Written by Laura Bell Adams on . Posted in Dining.
Last Friday was a cool, breezy evening, perfect for outdoor dining at JPAN’s north restaurant. JPAN’s north location, The District at UTC, has a large covered outdoor dining area, perfect for casual dining and people watching. This is the second location for JPAN, their first is located in Paradise Plaza in Sarasota.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Businesses.
Gambling in North America has always been somewhat a controversial subject, especially within the United States. Many states seem to be in a perennial back on forth on whether to fully-legalize gambling, with Florida being no exception when it comes to creating an “open door” environment.
Written by Vicky Sullivan on . Posted in Music.
Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa recently hosted the Allman Goldflies Band. An Allman relative and a former Allman Brother’s bass player, I was curious to see what this was all about. Singer/songwriter Gary Allman is an Allman cousin. His father was a cousin of Gregg’s father. He met Gregg a few times over the years but did not know him well. Gary has been doing music in some form or another since he was a teenager with a band called “Tumbling Dice” and was a guitar tech for the late Toy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band.
Written by Laura Bell Adams on . Posted in Charities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast and Manatee Technical College will launch the Beyond School Walls a first of its kind workplace mentoring program in partnership with Southeast High School that will help students gain a special learning experience outside the classroom. The official launch will take place on Wednesday, April 25, on the main campus of MTC, at 6305 E State Rd 70 Bradenton, in the Wagner Auditorium.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.
One world, one love, and one walk. This weekend thousands of people will join forces for one goal: to raise money to battle type 1 diabetes (T1D). The annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) One Walk will be held Saturday, April 7th at Nathan Benderson Park and the community is invited to participate by walking, donating, supporting a team, or coming out to enjoy the music, food vendors and entertainment. We had the opportunity to discuss the event with Reed Spahn, a local teen who lives with T1D and will be participating in the walk. If you would like more information about One Walk Sarasota, please visit their website at http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=7246&pg=entry
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.
Saint Patrick’s Day has to be one of the friendliest holidays in many parts of the world. Children and adults alike celebrate the day by wearing green and if you didn’t, you suffered the consequences by being pinched. Cities throughout the United States celebrate with parades and block parties. Chicago even dyes part of the Chicago River green for Saint Paddy’s Day.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.
Do you like vodka? It seems like more and more people do have a preference for the brand of vodka they drink. Just this week a friend of mine on Facebook asked that question. Over 204 people responded. Some even posted drink recipes and photos of their vodka bottles. Heated conversations ensued within that Facebook post with friends actually defending their choice of vodka.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.
Have you ever wondered if people really win contests for trips and prizes on the Internet? I have never known anyone that won anything, until recently when my friend and fellow photographer Chyrisse Tabone called me to invite me to be her guest as a SiriusXM radio prize winner! She won a trip to L.A. to the Brian Setzer Orchestra “Christmas Rocks” private show at the legendary Troubadour! I was as stunned as she was that she won and that she was asking me to come along for the ride. SiriusXM provided hotel and airfare expenses as well as a meet & greet with Brian Setzer and seats in the VIP box. We stayed at the Mondorian Hotel on the famous Sunset Boulevard with a view of the Hollywood Hills, pretty awesome stuff.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in SRQ Scoop.
Something magical is about to happen in our area for amazing and deserving children. A visit from Santa, piles of sparkly gifts precision-wrapped with care for eager little hands to briskly open, and festive goodies with games and fun is standard fanfare for most kids. But for a special group of terminally ill children and their families, this type of celebration represents an especially bright, love-filled few hour reprieve from what are typically very difficult days and nights. Santa and his helpers will alleviate stress and lighten the load a bit for parents while reminding the children that they are thought of in a special way.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in SRQ Scoop.
With fireworks, finesse, and a flawless opening ceremony, Sarasota welcomed 70 countries to the 2017 World Rowing Championships. A crowd of over 10,000 strong enjoyed an amazing evening of entertainment, food and drinks, and a setting, that once inside, felt like one huge vacation as if we were all transported to Downtown Disney and the “Magic Kingdom” was now Benderson Park. A year of planning, building, and coordinating volunteers, athletes, vendors, and many more culminated into one of the largest events Sarasota has seen. And that was just opening night.
Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in SRQ Scoop.
I went to pick up our media credentials for The Sarasota Post at the 2017 World Rowing Championships today at Nathan Benderson Park. Bill (a friendly volunteer) drove a group of us from the UTC Mall parking lot to the entrance where I found the Accreditation tent.