Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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SPOTLIGHT
Arie Fry
+ Rising Star Plant City High School student Arie Fry has landed a role in “Hit Woman,” a TV show that is currently in negotiations for development. The dark comedy is written and directed by Ranelle Golden and will be filmed around the Central Florida area. Arie will be play the son of Roz Summers. For more information or to help fund the low-budget show, visit https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/ hitwomentv?col=-45065.
+ Estate Sale A large estate sale will be held at the home of the late Katherine Mays, who was the daughter of a former Plant City mayor. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 11 to 13, at 5017 Miley Road. The sale will include original artwork, framed prints, an oak bedroom set, sterling flatware, a venetian chandelier, a rare 1957 Halo Light TV, linens, home theater accessories, a 1872 Warren Platner space pod sofa, clothing and more. For more information, contact Arden Mays at ardenmays@gmail.com.
+ Girls Night Out Gather your girlfriends for a night of shopping at the inaugural Girls Night Out event in downtown Plant City. The event will be 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 11. Registration is at McCall Park,102 N. Palmer St. The stores and restaurants will be offering special promotions until 8:30 p.m. Focus4Beauty will have free pampering stations. Plus, there will be raffles to win prizes and other promotions for businesses around town. For every $10 spent, you are entered to win a collection of gift certificates valued at $240. If you donate clothes and new toiletries, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to RaceTrac. For more information call (813) 659-4200, Ext. 4101 or email events@ plantcitygov.com.
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This week’s winner is
Rob Yoho
See his photo on PAGE 15.
Gerold Dickens brings NFL lessons to locals.
See how Plant City fares in a recent report on its financial health.
PAGE 7
OUR TOWN
SPORTS
BY THE NUMBERS
Fourth of July celebration ends with a bang.
FREE • THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014
PAGE 11
PAGE 3
special events by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
City Commission axes event planning program
faith
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Citing a need to save money, Interim City Manager David Sollenberger announced Special Events Manager Deanna Hurley will be laid off in October. Seven months after taking on the newly created role of special events manager, Deanna Hurley found out last week that her position will not exist come October. Because of what Interim City Manager David Sollenberger called a “timing issue,” Plant City’s Special Events program was cut July 1. All planned events, with the ex-
ception of the July 11 timing issue.” Girls’ Night Out, have The move was been canceled. made to save Hurley is to be laid money. At the June off Oct. 1. According 23 City Commisto Sollenberger, it has sion meeting, Solnothing to do with her lenberger said the performance on the event-planning job. program was not “No reflections on Hurley producing a “sather — I think she’s a hard isfactory return on investworker,” he says. “It’s just a ment” because the timing
related to the development of Midtown was not positive. The problem, even though many of Hurley’s events were held elsewhere, is that Midtown currently is still in development. “The whole idea was to, as I understand it, to get the position established, par-
SEE HURLEY / PAGE 5
DEDICATED LEADER by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
HOMETOWN HERO Col. Dan Orrico traveled all over the world during his 30-year career in the U.S. Army.
SUPPORT Amber Jurgensen
Col. Dan Orrico started active duty as an officer in 1984.
Resident receives Advocate of Year Award
John Hehn is the executive director of Florida Presbyterian Homes.
of housing/retirement communities or long-term care for seniors. Highlights of Hehn’s advocacy efforts include advocating for the city of Lakeland to create a plan to become recognized as a senior-friendly community; clarification of assisted-living staffing requirements for retirement
communities that license independent living homes as assisted living; meeting with local legislators on the importance of “aging in place”; and the value of providing quality continuum-of-care services to elder Floridians. Hehn often invites local legislators to visit Florida Presbyterian Homes to cultivate those relationships. “As we move forward through the next 10 to 20 years, the field of aging ser-
John Hehn
There is a variety of formula available for free at First Baptist of Midway including brands Enfamil, Similac and Gerber. Regular formula and formula for sensitive stomachs are both readily available. In addition to formula, there are also supplements to wean babies off breast feeding. To pick up formula visit the church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Thursday or call to make a special appointment. Address: 2902 Midway Road, Plant City Phone: (813) 752-7209.
vices and care will become the most dynamic industry in America,” Hehn said. “It will employ more people than retail, and it will incur rapid innovation as the quality of services increases and the
SEE HEHN / PAGE 4
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Pastor Cole Dodd helps the 115-year-old First Baptist of Midway serve its community.
SEE DODD / PAGE 5
aging nicely by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City resident and executive director of Florida Presbyterian Homes, John Hehn, was presented with LeadingAge Florida’s Advocate of the Year Award in Lakeland. This award is presented annually to a LeadingAge Florida member who has made exceptional advocacy efforts on behalf of the field
Pastor leads church in outreach
With tattooed sleeves and a trendy pair of kicks, Cole Dodd would be the last person anyone would suspect to be a pastor at a Baptist church. But First Baptist of Midway’s newest spiritual leader brings his own style to the job. Dodd moved to the position four months ago after serving as worship pastor, taking over for Mitch Wiessman. Wiessman had the longest tenure at the church at 17 years. The growing congregation has adopted Dodd as its own. In turn, he’s been working hard to bring more community outreach programs to the
It was a moving ceremony for Col. Dan Orrico May 24, at his Walden Lake home. Thirty years in the U.S. Army had all led up to that one moment: retirement. His wife, Shelly, set a table to remember fallen soldiers. His eyes filled with tears as each of his five children made their way down the aisle to him, proudly holding flags from the state or country in which they were born. Then came the showering of awards and accolades. “It was a very nice ceremony,” Orrico said. “It was a capstone event for my career. I don’t really consider myself a hero. I just served for 30 years and got to serve with a lot of wonderful men and women.” Orrico did come in contact with a variety of service members and civilians from differ-
SEE ORRICO / PAGE 4
Amber Jurgensen
Pastor Cole Dodd has a passion for community outreach.
Vol. 1, No. 49 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather ......................15
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