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Plant City Won't Treat Kids To Jackobury This Year

Greg Fight/Tampa Tribune file photo

Morgan Malice of WQYK, 99.5 FM, moves a fence rail into place for a corn field and windmill display as part of the 2006 Jackobury Forest Halloween walk in Plant City.

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 27, 2007

PLANT CITY - The city has big plans for Halloween, but they don't include a repeat of last year's Jackobury, which featured haunted trails and spooky special effects.

Jackobury drew more than 2,000 visitors and brought in about $20,000 at Urban Forest Park. City officials plan to use the 72-acre park west of Plant City Stadium to help generate revenue for the recreation and parks department, but not for Jackobury -- not this year.

The city decided against another Jackobury as development continues on hiking trails, pavilions and picnic areas.

"The city engineer is not finished with surveying, path building and road construction in the Urban Forest Park," said Jack Holland, recreation and parks director. "Asking them to vacate the project to use the property for a Halloween event would be counterproductive."

City engineer Brett Gocka said there are safety concerns to consider.

"We have some debris piles, unfinished paths and the like," Gocka said.

Urban Forest Park eventually will be used for many special events, Holland said. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Halloween are possible times the park could be used, he said. Just not this year.

That doesn't mean the city will be ignoring the season for trick-or-treating. A number of Halloween events are scheduled for October at Planteen Recreation Center, 301 N. Dort St. They include:

• A Halloween-themed Kids Night Out, for kindergarteners through age 12, 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 6. Admission is $6, or $5 if in costume. Cash prizes for funniest, scariest and most original costumes. There will be dancing, pizza and drinks.
• The Hallowscreams Teen Dance, for 11- to 16-year-olds, 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 26, with haunted house and costume contest. Recreation and parks officials said there will be pizza, drinks, candy and a disc jockey spinning scary tunes. Tickets are $6, $5 for those in costume.
• A pumpkin carving contest, with trophy, for kindergarten through fourth grade, noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 27. Free. Contestants must provide pumpkin and cutting tools.
• The Planteen Haunted Carnival and Spook House, kindergarten through sixth grade, 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 27. Tickets are $6, $5 for those in costume. Activities to include haunted carnival games, haunted house. Cakewalk and piñata at night's end.

"The Planteen events always has a good turnout," said Chris Washburn, the Planteen manager. "We expect a good response again this year."

For information about Planteen Halloween, call Washburn at (813) 659-4200, Ext. 4340.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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