Music and a mural

 

PLANT CITY -- Artist Blake Emory picked up his saxophone Thursday as he stood in front of the mural that he and two other Plant City artists painted on the side of Hannah's II Antiques in the city's historic downtown.

The mural is based on Norman Rockwell's 1943 April Fool's Day cover for the Saturday Evening Post. The trio of artists, which calls itself the Dr. Brothers, finished the painting in seven days.

Jessica Vander Velde, Times staff writer

(Photo by Skip O'Rourke, Times staff photographer)

Free physicals and shots at mobile health clinic

PLANT CITY -- If your child needs shots but your health insurance doesn't cover that, head over to Plant City, where the St. Joseph's Children's Mobile Health Clinic will stop by from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Children can get free immunizations and physicals, as long as they fall into one of these categories:

-- They are enrolled in Medicaid
-- They don't have health insurance
-- They are an American Indian or Alaskan Native or
-- They are covered by insurance that does not provide immunizations

The mobile clinic will be at 639 E Alexander St. in Plant City. It will also be at that location from 4 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 6 and Sept. 3.

Parents or guardians should bring a photo ID, as well as a copy of the child's immunization records.

Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer

Sand bags available this weekend

BRANDON -- I love this much-needed rain we've been getting lately, but I'm hoping we don't get a repeat of Wednesday's downpour.

Still, county officials aren't taking any chances. The weekend forecast says we'll have a rainy weekend, so they'll continue to offer sand bags to people who live in flood-prone areas -- that includes Brandon, the South Shores area and Plant City.

Residents can pick up sand bags at the following County Fire Stations:

-- Station 4, 11826 U.S. 92 in Seffner
-- Station 18  1706 S Kingsway Road in Seffner
-- Station 26, 5302 W Thonotosassa Road in Plant City
-- Station  27, 4705 E Bloomingdale Ave. in Brandon
-- Station 12, 8612 Gibsonton Drive in Gibsonton
-- Station 17, 101 First Ave NE in Ruskin
-- Station 29, 626 Gulf & Sea Blvd. in Apollo Beach
-- Station 16, 9205 Kevin St. S in Riverview
 
They'll be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend. The sand bags are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents should bring their own shovel and must fill the sand bags themselves. There is a limit of 25 bags for each household.
 
For more information, call public works customer service at (813) 635-5400. 
 
Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer

(Photo: Times Staff files)

*

Fun in Plant City

With all the beautiful nature spots out here in East Hillsborough, I'm on the hunt to combine my two big loves -- nature and eating. I love to eat and drink wine outside, on balconies and patios. But given the nature of suburban development, a lot of our eateries (including those at the mall) have outdoor seating just one curb jump away from the underside of an out-of-control car. (Some have barriers, but the point is, you're eating car exhaust along with the calamari.) Then there are those with vistas of crammed parking lots, garbage bins and the empty field next to Publix. I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite places that pulls this off so beautifully -- the Keel and Curley Winery on 25 acres off Thonotosassa Road in Plant City. The blueberry winery makes their fruit wine onsite, offering wine tastings in their vast tasting room and gift shop. Couples hold weddings at the outdoor white gazebo, and the winery's guests can enjoy live music on Friday and Saturday nights. But my favorite part is the vast deck out back that looks over a pond (granted, it's low now because of the drought) and a gaggle of squabbling ducks. And please, if you know of more places out this way that offer food, drink and a slice of nature, let me know. 
 
 
 --Saundra Amrhein

Strawberry Festival drew half million

PLANT CITY — More than a half a million people went to the Strawberry Festival this year.

Though the numbers are an estimate, workers scanned more than 400,000 tickets during the 11-day festival, and the machines were down the first few days, general manager Paul Davis said.

He thinks that more people came this year than last year, and the weather played a big part, he said. The coldest day was the Sunday that popular country singer Taylor Swift performed. Tens of thousands of people still arrived.

The attendance was so high this year that festival officials plan to provide more parking spaces next year. Spots were difficult to come by on the busy days, and many people had to drive to the surrounding neighborhoods, where residents were selling spaces.

-- Jessica Vander Velde, Times staff writer

Plant City Commissioner Mathis will keep post

PLANT CITY -- Plant City commissioner Mary Yvette Thomas Mathis will keep her seat for another term.

No one else filed to run for her spot, that of City Commissioner, Group 5. The deadline was Feb. 20. She will be sworn in to her fourth consecutive three-year term on June 8.

Mathis was first elected in a special election in January 2000.

Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer

*

Strawberry Festival opens; parade on Monday

PLANT CITY -- The Florida Strawberry Festival is under way, with, of course, shortcake but also unusual offerings like strawberry shish kabobs and strawberry pizza.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-11 and free for children under 5. The festival runs daily  through March 8.

On Monday, the Strawberry Festival Parade will snake through downtown Plant City, making its way down Reynolds Street, past the festival grounds and ending at Sammonds Road. Spectators will get to see the Strawberry Queen and her court, along with floats and high school marching bands.

Many county offices will be closed Monday because of the parade. This includes the clerk of the circuit court office, the public defender's office and the Bruton Memorial Library.

The Plant City Neighborhood Service Center, the Head Start Center and the local county parks will remain open.

Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer

*

Polk County state attorney won't seek Putnam's seat

Jerry Hill, the Polk County state attorney, has decided not to run for U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam's seat, according to The Ledger newspaper in Lakeland. Putnam's district includes Polk and parts of eastern Hillsborough County. Putnam, who has announced his intention to run for state agriculture commissioner, was challenged last year by Doug Tudor, a Democrat from Riverview.

Doug Bennett, Times Staff Writer

*

Riverview road woes, Summerfield HOA fight and more in this week's Brandon & South Shore Times

Here's a look at the stories appearing in this week's Brandon & South Shore Times.

-- HOA Fight: What would happen if you circulated petitions to recall your homeowners association board but they didn't leave office? That's what's happening in the Riverview community of Summerfield. Some residents, concerned about what they said were misplaced spending priorities, circulated petitions to recall the HOA board. But board members are disputing the petition's validity. It's up to an arbitartor to sort it all out.

-- Giving Back: The director of Lithia's Steppin' Stone Farm first went to the home for troubled girls as a 14-year-old runaway. Now, she's in charge.

-- Don't Go There: Bad news if you use Boyette Road in Riverview: The ongoing road construction is going to take longer than expected -- again.

-- Faith In Ruskin: The new sanctuary at St. Anne Catholic Church has personal touches, courtesy of some parishioners.

-- Scam alert: A crafty thief is posing as a pest-control worker to rip off Sun City Center residents.

-- Doug Bennett, Times staff writer

Sinkhole forces road closure

PLANT CITY -- Hillsborough County has closed Whitelaw Road for a month due to a sinkhole of undetermined size between C.P. Keen Road and Hillsborough Avenue (just east of Forbes Road). The county says it will re-open the road by March 5.

-- Andrew Meacham, Times Staff Writer