The Naples Press - April 18, 2025

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SWFL INSIDER

National Day of Prayer set for May 1

Worshippers of all faiths across Southwest Florida are invited to participate in The National Day of Prayer, which returns for a second consecutive year to the Naples High School football field. This free event at 7 p.m. May 1 will include prayers from area church leaders and local elected officials along with musical entertainment and food concessions. Registration is not required. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday in May, inviting people to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Today, events are coordinated in local communities across the country by the privately funded National Day of Prayer Task Force.

CAT provides free rides on Try Transit Day

In recognition of Earth Day, the Collier County Board of Commissioners and Collier Area Transit are promoting Try Transit Day on Saturday, April 19, to raise awareness of the CAT system while supporting environmental protection. CAT will offer free rides on all fixed-route buses on Try Transit Day, intended to encourage residents and visitors to use public transit. Public transit helps reduce traffic congestion, reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and promote health and physical fitness. Collier County and Lee County are offering free rides all day on fixed-route buses. For those looking to travel from Collier County into Lee County, the connection can be made at the Creekside bus stop on Immokalee Road. Take advantage of free rides all day on Saturday, April 19, at any bus stop or transfer station throughout Collier County on all 16 routes. To plan your trip, download the Transit app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, where you can view the routes and timetables and view the buses live, in real-time, all from a mobile device. For more information, visit CAT’s website at rideCAT.com, download the Transit app, or follow CAT on social media @ rideCAT. For more information, call Alexander Showalter at 239.252.5849.

Raise a glass to Blooms & Brews

Guests are invited to celebrate the botany of beer on April 19 from 6-9 p.m. at Naples Botanical Garden by exploring an impressive selection of microbreweries and tasting craft beer samples that will transport their taste buds to the tropics. They can experience sunset and stroll through

the Garden at dusk while enjoying live music from Twin Suns. Guests can grab a memento of the evening at the photo booth, included with admission. Fogg Café will be open all evening, serving a full menu and event specials, and Taco Tummy food truck will be on-site. Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased in person or online. Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended, as this event sells out. Ticket purchases allow access to one of the Garden’s most anticipated events of the year while directly impacting conservation efforts. Blooms & Brews is for guests 21 and older. Tickets can be purchased for $55 (members) and $65 (non-members). Tickets include beer samples, a commemorative Blooms & Brews sample glass, live music and complimentary photo.

Starry Nights Gala raises $2.5 million

The Starry Nights Gala on March 22 at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, raised more than $2.5 million to support abused, neglected and homeless children and teens who rely on Youth Haven for safety and healing.

Smith named to key Boys & Girls Club post

Boys & Girls Club of Collier County promoted Nigel Smith to director of community engagement. Smith had served as the Club’s athletic director for two years before being elevated to a role that utilizes his diverse and extensive professional experience in education, media and community development. In his new role, Smith provides leadership and strategic direction to develop and expand partnerships and collaborative relationships. He plays an important public-facing role, representing Boys & Girls Club on community task forces, commissions and committees that leverage community resources to enhance the experiences of Club members. Smith has a master’s degree in sports administration and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. Prior to joining Boys & Girls Club, he was an educator for seven years and in media three years, expanding his expertise in communication, leadership and program development.

Great Wolf Lodge hits attendance mark

Great Wolf Lodge South Florida has hosted more than 200,000 guests since opening in September in the Naples area, general manager Jason Bays said during an April 8 Board of Collier County Commissioners meeting. In March, Bays said occupancy was more

than 90% and is expected to surpass 85% this summer. The 500-room resort includes an expansive water park and adventure park with many dining and entertainment options. Great Wolf’s 22nd location in the nation and the first in Florida broke ground in July 2022 on 20 acres in the City Gate commerce park, sandwiched between two other impressive local economic drivers • Paradise Coast Sports Complex and Uline distribution center. The resort has created 726 jobs, including 350 that are year-round, Bays said.

Fostering Success raises $700,000

Fostering Success raised more than $700,000 at its Candy Dreams Gala in March at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. The event raised crucial funds to support valuable, life-changing programs for foster children throughout Southwest Florida.

Charity golf scramble set for April 28

The 2025 St. Matthew’s House Charity Golf Scramble will take place April 28 at The Club at TwinEagles in Collier County. Proceeds from the golf scramble support St. Matthew’s House in its mission to provide hope, help and healing to individuals and families experiencing some of life’s greatest challenges — homelessness, hunger and addiction. The event is open to all golfers at $250 per person. This includes playing 18 holes of championship-level golf at either of the Talon and Eagle courses with a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. The deadline for registration is April 21. Participant registration and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by a 1:15 p.m. shotgun start. To register, email events@stmatthewshouse.org

Big Mamma Day near Big Cypress

International Big Mamma Day will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 19, at Miccosukee Indian Village, U.S. 41 near mile marker 36, to honor Earth Day. Admission is free. International Big Mamma Day offers an opportunity for people to celebrate Earth Day and visit nearby Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park, learning about wilderness designation in the area and the environment overall. Crafts, live music, food, demonstrations and numerous vendors will be there as people compete to remove the most invasive fish species during a 24hour fishing tournament, Removal of the Swamp Invaders. Participate in numerous activities, such as creation of a live art mural for Mother Earth.

COLLIER NOW

NCH plans workforce housing in N. Naples

By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com

As part of a drive to strengthen staffing efforts, Naples Comprehensive Health is planning a 250-unit multifamily apartment development to serve as workforce housing for some of the healthcare system’s more than 4,000 employees.

The apartment complex and a four-story parking garage will be built on acreage behind the NCH Business Center at 1100 Immokalee

Road near Granada Shoppes and Arthrex headquarters. The property formerly was the site of the Naples Daily News before the 20-acre property was acquired by NCH in December 2020.

NCH announced the project in midApril after receiving a $3.5 million gift from philanthropists Jeff and Judy Henley which will fund early stages of the project, including development and feasibility studies; design and planning; and water, traffic and infrastructure assessments.

The system said rental units in the new

complex will be exclusively for full-time NCH employees from across its campuses, with the initial offering for the one-, two- and threebedroom apartments focusing on “essential workers.”

“Workforce housing is a critical component of our ability to attract and retain the best talent,” NCH President and CEO Paul Hiltz said in making the announcement. “Thanks to the generous support of Jeff and Judy Henley, we can now take the first step toward making this vision a reality and supporting the people who care for our community every day.”

Creating Easter sweets

High cost of living impedes recruitment

Mara Hammond, NCH chief impact officer, discussed the Henleys’ gift and the importance of affordable workforce housing during an April presentation to the Press Club of Southwest Florida about advances being made by NCH in treatment areas for heart and stroke, women and children, orthopedics and cancer. But in the face of those advances, she said, one of the system’s biggest challenges is

See HOUSING, Page 5A

Plan for apartments delayed after outcry

A Naples developer’s plans to build 205 apartments, including income-restricted units, instead of 129 affordable homes in Golden Gate Estates were delayed after an outcry by nearby residents and hesitancy by county commissioners.

When the developer’s attorney sought a continuance, the Board of County Commissioners on April 8 unanimously agreed to postpone a vote on rezoning and amendments to the 24.4-acre NC Square Mixed-Use Overlay on the southwest corner of Immokalee Road and Catawba Street until its May 13 meeting.

“If Collier County continues to approve developer amendments of changing rezoning, building heights, reducing normal buffer size — eventually Collier County will be unrecognizable,” Valencia Trails resident Marian Riordan told commissioners. She and other Valencia Trails residents, who sent more than two dozen emails, asked commissioners to stick with the original plans. Riordan listed numerous commercial developments, homes and apartments being approved that will add intensity, density and traffic, and reminded commissioners of the county’s vision to preserve and enhance community character and protect natural resources.

Plans approved in 2021 didn’t move forward with construction of up to 129 affordable homes or a 12,000-squarefoot day care for about 100 children at NC Square, commercial, retail and office space. HAA Capital LLC’s land-use attorney, Rich Yovanovich, told commissioners construction costs increased significantly, limiting what the developer could sell them for, and that it wasn’t viable.

“It would cost more to build the unit than what they could sell them for, so the for-sale project has not moved forward,” Yovanovich said.

APARTMENTS, Page 6A

Airport plans focus on storm surge

By John Guerra

During Hurricane Ian in September 2020, stormwater from Naples Bay and the Gordon River flooded the Naples Airport airfield, drowning runway signage under wind-blown waves.

Worse, the stormwater also came within inches of reaching

the airport’s airfield lighting vault that operates runway, taxiway and approach lights.

Justin Lobb, deputy director of aviation, told the Naples Airport Authority board on March 20 that had the water reached the vault, the airport could have lost its night operations. The loss of nighttime flights would have reduced the airport’s ability to provide poststorm recovery support for the city

and surrounding area.

“The flood came within inches of flooding during Ian,” Lobb told the commissioners. “Had that facility received water, we would have been talking about a very extended outage … for the nighttime operations with all the critical equipment inside that facility.”

To prevent such an occurrence in the future, NAA plans to spend at least $5.5 million constructing

a new lighting vault that will sit 5 feet higher than the present building, Lobb said. It’s part of a larger project to mitigate damage to airfield lighting systems during storm surge and other flooding. The new building will be wind-rated and have redundant emergency backup and other storm resiliency features, Lobb told commissioners. The project is already out to bid and is “rated

very highly” for $2.7 million in state grants from the Legislature, Lobb said.

The airport also will soon launch a $16.6 million, 18-month construction project to improve airfield lighting infrastructure to prevent outages of runway, taxiway and other airfield lights. The project includes improved construction

recruiting and keeping staff to help fulfill the mission, due to the high cost of living in the region.

NCH is the largest non-governmental employer in Collier County, with a combined 8,159 employees and vendors.

Hammond said 30% of the NCH workforce, including vendors, is driving more than an hour to come to work because they cannot afford to live in Naples • where rent has increased by 50% over the last two years • resulting in more than $88 million in payroll leaving Collier County.

“There have been a lot of things proposed by the county, by the city, by industry and others who say, ‘We’ve got to do something about it,’” she said. “Essential workers, teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, hospitality • these are all the people that make Naples the No. 1 place to live.

“And, unfortunately, we’re at a point where I think companies and organizations are having to take this on themselves because there hasn’t been a successful collaborative effort to really effect the kind of change needed around workforce housing.”

Hammond said that when it comes to recruiting top medical talent, the cost of living can become an issue.

“We’re currently trying to recruit another heart failure specialist,” she said. “Our challenge has been the two we’ve interviewed and offered employment to basically said that the cost of living is too high. And as a nonprofit health system, it’s really hard for us to try and meet their compensation where they’re asking when we don’t necessarily have that kind of liquidity and funding that a forprofit organization might have.”

She cited an average of 30 declined employment offers per month due to concerns over cost of living in Naples.

Hammond said the system is working with Naples-based MHK Architecture on plans for the development of the rental units that will be offered at a “substantially reduced rate” for the NCH workforce.

While the initial phase of the project will be 250 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, she said an initial assessment showed it could grow to 400 or 500 units on the site.

Project costs, funding and management

Hammond said that NCH “does not want to be a landlord and does not want to be a developer” and that the project would likely be placed “in its own [limited liability company].”

“It will still be under the NCH umbrella, but we will be looking for a management partner because, again, we don’t want to be in that,” she said.

Matthew Heinle, NCH chief strategy officer, said the current estimated costs for the first phase of the project would be $65 million to $70 million, covered by philanthropic gifts and financing through a loan that the

system will secure.

He said the system would also explore workforce housing initiatives at the state, county and local level.

“There might be some types of grants there that are available, or reduced impact fees, for example,” he said.

“Because it is workforce housing, anything that would be available we will apply for.

“But in terms of the actual material portion of the project cost, it would be philanthropy and then a loan. We would not be taking money out of our day-to-day operations [used] to run the hospitals for this.”

As for management of the apartment complex, Heinle said the system would own the property but “probably wouldn’t be the day-to-day property manager.”

“We would hire somebody who is an expert in property management, but we would own the workforce housing apartments because

we want to control that long-term to make sure that those units are available for our teammates,” he said. “It would be a company that would follow our policies and procedures because this complex is going to be for NCH teammates only.”

Heinle said rental prices on the varioussized units have not yet been determined, but he said NCH would be looking at 15% to 30% below market rent on a two-bedroom apartment, for example, “if not even more, depending on how much we raise through philanthropy.”

“Because the more we raise from donors for workforce housing, then we could take that money, apply to the cost of the project and lower the rent,” he said. “For the teammates, that’s really the biggest goal here: to create that accessibility and affordability for them.”

As for a timeline, Heinle said the system is doing initial engineering site survey work in preparation for taking the project to Collier County for approval. He said he estimates construction would begin in the second half of 2026 and take about 18 months, with a tentative opening date in the summer of 2028.

He said decisions are not finalized on how residents would be selected from among the full-time NCH employees who would be applying for the first 250 units.

“We are working through that process and have already started looking at other similar projects elsewhere in the country to find out how they’ve done it,” Heinle said, “but we have not formulated all those details.”

According to information from the Collier County Community and Human Services Division – Housing Operations, the median rent in Collier County is $2,230 and market rent is $3,922.

And, according to the 2022 Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Occupational Employment Statistics and Wages, 35% of the jobs in Collier County pay less than $35,000 per year, with 58% paying less that $45,000 per year; someone earning a $45,000 annual salary “should be able to afford a housing payment of $1,125 per month,” according to the report at colliercountyhousing.com

From page 1A

from the approved 129 townhomes to 205 apartments. After public discussion at its April 8 meeting, the Board of Collier County Commissioners postponed its decision on the growth management plan amendment request until its May 13 meeting.

The commercial area proposed for NC Square consists of two 16,674-square-foot, one-story buildings separated by a covered outdoor seating area in the center, site development plans show. The narrow retail center will be divided into 22 units of about 1,500 square feet each with four restaurants proposed to take basically eight of those units.

The dining spots will include a fast-food restaurant with 22 seats and a drive-thru window, and three high-turnover, sit-down restaurants with a total of 496 seats, according to the traffic impact statement prepared Feb. 5 by Naples-based Trebilcock Consulting Solutions for J.R. Evans Engineering, the project’s engineer. Restaurants are planned on the ends of both buildings. The 1,507-square-foot drive-thru will be the easternmost unit; a 3,084-squarefoot restaurant will be on the western end; and 4,570-square-foot and 3,084-square-foot restaurants will be on either side of the central outdoor patio, according to an NC Square pre-construction marketing brochure by Trinity Commercial Group, the Estero-based leasing agent for the neighborhood center.

Although 14 other commercial units remain available to lease, some of the units may be combined by businesses to create larger spaces. A construction timeline and the names of specific restaurants or businesses proposed for the units are not available yet.

The landowner and developer of

NC Square is HAA Capital LLC, registered to Antonio B. Brown and Henry Ferszt with the same North Naples address as Nian Custom Homes.

HAA Capital acquired the Immokalee Road real estate for $8.2 million in May 2022.

The future development proposes a right-in/right-out connection on Immokalee Road and a full-movement entrance off Catawba Street.

Restaurant construction

Q: Any updates on Connors Steak and Seafood restaurant coming to 41 and Immokalee location? – Jim Wynn, North Naples

A: You may have noticed that a construction fence was recently erected around the vacated outparcel spot that most recently was Dollar Tree and previously had been Walgreens at Granada Shoppes on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and Immokalee Road in North Naples.

Collier County issued a commercial building permit in February for renovation work at the site of the future Connors Steak & Seafood. Work has begun to transform the former retail store into a restaurant by the end of this year.

“We are underway and starting demo on the project,” said Steve Marr of Connor Concepts, which owns and

operates The Chop House and Connors brands. “We are targeting turnover in Collier County in the fourth quarter of 2025. With holidays, hurricanes and unexpected construction issues, we may push into early 2026.” Connors, which specializes in aged steaks and fresh seafood, has had a regional restaurant since 2012 just outside Gulf Coast Town Center in south Fort Myers. The small chain has only seven other locations, including Florida restaurants in Sarasota and Tallahassee. Other locations are in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee, including its inaugural location in Knoxville.

Connors’ 9,000-square-foot restaurant on about a half-acre at 950 Immokalee Road will have more than 250 seats, including 46 on a patio and 23 at its full bar, architectural plans show.

The future restaurant space had been a Dollar Tree store since 2017 and formerly was a Walgreens pharmacy until mid-2015. Last year, Dollar Tree relocated to a slightly smaller vacant inline space in Granada Shoppes that previously was Tuesday Morning and Linens ‘N Things.

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@ naplespress.com.

HAA Capital is seeking a small-scale growth-management plan amendment to reduce the commercial area from 44,400 square feet to 36,500 and increase residential to 205 apartments, not owner-occupied homes. It also sought to rezone the property, noting the amendment will reduce traffic trips by 46% due to removal of the day care and reduction of commercial space.

The development is bounded by the Valencia Trails community to the south and west, where there’s also open space, Crawford Landscaping and agricultural use to the east and The Club at Twin Eagles golf course and preserve to the north.

The developer proposed 8.4 units per acre, not the 12.2 units allowed, with 30% of the apartments being income restricted, including 15% at 80% of the county’s area median income and below, and 15% at 100% AMI ($104,300) and below. The county would monitor rentals and income limits.

Peninsula Engineering addressed Valencia Trails residents’ concerns and won’t allow tennis, pickleball or basketball courts; the project will use Dark Skies-compliant lighting; the minimum lease will be eight months, followed by month-to-month; and 6.2 acres of vegetation will be preserved. Buffers were added and setbacks increased to minimize or obscure views of the three- and four-story apartment buildings.

The project was approved by planning staff and was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission. Planning and Zoning Director Mike Bosi said the Immokalee Road extension project will be finished by the time the apartments are rented three years from now, lessening the effect to roadways.

Commissioners agreed affordable apartments are needed for police officers, nurses, teachers and others, and for people saving to buy homes or waiting while they’re built.

However, Vice Chair Dan Kowal said Collier was handed a “bad deal” when Golden Gate Estates was developed because it’s just homes and has no commercial or industrial development, which would provide jobs, as this will. He doubted NC Square would add county residents, but it would disperse residents who want to move closer to jobs, so commissioners need to spread apartments countywide to lessen impact.

Commission Chair Chris Hall said he was comfortable with 129 owneroccupied units and suggested reducing the 100% affordability requirement to 30%, but Yovanovich didn’t believe that would be viable.

“At some point in time, we’ve got to stop doing what we’re doing if we want different results,” Hall said of residents complaining about too much construction. “To be a leader sometimes is hard, but I’m going to go ahead and take the lead on this. I don’t like it. I don’t like it increasing the density.”

“Stop building” is the top request he gets from constituents, he said, and the county already has apartments and homes approved that aren’t built yet. So far this year, commissioners have approved 540 affordable housing units. Hall noted traffic will decrease without the day care, but Immokalee Road is “a mess” and this would add more traffic to a “failed” road.

“We haven’t seen the effects, the total effects of the traffic,” he said. “All we know is we feel it and we see it now.”

praising the guy that did it because they felt that this person was evil,” DiFonzo said of Thompson. “My point is that this person that did this may feel that he represented a lot of different clients of [Lievense].”

The criminal profiler is studying the victimology of the crime, considering the investors, associates and the psychological effects of their experience. DiFonzo, a trained crisis negotiator, said something “fired somebody off” that day, prompting the shooter to go to Lievense’s office.

Most people would hire a lawyer to sue, call the police or FBI to check Lievense’s background, he said, adding, “Think about his state of mind at that time. He wasn’t processing that way.

“… Something lights their fire,” DiFonzo said, noting it usually takes 24 to 72 hours before somebody “goes off” on a crisis. “That window may have been even longer and then that match got struck that day and then there’s a reaction to it.”

Crime scene

Lievense was found by an investor and friend, George Ahearn, an energy consultant and retired Exxon chemist and executive. He called 911 at 2:25 p.m. to report finding Lievense dead in his office suite at the business park, now called Synergy Suites Fifty Fifty-One. It was a Monday, the start of his work week, just days shy of his 82nd birthday.

“Who kills an 82-year-old?” asked Jean Chandler, Lievense’s girlfriend of 28 years, who believes a business partner who’d stopped paying Lievense commissions killed him.

A sheriff’s report says Lievense’s head was resting on the bottom shelf of a bookcase and his feet lay under a desk. His glasses, which had been knocked off and were spattered with blood, lay next to his head, where “a lot of blood” was pooled on carpeting around his head and upper body. Crime-scene photos show blood spatter on the bookshelf, brochures, files and copy machine. “Multiple shell casings” surrounded his 6-foot, 210-pound body, but there was no sign of a gun.

Citing the active cold-case investigation, DiFonzo declined to specify the number of bullet casings or the type of gun involved. However, crime scene photos show the casings, marked with a “C,” appear to be CCI Stinger .22-caliber LR, 32-grain, copperplated hollow point bullets, according to a local firearms instructor.

They’re used by “varmint hunters” and small-game enthusiasts who “require precision and performance,” according to manufacturer information, which says the rimfire ammunition can be used with rifles or pistols. “Its copper-plated, hollow-point design ensures the bullet expands upon impact, maximizing damage and reducing the likelihood of over-penetration. This makes it a prime choice … where quick, humane kills are desired.”

Ahearn told detectives he spoke to Lievense at about 11:30 a.m., when they discussed a business article Ahearn said he’d drop off after his eye-doctor appointment. The sheriff’s report says Ahearn entered the office suite at about 2:20 p.m., yelled his usual greeting, “Hey, boss,” but heard no reply, so he looked into the office where Lievense usually sat and didn’t see him. When he looked to the right, he saw him lying in the adjacent office.

In an interview with The Naples Press, Ahearn said blood was coming from Lievense’s ear and chest. Ahearn ran to his car and immediately called 911.

“I thought it was murder,” Ahearn said, speculating Lievense saw the gun and fled. “He probably ran into that office and fell …That front door was always open. It was all glass and you could see outside. He must have known this guy was coming.”

DiFonzo said people in the building heard Lievense speaking loudly and aggressively and cursing on the phone at about 11 a.m., saying that person owed him money, demanding payment and threatening to sue. But no one heard gunshots.

“There’s somebody else who knows something out there,” DiFonzo said, adding the perpetrator could be in jail or dead, making a tipster more likely to come forward.

Differing theories

Friends, investors and business associates

have varying theories, from an angry investor who wanted his interest payment or full reimbursement, to a business associate hushing Lievense up after he demanded payment, to an inventor angry at Lievense for telling investors that an invention didn’t work, harming the deal.

Many investors now believe the investments were Ponzi schemes in which newer investments are used to pay earlier investors.

“It’s like a chain,” DiFonzo said. “He connected with one person, who connected with another person, who connected with another person … I’m not saying it was a Ponzi scheme, but it seems like it was.”

And Lievense was in a tough spot because at least one business associate had stopped paying him a 10% commission and other payments — so he was unable to pay investors’ interest payments on time.

Crime scene photos of his desk show scribbled notes, articles, business cards, names of business associates and investors. He was analyzing risks of deals, “small offerings” and break-even points to reap $1 million to $3 million, and what appear to be April payout dates, each linked to a name. One business card belonged to a former Ohio broker with a history of fraud at the time. By 2020, FINRA permanently suspended him after he was criminally prosecuted for selling unregistered securities in Florida and Ohio.

A Louisiana chemical company CEO that Lievense was working with didn’t return a call seeking comment, nor did several other investors and associates.

One local business associate, Esteban “Steve” Ramirez, who was seeking investors for mobile home parks, said he was “a small part” of Lievense’s dealings. He believes a Texas man was the shooter because he was upset Lievense told investors his invention didn’t work as intended.

Filmmaker Curry Walls, who met Ahearn at the county’s Naples Accelerator, where Ahearn was board chairman, said Ahearn introduced him to Lievense, who said he’d line up investors for a movie he planned to shoot in Naples. There were many meetings at Lievense’s office, but no investors.

“He conned me and George,” Walls said. “He conned us into thinking he was doing something.

“It must have been somebody who knew him who probably was there trying to get his money and said, ‘Well, you got the money yet? You’ve had enough time. Bang, you’re dead,’” Walls said. “People like that don’t have a conscience.”

Of the shooting, Walls said, “The only thing that makes any sense is that he was a scammer, a flim-flam man, and some people were bad people. He shouldn’t have messed with them — and they let him know it.”

“The reason he was killed was because he was owed money by the guy who did it,” Ahearn said of his belief a business associate was the shooter.

Chandler, Lievense’s girlfriend, also pointed the finger at that business associate, saying he was supposed to pay Lievense a 10% commission for each investor but stopped paying Lievense to pay his daughter’s college tuition. And, she noted, he drove a vehicle that matched what a witness saw by the building during that time frame.

“He was a crook,” Chandler said. “He has a history that was not very good.”

As a result, Lievense was unable to pay investors’ interest payments on time. “He owed me money, he owed everybody money because he didn’t get paid,” Chandler said.

Friends, investors and associates describe Lievense as “extremely bright,” kind, an easygoing, gentle, honest man who never raised his voice. He loved to golf, take twiceyearly cruises with Chandler and take her out to dinner.

“I actually spoke to him the day before he passed away,” said Ramirez, who often met with Lievense in his conference room. “I never met anyone who was upset with Karl. He was always in a good mood and never mentioned any disputes … I’m very surprised it was never solved since it happened in the middle of the day.”

He maintained investors weren’t angry until after the murder, and questioned why no one heard gunshots, yet heard Lievense arguing on the phone. “I shoot guns. Those little guns are always extremely loud,” he added.

Lievense disciplined in past

Many investors were introduced to Lievense through friends they trusted. If anyone had checked his background, they’d have learned he’d taken his first broker exam in 1970 and a state securities law exam in 1979, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which regulates broker-dealers nationwide, protects investors and ensures market integrity.

FINRA records show that in 1979, Lievense got into trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By 1984, when the SEC issued a permanent injunction barring him from offering and selling unregistered securities, he’d been disciplined five times at investment firms in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Texas.

He also was cited for unlawful and unethical business practices, failure to record transactions and omission of material facts. His dealings resulted in cease-and-desist orders, suspensions, censures, $1,000 fines and an order to return a $40,000 commission. The injunction noted his “lack of knowledge of the securities business.”

attorney, Christopher Mast.

If anyone had checked Ramirez, they’d have found nine lawsuits as of 2015, many involving loans and failure to pay people promissory notes after borrowing money, in addition to two evictions, a foreclosure and IRS tax liens against him and his wife and business partner, Andrea, totaling more than $88,000; $7,052 was paid off in 2023. One woman who sued in 2015 settled for $47,500 and was paid in 2017. Ahearn and investor George Spiska, who also recouped his $25,000 investment with interest, sued Ramirez and his companies after Lievense’s death.

Ramirez blamed the earlier lawsuits on the 2008 economic downturn, and said lawsuits filed after Lievense’s death were due to the pandemic, which affected the mobile-home park deals.

Ahearn also filed a complaint with the state attorney’s financial crimes investigator, prompting the Florida Office of Financial Regulation to investigate Ramirez, Green Gin LLC and Myrtle Grove MHA LLC; no charges were filed.

“He was way behind on interest payments,” Ahearn said of Ramirez. “He was under pressure and that’s why he settled with me.” Mast said Ramirez was borrowing money “all over.”

“He left behind a litany of deadbeat, unpaid promissory notes, mortgages and everything else all over the country,” Mast said. “He conned a bunch of people out of California to loan him money and all sorts of people loaned him money. It was bizarre. I couldn’t figure out why people that were ostensibly sophisticated businesspeople were loaning him money.”

One investor traveled to the mobile home park in 2018 and discovered it hadn’t been upgraded or expanded. Court records show a California company foreclosed on Ramirez’s Green Gin after it failed to make mortgage payments and, last December, it was demolished by Flint Township, which had condemned it and evicted tenants and squatters, branding it a public nuisance — the more than 30-year-old trailers unfit for habitation due to suspicious fires, neglect and no water hookups.

Meanwhile, DiFonzo will continue investigating, he said, adding, “I’m just trying to take one person at a time and then eliminate them.”

Local businessman Tim Dunnigan didn’t meet Lievense, but invested $300,000 in Myrtle Grove through Ramirez. He hopes his investment on another of Ramirez’s mobilehome park deals pays off. His loss, so far, is around $1 million, including unpaid interest, he said, and now he’s conducting his own investigation and “living on hope.”

By 2004, when he was working for a Miami firm, he’d been employed by six securities and financial planning companies, in addition to opening Capital Funding Solutions in Naples in 1997. To broker deals, state Sunbiz records show, he set up 22 Florida limited liability companies, including the business where he died.

If you have a tip about Lievense’s murder, please call the Sheriff’s Office at 239.252.9300 or provide an anonymous tip through Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, which is offering a $3,000 reward, with an additional $5,000 from the Florida Sheriffs Association. Call 1.800.780.TIPS (8477). From page 1A

At the time, Lievense was behind paying Ahearn and others interest on promissory notes, some of which ranged from $10,000 to $300,000. Ahearn had signed four notes totaling $102,500 with Ramirez and had only received $1,000 in interest. Court documents show Ramirez needed investments to purchase mobile homes for a Flint, Michigan, mobile home park, which he planned to upgrade and expand, then sell or refinance it to repay investors.

“I can’t imagine anybody legit having anything to do with him,” said Ahearn’s

“I’ve been paying almost $2,000 a month interest on it, waiting for this deal to go down,” Dunnigan said. “So I’m in this pretty deep.”

By M. Melanie Pefinis

Real estate in Southwest Florida just got a little more real, as in reality TV. Netflix star Ryan Serhant was in town on the evening of April 3 for an exclusive Naples launch event.

Serhant, the star of Netflix’s “Owning Manhattan,” announced the opening of Serhant, a new, innovative real estate brokerage. At the launch party, the TV personality revealed an exciting merger with McQuaid & Company, the luxury real estate company hosting the event.

This collaboration marks a new era in real estate for Southwest Florida, blending McQuaid & Company’s local expertise with Serhant’s groundbreaking marketing, media and global reach.

Guests were welcomed to the company’s Bayfront Place offices to learn more about the venture. According to Realtor Krista Fogelsong, Serhant is redefining the real estate industry by integrating top-tier sales, media and branding strategies. With this expansion, Serhant brings its signature approach to Southwest Florida’s luxury market.

McQuaid & Company brings its own impressive reputation to the union as a leader in the Naples region. One of the Top 20 real estate brokerage firms in Southwest Florida, the company claims the highest production volume per agent in its market.

The boutique brokerage is committed to community building. And building a new community with the New York City mogul will surely usher in an exciting new era in the local scene.

“We have always focused on a consumercentric approach, going above and beyond what’s standard to fill critical gaps that larger companies often overlook,” said co-founder Tiffany McQuaid.

For his part, Serhant • a real estate mogul, best-selling author and star of the highly rated TV show • blends his expertise with marketing, media and global reach with that of local experts at McQuaid.

“I’ve always been committed to pushing boundaries and redefining the real estate experience through next-level marketing and branding,” McQuaid said. “In an industry often bound by tradition, Serhant stands out as a tech-driven brokerage that aligns perfectly with the values I’ve built my business on.”

Serhant, raised in Massachusetts, originally moved to New York to pursue an acting

Week of March 31-April 4

SALES Radio 708 LLC purchased 1,270 square feet of commercial space at 4776 Radio Road, Suite 708, in East Naples from Barbara Arbitrio for $525,000. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Matthew Maloney of Premiere Plus Realty represented the buyer.

LEASES RCAMS Advisors LLC leased 0.92 acres of vacant land at 15501 Old 41 Road in North Naples from Ultimate Developments LLC Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Clint L. Sherwood, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessee.

Monty Sanitation leased 725 square feet of office space at 5610 Yahl St., Unit 3, in North Naples from Yahl Street Properties LLC. Gary Tasman and Shawn Stoneburner of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property of Southwest Florida represented the lessor.

REAL ESTATE

Tune in for a new era in Naples real estate

career. Two years later, he ventured into the competitive real estate industry in one of the country’s priciest markets. Throughout his career, he has closed nearly $10 billion in sales.

This makes the merger a perfect fit for the unique, luxury Naples market, McQuaid said.

With my expertise in creative marketing, innovation and deep connections in Southwest Florida and beyond, joining forces with Serhant allows us to merge our shared, forward-looking visions and continue raising the bar for what’s possible in real estate,” she said.

By the looks of those enjoying themselves at the launch event, the bar is already rising. The atmosphere was worthy of its own reality show depicting movers and shakers enjoying an evening out. Cameras were flashing, as were smiles on the faces of party guests.

In 2010, after auditioning for the Bravo show “Million Dollar Listing,” Serhant’s TV/ real estate fusion was set. Numerous other TV projects followed. By 2012, he was ranked 15th out of the 100 most successful agents in New York. June 2024 saw the debut of Serhant’s reality program, “Owning Manhattan.” Since its premiere, it’s now ranked at the top of the network’s offerings.

He also is a bestselling author of three books about his real estate philosophies: Sell It Like Serhant: How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine; Big Money Energy: How to Rule at Work, Dominate Life, and Make Millions; and Brand It Like Serhant: Stand Out From the Crowd, Build Your Following and Earn More Money With the local expertise and know-how of McQuaid and her team and the star power of Serhant, the Naples real estate market will surely have us tuning in for more.

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 Jeff Popick, a broker with A1 Realty with a passion for consumer advocacy.

Question: Are Realtor commissions negotiable?

Answer: Yes. Realtor commissions, and just about all things under the sun, are negotiable. It has been said the most expensive negotiation you’ll ever be in is the one you don’t know you’re in. In fact, the moment you pick up the phone to call a Realtor, the negotiation begins.

Typically, that first phone call will begin with a conversation either asking the Realtor about a property that is for sale, or a property you are considering listing for sale. In both types of conversations, whether you want to buy or sell, Realtors begin sizing up the situation, because it’s a foundational aspect of their job in sales. Realtors perform hugely valuable services, and they have many responsibilities; not the least of which is a code of ethics that mandates they treat you honestly and fairly.

My decades of experience proves you will be in very good hands with the Realtor on the other end of this phone call. It boils down to a question of personal chemistry; not if the Realtor is “good” or “bad.” As part of this process, you have a personal responsibility to yourself to be as well informed as possible.

During your first call to discuss the property, it’s an opportunity

Waterfront estate in The Moorings sells for $12M John R. Wood Christie’s International Real Estate announced the sale of a $12.05 million custom waterfront estate at 345 Hawser Lane in The Moorings in Naples. Realtor Florean Mader of the company’s Central Office represented the sellers of the property. Built in 2023 by D. Roth Construction and designed by architect Lars Young, the 5,536-square-foot, twostory residence offers four bedrooms, five full baths and two half baths. The home is located on Compass Cove, offering direct Gulf access, west-facing water views and a location just blocks from the private Moorings Beach Park.

Private equity firm acquires residential remodeling firm Naples-based private equity firm Azure Capital International acquired S&E Renovations Inc., a Venice-based custom residential remodeling firm. Generational Group, a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm for privately held businesses, announced the deal but didn’t disclose the terms. Since 2000, S&E Renovations has been transforming homes to reflect the unique tastes and lifestyles of its clients in the Sarasota, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key and Venice areas. Azure Capital specializes in acquiring and growing renovation contracting and professional services businesses, including engineering and architectural firms, across the Southeast.

Resort amenities near completion in DiVosta’s Terreno community in Orangetree DiVosta is finalizing amenities in Terreno, a single-family home community in Orangetree. Slated for completion in phases, the campus, off Oil Well Road, less than 2 miles east of Immokalee Road, includes indoor and outdoor fitness areas, leisure and social venues, a private restaurant, alfresco sports court complex and special destinations for events. Overlooking a lake and nature preserve, amenities are connected to the 360-acre community’s culde-sac boulevards via 10 miles of walking paths. Construction of Terreno’s eight pickleball courts and two tennis courts with shade canopies is nearing completion with the courts opening this month. The 15,000-square-foot grand clubhouse offers a fitness center, a group exercise studio, a catering kitchen and social and community rooms. Expected to open this summer, the building also features an event hall, covered terraces and the poolside Olive & Thyme Bar & Grill.

to broach the Realtor/client relationship and the acceptable cost(s). Mutual transparency helps build trust and sets the tone for a strong partnership. Establishing this early can then pave the way for a good working relationship and a clear path to a successful outcome.

Before that very first phone call ends, you should certainly discuss the property in question and your expectations, and also the methods by which you’d like the process to develop. Communicate honestly and clearly, and you may very well develop not only an excellent working relationship, but maybe even a long-lasting friendship.

Oh, and about negotiating the commissions: Yes, definitely, they are negotiable. It is a win-win-win.

Keep in mind, reducing costs may allow a more competitive list price without affecting the sellers’ bottom line, which could mean faster closings and possibly more opportunities. This can benefit the buyer, seller and Realtor.

Don’t be bashful. Just be upfront, and most real estate professionals will appreciate this straightforward and open dialogue.

Taking matters into its own hands

Amid construction labor shortage, Suffolk builds out a talent pipeline

By Mark Dovich

When COVID-19 hit, Skye Harris was a sophomore studying hospitality and tourism management at Florida Gulf Coast University.

But as restaurants, bars and hotels across the country shut their doors, Harris decided to pivot to a field she saw as more pandemicproof.

“I recognized that [hospitality] would not be supportive if something like COVID were to happen again,” Harris recalled. “So I decided to take that leap and extend my college career in order to be able to graduate in construction management.”

A first-generation college student, she earned her diploma at the end of last year.

But not enough of her peers are following in Harris’ footsteps, builders and developers say.

The Florida Department of Commerce projects that by 2031 Southwest Florida will need nearly 74,000 construction industry workers to meet demand, about 7,800 more than the region has now. Construction is the region’s second largest industry employer, at 14.6%, behind only retail trade.

That looming labor shortage comes down to a combination of surging demand and an aging workforce, according to Amir Neto, director of the Regional Economic Research Institute and associate professor at FGCU.

“After COVID-19, we saw … businesses and lots of households relocating to Southwest Florida,” Neto said. “And on top of that, we had [hurricanes] Ian, and then last year, Milton and Helene, so all those added demand pressure. So we have the need for construction, the need for reconstruction.”

What’s more, the construction workforce both in Southwest Florida and across the country is aging rapidly.

Nationwide, 40% of people employed in skilled trades are over age 45, while fewer than 9% are younger than 25, a 2022 study by staffing agency PeopleReady shows.

For Suffolk Construction, which is the largest commercial builder in Southwest Florida and employs more than 200 people in the region, workforce shortages represent an important threat to business.

To try to help solve the problem, the company runs Career Start, a

two-year rotational program that allows recent graduates to gain experience in field operations, project management and estimating.

“By the end of a two-year span, they’ve seen basically the entire cross-section of the construction operation life cycle … That, in my opinion, is very unique and unmatched,” Ben Wilson, Suffolk’s general manager for Southwest Florida, told The Naples Press

In fact, Career Start is the only program of its kind available for recent graduates in the region, according to Wilson, giving participants “a leg up and an experience that they would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.”

For this year’s Career Start cohort, Suffolk has selected 49 recent graduates across the country, including nine young professionals in Florida. That includes Harris, the FGCU graduate, who is now in her project management rotation.

“It’s been amazing,” Harris said. “Being able to be surrounded by individuals who are experts in their field, being able to leverage that knowledge and have the connections that we’re able to build — that is an amazing thing.”

For Pete Tuffo, Suffolk’s president of the Florida Gulf Coast and national gaming, investing in efforts to bring in young talent like Harris is exactly what the industry needs.

“We have to … reinvigorate people to get into the trades and know that it is a very good career path,” Tuffo said. “We’re not hiring employees for jobs. We’re hiring people to come in here to build careers.”

And young professionals who have completed Career Start appear to agree: 25 of the 26 recent graduates recruited through Career Start in Southwest Florida since 2020 are still with Suffolk, numbers provided by the company show.

That high retention rate is especially important, Tuffo says, as Suffolk’s portfolio in the region has expanded substantially in terms of “size, scale and complexity.”

“There’s now a billion-dollar

project underway that we’re doing at [Southwest Florida International Airport.] There are projects now that are in excess of $300, $400 and $500 million. I’ve been in this market for 25 years, and typically in this market, we’ve seen anything around $100 million as a really big job,” Tuffo said.

But even with demand surging, interest in construction is still lagging behind. Harris said she believes that is mostly because young people are “just not aware” of the opportunities the industry provides.

“Students question the visibility of where your career can go within construction,” Harris said.

At the same time, companies themselves also have an important role to play in finding talent, according to Amy HannaEckenrode, communications director at CareerSource Southwest Florida, a nonprofit that provides free placement services for job seekers and businesses.

“Businesses have had to find more innovative and creative ways to attract and retain new employees,” Hanna-Eckenrode told The Naples Press. “And what Suffolk is doing is right on the money.”

LIFELINE FOR SERVICE DOGS

Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs, a local nonprofit organization, unveiled its new Wall of Honor, a tribute to the military veterans, first responders and law enforcement officers who served the nation “with honor, courage and distinction,” with an event March 27 at the Ken and Susan Meyer Center for Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs, according to information provided. Every name added through sponsorship directly supports the Golden PAWS Heroes Fund, ensuring that service dogs receive the specialized care they need. “From covering complex veterinary care and nutritional support to assisting recipients in times of crisis, the Heroes Fund is a lifeline.”

EARTH DAY FESTIVAL AT THE CONSERVANCY

Easter events

Easter Family Celebration

9 a.m. April 19 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2575 Everglades Blvd., North Naples. Easter egg hunts timed for various age groups with 1-4-yearolds beginning at 9 a.m., plus carnival games and a religiousthemed “Walk with Christ.” For details and reservations, see eventbrite.com under Easter Family Celebration.

Sunrise service

featured artist

7 a.m. outdoors, 9 and 11 a.m. indoors, St. Agnes Catholic Church, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples. Paul Todd, organ virtuoso who served as music director for the church for 17 years, returns to play for all three Easter Sunday services. Freewill offering to the church collection.

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

‘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 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. See Featured

Phil Fisher’s local eye

9 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays through April 30 at the Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Trail E., Naples. The longtime plein air painter’s look at Naples landscapes, present and past, that’s an education for longtime residents and newcomers alike. Free. colliermuseums.com or 239.252.8476

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

CALENDAR

LAST NIGHTS FOR ‘LADY DAY’

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, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is a musical memoir of Billie Holiday that brings both her spellbinding music and her narrative of a hard life. Tracy Conyer Lee plays Holiday with a stark realism and an impressive similarity to the star’s voice. This is the last weekend for the play. $114-$144. gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529

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

Eternally Curious: A Journey of Creation and Growth

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26-June 29 at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples. Tanya Trinkaus Glass displays her garden-centered artwork in an exhibit. The event is free for members and included with garden admission ($27 for nonmembers). naplesgarden.org

This weekend (April 18, 19, 20)

Music of the Beatles

Various times April 15-19 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Jack Everly, the Principal Pops conductor, leads the Naples Philharmonic and six vocalists in performing The Beatles’ top songs spanning their entire career as a band. The performance is accompanied by never-before-seen photos, video and animation. Tickets range from $73-$119 depending on the day and seating. Included with ticket

purchase is same-day admission to The Baker Museum from 10 a.m.-

7:30 p.m. and light fare available at Heidi’s Place. artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900

Ladies Only Psychic Party

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-centertheatre 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 Café 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 Texas-Mexico 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 medley to ‘I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis, to “Lassus Trombone” and more. $125 per couple. naplesconcertband.org

artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900

Sculpture garden open

5-8 p.m. April 24 at the Joel Shapses Studio & Gallery, 6240 Shirley St., Unit 102, Naples. Sculptor Joel Shapses is observing National Sculpture Day April 24 in a hands-on way: He’s opening his North Naples indoor-outdoor sculpture garden, a gallery featuring more than 100 original mixed-media and stone sculptures, for an evening of selfguided tours, art, conversation and discovery. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artist, get a first look at his latest works and gain insights into the process. Free. joelshapsesstudio.com or 954.830.3156

Next weekend (April 25, 26, 27)

‘Good Jew’ Various times April 24 to 26 at the Norris Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. A solo comedy/drama written from the experiences of Holocaust survivor Henryk Altman who escaped the Nazis at least four times in the most ingenious ways. $36. 239.409.2588.

Next week (April 21-24)

Houston Person: All that Jazz Various times April 23 at Artis— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Houston Person joins the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra to perform his unique style of tunes that blend swing, blues, R&B and jazz together. $62. See CALENDAR, Page 7B

Schubert the Great Various times April 24-26 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Pianist Inon Barnatan plays Piano Beethoven’s Concerto No. 4 and Schubert’s Symphony in C Major, also known as “The Great” with the Naples Philharmonic and Andreas Ottensamer. Tickets start at $29 and Masterworks tickets include same-day admission to The Baker Museum from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and light fare at Heidi’s Place.

MUSIC FOR THE MISSIONS

6:30 p.m. both nights at two Naples churches – Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Drive, April 25; and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 625 111th Ave. N., April 26. The 5 Tenors of Jamaica are raising missionary funds in a tuneful way. They’re performing solos and group renditions, not only of audience favorites and Jamaican melodies, but even songs that came from their sponsor’s founding missionary – look for melodies like “Rejoice My Soul,” “Praise Him” and the “Caribbean Alleluia” among them. Their two Naples concerts are to support the Missionaries of the Poor, an international monastic order dedicated to service to those in deepest poverty. Started in 1981 by Father Richard Ho Lung, the religious order has grown to more than 500 serving in 19 centers in 11 countries around the world. The group also evangelizes through its music, and Ho Lung himself, nicknamed “the reggae priest,” is a songwriter. His music is performed in liturgical services throughout the Caribbean and has won eight Jamaica Music Industry Awards. $20, $10 students/children. Tickets at tututix.com/ missionariesofthepoor. Information on the Missionaries of the Poor at missionariesofthepoor.org

Two milestones

Museum’s 25th-year program aligns with America’s 250th

By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com

As The Baker Museum approaches its 25th anniversary, there’s a sense of embracing history as well as aligning with Artis—Naples Artistic and Music

Director Alexander Shelley’s theme “E Pluribus Unum – from many into one.”

This 25th anniversary has the happy coincidence of being in the same year as the United States’ 250th anniversary, and Artis—Naples is ready, he said: “The overarching message for next season is that we’re going to be diving into the lead-in to the celebration of America 250.”

Courtney McNeil, museum director and chief curator of the museum, is ready, too. The Baker Museum offerings range from an artist’s work from 100 years before this anniversary – the coolly sophisticated Tamara de Lempicka – to a retrospective on the deeply defined American photographs of Ansel Adams.

Tamara de Lempicka

October 2025 through February 2026

De Lempicka (1894-1980) helped to define the 1920s glamour and drama in art deco. She captured 1920s postwar Paris and the cosmopolitan sheen of Hollywood, but always with characters that keep a beguiling distance.

This exhibition is one McNeil is especially excited about. It blends works from her post-Cubist work in 1920s Paris to her later melancholic still lifes and interiors in the U.S. and Mexico. It has four works owned by Patty and Jay Baker that have been lent to the museum before with works from both American and international museums, giving it a rich depth.

“The sleek surfaces of her paintings is what I find really compelling, and the way her people almost seem like they’re made out of metal — so steely and imperturbable. And just so cool — so effortlessly cool,” McNeil observed.

De Lempicka’s work was collected heavily in Europe for decades, and there have been several retrospectives of her work there.

“But this is the first featured exhibition in the United States ever,” she emphasized.

The exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and curated by Furio Rinaldi, curator-in-charge of The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco.

Linling Lu November 2025 through April 2026

Baltimore-based artist Lu is creating new paintings for an exhibition inspired by three works scheduled in the Naples Philharmonic’s 2025-26 Masterworks concerts: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, best known as the “New World” Symphony, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. Lu paints sonically inspired

LEFT: “One Hundred Melodies of Solitude,” No.264, 2025, Linling Lu, Acrylic on shaped canvas, 67-by-67-by-1 3/4 inches.

Courtesy Arting Gallery

tondos — circular works — that are hard-edge and with concentric rings of color that appear to vibrate. She draws the shades of color in her paintings from the sounds she hears in classical music.

“The music she’s responding to is music she’s familiar with and has already heard many times, so she is responding to the piece of music itself, not the specific performance,” explained McNeil, who curated this exhibition.

Still, she continued, what is coming will be paintings especially created for The Baker Museum exhibition. They’re guaranteed to demonstrate Lu’s color spectrum with the energy in those three works, and done with an understanding of the orchestra whose performance will be aligned with them, she said.

“She and I went to a Philharmonic rehearsal together, and we got to have a meeting with Alexander Shelley during the rehearsal break, where Linling and Alexander were able to talk more about Linling’s approach to art, and Alexander’s approach to conducting and the Philharmonic. And she left really inspired about the opportunity to work with an organization like ours.”

Discovering Ansel Adams March 2026 through May 2026

The exhibition features more than 100 photographs, from mini to mural-sized, that share Adams’ most celebrated works while analyzing his development between 1916 and the 1940s.

“The exhibition is really special because it does include some of his very best-known photographs and lesser-known images from his holdings. Because it was organized with the Center for Creative Photography in Arizona, which Ansel Adams founded, it also includes objects — cameras that the artist owned, documents, letters in his own hand and other artifacts and objects — that give a much more immediate sense of the man behind the camera,” she said.

“It will be a really in-depth study of who he was and how he became the iconic figure in American art that he did.”

Organized by the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, it has support from The Museum Box and was curated by Rebecca Senf. This presentation is curated by Dianne Brás-Feliciano, curator of modern art.

sonia louise davis: to reverberate tenderly November 2025 through summer 2026 to reverberate tenderly is a multisensory exhibition and environment for creative activity that demonstrates the artist’s fascination with improvisation.

Visual artist, writer and performer sonia louise davis, who uses all lower-case letters for her name and her exhibitions, has invented her own language for musical notation using lines, curves, dots, rings and dashes. The result: musical scores that resonate visually as well as audially. These notations are layered

See MUSEUM, Page 7B

FROM COOKING TO OPERA

Fun awaits at Collier summer camps

By Larissa Rodriguez

Summer is just around the corner. Soon kids will be getting out of school and looking for fun things to do, especially if their parents are working.

The Naples Press compiled a list of some summer camps that might be fun and interesting to these children, including some comments from camp coordinators and family members of children who have utilized these camps in the past.

Naples School of Irish Dance

The Naples School of Irish Dance summer camp offers three one-week sessions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 9-July 18 for $100 per week. The camp will teach the basic steps and technique of Irish dance. Dancers will play games related to dance and have time for an art or craft project and a snack.

“I think Irish dance is a good skill for both boys and girls because it’s so athletic and different,” camp coordinator Robin Maki said.  Irish dance provides health benefits like cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility, and can help refine skills like agility, balance and coordination.

“During the summer, children can incorporate all of these things in a relaxed, fun and friendly environment, not as a school requirement or an after-school program,” Maki said. “We have so much more time to be creative and make this sport really fun without the child realizing what they are gaining.”

Visit naplesirishdance.com for more information and how to sign up.

Chef’s in Progress Cooking Camp

This is a camp for children ages 6-15 interested in cooking and the culinary arts. The camps are various weeks with different themes starting June 2 and ending Aug. 8.

“We’re not just teaching kids how to cook. We’re helping them discover who they are through food,” Chef Cameron Ball said. “Every camp is designed to be fun, inclusive, and a little bit magical.”

Attendance is $249 for each camp. Both morning and evening sessions are offered.

“Summer is the perfect time for kids to slow down from the hustle of school and try something new,” Ball said. “Cooking gives them a screen-free, hands-on experience that stimulates all their senses. It’s also incredibly rewarding. They get to see and taste the results of their hard work.”

The camp doesn’t just teach kids how to make food but also explores the history behind the food, where it comes from, and the cultures that inspire it.

“How powerful food can be as a tool for connection, creativity and confidencebuilding — especially for kids,” Ball said. “We wanted to create a space where young chefs don’t just follow recipes. They truly understand what they’re doing and why.”

Registration is still open. Chef’s in Progress is a Step Up for Students provider, so scholarships are available through that program to make it more accessible. Go to chefsinprogress.com to sign up.

Scuba Outfitters

Scuba Outfitters offers Kids Summer Scuba Classes through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. PADI Seal Team Camp is for 8-11-year-olds and is offered the weeks of June 10, June 24 and July 15. PADI Junior Open Water Scuba Camp is for 10-17-year-olds during the weeks of June 3, June 17, July 8 and Aug. 5. All participants must be comfortable in the water.

The PADI Junior Open Water Scuba Camp will help students earn their Open Water Scuba Certification and learn scuba safety skills. The camp will end in a trip to Key Largo. The total price is $650 but a deposit of $200 is due first to reserve a spot and $450 is due on the first day of camp.

“We can be in the beautiful water on the reef, see beautiful fish and shipwrecks and things like that,” Scuba Outfitters open water dive instructor Rachel Adams said about the trip to Key Largo. “There’s not a whole lot to see off of our coast here in Naples, so it’s worth it to go to Key Largo.”

PADI Seal Team Camp is for children who

At Chef’s in Progress summer camps, kids will be able to make and develop friendships and memories they won’t forget. Photo courtesy

have an interest in scuba diving but are not old enough to receive a certification. Participants will learn valuable scuba skills and have time to play in the pool. The total price is $350 but a deposit of $100 is due first to reserve a spot and $250 is due the first day of camp.

Adams teaches classes for adults and kids, but during the summer she teaches kids’ camps only. She believes scuba is important for kids because it helps them develop an appreciation for what happens under the surface.

“I do a lot of coral conservation work. I like how it teaches the kids about our oceans and the ocean life and what is happening in our current environmental climate,” Adams said.

She has two children and they both have seen how involved she is scuba. Her oldest is 9 and participated in PADI Seal Team Camp for

goal for summer camps at Sports Club is for campers to gain knowledge, develop new skills and build new friendships. The camp is offered from June 2-July 25 at two locations: The Sports Club Center and Pelican Marsh Elementary School. For the Sports Club Center, there is a $40 registration fee per family, $175 per week. At Pelican Marsh Elementary, there is a $75 registration fee per family, $35-150 per week.

Camp WILD at the Naples Zoo

A weeklong series that offers different topics to learn about each week through hands-on inquiry-based activities. The camp is offered 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday starting June 2 and ending Aug 1. Children ages 5-10 can participate. It costs $325 per camper per week, $300 for members. Visit napleszoo.org to learn more about the themes offered each week.

Horse riding camp at M&H stables

Offered 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. $100 nonrefundable deposit. Text 239.289.4966 for pricing. Located at The Rusty Daisy Ranch, 5450 Stable Way, Naples. mhstables.com

Music Makers Youth Chamber Camp at Artis—Naples

An application is required for this camp, which will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 16-20. Naples Philharmonic Associate Conductor Manuel Lopez-Gomez will lead classes. The week will end in a performance at 7 p.m. June 20. The camp costs $350, which includes snack and lunch each day, and there are scholarships available. Registration applications close May 9 and accepted students will be notified May 19. To apply, go to artisnaples.org.

The Naples Players Academy of Dramatic Arts TNPA offers summer camp classes for kids from preschool to high school aged. Some shows with a more rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule required auditions that already passed but there are many other classes with registration still open. Visit naplesplayers.org for the list of shows and dates and how to register. Prices vary per age group. Scholarships are available.

ARTScool at Naples Art Institute

ARTScool is offered for seven weeks, starting June 9 and ending Aug. 1, for kids ages 5-17. Participants can choose either the morning or afternoon session or both. Different classes are offered for different weeks. Students learn by taking part in different hands-on activities incorporating a variety of subjects. Registration closes at 4 p.m. on the Sunday before the chosen week of classes begins. The camp costs $175. There is tuition assistance available. naplesart.org

US Open Pickleball youth clinics

These clinics occur every Saturday and Sunday from noon-1 p.m. at East Naples Community Park, 3520 Thomasson Drive, for players ages 7-16. The camp is meant to teach youth how to play or help them improve. The price is $20 per player and registration is required at usopenpickleball.com

Full STEAM Ahead Naples

the first time last year, and she said he loved it. Adams said she enjoys seeing the progression of a new passion and love for something new building inside all children who participate.

“You can really see the impact that it has on them at a young age, almost like one of those life events that happens that sets the trajectory of where they might want to go in their future,” Adams said. “You can just see it in their spirit, like, this is what I want to do, this is what I want to get involved in.”

Visit scubaoutfittersnaples.com or Call 239.280.5500 if interested in reserving a spot.

Sports Club of Naples

Sports Club of Naples teaches the fundamentals of basketball, flag football, soccer, kickball and dodgeball, as well as nonsports activities such as crafts and tech. The

Summer camps are offered 10 weeks during the summer starting June 2 and ending Aug 8. Participants can choose if they would rather attend the morning, afternoon or fullday session. Some camps are still open for registration, while others must be added to the waitlist. Half-day classes are $255 each and full-day camps range various prices. Visit fullsteamaheadfl.com for more details.

Opera Naples Summer Youth Program

This camp prepares participants ages 13-20 to perform the operetta Mikado in two weeks as well as sitting in on workshops to teach vocal technique, acting, improv and prop construction. The camp is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 8-19 with performances July 19-21. The program costs $450 and includes two tickets to performances. Scholarships are available. Registration is still open. To register visit operanaples.org or email questions to rfrank@operanaples.org

FOOD & FLAVOR

Demystifying the role of sommeliers

By Jean L. Amodea

Unless you are a wine connoisseur, being seated in a finedining restaurant with a sommelier, referred to as a “somm” • with tastevin or sipping cup artfully suspended by a thick silver chain worn around the neck • can be intimidating. After all, no one wants to look anything but knowledgeable about quality food and the wines that best accompany a meal.

Rest assured, however, that the wine steward is there for you. They will elevate your dining experience by pairing just the right wine to perfectly complement your entrée • or, for those going all out, each course, including dessert.

The Court of Master Sommeliers offers four levels of certification: Introductory, Certified, Advanced and Master, the last level regarded as the most difficult exam in the world. Another certifying body, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, offers courses in wine, spirits, beer and sake. Based in London, a sixpart course over three years leads to the WSET diploma.

Two local somms shared their experience and knowledge. With a tenure at Angelina’s Ristorante since 2015 and a decade-long commitment to the fine-dining establishment, Dinah Leach is a seasoned sommelier. Her expertise is evident in her role as a weekly wine class instructor for the staff and her monthly participation in the restaurant’s lavish wine dinners. Lexi Strachan has been with The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, for two years. In addition to her duties as sommelier of the Lobby Bar, she is also the assistant food and beverage operations manager.

Dinah Leach, Angelina’s Ristorante

Despite being a dedicated beer drinker, Leach’s journey into the world of wine was sparked by a daunting 200-wine list at a restaurant where she worked. She knew she had to get up to speed and familiarize herself with the nuances of wine. In 2012, she achieved the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory and Certified levels and has reached the third level with WSET. Leach has also been certified as a Cicerone Certified Beer Server. When it comes to guest interaction, Leach is all about approachability. Despite the initial intimidation some may feel, she ensures that her guests never feel talked down to. She encourages questions and discussions, aiming to help guests find the perfect wine that will enhance their dining experience.

“About 20 or 30 years ago, a somm was thought of as a wine snob, and you didn’t want him or her to make you feel as if you didn’t know anything,” Leach said. “But that’s not how I approach my guests; I want them to ask questions. Our wine list is extensive, and we have many choices not found anywhere else, as well as unheard-of grape varietals and regions. I’m the facilitator who will help describe the sort of wine guests enjoy drinking, and I will find something on our list that they will love.”

In describing flavors and the distinctive notes of wines, she said there is no universal language for

wine because, while one person smells or tastes apples, another person may disagree. “I read between the lines and ask if they prefer white or red,” she said. “If red, I determine if they like a lighter-bodied Pinot Noir or a fullbodied Cabernet Sauvignon. I dig deeper and ask what they usually drink to determine their flavor profile. I inquire about their budget and price point and make sure that I never exceed it.”

Lexi Strachan, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Strachan’s dedication to her craft is evident in her achievements. As a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, she is among fewer than 300 professionals worldwide, with only 25 being women. Her pursuit of knowledge is ongoing, as she is currently at the diploma level of WSET and has completed a champagne

specialist course. Strachan stays engaged with current events in the wine industry to stay relevant. “Wine is not just theory and the laws per se; you also have to know who’s sold their winery to whom, when and where,” she said. For Strachan, the key to guest engagement is adaptability, as her approach is “very fluid or more colloquial.”

She considers factors such as the guest’s food order, their budget

Dinah Leach’s wine recommendations

• Splurge or special occasion wine – Castello di Neive Barbaresco Santo Stefano from Piemonte, Italy. It’s 100% Nebbiolo (a grape variety) with flavors and aromas of roses, tart red cherry, orange peel, mushroom and truffle ($100+).

• Bubbles – Kirkland Signature Prosecco Rose is made by adding 10-15% Pinot Noir to a regular white Prosecco. It’s crisp, refreshing and a great hot-weather wine ($12.50-$15).

• Summer white – Banfi “La Pettegola” Vermentino from Tuscany, made with Vermentino or Verdicchio grape varieties, is crisp and refreshing ($15-$20).

• Cabernet Sauvignon – Niner Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California, is affordable and tastes more expensive than its cost, especially compared to Cabernets from Napa Valley. Niner also makes an excellent Chardonnay ($25-$30).

Lexi Strachan’s wine recommendations

• Splurge or special occasion wine – Domaine Jacques Selosse, 2012 Extra Brut Champagne Millésime (RM – a récoltant-manipulant or grower Champagne). A refined, no-dosage Champagne made from organically farmed fruit. Predominantly Chardonnay with Pinot Noir, adding depth. Bright acidity with notes of candied lemon, tangerine, white blossom and limestone minerality ($1,400+).

• Sparkling – Henri Champliau Cremant de Bourgogne “Brut Authentique” is a smart Champagne alternative. It is mostly Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay, crisp and lively, with notes of green apple, citrus and brioche ($30).

• Pinot Grigio – Domaine Wachau, Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen 2024 is a vibrant Austrian white wine with Pinot Grigio-like freshness and crisp acidity. It is medium-bodied and has notes of green apple, white pepper, subtle mango and delicate herbs ($19).

• Bordeaux – Mouton Cadet Rouge x Pierre Bordeaux 2023 is a Merlot-driven organic, vegan Bordeaux. It is fresh and easy-drinking, with notes of strawberry, red currant, raspberry, sage, rosemary and mint ($18).

and the occasion.

Strachan avows active listening is needed in understanding how people articulate certain things without telling them they are wrong. “My job is to internalize what they are saying and let them know that I have a wine that they will enjoy,” she said. “There’s something for everyone, and I think the only thing that matters is that you’re happy with what’s in your glass.”

Refashioning nature’s handiwork

Artisans create furniture, wall décor and objets d’art

By Jean L. Amodea

On any weekday, sometimes before 8 a.m., a handful of duteous woodworkers toil at their craft with precision and creative juices flowing in the Cocoon Gallery’s 25,000-square-foot woodshop in Naples Design District, tapping into nature’s bounty and rich resources in wood and minerals.

Amid the whir and grind of various machines and hand tools, nimble fingers deftly plane, sand, carve, sculpt and polish woods imported from Southeast Asia • slabs as big as 20-by-5-feet and massive root systems • transforming the raw materials into distinctive, oneof-a-kind pieces, a testament to the beauty of nature and human craftsmanship.

The raw materials

“Much of the wood is inverted stumps, tree trunks or underground root structures that we plane down to a flat surface to serve as bases for nice pieces of glass, allowing a view of the intricacies of the wood beneath the tabletop,” said Dave Copeland, an artisan who works for Mitchell Siegel, owner of Cocoon Gallery, a few minutes’ drive from the woodshop. “Mitchell gives us a lot of freedom; he’ll describe what he’d like to see, then lets us fly with our inspiration for the pieces.”

Copeland said that agates and various minerals are sourced primarily from Brazil and Madagascar. Stones can be used to top wood bases of various heights or fashioned into decorative pieces to be wall-mounted.

“We have installed stone wall art in wine rooms since the pieces hold great temperature, and they give the room a rich feeling,” Copeland said. “When the light hits the stones, they glow because they are semi-transparent; the lights reflected in the crystals are spectacular.”

Unloading to finish

From unloading shipments to discussing design with clients, delivering finished pieces and installation, the artisans work tediously and meticulously, ensuring that every detail is perfect and every piece is a work of art.

A comprehensive 12-step process is an integral part of the finishing. Fumigation ensures the elimination of insects, and a proprietary method removes tannins from the wood, resulting in a brilliant white finish

that will not turn yellow. Equipment

• such as the specially built, multimillion-dollar kiln • dries the wood from the inside out.

“The kiln is at a low temperature and hydrates and dehydrates the wood,” Copeland said. “If the wood is not fully dried, it will not stay flat. We dry all of the wood so the pieces won’t warp and will eventually

Photo courtesy Ed

become a legacy piece to last generations.”

Copeland and his fellow artisans enjoy their work as they get to craft something different every day, then revel in a finished piece that selfcreates as layers are planed smooth and stones polished to reveal their luminosity. “Nothing is the same, and that is what is special about

working with organic materials; they are unique and have their own fingerprint,” he said.

Once completed to perfection, the pieces are displayed at the Cocoon Gallery, where they will await their forever home. Each piece will be displayed in the 2,500-squarefoot art space, visually enticing customers with a jaw-dropping exhibition of artistry.

About the owner

Cocoon Gallery’s owner, Mitchell

Siegel, opened a gallery in 1998 in Greenwich, Connecticut, and operated there for two decades. In 2020, he opened the Naples gallery; in 2024, the Cocoon Gallery was established in Palm Beach. In early April, he reopened the Greenwich location to the delight of that upscale community.

Considered a visionary, Siegel maintains that his pieces are made to be functional pieces of art. The gallery also works with interior designers for residential and commercial spaces. A commercial installation called “Symphonic Suspension” showcases two 10foot tree sculptures suspended horizontally from the ceiling of

COCOON GALLERY

Earthsourced handcrafted furniture and decor

Where: 602 Fifth Ave. S., Naples

Hours: 10 a.m.6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Contact: cocoongallery.com or 239.263.8889

Kalea Bay’s Tower 4 in North Naples. “There is no competition with how and what we can produce,” Siegel said. “Some of our pedestal pieces display art worth millions of dollars for some of the largest New York art collectors. We are extremely highend; our pieces are perfect and last for generations. We’ve been in business for 25 years for a reason.”

Bringing high-quality fashion to Naples

By Larissa Rodriguez

A small women-owned business is trying to revolutionize Naples and put its fashion scene on the map.   Roberta Baranek is the founder of the new Naples Fashion Week. She spent two years building the brand to make it presentable, unique and interesting for fashion aficionados around the area.

“We have a lot of younger people moving to Naples, and I think that this really speaks to that demographic,” Baranek said. “Anybody that loves luxury, that loves fashion, that loves to be a part of the Naples community, and just people that like to get dressed up and go to something different and cool and unique.”

To experience a high-luxury and high-quality fashion show, most people would have to travel out of the state or out of the country. She wanted to bring that feeling close to home by designing an event comparable to a New York or Paris Fashion Week in the heart of Naples.

“Naples is my home, and I’ve been coming here since the day I was born. I believe that our community is amazing. I think we are lacking a little bit of fashion,” Baranek said. “I really want to bring a

fashion component to Naples, and I think this is a great way to kick it off.”

Event attendee Christine Abbott said she appreciated the way something like this was introduced

From page 2B CALENDAR

artisnaples.org or 239.597.1900

Naples Pier beach cleanup

9:30-11 a.m. April 26 at Naples Pier, 25 12th Ave. S., Naples. Healthy Earth organization is sponsoring a community cleanup on the Naples beach to help clear trash left over from Hurricane Milton. The group suggests volunteers bring reuseable water bottles and wear comfortable clothes, including sun protection such as a hat and sunglasses. Garden gloves may be helpful too. The organization is offering the tools needed, sunblock, water refill jug, light snacks and designated team members who take pictures and ensure safety. Reserve a spot at eventbrite.com; type in Naples Pier Cleanup.

Lifesaving luxe brunch

11:15 a.m. April 26 at Sails Restaurant, 301 Fifth Ave S., Naples. Brunch, Champagne and both a silent auction and live auction from Dunkin’s Diamonds benefits the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation, which educates adults and children about water safety and funds swim lessons, lifeguard training and water safety instructors. There’s indoor and outdoor seating available on request as available. $195. Tickets: floridadrowningpreventionfoundation.com

Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah

4 p.m. April 27 at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. The Jewish Federation of Naples hosts a Holocaust remembrance event with the theme “For a Better Future” this year. There will be a service, candle-lighting ceremony to honor those killed in the holocaust and remarks from clergy, survivors and their descendants. This is a free event. jewishnaples.org or 239.263.4205

kind of fun,” Abbott said.

To accomplish this ambitious feat, Baranek spent six months planning, finding designers from across the world, staff, models and catering. The week, beginning March 30, was packed with four fashion shows showcasing different designers and brands. The festivities culminated April 5 with the fifth and grand finale show at Ferrari of Naples.

“It’s one of the most iconic car brands in the world so I figured, why not bring the luxury of the car world into a local dealership and then also bring in high couture, luxury fashion?” Baranek said.

Throughout the week, Baranek and her team saw event success. Every show was sold out. This was something she was very proud of since she worked on it for so long.

Vincent Guza, an attendee from New Jersey, came to the fashion show because someone invited him, but he still has a passion for fashion.

“I like stealing ideas for myself. It’s a lot of fun, actually, men or women,” he said. “I like seeing color schemes. I like seeing contrast.”

locally.

“I want to support local, and that’s a big thing, because I’m local and I have three local businesses, so that’s a big deal to me, and I like to see what people are wearing. It’s

The grand finale event showcased clothing from two international designers, Rosita Hurtado and Carlos Merchan, who designed collections specifically to be modeled on the 120-foot runway that evening.

“[It’s] something super cool and unique, a normal runway is not that large,” Baranek said. “To have couture designers fly in and make collections specifically for a runway in a small town is pretty cool. Things like that normally only happen in big cities like LA and New York.”  About 20 models were hired to display the fashion from Hurtado and Merchan. Models Payton Wise, Ali Haney and Emerson Elliott all modeled for Carlos Merchan, and they were excited to do so.

“It’s really fun to get to wear things that are kind of outside of your comfort zone, and to meet new people, and it’s fun to get glammed up too,” Wise said.

Though Baranek draws her inspiration from larger cities where fashion shows are more popular, she doesn’t want to replicate them exactly and would like to see Naples stand out in its own way.

“I really think that Naples is changing in a good way; we don’t want it to be Miami, we don’t want it to be something it’s not,” Baranek said. “I think it’s going to be really cool and successful for all of us that are hoping for better shopping, better brands, better experiences.”

Baranek says there might be another show in the fall but, regardless, plans to do Naples Fashion Week at least once a year going forward.

From page 3B

and repeated throughout the gallery, from textilebased paintings and a wall mural with neons to custom steel instruments • or “sounders” • which are activated by performers. to reverberate tenderly explores what is possible in a sonic space, by both evocative works and performance.

Those instruments are not a visitor-activated experience, but several concerts are being planned in the museum that will use them, McNeil said. She and the staff are working on offering a sound experience, possibly by speakers, listener stations or video. The exhibition is organized by the Queens Museum, New York, and Lindsey Berfond, assistant curator.

Florida Contemporary 2025-26

October 2025 through June 2026

This annual exhibition presents three notable artists practicing in Florida.

There and Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection

January 26 through multiple years

In celebration of The Baker Museum’s 25th anniversary, this exhibition, co-curated with a regional advisory committee, features highlights and rarities from the permanent collection. Through the art and programs planned around it, the hope is to demonstrate how people preserve their identities and connections to their ancestry, despite geographical dislocation. There and Here is organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. It is co-curated by Dianne Brás-Feliciano, curator of modern art, along with a regional advisory committee of people involved in the arts • Magdiell Antequera and Donald Sutton, both of Naples; Tara Backhouse, Clewiston; Tayina Deravile, Fort Lauderdale; Lisette Morales, Bonita Springs; William “Popeye” Osceola, the Miccosukee Tribal Reservation; and Annabelle Tometich, Fort Myers. McNeil and museum staff members Sophie Bennett and Casandra Ruanova assisted.

Our commitment to innovation brings world-class orthopedic care to Naples

World-class musculoskeletal care is here. NCH teamed up with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to bring expertise from the world’s #1 in orthopedics to Southwest Florida. HSS at NCH is led by highly specialized physicians delivering comprehensive services and cutting-edge treatments to enhance mobility and quality of life.

New state-of-the-art facility opening spring 2025

HSS at NCH is made possible by philanthropy.

Mobility is essential to a healthy, vibrant life — without it, chronic and critical health issues can quickly follow. Your support empowers quality of life. Make a lasting impact at NCHmd.org/donate

Call (239) 624-1700 or request an appointment online at HSSatNCH.org

FOCUSING ON PRESENT AND FUTURE

Sánchez continues to promote tennis

By Randy Kambic

Three of Emilio Sánchez’s five career Grand Slam doubles titles were at the French Open. Yet, instead of looking back at his past accomplishments there, he’s much more excited about his role associated with another annual tournament that’ll precede this year’s competition at Roland Garros — the next Italian Open.

Sánchez, the founder and CEO of the Sanchez Tennis Academy & American School in Naples, will speak on how playing doubles can help improve one’s singles play to about 2,500 Italian tennis coaches at a conference on May 3, just prior to the pro tour event in Rome.

It’s an example of Sánchez giving back to the sport he loves.

“It’s great to meet with other coaches,” said Sánchez, founder of the International Coaches Institute. He also gave presentations recently to many German and Swiss coaches in their countries. “It’s great to give back.”

In an illustrious 13-year professional career, the native of Barcelona, Spain, reached a No. 7 singles’ ranking in 1990 and amassed 15 singles’ titles. He also notched 50 men’s doubles titles and achieved a No. 1 doubles ranking in 1989.

Sánchez’s academy in Naples conducts yearround tournaments, including three annual International Tennis Federation $25,000 women’s pro events, Special Olympics and U.S. Tennis Association boys’ and girls’ events at all levels. Along with youth and adult tennis camps, the facility operates a high-performance youth training program. Academic education — via their own accredited school — is provided for both U.S. and international youngsters.

Of the legion of youngsters he has guided, he cites two: “Tristan McCormick was a student here, went to college, now is a pro and is training here again. Juncheng Shang was No. 1 junior in world. He spent three years [ages 13 to 16] developing with us.”

Sánchez commended his director of tennis, Lucas Regas, as “the engine of our operations. Everyone on our staff makes a difference.”

Tennis greatness runs in the family. His younger sister Arantxa Sánchez Vicario was a star on the women’s pro tour, earning No. 1 rankings in both singles and doubles.

Sánchez played Davis Cup tennis for Spain for 12 years and then captained the team to a championship in 2008. He also won the men’s singles silver medal for his home country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He supports the Southwest Florida tennis community at large. In March, he participated in the Madisen’s Match Pro Tennis Classic Exhibition for the Golisano Children’s Hospital at The Landings Yacht, Golf and Tennis Club in Fort Myers, and in a pro-am exhibition and clinic at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples.

“The culture here is to help,” he said of the

popularity of cause-related events. He also enjoys meeting area adult recreational players outside of his academy. “They love tennis,” he said with a smile.

Sánchez founded his first tennis academy in Barcelona, Spain, in 1999. He created what is now known as the Emilio Sánchez Academy 360 Tennis training system, whose students have included such pro stars as Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Gilles Muller and Svetlana Kuznetsova. In 2012, he opened his Naples academy, which encompasses 33 clay and five hard courts plus a fitness room, pool, restaurant, meeting rooms and many more amenities.

On choosing Naples: “It’s paradise here. And kids can really focus,” he said.

At a recent group clinic, he kept up playful banter with three youngsters as he tossed balls for them to hit forehand and backhand baseline shots. “It keeps them relaxed. Makes it fun as well.” At the conclusion, he exhorted them that “the more you move, the better you’ll play.”

Sánchez offered some doubles playing tips: “Hit more into the alleys as it can create other openings. Change the directions, speed and heights of shots.”

He has organized numerous annual tournaments in Spain and elsewhere for players with mental and physical challenges, through his own foundation. He’s pleased that he recently finished the paperwork to be able to hold similar events at his academy.

He sees tennis as a building block.

“We’re shaping players but also shaping their lives,” he said. “Tennis will make them better people.

“We instill strong values that any parent wants for their kids,” he said.

Hire signals season of change at FGCU

Speaking of Sports

The trophies assembled in a neat row, nets hanging off each one from tournament wins, stood like a line of sentries in front of the table atop the stage.

Behind those shiny baubles representative of a quarter-century past sat the personification of change. A new direction. A truly new face and leader promising more of the same excellence — on her terms.

Florida Gulf Coast University formally introduced Raina Harmon on April 8 as just the third women’s basketball coach in program history — a cataclysmic change if you consider the Eagles were still on their first and only head coach just six months prior.

Back in what seems like ages ago but was really just November, FGCU was about to embark on Karl Smesko’s 23rd season at the helm — the big, bad bullies of the ASUN ready to dominate yet again. But no one could have foreseen the WNBA calling, which it did to pluck up Smesko regarding the head coaching job at the Atlanta Dream.

FGCU moved quickly, following the succession plan, and installed career assistant Chelsea Lyles in the top spot. Which was great (a 30-4 season, another ASUN Tournament title and a ninth straight NCAA Tournament berth) until it wasn’t. (Lyles stunningly resigned less than 48 hours after losing to Oklahoma in the tournament’s first round to

join Smesko’s Dream staff.)

Seeing a Smesko/Lyles-sized void suddenly blown wide open in what is on the very short list of the best mid-major programs in the country, FGCU director of athletics Colin Hargis hung the proverbial shingle. Enter Harmon, a first-time head coach who has amassed one of the best assistant coaching pedigrees in the business. During her eight years at Iowa, Harmon helped the Hawkeyes to a 208-63 record, five Big Ten Conference championships, eight berths in the NCAA Tournament and back-toback national championship game appearances. Along the way, Harmon also

coached and developed several WNBA draft picks as well as the 2024 AP and Naismith Player of the Year Caitlin Clark … maybe you’ve heard of her.

Harmon found out about the FGCU opening the same day Lyles left, which coincidentally was the same day Iowa lost to the same Oklahoma team that knocked the Eagles out of the NCAA Tournament.

“I was on my way back to Iowa from Norman, and I said, ‘Oh snap –we got action,’” Harmon said at her introductory press conference.

Hargis indicated that Harmon quickly separated herself from the competition.

“Two weeks ago, we set out on a search to identify a leader, to identify someone who’s passionate about coaching,” Hargis said. “We have a history here, especially with women’s basketball. I wanted someone who embraced that, who was excited about that, who wanted that.”

That will be a tricky tightrope to navigate, albeit one made slightly easier given that Harmon relishes many of the same kind of players that FGCU coveted under Smesko and Lyles. The object is to put the ball in the basket, and Harmon loves adding the #WhereMyShootersAt hashtag on her social media activity to sniff out the best offensive threats

in the country.

“We’re going to look to play fast,” Harmon said. “To me, that starts with defensive rebounding. We’re looking to score between the first 5-7 seconds. I think that puts a ton of pressure on defenses, and it forces them to take time-outs that they don’t want to take, and it deflates an opposing team.”

Harmon said the decision to take the FGCU job, which comes with a five-year contract worth $230,000 annually, was an easy one – given both the program’s legacy of success and the fact that her mother Charlotte lives just up the road in Tampa.

And while that decision is easy, what won’t be easy will be navigating FGCU through change after nearly a quarter-century’s leadership from a future Hall of Fame coach. Smesko was not mentioned by name on that dais behind all those trophies, but his legacy and all the trophies standing there as representative sentries were still very much apparent.

Can Harmon thread that needle?

Can she continue to dominate in the ASUN and elevate the program even higher?

“This program already had a championship culture, and we’re going to honor that by continuing to raise the bar,” Harmon promised. “The goal isn’t to just maintain success. It’s to build on it and to keep chasing greatness together.”

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.

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