Volume 7 l February 2021

Weekly eConnection 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770 Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112

Membership Edition

B2B Slyce Happy Hour!

We had a great turnout for our B2B Happy Hour Event at Slyce Pizza Bar! It was a safe and successful first Happy Hour of the year! A big thank you to Slyce for hosting and thank you to Jackson and Associates, CPA, PA for sponsoring the event. Thank you to Advanced Video Systems for the photos and video! Check out the video from the event: Slyce Happy Hour Video

Greetings! Since the onset of COVID, your Chamber’s Central Pinellas Business & Go-To-Guide is being requested more than ever. We’re running out of stock, and are now preparing a 2021-2022 edition. There are plenty of advertising opportunities to showcase your business. But there is a deadline! Wednesday, March 31. Be on the lookout for more information on the rates and reservation form via email! Premium spots are first-come. Thanks for your continued Chamber loyalty, Tom

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

Acropol Family Restaurants, 8-year member Bonham Dental Arts, 36-year Legacy Member Brown & Brown of Florida, Inc., 9-year member CareerSource Pinellas, 2-year member Cloud Law Firm, 4-year member Enclave on East, 2-year member Fifth Third Bank, 4-year member Gil Dewey's, LLC, 5-year member Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, 7-year member Holiday Inn -St. Petersburg N./Clearwater, 4-year member Holland Associates Inc. Real Estate Relocation Specialists, 11-year member Infinium Medical, Inc., 14-year member Largo High School, 30-year Legacy Member Liberty Bowling Lanes, 23-year Legacy Member Mangsen Law PLLC, 3-year member Regions Bank, 18-year Legacy Member, GOLD TRUSTEE Sea Vista Home Loans, 4-year member Serenity Funeral Home and Serenity Memorial Gardens, 51-year Legacy Member Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 39-year Legacy Member VSL Computers, 2-year member (Legacy Member = 15 years or more)

To learn more about them, please visit www.CentralChamber.biz The Haus Coffee Shop (2nd Location!) CAFES & RESTAURANTS Rhonda Bartz 12199 Indian Rocks Road, Suite A Largo, FL 33774 rlbartz68@gmail.com www.TheHausCoffeeShop.net

B2B Coffee An’Networking Thursday, Feb. 18 - 7:30 to 9 a.m. FREE Member Event! $25 for Non-Members St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater 12600 Roosevelt Blvd N, St. Petersburg Start off your day with networking and a leads exercise. Registrations are required in advance. Following Pinellas County guidelines, masks are required to enter, and registration is limited. To place your reservation, click here: Chamber Coffee An Marriott Thanks to our event host and sponsors:

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies

Chamber Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies are another great way to get your business noticed! Cost is $150, and we’ll be sure you get plenty of visibility for that special occasion. For more, reach out to Zoe at Membership@CentralChamber.biz or call 727-584-2321

Upcoming

Saturday, March 13 – 12 Noon Ribbon-Cutting & Open House Join in the celebration of this new state-of-the facility! Full Torque Fitness 12340 66th Street N, Suite 104 Largo, FL 33773 Register Here: https://www.centralchamber.biz/

Jackson & Associates recently celebrated the opening of their new office with a Chamber Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. See the video here: Jackson CPA Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Video As a long-time Chamber Trustee, Debbie and Tracy Jackson pulled all the stops to make the ceremony and open house part of an amazing event! The office is located at 10225 Ulmerton Road, Suite 10A, Largo. You can reach them at (727) 544-1120 or visit www.jacksoncpafla.com

Tampa Bay COVID Update! February 16, 2021

The COVID-19 Regional Re-Opening Dashboard tracks the critical and official public health metrics that guide Tampa Bay residents and policymakers to safely re-open our economy. It’s produced by the Tampa Bay Partnership. Case growth rates in Tampa Bay decreased this past week, to 1,406 per day over the 14-day period ending February 14, versus the 1,678 reported the prior week. At 6.43%, Tampa Bay's positive testing rate over the past week remains below the 10% threshold outlined in state and federal re-opening guidelines, falling from last week’s rate of 6.77%. Statewide, the positive testing rate was also below the 10% threshold and fell from 7.20% to 6.57%. The 7-day rolling average of Tampa Bay patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 decreased by 15.5% in the past week and, as of Sunday, 968 such patients were hospitalized

Share info about your business… Central Pinellas BizReach Connection For a nominal fee of $35 per issue or $100 a month, you can highlight news about your business opening and specials. Here are the details. One entry for $35, four entries for $100 (you can edit from week to week). What: Central Pinellas BizReach  Who: All Chamber members are eligible to provide business updates and special member-to-member offers/discounts. When: Central Pinellas BizReach is distributed weekly on Fridays. Provide information/updates by noon the Wednesday prior.  How: Provide the following via email to Zoe Basheska at membership@centralchamber.biz  1. Business Name 2. Current business operations (i.e. restaurant with take out only from 9a to 9p). 3. Member offerings/discounts etc. (i.e. 20% off for chamber members, free webinar series on working remote, 20% of for first responders, etc.). 4. Images in jpg or png format with offer will be accepted. Please keep the image 3" x 3" in respect to others. Email membership@centralchamber.biz

Judge to weigh lawsuit on Florida’s unemployment compensation problems Nearly a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began tossing people out of work, a circuit judge is again poised to consider a potential class-action lawsuit stemming from major problems in Florida’s unemployment compensation system. Florida continues to outpace rest of country with new mutant COVID-19 cases Florida continues to lead the nation in the number of documented COVID-19 variant cases tied to the U.K. with nearly 380 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida’s emergency management chief Jared Moskowitz is stepping down State Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz, who has helped lead Florida’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and other disasters, has announced he will step down from his role. Consumers, workers’ rights coalition push back against COVID-19 liability protections A coalition of consumer and workers’ rights groups voiced opposition on Monday to the legislative effort to create COVID-19 liability protections in Florida. ‘The wheels of justice are turning’ in Florida’s federal courts While each of the three U.S. District Courts in Florida is handling the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic independently, there’s a common theme for how the federal judiciary is conducting business.

Thank you to our Trustees and Newsletter Sponsors

Bay Care/Morton Plant Hospital Cloud Law Firm PA Duke Energy Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Home Instead/Be a Santa Jackson & Associates CPA Melody Hunter, Charles Rutenberg Realty MidFlorida Credit Union National Aviation Academy

Nova Southeastern University - Tampa Bay Paradise Air Piper Fire Protection Platinum Information Services Regions Bank Spectrum Reach The Palms of Largo Valley National Bank Wealth Builders

The Weekly E-Connection is made possible by the following generous sponsors:

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