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August 2012  Mid-Month Newsletter
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Upcoming Events 

  

 
 See Chamber Happenings

For More Details

A Special Welcome To New Members

 

Design Styles Architecture

Jason Dickens

1708 East Columbus Drive

Tampa, FL 33605

 

Direct Media

Laurie Gage

633 North Franklin Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33602

 

SSR Photography

Scott Rodenbeck

 

Screenvision Cinema Advertising

Brian Henly

 

 

Thank You To Renewing Members

 

ASD, Inc.

Rob Denton

1240 East 5th Avenue

Tampa, FL 33605

 

Columbia Restaurant

Casey Gonzmart

2117 East 7th Avenue

Tampa, FL 33605

 

Highland Properties of Tampa Bay, Inc.

Richard Chad

1608 East 5th Avenue

Tampa, FL 33605

 

House Rentals LLC

Ron Rampolla

PO Box 271568

Tampa, FL 33688

 

WMNF-FM

Sidney White

1210 East Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33603

 

Click on a highlighted company name to learn more about your fellow  members.

Jam-packed August Luncheon Focused On Youth  

 

Scott Boardman & Frank De La Grana were on hand to receive the 2012 Ybor Chamber Golf Tournament traveling Trophy for their team's 1st place performance. 

 

HCC Scholarship 8-12 Luncheon
From Left: Dr. Shawn Robinson (Ybor Campus President), Randy Wilson (HCC scholarship recipient), John Nertney (Golf Tournament Committee Chair) & Tom Keating (Chamber President) were present for the annual presentation of the Dr. Lois Gaston Motion Media Scholarship- made possible by the Chamber's Annual Golf Tournament.
M. Brown 8-12 Luncheon
Michael Brown, Senior Group Vice President of Tampa Bay's YMCA, spoke to luncheon attendees about the importance of role models/assets in children's lives and how such relationships equate to successful adults, and how the "Y's" programs add to the asset count!
Upcoming Conventions

August 27-30
HQ Hotel: Multiple Venues
Estimated Attendance: 50,000

Tom Keating Head Shot

President's Message 

 

Hola,

 

"M" & I recently got back from a much needed vacation in Nor Cal. Coastal California this time of the year can easily be 30 degrees cooler than the rest of the country. And, that is good! The main street of Half Moon Bay, where our eldest daughter lives, is a retail dream - it is a perfect mix of stores, galleries and restaurants.

 

They have a couple of great kitchen stores and several home d�cor shops with desirable and affordable knick-knacks. Our biggest surprise was a really cool "museum store" that had both art and science novelties. It also had an "installation" of Nicole's newest work covering one whole wall. Although I would love to import this great shopping mix to Ybor City, we would have to bring along folks with the discretionary income to go with it.

 

Back in Ybor, we are getting ready for the Republication National Convention. Everyone is spiffing-up, stocking-up and staffing-up for RNC. And yes, most venues have a party or two on the books. Staff has distributed almost 17,000 Ybor Chamber Map & Guides around the Bay Area including a run through Pinellas County and down the Gulf Beaches yesterday.

 

We expect that folks will find Ybor City a refreshing break from the business of politics. Both daytime and late-night are expected to be strong for us. The "dog days" of summer are definitely yielding to the "pachyderm politics" of election season. Come and enjoy your National Historic Landmark District - it is a local treasure.

 

BTW - Congratulations to the organizers of the "world's longest Cuban sandwich" - the new record of 36 feet belongs to Tampa and its historic Latin Quarter - Ybor City.

 

Ciao, Tom 

Chamber Happenings

September 11- Ybor City Chamber Monthly Membership Luncheon, Tues. 11:45AM- Come out to the September luncheon to meet Tampa Bay & Company's new President & CEO, Kelly Miller. Learn more about their new branding project and what is on the horizon. For luncheon reservations contact Anna Ramos at 248-3712 x22. 

September 15- The 47th Annual Ybor Chamber Gala and Adela & Cesar Gonzmart Award Presentation, Sat. 6:30PM-  Join us at the Columbia Restaurant in celebrating the opening of the Latin social season and recognizing the many contributions of the Eugene C. Iavarone family, venerable owners of Carmine's Restaurant, one of Ybor's culinary institutions. Tickets are $95 per individual and $180 for couples.  Anyone interested in sponsoring, advertising, donating and attending Gala should contact Anna Ramos at 813.248.3712 x22  

Events and Announcements by Tom Favata 

Click on the highlighted event name for more information. 

August 21- B�isbol: Memorabilia Meet-up, Tues. 6PM- 8PM- The Ybor City Museum Society is in the process of gathering baseball memorabilia from the sport's past and present including items from Tampa's original teams or from pro players who grew up in Tampa.  If interested in lending your item for a year, you are asked to set an appointment and items will be picked on a space-available basis. 813.247.1434

August 23- Annual Fund Society Kick-off Party for Academy Prep Center of Tampa, Thurs. 6:00PM- 8:00PM- enjoy complimentary beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres as you get to learn more about Academy Prep as they kick-off fundraising for their tenth anniversary school year.  Donors will be eligible to win prizes during the event. 813.248.5600 x1138 

September 6 thru October 11- Fitness Boot Camp at Metro Wellness and Community Center- Ybor, Thursdays 6:30PM- 7:30PM- Whatever your fitness goals may be, meet them in a free, 42-day boot camp with instruction by a personal trainer. Camp enrollment is limited. Get registered by August 31st. 727.321.3854 x245

September 8- Meet The Artists At Singing Stone, Sat. 5:30PM- 7:30PM- Ceramics will be the focus of Jason & Jennifer Lachtara's visit to Singing Stone. Their functional handmade fine art is spun on a potters wheel and hand decorated adding character to bar-ware, dinnerware and home decor. 813.247.2787

September 9- D�a de Asturias at Centro Asturiano, Sun. 11:15AM- Partake in an event inspired by Asturias, Spain.  This 11th annual edition will be a day filled with festivities to meet everyone's interests.  RSVP and get your tickets by Friday, August 31. For more details call 813.229.2214

September 16- Cocktails & Couture At The Ritz Ybor, Sun. 8:00PM to 10:00PM- Celebrate Tampa Bay Fashion Week in Ybor and see what is trending in the fashion industry for Fall 2012 at a fashion show benefiting the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.For details on runway and table seating call 813.247.2555

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Same Neighbors, New Name- GTE Federal Credit Union has changed its name to GTE Financial to better reflect everything "financial" they offer their customers and symbolizes a new energy and passion that members can expect with each banking experience! 888.871.2690

Bus and Streetcar Service During RNC- Regular service routes will experience detours and schedule changes during the RNC visit to Tampa.  Streetcar service will be limited to Stations 1 thru 8 (Ybor City to the Channel District) during the convention. Bus riders are encouraged to visit www.gohart.org to keep up on service changes throughout the event; rider alerts are available by signing up online. 813.254.4278  

Visit the Ybor City Saturday Market this weekend to pick-up some groceries or find a nice afternoon treat to snack on, and don't forget to mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Festival del Sabor.  Held on Saturday, September 15th from 11AM to 4PM the event offers up rich Hispanic Culture with food, music and art! 
Ybor Chamber Member Spotlight

 spotlight   

One of Ybor City's most iconic restaurants is La Tropicana Caf�. La Trop, as we like to call it, has been serving up Tampa's best Cuban breakfast and lunch since 1963. A great way to start your day is with a cup of authentic caf� con leche and Cuban toast for dipping.

 

Owner Ray Cuttle, everyone's favorite "cashier" Bobby, and the rest of the gang make sure the Cuban sandwiches are fresh, the crab cakes are hot, the caf� con leche is steaming and that you feel like one of the family. Open Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, leave your credit cards at home, as La Trop only takes cash.

 

More than just a restaurant, La Trop is where Ybor and Tampa business deals are struck and political careers begun. You can stop by any morning and see a newspaper editor talking to an Ybor business owner talking to an elected official talking to a....

 

Tom and I drop by at least once a week. It's a great feeling when you walk into a restaurant and your waitress brings you a medium caf� con leche and glass of water and asks if you want your usual cinnamon toast. Yes, it feels like family.

 

-Michele Keating

 

Ray Cuttle

La Tropicana Caf�

1822 E. 7th Avenue

Tampa, FL 33605

813-247-4040