PLANT CITY TIMES &
Observer
PCHS athlete takes friend with Down syndrome to prom. Sports, page 12
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 3, NO. 42
FREE
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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
The 12-foot reptile is still loose in Walden Lake. See page 3.
Seven schools will participate in a sign language concert at Strawberry Crest High School this month.
YOUR TOWN
Funeral director awarded Tammy Spurlock has been hard at work — and her company has noticed. On Monday, April 18, Spurlock, the funeral director at Wells Memorial Funeral Home and Event Center in Plant City, was honored with the 2015 Circle of Excellence Award by Dignity Honors. The award is one of the top honors awarded by the company. Spurlock has worked at Wells for three years and is a first-time recipient of the award. “It’s exciting,” Spurlock said. “It’s a top honor.” Spurlock was congratulated by her colleagues, including General Manager Verna McKelvin, Market Director Peter O’Connor, South Florida Managing Director Steve Miller and Human Resources Director Gloria Rodriguez. Spurlock’s success was celebrated with a surprise luncheon and cake at the funeral home.
EMILY TOPPER STAFF WRITER
S
ilence is a sign of
Photo by Emily Topper
Hannah Swafford, Kiersten Bass, Kaitlyn Kramar, Jennifer Caldwell, Jenny Plummer and Matthew Harvester sign the word “family.” The students picked a theme of friends and relationships for Strawberry Crest’s presentation at the ASL Extravaganza.
Earth Day
students’ hard work in Robin Schwarz’s classroom at Straw-
berry Crest High School. The end of school is fast approaching, and her students are studying for final exams, with laptops open and papers spread across the desks. They are sit-
DID YOU KNOW?
Sign language is a conceptual language, and many of the signs are based on what a person is feeling or trying to convey. Because of this, signage varies. Students at SCHS, for example, learned to sign “believe, don’t stop,” when learning sign language for the Journey classic “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The language also has its own grammar structure.
ting still except for their hands, which move at a rapid-fire pace to convey words, thoughts and emotions to one another.
Residents make the world go round. Page 8
SEE PAGE 3
Little Miss Competition hits 48th year Organizers are inviting former queens to attend the event April 30. ABBY BAKER STAFF INTERN
File photo
It’s always an exciting moment when the queen is announced among court members.
2015 Little Miss Plant City Queen Raylynn Thompson will be handing her crown to a new queen during the 48th annual Little Miss Plant City competition Saturday, April 30.
There will be 30 contestants competing to be part of the 2016 court. Members take part in local events, such as Relay for Life, Empty Bowls and the Florida Strawberry Festival. The Plant City Junior Woman’s club has hosted the competition for its almost 50-year run, and club treasurer, Racquel Sturgis is confident that the cause has remained intact. “It’s been a staple fundraiser for the club for a long time,” Sturgis said. “It’s not a beauty pageant, it’s a longstanding tradition.”
The fundraiser, averaging $5,000 a year, was created to buy socks and tennis shoes for underprivileged elementary school students. While the club donates shoes to 14 area schools, one school is randomly selected every year to get special attention. This year it was Walden Lake Elementary School. “We get very connected to one school a year,” Sturgis said. “It’s a hands-on project.” SEE LITTLE MISS PAGE 9