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December 16, 2004
Amy Bentley-Smith The dragon led the parade instead of bringing up the rear and fog rolled in as the evening progressed, but all in all, organizers say the 58th annual Naples Boat Parade was a success. "It was very, very outstanding," parade coordinator Julie Cyburt said. "We had a lot of boats this year. It was really festive and we had a very upbeat crowd. It was a lot of fun." More than 100 small vessels made their way through the Naples canals while 35 large boats toured Alamitos Bay last Saturday in the popular parade. Among the small boats was a fire-breathing dragon, which received a lot of press when its presence in the parade came into question due to safety concerns.But its entry was secured after the Long Beach Neptunes, a free diving club whose members swim the dragon through the canals, bought insurance for it. Organizers had wanted it to go last in the parade to give swimmers as much time as they needed to get through the canals. Instead the dragon swam to the front. "It's got a mind of its own," Cyburt quipped. "It kind of slowed us down, but I talked to people further back who said it flowed nicely with no gaps. I was happy to hear that."As the boats made their way through the canals, so too did the fog. Cyburt, who along with other Naples Improvement Association board members, rode in a gondola, said the fog added something to the large boat parade. "It had an eerie feel to it; they looked like pirate ships," she said.Part of the fun of the boat parade is seeing how people decorate their boats. The NIA raises the bar by making a contest of it. Cyburt said this year's participants didn't disappoint. "Some of them were unbelievably beautiful," she said. "Some were very elaborate, even on the smaller boats. It was truly very nice."The winners of the small boat parade and their awards were: Cerritos Bahia Yacht Club, Sweepstakes; Morry's of Naples, Best Theme; Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Best Use of Lights; Regina Savage, Best Music; AeroDragons, Best Holiday Spirit; Steve Jensen and Bruce Balan, Most Original; and Kahakai Outriggers, Best Beat. The winners and their awards in the large boat parade were: Rick Hittinger, Sweepstakes; Drew Miser, Best Theme and Music; Phil "Sky" Novodvorsky, Best Use of Lights; and Kathy Marshall, Most Festive.Mark those 2005 calendars now: next year's Naples boat parade will be Dec. 17.
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