Page 8 - November 2020 Life in Naples Magazine
P. 8
Po p ur i
NAPLES
BILL BARNETT
oday is July 5, 2020 and as I write my new column for realtors, restaurateurs and developers in Naples. I hear from them
Life in Naples titled “Naples Potpourri” I am excited to still on a daily basis optimism in their voices about how we are hanging
Tbe a member of this elite group of journalists. I am far from in there and will be ne. Our realtors are busy and that’s a great
being a journalist in the professional way, I just have a good time indicator that people still love Naples and want to live here; the
writing about Naples where I have resided for the last forty-seven rest will follow suit.
years. Since I have retired, I am constantly being asked how my life
Why did I choose Potpourri as a title? Well I will write about is without politics playing the majority part in it. Am I bored?
a whole bunch of di erent things touching on many di erent Heck no! Candidly speaking, I am enjoying myself. I am still on
subjects and Potpourri seemed to t so here we go. the Board of the Shelter for Abused Women & Children which is
I am going to be very brief a phenomenal organization made up
talking about COVID-19 because Naples Florida is about as resilient as of wonderful people. I am honored
that’s all we hear and talk about with to have been asked to join the
more di ering thoughts than on any community in the United States. Board of Youth Haven which I look
any subject I have ever heard. When forward to and I have a few more
this comes out in August everything I watched us recover from the last that are under consideration. Local
could have changed again. I can downturn when all around us it was politics will always be an integral
and will only say that I agree 100% part of my life and I still hear from a
with wearing a face mask inside any gloom and doom with stores boarded lot of my old constituents and City
business, period. e best quote I up on Fifth Avenue South and Sta . I can’t physically run anymore
read was from a doctor in California but I can brisk walk which I do six
who said ”I wear my mask to protect restaurants in dire straits. But there days a week ve miles a day. My
you, why don’t you do the same for wife Chris thinks I’m crazy walking
me?” Makes sense to me but that’s was a feeling of optimism from our in this heat, but I love it, and I feel
just me. e rest of the craziness community that we would come back great. I have always loved to cook,
that’s going on out there is way too and I’ve dug out my old cookbooks
di§ cult to comprehend, much less with a vengeance, and we did. and recipes and especially trying to
try to explain. lay low during this pandemic I’m
Naples Florida is about as enjoying the kitchen! So overall
resilient as any community in the United States. I watched us retirement is good and getting better by the day.
recover from the last downturn when all around us it was gloom In my next article more of the Potpourri and less about me but
and doom with stores boarded up on Fifth Avenue South and I had to get it out of the way! Still the best food bargain in Naples
restaurants in dire straits. But there was a feeling of optimism is Mel’s Diner! Blue Zone healthy, friendly, and a great menu to
from our community that we would come back with a vengeance, choose from. No, I’m not being paid to solicit, I love restaurants
and we did. Where else would you nd a city that in the middle of and will de nitely write about a di erent one in each of my articles
a depression invested approximately eight million dollars to build a that follow. Potpourri, get it?
new parking garage? We were criticized unmercifully but we didn’t
waiver because we knew the price was so right and that many Be safe!
tradespeople were out of work and would jump at the chance to be
employed during this tough time. Most of all we knew it would be
I will respond to e-mails at mayornaples@gmail.com
a success and it was. Realtors went from driving Mercedes to Fords
and Chevrolets but that was only temporary as it didn’t take long
for the real estate market to once again ¨ ourish and ¨ ourish it did!
Editor's Note: is article rst appeared in our August-October 2020
roughout this Pandemic we all feel the tremendous pain that
issue of Life in Naples. After a number of phone calls and requests via
is being felt whenever we turn on the news and watch the su ering
email, we included it in our November edition as well.
in our country and around the world. I have many friends that are
8 Life in Naples | November 2020
