PLANT CITY TIMES &
Observer
Flag football fun
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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 4, NO. 28
FREE
YOUR TOWN
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017
Last year, over 560,000 people attended the Florida Strawberry Festival. With added security measures in 2017, General Manager Paul Davis and Security Manager Tim Lovett are maintaining safety as a top priority.
Emily Topper
Daniel Figueroa IV is the Observer’s newest community reporter.
Times & Observer hires new reporter Daniel Figueroa IV has joined the staff of the Plant City Times & Observer as a community reporter. Figueroa, 30, brings more than five years of experience in journalism to the Observer. Most recently, he worked as a copywriter for the marketing branch of AutoLoop in Clearwater. Before that, he covered politics and veteran affairs at the Ledger of Lakeland, and covered crime and the cities of Lake Wales and Frostproof. Originally from the Bronx, New York, he received his associate’s degree from Mercy College before majoring in mass communication and journalism at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In his free time, he enjoys performing music and comedy, frequent trips to Disney World and getting lost on his Triumph motorcycle. He can also recite nearly the entire script of “Casablanca” verbatim.
EMILY TOPPER MANAGING EDITOR
O
n June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed in a shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Just over one month later on July 14, a cargo truck was deliberately driven into the crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing 86 and wounding over 50 others. And on Jan. 6, 2017, a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, killing five. For Florida Strawberry Festival General Manager Paul Davis and Security Manager Tim Lovett, both former deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the safety of the hundreds of thousands of guests that come to Plant City’s 11-day festival every year is a top priority — one they’ll maintain in a world where the unimaginable can become a reality in the blink of an eye. “Everything changed after 9-11,” Davis said. “But it just keeps changing. As time progresses, you have to stay ahead of the curve.” With added safety measures this year that include pre-registering vehicles on the grounds and promoting pedestrian safety, the festival’s security leaders are ensuring that guests are well-protected.
Festival elects teacher to associate board Suzanne Cribbs was elected to the Florida Strawberry Festival’s associate board of directors Tuesday, Jan. 10. Cribbs was elected to fill the position that became vacant when Jon Poppell was promoted to the board of directors in September. Cribbs serves as the gifted consultant at Tomlin Middle School, where she also teaches seventh and eighth grade honors language arts on the school’s STEM team. In 2016, she was chosen Teacher of the Year by her peers. “The (Florida) Strawberry Festival is part of my heritage,” Cribbs said. “I am honored to be part of the organization that my dad was involved in for so many years, and look forward to working as an associate director.” Cribbs’ late father, Jim Walden, was a festival director for 20 years. Cribbs and her mother, Linda Walden, have co-chaired the festival’s annual fashion show for the past 26 years. In addition, Cribbs has volunteered with the annual Grand Parade, youth livestock judging and the festival’s ambassador team. The Florida Strawberry Festival’s board of directors is comprised of 30 people, with 14 serving as directors and 16 serving as associate directors. “Suzanne is a hard worker who has already contributed so much to the festival through her extensive volunteer work,” Florida Strawberry Festival President Dan Walden said. “We are thrilled to have someone who loves the festival so much join us in a leadership role.”
SAFETY FIRST
There were over 560,000 attendees of the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival. Before any of them entered the festival’s gates, they were required to have SEE SAFETY PAGE 6 Emily Topper
Florida Strawberry Festival Security Manager Tim Lovett and General Manager Paul Davis, both former deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, are dedicated to keeping festival attendees safe.
CenterState’s Platinum Bank acquisition to be approved in April After announcing the acquisition in October, Platinum Bank shareholders are expected to approve the move by April 2017. EMILY TOPPER MANAGING EDITOR
Later this year, Platinum Bank Holding Company shareholders are expected to approve the acquisition
of Platinum by CenterState Bank Inc., Florida’s second largest community bank. In Plant City, that means the Platinum Bank location at 1804 James L. Redman Parkway will become the primary CenterState location in town. “This location is staying,” David Sullivan, senior executive vice president at Platinum Bank, said. “The CenterState near Midtown is closing, and they will move over here.” In addition to the Plant City locaSEE BANK PAGE 4
Celebrating Diversity
Emily Topper
The MLK Festival Freedom Parade was Saturday, Jan. 14. SEE PAGE 9