Resident believes trustees at The Villages do a fine job

I am appalled at your printing the letter from Rosalind Selzer castigating the trustees and management of The Villages in the Aug. 20 issue of the News Transcript — appalled simply because this letter clearly libels the large majority of trustees and the expert and hard-working representatives of our management company. Ms. Selzer’s views can represent only a small minority of chronic malcontents who regularly complain at meetings and behind their targets’ backs. Perhaps this is no more than one can expect in a community of 1,000 older people like The Villages, where a few apparently have nothing constructive to do or discuss.

As a former journalist and a teacher of journalism for a quarter century, I had to study the libel laws in order to earn a master’s degree at Columbia. Though that is long ago, I gasped when I read the ill-conceived letter. I could only conclude that the writer has no grasp of what slander and libel mean.

As a 10-year resident here, during which I served six years as editor-in-chief of the Villages New Magazine, I have attended more board of trustees meetings than most, including all but two of the current nine trustees.

Although the magazine was founded as and remains a separate entity, independent of the board, during my tenure as editor, I was even accorded the privilege of sitting in on many closed workshop sessions so that I could better understand the problems of a large condominium. I have nothing but praise to offer them. They give up their time and expertise to work for their fellow residents without monetary compensation, despite the constant and almost always unwarranted backbiting from a small sector.

As for Robert’s Rules, there is only one trustee that repeatedly brings up adopting them, and he is backed by only one other trustee, the one for whom he campaigned. I’ve worked under those rules both as a secretary of my local and as secretary of the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers, and I cannot see where adopting those rules would be a panacea for anything. Said trustee has also made it clear that he would prefer self-management instead of employing a management company. This was tried before, but was less successful than the current professional method in the opinion of most veteran residents I know that have experienced both. Opinions are opinions, but majority rules.

In my experience and in that of the vast majority of those I know, our two management reps are anything but "rude and disrespectful." They exhibit great patience and do their utmost to help or to explain. On the other hand, I have witnessed a handful of residents who are really demanding, belligerent, tactless and very rude themselves, especially to the two hard-working, competent women, who remarkably manage to hold their tempers.

Cecilia Whitehouse

Howell