Skip to main content
You are viewing:The Suncoast Post > Search results for 'sarasota open'
Search Results for “sarasota open”

RJ Howson…An Old Soul in A Young Man’s Body

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

RJ Howson…An Old Soul in A Young Man’s Body

Resonating, I am actually sitting here listening to RJ Howson sing and play guitar on “Make  A Fool of Me” (one of his original songs) recorded live at a legendary Blues club Chicago called Kingston Mines.  I’m channeling the vibe from yesterday when we sat down with our high test iced coffees and talked.  The problem for me was that this could have ended up being a 5 hour interview because RJ has the gift of gab and the experiences that make him an old soul.  I’m not sure if it’s because he might have been here before or if he’s just taken in so much more than the average person in deep thinking and life studying in his years.

Computer Renaissance….. Write Down That Name, It’ll Be Worth Your While

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Businesses.


In a time when stores are closing down, and store-keepers are moving out of their strip malls by the tens, it’s nice that Cortez Plaza seems to have new businesses sprouting up, and some that have weathered the recession. One such store (it’s in between Pet Smart and Burlington Coat Factory) is Computer Renaissance, at 4405 14th St. West. I went in to see Mike De Giovanni, the manager and main-stay at the store, and decided to find out more.

Ron Unger- IBE

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Businesses.

The International Barter Exchange and Ron Unger…Two Names You Should Remember!
A Laurie Story!

I was thrilled to be able to get Ron Unger to spend a few minutes with me explaining the realm and concept of his business, IBE, the International Barter Exchange.  At one time there were 16 different barter companies in the area, but now there are just a few.  I asked Ron why, and he proceeded to tell me the scope and the possibilities that barter makes accessible to businesses, their customers, their families and how they fuel the economy.

AeroNaut Has it All Sewn Up!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Businesses.

As boaters love their boats, as do pilots love their planes, and drivers love their cars. When they need work done on their prized possessions, whether it be re-upholstering, redesigning or just fixing a small area, those in the know take their crafts to AeroNaut Upholstery Solutions.  AeroNaut has a proven track record in the local upholstery business, and word-of-mouth has spread that great reputation all through Manatee and Sarasota Counties and into other areas of Florida.

IBE- International Barter Exchange

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Businesses.

IBE- International Barter Exchange
by Sande Caplin

If you’re a business on Florida’s “Suncoast,” you need to know more about “IBE.”  Barter saves cash, increases profits, and decreases the cost of doing business.  There are over 800 businesses in our area that use barter and the International Barter Exchange.

What are the goals of every business? Increase your sales by driving more customers to your business.  Another important factor is to decrease the costs involved in doing business.   By doing both, your business will be much more profitable.

What is the easiest way to increase revenue and decrease costs?  Start bartering  through the International Barter Exchange, the goods and services you currently have.  By bartering, you can buy the goods and services you need WITHOUT SPENDING CASH.  That’s right, without spending cash.  

Savannah Brady…A Lovely Young Lady!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

I had a chance to sit down and have dinner with Savannah Brady and her mom and dad, Jodie and Tom.  They are kind and gracious people, and you’ll never meet nicer, down-to-earth folks.

I first heard Savannah sing, play the violin and guitar, a couple of months ago at the Flying Dog Cafe.  I immediately knew that this very talented 14 year old young lady was “going places!”  She was absolutely awesome.  She came to a couple of “open jams” at the Dog and received a standing ovation.  That is when I got the idea to have Savannah join “Ladies Sing the Blues.”

Tia Castle- So Much Talent and Motivation In One Beautiful Woman

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.

updated 8/23/2013

I wasn’t at all prepared to meet Tia Castle and experience her as being humble, beautiful, intelligent and sensitive to the unfortunate people around the world who are homeless, but most of all, the horror of women and children being utilized for  human trafficking.  I was so taken by her sincerity.  She is a physically beautiful and intelligent woman with so much good experience and I know  Sarasota should keep their eyes on this rising star because Tia is going places.

Tia’s home town is Sarasota, so coming here to be the Associate Director of Marketing of the Sarasota Film Festival is both meaningful and a challenge.  It’s not an acting or singing role, but read on and you’ll see how multi-faceted Tia is.  Her Mother is here in Sarasota, and it was so tender to hear Tia say, “I love my mother so much, she’s my best friend.”  While growing up in Sarasota, Tia attended Sarasota Visual and Performing Arts High School, and also graduated Cum Laude from American University in Washington D.C. with a BA in Communications.

The Hard-earned Money You Donate to Charities- How Much Really Goes Towards Their Actual Mission?

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.

Part One In A Series of Articles on a Timely and Pertinent Subject:

With the economic crunch in full swing and little relief in sight, we’ve had to reset our priorities as to how much we can still afford to give to our favorite charities.  In the Sarasota County area there are 342 legitimate charities, and that’s just Sarasota.  In Manatee County there are 290+ public charities and probably more since “Charity Navigator” last surveyed the totals.  My friend likes to remind me that Sarasota/Manatee Counties have a charity for every cause, and the lifestyle of being involved, even a little, demands that you dig deep and give donations.

I do believe the right to know how much money goes to staff and expenses should be a part of public record.  Some non-profits have quite a bit of overhead.  www.charitynavigator.com offers up the idea that if the charity is spending more than 33.3% of their total budget on overhead, that organization is not meeting its mission.

Lani Copp…a Female Drummer Who Can Hold Her Own

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

Lani Copp…a Female Drummer Who Can Hold Her Own
by Laurie Mirkin

To me it’s such a trip seeing a female drummer so I can’t wait to see Lani play at Ladies Sing the Blues on March 26th at Primo, in Sarasota.  Lani is relatively new to Sarasota.  She moved from Dover, New Hampshire  to Sarasota 5 years ago to be closer to her parents.Music is in her blood.  She first played the drums as a teenager to fill in at the Dover, New Hampshire Legion Hall when her Dad’s drummer was sick.  He took a chance on her and her Dad could not believe how good she was and paid her $5 for the night!  Ever since 1973, Lani has been playing. Now, at the Oneco Legion 319 once a month, Post 24 Legion once a month, DAV 63rd, also Saramana & Wilkinson Eagles, and so many other venues.  Her band is called Lani-C-and Company and she loves their current team, who got together 7 months ago and are in it for the long haul.

You Think You’re in Italy, but You’re Really At the Piccolo Market & Deli!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Dining.

Walk through the doors of the Piccolo Deli and you feel like you’ve been transported to Italy.  The unbelievable aroma of cheeses and sauce cooking, and the conversation and laughter that is part of the service…well, it’s a happy place that brings back some of my own childhood, having grown up in an Italian town on Long Island.  So the aroma, to me, is like a trigger to want to eat all the imported and homemade foods that Piccolo Deli offers, including homemade sausage ( be still my heart ) lasagna, freshly-baked bread and everything I can possibly get into a bag.  Your senses are completely taken over and you’re in an Italian trance.  So I might be making a few questionable decisions on what to buy and what to eat to get my Italian “fix” on. Just don’t tell my cardiologist you saw me here!

Meredith Garofalo- New Opportunities

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in SRQ Scoop.

Meredith Garofalo, New Opportunities
by Laurie Mirkin

I spoke to Meredith yesterday, and I have to say that she can talk!  That makes my job so much easier, so I appreciate that, and Meredith has already done so much in her young life that I could barely keep up trying to write it all down.  Thanks, Meredith.

We talked about her love of music, which started when she was just a little girl.  She loved being in several different choirs as a young girl, and has taken acting lessons and participated in plays and musicals. She says she feels like a lot of her musical influence came from her grandfather, who had an accordion band.  I asked her if she’d be interested in acting, and I was surprised when she said she is seriously considering joining a local theatre company.  I can easily see where she’d be perfect for theatre.Meredith is from Cleveland, Ohio.  She’s got family there and also in New Port Richey. She has a younger sister who is 24, and her parents are both residing in Cleveland. Meredith told me she has worked in Ohio, Indiana, South Dakota and Florida, building her television career.  She has moved too many times and is happy to call Sarasota her home.  Her experience with ABC,Channel 7 in Sarasota, Florida, having come to a close, leaves her with time to really discover her surroundings and do everything she had no time to do before.

Skip to content