Fellow Neapolitans,
WOW, what a winter! That was a wind and rain deluge like no other in recent memory! Winter weather records for me are measured in the 37 winters of operating a Gondola Business through the enchanting canals of Naples. Spring and Summer are perfect, December is usually dry, with on the average only 2 days lost due to weather. February, is always the wettest but usually somehow we would slide in a week for Valentines. The average days of complete closure because of weather averages 4-5 days a year. This year, 36 days! Nuff said…….
The good news is, the weather is most definitely “trending” SPRING/SUMMER. Little hiccups here and there but a whole lot of dry and warm weather rolling our way.
One great result of such a wet and windy winter was the views that were afforded to us locals once again showing the uniqueness of where we live. Our little Islands were sandwiched between snowcapped mountains and Catalina Island, all as clear as a bell! We were literally a Southern California “Neapolitan Sandwich.” I love those days when you wake up to the Snowy Mountains on one side and Catalina Island on the other and have that brutal decision of which one to point your car or boat to. If Longfellow had lived in Naples his quote could have been “1 if by Big Bear and 2 harbors if by sea!
Now, taking a tack around the buoy, I’ll share some present issues and excitement here on the Islands.
The new Island Website is up and running! www.naplesisland.org This will be a very interactive site with up to date info on everything happening on the Island. Pages will include:
· An Island Event Calendar to keep you totally informed
· A Neighborhood Watch page helping to get all involved.
· A CERT page that will be invaluable to all residents in the event of a disaster on the Island.
· A Membership page that will give all Islanders an opportunity to become part of our Community Loyalty Program that will truly show, Membership has its privileges.
· Our newsletter will be in print and “online” so its info is within reach no matter where you are.
· This will be a most important website at your fingertips to be aware of all things Naples!
· Links to all our Social Media, like Facebook and Instagram, that will allow you to post great news and cool pics of our own little Island Paradise.
An exciting piece of the CERT Program that I will be heading up is something I would like to call, “The Neapolitan Navy.” Some might have seen during the South’s Hurricane disasters a group called the “Cajun Navy.” This is a group of volunteers that show up to disasters with their boats to help the first responders, sometimes they were the first responders. I am going to recruit Local Islander boat owners to sign up to join our own “Neapolitan Navy” that will be there to assist during any kind of Natural Disaster on the Island. It will include rescue and ferrying of residents to and from the Island and specific spots. Much more info to come on this but look for the page on the website and learn more and “Join our Navy!” WE WANT YOU! (and your boat.)
Finally, as many of you already know the 2nd phase of the canal wall rebuild will be starting this Summer, possibly early July! The canal will be closed down at the Colonnade entrance. The Naples Canal entrance will be the only (entrance and exit.) This will cause some issues regarding “rental motor boats” that will have trouble making a U-Turn at the Neapolitan bridge. We are working with the City and rental operators to come up with a solution. We might need your support at some point to help express our concerns to the Marine dept. Look for information on that on the new Website Too!
Other than that, you know the drill! Its Summer on the Island! Do what we do best every Summer on the Island. Get your tan on and stay Salty my friends……
Your NIA President,
Michael O’Toole
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