Here is the latest, Vol 5, of the CV Messenger Newspaper

Give it a chance to load.

Frances Fox

 We offer our deepest condolences to George Pittell on the passing of his dearest friend, Frances Fox.  

Frances Fox

We offer our deepest condolences to George Pittell on the passing of his dearest friend, Frances Fox.

The CV Messenger

Post script oh Howard

The Treasury is safe! Howard is back at the old grind looking after us and our monies.

He wrote and advised us as follows " Thank you for the get well wishes.  I had Atrial Flutter that was corrected by catherization on Wednesday.  I was released from JKF on Thursday.

I am under the care of my doctors but have returned to normal activities.

Ode to joy

Watch one of Esther's favorite Flash Mob 

Beethoven's Ode to Joy

Wait for the Video to load

The Devil and Century Village

DIABOLICAL DEVILS

The devil is damning us all to hell if we don’t get rid of Ed Black and David Israel. This is the last straw. Two talented, honorable volunteers, John and Kitty voluntarily quit channel 63 in protest because Ed Black forced them to remove a non-political interview with Esther Sutofsky about her book club.  I applaud the action of John and Kitty, and I am asking all volunteers to stand up and   fight for their right and yours to free access by supporting them by quitting your unpaid volunteer job.   The time has come for all good people of Century Village to prove their courage, and show Ed Black and David Israel; they cannot be bullied. Prove to John and Kitty you are 100% behind them.  Do not let their action be in vain.  The next time you are scheduled to show up at UCO or at the clubhouse, call in sick, take a long medical leave or just quit. I can assure you the world will not end but the message to the diabolical devils who run UCO will be heard loud and clear.

News of Howard Obrien

We have been told by creditable sources that our treasured UCO Treasurer is in the hospital due to a heart related incident. We wish him well and speedy recovery.

As is usual the people at UCO are very secretive of this.

Benny Goodman - Listen & Enjoy

Ego and Censorship

Lets look at really what is going on here. First off if you want Property Values to increase then I suggest you follow the lead of the Villages in Orlando. All you need is no crime, no children and lots of Golf. We have the first two and with a little thinking we could have the Golf.

What we don"t seem to have is freedom to pursue happiness. We are interfered with by Ed Black and David Israel. They have become our self appointed censors, and in the process have removed many of our freedoms. This must stop.

The fallout from the Censorship move by the Mighty Ed Black is that the two operators of Channel 63 have quit. So now there is a note on channel 63 advising that Kitty & John Gregg are not the operators anymore. Contact should be to The Mighty Ed Black and the infamous Joy Vestal. This makes her job list up to three. There is no stopping her, is there?

But back to Property Values. Heading in the direction that Israel and Black are pushing and pulling us is wrong. Setting Israel's Broadband aka  WiFi won't affect property values at all. They wish it would, but it is not going to happen. There is something else working here, it is ego gratification. Theirs not ours.

It Time for a Recall and fire Ed Black.

Floundering and our lawsuits

The problem we have here is a lack of understanding.

The Great and knowledgeable one, the UCO President is missing the points and is dragging all of us into a legal mire.

Where does he think that he has the inalienable right to deny the Lawsuits that are coming and put us all in jeopardy? Remember UCO is us. We have been told this a number of times by the UCO Administration

Whose advice is he following The Advisory Committee? The Executive Committee? The Delegates?

I don't think so. He is following his own knowledge and experience. Is this to be trusted? Does he have any experience? Does he have any real knowledge?

Are we going to stand and let a man that has no experience in legalities, in defending lawsuits, to guide us in these matters?

There is plenty of good advice within the Village. There is Esther who is asking good and concise and knowledgeable questions and which are all ignored. There is Ed asking terrific questions regarding how our money is spent and what are the plans for the future.

And what is the problem bringing on all these Lawsuits? It is the lack of Freedom of information. It is the lack of Sunshine in the UCO operations. What is wrong with being free with information that shows how and where our money is being spent? What are they ashamed of? What are they afraid of?

You tell me where I am wrong.

Gary

Top of the World Cartoon

Ulysses

A happy thought by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Davis Israel your days are numbered.

BETTIE BLECKMAN'S POST OF THE RESIGNATION OF THE GREGG'S - REMOVED FROM DAVID'S BLOG.

This is a post that was left on the Our Village blog belonging to David Israel. He almost immediately removed it, which we knew would happen but I was able to get it and post it here and on my blog. It speaks of the resignation of John and Kitty Gregg when they were instructed that a very short, minutes long, video of me talking about a book club, was withdrawn and no viable reason given. This was delivered by the notorious Ed Black who by the way left another lovely message for me on my blog. Guess your cough is better, huh, Ed. There was no mention or tie to any politics. This is simply a continuation of David's attempt to rule the Village, tell us how to think, control over all. Time to stand up folks. For more info, just go to my blog.


Thursday, March 26, 2015

CHANNEL 63

Will the above channel the Village has come to rely upon revert back to the "Olden Days" of Club announements etc.?  Due to the resignations of both Kitty & John Gregg, to whom we owe heaps of "Gratitude" for not only their time, talent and dedication, to improving both sound & picture quality ( Comcast equipment, FINALLY brought up to par, after several attempts by others who
failed to accomplish,what John Gregg, managed to do in a two week window).in addition to the variety of programing, that had been offered to inform and entertain our residents, no longer exist? Channel 63 BELONGS to the ENTIRE community.Political messages, other than Club Announcements
have not appeared to my knowledge..it was kept civil, informative &; entertaining as it should be; however, there are those, who due to an interview, conducted by myself, over one month ago, which has been aired, more than once, with the President of one of our Book Club Reviews has now been deemed "Unacceptable" All parties involved pre production, including myself, would not have WASTED our time on an "Unacceptable" project....Remember, we all FUND THIS CHANNEL....

The Editor: So whats next? Book Burning?

Airline Safety

The cockpit door is always locked. The procedure to unlock is kind of cumbersome but workable.

The rule in the United States is that there should always be 2 people in the cockpit. If one of the pilots has to leave for any reason then the cabin assistants or dead headed pilots are called upon to be in the cockpit. This rule does not apply to other airlines not registered in the US.

This idea of always 2 people in the cockpit is a good one. That way if something should happen to the remaining pilot, the fill in can call for help.

If this had been the situation on tht German flight, we may not have had the loss of life we had.

Here is a comment from the NY Times:

If it indeed happened as many people are surmising, perhaps this situation should cause US regulators to re-think the current policy on allowing pilots to be armed with handguns. While it's certainly possible that a pilot who is intent on killing himself and everyone else on board could manage to do so under many circumstances, it would certainly seem easier for him or her to do that if all that were necessary was to reach to an ankle holster, pull out the trusty Smith & Wesson, and shoot his fellow pilot dead before diving the aircraft into the ground. 

Editor: The rules have changed and are changing. Now the 2 people in the cockpit rules hold for German Airlines.

Wellington East Pool News

For those Wellington Residents that keep track of the Wellington Pools. Please be advised that the County Inspector came out today and passed on the East Pool Ladies Bathroom. This means that the backup of pool jobs can now start moving again. The Logjam is broke. WE can progress. Hurrah!

Dump the Menace!

DUMP DAVE – THE MAN IS A MENACE

1. He claims lawsuits against UCO are costing the residents money, and refuses to tell you the reason for the lawsuits is because of his unlawful acts.

2. As soon as he became president, he eliminated the century Village blog which represented ALL the residents and installed HIS PRIVATE BLOG which represents David Israel.

3. He eliminated the position of Ombudsman, which was the only venue for residents to air and solve problems.

4. As soon as his tenure was up he pushed to eliminate term limits in order for him to be President for life.

5. He uses his position to meet privately with Board Presidents in order to support his agenda and brainwash them against all opposition.

6. He bans individuals with knowledge and intelligent from volunteering on committees.

7. He is a staunch supporter of Ed Black who after the hurricane refused to allow condo association roofers to enter the village. As a result, associations were forced to use Mr. Black’s chosen roofer. (Do you smell something rotten?)

8. He supports Bob Marshall, who signed a secret agreement with Mark Levy giving away millions of the residents WPRF money – see the next issue of THE MESSENGER for the full story.

9. He wasted more than five million dollars on a horrendous road paving project.

10.He lies about having an open administration while having secret closed meetings.

11.He refuses to support ONE VOTE in order to give all the residents the right to vote in UCO elections.

12. He refuses to allow residents to view original documents they are legally entitled to.

13.He spends our money without proper authorization.

14. He shreds important papers without anyone’s authorization.

15. He destroyed two important year issues of the UCO Reporter; the years that contained damaging evidence against him.

IT’S TIME TO DUMP DAVE

Village Growth

Here is a story of Senior growth in Florida. Not here, but in Orlando. Golf is close at hand, no crime, no children. Also note our weather is better than Orlando. Now we have almost all the ingredients for this kind of success. All we need is Golf. Our weather is better than Orlando. So what are the Community Leaders doing? Concentrating on Broad Band!

Worried about property values? Maybe we should concentrate on what makes a Community like ours successful. Read on.

The Fastest-Growing U.S. City Is a Senior Community

Americans over 55 are flocking to the Villages, a sprawling retiree utopia that just keeps growing

by Patrick Clark

12:01 AM EDT March 26, 2015




Residents watch passers by from a restaurant in The Villages, billed as Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown.

Photograph: Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS.com

The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau are in, and the fastest-growing city in the U.S. is not an oil boomtown or a magnet for new immigrants, but a senior living community outside Orlando, Fla., with a reputation for attracting active retirees.

The Villages, a sprawling senior community of 114,000 residents, increased 5.4 percent in the year ended July 2014, making it the country’s fastest-growing metro for the second straight year. That’s triple the growth rate for the state of Florida and far faster than Myrtle Beach, S.C., the second fastest-growing U.S. city, which expanded 3.2 percent.

What made this so. It is the lack of crime, the lack of children and plenty of Golf.

The explanation is partly semantic. The Census considers the Villages a metropolitan area, based on the area's core density. Some smaller areas, known as micros, grew at faster rates than the Villages, with Williston, N.D., topping the list at 8.7 percent. The Villages is lumped in with such cities as Houston and Dallas, which saw the largest increases in absolute terms but grew more slowly on a percentage basis.

Still, it’s worth spending a moment marveling at the growth of the Villages, which is all the more impressive considering the demographic trends working against it.

First is attrition. The 2010 Census found that 96 percent of residents were 55 or older. A quirk in the way the Census has defined the Villages means that number might overstate the elderly population in the metropolitan area, but it’s a fair bet that there are more deaths than births on an annual basis.

Then there are trends in senior living, which include competition from a boom in new senior living construction and research indicating that aging baby boomers would rather grow old in their homes than move to senior developments.

So how has the Villages kept up such fast growth?

A Bloomberg story on the community last year described a veritable senior-living utopia, with low crime, no kids, and lots of golf. (There are more golf carts in the Villages than there are taxis in New York City, according to that story.) There have also been racier tales. The New York Post highlighted the local dating scene and a supposed black market for Viagra—a salacious tale that probably wasn't terrible publicity. To appeal to the widest range of seniors, it helps to offer something for everyone.

Obituary Addie Kurtz

We offer our deepest condolences to Nadine (Cookie) Currier whose Mother Addie Kurtz passed away.

The CV Messenger

The Meaning and signifance of Bizzaro

So for those of you that do not understand the meaning of Bizzaro, I will elucidate. Bizarro is a comic character and a comic strip. Below is an example.

My question is Does the Great and Knowledgeable One have enough time to read the Comics? Apparently he does - or the comics are his preferred reading material? Or he visualizes himself as a Bizzaro Character?

Bits and Pieces

So the UCO Treasurer has announced that we have over paid to the tune of $69,000 to UCO, maybe because of the change in the budget year. So he will clear this up next month. After he is done, will we see a refund?

 I have not seen the refund for the WiFi charges that were turned down by the entire Delegate Assembly yet. As a matter of fact the Delegates turned down the WiFi initiative, which is the reason for the Wifi refund.

So how come the Great One in room 101 at 2102 is pushing his latest, the Broad Band initiative? Which is just another name for WiFi. Is he planning on switching the WiFi money over to the Broad Band money? I wouldn't put it past him.

So things at the UCO headquarters are going swimmingly. We pay, they collect, and all is good. Just ask the knowledgeable one, David Israel.

How about this? The Aids and Cleaning people can buy Gate Passes. The passes used to cost $3.00 a quarter, now the price is $4.50 a quarter. So why is there a charge at all. These are  regular people that have steady jobs in the Village. Do the Seacrest people pay? Do the Gardeners pay? So why charge the Domestics?

Spring time for Hitler

Nyet, Nyet, No,No,No!  This is better than Sue. Sue, Sue?

The great and all knowledgeable one , David Israel,  has decided with his background of legal experience to deny the fact that a Lawsuit is viable and coming, or that it is even here!

This man has the nerve to drag all of us into his denial of the pending law suits. Does he actually believe they won't happen? Does he actually believe that he has the right to deny any and all lawsuits?  Does he not see that the lawsuit effects all of us,  All the unit owners are part and parcel of these lawsuits. Therefore where does this man get the right to decide that this is a joke. Where does he get the right to decide for all of us and put all of us in jeopardy?

Has he asked his advisory committee for their advice? Has he ask the executive Committee for their advice? Has he asked the Delegates for their advice?

NO, NO, NO.

This same attitude exists when it comes to OUR problems with the Lagoons and Lake. The water has slowly turned bad, very bad. Notice that we have very few wading and swimming birds here any more. Also notice that the clarity of the water is gone

When this was pointed to the Great Ecologist, D.Israel he advised us that this was normal and to forget about it. Again this is a decision that the Leader has decided is not not a problem. He is wrong again

Sure this is going to be costly to fix, but it will not go away, it will only get worse. This problem should be attacked now, not when it becomes an emergency.

This is another situation where the President of UCO is dragging all of us down with his denial of the problem.

Broad Band Explained, maybe.

This is a reprint from Esther's Blog. She hit it the Nail right on it's head.

TALKING TURKEY ABOUT BROADBAND

     So now we have the Broadband Committee and by the way, correct the misspelling in the schedule of meetings. Great proofreading that, Ms. Vestal et al. But exactly what does that term mean with reference to the average person's daily life and usage of machines, devices, viewing possibilities and payments. This is an issue that needs to be decided upon further information, cold hard sense, individual needs and the needs of the Village. There is no room  and no need here for force and intimidation, for emotional language and abuse or anything else. Just thinking!
     The technical definitions and statistics are truly not important here for that is not what people want to know. They want to know - what's in it for me? How does it affect me? What will it cost me? What will I get for my bucks? The techie stuff - is there to "impress" people, but that is way too stale a path and no one truly cares, just the same way that no one needed the details as to how the phone worked or the fax machine, etc.
     Supposedly one will be able to toss aside the traditional TV subscriptions and still maintain what they really watch, tailor it to a degree. Well, not so simple and not so cheap. Let's take a look at some of the choices. And remember - this is a swiftly changing world so it behooves us to step very carefully into this world, toe by toe, inch by inch, reading, thinking, investigating, checking finances and rethink before we even think of taking action.
     SONY has the latest hat in the ring. For $50 a month (I have rounded all .99 to the next dollar). one can access the standard broadcast channels and cable channels - not premium ones). BUT you need to own PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles. Right now it is restricted to three cities but there is a plan to expand but also remember - no Disney owned channels such as ABC. And as far as further personalizing - well, there goes the bill, going up anyone?
     There is DISH for about $20 a month with 20 channels or so available and extra channels cost $5 a pop, no broadcast channels and only one device at a time.
     How about Apple TV? Range - $20 - $40 a month and they are in talks with some channels, but COMCAST and NBC are NOT involved.
     Well, what about HBO Now? That is $15 a month IF you have the Apple TV device. One gets all HBO programming - such as Game of Thrones but where is the rest of what one likes?
     CBS All Access is $6 a month with live TV available in about 14 cities right now and all over the USA for on demand past episodes of various series. And then, of course, we have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Hulu plus, Acorn, etc. Each of these cost money folks. I know personally, as I have top Comcast options with their X1 platform and I have added some other options which have original programs or options from other countries. I can use all my computers and all the TVs at the same time. Device usage is not limited via power or interference. That is MY choice and I value that choice - to keep, add, subtract, etc.
     The thing to remember is that NO ONE knows how broadband will end up? Who will govern it? How will it be classified? What are the fees that will be engendered and there will be. Nothing is free in this world and if it starts that way, it never stays that way as it develops new options. And how will new advances be factored in to older systems? Will there be tiers of service and access? Some say yes and some say no, but again, rules and votes change.
     The point is, one can get what one wants for the money one wishes to pay. There is no one choice serves and satisfies all and no free choice. No one loves you so much out there that they will donate the services for nothing. It is a business and ANYTHING we do, ANY STEP we take, need be measured carefully and with much input from ALL, from several companies, from experts that come from BOTH sides of the issue and then it should be OUR choice, not the choice of a dictator and henchmen.  Do Not Cede Your Rights!

Time for a Recall

So now that we have explored the reasons for Israel's lack of communication and his lack of understanding as to what to do about the pending lawsuits. What do we do about it?

It is time for a Recall.

The man seems to have no understanding about the seriousness of the pending Lawsuits. He feels that he can Joke it away. I think not.

He has shown all of us his disdain for what the Village thinks and wants. To his way of thinking our wants and needs are not important.

What is important is what he thinks.

That is why there are people in this Village that are banned from Posting or Commenting on his Very Private Blog. There are people in this Village that are banned from Volunteering for work on The UCO Recorder, that are banned from working on any Committee. It seems as if after you are interviewed for a Volunteer Job and have proven you can be of value you must pass muster with the Great One, our own D.Israel. And it becomes get even time. Worse, he will fire you if he suspects that you are disrespecting him. Real or Unreal.

Joy Vestal, one of the UCO Editors, has crowed about the fact that HER newspaper has no challenger. OH YEA! What about the budding CV Messenger Paper. It comes out 4 times a month and is growing into a serious challenge to the Recorder!

The choice is made by what or how you may have insulted or slighted or did nothing against the Presidency. There does not have to be a reason and you may never know why you were turned down.

So the old saw "Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts absolutely" is in play here.

I think we should get up from our chairs, open the window, or go to the UCO building and tell them that we are sick and tired of this, we are fed up, and will not take it any more.

We want a Recall!!

QUESTION #14 DAY FIFTEEN

  Please refer back to previous postings for the list of unanswered questions that we have posed, just awaiting the response of David Israel, ostensibly the President of UCO and thus responsible to answer these questions and address the needs and concern of his constituents. This is day FIFTEEN and all we hear is the hollow echoing sound of silence coming from the direction of UCO.


Question #14:
      David Israel, what is the true situation of the waterways in our Village? Release any and all information that UCO has, any reports, particularly on the future of our waterways. What are we planning - if at all - to do about the chemicals, about the color, about the developing odor, about the algae, about the hazard to health that it is becoming? WHAT!!!!!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY #1 thru #13

 

DAY THIRTEEN and still no answer for  any question. We will continue to post and WAIT for the answers.  We will reprint the gist of all previous questions, and their answers, should they be forthcoming. Watch  the tally of days awaiting responses grow..

Question #12:
     Why are we still talking to CSI or indeed anyone about Wi Fi in any form or name, broadband included. The government itself knows not how to classify it. It is expensive and misleading and yet here we are tangled up in a mess again, potentially costing us millions of dollars - AGAIN!!!! It was turned down by the delegates - overwhelmingly, so let it die a natural death until the issue becomes clearer in all its parameters.s one day David Israel  will   actually ANSWER THEM!  We will reprint the gist of all previous questions, and their answers, should they be forthcoming. Watch  the tally of days awaiting responses grow..

Question #11:  2 days
     Why are there people holding two or more offices, leading to conflict of interest and a manifestly "wrong" administration. The most prominent example is that of Joy Vestal, a VP, who also holds the position of Co-Editor of the Reporter, thus insuring a biased and closed paper, unreflective of the varied views of the Village? Additionally, she has oversight of Channel 63, another conflict of interest.


Question #10:  3 days

          Mr. Israel, please explain and justify your policy of closed door administration wherein you have sole control over entry of all volunteers and refuse to open the books of UCO, violating the spirit and letter of the law of the Freedom of Information Act. If even the federal government must respond to requests for information, then how do you justify your refusal to answer any and all questions about your administration? Question #9:  4 days
     Why does this administration insist on blaming all on a previous administration, calling it corrupt, when we all knew where our money was, where it was going and how it was being spent? It was a time when a half million a year was being put away for the roads - which of course the CURRENT administration misused and abused and left us virtually bankrupt at one point, hanging on by one toenail! Why does this administration not fess up to its past misdeeds and ongoing misdeeds as well? 

Question #8:  6 days
     Just exactly what is going on with our lakes and waterways. Yes, I see the level down, but that is the result of lack of rain,  not the issue. The water looks gross. It is a putrid green in many areas, sick, scummy water with algae growing quite well, thank you. The  water we PAY for is not healthy, contaminated with a residue of a process and is sprayed around the village - on our cars, our properties and ON US!  Where, oh where, is the answer to the problem? Worried about our resale values? Well, ugly, unhealthy water does not help! 



Question #7: 7 days
     What exactly is going on at the pickle ball/tennis court area? I am told that there is yet another sinkhole under the court and half the tennis courts are closed what with people tripping and falling. If this is so, could we please fix this mess before we find ourselves another $70,000 in the hole (pardon the pun).
Could we please be candid and up front about this whole mess and indeed, what about the sinkhole issue for the Village in its entirety? Is there any way to do a survey about this, for our own safety and sanity. 

Question #6: 9 days
     We need a full and detailed explanation of exactly where, how, when and why the $5.3 million dollars was spent on the roadways and how much more, possibly another $250,000 have we spent on patching, corrective drainage and repaving specific areas to satisfy complaints. Where has this money come from, how is it going to be replaced, where is it reflected on the budget and how does this mesh with the "plans" to save and put aside money for a new and complete repaving that will need to be done sooner than later?
   This question sent in by Ed Ross and added to somewhat by myself.   

Question #5: 10 days
    There is talk once more of the roads, that sad situation in our Village, but now the talk is of restriping and sealing the roads with a cosmetic cover, making all look oh so shiny bright black and yellow. Now here is the question, without arguing the right or wrong of the action. FROM WHENCE DOTH OUR MONEY COME FOR THIS PROJECT?


Question #4: 10 days
Why has UCO not been proactive in reenergizing and invigorating the boards at those associations that are under fire as one man continues to buy up units, take over entire associations, and turn them into motels? Why has UCO not reached out or even answered the pleas of those residents who find themselves alone and unable to defend themselves?  A Village problem, and a UCO problem.  This is now a major existential threat to CV

Question  #3:  10 days
Why do you continue to refuse, against all the rules and laws of Florida, to open the books of the Village to its own residents? 
 
Question #2:  10 days
Why do you feel it necessary to mangle the words of another and repeatedly post these mangled efforts on your blog and without allowing response to it? 10 days

Question #1:  12 days
  What was your motivation and justification for moving $80,000 overnight, signed off by David Israel and Bob Marshall as VP, as well as the $2 million plus that was spent without delegate approval as per our by laws?  

Roll Over Them Boys

Bad, Bad Water

Irrigation lagoon - Century village.

The water quality in the Century Village lagoon has deteriorated considerably. The lagoon is being overwhelmed by algae.

The flora and fauna in the lagoon are at risk of destruction.

A recent court ruling has implications involving the release of contaminated water into the environment.

There are serious health risks associated with algae laden waters.

Recent events concerning discharges of fertilizer polluted water from Lake Okeechobee should serve as a red flag to others who maintain water reserves in South Florida.

Spraying  algae contaminated water into the air  around human habitation  poses a health risk.

What are the dangers of Harmful Algal Blooms?

·       They spoil water quality when present in large numbers by producing odors or thick scums.

·       They can make drinking water smell and taste bad.

·       They can make recreational areas unpleasant.

·       Dense blooms can block sunlight killing other plants and animals.

·       When algae decompose they may use up oxygen in the water and cause fish kills.

·       Some cyanobacteria can produce toxins that are among the most powerful natural poisons know. These toxins have no know antidotes. The toxins are poisonous to humans and may be deadly to livestock and pets.

·       CyanoHABs can make people, their pets, and other animals sick. Often, the first sign that a HAB exists is a sick dog that has been swimming in a algae-filled pond. Children are at higher risk than adults for illness from CyanoHABs because they weigh less and can get a relatively larger dose of toxins.

What types of illnesses can people and animals get from exposure to HABS?

·       Getting it on the skin may give people a rash, hives, or skin blisters (especially on the lips and under swimsuits).

·       Inhaling water droplets from irrigation or water-related recreational activities can cause runny eyes and nose, a sore throat, asthma-like symptoms, or allergic reactions.

·       Swallowing water that has toxins in it can cause:

·       Acute, severe gastroenteritis (including diarrhea and vomiting).

·       Liver toxicity (i.e., increased serum levels of liver enzymes). Symptoms of liver poisoning may take hours or days to show up in people or animals. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

·       Neurotoxicity. These symptoms can appear within minutes after exposure. In dogs, the neurotoxins can cause salivation and other neurological symptoms, including weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing, convulsions, and death. People may have numb lips, tingling fingers and toes, or they may feel dizzy.

·       Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). PSP is caused by consumption of shellfish (e.g., mussels and clams) which bioaccumulate a toxin produced by dinoflagellates (red tide).
        

How could you be exposed to HABs and toxins?

·       Drinking water that comes from a lake or reservoir with a HAB.

·       Drinking untreated water.

·       Engaging in recreational activities in waters with HABs.

·       Inhaling aerosols from water-related activities such as jet skiing or boating.

·       Inhaling aerosols when watering lawns, irrigating golf courses, etc., with pond water.

·       Using cyanobacteria-based dietary supplements that are contaminated with microcystins.

·       Consuming contaminated fish or shellfish (see safety precautions below).

Water in the lagoon is replenished by outflow from a waste water plant situated adjacent to Century Village.

The plant has a capacity of 3,000,00 gallons a day.

750,000 gallons of reclaimed water per day are available to replenish the lagoon. There are 13 waste water processing plants in West Palm Beach. Runoff from irrigation also contributes to pollution levels.

According to the attached document the reclaimed water plant discharging water into the lagoon does not remove fertilizers from the water.

The most likely cause of the algae bloom is a build up of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water. These compounds are common fertilizers used in agriculture and in landscaping.

A common method of removing fertilizers from water is to discharge it into a wetland where plants consume the available nutrients.One problem encountered with this method is that Cattails favor the high nutrient content, they proliferate quickly crowding out other native plants. There is a chemical process to remove phosphates and nitrogen from water.

Federal Court decision

A recent court ruling regarding water quality in Lake Okeechobee has determined that the sugar industry operating in the area is in contravention of the Clean Water Act for releasing fertilizer contaminated waters into the lake. This led to an ecological disaster in The St Lucie River when lake levels became too high and water was released into the river. A huge algae bloom in the river resulted with the accompanying destruction of the environment.

March 28, 2014 Tallahassee, Fla. —

A major decision in federal court today will put an end to government-sanctioned pollution that’s been fouling Lake Okeechobee for more than three decades. The case, first filed in 2002 by Earthjustice, challenged the practice of “backpumping.” For years, South Florida sugar and vegetable growers have used the public’s waters, pumped out of giant Lake Okeechobee, to irrigate their fields. They wash the water over their industrial-sized crops, where it is contaminated with fertilizers and other pollutants. Then, they get taxpayers in the South Florida Water Management District to pay to pump the contaminated water back into Lake Okeechobee, where it pollutes public drinking water supplies. Lake Okeechobee provides drinking water for West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, and the entire Lower East Coast metropolitan area.

Earthjustice contended that the South Florida Water Management District was violating the Clean Water Act by allowing the agricultural companies to send fertilizer-laden water into public water supplies, instead of cleaning it up first. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas in the Southern District of New York ruled today that the water transfer practice does, indeed, violate the Clean Water Act.

The case ended up in New York because clean-water groups and several states also challenged the practice of allowing dirty water transfers into public water supplies without Clean Water Act protections. All the cases – including Earthjustice’s Florida case –  on behalf of Friends of the Everglades, Florida Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club –  were bundled together.

"It’s well established by now that a city can’t just dump sewage into a river – they’ve got to clean it first,” said Earthjustice attorney David Guest. “The same principal applies here with water pumped from contaminated drainage canals.”

“This victory has been a long time coming,” said Florida Wildlife Federation president Manley Fuller. “Stopping pollution at the source is the key to cleaning up South Florida’s water pollution problems – the toxic green slime in the rivers, the dead wildlife washing up in the shores, the contaminated drinking water -- and this decision will make that happen at long last.”

"Big sugar corporations have been illegally dumping dirty water into Lake Okeechobee for years. They won't be able to do that anymore, thanks to this very important decision by the federal courts," said Sierra Club's Florida Staff Director, Frank Jackalone.

Transfers of contaminated water have triggered numerous toxic algae outbreaks around the United States. The algae growths can make people sick and sometimes kill livestock or pets that drink the water. The drinking water supplies for millions of Americans across the country have been affected, including notable cases in Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, and California. The dirty water is a health risk for pregnant women, and taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in additional treatment costs while polluters put more profits in their pockets.

“Instead of tightening protections and cleaning up the pollution, the EPA chose to legalize it,” said Albert Slap, attorney for Friends of the Everglades. “Now the courts have settled it – the South Florida Water Management District has to comply with the Clean Water Act.”

Contact:

David Guest, Earthjustice, (850) 681-0031

The water discharged from the wastewater plant is normally held in reserve for irrigation but a high water condition could lead to polluted water and algae being discharged into the drainage canal situated at the south end of the property, leading to a similar situation as the St Lucie River disaster.

The build up of fertilizers in the lagoon may be a good thing for the lawns and gardens of Century Village , but once the lagoon becomes choked with algae the ecosystem will collapse leaving Century Village with a dirty , unhealthy pond.

The South Forida Water Management District and the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department are the agencies responsible for the construction and operation of the plant.

It is imperative that action be taken to address this problem.

What action can be taken ?

The removal of nitrogen is effected through the biological oxidation of nitrogen from ammonia to nitrate (nitrification), followed by denitrification, the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas is released to the atmosphere and thus removed from the water.

Nitrification itself is a two-step aerobic process, each step facilitated by a different type of bacteria.

Denitrification requires anoxic conditions to encourage the appropriate biological communities to form. It is facilitated by a wide diversity of bacteria. Sand filters, lagooning and reed beds can all be used to reduce nitrogen, but the activated sludge process (if designed well) can do the job the most easily Since denitrification is the reduction of nitrate to dinitrogen gas, an electron donor is needed. This can be, depending on the wastewater, organic matter (from faeces), sulfide, or an added donor like methanol. The sludge in the anoxic tanks (denitrification tanks) must be mixed well (mixture of recirculated mixed liquor, return activated sludge [RAS], and raw influent)

e.g. by using submersible mixers in order to achieve the desired denitrification.

Sometimes the conversion of toxic ammonia to nitrate alone is referred to as tertiary treatment.

The bacteria Brocadia anammoxidans, is being researched for its potential in sewage treatment. It can remove nitrogen from waste water.

Phosphorus removal

Phosphorus can be removed biologically in a process called enhanced biological phosphorus removal. In this process, specific bacteria, called polyphosphate- accumulating organisms (PAOs), are selectively enriched and accumulate large quantities of phosphorus within their cells (up to 20 percent of their mass). When the biomass enriched in these bacteria is separated from the treated water, these biosolids have a high fertilizer value.

Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical precipitation, usually with salts of iron (e.g. ferric chloride), aluminum (e.g. alum), or lime. This may lead to excessive sludge production as hydroxides precipitates and the added chemicals can be expensive. Chemical phosphorus removal requires significantly smaller equipment footprint than biological removal, is easier to operate and is often more reliable than biological phosphorus removal Another method for phosphorus removal is to use granular laterite.

Once removed, phosphorus, in the form of a phosphate-rich sludge, may be stored in a land fill or resold for use in fertilizer.