Naples Photos

Photos by KELLY FARRELL

  • In this 2009 file photo, Jennifer Hecker of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida addresses the Marco island City Council. Kelly Farrell/ Staff
  • Firefighters are responding to multiple small brush fires on the block of 1st Avenue NW and Weber Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates.
  • Firefighters are responding to multiple small brush fires on the block of 1st Avenue NW and Weber Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates.
  • Central Bark, the city of Naples Dog Park, is scheduled to open by the end of February. Donations paid for the approximate $250,000 park and fundraising events such as Pets on Third scheduled 1 p.m. Sunday are to continue paying for operations.
  • Construction began in the fall of 2010 on the City of Naples Dog Park and it is scheduled to be complete by the end of February. The park, located on Goodlette-Frank Road near Central Avenue in the city government complex, cost about $250,000 to build and was paid for by donations only.
  • City of Naples Dog Park, dubbed Central Bark, remains under construction but is to open in late February without user fees as long as donations and fundraisers continue to cover operational expenses. The park, located on Goodlette-Frank Road near Central Avenue in the city government complex, cost about $250,000 to build and was paid for by donations.
  • The main structures are complete at Central Bark, the city of Naples Dog Park, located in the city's Government Services Complex on Goodlette-Frank Road across from Central Avenue. The off-leash dog runs for large and small dogs are scheduled to open near the end of February, officials said.
  • The Collier County Sheriff's Office and Isles of Capri Fire Rescue responded to a call of a vehicle in a canal Thursday afternoon. The initial response was to an area off U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard, but was quickly corrected to SR 92, near U.S. 41 and found the vehicle in the canal, but no one was inside,
  • he Collier County Sheriff's Office and Isles of Capri Fire Rescue responded to a call of a vehicle in a canal Thursday afternoon, Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Natalie Felber said. Responders arrived to the area of U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard and found the vehicle in the canal, but no one was inside, Felber said. 'Responders are still on scene and investigating,' Felber said. Divers from the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department and the East Naples Fire Department are in the water performing search and rescue operations, according to the Marco fire department.
  • he Collier County Sheriff's Office and Isles of Capri Fire Rescue responded to a call of a vehicle in a canal Thursday afternoon, Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Natalie Felber said. Responders arrived to the area of U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard and found the vehicle in the canal, but no one was inside, Felber said. 'Responders are still on scene and investigating,' Felber said. Divers from the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department and the East Naples Fire Department are in the water performing search and rescue operations, according to the Marco fire department.
  • he Collier County Sheriff's Office and Isles of Capri Fire Rescue responded to a call of a vehicle in a canal Thursday afternoon, Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Natalie Felber said. Responders arrived to the area of U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard and found the vehicle in the canal, but no one was inside, Felber said. 'Responders are still on scene and investigating,' Felber said. Divers from the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department and the East Naples Fire Department are in the water performing search and rescue operations, according to the Marco fire department.
  • 0303ME-CANALtease A Marco woman, later identified as Clare Tucker, 90, was found dead in her car in a canal near Sand Hill Street, Marco, at about 12 p.m. on Friday. Bald Eagle Towing, Collier County Emergency Medical Services, along with Marco Island police and fire personnel, assisted in pulling the car from the canal. Tucker was reported missing to police on Thursday night, having last been seen by friends on her way driving home in the rain from dinner on Wednesday night. View the full story, photo gallery and video of the car being plucked from the canal online. Kelly Farrell Staff
  • Marco Island Fire Rescue officials evacuate Starbucks in the Esplanade when sparks and smoke wafting from a ceiling vent closes the coffee shop from about 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. No one was injured.
  • Fernando Ode, who was living at the home destroyed by fire on Saturday night, returns on Sunday to take another look at the devastation. Ode pointed to the center of the home, where the fire is believed to have started in the family room.
  • The rear of the home at 4712 25th Ave. SW, Golden Gate City is devastated. While the front of the home looks bad from the street with the garage door and roof torn open in the fire on Saturday night, the worst is what happened to the rest of the house owned by Hublar Lopez.
  • Fernando Ode becomes temporarily homeless following a fire Saturday night at 4712 25th Ave. SW in Golden Gate City. Ode returned Sunday taking one last look at the devastation.
  • Gerry Paolini, 25, of Isles of Capri, awaits the successful retrieval of his brother Mike's pickup truck from the Fiddler's Creek lake on Monday night. Gerry slid off the pavement of Collier Boulevard in a rainstorm after 6 p.m. and two members of the Collier County Sheriff's Office dive team geared up and jumped in the manmade lake to hook the Chevy Silverado onto a tow truck.
  • Mike Paolini, 28, stays by his younger brother's side on Monday night after Gerry Paolini, 25, crashed Mike's pickup truck into the Fiddler's Creek lake. There were no passengers riding with Gerry, who escaped through his driver's side window that was open at the time.
  • 0827ME-MARCOVOTE1 Judy Sandler shows off her 'I voted today' sticker after casting her votes in the primary election on Tuesday at Marco Island's Mackle Park. The high turnout during early voting and the large number of precincts for the small island may be the reason for the low numbers of people found throughout the day at each of the poll sites, rarely forming a line or creating a wait on Election Day, poll deputies said. Kelly Farrell Staff
  • A Marco Marine Construction employee wades through the water for hours working to correct a sinking construction barge and toppled-over 17-ton capacity crane that came crashing down into the canal along Sea Court on Marco Island at about 4 a.m. on Sunday.
  • A small boom in the middle of the night leads to the need for oil containment boom to be placed in a canal along Sea Court, Marco Island on Sunday. A barge owned by Marco Marine Construction partially sank and a 17-ton capacity crane that sat on that barge fell into the water, destroying a residential dock along the way at about 4 a.m. on Sunday.
  • Contractors from Marco Marine Construction work all day Sunday to correct a sinking barge with a 17-ton capacity crane that toppled over at about 4 a.m. crashing into a residential boat dock on Sea Court. Marco Island and U.S. Coast Guard officials continue investigating the cause, as well as the amount of oil and fuel that spilled. Contractors used two 70-ton cranes, attempting to correct the seawall construction vessel and fallen crane, which blocked the canal along Amazon Court throughout the day.
  • A small boom in the middle of the night leads to the need for oil containment boom to be placed in a canal along Sea Court, Marco Island on Sunday. A barge owned by Marco Marine Construction partially sank and a 17-ton capacity crane that sat on that barge fell into the water, destroying a residential dock along the way at about 4 a.m. on Sunday.
  • Sea Tow gets a 22-foot Seacraft upright and to the docks at Caxambas Park on Sunday after the boat nearly capsized following crashing into some rocks. The group of six Golden Gate Estates boaters were brought back to land safely by officials.
  • It was a rocky day on the waters near Marco Island on Sunday for six boaters from Golden Gate Estates when their 22-foot Sportcraft began taking on water after being slammed into some rocks. Other boaters and officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Marco Island Police Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office and Sea Tow quickly came to their aid bringing the group to safety at Caxambas Boat Park.
  • Marco Island Finance Director Patricia Bliss keeps a tally of items City Council members wish to add to the 2011 budget during a six-hour special-called meeting with department directors on Monday.
  • Joe Whitehead, candidate for Collier County School Board District 5, supports the proposed Marco Island charter middle school and discusses some logistical concerns with the bald eagle and traffic flow if built on Tract K while talking to residents at the forum hosted by the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island on Wednesday night. Kelly Farrell Staff
  • Joe Whitehead, candidate for Collier County School Board District 5, supports the proposed Marco Island charter middle school and discusses some logistical concerns with the bald eagle and traffic flow if built on Tract K while talking to residents at the forum hosted by the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island on Wednesday night. Kelly Farrell Staff
  • 100723ME-SKULFORUM Collier County School Board candidate and two-term District 1 incumbent Pat Carroll speaks to Marco Island Charter Middle School dean Mark Calabrese on Wednesday night at a candidates' forum hosted by the Jewsih Congregation of Marco Island. Carroll changed her mind about not selling school-owned Tract K and said the property should rest in the hands of City Council. Kelly Farrell Staff
  • Joe Whitehead, candidate for Collier County School Board District 5, supports the proposed Marco Island charter middle school and discusses some logistical concerns with the bald eagle and traffic flow if built on Tract K while talking to residents at the forum hosted by the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island on Wednesday night.
  • Collier County School Board candidate and two-term District 1 incumbent Pat Carroll speaks to Marco Island Charter Middle School dean Mark Albanese on Wednesday night at a candidates' forum hosted by the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island. Carroll changed her mind about not selling school-owned Tract K and said the property should rest in the hands of City Council.
  • Matt Blaisdell, owner of Poseidon's Garden, an underwater burial service
  • As part of his claim with BP, Matt Blaisdell, 41, owner of Poseidon's Garden, a memorial reef sea burial service based in Cape Coral, wants the oil company to replace the life lost in the Gulf of Mexico due to the underwater oil geyser. Blaisdell wants help writing legislation that will require BP, as well as other oil companies, to place artificial reefs in Florida waters once it is safe to do so following this Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
  • Howie Grimm, owner of Grimm's Stonecrab Inc., Everglades City, opens up a presentation by marine biologist Riki Ott at the Everglades City Community Center on Thursday with a prayer for the families of the men who lost their lives on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
  • Fishermen and people in related industries gather at the Everglades City Community Center on Thursday to learn about the possible effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill from marine biologist Riki Ott, an expert of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.
  • Howie Grimm, owner of Grimm's Stonecrab Inc., Everglades City, introduces guest speaker and marine biologist Riki Ott to a crowd of about 50 commercial fishermen at the Everglades City Community Center on Thursday. Grimm said he wanted to prepared for the possible effects of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill just in case the odds of it coming to Southwest Florida waters were to change.
  • Marine biologist Riki Ott shares her experiences from being in Alaska during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill with about 50 fishermen at the Everglades City Community Center on Thursday to help them as they prepare should BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill reach Southwest Florida.
  • In this June 2010 file photo, minutes after Marco City Council discusses finding an outside firm to manage the city-owned utility, its current director, Rony Joel, accepts a 1st place award among utilities in the state for allowing the least amount of pollutants from the wastewater plant into the waterways.
  • Jane Watt, Marco Island Academy chairwoman, takes a pause during a press conference on Wednesday for a sidebar with her son. Looking on are YMCA CEO Cindy Love and Y President Skip Merriam.
  • Southeast quadrant of the Marco Island proposed CRA for Town Center.
  • The 18-member Community Redevelopment Area advisory committee, along with their Chairman Chuck Kiester and two supporting city staff met for the first time on Wednesday night grappling with understanding CRAs, the size of Marco's current proposal and their own mission.
  • Marco Island's advisory committee studying the pros and cons of a proposed Community Redevelopment Area for the approximate 250-acre surrounding the Town Center shopping center begin with breaking the study down to an area about one-quarter of the full proposed CRA at their first meeting on Wednesday night.
  • House attendant Billy Mevilma sorts the recycling from the trash in the vending areas at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort each day.
  • Housekeeper Louisilia Pierville separates trash from recycling in a suite located in the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa.
  • Housekeeping supervisor Diumilia Telaus sorts the recycling and trash in the guest rooms of the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa. Guests may use the green bags for recycling, but even if they do not, housekeepers later sort the recyclables from the trash.
  • House attendant Billy Mevilma sorts the recycling from the trash at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort daily.
  • View of a seawall manufacturing site in May 2010 at 1270 Lily Court, Marco Island had neighbors a bit miffed by their view since a total of about 40 concrete seawall panels had been constructed there since late January.
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