Spring is a time of the new and renewal. This is very obvious in Naples right now. A new and improved Causeway area and bridge are in the works, new businesses are popping up all over, and the spring cleanups are in the works. Read on.

Spring cleaning

Grab your rake, shovel, wheelbarrow, and work gloves! The Naples Recreation Department will be cleaning up the Naples Playground located at the Village Green and they need all the help they can get. Come help beautify this most valuable resource on May 7 from 1-3 p.m.

New restaurant opening

If you’ve ever been to the Fishermen’s Net in Raymond, no doubt you’ve smelled or even were lucky enough to taste the yummy seafood selections there. The Galley (mostly takeout due to space constraints) Restaurant was born in early 2008. Matt Sullivan, a longtime employee of the Fishermen’s Net, was offered a great opportunity to lease half of the Fishermen’s Net and he took it. “I named it “The Galley” mainly for the seafood connotations but also because of my extremely small kitchen. Over the next three years I began to build the business and meeting new customers which was easy in such a small restaurant. That soon caught up with me and we began to have lines out the door. I soon had to add more outdoor seating, (which didn’t help in poor weather), and add ‘waiting-on-people’ to my already long list of job descriptions. The need for a bigger restaurant came, but the money and opportunity was just not there,” states Sullivan.

Then his wife, Raymond native Meghann, and he started working at the Bear Bonz BBQ in Naples. The Bear Bonz had many issues that forced them to close in March of this year. That was when Sullivan got his break. Owner Mike Mason offered him a lease for the restaurant. The Galley Restaurant & Pub was now possible.

“Our dream with the old restaurant was always to stay small, but big enough to make a larger profit. With the smaller restaurant, we lost a lot of business because of the lack of space, a small kids menu, and no alcohol. With our new space, we have a 24-seat, 24-draft line bar, a much larger kitchen, and three times the seating. We are also in a more touristy area of the Lakes Region, which as everyone knows in this area is a good thing during the summer season. We can now offer healthier options compared to our mainly fried offerings before. We are keeping 90 percent of our old menu, and most definitely our lobster rolls. (Check out Adam Richman’s new book, “America the Edible,” where The Galley’s Lemon Zesty Lobster Roll was voted his favorite roll anywhere.) We love our local customers and don’t want to lose them because of the move, but we also want to let our summer customers know we are still here, just in a new location. Plans are for a May opening,” Sullivan said.

Recreation trips

The Casco/Naples recreation departments are offering two trips sure to awaken your appreciation of the upcoming season and the beauty it brings. On Friday, May 13, jump on the bus for a trip to the Northern New England Flower Show at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. The show promises food, fun, flowers, gardens and hopefully sunshine. There will be over 300 home and garden themed booths and products for you to peruse. In addition, the famous Meet the Chefs event will be going on. The cost is $7 and the bus boards at 10:30 a.m., returning at 4:30 p.m. Lunch is on your own for this one, but there will be many food vendors.

On June 23rd, the Rec bus heads to the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden departing at 9 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. There you will discover stunning ornamental gardens, exceptional natural beauty, and impressive stone and sculptural works. Miles of waterfront and woodland trails allow you to experience quintessential Maine. Included in the $43 price for residents ($53 for non-resident) is the transportation, sandwich buffet lunch and entrance fee. Buses for both events leave from the American Legion in Naples, Route 11. FMI on either trip, call Beth Latsey of the Casco Rec Department at 627-4187 or Harvey Price Jr. of the Naples Rec Department at 693-6364.

New director

The Naples Public Library is proud to announce the return of Christine Powers who was hired to assume the position of library director. The previous Director, Dale Jandreau, has accepted a position as director of the Skowhegan Public Library.

Powers served as Children’s & Young Adult Librarian at at the library from 1999 to 2008. She is an Apple Certified Technician, is partner and video designer at Mac Idea of the Day, and served as Tech Lead and MLTI District Coordinator for SAD 61. Powers has also held a seat on the Naples Board of Selectmen since 2002.

Join in welcoming Christine back to the Naples Public Library Family at a reception on Saturday, April 23, at 1:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Family Fun Night

Mrs. Arbour’s fourth grade class decided they wanted to do something to help the victims in Japan so they decided to team up with the Student Council and plan a fundraiser. They brainstormed ideas and finally decided on a Family Fun Night where students could enjoy and appreciate spending time with their family while raising money for families in Japan.

Activities ranged from knitting and crocheting to karaoke and dodge ball. Mrs. Burnham and Mrs. Sturk, both from Japan, helped teach Japanese culture by doing origami and writing students’ names in Japanese. BKD Fitness donated their time by teaching Zumba and a Lion Dance. Support from families in the community was outstanding! Songo Locks School raised over $1,200 for the American Red Cross!