Article by Susan Scheessele
The Naples Woman’s Club, decorated with historic memorabilia provided by Dr. Lois Bolin (GNL Class XV), was the setting for a journey through time for Class XXI’s first session day.
GNL President Jackie Pierce kicked off the morning or “past” part of the journey by speaking movingly about “Her story”, the story of the women of Naples, Collier County, and Women’s Clubs across the country. Jackie was followed by a dynamic new speaker, Nancy Olsen (Regional Manager for Collier County Parks and Recreation), who took us back to the days of the Calusa and the Conquistadors. Lodge McKee shared his very special slides of Naples in the early days before air conditioning, when mosquitoes were the constant companions, and transportation to the area was mostly by boat.
A one hour Trolley Tour of the Naples Heritage Trail narrated by new participants Dr. Lois Bolin and Jean Walker Humphries was followed by a gourmet luncheon at Osteria Tulia.
Todd Turrell, author of Naples Waterfront: Changes in Time led our afternoon time travel out of the past to the present, and Mark Strain, Chair of the Collier County Planning Commission expertly turned our view to the future of Collier County. Phil McCabe, developer and new speaker, finished the day describing for Class XXI the transformation of Fifth Avenue South and his vision of the future of the Avenue.
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