APRIL 11th, 2012 - Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce

WEEKLY UPDATE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 11th, 2012
QUICK LINKS
*OUR WEBSITE
*CITY OF CLEARWATER
*CLEVELAND STREET DISTRICT
*VISIT ST. PETE/CLEARWATER
*WORKNET PINELLAS
*VISIT FLORIDA
(Click on image for more
information.)
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Holding the Republican National
It has been a great week
of Chambers supporting
other Chambers. Last
Thursday we went to the
Dunedin Blue Jays vs.
Clearwater Threshers
game in Dunedin on
Chamber night. Many
local Chambers all
supported the first game.
It was great fun and
although we were
outnumbered cheering on
DJay the Blue Jay's
the Thresher's, we did
Mascot
turn a lot of heads. The
comradery was exciting
and I look forward to when we can do this again.
Clearwater Regional Chamber and St. Petersburg
Convention in Tampa Bay is a once-in-alifetime opportunity for our state. Let's
make Florida proud. The 2012 Tampa Bay
Host Committee is the official host
committee of the 2012 Republican National
Convention and is a certified 501(c)(3)
charity. It is the only legal organization
through which you can give money to help
host the Convention. Please help the 2012
Tampa Bay Host Committee put on the
greatest convention yet by making a
generous, tax-deductible donation today.
CLICK HERE to make a donation
SPORTS LINKS
*TAMPA BAY RAYS
*CLEARWATER THRESHERS
*TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
*TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LINKS
*CAPITOL THEATER
*RUTH ECKERD HALL
*STRAZ CENTER
*SUNSET CINEMA
WELCOME TO OUR ELITE CHAMBER
PARTNER
The Beach Chamber is happy to
have formed an elite partnership
with Clearwater Gas System and we
Area Chamber of Commerce held the 2012
Legislative Breakfast. It was very well attended
and the 2012 Pinellas County Legislative
Delegation were there to answer many questions
from the floor. Tourism was mentioned many
times and the importance of it to our County and
State. Thank goodness they all see how valuable
our beaches are.
Yes, our beaches have been the highlight for
many, and these last few months have given each
of us the security of tourism as it is exceeding
numbers and breaking records. Even at Rotary
last week I was talking to a Bank Manager. He
was telling me how busy their Bank has been
during Spring Break. I looked at him inquisitively
and asked if the Spring Breakers are coming into
his bank? He said "No, but the business owners
are and they are making deposits all day
long". Isn't that a wonderful thing?
are looking forward to working
closely with them during our 2012
events.
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
Support Our
Advertisers!
Want to know how you can
advertise here?
Call Us!
*****
Chris Steinocher, President/CEO of the St.
Petersburg Area Chamber, Darlene Kole,
President/CEO of Clearwater Beach Chamber, Bob
Clifford, President/CEO of Clearwater Regional
Chamber
Shephard's Beach Resort
601 S. Gulfview Blvd.
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
442-5107
www.shephards.com
WEEKDAY BUFFETS ARE BACK!!
Click this LINK to see our delicious
buffet menus!
Darlene Kole
RESTAURANT WEEK 2012
CHAMBER INFORMATION
Clearwater Beach
Chamber Tourism
Video
Contact Us:
Darlene Kole, Pres./CEO
Liz LaJoy, Office Manager
Tammy Knuth, Office Asst.
Peter Vandernoot, Office Asst.
Office Volunteers:
Clearsky beachside cafe
John Cagle
Maria
Beach Chamber Mascot
EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22ND!!
Clearwater Wine Bar & Bistro
Did you know that up to 12 percent
of your monthly energy
consumption may be wasted by
devices that draw energy even
when they are not being used? That
can be as much as $150 per year for
the average Pinellas County
homeowner.
Gondolier Pizza & Italian Restaurant
Save money, make a difference and
save the planet by joining experts
from the University of Florida to
discover ways to save energy and
money through the Pinellas Energy
Efficiency Project. Learn low-cost
and no-cost ways to improve your
home's energy efficiency without
giving up comfort.
Free scheduled courses are
available at: Pinellas County
Extension Service, Largo,
Wednesday, April 11, 6 to 7 p.m.;
Brooker Creek Preserve, Saturday,
April 14, 10 to 11 a.m.; Weedon
Island Preserve, Saturday, April 21,
10 to 11 a.m. and the Largo Public
Library, Wednesday, April 25, 10 to
11 a.m.
Participants will receive free money
Lobster Pot Bistro
and energy-saving equipment in
addition to the latest researchbased information from the
University of Florida.
Participants of this free program
are given the opportunity to
become part of a countywide
energy-efficiency project. Free
devices will allow participants to
make easy, energy-saving changes
in the home.
Registration is required. Visit
www.pinellascountyextension.org
to sign up today.
SHOR American Seafood Grill
For more information call (727)
582-2581.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!!
Watercolours Steakhouse & Grill
Britt's Island Grill
315 S. Gulfview Blvd.
Clw Beach FL 33767
(727) 441-8181
[email protected]
These winning restaurants from 2011 were chosen
to be featured in our 2012 Restaurant Week
Commercial.
Kathryn Robbins, Consultant
www.kathrynrobbins.myrandf.c
om
[email protected]
(727) 282-9717
Clearwater
MEMBER UPDATE!!
As a result, there are two separate and distinct class
actions-an economic and property damages and a medical
benefits settlement. Claimants may participate in either
or both settlement programs.
Symanski and McKnight, PA CPA,
offers a wide range of services to
their individual personal tax clients
as well as their small business
clients. Because their firm is
relatively small, their clients benefit
by getting personalized, quality
service that is beyond comparison.
Tel#: (727) 725-8272. (Click on the
logo above for more info.)
This settlement is an enormous victory for Gulf Coast
workers, businesses and families. We believe it does the
most good for the greatest number of people, covering a
wide geographic area and many types of businesses and
people affected by the BP oil spill.
Hundreds of thousands of spill victims will be helped by
this settlement even if they did not previously litigate
their claims or file a claim with the GCCF. The overall
settlement has no financial cap. According to the PSC, the
settlement holds BP accountable and still permits claims
to be pursued against Transocean and Halliburton.
Attend a free town hall meeting near you to learn more.
(CLICK ON THE LOGO ABOVE FOR MORE INFO.)
Each week we will be highlighting
one of our members. If you want your
business highlighted, please contact
us at the office: (727) 447-7600.
Thank you!
CHAMBER UPDATE!!
CLEARWATER BEACH CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IS NOW SELLING
DISCOUNTED BUSCH GARDENS &
ADVENTURE ISLAND TICKETS!!
Adventure Island opened Saturday,
March 10th for daily operation.
Also, the Busch Gardens Length of
Stay with One Free All Day Dine pass
is now being offered. Directions will
be on the voucher explaining that you
will need to take it to one of the
kiosks at the front gate of the park.
They will scan the voucher and you
will receive 2 hard tickets: one for
the Busch Gardens Length of Stay
ticket and one All Day Dining
ticket. The All Day Dine is good for
one day and the Busch Gardens
Length of Stay is good for 14
consecutive days.
Join in the 12th Annual Suncoast Hospice Beach
Stroll on May 19, 2012. The Stroll will be from both
the Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach and the
Sirata Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach. This family
friendly stroll is approximately 3 miles at both
sites.
There is no cost to participate, but those who
collect donations at the $25, $50, and $100 or more
levels will receive Donation Incentive Prizes.
(PLEASE CLICK ON LOGO ABOVE TO REGISTER)
NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK
This year's
National Travel
and Tourism
Week is
coming up May
5-13. To help
ensure Florida
communities
are ready to
celebrate this
annual salute to travel and tourism in America, VISIT
FLORIDA has compiled a few resources to assist with
local planning efforts.
"Whereas tourism is the State of Florida's No. 1
industry, responsible for welcoming 85.9 million
visitors in 2011 that spent more than $67.3 billion,
generating 23 percent of the state's sales tax
revenue and employing over 1 million Floridians"

SURF STYLE VISITOR CENTER


Introducing our new Visitor Center
"uniform" shirts. Very beachy!
We are getting a new sign put up at
the Surf Style Mega Store. It will be
displayed on the windows facing
Coronado Drive. We are super
excited about getting this extra
exposure to
our Visitor Center at Surf Style. This
is what the sign will look like:


Our Visitor Center at
Surf Style
Donna Dennis, Manager
Anne Murray
Donna also does "House Calls" to
businesses that have groups of
people wanting to learn more about
our beautiful piece of paradise. She
puts together welcome bags filled
with all kinds of useful information
for our visitors.
To assist with requesting proclamations and
resolutions from state legislators, please use
the following links:
o Florida Senators
o
Florida Representatives
VISIT FLORIDA is happy to assist with securing
speakers for National Travel and Tourism
Week luncheons, dinners and other local
events. To share event information or to
request a speaker, please
email [email protected] or call (850)
205-3865.
To view information on the U.S. Travel
Association's Vote Travel Bus Tour, click
here. The tour currently has the following
stops planned in Florida:
o April 30 in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale
o May 1 in Orlando
o May 19 in Ft. Myers and St. Petersburg
o May 21 in Tampa
To add local Travel Rally Day (Tuesday, May
8) event information to the U.S. Travel
Association map, please send an email to
[email protected] including a brief
description of your activities and a primary
point of contact.
To access the U.S. Travel Association National
Travel and Tourism Week toolkit, click here.
The toolkit includes a sample proclamation,
logos and many other elements.
National Travel and Tourism Week provides an
excellent opportunity to showcase the importance
of tourism to local, state and national audiences. We
invite you to be a part of this grand occasion and
hope these resources will aid in planning a
wonderful local celebration.
Visitor Center Volunteers:
Nancy Gardinier
Roxie Maggio
Patricia Kangas
Christie Hanna
Pete Meydag
Anne Murray
Tell Your Guests:
Our Visitor Centers Sell
JOLLEY TROLLEY
All Day Passes
and
All Day
PARKING PASSES!
FAMILIARIZATION TOURS
These tours really help us gather
important information that we can
then pass onto our visitors. They also
help us to explain what the rooms are
like and what to expect from the
hotel. Having had a visual helps us
give visitors the best information we
can.
Donna will be scheduling more of
these in the upcoming months.
MEMBER HAPPENINGS!!
If any of our members have
something interesting that is
happening or coming up and they
want it mentioned in the
newsletter, please e-mail it to
[email protected]
Thank you!
Once again, St. Petersburg College Seminole Campus and
the Offices of State Representatives Larry Ahern and Jim
Frishe are joining forces to put on our Bay Area Job
Fair.
The Bay Area Job Fair is scheduled for Friday, April 20,
2012 from 11am - 3pm. It will again be held on SPC
UPDATE ON OUR INCOMING SUMMER
INTERNS!!
Seminole Campus, however due to size constraints of the
last event, we are changing the room to the Conference
Center. This high-capacity room is located near
Congressman Young's office in the Community Library
Annex. Again, the job fair is a free event for both
employers and job seekers. While the room is larger than
the previous one, we must limit the number of employers
to the first 50 who RSVP for the event.
If your company is able to participate, please contact
Ashley Meryl Overend at (727) 545-6421
MAJOR NEWS RE: OUR BEACH CHAMBER WEBSITE
Romain Della-Guionie, Melvin Pells,
Sarah Houmeau and Charlotte
Heinschild will be joining us at the
Beach Chamber this Summer. They
are all coming from the University
of Bordeaux. They arrive June 1st
and will be with us for 3 months.
INTERESTING WEBSITE TO VISIT
CabCorner is a web-based, mobileaccessible, social transportation
logistics utility. It seeks to create a
new kind of public transit system by
leveraging existing private
infrastructure. Founded in 2008 by
two
Wesleyan University
alumni, CabCorner is now a
worldwide operation pursuing a
crucial four-fold mission:




Reduce
Reduce
Reduce
Reduce
travel costs
street traffic
subway congestion
urban pollution
What It Does
CabCorner.com connects people
located in the same general area
who are headed the same direction
around the same time. "Cab-
Ladies' and
Gentlemen,
We have just made
history, and in a big
way! As most of you
know, I provide the
CVB with a Visitor
Profile Report each
and every month. As I
was preparing the
report, for the month of March, I went to our
www.beachchamber.com website for this month's
statistics. My eyes popped when I saw the number
88,095 Unique Visitors for March. Even the Page Views at
104,650 is amazing.
This is such good news and if I could I would scream it
from a roof top right now. With all the challenges over
the last two years and all the efforts being made to
attract tourism to our area, this is proof that our efforts
are working. It goes without saying that Ian LeBlanc with
Little Frog Innovation has done a tremendous job with
our Chamber's website. Liz LaJoy, our Office Manager,
updates our site on a daily basis. They both deserve a
major "pat on the back" for a job well done. I am very
proud of both of them.
If your listing needs tweaking, please let us know, it is
obvious that there are lots of eyes looking at it!
Darlene Kole
President/CEO
Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce
PSTA'S CENTRAL AVENUE TROLLEY
PSTA has a new video highlighting our new Central Ave.
Trolley as well as the Suncoast Beach Trolley. These two
routes are the most tourist-friendly in our system, so we
sharing" lets you split the fare, thus
accommodating a more affordable
transportation option than solo taxi
travel, and a more comfortable
option than mass transit
alternatives!
wanted to put a light video together to show people some
of the great things that they can do in Pinellas County
without driving a car.
PSTA's New Central Avenue Trolley is also a good
alternative to parking at Tropicana Field.
DID YOU KNOW THIS PLACE IS IN
FLORIDA??
(part 6)
WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS
STATE PARK
Central Avenue Trolley
Long before Disney World became
the staple of Florida's tourism
industry, there was Weeki Wachee,
the City of Live Mermaids. Since
opening its doors in 1947, Weeki
Wachee has attracted thousands of
roadside visitors - and aspiring
mermaids - from all over the world.
Set on 538-acres and home to the
deepest naturally-formed spring in
North America, this state park is
best known for its live Mermaid
Shows, where "half-fish, halfhuman" performers swim and dance
in an underwater theater built six
feet below the spring's surface.
Although the park's popularity
peaked in the 60s, today's Mermaid
Shows are equally whimsical,
offering a glimpse into the old
charms of Florida's rich heritage.
Just as in the original shows,
today's mermaids use free-flowing
air tubes for oxygen and, with an
array of glittering props, present
underwater renditions of Hans
Christian Andersen's "The Little
The Clearwater Main Library to Observe 100th
Anniversary of Titanic Sinking with Film. The Clearwater
Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave., will offer an April 12,
2 p.m. screening of the 1953 film "Titanic" with Clifton
Webb and Barbara Stanwyck.
The film is in observance of the 100th anniversary of the
April 14, 1912 sinking of the Titanic, the largest
passenger liner in service at that time.
Mermaid" as well as the complete
history of Weeki Wachee Springs.
The geological backdrop is no less
stunning than the synchronized
song and dance; the theater sits
above subterranean aquifers that
pump over 170 million gallons of
freshwater per day. Though the
natural pumping system keeps the
water at a cool 74 degrees
Fahrenheit year-round, the current
at the depth of the theater is a
steady 5 miles per hour, making it
difficult for the mermaids to swim
in one place!
If that's not enough, you can marvel
at Weeki Wachee's old Cypress
trees (by way of the River Boat
Cruise or your own kayak), or head
next door to Buccaneer Bay,
Florida's only spring-fed water park.
And don't expect anything less
charming in the surrounding town
of Weeki Wachee: With a population
of 12, it's known as one of the
nation's smallest cities and, of
course, is proudly run by a
mermaid-turned-mayor.
www.weekiwachee.com
OUR BEAUTIFUL FEATHERED FRIENDS!!
Of the 2,223 passengers and crew aboard the vessel,
1,514 were lost in the sinking that was recognized as one
of the deadliest peacetime marine disasters of all time.
For more information, call (727) 562-4970 or
visit www.myclearwater.com/cpl.
2012 BEST FLORIDA BEACH VOTE UPDATE: VOTE NOW
FOR YOUR FAVORITE FLORIDA BEACH BAR AT
www.FloridaBeachBar.com/vote
Voting for the 2012 Best Florida Beach Bars is off to a fast
start. Nearly 100 Florida Beach Bars have already
received votes. The latest list of top 10 beach bars
contains both former winners and new additions. The
current vote leaders are Jimmy B's on St. Pete Beach,
Racing's North Turn in Ponce Inlet, and Paradise Inn on
Pensacola Beach.
The update is created using raw votes. Actual vote counts
may vary when audited. Final rankings are determined by
combining votes and Florida Beach Bar rankings.
Top 20 Vote Getters as of 5 PM April 4th CLICK HERE TO
VOTE!
Winners will be announced in the first week of May. Best
beach bars will be featured on our web site and receive a
Florida Beach Bar plaque. Winners will be included in the
FloridaBeachBar.com press release.
You're Invited! April 18, 2012
Please join WorkNet Pinellas as we welcome Ed Dottery,
President of ALAKAI - Defense Systems and Chuck
Jenkins, President of CWU, Inc as they present
information on
federal
contracts.
This no cost
business
seminar will be
held on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 from 3:00 pm to 4:30
pm at the EpiCenter in Clearwater (13805 58th Street N.,
Room 2-304). Seats are limited so please RSVP early by
contacting Marilyn Browne at
[email protected] or (727) 608-2420.
Pelican
Discussion Topics Include:
* Product Development by Federal Contracting
* Know your niche; a very fragmented market
* The paperwork and accounting challenges
* Organizations that you can count on for Help!
* Hire a Veteran and get the Contract
About Ed Dottery
Blue Heron
Ed Dottery is the founder and President of Alakai Defense
Systems, Inc. In that position, he has overseen the
company during rapid growth, multiple state and regional
awards including the Governors Entrepreneurial Award in
2008, and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum's Emerging
Technology company of the year 2010, many
publications, patents & patents pending, and three major
generations of standoff spectroscopic sensor systems.
During his Army career he commanded in the Infantry and
Special Forces and served on the physics faculty at West
Point. He oversaw defense programs in both the Army
Acquisition Corps and also for the Lockheed Martin
Corporation. He is a graduate of West Point and Stanford
University.
About Chuck Jenkins
Roseate Spoonbill
Charles L. Jenkins (Chuck) is the founding owner and
President / CEO of CWU, Inc., a Veteran's Administration
verified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business
and Small Business Administration Certified 8(a) Program
Participant. CWU provides language support services,
staff augmentation, and training development support to
its commercial and government clients. Founded in 2004,
CWU, Inc. employees over 350 personnel in California,
Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey with annual revenues in
excess of $5M. Chuck serves as a member of the Upper
Tampa Bay Veterans Small Business Alliance, in addition
to, serving on Congressman Gus Bilirakis' Veterans and
Small Business Advisory Council. As a retired member of
the United States Army Special Forces, Chuck brings a
wealth of knowledge and experience to these advisory
positions. Additionally, Chuck served as a Field
Operations Advisor and Security Analyst supporting the
Department of State International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement in Peru; and the Supply Chain Manager for
Aramark Services in Miami, Florida. Chuck earned a BS
degree in Health Science and Management at Campbell
University.
Great Egret
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ANNOUNCES OPEN SEAT
Applications are now being accepted for an
appointment to Pinellas County's Tourist
Development Council.
Osprey
The position that is open is for any person directly
involved with the tourism industry who has
demonstrated an interest in tourism development
but who is not an owner/operator of a hotel or
motel.
All members of the TDC must be registered to vote
in Pinellas County. Interested parties should submit
a brief bio or resume outlining their eligibility to
serve, as well as a letter expressing the desire to be
considered for an appointment.
Royal Tern
TDC membership is decided by the Pinellas County
Board of County Commissioners and all applications
must be received by the end of business on Friday,
April 20. Mail applications to D.T. Minich at Visit
St.Petersburg/Clearwater, 13805 58th St. N., Suite
2-200, Clearwater, FL 33760-3733.
For more info. on the Tourist Development Council,
visit
www.pinellascounty.org.
MAKING WAVES FREE EDUCATIONAL SERIES
CONTINUES AT CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM
Common Tern
This FREE Speakers Series is
geared toward anyone wanting to
learn more about our marine life.
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Atlantic
Bright House Theater at CMA.
Open to all ages.
The next presentation will be:
April 19, 2012 - "River Otter Update"
(CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR THE UPCOMING SCHEDULE)
Join Our Mailing List
SAVE THESE DATES!
April 20-29 Fun 'n Sun Festival (various events)
April 22nd Iron Girl
April 26
Beach Chamber Mingle at Bouchard
Insurance May 11th
Restaurant Week Kick Off
Party
May 13-19 Restaurant Week
May - Sept. 100 Days of Summer