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Plant City Officials Decide Christmas Parade Will Go On

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2008

Updated: 12/10/2008 05:58 pm

PLANT CITY - The Plant City Christmas Parade Committee voted today to reschedule the 2008 parade for Dec. 19.
After discussing insurance concerns and the feasibility of staging a reduced but viable parade, the committee agreed to take all steps necessary to put it on.

"The insurance carrier has agreed to provide us with coverage for Dec.19," said Fran Neilsen, co-chair of the committee.

Committee members said participants and support personnel would have to be notified, but details can be worked out.

City Manager David Sollenberger said the city would support the parade committee in every way possible.

"We will have to look at the details with the committee," Sollenberger said. "A lot of people were disappointed when it was announced the parade was cancelled. This may be a last-minute Christmas present to a lot of people who were looking forward to it."

The committee agreed to meet again at 4 p.m. Friday for an update on progress and finalize plans for the event.

Prior to the committee's decision, Neilsen had said the 25th annual parade would not be rescheduled for this year and that the committee would begin planning the 2009 event.

"We planned for this for two years," Neilsen told The Tampa Tribune after last Friday's parade was canceled three hours before it was set to begin.

At the time, a dozen Plant City area schools were on lockdown and 400 law enforcement officers were hunting for a suspect in two homicides. Thirty minutes after the cancellation, suspect Fransisco Rangel was taken into custody.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451.

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