The Wikipedia Protest

Jan 18, 2012 Wikipedia decided to take its millions of customers on a political joyride and shut down it service with an interactive banner encouraging them to take action and “Contact your representative”

The banner states:

“Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge. For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.”

Yes the banner is correct about one thing when it states “we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history”, but has Wikipedia been neutral in its creation of the “largest encyclopedia in human history”?

No Wikipedia has not been neutral.

Wikipedia is control by people. The people controlling Wikipedia, the Wikipedia editors and Wikipedia volunteers, all are human and have human characteristics and are influenced by popular opinion more than fact.

That makes Wikipedia a good source of common, popular opinion, in our time, but not factual or accurate.

I have in the past submitted articles to Wikipedia and in most instances they were edited out by the Wikipedia staff and this was done with malice, not based on fact, or checking the sources.

With this Wikipedia protest today of the piracy bills, I wish Wikipedia would either shut down permanently or become a factually based encyclopedia instead of a childish collection of popular opinion based on a handful of backslapping editors.

Home Security and how to safeguard your prized possessions.

The love of art has blossomed in many ways along the Naples Florida Gulfshore in recent years. Unfortunately, the local cultural awakening has attracted some who love art for other reasons than for art’s sake, namely thieves. In the past burglars stole two French Impressionist paintings valued at about $7.1 million—Monet’s Vetheuil Vu de l’Ile Saint-Martin and Renoir’s Place de la Trinité—from a Naples Florida mansion on Gordon Drive. A few months later, statues and sculptures began disappearing from front yards all over the Naples south side.

Although art thefts had been rare in Naples Florida, million-dollar-plus jewelry thefts have occurred since the 1980s. And as the Florida’s Gulfshore continues to become more developed, sophisticated and wealthy, high-stakes burglaries might be expected to grow. Here are a few tips that can help Naples Florida Homeowners protect treasured works of art and other valuables.

Home owners need to prove provenance should a stolen work be recovered. Anyone with a valuable collection should carefully document it.

Documentation should include color and black-and-white photographs of all sides of each artwork, highlighting unique flaws. Macro-photography, which reveals thread count in canvases, is also useful for proving ownership and authenticity of paintings. Once such records have been made, Keller adds, they should be stored offsite.

Two new types of technology that could further help identify stolen works come from ArtMark, a British company run by former art conservators. The company offers a line of Datatag microchips about the size of a pinhead that a trained technician can attach to frames and stretchers, or to antiques or other valuables. Individually coded, these covert devices cost $22 each and tie into a proprietary database that can help prove ownership if police recover a stolen item. The company also offers a sugar-based DNA identification technology that comes in liquid or powder form and which can be added to paint, ink or varnish—virtually any conservation treatment, according to Andrew Finlay, ArtMark’s president. First used in tanker holds to tag the source of maritime oil spills, the synthetic DNA costs about $800 for coverage of up to a 100-piece collection.

A good alarm system plays the most important part in protecting art and other valuables, police and security experts agree. But many alarm companies will push lesser, cheaper alarm systems just to make the sale. Look for a commercially rated, UL- listed panel from a trusted alarm company. A good system costs between $10,000 and $30,000, though outlays can run much higher.

In alarm systems, bigger is usually better. Smaller detectors, about three inches high and the width of a pencil, rely on just one technology—infrared—while the bigger ones, the size of a switch plate, use microwave and infrared. Dual technology makes the latter not only more reliable but also less susceptible to false alarms commonly triggered by the thunderstorms so prevalent in Naples Florida. Repeated false alarms can lead not only to eventual skepticism on the part of alarm companies and police, but also to fines from counties and cities, he points out.

Make sure to back up alarms with cell phones as professional thieves now commonly cut phone lines before breaking into houses, and many alarms still rely on wire-line phones. Homeowners should also buy batteries capable of running the alarm system for at least 24 hours in case the power goes out—another common byproduct of Florida’s frequent summer storms.

Even the best alarm system won’t stop a crime if someone doesn’t turn it on. And that—the human element—is perhaps the most common problem police run up against. The theft of the Impressionist paintings in Naples Florida, for instance, took place when the couple staying in the house went out to dinner and forgot to turn on the house’s alarm system, according to police.

A worthwhile option for forgetful owners and employees is object-protection sensors. These little wireless transmitters may be hidden behind paintings or other art, and notify a central security station when the work is touched or moved. One worth mentioning is made by Sensicast. Each transmitter costs about $250; front-end installation runs another $2,000 or so. The system won’t work with very thin prints or photographs. But the extra protection and expense are well worth considering.

Although it’s tempting to show off your Naples Florida art collection, security experts and police advise against talking about it too much, especially when it comes to boasting of high values. Don’t tell any more people than necessary about the particular kind of security system you have and avoid handing out keys to employees and tradesmen. If a collection is valuable enough, the owner ought to consider having a private investigator run background checks on potential employees.

When it comes to home security, it is only partly true that high-rises offer greater protection from burglary than houses. A Naples Florida burglar nicknamed the Spiderman scaled about 10 stories on a Naples Gulf-front highrise in the early ’90s, broke in via a balcony window, tied up the condo unit’s two occupants and stole their jewelry. Naples Florida highrises and other condominiums also tend to have many more contractors and maintenance workers floating around.

Today, 29 December 29, 2011 a chilly Naples Florida day, I decided to take the kids to the beach and brave the cold weather while they are still on their Florida vacation.

We parked the car at the Vanderbilt Beach parking lot and headed south on the beach passing the Ritz Carlton beach hotel. I found it strange why a full clothed police officer was sitting on the beach in front of the Ritz Carlton hotel.

That is when I met Corporal Dill of the Golden Gate Police Station.
He was seated on the beach, on the sand, near the northern border of the Ritz Carlton hotel.
He was in full police uniform wearing a gun and tazer, ready by all means.

I asked Corporal Dill what his purpose was on the beach and he said that he was there to enforce the property boundaries, as in trespassing laws for the Ritz Carlton, on their behalf.

When asked were he understood the boundaries to be, he correctly described the north and south approximate locations, but said that the most westerly boundary of ‘private beach’, owned by the Ritz Carlton, was the high water mark. Wrong!

I explained the location of the survey chain the DEP from Tallahassee had placed on the boardwalk some years back, to mark the ECL on the beach. He had no idea what I was referring to, but pointed to an unofficial looking sign behind him mentioning a distance and the ECL (Erosion Control Line). Corporal Dill said he was told by the Ritz Carlton that the high water line was the end of their ‘private beach’.

Later that afternoon we went back because a TV crew from FOX-4 News was fixing to meet us there for an interview on the beach. It turns out that the your corporal had a very busy day kicking people off the public beach in front of the Ritz Carlton hotel.

One lady I spoke to laughed at Corporal Dill when he demanded that she and her young kids move from her spot in front of the hotel. She said she was intimidated by his presence and moved on down the beach were the corporal had suggested. Who wants to argue with a man, gun and Tazer?

You know you are in the Deep South when.

• You know you are in the Deep South when a conscientious citizen raises concerns that a beach hotel has hired the county sheriff to remove people from ‘their beach’.
• You know you are in the Deep South when that same citizen is blamed by the police for instigating trouble, when their own police have failed to verify the law and is in fact breaking the law and hurting the general public in its actions.
• You know you are in the Deep South when the county continues to issue the same vendor, who uses the area next to the hotel to block lateral access for pedestrians walking along state owned lands on the beach. The county knows about the violations. They know, but they continue to aid and abet in the crimes committed against the public, year after year.

It concerns me greatly that the hotel is hiring police for the public beach and it appears that they have given the police incorrect information, which is to the public’s detriment.
It concerns me greatly that the police did not check the boundaries prior to sending their staff out to enforce them and possibly create an embarrassing situation that could affect tourism and how Naples could be seen as being a tourist unfriendly destination.

During tough economic times, we as a county rely heavily on the promotion of tourism, Naples vacation destination, and the protection of all tourism and tourists is paramount and not specifically preferential and unlawful treatment for one hotel on the Naples Florida beach.

If you are kicked off a portion of the beach in Naples Florida, as many today were, just move as requested and call the local TV crew or make a sign and walk up and down the beach proclaiming that it is public. That should get the message across that this bullying is not tolerated and needs to stop.

The corporal took off like a lighting bolt when he saw the TV crew. My guess is he didn’t want the publicity for doing a ‘good deed’.

• Beachfront Ritz-Carlton hotel loses a star
• Beach-goers on Vanderbilt Beach feel as though the Ritz-Carlton is pushing them out of a beach they consider public
• Mr Beach’s Opinion – The Ritz Carlton and Registry Hotels set new standards for excellence and service in Florida resorts.

Author’s note: The Ritz Carlton is located in Collier County and not the City of Naples. The City of Naples has an open beach policy and has never been known to kick tourists off the beach. The majority of Collier County commissioners support an open beach policy, but they have little control over the Collier County Sheriff (Sheriff Rambosk 239-793-9300) other than approving his annual budget. It is entirely possible that the Sheriff may not get his wish next time he comes hat in hand asking for more public money.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office
3319 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL USA
(239) 252-9300
colliersheriff.org

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Naples
280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, FL USA
(239) 598-3300
ritzcarlton.com

Google+ Celebrity

Google+ Celebrity List for December 2011.

Google+ Political Celebrities

President Barack Obama

Michelle Obama

Ron Paul

Newt Gingrich

Mitt Romney

Donald Trump (Unverified)

Google+ Actors and Singer Celebrities

Google+ Celebrities

Richard Branson

Joel Osteen Ministries

Paris Hilton

Kim Kardashian

Pete Cashmore – CEO of Mashable.com

Bill Gates

Jillian Michaels – TV’s Health and wellness expert

Matt Cutts – Google

Martha Stuart (Verified)

Dalai Lama (Verified)

Just so you know, some of these Google+ Celebrity Profiles have not been verified by Google. An example of one that is is Richard Branson‘s Google+ Celebrity Profile where you will notice a check mark saying ‘Verified Name’ next to it.

But this IDXPress is not a Diverse Solutions product, just that it works with Diverse Solutions IDXExpress.

The new IDXPress Plus costs $599.00 for a limited time.

Try IDXPress Plus Promo code 50OFFJAN7 and see if that gives you the $50 off.

But is this IDXPress Plus worth its price as a separate plugin or should it be considered an upgrade, one sorely needed since Diverse Solutions initial release of their WordPress pluggin about 2 years ago?

Many of the features they offer with IDXPress Plus have either been added to their original plugin by resourceful customers already. Most Diverse Solutions customers shared their ideas, as I have with Diverse Solutions in the hope that they would listen and improve their product.

An example is the creation of meaningful meta descriptions. I have had these metas on my money website http://www.naples-fl-real-estate.com, and shared this idea with Diverse Solutions a good while back.

What about the new feature for showing ‘related properties’. Nothing new in the sense that it is not a new idea, one that I had asked for, but now have to pay for. Again others have done similar to add to their websites.

The new feature for expired listings to redirect to a meaningful page can easily be added to the existing plugin and redirected anywhere you like.

One feature that does not appear to be present, that would be worth paying for, is the feature to store a users criteria and email them when it comes available. The plugin appears to me to only store the users favorite properties. I see no added value to that at all.

Diverse Solutions detail pages, the ones that show all the property information on one page, have always loaded slowly. On my website they take about 8 to 13 seconds depending. I ran a speed test for a detail page on the website IDXPress Plus is promoting greaterbethesdaonline.com and webpagetest.org took 11 seconds to load, so I see no improvement to the slow load times.

In conclusion, after being loyal to Diverse Solutions for almost 2 years, you would think that they, Diverse Solutions now Zillow, would consider this a free upgrade to us. I mean, it is no big deal, just implementation of our suggestions; ones we all have been harping on for years, being promised updates.

The Ritz-Carlton Naples

La Playa Beach & Golf Resort

Edgewater Beach Hotel, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club

Mariner Apartment-Motel

Cove Inn on Naples Bay

Charter Club Resort Of Naples Bay

Bayfront Inn 5th Avenue

Staybridge Suites Naples-Gulf Coast

Naples Grande Beach Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

BEST WESTERN Naples Plaza Hotel

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Naples Pine Ridge

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

Inn At Pelican Bay

Park Shore Resort

Naples Bath & Tennis Club

The Naples Pier is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Naples Florida. Located in Olde Naples, just off the Third Street South shopping district, the Naples Pier is enjoyed by local Naples residents and foreigners alike. Whether you are going to the Naples Pier for fishing, enjoying the sunset, people watching, sun tanning or volleyball on the Naples beach, you will have a relaxing time and one to remember.

Real estate for sale near Naples Pier

The area in the immediate vicinity of the Naples Pier offers a variety of beachfront homes, ocean view condos and luxury million dollar mansions.

Naples Florida Condos

Naples Condos for Sale

Marco Island Condos for Sale

Bonita Springs Condos for Sale

Estero Condos for Sale

Naples Florida condos offers you the buyer an incredible range of prices and with grasp of the best shopping  areas Naples Florida has to offer.

Third Street South, a natural beauty, is one of Naples Florida’s most attractive commercial districts, including world class dining and upscale shopping. Lush Florida landscaping embraces sidewalks and every corner of Third Street South. A range of upscale Naples condominiums are found in the area of Third Street South and the recently updated Fifth Avenue South shopping area.

Enjoy a short walk to Naples beaches from the steps of your luxury Naples condo and buy while Naples foreclosure condos are still available.

Other beachfront condo areas include Park Shore, Gulf Shore Blvd, Pelican Bay, Coquina Sans, The Moorings and so many more brilliant Naples condo locations.

For all your Naples Florida condos needs call us (239) 404-4221

Real Estate Agents in Pelican Bay offer real estate buyers homes, condos, villas and Pelican Bay foreclosures.

Pelican Bay is situated alongside two and one-half miles of pristine white sand beaches with a backdrop of native Florida mangroves.

Pelican Bay is a private community located just north of Naples, Florida. The Pelican Bay Foundation serves the community that includes over 60 residential condominium and homeowner associations, three premier hotels, upscale shopping areas, and 570 acre conservation area and over 40 acres of parks and nature trails.

The Pelican Bay Foundation manages the operation of four beach-side restaurants, tennis and beach facilities, a community center, retail specialty shops and a transportation network featuring electric trams transporting members to and from over two miles of private beaches. Pelican Bay has world-class amenities for residents include har-tru tennis courts, biking and jogging paths, canoe facilities and the Philharmonic Center.

Many Real Estate Agents live in Pelican Bay Florida because it is one of Naples best communities.

Avalon Pelican Bay

Barrington Pelican Bay

 Barrington Club

Bay Villas Pelican Bay

 Beauville Pelican Bay

Breakwater Pelican Bay

 Bridge Way Villas

Calais At Pelican Bay

 Carlton Place Pelican Bay

Chanteclair Pelican Bay

Chateaumere Royale Pelican Bay

Claridge Pelican Bay

 Covington Row Pelican Bay

Crescent Pelican Bay

Georgetown Pelican Bay

Glencove Pelican Bay

Marbella At Pelican Bay Amenities

Marbella At Pelican Bay Lobby

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 1

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 2

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 3

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 4

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 5

Marbella Pelican Bay Condo Floor Plan – Unit 6

Monterra At Grey Oaks Country Club 

Penthouse At Grey Oaks Country Club

San Marino At Grey Oaks Country Club

San Remo At Grey Oaks Country Club

Sandlewood At Grey Oaks Country Club

Santa Lucia At Grey Oaks Country Club

Savoy At Grey Oaks Country Club

The Tirano At Grey Oaks Country Club

Tuscany At Grey Oaks Country Club

Villa Bordeaux At Grey Oaks Country Club

Villa Marseille At Grey Oaks Country Club

Villa Vesailles At Grey Oaks Country Club

Estuary At Grey Oaks Floor Plans

Bay Cedar In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Buttonwood In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Gabriella In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Golden Fern In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Magnolia In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Medici In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Mirasol In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Persimmon In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Sorrento In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Tallowwood In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Tamarind In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Vernazza In Estuary At Grey Oaks

Barton of The Mews at Grey Oaks 

Courtyard Home of The Mews at Grey Oaks

Grand Parlour Home of The Mews at Grey Oaks

Great Room Home of The Mews at Grey Oaks

Aruba In Avila At Grey Oaks

Barcelona Avila Grey Oaks

Cordova at Grey Oaks Country Club

San Marco at Grey Oaks Country Club

Tuscany Avila Grey Oaks Country Club

Joe Eszterhas will write the script and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be a crowd pleaser, but will it be politically correct or historically accurate?

Let the truth be told Mel Gibson, the Maccabee heroes were of the royal bloodline of Aaron, older brother of Moses, hand picked royalty by the hand of God, our Creator. These Priests, Hebrew Priests, often called Kohan or Cohen, by Jews, ruled the Land of Israel for over 1500 years, accumulating vast wealth, maintaining law according to literal Torah, ministering to the masses, atoning for their sins, performing ritual sacrifices to God and teaching the population Torah.

For 2000 years since the destruction of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem, the Hebrew Priests have had little to no function in Jewish, Christian or Muslim life anywhere on the planet, but they have accomplished one very important task which God Creator has commanded them, which does not rely on the prevailing religions utilizing the Priesthood as God Creator has intended.. That is they have passed on their blood to the next generation and the next and the next, so the blood of Aaron, the covenant with God Creator still exists and is still fulfilled through their blood and inheritance.

Why has the Hebrew Priests no importance today?

The system God Creator established with Moses and Aaron was predicted to fail, as mentioned in Torah, and it failed and for the same reasons mentioned in Torah. Simply, a minority, even though hand picked by God Creator, cannot rule over a majority for any extended period of time without the majority violently rebelling against them.

When did the majority turn on the minority?

For years prior to 70 AD, which was when the last Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, we know that wars raged between the minority Sadducees in the Land of Israel who were the bloodline governing Hebrew Priests, and the majority Pharisees, the ‘common man’ according to Torah, who wanted control of The Land of Israel. But for all those years the common man Pharisees could not defeat the entrenched Hebrew Priests. That changed when Rome invaded the land and the battle worn disgruntled Pharisees sided with Rome (read Josephus Flavius) who gathered a massive force to destroy the Temple and remove the riches.

What did Rome do with the money?

The money taken from the Jerusalem Temple was used to build the Roman Coliseum and reference to this is in the foundation. The many Hebrew Priests were either murdered or used as entertainment and slavery.

What did the victorious Pharisees do?

After the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70AD and the removal of the Hebrew Priests and their government the victorious Pharisees started writing their Talmud, starting with the Mishna and later on the Gemara. Within the Talmud and the adoption of the Prophets and Writings, a new religion emerges with new laws and new sacred texts.

What religion came after the Hebrews?

The victorious Pharisees had established new laws in their Talmud and the religion of the Jews followed. Traditions that they had secretly followed, were now in writing, previously prohibited under the Priestly governance. Now the common man Pharisee, now known as a Jew, could get close to God Creator, without help of the bloodline Priests. It is as if the revolution democratized The Land of Israel. Now everyone was equal and the Hebrew Priests no longer blocked the way to the advancement of the Jewish, Christian and Muslims religions.

The last 2000 years.

For the last 2000 years, just as the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions have continued to exist and in most cases thrive, the religion of the Hebrew Priests has remained dormant, waiting. Not to rebuild a temple that was never commanded by God Creator, not to claim Jerusalem the holy of hollies all over again just because of its strategic military value, but to call the masses to make a choice.

What choice do you have?

When God Creator gave Moses Torah, it was given as a law book for all eternity and for all generations of mankind. Therein, within Torah are our covenants with God Creator, our deal we all (living and dead) agreed to with God Creator. You have your own decision to make, to decide if you will follow Torah as God Creator intended,  which is literally, or be like all those before that required awesome acts of incredible destruction to be convinced.

The messenger

Torah talks of a messenger, that speaks as God Creator speaks, which is literally, that offers mankind a choice after many years of freewill. For those that choose to follow; forgiveness and acceptance and those that choose not; it will be required of you.

I sincerely hope Mel Gibson gets that straight.

Site Maps – Naples Area

Pelican Marsh Floor Plans

Park Shore Floor Plans

Floor plans for the beachfront community, including condos, villas and town homes, in Naples Florida.

Grey Oaks Club House

Instead of assuming that I was about to unleash a barrage of information on the future of Google to an mere solicitor, I assumed I was talking to the brains, the inner workings, the essential blood of Google itself.

We started talking about the Google Profile and how this is an incredibly powerful tool to leapfrog a business into cyberspace and potentially a real financial future, all based on the dependable, genuine, sincere and real Google Profile.

Google Profile Building

I explained that it was like a school kid trying to start establishing credit so that later it could be used in the business world, so it should be with their Google Profile. What if the Google Profile could be nurtured, massaged, caressed, into a tool that would enable the individual to attach it to their business and automatically gain authority and respect in the Internet and search engines?

I proposed that Google Profiles be used to gain such respect by the owner offering the cyber community useful and honest information, thus gaining credit, over time. Just like in life, it takes time to develop trust, so it should take time for you and your Google Profile to gain trust.

How could you gain trust using your Google Profile?

You could make honest comments as feed back on businesses, post videos worth watching on YouTube, upload pictures of your area of influence and places you have visited. You could start a Google Blog and keep updates on your activities throughout the years and Google Plus websites that you consider of value. All this can be done without Spamming and over time can become a rated system similar to that of Google Pagerank, but instead it encompasses your entire profile on the Internet, regarding Google.

Google Profile Pictures

Another idea I threw out was attaching watermarks to pictures. Google Profile already uses technology to analyze pictures, so my suggestion was that cameras automatically add a signature stamp, a watermark, to all pictures as you click away. The idea is similar to a date-stamp, but a company logo or profile picture could be used instead, which would tie the picture into your Google Profile, where you have previously identified yourself or your logo. Obviously this should be an opt-in, but just image how easy it would be to network all your pictures and possibly videos on the Internet.

We talked for over an hour and I had to hang up and get back to making money off the Internet. We concluded that it was entirely possible that Google could in fact focus on collective community and Google Profile building by community oriented members, and entirely avoid focusing on the negativity of Spam.

Editors note: I just read that this feature, facial recognition, had been released yesterday by Google called ‘Find My Face‘. Now when companies like Sony and Motorola offer a facial stamp on pictures in phones, which will automatically attach to your profile, they will have something.

Bay Colony Shores Sitemap

Bay Colony is a beachfront coastal community located in Pelican Bay, Naples Florida. A variety of property types are available, from oceanfront penthouses, beachfront condos, beach cottages, luxury million dollar homes to Bay Colony villas and condos.

The Club Pelican Bay Naples Florida golf course, opened its doors in 1980.

The Club Pelican Bay was designed by Arthur Hills, a top class golf course designer. There are three nine-hole courses giving players a great challenge.

The Pelican Bay members purchased The Club Pelican Bay in 1991.

Situated in north Naples, Pelican Bay golf course has easy access to the Gulf of Mexico by tram, where Pelican Bay residents can dine at two beachfront restaurants and enjoy the public beach.

Over the years, growth was planned for and executed at The Club Pelican Bay, always with an eye toward the original aim of being an environmentally conscious and elegant community.

For three consecutive years The Club Pelican Bay hosted the Aetna Challenge stop of the Senior PGA tour which spotlighted pro golfers like Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez and other golfing legends.

The Club Pelican Bay offers both casual and formal dining and has several private rooms for hosting parties. The weather in Pelican Bay is beautiful, with onshore breezes cooling the afternoon heat and easing the humidity. The Pelican Bay Course is arguably one of the finest and most desirable courses and clubs to play on in Southwest Florida.

Westinghouse Communities of Naples was the developer of Pelican Bay. They have taken great care in creating an exquisite community that offers a superior quality of life in a natural and beautiful environment.
Pelican Bay lies along 3 miles of pristine white sand beach. There are 570 acres of nature preserves, estuarine bay systems and mangrove forests, all abundant with native wildlife and breathtaking scenery. A private train meanders along an elevated boardwalk through an unspoiled preserve to the Gulf of Mexico, where residents only enjoy the warmth of the Naples sun and the Gulf’s emerald waters, but also the charm of the open-air Sand Bar restaurant.

Arthur Hills’ championship golf course at Pelican Bay is both challenging and beautiful. Rolling fairways, multi-tiered greens, glistening lakes, an array of pines, palmettos and lakes distinguish this coarse one of the most magnificent golf courses in Florida. You will use every club in your bag when you play The Club at Pelican Bay.

Pelican Bay features eight Har-Tru tennis courts plus two cement courts for the tennis enthusiasts, and throughout the community are bicycle and jogging paths.

Pelican Bay is also home to the Philharmonic Center for the Arts which features world Class musicians, entertainers. outstanding theatrical productions and includes two art galleries.

The beachfront Naples Ritz-Carlton has been a 5 star hotel for 23 of the 26 years in Naples, so they are disappointed and so is Naples. The other Ritz hotel in Naples, The Naples Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, maintained its four star Forbes rating.

It should come as little surprise why a possible loss in Forbes favor comes at this time to the Naples beachfront Ritz-Carlton.

My guess is the Naples Ritz is suffering from self-inflicted bad publicity and is now paying the price for its actions and poor neighborly conduct. From arrests in the hotel with famous rock stars like RUSH, to racist concerns when a black waiter was told not to serve a white British table, to Florida beach skirmishes with the local population.

The Naples beachfront Ritz-Carlton, located in the luxury beachfront community of Pelican Bay, a WCI product started in the 1980’s, has in the past used heavy handed tactics in dealing with the public that routinely spill from the Vanderbilt public beach park just a few hundred feet away, to the front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Several children have had confrontations with Naples beachfront Ritz-Carlton staff members for legally skim boarding in the shallows in front of the hotel. My family was personally confronted by several of the Naples beachfront Ritz-Carlton personal, more like henchmen, and told to get off ‘their beach’. They went so far as to use the local police force to heavy handedly remove people from the public beach in front of the hotel.

Laws favoring the public and the use of public beaches do not stop a business from manipulating a situation in their favor, even though temporary. Unfortunately for the Naples beachfront Ritz-Carlton, the court of public opinion weighs heavily on offenders and I think that the loss in favor shouts out the discontent loud and clear.

• Ritz Carlton hires Collier County Sheriff as Beach Police
• Beach-goers on Vanderbilt Beach feel as though the Ritz-Carlton is pushing them out of a beach they consider public