TAMPA, Fla. — Memorial Day is set aside to honor veterans, but many people visit cemeteries to honor any loved one who has passed away.
Enereida Vargas came to an area in Myrtle Hill Memorial Park called “Babyland,” where her infant daughter Valentina is buried.
"I’m here today for my baby. She turned one year today," said Vargas.
Debbie Miller and her husband came to tend the graves of relatives, pulling off the faded flowers and flags and replacing them with fresh ones.
"For us, they are not here. They are somewhere else, but coming out here says we still love you, we still think about you, and you are still in our hearts," said Miller.
At Myrtle Hill Memorial Park and Garden of Memories, general manager Kaylee Wilson makes visitors welcome with a cookout.
Wilson said that Memorial Day has the second-most visitors during the year.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
