4A | 40 YEARS OF TRAVEL
Preferred Travel & Co. celebrates four decades of doing business in SW Florida
Tim Aten Knows
Tim Aten
Update on Costco, East Naples projects
Q: Any credibility to the “news” that the plans for a new Costco down on Collier Boulevard have fallen through? —Tim Hausler, Naples
A: No news may not be good news when it comes to the proposal to build a Costco Wholesale store in East Naples, but the inactivity doesn’t necessarily mean anything at this point.
Not much has changed since the site plan became public early this year for a 158,146-square-foot commercial building with fueling stations on the southeast corner of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard, immediately north of Physician Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard.
“Costco’s at step zero,” said Rick LoCastro, the Collier County commissioner for that district, but social media reports are unfounded that the national big-box membership retailer abandoned a proposal for a second store in the Naples area.
“There is so much misinformation out there about Costco,” LoCastro said. “There’s a lot of bad misinformation on social media by people who don’t know what’s going on.”
Costco corporate representatives met with county development staff in January about a proposed big-box warehouse store with gasoline pumps in the Hacienda Lakes master planned unit
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 11A
Refilling the sandbox
BARRIER TO PROGRESS
Park Shore Beach renourishment stalled by storms
By Aisling Swift
Trucks were to begin hauling about 160,000 tons of soft, white sand to Naples’ Park Shore Beach in November as part of the county’s beach renourishment program. But the same weather that made the project necessary has delayed it.
The latest blow came from Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9 and 10, which caused about 6 feet of storm surge in the city of Naples, with high tides pushing sand off beaches. It dumped 5 feet onto beach ends and left some roads covered in up to 4 feet of sand.
Due to the hurricanes that have sideswiped the area, Connie Deane, a county public information coordinator, said the Park Shore project “will probably start in December or January.” No date has been set, however.
The 1.25-mile beach, which extends from just north of Harbour Drive to Seagate Drive in the city of Naples, had been in need of renourishment from the effects of Hurricane Ian Sept. 28, 2022. Then it was hit by two passing hurricanes — Helene Sept. 26-27, two weeks before Milton — causing significant sand loss, said Park Shore Association President Michelle McLeod.
“It was already needed before that — and now it’s (the beach) lost even more,” she added.
Milton also pushed sand into a 2.7-acre private beachfront park accessible only to Park Shore residents and which their homeowner association maintains.
Park Shore was still working to recover from Hurricane Helene. “A tremendous amount of sand was driven by storm surge onto the park, in some areas as much as 2 feet deep,” McLeod said of the private park.
The county has a plan for the placement of the sand, McLeod said, adding, “I’m just not sure if it will be the solution to stop the sand from hammering the beach park after each hurricane.”
HIGH COSTS, LIMITED HOUSING THREATEN RETENTION OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES
By Melanie Pagan
Carin Keane
PUBLISHER
Heidi Rambo Centrella
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tim Aten
SENIOR EDITOR/COLUMNIST
Harriet Howard Heithaus SENIOR EDITOR
Therese McDevitt SENIOR EDITOR
Steve Gill COPY EDITOR
Liz Gorman STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Martin Albertus ART DIRECTOR
Kelly Farrell, John Guerra, Dayna Harpster, Randy Kambic, Jeff Lytle, Melanie Pagan, Aisling Swift, David Wasson, Bill Wasinger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
ADVERTISING: Mindy Roosa ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
CIRCULATION:
Kerri Nolan DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
SWFL INSIDER
Contractors, permits for residential repairs
ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER/ REPRINT SALES & DISTRIBUTION Jim Schwartzel PRESIDENT
Reader Services
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Residents are urged to use caution when hiring a contractor to perform work, only hiring a reputable, licensed contractor specific to the type of work needed. Licenses for work are specific, e.g., tile roofs and shingle roofs require different types of licenses. Residents are encouraged to contact Collier County Contractor Licensing at 239.252.2431 or visit colliercountyfl. gov before hiring a contractor to verify the company’s credentials. Emergency repair work to secure a building (enclosing doors, windows and roofs) does not require a permit currently; all other repair work is required to have a permit. Roof repairs may only be performed by a licensed roofing contractor. Collier County has emergency permitting available at the Growth Management Community Development Dept. Office, 2800 N. Horseshoe Drive, Naples; Heritage Bay Government Services Center, 15450 Collier Blvd., Naples; and at the Immokalee Permitting Office at 310 Alachua Street, Immokalee.
U-Haul disaster relief available at 172 centers
U-Haul is offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box portable container use across Florida as a result of hurricanes Milton and Helene. All 14 U-Haul companies with operations in Florida have made their 172 centers available to offer the disaster relief program. This allows every Floridian to access 30 days of free storage at any U-Haul center in the state to help during the clean-up process from the hurricanes. Participating centers in Southwest Florida are in Naples, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers and Port Charlotte.
$100K match for United Way Disaster Resiliency Fund
In response to Hurricane Milton, Ellen Vanderburg pledged to match donations of up to $100,000 to the United Way of Collier and the Keys Disaster Resiliency Fund. This fund ensures immediate relief and long-term support for the area’s most vulnerable residents in the wake of disaster.
SWFL restaurants serve more than 60,000 meals during Sizzle Dining event
Southwest Florida restaurants participating in Sizzle Dining’s event this fall sold a total of 62,529 meals, said Guy Clarke, organizer of the three-week event in September. The restaurants donate $1 from every meal sold for the dine-with-purpose fundraiser to the Southwest Florida chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, the charity chosen by Sizzle Dining. The average number of meals served by the 114 participating restaurants during the special prix-fixe promotion was nearly
550. The top three restaurants serving the most Sizzle Dining meals were the Snook Inn on Marco Island with 3,035 meals, The Bay House in North Naples with 2,262 meals and Warren Naples with 1,813 meals, Clarke said.
“It’s better than last year,” he said. “We beat the number, which shows the event can have this many restaurants and still grow, which is a good thing.”
Friends of the Library’s
Author Spotlight
The first of two scheduled lectures and book signings that serve as fundraisers by Friends of the Library of Collier County will feature Chanel Cleeton, whose most recent best-seller is the gothic mystery romance The House on Biscayne Bay. The lecture will take place at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Norris Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples, followed by the book signing. Purchase tickets at collier-friends.org; $49 for current members of the Friends of the Library of Collier County, $59 for nonmembers. All seating is general admission. If tickets sell out, a waiting list will be kept. For more information, email Marlene Haywood at mhaywood@collier-friends.org or call 239.262.8135.
Sails Restaurant brunch series benefits area youth
Sails Restaurant in downtown Naples is hosting two executive brunch events in November supporting Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples and Southwest Florida CEO. This ongoing series by Sails, 301 Fifth Ave. S., will support a different youth-based Naples charity each time. As a kick-off fundraiser to CMON's annual Night at the Museum, guests will en-
joy Sails’ champagne brunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, for $300 per person. The following week, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, guests at $250 per person will support scholarships and programs for the students of SWFL CEO, which helps create entrepreneurial opportunities for students. Sails’ champagne brunch is offered every weekend with seatings at 11:30 a.m. Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 239.360.2000.
Kendra Scott to host jewelry shopping event to support Naples Cancer Advisors Naples Cancer Advisors, a nonprofit providing consultative oncology services to cancer patients and their families, will partner with Kendra Scott at The Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay in the Shop for Good program, where 20% of all purchases made 4-6 p.m. Oct. 18 will benefit the organization. Founded in 2002, Kendra Scott is a designer’s boutique known for customizable jewelry in a range of colors. The retailer also offers men’s and women’s watches and gifts. With funding from The Cincinnati Cancer Foundation Inc., Naples Cancer Advisors provides consultative oncology services by appointment. These services include second opinions, care coordination, referrals, clinical trial navigation, financial navigation and precision oncology services, such as genetic testing and counseling for cancer patients throughout Southwest Florida.
Antonio Galloni to moderate vintage cellar event in advance of NWWF
The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, announced that influential wine critic Antonio Galloni will moderate The Vintage Cellar event Jan. 23, 2025, at Bleu Provence in Old Naples to kick off the 2025 Festival. Galloni is founder, CEO and lead critic for Vinous which is his vision of a modern wine publication. He covers the wines of Bordeaux, California, Italy and Champagne. As moderator for the exclusive, pre-festival wine tasting and luncheon, Galloni will team with featured sommeliers and the Burgundy-based owner and vintner of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Count Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. Guests will be able to participate in a vertical tasting (2017, 2018 and 2019) of each 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, enhancing appreciation for the unique and rare wines that will be tasted.
Chanel Cleeton
COLLIER NOW
CYBERSECURITY: SAFEGUARDS AGAINST SOPHISTICATED MODERN FRAUD
By Melanie Pagan
Not even a card swipe at a children’s merry-go-round is guaranteed to be secure these days.
“... It apparently had an attachment on it, because within 20 minutes, people were using her card,” said banking officer Kyle Perkins, assistant branch manager at Achieva Credit Union in Naples, recounting a story of how someone close to him fell victim to a scam.
Skimmers — devices used to collect information from credit or debit cards illegally — are often placed over legitimate card readers at locations such as ATMs, gas station pumps and, yes, even kids’ rides, to capture data stored on the magnetic strip of cards when swiped or inserted. The stolen information can then be used to make fraudulent purchases or create counterfeit cards.
And it’s just one of the many modern ways scammers are stealing sensitive details. People don’t even need to leave the house to fall victim to other tricks.
Phone calls, text messages, spam emails, social media groups, dating sites and cryptocurrency exchanges are some settings where swindlers can intercept information, said Stephanie Green, Fifth Third Bank South Florida Region president.
almost like no matter what mode or method of communication you use, you have
VETS GETTING A HOME IN COLLIER?
Veterans complex advocates, fingers crossed, look toward decision before December
By Aisling Swift
Collier County is steadily moving ahead with building a more than $122 million, 120-bed veterans home, day health care and outpatient rehabilitation facility — a double project that’s a first nationwide.
The new concept caused delays, but county officials expect to hear soon whether the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the nursing home on the former Golden Gate Golf Course property, which will require $72 million in FDVA funding for the skilled-nursing portion.
John Mullins, the county’s director of Communications & Government Affairs, told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 24 that uncertainty over whether the county needed two applications slowed its handling. The county initially submitted two and was later asked to merge them.
“This is a first-of-its-kind application ever in the nation,” Mullins said, referring to simultaneous construction of a veterans skilled-nursing facility and adult day healthcare and rehabilitation
facility. “In the past, the adult day cares have always been approved as add-ons to existing facilities.”
There also were delays due to miscommunications. “This is a unique project, and it requires constant collaboration and cooperation between local, state and federal governments simultaneously,” he said of the 22-acre project.
Update,
with building ideas
Commission Vice Chair Burt Saunders, who has championed the home in his district for years, provided commissioners with an update at the board meeting. The FDVA awarded a design contract to the firm that has designed about 15 veterans nursing homes — Nashville, Tennessee-based Orcutt | Winslow and its affiliate, HHCP Design International, which presented various models to commissioners last year.
“One of the models that we thought was really an attractive one was the Las Vegas model, so we’ve kind of designed our plan around
to consider the possibility that it could be impacted by a fraudster,” she said.
Scammers can send digital messages with links and attachments containing malware that look legitimate. That’s if they are not luring victims to a website with what seems to be a real login page through email, non-vetted social media ads or browser queries.
“They can boost fake sites to the top of your search results; it’s called SEO poisoning, and it’s effective because we, as consumers, think
Proposed partnership could improve Marco canals
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
In late September, the Marco Island City Council heard a preliminary proposal from Earthwerks Land Improvement & Development Corp. for a public-private partnership aimed at improving water quality and restoring critical wildlife habitat throughout the island’s 100 miles of canals.
Earthwerks, a general contracting company based in Illinois and Florida, specializes in municipal, state and federal storm and water quality projects focused on wetland improvement, “blue-green” infrastructure that works with nature and stormwater mitigation.
The company is proposing an unsolicited public-private partnership called the Marco Island Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (C-HAWQ) Initiative, which would assist the city of Marco Island in obtaining funding to dredge the 100 miles of canals and use the dredged sediments to design and build approximately 33 new island wildlife habitats.
“Oyster reefs will be installed with mangroves and other native species to be planted to improve water quality and storm resilience, enhance biodiversity and provide 100 additional acres of natural space to Marco Island,” Earthwerks said in a press release after its initiation presentation to City Council, noting that Naples Botanical Garden will serve as the horticultural consultant for the restoration initiative.
According to Earthwerks’ press release, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said in 2018 that the Marco Island canals were impaired due to “increased nutrients” (contaminants), and one city consultant estimated it would cost $189 million to perform a traditional maintenance dredge of the canals to help improve water quality.
Earthwerks said that as part of the proposed collaboration on the restoration project, it would pursue — at its own cost — federal, state and private grants as a match
Stephanie Green
RARE MILESTONE: NAPLES TRAVEL AGENCY CELEBRATES 40
By John L. Guerra
Preferred Travel & Co. just celebrated four decades in business — a rarity in an industry that has largely been replaced by Travelocity and other online price aggregators that allow travelers to self-book flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages.
The company was founded in 1984 by the ever-enterprising Wilma Boyd, former chief interviewer of flight attendant applicants for Trans World Airlines. She operated the Wilma Boyd Career School, teaching about opportunities in the airline industry, before retiring to Naples with her husband.
Preferred Travel, which she and Earl Hodges founded in 1984, has survived not only the advent of the Internet, but the public’s fear of flying after Sept. 11, 2001, the collapse of international travel during COVID and bad economic stretches.
The secret is having the confidence to expand when other companies are squeamish, and to double down on customer service during crises when one’s travelers need help getting home, said Olga Placeres, the company’s manager and chief financial officer. She joined Preferred Travel when Preferred bought Uniglobe Travel in 1989.
“I was the controller at Uniglobe at the time, and I came with that merger,” she said.
It was a time when the corporate world bought airline tickets through travel agencies, but soon there was a huge shift as airlines sliced commissions to travel agencies.
“We switched to leisure travel, such as cruise ships,” Placeres said. “We were close to the Port of Miami, so we decided we would refocus and go the leisure route with cruises.”
As part of its focus on leisure travel, Preferred Travel joined the American Express travel network.
“We became a representative agency of American Express,” she said, “so we didn’t do as many airline tickets, but more cruises. And if an AMEX cardholder lost their credit card, they had to come to us to get it replaced. We also sold Traveler’s Checks. We sold a lot of products besides travel that brought clients through the door.” Placeres became a partner at what would prove to be a tough time — though not because the company wasn’t sound.
“I bought into the agency when Earl wanted to get out of travel industry,” she said. “He sold his shares and I bought them in August 2001.”
That month, U.S. air travel set a record high with 65.4 million passengers. But images of a Boeing 767 and other large passenger aircraft hitting buildings Sept. 11, 2001, crippled the airline and travel industries According to CNBC, U.S. airlines lost $8 billion in 2001 alone. The industry wasn’t profitable again until 2006, and losses topped $60 billion over that fiveyear period.
But Preferred Travel took care of clients first.
“After 9/11, our business was decimated,” Placeres said. “There was no travel. People were stuck in many places, so our focus was getting people home in the next 10 days. We were renting cars for our clients, arranging drivers, doing
whatever we could.”
Similar to other travel agencies, Placeres and her staff then had to navigate an industry layered with new security requirements.
“Before that you could walk into a travel agency with cash, without ID, and buy a ticket,” she said.
“After 9/11, everything changed. It took a few months for that shift to happen. Then things started to go online.”
Amid the decline in airline travel, Preferred did the unexpected by expanding its offerings, Placeres said. “If you want to survive, you have to keep your eyes on the future. We saw other agencies struggling, one of which had a lot of luxury clientele. In spite of the travel slowdown, we purchased McDaniel Luxury Travel, which books safaris, world cruises and other trips for high-end clients.”
Founder Wilma Boyd retired in July 2019 and handed the reins over to Placeres, now a full partner in the agency. Five months later, In January 2020, the Chinese government quarantined Wuhan and other cities in Hubei Province. When Placeres’ staff learned there was a highly contagious virus in the areas where clients were traveling,
they went to work booking flights to bring people home.
“COVID was more intense — because during 9/11, air travel was most impacted, not cruise ships, hotels and other sectors,” Placeres said. “What we learned through 9/11 was incredibly useful through the pandemic. We pulled out our game book from that time. We put some of those systems in place, cut back on staff and did things so we could weather the storm for however long.”
With the cruise industry shut down and air travel limited internationally, Placeres was in the Atlanta airport, which usually has 15 screens of arrivals/departures on display. There were only 7 1/2 screens at work.
“I cried; this is an unbelievable time we’re living,” she said. “Even that was temporary. I learned that the human spirit is all about getting out there and experiencing the world. That will continue, no matter what. It may dwindle during world events, but it comes back — people want to travel.”
In the meantime, Preferred Travel took care of clients whose plans were nixed, securing refunds and rolling their bookings to future dates. Preferred Travel rolled some clients’ reservations four or five times.
Two years later, travel was back on.
“The future looks very bright,” Placeres said. “We survived COVID, downsized to one very large office in Pelican Bay, bought our own building and opened an office in Bonita Springs.”
The company also merged with a couple of agencies that wanted to sell during COVID, including Landmark Travel in Fort Lauderdale, which today operates under the Landmark Travel name as a division of Preferred Travel.
“It’s the personal service edge that has allowed us to compete against the national agencies,” Placeres said. “Unlike the venture capitalist-owned agencies out there, we are focused on the relationship with our clients. That helps us remain independent and family owned.”
The Preferred Travel team today. The company was founded by Wilma Boyd and Earl Hodges in 1984. Photos courtesy of Preferred Travel
Preferred Travel founder Wilma Boyd, center, with current agency leaders Kristina Placeres, left, and Olga Placeres.
Kody and Kristina Gear, and Olga Placeres celebrate Preferred Travel.
From page 3A
to funds from the city of Marco Island to “complete the project at a fraction of the previously estimated $189 million cost.”
In an early October interview, Earthwerks’ owner Dan Davies, a part-time resident of Marco Island, said his company’s target would be “close to $50 million” as opposed to $189 million, depending on the number of islands created.
“The huge savings in this project is by not trying to take this dredged material (sediment), move it miles away to dry it and then truck it somewhere else, as well,” Davies said. “This is about as recycling as you can get. I mean, we can’t get any more green than using your problem material to create a habitat that’s actually going to thrive.”
Examples of other Earthwerks dredged-material restoration projects include Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Cat Island in the Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Davies said Earthwerks plans to submit a full proposal to Marco Island City Council following the general election in November, after any potential new council members are installed.
How C-HAWQ would work
Asked how the C-HAWQ initiative’s island habitats would help improve water quality in the canals, Davies said the structure provided by the oyster reefs would attract fish and wildlife for food and protection.
“With the structure from oyster reefs comes the plant life above it,” Davies said. “It helps to oxygenate the water, but it also helps to create habitat for those mussels, those oysters, those things that actually help filter the water. We need filter feeders. We need structure in these canals to help bring habitat back, because right now they’re just concrete channels.”
Davies said the vegetation would be critical in habitat creation, which is why the company has enlisted Naples Botanical Garden in the potential project.
“One of the critical portions of this is the vegetation; it’s really critical to the water quality,” he said. “What native species are the most resilient and will be most effective? We thought there couldn’t be a better partner to guide us in that than Naples Botanical Garden, because we’ve got to propagate these plants ourselves. We’ve got to plant them specifically for this project down in that area so that they’re completely native to that area. And their [NBG] guidance is going to be indispensable.”
Making the project a community effort
Davies is an avid boater and fisherman who has been spending winters in Marco for 25
years. He said he sees the project as an opportunity to get the whole community involved in a creative approach to solving the water quality problem in the canals, which he described as a critical part of the island’s infrastructure and identity.
The area is important to him and his family, he said: “They grew up there on the water.” Davies was founding president of the Fort Myers Offshore Club and has remained involved for 18 years with raising scholarship funds and other projects.
In part because of his own longtime community involvement, he said he thinks it is important to get Marco residents’ feedback on the scope of the proposed project.
“We’re going to reach out to all the residents to get input on some that would like to see these islands in their areas, and people that strongly wouldn’t,” Davies said. “We want a real community effort for this. Everyone wants to point the finger about saving the planet, and there’s a way that these people can do it right in their backyard and have a really effective, results-oriented project.”
Davies also said that for most similar projects, those results are seen almost immediately.
“People don’t realize how effectively the natural habitat can help correct situations as long as you give them the right kind of foundation to start from,” he said, “and that’s what these islands would do while saving a tremendous amount of cost.”
Puchalla said.
Common factors for not taking a job, regardless of whether it’s in a place with lots of sunny splendor, come down to high living costs, lack of affordable housing and commuting challenges, all issues about which Collier County residents have voiced concerns.
“Once you adjust for cost of living, that’s where challenges lie in maintaining talent in our market,” said Kristina Park, president and CEO of Greater Naples Chamber.
Maximum annual wages for the first level of the aforementioned positions, according to the Fiscal Year 2025 Board of Collier County Commissioners Pay and Classification Plan, fall below the required annual income of $102,152 before taxes a single adult with two children needs to make to earn a living wage in Collier County, per Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator.
“The cost of living continues to rise as wealth continues to be attracted to our area,” Park said. “We’ve got to put some intentional focus on making sure we understand how we can create housing that is affordable.”
Plans are currently in the works, said Michael Puchalla, CEO and executive director of The Housing Alliance Inc., a private nonprofit organization launched in March to address the growing housing affordability crisis in the region.
“Commissioners have been approving developments that are now giving a 30-year commitment for some units that would be more affordable to our workforce,”
More than 4,000 housing units have been approved, he added, with options in various part of Collier County. Stock Family of Companies’ Allura in North Naples has 10% of its units income and rent restricted. Marlowe Naples on Whitaker Road has 43 units reserved for households earning no more than 80% of the area median income, with corresponding rent caps.
Other planned developments in central and North Naples include Aspire, Ascend and the Haven. Each of these developments have more than 20% of units income and rent restricted for workforce, with a preference for essential service personnel, including county workers.
The key is making community members aware of what’s available. Otherwise, people seeking government jobs may opt for neighboring Florida areas such as Charlotte County, with its cheaper housing options and growing job market, or Hendry County, a more rural option with a lower cost of living.
“We’re trying to ensure that as these units come online available for rent, the community is aware of it,” Puchalla said.
The Housing Alliance has a Housing Navigator Program, which helps employers and prospective hires find housing that aligns with certain income levels. People can visit The Housing Alliance online at thehousingalliance.org or call directly for help.
“Our goal is to bring information together in a centralized location where people can get some of these questions answered,” Puchalla said. I hope to leave them with a little more
community.”
Naples International Film Festival
Richard Lublin and Christine Lublin.
Earthwerks Land Improvement & Development has started discussions with the City of Marco Island to form a public-private partnership aimed at improving water quality and restoring critical wildlife habitat throughout the island’s canals. Contributed photos courtesy of C-HAWQ Initiative
This existing mangrove island in the waters surrounding Marco Island is similar to what constructed C-HAWQ Initiative islands would be like.
The Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 24 unanimously approved spending $7.5 million, including $1.84 million to purchase about 112,000 cubic yards of sand from Stewart Materials in Immokalee and $4.5 million to transport, distribute and place the sand on the beach. The fee also covers various associated costs, including construction, mobilizing trucks, traffic maintenance, shorebird and water monitoring, surveys, testing and contingency costs.
Once the project is rescheduled, sand will be hauled and distributed along the 85-footwide beach Mondays through Saturdays, from sunrise to sunset, about 4,500 tons daily. County Sheriff’s deputies and Naples Police will work to keep streets safe as trucks haul tons of sand along roadways to staging areas, and county and Naples City officials will publicize the truck routes to residents and biking groups before the hauling begins.
Commissioners also approved the county’s state Department of Environmental Protection long-range budget plan request for fiscal year 2025-26 beach re-nourishment projects to maintain the county’s eligibility for future state cost-share funding.
The Tourist Development Council and Coastal Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval because white beaches bring visitors. The funds come from a 5% bed tax tourists pay for overnight stays at hotels and other overnight rentals. State statutes require the funds be used only for tourism-related activities.
Coastal Zone Manager Andy Miller told the TDC the project is expected to take six weeks, barring bad weather or other delays.
“Since [Hurricane] Ian and since we had a lot of competition for both contractors and the sand, and as well as the inflation that’s been associated with everything post-COVID, the prices have gone up,” Miller said, noting that costs rose from $50 per cubic yard before the hurricane to $70-$80 afterward.
Miller told the CAC the county planned to
distribute sands from north to south and expected to reach Horizon Way, the narrowest section, by Thanksgiving and then resume distribution south of that by Christmas. The hurricane delayed that timeline. When the
work does start, it will take about four weeks to distribute sand up to Horizon Way and about 3½ weeks for the remainder.
The beach will remain open, but portions will be closed as bulldozers distribute sand
over several weeks.
In the past, trucks have used the Horizon Way beach access to haul sand to the southern portions, while at the northern section, a conveyor system was used at the Seagate Beach pedestrian access to haul in sand.
County Coastal Zone employees will re-measure how much sand is needed before proceeding.
The beach received 130,000 cubic yards of sand in 2019, raising and widening it. This haul is expected to last five years — unless the county loses sand due to heavy storms or hurricanes again. The county alternates beaches yearly and has been renourishing beaches since 1996.
The county also is adding thousands of plantings to strengthen dunes at all beaches, which were hit hard by Hurricane Ian, but its spring start was delayed because the plants weren’t available. Naples Botanical Garden, which worked with Florida Gulf Coast University, studied what native plant species provide the best shoreline defense to develop a strategy that mimics nature. The initial work was funded by the Collier Community Foundation, Second Chance Foundation and numerous donors.
Beach dunes won’t fully prevent destruction that occurs with hurricanes such as Ian, but mounds of sand with vegetation dissipate energy and blunt the blow, protecting the county’s multimillion-dollar beach renourishment investment. The dune plantings will be 15 to 20 feet wide.
Historically, the county has used upland sand mines and conducted truck-haul projects to renourish beaches but will continue investigating potential offshore sand “borrow areas,” as Commissioner Bill McDaniel requested; his past career involved excavating sand and rock. Collier and other beach communities turned to truck hauls after offshore sand deposits grew scarcer and costs of offshore dredging rose.
Coastal Zone staff will now have to determine whether more beach renourishment is needed and whether to use county tourist tax funds or seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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Sand is hauled in to a Naples beach area in 2023. Contributed photo
that model — only we’ve made it a lot better,” Saunders said.
The 112-bed, two-story skilled nursing home model under construction in North Las Vegas features a new design that provides staffing efficiency and accommodates day health care, therapy and other services on the second floor.
Collier’s roughly 110,000-square-foot facility will have six units, each with 20 beds in single-occupancy rooms, although spouses also can live there. There will be “neighborhoods,” each with gazebos, gardens, libraries, computer rooms and a “Snoezelen room” for specialized sensory therapy. Dementia-care residents who undergo Snoezelen room sessions show improved affect — emotional state or demeanor
— as well as increased mobility and better communication skills. The neighborhoods will be connected to an adjacent Veterans Community Center, which will feature amenities such as a coffee shop, sports bar, chapel and barbershop.
The adult day health care portion will have about 45 participant slots to employ family caregivers, allow them to get respite from caring for loved ones — or both. Because the VA doesn’t cover construction costs for day health care and outpatient therapy facilities, commissioners in June 2023 approved $10 million for that and the state matched it.
On an adjacent 1-acre parcel, an old, vacant white building will be renovated into the Veterans Community Center, where various veterans groups can offer activities. The Naples Military History Museum, which has outgrown its Naples Airport space, will move there. It is a separate, though related, project.
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!
The building was owned by a friend of Saunders who wanted to give it to the county as a tax write-off.
“It was a nice gift for the county,” Saunders said in an interview last week, adding that it needs work, but engineers have deemed it structurally sound.
Getting a team in place
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart put $9 million into the House budget for the Veterans Community Center, Saunders said, adding that Congress makes the ultimate decision on that.
“Mario Diaz-Balart is pretty confident that we will get all or most of that funding,” he said last week.
Saunders told commissioners he asked the FDVA if the county could expedite the process by selecting the project team — contingent on final federal approval, which is expected after October, when the 2024-25 fiscal year starts.
Suffolk Construction, of Estero, was selected as a construction manager at risk, or CMAR, for the project and will monitor costs under Saunders’ recommendation: “They have a real commitment to veterans and a real commitment to this community.”
Planning firm Q. Grady Minor & Associates in Bonita Springs and Naples-based Davidson Engineering also were selected.
“They’ve selected the team with the understanding that there is no project if it’s not approved by the federal government,” Saunders said. With this team in place, he said, the project will not have to wait five months after it is approved while the county selects contractors. He said he anticipates approval of this project as early as October, possibly November of this year. That does not include the funding that goes along with it, however.
The county hopes to break ground in 2026 and open three years later.
Planning for 2029
This is the second time Collier has reached the top of the state FDVA priority list. In 2014,
it lost out to St. Lucie County, which opened the $62 million Ardie R. Copas State Veterans’ Nursing Home in 2022. Florida has nine state veterans homes.
Collier spent $29.1 million in 2019 to purchase the 167-acre Golden Gate Golf Course to prevent overdevelopment, preserve some open space and build the veterans home. The county must pay 35% for the mandated state construction match and 65% comes from the federal VA. State VA officials visited the property in October 2021 and recommended it to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the State Cabinet as Florida’s next site.
During the spring 2023 legislative session, State Rep. Kathleen Passidomo earmarked $500,000 for design work, and last year, the county transferred $30 million from the 1-cent sales surtax county voters approved in 2018 to the state VA escrow account. That June, commissioners approved $10 million more to add square footage to the nursing home for the day care and outpatient rehab facility.
There are about 30,000 veterans in Collier County, according to Legal Aid Services of Collier County. Florida is home to 20 military installations and nearly 1.5 million veterans, the nation’s third largest vet population, after California and Texas.
Planned for the rest of the property are two affordable-housing projects, including units for veterans and seniors; a redesigned public-private golf course and entertainment center managed by an Arthrex affiliate; and the nonprofit First Tee youth-golfing program. The county’s four full-time Veterans Services staff will move to the property.
Last week, Saunders said the full cost isn’t known yet. The nursing home cost probably will be close to $110 million, he said, with $35- $37 million from the state and county — possibly up to $40 million. The day care and rehab portion has $20 million budgeted for that part of the project, but some money will likely shift back to the nursing home, he added. The community center has not been designed yet, but will be the renovation of an existing building.
tional form of authentication besides a password — it’s a much safer method than writing protective codes down.
top search results are likely the best, and we click on those right away,” Green said.
Spoofed calls are another concern. With artificial intelligence, imposters can falsify caller ID details to impersonate a neighbor, loved one or established entity, such as the IRS or Amazon, to get money.
“A lot of times they’re focused around instant transfers, such as with Zelle,” Perkins said. “They tend to have a common theme and just tweak who they are, what it’s about and why they’re contacting you.”
They may tap into the emotions of a person or initiate a veiled threat. The way to respond to the unsolicited message? Don’t, said Perkins. Instead, call the business or person directly and always ask for verification before volunteering information.
“If I contact you and say, ‘I need you to verify something,’ I would hope you’d hang up on me, look up my number and call me back,” he said.
Perkins encouraged using multi-factor identification to avoid other forms of identity theft. That’s anything that requires an addi-
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24
When it comes to web links, Green advises to “double-check the URL before clicking to avoid phishing and malware.” If it’s an ad, “just shop directly through the business’ website [inserted into an external browser]. Don’t click through a social media link,” she said. Consumers can also be proactive by setting reminders to check their bank accounts because once con artists are in, they might test how much they can spend before they are detected or hit a limit. “Make sure everything looks kosher, and nothing’s out of the ordinary,” Perkins said.
Avoiding outdoor debit machines by paying inside for things like gas may add a few minutes to one’s day, but it can save hardship later in the event of potentially untraceable theft.
“We live in a 30-second society, so anything that takes more than 30 seconds, we don’t want to do, but it’s those few things throughout the day that will keep you from having a several-month process of trying to get your money back,” Perkins said. “It’s no different than driving. You can drive 100 miles and be perfectly fine, but if you start being careless at mile 101, the problem can happen then.”
BUSINESS &REAL ESTATE
CELEBRATES HOME, GARDEN
By Tim Aten
Christian Busk has genuinely transformed the Southwest Florida landscape for nearly four decades, so it’s not surprising that his new business inspires high-end solutions inside and out for local homeowners and commercial designers.
The award-winning landscape architect’s new 41 Home & Garden store — appropriately setting up shop in the Naples Design District — helps create inviting points of interest in a 2,100-square-foot showroom full of fine furnishings and decor on the corner of Third Avenue North and 10th Street North. Through 41 Home & Garden, locals can benefit from everything Busk has personally collected and curated in his spare time over many years.
“I have a passion for just finding cool things for cool people,” he said.
As a self-proclaimed consignment junkie and antique collector, Busk has collected high-quality pieces from clients and many other sources. “It’s just amazing what people have brought down to Florida,” he said. “We just have a treasure trove of things to pick from.” While still in grade school, Busk thoroughly enjoyed accompanying his parents to estate
auctions in West Palm Beach. “I got really excited about that stuff. I wanted to go back after college,” he said. “I go back there just for the entertainment, and I find different things I want to put in my store. I ended up collecting all these things for 40 years.”
Busk also has discovered many unique items
by traveling the world. “I went everywhere. I picked up things from Brazil, from China, France, Italy, wherever. I just bring back things every time with me,” he said. “What happens is I get so much stuff I can’t use it all, but I like it all. I just have always found different things from different places.”
His new store, which celebrated its grand opening Oct. 16, features furniture, lamps, light fixtures, mirrors, art and an array of other furnishings.
“Some of the stuff flies out of there because it’s hard to find,” Busk said. “Some of the pieces I would keep in my house forever, but I just don’t have room for them.”
Busk moved from the east coast of Florida to Naples in 1979 with University of Florida degrees in both landscape architecture and horticulture. He started his landscape architect business more than 35 years ago, expertly turning blah into beautiful to create an immersive outdoor ambiance for residents and the ultimate curb appeal for passersby. He has seamlessly coordinated with architects and interior designers to create memorable and practical solutions for homes, combining his passion for creating landscapes as works of art with his love of interior decor.
“I have been furnishing my friends’ homes and businesses for years,” he said.
A longtime local preservationist, Busk has relocated and preserved numerous historic structures, including the home of Naples founder Walter Haldeman. Busk moved the Haldeman house from its beachfront location near the Naples Pier to his property in Bonita Springs, where he lives in the historic home today.
“It’s never for the weak or faint of heart,” he said of his work. “I love being in control of everything. I get to play architect, interior designer and landscape architect, all in one. So, I didn’t have anybody telling me what to do, but I did what I thought was right to give these houses new life.”
Busk’s love of classics is apparent at his new shop, with items such as a 16th-century Ming coffee table with an oxblood finish and a French linen upholstered bed and wing chairs. With inventory from his massive collection stored throughout
and commercial designers.
Photos by Ed Chappell
BUSINESS &REAL ESTATE
ANCHORS AWEIGH: YACHT CLUB SUBS TO LAUNCH 2ND LOCATION
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Frank and Lizzie Paladino are charting a course for another port of call for Yacht Club Subs in Old Naples.
The new artisan sandwich shop under construction on Fourth Avenue South will more than double the size of the small unit at 1200 Central Ave. where they launched their local business in March 2021. The couple plans to keep open the original spot, which fronts 12th Street North between the District and The Alley hospitality venues.
The second location is less than a nautical mile away from the first on the other side of U.S. 41 in Naples. Its 825 square feet affords the business a larger galley and more cabin space.
“Things have just kind of blossomed into something more than we could ever have imagined out of 350 square feet,” Frank Paladino said.
Yacht Club Subs’ new berth is in a multitenant commercial building at 847 Fourth Ave. S. The sub shop will be docking between PJK Neighborhood Chinese restaurant and Divine Naples coffee shop in a small unit that has been home to a visitors’ center, a marketing firm’s office and a wall art showroom over the years.
“I’m going to try to create somewhat of a commissary effect and to relieve some of the burden from this space into some of the other space on Fourth Avenue because we’re so close. We’re really excited about that new spot,” Paladino said. “The reason why the second location is going to be so easy for us to do is because it’s basically ditto what we’re doing here. We’re really not changing anything at all.”
A couple of the most popular hot subs include The Commodore, with thinly sliced top round, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, onions and smoked bacon finished with housemade bacon aioli coulis and a touch of horseradish sauce; and The Pilgrim, a Thanksgiving sub with warmed turkey breast, fresh cranberry mayo medley, house-made stuffing and coleslaw.
The made-to-order sandwiches come in a variety of vessels: the 16-inch Torpedo, the 9-inch Submarine, the 6-inch Yacht and the 3-inch Minnow, as well as on croissants. Salads, or Hulls, and gluten-free wraps also are available.
The Torpedo size is one big boat of a sandwich,” Lizzie Paladino said. “It’s very fun and has great presentation for a party. There are two other big catering options: The Party Boat and The Deck Party.”
Yacht Club Subs’ new larger location will
provide more space for catering, prepping, refrigeration, storage and seating. It also may open for breakfast eventually. “Not fancy — you know, wraps, coffee, that kind of thing — and stay open a little later because a lot of people I feel in that area want to go see the sunset, get some suds, get some wine and off you go,” she said.
“We carry their soda here,” he said. “Actually, we have the distribution rights for Florida.” Over the years, Paladino found himself gravitating toward the restaurant business. Familiar with the Naples area because his father came here in 1992, Paladino helped manage local BurgerFi franchises when he and Liz moved here seven or eight years ago.
“I said to Liz, ‘If I get the opportunity, if I can find some space, I know that there’s an appetite out there for a hometown sub shop,’” he said. “I just knew that we could put a product out that people would like. I wanted to be as close to Fifth Avenue as I could.”
Before the pandemic, their original space had been part of The Wine Store, within walking distance of the new Gulfshore Playhouse. They signed the lease with building owner Christopher Shucart in July 2020 but didn’t open the business until March 2021.
“Things were going pretty well, but then we got wiped out with [Hurricane] Ian. We lost everything,” he said.
They rebounded with all hands on deck, of course, and reopened.
“Since then, it’s been more than I could ever imagine. So, we’re really happy,” he said. Now, the Paladinos hope to nurture a lunch and delivery business and fill a need for locals and visitors with their new location downtown. “We just thought it was really a natural progression with that space,” he said.
The city is reviewing their plans for the new Yacht Clubs Subs Offshore, which is targeted to launch by the end of the year. “We’re hoping for some time in November, if not the first of December,” he said.
By popular demand, the couple at the helm of Yacht Club Subs eventually may charter franchises.
“We’re shooting to franchise because we have had a lot of people who have offered,” said Liz Paladino, noting that they are trademarking the name and taking the proper steps to grow the brand.
When he was in his 20s, Frank Paladino had a gourmet food and cheese shop that morphed into a bistro in his hometown of Madison, Connecticut. “That was kind of like my first foray into food,” he said, noting that Yacht Club Subs’ maritime theme stems from that coastal town on Long Island Sound, while its name comes from Yacht Club Soda, the official soda of Rhode Island and a throwback to Paladino’s youth.
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
three decades since
ATEN KNOWS
development. County staff and the fire district gave the company a list of issues regarding its plans to build there, LoCastro said.
“What they normally build won’t fit on that property,” he said. “They had nine months to take a look at our feedback and then come back to the county. The nine months passed, and we never heard from them. That doesn’t mean it’s dead; it just means if they come back to us in nine months and one day, they have to pay an additional fee to reopen the planning request.”
While the proposal may not be dead, it’s still not a done deal either, regardless of what some cashiers at Costco in North Naples have told some members, LoCastro said.
“News flash: Costco hasn’t even bought that land. They have a deal with the landowner that, subject to county approval for construction, they will then buy the land. We are pretty far away from any type of approval,” he said. “But we know Costco didn’t walk away. The feedback we gave them was so detailed that I’m sure their chain of command is so thick that they have to go back to their architect and engineers.”
Local residents are mixed about the prospect of Costco opening a store on undeveloped land at 8392 Collier Blvd. to provide some relief to its longtime busy location on Naples Boulevard in North Naples.
“One thing I’ve had to tell citizens is that land is already zoned for something commercial and something large,” LoCastro said. “I’m not saying it’s an automatic for Costco, but if Costco can downsize and fit their plans and have all of the agencies involved well before county commissioners — fire district, water, sewer, traffic, FDOT, the county Growth Management team — if they submitted something that got approved, that fit, that met all the parameters of permitting, it would never come to county commissioners.”
That’s because commissioners approved the commercial development there 13 years ago.
Hacienda Lakes MPUD was created in October 2011 when more than 2,260 acres of mostly agricultural land was rezoned by a supermajority vote of the county commission. The project was permitted to include 1,760 homes, 327,000 square feet of retail space, 70,000 square feet of professional and medical office space, 135 hotel rooms, 140,000 gross square feet of business park or educational facility and a school. Hacienda Lakes of Naples conveyed a tract of land to the Collier County Public Schools for a future elementary school.
Across Rattlesnake Hammock Road to the north, FL Star Development already is developing multiple projects, including the 2,200home Hacienda Lakes development, the Hammock Park Apartments with 265 luxury units and the Hammock Park retail center. Proposed to front Costco on more than 32 acres along Collier Boulevard are at least four outparcels ranging from 2.2 to 1.3 acres. The ball is still in Costco’s court.
“If they color a little bit outside the lines and they want to ask for approval for something that is a little bit controversial, then it could come to commissioners. If it did come to commissioners, it wouldn’t be until next
year,” LoCastro said. “Costco is in the request phase. They’re floating a proposal for a possible build on a piece of property they don’t even own, and none of that has changed. They have first right of refusal with the owners of that property to say, ‘We want to exhaust every possible option with the county, but if it looks like we’re banging a square peg in a round hole, boom, we’re gone and you can put the ‘for sale’ sign back.’”
Some of LoCastro’s constituents have told him to stop this project and other developments.
“I don’t have the authority, the legal authority, to stop somebody from building something because it’s not popular,” LoCastro said. “People send me emails, ‘Nobody wants Costco.’ Well, you know, I tell you, I got an awful lot of emails from people — some that live right near where it could go — who do want it, but it’s not a popularity contest.”
Onyx update
Q: What’s the story with the former Onyx development on Santa Barbara? It’s been vacant for more than three years, although some of the initial buildings have been torn down recently. — Gary Tincu, Naples
A: The 8.7 acres on Santa Barbara Boulevard formerly planned for the Onyx multifamily residential community has new owners and new plans.
Polly Ave LLC of Miami Beach sold the East Naples real estate to Boca Raton-based Naples Preserve Villas LLC for $5.22 million on Jan. 23, a property deed shows. The new owner plans the 48-unit Santa Barbara Place Villas, according to development plans filed with Collier County Growth Management.
“It was sold, thank goodness,” said Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro. “The new owner tore down all the structures that were built by the previous person because they sat for so long. They had mold, they had issues, and it’s not what the new owner wanted to build anyway. The new owner is proposing townhomes, but nothing’s been approved yet. He still has to apply for all the permits and we have to look at the design and everything.”
The original owner started construction on two of the eight two-story townhome buildings and the Onyx clubhouse, but construction stopped more than three years ago. The county leaned hard on the new owner to tear down the stalled development, which looked like a ghost town, LoCastro said.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.
Stalled for more than three years, the abandoned incomplete clubhouse and townhomes of Onyx on Santa Barbara Boulevard in East Naples were demolished this spring and the 8.7 acres were sold to make way for a new 48-unit townhome community that will be called Santa Barbara Place Villas.
Photo by Tim Aten
rts & LEISURE
Ongoing events
Simon’s ‘Rumors’ at Sugden 7:30 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays 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. TuesdaysSaturdays 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
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
CALENDAR
ONE BUTTERFLY, TWO BUTTERFLY ...
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 hoping for some wing watchers for its Fall North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly Count. You do not have to be an expert at butterfly identification to participate; in fact, it is a great way to learn about the butterflies of the area. Amateurs and experienced team members join forces to identify and record all the butterflies they can within this count circle, one of 60 around Florida and 450 across the U.S. There is a $3 participation fee for participants. corkscrew.audubon.org/events or 239.348.9151
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. 18, 19, 20)
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. Friday, 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. Reservations required. eventbrite. com
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. See Featured event.
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. Adult
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
Next week (Oct. 21-24)
Early Birding Tour 8-11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is part of the Atlantic Flyway for bird migration and is the gateway site for the southwest region of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Naturalists will guide participants in spotting and identifying birds. Participants will be travelling 2.25 miles along the boardwalk trail; there are occasional opportunities for rest. $30, $27 National Audubon members and members of the U.S. military, $12 Corkscrew members. Register online. corkscrew.audubon.org/events or 239.348.9151
Naples International Film Festival
Beginning Oct. 24 with opening night festivities at Artis—Naples with films at the Alamo theater in Mercado, discussions at Artis— Naples and outdoor screenings in the Norris Garden to closing ceremonies and a live soundtrack Batman screening with the Naples Philharmonic at Artis—Naples Oct. 27. Charges differ for events. See artisnaples.org
$25, ages under 12 $15. Tickets, hole sponsorship or information online. marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
Family Day: Pioneer Pumpkin Palooza
10 a.m.-1p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, 1215 Roberts Ave., West Immokalee. Pick your pumpkin and head to the decorating station to gussy up your gourd, then make a scarecrow and corn husk dolls. Free. 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, 13-17, Group) $3 per person (preregistered), $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 spinechilling adults-only 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
Onslow and Ferrenc
3 p.m. October 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.
Halloween Shop ‘n’ Crawl 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, 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 coupons for shopping, prizes for the best child and pet costumes and pet trick or treating. Free but registration required. halloweenshopncrawl.eventbrite. com
Next weekend (Oct. 25, 26, 27)
Rocktoberfest at Paradise Coast
6-9 p.m. Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2527, at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd. N., Naples, Rocktoberfest brings three consecutive days of live music, German food — think bratwurst — food trucks and special bier steins to The Cove. Friday evening, the popular local band Rock Republic will take the stage. Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it’s AVYA & 13 South performing. Free admission. playparadisecoast.com or 239.252.4386
Purradise Gardens
Halloween Open House
5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Purradise Gardens, 921 No Name Lane, Naples (first left off Rock Road), Naples. 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 and prizes,
A zebra longwing, Florida’s state butterfly, is among those counters may spot at the autumn butterfly count Saturday at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Contributed photo
SIMPLE SHELLS BECOME
VEHICLES TO INSPIRE, UPLIFT
By
Naples retiree Doris McGuire has found joy in giving and doing something she loves. She hosts and teaches classes on the pleasure of turning a beach find, a humble oyster shell, into a decorative object through the art of decoupage. Since last March, McGuire has conducted 20 classes for 200 people at venues in Collier County, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers.
She insisted she does classes for fun and not for business.
“I want to keep it a fun project for me and others. If anything, I like giving them away as random acts of kindness, and I offer classes as a silent auction donation,” McGuire said.
The repurposed shells can hold small trinkets or rings or be hung as ornaments. However, McGuire’s classes are not just about an art technique, but about building camaraderie among like-minded individuals who can express their creativity.
McGuire said no formal training or art background is needed; anyone can do decoupage.
“When you receive a finished shell, it makes you happy, so imagine the joy if you made your creation,” she said. Originally from northern Virginia, McGuire and her husband Steve, a retired judge and author, have lived in Naples since 2020. Her background is eye-popping: She was one of the first female corrections officers in an all-male prison facility in Tallahassee, then a special agent for the federal government. Most recently, she worked for IBM. She is a Greater Naples Leadership 2023 graduate. And she is a volunteer instructor. McGuire first saw the shells at an art gallery and started collecting them.
“Then, I got the idea to do a class with girlfriends. A friend gave one of her shells to a woman at a residential community, then the woman called to ask if I’d do a class for the residents,” she said. This rest is history.
On a recent dreary afternoon, McGuire brought her sunny disposition and warmth to a class of 17- to 20-year-olds at Youth Haven, which serves youth ages 6-21 from families in crisis with temporary housing until a foster care family or kinship placement is identified.
This was going to be more than a class on decoupage. McGuire aimed to present the technique as a vehicle to uplift the teens’ spirits and to bring a small respite from the otherwise consuming burden of personal and familial issues. That day, she conducted two classes of 20 participants, one with teens and another with the youngest at age 11.
“This activity brings joy, increases self-confidence, allows them to be in the moment and
have a chance to be creative in a non-judgmental activity that allows them self-expression,” she said.
McGuire deftly highlighted the values each participant could cultivate as she instructed the class in the process. Fostering empowerment, she asked each teen to relay their dreams. They responded with aspirations such as joining the Marines or pursuing criminal justice, aviation, search and rescue — “all achievable goals,” she added.
The process
Much of the work happens before her classes as McGuire preps the oyster shells. After the “meat” is cleaned and the shells rinsed, they are bleached for 24 hours and rinsed again, and again if needed. Shells are sun-dried for at least 48 hours — usually laid side-by-side
on the pavement around her home pool, with additional dry time until the “fishy smell is gone.” Shell interiors are pre-painted with white acrylic gesso, and the exteriors are sprayed with metallic gold or silver spray paint.
At class time, participants chose two empty shells, selected a holiday-themed or ornamental cocktail napkin and cut it to fit the shell’s interior. A thin layer of Mod Podge (a glue and sealer)
was brushed over the napkin and allowed to dry. A final layer was applied, and after drying, acrylic paint was carefully applied to the outer shell edges.
Sharing personal insight McGuire injected personal insight to keep the teens interested while the class worked.
“A pearl starts with an imperfection, and grit gets into the shell, but in the end, a beautiful
What: Public shell decoupage classes with instructor Doris McGuire
When:
• 5-7 p.m. Nov. 7 at Center for the Arts at Marco Island (registration required); marcoislandart.
org • 6-8 p.m. Dec. 12 at Naples Art Institute (holiday-themed, registration required); naplesart.org For more information: mcguiredoris704@gmail. com
gem is created,” she told them.
Drawing on her travel experiences in Japan, she relayed a blueprint for her life garnered from a philosophy called “ikigai” that involves finding one’s purpose and meaning in life relative to one’s talents and passions.
“It’s believed that finding your ikigai can lead to a more fulfilling life and increased longevity. I discovered that I’ve always had a passion for volunteering and helping people because it makes me feel good,” McGuire explained.
The class listened with interest. McGuire relayed a second Japanese concept — “kintsugi,” which means “join with gold” — that hit the mark with this group who have experienced shattered hearts. She described kintsugi as the Japanese art of repairing broken objects, often pottery or glass.
“When most people break an object, they usually throw it away. In Japan, gold lacquer is used to piece the seam or the shards together, creating a more beautiful thing through breaking and repair rather than breaking and discarding. It’s your shell. Make it as you wish,” she said.
In this way, McGuire promoted a “you be you” attitude and gave the teens a sense of control and ownership.
One teen’s perspective
Her advice especially resonated with Theo, a full-time 18-year-old Youth Haven resident.
Theo exuded positivity and a measure of maturity beyond her years.
“I loved the class. Doing art is relaxing and a way to deal with stress. You can let everything go, which calms you down. Youth Haven offers many activities like this, and I learn new things, talk to the guys and hang out with friends,” Theo said.
Theo attends Florida SouthWestern State College and plans to pursue psychology and become a therapist “to help other kids.” With encouragement from Youth Haven staff, she is a testament to the rehabilitative, therapeutic programs and classes like the one McGuire conducts.
Jean L. Amodea
Doris McGuire introduces herself to a class and describes the steps of shell decoupage. Photos by Olga Hayes
Doris McGuire and Theo, a resident of Youth Haven. McGuire is describing design transfer with Mod Podge. At right are some examples of McGuire's art work with shells.
A RETURN TO MERCATO, AL FRESCO FEATURES
The Naples International Film Festival returns Thursday for a spirited 16th year — a full weekend of films, discussions and awards celebrating its independent artists.
And fittingly, in the aftermath of two hurricanes pounding Southwest Florida, it includes at least three tales of the sea’s dramatic power as part of its offerings, one of them about a neighbor in distress: Sanibel, 76 Days Adrift and The Calm Under the Water
The festival opens Thursday, Oct. 24, at Artis—Naples with a tribute to independent filmmaking, a major reception with directors and red-carpet arrivals before the 7 p.m. feature … actually, features.
This year, the stars are short films, “shorts,” with six creative and fastpaced stories for attendees.
The festival moves on the next day to screenings at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato, the former Silverspot, where the majority of the festival’s films were shown until it closed and was sold last year to the Austin, Texas-based higher-end cinema group. There’s plenty more:
• Two “Screenings Under the Stars” of films in the Norris Garden between Hayes Hall and the Baker Museum, with refreshments and drinks available. The al fresco screenings began as a safety precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the concept proved so popular it is now part of the festival.
• Two free panel discussions, both in Theater 11 at Alamo Drafthouse Friday and Saturday.
• A closing evening awards ceremony and screening of the 1989 edition of Batman directed by chillmeister Tim Burton. Its outsize soundtrack will come from the Naples Philharmonic under Chief Pops Conductor Jack Everly.
This year, NIFF will include 58 films: 10 narrative features, 12 documentary features and 36 short films representing 26 countries. Several of those films include an in-person post-screening filmmaker Q&A, and a number of filmmakers will also participate in panel discussions during the festival.
Events, films, locations and ticketing follow:
Opening Night Film & Party
6 p.m. opening 7 p.m. film Thursday, Oct. 24, at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd. Film only, $40; film and opening party, $125; film and post-theater VIP Party, $225; available through Artis—Naples box office or artisnaples.org
The films:
• In Adam J. Graves’ Anuja, A 9-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory is offered a rare chance to attend boarding school.
• Nick Russell’s thriller Favourites poses an impossible choice to two young parents during a family camping trip in the Australian Outback.
• Jumai Yusuf’s Nate and John follows a friendship that develops in the 1960s between a young Black barber’s assistant and a surly teenage hippie who’s forced to get a haircut by his father.
• Night Session, Ballard C. Boyd’s wry comedy, turns a burglary into an impromptu therapy session when the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce — while the resident assists
the burglar in robbing his apartment.
• TJ O’Grady Peyton’s Irish drama Room Taken follows a homeless man who secretly takes up residence in the home of an elderly blind woman. It results in an unexpected bond forming between the two.
• Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz’s SXSW special jury prize winner Trapped focuses on a janitor at a prestigious high school as he confronts a group of boys in the middle of a senior prank that puts him between the boys, his boss and his moral compass.
Film Screenings
Under the Stars
Doors open at 7 p.m., film starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26, at the Norris Garden of Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Table for four, $80; available only through Artis—Naples box office or artisnaples.org; pairs, $40, available only via phone, 239.597.1900
Oct. 25 — Freedom Hair: Director Dianne Houston’s look at a determined mother who opens a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence. She must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi.
Oct. 26 — The Opener: After a young musician’s songs go viral, he’s invited on tour by one of his heroes and given the chance to prove himself on the big stage.
CINEMA SCREENINGS
Various times and theaters Oct. 25-27 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 9118 Strada Place, Unit 8205, Naples. $16.99; festival film 10Pack, $140; available through Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at drafthouse.com
Documentary films
76 Days Adrift: From the bestseller Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan, this documentary recounts an astonishing 76 days when he drifted helplessly across the vast Atlantic Ocean in an inflatable raft. Joe Wein directs. 2:40 p.m. Oct. 25; 7:35 p.m. Oct. 26; 12:25 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 9
The Accidental Spy: Director Anthony Wonke follows the chilling story of a man recruited from a Manhattan prison after 9/11 to become a CIA mole inside al-Qaeda, risking everything to protect his
By Naples Press Staff
Anuja, part of Opening Night Film & Party
76 Days Adrift, a documentary, showing Oct. 25-27 in Theater 9
Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager, playing Oct. 25-27 in Theater 11
Nate and John, part of Opening Night Film & Party on Oct, 24
family — only to be betrayed by the country he served.
8 p.m. Oct. 25; 11:30 a.m. Oct. 26; 2:40 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 2
Between the Mountain and the Sky: In the wake of a devastating loss, a Nepalese family of over 50 orphaned children must redefine the meaning of family and find hope in their darkest moments. Jeremy Power Regimbal directs.
7:20 p.m. Oct. 25; 6:20 p.m. Oct.
26; 11 a.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 10
Every Little Thing: Amid Hollywood’s glamour, a woman’s journey of love and healing unfolds as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, revealing a tale of fragility, resilience and delicate beauty. Sally Aitken directs.
11 a.m. Oct. 25; 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26; 7:50 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 8
Giants Rising: Journey into the heart of America’s most iconic forests to see the redwoods, and uncover their secrets, their superpowers and their story.
1:30 p.m. Oct. 25; 11:15 a.m. Oct.
26; 5:45 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 1
Mad About the Boy: Using his own words, music and home movies, director Barnaby Thompson tells the story of Noel Coward, playwright poet, songwriter and more.
12:25 p.m. Oct. 25; 2:20 p.m. Oct. 26; 5:45 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 9
Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager: Directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch explore the world of Bunny Yeager, the unseen force behind popularizing the bikini, Bettie Page’s rise, the allure of Playboy and even the invention of the selfie.
12:45 p.m. Oct. 25; 2 p.m. Oct. 26; 4:50 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 11
The Opener: Director Jeff Toye describes the hopeful ascent of a struggling street musician whose songs go viral. Then he is invited on tour by one of his heroes and given the chance to prove himself on the big stage.
5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Theater 9
Porcelain War: Under the roar of fighter jets, three Ukrainian artists remain in their homeland, defiant-
ly finding beauty amid destruction and proving that fear is easy to create, but passion is indestructible.
Directors: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev.
4:50 p.m. Oct. 25; 8:55 p.m. Oct. 26; 4:15 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 10
Rise Above: Maryilene Blondell
details the life of Carl Jackson. Born into a life of poverty and not far from the rolling greens, dramatic slopes and azaleas of Augusta National, he defied fate to become golf’s greatest caddie.
6:20 p.m. Oct. 25; 1:40 p.m. Oct. 26; 3:50 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 1
Sanibel: Herbert James Winterstern directed this story of seashells, grief and a community destroyed by one of the most destructive storms in Florida’s history.
5:20 p.m. Oct. 25; 11:45 a.m. Oct. 26; 2:45 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 11
Shari & Lamb Chop: After her children’s show is canceled, ventriloquist Shari Lewis reinvents herself — only to learn her beloved sock puppet, Lamb Chop, was the vehicle that reinforced her commitment to children’s education. Lisa D’Apolito directs.
2:15 p.m. Oct. 25; 11 a.m. Oct. 26; 1:40 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 10
Narrative features Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4
Parts: A couple’s romantic reunion is thwarted when holiday plans become an unconventional workfrom-home vacation, giving way to a hilarious yet amorous journey across Sri Lanka. Director: Shaun Seneviratne.
7:45 p.m. Oct. 25; 4:30 p.m. Oct. 26; 3:15 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 9
Breakup Season: H. Nelson Tracey directed this dramedy of a young man who brings his girlfriend to his rural Oregon hometown to introduce her to his family … only for things to go terribly wrong shortly after their arrival.
1:15 p.m. Oct. 25; 11:55 p.m. Oct. 26; 5:05 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 8
Days of Happiness: As Emma, a young conductor, considers a new opportunity with a prestigious orchestra, she must navigate the toxic relationship with her father/agent and her budding romance with a cellist.
11:45 a.m. Oct. 25; 2:10 p.m. Oct. 26; 7:45 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 2
Fight Like a Girl: Matthew Leutwyler directs this story of a young woman who escapes servitude in an illegal Congolese mine and discovers her strength and purpose by joining a renowned all-women boxing club, fighting both for survival and redemption.
7:30 p.m. Oct. 25; 4:30 p.m. Oct. 26; 11:45 a.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 11
Freedom Hair: When a determined mother opens a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence, she must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi. Dianne Houston directs. 11:40 a.m. Oct. 26 in Theater 9
See NIFF, Page 9B
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts, plays Oct. 25 and Oct.27 in Theater 9
Sanibel, playing Oct. 25, Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 in Theater 11
Freedom Hair, part of Film Screenings Under the Stars on Oct. 25-26
From previous page
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of walking penguins called?
2. MOVIES: What was the first movie to be adapted from one of Stephen King’s novels?
3. GEOGRAPHY: How many time zones does Australia have?
4. LITERATURE: Which country is featured in Sir Walter Scott’s historical novels?
5. HISTORY: How many essays are in The Federalist Papers?
6. SCIENCE: Who created the Periodic Table?
7. TELEVISION: What is the reality series “The Deadliest Catch” about?
8. PSYCHOLOGY: What irrational fear is represented in the condition called pogonophobia?
9. U.S. STATES: What is the only state with a one-syllable name?
10. MUSIC: Which branch of
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
THE NAPLES PRESS CROSSWORD
Kiss of the Con Queen: A striving actor is targeted by an ingenious and sadistic scammer, terrorizing the industry and impersonating Hollywood elites. Directed by Tom Waller.
4 p.m. Oct. 25; 7:45 p.m. Oct. 26; 2:05 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 8
My Sunshine: Hiroshi Okuyama directs the story of two young figure skaters who team up to train as a duo. But as winter unfolds and the two grow closer, the lines between friendship and something more begin to blur.
11:15 a.m. Oct. 25; 6 p.m. Oct. 26; 8:10 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 1
Never Not Yours: Directors John Klein and Steve Kniss team up on this bittersweet story of retired parents announcing their divorce to their adult children. Chaos ensues as the family grapples with its changing dynamics.
3:55 p.m. Oct. 25; 8:15 p.m. Oct. 26; 1:25 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 1
The Paper Bag Plan: Diagnosed with cancer, a father races against time to train his disabled son for a life of independence. Director: Anthony Lucero.
7 p.m. Oct. 25; 2:40 p.m. Oct. 26, 11:15 a.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 8
Sheepdog: A decorated combat veteran is court-ordered into treatment. And then an ex-convict — his own father-in-law — shows up on his doorstep and reveals that he must put himself back together again. Steven Grayhm directs.
4:55 p.m. Oct. 25; 7:15 p.m. Oct. 26; 11:35 a.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 2
Short films Package 1: ‘Unexpected Journeys’ LUKi and the Lights, The Calm Under the Water, The Ice Cream Man, I See You, The Car that Came Back from the Sea Life’s unexpected paths unfold in five films, including a paralyzed surfer’s return to the scene of his accident, a Dutch ice cream man defying Nazis and a mother accepting her neurodivergent baby.
8:15 p.m. Oct. 25; 3:35 p.m. Oct. 26; 11 a.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 1
Short Films Package 2: ‘Made for Each Other’ Collage, Catherine & Michael, Yuck!, SilverSizzle, Hearts of Stone
Five films explore the complexities of love, from museum coworkers discovering deeper connections and a long-married couple rekindling their passion to a living statue performer falling for a beautiful stone sculpture and more.
2:30 p.m. Oct. 25; 4:50 p.m. Oct. 26; 5:20 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 2
Short Films Package 3: ‘Odds and Ends’ Cantata, The Day Keeper, Wander to Wonder, The Bullfighter, L+T, À toi les oreilles
This eclectic mix of short films includes a man living his life like an opera, children’s TV
puppets surviving their puppeteer’s death and a bullfighter turned flag-waving parking attendant.
11:50 a.m. Oct. 25; 1:35 p.m. Oct. 26; 6:45 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 10
Short Films Package 4: ‘Family and Community’
Lip Virgin, Walk With Me, Beautiful Men, Bogotá Story, Saving Superman, And Granny Would Dance
Witnessing the powerful bonds between individuals and their communities through six films, including a girl’s first kiss, three bald brothers seeking hair transplants in Istanbul and an autistic superhero celebrated by a small
Chicago community.
3 p. m. Oct. 25; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26; 7:05 p.m. Oct. 27 in Theater 11
Package 5: Student Filmmaker Showcase
The Lake in the Sky, Cakewalk, Weathered, Coercion, Gone, Contracting the Cooties, When Beverly Met Reita, The Lights Above
These eight short films from K-12 and University divisions include compelling stories of teens dealing with heartbreaking loss, multigenerational wallpaperers and the possibility of alien visitors in post-Pearl Harbor California.
3:55 p.m. Oct. 26 in Theater 10
NIFF PANEL DISCUSSIONS
10 a.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, at Theater 11, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 9118 Strada Place, Unit 8205, Naples. Free. Reserved tickets available through Artis—Naples box office or artisnaples.org
Filmmaking Unscripted — Tales from the Trenches: Oct. 25. In this panel, Elaine Newton asks filmmakers to pull back the curtain on the unexpected realities of bringing cinematic visions to life. Their candid, often humorous accounts from the frontlines of indie moviemaking offer both enlightenment and entertainment.
Real to Reel: Unlocking the Cinematic Potential of True Stories: Oct. 26. In this panel, Elaine Newton sits down with visiting filmmakers to uncover their creative processes, research techniques and storytelling approaches that breathe life into these factual accounts, whether through the unvarnished lens of a documentary or the heightened drama of a narrative film.
AWARDS CEREMONY, FILM & WRAP PARTY
Awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m., film at 7:30 p.m. tickets start at $85 and include Batman in concert; available through Artis—Naples box office or artisnaples.org
The evening begins with the awards ceremony in Daniels Pavilion, where the best among these films are recognized. Attendees enjoy complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres in Norris Garden before moving to Hayes Hall for a screening of the Tim Burton-directed film Batman (1989) in concert with the Naples Philharmonic and Chief Pops Conductor Jack Everly. After the film, it’s back to Daniels Pavilion for dessert and a nightcap.
Hayes Hall will be the setting of the 1989 film Batman, in concert with the Naples Philharmonic and Chief Pops Conductor Jack Everly. Contributed
The Paper Bag Plan, playing Oct. 25-27 in Theater 8
SPORTS
SHOULD FOOTBALL TEAMS
KEEP THEIR EYES ON THE SKIES OR THE SCHEDULES?
Speaking of Sports
David Wasson
We live in the tropics. Perhaps you’ve noticed. Which means this time of year, more often than not, our paradise gets absolutely rocked by massive thunderstorms that can terrify those new to this area.
This tropical weather usually kicks in around May and shuts off like a flipped light switch around Halloween. Every afternoon, like clockwork, our skies darken menacingly and dump inches of rain along with crazy bolts of lightning, sending any and all scurrying for cover.
The weather is part of the unique charm of our home here. And it is also the bane of high school football’s existence in the entire state of Florida.
Across the country, high school football has always been played in the fall. That ain’t going to change, partially because it’s when college and pro football also are played. Few elements of American life are as calibrated to the season as football is to fall.
But because of Florida’s tropical weather, both usual and in 2024’s case more extreme, games and entire weeks of seasons often get eaten up by Mother Nature. Not a week has gone by this season without some game involving a Collier County program being delayed in some fashion by afternoon thunderstorms, with some even being cancelled. And more extreme weather can cause even more chaos, which we saw again just last week when Hurricane Milton blasted ashore near Venice. The entire Week 8 schedule got washed clean away even before Milton approached the coast, as Collier County Public Schools cancelled classes for students Monday through Thursday before the week started and then added Friday to the list during the week.
From a high school football perspective, the problem cancellations create — beyond home teams losing the ticket sales revenue that funds the rest of their school’s entire athletic programs — is that Week 8 is/was
slated for district games. Said games decide which teams make the FHSAA’s postseason tournament, and teams with any hope of a playoff future certainly don’t want to lose the opportunity to play.
You’d think that the FHSAA would have some sort of guiding hand in all this, seeing as dodging hurricanes is practically a sport unto itself in this state. But no, the state’s athletic governing body puts it back on the individual school districts to figure everything out in accordance with what’s best for the schools.
“We’re going to have inclement weather in Florida,” FHSAA executive director Craig Damon told USA Today earlier this month. “We try to stay out of it. We try to leave it up to the schools. They know their surroundings and their situations better.”
Collier County is far from alone with this problem, of course. Lee County is in the same boat, as are the counties to the north of us more affected by Milton — not to mention the Panhandle counties that got blasted by Hurricane Helene. Just applying common sense would tell you that roughly half the state’s football teams have seen or will see their schedules altered in some way by hur-
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. Friday, Oct. 25, at Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. This is a familyfriendly 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 39 Ave. NE, Naples. Enjoy Halloween festivities, including games, costume contests, prizes, bounce houses, food vendors and more. Wristbands will be distributed from 9-5 p.m. Oct. 14-17 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
Halloween Spooktacular
ricanes in 2024.
While the FHSAA is so far refusing to budge on making any adjustments to the schedule — that is mandated to play final district games on Oct. 25 and set to begin the postseason with region quarterfinal playoff games Nov. 8 — it is high time that FHSAA executive director Craig Damon and the rest of the state’s governing body seriously consider adding a “universal open date” to everyone’s schedule.
Damon proposed last December that teams play eight games in nine weeks, followed by a universal open week and then two weeks for a district playoff. The FHSAA Board of Directors balked at the idea of teams not playing district games during the season, primarily because of scheduling issues.
But the better solution is even more simple. The state currently has an open week between the state semifinals and state finals. Just eliminate that week, and create a universal Week 12 open date that can then be filled by teams across the state with any game they see canceled, whether it be a critical district game (like the ones that are likely being wedged into Week 9 here in Collier County) or a traditional rivalry game that will fill the
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 at eventbrite.com
Everglades character museum, trunk or treat
Because of Florida’s tropical weather, both usual and in 2024’s case more extreme, games and entire weeks of seasons often get eaten up by Mother Nature. Not a week has gone by this season without some game involving a Collier County program being delayed in some fashion by afternoon thunderstorms, with some even being cancelled.
coffers of the home school.
That is a simple fix, and one that wouldn’t force young athletes to play twice in a week, immediately after missing an entire week of practices due to storm preparation.
But we don’t live in a world of simple, which means eschewing player safety in the name of statewide schedule rigidity. That’s a shame, and the FHSAA is past due making good on its word of taking safety into consideration when governing sports.
Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson airs weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on Southwest Florida’s Fox Sports Radio (105.9 FM in Collier County), and streaming on FoxSportsFM.com.
Rocktoberfest at Paradise Coast
6-9 p.m. Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-27, at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd. N., Naples, Rocktoberfest brings three consecutive days of live music, German food — think bratwurst — food trucks and special bier steins to The Cove. Friday evening the popular local band Rock Republic will take the stage. Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it’s AVYA & 13 South performing. playparadisecoast.com or 239.252.4386
Plan ahead
Cocktails for a Cause
5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Artis—Naples Event Center, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Collier Resource Center, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting individuals and families with essential health and human service resources at no charge, is hosting its annual Cocktails for a Cause. The party includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, a top-shelf open bar, music, raffles and prizes. $175. collierresourcecenter.org or 239.434.2030
1-4 p.m. Saturday, 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. ages 4 and younger; 2:15 p.m. ages 5-9; 3 p.m. ages 1012. Free admission and parking.
5-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Museum of the Everglades, 105 Broadway Ave. W., Everglades City. Make hissssssstory with Everglades City’s annual Halloween Trunk-or-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 from creepy characters. Avoid the sneaky snakes and you just might win a prize! Fun for kids of all ages. Free. colliermuseums.com
Car Show seeks classics 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Florida SouthWestern State College, 7505 Grand Lely Drive, Naples. The 6th annual Rookery Bay Classic Car Show has more than 100 cars representing everything from pre-1930s antiques to icons from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, muscle cars from the ’60s and ’70s and exotic/high performance race cars from yesterday and today. The day will include food and specialty vendors, family-friendly activities and entertainment. Admission to the pet-friendly car show is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 3-12 and free for children 3 and younger. The organization is seeking cars for the show; car registration will be $35 per vehicle on event day or $25 per vehicle at rookerybay.org/carshow From page 2B
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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
WEEK 4 - Sept. 13
WEEK 5 - Sept. 20
WEEK 6 - Sept. 27
WEEK 7 - Oct. 4
WEEK 9 - Oct. 18
WEEK 10 - Oct. 25
WEEK 11 - Nov. 1
Aubrey Rogers at Palmetto Ridge 21 | 20
Cypress Lake at Riverdale 27 | 43
Bishop Verot at First Baptist Academy 34 | 28
Naples at Fort Myers 42 | 60
Lely at Naples 7:30 pm
Mariner at Cape Coral 7:30 pm
South Fort Myers at Lely 7:30 pm
WEEK 12 - Nov. 8 TBA 7:30 pm
WEEK 13 - Oct. 15 State playoff, TBA 7:30 pm
