5 Things to Know Today, March 19

1. B. Lee Elam's eighth annual Community Roundtable Honorary Mayor's Race Golf Tournament takes place today at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club on Miller Road. Registration is at 11:30 a.m. and there will be a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The cost for individual golfers is $100 and foursomes cost $300. Super Tickets cost $25 and include two mulligans with extra mulligans for $5 each, five raffle tickets, and entry into the hole-in-one, closest to the pin and longest drive contests. There also will be a putting contest and raffles including a gift certificate to Bern's Steakhouse. Come on out and support this good cause for Brandon area charities. Call 813- 685-5661.

2. If you love strawberries, here's an event for you. The fourth annual Spring Strawberry U-Pick will be held  Saturday, March 19 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Fancy Farms in Plant City, on the corner of Rice Road and County Line Road.

The Hillsborough County Extension invites residents to pick their own strawberries while helping a good cause. The Strawberry U-Pick at Fancy Farms in Plant City is an annual fundraising event to benefit 4-H clubs and local food banks.
 
Join 4-H members, volunteers and their families in picking strawberries right from the fields. The 4-H Foundation will sell pre-picked strawberries for $1 per quart, or take home u-pick strawberries for 50 cents a quart.
 
Attendees can also pick a few extra quarts at no expense, and donate them back to area food banks.  Last year, more than 500 pounds of fresh strawberries were distributed to area food banks.
 
A new touch in this year’s event will feature 4-H Ambassador Volunteers who can assist pickers who may need assistance, especially the elderly and disabled. Strawberry recipes and preserving instructions will be available courtesy of Hillsborough County’ Extension.
 
The Strawberry U-Pick event is sponsored by the Hillsborough County 4-H Foundation and is hosted by Fancy Farm owners, Carl and DeeDee Grooms.  The Florida Strawberry Festival and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association are sponsoring the Ambassador program. One hundred percent of all the proceeds go to fund 4-H programs. Those wishing more information are invited to call the 4-H Office at 813-744-5519.

Florida Blood Service's Bloodmobile will be on hand to accept donations of blood. The organization hopes to collect at least 15 pints of blood during the event.

There will be games and entertainment for children with a preparedness theme and emergency response vehicles will be on hand for children to view.

Free food will be available as well.

There is no admission charge. For information, e-mail Slovacek at eslovacek@gmail.com.

One lane will be closed on the long I-75 frontage road ramps
between State Road 60 and U.S. Highway 301 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday
through Thursday (March 21 - 24) nights, and Sunday night, March 27.

 The eastbound Selmon Expressway (State Road 618) entrance ramp onto
northbound I-75 will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Saturday (March 26) to 5 a.m.
Monday (March 28).  DETOUR: Traffic will be directed to exit at Falkenburg
Road and go north on Falkenburg, then east on State Road 60 to the entrance
ramp to northbound I-75.

5.  House Bill (HB) 477 by Rep. Rachel Burgin, R-Riverview, passed unanimously out of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.  The legislation provides tools to law enforcement officers to more effectively identify, investigate and arrest persons misrepresenting themselves as massage therapists. The bill fights human trafficking without any fiscal impact to the state. 

“This bill will accomplish one vital thing. It will easily differentiate legitimate massage therapists from those who merely present themselves as massage therapists,” said Burgin. “Law enforcement representatives have recommended the use of a photo ID to verify the identity of legitimate technicians who practice massage therapy.”
 
The legislation also requires licensed massage therapists to have in their possession a wallet-size identification card or wall license issued by the Department of Health plus another form of identification such as:  a current driver’s license, a state-issued identification card, a valid passport, a valid permanent resident card or an employment authorization document.  The driver's licenses, IDs and other documents allow law enforcement officers to verify that a person offering massage services is licensed and to confirm their identity. 
 
“With the approval of HB 477 in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee this morning, the state of Florida is a step closer to protecting victims of human trafficking,” said Burgin.