Q: Do you know La Santa is now Kandela located at Tarpon Bay Naples? Have you written an article on the new Kandela yet? Sounds unusual to just change the name for no other reason. New owners? New management? New menus? Did the previous name belong to another company? — Josephine Scheidemann, Naples
A: La Santa Tacos & Tequila in North Naples was forced to change its name by another user of the La Santa name, said co-owner Pedro Aguirre.
“No big deal. It’s just a name,” Aguirre messaged, noting that La Santa is now Kandela Tacos & Tequila.
“La Santa has been reborn with a new name. Welcome to Kandela! Same great food, same great vibes, just a new name to spice things up,” the restaurant posted on its social media. “La Santa Tacos & Tequilas in North Naples evolved this summer by introducing a new name after much thought and inspiration.” It wasn’t exactly a light bulb moment, though; it was more like an illuminating flame. Kandela is Spanish for candle.
“The name reflects our passion for creating a vibrant, warm and unforgettable atmosphere much like the glow of a candle that lights up a room. Kandela represents our fiery dedication to exceptional Latin and Mexican cuisine and hospitality,” the restaurant posted on its social media.
A search for “La Santa” in the
Developer sells its interest in the former St. George & The Dragon property Tim Aten Knows Tim Aten See ATEN KNOWS, Page 6A Mexican restaurant
SECURITY PLANS IN PLACE FOR ELECTION DAY
By Aisling Swift
When voters head to Collier County’s 66 polling places Tuesday, they can rest assured security has been heightened in light of the national political climate.
It might not be obvious to the casual observer, but a team of staff and election volunteers will be watching to ensure no disruptions take place and to quell them if they happen.
“We have met with and are actively in touch with our partners in law enforcement,” said Collier County Elections Supervisor Melissa Blazier’s spokeswoman Trish Robertson. She declined to provide specific details, adding, “But we are in active communication, and they are a part of the response process.”
Casting your ballot
There were no incidents during the 2020 presidential election, Robertson said, but in-person turnout was comparatively low then, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Turnout has been high, and we expect high turnout to continue overall,” she said, adding that 200 people will work during early voting and 600-700 workers — possibly more — will be at polling places on Election Day.
As of Oct. 25, 53,546 county residents had already voted by mail, while 45,201 went to early voting locations to cast ballots.
Early voting continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and ends Saturday, Nov. 2; anyone with a vote-by-mail ballot must ensure they will arrive at the elections office by Election Day or deliver them in person by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5.
AUTISM CHARTER SCHOOL SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN AUGUST
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
Parents of students on the autism spectrum will have a new educational option to consider when Autism Collier Charter School opens in August of next year, following approval in early October by the Collier County Public School Board.
According to a late October press release, the K-12 charter school was approved by Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli under her “delegated authority” as part of the consent agenda for the Oct. 8 regular meeting of the school board, which was canceled as Hurricane Milton approached before making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Oct. 9.
negotiating with two existing locations that are “centrally located” and with “fantastic facilities.”
In a phone interview, Mitchell and ACCS
A location for the new school has not been announced but is expected to be revealed within the next couple of months, according to ACCS board chair Jen Mitchell, who said the board is
Principal Emily Kafle — who are co-founders of the school along with ACCS board member Stephanie Nordin — discussed goals for the new school, which they describe as a “much-needed specialized environment for students with au-
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SWFL INSIDER
Volunteer expo Nov. 12
Leadership Collier Foundation of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce is offering information on opportunities to engage in the community at its ninth annual Get Involved Collier! Volunteer Expo. Nonprofit and government agencies within Collier County that have needs for board members, committee members or general volunteer needs will have exhibitor tables, and guests are invited to network with representatives from these organizations. The event is 3-6 p.m. Nov. 12 at Coastland Center, 1900 Tamiami Trail N. The expo, which features around 40 different organizations seeking volunteers, will be located just outside Starbucks and Forever 21.
CCF accepting applications
Collier Community Foundation is accepting scholarship applications through Feb. 5. Scholarships are available for individuals with various backgrounds, grade point averages, areas of study and levels of education. By completing an online application, applicants may be considered for more than 70 opportunities for scholarships, which will be awarded for use in the 2025-2026 academic year.
Drainpipe replacement set to begin
City of Marco Island will be replacing the storm drainpipe on Bald Eagle Drive near Hartley Street Oct. 29. The project is expected to last two weeks, city officials said. Following the project, the road will be repaved in mid-December. The city’s Management of Traffic Plan shows a lane closure on Bald Eagle Drive during construction, and there will be flagmen directing traffic. Tallwood Drive is an alternate route that can be used to avoid the construction area. The crew will work 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays.
Test clears Collier beaches
Tests taken after Hurricane Milton show that there is no increased risk of illness from swimming at this time at all Collier County beaches, county Department of Health officials announced. Tests completed Oct. 21 indicate that the water quality shows an acceptable level of Enterococcus bacteria established by state guidelines.
Foundation awards nearly $200,000
Education Foundation of Collier County — Champions for Learning surprised Collier County educators with funded classroom grants. Champions For Learning awarded 185 individual educators with 287 classroom grants totaling $195,685 to 62 schools in the county. Champions for
Learning’s Classroom Grants program provides educators with funding for supplies, school-wide projects, classroom items and enrichment activities, projects or programs not included in the school’s budget.
DeSantis reappoints Price
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the reappointment of Naples resident Gary Price to the Florida Achieving a Better Life Experience board of directors. Signed into law in 2015, the ABLE Act authorized states to create tax-free savings and investment options for individuals with disabilities without affecting an individual’s eligibility for federal benefit programs. An ABLE United account gives Floridians with a disability a tax-free way to save, without losing public benefits. Price, a former Naples City Council member, is the owner and partner of Fifth Avenue Family Office Financial Consulting. He was appointed to the Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council by Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
Naples commercial space sells for $2.5 million Non-Prosp LLC, Investment Property Exchange Services Inc. and RCCProsp LLC purchased 12,600 square feet of commercial space at 3400 Prospect Ave. in Naples from Marine Technician Inc. for $2.5 million. Clint L. Sherwood, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp., represented the buyer, and Patty McClimans of SVC Commercial Partners represented the seller.
St. Matthew’s House receives $20k grant St. Matthew’s House has received a $20,000 grant from Collier Community Foundation to help support St. Matthew’s House food assistance programs. The nonprofit provides faith-based innovative solutions to help those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity and addiction. Its food assistance programs include a Community Choice Pantry at its Food and Emergency Assistance Warehouse in East Naples where individuals and families experiencing food insecurity receive personalized assistance and can make their own food selections from various nutritious options, including fresh produce, proteins and whole grains.
Shy Wolf Sanctuary raises $18,000 Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center raised more than $18,000 at the fourth annual Shy Wolf Scramble golf event Sept. 28 at Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club in Collier County. The
funds will directly support Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s efforts to provide rescue and care for, and education about, exotic animals that have been neglected or abandoned and cannot be released into the wild.
Naples man wins Season 13 of ‘The Blox’ Joe Nugent, owner of Naples-based Joe the Home Pro Home Inspections, emerged as the $10,000 grand prize winner of Season 13 of “The Blox,” a competition show that challenges entrepreneurs from startups and businesses across the country. The show was created and is hosted by Wes Bergmann, an entrepreneur, producer, actor and reality television star. Since the show’s conclusion, Nugent has joined “The Blox” graduate program, which offers continuing education and networking through alumni events. He recently attended an exclusive mastermind meeting with Bergmann and fellow Bloxers, and also is being considered to serve as a judge on future seasons of the show.
Visual Comfort & Co. opens showroom
Visual Comfort & Co., a resource for decorative and architectural lighting and ceiling fans, opened a 4,000-square-foot showroom at 82 Ninth St. S., Suite 105, Naples. It showcases various lighting in every category and style, including design partner collections such as Aerin, Kate Spade New York and Kelly Wearstler. It also has a state-of-the-art demonstration area with options for downlighting, cove lighting and other light layers. Visual Comfort & Co. has more than 50 showrooms across the U.S. and U.K. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays.
Junior Achievement receives $5K grant
Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation to support the 2-5-8-Graduate initiative. This funding will enhance Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s educational programs for Lee County and Collier County students, focusing on second, fifth, eighth and 11th graders. The 2-5-8-Graduate initiative delivers engaging Junior Achievement lessons that cover essential topics, such as how communities function, entrepreneurship, the free market economy, personal finance skills and preparation for future careers. This grant will enable Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida to continue implementing programs that provide measurable results in the community while addressing local educational needs.
COLLIER NOW
BUSINESSES ARE RETHINKING STRATEGIES BEYOND SOCIAL FEEDS
Lush did not mince words when expressing its distaste for social media before the global cosmetics brand departed from popular platforms in November 2021. It even published a report with stats on how social media can negatively affect mental health, especially for young users.
Other big-name businesses also have left or limited their presences on social media, including outdoor clothing company Patagonia, which stopped paid Facebook advertising in 2020, and Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta, which deleted its social media accounts to focus on more exclusive, word-of-mouth marketing.
Some small business owners have fol-
lowed suit, with one CEO publishing an article on Entrepreneur titled “Social Media Was Draining Me, So I Gave It Up. My Business Has Never Been Stronger.” (However, this business has since rejoined the digital realm.)
Marketers surveyed for the 2022 Sprout Social Index cited challenges in hiring experienced social media talent, proving return of investment from using digital platforms,
COLLIER ENDURES MORE THAN $280M DAMAGE
Collier — and rebuilding is ongoing.
Costs are still rising after Hurricane Milton caused more than $280 million in damage to residential and commercial properties and government infrastructure in Collier County.
That number doesn’t include ongoing costs involving infrastructure, stormwater management, maintenance and property cleanout, county Emergency Management
Director Dan Summers told the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 22 as he laid out the Growth Management Department’s rapid assessment of the Oct. 9 hurricane.
“I’ve never seen a storm event with this much tornadic activity,” Summers said of Milton, which made landfall with 120 mph winds as a Category 3 storm more than 150 miles north of Collier in Siesta Key in Sarasota County.
Winds reached 60 mph in Collier and the highest storm tide in Naples reached 5.8 feet, which paled in comparison to Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, whose heavy rains and storm surge caused $2.2 billion in damage to
Summers provided commissioners with an after-action summary of the impact, noting Collier received about 48,000 gallons of fuel from the state at no charge through SeaPort Manatee, most trucked in from Louisiana and Alabama. During power outages and fluctuations, that fuel was used at the county’s lift stations, plants and shelters, where about 2,900 people stayed.
“Port Manatee became quite congested, and deliveries got backed up,” Summers said, praising the state because Collier never ran out of fuel.
SeaPort Manatee is Southwest Florida’s primary deep-water seaport and receives fuel, produce, appliances, construction materials and wood for distribution across Southwest Florida and the Southeast. Initial assessments indicated $225 million in losses at SeaPort Manatee, and on Oct. 14, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the facility would receive $9.5 million to jumpstart its recovery and help repair infrastructure.
Summers thanked commissioners for declaring a state of emergency Oct. 7, which
These reasons — paired with privacy concerns, regulatory issues, changing audience behavior and ever-evolving algorithms — can madden business owners trying to keep up. However, Peggy Wilson, president and CEO of Naples-based Wilson Creative
By Aisling Swift
A New York investor has purchased Aspen, Colorado-based M Development’s interest in developing the former St. George & The Dragon property into luxury condominiums, boutique shops and restaurants, but the project team will continue to guide the Naples project.
Now called The Avenue, the project spanning 4.3 acres on nearly two city blocks on Fifth Avenue South will be developed by Andy Penev, previously M Development’s head of development. New York-based JSB Capital Group has been the investor since the properties were purchased by 5th Avenue South Holdings LP for $43.5 million in 2021.
“More enchanting charm will be found in Naples with this development,” Mayor Teresa Heitmann said of the project proceeding to construction and sales early next year.
The team that shepherded the project through numerous Naples approval processes will remain the same, and includes MHK Architecture & Planning, New York Citybased Morris Adjmi Architects, Architectural Land Design of Naples and Miami-based L&ND landscape design. The developer hired The Dawn McKenna Group, which has offices in Naples and four states, to head sales and marketing efforts. Preconstruction sales ranging from less than $3 million to $8 million will begin in January — before construction starts early next year.
“The Dawn McKenna Group’s intimate knowledge of the Naples market and unparalleled success selling some of the finest addresses in the nation makes them uniquely qualified to introduce The Avenue,” Penev said. “Their proven track record and extensive contacts are invaluable assets to our team.”
The announcement came Oct. 23, the day Naples’ Design Review Board unanimously approved final design plans, allowing the developer to apply for building permits. No further City Council approval is required for the settlement, but the
HURRICANE MILTON
By Melanie Pagan
By Aisling Swift
From page 3A
Bayshore Warehouse opens
Model Vivian Ball is painted by Jo Mangieri in front of one of her paintings. It was part of a VIP preview of Bayshore Warehouse, the newest venue in the Bayshore District. Bayshore Warehouse is home to Bayshore Studios and The Matt. It was founded to establish a creative and professional business environment and high-end production facilities under one roof.
FAR LEFT: Artist Nathalie Garbani holds up one of her sculptures.
LEFT: Bayshore Warehouse owner Diane Sullivan and artist Carmelo Blandino
DRB will review preliminary plans for the remainder of the project on the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue South in November.
The changes to the team come four months after the city settled a lawsuit with 5th Avenue South Holdings that accused Naples of hindering M Development’s project. The lawsuit was filed last December, three months after City Council voted to halt plans for underground garages due to flooding concerns after Hurricane Ian. M Development planned two underground garages and branded that decision an illegal moratorium that prevented administrative staff approvals, including its pending plans. But the city’s attempts to halt the project were preempted by a state law prohibiting municipalities from imposing stricter post-hurricane building standards until October 2026.
The settlement was formalized Oct. 16, when City Council approved new boundaries for the development. The agreement dropped plans for underground parking and big-box retailers, reduced size and intensity, improved traffic circulation and agreed that alleyways and rights of way won’t be vacated — allowing them to be used for utilities and a tree-shaded pedestrian shopping walkway.
The high-end mixed-use project will be built near Four Corners, where U.S. 41 meets Fifth Avenue South; considered the gateway to downtown Naples. The site spans the former restaurant property at 936 Fifth Ave. S. and extends through several other parcels bounded by Sixth Avenue South and Ninth and Eleventh streets. Two floors of luxury condominiums will sit atop 75,000 square feet of boutique shops, restaurants and commercial uses on lushly landscaped open-air walkways that are planned to resemble old European streets. A ground-floor garage will accommodate residents and commercial uses.
Homes will range from two to four bedrooms, with amenities ranging from rooftop pools to state-ofthe-art fitness centers and club rooms tailored for co-working and social gatherings. Other amenities will include a doorman, on-site management and concierge services to coordinate home watch, shuttle service, electric Moke America Naples Beach House Cruisers, outdoor activities, theater reservations, personal training, grocery delivery and home setup assistance.
ABOVE:
Photos by Liz Gorman
REFERENDUM AIMS TO AID TEACHER PAY HIKE, PREVENT RAISING TAXES
By John Guerra
The Collier County School District says it is asking voters to help give teachers a raise — without raising taxes.
An early 2024 survey of district employees showed 64% fear that high housing costs would force them to look for jobs elsewhere. Some 45% said high mortgages and rent would rob them of stable housing.
School Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli and the school board believed the answer was to give teachers a meaningful pay hike. After the school year started with a shortage of 79 teachers in August, the county in September
struck a deal with the Collier County Education Association to provide more than $24 million in salary and benefit increases for teachers, said Chad Oliver, the district’s chief communication officer.
Unlike school districts in 44 of Florida’s 67 counties, Collier’s school district did not want to ask voters for a tax increase to give teachers that meaningful pay hike, said Lisa Morse, the district’s director of community engagement and district initiatives.
Instead, Ricciardelli and the school board hope voters will approve a “tax-neutral flexible funding” referendum to pay for this year’s 11.7% pay raise.
To avoid asking voters for a tax increase,
Collier County schools rely on what it calls “tax-neutral flexible funding” — the act of transferring money from the district’s capital budget, which can only be spent on new construction, maintenance, paying off the district’s debt and like items, to the district’s operational budget, which can be used to pay teacher salaries.
The school district, however, must have the public’s permission to take from one bucket and add to the other. That’s why Ricciardelli — with the unanimous support of the board of education and county commission — is hoping voters approve a referendum on Nov. 5 that gives the district permission to reduce ad valorem taxes by as much as .35 mills in the capi-
tal budget and add up to .35 mills of ad valorem taxes to the operating budget.
“Salary increases are conditional on the referendum for helping that happen,” Morse told The Naples Press. “The salary increases for the teachers don’t happen in the next four years without this passing.”
A similar referendum in November 2023 helped pay for $26 million in raises for teachers and staff, an approximate 13% increase when salary supplements are included, Oliver said. Morse told the Collier County School Board in April that it doesn’t have to use the entire amount, but .35 mills is the limit.
TWO ESTABLISHMENTS REOPEN AFTER UNEXPECTED CLOSINGS EARLIER IN YEAR
By Tim Aten
tim.aten@naplespress.com
Two Naples hospitality venues reopened Oct. 25 after they were forced to temporarily close unexpectedly earlier this year.
La Trattoria
Three months after nine people were injured when La Trattoria’s ceiling partially collapsed during Sunday dinner service this summer, the downtown Naples restaurant near Four Corners on Fifth Avenue South reopened with Prosecco and pizza.
“We closed, we fixed all of the problems and we’re back stronger than before,” said Massimiliano “Massi” Tonni, managing partner of La Trattoria. “A big shoutout to all the people who worked on the job and did an amazing job and replaced everything — because two months ago, even one month ago, this place was completely upside-down. Everybody did an amazing job to bring back everything as it was supposed to be.”
Falling ceiling boards used as decorative beams struck and injured nine people in the restaurant on July 28. The restaurant closed during August, September and most of October — among the slowest months for local restaurants in the seasonal Naples market. During that hiatus, the restaurant made modifications to make everything secure and safe, but the style of the 3,300-square-foot restaurant is the same, Tonni said.
“We improved things to work better to get better service to the customers,” he said. “We took those three months to fix minor little problems and the major one from the drop ceiling since we had that unfortunate event.”
Tonni declined to give a dollar figure on what the La Trattoria tragedy cost the restaurant group.
“Insurance is taking care of everything, even for the people that got injured, of course, so I really don’t know,” Tonni said. “It’s an estimate I really don’t know.”
La Trattoria was able to retain its “family” of 40 employees during the unexpected leave.
“Our staff waited for us, so we’re very happy about it,” Tonni said. “That’s the first thing I’m proud of, because they stayed and I’m super happy about it.” Expect the same menu of pizzas, pasta, entrees, risotto, salads, soups, appetizers and desserts.
“We improved the cocktails menu and wine list,” he said. “But the food is going to be the same, actually even better. We changed
a machine in the kitchen, too. So, we improved all our pizza, homemade pasta, homemade bread and everything that is supposed to be
Italian and we try to make as best as possible.”
South Florida restaurateur Stefano Frittella is behind La Trattoria, as well as a collection of other downtown Naples restaurants: The Bevy, Bice, Caffè Milano and Vergina.
In September 2017, Kitchen replaced the Mangrove Cafe, a restaurant that operated for 25 years. The Kitchen concept of American cuisine ended after a year, and the same owners rebranded it to La Trattoria in December 2018, retaining its bright yellow awnings and umbrellas but reverting it to a Neapolitan-style pizzeria and birreria with red-checkered tablecloths.
La Trattoria, 878 Fifth Ave. S., is open 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The Alley
After operating for only five days in January, things got rough for The Alley, a small venue that is part of The District, which also includes The Mini Bar and Staff Only at 1200 Central Ave. in Naples.
“It was a long time coming. I think it’s one of those things that’s worth the wait,” said Christopher Shucart, who co-owns the CMC Hospitality venture with Marty Kenney and Christopher Lee.
Their application seeking revisions to the approved outdoor dining concept to allow indoor dining at The Alley opened a can of worms that wasn’t resolved un-
til a City Council meeting in September. The Alley finally reopened nearly 10 months after its initial launch early this year.
Inspired by a New York City alley with street food and a variety of intoxicating beverages, The Alley veers from sophisticated Naples with a dark, urban space that connects to The District’s outdoor seating. Its faux-grungy look is achieved with exposed brick walls, a bar behind a chain-link fence and a community table made from a graffiti-covered Dumpster. Overhead is a fire escape, a laundry line with tighty-whities and strategically placed plastic pigeons.
“It’s just such a unique concept and such an extreme theme throughout the entire room. Literally from top to bottom there’s things round every corner,” Shucart said.
A fake ATM on the wall has a QR code that can be scanned to control the music in the room. An old pay phone in the corner has a recorded message for adults only.
“The unique part is that we’re serving food until one o’clock. There’s not many places around that you have an option to go in and have some food late at night,” Shucart said. “We’re doing service industry nights Sunday and Wednesday.”
The menu includes a trio of tacos: chicken, al pastor and blackened mahi mahi; and a quartet of sliders: barbecue pork, fried chicken, pimento smash burger and fried mahi. Snacks include a huge soft pretzel, a nachos board and guacamole with tortilla chips.
“Our drinks are throwback, too,” Shucart said.
For instance, The Big Lebowski cocktail with vodka, Kahlúa and cream is fit for the Dude. The beer case behind the bar includes somewhat dubious libations such as Colt 45, Sweetwater 420 and Pabst Blue Ribbon.
“All of our beers are served in a paper bag,” Shucart said.
The city also took issue with external signage for the various parts of the business in the Naples Design District, so now the entire business is simply called The District. The Kitchen name was retired, but its space still serves as the kitchen for the other concepts.
“We tried to simplify it a little bit,” Shucart said. “I like it. I think The District is a great name anyway. I think it worked out good. It’s one of those things that something good happened out of it.”
A grand opening sign helps celebrate the re-opening of La Trattoria on Fifth Avenue South in Naples. Photos by Liz Gorman
COLLIER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The interior of The Alley, part of The District, on Central Avenue in Naples.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database shows a registered trademark for La Santa Taqueria by Chef Omi — a food truck by Omar Montero that became a restaurant in Miami— that was filed in April 2019 and registered in January 2021. The database also shows an active issued trademark for La Santa Modern Mexican in Raleigh, North Carolina. The North Carolina restaurant and bar filed its trademark application in May 2021 and was registered in August 2023.
La Santa, Spanish for “The Saint,” clearly is a popular name. La Santa Mexican Food & Drink is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and La Santa Mexican Cuisine is in Washington state. La Santa Tacos & Bar also reportedly is coming to Atlanta.
In late 2021, the North Naples La Santa moved into the 4,796-square-foot space where Fuzzy’s Taco Shop closed in March 2020 after operating for more than three years in the retail center anchored by SuperTarget on Immokalee Road just east of Interstate 75.
Aguirre’s original location of La Santa Tacos & Tequilas in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, can remain operating with the La Santa name because it’s grandfathered, he said. That initial upscale, casual dining concept opened in 2018.
More pizza
Another pizzeria is opening soon nearby in Piper’s Crossing, where Airport-Pulling Road ends at Immokalee Road in North Naples.
Rosati’s Pizza is the third pizzeria at 1201 Piper Blvd., Suite 17. The longtime restaurant space also formerly was home to Pizzata Pizzeria + Apertivo and Mangino’s Pizza Bar. Pizzata closed this summer after replacing Mangino’s in 2022.
Paul Miller and his son, Paul Jr., who are from Chicago but have lived in Naples for a decade, are the owners of the new local fran-
chise for Rosati’s. It’s the second location for Rosati’s in Naples; the other has operated at 818 Neapolitan Way since May 2015.
The Millers always enjoyed Rosati’s when in Chicagoland. “My son just had a graduation party [this spring] and we got Rosati’s from the one on Neapolitan,” he said. “We miss that Chicago-style pizza and beefs and everything that we can’t get here easily.”
Although Chi-town is best known for its deep-dish pizza, Miller likes Chicago thincrust pies the best. Rosati’s has both, of course.
“The one called the Windy City is my favorite one,” he said.
The Windy City Pizza, a thin-crust specialty pizza, features gourmet Italian sausage, fresh garlic, onion and Rosati’s hot giardiniera, a medley of chopped vegetables pickled in vinegar and marinated in olive oil.
In addition to pizza, Rosati’s menu features pasta, calzones, sandwiches, wings, appetizers and salads. Specialties include bitesized pizza dough nuggets in garlic sauce; and the Cheef, Italian beef on Italian bread with mozzarella cheese melted on top. Desserts include cannolis, tiramisu and zeppoli, bite-sized pieces of crispy dough tossed in powdered sugar and paired with Nutella hazelnut spread.
The pizzeria chain, which began in a Chicago suburb in 1964, celebrated its 60th anniversary this fall. What started as a family pizza shop in Mount Prospect grew into a national chain with 225 restaurants in a dozen states. More than 30 are owned still by the Rosati family.
Although previous pizzerias have closed at the Piper’s Crossing location, Miller believes the national franchise can succeed there. “Rosati’s has over 200 locations. The support behind it is huge,” he said.
After his first two offers weren’t successful, the third time was a charm for Miller, who bought the previous business through an asset sale and assumed the lease. He has a five-year lease with a five-year option to renew, he said.
The Millers started the interior demolition of the space in June. “Just front-ofhouse changes. We’re putting up a couple of walls, new floor, just moving some things around,” he said.
In addition to walling off the open kitchen, the new owners installed a new pizza oven.
Although Miller previously had a vending company, this is his first time owning a restaurant.
“This is actually going to be more about my son than me,” he said. “He just graduated high school, and he wants to just start making money. So, that’s what this venture is about.”
Paul Miller Jr. graduated this spring from Barron Collier High School.
In addition to the Rosati’s locations in Naples and North Naples, the chain has restaurants at Corkscrew Village in Estero and on Daniels Parkway in south Fort Myers. Two other locations in Lee County recently closed: Rosati’s Pizza Sports Pub permanently closed June 6 after its 10-year lease was not renewed in Shops at Jamaica Bay in south Fort Myers, and Rosati’s in Bonita Springs shuttered last year.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.
Photos by Tim Aten
Staff and volunteers will ensure that those campaigning outside — and campaign signs — are at least 150 feet away from polling places.
Safe and secure
“We work closely with the Supervisor of Elections and our fellow first responders leading up to every election, and we have comprehensive plans in place for polling place safety,” said Collier County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karie Partington.
Those plans include Marco Island and Naples Police departments. Naples Police Lt. Brian McGinn, the department’s spokesman, noted his department and the sheriff’s office have a long history of collaborating, and the safety of the electoral process is no different.
“Naples PD and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office have been working closely together to ensure the safety of all throughout this election time — but specifically prior to, during and post-election, we will be staffed and prepared to respond to any eventuality,” McGinn added.
Before polls open on Election Day, bipartisan teams of election workers will verify that all equipment is locked and seal numbers are intact and accurate, according to Blazier. All sensitive election materials and equipment are kept secure until they’re deployed for voting,
only authorized staffers have access to machines, equipment and ballots.
Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., when voting occurs, voting machines, ballots, transport bags and other equipment are kept secure in plain sight, monitored by election workers.
In addition, the federal Department of Homeland Security — through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — provides services that state and local election officials use to minimize cybercrimes and physical risks to election systems and facilities. To prevent unauthorized access, elections offices use state-of-the-art hardware and software to monitor and secure networks — and the voting system is not connected to the internet.
The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, a national nonpartisan organization that provides guidance to election offices on how to handle disruptions and improve security plans, warns that some disruptors will provoke staff, volunteers or voters by taking videos to post because it can be a “significant source of income.”
The Committee recommended a plan that includes being prepared to pacify angry visitors by engaging in a calm and respectful manner; protecting staff, voters and operational integrity; and being transparent with the public by sharing information. All elections procedures are open to the public, which is welcome to watch the Collier County Canvassing Board check provisional, international and uncertain ballots after the elections
Collier County has 264,856 registered voters. There are 142,599 registered Republicans, compared with 53,660 Democrats and 68,597 others. But many residents switched parties leading up to the August primary and upcoming Election Day.
From Jan. 1 through the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline, 8,276 voters switched to 16 various parties, including non-party affiliation (NPA), and five others who changed and were marked “unknown.”
PARTY SHUFFLE
Among those switching:
• 3,984 switched to the Republican Party
• 1,463 joined the Democratic Party
• 1,537 registered as NPA
• 794 became joined the Independent Party of Florida
Democrats:
• 152 switched to Independent
• 584 became NPA
• 1,316 registered as Republicans Republicans:
• 562 became Democrats • 205 switched to the Independent Party • 767 converted to NPA
NPAs: • 2,424 switched to the Republican Party • 810 joined the Democratic Party
the
Al Monbaron ensures each voting booth has the proper supplies in preparation for early voting at the Norris Center.
Photo by Liz Gorman
From page 1A
tism.”
ACCS, like all charter schools in the county, is “sponsored” by the Collier County school district with the state. It enters into a contract with the district and pays an administrative fee that partially pays for the district staffers who help support charters.
The new charter school will be the only tuition-free public option in Collier County — aside from enrollment in a traditional public school — for students on the autism spectrum. Able Academy is a private school option charging tuition for grades K-12, along with clinics including Mindful Masterpieces, also K-12, and Stepping Stones, which covers only elementary grades.
Mitchell said the goal of ACCS is to provide a safe, nurturing and innovative environment for the students, which will include those with significant behavioral challenges.
“They are then empowered, and their families are empowered, to experience growth and reach their full potential in all areas,” she said.
Kafle, who was previously the director of special education for Collier County Public Schools for more than five years, said the ACCS operating budget for year one will be $2.8 million, which comes from the Florida Department of Education and is “passed through” CCPS.
She said enrollment for year one will be around 65 students, with plans to double that by year two before reaching maximum enrollment of 300 in year four. There are currently more than 7,500 students with special needs, including autism, enrolled in
Collier County public schools.
Kafle said ACCS is meant to be not just a school, but a support system for both students and their families that will include extracurricular activities and other opportunities for entire families to be involved.
“We’re hoping for our students to experience growth in all areas — academic, social, emotional, behavioral communication — while really honing in on that family aspect so it’s not just for the students but for their families,” she said. “We’re excited to also offer before- and after-school care, which is something that’s not available for our kids with significant disabilities in the public school system.”
Mitchell, a former Collier County school board member, said she hopes CCPS will see ACCS as a “partner” in the district’s work to help meet the needs of all students.
“They [CCPS] do a fantastic job addressing
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their special needs population, but what we found is that when you really target that very specific audience, you can really improve outcomes for those students,” Mitchell said. “We hope that the district will see us as a partner helping to take some things off their plate and allow them to continue to do the great work they’re doing while we provide a very targeted and innovative model at our school.”
Mitchell said the plans for ACCS had been in development for “about 18 months to two years,” and were inspired by the South Florida Autism Charter School in Miami-Dade County.
Kafle added that as the plans developed, it was important to the founders that the school be a charter and not a private school.
“The reason that going the charter route was important to us is that it’s tuition-free, so parents do not have to pay for it,” Kafle said. “It also guarantees highly qualified teachers. In private schools, teachers don’t necessarily have to have state certification or even a degree in education. Being a public charter guarantees that our teachers are certified, and also ensures that students are instructed in state standards.”
Kafle said ACCS will have Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) principles in place and will have “high expectations and rigor” when it comes to academics, with parents and students protected by state and federal regulations including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, “and that was really important to us.”
She said the ratio of teachers to students will be three to one, with one teacher and two educational assistants per classroom of nine students. Grades will include K-12, but Florida law allows a transition phase so that students with disabilities can defer their diploma to access public education ages 18 through 22.
On the governance side, the current ACCS board was selected “because of their work in the special needs community,” according to Mitchell. In addition to Mitchell, Nordin and Kafle, the board includes Gary Price, vice chair; Marc Shapiro; Pia Myers-Wolfe, M.D.; and Denyse Murphy. Board members can
From page 5A
REFERENDUM
The voters approved a similar referendum in 2020, which allowed the district to transfer $36.7 million into the operating budget for salaries and benefits for teachers, compensation and benefits for staff, instructional materials, athletics, arts and insurance for school sites.
Should voters approve the referendum in November and the school board use all .35 mills, the district should realize an estimated $266 million in additional operating funding between 2025 and 2029, according to a prospectus Oliver sent to stakeholders.
The roughly 30% of voters who have voted against similar referendums in past years may worry that taking money from the capital budget would make less money available for construction, roof replacements and other building maintenance for the district’s 60-plus schools. They could worry the district would
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serve three four-year terms.
CCPS board chair Kelly Mason — who is also the founder and volunteer head of another charter school, Mason Classical Academy — said in a phone interview that as a proponent of school choice she was very supportive of the ACCS application, “because at the end of the day, these are all our students.
“I do like the idea that there are options available for families,” Mason said. “This could be a really great option for certain families, and the idea is that charter schools, per statute, are supposed to be innovative and different. Hopefully this school offers something that they can’t get in the district schools, but they can get it here.”
Asked how important this educational option will be for students on the autism spectrum, CCPS Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli said in a written response that the ACCS charter application noted that while Collier County boasts excellent schools and strong support for students with disabilities, the charter school will provide another choice for parents “specifically tailored to the needs of students with significant autism and their families.”
“As an educator who started my career working with students with disabilities, I understand the unique needs of students with significant cognitive, motor and behavioral challenges,” Ricciardelli said. “I support any program with the ability to provide children with the opportunity to meet their full potential both academically and socially.”
Ricciardelli said the school will extend its reach beyond Collier County to serve surrounding areas, including Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte counties, with enrollment open to students from any Florida county.
have to go into debt to build new schools.
“That is one concern we have heard when we brief the community,” Oliver said. “The school board does not have to use the full .35 mills. It can adjust that when it needs to spend more money on capital projects. We don’t have to go into debt.”
In fact, Oliver said, the district built Aubrey Rogers High School and is building Bear Creek Elementary School and the future Elementary Q in Ave Maria without borrowing.
“We built them with cash, no new debt,” he said. “We now have a debt service of $37- $40 million on our capital fund. We will pay that down by 2027.”
Meanwhile, the September pay increases may have reduced some teachers’ housing worries.
12th Annual
“If we can have a higher salary, then it allows us to be able to afford living here — and we don’t want to lose teachers, so this is a way of keeping them in the county, which I think is really important,” kindergarten teacher Angel Rafaloff told WINK News in September.
12th Annual
12th Annual
Carlton Lakes Craft Fair
Carlton Lakes Craft Fair
Beautiful gifts handcrafted by local artisans
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Carlton Lakes Craft Fair
Beautiful gifts handcrafted by local artisans
Time: 9 am -2 pm
Beautiful gifts handcrafted by local artisans
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Time: 9 am - 2 pm
Shop for those unique gifts while enjoying a Coffee and Breakfast, or a Cold Drink and a Sandwich
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Shop for those unique gifts while enjoying a Coffee and Breakfast, or a Cold Drink and a Sandwich
Time: 9 am -2 pm
Food provided by: Breakfast: 7:30 - 9:30 am by the Brunchy Bunch
Shop for those unique gifts while enjoying a Coffee and Breakfast, or a Cold Drink and a Sandwich
Food provided by: Breakfast: 7:30 - 9:30 am by the Brunchy Bunch
Food Provided by: Breakfast: 7:30 am - 9:30 am by the Brunchy Bunch
Lunch: 11:00 - 1:00 pm by Juanchitos Grill
Lunch: 11:00 - 1:00 pm by Juanchitos Grill
Carlton Lakes Clubhouse
Carlton Lakes Clubhouse
5500 Carlton Lakes Blvd. Naples, Florida 34110
5500 Carlton Lakes Blvd. Naples, Florida 34110
Lunch: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm by Juanchitos Grill Carlton Lakes Clubhouse 5500 Carlton Lakes Blvd. Naples, Florida 34110
Kelly Mason
Leslie Ricciardelli
Jen Mitchell
Emily Kafle
Jen Mitchell, co-founder and ACCS board chair; Stephanie Nordin, co-founder, ACCS board member; Emily Kafle, co-founder and ACCS principal. Contributed photo
Finale Performance
Unveiling event
Gulfshore Playhouse Grand Akin Lobby
Ribbon Cutting — Glenda & Rich Struthers, Jane Akin, Sandi Moran, Kristen Coury, Tom Moran, Patty & Jay Baker
RIGHT: LaChanze
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From page 3A
allows states to receive federal support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for life-saving activities and other emergency protective measures, such as evacuations, sheltering and search and rescue.
Power outages hit 85% of service areas, and salt water interacting with electrified aluminum and copper is still causing outages and fluctuations, Summers said, noting Florida Power & Light and Lee County Electric Cooperative continue to rinse circuit breakers. But, he said, that can cause power outages, or a tree leaning on a pole can cause a phase to drop out, so mitigation strategies are addressing the situation.
Many supermarkets and retailers, including Publix, Sam’s Club, Costco and Wawa, were able to reopen quickly because they had generators, he said, and hospitals also fared well. He noted the county’s water and wastewater facilities experienced no problems.
“We know that these hurricane events continue to impact lives and folks are in various stages of recovery, and we’re sensitive to that,” Summers said, adding that Collier treats recovery like a marathon. “The response is one thing; recovery is quite another, and we’re working really hard to make sure that every program and resource is leveraged.”
The county sent out 21 press releases and wrote 331 social media posts, which garnered 2.5 million views; the county’s storm response webpage had 593,000 visitors; and the county’s 311 line, which is tailored to lessen 911 calls, received 2,234 calls. Summers noted that only 5% of 713,576 residents who
received emergency calls, emails and text messages through Alert Collier’s warning system acknowledged receipt, so their alerts continued.
“I understand they get a little annoying, but … we want those people to say, ‘Hey, not only did I get it, I acknowledged it,’” Summers said, noting that county officials feel better knowing they received the alert.
Commission Chair Chris Hall said residents probably didn’t know they should respond, so the county needs to get that message out, so
Group, said that’s not completely the case for the Collier County clients she and her team serve.
“Influencers have found Naples and are promoting Naples,” Wilson said. “While other urban centers and larger metropolitan areas are seeing that go down, some of our clients are still ramping up and enjoying the ride.”
While social media users may be uncovering the city’s appeal to a company’s advantage, Wilson said she has noticed engagement waning due to “all the distractions and noise among different platforms.”
To combat that, “we are trying to stay true to each client’s brand as much as we can,” she said.
Authentic, non-promotional content is the No. 1 thing social media users say they don’t see enough of from brands on social, according to the more recent 2023 Sprout Social Media Index Report. The report states that 38% of those surveyed said they prioritize original content over following trending topics.
It can prove time-consuming for businesses to meet those needs.
“It creates a great deal of work on our part to make sure we’re not falling victim to trends or any latest gimmicks to get the ‘likes,’” Wilson said.
Furthermore, 51% of consumers said the most memorable brands on social media are the ones that respond to customers, with 30% craving same-day interactions.
These stats may bring businesses back to the question: How much time do they really want to spend on social media to create satisfied customers?
To those who might answer “not a lot,” Wilson said WCG asks Collier County clients to create a greater sense of community through intimate gatherings and events, such as participating in nonprofit work and civic opportunities.
“Maintain a genuine and authentic connection with the community through those
residents don’t treat it like “the boy that cried wolf” during repeated tornado warnings. “Tornadoes can come on you in a heartbeat,” Hall said of the 18 tornado warnings confirmed by radar. “… You need to be prepared.”
Summers said Disaster Ready Collier, a nonprofit incorporated in February, is communicating with more than 300 faith-based nonprofit groups to provide supply needs for residents; they can also register with FEMA through its app or 800 number. If residents need
non-promotional content is the No. 1 thing social media users say they don't see enough of from brands on social, according to the more recent 2023 Sprout Social Media Index Report.
outlets and, of course, grow your personality. That expression should be delivered through e-blasts, letters and in-person dialogue,” she said.
For those holding tight to their online presence, Wilson said to make oneself consistently and effectively discoverable by providing insight into who one is, what services are offered and the experience customers can expect.
For example, “our [real estate] clients know they’re not going to sell a $5 million home because of a social media post,” Wilson said. “We amplify their voice [on social media] because we know folks will go there for credibility and another source of information.”
Whether a Naples-based business hires a marketing team to handle its social media, scales back or opts out altogether, it can still benefit from the community’s opportunities for close-knit connections.
“We’re not buying things; we’re buying that experience,” Wilson said about consumers purchasing from brands. “That experience doesn’t necessarily come through things — it comes through the people surrounding you, and that’s what a sense of community provides.”
help finding resources, he said, they can call 311 and county employees will assist.
“If FEMA calls you or sends you a letter, respond immediately,” he said, adding that inspectors are on a timeline to provide assistance.
It’s uncertain when the county will open a federal Disaster Recovery Center, but Collier expects to hear from FEMA soon, Summers said, noting FEMA set up a webpage to dispel numerous rumors.
Commissioner Rick LoCastro said he was “bombarded” with
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! From page 3A
emails by residents in his district complaining that he was the worst commissioner because there are no emergency shelters in his district, which covers East Naples, Marco Island, Goodland, Isles of Capri and Port of the Islands. He suggested Collier publicize why schools in the top evacuation zone can’t be used. He also recommended purchasing generators to back up traffic lights, something County Manager Amy Patterson said can be done once the county receives state and federal disaster funds.
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!
Naples' Tin City found itself inundated with floodwaters, a part of Hurricane Milton's storm surge. Photo by Olga Hayes
A rts & LEISURE
THE MAESTRO’S NAPLES DEBUT
p.m.
Conductor Alexander Shelley rehearses with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo courtesy Artis Naples
Ongoing events
‘Almost, Maine’ from Naples Players 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 10 at Price Studio Theater at Sugden Theater, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. The Naples Players production of this John Cariani dramedy looks in on a place that’s so far north, it’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. But love, heartbreak and life changes go on in poignant and funny ways. $50-$55. naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
Arsenault’s South Florida reflections
9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 15 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. 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
Shroud of Turin sculpture at Ave Maria
On exhibition indefinitely at Canizaro Exhibit Library Ave Maria Library, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., and The Ark Chapel, 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. It includes detailed photos, descriptive panels, a sculpture of the shroud commissioned by Lavoie and a 14-foot shroud replica for visitors to view. Free. 239.280.2500
‘Timeless!’
women’s art in Marco
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: Lynn Nathanson (Nov. 4-Dec. 3) Reception 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 12. marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
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. Art After Hours, with free admission, music, tours and café 6-9 p.m. Nov. 27. “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. $10; full-time student or active military (with I.D.), $5; SNAP benefits (with SNAP EBT card), $1; ages 17 and younger, free. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
This weekend (Nov. 1, 2, 3)
Forest Meditation at Corkscrew
8:40 a.m. Nov. 1 at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road, Naples. Meet in the Blair Audubon Center at Corkscrew
CALENDAR
SAY HELLO TO SNUFFY AND CONSUELA DURING NAPLES ZOO'S FREE COLLIER DAY
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, 1590 Goodlette-Frank Road, Naples. Naples Zoo has just welcomed a breeding pair of critically endangered mongoose lemurs with a history, and you can see them free Saturday. The pair was genetically matched through AZA’s Species Survival Plan to create the greatest genetic diversity in the population within accredited zoos. Visitors can observe these playful creatures on Lake Victoria during a Primate Expedition Cruise. Proof of residency required for all adults. Visitors under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult (at least 18 years of age). napleszoo.org or 239.315.7626
Swamp Sanctuary to walk out with the group to the amphitheater on the boardwalk, where the program is 9-10 a.m. Bring a yoga mat or cushion and water. Meditation leader Candyce Strafford is a working clairvoyant/medium and meditation leader who conducts weekly meditation and message sessions, monthly group readings, workshops and retreats. $17, $14 military or Audubon members with ID, $10 student with ID. Registration required at corkscrew.audubon.org/ events
Legends Concert Series: Country stars
6-10 p.m. Nov. 1 on the East Lawn at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3883 City Gate Blvd. S., Naples. A tribute to country giants Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks, reprising hits such as “Red Dirt Road,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “Friends in Low Places” and “Shameless.” $43-$79.95. legendsconcertseries. ticketleap.com
‘Anything Goes’ opens 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays Nov. 2-24 at the Gulfshore Playhouse Baker Theater and Education Center, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., Naples. The effervescent music of Cole Porter in a story of romance at sea opens the new Gulfshore Playhouse Baker facility. $44-$114 ($25 student seats). gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529
‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ opens series
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2, with prelude at 6:30 p.m., at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The Naples Philharmonic, Alexander Shelley, conductor, with Pablo SáinzVillegas, guitar. On the program: Gabriela Ortiz — “Kauyumari”; Arturo Márquez — “Concierto Mistico y Profano,” a co-
commissioned work with the Naples Philharmonic; Mussorgsky — “Pictures at an Exhibition.” $49-$79 ($15 students with ID). artisnaples. org or 239.597.1900
Artisan Fair this weekend
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 2-3 at Naples Woman’s Club, 570 Park St., Naples. Naples Woman’s Club Artisan Fair, a boutique of vetted vendors with an emphasis on handmade, and primarily locally created, goods –jewelry, art, apparel, accessories, ceramics, kitchenwares, condiments -- that reinforce its commitment to artists. The proceeds go to fund art scholarships. Free admission. Preview party 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 1, with, appetizers by Chef Vincenzo Betulia; music by Naples saxophonist Yasel Barreras; silent auction; and private show tour. $100, $125 patron. Tickets at napleswomansclub.org/artisanmarketplace-2024
Everglades Music Festival
Noon-5 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Rod & Gun Club, Everglades City. Details, p. 5B.
Community Day at Artis—Naples
Activities from noon–4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Featuring the Sea Gate Elementary School Xylophone Club, noon; Danza Azteca Guadalupana, 2 p.m.; and a Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus interactive performance, 3 p.m. Visit The Baker Museum to see its exhibitions, try activities related to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) throughout the afternoon and participate in an instrument petting zoo, food trucks, face painting and more. Free. artisnaples.org
Thunder From Down Under
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Can we spell chiseled? That’s the perfect
among them “Sleepers, awake!” and “The soul will rest in Jesus’ hands” — as well Tchaikovsky works. $59. grandpianoseries.org
Crafty benefit aids Marco arts 5-7 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. Doris McGuire teaches an oyster decoupage class that turns oyster shells into small item trays, Christmas ornaments, decor and favors. Participants will leave with their own handcrafted oyster shells. Materials are supplied. All proceeds benefit the work of the Marco Island Center for the Arts. Registration $30. marcoislandart.org/specialty or 239.394.4221
Fleetwood Mask at Daniels 6 and 8:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 8 at the Daniels Pavilion, Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Since 2012, this group has channeled the legacy of the band that created hits including “Dreams,” “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Landslide” and more. $62. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Next weekend (Nov. 8, 9, 10)
description for this troupe of Australian talents who demonstrate their skills in dance, song, skits, comedy and audience engagement — a variety show with six-pack abs. Thunder From Down Under gets high marks for its audience attention and talent. There is no frontal nudity, but count on seeing generous flashes of skin. Beginning at $65 at ticketmaster.com
Soloists spotlight
4 p.m. Nov. 3 at the First Presbyterian Church, 250 Sixth St. S., Naples. Soloists from the church choir open” A Season of Music,” the church’s annual series. Freewill offering. fpcnaples.org or 239.262.1311
Mariachi Herencia de Mexico
7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Return to old Mexico for an evening. With matching sombreros and charros — the elaborate, embroidered suits favored by mariachi music performers — Mariachi Herencia de Mexico celebrates the nation’s traditions and culture through street song and contemporary takes on old favorites, transporting listeners to the rural streets of Guadalajara. $49$79. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Next week (Nov. 4-7)
Philharmonic Pops: Celebrating Gershwin
7:30 p.m. Nov. 5-9, plus 2 p.m. Nov. 9 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Details, p. 3B
Bach’s cantatas get new voice 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Daniels Pavilion, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. In the opening concert of the 2024-2025 Grand Piano Series, Polina Osetinskaya performs beloved Bach cantatas transcribed from vocals to piano –
Alex Katz: Stage and Screen 10 a.m. Nov. 8. in the Ubben Event Space at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Kevin Lotery, Ph.D., assistant professor of Modern & Contemporary Art at Boston College, Art, Art History and Film Department, speaks on the stage artistry of set designer Alex Katz, whose art is currently on exhibition at The Baker Museum. $25. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Living Jewish composers vocal concert 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive, Naples. Pre-concert conversation at 3 p.m. Seraphic Fire will perform an a capella concert of choral music by living Jewish composers. “Jewish Voices,” led by Conductor James K. Bass, offers the contemporary sounds and thoughtprovoking music of Shulamit Ran, Julia Wolfe, David Lang and Moira Smiley. $45-$65. seraphicfire.org or 305.285.9060
50 Years of Rock & Roll, Part Six 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Rock historian Neil Berg’s favorite rock ‘n’ roll highlight reel, “50 Years of Rock & Roll,” returns for a special evening featuring fascinating stories about rock music’s glory years and performances by vocalists who have appeared in Broadway rock musicals. $69-$102. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Hymns & more with Selah 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Road SE, Bonita Springs. The International Network of Creatives (INC) sponsors its fourth annual evening of timeless, treasured music performed by the multi-GMA Dove Award-winning trio, Selah. The group releases its newest disc, Higher Name, Nov. 1, so there may be some new songs in this concert of hymns and gospel treasures. Naples-based INC members will also offer stories of its impact, local and around the world. Proceeds go to INC work with children at risk and those facing mental health and addiction problems. $25. incswfl. ticketspice.com/selah-in-concert
You know you want to see this pair of lemurs, and you can this weekend — free, if you are a Collier County resident — at the Naples Zoo. Photo courtesy Naples Zoo
COVER STORY
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Artis—Naples’ new artistic and music director, Alexander Shelley, could not have arrived last week for his first official concert with one suitcase.
Most people will see him tonight and Saturday — Nov. 1 and 2 — in tux and white tie for the opening of his first Masterworks Series in his new post. But over the last weekend, it was business casual for the Naples International Film Festival, for which he was a member of the jury, attending opening and closing ceremonies and screening three each of its juried documentary and narrative films.
The garb was likely more casual yet for rehearsals with the Naples Philharmonic, who know Shelley from his auditions and several getting-to-know-you engagements last season. But the really casual clothes came out Saturday morning. His wife, Zoe, and their two boys had come with Shelley to Naples, and they had piled into a car to sightsee, with airboat rides the first stop that day. They had taken in the Golisano Children’s Museum and the Conservancy, but they were just getting started on a list of ideas the orchestra’s musicians had suggested.
Finally, both Shelleys are fitness advocates, and no one expected him to be here for a week without lacing up his Nikes for some good runs. Even if the luggage was a burden, it had been a great experience already by Saturday. The whole family is planning to return after Christmas, led by their sons: “The boys love it here,” he said.
“It’s hard to know what not to like. It’s such an enjoyable place to spend time. Firstly, the community here at Artis—Naples have embraced us all warmly. So many friendly faces. So many kind invitations. People are so genuine and warm and relaxed — (they) are invested in the community and invested in Artis—Naples.”
Programming by ideas
The question of how Shelley’s inaugural concert season, and those thereafter, will look comes from his philosophy on programming.
“It depends on how you approach it. In any regular orchestra, there’s always the option of saying the musical equivalent of: ‘What do I want to eat?’ and just putting together a menu of things that you feel like eating. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“The alternative, which I tend to lean toward, is to explore an idea or concept and to build programs around that. It doesn’t mean that everything has to be that way always. You can have plenty of opportunities, because there
BATON GOES UP TONIGHT
Alexander Shelley’s first season: A theme of storytelling; a hope for transformation
are hundreds of events at Artis.”
Shelley gravitates toward collaborative themes, which is ideal in his newly created role of artistic and music director. Those will be developed from discussion with, among others, his peers: Courtney McNeil, director and chief curator at the Baker Museum; Kathleen van Bergen, CEO and president; and David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations. This season the group returned to what Shelley calls “one of the founding principles of art: storytelling.”
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a transparent example. The other two may not be quite as apparent — in particular, Gabriella Ortiz’s Kauyumari. The 2021 work embraces the legend of the “blue deer,” a mythical animal which was believed to connect the Huichol people of Mexico with their ancestors for guidance.
Shelley is enthusiastic about offering insight from the stage before new pieces, however: “It’s context setting. I’m a big fan of speaking from the stage, setting the scene for works. Nobody likes the unknown. We’re hard-wired. There’s a little bit of resistance to unknown things,” he acknowledged. “If we can set a context of the work and be privy to a wider story or a wider narrative … then you immediately set up a framework for listening, which allows an audience member to appreciate it more.”
Other stories are threaded through the season: Carmen Suite No.1 by Bizet; Bartok’s Hungarian Sketches; the Stravinsky narrative ballet Petrushka; Mendelssohn’s musical retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and a work that is a story in itself: the Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (the “Choral”).
Blending in subthemes
Shelley’s program is no single-color
skein, however.
“There are absolutely subthemes in there, even in this concert. In the first half there are two contemporary composers in there,” Shelley said of the season. He’s particularly pleased that the Guitar Concerto of Arturo Márquez is a co-commission of the Naples Philharmonic.
“It’s a statement of intent of Artis, as well. We want to be front and center when it comes to new creation, working with the great artists of our age,” he explained. “Part of my job is to double down on being a real hub for the arts, nationally and internationally.”
One new work will check nearly every box. Songs for Murdered Sisters, a 2021 set of eight songs memorizing victims of domestic violence, will bring both baritone Joshua Hopkins, who commissioned the songs to memorialize his own sister, and the famous novelist who wrote the poetry for their lyrics, Margaret Atwood. Atwood herself (The Handmaid’s Tale Cat’s Eye) will be in Naples Jan. 8 to discuss the poetry, and Hopkins will perform them with the Naples Philharmonic Jan. 30-31.
Contemporary opera luminary Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking) composed the music, and the work is in the larval stages of a classic, with six performances already among major symphonies. Naples will be its first in Florida.
The Canadian-born work reflects yet another subtheme, of music from the Americas. Shelley is excited about the number of Latin contemporary composers, including Jimmy López Bellido, whose lush piano concerto Ephemerae will be performed by the artist who premiered it, Javier Perianes. But he’s just as happy to have classic-status works from the U.S. on the list: Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine
MASTERWORKS WITH MUSSORGSKY
What: Opening Masterworks concert, with the Naples Philharmonic, Alexander Shelley conducting, and guest artist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, guitarist
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2, conductor’s prelude at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples Tickets and where to buy: $29$79, $15 students; artisnaples. org or call 239.597.1111
Something else: There’s a bag size limitation of 14 by 14 by 4 inches, and there are no bag check facilities at Artis—Naples Good to know: Ticketholders have free same-day admission to The Baker Museum with their tickets until 7:30 p.m.
Before you can get through all the syllables of multimedia, Shelley is ready. He’s looking for opportunities there, as well. First on his list is a premium concert, Voice of Nature — The Anthropocene, with Renée Fleming as the soloist with the Naples Philharmonic.
It’s an evening of vocal and orchestral music in tandem with an original film by the National Geographic Society, depicting the Earth in terms of its beauty and its fragility. The music ranges from Handel to Bjork.
Music: adventure as well as comfort
This is a season that Shelley is obviously anticipating, and not, as he emphasized, because everyone will love every work. He would like people to think of new music as more akin to trying a new book, a film or a dish.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to say, ‘Oh, this is my new favorite dish or my new favorite show,’” he said. “We need to move away, all of us, from the idea of like or dislike.
“Let’s say a piece is about loss or absence. You’re unlikely to come out of it saying, ‘Wow, that made me feel happy’ or put a smile on your face,” he said. But within the context of the work, he hopes the audience will come away transformed in some way.
“That will always be my intent,” he said. “I think it’s always refreshing to have in mind the ‘why’ a piece was written.”
The Naples Philharmonic, with Alexander Shelley conducting, performs a concert in the previous season during which Shelly was artistic and music director-designate. Photo Courtesy Artis Naples
CHUBBY MERMAID BREWING CO. OPENS NEAR COLLIER-LEE COUNTY LINE
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Another regional brewery
launched Oct. 25 in a location off the beaten path near the Collier-Lee county line. Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. opened its 20 craft beer taps in the Causeway Commerce Park on Old 41 Road, south of Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs.
“Bonita now has five breweries in a 5-mile radius,” said Gary Fortin, who co-owns the new local business with Joshua Hoover. “That is a huge thing when it comes to destinations.”
Chubby Mermaid is not a derogatory term, but another name for manatees or sea cows. The brewery’s logo features a manatee mermaid holding a mug of frothy beer.
The brewery will donate 1% of its tap sales to the Save the Manatee Club, the nonprofit organization co-founded in 1981 by singer Jimmy Buffett and Sen. Bob Graham, two prominent Floridians who recently died. The club’s mission is to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat.
Fortin and Hoover are Naples residents who independently have been home brewers for more than 15 years.
The two met via YouTube’s channels about brewing beer, and organized an online home-brewing club called BrewTubers.
Hoover relocated from California to start the local business with Fortin and works full-time at the brewery. Fortin, who retired three years ago from the U.S. Army, also works full-time at the brewery, but in addi tion he is an ER nurse for Physicians
Regional Healthcare System.
The brewpub’s space at 28292 Industrial Road, Unit 9, is twice the size of what Fortin was planning to start with, but that was before he invited Hoover to join him in opening the brewery.
“I was going to go it alone or maybe hire somebody, but not a partner,” he said. “This location I fell in love with, even though it was just a slab at the time. The rendering and the location — I said, ‘This is it. This is the spot.’ I had been looking for a while.”
The two did their own buildout of the business, assembled their keg cooler and built a bar around it. The main bar has a lighted LED blue river effect running down the center of its
polished wood top.
“It shows itself at night quite well,” Fortin said.
The brewpub has about 65 seats and a maximum capacity of 113 inside. The business eventually will add more seating on a mezzanine overlooking the bar and outdoor spaces accessible through overhead doors once air curtains are installed.
Chubby Mermaid has five on-site fermentation vessels for making beers and one bright tank for creating lagers. All 20 taps will have Chubby Mermaid beers, which the duo started brewing there in September.
Fortin and Hoover each have binders at home full of proven recipes for craft beer that were honed from six or
seven iterations each. They were able to scale those up and put them to the test Oct. 23 during an industry night pre-opening event, when they invited folks from other area breweries for a kickoff party.
“The beers were well received by other brewers, who are more critical than any other people, and they were just raving about our beer, which made us feel really good,” Fortin said.
“We’re happy about that.”
India pale ales, or IPAs, are traditionally popular craft brews.
The traditional Oktoberfest-style Märzen — brewed with German hops, malts and yeast — is named Wunder Garten as a nod to Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita. Early favorites also include Pseudo American Pilsner and Los Borrachos, a Mexican lager.
Other choices include red and blonde ales, lagers, sours and barleywine. Chubby Mermaid even brews two gluten-free beers: Mermaid Magic pale ale and Total Eclipse of the Hops, a Vienna lager.
Chubby Mermaid has a small semi-automated canner, so the brewery eventually will can some its most popular brews. Merchandise with the brewery’s logo is available online and at the brewpub, too.
Chubby Mermaid will feature a menu of bar food such as pizza, burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. It also will offer soups, sides and appetizers, including chicken wings and tenders, loaded nachos, onion rings and giant pretzels.
“We’ll occasionally have food trucks to plus-up our kitchen. Our kitchen’s not very big,” Fortin said. “We are a brewpub, but we are not a restaurant with beer; we’re a brewery with food.”
Chubby Mermaid’s hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday; and closed Mondays.
“A big hit was our black rye IPA [named Black Betty]. That’s one of the ones I brought to the table that took me years to perfect. That one was a very difficult style to nail down,” Fortin said. “Then, two of the three hazy IPAs were just flying off the taps. People just kept reordering them. Then, later in the evening, they started going back to West Coast IPAs and Oktoberfest.”
Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. started tapping its craft beer on Oct. 25 off Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. Photo by Adam Pennington
SEMINOLE ACTRESS WINS HER DREAM ROLE IN NEW YORK
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
When Aubee Billie saw a workshop reading of the musical Distant Thunder as a 12-yearold, she saw her destiny in the breakout character of Aiyana Buck.
It not only turned out to be her dream role, but her first.
The Brighton Reservation resident just finished a New York run of the first musical written about, and starring, America’s Indigenous people. Billie has spent a good deal of special events and summers with family in the Everglades City area, and she’s returning there to sing in the Everglades Music Festival Saturday, Nov. 2 (see the information box for details). And she may, with composer approvals, add “Strong Enough” — her solo from the musical — to Florida folk favorites she sings that were composed by her songwriting grandfather, such as “Sawgrass Flower” and “Back to the Swamp.”
Billie came to her coveted role in Distant Thunder through serendipity. A friend mentioned the Playbill casting call announcement seeking two Native Americans for roles in the pre-Broadway New York theater production.
It was a jolt to Billie; she had met Shaun Taylor-Corbett, the star who shares music and book credits for Distant Thunder, at the reading nine years previously, and he had encouraged her. “‘Maybe you could be in the show when you get older,’” she recalled him saying. She sent her demo reel to the company, but she also emailed Taylor-Corbett, who remembered her and put her into the audition lineup. There was one issue: Billie wasn’t in the U.S. She had been invited to learn Australian aboriginal culture in New Zealand and had taken that opportunity over the summer.
“All the stuff I did was over email or submit-
ting online, so I had to do a bunch of self-takes,” she recalled. “And then, the audition, I did it over Zoom. But I don’t think we all thought it would get to the level it is now, and for me to be here is just really, really cool.”
Not so cool: Trying to sleep amid the traffic noise of Times Square, where she roomed temporarily: “I miss hearing the frogs and the owls,” she said. Part of the treat of working on Distant Thunder was learning from fellow actor, and fellow Seminole, Spencer Battiest. The musical concentrates on the conundrum facing a Blackfeet
Indigenous arts fest at Ah-Tah-Thiki
This weekend belongs to eastern Collier County. Along with the Everglades Music Festival, the annual American Indigenous Arts Celebration Friday and Saturday brings tribal talent in from around the state with ceremonial dance, arts, entertainment and food at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.
Admission and parking are free for both the celebration and the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum of Seminole culture.
The event celebrates Native American Heritage Month and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on both days. The festival brings an expansive array of Seminole and Indigenous art, music, food, dance and more. Among the features: Billy Walker alligator wrestling, new museum exhibits, Seminole fashion shows, native arts and crafts vendors, tribal food vendors, native art displays, Pharaoh’s Wildlife Kingdom Wildlife Show, Osceola’s Legacy performance and live music by Rez Jams (with Seminole musical artists Cypress Billie and Gabriella Diaz).
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, Nov. 1
10 a.m.: Main Stage — grand entry opening ceremony
10:30 a.m.: Main Stage — White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers; Stage 360 — wildlife show
11 a.m.: Main Stage — fashion show featuring Ahfachkee students; Stage 360 — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers
Noon: Main Stage — Rez Jamz, Ahfachkee School Band; Stage 360 — Ameyal Mexican Cultural Academy
12:30 p.m.: Main Stage — Alligator wrestling; Stage 360 — Native American actor Dallas Goldtooth meet & greet
1 p.m.: Main Stage — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers; Stage 360 – White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers
2 p.m.: Stage 360 — wildlife show
2:30 p.m.: Main Stage — Rez Jamz, Cypress Billie; Stage 360 — Miss & Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Princesses meet & greet
3 p.m.: Main Stage — alligator wrestling; Stage 360 — Seminole flute music and storytelling
3:45 p.m.: Main Stage — White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers; Stage 360 — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers
Saturday, Nov. 2
10 a.m.: Main Stage — grand entry opening ceremony
10:30 a.m.: Main Stage — White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers; Stage 360 — wildlife show
11 a.m.: Main Stage — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers; Stage 360 — Rez Jamz
11:30 a.m.: Stage 360 — Seminole Princesses meet and greet
Noon: Main Stage — alligator wrestling; Stage 360 — Seminole flute music and storytelling
12:30 p.m.: Main Stage — White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers; Stage 360 — Dallas Goldtooth meet and greet
1 p.m.: Stage 360 — wildlife show
1:30 p.m.: Main Stage — Rez Jamz, Gabriella Diaz; Stage 360 — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers
2 p.m.: Main Stage — Lenora Roberts fashion show
2:30 p.m.: Stage 360 — Ameyal Mexican Cultural Academy
3 p.m.: Main Stage — alligator wrestling
3:30 p.m.: Stage 360 — White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers
3:45 p.m.: Main Stage — Champion Native American Hoop Dancers
reservation over the wealth that drilling could bring them, but which also would damage sacred grounds. The cast brought together people from various Native American nations.
Another production of it is scheduled, but Billie is headed back to school: She’s in her senior year at Elon University in North Carolina, pursuing a degree in musical theater and arts administration, along with a business degree, and she wants to attain those.
When: Noon-5 p.m. Nov. 2
Where: On the grounds of the Rod & Gun Club, 200 W. Broadway, Everglades City.
What: An afternoon with music and food, featuring well-known Florida folk musicians such as Charlie Pace, Raiford Starke, the Florida Boys, Ken Crawford, Marie Nofsinger, Tim McGeary, Rita Youngman and more. Sponsored by the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation. Proceeds go to restore the
“At the end of the day, I know I really want to go back and get my degree because I’m a first-generation student and education really means a lot to me at this point in time,” she said. “But I’ve learned so much here.”
Her family was helping her move back after they came to see her final performance last week — just as they had come to opening night.
“It was something she’s worked very, very hard to do, to go to New York,” her mother, Maria Billie, said of seeing her daughter onstage. “This was a very special moment for both her and us.”
A Grateful Thank You to Our Sponsors
This spring, award-winning actor and singer Dennis Quaid will join DLC for an evening of moving stories of hope. DLC’s signature event, Sound Minds, raises critical funds to directly address the staggering mental health crisis in Collier County.
Your support empowers us to transform lives and strengthen the mental well-being of those who need it most.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors for making this event possible. Your dedication to our mission ensures that every individual, regardless of their ability to pay, can receive the care they deserve.
Together, we are saving and changing lives in our community
THURSDAY
MARCH 20, 2025
The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón
Presented by
Aubee Billie, right, who has performed in Distant Thunder in New York, is returning to sing at the Everglades Music Festival in Everglades City. Contributed photo
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. MOVIES: Who was the only actor to receive an Oscar nomination for work in a "Star Wars" movie?
2. GEOGRAPHY: What is a body of land with water on three sides called?
3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: In 1960, which two candidates participated in the first televised presidential debate in 1960?
4. FOOD & DRINK: What type of flower produces vanilla bean pods?
5. MUSIC: What was the name of blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughn's first Fender Stratocaster?
6. SCIENCE: What type of gas is absorbed by plants?
7. LITERATURE: What is the name of the submarine in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas"?
8. TELEVISION: What is Clair Huxtable's profession in "The Cosby Show"?
9. ANATOMY: What is a more common name for the sternum?
10. ART: Which European city houses the Rijksmuseum?
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
Original Book by P.G Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman
Starring Sarah Bowden (pictured) and Josh Canfield
Photography by Liz Gorman
Lisa DeTulio Russell, producer of SilverSizzle, Brian Russell, director of SilverSizzle and Michele Gramesty, costume designer of SilverSizzle
Carin Keane, publisher, and Samantha Tobias, director of marketing & events, Gulfshore Life Media
Mark Kiefer, director/writer/producer of The Day Keeper and Steve Young, actor/writer/producer of The Day Keeper
Mia Sunday, animation director of Cakewalk, Emma Staple, animator of Cakewalk, and Lauren Best, director of Cakewalk
Inside Artis Naples during the film festival's opening night.
Kathleen van Bergen, president and CEO of Artis Naples, Shannon Franklin, Zoe Shelley and Alexander Shelley.
Sam Cutler-Kreutz, co-director/screenwriter/ producer of Trapped Ballard C. Boyd, director of Night Session James Winterstern, director of Sanibel
Game on!
Catch the live action of
WEEK 1 - Aug. 23
WEEK 2 - Aug. 30
North Fort Myers at Cape Coral 7 | 0
Barron Collier at Naples 7 | 58
WEEK 3 - Sept. 8 Fort Myers at Cypress Lake 55 | 28
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
WEEK 12 - Nov. 8
WEEK 13 - Oct. 15
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 12 | 36
Mariner at Cape Coral 6 | 26
Dunbar at Fort Myers 7:30 pm
Aubrey Rogers at Lely 7:30 pm
State playoff, TBA 7:30 pm
SPORTS OFFENSE DOMINATING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Speaking of Sports
David Wasson
We wrote here, in this very space, that defense wins championships. That axiom has stood the test of time in all sports, regardless of the sport. But man, is it being tested in high school football across Collier County this season.
Offense — lots and lots and lots of offense — is the name of the game across our area in 2024, as teams are racking up yards and points by the bushel, while defenses are left gasping for air and clinging to bits of artificial turf instead of ballcarriers.
Look at Lely, for example. The Trojans are a victory away from winning the Class 3A, District 14 crown largely because they absolutely destroy teams with non-stop offense. Lely averages 41.1 points
per game — all without kicking a single football through the uprights all season long — and piles up an astounding 471.9 yards per outing.
You’d think the Trojans are 8-0, but they aren’t; heading into Week 11 of the season Lely is at 4-4. But that isn’t because of the offense.
Lely is producing video game numbers despite being shut out 64-0 by Booker in the opening game of the season, and being held to just 12 points by Naples on Oct. 18.
Along the way, Lely scored a mind-boggling 90 points against Barron Collier (winning 90-56 in a contest that surely had the Trojans, Cougars and officials gasping for oxygen from the non-stop sprint), 66 points against Golden Gate (a 66-36 win), 56 points against Bonita Springs in a district contest (a 56-21 win) and 50 against Gulf Coast (a 50-46 instant classic victory).
Lely coach Ben Hammer is unapologetic about his team’s offensive bona fides, and for good rea-
son. Until losing him to a shoulder injury, sophomore running back Nino Joseph was dominating the Southwest Florida rushing stats with 1,623 yards (that’s an incredible 231.9 yards per game) and 23 touchdowns in fewer than seven games. The Trojans are far from just Joseph, too, as junior quarterback Carter Quinn has thrown for more than 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Lely isn’t the only team racking it up on offense, either. Coach Rick Martin’s Naples Golden Eagles have piled up 403.8 yards per game — with 339.3 of that total on the ground — en route to another postseason berth. Coach James Delgado’s Immokalee Indians just clinched back-to-back Class 5A, District 12 titles with an offense that records 372.2 yards and scores 26.6 points per game.
It isn’t just presumed playoff teams that are going up and down the field on opposing defenses, either: Barron Collier will miss the
playoffs this season after losing quarterback Niko Boyce to injury early in the campaign, but the Cougars still amass 366.1 yards per outing. Similarly, Aubrey Rogers can still upset Lely this week with an offense that records 304 yards per game. And those teams aren’t the antithesis of the current trend in high school football, as more and more teams are adopting spread-style offenses that serve the dual purpose of throwing the rock all over the yard and making defenses work sideline to sideline.
Trends don’t trickle up, though, which is why college and pro football haven’t seen the same kind of offensive explosions. Even powerful units like the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, and pretty much all the Big 12, now must pay as much attention to defense as the other side of the ball.
That isn’t to say there aren’t units that can pile up yards and points at both the collegiate and professional
levels. But programs at those levels can stockpile more speed and talent than high schools — which often just have a handful of true playmakers that can make a difference. The result is that coaches at the prep level are putting all their playmaking eggs in the offensive basket, and are thus often forced to cling to life on defense before they get the ball back. Here in Collier County at the high school level, it is offense, offense and more offense. Sure, your granddad may have told you that defense wins championships — but here, at least, plenty of new hardware is being installed into trophy cases by means of getting up and down the field on offense as fast as possible.
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.
PELICAN BAY COMMUNITY PARK BUILDING PICKLEBALL COURTS
By Aisling Swift
Construction of 20 new pickleball courts, refurbished tennis courts and other upgrades to Pelican Bay Community Park is expected to begin in December and be ready for players in June.
Under a contract with Collier County, which owns the nearly 15-acre park on Vanderbilt Beach Road, Pelican Bay Foundation is spending $6 million to add improvements, including to the playground, and building pickleball courts — half of which will be for the public and half for Pelican Bay residents.
“We would have loved nothing more than to have these courts in this entire facility delivered to the county by this season, but unfortunately our design process has taken much longer than we had anticipated,” Foundation President Tony D’Errico told the Board of County Commissioners during an update on Oct. 22. “We’d like to have our shovels in the ground in December and be playing pickleball sometime in June.”
Mitigating pickleball noise to lessen it for neighboring residents delayed the process, he said, and Foundation Vice President Melanie Miller noted the foundation has had many meetings and town halls with players and nearby residents, including early this week, to ensure their needs are met.
The foundation took over tennis court concessions and management from the prior vendor in April and commissioners formalized that contract in August, unanimously agreeing the foundation would manage racket-support activities and maintenance and make capital improvements under a 30-year land lease.
The foundation expects to begin the permitting process next month, build the rough structures from November to February, finish exterior framing by March and finish by June. The contracts were put out to bid, and Naples-based ORCO (Owners Representative Construction Observations) will lead the project. Ritzman Courts of Cape Coral is the court contractor and Curran Young Construction, of Bonita Springs, is the general contractor. Also on the project team are Josh Fruth, of Naples-based Peninsula Engineering, and Parker Mudgett Smith Architects of Fort Myers.
Miller said the foundation expects to have those contracts finalized this week and then obtain permits from various agencies.
The North Naples park originally was deeded to the county in 1994 as a community park by Pelican Bay developer WCI as part of an agreement to build more densely in the 6,500-home luxury community — and it hasn’t been updated since. The improvements will be fully paid for by the foundation, which first approached the county eight years ago, even offering to buy back the park, a proposal rejected by county officials. Four years ago, the foundation began working on a new proposal after being unable to build courts within Pelican Bay due to neighbors.
The park serves about 40,000 people yearly within four miles and is the largest green space west of U.S. 41. Only 22% of the green space will be used for the expansion.
In addition to pickleball courts and an ADA-compatible playground, plans include an increase to 109 parking spaces, two new Har-Tru clay tennis courts where the racquetball/handball courts are, refurbishing six Har-Tru clay tennis courts, relocating the baseball/softball practice area, adding lighting infrastructure for future lighting and building a large building with a pro shop, maintenance area, restrooms and a shaded area for waiting pickleball players.
“This is a slightly larger version of what we had started with, but we’re anticipating high demand for courts, high demand for play activity, so we wanted to make sure that the player staging and comfort area was generous,” D’Errico said of the shaded waiting area.
The foundation will make fencing, drainage and other repairs, pave sidewalks and add bike racks, landscaping, irrigation, bleachers and 12-foot-high sound-absorbing fencing to minimize pickleball noise to neighboring homes. County officials have said they haven’t received pickleball noise complaints at any parks. Nearby pickleball players, including from Avalon and Breakwater in Pelican Bay, currently play on racquetball courts at Pelican Bay Community Park.
The county will maintain the property, including the playground and green space, while the foundation will manage the rest, including nets, lighting, resurfacing courts and managing courts. That will cost Pelican Bay about $400,000 yearly, including staffing and an ambassador to oversee games.
Miller said once construction begins, the foundation expects to finish courts within six months and the remaining improvements within a year. However, she believes everything will be completed within six months.
The plans divided the community, and some tried to put a halt to the project, questioning whether the foundation could be trusted to share pickleball courts evenly, but the foundation and county officials assured residents it would be an even split, they’d monitor who was playing and the county could always end the contract if there were problems.
Pickleball is growing in Naples — the city has 65 courts at East Naples Community Park, where the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships are played in spring, and there are 16 in Veterans Community Park, where players self-manage games.
For more information, visit the public advisory group website: pelicanbaypickleball.com.