PC Juniors installs new board
The GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club welcomed its new board for 2020 in a Jan. 9 ceremony.
The new board is led by president Mackensi Beers and also includes Jessica Worthen, Betty Medina, Megan Donini, Kayla Morris, Ilene Chavez, Jenan Eses, Jillian Wilder and Rachel Ingle.
“These women are excited for a vibrant year of community involvement and hosting their annual events including Baby Parade, Little Miss Plant City, Reindeer Run 5K and, most importantly, the Shoe Project,” Ingle said.
Fourteen provisional members received full-member status at the ceremony and Donini was awarded Provisional of the Year. Worthen was named Junior of the Year and Brittney Maddelena won the President’s Award.
Chilifest this weekend
There’s no better time and place to get a good bowl of chili than this Saturday at the train depot.
Plant City Chilifest Chili Cook-Off, hosted by the Arts Council of Plant City, is back to give chili connoisseurs a taste of local flavors for lunch.
The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., brings chefs from around the area together to the train depot and allows them to share their chili with the general public and enter it in a contest judged by local celebrities. You never know what new recipe you will fall in love with.
Mild, spicy and “novelty” chili will be featured at the event and attendees can vote on the “People’s Choice” winner.
For $5, attendees get a ticket, a bowl and all the chili they can eat while supplies last. There will be live entertainment, great food and the forecast shows perfect chili-eating weather.
Visit plantcityarts.com for more information.
Plant City art show moves to Tampa
Back in January 2019, the Bing Rooming House hosted the “Periphery: An Exhibition” art show that used striking visuals to tell the stories of marginalized communities. Exhibition organizers Clay Hollenkamp and Shelby Baerwalde are now getting ready to host the sequel in Tampa.
Titled “Shelter: Concepts of Home,” this exhibit is a partnership with the USF Humanities Institute and will come to the Portico Community Hall in downtown Tampa from this Friday through March 31.
“The name and theme came about as the event is the last in a series of community events that began with a speaking engagement on Sept. 19, 2019 with Matthew Desmond, author of the Pulitzer-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” Hollenkamp said. “In connection with Mr. Desmond’s speech, the Humanities Institute wanted to include a number of community events on a similar theme.”
The exhibit will feature 2D and 3D art and cash prizes will be offered for winners of the show’s Best in Show award and two honorable mentions. The opening reception takes place from 6-9 p.m. Friday.
National School Choice Week
The upcoming week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1 is National School Choice Week, and its namesake organization is spreading the word about parents’ options for K-12 education.
The week is designed to inform parents of all available options so they can decide which type of schooling will be best for their children and their financial situations.
“In Florida, there is a variety of educational options available to attend including traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online schools and homeschooling,” communications director Shelby Doyle said in a press release. “Florida’s state-run scholarship programs extend to students in families with modest incomes, with an individualized education plan or victims of violence in public schools, in addition to a few other student groups.”
National School Choice Week promotes itself as a “nonpartisan, nonpolitical” group that does not take any policy positions or favor one type of schooling over others.
Visit schoolchoiceweek.com for more information.