Rise and shine, Villages! ☀️ You voted, Blackstone spent, and someone in this community is still paying Comcast $300 a month (bless their heart). All that — plus your full weekend guide — is right below. 👇

📨 If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.

📆🥤 On this day in 1985, Coca-Cola changed its 99-year-old formula and introduced "New Coke." The public freaked out so completely that the original recipe was back on shelves within 79 days — now called "Coca-Cola Classic." Still one of the greatest corporate U-turns in history. Lesson: don't mess with people's drinks.

— Kevin Rogers, Publisher

Monday’s Poll Recap

📺 The Villages has officially cut the cord

772 votes, and the verdict is in — this is a streaming community now 😄

🟢 Streaming only — 487 votes (63%) — it’s not even close
🟡 Mix of both — 170 — one foot in, one foot out
📡 Cable/satellite only — 85 loyalists hanging on
📻 Over-the-air antenna — a scrappy 22
🚫 None / I just go outside — 8 legends

Why did everyone bail on cable?

👉 The bill broke them — one reader was paying $300+/month to Comcast. Another: "Cable got greedy and priced me out after 35 years." 👉 YouTube TV is the crowd favorite — live channels, streaming flexibility, and it travels with you up north 👉 VSee Boxes are having a moment — three readers mentioned them independently. Your neighbors know something you might not 👉 Local news was the last holdout — but most figured out YouTube TV or an antenna solves it

One reader summed it up perfectly: "Been streaming only for years… no regrets."

Nationally, about 50% of U.S. households have cut the cord — The Villages is running ahead of the curve at 63%. Turns out retirement and cord-cutting go hand in hand.

Bottom line: whether you're juggling four streaming apps or still yelling at your cable box… you've earned it. 📺☀️

Thanks for voting and keep those poll ideas coming — hit reply if you’ve got a fun one!

Villages Development

🏗️ The Villages keeps growing — and the footage is wild!

Drone cameras are rolling over the Villages of LaGrange and Lakeview, and there's a lot happening. From fresh foundations to walls already going up waterside, DD Photography gives you the closest thing to a hard-hat tour you can get from your couch — plus some bonus insider intel on how Villages homes are built and how commissions actually work. Worth a watch. 👇

🎟️ AI for Everyday Life

A reader suggested we poll snowbirds on their thermostat settings when they head north. Love the idea — but with only 16% of our readers being snowbirds, a poll didn't make sense. What did make sense was finding out the right answer, because this applies to anyone leaving their home for an extended stretch. So we asked AI. Just another real-world use case.

The prompt: "I live in The Villages, FL and leave every summer for 5-6 months. What is the optimal thermostat temperature and humidity settings to protect my home while I'm gone? Include what can go wrong if I set it too high or turn it off completely, any other tips to protect the home, and why a smart thermostat is worth having. Keep it practical, no fluff, written for a homeowner audience."

🌡️ Leaving for the Summer? Don't Touch That Thermostat — Yet

Every summer, thousands of Villages residents head north and make the same mistake: cranking the thermostat up too high — or turning the AC off entirely.

Bad move. Here's what actually happens to your home in a Central Florida summer, and what to set before you lock the door.

When indoor humidity climbs above 60%, mold can begin growing within 48 hours. Wood floors warp. Electronics corrode. That musty smell when you return? That's what an unprotected house smells like after a Florida summer.

Set your thermostat to 82–84°F — never higher than 85°F. Target 55% humidity or below, using a thermostat with a dehumidification mode if you have one. Set your fan to "On" or "Circulate" to keep air moving, leave all interior doors open to prevent humid pockets in closed rooms, and close your blinds and shades — solar gain through glass can push indoor temps 10°F higher. Do not turn the AC off. A locked-up house in July can hit 110°F+ inside within hours of shutdown.

If your AC unit fails while you're in Ohio, you won't know until your neighbor calls. A smart thermostat sends you an alert if temps spike — and lets you lower the temperature remotely a few days before you return so you're not walking into a sauna. Two to three days before you head back, drop the setpoint to 76°F and your home will be comfortable when you walk in.

Village News Briefs

🏢 Big Money Moving In Next Door

The world's largest asset management firm just took an interest in our backyard. Blackstone Inc. quietly picked up the 10.94-acre Sparr Building & Farm Supply property on Signature Drive in Wildwood for $4.5 million — right across from Grand Traverse Plaza, just southwest of Brownwood. No word yet on what they plan to do with it, but Blackstone's not exactly known for buying property and sitting on it. 👀 Read more

Upcoming Events

Want a Featured Event with a poster/image? Reach out.

🐎 Dressage Competition | World Equestrian Center | Apr 23 - 26 | 8 am - 3 pm

🏌️‍♀️ Ladies Only Full Swing Clinic | Central Lake | Apr 23 | 1:30 PM | Details

🐎 Polo: The Cantor Cup | Villages Polo Club | Apr 24 & 26 | Details

Greek Festival | Belleview | Apr 24 - 26th | Details

Leesburg Bikefest | Leesburg | Music, Food and Bikes | Apr 24 - 26 | Details

Hometown Market | Brownwood | Apr 25 | 9 am - 1 pm | Details

🍷 🎸 Blues at the Winery | Lakeridge Winery | Apr 25 & 26 | Details

🎨 Spring Art Exhibit & Sale | Colony Cottage Rec | Apr 25 | 4 pm | Details

Permanent Vacation | Oxford Downs Tiki Bar | Apr 25 | 6 - 9 pm | Details

🏌️‍♂️ New To Golf School | Central Lake | Apr 27 | 10 am | Details

On Sale This Week

Pandemonium Strings | The Sharon | Jul 24 | Details

Brothers Again: Allman Brothers Celebration | Savanah Center | Aug 26 | Details

And MORE.

If you have an event you want to announce to 9,950+ local Villagers, email us the details at [email protected]

Live Music Lowdown

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Thanks!

That's all for this Thursday! Share this with a neighbor who needs a weekend plan — and go enjoy every bit of it. See you Monday. 📬😄

P.S. Want to get your business in front of 9,950+ local Villagers? Reach out here.