To the Editor:
It has been noted in Letters to the Editor about the incident at Laurel Manor where a confused man was removed from the poker game. He was a renter and has now left The Villages.
Can we please get back to where we were?
It has also been noted that a good percentage of the poker players are unable to play sports, enjoy the pool or golf. Thus, it is a good mind exercise and a reason to think!
Now a new situation has come into play because of this one incident and that is the people that run the many games are being asked to remove their property used to play the games. Wow; I thought our amenity fee paid the expenses for the recreation centers – why are we not allowed to use the closets that we have used for years? This brings a hardship to those taking their own time to run the game. Card games like Pinochle, Bridge, Euchre, Bunco and many others; it is only a matter of bringing a bag of cards into the room. Poker has playing chips (because if it were cash, it would be gambling).
The normal buy in has a bag of 42 chips – weighing about 2 pounds. They have metal centers and are designed to last several years. If a recreation center room can accommodate up to 72 people, for example, that is 84 pounds – plus the oval mats that the players have chipped in to purchase. These games are run by older people – for example one game is run by someone that has had a couple heart attacks and is on kidney dialysis. Another game I know of is run by a couple much older ladies that could no possible way carry such containers – they have someone help get into closet. Come on now — do you really want to put these thoughtful people at a heath risk in lifting?
Thank you for reading.
Gayle Thompson
Village of Belvedere