[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by BobAllen1290;77***6

If the entertainment area was ever private, which I doubt that it is, that all went out the door when Morse Industries began accepting tax money from Sumter County Tourism to help pay for the nightly acts at LSL & Brownwood. That little inconvenient truth is played each night during the announcements and is printed in The Daily Sun's monthly rundown of entertainment at the squares. Once they started taking the county's tax money..all bets are off and ANYBODY from ANYWHERE can definitely come in once that tax money is in play.

There has never been a question that the squares are private property with public access.

Exactly how is it that it is an Inconvenient Truth that Tourism funds pay for entertainment at the squares? It was in the newspaper and has never been kept a secret. We, as taxpayers, benefit from that expenditure just as all taxpayers in the tri-county area benefit greatly from The Villages.

[BobAllen1290]

Originally Posted by Indydealmaker

There has never been a question that the squares are private property with public access.

Exactly how is it that it is an Inconvenient Truth that Tourism funds pay for entertainment at the squares? It was in the newspaper and has never been kept a secret. We, as taxpayers, benefit from that expenditure just as all taxpayers in the tri-county area benefit greatly from The Villages.

But that was my point at the beginning. I never said it was a "secret". It is an inconvenient truth to those villagers who thing that the squares and everything in the town centers belong to them, and to them only. Once TV began accepting public tax money to pay for the nightly entertainment, any thought that the squares and the town centers belong only to villagers got tossed right out the window. With public tax money in use people from virtually anywhere have the right to be there, as long as they are abiding by the law.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

I don't believe my post maligned the police, but I certainly don't believe they are above criticism when they receive a complaint and don't even bother to interview the source of the complaint.

This is not the first thread in which people say their complaints are met by a statement from the police that they can't do anything about an issue.

I have a multi-agency law enforcement career which included experience with a small town police department, one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation and an elite federal agency. I am as pro-law enforcement as you can get.

Nevertheless, I cannot conceive of a situation where a police officer would not at least talk to the source of a complaint in an attempt to resolve the concerns of the person making the complaint.

In the case under discussion in this thread, the python is regarded as an exotic pet which requires a (cost free) license to own. At the least the police could have spoken to the owner to assure that the proper license existed. In the same conversation the officer could have made the owner aware of the concerns of the complainant and perhaps the owner would have removed the snake from the area in consideration for those who were made uncomfortable by its presence.

In my law enforcement career I never failed to talk to the source of a complaint, even when I knew no violation of law had occurred. Sometimes you meet some very nice people when you do so.

Exactly---I agree.

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by BobAllen1290

But that was my point at the beginning. I never said it was a "secret". It is an inconvenient truth to those villagers who thing that the squares and everything in the town centers belong to them, and to them only. Once TV began accepting public tax money to pay for the nightly entertainment, any thought that the squares and the town centers belong only to villagers got tossed right out the window. With public tax money in use people from virtually anywhere have the right to be there, as long as they are abiding by the law.

Public tax money? I believe the entertainment is funded by the merchants in the squares. Whatever the source, the squares are open to all.

[DouglasMo]

GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN! At least 30 years ago I was walking on the streets of NYC and unexpectedly came upon a younger man with a huge yellow python completely wrapped around his body! I jumped and believe I screamed too!! 30 years ago--- I was young….The younger man with snake laughed as did his friends…they do it to get your reaction whatever age….Did I call a cop? no, plenty of police in NYC who would catch up with him… But I was frightened…. A snake is different from a dog, a gerbil, etc. It is definitely threatening, I don't care what the snake enthusiasts say. Call the police and insist they come. You will still be able to bring your dog. I have never seen a threatening dog in TV. And how am I supposed to know when that snake was fed??? I remember reading a story about a man found crushed in his apt because his snake they surmised had been hungry and killed him…. Snakes, alligators, they are dangerous. Don't belong on public streets with crowds of people…. it's common sense. And the police should have come when called….. End of Story.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by DouglasMo

GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN! At least 30 years ago I was walking on the streets of NYC and unexpectedly came upon a younger man with a huge yellow python completely wrapped around his body! I jumped and believe I screamed too!! 30 years ago--- I was young….The younger man with snake laughed as did his friends…they do it to get your reaction whatever age….Did I call a cop? no, plenty of police in NYC who would catch up with him… But I was frightened…. A snake is different from a dog, a gerbil, etc. It is definitely threatening, I don't care what the snake enthusiasts say. Call the police and insist they come. You will still be able to bring your dog. I have never seen a threatening dog in TV. And how am I supposed to know when that snake was fed??? I remember reading a story about a man found crushed in his apt because his snake they surmised had been hungry and killed him…. Snakes, alligators, they are dangerous. Don't belong on public streets with crowds of people…. it's common sense. And the police should have come when called….. End of Story.

When people KNOW that most people feel either frightened of snakes or not comfortable with them, and they would do something like this, it says it all.

They aren't nice friendly people, they are show off, callous, unfeeling and just a tad angry. Why did they do it? Because they can. I think that the same reason goth kids wear black and Kiss stuff on their face and skull stuff on them. They are anti-establishment. They don't fit it, They are not finding much happiness with things that most people do.

As an older adult I should feel more compassionate, but I just feel annoyed. I had plenty of reasons to feel lonely, angry and sad as a young person but I didn't act out. I just worked and waited and then when I was 18 I met Sweetie.

Everybody does stuff for a reason. Everybody is different. Most people are drawn to the familiar and the comfortable and the ordinary things.

I hope Mr. Snake Boa finds a nice-er life than scaring nice people at public gatherings. Soon.

The squares were built to gather people to have a good time not make them uncomfortable.

Will someone on this forum call the regular number for the Wildwood police and see what their official stand is on snakes in the square at Brownwood?

[shcisamax]

I am horrified. The bubble has been compromised!

[BobAllen1290]

Originally Posted by mikeod

Public tax money? I believe the entertainment is funded by the merchants in the squares. Whatever the source, the squares are open to all.

YES..Public Sumter County Tax Money. As I noted in my original post there is an announcement made nightly at LSL & Brownwood that "Tonite's entertainment is being paid for in part by a tax grant from the Sumter County Department of Tourism". That message is also noted at the bottom of the monthly square entertainment sheet published on the last Sunday of the month by The Daily Sun.

What is not clear is what "in part" means. 10%? 25%? 50%? 99.9%? But yes..Sumter County Tax funds are going to pay for entertainment at both LSL & Brownwood, which I think is a TERRIBLE use of Sumter's tax dollars, and I can guarantee that there are PLENTY of people in Bushnell, Wildwood, Lake Panasoffkee and other places in Sumter who don't think much of it at all!

[DaleMN]

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by BobAllen1290

YES..Public Sumter County Tax Money. As I noted in my original post there is an announcement made nightly at LSL & Brownwood that "Tonite's entertainment is being paid for in part by a tax grant from the Sumter County Department of Tourism". That message is also noted at the bottom of the monthly square entertainment sheet published on the last Sunday of the month by The Daily Sun.

What is not clear is what "in part" means. 10%? 25%? 50%? 99.9%? But yes..Sumter County Tax funds are going to pay for entertainment at both LSL & Brownwood, which I think is a TERRIBLE use of Sumter's tax dollars, and I can guarantee that there are PLENTY of people in Bushnell, Wildwood, Lake Panasoffkee and other places in Sumter who don't think much of it at all!

What do the people from Bushnell, Wildwood, Lake Panasoffkee and other places in Sumter that come and enjoy the squares think of the use of tourism dollars being used?
I think this is becoming a big deal over nothing...................

[PennBF]

I agree with those that have some concern and reluctance to spend evenings in Brownwood. It may be just perception or true but i don't feel the same security comfort as I do at Lake Sumter or Spanish Springs. How this can be fixed is a real challenge. Maybe more police patrols, more lighting, more outdoor actions (e.g. more Resturants that seat outside,etc.). The closeness of Wildwood to the squares (not meant to disrespect Wildwood)
but when you have larger centralized populations you will naturally have more good and "bad" things. Reading the weekly crime rates does not add to the good security feelings when Wildwood cases are mentioned.

[livefree]

Originally Posted by PennBF

I agree with those that have some concern and reluctance to spend evenings in Brownwood. It may be just perception or true but i don't feel the same security comfort as I do at Lake Sumter or Spanish Springs. How this can be fixed is a real challenge. Maybe more police patrols, more lighting, more outdoor actions (e.g. more Resturants that seat outside,etc.). The closeness of Wildwood to the squares (not meant to disrespect Wildwood)
but when you have larger centralized populations you will naturally have more good and "bad" things. Reading the weekly crime rates does not add to the good security feelings when Wildwood cases are mentioned.

I started the thread and didn't have any problem with Brownwood being close to Wildwood, nor a problem with the squares being open to the public (I think that a bigger variety of people is good), nor tourism dollars nor any of that talked about above.

I titled the thread with "Menace" in it because that's what I believe a person is doing when they try to scare and intimidate people with a huge reptile that does not belong in Florida swamps, much less in a downtown social gathering, dancing and entertainment area.

Here is a list of exotic "pet" incidents in Florida by the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. It's telling to see how many of them involve pythons and boa constrictors, and it begins like this:

October 1, 2013 / Salerno, FL: Sheriff's deputies captured a 10-foot albino Burmese python in a residential neighborhood. The regurgitated carcasses of two cats were found nearby. (Palm Beach Post)

August 30, 2013 / Miami-Dade County, FL: A 10-foot-long rock python killed a Siberian husky, a family pet, at a home in Southwest Miami-Dade County. (Tampa Bay Times)

August 4, 2013 / Hialeah, FL: A homeowner cleaning out his shed discovered a 13-foot albino Burmese python. The snake was removed by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. (WSVN Ch. 7)

http://www.animalrightsflorida.org/incidentlist.html

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by PennBF

I agree with those that have some concern and reluctance to spend evenings in Brownwood. It may be just perception or true but i don't feel the same security comfort as I do at Lake Sumter or Spanish Springs. How this can be fixed is a real challenge. Maybe more police patrols, more lighting, more outdoor actions (e.g. more Resturants that seat outside,etc.). The closeness of Wildwood to the squares (not meant to disrespect Wildwood)
but when you have larger centralized populations you will naturally have more good and "bad" things. Reading the weekly crime rates does not add to the good security feelings when Wildwood cases are mentioned.

the so called "concern" about Wildwood is nothing more than an urban legend type product usuualy dispensed by folks who are elitist types who parrot third, fourth, twelfth hand stories about the area.

If most of the hometowns that many who live here are from were close to one of our "safe" town centers, they would belooked down upon as well.......they just are not of the bubble.

95% of the residents of Wildwood are...get ready...NO DIFFERENT THAN US!!!!!!!!

How very unfair to residents and their families who have been here for years to be rated by outsidders (that would be us from the bubble!!). Remember we are the intruders not the citizens of Wildwood.

Ridiculous snobbery! Unfounded concern!! But to each his own opinion even if it is wrong.

btk

[Bonny]

Well spoken. I don't like people who think they are better than others. Such a shame. I can't imagine being a Wildwood resident and reading some of the posts that are put on this forum. I know several awesome people that live in Wildwood !

[casita37]

It was my understanding that the squares are public, as in open to the public, not government owned property. I would bet they are owned by the developer....don't really know. What I DO know is I would have a heart attack, and die, and my husband would need to figure out whom to sue!!!!!

Reminds me of the gecko thread. I was all ho-hum....it's just a lizard....Probably those who think a Python is "just" a SNAKE......EEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!