Membership & Members' Promotions Edition E-Connection

Volume 114 l February 2023

Weekly eConnection

801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770

Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112

Membership Edition & Members Promotions

Reserve Your AD SPACE in the E-Connection Newsletter Today!

*All Chamber members are eligible to provide business updates, event/program announcements and promotions. Starting at $75.

Check out all of the other sponsorship & advertising opportunities here.

B2B Happy Hour at Slyce Pizza Bar

Our annual pizza party at Slyce Pizza Bar was a blast! Thank you to Solid Rock Inspections Group and Jackson & Associates CPA for sponsoring, and thank you to everyone for coming out! Shout out to Advanced Video Systems for the photos & video.

Our sincere thanks to the following businesses who joined the Chamber during the past three weeks. To learn more about them, please visit www.CentralChamber.biz

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group

Bart Roberts

REAL ESTATE

321 N. Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770

770-331-0672

BRoberts@bhhsflpg.com

www.SellingSunset.net

Dream Giveaway

Jim VanArsdale

MARKETING SERVICES

12955 Starkey Road, Suite 3900, Largo, FL 33773

727-536-2777

JVanArsdale@dgGroupInc.com

www.DreamGiveaway.com

O-Lux Technologies

Gus Ochoa

IT MANAGED SERVICES

5401 W Kennedy Blvd., Suite 100, Tampa, FL 33609

725-205-4949

info@oluxtech.com

www.OLuxTechnologies.com

Winters & Yonker, P.A.

Marc Winters

ATTORNEYS - PERSONAL INJURY

600 Bypass Drive, Suite 224-D, Clearwater, FL 33764

727-493-4418

marketing@wintersandyonker.com

www.WintersandYonker.com/clearwater-personal-injury-lawyer/

Saluting Chamber Loyalty!

Our sincere thanks to the following businesses who renewed during the past three weeks. Their continued loyalty is inspiring! To learn more about them, please visit www.CentralChamber.biz

Acropol Family Restaurant, 10-Year Member

Brown & Brown of Florida, Inc., 11-Year Member

CareerSource Pinellas, 21-Year Legacy Member

GilDewey's, LLC, 7-Year Member

Liberty Payment Solutions, 4-Year Member

Sonnenberg Insurance Services, Inc., 29-Year Legacy Member

The Flying Locksmiths, 8-Year Member

The Haus Coffee Shop, 9-Year Member

Value Properties/Wealth Builders, 13-Year Member, Silver Trustee

(Legacy Member = 15 years or more)

Member Plaque Presentations for New Members

Welcome new Member: Ink Godz Tattoo - Largo!

Neil Marcus, CEO & Artist, was presented with his Chamber Member Plaque at our recent Chamber 101 meeting. To learn more about Ink Godz Tattoo, visit his business listing in our Business Directory

Welcome new Member: Bart Roberts with

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices!

Bart was presented with his Chamber Member Plaque at our recent Chamber 101 meeting. Check out his business listing here.

Coffee An' Networking at SPCA Tampa Bay

When: Thursday, March 9 at 7:45 AM

Where: SPCA Tampa Bay, 9099 130th Ave. N., Largo 33773

FREE for Members. Register here.

$25 for Non-Members. Register here.

$250 sponsorships available! Register as a Sponsor here.

Thank you to our Coffee An' Sponsors (to date)!

Download and fill out the Taste of the Chamber form. Email it to Tom@centralchamber.biz or Zoe at membership@centralchamber.biz

Tampa Bay Transit Riders Can Now Pay Via

Debit, Credit or Google/Apple Pay

****Riders on the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART), and Hernando County (The Bus) can tap to ride across the region using credit and debit cards, digital wallets (Google Pay or Apple Pay), as well as the Flamingo Fares smartcard or mobile app. This is the first-of-its-kind contactless payments system in the state of Florida.

****"Contactless payments will make navigating our region much simpler not only for our existing riders, but for the tens of thousands of tourists who visit," said Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer of PSTA.

****The Flamingo Fares system has fare capping implemented, meaning passengers always receive the lowest price as the system automatically caps prices whenever riders reach the daily or monthly thresholds. Riders using contactless payments (debit/credit/Google Pay/Apple Pay) will be able to take advantage of $5.00 daily fare capping.

****To learn more about contactless payments and Flamingo Fares, visit www.flammingofares.com

Florida's ports get cargo boost, see cruise rebound

Global supply-chain issues last year helped push cargo traffic at Florida’s 16 seaports slightly ahead of pre-pandemic numbers, while the cruise industry is expected to return to pre-pandemic passenger counts this year.

Spring break gets pricey as travelers return to old booking habits

Spring break travel demand is picking up, driving up airfare and hotel rates. Demand to Florida is particularly strong and airlines are boosting capacity.

Why are dead fish in the water? What’s in your throat? How red tide hits Florida beaches

The 2022-23 red tide has so far been mild compared to extremely potent bouts that have hit Florida’s Gulf coast over the past decade, including severe blooms between 2017-19 and in 2021.

Researchers in Florida track down invasive pythons by strapping their prey with GPS collars

Researchers are fitting location-tracking collars on species like raccoons and opossums that the predatory snakes prey on in order to more effectively locate, trap, and eradicate invasive Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades.

It may be February, but temperatures heading toward record highs in Florida

While much of the U.S. is bracing for blizzards, in the Southeast, residents are pulling on shorts and flip-flops in anticipation of near record high temperatures.