May 1 Pig Out Bartow: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Bartow Civic Center, Tickets on sale at Chamber May 5 Bartow Leadership Class XIII City Government Day May 7 Spirit of Bartow Joint Civic Club Luncheon: 11:45 a.m., Bartow Civic Center May 8 Committee of 100: 8:00 a.m., Colonial Bank, 3rd Floor Community Room May 9 Downtown Bartow Antique Fair: 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. May 14 Can-Do / Ambassadors Clubs: noon, Chamber Boardroom; Madrid Engineering Group, Inc. Fun Thursday: 5:15 p.m., 2030 SR 60, E. May 15 Friday Fest: 6:00 p.m., Downtown Bartow May 19 Youth Villa Classic Golf Scramble: 1:00 p.m. shotgun start, Bartow Golf Course May 20 & 21 Youth Villa Classic Women’s Team Championship: Bartow Golf Course May 23 Youth Villa Classic Dreams to Reality Celebration: 7:30 p.m., Peace River Country Club May 23-25 Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa Classic Golf Tournament May 24 Youth Villa Classic Barbecue: 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. May 26 Executive Committee: 3:30 p.m., Chamber Boardroom; Board of Directors: 4:00 p.m., Chamber Boardroom June 6 Kiwanis Club Golf Tournament June 11 Can-Do / Ambassadors Clubs: noon, Chamber Boardroom June 12 Committee of 100: 8:00 a.m., Colonial Bank, 600 N. Broadway Ave., 3rd Floor June 13 Downtown Bartow Antique Fair & Community Yard Sale: 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. June 16 Executive Committee: 3:30 p.m., Chamber Boardroom; Board of Directors: 4:00 p.m., Chamber Boardroom Remember, the Chamber is "Information Central" for our community. For widespread exposure of your event and to avoid competing schedules, be sure your info is included on the community calendar. Call 863-533-7125 or email the information to info@bartowchamber.com. Please include a contact name and telephone number. |
With the first half of the year generally being the busiest for the Chamber in terms of events, I have to stop and thank our many volunteers. I’m speaking about those who serve on the Chamber’s various committees that help plan and implement many of these activities. For example, last week’s Pig Out Bartow! involved more than 30 people who assisted in the planning and implementation of the Chamber’s annual barbecue. From selling tickets and cooking, to assembling and delivering meals, these volunteers worked very hard giving back to their community through service to the Chamber. I would like to give a special kudos to the Leadership XII class for adopting this event as their alumni project. The barbecue was an instant success in 2008, and continues to provide vital funding for the Chamber’s programs. And, speaking of community service, I hope all of you plan to attend the Chamber’s Annual Spirit of Bartow Awards Luncheon on Thursday, May 7, at the Bartow Civic Center. This Joint Civic Club Luncheon honors those who contribute to Bartow through some sort of community service. The Chamber will also be honoring its Chamber Diplomat program by selecting one of its office volunteers as Diplomat of the Year. This is the first year that this event has been presented as a Joint Civic Club Luncheon, rather than an OJ Breakfast. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. with the program starting at 12:00 noon. I hope to see you there. The Chamber is also gearing up for the 46th Annual Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa Classic to be held over the Memorial Day holiday. Mosaic’s Freda Ridgway is our new Chairman for this event, and is doing an outstanding job at keeping the Classic one of Central Florida’s top amateur tournaments. This tournament, along with all of its week-long activities, takes a massive amount of time and effort - much of it provided by volunteers. Again, I thank everyone involved for keeping this important Bartow tradition a success. Before I became involved on the Chamber Board, I never realized how important the volunteers are to the Chamber. Whether it’s service on a committee, the Can-Do Club or serving on the Chamber’s Board of Directors, this organization depends on its volunteers to support the Chamber. Without volunteers, one of two things would have to happen. Either the Chamber would have to greatly increase its membership dues to hire additional paid staff, or it would have to cut many of the programs and activities that are so important to not only the business community, but the community at large. I hope all of you will encourage your employees and co-workers to contact the Chamber and find out how you can help. And, the best part is that it’s fun! And, even better, the contacts and relationships you build from service to the Chamber can impact your bottom line. I see and hear business being conducted at every Chamber event. It’s such a mystery to me that so many of our members fail to take advantage of the opportunities Chamber membership provides. So, won’t you consider getting more involved with your Chamber? It’s a win-win for the community and you! Sincerely, Ruth Trainer President |
 tmr Agency Ms. Mary McQueen 4310 S. Florida Ave. Lakeland, FL 33813 (863) 583-0081 Home Instead Senior Care Mr. Brad Beatty 511 Recker Highway Auburndale, FL 33823 (863) 294-9141 Gator Towing & Automotive of Polk County Ms. Barbara Stossel 1505 E. Hooker St., E. Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 519-4665  20 Years Bartow Board of Realtors Top Notch Realty |
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Assured Record Receives Minority-owned Business Distinction Assured Record Storage, a provider of hard copy and digital protection, scanning and storage for the Orange, Osceola and Polk County areas, is pleased to announce that it have been approved by the Office of Supplier Diversity as a Minority-owned Business. Jessica Locke, owner, has been approved as a Woman-owned Business. This approval comes after a lengthy application process and is quite rare in this particular industry. Assured Record Storage has been operating since 2003 and currently maintains three offices in Florida. Its current client base is comprised of medical offices, clinics and hospitals, attorneys, local government, aviation, utilities and Real Estate. “This approval should be great for our company and will allow us to better compete for state and local government business,” Ms. Locke said. Can-Do Club Watson Clinic Director Elected Oncology Assn. President Mary Ann Blanchard has been elected president of the Oncology Managers of Florida. Ms. Blanchard , who has been with Watson Clinic for 24 years, is currently the Director of Clinical Services overseeing the Cancer Registry, Chemotherapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Therapy and Surgical Oncology departments of the Center for Cancer Care & Research (CCCR). In addition, she also manages Watson Clinic’s departments of General Surgery, Gynecologic Oncology and Obstetrics & Gynecology. 
Christopher Thornburg, Bartow High School senior and son of Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Thornburg, and grandson of Tom and Susan Thornburg of WWBF-AM1130 Radio, won best high school male announcer and high school student of the year awards at the April 21 Polk County Video Awards in Lakeland. Ninety-four schools from elementary through high school were represented. Watson Clinic Welcomes Gynecologic Nurse Practitioner Watson Clinic is proud to announce that Kristina Kimball, ARNP-C, has recently joined the obstetrics and gynecology team at the Lakeland Highlands location, 2140 E. County Rd. 540A in south Lakeland. Ms. Kimball will specialize in adolescent and teen gynecologic health. Ms. Kimball possesses a broad range of skills in the area of adolescent gynecologic care, including routine female examinations, health education, contraception counseling, STD screening and follow-up, and the evaluation and treatment of common infections. Ms. Kimball graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida State University School of Nursing in Tallahassee, FL. She received a Master of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, TN. Watson Clinic’s Lakeland Highlands location features a team of board-certified physicians specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. The OB/GYN department offers an array of diverse services including general exams, 3-D and 4-D advanced ultrasound imaging, in vitro fertilization, a comprehensive incontinence and bladder health program, gynecologic oncology and high-risk pregnancy care from the area’s only maternal-fetal specialist. USF Polytechnic Offers Summer Tutoring The University of South Florida Polytechnic is offering its Summer Tutoring in Reading and Writing (STRW) program for first through eighth grade students who are experiencing reading difficulties. Tutoring is provided by graduate candidates who are completing their master of arts in reading from USFP and who are current elementary and middle school teachers in the community. Summer Tutoring in Reading and Writing is supervised by Drs. Sherry Kragler and Ruth Sylvester from the division of Childhood Education and Literacy Studies. Students who are selected to participate are assessed using multiple informal reading and writing assessments. Based on the results of these assessments, an instruction plan is developed and implemented for each child by their assigned tutor. Instruction may be one-on-one or in small groups. Tutoring sessions will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday on June 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24. The cost for the summer tutoring is $40.00. Parents and guardians can go to poly.usf.edu/ RWTutoring and select “Register Online” to register and pay the $40 registration fee. Registration deadline is May 8. For more information contact Tracey Cayson (863) 667-7072. Bartow Marketing Partnership Extends Photo Contest Deadline The Bartow Marketing Partnership (BMP), a collaboration between the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Bartow’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City of Bartow, has extended the deadline for the third annual Bartow photo contest. The project hopes to promote and market the city of Bartow. “Our first efforts with this project in 2007 and 2008 was extremely successful,” said Jeff Clark, Executive Director of the chamber. “We received more than 100 entries each year that ran the gamut from historical sites to nature, and just about everything in between.” The theme of the competition this year once again reflects the branding message introduced in 2007, “Our history comes to life!” The message can be seen on entrance signage, pole signs and a Bartow’s ongoing media program promoting it as a city of choice to live and work. Photo entries do not necessarily need to be of Bartow’s historical sites. “Our theme merely identifies Bartow as a place where history has and continues to influence the character of the city,” said Clark. “We want to see everything that could be identified with life in Bartow.” The contest is open to any amateur photographer, 12 years of age or older, who lives or works in the Greater Bartow area. All entries should depict the city and/or surrounding area, and may portray wildlife, historical sites, people, places, and/or things that showcase the City of Bartow. Prizes include $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place. 10 honorable mention ribbons will also be presented. The deadline for photograph submissions is Friday, May 29, 2009. If you are interested in participating in the contest, you can get more details by calling the Bartow Chamber of Commerce at (863) 533-7125. Can-Do Club The winner for top membership sales in March was Carole McKenzie of Clear Springs, with $1091 in membership sales. Other Can-Do Sales were made by: Gail Murray, CRA, $580; Wayne Harrison, Title Research, $451; and Melissa Pittman, Community Southern Bank, $208. The Can-Do Club is the membership recruitment arm of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce. 
The next Committee of 100 meeting is set for Friday morning, May 8, 2009, at the new Citizens Bank & Trust building located at 1450 N. Broadway Ave. City Manager George Long will be guest speaker. A ribboncutting for the new bank will follow. Meeting time is 8:00 a.m. If you are interested in becoming a member of this prestigious group, contact Committee of 100 Chairman Brian Hinton at (863) 533-4196. MEMBERS A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure Artcraft Printers Badcock Home Furniture & more Bank of Central Florida Bartow Community Healthcare Foundation, Inc. Bartow Ford Company Bartow GMC-Pontiac-Buick, Inc. Bartow Regional Medical Center Boswell & Dunlap, LLP Brown & Brown Insurance of Florida Colonial Bank CF Industries, Inc. Citizens Bank & Trust City of Bartow Clear Springs Community National Bank Community Southern Bank Congressman Adam Putnam Davis Bros. Gibson & Wirt, Inc. Hatton Insurance Agency, Inc. Highland Homes Madrid Engineering Group, Inc. Moduss, Inc. Mosaic PalletOne, Inc. Peace River Center Pickett & Associates, Inc. Pickett Engineering, Inc. Polk Community College Polk-Murphy Insurance Agency, Inc. Polk Works Renditions Riverside Bank SEMCO Construction Smith Bros. Oil Company, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Jean Terry The Polk County Democrat Till Office Equipment Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc. University of South Florida Polytechnic Got Changes! Let us know of any changes you or your company might have so the Chamber can make proper referrals and give information to your potential customers! E-mail info to jeff@bartowchamber.com. Your fellow Chamber members want to hear about you! |
In the minds of many, Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of summer, but for many living in Bartow, it is a time for thinking of others – in particular the girls at the Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa.
Those sitting at the head table at the April Just Say No Community Luncheon include, left to right, Rotary Club President George Robertson-Burnett, Auctioneer Scott Oglesby; JSN Auction Chairman Melody Inzer of Community National Bank; Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd; JSN Chairman Ernie Cooper; Bartow Mayor James Clements; Guest Speaker Julius Cornelius, Bartow High School Principal Ron Prichard, and Chamber Vice President of Community Affairs Wayne Harrison, of Title Research.
Bartow Chamber’s Relay for Life team raised more than $1,500 for the event. Winners of the Chamber’s drawings were Thomasina Richardson, brown and white pony; S.L. Frisbie, grey pony; S.L. Frisbie, beach trip; and Melissa Pittman, Pandora bracelet. The beach trip and bracelet were provided by Gene and Tina Spath of Spath Jewelers.
The class met early Thursday morning on March 26 at Peace Valley Enterprise, Inc.’s barn to board our bus for the day’s tours. Our first stop was the Haines City Citrus Growers’ Association’s fresh fruit packing house. They process 20 varieties of citrus fruit, and we saw grapefruit and tangerines being unloaded and moving down the line. It was fascinating to watch the fruit being inspected, washed, sorted and finally packed in either boxes or net bags.
We had a delicious lunch at Peace River Country Club (way to go, Tara!) and Heather Nedley from the Polk County Farm Bureau (PCFB) was our speaker. She stated that there is so much more to the agriculture industry than we think; it includes sod farms, landscapers and tropical fish farms, as well as cattle, food and feed. The PCFB promotes industry, provides insurance, lobbies, and hosts the Agrifest each year for our county’s 4th graders.
Sunshine Growers in Fort Meade was our next destination. It was quite warm as we toured the greenhouses and no one minded when the sprinklers came on and we were too close! We saw beautiful crotoans and desert roses and vegetable plants, among others. Sunshine sells the plants to their clients before they are grown. The vegetable plants have been a smart recent addition to their inventory and are selling out at retail stores. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson joined us for this tour.
An open house for the Villages at Laurel Meadows took place on April 1. Chamber members were offered tours and refreshments at the new complex located on the corner of CR 555 and Clower Street.
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