Page 54 - April 2015 Life In Naples Magazine

POLPIOTITCPSO&URRI
Tby Councilman Bill Barnett
oday is March 4th and as I write this article I can’t believe it’s
only a month till April! It seems as if it were only yesterday
that I was writing about our Snowbirds arriving and to predict
what a busy season it was going to be. Well, that turned out to be the
understatement of the decade.This season was ballistic! Now that’s not
bad by any means depending who you talk to. If there were merchants
that complained about this season in Naples, I sure didn’t hear about
them. I did hear complaints about traffic, parking, too many people,
rudeness from visitors, not being able to
dine in your favorite restaurants etc, etc.
But I’m okay with all of that, and maybe
it’s the fact that I have finally figured out a good idea to be overconfident and try to become a Professional
the simple solution and it’s been there
every year for the past 42 years and I never
saw it.
Starting in November of 2014 and
something I will do each year in future
Novembers, I made myself a solemn
pledge to chillax for the upcoming season
no matter how busy or frustrating it might
be. I know there’s no such word as chillax,
but the definition I hear for it is very apt and it supposedly means chill
out and relax and I did just that. I made sure that I left enough time
and added a few minutes to spare to get to my destinations around
Naples. I made reservations in my favorite restaurants way in advance
and did my grocery shopping either first thing in the morning or if I
could around mid-afternoon. I didn’t let it bother me that just because
someone puts their turn signal on and lets you know beforehand that
no matter what,they are going to cut you off because that’s the direction
they are going to take whether you let them or not. I try my hardest to
take an extra deep breath when trying as I do almost everyday to head
North from City Hall on Eighth Avenue South and when I get near
the traffic signal on Eighth and Fifth be held up for at least two signal
changes and sometimes more because of some clueless individual that
ends up stuck in the middle of the intersection blocking traffic in all
directions and has that dazed look on their face trying to figure out
why people are honking, swearing and glaring at them.There are many
more on this list but to sum it up I had a darn good season and just
wonder why it took me so long to figure this simple solution out.
In the late 90’s, Naples got its first roundabout on Seventh Avenue
North. Although famous in Europe nobody was quite sure how to
drive on one and City Council took a lot of abuse at first but then
like many other things that happen in Naples they became a way of
life and we added more of them. They do keep traffic moving albeit
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questionable during tourist season. However with that being said
here are a few roundabout lessons for those who still can’t figure them
out. There is a yield sign on the pavement in big white letters as one
approaches a roundabout.This does not mean the first one in the circle
wins if another vehicle is approaching, nor does it mean come to a
complete stop when you see the yield sign. Once in the roundabout
do your best to keep moving and try not to see just how slow you can
go because you are so excited to be in it. If you can’t figure out once
you’re in it how to get out of the roundabout, just drive around the
circle a few times and you will no doubt see that there are choices
that you have to exit. Once you get used to maneuvering roundabouts
and have built your confidence level to a new high it’s probably not
Roundabout NASCAR driver. Although it might be found in the
Guiness Book of World Records for the fastest elapsed time getting
through a roundabout, Naples is definitely not the place to try for that
new world record.
On the serious side, Life in Naples is good. For those of you who
have spent this winter season with us or have just spent a short time
with us and are leaving Naples for the Spring and Summer months
I offer you a sincere thank you. I never get tired of hearing from our
winter residents and tourists how beautiful Naples is. I appreciate all of
you dining in our cutting-edge restaurants, enjoying our golf courses,
beaches, public parks, theatre, retail stores, health facilities and so much
more. Although I usually write my articles with a touch of humor I
am serious about what I do and those constituents that I continue to
serve and have served off and on as an elected official since 1984. I
enjoy responding to phone calls, e-mails, complaints and letters. Yes,
people still write an occasional letter. I enjoy the daily challenges that
are presented to me as a representative of our City, and I especially
enjoy the fact that six of my eight grandchildren live in Naples. I smile
when I hear someone talk about our forefathers of Naples and what a
vision they had when shaping Naples and I think to myself, “Wow, I
was and still am a part of that process.”
Of course in 1984 when I was a rookie Council Member there
were two things that became embedded in my mind that year and have
remained with me ever since. The first was about prior City Council’s
actions and thoughts of what they did NOT want the City of Naples
to look like. Billboards were at the top of that list, and they had quoted
the East Coast many times and made reference to the multitudes of
them located on US1 and A1A. The second was told to me by a wise
old City Manager.The conversation was about controlling growth and
he said to me, “You can never control growth, but you can manage it.”
Enjoy your days away from Naples, and I look forward to your return.
Life in Naples | April 2015