Improved pedestrian safety on East Cherry Street
The Plant City Parks and Recreation Department announced last week that crossing East Cherry Street just got safer for pedestrians attending the city’s many sporting events.
The walk between the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex and Ellis-Methvin Park is easier now that the city added a crosswalk with Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFBs) to alert traffic traveling both directions when someone is crossing the roadway. RRFBs have two rapidly and alternately flashing LED lights and are billed as a lower-cost alternative to traffic and hybrid signals.
“After the need was recognized by the Parks & Recreation Department, a cooperative effort between the City’s Traffic Operations group and the Streets & Stormwater Department resulted with the enhanced safety crossing for our park users,” Parks and Recreation Director Jack Holland said in a press release.
Holland said the materials cost the city just under $9,000 and that installation was completed by city staff.
Girl Scouts recruiting
Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) has ramped up efforts for its fall recruiting season as the start of the new membership year, Oct. 1, is right around the corner.
“Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s 2020 recruitment season comes after months of unprecedented change, but one thing that has remained constant is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience,” the organization said in a press release. “These are trying times, but it’s also the time when Girl Scouts shine their brightest. Girl Scouts are known for their resilience and willingness to face new, even sometimes overwhelming, challenges with optimism and creativity. The world needs Girl Scouts now more than ever.”
GSWCF is preparing for its GS Fest, to be held from Sept. 18-20, to celebrate the start of the new membership year. The online event has plenty of activities to keep families engaged and educated on the four pillars of the program: entrepreneurship, life skills, outdoors and STEM. GSWCF also introduced 24 new STEM-focused badges for K-12 scouts earlier this summer.
Virtual meetings and activities are preferred by GSWCF right now as a means to prevent COVID-19 transmission, but the organization does permit troop leaders to host small in-person events if their families are comfortable with the idea and everyone can follow GSWCF’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Children and adults can get more information and register by visiting gswcf.org/join.
Movie theater fully reopens today
Plant City’s Premiere LUX Cine’, 220 W. Alexander St., is now fully reopened for guests to enjoy.
The theater offered some services late last year, including the debut of its new 100 percent recliner seating, and has adapted its policies to comply with social distancing and sanitation guidelines. It also added a full-service Pizza Pub in the lobby.
Face coverings are required for all staff and guests at all times, except when eating or drinking, and the theater is currently limited to 50 percent capacity. Tickets can be bought and seats selected online at pccmovies.com.
Currently, guests can visit the theater to see new movies like Tenet, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The New Mutants, Sonic the Hedgehog and more.
McDonald’s offers free coffee for teachers in September
McDonald’s of Central Florida restaurants are helping teachers get their daily dose of caffeine all month.
Teachers can visit any of the 404 McDonald’s of Central Florida restaurants in the state and get any one small McCafe beverage for free at any time of day on Tuesdays. The promotion started this week and continues on Sept. 8, Sept. 15, Sept. 22 and Sept. 29. No purchase is necessary but teachers are limited to one drink per visit.