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3A | PROTECTING PRIVACY
Local law enforcement agencies try to calm public’s fears over automated license plate reading cameras
Tim Aten Knows Tim Aten
SWFL restaurants come, go during slow summer Although it was a busy summer for restaurants coming and going in Southwest Florida, most regional dining spots report an off-season that was slower than usual for business. Looking back at the third quarter of 2026, area restaurants opening and closing had a revolving door of activity during July, August and September. Bagel shops, bakeries, bars and burger joints dominated the newcomers.
13B | 40 UNDER 40
This year’s Southwest Florida 40 Under 40 class has
made its mark on the business world
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 9A
Closing the grocery gap
Aldi opens store, to delight of residents
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By David Dorsey david.dorsey@naplespress.com
When Immokalee residents and shoppers walked into the town’s newest and only name-brand grocery store Sept. 24, many did not realize the tomatoes sold inside will not directly benefit the agricultural workers who picked them from the nearby farms outside. Aldi had a soft opening Sept. 23 at 1602 Lake Trafford Road, then held its official grand opening a day later, with a line snaking alongside The Immokalee Plaza shopping center. The first 200 shoppers received an Aldi gift bag filled with product samples and a gift card. Immokalee residents celebrated an anchor tenant returning to the 1970s-built shopping center that had been without one since Winn-Dixie closed in October of last year. Other than Dollar Tree or corner stores such as Fiesta Food Market, the town of about 32,000 residents had few options for groceries. “This is magnificent and exciting,” said Immokalee resident Francis Martinez, who walked the aisles of the 11,000-square-foot shopping area with her husband and three children. “After Winn-Dixie closed, if we needed something, we’d have to go to Ave Maria.” Although Ave Maria has a Publix about 9 miles away, the new Aldi in Immokalee already drew some Ave Maria See ALDI, Page 12A
Photo by Irene Pérez
County denies Fairways Inn expansion in North Naples 559 signatures opposing the expansion. “It wasn’t just an approval to expand; it was an approval to rezone.” That would have allowed hotel owner Steven Mirowitz to expand on land Palm River residents won their batwhere he owns seven single-family tle to halt a 1960s-era Old Florida-style homes, six of which are rented out to motel from expanding to 76 units on guests as short-term rentals; one has sat property that now houses single-family empty for years due to fire damage to homes in North Naples. the roof. Mirowitz planned to demolish Citing the consequences for neighthat home and three others to build a bors and the possible future effects of 35-foot-high, 30-room hotel expansion. the state’s Live Local Act, Collier’s Board Mirowitz didn’t respond to emails reof County Commissioners on Sept. 22 questing comment about the denial and unanimously voted not to amend the Palm River residents won a battle to halt Fairways Inn in North Naples future plans. county Growth Management Plan to alfrom expanding to 76 units. Photo by Tim Aten The decision came three months after low the expansion of Fairways Inn at 103 the county Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial folPalm River Blvd. on 2.63 acres of adjacent property. The denial meant a lowing opposition from Palm River neighbors, while county staff recomvote to rezone the property was moot. “We’re all relieved that it wasn’t approved,” said Palm View Drive resSee FAIRWAYS INN, Page 8A ident Marlene Alpizar, who started a change.org petition that garnered By Aisling Swift aisling.swift@naplespress.com
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Highlights of the third quarter included fanatical excitement when the first regional Whataburger opened. Its September launch on U.S. 41 across from Bell Tower had folks waiting in line in south Fort Myers. The Texas chain plans to open another location in October across from Coconut Point in Estero. Other burger chains opening additional locations in the market included Shake Shack in September at Restaurant Row and McDonald’s in late August on Livingston Road in East Naples. Detour Diner expanded its food truck location to a permanent retro burger joint in September off Daniels Parkway in south Fort Myers. Philly’s Famous Cheesesteaks & Hoagies launched this summer in Beach Road Plaza in Bonita Springs, as Jersey Mike’s Subs opened on Fort Myers Beach. Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opened in early September in The Pavilion shopping center in North Naples.
OCTOBER 2-8, 2026
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SWFL INSIDER Wynn, PBS are Leadership honorees
The Leadership Collier Foundation, an affiliate of the Greater Naples Chamber, has announced the recipients of its 2026 awards, recognizing individuals and organizations whose leadership, service and commitment have made a lasting impact on the foundation and Collier County, according to information provided. The recipients will be honored during the annual Leadership Collier Foundation Celebration Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., Naples. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. The 2026 award recipients are: • Michael Wynn, for the John Passidomo Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. A graduate of Leadership Collier Class of 2008, Wynn has served as a founding board member of the Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District, a member of the Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees, the Leadership Florida Board of Directors and the Naples Comprehensive Health Board of Trustees. • PBS Contractors, for the Business Leadership Legacy Award. PBS Contractors has invested in its employees, with more than 10 team members participating in Leadership Collier or Associate Leadership Collier or joining the company as program graduates. Founder Russell Budd, a Leadership Collier Class of 1992 graduate, has supported the Greater Naples Chamber and Leadership Collier Foundation for more than three decades and the PBS Russell’s Barbecue, now in its 15th year, supports local nonprofits.
Marco land purchased to protect gopher tortoises
Gopher tortoises thrived on Marco Island for millennia, when Calusa Indians built massive shell mounds, including Key Marco and Olde Marco, to elevate homes above water. Before more recent development, native plants protected tortoises and provided refuge for wildlife — but little remains and tortoises dwindled. That’s expected to change after county commissioners on Sept. 22 approved paying up to $1.768 million to purchase three properties using Conservation Collier funds. On Sept. 22, commissioners approved paying HK Investment AG up to $560,000 for a 0.37-acre parcel; Dwight and Ulrike Klett $720,00 for 0.57 acres; and Kim M. Kueffner Trust $475,000 for a 0.34-acre parcel. County staff noted two parcels are more isolated from protected lands, but the HK Investment parcel protects a breeding population of gopher tortois-
Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opened in September in The Pavilion shopping center in North Naples. Photo by Tim Aten
Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opens in North Naples Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opened in September in a small unit next to Kava Culture near the “elbow” of The Pavilion shopping center in North Naples. The bakery offers French-inspired bread loaves, pastries, gourmet sandwiches and specialty coffee drinks. The new local business has the same ownership as the Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery that launched in May 2024 in University Village near Florida Gulf Coast University. “It’s a family business and we try to keep it family oriented,” co-owner Marcel Itzcovich said. Sandwich selections feature focaccia with turkey, arugula, sweet cherry tomatoes, brie and house-made pesto; Prosciutto di Parma on a brioche bun with brie, cherry tomatoes, arugula and a splash of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar; and sourdough bread with natural ham, Swiss cheese, arugula, caramelized fresh pear and house-made aioli. Pastries include croissants, cinnamon rolls and cruffins, a hybrid of croissants and muffins filled with fruit cream. Because the new bakery is in its soft-opening phase, operating hours are still tentative: from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, Itzcovich said. Sour & Dough’s 1,190-square-foot space at 893 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Unit 58, has covered seating available indoors and outdoors.
es and abuts an existing Conservation Collier preserve, Barfield Burrows. That purchase was approved by Marco Island City Council, while the others are pending approval.
Naples Chamber to host Amendment 3 tax forum
The Greater Naples Chamber will host a forum Oct. 7 examining how Florida’s proposed Amendment 3 could affect Collier County property owners, businesses and local government. The free event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., and will feature Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel Jr. and North Collier Fire & Rescue Chief Eloy Ricardo. Amendment 3 would increase the homestead exemption for nonschool taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and reduce the annual assessment increase cap for nonhomestead properties from 10% to 5%. The amendment requires 60% voter approval in November. To register, go to bit.ly/ Amendment3Forum
Naples Zoo honored for 25 years of AZA accreditation
Naples Zoo was recently honored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for 25 years of accreditation, receiving the AZA Accreditation Quarter Century Award. The award recognizes zoos and aquariums that have maintained AZA accreditation for at least 25 consecutive years. “We are proud of each institution for its commitment to upholding the highest standards in animal care, wellbeing, conservation, safety and more,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. AZA accreditation is a comprehensive process overseen by the organization’s independent Accreditation Commission, which consists of 14 experienced experts in zoo and aquarium operations, animal welfare and husbandry, veterinary medicine and other areas. Commission members are required to maintain impartiality in their evaluations as they assess whether institutions meet AZA’s standards.
naplespress.com | O C TO B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 3A
COLLIER NOW GOVERNMENT
By John Guerra
Collier County’s law enforcement agencies are seeking to calm public fear over automated license plate reading cameras and software. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Naples and Marco Island have all sought to introduce procedures to protect public privacy even as they photograph and store residents’ license plate information on their databases. In some parts of the country, security breaches and credential compromises have exposed weaknesses in how roadside surveillance databases are secured against unauthorized access. The worry has become widespread, including in Collier County. A group of Marco Island residents sued the city unsuccessfully in 2025, charging that
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No big reveals Sheriff, police, seek to calm fears over license plate readers
the island city continuously recorded residents’ movements for years without probable cause or warrants — in violation of the Fourth Amendment. In October 2025, District Judge Kyle C. Dudek had disagreed, ruling that the city’s ALPRs provide only a snapshot of a vehicle’s location at a certain time on public roads, not ongoing surveillance.
“They only record whether vehicles have entered or exited Marco Island,” Dudek wrote in his decision. “They don’t reveal where any vehicle travels beyond that.” The judge also ruled against residents because they did not demonstrate that the city would view their license plate data. Then, last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all automated license plate reading cam-
eras removed from state highways and state roads. The state immediately revoked existing permits and approvals for LPR systems on state land. In late September, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube introduced Congressional legislation that would require federal agencies to obtain a warrant before using automated license plate reader surveillance systems anywhere in the United States. Not only that, but the Senate will hold a hearing on Flock Safety cameras, which are linked via a nationwide AI platform. Nevertheless, many in public still worry that license plate images can be shared with other security networks and entities that can layer that information to create a complete record of where one travels. Worry over Flock Safety and See READERS, Page 13A
The vision, clearer
Second performance center would be another Bayshore advance By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Schuman said the blueprint, which identifies strategies that could be adapted to different types of locations in Naples or other coast-
The vision of a cultural hub on Bayshore Drive — long a dream of locals and arts advocates — became clearer last week. An Opera Naples proposal to purchase land at 3321 Bayshore Drive for a multipurpose theater won unanimous approval from the Bayshore-Gateway Triangle Local Redevelopment Advisory Board in a special meeting Sept. 21. It’s now in the hands of the Collier County Community Redevelopment Division, which, according to the advertised Invitation to Negotiate, will develop its requirements for a sale. The task at hand that night involved approving negotiations for the sale of several CRA-owned parcels there. The final proposal comes to the Collier County Board of County Commissioners, and Opera Naples is hoping that can be in the next two months. The pace has stepped up substantially since the county’s public notice was posted mid-July and there’s an incentive for the speed, said Commission Chair Dan Kowal, in whose district the project would lie. Opera Naples received a $1.1 million grant from the state of Florida under its Cultural Facilities program the month before the property was opened up to proposals, but their money must be used now. “There is a timeline to execute it. I want to say it’s the end of January, beginning of February,” Kowal said. “There has to be some sort of contract agreed up, and that money will kick in.” Kowal said he is hoping a contract can be made. “My personal opinion is I want to see it go to fruition,” he said. “It’s the direction the area is going in, with all the art.” He liked the fact that opera would perform there and that there would be an association with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation. The Foundation has been working with the opera in cosponsoring its international vocal competition for the past two years and has plans to create an American Pavarotti museum dedicated to the famous tenor onsite. Amanda Jaron, president of the Bayshore Arts District has other hopes as well. Because the new theater has been described as multipurpose, she would like to see it be a “grander version” of its Twist Gallery, which holds classes for art and other interests: “A community space that is for the people,” not solely for high-level cultural events, she said. Such a building would be, she said, “the cherry on top of all that we’ve been waiting for.” Support started long ago That theater, estimated at a maximum $35
See BLUEPRINT, Page 6A
See OPERA NAPLES, Page 6A
ABOVE: Mangroves grow along riprap — large, loose stones and sometimes concrete or granite — at Lake Worth Lagoon, demonstrating how natural and traditional shoreline protection can work together. RIGHT: Mangroves help protect shorelines by reducing wind and wave energy. Studies suggest mangroves reduced annual flood risk in Collier County by about 25%, or $67 million. This concept places protective features around established mangroves. Photo and rendering courtesy The Conservancy of Southwest Florida
Blueprint puts nature to work against floods By Therese McDevitt terry.mcdevitt@naplespress.com
Sometimes Mother Nature really does know best — including when it comes to flood protection. That’s the premise of a new resource — Working with Nature: Flood Resilience Blueprint — released in September by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to promote nature-based approaches to reducing flood and storm effects in coastal communities. Carrie Schuman, climate and resiliency advisor for the Conservancy, said the blueprint is meant to demonstrate how mangroves, wetlands, oyster reefs, dunes and other natural systems can work with traditional “gray” infrastructure, including seawalls and stormwater systems. According to the Conservancy, mangroves are more than just a defining feature of Southwest Florida’s coastline; they serve as a literal frontline defense against storm surge. For example, Schuman said, a 2019 study led by the Conservancy found that mangroves reduce average annual flood losses to properties behind them in Collier County by about 25%. A separate study published in Cell Reports Sustainability in 2025 estimated that mangroves reduce annual storm-surge property losses in Collier
County by $67 million. Schuman said the blueprint, developed in collaboration with Miami-based consulting and engineering firm Cummins Cederberg and Largo-based Ecosphere Restoration Institute, provides a science- and engineering-based resource showing how nature-based strategies can be “layered in” to create multiple lines of flood defense. “We really advocate for what we would call balanced adaptation,” Schuman said. “We’re advocating for these approaches because our region is dealing with changing conditions, such as Carrie increased flooding from multiple sources, intenSchuman sifying storms and hotter days and nights.” That balanced adaptation, she said, can also provide benefits for water quality, wildlife habitat and quality of life for residents and visitors.
Nature as infrastructure
4A | OCTOBER 2, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
Beware Medicare machinations This September alone, I’ve received 12 calls related to Medicare that I consider scam calls. That’s a lot on one topic. The calls usually go like this: The phone rings and I pick up with “Hello?” (never “Yes” because that could be used to commit you to something if you’re recorded). Usually, if there’s a pause I hang up. A real friend or caller would introduce themselves immediately or else respond in some way. However, if I wait, a voice will come on the line and introduce herself (it’s always a woman). The voice then begins discussing Medicare and Medicare benefits and plans. I don’t usually wait to hear the whole speech because I assume it’s a scam and she’s a bot.
Don’t Get Fooled David Silverberg
I’m not the only one getting these calls; Medicare-related calls have been rampant this summer. It’s the latest “fad” in scam-world and the scammers have been hyper-active — aided by artificial intelligence, which can ramp up scam calls at scale. They’re aimed at seniors and Florida is a prime target. As with all online scams, the scammers are attempting to obtain personal information that they can then use in a variety of ways. In the Medicare scams, the most common target is the potential victim’s Medicare
or Social Security number. Getting a Medicare number allows them to file false claims and possibly obtain health care services, supplies or even prescription drugs. Social Security numbers, of course, open a variety of avenues for theft, fraud and abuse. Some scam tactics are to offer free items or services, or push you to change plans and then pay a fraudulent fee to enroll. They offer to update your existing Medicare; threaten to cancel your coverage if you don’t cooperate; or say that you’re due a refund if you provide your Medicare number. According to Senior Medicare Patrol, a government-supported program assisting Medicare recipients, the program loses an estimated $60 billion per year in fraud, errors
and abuse. “Medicare scams are tough to detect as they’re happening, so the true cost is probably much higher,” according to Ryan Ramsey, associate director of Health Care and Benefits at the National Council on Aging. “And Medicare isn’t the only one that pays the price. Older adults whose Medicare numbers are stolen may face copayments or reach coverage limits for services they never received.” As always, the best defense is sensible caution. First, the legitimate Medicare program will never call you out of the blue or ask for personal information. All real Medicare communications come by mail. So any caller saying she is from the Medicare program is lying. Never give a caller your Medicare
number (and that always applies to your Social Security number, as well). Never accept gifts or offers, don’t join programs you hear about over the phone or on social media and don’t believe phone calls saying that you might lose your coverage. Other red flags of scam calls include offers to renew or upgrade your Medicare card, threats to cancel your coverage and claims that you’re eligible for a refund. Ignore them all because they’re all bogus — and, as always, don’t get fooled! David Silverberg is a journalist who covered security issues as editor of the magazine Homeland Security Today before moving to Naples.
County approves luxury golf course on former citrus grove By Aisling Swift aisling.swift@naplespress.com
A developer’s plans for an upscale Audubon International Gold certified golf course on a failing 169-acre citrus grove in East Naples were finally approved after nine months — but without 10 luxury cottages for visiting members and guests. The unanimous Sept. 22 decision by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners followed a roughly four-hour hearing in which more than two dozen residents and environmentalists — including representatives of Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Audubon Florida, Audubon Western Everglades and South Florida Wildlands — all opposed developing 341 Sabal Palm Road. Forty people signed up to speak, with some ceding time to the 29 who spoke in opposition, citing overdevelopment, traffic, flooding and panther concerns. As a result, land-use attorney Rich Yovanovich made concessions, saying the developer would not build 10 cottages with up to four bedrooms, would add a deed restriction limiting the property to golf course uses and would limit the clubhouse to 10,000 square feet — after Vice Chair Bill McDaniel Jr. expressed a desire to avoid a “Taj Mahal.” Yovanovich said developer Jon Rubinton also would agree to provide neighbors with written notices about prescribed burns on wooded land, install drainage culverts along Sabal Palm Road and work with the developer of nearby Tamarindo to help alleviate flooding issues. “They didn’t blink,” Yovanovich said of Tamarindo’s developer agreeing to pay roughly $500,000 for the golf course to take on its water. Chris Briggs, a Verona Walk resident whose change.org petition garnered 3,045 signatures in opposition, many from neighboring Verona Walk and Tamarindo residents, was relieved their concerns were heard, prompting the developer to reduce plans to obtain approval. “Public opposition made a slight difference,” Briggs said, adding that makes it less likely that Live Local could be used to build 1,800 homes there. “So at this point, supposedly only a private, exclusive golf course has been approved. The agreement still has to be approved by the state Department of Commerce.” The vote came a month after the county Planning Commission recommended rezoning the agricultural property and amending the county Growth Management Plan to allow the 18-hole golf course. The approval also allows a driving range, putting greens and practice facilities, as well as possible maintenance, recreation and administrative buildings, gazebos, nature trails, picnic areas and boardwalks. The agricultural designation had restricted building to one home per 40 acres because the property is in the Rural Fringe Mixed-Use District, a protected environmental status.
Despite strong opposition, the Collier County commission approved a developer’s plans for an upscale golf course on a 169-acre citrus grove in East Naples, but without 10 luxury cottages for visiting members and guests. Photo by Harriet Howard Heithaus
It’s in a sending area that restricts development. Plans now go to the Florida Department of Commerce for review and approval.
Failed citrus grove
South Naples Citrus Grove had operated on the land since 1979, but due to citrus greening, the grove was no longer productive, and the Smits family and in-law Henry Jacobs, who were all over retirement age, wanted to sell. The produce stand, which also sells juice, marmalade and orange soft-serve ice cream, still operates under Jacobs but is closed until season. In January, initial plans by Rubinton, as SWJR Naples I LLC, called for 423 homes, including affordable units, but they were withdrawn after an outcry by residents. Rather than voting to deny the proposal, commis-
sioners urged the developer, landowners and residents to work toward a more palatable solution — including a possible purchase by Conservation Collier. However, the roughly $8 million offer, based on recent appraisals, was turned down by the landowners because it was less than half what they’d hoped for. “We couldn’t buy the property because the seller wasn’t willing to cooperate,” Commissioner Chris Hall noted. The land is about 1.4 miles east of Collier Boulevard, near Picayune Strand State Forest. The course will be similar to Calusa Pines Golf Club in Golden Gate Estates and Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, which hosts the Masters Tournament. Naples courses certified Gold by Audubon International include Old Collier Golf Club, Tuscany Reserve Golf Club and Hammock Bay Golf Club. Audubon International, which is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society, is a nonprofit that promotes sustainable practices. The cottages could have been used for stays of up to 30 days. Conservationists warned of the impact on Picayune Strand and the Florida Wildlife Corridor, while others wondered when development would stop. “What is the point of a growth management plan or a land development code if every time a developer asks for an amendment to it, the commission grants it?” asked Dylan Scott, a prescribed fire specialist and conservationist for the Everglades ecosystem. Briggs thanked commissioners for listening and praised Commissioner Rick LoCastro, who came to Verona Walk to discuss the issues with residents. But she pointed out that the second-ranked concern cited by more than 250,000 residents in the Collier
County Community Assessment was managing growth and development, followed by protecting the environment.
Avoiding future growth
Commission Chair Dan Kowal, citing photos of panthers walking through the area, said a golf course would benefit wildlife and provide environmental benefits that include alleviating flooding and restoring the flow way, water’s natural movement across the property. But commissioners noted approving cottages would constitute a commercial use, which County Attorney Jeff Klatzkow advised could have led to more intense development rights under the state’s Live Local Act. McDaniel also cited concern over Senate Bill 686, which became law in July. Planning and Zoning Director Mike Bosi said the law would give an agricultural zoning district abutting a residential development entitlement to that density, based on the neighboring planned unit development, Hacienda Lakes. As a result, he said, the land could be developed into 131 homes by right — without approval or public hearings. “If you don’t approve this, maybe I have 131 homes on this piece of property. I think that’s what he just said,” Yovanovich told commissioners. That’s what swayed Commissioner Burt Saunders to change his nay vote after McDaniel made a motion. Although Saunders wanted to uphold the county Growth Management Plan, he said increased intensity must be avoided — and the vote became unanimous. Only here for the season? Stay in the loop with a 3-month subscription for just $20 at naplespress.com.
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How to manage moisture to minimize mold in homes By Melanie Pagan
For homeowners in hot and humid Southwest Florida, managing moisture is one of the most important ways to prevent mold. A recent study ranking states by conditions associated with mold risk placed Florida sixth in the country, with a Mold Risk Score of 68.93 out of 100. Alaska ranked first at 96.69, followed by Louisiana, Kansas, Michigan and Washington. The ranking reflects environmental factors associated with mold risk, rather than the number of homes with confirmed mold problems. The study based its score on average annual relative humidity and lake density. In Collier County, professionals say the problems they encounter often come down to how that moisture interacts with the way homes are built and maintained. “In Southwest Florida, moisture is really the driving factor,” said Jason Smith, owner of Gulf Coast EnviroTesting. “We live in a warm, humid climate, so homes are exposed to high outdoor humidity for much of the year.” Smith said common sources include plumbing and roof leaks, air conditioning problems, condensation and water intrusion around windows, doors and other openings. Michael Simon, owner of Gulf Coast Mold Assessing & Remediation LLC, said attic ductwork is a common source of moisture problems he encounters in Collier County. “Often, the ductwork is laying directly on the insulation on the attic floor and it’s condensing at those contact points,” he said, “causing water transfer through the ceiling into the finished home.” The thermostat can also play a role. Simon said homeowners and renters should keep the HVAC fan set to “auto” rather than “on” because the air conditioner needs to cycle on and off to help manage indoor humidity. “You should always have the fan mode in the auto position,” he said. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, with 30% to 50% considered ideal. In Florida, the air conditioner does more than keep a house cool. It also pulls moisture from the air, which makes a properly functioning AC system an important part of keeping indoor humidity in check. Storms create another obvious risk. Smith said that water damage from hurricanes and other storms can lead to mold problems when building materials remain wet. Simon added that losing air conditioning compounds the problem because humidity can quickly rise in a closed home. “Mold thrives in the cellulose of wood or sheet rock materials,” Simon said. “Without humidity control, there’s no difference between the outside environment and the
Mold grows on the fence of a Naples home. Contributor/Getty Images
Black colored mold spores growing on the drywall of a demolished kitchen. Photo by Lorraine Boogich/Getty Images
indoor environment.” After water intrusion, speed matters. EPA guidance recommends drying wet or damp materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Simon also said homeowners should first stop the source of the water, then use fans and dehumidifiers and remove water-damaged drywall and insulation when appropriate. Opening affected wall cavities can help air and dehumidified air reach wet materials. “I always say it’s better to cut out too much drywall on the front end than leave it and have too much mold on the back end,” he said. The places where mold hides are not always obvious. Smith said he looks behind drywall, underneath cabinets and flooring, around plumbing penetrations, behind baseboards and around windows
and doors. Attics, ceilings below leaks and areas surrounding HVAC equipment can also harbor moisture. A musty or earthy odor can be a warning sign even when mold is not visible. “You don’t necessarily have to see mold for there to be a moisture problem,” Smith said. Testing can sometimes help answer questions about hidden mold, unexplained odors or conditions after remediation, Smith said. But he does not view it as a stand-alone answer. A proper assessment should consider the building’s history, visible conditions and moisture sources alongside any sampling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend routine mold testing. There is also no established level that tells homeowners how much mold is acceptable inside a house, Smith
said. The agency’s advice is more straightforward: Remove the mold and address whatever is causing the moisture in the first place. Smith said homeowners should also be cautious when choosing a mold professional to fix the issue. “For me,” he said, “the biggest red flag is when the conversation starts with a sales pitch instead of an investigation.” Both professionals also warned against the DIY instinct to simply cover the evidence. Simon said homeowners sometimes try to simply paint over it — something he does not recommend. “Covering it up and leaving it for another day is never a solution, but a temporary and very poor Band-Aid,” Simon said. EPA guidance similarly warns against enclosing or painting wet materials or surfaces with biological growth before the underlying moisture problem is addressed. And “black mold” is not, by itself, a diagnosis. Smith said mold can appear in many colors, and its color alone does not determine its species or health risk. Florida regulates mold assessment and remediation, and the Florida Department of Health advises homeowners to verify that professionals performing regulated work are properly licensed. For Naples homeowners, the most useful defense may be less dramatic than the word “mold” suggests; control humidity, maintain the AC system, pay attention to condensation, fix leaks quickly and investigate water problems before they become something larger. “Mold assessment should be about understanding the building and the moisture problems first,” Smith said.
Mending Broken Hearts with Hope Luncheon Friday, January 8, 2027 ~ The Ritz-Carlton Tiburón 10:30 a.m. Reception | Noon Luncheon Mending Broken Hearts with Hope Boutique Thursday, January 7 - Friday, January 8, 2027 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton Tiburón Open to the public Event Chair: Kitsi Estrem | Featured Speaker: Christy Carpenter Proceeds benefit The Shelter for Abused Women & Children For more information, contact Susan Utz at sutz@naplesshelter.org 239.775.3862 | naplesshelter.org
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From page 3A
BLUEPRINT al communities, is designed as an education and communication tool, not a final engineering plan. Of the six concepts in the blueprint, five focus on characteristic shoreline types within the city of Naples, with the sixth focusing on local parks: mangrove protection; mangrove planter; living riprap; living seawall; beach access; and parkbased resilience features. Schuman emphasized that nature-based solutions are not a “magic bullet” to eliminate flooding, but they can help reduce its effects. “The goal is never to say we can keep water out entirely,” she said. “Florida is a state really built on water, so you’re not going to keep water out, but you’re going to reduce the speed that it comes in, and you’re going to dissipate some of that wave energy.”
Rendering of the west end of the proposed box hangars with landscaping. Photo courtesy Hanson Professional Services and Schenkel Shultz
Design board approves 12-unit hangar at Naples Airport
From blueprint to pilot programs
The Conservancy says the blueprint provides a resource for community and government leaders, property owners, homeowners and other decision-makers to explore how these strategies, in tandem with traditional infrastructure solutions, can create multiple lines of defense that help reduce damage and improve recovery. As for what could happen next, Schuman said education is necessary to change how Southwest Florida thinks about infrastructure, and to encourage the development of pilot programs. She said there is no set number of pilot programs or firm implementation timeline, and the Conservancy will work to identify potential partners and appropriate sites. As for costs, Schuman said nature-based projects are often less expensive than totally “gray” designs such as seawalls but could still range from about $200,000 to $1 million or more. The Conservancy says those interested in implementing a pilot project should work with a Florida-registered professional engineer to develop site-specific designs and obtain necessary permits. Get the print edition and 24/7 digital access for less than $2 a week. SUBSCRIBE at naplespress. com.
From page 3A
OPERA NAPLES million cost and with somewhere between 700 and 800 seats, would put substantial polish on the image of a district that has slowly been transforming itself from worn out to welcoming. Bayshore has received new streetscaping and more strict development attention, thanks to the CRA. Just last February, its new boardwalk between Sugden Park and Bayshore Drive gave the neighborhoods access to each other. Supporters behind a multipurpose arts hub have been pushing for one on the Bayshore property for nearly 20 years. CAPA, as Cultural and Performing Arts was known, began campaigning for one by 2006. It had broad community support and advocates such as the late Er-
By Alexandra Cavalier alexandra.cavalier@naplespress.com
Naples’ Design Review Board approved the design for a new 12-unit pre-engineered metal box hangar building in the south quadrant of Naples Municipal Airport along Fuel Farm Road. Christopher Tutor of Hanson Professional Services, Nathalie White of Schenkel Shultz and Dayna Fendrick of Urban Green Studio presented the project to the board, which includes removal of the existing North Road berm, a new taxiway connector to improve aircraft circulation and drainage system improvements. The project also includes a landscaping plan designed to preserve the view from Gordon River Greenway Park across from North Road. The landscaping will provide layered screening around the hangars, with denser plantings near the building and a more open landscape toward Airport Road and the pond. The plant palette will match landscaping
ich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Artistic Director, and Donna Fiala, County Commissioner for its district, who died April 23. But the Collier County Board of Commissioners at the time priced it out of reach, insisting CAPA pay what the county had when it bought the land on the bubble of property prices for more than $5 million. The price took a tumble during the recession and has never risen to more than just over $3 million. “The wheels of Naples turn slowly,” said Bill Drackett, who was president of CAPA from 2018 until it merged with United Arts Collier. “But as past honored president of CAPA, I’m thrilled.” “We’re very guardedly optimistic,” said Gregg Zavodny, a former board member of CAPA who is now president of UAC. “At this point, we have no idea what the Collier Coun-
Rendering of the proposed box hangars’ overall rear elevation.
already used throughout the airport, including along North Road, the general aviation terminal and Airport Road. Three repeating plant groups will include palms, trees and shrubs at varying heights to screen the hangar from North Road and Gordon River Greenway Park.
ty Commissioners or the Bayshore CRA might, at this date, still ask of the project.” He recalled, during the CAPA quest for that property, two strong requests that came back on every survey: Arts and green space. “But to see the property used for those two purposes, especially for the arts and culture purposes, which is what CAPA was interested in, would be a wonderful thing.” Jaron recalled two particular issues with members of the CRA Local Redevelopment Advisory Board during its deliberations Monday: Noise and accountability. During the first years of live outdoor entertainment at Celebration Park at the nether end of Bayshore Drive at U.S. 41 East, the volume was a common source of neighborhood complaints. The two organizations involved in the land use, Opera Na-
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Fendrick said the landscaping is intended to allow people using the Greenway to see the plantings rather than the hangar building. The project will go through a separate site plan review process to ensure consistency with the Naples Airport Utilization Plan before further work can proceed.
ples and Theater in the Garden, have also planned an amphitheater for outdoor concerts; those would need to take into account their residential neighbors behind and around them. Jaron particularly agreed with CRA Advisory Board Chairman Maurice Guttierrez’s point at the meeting: He wanted to see some guarantee that the property would be used for its stated purpose and not be turned over to development should the project not succeed.
Ready for all needs
“I think we understand what the concerns are that were raised and how they were handled,” said Jerry Goldberg, Opera Naples representative for the project. The amphitheater has been specifically sited to send its sound toward Sugden Park and not the residential neighborhoods. Goldberg also pointed out Op-
era Naples has performed its Festival Under the Stars for two years at Cambier Park without the first complaint about noise. Goldberg said Opera Naples and Theater in the Garden were ready to work with the county on any guarantees that the land use wouldn’t be subverted. “We think that the investment we are making is a huge financial and cultural benefit to the community as a whole and, I’m not afraid to say, the whole state of Florida,” he said. For Livio Ferrari, representing Theater in the Garden, the Sept. 21 decision has been a “Wow!” moment, but not a surprising one. “We’ve done our homework. We’re ready,” he said. Prefer to go paperless? Digital-only subscriptions are available at naplespress.com/subscribe.
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, PS Form 3526. 1. Publication Title: The Naples Press. 2. Publication $2.00 Number: 25-671. 3. Filing Date: September 28, 2026. 4. Issue Frequency: Weekly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 52. 5B | BEE PROTECTORS 3A | MEAL HELP 3A | BRINGING ATTENTION 6. Annual Subscription Price: 7.Complete Mailing Address ofun-Known Office of Publication: Corporate Lakes Drive, Naples-based12641 Rubee’s Raw Florida Honey WINK’s March to a Million Meals $60. will With Scout’s help, Rosemary Cemetery’s is one of bees’ biggest supporters marked Black graves designated historical site help St. Matthew’s House feed others Fort Myers, FL 33913. Contact Person: Kerri Nolan; Telephone: (239) 498-8500. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33913. 9. Full Names and Complete Valentine’s Day 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, Fort Myers, Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Carin Keane, Publisher, Tim Aten FL 33913; HeidiKnows Rambo Centrella, Editor-in-Chief, 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33913; Ed Scott, Associate Editor, 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33913. 10. Owner: Gulfshore Life Media LLC is a 100% subsidiary of Sun Broadcasting, Inc. Sun Broadcasting, Inc. ownership: Joseph C. Schwartzel Irrevocable Family Trust of 2011 (Beneficiaries: Landert James William Schwartzel / Miriam Diaz Schwartzel), 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33913. Kelly Lynn McBride Bread rolling Trust, Brian Patrick McBride Trust, Colleen Louise McBride Trust, Kaitlyn Marie Lawrence Trust, Daniel James Plum Trust, out local Kelsey Christine Plum Trust, Daniel David Eucker Trust, Lauren Nicole Plum Trust, and Christina Marie Eucker Trust, all located at 876retail Bradley store Road, Westlake, OH 44145. 12. (Does not apply.) 13. Publication Title: The Naples Press. 14. Issue Date for Landert Bread’s European rolls, Circulation Data: September 25, 2026. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During bread, cakes and pastries will be available to Naples area resiPreceding 12moreMonths; Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: A. Total Number of Copies: Average: dents starting this month. A wholesale Actual: operation for more than 3,483; 3,500. B.12 Paid Circulation: 1: Mailed Outside County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: years, Naples-based Landert is 1,056; Actual: 1,008. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 3.Paid Distribution launching a retail store in 2. Collier County. Outside thehasMails Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Landert been a Including wholesaler to more than 100 local businesses Outside USPS: Average: 200; Actual: 302. 4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: Average: 0; Actual: such as hotels, restaurants, country residences, caterers 0. C.clubs, TotalseniorPaid Distribution: Average: 1,256; Actual: 1,310. D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 1. Free or Nominal Rate and specialized food stores, but its baked goods have been available for Outside County Copies included on PS Form 3541: Average: 784; Actual: 779.2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies retail sale only at farmers markets in the Naples area, particularly the included on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the Saturday market at the Shoppes at USPS:Vanderbilt Average: Actual: in North0; Naples. Land- 0.4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: Average: 447; Actual: 376. E. Total Free ert’s retail store will be at 4440 Door Nominal Average: 1,231; Actual: 1,155.F. Total Distribution: Average: 2,487; Actual: 2,465.G. Copies not mestic Ave.,Rate Unit 2, Distribution: next door to Paloma Blanca Cuba Cafe in the East Distributed: Average: 996; Naples industrial park between Air- Actual: 1,035.H. Total: Average: 3,483; Actual: 3,500.I. Percent Paid: Average: 51%; Actual: 53%. 16. Artist Paul Arsenault and his wife, Eileen, have been around much of the world together, but settled in Old Naples decades ago. port-Pulling and Livingston roads. Electronic Copy Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months; Number of Copies of Single “It was office space that we transinto the bakery store,” saidto Filing Date: A. Paid Electronic Copies: Average: 110; Actual: 123.B. Total Paid Print Copies + Paid Issueformed Published Nearest Alexandra Landert, daughter of Landert Bread foundersAverage: Jürg and Electronic Copies: 1,366; Actual: 1,433.C. Total Print Distribution + Paid Electronic Copies: Average: 2,597; Actual: Leslie Landert. “SincePercent 2012, we’ve just done mar2,588.D. Paid: Average 53%; Actual: 55%. I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid kets and the rest is wholesale. We’ve We findofour Valentines in ordinary ways, withisextraordinary results abovebeena thinking nominal Publication Statement of Ownership: If the publication a general publication, publication of about aprice.17. store for a while, but it didn’t happen until it this statement printed in the 10/2/26 issue of this publication. and of Editor, all kind of aligned is thisrequired. past summer WillBybe crossed paths at18. a partySignature in Paul Arsenault’s honor,Title him coming, her leav- Publisher, Harriet Howard Heithaus when we found a spot that would When she mentioned she had moved to Naples from Massachusetts, harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com Business Manager, or Owner: Carin Keane, Publisher. Date: 9/28/2026. ing. work, and it’s nice combining the Paul Arsenault told her he had too. Tim Aten
Photo by Olga Hayes
naplespress.com
Contact:
Carin Keane, Publisher; carin.keane@naplespress.com
THAT FIRST HELLO
wholesale with the retail and finally being able to serve the public. We’ve been in the community of Southwest Florida, but now we’ll be in more of the community, and we’re very excited about that.” Landert Bread is more of a retailer
We meet our future loves in the most casual ways. But those everyday meetings reveal strong similarities that lead to love — and to interesting stories on how that person became the one with whom we’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day.
So many coincidences
When she told him she had lived in Rocky Neck, why, he had, too. Then she told him she had stayed at Parker’s Rooming House. Yes. He had, too. But the thunderbolt came when Eileen, talking about the coming month, told Paul her birthday was June 27. “Well, that’s my birthday,” he declared. “She’s kind of looking behind her for an exit,” recalled Paul, laughing. “So she says, ‘Can I see your license?’ She’s trying to card me because she
naplespress.com | O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 7A
Judge appoints custodian in golf project lawsuit By Aisling Swift aisling.swift@naplespress.com
After allegations of mismanagement and embezzlement, a Collier Circuit judge has prohibited a Naples developer from overseeing a luxury golf resort on property in Immokalee and Hendry County — appointing a neutral custodian to review and manage the multimillion-dollar project. Michael Judge James Stewart isSolimene sued the order last month, appointing former Circuit Judge Hugh Hayes as a neutral custodian who will take over for Michael Solimene, 56, of Naples, and his limited liability companies. Hayes’ appointment was agreed to by all par-
ties, but Solimene disputes that. Renowned golf instructor and author David Leadbetter, who operates an international chain of 35 golf academies, and other investors sued Solimene in January, alleging he engaged in fraud and mismanaged Southwest Hendry Land Company and assets intended for Big Cypress Golf Club — an 18-hole luxury golf course planned on the former Hendry Correctional Institution at 12551 Wainright Drive, which straddles Immokalee and Hendry County — and properties at 31101 Nafi Drive and Singletary Circle in Immokalee. Investors claim Solimene engaged in a Ponzi scheme, paying off early investors and others with later investors’ funds, and diverted funds and assets: to his other companies, BCR Golf Development and South Florida Ops, and to pay for Caribbean vacations, a yacht club membership, rental payments for a $2.6 million Olde Naples luxury home and other items.
“Michael Solimene, as sole Manager of SHLC, which in turn is the sole manager of Ops and BCR, shall reasonably cooperate and deliver possession of all LLC Defendants’ assets, bank accounts, financial assets, personal property, accounts receivable, physical files, company records, and computers and electronic devices … within seven business days,” Stewart ruled, ordering him to provide usernames, passwords and other access. The order gives Hayes the power to investigate how much was diverted, misappropriated or used for illegitimate or non-business purposes; to hire attorneys, accountants, appraisers, engineers, consultants and other specialists; and to handle business operations, including making payments and agreements, except to sell property, mortgage or encumber the real estate assets. Hayes was asked to determine the companies’ income sources and, if appropriate, control or terminate that income. He can limit ac-
cess to, terminate and prevent activities that could increase liability risks and evict tenants. Tony Lawhon, Solimene’s attorney, declined comment, saying he withdrew as attorney. Solimene’s new attorney filed a motion contending the ruling was gained by defrauding the judge after Lawhon and attorney Casey Weidenmiller ignored his demands. Solimene, who called the order an “abomination,” said he repeatedly told them the day the order was signed that he only agreed to allow Hayes to be an observer. The judge has not ruled on that motion. Records show Solimene hasn’t paid property taxes for his businesses in Collier County or Hendry County, was just hit with an $8 million Hendry County judgment involving a crash at the property, defaulted on the golf course property’s mortgage, and faces a state Department of Environmental Protection complaint alleging he didn’t alleviate raw sewage spreading on the property.
Commission grounds land purchase near Everglades Airpark By John Guerra
tion in a place where nearly 35% of its residents are 65 and up, according to 2025 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. With 35 years in the senior housing industry, Rosenblatt now helps Collier County families figure out where an aging parent can live, what level of care they need and what they can afford. Lately, he’s seen a shift in who’s coming to him. “Before, I used to work directly with the actual senior, who had been living here for many years,” he said. “But now I’m finding that the adult child, they’re retiring and moving down here, and then they want their parents to come along with them.” For those families, finding a place is only the beginning.
Everglades City fishermen, Everglades City’s mayor and county staff have rejected the county’s move to purchase land on the edge of the Everglades. The Board of County Commissioners also voted to end negotiations with Everglades City after the town put conditions on the $6.615 million purchase. Collier County hoped to buy 53 acres next to the county-owned Everglades Airpark and possibly develop a public boat ramp that would accommodate boaters from around the county. The county also planned to expand the airpark and had played with the idea of building up to 50 residential units. During a recent commission meeting, Trinity Scott, the county transportation and management services director, told commissioners that the city added three conditions on the purchase. “They wanted the county to provide the funding back of what they would have received for their municipal taxes based on the value of the property,” Scott said. According to Scott, Everglades City also wanted Collier County to use 10 acres of the purchased property to expand the airport. Third, the town would only sell if the county pledged not to build another boat ramp basin on the property, which would compete with the city’s private marinas. “We are before you today with a recommendation to cease negotiations, as we felt that without having the boat ramp on the property, we did not have sufficient uses,” Scott told the commissioners. Commissioner William L. McDaniel, who suggested waiting until after the Amendment 3 vote in November, moved to table a vote for 120 days. A county boat ramp would help Everglades City tourist income, boosting restaurants and other businesses in the town of 408 residents. “At this point there are other efforts going on outside of staff’s effort with regard to exploration of utilization of the property,” McDaniel said. “Having the boat ramp there would be an enormous asset to all of the residents of Collier County and to the residents of Everglades City.” Commissioner Burt Saunders read emails from Everglades City commercial fishermen decrying the construction of a county boat ramp on a point of land abutting the Barron River. Fifty-foot fishing boats frequent the river, which would make it dangerous for less-
See SENIOR HOUSING, Page 11A
See LAND, Page 11A
Bruce Rosenblatt, owner of Senior Housing Solutions, says he’s seeing demand outweigh supply when it comes to senior housing options in Southwest Florida. Photo by Getty Images
Area seniors struggle with housing choices By Melanie Pagan
The oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year, according to a January 2026 analysis by Pew Research Center using Census Bureau data. That puts more Americans into the age range when families may begin looking for assisted living, memory care and other senior housing options. For Bruce Rosenblatt, that evidence shows up in calls from families who find senior living communities in Collier County are full, waiting lists are long and a parent’s needs have outpaced what they can provide. “I’m seeing more demand than supply,” Rosenblatt, owner of Senior Housing Solutions, said of the overall housing situa-
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lith in front of our neighborhood and probably just a big, old square block … That’s something that we, as a neighborhood, need to keep in our minds — that by denying or not allowing this project, we may end up with a corporate sale. We may end up looking at a parking lot.” Mirowitz said he’s working to fix code enforcement and other issues and pointed out residents’ claims that he’d added kitchenettes without a permit were incorrect; they existed when the motel was built.
From page 1A
FAIRWAYS INN mended approval with conditions. The petition asked to amend the county Growth Management Plan to create a commercial subdistrict and to rezone residential and residential-tourist zoning districts to a commercial planned unit development district. Commissioner Chris Hall, whose district includes the motel, made the motion to deny, citing a potential effect under the Live Local Act if the property were ever sold. The act, designed to increase affordable housing, allows higher buildings and greater density in a commercially zoned area. “To rezone and make everything commercial, to me it just opens up a whole new can of worms,” Hall said. “We don’t know what the future holds. Live Local is in place right now. They can sell that property as it’s rezoned, and we could have all kinds of things happen over there. Whether that’s the intention, I highly doubt that, but that’s a possibility … a real risk.” Commissioner Burt Saunders seconded the motion, noting, “I have a concern of encroachment of commercial into a residential neighborhood. I think it presents an unfair impact on the neighbors, so I am very reluctant to change a comp plan that our citizens have relied on over the years.”
Built in 1965-66
Mirowitz, as Seasonal Investments Inc., sought approval to build a two-story addition next to the inn, which is located north of Piper Boulevard, west of Palm River Boulevard, near a large residential community whose residents have largely opposed the expansion.
County staff recommended plans
Sharwood Drive resident Edward Boeder disputes an engineering report, citing a 129-page Collier County Sheriff’s report listing 118 responses to 911 calls, including medical, that counter the engineer’s claims. Photo by Aisling Swift
He told commissioners the request was prompted by demand for more rooms. The motel “consistently operates at very strong occupancy levels,” guest reviews demonstrate that guests value the motel and repeat guests return yearly. “What we are proposing is to allow a longstanding Collier County business to evolve while preserving what has made it successful,” Mirowitz said. “The Fairways Inn did not come into an established residential neighborhood and try and change it. The inn has been here for decades, and the surrounding area has developed and changed around it, so when we talk about the future of the property, we’re talking about the evolution of a property that has been here for generations. “We’re not trying to turn the Fairways Inn into a generic modern hotel,” he added. “We’re trying to preserve its identity while making sure the property remains competitive
and attractive to visitors.”
Fears of commercial encroachment
Residents argued expansion would increase traffic and worsen existing problems and code enforcement issues. They maintained additional rooms aren’t needed in the area and feared an expansion would lower property values. Fifteen signed up to speak, including employees and neighbors. Some ceded time to others, with six opposing plans and three supporting expansion. Sharwood Drive resident Edward Boeder disputed an engineering report that noted the inn maintains a good relationship with the neighborhood and operates in a clean, quiet manner so it won’t intrude on neighbors. He cited a 129-page report documenting 118 visits by the Collier County Sheriff’s deputies between 2021 and 2025, nearly two per
month. He conceded some involved medical calls, but noted the lack of a night receptionist forces guests to call 911 when they get locked out. “Around two calls to the sheriff every month, and you’re proposing to increase the motel by 40% — that won’t have more than a minimal impact to the neighbors?” Boeder asked, waving the report. Sharwood Drive resident Magali Diaz, who has lived eight homes away from the rear parking lot for 30 years, called the inn a “good neighbor” that provides neighborhood discounts, offers to check her home after hurricanes and employs longterm, trustworthy staff. There’s new fencing, beautiful landscaping and a “gorgeous” event space, she said, contending a small addition would maintain the “neighborhood aesthetic.” “I’d hate to think what might happen if the property is sold,” Diaz said. “We’re looking at a 10-story mono-
County planning staff recommended approval, pending resolution of a code enforcement issue and fire inspections. They noted landscaping and buffering would make the commercial uses more compatible with the area. Commissioners considered giving Mirowitz time to fix the issues, which he expects by late this year. Commissioner Rick LoCastro warned residents they could face a denser proposal in the future and suggested holding a town hall with residents to work out problems. But then the debate turned to the consequences of the Live Local Act. Saunders questioned Planning and Zoning Director Mike Bosi and County Attorney Jeff Klatzkow, who said the 1½ acres that would be rezoned commercial could enable 4 acres to fall under the act in the future if the property were sold. Vice Chair Bill McDaniel Jr. pointed out another hotel could be built up to 100 feet high, which Bosi said could double or triple the number of rooms. In making the motion to deny, Hall said he loved Mirowitz’s passion and said he was doing a great job, but that Hall was swayed by residents’ concerns.
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St. Matthew’s House closed LuLu’s Kitchen in June, with plans to retool the restaurant for a new concept in East Naples. Photo by Tim Aten
From page 1A
ATEN KNOWS Bagel shops multiplied with the August openings of That NY Bagel Place in Winchester Center in Golden Gate Estates and Empire Bagel Factory in Cape Coral. Empire Bagel also opened locations in September in Meridian Marketplace in Naples and on College Parkway in south Fort Myers. Mornings brought more choices when Another Broken Egg Cafe opened in Triangle Shoppes in East Naples. That includes additional coffee shops with Lovr Boys Cafe & Roastery expanding its local popup with a brick-and-mortar spot on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs; Naples’ GLDN Hour Coffee Co. reopening on Fourth Avenue South in September after closing on Sixth Avenue South in July; Foxtail Coffee Co. serving another location in August on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers; and Fort Myers’ first 7 Brew Coffee opening in late September on College Parkway. Other spots offering liquid refreshments included two new spots launching in September in Bonita Springs. Hide-A-Wai Mojito Bar opened in the city’s historic district on Old 41 Road, and Cheesesteaks.com added Bar 218 next door to its location on U.S. 41 in Bonita. Offering milkshakes and more, Ice Sssscreamin’ opened a second location in July in Cape Coral, and Yonutz came to the Promenade in Bonita Springs in late August. New Latin-inspired restaurant options include Tacos & Tequila Cantina, which opened its fifth area location in Cape Coral at the end of June; Que Chilero, which launched its local Guatemalan-centric eatery in August on U.S. 41 East in East Naples; and Burrito Shak, a TexMex franchise, which opened in August in Cape Coral. New Italian restaurants include Piccolo Buco, a Cooper’s Hawk spinoff, that came in July to the new Marketplace at Coconut Point in Estero. La Pizzeria, a Neapolitan offshoot of Mercato Italiano on U.S. 41 in Naples, opened next door in
September; Neapolitan Gourmet II in Bonita Springs is now Una Bella Pizzeria; and The Brooklyn Trattoria became the new name in August for Papa Joe’s Trattoria, which launched in July at the
former Zen Asian BBQ in Naples Park. Chef-owner Esteban Ortiz also switched up concepts on Marco Island; his Zaza Mexican restaurant morphed into Mareazul
Mediterranean Restaurant in early September. Under new ownership, Mystic Lobster Rolls became Magic Lobster Rolls in the Shoppes at Vanderbilt in North Naples, and Fuse BBQ revealed a speakeasy
this summer inside its longtime restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples. Just Salad opened locations in September at Granada Shoppes in North Naples and in Naples Plaza across from Coastland Center; and Rose Modern Mediterranean launched this fall at the former BAM German Bakery in Cape Coral.
‘Sorry, we’re closed’
That NY Bagel Place opened this summer in Winchester Center off Immokalee Road in Golden Gate Estates. Photo by Tim Aten
Piccolo Buco, a Cooper’s Hawk Winery spinoff, opened in July in the new Marketplace at Coconut Point in Estero. Photo courtesy Piccolo Buco
Moe’s Southwest Grill at Granada Shoppes in North Naples was one of many locations that closed this year in Florida. Photo by Tim Aten
A major franchisee of Moe’s Southwest Grill filed bankruptcy, leading to the closing of 14 Florida locations, including the restaurants at Berkshire Commons in East Naples, Granada Shoppes in North Naples and Gulf Coast Town Center in south Fort Myers. Another chain, McAlister’s Deli, closed its North Naples location in July after operating for more than a decade; and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s dine-in theater shuttered in early September at Mercato. Pizzerias closing this quarter included Aurelio’s Pizza, which shuttered its only area locations in Naples and Estero; and Gino’s Pizza on Cape Coral. The Detroit Pizza Joint popup off Immokalee Road in North Naples closed in late August to prepare for the launch of its new location coming soon to south Lee. After serving the Naples area for more than six years, Go Pita relocated its East Naples location in late July to a new commercial kitchen, where it continues to offer catering, meal prep, pickup and delivery. St. Matthew’s House closed LuLu’s Kitchen in June with plans to retool for a new concept in East Naples. Doug’s Seafood closed in Bonita Springs at the end of August after a long run with a few different owners; Beachin’ Cakes came to an end in mid-August at Meridian Marketplace in Collier County; and Living Vine Organic Cafe shuttered in south Fort Myers at the end of June. This summer also saw the closing of two local bars: Kaleidoscope Beer Co. in Naples and RAD Corkscrew Winery in Estero. The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.
Philly’s Famous Cheesesteaks & Hoagies launched this summer on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs. Photo by Tim Aten
10A | OCTOBER 2, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
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caymasnaples.com Residences from $1 million ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ALL RENDERINGS AND PLANS ARE PROPOSED CONCEPTS SHOWN ONLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES AND ARE BASED ON THE DEVELOPER’S CURRENT PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, REVISE OR WITHDRAW THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN DEVELOPER’S SOLE DISCRETION WITHOUT NOTICE. NOTHING HEREIN OR IN ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SHALL BE DEEMED TO OBLIGATE THE DEVELOPER, OR ANY AFFILIATE OF DEVELOPER, TO CONSTRUCT THE PROJECT OR OFFER ANY OF THE PROJECT FOR SALE, AND NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED A GUARANTY OF ANY KIND. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SALE OR SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY.
naplespress.com | O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 11A
Helping some in area with legal woes By Melanie Pagan
Collier County’s housing costs leave little room for error. Nearly 49,400 households in the county spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to a 2025 Collier County affordable housing fact sheet. More than 29,000 spend at least half their income on housing. For Legal Aid Service of Collier County, which provides free legal assistance to community members, that means some of the legal problems crossing through its doors are tied to the same financial pressures residents are already struggling with. Evictions and foreclosures are large parts of the organization’s housing work. So are debt collection, wage garnishment and disputes over public benefits. And housing is only one piece of what the nonprofit handles. “We have a very holistic approach to this,” said Carol O’Callaghan, regional deputy executive director. A client might come in for help getting a domestic violence injunction or filing for divorce and also be facing an eviction or tax problem. Rather than sending the client elsewhere to start over, O’Callaghan said Legal Aid can bring in another unit or make a referral. The organization’s work ranges from domestic violence and children’s cases to immigration, veterans’ issues, elder law, consumer problems and tax disputes. Its Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, for example, handles disputes with the IRS, including audits, appeals, collection issues and identity theft. Children make up a significant share of the work. Jeffrey Ahren, regional director of development, said 21% of Legal Aid’s clients served since January 2025 have been 18 or younger. More than 500 at-risk children are assisted each year, he said. The children’s unit represents children in dependency court and helps with issues including special education rights, non-parental caregivers and legal protections for child crime victims. From a broader view, Ahren said the organization’s three largest areas of need are at-risk children, victims of crime and housing needs or income maintenance. Some cases require litigation. Others do not. “We are in litigation quite often,” O’Callaghan said. Still, most cases generally settle, she said, when the resolution is appropriate and fair to the client. Whether Legal Aid takes a case to trial depends on the case’s circumstances and merits. Ahren said clients also have control over what they want to accomplish in their cases, while attorneys provide legal advice and strategy. The consequences can be significant. Ahren recalled cases involving elderly World War II-era veterans who were at risk of losing their homes and the equity they had accumulated. He also has seen children removed from
From page 7A
SENIOR HOUSING Senior housing can mean independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing or continuing care, each with different costs, services, contracts and admission requirements. Understanding it all can be daunting, especially under a time crunch. That’s the gap Rosenblatt has spent nearly two decades trying to fill through Senior Housing Solutions. He meets families in their homes, accompanies them on community tours, helps them compare options and contracts, asks questions they may not know to ask and connects them with resources ranging from home care to veterans benefits. “I get to understand who they are and where they’re coming from and what their
Dealing with evictions and foreclosures is a large part of the assistance provided by Legal Aid Service of Collier County. Photo by Getty Images
dangerous situations. “There have been many instances where lives have been changed,” he said. That is the part of the job O’Callaghan finds most fulfilling. “What is rewarding is seeing how we can change the lives of the people who come through our doors,” she said. She talked about seeing the difference between where a client was when they first came to Legal Aid and where they are when the organization finishes its work, whether that means obtaining medical or public benefits, addressing a housing problem or helping someone understand what legal options are available. Ahren said the organization is proud to help people pursue legitimate legal claims regardless of their ability to pay for an attorney. “What I think is disheartening is if somebody, on the merits of their case, doesn’t get an outcome that they deserve just because they don’t have money or resources to battle it out,” he said. “That’s not giving people equal access to justice, and that’s not getting the fairness in our society and community to make it the best place we all can live and thrive in.” Legal Aid has provided free civil legal assistance to more than 20,000 Collier County residents since 2004, thanks to ongoing donors and supporters, such as Naples Children Foundation and Funding Florida Legal Aid. The cases may be different, but Ahren said the underlying issues are often the same. “These are the essentials,” he said. “Safety, security, stability and health.” For more information, go to collierlegalaid.org or call 239.775.4555. Legal Aid Services of Collier County is located at 4436 Tamiami Trail E., Naples.
lifestyle is and everything I can about them,” he said. Families don’t pay Rosenblatt for the service. Instead, he receives a referral fee from a senior living community when someone moves in. The need for that kind of guidance can become urgent when families wait for a crisis. Rosenblatt said many older adults want to remain in their homes as long as possible. But once a medical problem changes the situation, families may discover that the community they want has a waiting list or requires medical approval before admission. “If you’re facing a community that has a waiting list or a community that has a sort of underwriting or medical approval process, or if people are in this crisis mode, they’ve waited too long,” he said. His advice is to start before a crisis forces
From page 7A
LAND experienced vacation boaters. “There is no great venue for a boat ramp on that property,” Capt. Steve Huff of Fishhunt Everglades Fishing Charters wrote the commissioners. “The water is too shallow to launch anything other than a canoe at low tide.” There’s also a challenge on the Barron River, which makes it nearly impossible to dock except during slack tide, Huff wrote. “The only option is to dig a boat ramp, the expense of which would be greater than the value of the property.” Saunders said the ramp was a deal-breaker. “The idea of having a boat ramp basin there is at least questionable,” he said. “If you take that out of the mix, I don’t think you have a piece of property that the county should be purchasing.” Commissioner Rick LoCastro joined Saunders in nixing the negotiations. “One hundred and twenty days won’t change my view,” LoCastro said. “I got a lot of those same emails [from fishermen]. I would second the motion to deny.” After county commissioners directed county staff to begin negotiations with Everglades City officials to buy the land, a consultant appraised the land at $6.615 million. Everglades City learned of the county’s plans only after an appraiser with the county contacted the city. Everglades City Mayor Howell “Howie” Grimm Jr. told county commissioners in a May 11 email that the county hadn’t explained to the city why it wanted to buy the land. Grimm also rejected the idea of locking up valuable city land that the city could develop at a later date. “It would effectively shelf otherwise developable property until such time the county determines what to do with the airport property,” Grimm wrote. “The city expects that a reason to do so would be explained to the city, who otherwise will have to suffer the loss of tax revenue and time that will otherwise come with county purchase.” McDaniel and county staff attended a City of Everglades City meeting on June 2 to discuss the potential acquisition and receive feedback. The item subsequently was placed on the June 9 Everglades City Council meeting for consideration. After public testimony, the council voted to support the acquisition with conditions, which required the county to pay the city lost tax revenue. The city also forbade the county from building the public boat ramp. The county rejected both conditions. The city, which is largely a long, thin, peninsula, has at least six privately owned boat ramps in marinas. “To the extent the county wanted to build a [public] boat ramp, this would directly compete with private businesses within and near to the city,” Grimm emailed the commissioners.
one into a difficult decision. “It’s better to be five years too early than five minutes too late,” when it comes to planning, Rosenblatt said. But planning does not solve another problem Rosenblatt sees throughout Collier County: high costs. “What’s needed in our area is ‘affordable,’” he said. “And that’s what doesn’t exist.” Rosenblatt said some rental communities cost between $6,000 and $10,000 a month. Families who can’t afford those rates may keep a parent at home and hire care for as long as possible, move in with family or look outside Naples and Fort Myers for less expensive options. For Collier County, he said, the next five to 10 years will require more than educating families about their choices. “Not everybody in Naples is wealthy,” he
said. “So people in Collier County need to recognize that.” For Rosenblatt, education is one place to start. He hosts events at senior living communities where families can experience the lifestyle firsthand before making a decision, and he offers educational presentations on the senior housing landscape. “People need to be educated about what’s out there and what the options are,” he said. For families who do make the move, Rosenblatt said he often hears the same thing afterward. “I always hear people say, ‘Best decision we made. We only wish we would have made it sooner,’” he said. For more information, call Senior Housing Solutions — Assisted Living Advisors at 239.595.0207 or visit seniorhousingsolutions.net.
12A | OCTOBER 2, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
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Shoppers make their way through the new Aldi store in Immokalee during a soft opening on Sept. 23. The opening restores a full-service grocery option to the community nearly a year after Winn-Dixie closed. Photos by Irene Pérez
From page 1A
ALDI residents looking for more affordable prices. “I’m thrilled,” said Maria Romero, an Ave Maria resident. She said she could travel to the Aldi in Immokalee faster than the Aldi just south of the intersection of Oil Well Road and Immokalee Road. “I’m really thrilled for the people here in Immokalee.” Danny Gonzalez, who co-owns nearby Lozano’s Mexican Restaurant, said he no longer has to drive to LaBelle or Ave Maria to buy immediate needs for the restaurant. “I am happy that we finally got an Aldi,” Gonzalez said. “Especially when you need the small stuff now.” But the Coalition of Immokalee Workers — a nonprofit, human rights organization that formed in 1993 to protect farmworkers from workplace abuses — wasn’t as thrilled. Aldi, along with Publix, continues to refrain from joining the Fair Food Program, which was set up in 2011 by the CIW. The Fair Food Program has a code of conduct and educational programs designed to protect farmworkers from abuses. Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Walmart are members, as are fast-food chains such as Chipotle, McDonald’s and Burger King. The FFP includes most Immokalee tomato growers, including Lipman Family Farms, Gargiulo, Lady Moon Farms, Pacific Tomato Growers/Sunripe Certified Brands, DiMare and West Coast Tomato/McClure Farms. Immokalee is synonymous with worker’s rights just as Selma and Birmingham in Alabama are with civil rights, the CIW said in a prepared statement. “Immokalee is the birthplace of both the Fair Food Program and the worker-driven Social Responsibility model, which is considered to be the new paradigm for protecting fundamental human rights in global supply chains in the 21st century,” the CIW said. Harvard Business Review named the Fair Food Program one of the 15 most important advances for social change of the past century, along with the polio vaccine, Sesame Street and child safety seats. “Immokalee is now the central hub for a global movement to replicate the FFP’s protections for countless millions of workers,” the CIW said. “The least Aldi could do is recognize the community of farmworkers whose courageous and indefatigable efforts made those two giant leaps for human rights possible, if not recognize it is the community that makes Aldi’s profits possible through its back-breaking, dangerous work every single day in the fields.” Aldi declined to answer why it has not partnered with the FFP “at this time.” But the store offered that it has “developed a series of global protection practices that support our dedication to human rights and fair labor standards across all aspects of our business. “We have a long-standing partnership with Feeding America and its network of food banks, like the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, to help support communities in Florida and across the country,” Aldi said in an email. Aldi’s business model benefits consumers by offering lower prices, which result from the store incorporating numerous efficiencies to pass savings on to shoppers, said Chris Hewitt, division vice president of Aldi. “We stock our items in cases,” Hewitt said while giving a tour of the store — including cases of tomatoes. “It’s an efficiency that leads to lower prices, because it keeps our need for labor low, which keeps our prices low.” The Immokalee Aldi will employ between 15 and 20 people. There’s a fresh meat and bakery section, but there is no on-site butcher or baker. Shoppers must insert a quarter to unlock a shopping cart and are encouraged to return the cart to retrieve their quarter. This plays into lower prices through efficiencies, Hewitt said, as Aldi employees do not have to spend as much time retrieving grocery carts.
A shopper browses refrigerated products during the Immokalee Aldi store’s soft opening.
Aldi also makes its own brands of products. A bag of Dorito’s costs $3.97. A bag of Clancy’s, Aldi’s in-house brand, costs $1.89 for the same amount of product. “Right there shows the value principle of the label we offer,” Hewitt said. A 12-pack of Coca-Cola costs $7.57. A 12-pack of Aldi’s brand, Summit cola, sold right next to it for $4.49. That case of soda had six sides to it — and six barcodes on it, compared to one bar code on the Coke box. The number of bar codes allows the checkout process to go faster, and improve efficiency at the store. Chris Hewitt “It’s a small thing,” Hewitt said. “But all of these little things, they add up.” A shopper approached Hewitt and complained about the lack of name-brand products. She was looking for Kraft cheese. Aldi offers an array of its own brand of cheeses, and Hewitt informed her she could try the Aldi brand with the store’s “Twice-asNice” guarantee. If she didn’t like it, she could return it with her original receipt, get her money back and get a free replacement product of a name brand. “Ninety-two percent of Aldi shoppers recommend us to their friends,” Hewitt said. Aldi, headquartered worldwide in Germany and in Batavia, Illinois, stateside, continues to grow rapidly, with about 2,600 U.S. stores now and about 3,200 by the end of 2028. There are 25 Aldi stores in Southwest Florida. “One out of three households in the U.S. now shop at an Aldi,” Hewitt said of studies the store has done. “We added 17 million new customers in the past year. We have a lot of growth that’s ahead of us.” Aldi’s arrival will help the shopping center owner to continue to refurbish and revitalize it, said Steve Royal, president of The Royal Companies, which developed the shopping center in the 1970s and still owns and leases it. His grandfather founded the company in 1929, and it specialized in building shopping centers in the interior of South Florida, including Belle Glade, Clewiston, Immokalee, LaBelle and Okeechobee. A new Wing Stop already has been announced and should open by the end of the year at The Immokalee Plaza. “We’re pretty far along with discussions on two of the vacancies there,” Royal said of the remaining 21,500 square feet left vacant with the closure of Winn-Dixie. “It was a longer process for Aldi to do the conversion. “We hated to see Winn-Dixie go, especially since they had just done a full remodel of the store. But Aldi will bring a certain component. It brings an avenue to bring additional retailers into the market. We’ll have success as long as the construction costs don’t keep going up on us.” Support award-winning journalism in your backyard. SUBSCRIBE today at naplespress.com.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered when your skin began to change? Perhaps you noticed fine lines that were not there before, uneven pigmentation, enlarged pores, or a loss of that youthful glow. You may have invested in expensive skincare products or considered aesthetic treatments, yet still find yourself asking the same question: Where do I begin? The answer may surprise you. Before choosing a treatment, you must first understand your skin. Understanding Why We Age Skin aging is a complex biological process influenced by genetics, hormonal changes, environmental exposure, and lifestyle. Over time, our skin experiences changes in collagen, elastin, and hydration, contributing to wrinkles, reduced firmness, and changes in texture. [1] The National Institute on Aging explains that age-related changes in collagen and elastic fibers contribute to visible aging. Hormonal changes, particularly during menopause, can also affect skin thickness and hydration. [1] Here in Southwest Florida, we must also consider cumulative sun exposure. Ultraviolet radiation contributes to premature skin aging, including pigmentation, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone. [1, 2] But here is something important to understand: Not everyone ages the same way, and not everyone needs the same treatment. Your First Step: The Skin Scan At Naples Skin Clinic, we believe every successful skin journey begins with understanding your baseline. Before recommending lasers, injectables, or medical-grade skincare, we begin with a comprehensive skin consultation and advanced skin imaging. A skin scan helps us evaluate visible and imaging-detectable concerns such as pigmentation, texture, pores, redness, and signs of sun damage that may not be immediately apparent in ordinary lighting. [3] Think of it as creating a roadmap for your skin. Without understanding where you are starting, how can we determine where you should go? This baseline assessment helps us develop an individualized treatment plan, prioritize your concerns, and document progress over time. Aging Backwards Is a Journey, Not a Single Treatment One of the biggest misconceptions in aesthetics is that a single treatment can address every sign of aging. Some patients benefit from improving skin quality before considering injectables. Others may require attention to pigmentation, collagen stimulation, hydration, or facial volume. The American Academy of Dermatology describes different approaches to different signs of sun damage, including topical skincare, laser treatments, injectables, and other procedures. [4] Our philosophy is simple: We do
not chase wrinkles. We evaluate the skin as a whole. Beautiful results come from understanding your skin’s needs, establishing realistic expectations, and developing a thoughtful plan that evolves with you. Your Skin Deserves a Personalized Beginning Whether you are noticing your first fine lines or hoping to address years of sun exposure, your journey does not have to feel overwhelming. You do not need every treatment available. You need the right starting point. At Naples Skin Clinic, that starting point is understanding your skin today so we can thoughtfully guide its tomorrow. Because aging is inevitable, but how we care for our skin along the way is something we can influence. [2]
Sources for editorial fact-checking
1. National Institute on Aging, “Skin Care and Aging ” (reviewed February 11, 2025). https://www.nia.nih.gov/ health/ skin-care/skin-care-and-aging 2. American Academy of Dermatology, “11 ways to reduce premature skin aging.” https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/reduce-premature-aging-skin 3. American Academy of Dermatology, “Sun damage and your skin” (UV photography discussion). https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sun-damage-skin 4. American Academy of Dermatology, “How dermatologists treat sun-damaged skin.” https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sun-damage-skin/wrinkles-sun-damage-canbe-treated DISCLAIMER: This manuscript is for general educational information only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should consult their own physician or qualified healthcare professional before making skincare or treatment decisions. A cosmetic skin scan does not diagnose skin cancer or replace a medical skin examination. “Aging backwards” is figurative language, not a promise to reverse biological aging or guarantee results. The publisher should independently verify medical statements, citations, quotations, permissions, and originality before publication. Naples Skin Clinic does not authorize use of third-party copyrighted material without permission and requests that the publisher assume responsibility for its own editorial changes and publication clearance; this notice does not eliminate any party’s legal liability or guarantee protection against copyright claims.
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naplespress.com | O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 13A
From page 3A
READERS other automated license plate reader cameras also centers on passive mass surveillance, warrantless tracking and potential data misuse. The advent of data centers powering artificial intelligence doesn’t help assuage worries that electronic surveillance — when programmed to do so — can follow individuals throughout the day.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Collier County Commissioner Burt L. Saunders, after meeting with Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and his legal staff, proposed an ordinance to regulate the sheriff’s use of the cameras and associated databases. Rambosk has also met with other commissioners about public worries over the technology. Sheriff Rambosk also posted the department’s “License Plate Reader Constitutional Information and CCSO Policy” that, among other things, “ensures the proper training of personnel approved to operate the LPR system.” The public is encouraged to read it. The county commissioners agreed to Saunders’ proposal for county staff to work with the sheriff to create guidelines for the proper use of license plate images. The proposal would also define what the sheriff collects and stores. It was not meant to criticize the sheriff, Saunders said during the commission meeting. “I’ve received numerous letters and emails concerning, well, what happens if Sheriff Rambosk is no longer the sheriff?” Saunders said. “Let’s codify what the sheriff does and so that in the future, if a new sheriff comes in, that sheriff will have to come to the county commission and have an ordinance repealed or modified” before obtaining funding. The Sheriff’s Office is also asking the county commissioner for $120,000 to buy nine license plate readers. Saunders’ proposal would only allow the sheriff’s cameras to capture the image of the
car and license tag; the license plate number; the state or jurisdiction of the license plate; the date and time the image was captured, and the location of the camera at the time the image was captured. Saunders’ proposal would prohibit the Sheriff’s Office from enabling a camera system’s software that identifies, classifies, analyzes, re-identifies, matches or tracks a motor vehicle or person. It would also prohibit the sheriff from using software that analyzes a vehicle’s make, model, color, body type or other distinctive features, including damage, decals or other visual characteristics. It would likewise ban automated identification of a driver, passenger, pedestrian or other person. The proposal does not regulate camera-less observations by a deputy or other human being that captures evidence by eyesight, cell phone camera or regular camera. Nor does Saunders’s proposal cover separate, downstream law enforcement databases, software, investigative tools or uses of lawfully obtained information. Sheriff’s staff must also provide written certification that they are following the rules, Saunders said. “This would basically say to the sheriff, ‘It’s OK to put up those cameras that have the capability of doing all of these things, as long as there is certification that those capabilities are disabled.’” The Sheriff’s Office operates a Real Time Crime Center that links license plate reading cameras to track vehicles suspected of kidnapping, robbery, hit-and-runs, and other crimes.
Naples Police Department
The Naples Press asked Naples Police Lt. Bryan McGinn about public worries over his city’s license plate readers. “We have a very limited number of our area, so we weren’t really affected by the governor’s memo that came out,” he said. Naples’ cameras don’t track drivers; nor does its database pinpoint where a driver is later in the day.
“That is the overwhelming issue, personal privacy,” he said, “but the license plate cameras do not track where individuals are going. The image is read only at the location where it passes the camera. The overarching truth is using it to follow you is not true.” However, it does become useful after the fact, when a suspect car passes by one of the cameras. “It does register automatically for a criminal aspect, that is one of the benefits of it,” he said. “LPR technology allows us to solve crimes that would otherwise be unsolved.” Naples also limits who can access the system, McGinn said. “Access to LPR data is restricted heavily; only individual users with the proper training and credentials can access it,” he said. “We established policy and procedures that govern authorized use. Data security and retention, information sharing — all of this has supervisory oversight.” In an effort to calm public worries, Naples Police Chief Ciro M. Dominguez released a fact sheet on his department’s LPR policy. “LPR captures images, not video, of vehicles and license plates traveling on public roadways,” the chief wrote. “It doesn’t photograph or identify people.” The chief pointed to several cases LPR helped solve. An investigative query of a vehicle’s license plate through the Naples LPR system helped NPD narrow the search for an endangered missing person whose vehicle had been located at Lowdermilk Park. They found the person, who was safe. In another case, the LPR system led to the arrest of a Georgia resident wanted on several felony warrants, including failure to register as a sex offender. Police also found fentanyl in his car. “We will continue to ensure that LPR technology is used only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and subject to appropriate safeguards, oversight and applicable laws and policies,” Dominguez wrote.
Marco Island Police
Marco Island Police Chief Joseph Belardo also released a sheet describing his department’s LPR policies. “We’ve received a lot of requests for information regarding the system so we’ve created a fact sheet as well as a separate response regarding the order,” Naples public information officer Christian Davies said. MIPD has used the Vigilant ALPR system by Motorola Solutions since 2021. The city has six stationary LPR cameras in three locations. There’s two cameras on each end of the S.S. Jolley Bridge, and two more on San Marco Road. One of the department’s patrol cars has a mobile LPR camera. Like Naples’ system and the sheriff’s system, Marco Island’s LPR system does not use facial recognition technology and does not identify drivers or passengers. “The system may notify officers when a detected plate matches information associated with a stolen or wanted vehicle or another documented law enforcement concern,” Davies said. “Officers are responsible for evaluating and verifying that information before taking further action.” The license plate images and data are kept for 30 days. “Only authorized MIPD personnel may access the department’s system, and access requires two-factor authentication,” Davies said. “Every search must include a case number and a description explaining why the search is being conducted. The department reviews the system and its data during quarterly audits to ensure searches align with legitimate enforcement purposes. Though no outside law enforcement agency can access Marco Island’s system and databases, some 70 law enforcement agencies — through existing memorandums of understanding — can ask the department for LPR data for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Only Marco Island police with proper clearances can access the data for them, Davies said.
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14A | OCTOBER 2, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
naplespress.com | O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 15A
REAL ESTATE Virtual office, actual high cost By Nanci Theoret
Naples entrepreneurs, remote executives and business owners are paying the highest prices in the U.S. for an office that has no square footage, desks or furniture. A recent study by CoworkingCafe, a listing directory for flexible workspace solutions that’s part of the Yardi commercial real estate research platform, found Naples tied with Knoxville, Tennessee, for the nation’s most expensive virtual offices, with a median starting price at $225 monthly — roughly 26% above the $179 national median. A virtual office allows remote teams, independent consultants and seasonal residents to establish a credible business presence without the overhead of long-term commercial leases. In Naples, this intangible footprint commands a distinct premium. According to CoworkingCafe’s analysis, the city’s seasonal resort economy influences rates, pricing services around part-year residents and visiting professionals seeking an established local base. “Virtual offices provide businesses with a professional address and services like mail handling, call answering and access to meeting rooms and workspace,” said Jeff Doughman, CEO for International Workplace Group in the Americas, the parent company of Regus and Spaces, which operates three centers across Collier County, all providing virtual solutions alongside traditional coworking spaces. “Our state-of-the-art facilities in Naples provide everything professionals need across industries to stay productive, including private offices, meeting rooms, collaborative coworking spaces and our Design Your Own Office service.” CoworkingCafe shows Collier County currently hosts seven specialized virtual office locations, led by global corporate workspace
International Workplace Group offers coworking solutions in Naples, including virtual offices, meeting rooms and shared office spaces. Photo courtesy International Workplace Group
giants alongside boutique locally operated business centers. In addition to IWG properties, the area is home to Venture X, Marco One Suites and Offices, Naples Professional Suites and Windsor Office Suites, as of Sept. 1. Statewide, monthly starting fees for virtual offices ranged from $65 in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro and $67.50 in North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton — more than triple Naples’ rate — to $199 in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sandford, the second highest market. Fort Myers-Cape Coral was mid-list at $150 a month. The CoworkingCafe report also evaluated fees for monthly memberships, day passes and meeting rooms across U.S. metros to provide a cost snapshot of flexible workspaces. The results highlighted a curious economic dynamic: Renting a physical desk in Naples is more affordable than maintaining an invisible one. The median monthly coworking membership,
which tracks starting rates across dedicated desks and open shared spaces, is $182.50 in Naples, slightly below the national median of $190. That leaves the median virtual office price $42.50 higher per month than an in-person pass. While Naples tops virtual rates, other Florida metros shoulder higher costs for physical spaces and conference rooms. Membership costs were lower in Naples than Florida’s larger metro areas, including Tampa-St. Petersburg and Miami-Fort Lauderdale, each at $235. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville had the highest memberships at $249 per month. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area recorded the state’s second-highest hourly meeting room rate at $48, trailing only Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater at $50. Rates were unavailable for Naples. With flexible workspaces remaining part of the operating equation for freelancers, small
Square, 4375 Radio Road, in East Naples from Radio Rd 6 LLC. David Wallace and Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, of CRE Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee.
ples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
businesses and growing teams, the numbers show how much location and work pattern can change the monthly workspace bill. The pricing trends unfold against a steady nationwide expansion of flexible workspaces. CoworkingCafe’s national tracking showed the flex office sector grew 2.7%, rising from 9,136 spaces to 9,384 — a net gain of 248 locations since the first quarter of 2026. Shared spaces now represent 2.34% of the country’s commercial real estate market, up from 2.28% in the prior quarter. Doughman noted that IWG added a record 728 locations globally in the first half of the year, expanding into high-demand regional destinations. “IWG’s flexible workspace model empowers businesses to access workspace when needed across more than 2,000 locations across the U.S., while avoiding long-term real estate commitments and keeping their capital lighter,” he said. “We’re constantly adding to our network of centers, including in Naples, Florida, and will be continually bringing locations to where they are needed and closer to where people live and work.” IWG serves companies of all sizes, with 83% of Fortune 500 companies as customers. Local alternatives cater to specialized professional sectors. At Windsor Office Suites in the Strand Professional Park, owner Rob Bollinger has tailored boutique meeting spaces, concierge lounges and address services toward attorneys, court reporters, mediators, financial planners, therapists, home-based professionals and corporate satellite offices. Venture X on Tamiami Trail North similarly bridges remote consulting and corporate flexibility, offering starting virtual tiers at $150 alongside podcast suites, event rooms and private offices. For Collier County’s remote workforce, a local ZIP code remains a valuable brand asset, one that commands top dollar even if the tenant never walks through the front door.
TRANSACTIONS SALES AW Lee LLC purchased a 2,430-squarefoot retail condominium in Mission Square at 1575 Pine Ridge Road in North Naples from Floriana Holdings LLC for $1.17 million. Michael Mahan and Meaghan Schmitt of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the buyer. ER360 LLC purchased 1,130 square feet of office space at The Moorings Professional Building, 2335 Ninth St. N., Suite 404, in Naples for $230,000. David Wallace and Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, of CRE Commercial Group represented the buyer and seller. LEASES Apollo Metro Solutions leased 5,713 square feet of office space at Corporate
AMS Trading dba ServPro of Naples/ Marco Island leased 4,921 square feet of industrial space at Collier Park of Commerce, 2900 Horseshoe Drive, Units 1300 and 1400, in East Naples from Helios Colliers LLC. David Wallace and Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, of CRE Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee. Unistars Market & Services Inc. leased 2,200 square feet of retail space in Lakewood Plaza, 4205 Tamiami Trail E., in East Naples from Kendall Perrine LLC. Michael Mahan of Lee & Associates Na-
Bowery Consulting Group Inc. leased 1,634 square feet of office space at 1001 10th Ave. S., Suite 102, in Naples from NGBIGP LLC. Tara L. Stokes and John E. Cheffy of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee. Rosa Estela Morales leased 1,558 square feet of retail space in Wiggins Pass Crossing at 13510 Tamiami Trail N., Unit 2, in North Naples from Coneco Realty LLC. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee. ThinLine Group LLC leased 1,250 square feet of commercial space at 6000
Taylor Road, Suite 5, in North Naples from 6000 Taylor Road LLC. Shawn McManus of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee. Charles Martin Mortgage LLC leased 742 square feet of office space at 1004 Collier Center Way, Suite 104, in North Naples from Triple C Partners LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and WT Pearson of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessor and lessee. GreenPro leased 559 square feet of office space at Anglers Plaza, 870 Bald Eagle Drive, Unit B6, on Marco Island from Peter and Carmela Gagliano. David Wallace and Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, of CRE Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee.
Breakthrough T1D Naples Gala F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 2 7 The Ritz-Carlton, Beach Resort 280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd Naples, FL 34108
Gala Co-Chairs: Donald Montroy & Ericca Rios and Charles & Ema Weinrich Gala Honoree: Julia Reisman Fund A Cure Leadership: The Safi Gonzalez Family Fo r m o re i n fo r m a t i o n , p l e a s e s c a n t h e
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16A | OCTOBER 2, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
Your Extraordinary Has Arrived Along the Gulf, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples stands as one of Southwest Florida’s most distinguished waterfront addresses—now taking its place alongside two storied Ritz-Carlton Hotels, a testament to this destination’s enduring appeal. Here, timeless architecture, legendary service, and an extraordinary collection of amenities create a lifestyle unlike any other, supported by a team as accomplished as the destination itself. From the owners-only club and full-service marina to the spa and signature dining, every detail has been designed to enrich life on the water. A limited collection of exceptional residences awaits, with select designer-furnished homes available for immediate occupancy. Completing this remarkable waterfront community, the Park Residences represent its final residential offering.
Park Residences from $4M | Bay Residences from $5M | Tower Residences from $7M 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road | Suite 106, Naples, FL 34109 Phone 239-249-6260 | RCRNaples.com
THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES, NAPLES ARE NOT OWNED, SOLD OR DEVELOPED BY THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C. OR ITS AFFILIATES (“THE RITZ-CARLTON”). STOCK RESIDENCES, USES THE RITZ-CARLTON MARKS UNDER A LICENSE FROM THE RITZ-CARLTON, WHICH HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS OR REPRESENTATIONS MADE HEREIN. ORAL REPRESENTATION CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY THE DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ALL RENDERINGS AND PLANS ARE PROPOSED CONCEPTS SHOWN ONLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES AND ARE BASED ON THE DEVELOPER’S CURRENT PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, REVISE OR WITHDRAW THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN DEVELOPER’S SOLE DISCRETION WITHOUT NOTICE. NOTHING HEREIN OR ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SHALL BE DEEMED TO OBLIGATE THE DEVELOPER, OR ANY AFFILIATE OF DEVELOPER, TO CONSTRUCT THE PROJECT OR OFFER ANY OF THE PROJECT FOR SALE, AND NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED A GUARANTY OF ANY KIND. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SALE OR SOLICITATIONS OF OFFERS TO BUY.
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4B | SHOW OF STRENGTH
St. John Neumann runs past Community School of Naples
THE TIES THAT BLIND Page 3B
His grandparents rush to rescue Nick (Luke Jaconis), in one of the many twists in Over the River and Through the Woods, a Naples Players tale of family loyalty versus new horizons that is one of three opening this week. Photo Photo by Olga Hayes
FREE, FEE, SPREE FREE
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UAC’S BAYSIDE BASH COMING
10 to 11 a.m. Oct. 5 in the South Regional Public Library meeting room at 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples. Collier County Public Libraries is offering an eight-part series on “Herbs, Plants and their Healing Properties,” and this one may be one of the coziest. The Fall Spices segment focuses on the health benefits of those fragrant herbs and spices associated with cool weather: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and more. There’s a handout with definitions and recipes. Register at 239.252.7542.
5:30 p.m. Oct. 2; 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. Get a full-length thrill in 20 minutes and vote for the best one at the Marco Island Center for the Arts during its screening of the Manhattan Shorts Film Festival, from which Oscar nominees and winners have come. There’s comedy, drama, even an animated film this year. $15, $10 for members; reservations are recommended because seating is limited to 70. marcoislandart.org or 239.394.4221
5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24 at The Club at Kalea Bay, 13940 Old Coast Road, Naples. The arts take center stage at the annual United Arts Collier Bayside Bash, this year honoring Collier County’s best known senior artist, Joan Sonnenberg. State Sen. Kathleen Passidomo is the speaker, and there is music, dance, interactive arts and food under the stars for a good cause. Tickets are $300, with tables for four (and up) available, at unitedartscollier.org
2B | O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 | THE NAPLES PRESS
CALENDAR Ongoing events ‘Through the Light of the Estuary’ exhibition 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through Oct. 29 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. The art gallery hosts several exhibitions each year. A partnership with United Arts Collier brings annual exhibitions of painting, photography and mixed media by artists from Collier and Lee counties. The exhibits are juried by local art experts and follow Rookery Bay’s environmental mission with a central theme of “plants, waters and wildlife of Southwest Florida.” Most works are available for purchase. Entry free with admission to Environmental Learning Center. Adults, $10. Children ages 4 to 12, $5. Children 3 and under, free. Members, free. rookerybay.org Days, nights at the museum 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays at The Baker Museum, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The Baker Museum has always opened its doors free to art lovers 6 to 9 p.m. on last Wednesdays, when there’s entertainment and its café is open. Marvel at the Ansel Adams exhibition, the Florida Contemporary show, the expansive Sibrack glass collection, a roomful of intriguing Magrittes and more; then nosh at Heidi’s Place or visit the gift shop. ‘SELF DOCUMENTED: Community Memory & Lived Experience’ exhibition 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through Oct. 24 at Immokalee Pioneer Museum, 1215 Roberts Ave. W., Immokalee. This community exhibition is centered on storytelling, memory and lived experiences within the immigrant community of Immokalee and neighboring communities. Free admission. colliermuseums.com ‘Underwater World: The Beauty Beneath’ exhibition 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays through Oct. 31 at Marco Island Historical Society, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Explore the vibrant underwater world through the paintings of Inez Hudson, a self-taught, awardwinning artist inspired by dive videos and the beauty of marine life. Hudson teaches oil painting at the Marco Island Center for the Arts, and her work is featured in private collections across the U.S. and abroad. Free admission. themihs. org or 239.389.6447 ‘Penelope’s Odyssey of the Orchestra’ 10 and 11:30 a.m. Oct. 6 to 9 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. The Naples Philharmonic presents Penelope’s Odyssey of the Orchestra, a new chamber orchestra work by former Naples Philharmonic trumpet player James M. Stephenson. A narrator guides audiences through the orchestra’s four instrument families and their roles in shaping mood and story. The intimate Daniels Pavilion setting offers a closer look at the musicians. For elementary school students. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. Students, $6. Adults, $12. artisnaples.org Family and sensory friendly concert: 10 and 11:30 a.m. Oct. 10 Crafty critter Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Saturday at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road,
Naples Jazzmasters Dixieland/Swing band 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at The Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples. The Naples Jazz Society Inc. favors all sorts of “jazz,” but gives priority to the late 1930s. Free admission. Donations highly appreciated. thenaplesjazzsociety. com/lander or 239.213.3049
TWEET TALK, WALK COMING Birdwatchers scan the area for native and migratory birds during a Rookery Bay birding outing. Photo courtesy Rookery Bay
8 to 11 a.m. Oct. 10 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. Enjoy this fun and informative class designed to help you identify birds around you. Oriented toward the beginning birder, this workshop explores how to use birds’ plumage, shape, behavior and habitat to recognize various species. Practice using your binoculars and field guides as you tour the paved paths of Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park, led by local expert biologists from Audubon Florida and Rookery Bay Research Reserve. Advance registration required. $30. rookerybay.org/events Naples. Every Saturday, enjoy a fun, self-guided, family-friendly crafting activity inspired by nature. Supplies included with admission. Adults, $10. Children 4 to 12, $5; 3 and under, free admission. rookerybay. org/events ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays Oct. 7 to 25 at the Kizzie Theater, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Over the River and Through the Woods is a warm and hilarious comedy about family bonds, generational differences and the bittersweet realities of growing up and moving on. Written by Joe DiPietro, the play follows Nick Cristano, a young New Yorker whose cherished Sunday dinners with his four Italian American grandparents are thrown into turmoil when he announces he has accepted a job across the country. Determined to keep their grandson close, his grandparents launch a loving and often laugh-out-loud campaign to convince him to stay. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. $62 to $67. Box office: naplesplayers.org or 239.263.7990
Florida ingredients, natural wines and a soundtrack curated by the kitchen. Tickets are $250. • Oct. 9 – The Wild Table will include a sunset cruise through the Thousand Islands in Everglades City, followed by an open-fire dinner inspired by the Everglades and Florida’s waterways. Tickets are $500.
This weekend (Oct. 2-4) ‘Chameleüns’ 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2; 3 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 at Arts Center Theatre, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Suite 432, Marco Island. Arts Center Theatre welcomes real-life couple Patrick and Dixie Huey to the stage for
Dixie Huey. Photo courtesy Marco Island Center for the Arts
The Florida Sessions 5:30 to 11 p.m. Oct. 8; 5 to 11 p.m. Oct. 9 at Heyday Cookshop, 4691 Tamiami Trail N., Naples. Chef Kayla Pfeiffer, a “Chopped” champion, James Beard Emerging
Heyday Cookshop and Bicyclette Cookshop Owner and Chef Kayla Pfeiffer. Photo courtesy Kayla Nguyen
Chef semifinalist and owner of Bicyclette Cookshop and Heyday Cookshop, will host a two-night Friends of James Beard Benefit. The dinners will celebrate Florida’s farms, waterways and native ingredients. A portion of proceeds from both events will benefit the James Beard Foundation. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. jamesbeard.org • Oct. 8 – The Listening Sessions will feature a vinyl-inspired cocktail hour followed by a five-course dinner with
Chameleüns, a quirky comedy about love and relationships. The Hueys will portray 15 different characters, from therapists and infomercial hosts to everyday Joes, in a series of humorous vignettes exploring the strange and unpredictable search for connection. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. Member, $35. Non-member, $40. marcoislandart.org/arts-centertheatre Manhattan Short Film Festival 5:30 p.m. Oct. 2; 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. Film lovers in Marco Island will join thousands of film enthusiasts around the world Sept. 24 through Oct. 4 for the annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. The festival features 10 short films selected from 10 countries, all of which are automatically Oscar-qualified. After viewing the films, audiences can cast ballots for the Best Film and Best Actor awards, with votes from participating audiences around the world determining the winners. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. $10-$15. marcoislandart.org
One Night in Memphis 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. One Night in Memphis brings to life the legendary 1956 jam session at Sun Studio featuring the music of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. The 90-minute tribute features a live band performing classics including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Hound Dog” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” blending rockabilly, gospel and country. Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase required. $69-$93. artisnaples.org New 'Dimensions in Testimony’ exhibit opening 1 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center, 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Naples. The USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony allows people to interact with Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to genocide through prerecorded video. Visitors can ask questions and receive real-time responses, preserving firsthand accounts and making survivors’ stories accessible for generations to come. Included with museum admission. $15 for adults, with discounts for seniors, students and military/veterans. hmcec.org
Next week (Oct. 5-8) National Night Out 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Four Seasons Naples Beach Club, 801 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., Naples. Join neighbors, local police and community partners for an evening of family fun at National Night Out. The event will feature police vehicles, community booths, a bubble truck, bounce houses, Italian ice and a putting green. Food will be provided by Four Seasons. Free admission. naplesgov.com Historic Everglades talk 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Rod & Gun Lodge & Restaurant, 200 W. Broadway, Everglades City. Carolyn Thompson brings her knowledge of Collier County history and its courageous, quirky characters to an Afternoon Tea Talk at the Rod & Gun Club Lodge and Restaurant. RSVP at 239.719.0020 Crave for a Cause: Unleashed! 6 p.m. Oct. 8 at Gulfshore Playhouse, 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., Naples. Crave Culinaire will host a curated dining experience benefiting Patty Baker Humane Society Naples. The event will feature a four-course menu by Chef Brian Roland and the Crave Culinaire team, with each course paired with wine. Proceeds will support PBHSN’s efforts to shelter animals, find lifelong homes and promote responsible pet ownership. Advance ticket purchase required. $220.50. craveculinare.com/events Get the facts about AI Noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Vi at Bentley Village, 701 Retreat Drive, Naples.The Press Club of Southwest Florida will host a Newsmaker Luncheon featuring FGCU professor Dr. Leandro de Castro Silva, who will discuss
artificial intelligence and its impact on journalism, misinformation and public trust. De Castro Silva is a professor of computing and software engineering and founding director of FGCU’s Dendritic: A Human-Centered AI and Data Science Institute. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. Advance ticket purchase required. Members, $50. Guests, $60. Full-time students, $20. eventbrite.com
Next weekend (Oct. 9-11) Mothing 7:45 to 9:45 p.m. Oct. 9 at CREW Marsh Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Road, Immokalee. Join CREW for a nighttime investigation at CREW Marsh Trails. Led by Constance Darrisaw, a local entomologist, participants will set up afterhours insect-viewing stations that attract a wide variety of insects. Challenge yourself to carefully observe and help identify the beauty and diversity of creatures that crawl, burrow, fly and glow on the trails. Closed-toe shoes, bug spray and water bottles are highly recommended. Space is limited. Advance registration required. Members, $15. Non-members, $20. crewtrust.eventbrite.com Tweet talk, walk coming 8 to 11 a.m. Oct. 10 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. See featured item. Free Saturday for Collier residents 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. Enjoy the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center for free on the second Saturday of the month. Experience it all: touch tanks with marine critters, natural history, environmental and wildlife exhibits, art gallery, picnic area, guided walking trails, butterfly garden and a scenic overlook bridge. Must show driver license or proof of address upon arrival. rookerybay.org Dia de los Muertos 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 10 at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Learn about Día de los Muertos, a tradition honoring ancestors that differs from Halloween. Participants can decorate calaveras (skulls), create ofrendas (altars) and explore the tradition’s cultural significance to many Indigenous American communities. Free admission. colliermuseums.com Pioneer pumpkin palooza 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 10 at Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, 1215 Roberts Ave., Immokalee. Celebrate fall with a pumpkin patch featuring pumpkin decorating, scarecrow and corn husk doll crafts and a hayride around the ranch. Enjoy a family-friendly day celebrating the season’s bounty. Free admission. colliermuseums.com Rocktoberfest 2026 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 10 at The Cover Outdoor Bar, 3920 City Gate Blvd. N., Naples. Rock Republic will perform live at RocktoberFest. The event will feature live music, drink specials, German-inspired food, prizes and community activities. VIP includes reserved seating, a light buffet, two drink tickets and access to a private bar. Free admission. VIP, $45. Call 239.252.4386. playparadisecoast.com
naplespress.com | O c t o b e r 2 , 2 0 2 6 | 3B
COVER STORY choosing the two for his play was serendipitous, he said, with a chuckle. The two started their relationship as chameleons: “We met at a Halloween party. We were both in costume.” What: Chameleüns, by Rochelle Burdine and Frank Blocker When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 3 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 Where: Marco Town Center (next to Marco Brewery) 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Suite #432, Marco Island Tickets: $42.85 at marcoislandart. org or 239.784.1186
Cleo (Melissa Hennig) teases Edmund (Greg Birr) about his shiny pate in Election Day, the current production from The Studio Players at Golden Gate Community Center. Photo by Harriet Howard Heithaus
Left, Nonna Emma (Roseann Ruggerio) and Nunzio (Bob Cappetta) have some fun sparring at Trivial Pursuit with their grandson, Nick (Luke Jaconis) and Nonna Aida, during Luke’s last days with them in New Jersey. Photo by Olga Hayes
Back to the basics
SWFL theater season debuts a world looking for love, loyalty By Harriet Howard Heithaus harriet.heithaus@naplespress.com
Falling leaves are the surest sign of autumn in Northern climates. In Southwest Florida, however, autumn’s harbinger is community theater. And while the leaves fall one by one up North, drama drops here in bountiful bunches: Three plays open in Naples and Marco over the next week — two of them this weekend, in fact. All have serious wisdom to impart, but there’s a generous amount of humor in the telling.
Election Day: The Studio Players
Greg Birr hauls out a camouflage skull rag and shakes it at Paula Keenan for his eco-terrorist role costume. “I thought I would wear this,” he offers. “Will this work?” Danny Cancio, on the other hand, is in a prep-ish blue chambray shirt. But he sees his political character in more of an escapee from a vintage Dubonnet ad, all in black — “with a yellow tie.” And he’s about to invest in a thrift store hunt unless his director dissents. One of the joys, or trials, of community theater is its participatory costuming for contemporary works, and Keenan, its director, has a cast that is all in for The Studio Players production of Election Day, Josh Tobiessen’s dark comedy. There are plenty of psycho-minded characters to dress, too, in this tale of the hapless Adam (Alex Gonzalez), who has not yet voted and finds himself prey for every political interest imaginable who wants his vote on Election Day. The characters who are not crazy may be even worse, “because you tend to be influenced by them and you’re trying to make up your own mind,” she said during rehearsals. What Election Day delves into, Keenan said, is our voting motivation, driven by forces we often haven’t examined. At one point. Adam is beset by the overwrought political novice, Jerry (Cancio), over his plans to vote for his opponent. “Jerry nails him because he doesn’t know who he’s voting for … He doesn’t know why he’s voting for the other guy,” she explained. Add to that the lack of rational debate on issues: “If you don’t agree with me, there is no civil discourse anymore. That is very important,” she said of the story. And what discourse there is devolves into name calling rather than issue analysis. There’s doubtlessly a lot of empathy available from Naples audiences, whose phones
Dixie Huey is a starlet who knows she’s headed for Dolly Parton fame, while Patrick Huey is smitten, but not so sure she’s a visionary, in ChameleÜns, at Arts Center Theatre on Marco Island. Photo by Kenneth Allen
jangle all day with political messages and whose mailboxes overflow with grimly worded postcards. (“… loves taxes”! “Shady deals”!) Adam’s girlfriend, Brenda (Lindsey Ambrose), has her vote reasoned out, but he has not come to terms with what he wants. He only knows it’s not a buddy vote, like that of his sister, Cleo (Melissa Hennig), whose sympathies lie with the party that woos her, or a single-issue vote, as Earth warrior Edmund (Birr) is pushing. But the day is flying by and Adam must decide. “It’s so wacky at the end, you’ve just got to know what happens next,” she said. What: The Studio Players production of Election Day, by Josh Tobiessen When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 2 to 18 Where: Joan Jenks Theater at the Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples Tickets: $35 ($1.70 convenience fee online) at thestudioplayers.org or 239.398.9192
standard fare in restaurants, thanks to the changes our romantic partners have wrought in us. Chameleüns “is that on steroids,” said Patrick Huey, one of the two stars in the workshop play that is getting one of its first live audiences on Marco. “I think what Frank [Blocker] and Rochelle [Burdine] did was take those little accommodations people make for each other and blow it up for the stage.” “There’s plenty of humor, but it’s deeper than that,” explained Dixie Huey, who is both the costar
and married to Patrick for 18 years. “Where’s the line, right? Where do you draw the line in terms of how much you’re willing to change? Because that could be a loss of self.” Proof that Chameleüns speaks to the universal human experience of love is its own age. Blocker and Burdine wrote the initial script in the late 1990s and had even earned a reading of it in New York in 2002. But other projects came, and the two found themselves working on other plays and with director responsibilities until recently. Incorporating the little tweaks they’d learned from its early presentation, they found it as fresh as ever because of its subject matter, Blocker said. And within 20 hours, they had two requests for a staging. “It brings in all of the things that span through a relationship,” Blocker said. “There are lot of little nuggets in there to remind you of the way you change — ‘You do this and I’ll do this.’” It’s not just simple transactional comedy, however: “There’s plenty for the intellectual throughout this whole play.” Blocker had worked with Dixie Huey on the Marco production of Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Patrick Huey has been in several local productions there, including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Revised and Abridged. “This is a huge honor from someone like him because he’s such an incredible talent,” Dixie Huey said of Blocker. But she worried about sandwiching in drives to rehearsals with dinner and their son’s baseball games. To make it easier, the playwright did the driving, holding rehearsals with the two in their Naples living room. “To run lines as we’re making dinner — that was certainly attractive to us,” Patrick Huey declared. And
Chameleüns: Arts Center Theatre
We possibly have closetloads of high heels because our beloved told us we looked so wonderful in them. Perhaps we part our hair the way that certain someone liked it on us. We do not say Sudgeon for Sugden any more or limit ourselves to American
After Nonno Frank (Vic Caroli) has had two accidents, he’s willing to hand over his keys to Nick (Luke Jaconis) in The Naples Players production of Over the River and Through the Woods Oct. 7 to 25. Photo by Olga Hayes
Over the River and Through the Woods: The Naples Players
This Joe diPietro dramedy filters the American dream through a thick net of family ties in a story of Old World love and New World hopes. Nick (Luke Jaconis), whose Sunday nights are inevitably spent dining with his grandparents whether he’s hungry or not, has received a promotion that would move him from Hoboken to Seattle. A ritual of decades is about to die, his nonnas and nonnos learn. “Moving? Leaving,” Grandpa Frank (Vic Caroli) declares accusingly, with his own paraphrase of Nick’s announcement. There is enough anxiety in this play to power the Jersey City ferry up the Hudson River. But it also channels the comedy of a family whose hard work at love can go terribly awry. Anyone who has a half ounce of Italian blood in them will recognize the situations, possibly with a few fond memories, even though the characters like to shout at one another. “When I read the script for the first time, I couldn’t put it down,” recalled Phillip Fazio, artistic director for The Naples Players. “I was on this big physical health kick at the time and … so I took the script with me and went to the gym and finished reading it on the treadmill because that’s how much I want to know what happened at the end of this story.” In the play, each older adult must make a decision about how they will handle Nick’s plans, “and in doing that, they have to kind of make some changes within themselves, too,” he said. “This part is very personal to me,” reflected Jaconis, who has matrilineal Italian heritage and memories of family traditions, including his grandmother’s “best in the world” gravy that his mother still makes in her honor for holidays, and spending a day every year with his grandfather cleaning the family graves in Chicago. The traditional end to that duty would be a trip to Carm’s Little Italy for a hot roast beef sandwich. Jaconis said his own family was much more encouraging when he moved to Florida. But he treasures those family memories even more since his own grandparents have passed on, and Over the River has given him a reminder, as he hopes it does others: “We live in such a world today where it’s easier to send a text or a message on Instagram or a Facebook thing. “I hope people will leave here wanting to either pick up the phone and call or meet in person with their family … and have that moment of connection, whether it’s a lunch, a coffee, a dinner — whatever it might be — because one day you won’t have those opportunities.” What: The Naples Players’ production of Over the River and Through the Woods When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 7 to 25 Where: The Kizzie at Sugden Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples Tickets: $25-$67 at naplesplayers. org or 239.263.7990
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SPORTS ST. JOHN NEUMANN DEFEATS CSN 56-0 Photos by Irene Pérez
St. John Neumann wide receiver Jackson Lee looks upfield.
Naples Press Staff Report
The St. John Neumann Celtics (5-1 overall, 1-0 Class 1A-District 9) took a big step toward winning a district title by thumping visiting Community School of Naples 56-0 on Sept. 25. The Celtics scored on seven of eight first-half possessions — including four touchdowns in the final six minutes of the second
quarter — to dominate the Seahawks (1-4, 0-1). SJN quarterback Carter Quinn had a hand in all seven scores, throwing for 251 yards and six scores and rushing for another TD. SJN’s defense also did the job, limiting CSN to just 80 first-half yards and three first downs while forcing two turnovers. With the game 49-0 at halftime, the entire second half was played under a running clock.
St. John Neumann’s Tyrone Howard Jr. (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown
St. John Neumann quarterback Carter Quinn carries the ball.
St. John Neumann head coach Chris Maragos
Rony Raposo of St. John Neumann scores a touchdown.
St. John Neumann cheerleaders perform.
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Naples native Quevedo earns first WTA title By David Wasson
Kaitlin Quevedo is having quite the 2026. The Naples native and former Community School of Naples tennis player continues her ascent in the world of professional tennis — having claimed her first pro title Sept. 21 by capturing the WTA 250 SP Open tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Quevedo, 20, defeated world No. 317 Nadia Podoroska 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the hardcourt tournament on Monday — a championship match that was delayed a day due to weather conditions. Quevedo, who grew up in Naples and attended CSN as a freshman in 2021, defeated her first three opponents in straight sets before downing fourth-seed Anna Blinkova 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals. The tournament’s No. 7 seed then came back from a set down in the final to secure the win against the unseeded Podoroska, a former Roland Garros semifinalist from Argentina. The victory, which came after 2 hours and 8 minutes and was just Quevedo’s eighth WTA main-draw appearance, came on the same day she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 90. “I was just going match by match, trying to compete the best I could, and in the end, I was able to win the trophy,” Quevedo told reporters. “I’m really proud of my efforts, not just this week, but in the so many
Since Kaitlin Quevedo’s debut, she has beaten Venus Williams, made her Grand Slam main-draw debut in Paris — where she defeated Leolia Jeanjean for her first Major win — and cracked the Top 100 for the first time in July. Photo courtesy SP Open
years I’ve been practicing and playing tennis. You always want these kinds of things to happen, but you really don’t know when or if it’s going to happen. “So I’m really grateful and I just want to enjoy the moment.” Quevedo’s odyssey to professional tennis was born in Collier County. As a freshman at CSN in 2021, she turned in an undefeated regular season and finished as FHSAA Class 1A state runner-up in both singles and doubles en route to CSN
also finishing as state runners-up. Quevedo was named the Southwest Florida Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year for her achievements in 2021. Quevedo opted for virtual school after 2021 while training at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples and concentrating on junior events. At age 15, she won the United States Tennis Association’s Girls’ 16 National Clay Court Championships singles title in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to her magical week in Sao Paolo, Quevedo had posted a 36-10
tour record and was ranked 105th in the world. After a start in the final that largely favored Podoroska, Quevedo erased a break deficit in the second set and broke in the final game to force a deciding set. Quevedo then rolled through the first five games of the third before closing with another break, watching Podoroska’s last forehand sail long to seal her championship moment. The SP Open triumph continues what has already been a prosper-
ous season for the Spaniard. Since Quevedo’s debut, she has beaten Venus Williams in Madrid, made her Grand Slam main-draw debut at Roland Garros — where she defeated Leolia Jeanjean for her first Major win — and cracked the Top 100 for the first time in July. Her title run in Sao Paulo sends her up 32 places, from No. 105 to a career-high No. 73. In August, Quevedo reached her first WTA 125 final, falling to Laura Samson, and earlier won a W75 in Saint-Gaudens in May, her 10th WTT title. With her first tour-level title, she becomes the ninth first-time WTA champion of 2026, joining Sara Bejlek (Abu Dhabi), Cristina Bucsa (Merida), Petra Marcinko (Rabat), Robin Montgomery (‘s-Hertogenbosch), Lilli Tagger (Prague), Alexandra Eala (Washington), Kristina Liutova (Memphis) and Diane Parry (Monterrey). Of that group, Quevedo is the fifth player 20 or younger to achieve the feat this season — and it came just eight months after making her WTA main draw debut in Auckland, New Zealand. Quevedo was playing just her eighth tour-level main draw and had never advanced beyond the second round. Her busy 2026 is far from complete. Quevedo is scheduled to represent Spain in this week’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen, China, and then is set to play in the qualifying for the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing.
Updating a Naples tennis tradition
New and relocated faces on the racquet scene By Randy Kambic
Late last year, tennis play returned to a historic Collier County property after a four-year break. Now, expert supervision and instruction have been added, along with varied programming, from a newcomer to the area racquet scene who has strong local connections. “It’s a tremendous honor,” said Matt Bacon, who in June became director of racquets of The Racquet Club at the Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort. “My focus will be to restore and make tennis here bigger and better than ever before.” The landmark Naples Beach and Golf Club closed in 2021 after more than seven decades. When the resort reopened last November, tennis play resumed for club and resort residents and guests on six Har-Tru courts in the same location of the Mary C. Watkins Tennis Club. With more than 25 years of experience, Bacon most recently served as general manager of a multi-court indoor pickleball facility in Jacksonville, overseeing operations from pre-opening through stabilization. Before that, he was director of racquets at Timuquana Country Club and Sawgrass Country Club in Jacksonville, and a club in Boone, North Carolina. He holds Racquet Sports Professional Association Elite Professional status, Certified Racquet Sports Executive designation and USTA High Performance Coaching certification. Year-round adult tennis programming at the Naples club includes regular drill and play clinics for intermediate players and advanced players plus cardio tennis sessions. Customized private and small-group instruction for both juniors and adults also is being provided. “If someone wants to play less structured, we’ll have that, as well,” he said, adding that men’s, women’s and mixed doubles round-robin tournaments will be held along with mixers and member/guest play opportunities. “It’s all about creating a culture of community,” Bacon added. “Building friendships is the key.” Even though this is his first gig in Naples, Bacon has become very familiar with area tennis pros over the years by being vice president of the RSPA state chapter. “The camaraderie here [among pros] is unparalleled from my experiences in other areas,” he said. “They make me feel at home!” His connections are already bearing fruit:
Evan Austin, here serving in a Naples Pro Tennis League match with doubles partner Cameron Backman in foreground, is now director of court sports at Quail West Golf & Country Club. Photo by Randy Kambic
He has arranged for a fundraising event for the FGCU men’s tennis team on Nov. 21 which will pit eight players from the team against eight local tennis pros in friendly, spirited doubles competition. The event is open to the public. “This’ll be my first full season,” he said, adding that he hopes to host a “fantasy camp” with some pro stars at the end of season and possibly expand access to the courts to the general public in the future. The Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort, was named earlier this year to the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List and the Travel + Leisure It List. “It’s the best of both worlds,” he said of his new surroundings. “We have the rich lifestyle of a resort, as well as the social feel of a country club. “People have come up to me to say that they played here for 15 years. There’s a tradition here we will uphold.”
Some other changes at clubs Last December, Alex Sweet took his racquet from Greyhawk at Golf Club of the Everglades to the Vanderbilt Country Club in the same
position as director of court sports. Sweet, previously head tennis pro at Bay Colony Tennis Club for five years, moved to Naples from Wisconsin when he was 15. He was a member of two boys’ state championship tennis teams at Barron Collier High School in 2011 and 2012, and then played for the University of Delaware and served as assistant tennis coach for a year after graduating. Vanderbilt has five tennis courts and is in the midst of constructing four pickleball courts. (His brother Alan Sweet, former head tennis pro at Quail Creek Country Club, recently joined the Mulholland Tennis Club in Los Angeles.) After Sweet’s departure, the Greyhawk club brought in Victor Montiero, a native of Brazil who won 20-plus junior tournaments there and became a USPTA teaching professional in 2009, as director of court sports last spring. Montiero, previously head tennis pro at Bay Colony and Pelican Marsh, oversees Greyhawk’s five tennis, three pickleball and three bocce courts. Formerly assistant tennis and pickleball instructor at Quail West Country Club, Naples native Natalia Maynetto joined the Country
Club of Naples as director of racquet sports last fall. “It was great timing for me to transition to a bigger role,” the former University of Alabama tennis player said. She also played on the WTA Tour for several years; was an assistant tennis pro at Talis Park, at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, and at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón; and was assistant women’s tennis coach at FGCU. She’s overseeing two pickleball courts at Quail West and aiding members to play on two tennis courts at the neighboring Moorings Park courts as Quail West renovates its tennis courts. After two years as director of court sports at Vanderbilt Country Club, Evan Austin joined Quail West Golf & Country Club last December in the same role, overseeing play on eight tennis and pickleball courts plus four bocce courts. The Barron Collier High School graduate played for the University of Kentucky, was on the ATP Tour and also coached tennis at University of Wisconsin, Drake University and Fresno State for a combined 10 years. On some of his more memorable experiences from his competitive days, Austin said, “I beat Andy Roddick a few times in juniors and lost to John Isner in college.”
6B | O c t o b e r 2 , 2 0 2 6 | The Naples Press
FC Naples forward Gio Miglietti converts a penalty kick. Photos by Irene Pérez
A must-win win
FC Naples remains in playoff hunt By Randy Kambic
It wasn’t pretty, but they’ll take it. After an early string of plays that displayed artful teamwork fell tantalizingly short of earning goals, FC Naples took the penalty kick route to go ahead, and held on to win 1-0 against the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Saturday at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. The much-needed win boosted the local team’s chances of qualifying for the USL League One playoffs. After nearly scoring twice, striker Giovanni Miglietti blasted a penalty shot past Red Wolves goalkeeper Jason Smith three minutes before halftime for his third goal of the season. It directly followed defender Julian Cisneros being fouled in the penalty area as he chased down a long direct free kick by defender Hal Uderitz. The victory and its three points moved FC Naples up two notches to 12th place in league standings with a 9-14-4 record. The top eight teams will qualify for the playoffs. FC Naples had a full week to shake off the disappointment of missing out on obtaining three points in its previous outing, having allowed a goal in stoppage time on Sept. 19 for a tie in Fort Wayne. its previous three matches had resulted in another draw along with two losses./ / “I thought the first half we were absolutely brilliant. It may have been one of our better first halves of the season, especially in terms of attacking football,” said head coach Zak Gordon, who improved to 4-5-2 since he took the reins of the team in early July. “I think we probably could have been up two or three [goals at halftime]. It was the result of highlevel match planning.”
The first of these near-misses came in the match’s eighth minute when Miglietti, after taking a pass from Ian Cerro and realizing Smith had strayed too far forward of his goal, lofted the ball over Smith’s head but watched it bounce off the crossbar. “We know the field better. It’s spatial awareness,” said Miglietti, who then nearly headed in a deft crossing pass by Cisneros one minute later. In the 31st minute, FC Naples
midfielder Juan Osorio dove at the doorstep to try to redirect Kevin O’Connor’s well-placed direct free kick into the net, but the ball skidded just wide. The second half saw the visitors apply immense pressure. One of the most impressive saves by FC Naples captain and goalkeeper Edward “Lalo” Delgado was off a right-foot blast from distance by James Vaughan in the 66th minute. Near the end of
FC Naples players celebrate Gio Miglietti’s 43rd-minute goal.
FC Naples midfielder Juan Osorio controls the ball.
regulation time, Cisneros smartly knocked a loose ball in a dangerous area off an opponent to earn an FC Naples goal kick. Delgado sealed the deal for his sixth clean sheet (shutout) of the season when he caught a header by Ropapa Mensah with two minutes left in stoppage time. Even as the opponents tried vainly for the equalizer, Gordon inserted playmakers Andrés Ferrín, Chris Garcia and Nicolas Likulia into the fray to try to get an insurance goal. While it didn’t materialize — strong shots by Ferrín and Garcia notwithstanding — it was also a statement. “It’s not in my blood to go conservative,” Gordon said, while commending the “strikers for running back to help on defense.” After seeing considerable action as a substitute since joining FC Naples in mid-August, former Lely High School standout Ty Collins made his first pro start. After accepting a pass from Cerro, his semi-breakaway scoring attempt was smothered by Smith in the 19th minute of play. Eighteen minutes later, after running down a pass deep in the opponent’s end, he slid the ball to O’Connor, whose leftfoot shot bounced off the goalpost. “It was a lot of transition, a lot of seeing where the ball was headed and trying to go for the second ball,” said midfielder Marc Torrellas, who
was near the center of the back-andforth action throughout the match. “We knew it was going to be a fight. We knew Chattanooga was going to make it ugly and fight, so we just went toe-to-toe with them. We’re just happy to get a win, because we haven’t beaten this team ever, so it’s great to beat them for the first time.” “We wanted to win,” Miglietti added. “The mentality was to protect our home and get three points. A team above us dropped some points before we played, so it was a great opportunity to gain some momentum. We’ll have the same mentality for next week. We’re going to keep pushing for a higher standard.” The Red Wolves, who remain in sixth place with a 13-10-4 league mark, outshot FC Naples 12 to 8 and had 11 corner kicks to the home team’s three. “It’s a tall task, but not impossible to make the playoffs,” summarized Gordon, as the 1,856 fans that attended the match headed home. “Most of our remaining [five regular season] matches are against playoff teams.”
Match update
FC Naples will host the New York Cosmos on Saturday, Oct. 3, and the Richmond Kickers on Wednesday, Oct. 7, both at 7 p.m.
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Howe’s hiring key to long-term success Evolutionary growth is relentless, it is said, and if you’re standing still — Speaking whether it be in life or sports — you’re of Sports actually falling behind. David Wasson FC Naples ownership knows this all too well. Which is why the second-year USL League One soccer by success at soccer’s top domestic levels. Most recently, Howe held a franchise made the necessary step in its evolutionary timeline on Sept. 24 senior scouting role with San Diego by formally announcing Sean Howe FC ahead of and during the organizaas its new sporting director. tion’s inaugural 2025 Major League What is a sporting director, you Soccer season. That roster delivered ask? Think of Howe’s new posi19 wins and 63 points for a first-place tion much like that of an NFL genfinish in the MLS’ Western Confereral manager — he will be ence — both MLS records responsible for the club’s for an expansion club. roster construction, player Howe previous served in scouting roles with recruitment, domestic and the MLS’ D.C. United and international scouting, Atlanta United, so suffice contract and transfer management, technical staff to say he knows how to spot oversight and long-term high-level professional talcompetitive strategy. ent. And how will he bring that keen eye to an FC That’s a big role, one that FC Naples previously Sean Howe Naples franchise that operheaped onto founding ates on a budget far more coach Matt Poland before sacking modest than the typical MLS club? him during a poor run of form in the “Recruitment starts with undermiddle of this season. In splitting the standing who you are as a club and task Poland previously held into two the type of player who can succeed in positions — keeping an on-field head that environment,” Howe said. “The coach — FC Naples figures it can now opportunity at FC Naples is to build more aggressively make sound decia process that supports what we need sions for sustained competitive sucto accomplish now while also thinkcess. ing several seasons ahead.” “Sean brings the experience and One of San Diego FC’s building perspective we were looking for as we philosophies was built around Right build the next phase of FC Naples,” to Dream, the global soccer and educlub CEO Roberto Moreno said at cation organization model that pairs Howe’s introductory press conferdata-driven talent identification with ence. “Sean will create a sporting character development and longterm player pathways rather than structure that can consistently identify the right players domestically just focusing on short-term results. and internationally, build competiThat full-pathway view, from managtive rosters and establish a clear idening youth technical programs all the tity for this club over the long term.” way to the professional level, is cenThe 37-year-old Englishman comes tral to what FC Naples hopes Howe to Naples with a resume burnished delivers to Southwest Florida.
Winning and keeping fans happy — and returning to Paradise Coast Sports Complex — are high on Sean Howe’s list of priorities. Photo by Irene Perez
The organization already has committed to putting roster spots behind that sentiment, as local products Ty Collins and Alex Bulai-Tudor signed academy contracts and have appeared in USL League One games for FC Naples this season. Howe’s task is to build on that momentum and build a more connected, visible soccer pathway in the region — so talent isn’t just brought to Southwest Florida but also discovered and developed here. “Southwest Florida has a strong soccer community, and there is tremendous value in having a professional club that young players can see and connect with,” Howe said. That is Howe’s 30,000-foot vision,
but he also hits the ground running while FC Naples is still clawing for points and trying to earn a spot in the USL League One playoffs for a second straight year. Which means Howe is actively evaluating the landscape to see if there are any additional moves to make in the season’s homestretch while also building out scouting infrastructure and organizational assets for 2027 and beyond. That ultimately means assessing whether interim head coach Zak Gordon gets his interim tag removed, as well as making decisions on the current FC Naples roster — tasks Howe said will come in time after lots and lots of conversation. “I’m in line to do a lot more
listening than talking, today’s press conference being an exception,” he said with a smile. It’s a big task, Howe’s new role with an FC Naples club that still hasn’t enjoyed its second on-field birthday. But it is a necessary one for growth, Moreno and FC Naples know, because if you aren’t relentlessly growing … you’re really falling behind. Southwest Florida sports journalism veteran since 1991, David Wasson hosts Mic Check Sports weekly on YouTube, on the Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Amazon podcast platforms, and at MicCheckSports.com. Follow him on X ( formerly Twitter) at @JustDWasson.
2A | SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
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RECREATION
Three Brazilian men stopped in Naples during the World Cup. Photos courtesy Lorraine Toth/Dollface Studios NY
RV travelers: Settle in for season By Melanie Pagan
Naples ranked No. 1 among the nation’s coastal RV destinations in a new StorageCafe analysis of 71 U.S. destinations. For Lynne Welsh, property manager at Neapolitan Cove RV Resort, the ranking reflects a place she came to know after arriving as an RV traveler herself. Welsh and her husband bought an RV in Arizona and began traveling before eventually settling in Florida, where they bought a beach house in Flagler on the northeastern coast. There, they met the woman managing Neapolitan Cove, who was preparing to leave Naples. “She said, ‘I need to go back to the East Coast. Can you take this over?’ ” Welsh recalled. They agreed. Two years later, Welsh and her husband are still managing the park. StorageCafe’s ranking provides a broader look at what makes Naples work for RV travelers. The analysis divided 71 destinations into five categories: coastal and beach destinations; desert and Sun Belt year-round destinations; lake and river destinations; entertainment and tourism hubs; and national park gateways. Each destination was evaluated on campground quality, on-site amenities, connectivity and local livability. Naples came out on top in the coastal and beach category, with campgrounds averaging 4.41 stars, plus full electricity and water hookups, strong retail access and 21 broadband providers. Those measures account for much of what an RV traveler needs once the rig is parked. But the reason for driving to Collier County lies beyond the campground.
The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau points to the region’s 30 miles of white-sand beaches and opportunities for kayaking, boating, fishing, birding, biking and golf. The area also offers a sharp change of scenery within a relatively short drive, from downtown restaurants and galleries to the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, where visitors can paddle, hike and stargaze. “It’s where the high life meets the wildlife,” said Sandra J. Rios, PR and communications manager for the CVB. Welsh sees that appeal reflected in where her guests come from. Most travelers come from
the Northeast and Midwest, while the park also draws Canadians. During the winter season, guests typically stay for two to four months. The park also has 10 year-round spaces, including guests such as traveling nurses who may stay for three to six months at a time. For them, Welsh said, the practical considerations are just as important as the destination itself: a clean, safe place with laundry, mail and delivery services that make it possible to come home from work without having to worry about much else. That longer-stay pattern is part of what distinguishes RV travel from a typical Naples getaway. Visitors aren’t necessarily coming for a
Neapolitan Cove RV Resort offers spacious RV lots with picnic tables and full hookups.
long weekend and moving on. They can settle in for a season and use Naples as a home base while exploring the surrounding area. But getting to Naples is one thing. Getting an RV into a site is another. “Lots of places don’t have adequate size for their vehicles, their rigs, and they will tow boats and trailers and cars,” Welsh said. Before guests arrive, she asks about the size and configuration of their setup. Neapolitan Cove can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet, although guests towing boats may need to remove them and use off-site parking. First-time RVers should also ask how easy it is to get into their particular site, Welsh said. Some parks have tight turns and difficult back-in spaces that can be intimidating for inexperienced drivers. “I always ask them, ‘Is this your first rodeo?’” she said. “And they laugh and say, ‘We’re so green. We don’t know what we’re doing.’” Rios also recommends planning ahead. RV travelers visit throughout the year, with families more common during the summer and travelers from northern states arriving in greater numbers during fall and winter. Some local parks cater specifically to Class A coaches or to visitors 55 and older, so finding the right fit may require some advance research. For Welsh, one of the biggest appeals of the RV lifestyle is what travelers leave behind when they head south. “They say, ‘Oh man, we hate going back. We’ve got lawns to mow. We’ve got snow to shovel,’” she said. “Here, everything’s maintained.” 
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‘It’s just different’
Naples therapist Jay Weitzner gets key assist for Chris Sale’s MLB resurgence By David Wasson
Chris Sale’s journey from the pitcher’s mound at FGCU’s Swanson Stadium to Major League Baseball glory has not been without its twists and turns. Which includes recovering from major elbow surgery that could have cut a brilliant career short. But at age 35, the left-hander found new life — as well as a new team — in 2024 with the help of a Collier County specialist. Having just been traded from Boston Red Sox to the Atlanta Braves and in need of relief from a series of painful injuries ranging from a broken finger to Tommy John surgery, Sale turned to former Red Sox strength and conditioning coach and longtime friend Kirby Retzer. He recommended Sale visit Jay Weitzner, a certified muscle system specialist at Symmetry Exercise Clinic in Naples. The rest, well, was history. Literally. After signing a two-year, $38 million contract extension with the Braves with an $18 million club option for the 2026 season, Sale went on to enjoy the best season of his career — capturing the National League Cy Young Award as well as a Gold Glove Award, the NL’s Comeback Player of the Year award and the NL’s Triple Crown: wins (18), strikeouts (225) and earned run average (2.25). Not bad for a then-10-year veteran whom many considered was in the final moments of an illustrious career. So how did Weitzner help Sale? “This guy [Weitzner] does a lot of different stuff than, like, I’ve ever done,” Sale said earlier this season to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Like, pushing overhead, a lot of pullups, a lot of core stuff, a lot of neck exercises which I had never really thought a whole lot of.
Chris Sale poses with a live painting created by artist Jared Emerson, which was auctioned off in support of FGCU Athletics. Photo courtesy FGCU Athletics
“It’s just different. He pushes on different parts of your body and just kind of feels where you’re at. He almost looks at the body like a mechanic of a car. Even stuff with my right shoulder and my right arm, my neck, my hip, stuff like that. It was more different than anything I’ve ever done.” Weitzner didn’t just offer Sale short-term relief, either. The former FGCU superstar just capped another Cy Young-worthy season in 2026 — finishing with a 14-9 record with 200 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA. He al-
lowed two earned runs or fewer in 22 of his 27 starts in 2026, averaged 7.4 strikeouts per outing and finished with a minuscule 0.98 WHIP. At age 37, Sale’s fastball is averaging 96.1 mph and often touches 99 or 100. And analytically, Sale ranked in the 96th percentile or better in pitching run value, fastball run value and chase percentage. Weitzner, who works with everyone from athletes to weekend warriors to retirees, said he basically started from scratch with
Sale — focusing on strengthening the 6-foot6 pitcher’s neck and shoulder muscles before worrying about anything else. “Very quickly, [Sale’s] like, ‘Oh my god.’ And then right away everything started feeling better and then he could move and not hurt,” Weitzner told the AJC. “That was pretty quick. That only took a couple sessions. He was shocked, and it was awesome.” Weitzner explained that he knew, at the very least, that Sale could perform athletically at a very high skill level, but that something was prohibiting him from reaching that skill level. Once they figured out the roadblocks, the rest — an admittedly unique methodology crafted especially for the potential future Hall of Famer — fell into place. “There’s things that I had him do that he hadn’t been doing for years and years because people didn’t want him doing it,” Weitzner said. “One of our mantras is ‘work the muscles, spare the joint.’ I don’t want to mess up the joints. I just want to make his muscles better. I got to choose exercises that do different things, that work muscles in different ways and spare joints. “It’s about identifying very specific conditions where the muscle system doesn’t work well. I got to figure out the exact position: seated, lying, face up, face down, one side, the other side, standing — the position of every single part of his body, and then get the right configuration, and then impart a force onto him in some very specific situation to figure out, let’s say his neck or shoulder doesn’t work well, I got to find that position.” Sale’s continued resurgence helped the Braves earn an NL Wild Card spot this season. And after his season is complete and he takes close to two weeks without even touching a baseball, Sale will get back to work with Weitzner’s regimen while also throwing bullpen sessions back at FGCU.
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4A | SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
Don’t settle for a weekend getaway when you can live it each and every day. While others talk about a resort-style lifestyle, Kalea Bay delivers a 5-star experience. Wake up to jaw-dropping waterfront views of endless horizons. Indulge in amenities that redefine luxury: a rooftop lounge for picturesque sunsets, a relaxing spa and numerous restaurants that rival Michelin-star dining. Go ahead and ditch the suitcase. Make Kalea Bay your forever address. Final Tower starting from $3.5M. Occupancy: Fall 2026.
13910 Old Coast Rd., Naples, FL 34110 239-793-0110 | KaleaBay.com
Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to this brochure and to the documents required by chapter 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee.
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Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2026
From left, Brad Nickel, Nathan Lowmaster and Dr. Rosalie “Dr. Rose” Brao also are recognized. Their work spans construction, plumbing and orthodontics. Gulfshore Business Staff photos by Brian Tietz
From left, Kendall Borelli, Scott Blackburn and Parker Borell are recognized for their work in real estate, financial planning and construction.
From left, Matt Hunter, Jessica Young and Reed Baker are among Gulfshore Business’ 2026 40 Under 40 honorees. Their careers span construction, skin care and law.
From left, Dr. Bobbi Brady, Lisa A. Difilippo and Antonio Longobardo are among the 2026 Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 honorees. The annual recognition highlights young professionals making a difference through their careers and community involvement.
By Gulfshore Business Staff
There’s a popular adage that age is merely a number, and many people take that mindset enthusiastically to heart. But a number of people in Southwest Florida have worked
hard to make their mark in the world before the age of 40. For their contributions in their professional and personal lives, outstanding examples of these dedicated young individuals are being honored as the 2026 Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40.
While each honoree has made an impression in their work, their leadership, volunteerism and support for nonprofit organizations have also made noteworthy differences in making Southwest Florida a better place to live. Age may indeed be just a number. But we’re proud to highlight the 2026 Gulfshore Busi-
ness 40 Under 40 honorees not only for their age, but also for their contributions to the community for people of all ages. Please join us in recognizing them for their professional achievements and the positive additions they’ve made to the place we call home.
Do you wish to share their story? Place an obituary in The Naples Press
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GATHER UNDER THE HARVEST MOON FOR A NIGHT OF WESTERN ELEGANCE, LIVELY FUN AND MOMENTS WORTH REMEMBERING.
Join us at the Bootstrap Boogie Barn Dance for an unforgettable evening of live music, dining, and spirited fun, all while supporting Naples Therapeutic Riding Center’s equine-assisted programs for children and adults with physical, social, and mental health needs.
2026
FIVE O’CLOCK IN THE EVENING SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026 NAPLES THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER
under the
harvest moon presenting sponsors
Harvest Moon Tickets and sponsorships available at: www.ntrc.org/barndance For more information, please call 239.596.2988
HEALTH CARE LOGISTICS, INC. SHELLEY & STEVEN EINHORN
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Puzzles
RES WEEKLY SERVICE,
41st Floor, New York, NY
CE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257
Answers to these 5_20260928 puzzles and New York Times PTEMBER 28, 2026 crossword puzzle on Page Page5B 9B
1 0 .0 2 .2 6
Experience Full-Scale Grand Opera in SWFL Puccini
Madama Butterfly November 14th, 2026
1. GEOGRAPHY: Almost 90% of the world’s population lives in which hemisphere? 2. AD SLOGANS: Which major retailer uses the ad slogan, “Save money. Live better”? 3. MOVIES: Which district is Katniss from in “The Hunger Games”? 4. FOOD & DRINK: What was singer Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich? 5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the poem “Paradise Lost”? 6. U.S. STATES: Which U.S. state is the only one with its own power grid? 7. TELEVISION: Where does Fred Flintstone work on the animated series “The Flintstones”? 8. MUSIC: Which band released the hit song “Don’t Stop Believin’”? 9. HISTORY: What is the Code of Hammurabi? 10. MYTHOLOGY: What is the name of the two-faced Roman god? Trivia answers 1. Northern. 2. Walmart. 3. District 12. 4. Peanut butter, bacon and banana. 5. John Milton. 6. Texas. 7. Slate Rock and Gravel Company. 8. Journey. 9. An early written legal code. 10. Janus. © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.
Puccini’s poignant score follows the tragic tale of Cio-Cio San, a young Geisha who falls in love with American naval officer Pinkerton, with devastating consequences. Set in early 20th-century Nagasaki, Japan, Madama Butterfly explores themes of love, betrayal, and cultural differences. This love story between a young Geisha and an American naval officer turns tragic when, after they are wed, he abandons her and returns to America. Butterfly raises their son alone and must make a terrible choice when he later returns with his American wife to collect the child.
Artis—Naples
with the Naples Philharmonic
December 8th, 2026 Barbara B. Mann
with the Florida Philharmonic
GET YOUR TICKETS GULFSHOREOPERA.ORG 239-529-3925
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THE NAPLES PRESS CR O SSWORD Provided by The New York Times No. 0927 RISE TO THE POWER BY TRACY GRAY / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ Tracy Gray, of Hunt Valley, Md., owned and ran a lawn and landscaping business with her husband for more than 30 years. Now retired, she’s been playing a lot of Rummikub with friends. This is her 38th crossword (and 13th Sunday) for The Times. Tracy says with a wink, ‘‘My goal was really to kick this puzzle’s theme up a notch.’’ — W.S.
ACRO SS
RELEASE DATE: 10/4/2026
1 Special-ordered 7 Sections of a circle’s circumference 11 NASCAR stat that varies widely by venue 18 Banderas of the 2024 film ‘‘Babygirl’’ 20 Coaster feature, maybe 21 Assembles in proper order 22 Mar, as a reputation 23 See 25-Across 24 Maligns 25 With 23-Across, March Madness tournament round 27 Mouths (off) 29 Pact that preceded the U.S.M.C.A. 30 Burnable bog stuff 31 Burned chimney stuff 33 High-speed Olympic sport 34 See 37-Across 35 One who might have perfect pitch? 37 With 34-Across, full extent of something 43 ‘‘Holy moly!’’ 45 Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo 46 Red-coated cheese 47 ‘‘____ funny!’’ 48 Bigwig 52 Own (up) 55 It’s off the wall! 57 ‘‘Red’’ or ‘‘1989,’’ to Swifties Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year).
58 Buck ____, first 107 No-cash deal African American 111 Lay off coach in Major 112 Culprit, in police League Baseball lingo 60 Extremely soft, in 113 Modern pentathlon music: Abbr. equipment 62 See 64-Across 115 Metaphor for a too63 Chew the fat hot room 64 With 62-Across, 116 Actress Christine Beatles classic with whose last name the lyric ‘‘Will you sounds like a pair of still need me / Will musical notes you still feed me’’ 118 Ill will 67 Noted exile isle 120 Number written 69 Energy-efficient bulb, above and to the for short right of another 71 ____ orange, tree number . . . as seen five times in this whose fruit has a brainlike appearance puzzle? 72 Native Nebraskans 122 Weigh down, and then some 75 See 78-Across 124 Number with 76 Author who a 120-Across, purportedly drew mathematically inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled 126 Armand of ‘‘American ‘‘O-Z’’ Gangster’’ 78 With 75-Across, ‘‘So very appreciated!’’ 127 Many mailbox stuffers 81 Hold up 83 Narnia or Neverland 128 Zest 129 Iced tea request 86 Give it a whirl 130 Clumsy 87 Violinmaker of 131 Move fast, as a cloud Cremona 88 Letters from your 132 Road trip stopovers folks? 89 ‘‘So cool!’’ DO W N 92 Follower of John in 1 Pampering place for the New Testament a Persian 94 Chef with ‘‘New 2 Not impressed New Orleans’’-style 3 Watch via Hulu, say cooking 4 Online forum qualifiers 96 Greatest guy? such as /j (‘‘joking’’) 97 See 101-Across or /s (‘‘sarcastic’’) 98 Vent 5 ‘‘I’ll deal with this 100 Part of SCOTUS right now!’’ 101 With 97-Across, 6 Keeps hydrated, as Vegas casino vegetables in the machine produce aisle
7 Sitcom character from Melmac 8 Aussie animals 9 Item 10 Alfalfa shoot 11 Stockholder’s setback 12 Weisshorn or Finsteraarhorn 13 Not merely enough to go around 14 Island containing Kiribati’s capital 15 ‘‘Don’t pay any mind to this’’ 16 Zoom, e.g. 17 Feminine pronoun in Florence 19 ‘‘Would you look at that!’’ 21 Wedding reception hiree 26 Partner of aahs 28 ‘‘So-o-o gross!’’ 32 A-one 36 With nary a chance 38 Ingredient in some hair relaxers 39 Make a long story short, say 40 Individually 41 Female rabbit 42 Elbow-bender 44 Popular singer of the Hawaiian folk song ‘‘Pearly Shells’’ 48 ‘‘Sup!’’ 49 Sonicare competitor 50 Reschedule, so to speak 51 Things that drivers sometimes leave behind? 53 Letters on a lip balm tube 54 Scare stiff
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BUILDING A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS
56 Some old Disney collectibles 59 Arriving by 61 Tables 65 Stiller’s comedic partner 66 Incur a cellphone surcharge, perhaps 68 Electrical-impulse transmitters 70 Face off 73 Catchall abbr. 74 Priced to be, as bail
77 Fortified wine from Spain 79 Home of NoHo and SoHo 80 ‘‘Catch ya in the morn!’’ 82 Main squeeze, in newer slang 84 Lascivious look 85 Old-timey teacher 89 Sped or bled . . . or led 90 ____ Lilly (Mounjaro maker) 91 Pointe shoe accessories
93 Amy who wrote ‘‘Saving Fish From Drowning’’ 95 Balloon pilot, say 99 Worth a pick? 102 Stick to simple and unprocessed foods, say 103 State with only three counties: Abbr. 104 Illegal offerings 105 High-level H.S. class with derivatives 106 Star football player? 108 Get even for
109 Kind of insurance for bridges 110 Types in 114 Surrey’s Derby town 116 Singer/dancer/ actress Falana 117 Say for sure 118 Org. supporting sobriety checkpoints 119 Father of five sons in the Bible 121 ____ buco 123 Adornment on a boathouse wall 125 Heel, e.g.
8A | SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 | THE NAPLES PRESS
A STRONG FIRM STARTS WITH STRONG PEOPLE. EXPERIENCE. INTEGRITY. TEAMWORK.
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