Volume 22 Issue 17
Inside:
Recapping Comic Con & WaZoo!
August 16, 2014
See Neighborhood Magazine!
The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg
New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Chambers Of Commerce To Join Forces On Friday, July 25, as we were going to press with our August 2 Wesley Chapel issue, we received the following email from Hope Allen, the executive director of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC): “Board members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and the President of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce met recently to discuss the idea of merging the two Chambers to better serve the business community of the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa areas.” The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors has appointed a task force to explore the logistics and benefit of “joining forces” and conducting a due-diligence review. “While discussions are still in their infancy, they are progressing. We are always interested in reviewing partnerships that enhance our business community,” says Allen. “After the task force completes its review, the next step is to engage a broader pool of people in the discussion, including current Chamber members and community leaders.” New Tampa Chamber president Neil
Heird says, “As the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area continues its growth and economic expansion, I began wondering how we might expand to offer the type of support our business community needs. With so many smaller Chambers in and around the North Tampa area, all working independently of one another, I just didn’t see the true value in that approach, especially given the proximity of New Tampa to Wesley Chapel. In general, I believe that our areas have several aspects of overlap, so I reached out to Hope Allen to explore the possibility of merging our two Chambers. I think we both can be stronger together than we are separately — and we both realized our business communities have a lot in common — so it only made sense to consider joining together. We are excited about the potential a merger like this might offer and I look forward to continuing the process.” “We believe this is a potential opportunity to build a strong organization, focused on membership development, community development and economic development in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area,” Allen says. “We are completing all of the due-diligence review to ensure this would benefit both organizations and our members.”
Tim Hancock of IL2C HIM, Inc., Music Management (a proud member of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce), is proud to present the first-ever Wesley Chapel Jazz festival on Saturday, August 30, noon-9 p.m., at Wesley Chapel District Park (7727 Boyette Rd.). This free (there is a charge for VIP seating), fun, inaugural event for Wesley Chapel will bring together a variety of outstanding jazz musicians, from the smooth jazz styl-
ings of Hancock’s own group, international recording artist Abnique, to dixieland and so much more. Hancock, who previously has put on jazz events in Dade City, Zephyrhills and Plant City, promises that the Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival will feature a unique variety of quality musical entertainment all day long, with food and beverage vendors on site, the aforementioned VIP seating area and a truly family-friendly atmosphere.
Local News, Business & Education Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
A New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Exclusive!
A decision about finalizing the merger is expected to be made by October. Editor’s note —
There is a lot of good news in this important piece of correspondence. There is no doubt that the WCCC has taken the lead — even in New Tampa — in terms of the number of events (especially ribbon cuttings and other free events) and in the work it does to not Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (left) was the featured speaker at one of only help provide service the most recent New Tampa Chamber of Commerce luncheons preto its 500+ member busi- sided over by Chamber president Neil Heird (right). On July 25, nesses, but Allen, WCCC the New Tampa Chamber agreed, in principle, to merge with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. president Jeff Novotny and other Board members work with and provide a resource for ployers to the City of Tampa (especially white local governmental officials who are trying collar jobs) to bring them to the city’s most to attract additional major businesses to the remote (in terms of geography) corner, New Tampa. Wesley Chapel area. Allen says that among the additional By joining forces with and/or “absorbing” the New Tampa Chamber, we can now items to be discussed in the future are what, expect more of a push for more new mem- if anything, will be done to revive the annual bers, more Wesley Chapel Chamber Ambas- (until this year) Taste of New Tampa, if there sadors visiting businesses south of the Pasco will be any change of a name change or alline and more WCCC ribbon cuttings in New teration to reflect the addition of New Tampa Tampa, as well as (perhaps) some assistance under the WCCC umbrella and perhaps the for Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (photo), addition of some New Tampa-based liaisons who works tirelessly to attract large-scale em- to the WCCC Board.
Inaugural Wesley Chapel Jazz Fest To Bring Smooth Tunes Aug. 30!
Also Inside This Issue!
Suspicous Man In Hampton Park Caught, New Tampa Rotary Donates $30K To Area Charities, Massive Drug Bust In Wesley Chapel Plus Local Business Features & More!
WaZoo Gets Wild With Beer & Food, Toast Wine Bar Spruces Up Menu, Sprinkles Cools Down The Summer Heat, Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-40
Pages 41-60
Hancock and his event committee are still seeking sponsors (including a title sponsor, although on-site sponsorships start at just $500) and vendors for the event as this reaches you, but is proud to be sponsored by Cupps AV & Production Services; Kaptain Krab Seafood Restaurant in Plant City (which is planning to open a local location, possibly in Zephyrhills); Ierna’s Heating & Cooling; DeSigns Plus; Hyundai, Chevrolet, Mazda of Wesley Chapel & the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News. In addition to Abnique, among the musical performers already confirmed to appear at the festival are Standing 8 Count, the Cypress Creek Dixieland Jazz Band, Evelyn Thomas and a surprise headliner, with additional acts also still to be announced. Stay tuned to NTNeighborhoodNews. com for ongoing Jazz Festival updates. For info, see the ad on page 17 of this issue, call Tim Hancock at 309-3811 or visit WesleyChapelJazzFestival.com.