8-story Naples hotel passes its first hurdle in the approval process
Aten
Q: What are they doing at Fifth Avenue South and 10th Street at the old St. George lot? – Janet B., Naples
A: An upscale mixed-use redevelopment project — The Avenue — will begin construction this quarter on a nearly two-block area of Fifth Avenue South from the former longtime property of St. George & the Dragon restaurant, just east of Four Corners at 936 Fifth Ave. S., to 11th Street South.
“It’s a legacy project,” said developer Andy Penev. “It’s something we want to be the center of downtown and we’re putting in the time and effort to make sure that that happens.”
The iconic local restaurant, which operated from 1969 to 2012, was razed years ago, but three other nearby buildings also will be demolished as part of The Avenue redevelopment project on 4.3 acres. As soon as permits are approved by the city, you’ll see the demolition of the three-story Florida Gulf Coast University Renaissance Academy and a single-story former bank/real estate office in the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue South, as well as MHK Architecture’s former three-story office building on the 900 block.
“We have the fencing up and contractors mobilized. Everybody’s ready to go,” said Penev, who hopes to start construction this quarter or the second quarter of this year. “It’s all dependent
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 8A
6A | BOOKSTORE IS BACK
Jet crash still a mystery
One year after tragic crash, more questions than answers
By John Guerra
One could call the Feb. 9, 2024, crash of a corporate jet on Interstate 75 the “Miracle on I-75” to mirror the January 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Not only did passengers walk away from each crash, the engines on both U.S. Airways Flight 1549 and the Bombardier Challenger 604 shut off in mid-flight. Capt. Sully Sullenberger’s engines shut down as he took off from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, while the Bombardier’s engines shut down as the plane approached Naples Municipal Airport. The events have another thing in common: The pilots of both aircraft heroically used their skills to save passengers.
It was not, however, as complete a miracle. Both Bombadier pilots died. But thanks to them, two passengers and a cabin attendant were able to flee the flaming wreckage on the shoulder of I-75. The aircraft was operated by Hop-A-Jet, a worldwide executive jet charter service.
The first anniversary of the crash that stunned Collier County is approaching, and the aviation community is as curious as ever as to the cause.
HSS at NCH orthopedic surgical hospital set to open this spring
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
It all started, as many big projects do in Southwest Florida, with Patty and Jay Baker.
The Bakers, one of the region’s most active and recognized philanthropic couples, had high praise for the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City — the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health — after he was a surgical patient there.
As a member of the board at Naples Comprehensive Health, he offered to connect the healthcare system’s President and CEO, Paul Hiltz, with the powers-that-be at HSS. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hiltz, who came to Naples in 2019 to take the CEO role at NCH, said Baker offered early on to make the introduction at HSS.
“When I came here and started talking about partner-
In the New York crash, National Transportation Safety Board investigators determined that Canada geese flew into the Airbus A-320’s engines, shutting them down. Could a small flock of white ibis or other birds have hit the blades of the Bombardier’s engines, shutting them down?
“The NTSB’s investigation will also examine the possibility of bird ingestion as a possible cause of the engine failures (in Naples),” said Christopher Rusing, an attorney with Aviation Law Group, which represents clients involved in crashes and other aviation-related cases.
Rusing, who is also a Florida-based Airbus A-320 pilot, agreed to speak with The Naples Press about the NTSB’s methodology as it investigates the See JET CRASH, Page 13A
I-75/COLLIER COUNTY
Two passengers and a cabin attendant walked out of the wreckage of this Bombardier Challenger 604 after it crashed on I-75 on Feb. 9, 2024. Photo courtesy WINK News
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SWFL INSIDER
2026 NWWF co-chairs
and event dates revealed
The 25th Naples Winter Wine Festival is in the books — but like a fabulous meal, it’s never too early to prepare for the next one, scheduled for Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026. That will be the exciting job for its four co-chairs: Nena and Bill Beynon and Adam and Ashley Gerry. The Beynons have co-chaired the festival twice before, in 2023 and 2025, and have co-chaired four vintner dinners, including one this year. The Gerrys have hosted vintner dinners for the last two years.
Senior center honors Jim Sernovitz
Baker Senior Center Naples, a nonprofit organization that provides programs and social services for seniors and their families in Collier and southern Lee counties, has named Jim Sernovitz as its sixth annual Volunteer of the Year. The award was presented during Baker Senior Center Naples’ 13th annual Evening for Better Tomorrows fundraising event in January.
“Jim has been a part of the center’s heart and soul for many years, enriching the lives of our members through his creativity, humor and dedication,” said Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, president and CEO of Baker Senior Center Naples. “We are privileged to celebrate Jim for his passion for volunteering and many extraordinary contributions to our organization.”
Wear red for women’s heart health
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement invites Southwest Florida to wear red on National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 7, and unite against the No. 1 killer of women, cardiovascular disease. During this National Wear Red Day, people and landmarks across the United States — from news desks to iconic buildings — will “Go Red” once again to raise awareness and education around women’s heart health as part of the American Heart Association’s American Heart Month celebration.
Go Red for Women is asking everyone to wear red and join the movement online by sharing on social media using #WearRedDay, #WearRedAndGive, #SWFLGoRed and #GoRedforWomen.
Senior Expo set for Wednesday
Senior Expo 2025, hosted by the Collier County Parks and Recreation Division will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the North Collier Regional Park Rec-Plex, located at 15000 Livingston Road, Naples Ad-
mission is free. The 27th annual Collier County Senior Expo is a signature event dedicated to enhancing the lives of area seniors and caregivers, according to information provided. This event provides a wealth of resources and activities tailored to seniors and their caregivers. Attendees can explore: senior fitness programs, safety initiatives, gardening tips, pet adoption opportunities, assisted living service and health screenings. The Senior Expo also offers live entertainment, food and refreshments, and prizes. For more information, call 239.252.3527 or visit collierparks.com
Chamber to host Youth Business Fair
Greater Naples Chamber will host its sixth annual Youth Business Fair at 10 a.m. Feb. 1 at Mercato, 9110 Strada Place in North Naples. The Youth Business Fair is a one-day event where young entrepreneurs from kindergarten to 12th grade can showcase their businesses and sell their unique products to the public. The fair gives students the opportunity to receive feedback on their business ideas, learn from other entrepreneurs, practice their skills and win prizes. The event is free to attend, but community members are encouraged to bring cash to purchase products from budding entrepreneurs.
Tourney raises nearly $40,000 for veterans
Naples Lakes Country Club’s fifth annual golf tournament to support Home Base Florida, a local nonprofit dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for veterans, service members and military families, raised nearly $40,000. More than 100 golfers and eight veterans who participate in Home Base’s mental, physical and social wellness programs played in the tournament. These proceeds bring
Naples Lakes Country Club total giving to Home Base Florida during the past five years to $225,000. The golf tournament kicked off with an opening ceremony that featured a flyover, courtesy of pilots and planes from neighboring Wing South Airpark. The National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance and a Color Guard from the Golden Gate High School Junior ROTC rounded out the patriotic beginning. When golfers approached the eighth tee, they were greeted by nearly 30 JROTC cadets eager to do pushups for a donation to the cause. The event included a putting contest, silent auction and lunch, where guests heard from a veteran who has benefited from Home Base Florida’s clinical and wellness programs.
Naples chef semifinalist for James Beard Award
Local chef Kayla Pfeiffer is among 20 semifinalists for the Emerging Chef award for the James Beard Awards, considered among the nation’s most prestigious honors that recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries. The executive chef and co-owner at Bicyclette Cookshop in North Naples won the “Chopped” championship on the Food Network’s Season 56 finale show that aired in January of last year. Pfeiffer had executive chef positions at The French and Bar Tulia Mercato before partnering with Paul Fleming Restaurants to create a new coastal Chinese concept, PJK Chinese. The Greenwich, Connecticut, native then teamed up with Louie Mele, an industry veteran and longtime mentor, to reimagine his Fit & Fuel Cafe, which they renamed and reopened as Bicyclette Cookshop in fall 2023. The Restaurant and Chef Award finalists will be announced on April 2, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Jim Sernovitz was named Volunteer of the Year by Baker Senior Center Naples.
COLLIER NOW
8-story Naples hotel passes first hurdle in approval process
By Aisling Swift
An eight-story, dual-brand luxury hotel received unanimous preliminary approval from the Naples Design Review Board, the first hurdle in a yearlong planning process.
The 94-foot-high, 284-room hotel can exceed the city’s 42-foot height limit because it sits on 52 acres of former Collier County property, The Commons, which the city annexed in 1989. Naples accepted the county’s 1980 zoning conditions, including height, and they were affirmed in 2001, when a Collier Circuit Court judge agreed Commonage Corp. had vested rights to construct new buildings as originally approved.
“There’s nothing that they can do at this point, so this is just the beginning, folks,” DRB member Chae duPont said, referring to nearby Lake Park residents who attended the Jan. 22 hearing, urging city officials to educate the neighbors. “Sorry, Lake Park, but this is just the beginning … There is very little that the city and the Planning Department can do to change what has been afforded to The Commons.”
The hotel would be located on 4.45 acres at 870 Goodlette-Frank Road in The Commons Professional Park, a planned development, most of which has been developed to the south. The property is just south of the distinctive Castle building that was recently razed and once housed Fifth Third Bank. It’s north of a six-story medical office building that includes Advance Medical primary and urgent care, and across the street from Lake Park, a well-established residential development to the west.
“We are still working through the branding of this hotel with Hilton and Marriott, so we haven’t defined who the brand is yet,” Mark McLean, national director for MHK Architecture, told the DRB, adding that it will either be two Marriott brands or two Hilton brands.
Dual-brand hotels serve different demographics while sharing resources and expenses, such as software, loyalty programs and amenities, to reduce costs.
Six floors of guest suites would sit atop two
By Tim Aten
Plans for an 18-unit boutique hotel with a restaurant received unanimous final design approval Jan. 22 from the Naples Design Review Board.
The three story, 30,000-square-foot Aquarius Hotel is proposed to be built at 590 Ninth St. N. at the longtime location of the one-story retail strip that is home to Liki Tiki BBQ restaurant, Pastrami Dan’s sandwich shop and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
The mixed-use redevelopment project will include 6,486 square feet of commercial use — including the 4,646-squarefoot Aqua restaurant with outdoor dining — on the ground floor facing U.S. 41 and Sixth Avenue North. The luxury hotel will include nine units on the second floor and nine on the third floor, with a swimming
Whether there’s outdoor dining will be determined during a separate approval process. The hotel building, which would be set back 225 feet off Goodlette-Frank
sign
“One of things that we felt was import
NEAPOLITAN NEIGHBORS
Woman rambles in a 1964 car like the Nash that was her first purchase
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Karen Rowan loves cars. She’s owned two Alfa-Romeo Spyders, a Datsun 280-Z, a vintage Thunderbird, a Mini Cooper and two from Chevrolet: a Camaro and an Impala. But the car that owns her heart is an American Motors Rambler American 440. And while people will see her 1964 Rambler as an immaculate collector specimen Saturday at Cars on Fifth (details in the Calendar, p. 2B), the rest of the year it’s Rowan’s transportation around Naples. Groceries, shopping, errands: She tends to all of them in her Rambler, a lean Aurora Turquoise machine that would set the hearts of car concours enthusiasts on fire with its still-gleaming original paint and chrome.
“It was always garaged,” Rowan said happily. That didn’t mean her Rambler was without TLC needs: When she and her husband, Richard, found it three years ago, the car had its original, nearly 60-year-old wiring. The rear end was aging and mice had been calling the back seat home.
But it had taken two years to find this Rambler after Rowan had come into a small inheritance from her mother to help her buy it.
Getting to daily drives
The Rowans, both retired Chicago police officers, had scoured their sources carefully, combing through websites, specialized classified ads, auction inventory. They even flew to California to see one Rambler that had the right specifications. But it was in poor condition and would have cost more to repair than the car they finally visited in Connecticut, one that Rowan knew almost immediately was the one.
Finding Nick Caporale, the mechanic for Mannix Automotive, to update it after they shipped it to Naples was beyond serendipitous. He had agreed to look at the car.
“I told him I bought it in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He’s like ‘What? I was born, raised and went to high school in Ridgefield!’”
They shared more: His grandmother, Rose, was a seamstress; Rowan’s mother, also named Rose, was a seamstress. She said Caporale recalled sitting under his grandmother’s Singer sewing machine, listening to it hum as she worked. They had a decision to make: “You either bring it up to snuff using original parts — I think they’re called new, never used, there’s an acronym for it — or you go a completely different route,” Rowan recalled.
She opted to have a contemporary rebuild.
“I wanted it to be safe. And I
wanted to be able to drive it every day. This was the goal for my car,” she said. It now has disc brakes, an engine with a catalytic converter — “Even the radiator he had custom built,” she said of Caporale’s work.
It gave this Rambler vigor beyond its original power, the kind of pep that inspired the 1958 Top 40 hit, “Little Nash Rambler,” in which one sails past a Cadillac doing 120 mph. A merger created American Motors as the parent company, but the name Nash has stuck with its products.
“It’s a V-6. It’s a Chevy 4.3 Vortec (engine). It’s got a Turbo 350 and a custom drive shaft,” Rowan said. Caporale put a new rear end in the car, as well. It still starts with the low-throated rumble of its era but moves like any other newmillennium car.
The Rambler has a new rust-free rear axle, too: “It’s beautiful underneath,” Rowan declared. “I wish, at the car show, that I could pick it up so people could look.
“It’s amazing what he had to design, construct and install. And he did it all.”
Joining the classics
Visitors will be impressed enough with what is under the hood: An engine that obviously gets a regular cleaning, topped with a gleaming
air-filter cover that announces its nickname, Singer. The cover was created by Caporale as a tribute to their seamstress matriarchs.
“Owning a Rambler isn’t just about the car itself,” she wrote in an essay about her car. “It’s about the community of classic car lovers who share a passion for preserving these pieces of history. That is why I joined the Cool Cruiser Car Club. The members are passionate about cool cars of the past. The Rambler displays a piece of automotive history — it’s about keeping its spirit
alive, sharing its story and enjoying the experience of driving something truly unique.”
She invites show visitors, especially children, to sit in its driver’s seat, where they can look at the sleek column automatic shift, its chrome-trimmed dashboard and the stretched numbers on the speedometer that register with a needle. They can hear the hefty kathunk of its door.
Rowan hopes they acquire some appreciation for automotive history with the experiences.
American Motors, the descendant company of Nash, is a name now relegated to history. But just the year before her model was built, Automotive Trend recognized the move away from extravagant fins and space-hogging lengths and named the Rambler “Car of the Year.”
This one is Rowan’s second. It’s two years older than the car she bought during college to replace the staid Chevrolet Impala her grandmother had given her. The first was a 1966 Rambler American, another four-seat convertible, in an avante-garde — for American Motors — tone called Sungold Amber. It ferried Rowan, and as many friends as could pile in, back and forth to their Chicago homes on weekends from Western Illinois University.
That car had a less-than-glorious passing when Rowan didn’t latch the hood tightly one day and it flew open — in front of her windshield — on an expressway, causing her to crash.
But it had already marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair: “I’ve had some interesting cars and I’ve loved them all, but this car stuck with me my whole life,” Rowan said. She can’t explain the rationale, she admits. “I think it was because it was so simple. It was easy, not complicated, and comfy.
“I love my Rambler. And I love that I can drive it every day.”
Karren Rowan stands with the 1964 Rambler American 440 on the day she purchased it, after a two-year search for the right car. Contributed photo
The dashboard of the 1964 Rambler reflects the early ‘60s, when it was designed more chrome, needle indicators, stretched numbers on the speedometer.
Photo by Harriet Heithaus
RETAIL CENTERS
Coastland Center landscaping now in compliance
After city’s largest landowner cleans up property, city reduces fines
By Aisling Swift
Coastland Center mall in Naples, which fell into disrepair during five major hurricanes over seven years, was given a break after its new manager and landscaper brought the 36.2-acre property into compliance with its 2016 landscape plan.
The city Code Enforcement Board voted 5-2 to reduce the $50,000 fine to $40,000 and to give local resident Rick Jackson, the mall manager, 30 days to pay, or face the full fine for violations initially investigated in spring 2023. The $250 fines for failing to maintain the mall exterior had accrued daily from May 8, 2024, to Nov. 24, 2024, when it was brought into compliance.
“The reason for the mitigation is twofold,” board member Maria Mair said of her motion for a reduction. “One is the new manager was a new manager and has tried to comply, and the other part of it was … taking into account the storms.”
She referred to the high number of major hurricanes since the 2016 landscape plan was put into place, which Jackson said was impossible to comply with in 90 days after he took over in March 2024. The mall is managed by Chicago-based Brookfield Properties Retail Group, which employs Jackson.
Once Collier County’s top shopping draw, the 950,000-squarefoot mall off Golden Gate Parkway, which spans Ninth Street North and Goodlette-Frank Road, fell into disrepair, with trash and debris strewn about, weeds, overgrown and dead vegetation and crumbling asphalt.
“It took a long time to degrade,”
Bill Quinsey, city compliance manager, told the board. “We couldn’t even get the grass mowed.”
During spring and summer 2023, the Code Compliance office communicated with local mall management, which tried to resolve the issues, but the city had to reach out to the corporate parent.
“The local staff here has been great,” Quinsey said. “They were doing their best and over the course of that summer of ’23, the mall operations manager was out there mowing the grass himself at times.”
Violations involving grass and shrubs were corrected immediately, so the mall wasn’t fined for that. City officials couldn’t get corporate management to agree to a plan, so it cited the mall in November 2023 and a Code Enforcement Board hearing was held
in January 2024, when it was ordered to clean up areas around the three entrances.
The board assessed daily fines of $250, which began accruing after a Feb. 7, 2024, order demanded that three violations be fixed, one within 45 days and the others within 90 days.
Mall management was ordered to cut grass and weeds that exceeded eight inches, trim bushes and vegetation that encroached onto sidewalks and remove dead plants. Landscapers added mulch and cleaned some areas within 45 days, but violations remained.
Hit by hurricanes
In October, the board heard an update and agreed to impose fines if it wasn’t brought up to compliance by Nov. 24, the date the new landscaper promised it would be
complete.
Jackson said the mall’s funds were limited because its lender controlled the budget. A $114.5 million mortgage for the 1998 purchase by Coastland Center Joint Venture was due in early 2023, he said, and Brookfield negotiated an extension due to skyrocketing interest rates.
The mall went through three landscapers and hired the lowest bidder, but found that price didn’t cover the full scope. However, it was locked into the budget, so the mall hired a new landscaper.
After starting work, Jackson said, it was hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton, which set it back again.
Code Enforcement Board Attorney Robert Eschenfelder reminded the board it had set the fine and added: “It’s grown to what it is and
they’re asking you for whatever mercy you choose to do.”
The mall’s attorney, Cynthia Shivamber, said the mall spent more than $137,000 on landscaping improvements and wasn’t able to fully comply because most had to be completed outside the AprilMay planting season.
Jackson also sought leniency, explaining the 90-day timeline was “really impossible” and staff found multiple issues outside the landscaping plan, so costs escalated further. It finally got into compliance, he said, and now has a landscaper onsite daily.
Chair John Krol pointed out another nearby shopping center was cited and immediately remedied the issue.
“We want to have a level of enforcement and bite, and being the largest landowner, it’s a reflection on our city,” Krol added, noting reducing a fine isn’t fair to others who complied.
The board needs a good reason for a reduction, he said, noting the city spent thousands in administrative and other costs, which were estimated at about $17,000.
City Attorney Matt McConnell said it doesn’t charge for administrative costs but soon will change that policy.
Greenwald contended high fines should be assessed for safety issues and lower fines should be for aesthetics, so the fine should be $10,000, $50 a day. Faucett agreed, but recommended $20,000, which includes the city’s outside attorney fees.
Quinsey, who noted other cities offer a blanket reduction, suggested putting a timeline on payment for the reduced fine as an inducement and if it’s not paid by then, it would revert to $50,000. He added: “We have liens that sit out there for a long time.”
Blazing trails across the sea
Kathy Parks King becomes Naples Yacht Club’s first
By Melanie Pagan
When Naples Yacht Club crowned Kathy Parks King commodore, a wave of surprise washed over her. In its 78-year history, no woman had ever held that volunteer position at Naples Yacht Club.
“It was a lovely surprise, and only surprising because it had not happened before,” King said.
Founded in 1947, the Naples Yacht Club is one of Florida’s premier institutions. It predates Naples’ transition from a town to a city in 1949 and consistently ranks among the top yacht clubs in the nation and globally.
Yet, despite its prestige and history, it had never seen a woman in a leadership role at the highest level until now. King officially assumed the position in December, representing a pivotal moment for both the club and the advancement of women in traditionally male-dominated positions. (Women comprised just 15% of leadership positions in sailing globally as of a 2017 World Sailing report.)
“It’s a great opportunity to bring a new per-
spective to the position, to be a role model for other people who may be surprised that some traditions are going by the wayside,” she said.
Originally from Pennsylvania, King rose to the highest-ranking role in the yacht club. It’s a testament to her perseverance. She became rear commodore in 2020, after joining the club in 2011 and joined the board in 2018.
During that time, she’s seen women fulfill other leadership roles within the club, such as a general manager who has been with the organization for 15 years.
“We also have another female director on our board, which is lovely,” she said. “I see women coming up the same path, which I’m very excited about.”
With 40 years of not-for-profit leadership experience chairing several boards and a history in education, King aims to expand the invitation-only club’s educational initiatives, such as the Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund, which helps employees, their families and Collier County students pursue educational opportunities.
Looking ahead to her two-year-long appointment as commodore, she’s also eager about “building on the traditions and the culture of the Naples Yacht Club. We have simi-
female commodore
lar interests and values, so maintaining that would be terrific and building upon that would be even better,” she said.
A seasoned boater and self-described empa-
thetic leader, King believes in collaboration to steer the organization’s ship of more than 600 members into a new era.
“I like to consider all points of view,” she said. “I’d like to build a consensus among my board and among my membership so that we know that we are heading in a direction that most, if not all, people would support.”
The history-making measure fans the winds of her ambition.
“When you can bring something new, fulfill a role or perhaps a perspective that hasn’t happened before, I think it adds value and strength to the organization with whom you’re working,” she said.
As she preserves Naples Yacht Club’s rich history while guiding its future, she has words for others seeking to break historical barriers.
“I would encourage any person to take any opportunity that they set their sights on,” she said. “It takes a little bit of courage, some perseverance and a strong desire to get to where you want to be with hard work.
“As long as you have the capability and the desire to do something that hasn’t happened to you before, the opportunities can become valid in front of you.”
Coastland Center has been beset with issues cleaning up after enduring multiple hurricanes in recent years. Photo by Ed Scott
Kathy Parks King
Barnes & Noble launches new Naples bookstore
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Finding it worth the wait, scores of patrons stood in line to be among the first to experience Naples’ new Barnes & Noble bookstore on Jan. 29, six months after the chain closed its longtime store at Waterside Shops.
The new location in Park Shore Plaza is about a mile south of the store shuttered last summer at Waterside after operating for more than 30 years. The new address at 4149 Tamiami Trail N. is the former space of a Big Lots discount retail store, which closed in January 2024.
The store’s ribbon-cutting was hosted by bestselling author Janet Evanovich, who has been a Naples resident for decades. About 200 fans waited in a line that stretched to the back of the store for about two hours for Evanovich to sign Now Or Never, the 31st in her Stephanie Plum bounty hunter book series.
“Look at this place. It’s beautiful,” Evanovich said. “People love it. When it moved out of Waterside, people were just worried; we’re without a bookstore. I’m surprised
that we don’t have more bookstores in Naples.”
Although Barnes & Noble’s newly designed space in Naples occupies a ground-level inline unit, the national bookseller has increased its square footage in Naples. Its more than 35,000-square-foot store between Saks Off Fifth and HomeGoods is more than 45% larger than the 24,000-square-foot, two-story freestanding outparcel the bookstore occupied for decades at Waterside Shops.
Local book lovers have been waiting months for the new store to open. When relocation of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Naples was first reported last February by Gulfshore Business, the new store in Park Shore Plaza was expected to open a week after the old one closed in Waterside Shops. Then, just before the Waterside location closed July 23, the bookstore announced its reopening date in Park Shore would be in early September. Roof repairs
from summer storms delayed the opening until this month, said Janine Flanigan, senior director of store planning and design for the Barnes & Noble chain.
“I think that the response from everybody has been that it’s worth the wait. When they come in they are actually wowed by it,” said General Manager Larry Fama, who was GM for a short time at the other Naples store and moved to Florida five years ago to manage the Fort Lauderdale location.
The new bookstore is strikingly more modern and open than the previous Naples location.
“It’s a night and day difference,” Fama said. “It’s all one level. The rooms are set up where it’s easy for our customers to navigate and discover. It’s bright. It’s airy with plenty of places for our customers to sit and enjoy.”
The large space includes a Barnes & Noble Cafe, which is licensed to serve Starbucks products. The cafe features coffee, tea, breakfast sandwiches and pastries in a spacious corner that includes an abundance of seating.
The bookstore is thoughtfully curated and organized with parti-
tioned nooks for a variety of genres such as new and noteworthy, science fiction and fantasy, health and wellness, young adults, romance, religion, sports, photography, poetry, classics, fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, manga, magazines, cookbooks and reference books. The store also has a Harry Potter section and spaces displaying toys and collectibles, games and puzzles, journals, gifts for readers, gift wrap and an entertainment area with vinyl records, CDs and movie DVDs. With e-commerce changing consumer habits, Barnes & Noble has served the local market since 1992 but is the last national bookstore chain in Collier County. Borders closed its North Naples store in 2011 where Trader Joe’s is today. BooksA-Million closed its store in Naples Plaza in 2012 and was replaced by Nordstrom Rack at Mercato in 2013. Coastland Center mall in Naples used to have locations for both Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Bookseller before they became defunct in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Family Christian Stores closed both of its locations, stores in Park Shore Plaza and Carillon Place, in 2017. Fama, who has been with Barnes
who call Youth Haven home.
& Noble for 19 years, feels that bookstores are still vital in today’s digital world.
“They’re really a hub of the community. They’re a place where people can come and gather,” he said. “It helps to foster reading, education. It’s just a community focal point.”
Evanovich, who lives in the Moorings near the Barnes & Noble store, agrees. The author believes that bookstores are essential for the community.
“We need more bookstores,” she said. “We need to encourage more reading. I think we need to encourage more books in schools, give them books that they want to read — not books that are depressing.”
Barnes & Noble is not just surviving; the bookseller is thriving and in the midst of an incredible growth mode. Following a decade of declining numbers, the business is bouncing back.
“Last year, we opened over 50 new stores and we’re on track to do the same this year,” Fama said, noting that five other Barnes & Noble stores launched or reopened nationwide on the same day as the new Naples bookstore. “Over the past year we’ve changed our DNA on who we were.”
A line forms outside the new Barnes & Noble bookstore prior to its grand opening on Jan. 29. Photo by Liz Gorman
McLean said ceiling heights will be 9 to 10 feet, adding, “The height constraints are unlimited floor-to-floor as long as we stay within six floors.”
Mature trees along the road will be left untouched and will help shield noise, McLean said, and most signs will be at the rear of the hotel. Neighborhood information meetings are required of the applicant, AAM Naples Hotel Owner LLC, but haven’t been held yet, he said, because the company wants to first line up the hotels.
“We’re going to work with the community,” he said. “We’re going to try our very best so that when we come back to you for final [design review approval], the only people that are here from Lake Park are people here to support the project.”
Although the developer has a right to develop six floors atop two stories of parking, two Lake Park residents cited concern before the presentation, including Penny Taylor, a former city vice mayor, council member and county commissioner, who called it a “huge, imposing development.”
Taylor said the association hasn’t taken a position yet, but asked that amplified music be prohibited, that music stop at 9 p.m., that lighting adhere to DarkSky Approved standards and that trash receptacles be at the rear.
“There are homes in Lake Park, and there are people who live in those homes and their whole life savings is their homes, and they don’t want an 8-story hotel looking in their backyard,” Taylor said. “Noise carries and is invasive … People live there and they have backyards they want to enjoy.”
Ward Gott, who lives in the Intown Club Condominiums, contended overdevelopment would only increase crime and devalue their homes.
“Do not allow this monstrosity to be built on this parcel as proposed,” Gott said. “This is one of the last open spaces in all the city and directly across from a quiet and very well-maintained neighborhood.”
DRB member Doug Haughey noted he’s the Lake Park Association president, and DRB Vice Chair Luke Fredrickson and DRB Chair Stephen Hruby also live there, and its annual meeting will be in February.
“There’s only so much that the neighborhood can do,” Haughey said. “But what we can do, we would like to hopefully do in harmony with the builder to make sure that we’re good neighbors and make sure the end product is something that not only can the neighborhood live with, but hopefully enhances the neighborhood and makes it something that is a benefit to the area.”
There were five conditions city staff suggested, and DRB members recommended others to McLean and landscape architect Christian Andrea of Architectural Land Design, including reducing noise, shielding lighting, adding trees and buffers and blocking views of asphalt and headlights from the parking area abutting Goodlette-Frank Road.
“That’s crucial, to hide that parking,” Hruby said.
McLean noted this is only step one in a yearlong process and it must receive City Council approval. He added, “We’ve got a lot of work to do and we’re certainly ears wide open, listening to all the input.”
The project is among several new hotels being built in the city; the three-story, 150room AC Hotel Naples 5th Avenue by Marriott opened downtown in December 2023 at the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road and Fifth Avenue South.
At the meeting, the DRB also approved the final design for Aquarius, a three-story, 18-room luxury hotel and restaurant named Aqua, that will replace an old strip center at 590 Ninth St. N. featuring Pastrami Dan’s Restaurant, Tropical Smoothie Café and Liki Tiki BBQ. Aqua will relocate from Fifth Avenue South. The 216-room Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, on 1500 Gulf Shore Drive, obtained preliminary approval for a renovation of the tennis courts, parking spaces, a redesigned golf course and new pro shop and snack bar. The new hotel, on 124.4 acres, owned by Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, is under construction and is expected to open this fall.
From page 3A
AQUARIUS
project looks fine, he offered a blanket comment about what he has noticed is a recent redundancy in the form, design and look of redevelopment projects between Fifth Avenue South and Seventh Avenue North in downtown Naples.
“We’re starting to see a lot of similarity in their look and feel,” Haughey said. “I feel if we have too many of these projects come in that are the same way, we’re going to lose a lot of architectural interest in the town and that look and feel that really makes Naples unique.”
DRB member Chae duPont expressed happiness with the plans for the proposed hotel building.
“I really like the building. I love the lightness of it,” she said. “The name, Aqua, Aquarius, I think that’s great. The font is beautiful. And I love the fact that it’s a local family [and] that we’ve seen an evolution of the success of this family. Everything that they’re doing is adding to the community, and that’s really nice to see that [it] isn’t from some out-oftown group coming in. So, I’m very happy with that and can see how this could be a legacy project.”
The building and property are owned by
and Nancy Stojkoski, who also own Liki
BBQ and the local Aqua
and seafood restaurants. The $30 million hotel project isn’t going to happen overnight, Gordon Stojkoski said.
“It’s going to take about three months from today for the actual building permit to be issued,” he said. “Once the building permit is issued, you pay for the permit and then you have to break ground within a year after that. It’s not going to happen any sooner than six or eight months.
“So, the existing businesses in that fourunit retail strip will be operating there for at least another eight months,” Stojkoski said. That includes, of course, the landmark Pastrami Dan’s, which is in its 50th season. Which means folks still have a few months to enjoy the eatery’s famous pastrami sandwiches and tacos.
The two-year hotel project represents a milestone moment for Stojkoski.
“I’ve been working since I’ve been 14 years old in the hospitality/restaurant business, and to get to this point in my career that I can build something like this for my family, this is a dream come true,” he said. “Everybody works their entire life to get somewhere, and this is it — to have a facility like this a couple of blocks from Fifth Avenue and eight blocks from the Gulf of Mexico.”
Gordon
Tiki
steak
Stalemate continues on city dais
By Aisling Swift
Marco Island City Council members still can’t agree on who will be their city’s seventh councilor, and spent nearly three hours last week haggling over the process and how to vote — even whether to flip a coin.
It’s a disagreement that began shortly after the Nov. 5 election, when they couldn’t elect a chair or vice chair due to repeated ties; and then tried unsuccessfully during two meetings since to choose a seventh member.
Greg Folley
Council’s Jan. 21 special meeting, held solely to select a councilor hours before their regular meeting, again ended with repeated ties and bickering, despite Assistant City Attorney David Gabriel advising them that Florida statutes allow them to flip a coin to break a tie.
“This is not a football game and I’m just uneasy with flipping a coin as a solution to a problem that we should be solving,” said Erik Brechnitz, the acting chair.
Repeated votes ended in repeated stalemates, with two clear factions: Brechnitz, Tamara Goehler and Steven Gray versus councilors Darrin Palumbo, Bonita Schwan and Deb Henry.
The seat was vacated mid-term by Councilor Greg Folley, who was required to resign Nov. 5 after a bid for the State House District 81 seat, which he lost in the August primary. The elections resulted in four new councilors, including two who ousted incumbents. The newcomers joined Brechnitz, who was elected in 2018, and Palumbo, who has served since 2022.
ATEN KNOWS
upon permits,” he said. Expect 75,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of four new three-story buildings and 50 residential units total on the upper floors of The Avenue, which will have two buildings each in the 900 and 1000 blocks of Fifth Avenue South. Construction will begin on the 900 block, which has already been approved, followed as closely as possible by the 1000 block buildings. The Avenue is expected to be completed within two years in a location that is vitally important, Penev said.
“It’s the aorta of downtown,” he said, noting — as city officials have echoed — that the property serves as an entrance to downtown Naples.
“We took our time and I believe we’ve come up with something that is truly representative of what the entrance to Naples should be.”
The Avenue’s slogan is what the project is trying to epitomize: coastal living in the heart of downtown.
“We’re in Naples. We’re in this urban setting, but you are a walk to the beach,” Penev said. “You have boating accessible to you. You really are living a coastal lifestyle but you get all of the perks of this urban living that you can walk to a shop, you can walk to a restaurant, you can walk to the park. You don’t need a car if you live here, essentially. So that is the overarching theme of what this project is, and between the retail and the residences we are creating a very lively atmosphere.”
While commercial tenants will not include Whole Foods Market and Restoration Hardware, which previously were part of an earlier proposal for the site, Penev could not disclose specific retailers being considered yet. He said he is talking to businesses in an effort
Council unable to agree on 7th member
Brechnitz began the meeting by asking Council to consider others beyond the 26 candidates they’d narrowed to four in December before failing to reach a consensus on Jan. 6. “It’s not too late to sign up,” he urged the audience.
Schwan asked the assistant city attorney to reiterate what the city charter says about holding a special election. Gabriel urged them to follow the charter and to select a councilor themselves, adding, “If you choose to go a different direction, then you run the risk of potential questioning and potential litigation.”
Brechnitz pointed out they’d failed within the 60 days prescribed by the charter, so why not hold a special election? Gabriel again urged them not to, adding, “Does that mean you just disregard the rest of the charter because you didn’t accomplish what you needed to do?”
The list of four candidates grew to eight and they stood before Council, providing brief descriptions of their backgrounds and why they should be chosen.
Brechnitz then asked councilors to fill out a ballot and nominate their top seven, noting that should show an “overlap,” the top four. But Palumbo wanted an open vote and suggested some councilors may have been speaking with each other or passing notes. He offered to break a tie, asking anyone on the dais to choose one candidate with prior experience on a city advisory board, and he’d break the tie. “Let’s show compromise,” Palumbo added.
Gray wanted to follow the process, but Palumbo balked at “blind-ballot voting,” which the public couldn’t see. In the end, Brechnitz’s system showed one candidate, Tom Fontana, received five votes, while another, Dennis Bartolucci, received four. Neither had served on a
city advisory board. Six others received three votes.
Henry demanded to see the ballots, so they were placed on an overhead projector for the public to view. Still, they refused to accept the top candidate and wanted to vote on each. They tied on all and continued haggling. They took a break and then asked the candidates questions but again reached stalemates.
One candidate said he wouldn’t serve, but wanted them to select David Leaser, one of the four finalists from Jan. 6. Residents began walking out and Fontana withdrew his name from consideration and recommended Bartolucci.
“This is crazy,” a resident shouted from the audience, while another blurted out, “This is embarrassing.”
Palumbo told Brechnitz he’d support him as chair if he’d vote for Leaser, who had city advisory board experience. Schwan suggested Brechnitz and Palumbo, council members who have seniority, each choose a candidate and they’d flip a coin, which Henry agreed to only if they flipped on the top two vote-getters.
Nothing resulted in a seventh councilor and Brechnitz again suggested a special election, which Gabriel said would take months.
Michael McNees, the city manager who earlier in the meeting told them they were making progress, reminded them that philosopher Voltaire said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good,” and noted they all had an excellent candidate that checks all the boxes.
“You have at least a handful of candidates here that would be in the very top tier of the quality of candidate that you want for an office like this,” McNees said. “… What we’re facing is a lot more of this quixotic search for the perfect
candidate who doesn’t probably even exist, and if they did, they’re getting farther and farther and farther and farther by the minute, away from wanting this job — as you just saw.
“I would encourage you to look at these two or three folks who are floating around in front of you right now and see if there isn’t one of those impressive enough, close enough to perfect, to bring the skills to the table to get you there.”
However, there was no compromise and they ended the meeting, agreeing they’d have to hold another special meeting.
At the regular meeting a half-hour later, they again tried to elect a chair and vice chair. Gray nominated Brechnitz, while Schwan nominated Palumbo. But the vote for Brechnitz was tied and Palumbo voted against himself as chair and that motion failed, 2-4.
Two public speakers expressed embarrassment over the earlier meeting.
Restaurateur Joe Oliverio told members he believes they all have the city’s best interests at heart but suggested they wait about 60 days and get to know each other.
“In order to work together, maybe you need a little bit of time, some familiarity,” Oliverio said.
Former councilor Rich Blonna, who lost the November election, was less polite.
“I was totally embarrassed this afternoon watching this meeting, watching the six of you act like a bunch of high-school students,” Blonna said, questioning why one wouldn’t compromise over several meetings and instead spent hours interviewing candidates again today and failed to choose one of the top two. “Then you have the nerve not to vote for either one of them. How dare you do that? How insulting … You act like a bunch of 13-year-olds. I am so glad I didn’t get elected because I wouldn’t want to serve with you.”
to curate an appropriate mix that is considerate of neighbors, residents and other retail tenants.
“The hope is to have high-end retailers — not big box, so we’re talking about high street boutiques, specialty, maybe some service, a couple of restaurants,” he said. “We’ve had almost equal interest from both national and local. We certainly want to have both. We’ll see where it shakes out.”
Using the old address of St. George, the L-shaped building planned for 936 Fifth Ave S. will include a 240-space parking garage concealed in the back that will service most of the retail in the entire development. There will be 15 condo units within the second and third floors of the building. A square building that the L-shaped building wraps around has another
five residences with its own parking and ground-floor retail.
The larger 1000 block will have another two buildings with 30 residences split between them. Although different and separated by 10th Street, the parts will be harmonious, Penev said, pointing to arches, trellises and other architectural details and colors the buildings will share to organically tie them together. Pedestrian walkways will cut through the buildings, too.
A public highlight of the project will be Oak Row, the name of the city alley that will bisect The Avenue block between Fifth and Sixth Avenue South. The walkable Oak Row will allow light vehicular traffic and be activated by outdoor dining, coffee shops and boutique retailers.
“I want to create that feeling of an older downtown, if you will, through the paving, the hardscapes, through the surfaces,” Penev said.
“That ground-floor experience is extremely important to us. So, you want the facades to be beautiful, stone, nice materials, good details. You want the hardscape to be pavers. You want to have trees that are mature. So, the goal here is to have Oak Row be a tunnel of trees, where you can sit down, you can get away in the shade. It’s pleasant. It’s quiet. And it’s a superb location.”
The first 20 homes in The Avenue’s 900 block were recently released for purchase to friends and family invited to private events for the project. Residences feature two to four bedrooms and are priced from about $3 million to nearly $8 million. The top tier includes three penthouses.
The Avenue’s 900 block residenc-
es feature introductory prices for early adopters. The project’s 1000 block will have larger homes at higher prices.
“We’ve been engaging with customers for the last 45 days,” said Christine Lutz, director of new development sales for the Dawn McKenna Group, which is spearheading sales for The Avenue. “We’re expecting to go to hard contract in the next 30 to 45 days. The response has been nothing less than outstanding.”
The Avenue’s recently launched sales center on the second floor of 375 Fifth Ave. S. features scale models of the project and downtown Naples, and provides a glimpse of some of the interior finishes for its residential units.
“It’s a showroom to show people not only some of the features that come standard but also the lifestyle that will be delivered here. We’re on Fifth just as we will be there,” Penev said. “The flooring, the kitchen, certain elements here and there will come standard in these units. It’s not a model unit, but it’s a sales gallery that’s meant to walk you through the entire vision — the process, the lifestyle, a little taste of everything.”
Prospective condo owners can visit the gallery to see The Avenue’s Italian kitchens, modern bathrooms, flooring and upscale finishes.
“Another very important kind of distinguishing feature for us on this project is that we are bringing in another level of elegance and sophistication of luxury that we believe that this market really does kind of demand, and our heart and soul is into this, so every detail matters,” Penev said. “Being at the center stage, being in the heart of downtown, we’re really focused on delivery of topnotch residences, retail, even sidewalks, even the landscaping.”
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.
MARCO ISLAND
By Larissa Rodriguez
‘IT’S MY FAVORITE DAY’
Donors learn about children their funds are supporting
They came to learn more about how the funds raised at the Naples Winter Wine Festival are spent. Many left impressed.
A highlight of the Jan. 24-26 Festival, which was hosted this year for the 25th time by the Naples Children and Education Foundation, was the opportunity for donors to meet some of the children their funds support, representing various programs designed to help provide them a better future.
Kim Ciccarelli Kantor and her husband Jan have been corporate sponsors for a couple of years and members of the Naples community for more than 45 years. They wanted to give back to the community that means so much to them by helping the most vulnerable.
“We would like to see it [the community] not just survive but thrive in the work that they do on behalf of the children,” Ciccarelli Kantor said. “We may touch one life at a time, but this organization, through the work that they do and the organizations they support, can touch many lives and make a real difference.”
The Kantors primarily support academic initiatives in the community and want to see children provided with a comprehensive education.
“There’s a big difference when you focus attention to helping others,” Ciccarelli Kantor said. “And that’s what’s happening here today, and it’s interesting because it’s not only happening from the donors or the organizations to the children, but the children to the donors to the organizations, as well.”
NWWF 2025 Chef de Cuisine Angelo Au-
riana is originally from Italy and now lives in Los Angeles. Auriana owns three restaurants there and two in Las Vegas.
“I always supported this event, probably one of my favorites of everything I’ve ever done,” Auriana said. “It’s always a pleasure to be asked to come back. And of course, I do come back with pleasure. I chose this profession to be a chef because I want to make people happy.”
This year was his ninth time at the Naples Winter Wine Festival, but his first time at Meet the Kids Day, which made an impression on him.
“Kids don’t lie,” he said. “You know, when you look them in the eyes, they tell you what they feel, how they feel, what they want to say — and so that brings everything to the way it’s supposed to be.”
WINK News kicks off March to a Million Meals drive
By Adam Regan
The success of WINK News’ March to a Million Meals is quantified by the number of meals the fundraising campaign provides to Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida through donations each March. The last two years, viewers have rallied to donate a total of more than 2.5 million meals to local families facing food insecurity.
Having visited numerous food distribution sites in the region, WINK News Anchor Lois Thome has had a firsthand view of what success looks like for the month-long campaign that kicked off Jan. 31 with the goal of providing a million meals by March 1. She recognizes the importance of supplying even one meal to a person or household with limited or uncertain access to nutritionally adequate and safe food. “It can literally mean the difference between eating or not eating,” Thome said. “There are many people out there making impossible choices. ‘Do I pay my rent this month or eat ... do I pay my electric bill or eat, do I get my necessary prescription medicine this month or eat?’ The food distributions by the Harry Chapin Food Bank and its partner agencies help to eliminate those tough choices by providing nutritious food for working families, seniors and so many others.”
In 2024, Harry Chapin Food and its 175 partner agencies distributed 39.5 million pounds of food, including 1,354,606 meals provided by WINK News viewers during March to a Million Meals. The food bank rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to children, families and seniors who are hungry through a series of distribution programs that feed more than a quarter of a million people each month.
More than 135,250 people in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties faced food insecurity in 2021, according to nonprofit Feeding America. Approximately 30,000 of those people were children.
“Food insecurity is a huge issue right now with the increasing costs of food, rent and insurance in Southwest Florida. Most families leave the Harry Chapin mobile pantries with enough food to feed their families for a week,” Thome said. “They are so grateful, because food insecurity for most of the people in line is temporary, and this kind of help is a bridge, not a lifestyle.”
Beginning two decades ago as the WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk, the campaign evolved into the March to a Millon Meals online donation format during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every dollar raised equates to $2 in meals supported by Harry Chapin Food Bank.
To donate, go to winkfeedsfamilies.com
Adam and Ashley Gerry are three-time vintner dinner hosts and two-time trustees; this was their 12th time attending the festival.
Adam is originally from New York and Ashley is from Missouri. For the couple, who have lived in Naples for almost two decades, meeting the children they’re supporting means the most to them.
“You see where the dollars go, that are raised from this weekend,” Adam Gerry said. “We feel this is the most important day of the entire weekend, where you get to see the organizations that are helped, the lives that are affected.”
“It’s my favorite day too,” Ashley Gerry added. “I feel like this is like the heart of the organization, where you actually can see the kids’ faces and look in their eyes, and you can see how you’re really impacting their lives.”
The Gerrys feel all NCEF organizations are worth supporting, but one stands out to each of them.
“One of my favorites is Valerie’s House, and they deal a lot with grief and kind of normalizing grief for the children, for the spouse, the parent who’s been left behind. [It’s] very supportive of an environment where its people can share their story, share their experiences and bond together,” Adam Gerry said.
Someone who is directly benefiting from Valerie’s House is 17-year-old Dawson, who shared his story on stage in front of donors.
Ashley Gerry, meanwhile, highlighted a program that provides children with emergency shelter.
“I’m pretty involved with Youth Haven and [it’s nice] to see what they do for these children that don’t have a home or they’re between foster care and their own homes,” she said. Sandi Moran and her husband, Tom, also support Youth Haven and have lived in Naples for more than 40 years. They were involved with the first Naples Winter Wine Festival and have been trustees since 2012. They believe donating is an important way to support the next generation.
“Children are our future,” said Sandi Moran, who served with Tom as event chairs in 2015 and 2016. “And if we can help children to reach their goals — their educational goals — and stay out of trouble, then they become better citizens and contributing citizens.”
Meeting the children means a lot to her, as well, and helps her remember the purpose of the Festival.
“I think it brings a realness to what we’re doing, and it helps us remember, that it’s not just an organization that we are supporting, but children.”
For these donors and many more, this event started the weekend right. As the event slogan says, “Bid high, bid often, it’s all for the kids,” Ashley Gerry said.
Kim and Jan Kantor stand with some of the children helped by funds raised by the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
Photo by Liz Gorman
More than 135,250 people in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties faced food insecurity in 2021, according to the nonprofit Feeding America. Approximately 30,000 of those people were children. Submitted
Photography by Liz Gorman
‘An international perspective’
Condos destroyed by Hurricane Ian to be replaced with Gulf-front luxury condos
By Aisling Swift
A six-story condominium featuring 12 spacious, resort-style homes passed its final approval and can now move ahead with construction on the site of the former Bahama Club on Naples’ Miracle Mile.
The city’s Design Review Board on Jan. 22 unanimously approved KT Naples Owner LLC’s final design review for Olana, at 1121 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., which will feature spacious 9,000- to 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom condos, each with a sauna, steam room, hot-and-cold plunge pool and private garage.
DRB members lavished praise on the building, landscaping plans and Gulf of Mexico views, noting landscape architect Maggie Watts and architect Pinar Harris listened to their concerns last summer, when they asked for more robust and interesting plantings and to modify the building design.
“You’ve created a botanical garden,” DRB Chair Steve Hruby told Watts, of Miami-based Enea Garden Design Inc. “It is special and it’s going to enhance your building.”
“… This is a refreshing change to the kind of condominiums we’ve been getting,” Hruby, himself an architect, told Harris, who works for global design firm 10SB Architects in Coral Gables. “It’s a new architectural firm coming in with an international perspective on it. I like the interplay of the horizontal and the vertical. It’s nicely proportioned and your use of materials is very elegant, very restrained.”
The 2.52-acre property sits on 220 feet of Gulf beachfront originally developed in the
late 1950s as a 36-unit low-rise condominium, the Bahama Club. After it sustained major damage from Hurricane Ian, Delray Beach real estate developer The Kolter Group and Miami-based BH Group, a private equity firm, purchased it for $102.6 million in spring 2024. Soon after, a demolition permit was issued to clear the site of all existing structures,
Plans show there will be two condos on each of the six floors over a ground-level garage and parking deck. The building will sit at the center of the site with a porte-cochère entrance, guest parking to the east and the pool and pool deck amenities to the west. The condo building includes a lobby with a concierge, trails, benches, a theater, club room
“This is a refreshing change to the kind of condominiums we’ve been getting. It’s a new architectural firm coming in with an international perspective on it. ... It’s nicely proportioned and your use of materials is very elegant, very restrained.”
—Steve Hruby, chairman of Naples Design Review Board
driveways, sidewalks, vegetation and utilities, and the site was razed last summer and fall.
The site is adjacent to the 150-home Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, and the 42-home Rosewood Residences Naples to the north, where construction began in September. It’s bordered by the two-story Oceanside condominiums to the south, nine-story Via Delfino in Coquina Sands to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Gulf Shore Boulevard North to the east.
and meeting room. Condos will feature a family room, kitchen, formal dining and a game room. Condos facing the east will include a spa gym component.
“Although the zoning code allows us to have 18 units per acre, which yields to 45 units on the site, we are only proposing 12,” Harris told the DRB, noting that’s a two-thirds reduction from the Bahama Club.
To provide a grand arrival experience, she said, the building will be set back 182 feet
from the road, far exceeding the minimum 45 feet required, and the main entry doors will be flanked by inground reflecting pools. Inside the arrival area, residents and visitors will have expansive views of the Gulf. On the west will be a sunset garden that leads to a covered outdoor lounge area, a swimming pool with sun shelves and lap lanes, a fire pit, seating, a sunken lounge, cabanas and lawn seating.
The building incorporates CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) principles, especially around entryways. Access is controlled, blind spots were eliminated and entryways are illuminated.
Watts said there will be 18 species of trees — the largest that can be transported — for a “lush, tropical feel.” The color palette, she said, is mostly greens, with white flowering plants, some sunset orange tones using bougainvillea and bird of paradise, along with purples and water features.
DRB members praised the changes made since August.
“It’s like having a park, a botanical garden in the front half of my property that I can enjoy and then reach out to the backside where I have a whole beach-resort kind of pool,” said DRB member Sabrina McCabe, a landscape architect who praised the layers of color and texture.
DRB member Doug Haughey, a Realtor, cited the flow of the landscaping styles, calling the rear area a “tropical oasis.” He commended the building’s unique architectural features, adding: “I wish more projects came to us that had as much thought in them as this does.”
NAPLES LUXURY HOMES
I-75 crash led to off-airport use of specialized foam truck
By John L. Guerra
If you ask Naples City Fire Deputy Capt. Corey Adamski of “lessons learned” as the first anniversary of the I-75 Bombardier jet crash approaches, he’ll tell you that the crash changed the speed with which Station 3 responds to off-site crashes.
On Feb. 9 of last year, the airport’s new P-8 Titan Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting crash truck and personnel sped to Interstate 75 to put foam on the burning executive jet. It was only the second time the truck had been used off the airport property, but Adamski and other fire officials quickly learned that the truck was a value to the entire community.
“Before the crash, there was only one example of the truck leaving the airport property to handle incidents,” Adamski told The Naples Press. “After that, we streamlined the process for responding to offairport events with the truck.”
The city put the 42,000-pound P-8 Titan into service on St. Patrick’s Day 2022. The impressive vehicle, designed to put out fires on
airports or large chemical facilities, disperses 500 pounds of dry chemical, 225 gallons of foam and 1,585 gallons of water. Its 670-hp engine can push it to 70 mph. The driver of the Titan crash truck can aim and trigger the foam, water or dry chemical nozzles using a joystick on the cockpit console.
causes of the I-75 crash. Like others in the aviation community, he said his theories are not conclusions.
According to Rusing, the NTSB’s final report should be out in about six months; meanwhile, the I-75 crash “has pilots everywhere scratching their heads.”
According to Rusing and other pilots, the failure of a single jet engine is exceedingly rare, but to experience a dual jet engine failure is extremely rare. Losing both engines at the same time suggests a common source for engine failures.
Among the possible causes of simultaneous, dual engine failure:
• No fuel. If the aircraft ran out of gas, both engines would shut down simultaneously, Rusing said. However, the big spray of fuel as the plane hit the wall on I-75 and the resultant fireball may indicate that fuel exhaustion was not an issue.
• Fuel contamination. Similarly, though, if someone had pumped the wrong fuel or contaminated fuel into the aircraft, that also would have become apparent during the flight. The fact that the jet flew all the way from Ohio without incident, then failed six miles from Naples Airport, shows the quantity and quality of the fuel were most likely fine.
• Oil pumps to both engines failed simultaneously. “While not considered ‘common,’ loss of oil pressure on a Bombardier aircraft, particularly in models like the Challenger series, has been documented in several incidents,” Aviation International News said. The Hop-AJet pilots got a warning that oil pressure had dropped in each engine — another extremely rare event, as each pump for each engine is independent. In that case, the pumps also must have had a common reason for shutting down. Instead of blaming the engine shutdown on failed oil pumps, the NTSB is considering the situation in reverse: That the engines shut down first, causing the oil pressure warnings and the drop in oil pressure. As unlikely as it might seem, it is possible the Hop-A-Jet pilots accidentally shut the engines off, which has happened in previous crashes, Rusing said.
“The question is, ‘Is it possible?’ The NTSB is looking to see whether there was an inadvertent shutdown of the engines,” he said.
“Could the crew have done something they didn’t intend to cause the shutdown? As unlikely as it may seem, the NTSB will look at all potential causes,” Rusing said.
A preliminary crash investigation into the
According to Adamski, the first time the specialized fire truck left the airport to respond to a blaze was Oct. 24, 2023 — a few months before the Bombardier Challenger crashed. Firefighters from the ARFF unit responded to an out-of-control fire at a scrap metal recycling facility at the industrial park across
from the airport.
Firefighters from Greater Naples, North Collier and City of Naples fire departments worked with ARFF personnel to halt the dramatic fire before it spread to other businesses, Adamski said.
“Just before the airplane crash, we had a fire in the industrial park
where the crash truck responded,” the deputy chief said. “It was a huge asset.”
But Adamski and others in the chain of command thought their time to scene could have been better. They decided to streamline chain of command to dispatch the trucks more quickly from the airfield to industrial parks, chemical storage areas and other possible flashpoints.
“It took a couple of extra minutes to get the truck to the industrial park — there were already trucks on scene — but it was still a huge asset when it arrived,” the deputy chief said. “We have worked through that process so we can leave the airport right away.”
Four months after the fire, when the call came in that an executive jet had crash-landed, then exploded on I-75, the Titan rolled out of Station 3 with its ARFF crew.
“As soon as they heard what was going on, it took just six minutes to get to the crash,” Naples Airport Authority spokeswoman Robin King said. “They went out Golden Gate Parkway, got on I-75 and drove north to the scene.”
The NTSB says its final report about the I-75 crash should be out in about 6 months. Photos courtesy WINK
January 2023 Yeti Airlines Flight 691 showed that is exactly what may have happened. As one pilot used the flaps lever in the cockpit to configure the aircraft for landing, another pilot operated levers which “feathered” the engines — bringing engine power to 0. It claimed the lives of 72 people. There is no indication that that occurred in the I-75 crash, but such unfortunate mistakes
have been made in previous crashes, according to the NTSB. There have been instances when pilots accidentally cut off the engines of an aircraft during flight, often due to misinterpreting instrument readings, improper procedures or pilot error, leading to a loss of power and sometimes a crash.
The Naples Press asked the NTSB about possible causes, including pilot error.
“The preliminary report is the information that is available from the NTSB at this time,” an NTSB spokesman said. “It is possible that many of the questions you have may be answered in the final report.”
It’s important to remember that the NTSB looks into everything after a crash, including pilot error, but that doesn’t mean the pilots did anything wrong, experts said.
One change brought about by last year’s jet crash is the speed with which Station 3 responds to off-site crashes with Naples Airport’s new P-8 Titan Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting crash truck. Submitted
Christopher Rusing
News
ships, Jay said, ‘Hey, if I can help, I know the people up there [at HSS] really well; that’s the number one orthopedic hospital in the country and if you’re interested, I’d like to make an introduction,’ ” Hiltz recalled during a recent interview. “I was very interested. Jay and I flew up [to New York] with a couple of others on our leadership team. We toured the facility, met the leadership, looked at the data and just felt that the partnership would be perfect for us.”
A $20 million fundraising challenge grant from the Bakers got the project off the ground, and in November 2023 NCH broke ground on the Patty & Jay Baker Pavilion, a 100,000-square-foot facility on the NCH North Naples Hospital campus that will be the home of HSS at NCH.
The new hospital is expected to open this spring.
Hiltz said the goal set by Jay Baker and the rest of the board was to make HSS at NCH one of the best orthopedic hospitals in the country, offering state-of-the-art facilities that will become a “destination” for comprehensive outpatient and inpatient musculoskeletal services, and make it possible for those who live here not to have to travel for specialized surgery.
“We believe we’ve done that. We believe it’s got the very latest and greatest; Arthrex has also been involved in helping design and equip the building,” Hiltz said, referencing the role of the privately held Naples-based medical devices company in the project. “We’re really excited about how that is changing orthopedic care in this region.”
In a late 2023 statement announcing the collaboration, Dr. Bryan T. Kelly, HSS president and CEO, noted the commonalities between HSS and NCH.
“NCH and HSS are both patient-centric organizations committed to high-quality care, and we are aligned in our goal of making the highest quality orthopedic care more accessible to the people of Southwest Florida,” Kelly said. “This is especially important to us at HSS, where we feel a great sense of responsibility not just to help more people, but to consistently achieve the highest quality outcomes for patients.”
Building a ‘world-class’ orthopedic center
In addition to the latest in technology and equipment, Hiltz said NCH has also been recruiting doctors from around the country for what he said will be a “world-class” orthopedic center.
One of those physicians, Dr. David Backstein, was recruited to be the medical director for HSS at NCH; he was formerly at the University of Toronto where he led the division of orthopedics at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi, based at HSS in New York City, serves as chief medical officer of HSS Florida.
Backstein, a surgeon specializing in primary and revision total knee replacement, said in an interview that he was drawn to the project because of the opportunity to help build it from the ground up.
“As a surgeon, the number one thing for me is to have a self-contained orthopedic center,” Backstein said. “The hospital I was at before was 25 stories. We had every single surgery specialty
… This is an opportunity to have an exclusively self-contained orthopedic facility that we, for lack of a better word, can control. We can control the patient experience better. We can control the type of surgery that’s being done, and we can control our quality. And we’re not going to be bumped by somebody whose aorta ruptured and our whole [surgical] day is canceled. It’s going to be our facility, and we’re going to do the volume that we feel we can do safely.”
Backstein said the project has recruited a group of nine physicians “cherry-picked” from around the country with “excellent educational backgrounds and training backgrounds,” to add to two longtime Naples orthopedic specialists.
Available procedures at the new hospital, according to information from NCH, will include spine and interventional spine surgeries; foot and ankle surgeries; hip and knee arthroplasty; sports medicine surgery; non-operative sports medicine; physical medicine rehabilitation; and musculoskeletal injury care.
According to his HSS at NCH online bio, Backstein has special expertise in minimally invasive and robotic techniques. And while the facility will include the very latest in technology, including robotic capabilities, he said it will be the surgeons who make the difference.
“More important than having the machines is that we’ve got surgeons that are adept at using them,” Backstein said. “And in terms of the building, we’re going to have some pre- and postoperative computer technology that allows us to assess the way people move and walk in a non-invasive way that’s extremely accurate. We’ll be able to better determine exactly what the problem is and then assess postoperatively if we fixed the problem.
“We’ll also be able to use that for research, and we’re going to have a lot of educational facilities; we’ve designed the building so that it’s really adept at educational experiences [for physicians].”
‘Elevating the experience’
On a late January hard-hat tour of the active construction site, HSS at NCH Vice President
Justin Blohm provided The Naples Press a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of the areas of the hospital that will make it unique, including the ambulatory surgical center that will incorporate Arthrex designs and equipment, and an
observation theater for physician education.
Even with construction ongoing, the scope and scale of the project became clear.
On the first floor, the 100,000-square-foot Baker Pavilion includes the 20,000-square-foot Kapnick Foundation Ambulatory Surgical Center, with five operating rooms. The remaining 80,000 square feet includes clinic space, outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation, 15 private inpatient beds and five additional operating rooms on the second floor; the third floor will contain the imaging area for MRIs, CTs and two X-ray suites, with two additional rooms for office-based procedures, according to Blohm.
Asked what will make the new facility different from what is currently available for orthopedic patients in Southwest Florida, Blohm said it is the partnership with New York-based HSS, which he said has been ranked number one in the world for orthopedic care for the past 16 years.
“We’re elevating the experience and also the expertise for our patients, meaning there are no generalists in this facility,” Blohm said. “All of our surgeons have fellowship training, which is additional training to focus on their sub-specialty, such as knees or hips, or foot and ankle, hand, upper extremity, sports or spine. So, you are getting the surgeon that does only spine procedures, not the surgeon that does spine and elbow and knee.
“Having surgeons here that are hyper-focused on the types of surgeries they do just elevates the quality and level of care that we can provide. There are phenomenal orthopedic surgeons in this community; however, with our growing community and our active population, the need for specialists in the orthopedic realm is growing every day.”
Blohm also pointed out some of the special capabilities of the ambulatory surgical center, including the Arthrex-supported observation theater that looks into two operating rooms for educational purposes.
“We can also broadcast the cases that are going on in those operating rooms anywhere in the world,” Blohm said. “If one of our surgeons is presenting, they could be operating here in Naples and presenting in Germany.”
He said one of the most recent purchases is a minimally invasive spine robot — the first in
Collier County — and two joint replacement robots.
“Going beyond that, with our partnership with Arthrex, they have dedicated to us that we will be some of the first surgeons in the world to utilize any new technology or equipment they come out with,” Blohm said.
Arthrex’s role
Asked about the role Arthrex — a global medical device company and leader in new product development and medical education in orthopedics — is playing in the project, the company said in a written statement from Dennis O’Keefe, vice president of communications, that it “collaborated with HSS at NCH to help design and equip their operating rooms and procedure rooms with the most advanced and efficient technology in the world.”
Furthermore, “In addition to our surgical imaging and data integration technologies, Arthrex products and minimally invasive surgical techniques will also play a critical role in supporting the HSS at NCH team as they deliver care and offer the community access to the latest innovations,” O’Keefe said.
Regarding any designs or equipment that will be unique to HSS at NCH, O’Keefe’s statement described modular glass walls inside one of the operating rooms and two of the procedure rooms in the ambulatory surgical center “that include beautiful beach scenes of Southwest Florida.
“Aesthetics and functionality are combined in the glass and set new standards of hygiene, as well as generate a unique atmosphere. The surface of the glass is microscopically flat and free of pores, making it resistant to living organisms. The modular glass room system provides the highest hygiene standards.”
O’Keefe said this partnership is the first of its kind for Arthrex in Southwest Florida, and that education is at the core of it.
“Arthrex takes great pride in offering both physicians and surgical staff access to worldclass education and training opportunities on a regular basis,” he said in the statement. “Ultimately, we know that patients want to have their best chance for an optimal outcome, and
An artist’s view of the exterior of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH. Rendering courtesy NCH
LEFT: Justin Blohm, vice president, HSS at NCH, looks over the construction progress of the new Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH North Naples Hospital.
Photo by Liz Gorman
the level of education and training of the team will impact that. Locally, we have a dedicated team of Arthrex Technology Consultants for HSS at NCH that will provide surgical service support at the highest level.”
Asked if the Arthrex contributions to the project were donated by the company or paid for by NCH, and the approximate value/cost, the company declined to provide a cost estimate at this time but said in its statement that “services and equipment were purchased by NCH at a fair market value.”
Business model, remaining funding goals
With regard to the business model for the joint venture in HSS at NCH, both HSS in New York and NCH are nonprofits, but Blohm pointed out that the ambulatory surgical center — which he described as a “building within a building, with a dedicated entry and exit” — will operate as a for-profit entity.
“A lot of hospital systems are going to the ambulatory surgical center model as a way to diversify and to have new revenue streams with physician partners,” Blohm said.
Blohm described the ambulatory surgical center as “an investment opportunity” for HSS, NCH and physician investors to purchase shares in the entity. He said HSS will own 29% of the entity, NCH will own 31% and physician partners will own 40% of the entity.
“Initially we’ll have 10 physician partners, and as we recruit more orthopedic surgeons and as they begin building their practices, eventually they will have the opportunity to purchase shares in the ASC,” he said.
Asked about possible perceptions from patients that their physicians might want to recommend ambulatory surgery — where the patient typically goes home the same day — because of their financial interest in the center, Blohm said there will be strict guidelines on patient criteria for same-day surgery, and decisions will be made based on what is best for the patient.
For example, he said, it is typically for “very healthy patients, with low BMI [body mass in-
dex] and not many co-morbidities,” which occur when two or more medical conditions exist simultaneously in a patient.
“We [will] also disclose the physician’s ownership and investment in the ASC to all the patients,” Blohm said. “And a lot of it is dictated by insurance payors that are not providing inpatient stays for certain types of patients in certain types of cases. So, they are really also driving patients to the same-day ASC model, as well. But first and foremost is the patient, what is safe for the patient and what the best outcome will be for them.”
Blohm said much depends on whether or not a patient has someone to help them at home or to provide transportation for same-day surgery, which he said is increasing in popularity if patients meet the criteria.
“All over the country, ASCs are growing by leaps and bounds because patients love the opportunity to wake up in the morning, have surgery at 8 o’clock, and they’re back home recovering by 11 o’clock,” Blohm said. “It’s just a much better, more efficient process for surgery for the appropriate patient and appropriate types of surgeries.”
When it comes to total project costs, Blohm estimates that number at $140 million. And as The Naples Press previously reported, the Bakers’ initial $20 million challenge match was met this January.
According to NCH Chief Impact Officer Mara Hammond, NCH has raised $40.5 million from 272 donors to date of the $76 million in philanthropic funds needed for the project; she said the balance of non-philanthropic funding is from permanent bonds.
Hammond said in a written statement that a $7.5 million gift from The Kapnick Foundation, announced by HSS in late January, brought the total for the Baker challenge grant to $18.5 million.
“[Two] $1 million gifts, from Verne and Judy Istock and Paula Jo and Robert Boykin, pushed us over the finish line [for the match],” she said. “To continue momentum and strengthen community participation in this important project, Ann and Tom Stallkamp launched another challenge grant for gifts up to $50,000 each until their $1 million match is met, which has inspired more than 30 new donors to date.”
Timothy D. Hogan, D.M.D., T.J. Tejera, D.M.D., M.D., Bernardo F. Brasileiro, D.D.S., M.S.D., PhD, William M. Summey, D.D.S., Harvey S. Satz, D.M.D.
TWO NEW PRACTICES IN NAPLES AND MARCO ISLAND
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TIMOTHY D. HOGAN, DMD
• Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
• Fellow, American College of Dentists Fellow, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology
• Past President, Florida Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Past President, Florida Society of Dental Anesthesiology
• Past President, Lee County Dental Society
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BERNARDO F. BRASILEIRO, DDS, MSD, PhD
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WILLIAM M. SUMMEY, DDS
• Board Eligible Candidate, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Member, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• Past Vice-President & Treasurer, Miles for Smiles at UNC
Your support empowers us to transform lives and strengthen the mental well-being of those who need it most.
In 2024, your support helped us:
• Provide 349,000 lifesaving and life-changing services
• Reach 13,000 individuals through our education and prevention model
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A heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors for making this possible. Your dedication to our mission ensures that every individual, regardless of their ability to pay, can receive the care they deserve. Together, we are saving and changing lives in our community.
HARVEY S. SATZ, DMD
• Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
• Fellow, American College of Dentists
• Past President, Florida Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Past President, East Coast Dental Society
Established in 1965 as the first oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in Southwest Florida. Currently the largest oral surgery practice in Southwest Florida, we are continuing to expand to meet the growing needs in our community. From extractions and implants to TMJ and facial cosmetic surgery, we provide our patients with the highest level of quality care.
By Melanie Pefinis
At
and other such groups, vital in providing trustworthy property information.
With condominiums an attractive housing option in the Sunshine State, recent changes are shaping the landscape for consumers.
The 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida, near Miami, has influenced condo policy statewide. The passage of the SB4-D Building Safety Bill in 2022 dictates new guidelines for the construction and upkeep of condominium structures. It is important to note the passage mentioning condo associations and cooperative associations in understanding options available to condo residents.
Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel, a NABOR member and real estate developer, offers some insight.
“The need for an informed population is crucial,” he said. “We are familiar with HOAs [homeowners associations] but a sense of uni-
REAL ESTATE
McDaniel: New condo law makes civic engagement vital
ty that comes from establishing a community association” offers residents a critical means of participation.
McDaniel explained that while HOAs oversee disparate occupants, a community organization broadens the participation for all residents within the vicinity to know about and participate in issues concerning their communities.
SB4-D requires residential condo associations to complete studies to determine a prudent structural integrity reserve for all buildings above three stories. The bill also stipulates that condos need to have enough in their reserves to also cover major repairs if necessary. It also requires a survey to be conducted every 10 years. These surveys could result in higher assessment fees, which will be borne by owners to fund the necessary reserves.
With these new requirements that affect residents, civic engagement is more important now than ever. McDaniel explained that a civic association can act as a unified group for all community issues, even separate buildings within the same complex.
“Unlike HOAs, civic associations offer more grassroots, more civic participation,” said McDaniel, who founded a civic association at Ave Maria last year to unify its residents. “If you don’t express your opinions, nothing gets done. With these, you have a place to be discontented and voice why you are disgruntled. You can discuss all the issues facing
your community.”
This helps with wants and needs, and forestalls the notion that an outside entity will resolve all the issues.
“Participation is key to change,” McDaniel said. “With some communities there are numerous HOAs, but it is a bunch of fragmented voices. There is need for the community to have a voice.”
With some communities consisting of numerous subdivisions, there often is difficulty communicating from one to another, even with issues affecting the entire neighborhood.
“This way, communities can come together and know where to turn with questions,” McDaniel said.
NABOR President Terrilyn Van Gorder stressed the importance of familiarizing oneself with community issues and changes brought about by SB4-D. As a broker for John R. Wood Properties, she said, “I make it a habit to also check with a development’s clubhouse operator to find out what’s included in monthly fees and whether there are any major renovations planned in the near future that could result in a member dues increase.”
This idea of an informed population will help ease the transition of SB4-D as we see changes in the condo climate in Southwest Florida.
“It is important to have an educated populace,” McDaniel said. “Civic engagement and awareness are important.”
THE BILL, ENACTED IN MAY 2022:
Building Safety; Providing that the entire roofing system or roof section of certain existing buildings or structures does not have to be repaired, replaced or recovered in accordance with the Florida Building Code under certain circumstances; requiring condominium associations and cooperative associations to have milestone inspections performed on certain buildings at specified times; authorizing local enforcement agencies to prescribe timelines and penalties relating to milestone inspections; revising the types of records that constitute the official records of a condominium association; prohibiting certain members and associations from waiving or reducing reserves for certain items after a specified date, etc.
ASK A REALTOR
With each issue of The Naples Press that includes a real estate page, we will ask a Realtor a question about issues of the day. For this edition, we spoke to Mike Concilla, managing principal in the Naples office of LQ Commercial Real Estate Services.
Why does retail tenant interest seem to be waning?
This is largely due to (a) lack of quality vacancies/not enough being built, and (b) occupancy cost increases (example: CAM, a.k.a. common area maintenance).
As a tenured retail commercial real estate expert in Southwest Florida, I can confidently assert that tenant interest is experiencing significant headwinds due to two primary factors: appropriately priced quality vacancy inventory and escalating occupancy costs.
In Southwest Florida’s current market, quality retail spaces are becoming increasingly scarce. New construction has been tepid, partly due to heightened development costs, stringent lending environments and economic uncertainties. Developers are more risk-averse, leading to limited speculative retail building. Consequently, desirable properties with optimal locations, modern amenities and appropriate square footage are rare commodities, at the price most retailers can afford.
Common area maintenance expenses have surged, driven by several factors. Rising property insurance premiums in our hurricane-prone region, increased mainte-
nance costs and overall inflationary pressures are pushing CAM rates to unprecedented levels. Some properties are experiencing CAM increases of 15-25% annually, which materially impacts tenant profit margins. E-commerce competition is also changing consumer behaviors, and the need for adaptable spaces is making traditional retail tenants more selective. They’re seeking locations that offer not just physical space, but strategic advantages: high foot traffic, complementary co-tenanc, and the ability to offer online and brick-andmortar sales in a single location.
Naples, Fort Myers and Sarasota are experiencing these impacts. While population growth continues attracting retailers, the combination of limited quality vacancies and rising occupancy costs is creating a complex rental environment.
Landlords and developers must innovate, offering more competitive lease structures, investing in property modernization and creating more attractive, flexible retail environments to stimulate tenant interest and overcome these market constraints.
Concilla has lived in Naples since 2008 and has been involved with Collier County commercial real estate since then. He’s been in the commercial real estate industry more than 30 years. Concilla can be reached at 239-823-9882 or mconcilla@lqcre.com.
Bill McDaniel
Mike Concilla
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A rts & LEISURE
2
Ongoing events
‘Tainted Love’
7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through Feb. 9 at Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden GateCommunity Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway. The Studio Players’ production of a truthtelling comedy that can get a bit hair-raising when four women gather, ostensibly to christen a new gazebo,but with a little wine and time, things begin to come out. $35 at 239.398.9192 or $37.75 at ticketleap.com
‘The Lehman Trilogy’ 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 16 in the Struthers Studio theater at Gulfshore Playhouse, 100 GoodletteFrank Road., Naples. Following the rise of one of America’s most powerful businesses, founded by three penniless immigrants who came to the New World. $40-124. gulfshoreplayhouse.org
‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ Various times WednesdaysSaturdays through Feb. 16 at Kizzie Theatre at the Sugden, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. The Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” starts to go wrong before the curtain even opens — and goes on a fast ride downhill from there, with falling sets, botched lines, a corpse that keeps resurrecting and more. $50-$55. naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
Matisse at NAI
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays Jan. 18 through April 13 at Naples Art Institute, 795 Park Ave., Naples. “Art in Balance: Matisse and His Illustrated Works” features a selection of over 140 works that reveal Henri Matisse’s genius as a printmaker and his unique approach to composition, color, and form. Spanning from the late 1930s through his final years $15, $10 members. naplesart.org or 239.262.6517
‘Transparency’ at Art Center
9 a.m.-4 p.m. MondaysFridays through Feb. 25 at Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. “Transparency” delves into the visual and conceptual impact of light passing through materials, transforming how we perceive color, form, and texture. The show features works by six artists. Free. marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
Paul Arsenault retrospective 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 15 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Perhaps no one has seen as much of Collier County as artist Paul Arsenault, whose exhibition there, “Reflections of South Florida: A 50-Year Art Adventure,” chronicles its memorable places and people. Free. themihs.info/museum or 239.389.6447
This weekend (Feb. 7, 8, 9)
Forever Fabulous Women
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at Vineyards Country Club, 400 Vineyards Blvd., Naples. Hollywood stylist Brenda Cooper, Emmy winner for her TV show fashions, speaks on dressing to be “Forever Fabulous”
CALENDAR
CARS TO EAT UP
10 a.m.-4 p. m. Feb. 8 Fifth Avenue South and tributary streets, downtown Naples. There are elegant old touring cars, funky little twoseaters from the ‘50s, Silver Shadows and this luscious metallic grape gullwing Mercedes. Cars on Fifth is the largest single event on Fifth Avenue annually, drawing thousands of visitors and more than 700 antique, rare, sports and contemporary innovative cars. There are food trucks in Cambier Park and for those who want more, a VIP Scuderia within the baseball diamond at Cambier Park west, with cars not elsewhere in the show, plus food and entertainment. All proceeds benefit St. Matthew’s House and its programs for the homeless. $40, $10 ages 4-15; $200 for the VIP Scuderia. NOTE: Don’t try to park here unless you like a lot of walking. The Collier County Government Center at 3299 Tamiami Trail E. offers free parking in its garage and continuous free shuttles to Fifth Avenue.
in a fundraiser for St. Matthew’s House. The event includes luncheon, talk, style demonstrations from St. Matthew’s House boutique, fashion show, book. It is aligned with the weekend Naples Automotive Experience. $500. naplesautomotiveexperience.org
The Ultimate Garage Tour with Jay Leno
Noon-3 p.m. Feb. 7 at Ultimate Garages, 3101 Terrace Ave., Naples. Mingle with Jay Leno among a curated group of exclusive cars; food and beverages and live and silent auctions $1,000 . naplesautomotiveexperience.org
Jetport Reception for Cars on Fifth
6 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Northern Jet Hangar, 2345 Tower Drive, Naples. A lineup of rare and exclusive cars, jets, food and entertainment to benefit St. Matthew’s House. $500. naplesautomotiveexperience.org
Legends Concert Series
6–10 p.m. Feb. 7 at City Gate at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3920 City Gate Blvd. N., Naples. Enjoy as The Maxwell Mortgage Legends perform a tribute concert from music by The Eagles and Chicago. Free parking. $43$132.25. playparadisecoast.com or 209.442.3155
Winter Chamber Ensembles Concert
4 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Ubben Event Space behind The Baker Museum at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd. Chamber ensembles of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra play winter music favorites. Free admission. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Mansions for the ruff life
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Ritz Tiburón, 2620 Tiburon Drive, Naples. Architect-designed dog houses in forms like island cottages; luxe high-rises like the “Fur Seasons” and “Puppy Ritzidence” are for auction at SNIP Collier’s second annual gala.Proceeds benefit SNIP Collier, which operates low-cost spay/neuter clinics; reports chained dogs, a practice that is illegal in Collier County; rescues abandoned and neglected animals; and offers education programs on animal welfare. Tickets are $200 at barkandbuild.org. Photos of the doghouses are available on the website and the houses are at their sponsors’ businesses. barkandbuild. org
Scene to Be Seen
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Naples Grande, 475 Seagate Drive, Naples. Naples Art Institute’s “Scene to Be Seen” fashion show, its annual fundraiser, features a runway show of original, eye-catching fashion you’ll never see in a mall store window. There’s an afterparty for an up-close viewing of the creations. $200; $700 for VIP runway box seats.
Venturino’s Comedy Night
7 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. Larry Venturino and four comedians promise something to tickle everyone’s funny bone in a night of comedy and improv. $25 at eventbrite.com
Naples Dixieland Jazz Band
2-4 p.m. Feb. 9 at Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S. It’s toe-tapping time with the Naples Dixieland Jazz Band, with old favorites and some new tunes given a fresh Dixieland style. Freewill offering. Bring seating.
Barry Manilow music concert
7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. Mark Sanders sings “One Voice: The Music of Barry Manilow,” reprising the singer-songwriter’s hits like “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” “Can’t Live Without You” and more. $30 at eventbrite.com
Cars on Fifth
10 a.m.-4 p. m. Feb. 8 on Fifth Avenue South and tributary streets, downtown Naples. Cars on Fifth is the largest single event on Fifth Avenue annually, drawing thousands of visitors and more than 700 antique, rare, sports and contemporary innovative cars. There are food trucks in Cambier Park; advance reservations are recommended at restaurants in the Fifth Avenue area. The VIP Scuderia, a tented area within the baseball diamond at Cambier Park west, features a line-up of cars not elsewhere in the show, plus food and entertainment. All proceeds benefit St. Matthew’s House and its programs for the homeless. $40, $10 ages 4-15; $200 for the VIP Scuderia Jazzmasters concert
2 p.m. Feb. 8 at River Park Community Center, 301 11th St. N., Naples. Solid Dixieland and jazz from local musicians. Freewill offering.
and Askar Salimdjanov, violin, and Tamila Salimdjanova, piano, in a series of duets by composers from Sarasate to Shostakovich. Aligned with art by Ying McLane. $45 with refreshments, at artsplanetnaples. org. Information at 239.465.8132
‘A Cracker at the Ritz’ 7 p.m. Feb. 11 and 25 at Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. Comedy team Compton & Bennett in Southwest Florida’s longest running musical, taking on Florida natives, Florida tourists and anyone else in their way with skits and pop music parodies. $35 plus fee at eventbrite.com
Talk: ‘The Expanding Presidential Powers’ 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, at The Village Spot, 3150 Village Walk Circle, Naples. Bob Levy, chairman emeritus of the Cato Institute, will discuss “The Expansion & Limitation of Executive Power”: hiring and firing department heads, recess appointments, issuing executive orders, tariffs and reining in an administration against the backdrop of a new president who wants to concentrate power in the White House and impose limits on regulatory agencies. The dinner and talk are sponsored by the Center for Critical Thinking. $39.95 at eventbrite.com
Pops Series:
Best of Sci-Fi, Fantasy 7: 30 p.m Feb. 11-14 and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly of the Naples Philharmonic and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus are joined by narrator John de Lancie, known for his role as Q in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to play music from classic sci-fi and fantasy films and television. $70 - $106. artisnaples. org or 239.597.1900.
Camerata plays Bach, more
4 p.m. Feb. 9 at St.John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Park Shore Drive, Naples. The chamber ensemble plays music from Purcell, Bach and Mozart, oboist Andrew Snedeker, violinists Zachary DePue and Daniela Shtereva and violist Michael Strauss. $55. cameratanaples.org
‘Man in Black’ tribute
8 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Shawn Barker performs songs from Johnny Cash, including “Folsom Prison Blues, “I Walk The Line,” and “Ring of Fire” complete with a full band. Barker has performed over 1,000 shows in 12 countries. $65. casino.hardrock. com.
Mozart 4 – 6 p.m. Feb. 9 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Park Shore Drive. Listen to the orchestral music from Mozart in a sinfonia concertante. $55. cameratanaples. org.
Next week (Feb. 10-13)
Valentine Duet Serenade
5 p.m. Feb. 10 at Larimart Art Gallery, 2359 Vanderbilt Blvd., Suite 410, Naples. Arts Planet Naples presents Daniela Shtereva
Sunset Wednesdays 5 – 8 p.m. Feb. 12, 19 and 26 at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples. Extended Wednesday hours in February offer a cool evening in the garden with the Naples sunset against the backdrop of thousands of tropical plants. Created especially for adults with cocktail scavenger hunts, paint and sip sessions, corsage making and more. Fogg Café will be open late for dinner and drinks. The Berger Shop in the Garden also offers extended hours. $27, free for members. naplesgarden.org or 239.642.7275
Author talk at First Presbyterian 10 a.m. Feb. 12 at First Presbyterian Church of Naples, 250 Sixth St. S., Naples. The Rev. Dr. Ronald C. White, author of two New York Times bestselling presidential biographies, will speak on “Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom for Today.” Wednesday’s programs will include a book signing. Free. fpcnaples.org or 239.262.1311
Orchid show primer 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Naples Conference Center, 1455 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. A talk on “Show ‘em where you grow ‘em” will offer points for successfully growing orchids in Southwest Florida. The evening, part of the monthly meeting of the Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance will include about 100 blooming orchids brought by members for judging and awards. Guests are welcome. gulfcoastorchids.org
This grape-purple Mercedes is just one of the amazing automotive creations at Cars on Fifth Feb. 8. Photo by Harriet Howard Heithaus
COVER STORY
HOLIDAYS AND OTHER SPECIAL DAYS
Distinctive ways to show your love on Valentine’s Day
By Ed Scott ed.scott@naplespress.com
Every year, several days after the Super Bowl and before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, American men survey their flatscreen televisions and see lots of red in the commercials they watch.
“It can’t still be Christmas?” they ask. No, the red suits with white fur trim were packed away with Rudolph’s nose. Now these men are scurrying about online, looking for Valentine’s Day gifts — candy, chocolate, roses, Hallmark cards, anything with packaging adorned in cherry red, the more specific and equally enticing shade associated with the Feb. 14 holiday.
But after that gift is ordered online, a new question pops into their relaxing minds: What goes well with red?
One option is to scan through their computers’ inboxes for last-minute ideas. That’s what we did.
Valentine’s Day Pop-up
Celebrate the Season of Love with a Valentine’s Day “pop-up” at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort, 9891 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples.
The event features exclusive shopping, photobooth opportunities, a Lallier Champagne cart and sweet treats (we did mention candy). Local brands and designers are featured. Leave golf clubs in the trunk, unless she plays too.
For those eager to take the plunge, figuratively and literally, LaPlaya offers proposal packages and beachside dining.
Find out more at laplayaresort. com
Night tours at Corkscrew Swamp
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is an important area for birds, part of the Atlantic Flyway for migration, and is the gateway site for the southwest region of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
So what does that have to do with romance, you ask?
Couples, or anyone for that matter, can enjoy a night in the swamp — the Sanctuary is located at 375 Sanctuary Road, Naples — on this Audubon Naturalist-guided walk that brings you “into the swamp when the nocturnal animals are out and vocal, and on a clear night the night sky is especially nice here,” according to the sanctuary’s website. “You never know what you will hear or see on a visit to Corkscrew Sanctuary, but a night visit should bring the sounds of calling insects, possibly owls and alligators and most likely a surprise or two! You will also learn about the nocturnal biodiversity of the swamp and adaptations that enable nocturnal wildlife to thrive.”
Nocturnal biodiversity? That sounds romantic.
Find out more at corkscrew. audubon.org
Valentine’s Day Bundle
For those who prefer to keep their
Photos by Liz Gorman
romantic life somewhere between the beach and the swamp, 810 Billiards & Bowling, located at 10801 Corkscrew Road, Suite 50, in Estero, is offering a Valentine’s Day Bundle for couples and groups. The package includes two hours of bowling, unlimited fountain drinks and party platters that feature many of the kitchen’s most popular items, including pizza, wings, chicken tenders, fries, bangin’ shrimp, quesadillas, burgers, Southwest egg rolls, pub pretzels and more. (Its email message did not mention candy, but we presume the building has machines for that.)
“A romantic, candlelight dinner
isn’t for everyone, especially on Valentine’s Day when restaurants are typically crowded,” Joe Beach, 810’s general manager, wrote. Reservations are required for the Valentine’s Day Bundle at 810, “so you know you won’t have to wait and you’re guaranteed to have a fun time.”
The old saying is “No shoes, no service.” Not to worry. Shoe rental is included in the Bundle. Find out more at 810bowling. com/estero-fl
Romance without strikes and spares
If a romantic, candlelight dinner is for you, we called around and suggest Caffe Milano, Osteria Tulia, The French, Warren of Naples, Bistro La Baguette, The Real Macaw, Lamoraga, Aqua North, Truluck’s and Bar Tulia, among many other restaurants, for Valentine’s Day. (Be sure to call for reservations.)
Valentine’s Day is local, global
The holiday is celebrated in 30 countries across the globe, so why not share in that spirit? Consider purchasing fine art for your loved one with a gift from East West Fine Art, 9118 Strada Place #8130, Naples.
Owned by East West founder Olga Arkhangelskaya and her daughter Leeza, the gallery specializes in contemporary international artists, with a focus on Russian and Eastern European fine art. They invite customers to “show adoration for your loved one with small, heart-warming gifts from our artists.”
Olga Arkhangelskaya has been the director of East West Fine Art since 2000, nearly a decade after Valentine’s Day was introduced in Russia. But the country caught on fast. Nowadays, Russian children exchange valentines, and giving flowers on special occasions is considered a romantic gesture in Russian culture. “Red roses are a symbol of passionate love and romance,” the website masterrussian.com says. “They are the most popular flowers on St. Valentine’s Day.”
Buy your tickets now Willie Nelson sang “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die.” Men who feel like they are with that person now might consider taking her to see Willie Nelson & Family perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 13 at Seminole Center Outdoors, 506 1st St. in Immokalee. Remaining tickets begin at $90. Hear Nelson play and sing hits from a playlist that could include “Always on My Mind,” “On the Road Again” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” among many others. At 91, Nelson has lived long enough to have written several autobiographies and have eight children (and three ex-wives). Some may be on hand — the act is billed as “Willie Nelson & Family,” after all.
Valentine’s Day Eve is a good time to hear Nelson sing, especially if you love his music. Buy your tickets now. Just remember, if you go, step out for popcorn when he sings “Good Hearted Woman.”
OUT & ABOUT
The Naples Art District opens studio doors Thursday and Saturday afternoons, during which visitors can meet artists, watch art work come to life and learn about the artists ’ creative process.
Photography by Liz Gorman
You’re cordially invited to an evening of enchantment and elegance at the Once Upon a Dream Gala. Join us for a night where dreams take flight, featuring exquisite dining, mesmerizing entertainment, and a chance to make a difference.
Dream big, dress splendidly, and prepare for an unforgettable night!
Beth Schroeder adds a finishing touch to one of her handprinted silk pieces at her gallery space. The scene in one of the gallery spaces that make up the Naples Art District. Artists welcome visitors to explore their work with wine and snacks.
Jeanni Burgwald, Leigh Herndon, Judy Buchwald
Kristi Phildius creates housewares, such as mirrors and frames, using seashells.
Denise Reilly in front of her paintings Waldi Dybas in front of his epoxy artwork depicting tropical and celestial scenes.
Donna Hope in front of her paintings. Many of her pieces are also available to be purchased on clothing, such as leggings and tote bags.
‘The Rink’ puts familial conflict, neighborhood evolution on wheels
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
The intrigue:
“The Rink,” which opens at TheatreZone this week, is a familiar story about the struggle to move from validating our own hurt to healing it, seen in a reconciliation bedeviled by Anna’s anger at her daughter’s abandonment and Angel’s equal ire at her mother’s treatment.
To stir the pot is a situation familiar to Collier County: Anna is about to sell a local landmark, the roller rink she owns, to developers planning something huge and soulless. And many of Angel’s childhood joys are tied up in that rink.
The influencers:
The musical is by Broadway alchemists John Kander and Fred Ebb (“Cabaret,” “Chicago”), who wrote the music and lyrics. It has an equally impressive scriptwriter in Terrence McNally (“Ragtime” “Master Class”), known as a playwright who avoided cardboard characters in his librettos.
The piece de resistance:
Six demolition workers in the play find a box of skates in the arena Anna owns and do their own comic chorus line, gliding hilariously around the stage to the title song.
TheatreZone’s second offering of its 20th season lives up to its promise to unearth hidden gems, and this one requires an industrial-strength cast: Their role models from the 1984 Broadway play are Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli. The two actresses playing the combative mother and daughter, Anna and Angel, are onstage for nearly the entire play.
“I have one three-minute break in the first scene and one in the second,” said Karen Molnar, who plays Anna, her first in-depth character in seven years. It’s one Mark Danni, her husband, convinced her to do.
The standoff between Anna and Angel is an emotionally hard role.
“I’m so mean to her. I can’t even imagine why she comes back,” she declared. “It’s been very hard finding a balance of not coming across too ghastly because the script is written very harshly.”
Sarah Ganey, who plays Angel, agrees that her character minces few words, as well: “They’re probably really likable characters,” she explained. “Just not in this moment.”
Anna has agreed to demolish and sell the rink, and her daughter’s sudden return after seven years’ estrangement has shot nails into her balloon. Their disagreement over the decision plays against the backdrop of the neighborhood and history of which Anna’s Italian family is a part. Characters such as Anna’s husband, who left her; the local priest, Father Rocco; Lenny, the carnival ride owner who loves the oblivious Anna; a suspect uncle aptly named Fausto; local dowagers and more — all have their own perspectives on every stick of the rink and its neighboring boardwalk.
They’re played by a troupe of six male actors known as The Wreckers, because unified they are the demolition team. They jump out of character to play the other parts — including the female roles. They are actually the only ones who roller-skate.
“I literally have not put on roller skates since 1992,” conceded Adolpho Blaire, “so I’m holding on.” He added, with a touch of pride, “I’ve learned to stop.” Mason Hensley, a fellow wrecker, was luckier. He had actually been roller skating last autumn with friends at a Brooklyn rink,
Xanadu, and performed on skates for a production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” As soon as he was issued his wheels for this play, he began doing some practice turns.
Because of the size of the stage, proficiency is critical; the group has been rehearsing in rooms marked with tape and with a firm order not to skate an inch beyond them. They remember director Danni commenting after one
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 16
Where: G&L Theatre at The Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Road Admission:
lapse, “You know you just skated into the audience.”
Neither Blair nor Hensley were closely familiar with its melodies: “I’d heard one of the duets before, ‘The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far,’” Hensley offered. But the music in this case is more organic, setting its lyrics to the plot rather than aiming for a Top 40 cover. It has a good friend in the music director, Keith Thompson, who has
Sunday, March 16, 2025
worked on Broadway and toured with productions such as “The Jersey Boys” for decades.
“It’s quintessential Broadway,” Blaire said. “On one hand, it feels very much like a Broadway musical — it’s got two diva leading ladies. It’s got that quintessential Broadway score by Kander and Ebb. It has things like roller skating. It’s got laughs, sentiment and just everything.
“But at the same time, it’s a play that Terrence McNally has written, so, although the music definitely propels the story, you could actually, in many places, take the music away and just do it as a play and it would work very well.”
Neither Ganey nor Molnar have to skate in their parts, but they do get to dance together for one of their favorite numbers, “Wallflower.” Ganey said she’s happy to stay off the skates. But Molnar, like Angel, remembers a childhood on four wheels.
“I used to be a really good roller skater back in the day. That’s what we did on Friday nights — went to the roller palace,” Molnar said.
She’s certain she won’t be the only one in the theater who can say that this week and next.
From left: Gianni Saverio, Will Knoop, Jackson Mattek and Hugo Moreno don roller skates for their performance in “The Rink.” Photos by Liz Gorman
Mason Hensley works on keeping his balance on wheels while rehearsing for TheatreZone’s production of “The Rink.”
A chance in a lifetime: Naples resident builds flag for President Trump
By Alexandra Cavalier
Working with a charity could lead to a big opportunity.
For Naples woodcarver Michael Artman, that opportunity was to make a personalized, handcrafted flag for President Donald Trump.
Rockin’ with the Seals is a nonprofit that benefits veterans and their families.
Artman, 53, has been working with the charity for two years after reconnecting with a childhood friend who is involved with the organization. He took up his woodcarving hobby around the same time.
“I’m the type of person that when I see something, I can do it no matter what it is,” Artman said. “I saw a picture of a flag. I said, ‘I want to do this,’ and I built one. It’s progressively gotten better over the years.”
Since he started, he’s built more than 30 flags for Rockin’ with the Seals, including one for an event in April of last year at a Trump property in West Palm Beach.
“The night before the charity got together with the Gold Star families, they [Rockin’ with the Seals] had a dinner at the Mar-a-Lago [Club] and Trump came down, spoke to families and they asked him if he would sign the flag that I built,” he said. “So, the next morning, they [attendees] all met at Trump International [Golf Club in West Palm Beach]. Trump signed everything. When he saw the flag, he said, “There’s no way I’m signing it. I want it. How much is it?’” Artman, however, wouldn’t let
Trump buy the flag. Instead, he opted for a stipulation: Trump would be gifted the flag if Artman’s family had a meet and greet.
After the assassination attempt against Trump in July, Rockin’ with the Seals decided they wanted to give Trump a more personalized gift. Artman had full creative control.
The “first-ever fight flag,” named because of its combination of the American and President’s flag, is 72-
by-43 inches. It was made from cherry, spruce, select pine and two-byfour wood, bought from the Home Depot two miles from Artman’s house.
“Right after he [Trump] got shot, I had the scene seed (emblem of Trump with fist in the air), so I figured I could break the flag up,” he said. “So, I sewed two flags together to make it one so it would be one flag, because it’s kind of more
personal to him.”
Another distinctive touch is the coins that line the top of the flag’s frame. The coins represent a different part of Trump’s first presidency, including the G7 and G20 summit, Goya Foods, the New Jersey State Police Inauguration, COVID-19, Air Force One, Pac Force (a pro-Donald Trump group that was largely funded by Elon Musk) and the White House.
The coins were sourced from all over the world, the COVID-19 coin coming from Jerusalem.
It took Artman longer to find the coins than to build the flag itself. It took him only 35 hours to make the flag.
In early January, Artman, his wife Laura and son Justin went back to Trump International to deliver Trump his unique gift.
“He [Trump] was cool,” Artman said. “He wasn’t like how he is on TV. He came up and talked to you like
a regular person.”
A video recording was taken of the unveiling. In the video, Trump shook every family member’s hand and complimented the flag. When the recording stopped is when Trump made a real impression.
“The video cuts off and he [Trump] goes to walk out the door, and he turned around and he came back,” Artman said. “When he came back, he shook everybody’s hand again and said, ‘This will look good in the Oval Office.’”
On this day trip, Artman’s woodcarving skills made an impression on celebrities, including Sylvester Stallone, who asked Artman for his own individualized flag.
Artman’s wife Laura says she’s proud of her husband.
“I was [also] very proud to meet him [Trump],” she said. “It’s a chance in a lifetime that I’d ever get to meet the President of the United States.”
Michael Artman, a Naples woodcarver who created a piece of art for the White House, (photo right) meets President Trump. Submitted
Kava trend growing; socialize and get a booze-free buzz
By Jean Amodea
“Everything old is new again.” The lyrics by Barenaked Ladies aptly describe the revival of a centuries-old tradition of imbibing kava.
If you want to kick back and meet or make friends — but coffee shops and the attendant caffeine rush, and bars serving mind-numbing, speech-slurring alcohol, are stimulants you want to avoid — there is another option.
Local kava bars offer a chill experience in a convivial environment where you can get a buzz of sorts — at least a good head and body feel — that lasts several hours without impairing cognitive function.
Kava is a beverage made from a plant originating in the South Pacific islands. Kava, or Piper methysticum, translated as “intoxicating pepper” or “bitter root,” and kratom leaves, known as botanical teas, were used in ceremonial and social settings due to their mellow-mood-producing properties.
Natives of Fiji and elsewhere ground the dried kava root into a powder, mixed it with water and traditionally served it in a coconut shell, often with the Fijian greeting “Bula,” meaning hello or welcome.
The Naples Press spoke with a trio of local kava business owners, each of whom stressed the importance of educating consumers about the earthy-tasting brew.
Alchemist Kava
Ashley Giannone, owner of Alchemist Kava, opened in July 2023 and offered a primer on kava and kratom.
“Kava contains six kavalactones, active compounds that activate GABA receptors, promoting relaxation, improved mood, better sleep and relief from inflammation and anxiety,” Giannone said. “Kratom is from Southeast Asia and is used as an herbal remedy for pain relief, fatigue and ceremonial purposes. It is made by harvesting and brewing the plant’s leaves into a tea, either from crushed leaves or powder.
“There are three main kratom strains: The white vein is energizing, the green vein is mood-enhancing and the red vein is relaxing, all determined by the age of the plant when harvested. Kratom contains more than 40 alkaloids, with two primary ones that interact with opioid receptors in the brain to reduce cortisol levels, enhance mood and promote relaxation or energy, depending on the strain.”
During the day, the Kava bar strives to balance productivity and connection; it’s a laidback space where people can work, study or hang out. Patrons range in age from 5 to 75, including parents and their children, golfers after a round on the course, students and working professionals. After 6 p.m., the vibe shifts to more of a community space with daily events that foster a sense of connection and involvement.
“My husband, Vincent, and I became kava enthusiasts in early 2017,” Giannone said. “We were originally into craft beer, but as full-time professionals pursuing our master’s degrees, we discovered kava bars were perfect to get work done while relaxing. The atmosphere and the ability to enjoy kava and other botanicals
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From Brahms to Stravinsky
7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Daniels Pavilion at Artis–Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd. , Naples. Pianist Anna Geniushene performs in the Grand Piano Series, offering from Brahms preludes to Verdi, Kreisler readings of Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. $59. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Willie Nelson and family
8 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Music from the founder of Farm Aid and the
while staying focused resonated with us.”
The décor draws inspiration from the alchemy of the Middle Ages, blending Giannone’s passion for history with the bar’s identity.
“The logo features a kavalactone molecule, connecting the science of kava to the transformative nature of alchemy with drink names inspired by alchemical terms,” she said. “Art by locals adorns the walls, and long tables for work or gameplay are available. We brew kava ahead of time, and when a ‘Signature Elixir’ is ordered, our kava tenders prepare the drink like a craft cocktail, minus the booze, resulting in a unique, flavorful experience that mimics a cocktail with the benefits of botanicals.”
Alchemist Kava offers monthly events such as bingo, magic night, trivia, karaoke and an art club.
Naples Nectar Lab
Native Neapolitan Drew Gendron, founder and CEO of Naples Nectar Lab, was a business law major at the University of Miami. While playing sports, he suffered a ligament injury that would eventually lead to his opening Naples Nectar Lab in 2020. Gendron said that his business was the first to offer kava in Naples.
“While healing from my injury, I visited a kava bar and did schoolwork,” Gendron said. “It gave me a calming and relaxing effect, but the taste was not much more than the plant mixed with water. I thought offering a good-tasting kava would be a great option in Naples, which did not have much going on after midnight. The place would offer a safe, healthy and welcoming environment for socializing with non-alcoholic and non-sugary beverage options. I opened [it] as a space to unwind, connect and experience the unique benefits of natural plant-based drink.”
Today, Gendron operates two Naples locations and one in Fort Myers, and plans to open a fourth in Fort Lauderdale.
All ages are welcome, with a decidedly younger set after dark. In the style of Art Deco, Nectar Labs meets modern tradition with a South Pacific blend. Features including neon signs, surround sound and lighting that control the vibe
songwriter who wrote “Night Life,” “On the Road Again” and “Crazy.” He had a major hit with “You Were Always On My Mind.” $59-$149. ticketmaster.com or 239.658.1313
Next weekend (Feb. 14-16)
An Evening in Naples, Italy
7 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. The Carl Granieri Orchestra and Voyces deliver romantic favorites from a romantic country, including “That’s Amore,” “The Prayer” and “Al-Di-La”as well as two originals by Granieri. $40-$5 at eventbrite.com
share space with natural elements such as grass and butcher block.
“At Naples Nectar Lab, we take the safety of our patrons seriously,” Gendron said. “We source the kava from Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, where we import the Vanuatu strain. It is put through our kneading process, to which we add our own concoction to increase its effects. We make sure that when we receive shipments, they are lab-certified and clean, without diseases and at the right potency levels.”
Gendron also makes his “Kula” kava and kratom seltzers available in many convenience stores across Southwest Florida and online (kulacan.com).
Kava Luv Social Lounge
Savanah Martinez, director of marketing, said Kava Luv serves house-made cold brew, traditional tea and shell beverages.
“CEO and owner Michael Hamwey worked in the mortgage field and used to visit a local coffee bar in the area,” Martinez said. “He loved the kava concept, and when it became available, he jumped at the opportunity to assume operations. Since 2020, two locations have opened, the latest in March, with plans to open in Fort Myers.”
Kava Luv offers a modern bar ambiance with marble-topped counters and leather stools, earth tones, natural flooring and windows that open to the outdoors. Large modular couches, four television monitors and table space for video game consoles or workstations are available while sipping kava or teas.
“While kava comes in powdered form or extracts and shots, Kratom, the botanical teas, have different veins: White is energy, yellow is focus, green is euphoric and red is relaxing,” Martinez said. “Green is a good introductory strain and is well-balanced between them all, leaving you feeling focused, uplifted and sociable.
“Concoct your own drinks with 10 to 15 flavors and six or seven juice options. We brew everything in-house by specific temperature standards and carry traditional teas, cold brew and
Live @ The Cove
5-8 p.m. Feb. 15 at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd N., Naples. Enjoy live music from rock band Dino Trio. Various food trucks and drink specials. Free admission. playparadisecoast.com
Top 40 tribute at fundraiser 5-9 p.m. Feb. 15 at Island Country Club, 500 Nassau Road., Marco Island. Join the Marco Island Center for the Arts at its “Oh What a Night: Dinner and a Show” annual fundraiser. This years’s gala includes music from The Beatles, Eagles, Queen and more. $250. marcoislandart.org
A SAMPLING OF KAVA BARS
7550 Mission Hills Drive, Ste. 310, Naples (corner of Collier Blvd. and Vanderbilt Beach Road)
Happy hour: 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; noon-3 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12 a.m. Saturdays, buy one, get one and $1 off shots; noon-3 p.m. Sundays, 50% off shots
Prices: $6 shots; $13 to $16 specialty drinks Contact: kavaluv.com or 239.963.9133; pet-friendly
Events: 7 p.m. February 22 kava pong tournament, $15 buy-in with a cash prize; 7-10 p.m. March 5 Wellness Wednesday vendor market; 1575 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 5, Naples
HOT TICKET
ONE OF MOZART’S MIGHTIEST
4 p.m. Feb. 9 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Park Shore Drive, Naples. Zachary DePue, concertmaster for the Naples Philharmonic, teams up with Michael Strauss, viola, and the Camerata of Naples for a major Mozart work, the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola. Other works include Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C Minor, with Andrew Snedeker on oboe and Daniela Shtereva on violin. $55 at cameratanaples.org
Sugarshack Downtown music venue goes live
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Making history in a historic spot, the new Sugarshack Downtown recently took the stage in Southwest Florida.
Following a series of private invitation-only events, the live music venue with a full-service restaurant and bars launched Jan. 31 across Old 41 Road from Bonita Spring’s Riverside Park bandshell. A grand opening celebration is planned in February.
Established 11 years ago, Sugarshack Music Channel on Facebook has more than half a million subscribers for its international acoustic music series, Sugarshack Sessions, shot live in Bonita. The creative team behind the legendary video platforms builds on its phenomenal success with a new state-of-the-art experience in an ultra-cool setting with musicians live on stage. The vibrant entertainment destination includes a full-service restaurant with more than 260 seats, two full bars and a retail shop for Sugarshack merchandise at 27421 Old 41 Road, less than 2 miles north of the Lee-Collier county line.
Sugarshack Downtown features lunch and dinner daily with live music at least five days a week, in a music-centric venue with a worldclass sound system. The musical lineup for opening week included Sprout, the band of Sugarshack founder Eddie Kopp. Sugarshack Sessions are recorded on the backyard deck of Kopp’s home — the Sugarshack — in Bonita.
Sugarshack Sessions will continue as and where they started, but recordings of live acts at the new downtown venue will complement the channel and allow the brand to share its distinctive experience with a larger live audience.
“We’re not going to stop doing anything. We’re just going to keep doing more and growing our opportunity to share music with the global audience that we have,” said Dave Alpert, one of the partners in the business. “Most bands that do Sessions will play here; not every band that plays here will do a Sessions, though.”
The new venue also features family-friendly event space available to lease for private parties. While the longtime Sugarshack Sessions has been a private venue with admission, the new Sugarshack Downtown will be open to
the public most nights, with fewer than 20 days a year expected to be ticketed events.
“Our goal is to have this open to the public, so if you want to come in and hang with your friends, we’re not going to create a challenge at the door. We want to make it open to the public. That’s the intention five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday,” Alpert said. “There will be nights when we switch to a venue mode. That’s not going to happen very frequently.”
In addition to the performance stage, indoor bar and kitchen, the property includes five outdoor pavilions of varying sizes, some of which are available to reserve for private parties or event spaces.
Positioned between the landmark home of the Bonita Springs Historical Society and the city’s huge historic banyan tree across from Riverside Park, Sugarshack Downtown worked in concert with its surroundings to incorporate the mature oak trees on its property into its plans in collaboration with Bonita-based developer and partner Moran Kennedy Real Estate.
The building that serves as the entrance used to be an old automobile transmission repair shop. Although the roof has been reinforced and modernized on the outside, the original rusting tin roof is still visible inside to provide a rustic atmosphere.
“For people who are really familiar with this area, the DNA of the building is still very much here,” Moran said.
The garage’s overhead door opening in back was converted into an indoor-outdoor bar with bar top made to resemble the neck of a guitar. Sugarshack Downtown also features a larger open-air bar on the other side of the stage.
The venue will be able to accommodate a few hundred patrons daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, said partner and general manager Gary Rudd, who previously managed Celebration Park off Bayshore Drive in East Naples.
The full-service kitchen, led by Chef Gus Chavez, formerly of Three60 Market in Naples, will feature healthful preparations without seed oils and preservatives. While the simple scratch menu will include burgers, wings and pizzas, fresh fish, pasta and grinders with house-made bread.
“We put care and compassion into everything we do, so this is just an extension of that,” Alpert said.
In the geographic center of Bonita Springs, Sugarshack Downtown has been the talk of the town during the past year. Its tremendous buzz and energy predicts its immediate success.
“We’re going to be crushed,” Moran said. “You can’t believe the community response. They shoot something out on social media asking for job applicants — 11,000 inquires.”
and felt they had their own intimate spaces,” partner Kyle Moran said. “But we think that’s when this space achieves its highest operating productivity, not only on a typical night when you feel you have your own space, but you’re part of something bigger, and there’s a lot of opportunity and flexibility for the team to have various events.”
“First and foremost, we needed to fit everything in here, so we reserved all of the important bits of nature and history, but we also want to make sure that the patrons felt protected from the weather
tive vegetation, these great trees,” Moran said. “When it’s night out here and you’re under these cafe lights and the place is buzzing and you’ve got great live music and the effects they have with the smoke machine, you’re in the heart of the community but you’re really transported to someplace special.”
Sugarshack Downtown employs a core team of more than 70 people, at least 48 full-time and 24 part-time employees, Alpert said. The business expands on Bonita’s dynamic growth and the increased awareness that is making Old 41 a local destination and community connection.
Consideration also was given to the influence of Sugarshack Sessions’ visual trademark setting of a lush, tropical backdrop.
“We really wanted to bring that here, too, with all the beautiful na -
The new space also is punctuated by nearly 100 acoustic guitars donated by friends and community members. Guitars, ukeleles and mandolins hang on posts and walls throughout the venue. Many of the instruments are signed or decorated by their previous owners.
February 8, 2025 5:45pm to 8:00pm
“With this unbelievably successful music channel shot in this backyard in Bonita Springs, they’ve done more for Bonita Springs than anyone other than Rand McNally,” Moran said. “The success of Sugarshack is about connecting this worldwide music-loving community.”
Sugarshack Downtown builds on the success of Sugarshack Sessions and its digital music channel by regularly hosting local, state national and international performers on its new state-of-the-art stage at 27421 Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. Photo by Michael Bowen
Sugarshack Downtown serves lunch and dinner and has two bars. It is open 11 a.m. to midnight daily. Photo by Tim Aten
By Kelly J. Farrell
OUTDOORS
‘You take your pain and make it a purpose’
People who survive six-foot floods and animals who live without limbs — that’s the kind of perseverance found in Everglades City. That tenacity pays off.
“It’s about resilience,” said Holly Levingston-Dudley, one of the three women who lead the Florida Stone Crabbers Association. The FLSCA is organizing the 2025 Everglades Seafood Festival, scheduled Feb. 7-9. Levingston-Dudley comes from a long line of local fishermen and is founder of the nonprofit Holly’s Hope, which has helped addicts in recovery since 2017.
Everglades City is the Stone Crab Capital of the World, she said, because a significant portion of Florida’s stone crabs hail from the tiny city 35 miles east of Naples. The crustaceans share several characteristics with the human residents of the area. Adaptability is just one of them.
“What this town is famous for is stone crabs and getting back to business after a hurricane,” said Mayor Howie Grimm, owner of Grimm’s Stone Crab, located on Dupont Street in Everglades City.
“I don’t know why, I just know we’re lucky,” Grimm said. “You have to adapt, that’s part of it. “This is a lucky animal. It’s the only species where we catch it, break claws off and they grow back.”
Everglades City also has taken its hits only to then adapt, recover and grow anew.
“We get a half-million visitors and have 152 full-time residents,” Grimm said of the fishing village turned tourist attraction. The Florida stone crab is part of that attraction, he said.
“This is the only animal you don’t have to kill to eat it,” said stone crabber Shannon Dudley, a resident of Jerome — a town even smaller than Everglades City, with just five or six homes.
“Stone crabbing is sustainable,” Grimm said.
“They reproduce. Even if it’s 10%, and I think it’s more than that, but that’s more than anything else.”
Everglades City has similarly been knocked down, including from hurricanes and economic changes over the years. Hurricanes may seem like bad luck, but they have a specific job to clean up, Grimm said.
And after they do, the people of Everglades City come together to recover.
Grimm’s business — like many of the buildings in the historic town, incorporated as the Town of Everglades in 1923 — has marks of how high the water came inside during hurricanes. Grimm shows the tick marks from pens and markers on the concrete wall, including the highest: Hurricane Donna of 1960, with a mark that’s over Grimm’s head.
Donna wiped out more than half of the structures in Everglades City and led to the moving of the Collier County seat to East Naples. Other storms have brought water into Grimm’s as it
remained over the years; including 2 feet from Hurricane Milton in October.
Milton slowed the start of stone crab season, delaying workers’ opportunities to get traps into the water.
“I’ve never missed the first day of season
before in my life. I don’t miss any days,” said Dudley, a descendent of a long line of local fishermen.
At the outset of this season, Dudley was helping family and friends recover from Hurricane Helene, which had struck the area just days before Milton, on Sept. 26.
But the season has been good for stone crabs, despite the double hits at the outset.
“They’re survivors, no matter what is thrown at them,” Grimm said of the Florida stone crab species. “And so are we. This city, this industry, it’s survived over time. It’s the whole town,” he added. “I’ve never seen people come back from hurricane after hurricane as fast as they can.” No matter their usual disagreements, people set their differences aside and help get back to business, Grimm said of the community’s culture.
The youngest generation is now inheriting the practice of the stone crabbers before them, including McBeth Collins, great-grandson of Ernest Hamilton. Hamilton is credited with bringing the Florida stone crab from the bottom of the seafood industry ranks to a top-notch delicacy by learning to boil the crab claws right away, rather than freezing them as is common with other crabs. The prompt dockside boiling allows the meat to be separated easily from its shell and enjoyed.
“Even with all the bad seasons we suffered, See STONE CRABS, Page 11B
Cambier Park & Wang
Cambier Park & Wang Opera Center
Everglades City Mayor Howie Grimm, owner of Grimm’s Stone Crab, carries a full container of fresh Florida stone crab claws at his store on 919 Dupont St., Everglades City, on Nov. 21. Photo by Kelly J. Farrell
From page 10B
STONE CRABS
we’re still here. We make it through the bad times and it makes the good times that much better,” said Collins, as he arrived at a dock in Everglades City on a sunny day in December, much like the generations had done before him. His father, also named McBeth Collins, had arrived at the docks and unloaded his crab traps just minutes earlier.
“Everybody calls him Big Mac and I’m Wee Mac or Little Mac,” the son said. “It just fits, too, because he’s 6’2” and I’m 5’8.”
The men wrapped up their 12- to 13-hour workday, having pulled the traps, collected the claws and loaded them onto the dock at what was once their family-owned Earnest Hamilton’s Fish House, where the claws were then boiled. Hamilton’s is now owned by Joe’s Stone Crab, which is based in Miami.
“We compete over who works the hardest,” Collins said of a friendly rivalry with his dad.
Stone crabbers frequently work 16-hour days.
Collins and fellow stone crabber Tony Lesende, who also comes from a long line of area fishermen, each brought in about 300 pounds of stone crab that December day. The retail value could easily be $12,000 or more for each full boat. Families tend to have several thousand crab traps out at a time, and some run multiple boats.
But the expenses are high, requiring many hands on deck, commercial boilers and the fish houses to get the claws to market. The cost of waterfront real estate, fishing boats, traps and maintenance make it an expensive business that hopefully pays off in the end.
It costs at least several thousand dollars for each boat to leave the dock each day, Dudley said. But the unique Florida stone crab is worth it.
“It’s the gold of the Gulf,” said
singer songwriter Nate Martin, better known as Gator Nate Augustus, a performer and returning emcee at the annual Everglades Seafood Festival. “It’s gold for the people who eat them and it’s gold for the people who have chosen to go out and catch them, which is not an easy job. When it does pay off, it pays off handsomely. It’s the best crab God ever put on this earth.”
If someone doesn’t hand the business down, it’s difficult to get into now because of the expense, Dudley said.
“Most of my peers are fellow crabbers,” Collins said. “I know for sure we’re very fortunate to be in the positions we’re in. We are fortunate our families put us in this position.”
That’s why Daniel Doxsee, namesake of the former Doxsee Clam Factory, which opened in 1910 on Marco Island, named his boat Endangered Species. It’s not because the stone crabs are endangered — they are not — but that family fishermen are becoming less common, Doxsee said.
“That’s what we’re becoming: endangered species. There aren’t many of us left to do this kind of
stuff,” he said.
But the strong families of the area are keeping fishing alive, particularly the women who run the Florida Stone Crabbers Association.
“We do the work to save the industry, Carrie Doxsee, Kelly Kirk and I,” said Levingston-Dudley of the leaders of the FLSCA. “We want to make sure the stone crabs are protected and around for a really long time.
So, we will provide a top quality seafood our entire lives.”
“I went to college to become a doctor because I thought commercial fishing was an endangered animal, an endangered species,” said Kirk, whose family owns Kirk Fish Company of Goodland.
“But family brought me back.”
The fortune, she said, is in the history.
“You take your pain and make it a purpose,” Kirk said.
This is also what Levingston-Dudley does with her nonprofit that supports addiction recovery and it’s what’s seen in an Everglades City local — Capt. Craig Marshall Daniels Jr. — who went from prisoner to preacher.
“Look where Craig is at today,” Kirk said. “It has been a miracle. He’s really come out on top.”
Daniels held up his hand to give a high-five for surviving and thriving after his earlier years of drugs, theft, violence and imprisonment, since replaced by faith, family and a healthy business on the water, he said. But since he’s missing a finger, it’s more of “a high four,” as he called it with a smile.
The connection to the crabs continues.
There is what looks like a human fingerprint on the inside of stone crab’s dominant right claw, Dudley said.
While harvesting claws after pulling the traps, which are often baited with pigs’ feet or mullet, the stone crab will remove its own claw as defense, increasing the likelihood the stone crab will survive and regenerate the claw, Dudley said. When the stone crab is returned to the water, missing one front claw or both, it adjusts by becoming less of a predator and more of a scavenger, hiding out on the bottom as it regenerates.
Most of the time, the dominant claw will grow on the opposite side, with a more dominant left claw after regeneration, he said.
Similarly, it’s not just the missing digit that the seventh generation Gladesman has in common with the fished stone crabs — but also living a life of recovery.
“I had hit rock bottom,” Daniels said.
He had lost that finger to a machete and was shot in the head execution-style during his days of criminality.
Daniels wasn’t alone in succumbing to the lure of crime and/or smuggling in Everglades City.
“There were three big busts in Everglades City history; they rounded up all the men and took them to prison,” he recounted of the drug busts involving marijuana and cocaine.
“As many as 70 men were arrested in one day.”
More than half of Everglades
City’s adult male population, and as high as 90%, were estimated to be incarcerated at one time.
Some of these arrests occurred more than 40 years ago, followed by large busts in the1980s and 1990s and to lesser degrees in the years after. During these times, he said, women were left to run the families and the businesses. “That created a strong generation of women.”
And the current generations are drawing from that strength.
“There aren’t a lot of people who can live and work with family,” Kirk said. “And we’re all here doing it.”
“We’re really family-oriented,” echoed Lesende. “We’re able to stick together and stay strong through good times and bad times.”
Many births have connections to the stone crabs. Kirk was born on opening day of stone crab season in 1990.
Musician Jack Shealy also has a birth connection with stone crabs.
“My son practically owes his life to stone crabs, whether he knows it or not,” said dad David Shealy, founder of Shealy’s Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee.
David Shealy saved up to pay for his son’s birth at the hospital by investing time and money in stone crab traps that season, he said.
“They’re a blessing to the area, for sure they are,” Shealy said of the stone crabs.
Dudley also describes Florida stone crabs as the “gold of the Gulf” and it’s no wonder because they bring in abundance to the seventh generation fishermen and to the state, generating approximately $35 million or more annually in Florida, according to estimates from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
FWC regulates the season, which peaks with the Everglades Seafood Festival.
To see the community’s resilience and good fortune in action, visit the Seafood Festival, with more details available on evergladesseafoodfestival.org
Florida stone crabs are a delicacy hailing from Everglades City, the Stone Crab Capital of the World, and from other areas in the Gulf Coast region. Photo by Kelly J. Farrell
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the spaceship on the TV drama "Firefly"?
2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only tropical rainforest in the United States?
3. LITERATURE: What is the title of author Oscar Wilde's only complete novel?
4. MOVIES: What is the name of the killer in the movie "Silence of the Lambs"?
5. SCIENCE: What are the three branches of science?
6. AD SLOGANS: Which fast-food chain's slogan is, "What you crave"? 7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many NFL teams are named after animals (including birds)?
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
91
98
THE NAPLES CHILDREN & EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOUNDERS OF THE NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL
To our Chefs, Vintners, Sommeliers, Donors, Sponsors & Corporate Partners, Guests, Trustees, Staff and Volunteers
TOGETHER WE RAISED OVER
bringing total raised since inception to more than $336 million.
Every dollar raised under the tent will be awarded to some of the most effective nonprofits that help fulfill children’s needs for food, healthcare, education and other special requirements in our community. Thanks for bringing a little joy to Collier County!
SPONSORS AND CORPORATE PARTNERS | 2025
Jimmy Butler, Pat Riley turn up the heat in Miami
Speaking of Sports David Wasson
It is hard to get past the money.
Yes, before you get all worked up … I am all too aware that contracts and salaries reflect one’s worth to the organization — as well as the worth of the organization itself. If you’re worth a lot to a valuable company, chances are you’ll be compensated as a valuable employee.
I am also aware that the concept of spiraling salaries for professional athletes isn’t a new phenomenon. From pretty much the dawn of the current billion-dollar media rights era, athletes have been signing deals worth millions per year to play games and entertain thousands every time out.
So yes, it is hard to get past the money that Jimmy Butler is currently contracted to earn from the Miami Heat in the 2024-2025 season. At just under $48.8 million this season, Butler is in the final year of a threeyear deal worth a cool $146.4 million. And he doesn’t want to spend one more second in Miami.
When millionaires are arguing with billionaires over salary issues most of us can’t even fathom, it becomes difficult to properly understand what all the stink is about.
History repeats itself, you see, and the Miami Heat have been learning that the painful way over the past few weeks. Butler has been a problem employee basically his entire 14-year NBA career — starting with the Chicago Bulls, all the way up to the 2024-2025 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.
Good thing I’m here, because even though I’ll likely never see the seventh digit to the left of the decimal point, I’m able to articulate the crux of Butler’s issues.
The reason that is graspable is this: Butler has done this before. And it is likely he will do it again.
History repeats itself, you see, and the Miami Heat have been learning that the painful way over the past few weeks. Butler has been a problem employee basically his entire 14-year NBA career — starting with the Chicago Bulls, all the way up to the 20242025 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.
Butler criticized his head coach and teammates on his way out the door in Chicago in 2017, and lasted just two tumultuous seasons in Min-
nesota, yelling at front-office execs and more coaches before forcing a trade to Philadelphia two months into the 2019 season that saw him play in just 10 games out of 82.
Just a few months into his tenure with the 76ers, Butler challenged coach Brett Brown’s big three hierarchy and his own role on offense. Even though Butler ended up playing just 55 games for Philly, he was eligible to sign a five-year, $190 million deal with the 76ers in the offseason — but the team elected instead to bet on Tobias Harris. So they shipped Butler in a sign-and-trade to Miami.
Sensing a trend?
Butler mostly played nice in the fabled Heat Culture ecosystem from 2019 to 2022, and helped lead the
team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. But the first cracks in the current rift started showing in 2022 when Butler and coach Erik Spoelstra got into it during a timeout in a close game against the Warriors, with Spoelstra slamming his clipboard to the floor in disgust with his star player.
Still, it wasn’t until the end of the 2023-24 season that Butler vs. Heat bubbled over. Butler missed several games that season with nagging injuries and was unable to play in a playoff series against the Celtics — but then popped off on social media saying if he had played, the outcome would have been different. That earned a public rebuke from Pat Riley, Heat president/general manager, who was the founder and is the curator of that same Heat Culture and takes precisely zero guff from players who get out of line.
Making matters worse was that Riley declined to offer Butler a twoyear, $112.6 million “max contract,” and instead kept Butler on his current deal that *only* earns him a crisp $48.8 million including a player option for a little over $52 million for 2025-2026.
That rebuke didn’t sit right with Butler, and beginning in December both the Heat and Butler started sending smoke signals through the media that a trade was necessary. It all came to a head after Miami’s Jan. 2 game when Butler told the media,
“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon.”
Butler’s behavior earned him a seven-game suspension, and he got another two-game suspension after missing a team flight to Milwaukee later in the month. After sitting those two games, Butler earned a third suspension — an indefinite one — by walking out of a shootaround after being informed he was going to be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future.
There are no winners here, and there is certainly plenty of blame to spread around. Riley certainly doesn’t escape scrutiny, as he allowed Butler certain indulgences when he first came to Miami. But Butler, in my eyes anyway, should get the most blame. Simply put, he has caused problems like this at every stop on what has otherwise been a stellar 14-year career. Though Butler’s time in Miami is almost certainly done, and where he goes in the future is a mystery, whatever team contracts with the star next would be wise to remember history and be prepared for the inevitable outcome.
Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson airs weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on Southwest Florida’s Fox Sports Radio (105.9 FM in Collier County) and streaming on FoxSportsFM. com.
Shootout returns: Lacrosse part of Military Appreciation Day
By Randy Kambic
Invented by Native Americans, it’s considered to be North America’s first sport. Jim Brown earned All-American honors in it along with football at Syracuse University. Sports enthusiasts from New York state, New England and the mid-Atlantic region know it well. Its fast-paced, high-scoring, end-to-end action will be added to the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
This is lacrosse, and a major showcase is approaching as Military Appreciation Day at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex on Saturday, Feb. 22, will feature the fourth annual Southwest Florida Shootout — an NCAA Division I game pitting the U.S. Army Black Knights of West Point against the Mercer University Bears of Macon, Georgia, beginning at noon. For the unfamiliar, players deftly cradle a rubber ball in the leather pouch of a stick, often using the rest of their bodies to shield it from defenders who are trying to knock it away (similar to hockey), and pass it among teammates before shooting at a goal. Attempts to score are air-mailed or sent bouncing on the ground.
“Teams can score three goals in less than a minute, which truly goes by the saying that it’s not over until
the clock shows 0:00!” said event director Tom Rotanz, who was an All-American lacrosse player in both high school and college in his native Long Island, New York. He was a high school and college coach for 24 years there, amassing multiple county and state championships, and was inducted last year into the
National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Hall of Fame.
Joe Alberici, the Black Knights’ head coach, said his team is “excited to get down to Naples and showcase what Army West Point lacrosse is all about.”
The Army men’s lacrosse team posted an 11-3 record in 2024, losing
the Patriot League championship game to Boston University, 11 to 10.
“We have a lot of Florida ties from players and families to alumni and it’s great to play in areas we do so well in recruiting,” said Ryan Danehy, Mercer’s head coach, whose team finished seventh in the Atlantic Sun Conference last year.
Other event attractions will include an interactive military village featuring 10-plus military vehicles for ticketholders to visit; para-commando parachutists delivering the game ball along with the American and team flags; and a live guitar solo rendition of the National Anthem by lead guitarist Giovanni of the local rock band Rock Republic (based on Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the Woodstock music festival in 1969), accompanied by an Apache helicopter flyover and the local Junior ROTC providing the color guard. There will be a halftime induction of people into all branches of the United States armed forces; and a twohour, post-game concert by Rock Republic.
“The three previous years were played at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, but none were a Military Appreciation Day event,” said Rotanz, a seasonal resident of Marco Island. “This event is much bigger and will have a festival atmosphere.” Funds raised from event ticket sales — starting at $15 and with group rates also available at southwestfloridashootout.com — will help support the Shootout for Soldiers nonprofit organization that benefits military veterans and their families, along with the teams’ travel expenses.
Rotanz is confident attendees will come away understanding why “Lacrosse is known as ‘the fastest game on two feet!’ ”
Wednesday, Feb. 26th,
Friday, Feb. 28th, 12PM-2PM
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse 8985 Tamiami Trail N. Naples, FL 34108
Florida Gulf Coast University Lutgert Hall - Moran Wealth Management® Classroom 10485 FGCU Blvd S Fort Myers, FL 33965
