Capt. Jim Kalvin
June. My favorite time of year! Seasonal residents have gone back up north, the water is warm, and we’ll actually have some discretionary time to play. This June, however, will be special because of an unbelievable act of generosity and kindness from a family that I have known for over 50 years. When I was a kid, we grew up running around the beaches and woods of Naples and Collier County. And – yes, Naples did have woods back then. One special place where you could enjoy both was Keewaydin Island. Accessible only by boat, we could camp in the pine trees – right on the beach. In my memories, it was like the scene in White Squall when the crew was running around on un-inhabited islands seldom visited by Mankind. Now, taking the grandkids out there camping and fishing, I’m sure it seems like that to them as well. They’re as far from civilization as they’ll likely ever get. Stars are brighter, night is darker, and the campfire is a magical thing!
Our family used to go to Keewaydin with the Dean family back in the 60’s. Dr. Edwin Dean, Sr. was a colleague of Dad’s, and their four kids were very close in age to my brothers and myself. Mary Lou Dean was a good friend of Mom’s, and they were both huge community supporters and advocates. Back then, everybody knew everybody. We were the “wild boys” – catching, cooking, and eating our own fish and crabs, running around until you couldn’t run around anymore, and enjoying the sound of the wind in the trees as our Moms sat us down for a picnic lunch. We had numerous outings on a piece of property that Dr. Dean had purchased on the island, that went from the intracoastal waterway to the Gulf. I guess all of us feel as though we never left the island – we just don’t get out there as much as we’d like. I’m sure there will be some of you reading this article that might feel the same way.
Last month, after many discussions with the Dean Family, they agreed to gift that piece of Paradise to the Marine Industries Association of Collier County Foundation. The goal being to manage that vacant parcel in perpetuity to preserve access for the youth of Collier County and afford recreational and environmental stewardship opportunities for generations to come. The MIACC Foundation is humbled and excited to bring this project forward and expand our Kid’s Fishing programs, as well as work with other charitable non-profit groups to provide a peek into the magical world of our 10,000 Islands. As the ink dries on the formal paperwork, we have established an “Island Committee” that will be mapping out short-term, intermediate, and long-range plans to provide proper amenities for safe and proper use of the parcel. For those interested, there will be opportunities to participate as supporters of this Project. For many of the current and former members of the Marine Industries Association of Collier County, this will be something that we can leave behind to preserve a part of how we remember the earlier years of Naples. It is a true “Legacy” initiative that will get kids out of their “virtual” world and let them see what is out there past the lights of the City streets and the computer screen.
If you are interested in finding out more about this Project, please feel free to contact me at the number or e-mail address below. Donations to the MIACC Foundation are tax deductible and am endowment fund is being created to make sure this initiative will stand the test of time. In closing, only in Naples will you find the generosity displayed by the Dean Family in making this a reality! I’ve always said that Naples is still a “small town” – you just have to know where to look!
Captain Jim Kalvin is a Florida Native, a Licensed USCG 100 Ton Master, and a local Marine Contractor. He can be reached at 239-280-6054, at james.kalvin61@gmail.com , or through kcmcfl.com .