10-14-07. drove over to Immokalee to see Lake Trafford, a large lake a few miles west of Immokalee. I found it to be a cool-looking lake with a homey marina store, boat ramp, and picnicking area. Remnants from a prehistoric canoe, possibly several thousand years old had been found in the muck near the boat ramp a week or so ago. Archaeologists from Tampa were called down to take wood samples for radio carbon dating.
Then I was curious about the Ave Maria University, reported to be a new concept in religious fundamentalism where 10,000 dwellings, shops, etc would become present , built around an architecturally monumental church, a religious-right university dedicated to fundamentals of Christianity, or something like that. Unable to locate the place right off, I found the local casino and decided to have lunch there.
I have to say Immokalee is a roadside attraction in its own right; closer to my perception of a “thrid world” town, like one I’ve seen in old Mexico during the 70s… faded and run-down but colorful buildings of block and concrete, or wood adding an eerie cheerfulness to the squalor there – mostly stores in downtown, many boarded up and closed, many poor and unemployed souls on the streets, all of color.
As I entered the Seminole Casino I was assaulted by the same thick cloud of cigarette smoke and slot machine chimes I find when I go in Indian casinos in northern New Mexico. The same frenzy of aging wives with white-butted cigarettes stuck to smears of red lipstick, and the smells of burning nicotine and Belk’s perfume. Unpon inquiry, the nice hostess kindly gave me directions to Ave Maria adding “you’ll know you’re there when it looks like you’re entering the gates to Heaven. “ I had read that Ave Maria University was the brain-child and creation of one of the fast food gigillionaires, planned to be a community of Biblical fundamentalist (literalist-- they interpret the Bible literally and live by that interpretation. The interpretation is often different than other fundamentalists' interpretations. Much is left to the imagination, little to science). families who buy into the community. Housing development tracks by Del Webb and other high-end retiree-oriented developers. Wonder if they need an archaeology survey? Hummmmm.
Ave Maria I found still under construction, but much of it completed—enough to see the highly marketable and popular “Town Center” design in plan. The massive up trending hewn limestone stone and steel church, capped with a gold embossed cross, is surrounded by a trendy two and three-story townhouse architecture of what looks like both residential and business use. Trending townhosues for upscale college students in upscale fundamentalist training. I place to nlive and practice post-graduately. No one was there yet. The neatly bricked streets were empty and the clean white curbs lacked the darkened blemish of tire-rub.
Pictures of Ave Maria U are in my photo album entitled 10-14-07. While captions do not identify the pictures as such, you'll know you're looking at the right ones by the feeling you get of "entering the gates of heaven" when you see them.
