PLANT CITY RECEIVES GENEROUS DONATION FROM FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

The Florida Strawberry Festival presented the proceeds from its annual Strawberry Ball held Saturday, April 29, to the United Food Bank of Plant City yesterday at the Festival grounds.

The 49th Annual Strawberry Ball, presented by Brewington’s Towing & Recovery, featured dinner, dancing and a live auction and raised a total of $50,000 for the food bank.

so thankful that this event can provide such needed funds to the Food Bank of Plant City.”

Plant City Photo Archives has named David Moon as executive director.

Moon replaced Samantha Poirier, who was hired in 2021 but resigned after accepting a position at an archival institution in Massachusetts.

“It’s been a great learning experience for me and I’ve really appreciated the support of the community and how welcoming everyone was,” she said. “I’m hoping to take what I learned here and keep building on that.” Moon, who has worked for the Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau as a Web Designer and Marketing Coordinator, is experienced in Internet management and social media as well as fundraising via crowdsourcing. He also founded the Chattanooga Historical Society in January 2014 after noticing a lack of online Chattanooga history apart from Civil War documents and photographs. It began as a grassroots effort to expand Chattanooga’s online historical footprint, focusing on the post-Civil War era.

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“We are so appreciative of the community support received for the Strawberry Ball,” said Florida Strawberry Festival Chairman Danny Coton. “The ball committee works so hard hard to produce a great event. We are

The semi-formal event has been hosted by the Florida Strawberry Festival since its inception. Traditionally, the ball was held prior to the Festival’s opening as a kick-off o the season. Several years ago, however, the committee voted to host the ball after the Festival as a post-event celebration. Additionally, members decided to include a live auction and sponsorship opportunities to raise funds for charity.

The 50th Annual Strawberry Ball will take place April 27, 2024.

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Sharing The Road With School Buses

As students get ready to head back to school, The Plant City Police Department would like to remind residents to be extra cautious and alert around school buses, crossings and bus stops. Remember that vehicles traveling in BOTH directions on two-lane roads and multi-lane paved roads must stop for a school bus with flashing lighs and STOP arms extended. Penalties for passing a stopped school bus include: moving violation subject to citation, requirement to complete a basic Driver Improvement Course upon conviction, four points on your driver license and a minimum fine f $165. Review school bus safety tips for motorists and more at flhsv.gov.

Plant City Rotary Welcomes New Members

The Plant City Rotary Club inducted two new members to its organization, whose motto is Service Above Self. Commissioner Mary Mathis and Executive Director of Plant City Main Street Dawn Hyatt were welcomed to the help continue its mission to work selflessly to help the club grow as it actively participates in community events and provides financial suport to local, national and international charities.

GARY AND NICK WISHNATZKI “ARRESTED” AT WHEELCHAIRS 4 KIDS ANNUAL JAIL & BAIL EVENT

The notorious duo, Gary “The Head Pixie” and Nick “Wish-Nasty” Wishnazki, were arrested for Berry Trafficking at lt week’s Wheelchair 4 Kids’ annual Jail and Bail event, hosted by Eddie V’s. With utter disregard for the highly addictive nature of their fruit, they were caught passing out samples of Wish Farms strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and pineberries to the general public. The felons were brought before honorary judge, Fox 13’s Charley Belcher, and told if they could pay their bail they’d be released. In the weeks leading up to the event, all participants fundraised their “bail money” by sharing their crime stories with friends and family. The Wishnazkis raised $10,500 in bail money with the support of 26 donors.

This year’s event raised $195,000 for Wheelchairs 4 Kids, a nonprofit dediated to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities by providing wheelchairs, home and vehicle modifiations as well as other assistive equipment at no charge to families through their Let’s Roll Program.

Teco Offers Full Scholarships For New Line Work Training Program

TECO has teamed up with Hillsborough Community College (HCC) to offer its new Electrical Line Worker Training Program for those wanting to kickstart a career in the electric utility industry.

Dr. Deborah Kish, the HCC Brandon campus president, said Tampa Electric’s support, both financially and as a pogram advisor, is “absolutely crucial for us to provide this vital training.”

Qualifying students will have the opportunity to learn fundamental skills needed to become a line worker trainee in the electric utility industry. Tampa Electric initially pledged more than $300,000 for scholarships and program equipment through its Workforce Development Fund, meaning more folks who couldn’t afford this training before can now pursue their dreams by taking advantage of scholarship support.

The program is a four-month journey packed with 420 hours of training. Once completed, students will earn certifiations in OSHA 10-hour, Bucket Truck Rescue, CPR & Automated External Defibrillaor use, Pole-Top Rescue and First Aid.

“We rely on skilled line workers to safely and reliably maintain our electric grid and to engage with our customers in the community,” said Tampa Electric’s President and CEO Archie Collins. “This program will help to diversify the pool of candidates that we draw from to sustain our team of line workers into the future.”

To learn more about the program, which is scheduled to begin fall 2023, visit tampatraining.com/Electrical-Line-Worker.