FOCUS Plant City 03-10 Oct 2004 by Floyd Publications

LOCAL • REAL ESTATE • TRAVEL • SPORTS • DINING • ENTERTAINMENT VOLUME 3 NUMBER 10 • OCTOBER 15 thru NOVEMBER 15 • 2004

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Spotlight Interview

THE MAN WHO PUT A SPARK BACK INTO PLANT CITY

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PLANT CITY EDITION

FEATURE 40-45

Keeping history in focus is what the Plant City Photo Archives do best. Read how they preserve our heritage for future generations.

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW 49-53

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 10 • OCTOBER 15 thru NOVEMBER 15 • 2004

FREE At 200+ Locations In Plant City

TAKE ONE

SPORTS 90-92

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT 103-119

DID YOU KNOW 56

LOCAL • REAL ESTATE • TRAVEL • SPORTS • DINING • ENTERTAINMENT

This section is dedicated to buyers, sellers and owners.

East Bay Raceway Park returned to the business of Saturday night racing. Also, the World University Softball Championship comes to Plant City Stadium.

Your Mayor, Mike Sparkman, the man who put the spark into Plant City. Fifth generation Plant City native gives us an insight into his younger days and what he expects for the future of Plant City.

A history lesson brought to you by the Plant City Photo Archives. This month they relive “Hurricane Donna”, which blew through Plant City on September 10, 1960.

HOME GUIDES SECTION 59-79

This month the FOCUS Magazine food critic takes you to Park-Side Café. Plant City native Kristii Hendricks and Brian Garrett take over what was once known as Andrews on the Park and brings back the world famous chicken salad sandwich. Joey Dee & the Starliters appeared at the Ramada Inn Plantation House the night before Hurricane Jeanne. We also pick the flicks on some of the chart topping movies in theaters now. Looking for a place to eat? Check out the complete guide to Plant City dining out on the town.

Publisher Mike Floyd mike@floydpublications.com Editor In Chief Linda Floyd linda@floydpublications.com Managing Editor Jeff Neely jneely@floydpublications.com Office Manager DeDe Floyd dede@floydpublications.com Sales Tania Summers tsummers@floydpublications.com Karen Berry kberry@floydpublications.com Suzanne Gross sgross@floydpublications.com Art Director Joel Cook jcook@floydpublications.com Graphic Design Phil Ransdell philrand@floydpublications.com Distribution Dale Hutto Photographer Billy Friend Staff Writers Sherri Robinson, Brian West, Sophia Dedon, Kristen Toney Ken Lawrence, Lynne Warren Contributors Sherry Nueesch, Gil Gott, Mac McGrath, Jim Brown, Shelton Keely, Sara Holt, Michael Cameron, Al Cohen, Jodi Smith

FOCUS Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Plant City businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed to 10,000 homes. Letters, Questions and Comments can be sent to our main office 702 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. Plant City, Florida 33563 or you can e-mail them to us at linda@floydpublications.com Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. Focus Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to Focus Magazine become the sole property of Floyd Publications, Inc and may be reproduced thereof. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Floyd Publications, Inc. Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Floyd Publications, Inc.

PUBLISHED BY

floyd publications, inc. Spotlight Interview

THE MAN WHO PUT A SPARK BACK INTO PLANT CITY

On the cover: Mike Sparkman. See his story on page 49 Photo by Mike Floyd

702 West Mlk Jr. Blvd. Plant City, Florida 33563 Phone 813.707.8783 Fax 813.764.0990

Serving Plant City For Over 50 Years

Main Office, (813)752-6193 • 102 West Baker Street • Plant City Walden Woods, (813)754-1844 • 2400 Jim Redman Pkwy • Plant City

6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The sauna known as Florida summer has started to fade.

In its place we now have football season, midterms, trick-or-treat and maybe even a light jacket if weʼre lucky. I donʼt know about you, but Iʼm always ready when itʼs time for a new season. I enjoy change. Itʼs not always comfortable, but change is the catalyst for learning. A shifting season causes us to reevaluate the world around us. As a child growing up in Virginia, every season had its lessons. The return to school in fall taught me that responsibility cannot be avoided forever. But piles of raked leaves in my neighborhood also taught me that often the most fun is found jumping into things without a fear of getting messy. Winter taught that death is as much a part of life as new birth in spring. And summer was a lesson in sand, surf and sunburns… a class Iʼm still repeating. As a journalist, I continue to observe change and learn her lessons, but now Iʼm able to share this experience with others. It is through our learning together we ﬁnd opportunity for progress. Recognizing the things that are good, the things that work and make each person an irreplaceable part of all of us, we grow in our common unity. We grow as a community. Chronicling the seasons of years gone by, the Plant City Photo Archives provides an invaluable asset for remembering our roots. Our feature article this month gives an in-depth look into the exciting efforts going on there to keep our history alive. Mayor Mike Sparkman talks with Focus in this monthʼs Spotlight Interview, providing a leaderʼs look into whatʼs going on in Plant City currently. Of course there are stories in this monthʼs local section for readers of all ages and interests, as well as some great pieces from our contributors. While I have not lived in Plant City as long as Iʼm sure many of you have, I have recognized a considerable amount of change in my time here. Like it or not, Plant City is poised for growth. In covering stories around town, I have found that the consistent ambition among our leaders is to embrace progress while preserving heritage. At Focus we echo that goal. We strive to bring you a balance of then and now so that we can gain from both the lessons of history and the prospects of the future. Letʼs learn together. The stories are yours. Enjoy!

LOCAL

7 The 70Th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival will be held March 3 through March 13, 2005. This yearʼs theme is “Seventy Years of Fun and Still Jammin”. Be sure to mark your calendars.

Strawberry Queen Orientation

Attention young ladies aged 16 – 20, as of March 3, 2005. If you are interested in participating in the 2005 Queenʼs Pageant, you and a parent or guardian are encouraged to attend the orientation on Monday, November 1, 2004, at the Arthur Boring Civic Center. The orientation will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. This will be an evening of receiving much information about the pageant, your city, the strawberry industry, and an idea of the upcoming schedule for the 2005 queen and court. You will receive the application on this night, and a notary will be present to notarize your application. The application, along with a copy of your TECO bill, a $25.00 fee, a wallet-sized photo of the

applicant, and a printed paper with your most current district GPA signed by the registrar, will be able to be turned in to the festival ofﬁce on Tuesday, November 2. Thank you for being interested in the pageant, and we will see you on November 1.

The South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation appointed Cheryl Sullivan

Brown as chair and Sherrie Chambers Mueller as vice chair for its 3rd Annual Fall Fancy fundraiser on November 6 to beneﬁt the hospital. Ms. Brown follows Ola Jean Hardee as chairman and was the vice chair for the two previous Fall Fancy events. She grew up in Plant City and has a long history with the hospital as her mother, Mary Nell White, served as Assistant Director of Nursing for many years. Ms. Mueller has served on the Fall Fancy committee since its inception. She is a Plant City native and employed in the guidance department at Plant City High School. Her

father, Frank Chambers, MD, was a charter member of the SFBH medical staff.

A big welcome to Andy Stone, new owner of the Dominoes Pizza located at 204 W. Alexander St. Their phone number is 759-9424. The American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) named Susan Marie

Ott, D.O., as a Fellow at an awards banquet on Sept. 30 in San Diego. She is one of only three women to receive this honor. Dr. Ott practices with Sand Hill Bone & Joint, an orthopedic specialty clinic afﬁliated with South Florida Baptist Hospital. Actively engaged in the practice of orthopedic surgery for nearly 10 years with a sub-specialty in sports medicine, Dr. Ott practices general orthopedic surgery and offers Plant City the most current and advanced techniques in the treatment of sports injuries and athlete care. Her interests include arthroscopic surgery, knee ligament repair and reconstruction, shoulder surgery and female athlete care.

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STORY BY LYNNE WARREN PHOTO MIKE McMINN

LOCAL ROTARIANS CONTINUE THE ROTARY CLUB TRADITION OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY It is amazing how sometimes a small act of kindness, a good deed by a single person, can grow and evolve and end up benefiting millions of people. In this case, over a million children throughout the United States have become beneficiaries of a program began in earnest several years ago. In 1997, Mary French began donating dictionaries to low income students in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. That first year she donated 150 dictionaries. Soon, Rotary clubs in her area became involved in Maryʼs project, and the program began to grow and spread like wildfire. In fact, last year, Rotary clubs nationwide donated over 1.2 million dictionaries through the program, which now

beneﬁts all students, not only those considered low income. Tuesday, September 21 was dictionary distribution day in Plant City, and I was honored to take part in the event at Wilson Elementary School. Several members of the Daybreak and Noon Rotary Clubs visited the school, and surprised ﬁfth graders by presenting each and every one of them with a dictionary of their own. The dictionaries are tailored for student use, and contain a variety of reference information aside from the standard dictionary fare. Theresa Lott, president of Daybreak Rotary, and Steve Solomon, president of the Noon Rotary Club, made a short presentation to the students,

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 8

explaining a little about the Rotary Club and the dictionary donation program. A student from each class was asked to participate in the presentation by reading the 4-Way Test aloud. This test, printed inside the front cover of each dictionary, was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and is a simple, ethical guide. The two lucky students asked to take part in the presentations at Wilson Elementary were Nick Velasco and Kadesh Reaves. It was fun to watch the studentʼs surprise when our group descended upon their classrooms and began to hand each child a dictionary.

Throughout the day, scenes like this played out in ﬁfth grade classrooms at elementary schools all over Plant City, thanks to our local Rotary Clubs. This year the total number of dictionaries that will be given to students nationwide is in excess of a million, with more than 1200 of those being distributed right here in Plant City by our own Rotarians. Next year Rotary International celebrates 100 years of service to communities throughout the world, and that tradition of service is certainly alive and well in the Rotarians here in our own community.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 9

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STORY BY BRUCE RODWELL

Chamber of Commerce If your group or organization is having an event, please call the Chamber office at 813-757-3707 and have the date put on our COMMUNITY CALENDAR. One of the objectives of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is to keep the community informed of event and items of interest that take place in Plant City and Eastern Hillsborough County. Our Chamber is the leading force in promoting the commercial, agricultural and civic interests of the Great Plant City area. Under the leadership of Billy Keel, a committee of Chamber members spent many hours working on a sign ordinance. The committee was made up of Chamber President Marion Smith, Dan Snyder, Phil Waldron, Doug Gibbs, and Vickie Hawthorne. They worked with the city planning director, Rob Anders and his staff in coming up with the final wording of the ordinance. The city commissioners unanimously adopted the new regulations at their September 13th. meeting. The DIAMONDS & DENIM COMMITTEE asked if they could express their thanks to all that attended the very successful D&D event that took place September 23rd. at the Arthur Boring Building. It was a sellout crowd and everyone present had a wonderful time. Proceeds from the event will benefit the South Florida Baptist Hospital Pediatric Care Unit and the Parish Nurse Program. This is one great affair and if you want to plan ahead, mark your calendar for September 22, 2005. That is the date for next yearʼs event. Many of you watched our USA Olympic Softball Team perform and win the Gold in Athens. Coming up on October 26th. at Plant City Stadium, the International Softball Federation, which is headquartered in Plant City, will host THE WORLD UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. This inaugural event will draw teams and VIPs from around the world, including Australia, China, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Russia, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Uganda and, of course, the USA. Participants in this womenʼs fast pitch competition will be between the ages of 17 and 28. The International Softball Federation is extending a call for volunteers who can work at any point during the event. Information on this wonderful opportunity may be obtained by calling ISF Director of Competition Laurie Gouthro at 813864-0100, extension 228. Admission to Plant City Stadium is free, with a nominal $5 per car parking fee. Opening ceremonies will take place at 5:30 PM in Plant

City Stadium on October 26th. Games will follow at 7:15 in the stadium, as well as at the adjacent Randy Larson Four-Plex . This great event runs through October 31st. This is a great opportunity to see womenʼs fast pitch softball and watch teams from all over the world compete right here in Plant City. Hereʼs a date to put on your calendar…Friday, October 22nd. On that day, starting at 5:30 pm, the TILE BARN, CARPET & INTERIORS is holding itʼs grand opening celebration at their brand new location, 1103 Gold Finch Drive (behind Buddy Freddyʼs off Thonotosassa Road). This is a new showplace you will not want to miss. They have pulled out all the stops to make this event a memorable one. There will be a roasted pig, live bands, hourly giveaways and it will be catered by two caterers. Come out and meet Hiram, Pam and the entire staff. The SPRING OF EAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY will hold their annual SPRING HARVEST BALL on Saturday evening, November 6th. at the Ramada Inn. Their theme this year is “Reaching for the Stars”. This gala event will feature a great silent auction, and new this year will be a cigar bar. For a donation of $10.00, or 3 for $25.00, you can purchase a chance to win two round trip tickets on American Airlines to the winnerʼs choice of 9 European cities. Tickets for the rafﬂe can be purchased by calling Susan Kolker at 813-752-0525, or you can mail your check to East Hillsborough Friends of the Spring, P.O. Box 4923, Plant City, FL 33564. If you have an item or items you would like to donate for the silent auction, or for further information, call Mary Dear-Weiss at 813-719-9204 or Jodi Smith at 813-754-3703. Save this date…November 20th. Thatʼs the date the 2nd annual PIG JAM will take place at the Randy Larson Four-Plex off Park Road. Last year this event drew about 6,500 people who came to feast on some great barbecue. This year, the crowd is expected to be even larger. Jodi Smith, who is again acting as co-chair this year, along with Chris Sparkman, has said she has already received dozens of inquiries. It is expected there will be professional teams from South Dakota, Kansas, North Carolina and Tennessee. These professionals will be looking to cop the grand prize of $2,500. There are also contests for amateurs and children. An added feature this year will be a HOG CALLING CONTEST. This event is being sponsored by Poppell Insurance. Jodi says that entries for this event will be accepted on the day of the event. So get your hog calling voice in shape and come out and join the fun. The entire

10 event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. This is great family fun. There will be kidʼs activities and bands will be entertaining throughout the event. All the fun gets started at 10 am and goes till 6 pm, when the prizes will be awarded. For more information, call the Chamber office at 813-754-3707. Are you afraid you will be called on to speak in public? Many people have that fear. You are not alone. There is help! There are two TOASTMASTER INTERNATIONAL groups in Plant City. The Thursday morning group meets each week at 7:30 am at the Chamber of Commerce, 106 North Evers Street, and the Tuesday afternoon group meets every other week at 5:30 pm in the South Florida Baptist Hospital Community Room. Why join one of these groups? In Toastmasters, youʼll gain the practice to become the leader and speaker you want to be. Become a better negotiator, gain trust, and sharpen your management skills. In Toastmasters, youʼll learn to communicate, how to vary your approach to suit the needs of different people, be they the audience for a speech or the committee for a fundraiser. Whatever goals you wish to achieve in life, they will be realized quicker and easier by improving your ability to lead. Toastmasters is a fun group. For further information, call Dr. Hal Brewer at 813-752-4949 or Michael Cameron at 813-759-1491. You will be glad you did! October 23 – Plant City Garden Club Fall Garden Tour from 10 am to 4 pm. Call Jan Griffin 813754-8685 or Darcy Stottlemeyer 813-759-1019 for additional information. October 23 & 24 – Cindy Shawʼs annual classic all-night womanʼs slow pitch softball tournament at Plant City Stadium. Call 813-249-2730 for information. October 23 – Florida Opry, 1914 High School. Starts at 7 pm October 30 – Masquerade Ball at Plant City Bingo, 105 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd.,Plant City. Begins at 7 pm. Proceeds benefit Unity in the Community. Call 752-1275 for additional information. November 4 – Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Banquet will take place at the Ramada Inn. Call the Chamber office at 754-3707 for information and reservations. November 6 – Bike Fest in Historic Downtown Plant City. Gets underway at 5 pm. November 6 – Spring Harvest Ball at the Ramada Inn. Contact Jodi Smith at 813-754-3703. November 13 – Pioneer Day at the 1914 High School, sponsored by the East Hillsborough Historical Society. Gets underway at 9 am. November 13 – Antique Street Fair and Arts & Crafts Fair in Historic downtown Plant City. Starts at 8 am.

Come and Enjoy an Evening with our Renowned Chef,

Riccardo Ciabatti while enjoying the best entertainment the South has to offer inside the Red Rose Dining Room

EVENT CALENDAR THE RAT PACK TOO October 16th THE DIAMONDS October 23rd THE RAT PACK TOO October 30th THE DEL VIKINGS November 6th THE LOUNGE CATS November 12th

DANNY AND THE JUNIORS November 13th THE RAT PACK TOO November 20th THE RAT PACK TOO November 27th JOEY DEE & THE STARLIGHTERS December 4th THE RAT PACK TOO December 11th

THE MARCELS December 18th TOMMY MARA & THE CRESTS PLUS THE SATURN FIVE December 31st THE PLATTERS WITH THE LEGENDARY MONROE POWELL PLUS DESTINY December 31st*

For a complete, up-to-date, entertainment schedule, go to www.ramadaplant ation.com and click on the “upcoming events” button.

813.759.1888 • 2011 NORTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33563

www.ramadaplantation.com

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STORY BY KRISTEN TONEY PHOTOS BY KRISTEN TONEY

JAMES RANCH: A PLACE TO BELONG

EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BY TEACHING LIFE SKILLS

One of the wonderful employees on the ranch takes a break with a special friend

Standing in the middle of the property, one immediately

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 12

notices that there is action everywhere. To the right, a lawn mower is being run by a young man in a baseball cap. He maneuvers around the parked vehicles with utmost caution, taking great pride in his ﬁnished project. Straight ahead, several gentlemen have formed an assembly line on the loading dock and are removing packages from a parked truck. They work quickly as they pass the boxes along to each other, moving with great ease and incredible efﬁciency. Next to them, two young ladies exit the building and head off to the structure next door, obviously on a mission. Far to the left, three more men work under the trees, raking the leaves and piling them into equally proportioned stacks. Everyone has their job, everyone has their place. This is James Ranch, the Plant City campus of the MacDonald Training Center. Created in the 1960ʼs as a location where

disabled adults could be taught to find an identity for themselves, it currently has 60 mentally challenged individuals enrolled in its day programs. From learning to tell time and developing math skills, to assembling items such as shower curtain rods, mailing tubes and calendars, these special people are given a job to do. Like any mentally sound person, they find fulfillment in a job well done, knowing that they have discovered a place of belonging, enjoying the conversation with their coworkers, and, oh yes, rejoicing when payday rolls around! The mission of James Ranch is simple: To empower people with disabilities to lead the lives they choose. Originally, the ranch was a group home of sorts, housing the mentally handicapped and teaching them the skills of everyday life. The focus has changed in recent years from basic career orientation, and has moved towards a desire for the consumers to actually take part in all aspects of society. Bill Brinson is the Director of Business and

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Operations. “We really want to teach them skills they need to know to be good members of the community. Thatʼs the goal. To get them out there.” And it appears to be working! There are many activities to choose from: the aquarium, the zoo, a visit to see the manatees, a trip to the bowling alley, and the list goes on. In order to choose the outing, the student government at the ranch meets on a regular basis to decide what activities all will partake in. Student government, you say? Yes, and elections are currently in progress! One walk down the hall of classrooms will bring into view posters of each candidate, complete with photograph, a short bio, and reasons why they should be given the pursued ofﬁce. A basic schedule for the James Ranch day program goes something like this: the students are bussed in every weekday morning at 9:00. After their arrival, they proceed to their assigned work area (located in one of the four program buildings on the campus). Breaks are taken for snacks and lunch, and, pending any special activity, they are bussed home to their families or to one of the four supported living homes in Plant City at 3:00 that afternoon. There are a few basic criteria for admittance into the program. The person must be at least 22 years of age (the current age range is from 22 years old up to 78 years old) and have an IQ under 70. Those who are accepted are burdened with a variety of mental issues; however, bi-polar disorder is the most prominent. There are some who came into the world with birth defects which have grown progressively worse over time. Others have endured horrible accidents as children or young people which have changed their lives forever. Still others have

Focusing on the task at hand

s e s s Cla

simply developed these conditions later in life, and are just learning to live with the results. But no matter the assortment of disorders, the smiles, stories, handshakes and laughter prove to the casual observer that this is a program that is not only greatly needed, but greatly appreciated. The task at hand may be sorting through name tags, but it is done with a cheery smile and a soft hello. Even while learning basic computer skills, there is always time to rise from the seat, shake a hand and tell a laugh-invoking story. “Iʼve worked here for six years,” says Dubb High, a member of the staff dealing with the community service aspect of the ranch. “Itʼs a wonderful place, I love the job! I love working with the people.” Program Coordinator Kathy Satterlee comments, “It feels good to know that youʼre doing something that really makes a difference. It just makes me smile…how could you work here and not smile?” Indeed, one cannot even visit the James Ranch without smiling. Maybe itʼs because all who are there have ﬁnally found their place, a place where they can be themselves and be rewarded for it. A place where they can make friends and learn new skills. They ﬁnally have a reason to smile. For more information on the James Ranch, contact Bill Brinson at (813) 752-6508 Ext. 112.

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STORY BY LYNNE WARREN PHOTOS BY THE CHILDREN’S CANCER CENTER

THE CHILDREN’S CANCER CENTER

BECAUSE KIDS SHOULD FLY KITES, NOT FIGHT CANCER… When a child is ﬁrst diagnosed with a catastrophic illness, the familyʼs primary

concern is the medical treatment required to help fight the disease. Soon though, even with the finest medical treatment available, other needs begin to emerge. This is where the Childrenʼs Cancer Center steps in. This wonderful organization exists for one purpose, and one purpose only – to assist families of pediatric cancer, sickle cell, and hemophilia patients with financial, educational, and recreational support. In 1974, Helen Burnett, a 14 year old 8th grader at Nativity Catholic School in Brandon was fighting leukemia. Although Helen received the finest medical care, she and her family had a tremendous need

for emotional support. Helen unfortunately lost her battle with the disease. As a result of this devastating experience, Helenʼs parents set out on a mission to create an organization to provide support for other families in need. The Childrenʼs Cancer Center is the result of their dedication and vision. This organization works with patients and families from all around our area, and currently has several Plant City residents among its ʻﬂockʼ. Although located in Tampa, the centerʼs ties to Plant City go deep, with the newest board member a resident and business owner in our community. Susan Rind, owner of the Walden Lake Early Learning Center was recently elected to the board of directors for the Cancer Center,

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 14

and the Director of Program Development is Sharin Nelson – also of Plant City. Mary Ann Massolio is the Executive Director, and after spending a few minutes with her it becomes obvious that she is completely dedicated to the patients and families served by the center. Part of her passion for the work of the Cancer Center comes from her unique perspective. Mary Ann lost her own child to cancer so she understands the needs of patients and families in a way many could not. Working with patients from birth to age 21, the organization supports the entire family, including parents and siblings. The programs and services provided by the center

are almost too numerous to mention, and range from financial assistance to educational resources to events and parties. The center may assist a family by helping make their mortgage payment or paying airfare to see a specialist in another area. A family library is available at the facility where the shelves are lined with a variety of educational and recreational books and materials. A parent can come to find information specific to their childʼs illness, and children can come here to be tutored or just to read a book for fun. Computers are also available, with internet access for both parents and children. One of the most interesting programs is Big Buddys, which pairs the sibling of a patient with a medical

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Molly & Chelsea attending teen group activity. “Survivor Game” Christmas Card created by Jordan, age 13. He is a 4 year survivor of T-cell Leukemia and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

L to R- Chelsea Anjeski (Wisconsin)Amy Heckendorf (Wisconsin) Marion Siblie (Atlan

student from USF. The sibling of a seriously ill child is often called the ʻinvisible childʼ because so much focus is given to the patient. In an effort to shift some focus back to the sibling, the Big Buddy program provides someone with which they can spend time, go to the movies, or even just a ride to their baseball

Congratulations! Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions

game. Another program aimed at helping families cope is Spa Day for moms. The family arrives at the center on a Sunday. Dad, the patient, and any siblings stay at the center to take part in activities or watch a football game while mom is whisked away for a stress free day of pampering. Probably the biggest service this organization provides though is the opportunity for families to network with others in situations similar to their own. Due to the wide range of ages served, programs are varied and

tailored to speciﬁc age groups. Teen activities, parentʼs nights out, tutoring, educational incentives, and bereavement services are just a few of the things the center offers. Summer day camps for patients and siblings are held at the facility, and provide a medically safe and protected environment for the kids. Nurses and volunteers are on hand at all times, so parents can rest assured their children are in good hands. Amenities at the facility include a colorful multipurpose room with chalkboard walls, a big-screen TV, air hockey and pool tables, toys, and more. A kitchen stocked with drinks and snacks can be found adjacent to the activity room, and outside is a playground, a multisport court, and a putting green. The centerʼs facility is nestled between two major hotels in the Cypress / Westshore area of Tampa: the Spring Hill Mariott and the Sheraton. Both of these hotels generously allow the center to utilize their swimming pools.

The Sheratonʼs pool is inside, so it can be used all year round. The center holds a fall festival each year at Grandmaʼs Hugginʼ Farm just north of Plant City, and this year expects to have three to four hundred in attendance. A glamorous holiday party is scheduled for early December, and promises to be an event to remember. Each year, Christmas cards designed by patients at the center are sold to help fund the programs and activities. Calendars, notecards, and other items adorned with art by the children are also available. The Christmas cards will be available for purchase soon at Publix grocery stores in Plant City and throughout our area. For more information on the Childrenʼs Cancer Center, or to ﬁnd out how you can help, call the center at 813-367-5437, or visit the website at www.childrenscancercenter.org.

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STORY BY SOPHIA DEDONPHOTO BY SOPHIA DEDON

“TEEN NIGHT” AT THE PLANTEEN

LOCAL PROGRAM HAS PROVED TO BE EXTREMELY POPULAR

For a while, the recreation department in Plant City was looking for something fun to provide to teens in the area. One year ago, they decided to start having “Teen Night.” One Friday a month they would open the Planteen building to teenagers for dancing, games, and pizza, for a cost of only five dollars. They sent flyers out to the local middle schools and waited to see how it would turn out. The first night there were only about 45 kids. As the year progressed, they had so many teens show up that they had to turn them away, once they reached their 250 maximum capacity. “We see kids on the street and they need somewhere to go so we just saw it as another opportunity to use our building,” said Stephen Rossiter, event coordinator for the city of Plant City. Plans are in the making for a new recreation facility. The city hopes to open up this building for the teens, too. Actually, because there has been such a good turn out,

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 16

there is consideration for holding teen nights more often. Teen night provides a safe, enjoyable environment for the teens to come to, and hang out with their friends at the same time. “Itʼs important for the community to see where their tax dollars are going,” said Rossiter. They have fifteen part-time staff members, two full-time staff members, and two police officers from the Plant City Police Department to supervise the kids, along with volunteers from Plant City High School. Teen night is for kids ages 13-17, although it is predominantly middle school aged teens that attend. Additionally, the recreation department holds kidʼs night for parents to bring their kids to for ages 5-12 once a month on Saturday evenings. The program is definitely a success, especially as far as the teens are concerned. Fourteen year old Jordan Nelms said, “The foodʼs good. I like to play pool, chill, and hang out.” When asked why he comes, Jordan said, “Everybody from school comes and itʼs fun because of the music,

pool, and food. This is my fourth time coming.” Even the staff sees the benefits of teen night. Deanna Jackson has been working for the recreation department since age fourteen, and now is nineteen, “This is a good place for them to come to stay out of trouble,” said Deanna. Although, in the beginning, the students were a little uneasy, they have now warmed up and feel comfortable in the environment. They are all crowded on the dance floor, showing off their moves for their friends, laughing with each other, and running around having fun. It was Lindcy Garrettʼs first time experiencing teen night and she said she liked it because, “all my friends are coming and itʼs cool.” Teen night is a very popular, positive program for teens in our community to attend.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 17

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STORY BY SHERRI ROBINSON PHOTOS BY SHERRIE ROBINSON

LESSONS FROM THE PRAYING MANTIS PONG LAI MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING CENTER BRINGS THE FAR EAST TO PLANT CITY

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Plant City is fast becoming a hub of culture and inspiration. We are a melting

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JUST WEST OF PARK RD. IN PLANT CITY, CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

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pot of arts, technology, and peoples. The latest addition to our community of diversity is Pong Lai Martial Arts Training Center, U.S.A., Inc., owned and directed by Mike Courcelle. He brings us a program that introduces us to the original Chinese Martial Art of Kung Fu. Kung Fu was divided into Southern and Northern China. Both systems take their movements from animals such as the Tiger, Snake, Leopard, Crane, Eagle and Praying Mantis. Southern Kung Fu emphasizes hand technique and strong stances while Northern Kung Fu concentrates on kicking techniques and active footwork. Pong Lai Martial Arts teaches Northern Praying Mantis system of Kung Fu. Northern Praying Mantis was discovered by founder, Wong Lang, while watching the grabbing and trapping techniques of the Praying Mantis. He developed this system of combat that is characterized by lightning quick hand movements and low level kicking. It is a

very effective method of self defense. There are many benefits for studying Kung Fu besides self defense. It increases strength and flexibility, improves mind and body coordination, reduces stress and improves concentration, increases energy and strengthens the immune system and instills greater self confidence. Sounds pretty good, huh? Who couldnʼt use more of all of those things? Young students at Pong Lai Martial Arts Training Center also learn about goal setting. Shrfu Courcelle wants to see all his students, adult or child, improve and excel. With his background in 6 styles of Martial Arts and over 20 years of experience, he is highly qualified to help them do that. His love and dedication to the Martial Arts shows through his classes and his students. He offers Childrenʼs Classes, Tai Chi (Taijiquan), Funrobics, Seminars, Traditional Kung Fu, Chinese Weaponry, and Personal Protection classes. If interested in learning more about Kung Fu and Pong Lai Martial Arts Training Center visit them at 18521854 Jim Redman Pkwy. or call 719-9892.

�� “Where Integrity & Honesty Still Make a Difference”

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STORY BY BRIAN WEST PHOTOS BY BRIAN WEST

SWINE DRAWING FOR THE 2005 FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

YOUNG MEMBERS IN FFA AND 4-H ARE HOPEFUL FOR A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT THEY’VE LEARNED

If youʼve lived in or been around the Plant City area for any part of your life, youʼve heard of the Florida Strawberry Festival or simply “the festival”, as locals refer to it. Like most county fairs and festivals around the country, the Florida Strawberry Festival has a livestock exhibit. This provides an opportunity for the youth in the area to showcase the things theyʼve learned about livestock in their FFA and 4-H programs and itʼs an opportunity to make some money. Generally, a swine will bring $1000 - $3000 at the festival. With costs of about $250 - $300, this is an opportunity for the local youth to make some good money and have a great learning experience. This is where the drawing comes in. Because of the money that can be earned, there are far more youth that would like the opportunity than there are spots available. FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 20

There is a limit of 75 swines for 2005. Those in charge, like Jon Poppell, believe that it wouldnʼt be good to raise the limit. Poppell said, “It would be difﬁcult for the community to support more than 75 swines. Any more than that, and the money available could be much less [per animal].” What I didnʼt realize is that students from 3rd grade through 12th grade, involved in 4-H or FFA, are eligible to participate. The drawing for the 2005 Florida Strawberry Festival was held on Monday evening, September 20th. The drawing was held at the Author Boring building on the festival grounds and began at 7:00pm. I arrived at 6:45pm and the room was full. This year there were 269 entered for the drawing and about 800 in the room. There was a stage setup at one end of the room where

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the students are checked in and given a ping-pong ball with their coordinating number. At 7:00pm, Ray Clark, an Agriculture teacher at Plant City High School, stepped to the microphone and instructed the students to go to the north side of the room and line up in order. Then Clark began calling their names from the list. As the students are called, they walk across the front of the stage to drop their ball into the drawing cage or “squirrel cage”, as Clark called it. A couple of years ago, the door to the drawing cage had not been closed properly and when they began mixing the balls, the door came open and the balls spilled onto the ﬂoor. Once all the balls are in the cage, the cage is turned to mix the balls and the drawing begins. I sat with Sharon Ours and her children, Vinny and Haley. Haley was one of the students hoping to have her name drawn. She is in the 5th grade this year and was lucky enough to have her name drawn the ﬁrst year she

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was eligible as a 3rd grader. I asked Haley if she got attached to her pig and she answered, “No. Heʼd bite at me sometimes.” With a laugh, Sharon said, “Yeah, I think we were all ready to see him go.” Unfortunately, Haley wasnʼt so lucky this year. She wasnʼt selected and later blamed her bad luck on me because I was teasing her during the drawing. Others were lucky. Dylan Barrow had his name drawn for the third year in a row and last yearʼs Grand Champion winner, Sommer Hinson, a Junior at Plant City High School, was drawn again this year. Parents always want their children to be able to participate and compete with others and I wondered how those who werenʼt lucky enough to be drawn would react. I observed many who were disappointed, but with hope of being selected next year, and congratulations and support for those who were selected this year.

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Congratulations

Mr. & Miss January 2005 Durant High School Calender Couple

Johnathan Weaver & Summer Pippin We’re So Proud of You

Love, Your Family & Friends

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 21

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LOCAL

STORY BY SOPHIA DEDON PHOTOS BY SOPHIA DEDON

DIAMONDS AND DENIM BALL 2004 A TIME TO HAVE FUN AND HELP OTHERS

Plant Cityʼs ﬁnest folks, prizes galore, Safari decor, amazing food, and enjoyable music would be the perfect description of the 8th annual Diamonds and Denim Ball

held on September 23, 2004, at the Arthur Boring Civic Center. The purpose of the Diamonds and Denim Ball was to raise money for the Pediatric Department and

Parish Nurse Program at the South Florida Baptist Hospital. This yearʼs estimated income from the night is $60,000. More than 500 members of the Plant City community attended this special evening. Special thanks go to the Emerald Sponsors, who made very generous donations of $2,500 or more to this beneﬁt. The Emerald Sponsors included: Associated Pathologists, P.A., Batista, Sr. and Evelyn Madonia, Rooms To Go, and Dr. E. Newton and Michelle Steely. There were twelve $1000 Sapphire Sponsors, twenty-three $500 Ruby Sponsors, and seventy-eight $250 Pearl Sponsors. With the combination of the sponsors and the 113 silent auction prizes, the night was

most deﬁnitely a success. Silent auction bids included everything from jewelry to food, home decor to entertainment packages, art to sports, and feel-good body gifts to smell-good packages. There was something there to suit everyone. Most of the prizes were the generous donations of local businesses from the community. As far as the food is concerned, very rarely will anyone taste better food. There were buffets everywhere! There were buffets for salad, seafood, vegetables, meat, and most importantly, three tables of desserts. Everyone walked around socializing with their friends and colleagues. As Judy Martin, executive director of the South Florida Baptist Hospital

One Of The Best Golf Course Layouts In The Area Has Just Gotten Better! Come Celebrate Our

GRAND OPENING Mid October

Take A Drive & Tee Off On Our Newly Renovated 18 Hole Lakes Course Centrally Located In Plant City (Just A Short Putt From Anywhere)

2001 Clubhouse Drive • 752-1171 FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 22

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Cindy Jones and John Wade look at the prizes for auction together.

Foundation, put it, “The best part about the Diamonds and Denim ball is that thereʼs good food and you donʼt have to dress up to come.” The guests enjoyed the fun, too. The constant music in the background provided a warm atmosphere. There was everything from country to oldies. Denim

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was emphasized in many ways by the guests. They wore bluejean jackets, skirts, dresses, and everything else that would come to mind. One could not help but feel comfortable with so many smiling faces around. Two guests, John Wade and Cindy Jones, came for the ﬁrst time this year. John worked in the South Florida Baptist Hospital Emergency Room for 5 years and wanted to give back to the hospital. They enjoyed the evening because they said, “We came to socialize, have fun and give to a good cause, and thatʼs just what we did.” The ball would not have been possible without the help of 16 special people who generously donated their time to make the event possible. Margaret Rodwell was the chair of the committee and did a wonderful job, along with the other members. As previously mentioned, the money will beneﬁt organizations such as the Parish Nurse Program in the Plant City

area. On November 13th, 2004, the South Florida Baptist Hospitalʼs parish nurses are hosting a Womenʼs Health Seminar. It will be an interdenominational event with physician guest speakers and vendors from the Plant City area. There is no fee for this event and they would love to have plenty of participants. The night was an overall success. Everyone enjoyed themselves,

including Twala Dana Mange, who after her 5th year of attending said, “I love it because everyone gets together, eats food, and bids in the auctions. Itʼs just a fun evening.” The Diamonds and Denim Ball is a great way to bring everyone together, from the Strawberry Festival Queen and her court to local business owners to everyday people. Everyone wants to ﬁnd a way to have fun and beneﬁt others at the same time.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 23

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STORY BY BRIAN WEST

TOMLIN JR. HIGH SCHOOL FUNDRAISER IS UNDERWAY TO REFURBISH THE AUDITORIUM SEATING This year is the 50th anniversary for Tomlin Jr. High School. The school was originally built to replace the old 1914 high school in down town Plant City. At the time, the building was a one of a kind in our area with a gymnasium, an outdoor band shell and a large indoor auditorium. As everyone knows, the Tomlin auditorium gets a lot of use, not only for the activities of the school like band and chorus competition, but also for the community. Susan Sullivan, Tomlinʼs Assistant Principal, said, “For years, Jackieʼs Dance Studio has used the auditorium for their dance recitals, and itʼs also used for contests like Junior Royalty.” And there are others. One of the more popular events is the Strawberry Festival Queenʼs Contest sponsored by Plant City Lions Club. Still adding to all the activity, Sullivan said, “While Plant City High School is being remodeled, all the activities that would normally take place in their auditorium will be held at the Tomlin auditorium.” But the Tomlin auditorium had seen its better years until recently, when Hillsboro County Schools budgeted money to refurbish the auditorium. They replaced the curtains, reﬁnished the stage and put in a new sound system, but the seating was left out. There just wasnʼt enough money to take care of those needs and refurbish the seats. The seats are now a priority. They have really seen some use over the years. The layers of wood are pealing away on many of the seats, some have just broken, and others have been defaced. The school began using the seats in the balcony as replacements for the seats on the main ﬂoor when seats become unusable. Sullivan said, “The auditorium should be a place that everyone in the community is proud to visit.” Fortunately, the Parent Teachers Association decided to take on the project. A committee was formed to work out the details on how to raise

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 24

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money for the project. The idea is to sell name plaques that will be placed on the back of each chair. There are a total of 1185 seats in the auditorium and when you consider the number of people that attended the school over the years, it probably wonʼt take long to reach a sell out. The seats in the auditorium consist of a metal frame, with a wood seat and back. The plan is to replace the wood altogether with new wood and to refinish the metal frames with fresh paint. There are 3 tiers for the seat plaques on the main floor: $100, $75, $50, and all the seat plaques in the balcony are $35. The $100 seat plaques are for the first 5 rows in each section, 153 seats total. The $75 dollar seat plaques are the next 10 rows in the center section, another 140 seats. The remaining seat plaques on the main floor are $50. All seats are being sold on a first come- first served basis, likely based on the postmark date with each order form. The committee will decide which seat/s the buyer gets, based on the best available seat remaining for the price range of your purchase. A point of clarification is that buyers are only buying the plaques, not the seats themselves. Buyers shouldnʼt expect the use of the seat/s purchased. Seating for events will continue to be coordinated as usual; those getting there early will get good seats. Another idea was to offer special recognition to those who wish to simply donate money to the project or those who wish to donate money in addition to seat plaques. There are 3 tiers: the Cubʼs Den for $250, the Tigerʼs Club for $500 and the Tomlin Pride for $1000. The fundraiser will officially begin on October 1st and the PTA is hoping there will be enough interest to complete the project by January 2005. We wish you luck!

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The Second of Two Reports by Ken Lawrence

THE GENERAL ELECTION FROM A PLANT CITY PERSPECTIVE This article is not about the Presidential race or the vote to name a replacement for retiring Congressional Senator, Bob Graham. Itʼs about local issues and in many ways, they are as important to us as events on the national and international scene.

Probably the most important campaign in that regard has been for State Legislature and the election to select a person to replace Johnnie Byrd, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for US Senate. The person who is heavily favored to win the seat is Walden Lake

resident and former City Commissioner, Rich Glorioso. In an interview with FOCUS, Glorioso says his campaign has gone well and he lists 3 issues that he wants to prioritize if he wins the November 2nd election. He says Safety and Security have got to be at the top of the list. “Weʼre at war”, he says and “weʼve got to make sure that we have a good emergency response”.

Number two is Economic Development. The Republican candidate says “eastern Hillsborough County has got to diversify and attract higher paying jobs”. The same concerns are expressed in the feature article we had with Mayor Mike Sparkman, who by the way is a registered Democrat but says the party left him a long time ago.

The emergency response to the devastation from the four hurricanes that hit the state have “served us well”, says Glorioso. However, he says there is still much more to learn in dealing with a terrorist attack, if one should ever occur again.

Number three on Gloriosoʼs list is Education. He says there have been some positive signs showing that the state of education in Florida is improving but heʼs concerned that fewer high school graduates are going to college. “Maybe a bigger and better community college system might be

the answer, where young people can learn trades, such as mechanics, electrical, plumbing and the like”, says Glorioso. Glorioso supports the present Voucher System. The Democratic candidate is retired high school teacher and principal, Ashley Smith of Valrico. In an interview with FOCUS, Smith says he has misgivings about the Voucher program, in that it takes away public funds from public schools. “Why not let counties set-up specialized schools?” and further states, “show me where vouchers have served kidsʼ needs better”. On Economic Growth, Smith

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says the state needs more incentives and tax breaks for farmers (strawberry, citrus, dairy and tropical ﬁsh growers). He says this is needed, “rather than see them sell out to developers”. On Health Care, Smith says “the system has got to be more competitive”. “Weʼre talking about people being able to afford drugs and not increase proﬁts for the pharmaceutical companies”. This is the

Number One issue that the Democratic candidate espouses. “Iʼve lived in eastern Hillsborough County for 30 years”, he says and “we need to keep the small town feel that Plant City has, while being progressive at the same time.

Election Bits ‘n Bites In this election package, weʼre including a summary of the Ofﬁcial Ballot that you will see when you enter the polling station. As we noted at the bottom of the ballot, there are nine constitutional amendments that you will be asked to vote-on. Unfortunately, space restrictions do not allow us to include them here. We suggest you go to the Supervisor of Elections Website www. votehillsborough.org for details. If you donʼt understand them, speak to relatives, friends and neighbors as to what these amendments mean.

Please recall that in 2000, many people blindly voted “YES” for the Bullet Train, causing a serious problem for the state. To put it another way, if you donʼt understand something, youʼre not obliged to vote one way or another. Just skip it. Your overall ballot will not be rendered VOID if you do. The same goes for the various judges up for reelection. And while we said this was not about the Presidential vote, we could not let it pass that there are eight candidates for Commanderin-Chief. Other than Bush, Kerry and Nader, we have no idea who the others are and what they stand for. Finally, please vote. Check your elections card as to where your precinct is. If, for any reason you cannot get to the precinct, call one of the two major parties. They always have volunteer drivers.

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STORY BY SHERRI ROBINSON PHOTOS BY SHERRI ROBINSON

SECOND ANNUAL PLANT CITY BIKE FEST “FAT BOY RULES”

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�� TAMPA • PLANT CITY • TEMPLE TERRACE • RIVERVIEW • LAKELAND

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 28

If you didnʼt attend the Second Annual Plant City Bike Fest on Saturday, October 2nd, you probably canʼt fathom these numbers. According to Police Chief Bill McDaniel, in the downtown area of Plant City there were 14,000 motorcycles and 23,000 people. It was the most successful Bike Fest yet! The streets were ﬁlled with music, vendors, and, of course, bike enthusiasts. The only thing I have to compare the atmosphere to is evening time on the streets of Key West. All the shops were open for browsing or buying a cup of Joe. People were milling about, enjoying the scenery and meeting up with friends. The parking lots were ﬁlled to capacity with beautiful bikes of all kinds. It was a sight to behold. It brought back such wonderful memories of riding with my dad on his Harley when I was a little girl. I hate to admit how long ago that was. All I can say is “Wow!” What improvements theyʼve made on the bikes since then. This yearsʼ celebration was all about the 2004 Harley - Davidson “Fat Boy” giveaway. I could feel the anticipation building as the clock ticked towards 9 p.m. It appeared that most people had purchased their chance for winning this “beauty” early, but there was still a good size line at the ticket table when I walked by. Just before nine there was last call to purchase a ticket and begin to gather around to hear the featured bandʼs last song. The announcement of the winners in the bike judging

for categories from several classes began. With great pride each winner came forward to claim their trophy and be recognized. Congratulations, everyone! Finally the moment we have all been waiting for. And the winner is...... a woman from Plant City, Pam Warnock! Pam, are you there? Whereʼs Pam? She was nowhere to be seen. Time to bring out the reserves, the trusty cell phone, and try to get her on the horn. We all waited with bated breath to hear her screams of delight when she finds out sheʼs won the drawing of a lifetime. Alas, we only get her answering machine. What a great disappointment for all of us to miss that big moment with Pam. I had a chance to talk to Pam on Monday, the 4th, to congratulate her and get her take on the whole thing. She told me that she was at a game at USF when she got a call from her son asking if she had bought a ticket for the bike drawing. She said she had and he informed her that she won. Pam also said she hasnʼt seen the bike yet, but that she would be meeting with Marion Smith to see it and get pictures soon. Though neither she nor any of her family rides, she was still very honored. Pam said, “I bought the ticket to help the Chamber. I never dreamed I would win. I donʼt usually win anything.” She plans on selling “Fat Boy” and maybe using the money for upcoming family events. Congrats Pam! Wished we could have been there in person when you received the good news. Atticus Taylor did a fine job drawing the winning ticket. Thanks Atticus. He was such a cutie! Thanks also to everyone involved in making this special Bike Fest night a real success. It was a night to remember. All of the proceeds went to benefit the Plant City Chamber of Commerce and the United Food Bank and Services of Plant City.

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STORY BY CAROLE HENNING

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY TAKES PLANT CITY “BY STORM”

When you have a medical need you want quality health care not only for the body, but also for the mind. At Family Medicine Associates we strive to provide care for the whole person, body and mind.

In fact, our medical staff is a family affair. Dr. Michael A. Salvato, M.D, and his sister Helen M. Tepper, AR.N.P. in conjunction with Dr. Brian Shaub D.O. are working together to provide the best care possible.

With 2 doctors and 1 practitioner in our group we are equipped to handle your needs as they arise, right when you need it. At Family Medicine Associates we understand the importance of family.

With managed care on the rise it is more important than ever to have a strong medical group working with you. You, the person are our priority, Family Medical Associates will work for you.

In spite of being sandwiched between Hurricanes Ivan & Jeanne, the Grand Opening

of the Keller Williams Realty Plant City ofﬁce was a great success. The evening of September 9th witnessed a turn-out of over 100 clients, agents, business associates, friends and neighbors. Keller Williams, the fastest growing real estate company in the United States, found Plant City to be a demographic dream; new construction, growing popularity and market values at every end of the spectrum. Owner, Kevin Chadwick, envisioned a state of the art technological environment providing both agents and clients with the very latest marketing tools and support that are offered in the industry, combined with the warmth and hometown atmosphere that Plant city has to offer. Located in the Village at Walden Lake, 1701 South Alexander St., the site provides a convenient and modern facility with easy access to Walden Lake, surrounding subdivisions and large agricultural facilities, as well

as commercial enterprises. Frank Sweeney, managing broker states “Weʼre here to support all your real estate needs.” Newly licensed, experienced and “wannabe” real estate agents are invited to call Frank for an information appointment at 813759-1200, to hear about their career opportunities at Keller Williams Realty. Co-sponsored by Keller Williams Realty and HomeBanc, guests were treated to a sumptuous buffet provided by Prestige Catering. Fine wines and a special candlelight dessert room highlighted the evening, as well as gifts for all who attended. A great time was had by all. New friends and networking added to the festivities. Keller Williams invites you to stop by and say HELLO!

�� Headaches have many causes including high blood pressure, food allergies, stress, pressure on the cranial nerves, hurricanes and clean-up, spinal subluxations or vertebrae misalignments, sinus infections and dilation or constriction of blood vessels. Most Americans would rather take a pill and worry about the next headache when it comes. Doctors of chiropractic instead stress the importance of finding the root cause of an illness so it does not recur. Doctors of Chiropractic have excellent results in treating migraine, tension and cervicogenic headaches. Migraines, which occur episodically and normally on one side of the head, cause severe pain, loss of vision and nausea. Tension headaches that occur from emotional stress make a person feel like a vise is tightening his/her head. The neck and head muscles contract, putting pressure on the blood and nerve vessels. The third type of headache arises from cervical dysfunction, or pains in the neck and upper spine. Researchers found that the doctor of chiropractic’s care of cervicogenic headaches decreased the patients’ use of analgesics by 36 percent compared to 0 percent of the no-spinal manipulation group. The treatment also significantly reduced the number of hours the patients experienced headaches as well as headache intensity. If you suffer from headaches, make an appointment with your Doctor of Chiropractic. Through the application of gentle hands-on care, you will soon be on the road to recovery. SPECIAL NOTE: Our prayers are for everyone recovering from the hurricanes. Also, October is “SPINAL HEALTH MONTH”. Have your spine checked today. It is extremely important for your overall health.

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STORY BY SOPHIA DEDON PHOTOS SOPHIA DEDON

YMCA DAY

FAMILIES COME TO THE Y FOR FOOD AND FUN

Babies played in the nursery so parents could have their fun.

Babies, toddlers, children, teens, parents, and grandparents all had something fun

to do at the YMCA on October 2nd for YMCA Family Day. The Tampa Metro Association held the annual Extravagant Weekend with plenty of fun events. Other YMCAʼs had activities, such as auctions, dances, luncheons, and golf tournaments, but Plant City wanted something for the whole family. This event also kicked off the member drive for the month of October at the Y. Anytime this month, the usual registration fee of $125 is reduced to $25. Now is the perfect time to sign up the family for a Y membership.

Children were standing in line to get fun temporary tattoos.

The dayʼs activities began with Face Painting and socializing. Then, they had entertainment in the pool by hosting a Kidersplash for all ages. The ball really got rolling at eleven when toddlers could attend a HopN-Tots session, where they could get a fun work out. Meanwhile, the kick boxing class, usually for ages 16 and up, was open for anyone 10 and above to try. Plenty of girls

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 30

took advantage of the opportunity to get active. The SPIN class was also open for anyone who met the height requirement. SPIN is a cycling class offered only at the Y, where the instructors are specially trained on how to master that speciﬁc class. Of course, there were still the usual options for everyone to participate in. The Zeno Zone had tons of kids playing air hockey, foosball, the computers, and in the jungle gym. The wonderful nursery staff was there to watch any of the babies while the “big kids” had their fun. The most popular station of all was the food. There were pretzels, goldﬁsh, juice, and fruit to snack

on while having fun. Everyone crowded around the tables, laughing, talking, and socializing. Siblings Amanda and Brandon VonDolteren said, “We like the Y because itʼs so much fun and we get to play!” Their parents said they enjoyed bringing the family because itʼs a great place to bring everyone and keep them healthy while giving them something to do. Although there are many different types of people that come to the Y, there is one thing they all have in common. Everyone wants to bring the family somewhere to be safe and have fun!

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STORY BY SHERRI ROBINSON PHOTOS BY BILLY FRIEND

FOR LOVE OF COMMUNITY AND ART

JOYCE JORDAN BRINGS PLANT CITY HOPE AND BEAUTY

Most people know Joyce Jordan as the founder of Unity in

the Community, the organization that feeds the hungry in Plant City. She is also a very talented still life and landscape artist. As with many artists, it was not until her children were ﬁnally grown and moved away that she got the opportunity to paint. In 1991, she studied with TV artist, Ed Rivera, and teacher, Gary Gessford. She soon joined the

Art Guild here in Plant City and gained the conﬁdence she needed to show her paintings and even make some sales. Since that time, she has done two art shows in Cedar Key and displayed her art in a gallery in Leesville, as well as Plant City locations, such as Orange Blossom Tea Room and Dr. Parsonʼs ofﬁce. She recently had an opening at the Park Side Cafe, which was a huge success.

This month she is the featured “Artist of the Month” at Southern Hospitality. Most of her work is done in oils and painted from photographs sheʼs taken. I asked Joyce what advice she would give anyone who wanted to paint but hasnʼt yet taken the plunge, or is just starting out. She says, “If a person wants to paint, do it. You wonʼt be sorry. It is so fulﬁlling.” Joyce is also a

pretty amazing person. She is still recovering from brain surgery, but says she has seen much improvement in the past few months. Her work with Unity in the Community has helped her memory and the painting helps to calm her down. To see her work, log onto www.diversearts.com/joyce. html, or come out to the “Meet the Artist” event on Saturday, October 30th from 11a.m. - 1p.m. If interested in hiring Joyce or to display her work in your business, she can be contacted at 752-1275. For information on Unity in the Community, log onto www. unityinplantcity.com.

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AROUND TOWN

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SUE WINSTON SHARES HER WISDOM

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Sue was born in Indiana in 1918. She married a research biologist who brought her to Florida. She taught economics at Perdue until she had children. She stayed at home with her kids and went back to teaching when they left. After retiring from teaching, she pursued staining glass, which led her into painting. “You no longer live just one life,” said Sue, “You move from one life to another”.

In school, students are taught history in decades. Everything is broken into segments for comprehension. When you actually live through more than eight decades itʼs different. “I donʼt see life as decades. I see it as one life to another. Life is full of different phases,” said Sue. Sue Winston was one of the most eccentric, amazing women I have ever met.

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At the age of 86 Sue looks backs on her life, questioning her choices, wondering if she seized all of her opportunities, regretting when she did not. “Sue, you canʼt look back at life with regrets. Maybe we aim too high. We think what we could have or should have done, but at that time, those things were out of the question for women,” Helena told Sue.

As a teenager Sue did not have many dates because she was too much of a tom boy, as she put it. Her passion was stunt ﬂying. She loved engines, mechanics and planes. She wanted to be an engineer, but her parents would not let her. Back then, womenʼs only career options were to be a teacher, nurse, or librarian. Although most people think that the 1900ʼs changes are all technological, Sue noted that most changes occurred in religion, fashion, entertainment, attitude, acceptance of others, social issues, and what is considered “proper” behavior. Just imagine the differences in the world in the 1930ʼs and in the current day. “America was made for the people who wanted change and progress and who werenʼt okay with being stagnant,” said Sue.

In search of a prospect for this monthʼs issue I stumbled upon two women eating lunch together at Shelbyʼs.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 32

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STORY BY SHERRI ROBINSON PHOTOS BY SHERRI ROBINSON

“HURRICANES, TROPICAL STORMS, AND TORNADOES, OH NO!”

BUCKEYE SELF SERVICE STORAGE OF PLANT CITY, INC. MEETS ALL YOUR STORAGE NEEDS Storage has solved that problem, too, by providing large wide isles and plenty of parking to make things as easy as possible for their customers.

Here I sit on my porch the day after Hurricane Jeanne came and went, looking at all the damage in the neighborhood. Evidence of

clean up has begun with sounds of generators rumbling, chainsaws chewing through fallen trees, and sights of neighbors collecting debris from their yards and repairing roofs. Despite all of the work, Plant City is among the luckiest. Another reason we are lucky is we now have someplace to keep our valuables, especially during times such as damaging storms. Buckeye Self Storage of Plant City is family owned and operated. Owner Ben Yocom Jr., father and Operation Director Ben Yocom Sr., and brother, Brad Yocom are storage experts. They offer storage

counseling so that you donʼt waste money by renting more space than you need. Buckeye Self Storage offers 742 units and has 40 varieties of sizes. Outside units range from 5 x10 to 30 x30. Inside units range from 5 x 5 x 5 to 25 x 30. As a person who is accustomed to moving often and needing storage, I loved the variety. Whether you needed to store a boat, RV, or just some records, you can do it all right here. They also offer over-head type storage and unique sizes, some with extra height of 14ʼ that can accommodate odd shaped items like a canoe stood on end, instead of being stored in a larger than needed unit. The facility is kept incredibly clean and in impeccable condition. After a renter leaves, the ﬂoor is cleaned, repainted, and ready for the next

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 34

occupant. All units are climate controlled. Great effort is taken to keep the humidity at 50% so there is no danger of mildew. The climate controlled buildings are also treated for insects and rodents. Buckeye Self Storage knows that the safety of your valuables is a great concern and they want to put your worries to rest. Security alarms and 16 digital cameras monitor the facility 24 hours a day. Each renter gets their own code so only they can enter through the gate and access their unit. Outside units are available for access 24 hours a day. Inside units can be accessed from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Anyone who has moved even once knows how aggravating and stressful it can be to maneuver a big vehicle around for loading or unloading. Buckeye Self

Thereʼs just so much to say about this new business, including how much they are growing in just the short time they have been here. When I visited the facility just two weeks after opening they were already 15% full. Thatʼs quite an accomplishment. If youʼve you read this far you know what makes this storage company so different from its competitors, but you may still wonder why you should bring them your business. They have short term rentals by the month and without question, they are friendlier and will take better care of you. Even small businesses can count on them to go the extra mile. They will accept UPS for them if they canʼt be there. Always thinking about the customer ﬁrst is the kind of business they are. Though they have only been here a few weeks they have wonderful things to say about our community and have become a member of the Chamber of Commerce. If youʼre looking for the best storage place around, whether short or long term, check out Buckeye Self Storage of Plant City, Inc. located at 1610 Jim Johnson Road, or call 719-1970 during the hours of 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 35

AROUND TOWN

LOCAL

STORY BY KRISTEN TONEY

THE BASICS OF AQUATIC WEED CONTROL

Although the ﬁrst day of fall was September 22, we

can all agree that in Florida itʼs deﬁnitely still summer. And summer means rain. Not to mention all of the unwelcome visitors weʼve had; Charley, Frances…need I continue? Basically, this all adds up to large amounts of water. Thatʼs where Jeff Stidham Aquatic Weed Control comes in.

In past years, Plant City has grown up quickly, becoming a town where the growth of streets and structures is fast-overtaking the amount of land we boast. When the rains come, there are limited options available for runoff. Stidham, EPA Certiﬁed and carrier of an Aquatic Spray license, comments, “When the ground gets completely saturated, thereʼs not much we can do. When you get rain like we have recently, some have two choices: either wash the clothes or ﬂush the toilet! But it can still help to have clean retention and detention areas, theyʼll hold more excess water.” Over time, an unattended pond can loose the ability to hold its full capacity of water. The plant growth cycle begins to build up a residue of deterioration on the base

of the pond. This causes an issue when it comes to extreme rainfall. Insects and small reptiles begin to breed in and around the bothersome water plants, creating another nuisance for the proximate neighborhoods. To keep our ponds clean and able to hold all of the water we have been receiving, Jeff Stidham topically sprays and then removes nuisance plants, such as cattails, duckweed and alligator weed. All chemicals used are EPA tested and certiﬁed, so as not to cause any harmful affects to the surrounding environment. “I love what I do,” Stidham enthuses, “and I take pride in my work. When Iʼm ﬁnished and I look back at the area, to see it look so much better, it feels great to see the difference Iʼve made.” Plant City is home to retention ponds, detention ponds and mitiga-

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tion ponds. A retention pond is perhaps the most common, found near streets, large parking lots and buildings. Its purpose is to hold the water that runs off of the roads and parking areas, giving it time to either evaporate or be absorbed back into the soil, leaving behind the road pollutants. A detention pond is designed close to creeks or rivers, purposed to hold excess water that may cause the larger water source to overﬂow. Finally, a mitigation pond is created as a wetland restoration area, and cannot be disturbed by the various cleaning and plant removal techniques.

For more information on aquatic weed control, contact Jeff Stidham at (813) 716-3668.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 36

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 â&#x20AC;˘ 2004 PG 37

LOCAL

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STORY & PHOTOS BY JEFF NEELY

PUMPKIN PATCH SUPPORTS LOCAL YOUTH GROUP

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You know how some people go out of their gourds over Halloween?

Well thatʼs exactly what the First United Methodist Church youth group is hoping to do. This year they are having their second annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser. One thousand pumpkins arrived at the church on Oct. 10 and the group is hoping that they will all be sold by the time things come to a close on Oct. 31. The youth group is hoping raise money to support their budget that will help in future projects and purchasing new sound equipment. Along with raising support for the youth, the event also provides an opportunity to foster unity inside and outside of the church. “Itʼs kind of a good way to meet people in the community and say hello,” says Bryant Johnson, director of youth ministries. The youth are helping work in the patch along with adult chaperones, and Bryant says that last year many people built new relationships as they were brought together with people they donʼt normally see.

In conjunction with the Pumpkin Patch fundraiser, First United Methodist will be holding an Octoberfest on Oct. 16, which will be a celebration and ofﬁcial grand opening of their new properties along Mahoney Street. A major addition to the church has been the new Wesley Center, which houses a contemporary worship center, fellowship hall, new kitchen and classrooms. The Octoberfest event will include a free concert with Southern Star Bluegrass, a ladiesʼ craft fair, and pony rides and games for the kids. The city will be coming out at noon to dedicate the churchʼs new property and the cityʼs new construction of Mahoney Street with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Prices for the pumpkins will start at 50 cents apiece and go up according to weight. The Pumpkin Patch will be located in the grassy lot on the corner of U.S. Route 92 and Wheeler Street. Pumpkins will be available for sale every day from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. except on Sundays, when the patch will be open from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 38

If poured on the ground, it poisons the soil with contaminants that can seep into underground wells, which is Floridaʼs primary source of drinking water. When poured in storm drains, it flows to our waterways, poisoning fish and wildlife and reduces the oxygen produced by aquatic plants. As little as a pint of used oil can form an oil slick as big as a football field on a lake or holding pond. Used motor oil sometimes gets placed in household trash and will go to a landfill that is designed specifically for household trash only. This means it can eventually seep into soil and can be as environmentally damaging as pouring it on the ground yourself.

Great news! There is an answer for the residents of Plant City to properly dispose of their used motor oil! Located at 1500 W. Victoria Street, there is a Public Used Oil Collection Center. Itʼs intent is to give the non-commercial public a local place to bring their used motor oil and have it properly disposed of at no charge. Itʼs a great way we all can help to ensure a safe and healthy environment! Therefore, the next time you accumulate used oil from your lawn equipment or automobiles, bring it to the Public Used Oil Collection Center and feel good about your participation in a better environment!

WATER RESOURSE MANAGEMENT DIVISION For additional information or for a speaker, please contact the City Of Plant City Water Resource Management Division, at 757-9289 ext. 249

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 39

Pictures of the past are just a click away. Plant City’s heritage is preserved for future generations as history meets hi-tech. Story by Jeff Neely Photos courtesy of Plant City Photo Archives

If youʼre like me, you probably have a cabinet, drawer, or closet somewhere you open up every

now and then to pull out the old family photo albums. Photographs have a unique way of bringing back memories. Like no other medium can, they place us back in a moment when we never could have expected all the things we know now. In an effort to make sure that these memories are never forgotten, the Plant City Photo Archives has dedicated themselves to preserving a collection of photographs chronicling the history of our town. The Plant City Photo Archives (PCPA) originated initially as an effort to preserve the collected work of one notable local photographer, Bill Friend. Virginia Friend, widow to the late photographer, had placed an impressive collection of her husbandʼs work up for sale. Bill Friend had been a highly trained, professional photographer in Plant City throughout the latter half of the 20th century. When he passed away, Friend left his wife a collection of roughly 40,000 documentary photographs, as well as all of his extensive portraiture work. When asked what motivated the initiative to form the Plant City Photo Archives, founder and president Ed Verner says, “Fear.” Verner says that the possible outcomes of such a priceless collection getting stuffed in a closet where they would be forgotten or destroyed by pests, or to have the collection sold piece meal and scattered amongst numerous people were all outcomes that made him afraid. “It killed me to think of that loss,” says Verner. Neither Verner nor executive director, Gil Gott, are strangers to history and heritage. Verner has himself been involved in various local historic preservation efforts. He also decorated the lobby of the downtown Lee building with historic photos of Plant City prior to founding the Archives. “It was shocking to me how many times Iʼd walk downstairs and see a couple staring at a bunch of pictures and come back down two hours later and the same couple was sitting there in the lobby looking at it different,” says Verner. “They were just loving it.”

PCPA President Ed Verner and Exhibit Committee Chairman Bill Parolini hand the Photo Archives’ largest photo (4’ x 11’) in the Lee Building.

Susan Kolker, Linda Smith, and Jodi Smith served as greeters at the reception table at the Photo Archives recent soiree, “An Evening of Picture Perfect Memories”.

Gott, a graduate of Georgetown University, went to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania to receive an M.A. in history. For his masterʼs thesis he researched the history of the small town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. “The more I wrote, the more I enjoyed doing research and learning about this little city,” says Gott. “Thatʼs how I got interested in writing about local America.” Gott is currently a teacher of American history and government at Hillsborough Community College, and is also a member of various local and state historical associations.

says Verner. This is a message that PCPA is trying to get out. Members of Plant City who have interesting historic photographs are encouraged to bring them in to add to the collection. You are assured to get your picture back, and often times PCPA will make a clariﬁed or enhanced copy for you as well.

So, in the summer of 2000, together with Gott, Verner created the Plant City Photo Archives to ensure that the memories captured by Bill Friend would never be lost. The archives solicited the guidance of people within the community, such as Dr. Hal Brewer, Mac Smith, Robert Trinkle and Bob Edwards from its onset to make sure that the organization was going in the direction that people liked and thought important. “We really are pleased with the assistance of the committee,” says Gott. “We invited some people to help us and theyʼve been wonderful ever since.” With the exception of a few pictures that had been sold to the Strawberry Festival Association, PCPA purchased Virginia Friendʼs entire collection, which ﬁlled seven bankersʼ boxes full with negatives. However, to respect the

personal privacy concerns of the individuals in Friendʼs portraiture work, the Archives purchased only his documentary photographs. Still, the question remained what to do with them. Recognizing the benefit of bits over atoms, the Archives decided to digitize the images and collect them into one searchable computer database. In addition to protecting the pictures from natural deterioration, anyone who has spent any time in research knows the valuable resource of having such a collection in this kind of format. By simply typing in a keyword, the Plant City Photo Archives can pull up pictures for any specific aspect of Plant City. Type in “Coronet,” or “Wheeler,” or whatever topic is of interest and within seconds you will find these images right at your fingertips. The process of converting photographs into computer images, or “JPEG” files, is done by a technique called scanning. Essentially, scanning allows a person to make a copy of a photograph, much like you would photocopy a memo at the office copy machine. Except, instead of the copy coming out on paper, it is stored in the computerʼs memory as a digital file. The entire process can be completed in just a couple of minutes and there is no risk of damage to the original. “Photos are no longer something you have to part with for weeks on end to reproduce,”

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 42

While scanning one photograph is quick and easy, scanning 40,000 of them is a much greater task. “Itʼs just plain a lot of work,” says Gil Gott. “We didnʼt realize quite how much work.” Currently it is estimated that approximately 25,000 photographs have been scanned into the Archivesʼ database. That means if you printed out each of these photographs in picture book size and mounted them on an eight-foot wall along Park Road, that wall would run all the way from Bill Heard Chevrolet to Calhoun Street. Much of the work in scanning has been done by Betty Patton, a volunteer with PCPA. “Betty sat in that little room right there and quietly scanned a couple of thousand a month,” Verner says. Once the photos have been scanned into the database, the task remains of identifying what they are. “They say a picture is worth a thousand words,” says Gott. “But thatʼs only if you know what those thousand words are.” Having identiﬁable information is also important so that a photograph can be retrieved from the database in a keyword

search. A small text ﬁle is attached to every picture so that the photo can be pulled up without having to look through each one individually. Sometimes particular sections of a photo can be zoomed in to show identifying information. A license plate or street sign that is at ﬁrst illegible can be enlarged to quickly reveal the content of the picture. One of the primary ways in which the Archives identify photographs is through the help of their photo I.D. committee. The committee is headed by Bill Parolini and consists of a group of Plant City residents who have lived in town for a long time and are familiar with its history. The team meets in the conference room of the Plant City Photo Archives and views slides of various pictures in the PCPA collection. Together over hors dʼoeuvres, they talk about what they know about the picture: memories or stories about when the photo was taken and what was going on. Meanwhile, a person from the Archives takes notes to collect all the information. “We tell them, ʻCome have a glass of wine and tell your story,ʼ” Verner says. “Sometimes pictures can be linked together where the sum of parts is bigger than the whole.” Funding for the Plant City Photo Archives has been something that has developed a broader base over the years as well. Initially, PCPA was funded only by the

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Tires N’ Stuff

PCPA Development Committee Co-Chairmen Bob Edwards (L) and Mac Smith (R) discuss the recent annual soiree with Dr. John Verner (Ctr), of the Verner Foundation.

with live piano accompaniment. In addition, Plant City Photo Archives was able to showcase some of their collection as they displayed about 350 enlargements and 8”x10” photographs.

Executive Director Gil Gott reviews the extensive collection of historic photographs archived on digitized computer ﬁles.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 44

contributions of a few private donors, including Verner himself and his family. However, since that time the Archives have extended their basis of support to include more members of the Plant City community. As a part of the Archivesʼ efforts to raise funds and awareness for their civic activities, two gala soirees called “A Night of Picture Perfect Memories” have been held. Organized by a team of volunteers comprised of Verner, Gott, Linda Smith, Stanley Kolker and Susan Kolker, the celebrations are a time for fun and learning for all who attend. The ﬁrst event was held in 2003 at the Hillsborough Community College. The black-tie evening was an opportunity for attendants to enjoy an elegant sit-down dinner, top-notch entertainment and to learn more about PCPA. Professional singers performed a “Best of Broadway” program

The second soiree was held this year at the Ramada Inn and welcomed an even greater attendance than the event the year before. Along with dinner and more stellar entertainment, the evening included a special exhibit of Strawberry Queens past and present. The Archives also presented their first inaugural Heritage Award to Mr. D.E. Bailey, Jr. According to Verner, Mr. Bailey was given the award based on showing a longstanding impact in Plant City, a consistent support of local heritage and history efforts and for being generally beloved by nearly everyone in town. With community support for Archives increasing, many at PCPA would like to see the organization find a more permanent site to call home. “Looking into that is something we may have to embrace just because itʼs such a popular idea,” Verner says. The Archivesʼ office, which is currently located upstairs in the historic downtown Lee building, does not provide enough space to showcase much of the PCPA collection. In the past this had not presented a problem since the Archives were intended solely for educational purposes, but now that interest is increasing to have a sample of the collection available

for continuous display, it seems that a place with more space may be needed. This, of course, means a greater overhead cost for the organization. PCPA has had other fundraising efforts, such as a calendar featuring selected pictures from their collection, but in addition they are also pursuing possible grant funding. According to Verner, having their own site would actually help them in obtaining grant money, as many grants are more favorable to historic organizations providing public display. Plant City Photo Archives has already made inroads and started applying for grants that provide support solely for scanning and archiving purposes. However, these grants are difficult to get and there are not many of them. For individuals who are interested in donating to the Archives, PCPA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible. “Theyʼre assured 100 percent of their donation gets spent to restore, digitize and save photographs,” says Verner. The Plant City Photo Archives is hoping that eventually their database of images will be able to be linked to the website for Hillsborough County libraries. “We very much want to be able to link thumbnails of these photos to the Internet world,” Verner says. Up to this point, PCPA has not had a sufficient system for archiving the text story behind the pictures, so there really has not been much point in trying to provide the access to the pictures online. In addition to photographs, the Plant City Photo Archives is also able to scan and store various historical documents. For example, memorable newspaper articles, military documents, or maps are all kinds of documentary artifacts that can be archived with PCPA. “We have information on businesses that existed that we donʼt even know about today,” says Gott. Much of the information available through the Plant City Photo Archives is featured regularly in

Focus Magazine in our article called “Did You Know?” Each month the Archives share a portion of Plant Cityʼs rich history as they tell the story around various featured photographs. PCPA has also provided photographs for the decoration of City Hall and other local businesses like Fredʼs Market. Other portions of the Archives collection have been showcased at various venues like the hospital and local banks. The Archives recently provided photographs for the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame and a project on the history of the Strawberry Festival. Anyone who is interested in obtaining a photograph from Plant City Photo Archives can do so by simply going to their ofﬁce and letting them know what youʼre looking for. Any picture in the Archives can be printed as an 8”x10” photo for people to purchase for $12. The cost of the photo is used to pay for materials and the upkeep of equipment. Also, all individuals are welcomed to bring in any photos that they think would be of interest to add to the Archives collection. Because Friend did much of his photography in downtown Plant City, PCPA has an expansive collection of photos from this area. However, pictures capturing life in some of the more rural areas of Plant City and the pioneering efforts there are less abundant. There have been other professional photographers in Plant City, like Gladys Jeffcoat and Ray Kramer, but currently the Archives contain only the copyrighted work from Friend and the contributions of various individuals.

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According to their mission statement, the goal of Plant City Photo Archives is to, “Promote and facilitate a richer and fuller understanding of our heritage, and our history.” This is exactly the reason why advisory board member, Mac Smith, got involved with PCPA. “It seemed like a real service we could do for the community,” says Smith. Indeed, with the work accomplished and currently being done at the Plant City Photo Archives, it appears that Plant Cityʼs history has a hopeful future for staying in focus. FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 45

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 48

“City governments are like tugboats, theyʼre maneuverable and can get things done” ……..

The job of a civic politician is a somewhat thankless task and those involved in a municipal government deserve plenty of credit and respect for what theyʼre doing. Take the case of Mike Sparkman, a Fifth generation native of Plant City, who has been a successful C-Store/Gasoline operator around Hillsborough and Polk Counties since his early teens. It requires a highly community spirited individual to give so much of oneʼs time to civic affairs and Mike Sparkman has done that for many years. Son of a Plant City police ofﬁcer, who served for 24 years and retired as a sergeant, Mike Sparkman could not be any truer of a Plant City native, having grown up in the heart of downtown, adjacent to First Baptist Church. The family was of modest means, but Mikeʼs entrepreneurial spirit surfaced when he was 13 years old. He began pumping gas and other related work in off-school hours at a Pure Oil Station at the corner of Palmer & Bakers St on the eastside of what is still Brewingtonʼs AMOCO station. Now get this! Later-on, Mike and his brother David, got their Dad to co-sign a note for $3,000. so they could purchase the gas station. A man was hired to run the business while Mike and David were in school and they would take-over after classes and on weekends. While going to Plant City High School in 1960, the adventurous

brothers added a 450 gallon fuel oil truck and so started another business of delivering home heating oil around the area. Then there was the period when Mayor Mike was a volunteer fireman, along with his brother David. Mike was paid $22 a month to sleep at the Number 1 fire hall, along with 4 others and answer any alarms during the wee small hours. David worked and slept at Station Number 2 with 2 others. With overtime, they each earned some $70 a month which paid for Mikeʼs first car. Thatʼs not all! Mike also drove an ambulance for Haynes Funeral Home (now Memorial Funeral Home) earning a few extra bucks plus an agreement that Haynes bought its auto supplies and gasoline from his gas station operation. So, when he was a senior at PC High in 1962, Mike Sparkman had 4 jobs….. 1. The Service Station 2. The Home Heating Oil Delivery Business 3. Volunteer Fireman 4. Ambulance Driver. As an aside, try and get the majority of todayʼs teenagers to even take out the trash and theyʼll squawk. Mike Sparkman did not go to college but one can safely say that he was well educated at “The School of Hard Knocks” a comment his good friend local dentist Dr. Tim Conway reminded him of often.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 50

In 1964, Mayor Mike purchased a local fuel oil company and incorporated his ﬁrst business into what is so commonly seen around the area today, Sparkyʼs.

Todayʼs Fuel Oil Business When gasoline self-service began around 1973, Mike Sparkman got into the Convenience Store business, with two stores, one on Combee Road in east Lakeland and Bradley Junction, just south of Mulberry. This grew into 45 stores that were sold to Texaco in 1988. The key ingredient in most of those stores was a fried chicken deli operation that attracted state & national attention. Mike started over again in 1990 and eventually joined forces with Shell Oil Company with which most of his businesses are associated to this day. Having been in the gasoline business for some 40 years, Mike Sparkman knows the problems for the small station operators and wonders how they can survive in todayʼs tough environment. Back in the mid 70ʼs the Federal Energy Office allowed a gasoline retailer to make 16 cents a gallon. Today, in spite of continually rising profits for the petroleum companies, the retailer is only paid 9-11 cents a gallon. “Major oil companies are making tremendous profits and weʼre getting beat up by the consumer”, says a frustrated Sparkman.

The only savior for a gasoline retailer is the convenience store. Retailers do have some lobby groups to work for them but Mayor Mike says thereʼs not much they can do because of federal regulations regarding price ﬁxing. The public will just have to ante-up more at the pumps and put more in the pockets of big oil.

Career Number Five Mike Sparkman has been involved in political life almost as long as he has been in business. He began at the age of 16 when he helped the campaign of Malcolm Beard, who served as Hillsborough County Sheriff for many years. Sparkman says he was even interested in public service before he turned 16. In the intervening years, he served on the Board of Trustees and Chairman of Hillsborough Community College, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman, Plant City Library Building Committee and many more. He was the last person to be elected mayor of Plant City by the voters in 1994 and the ﬁrst appointed by vote of the commission in 1995. Mike Sparkman has been mayor 1994 through 1996, 2000 through 2003 and this his sixth year to serve. “Weʼve had good growth over the past 15 years, actually terriﬁc growth”, says Sparkman. The new program of impact fees, to be

GO TO TO VOTE To Mail a Ballot: Attn: FOCUS 2004 RCA • 702 W. Dr,. MLK Jr. Blvd. Plant City, Fl 33563 • To Fax a Ballot: 813-764-0990

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introduced next year, “will help the growth pay for itself”, he said. The mayor does not believe that a large annexation of surrounding areas will happen in the near future but the City will continue to grow with voluntary annexations of property owners that join the city limits. The question the city commissioners must ask themselves every time an annexation request comes-in is, “will this cost the present city taxpayers more money to do so”? Mike Sparkman has done a considerable amount of business over the years in the New Port Richey area and likes the planning concepts of that Pasco County community. One of them is to link commercial properties and have fewer entrances and exits onto adjacent roads, which is an important safety issue. A good FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 52

example of that problem is Dale Mabry between I-275 and the Carrollwood area in Tampa, where it seems thereʼs a driveway every few feet, causing motorists to worry whether a vehicle is about to zoom out into trafﬁc. Locally, the complex of businesses at I-4 and Park Road, where thereʼs a Dennyʼs, Burger King, Sparkyʼs and Comfort Inn, are all linked by common driveway, entrances and exits. Overall, Mayor Mike says trafﬁc patterns in Plant City “are good” but we must keep working on it.

Business Development Being the candid person that he is, Mike Sparkman says he is “not very pleased with the programs to bring new businesses to Plant City”. He attended a meeting in Orlando some years back with

a state group in hopes that a large foreign hi-tech company would set up shop here, but that did not transpire. The mayor says that he does not want Plant City to be known just as a trucking center. “I would prefer more technically oriented businesses that offer higher paying jobs, or service industries such as insurance companies or corporate ofﬁces”, he said. In order to attract more industry to Plant City, the city administration has funded the Economic Development Council at the Chamber of Commerce, “with mixed results”, said the mayor. “There have been times when it has been positive, but we have not consistent”.

Housing If more businesses with good paying jobs are to locate here, more homes are going to have to be built and not one or two, here or there. As you know, your writer is a successful Realtor and I can tell you that as every day passes without a major housing development proceeding, Plant City loses out in attracting a potential major employer to the area. Mayor Sparkman says he firmly believes that a housing complex such as Walden Lake “has to come first”. The Sunrise Homes, Lakeside Station project on 1,600 acres east of Park Road and just west of Coronet Industries, was put on hold over a year ago when all the controversy about the facility developed. Coronet closed on March 1st of this year but there are two class-action lawsuits pending and environmental studies are ongoing. The mayor says he feels comfortable that everything will work out for Sunrise and is “convinced that the property is safe to live on”. There are two other fairly large parcels in the planning stages. Thereʼs the Carleton property at CR39 and Knights Griffin, north of I-4 and the Cone property, about

1,000 acres between Midway and Knights Grifﬁn. However, theyʼre probably at least a couple of years away from having homes “For Sale”. I believe in Lakeside Station it can be a very positive growth tool for Plant City with the work that has been done with the Plant City Commission & City Staff, the Plant City Planning Board and the City/ County Planning Commission it can happen. Mayor Sparkman points out that in spite of what some people may think, eastern Hillsborough County does not have all that much land to develop. “There are just not any real large parcels of land around Plant City with 2-3 or 4,000 acres, north of State Road 60”, he noted.

The Future Mayor Mike Sparkman says he does not see Plant Cityʼs population “exploding”, as some have predicted. “I think we have a niche market and will continue to have growth at a better pace than some other Florida communities”, he said. “Weʼve set the stage in redeveloping downtown, trying to go back a bit to the way we were in the downtown”, he said with pride, knowing that he had more than a passing interest in seeing that happen. Mayor Mike is particularly happy with the way the area around city hall, where he grew up, is being developed. “Weʼve got a natural Celebration Station here”, referring to the community developed by Disney in Orlando. Whenever he makes speeches around Florida or elsewhere, Mayor Mike Sparkman likes to tell his audiences that “Plant City is a community and not just another City”, to which we say……Mayor thatʼs true and youʼve had a very signiﬁcant role to play in creating what your writer tells potential buyers of property around here, a little bit or city and a little bit of country mixed together to create a lifestyle that is tough to beat”.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 53

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“This is the first time we have advertised in the Plant City Strawberry Pages, and we couldn’t be happier. We even ran a metered phone line to track or calls, and we are very pleased with the results. I highly recommend the Strawberry Pages to other area businesses. ” Tracy Fosnow We are starting sales for the 2005 Plant City Stawberry Pages this month. If you are not currently advertising with us and would like to.... Please call Lisa Thomson.

The 2005 Strawberry Pages Directory will debut at the 2005 Strawberry Festival. For More Information about advertising in the 2005 Strawberry Pages please contact: Lisa Thomson, Area Sales Manager 800-469-4333 x123

TransWestern Publishing - Office: Winter Haven FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 54

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 55

LOCAL

STORY BY PLANT CITY PHOTO ARCHIVES, INC.

EVERYONE REMEMBERS DONNA

Hurricanes have traveled through Central Florida and Plant City a number of times in our history, with several of them just recently – the terrible sisters Frances and Jeanne. But none compares with Hurricane Donna, who roared through Plant City on Saturday, September 10, 1960. Every Plant City resident of 1960 has a story to tell of where he or she was when Hurricane Donna slammed into the small city on a sultry summer day. Traveling from the Southwest to Northeast, in a similar path to that of Charley of this year, Donna entered Central Florida as a Category 4 Hurricane and exited toward Daytona Beach as a Category 2, with winds reaching over 100 mph. The ﬂooding in Plant City was perhaps the worst in modern history. Areas which had never

ﬂooded were inundated with a deluge of storm water as Donna took her time crossing the low lying Central Florida lands. These photos tell some of the story of Donna - the hurricane that no one will ever forget. Throughout the city, people were stranded in homes and workplaces, power was out virtually everywhere, including much of South Florida Baptist Hospital, and the highways and byways were impassable. And the rains continued. In South Florida, Donna dropped a foot of rain; Plant City did not fare much better. After the ﬂoodwaters subsided, and cleanup could begin, area residents worked well into October to repair and replace buildings and property, and recover from the devastation wrought by what is considered as one of the most destructive hurricanes in Floridaʼs history.

Hurricane Donna is the 5th most severe hurricane in Floridaʼs history. It registered 930mb of pressure (27.46 inches), carried sustained winds of 140 mph, with gusts up to 200 mph, and a 13ʼ storm surge. Both Ivan and Jeanne registered 947mb of pressure at landfall. Nicknamed the “Killer Hurricane”, Donna left the coast of Florida, regenerated and slammed into North Carolina, and continued up the coast to impact every Atlantic Coast state up through New England with 100 mph winds and a continuing relentless rainfall. Sources: Plant City Photo Archives, Inc., Plant City Photo Archives Oral History Project, The Tampa Tribune,

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 56

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 57

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I want to give credit where credit is due. So, perhaps a confession can help clear the air so there’s no misunder-standing, Before I talk about my confession, though, let me say a few other things first. Let me start by explaining the photo in this letter. You know, when I meet people in town they usually say, “Oh, yeah, I know you, you’re Dr. Shane. I’ve seen your ad with that picture.” Well, I’m the guy on the left. Several years ago I played soccer for a small college in Tennessee. After one particular game in which I got hit pretty hard I woke the next morning with a severe pinched nerve in my neck. I couldn’t move my head without severe pain and my arm was tingling and weak. The trainer worked on me with ice and stretching and the doc gave me the typical 3; pain meds, anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxers. After several days with no change a friend of mine convinced me to give a chiropractor a try. The chiropractor did an exam, took some films, and then “adjusted” my spine. The adjust-ment didn’t hurt, it actually felt good. I got relief, and I could move my head more with less pain. It worked so well that I went to chiropractic school myself. It’s strange how life is, because now people come to see me with their neck “kinks, pinches and criks” as they call it. Also they come to me with their headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash from car accidents, back-aches, ear infections, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs, athletic injuries, just to name a few. Here’s what some of my patients had to say: When I first went to Dr. Parson I had been suffering with anxiety, racing pulse, very little movement when moving my head to the left and numbness and tingling in my left arm. Now I can move my neck better, my arm is pain free and I have much more energy and just overall feel better. Dr. Parson is concerned about my health and well being and has always done what was in my best interest. - T. Manus Plant City, FL.

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they are seeing a chiropractor. You Benefit from an Amazing Offer- Look, you are going to write a check to someone for your health care expenses, you may as well write one for a lesser amount for chiropractic. When you bring in this article, you will receive my entire new patient exam for $17. That’s with x-rays, paraspinal surface EMG….the whole ball of wax. But, please call right away because this offer expires on November 5th, and I don’t want you to miss out. By the way, “further care” is very affordable and you’ll be happy to know that I have afford-able family plans. You see I’m not trying to seduce you to come see me with this low start up fee, then to only make it up with high fees after that. “Further care” is very important to consider when making your choice of doctor. High costs can add up very quickly. By law, this offer excludes Medicare/Medicaid patients. Great care at a great fee…Please, I hope that there’s no misunderThe realization that this condition didn’t happen overnight and our standing about quality of care just because I have a lower fee. commitment to success proved to be a winning combination. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications…I’m an - Jim Barry Plant City, FL honors graduate of Lee University and Life University. I’ve been Several times a day patients thank me for helping them with entrusted to take care of tiny babies to pro athletes that you may their health problems. But I can’t really take the cre-dit. My know to people in their nineties. After practicing in Georgia for confession is that I’ve never healed anyone of anything. What I three years, I moved my practice to Plant City. I just have that low do is perform a specific spinal adjustment to re-move nerve fee to help more people who need care. pressure, and the body responds by healing itself. We get My assistants are Lora and Pam, and they are both really great tremendous results. It’s a simple as that! people. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to Forty-eight million Americans no longer have health insurance, make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an and those who do have found that their benefits are reduced. That’s exceptional fee. Our office is called PARSON CHIROPRACTIC where I come in. I have a significantly lower fee plan so that more and it is at 1514 S Alexander St Suite 201. Our phone number is people are able to afford the care they need. A whole week of care 813-717-7553. Call Lora, Pam or me today for an appointment. We in my office costs what you could pay for one visit elsewhere. can help you. Thank you. –Shane Parson, D.C. Another way to save…studies show that chiropractic may double P.S. When accompanied by the first, I am also offering the second your immune capacity, naturally and without drugs. The immune family member this same examination for only $10. system fights colds, the flu, and other sick-nesses. So you may not P.S.S. If you are not completely satisfied with the friendliness of my be running off to the doctor as much. Studies show that people staff and our no wait policy I will gladly refund your New Patient actually pay less for their long-term overall health care expenses if Exam special of $17

PARSON CHIROPRACTIC 1514 S. ALEXANDER ST. SUITE 201 PLANT CITY

Due to federal regulations, this offer does not apply to Medicare, Medicaid or federal insurance programs. Our office policy: The patient and any other persons responsible for the payment has the right to refuse to pay, cancel payment for any other service, examination or treatment which is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to this advertisement for the free service, examination or treatment.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15 • 2004 PG 58

HOME GUIDE ��

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Thought You Missed The Low Rates?

THINK AGAIN! L L A C

During this month remembering our blessings, we would like to thank you Plant City and all of our clients for making WLRI, a success story once again this year. We are grateful for our referral business and word of mouth acclaim of being the best Real Estate oﬃce in the community! Call us when your family, friends or neighbors need help buying or selling their home.

1607 S. Alexander Street, Suite 102 Plant City, FL 33563 • (813) 752-2087 Outside Hillsborough: 1-800-735-2089 www.waldenlakerealty.com • Office@waldenlakerealty.com

Walden Lake Realty, Inc. SO LD

SOLD

20 one acre + lots available lots starting from $39,500. Deed restricted 1800 sq. ft. min. Site built Homes Only. Call Jackie Wyckoff @ 752-2087

Great Home @ a Great Price. 5 bedroom home located very close to town with a gated yard. 2,000+ square feet. Hardwood floors, new paint & new carpet. Fireplace, front and rear covered porch. New roof and A/C in 2003. All of this at a reduced price of $149,900. Priced to sell. Call MAC for more details.

Brand new Commercial Development with a 1.38 acre Outparcel available. Parcel Surrounded by 35,000 sq. ft. of professional space. Perfect for Restaurant or Bank. No retention needed. $595,000. #209

30-Acre Horse Farm. Beautiful acreage. 5 bedroom/3

bathroom remodeled home on property as well 12 stalls spread throughout 3 barns plus tack room. 1/2 acre stocked pond. New roof and a/c. $655,000. Call Mac or Barbara Layton for more details. #181

Walden Lake "Hamilton" great room w/formal dining area, 3BR's & den. Pre-wired DSL/cable in each room PLUS awesome in-ceiling surround system in den & great room. Heated pool/spa, 3 car garage. MANY extras. Call Jayne for appointment, 763-0495 #F136.

Pre-Engineered for a 15,000+ square foot building. Located at the entrance of Walden Lake. $450,000.00. Come see the plans. They can be changed.

Spacious Walden Lake home with open floor plan sliding glass doors to wonderful pool. Ceramic tile in kitchen & baths. Inside utility includes all appliance plus washer & dryer. Master bedroom has garden tub and separate shower. $225,000. Call Becky Bowdish for apt. 752-2087.

Great Country Living!. Home is built to look old with modern conveniences. 2+ secluded acres. Detached 30' x 34' barn. Loft/bonus room upstairs. 2 a/c units. Pond in back yard. Circular drive. 2 hot water heaters. All with a very low monthly utility bill. Contact Mac McGrath for more info. #180

Call John Walmsley. Evenings 752-4835 One of many we have for sale.

This is a beautiful home located in the hammocks of Walden Lake. It is a 4/3/2 situated on a neatly landscaped oversized lot. New roof 2004. Wonʼt last long call Donna Hodges keel for an appt. today. 239,000 #125 813-967-4276

This is a fabulous 4/3/3 home with over 3,000 sq. ft. living. Call Donna Hodges Keel for an appointment today! 967-4276 $298,900 #125

www.waldenlakerealty.com • Oﬃce@waldenlakerealty.com

Carl “Sold” Seigel The True Real Estate Consultant

35 Years Experience

1701 S. ALEXANDER ST., STE 104, PLANT CITY, FL.

OFFICE 813-759-1200 CELL 813-310-5588

List your home with Carl before November 30th and receive $600 credit toward your closing costs. Exp: 11-30-04. Coupon must be presented at time of contract Execution

NATURAL HABITAT Enjoy views of native Florida birds from your enclosed pool in this "move-in" condition waterfront home. Built in 2000. 3BR/2BA. Formal living & dining. Huge open family, kitchen/dinette combo. Lots of neutral ceramic tile and berber carpet. exquisite master w/separate garden tub & shower and his/her closets. $214,000. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813-759-1200

DIVINE The Walden Lake lifestyle is yours in this stylish 4/2 pond front home on peaceful cul de sac. Lots of upgraded ceramic tile and million dollar views. Formal living & dining. Reunion sized kitchen combines with dinette and family room and opens to screened lanai. This location cannot be duplicated. $184,000. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813 759-1200.

NEW CONSTRUCTION Contract in time to choose your colors. Exquisite home built of the finest materials in new subdivision of custom homes. Corner cul de sac lot. 3BR/2BA + den w/ closet that can be 4th bedroom. Divine master suite with jetted tub and separate shower. Massive Great Room w/soaring ceilings. Large under truss lanai. $229,970. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813-759-1200.

CLASSY Impressive 3/2 on stunning corner lot overlooking 2 ponds. Dramic entry leads to massive Great Room w/custom ceramic & soaring ceilings. French doors lead from dining room to inground pool that rivals any setting of a tropical paradise. Your yard has lots of decking and is fully fenced w/pond views. 3BR/2BA. $155,800. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813 759-1200.

ENCHANTING Enjoy the status of living in Emerald Forest. 3BR/2BA Great Room w/hi-volume ceilings. Formal dining room. In-ground pool w/ deep fenced yard. Luxury master w/trayed ceiling. Classy master bath has soaking tub & separate shower + his/her sinks. Distinctive courtyard entry. $199,990. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813-759-1200.

FAMILY & HORSES WELCOME Enjoy the perfect marriage of a newer custom 4BR/2BA home on 7 prime equestrian acres. 4 stall barn & tack room w/water & electric. Home is exquisite. Great Room, formal dining and private office included in the 2,317 sq. ft. of LA. HUGE lanai overlooks your fenced and cross-fenced property. Live the good life. $464,900. Call Carl "SOLD" Seigel at 813-759-1200.

It’s The Experience That Counts

Carl “Sold” Seigel 35 Years Experience

REALTOR®

Don’t Get Caught In A Sour Deal!

Natalie Sweet

Call

758-9586

REALTOR®

15 Year Walden Lake Aston Woods Resident • Experienced in New Construction and Resales

We love our new home! It fits our family so perfectly. We are so thankful for Natalie's help in finding our new home and for not giving up on the search. She kept in touch with us every step of the way making the transaction smooth. The children feel so comfortable and safe and we all exercise together in our pool. We are the happiest we have ever been! It's absolutely the perfect home for us! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Walden Lake Beauty! Move right in to this beautiful home featuring a split plan with a formal dining and living room, spacious kitchen, dinette, family room and 2 car garage. Large master suite with tray ceiling and 2 walk-in closets. Built in 1999 and better than new. $190,000 Call Natalie 758-9586

Brent, Kelley, BreAnn, Kaitlyn & Brent Jr.

Want To Know The Value of Your Home? FREE Market Analysis 758-9586

1701 S. ALEXANDER ST. PLANT CITY, FL. 33566

Gorgeous brick homes featuring brick kitchens with built-in appliances, ceramic tile & much more.

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I-4

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 64

Park Rd. N.

Sam Allen Rd. E.

Wilder Rd. N

WILDERS POND Mayday Dr.

For Immediate Sales Information.

Please Call (813) 741-2652 & ask for Sherry Brunetto.

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Blackburn & Associates Realty Linda Blackburn Realtor

Let Blackburn & Associates Realty Go To Work For You And Save You Thousands!

Blackburn & Associates

Average Home $200,000 X 2% = $4,000.00 Average Home $200,000 X 4% = $8,000.00

Other Realtors

Average Home $200,000 X 7% = $14,000.00

LAKE FRONT PROPERTY IN A TERRIFIC SOUTH BRANDON LOCATION. This is a Great 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2+ car garage, split floor plan home located on a cul-de-sac overlooking a beautiful lake. The home sits on a nice huge lot with your own picture perfect view of the lake. This would be a perfect place to launch a canoe from your own backyard. The owners have completely updated the home and the screened in pool has been refinished. The home features a formal dining room, living room, a family room, plus a 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;x21â&#x20AC;&#x2122; bonus room. This home has a lot of good things to offer, so call to day to make an appointment to see this beauty!

You Gotta See this great piece of property - This 3.92 acres has an older 2 bedroom 1 bathroom frame home with 1,928 total square footage, and a 3 bedroom 2 bath double wide mobile home with 1,308 total square footage and an above ground pool. Both homes have screened in porches. The frame home does need some repairs. The 3/2 double wide has a new roof. The property can be subdivided . Call today to see this wonderful buy!

Blackburn & Associates Realty 4475 US HWY 92 WEST; PLANT CITY, FL 33563 â&#x20AC;˘ 813-752-8852 www.blackburnandassociatesrealty.com

1.5 Acres- in the Cork area, homes only. Land is 100% high & dry. Lot #2.

1.5 Acres- Homes only, land is 100% high and dry. Lot #1 has nice trees and a well.

Beautiful country living in Cypress Reserve and Close to I-4! Great 4/3/2 car garage two-story home built in 2000 located on 1.64 acres of pure beauty. Beautifully landscaped, this home features a huge open floor plan. You will be very happy with all this home has to offer including Baker industry windows, Pocket sliding glass doors along the back, Separate formal dining area, Berber carpet and tile throughout walk-in closets, a garden tub w/ separate shower downstairs master bedroom, vinyl fence in the back yard for your privacy, utility shed with roll up door for lawn equipment. Please call today to view this one 813-752-8852. (Use the attachments marked Baileigh Reserve)

Waterfront on the Alafia River- 230'of water on 8.5 acres of land, all high & dry. Dock needs repairs. House is of little or no value. Absolutely a must see. Call Linda Blackburn @ 813-752-8852.

Country Hills Subdivision - 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2+ car garage with 1,976 sq ft. This would make a nice home for a family or a great investment property to rent out. This home will go fast so call today.

Commercial -Plant City -Concrete block building.1536 square feet under roof. Lot size 85x130. Located off Jim Redman Parkway & Henry Ave just behind Blockbuster.

Great Starter Home located in the Country Hills Subdivision. This is a very cute 1,579 sq ft home w/ 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The home has been well maintained both inside and outside. The roof was replaced in 2001. The back yard is surrounded by a wooden privacy fence. Homes in this neighborhood go fast so call today to schedule an appointment to view.

Hard to find 2 bedroom 2 bath Villa in desirable Walden Lakes subdivision. This is a great find, This home is fully furnished and has been completely renovated with new applainces, bathroom vanities & fixtures. Ceramic Tile and fresh paint throughout. This home will not last long so call 436-6954 today to set an appointment to view this great buy at just $142,500.00

507 W. DR. MLK BLVD. PLANT CITY, FL. 33563 WILL SOON BE READY!

COMMERCIAL BUILDING DOWNTOWN...

Nice New, 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home & you can be the first to live in it. Approx. 1,300 sq. ft. of living area. You canʼt beat this price $102,000. So you need to call today for a look at this special buyer! #C1 Call Louise Brock or Pam Pomfret.

Near Courthouse. 1540 S.F. - Several office spaces & work areas & reception area. Block building w/ adequate parking. $ 175,000 - #G2 Call Carol

COZY HOME IN TOWN!...

This block home has 3BR/1BA, living and family rooms, 1,287 SF of living area, screened. lanai, and back fenced in for $107,000. #C2 For more info. please call Hope Delagarza @ 966-9946.

LIVING IN THE COUNTRY...

This quaint home is located near school and park on 1 acre. Hardwood floors, fireplace, volume ceilings and open front porch. Currently being remodeled, Needs TLC and good homeowners!! Call today for directions $89,500 Ask for Lou McGrath #A8

HISTORIC DISTRIC

This home needs special attention. 3 bedroom, with huge rooms a raised ceilings. Crown molding through-out. Formal dining, living and fireplace. 1 car carport and best of all red brick streets front and back. $145,000. #A3 Call Trish Joyce to preview today.

MCWETHERBEE JUNCTION...

Wright or Linda Hazzard for more details.

NICE 3/2 DOUBLEWIDE ON 1.8 ACRES.

Corner lot w/over 300 ft. of frontage on vaughn rd & over 200 ft. frontage on Knights-Griffin. Large metal building for a motor home. Fence around yard & fence around most of the acreage. Bring your animals & vehicles. Easy access to Tampa or Lakeland. Don Phillips cell 763-4366.

VACANT LAND 1 acre & 2 + Acre Sites. Homes Only in great location. Country atmosphere, close to school + Country Park. Starting at $49,800 CALL ANY ONE OF OUR LICENSED AGENTS FOR COMPLETE DETAILS.

Leading The Way In Real Estate In Your Neighborhood Since 1994.

Predictable Dependable Reliable

# in Quality Service • Local, Long Distance & International Moving • Modern Storage Facilities • Expert Packing & Crating • Full Replacement Coverage Available • Full Time Professional Movers • Free Estimates • Licensed, Bonded & Insured

813-739-1684 2401 Willamette Drive • Plant City, Fl 33566

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 68

Barbara Jean Kulyk

R E A L T O R

Cell: 813-781-1915

Walden Lake R E A LT Y, I N C . R E A LT O R S ®

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Well maintained (New Roof -2003) 4 Bedroom, 2 bath, ‘side load’ - 2car garage with magnificent pool area on stately and oversized corner lot in the super neighborhood, Fairway Woods of Walden Lake in the welcoming and ever popular community of Plant City - a quick commute to Tampa or Lakeland! Enjoy grand space with an exceptionally large family room/ kitchen combination, split bedroom plan, many closets, including several ‘walk-ins’, separate formal dining and living rooms, lots of tile, elegant double entry door and warming fireplace! This sensational and ‘Family’ spacious home will not last!! Great Value. Call Barbara Jean at 813-781-1915 for more details and to see this wonderful home. Offered at $279,900

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Remarkable 1,839 Sq. FT home maintained and improved with 3Bd., 2 Ba., 2 Car Gar. Plus Flexible Studio room featuring a private entry as well as splendid garden and conservation views beyond compare...some of the ‘endless amenities’ include: vaulted ceilings, lots of sliding glass doors, tasteful mix of popular pergo, neutral tile & designer carpet, flowing split floor plan, customized window treatments & 2” wood blinds, Spacious galley kitchen with corian counters, cozy breakfast area with courtyard view, relaxing screened patio overlooking the garden and conservation view. Last but not least marvelous wooden decking and meticulous brick pathways enhance the inviting approach to the studio/hobby/4th bedroom with it’s own private entry. It is no wonder,This charming home will not be kept a secret for long... Call Barbara Jean at 781-1915 For More Information!

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FOR SALE: $ 13,500.00

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For Rent ��

Lots for Rent ��

Windward Oaks 301 Wilder Rd. Plant City FL 33563

813-752-9296

Fax: 813-659-9375

�� DIVIDABLE 4 ACRES ��

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You Don’t want to miss out on 4 high and dry acres located in the cork area. Property has a 1994 3/2 doublewide situated on front of property. County currently re-zoned to ASC-1. Won’t last long...$179,000.

READY TO BE LOVED! This Brand new home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and has approx. 1300 sq. ft. of living area...inside laundry room... 1 car carport even has some shade trees left!! Low Low Price of $102,000 Call: Pam Pomfret 813-505-3977 or Louise Brock-Pugh 813-716-6580. pomfretp@tampabay.rr.com

ASK FOR PAM POMFRET OR LOUISE BROCK 507 W. DR, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BLVD. PLANT CITY, FL WWW.MCGRATHPOPPELL.COM

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 71

BABBLING BROOK BECKONS… With nearly 3 acres of gorgeous tropical living, 4BD / 2BA mobile home with huge laundry room, workshop, office and in-law quarters. With a bit of TLC this country haven can be yours! Priced to sell at $110,000. #38

FABULOUS FIND… Nearly 2000sf, lovely 4 BD, 3BA plus office offers beautiful stone fireplace in large family room, hardwood flooring, newer CH/A, 3+ carport completely C/L fenced on huge ½ acre lot. Stake your claim on this fabulous find. $164,500. #45

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DISCOVER THIS TREASURE Darling remodeled CB, 3BD / 2BA, CH/A, with 1014sq ft on huge chain link lot. New carpet, freshly painted, this charming home offers a great start for any family - only $118,900. #14

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ENJOY THE COMFORTS OF HOME…Without the worries of maintenance and up keep in this beautiful “like new” townhome in a gated community. Located just minutes from historical Hyde Park, Bayshore Blvd, downtown Tampa and the University of Tampa, this 2 story, 3BD/2.5 BA with 2 car garage town home offers elegance and charm. The first floor welcomes you to the kitchen/living room/dining room combo with gorgeous hardwood floors, soaring ceilings and crown molding. Travel upstairs to the living quarters where you will find the large master bedroom with walk in closet and the masterbath with a huge stand-in shower. Upstairs you will also find a guest bathroom and 2nd & 3rd bedrooms, which share a 2nd story balcony where you can relax and take in the fabulous Florida weather. Please contact us for more information. $225,000. #55

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Vogel Realty Proudly Welcomes

Karuna Khan-Gordon

Karuna is a long-time resident of Plant City A graduate of Plant City High School, University of Florida and University of South Florida. Karuna has served as a Caseworker for children and Families Services.

Karuna is dedicated to helping families make their dreams come true by finding the perfect home to meet their needs. Sellers can entrust their home sale to Karuna because she possesses excellent communication skills, commitment, and knowledge of the Real Estate Industry. Please call Karuna at (813) 598-7203.

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HOME GUIDE

WALDEN LAKE REVIEW

STORY BY KEN LAWRENCE-SENIOR WRITER

Dear FOCUS Readers: Words are not necessary to explain the damage caused by “Mean Jeanne” in Walden Lake. All we can do is thank God that no one was seriously hurt. City ofﬁcials estimate their cleanup bill will exceed $2 million, of which they expect the federal government will pay 75%.

A FAMILY PLAN! This 3 bedrm 2 bath home double wide sits on 4 acres M.O.L. with 240 ft. of road frontage. Zoning would allow 2 more dwellings. Make this a real family homestead for just 165,000 # 41

A RARE FIND! This 2 bedroom bungalow located in East Tampa is an excellent investment. Freshly painted and updated. Completely fenced yard. Only 62,500! #37

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Ronnie Wingate

Nancy C. Wingate

Adam Spivey

Sharon B. Ours

Eves: 659-0274

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Eves: 477-1625

Eves: 763-0856

813-752-5804 �� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 73

Performance Curbing

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Beautify Your Yard

Commercial • Residential Create Your Own Design Curves • Circles • Corners

Easy Maintenance Affordable - Less Expensive Than Traditional Methods Durable - Will Not Rot, Rust, or Discolor

FREE Estimates

863-802-0032 • 863-661-1884

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 74

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HOME GUIDE

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

COURTESY OF SHELTON KEELY

YOUR SAVINGS AND DOWN PAYMENT YOUR FIRST STEP TOWARD BUYING A HOME When preparing to buy a home, the ﬁrst thing many

homebuyers do is look at “homes for sale” ads in newspapers, magazines and listings on the Internet. Some potential buyers read “how to” articles like this one. The next thing you should do - before you call on an ad, before you talk to a Realtor, before you shop for interest rates - is look at your savings. Why? Because determining how much money you have available for down payment and closing costs affects almost every aspect of buying a home - including how you write your purchase offer, the loan programs you qualify for, and shopping for interest rates.

Mortgage Programs

If you only have enough available for a minimum down payment,

your choices of loan program will be limited to only a few types of mortgages. If someone is giving you a gift for all or part of the down payment, your options are also limited. If you have enough for the down payment, but need the lender or seller to cover all or part of your closing costs; this further limits your options. If you borrow all or portion of the down payment from your 401K or retirement plan, different loan programs have different rules on how you qualify. Of course, if you have enough for a large down payment, then you have lots of choices. Your loan choices include such varied programs as conventional ﬁxed rate loans, adjustable rate mortgages, buy downs, VA, FHA, graduated payment mortgages and all the varieties of each.

Shelton Keely can be reached at his website at www.plantcityproperties.com.

Shopping Rates

A very important reason you need to have at least some idea of your down payment is for shopping interest rates. Some loan programs charge a slightly higher interest rate for minimal down payments. Plus, the interest rates for different loan programs are not the same. For example, conventional, VA, FHA all offer ﬁxed rate loans. However, the rates vary from one program to another.

Writing Your Offer

Another reason you need to have a clue about your down payment is because it affects how you write your offer to purchase a home. Not only are you required to put your down payment information in the offer, but different loan programs have different rules which also affect how you write your offer. This is especially

important when dealing with FHA and VA loans. If you are asking the seller to pay all or part of your closing costs, you have to be certain your loan program allows what you are asking. For smaller down payments, lenders allow the seller to pay less closing costs than for larger down payments. Some loan programs will allow a seller to pay certain types of costs, but not others.

Conclusion

As you can see, the down payment and the closing costs affect every choice you make when you buy a home. When you get ready to buy a home - the first thing you should do is figure out how much money you have available for the purchase. You also want a Realtor that has knowledge of all the different loan programs and knows how to write the offer right the first time.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 75

                                         

                                                                       

                                                              

                                         

                                              



                                                                 

Looking For A Trusted Mortgage Advisor?

Justin Pry - Hometown Lakeland, Florida

Ray Lee - Hometown Lakeland, Florida

Hector Gonzalez - Hometown San Dulce, Puerto Rico

“My Father is a veteran police officer here in Polk County and I was raised understanding the value and security of home ownership. I am available 24/7 to provide the information and service you’re looking for.”

“Blessed with a supportive wife and three beautiful daughters, I made a career choice to enter the mortgage business after watching our community flourish through home sales. My concern & caring for others made this a great choice for me; now let my knowledge of this great city assist you in purchasing the home of your dreams!”

“Born in Puerto Rico I was raised in New York City. I am fluent in Spanish and English and have worked in both the mortgage industry and title insurance business. I believe that these skills have given me the ability to assure the highest quality of service and satisfaction in assisting buyers with the loan process. Soy emocionado muy llegar al corazon la comunidad Española.”

Cell/Direct: (863) 577-5325. email: justin@eflending.com

Cell/Direct: (863) 577-534, email: ray@eflending.com

Direct: (863) 577-5315, email: hector@eflending.com

Lisa Chastain - Hometown Peoria, Illinois

Mark Kimbel - Hometown Plant City, Florida

Robby Sampson - Hometown Sebring, Florida

“As a working mother of two, I still remember how stressful buying my own home was! I enjoy taking the extra time to help my borrowers understand the loan process and strive to keep confusion out of the way!”

“I’ve been married 23 years, with a beautiful wife and three sons. Being active in my community’s recreation programs and having served as a deacon in my church, I know the value of commitment and the importance of service. I?m ready to serve your mortgage needs.”

“My wife and I are very active members of a local church. This has supported a positive attitude and an approach to life?s stresses that I apply to my work life. I provide a financial game plan for every single client during the course of the loan application and am committed to helping you eliminate the stress of home ownership!”

Direct: (863) 577-5305, email: mark@eflending.com

Cell/Direct: (863) 577-5309, email: robby@eflending.com

Direct: (863) 577-5311, email: lisa@eflending.com

Scott Jennings - Hometown Plant City, Florida

Branon Bolin - Hometown Longview, Texas

Lynn Palmer - Hometown Winter Haven, Florida

“I’ve been involved in athletics all my life and know the importance of ?fair play?. Maintaining fair and equitable fees, explaining loan details, and giving personal service day or night are standards I?ve maintained throughout my mortgage career. Give me the opportunity to provide excellence in service for you.”

“I get a kick out of seeing a new home buyer in his house and actually HAPPY about his mortgage process. My military service has taught me to appreciate clear cut guidelines and time frames. I look forward to helping find the right loan program for you.”

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Tel: 813-300-4763 • 813-757-0140 FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 79

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 82

BUSINESS & FINANCE

INVESTING

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If you have a nagging feeling that you are paying too much for long distance services, youʼre not alone. According to a recent study of Internet users conducted by Millward Brown IntelliQuest, more than 70% of long distance customers are not certain they are getting the best long distance rates with their current companies. In fact, estimates the average consumer is paying 35% more than they have to for long distance. Deciphering a long distance phone bill is an intimidating task. Itʼs so much easier to just pay the bill and be done with it. But that attitude can cost you. In an effort to help you save money on long distance, weʼve compiled six easy ways to lower your long distance expenses. 1.

Use a calling card. When you are traveling, donʼt call collect or use the long distance service provided by a hotel. Collect and hotel calls are the highest priced long distance calls in the industry. A pre-paid telephone card is a more cost-conscious alternative for those times when youʼre away from home.

Make your long distance calls during evenings and weekends. It might sound obvious, but most plans offer signiﬁcant discounts on their long distance rates during non-business hours. Under some plans you might pay four times as much for the same call made during the day vs. the evening.

Review your phone bill carefully. According to the FCC, cramming and slamming are the main sources of consumer complaints. Being charged for services you never requested (cramming) or being unknowingly switched to a different long distance carrier (slamming) are both illegal activities, yet they occur frequently because many consumers donʼt pay attention to their bill. If these things happen to you, you could be dramatically overpaying for you long distance service. Review your bill each month to be sure any strange charges or company names havenʼt suddenly appeared.

Know your long distance needs. There is not one right plan for everyone when it comes to long distance. Some plans have very low per minute rates but high monthly fees. Others have much higher per minute rates and no fees. By understanding your calling patterns you can make a much more informed buying decision.

Shop around. Donʼt rely on a telemarketer to call you with a good deal, go out and ﬁnd one. While you could spend a year reading about long distance plans and still not have researched them all, it is a good idea to compare at least a few plans. A service such as SmartPrice.com allows you to compare prices for dozens of plans in just minutes. This time could result in hundreds of dollars in savings a year!

Read the ﬁne print. Before signing up for a new long distance service, get out your magnifying glass and read the tiny print. Thatʼs where long distance companies usually hide the most important information about their long distance rates. In particular, look for minimum monthly fees, regular monthly service charges and calling length restrictions.

Call Chris at

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 84

BUSINESS & FINANCE

INVESTING

Financial Focus AVOID PUTTING TOO MUCH COMPANY STOCK IN 401(K) Here’s a scary statistic: Nearly 58 percent of Enron employees’ 401(k) assets was invested in Enron stock as it fell 98.8 percent in value during 2001, according to the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). And here’s a still more frightening piece of information: Even after the fall of Enron, many employees have even larger percentages of their 401(k) assets in their company stock than Enron employees did. Of course, Enron was an extreme example; most companies don’t ﬂame out in that fashion. Yet, almost all companies go through ups and downs — and, if you’re overloaded on company stock, these “downs’’ can take a pretty good whack at your 401(k) balance. To complicate matters, your employer may use various methods to encourage you to make company stock a signiﬁcant part of your 401(k). For one thing, you may be able to buy the stock for less than the current market price — and it’s hard to resist the temptation of a “good deal.’’ Also, you may be able to defer a higher percentage of your salary to your 401(k) if you’re buying company stock. And your employer may even choose to make matching contributions in stock, rather than cash. You need to be aware of this potential institutional “bias’’ toward using your employer’s stock in your 401(k). Even if your company truly is worth investing in, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by limiting your exposure to company stock. In fact, many experts recommend that you limit company stock to no more than 10 percent of your 401(k) portfolio. Diversify, diversify, diversify To avoid getting “bogged down’’

with company stock, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to spread your 401(k) dollars among the various investment options in your plan. Diversiﬁcation is the key to investment success outside your 401(k) — and it’s just as important within your plan, too. Fortunately, most 401(k) plans have expanded their investment choices in the past decade or so. Depending on your plan, you could easily have a dozen or more options, including pooled investments containing stocks or bonds, money market accounts and guaranteed investment contracts (a type of investment that offers preservation of principal and a ﬁxed rate of return).

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813.752.4718

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With all these choices, how can you know the proper way to diversify your 401(k)? Actually, there’s no one “right’’ answer for everyone. To effectively allocate your assets inside your 401(k), you need to take into account your tolerance for risk and your time horizon. So, for example, if you are by nature an aggressive investor, you’ll probably want to weight your 401(k) more heavily toward the stock accounts. Also, if you’re just starting out in your career, you have a lot of time to overcome any “down’’ periods in the market, so you might want to invest more aggressively than you would if you were nearing retirement. It’s a good idea to review your 401(k) asset allocation at least once a year to see if it still ﬁts your needs and goals. Get the most from your 401(k) By looking beyond your company’s stock, and by allocating your assets across a range of investments, you can help ensure that your 401(k) will pay off for you when it counts — during your retirement.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 85

BUSINESS & FINANCE

BUSINESS PROFILE

STORY BY LYNNE WARREN PHOTOS BY LYNNE WARREN

ANIMAL WELLNESS CENTER OF PLANT CITY

COMBINING OLD-FASHIONED CARE AND SERVICE WITH PROGRESSIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE Things have really changed in the realm of veterinary medicine with technological advancements in the areas of surgery, anesthesia, dental care, and more. The center performs three to four surgeries per day, including some pretty progressive orthopedic and soft tissue procedures. Fortunately Dr. Conner not only values the scientiﬁc side of animal medicine, but she also places a high priority on customer service and personalized care for her patients. Her primary focus is to provide modern medical care mixed with compassion, service and convenience – all at an economical price. In other words – VALUE.

Growing up in Winter Haven,

Jennifer Conner always knew she wanted to care for animals. An animal lover from an early age, she set her sights on becoming a veterinarian and began working toward that goal. After graduating from Winter Haven High School, Jennifer went to the University of Florida, completing two years of undergraduate studies before moving on to ﬁnish her schooling in 2000 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her internship, focusing on small animal care, was spent at the University of Tennessee. When she completed her internship, she returned home to central Florida and began looking for a place to hang out her shingle. As luck would have it, she ran across Dr. James McFarland; a well loved, local veterinarian in Plant City who, after 43 years, was scaling back his practice, gearing down

and preparing for retirement. Dr. McFarland had spent the majority of his life serving the residents of Plant City and their pets, and was known for his dedication to service and gentle care. The now Dr. Jennifer Conner approached Dr. McFarland about taking over his location and practice, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since November 2002, Dr. McFarlandʼs old spot at 3109 State Road 574 has been occupied by Dr. Conner and her Animal Wellness Center of Plant City. The center serves small animals, mostly household pets – nothing with feathers, scales, or hooves. When asked what her most unusual patient has been, she smiles and refers to Arnold the armadillo. In fact, Arnoldʼs pictures adorn a bulletin board in the waiting room, along with those of other patients of the center and

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 86

staff pets. Apparently Arnold was orphaned when he was just a baby, still completely pink, and had to be dropper fed. As luck would have it, he was adopted by Janice, a staff member at the center since way back. She manned the front desk and was Dr. McFarlandʼs sidekick for many years, and has remained an integral part of the success of the center through the transition. Janice, with the help and care of Dr. Conner and the rest of the staff, raised Arnold up and eventually released him back into the wild. Since beginning her practice here in Plant City, Dr. Conner has remodeled and reorganized the space within the building, adding two new exam rooms – for a total of three - and an ofﬁce / multipurpose room. This has allowed her to handle regularly scheduled appointments, emergencies, and surgeries efﬁciently and effectively.

Appointments are requested at the Animal Wellness Center in an effort to meet all customerʼs needs and keep things running smoothly – but when someone calls, every effort is made to get them in at a time that is convenient and meets their needs. In fact, the center doesnʼt overbook, so most of the time they can work patients into the schedule as needed. They even have an early drop off / late pick up service, allowing clients to bring pets in before work and pick them up afterwards – even for routine procedures and regular maintenance visits. The staff is friendly and experienced – with two of them having been part of Dr. McFarlandʼs team. Liz, one of the technicians, is actually Dr. McFarlandʼs daughter and has worked in the ofﬁce nearly as long as she can remember, and Janice, who has been here since 1974. The other three members of the team include Dr. Conner and technicians, Jen and Jami. You can ﬁnd out more about Dr. Connerʼs practice and the center at their website at www. AnimalwellnesscenterofPC.com, or give them a call at 813-752-2869.

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 87

EDUCATION

STORY BY LYNNE WARREN PHOTOS BY LYNNE WARREN & COACH ANN ST. CHARLES

CORK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A RICH 125 YEAR HISTORY, A BRIGHT FUTURE…

Thereʼs excitement in the air at Cork Elementary School.

The school is celebrating 125 years in the community. And, although there is a rich history to commemorate, the folks at Cork are not just sitting back relishing how good the past 125 years have been. Their eyes are on the future, and they are focused on what more they can do for the children and families of this rural area just north of Plant City. The sense of community at Cork Elementary is part of what makes the school so special. The faculty truly values the parents and residents of their community, and the people in the area are unusually

supportive in return. Cork has always been a strong community based school, in fact for many years it was a “strawberry school”, meaning that school sessions were scheduled around strawberry season. The reason for this was that so many families in the area were berry farmers, and needed the help of their children during planting and harvesting. Cork Academy, a private school, was founded in 1876 and was later purchased by the county in 1879, opening it to the public. The name, however, was retained until the 1950ʼs when it was changed to what we now know as Cork School. Originally accommodating a variety of ages and grades, somewhere along the line the facility was converted

to elementary only. None of the original structures exist today, and the original library was demolished in 1973 in order to make way for progress and new construction. Today, in the spot where the original library once stood, stands the building where most of the student classrooms are now housed. The oldest building still existing on the site is the ʻred brick buildingʼ, and although it looks historical on the outside, it was completely renovated and modernized in 2000. The history of this school is evident nowhere more than in many of the teachers. Some have been here over 30 years, with one over 40 years at this point. Faculty seem to come

here, and just want to stay. The Principal, Susan Raburn, has been here for 17 years – as Assistant Principal for several years prior to taking on her current role. Fifth grade teacher, Gary Cameron, has been at Cork since 1961. He teaches children today whose parents he also taught. Julie Carroll has been teaching at Cork since 1973, and Brenda Miller and Coach Anne St. Charles have both taught here since 1974. These teachers remember, when they came to the school, some of the classes were held in a set of World War II barracks. The barracks have since been demolished or removed – one of them was moved to and remains at the McDonald Training Center just down the road. This place is so good some students canʼt seem to stay away. Many teachers here were Cork students at one time, and have returned to educate new generations. Among this distinguished group are: Stacy (Hicks) Del Castillo, Rhonda

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 88

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EDUCATION

Ruis, Barbee Boswell-Buzbee, Carol (Cullins) Plunk, Stephanie (Swindle) Conrad, Lori (Kirkland) Derane, Lagretta Snowden, Sarah (Dukes) Hare, and Cathy (Stallings) Townsend. Apparently service to Cork Elementary is a family affair in some cases, as evidenced by the fact that both Cathy Townsend and Lagretta Snowdenʼs mothers taught at the school, and Carol Plunkʼs mother, Nancy, is the schoolʼs Data Processing Clerk. And howʼs this for interestingly tangled: Mr. Cameron (remember him – over 40 years at Cork), taught Cathy Townsend, taught her children, and then when Cathy returned as a teacher, she ʻteam taughtʼ with Mr. Cameron for several years. Looking toward the future, the school has big plans. Cork has been a Five Star School continuously since 1994, has been designated as an “A” school for the last four years, and has many other honors under its belt – and the plan is to keep getting better. With

the help of the community, PTA, and local businesses, the next big project on the schoolʼs agenda is to build a large outdoor pavilion. The school will have to fund the project fully, and needs over $100,000 for the construction. The pavilion will accommodate 6 basketball courts, and will allow for protection from the elements for students and teachers. Tyler Williams, proprietor of Plant Cityʼs Outback Steakhouse helped establish the pavilion fund by sponsoring a recent fundraising event. Outback donated two hundred steak and chicken dinners to the school, as well as all the necessary paper products and 15 employees to cook and serve the meals in the schoolʼs cafeteria. His generosity allowed the school to raise $3,000 for the fund.

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Keep watching Cork Elementary school. With the wonderful staff and outstanding community support here, there will surely be another 125 years of great things to come.

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THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB STUDENT OF THE MONTH

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West Plant City Boys and Girls Club September 2004 Student of The Month is Edgar Morales. Edgar is part of power hour which homework program, prevention programs with smart kids, and helps with snacks. Edgar has been a member with boys and girls club since July 2004. Edgar is 10 years old and is in 4th grade at Knights elementary.

www.foc u s r c

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2004 FOCUS

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West Plant City Boys and Girls Club August 2004 Student of The Month is Wachovia Sherman. Wachovia shows great leadership ability when she is at the Boys and Girls Club. She is part of power hour which homework program, prevention programs with smart kids, girls scouts, and very helpful at the front desk, answer the phone in very professional manner, when the parents pick their kids up, she will call them on the intercom system to come up front. Wachovia is a very outgoing person. She has been a member with boys and girls since July 2000.

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GO TO

To Mail a Ballot: Attn: FOCUS 2004 RCA • 702 W. Dr,. MLK Jr. Blvd. Plant City, Fl 33563 • To Fax a Ballot: 813-764-0990

PLANT CITY ESTABLISHMENTS ONLY...

TO VOTE

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 89

SPORTS

STORY BY BILL GREEN “FROM BEHIND THE MIC!”

EAST BAY RETURNS TO RACING ACTION WITH SEVEN FEATURE PROGRAM the 360 sprint car ﬁeld. When no objections were voiced, the laps were added.

East Bay Raceway Park returned to the business of Saturday Night racing with all 7 classes running for points in action. Some of the 360 sprint car pilots had not seen the East Bay clay for almost 3 months. But, all 7 classes trium-

FOILS COLORING PERMS FACIALS NAILS WAXING

phantly returned to racing in the added laps feature only program. It was in the driverʼs meeting that track President ask if anyone would object to the feature only show included 5 bonus laps for all but

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 90

The first bit of action took place in warm-ups as the Limited Sprint #44A of Mike Steinruck contacted the turn one wall and tumbled to a stop. Mike was OK, but will be alittle sore tomorrow. The only other flip of the night came in the 360 Sprint feature when points leader Brian Maddox would flip in turn-2, but it appeared that something broke on the car as it made a quick right turn to contact the wall. Brian was OK also and returned later in the Limited Sprint. The first feature on the track would be the Limited Late Models.

They would be one of the classes with the extra laps added, so the extended 20-lap feature was won by Timmy Bronson, coming from the 17th starting position. Second would go to 11th starter J. R. Prather, Jr. Third went to 22nd starter Dave Roberts, 17th starting Richard Kessinger taking fourth and Paul Sampson moving from 6th to 5th for the top-ﬁve ﬁnish. Street Stocks rolled out next for 20-laps and the fans would once again see several starters outside the top-ten coming to the front. First would go to “The Phantom 309” of Danny Paris, from his 12th starting spot. Second saw Wayne Hayes move up from 8th, while Paul Gibbs made the big move of

SPORTS

the night from 27th starting spot to third. Fourth went to 19th starter Don Gansner, with Joseph Jones salvaging ﬁfth from a fourth place start. Open Wheel Modiﬁeds sponsored by Gagleʼs Used Auto Parts showed that a front runner could go on to win a feature tonight, as Rusty Dixon out lasted “Prime Time” Bobby Dixon, his dad, for the win. Third would go to David Schmauss, with Bill Howard moving from 18th to fourth and Roger Crouse getting a top-5 in his new ride.

360 Sprints came into the night having not run at East Bay for some two full months due to weather conditions. The “Malabar Missile” Kenny Adams and the “Hammer” Danny Martin,Jr. would put on a show as Kenny would take the early lead only to have Danny Martin clear trafﬁc some 12 car lengths back in second and reel him in to challenge for the lead on the ﬁnal circuit. Adams held on for the win and told the crowd, “Itʼs great to be back at East Bay. Danny (Danny Martin, Jr.) and I have been traveling with the USCS series and heʼs starting to get tough on these short tracks.” Kenny also added that it was good to see the stands full after all the troubles of the past few weeks. While Martin settled for second, third went to new points leader Daryl Smith, fourth would see fan favorite “Crazy” Joe

Melnick cross the stripe ahead of longtime runner Bob Auld in fifth. Late Models would go 30-laps in the extended program and saw one of the top-5 Late Model races of the season as Bobby Alexander, Sr. would lead most of the second half of the event, only to have “The Master” Donnie Tanner pick his pocket in turn two on the final lap. Tanner used his patient never say die style to hound Alexander into a bobble in turn two and that was all The Master needed for the win. Bobby settled for second, third went to Jeff Mathews, third to K. D. Kelly and getting his best finish of the season, Frank Erskine, Jr. raced to fifth after starting outside pole. Mini Stock action was wild, hot and heavy. But, when the racing finally finished, first would go to Ryan Mitchell, Jim Courson remain in second, Rich Livernois took third, fourth went to Greg Pae and Willard Daily held on to fifth.

Limited Sprints finished the night off with the Mopar ride of Frank Beck III in Victory Lane ahead of Paulie Milum second, Brian Maddox returned to action after the 360 Sprint crash for third, Donnie Maxwell brought the Ford to fourth and Time Holston held on the final top-5 of the night. East Bay Raceway Park wants to Thank the drivers, car owners and fans for their support through this rough and very wet summer. They also want to remind everyone that the 2004 season will run an extra weekend as they bring the Open Wheel Modifieds in from around the country for the season ending Cool Down 50 worth $5000 to the winner. For more information on that race and the USCS 360 Fall Brawl Nov. 5th and 6th, call East Bayʼs office at 813-677-RACE (7223). Weʼll See You At The RACES!

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WORLD UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT PLANT CITY STADIUM AND THE RANDY L. LARSON SOFTBALL COMPLEX is a complete rundown of the scheduled activities to help you decide when youʼd like to attend.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 92

Did you know that on October 31st, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have their “bye” week, the Devil Rays season will be over, and the Lightning could possibly still be under the NHL lockout? But if youʼre a softball fan, I have an idea for you and your entire family, and best of all, you donʼt even have to leave town. The event is the World University Softball Championship, October 2631, at Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Softball Complex. This is fast pitch softball played by female athletes age 17-28 who are still in school or have not been out of university or its equivalent for more than a year. Teams representing countries from around the world will be participating: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Guatemala, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Uganda, and the USA. There is no admission to the stadium, and only a $5.00 fee for parking. If you think youʼre interested, the following

Games will begin on Tuesday, October 26, at 2:30pm. Later, at 5:30pm, the teams will participate in opening ceremonies, followed by more games, probably about 7:15pm. The opening ceremonies will include a 15-minute dance routine with an international theme, a procession of the teams into Plant City Stadium, VIP speeches, and more. Wednesday, there will be games throughout the day starting as early as 10:00am, with the last games at 7:00pm. Thursday, games are scheduled at 9:00am and 12:00pm. Thursdayʼs schedule is short because itʼs the teamsʼ “Cultural Day.” An activity will be organized for all of the teams, but at press time the site had not been determined. Friday, games will start at 10:00am and the last games will start at 7:00pm. Saturday, games will start at 10:00am, followed by a break and then a playoff game at 6:00pm, and another at 8:00pm. Finally, on Sunday, there will be a game at 11:00am. The loser will win the bronze medal and the winner will advance to play in the gold medal game at 1:30pm. For more information, please contact Bruce Wawrzyniak with the International Softball Federation in plant City at 864-0100, ext. 229, or check out their website at www.internationalsoftball.com.

HEALTH & FITNESS

STORY BY SHERRY NUEESCH

In the August issue I wrote about the dangers of trans fatty acids found in hydrogenated oils. These trans fats are found in most all of the manufactured, boxed and packaged “stuff” sold in most grocery stores. I keep screaming about what not to eat. This month I am going to change my tune. We are going to talk about what to eat. Remember the food God gave us. You know, like saturated fat, whole milk, beef tallow, butter, cream, palm oil and coconut oils. Thatʼs right, some good old saturated fat. It must be good for us; God put it in abundance in our food supply. Saturated fatty acids are said to cause cancer, heart disease and obesity. I guess that is why there is so much found naturally in our food. Not only found, but consumed for thousands of years. That is, until the food giants convinced us in the forties that it was bad. Heart disease, cancer and obesity were rare at the turn of the century when consumption of saturated fat was much higher than it is today. So back when we were eating the skin on chicken and frying in lard, eating eggs, whole milk and cream, HEART DISEASE WAS RARE!!!!! I am not making this stuff up. I will list some books for you to reference at the end of this article, as well as some good web sites. We have been so brainwashed from advertising by the food industry and pharmaceutical companies, we are scared to eat natural foods and, instead, consume manufactured trash that is harming us far faster than a little fat is going to. Recently I was talking to the Curves members about how bad the manufactured coffee creamers were. One woman looked at me with horror on her face and asked me, “What shall I put in my coffee?” I was left speechless. It distresses me to see how brainwashed we have become. She was scared to death of the very food God provided for us. She isnʼt the only one. Let me list some beneﬁts of saturated fat and cholesterol. For one, they produce bile salts. Bile salts are vital for digestion. Vitamins A and D, which are vital for proper growth and for protein and mineral assimilation, are found mostly in saturated animal fats. Saturated fats

helps the body lay down calcium in the bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Did you know that most of our cell membranes must be built from saturated fats for the cells to work properly? Saturated fats play many important roles in the body chemistry. Because they are needed in large amounts, the body makes saturated fats it needs out of carbohydrates when they are not sufficiently supplied by the diet. Saturated fats are vital to the functioning of the kidneys. Saturated fats protect the liver from alcohol, drugs and poisons. Your lungs cannot work properly without saturated fat. In past cultures potential parents were given very high fat foods, natural foods, because they wanted to have healthy babies. It was their wisdom handed down through the generations that fertility and good fats were partners. Dr. Weston Price, who studied these cultures, predicted back in the forties that couples who replaced traditional fats with vegetable oils would have trouble conceiving. He predicted that with each generation living off these non-traditional foods, birth rates would continue to decline. Today 25% of American couples are infertile. Like sex, animal fats are necessary for reproduction. There are books written about the goodness of wholesome foods that have sustained generations of people all over the world. I read many of them. I find it incredible how traditional foods are now labeled dangerous. How did this happen? Corporate greed, profits are more important than people. Traditional oils cost more money. Vegetable oils, especially soybean oils, are cheap. Remember, itʼs the health of the food giantsʼ bottom line and not your health they are concerned about. Americans spend approximately 90% of their food dollars on processed foods. Foods that contain high levels of refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, refined polyunsaturated oils and trans fatty acids, as well as highly processed, refined proteins. Framingham Heart Study is often

cited as proof that cholesterol and saturated fats cause heart disease. This study began in 1948 and involved some 6,000 people from the town of Framingham, Mass. Two groups were compared at ﬁve-year intervals, those who consumed little cholesterol and saturated fat and those who consumed large amounts. After 40 years, the Director of this study, Dr. William Castelli, had to admit: “In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the personʼs serum cholesterol…we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active.” Food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies are telling you one thing, I am saying another. YOU do your own research. Just make sure your information doesnʼt come from a source or a study funded by big business. There are several books I can wholeheartedly recommend: “The Cholesterol Myth” by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD., “The Untold Story of Milk” by

Ron Schmid, ND. Go to the web site www.WestonAPrice.org and read everything by Sally Fallon or Mary G. Enig, PhD. Or call me. I am going to end this with information from Dr. Ravnskov in his book “Cholesterol Myths”. Page 61 reads; “French researchers from Paris found that old women with very high cholesterol lived the longest. The death rate was almost 5 times higher for women with low cholesterol. At a workshop held at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, researchers looked at every study that had been published about the risk of having high or low cholesterol and came to the same conclusion: Mortality was higher for women with low cholesterol than women with high cholesterol.” I told you, I donʼt make this up. Fifty years ago grocery stores carried approximately 200 items, most of them grown within a 100 mile radius. Today our stores carry approximately 50,000 food items or more, most of them highly processed and reﬁned, coming from thousands of miles away. Do the math. To your health. Sherry

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STORY BY AL RUECHEL

MEMOGATE UNMASKS DAN RATHER Iʼve thought of something good about hurricanes. You get so wrapped up worrying about living and dying and whether you will have a house in the morning you forget about the upcoming election. Thatʼs good. Living in Florida has been such a nightmare lately Iʼd forgotten all about the two Johns and the President and VP trying to line up votes. Then along comes olʼ Dan Rather and memo-gate. I respect him for his past and the good journalism he has done. So what was Dan and his producer smoking when this little memo came ﬂoating along from a guy who admittedly hates George Bush and has spent most of his life trying to sink W? What happened to that huge dose of skepticism you used to carry on you shoulder? Can you say, read ﬂag? Remember the old saying, “If itʼs too good to be true…..?” You wanted a scoop and you got it! Veteran news anchor forgets to ask the most basic questions and refuses to listen to the dissenting voices that are warning him of, “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” Now the headline reads, “News

anchor, possessed with nailing a sitting President collaborates with Democrats and gets burned by a Texas nut job. That may not be what happened, but it is in the back of everyoneʼs mind. Now we ﬁnd out that the producer of the piece, Mary Mapes, actually directed and arranged a phone conversation between the man who faxed the fake memo and a leading Democrat Kerry campaign operative. This is huge. It makes it look like there was an orchestrated move by the Democrats to attack the Presidentʼs National Guard record using documents they couldnʼt produce on their own. Yo, dude. They couldnʼt produce them because they never existed in the ﬁrst place. This needs to be examined and investigated. The American people need to know who knew what, when, where and how. Does that cry sound familiar? For Peteʼs sake, this is an election year. Didnʼt we learning anything from the dirty tricks of the Nixon administration at the Watergate Hotel? So why does Dan Rather think heʼll get away with a simple, half-hearted apology and weʼll

drop it? Does CBS think the public is stupid? Consider the latest conversation I overheard near the produce counter in my local grocery story. This guy was actually giggling with delight about how Dan Rather and CBS were ﬁnally getting a taste of what theyʼve dished out on 60 minutes for years. In our own local poll at the TV station where I work our viewers voted 94 percent to 5 percent they would never trust CBS News and Dan Rather again. Do you know what kind of ratings hit that will eventually deliver to CBS? Sadly, what this validates is what many of us in this business have known for years. The major networks do have political agendas. They think the rest of us west of the Harlem River are a bunch of dolts. They pretend they are unbiased and a-political when in fact they have been antigovernment and anti-conservative for years. Those folks in their high towers donʼt think like the rest of us. They have become such pariahs they think only they have the corner on truth. They donʼt trust the American people to make the right decisions so they have to try and shape the world in the

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image they set ﬁt. John Edwards got it right when he said there are two Americas. There is the America as the big networks and Dan Rather see it, and then thereʼs the real America the rest of us know and experience each day of our lives. I hope Dick Thornburgh and the other independent investigators hired by CBS get to the bottom of this mess. I hope heads roll. Itʼs the only way to clear the air for the rest of us who work too hard every day trying to get it right.

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strengthen the family, trim taxes, safeguard our seniors, improve educational opportunities for our children, and recognize the efforts of our emergency ﬁrst-responders and military veterans. I believe we accomplished all these priorities together and made Florida a better place to live, work, raise a family, and retire.

Serving you as your State Representative and House Speaker over the last eight years has been an immeasurable honor. You entrusted me with the duty to be your voice in the Capitol. You asked me to

My term as Speaker is coming to an end, and I continue to reﬂect on the experiences we all shared over the last eight years. Melane and I saw our children attend and graduate high school and college, and I am sure your family grew and changed as well. In addition, in our great state of Florida we

witnessed both triumph and tragedy. We watched in horror the destruction of 9-11. We marched with our men and women serving in the armed forces as they brought the ﬁght to our enemies. We proudly honored those that did not return and thanked their families for their unimaginable sacriﬁces. Despite the challenges of the last few years, Florida took the lead. We created more jobs, reduced unemployment, and increased the standard of living better than any other state in our nation. Even now, as we struggle with the onslaught of hurricanes, I am

conﬁdent we will rebuild and reclaim our position as a state with forward-thinking leadership and creative citizens. In November, you will have a new representative, and I trust you will make the right decision regarding who will be your new voice in Tallahassee. I thank you for your trust and for your hard work with me as we made Floridaʼs future brighter. I look forward to seeing you out in the community, and I pray for continued blessings on you and your family. It truly is a great day in the state of Florida!

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HOME COMPUTING TIPS:

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 98

TO VOTE

Hello everyone, I am writing to you all this month about what is up and coming. All of a sudden there is a lot of buzz around new products and changing technologies. Processing chips are getting tougher, so Intel and AMD are cashing in on their new emerging technologies. Both companies are moving to dual core processors, which are more expensive, but are able to improve overall p.c. performance. Faster Wi-Fi is also on the horizon as 802.11g proved to be a milestone for wireless network development, boosting the relatively slow 11 Mbps of 802.11b up to 54 Mbps. However, plans are already underway for the next standard 802.11n. In its basic form, 802.11n will implement actual throughput to 100Mbps, but this is at the early stage. Voice over IP is becoming very hot, as well, Good Bye Verizon. In its infancy VOIP has become the preference for high speed broadband users, slashing

their telephone bills by more than half and we have already gotten our approval to be a VOIP provider. We are very excited to be pioneers in the upcoming changes that all of us will be seeing over the next few years. The way we have been communicating in the past will be just that, “the past”. So keep your eyes and ears open as “The New Frontier” opens up for us all and donʼt be afraid. Embrace new technologies, as it will be for the long term good for us all and even though you may have to replace your computers faster, just think of the money you will save on what used to be your phone bills. Until Next time, Happy

Jim Brown Product Consultants Unlimited, Inc. 601 N. Michigan Ave. Plant City, Fl 33566 813-717-7717 e-mail: jimb@plantcity.com www.pcustore.com www.plantcity.com www.whatsuptampabay.com

EXTRA

STORY BY BRIAN WEST

THE 2005 CORVETTE GETS A MAKEOVER THE NEW C6 IS BETTER THAN EVER

More than 50 years ago Chevrolet introduced a revolutionary sports car, the Corvette. Introduced in 1953, the early models left much to be desired; a 6-cylinder engine, short on horsepower, combined with a heavy body. 50 years can make a difference, both under the hood and on the exterior. The latest body style change, a.k.a. the C6 (6th generation) to Corvette enthusiasts, is poised to make a giant leap forward for the Corvette brand. To see the new C6 for myself, I visited Bill Heard Chevrolet. Personally, I was never really a fan of the C5, so I was looking forward to the change. I thought the styling of the C5 was bland, but the C6 is just the opposite, with distinctive, strong lines. One of the ﬁrst things I noticed about the new Corvette was the overall length. The new Corvette is noticeably shorter with the rear end of the car immediately following the rear wheel wells. There are no more ﬂip-up headlights, theyʼre exposed and the Corvette hasnʼt seen exposed front headlights since 1962. Now it was time to take a look at the interior. Immediately I noticed that the doors on the car donʼt have handles. The spot that seems to be obvious to use to pull the door

open, doesnʼt work that way. Itʼs easier than that. Just place your hand in the space, touch the pad on the backside and the door opens. The interior is what youʼd expect for a Corvette, clean lines, but nothing exciting, until itʼs time to start the car. Youʼre probably wondering how this could be any different from most sports cars. Well, you donʼt use the key. As long as you have the key fob within 3 feet of the steering column, the doors unlock and you simply push a button on the dash to start the car. The manual transmission requires the driver to press the clutch first and the automatic transmission requires the brake pedal to be depressed. This is the first C6 Bill Heard received and when we left the dealership, you could tell that we were one of the first behind the wheel because heads were turning. But who doesnʼt stop and turn to look at a red Corvette? The gas pedal is very soft and I really had to push it down to get the car rolling, but that made it easy to adjust to. Right away the steering proved to be effortless and the ride was very smooth for such a pure sports car. The steering column is telescoping to adjust to the driverʼs preference. There was some road noise, but it

was minimal. We stopped to get pictures and decided to remove the hard top. The new top is larger than earlier models, but weighs less and stores easily above the rear storage area. In fact, the top is light enough that most anyone would be capable of changing it at a moments notice. The C6 has a 400hp engine and merging onto the interstate was a breeze. I never let the engine have a chance to show itʼs muscle, but Iʼd be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind. Something about this car felt relaxing and I was more interested in cruising at the time. I drove the new Corvette from our local Chevrolet dealership, Bill Heard Chevrolet. Jim Kussman, Sales Manager, and Ernie Daniel, Sales and Leasing Consultant, were the gentlemen who helped me. If you think youʼre in the market for one of the great American sports cars, give them a call. The one I drove had a sticker price of $52,750. Add a $10,000 market adjustment and this one will set you back more than $60,000. I actually got a call from the dealership later that day saying the car sold 15 minutes after I left. Wow!

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EXTRA

STORY BY & PHOTOS BY JEFF NEELY

HISTORIC BOK SANCTUARY

INTERNATIONAL ATTRACTION FEATURES A WORLD-CLASS CARILLON to become editor of the Ladiesʼ Home Journal, a Pulitzer prizewinning author, prominent publisher, humanitarian and friend to such notable ﬁgures as Helen Keller, Mark Twain, Frederick Douglas and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the sanctuary given by Bok as a gesture of gratitude for the opportunity America had given him. From miles away, the sanctuary tower can be seen rising as a tribute to Bokʼs legacy. The marble and coquina stone ediﬁce is 205 feet tall, sits atop a 51-foot square base and is surrounded by a moat that is home to two swans. The tower houses a world-class carillon containing 60 bells ranging from 16 pounds to nearly 12 tons. Carilloners from all over the world come to share their craft in the sanctuaryʼs tranquil natural setting.

About an hour east of Plant City lies a respite of natural serenity for those who are burnt out on urban bustle. The Historic Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales is an opportunity to experience the beauty of Florida away from theme parks, sports arenas and shopping malls.

Set on Iron Mountain, the peninsular of Floridaʼs highest point, the sanctuary encompasses nearly 250 acres, and is home to the famous singing tower, breathtaking landscaped gardens and a 20-room 1930ʼs Mediterranean Revival style

mansion known as Pinewood Estate. Historic Bok Sanctuary is an international attraction for many visitors to our state. “People from all ages enjoy it,” said director of marketing, Cindy Turner. “From children to 102.” The sanctuary, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, was originally a gift to the American people from Edward Bok, an immigrant from Holland. Bok said his desire was to “Touch the soul with its beauty and quiet.” After moving to America at the age of six, Bok overcame obstacles of language and culture

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Coming up this month Historic Bok Sanctuary will be offering a special treat as it puts on its annual Sunset and Symphony fall concert. The concert will feature symphonic pops and light classics from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Set in the picturesque arbored lawn beneath the tower, the event provides an evening of entertainment perfect for romance, family reunions or simply fun with your friends. Guests are welcome to bring their own food, or boxed dinners can be ordered from Historic Bok Sanctuary in advance. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., and guests will be allowed to enter as early as 4 p.m. for picnics. Tickets in

advance are $10 for adults and $5 for kids, or $12 for adults and $6 for kids at the door. Another upcoming event is the Pinewood Estate Holiday Home Tour. Every year around Christmas time, an interior designer transforms the palatial estate into a dazzling holiday showcase. The event will run from Nov. 26 through Jan. 9, and features traditional holiday décor of the 1930ʼs as well as a taste of holiday customs from around the world. The sanctuary offers a variety of other events and opportunities, including children and adult educational programs like pottery, basket weaving and nature based activities. “We really think of it as a center of enrichment,” said Turner. The sanctuary provides teachers a great opportunity for ﬁeld trips tied to state curriculum. Historic Bok Sanctuary is currently cleaning up from a recent uninvited guest, Hurricane Charley. “Hurricanes are part of a natural process,” said Turner. Turner remarked that the ordeal has allowed them to make changes, such as pruning and introducing new plant life, which they otherwise would have not been able to do. While the storm took its toll, the sanctuary is recovering quickly, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and staff. “People have such a love for the place that it has allowed us to open more quickly than we would have anticipated,” Turner said. Truly a state treasure, a visit to Historic Bok Sanctuary is well worth the time and the short drive over. More information can be found at the website at www. boktower.org, or by giving them a call at (863) 676-1408.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 102

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

STORY BY LYNNE WARREN PHOTOS BY MIKE & LYNNE WARREN

PARK-SIDE CAFÉ

OFF THE BEATEN PATH, BUT WORTH LOOKING FOR… Once upon a time Kristii Hendricks, lifetime resident of

the Plant City area, dreamed of opening a Bed and Breakfast here in her hometown. That is still her dream, and the Park-Side Café is a step in that direction. Kristii has always loved to cook, and in late 2003 she went to work here for the previous owner. In March, she and partner Brian Garrett bought the place and started to transform it into their own creation. Kristiiʼs primary goal for now is getting the word out that the café is not only open for lunch, but dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, too. The location is a little off the beaten path, so many people donʼt even know itʼs here. Located at 101 East J. Arden Mays Boulevard, the café, previously Andrews, overlooks McCall Park in downtown. When FOCUS contacted Kristii about featuring the Park-Side Café for the dining review this month, her excitement was obvious. She invited us for both lunch and dinner so she could give us the grand tour of all the caféʼs offerings. On Friday evening my husband, Mike, and I began the tour with dinner, and we were not disappointed. The ﬁrst thing we noticed when we stepped in the door was the unique atmosphere and exceptional hospitality. With exposed brick walls, lace tablecloths, displays of art and photography, and soft jazz and soul music playing in the background, the atmosphere was cozy and comfortable, and a little eclectic. We were also treated to a live, impromptu performance by 10 year old Bianca, a friend of Kristii and Brianʼs. The view through the front window, of McCall Park and its gazebo, is beautiful and only adds to the atmosphere and local ﬂair. Park-Side Café is a family

oriented establishment, and the kind of place that makes you feel welcome, but also holds a few surprises. The food at the café could be considered home-style, but with flair. The dinner menu features a nice variety of standard items, as well as a couple of nightly specials. A salad and soup bar is always available, with a different, homemade soup each day. We had soup and salad from the bar with our meal. The soup was a home-style vegetable beef, and was hearty, with lots of vegetables and beef – and big on taste. The salad bar features a good, fresh variety, without being overdone. The hot special on the buffet the night we visited was fried catfish with grits and hushpuppies. The catfish was excellent, and the hushpuppies, with their surprise ingredient, were very good, too. Kristii adds a little tomato to the batter, making the hushpuppies really moist and tasty. Each night dinner is served, there is an Italian specialty on the menu, and Friday evening it was Fettuccine Alfredo. The Alfredo sauce was definitely homemade, and was rich and cheesy, as Alfredo should be! Next, we were treated to sirloin steak and pork chop selections from the menu. Both were juicy, seasoned well, and cooked to order. The menu features several side items available regularly, and some days Kristii adds some special sides to the selection. One of these is the pineapple casserole, which has become sort of a legend among regulars here at Park-Side. The casserole is included on the bar for lunch each Wednesday, and Kristiiʼs customers have made a regular activity of trying to guess the ingredients. No one has succeeded yet, and Kristii isnʼt telling - but whatever is in it, itʼs good. Aside from the pineapple

casserole, we sampled the broccoli casserole, and it was excellent, as well. Kristii believes in stick-to-your ribs food, in generous portions – so no one should walk away from the ParkSide Café hungry. The restaurant also serves beer and wine, and has a nice selection of both. A really good variety of homemade desserts is always available, and typically includes a ʻcake-of-the-dayʼ. We tried the banana split pie – a frozen treat with fresh bananas, and the peanut butter pie. Both were drizzled in chocolate, and absolutely sinful! This would be a great place to come in the evening just to sit, relax and enjoy coffee and dessert, maybe outside at one of the sidewalk tables. On the Tuesday following our dinner on Friday, we continued our tour by visiting the café for lunch. The lunch menu features a variety of sandwiches, including the ʻBirdʼ and the “Hot Rod Burger”, which is absolutely out of this world. Take it from a died-inthe-wool hamburger connoisseur!! Always on the menu is Andrewʼs world famous chicken salad, a carryover from when Andrewʼs was previously housed at this spot. The chicken salad is back to the way Andrew originally made it, and it is wonderful. In fact, a lot of the old, original recipes from Andrewʼs days are back. The soup and salad bar is open for lunch each day, along with a hot special. Among the daily specials are shepherdʼs pie on Monday, and fried chicken on Thursday. We were treated to several items from the lunch menu, and all were

excellent. Then, we were served the biggest slice of chocolate cake Iʼve seen in a long time – and was it ever good. The Park-Side already has some loyal customers, but Kristii and Brian know they have to work hard to build a good reputation and a steady clientele. So far, they seem to be well on their way to doing just that. Everything we sampled was very good, but by far the biggest treat was the great service and hospitality shown to us and all of the guests. The café features several events each month. The art youʼll see here is courtesy of a different local artist every month. At the end of the month, and the artistʼs run, the café holds a reception. The artist is on hand at the reception, the art is on sale, and hors dʼoeuvres and wine are served. Another regular happening is the bluegrass and country buffet held the fourth Saturday of each month, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Local bluegrass bands perform, and a variety of country fare is available on the buffet. A large banquet style room is available for groups or parties, and the atmosphere in this room is as wonderful as it is in the main dining area. This would be a great place for small wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, large family gatherings, and the like. Special menu requests are always accepted. Visit the Park-Side Café, and tell them FOCUS sent you. You wonʼt be disappointed.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 103

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

STORY BY SHERRI ROBINSON PHOTO BY BILLY FRIEND

“THE SHOW MUST GO ON”

THE RED ROSE DINING ROOM HOSTS JOEY DEE AND THE STARLITERS

On Saturday September 25th we were preparing yet again for another hurricane, hoping and praying it would spare us from its path of devastation. In the midst of massive cancellation, one Plant City business decided that the show must go on. The Ramada Innʼs Red Rose Dining Room was host to one of our favorite groups, Joey Dee and the Starliters. The approaching storm did not keep many from coming out and enjoying a ﬁne dinner and fantastic music. As always, the Starliters were entertainment at its very best. I loved the new musical opening of a

modern rock and roll number just before announcing the group, and presentation of a collection of songs they are so well known for, such as Earth Angel and Peppermint Twist. A few from the crowd enjoyed the music just a little bit more than the rest by getting out there and “shaking a leg” to the Peppermint Twist. As always, it was an immensely enjoyable evening of music. I am a big fan of the saxophone and I just have to say what a fantastic job Ronnie Dee did all night. I was very impressed by his vocals as well. He has a new group which will be performing here at the Ramada Inn Plantation House soon. Speaking of upcoming events, I want to talk about whatʼs happening in the Red Rose Dining Room. Here is an itinerary through the end of the year:

The Rat Pack Too

October 2, 16, 30 November 20, 27 December 11

The Crests October 9

The Diamonds October 23

The Del Vikings November 5

Danny and the Juniors November 13

Joey Dee & the Starliters December 4

The Marcels

December 18 The Crests and The Saturn Five December 31

In the Convention Center: The Platters with the Legendary Monroe Powell and Destiny December 31

The next big upcoming event is going to be the New Yearʼs Eve Celebration Extravaganza of the Century, “A Night of Glitz and Glamour”. In the Red Rose Dining Room they will be featuring Tommy Mara and the Crests, as well as the Saturn Five. In the Red Rose Ballroom you will enjoy the ﬁne music of The Platters, The Legendary Monroe Powell, and Destiny. The New Yearʼs Celebration Package experience features: A Culinary Feast, Champagne and Midnight Brunch for just $199.00 per couple. Add a State Room $299 per couple Add a Junior State Room $349 Add a Full State Room $399 per couple Great prices for a wonderful evening. It will be an evening you wonʼt soon forget. The Ramada Inn Plantation House always does every event with such beauty and class. I have never been disappointed. It is always such a pleasure to be there.

“SHOWTIME”

Mr. Al Cohen, director of Star Productions, is proud to announce the presentation of his latest dinner theatre extravaganza, “Showtime”, which will be presented October 20 at the Park Side Café in Plant City. Alʼs experience in the entertainment business includes casting for Columbia Pictures for such blockbuster hits as “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind”, “Under

Siege”, “Jaws II” and many others. Al has also seen many, many budding actors and actresses in his career as an agent during his talent searches for producers such as Alex Haley and Norman Lear. Al believes he has put together an outstanding cast for this production, including several young, up and coming actresses, as well as a few veteran performers. The line up is as follows: Bianca Swilley (age 10) who sings tunes such as “The Rose” Lindsey Mutert (age 12) who performs hits, such as “Over the Rainbow”

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 106

Mollie Anderson, the veteran singer who has entertained many seniors and veterans groups over the years. Assistant Director Johnathon Douglas, the accomplished actor, director and owner of “Shows To Go”. Betty Bennett, our costume expert who also takes care of our props, sets and scenery. Betty is the best at what she does. Garry Cohen (also known as “Oliver”), our video and camera person who is also a gifted performer himself. Garry never misses a Star Production performance. Gayle and Valerie Moorer are our hospitality people who turn the end

of every show into a magical performance with their special touch. George Newman, one of the most talented screen writers I have ever known is the screen writer for this production. The hosts of our show are Kristi Hendricks and Brian Garrett of the Park Side Café, located at 101 J. Arden Mays Blvd. in Plant City. Show times are as follows, dinner at 7:00 p.m. and the curtain goes up at 8:00 p.m. Donʼt miss this opportunity to come out and enjoy an evening of top notch entertainment on Wednesday, October 20th at the wonderful Park Side Café. Youʼll love the show!!

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 109

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIE REVIEWS BY SHERRI ROBINSON

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE – R

THE FORGOTTEN – PG13

Starring: Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Anthony Edwards

Starring: Mila Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Mike Epps, Oded Fehr, This is second in the very popular Resident Evil series it picks up right where the ﬁrst left off. Alice (Jovovich) of the elite military searches for a way to contain a undead virus that has ravaged Raccoon City. Survivor, Jill (Guillory), teams up with Alice while they are both being hunted by monster experiment Nemesis (Mabius). This movie is based on the Resident Evil game series and contains violence, language, and adult visuals. Fans of the game have their rating series for this movie but I give it a 3.

8 year old Sam is never far from his mom, Tellyʼs (Moore), memory after his death in a plane crash. To assist with the grieving process Telly seeks the help of a psychiatrist (Sinese). He tries to convince her that her son and all the memories are just a ﬁgment of her imagination and she must let go. She refuses and the truth begins to unfold. Another parent (West) teams up with her to ﬁnd the daughter he had forgotten. Unsettling special effects, violence, and language make it more of adult movie and barely squeaks by with a PG13 rating. Rating 4

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

on a cat and mouse chase with the notorious kidnapper and gang and he is holding the bag they want. Cellular is one of the most creative movies this season. After a rash of remakes it is refreshing to see something a little bit different. Rating 4

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW – PG

CELLULAR – PG13

Starring: Chris Evans, Kim Bassinger, Jason Statham, Jessica Biel, Noah Emmerich Free-spirited Ryan (Evans) is living the life of one lucky guy with a fast car and love for a beautiful woman who dumps

BROCCOLI CHEESE

CHILI

him because she thinks he needs to grow up. He wish is about to come true when he answers a call from a desperate woman, Jessica Martin (Bassinger), on his cell phone. He quickly discovers that she has been kidnapped and her kidnapper means business. Through a series of periless events he ﬁnds himself

CHICKEN NOODLE

CLAM CHOWDER

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Starring: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Bai Ling, Michael Gambon

Chronicle reporter, Polly Perkins (Paltrow) and Sky Captain (Law) go way back and are once again teaming up on an investigation to ﬁnd out why famous scientists are disappearing. They travel the world to stop Dr. Totenkopf from plotting to destroy the earth. Franky

Cook (Jolie) enters the picture and evokes jealousy of former girlfriend, Polly, inspiring her to do a little investigation of her own. Some violence and language. Sky Captain is for those with a different taste in movies. Unfortunately I never acquired it and ultimately fell asleep. Rating 2

DVD/VHS RELEASES 10/26 Dawn of the Dead White Chicks 11/2 Around The World In 80 Days 11/5 Shrek 2 11/9 Stepford Wives 11/16 Chronicles of Riddick 11/23 Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Ashkaban The Terminal

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 111

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

ABC Pizza 114 N Alexander St 752-5146

Catfish Country 712 S Collins 752-0126

Alexander's CafÈ at S Fla Baptist Hospital 301 N. Alexander St. 757-8451

Chancy's Catfish Shack 2509 N Park Rd 754-3433

All Star Grill 226 Alexander St W. 719-8187 Parkside Cafe Andrew's on the Park 101 E J Arden Mays Blvd 719-8345 Anna's Restaurant 3410 Baker St W 754-6215 Apple Tree 2218 Jas Redman Pkwy 707-8109 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar 1204 Townsgate Ct 719-1500 Arby's Roast Beef Restaurant 1909 Frontage Rd S 719-3321 Arby's Roast Beef Restaurant 201 Alexander St W 754-4881 Baker Street CafÈ 1801 W Baker St (Hwy 92 W) 717-9785 Beef O'Brady's Sports Pub 2418 Jas Redman Pkwy 757-0300 Bogey's Restaurant 2001 Clubhouse Dr 752-1171 Boston Market 238 Alexander St W 759-2652 Branch Ranch Dining Room 5121 Thonotosassa Rd 752-1957 Brooklyn Bridge Deli 1309 S Collins St 659-3621 Buddy Freddy's Restaurant 1101 Goldfinch Dr 754-5120 Burger King 2302 Park Rd N 754-5792 Burger King 2002 Jas Redman Pkwy 752-0044

Checker's 2405 Jas Redman Pkwy 759-0151 Cherry's Bar & Grill 1701 S Alexander St W 764-8818 China King Restaurant 2410 Jas Redman Pkwy 754-8098 China One 1862 Jas Redman Pkwy 707-8898 China Palace 1106 Collins St S 754-7145 China Palace 1106 Collins St S 754-7145 Church's Fried Chicken 703 Collins St S 754-5200

Grandpa Johnson's Barbecue 1305 W MLK Jr Blvd 759-0009 Heavenly Sinsations Inc. 1803 Jas Redman Pkwy 717-7512 Hong Kong Buffet 213 Alexander St W 764-8255 Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs 208 N Alexander St 752-6113 Hungry Howie's - #200 2424 Hwy 92 E 764-0363 Joann's Country Kitchen 12650 McIntosh Rd Thonotosassa 982-0739 Kazbor's Grille 2212 Jas Redman Pkwy 752-2700 Kentucky Fried Chicken 2305 Collins St S 752-0437

Papa John's Pizza 1820 Jas Redman Pkwy 719-7300

Subway 2403 Jas Redman Pkwy 754-4878

Pesos Mexican Restaurant 2006 Reynolds St W 752-8841

Subway 2209 N Park Rd 659-0288

Pizza Hut 2316 Jas Redman Pkwy 752-8222 Pizza Moni 2607 Thonotosassa Rd 759-6664 Plant City Restaurant & Drive-in 2005 W Baker St 752-9202 Ponderosa Steak House 1914 Jim Redman Pkwy 754-1129 Popeye's Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits 2005 Frontage Rd S 757-9742 Quacker's Cafe 1707 Jim Redman Pkwy 707-9866

CiCi's Pizza 211 Alexander St W 659-3400

La Esperanza Mexican Restaurant 113 Prosser Dr W 659-3940

Ramada Inn Red Rose Dining Room (Fine dining) 2011 N Wheeler St 752-3141

Curbita Inc (Only speaks Spanish) 4109 State Rd 574 754-0620

Linda's Crab Shack 202 Reynolds E 754-0492

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant 805 Collins St S 759-0518

D & D Grid Iron 502 Baker E 752-8262

Lin's Express 2307 Thonotosassa Rd 719-6066

Dairy Queen 1902 W Reynolds 752-2236

Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppe 1805 Jas Redman Pkwy 752-1717

Denny's Restaurant 2001 Frontage Rd S 752-3338

Maryland Fried Chicken 315 N Alexander 752-9200

Domino's Pizza 204 Alexander St W 759-9424

McDonald's 2001 State Rd 39 S 752-2239

El Buen Gusto Michaocan 3414 Baker St W 759-6635

McDonald's 2601 Thonotosassa Rd 754-3945

El Mirasol Bakery Cafeteria 1419 Collins St S 752-2108 El Rincon Mexicano 4109 State Rd 574 754-0620 Fred's Market Restaurant 1401 W Dr MLK Blvd 752-7763 Frontage Sports Bar & Grill Days Inn 301 S Frontage Rd 752-0570 xt 168 & 169

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 112

Mi Casa 2613 Thonotosassa Rd 752-0057 Norma's Ybor City Cuban Shop 1305 Baker St E 754-6557 Orange Blossom Tea Room 106 Evers St S 759-2247 Outback Steakhouse 1203 Townsgate Ct 759-4329

Shelby's & Jacob's Java 110 Reynolds St E 719-6570 Snellgrove's Restaurant 109 S Collins 752-3652 Sonic 2901 James L Redman Pkwy 754-0300 Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q 1102 Goldfinch Dr 757-3118 Strawberry Hut Sandwich Shoppe 1505 Wheeler St N 752-3779 Strawberry Paradise 4511 James L. Redman Parkway (813) 737-3866 Sub Conscious 101 E Reynolds St, Suite 500 754-6566 Subway 2305 Thonotosassa Rd 754-4550

Taco Bell 210 Baker St W 707-8966 Taco Bell 2307 Jas Redman Pkwy 754-5146 Taco Loco Restaurant 14672 Dr MLK Blvd 659-0916 Tim's CafÈ 10903 Lithia Pinecrest Rd 737-4026 Twistee Treat 2301 Jas Redman Pkwy 707-9303 Vallarta's Mexican Restaurant 410 Alexander St 759-2521 Waffle House 1201 Townsgate Ct 707-0190 Wendy's 1601 Baker St W 759-1500 Westshore Pizza 1701 S Alexander St, St 108 754-5600 Whistle Stop CafÈ 102 S Collins 752-7340 Woody's Bar-B-Q 203 Alexander St W 754-3229

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Month of October – The First

United Methodist Church will be having a Pumpkin Patch on the corner of Reynolds and Wheeler Streets. The proceeds will beneﬁt their youth ministry. For additional information, call 813-754-3519.

Art Exhibits at Bruton Memorial Library:

Month of October - The Art of Jossie Azorin. Month of November – Art and Artifacts of Native Americans – View paintings, artifacts and crafts created by or about our Native American ancestors on the libraryʼs Art Wall and exhibit cases.

The First Baptist Church of Plant City is offering training

opportunities on Sunday evenings during the month of October: “All Godʼs Children”, offering suggestions of how parents and teachers can better understand and help a child with AD/HD, DYSLEXIA, ASPERGERʼS SYNDROME, etc; “Five Love Languages of Children”ʼ “Divorce Care”ʼ “How to Better Understand the Bible”ʼ and a Bible study on the Book of Revelations. All classes begin at 5:00 PM during the month of October except for Divorce Care, which begins at 6:00 PM. Beginning the ﬁrst Sunday of November, there will be two classes: Bible study on the Book of Revelation and an in-depth look at mission endeavors in Mexico. Call the church ofﬁce, 752-4104 for further information.

Every Friday night between 5:00-7:00 pm there is an open

house to meet the teachers at Jackieʼs Dance Theatre Gym & Clogging - Home of Plant City Childrenʼs Theatre, 507 N. Wheeler St. For more information, please call 752-1621 or 752-1683, or log on to their website at www.jackiesdance.com.

OCTOBER 16TH Saturday Strawberry Classic Car Show in beautiful historic downtown Plant City. Show begins at 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm.

The Rat Pack Too will be appearing in the Ramada Inn Plantation Houseʼs Red Rose Dining Room at 8:00 pm. Advance tickets are $20, $25 at the door. For reservations or additional information, please call 813-752-5452, or visit their website at www.ramadaplantation. com.

The Lord of Life Church at

2104 Mud Lake Road in Plant City is holding their annual Fall Event, which features their Oktoberfest Celebration, from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. This year that event will feature a yard sale (only items in good working condition) and a bake sale with goodies prepared by some of the ﬁnest cooks in Florida. We will also have available for sale a “Brunch” menu of Brats, Kraut, Hot Dogs, great German Potato Salad and a variety of beverages. There will be plenty of games, etc. to keep the kids entertained. From 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. we will be featuring a new addition to the event, Family Fun Nite. That event will feature live music provided by a local band, The Retreads. There will be dancing, door prizes and for the kids there will be a “moonwalk bouncer”, plenty of games, a cake walk, and a pumpkin decorating contest. That contest will provide prizes for the winners in the scariest, funniest, and most original categories. Pumpkins can be carved, painted, etc. and need to be brought to the contest already decorated. In addition, we will also have available for sale“dinner plate” featuring roast pork, potato salad, baked beans, roll, and a variety of beverages. The food alone will be worth the trip!!

Tomlin Middle School is hosting its ﬁrst Hispanic Heritage Festival in the Band shell from 1-5 p.m. The event is free and will include a live music and performers, food vendors, and entertainment for younger children. For additional information, please contact Greg Burgos at 757-9400.

October 22nd Friday The Tile Barn, Carpet & Interiors is holding its grand opening celebration beginning at 5:30 pm at their new location, 1103 Gold Finch Drive (behind Buddy Freddyʼs off Thonotosassa Road). There will be a roasted pig, live bands, hourly giveaways and it will be catered by two caterers. For additional information, please call 813-719-2246.

October 23rd Saturday The Diamonds will be appearing at the Red Rose Dining Room at the Ramada Inn Plantation House. Show begins at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance & $25 at the door. For additional information or to make reservations, please call 813-752-5452, or log on to their website at www.ramadaplantation. com.

Plant City Garden Club Fall Garden Tour 10:00 am until 4:00

pm. Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased in advance from any Garden Club Member, or at the Garden Center, 112 N Wheeler, the day of the event. The tour features ﬁve beautiful gardens located in the Plant City vicinity. Tour to include refreshments, and plant sale at the garden center. For further information, please contact Jan Grifﬁn @ 754-8685 or Darcy Stottlemyer @ 759-1019

The Florida Opry, 1914 High School. Begins at 7 pm

Please come and bring your family, friends, relatives, etc. and join the fun! If you have any questions, please contact the church ofﬁce between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 813-752-6064. We hope to see you there!!

The CFBA is holding their “Fall” into Bluegrass October Jam from 4-8pm at Lanier BBQ Shed in Plant City. It is open to the public. If you have any questions please call 813-763-0483.

October 17th Sunday

October 23rd & 24th Saturday & Sunday

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 116

Cindy Shawʼs annual classic allnight womanʼs slow pitch softball tournament at Plant City Stadium. For more information, please call 813-249-2730.

October 26th – 31st Tuesday - Sunday The International Softball Federation, headquartered in Plant City, is hosting the WORLD UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP at Plant City Stadium. This inaugural event will draw teams and VIPs from around the world, including Australia, China, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Russia, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Uganda and, of course, the USA. Participants in this womenʼs fast pitch competition will be between the ages of 17 and 28.

The International Softball Federation is extending a call

for volunteers who can work at any point during the event. For additional information on this wonderful opportunity please call ISF Director of Competition, Laurie Gouthro, at 813-864-0100, extension 228. Admission to Plant City Stadium is free, with a nominal $5 per car parking fee. Opening ceremonies will take place at 5:30 PM. Games will follow at 7:15 in the stadium, as well as at the adjacent Randy Larson Four-Plex. This great event runs through October 31st.

October 26th Tuesday Cork Elementary is holding Parent Training classes for parents of children from Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Help your child become a better reader. Class will be held 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Call 813-757-9353 for more information

October 28th Thursday Cork Elementary is having Treat Night. Children can dress as their favorite storybook character and participate in a safe trick-or-treat type event. Begins at 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm.

October 29th Friday

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT The annual Hallowscreams Dance at the Planteen Recreation Center, 301 Dort Street, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. Come mingle with your friends! Open to all area teens ages 12-16. $5.00 at the door ($1.00 discount for those in costume). Costume Contest with cash prizes. Free drinks & pizza, concession snacks available at a minimal cost. For more information on this ghoulishly great dance, contact Planteen Special Events Coordinator Stephen Rossiter by phone at 813-757-9166 or by e-mail at srossiter@plantcitygov. com

October 30th Saturday Masquerade Ball at Plant City

Bingo, 105 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd., begins at 7:00 pm. Proceeds beneﬁt Unity in the Community. For additional information, please call 752-1275.

The Rat Pack Too will be at the Red Rose Dining Room at the Ramada Inn Plantation House; with show starting at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. For more information, or to make reservations, please call 813-752-5452, or log on to their website at www.ramadaplantation. com. November 2nd Tuesday The Plant City Christian Womenʼs Club will be hosting their annual Country Fair fundraiser at the Walden Lake Country Club. The event will be held in conjunction with the clubʼs monthly luncheon. The fair is open to the public and will include craft items, white elephant gifts, hand-made Christmas decorations and baked goods available for purchase. Proceeds will sponsor missionaries of the international organization Stonecroft Ministries, Inc. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and shopping will be available until the start of the luncheon at 11:30 a.m., and immediately following the luncheon at 1:00 p.m. Ladies also interested in attending the luncheon can call in advance to make a reservation. For more information, contact Diane Kennedy at 659-3487.

Book Discussion at the Bruton Memorial Library:

“Nineteen Eighty-Four,” by George Orwell, 11:00 a.m. Book available for check out at the circulation desk.

4923, Plant City, FL 33564. If you have an item or items you would like to donate for the silent auction, or for further information, call Mary Dear-Weiss at 813-719-9204 or Jodi Smith at 813-754-3703.

November 4th Thursday

Bike Fest in Historic Downtown Plant City. Begins at 5:00 pm.

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Banquet will take

November 8th Monday

place at the Ramada Inn Plantation House. Call the Chamber ofﬁce at 754-3707 for additional information and reservations.

Baby Time at the Bruton Memorial Library Thursday,

November 4 and 18, at 10:00 a.m. for babies from birth to 14 months and their caregivers. Share board books, rhymes, songs, games, and quality time together while instilling a love of reading and regular library visits in this 20 minute session.

November 6th Saturday The Del Vikings will be at the Ramada Inn Plantation Houseʼs Red Rose Dining Room. This is a continuation of the Ramadaʼs effort to preserve 50ʼs and 60ʼs rock-n-roll! Show will start at 8:00 pm, and tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door. Please call 813-752-5452 for reservations or more information, or log on to their website at www.ramadaplantation.com. The 9th Annual Spring Harvest Ball, held by the Spring of

East Hillsborough County, will be at the Ramada Inn Plantation House, starting at 7:00 pm. Their theme this year is “Reaching for the Stars”. This gala event will feature a great silent auction, and new this year will be a cigar bar. For a donation of $10.00, or 3 for $25.00, you can purchase a chance to win two round trip tickets on American Airlines to the winnerʼs choice of 9 European cities. Tickets for the rafﬂe can be purchased by calling Susan Kolker at 813-752-0525, or you can mail your check to East Hillsborough Friends of the Spring, P.O. Box

Plant Propagation, 7:30 p.m., at the Bruton Memorial Library. Master Gardener, Jimmy Lee, who is also a member of the Rare Fruit Council, will explain the different ways to propagate plants and fruit trees. November 9th Tuesday Childrenʼs programs at the Bruton Memorial Library:

Toddlers, Tuesday, November 9, 16, 23, and 30, at 9:30 a.m. for ages 15 months to 2 _ years and their caregivers. Enjoy stories, ﬁnger plays, and songs in this fun 20 minute program. Preschoolers, Tuesday, November 9, 16, 23, and 30, at 10:30 a.m. for ages 2 _ to 5 years. Enjoy 30-45 minutes of stories, music, games and a take-home activity.

November 12th – November 19th 2nd Annual Jeremiah Thornton Memorial Fall Classic Baseball Tournament, the

fall high school baseball tournament, hosted by the Plant City Recreation & Parks Dept., will be based at Mike Sansone Park in Plant City, with off-site ﬁelds being used in and around Plant City. Last year there were 10 high schools participating, this year 25 teams are expected to participate. All proceeds go back into the Plant City area high school sport programs, sport scholarships to area high school students and helping area youth charities. For further information, contact Tournament Director Tim Thornton of Plant City High School at 813-478-8586 or 813-754-7221, or by e-mail at tim.thornton@cardinal.com.

November 13th Saturday Danny and the Juniors will be

appearing in the Red Rose Dining Room at the Ramada Inn Plantation House; with show starting at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Please call 813-752-5452 for reservations or information, or you can log on to their website at www.ramadaplantation.com.

Pioneer Day at the 1914 High School, sponsored by the East Hillsborough Historical Society. Begins at 9:00 am.

Antique Street Fair and Arts & Crafts Fair in Historic downtown Plant City. Begins at 8:00 am.

November 17th Wednesday All public schools will be holding The Great American Teach In. For more information, or to volunteer, call the public school of your choice.

Year Round Winter Visitor Center Strawberry Stitcherʼs Sewing Club meets year-round on Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Geared for ages 13 and up, itʼs great for seniors! Itʼs a non-profit group dedicated to community service. Make bears for local police & fire departments & hospitals for children in stressful situations. Make lap throws, shawls, totes, etc., for area nursing homes. No experience needed. There is a $12.00 annual membership fee. For more information, contact Elaine Crump at 813-754-8247 days. Active Senior trips for active seniors 50 and over. Peak travel is during the winter months. Pre-register for each event, as it is scheduled. Specific dates and times are available by calling Deborah Haldane at 813-757-9166, or by e-mail at dhaldane@plantcitygov. com, or to get more information and to place your name on their mailing list. Have an idea for a trip? Let us know!

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 117

Owner/Chef Mark Rose is back with a new Menu! ��

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION OCTOBER 15 - NOVEMBER 15• 2004 PG 119

DavidGee for

SHERIFF

WORKING TO SECURE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTYʼS FUTURE Central Florida Custom Homes Inc. Proudly Supports David Gee

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Political advertisement paid for by Jim Carapezza and approved by David Gee, Republican for Hillsborough County Sheriff.