“Accessing and creating these opportunities for ourselves and others are essential stepping stones in building and sustaining a strong, cohesive, thriving community that can weather whatever is on the way”
Michele Miller
September 1, 2025
By Michele Miller
What’s What New Port Richey
It was one of those weeks when the onslaught felt never-ending. The last thing I wanted to do was to get out of my comfort zone.
As a writer, words typically flow better from head to pen or computer keyboard than out of my mouth. Self-promotion was something I was taught to tamp down, often coming with the directive, “Don’t be such a braggart.”
Years later, in the here and now, I understand the soul-searching value of humility and its place, but also the value of promoting my product, a necessary selling tactic in the mission of “connecting readers to the community they live in,” and making the business side of this website work in a way that financially sustains it.
So, being asked at a women’s networking event to take a turn standing up to give an impromptu one-minute rundown on What’s What New Port Richey spurred a fight-or-flight inner flutter that my better, new-aged self reminded me would be “over and done with soon enough, so get over yourself.”
I sputtered some as usual, but as these things sometimes go, I was glad I attended the Working Women of Tampa Bay Cocktails and Conversations event held last week at Sasha’s at the Hacienda Hotel in downtown New Port Richey.
The group is meant to uplift and connect local business women through various networking events – coffees, luncheons, and cocktail hours that often feature guest speakers. Typically, gatherings are held in Lutz, St. Pete, and Tampa. This meeting at the historic Hacienda was an inaugural expansion into New Port Richey – something that was welcome news to longtime members and some attendees who had never been to the city that’s been on the rise, and seemed pleasantly surprised with the experience.
Humility aside, after 34 years of living here, much of it spent writing feature stories about the City of New Port Richey and its wavering fame and economic climb, I admit that I never tire of hearing words of praise and wonderment about what it’s become. Where it’s going.
To be sure, it was time well spent. Inspiring to learn about the women and family-led businesses and organizations they work in. Realtors, a videographer, and a local magazine publisher. Women offering health and lifestyle services, and another hosting mom meet-ups. A future mayoral candidate, a new downtown restaurant owner and a fellow-first-timer, and a back-of-the-house restaurant worker who was thinking of re-starting a side-hustle selling hand-made scarves.
But more than anything, she was looking to meet people.
Connecting to others is at the core of gathering, one that plays out over so many genres, so many fields for those who venture out to dip a toe in an abundant pool of resources just there for the taking.
Networking might not be your thing, but there are options for exploration galore, whether you want to get out of or maybe revel in your comfort zone. Some are free. Others come with a ticket price or fee that, when paid, helps build, grow and sustain local businesses and their owners, as well as our much-needed service organizations that are experiencing cuts across the board in grants and state and federal funding.
A bit of self-promotion here – many of those opportunities can be found here in the calendars and stories published regularly on What’s What New Port Richey.
The list of things to do is extensive and will grow even more as the summer temps subside.
There’s a plethora of free library programs and services that can fill a yen to take a yoga or dance class, take in a free concert, try a hand at drawing, pottery, poetry writing, join a book club, chess club, or DD club. You can learn a new language. Try out a craft in a maker space. Capture or make your music in a recording studio. Learn how to write a resume. Get help finding a job.
Performing arts offerings at the Richey Suncoast Theatre and with the Richey Community Orchestra open doors for those with a talent to share or simply appreciate and support as a member of the audience in the seats. The West Pasco Art Guild and Pasco Art Center are two non-profits offering exhibits featuring local artists and classes for drawing, painting, pottery and more.
Our city and county parks, along with the Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park (Yes! We have a state park here in Pasco County!), along with our rec centers, are something to be envied, accessible year-round for those who want to explore on their own or take a guided hike in the woods or a paddle along the estuary coastline or down the Pithlachascotee River; view the night sky through a telescope or meet with other binocular-wearing bird watchers to catch sight of migratory birds passing through. Sports-minded sorts can join an array of local teams or start one of their own, or keep it low-key with a pick-up game of basketball.
Local non-profits that tend to the needs of the homeless, the addicted, the elderly, and those who suffer various afflictions are here to be tapped by those who are in need or those who want to help. Maybe volunteer.
Learning about elected public officials and what they are proposing for the rest of us, so we can be better educated about the effects of our votes, is another important venture in building community buy-in and civic responsibility, beyond the 10% that showed up for the last municipal election in the city of New Port Richey. There are agendas to read. Meetings that the public is welcome to attend – and weigh in on.
Accessing and creating these opportunities for ourselves and others are essential stepping stones in building and sustaining a strong, cohesive, thriving community that can weather whatever is on the way – be it a coastal storm, economic strife, personal loss, or differences of opinion.
We are in this together.
Starting here.
Now, onward. Peace. M
Michele Miller is the owner, creator, editor, writer, and photographer for the community news website, What’s What New Port Richey. She is a former writer and photographer with 25 years of experience working for the St Petersburg/Tampa Bay Times. Click here to read more Onward columns.
