Night Swimming at the Four Pools

Night Swimming at the Four Pools

Night swimming is going to wait a few more months at four pools located in the Lake County portion of The Villages. Night swimming at the pools was abruptly ended following an April 8 inspection. A department of health inspector determined that after nearly two decades, the pools don’t have the proper lighting to allow for night-time swimming, a tradition long enjoyed at those pools. The pools had been open until 11 p.m. The pools are at Chula Vista, Southside, Hilltop and Paradise. The issue of night swimming was raised at Wednesday morning’s Amenity Authority Committee meeting. Initially, it had been suggested that lights would be installed and night swimming would begin again in October. District Property Manager Sam Wartinbee said retrofitting the pools with lighting has not been easy. No one responded to the initial request for bids, except one contractor who submitted the bid 20 minutes late. The District then invited in four companies to bid on the work. Those bids are expected back in two weeks. District Manager Janet Tutt admitted that part of the delay was an extra period of research aimed at attempting to save the district in excess of $100,000. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” Tutt...
Evans Prairie Wins 2014 Village Cup

Evans Prairie Wins 2014 Village Cup

Evans Prairie Country Club edged Lopez Legacy Country Club by three points on Thursday to win the 2014 Men’s Village Cup golf tournament. The popular tournament features some of the best amateur golfers in The Villages. Teams are selected through a draft. The final result was 12 ½ points for Evans Prairie to 9 ½ points for Lopez Legacy. One point is award to the winner of each individual match and a half point is awarded to each player in a tie. The Evans Prairie victory on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had special meaning for team member Paul Whelan, originally from Boston. His longtime golf partner, John Grazioso, was killed in the Twin Towers attacks in New York City. “Everybody’s still shaking,” Whelan said when Thursday’s final results came in. “It was a very close match.” Rain, which scuttled the semifinal round last week and shortened it on Tuesday, made a brief appearance on Thursday and dampened a few golfers but did not interrupt play. Lopez Legacy began the day with a two-point deficit after Evans Prairie took a 5-3 lead on the first day of the two-day final. The teams were tied on Wednesday until Jon Piskos of Evans Prairie sank a 15-foot putt to put his team ahead. The victory went to the newest Villages country club making its first appearance in the tournament with a captain who moved to the community about a month ago. Winning captain Russ Jimeson dedicated his team’s victory to Mike Rhoades, a team member forced to withdraw from the tournament when his brother died. Danny Goforth replaced...