A simple job?

We can chuckle about it now because we know and love him, but the outcome could have been tragic. Last week our neighbor George Sovas was clearing an ice dam on Jackie Sovas’s metal roof. With the ice removed there was nothing left to hold back the heavy snow pack and in a split second, George was tossed off of the roof by the avalanche of heavy snow and was buried upside down.

All of us who know Sovas know how resourceful he can be (he once drilled a hole in my floor when we had a basement flood and plugged it with a wine cork) and thank goodness that survival instinct kicked in to overdrive.

For two hours he ate snow in order to clear space so he could breathe and wiggled and squirmed enough to dislodge his cell phone from his pocket (good thing his pants were not too tight) and call 911. Our Naples Fire Department and members of the Naples Rescue arrived and shoveled him out.

I mention this because clearing roofs can be extremely dangerous, especially with the kind of wacky winter we have had this year. Just look at the humongous stalactites we have clinging to eaves all around town and you know there are ice dams above them, holding back large amounts of snow. If you are unsure of how to tackle clearing a roof, please call in a snow removal specialist or at least enlist the help of a friend. The buddy system works well for all sorts of situations!

I am happy to report that Sovas was left with only a few aches and pains, but it was not sufficient to keep him from joining the Muddy River Sno-Seekers on their annual trek to Quebec. I am sure he would join me in sending out a special thanks to the Naples Fire and Rescue team. I guess they have to be prepared for all types of emergencies.

Fair help

As we wend our way through this wintry maze, I am told that it is not too early to think about registering your child for preschool. The Naples Public Library will be hosting the first annual Preschool Fair on Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This event will provide an opportunity for parents of preschool-aged children to meet the staff from some of our area schools, learn about various philosophies, approaches to learning and education and to have their questions answered.

This is such a great idea as we all lead busy lives, so rather than scheduling appointments at each individual school you are considering, they will all be in one place. No appointment is necessary, so come when you can.

A partial list of confirmed school exhibitors include: Little Log Cabin Montessori School, Peter Rabbit Preschool, Kids Count Learning Center, A Loving Attachment Childcare, Mayberry Hill Preschool, Highland ridge Preschool and Rainbow Valley Kids.

If a school you are interested in is not on the list, please contact the library at 693-6841 and maybe they can make arrangements to bring more exhibitors to the Fair. Families are welcome and there will be children’s activities available. Although this is not New York or Boston where you have to register your child for preschool before they are born, spaces do fill up fast, so take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Saving the water

The Save Sebago Board of Directors would like to thank Naples Town Manager Derek Goodine, and the Rep Richard Cebra, R-Naples, for their participation and support in the first annual Milfoil Fundraiser, which was a huge success. Special thanks to Doug Smith owner of Shakers Bar and Grille for donating his establishment; Stewart Leckie, general manager of Bon Apetit at St. Joseph College for the outstanding food; Pete Finkle for his superb entertainment; and board member Craig Wright, also president of Coastal Lawn Care for his donations and support.

The event raised over $4,000 and would not have had its success without the generous donations from the local businesses including: Reinhard Excavating, Alternative Heat Source, Coveside Conservation Products, The Q-Team, Inn At Long Lake, Complete Paddler, Fishermans Net, Cry Of The Loon, Tail Feathers, Allysa’s Motel, Casa Novello Resturaunt, Dog Gone Grooming, Top of the Hill Grill, Luke Menario, Sea Coast Fun Park, Roses Italian Restaurant, Pats Pizza, Chutes Bakery, Jewlz Salon, Bridgton Books, Brays Brew Pub, Roscigno Family, Baxter Family, Causeway Gym, Coastal Lawn Care, Yarmouth Exxon, Allied Home Mortgage, Colourz Hair Salon, Prizm Works, Attorney Robert M. Neault & Associates, Thompson’s Oil Burner Service, Atlantic Seal Coating and Walnut Self Storage.

We would also like to thank all of the people who attended the event. We hope everyone enjoyed the evening. The tremendous support is the driving force to Save Sebago Coves efforts. We look forward to making it an even bigger event next year!

A good meeting

The special town meeting held Monday evening had a turnout was much better than average. I think there were over 70 people in attendance and everyone (at least that I could see) voted. Most of the usual attendees were there, including Florence Mayberry, Roger Clement, Patricia and Martin Burke, most of the Naples Fire and Rescue team (who was watching the fire house) and much of the Knight clan.

There were seven articles voted on, the two that will most impact “Our Town” centered on tax increment financing which involve the downtown and waterfront district and the 302 corridor district. There were some wonderful and informed questions coming from the attendees, which gave me a level of comfort with the process.

I am happy to say that both zones passed unanimously. Good for you Naples residents, you make me proud! Over the next 25 years, I believe that this will be a good thing.

For those of you who still have questions or concerns about the zones, I know there are still informative brochures available at the Town Hall which specifically address how a financing works, the districts and exactly how we can utilize the funds for future improvements here in Naples. I do believe we need to thank Goodine for his perseverance in making this very complex issue understood by most and at the very least accepted by the majority.

I actually had a lot more to say this week, but space and time are of the essence. As always, if you have items to share, information or if your church, club or civic organization has something going on, please let me know. This column is all about what is going on in “Our Town.”

Have a great week!