Jim Roane grew up as a kid of missionaries. He spent time in Africa, Egypt, Sri Lanka and the Phillipines before his family settled in Minnesota. Jim worked as a corporate trader in Minnesota, but a family tragedy made him reassess what was important in life. He and Mary Beth now have a resort in Tanzania. The goal was to bring two cultures together through a safari experience. It is much more than that however. Travelers learn about the Maasai people and philanthropic opportunities as well. This has had a profound impact on the Maasai. Listen and learn about "living life in the grays".

Roane Travel

Once a provider of glass packaging and branding to the spirits industry, Beth Dutton Hurwitz is now proprietor of a curated speakeasy and bottle room in Bonita Springs. Leveraging her expertise in product presentation, she focuses on educating guests about small-batch distilleries through a unique tasting experience. Her mixologists elevate these rare spirits with house-made syrups crafting cocktails designed to highlight nuanced flavors and delight every palate.

Here is a link to the website: https://craftspiritssocial.com/

Dave Baker thought it would be a good idea to interview Randy. So the tables were turned and Dave asked the questions with his silky smooth radio voice. If your travels take you to Green Bay or Door County WI, you might be able to catch Randy's band, Everson Starcheck. Hear the background stories about the band, the podcast and the "why" behind Randy's pursuits.

www.eversonstarcheck.com and facebook.com/eversonstarcheck are the band websites if you are looking for more info on dates and venues.

Chef Justin suggested I interview Ilse Talavera. You may see her from time-to-time, but she spends a lot of time behind the curtain making sure everything is "just so". She is highly trained and has worked with a Michelin rated chef. Enjoy the next 16 minutes getting to know another integral person in the Copperleaf family.

Tom Greenhaw wrote software for a living. He founded two companies that have processed billions of transactions at thousands of business locations. As examples, True Value Hardware and Michael's have used his systems for inventory management. Tom is now retired, but he has many projects he's working on. His most notable project is building a robotic hand, an incredibly complex undertaking. He uses artificial intelligence extensively and was instrumental in helping create machine learning before AI was called AI.

Neighborly News talks to Copperleaf Director of Food and Beverage, Alex Satizabal and Executive Chef, Justin Hornyak to get a behind the scenes look at everything that needs to happen to provide a quality experience to the members.

Do you know what the least liked meats are at Copperleaf? Chef Justin knows and avoids them.

Are you aware of the new Chef's Table? What are the events the members need to be aware of? How does Alex train and motivate the staff? How does Justin decide the menus? All of these questions get answered in a short 20 minute interview.

Mike Vitale is a singer, songwriter and performer currently based in Los Angeles. We may see someone perform but not realize all the behind the scenes work it takes to be a musician. This interview pulls back the curtain to the details a musician deals with on a day-to-day basis.

Mike recently signed a contract to work for Holland America. He boarded in October and his contract was extended until March. I'm sure you'll find our conversation frank and enlightening.

Mike's music is available on all major streaming services. Here is a link to his webpage. Enjoy!

https://mikevitalemusic.com/

Mike recorded this song on the ship. Stumbling (Into the Next Thing)

Stumbling

Carrie and I started 2026 off with a cruise. The way we did it was interesting. We cruised standby. Here is a 10 minute description of what we did, how we did it and the savings that we realized as a result. Stay tuned. Later this week, I will release an interview with Mike Vitale, a singer songwriter and performer on the cruise.