Hollywood may have just produced a film playing on the issue, but real identity theft is no laughing matter. Victims are devastated by decimated bank accounts, destroyed credit scores and an intrusion on their privacy. Our growing reliance on electronic data and systems has increased our vulnerability and created new opportunities for identity theft in unexpected places—including your federal tax refund.
Continue reading
Community — that seemingly indescribable feeling that bonds people from different walks of life with a deep sense of purpose. This is Oldsmar.
Countless people contribute to Oldsmar’s deep-rooted community. Oldsmar Cares provides families in need with food and clothing. East Lake Rotary Club and the Moose Lodge adopt families during the holidays. Community Policing Officers reach out to Oldsmar elementary schools and community groups to ensure help is distributed so that no child is turned away.
Safety Harbor Neighborhood Family Center provides weekend food packs for hungry children and assists in after school tutoring. Community Policing Officers started Holiday Sharing Fund to provide bikes, locks, and helmets to children in need. They coordinate cone courses, teach bicycle safety, and inspect bikes for safety.
Oldsmar Mayors and City Councils have consistently contributed to the community for decades. Traditions include the Mayors’ Breakfast with the Safety Harbor Mayor to raise money for local community groups, a City Relay for Life team, the Margaritaville challenge which benefits All Children’s Hospital, and the Christmas in July softball challenge which benefits the Holiday Sharing Fund.
City employees dedicate their work days to community building. They go the extra mile, partnering to help with solutions and develop opportunities. Employees build long-term relationships with both residents and businesses. Some employees have been community building for over 30 years!
Citizen volunteers support the City through Friends of the Library and Friends of Oldsmar Fire Rescue. Oldsmar Historical Society, Top of the Bay Garden Club, Oldsmar Community Organic Garden, and Woman’s Club further connect residents and non-residents alike. Residents serve on boards, make decisions, and give recommendations to City Council.
From Nielsen with over 800 employees to the single-owner business creating laser etched art, all contribute in essential ways. Through acts of charity, through the Chamber of Commerce, or through direct communication, they provide invaluable perspective and insight.
Our community — his, hers, yours, and mine. Explore Oldsmar virtually on Facebook (OldsmarFlorida) or online (MyOldsmar.com). Explore Oldsmar literally — Oldsmar Days & Nights is right around the corner! Everyone is welcome, young or old, person or business, first time or hundredth time. Oldsmar is your community. Welcome to Oldsmar.
You can bet on a great time for your family beginning Friday, October 19 at 5 p.m., as we tap the keg at Oktoberfest 2012 at Tampa Bay Downs!
The Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce is betting on a great weekend of non-stop entertainment under the Bigtop tent for the 17th Annual Top o’ the Bay Oktoberfest – presented by Bright House Network, Tampa Bay Downs and Beck’s Oktoberfest Bier!
September 26th, 2012
Have you reviewed your company contracts recently? Making sure you have well-drafted non-compete provisions in employment agreements can add value to your business.
What It Is
By signing a non-compete, employees promise not to work for your competitors for a specified period of time and within a specified geographic area after leaving your company.
Why You Need It
If your competitor hires away your employee, you can stop your employee from using your company’s trade secrets and from raiding your customers for the period of time the non-compete specifies. Of course, confidentiality provisions should accompany non-compete clauses in your employment agreements.
What To Look Out For
A recent Florida appeals case decided in August, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., v. Waxman, dealt with whether the assignee of employment agreements, DePuy, could enforce non-compete clauses in the contracts of three salesmen of its distributor, Joint Venture, Inc.
Joint Venture sold DePuy’s orthopedic products since 1999 and had three salesmen that for years promoted DePuy’s products in certain Florida territories. In April 2011, DePuy removed those territories from Joint Venture’s agreement and took assignment of all Joint Venture’s employment agreements covering those territories. Suddenly being out work, the three salesmen started selling for a competitor and began calling on past customers. DePuy sued the three salesmen and succeeded in stopping them.
How To Protect Your Business Interests
Employment agreements, and the right to enforce non-compete clauses in them, can be sold and assigned by a business. The agreements should include language such as “[Joint Venture’s] rights and obligations under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon [Joint Venture’s] assigns and successors.”
Since a contract assignment includes all rights and obligations, you might think that continued employment of the salesmen by DePuy was required. That’s not the case, however, if the employment agreement is terminable at will. Combined with typical language providing that the non-compete provisions “will survive termination of the agreement”, DePuy could enforce the restrictions even if the employment agreements terminated before assignment to DePuy.
In the abundance of caution it is a good idea to also include statutory language in the employment agreement, which the dissenting judge pointed out was missing in this case, to the effect that the restrictive covenant expressly authorizes enforcement by a party’s assignee or successor.
Key Take Away:
Why This Is Important to You
Having proper agreements with clauses protecting your business interests show potential buyers you have your ducks in a row. Just as you wouldn’t want anyone to steal your trademarks or copyrighted materials, so should you protect against the competition taking key employees or preventing ex-employees from competing against you.
When it comes time to sell, your buyer will want to know your business comes fully protected. Failure to do so could reduce the value of your revenue stream, your brand, and ultimately your sales price.
By Nickolas Ekonomides
Dunedin Artistic Bike Rack Collection Continues To Grow
In July, the Institute for Creative Arts and Arc Angels Inc. were contracted for another artistic bicycle rack for the City of Dunedin.
The newest design for a workable piece of art is a patriotic bike rack for Dunedin’s Purple Heart Park. The bike rack will feature two metal American flags on each end and a Purple Heart medal centered over each of the 10 bicycle openings. This rack is still in the design stages.
The Institute for Creative Arts and Arc Angels Inc. has created several other artistic bike racks as a part of the city’s initiative to bring sidewalk art from big cities to downtown Dunedin. One of the bike racks draws its inspiration from Dunedin’s past. Situated outside of the Café Alfresco and across the street from the Dunedin Historical Society and Museum is a bike rack replica of a 1890s Orange Belt Railway locomotive.
In front of the Hammock Park Butterfly Garden sits a rainbow-painted bike rack inspired by the garden’s inhabitants: butterflies. Animal lovers will love the dog and cat bike racks that are playfully placed outside the Dunedin Animal Medical Center and Pet Resort. Lock your bike in between the pages of the red book bike rack in front of the Dunedin Public Library. Churchgoers of the First Presbyterian Church of Dunedin can appreciate the Gothic church gate bike rack when attending their services.
Other local artists have created bike racks for Dunedin. Mary Lamé Wrought Iron & Aluminum Inc. created one where Florida’s tropical aquatic life jumped right out of the water for the fish bike racks located at the Broadway Deli & Café and the Olde Bay Café & Dunedin Fish Market. Swashbuckling pirates and cyclists alike can park their bikes in front of the Bayshore Breeze Mobil at the pirate ship bike rack designed by the shop’s owner, Spiro Voutsinas.
Oldsmar, Safety Harbor Mayors Host Breakfast
The cities of Oldsmar and Safety Harbor are coming together Friday, Dec. 14, for the annual Mayor’s Breakfast. Each year, the event location switches between Oldsmar and Safety Harbor, and this year it is at the Nielsen Corporation, 501 Brooker Creek Blvd. in Oldsmar.
From 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Mayor Jim Ronecker of Oldsmar and Mayor Andy Steingold of Safety Harbor will don aprons and serve breakfast to the guests of this year’s Mayor’s Breakfast. Food will be provided by the Nielsen Corporation. The Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs and City Councils of Oldsmar and Safety Harbor sponsor this event. All proceeds go towards the purchase of holiday dinners, toys, presents and clothing for underprivileged children and their families.
Call the Oldsmar Chamber of Commerce at 813-855-4233 or the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce at 727-726-2890 for more event details or to purchase tickets.
Businesses have flocked to social media like lemmings furiously migrating to the next best place. If you don’t want to just jump in, you may be doing yourself a favor. The legal implications of social media will convince you to have strict marketing goals governed by clear company policies.
The rate of businesses adopting Twitter or creating a Facebook page continues to increase. While tracking real ROI from social media remains elusive, the marketing attraction lies in its low cost, ease of use, and quick method of publishing news, advertising, and offers – think cut, paste, and post on the fly or instant YouTube commercial. Continue reading
3rd Annual Orange Festival Set for Saturday, July 7
The third annual Dunedin Orange Festival celebrates the history of oranges in the Dunedin area. This event will take place on Saturday, July 7, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kicking off the event at 8 a.m. is the Green Market, where Dunedin farmers sell their organically grown fruits, vegetables and other food items at Dunedin’s Pioneer Park. Live performances will be presented on the gazebo in Edgewater Park near the marina. The lineup of entertainers includes The City of Dunedin Pipe & Drum Band, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Gospel Choir, and other local bands.
Continue reading
Photo By Jennifer Trieste
‘Step With the Stars’ August 10
Be prepared to “bust a move” at the third annual “Stepping with the Stars” gala at the Baranoff Ballroom of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, which is located at 105 North Bayshore Boulevard in Safety Harbor. On Friday, Aug. 10, Jen Holloway from Bright House Networks will lead the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. as the Master of Ceremonies.
Continue reading
Celebrate Oldsmar Is Great Fun
Citizens of Oldsmar and surrounding areas can celebrate Labor Day weekend with carnival rides, fresh food, live entertainment and a firework display at R.E. Olds Park of 107 Shore Drive West in Oldsmar. The city’s annual Celebrate Oldsmar event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 1, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parking and admission to this event is completely free.
Continue reading
Photo Courtesy of the Buccaneers
New Bucs Signee Stays Loyal to Clearwater Roots
Leonard Johnson, a North Greenwood native, has been seeing his dream come true since he was signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in May. When he was growing up, Johnson earned a position as starting quarterback for four years at Largo High School. After high school, Johnson went on to become a cornerback for Iowa State.
Continue reading
The Dunedin Fine Art Center will hold a Summer Camp Open House on Friday, April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m., to introduce their five exciting Summer Camps planned for 2012. Todd Still, director of youth education, calls it the “Sizzlin’ Summer Art Enrichment” program. He is in his 15th year of bringing artists and art educators as well as talented drama professionals to DFAC to teach the class sessions. Each week will have its own theme to add variety and interest.
The Mini-Masters Pre-School Art Camp is for youngsters ages 4 ½ to 5. Children entering kindergarten will have a choice of a morning schedule from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and a full-day schedule from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All of the other camps will have a full-day schedule from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an outside lunch break. Extended care is also available for full-day programs.
Downtown Dunedin: Photo Courtesy of Dunedin Historical Society and Museum
As Pinellas County celebrates its 100th anniversary, many of today’s residents do not know very much about how it came to be. The area on the west side of Tampa Bay became its own governmental entity on January 1, 1912, but its history spans a millennium prior to that date.
The name “Pinellas,” is derived from the Spanish words – Punta Pinal, meaning “Point of Pines.” The area occupied by the county today stretches over 280 square miles with 24 cities – and is 38 miles long and 15 miles wide with 587 miles of shoreline. While Pinellas is Florida’s second smallest county in land mass, it also is the most densely populated county in Florida with around 3,000 people per square mile. Its population of 947,052 people makes it the sixth most populated county in Florida and 41st in the entire United States.
Downtown Safety Harbor: Photo Courtesy of Dunedin Historical Society and Museum
Pinellas County’s celebration of its 100th Anniversary is only just beginning. While New Year’s Day in 2012 was the 100-year mark for the official breakaway from Hillsborough County, the entire year is being set aside to celebrate the event. John Morroni, recently elected Chair of the County Commission, commemorated the occasion last summer with a symbolic “tug-of-war” with a Hillsborough commissioner on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
“I love what I do,” says Program Director Michelle Ault as she points to a simple wind chime hanging from a window in the corner of the gallery. “In eight years, we’ve gone from that, to this.”
She points toward a beautiful painting of a caterpillar—a cheery representation of circles and color that sits below the window, the sun glinting off its plastic protector. Her gesture is to show the growth she has seen over the past eight years, not only in the program, but in the artists as well.
Destination Tampa Bay is Searching for Young Voices for Upcoming Issues.
Many adult reporters and novelists started writing for fun when they were young. They may have enjoyed school assignments that involved writing short stories, essays, and answering written questions. Avid readers are also often great writers because they appreciate the written word and how it portrays an idea in a personal way. If you or someone you know is a 4th through 12th grade student in the Pinellas County School District (private and home schooled students are also eligible), Destination Tampa Bay is offering you the chance to be published. Our readers love a good story, and we want to hear from those who see our community through youthful eyes. We don’t have a lot of rules, but we do have some guidelines you must follow in order to be considered. You must write the article yourself. It’s good to ask someone to proofread it (someone like a teacher or parent), but you cannot use anyone else’s words unless you use the words to back up an idea or fact, and you must quote who those words came from.
Sue Brooks Owner of Bow-Meow
With a name like “a Bow-Meow Affair, Inc,” it’s pretty easy to guess that Dunedin’s Sue Brooks is in the pet care business. She’s a professional pet sitter! Sue grew up in Wisconsin and developed a love for animals, caring for and showing American Saddlebreds. When she and her husband Ross moved to Florida, she wanted to find something different to do.
“I was tired of the corporate life,” Sue explains,” and I figured there was a need for pet sitters around here.” She formed Bow-Meow and took over Cameron Cat Care, a business that had been founded in 1987.
David and Karina Wilson
The new Wilson’s Tire and Automotive in Oldsmar is truly “family friendly.” Karina Wilson often works the counter in the showroom and welcomes customers with a friendly smile. There’s a clean, comfortable waiting room—including wi-fi! Always fresh hot coffee is available, and for customers with children there’s even a playroom for the kids.
The new mural at the Rigsby Recreational Center brings the beauty of modern art to an interpretation of the activities and involvement of the community in the Safety Harbor Parks. Entitled “The RC Project,” the mural was designed by artists Kristy Burchard and Joe Oliva-Ganoza of “Formulated Lines.” Unlike most murals that simply are created to fill a blank wall space, “The RC Project” wraps itself around the corner of the Recreation Center building and provides views in what seems to be three dimensions.
Actors Morgan Freeman (standing), Harry Connick Jr. and Nathan Gamble rehearse with Winter during filming at the aquarium.
A number of local residents are likely to spot themselves or their neighborhood in “Dolphin Tale.” Most of the extras in the film are staff, volunteers and members of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, like Alice Anne Berlage of Dunedin, and her two daughters Abby, 13, and Nickie, 15.
