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Naples Carnival Draws Locals Looking for Cheaper Recreation

February 24, 2009 - NAPLES -- After raising seven children, Diane Cross now has the time to spend days snowmobiling with her husband, Richard.

With plenty of snow on the ground, this year has been no exception, but Richard Cross said the couple has been going on more trips closer to home instead of traveling up north to sled. They can still go 100-200 miles a day from their home in Naples, but they don’t have to pay for a hotel.

“It’s cheap entertainment, really,” said Richard Cross.

It doesn't get much closer to home than the Naples Winter Carnival, and that might explain why the couple was among the first participants at the poker rally Saturday, a portion of the carnival organized by the Muddy River Sno Seekers.

“You get cooped up in the house,” Cross said. “This is a good event.”

The Crosses were among approximately 3,000 people who attended the ninth annual carnival over the weekend. With sunny skies and milder temperatures than the region has been enduring for most of the winter, the two-day event drew a larger crowd than it has in past years, according to organizer Dan Allen.

Snowmobilers competed for the quickest time in the radar runs on Long Lake, and anglers tried for the largest fish. Non-competitive types had plenty to do as well, with helicopter rides, fireworks, an antique snowmobile show and a visit from Santa Claus.

Those who attended said the Winter Carnival was a good opportunity to take a break from what's already been a long winter, filled with cold weather and bad news about the economy, and enjoy some of the outdoor recreational activities the Lakes Region is known for without spending too much money.

“(People) are looking for things to do that aren’t going to cost a lot of money and are going to be fun,” Allen said. “People still want to have fun.”

Participants in the poker rally paid $5 to play, traveling the local trail system to five stops and picking a playing card at each. The person with the best hand won a grand prize of $100. Ryan Hickey won first prize, followed by Greg Stevens and Alan Hubley.

Spectators gathered on the ice on Long Lake Saturday to socialize and to watch and compete in the radar runs. Snowmobiles roared throughout the day, shooting down a straight 1,000-foot course. Members of community organizations sold food from trailers, and three people in moose costumes wandered around waving to children.

Sarah Parks said she saw the event listed in the paper and decided to check it out. She was standing at the edge of the lake bundled against the cold wind with her friend, Melissa Kelly. Both of the women live in Massachusetts, but come up to the area regularly. “This is what you do up here,” Parks said.

Pete Ugosoli of Harrison was at the carnival Saturday showcasing pellet stoves for his employer, Alternative Heat Source, Inc.

“It’s a good break. This year has been pretty depressing,” said Ugosoli, who is staying closer to home this winter to save money.

“We don’t need it, we don’t go do it,” Ugosoli said, adding that that hasn't stopped him from skiing.

Members of the Naples Lions Club were selling food at the carnival Saturday. Diane Monaco leaned out of a small window in a trailer to serve customers. She said the winter carnival “really puts (Naples) on the map.”

“It’s great for the community, to get us out in the winter,” Monaco said. “All of us are trying to stay alive in the winter.”

Members of the snowmobile club maintain the 44 miles of trails in Naples, which are getting more use this year than in the past, according to Don Paul, who helps groom the trails. Cross, too, said he has seen more in-state snowmobiles on the trails this winter. Paul said he guessed fewer snowmobilers were traveling to northern Maine to ride.

“We need more members,” Paul said. The club has 200 members, with around 20 of them active.

“We need that money to keep the trails up,” added Polly McCurley, who manned the poker rally booth with Paul on Saturday.

Frank Kitchenka, a volunteer with Naples recreation, was shuttling people back and forth between the lake and the town gymnasium.

“People are looking for activity,” Kitchenka said. “We’re a recreational community.”

By Julia Davis
Reporter - Lakes Region Weekly
Feb. 20, 2009


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