Grand Opening Weekend
By Aisling Swift
Collier County commissioners have unanimously approved the first workforce affordable-housing project to receive 1-cent sales surtax funds since the fund began in 2019.
Miami-based McDowell Housing Partners will receive $3.75 million in surtax funding to purchase 7.76 acres on Collier Boulevard, a property surrounded by trailer parks severely damaged by Hurricane Ian, for the 160-unit Ekos on Collier. The land, south of the intersection of Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41, will remain under a 99-year land-lease with the county, making it affordable in perpetuity. The development also qualifies under the state’s Live Local Act, so it isn’t required to go through public hearings for zone-change approval. The Jan. 23 vote by the Board of County Commissioners followed approval by the county Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and Infrastructure Surtax Citizen Oversight Committee.
“This is exactly the type of project that was contemplated when we put that line item in the 1-cent sales tax to create that $20 million fund,” Commissioner
VOLUNTEERS, NONPROFITS SCOUR COUNTY TO TALLY HOMELESS, WITH VET NUMBERS RISING
and veteran groups gathered on Jan. 26 to help the Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier
Tim Aten Knows
Tim Aten
the southwest corner of First Avenue South and Goodlette-Frank Road, stems from a public-private partnership among the city of Naples, the Gulfshore Playhouse and the Wynn family. Jeff Wynn, president of Wynn Properties and the manager of Downtown Naples LLC, the family company behind the redevelopment project, said he has been working on the deal for about five years with Kristen Coury, the CEO of Gulfshore Playhouse.
“It’s a neat project and, I think, perfect for that area, and I think it’s something needed,” Wynn said.
“I think with the garage, and then the Playhouse and all that, it’s really going to jumpstart that area.”
Since 1985, the Wynn family has owned part of that property, which previously was home to Krehling Industries concrete business.
“It used to be our old mower and bike shop, and then it housed
our Wynn’s catering operation from about the mid-’90s. So that’s where Wynn’s Catering was with a large commercial kitchen,” Wynn said.
“Our parcel used to be an old concrete plant. That area used to be the industrial area. And now you look at it from the industrial area to, in five to 10 years, I say you won’t even recognize how that area’s changed over the last 10 to 15 years. And we’re just excited to be part of it.”
The Wynn building was razed and additional kitchen space was built last year at Wynn’s Market.
“We contributed some land to the public garage and then we were able to do a partial land swap with Gulfshore Playhouse and that kind of allowed us to get the parcel that we have now,” Wynn said.
That parcel on the southwest corner
Naples philanthropists Jay and Patty Baker celebrate a winning bid at the live auction Saturday, Jan. 27,
See more festival coverage in the NWWF special section in today's issue. Photo by AP Alexander
By Aisling Swift
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Study: Naples ranks No. 2 happiest city for retirees
Naples was ranked the second happiest city for retirees, just behind Barnstable, Massachusetts, in a study of the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. Online personal finance company and online bank SoFi used the latest U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and consulted multiple sources, including the Sharecare Community WellBeing Index, Tax Foundation, Walk Score, Sperling’s Best Places and county health rankings and roadmaps. The study identified key elements that contribute to happiness—social networks, financials and health—and examined 13 pivotal rankings within them, such as community, cost of living and health care access. Naples had the highest life expectancy (age 86.1) of all 200 cities analyzed. Rounding out the top five happiest cities for retirees were Ann Arbor, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; and Boulder, Colorado.
Arthrex launches online hub for minimally invasive surgical treatment options
ty, work-life balance, increased pay and a sense of belonging.
Naples Soap Co. seeks uplisting to larger stock
exchange
is a weekly broadsheet newspaper dedicated to locally produced news in Collier County, Florida. For more information, please call or text
North Naples-based Arthrex, which specializes in minimally invasive surgical technology and surgical skills education, launched a new patient-focused resource, thenanoexperience.com, highlighting the science and benefits of Nano arthroscopy, a modern, least-invasive orthopedic procedure that may allow for a quick return to activity and less pain. Using a tiny, high-quality camera at the tip of a needle-like device along with other miniature arthroscopic instruments, surgeons can diagnose and treat orthopedic injuries across a wide variety of joint spaces, particularly in smaller joints such as the wrist, ankle and elbow, and can also use Nano arthroscopy for injured or arthritic knees and shoulders. Nano arthroscopy procedures performed using the NanoNeedle Scope may also allow for diagnosis and treatment under local anesthesia, allowing patients to engage with their doctor during the process and potentially negate the need for an MRI.
What to expect from the job market in 2024
The U.S. just experienced what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. It began in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and is characterized by the number of employees who voluntarily left their jobs amid low unemployment and high labor demand. People wanted a better work-life balance and better treatment from their employers, among other things. Now, hiring experts are predicting the Great Stay. Technology, the economy and social changes will all affect the 2024 job market and workplace. One of the largest studies found workers are looking for job securi-
Naples Soap Co. renewed its partnership with Zone Capital Partners consulting firm to enhance shareholder value, which includes the potential for uplisting to a larger stock exchange, company officials said. In October, the health and wellness brand that offers skin and hair care products throughout the U.S. was uplisted and began trading on the OTCQB Venture Market operated by the OTC Markets Group Inc. Company officials said the three-year partnership with Zone Capital Partners doesn’t guarantee an uplisting. The process is subject to a comprehensive review, stringent criteria and regulatory approvals. Ira Miller, chairman and CEO of Zone Capital Partners, has represented small- and mid-cap companies for 25 years; the aggregate market value of those companies exceeds $6 billion. This partnership renewal for a three-year term reflects the confidence in Naples Soap Co.’s significant growth trajectory. Founded in 2009 by Deanna Wallin, Naples Soap Co. has 13 retail locations in Florida.
Charity for Change receives $25,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union
Charity for Change has received a $25,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union to help Collier County students build foundations of resiliency and mental well-being. Specifically, the grant supports the production of 20 new educational videos for elementary school-age students. The grant funds new GiverTV videos, an interactive video component of the Charity for Change curriculum. The educational videos help students practice nine character traits: citizenship, perseverance, kindness, self-control, tolerance, responsibility, integrity, cooperation and respect.
Former Esporta Fitness location sells for $12M
Covenant Presbyterian Church of Naples Inc. purchased 28,000 square feet of retail space at 6800 Golden Gate Parkway in Collier County from Fast Forward Fitness LLC for $12.15 million. Patrick Fraley, CCIM, and Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Scott Mersinger of Trinity Commercial Group represented the buyer. The location will be the new home of Naples Christian Academy charter school. Until it permanently closed last summer, Esporta Fitness operated in the building for more than three years. It was LA Fitness from about 2013 until
early 2020 when the gym chain rebranded some of its other locations to launch the downmarket Esporta. That local address was also Lifestyle Family Fitness from about 2008 to 2013, and previously, it was Athletic Club Naples or ACN. The building has seen many other uses over the years, including a furniture store, a feed store and even a short-lived charter school.
MarineMax Yacht Gala raises $407,000 for Golisano Children's Hospital
The eighth annual MarineMax Yacht Gala raised more than $407,000 at An Evening Under the Stars on Jan. 12, bringing the total raised since 2016 to more than $1.8 million for Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
Bonita Fest to benefit local nonprofits
The second annual Bonita Fest will take place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. March 9 at Riverside Park in downtown Bonita Springs. Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees will enjoy live music and food trucks and meet more than 25 local businesses exhibiting in the park. A variety of local craft beers and domestic favorites will be on draft and available for purchase from a beer truck provided by Sun Coast Beverage. Event proceeds will be donated to the Rotary Club of Bonita Beach Sunset and the Northside Naples Kiwanis Club.
Village School of Naples launches internship, shadowing program
The Village School of Naples, an independent school serving students in preschool through 12th grade, has launched an Internship and Shadowing Program offering opportunities for its upper school students to engage in experiential learning beyond the traditional classroom setting and embark on a possible career path. This unique program connects 11th- and 12th-grade students with experienced professionals in the business and medical fields. The mission is to empower the students by providing them with the chance to explore their career interests, acquire practical work experience and cultivate essential skills and knowledge for success in the workforce. Internships run one to three weeks, and job shadows are one to two days. Students are selected for the internships by sponsoring employers based on applications and, in some cases, interviews. All students can participate in non-medical shadowing opportunities. With the exception of nonprofit organizations, all summer internships are paid positions. Local companies interested in participating in the program may contact Mike Wexler at mwexler@tvsnaples.org
ARTS IN COLLIER, AFFECTED BY COVID, HURRICANE IAN, REMAIN STRONG
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
COVID. Ian. Like two lingering illnesses, the pandemic and the 2022 Category 4 hurricane have continued to drain income, and Collier County arts are no exception.
The numbers still look robust for Collier County: Arts and culture as an industry generated $147. 1 million here, an impressive increase over the roughly $107.7 million reported
in the last survey in 2017.
But inside those statistics, direct spending by audiences was $45 million, barely an increase from the $44.7 million reported in the last survey.
Elysia Dawn, executive director for United Arts Collier, announced the results of the Americans for the Arts five-year survey Monday. But she did it with the caveat that she would not make any comparisons between the 2018 survey and this one until she has had more time to factor in the effects of both the
pandemic and Hurricane Ian.
The number of jobs supported was down, from 2,011 to 1,948. Arts attendance was not part of the presentation, but it is likely down, too.
What did come out was the fact, probably not surprising, that in tourism-heavy Collier County 40% of the audiences are coming in from elsewhere. Around the rest of the U.S., non-locals make up 30% of audiences.
The highlights of the survey, presented to arts organizations and member artists Mon-
Skillful maneuvering
day, was a good milestone. But it was an even better opportunity for John Melleky, arts and culture manager for the county, to offer some of the upcoming strategic initiatives for arts and culture in Collier. Among them was the formation of a public arts committee, which he said is still in its early stages:
“What we’re doing is building a foundation of policies, procedures and methods so that we are there as a resource center for individual
By Kelly J. Farrell
Research Reserve spanning from downtown Naples east through the Western Everglades. Among the harder realities to watch on film is the killing of rhinos for their horns.
“Some of it’s heartbreaking,” said Barkoukis. “And yet, the more you learn, the more you want to learn.” Through tears, awe and humor, films informed about animal and habitat conservation. A few of the films highlighted the nature of
“It’s the most biologically diverse ecosystem on the planet, depending on how you judge diversity,” said Laura Albritton of Magic Kumquat Productions, who makes films with her partner Zickie Allgrove. The two also attended the festival with a screening of Introducing the Indigo, about the threatened Eastern Indigo snake, which is a non-venomous apex predator at the top of the food chain.
Holly
on Saving Sea ‘Pups’ “When I was growing up, everyone wanted to be a Sea World trainer, until we realized it was devastating for them,” said Holly Marie Combs, the actress best known for her role in the TV show “Charmed” and board member of WCFF, which has historically been held in New York City. Combs is co-producer of
Actress
Combs
Lily Costello and Madelyn Chase work with Christine Velez to navigate a robotic sphere through a simulated underwater obstacle course during the Collier County Public Schools' 13th Annual STEAM Expo at the new Aubrey Rogers High School in North Naples on Saturday, Jan. 27. Photo by Chris Tilley
ARTS,
NEAPOLITAN NEIGHBORS
EMPEROR EXPRESS COOKS AUTHENTIC CHINESE DISHES FROM FAMILY RECIPES A WORLD AWAY
By Jean L. Amodea
Incredibly, just three people in the Chen family—father Jacky, mother Jenny and daughter Amy—operate their successful, high-volume Chinese restaurant, Emperor Express, in The Strand shopping center in North Naples. A son, Andy, opted out of restaurant work and is employed by the global accounting firm Deloitte.
A skilled chef, Jacky Chen has been behind a wok for almost 25 years. The restaurant is open seven days a week; as Amy Chen said, “We work hard with no day off.”
The Chens are originally from Fujian province—on the southeastern coast of China opposite Taiwan—which means “happy establishment,” so it was perhaps prophetic that the family who would eventually call the U.S. home then set up a business that would indeed be a happy establishment.
Jacky Chen immigrated to the U.S. as an asylum seeker in 2000 to pursue a better opportunity for his family and future. Like so many immigrants with a dream, he has worked hard to build his reputation—not only for offering authentic Chinese cuisine but also as a friend to customers and a contributing part of his community.
“My dad came to the U.S. first and worked
in several Chinese restaurants throughout Florida. In 2009, my mom, brother and I came to the U.S. and settled in Cape Coral. We all became proud U.S. citizens, except mom, who has difficulty testing due to the language barrier. My father loves this country with his heart and even displays an American flag at the business,” Chen said.
“A friend of my father’s saw that a space in Naples was available—it was formerly Emperor Express Chinese restaurant—and my father decided that the time was right to start his own business. One of the most important reasons for opening a restaurant was that my dad wanted us to stay and be together. So, between 2012 and 2013, we opened, keeping the name that we thought distinguished us from other Chinese restaurants that usually use the word ‘China’ or ‘Chinese’ in their name.”
Amy was a sophomore at the time at Gulf Coast High School, and her brother served as assistant manager, helping their parents apply for licenses, set up the business and overcome challenges.
One of those challenges was securing the start-up money. Initially, they asked friends to help with funding; she said they worked very hard to earn the money to repay their benefactors.
From left, Jenny Chen, Jacky Chen and daughter Amy Chen at their Emperor Express Chinese restaurant in The Strand shopping center in North Naples. Contributed photo
COLLIER COMMISSION SHOOTS DOWN BUILDING MORATORIUM FOR TWO MAJOR ROADWAYS
By Samantha Roesler samantha.roesler@naplespress.com
During a three-hour public hearing Jan. 23, Collier County commissioners decided against a 12-month moratorium on growth management plan amendment applications that would increase traffic on two major roadways in North Naples.
The moratorium would have affected Immokalee Road from Interstate 75 east to Oil Well Road and Vanderbilt Beach Road east of I-75, and created an ordinance that would have prohibited property owners from applying for plan amendments to change density.
“[A moratorium] will send a message to developers and speculators who are buying residential lots with the belief that they’re automatically going to get a rezone to commercial and a comprehensive land-use change,” Commissioner Burt Saunders said. “But it’ll also basically put a pause to these site-specific comprehensive land-use changes that are resulting in these traffic problems.”
Saunders, who brought forward
From page 6A
the moratorium concept at a December meeting, was unable to get a second motion from another commissioner to allow the county attorney to bring to the board an official ordinance for a hearing. However, a second objective brought forward by Saunders relating to traffic relief on those major roadways received unanimous support from commissioners.
To find solutions to the growing traffic issues on Immokalee and Vanderbilt Beach roads, Saunders asked for the board to consider and commit funding to the Immokalee Road and I-75 interchange, which could cost the county about $40 million.
In 2022, the county conducted the Immokalee Road Corridor Congestion Study, which concluded that a diverging diamond interchange was necessary for Immokalee and I-75. The Florida Department of Transportation
“In 2017, we went through Hurricane Irma and suffered a lot of damage. The power went out, and we had to dispose of our food inventory. It took us 24 hours to do that work, and then we had to close our doors. We prioritized staying safe, but we couldn’t make money during that recovery period, like so many other businesses. Then we had to redo everything like restocking and preparations to reopen,” said Chen.
Then in 2020, COVID hit, and the family had to close the restaurant for several months. While some Chinese-owned businesses reportedly felt some political blowback of alleged responsibility by some public sectors, Chen said her family’s business was unaffected, mainly due to their attitude toward customers and their patriotism.
“My mom and dad are kind people. We
reached the same conclusion in its I-75 master plan, showing the improvement was needed by 2025. However, the county would be responsible for funding, as the project is not part of FDOT’s Moving Florida Forward program nor its 2045 Strategic Intermodal System Plan. Trinity Scott, head of the county’s Transportation Management Services Department, said the county has been in this position before with FDOT and still received funding from the state for other major projects, including the $90 million Collier Boulevard and I-75 partial
are different from other similar restaurants because we not only run a business, but we run it together and put the same feelings we have of our family into how we treat our customers,” Chen said.
“We do all the cooking and preparation ourselves—just the three of us—unlike others who hire people of other cultures to make their dishes. We make authentic food, and we make the food with love. And we are always very nice to our customers; we value them and are respectful and grateful for them.”
With tears in her voice, she said that on occasion, someone would come to notify them of the passing of a family member, one of their regular customers. They feel deeply for the loss as if it were someone in their family.
The dishes are made from recipes that her father has been making for years. He taught Amy how to operate in the kitchen, and she said she has memorized the recipes and makes all of the sauces. She efficiently works the phone between that chore, taking
cloverleaf intersection. Scott said it would be a good idea to allow FDOT to work on the Immokalee Road interchange in concurrence with its mainline interstate improvements.
“When we go through construction, it’s not going to be fun. Go drive Colonial Boulevard [in Fort Myers] right now. It’s not fun, it’s in the middle of construction. But the improvement, once you get it, will be amazing,” Scott said. “To be able to do that concurrent with those mainline improvements means that we’re only inconvenienced by construction one time and not
EXPRESS CHINESE RESTAURANT
incoming orders.
Customer favorite lunch specials offered at $8.75 include General Tso’s chicken, chicken lo mein and chicken with broccoli, which comes with an egg roll and a drink or soup. The most popular dinner orders
two separate times, and with who knows how many years in between.”
Commissioner William McDaniel said a moratorium wouldn’t make a difference in the current state of the county and supported the push for the Immokalee Road diverging diamond interchange. McDaniel said a more immediate solution would be to have a member of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at meetings to listen to public concern about certain areas with heavy traffic that need more police presence.
“There’s not enough signage to control people to make good decisions while they’re driving, but enforcement is an important component that I think we need to be having in order for us to address the immediacy of the need to have better traffic flow within our community,” McDaniel said.
After the unanimous vote to pursue funding for the interchange, Scott said she would speak with FDOT to get final numbers and a timeline. The discussion ended with Saunders expressing his gratitude to the staff for their work to bring forward answers.
are sesame chicken, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour chicken, lo mein and the hot and sour soup.
She said their customers call their dumplings the best in town. Emperor Express doesn’t sell frozen dumplings; they are made with fresh meat filling and fresh-made wraps.
“As inflation hit the area after the last hurricane, while other restaurants raised their prices, we kept our prices as low as possible,” said Amy. “We tried to make it easy for people knowing they suffered loss. Then, with inflation, it was hard for them—some lost their homes and moved north, as they could no longer afford to live in Naples. We did not change our pricing until a year after everyone else.
“Our customers are number one with us. When they call in with an order, I remember their voice and order—they like that, and it’s a way to get closer to our customers. We love them and love what we do.”
What: Authentic Chinese menu with Kung Pao chicken, beef with broccoli, moo shu pork, young chow, fried rice and more
Where: 5620 Strand Blvd., Suite 1, Naples (in The Strand shopping center) Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Sunday Information: emperorexpress.com or 239.598.9885 (delivery available)
EMPEROR
STAYING HEALTHY
ACHOO! THERE IS HELP FOR ALLERGIES
By Jean L. Amodea
You hear it almost everywhere: people sneezing, sometimes multiple times, with eyes watering and a look of hopelessness as they aim for the crook of their elbow or grab a tissue. They’re often suffering from pollen allergies, other symptoms of which can include runny nose, nasal congestion, headaches and itchy throat. Some people also experience sinus problems and, even worse, asthma.
Allergies from various sources—environment, pets, foods—are evident in southwest Florida and are here to stay. More than those in other states, we suffer due to our warmer climate, which results in a longer and more potent allergy season.
Some good news for area residents and visitors, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), is that beaches are a good destination for allergy sufferers, as the ocean breezes are free of allergens—but we can’t be at the beach all the time.
Shawky Hassan, MD, Ph.D., board-certified by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology, has been practicing at his Allergy, Asthma, Sinus and Immunology Center in Naples since the late ’80s and knows a thing or two about managing the assault of this affliction. Well-regarded in his field, he is an accomplished clinical associate, professor, author and lecturer with numerous publications and professional memberships, and he has helped thousands of patients over the years.
We chatted about the whys, whats and remedial hows for this seasonal blight.
The Naples Press: Which environmental factors are responsible for allergies, and when
do they present?
Dr. Hassan: We have peaks in the allergy season in specific seasons in Naples, and essentially from the Atlanta line south. The most obvious sources are the trees, grasses and weeds that produce pollen. In Florida, trees start blossoming in October. Pollens from grasses become abundant around the middle of February until mid-summer. The worst time for allergens is February when grasses and trees and weeds are present. Weeds are a year-round problem.
TNP: What is the procedure for diagnosing pollen allergies?
Dr. Hassan: We ask about the patient’s symptoms and then verify them by a thorough examination, specifically of the nose, the eyes and the lungs. Then, we do allergy skin testing for environmental or food triggers.
TNP: What about skin and pet allergies?
Dr. Hassan: The skin is the body’s largest organ and can exhibit allergic situations such as hives, eczema, poison ivy or stinging insects. We do in-office allergy skin testing that is specific, sensitive and less costly than blood testing to diagnose allergies. Allergy skin testing consists of two parts, but all patients do not require both: a prick test and if indicated, an intradermal test; we also do select laboratory tests, trials of elimination diets and food challenges.
The incidence of households with pets that cause allergies in their owners is like an explosion—not a single house that doesn’t have exposure to those. While the treatment with immunotherapy for cat allergies is extremely effective and very fast, the response to a dog allergy is slower but also effective. Frankly,
ALLERGY, ASTHMA, SINUS AND IMMUNOLOGY CENTER
Where: 680 Second Ave. N., Suites 201-202, Naples
Contact: allergytoday.com or 239.261.5599 (call for an appointment; emergencies are accommodated)
the best treatment is avoidance, which makes sense; but people don’t want to give up their pets even if they are suffering. Still, there’s hope for those who can’t give up their pets.
TNP: What is the most effective treatment option?
Dr. Hassan: It takes a lot of knowledge and experience for a physician to make the right treatment decision. We recommend avoidance as the best, but you can’t avoid allergens since you can’t stop breathing, so avoidance is out of the question for pollen, dust and dust mites and mold, as well as beloved pets like cats and dogs; one can only try their best to avoid them. For things that can’t be avoided, and since you can’t stop the expansion of the allergens as they worsen through the years, immunotherapy (allergy shots) is definitely the best option for lasting treatment. In an in-office individualized treatment program, we administer safe and graduated doses of the allergens depending on the results of the allergy tests. Over several months, we increase the dose to stimulate the immune system to fight the allergens that cause the allergy symptoms. Some patients improve quickly, while others take a little
longer to show results.
TNP: What are the benefits of immunotherapy?
Dr. Hassan: In addition to reducing allergy symptoms, it has been shown to prevent the development of new allergies and can prevent the progression of allergic diseases. It increases immunity to allergens, which is effective in approximately 85% of cases. It offers more permanent relief from allergy symptoms than medications can ever do, and can be administered during pregnancy and to breastfeeding mothers.
TNP: To recap, avoidance and immunotherapy are best to ease allergy symptoms. What about using antihistamines or steroids?
Dr. Hassan: We warn patients against useless over-the-counter treatments such as the most commonly used Afrin and similar products. This product has a harmful effect on the tissues, and while you will respond to it while using it, as soon as you stop, the symptoms return and may worsen. While Benadryl is effective, you cannot take it if you need to drive, as it will make you sleepy, so the best choice is a non-sedating antihistamine.
We warn people from using steroids. They may be prescribed in an emergency or for acute care, but ongoing prescriptions are harmful for long-term use. When they come to see us, we try to wean them off of it, and it’s a battle. Yes, it’s magic when you take it for a week or so, but it’s not magic, and your symptoms will return. We have seen many complications from longtime use of steroids. It can produce internal bleeding and can cause resistance to infection, as it reduces the functions of the immune system in severe cases with patients.
the film Pups, a documentary about harbor seals. A short clip of Pups, which remains a work in progress, was shown in Naples.
Pups explores the discrepancies between government funding to save the seals and efforts to cull them to save endangered salmon.
In the film, staff members of Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Washington provide care to the animals with minimal human contact, attempting to shield the seals’ knowledge that their food is coming from humans.
As filming continues, so does exploration of the possibilities for protecting salmon without harming the animals that eat salmon, such as harbor seals and sea lions.
During the keynote address, Combs thanked the filmmakers and researchers who were the “boots on the ground” experiencing extremes of heat, cold, mud, mosquitoes and venomous and poisonous things to allow filmgoers to view them in relative comfort.
The films are meant to promote environmental stewardship, she said.
“A healthy, balanced ecosystem will make us all healthier,” said Combs.
Building African Ecosystems in the Desert of the Middle East
The film Sharjah Safari documented the process of recreating African ecosystems in the desert of the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. The world’s largest safari outside Africa, Sharjah Safari Park in Asia’s Dhaid took five to seven years from planning through construction to open in February 2022.
The cost to build the safari park was at least Dh 1 billion, which is about $272 million USD. The park required approximately 267 miles
of pipe to bring water to the desert landscape.
There are 600 people working at Sharjah Safari daily, including 60 female Emirate guides, according to the film.
The park mimics what would be encountered in Africa, and mostly the animals roam without fencing and cages. There are at least 50,000 animals there, with the population still growing, and 110 species, including an aviary and some of larger animals, such as lions, tigers, giraffes and zebras. Sharjah Safari is now home to several species on the brink of extinction, including several species of antelope.
Sharjah Safari set out to document increasing the diversity of wildlife and protecting biodiversity across the planet through the construction of the eco-park, which spans 5 square miles. Filmmakers, including producer Saeed Rashid Alketbi and Ashram Ali, were pres-
ent from the UAE to accept WCFF awards for the film.
“I have mixed feelings about it,” said viewer John McDonough, of Naples. “It’s hard. Typically they don’t put animals back in the wild. So, what’s the end game?” he pondered aloud. “It looks like a lot of money to change the desert into something it’s not.”
His wife Rita had another take on it: “On the other hand, it’s hard to see a species go extinct. There’s no black and white,” she said.
The documentary portrays the challenges of breeding rhinos in captivity and shipping crocodiles, including a very large male crocodile.
In the film, a handler is seen with a black rhino named Jerry. “Jerry is like a dog. If you scratch him, he’ll sit down. He’s fun to train because he tries so hard,” she said.
Park employees in the film said people need to learn what’s
out in the world, to see it, hear it, smell it to know what needs their protection.
Final Films Screened Outside at The Burrow in Naples
After several days of screenings indoors at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center on Tower Road, the final films were shown outdoors at The Burrow on Commercial Drive in Naples.
Visitors said they loved watching films while outdoors in a natural, cozy botanical garden setting at The Burrow.
One attendee said she had attended this film festival when it was held in New York City and compared the venues.
“It's one thing to be told that something is important. It's another to experience it. Film is one of the few ways people can be exposed. It's one of the ways people can learn to care.”
—Sam Riley, A filmmaker of Australia
“In New York City, there is a red carpet experience and then you exit out on the street with traffic and noise of the city,” said Hollis Stewart, a wildlife veterinarian. She enjoyed seeing the films at The Burrow, she said.
“I think I know everything, but I keep learning. I could watch these all day long,” said Stewart.
Sam Riley, a filmmaker of Australia agreed. His film, Wild Territory, documents nature photographers Etienne and Cara Littlefair with under-appreciated species, including highly unusual turtles in their natural environment of far north Australia. In so doing, the film sheds light on fresh water ecosystems and how special the place is to preserve.
“Despite the destruction in the world, there’s still a lot that is special,” said Riley. “There’s still a lot to care about and it’s important to care about these things. Caring can be taught. That’s how we can influence government and business.
“It’s one thing to be told that something is important. It’s another to experience it. Film is one of the few ways people can be exposed. It’s one of the ways people can learn to care,” said Riley.
Scenes from “Golden Monkeys: Braving the Impossible” seen at The Burrow, an events space with outdoor botanical garden in Naples, on Sunday, Jan. 21, during the final evening of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival portion of Rookery Bay’s 20th Annual Festival of Birds. The first WCFF to be held in Naples included 40 films and ran alongside 24 ecotours throughout South Florida. Contributed photo
municipal parking garage will be built this year. The Gulfshore Playhouse and the city parking garage will use the Wynn parcel as a staging area while they are under construction.
“We’re hoping we can break ground the end of the first quarter of 2025,” said Wynn, noting that the project is targeted for completion by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026. The parking garage is expected to be completed at the end of January 2025.
“We can’t break ground 'til the garage is completed, or until the construction firm is off of our property,” Wynn said. “Things take longer than expected, but we still have a long way to go with our approvals. So, we hope the garage will be done and then we’ll start building.”
The Wynns’ parcel is the last piece to be considered within the Naples Square planned development. The submitted site plan has been undergoing staff review, so all city departments are taking a look at it, said Leslee Dulmer, the city’s deputy planning director.
“Once the site plan is found sufficient, because this is a project within a planned development, City Council has final review and approval authority of the site plan,” Dulmer told the Naples Design Review Board at its Jan. 25 meeting. “Additionally, the transient lodging use on the third floor will require a conditional-use approval, as well, from City Council. Those two petitions will be packaged together and heard together as a full complement of development.”
Once approved by Council, the project will return to the DRB for final review. At the January meet-
ing, the DRB granted a continuance for the petitioner to come back for another preliminary design review with some more details and information before the final design review.
“This is becoming a destination spot. This area is as vibrant as Fifth Avenue, and if we don’t get it right, the relationship of these buildings right, then it’s going to be unfortunate,” said DRB chair Stephen Hruby.
Project architect Robert Vadya of Naples-based Beck Architectural Group told the DRB that his firm worked hard to create a useful, vibrant building.
“We tried to create a very strong draw for the people who are parking in the garage, exiting the garage and headed to First Ave South or over to the Gulfshore Playhouse,” Vadya said.
Architectural plans show a pedestrian route cutting through the building with brick pavers, potted
CONDUCTED BY RAMON TEBAR ‘
plants and seating, including possible outdoor seating for the proposed restaurant.
“We’re going to have about a 7,000- to 8000-square-foot restaurant right on 12th and First where patrons of Gulfshore Playhouse can have dinner before they go to a great off-Broadway show,” Wynn said. “We’ve had a couple of nationals that have looked at it and two locals. We don’t have a real concept yet.”
In addition to the restaurant, retail space will be available to lease on the western end of the building’s ground floor. The Playhouse will lease about 13,000 to 14,000 square feet of space for its offices on the second floor above the groundfloor restaurant, and about 6,000 to 7,000 square feet of leasable space is expected to be left on the second floor.
“I’ve already had two or three potential tenants that have already asked about it and want to
know more about the office space,” Wynn said.
In addition to the transient units, a large apartment on the third floor will be available for use by the Wynn family.
“I think that this is going to be a great project and I think it’s going be very popular,” Wynn said. “With the restaurant space there, it’s going to be amazing.”
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.
The Wynn family plans to build a three-story, mixed-use building on the southwest corner of First Avenue South and 12th Street South in the Naples Design District. The proposed building will be directly west of the new Gulfshore Playhouse under construction on Goodlette-Frank Road and immediately north of the new muncipal parking garage that will break ground soon. The Wynns' building will have a large restaurant and retail units on its ground floor, office space on its second floor and a private apartment and 18 transient lodging units on its third floor for visiting cast and crew members for Gulfshore Playhouse productions.
Renderings by Beck Architectural Group
and bicycles and shopping carts loaded with possessions, some sitting at corners asking for donations, and live by eating at food banks and meal programs.
The PIT count is crucial because it gathers valuable information to plan for other needed programs, services and grant funding. Collier wasn’t receiving enough Veterans Administration money for veterans until four years ago.
“The VA said, ‘Your Point In Time count shows you don’t have any veterans, and until they get it documented, we can’t provide any resources to Collier County because we work off the HUD point-in-time count,’” said Dale Mullin, president of Warrior Homes of Collier, which helps with housing, mental health and education. “All of the funding from HUD for all the social services here relies on that information, so the dollars for county grants were all being unfunded because HUD didn’t know we had the need here. We had to get that resolved.”
Mullin, who hadn’t heard of the PIT count, investigated further, prompting a change of leadership at the Hunger & Homeless Coalition in July 2019. Mike Overway, CEO of Continuum Care | Consulting LLC, had the experience needed in homeless management information systems and took over as the coalition’s executive director after working with the non-profit. He’s made it his mission to ensure data are collected correctly.
“It’s really elevated the numbers and the needs here in Collier County for all those that are underserved—children, seniors, females, non-veterans and veterans,” Mullin said, adding that Overway obtains the grants and disperses them countywide.
Last year, the coalition’s PIT count totaled 703 persons, including 51 veterans, 195 seniors and 210 youth, a 52% increase over 2022. Of those, 241 were on the streets or homeless camps, while 270 were in emergency shelters and 192 were in transitional housing. The non-shelter numbers are estimates, representing only those who were found and agreed to be surveyed. Although only initials, birthdate and a few questions about their situations are requested, not everyone agrees to talk, so advocates said the numbers probably represent one-third of the homeless here.
According to HUD, 653,104 people nationwide—about 20 of every 10,000 people nationwide—were homeless during the January 2023 PIT count, the highest number since PIT reporting began in 2007. Homeless veterans totaled 35,574, an increase of 7.4% over January 2022. Although the increase in total homelessness began several years ago, it was recently exacerbated by the pandemic and the affordable housing crisis, and in Southwest Florida, by Hurricane Ian.
The count begins
Behind Gulf Gate Plaza, Coalition Administrator Nadja Joseph gave the roughly 65 volunteers a code to input into an app to tally information they’d gather, including where the person lives, such as a tent, vehicle or shelter. Lisa Loren, the Salvation Army’s veteran, emergency and disaster services program manager, urged volunteers to grab backpacks filled with necessities, as well as boxed, non-perishable breakfasts and lunches to distribute to those they found.
Volunteers then headed off to various neighborhoods. Social services agencies, emergency medical services personnel and others stayed at the plaza, where homeless people dropped by throughout the morning and early afternoon to get haircuts from ITT Technical Institute students, toiletries, backpacks stuffed with blankets, hygiene
kits and necessities, pancakes, sausage and syrup for breakfast and a hot lunch of macaroni and cheese and barbecue. They also got flu shots, vaccines and VA benefits.
“Each year the coalition partners with many homeless service providers, including the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Health, food pantries and community shelter programs to count the homeless,” Joseph explained, referring to St. Matthew’s House and others.
Some groups are paired with deputies, while more experienced groups, such as Warrior Homes and American Gold Star Mothers of Southwest Florida, headed out on their own, knowing where they planned to target.
Veteran Jackie Keay, who started a Collier
Veteran Outreach Team for Indiana-based
The Journey Home in April, was on her second count. “We’re going to see more incidents of homeless veterans,” Keay predicted, adding, however, that she knew many had moved to Fort Myers, where it’s easier to hide and not get forced out. “Collier County tends to have a certain level of luxury and a lifestyle they want to maintain. More homeless are moving from the city to the county.”
She added, “About 1.4 million veterans are at risk for homelessness. All it takes is one fight, one disagreement, and
they’re homeless.”
Mitch Watson, the coalition’s coordinated services director, was hired by Overway after being homeless and getting sober at a rehab facility. He’d once been a high-powered sales executive.
“I’m formerly from the streets. I’m a recovering alcoholic addict,” Watson said. “Mike introduced me to this position. They’ve never had somebody who had done outreach before in 20 years of their existence, so we got the outreach team together, surrounded by me and Mike, and we started rehousing 10 to 12 people a month.”
That was four years ago, when housing was a bit easier, he said, noting that now funding and the housing market are different and they’re lucky to get one or two people housed. It takes roughly $12,000 to secure an apartment, first and last month’s rent and a security deposit, as well as proof of a job or steady income.
“During COVID, we had all that COVID money and now we don’t have all that money. We have to use different funding sources,” Watson said.
Kim Hayes, president of the local American Gold Star Mothers of Southwest Florida, gathered with Sheara and Nell Ruiz and daughter April “Gabby” Ruiz, whose brother, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Austin Ruiz, 19,
To provide services, nonprofits rely on government and private grants, as well as help from the community. To help the homeless and homeless veterans, here are a few non-profits you can donate to: collierhomelesscoalition.org wwcollier.org goldstarmothersswfl.org bit.ly/thejourneyhomeswfl (Info: journeyhomevets.org) bit.ly/salvationarmyveterans
was accidentally killed in 2017 during a livefire training exercise at a California base. Hayes’ son Steven Taylor Hayes, 25, died in 2016 of an accidental overdose after suffering from traumatic brain injuries in Afghanistan, which caused years of PTSD.
Gold Star represents mothers and families who lost a son or daughter during military duty. The group hopped into two SUVs, one driven by Nell Ruiz and the other by volunteer Joe Scandotto, Comerica Bank external affairs market manager; the bank provided supplies for the event.
“It’s not apparent that there are many homeless people here because it’s such a wealthy community,” Scandotto said. “They have to create an awareness to help fund the organizations that are out there helping.” They checked Labor Finders and Bayshore Laundry, but employee Terry Sturm, who knew all her homeless clients by name, said there were none there then. Most come on Saturday. “I send them to the food bank and Catholic Charities,” Sturm said, providing them with several locations to find the homeless. “I try to treat them like family.”
At RaceTrac, a veteran jumped up excitedly after hearing what was available behind Gulf Gate Plaza. “I’ve been wanting a haircut but just couldn’t afford it,” the young mother said, adding that she had to leave the military due to a heart condition. “I wanted to serve this country.”
Nell Ruiz handed her a veteran backpack provided by Gold Star. “There’s no reason for veterans to be homeless,” Ruiz said after she left. “They served our country.”
Another woman hiding in an alley, who appeared to be shocked or high, refused help and walked off. Hayes found a man high on drugs and provided him with Narcan, a life-saving nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. “He said he’s going to check into a rehab today,” Hayes said.
Behind Justin’s Place, a St. Matthew’s House recovery program that provides free lunches and dinners, 35-year-old Rick slept on his jacket in the parking lot. It’s not the first time he’s been homeless. He’s been diagnosed with four medical conditions and hungrily ate the boxed breakfast they gave him as he answered their questions. “This is the best thing I’ve eaten in a while,” Rick said.
Another man told Hayes that he came to Naples to help a friend dying of cancer. He had no family here, no resources, had aged out of foster care and his ID was stolen.
“They get stuck in this cycle and are trying to survive, but don’t know what to do,” Hayes said. “What they need is hope. They don’t realize hope could be just a street away. Today, maybe we can give them a glimmer of hope.” PIT numbers and data must be reported within 90 days and will be released in spring.
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A homeless Navy veteran bicycles to the Gulf Gate Plaza in East Naples for the Hunger & Homeless Coalition's
In Time estimate of Collier's homeless population and leaves with a backpack stocked with necessities, and several breakfast and lunch boxes of non-perishable food. Submitted
that provide an array of services. Many are billed as day spas offering massages and nail and hair care services in a relaxing ambiance. However, med spas are de rigueur for those seeking medical-level procedures typically performed in a doctor’s office paired with the luxe experience of a day spa.
Tribe Med Spa in north Naples opened last August and offers a lavish experience with serious treatments and procedures designed for whole-face and body rejuvenation.
“Our services include weight loss; we specialize in functional medicine with hormonal therapy for sexual health, anti-aging sexual peptides and overall health and wellness akin to a concierge service. We have injectables, including Botox fillers and Kybella, that permanently eliminate unwanted fat in certain areas. Our facial treatments include micro-needling, skin tightening using radio frequency ultrasound, laser treatments and IPL that takes away pigments to reveal clear skin, hair removal and skin resurfacing,” said
Laura Aldeguer, who co-owns the spa with her husband, Joe Aldeguer.
“We also offer plant stem cell hair restoration and massages. We only use treatments that we know work and are results-driven, and have been used by our staff and medical director, Harold Bafitis, MD. He is double board-certified in general surgery and plas-
tic and reconstructive surgery and has spent time in oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.”
Joe Aldeguer said the genesis of the spa was born out of the solution to a need: Laura’s need. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, has undergone surgery and is still undergoing chemo.
“There weren’t many options for her to relax and be pampered other than spas, which focus on aesthetics. And because her immunity was low, she had to be careful of facilities where there could be patrons who were ill,” he said.
When his wife was diagnosed with stage two cancer in her mid-forties, she was in good shape and healthy. During her treatment, she was not able to work out, so she lost a lot of muscle mass and felt weak.
“Post-cancer sufferers feel that they are losing muscle mass as well as their looks. We researched protocols and found an electromagnetic stimulation apparatus that stimulates the joints, the core, stomach, back and glutes—like a sculpting machine—to promote muscle building and counter the cancer drugs’ effects,” explained Joe Aldeguer.
“Unlike other med spas, part of our weight loss treatment includes electromagnetic stimulation that promotes muscle building and strengthening to combat the effects of the drugs. We also use peptides for protocols to eat well and to grow good muscle. We are a step ahead—when people feel better, they want to look better, and we can help with that
See SPA, Page 14A
By Jean L. Amodea
Joe and Laura Aldeguer are co-owners of Tribe Med Spa in North Naples, a full-service facial and body rejuvenation facility. Contributed photo
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
The recent $17 million acquisition of a pair of East Naples multitenant industrial buildings fits well into the portfolio of purchaser Venture One, a Chicago-based real estate private equity firm.
“We specialize in industrial. It’s all we do. We’ve been doing it since 2000, really, as a firm. We target infill locations that are tough to replicate at what we think is below replacement cost,” said Kyle Grant, vice president of Venture One’s Florida Region, based in Miami. “Our strategy is to continue to operate this as it’s been operated and just own it.”
The buildings purchased have a total of 83,500 square feet on about 4 acres at 4120 Enterprise Ave., in the center of the industrial park area bordered by Airport-Pulling and Livingston roads in East Naples. The seller is Naples Industrial Estates LLC, based in Bonita Springs and registered to David and Neil Braverman. The property last sold in 1999 for $661,500, before industrial structures were built on the vacant land in 2000, according to Collier County property records.
The two buildings sold include 37 business tenants in about 45 units, but they are nearly fully leased because some tenants occupy more than one unit. “It’s close to 100%—I think 98%,” Grant said.
Venture One believes that the smaller tenants in these buildings cater well to the market. The diverse tenant mix includes local businesses from a woodworker to a custom clothier and from an event planner to a car wrap company, Grant said.
“It’s a mix of really everyone that you would expect,” he said. “It’s a good mix of tenants of a variety of sizes, as well as business uses. As far as anything that happens in Naples, I feel like it comes out of this two-building little park here.”
Perhaps best known as the former home of Naples Beach Brewery, the industrial buildings include such tenants as Marco’s Cuban Cafe, Jabba Fine Foods, CrossFit Naples, Dan House Electric, Hoosier Plumbing, FrankenSigns, Gulfshore Cabinetry & Remodeling, Coastline Shutter Corp., Cover Up Designs, Eddie’s Pool Service, SunFlex Wall Systems, Tom Trovato Event Floral & Design and The Studio of Fine Furniture Finishing.
Both long, narrow buildings stretch from Enterprise Avenue to Exchange Avenue along Industrial Boulevard. Trucks and other vehicles can drive through the block-long property via two driveways.
“This one checked a lot of boxes for us. It’s a good quality building compared to the competition in the area. And it’s a good size for us, too, where it justifies us taking a bet,” Grant said.
“If you’re going to spend the dollars, to spend time to come over here and manage it the right way, you would want it to be at a price point, I think, that you can be rewarded for that.”
Venture One is excited about the opportunity to be a part of Naples and its affluent population base, Grant said. The Naples transaction is the company’s third in Florida with previous acquisitions in Clearwater and Orlando. Grant had been leading Venture One’s push into the Sunshine State before he relocated here from Chicago last March and formally opened the firm’s Miami office, which complements the firm’s home office in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and another regional office in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“Orlando was the first deal,” he said. “That was a land site we are developing, building a 220,000-square-foot building that we’re actually just ramping up now on. Then, we bought an existing building in Clearwater that was a sale-leaseback with one tenant. And now this is our third transaction. We have a few other things that we have tied up, but this is the third thing we’ve closed on.”
The deal this month was brokered by Justin Thibaut and Alexis North of Fort Myers-based LSI Companies, which opened a Naples office in November. “This represents one of the largest multitenant industrial facilities in Collier County changing hands for the first time since construction in 2000,” LSI reported.
Could this be the regional industrial deal of the year?
“It’s early in the year,” said Thibaut, president and CEO of LSI. “Let’s call it the deal of the month.”
Thibaut said the transaction is significant because not a lot of room exists in the local market for new industrial parks.
“I see Venture One as a buyer who can really capitalize on the market dynamics,” he said. “I think well-capitalized buyers that are strategic and long-term focused, like Venture One, are going to be the winners in today’s market.”
Venture One targets industrial acquisitions typically ranging from $2 million to $150 million through its fund platform, as well as ground-up development. The firm seeks other properties in the Naples-Fort Myers area and throughout most of Florida.
“We’re looking to hopefully be the first of many and continue to grow the portfolio. We like the long-term fundamentals of Naples,” Grant said.
Two industrial buildings in East Naples recently changed hands for $17 million. Photo by LSI Companies
artists, businesses and organizations to navigate” local statutes and find local resources.
Another proposal that is in the mix: the establishment of a cultural endowment fund, such as Palm Beach and Martin counties have, that could assist local artists looking for a project grant.
Artists and organization representatives who came to the announcement may have found its chief value as an open question-and-answer forum. Several had the same question artist Michelle Gorga posed.
“It’s the question of the status of artists who work at home for themselves, the status of being able to
have signs that say they’re open to the public on their property,” she said. “To sell from home is what many of us have asked for. The other question is what needs to happen in order for that to move forward.”
It was also a good place for District Four County Commissioner Dan Kowal, who attended the meeting, to emphasize what the county needs to be more receptive to their request.
“I sit on that dais with a number of commissioners who are very conservative-minded, as am I,” he told them.
“We want a lot more data coming from you guys. This is important: to participate and share what you have so when the time comes for budgeting, we have good, strong data from you.”
Combining luxury living and exceptional fun into a single, tropical waterfront setting, Caymas is located on the east side of Collier Boulevard, one of Naples’ fastest growing meccas.
The luxury community is convenient to 1-75, and just a few miles from the delights of downtown Naples, including all the sumptuous dining choices, luxe boutiques and fine entertainment of Fifth Avenue South.
goal also.”
He said that his wife’s experience has influenced the type of spa they opened that focuses on anti-aging and welcomes cancer survivors with treatments specifically for their needs. Laura eventually became a medical esthetician and learned about the safety aspects of treatments and how the skin reacts.
“Those experiencing the after-effects of cancer treatments have skin that is more sensitive and which reacts differently and more harshly, and doesn’t heal as fast. So, we are careful with our treatments, especially mindful of possible infection,” said Laura Aldeguer.
“Our staff is qualified, skilled, compassionate, caring and highly trained in administering our cosmetic procedures and the electro-stimulation.”
Shaina Lindsay, RN, is the lead treatment plan coordinator. She described clients who are aged from their 50s to a patient in her 80s; teens with acne issues are also treated.
“Tribe Med Spa is a ‘one-stop-shop.’ We offer five different lines of filler and five different kinds of toxins because there’s not just Botox anymore. However, we don’t we don’t like to give clients false expectations. I tell them I’m either giving them something they’ve never had or restoring something they’ve lost,” Lindsay said.
“The alternative is doing nothing, but that is not the answer. Even if we do a little bit on facial lines or scars, we can visibly reduce what you see and increase the collagen production and have a variety of ways to restore what you’ve lost naturally over time.”
Lindsay noted that for a misshapen nose, liquid rhinoplasty is effective, or for a small chin that looks like an overbite, some procedures change the profile and the confidence.
“If you are on a treatment plan, that may take 12 months to achieve your goal—in the meantime, I can give you some lip and cheeks or make your neck tighter. Everything we have works synergistically to give you the best effect because there’s no one magic bullet to fix what has not happened overnight. But we can make it look a hundred times better. It is so rewarding to restore a woman’s confidence and watch them change how they behave; we call it ‘the glow up,’” explained Lindsay.
“Of our male clientele, about 10% go for aesthetics, weight loss and the peptides, hair restoration, body tightening, testosterone therapy and what we call ‘Brotox.’ We are trying to eliminate the stigma that these services are only for girls.”
The Tribe Med Spa’s state-of-the-art equipment includes intravenous (IV) therapy. Lindsay notes that 65-75% of the population are dehydrated and do not
From page 3A SURTAX
Burt Saunders said, referring to a workforce housing fund and thanking McDowell for a “really incredible project.”
Saunders noted that McDowell’s four county projects will put a dent into the county’s need. “And hopefully, we’ll have more projects like that,” he added.
McDowell’s Ekos on Santa Barbara, which features 82 workforce housing units for residents making 30-80% of the Area Median Income, was completed in November. (Collier’s AMI is $100,700).
Two others, Allegro and Cadenza, both at Hacienda Lakes, will each provide 160 affordable units for seniors 62 and over. Allegro is expected to be completed by February or March, while Cadenza has a late fall completion date.
Ekos on Collier’s funding will come from the penny surtax Collier voters approved in 2018, which ended Dec. 31, 2023, after collecting more than $540 million from residents, businesses and visitors. Of that, $20 million was reserved to fund land acquisitions for housing at below market rate. Housing advocates have urged commissioners to put the surtax on the ballot again but emphasize that more than $20 million is needed for workforce and affordable housing. Commissioners plan to discuss placing it on the ballot.
McDowell has 1,700 units completed or under development in Florida and Texas, most financed with low-income housing tax credits. Of 11 properties it has purchased, including four in Collier,
meet their daily water intake goals. It is also beneficial for those with a stomach disorder.
“We have a lounge dedicated to IV drip therapy with reclining chairs where clients can watch Netflix and enjoy champagne. Some clients opt for an IV drip and a facial at the same time. Typically, they come in at least once a month for 30 minutes. For those who dislike needles or have no time to sit, drips can be administered through intramuscular injection. This is great for those who want a weekly vitamin shot or one for anti-aging, weight loss, immunity, a higher dose of vitamin C or glutathione,” added Lindsay.
“NAD peptide can help reverse certain neurological conditions such as for those at high risk for Parkinson’s or dementia, with a family history. I would start putting them on a drip to repair the synapses within the brain before they falter.”
Consultations for aesthetic procedures are complimentary, and financing is available. Patients see the physician for hormone treatments and weight loss treatment. Tribe Med Spa also hosts spa parties, Botox parties and bridal showers.
three completed projects have opened.
Another project approved by the AHAC, Habitat for Humanity’s 716-acre Town of Big Cypress, opted to tweak its plans before proceeding to the surtax committee and BCC for approval. Habitat is seeking $1.98 million in land costs for its development south of Oil Well Road and east of Golden Gate Estates, a development that will include rentals built and operated by an as-yet-unnamed partner.
Cormac Giblin, director of the county’s Housing Policy & Economic Development Division, told commissioners the county received five applications seeking $26 million, but Ekos on Collier is the first to make it this far.
County staff ranked Ekos on Collier 62.5% out of 100%, noting they’re hindered from scoring it higher as it’s next to Henderson Creek in a coastal high-hazard zone. The county’s comprehensive plan restricts using public money for developments in those zones.
But Giblin told commissioners, “Development occurs in the coastal high-hazard area in this county every day.”
Company founder Pat McDowell told commissioners that Ekos on Santa Barbara, which had a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month, looks like a Class-A market-rate property. “We want to build communities that our tenants have pride in ownership, pride in living there and pride to bring their friends to enjoy the common areas over the weekend,” McDowell said.
Ekos on Santa Barbara quickly filled up. “The unfortunate situation we’re facing in this county is that the demand greatly exceeds
the supply,” McDowell COO Chris Shear told commissioners.
Ekos on Collier will provide 160 one-, two- and three-bedroom rental units for households earning up to 110% of Collier’s AMI. Workforce housing is tailored for essential workers, including teachers, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters and public servants. Plus, 40% or more of the units will be set aside for households earning 80% or less of the AMI, $79,850.
The lowest rents will range from $483 to $671, with a high of $1,456$2,020.
The development will include a five-story apartment building and clubhouse with amenities, including a dog park, pool, deck, fitness center and playground.
Although it’s in a flood zone, McDowell told commissioners, it will be elevated to 1 foot over the flood zone’s base-flood elevation. The building also will feature hurricane-impact windows. The land borders Henderson Creek and McDowell said his company is working with county staff on an amenity that would provide the public with access to the creek, which goes out to the intercoastal waterway.
Commission Chair Chris Hall, who asked staff last year to streamline and quicken the approval process, asked if Ekos on Collier could be completed more quickly than McDowell’s prior projects, which hit snags due to the pandemic and supply chain issues. McDowell assured him this would be completed more quickly, and Growth Management Director Jamie French said commissioners could ask for a penalty if it took longer than five years from the application.
From page 5A
Elysia Dawn, executive director of United Arts Collier, offers statistics from the recently released arts survey of Collier County, done in conjunction with the national Americans for the Arts organization. Photo by Harriet Heithaus
Lauren Sanders, esthetician, performs a HydraFacial on client Amy Basso. Contributed photo
Grand Opening Weekend
Virtuoso Clubhouse
Nestled within the heart of Caymas lies the spectacular 30,000-square-foot social clubhouse, a true haven of relaxation and connection. From dawn to dusk – and beyond – residents of Caymas will have a never-ending list of fun, relaxation, and perhaps even indulgence.
Sip a cocktail at the poolside bar, play a game of bocce, or simply soak up the sun while lounging by the sparkling pool. Hit the courts for a game of tennis or pickleball, or salute the sun on the outdoor yoga lawn. Dine on delicious cuisine with friends, practice your golf swing on the indoor golf simulator, play a game of billiards, join an exercise class at the fitness center, or paddle out on a kayak on the tranquil lake… the possibilities are limitless.
Sales Office Now Open
Ongoing events
The Baker Museum
10 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays at 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Selected current exhibitions: Tamara Kostianovsky, “Botanical Revolution"; "The Art of Food,” from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his family foundation; “The Face of Immokalee,” images by Naplesbased photographer Michelle Tricca. Admission: $10; Full-time student or active military (with I.D.) $5; SNAP benefits (with SNAP EBT card) $1; ages 17 and younger free. Free admission for Art After Hours, 6-9 p.m. last Wednesdays—this month Feb. 28. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Farmers market
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays at Florida SouthWestern State College/ Collier Campus, 7505 Grand Lely Drive, Naples. This market features food trucks and 70 tents of SWFL produce, bakeries, artisan foods, jewelry, clothing, local artists and photography, specialty items and gifts.
Big Cypress Wilderness Wednesdays
2-3 p.m. Wednesdays through April at Museum of the Everglades, 105 Broadway Ave. W., Everglades City. The Big Cypress National Preserve is partnering with the Museum of the Everglades to bring Wilderness Wednesdays, a lecture series hosted at the museum every Wednesday with a series of talks on various topics presented by the National Park Service. Free. 239.252.5026
Naples Art District
Open Studios
1-5 p.m. Thursdays and second Saturdays at the quadrant bounded by Taylor Road at J&C Boulevard, Pine Ridge and Airport-Pulling roads. Watch artists at work, learn about the process and find art and art gifts. Interactive map at naplesartdistrict.com
This weekend (Feb. 2, 3, 4)
Naples Philharmonic Pops with Michael Grandinetti
8 p.m. Feb. 2-3, 2 p.m. matinee Feb. 3 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The Naples Philharmonic, Stuart Chafetz, conductor, collaborates with master illusionist Michael Grandinetti for a mind-bending display of grand illusions and some appropriately magic music to accompany them. Grandinetti has performed for live audiences all over the country, and his illusions have been featured in televised performances, including the “Masters of Illusion” TV show. $74-$114. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
'The Refugees'
7:30 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. Wednesday matinees through Feb. 4 at Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. It has been here in workshop format, but Gulfshore Playhouse is now staging the world premiere of Brent Askari’s The Refugees, a twist on the need to flee one’s country. In this case, it is an upper-class Connecticut family in a Middle Eastern country who are refugees from a civil war in America. Their plight is funny,
CALENDAR
SERIOUS STAR
Michael Fabiano, a favorite star at both the Metropolitan and San Francisco operas, is known as the hardest working, most reliable and clearest tenor voice in opera.
He famously stepped in for Joseph Calleja in a Met production of Lucia di Lammermoor — on an angled stage to resemble to moors of Scotland — with seven hours notice. When the same opera cobbled together a fundraiser broadcast on TV during the Covid lockdown, Fabiano was one of the singers. And when the Glyndbourne Opera Festival wanted a tenor willing to learn one of Donizetti’s lesser known works, Poliuto, Fabiano stepped up. Fabiano, whose parents live in Bonita Springs, has been generous with his extraordinary talent to their favorite company, Gulfshore Opera. He performs in a fundraiser for the company 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive. Tickets range from $35 to $125 (VIP with reception). See gulfshoreopera.org or 239.529.3925.
poignant and thought-provoking. Directed by Marshall Jones III (Radio Golf, Mud Row). $40-$85, $25 students. gulfshoreplayhouse. org or 239.261.7529
'Lifespan of a Fact'
7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 4 at Joan Jenks Auditorium in the Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. Based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal, Lifespan pits a fact-checker fresh out of college against a respected author over an essay in which there are questions that could sink a story the floundering publication sees as its salvation. Anna Segreto directs. $37.75. thestudioplayers.org or 239.398.9192
'The Fantasticks'
7:30 p.m. WednesdaysThursdays, 8 p.m. FridaysSaturdays, 2 p.m. SaturdaysSundays through Feb. 11 at Naples United Church of Christ’s McSpadden Hall, 5200 Crayton Road, Naples. The Naples Players present the Tom Jones-Harvey Schmidt universal musical of love, its pitfalls and resolutions, with songs such as “Try to Remember” and “Much More.” Shows are at Naples United Church of Christ while the Players theater undergoes expansion. $49. Many shows are sold out. naplesplayers. org or 239.263.7990
World Wetlands Day events
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples. Observing World Wetlands Day, Corkscrew Nature Swamp is offering a number of special events to visitors: Hourly throughout the day, guided tours focusing on the wetland ecosystem, 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., book signing and story time with children’s author Anya Beltsina; 10:30 a.m., opening remarks on 70th anniversary of the sanctuary and a photography exhibit unveiling; 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., meet and greet with photographersin-residence; noon-4 p.m., interpretive station with frogs, crayfish, macroinvertebrates; 1-3 p.m., photography program with photographer-in-residence
Zeida Cecilia-Mendez; more on the website. $17, $14 members and military, $10 full-time college student with ID, $6 ages 6-14. corkscrew.audubon.org or 239.348.9151
Rock 'n' Roll History: From Elvis to the Beatles SOLD OUT. 10 a.m. Feb. 2 at
Rowe Center, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Talk by Charles Bergeron, Ph.D., professor of jazz history and program director for jazz pedagogy at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Cars & Coffee at the Revs
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at The Revs Institute, 2500 S. Horseshoe Drive, Naples. An al fresco showing of the Shelby American Series 2 and Shelby autos, along with other vehicles, celebrating the unveiling of its newest model. Food vendors will be there, as well. Revs, which generally requires reservations, will allow tickets to be sold on a walk-in basis for people who want to see the automotive museum.
Cars on 5th
Feb. 2-3. The Naples Chapter of Ferrari Club of America sponsors Southwest Florida’s biggest car show and auction, with proceeds supporting the St. Matthew’s House mission to provide food, shelter and services to the homeless and recovering in Southwest Florida. Naples Motorcar Auction Friday, Feb. 2, at Ultimate Garages of Naples, 3101 Terrace Ave., Naples. In partnership with the Saratoga; approximately 75 lots of exotic, luxury and collector cars and 25 of auto memorabilia at auction. Advance registration, $200; day of auction, $300; Spectator passes, $50. Naples Automotive Experience Cars on 5th Concours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples, showing 700 cars, including 150-plus Ferraris and other exotic and vintage muscle cars. Admission wristbands on advance sale online and at St. Matthew’s House thrift stores—$35; $40 at the gate. Youth admission (age 4 through 15) $10. Advance VIP all-access admission, including to its scuderia, with food, beverages and special autos on display, this year at the Cambier Park west softball diamond, $125. stmatthewshouse.org
Critics Choice with Elaine Newton: 'Tom Lake' 10 a.m. Feb. 3 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Artis—Naples Criticin-Residence Elaine Newton discusses the newest bestseller from Ann Patchett (The Dutch House, These Precious Days). $44. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Lely Presbyterian 50th celebration
4 p.m. with dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at New Hope Ministries fellowship hall, 7675 Davis Blvd., Naples. 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, anniversary worship service. Joining the dinner celebration will be the Rev. Harold Brown, pastor emeritus; interim pastor Rev. Ted Land; and former pastor Rev. Jim Kirk, with a message from pastor Rev. Ed Brandt via video. Former Interim Pastor Ted Land will preach at a special anniversary service Sunday. Cost for the dinner is $25; reservations required. lpcnaples. org or 239.774.6151
Everglades Seafood Festival 4-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2-4, at Everglades City Hall, 102 Copeland Ave., Everglades City. Featuring all kinds of seafood, rides, games and live music, with Lonestar as the headliner Saturday night and at least three bands every day, presented by the Florida Stone Crabbers Association. For full list of bands, see evergladesseafoodfestival.org
The Brit Pack SOLD OUT. 6 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Daniels Pavilion, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. British Invasion classics. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
St. Katherine Greek Fest 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2-4, at 7100 Airport-Pulling Road at Orange Blossom. Plenty of Greek food, music, dance. Free parking. $5 admission. Kids 12 and younger are free.
Dixieland jazz concert 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at River Park Community Center, 301 11th St. N., Naples. The Naples Jazzmasters Dixieland Band brings its toe-tapping, hand-clapping, upbeat music to the River Park Community Center. Free.
Always Olivia: An Olivia Newton-John Tribute SOLD OUT. 6 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Daniels Pavilion, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Annie Aiello, vocalist, recreates Olivia Newton-John’s greatest hits. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Gilbert & Sullivan: 'Iolanthe' 7 p.m. Feb. 3, 2 p.m. Feb. 4 at Wang Opera Center, 4860 Linwood Ave., Naples. Opera Naples production of the comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that follows the tortuous strategies a lovestruck fairy undertakes to change the dire legal consequence of marrying a mortal. Loaded with their famous tongue-twisters and British protocol, it’s laugh-outloud funny with wonderful music. $39-$102. operanaples.org or 239.963.9050
To Naples, With Love 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. The Naples Concert Band offers a Valentine’s Day romantic concert with a little something to love for everyone. Free. Bring seating. naplesconcertband.org
Jazz on the Lawn
4-7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Lawn at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd. S., Naples. An afternoon of live jazz to support the Black History Baggage Car project. The Second Annual Jazz on the Lawn, organized by the Friends of the Collier County
Museums, will feature headlining artist Yaya Diamond & the Dream Chasers, opening artist Decyo McDuffie and emcee Omgitswicks. Tickets start at $45. foccm.org
Lindsay Garritson, piano 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road, Naples. Pianist Lindsay Garritson performs a variety of music in the sanctuary. Free.
Fuoco Obbligato
4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at Parish hall, Trinity-by-the-Cove Episcopal Church, 553 Galleon Drive, Naples. Fuoco Obbligato is the period instrument chamber ensemble of Paris’ Opera Fuoco, an organization that focuses on developing young singers entering professional life. This program celebrates love from the baroque opera repertoire. Free, registration requested online. trinitybythecove.com
Michael Bolton SOLD OUT. 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The pop star (“That’s What Love Is All About,” “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”) returns in concert. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Next week (Feb. 5-8)
Jazz with Jane Monheit 6 and 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, at Daniels Pavilion, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Smooth, smooth jazz and American Songbook classics from the veteran of 12 discs and guest on many more. $65. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Kami Veneration in Japanese Art 10:30 a.m. Feb. 6 at Signature Learning Space, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Sinéad Vilbar, Ph.D., curator of Japanese art, Cleveland Museum of Art, shares insights into the world of kami veneration and Shinto influences throughout Japanese art. Part of Artis— Naples Lifelong Learning. $57. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Steve Solomon, comedian 6 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 and 7 at Daniels Pavilion, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. From the star and creator of My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!, one of the longest-running oneman comedy shows, Brooklyn native Steve Solomon returns to Artis—Naples with his latest laugh-out-loud extracts from his own life, employing impeccable impressions of the funniest and most familiar characters in From Brooklyn to Broadway in Only 50 Years. $59. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Miami City Ballet 8 p.m. Feb. 6 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Bringing some of its classic works, such as Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, the Miami City Ballet performs with the Naples Philharmonic, Gary Sheldon conducting. Join members of Miami City Ballet’s artistic team before the performance for 30 minutes of their insight at 7 p.m. $75-$85. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Chris Botti, jazz trumpet 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Hayes Hall,
FRONT ROW SEAT
WOMEN SHOW HOW BURLESQUE IS DONE FUN AT IMMOKALEE CASINO
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
What started as “Oh, we can do that” flew past the “How can we do all that?” stage to a Sanibel-based company that has dual stage shows, websites—even a comic book. And it’s one of the oldest businesses in the book: burlesque.
The Lalas Burlesque is back for a second show Friday night at Seminole Casino Immokalee, and its sexy, slightly goofy vibe is a sign the art of burlesque has had a millennium makeover: No baggy-pants comedians needed, as the women do their own jokes in between some sultry dance and striptease down to extremely bare essentials. Plus, these women are not city-hopping on a long bump-and-grind tour. They’re out on Friday and Saturday and back in Los Angeles for other work during the week: commercials, TV roles, advertisements that call for females in phenomenal shape. Some of them have worked on “Dancing With the Stars,” or backing up concert stars, said Erin Lamont.
“We’re kind of weekend warriors,” said Lamont, whose major worry now is keeping two companies of Lalas straight: “We’re triple-booked.”
Lamont moved Lalas Burlesque Show’s corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to Fort Myers Beach in 2017, when she and her husband were looking for a quieter, more family-friendly place. (They now live in Sanibel.) But she credits her California years with inspiring the show.
“Right down the street from our apartment was a martini bar, with a burlesque happy hour,” she said. The couple liked to have a Friday libation there, and Lamont found herself watching the women and saying, “I can do that, and wouldn’t that be cool if I could get my friends together and do a show, make 50 to 100 bucks and just walk home? And maybe we’ll get free drinks.”
Lamont is a former dancer herself, but has gravitated toward choreography, creating dance for shows including The People’s Choice Awards and for such stage stars as Neil Patrick Harris.
“I hear music and I see dance,” she declared.
So Lamont bluffed her way into her first job, which she would say is a kind description.
“I called the owner that Monday and I lied,” she admitted. “I made up this whole story about how I had a burlesque show and that he had to see it.”
Then she called her friends, and with some sequined underwear and robes from Target, the Lalas were born. At first their work was in L.A., but then the group began
Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Cool jazz star who has made his own name, and played with all the other big ones, from Sting to Tony Bennett. Few tickets left. No price online, phone sales only; 239.597.1900
Classical music's aviation connections
10 a.m. Feb. 8 at Rowe Center, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Terry Wolkowicz, president of the nonprofit organization Sound Explorations and education director for the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, shares the connection between bird flight and classical music. Repertoire includes pieces by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Strauss and Vaughan Williams. $34. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
working up and down the West Coast.
Lamont doesn’t dance with the show now, but she’s in L.A. at least twice a month to write and rehearse new material. That’s a requirement since the Lalas began getting calls from Michigan and Florida. This is their second appearance at the Seminole Casino Immokalee.
The Lalas are a blend of steam and silliness. They both play into sexual fantasies— with cowgirl outfits or trench coats—and poke fun at them. Much of the weight in the Lalas’ luggage is fringe and biker caps. The soundtrack is classic rock and blues, and the pairing of them, as one reviewer put it, makes one “leave the show humming AC/ DC and wishing you had a glitter gun.”
There are aerial sequences and precision dance with a high level of estrogen poured in.
It apparently appeals as both a date night and girls’ night out entertainment, and you may want to practice your shimmy: Audience participation is involved.
Ironically, the Lala show is as invigorating for its stars as it is for the audience.
“It’s a release from the hustle and auditions all week,” Lamont said. And they’ll eat the carrot sticks and handle the stretch exercises Monday to Thursday.
“After the show, we’ll have a pizza and drink a glass of wine,” Lamont said.
Bach, Gershwin, Beethoven
7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at St Leo Auditorium, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs.
Part of the Grand Piano Series. Clayton Stephenson, a finalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, plays a concert with Bach, Beethoven, Albéniz and Gershwin for the Grand Piano Series. $45, $50 at the door. grandpianoseries.org
Next weekend (Feb. 9, 10, 11)
Getting a closer look at Oscar 10 a.m. Feb. 9 at Rowe Center, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., deputy director of Bryn Mawr Film Institute, taps the shoulder of Oscar for a look at the Academy Awards,
LALA LAND
Who: The Lalas Burlesque
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2
Where: Seminole Center at Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee
Tickets: $44, at ticketmaster.com
the granddaddy of all American show business accolades. There’s history, issues, a whiff of scandal and fun. $34. artisnaples. org or 239.597.1900
Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey SOLD OUT. 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Join the Naples Philharmonic and conductor Alvin Ho on an intercontinental, audiovisual journey as travel writer and TV narrator Rick Steves guides the orchestra through a special program of European symphonic favorites.
Plan Ahead
Valentine's Day watercolor reception 5-7 p.m. Feb. 14 at Coastland Center, 1758
Tamiami Trail N., Naples, between Macy’s and Starbucks. The Southwest Florida Watercolor Society’s show goes up, and visitors can mix and mingle with the artists in the 8,000 square-foot gallery. Music, light bites and beverages will be served. cocoartgallery.com or 239.436.3530
The Mersey Beatles: Four Lads from Liverpool 4 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at G&L Theatre, The Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Road, Naples. The Mersey Beatles, one of TheatreZone’s most popular concerts, are back for the 60th anniversary of the British invasion, including the entire A Hard Day’s Night album and a new Beatlemania song lineup. The venue has added a show to meet demand. $50-$85. theatre.zone/concerts or 888.966.3352, ext. 1
The Lalas Burlesque Show gives dancers a chance to be the stars instead of the chorus line, and Erin Lamont, who founded the show, does their choreography. Publicity photo
There's plenty of fringe and sequins, but even more talent, among the women in the Lalas, who create their own comedy and dance for new-millennium burlesque. Publicity photo
FRONT ROW SEAT
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Even if you don’t know Rhapsody in Blue, you know Rhapsody in Blue. For those in either camp, this month—the month of its 100th anniversary and of a new era in American music—has the potential to become Rhapsodic.
For those who say “Rhapsody in what?”: You have heard its most famous theme coursing through United Airlines TV commercials for years. Your introduction to Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby gets a kick of grandeur from it. Even “The Simpsons” used it in several episodes. Competitive ice dancers love it for skate music. So why not give yourself a chance to hear the whole work?
For those who say “More ‘Rhapsody,’ please!”: There’s a thorough immersion in Gershwin’s most famous composition coming. It will run through the entire season at Artis— Naples. (The column at right lists all events.) It will also run through three of the five versions of the work.
Beginning, like Gershwin, on piano
The first plunge into that deeper experience is outside Artis—Naples. Thursday, Feb. 8, former Van Cliburn finalist Clayton Stephenson takes the stage in Bonita for the Grand Piano Series with Gershwin’s own piano version of it. Gershwin wrote both single- and two-piano versions of Rhapsody in Blue, and the orchestra arrangements everyone knows were based on those. They reveal the creator’s personal style with clarity.
Ferde Grofé, a composer in his own right (Grand Canyon Suite) who rarely gets enough credit, was working as an arranger for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which had actually advertised itself as premiering a new jazz concerto in Gershwin’s work. He arranged its edition for that premiere, for a theater orchestra and, finally, for the symphonic version we think of as soaring across the sky with United Airlines.
Next, at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 9, an exclusive exhibition on Gershwin as an artist and art collector opens at The Baker Museum, with paintings owned by his family and collectors who bought from his estate. Gershwin was savvy in his choices, and his pieces have been sought by museums across America and Europe; one of them is even coming from the Museum of the Vatican.
The paintings were sleuthed out by Olivia Mattis, who is a musicologist, not an artist. However, she is a musicologist interested in the synesthesia of art and music composers often exhibit. Gershwin was a solid painter, an extremely good photographer and even a designer of three-dimensional items such as desks, she said.
It was other photographers’ portraits of Gershwin that first caught her attention, she said: “I kept seeing pictures of him with these different paintings behind him, and I learned he collected, but they all stopped there.”
So Mattis visited the U.S. Library of Congress to see the Gershwin archives, and a list of the
works he owned turned up among the papers. So did the original manuscript for Rhapsody in Blue—“Unbelievable!” she declared of her good fortune.
Visitors to the museum will have a chance to see that manuscript, which is coming to Naples from the archives of the U.S. Library of Congress.
20 years of work
But locating everything Mattis felt was relevant to a quality exhibition would turn into a 20-year project. When the Telfair Museum in Savannah accepted her proposal for one, Courtney McNeil, who was curator at the time, began working with her. To their dismay, their exhibition was pre-empted by the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum was closed; the exhibition was canceled.
But when McNeil moved to The Baker Museum in 2020, she realized she was in a perfect venue in Artis—Naples. With the Naples Philharmonic as a colleague institution, the exhibition could have the synergy of audiences hearing Gershwin the composer while the museum revealed Gershwin the artist and collector. Even better, the potential for that collaboration was over an auspicious anniversary.
This is the first major exhibition dedicated to Gershwin’s brilliance as both a composer and art collector and creator. Every ingredient is a rich addition to the blend: These pieces are of interest because Gershwin collected them, but also are art that brings people to museums on their own.
“Marc Chagall, Modigliani, Kandinsky— these are strong works,” McNeil declared.
The exhibition is here through June 16, and Mattis speaks about it on March 13.
Artis—Naples has two orchestrations of the famous rhapsody planned, but first, we see the horizon around him.
As a young man, singer-songwriter Michael Feinsten served as an archivist for Ira Gershwin, George’s brother, and developed a friendship and knowledge of their works that has carried into his musical performance. On Sunday, Feb. 11, he’ll talk with McNeil about Gershwin’s perspectives on art in Reflections on George Gershwin and Modern Art: A Conversation with Michael Feinstein
He follows that up with an encore program on a significant date: 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, 100 years to the day for the Rhapsody in Blue premiered in New York. Michael Feinstein: A
Tribute to George Gershwin blends vocals and piano and reminiscences on the two Gershwins from conversations with Ira.
Two kinds of orchestras
The piece de resistance may be a three-performance Masterworks concert 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, Feb. 15 to 17. Guest artist Orli Shaham plays the Rhapsody first as it was initially orchestrated for Paul Whiteman’s jazz orchestra, and later in the program, in its more familiar symphonic version.
That won’t only be a first for the audience.
“I haven’t ever played them both on the same night,” said Shaham. Answering questions via email, she characterized the differences:
“My attitude going into it is: When you’re driving a Mack truck, you really need to be aware of all of the wheels and where they’re going. But when you’re riding a motorcycle with a sidecar, you can be more nimble and move around in different ways.
“The big difference between the two versions is not in the piano part, which is, note for note, almost exactly the same. It’s in the instrumentation and the way the different tone colors interact with each other. And of course, the different attitude that a jazz band brings to the stage.”
The conductor is David Robertson, Shaham’s husband, who conducts Jazz at Lincoln Center, so Shaham has a head start on understanding the genre:
“I’m usually around for these and I hang around with the pianists and see how they think about things for their performances. So there’s a lifetime of interaction with jazz and how it actually lives in real time from groups that are performing today, and also from listening to recordings from that era.
“The orchestral version in my mind has a certain way that I think it works best. In the jazz band version, there’s much more flexibility and nimbleness to react spontaneously.”
There are no airplanes or ice skaters involved in either version. There is a banjo in both, Grofé’s introduction. Its artists, including the orchestra, hope the energy will instead reflect Gershwin’s own vision of Rhapsody in Blue 100 years ago:
“... A sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness.”
100 candles for a Rhapsody Grand Piano Series Bach, Gershwin, Beethoven 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at St Leo Auditorium, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs. Clayton Stephenson, a finalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, performs the original piano version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to honor its 100th birthday, along with Bach, Beethoven and Albéniz. $45. $50 at the door. grandpianoseries.org
Artis—Naples’ Celebrating George Gershwin All events are on the campus of Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Tickets at artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
“Gershwin and Modern Art: A Rhapsody in Blue” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays Feb. 10-June 16 at The Baker Museum. Exhibition devoted to the composer’s passion for the visual arts, featuring paintings, sculptures and other artworks from Gershwin’s collection by leading modern artists; paintings, drawings and photographs created by Gershwin; works by noteworthy artists inspired by Gershwin and his music; and select items from his life. $10; Full-time student or active military (with I.D.), $5; SNAP benefits (with SNAP EBT card), $1; ages 17 and younger, free. Free admission for Art After Hours, 6-9 p.m. last Wednesdays of the month— this month, Feb. 28.
Michael Feinstein: A Tribute to George Gershwin
8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, at Hayes Hall. Few tickets remain. Michael Feinstein, vocals and piano, celebrating the 100th anniversary date of the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue with Gershwin melodies and music. $122-$129
Masterworks: Rhapsody in Blue 8 p.m. Feb. 15-17 at Hayes Hall. Naples Philharmonic, David Robertson, conductor, Orli Shaham, piano. Featuring both the public premiere orchestration of Rhapsody in Blue with jazz orchestra and its symphonic version. $15-$85
On Music:
Musical Paris in the Early 20th Century
10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Rowe Center. Visit the City of Light with lecturer Fred Plotkin to see the inspiration behind Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Paris in the early 20th century was a center of artistic ferment, attracting visual artists and composers such as Gershwin, Ravel, Stravinsky and others. $34.
Giordano Dance Chicago
8 p.m. Friday, March 8, at Hayes Hall. The contemporary dance company performs works by Emmy-winning choreographer Al Blackstone danced to favorite Gershwin melodies, including Rhapsody in Blue. $59-$99.
The Baker Museum Lecture: “Gershwin’s Eye” 2 p.m. March 13 at Signature Event Space, Daniels Pavilion. Olivia Mattis, Ph.D., curator of “Gershwin and Modern Art: A Rhapsody in Blue,” talks about her 20-year project, which explores Gershwin’s visual dimension and how it opens up new ways of thinking about the composer and his creative impulses. $20.
Clayton Stephenson David Robertson and Orli Shaham
FOOD & FLAVOR
EAT AT THE ICONS: NAPLES’ QUINTESSENTIAL RESTAURANTS
By Elizabeth Kellar
Naples is full of top-rated restaurants, spots where you can dig into delicious dishes and sip a perfectly crafted cocktail. But what restaurants are in a category by themselves; places that have achieved a kind of cult status with locals and visitors alike?
Here are some contenders for Naples’ most iconic eateries.
The Everglades Rod & Gun Club
This historic club is older than Collier County itself—a sure recipe for the making of an icon. Dating to the 1870s, the property has drawn everyone from big-name celebrities to U.S. presidents, and appeared in several Hollywood films. With its rustic, Old Florida interior and peaceful location on the banks of Barron River, it’s easy to understand the appeal. The menu remains as classic as the club. There are hearty standards, such as a 14-ounce house-cut steak with onion rings, as well as distinctly Everglades-inspired fare, such as gator nuggets and Swamp & Turf with steak and frog legs. rodandguneverglades.com
The Snook Inn
With a prime location on the Marco River and a slogan that gets—and stays—in your head, The Snook Inn has been one of Collier County’s most iconic eateries for more than three decades. The seafood-focused menu of this Marco Island establishment has changed over the years, evolving to become a bit more upscale and on-trend. Don’t worry, though: The old favorites remain. You can still bite into the Snook Inn’s Famous Grouper Sandwich, but now, you can enjoy it while sipping a pomegranate mojito or lavender lemonade. And all of this while you watch the dolphins from the chickee bar, naturally. snookinn.com
Michelbob's
Collier County has no shortage of acclaimed seafood restaurants, which makes Michelbob’s a bit of an outlier. This iconic eatery, which opened in Naples in 1979 and now has a takeout location on Marco Island, is famous for its award-winning ribs,
which are imported from Denmark. Here, you’ll find barbecue at its best, served up in a casual atmosphere that’s perfect for a laid-back lunch or dinner. The menu is, not surprisingly, proudly meat-forward, with pork, beef and chicken making up the main offerings. Whatever you order, be prepared to eat: Michelbob’s does many things well, but small portions aren’t among them. michelbobs.com
Sea Salt When Fabrizio and Ingrid Aielli moved to Naples, their plan was to retire. Now, more than 15 years later, they have reshaped the Gulf Coast’s culinary scene, opening five restaurants. The most iconic of these remains their first: Sea Salt, with its original location in Old Naples that was named one of Esquire magazine’s best new restaurants in 2009. The Aielli Group also owns a second Sea Salt in downtown St. Petersburg. The cuisine is inspired by Chef Fabrizio’s native Venice, Italy, with an emphasis on wildcaught seafood and organic, local produce. aielligroup.com
Bleu Provence
Tucked away in Crayton Cove is a little piece of the South of France—the always-iconic Bleu Provence. Opened in 1999
5 LOCAL CHEFS SHARE THEIR FAVORITES
In this second installment of “Where the Industry Eats,” The Naples Press polled more industry professionals, including some who have moved into the kitchens at our local country clubs. If you find yourself at one of their recommended spots, take a look around—because you never know who you might be dining next to.
Gerald Sombright, executive chef, The Club at the Dunes
After being awarded a Michelin star for his work at Orlando’s Knife & Spoon alongside Chef John Tesar (who coincidentally was the chef de cuisine of the 2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival) and recognized as the first Black chef in America to receive this accolade, Chef Gerald Sombright migrated south to Naples, where he was named executive chef of The Club at the Dunes. His favorite thing about Naples’ culinary scene is the brunch at Sails,
highlighted by the crab and avocado appetizer and the French toast. “It is my favorite for the elegance and indulgence that comes with an afternoon, coursed-out brunch, and the beverages make me feel simultaneously pampered and gluttonous,” Sombright said. His other haunts are in Bonita Springs: El Gran Taco Loco located behind Benson’s Grocery off Old 41 Road, which he said transports him to Jalisco, and a cocktail before or after at Chartreuse next door.
Monika Czechowska, owner and mixologist, Fuse Gastrobar
You’ll typically find Monika Czechowska stirring up a new cocktail creation behind the bar at Fuse Gastrobar. On her days off, Czechowska enjoys the family-owned Moura Bistro on Pine Ridge Road, where she appreciates that the owner is always there, and called it “delicious, authentic and consistent.” She actually started craving the shrimp kabob as she listed her favorite dishes, including the baba ghanoush and stuffed grape leaves. When she’s looking to dine while also enjoying the views, you’ll find Czechowska at the upstairs terrace at Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar at The Village Shops on Venetian Bay. Another family-owned business, Passage to India, is Czechowska’s pick when she’s craving Indian cuisine. She recommended the chicken tikka and the fresh naan. And you’ll surely want to know where she goes to have a drink: It’s Sidebar off Naples’ Fifth Avenue South, where Czechowska can be found sipping on an old-fashioned.
Dave Rashty, executive chef, The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar
Like many of us, chef Dave Rashty loves to take his pups with him on his off-day outings. You’ll find Rashty at recognizable favorites such as Turco Taco, where he loves the Turkish-infused flavors and vegetarian options for his company, and Sushi Thai, his “go-to for sushi.” On nice days, take a peek at Survey Café in Bonita Springs
and you’ll find him outside at this hidden French spot—with either an avocado toast, crepe or some smoked salmon in front of him. As a reminder of his time living in New York working at a kitchen helmed by three-star Michelin chef Masa Takayama, Rashty indulges in the spinach and chickpea chana saag (an off-the-menu special they make just for him, but you can ask nicely), the samosa chaat appetizer and the bagara baingan curry at The Spice Club in Fort Myers. “I lived near all of the Indian restaurants and would frequent many of them. The Spice Club reminds me of that time; their food is really authentic and amazing,” Rashty wrote.
Daniel Swofford, executive chef, Old Vines Naples at Mercato Daniel Swofford doesn’t have to venture far from his Mercato kitchen to find his personal picks. Just up the road is Salsa Brava Mexican Grill, which he dubbed his “go-to day-off lazy morning spot” and ad-
The historic Everglades Rod & Gun Club dates to the 1870s, older than Collier County itself. Contributed
The Snook Inn, on Marco Island, has been one of Collier County's most iconic restaurants for more than three decades. Photo by Tim Aten
By Jorge Gadala-Maria
Bleu Provence, opened in 1999, features a classically Mediterranean menu. Photo by Tim Aten
Gerald Sombright
David Rashty
See ICONS, Page 10B
See CHEFS, Page 10B
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GUEST LIST
Royal Tea Party, hosted at Shangri-La Springs in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida
Photography by AP Alexander
Dollie Costa, Davina Clark
Char McLennan, Amy Hafner, Julie Todaro, Melissa Montes Blanco, Christina Montes, Soraya Rivera-Moya, Michael Hood
Pat Homsi, Deana Homsi, Lexi DiPascale, Cynthia Lammert, Allison Viar, Jessi Norvell
Michele Held, Laura Ragain, Tracie Hurley
Angie Camacho, Tameira Williams with her baby Avery, Ruth Morency, Yesica Nino
Terry DeMonaco, Suzanne Costa, Laura Barnard
Natalie Harley, Emily Rose Richard and Mary LaGarde
GUEST LIST
Sky Lounge Party, hosted at Jet 1 in support of United Arts Collier
Brian Zepeda, Teresa Heitmann, Eileen Smith, Sara White, Laura Alexander, Elysia Dawn, Pedro Zepeda
Photography by AP Alexander
Dani Papanikolaou
Ilkay Turk, Sophia Alanis, Rasit Turk
Ryan O’Dell, Ashley Miller, Colin O'Dell, Jennifer and Scott O’Dell
Jim and Liz Jessee, Jill and Michael Basden
Jessica Osceola
Marie-Christine St. Pierre, Paul Arsenault
Stephanie and Fred Pezeshkan
by Jacques and Lysielle Cariot, this romantic restaurant features a classically Mediterranean menu, created by Chef Lysielle and complete with such French favorites as escargot and moules-frites.
The carefully curated cellar dazzles, as well: Bleu Provence’s lengthy wine list has earned Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for multiple consecutive years. Adjacent to the restaurant is a wine shop, if you’re looking take the feeling of France home with you. bleuprovencenaples.com
USS Nemo's
There are many reasons to dine at this iconic Naples eatery. First, there’s the seafood-forward menu, which is considered by many to be among the best in Florida. But then there’s the funky, offbeat décor, which is styled to resemble the interior of a submarine. Together, the two combine to make USS Nemo’s one of Naples’ most distinctive restaurants, a place that takes itself far less seriously than its food. The miso broiled sea bass is one of the menu’s most beloved dishes, a light and sweet preparation that the New York Times described as being “almost worth a trip to Naples in and of itself.” ussnemorestaurant.com
Campiello
Located in Old Naples’ historic Mercantile building and with an expansive outdoor courtyard that adds to its gracious ambience, Campiello remains one of Naples’ most perennially popular dining destinations. The menu is Italian and changes often, with plenty of pastas and wood-fired pizzas, and the bar scene is always buzzing. Music is part of the appeal here, too: In 2020, this iconic restaurant opened The Club Room, with live jazz performances nightly. campiellonaples.com
From page 6B
CHEFS
mitted it’s where you’ll find him the most. On the other side of Vanderbilt Beach Road, he named Chef Koko’s Namba Ramen & Sushi as the place where he goes for a “consistent quality meal.” If you’ve never had the chance to dine at Namba, Swofford recommended the crispy rice and pork buns. Staying nearby, you’ll also find him at Bicyclette
Cookshop for lunch, visiting friend and chef Kayla Pfeiffer, who was crowned champion on a recent episode of Food Network’s “Chopped.” Swofford also gives Chartreuse in Bonita Springs another vote for its cocktails and friendly bartenders.
Jack Raben, executive chef, The TwinEagles Club “Chefs love bar food, and we love handheld food like tacos and burgers,” Jack Raben asserted. For
his taco cravings, Raben frequents Taco Lindo, Molcajetes and La Oaxaqueña. He appreciates the number of traditional-style taquerias that have recently popped up in Naples. Raben also seeks out classic Cuban food. “Cuban food is not as easily found in other parts of the U.S. and is not always translated correctly,” Raben said. And where does he find those island bites? Fernandez the Bull, Rumba and Gigi’s. Lebanese cuisine is also a favorite for this TwinEagles chef. Having previous-
ly worked for two Lebanese restaurant owners, Raben appreciates Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen’s focus on Lebanese ingredients and flavors—including the roasted chicken farrouj and sfiha (seasoned beef and lamb on pita)—rather than the overly broad Mediterranean menus found at other eateries. “‘Mediterranean food’ is like the term ‘Asian food,’ not specific to a certain region. Lebanese ingredients and flavors are very specific and balanced,” Raben said.
Daniel Swofford
ABOVE: Located in Old Naples' historic Mercantile building, Campiello, with an Italian menu, remains one of Naples' most perennially popular dining destinations.
LEFT: Michelbob's, which opened in Naples in 1979 and now has a takeout location on Marco Island, is famous for its award-winning ribs, which are imported from Denmark.
Contributed photos
COMICS & PUZZLES
Posting Date January 29, 2024
1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a beaver’s home called?
2. U.S. STATES: In which state would you find Crater Lake?
3. TELEVISION: Which animated cartoon character says, “What’s up, Doc?”
4. LITERATURE: Who is the author of “The Exorcist”?
5. MATH: In Roman numerals, what is XVIII times V?
6. ANATOMY: How many vertebrae are in the human spine?
7. GEOGRAPHY: Which nation is home to Europe’s largest glacier?
8. MOVIES: In which film does Doris Day sing “Que Sera, Sera”? 9. SCIENCE: What is anemophily?
MUSIC: Who sang the hit “Girls
Answers 1. A lodge. 2. Oregon. 3. Bugs Bunny. 4. William Peter Blatty. 5. XC (90). 6. 33. 7. Iceland. 8. “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” 9. Pollination by the wind.
10. Cyndi Lauper.
85
86 Whiz
87
88 Freight, e.g.
90 Uncles, in Uruguay
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
ROBBIE SCHANK’S THREE DECADES AND COUNTING IN LELY SOCCER
By Andrew Sodergren
Robbie Schank’s home away from home for more than 30 years has been the soccer pitch at Lely High School.
Schank played for the Trojans from 1989 to 1993, and became the Trojans’ soccer coach at age 19, a year after graduating.
Since then, he’s led Lely to 13 district championship games—including back-to-back regional titles in 2019 and 2020.
Schank, a lieutenant for North Collier Fire and Rescue, deals with life-and-death situations all the time. But when he’s coaching his Trojans, he can escape the day-today pressure of his stressful but rewarding career. He recently celebrated 30 years as Lely’s soccer coach with a 5-0 win over Riverdale on Senior Night.
“I’d say this is definitely my happy place,” Schank said. “I’ve seen people in the department struggle with alcohol … or tobacco … even drugs. We’re dealing with sometimes horrible situations where families lose loved ones. Working with these young men all these years has been so rewarding. I definitely owe a lot to these kids for keeping me grounded.”
And the program certainly owes a lot to Schank, who likens himself to a “puzzle master” because he’s able to make the pieces of his team fit so well.
“He’s great at seeing a player’s strengths, knowing his weaknesses and putting you in a position to succeed,” Lely senior co-captain Brodin Andrea said. “I was in the back (on defense) last year, but he saw something in my game that told him I needed to move up (to midfield). He did that this year and it’s worked out really well. But that’s what he does. He calls himself the puzzle master because he is one.”
Schank has seen the evolution of high school boys soccer in Collier County firsthand. He’s also been a large part of its growth through his work with the Optimist Club, a local youth soccer organization. That’s actually where he got his coaching start, when one of his teachers hand-picked him and three of his friends to coach first-graders at the Optimist Club. He was a 17-year-old high school senior then, and he actually coached a few players who went on to play for him at Lely. He also coached one of his future colleagues at North Collier Fire and Rescue, Robert Harvey. He discovered that fact while looking through his belongings in the attic, going through a few plaques from Optimist and
seeing the picture of Harvey on one of them.
“Here’s a guy I’ve worked with for years,” he said. “I’ve been on three different cruises with him. We’re close friends—and I had no idea I actually coached him at Optimist all those years ago.”
He coached another one of his future fire department colleagues on his first Lely soccer team during the
1994-95 season. Bill Moss not only worked with Schank, but went on to marry his younger sister Christine.
Family is a common thread in life for Schank, who said one of his biggest thrills came in that first district championship season in 2003. His younger brother Michael was a freshman goaltender on that squad, while younger sister Kim served as the team’s manager.
“I’ll never forget that district championship game, one because it was my first as a coach and the school’s first since 1985,” Schank said. “But more than that, it showed what he had built in 10 years. You look up in the stands and see people like (former Lely football coach) Merv Ward, (former basketball coach) Don Stewart and (longtime cross country coach) Mark McGarity in the stands, people I really looked up to over the years—it was amazing. And to see the stands filled like it was a football game, it’s something you never forget. And to do it with both my brother and sister on the sidelines; it was something special.”
Schank said he’d at least like to coach long enough to see both his sons come through the program: Carson is a seventh-grader and Kingston is a fifth-grader.
“Carson is a striker and Kingston is a goalkeeper—he was the one who stopped a few shots by Lionel Messi’s son in that tournament down here, the one Messi showed up for,” Schank said with pride. “Carson was just called up to the FBA varsity team as a seventh-grader. Both kids love the game and I can’t wait until they get to our program.”
Schank said he’s seen the talent level blossom in Collier County from the time he started as Lely’s coach.
“This has been the highest level of talent I’ve ever been a part of across the county,” Schank said. “You look at all the Collier County public schools—there isn’t a bad one in the bunch. Everyone’s good, everyone has their eyes on a state championship. From Barron Collier to Naples to us to Immokalee, Gulf Coast and Palmetto Ridge, there isn’t a game
among those where you look at it as an easy win. Even Aubrey Rogers, a first-year program, is competitive. So we’ve got to bring our A game every night.”
It wasn’t always that way. When local soccer coaching legend John Freshwater recommended a young Schank for the Lely job, the Trojans were far from a juggernaut.
“I actually think we’re the reason they changed the mercy rule from 10-0 to 8-0,” he joked. “But as time went by and as more kids came up through the Optimist program, our fortunes began to turn.”
While Schank has built a tremendously successful program, he isn’t the scream-and-yell kind of coach.
“He’s not the type walking up and yelling at the players during the game,” Andrea said. “He kind of sits down, takes notes and observes. Then at halftime he tells us what he sees and fixes whatever needs to be fixed. It’s definitely a different feeling with him than with a coach that screams and yells the entire game, where you have to try and take in what they’re saying while you’re playing. That makes you tense up. With (Coach Schank), you can relax, play your game and have fun.”
The fact Schank has been able to coach his entire career at Lely is something he’ll always cherish.
“I probably have the most Lely gear out of anyone; every single shirt they’ve put out, I have,” he said. “To have this chance to coach where I played, to work with so many amazing people. To grind in the weight room and the pitch with these kids Monday through Friday, it really is something special that I definitely don’t take for granted.”
Robbie Schank, left, poses with his starting lineup and principal Jen Bledsoe after the Trojans' 5-0 win over Riverdale for Senior Night on Jan. 17. The Trojans were also celebrating Schank's 30-year career as the Trojans' coach. Contributed
SCAN TO LEARN MORE!
Robbie Schank poses with his wife Tiffany and sons Kingston and Carson, after the 5-0 win over Riverdale on Jan. 17. Contributed
PROFESSIONAL GOLF’S AGELESS WONDER RETURNS TO NAPLES
Speaking of Sports
David Wasson
Juan Ponce de Leon meandered around the Caribbean, and eventually bumped into Florida, back in 1513—supposedly in search of the mythical Fountain of Youth.
Although Ponce de Leon never stumbled upon said source of youth and vigor, someone else will be making his way through Southwest Florida in February having already chugged from those fabled waters.
Bernhard Langer.
While the great many of you (and me, for what it’s worth …) are likely feeling the joint creaks and groans that come with receiving AARP mailings, Langer is playing professional golf with the vigor and talent that he arguably didn’t even have when he was at his theoretical prime.w
As the defending champion of the upcoming 2024 Chubb Classic, Langer has been absolutely terrorizing the rest of the PGA Tour
Champions lineup since his datebook informed him of his 50th birthday. That was 16 years ago, and with absolutely no signs of letting up, Langer returns to Tiburon Golf Club on Feb. 16-18.
It isn’t so much that Langer has made Naples his personal golf playground—which he has, by the way, to the tune of five Chubb titles—but that he has made the entire 50-plus circuit look like 12-handicappers by comparison.
Langer has won a record 46 times since his debut on the PGA Tour Champions in 2007, and only went one season (2021) without being handed at least one oversized winner’s check.
Langer has made a preposterous 340 of 341 Champions cuts with 223 top-10 finishes, and all those oversized checks add up to a staggering $35.9 million in official money. He has won a record 12 senior major championships, won the Charles Schwab Cup money title a record 11 times—including a record seven in a row—and is one of only two players (along with Jack Nicklaus) to win the Senior Grand Slam. By comparison, in the 22 years
“But even as objectively exceptional as Langer was on the world stage before his cake got 50 candles on it, he is truly great after that benchmark.”
Langer spent on the PGA Tour, he earned three titles, including the 1985 and 1993 Masters, and cashed $10.7 million on this side of the pond. Couple that with 42 European Tour victories, two European Tour money titles and 10 appearances on the European Ryder Cup team, though, and Langer cruised to induction into the World Golf
Hall of Fame as part of the 200102 class.
But even as objectively exceptional as Langer was on the world stage before his cake got 50 candles on it, he is truly great after that benchmark. And in doing so, Langer became greater despite the Rules of Golf changing in 2016 to ban anchoring his long putter to his body—a change that forced an already shaky putter to alter his stroke even more.
That barely put a dent in the Langer Locomotive. He won an incredible seven times in 2017, including the Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship, and has won at least twice every year but 2021.
Langer has essentially accomplished two Hall of Fame-worthy careers on either side of his half-century threshold, and has done it all while being arguably among the nicest, most sincere human beings on the planet. You have a better shot at beating Langer straight up on the golf course than you will at finding anyone who wants to offer a cross word about him.
Which is why I’m all about trek-
king around Tiburon to watch Langer play in the Chubb. Surely, Father Time will eventually catch up with the amiable German and slow his clubhead speed to the point that the rest of the PGA Tour Champions catch up with him. It happened to Nicklaus. It happened to Hale Irwin. It happened to Jim Colbert.
Or maybe—just maybe—Langer really did find the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon scoured the peninsula for. Maybe—just maybe—Langer did enjoy a Big Gulp-sized portion from said liquid source. Heck, maybe—just maybe—Langer figured out a way to hook the ice machine and showers at his house to the fabled springs.
Maybe Langer will dominate and terrorize—with a smile on his face and a kind word for all—the PGA Tour Champions for decades to come.
Ponce de Langer? Has a nice ring to it…
Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson airs weekdays from 3-5 pm on 105.9 FM Fox Sports Radio and on FoxSportsFM.com.
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NCEF SHATTERS RECORDS WITH $33 MILLION LIVE AUCTION
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Raising a record-breaking amount exceeding $33 million during its live auction over the weekend, the Naples Winter Wine Festival lived up to its 2024 flowery theme, proving that generosity indeed is in full bloom in Collier County.
“It was really abnormal, irrational generosity,” said Rick Germain, chairman of the board for Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the festival. “We started seeing lots going for a lot more than we expected. We knew we were kind of getting on a roll and it was going to be a good day ... We broke every single record that this auction has ever had.”
Not only did the 50 luxurious lots at the annual auction under the tent at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón surpass last year’s record of $25.6 million, but the $2.7 million bid for a seven-night Mediterranean superyacht cruise for six couples set an all-time record for a single auction lot. The previous top bid for a single lot had been $2 million for a RollsRoyce Phantom Coupe in 2007.
Ralph and Shelly Stayer, chairs of this year’s festival, were among the three couples who won the trip on the motor yacht Whisper, formerly named Kismet. Both Stayers independently predicted before the auction that the lot with the 312-foot superyacht, with an intimate cruise donated by its former owner, Naples billionaire Shahid Khan, and its current owner, Eric Schmidt, would be the top lot.
Khan, the richest man in Southwest Florida and the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, attended a Friday night dinner and the Saturday auction for the wine festival.
“He was very gracious to donate a superyacht, one of the biggest and best in the entire world. It won all the prizes,” Ralph Stayer said.
The real winners, of course, are the kids. All proceeds of the nearly $302 million raised since the wine festival’s inception in 2001 support more than 300,000 at-risk and underprivileged children in Collier County
through services and resources from about 90 nonprofit organizations. From the funds raised at this year’s auctions, NCEF will award grants on March 18 to local organizations and fund strategic initiatives supporting community children in need.
The second highest bid at this year’s live auction was for a car, but not just any car, of course. The $1.4 million bid was enough for Onur Haytac to drive away in a 2024 RollsRoyce Spectre, the automaker’s inaugural all-electric vehicle and the only one of its kind to be auctioned off this year in the United States. The founder and president of Naples-based Linga restaurant operating system, Haytac collects cars and races Ferraris competitively.
“I’m all about cars, but this one is a special
one. It’s a great car,” Haytac said.
Other lots garnering the highest donations included two dinner events where 40 couples each gave $25,000 for a million-dollar meal— with notable wines, of course. The one-ofa-kind events will be at The Continental in downtown Naples and at Chef Thomas Keller’s The Surf Club Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Surfside, Florida.
Two other lots brought in $800,000 each. Four couples will join hosts Kelley and Jim Bailey, proprietors of Knights Bridge Winery in Sonoma County, California, for eight nights cruising the islands of Croatia. Another lot—Unbelievably Utah—will take three couples or six individuals to Salt Lake City, where they will spend a week in the luxurious 7,000-square-foot Deer Valley penthouse
owned by the Stayers.
Shelly Stayer shared some of the science behind the success of this year’s wine festival.
“Ralph and I are data-driven in our business, so this year we decided to use data to create the 50 auction lots,” Stayer said. “Who was buying in the past years? What do they want? Where do they want to go? So, we used data as our friend this year and we curated the auction items that we hoped they wanted to buy. We surveyed the trustees. We surveyed the people under the tent and we asked them, ‘What are your interests?’”
The Stayers thanked the many trustees, staff and volunteers who made the event a success.
Naples billionaire Shahid Khan, center, chats with local philanthropists Patty and Jay Baker before Saturday's live auction for the Naples Winter Wine Festival at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon. Photo by Tim Aten
Photo by Tim Aten
NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL
Arrival!
“This was work but it was fun. We enjoyed every minute. We worked with wonderful people who helped us. We didn’t know much about it, so we got a lot of people who did and together we had a great team,” said Ralph Stayer, owner of Johnsonville sausage company. “At Johnsonville, we have a saying: We work as a team, we win as a team.”
Another opportunity for giving continues this week with more than 100 lots in the NWWF online auction at nwwfonlineauction.com
“So many great lots are still available,” said NCEF trustee Kelley Bailey. “The auction is going to go until Tuesday at 5 o’clock. Bid high, bid often—there are still more kids, as we like to say.”
“We’ve broken all the records and we’re hoping that we break another record for the online auction.”
See a list of all the live auction lots and their winning bids at naplespress.com
Silver celebration next year
The 25th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction will be soundly celebrated on Jan. 25, 2025. The silver anniversary event will be
chaired by a team that includes many previous chairs of the local wine festival over the years.
NCEF trustee Jeff Gargiulo said it’s time to look forward to ensure that the success for the festival continues for the next 25 years.
“None of us 25 years ago could have imagined where we would be today,” Gargiulo said. “But next year is the 25th and it’s time to celebrate and to congratulate all of us for a quarter of a century of achievement for the kids. To celebrate this dedicated work, we have to thank many people. There have been chefs, vintners, trustees, staff, volunteers—many people involved with this. It’s not about one individual. It’s about all of us collectively.”
The committee of 2025 chairs is comprised of Nena and Bill Beynon, Debbi and Bill Cary, Denise and Brian Cobb, Shirlene Elkins, Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo, Libby and Rick Germain, Julia and Rob Heidt Jr., Barbie and Paul Hills and Simone and Scott Lutgert.
“We will ask all of you for all of your resources, your ideas, your talent, your cheers and your money,” Gargiulo told the attendees of the celebration brunch on Sunday. “Let’s all raise a glass with great enthusiasm and stand up for the 2025 [event].”
Photos by Chris Tilley
Naples residents Jerri and David Hoffmann, from left, founders of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, enjoy a laugh before the annual live auction of the Naples Winter Wine Festival on Jan. 27 at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon. The Hoffmanns were the successful bidders on a lot for a six-night trip to France with VIP wine tastings. Photo by Tim Aten
A DINNER TO REMEMBER IN THE ‘MAN CAVE’
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
The journalist and photographer covering a Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner dinner face painful choices every time: either to stay out in the reception area, listening to the guests recall what brought them to their first wine festival and admiring the floral-laden tables, the wine cellar and the yummies being passed (oh, and that wine: crystal glasses with offerings of tantalizing deep cranberry and the sunny side of clear); or to scrunch in a corner of the kitchen and watch the magic. Chef
John Tesar (TEE-zar), the chef at this dinner, was inspecting the first appetizers. Every morsel on his trays serves a purpose. A live stream of vintner dinner kitchens during the Naples Winter Wine Festival could bring in even more money for the children’s causes it serves—and the people who watch them would be better cooks.
Of course, we tried to do both again this year. The dinner observed by The Naples Press had the thoughtful loan of Jim Dixon’s “Man Cave,” a private unit that holds his car collection and a life-size TV for sports events with friends. Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris are lined up against the walls, a sleek receiving line for 28 happy guests.
Keeping the kids in mind
Many of them are like Matt Hickey, who works with Bill Beynon—the co-host with his wife, Nena, of this dinner. Hickey has been to the festival four times since he first asked Beynon why he was involved in the festival.
“When one of your friends says what a special cause it is, what it means to them and what it means to the community they’ve called home for 20-plus years, I’m naturally drawn to it,” he said.
A “Meet the Kids” morning on the first day of the festival cemented that. Learning how the Naples Winter Wine Festival, through its Naples Children and Education Foundation, has changed the lives of impoverished and at-risk kids around Collier County changed his own, Hickey said:
“We drive around every day living our day-to-day lives, and we don’t realize we’re never very far from need.”
Amanda Gottschalk, who was with him for her second winter wine festival, had to borrow tissues during the presentations.
“Next year I’m going to have to bring my own,” she conceded.
Vintners in the cellar
Not far from them was Dixon’s wine cellar, a panorama of gleaming glass in deep wood cabinets into which bottles can nestle three deep. Within its cooled rooms are more than 14,000 bottles, plus several fan stands of premium whiskeys.
A few methuselahs—which hold a whopping 9 liters, or 61 glasses of the good stuff—repose on the floor because of their 21-pound-plus weight. But the top shelves are lined with empty large-format bottles, each signed by the guests who drank its wine: a glass history of happy memories with family and friends.
Ariel and Christopher Jackson, vintners for this evening’s dinner, toured it before the featured pouring of their Verité wines would begin. Barbara Banke, his mother and wife of its founder, the late Jess Jackson, was with them to admire the Dixon cellar. Banke still serves as chair and proprietor of their original winery, Kendall-Jackson, and is chair of the board for The Breeder’s Cup. Discussions of car speeds were about to give way to horse racing times.
But that wouldn’t happen before the Jacksons explained their mission in selecting the wines Tesar would work with. They wanted bring to their guests the terroir of wines grown in Sonoma County, with more herbs, earthiness, mountain fruit and tobacco in their character.
Guests, wine first
Back in the kitchen, the first appetizer course was waiting for several delayed guests. Tesar, a Michelin-starred chef who has pivoted from the seafood oeuvre he learned in Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris to its beef prowess, took that opportunity to explain his creations. His loosely packed meatballs are barely more than thumb size.
“I want them sized so a woman could enjoy one without it taking up the whole mouth and requiring two minutes to chew,” he explained. It’s his mantra: The wine and the guests come first.
Tesar now lives in steak country, Dallas, and the ribeyes being prepped for dinner are Texan in size. Tesar can’t tell you whether that’s a 3-inch or 4-inch cut you’re staring at, but he knows this about his 44 Farms final entree: “They’re 32 ounces and they’re aged 60 to 90 days.”
Tesar has high standards for everything in the kitchen. When the diners bite into the second-course oxtail ravioli, with its Parmesan monte and squiggle of balsamic vinegar, they’re getting Italian Parmesan, 50-year-old balsamic and actual oxtail, not a beef substitute.
“We braise them whole, in a chicken stock, with vegetables, until they’re tender,” he explained. The extracted, chopped meat is blended with chicken liver for the filling.
The intriguing third course, Hudson Valley duck breast “Peanut Butter & Jelly,” is only so called because of the appearance.
“Basically, the peanut butter and jelly is a play on words,” he explained. “What I do is take the foie gras from the duck, I make a spread that has the consistency of peanut butter and then I take a mixed fruit compote”—a mix of raspberries, blackberries and cape gooseberries blended into a jam to swirl in. It would be followed by still another course of beef cheeks with polenta, all before those 32-ounce steaks.
Making everyone welcome
One diner would not taste the duck because of an allergy to poultry. Another was a vegan. One would get a different third course; the other, an entire special menu.
“When they give you enough heads-up, it’s OK. You’ve got enough time to plan,” said Tesar, who had created an entire menu for the vegan: “You make them feel special, rather than humiliated.”
Out in the dining area, serving staff were also memorizing exactly where the people with dietary restrictions sat, practicing so they would be served correctly, and with their party. No plate changing, no lag time. By the time the tiramisu was finished,
Opulent place settings await guests of the Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner dinner, hosted by Nena and Bill Beynon, in the Naples “Man Cave” owned by Jim Dixon on Friday, Jan. 26. Photos by Chris Tilley
Chef Brent Weathers and Chef Tyler Kineman prepare hors d’oeuvres for the Naples Winter Wine Festival Vintner dinner hosted by Nena and Bill Beynon.
Vintner dinner guests enjoy tastings and exclusive luxury car viewings located in the hors d’oeuvres area before the main course at Jim Dixon's “Man Cave.”
A vast collection of exclusive wines housed in
custom-built climate-controlled wine cellar owned by Jim Dixon in his “Man Cave” during the Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner dinner, hosted by Nena and Bill Beynon on Jan. 26.
GUEST LIST
SCENES FROM THE 2024 NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL
Photography by AP Alexander From page 4C
The generosity of the winning bidders was celebrated Jan. 27 at the Wine Down event immediately after the 2024 Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction broke all records at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon. .
The victor of a luxurious lot celebrates after her top bid was accepted at the live auction on Jan. 27 at the wine festival. Humphrey Butler auctions off a lot under the tent at the annual wine festival.
Attendees of the Naples Winter Wine Festival "wine down" dancing to a live band following the annual auction. Musicians perform Jan. 27 during the Wine Down celebration after the annual auction.
WINE FESTIVAL PATRONS GET TO ‘MEET THE KIDS’ AT ANNUAL EVENT
By Therese McDevitt
Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples was in full bloom Jan. 26 as the Naples Winter Wine Festival kicked off with its annual “Meet the Kids” program, giving benefactors the opportunity to see the programs they help fund come to life.
With a theme this year of “Generosity in Full Bloom,” the participating programs funded by the Naples Children & Education Foundation with support from NWWF decorated their tables, arranged in the Hayes Hall lobby and hallways, with festive floral motifs. Many of the children who were on hand to help tell the programs’ stories reflected the garden theme in costumes ranging from ladybugs to bumblebees to garden gnomes, and handed out seed packets for flowers and herbs.
And at the end of a presentation in the Hayes Hall auditorium by three young adults who are alumni of various NCEF programs, a line of small children wearing sunflower crowns and swaying gently as a singer performed brought the house down, as the old saying goes.
As guests exited the auditorium for the luncheon in Norris Garden outside the Baker Museum, one patron was heard saying to his companions: “Now I know why they put tissues in the gift bags. I was crying like a baby the whole time.”
What does this opportunity to “meet the kids” mean to both benefactors and the kids who take part in NCEF-funded programs?
Maria Jimenez-Lara has served as CEO of NCEF for nine years, having previously served as director of foundation services and grant director. She said she thinks “Meet the Kids” helps people understand why they should support the wine festival and ultimately helps raise funds for programs that help “significantly improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
“It’s an opportunity for them to say, ‘I understand why we do this now,’” she said. “They’re saying, ‘I’m making the
connection that if a child is in a center funded by us, you bring in the eyeglasses, you bring in the oral health, so I understand how you are constantly connecting all of these groups and all of these children to the services they need.’ It’s a great illustration of that.”
As for the children, Jimenez-Lara said she sees the event as a great opportunity for them to experience something new on two levels.
“They get the exposure to people that are different, that are not their day-to-day adults or other children, so that’s one,” she said. “Two, it’s just an opportunity to see the world. A lot of the children we serve live in isolated communities. To come to Artis—Naples or just to come on a bus to go somewhere is really a wonderful opportunity for them. And it helps them understand that there are people in the community who care about them and want to help.”
NCEF funds seven strategic initiatives, with each initiative comprised of collaborating organizations that work together to address the issues: early
learning, healthcare, hunger, mental health, oral health, out-of-school time and vision. Organizations working against each initiative were on hand for the event, including Our Daily Bread, First Tee, Healthcare Network and University of Florida for oral health and primary care programs, Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, Fun Time Early Childhood Academy and Educational Pathways
Academy’s Reading Outreach Program.
Jimenez-Lara said NCEF has gone from funding about 30 organizations to funding more than 90 of “the most effective nonprofits in our community.”
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is to eliminate duplication of services,” she said. “We work very hard with our funded groups to make sure that we are providing the right care at the right time in the right place. That takes a lot of coordination and constant communication and being part of a consortium so that it’s an effective way to utilize our patrons’ donations, but also to serve and help the community.”
Tony Niro and Karen Royall are seasonal residents from Virginia Beach, Virginia, in their fourth year as patrons, and said that “Meet the Kids” is one of the things that keeps them coming back.
“We both enjoy getting to know and understand what all of the contributions go toward, meeting the children and understanding the community needs that are fulfilled through this organization,” Royall said. “I’m a physical therapist, so for me, the early childhood initiatives— whether it’s education, mental health or physical types of activities for children— always kind of stand out. And one of Tony’s special loves is when you talk to the older kids who have the opportunity to get help in high school and then go on to college, that they’re supported and able to enrich their lives through education.”
For Josue Magana, a high school senior who was representing Boys & Girls Club of Collier County at its table, the event is an opportunity to say “thank you” to the people who have helped the program.
“I’m just very grateful because obviously they have helped our program a lot, and it means a lot,” he said.
Magana, who dreams of being an orthodontist, said the Boys & Girls Club has helped him be more outgoing.
“They have also helped me in my academics and helped me look for scholarships, he said. “They have helped me find what I like and what interests me.” Information on NCEF and the programs it supports can be found at napleswinefestival.com
Therese McDevitt
Two “bookworms” greet visitors to the Literacy Volunteers of Collier County display at Meet the Kids
Bright smiles welcomed visitors to the Salvation Army Child Development Center booth
Photo by Harriet Heithaus
of Naples Winter Wine Festival arrive at
Naples Airport from Napa Valley, California, on Thursday, Jan. 25.
Photo by Chris Tilley
Program leaders and participants have the chance to say “thank you” to NWWF patrons and NCEF trustees at Meet the Kids on January 26. Photo by Therese McDevitt
Guests raise a toast to NWWF at the Meet the Kids luncheon in Norris Garden at Artis—Naples on Jan. 26. Photo by Therese McDevitt
Chef Brent Weathers collaborates with Michelin Star and critically acclaimed Chef John Tesar while preparing dinner service for the Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner dinner. Photo by Chris Tilley
2024 Chef de Cuisine honoree Paul Bartolotta with NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara at the Meet the Kids luncheon on January 26. Photo by Therese McDevitt
Vintners Carrie and Clay Mauritian of Mauritian Wines, Healdsburg, California, at Meet the Kids on Jan. 26.
Photo by Therese McDevitt
NWWF patrons learn about NCEF-funded programs at displays in Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples on Jan. 26. Photo by Therese McDevitt
