This is going to be fun. At first it was about one mean old man, then I thought that it can be about all the asshole men I've met while in Florida. Well, what about the asshole women? And I sorta realize there are none that come to mind. Yoga instructors, administrators, recycling program director.
Tree Board. Master gardeners. Many cool dudes in both those groups. Like the maintenance guy who took over pruning and weeding the model planting the Tree Board designed and planted.
This story seems to want to be told. The memory of Haines the thurd kinda triggered it. In May 1990 I got hired at Orchid Island. The first stint with the golf crew had me pruning with a gang. Hiding behind the brush trailer when golfers came through.
So I learned what the whole deal was there. Haines was a seemingly crooked developer (convicted-not sure what happened after) but peoples instincts were right. The town was incorporated sometime in that period and Haines appointed his son as mayor of the town. Of 11 people.
He built a Golf Club and a Beach Club trying to make the place look already established. Long story short we went into foreclosure and me and the boys had 600 acres to call our own. Haines the fourth was outed as Mayor and elections were held. Orchid Island residents were exceptional people. Regular folks with lots of money, good character and easy to relate to.
Then next door was Windsor. Where the ultra rich began moving to. Hoity toity doesn't quite describe it. They is so rich that their shit don't even stink. Windsor was owned by Canadian billionaire Weston.
So I got hired and a couple months later I was sent to the newly opened Beach Club. A proper challenge for a humble gardener. Then a year later I get the news. 125 people got laid off. The place went belly up. Most of the security guards and the entire golf club. Bag boys, store employees. The entire wait and administrative staff at the beach club.
You've seen 'em. Dudes that want to be Hulk Hogan. Well, that was Pelican Pete. If Hulk Hogan built docks and cleared land. Long story short: Weston of Windsor purchased Orchid Island. I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that I wouldn't talk about certain things. Rich people doing weird shit.
Time to sell lots. Real estate parasites drooling at the opportunity. many became millionaires while everyone who did real work worked for peanuts. A special breed of greedmeisters north of 510 and A1A on the barrier island.
The unbelievable clearing of land so lots could be sold began. Like an invasion. You know the world famous Orchid island Grapefruit? For decades, its containers sent to all 50 states were status symbols. Mature trees full of fruit were bulldozed by Pelican Pete and his army of land clearing goobers.
Such a shame to not save any. Easily could have saved 20 or 30 out of the 200 or so. They couldn't afford a surveyor? It could have been part of its nod to the heritage of the region. Magnificently trunked and branched RED grapefruit. Unbelievable fresh picked fruit. They could have had one every four or five houses. Legacy Grapefruit but one thing about the barrier island, it was about making money (except for the essential workers of course, who could barely afford rent with across the board minimum wage. Talking to you too Hirams and Rock City Nursery, Rich people all giving each other man of the year and good citizen awards while paying paltry wages and paying a pittance for salaries.
Then Seasnort took over the landscaping in the common areas. It was three years after closure and receivership. Windsor/Torwest had bought the place for 20 million dollars. Knowing how to work the system, they got 600 acres with 300 buildable, half million dollar lots, and already built golf and beach clubs. Money for everyone! Except workers.
I wasn't sure what my status was as far as my job was concerned. I was cleaning up near the south gate and two weird ass goons stopped to talk to me. "We're taking care of this now." Note a pattern here of men who don't know how to explain things in a gentlemanly fashion.
We'll talk about them later but the muscle head supervisor was a total dishbag. No regard of course for the three years me and Bill kept 60 acres of common areas alive and in good shape, I was laid off after all that. No recognition from any corner about what was quite an achievement. Keeping 160 acres of golf course and 60 acres of grounds with a skeleton crew. At the end there was only five of us. Note" muscle head dude was arrested for crack and illegal steroids. That was one roided up scary dude.
So those bastards did me dirty. My boss saw the writing on the wall with this billionaire bastard invading our beach. He went and started his own business as I did three or four years later. So the new golf bosses were intolerable. Six years taking care of plants and suddenly I was mowing greens.
stumpy watching us work
entire state of Vera Cruz emptied out into our area.
filming adams property "you aren't allowed here"
rock city nursery and hirams minimum wage greed
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