A Villager championing the little white cross in his yard said he is also standing up for 38,000 other little white crosses on display throughout Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
Community Development District 8 supervisors had little to say about Village of Tamarind Grove resident Wayne Anderson’s legal challenge to keep his little white cross. Supervisors met Friday in their regular monthly meeting. They acknowledged that Anderson had claimed victory last month in an Op-Ed appearing in Villages-News.com.
Anderson, contacted after the meeting, said the supervisors decision to “leave the issue hanging is no way to conduct business.”
Anderson’s little white cross continues to be on display at his home.
“I hope the supervisors do something constructive for us, their constituents,” he said.
In August, Anderson defiantly told the supervisors he would not remove his little white cross. At that public hearing, where he was backed up by a crowd of Villagers, Anderson was informed he would be facing $25 daily fines until the cross came down. Anderson received a $700 invoice on Sept. 23.
Rather than pay up, Anderson was successful in persuading the American Center for Law & Justice to take up his case.
The ACLJ on Oct. 7 sent a letter of demand to The Villages Community Standards Department claiming that Florida’s Friendliest Home is in violation of federal law by selectively enforcing deed restrictions, regarding the display of the little white cross, which is considered a lawn ornament. You can see a copy of the letter at this link: Letter from the ACLJ
Anderson’s case was set in motion when Community Standards received an anonymous complaint about his little white cross.
