Last week, I attended the first Goodland Civic Association meeting since February—since COVID-19—and everyone was so happy to see their neighbors again. It’s a good feeling. Safety was always present and accounted for! Spacing was practiced; there was an air of happiness in the room. About 25 people attended in a very large room. No food was present, but we had a good time in spite of it. You see, they usually have a potluck before every meeting, but at this time they felt it wasn’t a good idea. Greg Bello, our President for 8 years, held a great meeting and it seemed everyone in the room participated. Rick LoCastro, the new commissioner for this area, attended and spoke of his interest in doing all he can to support Goodland in continuing the building of the county road all the way into Goodland. As many know, this road goes underwater regularly in the rainy season, to the point that some people cannot get in or out of Goodland to go to work, and in an emergency, they have to call the Marco Fire Department to get them out of there.
This new road, when built, will be raised about 2 feet above where it is now. It needed approvals from so many agencies such as FDEP, Army Corps, Conservancy, SF Water Management District, and more. It’s taken years and millions of dollars to get to this point, but we are finally here and the construction will begin shortly. Mike Barbush brought us up to date on the road construction plans. They plan on keeping both sides of the road open, but somehow, miraculously, they are going to raise that road, build it, and remove old debris, while still keeping the road open to the residents who need to get to work and home! You’ll want to get over there and take pictures regularly when workmen have left for the day. To keep a two-lane road open to traffic, while elevating and rebuilding that road, can only be imagined! Yes, we need to stay out of the construction zone so they can proceed, but we’ll want to see how they proceed as well.
At the meeting, Jim Ingles called out that they had made me an Honorary Board Member, and I promised I will always work to uphold their confidence in me. The first thing I want to do is attend their Pancake Breakfasts, whenever that happens. Oh… they are so good! Jim also gave his report about committees that are forming and looking for board members, like the Welcoming Committee, the Beautification Committee, the Flag Committee, and Phone Committee, an Arts Committee, and a Goodland Cook Book and Apron committee. He also noted there are about 30 children on Goodland. Jim and Donna Ingles donated a Playground and a Stage for the kids.
There will be a Goodland Tree Lighting and decorating event on December 15th, and all are invited. The Goodland Cookbook and Apron will be on sale and you can also pay your membership dues at that same time, which are due by the end of January! That’s a twofer… Let’s all support Goodland and the wonderful people who live, work and play there!
*I don’t know how many people drive down Davis Blvd near Airport Rd, but some have asked what is happening with the construction next to the bank near that intersection. You can see it now has that plastic that surrounds a construction area. This is the newest upscale automobile dealership—a BMW dealer! I know some people don’t like automobile dealerships, but the ones we seem to be attracting here in East Naples are some of the finest we have in the area—from this BMW to Mercedes to Porsche’s and high-end vehicles, to exotic vehicles, and even a gorgeous Man Cave right around the corner! You need to drive over there to see all the area has to offer! Who said it will never happen? Well, you can see it with your own eyes, and it’s only just the beginning! Let’s hope we keep attracting more of the same.
*I can’t believe how quickly the Coastal Breeze newspaper disappears at the Sam Sneads restaurant in Lely Resort! No sooner do they deliver than they’re gone! People just love this little paper with local news—and that’s the key I believe! Another paper in the area hardly has any local news, and the stuff they have doesn’t seem to be the same stuff we are looking at. Maybe that’s why this paper disappears so quickly. Hint, hint… I think you might need to leave more newspapers. People want to know what is happening where THEY live! Not what grocery store is opening in Michigan, or what school opens in Ohio! It appears that lots of people are coming down this year, but this time to stay; even changing their license plates and moving here! Homes are selling quickly, and at a good price. Of course, we don’t want it to get overrun with new people, but a few here and there we can handle. There is a lot of building going on, and many are apartments and condos. Businesses are looking for quality employees, and hopefully, that is who is moving here. I notice a lot of new temporary license plates and a lot of out-of-town license plates parked in neighborhoods, as though those people are moving here. You don’t see many houses on the market. It seems they are snapped up before the “FOR SALE” signs are dry. I can understand why people want to get out of some of the states they live in now, but we don’t want to become overrun with people either. Easy does it.
The Link Lonk
November 29, 2020 at 07:49AM
https://www.coastalbreezenews.com/articles/easy-does-it/
Easy Does It - coastalbreezenews.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=easy&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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