Page 8 - November2026LifeInNaples

Bill Barnett
Former Naples Mayor

n my last Life in had it for three weeks and are
Naples article I did thankful for the opportunity.
Ia lot of complaining I absolutely spent time at my
about the fact that my all-time favorite grocery store
wife Chris and I weren’t Wegmans. If you ever get the
going to Buffalo this chance and are able to visit
summer and how much one it will no doubt please
it would be missed, you to no end. Yes, I did eat as
especially not seeing family, and eating much fresh picked corn as I
fresh corn and other farmstand produce, could, and more than my share
along with a lot of chicken wings. of Buffalo Chicken Wings!
After living in Naples for 53 years However, no matter where I
there came a time for our family that go it’s still nice to be back in
we decided we needed to find a place Naples.
to vacation with our children out of the In January of this year, I
Naples heat. The year was 1975 and Lake asked Chris when she was
Placid, N.Y., was it. My grandmother on going to take the Christmas
my mom’s side had owned a small place tree down and she said soon. blue for Memorial Day. June and July
up there when I was very young and I The Menorah had been put away and I remained red, white, and blue for Flag
remembered growing up that if I was was just curious. Then I had a brainstorm Day and our 250th July 4th celebration.
ever fortunate enough to have a summer which I still get occasionally. The tree was August was blue and white lights with
vacation home it would be in Lake Placid. an artificial one, and it was the middle of sea critters and blue bows, for summer.
We spent many wonderful summers there. January, and it was still shining brightly. September the lights went orange and
Once the kids had all grown and I said to Chris, “why don’t you just leave white with fall starting. The orange and
moved on with their lives and we decided it up and decorate it as you see fit each white lights will remain for October and
it was just too big for us and we sold month?” Well, she smiled and said great November for spooky Halloween which
it. Buffalo came into play shortly after idea. is my birthday, and Thanksgiving. The day
because Chris is originally from there and So, picture this if you can. The lights after Thanksgiving she will revert it back
most of her family is still there, and the that came with the tree were white and to becoming a Christmas tree which was
weather is beautiful during the summer. the tree was green. For Christmas she red and white, and you can imagine the
As luck would have it, I received a call added red lights, so it was red and white rest.
in late July from a nephew of Chris’s like a candy cane. In January for football Chris’s bottom line is “why take it
who owns a great little cottage about five season, she added blue lights, so it was down when you can enjoy the benefits of
minutes from where we had been renting red, white, and blue, Go Bills! February the lights and decorations every day?”
for years and had heard we were looking for Valentines Day back to red and white. I just can’t argue with that logic!
for a place. He simply said he is there March brought green and white for
through Labor Day, but if we wanted it spring and Saint Patrick’s Day. April was Bill Barnett, Former Mayor
after Labor Day, we could use it for as spring and Easter with added bunnies (239) 777-7952
long as we wanted to. and bows, and she left the green and I do respond to emails at:
So, I’m not complaining anymore, we white lights. May was red, white and mayornaples@gmail.com

8 www.LifeInNaples.net