10.6.22 PLCO

HURRICANE IAN BLOWS THROUGH PLANT CITY

CITY RESIDENTS BEGIN CLEANUP EFFORTS AND RESTORE NORMALCY TO THEIR LIVES.

MAIL BALLOTS MAKE THEIR WAY TO VOTERS

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections mails 316,000 ballots.

A lot can happen in a couple of weeks. On Sunday, September 25th, residents were becoming painfully aware that a powerful hurricane had its sights set on Hillsborough County. While a southern shift in its fore cast track meant that the city was spared from the worst of the storm’s winds and rain, the memory of the event will leave an indel ible impression on the minds of those who weathered the storm for years to come and has proven the city’s emergency management planning is effective.

HURRICANE PREPARATION

As Hurricane Ian approached, and its forecast track depicted a Tampa area land fall, government officials sprang into action. Hillsborough County Public Schools super

intendent Addison Davis announced schools would be closed for the week. Six schools in Plant City were converted to emergency shel ters.

Sandbag distribution locations opened to help residents prepare their homes for water intrusion. While county operations were self-service facilities that required residents to shovel their own sand into bags, Plant City officials provided 5,000 pre-filled bags to city residents thanks to a sandbagging machine purchased after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

“Not only were they prefilled but we also loaded them into our residents’ vehicles which helped speed up the process,” said City Manager Bill McDaniel.

As the city was executing its own alreadyprepared plan to assist residents during the storm, officials encouraged citizens to final ize their own plans.

“I believe in preparing for the worst but hoping for the best,” said McDaniel.

Plant City resident and homeowner Dan Segale, who lived in Miami during Hurri cane Andrew in 1992, prepared by freezing as much food as he could, purchasing nonperishable food items, water bottles, bat teries and matches. He filled his tubs with water and designated an interior closet as a safe room for him and his family in case they really had to hunker down. He made space in his garage for a vehicle and placed sandbags around his back door in the event of water intrusion.

“We made plans as if we were going to get a direct hit but were relieved when we learned the storm was moving further south,” he said.

More than 316,000 mail ballots were loaded into trucks at the Robert L. Glider Elections Service Center. The ballots were bound for the post office, where they will be mailed to local voters who’ve requested mail ballots.

Vote By Mail ballots are only available to registered voters who have requested one. Florida voters have until October 29th to request that a ballot be mailed to them. Voters will need to provide their Florida Driver License, Florida ID or the last four digits of their social security number when making the request.

Voting by mail allows you to take your time making decisions on your ballot while enjoying the privacy and convenience of home.

“I encourage voters who want to vote by mail to make their request as soon as possible,” said Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer. Voted ballots must be in the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. November 8th.

It’s not too late to request a mail ballot. Visit VoteHillsborough.gov or call 813-744-5900 to request your mail ballot.

Evelyn Cook at Pennsylvania and Calhoun

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

MICHELLE CACERES

STAFF WRITER

Now Accepting New Patients

SOUTHEASTERN GROCERS LAUNCHES COMMUNITY AID AND RECOVERY EFFORTS

Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, have announced the extension of its community donation program to benefit theAmerican Red Cross and plans for additional relief activations in areas impacted by Hurricane Ian, together with the SEG Gives Foundation.

Customers can help equip the nonprofit y donating $1, $5 or simply rounding up their grocery bill while shopping at their local Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores. Every dollar donated through SEG’s community donation program will help support Red Cross Disaster Relief, which provides essential aid to those affected by disasters across the country, including food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance. The grocer also donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross earlier this year in preparation for this hurricane season, and more than $815,000 to aid and support disaster relief efforts in 2021.

“Hurricane Ian has left a wide path of destruction throughout Florida, and our heartfelt thoughts are with all of our associates, customers and communities recovering from the shocking devastation. I want to express my profound appreciation for our associates for their

support before, during and after this historic storm,” Southeastern Grocers president and CEO Anthony Hucker said. “Utilizing our decades of disaster relief experience, we continue to put people at the center of our decisions to shape every step of our recovery efforts – however long they may take. Hurricane Ian has left a legacy of disaster, but we are a resilient community, and our customers can count on us to help them recover. We are stronger together.”

Relief efforts will include:

• Emergency truckloads of essential products and vaccines have been allocated to open stores and pharmacies throughout Florida daily.

• SEG and its charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, are now mobilizing resources to provide needed water and ice donations to Southwest Florida in support of communities in great need.

• The grocer plans to activate mobile pharmacies to offer preventive vaccines and needed medications, along with food pantries to provide shelf-stable products, fresh produce, water, ice and essential cleaning supplies in impacted areas where stores remain closed.

For more information, visit www. frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH PLANNING MAJOR YARD SALE

PLANT CITY RESIDENTS WEATHER THE STORM CITY

AND CITIZENS COME TOGETHER FOR CLEANUP EFFORTS.

DURING THE STORM

After the storm made landfall near Fort Myers on Wednesday, Plant City residents braced for the effects to be felt closer to home. Stronger winds arrived later that evening, which left residents waiting until morning to survey the damage.

McDaniel, who with other city offi cials, including Mayor Nate Kilton, was stationed at the Emergency Operations Center, kept residents informed via social media live feeds, another takeaway from Hurricane Irma.

“We learned we needed better commu nication with residents before, during and after the storm,” he said. He later received positive feedback from residents who appreciated the updates.

Public safety officers were also on-hand to assist as needed throughout the storm. When a tree fell across a major roadway, a work crew was dispatched to quickly remove the debris and make the road pass able.

Segale said during the storm, his daugh ter heard a loud crash in their back yard as a tree from a neighboring yard uprooted and damaged his fence. There wasn’t anything he could do about it at the time so he and his family, after measuring wind speeds of 50-70 mph, decided they didn’t need to sleep in the safe room and got a good night’s sleep in their own beds.

CLEANUP EFFORTS

Residents woke up last Thursday morn ing to survey the damage left by the storm’s rain and winds. Thankfully, they were spared from the strongest winds and dev astating storm surge that ravaged south west Florida.

Florida Strawberry Festival president Kyle Robinson said he was happy to accom modate the electrical crews, even though they lost power during the storm. It wasn’t restored for several days.

“We are fortunate to have enough prop erty and facilities to house the crews, so they quickly respond after the storm and restored power to our community,” he said.

Segale, whose power went out at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, was grateful that it was restored by Thursday at 5 p.m. Other than the fence damage and a few shingles that flew off his roof, his home survived unscathed.

Within hours after the storm passed, residents were already clearing debris from their yards.

Residential yard debris can be taken to drop-off sites that will be open Monday –Sunday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. These locations include: 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa, 13000 U.S. 41 in Gibsonton, 6209 County Road 579 in Seffner and 350 Falkenburg Rd. in Tampa. Residents must show a valid Florida ID to receive free yard waste dis posal. Bagged waste must be emptied by the resident for disposal because plas tic bags can damage mulch-processing equipment.

Regular curbside yard waste collection resumes Monday, October 3rd but only bagged or packaged yard waste will be collected curbside by your regular waste hauler. Piles of leaves and small twigs must be bagged or placed in containers to be col lected curbside.

Hillsborough County-contracted disas ter debris haulers will begin collecting large yard waste storm debris on Thursday, October 6th. Residents must have debris placed at the curb by Monday, October 10th. Patience will be required; it may take several weeks to collect all debris.

Minor damage to city property occurred, including window damage to the 1914 Plant City High School Community Cen ter and roof damage on a few other cityowned buildings. Several wastewater lift stations, necessary for moving wastewater, transitioned to generator power because of downed trees and storm debris.

Disasters can bring out the best and worst in humanity. McDaniels said he saw many instances of Plant City residents banding together as neighbors to help each other.

Thursday night the folks at Outback Steakhouse provided 1,400 meals for the linemen at the fairgrounds. The owners of Fred’s Southern Kitchen fed the crews breakfast the next morning, provided a sack lunch they could take with them while working and then provided supper when they returned that evening. A local food bank needed a generator and a local busi nessman purchased one for them. A Girl Scout troop made signs to thank essential workers. The government, in cooperation with several community business partners, provided free hot meals at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center.

A community came together.

“We have residents in this community that step up and do what needs to be done,” said McDaniel.

Goodwill was not the only byproduct of the storm. Criminals took advantage

of the situation to loot one local business, Yerb Labs Kava Lounge & Smoke Shop, located at 107 S. Evers Street. The inci dent occurred Wednesday night after the power went out, rendering their alarm sys tem worthless. Thieves busted through the front glass door, tipping over display cabi nets and destroying property. Merchandise stolen included vapes, edibles and vapor izers worth approximately two thousand dollars.

Co-owner Shay McCulley, who was

app allows residents to upload and share photos of damage, access local resources and toggle between English and Spanish.

Assistance can also be requested by fill ing out an online questionnaire and aid application at DistasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800462-7585). If you have access to the Inter net, you are encouraged to apply online.

THE TAKEAWAY

with her partner in Denver at a trade show, rushed home the following morning. With Tampa International Airport still closed, the pair flew to Pensacola and rented a car to drive the remaining distance home.

“They took a lot of random merchan dise and caused unnecessary damage,” said McCulley.

They were in the process of binding their insurance before the storm, so the damage won’t be covered by the policy. It cost $800 to replace their front door.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help them offset their loss. Donations can be made at https://gofund.me/6c773797.

Preparation is an important part of any emergency plan. As city officials analyze their response to Hurricane Ian, they will look for ways to improve it.

Kilton wants to publicly acknowledge the sacrifice of city employees, including the leadership team of Bill McDaniel, assis tant managers Jack Holland and Mercedes Perez, Chief of Police James Bradford, Fire Chief David Burnett, the entire team and crew that was on the EOC, the Solid Waste Department folks who are getting things cleaned up and all the other departments that pitched in with hurricane prepara tions and relief efforts. He also would like to recognize the community network of non-profits and churches who have offered assistance.

“We are a community of 40,000 resi dents in Plant City proper and 80,000 residents in Eastern Hillsborough County but it doesn’t feel that way,” said Kilton. “It feels like we’re a small town because every time something happens residents come together to support one another.”

Plant City residents have proven their resiliency. “I think that everyone has done a phenomenal job,” said McDaniel.

AVAILABLE DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESOURCES

Hillsborough County residents impacted by Hurricane Ian are eligible for individual disaster assistance through FEMA. Resi dents can access federal disaster assistance through the FEMA mobile app, available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. The

This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police investigate a stolen truck, a home burglary and stolen copper.

bserver

SEPTEMBER 23

IN PLAIN SIGHT

800 block of E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Theft: An officer met with the victim who reported the theft of a weed eater from their property.

STICKY FINGERS

2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy.

Theft: Officers responded to the business at the listed location and met with their Loss Prevention department in reference to a reported theft from the business.

BYE-CYCLE

1500 block of James L. Redman Pkwy.

Business burglary: An officer was dispatched to a business at the listed location in reference to a stolen bicycle.

SEPTEMBER 25

YOUR CAR RUNNING? BETTER GO CATCH IT!

600 block of N. Gordon St.

Vehicle burglary: An officer responded to the listed location in reference to the burglary of a truck.

OFFLINE SHOPPING

600 block of N. Warnell St. Theft: An officer responded to a residence at the listed location in reference to a theft of Amazon packages that had been delivered to the location.

NO SERVICE

2800 block of James L Redman Pkwy.

Petit theft: An officer responded to the business at the listed location in reference to the theft of a cell phone.

SEPTEMBER 26

BANNED PRACTICE

1900 block of N. Maryland Ave. Drug investigation: An officer conducted a traffictop at the listed location in reference to a speeding vehicle. One individual was subsequently charged with possession of cocaine and driving with a suspended license with

knowledge and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

NOBODY’S HOME

2200 block of Saffon Waldron Dr. Burglary/criminal mischief: Offiers responded to the under construction homes located at the listed location to investigate the report of a burglary/theft.

SEPTEMBER 27

YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME, COPPER

3000 block of N. Park Rd. Burglary: An officer met with the complainant who reported the theft of approximately $18,000 worth of copper pipe/tubing from a construction site at the listed location overnight.

SEPTEMBER 28

A SHOT IN THE DARK

1400 block of Plantation Cir. Shooting with injuries: Officers responded to the apartment complex at the listed location in reference to multiple gunshots heard in the area.

BRANCHING OFF

Mendonsa Rd. / S. Alexander St.

Throwing a deadly missile: Offi cers responded to the listed location in reference to the complainant reporting that a tree branch was thrown at their vehicle. One individual was subsequently charged with throwing a deadly missile and criminal mischief and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

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PLANT CITY RUSHES TO SUPPORT FELLOW CITIZENS IN WAKE OF HURRICANE IAN

While many Plant City residents were still without power through the weekend, Danny McIntyre of iImpactPC and pastor Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins of Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries sprung into action to provide warm meals for those in need this past weekend.

With the assistance of several local orga nizations – including Fryed Egg Produc tions, Stingray Chevrolet, Achieve Plant City, the Plant City Chamber of Com merce, First Baptist Church of Plant City, Unity in the Community, United Food Bank of Plant City, Felton’s, Winn-Dixie and others – iImpactPC rolled out the smoker and began cooking hot meals that included sausage, chicken, rice, beans, bread and water that would be boxed up by volun teers and passed out to anyone in need as they drove through the parking lot at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center. Several Plant City residents showed up

to serve and assist in any way they could, while the event also brought out members of the Plant City Economic Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce and City Commission, along with assistant city managers Mercedes Perez and Jack Holland, city manager Bill McDaniel and Mayor Nate Kilton, among others.

“Every time there’s a hurricane the thought is, with Plant City Strong, how do we support one another?” McIntyre said. “So they called me on Saturday last week and said, if this thing comes, are we ready to activate  – that’s our favorite word, acti vate – and we said yeah. Some people have power, some don’t, and we wanted to feed as many as we can. We’ve had tremendous support from the people that have come out today. Those folks have contributed either financially with their personal time.”

The event was nothing new to iIm pactPC, however. When Hurricane Irma made its way through the state of Florida in 2017, McIntyre reached out to Callins in an attempt to help. They ultimately set up

shop in a church parking lot, spreading the word and providing meals to all those who came through the location hungry. He says that their first event began with 150 or 200 individuals that Saturday morning, then it continued and grew into the evening and he later got a call asking when he would be starting the following day. So McIntyre got up and continued helping on Sunday. Last weekend’s event started at noon on Satur day and picked up again the following day.

“That’s what really makes our city so special, it’s that people recognize that everybody is going through a challenge, just like with COVID,” Kilton said. “We’re all impacted by it to some degree but we take care of our homes, our friends and family, then what are you going to do after that? You make sure that you know that there are people out there that might not be in the same situation. Some of the folks coming through this line probably still don’t have power and just having a hot meal is super meaningful to them, so those little things make a big deal to people.”

In 2019, former Plant City Police Department (PCPD) Chief Ed Duncan defended the purchase of a BearCat armored tactical vehicle, funded with a $335,000 allotment approved by the city commission, saying: “during hur ricanes, when all first responder vehi cles are called off the roads when winds exceed 45 to 50 mph, the vehicle could be safely deployed and assist in emer gencies.”

It’s almost as if he could see into the future.

At 6:55 p.m. last Wednesday night, as Hurricane Ian ripped a destructive path through Florida and powerful winds in excess of 50 mph battered Plant City, it became unsafe for rescue vehicles to be dispatched to assist residents with their emergencies. However, just because it was unsafe for emergency vehicles to be deployed didn’t mean that residents stopped requiring assistance.

A desperate 911 call was made by friends of Plant City resident Amanda Guido, almost eight months pregnant, who needed immediate medical atten tion. She was having contractions that were five minutes apart. A seasoned mother who had already birthed several children, she knew she needed to get to the hospital.

Cue the 19,000-pound BearCat, built on a Ford F550 commercial chas sis, able to withstand 230+ mph wind speeds and is impact-resistant up to 40,000 pounds.

The vehicle and several first respond ers, including PCPD Captain Robert McLellan, SWAT team members Ser geant Chad Carpenter and Officer Austin Johnson and Fire Department Deputy Chief Dustin Hill, braved the battering winds and rain and went to the woman’s aid. A paramedic evalu ated the pregnant woman and deter mined she needed to be taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital. The woman was carefully loaded into the BearCat, which features bench-style seating, and, because traffic was nonexistent on the deserted roads, delivered the patient safely to the hospital in min utes.

McLellan supposed the vehicle must have surprised the home’s occupants,

who were expecting an ambulance. Hill said that because it was nighttime and the power had gone out on the street, the pregnant woman didn’t get a good look at the vehicle that had taken her to the hospital until they reached its generator-lit exterior. As she was get ting out of the vehicle, he told her to turn around and look at the vehicle that delivered her to the hospital. “The look of shock and surprise on her face told us that she wasn’t expecting her chariot to be an armored vehicle,” he said. “She was really surprised.”

Guido was thankful the city had a vehicle that could withstand the strong winds and help her get to the hospital.

“I couldn’t have walked,” she joked.

While it would have been a fun birth story, she was treated by doctors and given medication to stop labor. “They told me the baby’s lungs needed to develop further since my due date isn’t until November 6th,” she said.

Not long after the woman had been safely dropped off at the hospital, they received another 911 call. This time, a 74-year-old Hispanic woman, shel tering at Marshall Middle School, had fallen and hit her head. The vehicle and its medical team were deployed to the school, where they assessed her injury and drove her to the hospital. The shel ter’s medic, Noe Guillen, who had only been on the job eight days, rode along to act as a translator for the woman, who only spoke Spanish.

PCPD Chief James Bradford said before the emergency vehicle was deployed, a thorough risk analysis was conducted, and conversations were had about the risk versus the reward.

“We didn’t want the rescue mission to fail and create more problems but based on the assessment we decided that we could safely deploy the vehi cle,” said Bradford.

Hill said the results show the posi tive impact the BearCat has on Plant City residents, especially the two resi dents (three if you count the baby) who received prompt medical treatment.

“When it’s your mom, your dad, your sister, you want somebody to come help and the vehicle helped us make that happen safely,” remarked Hill. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the service we provide to the community.”

HILLSBOROUGH

BATTLES LARGE FIRE AT PLANT CITY FISH FARM

Hillsborough County fire rescue responded to an overnight structure fire at a fish farm at 6507 Bob Head Road in Plant City on Tues day morning.

HCFR’s dispatch received an emergency call from an individual near the loca tion at 2:09 a.m. reporting heavy fire and smoke com ing from one of the build ings at the location. Engine 26 was the first on scene, confirming heavy fire and smoke coming through the roof of the building before crews quickly deployed handlines and an aerial master to keep the blaze under control.

Water was supplied through shuttle opera tions using water tankers and firefighters contin ued working throughout the morning to put out hotspots.

There were no occu pants inside the building at the time of the fire and HCFR’s Fire Investigations Unit responded to the scene investigating the poten tial cause of the fire. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was transport ed from the scene.

The fie occurred in the early morning on Tuesday.

WHAT’S IN THE NAME PLANT CITY

Most citizens of Plant City don’t realize that our town bears the name not of a crop, but that of a man, Henry B Plant. With the notoriety of our strawberry industry, and the long heritage in agriculture across several fronts, it is somewhat natural that people would assume our city’s moni ker had something to do with crops rather than a man. But that assumption misses out on know ing of a pioneering gentleman whose influence and accomplish ment dwarfed little ol’ Plant City.

There is an old rumor that, how while Mr. Plant did not officially object to our town bearing his name when one of his railroad lines came through, he never stayed a night here. You see, at that time the old wood burn ing railroad steamers of the day required watering stops every 7-10 miles or so and, compared to his long heritage in many major cities, Plant City to him was like ly a muddy watering hole. The rumor was that in his later years if/when his private rail car would be passing through our town, he would pull down the shade.

Putting aside for the moment how our town was perhaps not noteworthy enough to merit his name in 1885 when he was 66 years of age, we would be dou bly remiss if we entirely forget who Henry B. Plant was and his many accomplishments. While

writing of his life could and does fill biography books, which I’ve enjoyed and recommend, allow me to provide some high-altitude summary points for our readers to ponder and hopefully pass on to their children and grandchildren who all too often don’t learn of such things anymore.

Henry Bradley Plant was born in 1819 and lived a full life to age 79, dying in 1899. For perspec tive, at the time of his death New York City was mostly three stories or less with a few 10 story build ings and most Americans still did not have indoor plumbing or electricity. Young Plant was only six when his father died. While his mother wanted him to be a Christian Minister and educated him well, he instead passed on a ticket to Yale and took his first job at 18 on a steamship in the waters of NY and CT. Here he saw what was the shipboard part of the “Express Business.” Imagine the days before Amazon delivery, cell phones, telephones, internet, automobiles, and most anything moving faster than a galloping horse. Now imagine wanting to send a package and a note to a friend residing 50 miles inland up the Potomac River from Wash ington DC. Delivering such a par cel was what the express business entailed. In its infancy it involved cooperation between railroads, ships, horse wagons, and delivery boys. Henry Plant worked in this world beginning at the very bot tom and eventually rising to build

an empire and lead a fully inte grated network of all aspects.

It was 25 years into his rise in the world of the Express Business with his gaining knowledge of the railroad aspects of it, mostly in Georgia and/or North Florida due in part to his wife’s health require ments to avoid the northern win ters, when Mr. Plant’s wife Ellen died and the American Civil war began. He sent his son to be with family up north, and since he was already trusted by his northern employers and investors, and also by those of the Confederacy, Mr. Plant successfully purchased por tions of the Adams Express Com pany that now found themselves residing south of the Mason Dixon line. It is interesting to note here, though he was shrewd and hard, he paid a fair price. He did not steal it, he bought it, and this is important and revealing as to the character of the man. Henry Plant believed business could be hard, but that it should not be criminal. As a young man, Henry worked for a steamship line that committed crimes to win against competi tion, but he preferred to beat the competition with value, not sins against it. During the depression in the South that followed the end of the Civil War many of his for mer partners remained his friends and later aided him in the expan sion of his empire.

After the Civil War, Henry Plant spent the last 24 years of his life building and/or rebuilding in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and

beyond. While some here recall Mr. Plant’s railroad interests in our town due to how the east/west freight and passenger rail lines he built between Tampa and Sanford in 1884 are still in service. Amaz ingly, he built 74 miles of railroad track in six months. Yet, sadly, not only have many here forgotten the man who gave us one rail line through our town, but few give him credit for what he built in and did for Tampa. After being spurned by Cedar Key where Henry first want ed to make a Gulf Port, Mr. Plant chose Tampa instead.

In addition to giving rail service across the middle of Florida, Plant wanted to establish steamship service between Tampa, Cuba, and the Bahamas. So, he dredged the 26-mile Tampa channel from 9 to 25 feet, built two earthen piers with rail each extending a mile into the bay, and commissioned a state of the art steamship, The Mascotte. She was a 200ft record breaker whose name is still on Tampa’s City Seal, but her draft was 12 feet and Plant envisioned a Tourist Cruise

operation whereby passengers could board a train in New York, arrive in Tampa, stay in a luxurious hotel he was building there, and board a ship to ply the gentle Gulf waters to visit Cuba, the Bahamas, and beyond. Those two foreign port cities had shallow channels as well, but no problem for Plant; he deep ened the channel of Havana Cuba and Nassau Bahamas and set Mas cotte and her successor, Olivette, to pioneer a cruise ship vacation industry from the west coast of Florida.

In 1896, there loomed an embar go against Cuba that was to further lead the country towards war with the Spanish in 1898. Such would have totally strangled the tobacco trade in Ybor City. With short prior knowledge, Vincente Ybor of Tam pa hired Plant to send the Mascotte and Olivette for a huge order of leaf tobacco. The ships beat the embar go deadline and delivered tremen dous cargoes of tobacco and thus Plant helped to save the Tampabased cigar industry. And when the Spanish American War did come,

due to Mr. Plant’s improvements

Tampa was chosen as superior to Miami as the port to accommodate the military efforts.

By the time of his death, The Plant System entailed nearly 2,000 miles of railroad track in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, coupled with steamship service to Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palatka, Sanford, Port Manatee, Punta Gorda, Ft. Myers, Key West, Jacksonville, Savanah, Havana, Mobile, Boston, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Charlottetown, NY, and more. It is easy then to believe that indeed perhaps our town was but a small dot compared to the mosaic of his influence and work product.

There is so much more that Mr. Henry Plant accomplished such that it would be easy to think him an unromantic soul; easy but wrong. He was a faithful husband, a dutiful father, an avid fisherman, a lover of man and machine, and a gentle man. He was genuinely mourned by all who knew him when he died in 1899.

FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES UPCOMING THEME FOR 2023

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

The Florida Strawberry Festival announced that the festival’s theme for 2023 will be “We Have a Winner.”

“Yes, it points to the recent win we achieved in naming strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert as we’re a little partial to the berry,” President Paul Davis said. “We’re excited about this year’s event and look forward to sharing in the celebra tion of the shortcake dessert that has come to make us so successful!”

This past year, state representative Lawrence McClure and state senator Danny Burgess filed a bill to designate the strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert. And earlier this year governor Ron DeSantis made a stop by the Festival grounds to officially sign the bill into law before several local produce growers, Festi val executives, Plant City officials and local Law Enforcement. The law officially took effect on July 1, 2022.

“The strawberry industry has an eco nomic impact of more than a billion dollars in the state of Florida,” Davis said. “Plant

City is home to roughly 12,000 acres of strawberries and the Festival serves just about 200,000 shortcakes each year. We’re proud of our city and the Florida strawber ry. It’s kind of a big deal around here!” 2023 will mark the 88th annual Flori da Strawberry Festival and although the event is still months away, excitement always begins to build as the organization announces its theme for the upcoming year. With the theme announced, attendees will have an opportunity to see it reflected in decorations by vendors, organizations, corporate sponsors, parade floats and displays throughout the event that hosts nearly 500,000 visitors each year.

Past themes have included “All Aboard” in 2021 and “#1 for FUN!” in 2022.

The 2023 Florida Strawberry Festival will take place from March 2 through March 12. For more information, visit www.flstraw berryfestival.com or follow the Florida Strawberry Festival on Facebook, Insta gram and Twitter.

The 88th annual event’s theme is “We Have a Winner.”

JEEP HITS A HOME RUN WITH GRAND CHEROKEE PHEV!

The fist electrifiedJeep Grand Cherokee has arrived. To make an impression, we must point out. Now, the SUV may not be all electric but a full battery charge can take you up to 26 miles before the gas engine kicks in. And that is a promising start.

Our Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) was equipped with a 2.0-liter inline-4 turbocharged engine doling out 375 horsepower @ 5250 rpm and 470 poundsfeet of torque @ 3000 rpm. And that includes energy generated by two motors from the 17.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Getting power to the ground is a slick-shifting 7-speed auto gear box. A multilink suspension made up of coil springs, twin-tube coil over shock absorbers and all-aluminum arms and knuckles keeps the Jeep secure, regardless of road and weather conditions. Conveying a direct and communicative feel to the driver is an electric rack-and-pinion steering. When you need to stop, 13.9inch vented front and 13.7-inch rear discs, equipped with two- and single-piston calipers, come into play. Tow capacity is a cool 6,000 pounds.

Apart from the always-active QuadraTrac 4-wheel-drive, dual front and side airbags, side curtain airbag for both rows, driver knee airbag, electronic stability control, blind-spot monitor, rearview camera, remote keyless entry, collision warning with active braking, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, daytime running lights and tire pressure monitoring system come at no extra cost.

Up front, you will notice an aggressive headfist posture with LED refletor headlights flanking a wide, larger seven-slot flating bright chrome grille.

Also conspicuous are active grille shut-

ters, front wheel spats, air curtains and hood aero flick A redesigned center stack and fresh but slimmer air vents greet one while taking a seat in the top-notch and tailored cabin. Jeep has boosted the space with total passenger volume now at 144.6 cubic feet (4.1 increase) and 37.7 cubic feet (up 1.4) behind the second-row seat.

A luxury tech package ($2,155) in our test drive translates into eye-catching stitched Nappa leather seats, 12-way power front seats with back massager, 4-zone auto a/c, manual second-row window shades, etc.

Two 10.2-inch screens, a digital gauge cluster and an interactive touchscreen display for the front passenger, appear classy.

Boasting a 450-mile range, the fifth-en Grand Cherokee is unlike the gas-guzzling Jeeps of the past. With gas prices still over $3, the eco-friendly SUV is an attractive proposition for folks who like to cruise the highway or go off the baten path. It displays abundant power, substantial passenger/cargo capacity and an appealing interior bar none. Undisputedly, this is a huge win for the iconic brand.

GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE

Tires: 265/50R20

Wheelbase: 116.7 inches

Length: 193.5 inches

Width: 77.5 inches

Height: 70.8 inches

Weight: 5,368 pounds

Fuel capacity: 19 gallons

City/Hwy: 56 MPGe (gas + electric)

Base price: $65,760

Price as tested: $75,035 Web site: www.jeep.com

Nitish S. Rele operates motoringtampabaycom and Khaas Baat, and was an automotive editor/columnist for the Tampa Tribune. Email him at motoringtampabay@gmail.com.

Coffee with a Cop Comes to Plant City for Third Year

The event, hosted by Stingray Chevrolet, fosters positive relationships between police offers and community members.

In its third year, “Coffee with a Cop” brought local police officers and the community members they serve together over coffee to discuss issues and learn more about each other.

Hosted by Stingray Chevrolet, citizens had the opportunity to meet and chat with officers from multiple agencies, including Hillsborough County Sheriff s Office, Plant City Police Department, and more, and gave members of the public an opportunity to chat with them.

Plant City resident Jaime Watson attended the event with his brother Nick to learn how to pursue a career in law enforcement. The 18-year-old said that he’s dreamt of being a police officer since he was a young child.

“When I was a kid, Plan A was to be an astronaut and Plan B was to be a police officer,” he said.

Attending a police camp in Lakeland last year solidified his plan. It gave him a taste of what a day in the life of an officer is like and it quickly became his Plan A.

Sheriff s Officer Dan Samuels and PCPD Officer Christi Forget shared information with Watson about how to start the process of becoming an officer and possible career paths in their respective agencies.

Samuels said he hopes to see more community members at future events. “We’re happy to talk to people in this informal and personal setting and answer any questions they have,” he said. “This event gives people a positive encounter with police officers.”

Stingray Chevrolet owner Steve Hurley is happy to support the event. “It’s an opportunity for us to say thank you to local law enforcement and visit with the community,” he said. “We’re blessed to have these great officers protecting and serving our local businesses and community.”

SPORTS

PLAY

WIN OVER SUMNER

TAYLOR JENKINS

After all Hillsborough County varsity foot ball games were re-scheduled due to the effects of Hurricane Ian last week, Durant made their way to Riverview where they nar rowly escaped with a 14-13 win over Sumner to move to 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in dis trict play.

“I asked our kids on Saturday how many guys had power and only about half of them raised their hands. We didn’t even have power at the fieldhouse on Saturday,” head coach Claybo Varnum said. “We had to persevere and we told them, we’re built for this. We’re built for storms, we’re built to weather things, we’re built for adversity, we’re adaptable. We’re extremely adaptable and our kids showed that again. They were extremely resilient, tough, they don’t quit, they don’t pout, they just show up and work.”

Sumner won the opening coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Durant receiver Jeremiah Gines brought the open ing kickoff out to the 23-yard line, but the Cougars were quickly backed up to their own nine-yard line following a tackle for loss and a holding penalty. The third down pass was incomplete and Durant quickly punted the ball to Sumner, giving the Stingrays pos session right at midfield for their first drive.

It took no time for Sumner to capitalize on their plus field possession as running back Devin Spencer broke free for a long first down carry to the right, eventually being brought down inside the red zone at the 18. After moving the ball up to the five-yard line, Sumner punched in the short touchdown run up the middle but a holding penalty negated the score and pushed the Stingrays all the way back to the 15. But on the very next play, quarterback Layton Kennison hit receiver Tyler Williams on a fade to the back of the end zone for a touchdown, officially giving Sumner a 7-0 lead.

Durant started their ensuing drive at the 24-yard line. On first down, quarterback Michael Ryan pitched the ball to running back Calub Connell on a run to the right, but Connell looked downfield and fired a strike to a wide open Gines, down to the Sumner 48-yard line. The Cougars fumbled on the next play but were able to save the drive with a recovery, losing just four yards, and Ryan took advantage as he rolled out to his left on second down, tucking the ball and break ing free for a 52-yard touchdown run up the sideline. Ryan converted the extra point and the Cougars knotted the contest at 7-7 with 6:47 remaining in the first quarter.

Sumner got great starting field position on their next drive, starting at their own 45-yard line, but were pushed back to the 35 following a sack on first down. The Stingrays looked to flip the field on second down with a shot play down the left sideline but the pass was intercepted by junior defensive back/

receiver Jayden Forte and Durant quickly took back over at their own 45.

The Cougars moved up to near mid field when they found themselves facing a fourth-and-one. They lined up in punt formation but a direct snap to senior line backer Jacob Reed had them searching for a first down, only to be stopped short of the marker, turning the ball over on downs to Sumner at the 48-yard line.

Two plays later, Durant’s defense came up big again as sophomore Jayden Cornelius hauled in a pick of his own over the middle of the field, but the Cougars were unable to capitalize as they quickly went three-andout.

Three consecutive punts from the two teams left Sumner with one final chance to pull ahead before halftime, taking over deep inside their own territory with 4:05 left in the second quarter. An encroachment pen alty on Durant quickly gave Sumner a firstand-5, but they gave the yards right back on two incompletions and a holding penalty on third down, setting up third-and-11. Despite lining up behind the sticks, the Stingrays converted with a completion across midfield and up to the Durant 33-yard line. Sumner continued to lumber forward up to the 25 but were ultimately backed up for a thirdand-17 when Durant came up with their third interception of the half as senior Xavier Peavy notched a pick of his own on a deep pass downed at the Cougars’ five-yard line.

Despite all of the action and turnovers forced by the Durant defense, the two teams went into the half all tied at 7-7.

Sumner started their first drive of the second half at the 40, once again bringing in a short kickoff to give themselves great starting field position. A quick series of runs moved them across midfield and up to the Durant 47-yard line before breaking off a big carry to the right side that set them up at the 15-yard line and threatening once again.

A quarterback keeper on first down moved them down inside the five-yard line to the four, another first down carry moved them to the two and in an attempt to get the next play off quickly they were flagged for too many men on the field as they couldn’t get players off quick enough and were backed up to the seven. Despite charging down the field with relative ease, Durant’s defense once again came up with a potentially gamesaving play as Cornelius hauled in his sec ond interception of the night and Durant’s fourth of the game at the goal line, returning it all the way up to the 35-yard line.

“Jeremiah Gines, Xavier Peavy, Zaevion Jordan, Jayden Forte and Jayden Corne lius played the whole game on both sides,” Varnum said. “We knew that we had to have them at our skill positions and we knew that we had to use our best guys, this is district play, we’ve got to go out and use the whole roster. So those guys played pretty much the whole game and they caught passes,

ran routes, blocked, got interceptions, made tackles, a couple times there were some plays where a play’s about to break and we make a shoestring tackle to keep them out of the end zone, that happened two or three times. So I’m most proud of their effort tonight and not quitting. We talk about being right in the middle, not getting too high, not getting too low, just ride the middle, keep our emotions intact and we were able to do that tonight.”

But despite the massive stand, Durant would fumble possession back to Sumner two plays later and the two teams would exchange punts.

After missing a sure chance at points ear lier, Sumner wouldn’t take long cashing in on their ensuing drive. After taking over deep in their own territory at the 17-yard line, a first down carry moved them quickly up to the 35, then a short carry pushed them to the 38 before a sweep to the left side broke free for a huge 62-yard touchdown run to secure the lead once again. They were unable to con vert the extra point but clung to a 13-7 lead with 10:27 remaining.

Durant started their next drive at the 29-yard line and an offside penalty on Sum ner immediately gave them a first-and-five. On the next play, Ryan escaped the wouldbe sack and scrambled up the middle into a pile of bodies that churned forward for a first down at the 42. Ryan then rolled out to his left and fired down the sideline for Gines. The pass fell incomplete but a defen sive holding penalty moved Durant across midfield to the Sumner 48-yard line. Ryan rolled out to his left again, finding Cornelius for a 16-yard completion to the 24. Durant started the next series with an incomplete pass and a short gain of one on second down leaving them with a daunting thirdand-9, but Ryan once again came up big as he found receiver Zaevion Jordan wide open over the middle of the field for a completion to the two-yard line. A tackle for loss on first and second left Durant facing a third-andgoal from the five-yard line with the game hanging in the balance, but Ryan dropped back and fired a fade to his top target Gines in the back of the end zone, hauling in the jump ball through defensive pass interfer ence for a late touchdown to tie the game once again. The extra point attempt was good and Durant had clawed back to take a 14-13 lead with 7:10 remaining.

“I’m beyond proud of Mike Ryan and his maturity,” Varnum said. “We’ve talked about it all year, we’re watching him go through growing pains and grow and tonight was a

major growth moment in running, in throw ing and just in decision making. Tonight was maybe his most complete game by far.”

Ryan completed eight of his 14 passing attempts on the night for 89 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he led the team with 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 car ries as starting running backs Connell and Alex Daley were both dealing with injuries.

Sumner needed to get the offense rolling one last time but Durant’s defense was able to make one final huge stand. After starting at the 40, Sumner gained six on a first down carry before a holding penalty pushed them back to second-and-16 on the next play. Then Greg Smith got to the quarterback for a sack to force third-and-22 and the Cougars forced an incompletion on third down to set up an insurmountable down-and-distance, leading to one final punt from the Stingrays before Durant was able to run out the clock and secure the narrow victory to move to 1-0 in district play.

“These games teach your kids in adverse moments how not to panic,” Varnum said.

“Our pregame talk today was about how the Bible talks about how not to panic when trouble comes, being patient, trusting in the Lord and trusting that you know what you have to do. Foolish men panic, wise men stay patient. So in these tough, tight games our kids – two years in a row – our culture’s being set where we don’t flinch, we don’t flinch at all. We look them right in the face and we don’t give up until the end, win or lose.”

Behind Ryan offensively, Connell had four carries for 12 rushing yards and Jar elle Franklin totaled two carries for 11 yards. Cornelius led all receivers with 59 yards on five receptions, followed by 38 yards and a touchdown by Gines, 18 yards on one reception from Jordan and three yards on one reception from Peavy. Forte, Peavy and Cornelius all brought in interceptions – with Cornelius notching two – while Smith had the Cougars’ lone sack. Jacob Reed paced the defense with 13 total tackles and led the unit with three tackles for loss, followed by 2.5 from Brant Bovee, one each from Smith and Luther Scarlett.

Across town, Strawberry Crest dropped their first game of the season in a 17-0 loss at the hands of Plant High School, falling to 5-1 on the season.

Plant City finding nw life after rocky start

Following an 0-4 stretch to start the season, the Raiders have rattled off wo consecutive wins.

After starting the season 0-4, the Plant City Raiders have seemingly found new life after rattling off two consecutive wins over the past two weeks.

Their first win of the season came in a 19-7 victory over a Hillsborough High School team that entered the contest with a 2-1 record, marking their first win under first-year head coach Michael Clayton. On Monday they hosted 5-0 Alonso, handing the Ravens their first loss of the season in definitive fashion as they notched their sec ond straight win in a 37-12 blowout victory.

“The difference is night and day,” Clayton said. “I think that the kids have really bought into the process. We have a motto where we say, ‘we will not deviate,’ and they’ve heard me say it enough times that they put it on a t-shirt. That’s a motto that they live by now where whether we win or lose, we’re not going to deviate from the process of get ting better. I’ve told these guys after watch ing tape — regardless of how bad we may get beat or the mistakes that we may make — that we have a good football team. The truth of the matter is that we have a really, really young football team, so the mistakes that we’re making from a football knowl edge standpoint, those things are expected with young players but it’s just motivating those players to continue on the path. Every single day these guys have been dedicated to working hard… They’ve bought in, they haven’t slacked, they haven’t thought any less of themselves because they’ve lost football games. They’ve only kept their confidence and it’s finally started to show as we’ve put the pieces together.”

After a tough opening stretch that saw the Raiders face Newsome, Wharton and Stein brenner over their first three contests, Plant City was outscored 120-33 en route to an 0-3 start. Their best performance through

out the first month came in a one-score game against one-loss Durant in their annu al Redman Cup rivalry matchup, a game in which Plant City held a 7-6 halftime lead and deployed a new starting quarterback in freshman D.J. Howard after early-season starter Dereon Coleman left the program.

Two weeks ago Howard split time under center along with senior quarterback Ant wann “Champ” Mitchell, and Howard took the reigns on Monday as Mitchell missed the game due to injury.

Against Hillsborough, Howard completed five of his seven attempts for 62 yards while Mitchell completed six of his 10 attempts for 91 yards and a touchdown, also adding 18 rushing yards on three carries. In the Raid ers’ big win over Alonso, Howard completed five of his nine attempts for 56 yards and a touchdown. But a factor that’s arguably proved even more important to Plant City’s offensive surge than the quarterback posi tion, has been the emergence of their run game, a facet that Clayton believed would lead the team’s offense heading into the season, anchored by strong offensive line play and spearheaded by the junior running back duo of Jaden Mccants and Dominic Jones. After averaging just over 35 rushing yards per game over their first four contests, the Raiders have rushed for 127 yards and 258 yards as a team over their past two.

Against Hillsborough, Mccants totaled a team-high 88 rushing yards and a touch down on 23 carries, followed by 18 yards on eight carries from Jones. And both running backs eclipsed the 100-yard mark against Alonso as Jones rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries while Mccants fol lowed with 127 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.

“It’s really been a mindset from the offen sive line, led by Javan Futch, our big tackle,” Clayton said. “He really gets the tone start ed on our offensive line. If you watch the tape, he’s pancaking people left and right, he’s one of the guys that turned it up in the

Steinbrenner game and our offensive line rallied behind him and his mindset to just get bodies on the ground and block guys. Then we’ve got guys who can run the football. I’ve said before, our strength lies in how well we can run the football and we implemented a few things, a few blocking schemes to get those guys some lanes. Jaden and Dom have really run the ball hard all year but the offensive line has finally started to give them some holes to run through and as you can see from last week, when they have open holes they can really make a defense pay. We’re going to continue to lean on our run game and do a lot of different creative things and then when we have to throw it we will, but we’re a run-first football team, we want to rely on that and those guys have done a tremendous job the past couple of weeks in really putting a stamp on it and pounding the rock.”

In addition to an already young roster and some early offensive struggles, the core of Plant City’s defense was also short-handed to start the year as their veteran starting linebacker duo of Cole Highsmith and Mike Bell both dealt with injuries. Both have since returned with Bell back in the lineup for the Raiders’ past three games while Highsmith has been active for the past two.

“We had some injuries to start the season, Cole Highsmith wasn’t playing, Michael Bell wasn’t playing, our two starting lineback ers,” Clayton said. “We were playing with some guys that weren’t developed yet and had never played the position at a high level so we were kind of making do with what we had. We kind of got beat up, we had a tough schedule at the beginning of the season and had to put some bandaids on some things but once we got our starters back and healthy — those guys did a tremendous job of getting mental reps while they were injured — they were able to step back in and make an impact immediately. That changes the face of the defense when those two guys are in there. Then, Coach (Terrence) Hicks is

a bright mind, he’s been well-prepared every week and he’s able to move guys around to give offenses different looks so that they’re not going to be prepared for anything that we put on display week in and week out.

So it’s a combination of getting some guys healthy on defense and our coaches learn ing our players a little more, that’s helped us and benefitted us tremendously these past two weeks.”

Plant City will head to Plant on Friday as they look for their third straight win against a strong 4-2 Panthers team that’s coming fresh off of a 17-0 win over Strawberry Crest. And while it certainly seems as though the Raiders have started to turn a corner as of late, Clayton doesn’t believe that this team is anywhere near as good as they can be yet.

“We probably shouldn’t have given up a touchdown against Alonso and due to pen alties we left 21 on the board,” Clayton said.

“Saying that, without an experienced quar terback at the position, to put up that kind of points, that’s saying a lot for this football team. We haven’t even scratched the sur face of maxing out our full potential yet and we’re playing at a high level. We’ll continue to grow and play mistake-free football, we defi nitely had too many penalties in the Alonso game, so if we clean up a few things we’re going to be a nightmare. Not only a night mare this year but a nightmare for years to come because we’ve got all freshmen and sophomores out there that are dominating their opponents right now and they’re play ing some good football. We’ve got a lot to grow in and we look forward to doing so, but we like what we’re doing at Plant City and we’ll continue to develop our players.”

Taylor Jenkins is the Sports Writer at the Plant City Observer. Email: tjenkins@ plantcityobserver.com.

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR

TOWN

We asked Plant City: What’s the best vacation you’ve ever taken and why? Where did you go?

“All around Nova Scotia, Ingonish, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island etc. Great vacation, very laid back. Nowhere to stay was made in advance, just wandered around finding paces on the way.”

- Donna Davis Jones

“Fiji, the most beautiful place and people.” - Joey Lynn

“England. So beautiful, and the castles!

I loved high tea and the quaint villages too.” - Pamela Mills

“To Switzerland, Rome, Paris, Venice, Monaco and many more with an EF tour group. Wonderful memories” - Cynthia Davis Van Camp

“Hawaii, it’s peaceful.” - Candi Baldwin

“Ireland! We rented a car and drove all over the country and stayed in Bed and Breakfast Inns.”

- Arienne Plyler Middlebrooks

“Scotland. Skye is my home away from home.” - Mandi Miley Davis

“Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - FlagstaffSedona with a rented convertible.”

- Dennis Carroll

iStock

Sheila West Jenkins

Sheila West Jenkins, 81, passed away Oct. 2, 2022, peacefully surrounded by family. She was a graduate of PCHS in 1958 and also the 1958 Strawberry Festival Queen.

be held Oct. 8, 2022 at Bay Shore Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla.

Janice Britt Shiver

Janice Britt Shiver, 73, of Lakeland, Fla., born on June 25, 1949, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 2, 2022, following a courageous battle with Wegener’s granulomatosis, a rare autoimmune disease.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.

Joyce Lee Boner

Evelyn ‘Jeanette’ Alderman

Evelyn “Jeanette” Alder man, 85, of Plant City, Fla., born on Aug. 21, 1937, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 30, 2022.

of condolence at HopewellFuneral.

Joyce Lee Boner, 81 of Plant City passed away Sept. 29, 2022. A graveside service will be at 3 p.m, Oct. 6, 2022, Myrtle Hill Cemetery, 4202 East Lake Avenue, Tampa, FL 33610. In lieu of flwers, Joyce had requested that donations be made in her memory to your local SPCA.

Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

WATERSONG

7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Eastside Baptist Church, 1318 East Calhoun St. The Chorale, under the passionate direction of Artistic Director, Coleman Flentge, is excited to present this flwing musical offering of varied musical styles, genres, and languages.The musical selections will include the joyful Black Gospel, The Storm is Passing Over; American Folk song, The Water is Wide; classical Franz Schubert’s, Der Tanz; as well as beautiful Korean and Latin pieces. Familiar pieces such as, Desperado will also be performed, as will the traditional, energetic South African freedom song, Ishotsholoza. Tickets are available at www.pccchorale. org; FB.com/plantcitycommunitychorale; from any Chorale member or by calling 813-965-7213. Tickets may also be purchased at the Walden Lake Car Wash or at the door the night of the concert. Tickets are $15.00. Children 12 and under are free.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6

PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS

7:30 to 9 a.m. Join the Plant City Toastmasters for breakfast, laughs, and fun; there’s no better way to start your Thursday mornings. Bring a chair and a mask. The Toastmasters also offer Zoom meetings for those who can’t make it in person. Visit the Facebook page, facebook. com/PlantCityToastmasters, for meeting locations and information.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

OPEN MIC NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Open Mic Night is back at Krazy Kup. Join them for a fun night where you get to be the star of the show. Come out, strut your stuff and shw everyone what you’ve got.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10

PLANT CITY GARDEN CLUB MEETING

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 303 N. Evers St. The Plant City Garden Club will host their monthly meeting at the First United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall. There will be a coffee meet and greet at 9:30, followed by a general meeting at 10. October’s meeting will include guest speaker Troy Springer of Springer Environmental Services, speaking about using native Florida plants in landscapes. For more information, contact Christy Linke by email at clinke3173@aol.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

FREE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY VETERANS

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Federal, state and local opportunities are constantly changing. If you’ve served any time in the military, retired or non-retention, and would like to review your benefis please take advantage of free assistance at the Bing House Museum, 205 Allen St., every Wednesday. Walk-ins welcomed or call 813-704-5800 to set a specific tim.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

CHAMBER NETWORKING LUNCH

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Networking Lunch with Guest Speaker, Santiago Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

MOVIE TRIVIA NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E J. Arden Mays Blvd. Bring your friends and family to grab a cup of coffee and head up to the loft to show off our movie knowledge, or just to cheer on your loved ones, with a chance to win a prize at this month’s Movie Trivia Night. As always, the event is familyfriendly and free.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

3 to 6:30 p.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. The Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is back on Saturday, Oct. 15, rain or shine. Cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996 can register for free starting at 3 p.m. Live music by DJ John Paul Gasca.

CAR WASH FUNDRAISER

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1704 James L. Redman Pkwy. The IAFF Local 2103 Plant City Professional Firefighers present a Car Wash Fundraiser benefittingThe Foundation at South Florida Baptist Hospital. Stop by O’Reilly Auto Parts and have your car washed by Plant City’s finst. Any donation will get your car washed and all proceeds will go toward The Foundation to help with breast cancer awareness and research. You can also donate directly to The Foundation at www.sfbhfoundation.com.

HEALTHY LIVING OPEN HOUSE

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 307 N. Michigan Ave. Hillsborough County’s Healthy Living Program will host an open house this month at the Plant City Community Resource Center, offering free health screenings, vaccinnations, food from Feeding Tampa Bay Mobile Pantry, giveaways, kid’s activities and more!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN

5 to 9 p.m. at 110 N. Collins St. The Last Friday in Downtown Food Truck Rally is held with a new theme each month. There will be live music, market vendors and food trucks. The event is family and pet friendly and all are recommended to bring chairs and blankets. October’s theme will be Nightmare on Main Street!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5

BLUEGRASS JAM!

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy! Krazy Kup holds their Bluegrass JAM on the fist Saturday of every month.

I

FORECAST

THURSDAY, OCT 6

High:

FRIDAY, OCT 7

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Oct 6 7:24a 7:08p

Friday, Oct 7 7:24a 7:07p

Saturday, Oct 8 7:25a 7:06p

Oct 9 7:25a 7:05p

Monday, Oct 10 7:26a 7:04p

Tuesday, Oct 11 7:26a 7:03p

Oct 12 7:27a 7:02p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, OCT 8

High:

SUNDAY, OCT 9

RAINFALL

MONDAY, OCT 10

OKRA