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FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016
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Softball season about to swing in Plant City.
Residents look to the sky at library program.
Instagrammers descend on Winter Strawberry Capital.
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Blossoming Rose
OUR TOWN
+ Tea Party tickets discounted
WINGIN’ IT
by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Wing fest to flap into town The chamber hopes that the inaugural, family-friendly event will grow into an annual tradition.
Relay for Life of Plant City’s second annual Tea Party tickets are on sale and currently discounted. Tickets are $10 per seat or $100 for a table, which sits 10. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the First Baptist Church of Plant City, 503 N. Palmer St. Ticket sales can go to the Relay for Life team of your choice. Guests can decorate their own table to the theme: holidays. There will be a prize for the best decorated table. Food and tea will be provided. Besides decor, you must supply your tea pot and tea cups. For questions or to reserve your ticket or table contact Janice Perkins at (813) 7637976 or jani.Perk@gmail. com.
Fall in 2016 will mean more than the onset of cool weather. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is organizing the first-ever chicken wing and craft beer festival, to take place during the first week of October. “Everybody likes to eat,” Michael Cameron, chamber chairman, said. “We want to emulate the success from Pig Jam. We thought fall would be a good time. We’ve been looking for another event for a while.” The chamber wanted to organize a family-friendly event for foodies from around the Tampa Bay area but didn’t want to focus exclusively on barbecue, since Pig Jam in No-
SEE WINGS / PAGE 5
+ Church to celebrate heritage First Presbyterian Church of Plant City will hold its 18th Annual Kirkin O’ the Tartan during the 10:45 a.m. worship service on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 404 W. Reynolds St. This service celebrates the church’s Scottish heritage. The St. Andrews Pipes & Drums of Tampa Bay will be a big part of the celebration. The history of the Kirkin dates to when the Scottish Highlanders, Presbyterians, wore a woolen material of colorful plaids representing different clans. English rule in 1745 banned the wearing of the tartan, and any Highland ways were forbidden. But the royal Scottish still wanted their clans blessed so they would bring a small swatch of tartan cloth into worship. Then, at a secret time during worship, the minister would offer the blessing while the Scottish held their tartan in their pockets, thus, rededicating themselves to God and their heritage. In 1762, the Proscription Act was lifted and once again Highland dress was allowed. In the early 1940s, Peter Marshall, a United States Senate chaplain and Scottish-born pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C., introduced the Kirkin service to his congregation. The tradition quickly spread to other churches.
Emily Topper
Michael Cameron, Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce chairman, has spearheaded efforts for the event, which is focused on chicken wings and craft beer.
GOVERNANCE
by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Florida Strawberry Festival
2016 Florida Strawberry Festival QUEEN HALEY RILEY The Durant High School junior is active with FFA and plans to attend the University of Florida to obtain a residency in pediatric anesthesiology. First maid is Morgan Gaudens. Court members are Alex Aponte, Ashlyn Yarbrough and Ashtyn Steele. Miss Congeniality is Ariel Navarrete.
For more pictures from the Queen’s pageant, go to page 11. See our interview with the 2016 court at PlantCityObserver.com
Ellis-Methvin, Snowden parks near completion Recreation and Parks Department Director Jack Holland gave an update on both projects to the City Commission. By the time warm weather returns, Plant City residents will have two completed parks to enjoy in spring. At the City Commission meeting Monday, Jan. 25, Recreation and Parks Department Director Jack Holland told commissioners that EllisMethvin Park and Snowden Park would both be completed by March. Currently, residents are able
SEE PARKS / PAGE 5
INDEX Calendar........................2
Crossword....................19
Obituaries....................16
Sports..........................17
Weather.......................19
Vol. 3, No. 25 | One section PlantCityObserver.com