Traveling Wall

Naples has the honor of hosting The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall. Our whole photo staff has covered it through the week. I was speaking with my friend Tristan today about the Vietnam Wall and how it is the most moving and sentimental monument in our country. He lives in D.C. now and every time he goes by the wall he says there is always someone standing before it who is moved to tears. Vietnam is still so fresh in everyone's memory and life. There is hardly an American my age or older who doesn't know someone connected to that particular war. There are so many names on that wall.

The Summer's End

The water is warm and the night is wet.

Couples trickle along the beach Sunday, flirting with each other and kicking at the sand. A woman with a cigarette and sunglasses hanging from her mouth skims the surface of the shore with a metal detector, stopping every so often to pick up a little treasure. Or maybe trash.

The pier is slightly less busy than a usual night just after sunset. Electricity lights up the sky as the sun falls farther past the horizon.

A young boy runs toward the water, a white cast net in tow.

Seth Barrios’ 8-year-old upper body twists all the way around as his feet dig into the sand. As if on a spring, he twirls and flings the net out into the water in front of him.

“Go all the way out to your waist” yells his mother, Jo Foster, as she and her boyfriend, Justin Maschue, embrace on the south side of the pier and watch her two sons play.

Seth is quiet. He diligently continues with the net, holding one end of the rope in his mouth as he straightens out the webbing. He raises his lanky arms to pull it out of the water.

“When is it going to be my turn?” Josiah Barrios pleads. Seth’s 7-year-old brother occupies his time playing a game of tag with the water that laps at the sand.

Josiah screams with glee as he outruns the shallow waves that move closer to his feet. Then, he turns around to chase them down as they head back out to sea.

In the 20 minutes he spends in the water, Seth is unconcerned that all he has caught is one large sand flea.

“Seth, it’s time to go,” says Foster for the fourth time. He doesn’t hear her, or chooses not to. The summer is coming to an end and he is determined to make every moment last a little longer.

adoro bailar

I couldn't help but shake it while shooting the Willy Chirino concert. I love salsa music. I'm lucky anything is in focus.

It was a hard day

Today, about 250 custodial employees for the Collier County School District found out that their jobs will be outsourced to a private company. They will possibly be rehired by the company, but are subject to salary cuts and loss of benefits. It was intense after the decision was made by the school board, 3-1, to cut the jobs. After the vote, people immediately left the meeting, went outside, held each other and cried.

Read the story Here

Clown Class

Stood Up

Had an assignment to photograph a girl tonight at the beach. She didn't show up. So, I amused myself.

Dilemma

Tonight, I photographed a demonstration and candle light vigil held by district custodial workers whose jobs are being threatened by privatization. There is something I like about both of these pictures. Each for different reasons. I'm putting them both up on my blog hoping you all will give me your opinion. Which do you like better? Why? Also, please feel free to say if you don't like either....

Thanks. :)

Cel-e-brate good times, come on!

Tonight, Gulf Coast High School beat Naples High School in a volleyball match. It wasn't really an important match except both teams were undefeated until tonight. And the fans at Gulf Coast LOVE their volleyball team.

Pick-up ball

I walked out of a volleyball game tonight at FGCU and saw some guys playing pick-up basketball on the wet courts outside. They told me that if I end up writing about them in the paper to be sure to say that it's "B.S." that the school doesn't open the gym back up after the volleyball game. Apparently they didn't like having to play outside. It was bad for them, but good for me.

Leebo's Part Two