Harry Potter Birthday Celebration
Wizards and muggles alike will be flooding downtown Plant City next weekend for the monthly Last Friday in Downtown event on July 30 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. This month’s event is held in honor of Harry Potter’s birthday.
Costumes are encouraged and Wizarding Deals will be available at participating downtown small businesses. Themed photo opportunities will be available throughout the event. There will also be food truck rallies in downtown as well as vendors. Businesses will be having unique items like butterbeer, chocolate frogs, Harry Potter LEGO sets and more. The Last Friday in Downtown is presented by Tampa Bay Food Trucks and Plant City Main Street.
If you’re planning to attend, aim to get to downtown early as this is typically one of the largest Last Fridays of the year.
For more information visit Plant City Main Street on Facebook.
Tampa YMCAs to hold second annual Back-To-School Drive
With a return to school on the horizon, Tampa area YMCAs will be hosting their second annual Back-To-School Drive, collecting donations for community schools in partnership with the Hillsborough Education Foundation.
Running from July 28 to Aug. 6, all community members are invited to donate new schools supplies to their local YMCA. Plant City residents can donate to the Plant City Family YMCA at 1507 YMCA Pl., Plant City, FL.
The list of most-needed school supplies includes:
Backpacks, calculators children’s books, compasses/protractors, composition books, copy paper, Crayons (24 count), dividers, dry erase markers, glue sticks, headphones, highlighters, index cards, large pink erasers, pencils, pens, pocket folders, rulers, scissors and washable markers.
“The school supply list can be overwhelming for many parents, so the Y is proud to partner with Hillsborough Education Foundation to provide more children the opportunity to start school with the resources to be successful,” says Tampa Y Vice President of Community Partnerships Candace Culver.
Commissioner Nikki Fried, FDACS suggest fuel plans for hurricane preparations
Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are strongly encouraging Floridians to consider adding a fuel plan to their annual hurricane preparations.
Earlier preparation can reduce the strain on fuel distribution, ensure that fuel remains readily available and reduce the cost of fuels as demand increases due to higher consumer demand on Florida’s fuel distribution system during hurricane season.
“We have all seen how panic-buying and sudden surges in demand for gas can cause disruptions to the fuel supply – which unfortunately happened earlier this year following the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline,” Fried said. “Just as we encourage preparing for your family’s food, water, medical, and power needs before there is an imminent storm threat, we are also encouraging Floridians to keep their vehicles and generators fueled up throughout hurricane season. We can all take simple preparatory steps to help prevent a rush at the gas pump when hurricanes threaten, lessening the likelihood of potential supply shortages and pricing issues.”
FDACS recommends the following tips for hurricane preparedness, along with important fuel safety reminders:
• Keep all vehicles at least half full during hurricane season.
• Keep at least one vehicle filled with gasoline once the earliest predictions indicate a storm may threaten the state.
• Pre-purchase fuels (LP gas and gasoline) for generators at the start of hurricane season – properly stored fuels will last at least six months, and can be transferred into a vehicle for use should no emergency arise
• Use gasoline fuel stabilizer to keep gasoline fresh and ready to use when it is needed.
Fuel Safety:
• Refill fuel containers on the ground, not in the truck bed or trunk.
• Transport and store fuel ONLY in appropriate containers – look for DOT approved containers that close tightly and do not leak.
•NEVER store or transport gasoline in milk jugs or open top containers.
• Store fuel in a safe and well-ventilated location.
Report Outages/Quality: To report fuel outages or quality issues before or after a hurricane, consumers should contact the department’s Division of Consumer Services at 1-800-HELP-FLA, 1-800-FL-AYUDA en Español, or FloridaConsumerHelp.com.