Volume 85 l August 2022

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

"In the Community" Edition

NEXT WEEK…. Inspire Awards Reception Join us as we celebrate those in our region who have gone above and beyond to create a positive impact in the lives of others through their leadership in the workplace and/or involvement in the community. Tickets on sale now!

NEXT Thursday, August 18th at 5:30 PM Central Park Performing Arts Center, 105 Central Park Drive, Largo Tickets: $25 - purchase here.   This year’s distinguished honorees: Inspiring Public Service Dr. Bradley Finkbiner, Largo High School Inspiring Our Youth Steven Halstead, Central Park Performing Arts Foundation Jennifer Fawcett, City of Largo Recreation, Parks and Arts Inspiring Business Leadership Julie & Colin Castle, Home Instead Senior Care /Be a Santa to a Senior Dovév Weaver, C.T.O.D/Dreams to Reality Foundation Diana Baldwin, Elison of Pinecrest Inspiring Community Service Ben Brudnicki, Arden Courts of Largo Vernon Bryant, Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation

CareerSource Pinellas Call for First Responders

Largo Mayor Woody Brown, above, gave welcoming remarks at CareerSource Pinellas’ inaugural First Responders Job Fair last week at the Central Park Performing Arts Center. Dozens of job seekers attended the event which featured law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies from Largo, Clearwater, Gulfport, Pinellas Park, Pinellas County, and several from outside the county.

The CareerSource Pinellas job fair team welcome job applicants at the agency’s inaugural First Responders Job Fair.

Start your business day bright! Chamber Coffee An' Networking

When: Thursday, August 25 @ 7:45 a.m. Where: CareerSource Pinellas 13805 58th Street North, Suite # 2-140 ( @ ICOT) Clearwater, FL 33760 Start off your day with some informal networking and a fun "get to know you" round robin. Free for members. $25 for non-members.

Register at CentralChamber.biz under EVENTS Thank you to our host and sponsors!

Event Sponsorships: $250 per event or $1,200 for year-long SIX Pack of Coffee An's. Talk to Tom or Zoe at the Chamber.

Nominations Open for Chamber Awards

****It’s your chance to nominate someone for the Chamber’s highest honors! ****Throughout our community and within the organization are many individuals worthy of acclaim. To spotlight their contributions in helping to make our community a better place to live and work, the Chamber each year presents its “Citizen of the Year” and “Mac Norcross Small Businessperson of the Year” awards. ****These distinguished honors will be presented at our 69th Annual Meeting & Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort. It’s with much pomp and circumstance that we add these two individuals to the celebrated company of past recipients. ****Use this link for an Awards Criteria, Nomination Form and list of past recipients: https://www.centralchamber.biz/annual-chamber-awards ****Please take the time to consider if there is someone you know who embodies the characteristics of these honors, and submit your nomination by Friday, August 19. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call at 584-2321 or email tom@CentralChamber.biz.

Member Plaque Presentation

Welcome new member PMI Clearwater! The Ambassadors, Melody Hunter of Melody Hunter, Realtor, Laurie Bunce of Centratel, Kay McKenzie of Check Before Hire and Gail Holden of Office Services 101, presented Caio Pavanelli with his Member Plaque. Check our PMI's vacation rental and property management services on their website.

COVID in Florida: Wave appears to be flattening with new infections, hospitalizations holding steady The latest coronavirus surge across Florida appears to be slowing, just as the school year starts. COVID-19 hospitalizations have been stable the past few weeks. Viral concentrations in sewage have dropped. Testing positivity rates statewide have declined. After weeks of quiet tropics, hurricane forecasters are watching a disturbance off Africa The National Hurricane Center is watching a newly formed tropical wave that emerged in the eastern Atlantic early Saturday morning. Ticket sales for NASA's first Artemis moon launch crash website; some still available Thousands hoping to secure tickets to see NASA's Artemis I moon rocket launch briefly crashed the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's website. Black farmers feel left out of medical marijuana system Nearly six years ago, the Florida Legislature set aside a medical marijuana license for a Black farmer to join the burgeoning industry. But the license still has not been issued by the Florida Department of Health Hunters are swarming the Florida Everglades for the annual python challenge Deer, raccoons, possums, and fox once flocked the area of the Everglades National Park in south Florida. Nowadays, you’re lucky if you spot one mammal in the area, according to wildlife experts.

Thank you to our Trustees and Newsletter Sponsors

Bay Care/Morton Plant Hospital Business & Family Insurors Check Before Hire Cloud Law Firm PA Duke Energy Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Home Instead/Be a Santa Jackson & Associates CPA Melody Hunter, Charles Rutenberg Realty National Aviation Academy

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

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

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