SUSAN SULLIVAN

AFTER 41 YEARS IN EDUCATION AND EIGHT YEARS AS PRINCIPAL AT PCHS, SULLIVAN WAS HONORED FOR THE IMPACT SHE’S LEFT ON SO MANY WITHIN THE PLANT CITY COMMUNITY.

Plant City High School held a retirement party for Susan Sullivan on Monday, filling the PCHS mall with hundreds of family members, friends, county employees, fellow faculty members and various members of the Plant City community.

The event was catered by the culinary program at Simmons Career Center and guests were treated to a phenomenal spread before assistant principal for administration Randy Humphrey stepped up to the mic and began welcoming a number of speakers to the podium — starting with former PCHS instructor, Strawberry Crest assistant principal and current Regional Superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Schools, Gary Brady, and followed by a number of friends, family, current and former students and fellow faculty members. Speakers told stories and gave thanks, sharing memories and painting a picture of the impact that Sullivan has had on themselves and others throughout her life and her career. Plant City Mayor Nate Kilton offered an official oclamation on behalf of himself and the city of Plant City, honoring Sullivan’s 41-year career across Plant City High School and Tomlin Middle School, and PCHS faculty members gifted Sullivan a Carnival Cruise for her and her husband.

At the conclusion of the event, Sullivan took the podium.

“It’s interesting that I’m standing in front of this backdrop because this is what we use at all of our athletic signings. We’ve had a lot this year, we’ve had a lot the past few years and that blesses my heart but the kids always start by thanking God and I’m going to copy their statement because I serve a great God. He had a plan for me and I’m so thankful that plan included Plant City High School,” Sullivan said. “It’s been a great eight years here this time around, three years the time before, one the fist time that I was here, I’m very grateful… None of the things that I’ve been able to do would have happened without the support of my family. My husband David has been my number one supporter, he goes to everything with me, I had him parking cars with me at Tomlin and he’s done all sorts of crazy things here. I’m very grateful for my sons and their wives and our grandchildren, they always call to check in and see how our teams did and ask how is this, how is that? I had the opportunity to work with some really great people. Some of the folks challenged me, some of them helped me grow and others just jumped on board with whatever it was I wanted to do, no matter how crazy they were, and I thank you — all my staff from Tomlin and Plant City, thank you for supporting me and always looking for ways to do what’s best for the kids. I’m grateful that I’ve worked in such a great community, I wouldn’t have wanted to work for anywhere else. We say this all the time, Plant City is a great place to live, to work, to play, to raise your family. I truly do believe that and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to do that.”

Florida Governor Makes Floridians Happy Campers

Florida residents who enjoy camping in the great outdoors will breathe a sigh of relief because it’ll be a little easier to snag a reservation for state park cabins and campsites, thanks to House Bill 109 that was signed into law last week by Governor Ron DeSantis. The act, which takes effect January 1, 2024, allows Florida residents to book a state park cabin or campsite up to 11 months in advance. For nonresidents, reservations can only be made up to 10 months in advance, giving those who call the Sunshine State home the chance to book a cabin or campsite, including sites for RV, tent, boat and equestrian camping, a month earlier than nonresidents. Florida residents booking a state park cabin or campsite more than 10 months in advance must provide his or her valid Florida driver license number or the identifiation number from a Florida identifiation card as proof of Florida residency when making a reservation.

Medicare Covers Mental Health Services

It’s just as important to take care of mental health as it is to take care of physical health. Medicare covers a number of services including outpatient mental health services like depression screening, individual and group psychotherapy and family counseling. These services may be able to be accessed via Telehealth. Talk about concerns with a primary care provider who can refer patients to a mental health professional if needed.

Plant City Police Department Working To Make Roadways Safer

The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) is partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District Seven through an Enhanced Law Enforcement Engagement (ELEE) Program. From May through October 2023, PCPD will be expanding officer presence on state roadways with high crash rates and increasing public awareness of the importance of safe driving. Enforcement efforts will focus on intersection violations, lane departure, driving under the influene of drugs or alcohol, speeding, aggressive and distracted driving, work zone violations and move over violations.

“One of PCPD’s main goals is to ensure our citizens and visitors arrive at their destination safely,” said PCPD Captain Al Van Duyne. “By ensuring officer presence on our roadways, and conducting traffic eorcement to educate drivers of the dangers of speeding, aggressive driving or other violations, this helps ensure everyone is safer on our roadways.”

Monster Jam Roars Back To Tampa This Summer

Tickets for Monster Jam, an unforgettable motorsports experience for fans, go on sale Tuesday, May 30. The event will be held Saturday, August 29 at Amalie Arena and will feature fan favorites like Grave Digger and El Toro Loco as well as newcomer ThunderROARus. Sign up to become a Monster Jam Preferred Customer at MonsterJam.com to get exclusive early access to the pre-sale offer code to purchase advance tickets to get the best seats available before tickets go on sale to the public on May 30.

The Bank Of Tampa In Plant City Welcome Polly Wiggins

Polly Wiggins has been appointed vice president, private relationship manager, at The Bank of Tampa’s Plant City office.

“When you look at Polly’s success and knowledge in the areas of banking and finane, coupled with her deep connections in the Plant City market, she really is the perfect fit for The Bank of Tampa’s culture and relationship-based approach to serving our clients,” said Matt Buzza, Plant City market director at The Bank of Tampa. “With more than 30 years of banking and finane experience directly in Plant City, she will be a wonderful asset to our Plant City banking team as we continue to grow.”

Prior to joining The Bank of Tampa, Wiggins served as a relationship banker at Region’s Bank.