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The Plant City Courier & Tribune

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Girl Scout to lead the way with walking tours of downtown

By BETTY BRIGGS

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 21, 2009

PLANT CITY - Somer Harvey, a Girl Scout for 13 years, has created a walking tour of historic downtown as she works on her Gold Award, the highest award achievable for a scout.

She will conduct the free tours 10 a.m. Saturday, 6 p.m. Monday, throughout the day Nov. 14 (Pioneer Day) and 6 p.m. Nov. 16.

Somer, a Springhead resident and a student at Durant High, will arrange special tours with notice. Tours will meet at McCall Park at Collins and Drane streets and finish at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St.

Contact the East Hillsborough Historical Society at (813) 757-9226 for tour information.

Art gallery gearing up for grand opening Nov. 6

The Art Lounge Gallery at 119 E. Reynolds St., will hold its grand opening celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 6.

The show will feature the work of Anna Alpin, Beverly Farley, Carolyn Miller, Father Carlos Rojas, Debra Bryant, Eric Barber, Kim Wells and Matt Rentz. Special guest artist is Jesse Starr.

Next door to the gallery, at The Corner Store, there will be a wine tasting. The community is invited enjoy the art, light refreshments, door prizes and music.

Make a wish list at boutique's party

Devony Davenport Scott and her mother, Cathy Davenport, owners of Sister's & Company, with the help of Brigitte Hodge, an employee of the downtown boutique, will host their annual Wish List Party from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

Guests can drop in to the boutique at 104 E. Reynolds St., fill out their holiday wish lists and enjoy food, friends, fun and gifts.

Reservations are requested by calling Davenport or Hodge at (813) 754-0990, ext. 291.

Plant City High kids 'too good for drugs'

Plant City High students, along with family and friends, participated in the annual Too Good for Drugs walk and children's fest Oct. 3 at the Museum of Science & Industry.

The community event included a banner contest, mile walk, and other family fun activities. All participants received an "I Am Too Good for Drugs" T-shirt. Plant City students participated under the anti-drug slogans, "Plant City Raiders ... Having a Ball Without Drugs and Alcohol" and "Stay in School ... Drugs aren't Cool."

Representatives of Plant City High included Alex, Harrison, Spencer and Mary Heysek; Jake and Brigette Cole; Isis and Naomi Ash; Christopher Lynch, Hali Talkington, Terica Ward, Camille Young, Regan Knotts, Allie Goodrich, Raiannah Zazulia, Ashlyn Robinson, Travis Vollick, Xephye Caronel, Rachel Rodriguez, Malcolm Rivera, Xynthia Rodriguez, Danielle Odden, Rob Evans, Julie Holbrook and Sherrie Mueller.

Novelist to speak at Hope Lutheran

The Rev. Dean Pfeffer and members of Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 N. Park Road, invite the community to join in a service of Reformation on Sunday.

Speaking at the 9:15 a.m. worship service and leading the Family Bible Hour at 10:30 a.m. will be the Rev. Paul Maier, who is a noted professor, lecturer and author of "A Skeleton in God's Closet." He is completing work on a novel, "A Skeleton in Rome's Closet."

At 4 p.m., Hope will host a multichurch Reformation festival that will include St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church in Lakeland and Grace Lutheran Church in Winter Haven. A mass choir and musicians from each congregation will participate. Maier will be the featured speaker at that service as well.

For information, call (813) (813) 752-4622.

Hillsborough County children grades K-12 and full-time ESE students are invited to register and compete in the annual Florida Strawberry Festival youth craft and baking competitions.

The divisions include cake decorating, food preservation, cookie jar competition, baking, needlework, sewing, crafts, child development, citizenship, natural resources and models and collections.

Participants in the baking divisions may be required to demonstrate technique for the judges and must provide a recipe card. Ribbons and monetary awards will be given out.

Call Judi Whitson at (813) 685-9121 for information.

Plant City Optimist Club hosts banquet

The Optimist Club of Plant City hosted an Oct. 5 installation banquet for Zone 6 of the North Florida District of Optimist International at BuddyFreddys Restaurant.

More than 50 attendees were on hand as North Florida district governor Ric Carvallis administered the oaths to new members and officers for the Plant City, Lakeland and Winter Haven clubs.

Michael Williamson was sworn in as president for the Plant City club, along with Jeff Ogden as first vice president, Alaina Edgemon as second vice president and Paul Woods as secretary/treasurer. New member Deanna Jackson was also sworn in at the ceremony.

The local Optimist Club has provided support and leadership for Plant City area youths since it was formed in 1963. The club has more than 40 members and touches the lives of more than 3,500 local youths each year through various activities, including youth sports, the Christmas parade and more.

For information on the club, go to www.plantcityoptimist

club.org or contact Michael L. Williamson, 2009-10 president, at michaellwilliamson@gmail.com or (813) 757-6570.

Festival photo contest coming into focus

Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words, and perhaps even a prize at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Rules are now available for the festival's photography contest.

This is for amateur photographers only. Photos submitted must have been taken within the past 12 months. An entry fee of $3 per entry is required, with a limit of two entries per adult (19 and older), one entry per youth (18 and younger).

Questions regarding the contest can be directed to Jim Black at (813) 416-0398, or you can pick up the rules at the festival office, 2202 W. Reynolds St., Plant City. They can also be downloaded from www.fl

strawberryfestival.com.

The contest is open to Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco residents and winter visitors.

Send holiday notes to troops via UPS

Don't forget the troops this Christmas.

Plant City's UPS Store is partnering with local schools and the community to send holiday cards and notes from home to troops overseas. The store invites those who would like to support this project to bring in their signed cards and notes by Nov. 18 to 117 W. Alexander St., next to Sweetbay.

The UPS Store will then send them to our military members.

Family registration for Christmas in the Park will be held through Nov. 6 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The event is sponsored by the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department. Christmas in the Park will be Dec. 12 at the recreation center and will include food for everyone and games for the children.

Merchants, clubs and churches will provide toys to be distributed to children in attendance ages 5 to 9. A driver's license or photo ID is required to register and registration is limited to 200 families.

Call La'Tosha Lewis at (813) 757-9195 or (813) 757-9196 to register.

E-mail items to Betty Briggs at gaby lee@tampabay.rr.com; mail to The Tampa Tribune, 933 Chad Lane, Tampa FL 33563; or fax to (813) 627-4765.

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