The Villages

Sensei of swim

Failure’s not an option when Don Sheppard helps seniors drown their fears. After 26 years working for the U.S. Defense Department, Don Sheppard the retiree is taking the offensive. His battleground: the swimming pool. The enemies: fear of water and…

Meet a Villager: Hail, Nero

You know him, you love him, you live with him. The Villages paid a pretty penny to bring two-time Grammy Award winning pianist/composer Peter Nero to The Sharon five years ago, but the booking more than paid for itself. Peter,…

In the Villages: We’re number 1…

The Villages is miles ahead of any retirement community anywhere. Story: Joe Angione I just watched a YouTube video on the 10 bests places to retire in Florida. The Villages ranked 4th. But the three that beat The Villages – Spring…

Book Club: When We Believed in Mermaids

By Barbara O’Neal. Can sisters separated by tragedy be reunited by fate? Story: Kathy Porter Kit has mourned the loss of her older sister Josie for 15 years despite their love/hate relationship–Josie, who was tragically addicted to drugs, alcohol, and…

The loneliest man

The short life and untimely death of a NASA whistleblower. Neil Armstrong would never have declared “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” on July 20, 1969 if fellow astronaut Roger Chaffee hadn’t shouted, “We’ve got a…

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

By Kim Michele Richardson. Blue woman pursues respectability, love amid poverty, and prejudice in historical novel. Cussy Mary Carter is the last of her kind, a blue-skinned woman of eastern Kentucky who carries a recessive gene that causes an enzyme…

In the Villages: Got vaccinated?…

Time to climb out from under the blanket and crawl out of the bunker – with caution. Story: Joe Angione A sizable number of Villagers have received COVID-19 vaccinations. And since there are few, if any, complaints about the safety…

Meet a Villager: Innovations by Jerry

Ingenious Villager continues creates fanciful items for sheer fun. Since moving to The Villages nine years ago, Jerry Hone has captivated friends and neighbors by making unique, one-of-a-kind items that attract attention, including a fan jet-powered 1916 bicycle. “It’s more…