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Strawberry Festival Wins Yet Another Blue Ribbon

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By BARBARA KENT

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 31, 2008

PLANT CITY - Every year, the Florida Strawberry Festival awards blue ribbons by the hundreds in the many competitions that are part of the annual celebration.

Now the festival itself has earned a blue ribbon. It was given the Blue Ribbon Award at the annual banquet of the Florida Federation of Fairs. The ceremony was at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor. Forty-three fairs in the state were judged.

In that judging, a scoring system evaluated parking, grounds and facilities, nonfood concessions, entertainment, carnival and midway, admission and gates, food concessions, exhibits, guest services, and livestock barn and agriculture exhibits.

The strawberry festival has earned the blue ribbon designation ever since the award program was started in the 2003-04 fair season.

According to the federation, the award program was designed to provide fairs with important feedback, to highlight improvements and upgrades that fairs have made, and to reward excellence.

Patsy Brooks is the longtime general manager of the festival, which celebrates Plant City's most famous crop.

Preschoolers' Field Trip Leads To Pizza Parlor
PLANT CITY - A dozen children who attend Westside Village Child Care Center, operated by Redlands Christian Migrants Association, enjoyed a tasty field trip recently.

Students in the center's preschool class were treated to a tour of the Papa John's restaurant at 1820 James L. Redman Parkway that included a kitchen tour and a pizza lunch. Nancy Navarro, of Papa John's, helped the children make their own pies. The children were intrigued and amazed, said Yolanda Salgado, a Westside Village family support worker.

Papa John's also donated coloring books and crayons to the children and coupons for discount food for their families.

The children who took the field trip were Yolanda Bamaca, Samuel Hernandez, Miguel Bautista, Octavio Chavez, Bryan Perez, Rocio Abad, Fernando Hernandez, Celeste Diego, Luis Pascual, Edith Salazar, Reynalda Vaquero and Gilberto Santiago. Teachers were Salgado, Maria De Jesus and Cruz Ortega. Center director Angie Lupercio accompanied the group.

This is the second time Westside Village children toured the restaurant.

Ladies Night Out To Deal With Stress

PLANT CITY - Stress management and life balance will be the subject of Ladies Night Out on June 10 at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St.

Guest speakers will include Jackie Whiting, nurse practitioner with St. Joseph's Hospital Behavioral Health Department, and Olan Deguzman, South Florida Baptist's rehabilitation services manager.

The program will be from 6 to 8 p.m. with tours of the hospital beginning at 5:15 p.m. in the main lobby.

A light dinner will be served.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health reports that common symptoms of stress include headache, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, low morale, depression and anxiety.

Stress can arise from a variety of reasons. The Holmes and Rahe Scale of Life Events lists some of life's most stressful events as the death of a spouse, divorce, marital separation, time in jail, death of a close family member, personal illness or injury, marriage, pregnancy and retirement.

Both short- and long-term stress can possibly contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigarette addiction and other harmful behaviors.

Ladies Night Out, sponsored by the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation, is a series of educational seminars on women's health issues. There is no charge for the seminars, but registration is required.

Upcoming subjects are "Good Health Care Is Every Woman's Right" on Aug. 21 and "Thyroid Issues and Osteoporosis" on Oct. 16.

For information or to reserve a space, call (813) 754-4444.

Library Will Display Works Of Local Artist

PLANT CITY - During June, Bruton Memorial Library will display works by Jesse Demolli of Plant City. On exhibit in the library, 302 W. McLendon St., will be examples of his landscapes, city scenes and portraits.

Demolli is primarily a muralist, and many examples of his work can be found in New Jersey and other Mid-Atlantic states. He has said that he gets to know a town by painting, it and the exhibit will include several paintings of Plant City scenes.

The artist was born and trained in Florence, Italy, and makes his home here.

He will host a meet-the-artist reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event is free.

The exhibit of his works can be viewed during the library's usual open hours.

Information on Demolli can be found on his Web site, demolliart.com.

Workshop Planned On Pressed-Flower Items

PLANT CITY - The Plant City Garden Club will host a workshop on making pressed-flower cards and bookmarks from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 7 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 2104 Mud Lake Road.

A club spokesman said these items make excellent gifts, and they're also fun to make.

The workshop fee, including all supplies and lunch, is a donation of $15.

To make reservations, call Cassandra Banning by Tuesday at (813) 759-1638.

Summer Tennis Program Ready To Get Swingin'

PLANT CITY - The Plant City Tennis Summer Program will offer three sessions for children 4 to 7 and beginners 8 to 18. Also offered will be lessons for intermediate and advanced juniors.

Session 1 will start June 9 and end June 26 with tots classes on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. Time will be 8:15 to 9 a.m.

Cost for the three-week session is $25.

Beginners classes also will be offered Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Cost is $50 for the three weeks of classes.

Two more sessions are planned, one June 30 through July 17 and another July 21 through Aug. 8.

Team tennis also is planned for intermediate to advanced. This is a statewide program that allows participation in leagues and tournaments. The program allows the possibility of players going on to regional and national events.

Team tennis drills will be June 9 through Aug. 4, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cost is $40 per week.

For information, call the city recreation and parks department at (813) 659-4255.

Children's Dance Camp Stars Broadway Veterans

PLANT CITY - Plant City Children's Theatre promises an all-star faculty that includes Broadway performers at its summer camp, Kids on Stage.

The camp runs Mondays and Tuesdays from June 16 through Aug. 12 at the theater, 507 N. Wheeler St. Classes are 6 to 6:45 p.m. for children up to age 7 and from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. for children 8 and older.

Cost for the camp is $50 for one child or $75 for two.

Students will work with dance teachers, choreographers and actors as they learn theater, music and dance, executive director Jackie Everidge said. They will perform live and enjoy the thrill of the stage and live audience.

Kids on Stage instructors will include:

•Charleene Closshey, an accomplished performing artist, beauty pageant veteran and model

•David Chernault, who appeared in the Broadway tour of "Annie" and has theater and television credits

•Toni Coker, a National Football League cheerleader who will teach a cheering workshop

•Becky Conn, an award-winning Irish dance and clogging instructor

•Vic Larsen, a retired teacher who will teach tap dancing

•Jennifer Russell, a Radio City Music Hall performer and national gym award winner

•Wendy Walton, of the Tennessee Ballet Conservatory

•Tampa Bay Wranglers line dancers

•Linda Lopez, from the University of Tampa

For information, call (813) 752-1621 or (813) 752-1683, or go to www.Jackiesdance.com.

Columnist Barbara Kent reports on community news. Items must include a telephone number. Send via fax to (813) 865-4441, or mail to Neighbors, 101 N. Wheeler St., Plant City FL 33563.

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