Mayor Will Host Chamber's Annual Margarita Ball

PLANT CITY - The Margarita Ball, an annual fundraiser for the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, will be from 7 p.m. to midnight May 17. Mayor Rick Lott and his wife, Di, will host the event at their home, 3200 Polo Place.

Plans for the evening include music by a band, a steel drum band and recorded tunes; casino tables; food and beverages; a live auction; a 50/50 cash drawing; duck races and, of course, margaritas. In keeping with the theme, dress will be Caribbean casual.

Tickets are $100 per person and a duck for the duck race will be $50. Reservations are required and must be made by Tuesday. A Parrothead sponsorship is available for $500, which includes two tickets, tropical gifts and recognition.

For information and reservations, call the chamber of commerce at (813) 754-3707.

Church To Mark 135 Years

PLANT CITY - Hopewell Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in the area, will celebrate 135 years of serving the community with homecoming services beginning at 10 a.m. May 18.

Early Plant City settlers founded the church in the 1870s, seeking to establish a church that would meet the spiritual needs of the community for generations to come.

In 1992 7 acres adjacent to the church was purchased, and a church was built to accommodate the needs of the growing congregation.

Hopewell Baptist Church, at 6001 S. State Road 39, is a Southern Baptist church in cooperation with the Shiloh Baptist Association and the Florida Baptist Convention. The Rev. Wayne Clayton is pastor.

Woman's Club To Install New Officers

PLANT CITY - The Woman's Club of Plant City will install officers at its spring luncheon Tuesday, the final meeting of the club year. The event will be held at the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club.

To be installed are: Nancy Smith, president; Vivian Devlin, first vice president; Janice Kimbro, second vice president; Cher Salvator, third vice president; Betty Astin, treasurer; Brenda Lauber, recording secretary; and Iva Reno, corresponding secretary. To be installed as directors are the outgoing president Alise Sollenberger, Betty Chambers and Jenny Leitner.

Devlin has been nominated as a delegate from a Florida club to represent the state's clubs at the national convention.

The club recently welcomed new members Wendy Brown, Peggy Hyde and Jane Saranko.

On April 10, the club held a scholarship luncheon to benefit Kids With Cancer and raised $4,199.

The outgoing president hosted the final board meeting of the club year with a luncheon.

Teen Game Zone At Library Tuesday

PLANT CITY - Students in sixth through 12th grade are invited to take part in Game Zone from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St.

Games to be played include Guitar Hero. Snacks and drinks will be served, sponsored by Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library. Prizes are sponsored by Papa John's Pizza on James L. Redman Parkway.

For information, call Salena Coller, librarian, at (813) 757-9215.

Tomlin Students Score High At State Meet

PLANT CITY - Members of Tomlin Middle School's Future Business Leaders of America chapter brought home a host of honors from the annual Florida State Leadership Conference in Orlando April 28 and 29.

As has become a habit with Tomlin's students at these gatherings, they earned more than their share of awards.

Arti Patel placed first in Future Business Leaders of America Principles and Procedures Middle Level; Nicholas Rodriguez was second in Spreadsheet Middle Level; Justin Howard, third in Leadership/Parliamentary Procedure Middle Level; Bijen Patel, third in Keyboarding Middle Level; Adam Skolnick, fourth in Business Math Middle Level; and Kaitlyn Bryce, fifth in the organization's Principles and Procedures Middle Level.

Also receiving an award was Kelsey Bruner, a former Tomlin student who is a Plant City High School freshman. She placed third in Principles and Procedures High School Level and will represent Plant City at the national competition in Atlanta in June.

In all, 39 students along with their teacher, Sharon Bridges, and chaperones made the trip. A total of 4,000 students from across the state competed.

In addition to the competitions, the students took part in opening ceremonies and attended seminars.

Tomlin Principal Beverly Carbaugh attended the awards ceremony.

Garden Club Plans Dinner And Awards

PLANT CITY - The Plant City Garden Club will hold its final general meeting of the club year with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Monday at the home of Teri Eller.

Among the highlights will be installation of officers for the coming season and presentation of awards.

'The Beverly Hillbillies' Final Show Is Tonight

PLANT CITY - The final performance of Plant City Entertainment's production of "The Beverly Hillbillies" will be staged at 8 tonight at the Cornerstone Center, 315 N. Collins St.

The comedy is based on the popular long-running television show with all of the zany characters re-created.

Tickets may be purchased at the door on a space-available basis. They are $10 for general admission and $8 for patrons 55 and older and students through 12th grade.