Plant City Observer YO UR HOMETO WN. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .
YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR NEWSPAPER FREE
VOLUME 6, NO. 50
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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019
CITY ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR HOME DEPOT BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Plant City has confirmed its support of Home Depot’s proposed regional center Monday evening when commissioners unanimously agreed to a seven-year tax exemption for the company.
Plant City is hoping to bring the hammer home after commissioners unanimously approved a deal to offer a seven-year tax exemption to Home Depot, beginning in 2021. It’s a project that was a longtime coming and leaders with the Plant City Economic
Development Corporation and the city worked tirelessly to prove Plant City was the perfect place for the company to build its new regional center. Called “Project Hammer,” the hope is the tax exemption will help solidify Home Depot’s plans in town and bring the warehouse — and the jobs — to Wiggins Road. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Matt Edmonds’ Wonders of Nature show came to Bruton Memorial Library on Tuesday morning.
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OPERATION PAYING IT FORWARD HOOKS FAMILIES UP WITH VEHICLES The Plant City-based group gave two area families free SUVs on June 8 and 10. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Operation Paying it Forward continues to show the Plant City area that any random act of kindness can go a long way. On June 8, the group announced the Tice family as winners of its Jeep Liberty giveaway and held the reveal event at the OnPoint IT Solutions office that morning. The Tices came thinking they were just getting $300 for groceries, which was bumped up to $500 shortly after they got there, but OPIF president Michelle Valdes brought them back outside for the surprise reveal shortly after they completed some paperwork. The Tices were chosen from a pool of around 50 families from Plant City, surrounding counties and even outside of Florida, who entered themselves or were nominated by others.
“I wish I had more vehicles,” Valdes said. “My heart broke when I read all the nominations… I was reading these and I was just full of tears because I wish I had more to give away.” Though the submitted families’ stories were compelling, Valdes said the OPIF board and volunteers voted collectively June 4 to give the independently donated Jeep to the Tices because of their own dedication to helping others in need. This big, blended family is always looking to help the homeless in Plant City and around Tampa Bay and Lakeland by donating blankets and clothes and cooking food for them, whether it’s groups of people or individuals in need. They even shared the OPIF giveaway details on Facebook for others to jump on while nominations were open.
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