About I.M. STACKEL

Information

Biography

I was born and reared in Brooklyn, N.Y., in a small boating community that — in the 1950s — looked a lot like Naples without the palm trees. I entered Brooklyn College in 1970, but the first five years of the '70s was still the '60s, so I was way too busy traveling and experimenting with life to get a degree.

I always wrote. When I was in grade school, we used to listen to a Board of Education-produced news show called, "Let's Look at the News." Students were encouraged to write in letters addressing issues. We all did that. It was a sign of the times. Remember, that I was 9 -- almost 10 -- when the Cuban Missile Crisis went down, and we all thought the world was coming to an end. It was the defining moment of my life.

While my first "grown-up" job was in Jerusalem in 1973 just after the Yom Kippur War, I spent most of the 1970s writing poetry. I was a travel writer during the 1980s and early 1990s, mostly covering Asia, the South Pacific and the Caribbean.

My spare time is spent exploring the same subjects and issues that have always fascinated me: geotectonics, spiritual belief systems, love, the anthropology of food. The latter is nicer than saying I obsessively collect and read cookbooks.

Favorite quote: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less."

Position History

Staff Writer
02/01/2001 - current

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Stories

Recent Work

Stories

Emotions high as Collier EOC building named for Jim Mudd Published 11/18/2009 at 4:48 p.m.
Monday was a good day for former Collier County Manager Jim Mudd. Accompanied by his wife, Toni, a cheerful, albeit slightly pale, Mudd arrived at the Emergency Operations Center on Lely Parkway, armed with his usual high spirits and acid ...
VIDEO: Collier County names emergency operations center for Jim Mudd Published 11/16/2009 at 7:31 p.m.
It was a good day for former Collier County Manager Jim Mudd. Cheerful, albeit slightly pale, Mudd arrived armed with his usual high spirits and acid wit. Monday morning, county officials dedicated the new Emergency Operations Center on Lely Cultural ...
Collier may redefine county airport director position Published 11/15/2009 at 5:22 p.m.
The Collier County Commission will take a fresh look at what is needed in an airport director. County Manager Leo Ochs Jr. expects to bring commissioners a recruitment profile for approval at the Dec. 1 meeting. Airport Executive Director Theresa ...
PHOTOS History vs. code enforcement: Collier leaders give a break to Smallwood’s store Published 11/14/2009 at 2:02 p.m.
Collier County Code Enforcement staff cited the historic Chokoloskee Island store – open since 1906 and listed on the national register since 1974 – for putting up an off-premise sign. Chokoloskee is on the western edge of the Everglades, about ...
Minn. Gov. Pawlenty address Forum Club in Naples Updated 11/13/2009 at 8:39 p.m.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he would not seek a third term so he is not campaigning for that 2010 election. He may, however, be eyeing a run at the White House in 2012. Not a great supporter of government ...
Collier commissioners approve report, ask questions later Published 11/12/2009 at 6:10 p.m.
Every county and city in Florida has to guarantee a measure of service efficiency, known as level of service standards. That includes roads, schools, cops, jails, libraries, emergency medical response, fire control and parks. Much of that is paid for ...
Collier looks to add landfill east of Collier Boulevard Updated 11/10/2009 at 7:17 p.m.
A new landfill is in the making. Collier County Commission on Tuesday will rezone agricultural land in the North Belle Mead Overlay and Rural Fringe Mixed Use District Overlay for a 344-acre Resource Recovery Park, adjacent to the existing landfill.
LIVE BLOG: East Naples Fire District interlocal with commission, not Tober Updated 11/10/2009 at 4:51 p.m.
The Collier County Board of Commissioners are in session...
Collier commissioners to consider raising fees, animal control, rezoning Published 11/10/2009 at midnight
It may not be a long meeting, but it is bound to be an emotional one. Three issues scheduled for Collier County Commission discussion today have drawn significant constituent reactions in past sessions.
Taxes explained at Naples session Published 11/09/2009 at 7:26 p.m.
After all these years as an elected official, Collier Commission Chairwoman Donna Fiala is still amazed at how few people understand their tax bill. Speaking at a Collier County League of Women Voters session on taxes Monday, Fiala pointed out, ...