Q: Are you able to tell us what is coming to the land that is being cleared next to the fire station on the south side of Immokalee Road just west of Randall Boulevard? — Adiel Pineiro, Golden Gate Estates
A: Local developers are still dealing with generalities rather than specifics when it comes to development plans on property recently cleared on the south side of Immokalee Road between Wilson and Randall boulevards in Golden Gate Estates.
Developers have proposed 125,000 square feet of commercial use, which includes a possible neighborhood retail center and up to 80,000 square feet of indoor, air-conditioned self-storage for the more than 10 acres of vacant land. Specific tenants are not lined up yet for the development, said Michel Saadeh, a principal of GM Advisors LLC, which owns the recently rezoned property with partner Habib Georges “George” Chami.
“We’re not there yet,” Saadeh said. “You’ve seen the public record. That’s all I can comment on. We’re not close to figuring out exactly what’s going to go in; we’re about a year or two out on that yet.”
When the developer was pressured that it must have some idea what it wants to build there, Saadeh didn’t elaborate other than implying that residential develop-
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 11A
A FUTURE WITH LESS FLOODING?
City of Naples to break ground on stormwater beach-outfall project
By Aisling Swift
project that will improve the quality of stormwater discharged into the Gulf of Mexico — and reduce street flooding.
Council to tackle fluoride question with 2 public hearings
By Aisling Swift
Armed with a federal court decision questioning the safety of fluoridating water, residents, doctors and health activists succeeded in getting Naples City Council to consider suspending fluoridating drinking water. Council on Oct. 2 asked City Attorney Matthew McConnell to draft a resolution so it could hold two public hearings and hear both sides of the issue. Fluoride supporters, who weren’t at the meeting, still maintain fluoride is needed to prevent tooth decay, despite a Sept. 24 California Federal District Court ruling that said fluoride levels considered “optimal” by the Environmental Protection Agency pose an unreasonable risk to children’s IQ and brain development.
“We’ve heard ad nauseum about the amount of time used to research the topic—years,” Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison said before council reached a consensus. “Now a court decision has been rendered. We might disagree with the ruling. However, we should not ignore it. We also don’t have months or years to research the same issue, and then do what? Continue with what we’re doing to the residents and the public unnecessarily?
“We don’t have to wait and risk children’s health,” he said, adding that the community would have “ample opportunity” to engage at two public hearings.
City officials said the landmark project will significantly enhance water quality through a state-ofthe-art “stormwater-treatment train,” improve flood
The public is invited to the Stormwater Beach Outfall Project event at 10 a.m. on the beach at the Third Avenue North beach access. Beach parking at Second Avenue North, Third Avenue North and Fourth Avenue North will be reserved for attendees from 7-11 a.m.
The issue wasn’t on the agenda, but seven speakers lined up to encourage the council, citing the recent federal ruling. In the lawsuit Food & Water Watch vs U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. District Judge EdSee FLUORIDE, Page 9A
COLLIER MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT NEARLY DOUBLES IN SIZE
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
As Collier County grows eastward, the Collier Mosquito Control District is expanding its boundaries from 400 square miles to more than 700 square miles in its efforts to help keep the pesky insects’ population in check and lessen the threat of mos-
quito-borne illnesses. The new boundaries went into effect Oct. 1 and encompass communities including Port of the Islands, Ave Maria, Naples Reserve and other recently developed areas east and north of Golden Gate Estates, according to a CMCD press release. Also included in the new boundaries are areas that are approved for development, according to CMCD,
allowing residents in those areas to receive services as soon as they move into a new home.
A 2022 local referendum seeking expansion of the district passed by 71%, and it was subsequently approved in May of this year by both houses of the Florida Legislature. CMCD was created by the Legislature in 1950 and originally served just 6 square miles of downtown Naples; it is funded by Collier County ad valorem taxes.
During an Oct. 1 media briefing and tour of CMCD facilities, Executive Director Patrick Linn said the expansion will help with the district’s mosquito control efforts as part of its mission to protect the health and comfort of the communi-
See MOSQUITOES, Page 6A
See STORMWATER, Page 11A
NAPLES
Carin Keane PUBLISHER
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Liz Gorman STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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SWFL INSIDER
Naples
Fashion
Week
to return in 2025
Naples Fashion Week will resume in spring 2025 with the debut of the Fashion on Fifth runway show and exhibition. Previously, NFW productions occurred in fall 2022 and 2023. This spring, lifestyle entrepreneur Roberta Beranek acquired NFW from Naples business owner Beth Catizone. The agreement includes all production collaterals and intellectual property rights. Beranek serves as the event’s producer and artistic director and is collaborating with the Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District to organize the Fashion on Fifth runway show. Beranek opened the new NFW Collective boutique showroom and event space at 375 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 203. It will host revolving retail pop-up shops from local and international designers and brands. In April, NFW 2025 will feature a diverse lineup of designers, including established names and emerging talents, who will present their latest collections on the runway. A wide range of styles from avant-garde couture to streetwear will be on display. Ticket sales, with a portion of proceeds supporting Beverly’s Angels, will begin in early 2025.
Jay Haas, Peter Jacobsen to headline charity pro-am
The Immokalee Foundation announced headliner Jay Haas alongside Peter Jacobsen and more for the 2024 Charity Classic Pro-Am Golf Tournament on Nov. 17-18. The signature event will feature a Pairings Party on Nov. 17 and the tournament Nov. 18 at Bay Colony Golf Club in North Naples. The funds raised will support various foundation activities including the Career Pathways program, a comprehensive educational approach that prepares students for high-demand, well-paying jobs in four pathways: business management and entrepreneurship, education and human services, engineering and construction management and health care.
Stormwater Beach Outfall Project
groundbreaking Tuesday
City of Naples will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the Stormwater Beach Outfall Project at 10 a.m. Oct. 15 at the Third Avenue North beach access. City officials said the project will enhance water quality through a state-of-the-art stormwater treatment train, improve flood protection, reduce beach erosion, safeguard environmental species and remove unsightly stormwater outfall pipes from Naples beaches. Additionally, it will bolster the city’s resiliency to climate change and protect the coastal ecosystem.
Artis—Naples job fair Tuesday
Artis—Naples is offering a job fair for positions from ushers to executives 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. Jobs range from part-time and seasonal, in positions such as security, driving and usher duties, to full-time exempt positions in hospitality and marketing. More information on the positions available is at artisnaples.org under Employment. Interested candidates can register in advance by completing the application online at that page.
Legacy workshop Oct. 22
A one-day workshop on “Creating a Memorable Legacy: Tips from the Experts” in Naples brings a group of experts to offer preparation for death, making the process better organized for loved ones and planning for how one wants to be remembered. The oneday workshop is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Naples Hilton, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., and features sessions on decisions about assets, legal matters and family heirlooms. In addition to speakers, more than 20 vendors will offer resources and services tailored to various aspects of legacy planning. They include financial advisors, estate planning attorneys, funeral directors, security specialists, experts on personal storytelling and legacy documentation and more. Lunch is included; there are vendor prizes and networking time at the end of the workshop. The workshop is sponsored by Clicking with Kristen and Artifacts, two companies that work with legacy development needs. Reservations, $49, are available at eventbrite. com. More information is available at 239.877.6710 or kristen@clickingwithkristen.com
Jay Leno to headline event benefiting St. Matthew’s House
Former “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and Emmy Award-winning stylist Brenda Cooper will headline Naples Automotive Experience 2025 events Feb. 6-8 in Southwest Florida to benefit St. Matthew’s House. Presented by the Naples chapter of Ferrari Club of America, Jay Leno Charity Comedy Night will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Hertz Arena in Estero. Tickets are $49, $75, $100 and $250. Preshow entertainment by the Ben Allen Band starts at 7 p.m. The Ultimate Garage Tour with Jay Leno will be noon-3 p.m. Feb. 7 at Ultimate Garages, 3101 Terrace Ave. in Naples. The event will include a private tour of some of Naples’ rarest cars, Leno, one of the world’s best-known
car collectors, a live auction, surprise entertainment and gourmet food. Tickets are $500 per person. Cooper will share her fashion and celebrity styling system secrets 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 7 at The Vineyards Country Club, 400 Vineyards Blvd. in North Naples.
Vintage Cellar event to feature Burgundy Winery Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair
The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, announced Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair wine estate will headline a Vintage Cellar event Jan. 23, 2025, at Bleu Provence in Old Naples to kick off the 25th annual festival. The pre-festival wine tasting and luncheon will be led by Burgundy-based owner and vintner of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Count Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. Guests will participate in a vertical tasting (2017, 2018 and 2019) of each of the estate’s Vosne-Romanée “Clos du Château” - Monopole, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair; Vosne-Romanée “La Colombière,” Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair; and Nuits-Saint-Georges, Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair. Wines will be poured by featured sommeliers who are participating throughout the weekend. Tickets will be available in late October.
Better Together receives $15K grant from Collier Community Foundation
Better Together received a $15,000 donation from the Collier Community Foundation to support the children and families it serves in Collier County. These funds will support Better Together’s Better Families program in Collier, which builds strong families and prevents the need for foster care by empowering parents with meaningful connections, work opportunities, mentoring and short-term care for children.
DLC receives $10,000 grant from First Horizon Foundation
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider, was awarded a $10,000 grant from First Horizon Foundation to support its Access to Care for All Fund. Funds from the grant will be used toward general operations, increasing access to care for individuals in need of services through any of DLC’s six centers of care.
COLLIER NOW
VOLUNTEER SERVICE INSPIRATIONS ARE JUST AN RSVP AWAY
By Jean L.
As you enter your post-retirement years or find yourself an empty nester, you may be seeking a new sense of fulfillment and purpose. While hobbies, recreation and socializing are enjoyable, they may not provide the same feeling of accomplishment that comes from being productive.
Volunteering, even for just a few hours a week, can do that.
To aid in the search for the best volunteering experience, a federal program — AmeriCorps Seniors, which just celebrated its 30-year anniversary — has established national volunteer programs. In 1990, AmeriCorps and the Collier County Board of County Commissioners added a Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP, of Collier County within its Community and Human Services Division. The organization pairs volunteers with its 20 partner organizations based on their interests, skills and preferences.
Volunteers, their programs both benefit
As Meredith Gavin, AmeriCorps seniors program director for RSVP of Collier County, pointed out, volunteering is not just about giving back but also taking care of yourself. Even short periods of volunteering offer health benefits, boost self-esteem, reduce stress and improve brain function. This well-being is a testament to the value that volunteering gives you as an individual.
The value and worth of volunteering are
immeasurable, as attested by Eileen Connolly-Keesler, president and CEO of Collier Community Foundation, who was guest speaker at the October RSVP informational meeting.
“Our country was built on philanthropy — people giving their time and treasure. Volunteering is a core American value. In Collier County, thousands of hours are devoted each year to nonprofit programs. If we tallied all these volunteer hours, it would represent hun-
LANDMARK RISING
Council awards $23.5M to rebuild battered pier stronger, more resilient
By Aisling
The 136-year-old Naples Pier will undergo its seventh transformation after City Council unanimously approved a nearly $23.46 million construction contract to rebuild a stronger, higher pier after Hurricane Ian destroyed it two years ago.
City Manager Jay Boodheshwar called the vote a “milestone moment” for Naples, and thanked the community for its patience as the city worked through a complicated process that involves local, state and federal approvals, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Army Corps of Engineers.
“The redesign of this pier, in terms of its foundation and structural integrity, was to make it more resilient, to make it more robust and to make it a little higher in the deeper parts of the water,” Boodheshwar said. “So we are not rebuilding it back similarly. We are rebuilding this stronger.”
The new design will enhance the pier’s resilience through a series of mitigation measures, including increasing overall height and hardening the sub-structure to make it more resilient to future storms and hurricanes, while still maintaining its historic aesthetic.
Good ideas have stayed
The pier will be removed and rebuilt in the same location. Its supporting structure of new concrete pilings, concrete bents and beams are de-
signed to remain in place even if a future storm removes the decking and superstructure, according to engineering and design firm Turrell Hall & Associates, which specializes in marine and environmental consulting. Bents, which usually involve two or more columns, provide substructural support at intermediate points.
Just like the current pier, the walking surface will be hardwood, which is resistant to rot and is estimated to last at least 75 years, and it will remain 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide. However, there will be bump-outs to accommodate benches with unobstructed views. The superstructure will have two structures — mid-way and at the end — with the iconic Polynesian roof lines that differentiate Naples Pier from others in Florida.
“You’re not going to see work begin tomorrow. In fact, you’re not going to see work begin for at least the next couple of months or so until we get that green light from FEMA — until we get that permit,” Boodheshwar told Council before the vote, noting the city now has a full project team.
“Today’s action gets us in a position to move immediately, to issue that notice to proceed immediately. … It’s getting us closer to rebuilding the pier.”
On Sept. 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the Naples Pier at the west end of 12th Avenue South, causing significant damage to 460 feet, including 140 feet with more than 30 pilings and a shelter at the end that collapsed and sank into the Gulf. At the pier’s midpoint, waves completely gutted the Cosmos at the Pier concession area, shelter and storage structures, and the waves’ energy lifted the public
See PIER, Page 6A
The Naples Police Department’s traffic safety program, “Operation Safe Streets,” has resulted in a drop in crashes and tickets.
From August through September, city police said, they stopped 2,264 vehicles and handed out 675 citations — providing warnings to the remaining drivers. Records show crashes dropped from 67 in August to 54 last month.
The safety operation’s focus is to improve driver education, driver safety and where appropriate, enforcement. The operation will continue until March.
Hot spot locations are being targeted, such as traffic lights and stop signs, congested or blocked intersections and school zones. Other locations are being monitored due to neighborhood safety concerns and bicycle safety issues.
In August, when the operation began, there were 1,359 traffic stops, when police handed out 357 citations and 790 warnings. A month later, that dropped to 905 traffic stops, when police ticketed 318 drivers and handed out 544 warnings.
Downs is next property appraiser
Vickie Downs will be Collier County’s next property appraiser, as her write-in opponent in the Nov. 5 general election, Darren Dione Aquino, withdrew from the race. Downs, currently the chief deputy property appraiser, will assume office in January and will serve a four-year term in a job that pays $177,211 annually. She intends to introduce a 90-day plan focused on improving the efficiency and accessibility of the property appraiser’s office, and has said she will be committed to ensuring property tax assessments remain fair to protect the integrity of the county’s real estate market.
A girl plays on the beach next to the Naples Pier on Oct. 3. Photo by Liz Gorman
See VOLUNTEER, Page 7A
Special to the Naples Press
Swift
Special to the Naples Press
Amodea
THIS CAFE NOURISHES CAREGIVERDEMENTIA PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS
By Jean L. Amodea
Eloise Ingram remembers watching her husband, Tom, put his hands up to the side of a fence so the wolves on the other side would get to know his scent.
“It could not have been more wonderful. My husband loved it, and so did I,” she recalled. “He was thrilled to see the wolves, wolfdogs and other animals.”
Every Tuesday, Tom Ingram also participates in a memory class, part of the respite support program at Baker Senior Center Naples. This program offers a much-needed break for Eloise as a caregiver. From taking her husband to those classes, she learned about the Memory Café, a 90-minute monthly program that includes eight meetings at the senior center and four outings during the yearly calendar.
One of those outings was at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples in September.
“It was a very positive outing. On the way home, he said how much he enjoyed it and wanted to return for a visit,” Eloise Ingram said. “I would absolutely encourage other caregivers to experience the Memory Café. My friend, whose husband also has dementia, found out about the senior center and its programs, and now we attend together. We needed something for our husbands to do, as they are not advanced enough for memory care, and the cafe has been great.”
The senior center launched its Memory Café, the only such program in Southwest Florida, in July.
It offers socialization opportunities for those with dementia and their spouses, children, friends or professional caregivers.
Participants of the café meet in a comfortable setting to connect, share and engage in activities that promote communication skills and offer situations designed for interaction with others. It is free from the stressors of the effects of dementia. There are no wrong answers or expectations to do or say the right thing.
Social worker Riley McLean is the program facilitator and plans community outings and activities — music, art, games including trivia quizzes and more that aid in reminiscing and stimulate memories.
McLean leads the group through discussions and activities and ensures everything runs smoothly. Participation varies from eight to 10 individuals, including the dementia members and their caregivers.
“I develop themes for each program because I’m familiar with working with this population. I like to consider the personalities attending, and if I know some clients, I think about their past and careers and things they have enjoyed doing. I like to switch everything up and make sure it’s something new and exciting each time they attend,” McLean said.
McLean considers things the participants have enjoyed in the past, sparking discussion and leading to reminiscing. She also incorporates music, which she said is a big hit.
In her work, McLean said she often sees a significant change — usually negative — in the relationship between the caregiver spouse and their loved one diagnosed with dementia. They go from being a spouse to becoming a care partner, which she said is difficult for both involved.
“The café provides an opportunity for the care partner to put the
caregiving responsibilities aside, even just for a short time, and just enjoy doing something fun with each other and focus on enjoying their relationship instead of the caregiving responsibilities. The positive impact on the relationship is evident in the way the pairs interact, with smiles replacing worries,” McLean noted.
“The non-judgmental environment enables the caregiver to not worry if the person they’re caring for says or does the wrong thing or cannot remember. They are with others experiencing the same disease, which helps reduce the isolation that a person living with dementia and the caregiver are experiencing.”
According to Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO of the Baker Senior Center, the socialization program is inspired by a national Memory Café program and is heralded as the next step in advancing the senior center’s growth and development of health services, caregiver support and education.
Memory Café is part of its Dementia Respite Support Program, the only service of its kind in Collier and southern Lee counties, serving some 22,000 elders with dementia in Naples.
“Every group has a theme and ends with about an hour of music therapy related to the theme, during which we try to trigger a memory. The program also gives the dedicated caregiver four hours of respite to themselves, while they can be comfortable leaving their loved ones in good hands,” Faffer explained. The various components include:
VISITING THE MEMORY CAFE
What: Memory Café, a program of the Baker Senior Center Naples When: 10-11:30 a.m. Oct. 14 and monthly
Where: Baker Senior Center Naples, 6200 Autumn Oaks Lane, Naples
Cost: Free; RSVP by contacting Riley McLean at 239.325.4444
• The Memory Café, 90 minutes monthly
• The Dementia Respite Support Program, a four-hour program Monday through Friday ($55 per session)
• Brain Joggers, which meets weekly for nine sessions ($55 per session) for people with mild cognitive impairment or early memory loss
• A free Caregiver Support Program that runs for 90 minutes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday “The Memory Café fits perfectly with our agency’s mission, which encompasses addressing the isolation and loneliness experienced by seniors and caregivers. For them, dementia isolation can increase at least tenfold,” Faffer said. Everything the center does, she emphasized, has a single mission: To help people live longer and healthier, and have a better quality of life at home.
Baker Senior Center Naples Memory Café participants attended an outing to Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center in Naples in September.
Photo courtesy Baker Senior Center Naples
NEAPOLITAN NEIGHBORS
A LONG LIFE, WELL LIVED
By Dayna Harpster
Paul Gibfried wanted the person on the phone to know he wasn’t born yesterday. What did I want? “This is a nursing home,” he said, not rudely, and added that you have to watch these days.
Indeed. This is no longer 1924, the year Gibfried was born, which makes him 100-plus years old.
He talked about being the young guy, rather than the old one. Back when he was 18 and newly a Navy man, Gibfried, a native of Illinois, was assigned to a unit of mostly 30- or 40-year-olds. He’d ask questions and they’d say, “Who is this kid?” he recalled recently.
Hardly a kid now, Gibfried celebrated his own centennial on Sept. 8.
He’s surprised by it, too.
“I never expected to be 76,” Gibfried said, referring to the turn of the millennium. “I expected by then to have a jumpsuit and rockets and flying automobiles.”
The kid who asked a lot of questions ended up having a lot of answers. He became a master sergeant and had a hand in some of the seminal moments of World War II.
One of his first days in the Navy would be a different sort of victory: He met a woman who would be in his same unit and would end up being his wife. Dorothy’s portrait occupies a 5-by-7 frame on a side table in his bedroom at Moorings Place, where he has lived since 2011.
Paul outlived Dotty. She died in 1999.
Dotty was in the WAVES, or Women’s Naval Reserve, as a communications technician. After working together for two years, they had to ask permission from the Navy to be married. Gibfried smiled at the thought. “I told her when we got married, ‘We won’t be very wealthy, but we’ll have an adventure.’”
Gibfried also outlived his girlfriend of 25 years, Isabel, who would have been 100 in September, as well. They had planned on celebrating that milestone together, but she died in April.
He showed pictures of a cruise with Isabel’s family—one of several. He seems to have lived several lifetimes. None of them, however, included higher education.
“I didn’t get a chance to go to college,” Gibfried said. “Then when IBM got in trouble, they looked around for some help. Friends insisted I answer an ad for scientists to build the first computers.” Out of 60 test takers, he said, he ranked third. “That’s when I started working with engineers” who were much older than he.
He left IBM in January 1980 after 25 years with the company. Then he got to do what he wanted to do all along, he said, and that was to be a cowboy. He bought a farm and had a herd of cattle for 12 years.
Meanwhile, he started coming to Naples as a snowbird in 1987 with Dotty. In fact, Dotty introduced Paul to Isabel at the condo in which they eventually lived.
“Isabel McDuffie was her name. She was wonderful at birds, at fish, at shells. She knew every shell,” Gibfried said.
Talking to Gibfried is a continual surprise at the places he’s been and the people he’s met. It’s a walk through not only history but also geography: His computer skills took him to Russia on behalf of the State Department; to South Africa, where he was nearly charged by a bull elephant and met with guerillas with AK47s; to Washington, D.C., and to meet Franklin Roosevelt three times; to London, where he lived in Chelsea and attended a reception for the queen; to Bentonville, Arkansas, where “Sam Walton was my student” in setting up his early computer operation. “Sam
used to meet me in his old pickup,” Gibfried recalled. He also met President Truman, who “was kind of a crabby guy,” he said.
Gibfried is proud of earning a citation for helping solve a problem for the Bureau of Naval Aviation. The Navy was losing too many pilots—they were getting careless after a certain number of missions. Gibfried worked with psychologists and psychiatrists to develop a system to manage the personnel and cut down on losses.
That was part of his job as operating manager of the data center for the Navy: He kept track of the “assets of the Navy,” he said. In such a capacity he had a hand in the D-Day invasion.
According to World War II oral history archives, to which Gibfried contributed:
In May 1944, Gibfried was asked to put together a report while working in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and take it to the Pentagon. It was a top-secret report. He was brought to a room and presented to several high-ranking officers. Two days after he made his report, D-Day occurred.
That was a lifetime ago.
Today, his advice is: “Work hard, do the best you can, and you’ll survive and do well. Be trustworthy and do a good job. Life will come to you.”
PAUL GIBFRIED AT 100
Paul Gibfried holds a photo of himself as a young man in the Navy.
Photo by Liz Gorman
Gibfried celebrates his 100th birthday. Contributed
A contributed photo of Paul Gibfried as an Apprentice Seaman in 1943.
Photo by Liz Gorman
ty as it grows.
“The forecasted growth in Collier County is exceptional; we’re projected to go from right now where we’re just shy of 400,000 permanent residents to nearly a million residents by the time that we’re built out,” Linn said. “We wanted to get ahead of it a little bit, and the district is going to be encompassing these areas where the expected construction will take place.”
He said the new coverage area could ultimately contain upward of 30,000 homes.
“We want to be in those areas and have a good handle on the disease threat, the mosquitoes that are out there, the habitat, et cetera,” Linn said. “Then we can work with the community and be out in front of the mosquito problem that we’re going to have.”
Linn said the expansion comes at a good time, due to the amount of standing water that creates mosquito habitats after a summer of record-setting rainfall in Southwest Florida and the threat of diseases such as Dengue fever.
treat larval mosquitoes and look for breeding habitat.
And while new technologies and equipment add to the arsenal used against mosquitoes, Linn described control efforts as a marathon, not a sprint.
“It is something that, as our science evolves, we’ll be able to exert a reasonable amount of control and a reasonable reduction in disease risk for our population—for our humans and pets and agricultural livestock,” Linn said. “But we are not mosquito annihilation, we’re mosquito control, and the idea is to control them to tolerable levels.”
WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Curious about where CMCD is treating for mosquitos in your area, and what treatment products it’s using? And is that buzzing sound coming from the new giant bug-zapping drone? CMCD posts treatment maps and other details at cmcd.org/ map and on its social media channels as part of its “Fight the Bite” campaign to keep Collier County residents engaged and informed about control efforts.
showers’ framing and decking. Only 100 feet was left standing, and that portion reopened in November 2022.
First construction next spring Shoreline Foundation Inc., a Broward County-based marine contractor, was awarded the contract over another bidder at the Oct. 2 meeting and will be paid $23,459,696. Council also set aside another $1.17 million for contin gency fees and amended the budget to cover the costs.
can carry disease in our area.”
World’s biggest bug-zapper at work
“We are seeing a lot of changes year-overyear in that the habitat is evolving, as well as the disease threat; we see in Florida now much more Dengue fever than we used to see,” Linn said. “We actually had — not in Collier, but we did in Florida last year — some malaria; that was very disconcerting. The public health threats are very real, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that the world is shrinking, that you can be virtually anywhere else on the planet within 24 hours, and we have most of those species of mosquitoes that February 18,
In treating areas to control both larval and adult mosquitoes, Linn said the district employs a variety of technologies, including drones, in addition to airplanes and helicopters.
He said the newest drone, which looks like the world’s biggest bug-zapper, can be used to inspect and treat areas that are too tight to be reached by bigger aircraft. The district has a total of four drones of different sizes it can use in areas where power lines and other obstacles would hamper planes and helicopters, to
Shoreline joins a team that includes MHK Architecture, City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein and Project Manager Bruce Selfon, a former federal government employee the city hired to assist with regulatory and permitting processes.
A new threat to guard against Linn said during the media briefing that Florida is seeing a “handful of cases” of Oropouche fever, a virus that he said is transmitted primarily by biting midges—commonly known as “no-see-ums” and with the scientific name Culicoides paraensis—but can also be transmitted by a mosquito species abundant in Southwest Florida, Culex quinquefasciatus. He said the cases reported so far in Florida have been travel-related and not transmitted in the state.
That could change, though, which is why he said CMCD is working quickly on a program to control them.
In a follow-up interview, CMCD Deputy Executive Director Keira Lucas said the organization is working with the Florida Health Department and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on the best approach to fighting the new threat, which is also known as Sloth Fever. She said most of the 86 travel-related cases discovered in Florida so far have come in from Cuba.
Lucas said the species of biting midges/no-
Selfon, a former city Planning Advisory Board member, is a real estate developer who helped New York City build One World Trade Center after 9/11. He won Naples’ prestigious Sam Noe Award in 2020 for exemplary service.
see-ums that spreads the virus is common in hardwood forests and there is “no evidence that really shows that the biting midges that come from our salt marshes — the ones that we’re most used to when we’re at the beach — can spread Oropouche.
“What we do know is that that we do have those [hardwood forest biting midges] here in Collier County, but not in as high abundance as the saltmarsh biting midges.”
She said while no cases of Oropouche fever have been reported in Collier County, CMCD has a disease response plan in place with the state health and agriculture departments and also with the local health department.
“If the health department does alert us that there is a [local] case, we’re able to respond immediately, whether it be trapping or reducing the population of biting midges in the area,” Lucas said.
concession stand over water, so the new design moves it near the entry.
In late July, Council asked for more design changes, causing a further delay. Demolition and construction is expected to take 18 months and start in spring, once all approvals are in place. The city can’t start razing the pier without jeopardizing FEMA funding because demolition represents the largest part of the reim bursement, $7 million to $14 million.
More than 1 million visitors visit the iconic landmark yearly to watch sunsets and wildlife, fish, socialize, exercise and eat. Built in 1888 for people traveling by boat to Naples, the pier has been rebuilt six times after hurricanes, including after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
In addition to Turrell Hall & Associates,
“That’s critical,” Boodheshwar said. “We’re moving the ball, we’re getting close and it’s tak ing a lot of effort to get us there. Mr. Selfon has really helped us with that.”
A concession stand was added in 1946, and in recent years, Cosmos at the Pier generated about $100,000 yearly for the city, selling piz za, hot dogs, food, beverages and tourist and fishing necessities. But the Army Corps of En gineers has prohibited Naples from adding a
Council member Ray Christman said he wanted the public to understand the city worked hard to find funding and only $11 million in city money will be used; that is from an already approved bond issue. He noted state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo helped secure a $5 million state grant; the county Tourist Development Council approved $2.2 million in tourist development tax money; and the city will receive $1.4 million in donations from visitors and residents through the Community Foun dation of Collier County—an amount that con
PROCEEDS BENEFIT
The Shelter for Abused Women & Children
For more information, contact Susan Utz sutz@naplesshelter.org • 239.775.3862 naplesshelter.org
To donate to help rebuild Naples Pier, go to: bit.ly/donatetonaplespier
helped pass the Violence Against Women Act.
Denise Brown is the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife of O.J. Simpson who was acquitted of her murder in 1994. Denise and her sisters were recently featured in a Lifetime docuseries, The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. In the three decades since her sister’s murder, Denise has advocated for victims of domestic violence and
The Collier County Mosquito Control District’s newest gadget: a drone used for both inspection and treatment of hard-to-reach areas. Photo by Liz Gorman
From page 3A
dreds of employees nonprofits could not afford. Our community thrives on this generosity, and without it, essential services would undoubtedly suffer,” Connolly-Keesler said.
A volunteer’s story Naples resident Paul Doppelt retired 20 years ago from a successful career. Soon after, he and his wife questioned what they would do with their time and their means “to make the world a little better place.” They decided to give back to the community and began volunteering.
At one point, Doppelt made acquaintance with Gavin at Freedom Waters, which works with veterans, foster children and at-risk kids. After Gavin began a position with RSVP, Doppelt followed her and discovered other volunteer opportunities, such as Project Build, whose goal is breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness for teens in foster care.
“We started a construction school at Project Build about a year and a half ago, teaching foster kids how to become carpenters, farmers and drone pilots so they can make a living when they age out of the foster care system. Habitat is a partner, and kids filter through, and from there, they get jobs working as carpenters on Saturdays,” he said. The school helps them in other ways, as well, with its financial literacy courses, Doppelt said.
“My volunteer work is very fulfilling,” he declared. He has poured as much time into it as many spend employed, he conceded, but added that’s not a requirement.
“Everyone can make a difference, and you don’t have to give all your
time. There are so many worthwhile organizations around us in which we can have a lasting impact and help people who can use the help.
Meals of Hope is another volunteer opportunity we are fond of, as well as a storm preparation program for homeowners. Everyone knows each other at RSVP, and spreading the word is a joy.”
RSVP measurably affects us
Thousands of senior volunteer hours have been logged since the RSVP, which boasts 118 members, was founded. Over the past two years, RSVP volunteers added 12,800 hours of service, totaling $153,600 saved in the community, Gavin reported.
“Opportunities include mentoring children, helping with food distribu-
tion, becoming a senior companion to someone in need, engaging in the arts and more. There are no regular meetings, and we e-mail member volunteers about volunteer opportunities and special events.” Gavin said.
“If a senior is already volunteering with a partner organization but not an RSVP member, they should sign up with RSVP,” she said. An RSVP membership will afford them additional liability insurance coverage while they’re actively volunteering, and enable them to participate in RSVP experiences such as special tours and lunches, become a part of the Collier County volunteer community and meet new people, Gavin added.
Informational meetings are held periodically for aspiring volunteers
or those currently volunteering in Collier County, and the next one is Oct. 18 (see information box).
RSVP benefit: Bone Builders classes
Another RSVP component is the Bone Builders program, which relies upon volunteer trainers who help members protect against fractures caused by osteoporosis. The classes help increase muscular strength, balance and bone density through weight training and balance exercises.
Volunteer lead instructor and trainer Dawn Agnoli, who worked as an occupational therapist, has trained 40 teachers. She started her volunteer work with RSVP in 2020 and spearheaded the startup of classes after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mobility is crucial to activities of daily living. We work to strengthen, improve and prevent injury. Increasing bone density is hard, but weight-bearing exercises are the key. There is also an important social component to the program, as well. I have osteoporosis, so I can connect with the class members and their issues with the condition,” Agnoli said.
About a dozen classes, with some 300 members attending, are held throughout Collier County in public areas and gated communities.
Agnoli was awarded the RSVP Volunteer of the Year 2024.
“My volunteerism has allowed me to enjoy the smiles and see the members’ improvements after every class; it is deeply gratifying,” she said.
“There is also a strong social component that is valuable to the members. After I lost my husband in December, I continued to teach, and the support I have received from the groups is wonderful.”
What: AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) information meeting
Who: Guest speaker Eileen Connolly-Keesler, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Collier County When: 11 a.m. Oct. 18
How to volunteer: Seniors 55 and over (new or current volunteers) can apply at collierrsvp. com or contact Meredith Gavin at 239.252.5713 or meredith. gavin@colliercountyfl.gov
What: Bone Builders program of RSVP of Collier County (open classes) When: • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday at Naples Park Area Association, Veterans Community Park, North Collier Regional Park • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at Vineyards Community Park • 9:15-10:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and 9:15-10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday (Bone Builders +) at East Naples Community Park • 9-10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday at Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church
What: Bone Builders program of RSVP of Collier County (classes held through Homeowner Associations for residents) Where: Village Walk, Island Walk, Bay Forest, Crown Point, Delasol, Greenwood Village at Kings Lake Cost: Free; requires clearance from a medical professional and a signed consent form Contact: Meredith Gavin at 239.252.5713 or meredith. gavin@colliercountyfl.gov or Dawn Agnoli at 239.778.4564
BACKYARD BASH BACKYARD BASH
Dawn Agnoli leads a Bone Builders exercise class in Naples Park. Agnoli volunteers to teach classes several days a week at various locations in Naples. Photo by Liz Gorman
Come see everything new at YOUR ZOO! Pass through our new, streamlined entrance and visitor complex, and you’ll be welcomed by a flock of flamingos! Stroll along the newly constructed Alligator Bay Boardwalk, then explore the South American Trail, which showcases new species such as tapirs, toucans, and capybaras!
If you haven’t met our family of orangutans yet, you won’t want to miss them. After your adventure, our new, more spacious gift shop allows you to find the perfect way to remember your day!
Police National Night Out brought together Naples Police and community members Oct. 1 at River Park Community Center.
Photography by Liz Gorman
The Bohorquez family stops by National Night Out to play games.
Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar tosses a beanbag during cornhole competition with Naples officers.
The
FLUORIDE SUPPORTERS PLAN TO ADDRESS NAPLES CITY COUNCIL
By Aisling Swift
After a federal ruling questioning the safety of fluoridation, the nation’s top dental and medical groups continue to support its use, and local dentists and a national advocate plan to urge Naples City Council not to suspend fluoridation.
Dentists pointed out the studies the federal judge considered were not conducted in the U.S., but 10 countries, including Mexico and Canada. They also noted that the judge didn’t order a stop to fluoridation, but ruled the Environmental Protection Agency must reconsider the regulations in light of evidence that showed excessive fluoride could reduce children’s IQs by four points or more.
“The dose is the poison, as with anything we can consume in our daily lives,” said Dr. Alexis Diaczynsky, past president of the Collier County Dental Association. “The studies that you are hearing about children with lower IQ scores were performed in areas with fluoride levels higher than the recommended level at 0.7 mg/L.”
Although some city council members said children and adults can go to a dentist for voluntary fluoride treatment, Diaczynsky said not everyone can afford dental treat-
From page 1A
ward Chen in San Francisco said his decision “does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” but there was now enough evidence of its potential risk, pointing to a National Institutes of Health’s toxicology program that concluded “higher levels” of fluoride reduced the IQs of children. Chen ordered the EPA to strengthen the Toxic Substances Control Act regulations to address health risks.
After the ruling, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and others issued statements that maintain that fluoride is needed at optimal levels.
Fluoridation has been controversial for more than a decade.
Food & Water Watch, Fluoride Action Network and other groups filed the federal lawsuit after the EPA denied their 2016 petition asking it to address health risks. They sued the next year, going through years of litigation and a trial that took weeks.
Spurred by the decision, speakers told council fluoridation low-
ment or to buy needed hygiene supplies.
“Community water fluoridation is their only hope for a healthy smile and fewer cavities,” she said. “There aren’t enough dentists in our community that treat the underserved or accept Medicaid insurance.
For those individuals who don’t want fluoride in their water, they can simply install a reverse-osmosis water-filtration system in their homes. They can afford it.”
Nationwide, 209.2 million people, 72.7% of the country, are getting fluoridated water, while 122 million are not, according to the American Fluoridation Society, which said fluoridation saves $32 in dental treatment for every $1 invested in fluoridation.
The federal ruling out of San Francisco came after anti-fluoride groups filed a petition in 2016 with the EPA, asking it to address fluoride’s health risks under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA denied the petition, so they filed a federal lawsuit, Food & Water Watch vs U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and it went to trial.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen found there was now enough evidence of fluoride’s potential risk, including a reduction of more than four IQ points to children. He ordered the EPA to strengthen regulations to address those risks, but noted his decision “does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated wa-
ers children’s IQs, it’s a forced medical treatment that violates Florida’s Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities statute and it violates the public’s right to consent if people are unaware they’re drinking fluoridated water.
“Without gaining informed consent, we risk engaging in practices that can lead to harm, no matter how well-intentioned they may seem,” Dr. George Yiachos, a Naples cardiologist, told council. “…
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in the world. Does that mean that we should start adding statins, blood thinners and blood pressure medications to the water? I trust that most of you recognize how absurd and dangerous that would be.
“We must apply the same reasoning to fluoride in the water,” he added. “Placing any medication, including fluoride, into the public water supply without considering individual health factors, genetics, nutritional status and overall wellbeing is reckless. It disregards the idea of personal choice and leads to unintended, potentially harmful consequences.”
Retired obstetrician Dr. Richard Schroeder cited the vulnerability of pregnant women and bottle-fed babies to fluoride’s potential neurotoxic effects.
ter is injurious to public health.”
Immediately after the ruling, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and others issued statements that maintain fluoride is needed at optimal levels.
“The ADA continues to endorse fluoridation of community water as a necessary way to prevent tooth decay and promote oral health,” the ADA wrote in its statement, noting the Centers for Disease Control named fluoridation one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Dentists contend the case’s evidence was flawed and involved fluoride levels far higher than those in the U.S. In August, the federal Department of Health and Human Service’s National Toxicology Program released “Monograph on the State of Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Cognition,” which found drinking water at more than twice the recommended fluoridation limit is “consistently associated” with lowered IQs in children.
Dentists said municipalities that halt the practice are bending to political pressure, not medical or scientific evidence based in the U.S.
Dr. Johnny Johnson, a north Florida retired pediatric dentist who founded the American Fluoridation Society, plans to
Mary Bohemier, who operates greenmedinfo.com with her husband Joel, cited 248 studies from the National Library of Medicine, peer-reviewed journal articles about the “devastating effects and the negative impacts of fluoride on the human body,” while Scott and Jill Kiley, members of nonprofit Stand for Health Freedom, cited the years of evidence the judge considered.
“This policy was supposed to be about teeth and teeth alone,” Jill Kiley said. “Neurotoxicity and harming our bodies was not part of that bargain.”
But during discussion, Councilman Ray Christman said they’d only heard from one side that presented “an awful lot of misinformation and inaccurate facts” and residents haven’t weighed in on whether it’s important to them.
Council needs a “balanced, insightful, fair discussion,” he said, and to reach out to experts, including the EPA, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and university health experts to consider “peer-reviewed, reputable medical and research studies.”
“It’s going to take an enormous amount of time and work, probably over multiple meetings, to do
speak to the council. He spoke before the Board of County Commissioners in 2016 and this February, when it halted the practice. The evidence the judge considered is erroneous, he said, and doesn’t involve U.S. levels.
“Fluoride is the only thing that’s going to stop cavities on a day-to-day basis, in addition to fluoridated water,” Johnson said.
“When you use fluoridated toothpaste in an area, you’ll get about a 25% drop in cavities, so one does not replace the other. They’re additive.
“When airbags came out, we didn’t stop wearing seatbelts,” he explained. “It’s exactly the same thing. … Fluoride is a micronutrient that’s needed for optimal dental health.”
Johnson said he was a pediatric dentist in Pinellas County, serving upper middleto upper-class families, but 25% of his daily practice involved cavities, fillings and crowns due to decay.
“The literature presented to him is not good science,” he said of the judge, noting it didn’t involve studies of pregnant mothers, while Mexico adds fluoride to salt, not water.
“They didn’t measure their intakes.” He added: “It’s all just the same old, same old — junk that we’ve debunked over and over again.”
this in a proper and appropriate way,” he added.
Councilwoman Beth Petrunoff, who spoke with several experts, wasn’t interested in rehashing fluoridation, noting it’s also important for aging adults, who are losing minerals in their teeth. Cities run into trouble when they vary the rates of fluoride, she said, but Naples does not.
Mayor Teresa Heitmann, who wanted fluoride removed in 2011, said research often turns out to be inaccurate.
“I think it’s worth the discussion because I don’t understand, why are we doing this?” Heitmann asked.
Councilman Berne Barton called it forced consent. “The question is: Why, as a municipality, are we making that decision for our residents?” Barton asked.
“The treatment is readily available. If somebody wants to take their child to their dentist and say, ‘Treat my child with fluoride,’ they can do that. They don’t need us, the municipality, to put fluoride in their water to treat them with fluoride.”
Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison said the council should be a good community steward.
“We’re at the cusp of science, a
change in science,” he said, noting fluoride occurs naturally at .05%, but this is 0.7%, so he suggested pausing fluoridation until the EPA takes action.
Councilman Bill Kramer, who studied health and microbiology in college, said he was asked about fluoride while campaigning and told residents Naples would never change. But he’s since changed his stance, noting fluoridation targets underserved populations. “It doesn’t make sense in Naples,” Kramer added.
Christman, who admitted his stance could be wrong, called it “appalling” to consider suspending it without any real public discussion, while Councilwoman Linda Penniman said she hadn’t heard enough from both sides.
The city attorney said the state doesn’t mandate adding fluoride, but the code says it’s up to the city manager, so he suggested removing that part of the code. Council should have a first and second reading of the ordinance to remove that during public hearings, he advised, and at the second reading, it could suspend fluoridation.
After much discussion, council agreed to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance and to hold two public hearings.
ment is not planned at that location.
“The idea is commercial leases. We’re going to use commercial, but we haven’t even tried to talk to tenants,” he said.
The site development plan is not finalized, so the developers do not have concrete plans for the future of that site, he said.
Commercial uses for a potential 45,000-square-foot retail center include general convenience commercial, including office and retail uses such as eating places that would not draw a great deal of traffic to the area, Saadeh said. The project is expected to be fully constructed and occupied within a few years.
The undeveloped property was acquired in early 2020 by Naples-based GM Advisors LLC. Saadeh, who has the controlling 51% interest of GM Advisors, is best known as the developer of the Vineyards community. Chami, the owner of Town Market on Preserve Lane across from Gulf Coast High School, has the remaining 49% of the corporation named from the combined initials of each of their first names.
“I’ve been a full-time resident of Collier County for 38 years and, as most of you know, I’ve been involved with quality developments throughout that time,” Saadeh said during a public hearing for the property this spring during a Collier County Commission meeting.
Two contiguous parcels fronting Immokalee Road and an additional parcel that extends to 24th Avenue Northeast were recently cleared on the western side of the canal across from North Collier Fire District Station 10. The property includes a county-owned 3-acre drainage area for Immokalee Road runoff. The developer and the county agreed to swap the county drainage lot with a 5-acre parcel that the developer owned along the canal at 24th Avenue. The new larger county lot along the canal allows for a wet retention area with an outfall discharge into the canal.
“The work that’s being done now is all just for the water retention, nothing else,” Saadeh said.
New development
Q: What’s the development that’s trying to be built between LaMorada and Ventana Pointe on Immokalee? Who’s the builder? —Chris Nicholas, Naples
A: Texas-based JLM Living plans to build a 305-unit multifamily community on more than 37 acres on the south side of Immokalee Road, just east of Woodcrest Drive.
The project, which includes 92 apartment units for workforce housing, was approved in September by the Collier County Commission. The horizontal single-family rental units will be attached and detached. About 10% of them will be duplexes.
JLM Living LLC, which builds, owns and operates developments, was established in 2021 by private investment firm JLM to address the lack of
affordable housing. Naples land-use attorney Rich Yovanovich told commissioners that 30% of the homes will be income-restricted, with 46 renting for below 80% of the county’s area median income and 46 below 100%. Collier’s area median income is $104,300, so the apartments would rent for $1,958 for a one-bedroom to $2,713 for a three-bedroom at 100%, and $1,462 to $1,878 at 80%. The smallest rental will be 650 square feet.
After feedback from neighborhood information meetings, JLM increased buffers on both sides of the proposed community. It plans to build only one-story homes on the west side of the project near LaMorada homes, and to extend an existing preserve on the east side near Ventana Pointe.
School zone
As tilt-wall construction has Bear Creek Elementary School quickly taking shape at Immokalee Road and Moulder Drive, a charter school nearby on Immokalee Road has some construction projects of its own in the pipeline.
Naples Classical Academy is seeking permission to amend its campus site development plan to add a gymnasium on the western end of its existing school building at 10270 Immokalee Road. The future expansion was planned when the charter school was built in 2021.
In an unrelated application regarding a vacant outparcel lot in front of the school, Creative World School at Naples Classical Academy has requested a site development plan amendment for a proposed daycare center. The 10,258-square-foot daycare with 22 employees is proposed to serve 200 children, county records show.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.
From page 1A
protection, reduce beach erosion, safeguard environmental species and remove unsightly stormwater-outfall pipes from beaches — replacing them with an underground system that discharges treated stormwater miles away from the shore into the Gulf.
A stormwater-treatment train involves a series of processes that reduce bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorous levels, and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff to prevent them from entering the receiving water. The city has stepped up street cleaning to reduce pollutants entering storm drains and sewers and has been monitoring its outfall pipes.
City officials say the project also will bolster the city’s resiliency to climate change and protect the coastal ecosystem.
Costs escalated over 14 years, after the state Department of Environmental Protection directed the city to remove eight outfall pipes from beaches. The city received $15 million from the state and spent $11.5 million, but costs escalated from the initial $32 million estimate — mostly due to post-pandemic-related cost increases. This year, the state awarded the city an additional $25 million.
Just before Hurricane Helene hit, one outfall pipe broke off, according to Mayor Teresa Heitmann, who said the area surrounding the project experiences the heaviest flooding.
During the event, city officials will recognize the efforts and support of project partners, stakeholders and the community. Heitmann, Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and City Manager Jay Boodheshwar will speak, and Public Works Director Bob Middleton will provide a project overview.
For more information and to sign up for project updates, visit naplesgov.com and select “subscribe.”
& LEISURE
in
and Tequila Cantinas throughout Naples.
Photo by Liz Gorman
CALENDAR
Ongoing events
‘A Few Good Men’ on Marco
7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. Oct. 12 and 13 at Marco Island Center for the Arts’ Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd. No. 432, Marco Island. Fort Myers-based 7Mary34
Productions brings Aaron Sorkin’s riveting courtroom drama A Few Good Men back to the stage where it began, with two soldiers facing trial for the death of a fellow soldier and the cover-up that is protecting the higher-ups involved. The story gets emotional intimacy in the live production. $40. marcoislandart. org/arts-center-theatre or 239.784.1186
Simon’s ‘Rumors’ at Sugden
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 20 at Kizzie Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Neil Simon wrote only one farce, Rumors, but he gave it every ounce of zaniness he owned. The Naples Players production has fun with characters who pop up and disappear, get involved in elaborate lies and try to explain that pesky sound of gunfire to police. $50-$55. naplesplayers. org or 239.263.7990
Ocean art exhibition
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays through Oct. 31 at Rookery Bay Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. Curated for the United Nations Ocean Decade, this richly colorful contemporary photography exhibition demonstrates the significance of the ocean in our everyday lives and how we, in turn, influence it. rookerybay.org or 239.530.5972
Shroud of Turin sculpture at Ave Maria
On exhibition indefinitely at Canizaro Exhibit Library, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria. “The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed” is an exhibition following 40 years of study and research by Gilbert Lavoie, M.D., an author and medical doctor. It includes descriptive panels, a sculpture of the shroud commissioned by Lavoie and a 14-foot shroud replica for visitors to view. The exhibition also includes detailed photos of the shroud by photographer Vernon Miller. Free. 239.280.2500
‘Timeless!’ women’s art on Marco Island
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays through Nov. 25 at Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island.
“Timeless” — the National Association of Women Artists Florida Chapter exhibition. In La Petite Galerie: Mai Yap (through Oct. 29) and Lynn Nathanson (Nov. 4-Dec. 3) Reception 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 12. marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
‘Twenty-five Years of Our Collections’ continues 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 17 at Naples Art Institute, 5858 Park St., Naples. Naples has been home — or winter home — to amazing talent. Renowned contemporary artists including James Rosenquist; national and regional notables such as Elsie Dorey Upham; and selftaught artists and former students have contributed to the collection in Naples Art Institute over the years. Recent additions include photographs by Suzanne Camp
SOMEBODY WAS SHOT? IT’S JUST ‘RUMORS’
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 20 at the Kizzie inside Sugden Theater, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. The Naples Players production has fun with characters who get involved in elaborate lies trying to explain that pesky sound of gunfire to police after the host of a high-profile dinner and his wife both disappear — but we don’t want that on the crime blotter, do we? Neil Simon’s wrote only one farce, Rumors , but he gave it every ounce of zaniness he owned. It’s the second production at the newly remodeled mainstage theater, now with a balcony. $50-$55. naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
Crosby and paintings by Reisha Perlmutter and Carmelo Blandino. A survey of just some of that collection is on display. $15, $10 members. Call for information on docent tours. naplesart.org or 239.262.6517
Ran Adler Art in the Garden Regular garden hours through Oct. 27 in Kapnick Hall and the Fogg Cafe at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples. “Internalizing the External: A New Perspective on Nature” brings the art of Ran Adler to the Naples Botanical Garden. Garden admission $25 adults, $10 ages 4-17; summer discount for Collier, Lee and Charlotte county residents, $10 adults, $5 ages 4-17. naplesgarden. org or 239.643.7275
Baker Museum: contemporary art, photos 10 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays at The Baker Museum, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. “As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic” photography from the Wedge Collection, and through Jan. 5, “Becky Suss: The Dutch House,” new paintings inspired by American author Ann Patchett’s 2019 novel, The Dutch House. Artist’s talk noon Oct. 19; $30. $10; full-time student or active military (with I.D.), $5; SNAP benefits (with SNAP EBT card), $1; ages 17 and younger, free. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Paul Arsenault’s South Florida reflections
9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays now through Feb. 15 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Artist reception 4-6 p.m. Oct. 17.
Name a landmark — in fact, name a secret spot — in Collier County and Paul Arsenault has been there, and with his paintbrushes, creating his own appreciative vision of them.
“Reflections of South Florida: A 50-Year Art Adventure” is a retrospective of some of those places,
beginning with Marco Island, where he helped inspire the building of the museum that stands there today. Free. themihs.info/museum or 239.389.6447
This weekend (Oct. 11, 12, 13)
A morning with the birds
8-11 a.m. Oct. 11 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. Birding with biologists. $30. rookerybay.org or 239.530.5972
Pepper Ranch
Sunflower Viewing
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 11-13 at Pepper Ranch Preserve, 6316 Pepper Road, Immokalee. The annual Pepper Ranch Preserve Southeastern Sunflower Viewing offers a profusion of native sunflowers and photo ops to viewers who drive through any time during those dates, no reservation needed. The weekend views Oct. 12 and 13 require timed registration and are usually sold out long before their dates; check on the website. conservationcollier.com
‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’
7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12, 3 p.m. Oct. 13 at Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. The Studio Players production posits the question: What do you do when the cellphone next to you starts ringing—but its owner has collapsed and died? This slightly dark Sarah Ruhl comedy spins what-ifs for the museum underling who picks up that phone into an intriguing mix-up with the black market, a turbulent free-fall into a dysfunctional family and, strangely, romance. $37.75 ($35 phone orders). thestudioplayers.org or 239.398.9192
Adventures in Antiquity Family Day
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Collier Museum at Government
Leher presenting the pros and cons of this decision-making institution that has been so critical, and so embattled, over the last several elections. $39.95 includes buffet dinner, gratuity, presentation and discussion. Reservations online. centerforcriticalthinking.com
Jazz with trombonist John Allred 6 and 8:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Daniels Pavilion of Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. All That Jazz with the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra features trombonist John Allred, lead trombonist for Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd and for Harry Connick Jr.’s orchestra. $54. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Center, 3331 Tamiami Trail E., Naples. Ancient civilizations come to life with this family-friendly look at eons past with exhibits and games. After you marvel over the mysteries of mummies, see how fast you can “mummy the dummy.” Build a toothpick-and-marshmallow pyramid; learn the Mesopotamian (cuneiform) way of writing your name in clay; or try your hand at jousting. Free. Especially suited for ages 5-12. colliermuseums.com or 239.252.8476
Dias de los Muertos Family Fun Day
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Part of the “Honrando Nuestra Historia” series, this family-friendly event will talk about the importance of los Dias de los Muertos and how they differ from Halloween. There are crafts with calaveras (skull decorations) and ofrendas (altars). Bilingual instructions will be available. colliermuseums.com or 239.252.1440
Next week (Oct. 14-17)
Onslow and Ferrenc
3 p.m. October 15 and 20 in the Daniels Pavilion of Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Musicians of the Naples Philharmonic perform George Onslow’s Woodwind Quintet, Op. 81 and Louise Ferrenc’s Piano Quintet No. 1, gems from two composers who were forgotten after their time until late last century. $49. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
‘Electoral College — Obsolete or Absolutely Necessary?’
6-8 p.m. Oct. 15 at The Village Spot, 3150 Village Walk, Naples. The Center for Critical Thinking, which discusses potent issues of the day, begins its season with Carole C.
Sunset to supermoon tour 6:30-9 p.m. Oct.17 at Audubon’s Blair Visitor Center, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples. Join the staff on the boardwalk as dusk turns to night during a supermoon. There are family activities: 6:30-7:30 p.m., touch table on nocturnal animals; 7:30-8 p.m., children’s story time about nighttime animals; 7:30-9 p.m., outdoor moth station; 8-9 p.m., children’s nighttime sound identification activity and miniboardwalk tour. Spotting scopes will be in the wet prairie for wildlife and night sky viewing. $8 adult, $3 children, free for Corkscrew members and ages 5 and younger. Say “moonlight” and get a 10% discount at the Nature Store on T-shirts. Register online. corkscrew. audubon.org/events or 239.348.9151
Naples Philharmonic & Brass Transit
7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Brass Transit: The Musical Legacy of Chicago brings the music of that legendary band to the Naples Philharmonic, Alvin Ho conducting. On the set list are such favorites as “Colour My World,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and more. $59-$99. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Next weekend (Oct. 18, 19, 20)
Golf and good times for the arts
2-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Marco Island Golf and Garden, 971 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. It’s an afternoon of miniature golf, entertainment and community spirit at the Marco Island Golf and Garden to raise funds for the Marco Island Center for the Arts and the Arts Center Theatre. You need not be a golfer; if your skills aren’t so great with a 9-iron, you still may have the eye to get that ball through the mazes on the course. Afterward, at the Marco Island Center for the Arts, there are games, art activities, wine and lemonade, music by Joe Byrne, prizes, a raffle and more. Adults $25, ages under 12 $15. Tickets, hole sponsorship or information at marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
Fall butterfly count
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Audubon’s Blair Visitor Center, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is seeking participation in the Fall North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly
Lenny (Peter Caporal) and Claire Ganz (Shelley Gothard) are finding they’re at a dinner party with no food, a wrecked car and a host who has disappeared in The Naples Players’ Rumors, through Oct. 20 Photo by Olga Hayes
FIND SOME LOCAL HALLOWEEN FUN
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
If you can’t wait to get into a Freddie Kreuger look and your kids insist on being witches and wizards — If the family rolls with a different tide, but doesn’t want to miss the fun of cosplay — Even if your mantra is simply that any excuse for a party is good one — then October is your month.
There’s a full calendar of Halloween and harvest festival events in Collier County, with fun for both children and adults. (Coming close behind is Los Dias de los Muertos Nov. 1 and 2, but those are an ethnic tradition that venerates the spirits of deceased family and ancestors with celebrations and rituals; its events are listed in the calendar, page 2B.)
Here are some October fun dates, with adult events identified with an asterisk. Note that some of these events require registration and often sell out, so early action is best.
Now through Oct. 20
Build A Frank — Kids
Cookie Decorating Class
2-4 p. m. Friday, Oct. 18 at The Naples Woman’s Club, 570 Park St., Naples. Your kids can join The Curated Sugar Co. team for a spooktacular afternoon at its Build A Frank kids cookie decorating class and come home with a monstrously sweet cookie artwork. $45. Reservations due no later than Oct. 13 at eventbrite.com
Halloween Dance Party
5-8 p.m. Oct. 18 at Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. The whole family will enjoy a wicked good time at the Halloween Costume/ Dance Party for children (K-5th). Light refreshments will be provided. The top three costumes win a prize. Pre-registration is required.
$7. 239.252.4180
Halloween Howl
6-8 p.m. Oct. 18 at East Naples Community Park, 3500 Thomasson Drive, Naples. Parents, drop off your children for a fun-filled night of tricks and treats. Pizza, spooky games, activities, costume contest and candy fun awaits. This event is a drop-off-only event for ages 5- 14. Pre-registration is required. $10. 239.252.4414
Haunted Candy House Creation
5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Vineyards Community Park, 6231 Arbor Blvd., Naples. Children will use an assortment of candy, frosting and cookies to design their own haunted candy house. Everything is included to make a yummy work of art. Pre-register by Oct. 18. $12. 239.252.4105
Retro Halloween Cookie Decorating Class
6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Naples Woman’s Club, 570 Park St., Naples. Join the class produced by the Curated Sugar Co. for a Retro Halloween cookie class. Expert
cookie artist Kandace Emory will guide you through every step to pipe and decorate six royal icing Halloween cookies. $60. Ages 12 and up. eventbrite.com
Family Day: Pioneer Pumpkin Palooza
10 a.m.-1p.m. Oct. 19 at Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, 1215 Roberts Ave., West Immokalee.RESERVATIONS
FULL. Pick your pumpkin and head to the decorating station to gussy up your gourd, then make a scarecrow and corn husk dolls. Free. Reservations at colliermuseums.com
Collier County Boo-Tacular 2024
6-9 p.m. Oct. 19 at North Collier Regional Park, 15000 Livingston Road, Naples. Pre-register online prior to 11:59 p.m. Oct. 18. Pick up wristbands at NCRP Exhibit Hall before the event. There will be a haunted trail, trick-or-treat lane, food trucks, DJ, bounce houses, games, crafts, caricature artist, photo booth, dunk tank and more.
Costume contests begin at 6:45 p.m. (Categories: 0-3, 4-7, 8-12, 1317, Group) $3 per person (pre-registered), $5 (walk-in day of event), children 3 and younger are free.
239.252.4000
Monster Masquerade*
8 p.m.-midnight Oct. 19 at Icon Rocklear, 3600 Westview Drive, Naples. Get ready for a spine-chilling evening of eerie elegance, with devilishly good food and drinks. Costumes required; come in your most creative one for a chance to win best costume prizes. $125. Reservations at eventbrite.com
Oct. 21-27
Halloween Shop ‘n’ Crawl
4:30-7 p.m. Oct. 24 beginning at Smilin’ Dog Bakery and continuing through the shops of Liberty Plaza, 4947-4951 U.S. 41 N., Naples. This event is filled with treats and tricks for everyone, pets included. Wear your own costume and dress up your pet to enjoy vendor booths with giveaways, shops with treats for the little ones, discount cou-
pons for shopping, prizes for the best child and pet costumes and pet trick or treating. Free but registration required at halloweenshopncrawl.eventbrite.com
Purradise Gardens
Halloween Open House
5-9 p.m. Oct. 25 at Purradise Gardens, 921 No Name Lane, Naples (first left off Rock Road). It’s the second annual food-raiser for kitties at this cat sanctuary, and the event includes food trucks and a bar, a kids’ corn maze, games, prizes and trick or treating. The Haunted Scare Trail opens at dark — if you dare. Admission is a bag of cat food for the resident felines.
Family Halloween Monster Bash
6-8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. This is a family-friendly event filled with music, egg hunts, games and treats. All guests must be in family-friendly costumes to attend, and don’t forget to bring your candy bag. $3. 239.252.4180
Ghoulden Gate Estates
Trunk or Treat
6-8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park, 810 39th Ave. NE, Naples. Enjoy Halloween festivities, including games, costume contests, prizes, bounce houses, food vendors and more. Wristbands will be distributed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 1417 at the Community Center. $5. 239.252.4900
Trunk or Treat Halloween Event
6-8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Immokalee Community Park, 321 N. First St., Immokalee. Trick or treating all in one place with music, face painting, games, costume and trunk contest. This is a free event for all ages. 239.252.4449 Fall Fest
1-4 p.m. Oct. 26 on the Great Lawn at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3920 City Gate Blvd. North, Naples. There are costume contests, trunk-or-treat, bounce houses, remote-controlled cars, face painting, live music from AVYA and more. There are costume parades by age group: 1:30 p.m. for ages 4 & under; 2:15 p.m. for ages 5-9; 3 p.m. for ages 10-12. Free admission and parking. Halloween Spooktacular
3-5 p.m. Oct. 26 in Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. Children, families and pets can dress in their spookiest or favorite character costumes to enjoy live music, children’s activities, face painting and more. After the Spooktacular event, stay for dinner and music during a special Evening on Fifth with a live entertainment lineup on Fifth Avenue South from 5-8 p.m.
Bayshore Arts District Trunk or Treat
4-6 p.m. Oct. 26 at 3750 Bayshore Drive, Naples. The second annual Trunk or Treat sponsored by Naples Outfitters is a chance for kids in costume to come get treats. Decorated trunks welcome as part of the fun. Bring your trunk full of candy or your costumed kids and enjoy it all. Get information or sign up to be a candy sponsor at 239.262.6149
Naples Paint Party — Halloween Pumpkin*
4-7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Bad Ass Coffee, 1307 Third St. S., Naples. The experts from Wine & Canvas guide you through the creation of your seasonal masterpiece as you sip and nosh from the coffee company’s menu selections (purchased separately). $39. eventbrite.com
Everglades Museum Trunk or Treat
5-7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Museum of the Everglades, 105 Broadway Ave. W., Everglades City. Make hissssssstory with Everglades City’s annual Halloween Trunkor-Treat celebration at McLeod Park across the street from the museum. Check out the current “Python Hunters” exhibit in the front, then wind your way through the main gallery to pick up treats
The Curated Sugar Co. is producing a Retro Halloween cookie class at Naples Woman's Club. See brief for details. Contributed
By Tim Aten
FOOD & FLAVOR
everything scratch to order,” Underwood said. “We're excited for what our new location will bring.”
The significant expansion of the kitchen area will allow Angelic Desserts to produce bread, pastries, desserts and other food items for area hotels and restaurants that have been requesting them for years. The kitchen expansion also gives expert baker Nikolic the opportunity to create additional sweet treats and savory items such as personal pizzas and European sandwiches and soups reminiscent of her native Serbia.
While cases in the artisan bakery feature scratch-made cakes, cupcakes, pastries, pies and tarts, the cafe’s menu offers many more sweet and savory items. Along with breakfast items, sandwiches, soups and salads, entrees include beef stroganoff and house-made chicken pot pies. Beverages include organic coffee and tea drinks, hot chocolate, frozen lemonade and smoothies.
“As for the menu, we've added quite a bit — including specialty omelets, waffles, multiple salads, an authentic Balkan hamburger and five different personal pizzas," Under-
See ANGELIC, Page 8B
FOOD & FLAVOR
RESTAURANTS
INDUSTRY STANDARD, BRAVA PIZZA LAUNCH IN BONITA SPRINGS
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
A new chef-driven dining venue
has transformed the former space of The Causeway, a short-lived food hall that closed this spring in Bonita Springs.
The Industry Standard Kitchen + Bar debuted in mid-September at 28280 Old 41 Road, just south of Bonita Beach Road. Replacing four food concepts under one roof, the new full-service restaurant and bar includes the BrAva Pizza ghost kitchen.
“We tried it out with The Causeway. It didn’t work out,” said co-founder Ken Delaney.
His business partners didn’t want to continue with another local hospitality venture, but Delaney didn’t want to let it go. He bought out his original partners to co-partner with Executive Chef Adam Nardis on the new venture. Three years ago, Nardis launched and continues to operate Coldwater Oyster Market & Bar in south Fort Myers, and he previously was executive chef at Sev-
enth South Craft Food + Drink and M Waterfront Grille in Naples.
“Thankfully, through friends of friends, I ended up meeting with Adam and he was willing to come in,”
Delaney said. “He said he was ready for a new project, and we were able to put this thing together in a pretty short order. It took us about three months.”
The new venture is still in the
Causeway Commerce Park—the former site of the longtime Causeway Lumber Co.—but The Causeway is no longer part of the restaurant’s name.
Nearly every table in the new restaurant has a view of the open kitchen, which features a chef’s bar at its perimeter.
“During season, we are going to have it reservation-only so you can
interact with the chef,” Delaney said.
“Chef Adam will be in the middle doing the expedite. We have other talented chefs who are working in the pasta and apps kitchen and the meats kitchen. We installed a woodfired grill. We set up a whole new pizza kitchen in the back.”
Delaney said the restaurant’s large kitchen is a laboratory for Nardis.
“Because of the way the kitchens are built in the back, we have tons of space,” he said. “This gives him a big area to be able to be creative.”
Similar to what drew him to Coldwater, Nardis feels that The Industry Standard is another casual concept with a unique quality to its space. He feels fortunate to have found another fun opportunity.
“Everything that’s in there right now is brand new,” Nardis said. “I built the kitchen how I wanted the kitchen built from an engineering standpoint. At this point in my career, it’s not all about cooking food. It is about building the business and engineering the business and setting it up to be successful, and that’s become a little bit more my game as I get into my late 30s here. I thought,
man, this is a great opportunity right here.”
It also was a chance for Nardis to reconnect with chefs he previously worked with. For instance, his chef de cuisine is Noel Willhite, the founding chef two years ago of Corner Spot Diner + Drink in Bonita Springs. “Noel and I go way back. He was my chef de cuisine at Crave Culinaire,” Nardis said.
Nothing is forced at the new restaurant, Nardis said. He plans to change the menu gradually as he feels inspired but does not feel compelled to do so seasonally or regularly.
“It kind of feels like it’s all coming full circle. It’s almost like the style of food I started doing,” he said. “We’re making all the bread from scratch. Not only are we churning all the butter, but we’re culturing all the cream for 48 hours so it’s a cultured butter, European style. The vibe I’ve been giving people is that Heinz ketchup is the only thing not made in house because I just haven't figured out how to make ketchup better than See STANDARD, Page 8B
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. MOVIES: Where was "The Lord of the Rings" filmed?
2. TELEVISION: What is the setting for the animated series "South Park"?
3. SCIENCE: What is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust?
4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president proclaimed June 14 to be Flag Day?
5. MATH: Which letter is contained in every odd number when it is spelled out?
6. GEOGRAPHY: Both the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn pass through which country?
7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of porcupines called?
8. MUSIC: Which British singer/songwriter helped create many songs on "The Lion King" soundtrack?
9. FAMOUS QUOTES: Who
the
(Narnia)
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
THE NAPLES PRESS CROSSWORD
90
wood said. “We plan to roll out more breakfast items soon such as crepes, pancakes and French toast, but with a little Euro twist.”
Always a local spot for gluten-free and vegan baked goods, Angelic Dessert plans to add more sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan items, and possibly even wine tastings. “We're also waiting on our wine license,” Underwood said. “We’re excited to offer a few lesser-known selections, as well as some of the more popular wines.”
Its new corner end unit also provides more visibility with a tower feature that enables signage on two sides. Upon entering, one of the first things patrons see on the opposite wall are a huge pair of angel wings — a symbol for Angela, the owners’ daughter and cafe namesake, who died of cystic fibrosis at the age of 17 shortly before their first shop opened. Not only are angel wings part of the venue’s logo and décor, but the sale of special heart-shaped Angela’s cookies benefits and raises awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a national nonprofit organization established to find a cure for the genetic lung disorder.
The grand opening celebration for the new Angelic Desserts will be
From page 5B
Heinz. If we can do it in house, we’re doing it in house.”
Thought, passion and inspiration are behind every dish curated and created for the menu.
“I have a dish on the menu now called Grouper Taino. The Taíno people were the original indigenous people of the Caribbean,” said Nardis, noting that the native tribes merged with African slaves brought by Christopher Columbus to combine cultures. “That’s where jerk cooking came from. So, I wanted to do kind of like a jerk grouper, some sort of Caribbean fish. Before I even do that, I have to spend an hour researching the history of jerk cooking. I want to pay that respect to the people and where it came from and the people who came before me, and really give it its due.”
The Gulf grouper is prepared with house jerk spice and served with a red bean and rice croquette, papaya and shishito salsina and a smoked lime mojo emulsion. Other entrees include Australian Wagyu short ribs, diver scallops, wood-grilled filet mignon, tagliatelle and hickory-grilled lamb meatloaf. Starters include king crab bisque, local snapper crudo, focaccia and red shrimp and grits.
The chef’s wife, Erin, has been a key part of his success. Beyond raising four children together, they combine forces professionally. Erin Nardis has been an integral part in the last two restaurants, especially Coldwater, on a day to day. “I know that because I’m the chef I get a lot of the attention, but I honestly could not do it without Erin. She’s fantastic,” he said.
Delaney’s pre-pandemic software company that started there was called The Industry, which included shipping containers for conference rooms in the shared co-working space. One of the shipping containers became a beer tap wall. Although it's a full-service restaurant, the selfserve beer wall has 20 taps.
“We are taking it a step further with the education about which glass a beer is supposed to be drank out of,” Nardis said. “So, the first thing is pick your beer; the next thing is pick your glass.”
Delaney and Nardis wanted an approachable place, but they added some flair for an upscale restaurant, which still has a rustic dining area and lounge. Don’t expect white linen tablecloths, though.
“If you want to watch TV but also get a great meal, you’ve got that,” Delaney said. “You’ve got a lounge menu, which you have the choice of getting a smash burger and lobster roll and all that. Over in the dining area, we’re doing all the lobster crudo and the grouper and crabs and all the finer stuff. You still get your choice like you did with The Causeway, just in a different way.”
The pizza oven was moved to the back of the large kitchen for BrAva Pizza, which has New York-style pizzas available for takeout and delivery. The crew created and taste-tested different pizzas to formulate the menu lineup.
“We researched. We R-and-D'd the pizza for six weeks,” Nardis said.
“We made 75 pies — different sauces, different flours, different starters,
different fermentations, all kinds of things.”
This week starts “Pies After 9,” where the venue stays open until 11 p.m., serving pizza in the lounge area from BrAva starting at 9 p.m., when the main kitchen closes. Otherwise, The Industry Standard is open 4 to 10 p.m. daily.
The come-as-you-are casual venue has 160 seats inside and another 80 or so outside. Expect live music and a vibrant outdoor patio with a variety of seating options. “That garage door, that inside-outside bar, come Nov. 1 that will always be open,” Nardis said. Plans include the addition of sunshades, planter boxes and possibly a fire pit.
Meanwhile, Carl and Carol Smith, the former proprietors of The Causeway food hall and bar, are scouting out future restaurant possibilities in the area. “We're still looking. We just haven’t found the right opportunity yet,” Carol Smith said.
A business split closed The Causeway on May 23, less than six months after its Dec. 6 launch. The Smiths left with their four food concepts — Smithy’s Kitchen, Orzo Pizza & Pasta, Roast Sandwich Bar and Dessert Lab — that shared the common indoor-outdoor dining area.
The Industry Standard Kitchen + Bar launched in September near the Collier-Lee county line on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. The restaurant's executive chef is Adam Nardis, who formerly helmed the kitchens at Seventh South and M Waterfront Grille in Naples. Photo by Tim Aten
ABOVE: A Halloween themed sugar cookie from Angelic Bakery and Desserts in Naples. The bakery opened a new location this week, directly next to its former space.
TOP: A red velvet cupcake from Angelic Bakery.
Photos by Liz Gorman
DECEMBER 14th, 2024 ❘ 5 - 10 PM
SPORTS
FOR GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, WRITE THESE DOWN
Speaking of Sports
David Wasson
Some sports have rulebooks that are hundreds of pages (see the Rules of Golf, courtesy of the USGA and R&A) and some just have a couple of rules (soccer, for example), but all sports have clearly defined rules that govern play. All those rules can be dizzying to keep track of, both for players and spectators. But they’re there for a reason, so we don’t do what little kids do and just make up stuff as we go along.
And then there are the unwritten rules in sports. These don’t get written down (hence the term), but they sure do get enforced — not by referees and umpires, but by the players, coaches and teams themselves.
Why are these “rules” unwritten, you ask? Good question, and one to which your humble scribe doesn’t really know the answer.
But they exist. Oh, they exist — in all sports, at all levels.
Stuff like not running up the score in football. When you have a game comfortably in hand, thou shalt not pile on. Stuff like onside kicking or running fake punts with a big lead is an extra no-no. Why? Because karma has an awfully funny way of slapping back, and folks have long memories. Come to think of it, running up the score isn’t good in *any* sport, which is why you’ll see mindful coaches empty their benches (that’s how I got to play in high school!) once the game is decided one way or another.
Another football one that hits hard is not getting too grabby during big pile-ups. A player who might take an extra advantage by bending back a finger or, ahem, checking an
opponent for proper below-the-belt armor is strictly prohibited. Again, karma will get you in a big way — either on the next series or during the next game.
In baseball, it is gauche to swing at 3-0 pitches or steal bases when ahead by a large margin, again because running it up doesn’t really get you anywhere but in bad graces. I go back and forth on peacocking after home runs — you know, theatrically flipping one’s bat or admiring the majestic flight of the ball while in the batter’s box. The oldster in me says that earns the next pitch you see square in the small of your back, but kids these days (*shakes fist at the clouds*) seem to enjoy the showmanship of it all. Your mileage may vary.
For you golfers out there, whatever you do, DO NOT step in another player’s putting line on the green — that’ll get you a stern glare at the least. It used to be silence was the norm when it is another player’s turn to hit, but these days with the Bluetooth speakers jamming tunes in carts, it seems like some noise is OK.
Basketball has an unwritten rule I didn’t know until recently: Don’t go passing like crazy when you’re up big — especially to a teammate for a low-percentage shot like a three-pointer. That’s called a “grenade” in hoops circles, so if you dribble down the clock and don't find anyone open, take a tough shot yourself rather than pulling the pin and putting a teammate in position to dent his percentages.
In tennis, especially at the level where you call your own lines, for cripes’ sake don’t cheat. Beyond the obvious karma you’re bringing on yourself, calling a ball out that was in is a fantastic way to not find anyone to play with in the future.
In fact, taking undue advantage of any rules gaps is generally being a poor sport. This ain’t
NASCAR, where they *all* bend the intent of the rules and thus re-set a level playing field for yourself. Like your momma hopefully told you, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Also, and we addressed this just last week in this space, show some respect for the officials out there. Feel free to raise your hand if you’ve never ever screwed up while trying your best — and if your hand is raised, then go look in the mirror and observe the liar. Refs and umps are out there trying their best, so don’t
Game on!
Catch the live action of
WEEK 1 - Aug. 23
WEEK 2 - Aug. 30
North Fort Myers at Cape Coral 7 | 0
Barron Collier at Naples 7 | 58
WEEK 3 - Sept. 8 Fort Myers at Cypress Lake 55 | 28
