HCPS announces Dorian make-up plan
After Hurricane Dorian prompted Hillsborough County Public Schools to give students the day of Sept. 3 off, the goal was to find a way to make up for lost time without major changes to the calendar. Now, a plan is in place.
County officials announced Tuesday that, to make up for lost time, the following four Mondays will no longer be early release days: Sept. 16, Sept. 23, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7. That means there are no more early release days until January 2020.
“We believe this plan will have the least impact on our families and employees and provide our students with the time in class they need to be successful,” HCPS said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Brown announced as principal of new high school
Hillsborough County Public Schools also announced Tuesday that Strawberry Crest High School principal David Brown, who opened the school in 2009, has been tapped to start another new school.
Brown was appointed principal of Hillsborough’s newest high school at Tuesday’s school board meeting. The school, which has yet to be named, will be located in the Riverview area and is set to open its doors in August 2020.
City issues Childhood Cancer Awareness Month proclamation
Mayor Rick Lott proclaimed September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month during Monday night’s city commission meeting.
Plant City resident Emily Pierce and her daughter, Morgan, were among those who attended the proclamation ceremony. Emily Pierce is the executive vice president of the Florida chapter of the Jensen’s Heart of Gold foundation and is a relentless fundraiser for both cancer research and family assistance. Morgan Pierce has been bravely battling neuroblastoma for more than 10 years.
Jensen’s Heart of Gold Foundation’s annual Play for a Cure event is coming up soon. The free day of play, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 21, offers games, goodies, food and fun at the train depot for kids. Play for a Cure is meant to raise awareness for local kids fighting cancer. The foundation, which has chapters in Alabama and Florida, provides financial assistance to families fighting childhood cancer.
For more information about the event, visit jensensheartofgold.com/play.
Wish Farms breaks ground
Wish Farms held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new corporate headquarters Tuesday morning in Plant City.
Wish bought a 36-acre plot just south of Interstate 4, near Hope Lutheran Church, in August 2018. It will include a 20,000-square foot office and a 138,000-square foot warehouse.
“Today’s groundbreaking for the new corporate headquarters of Wish Farms is a special occasion,” city commissioner Nate Kilton said. “It marks the progress and innovation of a long-standing Plant City company that has spanned generations. The new office building will be a state-of-the-art facility that, combined with the warehouse currently under construction, will be a Plant City landmark along the I-4 corridor. I wish them much success in the years to come.”
White appointed to Library Board
The City of Plant City appointed Dodie White to its Library Board on Monday night.
White, a lifelong resident of Plant City, will serve the remainder of a three-year term that began July 1, 2018. She served on the Board of Managers for Plant City Entertainment for approximately 28 years, from 1989 to 2017, and currently holds positions with the Arts Council of Plant City, United Food Bank of Plant City, the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center Advisory Board, Plant City Christmas Parade, Inc. and the Veteran’ s Monument Park Committee. She is a Florida Strawberry Festival Ambassador and is heavily involved with the Neighborhood Village and Queen’s Exhibit.
“My goal in anything I do is to make a positive impact, and I hope to be able to do that with our wonderful library,” White said when applying for the position.
Steers weighed at festival
Last Saturday was steer weigh-in day at the Florida Strawberry Festival.
According to festival chair Sandee Parke-Sytsma, roughly 110 steers were weighed, tagged, vaccinated, wormed and had their identities recorded. For dozens upon dozens of young agriculture students, the day was an important step taken before next year’s slate of festival ag shows.
The 2020 Florida Strawberry Festival, which carries a theme of “Our Perfect Vision,” runs from Feb. 27, 2020 through March 8, 2020.