january 2016 - plantcityguide.com · the sequel to “red velvet cake war” and, yes, once again...

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January 2016 Email: [email protected] (813) 610-7336 The Bruton Memorial Library will host a program featuring bestselling Florida author Tim Dorsey on Saturday, January 23 at 2:00 pm. Dorsey’s humorous crime novels have earned not only wide-spread acclaim but has placed him on the New York Times best-seller list multiple times. His lead character, Serge A. Storms, has created a huge fan following. Serge is a smart yet certifiable anti-hero who loves Florida. The character’s vast knowledge of his home state is matched only by the creative ways he kills off all the criminals he comes across. Book signing to follow. Books and other Serge Storm items will be available for purchase. For more information call (813) 757-9215 or visit www.plantcitygov.com/library Planes, Trains and Automobiles Returns to Plant City Airport The sixth annual Planes, Trains & Automobiles event will take place at the Plant City Airport on Saturday, February 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Plant City Airport, 4007 Airport Road, just west of Sydney Road. Admission is free. Parking is $5. It’s a chance to see real airplanes, remote control planes, model trains in operation and on exhibit, and classic and exotic car displays. Antique railroad maintenance equipment, train artifacts and memorabilia will be on site for guests to explore. The highlight is the free plane rides for children ages 8 to 17 sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program. The first 150 will get to fly, though EAA members say they may extend.

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January 2016

Email: [email protected] (813) 610-7336

The Bruton Memorial Library will host

a program featuring bestselling Florida

author Tim Dorsey on Saturday,

January 23 at 2:00 pm.

Dorsey’s humorous crime novels have

earned not only wide-spread acclaim

but has placed him on the New York

Times best-seller list multiple times.

His lead character, Serge A. Storms,

has created a huge fan following. Serge

is a smart yet certifiable anti-hero who

loves Florida. The character’s vast

knowledge of his home state is

matched only by the creative ways he

kills off all the criminals he comes

across.

Book signing to follow. Books and

other Serge Storm items will be

available for purchase. For more

information call (813) 757-9215 or visit

www.plantcitygov.com/library

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Returns to Plant City Airport

The sixth annual Planes, Trains &

Automobiles event will take place at

the Plant City Airport on Saturday,

February 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00

p.m. at the Plant City Airport, 4007

Airport Road, just west of Sydney

Road. Admission is free. Parking is

$5.

It’s a chance to see real airplanes,

remote control planes, model trains in

operation and on exhibit, and classic

and exotic car displays. Antique

railroad maintenance equipment, train

artifacts and memorabilia will be on

site for guests to explore.

The highlight is the free plane rides

for children ages 8 to 17 sponsored by

the Experimental Aircraft

Association's Young Eagles program.

The first 150 will get to fly, though

EAA members say they may extend.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 2 ~

Just a Thought… By: Christine Wynne-Andrade Editor

Well, another year has come to a close,

and there seems to be that let down

feeling. After that joyous excitement of

getting our holiday decorations out

right after Thanksgiving, comes the

dread of putting them all away now for

another year. I must say our downtown

area was very festive and we should be

thankful to live in this community.

The start of a new year is a time for

resolving to eat less, exercise more,

work harder, give more, get your

financial situation in order, make a

long-delayed life change. Why do we

make such resolutions?

The simplest explanation is that our

highest aspirations for ourselves often

conflict with our daily desires.

Resolutions are designed to give our

aspirations the upper hand. In the terms

of modern social science, human beings

engage in fast, automatic, short-term

thinking, and also in slower, more

deliberative, long-term thinking. When

we make New Year’s resolutions,

we’re taking advantage of a “temporal

landmark” that helps us to strengthen

our best intentions. Good luck to

everyone who has set some resolutions.

Don’t hesitate to drop me a line at

[email protected].

A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE

PLANT CITY DINING &

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED

STATES, $10 PER YEAR

Have your copy reserved and

delivered directly to your home or

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than $1 per issue. Plus we will put

you on our premium e-mail list for

the latest, up to date specials, offers

and "what's happening" in the Plant

City region. Subscriptions make

great gifts.

If you give the Guide as a gift, we

will send your gift recipient a card

letting them know that the gift was

from you. Just complete the form

below and mail to: 4303 Reynolds

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Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 3 ~

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 4 ~

Spotlight on Entertainment

The Sequel to “Red Velvet Cake

War” And, yes, once again it’s set in

Texas! This deliriously funny

Southern-fried farce finds the

Verdeen cousins of Sweetgum,

Texas - Gaynelle, Peaches and

Jimmie Wyvette—teetering on the

brink of disaster again.

Gaynelle, frustrated and frazzled

from working too many two-bit jobs,

stubbornly refuses to face the fact

she’s turning the Big 5-0. In a

misguided effort to lift her cousin’s

spirits, Peaches, a sassy, morturarial

cosmetologist who’s stuck in a

romantic dry gulch, is determined to

throw Gaynelle a surprise birthday

party she doesn’t even want.

Jimmie Wyvette, riding high on the

success of her new wedding gown

boutique for big gals—Wide Bride—

reluctantly agrees to help Peaches

surprise Gaynelle. But it turns out the

surprise is on them when, in a

startling twist, the party plans shift to

a hastily thrown-together family

funeral instead.

The hilarity escalates when Peaches’

recently declared dead husband

unexpectedly returns and his

romantic links to each of the cousins

is revealed. And the hits just keep on

coming as a Cajun bounty hunter

who’s tracking Peaches’ husband

crashes the funeral and a jilted bride

holds the Verdeens hostage with a

loaded paintball gun. All the while,

the cousins struggle to avoid their

bitter Aunt LaMerle who’s hell-

bent on cracking the ranks of the elite

Daughters of the Nation of Texas and

exacting revenge on the Verdeen girls

before the dirt hits the casket. As the

outrageous complications of this

ferociously funny Jones-Hope-Wooten

comedy explode into chaos, you’ll find

yourself hoping your next family

celebration—be it birthday, wedding

or funeral—is even half this much fun!

Cast members will bring the story to

life at 8:00 p.m. on January 29, 30,

February 5 and 6 and on January 31

and February 7 at a 2:00 p.m. matinee.

Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for

students and senior citizens and $12

for members or group advance sales.

Reservations are recommended and

can be purchased in advance online at

PCEShows.com by calling Frances

Hardee at 813-754-4929. Tickets are

generally available at the door as well.

The Plant City Entertainment

Community Theater is located at 101

North Thomas Street.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 5 ~

Spotlight on Entertainment

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 6 ~

Florida State Fair

The annual Florida State Fair is a salute

to the state's best in the agriculture and

equestrian industry including an

abundance of shows, music, rides and

food for 12 consecutive days February 4

- 15. Excitement is in the air all over the

fairgrounds with plenty of free

entertainment included with admission.

Make sure to plan your day in advance

to enjoy all the sights, sounds, and tastes

the state fair has to offer.

Fairgoers can enjoy a spacious midway

that provides more than 100 rides and

games and there is nothing like fair food

— cotton candy, ice cream, and things

fried that you never thought of frying –

think fried Oreo cookies or chocolate

covered bacon! Exhibitors come from

all over the state to continue the tradition

of showing off their handiwork, children

participating in 4H and FFA are eager to

show their skills and animals, and a visit

to the Florida State Fair isn't complete

without stepping back in time in Cracker

Country — a rustic turn-of-the-century

village.

Free concerts at the fair include

“Country Gold” February 9 & 10 at

2:00pm, “Lazy Bonez” February 6 at

3:00pm “Beatlemania Live” February 6

at 7:00pm, and “Colt Ford” February 15

at 6:00pm.

Gates open daily at 10:00 a.m. Monday

through Thursday, and at 9:00 a.m.

Friday through Sunday. Cracker Country

is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00

p.m.

4800 U.S. Highway 301 North

Tampa, Florida 33610

Adult Admission - Ages 12 and over

Monday - Friday $11 / $9 Advance

Saturday - Sunday $13 / $9 Advance

Child Admission - Ages 6-11 years

Monday - Friday $6 / $5 Advance

Saturday - Sunday $7 / $5 Advance

Ages 5 and under admitted free.

Senior (55+)

Admission $9 Advance Purchase $7

Senior tickets are good only on Senior

Days: February 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 2016

All other days would require and

Adult Admission ticket.

RIDES AND MORE RIDES!

Any Day Ride Armband

$35 Advance Purchase $30 Good on

any one day of the fair during

Midway hours of operation

Weekday Ride Armband

$25 Advance Purchase $20

Unlimited Midway Rides! Good only

on February 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2016

Free Parking!

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 7 ~

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 8 ~

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 9 ~

Local Flavor

Restaurant Marrakesh in Epcot’s Morocco

Fragrant spices, soulful tagines, and

Moroccan delicacies such as roast

lamb, shish kebab, couscous and

brochette of chicken were a few of the

many reasons I recently visited

Restaurant Marrakesh in Epcot’s

Morocco.

My husband and I took advantage of

the Candlelight Processional Dining

Package last month. The dining

package included guaranteed seating at

the very popular Candlelight

Processional, plus a delicious lunch or

dinner at one of Epcot’s full-service

restaurants, all of which included an

appetizer, entrée, dessert and non-

alcoholic beverage.

Moroccan cuisine is one of the most

alluring and exciting in the world. A

country where so many cultures have

left their marks: Carthaginians,

Romans, Phoenicians, Byzantines,

Moors, Spaniard, Jews, Berbers and

French created a true fusion of cultures.

Morocco was a hub where travelers,

merchants, fishermen and farmers

gathered to buy, sell, and trade herbs

and spices, and the earth’s and sea’s

bounty. Restaurant Marrakesh’s cuisine

reflects these influences.

Set in the splendor of a sultan's palace,

authentic architecture and touches like

stained-glass chandeliers bathe diners

in a warm, dim glow, all while

intricate, hand laid tile mosaics evoke

timeless majesty.

Guests can select an à la carte favorite,

or partake in a culinary adventure with

the Marrakesh Feast, which features

everything from Harira soup and an

assortment of hearty meats to

Moroccan pastries and more. Children

can also choose from kid-friendly fare

like chicken tenders, pasta and

hamburgers.Guests 21 years of age and

older can order such specialties as the

Casablanca Sunset, the Sahara Splash

and the Marrakesh Express.

While dining, we were treated to live

traditional Moroccan music. A belly

dancer entertained guests with spirited

movements to the live music.

Please note: Reservations are highly

recommended and can be made up to

180 days prior to your visit. Call (407)

939-3463.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 10 ~

Water Please By: Anthony Andrade

Most of the time when my wife and I

dine out, we each request a glass of

water with lemon. A cold glass of

refreshing water comes at no charge, and

quite frankly, we take for granted this

simple request.

Such a request in other parts of the world

is an entirely different matter.

According to the World Health

Organization, 1.1 billion people don’t

have access to clean, safe drinking

water. That is about one in eight people

on this planet. As a consequence, an

average of 1.6 million people die every

year from water borne diseases, 90% of

whom are children under the age of five.

Another 8 million people (mostly

women and children) become visually

impaired from Trachoma, a water born

bacterial infection that can lead to

blindness. Trachoma is the world’s

leading cause of preventable blindness of

infectious origin. If left untreated,

repeated trachoma infections can cause

severe scarring of the inside of the eyelid

and can cause the eyelashes to scratch

the cornea, permanently damaging the

cornea which leads to irreversible

blindness.

One may ask “what can I do?” This

obviously does not occur in Plant City.

There is a way to help, as there is a local

resident who had made the pursuit of

clean/safe water for all people his life’s

mission.

Howard Fox is a 27 year old advocate

and missionary who travels to the

poorest and most remote regions of

Africa to help provide clean and safe

drinking water to villagers.

Howard graduated from the

University of South Florida with a

degree in mechanical engineering in

2012. A few years after college,

Howard gave up a high paying

engineering job, to work with

Overland Missions in their water

projects division to drill new wells

and to repair old wells in rural

Zambia. He does this not only to

eliminate the death, disease and

blindness that plague undeveloped

regions, but also to bring the

opportunity for a better life to women

and children. He felt that there was

something more for him out there and

he could make a difference.

Overland Missions exists to bring the

gospel in remote areas to people who

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 11 ~

have never heard about Jesus. One of

Overland’s humanitarian aid efforts in

is the water projects.

You may ask what role safe and clean

drinking water has specifically to do

with women and children. Beyond the

obvious health effects that

disproportionately affect women and

children, clean and safe water from new

village wells can free women and

children from the bondage of having to

haul water long distances.

You see in areas that do not have wells,

villagers must travel several miles each

day to a lake or river to bring back

enough fetid water back to their village

to survive. Water hauling is typically

the responsibility of women and

children so much so that many children

cannot attend school because collecting

drinking water is deemed a more

critical endeavor.

According to the World Health

Organization, women and children in

Africa walk an average of 3.7 miles

each day to collect water. This is time

that is not spent working, caring for

family members or attending school.

Mr. Fox is currently raising funds to

travel back to Africa to continue his

well drilling and well repair work. His

goal is to drill at least 4 new wells per

month and repair at least 8 broken hand

pumps per month.

His next trip will be in March where he

will be working in Zambia. He hopes to

raise enough funds to stay at least 12

months and up to 18 months. Make no

mistake about it, this is no year-long

vacation. While in Africa, the team

stays in rustic camps and works long

days drilling new wells and repairing

ones that have broken. A typical well

can provide clean water for 250-600

people.

This is something to think about the

next time you are at a restaurant and

request a glass of “water please.”

If you would like to help, you can

contact Howard at (813) 454-7836 or

visit his website at

www.howardfox.me. His Facebook

page is

facebook.com/missionaryhowardfox

If you would like more information on

Overland Missions, visit

www.overlandmissions.com.

For more information on the clean

water crisis, visit www.water.org.

Water.org is an international nonprofit

organization that has positively

transformed millions of lives around

the world by providing access to safe

water and sanitation. Founded by Gary

White and Matt Damon, Water.org

pioneers innovative, sustainable

solutions to the global water crisis,

giving women hope, children health

and communities a future.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 12 ~

Making Cents

How to Pay Off $10,000 in Debt This Year

Are you tired of paying credit card bills

for things you no longer own? Do you

wish you had an extra $200 in spending

cash rather than a car payment?

If you are frustrated, remember that

it doesn’t have to be that way — 2016

can be the year you climb out of the

debt hole once and for all.

Here are three steps to achieving that

goal.

Step 1: Get it in writing

You can use an Excel spreadsheet or

simple pen and paper. However you do

it, write down each debt you owe along

with its minimum payment and interest

rate. If you have a credit card with a

promotional rate or a mortgage with an

adjustable rate, make a note of when

those rates will change.

Your list should include all of the

following, if you have them:

Credit cards

Mortgage

Home equity loans

Vehicle loans

Student loans

Personal loans

Loans from family members

Payment plans for the doctor,

veterinarian, mechanic, etc.

401(k) loans

Once you have all the debts written

down, total them up. Now it’s time to

bring that number down to zero.

Step 2: Create your debt repayment

plan

This is much easier than it sounds.

While you can use calculators and

spreadsheets, there’s no reason to get

that involved. You can instantly create

a debt repayment plan by going back

through the list you created in Step 1

and numbering the debts in the order

you would like them gone.

There are two theories when it comes

to ordering debts.

Theory 1. Order the debts by interest

rate, starting with the highest rate and

working your way down. This method

may save the most money overall.

Theory 2. Order the debts by their

balance, starting with the smallest

balance and working your way up. This

method may help you quickly see

progress and stay motivated.

Step 3: Pyramid your payments

Now you need to put your plan into

action. This involves something we call

pyramiding. You may see others use

the terms “snowball” or “avalanche.”

Essentially, it’s about focusing all your

money on one debt and then building

upon minimum payments as you knock

out balances.

Go back to your list and review all the

minimum payments due on your debts.

Now compare those amounts with the

numbers in your budget.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 13 ~

If you’re paying more than the

minimums, reduce payments on all

debts except whatever is No. 1 on your

list. For example, let’s say all your debt

is on three credit cards. Each has a $25

minimum payment, but you’ve been

paying $100 a month on each one.

To start your pyramid, drop the

payment on each of two cards to $25

and add the remaining $75 to the third

card’s payment. As a result, you’ll

make $25 minimum payments on two

cards and one $250 payment

($100+$75+$75) on the last card.

When that last card is paid off, take the

$250 and add it to the second card on

your list. Now, you’re making one $275

payment and one $25 payment.

When card No. 2 is paid off, combine

the $275 with the $25 minimum you’ve

been paying and make $300 payments

until you finish off your debt.

So why bother with the pyramid? If

you’re going to be paying $300 in debt

payments every month, does it really

matter how you structure the payments?

The real benefit of pyramiding is

psychological. It gives you a game plan

to follow and helps you see results

more quickly.

Rather than spending years paying

small amounts without any apparent

significant progress, you’re heaping all

your money on a single debt and

watching it disappear.

The secret to making this system work

is to look for any and all extra cash you

can redirect to your debt. Adding a

couple hundred dollars to your

payments each month will have you

out of debt in no time.

And that brings us to our final point.:

Reaching the $10,000 mark

You may be looking at the headline of

this article and thinking there’s no way

you could possibly pay off $10,000 in

debt this year. True, if you live on a

$20,000 income, you’re probably not

going to be able to pay off $10,000.

However, for many middle-class

families, it’s probably doable.

To pay off $10,000 in debt, you need

to pay off about $833 a month, and

you’re probably already paying a big

chunk of that. Granted, some of that

money is going to interest, but you’re

paying down the principal (your debt)

as well. Pull up your account

statements to learn exactly how much

of your monthly payment goes to

principal and how much is being eaten

by interest.

Then subtract the total of your current

monthly principal payments from

$833. For example, if you’re currently

paying $333 toward your principal

each month, you’d need to come up

with an extra $500 each month to reach

$10,000 for the year.

Between saving money and earning

money, there are plenty of ways to

come up with an extra $500 a month to

put toward your debt pyramid and hit a

$10,000 payoff for 2016. You can get a

second job, have a few garage sales, or

provide a service like babysitting, yard

mowing, etc.

For a free financial planning session

and assistance with budgeting, contact

Christine Wynne at

[email protected].

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 14 ~

Michael Lasser to Give Talk on

American Railroad Songs and Social History

Michael Lasser, a nationally recognized

public speaker and social critic, will give

a talk on American railroad songs and

social history at the Friends of the

Bruton Memorial Library meeting on

Thursday, January 21, 2016, at 7:00

P.M. as part of the Friends public

program series; admission is free. The

talk will be given at the Bruton

Memorial Library at 302 W. McLendon

Street in downtown Plant City.

Michael Lasser has appeared at

museums, universities, libraries, and

historical societies throughout the

country; his talks are a mix of substance

and entertainment, serious purpose and

lighthearted irreverence. After all, he

says, “I’m talking about popular songs,

not the future of the Republic.”

The January 21st program in Plant City is

entitled “Hear That Lonesome Whistle;

What Railroad Songs Tell Us About

America”. Lasser stresses that with their

particular combination of power and

grace, railroads affected American

attitudes and behavior in the decades

after the Civil War and into the 20th

Century. He points out that the railroads

changed our sense of speed and distance

and gave us a larger sense of mobility

and opportunity.

Lasser’s talk picks up with the time

period leading into the Civil War and

over the decades covers those

distinctively American songs that follow

trains as they crisscross the vast nation.

Lasser is a lecturer, writer, broadcaster,

critic, and teacher. He is the author of

America’s Songs: From the 1890s to

the Post-War Years, and with Philip

Furia co-authored of the recent book,

America’s Songs: The Stories Behind

the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood,

and Tin Pan Alley. Since 1980 he has

been the host of the nationally

syndicated public radio show,

Fascinatin’ Rhythm, winner of a 1994

Peabody Award.

A graduate of Dartmouth College,

Lasser is the former theatre critic for

The Rochester Democrat &

Chronicle, and for 30 years has

spoken at institutions across the

country. In 2010 he was named a

Thomas P. Johnson Distinguished

Visiting Scholar at Rollins College, in

Winter Park, Florida.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 15 ~

Museum Musings

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum By: Anthony Andrade

I grew up in South Tampa in an era

when it was common for the

neighborhood kids to play “Pirates”

and hunt for buried treasure. This was

long before Johnny Depp romanticized

pirating in the “Pirates of the

Caribbean” films. Of course, movies

such as “Treasure Island” had already

influenced our young minds into

believing we could discover a buried

treasure chest.

Mel and Dolores Fisher grew up a

generation or so ahead of me, but

unlike me and most other kids, they

never stopped searching for buried

treasure. Many Guide readers may be

familiar with Mel Fisher, who is the

most celebrated and famous treasure

hunter in the world. Mel Fisher did

what many have not - he realized his

dream during his lifetime.

Every day he insisted, "Today's the

Day" which was his mantra as he

searched tirelessly for treasure. With

the help of family, friends and

investors, he searched sixteen years

before discovering the mother of all

shipwrecks on July 20, 1985. Mel

Fisher’s dream was realized when he

found the wreck of the Spanish galleon

Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank

in 1622. The estimated $450 million

cache recovered, known as "The

Atocha Motherlode," included 40 tons

of gold and silver and some 100,000

Spanish silver coins known as "Pieces

of Eight", gold coins, Columbian

emeralds, golden and silver artifacts

and 1000 silver bars. Large as it was,

this was only roughly half of the

treasure that went down with the

Atocha. The remainder has yet to be

found.

Mel Fisher’s exploits, trials,

tribulations and tragedies are well

known and memorialized in various

books, National Geographic specials

and at the Mel Fisher Maritime

Museum in Key West. My wife and I

recently toured the museum, which is

well worth the nominal $15 admission

for adults and $5 for children. For two

hours, we not only traveled back in

time to the 1600’s, but also to my

childhood treasure hunting fantasies.

The Mel Fisher story is well

documented at the museum; however,

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 16 ~

there is also a treasure chest of displays

of less well known facts about Mel

Fisher and his wife Dolores. Both

started out as chicken farmers, but had

much bigger dreams. They married in

1953 and quickly revolutionized the

diving industry. They were pioneers in

the diving industry long before they

were famous treasure hunters. They

opened Mel’s Aqua Shop, the first dive

shop on the west coast, in the shed

behind the chicken farm. They trained

over 65,000 people to dive using

SCUBA. They took part in many

adventures that included everything from

dredging for gold in the rivers of

California to crossing the Panama Canal

to go treasure hunting at Silver Shoals.

For Mel it was never really about the

money. As a kid, he read “Treasure

Island” and would be possessed his

whole life by the dreams of diving and

finding sunken treasure.

In 1959, Dolores made her own mark on

the diving industry when she set the

underwater endurance world record

inside a 10-foot deep porpoise tank. She

stayed in that tank for 55 hours and 37

minutes. Her adventurous spirit and love

of SCUBA inspired women around the

country to try this new and exciting

sport.

In 1963, Deo and Mel would embark on

the biggest adventure of their lives. They

moved their four children across the

country to Florida to begin treasure

hunting. After a couple of successful

seasons on the Treasure Coast, the

family moved to the Keys where they

would begin a hunt that would last the

rest of their lives, and would define their

place in history as the world’s greatest

treasure hunters.

The museum also has several

historical exhibits and a conservation

lab. The Mel Fisher Maritime

Heritage Society operates a two

thousand square foot conservation

laboratory that specializes in

conserving underwater archaeological

artifacts. All the artifacts that are

either recovered from archaeological

expeditions or are donated are

conserved on the premises

A behind the scene tour of the

conservation lab is offered twice a day

Monday through Friday. Visitors can

see a working lab with a collection

that contains approximately 100,000

artifacts. The objects range from

cannons, cross bows and other

weaponry, to tools, ship's rigging,

hardware, navigational instruments,

personal items, galley utensils,

shackles, trade goods and coin chests.

For more information visit

www.melfisher.org

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 17 ~

Social Scene

Strawberry Classic Car Show

January 15 – 4:00 p.m.

Historic Downtown

Plant City Local Harvest Farmer’s

Market

Thursdays from 4:00pm - 8:00pm

McCall Park

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

February 27 from 10:00 - 3:00

Plant City Airport, 4007 Airport

Rd., Plant City 33566

Tim Dorsey Book Signing: On

Saturday, January 23, Tampa based

fiction writer Tim Dorsey will be at

the library from 2:00-3:00 p.m. to

read from and talk about his

upcoming book. Tim Dorsey is a

well-known Florida author and former

journalist with the Tampa Tribune.

Mr. Dorsey writes wacky, irreverent

Florida based fiction, with a loveable

main character named Serge Storms,

who is involved in many Florida

based adventures and homicides.

There will be a chance for patrons to

have their books signed afterwards.

Mr. Dorsey will also have

merchandise for sale, including books.

Tim Dorsey’s new book, “Coconut

Cowboy,” will be released on January

26, 2016.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 18 ~

Library Corner

English Classes: On Tuesdays, January

5, 12, 19 and 26 there will be a

beginning English Conversation Corner

group held from 7:00-8:00 p.m. This

class is in conjunction with the

Hillsborough Literacy Council. For

questions about the class, please call the

Hillsborough Literacy Council at 813-

273-3650.

Computer Classes: will be held from

10:30-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday

January 6, 13, 20 and 27. Pre-

registration for classes is not required.

Did you unwrap a tablet or E-reader for

Christmas? On Wednesday, January 6,

there will be a class on E-books and E-

readers. On Wednesday, January 13,

there will be a class on Cloud

Computing 101. On Wednesday,

January 20, there will be a class on

Introduction to the Internet. On

Wednesday, January 27, there will be a

class on Internet Searching.

Afternoon Book Club: On Tuesday,

January 12, there will be an Afternoon

Book Discussion held from 1:00-2:00

p.m. The book “Astonish Me,” by

Maggie Shipstead will be discussed.

This book follows the life of Joan, a

former ballerina, and her reunion with a

former lover years later. Joan’s son

Harry follows her into ballet, and also

comes into contact with her former

lover, revealing explosive secrets.

Copies of the book are available prior.

Knitting class Knit 1, Purl 2: will be

held on Wednesday, January 13 and

27, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Beginners as

well as experienced knitters are

welcome to attend, and the library has

a small amount of yarn and knitting

needles that may be utilized during the

class.

Evening Book Club: On Tuesday,

January 19, there will be an Evening

Book Discussion held from 7:30-8:30

p.m. The book “Half Broke Horses,”

by Jeanette Walls will be discussed.

The book is about a young girl’s

upbringing, and the book is both

fiction and semi-autobiographical. It is

about a young girl, who at the age of 6

is helping her father to break horses.

Copies of the book will be available to

check out prior to the discussion.

Astronomy Program: On Tuesday,

January 19, there will be a program on

Astronomy conducted by Tampa

resident Craig MacDougal from 6:30-

8:00 p.m. There will be a short

presentation, and then patrons will be

able to go outside and view the night

sky by telescope. This program was a

spectacular success last year. Don’t

miss this educational and fun program,

suitable for the whole family.

Tim Dorsey Book Signing: On

Saturday, January 23, Tampa based

fiction writer Tim Dorsey will be at the

library from 2:00-3:00 p.m. to read

from and talk about his upcoming

book. Tim Dorsey is a well-known

Florida author and former journalist

with the Tampa Tribune.

All programs are free and open to the

public unless otherwise noted.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 19 ~

Library Corner

Infant to Pre-K

Motion Commotion: Tuesdays January

5th, 12

th, 19

th & 26

th at 10:00 a.m. Move

to the rhythm, dance to the beat! Shake

and shimmy, tap those feet! This 30-

minute program that incorporates

music, literacy, and fitness. For

children ages 18 months to 5 years.

Babytime: Thursdays, January 7th, 14

th,

21st & 28

th at 10:00 a.m. Early literacy

begins at birth. Bond with your baby

through stories, bouncy rhymes and

songs in this 20-minute lapsit program

that introduces early literacy skills and

encourages language development.

For children ages 0 to 18 months.

Storytime: Thursdays, January 7th, 14

th,

21st & 28

th at 11:00 a.m. Stories,

action rhymes, songs and interactive

activities make up this engaging 30-

minute program that highlights early

literacy skills and encourages reading

readiness and social interaction. For

children ages 18 months to 5 years.

Elementary

Family Game Zone: Monday, January

4th from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. The whole

family is invited to play board games,

including, Connect Four, Scrabble

Slam, Candyland, and many more! For

grades K - 5.

Crafternoon: Monday, January 11th

from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Get creative at

the library with Crafternoon

and join us in making a holiday craft to

take home! For grades Pre-K to 5.

Family Movie Matinee: Monday,

January 25th at 3:00 p.m. Join us for

popcorn and a movie at the library!

Children are welcome to bring a

blanket to lie on. Fun for the whole

family! This movie is rated PG. For

more information about the movie,

please call the Library at 813-757-

9215 or visit our library event calendar

at plantcitygov.com/library.

Teens

Teen Game Zone!: Tuesdays, January

5th, 12

th, and 19

th from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Come play Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360

Kinect and PlayStation at the library

on our large projection screens. Bring

your friends and get in the zone! For

grades 6 - 12.

Teen Book Club: The Righmatist:

Tuesday, January 26th from 4:30 –

5:30 p.m. Join us for our monthly

Teen Book Club. We read and talk

about books selected by teens like

you! We will be discussing The

Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson.

Come join the discussion and help

select future books for the group to

read. Copies of the book are available

at Bruton Memorial Library for check

out. For grades 6 - 12.

Read with Bonnie the Therapy Dog:

Wednesdays, January 6th, 13

th, 20

th &

27th from 4:00 PM – 5:00 p.m. Bonnie

loves to snuggle up with anyone who

wants to share a book and some pats

on the head. You can find her on the

couch in the children’s area. Reading

with Bonnie can help children improve

reading. For all ages.

Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide

January 2016 ~ Page 20 ~