Demolition marks the start of work on NCH’s Heart and Stroke Critical Care Center
Preschool construction underway
Q: Do you know what is being built in front of Naples Classic Academy on Immokalee Road? –Elizabeth P., Naples
A: Construction began in March on the Creative World School at Naples Classical Academy on the south side of Immokalee Road between Collier and Wilson boulevards.
The one-story early childhood education center at 10266 Immokalee Road is targeted for completion on Nov. 30, according to plans recorded by Collier County Growth Management. The future 10,258-square-foot preschool is proposed to have 22 employees and serve 200 children, county records show.
Creative World has about 30 schools franchised in five states. The new location will be the fourth regional franchise operated by Estero residents Amy and Christopher O’Malley, who also own locations at Olympia Park in North Naples and in Estero and Gateway in Lee County.
Although the O’Malleys could not be reached for comment, their webpage for the new school promises an engaging, innovative approach to early education that inspires creativity, critical thinking and a love for learning.
“Families can look forward to a safe, nurturing and educational environment for toddlers, 2s, preschool, pre-K and school-age children supported by our stateof-the-art facility with advanced
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 4A
0 51497 40346 1
Family finds help, hope
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
For Steve and Souzanna Kapish, buying their home in Collier County in late 2023 was a dream come true.
But three months after moving to Golden Gate from Broward County, Steve was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer. Shortly after that, they found out that Souzanna was pregnant.
Determined to keep moving forward with their 13-year-old son, Ajay, and now eight-
month-old daughter, Crystal, Steve and Souzanna kept working on their home, adding the chickens and goats that had been part of Steve’s dream of moving to a place with a yard big enough to raise them.
With Steve unable to work — after more than 20 years with the Broward County School District — Souzanna currently works full time with the Collier County tax collector’s office and part time at Publix to make ends meet financially for the family.
Now, with help from the Cancer Alliance Network in Naples and the organization’s “Paint it
Forward” program, the family is seeing another part of their dream come true with a home makeover that included painting and landscaping donated by local companies.
CAN supports individuals with cancer and their families by providing non-medical financial assistance; case management; support groups; food for nutrition and cooking classes; a variety of supplies for different types of cancer; and client events and family respite outings. Michelle Ciuffetelli, development director
Designer sues permit firm, alleging it caused permit fraud, damage to reputation
By Aisling Swift
One of two dozen firms cited by the state for unlicensed activity in a wide-ranging permit-fraud investigation has sued a Naples planning and permitting firm, blaming it for jeopardizing the plaintiff’s projects, causing a nearly $106,000
loss and damaging its reputation. Naples-based DWD Design Inc. and David Wainscott, who filed the lawsuit in Collier Circuit Court late last month, allege Octavio Sarmiento Jr., of ASSA Designs LLC, used retired architect Gene Cravillion’s state seal without Cravillion’s knowledge, breaching a contract Wainscott had with ASSA. The lawsuit alleges fraudu-
lent misrepresentation, breach of contract and violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“DWD relied on ASSA’s and Mr. Sarmiento’s representations when providing the designs to contractors and owners, who then submitted them to the Collier County Building Department, City of Naples Building Department and City
of Marco Island Building Department for approval,” the lawsuit says. “… As a direct result of defendants’ actions, plaintiffs became subject to an investigation by the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design, which jeopardized the projects that used DWD’s designs, and plaintiffs’ reputations.”
Tim Aten Knows
Tim Aten
Veronica Morley, lead case manager of the Cancer Alliance Network, holds baby Crystal Kapish as dad Steve Kapish pets one of the family goats. Michelle Ciuffetelli, Development Director of the Cancer Alliance Network, holds fresh eggs from the family’s chickens. Photo by Liz Gorman
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SWFL INSIDER
Neighborhood Health Clinic receives $140,000 from Grey Oaks Country Club
Neighborhood Health Clinic announced that Grey Oaks Country Club’s GO Cares philanthropic initiative raised more than $140,000 to help the Naples clinic continue its mission of providing unduplicated, high-quality care to those in need, fostering better health outcomes for patients who rely on the clinic’s services. With a comprehensive campus, patients have access to primary care physicians, 25 specialty physicians, lab testing and medications at no cost to them.
STARability Foundation
named beneficiary of charity golf tournament
STARability Foundation was the recipient of proceeds from a charity golf tournament hosted by Barb and Craig Fike at The Club at TwinEagles in Collier County. The inaugural event took place April 9 on the Talon Course. STARability provides innovative, results-driven programs designed to accommodate the unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Southwest Florida.
STOCK Residences
tops off The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples
Naples-based STOCK Residences topped off The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples, as the two tallest buildings of the five-building North Naples development — the Tower Residences — reached their peak of 12 stories each. It follows the completion of vertical construction of the Bay Residences — a pair of mid-rise buildings within the 6-acre enclave. With the external structures of The Residences’ four main buildings complete, company officials said the project is on track toward receiving its temporary certificate of occupancy by early 2026, with move-ins to follow thereafter. Flanked by Vanderbilt Beach and the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Vanderbilt Lagoon to the north, The RitzCarlton Residences, Naples, features 128 estate-like residences, including penthouses and grand penthouses, starting at 3,000 square feet. Prices for the three-, four- and five-bedroom retreats start at $5.2 million.
North Naples-based Catalyst OrthoScience announces leadership transition
North Naples-headquartered Catalyst OrthoScience Inc., a private medical
technology company focused on shoulder arthroplasty, announced the appointment of Dr. Miguel Ramirez as chief medical officer, effective immediately. Ramirez succeeds Dr. Steven Goldberg, Catalyst’s founder, who has stepped down from his roles as CMO and board member but, company officials said, will remain actively engaged. Ramirez, a boardcertified orthopedic surgeon, has held key leadership roles, including chair of the department of orthopedic surgery at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, and assistant clinical professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Naples-based Platinum Dry Cleaners announced its second year of Empower Wear, a month-long charitable clothing collection program to benefit Dress for Success SWFL. The collection event runs until April 30. The collection program, in conjunction with the national affiliation of America’s Best Cleaners, will provide gently worn professional and business casual clothing for Southwest Florida women in need. Platinum Dry Cleaners route customers can look for a hang tag and text the day before their scheduled delivery. An Empower Wear garment bag and the normal dry cleaning delivery will be provided, and Platinum’s home route driving staff will collect the donations on pick-up day. Donations are taxdeductible, and receipts will be included with the donation bag. This is on top of accepting donations at both Platinum’s retail locations at 3633 Tamiami Trail N. in Naples and 7055 Radio Road in East Naples.
Aura at Metropolitan Naples streaming live construction updates
As construction of Aura at Metropolitan Naples continues, a live webcam was installed to offer the community and future residents realtime views of the construction site at the intersection of Fifth Avenue South and Davis Boulevard. The mixed-use development features 56 residences, with floor plans ranging from 1,890 to over 6,300 square feet and prices starting at $2 million. Development Partners International LLC, led by longtime Naples residents and veteran developers Fred Pezeshkan and Jerry Starkey, are developing Metropolitan Naples and surrounding areas. Aura at Metropolitan Naples will feature amenities including a rooftop sky pool, a fitness center, a yoga studio and a selection of retail and dining options within walking distance.
Service Trade Pros launches emergency electrical repair services
Naples-based electrician Service Trade Pros launched its emergency electrical repair services. The new service offers both residential and commercial customers services on the same day they place their call. Specializing in residential electrical repair in Southwest Florida, Service Trade Pros’ new emergency electrical repair service seeks to provide a fast resolution to a possibly unsafe electrical situation. The services include electrical breaker panel upgrades and replacements, electrical repair and troubleshooting, outdoor lighting and fan installation, dimmers and smart switches, GFCI and power outlet repair, Ring and Nest doorbells, dedicated circuits for tankless water heaters and anything to do with electrical wiring in a home.
Collier Community Foundation invests in Housing Alliance initiatives
The Housing Alliance, a nonprofit formed to provide information, education and advocacy for accessing and developing attainable housing solutions in Collier County, was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation to fund operations in 2025. The funds will be used to expand office space in Naples and Immokalee, enhance reporting and fundraising capabilities and continue and expand the scope of work of The Housing Alliance. CCF commissioned the Collier County Community Needs Assessment in 2023, showing that 65% of respondents cited affordable and workforce housing as the county’s top priority, up from 45% five years earlier. As a result, CCF made housing affordability a top priority for its funding initiatives and played a key role in advocating for the creation of The Housing Alliance.
Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center receives $10K grant
The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center in North Naples received a $10,000 charitable gift from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. The funds will be used in support of the museum’s Student and Teacher Education on the Lessons of the Holocaust program. The program includes on-campus Holocaust education programs, museum field trips, pop-up museum displays, the traveling boxcar exhibit and educator workshops.
COLLIER NOW
Demolition kicks off key NCH construction
Work starts on R.M. Schulze Family Heart and Stroke Critical Care Center
By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
After several years of planning, work started in early April on the R.M. Schulze Family Heart and Stroke Critical Care Center on the downtown campus of Naples Comprehensive Health, which will bring all of the health care system’s cardiac and stroke services under one roof.
NCH hosted an April 2 event to mark the start of demolition of the 30-year-old Telford Center for Continuing Education, which will be replaced by the new five-story, almost 200,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the home of the existing Rooney Heart Institute and Wingard Stroke Institute when it is completed in 2027.
President and CEO Paul Hiltz told the crowd of about 75 NCH staff, donors, construction partners and community members that the start of demolition was “like walking
across the bridge from the past to the future” as the system prepares for the next phase of the cardiac and stroke center project, which he said was not just about change but about progress; and about meeting the needs of a growing, aging population in Southwest Florida.
Currently, the Rooney Heart Institute at the downtown campus sees more than 1,700 patients on a weekly basis, according to NCH data, and nearly 100,000 patients across all NCH locations where cardiac patients are seen; more than 2,000 stroke alerts with more than 1,000 confirmed stroke admissions are seen annually.
NCH cites a 15% projected growth rate of residents aged 65 and over in the next five years in its primary service area, and estimates more than 13% growth in inpatient care in the next 10 years for cardiac, vascular and stroke patients combined, and more than 33% growth in outpatient care for those patients.
Facility a recruiting tool for top cardiac talent
“The kind of building that we’re going to construct is going to allow us to recruit some of the best doctors from around the United States and around the world,” Hiltz said.
He said the Telford Building was used to support medical training and research for three decades, and that the new facility would expand the training of more than 80 residents while also supporting clinical trials and aiding in the recruitment of “the best doctors.”
“There’s going to be a severe shortage of doctors going forward; we all admit that,” Hiltz said. “The health system with the best facilities and equipment is going to get the best doctors, and that’s what this is all about.”
Dr. Robert Cubeddu, who himself was recruited in 2021 to serve as president of the Rooney Heart Institute at NCH, agreed that the new facility is a strong draw when it
Could airport funding study be the end of the discussion?
By John Guerra
Naples Airport Authority board members on March 20 authorized a study to learn how much it might cost to build a new airport, and options for paying for it.
Some commissioners hope the true cost of a new airport will help elected officials and the public decide whether it’s wise — or even possible — to build a $2 billion airport that could take 20 years to construct.
“I think this is very helpful; it will create facts and closure around this issue,” Commissioner Terrence Cavanaugh told the other commissioners. “This is the capstone to allow us to make a decision. There is a lack of understanding here about the cost.”
Commissioner Robert Burns agreed.
“[Let’s] go ahead with this study, because I want to know whether it is possible,” Burns said. “I want to know whether it’s feasible or not feasible. We need to educate the public and the City Council, and this is one of the ways to do it.”
In February, NAA commissioners directed NAA Executive Director Chris Rozansky to ask consultants Environmental Science Associates for a price on a detailed cost/funding analysis to help commissioners determine whether a new airport in Collier County is fiscally viable.
During NAA’s March 20 meeting, after Rozansky told the board that ESA priced its feasibility study at $158,775 and could take until mid- to late-summer to complete the work, the board asked him for a less-inclusive financial study. NAA Chair Rita Cuddihy said one could be accomplished in-house under the direction of Ken Warriner, the airport’s senior director of finance and administration. That study would be ready for the board much sooner than the ESA study, she said.
“We likely can prepare a high-level analysis ourselves, engage to a much lesser degree these consultants without asking them for written reports and have it back to you no later than the June [19] NAA meeting.”
The board then directed Rozansky to conduct the higher-level study involving in-house staff.
The NAA still intends to consult with a bond consultant “to obtain high-level expertise on that aspect of potential funding scenarios,” Rozansky said.
The Naples city government holds the lease on the land upon which the airport sits. That lease ends in 2068 — more than four decades in the future. A lot can happen in those 43 years, but at this point,
County manager’s spouse gets 8% raise for increased duties
By Aisling Swift
The Board of County Commissioners on March 25 approved Patterson’s husband, Jamie French, as Growth Management & Community Development department
Transportation
as interim Public Utilities department head; and Ed Finn as deputy county manager. Three had interim titles since 2022.
In 2022, French’s department comprised five divisions with 287 positions. In 2023, Conservation Collier and Housing Policy & Economic Development were added, and in late 2024, Domestic Animal Services, which has 37 positions, came under his purview. This
year, Parks & Recreation, including Paradise Coast Sports Complex, was added, with 237 additional positions.
Due to increased responsibilities, his salary will rise to $203,406, 8% above his current salary.
Before approval, Patterson sought an opinion from the state Commission on Ethics late last year on whether French’s raise would violate the state anti-nepotism law.
“It does not appear that the increase will elevate him to a position of ‘greater personal dignity or importance,’ and, therefore, will not constitute a prohibited ‘promotion’ or
‘advancement,’” the opinion stated, noting, however, that Patterson didn’t provide information on her role in reorganization that led to French’s increased responsibilities and his raise.
The opinion advised her to continue to adhere to the state Constitution and statutes involving benefits to relatives. Read the opinion here: bit.ly/frenchethicsopinion Finn will continue to receive his $215,759.25 annual salary. Scott oversees four divisions with 282
See RAISE, Page 9A
NCH staff, board members and donors gathered to watch demolition begin on the Telford Center to make way for the new RM Schulze Family Cardiovascular and Stroke Critical Care Center. Photo by Liz Gorman
The estranged husband of Collier County Manager Amy Patterson was among four county employees approved for raises and new titles last month.
head; Trinity Scott as
Management Services department head; James W. DeLony
COLLIER COUNTY
Jamie French
NAPLES AIRPORT
NCH performs Florida’s first endoscopic pulsed electric field treatment
At Naples Comprehensive Health, we are committed to bringing the most advanced, patient-centered treatments to our community. I am excited to share a groundbreaking milestone at NCH: We were one of the first healthcare systems in Florida to perform endoscopic Pulsed Electric Field ablation, a cutting-edge treatment that offers new hope for patients with complex tumors. This revolutionary approach, made possible by the FDAcleared Aliya PEF System, de -
KNOWS
Next in Health
Paul Hiltz, NCH
livers high-frequency, short-duration pulsed electric fields to precisely ablate soft tissue while preserving surrounding healthy structures. Unlike traditional thermal ablation techniques, PEF minimizes damage to nearby organs and significantly reduces
recovery times, offering patients a safer and more effective treatment option.
Performed by Dr. David Lindner, pulmonologist at NCH, in collaboration with oncologist Dr. Stephen Newman, this firstof-its-kind procedure in Florida represents a major step forward in cancer care. This innovative technology not only targets tumors with remarkable precision but also triggers an immune response by releasing tumor antigens during ablation. This could
help the body recognize and combat cancer cells, potentially reducing the risk of recurrence. At NCH, we are always looking ahead — seeking new ways to enhance patient outcomes, improve quality of life and redefine what’s possible in healthcare. Introducing PEF ablation to Florida is just one example of how we continue to lead in innovation, ensuring that our patients receive the best treatments available, right here in Southwest Florida. As we celebrate this achieve -
ment, I want to recognize the dedication of our physicians and medical teams who work tirelessly to bring these advancements to our patients. Their expertise and commitment to excellence make milestones like this possible. For more information about this treatment, visit nchmd.org At NCH, we are shaping the future of healthcare — one breakthrough at a time.
Paul Hiltz is president and CEO of Naples Comprehensive Health.
security features and a team of highly trained, dedicated educators who will prioritize each child’s growth and success,” the website says.
“Our unique Exploratorium program, designed exclusively for preschool and pre-K students, will invite children to explore handson activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, fostering inquiry and imagination every day. For pre-K families, we will offer Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program, a free, high-quality early learning opportunity that prepares children for success in kindergarten and beyond. School-age children up to 12 years old will enjoy CW Kid’s Club, featuring exciting beforeand after-school care, transportation to and from local elementary schools and CampTastic, our funfilled spring, summer and winter break camps.”
On Jan. 28, county property records showed that the O’Malleys’ Estero-based CWS at North Naples Inc. purchased the 1.3acre vacant outparcel lot for the preschool for $1.25 million from Phoenix Education Network Inc. That Florida not-for-profit organization owns and operates Naples Classical Academy, a two-story, 70,000-square-foot charter school that has operated since 2021 at 10270 Immokalee Road.
The Creative World property is one of two commercial lots fronting Naples Classical Academy. The second vacant lot is not being developed yet.
Last
slice
On March 8, Dominick Locasto posted on Dominick Pizzeria’s Instagram account that the last day for his East Naples business would be April 19, the day before Easter. But the local pizzeria ended up closing three weeks earlier without explanation.
The pizzeria did not appear to update its social media, but it posted a note on its door “to our valued customers and community.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of Dominick’s Pizzeria on the 29th of March 2025,” the note reads. “We thank you for your support over the years and wish you all the best.”
Patrons have raved about Dominick’s New York-style pizza since the local pizzeria opened in the summer of 2021 in a unit vacated by Jet’s Pizza, which relocated its longtime spot in East Naples nearly three miles east on Radio Road. The reason why Dominick had to vacate its unit at 3400 Radio Road From page 1A
is a bigger story. That entire retail strip across from Naples Airport will be demolished soon to make way for the construction of a new Airport Kia automobile dealership.
“You may have already heard, but our plaza has been bought out and we’re being forced out of our location,” Dominick messaged via social media. “We have been unable to find a new location that meets our needs and is within our budget.”
The pizzeria had to vacate but the plaza — Commerce Centers at Naples — was not recently sold. The real estate has had the same ownership for eight years, since the 5.36acre site was acquired in March 2017 by Naples-based CTPML LLC for $5.4 million, county property records show. State records show that corporation is owned by Gabriele, Patrick and Thomas Liebig of 3325 Westview Drive, the same Naples address of next door’s Airport Kia, which the Liebig family built in 2010.
On March 3, Collier County issued the demolition permit for the three one-story structures that comprise the 40-year-old commercial center where Dominick Pizze-
ria and other local businesses operated. The adjacent Kia dealership is expanding into that space, which wraps around the small independent auto dealership on the hard corner of Airport and Radio roads.
The Airport Kia site development plan proposes to build a 45,701-square-foot car dealership, which will replace the existing 36,809 square feet of general office space and 13,264 square feet of retail space.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.
ABOVE: Construction began in March on Creative World School, a preschool in front of Naples Classical Academy, right, on Immokalee Road between Collier and Wilson boulevards. Photo by Tim Aten
LEFT: The new Creative World School center for early childhood
Dominick Pizzeria at 3400 Radio Road in East Naples permanently closed at the end of March. Photo by Tim Aten
New Naples Police contracts ratified for 3 years
By Aisling Swift
After five months without a contract, Naples Police officers and sergeants will get a retroactive pay increase of more than 14%, higher starting pay and other benefits.
Naples City Council on March 19 ratified three-year contracts with the Fraternal Order of Police, Collier County Lodge 38, bargaining units for officers and sergeants, which had expired Oct. 1. They were among three contracts
that new City Manager Gary Young vowed to ratify within 90 days of his promotion in January.
After years of working on the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees contract, which covered many white- and blue-collar city jobs, Young, who was on the negotiating team, was able to reach a consensus and Council approved it on March 5. A one-year extension expired Sept. 30, 2024.
The officers will have a 10-step pay plan that provides an average increase of 14.4% and a
Friend: Dolan ‘loved to be in his plane’
By John Guerra
Naples Airport sent its condolences to those affected by the fatal crash of an aircraft in Minneapolis last week.
“Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragic accident,” airport officials said in a Facebook post following the crash. The plane, a SOCATA TBM7 turboprop, was apparently owned and piloted by Terry Dolan, a vice president at U.S. Bank. Dolan was killed when his plane crashed into a house in Brooklyn, Minnesota, a little after noon Saturday, March 29, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
No one was injured in the house, which caught fire and burned to the ground, Minnesota officials said.
According to Robin King, director of community relations and communications for Naples Airport, though Dolan leases a hangar at Naples Airport under the name DGW Enterprises, the aircraft’s connection to Naples Airport was tentative.
“The aircraft is registered to DGW Enterprises; it arrived here on March 22 and departed the morning of March 29,” King told The Naples Press. “There is no tenant at the Naples Airport under the name DGW Enterprises. Terry Dolan leases a hangar at the Naples Airport under the name of Aras, LLC.”
According to Florida Corporation Commission filings, Aras LLC is owned by Dolan and has an address of 5021 Vernon Ave. S., Suite 102, Edina, Minnesota. The registered agent is Michael D. Gentzle
with Coleman Yovanovich Koester, 4001
Tamiami Trail N., Suite 300 in Naples.
Gentzle declined to comment when contacted by The Naples Press last week.
After Dolan flew out of Naples on March 29, “he landed in Des Moines, and later departed for Minnesota where the tragic accident occurred,” King told the newspaper.
“That’s what we can report. All other questions regarding the flight, passengers, etc., are being directed to the NTSB.”
News reports said the final destination was to be the Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis, but FAA Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing notes said Dolan “crashed under unknown circumstances into a residential area while on approach to Runway 9. Unknown injuries.” The aircraft was subject to an alert notice and caught three houses on fire when it crashed, according to the ASIAS notes.
The NTSB could release a preliminary report on the crash in the next several weeks.
A witness near the crash scene captured a video of the plane diving straight down from the sky. The whine of the single-prop, high-performance engine could be heard as it fell toward the ground.
Investigators recovered parts of the plane’s fuselage and wing as they sifted through rubble two days after the crash.
“He loved to be in his plane and he loved to fly,” Tim Marx, former CEO of Catholic Charities, told Fox 9 in Minneapolis. Dolan served on the board there, Marx said. “He gave fully from his heart, his soul and his mind.”
starting pay of $72,000 retroactive to October 2024. This October, officers’ steps will increase again, by an average of 4.7% in pay, and 5.5% in October 2026.
Sergeants will be moved into a four-step pay plan that provides an average 14.1% increase retroactive to October 2024, and a starting pay of $111,570. This October, sergeants’ steps will increase by an average of 3.9%, and about 4.2% in October 2026.
Both contracts include higher pay for night shifts, other stipends and cost-of-living increases.
In past years, the Naples Police Department had difficulties hiring and retaining officers due to the high local cost of living and lower pay compared to other departments statewide and nationally.
Police Chief Ciro Dominguez, who was hired in October 2023, focused on hiring and work culture.
His term began a year after the union negotiated a roughly 12% raise and a monthly $400 commuter stipend to offset the cost of transportation to and from work for officers and sergeants.
Naples sends hands-free message to state Legislature
By Aisling Swift
Naples City Council voted unanimously to ask the state Legislature to require drivers to use hands-free devices to make roads safer and join 31 other states with similar laws.
Council voted on April 2 to support enacting comprehensive legislation to require handsfree cell phone or device use for making calls while driving to protect lives and safety and reduce “alarming rates” of distracted driving-related accidents, injuries and fatalities.
“Implementing legislation to require handsfree cell phone and handheld device use while driving would help foster a safer driving environment, reduce the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving and promote responsible driving habits across all age groups,” the resolution says.
Since July 2019, Florida has had a hands-free driving law that covers all wireless devices, including tablets, laptops and electronic games. It prohibits texting, emailing and messaging while driving, but drivers can make and receive phone calls using a cell phone. However, they must use hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth or speakerphone, in school zones and work zones — unless they’re reporting an emergency or criminal activity to law enforcement. Emergency vehicle operators on official duties are exempt.
In addition to 31 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cellphones while driving. Laws in all but Alabama and Missouri are primary enforcement laws, meaning an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cellphone even if the driver committed
“Implementing legislation to require hands-free cell phone and handheld device use while driving would help foster a safer driving environment ...
—Naples City Council resolution no other traffic offense.
The city was asked to pass a resolution by Michelle Avola-Brown, executive director of the Naples Pathways Coalition, who emailed Council in February to ask for legislation to address distracted driving. She pointed out county commissioners unanimously passed a resolution in November that was sent to the state Legislature. Citing national research, the resolution says distracted driving causes thousands of injuries and fatalities yearly nationwide; that phone use increases the risk of crashing by 23 times; and it’s six times more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. The resolution will be sent to state and federal lawmakers, public safety and advocacy groups to urge “prompt and decisive action.”
To read the resolution, go to: bit.ly/napleshandsfree.
there is not a lot of support in some quarters for moving the airport. For instance, Collier County’s Board of Commissioners made it clear in January that they are opposed to relocating it in Collier County. They passed a resolution against building a new airport in unincorporated Ave Maria and rejected NAA’s invitation to participate in any decisions related to moving the airport.
“However, the Naples City Council voted in favor of the NAA continuing the study,” Rozansky said. “This study is not intended to result in a final recommendation, only to inform elected officials, other stakeholders and interested parties.”
Rozansky, who has had informal discussions with a bond manager and other financial consultants, told the board that Panama City’s airport — which cost more than $318 million to build — was paid for with $120 million in state grants and loans; $72 million in Federal Aviation Authority grants; $60 million from the sale of the former airport land (Northwest Beaches International Airport was built on fresh land north of the city); $38 million in residual fees from de-
include potential aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue streams associated with both a new general aviation-only airport and a new commercial services airport.
In 2024, Northwest Beaches International signed an agreement with Florida State University’s innovation program aimed at advancing FSU’s aerospace engineering, testing and manufacturing in the region. In April 2024 Triumph Gulf Coast — using money from grants related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — gave the final sign-off on $98.4 million in grant funding that will support the project. FSU said it will invest another $65 million over the next 10 years, and has committed to securing more grant money for the project.
“We don’t have a steady revenue stream like a commercial airport does with airline services, and we don’t have taxing authority, so it’s uncertain what a credit rating company would determine,” she said.
velopment; and $55 million from a private bank loan backed by future airport revenues. A bond consultant who works primarily with municipalities told Rozansky that Naples Airport could potentially bond between $75 million and $100 million, but NAA spokesperson Robin King said the NAA — a special purpose government agency — might have difficulty obtaining a credit rating.
When weighing the cost of a new airport, consultants also estimate the revenue that the airport can generate to repay loans and meet other financial obligations. Since its opening, for instance, Panama City’s airport has attracted research and development dollars. That’s important, because the NAA’s study could
NAA commissioners are aware of complaints from the public that NAA is spending too much time studying a move that may never happen. Though Burns urged the commissioners to conduct a full financial feasibility analysis and not “a back-of-the envelope” study, Commissioner Kerry Dustin suggested the board concentrate on more immediate issues.
“I think it’s a little bizarre to go forward with an analysis of building an airport in the county when the County Commissioners said. ‘5-0, no airport,’” Dustin said.
Junior Achievement of SWFL inducts 4 into Hall of Fame
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
A who’s who of the local business community celebrated four regional leaders March 25 at Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s annual banquet honoring this year’s Business Hall of Fame inductees.
Since its local inception in 1988, Junior Achievement has recognized influential, visionary leaders from the business community who have made a significant impact, created new opportunities and elevated the educational landscape in the community. During the last four decades, the parade of laureates has ranged from Collier County founder Barron G. Collier Sr. as one of its first inductees to this year’s Aysegul Timur, president of Florida Gulf Coast University, who gave an emotional acceptance speech.
Joining Timur on the prestigious list of laureates for 2025 are Timothy Cartwright, co-founder and partner of the Naples-based Fifth Avenue Family Office wealth management team; and William Price Jr. and Matthew Price, chairman of the board and CEO, respectively, of Seagate Development Group, headquartered in Fort Myers. They were saluted at a fundraising banquet at Naples Grande Beach Resort, where $255,500 was
raised for Junior Achievement, a nonprofit organization that provides local youth with programs for work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.
“We have to help young people navigate what is confusing sometimes and can be scary. This idea of educational pathways, JA makes that exciting and fun and opportunistic,” said Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement USA, who told business leaders in attendance that young people need access to them and their companies so that the youth can see a future that they fit in.
The local event, chaired for the fifth year by Stacey Herring of Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Laureate Chair Sandy Stilwell Youngquist of Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group, was emceed by Amanda Hall of WINK News and Scott Robertson of Champion
Fundraising Auctions. Pre-recorded personal interviews and testimonials introduced banquet attendees to each laureate and their unique entrepreneurial journey to success.
Aysegul Timur
Appointed as the fifth president of FGCU in 2023, Timur has established herself as a transformative force in higher education and regional economic development. She joined FGCU in 2019 and previously served as vice president and vice provost for strategy and program innovation at FGCU, where she led initiatives that bridged academia and the business world. Timur was pivotal in the launch of the university’s micro-credentialing and digital badges initiative, which ensures that students gain skills preparing them for the workforce.
“If you really think about her
journey in life, it really feels kind of like the quintessential American success story. She has not let any obstacle slow her down or keep her from achieving her dreams,” said Michael Wynn, president of Sunshine Ace Hardware and chair of FGCU’s Board of Trustees. “She really shows that grit, determination and hard work can take you far.”
Timothy Cartwright Driven by faith and family, Cartwright’s entrepreneurial journey led him into a career where he co-created a local business to provide multigenerational financial planning to high-net-worth families. Cartwright also is chairman and founder of Tamiami Angel Funds LLC, Southwest Florida’s first angel investment fund; and is a general partner at Adrenaline Venture Fund, where he actively supports innovative business startups.
“Tim has always been supportive of the university and a very effective advocate of FGCU, and is very willing to be generous with his time and meeting with local legislators and community leaders,” said William Bradshaw, a former president of FGCU.
William Price Jr. and Matthew Price
As Seagate’s visionary patriarch, Bill Price is joined by his son, Matt, in developing and constructing complex, high-profile projects on national and international levels, including 4.5 million square feet of commercial property in Florida. The company’s innovative design-build process streamlines the financing, acquisition and development of projects. Seagate has expanded with commercial, residential and property management divisions.
“The visionary attributes that Bill and Matt bring to Southwest Florida are game-changers. They are true inspirations for everybody in our business and certainly an inspiration to the next generation we’re trying to inspire to develop a culture of legacy leaving things better than you found them, and that’s so important that Bill and Matt are always focused on. They’re just a natural for this recognition,” said Gary Tasman, CEO and principal broker of Cushman & Wakefield commercial real estate firm.
Kids are getting a jump on what their futures could look like
By Jean L. Amodea
Students in grades 5 and 8 and in high school in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties are being offered a special opportunity to explore career choices and understand their roles in driving the economic growth of their communities. This is made possible through the distinctive financial readiness and career exploration programs of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida.
According to Angela Fisher, the nonprofit organization’s president and CEO, “The programs give youth the mindset and skill set they need to help them build thriving communities and make smart economic decisions about their career and where they’re headed, but if they don’t make wise money management decisions, they won’t be successful.”
Pathways to success
The organization’s comprehensive curriculum addresses key “pathways” such as financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. These programs ensure students will be exposed to the program’s experiences at least three times during their school careers, providing a well-rounded education in career readiness.
“The program for high school students culminates with inperson interactive career exploration opportunities where
they complete an interest profile to decide on the career that is of interest,” Fisher said. “We want high schoolers to participate hands-on because they’re the ones that are either getting ready to go into their careers or some sort of higher education, whether it’s technical school or college.”
Programs producing the most effect
• JA Our Nation introduces fifth-grade students to the intersection of work and readiness, and upper elementary grades to social studies learning objectives, over five 45-minute sessions with one optional session. The sessions offer practical information about the nation’s free market system and
how it is an economic engine for businesses and careers, instilling confidence in the students about their future career paths.
• JA Inspire Entry , a work and career readiness module, helps to launch middle school students into their future high school and post-secondary education and careers. The curriculum can be completed independently, at home or in class, with or without teacher involvement. The JA Inspire event that follows the curriculum can be in-person, virtual or both. In Collier County, students can opt for virtual learning.
• JA Personal Finance 2.0 is for teens and young adults in grades 9-12 and post-high school and includes money
management strategies such as earning, employment and income, budgeting, savings, credit and debt, smart shopping, risk management, investing and more over 11 sessions. There are eight 45-minute sessions, with sessions one to five required and volunteerled, sessions six to eight optional with teacher or volunteer support and sessions nine to 11 optional.
“For the first time this year, we received significant funding for a pre-apprenticeship pilot program for ages 17-24, graduating seniors or young adults, that offers sixmonth work-based learning experiences to fast-track careers,” Fisher said. “We partner with our school districts to provide reallife experiences and make those business connections for them.”
The program’s highlights include a curriculum taught by Junior Achievement and industry professionals, job shadowing with leading construction companies and opportunities to earn such recognized certifications as OSHA 10 (construction), CPR First Aid/ AED and Forklift. Students also learn career readiness skills: resume building, interview techniques, personal budgeting, financial literacy and more.
Funding The organization’s operations are primarily sustained through corporate sponsorships, foundations and grants, individual donors and fundraising efforts such as the Hall of Fame event that recognizes and honors local
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
What: Giving youth the knowledge and skills needed for economic success
Where: In Southwest Florida, 13241 University Drive, Suite 102, Fort Myers (main office) Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday
For information about donations or to volunteer: Visit jaswfl.org
Contact: 239.225.2590 or info@ jaswfl.org
businesspeople and leaders. This diverse funding base underscores the importance of community support in continuing the organization’s work.
“It’s important to be proactive with our young people and provide them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their careers and financial futures by connecting them to the business leaders and our community,” Fisher said. “Junior Achievement is unique in that it assists students in realizing that they can accomplish their goals, in discovering available career paths and by showing them the steps to achieve those career goals.”
Aysegul Timur Timothy Cartwright William Price Jr. and Matthew Price
Jason Brewer, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida board chair; Angela Fisher, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida president and CEO; and Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement USA. Photo courtesy Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida
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with CAN, said the organization’s goal is to support families battling cancer in Collier and Lee counties in as many ways as possible.
“Our direct mission is to financially support them while they’re going through cancer,” Ciuffetelli said. “This project adds a little joy to such a stressful, anxiety-driven time and we’re delighted to do this for this family. To meet them and see their gratitude and how much they love their family and their new community, and how much they love their home — it was so nice just to bring some joy.”
A colorful home update — and a VIP soccer outing
Souzanna said it has been “remarkable” to see the house and yard transformed through the efforts of CAN, with local painter Wayne Rodriguez of That 1 Painter contributing the labor and Sherwin-Williams donating the paint. Genesis Landscape Concepts donated plants for the landscaping portion of the project. The exterior of the house was refreshed with a colorful update from blue to red.
“It’s been very shocking for us until now,” Souzanna said in a recent interview while Rodriguez’s team was putting the final touches on the house. “It has been Steve’s dream to have this home and these animals and to enjoy it to the fullest, and now all of this is happening with the cancer. It has shattered his dream a little, but with the Cancer Alliance Network and all these organizations pitching in to help us, it has been tremendous. It is giving us more courage to know that there is help out there and we are not just alone in this fight.
“Steve was so overwhelmed, so happy that they are doing all this. Honestly, I thought we were in the struggle by ourselves, but there are people out there and we’re very
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Cravillion, 91, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, has been in a North Naples assisted-living facility since August 2022, but building departments received plans that fraudulently used his seal until January, as well as letters purportedly written by him. His son said someone even recently renewed Cravillion’s license for two years. The state Department of Business & Professional Regulation alerted building departments to the fraud and shut down his license in early February.
DBPR records show Wainscott has a history of unlicensed activity dating back to 1991, including fraudulently using the seal of architect Leonard LaForest after LaForest’s suspension in 2018 and his death in November 2021. Marco Island’s Building Services Division caught Wainscott using LaForest’s seal in 2023 and Cravillion’s seal in January. He’s introduced himself to homeowners as an architect or engineer but is not certified in either discipline.
In November 2023, the state Architectural and Design Board fined Wainscott $24,000 for using LaForest’s seal and assessed $497 in costs. It’s now investigating his use of Cravillion’s seal.
Florida statutes require registered architects to use the digital seals, which verify the authenticity of architectural documents, establish an architect’s identity and show safety-code compliance, structural integrity and adherence to local, state and national standards.
The lawsuit alleges that in February 2024, DWD and ASSA agreed DWD would pay ASSA $2,250 monthly for a licensed architect at ASSA to review structural design plans. From March 2024 to December 2024, DWD paid ASSA $24,750 and ASSA provided DWD with “what appeared to be approvals” after reviews by Cravillion, a licensed architect.
Florida statutes require registered architects to use the digital seals, which verify the authenticity of architectural documents, establish an architect’s identity and show safetycode compliance, structural integrity and adherence to local, state and national standards.
The designs were then submitted to building departments for approval. But in January 2025, the lawsuit says, Wainscott discovered ASSA and Sarmiento had used Cravillion’s seal without his knowledge and the designs had never been reviewed by a licensed architect or engineer, which prompted a state investigation.
As a result, the lawsuit says, Wainscott had to pay for a new engineer of record to review and re-certify multiple designs at a cost of $105,960.14, so far.
The lawsuit accuses Sarmiento of “knowingly and intentionally” representing that a licensed architect reviewed and signed off on the designs. It alleges he intended for Wainscott and DWD to “rely on the false representations to procure payment from DWD.”
Wainscott’s attorney, James Kurnik of Naples, declined to comment on the lawsuit or investigation, citing the pending litigation. Sarmiento has not returned calls or emails seeking comment.
The DBPR sent more than two dozen firms and owners — including drafting, planning, permitting and other building contractors — cease-and-desist orders in January, demanding they stop using the seal. However, several told The Naples Press they were unaware a fraudulent seal was being used and have provided the state board’s investigator with evi-
dence. They say they contracted with Wainscott or Sarmiento and blame them.
By February, county officials said they’d flagged at least 400 single-family homes and commercial buildings totaling $40 million that had used the fraudulent state-issued architectural seal and by March, that number had grown as plans reviewers continued searching records.
The county is still reviewing about 200,000 permit applications dating back to August 2022 and has upgraded its software to expedite the process so it won’t affect other permits. Once the Cravillion review is completed, building officials say they’ll review permits that used LaForest’s seal.
Collier, Naples and Marco Island are first focusing on active permits — issuing stopwork orders if homes and commercial buildings are under construction. Homeowners and contractors must hire a new architect or engineer and re-submit their permit applications. Collier officials said the fraud spread through Southwest Florida to Sarasota County and hit a few areas on the East Coast.
It’s also being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement agencies, and has been referred to the FBI.
Architect Greg Burke, vice chair of the Florida Board of Architecture & Interior
grateful and thankful for it.”
Doctors have given Steve, who recently completed his 27th round of chemotherapy, a year to live, and he said he is determined to keep fighting for Souzanna and their family.
A person of deep faith, Steve wears a Superman-logo T-shirt Souzanna gave him and calls himself “Super Steve.” He said he is very grateful for the help that has been provided by CAN, local businesses and others in the community.
“I have no words but ‘thank you,’” Steve said. “It means the world.”
Souzanna said their son, Ajay, has stepped up to help with yardwork and with taking care of Steve.
“He has been a really great help,” she said. “Growing up, Steve has taught him about the lawn, taking care of plants and everything. So, Ajay is the one who helps do everything in the yard and with the animals, because Steve can’t be out there too long in the sun.
“He’s the one who gets Steve into the wheelchair and helps me get him into bed. I feel so sorry that he has to go through this at 13, because normally Steve would be the one taking him to the park, to the water park, to movies, but with the cancer, Steve can’t be that person anymore.”
On top of the home refresh, Steve, Souzanna, Ajay and Crystal recently enjoyed a VIP family outing to see Naples’ professional soccer team, FC Naples, play at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, courtesy of the team.
Others who have contributed goods or services for the Kapish family through CAN include Sergio Casare with Max Business Profits; Keller-Williams with Team Excellence & Sunshine with Kim Jones; Shana Justice with Justice Bookkeeping; Onario Adragna with O’s Hauling; Annette Masse with Aflac; Jimmy Lima; Trevor Rodriguez; and Betty Gonzales.
Additional information about the Cancer Alliance Network’s programs and services can be found at canceralliancenetwork.org
Design and a member of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, told The Naples Press that plans involving a home’s structural components must be signed and sealed by an architect or engineer. They cannot review drawings after they’re completed, but must be involved in the project’s drawings from start to finish.
It doesn’t appear that that was occurring. Numerous homeowners have found structural defects and most are forced to go through arbitration, which is usually beneficial to the builder. Many involve Nova Homes of South Florida, whose management said it has severed ties with Wainscott and is now using Joshua Greenwell, an engineer who took over DVD Design.
In January, state Sunbiz records show, Wainscott’s name was removed as director, secretary and president and Greenwell assumed those titles, while Douglas Clark is listed as vice president.
Homeowners also are going through Code Enforcement or Contractor Licensing Board hearings and lawsuits. Many Nova Homes buyers learned their plans had fraudulent seals by both LaForest and Cravillion. They question why Nova Homes didn’t drop Wainscott after the LaForest fraud and point out Nova Homes alerted its Marco Island home buyers about the LaForest fraud in 2023, but didn’t alert buyers in Naples or Collier County.
The letter said Nova Homes was “blindsided” about the fraud and that its design firm, “a well-respected company used by many,” assured Nova it was “unaware of staff actions” and it wouldn’t happen again. The letter referred to Wainscott.
Collier County has revoked Nova Homes’ permit-pulling privileges pending repairs to a North Naples home, but it’s allowed to complete work on outstanding permits. Eric Pacheco, Nova Homes’ operations and sales manager, told The Naples Press it is also a victim of Wainscott and is working expeditiously to remedy any problems.
The Kapish family received the VIP treatment at a recent FC Naples Soccer game at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. From left are Wayne Rodriguez with That 1 Painter; Ajay Kapish; Souzanna Kapish; Steve Kapish; Reis Planson with FC Naples holding Crystal Kapish; and Natural Persaud. Photo courtesy Cancer Alliance Network
Support legislation for cardiac plans in schools
As a pediatrician with 12 years of experience, I can attest that few things in life happen as quickly and unexpectedly as cardiac arrest. This sudden event can lead to tragedy and devastation if those nearby are not prepared to take immediate action. In the hospital, we are trained to address these situations, but every year, more than 356,000 people in the United States experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting. Alarmingly, about 90% of these individuals do not survive.
Unfortunately, not all schools in Florida are required to have plans in place for when a cardiac emergency occurs, nor do they have the necessary training and equipment to support such plans. This gap in preparedness can have dire consequences, especially considering the high number of cardiac arrests that occur annually.
To address this critical issue, I am reaching out to the legislative delegation representing Lee and
Guest column
Eric Eason
Collier counties to support SB 430/HB 337, which would require all schools to have comprehensive Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in place. I urge you to join me in advocating for this legislation. Together, we can ensure that our schools are equipped to implement a proven chain of survival that can save lives.
Overview of sudden cardiac arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest is the abrupt and unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness, often resulting from an electrical disturbance in the heart. Without prompt intervention through cardiopulmonary resus-
citation and defibrillation, death from SCA is inevitable. Simply put, if you see someone collapse, and they don’t have a pulse, there are two steps you should take: First, call 911 and put them on speakerphone. Second, push hard and fast in the center of the chest, and don’t stop until help arrives, or someone can take over for you. If someone is nearby, shout for them to get an AED (automated external defibrillator), which is a user-friendly device that can deliver a shock to the heart when needed. For every minute without access to CPR and defibrillation, the chances of surviving SCA decrease by 7-10%. However, timely access to these lifesaving measures can more than double a person’s chance of survival.
Importance of cardiac emergency response plans
A cardiac emergency response
plan is a written document that outlines specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in school settings. A carefully orchestrated response can mean the difference between life and death. The American Heart Association has launched the Nation of Lifesavers movement, aiming to double the survival rate from cardiac arrest by 2030. Florida can lead the nation in this movement by becoming a State of Lifesavers. Through awareness, education and the passage of CPR and AED legislation, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers and significantly increase the chances of survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact of this legislation on Florida schools is indeterminate. The cost of Automated External Defibrillators ranges from $1,000 to $2,500. However, current law already requires
schools to have at least one AED on campus for athletic purposes, meaning the additional costs for purchasing and training on AEDs should be minimal. CPR training, including AED training, is available through multiple providers at minimal costs, ranging from $30 to $70.
In conclusion, supporting SB 430/HB 337 is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and preparedness of our schools in the face of cardiac emergencies. I urge our legislative delegation representing Lee and Collier counties to advocate for this legislation. Together, we can create a safer environment for our children, along with school staff and visitors. Together, we can save lives.
Dr. Eric Eason is American Heart Association SWFL board president and a pediatric cardiologist at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
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comes to attracting top talent.
He cited the recent recruitment of Dr. Thomas Caranasos, chief of cardiothoracic surgery and vice president of the Rooney Heart Institute, as an example.
“We just attracted Dr. Caranasos, one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the world, and we’re delighted that he has joined this vision,” Cubeddu said. “We’ve hired another 15 to 20 other cardiologists and surgeons and I think they all share the enthusiasm and the vision, and they see the support of this community.”
Cubeddu said the combined cardiac and stroke center is part of NCH’s overall goal to provide “worldclass” treatment options so that local residents do not feel they have to travel for medical care.
“I think that’s the primary objective, is to be able to care for those that live here,” Cubeddu said. “Heart disease remains the most common cause of death and hospital admissions and one of the most common causes of stroke, so it makes a lot of sense to invest in that space, especially in a community like Naples where it’s very prevalent because of the demographics.”
He said there is “alignment” among patients, physicians, the NCH leadership team and board, along with the community to “pull this off.”
“And it’s long overdue,” Cubeddu said. “Historically, patients were flying out for care, and we owe it to our community. We have the talent and the expertise, and we’ve attracted many of those to be part of it.”
Comprehensive stroke certification
In addition to cardiac services, the facility will house the Wingard Stroke Institute, which recently received comprehensive stroke certification, the highest level for a stroke center in the country.
Dr. Mazen AbuAwad, executive director of the Wingard Stroke Institute, said it is one of only five stroke centers in Florida with that level of certification, and one of only a few in the country.
He said the Wingard Institute’s “door to needle times” — the time from when a patient arrives at the hospital to when the patient receives the medication needed to resolve the blood clot in the brain — are some of the fastest in the country.
“We are required to give that medicine within 60 minutes from the patient’s arrival,” AbuAwad said. “About 65% of our patients get that medicine within 45 minutes and 30% of our patients get that drug within 30 minutes.”
AbuAwad said the new facility will have “everything that’s needed” for patient care in terms of physicians, support staff, equipment and clinical space in one building.
“Instead of the patient having to go do all these services in different places, the patient will be at the center, and everything will come to that patient in one place,” AbuAwad said. “That will translate into even better care for our patients: Faster diagnoses, faster treatments, more experts available for those patients and having even better outcomes. And that will allow us to do even more, to participate in more research and develop more tools for our patients.”
DRIVEN BY PHILANTHROPY
Estimated cost for the completed center is $265 million, with more than $190 million raised so far through philanthropy and another $70 million outstanding.
Gifts for the heart and stroke center between $10 million and $20 million:
$20 million
• The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
• The Francis and Kathleen Rooney Foundation
• Donald and Diana Wingard
$15 million
• The Bill and Julia Van Domelen Foundation
$10 million
• Jay and Patty Baker
Gifts between $5 million and $10 million
• Audrey M. Petersen ($8 million)
• Karl and Joanne Wyss ($7.5 million)
• Brynne and Robert Coletti ($5 million)
• Fritz and Kathy Friday ($5 million)
• Mara and Henry Saad ($5 million)
• B.T. Golisano ($5 million)
• Foglia Family Foundation ($5 million)
• Monte and Usha Ahuja ($5 million)
• John M. and Susan Morrison Foundation ($5 million)
• James and Jaimie Yeh ($5 million)
• James M. Schoonmaker II Foundation ($5 million)
• Cheryl Mullin Devito ($5 million)
NCH staff and donors stand in front of the Telford Center on the downtown Naples campus of NCH for a last photo before the demolition of the building. The site will be developed into the R.M. Schulze Family Cardiovascular and Stroke Critical Care Center. Photo by Liz Gorman
Naples Zoo announces birth of 2 endangered ring-tailed lemurs
Naples Zoo recently announced the birth of two endangered ring-tailed lemurs, born on March 25. Parents PJ and Julien were genetically matched by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ cooperatively managed Species Survival Plan program, designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically stable population for the long-term future. One year ago, PJ and Julien welcomed baby Velo, and now they will add two more babies to their troop.
Lemurs are the most endangered mammal group in the world, and ringtailed lemurs are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They’re hard to count, as they scatter over large areas, but they’ve lost more than 50% of their population in the last 30 years. Their biggest threat is deforestation. Fortunately, they are found in several protected areas in southern Madagascar.
Zoo officials said PJ has been “an exceptional mother, showing attentive care and nurturing to both of the new babies,” according to a news release. Velo is taking his role as big brother well.
Guests can see this thriving troop of lemurs on Naples Zoo’s Primate Expe -
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positions, in addition to Transportation, Stormwater and Beach capital programs.
Late last year, her responsibilities expanded to include the Real Property Section, the Sea Turtle Monitoring program and Countywide Capital Grant Program — adding about 15 employees under her leadership, which includes oversight and management of roughly $300 million in capital grants. Her salary will increase to $193,883, a 4% raise.
Last month, Public Utilities department head Dr. George Yilmaz resigned effective April 4 to take a job with the city. Commissioners appointed DeLony, an engineer, military veteran and former county department head, to temporarily oversee the department for three to nine months until they find a replacement.
Most recently, DeLony oversaw international project management and comprehensive logistics services for the U.S. Army in Southwest Asia. Before that he was the county Public Utilities department head, overseeing 400 employees, $1.1 billion in infrastructure, an $88 million yearly operating budget and a $50 million annual capital budget. He will receive $203,406 yearly, 2% more than Yilmaz’s salary. Commissioners noted Yilmaz
After
Yilmaz,
The city’s Public Works director Bob Middleton had planned to retire this summer, but has agreed to extend his tenure at least through this year, said city communications manager Monique Barnhart. She added that Middleton will continue as Public Works director, overseeing the Utilities Divisions, as well as Yilmaz’s position.
“Dr. Yilmaz’s role is a newly created position and first director hire under City Manager Gary Young,” Barnhart said. Young was the city’s deputy manager and chief financial officer until City Council hired him as manager in January. “Gary plans to use this time to assess the Public Works Department’s long-term structure and needs. As part of this evaluation, he will determine the best approach for filling Bob’s position in the future.” Middleton’s current salary is $206,165. He was hired by the city in November 1992 as its public utilities operations superintendent, became director in 1998 and acting public works director in 2008, and was named public works director a year later.
• Naples Press Staff
Before approval, Amy Patterson sought an opinion from the state Commission on Ethics late last year on whether Jamie French’s raise would violate the state antinepotism law.
recommended two engineers as his successor — Kari Ann Hodgson, Solid Waste director, and Matt McLean, Public Utilities division director — and said the county’s prioritybased consultant, ResourceX, recommended eliminating some positions due to attrition, but this one may need an immediate successor. Commissioners agreed DeLony has extensive county experience and could mentor Hodgson and McLean.
Their vote said they won’t commit to a national search to fill Yilmaz’s post. All raises and titles complied with county policies.
•Aisling Swift
dition Cruise. Naples Zoo was planning a gender reveal; watch its social media pages for an update on the twins.
PJ and her twins. Photo courtesy Naples Zoo
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HEALTH
Caregivers confront Alzheimer’s epidemic
By Melanie Pagan
Each time Southwest Florida resident Randy Badras returns from her morning bike ride, she knows there’s a chance her father won’t be alive to answer when she knocks on his bedroom door.
“And then it’s over,” she said. “That’s really what we’re waiting for.”
The “it” is the years-long struggle of caring for her 97-year-old father, who has Alzheimer’s disease. What started as occasional assistance has become a full-time role. Her mornings are her only respite while her husband feeds her father breakfast. The rest of the day is consumed with care.
Badras is now the keeper of memories for the man who once doted on her, his only daughter, “princess of the house.” The father who gave her chocolates on Valentine’s Day and took her fishing on weekends in Long Island now remembers less and less. She is not alone.
Millions of families face similar heartbreak as Alzheimer’s “spreads.” Nearly 7 million Americans aged 65 and up have the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, with projections reaching nearly 13 million by 2050.
Those figures have staggering effects on families, as more than 11 million Americans provide care without pay for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, contributing an estimated 18 billion hours of care valued at nearly $350 billion in 2023.
Adult children and spousal caregivers are often thrust into an all-consuming role they never expected, which demands everything — emotionally, physically and financially. There is no reward at the end beyond relief from witnessing a loved one’s suffering.
“I get asked often, ‘Is your father happy?’ You don’t see happy,” Badras said. “We used to think he was content, but I don’t know that he’s capable of being content anymore. It’s just sad. Really sad.”
Caring for someone with compromised cognitive function is relentless, but unlike the around-the-clock care of raising a newborn, there’s no hope of a bright future for adults affected by Alzheimer’s.
“With a child, you know they’re going to grow up eventually, and you’re enriched by giving the most to that child over a period of time, helping shape them and preparing them on their way to a happy life,” said Eric Brown, owner and president of Assisting Hands Naples, an in-home care agency for seniors. “With this, there’s just no happy ending.”
An escalating epidemic
In Florida, Alzheimer’s cases are expected to increase by 30% during the next decade, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, making it a public health crisis. In Naples alone, more than 22,000 older adults have dementia, an umbrella term for a range of symptoms affecting cognitive abilities that interfere with daily life, reported The Baker Senior Center Naples. It’s one area organization working to support the Badras family and others.
“Caring for someone with dementia really upends your life,” Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, president and CEO of Baker Senior Center Naples, said. “Everything changes.”
The burden of caregiving is often invisible to outsiders, but it is an unrelenting struggle for families who find themselves walking a tightrope between grief and devotion.
“Until we get a cure, more and more people seem to be experiencing this and struggling with it,” said Karen Rodino, family consultant, brain fitness center educator and music connection coordinator at Alzheimer’s Support Network in Naples.
A cure remains elusive, but funding has been increasing. In 2013, the U.S. government allocated approximately $448 million annually to Alzheimer’s research. In 2024, that figure rose to $3.8 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Two families, two journeys
At her father’s 97th birthday party, Badras watched as he failed to recognize his own family. He barely knew his son’s name,
Caring for someone with compromised cognitive function is relentless, but unlike the around-the-clock care of raising a newborn, there’s no hope of a bright future for adults affected by Alzheimer’s.
couldn’t remember he’d been to his house where the party took place, wasn’t sure how he was related to his nephew.
Her world has shrunk, isolated from the retirement life of travel and community involvement she once envisioned. Even casual conversations can be draining.
“The first thing people ask is, ‘How’s your dad?’ Not, ‘How are you?’” she said.
Yet, she considers herself lucky.
“There are people who deal with violence and all sorts of uncomfortable behaviors [when experiencing dementia],” Badras said. “My father is basically very passive, which makes it easier to manage him.”
Stacie Ricci, a retired Naples real estate agent, wasn’t so fortunate. About five years ago, her husband began showing signs of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
“As it progressed, it made him extremely anxious all the time and extremely claustrophobic,” she said. “He was getting so aggravated that he was hurting himself, causing bloody arms. Then, he eventually became very threatening to me. This was not like him. I knew it wasn’t him.”
Her husband of 46 years didn’t recognize her. He thought she was an impostor trying to steal money. The police were called. He was hospitalized. Now, the former owner of an institutional pharmacy business serving nursing home patients is in a full-time memory care facility.
“I just feel like he was taken away from himself,” Ricci said. “He’s lost himself, and he can’t ever be who he was again. It’s extremely sad.”
Both women faced agonizing decisions about providing care and struggling to preserve their loved ones’ dignity while watching them disappear.
As days bleed together, marked by stress and heartache, they’ve each turned to local resources for help, seeking respite care, counseling or support groups that allow them to connect with caregivers’ complex decisions and pain.
Lifelines for caregivers
Brown, the Assisting Hands Naples owner, knows the devastation that families affected by Alzheimer’s experience firsthand. Years
ago, he knew something was seriously wrong when he visited his mom in Pennsylvania after she’d had a few falls.
“She started screaming at me and cursing, and these are words that never came out of my mother’s mouth,” he said. “I remember being quite emotional about it, thinking ‘I’ve lost my mother, I’ve lost my mother.”
The next day, she was herself again, but the incidents escalated. Eventually, he and his brother moved her to Florida and placed her in a memory care facility, where she lived out her final years.
Now, he uses his personal experience to help other families.
“I run the company from a client mindset because that’s what I have,” Brown said.
Assisting Hands sends out nurses for initial assessments and weekly follow-ups to monitor care plans, supervise caregivers and ensure quality of services. All caregivers are direct employees, not independent contractors, which can make a significant difference, he said.
Nurse registries use independent contractors, which can lead to limited oversight and potential risks, while directemployee agencies maintain control over caregiver quality, training and supervision.
Brown urged people seeking care to research whether caregivers are direct employees or independent contractors, and to be proactive in searching for the right fit rather than waiting for a crisis and scrambling for relief.
“There have been so many cases where, if people would have called us before, their mother or father wouldn’t have fallen and broken their hip and changed their whole life as a result of that catastrophic fall,” he said.
Rodino, of Alzheimer’s Support Network, also finds herself in a position supporting families after experiencing firsthand the challenges of caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s. She moved from a 35-year career as a high school teacher to join the organization that had supported her own family’s journey.
The independent nonprofit in Naples, operating for 44 years, provides approximately 30 monthly support groups, including specialized groups for Lewy body, frontal temporal and vascular conditions. It offers educational opportunities, engagement
activities and family consultations. All the services are free, with in-person and online options, which can relieve families facing the financial strain of this costly disease.
Home health care, adult daycare and memory care placement can range from $6,500 to $10,000 monthly, Rodino estimated. Very few families have long-term care policies, and Medicare doesn’t cover memory care community placement. As a result, families often end up self-funding these expenses, depleting savings, retirement funds, inheritances and other financial resources in the process.
Baker Senior Center Naples is another solution in Southwest Florida, offering a three-pronged approach to care: services for individuals with dementia, support for caregivers and educational programs for the community. The centerpiece is its evidencebased daily Dementia Respite Program, which keeps participants actively engaged for four hours while providing caregivers essential down time.
“It is not daycare. [Participants] are engaged from the minute they walk in until they leave,” Faffer said. “They receive a hot lunch that they have with other members of the program. And during those four hours, it gives the caregiver respite to do what they need to do to take care of themselves.”
While it does not cure the disease, the program offers relief and cognitive engagement.
The educational component provides tools for businesses and community members encountering a person with Alzheimer’s, including training for Naples’ bustling restaurants and hospitality venues on handling situations involving customers with cognitive decline.
The caregiver support services mean everything to people such as Badras, who finds a relatable community at Baker Senior Center.
“I appreciate being able to vent to people who totally understand,” she said. “I walk out of there, no matter what, smiling, feeling supported, heard and like I offered information that might be helpful for people. It’s something I actually look forward to.”
Giving up guilt
Despite the relief that structured support can bring to families experiencing Alzheimer’s, caregivers can still hesitate to seek help due to emotional attachment, loss of control, trust issues, lack of awareness and guilt.
“I didn’t want to have to use a facility,” Ricci remembered. “I always thought, if something happened to him, I could take care of him with some help.”
Sometimes, the most challenging step is admitting the need for such resources, but timing is crucial for improving the quality of life for both the person with the disease and the caregiver.
“You can’t be afraid to ask for help,” Badras said. “It’s hard for people to admit that there’s a problem. That’s where we were at. We had no idea what we were dealing with for the longest time. But, when you finally start talking to people, you start to understand more.” With the right care, relationships can still exist, even if they look different.
Ricci visits her husband at his care facility regularly, bringing him treats to brighten his day and to remind him she’s still there, still his wife. She encourages others with a loved one battling Alzheimer’s to remain present, however they can.
“Your spouse is still your spouse, just very different,” she said. “Continue to show them love through the whole ordeal because they’re suffering just like you’re suffering. They don’t know what happened to themselves. You just need to be there so they can hear your voice. Don’t take them somewhere and leave and not visit.”
Her thoughts returned to her husband as she added, “I would rather just be there so he knows he’s still married and has a wife.”
Randy Badras and her father, who participates in the dementia respite programs at Baker Senior Center Naples. Photo courtesy Randy Badras
Two Meatballs replacing Warehouse restaurant in Naples area
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
Two Meatballs in the Kitchen plans to expand its Italian restaurant concept into the Naples area soon to replace The Warehouse Cuisine & Cocktails, which permanently closed March 19 after a nearly eight-year run on the north side of Immokalee Road just east of Collier Boulevard.
The vacated site will be the first Collier County location for Two Meatballs in the Kitchen, which has two locations in Lee County the original that launched in south Fort Myers in 2008 and its Cape Coral counterpart that opened in 2020. In Collier, Two Meatballs is leasing the freestanding 5,400-square-foot restaurant space at 9010 Bellaire Bay Drive, said Franco Russo, coowner of the local restaurant brand.
“We are excited about it. It’s a great market and obviously a good building,” Russo said. “I really do love the space and the building and the location and the restaurants around us that do well. I think it’s a good next step for Two Meatballs.”
Russo’s Montoro Holdings restaurants also include Fresh Catch Inland in Estero, Fresh Catch Bistro and Junkanoo Below Deck on Fort Myers Beach, as well as Stones Throw in Cape Coral, but he thinks Two Meatballs in the Kitchen is best for the Naples spot.
“Instead of doing a brand-new concept or keeping it The Warehouse, I think it’s a concept that makes sense for the area,” Russo said. “I think this is a great, great spot for us.”
The prolific restaurateur doesn’t expect to waste time retrofitting the secondgeneration space.
“We’re not going to do extensive work in there, but I hope to be open in the next three months,” he said.
The Warehouse staff is welcome to stay on, Russo said, but he realizes that most cannot afford to take a months-long hiatus. The new
restaurant will continue to have more than 150 seats and a full bar and lounge. Expect the same “relatively traditional” menu and hefty
portions served at the other Two Meatballs locations, as well as a big happy hour, Russo said.
“Two Meatballs is built on fair prices, good quality and large portions, and that’s what we’ll do,” he said. “Mama’s Pasta is probably our number one item. Our meatballs are up there as an appetizer.”
Mama’s Pasta features diced sausage and meatballs sautéed with pancetta, ricotta and peas in a cream sauce topped with pecorino and parmesan served over a choice of pasta. Mama’s Meatballs are crafted with veal, pork and beef topped with house-made tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
The dinner menu has 15 signature pasta dishes, as well as chicken, seafood and veal entrees. Hand-tossed pizza, calzone, stromboli, soups, salads and appetizers round out the options. The lunch menu also
includes flatbreads and sandwiches.
Two Meatballs opens daily for lunch at 11 a.m. and starts dinner service at 3 p.m. Happy hour is noon to 6 p.m. daily.
The Warehouse The Warehouse raised the bar on dining opportunities east of Collier Boulevard when it opened in May 2017. Of course, when the family-owned and operated casual restaurant quietly closed before the end of season this year, it had a lot more competition; more than a dozen restaurants launched at that intersection within the last six years and more are coming this year.
A typed note posted in March on the restaurant’s door announced the closing from The Warehouse management team: “Unfortunately, due to the economy, the rising cost of goods and services, we were no longer able to provide the best possible product and service that we have been known for. Due to this we have closed our doors for good.”
The restaurant’s real estate was purchased in March by North Naples resident John Smith, confirmed Frank Kupiec of LQ Commercial, who represented the seller in the transaction. The purchase price was not disclosed, but owner Robert J. Forgèt had been marketing the restaurant and its 1-acre lot for sale for $3.1 million. The Forgèt family purchased the property as Naples-based V&T Land LLC in October 2016 for $910,400. The market value today on the improved Heritage Bay Commons tract is nearly $2 million, according to county property appraiser records.
Last June, the Forgèts sold the adjacent Volcano Mountain Adventure Golf business and real estate to Naples-based SmithCorp Realty LLC, owned by John Smith and Claire Sweeney-Smith, for more than $2.5 million. The Smiths continue to operate the miniature golf course and ice cream concession.
‘Soup Nazi’ retires, sells original Larry’s Lunch Box in East Naples
By Tim Aten tim.aten@naplespress.com
No soup for you — at least not from Naples’ “Soup Nazi” anymore. Marci Redding has retired after more than 35 years of berating indecisive customers at Larry’s Lunch Box Delicatessen in East Naples.
While not resorting to the dismissive extreme of “The Soup Nazi” character on the sitcom “Seinfeld,” Redding did not suffer fools gladly at her service counter.
“If they looked up at that board that was on the wall for 35 years, they were getting yelled at,” daughter Kimberly Redding Johnston said.
“Don’t look at the board. That’s not the menu,” Marci Redding would snap at customers holding up the lunch line.
“She didn’t have time to even discuss or try to have that customer-service attitude because she was so busy doing so many other things. She was wearing the hat of a cook and a prep person and
a dishwasher and a phone answerer and a cashier and a waitress,” her daughter said. “If nobody listened to her, if they didn’t stand where she wanted them to stand, then she would really get worked up.”
Some customers were offended, but many more were amused and kept coming back for more. And so did Marci “The Boss” Redding, who cherished her role and the persona she created over the years. “One hundred percent,” her daughter said. “And she lived up to it, too. She loved it.”
Marci and her husband, Larry Redding, both retired at the end of March after selling the original location of Larry’s Lunch Box they co-founded in 1987. The new owner is Oscar Ortiz, who has been the chef at the popular eatery for five years. Ortiz purchased the local business from the Reddings in an asset sale, effective April 1, that included the Larry’s Lunch Box name and recipes.
The restaurant near the Collier County Government Center at 2650 Airport Road S. will operate with a slightly different name —
Larry’s Lunch Box Catering Corp. — while the second location of Larry’s Lunch Box Delicatessen at 870 Neapolitan Way in Naples will continue to be operated as usual by the Reddings’ daughter and her husband, Kevan Johnston, who launched the spinoff in 2012.
While Larry and Marci Redding don’t have specific retirement plans, they agreed that it was time to step away from their restaurant business.
“That place was literally their life. Even on their days off they were there. So, it’s going to be quite an adjustment for them,” their daughter said. “After almost 40 years to hand over the keys, I can only imagine how they felt. In a way, I’m sure, relieved — but still it’s hard to let it go.”
The business was always a family affair, even for the younger generation.
“My brother, Sean, and I grew up there. We used to go there after school,” Kimberly Redding Johnston said. “On days off, after
Two Meatballs’ menu of Italian specialties includes hand-tossed pizza, calzone and stromboli.
Photo courtesy Two Meatballs
Two Meatballs in the Kitchen plans to expand its Italian restaurant concept into the Naples area soon to replace The Warehouse Cuisine & Cocktails, which permanently closed March 19 after a nearly eight-year run. Photo by Tim Aten
Marci Redding, known in Naples as “The Soup Nazi,” recently retired after 37 years of berating indecisive customers at Larry’s Lunch Box Delicatessen in East Naples.
Photo courtesy Larry’s Lunch Box
Conference addresses cognitive decline
By Jean L. Amodea
It’s heart-wrenching to see a loved one forgetting keys, names or their general whereabouts. Some even become belligerent or angry. Many caregivers, spouses and siblings face the daunting challenges presented by parents and elders who are on the brink of the abyss of dementia that includes Alzheimer’s disease.
Baker Senior Center Naples offers programs and social services for older adults and their families. It hosted the Southwest Florida Conference on Mental Health on March 21, a crucial platform for addressing the significant challenges faced by those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other mental health conditions.
We caught up with two of the four program panelists: The keynote speaker, Dr. Marc E. Agronin, chief medical officer, Frank C. and Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute, Miami Jewish Health, is recognized as an expert in Alzheimer’s disease, memory disorders and geriatric psychiatry; Marisa Luizzi is a certified dementia practitioner and chief cognitive health officer at BSCN.
Dr. Marc E. Agronin
Dr. Agronin spoke about “Aging and Resilience: How to Identify and Bolster Coping Strategies in Aging Patients.”
“Aging individuals can cope with adverse situations and return to a healthy baseline,” he said. “While physically, the body is less resilient, mentally, they tend to be as — if not more — resilient in part due to increased wisdom and experience. After a major disaster, we often see that only older individuals tend to cope better psychologically, even though we know they’re more vulnerable physically.”
Agronin explained that one of the most common adverse situations is a major illness, and while they are not as strong physiologically as they once were — and there is often a more extended recuperation — elders can draw upon past experiences, such as their spirituality, so-
cial networks and resources they have developed over time, that can help them cope with these changes.
“The foundation of good coping strategies is taking good care of their physical bodies and brain,” he said. “This involves moderate exercise, a healthy diet, keeping their brain stimulated, monitoring underlying medical issues like high blood pressure or diabetes and ensuring they get enough sleep and hydration. Above that, they can draw upon their wisdom, defined as the accumulated ability to problem-solve and to engage in mentally stimulating activities with an expansive perspective.”
He advised that having a sense of purpose can carry individuals through challenges and help them cope. “A well-developed sense of creativity is essential for problem-solving and elevating oneself, whether through involvement in the arts, relationships or various endeavors and exploration that will provide a sense of meaning and build something for oth-
BAKER SENIOR CENTER NAPLES PROGRAMS
What: Comprehensive programs and social services for older adults and their families
Where: 6200 Autumn Oaks Lane, Naples
Cognitive health programs: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Brain Joggers; 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Dementia Respite Program; 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Melodious Echoes Chorus; 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Caregiver Support Group; 10-11 a.m. second Monday of the month, Memory Café (Brain Joggers and Dementia Respite Program require a formal assessment process before joining) Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday
Contact: bakerseniorcenternaples.org or 239.325.4444
ers and their legacy,” Agronin said. “I recommended that people think of their life the way they might think of their finances. You have a life portfolio with wisdom as your main assets, resilience as your insurance, sense of purpose as the way you would plan your life and creativity as a way to diversify. It enables people to
have a much richer and meaningful aging when put together.”
Agronin said that even though those who live into their 90s and beyond are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, there are preventative strategies that could prevent up to 40% percent of all cases and may mitigate many other cases. Whether they are at high or low risk of Alzheimer’s, his book, The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life, delineates a preventative plan and is available on Amazon.
Marisa Luizzi
Luizzi oversees BSCN’s cognitive health programming. Her topic, “Social Engagement and Cognitive Health,” explored social interaction’s unique challenges and imperatives in preserving cognitive ability. Studies cited by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org) affirm her premise and find that social interaction strengthens neural pathways, improves memory and other thinking skills and is a protective factor against dementia in its various forms.
“Staying socially active is one of the best things we can do for our brain,” Luizzi said. “When someone starts to experience memory changes, they might become more reclusive or withdrawn, worried that they will embarrass themselves or afraid that they will get themselves into situations they cannot get out of. Our Brain Joggers program empowers them to be social and see that others are experiencing the same challenges, so they don’t need to ball up and be afraid. They can talk openly, still get that social aspect, and keep their brain active and healthy, which helps offset those memory declines.”
The Brain Joggers program is for people without a formal dementia diagnosis who may be experiencing some early memory loss and who want to address the issue with others in a nonjudgmental environment. The program, facilitated by a social worker, is described by Luizzi as a “peer-to-peer support program.”
Other BSCN cognitive health programs
The Dementia Respite Program is for individuals with a formal diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Caregiver support groups meet twice weekly, and two programs are designed for caregivers to suspend caregiving tasks and enjoy their loved ones in a safe, nonjudgmental environment: Memory Café and the dementia-friendly community choir, Melodious Echoes. The latter is for anyone with Alzheimer’s or dementia at any stage, in which participants rehearse and present a vocal performance.
From page 13A
soccer games, we’d have little parties and stuff there.”
The mom-and-pop deli features a kosherstyle menu of specialty sandwiches, soups and traditional deli options named after family and friends.
“The Reuben is by far the most popular sandwich on the menu,” she said. “Then second, to follow would be just corned beef, rye, mustard; and pastrami, rye, mustard. We have a specialty one on the menu that’s a choice between corned beef or pastrami
and then it’s got Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing and like a schmear of chopped liver. That one’s kind of big, and it’s a signature sandwich for here because you’re not finding that anywhere else.”
The old Larry’s under new ownership has a new logo and the website larryslunchbox. net. Ortiz and his family will continue to serve Larry’s favorite sandwiches, soups and salads plus some new menu additions, such as a falafel pita. As the new name suggests, the East Naples business includes catering, too. Meanwhile, nothing is changing at the Reddings’ longtime Neapolitan Way location off U.S. 41 in Naples. Note that it has its own website, larryslunchbox.com.
Dr. Marc E. Agronin, chief medical officer of Frank C. and Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health, was the keynote speaker. Photo courtesy Baker Senior Center Naples
The Reuben is the most popular sandwich on the menu at Larry’s Lunch Box Delicatessen.
Photo courtesy Larry’s Lunch Box
BRIEFS
MK Architecture awarded services for Park Plaza
condo improvements
MK Architecture was awarded architectural services for modern design updates at Park Plaza Condominiums on Parkshore Drive in Naples. Park Plaza is embarking on a multiyear renovation project designed to revitalize its interiors. The updates will include modernized amenities, improved common areas and stylish design enhancements. The construction projects will be carried out during the next several years.
Mediterra home sells for record $13.2 million
The home at 28970 Il Cuore Court has sold for $13,250,000 — the highest-priced home ever sold in the Mediterra community in North Naples. The Guenther, Heitman & Williams Team of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Village office marketed the transaction. Designed and built by London Bay Homes in 2017, the Italian Tuscan-inspired estate is set amid nearly 2 private acres and encircled by a 50acre preserve. The estate has a main residence, a guest house and a pool pavilion.
Marco Island waterfront condo sells for record
$7.5M
The $7.5 million sale of a waterfront residence at 1000 Royal Marco Way, Villa 6, on Marco Island, is tied for the second-highest condominium sale in the island’s history and stands as the highest-priced villa sale ever recorded in the Hideaway Beach community. Jim and Nikki Prange of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Marco Island office marketed the transaction. The 7,900-square-foot, end-unit villa features a gourmet chef’s kitchen, a private elevator and private terraces.
TRANSACTIONS
Week of March 24-28
SALES
ANR Stella Naples LLC purchased
7,014 square feet of retail space at 82 Ninth St. S., units 101, 103 and 105, in Naples from TBC 82 9th Street LLC for $6.35 million. David J. Stevens of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
LEASES
Southwest Florida Regional Coalition to End Homelessness
Inc. leased a 3,409-square-foot office space in the Collier Park of Commerce at 3050 Horseshoe Drive N., Suite 105, in Naples from Helios Colliers LLC. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
CFS Roofing Services LLC leased
2,400 square feet of industrial space at 4707 Enterprise Ave., Suite 1, in Naples from 4707 Enterprise LLC Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
Loandepot.com LLC leased
2,346 square feet of office space at 801 Laurel Oak Drive, Suite 402, in North Naples from Laurel Oak 801 LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties
Corp. represented the lessor, and Scott Williams of Gremel Williams represented the lessee.
L & V Distributors leased 1,384 square feet of office space in the 1100 on 5th building, 1100 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 202, in Naples from 1100 5th Ave LLC. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
REAL ESTATE
Waves of reinvention in commercial real estate
By M. Melanie Pefinis
To learn more about the trends, strategic outlooks and forecasts of the Southwest Florida real estate landscape, we turned to Gary Tasman, trusted commercial real estate expert. Tasman, CEO and principal broker at Cushman & Wakefield, knows the history of the region’s market shifts and offered words on the economic development efforts that are keeping our area ahead of the curve.
Five years after the pandemic outbreak, real estate is bouncing back. “I don’t think anyone could have guessed the impact of COVID,” Tasman said. “Unlike other places, Florida was a destination of choice for people trying to flee other locations. They were all stuck inside and looked at the lifestyle of the area and thought, ‘I might as well live there if I am going to work from my computer.’”
Cushman & Wakefield, an international company operating in 60 different countries, posted 2024 revenue totaling $9.4 billion. All this during times of housing shortages, shifts in the retail landscape and vacancies in the traditional office space arena.
“Back when our parents were in the work force, imagine a company was going to open a manufacturing plant someplace,” Tasman said. “Let’s say Cincinnati. People would uproot and move to Cincinnati to see if they could get work at the new facility.
“Nowadays,” he said, “the shift is that the companies are looking at where the people are and going where the people are, not the other way around. Everything in commercial real estate is happening because of that.”
With more than 52,000 employees and services including agency leasing, capital markets, tenant representation, retail, healthcare, industrial and multifamily dwellings, Cushman & Wakefield has seen the direct effects of changes in the economy, the workplace and the shift in retail practices.
Lifestyle, infrastructure and public services are all reasons Florida is seeing growth in this newly configured workforce. But, Tasman acknowledged, this is following a period of hardships for those interested in the area while wages available were not yet commensurate with affordable housing.
“Wage increases have finally let workers find more affordable housing, allowing this area to grow. The balance between how much people are making and rents is getting back in sync,” Tasman said. “That’s preparing us for another leg up in our growth.”
In other words, companies that want to hire more people are now able to, because qualified candidates can afford living and working here.
“All of that’s working itself out,” he concluded. Since his company also represents retail prop-
This “Amazon effect” model is based on distributing goods through a warehouse, tying it directly to the industrial sector.
“The balance between how much people are making and rents is getting back in sync. That’s preparing us for another leg up in our growth.”
—Gary Tasman, CEO and principal broker at Cushman & Wakefield
erties, Tasman commented on his outlook on this field.
“Retail reinvents itself all the time,” he said. “We have very low vacancy in retail spaces. It’s reinvented itself once again after the effects of COVID.”
Changes in how we buy and what we buy are coloring the retail sphere. “I call it the Amazon effect,” Tasman said. “Amazon and others are a different facet of retail.”
A more automated retail experience is now commonplace. Consumers are buying their goods in a multichannel distribution model in addition to going to the store, grabbing a cart and bringing things home. Ways of buying have changed, and the real estate sector is adapting itself for these different uses.
With each issue of The Naples Press that includes a real estate page, we will ask a real estate professional questions about issues of the day. For this edition, we spoke to longtime Realtor Heidi R. Varsames.
Q: What do I need to know if I am thinking about buying a home in a CDD community?
A: So just what is a CDD? A community development district in Florida is a special purpose government entity (Chapter 190 of the FL Statues) created to manage and finance the infrastructure for large-scale communities. It is meant to complement the responsibilities of homeowners associations and can offer its residents a range of services to help ensure the highest quality of life possible. CDD responsibilities may include stormwater management, potable and irrigation water supply, sewer and wastewater management and streetlights. If you’re considering buying a home in a CDD community, here are some key things to know: There will be some additional costs. The CDD fees are added to your annual property tax bill and help repay the bonds used to build the community infrastructure, and typically last 20-30 years.
Even after the bond is repaid, the homeowners may still pay fees for maintaining roads, lakes and amenities. A CDD is a public entity, which means
“No one could have predicted this happening,” Tasman said. Therefore, there has been a growth in the industrial sector because of changes in consumer behavior.
Industrial properties can include the manufacturing realm, sales floor, distribution centers, warehouses, show rooms and stocking facilities that now serve the purpose of meeting consumer needs.
“We have a tenant who provides underground piping to road builders,” Tasman said. “They need a place to store and turn over their inventory.” This combines the industrial facet with the sales facet.
Healthcare is another sector where growth continues. In this space, there is more demand than supply. Tasman saw this trend continuing, especially here in Florida.
Cushman & Wakefield regards Southwest Florida as one of the healthiest markets in the United States. Companies adapting their office space models to non-traditional methods allow people to have their home base here, and people working within a changing business prototype are grateful to find a home in a region with so much to offer.
“It’s a testament to Florida’s growth and job creation that we are flowing with the new ways that office space is being used, and that while retail shifts, it continues to expand,” Tasman said. “I am optimistic and hopeful because I am informed by the data.”
it is regulated with open meetings, recorded financials and elected boards.
Q: What are the benefits to the community?
A: Typically, these communities have well-maintained amenities such as clubhouses, pools, parks, trails, to name a few. There will be higher quality infrastructure that is funded up front rather than built in phases. More predictable maintenance and repair schedules help protect the long-term property values in a community.
Q: Are there any potential downsides?
A: You will experience higher property tax bills due to the included CDD assessments. There is also a long-term financial obligation of residents until the bonds are paid off.
There are currently 45 approved CDDs in Collier County. For a comprehensive list of all CDDs in Collier County and detailed information about each, you can refer to the county’s official website, colliercountyfl.gov
As an experienced Realtor in the greater Naples Area for 25 years, Varsames “highly recommends” homebuyers “work with a professional to help guide you in your buying or selling decisions. Know before you buy!”
Gary Tasman, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield, exhibited at the 2025 Edison Awards in Fort Myers.
Photo courtesy Cushman & Wakefield
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A rts & LEISURE
Easter events
Family Easter egg hunt
6-8:30 p.m. April 11 at Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park, 810 39th Avenue NE, Naples. Crafts, music, food, games, prizes and a huge egg hunt. Online registration closes at 5 p.m. on event day. $5 per family (up to 5 members). collierparks.com or 239.252.4900
Doggie Easter egg hunt
10-11 a.m. April 12 at Rover Run Dog Park at Veterans Community Park, 1895 Veterans Park Drive, Naples. Meet at the small pavilion by Rover Run Dog Park. There will be treats and prizes. All dogs must be on leashes. Preregistration required. Free. collierparks.com or 239.252.4682
Underwater Easter egg hunt
11 a.m.-noon April 12 at Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Aquatic Facility, 11565 Tamiami Trail E., Naples. Underwater egg hunt for kids ages 1-13. A dry land egg hunt option is available for ages 1-3. Purchase wristbands in advance and bring the receipt upon arrival. There are chances to snap a picture with the Easter Bunny. $3 each attendee; regular admission for others. collierparks.com or 239.252.3527
Spring Fling Celebration
11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 12 at Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. Families are invited to a Spring Fling Celebration featuring an Easter egg hunt (ages 2-12), Easter-themed games, music, dancing, food and more. Bring your Easter basket. $5 per family (up to five). collierparks.com or 239.252.4180
Easter Eggstravaganza
Noon-3 p.m. April 20 at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, 3940 City Gate Blvd N., Naples. Paradise Coast Sports Complex’s fifth annual Easter Eggstravaganza. There will be egg hunts for different age groups, bounce houses, face painting, food trucks, games and a visit from the Easter Bunny. In partnership with Great Wolf Lodge, this event is free. playparadisecoast.com
Ongoing
events
Opera Naples class registration
Music classes ages 7-18. Ages 7-11, 4:45-6 p.m., ages 12-15 6:40 p.m., ages 14-18. Scheduled individually, all Tuesdays in April and May 6, 13, 20. Hosted by Kumu Leilani, a cultural guide, the younger children not only sing and dance to several Hawaiian hit songs, but they also learn about the traditions, beliefs and languages of the islands. The classes culminate in a minimusical from the youth choruses. At Scenes for Teens, ages 14-18, participants prepare and perform arias, duets and ensembles from operas and operettas under Opera Naples guidance. Rehearsals will be scheduled according to participants’ availability. Package is $70, scholarships available. operanaples.org or 239.963.9050
‘The Half-Life of Marie Curie’ Various times through April 27 in Price Studio Theater at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Trailblazing scientist Marie Curie was already an unusual person, having won a
CALENDAR
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY
10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 12 at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. The annual Conservancy Earth Day festival brings us closer to nature and teaches us how to protect Earth, our fragile island home, with a free, family-friendly event featuring activities, games, exhibits, vendors and more. Start at 10:15 a.m. with “Shore to Sea: A Little Turtle’s Big Adventure” puppet show in Eaton Conservation Hall or a guided tree walk meeting at the Welcome Gazebo; Glen Beitman’s Super Science Show is at 11 a.m. in Eaton Conservation Hall; “Slither Hither” at 11:30 a.m., gopher tortoise gazing at 11:30 a.m. and at 12:15 p.m. it’s Captain Ecology, all in the Wheeler Education Field Presentation Tent. The turtle puppet show and guided tree walk repeat at 1 p.m. and the Super Science Show at 1:30 p.m. At 2 p.m. there’s an Alligator Encounter at Lutgert Commons Area and Main Deck and at 2:30 p.m. the topic is “Feeling Empowered: The Future of Energy on Earth” at Dalton Discovery Center in the Climate Change Theater. All events are free. conservancy.org/events/earth-day or 239.262.0304
Nobel Prize with her late husband and working long hours at more discoveries in the early 20th century. But she was locked out of her own laboratory, picketed and shamed in public. To the rescue comes Hertha Ayrton, a fellow scientist who spirits her away from Paris so she can recover her destroyed identity and selfesteem. $50-$55. naplesplayers. org or 239.263.7990
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’
Various times through April 19 in the Struthers Studio at Gulfshore Playhouse, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., Naples. Done with both seating and cabaret style, this musical memoir of Billie Holiday brings both her spellbinding music and her reminiscences of a hard life. $114$144. gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529
Those historic little homes
9 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays through June 7 at the Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Marco Island Historical Society presents “The Florida House,” a trip back in time to 1960s Marco Island. See the homes as the Mackle Brothers envisioned them, as the latest and greatest Florida architecture for Marco. Free. colliermuseums.com
Everglades exhibition
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays
through Sept. 21 at The Baker Museum, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. “Entangled in the Mangroves: Florida Everglades Through Installation” features the work of nine Florida-based artists who explore the critical importance of the Everglades through diverse media, including painting, photography, ceramics, film, poetry and installation. The exhibition highlights its ecological and cultural importance and the urgent need for its preservation. Curated by Dianne Brás-Feliciano. $10, $5 students or full-time military with ID, $1 for SNAP benefits visitors. artisnaples.org or 239.252.2611
Florals exhibition 1-4 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays through April 30 at North Line Plaza, 2171 J & C Blvd., Naples. Viewers can see Melissa Belz’s acrylic floral paintings. Free admission. naplesart.studio or 239.821.1061
This weekend (April 11, 12, 13)
‘Lend Me a Tenor’
Various days and times through April 13 at Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. Ken Ludwig’s laugh-out-loud, Tony Award-winning production comes to The Studio Players, and not one door is left unslammed in this classic farce. $35. thestudioplayers. org or 239.398.9192
‘Man of La Mancha’ Various times through April 13 at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. The musical version of the famous tale, told by author Cervantes as a play within a play, of the deluded Alonso Quijano, who styles himself as Don Quixote, out to save fair maidens and right wrongs. The musical yielded the song that has become a standard, “The Impossible Dream.” $50-$55. naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
‘Four Old Broads’ Various times through April 13 at Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Unit 432, Marco Island. Life at the sanitized senior village where they live has dulled, so four friends sign up for a “Sassy Seniors” Cruise. But first they have to find out what’s happening to the residents of their little neighborhood since a new nurse with strange pills has come on board. Will they get to the ship? $30. marcoislandart.org/artscenter-theatre or 239.784.1186
‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ Various times through April 13 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Based on the movie of the same name with songs written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and directed by Tony-award winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900
Matisse at NAI 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.4 p.m. Sundays through April 13 at Naples Art Institute, 795 Park Ave., Naples. Today through Sunday is the last time to enjoy “Art in Balance: Matisse and His Illustrated Works,” a selection See CALENDAR, Page 7B
HOT TICKET
ROM, MEET JULIE — AND ROCK OUT
7:30 p.m. April 10-12, 2 p.m. April 12 at Donahue Family Black Box Theater, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria University, Ave Maria. Shakespeare in Performance at Ave Maria offers one Shakespearean play a year and it’s always a fresh take on a classic. This year the students under the direction of its founder, Travis Curtright, imbue the familiar love story of Romeo and Juliet with some new-millennium sensitivity. There are rock hits to illustrate its theme of how revenge turns the most beautiful romance into tragedy. “There’s gorgeous dance and some wonderful acting” from students in the production, declared Curtright, professor of humanities and literature. That’s understandable: The school offers a minor in Shakespeare. It is in its final weekend, so, forsooth, you need to get your tickets now. $10 and $15 at avemariauniersitytickets.com
Shows explaining nature’s creatures and how they fit into the ecosystem of Earth are part of the annual Earth Day Festival at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Photo courtesy Conservancy of Southwest Florida
Romeo (Sebastian Curtright) and Juliet (Rose Williams) play the ill-fated lovers in a music-rich production from Shakespeare in Performance this weekend at Ave Maria University. Contributed photo
COVER STORY
A YEAR OF FIRSTS
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Artis—Naples’ upcoming Broadway and concert season for 2025-26 has overtones of a bridal ensemble: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
The events, announced April 10, promise an abundance of firsttime events and encores in each genre. And as always, there are thematic alignments with The Baker Museum; its season will be published next week. Group and individual star concerts will be announced by Artis—Naples later this year.
Broadway musicals, classic and cutting edge & Juliet, the fresh Broadway musical juke box hit exploring life without Romeo — but with chart hits including Demi Lovato’s “Confident” and The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” — premieres in Southwest Florida Jan. 27-Feb. 1.
It is not the year of the juke box show, but both of those scheduled are blockbusters. The other, the 2022 Neil Diamond bio, A Beautiful Noise, is loaded with tunes such as “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show,” “Thank the Lord for the Night Time” and, yes, “Sweet Caroline.” Another yes: Audiences are encouraged to shout out the “So good, so good” response during this number.
Perennial seat-seller musicals are in the lead, however, with Chicago Feb. 10-15, Les Miserables Dec. 30-Jan. 4 and Meredith Willson’s classic, The Music Man, April 14-19.
Classical premieres here
For classical music lovers, names abound with both premieres and audience favorites. All the full orchestra concerts here are conducted by Artis—Naples Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley unless otherwise noted: Virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell presents the Southeastern U.S. premiere of The Elements, which is getting hearings around the globe after its sky-high 2023 premiere in the eighth-floor Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. America’s best-known contemporary composers — Kevin Puts, Edgar Meyer, Jennifer Higdon, Jake Heggie and Jessie Montgomery — each composed segments with element names. It is a coup to have the program in Naples. To date, The Elements has only been performed in the U.S. by symphonic heavyweights: New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Music lovers are advised to avoid caffeine before this program: Stravinsky’s intense, throbbing Rite of Spring is the closer.
• While she hasn’t been technically borrowed, Stella Chen has been wildly popular in several appearances with the Naples Community Orchestra, and that was even before she capped her awards by being named the Gramophone 2023 Young Artist of the Year. She and her 1720 Stradivarius are here for the
Season tickets: On sale now for current subscribers and beginning May 27 for new subscribers. Individual tickets: On sale Sept. 16. WANNA GO?
Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon and Joel Thompson Jan. 8-9.
This is one of the first, if not the first, full orchestral performances of this work. It originated with piano accompaniment.
• Perhaps not as old as Beethoven’s Ninth, but with similar status as a musical icon, will be Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) with performances March 19-20, two weeks before Easter 2026.
• For small gems in the two Daniels Pavilion series, the work that shows up on lists as No. 1 among music lovers is Schubert’s Quintet in A Major (“The Trout”). Naples Philharmonic musicians and Jeremy Denk, pianist, perform it Dec. 9 and 14 for the Sypert Salon Series. Among the Wang Chamber Music Series concerts, there’s another audience favorite on May 3, the Dvořák String Quartet in F Major (the “American”), written during the composer’s summer in Iowa.
Finally, if you can’t get enough of the Brahms Symphony No. 4, it’s here twice next season, with The Philadelphia Orchestra Feb. 17 and with the Naples Philharmonic May 8-9.
Hello, Dolly — and Elvis Pops concert aficionados have two beloved figures headlining the Naples Philharmonic series — at least in tribute — under Chief Pops Conductor Jack Everly. Here are just three of the series:
• Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony April 7-11 is an evening of the renowned artist/ songwriter’s works, including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors.” The program includes video narratives from Dolly Parton; this is its first season of availability after a world premiere just a month ago in Nashville.
In any list of pop icons, Elvis is foundational, and the Philharmonic plans an evening of his best Nov. 4-8. Frankie Moreno headlines as The King’s vocalist for tunes such as “Love Me Tender,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and more. It’s a hunk-a hunk-a-burning entertainment.
• Troupe Vertigo returns March 10-14 with Mysterioso. It is a blend of gasp-inducing acrobatics, done to a score performed by the Naples Philharmonic and vocals by Katie Swaney.
Rachel Simone Webb and the company of the North American Tour of & Juliet Photo courtesy Artis Naples
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to Artis—Naples for the first time since 2013 with Its music director, Yannick Nézet Séguin.
Photo by Jeff Fusco
Dvořák Violin Concerto Feb. 27-28, with Ludovic Morlot conducting.
• The virtuosic KannehMason siblings star in their debut appearance together here Jan. 23-24. Braimah Kanneh-Mason,
violin; Sheku Kanne-Mason, cello; and Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano, perform Beethoven’s triple concerto for those instruments.
One of Jennifer Higdon’s bestknown works, blue cathedral, opens
a New World Symphony evening Jan 8-9, in a program that includes the soprano who commissioned it, Karen Slack, in African Queens for Soprano and Orchestra, another cocomposed work by Jasmine Barnes,
FRONT ROW SEAT
Curie and the cure: Play explores friendship that saved her
By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Free-associate the name Marie Curie, and the words “radium” and “x-ray” will likely bubble up.
How about “homewrecker” and “foreign seductress”? Never. But both epithets were leveled at Curie after a disastrous affair with her married lab partner, whose infuriated wife leaked their letters to the press just before Curie was to receive her second Nobel Prize.
The Half-Life of Marie Curie, the current production of The Naples Players in its Price Studio Theater, explores the story behind that story and ramifications of its fallout — which became figuratively radioactive. Shaming crowds gathered in front of her house. Passersby flung pejoratives at her. She was even locked out of her own laboratory. Curie became traumatized, a woman living in constant fear. But an unexpected friendship saved her.
Stretching out that hand
The play follows the Players’ practice of dedicating a show to strong women around March, National Women’s Month, and it’s from Lauren Gunderson, known for her works on trailblazing women of history. Half-Life peels back the layers of a passionate scientist to show Curie at her most vulnerable, and it celebrates the courage of another woman to extend a strong arm of help.
From all accounts, Curie was that female geek in our high school class who was so quiet most of us feared she would faint if we said hello, but she could solve and reverseengineer mind-stumping calculus questions. Her idea of a wonderful honeymoon was a bicycle trip with Pierre Curie. She eschewed bridal white, buying a serviceable blue dress for her wedding that she could wear for laboratory work.
Hertha Ayrton, who had the same exploratory genes, was her 180-degree opposite. Outspoken, daring and smartly dressed, she had received the first of her 26 patents by age 30 and was delivering scientific lectures to the Institute of Electrical Engineers at a time when women were generally forbidden to address the all-male groups.
“She has a very big personality,” declared Christine Cirker, who is directing the play for The Naples Players. Curie, on the other hand, is introverted and, at the play’s opening, too frightened to leave
From page 3B
Dance/Jazz
Four dance programs whirl across the stage next season, two of them from longtime partner Miami City Ballet, who is here Feb. 24 and May 5. Two other favorites return: the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Nov. 16 and the Limon Dance Company March 3. Programs will be announced later. The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra returns with an eight-concert series in the Daniels Pavilion, of which all are likely to
sell out. Here is a sample of the evenings, all of them double performances: Nov. 12 – Guest artist Mariel Bildsten, trombonist who has appeared with Jon Batiste, Roy Hargrove and the Mingus Big Band, among others. Jan. 7 – Guest artist Joe “Mags” Magnarelli, trumpet player who has performed with Lionel Hampton, Aretha Franklin and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra. May 13 – The Music of Horace Silver, a tribute to the cofounder of the Blues Messengers and composer of “Song for My Father” and “Doodlin,’” among others.
her own home because of the public smears. Ayrton, who has not received replies after five letters, goes to Paris to bring Curie and her daughters back to her seaside cottage for the summer.
“There just are amazing things about this, and this play is based in truth,” Cirker said. “Hertha Ayrton went to the outskirts of Paris, the suburbs of Paris, where Marie was living and basically rescued her emotionally. She had to take a boat to get there — this was not a small trip.”
The Half-Life of Marie Curie revisits that summer and imagines the experience of Curie learning to accept, and return, friendship. In the meantime, Ayrton is learning how to help Curie regain her identity.
“I think audiences will learn a lot about these women. And not just as people, but for their contributions to history,” Cirker added.
Still working for good
Curie would go on to develop battery-operated portable X-ray transports — she even learned how to drive and change flat tires to do it — that could help field surgeons find bullets in wounded soldiers’ bodies to extract them. Ayrton, too, would develop invaluable help: an extraction fan that would pull deadly mustard gas from foxholes and camp shelters.
Mahler joins visiting orchestras Each season, Artis—Naples brings in world orchestra leaders, and this year, the number has grown to four. The final one is a newcomer, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, which offsets some behemoths ahead of it: The Cleveland Orchestra, under Franz Welser-Möst, along with The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus in the powerful Verdi Requiem Jan. 25.
• Yannick Nezet-Seguin has been here before with the Vienna Philharmonic, but this time he’s conducting his own formidable Philadelphia Orchestra for two concerts Feb. 17-18, featuring the Brahms symphonies 2
When she had taken on the man who became her lover as a laboratory partner, Curie was still reeling from the accidental death of the husband who had championed her work. Paul Langevin, whom Curie had accepted as a research partner after his death, exhibited a similar dedication to science, but with two drawbacks: a volatile wife and a roving eye.
Veronica Ostroski, who plays Marie, has a special feeling for the character because of her family’s own Polish heritage. Marie Curie was born and educated in Poland: “We’re very proud of her there,” she said.
Ostroski found her character’s situation a hard one, devastating in an era of inequality. Despite the fact she has won a second Nobel prize, Curie had been asked not to appear at the awards ceremony.
“Her friend Hertha’s argument is, ‘They wouldn’t be treating you like this if you were a man,’” Ostroski pointed out.
“It’s a struggle, and not for just your identity. But what’s the most important thing in your life? To her, her work is the most important thing to her and when they take that away, she doesn’t know who she is. They had barred her from her own laboratory,” she said.
“In the end, history has seen her wonderful contributions,” Ostroski added. But much of that respect was delayed. Even Ayrton was turned down for the Royal Society for nearly a dozen years after her first nomination.
Ostroski said she found the conversations of the two women, and their mutual struggle for respect in the scientific world, fascinating.
“I really love working on it as an actor. It’s such an opportunity,” she declared.
and 4 and Tchaikovsky works respectively. The Vienna Philharmonic March 6 and 7, with programs of Mozart and Dvořák the first night. On night two there are the Mahler Symphony No. 1 and high-power guest artist Lang Lang joining them for the Bartók Piano Concerto No. 3.
• Another piano star, Yuja Wang, serving as pianist and director, with Matthew Truscott as concertmaster and leader, for the Mahler Chamber Orchestra’s May 3 performance. Among the works: Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classical) and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. For a full schedule of events in each series, see artisnaples.org.
Hertha Ayrton (Kate Taylor) and Marie Curie (Veronica Ostroski) share a vision of female scientists being accepted on the same level as men. Photos courtesy Naples Players
Marie Curie(Veronica Ostroski), who has given up nearly everything for science, has found herself locked out of her own laboratory.
Longtime friends navigate life as social media influencers
By Alexandra Cavalier
Three longtime friends from Naples are making names for themselves as content creators. By collaborating in front of and behind the camera, they’ve amassed millions of followers.
In middle school, Haven Lough and Gibson Ardoline clicked right away when they met in physical education class, and became close friends. Then, during their first year at Barron Collier High School, they got to know Brady Shepherd.
By then, Shepherd had been uploading videos to his YouTube channel for around two years.
“At first I just thought it was cool to put videos together that I filmed on my iPad in elementary school,” Shepherd said. “Then, when I was in middle school, I figured out you could post them online and have been doing so ever since.”
Shepherd was creating longer-form content, mostly sharing public pranks and interactions with strangers. His most popular video, “Kiss or Slap *Teen Edition*,” in which he approaches strangers in public and asks them to kiss or slap him, was released two years ago. Around 3.4 million people have viewed the video.
Many of his video ideas are the result of brainstorming.
“I’ve basically joined my personal life and work life, so most things I do day-to-day trigger video ideas,” Shepherd said. He now uploads a 15- to 30-minute YouTube video every Sunday. Every day, he shares shortform videos on TikTok, as well. He works at least 90 hours a week on filming and editing. Lough also began posting on social media throughout their first year of high school. He created a “thirst trap”— a video posted to gain attention — that became his first viral TikTok video. Within an hour, the video received 10,000 views, and Lough then gained 10,000 followers.
He kept creating videos on TikTok, and now he has 2.2 million followers.
“I just thought it [content creation] was fun,” Lough said.
Ardoline, on the other hand, did not care about posting on social media when his friends started.
“I didn’t entirely care at first. Haven was the first to gain real traction and I just thought they were goofy videos,” Ardoline said. “I was in some, and behind the camera for a lot of them, including filming a lot of Brady’s long form videos. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I decided to join in.”
In March 2023, Ardoline began making TikTok videos. As a high school athlete, he mainly posted track and field-related content. However, he felt the topic was too niche to grow his platform.
“What really got me started was seeing my friends monetize off it [social media] themselves,” Ardoline said. “This inspired me to start and see if I could turn it into a job.”
During the trio’s senior year of high school, each had a strong social media presence.
“Honestly, once senior year came around and we all began to have some sort of decent traction,” Ardoline said, “it seemed a lot more believable that we could really make this [a social media career] work long term.”
Now, Ardoline and Lough post TikTok videos that resemble each other. Their lives serve as inspiration for content, and they also follow trends — videos that use popular features or sounds on the platform.
Like Shepherd, Ardoline has started making longer-form content on YouTube. Many of his videos revolve around new experiences, as in his “I Stayed in Every Airbnb Category” and “I Tried Celebrity Owned Restaurants.”
“I started out with TikTok but now have just as large of a following on YouTube and feel I’m much more diversified than the average creator,” Ardoline said.
He has around one million followers on both platforms.
“What really got me started was seeing my friends monetize off it [social media] themselves,” Ardoline said.
“This inspired me to start and see if I could turn it into a job.”
— Gibson Ardoline
Lough began posting more of his work on YouTube, where his podcast, “Unsafe Haven,” is available. Ardoline and Shepherd were guests in the premiere episode, which aired in March 2024. In the episode, the young men talk about their plans after high school, social media and relationships.
Ardoline and Lough are currently college freshmen at the University of Florida, and Shepherd still lives in the Naples area. Through his social media success, Shepherd was able to withdraw from college and focus solely on making videos. The 19-year-olds continue to collaborate in front and behind the camera regularly, and they often travel together.
In June 2024, Lough posted a music video on his YouTube channel for his and Ardoline’s song, “UNINVITED.” Making the video is one of Ardoline’s favorite memories of their trip to Puerto Rico.
“Brady directed, produced, edited and filmed the ‘UNINVITED’ music video for Haven and me; we did that all in the span of 24 hours,” he said.
Since then, they have taken a trip to Universal Studios Orlando and, more recently, a trip to Cancun together. A vlog of both trips was published on Lough and Shepherd’s YouTube channels.
Lough enjoys filming their trips.
“It is extremely fun, and I feel so blessed to be able to do that [travel]. These trips still definitely consist of a lot of work, though,” he said.
The decision to collaborate was an easy one for the trio.
“Collabs help with followers and overall notoriety online, so it (decision to collaborate) just naturally happened,” Shepherd said. “I have been growing farther away from their (Lough and Ardoline’s) type of content, though, so I have them in the videos less often, but we still collab.”
Despite their close friendship, the competition pushes creators to be at their best.
“I, personally, do like to compete and make things a friendly competition, which helps me make the best possible content,” Lough said.
Ardoline agreed: “If anything, it’s healthy competition. But overall, I’d say it’s usually us helping each other out more than competing,” he said.
At UF, Lough is a pre-med student who hopes to work in dermatology. He is currently creating his own skincare company. Ardoline, a business major, wants to use his social media presence to leverage the start of his own business, as well. Shepherd plans to keep creating videos and improving their quality.
“I really like the production and directing aspect that goes into shows and movies, so I’d love to eventually work more in that direction,” he said. “But I’ll always make my own content and work for myself.” Their success comes from hard work.
“I spoke it [social media success] into existence for sure,” Shepherd said. “I realized if you truly give something your all, you can’t fail.”
FOOD & FLAVOR
Festive feasting
Naples restaurants offer exclusive items for Easter and Mother’s Day
By Melanie Pagan
As Easter and Mother’s Day approach, Naples restaurants are rolling out seasonal menus to elevate celebrations with loved ones. From gourmet brunches with live music to special prixfixe dinners showcasing seasonal flavors, there are plenty of dining experiences designed to add something special to either or both of these cherished spring holidays. Below is a nonexhaustive sampling of options to sink your teeth into. Be sure to make reservations early to secure your spot at these popular eateries.
Bar Tulia Mercato 9118 Strada P lace
239.228.7606; bartulia.com
At Bar Tulia Mercato, Easter seasonal specials run 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m., featuring lemon ricotta pancakes, linguine with king crab and roasted lamb loin. The regular dinner menu is available until 9 p.m. Call or visit online to reserve.
BiCE Ristorante
300 Fifth Ave. S.
239.262.4044 ; bice-naples.com
This sophisticated, Italian location on Fifth Avenue South will be open 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Easter Sunday, with its signature brunch menu available 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., accompanied by live music. After 2 p.m., the kitchen will shift to a special menu. Children can enjoy an Easter egg surprise at the restaurant, where reservations are highly encouraged. On Mother’s Day, BiCE Ristorante will also be open 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., serving brunch until 2 p.m. with live music. From 2 p.m. on, the chef will present special dishes honoring mothers and mother figures. Reservations are recommended. The restaurant will operate during its usual hours for the holiday.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 8985 Tamiami Trail N.
239.598.2424 ; flemingssteakhouse.com
Open 11 a.m. April 19 and 10
a.m. Easter Sunday, April 20. Enjoy a special three-course Easter weekend brunch menu, featuring shellfish Louie salad, sliced tenderloin and French onion frittata and filet mignon with lobster, starting at $55. The regular dinner and children’s menus will be available all day. The eatery opens 11 a.m. May 10 and 10 a.m. May 11. Celebrate the weekend with a special threecourse brunch menu starting at $55. The regular dinner and children’s menus will be available all day. Reservations are highly encouraged for both occasions.
The French Brasserie 365 Fifth Ave. S 239.315.4019; thefrenchnaples.com
Easter is celebrated 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. April 20. Executive Chef Benoit Valota has crafted a menu that blends Old World French techniques with fresh, seasonal ingredients. The star of the Easter menu is lamb confit ($49), paired with spring vegetables like baby carrots and asparagus, tarragon cannellini bean mousseline and a garlicinfused sauce. Other highlights include the sesame bagel benedict ($28) with caramelized bacon and hollandaise, eggs benedict
Florentine ($28) with spinach and sundried tomato and a rich mushroom velouté ($15/$20) topped with bacon, croutons and truffle oil. The standard dinner menu will be available 4-9:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
Giuseppe and the Lion 1585 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 5 239.592.0050; giuseppeandlion.com
Easter dinner specials are served from Good Friday, April 18, through Easter Monday, April 21, featuring a threecourse menu for $59.95 per person. Entrées include rack of lamb, stuffed Maine lobster, pork ossobuco and more, with bumbleberry cheesecake for dessert. Live music runs Friday through Sunday, including The Girls of Motown on Good Friday. The regular menu also is available. There will be extended hours on Easter Sunday, with the restaurant opening early at 2 p.m.
Grappino’s Bakery 90 Ninth St. N. 239.331.4325; aielligroup.com/grappinonaples/home
Grappino’s Bakery offers a special Easter brunch April 20. The menu features fresh pastries, breakfast classics, a bubbly bar and seasonal delights. Enjoy a festive menu in a warm, inviting setting. Reservations are recommended.
Bar Tulia Mercato is offering its Easter seasonal specials 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call for reservations. Photo by Eben Morejon
Shellfish Louie salad at Fleming’s Steakhouse. Photo courtesy Fleming’s Steakhouse
BiCE Ristorante. Photo by Caronchi Photography
Lujacks American Grill
7935 Airport Road N. No. 20 239.216.8873; lujacks.com
Easter brunch runs from 11:30 to 4 p.m. and features carved prime rib, Easter ham, salmon, chilled seafood, breakfast favorites, pasta and more. It costs $59 per person, $19 for kids 4-12, and is free for children under 4. Unlimited mimosas or Bloody Marys are available for an additional $19 (two-hour limit, available only with brunch purchase). Reservations encouraged.
Osteria Tulia, Naples 466 Fifth Ave. S. 239.213.2073; tulianaples.com
Executive Chef Rafa Arevalo and Chef-partner Vincenzo Betulia highlight spring’s best with an Italian touch. Easter specials include fresh asparagus ($18) with taleggio fonduta, fried farm egg, black truffle vinaigrette and pea tendril; goat cheese cappelletti ($32) with tomato, speck and Parmigiano; and herb-crusted lamb shoulder ($46) as the centerpiece, served with Mediterranean farm salad, cumin-performed yogurt and salsa verde. Served all day, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Reserve a table.
The Real Macaw 3275 Bayshore Drive 239.732.1188 ; therealmacaw.com
The Real Macaw offers a prix-fixe Easter and Mother’s
Day brunch 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., featuring classic favorites and a choice of mimosa, coffee or soft drink for $38. Dinner follows with its classic menu a la carte and seasonal specials 4:30-8 p.m. on Easter and 5-8:30 p.m. on Mother’s Day. Live music sets the mood for both. Reservations required.
Shula’s Steakhouse 5111 Tamiami Trail N. 239.430.4999; shulasnaples.com
Shula’s will offer a special threecourse Easter menu noon-9 p.m. April 20 for $65-plus per person. The menu includes a choice of appetizer (spring citrus salad or chilled shrimp gazpacho soup), entrée (herb-roasted prime rib or
of more than 140 works that reveal Henri Matisse’s genius as a printmaker, along with the front-wall art of his greatgranddaughter, Sophie Matisse. $15, $10 members. naplesart.org or 239.262.6517
Earth Day Festival
10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 12 at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. See Featured item.
ArtCrafters show
10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 12 at Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. Naples ArtCrafters’ monthly art show offers a variety of locally created art and crafts on display and for sale. naplesartcrafters.com
Micky Dolenz: Songs and stories
8 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Dolenz is an actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor and performer best known for being a member of the 1960s TV show band The Monkees. He has toured and released music solo for years. $95. casino.hardrock.com
Mystic Masterpieces
3 p.m. April 12 at Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive, Naples. The season finale of the Naples Community Orchestra featuring David Taylor, assistant concertmaster. They will be playing pieces from Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy Op. 46, Faure’s Pavanne Op. 50 and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 Op. 105. $40. naplescommunityorchestra.org
Comedy Night at the Norris
7 p.m. April 12 at the Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. Longtime comedian Larry Venturino brings a troupe of entertainers with sophisticated funny bones –Patrick Sisk, Vee Shally and Gregory Hollimon. $25. eventbrite.com or 239.213.3049
dill-crusted salmon) and dessert (bananas Foster mousse tart). The full dinner menu will also be available. For Mother’s Day, a special brunch menu with wine pairings will be offered noon-4 p.m., and the traditional dinner menu will be available 4-9 p.m.
Baroque: Angels Behind the Walls
4 p.m. April 13 at Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive, Naples.
Seraphic Fire, conducted by Patrick Dupre Quigley, will perform music by Italian composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani and Maria Xaveria Perucona, written in the 18th century for convents in Italy. $45-65. seraphicfire.org
Haydn’s seasonal masterpiece
4-6 p.m. April 13 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Park Shore Drive, Naples. Camerata of Naples performs Haydn’s music to “Seven Last Words.” Narration between the musical interludes is by St. John’s music director Glenn Saffran from famous philosophers and poets. $40 online or at the door. Cameratanaples.org
Earth Day Festival
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. This annual family-friendly event will have new activities, games, exhibits, vendors and more at various times throughout the day. Free. conservancy.org or 239.262.0304
Gulf Coast Big Band
2 p.m. April 13 at Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. Gulf Coast Big Band has performed jazz concerts at Cambier Park for more than 30 years, raising money for local youth to provide jazz scholarships and jazz lessons. All money raised at this freewill offering concert stays within Collier County. Bring seating. gulfcoastbigband.com
Next week (April 12-17)
‘Hadestown’: Teen Edition
Various times April 5-14 at The Naples Players Kizzie Theater, 701 Fifth Ave. South, Naples. The Naples Players Academy of Dramatic Arts’ young artists perform the Tony Award-winning musical based on the
Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. For the first time in TNP history, an all-student orchestra will be on stage, as well. $25. naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
‘A Cracker at the Ritz’
7 p.m. April 15 at the Norris Community Center. 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. Comedy performance team Compton & Bennett bring one of their favorites, A Cracker at The Ritz, a 75-minute skewering of all things Florida in song and sketch comedy. $35 plus handling fee. eventbrite.com or 239.213.3049
Jenene Caramielo: Celebrating Celine Various times April 16 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Caramielo is a singer known for her powerful voice, which she puts to good use in a tribute to Celine Dion’s best songs (“My Heart Will Go On,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”). $68. artisnaples.org
‘This Too Shall Pass … Like a Kidney Stone’
2 and 6 p.m. April 16 at Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Unit 432, Marco Island. Peter Fogel returns to the Marco Island stage with his standup, oneman show for two performances. Fogel’s storytelling has audiences laughing, crying and reflecting. $40. marcoislandart.org
Taste of Opera
6 p.m. April 16 at Bay Club at the Colony, Bonita/Estero, 5200 Pelican Colony Blvd., Bonita Springs. Gulfshore Opera singers perform arias, duets and scenes from opera and classic musical theater for dinner guests. Complimentary wine and entertainment to follow. $180. gulfshoreopera.org or 239.529.3925
Next weekend (April 18, 19, 20)
Ladies Only Psychic Party
Tommy Bahama 1220 Third St. S. 239.643.6889; tommybahama.com
For Easter, Tommy Bahama offers a spring-inspired menu featuring dishes such as the crispy shrimp calamari salad and grilled branzino, paired with new potatoes, snap peas, Campari tomatoes, morel mushrooms and artichoke hearts, finished with lemon Parmesan broth and chimichurri. For a heartier option, try the pinwheel lasagna with mushroom bolognese and ricotta. Seasonal cocktails, including Still Woozy and Guava Have It, complement the flavors. A brunch addition, Lox Toast, is available for $15.
Truluck’s Naples 698 Fourth Ave S 239.530.3131; trulucks.com
Open noon-9 p.m. on Easter Sunday, Truluck’s will be serving its full menu, including Florida stone crab claws, prime king crab, miso-glazed seabass and prime steaks. Guests can pair their meal with selections from Truluck’s award-winning wine list and finish with desserts such as carrot cake, key lime pie or baked Alaska. Easter specials include lemonblueberry custard bread pudding and the Lucky Clover cocktail, a tequila-based twist on the classic Clover Club. Hours and special menus are the same for Mother’s Day, with an available promotion when guests can receive a Kendra Scott bracelet and a longstemmed rose with their meal. Reservations are required for the promotion and recommended for dining.
7:30 p.m. April 18 at Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Unit 432, Marco Island. Jon Stetson, a master mentalist who has performed twice for U.S. presidents and appeared on CNN, NBC and PBS, will host a unique evening at the Arts Center Theatre. Prediction: An engaging and fun-filled evening. $40. marcoislandart.org/arts-center-theatre or 239.784.1186
Blooms & Brews
6-9 p.m. April 19 at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples. Guests will explore the botany of beer and have the chance to sample craft beer. Live music, a photo booth, the Taco Tummy food truck and Fogg Cafe will be open extended hours. Tickets are $55 for members and $65 for non-members. naplesgarden.org
Los Palominos & Costombre
6 p.m. April 19 at Seminole Casino Immokalee, 506 S. First St., Immokalee. Los Palominos are a band from the TexasMexico border performing Tejano music that includes polkas, rancheros, boleros, corridos, ballads and cumbias with a modern twist. Tickets start at $59. casino.hardrock.com
Naples Concert Band fundraiser
7 p.m. April 19 in Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. The Naples Concert Band puts on a special vocals and music show with cabaret seating provided and food and beverages for purchase. Songs range from a West Side Story medley to ‘I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis , to “Lassus Trombone” and more. $125 per couple. naplesconcertband.org
Dixieland Sunday 2 p.m. April 20 at Cambier Park, 755 Eighth St. S., Naples. Spend your Easter Sunday in an upbeat concert in the park with the Naples Dixieland Band. Bring seating. Free will offering. naplesjazzsociety.com
The French Brasserie dining room. Photo by Eben Morejon
Osteria Tulia’s Exterior. Photo by Beth Preddy
COMICS & PUZZLES
1. TELEVISION: Who had a 1980s workout video series called "Sweatin' to the Oldies"?
ANATOMY: What is heterochromia? 3. GEOGRAPHY: What is a chain of islands called?
FOOD & DRINK: What is Canada's national dish?
HISTORY: When was Facebook launched? 6. MEASUREMENTS: What is the shortest wavelength in the visible light spectrum?
7. U.S. STATES: Which state has the most miles of interstate highway? 8. MOVIES: What type of fish is Nemo in the animated film "Finding Nemo"?
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which month is designated as National Ice Cream Month in the United States?
SCIENCE: How long does it take for the International Space Station to
OLIVE
By Emi Burdge
THE NAPLES PRESS CROSSWORD
SPORTS
If there are worse things than golf sandbaggers, I have yet to meet them
They walk among us.
The problem is that it is almost impossible to spot them — even the trained eye has trouble recognizing them from the rest of us. But they’re out there. We see them in our foursomes and in the locker room and grill room and very likely atop leaderboards.
Sandbaggers. Or as I like to call them, cheaters.
Listen, golf is a sport grounded in honor. There are no referees out there watching for infractions like football. There are no linesmen or umpires to argue with when a call doesn’t go your way. There is no one watching the non-elite golfers out there when they fire up their USGA apps and enter their scores for handicapping purposes.
But somewhere along the way, the concept of winning pro shop credit and bragging rights among friends or neighbors got replaced by the desire to “be better” via “being worse.”
And again, for those in the back
Speaking of Sports David Wasson
who might find what we are talking about to be slightly obtuse, let me be clear: We are talking about cheating.
How sandbaggers accomplish this is a simple, two-option process: They either intentionally play worse than their actual ability, to inflate their handicap, or simply record inflated scores.
That’s the definition and it works like this in practice: Joe Bagger decides he will miss a bunch of makable putts in the couple months before a big event, thus recording sub-standard scores to make his USGA handicap larger. When Bagger enters an 85 because he purposely missed five shorties instead of the 80 he deserved, Bagger’s handicap will go up.
Voila, more strokes given
to Bagger in net competition events. Voila, an unfair advantage against the more honest Charlie Straightarrow down the street.
Or, even more nefariously, Bagger might actually shoot that 80 and beat his buddies in real time — and then just enter 85 into the USGA’s GHIN system. There are no guardrails against doing this, and it absolutely does not get more cheatingly cheating than that.
Of course, this all applies to “net” competitions, which is what 99% of the world plays in and is exactly the opposite of what you see on TV every week. Those men and women are playing straight up, from the same tees, hole it all out without a single putt given, best score wins.
Not so in net competitions, which again are managed here in America by the USGA by applying the World Handicap System. It is a complicated algorithm unveiled in 2020 in an attempt to unify the six different handicap systems that were in use around the world —
thus making a golfer from Naples, Florida, theoretically able to compete evenly with a golfer from Naples, Italy.
But the World Handicap System can be gamed as outlined above by the very people who participate in the sport: the golfers. A game defined by honor can be, and routinely is, defiled by the very people who purport to enjoy it.
Because it is my sincere belief that no one who actually enjoys golf cheats like sandbaggers do. To me, sandbagging is even worse than improving your lie — which, by the way, I have played with and gambled against. At least I can watch that guy and catch him when he cheats. The sandbagger cheats in the shadows, not out in broad daylight.
Listen, I am no choir boy. I get the “why” behind why people speed on open roads and run red lights in empty intersections. I get the “why” behind why people fudge to the IRS and all about the motivation behind using big law firms to take down the
LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP
little guy.
And I also get the “why” behind sports-related cheaters like Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds — two athletes who reached the top of the world only to see it all topple down by doping tests.
But sandbagging in golf? What makes that person so hungry for a victory that they’ll cheat in the shadows just for the latest logo shirt or your name atop a list of neighbors and friends? Where is that “why”?
Sandbagging is the worst of the worst, both because the “why” is so cheap and because there is little defense for it. A sandbagger may win at the end of the scheme, but in reality we all lose —the cheater and those who he cheats against — as a result.
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.
FC Naples beats Little Rock Rangers, 3-0
FC Naples continued its historic run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a thrilling 3-0 victory over Little Rock Rangers April 2 in the second round, securing a spot in the tournament’s third round.
FC Naples set the tempo from the opening whistle when Jayden Onen found the back of the net in the first minute with an assist from Kevin O’Connor, igniting the home crowd. Just 13 minutes later, an own goal gave FC Naples full command of the match before halftime.
Throughout the game, FC Naples’ defensive discipline and midfield control limited Little Rock’s attacking chances. As the second half progressed, FC Naples continued to press forward, looking for the goal that would put the game out of reach. The team’s efforts were rewarded in the 77th minute when Andres Ferrín finished a well-placed pass from Tyler Pasnik, sealing the victory and securing a clean sheet.
“I was pleased with our performance against Little Rock,” FC Naples head coach Matt Poland said. “We knew they were going to fight all game and that we would have to be disciplined to get the result.”
Looking ahead to Round 3 of the Open Cup, Poland added, “Tampa Bay is historically one of the most dominant teams in USL Championship. They will be a tough game, but a great opportunity for our players to showcase their abilities against a higher-level opponent.”
Round Three of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tampa Bay Rowdies at FC Naples, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at Paradise Coast Sports Complex
FC Naples will now have the opportunity to compete on its home turf for the second time in the tournament.
Ticket information
Tickets for this round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup are included in the season membership. Individual tickets for the second-round match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies are available online at fcnaples.com/
FC Naples defender Julian Cisneros controls the ball against Little Rock. Photo courtesy FC Naples
