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Palo Alto Club in The Villages, FL
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    • Things you CAN do - Mar. 22
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    • Miscellaneous - Mar. 30
    • General To Do's - April 5
    • Stayin' Inside... April 19
    • News - April 23, 2020
    • News - April 28, 2020
    • Phases - May 13
    • News - May 17
    • News - May 30
    • News - June 4
    • To Our Health >
      • Golf Car Rules of the Road
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      • FYI Keepers
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    • Monthly Meetings >
      • October 24 2022 Western Night
      • Feb 27, 2023 Luau monthly meeting
      • ​Feb. 28, 2022 Luau Monthly Meeting
      • Nov. 26, 2018 Comediens
      • Oct. 22, 2018 Happy Halloween!
      • May 28, 2018 Memorial Day
      • Feb. 26, 2018
      • Sept 25, 2017 Forever Young
      • July 24, 2017 Lorri Gill
      • June 26, 2017 Let's Make a Deal!
    • Monthly Meetings Before 2017 >
      • Sept, 26, 2016 20th Anniversary Party
      • Aug. 22, 2016
      • June 27, 2016
      • May 23, 2016
      • Jan. 25, 2016
      • Oct. 26, 2015
      • Mar. 23, 2015
      • Feb. 23, 2015 Sweetheart Appetizer Party
      • Not So Newly Wed Game
    • Group Dinners >
      • Nov. 8, 2016 at Amerikano Grill
      • Sept. 5 2016 Bamboo Bistro
      • Oct. 8, 2015 Evans Prairie
    • Carpool Road Trips (CRTs) >
      • Lakeridge Winery
      • Blue Spring SP
      • Mount Dora Pontoon Tour
      • Barberville Pioneer Jamboree
      • Ocala Horse Parade
      • Howey Mansion Tour
    • Special Event / Galleries >
      • Sept. 22, 2016 - After Golf Scramble Gathering
      • Aug. 18, 2016 Night Golf
      • Aug. 22, 2015 Night Golf
      • May 7, 2015 Tierra Del Sol Grand Opening
    • Holiday Parties >
      • Dec. 5, 2019 - Table Photos
      • Dec. 16, 2018 Formal Photos
      • Dec. 16, 2018 - Casual Shots
      • Dec. 17, 2017 Formal Photos
      • Dec. 17, 2017 - Casual Shots
      • Dec. 5, 2016 Formal Photos
      • Dec. 5, 2016 - Casual Shots
      • Dec. 18, 2015 Formal Photos
      • Dec. 18, 2015 - Casual Shots
      • Dec. 2014 Formal Photos
      • Dec. 2013 Formal Photos
    • Excursions >
      • Jan. 10, 2015 Cruise
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us Form
    • Directory / Mail List Sign-up Form

FYI    Keepers
District Weekly Bulletins 
(prev from Welcome Wednesday News / VHA)

These FYI Keepers cover some important topics now from District.gov Weekly Bulletins and previously from Welcome Wednesdays meetings that are helpful to keep very handy (this page). Details for older Welcome Wednesday meetings can be found at:   Welcome Wednesday
​
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 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

Sign yourself up to receive Villages E-Notifications, here's how: 
Picture
How Do I Dispose of ……???              (Updated Sept. 11, 2019 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. 

Sumter County Citizens Drop Off Area
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.

Next 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. 


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.  
 

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)
              All pools are heated during the cooler months. We strive for water temperatures between 81-84 degrees.
              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: 
​
  • Thanksgiving Holidays
  • New Years Celebrations
  • Camp Villages Turkey Day
  • Outdoor Concert Series
  • Speaker Series
  • Amenity Authority Committee
  • Angels of the Villages
  • New & Improved
  • Mark Your Calendar
    Upcoming Events Calendar (link to current week's pdf file); Includes these categories of fun:   
    Camp Villages, Square Events, Outdoor Concerts and Outdoor Movies
    See 'Mark Your Calendar' on the recevents.aspx Web page on the DistrictGove site. 
    ​

  • Annual Christmas Parade
  • The Enrichment Academy Speaker Series
  • Media Release
  • Join Our Team
  • Recreation News
  • Village of Fenney
  • Lake Sumter Line Boat Tour
  • Pedestrian Paths
  • Pet Information and Adoptions
  • Recreation Center Emergency Address Information
  • Bicycle Friendly Community
  • 2018 Holiday Closing Schedule
  • Lost & Found
  • Courtesy Phones at Recreation Facilities
    ​ 

CDD Orientation:  
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.
​ 

Navigating www.districtgov.org  
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. ​
​ 

New Resident’s Night:  ​
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
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
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.  ​
​ 

How to Stay Informed
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. ​
​ 

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.  
    ​ 

Water Shortage - starting June 5, 2017*  
The water shortage restrictions from Southwest Florida Water Management District changes on June 5 so be sure to:
  • Change your irrigation system:  only water once a week (not twice)
  • Water only after 6 pm and before 8 am.
  • Car washing is limited to one per week on the designated watering days as shown below
  • No pressure washing homes for aesthetic concerns
  • Fountains and other aesthetic only water features may only be operated 8 hours per day and there will be a 10% fee purchase on all water bills to encourage the use of less water.
  • The water permit rates and rules are based on the rules and rates in the 2005-2007 permit which were set for water conserving and to protect the environment. There are some exceptions in Districts 9-11.  For those concerned about future water permit issuance, the spokesperson assured the audience at Welcome Wednesday that “no new permit can adversely affect the current permit”. See www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/irrigation-schedules for more info.

The water shortage restrictions from Southwest Florida Water Management District as of June 5:  you can only water once a week (not twice) and it must be after 6 pm and before 8 am. Car washing is limited to one per week on the designated watering days as shown below, no pressure washing homes for aesthetic concerns, fountains and other aesthetic only water features may only operated 8 hours per day and there will be a 10% fee purchase on all water bills to encourage the use of less water. The water permit rates and rules are based on the rules and rates in the 2005-2007 permit which were set for water conserving and to protect the environment. There are some exceptions in Districts 9-11.  For those concerned about future water permit issuance, the spokesperson assured the audience at Welcome Wednesday that “no new permit can adversely affect the current permit”. See www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/irrigation-schedules for more info.  Designated watering days are:
               Addresses ending in                May only irrigate on
                        0 or 1                                          Monday
                        2 or 3                                          Tuesday
                        4 or 5                                          Wednesday
                        6 or 7                                          Thursday
                        8 or 9                                          Friday
​ 
Rumor  control:  No, the surcharge is not permanent and it is 10% of base rate.  It will end when the Phase III order ends which is tentatively August 1, 2017.   No the developer did not set nor does he get the surcharge funds.  The rate was set when the initial permit was issued and at that time the rate structure and the water management plan was set.
 
Knowledge is Power:  overheard at this Welcome Wednesday event after water situation was explained:  “now I understand…until this, I was upset!”   Come to Welcome Wednesday!

Two sources confirm watering in our area: 
  - http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/cdd-1-10-irrigation-schedule/
   - http://sumtercountyfl.gov/428/Watering-Restrictions

       * NOTE:  To conserve water & most probably reduce your water bill, it is a good idea to apply the Rules above 
                            starting with 'only water once a week (not twice)'  every year between June 5 and Aug. 31. This period is the 
                            rainy season in Central Florida and once a week sprinkling and other suggestions shown here would normally work. 

Hazardous Materials
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
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:
  • Lake County - Emergency Management: (352) 343-9420 or visit http:// www.lakecountyfl.gov/departments/public_safety/emergency_management/
  • Marion County - Emergency Management: (352) 732-8181 or visit http:// www.marionso.com/emergency-management
  • Sumter County—Emergency Management: (352) 689-4400 or visit http:// sumtercountyfl.gov/718/Emergency-Management 
Reminder for Sumter County residents and some parts of Lake and Marion County also:  you need to re-register for the mass notification sister, alertsumter (code red ends 9/30/17). Visit whew.sumterprepares.com, select the alertsumter button and follow the instructions or call 352-689-4400. AlertSumter will keep you up on severe weather, fires, floods and other emergencies.
​
Let Us Know!
As you become aware of a neighbor here in The Village of Palo Alto that's either:
   1) new to our village (owner or renter),
   2) expressed interest in getting more involved in our fun and/or
   3) are not getting our email newsletter
​please let us know. Include the name and contact info. Contact  Jan Lindsey at 502-741-9643 or fill out our online Contact Us form. Also, Directory / Mail List Signup form. Thanks!
​ 
Webmaster Communications: 
​Send pictures to paloaltoclub@gmail.com.   
Info to paloaltoclub@gmail.com OR  use the Contact Us Form.
​Thank you! 


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