To the Editor:
We have been monitoring the squares from a distance, while checking for available tickets online at tickets.thevillages.com, we find that tickets are unavailable at all three squares for VIRTUALLY every performance for every night. At the same time, we have been looking at all three squares’ live video cameras on www.thevillages.com and see almost NOBODY at Spanish Springs, SOME at Lake Sumter, and SLIGHTLY MORE attendees at Brownwood. None of the squares have near the 250 to 300 ticket capacity that was planned. I thought at first people were getting tickets but deciding not to go for some reason. After reading several online posts, it is obvious that some inconsiderate people are getting tickets and destroying them so others cannot attend.
The solution is simple: rather than allow people to get tickets beforehand, have The Villages employee who is letting people into each Square have the allowed number of tickets with them and hand them out to the “first come, first served” Villagers who enter the square. You can expand this idea even more by allowing people who leave the square (almost no one stays the whole time) return their ticket to the Villages employee so others can enter. This will eliminate the under handed efforts by some and give those who want to attend the music at a square a much better chance to gain entry.
Personally, we love the music at the squares but are not ready yet to attend. However, those who want to attend should have the right and opportunity to do so!
Dennis Michael
Village of Santo Domingo