are posting stuff on facebook (I don' know how to go about this). Some are talking about letters to the editor (a joke of course, as the developer won't let those be put in the Daily Sun).

...

I am in one of the clubs that participate in the parades. Last Thursday we were told no more parades. There will be events but no parades. The Entertainment Department is responsible for these decisions. Who the Entertainment Department answers to I do not know.

How were you told this? In a letter or from a person who heard it from someone else? I am not trying to start anything but a lot of information is passed around as gospel and ...well some of it isn't.

This issue that there would be no more parades was brought up here on this forum a couple of years ago and it turned out to be a rumor.

I am just politely asking how you found out this information. WHO wrote it , said it?

I also belong to a club that matches in all villages parades. We were told by our captain that there would be no more parades. She was told this by Barbara Vesco (sp) who is in charge of entainment.

is that good enough gracie girl?

I am wondering that perhaps it is no longer the intent of the developer to use these parades and events as marketing tools...up to now they did not have to be profitable but merely advertising/publicity for the villages. as the build out looms nearer on the horizon it is no longer necessary for the developer to take a loss (read that as $$$) and does not have to be 'benevolent'. he is interested in profit, and lets face it, he has made his money. and the villages markets itself now!

???

phew! for a minute i thought there might not be an issue with saving seats for friends who might or might not show up at an event! ;)

I keep looking for "The Why." There was a reference to dollars and cents but no statement from the person who made the decision. If all of this is true I will especially miss the St. Patrick's Day parade.

We belong to the German American club and were told at the last meeting that there would be no more parades as we know them, but that there would be an "ethnic parade" at the polo field in January. We all signed a petition to overturn this decision, but I'm thinking parades will be the same as our buffalo. When the decision is made, it's made!

The Villages is not a democracy. We don't get a vote - the Developer is the Emperor, and whatever he wants he gets. I am assuming there are reasons related to dollars and cents or else liability issues that would drive such a policy.

Makes sense to me.