Icons of Naples

10/12/2026

🎬 WHO WILL BE OUR NEXT ICON OF NAPLES?

We're looking for the people who helped shape the Naples we know and love today!

From longtime residents and business pioneers to community leaders and unsung heroes, Icons of Naples is dedicated to preserving the stories of those who have made a lasting impact on our community and its history.

Past guests include Thelma Hodges, Paul Manley, and Don Hunter, with Michael Wynn, Pastrami Dan's, and more coming soon!

🎥 We're filming over the next few months and accepting nominations now!
You don't have to be famous to be an Icon of Naples. You just have to be part of its history!

📝 Nominate someone here:
https://form.jotform.com/Weardon/nominate-a-guest-for-icons-of-naple

🎙️ Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify, and more.

❤️ Please share! Help us preserve the stories that make Naples special.

10/12/2026

Now that we are back in the studio filming are you up to date on the episodes? Here is one from Eileen Arsenault, a dedicated champion of historic preservation, cultural awareness, and environmental conservation. From her early days navigating the quaint, quiet streets of Naples in the 1980s to her deep involvement with the historical society and environmental boards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgU7qVORdWk

check out Eileen's episode on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Spotify

The Naples Press Naples Daily News Naples Historical Society's Historic Palm Cottage Naples News Now

In this episode of Icons of Naples, Kristen welcomes Eileen Arsenau...

09/25/2026

With Apple Podcasts – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

09/19/2026

09/19/2026

09/10/2026

Hurricane Donna was one of the greatest storms in history, leaving a path of destruction from the Leeward Islands to New England. A Civil Defense report concluded Donna packed enough energy to equal that of a hydrogen bomb exploding every eight minutes.

The storm roared into Everglades City on September 10, 1960, with wind gusts as powerful as 160 miles per hour. The Category 4 hurricane lashed the town continuously for thirteen hours, triggering a storm surge that submerged the town under eight feet of water. Residents who had not evacuated gathered in the County Courthouse to escape rising water and were forced to move to the second floor when the tide began to mount. When the water subsided, residents returned to discover over half of the city’s buildings had been lost or seriously damaged. Dead fish, filth and mud covered what remained.

Image: Two automobiles partially submerged in Naples Bay, swept off Gordon Drive in Naples during Hurricane Donna on September 10, 1960.

09/10/2026

A tribute to what once was… but also a reminder as to why the history of a community town a city is so important…. Thank you to the creator of the video spectacular compilation of what is now lost, but never forgotten.