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POLITICS and
POTPOURRI
by Councilman Bill Barnett termed out whether it was for a Council seat the
Mayor’s seat, and I would wait until I was eligible to
A s I write this article for Life in Naples it is run again and with the support of our voters I would
November 30th, which is our deadline day get elected.
for the following article. It’s always difficult
to imagine how busy Naples will be in December, I have to smile when I hear someone talk about
but I can guarantee you for the amount of traffic that how beautiful Naples is. They will tell me of a happy
is here now it is going to be busy! Overheard on the experience they had in Naples and talk about how our
street the question was asked how do you know when forefathers really had a vision when it came to shaping
the seasons change in Naples? Answer: The license our City. I nod my head and agree with them because
plates change color! it’s true. What is also true is that I was one of those
forefathers although it doesn’t seem like it.
Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South
will be lit up in Holiday splendor, our cutting edge Once again January means it’s time for the Naples
restaurants will be in full swing, and my one piece Daily News Half Marathon which will happen on the
of Holiday advice is if you’re planning to dine out 17th. It is probably one of the most exciting times of
whether you are a resident or visitor, you better the year for me as I have run in it for the last seven
make a reservation or you will end up extremely years and I’m going to do my utmost to run in it
disappointed. again this year at age 75. Two weeks after I finished
last years NDN Half Marathon I started running
A happy, healthy, New Year to all of our Citizens, again. At least once a week and sometimes twice, rain
Snowbirds, Tourists, and anyone else I forgot to or shine, I would run 2-4 miles and on Sundays I
mention! It’s hard to believe that 2016 is here and would add a little distance. I would motivate myself
as you read this article it’s that time of year that we to set the NDN Half as a goal that I could and would
make New Year’s resolutions. The question is do achieve and finish it before they closed the course
we make them with the intention of keeping them which is three hours.
or do we make them because everyone is going to
ask you what they were? I used to make all kinds Politics to me is a lot like running. Even though
of them. Whatever sounded good was on my list, at times it’s a struggle to deal with the toughness
and my intentions were good but the practicality of of the challenges that have to be dealt with, it’s the
actually completing them was questionable. Now motivation of achieving the goal of knowing that
it’s a different story because for the last few years I constituents appreciate the effort that goes in to
decided that if I was going to make any at all I was responding to their questions and issues. I still enjoy
going to keep them, and I have been successful. I’m it today as much as I did when I was a rookie Council
not even sure that tradition is still alive and well but I Member in 1984.
can still remember my parents telling me I needed to
make some New Year’s Resolutions! I’ll let you know in the February Life in Naples
article whether I achieved my goal and finished that
2016 marks my 43rd year as a City of Naples race before they closed the course!
resident and my 24th non consecutive year as an
elected official for our City which started in 1984. You can e-mail me at mayornaples@aol.com, I do
The reason for the non-consecutive is I would get respond!
54 Life in Naples | January 2016
