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LARGO, Fla. — Not many people in Largo have seen how the city has grown quite like Adam Gentile.

“I think it’s been changing for the better but it’s been very slow,” Gentile, owner of Largo Feed and Pet Supply, said.

He’s been the owner of Largo Feed for nearly 40 years, spending the last 30 on West Bay Drive.

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It’s been an investment that’s paid for itself in the form of interactions that he’s had with loyal customers.

“I just like the customers,” Gentile said. “You know, we have good conversation. I've known them. You know, some people have been coming here ever since I've owned it.”

He’s seen so many changes in this area and he’s witnessing another growth spurt of the surrounding community.

“There's already people wanting to buy buildings,” Gentile said. “There's already one been purchased, the West Coast garage, which is an old institution, you know, gas station at one time someone bought that they're going to build an office building there.”

It’s all part of the city’s Downtown Largo Project, which includes a new city hall, expected to open next year, redeveloping parts of downtown on West Bay and bringing back events to spots like Ulmer Park which is right across the street from Largo Feed.

“They want to use it more, which is fine. I thought it was nice.”

He says overall it’s exciting to see that more things could be coming to this stretch of Largo.

“I just hope it continues to get better and improve. You know, I want to see more businesses,” Gentile said. “Like, it'd be nice to walk out my door to go somewhere to have lunch.”

However, he says his main concern with all this is that he’s frustrated at how long it’s historically taken to see changes there.

He says construction and some beautification choices, like adding more trees, has led to things like less foot traffic for his shop.

“I'm not negative against,” Gentile said, “I'm just negative about the way they do it. That's all.”

He’s optimistic that bringing in new apartment complexes and livening up this area will attract more businesses and continue this growth for the better.

“If you want to draw people to downtown area, you got to have restaurants, shops, people want a bite, you know what I mean?” asked Gentile.

While he says he’s had some objections to the way the city’s handled things over the decades, he’s eager to see Largo thrive, so long as it’s done in an efficient and cost-effective way.

The Horizon West Bay construction, where the new city hall will be by the time construction is done some time in 2024, is also expected to have some retail space along with a new parking garage.

Boaters stumbled across an unusual sight off the coast of the Florida Keys on Saturday: a pod of orcas.

Mike Slaughter and his friends found the orcas feasting on what appeared to be a shark.

“At one point, one of the orcas came out of the water and had a huge piece of meat in his mouth, you could smell it, it was really cool," Slaughter said.

A marine heat wave has been driving Florida water temperatures into the high 90s this summer, and orcas generally prefer colder waters — so how did they end up in the Keys?

A local marine biologist explains that it's not every day you see an orca in Florida — but it is possible.

"It's not like it never happens, but it's rare," Gerard Loisel said. "It's unusual for them to occur this far south."

It's even more unusual to see an entire pod of orcas, he said.

"The cases I've heard of before, where there were orcas spotted in the Keys or off the coast here, those were, like, individual, you know, animals," Loisel explained.

Orcas can be spotted "pretty much anywhere in the ocean," he says, but finding an orca near the equator is relatively rare.

Recently, though, encounters between orcas and boats have occurred near the coasts of Portugal and Spain more frequently.

"There was an usually high number of those kinds of incidents recently," Loisel said.

The incidents have been described as attacks by some, Loisel explained, but others believe that the orcas were behaving playfully and did not intend to harm the boats.

If you do happen to be snorkeling or swimming and stumble upon an orca, "you should get out of the water," he added.

Orcas almost never come near the shore and are more often found in deeper waters.

Slaughter made the right decisions when it came to finding an orca, Loisel said. He stayed back and remained on the boat, did not pursue or follow the orca, and documented the once-in-a-lifetime sighting on his phone.

Can you spell "psammophile?" Dev Shah, 14, did, and it helped him overcome a long road to win the Scripps competition.

Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”

Look at him now.

Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.

Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, first competed at the national bee in 2019, then had his spelling career interrupted. The 2020 bee was canceled because of COVID-19, and in the mostly virtual 2021 bee, he didn't make it to the in-person finals, held in his home state on ESPN's campus at Walt Disney World.

Then came the disaster of last year, when he was forced to compete in the Orlando region because his previous regional sponsor didn't come back after the pandemic.

“It took me four months to get him back on track because he was quite a bit disturbed and he didn't want to do it,” said Dev's mother, Nilam Shah.

When he decided to try again, he added an exercise routine to help sharpen his focus and lost about 15 pounds, she said.

Dev got through his region. He flexed his knowledge in Wednesday's early rounds by asking questions that proved he knew every relevant detail the bee's pronouncers and judges had on their computer screens. And when it was all over, he held the trophy over his head as confetti fell.

“He appreciated that this is a journey, which sounds very trite but is really quite true,” said Dev's coach, Scott Remer, a former speller and study guide author. “I think the thing that distinguishes the very best spellers from the ones that end up not really leaving their mark is actually just grit.”

Dev's winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

Dev soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.

“I would say I was confident on the outside but inside I was nervous, especially for my winning word — well, like, before. Not during,” he said.

Runner-up Charlotte Walsh gave Dev a congratulatory hug.

“I'm so happy for him,” said Charlotte, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia. “I've known Dev for many years and I know how much work he's put into this and I'm so, so glad he won.”

The winner’s haul is more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. When Charlotte returned to the stage later to congratulate Dev again, he reminded her that the runner-up gets $25,000.

“Twenty-five thousand! What? I didn't know that,” Charlotte said.

Earlier, when the bee was down to Dev and Charlotte, Scripps brought out the buzzer used for its “spell-off” tiebreaker, and Dev was momentarily confused when he stepped to the microphone.

“This is not the spell-off, right?” Dev asked. Told it was not, he spelled "bathypitotmeter" so quickly that it might as well have been.

“I practiced for the spell-off every day, I guess. I knew it might happen and I prepared for everything, so I kind of went into spell-off mode,” he said. “But I also was scared for the spell-off.”

Dev is the 22nd champion in the past 24 years with South Asian heritage. His father, Deval, a software engineer, immigrated to the United States from India 29 years ago to get his master's degree in electrical engineering. Dev's older brother, Neil, is a rising junior at Yale.

Deval said his son showed an incredible recall with words starting at age 3, and Dev spent many years in participating in academic competitions staged by the North South Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to children in India.

The bee began in 1925 and is open to students through the eighth grade. There were 229 kids onstage as it began — and each was a champion many times over, considering that 11 million participated at the school level.

“He appreciated that this is a journey, which sounds very trite but is really quite true. I think the thing that distinguishes the very best spellers from the ones that end up not really leaving their mark is actually just grit.”

Scott Remer, Dev Shah's coach

The finalists demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge as they worked their way through a sometimes diabolical word list chosen by Scripps' 21-person word panel, which includes five past champions.

This year's bee proved that the competition can remain entertaining while delving more deeply into the dictionary — especially early in the finals, when Scripps peppered contestants with short but tough words like “traik” (to fall ill, used in Scotland), “carey” (a small to medium-size sea turtle) and “katuka” (a venomous snake of southeastern Asia).

“There are a lot of hard words in the dictionary,” Dev said. “There are realms of the dictionary that the word panelists need to dive into and I think they did a great job of that today.”

With the field down to four, Shradha Rachamreddy was eliminated on “orle,” a heraldry term that means a number of small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field (she went with “orel”). And “kelep” — a Central American stinging ant — ousted Surya Kapu (he said “quelep”).

While sometimes Scripps’ use of trademarks and geographical names can anger spelling traditionalists who want to see kids demonstrate their mastery of roots and language patterns — and even the exceptions to those patterns — Scripps has made clear that with the exception of words designated as archaic or obsolete, any entry in Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged dictionary is fair game.

Dev is happy to be closing that book for now.

“My main priority is sleep. I need to sleep. There have been a lot of sleepless nights these last six months,” he said. “I need to sleep well tonight, too. There's a lot more sleep debt.”

With so many beautiful beaches in Florida, it’s hard to decide where to go. While Key West and Miami Beach are top tourist destinations, many travelers prefer to branch out to the road—or islands—somewhat less traveled. So the choice in the Florida Keys may come down to Key Largo or Islamorada.

Just because these destinations (Islamorada vs Key Largo) are not quite as popular does not mean they are any less fun. They offer some of the best scenery, attractions, and outdoor activities in the Sunshine State. Any vacationer looking for fun in the sun, whether for an entire vacation or simply a fun day trip, should consider these Key Largo or Islamorada in the Florida Keys a must-see spot for plenty of things to see and do. While it may seem hard to choose, below is some information that will give anyone with wanderlust something to think about.

Islamorada vs Key Largo: More Reasons Why The Islands May Be The Perfect Destination

Those planning to visit the Florida Keys may be tossing with the options of Islamorada vs Key Largo. Both are great options and it comes down to personal choice. This article was updated and expanded with more information on why visitors should choose Key Largo or Islamorada - or just visit both of them.

Key Largo

Key Largo is the largest and northernmost of the Florida Keys and is the self-proclaimed "Diving Capital of the World." Close to the Florida Everglades, it is a popular tourist spot for those looking to experience a dazzling array of landscapes—everything from tropical hardwoods to the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.

RELATED: Diving With Sharks: Here Are The Best Places For The Ultimate Underwater Thrill

There's no shortage of things to do in Key Largo (one reason to choose Key Largo over Islamorada). Known for its eco-tourism, it boasts several state parks and underwater activities for those who want to explore both land and sea—but its water-based activities are definitely where it's at.

Key Largo's location is ideal for those who enjoy water sports. Here are just some of the fun things to see while you're kicking it in this beautiful key.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a top spot for those who want to explore the beautiful underwater scenery by diving, snorkeling, and many other recreational activities. A world of underwater treasures awaits anyone who wants a glimpse of diverse marine wildlife, jaw-dropping corals, and even historic shipwrecks. Swim with the dolphins or learn more about the area's native plants and animals at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, or learn about boating opportunities if you'd rather stay above water.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a unique experience for anyone visiting Key Largo. A diverse area that includes mangrove swamps and tropical regions, it is the coral reefs that are the main attraction. Scuba diving, snorkeling, canoeing, and kayaking are some of the park's most popular activities. Visitors can also take a glass-bottom boat tour to experience the wonders of the reefs. There are also plenty of activities on land for those wishing to take a short hike or have a picnic.

Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time to plan your trip.

Key Largo is the largest of the Keys and stretches for 33 miles. It is connected to the Florida mainland by two roads - the Overseas Highway (US Highway 1) and Card Sound Road.

Like other Florida Keys, Key Largo is a popular tropical tourist destination. People come from far and wide for diving in its stunning coral reef (the second-largest reef in the world is in the Caribbean and is called the Mesoamerican Reef just off the coast of Belize). Because Key Largo is close to the Everglades, it is popular for kayakers and ecotourists (pop over to Key Largo if visiting the Everglades National Park).

Its myriad of water-based (both above and below) activities make Key Largo an ideal destination for those who want to enjoy the unique and diverse marine wildlife, colorful coral reefs, and hidden treasures of this spectacular key.

Islamorada

Islamorada is a village of six islands located between Miami and Key West. Though a tourist destination, Islamorada is smaller than Key Largo, which may appeal to vacationers who want plenty to do without too much hustle and bustle. Known as the "Sport Fishing Capital of the World," Islamorada is an ideal spot for those who want to experience lovely scenery, great recreational activities, and a quaint, charming, small-town atmosphere.

RELATED: Fishing On The Fly: Trips That Should Be On Everyone's Bucket List

Enjoy the beauty of Islamorada at one of its many parks and beaches.

The Big Betsy spiny lobster sculpture in Islamorada, Florida, USA

A great place for the entire family—including dogs (provided they are leashed). With 300 feet of boardwalk and six pavilions, this beach is quaint but offers the opportunity for swimming (perfect for kids, as there is little to no wave action), picnicking, and relaxing.

A relaxing park with a great view and nature trails to explore. No dogs are permitted.

This park is also great for families as it has a Children’s Memorial Garden, a nature trail, and a kayak launch. Pack a lunch to enjoy at one of the picnic tables. Dogs permitted but must be leashed.

Known as "The Gem of Islamorada," this large park is excellent for those who want it all: aquatic sports, outdoor activities, and fun, family-friendly events. Dogs are not permitted on beaches or in picnic areas.

Any trip to Islamorada would be incomplete without taking advantage of the area's many recreational fishing guides. After all, backcountry sport fishing and saltwater fly fishing were introduced here! The fishing options are incredibly diverse and can be enjoyed by the entire family.

People who don't like fishing can try snorkeling. The island features the best spots for this activity, and people can practice snorkeling easily anywhere in the waters around Islamorada.

Anyone visiting Islamorada must head to Robbie's, an iconic destination on the island, featuring a full restaurant and bar, a local souvenir market, and a working marina offering fishing charters and boat rentals.

Robbie's is also known for its world-famous tarpon feedings, where people can feed the hungry creatures fish bait.

Like Key Largo, Islamorada (or Islas Morada - "Purple Island" in Spanish) is part of Monroe County, Florida. It is a village that is made up of five islands with a population of around 7,000. So in some ways it is a bit of an odd comparison with Key Largo as Key Largo is one island while Islamorada is made up of five islands.

Five Islands Of Islamorada:

Like the other islands in the Florida Keys, it is connected to the mainland by the US Route 1 or Overseas Highway. It is also about midway between Miami (74 miles) and Key West (80 miles). See all the Florida Keys on a stunning Caribbean road trip.

The islands have everything anyone needs to relax and unwind.

A scuba diver diving in Islamorada in the Florida Keys, USA

Islamorada is a fun, family tourist destination—however, it is smaller and more laidback than many of the surrounding areas. Visitors looking for a more low-key trip can enjoy plenty of activities here without sacrificing relaxation and will be sure to enjoy the small-town atmosphere.

There's plenty to do for the entire family in Key Largo and Islamorada. Both locations have outdoor and marine activities that can't be beaten, gorgeous scenery, and memorable experiences on both land and sea. For those wishing for a more laid-back, small-town vibe, Islamorada is the way to go; and for those wanting a more bustling, high-energy spot, Key Largo is where it's at. Either way, travelers will find a fantastic vacation destination that showcases the best of the beautiful Florida Keys.

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LARGO, Fla. — Residents of a Largo over-55 manufactured home community say their lot rents could skyrocket because they weren’t able to sign new “lifetime leases” when the park was sold.

Residents say they didn’t receive important notices on time, and that could cost them thousands of dollars a year in increased lot rental fees.

In some cases, it could completely price residents out of the community.

“It means everything. It's my safe place,” said Rachel Laurent, describing her home.

She purchased a manufactured home in the 55-and-older Ranchero Village community last year. She believed she could afford her mortgage and lot rent.

But in December, a new owner purchased the park.

“The past few nights, I can’t sleep 'cause I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Not just to me but to everybody,” Laurent said.

New lease offered maximum lot rent increases of three percent

In December, an investment company associated with MetLife Insurance purchased the 946-unit park for $53.7 million and hired Legacy Communities, LLC, to manage it.

As part of the sales agreement, Legacy offered “lifetime leases” to existing homeowners.

“It would have locked me in and grandfathered me in, and I would have been safe,” Laurent said. “And my rent would only go up 3% each year.”

Laurent said she “would have” because she never signed the new lease and wasn't notified about it by mail.

After hearing rumblings from neighbors, Laurent called the Ranchero Village Office and asked about it.

New lease ended up in spam folder

“They said you would have received it through email. So I went back and checked my email. Didn’t find anything,” Laurent said.

Eventually, her son found three messages in her spam folder after an office employee told him to look for an email from “Shawn Geyer,” a name Laurent didn’t recognize.

“I would have deleted it if I saw that,” Laurent said.

According to a letter from Legacy sent by regular mail to residents on January 6 and posted on the office door, the “lifetime lease will no longer be offered to existing homeowners” if they hadn’t already signed the lease.

That means Laurent and about 200 other residents will be charged market rate rents after this year.

“If they charged me that extra $300, that’d hurt me”

“It’s gonna shoot up too. It will shoot up to $1,050. And then after that, it’ll shoot up again each year however much they want,” Laurent said.

“There’s a lot of people here on fixed incomes. And if they charged me that extra $300, that’d hurt me,” Don Fowler said.

Fowler has lived in the park since 2006.

He said he didn’t get the notice because he doesn’t have email and doesn’t have a computer.

“I wouldn’t know how to work one. My daughter bought me this smartphone. I don’t even know how to work that damn thing,” Fowler said.

Ranchero Village resident Bill George, a retired military database expert, is a computer whiz.

But even he had a hard time signing the 73-page lease because his laptop wasn’t working, and he had to do it on his cell phone.

“It’s a huge file. It overloads your phone,” George said.

“It feels very sneaky”

Attorney Andy Lyons, who doesn’t represent any of the homeowners at the park, agreed to offer the I-Team an expert opinion about how Legacy distributed the leases to homeowners.

“It seems to be picking on a part of the population that is frankly easy prey because they know they’re electronically not as savvy,” Lyons said.

Under Florida law, a new lot lease agreement, called a prospectus, has to be delivered to all homeowners by the owner or manager of the complex.

Lyons doesn’t believe Legacy satisfied its obligation.

“The statute requires that these documents get put into the hands of recipients. That’s delivery. Sending something by electronic means from a different entity certainly will not qualify as delivery,” Lyons said.

“It feels very sneaky and like you’re trying to take advantage of our stupidity. Because we really don’t want you to sign this new prospectus,” Laurent said.

We tried to get answers at the Legacy Communities office at Ranchero Village, but a manager referred me to a spokesperson at a Washington, D.C. public relations firm.

In a statement, she said, “It was the responsibility of the Shareholder Board to inform residents of the details of the sale and to distribute and collect the leases. Legacy was not responsible for informing the residents or collecting the leases - that was the responsibility of the Shareholder Board.”

Steve Rumery, who is treasurer of the Shareholder Board, disagreed, telling the I-Team that Legacy wrote the lease and agreed to distribute it and collect it. He said the board gave Legacy the email addresses they had, but at least 80 residents didn’t even have one.

Since then, Rumery said he's emailed Legacy multiple times asking the company to allow existing residents the opportunity to sign the lease, but he hasn’t heard back.

“They’re on a fixed budget. They bought there for this reason,” Lyons said.

Laurent believes there’s an easy solution.

“All Legacy has to do is say you know what, we’re sorry. Here’s the new prospectus for all these people who didn’t get to sign it. You want to sign it, sign it,” she said.

According to Florida law, the Homeowners Association can call for a meeting with Legacy to discuss management issues.

Elections for the new board are scheduled for later this month.

Here is the full statement provided to ABC Action News and attributed to Andrew Fells, Chief Operating Officer of Legacy Communities:

Legacy Communities is committed to our residents and to providing affordable and quality communities. We take pride in maintaining and improving our communities, fostering a community-like culture, and ensuring residents experience high-level customer service.

Ranchero Village was owned by a co-op when Legacy acquired the property and our purchase agreement was with the Shareholder Board controlling the ownership interest of their members. As outlined in the agreement, the Shareholder Board was responsible for resident communication and for collecting and delivering signed leases.

As requested by the Shareholder Board, Legacy agreed to email files to all residents, using contact information provided by the Shareholder Board.

To further assist the Shareholder Board, Legacy provided staff on-site for multiple days to answer questions, walk through the files, and ensure residents could access the files either electronically or in paper form. We worked diligently with the Shareholder Board to provide access to these lease documents and extended the deadline to 2 weeks past closing to give all residents adequate time to understand the process.

Legacy plans to invest over $3,000,000 in upgrades to the Ranchero Village community. This includes necessary infrastructure upgrades, roadwork, new signage, fencing, clubhouse renovations, added amenities and pool area enhancements. We have also guaranteed stipends for each resident wishing to make improvements to their own homes, adding value to their investment within the community.

The HOA committee at Ranchero can request a meeting, per Florida statute (Chap. 723) and Legacy meets with every community who requests such meeting.

If you have a story you think the I-Team should investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com

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