FYI Keepers
District Weekly Bulletins (prev from Welcome Wednesday News / VHA)
NOTE: Some of this information may be out-of-date - verify, as needed
Best Verification Resource: https://www.districtgov.org/
or... using telephone numbers shown
FYI Keepers Section Index
This section covers some important topics now from District.gov Weekly Bulletins and previously from Welcome Wednesdays meetings that are helpful to keep very handy (this page). Older Welcome Wednesday meeting reviews are no longer kept at district.gov / Welcome Wednesday.
This section covers some important topics now from District.gov Weekly Bulletins and previously from Welcome Wednesdays meetings that are helpful to keep very handy (this page). Older Welcome Wednesday meeting reviews are no longer kept at district.gov / Welcome Wednesday.
- Sprinkler Schedule - By your Home Address (when NOT a Water Shortage)
- Report a Street Light Outage
- Sign yourself up to receive Villages E-Notifications, here's how
- How Do I Dispose of ……???
- SECO Energy’s outage and communications platform
- Resident Lifestyle Clubs & Contacts
- Lost & Found
- Sanitation Collection Schedule
- Types of Pools
- Smoke Detector Program
- Recreation Events
- CDD Orientation
- Navigating www.districtgov.org
- New Resident’s Night:
- VHA Golf Cart Safety Meetings
- In the event of an emergency
- How to Stay Informed
- Rumor Control
- Hazardous Materials
- Emergency Management
Sprinkler Schedule - By your Home Address (when NOT a Water Shortage)
The year round conservation measures allow for twice-per-week watering, which gives residents additional flexibility for determining when to water. When there is not a Water Shortage, the Sumter County Watering Schedule for CDD 1 & 2 are:
- Even Addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) Tuesday / Friday 12 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 12 am
- Odd Addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) Monday / Thursday 12 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 12 am
Report a Street Light Outage
The street light behind our home is not working at night, who should I
call? You should notify the company you pay your electric bill to:
SECO (352) 793-3801 or SECO Energy Light Finder (Sumter County)
When reporting, please provide the number on the pole that has an
outage, if you are able to locate it.
Sign yourself up to receive Villages E-Notifications, here's how:
How Do I Dispose of ……??? (Per Aug. 3, 2020 District Weekly Bulletin)
Do you have old paint sitting in the garage? An old propane tank or leftover gasoline? If so, these and other hazardous chemicals and items should not be placed in your regular household trash. Sumter County hosts two Household Electronics and Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection events per year, during the Spring and Fall. For more information please visit www.sumtercountyfl.gov.
Household Electronics & Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection - Amnesty Day
Sat., Nov 7, 2020 / 9a to 3p
Location: Lake Okahumpka Park, 6085 E. SR 44, Wildwood 34785
Sumter County Public-Works Household Electronics and Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection event
Sat., Nov. 2 / 9-3pm - located at the Lake Okahumpka Park 6085 E. SR 44, Wildwood 34785. For more information on this and other mobile collections, contact Sumter County Public Works at 352-689-4400.
What to Bring:
- Automotive fluids and
- batteries
- Household electronics
- (TVs, VCRs, computers,
- etc.)
- Rechargeable household
- batteries
- Cleaners Latex & oil based paints Smoke detectors
- Fertilizers Paint removers and
- thinners
- Solvents
- Fluorescent lamps and
- Mercury containing devices
- Pesticides Wood Preservatives
- Fungicides Pool Chemicals
- Herbicides Propane Tanks (25 lbs)
What NOT to bring:
- Biological/Infectious waste
- Radioactive waste
- Explosives
- Empty paint cans
How to Package and Transport Chemicals
1. Do NOT mix chemicals together.
2. Keep products in original labeled containers if possible.
3. Place containers into cardboard boxes to prevent breakage.
4. Place leaky container in clear plastic bag and transport in box with newspaper.
5. Put boxes in trunk or in back of vehicle away from passengers.
For more information, visit their website at https://sumtercountyfl.gov/1236/
Household-Electronics-Hazardous-Waste-Mo .
Information Provided by Sumter County
Sumter County Citizens Drop Off Area (Other than Amnesty Day above)
Sumter County Sumter County residents can dispose of the following items at the Sumter County Citizens Drop Off Area at
819 CR 529, Lake Panasoffkee:
- Batteries
- Clean Scrap Metal
- Used Oil
- Between 1 – 4 Oil Filters
- Tires and Household Electronics are accepted also, however there is a charge to drop off these items.
Source: District Weekly Bulletin dated Aug 3, 2020
SECO Energy’s outage and communications platform (Per Sept. 11, 2019 District Weekly Bulletin)
Information Provided by SECO Energy StormCenter is SECO Energy’s outage and communications platform for members to report outages, check the status of an existing outage and enroll in outage communications and alerts via email, text, voice or all three.
Visit StormCenter: https://secoenergy.com/stormcenter/ online and bookmark on your smartphone or tablet to report outages quickly and easily.
Resident Lifestyle Clubs & Contacts
Looking for a club or activity? Visit www.DistrictGov.org – Departments, Recreation – Resident Lifestyle Clubs & Contact and you will find an alphabetical listing of the clubs and the contact’s name and phone number.
Lost & Found
Depending on where items are found, inexpensive items will be held for one month at La Hacienda, Laurel Manor, or Eisenhower Regional Recreation Centers. Valuables will be turned over to the Lady Lake Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office or Marion County Sheriff’s Office within 72 hours. At the end of each month, unclaimed items will be donated to local charities. The Recreation Department is not responsible for lost items.
Feb. 2, 2020 Update referred to us by our Rep, Jerry Coomans - thanks, Jerry!
I just found out that there are boxes of keys and wallets at the USPS on Route 25 and the Annex on the Historic Side. While lost and found items are published as being taken to the regional recreation centers with those of value being forwarded to the Sheriff's Dept. we have just found that the Post Office has items and makes no attempt to find owners. If you have lost items, even if a couple of years ago, you might want to check with the postal employees at the Post Office (NOT the postal stations where you get your mail.) I am making a guess that if keys or wallets fall out of your car or golf cart near the postal stations and left there the items find their way to the Post Offices, not the Recreation Centers. To find your lost items, my suggestion is to check all places.
Depending on where items are found, inexpensive items will be held for one month at La Hacienda, Laurel Manor, or Eisenhower Regional Recreation Centers. Valuables will be turned over to the Lady Lake Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office or Marion County Sheriff’s Office within 72 hours. At the end of each month, unclaimed items will be donated to local charities. The Recreation Department is not responsible for lost items.
Feb. 2, 2020 Update referred to us by our Rep, Jerry Coomans - thanks, Jerry!
I just found out that there are boxes of keys and wallets at the USPS on Route 25 and the Annex on the Historic Side. While lost and found items are published as being taken to the regional recreation centers with those of value being forwarded to the Sheriff's Dept. we have just found that the Post Office has items and makes no attempt to find owners. If you have lost items, even if a couple of years ago, you might want to check with the postal employees at the Post Office (NOT the postal stations where you get your mail.) I am making a guess that if keys or wallets fall out of your car or golf cart near the postal stations and left there the items find their way to the Post Offices, not the Recreation Centers. To find your lost items, my suggestion is to check all places.
Sanitation Collection Schedule
Trash - TUESDAY & FRIDAY Recycling - TUESDAY Yard Waste: WEDNESDAY
(including: Alhambra, Allende, De La Vista, Hacienda, Harmeswood of Belle Aire, Palo Alto, Rio Grande, Rio Ponderosa, Rio Ranchero, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Summerchase, Tierra Del Sol (See Sanitation Collection Details (source Weekly Bulletin May 8, 2019))
Types of Pools
- Sports Pools (7:00am-Dusk) • For residents only 30 years of age and older. These pools have a specific schedule of activities: lap swim, water walk, water exercise programs, water volleyball etc. Be sure to check the sport pool activity schedule before you go. Schedules are available in the Recreation News. If you are interested in starting a water exercise program please call 674-1800.
- Neighborhood (Adult) Pools (7:30am-Dusk) • For residents and their guests 30 years of age and older • Intended for refreshing socialization & non-organized/scheduled activities. Regularly scheduled water exercise groups are encouraged to use the sports pools for this purpose.
- Family Pools (7:30am-Dusk) • For residents who have young family members visiting under the age of 30. Noodles, unbreakable masks, goggles & small buckets are the only items allowed in these pools.
(source: Weekly Bulletin May 8, 2019)
Temperatures will fluctuate depending on the weather. For more information visit www.DistrictGov.org or call 352-674-1800.
Smoke Detector Program
The Villages Fire and Public Safety Department offers smoke detector assistance to residents of The Villages as part of the Fall Prevention Program. This program is designed for residents of The Villages who are disabled or are unable to climb a ladder.
Smoke detector batteries should be changed once per year. Help with smoke detector battery changes and/or installations can be arranged by calling (352) 205-8280 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you call after hours or on the weekend, a recording will direct you to an alternate phone number. Residents are required to purchase the batteries or new units. There is no charge for this service. As a reminder, this assistance is strictly for smoke detectors. The employees visiting your home will not be able to assist you with non-related smoke detector issues or concerns.
The Villages Public Safety Department employees will arrive at your home in uniform, with a visible name badge.
If you have any questions or would like additional information on this program, please contact The Villages Public Safety Department at (352) 205-8280.
Recreation Events: (Recreation Events link to the current listings)
This is a resource on the DistrictGov.org Web site that you may find helpful. It has a a wealth of information. Topics will vary but these are sample items as of Nov. 2018:
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CDD Orientation:
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Every Thursday at 10 am at the District Office, upstairs from Starbucks at Lake Sumter Landing, you are welcome to attend this session to learn about how the Districts operate and other important community information. For additional information, call (352) 753-4508.
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The What’s Happening section of the website is updated daily with information pertaining to what’s going on in your community: On www.districtgov.org select the what’s happening quick link on left side, view general information to learn about community wide information and view information specific to your District and closures occurring in recreation centers in your area.
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New Resident’s Night:
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This program provides important information for residents that are moving here or live here. We have speakers that give short descriptions of their responsibilities for everything from Law Enforcement, Tax Collectors, Property Assessors, Veterans Benefits, Community Improvement Council, Seniors verses Crime, Lifelong Learning College, Bicycle Safety, Master Gardeners, Library use to The District Government. We have Volunteer organizations who discuss how you can help the Villages Regional Hospital, The Sheriff’s Ranch for Children, CERT and others. The speakers all arrive early and stay after to answer your questions. It’s held on the second Tuesday Night each month at 7:00 PM at Colony Cottage Recreation Center in The Parlor.
https://www.thevha.net/all-2014-new-resident-meetings/ |
VHA Golf Cart Safety Meetings
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3rd Wednesdays - 9AM-11AM - normally at Colony Cottage The Study
https://www.thevha.net/all-2015-golf-cart-saftey-clinic-meetings/ Also see our Golf Cart Rules of the Road on this site. |
In the event of an emergency
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In the event of an emergency be sure to immediately call 9-1-1. When you call 911, answer the dispatcher’s questions (it will not delay the response!), do not hang up until either the 911 dispatcher or on-scene police or fire personnel direct you to hang up. If you call from a cell phone, it takes 5-6 rings before you call is answered…do not hang up…wait until answered and then tell them your location. Community Watch is a non-emergency service whose primary function is to observe and report.
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How to Stay Informed
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You and your neighbors can really stay on top of what’s going on in The Villages (including but not limited to Welcome Wednesday newsletters) just by going online to www.districtgov.org and in the bottom left corner of the homepage, sign up for E-Notifications. You can sign up for as much info as you want; from boil water notices to schedule updates & closings of streets, rec centers, golf courses; job postings; public safety; recreation; messages from the District Manager…..etc.
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Rumor Control
- Emergency Calls: A recent auto accident was reported rumored that the response time was 20 minutes. In verifying the dispatch log, the Public Safety Department chief verified it took 2 minutes and 15 seconds to dispatch help. When you are in an emergency a second seems like a minute and a minute seems like an hour but in 2016, our Public Safety Department responded to 14,032 emergency calls with an average response time of 4 minutes and 11 seconds 90 % of the time. Within 40 seconds of receiving the call, emergency units are being dispatched so please remain on the line with the dispatcher. If you are using a cell phone wait for the dispatcher to connect with your call (usually 6 rings) so don’t hang up.
- Roadway Right of Way: Another rumor that is SO dangerous. What is true is that no one type of vehicle has preferential right of way. All vehicles whether they are bikes, carts or cars are treated the same and must follow the same rules of the road.
Hazardous Materials
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No hazardous materials should be placed in your household trash. Items such as chlorine, muriatic acid, pest control sprays, needles, etc. should be disposed of properly. Hazardous items create a safety hazard for the sanitation workers as well as the environment. Sharps containers can be obtained from the health department and other hazardous materials can be disposed of at the following locations:
Sumter County--Sumter County residents can dispose of items at the Sumter County Citizen Drop Off Area located at 819 CR 529 in Lake Panasoffkee. Please visit www.sumtercountyfl.gov for additional information. |
Emergency Management
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Emergency management and services related to preparation for severe weather, floods, hurricanes and other disaster response activities fall under the purview of the county in which you live. To sign up for the notifications in your county, visit the following links:
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