Some you win

What has been going through your minds this past week? If I were a fortune teller, I would guess that it is the lousy weather we have had to endure for most of this winter.

We have not seen the pavement in months and we have amazingly large bodies of water pooling where the asphalt once was. I fully suspect that by the time April rolls around that I can call the Department of Inland Fisheries, have our driveway stocked with trout and declare ourselves a vernal pool.

On Saturday, feeling grumpy and disgusted with the incessant rain, I went to a convenience store and bought a New Hampshire Lottery scratch ticket.

There was a man standing behind me and when I bought the ticket he asked which one I bought. He bought the very next ticket and said we should scratch our tickets together, so we went over to an adjacent counter and scratched away. I could hardly contain myself. I actually won $40 on the ticket.

Feeling very puffed up I walked up to the cashier, presented my ticket and heard the words, “congratulations, you are a winner.” I was nodding to my partner in scratching and was about to leave when I heard, “congratulations, you are a winner.” With a wide grin, he and the cashier both informed me that he had just won $10,000.

What is the moral to my story? Do not leave Maine and always keep your money in your pocket unless you are making a charitable contribution. That will always cheer you up, as everyone is a winner in that situation.

Road worriers

Rep. Rich Cebra, R-Naples, has some advice. Although Route 302 is not great, it is passable. Some of our other roadways are completely scary. In performing my real estate duties, I travel some roads with potholes that could swallow a small animal. There are also some roads that when I come to the top of the hill that I just pray that there is something below me.

If you are traveling these roadways and find something that is a danger to vehicles or pedestrians, let the Maine Department of Transportation know by calling the Southern Region-Region One office at 885-7000 or e-mailing region1.maine.dot@maine.gov.

Please do not make these frivolous complaints but ones that are meaningful in order to repair the areas that really present a potential danger. Then follow up with a notice to Cebra at 693-4951 or e-mail @ www.richcebra.com and click the “contact us” button.

Please make sure you have the route number or road and the approximate location of the issue. This is important so that Cebra can make sure the complaints are being addressed.

Library fun

Please come to the Naples Public Library Saturday, March 15 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. for a Dragon Egg Hunt. This is an based on the book, “Dragon’s Egg,” by Sarah L. Thomson.

The event is geared to children aged 7-12. At the start of the Dragon Egg Hunt, readers will receive a dragon egg and a letter from the dragon asking the reader to deliver the egg to the hatching grounds. The readers will have rune cards and posters to guide them to the Hatching Grounds.

The Naples Public Library would like to thank Bridgton Books for its participation in this event.

Children in grades Kindergarten through six are encouraged to join in every Thursday from 4-5 p.m. for Fun & Games @ Your Library. This weekly event features crafts, games, movies, special events, exhibits and more. Dragons and Dinosaurs will be featured for the next several weeks for Fun & Games @ Your Library.

For more information regarding either of these events, please contact Christine Powers at 693-6841; visit the library Web site at

www.naples.lib.me.us; or send an e-mail to christinep@naples.lib.me.us. Library hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Wednesdays 3-8 p.m.; and Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

A week of winners

The winners for the first seven days of the Lake Region High School Project Graduation 2008 March Madness Calendar are:

March 1-Jeff Toole (Reny’s, Naples Country Club & Pizza Hut)

March 2-Dave Woolly (Bridgton News, Good Life Market)

March 3-Gerry Simpson (Chute’s Bakery, Norway Savings Bank)

March 4-S. Hatch (RPM Services, Secret Acre Stables)

March 5-Chris Beal (New England Boat and Recreation, Songo River Queen)

March 6-B. Swan (Tom’s Homestead, Colourz Salon)

March 7-Nat Lombard (Bridgton Books, Colonial Mast Campground)

I truly hope to see my name on this list next week so I do not have to leave Maine again.

There are still some awesome prizes to win, including oil. There are still tickets available, so get out to Norway Savings Bank in Naples or Coldwell Banker Lakes Region Properties in Naples. Tickets are one for $3, two for $5 and five for $10.

Hopes granted

Over many months, Naples Town Manager Derik Goodine and the Singer Community Center/Grange #94 Committee have been working on a proposal for a block grant to help with some of the renovations that are necessary to make our future community center a viable and safe haven for our community.

With Cumberland County Commissioner approval we will have a

$50,000 Singer Center Grant in place very shortly. This is huge news for “Our Town.”

As Naples does not have a “teen center”, an Alzheimer’s respite, a spot for town suppers or just a place to gather for meetings, classes or just fun, other than the library or the very cold town office, this step is monumental in our growth as a community and I for one am very proud to be part of this positive change.

I did not hear from too many of you last week, was it something I said? This week I really need to hear from you as to how we should utilize our community center.

As always, ideas, plans, organizational events and just comments are always welcome. Have a healthy and safe week. If you are a snowmobiler, please use caution. The lakes and ponds are very slushy and the pockets can be very deep. I am told AAA hates making a lake call.