FREE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021
VOLUME 6, NO. 166
NEW STUDENTS MAY MEAN NEW PLANT CITY SCHOOLS BRIAN FERNANDES
Growth projections show more kids moving in.
STAFF WRITER
On Monday, a proposal to address potential student growth in Plant City, was presented before the City Commission. As part of the Hillsborough County School Board’s agenda, three scenarios have been con-
sidered. It’s a part of the board’s Plant City Area Long Range School Plan. Amber Dickerson of the county’s school board was present alongside Nilgum Kamp of the transportation agency Oliver Tindale. At the commission meeting they laid out citywide statistics
pertaining to the influx f new residents to Plant City. Based on the school board’s findin s, a need was seen for new schools to accommodate the number of children projected to come. In turn, the board has devised a 15-year plan to indicate how many should be built.
“Two years ago we identified that obviously there is going to be more growth coming to Plant City,” said Dickerson. Findings show that within the fi st fi e years, one elementary school will be needed.
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PLANT CITY’S FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER
Courtesy of the Plant City Police Department
Plant City residents have the opportunity to purchase pink patches or pink keychain fobs during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The proceeds will go toward the South Florida Baptist Hospital Cancer Resource Center - ‘A Place for Her.’
With another October here, pink once again blossoms as people recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In its effort to support the cause, Plant City has implemented its fi st Pink Patch Project. Initiated by police departments nationwide, this campaign takes pink patches and pink keychain fobs, and puts them up for sale. The proceeds are sent to a selected hospital or organization that uses its resources to combat breast cancer. This year, The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and Plant Police Department are collaborating to do just that.
What’s more, Jim Scott, general manager of JarrettScott Ford, has joined as a sponsor. He helped to fund the pink memorabilia so it could be supplied and sold in Plant City. The items can be purchased at the Ford dealership as well as the Chamber of Commerce. The patches will be sold for $10 and the keychain fobs for $7 throughout October. All proceeds will go toward the South Florida Baptist Hospital Cancer Resource Center – ‘A Place for Her.’ In fact, the campaign got a head start in Plant City, selling patches and keychain fobs as early as May. “In my time here, we’ve tried to become more engaged with the community
through service projects,” said Plant City Police Chief James Bradford. He explained that when he took his command role in the department earlier this year, he had an agenda. The Pink Patch Project was part of it. “It’s pretty widespread throughout the country,” continued Bradford, “and I thought that would be a good, easy community involvement.” The chief reached out to Jodi Stevens, Medical Staff Services manager at South Florida Baptist Hospital. She herself is a breast cancer survivor and has been in remission for six years now. “He just asked me where could we donate proceeds to that would help and stay in our community,” explained Stevens.
THE CITY TAKES ON PINK PATCH PROJECT TO SUPPORT LOCAL HOSPITAL
‘A Place for Her’ could use funds to provide patients with wigs, scarfs and prosthetics. However, helping to provide resources isn’t new for the initiative. The campaign fi st began in 2013 where it sprang up among multiple police departments in California, then venturing out to other regions of the U.S. Now eight years in, the Pink Patch Project has become a global effort amassing hundreds of agencies, including sheriff, fi e, EMS and federal departments. Breast cancer in women is almost the most common type, just second to skin cancer.
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