What a year 2011 was for The Villages.
2012 should be just as exciting.
Let’s look at some of the major stories of the past year in The Villages.
(Note: All of these stories and more were covered in depth in The Villages Monthly this past year)
IRS Issue – This issue is now 4 years old, if you can believe it. I get tons of email every month from people who want to move to The Villages but are hesitant to do so until this is resolved.
As TVCDD and the IRS continue to spar over the accuracy of the details in the case, I still don’t see a quick end to this in 2012.
Despite that lingering piece of uncertainty, The Villages rings in 2012 with a full head of steam.
Among the good stories of 2011:
Moffitt Cancer Center – The new Moffitt Cancer Center celebrated its grand opening this month, providing cancer care closer to home for Villagers. The fundraising activities this past year were not without controversy, but overall I think Villagers are better off having more choices for care close to home.
The Villages/USF Health Partnership – This is an interesting partnership that came to fruition this year. With the aim of creating “America’s Healthiest Hometown” this partnership has kicked off in 2011 with a lecture series on various health related topics geared towards residents of The Villages, and several focus groups with residents to determine what health issues and concerns the partnership should tackle first.
I think that there are several communities like The Villages across the country watching how this partnership shapes up and evolves in 2012 and over the next few years.
The population of our country as a whole is skewing older every year, and I’m optimistic that the progress made in this partnership could potentially enhance the lives of millions of others throughout the country, not just here in The Villages.
2012 Presidential Election – Politics are always a major topic in The Villages, and 2011 was no exception. There was an extra amount of activity because of the run-up to the GOP presidential nomination.
Several state and national politicians made their way to The Villages in 2011, and we predict the politicians will visit The Villages in 2012 in record numbers as the run-up to the GOP nomination, and the eventual November election approach.
The Villages on the National Stage – The Villages got some great national publicity this year.
In May, CBS Sunday Morning had a piece on custom golf cars in The Villages. To date, the video has been watched more than 1.8 million times on YouTube.
Then in September, morning show FOX & Friends broadcast live from Lake Sumter Landing Market Square in The Villages. Guests included Florida governor Rick Scott, FOX commentator Oliver North, rock band foreigner, cheerleaders from UCF, performers from local high schools, and more.
2012 is sure to be an exciting and interesting year in The Villages. I look forward to keeping you up to date on all the major news that transpires.
I’d like to leave you with a video sent in by one of our readers who plans to move to The Villages in the next few years. He took quite a few pictures during his lifestyle preview and put them all together in this video. Enjoy!
The Villages is great and at the top of my short list for the near future … however after talking with some new residents, I find that the health club options are not great … by this I mean that the present facilities are over crowded, No indoor pools, no decent locker rooms, no wet areas(to include hot tub, sauna, steam) …. any talk of a modern health club … as good as a YMCA or LA Fitness, LifeTime Fitness …. ???? I would hate to retire at the largest, healthiest, retirement community in the country without a decent health club??