Christmas in July Boat Parade nears in Naples

The 2nd Annual Christmas in July Boat Parade will be held
on Brandy Pond and Long Lake in Naples on Saturday,
July 24. The number of colorful decorated vessels expected
to participate could top last year's total of 65 boats.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

By Ed Pierce

In the event you haven’t started your countdown yet, as of July 16 there are only 162 days left until Christmas. To keep the holiday spirit going throughout the year, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the town of Naples and the Naples Marine Patrol to bring the 2nd Annual Christmas in July Boat Parade to Brandy Pond and Long Lake in Naples once again this summer.

This year’s Christmas in July Boat Parade will be held on Saturday, July 24 and anticipation is building among lake residents and businesses who are already starting to decorate for this year’s event.

The annual parade is a Naples Marine Safety Patrol-created event that was first conducted in 2020 with a total of 65 boats participating.

“Naples Christmas in July Boat Parade was started in 2020 by Mark Maroon and Jim Stark of the Naples Marine Patrol as a way to get folks safely out and having fun in the midst of COVID-19,” said Robin Mullins, Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. “They were assisted by community volunteer Joanne Jordan.”

Mullins said that given that volunteers only worked on the event for about three weeks prior to the parade, the turnout of boats was amazing considering pandemic restrictions of the time.

“Boats, captains and the crews were all decked out for the holidays,” Mullins said. “The town selectpersons judged the winning boats, as prizes were given for the best decorated watercraft.”

Leading efforts to promote this year’s Annual Christmas in July Boat Parade are Committee Chair Mark Maroon, Naples Town Manager John Hawley, and Jim Spark and Joanne Jordan, who are handling the sponsorships and logistics for the event.

“Mark Maroon approached me this year to see if the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce wanted to partner and look at making this an annual event,” Mullins said. “Our hope is to make it a destination event for Naples. Of course we said, yes. Naples is an important part of the Sebago Lakes Region, and like all of our eight towns including Casco, Gray, Naples, New Gloucester, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham, we want to support them in any way we can.”

To participate in this year’s boat parade, all boats must be registered prior to the event. Registration is available online at  https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/event/christmas-in-july-boat-parade/

Boaters who register will receive specific parade details and a map when they sign up. The lineup of boats for the parade starts at 8:30 p.m. near Jackson Cove on Brandy Pond.

“Once again we hope boats come all decked out with tons of holiday decorations,” Mullins said. “There will be prizes for the three top decorated boats, once again voted on by town selectpersons.”

She said that the town of Naples is encouraging nearby businesses and residents of Brandy Pond and the lower end of Long Lake to decorate.

Event organizers say they are grateful for all sponsors for this year’s parade, which helped to pay for lighted buoys for the event and prizes. 

Sponsors include:

Captain's Club Sponsors ($500):

Brother Flecker's

Causeway Gifts

Dingley's Wharf

Freedom Cafe

Humana

Naples Marina

PM Boat Covers

Rick's Cafe

First Mate Sponsors ($250):

Causeway Marina

Gary's Olde Towne Tavern

Long Lake Marina

Maine Real Estate Choice

Moose Landing Marina

Sun Sports

According to Mullins, those who do not own boats are welcome to visit the Naples Causeway to get in the holiday spirit and ready to view the festivities.

“They can enjoy the decorations, shopping and food before viewing the parade,” Mullins said. “The parade should be making its way over to the bridge between 8:45 and 9 p.m., we hope. We ask spectators to be patient. We will have music, and yes, there will be Christmas music starting at 8:30 and running until about 10:30 p.m.” <

“A pound at a time”: Local man brings awareness to the value of clean water

Michael Fitzgibbons at the 4Ocean promotion

By Lorraine Glowczak

Through the efforts of many individuals, positive changes happen in the world. Most often, the projects or endeavors are completed in small scale ways when time permits between work, school, social and family activities. This service to community and beyond is admirable – and is needed.

But occasionally, an individual comes along whose passion to create positive change is so intense, it

becomes their life’s mission – making other everyday activities secondary. One such person who is making an impact on the waters of Sebago Lake and beyond is Michael Fitzgibbons. His mission?

“I am proposing a water resource initiative to call attention to the ocean plastic situation and the value of water to the State of Maine,” stated Fitzgibbons. “And, we must start right here, in the Sebago Lakes Region. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful clean water source, but if we aren’t paying enough attention and ignore the trash in the ocean – it will eventually affect us and our water.”

Inspired by two Florida surfers, Andrew Cooper and Alex Shulz, who are co-founders of 4Ocean, Fitzgibbon is taking their mission and spreading it to Maine. Briefly, and according to 4Ocean.com:

“Alex and Andrew [who is also a fisherman] take a surf trip to Bali Indonesia that would inevitably change their lives and the fate of the ocean. Devastated by the amount of plastic in the ocean, they set out to find out why no one was doing anything about it. One afternoon they came across an old fishing village where fishermen were literally pushing their boat through piles of plastic that had washed up on shore. The two surfers realized that the proliferation of plastic threatened both the ocean environment and the fishermen's livelihood. Could the fishermen use their nets, they wondered, to pull the plastic from the ocean? This idea stuck with the two surfers and they knew it was time to hit the drawing board. After realizing that the demand for seafood was driving the fishermen to focus on fish instead of plastic, they knew they had to create something that could fund the desired cleanup
efforts.”

Their efforts have also inspired others to act. In addition to the 4Ocean U.S.A. organization, there is now a 4Ocean Bali and 4Ocean Haiti. “My goal is to create a 4Ocean Maine with the hope that it will spread to other states and countries,” Fitzgibbons said of his personal mission.

The acronym for O.C.E.A.N. stands for the following:

Optimizing Technology – with the goal to utilize the latest technology to prevent, intercept, and remove trash from the ocean and coastlines.

Creating Jobs – Currently, there are full-time captains and crews that are cleaning the ocean and coastlines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Education and Awareness – The goal is to educate individuals, corporations, and governments on the impact that plastic has on the ocean. Hosting cleanups all over the world, both above and below the water, to raise awareness and change behavior.

New Global Economies -By giving ocean plastic a value, we are creating a new economy for the removal of trash.

“This is a lofty project,” Fitzgibbons began. “The opportunity represents a chance for the State of Maine to shine like a bright lighthouse to the world by bringing business and people together for the purpose of saying: ‘Enough, we need to clean up our plastic in the ocean’.”

Flying the 4Ocean banner in their amphibicar

Fitzgibbons is bringing about this awareness through a variety of efforts that he refers to as, “guerrilla marketing” - an unconventional form of inbound marketing, that raises brand awareness among large audiences, without interrupting them. This includes a variety of waterway adventures while spreading the word via social media production with video.  “As the journey progresses on the lakes and waterways, we will be delving into conversation with people everywhere and heightening the efforts of all the groups interested in protecting the water at home in the state of Maine.”

With the help of video production expert, Scott Shaffer, Fitzgibbons will trace his many journeys and awareness trips by traveling down the Lakes Region watersheds and beyond in a jet ski, paddle board, or boat while meeting people and sharing the mission and ideals of 4Ocean. On August 27, he will travel the heads of the Sebago to the Sea Trail. It water adventure will trace the Presumpscot River to the river's mouth in Falmouth.  “I will be in the hands of The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust for this trek. Weather permitting, the goal is to travel and do some filming along the trail – with the intention of bringing about awareness about the clean water we have now and ways to prevent it from being impotable.”

Another event is to be scheduled for Saturday August 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This will be a land event held at Hayes True Value Hardware Store in Bridgton. “Come learn how two guys are cleaning the ocean one pound at a time.”

The revenue for this 4Ocean effort is fueled with the sale of $20-dollar bracelets made of recycled plastic. The purchase of one bracelet results in hauling out a pound of plastic from the ocean. 

If you are interested in supporting 4Ocean and helping Fitzgibbons’ mission to keep our waterways and oceans clean, you can purchase a bracelet by contacting him at MichaelFitzbiggonsRealtor.com.  

A thank you to the following volunteers and donors:

Dingley’s Wharf/ watersport team under Wayne, Brother Flecker’s, Patti, Sam, Jake, Sue, Scott  rang it out on the mic.
Schaeffer (Audio Therapy), Sue Santoro/Seasonal Resident, Virginia Fitzgibbons, Michael Fitzgibbons (Locations Real Estate Group) The 4Ocean Pop Up Event held last weekend at the Mountainview Wood Boat and Car show was ideal. Dingley’s Wharf and Brother Flecker’s provided spaces. Jon the MC

The Maine Blues Festival celebrates its fourteenth year

 Blues band, Poke Chop and the Other White Meats
will be one among the many musicians to provide entertainment

By Lorraine Glowczak

If there is anything the Windham and Raymond community loves, it is listening to good music and supporting local musicians - and the 14th annual Maine Blues Festival in Naples happening Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 16 – is an anticipated yearly event.

Beginning in the winter of 2006, the concept to have a festival started as just an idea between two friends while talking over a couple of beers. Kevin Kimball was visiting his friend Mike Bray, who was the owner of the former pub, Bray’s, in Naples (currently Gary’s Old Towne Tavern). “If we are really going to do this, we need to make it happen,” Kimball recalled Bray telling him. “We had been discussing this for awhile and we both realized that it was time to take action with this blues festival idea.”

The original vision was just to have a small mini-festival in Bray’s Beer Garden. “But then word got out, and various local businesses were asking if they could join in,” Kimball explained. “It mushroomed beyond our wildest dreams. To be honest, we were scared out of our wits.”

On the day of the first event, Kimball also recalled that the crowd of people came out in droves and
as the first band was being introduced, Bray -feeling awed by the attendance and interests - leaned over to Kimball and said, “This has become a runaway train. Here we go. Either we will succeed big or fail horribly.”

Fourteen years later, we all know that the runaway train has become a huge success with over 40 Maine blues bands coming together every Father’s Day weekend, performing for three days at 10 venues – including five cruise performances on the Songo River Queen II.

Mark Persky, known as the voice of the airways and former WBLM DJ, has been the official emcee of the event since 2008. “I’ve always been astounded at the quality of music that comes from the musicians in Maine. When I first moved to Maine and heard the talent, it blew me away.”

Persky, who loves all genres of music and attended the first Woodstock event in 1969, is especially fond of the Maine Blues Festival and the fun, family friendly atmosphere it has become. “There is this real warmth and a small town feel at the event. I get to meet and become friends with people, children – and dogs, too! It’s just an overall enjoyable occasion for everyone. It reminds me of the atmosphere of Woodstock. Everyone just enjoying the music, having fun and creating friendships.”

Ron Gill, local blues musician who has made an annual appearance, playing with his band Poke Chop and the Other White Meats since 2007, concurs with Persky’s sentiments. “This is a premier event for Maine-based blues acts. It really the opening of summer in Naples," Gill stated. "It's great to see so many well-behaved fans every year at this event. I've been honored to have been a part of this for
some 12 years or so now. Kevin Kimball and his committee do a crack up job of attending to the myriad of details associated with putting this festival on. Performing for an invested, rollicking crowd is a thrill every year. I see so many musician friends each year  -it turns into a celebration for us.

Kimball stated that a new feature of the Maine Blues Festival has been added and this is the inclusion of the First Maine Cigar Box Guitar Festival, a sort of festival-within-a-festival, and the first of its kind in New England. Taking place on Saturday on the Naples Village Green, this event will showcase both performers and makers of cigar-box guitars (CBG’s). CBG’s are hand-crafted instruments literally built around wooden cigar boxes with anywhere from one to six strings (most commonly three or four), and are considered by many to be the seminal instrument of the blues.

Celebrate Maine’s musical talent with other liked-minded spirits who enjoy the soulful melody of blues– and make a friend or two as well. There are also fun activities for the young, and perhaps, future blues artists. For more information on vendors, venues, list of entertainers and activities or to purchase tickets, check out their website at www.mainebluesfestival.com/

Local firefighter receives successful heart transplant – fundraising efforts continue

Tim Smith with his wife, Shauna

By Lorraine Glowczak

The family and friends of Tim Smith are celebrating. The former firefighter of Naples who has suffered coronary artery disease and extensive heart surgeries for over six years has successfully received a new heart - and all is going smoothly.  “We are so excited. Tim will be released from the hospital today and we are going to spend the night in the hotel where the kids and I have been staying – then we will finally be home tomorrow,” his wife, Shauna stated in a phone interview on Tuesday.

 As of this publication, Tim is now resting and healing at home with his family by his side.

The bills will continue, however, and fundraising efforts are still underway. Last weekend, Auto Shine Car Wash in Windham tried to do their part and raise funds for Tim Smith and family.

Unfortunately, the rainy weekend put a damper on car wash sales. “The weather didn’t cooperate for us last weekend. We still raised over $80 but we don’t want to stop there. We’ve decided to extend the fundraiser to every weekend – Friday through Sunday – all through the month of May. Our goal is to raise $1,000 for Tim and his family,” stated Josh Chase, vice president of Auto Shine Car Wash. For every car that goes through the carwash, a percentage of the proceeds will go towards the Tim Smith fundraising efforts.

There are other fundraisers available as well. “A bank account has been set up for us at Maine Solutions Credit Union,” Shauna stated. One can send a donation to the credit union in the name of “Tim’s Transplant Fund” and sent to 209b Western Avenue in South Portland, 04106.

The GoFundMe account that has been set up by his friends is still active. To donate, go to the page called 'Former Firefighter needs a Heart Transplant'. 

Both Tim and Shauna, who is a nurse, have worked closely with firefighters in the Windham and
Raymond communities. As stated in a previous interview, published in the March 29 edition of the Windham Eagle, "Tim is a wonderful father, husband, person and fireman,” stated Tony Cataldi from Windham. “He has spent his life being there for others in their time of need and now he needs our help."

Raymond Firefighter, Gillian Thomas has known the Smith’s for approximately 20 years. “They have always been dedicated to public safety in some role or another,” Thomas said. “We all cross paths in some way in our jobs, but I was lucky enough to work with both of them a few years ago and still stay in touch on Facebook. A lot of our mutual friends have worked for Tim when he was Chief of Sebago EMS, and with Shauna as a paramedic and RN, so there's a huge family of people gearing up to help them get through this. They have always been there when people need them, so if anyone deserves to be on the receiving end, it's them.”

For updates and to show your support, you can follow Tim at the Facebook page that was created :www.facebook.com/SmithFamilyHeartTransplant

Former Maine firefighter with local ties needs a heart

"Tim is the one that usually will give the shirt off his back for anyone who needs help.” a fellow firefighter stated as he described Tim Smith of Naples, Maine. Now, he needs help.

In 2012, Smith was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. With this diagnosis, he discovered his arteries were narrowing, blocked and or becoming hardened. He ended up with a bypass graft in 2013. Six months later he began coughing up blood, in which they realized part of the bypass graft did not take. He began receiving stents, which is plastic or metal tubing that bypasses the blockage. While the stent had worked for a while, the stents stopped working. Smith’s stents became blocked up and he began to need new stents despite the fact that he was on medications as well as following doctor's orders.

A year after the bypass, doctors had discovered that Smith had built up scar tissue that was surrounding his lungs. His lungs were no longer inflating and deflating properly. Tim received a video assisted thoracic surgery. However, despite the newest surgery, the shortness of breath and chest discomfort continued.

Over the past few years he received seventeen cardiac catherizations and more stents. By November
2018 things began to spiral downhill and Smith began to become more symptomatic. By January he received an angioplasty. By February he had suffered a heart attack. At this point, more stents were out of the option due to the fact there was no more places to work with. Having a heart transplant was the only option since he has also maxed out all the medications available.

Everyone who knows Smith would describe the former firefighter the same way. Smith, 44, is no stranger to serving others and putting others first. In fact, for twenty-two years he had served for the fire service as well as EMS. He began in the fire service in 1992 at the Groveville station and progressed to a captain at the Buxton Fire Department as well as a captain for Naples and the EMS Chief in Sebago.

He was also an instructor for many years throughout Southern Maine. His wife, Shauna, is a paramedic and nurse. Both are accustomed to giving aid and helping others in situations, not receiving it.

Both Tim and Shauna work closely with firefighters in the Windham and Raymond communities. "Tim is a wonderful father, husband, person and fireman,” stated Tony Cataldi from Windham. “He has spent his life being there for others in their time of need and now he needs our help."

Raymond Firefighter, Gillian Thomas has known Smith and his wife, Shauna, for approximately 20 years. “They have always been dedicated to public safety in some role or another,” Thomas said. “We all cross paths in some way in our jobs, but I was lucky enough to work with both of them a few years ago and still stay in touch on Facebook. A lot of our mutual friends have worked for Tim when he was Chief of Sebago EMS, and with Shauna as a paramedic and RN, so there's a huge family of people gearing up to help them get through this. They have always been there when people need them, so if anyone deserves to be on the receiving end, it's them.” 

That's why on February 5, 2019 it came to a shock that to improve Smith’s quality of life, he would need a heart transplant. A heart transplant was the only way to improve Tim’s condition and still be a father to his two children as well as a husband.

“It really stinks for us to ask for help. We are the ones that are usually assisting others.” Shauna stated.

The Smiths are asking for help due to the fact Tim needs a heart. Transplant centers want to know that the recipient can pay for the organ, in this case the heart, as well as the anti-rejection medications and other medications where insurance seems to have a gap in coverage.

Anyone interested in helping the Smiths can donate via the GoFundMe page called 'Former Firefighter needs a Heart Transplant' or through the bank account that was set up at:  Tim's Transplant Fund, c/o ME Solutions Credit Union, 209b Western Ave., South Portland, ME 04106

For updates and to show your support, you can follow Tim at the Facebook page that was created www.facebook.com/SmithFamilyHeartTransplant
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“Vets on the Ice” fishing shack open house catches the spirit of its mission

By Lorraine Glowczak

It was a party on ice as approximately 40 people visited one another, ate warm beans and hot dogs while enjoying the transformed and handicapped accessible ice shack for veterans on Friday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Located off Kent’s Landing on Long Lake in Naples, the visitors to the ice shack open house included residents of the Maine Veterans' Homes in South Paris who got to take advantage of the wheelchair ramp as they wheeled themselves into the warmth of the ice shack to ice fish, participating in the winter activity they love best and now made possible by this program.

This is the first year for the “Vets on the Ice” program and is a collaborative effort among many organizations. “The “Vets on the Ice” project is a collaboration between the “Vets on the Water”, The Sebago Lake Anglers Association, Field-Allen Post 148 in Windham and Naples Post 155,” stated Dave Tanguay, Post 148 Adjutant.

Tanguay also stated that the project was conceived last summer when he and “Vets on the Water” Organizer, Tim Hoffman, were fishing the Kennebec. “Tim mentioned that he had three sheds that could be easily converted to Ice Sheds and wanted to place one this coming winter in the Lake Regions of Sebago for use by disabled vets,” Tanguay said. “So, I brought the idea to the Sebago Lake Anglers Association (SLAA). The shed, which Tim donated, was delivered in December to Naples, reconfigured with a wider door and an eight-foot ramp to accept a wheel chair as well as the instillation of a stove and a 14 ft Flag pole to fly the colors.”

Hoffman also organizes a similar program during the summer in the Rockland area. “Vets on the Water” works in collaboration with the marine and fishing industry along with the boating public to provide water activities for veterans. Hoffman wanted to continue this concept for veterans, giving them, especially disabled veterans, an opportunity to ice fish without having to care for an ice shack and the work it takes to get it on ice.

Along with Tanguay and Hoffman; Bob Chapin, President of the SLAA and Dan Smart SLAA member were present for the open house. “I’d like to thank them for all the dedication to bring this program together,” Tanguay said. “Both Bob and Dan have joined the Field-Allen Post Windham, so our future collaboration in all things fishing will be easier.”

Although the ice shack, placed on Long Lake in mid-January, had a slow start with visitors, Tanguay stated that the shed is now in full swing, hosting area veterans and more. “It has supported small vet groups, youth groups from Camp Sunshine, as well as groups from VAST.” 

Tanguay also stated that during the open house, more interest in using the shed has developed. “The VAST coordinator stopped by. She has a group coming on March 7th and is looking to possibly get one more session after that. Also, a vet showed up midafternoon and made arrangements to use the shed with his family the next day.” 

Although no fish were caught during the open house, the purpose of the event was successful, catching the spirit of its mission.

For veterans who wish to use the “Veterans on the Ice” shed, contact; Bob Chapin at 517-217-1700 or 207-655-1028 or Dan Smart at 207-329-7269.