Villages/Lady Lake
By TomL
On January 23 the normal Lady Lake commission was called to order and the floor was opened to public discussion. Before anyone from the public could respond, Commissioner Hannon asked for the floor.
Mayor Richardsons said it was highly unusual but gave approval. Commissioner Hannon said he was saddened that Chief McKinstry quit. He said he had heard from many constituents asking him to do all he could to rehire the Chief.
Betty Salas then approached the podium with a petition of 168 names requesting the Chief be reinstated.
Betty Salas, a local business person standing up for Chief McKinstry, is holding a petition of 166 names of residents asking the Town Council to consider reinstating him. The meeting that followed blew everyone away. It was so much that a second meeting was set to discuss the issue and to discuss reviewing the Ex-Chief and Town Manager Kollgard’s actions. Two Commissioners were not happy about the Chief being forced out! The others knew in advance and let it happen. Go to the meeting on the Feb 4 at 1 pm to watch and listen!
Ms Salas also said that she knew the previous chief and that when the commission hired chief she was assured he was the right man for Lady Lake. She got to know him as did the businesses and residents of Lady Lake as well.
Town Manager Kris Kollgaard then read a statement that said she and the Chief have had professional differences in management styles for the last 6 years and that this was the last time. She contact the commissioners the night before and said the morning meeting would have only one of 2 outcomes. Up until this meeting the general public was told no one at town hall knew why the Chief quit, just that he did. Now we are finding out the truth. Continue reading
Put on by the Lady Lake Chamber, the day started out pretty cool, but as the sun came up it warmed to a comfortable temperature. Some 50 vendors participated in the expo and hundreds of visitors showed up to visit the booths. Lots of free gifts were handed out to the visitors. You could get your hearing checked, talk about your health insurance, check out the travel company and find out where you can go and for how much, etc. There were food trucks serving and selling food all day. I enjoy the sausage sub that is normally offered. The barbecue was delicious. It was all good. The expo was held under tent at the St. Timothy’s Catholic Church on 441 Villages. Cute – there was a lady dressed like a bumble bee selling honey. Lot of fun was had by all. If you see a picture of someone you know tell them about it.
Lady Lake Residents Are Shocked!
By TomL
Town people are shocked. Many are asking why? Why would the Chief of police of seven years walk in one day and hand in his resignation and walk out? No notice! No reason! I can’t print a rumor and don’t believe in them, but if someone out there has some facts I would like to hear them.
Apparently the Town Manager Chris Kollgart doesn’t know why. I ask by email and she said and I quote, “Chief McKinstry left. I think he just needed a new challenge. He did a lot of good for the Town and I know he will be missed.” Kollgart has named Capt. Robert Tempesta as acting Chief. I’m not finished with this story! Continue reading
Light up Lady Lake is an annual Christmas event. The grounds and the cabin where the Chamber is housed is lit up with thousands of lights. They usually have several speakers and hundreds of spectators. It’s a great event and something to see!
As the holiday season approaches, many Lady Lake residents will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate. Whether you are traveling out of town or hosting festivities at home, the Lady Lake Police Department wants you to be safe. Here is a security checklist to help protect your home and family.
Before you leave town it is important to make sure your home appears occupied. Place timers on your lights and set them to turn on and off at different times. Lock your garage door and disconnect the automatic opener. Most importantly, tell a trusted neighbor that you are going to be away and ask them to dial 911 immediately if they see anyone on your property.
Here are some additional home security tips to keep in mind:
- Install good locks on all doors and windows and always use them.
- Stop newspaper and mail deliveries, and never hide a spare key outside,
- Give that spare key to a trusted neighbor and provide them with an emergency telephone number where they can reach you.
- Have someone mow your lawn if you’ll be away more than a couple of weeks.
- Turn down your telephone ringer so no one outside can hear repeated rings, and never leave a message on your telephone answering machine stating you are out of town.
- Leave your window blinds as you normally would if you were home.
- Invite your neighbor to park their car in your driveway or have a friend move yours if you left it at home.
- Do not post holiday travel plans on social networking sites.
The traveling Wall came to Lady Lake / The Villages. Opened Nov 2 and closed Nov 4th. The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall was open to the public for three days at the Soccer Fields on Rolling Acres Road.
Nothing But Networking was the last networking event of the year. It was well attended and was held at the Waterfront Inn in The Villages. I met some new business people. Several said they were expanding because business was so good. Business is good for us right now and I hope is for you also.
Christmas in the Villages held its annual celebration / Expo with as much as 75 vendors exhibiting their businesses and talking to people about what services or products they offer. Many gave out free gifts like pens, candy, pill boxes, scratch pads and many small promotional items. Some food samples were available and lots of entertainment. The weather was perfect and the people were friendly. A good time was had by all.
Nicholas Holmes, a senior in the EMIT (Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology) program at Forest High School, has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts. This accomplishment is the culmination of over six years of adventure, fun, work, and dedication to the Boy Scout program for Holmes, a member of Troop 200 in Ocala.
For his Eagle Project, Holmes worked in conjunction with other community volunteers to build “Charlie’s Garden” at Interfaith Emergency Services’ “Center for Life.”
The concept for Charlie’s Garden, a place for parents to honor the memory of their unborn children, came about because the father of a child who was aborted without his consent wanted a place to grieve the loss of the child he called “Charlie.” When the old abortion clinic in downtown Ocala came up for sale, he donated funds to purchase it and convert it into a “Center for Life.”
Holmes led his group of over 25 volunteers in the building of three planter benches, a fountain and a free-standing circular waterfall wall. His project involved a total of 273 volunteer hours and over $1,400 worth of materials and supplies.
Holmes and his volunteers didn’t stop upon completion of his approved Eagle Project. They also pitched in to help ready Charlie’s Garden for its dedication by planting new bushes and flowers to replace ones killed by frost, building the archway entrance to the garden, pressure washing the sidewalks and seating areas in the garden, and refinishing the donated cast iron tables and chairs. Continue reading
The Lady Lake Chamber Hob Nob was a great success. Sue Kelly, executive director of the Lady Lake Chamber of Commerce introduced and thanked the sponsors and thanked everyone for coming. The sponsors for the event were Cubicles Plus, Primerica and Clear View Optix. Demshars. Food was great, lots of socializing and business discussions. Door prizes were given out by drawing business cards collected at the door. As you can see by the pictures everyone was busy and enjoying the HOB NOB!
