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N O V. 1 5 - 2 1 , 2024
3A | SIMPLER DESIGN
3B | SEASONAL OUTINGS
11B | GRIDIRON GRIT
rebuilding public beach access locations
have the details that will make your festivities bright
evokes memories of team's championship
Naples considers “Old Florida” look in
Tim Aten Knows Tim Aten
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There’s a lot going on this holiday season and we
NAA TO CONTINUE NAPLES AIRPORT STUDY
Q: Could you give me information regarding the start of Randall Boulevard widening? I had attended a meeting back in 2018. It was supposed to start already. —Sonia C., Naples A: Design of the Randall Boulevard widening and Randall-Immokalee Road intersection project in Golden Gate Estates began in mid-2022, but construction is not expected to start for another two years. A Nov. 6 public information meeting provided area residents and business owners with the opportunity to review project plans at the 30% design stage and provide input on proposed improvements for the infrastructure changes. The project includes widening Randall Boulevard from two to four lanes on a six-lane footprint for about three-quarters of a mile from Immokalee Road east to just past Eighth Street NE. Creating a twolane, 44-foot median between the eastbound and westbound lanes will allow possible future expansion of Randall to six lanes. Also affected by the intersection changes will be a half-mile stretch of Immokalee Road from east of Wilson Boulevard North to the Publix-anchored Neighborhood Shoppes at Orangetree. The project is designed to address traffic congestion on Randall Boulevard, a major east-west road in Golden Gate Estates that especially jams during morning and afternoon drive times. “I think it’s operating at like a level of a service D road right now,
Mary Tatigian, the founder of Quiet Florida, outside her home in Naples. Quiet Florida and other groups contend the Naples Airport's growth and increased flights pose a health and safety risk, especially to children. Photo by Liz Gorman
By Aisling Swift
Naples City Council agreed the Naples Airport Authority should continue its exploratory study of other possible airport locations as due diligence, but not necessarily plan to move the airport. As both sides neared the end of a marathon eight-hour joint workshop on Nov. 7 without focusing on why the meeting was requested, City Attorney Matthew McConnell pressed Council to give the NAA an answer on wheth-
Council: Study of other possible sites needed, but move not inevitable er it should continue with its $398,000 exploratory study, which identified four possible sites to move the airport in eastern Collier County. NAA Chair Rick Ruppert said the organization needed to know Council’s posi-
tion to determine its next steps at its Nov. 21 meeting. Council and the NAA agreed they need to fix noise and pollution problems that prompted the request for an exploratory study to seek alternate airport sites. After much discussion, Council informally agreed 4-3 the study should continue. Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison explained the need to complete due diligence. “Let’s get this done,” Hutchison said. “NoSee AIRPORT, Page 5A
IMMOKALEE/NORTH NAPLES
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 7A
FEDS RAID OAKES FARMS PACKING PLANT, ALFIE OAKES’ HOME By Aisling Swift
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1 Federal agents raided grocery magnate Francis Alfred “Alfie” Oakes III’s North Naples home and Immokalee produce packing plant, carrying out boxes all day and through the night Nov. 7. The raid involving the U.S. Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Services and IRS occurred a week after Oakes’ wife, Deanne, was served with foreclosure papers for the second time on a $4.1 million federal farm loan, according to a lawsuit filed Oct. 14 that seeks $2.78 million from the couple and Oakes Farms OP. They faced seizure of collateral, including farm equipment and crops, if they didn’t pay the amount they defaulted on by Aug. 30.
Federal agencies wouldn’t say if the raid involved the foreclosure or $282.9 million in U.S. Department of Defense contracts 56-year-old Alfie Oakes has been awarded since 2008 that involve fruits, vegetables, dairy food and eggs. “I can confirm that DCIS, the law enforcement arm of the [Department of Defense] Office of Inspector General, conducted law enforcement activity yesterday at 925 New Harvest Road in Immokalee. We have nothing further to add at this time,” spokesperson Mollie Halpern said. The Secret Service said only: “We are unable to provide comment as the U.S. Secret Service will not confirm the existence or the status of an investigation.” Alfie Oakes didn’t respond to calls or texts seeking comment, but left the South Florida Produce packing See RAID, Page 8A
INSIDE
• Marco Island election results, Page 3A • A look at Election Night 2024 through a photographer's lens, Page 11A
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Zach Maloch
Matt Devitt