So many fun things happened here in Naples over the holiday season. The Umbrella Factory (a.k.a Tony’s Foodland) always pulls out all the stops for the community! There was so much going on, it was hard to take it all in. Carolers, costumed characters, amazing food giveaways (and yes ice cream AND gelato), and even Santa himself all lent to a festive atmosphere in our very special hometown grocery store. Thank you to Dave and Gail Allenson for their continued generosity and community involvement. As if the big Christmas party wasn’t enough, the Allensons donated $1,000 to the Naples Community Resource Council.

Santa’s Tour

Great job by the Naples Fire and Rescue Departments for building up the holiday excitement! They kicked off Naples Annual Tree Lighting festivities with a bang at 4 p.m. as Santa and the fire department toured Naples, making assigned stops at various locales. I can only imagine the excitement as the kids heard the sirens and sleigh bells announcing Santa’s arrival. So much fun, what a great idea. You can visit the Naples Fire and Rescue’s Facebook Page and see an exciting video clip.

Swimming in January

No, I am not referring to a Freezing for a Reason event, although I am sure there will be some of those offered. Kid’s swim lessons will be offered beginning Saturday, Jan. 3, at Colonial Mast in Naples through Casco Recreation. Instructor Kim Flanagin will run a Parent/Infant class from 8:30-9:30 a.m., the cost being $40 for residents (of Casco), and $50 for non-residents. From 9-9:30, a Level One Water Adjustment class with accompanying adult, cost $40/$50. Level 2 classes, which are designed for school-age children just beginning to swim, will run from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and will cost $54 for residents, and $64 for non-residents. Finally at 10:30 a.m., level 3, for children who can swim 25 feet unassisted, will be offered, again $54/$64. All classes run for six weeks, and schedules are subject to change due to participation levels. Pre-registration is required. Contact Beth Latsey, Casco Recreation director, at 627-4187 or email at recreation@cascomaine.org.

Giving Thanks

Thanks to the generosity of the Lake Region Community, 56 Naples families will have a better Christmas! The Community Resource Council of Naples was able to provide gifts and a Christmas meal. Connie Madura, of the Community Resource Council, would like to thank the program’s volunteers and sponsors.

Technology Help

If you are like me, you have a love-hate relationship with all things tech. These gadgets bring us great joy and open up seemingly endless opportunities, but at what price? Often, I don’t feel like the brightest bulb on the tree after spending some time trying to decipher one of these. The Naples Public Library understands your pain and is here to help. They are offering two opportunities to get acquainted with the technology under the guidance of people who know a thing or two about them. The dates for the Technology Petting Zoo are Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10-11:30 a.m., both meeting in the Gathering Room downstairs. The devices to be covered are the Kindle Paperwhite (e-reader), Nook Simple Touch (e-reader), Kindle Fire (tablet), Nook HD+ (tablet), Google Nexus (tablet), and the Apple iPad Mini tablet.

Cameron Mayhan, pictured on Santa’s lap, enjoyed the recent holiday festivities offered at The Umbrella Factory in Naples each year.A decked out fire truck carrying Santa Claus tours through Naples on Dec. 13 during the annual Naples Tree Lighting event.