The Plant City Recreation & Parks Department/Optimist Youth Flag Football Program is conducting registration for its upcoming season, the 43rd in program history. ...more

August 5, 2009

Even an optimist like Gov. Charlie Crist recognizes when times are tough. But on Tuesday he predicted a better future for Florida if lawmakers can put political differences aside and work together to create jobs, promote clean energy and keep schools strong. ...more

March 3, 2009

Let's pretend abortions had not been legalized in 1973. Pretend it is 1991 and 18 years after Row v. Wade. Assume 1 million babies had been allowed to live and they are now 18 and entering the work place. I know many will still be in school but the following are conservative estimates. Do your own math using your estimates. Let's assume they begin work at an average of $12,000. FICA taxes are 15 percent including their employers share. Say the next year another million had been spared execution and begin work and this continues through year 2008. Since government does nothing well (Thomas Jefferson), all the FICA taxes earned nothing. Since I am an optimist I also consider over this 17-year period that wages and FICA taxes go up on average of 5 percent a year. By the end of 2008 the Social Security Trust Fund will have collected 2.6 trillion more dollars. ...more

November 15, 2008

The Panthers should have lost their first playoff game based strictly on record. But after pulling off an upset there, the Panthers carried on to the Premier League championship, joining the Broncos and Colts as the teams that earned titles in the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist youth flag football program. ...more

November 12, 2008

It is late Tuesday evening for me as I write this and it's apparent who will win the election. I and hundreds of those from whom I receive e-mail and have cast their ballots are, right now, hoping and praying that somehow John McCain will overcome the large deficit the polls are showing, but it's not very likely. ...more

November 7, 2008

No matter the teams, there's a good chance that the Elite League is going to produce some high-scoring games in the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist youth flag football program. ...more

October 15, 2008

Lodged somewhere between the heaven that is playing every Sunday and the hell that is not knowing if you will suit up again is a purgatory known as injury rehab. ...more

August 31, 2008

The Children's Services Council will hold its meeting on Wednesday. One issue on the agenda will be a Truancy Bill Resolution. The Florida State Legislature passed the Bullying Bill this year after four long years of effort. This will be the third year of efforts to persuade the legislature to pass this companion Truancy Bill. The local Highlands County School Board has passed elements of its school regulations pertaining to bullying and truancy to more efficiently manage conduct on campus, but it is the state law and regulations which need to be updated for all 67 counties, to ensure a safe and suitable environment for students to learn in our public schools. Truancy is one significant consequence of bullying. One only has to note the level and intensity of destructive and violent behavior by students on and off campus, in news reports, to know that our educational institutions are in peril. ...more

August 25, 2008

Although there were surprising results in some games, three teams finished with perfect 10-0 records as the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist youth soccer program crowned its champions last week. ...more

June 11, 2008

The postseason is under way this week in Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist Youth Soccer League play. ...more

May 21, 2008