May 2, 2017
"Taking Care of Business!"

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: AMBASSADORS

   Have you ever heard anyone say that they are a Chamber Ambassador? What does that mean?
   The Chamber Ambassadors don't become one merely because they are interested in the Chamber (which, of course, they are!). They earn the right to be called "Ambassador" in many ways.
   They attend lots of Chamber functions. They greet and meet. They help Chamber staff with getting new members and retaining members who have already joined. They help organize and work events.
   And the list of the Ambassadors sounds like a Who's Who in Bartow: Carolyn Simpson, Pamela Sams, Bennie Robles Jr., Sherry Warren, Marie Wilmot, Sandy Dobbertean, Mary Jordan, Gail Smith, Wayne Harrison, Shannon Medley - to name a few. You'll know an Ambassador at one of the Chamber events - they're the ones wearing the red jackets.
   If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador, you may call Barbara Adamson, who will put you on the right path. It's a lot of work, and a lot of fun!

Until next week,
CLINT EDWARDS

MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES

30 YEARS
Main Street Bartow, Inc.

10 YEARS
Sunshine Bank

5 YEARS
Central Florida Speech & Hearing Center
The Rohr Home

JUST SAY NO PARADE AND RALLY COMING UP

JUST SAY NO RED LETTER:
Dear Friends:

Committee Members are making plans again for “JUST SAY NO” Week, May 8-12, 2017.

This special week will be highlighted by Bartow’s 27th Annual March and Rally. Planned activities will begin on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. with a parade in Downtown Bartow that ends with a rally at the Bartow High School Gymnasium.

The City of Bartow along with the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Meade, City of Eagle Lake, and area schools, which include Alturas, Anna Woodbury, Bartow Elementary Academy, Eagle Lake, First Methodist School, Floral Avenue, Gibbons Street, Highland City, Spessard Holland Elementary, Stephens, and Wahneta will participate in the event. THIS IS A COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SAY NO TO DRUGS.

We welcome your involvement. Donations are needed to fund our programs. Funds are used toward the guest speaker at the rally, specialty items, awards, trophies, refreshments and to help offset the expense of providing T-shirts bearing the “JUST SAY NO” message to all 5th graders.

To make a donation, make checks payable to JUST SAY NO and mail to:
CenterState Bank
ATTN: Anita Stasiak
1375 N. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, Florida 33830

or, you may drop off your check to the Chamber.

Thank you for your consideration to help support this struggle against drugs.

Sincerely,
W. Ernest Cooper
“Just Say No” Chairman

NEW SERIES: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY II

MEMBER PERK FOR YOU OR YOUR EMPLOYEES:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
ALL NEW PROGRAM, NEW CLASSES FOR 2017.

More . . .

CHAMPIONS CUP

Congratulations to the 2016 Champions Cup Winners
 

More . . . plus photos!

JOIN ENGAGE & GET A COOL CUP!



Want this cool cup? It can be yours, simply by joining ENGAGE Young Professionals. Here's the link to learn about ENGAGE and to join. Become the Community Leader you were meant to be, sign up today!

2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Clint Edwards, President
Emily Spath Clark, Incoming President
   Spath Jewelers

Jennifer Hall, Immediate Past President
    SEMCO Construction

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE LIST

SUPPORT OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS!

















WANT YOUR COMPANY
LISTED HERE?
Contact Barbara@bartowchamber.com

CHAMBER QUARTERLY HAS 40K READERSHIP

 Reserve your space now in the Summer Chamber Quarterly Magazine and hand your business card out to more than 40,000 readers for only $85 per issue. Call Barbara Adamson at 863-533-7125 for more information.

SEE US HERE!

MAY BUSINESS: PIANO ALLEY


Left to right: Piano Alley owner, Richard Lane and Chamber Membership Services Director Barbara Adamson

May Business of the Month
________________________________________
Piano Alley
2810 S. Florida Ave., Suite A, Lakeland, FL 33803
(863) 583-4320, Fax: (863) 583-4590
email: lakelandpianos@gmail.com
website: www.lakelandpiano.com


EXCLUSIVE AUTHORIZED KAWAI DEALER
     You are invited to visit the new showroom featuring a full line of KAWAI products. From Keyboards to Concert Grands, including all the new Digital Pianos. Piano Alley offers other new and pre-owned instruments as well. Trade-ins welcome.
     Piano tuning, repair, and moving services available; also, in-house digital piano and organ service. Private and group instructions with a certified teaching staff for all levels of accomplishment are offered for your convenience.

 
WANT TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME
THE BUSINESS OF THE MONTH?
Contact Barbara Adamson, Membership Services,
863-533-7125 or email
barbara@bartowchamber.com

SCULPTURE RIBBON-CUTTING



A few short remarks were made and then everyone who brought scissors cut the ceremonial red ribbon. Some were a little faster then others - but the ribbon on the two new sculptures at Fort Blount Park was officially cut on April 26.

This year’s sculptures include: Bruce Niemi’s Wind Whisperer, which is a stainless steel sculpture located at the corner of Broadway and Main; and Adam Walls’s Seigle and Shuster, a bright red sculpture that is located at the corner of Main and Carpenter. The two sculptures will remain on display in Fort Blount Park through February, 2018.

This year’s effort was a joint project between the Bartow Art Guild and the Bartow Rotary Club as both organizations have an interest in bringing about improvements in the arts in the community. The Rotary Club’s funding share was raised as a result of the Fifth Annual Yellow Jacket Stomp Adventure Run that is held on the first Saturday in February. This year’s run, as the runs in the past, was a joint project between the Bartow High School International Baccalaureate students and the Rotary Club.

Anyone who has questions is welcome to call Steve Githens at 529-8679.

CITRUS LABEL DEDICATION MAY 4TH



You are Invited to the
Bartow Community Redevelopment Agency
Citrus Label Tour Dedication
Thursday, May 4 • 4 p.m.
Boswell & Dunlap, 245 S. Central, Bartow

 
A partnership between the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, Visit Central Florida and the Polk County History Center’s History and Heritage Trail inspired the creation of the Citrus Label Tour of Polk County. This driving experience explores part of the historic marketing portion of citrus through the artistic labels that once adorned the old wooden crates used to ship the fresh fruit off to northern markets in the early 1900s. Enlarged reproductions of these vintage labels will be found on various buildings and sites throughout the county.

DON'T MISS FORTRESS FITNESS FOR MAY!

This is a great time of exercise for the whole family! Marie Wilmot, local fitness guru, has designed a program for the Chamber to help the community get fit! Find out what types of exercise suit your needs by coming out to Fort Blount Park on the second Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. You can experience a different kind of exercise in each class. It's a blast!

HELLO BARTOW! MEMBERS PARTICIPATE FOR FREE











ROI ALERT TO ALL MEMBERS!

We've established a new perk to your membership. Now, as a member of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, you may include a promotional item for your business in the HELLO BARTOW! welcome baskets for new residents. PARTICIPATION IS FREE OF CHARGE! If you are interested, contact Barbara Adamson, Membership Director, (863) 533-7125, or reply to this email.

CHAMBER EVENTS

(All meetings are in the Chamber Boardroom unless otherwise noted.)


May 3, noon
AMBASSADORS/DELEGATES LUNCHEON
Terrie Lobb's Kitchen

Thursday, May 4, 4:00 p.m.
CRA / BOSWELL & DUNLAP CITRUS LABEL DEDICATION
245 S. Central Avenue

Wednesday, May 10, 7:30 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
Polk State College Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center

Wednesday, May 10, parade begins 9:30 a.m.
JUST SAY NO PARADE & RALLY

Thursday, May 11, 5:00 p.m.
A-C-T ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE FUN THURSDAY
 - celebrating their first 30 years! -
1875 W. Main Street, Bartow

 

A-C-T FUN THURSDAY!

A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure's Fun Thursday is set for May 11, 2017, located at 1875 W. Main Street, Bartow, at 5:00 p.m. This time of live music, networking, good food and fun is part of A-C-T's corporate headquarters celebrating its first 30 years. Come help us celebrate with them!

MEMBER MICRONEWS



AQUI CHIROPRACTIC NEW CHALLENGE BEGINS MAY 10
In case you have not heard, Aqui Chiropractic is starting up a new weight loss challenge. Initial weigh in is on 05/10/2017. It's going to be 10 weeks long again.  Limited to 10 teams. 1st place team wins $500.  $25 weekly team prize.   Cost in only $20.  Spread the word to your friends, coworkers and local businesses.  For forms, email here.





CLICK BELOW TO READ ABOUT THE UPCOMING
FLORIDA SHERIFF'S YOUTH VILLA CLASSIC AND MORE!

read more...

NEW MEMBERS

Travel Agencies
Good Life USA
Mr. Charles Gaines
4334 Stephanie Way
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 633-9700
Visit Website here.

Financial Planning
CPS Investment Advisors
Rick Bernard
205 E. Orange Street
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 688-1725
Visit Website here.

Retail Stores
Queens Fashions and Gifts
Ms. Jennifer Camp
320 E. Summerlin Street
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 245-7163

Restaurants
Marco’s Pizza
Ms. Kelly Popp
1775 N. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 457-4900

FLORIDA GROWN HOMETOWN BBQ


JOIN ADAM PUTNAM FOR A
FLORIDA GROWN HOMETOWN BBQ
DOWNTOWN BARTOW

Do you like BBQ? Don’t miss our Florida Grown Hometown BBQ on May 10th in Downtown Bartow.

We’ll be firing up the grill around 11AM and cooking until 1PM, right in front of the Old Polk County Courthouse in Bartow. The BBQ is on us, but we need to know how many we are cooking for! Please RSVP here.
 

Date and Time

Location

Old Polk County Courthouse

100 East Main Street

Bartow, FL 33830

View Map

 

ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING

DUKE ENERGY donated a Southern Live Oak to the City of Bartow, which was planted to replace a diseased tree in front of the Post Office last week! Thanks to Jerry Miller and Duke Energy and to Mayor Trish Pfeiffer who lined up the event. Perfect timing!

GreenBlue - May 2, 2017