Diabetes and Neuropathy Treatment in The Meadows, FL

On Tuesday, members of the media, residents and local leaders met outside the front gates of The Meadows neighborhood in Tallahassee after management failed to respond to multiple communication attempts by city leaders and residents.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On Tuesday, members of the media, residents and local leaders met outside the front gates of The Meadows neighborhood in Tallahassee after management failed to respond to multiple communication attempts by city leaders and residents.

After a short gathering, members of the media were told to leave the front of the property and move to the sidewalk and closer to the street. Residents told security that the members of the media were invited by them and were their guests.

The media and local leaders then moved to the sidewalk as requested. City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow grabbed a microphone after they had moved and began to address the gathering about how management knew they were there.

"They refuse to answer phone calls from elected officials or make any type of meaningful effort to communicate with these residents," Matlow said. "They know we're out here, right now. The message that they're sending is to 'Get in the roadway because we do not care.'"

In September, the Meadows Mobile Home Park was taken over by Florida Sun Estates, who raised lot rents from $389 to $895 monthly.

A spokesperson with Florida Sun Estates said they're raising prices to make improvements to the park. But, they're no longer letting people rent mobile homes, they'll only be available for purchase. That means anyone with an existing lease can finish it out but will have to vacate when it ends unless they choose to buy the home.

According to a news release from Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter, one resident said she and her husband were promised something would be in writing this week. But, each time they go into the office to get a written agreement, no one is in the office. The couple added that their lease ends on Jan. 31.

State Representative Alison Tant said in a release that she has, "called, written letters, and have spoken with a very dismissive staff person." The District 9 representative said that she is working with other local leaders and organizations to address the concerns of residents and the safety of the children who live there.

Several residents say their cries for help on where to go next are being ignored by the new owners.

So, the community is doing what it can to provide legal, financial, and moral support so they're not alone.

"I'm not going anywhere because myself and a couple other elderly ladies, you're going put us out in the pandemic," exclaimed Meadow's resident, Glenora Gardner, at Tuesday's rally.

Residents of the Meadows Mobile Home Park say the new owners of what is now Florida Sun Estates are ignoring their pleas for more information regarding their leases. Back in September, not only did rent more than double, tenants are no longer allowed to re-sign new leases.

"You just can't come in and force people to move out of their homes."

They can only buy trailers in addition to paying the newly increased lot rent. That means any existing leases will not be renewed leaving residents with few options like Rukeiya Heywood.

"September to now when my lease is about to be up at the end of the month that's not enough time."

Residents and community leaders are looking for accountability from the new owners as lease terminations might mean evictions.

At Tuesday's rally, park security asked all media to vacate the property, causing more anguish among the community.

"I'm going to need you all to vacate the property this is actually private property."

The group is trying to send a new message to the property's new owners. They're asking for help.

Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter said, "we cannot reach the management company to resolve these folks' cases and get assistance."

Leon County Schools promises families who are forced to move will be allowed to keep their kids at Sabal Palm Elementary. The gate that connects the Meadows and the school? Still closed.

"The children no longer have safe access to the school, we have invited the management and owner to get involved to make a positive impact," said Krista Campbell, the Community Leadership Chair of the Community Partnership School at Sabal Palm Elementary School.

Commissioner Jack Porter is working with other community leaders to put together a fundraiser for the Meadows' residents. Those details will be unveiled once they set everything up.

Last Tuesday, ABC 27 told you lawyers with Legal Services of North Florida worked to negotiate a smaller rent hike but that is only for people who already own their homes, not for renters.

Florida Legislators are working on bills to limit how much landlords can raise rents going forward statewide.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The new year brings with it a new reality for many residents at Florida Sun Estates, the mobile home community off Roberts Avenue formerly known as The Meadows.

According to tenants there, new management arrived over the summer, and with it life-altering rent hikes.

Joyce McMillian lived in the community for thirty years. She says the first sign something would change was when renters were told to purchase the home they lived in or move out.

Soon after, she says homeowners like herself received a rent hike for the land their homes sit on.

“From $339 a month to $889 a month, and we couldn’t afford to pay that,” she said.

McMillian said she is a veteran, and her husband worked for decades as a roofer.

“We worked all of our lives until we couldn’t work any more,” she said.

She said after they purchased their home for $40,000, McMillian and her husband assumed they’d live out their lives there.

“We purchased the home brand new and thought that was it. We didn’t have any inkling of uprooting,” she said.

But then, McMillian says, came last Fall’s notice. She said they tried to fight but couldn’t get anywhere, and moving the home physically off the land was also extremely expensive.

Eventually, they gave up, selling the home for under $10,000. The couple is now staying at a hotel in Lakeland, not too far from a grandson in Tampa. They’re now looking for an apartment in the area.

City Commissioner Jack Porter said her office was alerted to the issue from concerned constituents.

“Families who have been there for years, who have nowhere to go- it’s awful,” she said.

Porter is part of a team organizing an urgent legal clinic Tuesday at 6 p.m. at nearby Sabal Palm Elementary School.

“With an existing affordable housing shortage locally, the question is where are these folks going to go if not here? We don’t have the housing for them,” she said.

Porter said the clinic will help renters understand their rights and their options.

State records show Florida Sun Estates, LLC., is owned by Derek Vickers. According to his LinkedIn page, Vickers owns an Orlando-based real estate group.

WCTV reached out to the front office of the community requesting comment, but has not heard back. This story will be updated with a comment if provided.

Copyright 2022 WCTV. All rights reserved.

Golf in South Florida is positioned to rise to heights not seen since the booming 1980s. The number of rounds being played has increased by more than 25 percent, residential golf club communities are running out of houses to sell and several new private clubs are being built or on the drawing board.

No question COVID-19 has played a role in this upswing, but the unique nature of the sport also has become a big reason, as well.

This growth puts a lot of pressure on the South Florida PGA to guide the sport through these high times. When a leadership void was created after incoming president Scott Kirkwood took a job at Monterey Peninsula, the Section looked to a familiar face to step in: Don Meadows.

Meadows, the director of golf at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, was elected president of the section two weeks ago despite serving the role from 2017-19.

It’s the first time a president has served multiple terms in the South Florida PGA, but Meadows didn’t hesitate when he was asked to serve again.

“This is an important time for the South Florida PGA because of the heightened interest in golf,” said Geoff Lofstead, South Florida PGA’s executive director. “To have someone with Don’s experience is going to be tremendous because there are going to be some tough decisions along the way.”

Even the South Florida PGA is on the move — its headquarters will soon be shifted to the West Palm Golf Park when that course is re-opened late next year.

The expanded HQ will enable the section to maximize its impact through programs to grow the game as well as assisting juniors, veterans and others with disabilities.

Meadows’ only concern was to get the approval of Quail Valley’s ownership team of Kevin Given and Kathy Mulvey to use some of his endless energy elsewhere. When they said yes, he was in.

“Getting the blessing of Kevin and Mrs. Mulvey was important to me,” Meadows said Tuesday. “It was an easy decision to want to help the Section during this period of growth.”

Meadows has been in the South Florida PGA’s boardroom since 2011, starting as awards committee chairman. He was elected Secretary in 2013, moved on to Vice President in 2015 and served as President from 2017 to 2019. He was honorary president the last two years.

During Meadows’ tenure, the South Florida PGA Section has experienced tremendous growth. The annual budget has gone from $2.3 million to $4 million and the number of staff has almost doubled from seven to 13. The South Florida PGA’s headquarters will have been moved or expanded three times during his watch.

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Meadows downplays his role, but Lofstead politely disagrees.

“Don leads by enabling others,” Lofstead said. “He’s about as good a thinker as I have ever been around. Anytime you have difficult decisions to make and you talk to Don, he has a way of coming to a decision with a lot of thoughtfulness.”

Golf has struggled to retain employees during recent years as courses were closing and participation was waning. The hours are long and the pay is not great. But a rising tide raises a lot of paychecks.

“Golf looks a lot more attractive for a younger person to come into the game and the business,” Meadows said. “The biggest thing we can do as an organization is provide as many opportunities as possible, specifically, education for members. We want to provide more playing opportunities for junior golfers, the programs we offer and our own members.

“Personally, I thought the momentum was starting to grow in our sport before COVID. We had seen activity levels increase before the pandemic. COVID just highlighted it more with the nature of the game. People couldn’t go to movies or plays and they couldn’t travel. They started playing golf or a lot more golf.”

The leadership team to succeed Meadows is in place, barring any late moves. Paul Clivio, director of golf at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, is Vice President, and Eric Veilleux, head professional at the Bear’s Club, is Secretary.

“We have total faith in Geoff’s and Meredith’s (Schuler, assistant executive director) leadership,” Meadows said. “My role is to be a sounding board for them and to provide guidance and support.”

Craig Dolch is a TCPalm.com correspondent with more than 30 years of golf writing experience.

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eagrass meadows put down deep roots, persisting in the same spot for hundreds and possibly thousands of years, a new study shows.

Seagrasses, crucial sources of shelter and food for thousands of species, are threatened globally by coastal development, pollution and climate change. While scientists have documented the health of seagrass meadows over several years or decades, assessing these habitats at the scale of centuries or millennia has been a much greater challenge.

University of Florida researchers used modern and fossil shells from seagrass-dwelling animals to estimate the age of these meadows, showing that, far from being transient patches of underwater weeds, they are remarkably stable over time.

They also found that seagrass meadows were home to a much richer variety of animals than bare sandy seafloor, highlighting the importance of seagrasses as critical long-term reservoirs of biodiversity in coastal ecosystems.

“This is one more reason to advocate for seagrass conservation and preservation,” said the study’s lead author Alexander Challen Hyman, who conducted the research as a master’s student in UF’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. “This study highlights how vital seagrasses are as habitats. Not only are they hotspots of biodiversity, but they’re enduring and stable hotspots over time.”

Seagrass meadows transform their surroundings by slowing wave energy, improving water quality and clarity, storing carbon and stabilizing the seafloor. By tempering outside forces, the meadows attract a variety of fish, birds, marine mammals, invertebrates and algae. In Florida, they provide nursery habitats for an estimated 70% of the fish that Floridians catch and eat and are also the dietary staple of manatees and green sea turtles.

But seagrasses are some of the planet’s most threatened ecosystems. A 2009 study revealed that mapped seagrass meadows have decreased globally by an estimated 29% since records began in 1879, and the rate of loss is accelerating.

To understand how meadows have changed over time, scientists turned to the emerging field of conservation paleobiology, which adds the fossil record to research of modern ecosystems.

“We don’t have a time machine to visit coastal regions of the past and verify that seagrass was there,” said Michal Kowalewski, Thompson Chair of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History and the study’s principal investigator. “But we can use shells as a way of glimpsing how these habitats functioned before the Industrial Revolution and whether they persist over time or pop up and then vanish.”

Ecologists can often assess the health and biodiversity of today’s marine ecosystems simply by studying the local mollusk community – animals such as snails, slugs, oysters and mussels. For paleontologists such as Kowalewski, however, the fossil shells of mollusks can also be a portal deep into an ecosystem’s past.

“Mollusks are abundant, diverse, ecologically important and very well represented in the fossil record,” he said. “They can often be identified to species just from their shells. The dead are powerful storytellers about what previously lived in an ecosystem.”

The team collected and identified more than 50,000 shells from seagrass meadows and open sandy areas in Florida’s Big Bend region on the Gulf Coast, one of the most pristine coastal ecosystems in the U.S. The shells represented both living and dead mollusk communities. Radiocarbon dating showed that 40% of the shells were more than 500 years old, with the oldest shell being nearly 2,000 years old.

By comparing the abundance and type of old shells with living species, the team could get a sense of whether a particular habitat had changed. If the two communities mirrored one another, the modern and ancient habitat likely did as well. But if researchers saw a mismatch, they would know the habitat had shifted over time.

“If you’re in a desert, surrounded by snakes, cacti and coyotes, but you dig down and find whale bones, you would assume there had been a large change in habitat,” said Hyman, now a doctoral student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. “This works on the same principle.”

The researchers found that living and dead mollusk communities in seagrass meadows matched one another, suggesting that the seagrasses they sampled have grown in the same location for centuries or longer, Kowalewski said.

“The patchwork of open sandy bottoms and seagrass meadows that we see today is not a transient, ever-shifting mosaic,” he said. “Our data suggest that seagrasses are not dramatically shifting around and changing location.”

Mollusk communities were also much more consistent from meadow to meadow compared with communities in open sandy areas, which differed widely according to place and time. Hyman said that while seagrasses provide structural stability, sandy areas are far more vulnerable to storms or unusual shifts in local conditions, making their communities more variable.

“Sand cannot buffer physical extremes the way that seagrasses can,” he said. “The stability of seagrass meadows likely contributes to their biodiversity and productivity.”

The study’s findings have profound conservation and management implications, said Florida’s Chief Science Officer Tom Frazer, who co-authored the paper.

“If we are unable to prevent seagrass loss in a particular area, we may not be able to make up for that loss by trying to establish a new meadow elsewhere,” he said. “This realization only heightens the need for immediate action aimed at improving water quality in estuaries and coastal waters around the state.”

“Meadows have deep historical roots,” Kowalewski added. “If that’s the case, there’s something priceless about the location, not just about the seagrass itself.”

The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

UF’s Charles Jacoby and Jessica Frost also co-authored the study.

Funding for the research was provided by UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the Florida Museum’s Jon L. and Beverly A. Thompson Chair of Invertebrate Paleontology Endowment Fund.

Sources: Alexander Challen Hyman, [email protected], 804-684-7973; Michal Kowalewski, [email protected], 352-273-1944; Tom Frazer, [email protected], 352-392-9230

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tina Ratel and her family of five currently live at Florida Sun Estates, formerly The Meadows. Ratel herself has lived their since March of 2008. She said in April they'll have to move when their lease is up.

"I don't know. The boxes are all packed, and my eight-year-old says where are we going to move," said Ratel. "I don't have an answer for her, because I don't have an answer for me."

When Florida Sun Estates bought the mobile home park, lot rent was raised from $389 a month to $895 a month. Now the only option available to stay in the park is to buy the homes they're living in.

With a son recently diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, a husband who recently lost a job and had to find new work, and a family still dealing with COVID-19, Ratel said they can't afford to move anywhere else.

"We are struggling to pay what we pay now and there is nothing affordable for us out there," said Ratel.

There are others like Ratel in need of help, with community leaders vowing to do what they can.

Last Tuesday, Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow stood with residents at Florida Sun Estates urging property management to return their calls to try and work with them to keep families in their homes.

"The issue that we're running into now is that we've been able to get legal representation for a lot of the residents of The Meadows, now Florida Sun Estates, but we are not hearing back from the property management in order to resolve their cases," said Porter.

Porter said they're now focused on providing financial assistance to the 20 people who will need to move when their leases are up. A donation page for the community has been setup at Tallahassee help dot com with more than 11 thousand dollar raised so far.

"Tallahassee is a generous community, I think we're a loving community, and we step up when there are those in need and that's why it is that much more disappointing to see this happening here locally, and that's why the message needs to be received loud and clear that we are not a community where this is going to be tolerated," said Porter.

If you would like to help the Florida Sun Estates residents, click here.

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