Naples Florida Weekly
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Mid-year updrafts

GUEST COMMENTARY



 

We’re halfway through 2022, and it’s been a tough six months by any measure. But things aren’t all bad. If you look closely, there’s actually quite a bit to cheer about.

¦ Artis-Naples, the crown jewel of our art scene, continues to deliver. So far this year the Naples Philharmonic has given us Mahler, Schubert, Prokofiev, Grieg and a smattering of Mozart and Beethoven. The local orchestra is a treasure.

We also get the very best from elsewhere. A 2022 highlight was the visiting Vienna Philharmonic performing Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, “Pathetique” – one of the world’s greatest pieces of music played by the world’s greatest orchestra. It doesn’t get any better than that.

¦ Southwest Florida remains a primo destination. Amazon is expanding, and we lead the country in corporate relocations. Developers are laying out communities to accommodate new residents pouring in every day.

TRECKER

TRECKER

Growth along the shoreline is also perking up. Ground was just broken for One Naples, approvals were given for a Four Seasons hotel and, longer-term, a Rosewood resort is being planned. All right on the water. No one seems concerned about sea-level rise.

To the north a dedicated building for Florida Gulf Coast University’s “Water School” is about to open, providing a single gathering place for its world-class scientists.

¦ Something else to celebrate is clarity, and the coming elections will provide that. Voting should clarify how we deal with a host of problems — affordable housing, mental health and addiction, increasing traffic and congestion. Commissioner candidates have strong feelings and widely differing views.

Ditto for the school board races. Candidates are bitterly divided over things like school choice and parental rights. The elections will clarify who makes the call on textbooks and what is and isn’t taught.

¦ Adding to the updraft is generosity. The Naples community is always ready to help those in need. And 2022 has been no exception.

In its annual extravaganza, the Naples Wine Festival auctioned off high-end wine from 21 vintners and raised $23 million for needy children. Other groups have pitched in. The Neighborhood Health Clinic, St. Matthews House, Guadalupe, Liberty Youth Ranch and dozens of churches and synagogues continued their hands-on support for the less fortunate.

¦ Some semblance of normalcy is returning. Schools are open, with masks pretty much an afterthought. In-person meetings are back. Concerts and ballgames are sold out. Congregations are filling churches again. And travel is back, even overseas. Foreign countries are starting to reopen.

¦ Governor DeSantis upped his support for the Everglades and Florida’s waterways by vetoing SB 2508 – legislation that would have benefitted Big Sugar and increased pollution from Lake O runoff. The veto is a big win for southwest Florida.

¦ While it hasn’t gone away, and may never, COVID-19 is becoming manageable. And that’s something to cheer about. Deaths are near an all-time low and hospitalizations are down. There are more safeguards than ever before, as vaccines and boosters for children gain approval. Pfizer’s antiviral paxlovid pill is a breakthrough for those who have the disease.

¦ Our economy is booming. After the collapse two years ago, Florida has made a remarkable comeback with over 500,000 jobs added in the past 12 months. State unemployment has been knocked down to 3.1%. In Collier County the jobless rate is 1.9%. Openings far exceed applications. Home sales have set new records. And Florida is on a strong financial footing, sporting an unprecedented $16 billion in state reserves.

¦ Our luck seems to be holding. There have been no hurricanes so far this year.

Tourism is breaking records.

Crime is the lowest in over 10 years. And we’re still considered one of the best places to live in America.

That’s a pretty impressive list in these troubled times. ¦

— A Naples resident, Dave Trecker serves on a number of local boards.

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