3A | OUTDOOR EXPENSE
Naples mulls idea of charging restaurants yearly fee for outdoor dining on public property
Tim Aten Knows
Tim Aten
Changes coming to N. Naples center
Q: I hear Zookie’s on Immokalee has been sold and will be converted into an Italian restaurant. Are you hearing anything? — David Reese, Naples
Q: Is it true that Zookie’s bar and grill was sold to The Oasis bar and grill? — Ivan Traverzo, Naples
A: Sonny’s Pizzeria & Sports Bar will be the new name for the longtime Zookie’s Sports Bar & Grill off Immokalee Road in North Naples. Although changes have been noticed during the last two months, the full transition will be official by Valentine’s Day.
Dan Latino, who owns and operates The Oasis in the spot of the original Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar & Grill on Pine Ridge Road, purchased Zookie’s in December from Mark Marzucco, who retired after operating the business for more than 15 years.
“Zookie was Mark’s dad’s nickname and Sonny is my dad’s nickname,” Latino said. “So, I kind of liked the name, plus it went hand in hand. It kind of worked out well.”
With the new name comes a cosmetic rebrand and menu changes, including the addition of Chicago-style pizza, both pan and thin crust. “I’ve got three pizzerias in Chicago, so I’m bringing the recipe down,” he said. “We’re going to do everything from scratch — the dough, the cheese, the sauce, everything. We have some entrees
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 6A
13A | A BOLD STEP
The French, refashioned to meet changing tastes, hits the mark
NWWF celebrates 25 years
Wine Fest auction sets record, raises more than $34 million
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
The silver anniversary was a golden opportunity for the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
The 25th annual wine festival proved to be another record-breaking event, with its live auction on Jan. 25 bringing in more than $34 million to benefit at-risk and underprivileged children in Collier County. This brings the total amount raised to more than $336 million since the Naples Children & Education Foundation began the annual local charity event in 2001.
“Thank you for your irrational generosity,” NCEF Chairman of the Board Dale Medford said during the Jan. 26 celebratory brunch at
0 51497 40346 1
the end of the festival.
About 650 attendees at this year’s auction arrived ready for an exciting event under a huge tent with crystal chandeliers outside The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in North Naples. They found excitement and much more, with 52 one-of-a-kind auction lots with unique vehicles; travel and culinary opportunities; and wines from respected vineyards from around the world.
• Airport vintner dinner flies past wintry weather with supplied heating, pre-meal
“How fun of a day was that? It was crazy,” said Rick Germain, one of the trustees organizing this year’s milestone festival. He thanked participants for their generosity throughout the weekend. Meet the Kids Day: the why behind the wine
‘It’s all for the kids’
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
It was a rare chilly day for Southwest Florida, but the atmosphere inside Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples was nothing but warm for the Naples Winter Wine Festival and Naples Children & Education Foundation’s “Meet the Kids Day” on Jan. 24. Nothing brings the mission of NWWF and NCEF to life like this event, held each year to help Festival patrons connect with the children whose lives they touch with their philanthropy.
future selves, which meant there were plenty of doctors, nurses, police officers, astronauts, construction workers, ballerinas and airplane pilots on hand.
Meet the Kids offers donors the chance to learn more about NCEF-supported programs at the colorful booths and tables lining the lobby, galleries and hallways at the visual and performing arts venue. At this year’s event, kids attending with the 57 represented programs were asked to dress as their
NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara reflected on what she thinks the day means to everyone involved.
“It’s our 25th anniversary, so it’s 25 years of
Winning bidder Pam Washkewicz celebrates with her table at the 2025 Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction. Photo by AP Alexander
Therese
Steve
ADMINISTRATION:
ADVERTISING
Reader Services
OFFICE ADDRESS
26101 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Call or text 239.498.8501 | naplespress.com info@naplespress.com
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Send old and new addresses and a mailing label, if possible, to Naples Press, 26101 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Visit naplespress.com/subscribe to login and update your address, call or text 239.498.8501 or email subscriptions@naplespress.com.
CONTACT US
Please send all correspondence to: Naples Press 26101 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134 Call or text us at 239.498.8501.
WEBSITE naplespress.com
TEXTING KEYWORD
Text 'Naples' to 239.498.8501. You'll receive a link to naplespress.com to find forms for you to subscribe, either as a residential subscriber or a commercial subscriber.
PLEASE NOTE: Subscription
SWFL INSIDER
Collier County Senior Expo set
for Feb. 12
The 27th annual Collier County Senior Expo, a signature event dedicated to enhancing the lives of seniors and caregivers in the community, will be held 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the North Collier Regional Park Rec-Plex at 15000 Livingston Road, Naples. Admission is free.
This event provides 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, refreshments and prizes.
From practical advice to recreational activities, the event is designed to inspire a healthier, more active lifestyle while showcasing the many services available to seniors in Collier County, according to information provided.
Vending opportunities are available; email britt.hirst@colliercountyfl.gov. For more information about the Senior Expo, see collierparks.com or call 239.252.3527.
Scholarship application now open
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is again awarding up to 15 new $20,000 college scholarships ($5,000 per year) to deserving 12th grade students from eligible high schools in Collier County. The application and eligibility list can be found online at schulzefamilyfoundation.org. The deadline for all submissions is April 1.
Successful candidates will have a strong academic record and show they have distinguished themselves through activities within their school, community and/or house of worship and also meet the following criteria: A 2025 graduate of an eligible Collier County high school; have a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA (4.0 scale); show unmet financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; not be receiving need-based federal grant assistance (Pell Grant); and enroll in a four-year accredited college or university as a full-time degree-seeking student. For more information, email amdimercurio@schulzefamilyfoundation.org or call 239.451.3033.
EAS schedules
astrophotographer
The public is invited to attend a special Everglades Astronomical Society meeting featuring guest speaker Dr. Mario Motta, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Naples Library on Orange Blossom Drive. Motta, a retired
cardiologist, amateur astrophotographer and telescope maker, is a former board member of Dark Sky International. He also is a renowned expert on light pollution and its effect on health, which is the topic of his talk. For more information, go to evergladesastronomicalsociety.org
AAUW plans
Public
Policy Salon
The Greater Naples Branch of the American Association of University Women will hold a “Public Policy Salon” open to the public on Thursday, Feb. 27. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Laura Coyle, licensed psychologist and associate professor, Department of Psychology, Fayetteville State University. Her topic will be “Resilient Women: Stress Management and Coping Across the Lifespan.” This presentation explores the unique ways women experience and manage stress throughout different stages of life.
The Salon will be held at 5 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 777 Mooring Line Drive, Naples. The cost is $50, and proceeds will benefit the Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com or mail checks payable to Greater Naples Charitable Foundation, Inc., to P.O. Box 9742, Naples, FL 34101. Include “Salon” on the memo line. The registration deadline is Feb. 24.
DLC Advocates partners with Max Flex Fitness
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider, announced that the DLC Advocates will partner with Coach Nino Magaddino at Max Flex Fitness to host its spring fitness fundraiser, “Move for Your Heart, Care for Your Mind,” on Saturday, Feb. 1.
This outdoor fitness event, suitable for all fitness levels, will be held from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. by the banyan tree on DLC’s main campus, 6075 Bathey Lane, Naples. Activities include yoga, HIIT and Zumba, as well as opportunities for networking and socializing. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. Tickets cost $15 per class or $40 for all three classes. For more information or to register or donate, visit the DLC Advocates’ Facebook page. To learn more about the services and programs offered by David Lawrence Centers, visit dlcenters.org
Naples Woman’s
Club
awards $10,000
The Naples Woman’s Club has awarded a $10,000 grant to Providence House,
an organization dedicated to supporting homeless women and children. The funding will go toward providing childcare services for families in the Providence House program, helping single mothers gain independence and self-sufficiency. For years, NWC has supported Providence House through hands-on involvement and financial contributions. Past grants have helped improve security and expand support services for the families it serves. The Naples Woman’s Club’s new grant will assist in alleviating the financial burden of childcare, allowing mothers to focus on securing employment and building a stable future for their children.
Luncheon raises $700,000 for Youth Haven
The Cherish the Children luncheon was held Jan. 15 at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Tiburón. Organizers raised more than $700,000 for Youth Haven programs. More than $240,000 was raised in response to a live appeal to support Youth Haven’s programs and services, which provide around-the-clock specialized care to children and teens in a home-like environment. Keynote speaker for the luncheon was David Ambroz, author of “A Place Called Home: A Memoir,” his personal story about homelessness and foster care. The presenting sponsors were Elizabeth and Stanley Star, and the Diamond Sponsor was the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.
“Once again, our sponsors, event committee, board members and the 400 attendees for this event clearly demonstrated their incredible support for Youth Haven,” said Linda Goldfield, CEO.
Mosquito Control District launches pilot program
Collier Mosquito Control District launched a pilot program to use sterile insect techniques to target Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Golden Gate City. This invasive species can spread diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, and is resistant to some traditional mosquito control methods. Golden Gate City was selected for this program because Ae. aegypti breed in small containers of water that are typically near humans in residential and urban areas, and Golden Gate provides ample breeding opportunities for the mosquito, district officials said. SIT involves releasing sterile male mosquitoes, which do not bite, into the wild, causing the eggs laid by the females they mate with to be nonviable. These mosquitoes are bred in captivity from mosquitoes collected locally and are then sterilized using a low dose of X-rays before being released.
COLLIER NOW
New UAC arts-business council emphasizes collaborative effort
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
United Arts Collier wants people to understand how integral arts are to Collier County, and it’s starting education on a large scale: through local business.
The Arts & Business Council of Collier County was born this month, with its first informational meeting Jan. 23 at the Norris Community Center. Few businesses were at the meeting, but Elysia Dawn, executive director of United Arts Collier, said the UAC had already held query sessions with several major employers here who indicated they’re open to the idea.
“There was a little bit of behind-the-scenes work where we had people come together and asked them what they would like to see for us going forward,” Dawn explained. “They said they would like to see this — where they get a better understanding and how it benefits us. And then from there we’ll start to do meetings.”
An idea with urgency
The immediate incentive behind this push for support came from the financial thrashing arts took this past year. Nonprofit arts organizations in Collier County were asked to whack their grant requests by about 9% before commissioners even looked at them. Before that, Gov. Ron DeSantis axed all funding under the state’s Division of Arts and Culture, shorting Collier County groups by roughly $1.5 million. Collier County nonprofit arts organizations are benefiting the community financially. The arts alone stimulated $147.1 million in spend-
See ARTS, Page 4A
DRAMA IS IN OUR HISTORY
United Arts Collier is planning a visible entry to Arts Days in Tallahassee: It’s planning to get as many signatures as possible on a long paper scroll to unfurl down the steps of the statehouse.
It’s an eye-catching maneuver, one that was announced at the informational meeting for the county Arts & Business Council Jan. 23 at the Norris Community Center. Elysia Dawn, executive director of United Arts Collier, said it was “very fitting” to announce the idea at a meeting in the building honoring a Naples man who did the exact same thing around 1964.
Lester Norris, for whose family the Norris Center is named, successfully protected Rookery Bay from having a highway built through it. To underscore Collier County support, he collected a long list of signatures of likeminded local residents and dramatically rolled the scroll down the steps of the state Capitol in Tallahassee.
Those who would like to add their names to the petition scroll can call United Arts Collier, 239.254.8242, for locations and times for signing.
$20M matching gift met on Hospital for Special Surgery
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
With construction progressing on the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH North Naples Hospital on Immokalee Road, a $20 million matching grant from Naples philanthropists Patty and Jay Baker has been met, according to NCH. Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH, a partnership between Collier County healthcare system NCH and HSS, the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health based in New York City,
and NCH; Patty Baker serves on the board of HSS and Jay Baker serves on the board of NCH.
On Jan. 30, HSS announced a $7.5 million gift from The Kapnick Foundation supporting the construction of the pavilion, which will “serve as a destination for comprehensive outpatient and inpatient musculoskeletal services, that will be jointly owned and operated at HSS.”
“Naples is a special community,” Scott Kapnick said in the announcement. “Kathleen and I are excited to help make the vision of providing greater access to best-in-class musculoskeletal care a reality for those in Southwest Florida.”
By Aisling Swift
would allow better walkability down Fifth Avenue and other public spaces.” Most outdoor dining is on private property, but 15 restaurants within the Fifth Avenue South Overlay District have permits to use public space. The two using the most public space are Vergina, with 15 tables and 42 seats, and Bistro 821, with 12 tables and
Evenings draw crowds to Fifth Avenue South because of the arts — plays at Sugden Community Theatre and Gulfshore Playhouse, as well as concerts
A construction worker paints a wall at the new Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH North Naples Hospital. Photo by Liz Gorman
Collier commission airs opposition of possible move
By Aisling Swift
Collier County commissioners ramped up their objection to the possible relocation of Naples Airport, supporting a resolution against two sites near Ave Maria and rejecting the airport authority’s request for assistance.
The Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 13 unanimously supported Ave Maria Civic Association’s resolution to oppose two of four sites the Naples Airport Authority’s consultant suggested as possible locations — Sunripe-owned property south of Oil Well Road and Immokalee Regional Airport, both close to the 5,000-home Ave Maria.
“The newly created civic association for Ave Maria has expressed dissatisfaction with the options and some of the things that came forward from the consultants and from the Naples Airport Authority for the relocation of that airport,” McDaniel told commissioners as he made a motion to support Ave Maria’s resolution.
The resolution noted the Sunripe property is undeveloped and relocating to that site or Immokalee Airport would “bring a lot of disruptive noise” to Ave Maria and the surrounding area, where over 6,000 single and multi-family homes are scheduled to be added to Ave Maria’s 5,000 existing homes. The association contended it would only “relocate the airport from one heavily residential area to another” and just relocate the noise and other complaints that prompted the search for a new site.
Commissioners also unanimously rejected the NAA’s request for assistance. In a Dec. 30 letter to commissioners, the NAA said its consultant, California-based Environmental Science Associates, “a respected aviation planning and environmental firm” that has a Tampa office, would need “expertise and collaboration” from county staff and commissioners to prepare its site selection study. The consultant is being asked to provide a detailed evaluation of
various criteria for the four sites, including a ranking, financial analysis and alternatives for public outreach and engagement.
County Manager Amy Patterson told commissioners that would include environmental and zoning assistance from growth management employees and added, “My expectation is that the lion’s share of this would fall to our regulatory folks relative to land use and other requirements, because all of the sites obviously are outside of the city.”
Commissioner Bill McDaniel Jr. suggested sending the NAA “a polite thank you, but no. We’ve already rendered an opinion on this.” He noted that Commissioner Dan Kowal is the commission’s liaison to the NAA and has been keeping both boards updated.
“I have no interest in devoting time and energy and expense to all of these things,” McDaniel said, noting if the NAA contracts to purchase property, it must come before the county commission anyway and hire its own consultants to conduct studies.
Kowal, whose district covers the airport, told commissioners he already told the NAA the commissioners’ position, that they weren’t interested in participating in the relocation study at this point.
Commissioner Rick LoCastro took a harder stance.
“My short answer would be to the city and the folks that are taking a look at the airport, if you have concerns where the airport is now, do your own homework, pay for your own studies, hire your own experts. Don’t lean on the county. We’re not partnering on this.” LoCastro said. “… We know that this is a hot topic, but it’s more of a hot topic for the city of Naples.”
LoCastro didn’t want county staff to “do the heavy lifting for them” when commissioners aren’t interested in a “deep dive” at this point, so “it would not be proper.” He said the county will monitor the issue through Kowal.
Commissioner Hall added that until the city and NAA figure it out, “I have zero interest in
The city of Naples offers a program designed to recognize school-aged children within the community who are doing good things. The Do The Right Thing program is an initiative that brings the Naples Police Department together with residents, local businesses, local schools, area organizations, city recreational centers and the youth, according to information on the city’s website. The goal of the program is to reinforce exemplary behavior while helping to build self-esteem. The city also intends to build “bridges of trust” and publicly thank young people for their positive deeds and contributions. For more information, go to naplesgov.com/police/page/do-right-thing-program
being a part of it.”
There was no vote, but Commission Chair Burt Saunders asked Kowal to tell the NAA their position.
It was just the most recent indication showing the county’s opposition to a move. In August, commissioners agreed not to host a joint workshop with the NAA to discuss possible relocation to unincorporated Collier County, saying they weren’t interested in moving the airport to the county.
In its December letter to commissioners, the NAA noted it was reaching out again because Naples City Council asked the authority to continue its exploratory study as due diligence, but not necessarily to move the airport. So far, the study has cost at least $398,000.
All four sites had environmental obstacles and require rezoning by the county. Construction wouldn’t start for eight to 12 years, and completion wouldn’t be until 2040 or later. Estimates range from $790 million to $1.6 billion, depending on whether it’s a general aviation or commercial airport — and the 2024 estimates are expected to increase.
The 81-year-old airport, which began as a military airfield, sits on roughly one square mile off Airport-Pulling Road. It’s self-sustaining, uses no taxpayer money and leases most of its 733 acres from the city of Naples for $1 yearly. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, it generates $781 million annually for the area.
The NAA has spent years improving and monitoring noise and rewards pilots for adhering to Fly Safe, Fly Quiet voluntary 10 p.m.-7 a.m. curfews. Many residents agree moving the airport isn’t a solution, aircraft technology is getting quieter and the NAA should work on reducing noise and pollution from lead gas used by some aircraft. They also want the NAA to consider moving some flights to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Airport tenants also are opposed to a move, noting their customers seek convenience.
High-altitude approaches should reduce noise: NAA
By John L. Guerra
ing even apart from ticket prices in Collier, according to its most recent figures from a 2022 Americans for the Arts study. But arts haven’t hit the gong with governmental bodies, despite accounting for $3.9 million in local tax revenue, $2.9 million in state tax revenue and $22.5 million in federal taxes.
So the arts community of Southwest Florida has been brainstorming ways to imprint the importance of the arts, and to get strong, vocal support for them more broadly. The concept of an arts and business council is one of several arts organizations are undertaking, which include:
• Working with John Melleky, the arts and culture manager of the county’s Convention & Visitors Bureau, to make their points clear.
• Bringing their needs to the Collier County Delegation session, an annual pre-legislative forum which brings together all state legislators whose districts include part of Collier County. Dawn spoke at the Jan. 8 session.
The Naples Airport Authority on Jan. 16 gave the go-ahead for new flight procedures that could reduce noise at Naples Airport. The NAA in December 2023 asked Hughes Aerospace Corporation of Woodlands, Texas, to develop new procedures for each runway. The result not only is safer, more efficient instrument approaches, but should result in quieter flights, Hughes officials told NAA commissioners.
Chris Bauer, president and CEO of Hughes Aerospace, told commissioners that increasing the glide angle of approaching aircraft from 3 degrees to 3.5 degrees will “keep the noise higher longer.” Not only that, but the Hughes plan would put missed approaches and holding patterns over the Gulf or over the Everglades.
Under the proposal:
• Aircraft approaching the airport’s primary landing strip, Runway 23, would cross the coastline near Vanderbilt Beach at 3,000 feet rather than 2,100 feet, where aircraft now fly.
• As for Runway 5, aircraft would cross 17th Avenue at an altitude of 1,000 feet rather than the 600-foot approach now in effect. Holding patterns would be over Alligator Alley.
• Flights arriving via Runway 14 would cross just south of Horizon Way Beach at 1,100 feet; the present 3-degree descent angle brings aircraft in at 900 feet.
CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.
“This project amazes me and intrigues me,” he said of the new council. “Everyone here deserves congratulations for what you’ve accomplished on the part of the city, on the part of the business community and all the sectors that are represented here.”
However, he added, both the arts community and the council needed to focus on where they wanted to go with this partnership. Getting more financial support for the arts could be a result, “an important one, but those might not be the destination,” he said. Using partnerships with businesses as social influencers on government is short-term thinking, he said.
The very name Arts & Business Council suggested to him “that we are two separate sectors finally coming together to meet across the table.” It doesn’t match what the studies had indicated, he said — that the arts are interwoven with business in a thriving economy.
“We’re here to focus on the ‘we.’ This is not about separate entities.”
It’s already happening
other, quieter ways:
• Building owners have employed artists, most notably in the Bayshore Arts District, to add murals to their buildings. That organization also has combined several arts events with builders’ open houses in that area.
• The Naples Players have been operating a program for years that helps young people with intellectual and emotional challenges develop social skills and become workforce-ready.
• Gulfshore Playhouse has begun offering classes for local corporations on verbal delivery skills, training employees in how to make effective presentations and develop teams.
“It’s totally work that brings the arts savvy and skills [for them], from lawyers to businesspeople. People need to learn how to make a good speech and be compelling,” said Kristen Coury, Gulfshore Playhouse CEO and producing artistic director.
• Joining what has been dubbed Tallahassee Arts Days, March 11 and 12, led by the Florida Cultural Alliance. During those two days, arts groups schedule meetings with elected officials and their staffs and hold rallies to call attention to their cause. They got some solid observations at the Jan. 23 meeting from one of their own, Mark Nerenhausen, a UAC board member who also served as president of the Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis and as
There are models for that synergy already. The arts have long been known for drawing people out for dinner or drinks on Fifth Avenue after a Sunday afternoon Cambier Park concert or before a play at Sugden Theatre or Gulfshore Playhouse. Opera Naples’ Festival under the Stars, beginning Feb. 28, brings in hotel guests from across the state for its opera and vocal performances.
Arts organizations and artists are also working with Naples and Collier County businesses in
Collier County arts were already setting the tone for arts support, thanks to the Collier Community Foundation decision to award grants totaling $240,000 to arts groups after they lost state funding. The idea for an arts and business council also is in the forefront of good arts stewardship, said Jennifer Jones, CEO of the Florida Cultural Alliance, who addressed the meeting.
“What Collier County did for the arts in the wake of that veto — there are very few places in the state where the communities and municipalities stepped up like they did,” she said. Jones could count fewer than five counties, most of them in metropolitan areas, that had such arts and business councils.
“Collier is doing some very impressive things,” she said. From page 3A ARTS
NAPLES AIRPORT
Rita Cuddihy
See AIRPORT, Page 11A
Master Officer Sean Phillips, right, with Anthony Avola and Fahada Doyle-Saad from The Community School of Naples. Photo provided
City offers ‘Do The Right Thing’ program
OUT & ABOUT
Feeding Dreams, the Naples-based nonprofit formerly known as Pan-Florida Challenge, hosted 100 guests at the Naples Yacht Club to celebrate its recent rebranding and garner support for its mission. The event raised $350,000 in a special matching opportunity. Proceeds will help provide 2.5 million weekend backpack meals annually to chronically hungry children.
Photography submitted
Robert Vigorito, Sharon Vigorito, Jim Gula, Tina Le, Sue Mullen, Ed Mullen, Jeri Goetz, Nice Garcia, Tina Gula, Lyvette McCoy, Tom McCoy, Linda Rezendes-Walsh
Jay and Jennifer Abrams
Lisa Kirkpatrick, Linda Simon, Laraine Bergmann, Jeri Goetz, Anne Reilly
Juliana Noreus
Ed Mullen, Jill Miller
Nancy Carlson, Gail Radley
Katrina Kash, Barbara Carson, Kathy Maxwell
Linda Webber, Kathleen Rooney
John Walter
ATEN KNOWS
and some classic bar food, as well, but the Chicago pizza is the main focus.”
A Chicago transplant, Latino is a seasoned restaurateur who has many business conversions under his belt in Chicagoland, where he still owns and operates three locations of Easy Street Pizza & Beer Garden, as well as Avenue Tap & Kitchen and Country Club. He previously had plans to renovate the old Break Time Lounge in East Naples, but he sold that building last spring.
Similar to two years ago when he transformed Pelican Larry’s to The Oasis before changing the venue’s name, Latino has been making changes while operating under the existing bar’s name. If permitting occurs as planned, Zookie’s exterior signs will change in early February and the transition to Sonny’s will be completed on Feb. 13, Latino said.
“My plan is to stay open for the Super Bowl [on Sunday, Feb. 9] and then close that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then reopen on that Thursday, the 13th,” he said.
So far, Latino has decluttered, cleaned and painted the hospitality endcap at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 12. He improved the sound system and has plans to strategically reposition some of the many TVs in the 4,600-square-foot space.
“Once the TVs are changed out and we can redecorate, then I feel like it will be a big change for customers,” he said.
About 75% of the menu is new. The menu includes Italian-American classics but retains some of Zookie’s popular items such as the fish fry.
“We did transition from Mark’s menu to our new menu, so at this point, everything’s made in house now. The only thing that’s frozen on the menu is our French fries,” Latino said. “Everything else, even our cheese sticks, we make in house.”
The response to the menu changes has been positive so far, he said, even among longtime customers who had been accustomed to the old menu.
“We got a lot of really good feedback. People really like our chicken Parmesan,” he said. “We kept some of the items and just tweaked the recipe a little bit, so I feel that kind of took some of the things like the meatball sub and the spaghetti and meatballs up a notch.”
More coming soon
Q: Wingstop? On Immokalee headed toward I-75 by the
Dunkin’ across from Laurel Oak there’s a Wingstop sign? Nothing online about one opening up. Does anyone have any info? I’m missing my B-Dubs, so this is the next best thing. — Melodie May, Naples
A: The new area location for the Texas-based Wingstop chain is targeted to open in February at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 3, in North Naples. It’s near the western end of the Zookie’s-anchored Bougainvillea Center off Immokalee Road.
“We are actually training our employees at this time,” said Teresa Lerma, district manager of Wingstop. “Everything depends on the permits.”
Although one might think Wingstop would want to rush to launch a new store before the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 to score a bigger portion of the nearly 1.5 billion wings that the National Chicken Council reports Americans consumed during the big game last year, it’s actually just the opposite.
“It’s going to be after [the Super Bowl],” Lerma said. “We don’t want to put our new employees through that.”
In an effort to avoid a frenzied baptism by fryer on Super Bowl Sunday, Lerma is steering patrons to area Wingstop locations also owned by franchisee Raul Torres of Brownsville, Texas.
“We are open at the Radio Road location [in East Naples’ Berkshire Commons] and we have another on Tamiami [in Hitching Post Plaza] and one in Bonita [in Springs Plaza], in case you need fast service,” she said.
Founded in 1994, Wingstop has more than 2,000 locations, including 135 in Florida. The wing-centric restaurant features 14 flavor choices, ranging from plain or mild to Cajun or Atomic.
A little more
The Little Gym also is coming soon next to Wingstop in Bougainvillea Center. The new business at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 1, will anchor the western end of the retail center, which recently received an extensive facelift shortly after it was sold for $6.7 million in 2023.
The Little Gym chain, which has more than 400 locations worldwide, offers “serious fun” for children ages 4 months to 12 years through gymnastics programs with movement-based learning and imaginative play, the company reports. The franchise also is popular for hosting birthday parties.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.
The longtime Zookie’s Sports Bar & Grill along Immokalee Road in North Naples will complete its transformation into Sonny’s Pizzeria
& Sports Bar in February. The transition began in early December with the sale of the local business to a new owner. A menu change includes the addition of Chicago-style pizza. Photos by Tim Aten
Photo by Tim Aten
OUT & ABOUT
Patrons enjoyed the Baker Senior Center’s 13th annual Evening for Better Tomorrows: Walking on Sunshine fundraising gala at Royal Poinciana Golf Club on Jan. 11. Festivities included a cocktail reception, a four-course dinner and a brief program, as well as live entertainment. Baker Senior Center Naples is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and social services for older adults and their families.
Photography courtesy Erik Kellar
Jay and Patty Baker
Anne McNulty, Joanne Wyss, Dr. Jaclynn Faffer
Alan and Liz Jaffe
Tom and Sandi Moran Dick and Nancy Blackburn
Lindsey Sablan, Shelly Stayer Russell and Gail Smith
Peter and Carol Girardin
Renee Zepeda, Jorge Castro
Steve and Sarah Jackson
38 seats.
Staff reviews applications for outdoor dining, except those exceeding 100 square feet; those that don’t abut a restaurant’s storefront or U.S. 41; or those wanting to establish or expand outdoor dining facing a residential district. They go before the Design Review Board.
If a restaurant is sold, the 8-foot clearing would be required.
Current application fees are $200 if council approval isn’t required, or $500 if it is. Annual permit fees for outdoor seating on private property would double from $50 to $100 and the $2 per square foot annual permit fee to use public property would rise to a $1,000 flat fee, plus $50 per seat. A yearly $50 administrative fee to allow dogs in dining establishments would now be a $100 initial permit fee.
The change would require an 8-foot-clear distance or 50% of the sidewalk, whichever is greater, that must be free of all obstructions at all times, such as umbrellas, chairs and tables. Chairs cannot be moved into the sidewalk and restaurant employees cannot stand in the clear area to hand out menus or entice diners inside.
Outdoor dining must be located adjacent to the building’s facade, with the clearing between dining and the pavement or landscaping. There must be seven feet of vertical clearance from the pavement or sidewalk for umbrellas, and tables and chairs should be pulled out parallel to the sidewalk.
City staff reviewed other similar cities and towns and deter-
mined that due to the amount of enforcement required to monitor dining on public property, fees should be increased substantially.
An outdoor dining permit is a conditional use at all times, but may be suspended by the city manager if one or more conditions were violated, such as restricting pedestrians. City Council could then consider possible revocation after two verified violations in any
12-month period, or if a verified violation wasn’t corrected.
In the past two years, no restaurants have been brought before Council or the Code Enforcement Board, Martin said, noting violations are generally immediately remedied.
Clay Brooker, who normally appears before the PAB as a land-use attorney, told the board he was speaking as a resident and warned
NORTHERN ITALY: FROM THE ALPS TO THE ADRIATIC
August 20 – September 3, 2025
JOURNEY THROUGH CENTRAL EUROPE
August 30 - September 14, 2025
INSIDER’S JAPAN
September 8 - 20, 2025
PARADORES AND POUSADAS: PORTUGAL & SPAIN
September 15-29, 2025
MACHU PICCHU TO THE GALAPAGOS
October 28 - November 12, 2025
EGYPT AND ETERNAL NILE
November 17- December 1, 2025
MOROCCAN DISCOVERY: FROM THE IMPERIAL CITIES TO THE SAHARA
November 18 - December 1, 2025
that although they were discussing public property, SB 250 still applies due to its broad definition of land use.
“You are dealing with private businesses who particularly enjoy and depend upon … the existing rights,” Brooker said of the boost to business. “My concern is: Is the city unnecessarily exposing itself to vulnerability or liability from a legal perspective?”
He urged city officials to hold off until after October 2026. But City Attorney Matt McConnell told the PAB this involves a public right-of-way and keeping it clear to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a public benefit. “Anyone can sue us over anything,” McConnell said, adding he was hired to defend the city. “… We can’t be afraid to do what’s right.”
“Probably the most fun thing for me and probably for everybody in this room is watching these big screens and watching the bidders and watching the incredible excitement and joy that people are getting out of winning bids … It truly is so fun to watch how thrilled they are to be bidding and to be winning auction lots. It’s the best part of the day.”
The highlight of the auction came near its end with Lot 45 and an incredible $1.7 million winning bid for a 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible with a Bentley VIP experience at Monterey Car Week. The crowd roared as the amount climbed for the luxury automobile.
Two other lots raised $1 million each, with 40 couples kicking in $25,000 each to experience over-the-top nights out at favorite dining spots in Old Naples. One group will enjoy an exclusive Italian dinner prepared by celebrity chef Angelo Auriana in November at the wine-centric Bleu Provence French restaurant in Naples, while the other group will be treated to an acoustic concert in December from “American Idol” country star Scotty McCreery at The Club Room at Campiello on Third Street South.
As anticipated for Lot 28, an indulgent eightnight yachting voyage along the Croatian coast amassed an $850,000 winning bid. Four couples will be flown this summer to Croatia for a pampered experience aboard the 122-foot Navilux private charter yacht.
Lot 32, an elaborate package with an exclusive trip to Switzerland for two couples, sold twice for $800,000, adding a cool $1.6 million to the afternoon’s proceeds. Meanwhile, Lot 46 attracted another $800,000 for a five-night immersive experience for up to five couples at a Bordeaux wine estate in France. The applause and cheering for the finale, Lot 52, was another highlight of the event, with more than 60 couples pledging $1 million to $5,000 each to accumulate a total of more than $5.8 million. The “Fund the Future” lot supports NCEF’s seven strategic initiatives: early learning, healthcare, hunger, mental health, oral health, out-of-school time and vision. Every dollar donated during this heartfelt call to action supports a holistic approach to focus on the wellbeing of underprivileged children in Collier County. The scores of other lots brought in winning bids ranging from $200,000 to $750,000. All proceeds from the wine festival will support nearly 90 nonprofit community organizations that so far have provided 350,000 local children with essential services and resources.
From page 1A
Gideon and Heidi Searle get caught up in the excitement. Photo by AP Alexander
Shoppers walk past outdoor dining at Vergina on Fifth Avenue South in Naples. Photo by Ed Scott
MEET THE KIDS DAY
whirl of NWWF festivities.
success stories, with lives changed and hope restored for so many kids and their families,” Jimenez-Lara said as the event was getting underway. “For our trustees and the organizations, it means a lot, because everybody has worked so hard, for so many years, and they have been so determined to keep taking on this responsibility for serving 35,000 children a day. And we’re going to keep making sure the kids receive their services.”
As for the kids, Jimenez-Lara said she thinks the event helps them feel heard and understood.
“For the kids, it gives them an awareness that there’s a whole bunch of people that care about them, and it gives them an opportunity
to understand that they’re not alone,” she said.
“It helps them just tell their story, and when someone listens to your story it validates it and helps that child or young person understand that ‘There is a brighter future, and these people are going to help me get there.’”
Donovan, a 15-year-old Lely High School student, was representing Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, and said the organization’s “Money Matters” after-school program is helping him prepare for his future: He wants to be either a pilot or a businessman, like his grandfather.
“Money Matters is a program for high schoolers where they teach you how to manage your money, with investing and stuff like that,” he said. “I love [the program] and the staff really is amazing.”
At the Taste of Immokalee table, Immokalee High School senior Wydlynn was telling
visitors about the 10-year-old youth entrepreneurship program that helps high school students learn to run a successful business.
She has been involved with the program for two years in a variety of roles, including sales and marketing, customer service and HR, and said she plans to attend college to study sales and marketing.
“I just want to say thank you [to the patrons] here today, because if not for them I would not have learned so much from Taste of Immokalee,” Wydlynn said.
Representatives of the nonprofits exhibiting at Meet the Kids Day said the event gives patrons the opportunity to see firsthand the impact their contributions make in the community.
Beth Hatch, CEO of National Association for Mental Illness Collier, said she thinks that is what makes Meet the Kids unique during the
“One gentleman said, ‘I go to so many events, but we never see who it’s really impacting; I love how the children are here,’” she said. “I think that’s what’s so special, and it’s such an important part that they also see how we all work together.”
Wotts Mercy, a gift officer at Youth Haven — one of NCEF’s original charities since the first NWWF — said she thinks the relationships built between donors and organizations at Meet the Kids Day go a long way.
“When they are able to see the faces, shake the hands and give hugs to these kids, to see who they’re serving and who is taking part in these programs — they have told us it means a lot to them,” she said. “I think every opportunity that they are able to interact with the recipients of these grants is another opportunity for them to see where their [gifts] are going.”
Five celebrity-studded events culminate in the 21st annual Cars on 5th in downtown Naples. Don’t miss headliners Jay Leno and stylist to the stars Brenda Cooper.
Pre-show entertainment by the Ben Allen Band. February 6, 2025
Jay Leno Charity Comedy Night- February 6, 2025
Forever Fabulous Women: A Styling Experience- February 7, 2025
The Ultimate Garage Tour with Jay Leno- February 7, 2025
Jetport Reception- February 7, 2025 Cars on Fifth- February 8, 2025
From page 1A MEET THE KIDS
Meredith Curley has her hair braided by a local girl at Meet the Kids Day. Photos by Liz Gorman Lila Prince sings during the event.
NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara chats with attendees of Meet the Kids Day.
Matt Hickey, in back, and Kendall Forward check out snakeskin with a boy at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida booth.
New Naples gym creates inclusive space for children of all abilities
By Melanie Pagan
When Lisa Kolak saw the opportunity to give back to the community that had supported her family’s journey with autism, she seized it.
She opened a We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym franchise in Naples on Dec. 14 with business partner Ed Paquette, an entrepreneur and veteran in providing special needs services — culminating her 20-year journey in special needs care and dreams of helping families with disabilities.
“My son, who is now 26, has autism, and my granddaughter also has autism,” Kolak said. “It was my dream to open a We Rock the Spectrum because all I’ve ever wanted was to give back to the community as much as possible.”
The Naples-based gym — Southwest Florida’s second, following a location in Fort Myers — caters to children of all abilities, focusing on those with autism, sensory processing disorders and other special needs. The facility provides an inclusive space where children can engage in sensory-friendly activities that enhance their physical, emotional and social development while having fun.
“We have found that all children can benefit from our uniquely de-
signed sensory equipment, specifically tailored to aid children with sensory processing disorders,” Kolak said.
Kolak, who had opened several clinics specializing in speech and behavioral therapy before purchasing
We Rock the Spectrum, first partnered with the gym when therapists
From page 3A
Kapnick serves on the HSS board. In the HSS announcement, Jay Baker said the “transformative donation is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our community. We appreciate the Kapnicks and their support. This gift will ensure that our residents have access to exceptional treatment right here at home, without the need to travel. It’s an honor to be a part of making Naples a leader in orthopedic excellence.” The new center is expected to open this
at her previous company began taking its clients there.
Now, therapists bringing children to the Naples location can access the space for free.
“Therapists are already giving so much of their time, and their pay is minimal, so [charging a fee] is something that we would never do to them,” Kolak said.
In addition to supporting therapists, the gym offers resources for homeschooled families, as well as open play sessions, birthday parties, break times, private play dates and more.
Since the location is still evolving, Kolak is seeking ideas from
Naples neighbors on how the gym can become an even greater asset to the area.
“We want to hear from the community,” Kolak said. “What do they need? Do they need a parents’ night out — which we offer — when they can drop their child off for a couple of hours and have some time to themselves? Do they want a teen room?”
The more the community engages, the clearer the vision for We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym–Naples becomes.
“The community can benefit from We Rock the Spectrum by gaining a safe, inclusive space for children of all abilities to play and develop essential skills. It fosters a sense of belonging and support for families of children with autism and other special needs,” Kolak said. “Additionally, it strengthens the local community by offering resources, awareness and opportunities for inclusion, which ultimately leads to a more connected and compassionate environment for everyone.”
And that is her highest goal.
“I would really like people to understand that every child is different,” she said. “Whether or not a child has a disability, each one is unique. We need to accept every child exactly as they are.”
spring, according to HSS and NCH.
And 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; the total project cost is estimated at $118 million, and the balance of funding is from permanent bonds.
“The $20 million Baker Challenge launched in November 2023, and the Kapnick gift brought the total to $18.5 million,” Hammond said in a written statement. “[Two] $1 million gifts, from Verne and Judy Istock and Paula Jo and Robert Boykin, pushed us over the finish line [for
the match]. 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.”
Behind the scenes
According to Justin Blohm, vice president of HSS at NCH, the freestanding orthopedic hospital, which features designs and equipment from Arthrex, will include a 20,000-square-foot ambulatory surgical center with five operating rooms
on the first floor.
The remaining 80,000 square feet will include clinic space, outpatient rehab, 15 private inpatient beds and five additional operating rooms on the second floor, and MRI and CT imaging space on the third floor.
In late January, The Naples Press went behind the scenes with Blohm for a tour of the new hospital as construction nears completion, and this report on HSS at NCH — with additional details on the medical staff, technological advances and the role played by Arthrex, and the center’s business model — continues in the Feb. 7 issue.
We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym franchise in Naples provides special needs services. Provided photo
A construction worker installs lighting at the site of a future waiting rom at the new Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH North Naples Hospital. Photo by Liz Gorman
HSS renderings courtesy NCH
Conservancy of Southwest Florida receives $25M grant for Nature Center
By Alexandra Cavalier
To protect the shared natural environment and improve on-site education, the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation granted $25 million to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
The grant, the largest in the organization’s 60-year history, will transform the current Nature Center into the new John & Carol Walter Nature Experience.
Rob Moher, the conservancy’s president and CEO, believes that this project will preserve the conservancy’s mission to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land and wildlife.
“It’s going to be really something; the entire community can learn about the mission and become engaged in the work of the conservancy as volunteers, as members and as advocates,” Moher said. “Because, this area — if we take it for granted, we will lose what makes this area so special. So, with John, Carol and their family’s commitment, we are taking this to the next level.”
The renovation will feature various learning opportunities for guests, including hands-on exhibits, guided tours and immersive natural settings, which will allow for a deeper understanding of local ecosystems. A new Welcome Center inspired by the Western Everglades also will be featured.
John Walter’s goal is to keep the Conservancy alive by instilling the importance of conservation in future generations.
“The idea of being able to basically get other people involved in the community, so they just don’t come in and say, ‘Well, I want to come in and see this,’ but ‘I want to learn more about it,’” Walter said. “I think this is important: our land, our water and our wildlife. We need to keep it,
and if we don’t, we will compromise everything the community stands for. So, we did it for the community, we did it for the conservancy and we did it for our family and our family’s legacy.”
Walter emphasized the need to give back.
“As I said one other time, this is probably the most important organization in the town, in my opinion,” he said of the Conservancy. “With the water, animals and our wildlife, it’s so critically important. So, whatever we can do to keep that, keep it alive and keep it fresh, is what we should be doing. That’s what we’re trying to ac-
page 4A
• The initial approach to Runway 32 would be out of the northwest at 3,000 feet instead of 2,100 feet.
Missed approaches and holding patterns would be moved to uninhabited areas, such as over the Gulf of Mexico and the Everglades in western Collier County.
“Depending on the size of the aircraft, the missed approaches will go over Alligator Alley,” said Alyce Shingler, Hughes’ director of operations. “There’s nobody out there, so that’s good. The alligators won’t complain.”
The number of airports in proximity to Naples made writing the new procedures difficult, Bauer told commissioners.
“You have all these (flight paths), all shoehorned together laterally and vertically,” he said. “That’s why they ran out of airspace in South Florida.”
The airport can institute the new procedures by the end of the year.
“We’re prepared at this point to just implement them and get the noise out of the community,” Bauer said.
The commissioners gave Bauer the goahead to begin final steps to implementation.
“That’s really huge,” NAA chair Rita Cuddihy told him. “We have something now that can help us reduce noise. We are very grateful for what you’ve done.”
The new procedures must go through several steps before they can be implemented.
“Hughes uniquely has the ability to actually publish the procedures and flight test them, and are the only ones that can do this in the country,” Cuddihy said. “The FAA usually has to do the publishing and the procedures.”
The proposed approach policies were created after Southwest Florida International Airport agreed with the changes. Departure procedures will be discussed and/or adjusted in the near future, Bauer said.
The commissioners hired Hughes to do the study at a cost not to exceed $470,250.
In other business, the NAA elected Cuddihy to serve as NAA chairman and Commissioner Terry Cavanaugh as vice chair for 2025. Other commissioners are Kerry Dustin, John Crees and Robert Patten Burns. Crees’ first day as commissioner was Jan. 16, Cuddihy said.
complish here.”
President of the foundation and daughter of John and Carol, Lindsay Walter Carlton was taught at a young age to give back and is happy to work with organizations that make a profound effect such as the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
“I’m just thrilled to make an impact and hopefully help live on my parents’ vision, because it’s so important,” she said. “I just feel so proud, so excited, so honored and I just can’t wait.”
Center managers said the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience will open to attract new audiences in the first half of 2028.
“I think in three years’ time, when this incredible experience opens, we are going to be attracting a far broader and more numerous number of people to come here,” Moher said. “And when they come here, they’ll learn about the mission of conservancy. The mission is about the conservancy’s effort to protect water, land and wildlife. By doing that, we’re preserving our quality of life.”
The John & Carol Walter Family Foundation has granted $25 million to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Photo by Xxxxxxxxxx
has
that
BEYOND PROMISES. BEYOND COMPARE.
You’ve made a promise to yourself. The promise of a life well lived. Welcome to the all-new Park Place on Gulf Shore. An enclave of luxurious condominiums with beach and bay views in a coveted Moorings location. Just 15 exclusive residences will comprise this extraordinary community complete with 11 boat slips and lifts. Live a life that’s beyond compare at Park Place on Gulf Shore from the developers of The Bristol in West Palm Beach and the Tribune Tower in Chicago. Pre-construction pricing from mid $7Ms.
RESTAURANTS
The French, refashioned to meet changing tastes, hits the mark
By Jean L. Amodea
The owner of The French, opened in 2017 on the western end of Fifth Avenue, is doing something truly innovative. Who else would dare to transform a traditional French eatery into a hybrid French-American steakhouse? Executive chef Vincenzo Betulia, along with Marcello Palazzi, his right-hand teammate, director of operations and food and beverage manager, took this bold step.
The French is known for its inviting outdoor bar and terrace whose centerpiece is a stately, lighted live oak tree, and offers diners the ambiance of urban European eateries and Parisian bistros, which Betulia said makes the patio unrivaled by any other on the avenue.
“A restaurant is not only about the food, but also the décor,” Betulia said. “Before we opened, my wife and I traveled to Paris to imbibe Parisian design elements. The right design can transport people to another place; my mission was to replicate a French brasserie bistro, and we did it.”
Having met that goal, Betulia turned his sights to an unused private area beyond the restaurant’s dining room bar.
“As a passionate creative, I want to stay relevant,” Betulia said. “I was considering a new look and use for the space, and I wanted to do something customers would love.” That’s when Rouge was born — an intimate, clandestine, sexy, reddraped speakeasy with low lighting focused on the finest quality steaks and rare wines served in crystal-etched glassware. It’s a dining experience like no other, and it’s been a hit since its debut in 2023.
Reflecting on the way Madonna continually re-invents herself, Betulia looks for ways to keep au courant, ever-mindful of guests’ evolving tastes — “keeping them top-of-mind,” striving to stimulate them visually, as well as through their palates.
“I decided to bring the Rouge’s vibe and top-quality steak menu into the main dining area,” Betulia said. “It was already styled with a zinc-topped bar, black and white floor tiles and red leather banquette seating. With added décor touches, I could give my patrons a French-American-style steakhouse experience complete with an expanded wine menu.”
Pairing white table linens offset by red napkins and richly colored velvet drapery accented by florals securing the cachet of romance, Betulia has created a revitalized look rivaled only by the steakhouse-style entrees — and patrons are raving.
“I travel from Bonita Springs to The French,” Barb Garfold said. “The interior is tasteful and inviting, and the Rouge is a special experience. The darkened area is cozy, and servers hand out flashlights to read the menu. A turntable and vinyl records are available for guests to select and play, making for a unique dining experience. In the main dining room, real lighted can-
dles in holders are set on each table, a special touch that few restaurants offer that gives a glow reminiscent of old times. While many Naples restaurants are more contemporary, The French is dressed like a Parisian bistro that makes you feel at home, and the manager, chef and staff make you feel like family.”
As for the menu, the steaks at The French are not just grilled, they’re crafted over Floridian white oak, which emits palate-tingling scents tinged with a vanilla element — think the flavors of oak barrel-aged wines, bourbons or beer. At times, Palazzi can be found hand-chopping the wood in the restaurant’s back parking area.
“The oak burns slowly and evenly with intense heat,” Betulia said.
“The smokiness imparts an incredible flavor to the meat that pres-
ents with grill marks and char, for an unforgettable culinary experience.”
Jimmie Esposito and his fiancé have dined in every local restaurant that serves steak, and he said that The French’s new steak menu tops them all. “My favorite is the Bavette cut — the perfect and most flavorful steak,” Esposito said.
Bavette steak, known as a bib or flat steak, is cut from the bottom sirloin of the cow near the flank steak and has a buttery, beefy flavor profile. “It’s a unique cut presentation, and the grilling method is superb,” Esposito added. “I will put my name and stamp on it as the best steak dish in Naples.
“Those visiting [The French] for the first time or the hundredth time are made to feel like family, making dining even more pleasant
and the food more enjoyable. Naples has so many choices, and it is difficult for a restaurant to stand out, but The French does just that.”
The steak and wine
“We serve USDA prime and Australian wagyu #5 for our steak frites that is higher on the marbling scale,” Betulia said. “The richness of the fat melts rather than stays attached to the meat.”
The updated menu includes:
• Brasserie Steak Frites $62: 12-ounce Australian Wagyu New York Strip #5 with bearnaise sauce
• 8 oz. Filet Mignon (Australia)
$58: USDA prime tenderloin, with pommes mousseline, crispy fried shallots and sauce au poivre
• 10-ounce Filet Mignon $67: USDA prime tenderloin, pomme puree, roasted carrot
• L’Entrecote $68: 14-ounce American Angus ribeye and grilled asparagus
• Le Brasserie Burger $32: 8-ounce prime beef patty, bacon, red onion marmalade, lettuce, tomato, Emmenthal and brioche bun
• Bavette Steak $49: 12-ounce wood-grilled, green beans, shallot and roasted potato
• Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon
$54: with carrot, mushroom, bacon, potato mousseline and sauce bordelaise
The French’s new wine menu focuses on French wines, some of the major regional wines from the
THE FRENCH
Where: 365 5th Ave. S., Naples Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 2:30-5:30 p.m. happy hour ($35 steak frites and drink specials); 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday brunch with Dan Heck Trio Reservations: 239.315.4019 or at resy.com Information: thefrenchnaples.com or info@thefrenchnaples.com
Champagne wine region, the Burgundy region of the Rhone Valley and Bordeaux.
“Our vintages go back from the ’90s to the ’70s, and we offer other French, Italian and domestic wines such as Lafite, Romanee-Conti, Solaia and Opus One,” Betulia said. “The Rouge wines played a part in achieving the Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for The French.”
The kitchen and the passion
A duo of chefs spearhead kitchen operations. “Executive chef Ryan Bleem and chef Benoit Valota are responsible for the success of The French,” Betulia said. “Benoit is from Toulouse, France, and brings a traditional food sense and style honed from his experiences in Michelin-starred restaurants. He is known to walk through the dining room and chat with our guests who love to talk food.
“We’re extremely passionate people, hands-on and careful to listen to our patrons, which drives us, keeps us hanging on and sets us apart. We don’t work for glory or profit, but do it because we have passion. We are in the entertainment business; we make personal relationships and connections with our guests. Knowing when and how to steer the ship while listening to the market is an important element of the business apart from excellence in food, wine and refined concept.”
A word about Rouge Patrons can find the entrance to Rouge behind The French, where you will spot neon signage. Rouge is not advertised and rarely publicized. It is known mostly through word-of-mouth. In the Prohibition era, you could never “drop in” to see a speakeasy and could only gain entry with a code or password. So, with Rouge, reservations are secured only through texting a “secret” nine-digit number. Ownership gave permission to share that number; it is 239.315.3368. So, book your table, enjoy and wear something red.
Executive chef and owner Vincenzo Betulia of The French has updated the restaurant’s decor and menu that now features wood-
grilled steaks and an updated wine list. Photos courtesy The French
LUNCH AND LEARN SEMINAR
Experts serve up timely advice on real estate
By Melanie
More than a tasty lunch was on the menu Jan. 17 when experts in real estate gathered for a Lunch and Learn Seminar held at Heritage Bay Government Services center in Naples. The topic, “Avoid the Six Biggest Costly Mistakes: Real Estate Laws have Changed,” nourished attendees with much-needed insight into trends affecting the market.
Hosted by the York Naples Real Estate Group, speakers included Crystal Kinzel, comptroller of Collier County and Clerk of Circuit Courts; hosts James D. York P.A and Morgan York of the York Real Estate team; Chris Mitchell, owner/agent of Brightway Insurance; Robert Slaughter, mortgage branch manager at U.S. Bank; and Amber R. Mondock, Attorney at Law.
Kinzel spoke on preventing property scams. She invited attendees to make use of her department’s website, collierclerk.com.
“We have our Fraud Alert and Risk Alert systems on the website,” Kinzel said. “For those in Collier County, people can register if they have deeds or other information registered with the county. If something is going on with their property they can get an email from us; they can take immediate action.”
The website, Kinzel explained, provides a clear path for understanding what is happening with your property. This helps take the guesswork out of information gathering, which helps quell the onslaught of scams. “What we often see,” Kinzel said, “If the economy gets worse, the fraud gets worse. You need to check that all your proper legal documents are in order.”
The Collier County Circuit Court website is also a resource for rental properties. Background checks and property histories help consumers make informed decisions, both for those looking to rent and those
looking to fill vacant properties.
“We maintain all public records and land records, as well as court records … It is wise to check the website first,” Kinzel said.
Next up were comments by Chris Mitchell, an insurance agent with offices in Fort Myers and Naples. He updated attendees on the constantly changing insurance situation in the state.
“Due to the amount of litigation in the state, the rates increase,” Mitchell said. He explained that Florida represents “only 8% of the population yet 76% of the property lawsuits nationwide.”
With the high number of lawsuits, several companies are avoiding the state of Florida entirely.
“They have ceased writing policies or put moratoriums on,” Mitchell said. “Carriers are very restrictive.
There have been increases across the board.”
Homeowners who cannot af-
Week of Jan. 13-17
SALES
Carlo F. Zampogna, trustee of the Horseshoe Land Trust, purchased a 4.78-acre commercial site at 3073 Horseshoe Drive N. in Naples from 3073 Horseshoe Drive LLC for $5,553,000. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the seller, and Ann Zampogna of Premiere Plus represented the buyer.
Five different buyers purchased 10,735 square feet of commercial space at 1076 Business Lane, suites 1-4 and 9, in North Naples — closing simultaneously — from Jon G. Hoversten as personal representative of the estate of Garfield Quinten Hoversten, for a total of $2.1 million. Patrick Fraley, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyers, and Lesley Williams of Exp Realty represented the seller. 5470 Bryson Ct. LLC purchased 3,000 square feet of office space at 5470 Bryson Court, Suite 101, in North Naples from Crislake Bryson LLC for $1.2 million. Clint L. Sherwood, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
LEASES Nick Cornwell leased a 2,335-square-foot office space in Angler’s Plaza, 870 Bald Eagle Drive, units 1B, 3B and 4B, on Marco Island from Carmela and Peter Gagliano. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
The K9 Shop of Naples leased a 1,600-square-foot retail space in Heron Plaza, 4186 Tamiami Trail N., in Naples from Heron Plaza LLC. Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, of CRE Consultants represented the lessor, and Jason Langan of Domain Realty represented the lessee. Upscale Upholstery and Canvas leased 885 square feet of industrial space in Rail Head Industrial Park, 1455 Rail Head Blvd., in North Naples from Rail Head Boulevard of Naples LLC. Edward Larsen and Mike Concilla of LQ Commercial represented the lessor and lessee. Bruvvers1119 LLC leased 1,134 square feet of office space at 1020 Eighth Ave. S., Suite 7, in Naples from Chimera Hospitality Corp. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee.
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 Bryan Flores, Broker/Realtor at Kova Commercial Group.
Q. What is the state of the commercial real estate market in Collier County?
The commercial real estate market in Collier County remains exceptionally strong across multiple sectors. Industrial has been a major driver, fueled by limited inventory and high demand. Retail is also performing well, possibly due to new residents who relocated during COVID now launching their own businesses, as well as a growing population. We’ve been handling a significant number of retail leases and renewals, with tenant activity remaining robust. The office market continues to show strength locally, even as it has softened on a national level. Investment sales have been steady, and we haven’t yet seen a significant decompression of cap rates, despite some loosening of interest
ford insurance can work with their agent to come to a resolution. “We have to assess each individual situation,” Mitchell said, noting that he does not want homeowners to have to adjust their coverage.
“Year-build is the biggest driver of increased premiums because of the codes we have,” he said. “If you have a new home, it’s not nearly as difficult as a 30-year-old home.”
Mortgage rates were next. Robert Slaughter of U.S. Bank spoke on this constantly fluctuating topic.
“Of course, here, we have a lot of cash sales,” Slaughter said. “Those help the mortgage financing overall. We are blessed with a big contingent of cash buyers.”
For those unable to buy outright, there are options. Slaughter stressed the importance of research. “A lot of it is comparing apples to apples, lenders to lenders. Fees for appraisals, credit reports, etc. It is best to compare. These can help with your incentive to choose a lender.”
Attorney Amber R. Mondock spoke about wills and trusts. “Any individual who has assets needs a will,” she said.
With many in Florida holding properties in other states, Mondock explained the importance of homestead tax exemptions and how wills should be adjusted if you own property in more than one state.
“For clients who hold assets in multiple states, the revocable trust would be very prudent and important for the beneficiaries to lessen fees in the backend,” she said.
James York and Morgan York spoke on how contract changes enacted in 2024 will affect sales. Recent transaction laws, enacted in August, are the buzz topic of the industry.
The York Real Estate Team, part of Downing-Frye, maintains a useful website updated as trends change. Morgan York is already planning the next seminar luncheon at the Collier County Library’s Sugden Library Theater Feb. 19.
rates by the Federal Reserve. Overall, market conditions remain highly positive. Even during COVID, demand stayed strong, though there were some tenant-related challenges. Investment sales held firm throughout the pandemic, and the market has been on an upward trajectory since around 2013-14. While we may see shifts in the coming years, influenced by the Federal Reserve and broader political factors, the long-term outlook remains optimistic.
Notably, there has been a significant influx of institutional capital into Southwest Florida over the past three years. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are now actively entering the market and driving new investments, developments or redevelopments, particularly in areas like the Davis Corridor. With this growing interest, Southwest Florida has gained national recognition as a prime investment destination.
Flores has lived in Naples since 1994. He has been involved in the Collier County commercial real estate industry with KOVA Commercial Group for 11 years. He can be reached at bryanflores@KOVACG.com or at 239.682.7444.
No matter where you own property in Collier County, the website collierclerk.com provides a clear path for understanding what is happening with your property. Contributed photos
Bryan Flores
Pefinis
One of Collier County’s neighborhoods is Players Cove, located at the Lely Resort.
As an icon rises along the Vanderbilt Beach skyline, there will be a new address in Naples to surpass all others. With coastal residences of unrivaled space and finishes, 50,000 square feet of inspired amenities, and impeccable service by the first name in luxury, every moment of every day will be yours to enjoy at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples. A rare opportunity reserved for the few, the time to select your residence is now.
Occupancy Early 2026 The best time to select one of these incomparable homes for yourself is now. 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 106, Naples, Florida 34109 Phone 239-249-6260 The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples Pricing from $5.2 million. RCRNaples.com
A rts & LEISURE
A FASCINATION WITH FORM
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 1 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Pineapples, as well as other citrus fruits, played a vital role in the pioneer era of Marco Island’s development, when pineapple farms were a staple of its agricultural life. Come celebrate this annual celebration of all things pineapple with recipes, games, prizes and information on this golden fruit. Wear your best pineapple attire if you have it. Free. colliermuseums.com or 239.252.1440
Among the lineup: Elliot Lurie (“Brandy”); Walter Egan (“Magnet and Steel”); Ambrosia (“Biggest Part of Me,” “How Much I Feel”); John Ford Coley (“Nights Are Forever Without You”); and Peter Beckett (“Baby Come Back”). $75. ticketmaster.com
Ongoing events
‘The Lehman Trilogy’ 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays; 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
‘Dial M for Murder’
Various times Tuesdays-Sundays through Feb. 6 at Gulfshore Playhouse, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., Naples. Frederick Knotts’ edge-of-seat thriller, known in the United States from the tense Alfred Hitchcock film, was originally a play, and it returns, even more gripping live, with a few surprises. $39-$119. gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529
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 through April 13 at Naples Art Institute, 795 Park Ave., Naples. “Art in Balance: Matisse and His Illustrated Works” features a selection of more than 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 effects 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
Art mascots at Revs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays at the Revs Institute, 2500 Horseshoe Drive S., Naples. “Roaring Twenties, Rolling Art: French Automotive Mascots,” exclusive French car mascots (often called hood ornaments in the U.S.) from the Jon Zoler collection that are artist-designed small sculptures created for customers including Hermès. $20, $15 for military, students, educators; ($10
CALENDAR
A TRIBUTE TO BELOVED WOMEN
7:30 p.m. Jan. 30-31 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The Naples Philharmonic with Alexander Shelley, artistic and music director, performs a poignant and powerful new work, Songs for Murdered Sisters , with verses by novelist Margaret Atwood ( The Handmaid’s Tale ) and music by Jake Heggie ( Dead Man Walking ). The songs remember the stories of women lost to violence — bringing them back to life as loving human beings. They are sung by Joshua Hopkins, baritone, who initially commissioned the work to memorialize his sister, murdered by an exboyfriend. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, the “Fate” Symphony, is also on the program. $15-$79. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
more for docent-guided tours). Advance tickets required for entry. revsinstitute.org or 239.687.7387
Shroud of Turin sculpture On exhibition indefinitely at Canizaro Exhibit Library, Ave Maria Library, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., and The Ark Chapel, Ave Maria. A commissioned 14-foot sculpture. Free. 239.280.2500
At Baker Museum 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays at The Baker Museum, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Through June 15, “Obra Sonora,” an exhibition of works by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. To Feb. 2, “Alex Katz, Theater and Dance,” artist’s collaboration with staging; and “As We Rise: Photographs from the Black Atlantic.” $10; student or military (with I.D.), $5; SNAP benefits (with EBT card), $1; ages to 17 or younger, free. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
This weekend
(Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 2)
The White Collar Comedy Show
5 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Marco Island. Who says neckties can’t be fun? Vien Phommachanh, Mark Christopher and Jared Stein, a trio of comedians with day jobs as doctors and corporate execs, plumb their own worlds for laughs. $30. marcoislandart.org or 239.784.1186
Masterworks: Two fates
7:30 p.m. Jan. 30-31 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. See Featured Item.
‘Tainted Love’
7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Jan. 31 through Feb. 9 at Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate
in the late ’70s and early ’80s and has become known as “yacht rock.” Also among the star-filled lineup: Ambrosia (“Biggest Part of Me,” “How Much I Feel”), John Ford Coley (“I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” “Nights Are Forever Without You”) and Peter Beckett (“Baby Come Back”). $75. ticketmaster.com
World Wetlands Day
8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples. Join Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s annual World Wetlands Day celebration. Activities include guided tours on the boardwalk, forest meditation and nature journaling.
$6-$17. Free admission for children under 6. Some activities require registration or an additional fee to participate. corkscrew.audubon.org/ WWD25
Next week (Feb. 3-6)
‘Southern Gothic Novel’
7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Norris Center Auditorium, 755 8th Avenue S., Naples. Watch the New York Drama Desk Award-nominated Southern Gothic Novel, a solo live comedy theater starring Frank Blocker. The production feels like a movie about a book that doesn’t exist. $30. southerngothicnovel.online or 239.409.1588
Steve DeLadurantey & Friends
Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway. The Studio Players’ production of a truth-telling 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
Pineapple tribute
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 1 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Pineapples played a vital role in the pioneer era of Marco Island’s development. Come celebrate this annual celebration of all things pineapple with recipes, games, prizes and information on this golden fruit. Wear your best pineapple attire if you have it. Free. colliermuseums. com or 239.252.1440
Bronx Wanderers
6 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1; 5 and 7:30 p.m. Feb 2 in Daniels Pavilion, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Family-led musical act known for fiery renditions of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll hits from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. $68. A few tickets left. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Feinstein sings Bennett
7:30 Feb. 1 in Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Pop crooner Michael Feinstein offers an array of Tony Bennett favorites in his show, “Because of You,” featuring the Carnegie Hall Big Band. $98-$113. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
‘Yacht Rock the Dock’
8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Remember “Brandy” and “Magnet and Steel”? Elliot Lurie and Walter Egan, the two voices behind them, are in this concert of smooth rock radio staples that developed in southern California
in the Gathering Place. $35. naplesucc.org
Death of a Salesman
Feb. 5-March 2; SOLD OUT except for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, in the Price Studio Theatre (formerly Tobye Studio) at Sugden Community Theatre, 571 Fifth Ave. S. The Naples Players presents the Arthur Miller classic story of Willy Loman, a salesman who mourns the success and happiness that eluded him in his pursuit of the “American Dream” while he missed the joy of the love of the people who cared. $50-$65. thenaplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
Mercato Nights Music Series 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Mercato, 9110 Strada Place, Naples. JP Soars & The Red Hots play music inspired by the blues. Free admission. experiencemercato.com
Jay Leno Charity
Comedy Night
Feb. 6, with 6 p.m. VIP meet-andgreet with food and beverages, 7 p.m. entertainment with the Ben Allen Band, 8 p.m. Jay Leno show, all at Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero. VIP inclusive tickets, $1,000; show tickets, $49$250. naplesautomotiveexperience. org
‘The Rink’ at TheatreZone
7 p.m. Feb. 4 at North Naples Church, 6000 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Naples. Join Steve DeLadurantey, other vocalists and an orchestra of Naples Philharmonic members for an evening of sacred music. Performances will include solos and full orchestra selections. $25 VIP tickets and free general admission. nnchurch.org
Tuesday at Twilight
7-8 p.m. Feb. 4 at The Naples United Church of Christ, Beverly Hall, 5200 Crayton Road, Naples. Showcasing the music of violinist Zach DePue and violist Michael Strauss, musicians from local and international backgrounds. Performance followed by a reception
Welcome to “Dog-aritaville,” one of the doghouses created for an auction to benefit SNIP Collier, an organization that provides no-cost spaying services.
7:30 p.m. Feb. 6-8 and 13-16, 2 p.m. Feb. 8-9 and 15-16 at G&L Theatre, The Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Road. TheatreZone presents the Kander & Ebb five-Tony nominee musical, “The Rink,” the story of a mother and her estranged daughter in a confrontation over the sale of the mother’s aged roller rink, beloved by the community, to developers. $50-$65. Theatre.zone or 888.966.3352, ext. 1
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., Naples. Chamber ensembles of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra play winter music favorites. Free admission.
MANSIONS FOR THE RUFF LIFE
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Ritz Tiburón, 2620 Tiburon Drive, Naples. Even your dog’s bark is going to sound sophisticated after you get it one of the architect-designed doghouses at SNIP Collier’s second annual gala. There are island cottages; luxe high-rises such as the “Fur Seasons” and “Puppy Ritzidence” and more created by local builders for the Ultimate Dog House Challenge. They go on sale at the Bark & Build live auction during the evening of dining, dancing, raffles and silent auctions. 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. Photos of the doghouses are available on the website and the houses are at their sponsors’ businesses. Tickets are $200. barkandbuild.org
Joshua Hopkins, left, who commissioned Songs for Murdered Sisters, takes a bow with songwriter Margaret Atwood and Alexander Shelley during its premiere with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada; Shelley, music director there, is also artistic and music director for Artis—Naples, and the work is here Jan. 30-31. Photo by Curtis Perry See CALENDAR,
HOT TICKET
The “Puppy Ritzidence,” which could do double dog duty, is one of seven doghouses to be auctioned to benefit SNIP Collier. Photos by Rick Bethem
COVER STORY
NAPLES ART INSTITUTE
Works show a Matisse victorious over war, near-fatal illness
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
We admire the person who threads a needle the first time every time. We marvel at the basketball star who sinks it, sinks it, sinks it, sinks it.
In the same way, we have to admire Henri Matisse’s facile, fluid ink drawings of people. Could he actually create the singular carriage of a subject’s face with one deftly drawn line?
He could, again and again. The 20th-century French painter created possibly hundreds of them in the same spare, sure hand. Those visiting “Art in Balance: Matisse and His Illustrated Works” at the Naples Art Institute will see an impressive sample of them.
In fact, they can watch him do it: In the video corner of the Watson Gallery, a film shows Matisse reproducing a youngster’s face with little more than a half dozen lines.
That video will also show the color effects of the last works of his life on the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, France — stained glass windows that are the only color in a black-and-white building also influenced by Matisse. The colors double in sunlight by throwing their patterns broadly across chapel walls and floor.
There are some of the artist’s famous color works here, too. There is one version of his most famous work, “The Dance,” done as a lithograph in 1938. His “Jazz” portfolio collection also brings his high-color, high-contrast oeuvre to a set of 20 works full of the familiar Matisse forms, by turns jagged and curve-conscious.
The title, suggested by his publisher, isn’t to suggest a response to music, but to communicate its sense of motion and spontaneity within a strict framework. They generally bustle with activity, when in human or abstract forms, except for a nod to Matisse’s “Blue Nude” series among them.
World war and a new direction
There are cryptic masks and a heavier quotient of black — possibly the influence of World War II. It had chased Matisse from Paris and its occupation by the Nazis. They had denounced his works as degenerate, despite the fact that the invaders quickly looted his art from dealers and Jewish owners.
Matisse’s works since World War II were a departure for another reason, said Helena Alonso, one of the two people who assembled the works for “Matisse: Art in Balance.”
“It’s an exhibition focused on the last 20 years of Matisse’s production … when he got ill. It made him change his way of creating,” she said. (The artist died in 1954.)
During the war, Matisse developed duodenal cancer. While surgery to remove the cancer was successful, the surgical wound became necrotic and damaged his abdominal muscles. As a result, he was confined to a wheelchair. Undeterred, the artist called on a skill he had used designing stage sets for a Stravinsky ballet years earlier, working with cutouts of painted paper. Matisse called the process “drawing with scissors,” and the vivid colors he used became so associated with him, many people know him best by
When: Now through April 13: 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
Where: Naples Art Institute, 585 Park St., Naples
Admission: $15; at the door or at naplesart.org
Good to know: Docent tours with admission at noon and 1 p.m. Tuesdays beginning now, plus 1 p.m. Fridays beginning Feb. 7
Info: naplesart.org or 239.262.6517
these cutout works.
Matisse was so meticulous about his shades that he rarely permitted lithographs of his cutout works. He saw color printing in the 1940s as substandard reproduction. The Museum of Modern Art in New York was permitted to make one only decades later, when color printing had been substantially improved.
The quality of the color was extremely important to Matisse, as the publishers of Verve, a French art magazine for which he created covers, knew. He was in charge of the color for his covers, several of which are in this exhibition.
“It was necessary to do 26 passes of the lithograph, when normally it takes — what, four?” Alonso said, pointing to an example on the wall.
“And he finished it just the day before the Second World War,” added Oscar Carrascosa, her co-director, of that cover. “After they put it together, they thought maybe we’re not seeing this.” The magazine, fortunately, came out.
A friend of books
There are some 140 works in this exhibition. Viewers may be surprised to find how much work Matisse did that is simply black and white. An avid reader, Matisse liked supplying art for books, and several that accompany text are here.
For some there is a romantic or sensual underpinning. One emerges through his lithographic drawings of the novelist Andre Rouveyre and the woman who rejected him in what was apparently a roman à clef novel, Repli. Another illustrates a book that took Europe by storm, a collection of love letters allegedly from a Portuguese nun to a French soldier among troops who came to defend her country against appropriation by Spanish Castile.
Docent guides for this exhibition on Tuesdays and Fridays offer a trove of symbolism and technique about these Matisse works. But even without the guidance, there’s a world of revelation here about an artist who survived war and near-fatal disease to astound the world with the beauty in his mind.
Henri Matisse, Paris, 1937, photographed by Erwin Blumenfeld. Photo courtesy Naples Art Institute
People admire the Henri Matisse exhibition at Naples Art Institute. Photo by Harriet Howard Heithaus
The Studio Players’ ‘Tainted Love’ takes on middle-age relationships
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
After the right cast didn’t materialize for his first-choice production and the second choice became tangled in a staging rights delay, Scott Lilly, artistic director of The Studio Players, felt his prospects were grim.
Actually, his best prospects were Grim.
Lilly spotted Tainted Love, a dramedy by British playwright Johnny Grim, on a list of plays open for production, and the season was saved. Two theater veterans, Sharon Isern and Gerrie Benzing, joined Cindy Sepich and Ruth Johnson, who had been set to do the previous play, and Anna Segreto is conducting.
They’re not only veterans of local community theater; three of them had worked with the others on plays. None of them, however, might have known their first challenge would be that Tainted Love was written in a foreign language — British English. Johnson said she actually went through the play, page by page, marking every line on which she had questions.
“We had to translate it into American English,” Benzing said. But it provided a learning curve: They now all know what “rogering” — the British slang for rough sex — is.
Other references were outright inscrutable — that “fanny” is a term for the vagina in Britain. (Both ref-
erences might cue the reader that this is a play with some frank dialogue and some decidedly strong language).
The British are wonderful, but they do speak differently, said Benzing: “They would say ‘How is it funny that ....’ and I said, could I just say ‘Isn’t it funny ...’” She could, it turns out.
They agreed the soul of the play, however, was solid.
“[It’s] Four natural women saying what women are going to say.
They cuss. They say politically incorrect things. They call each other vile names jokingly and teasingly — it’s being able to let it all hang out and let people see how women really act — in some cases,” Johnson said. “Not every woman acts like us, but I think that’s what a lot of it is about. It questions whether or not you’re better off in a relationship.”
And her marital relationship is just why the character Julie brings her friends together in Tainted Love: “There are no highs or lows
beverages and live and silent auctions. Part of Naples Automotive Experience weekend to benefit St. Matthew’s House shelter. $1,000. naplesautomotiveexperience.org
artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Candlelight concert: Vivaldi
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road. Live strings performing Massenet, Piazzolla and Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” all by candlelight. Zoned open seating. $28 and $36 at feverup.com
Next weekend (Feb. 7-9)
‘Forever Fabulous Women’
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 7 at Vineyards Country Club, 400 Vineyards Blvd., Naples. Includes luncheon by Emmy-winning Hollywood stylist Brenda Cooper, style demonstrations from St. Matthew’s House boutique, fashion show, Cooper’s book on The Silhouette Solution. Benefits St. Matthew’s House. $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 comedian-car collector Jay Leno among a curated group of exclusive cars, food and
Everglades Seafood Festival
Feb. 7-9, 4-10 p.m. Friday, 4-10:30 p.m. Saturday, 8:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday in downtown Everglades City. Seafood, rides, games, continuous entertainment. Whey Jennings tribute and drone show, with can of food for food banks as admission, Confederate Railroad and Sweet Fleet Band Saturday and Sunday, with $10 minimum donation. Information and band schedule at evergladesseafoodfestival.org
Naples Philharmonic Community Concert
4 p.m. Feb. 7 at the United Church of Marco Island, 320 N. Barfield Drive, Marco Island. The Naples Philharmonic, Alvin Ho, conducting, with Forrest Johnston, trumpet, performing the Hummel Trumpet Concerto, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral,” and the Mayer Overture No. 2. $35, student with ID, $15. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
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
with Frank — just one endless flat line.”
But she may not be ready for the advice her friends are about to give her about it. Each of the three has been with her since childhood and they all bring a different perspective to the group — and to their advice. With or without the British flavor, the four women found their female characters likeable, even if they’re “a little delusional,” as Sepich said of her character. Johnson felt she scored the jack-
Legends performs a tribute concert from music by The Eagles and Chicago. Free parking. $43-$132.25. playparadisecoast.com or 209.442.3155.
Jetport Reception
6 p.m. Feb. 7 at Northern Jet Hangar, 2345 Tower Drive, Naples. A lineup of rare and exclusive cars, jets, food and entertainment, part of the Naples Automotive Experience Weekend to benefit St. Matthew’s House. $500. naplesautomotiveexperience.org
Cars on Fifth
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 8 at Fifth Avenue South and tributary streets, downtown Naples. 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. Part of Naples Automotive Experience weekend to benefit St. Matthew’s House shelter. $40, $10 ages 4-15. $200 for VIP Scuderia, a tented area at baseball diamond at Cambier Park west with cars not elsewhere in the show, plus food and entertainment; tickets limited. naplesautomotiveexperience.org
Scene to Be Scene
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Naples Grande, 475 Seagate Drive, Naples. Naples Art Institute’s “Scene to Be Seen” is part fashion show, part
pot getting the role of the gregarious, raunchy-mouthed Carol.
“I love her! Because she isn’t ashamed to be who she is. She’s brassy. She’s loud. She’s showy and she doesn’t care who knows it,” Johnson declared. “She’s a mess, she’s an absolute mess and I love her to pieces.”
Tainted Love takes its title from the 1981 British hit, a hooky synth pop song by Soft Cell that has a cameo in the play.
“Another fun thing is that we actually get to sing in this,” Benzing explained. No one should expect a budding musical, however: “It’s just the first chorus and verse.”
art, with dresses made from can tops, and floral woven wear. The event benefits the Naples Art Institute and its education programs. There’s an afterparty so you can see the creativity close-up. $200; $700 for VIP runway box seats. naplesartinstitute.org
Tribute to Johnny Cash
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 more than 1,000 shows in 12 countries. His first Man in Black show was held in 2004 in Niagara Falls. $65. casino.hardrock.com
Mozart concert
4-6 p.m. Feb. 9 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Park Shore Drive, Naples. The Camerata of Naples features Naples Philharmonic members Zach DePue and Andrew Snedeker, violin and oboe, as well as Michael Strauss, viola, in a program of Mozart and Bach. $55. cameratanaples.org
Bark and Build Gala
6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Ritz Tiburón, 2620 Tiburon Drive, Naples. Architect-designed doghouses at SNIP Collier’s second annual gala. See Hot Ticket.
Sheila (Sharon Isern) offers a toast to Julie (Gerrie Benzing, second from left) congratulating her on her comfortable life. But as she, Tess (Cindy Sepich) and Carol (Ruth Johnson, right) are about to
“Tainted Love,” comfort isn’t everything. Photo by Liz Gorman
Philharmonic show goes on, despite sick star
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Naples Philharmonic Orchestra librarian
Rebecca Beavers was treating herself to an early between-concerts restaurant dinner of fish and asparagus.
Jack Everly, the orchestra’s principal conductor, was taking a break between the afternoon and evening show of vocalist Norm Lewis’ favorite Broadway melodies.
Lewis, however, was not feeling so well. And an urgent care medical specialist confirmed it: He needed medical attention. He found himself at the NCH emergency room.
And Artis—Naples found itself without its concert star for its closing Jan. 25 pops concert.
At 5:30 p.m. Beavers and Everly got the call from David Filner, executive vice president of artistic operations: They would need to construct nearly three quarters of a new concert. With dinner in a take-away box, Beavers rushed back to Artis—Naples and began plowing through its scores.
Everly arrived and began quick readings, approving or rejecting suggestions.
“We basically ransacked that library,”
he recalled.
“It looked like a hurricane had come through,” Beavers agreed. What was in her mind as she flipped through musical scores was that it must be a Broadway piece using the instrumentation for which the orchestra was equipped this particular night. There was a short panic when one of the chosen works required an E-flat tuned clarinet, and assistant principal Katherine Gatewood had brought her B-flat clarinet. The right instrument was whisked to the hall in the nick of time.
Both Everly and Beavers knew that Laura Cones, librarian for Indianapolis Symphony, where Everly is also pop conductor, was in her office, and soon Cones was transmitting suggested pieces and parts.
“This was a two-state operation,” Everly marveled.
Concertmaster Zachary DePue had arrived early from dinner, and saw, at 6:15 p.m., that the score for one of their new pieces, Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” had no bowing — the visual choreography marked in scores so that the bows in the string sections were rising and falling at the same time. It’s a practice little known to audiences, but it keeps the orchestra from looking as though
each musician is trying to play a solo.
Those bowing marks had to be made on each page for each music stand in the first and second violins and violas.
“My colleagues actually teamed up in the conference room and were bowing and copying all the parts with bowings that we did on the fly,” he recalled. “On a rush job, without any homework, we got all of the work done in 20 minutes.
“It can take a couple of hours to put that in all the parts, but there were six of us. My colleagues were so amazing, just offering themselves, saying ‘What can I do?’”
Filner noted that the percussion section was also under the gun; assignments that are spread throughout the section over a week would have to be distributed in less than an hour. The scores for every instrument in the orchestra also would have to be checked for cuts that may have been made on some, but not all, their scores.
“We had an assembly line going where Jack was in his dressing room looking at scores, trying to make decisions about what he was going to do, we had Rebecca pulling music from the library, we had three or four people dealing with the initial scores, and then a group of musicians in another room where
they were marking up parts … and another group was taking them out and putting them on stands,” Filner said.
But shortly before 7:30 p.m. the musicians were at their stands looking at material they had not played, in some cases for years: Overture to West Side Story, “Cinema Paradiso” for violin and orchestra, Gershwin — parts of An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess — and the overture to Girl Crazy.
“We were reading a lot of those for the first time in front of the audience. But I have to say the level of everyone’s concentration — everyone brought such focus that it really did sound concert-ready,” DePue said.
The audience apparently agreed. The orchestra and Everly received a standing ovation.
“It was totally due to everyone at Artis— Naples — the librarians, the musicians, the staff,” Everly declared.
And the best news of all was that Lewis would recover. After a night at NCH, he was deemed fit to fly back to New York to see his physician there.
“And Norm is such a gracious human being — he felt terrible about the concert. And he felt bad that he didn’t get to say goodbye to everyone before he left,” Everly said.
Classic thriller gets a harder edge in ‘Dial M’ update
Front Row
Harriet Howard Heithaus
This is not your grandmother’s Dial M for Murder. If you’re of that age, the same warning applies.
In the current Gulfshore Playhouse production, its variation on the Frederick Knotts thriller turned classic film under Alfred Hitchcock’s direction has neither hewed to the Hollywood dressing of the story, nor has it returned to its British stage play roots. Jackson Gay is directing the 2022 Jeffrey Hatcher adaptation — more cynical and more smartly vested with philosophical discussion between the central character, Margot, and her lover, who is now another woman.
A lesbian affair in the early 1950s ups the stakes for everyone around Margot. For her lover Maxine, a novelist on the brink of her first bestseller, discovery would be disastrous. Learning his wife was having an affair not with another man, but with a woman, would be a solar plexus punch to someone as smug as Tony.
And to tighten the screws further, Tony is actually serving as Maxine’s publicist, having been hired at her publishing company when his own novel sank like a rock. He is being paid to work with the woman who has stolen his wife.
Wife is a disingenuous term for their relationship; Tony, a serial philanderer, sees his wealthy spouse as his meal ticket. And he means to keep eating. Played to a cool, calculating turn by Lucas Dixon, Tony has a smooth facade and quick mind. He easily manipulates Margot into reacting to police questions in all the wrong ways about the hired murderer whom she has accidentally killed. He outplays Maxine in her attempts to force his hand as the clock ticks toward Margot’s execution for that murder. But as most of us who watch TCM know, one detail can upend a carefully crafted strategy.
What: Dial M for Murder
When: Various times, Tuesdays-Sundays through Feb. 6
Where: Gulfshore Playhouse, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., Naples
Tickets: $39-$119 at gulfshoreplayhouse.org ; Information at 239.261.7529
Good to know: Most of us who see the Gulfshore Playhouse production will now want to see the Hitchcock film, which ranks in the top 50 all-time
Ashley Bufkin, as Margot’s lover Maxine, has her own facade, a wall that is up even during her light patter with the Wendices in the opening scenes. Bufkin plays it well,
dropping the chariness only for her moments alone with Margot.
Other changes in Hatcher’s version inject a dose of skepticism into Margot, as well. She is a woman
walking on hot coals, theorizing at one point that Maxine could have hired whoever is blackmailing her with the explicit love letter that was stolen with her purse. The motive, Margot suggests, could be revenge for her decision to stop answering Maxine’s letters from the U.S. and to establish some plateau of accommodation with her husband.
Margot is a woman navigating an icy precipice, and Caitlin Clouthier smartly ratchets up her emotional dial on the spectrum as she slides toward her conviction and execution. She feels she has one bulwark of stability — the very man planning her death.
Dial M for Murder gets rich treatment on scenic designer Linda Buchanan’s set, with trendy ’50s abstracts on the walls, French doors, deep green walls and a plush sofa over which to drape your taffeta evening skirt. Tracy Dorman does equally well with costuming; those among us who remember
circle skirts and jewel-neck pastel sweaters with tiny neck scarves will cringe.
Daniel Baker’s sound design injects incidental jazz with the kind of progressive sound that makes you long for a cigarette holder and a beret. It sets that perfect, slightly jarring tone as opening and intermission music, but several times it underpins, and undercuts, dramatic moments in the plays — such as when Margot’s would-be murderer is preparing for her entry. The silence of those moments would be much more chilling.
There’s also something of an awkwardness in the tussle between Margot and Lesgate (Christopher Joel Onken) that seemed wrong at the time but makes sense on reflection: Lesgate is a sleazy criminal who likes to keep a distance from his sins. Onken aptly paints him as nervous about having his larcenous deeds — which include a murder by slow poison — pointed out to him. At least Lesgate doesn’t have to deal with the stone-faced Inspector Hubbard (Liam Craig), who could make an innocent person confess. He betrays little emotion about any of his actions, his theories on the actual criminal, his views on gay affairs or his opinion of anyone around him. It’s “Just the facts, ma’am,” and done well.
Gulfshore’s production is a play handled in kid gloves, set with porcupine quills; a refined psychological chase to the conclusion. It’s well worth the extended dates it was given to accommodate the demand. Our one quibble is with Hatcher’s premise: Why would a woman in a gay relationship leave her husband in the 1950s? As Margot’s husband, Tony is protective camouflage for her and Maxine; he would, one thinks, be less apt to put a bounty on Margot’s head with that security.
We can chalk it up to greed, the foundation for many first-rate stories and bittersweet endings. Even when the right people win, as the tableaux of the final scene reveals, something has been lost.
Left, Inspector Hubbard (Liam Craig) in the background sends a mystery to its resolution, while Maxine (Ashley Bufkin) stands over
Margot (Caitlin Clouthier), after Tony (Lucas Dixon) reveals his guilt.
Photo by Nick Adams
FOOD & FLAVOR
EVERGLADES CITY
Seafood festival a local delicacy
By Kelly J. Farrell
Southern rock and Florida stone crabs are among the draws to the 55th annual Everglades Seafood Festival scheduled for Feb. 7-9 in the historic fishing village of Everglades City.
Musically acclaimed Gladesman “Gator Nate” Augustus will emcee the three-day event. Live music of various genres and regional seafood from indulgent mollusks to delectable fish, as well as distinctly Glades-styled crafts, draw 50,000 or more people each year to celebrate the local culture and distinct seafood flavors. A Friday night drone light show and a weekend of rides are also likely to be other big draws to the tiny town (population 352).
“It’s the biggest time of the year for Everglades City,” said Gator Nate, of the mini municipality located approximately 25 miles southeast of Naples.
“Everglades City is off the beaten path,” he added. “They don’t get a lot of people just passing through. So this is a big push for the local community.”
The Seafood Festival offers people an opportunity to experience and celebrate the lifestyles and heritage of the Everglades City area, marked by resilience, love of the outdoors, local seafood varieties — and the occasional big party — offering a reprieve from an otherwise hardworking culture.
“To me, it’s like a reunion,” said Gator Nate, who has emceed and/ or played music at the event for at least 16 years. “I see people I don’t see the rest of the year. Even though it’s tens of thousands of people, I feel like I know everybody there.”
The by-donation event benefits local students and charities. It also sustains many businesses of the area who depend upon commercial seafood and tourism for survival and storm recovery.
The Seafood Festival will fund Everglades City School, including scholarships, a senior class trip and prom, among other charita -
Live bands to rock 55th annual Everglades City event
What: Everglades City Seafood Festival Where: 102 Copeland Ave., Everglades City
When: 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7; 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8; 8:45 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9
Cost: Cash only with ATMs on site. Entry costs are by suggested donation, including canned food on Friday night and $10 per person minimum suggested donations on Saturday and Sunday. (There is no suggested minimum donation for children under 17 years of age.)
Details: For the full schedule and other event details visit evergladesseafoodfestival.org
LEFT: Gladesman Jack Shealy of the Jack Shealy Band is among the headliners at the 55th annual Everglades Seafood Festival, Feb. 7-9. He is scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
ble endeavors, said Holly Dudley of the Florida Stone Crab Association, which organizes the event alongside co-leaders Kelly Kirk and Carrie Doxsee of longtime commercial fishing families.
From the local hardware store, Win-Car Inc, which offers souvenirs, fishing gear and supplies, to the hotels, tour guides, gas station and restaurants, Everglades City’s economy is bolstered by the event. Likewise, the fishing and tourism of Everglades City is a boon to the state economy, said Mayor Howie Grimm, commercial fisherman and owner of Grimm’s Stone Crab.
The Seafood Festival takes place outside City Hall, at 102 Copeland Ave.
“The City Hall has a heartbeat. It’s alive and it is alive through commercial fishing and tourism,” said David Shealy, founder of Shealy’s Skunkape Headquarters in the nearby rural town of Ochopee.
Gator Nate lauded the distinct seafood of the area that will be available at the Seafood Festival and local restaurants, including the delicacy of Florida stone crab. Kirk called Everglades City the Stone Crab Capital of the World.
“We’ve also got really great local grouper, local shrimp,” Gator Nate said. “Local mullet is another local delicacy that they don’t have all over the place. It’s sort of a Floridian thing. There’s nothing like smoked mullet; it’s one of my favorite things in the world.”
Known as much for his storytelling as singing, Gator Nate will tell true tales of the Glades while tossing prizes and merchandise to the crowd as they enjoy numerous entertainers.
Headliners include country singer-songwriter Whey Jennings, country rock band Confederate Railroad and the Everglades’ swampy, blues, country rock-styled Jack Shealy Band, among others.
The Seafood Fest is sponsored by the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Everglades City comes alive each year with the Everglades Seafood Festival, which takes place outside City Hall. Submitted
Photo by Kelly J Farrell
NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL 2025
PIVOT PAYS OFF
Airport vintner dinner flies past wintry weather with supplied heating, pre-meal venue change
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Walking on blocks of mirrors that gleam back at you. Sampling sophisticated pasta that could pass for rolled candy. Sipping white wines — white! — from the Italian province famous for its red blend super-Tuscans.
The 25th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival was destined to be on a higher plane, and the themed dinner hosted by Marilyn Scripps and Bill and Nena Beynon came as close to literal as possible: Their guests clinked glasses, dined and danced in a transformed hangar at Naples Airport.
Cleared of aircraft and partitioned into airy rooms, the Northern Jet aviation center had been devoted specifically to their dinner theme: “Reflections of the Past, Celebrating the Future.”
Nature had a hand in the look of the Jan. 24 vintner dinner. There was an extra pop of silver — a foilwrapped heating system piping warmth into the dining room to banish the 55-degree weather. Plans also were scrapped to begin the evening on the tarmac, with patrons enjoying their pre-dinner drinks in full view of a coral Naples sunset.
They would instead mingle in a toastier, curtain-partitioned lounge, noshing on caviar-dipped lemon cream cheese wraps at bistro stands encircled by allium stalks in built-in base holders. Later, the Loving Mary band from Nashville, a favorite of the Beynons, would appear atop the thicketed demi-wall behind them for dance music.
A reflective ambience
Curtains kept the guests from sneak peeks of the dining area, where 8-foot globes studded with florals in golds, blues and violets flanked the entrance and a single table waited with bouquets down its entire 40-foot length and clear Plexiglas seating. Overhead lighted florals in John Lennon script style spread a mid-level glow.
Just an hour before, servers had practiced a choreographed a single-file march in and out to change the china — Christian Lacroix Primavera dessert-plate botanicals and chargers — that greeted each diner. All together now: crudo plates down.
“We made the decision to pivot on Wednesday night. That’s when we said, ‘We’d better bring it inside.’ We had been watching the weather. We always do,” said Bill Beynon, who was happy the couple’s planners, Margaret Events, had been ahead of him. They had a heating system ready.
This was the Beynons’ fourth time hosting a vintner dinner, and the couple were about to be named cochairs for the festival in 2026; they had obvious experience and level heads about any unforeseen reversals.
Scripps, too, was a vintner dinner veteran. Despite the fact that her own home wasn’t ready as a setting after recent hurricanes, she wanted to participate.
“It’s the best way to help the organization. It’s an opportunity to
make more friends for NCEF (Naples Children & Education Foundation), to meet new people and convince them it’s a good thing to do,” she declared.
The wine festival, through NCEF, its grantmaking arm, has distributed some $302 million to organizations handling children’s needs here in its 25 years.
This dinner was set up for 19 couples, so Scripps and the Beynons might make 36 friends at their dinner. But some were likely returning after enjoying the one the Beynons had hosted the previous year in a loaned Lamborghini-Ferrari-Porsche hideaway. And some of those returnees were from Naples.
Shelia Wilson, a local resident, has been coming to the festival since 2003, and with a solid reason: “For the children,” she said. “They do great things here.”
“If you think about the wine festival and what it raises, $20-$25 or $30 million, it takes the pressure
off the rest of the community with respect to helping the children,” said her husband, George Wilson. “That’s why people continue to come back.
“And they’re very incredible stewards of their money,” he continued, recalling an incident, more than a decade ago, in which the NCEF analysts spotted problems with a charity’s reporting even before its auditor and alerted the group’s board. “That tells you what good stewards they are.”
“It’s been a true transformation for me to watch the community I grew up in get to the point where — I remember when I was a kid and the kids needed lots and lots of things but we couldn’t buy them as a community, and now you see what they’ve able to do,” Casey Weidenmiller of Naples said. He called the Naples Winter Wine Festival a weekend “where I’m in awe of my own community because of the people that want to be in Collier
County this weekend. It’s like nothing you ever thought you would see when you were a kid.”
Two sides of Italian wine Alessia Antinori of Marchesi Antinori, the Tuscan family whose roots as growers and vintners are six centuries deep, was the vintner for this dinner, and like her hosts, has supported the festival in the past. She had brought a bounty of both red and white wines from their Italian and California vineyards and smiled at the surprise that Tuscany produced whites. They’ve been bottling them for nearly a century. Recently these wines have started to draw more interest, she acknowledged.
“Women, younger people — this is the future,” she said. But there’s no less devotion to the super-Tuscans her family pioneered. For this dinner, she would be pouring and explaining wines including its Guado al Tasso Bolgheri DOC
Superiore 2013, rated at 96 points by wine authority Robert Parker for its dark fruit-tobacco-leather notes. It would be the equal to chef Ryan Pollnow’s wagyu bistecca alla Fiorentina — 3-inch porterhouse steaks served with bone marrow salsa verde and nestled against a pecorino-truffle polenta.
A lighter Vinsanto del Chianti Classico, vintage 2019, would accompany the dessert of orange olive oil cake with passionfruit curd.
Dinner and drinks by email
Pollnow’s restaurant, Flour + Water in San Francisco, is known for its mouth-watering pasta dishes. But Pollnow left most of them at home in collaborating with Antinori on a menu that complemented her wines.
The first time he would meet her would be an hour before dinner. The two designed the menu by “the power of emails!” Pollnow declared with a grin. “Emails back and forth.”
It helped that his beverage director specialized in Italian wine and could guide him through requests from Antinori.
The one pasta dish, the primi course, would be a visual delight, however: a caramelle pasta with winter squash, brown butter and chanterelles.
“Caramelle refers to the caramel-candy appearance of it,” Pollnow explained. “We use two different types of pasta dough. And then we spiral it. There’s egg-based pasta and the green is a sage purée in an egg-based pasta.
“We made the pasta in San Francisco and brought it here in a cooler with dry ice — a very nerve-wracking 10 hours,” he said. “It was a five-hour flight, plus get a rental car, plus drive two hours from Miami. And the entire time I’m thinking about the pasta and imagining this defrosted ball of pasta.”
He beamed. “But we got here and it was all good.”
The small and intimate dinner was held among a beautiful tablescape. Photos by Liz Gorman
The evening’s featured vintner, Alessia Antinori of Marchesi Antinori, Srl. in Tuscany, Italy, left, chats with co-host Marilyn Scripps.
NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL 2025
UNDER THE TENT
A day of wining and dining leads up to a record-setting auction at NWWF
By Samantha Garbarini
Pulling up to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, on Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction day, a fleet of luxury cars signals what’s to come. The Naples Children & Education Foundation has assembled Southwest Florida’s top philanthropic powerhouses for a day of exceptional wines only outdone by the imbibers’ generosity.
Each January for the past 25 years, the nonprofit has flown in legacy vintners and Michelin-starred chefs for a weekend of wining and dining, culminating in Saturday’s auction where luxurious lots include fivestar travel and dining packages, magnums of rare wine and exclusive experiences. When the gavel dropped on last year’s final lot, NCEF raised $33 million, which it distributes to Collier County nonprofit organizations that provide essential services to at-risk children.
Everything goes down under the tent, but first, this year’s attendees gather on the lawn for sips and snacks. Haute comfort foods — Asian street food-inspired lamb skewers rubbed with fiery five-spice powder, Los Angeles-style dirty dogs smothered in bright toppings and an elevated poutine done with ultra-savory dry-aged rib cap and foie gras gravy — are ideal pairs for drinking.
An annual highlight is the Wonka-esque dessert display, overseen by The Ritz-Carlton executive pastry chef Lerome Campbell. Fanning out from a centerpiece 3-foot-wide apple pie is an array of petites pastries, from chocolate spheres filled with black truffle-infused milk chocolate cream and bourbon-pecan tortes shaped like dice to spinning chocolate sculptures and every kind of truffle, cake and tart imaginable.
“It takes a lot of planning and roughly a week to get everything prepped,” Campbell said. “What can I create that you’ve never seen before? We put on a show for guests.”
Thirty minutes before the auction is set to begin, the Gulf Coast High School percussion band marches across the lawn, coaxing a slow trickle of guests into the tent where tables are set with buckets of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne and spectacular vintages from Napa, Bordeaux and other top wine regions, ready to be decanted by a fleet of master sommeliers.
Auctioneer Humphrey Butler takes the stage in a silver sequined jacket. “We are going to toast 25 years of ludicrous generosity — and the next 25 years,” he announced.
“[We’re starting with] what is colloquially known as a ****load of wine.” And with that, the bidding starts at $50,000. Butler calls out names of bidders he recognizes from past years as he paces across the stage. Within minutes, NCEF has garnered its first $260,000.
As the auction proceeds, Butler and fellow auctioneer Lydia Fenet playfully bait bidders to go higher.
“You’ll look great in the hat because of the cheekbones,” Fenet says to a woman considering a trip to Wyoming’s cowboy country. “Are you sure?” Butler asks another, urging them not to miss out on a trip to Paris. “You will wake up tomorrow and weep.”
Caroline Grossinger, Ted Koenig, Denise Adams and Retta Singer. Photos by AP Alexander
Sheila Davis
Maggie Lamb, John and Taylor Germain
Edward Kaufman, Stacy Bee
Maria Wells, Billy Dean
Trustees
NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL 2025
THE FLY-IN
A group of vintners from Napa Valley on the tarmac at Naples Airport, shortly after their flight arrived to Naples.
Derek Baljeu and Karyn Capozzo
A second private plane carrying vintners from Napa Valley touches down in Naples.
The Naples High School Drum Line welcomed vintners to Naples.
Ali Dragoo and Justin Dragoo say cheers to 25 years of the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
Remi Barret
Bo Barrett
Emily Irwin, Tim Irwin and Taylor Canada
The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, partnered with Naples Airport to welcome highly acclaimed vintners from Napa Valley, California, who arrived at the airport in advance of the 25th annual Festival. Two private jets in conjunction with Jet Aviation and Gulfstream Aerospace carrying approximately 20 vintners and guests were welcomed by the airport’s firetrucks providing a “water rainbow” over the aircraft on their arrival as they taxiedº to the General Aviation Terminal.
Photography by Liz Gorman
UNDER THE TENT
The wine flows freely as the bids increase. A $700,000 winning bid for a 10-night luxury cruise to the Baltics; $600,000 for a jaunt to Napa for the BottleRock music festival; $550,000 for a journey on the Orient Express capped by a private BVLGARI shopping experience.
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.
Four hours in, lot 45 hits the block. The winner will be the first in the United States to own the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible. Bids rise rapidly to $1 million and the tent erupts in thunderous applause. Spectators jump to their feet, the
cheers growing louder with each additional $100,000. The lot goes for $1.7 million.
The last lot is a cash call — donations whose only reward is the knowledge that every dollar provides meaningful services for local children. It needs to bring in nearly $5 million to break the auction’s fundraising record for the fourth consecutive year. NCEF trustees Libby and Rick Germain and Barbie and Paul Hills open the bidding strong, each couple pledging $1 million. More bids come in at $250,000, then $100,000, $50,000 and below. Fenet is calling out paddle numbers. It sounds almost like a lottery drawing. The jackpot? A record-breaking $34 million raised for Collier County children. From page 8B
•
• Fellow,
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
• Voted TGopo Doctor 2023 and 2024
Yo u ’ re In vited!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
Thursday, February 20, 2025
English-Speaking Union, Naples Branch Presents Randy Otto as Sir Winston Churchill worldwide, electrifying Keynote seasoned actor. He has embodied decades and hundreds of distinction: Churchill Leadership share his experiences from over his timeless leadership principles courage through World War II. The opportunity to engage and interact with a breaks the fourth wall and talks directly by the English-Speaking Union, February 20, 2025, 6:00-9:00 PM at AC Street S, Naples, FL 34102, Dinner and 239-330-2533 or email more information and to make
The English-Speaking Union, Naples Branch Presents Randy Otto as Sir Winston Churchill
Meet Randy Otto renowned worldwide, electrifying Keynote Leadership Speaker and seasoned actor. He has embodied Winston Churchill for over 4 decades and hundreds of appearances earning him the distinction: Churchill Leadership Expert
As Churchill, Otto will share his experiences from over the 90 years he was alive and his timeless leadership principles giving his nation hope and courage through World War II. The audience will get the opportunity to engage and interact with a great historic figure as he breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience.
Presented by the English-Speaking Union, Naples Branch February 20, 2025, 6:00-9:00 PM at AC Hotels Marriott, 455 12th Street S, Naples, FL 34102 Dinner and Program $250. Call 239-330-2533 or email klannan@comcast.net for more information and to make reservations.
•
WILLIAM M.
SUMMEY, DDS
• Board Eligible Candidate, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Member, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Member, American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Past Vice-President & Treasurer, Miles for Smiles at UNC
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
The stars of the 2025 Naples Winter Wine Festival. Photo by AP Alexander
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What year was the first Barbie doll released?
2. MOVIES: What is the name of the island in the "Jurassic Park" film?
3. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What are baby rabbits called?
4. U.S. STATES: Which state is the home of Mount Rushmore?
5. INVENTIONS: When were emojis invented?
6. TELEVISION: In the TV series "The Walking Dead," what was the character Rick Grimes' profession previously?
7. CHEMISTRY: Which element is also known as quicksilver?
8. SCIENCE: What is the name for the pivot on which a lever turns?
9. GEOGRAPHY: Which country is home to the ancient city of Petra? 10. MUSIC: Which of Taylor Swift's songs was first to appear on the
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
THE NAPLES PRESS CROSSWORD
Storm damage brings Tampa Bay Rays’ future into question
Speaking of Sports David Wasson
There is a Major League Baseball problem just up the road. And it isn’t going away anytime soon.
It is believed that history often repeats itself, and that is why precisely no one should be surprised that the current rift between the Tampa Bay Rays and the combined City of St. Petersburg/Pinellas County entity is as wide as it is.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Rays have been trying — to varying degrees of intensity — to build a new, $1.3 billion ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field. We say it that way because, well, it isn’t like Rays ownership has been waving around a blank check and buying up swaths of property to begin pushing dirt.
Instead, the Rays have been engaged in a high-stakes game of
chicken with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, with all three entities haranguing over how much each will pay for this new stadium (which was set to be a part of the Gas Plant District redevelopment that is also planned).
The city and county want to see the Rays guarantee that they have the cash to pay their share of the tab for this new stadium. The Rays want the city and county to get off their bureaucratic backsides and approve their share of the moolah. And neither side wants to budge.
The Rays have called Tropicana Field home since their inception in 1998. To say Tropicana Field is a baseball paradise would be incredibly charitable, as the sport has felt out of place inside the multipurpose stadium from the jump.
Initially the Florida Suncoast Dome in 1990 and then the Thunderdome from 1993-96, The Trop has always felt awkward for baseball — among the problems being the catwalks that ring the interior of the roof that interfere with bat-
ted balls. But the stark, concrete interior and lack of parking make The Trop just a weird place to visit.
Making matters infinitely worse was something that no one saw coming: Mother Nature. Hurricane Milton crashed ashore just south of Pinellas County, causing billions in damage and displacing thousands of Floridians. The strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2024 also tore the roof off of Tropicana Field, literally leaving the translucent fiberglass roof in tatters.
Thankfully, no one was inside The Trop when the storm blew through the area, even though it was hosting a base camp for first responders for before and after the storm. Nobody was on the field at the time the roof ripped, and the Rays later clarified that the stadium was not being used as a shelter during the hurricane as a planned precaution of that scenario.
Still, the home of MLB in Tampa Bay was wide open — pieces of its roof (which the principal engineer of the firm that installed the
roof in 1990 said outlasted its original service life by nearly a decade) twisting in the breeze, scattered on nearby roads and occasionally finding their way onto eBay. Because you can’t exactly go to the local Ace Hardware and find a blue tarp to cover the six-acre hole left behind, the Rays were forced to find an alternate home field for 2025 at the exact same time the team was grappling with the city/county over the new stadium.
Suddenly, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County elected officials decided that shelling out millions for a new ballpark while citizens were displaced from their homes might not be the best optics. And now, months later, the city is slow-rolling the timeline to install a new roof on the Trop — a contractually obligated thing — until at least mid-2026.
This will not end well. The Rays have flirted with moving away from St. Petersburg before, and are 17 years into trying to build a new stadium without a single spade of dirt being turned. If MLB
approves a move, cities including Nashville, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina, are options.
And don’t overlook Montreal, either. The Rays received permission from MLB in 2019 to explore splitting their home games between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal. But the MLB executive council killed the proposed plan in January 2022. At least for the upcoming season, the Rays will play at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. But neither the Yankees, Rays nor MLB want that as a solution beyond this season. Which prompts the question: Where will the Tampa Bay Rays play in 2026 and beyond?
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.
Pumping iron and more for better health
New fitness program aimed at
Many of us had new year’s resolutions to lose weight and improve fitness levels by working out more. Some individuals are taking these worthy goals several steps further.
Real Fitness Naples, in North Naples, launched a new Legends program in January designed exclusively for adults ages 55 and older. Operating in a limited capacity to ensure a personalized approach to health and wellness for seniors, the program focuses on a small group participating in one-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a three-month period.
Recognizing the growing demand for senior-focused health initiatives, the facility crafted the program to enhance physical strength, flexibility and overall well-being that empowers participants to embrace an active lifestyle while addressing age-specific needs.
Led by senior fitness expert and CrossFit Games Masters athlete Kristi Lunny, the emphasis is on low-impact strength and balance exercises that also foster camaraderie, social interaction and motivation, all in a supportive environment prioritizing safety and accessibility.
At a recent session, after a guided warmup, the group engaged in some balancing and stability work. Then, four rounds of weight lifting, both in deadlifting barbells and separate dumbbells, took place.
“See what you can do!” encouraged Lunny in asking participants to add some weight and rep numbers from the previous program session. “You’ll feel your butt and hamstrings working together.”
work, rowing and bicycling followed, finishing with several yoga poses.
Measurements of weights used,
“As
recovery has been much quicker,” Carolyn enthused.
“This program is a great way to get back into the best shape possible,” said Terrence.
“This has helped us on how to scale our workouts,” added Carolyn.
Lunny, USA Weightlifting Level 1, Functional Range Conditioning and Kinstretch Coach and a 500hour Registered Yoga Teacher, believes the program also improves mental outlooks. “When you are older, you lose some confidence in your ability to do things. This really helps that, as well.”
“This program reflects our commitment to making fitness accessible and enjoyable for seniors,” said Alex Lefcakis, co-owner with his wife Ann of the 15-year-old facility, a USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach and winner of multiple CrossFit events. “By focusing on small-group training, we ensure each participant gets the attention and support they need to achieve their goals.”
Input from an in-house physical therapist, an outside cardiologist and other independent experts helped in designing the program. Its benefits also include warding off osteoporosis and maintaining muscle mass, both areas of concern for seniors.
Other Real Fitness Naples programming includes CrossFit programs, personal training and nutrition coaching, all offered in various packages including single-day and weekly drop-in opportunities. It also recently forged an alliance with DexaFit Naples, a new, stateof-the-art health and fitness testing center that offers several advanced diagnostic services to provide actionable data for optimizing health and wellness.
Along with accepting more participants now, Lefcakis plans to renew the program this spring. “We want to build strength. It’s a driver to longevity.”
Step
durations of workout segments, calories burned and more are tracked for each participant at each session. Terrence Walters, 75, and his wife
Carolyn,
Kristi Lunny (left) of Real Fitness Naples provides instructions to members of a new Legends program at the start of a recent session.
Photos by Randy Kambic
By Randy Kambic
seniors
Kristi Lunny stands between rowers Joe Ruhl (foreground) and Terrence Walters.
2025 INVESTMENT OUTLOOK: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY'S MARKET
Join Tom Moran, Barron’s #1 Independent Advisor in Florida¹, to explore potential market trends and investment insights for the year ahead.
Tuesday, Feb. 4th, 12PM-2PM
Wednesday, Feb. 19th, 12PM-2PM
Wednesday, Feb. 26th, 12PM-2PM
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse 8985 Tamiami Trail N. Naples, FL 34108
Thursday, Feb. 6th, 2PM-4PM
Gulfshore Playhouse - Hertzog Hall 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S. Naples, FL 34102
Friday, Feb. 21st, 11AM-1PM
Florida Gulf Coast University Lutgert Hall – Moran Wealth Management® Classroom 10485 FGCU Blvd S Fort Myers, FL 33965
Registration is free, but seating is limited. Register by calling 239.513.2511 or book online at MoranWM.com/Seminars
