- NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse
- Posts
- Issue #523: Water Street Grows with Concert Venue | TechX Florida at USF | Mitochondria & Mental Health | First Book Fair Joy
Issue #523: Water Street Grows with Concert Venue | TechX Florida at USF | Mitochondria & Mental Health | First Book Fair Joy
12/19/2025
Ted Grellner
19 Dec
Keep your finger on the Pulse!
GOOD MORNING
Dr Ted
USAF Retired
SUBSCRIBE (& Access Past Issues):
Share with your friends here —> https://www.NTWCLP.com
NOTE to New Subscribers:
— If Gmail cuts off your newsletter, click “Read Online” in UR corner
— Despite minimizing sources that require a 3rd party subscription to read, we’ll use stories from these sources that are very informative: ($) businessinsider.com, tampabay.com
In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse
Our Event Calendar
Please post events of interest to our NT|WC Live Events Calendar; its easy to do.
Local News
— Water Street Tampa Expands with New Concert Venue and Entertainment District
— TechX Florida 2025 Brings AI Talent and Top Tech Firms to USF
Medical News
— Mitochondria May Be the Missing Link Between Mental Health and Brain Function
Of Interest
— ‘It Feels Like Christmas’: Tampa Students Get First Book Fair Experience
Our NT|WC Live Events Calendar:
https://pxl.to/NTWC-LIVE-event or click the image below:
Problems submitting? Email me by replying to your newsletter
Water Street Tampa Expands with New Concert Venue and Entertainment District
A new 3,500-seat concert venue is coming to downtown Tampa, aimed at giving emerging artists a chance to perform in a sell-out setting. The venue will rise on a parking lot across from Benchmark International Arena as part of a larger expansion of the Water Street Tampa project.
The district will also feature a 250-room hotel, 100,000 square feet of dining and retail, and 1,000 new parking spots to ease concerns about traffic and congestion.
Managed by Vinik Sports Group, the project will offer greater flexibility in booking world-class performances. Residents expressed excitement over the development, though some voiced concerns about traffic flow.
Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with no set opening date yet. The expansion is led by Strategic Property Partners, the same group behind the original Water Street vision.
TechX Florida 2025 Brings AI Talent and Top Tech Firms to USF
The TechX Florida 2025 Artificial Intelligence Conference drew 350+ students and professionals to the University of South Florida on Nov. 8, showcasing the strength of student leadership in tech. Hosted by USF’s IEEE Computer Society Student Branch, the event featured speakers from Microsoft, Intel, Verizon, JPMorganChase, and more.
Held in USF’s College of Engineering, the day-long program offered keynotes, hands-on workshops, a job fair, and industry panels discussing AI applications, career readiness, and emerging technologies like vibe coding and retrieval-augmented generation models.
Roughly 40% of attendees were professionals, highlighting strong industry interest. Attendees praised the student-led effort—many companies didn’t realize it wasn’t professionally organized.
President Anzhelika Kurnikova, a senior in USF’s Bellini College of AI, plans to grow the event to 500 attendees in 2026, continuing momentum with strong student leadership.
Mitochondria May Be the Missing Link Between Mental Health and Brain Function
Psychological scientists are zeroing in on mitochondria—the cellular "powerhouses"—as a key player in mental health. A new review in Current Directions in Psychological Science suggests that stress, trauma, and loneliness can damage mitochondria, disrupting brain energy, neurotransmission, and inflammation balance.
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive issues, potentially explaining how environmental experiences translate into physiological brain changes.
Chronic stress impairs mitochondrial function, contributing to fatigue, poor memory, and mood instability. Variations in mitochondrial DNA may influence stress vulnerability, suggesting a deeper, cellular explanation for individual differences in mental health outcomes.
The good news: mitochondria are modifiable. Endurance exercise, social connection, and potentially mindfulness and therapy can enhance mitochondrial resilience.
Understanding mitochondria could unlock new treatment pathways for both mental and physical disorders, shifting focus from inflammation markers to the cellular mechanisms behind them.
‘It Feels Like Christmas’: Tampa Students Get First Book Fair Experience
For the first time ever, students at Sullivan Partnership Elementary School in Tampa experienced the joy of a real book fair, thanks to the “If You Give a Child a Book” Campaign.
Sixty-eight students, many of whom live in transitional housing through Metropolitan Ministries, each chose and took home five brand-new books—often the first they’ve ever owned.
“We don’t want to ask families to provide books when they’re focused on food and shelter,” said Jodi Vizzi, the school’s media specialist.
Funded by Tampa Bay 28 viewers, the Scripps Howard Fund, and community donors, the campaign raised over $14,000, providing nearly 2,400 books.
The impact was immediate. “It feels like today is Christmas,” said 5th grader Jordan Alvarado.
For these children, the gift of reading is opening new doors: literacy, joy, and ownership—one page at a time.
30+ Free Holiday Events in Tampa Bay for a Festive Date
Source: tampabaydatenightguide.com
Things to do Around Tampa Bay this weekend |
|
|
Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links
The Arts
- The Exhibiting Society of Artists (new)
- USF College of the Arts
- USF Steinway Piano Concert Series
Theater
- NTPAC - New Tampa Performing Arts Center
- New Tampa Players
- USF School of Theatre & Dance
- Wesley Chapel Theater Group
- Carrollwood Players Theatre
Misc
- Carrollwood Center Events
- Craft Festivals (new)
- Fall (Farmer’s) Market Guide for Tampa Bay (new)
- The Krate, WC
- The Shops at Wiregrass, WC
- visitflorida.com
For Kids
- Fun4TampaKids
Reader Comments
“Best local newsletter!”
“Love seeing all the community events in one place. The calendar is getting crowded. ”“Always has good info and to the point.”
“Read this in the am. I like the new restaurants feature so I know when things will open. ”
“Keep up on the great information.”
“Good local coverage. Great job.”
“I’m not big on reading. But your news is short and right to the point! Very informative and quick and easy to read!”
“Good mix and balance of interesting, newsworthy and entertaining content.”
“Happy to read something other than politics. Great job.”
“This is my daily morning read. Great info. ”
“Love the attention grabbing topics that encompass what’s going on now as well as future implications. Great job. ”
“I get Information here that I might otherwise miss.”
“I love this newsletter, the type of information without the useless fillers.”
Any suggestions are always welcomed - Thanks
What Did You Think of This Issue? |
—> Comments are welcomed after voting