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BILL BARNETT

ell, the City election is over and this will be the last days when we get invited to an event it’s often that we say to one
time I will be writing anything about it. I will say another do you know anyone here? Nope, do you? It’s nice to see
Wthat the voter turnout was a disgrace, and not one the younger generations taking over a lot of our charity events and
of my choices was elected. Was that because I’m over the hill and being superstars at running them.
don’t know my city politics anymore? I don’t think so. Well, if not Speaking of charities in Naples it is amazing what a
that then what? I knew how well my choices were qualified, and I phenomenal job they do. Since my early days here in the early
thought for sure at least one would get elected. I wasn’t alone, but seventies there weren’t many charities here. Most were fledgling
with all that having been said, that’s the way politics go and I can and just starting out and I had never been involved up north with
only hope that the new electees will do a good job and make our any of them. I was in Naples when my mom died in New York of
city proud. They have a lot of work to do so we shall watch and lung cancer. The American Cancer Society was just starting here,
see. I don’t want to be an “I told you so” person but from what I’ve and I got involved in volunteering for them. That was a starting
heard so far, I’m a little anxious, premature, I’m sure. point for me, and I never forgot how good it felt to volunteer
Okay let’s talk about something other than politics, after all it and the wonderful people I met over a span of 40 years. I loved
is about Life in Naples and I sometimes think it’s anything but! them all, and to this day I never found a downside to any of them.
Looking at the popularity of the new restaurants that have come The last one that I recently retired from not because I wanted to,
to town and are still coming our restaurants are rated among the but because they had term limits for their Board Members which
best in the country and there always seems to be an article in a makes sense. It was the Shelter for Abused Women and Children,
magazine or a newspaper outside of Naples that gives us a good and I was fortunate enough after being a board member to become
review. I haven’t been to the new Four Seasons yet and I think I’ll the Board Chair. It was an accumulation of volunteer work, and
wait until after season to check it out but I don’t think it’s going to they are a sensational group of people that are involved with the
make much of a difference because I expect the occupancy to be Shelter. Although today in Naples we are so blessed with many
way up there all year around. charities that need volunteers so don’t be hesitant to get involved.
It’s been determined that Publix across from Coastland Mall I’ll wrap this up by saying that each year the Shelter for Abused
is definitely my political hangout! No matter what time of day that Women and Children does a luncheon event to raise funds called
I go there I always run into someone, be it from the mid-eighties Mending Broken Hearts and last week they did theirs. Their guest
to 2020 when I was finished with being an elected official. I can speakers were the Mom and Stepfather of the late Gabby Petito.
go there with the tiniest of shopping lists and when I get home There were 700 people in attendance, and for the rest of my life I
30 minutes later my wife Chris smiles and reminds me that some will never forget their words of love and anguish.
things never change because when I was Mayor and told her I Be thankful that we are in Naples and you should never
would be right back, she would just add a sufficient amount of have the time to say, “I’m bored!”
time to my trip which, in reality, if I had just done my shopping All the Best,
and gone home the total time could have been 20 minutes or less. Bill Barnett, Former Mayor
Well today it’s nowhere near that but still I see former friends and 239-777-7952
constituents and they never run out of questions or catching me I do respond to e-mails at: mayornaples@gmail.com
up on their lives. I still genuinely enjoy it, and I’ll be sad when it
stops for lack of recognition, which will eventually happen. These

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