FOCUS Plant City 06-05 May 2007 by Floyd Publications

LOCAL • REAL ESTATE • BUSINESS • SPORTS • DINING • ENTERTAINMENT VOLUME 6 NUMBER 5 • MAY 15, 2007 - JUNE 15, 2007

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TAKE ONE

PLANT CITY EDITION

Dr. Shaukat and Dr. Girling Receive Top Recognition from Hospital Nursing Staff

Medical

Issue

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 2

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 3

M AY 1 5 - J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 0 7

feature

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We take you on a journey through the history of medicine here in Plant City. Hear from some of the ﬁrst doctors in our town, see photos of medical equipment before it become revolutionary, and have much to be thankful for when you realize how far we’ve come! We are truly blessed to live in the day where medicine has advanced in so many ways, but let us never forget those who began those advancements.

sports

110 & 111 Pretty much anyone can enjoy a game of softball, but it’s not often Plant City has the opportunity to witness a high school state-wide championship game, right in our own stadium! Joe Bowles takes you there in this fast-paced article.

business proﬁle Milennium Homes

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The Red Rose Dining Room outdid itself again with an incredible weekend event. During the weekend of April 27th through the 29th, the Ramada Inn Plantation House held their DooWop Weekend, Volume 1, complete with classic car displays, beach blanket bingo pool party and enough DooWop talent to keep you skipping the light fandango all night.

120 ...........Dining Review 122 ...........Entertainment 124-125 .. Downtown Map 126 ............ Dining Guide 128 ...............Just for Fun 130-131 ...Event Calendar

Photo by STEFANIE BURLINGAME

Don’t we all dream of the perfect home? Our business proﬁle this month is with a company that can make that dream come true. If you are in the market for a new house, Millennium Homes is your best bet. Even if you’re not quite ready to begin the process, now is the time to begin ﬁnding out just what they can do for you, and to look at what they have done for others.

dining & entertainment

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There were so many fundraisers for good causes this past month: the Arts Council Ball, the Powder Puff Golf Tournament, Plant City High School’s Cosmetology Night for Rely for Life, the Photo Archive’s Evening of Picture Perfect Memories and the Rainbow Ball. Check out our local section for all the highlights! Also, the Taste of Plant City and the Community Expo joined together this year for one fabulous event.

spotlight

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53-65 We feature a special section this month, in honor of all those who keep us in good health. If you are looking for a physician, or would like to learn more about your own, make sure to look through these pages!

ON THE COVER FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 4

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(Left to right) Dr. Khizzar Shaukat and Dr. Martin Girling.

MAGAZINE PUBLISHER Mike Floyd mike@floydpublications.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Linda Floyd linda@floydpublications.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kristen Toney ktoney@floydpublications.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Emily Allen Kristel Williamson OFFICE MANAGER DeDe Floyd dede@floydpublications.com CREDIT MANAGER Bob Hughens bob@floydpublications.com SALES Tania Summers tsummers@floydpublications.com Erica Snyder esnyder@floydpublications.com Sophia Hyde shyde@floydpublications.com Tammy Simpson tsimpson@floydpublications.com ART DIRECTOR Stefanie Burlingame sburlingame@floydpublications.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Anthony Sassano asassano@floydpublications.com DISTRIBUTION Tony DeVane PHOTOGRAPHER Billy Friend STAFF WRITERS Brian West, Debbie Bowers, Wendy Brown, Joe Bowles, Sherry Baldwin, Holly Mallalieu, Pat Hearn, Heather Wilson, Heather Davis, Cheryl Johnston CONTRIBUTORS Sherry Nueesch, Gil Gott, Al Ruechel, Shelton Keely, Michael Cameron, Bruce Rodwell, Natalie Sweet, Robert Brown, Dr. Susan Ott FOCUS Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Plant City businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. Letters, Questions and Comments can be sent to us at sdedon@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.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.

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101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Plant City, FL 33563 Phone 813.707.8783 • Fax 813.764.0990

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 5

letter

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FROM THE EDITOR

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�� Olly Howard ��

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If you are an avid radio listener, you may have heard a recent song by Nickelback playing pretty often. It’s called, If Everyone Cared. A section of the lyrics read: Regan Whitehurst ��

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Do the words strike a chord with you at all?

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I can remember when I was much younger and we lived out in the country. I remember looking up at night to an inﬁnite number of stars. I remember being taught to care for everyone, to love and not lie, to share and not be prideful. These things were just a given; it was the norm for my family and me, and it still is.

�� Barbara Periman ��

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And as we lie beneath the stars We realize how small we are… If everyone cared and nobody cried If everyone loved and nobody lied If everyone shared and swallowed their pride Then we’d see the day when nobody died…

Ezra Jackson ��

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Now, on the off chance that I’m outdoors in the evening hours, it’s rare for me to look up and take in the sky. Most nights I’m tired from whatever crisis has ensued during the day, and I exit my car and walk up the sidewalk with head down, sometimes even with closed eyes. I looked up at the stars last night. I stopped in the middle of my sidewalk, took a deep breath of beginning-of-summer-weather air, and I just…stopped. I smiled as I picked out constellations I recognized, and marveled at how the sheer amount of stars and the never-ending breadth of the sky still make me feel like I’m the smallest thing in the world. I stood there for quite a while before going inside. There are simple values that go along with stopping, with taking life easy and not rushing through each activity. These are all things our society witnesses far too little of. As I watched the news over the past month and witnessed the horrors taking place at Virginia Tech, these thoughts were all too clear in my head. What would the world be like, If everyone cared and nobody cried, If everyone loved and nobody lied, If everyone shared and swallowed their pride…would we see the day when nobody died? Our entire issue this month features people who know best how to care: those in medicine. We share the story of a nurse who has been helping the sick for 50 years, a golf tournament to beneﬁt the American Cancer Society, and our Spotlight Interview is with two men who know what it means to show concern and make the quality of life for those in need so much greater. You also don’t want to miss our Feature article, which tells the tale of medicine here in Plant City from the very beginning, and our special Medical Section, which just may feature your very own doctor! Think about our world today. Why not dream of a place where we all would look out for one another? Some may say it’s unrealistic, that we live in the real world and things aren’t that easy. Some may say we live in the dream place now, in having the privilege of residing in Plant City. I believe there is a place where everyone cares, but it is far away, although we can go there someday. Take some time to look at the stars tonight. Life won’t pass you by because you pause for a moment. And I think you’ll ﬁnd in the time you lost, you gained something much greater. With You in Mind,

Kristen Toney Editorial Director

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 6

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TALK

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Focus Magazine wants to know what is going on in YOUR life. People have exciting things happen to them every day and sometimes wish they could tell everyone. Well, now you can! If you have an announcement you would like to share with Plant City, tell us, and we will put it in our Talk of the Town section. There are drop-oﬀ boxes and notepads located around town for your convenience. Right now a couple box locations are at Grandpa Johnson’s and Natural Creations. More locations are to come, so keep your eye out for the Talk of the Town boxes. If you would prefer to call in your exciting news, the number is (813) 707-8783 X 24. Focus Magazine cares about you and wants to share in your excitement.

town

Happy 5th Anniversary to Swilley-Johnson Electric Company! Congratulations to the Plant City High School Class of 1957, who celebrated with a 50-year Reunion weekend on the weekend of April 21-22. Welcome Mike and DeDe Floyd’s newest edition, Zy Maverick, who was born on April 30! Lauren Der has been named to the National Position of Vice President of FFA. Congratulations, Lauren! Jared Everidge and Sarah Lilly were married on March 11. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Everidge! Jeff Norman and Brittany Toney were married on April 15. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Norman! Congratulations to everyone involved in the monthly Strawberry Classic Car Show! The event celebrated its 10th anniversary this past month!

The Elks Club of Plant City recently installed new officers for the 20072008 year. For the Ladies of the Elks, Jan Springer was named President, Sandra Smith was named Vice President, Earlene Pace was named Secretary, Connie Poage was named Treasurer and Carol Yates was named Chaplain. The Board of Directors for the Ladies consists of Joyce Ludwick, Bev Butler and Carol Yates, and Officer of the Year was presented to Connie Poage. The new Officers installed for the Elks are: Troy Springer (Exalted Ruler), Mark Richter (Loyal Knight), Charles Bennett (Lecturing Knight), Bill Spivey (Secretary), Steve Parrish (Treasurer), Barbara Bennett (Tiler), Barbara Franklin (Inner Guard), Tom Crews PER (Esquire) and Dan Dyer (Chaplain). Trustees are Jerry Yates (5 years), Jim Hall (4 years), Gene Lyons (3 years), Frank LaBarbera (2 years) and Thomas Ludwick (1 year). Jim Hall was named Officer of the Year, and Gail Lyons was named Elk of the Year. Special Appreciation was also given to Henry Page. Thanks to all who participated in the IKON Children’s Classic Golf Tournament on April 27. $50,000 was raised to benefit children of Plant City through South Florida Baptist Hospital and the Kiwanis Club.

Many thanks to Jules Burt, who gifted a painting of Steel Magnolias to Plant City Entertainment for their production of Steel Magnolias. Thanks to all who donated items to the Working Woman’s Round Up and Spring Baby Shower on April 30! The event beneﬁted The Spring of Tampa Bay, and was proudly sponsored by the East Hillsborough Friends of the Spring and the American Business Women’s Association Plant City Charter Chapter.

The brand new AmSouth (and the last AmSouth to open in the United States) held its grand opening last month. The kids especially enjoyed all the food and fun. Thanks to AmSouth for all they do for our community!

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 7

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Story and Photos by Cheryl Johnston

Business Community Unites TO SHOWCASE AND SERVE

he Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce knows business, and the business leaders in our town are charitable. So this year, local merchants and sponsors united to showcase products and support a fundraiser in one event. The Plant City Community Expo and The Taste of Historic Plant City enjoyed sharing space and purpose at the Hillsborough Community College’s new Trinkle Center. Representatives from 94 local businesses displayed products, information, services, and community-spirited personality by joining with the annual fundraising event for the United Food Bank on May 3, 2007. Area restaurants and one high school group served scrumptious samples to help United Food Bank of Plant City continue its mission of providing food for hungry families. Open to the public, the free admission Expo also offered the opportunity to purchase wristbands for taste-testing, interaction with friendly servers, and participation in a great tradition of “giving back” to charity. Linda Lawson, Director of the United Food Bank, is encouraged by the new venue. “We moved our key fundraising event to a weekday indoors, where it’s cooler, and so the restaurants’ traditionally busy weekend business wouldn’t be affected by their desire to help others. Combining efforts with the Chamber’s Expo has provided more support.” Participating for the ﬁrst time, Durant High School’s Culinary Arts Class, directed by Peggy Voss, experienced involvement in true community service – merchants uniting to meet a great need – food for the hungry. Smiling Chamber of Commerce representatives greeted guests and offered the local business directory. The $12 wristbands allowed purchas-

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 8

instructs students in the Hillsborough County program as they offer affordable beauty services to local residents. This industry thrives here, as evidenced by successful shops like A Healthy Glow by Katie, Tip to Toe, and Remedi Spa and ﬁtness centers like the YMCA and Athletic Club. The Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance oﬀers career centers to assist clients

Keller Williams Realty representatives Nicole Adams and Davy Miles

Karen Bozeman (center), owner-broker of KP Realty Services, Inc

Joey Wiggins, General Manager of Gulf Coast Turf & Tractor

ers to savor shrimp scampi, pulled pork, pureed black beans, chicken wings, ribs, pizza, and Panera bakery items. Timing was perfect for late lunch or early dinner, as the 2 to 6 p.m. event intercepted both meals. Restaurants and caterers supporting the cause included: Alexander’s SFBH Café, Applebee’s, Brass Bell Catering, Carabba’s, Cici’s Pizza, Coffee 101, First Choice BarBQue,

Fred’s Market Restaurant, Kazbor’s, Munchies, O’Brien’s Pub, Panera Bread, Quiznos, and Ramada’s Red Rose. The Expo was the place to eat this day! Among the vendors offering health or beauty services were cosmetologists/skin care adult students-in-training at Plant City High School. Lynn Connor, Tip to Toe Salon owner,

Hillsborough County Schools participated with students from the PCHS Adult Education Cosmetology Class and Durant High School’s Culinary Arts Program.

As attendees taste-sampled, they moved through eight rows of business displays, perusing vendor information and chatting with representatives. Whether you needed a new hairstyle, manicure, home related services, logo clothing, a stress test, fitness training, financial planning, photographic services, a new vehicle, farming equipment, career help, tutoring, travel reservations, or an alligator eco-tour, the Expo was your one-stop shopping place. Long time residents discovered community businesses they’d not known, inspiring them to shop eastern Hillsborough County first. The Expo is also a networking venue, providing an opportunity to meet friendly competitors, discuss the business climate, discover great marketing ideas, and meet neighbors all in one pleasant place. Plans are already underway for next year’s event. Reserve now to secure your space. This year’s well-attended event will become an even larger annual tradition, one of those “not to be missed” happenings. To connect with eastern Hillsborough County’s business community, contact the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce at www. plantcity.org or phone 813-7543707. Learn more, save money, and support a giving community through personal, personable interaction. Join the growing number of Plant City success stories – people making a difference through their businesses.

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WHATEVER YOUR LEGAL NEED WE’LL STRIVE FOR JUSTICE IN YOUR CASE. �

�� 813.719.6605 � ��

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 9

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SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM By Bruce Rodwell

Chamber of Commerce If you were one of the lucky ones that attended the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Business Expo and the United Food Bank’s Taste of Historic Plant City you know what a truly great event this was. This was the very ﬁrst time these two groups joined forces to present this informative and fun ﬁlled program to the public at the John R. Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College. Seeing all the latest products, services and information offered by Plant City’s businesses brought into focus just how great our community is. And the food….nothing short of spectacular. We do have some great restaurants and menus that please any appetite. When this event rolls around next year, you will want to be sure and attend. ★★★★★★★★★★ Here’s an event you will not want to miss. The National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 women’s fast pitch softball tournament will be taking place right here at our Plant City Stadium on May 17, 18 and 19. Don Porter, International Softball Federation President stated “We’re pleased again to be hosting the NJCAA’s top softball event and it is our hope that the businesses and residents from throughout not only Plant City but the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond will support this event. The teams played extremely competitive softball in this competition last year and there is no reason to think that this year’s games will show anything different.” Tickets will be sold on game days at Plant City Stadium for $15.00 for a full tournament pass (all three days) for seniors (65 and over) and children under 12. Those fans could also purchase a one-day pass for seven dollars. Kids under age four are free. All other spectators can buy three-day passes for $20.00 or the one-day pass for ten dollars. There will be a total of 30 games played over the three day period. The International Softball Federation is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the General Association of International Sports

Federations. There are 128 afﬁliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide. For additional information, you can contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at bruce@in ternationalsoftball.com or call him at 813-864-0100, extension 229. ★★★★★★★★★★ Interested in playing basketball this summer? The Plant City Recreation & Parks Department is taking registrations for a summer basketball league. They have set up two league nights. Monday nights will be the regular Recreation League night and Thursday nights will be the Competitive League night. All games will take place at Tomlin Middle School. The League fee is $225.00 for an 8 game season with the roster limited to 10 men. The League starts Monday, June 11, 2007. For more information contact Larry Langston at 813-659-4200, extension 4302.

★★★★★★★★★★ The Plant City Toastmasters Club is looking for new members. Your success is based on how effective you are in your communication skills. Through participation in the Toastmasters program, people from all backgrounds learn to effectively speak, conduct meetings, manage a department or business, lead, delegate and motivate. The Plant City Toastmaster group meets each Thursday morning at 7:30 in the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Community room. Stop by some Thursday morning and sit in on a meeting and learn what it’s all about. There is no obligation to join, but if you truly want to be a more effective person with your communication skills, then you will want to become a member and participate. If you would like more information, call Joanna Franz at 813-719-1742 or Dr. Hal Brewer at 813-752-4949. ★★★★★★★★★★

The City Recreation & Parks Department also offers Country/Western Dance classes. These classes are open for ages 5 to 100. They meet Monday’s from 7:30 to 10:00 PM at the Planteen Recreation Center. Beginners or advanced, these classes stress two step, waltz, polka, country swing, line dances and one step. They always keep up to date with the latest dance steps. The cost is $3.00 per person per night. Contact Donna Edenfield at 813-986-2820 during weekdays for more information. Interested in sewing? There is a Strawberry Stitchers Sewing Club that meets on Thursdays from 7:00-9:00 PM at the year round Visitor Center. This club is geared for ages 13 and up, great for seniors. This is a non-profit group dedicated to community service. The group makes bears for local police and fire departments, hospitals, nursing homes and for children in stressful situations. They also make lap throws, shawls, totes, etc. for the area nursing homes. No experience is needed. There is a $12.00 annual membership fee. Call Elaine Crump at 813-754-8247 during the day for additional information.

Thanks to the great efforts of Susan Wilson, Membership Director and Rick Lott, Vice Chairman of the Membership Division of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber’s total membership as of May 1st stands at 776. Did you know that 51% of Americans volunteer their time? It’s true. Would you like to make your life more rewarding and do something good for our community? The Plant City YMCA is looking for volunteers. At the YMCA, your time and talent go a long way. Every hour spent as a YMCA volunteer translates into the caring attention a child needs to develop values like sportsmanship, respect for self and others, positive behavior for teens and support for families so they can be successful and strong and lead healthier lives.

gratulations to Gini Watkins who was the adult volunteer of the year and to India Terr who was our teen volunteer of the year at our Plant City YMCA. Why not give our Plant City YMCA a call at 813-757-6677 and volunteer some of your time? It is a wonderful and rewarding experience. In more YMCA news it can be reported that Jamie Davis was the winner of the MVP award as a result of his efforts during the recent “Building Strong Kids Campaign.” Also, Gary and Tina Pike were named Rookies of the Year for their work on that same project. When you see Dr. Felix Haynes, congratulate him on his recent election to the Governance Board of the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA. ★★★★★★★★★★ On May 10th a farewell reception to say goodbye to Bill Ulbricht, Chief Operating Officer at South Florida Baptist Hospital for the past 10 years, was held at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce offices. Our hospital is a member of the BayCare Health System, a group of nine nonprofit Tampa area hospitals. As many of you know, Bill has accepted the position of President at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg which is one of those BayCare hospitals. St. Anthony’s is about twice the size of South Florida Baptist. Bill will be missed by our community. In the words of Dub McGinnes, Chairman of the SFBH Board of Trustees, “Bill is an exceptional leader.” And that he is! He has held many positions with various civic organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of the Greater Plant City Chamber in 2003. This is a great opportunity for Bill and we all wish him all the best in his new position.

As a YMCA volunteer, you can lead a program, serve as a role model for young people, help out in the ofﬁce or at a special event. And speaking of volunteering, con-

SUPPORT OUR GREATER PLANT CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERS. BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AND USE THEIR SERVICES. IT JUST MAKES SENSE! FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 10

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 11

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Story and Photos by Holly Mallalieu

20th Annual Rainbow Ball

OUTSTANDING PARTICIPATION BENEFITS CHILD ABUSE COUNCIL

n Saturday night, April 21st, those who attended the yearly and much looked-forward to Rainbow Ball were certainly not disappointed. All looking their best, the crowd of guests was welcomed into a beautifully decorated Red Rose Dining Room for an evening of wonderful food, company, and entertainment. To someone looking in, the event would have appeared to be a regular soirée; however, each person present arrived with a common goal in mind. Like every year before this, all proceeds earned went directly to the Child Abuse Council, to help raise awareness of that much too common problem and also beneﬁt the Rainbow Program. With wine/beer tasting available and hors d’oeuvres being served, the guests were invited to take part in a silent auction, displaying items being held in the lobby ranging from University of Florida paraphernalia to autographed celebrity photos. The evening was ofﬁcially opened by Mayor John Dicks. During a delicious meal, two women, Ann Trinkle and Ola Jean Hardee, were honored for their commitment

Entertainment was one of this year’s best aspects

to the Rainbow Ball since the very beginning (when it was originally titled the “Polo Ball”). Music Express provided a classy atmosphere, and soon followed the night’s Mistress of Ceremonies, the talented Charleene Closshey, who brought many people to the dance ﬂoor.

Miss Heart of Plant City, Megan Shelley.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 12

The live auction was quite a hit, and with items well worth bidding on, all of which, of course, beneﬁted such a good cause, guests were doubly tempted to take part. This premiere event for Plant City was a huge success once again - a success that would not have been

possible without the involvement of the community. That involvement included valued sponsors such as Sunshine State, which has taken part since day one, and a very dedicated group of women who work hard on making the evening as grand as it always turns out.

Mistress of ceremonies, Charleene Closshey

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Story by Cheryl Johnston Photos courtesy of Durant High School ROTC

Top Honors

FOR DURANT’S AIR FORCE ROTC DRILL TEAM class at Durant. More frequently, however, students are simply assigned this elective. Aerospace Studies is open to any teen desiring a more disciplined academic life. The instructors are encouraged as students blossom, GPA’s rise, and passion for serving others develops. Rigorous class requirements and high expectations yield lifelong beneﬁts.

Durant High School’s Air Force ROTC Drill Team never fails to impress patriotic parade goers

urant High School’s ROTC Drill Team enjoys wowing an audience. For the past seven years, the Cougars’ unit received ﬁrst place in the Strawberry Festival Parade’s “Special Categories” division. Proud to perform, Durant’s team thoroughly enjoys the competition and the recognition for professionalism. Most days after school, the drill team practices, honing precision moves. Marching in cadence to specially created DHS chants requires hours of dedication and commitment to be the best. Their highly

qualiﬁed instructors, Andrew Andras and Colonel Richard Shefﬁeld, are encouraged to see students grow in maturity and wisdom.

This year, two seniors received appointments to military academies. John Weaver will attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado

Springs and Rob Tomzak is headed to the Army’s West Point. Andras and Shefﬁeld enjoy helping students pursue dreams and reach goals. Both believe, “The Air Force ROTC program teaches life skills applicable to corporate, community, and family life. We’ve seen this program profoundly impact students. They succeed through discipline.” Plant City salutes with a “Thank you, gentlemen, for motivating students to serve our community so respectfully and with such dedication. You are shaping our future.”

The Cougars’ corps looks forward to those moments at the judges’ stand. Since 2000, the Durant ROTC Drill Team has impressed parade watchers, ofﬁcials, and judges enough to win seven years running. More importantly, they feel honored to present colors of our country, Air Force, and POW-MIA servicemen. Students desiring careers in the military request ROTC as an elective

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 13

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Story and Photo by Holly Mallalieu

THANK YOU PLANT CITY! ��

Animal Wellness Center

Joe Goddard HAPPY IN PLANT CITY

fter residing here in Plant City for the past 23 years, Joe Goddard and his wife Betty are happy and feel at home. Firmly a part of a close-knit neighborhood, the two enjoy the pleasure of their convenient location, just close enough to anywhere they’d like to go, as well as just far enough away from the busyness of growing Plant City.

After meeting through mutual friends (Betty’s father, who her ﬁancée quickly and easily bonded with, was an army sergeant, and Joe, fresh home from four years in the Navy), the couple was married and soon after moved back to Joe’s hometown of Cleburne, Texas. It was there where he initially got started in the ﬁnance business, and he has now been working in mortgage for 30 years. His job has taken them many places domestically, and still, now on a day-byday basis Joe, though semi-retired, travels on the road to homes and

businesses near and far to close mortgage deals. Even with all of the driving, he loves his job and has the opportunity to meet an array of interesting people. Church has always been a very large part of Joe’s life since he was a child, where he attended the very same church all of his life until he left for the Navy. Once married, the Goddards tried and were members of many different churches, a few where Joe was made Deacon and the couple had a chance to lead and assist with the youth groups. Youth has always been an area Joe has genuinely enjoyed working with. Joe and Betty now attend Eastside Baptist, along with their eldest daughter and her two children. With their two kids now grown and close by, the Goddards get to enjoy their three grandchildren quite often. We’re very glad that such a great person and his family are part of Plant City.

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Betty and Joe Goddard FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 14

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Story and Photos by Kristel Williamson

971 Haggard Street A HOUSE WITH A STORY TO TELL

J.B. and Edith Roberts spent a total of 7 years renovating the house, including closing in the entire front porch to make an extra room

Built in the 1920’s, this house was originally located in Hyde Park

ituated on a tiny road off of Turkey Creek, 971 Haggard Street is an oasis from the surrounding noises of I-4 and US Highway 92. It’s a quaint and charming house, well taken care of, beautifully landscaped and painted white with a small, red trim. It looks as if it’s had this charm for decades.

Built in the 1920’s, the house originally stood in Hyde Park. In 1968, with the construction of I-4 coming through, the current owners decided to move the entire house to Haggard Street, on about 20 acres of land. To move the house, they actually cut the second story off, transported the house, and then re-placed the second ﬂoor.

But it wasn’t always this way.

“We knew we had a lot of work cut out for us,” Edith said, reminiscing. “We’ve re-paneled the outside of the house, laid wooden ﬂoors, and completely enclosed the front porch. J.B. just loved working on this sort of thing and even made the rosettes and ﬂoorboards in the house by hand.”

Purchased by Joseph Roberts (known to his friends as J.B.) and his wife, Edith Roberts, in 1978, this house was in bad shape; you’d never know it has undergone major renovations by looking at it’s four bedrooms, handmade staircase and polished, wooden floors. “We were the fifth owners of this house and when we bought it, it was in such bad condition, we had to fix it up,” Edith said, holding photos that record the various renovations that took place over several years.

Though the house holds many memories for Edith, the passing of J. B. in March last year left her to take care of the house by herself. With the house now up for sale, Edith plans on moving closer to Tampa, to be with her daughters and granddaughter.

2005 Finalist SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Brandon Chamber

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 15

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Story by Cheryl Johnston Photos by David Patton for Plant City Photo Archives

An Evening of Picture Perfect Memories PLANT CITY PHOTO ARCHIVES HONORS BETTY WATKINS AND MAC SMITH leader and editor of The Spokesman. After attending Kentucky’s Asbury College, she served the Belgian Congo as a missionary working with leprosy-infected children. Returning home, she taught school for 33 years and established local DCT work training programs, with eventual induction into the Florida Hall of Fame. Betty served nine years as

love this town. Always have, always will!” to which Hal Brewer responded, “Betty Jean Barker Watkins, Plant City loves you right back.” Bryan M. Smith, fondly known as Mac, was introduced as a “Plant City icon.” Born in 1929 in Jacksonville, Mac’s family moved here at his age four. As an Eagle Scout and PCHS

Mac Smith

lant City Photo Archives annually honors one outstanding citizen, but the 2007 event recognized two. Betty Barker Watkins and Mac Smith, graciously shared “Heritage Award” accolades from several hundred fundraiser attendees enjoying reminiscent glimpses of folks who’ve molded our close-toperfect town.

Friends who work to preserve both Plant City and Bealsville history included: Daisy Gilmore, Gwendolyn Thomas, William M. Thomas, Sr. William M. Thomas, Jr., and Liesta Sykes

Guests mingled, treated taste buds, and shared times-past stories in the lovely Red Rose Ballroom. Three large screens rolled continuous snapshots of sweethearts, sports teams, schools, military veterans, businesses, and families whose efforts have improved Plant City. This year’s “Our Town” theme reminded all that Plant City’s rare treasure is its heritage of giving citizens. Betty Barker Watkins is a woman with a “lifelong habit of punctuality and responsibility,” noted Dr. Hal Brewer in his words honoring this remarkable Plant City native. Born in 1928, Betty was raised by relatives on Haines Street after losing both parents at age eight. This accomplished musician mastered piano, violin, glockenspiel, and harmonica. “Big-hearted Betty” played 25 years for local Kiwanis Club meetings, eventually becoming our chapter’s ﬁrst woman member. She was a PCHS 1946 graduate, cheer-

City Commissioner and also helped establish Plant City’s Community Theater, volunteering musically. Other recognitions include: 1970 Outstanding Person of the South; 1975 Woman of the Year, and 1983 Citizen of the Year. She also performed in USO shows to encourage soldiers. This founding member of the East Hillsborough Historical Society personally solicited 500-plus stories for the Photo Archives Oral History Project. Upon receiving her engraved plaque, Betty remarked, “I

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 16

honor student, he also excelled in team sports. Ensign Bryan Smith married Marion Cook in 1958 and continued his military ﬂying career in the North Atlantic searching for submarines and shuttling a four-star admiral around Italy. Until 1972, he was an active reserve Lieutenant Commander. In civilian life, Mac taught school and established B.M. Smith Motors, with help from his wife and three daughters. Smith received an election appointment to Hillsborough County’s Aviation

Authority as they planned our international ﬂagship airport, TIA. Other accomplishments include: President of the Florida Automobile Dealers’ Association, PC Citizen of the Year, founding President of the Walden Lake Country Club, Hillsboro Bank board member, past president of the Strawberry Festival, and instrumental involvement in the Tampa Bay History Center, Plant City Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Sports Authority, and the PC Armed Forces Memorial Foundation. According to dear friend, Betty Watkins, “Mac is a natural leader, with his quiet ways …He causes people to “Come, and follow me.” Obviously, the audience agreed as they stood to laud both Watkins and Smith, citizens extraordinaire. Our town’s preserved community snapshot treasure is accessible at Plant City Photo Archives, Inc., by visiting the non-proﬁt museum of historic photographs at 119 North Collins Street or phoning 813754-1578. Call to inquire about the priceless gift of photo-enhancing personal memory collections. Supported solely by donations, the downtown exhibit gallery is also available for private gatherings, club events, musical performances, and etc. Your generosity will protect our commemorative displays for future generations.

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The Creative Mind and Work

OF YOUNG PLANT CITY ARTIST, CHAZ SMITH

hile always on the search for artists, imagine my surprise and delight in the discovery of an artist in the form of the young man who has helped bag my groceries on many occasions. Chaz Smith is a local Plant City resident and artist who is attending USF as a Fine Arts Major, and who also happens to work at our local Publix. As surprising as the discovery were the details and background of this young Plant City artist. Chaz began his life in Brazil, born and raised by missionary parents who taught in an English speaking school. It was in these early days that Chaz began his love of art. Always drawing and painting, he was encouraged to continue by his family and teachers. At one point, he received private lessons in art which helped expand his interest and talent. Eventually, Chaz and his family left Brazil, and at the age of 14, Chaz

moved to Plant City where he has lived since. He has continued to follow his dream and art education, recently completing three years at HCC attending art classes at the Ybor City campus. Currently, he is enrolled in his second semester at USF in the Fine Arts program. While in school, Chaz has had the opportunity to expand his knowledge of art and the various mediums. He has grown to express an interest not only in drawing and painting, but in pottery, ceramics, and sculpture as well. As diverse as Chaz’s background is, so also is his art. Possessing the ability to create art that is bold, imaginative, full of color and symbolism, he can also recreate down to ﬁne detail the intricate work of some of the old masters. As an artist Chaz has had the opportunity to participate in a student exhibition titled “Heads”, which featured self portraits. He has also had the opportunity to create art for Publix in the form of murals and displays. What is it that draws Chaz to art? To put it into his own words, “I love the creative process and the knowledge that I am creating something that will last longer than I will.”

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 17

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Story by Pat Hearn Photos courtesy of Kara Heckerman

Traveling Abroad... For School! A COLLEGE STUDENT TAKES HER STUDIES OVERSEAS

Kara Heckerman and Will Anderson enjoying one perk of international studies

or many college students, the prospect of going to school far away from home is exciting. They see college not only as a means of higher education, but also as a new sense of freedom. A few of these students take it one step further and attend classes outside of the country as part of the International Program. Plant City graduate Kara Heckerman is just one of the many students who are getting an education overseas.

This past semester, Kara, a freshman at FSU, has been in Panama. She has been taking 16 credit hours, which is more than a full load. Also, minoring in Spanish, Panama made for an ideal location. Since the majority of the campus is made up of Panamanians, Kara’s linguistic skills were put to good use. As a participant in FSU’s International Program, Kara was able to choose between over 20 campuses around the world including locations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. When a student signs up for the program, the expenses are attributed to local activities, housing, and the classes taken. The program works just like a traditional college. A student is able to sign up for summer, fall, and spring courses... except in a different

country (just a little difference, right?). The program also allows for a broader variety of classes, especially math and science. Aside from the serious business that is college, the InternaWill Anderson and Kara Heckerman tional Program has provided students Kara seems to be making the most like Kara with unique extracurricular of her college education. Majoring activities. For instance, Kara had the in anthropology, she hopes to get an rare opportunity to spend a weekend internship in either Spain or Ecuador. with the Kuna Indians on their island Being a college student myself, I reservation. She even got to go to a have since pondered what it would surf camp and tour the Gatun Jungle be like to study outside of the U.S. (the area surrounding the Panama Maybe one day I’ll ﬁnd out. Canal). Not bad ﬁeld trips.

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Story and Photo by Emily Allen

Arts Council of Plant City Ball

AN EVENING CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ARTS COUNCIL

n April 15, 2007 Arts Council members in Plant City donned their ﬁnest apparel and made their way to the Ramada Inn’s exquisite Red Rose Dining Room for a special evening ﬁlled with 5-star dining, an art gallery, entertainment, and fellowship. The annual Arts Council Ball is a celebration of the accomplishments of the past year and recognizes the outstanding achievements of those in our community.

“We appreciate your support for scholarships for students of the arts to continue education,” said Cheryl Worsham, President of the Council, welcoming all of the members present. She also awarded Judith Barta, co-chair for the Tour of Homes (one of the Arts Council’s biggest fundraisers), a special plaque honoring

“her tenth year of incredible effort and dedication to the Arts Council.” Chatting and mingling, those present strolled through a beautiful display of original drawings, paintings, and sculptures by local artists Peggy Paramore, Eleanore McDade, Joanne Tireman, and Jossie Azorin. As the delicious food was served to the crowd of over 100, members of Jackie’s Dance Studio in Plant City performed their tap routine from the 1930s musical, 42nd Street, as their audition piece for the upcoming performance. As the dinner was coming to a close, Omar Almodovar burst onto stage and infected the audience with his exciting Latin beats. Other performers—who even pulled those out of the audience to dance—included Gigi Burns, Vivian Padron,

Attendees spent a fair amount of time at the silent auction tables.

Milli Puente, and Rossana Spallino. Dennis Hoag, singer for Destiny (House Band for the Red Rose Dining Room), was also a special guest performer, wooing the crowd with his beautiful ballads. Chartered in 1974 and incorporated in 1975, the Arts Council of Plant City has made an impact on the lives of those in our community by en-

couraging participation and appreciation of the arts by all citizens in the area. Since then, the Arts Council has grown tremendously and sponsors cultural and educational activities in the City of Plant City and its surrounding areas. The Council awards approximately $7,000 in scholarships each year to deserving young artists in the ﬁelds of visual arts, drama, music, theatre, and dance.

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 20

PROUDLY SERVING PLANT CITY SINCE 1988

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Story & Photos by Kristen Toney

National Day of Prayer AMERICA, UNITE IN PRAYER

media, family, churches, government and people were offered by ﬁve community pastors: David Delph of First Presbyterian, Shafter Scott of St. Mary Missionary Baptist, Don Corzine of Plant City Nazarene, E.L. Wiseman of Bethel Baptist and K. Joseph Caldwell of Faith Fellowship.

The gathering at Plant City Church of God in the evening brought music and prayer.

ach year America sets apart a day to pray. The 56th annual National Day of Prayer was held on May 3 this year, and here in Plant City, the events began at Shiloh Baptist Church at 7:00 a.m. with a breakfast. Almost 300 people came out to hear a message from Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee, as well as prayers prayed by community leaders for family, business, media education, government, peace in our community, military and revival. The noon hour brought a gathering of about 50 at City Hall, in

which Pastor Roy Liburd ofﬁciated. Pedro Santana of Bread of Life Mission and HopeWeaver Community Church provided music and prayers for education,

Those who attended the noon prayer gathering at City Hall brought their Bibles, prepared to pray.

Norm Blanton of Somebody Cares Plant City headed up the events of the day, and commented on the noon hour gathering as one meant to, “transform the greater Plant City community for Christ.” Blanton also stated on the array of denominations and races at the City Hall gathering. “This is wonderful,” he enthused. “We have a great representation of Plant City coming together for

one purpose today. That’s the goal!” The day concluded with a wellattended service at Plant City Church of God, with singing, an offering taken for the day’s expenses, and prayer. The church’s Executive Pastor, Torrey Herrin and guest Pastor Bob Franklin (of Covenant Bible Church) invited all to ﬁnd a quiet spot in the sanctuary and pray until the conclusion of the service. More attended the gatherings for National Day of Prayer in Plant City this year than ever before, proving not only the spirit of community here in our town, but the spirit of prayer, as well.

Hillsborough County Sheriﬀ David Gee speaks to the crowd at the breakfast held on National Day of Prayer at Shiloh Baptist Church.

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Story by Sherry Baldwin

The Super Juice Alternative

EXOTIC FRUIT JUICES CONTINUE TO GAIN IN POPULARITY “Super juices” using exotic fruits have become increasingly popular among those seeking an “alternative” to achieving improved health and ﬁtness. Recently we have found that area residents appear to have their own favorites including juices from: the Acai Berry, the Mangosteen and Noni Fruits. ACAI BERRY The Acai berry is a fruit from the Amazon Rain Forest that, according to local strawberry farmer Billy Williams, “is known as the number one super food in the world. With an ability to supercharge the immune system, it is also considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” Williams added. “This berry is the headline ingredient in a juice blend of a total of 19 fruits, with the Acai being 50% of the juice,” explained Williams. He further added that, “After drinking 2 ounces of the juice twice a day, my cholesterol dropped over 40 points.” Williams then introduced the juice to Lori G. who, he stated, “Had been on a variety of prescription pain medications for 28 years, due to severe nerve damage and associated pain from radiation and chemo treatments from her bone cancer.” Lori G. shared, “I took my last pain pill 6 months ago. I thank God every day for giving me my life back; this is truly “The Gift of Life”.” For more information call Billy at 813-376-3636 or Lori at 863430-4148.

MANGOSTEEN The Mangosteen is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia that produces a large edible fruit—that not only has a sensational pulp, but is also said to contain traditional healing properties. Juice made from an exclusive puree of this fruit delivers what is referred to as a “concentrated source of xanthone – a vigorous family of new generation phytonutrients.” These xanthones are known to “possess potent antioxidant properties that may help maintain intestinal health, strengthen the immune system, neutralize free radicals, help support cartilage, improve joint function and promote a healthy seasonal respiratory system.” Those interested in obtaining additional information about this “Queen of Fruits” may do so by contacting: Judy Markley at 813-716-4745 or email her at judymarkley1@aol.com. NONI Noni, or morinda citrifolia, is a fruit bearing plant that grows year-round in the Paciﬁc Islands. The pure, natural juice produced from Noni fruit has a long, rich tradition among Islanders. The antioxidants contained in this juice are said to support the immune system’s natural ability to protect and maintain a healthy body by protecting against free radicals. Increases in energy and physical performance level have been reported. These facts are said to have created an increase in interest in the both the fruit and its juice.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 23

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Story by Kristen Toney Photos from Floyd Publications Archives

Send in Your Nominations NOW!

TIME TO NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR THE “FOCUS ON YOU” MAKEOVER

t’s that time of year once more: Focus on You Makeover time! If you know someone, male or female, who is in need of a makeover, we want to make it happen! Send a 300 word nomination in for them via mail, e-mail or fax. All nominations must be received by midnight May

17. Four winners will be chosen and notiﬁed on May 18.

of dining and entertainment provided by the Red Rose Dining Room.

The day begins with a breakfast and then the winners will be whisked away to pick out a brand new outﬁt. Then they will be taken for a relaxing massage. After the massage, the staff of Focus will sit down for lunch with the winners and present each of them with a month’s membership to a ﬁtness center.

Remember, tell us why your nominated person deserves this makeover and mail it to FOCUS Magazine, “FOCUS ON YOU” Makeover, 101 E. J Arden Mays Blvd, Plant City, FL 33563. You may also send your entries by e-mail to KToney@Floydpublications.com. Place “FOCUS ON YOU” Makeover in the subject line and send your entry in the body of the e-mail (no attachments, please). Be SURE to include name, address, home phone number and work phone number, and e-mail address, if you have one. You may also fax a nomination to 813-764-0990, Attn: Kristen.

The fun jump starts again while the winners ﬁnish out the day with a facial, manicure, pedicure and haircut. The girls will also have their makeup done.

Amy Tummel, one of last year’s winners

Finally, the day comes to a close when a limo comes to pick up the ladies and their sweethearts to get their pictures taken and enjoy an evening

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 24

Entries must be received by midnight on May 17!

Letters and entries may be published in FOCUS Magazine and photographs will be taken throughout the “FOCUS ON YOU” makeover day and published in the following month’s edition. ENTER NOW!

Linda Monroe, one of last year’s winners

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Story and Photo by Kristen Toney

“Fore” a Good Cause

THE 9TH ANNUAL POWDER PUFF GOLF TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS!

A few years back, Ron Bergman and Roy Goodman challenged another group of golfers to a “tournament” of sorts. They named it the Powder Puff Tournament, because whoever lost it would be labeled a “powder puff” and must buy lunch for the winning team. Over the next three or so years, the more Bergman thought about it, the more he thought that, rather than just play for the heck of it, what if it was a competition for the good of someone else? This past March, Bergman chaired the 9th Annual Powder Puff Classic for Kids with Cancer to beneﬁt the American Cancer Society’s program entitled R.O.C.K. (Reaching Out to Cancer Kids.) 265 kids partici-

pated last year in three programs offered by R.O.C.K.: R.O.C.K. Camp in Partnership with Camp Boggy Creek, Families R.O.C.K. Weekend, and College Scholarship Program. Each year, the funds from Bergman’s tournament help more and more children in various stages of cancer to enjoy the experiences of any other kid at summer camp.

Society. “Now divisions all over the United States have copied the Florida Division!” Goodman commented on the players of the tournament, stating, “They’re extremely enthusiastic about this thing! We still organize it in two sides, and the loosing side still buys lunch.”

(L to R) Roy Goodman, Judy More and Ron Bergman.

camp, beginning on May 26. “It’s so unreal to wake up every day and try to grasp all over again the fact that your child has cancer,” Bergman commented. “We were the ﬁrst state in the United States to offer college scholarships through a program like this,” commented Judy More, R.O.C.K. Camp Coordinator for the Florida Division of the American Cancer

Teams came from all over the United States to play in the Powder Puff Tournament, which was free for players, but required rafﬂe tickets be purchased for the almost $10,000 worth of prizes donated. This year, $12,000 was raised (an incredible increase from the $400 raised at the original tournament nine years ago), with 128 players allowing more than 10 kids with cancer to go to

“We’re not looking for glory,” Bergman emphasized. “We just want to let people know what we’re doing.” If you would like to obtain more information on R.O.C.K. and the Powder Puff Tournament, please e-mail KToney@ﬂoydpublications.com or call (813) 707-8783 extension 28.

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Story and Photos by Cheryl Johnston

THOMAS A. DIGERONIMO, M.D.,P.A. BOARD CERTIFIED NEUROLOGIST

Durant High School

GLENN D. TURNER, A.R.N.P.

PRESENTS “MR. AND MISS COUGAR”

ixteen students competed April 21st in the annual Mr. and Miss Cougar bodybuilding competition at Durant High School. Thanks to the sponsors The Hit (Tampa), Health Hutt, Inc. and PowerShop Gym (both in Plant City), a whole audience of cheering teens were inspired to “get in shape.”

Contestants vied in three weight categories, following an intensive 12-week conditioning and nutritional regimen, guided especially by Health Hutt owner Bill Saunders, who is himself a national level trophy winner. Saunders and event emcee/DHS teacher, Dan Turpin, were especially impressed by the students’ supportive camaraderie and determination. Personal training studios can help all levels of ﬁtness-interested folks, from the “just want to be healthier” to the serious competitor. The nutritional plan students followed required them to forego fun foods teens enjoy, even through spring break and prom. Contestants received points for body conditioning, symmetry, proportion and posing. Three senior girls competed, with Nikki Fraser winning the 2007 Miss Cougar

Special guest judge, author, and champion bodybuilder Hugo Rivera

title. Thirteen males competed in three weight classes with Taylor Gammil receiving the Mr. Cougar trophy. The friendly rivalry lightened the pressure, and the guys especially added their own unique humor to posing routines. Senior P.J. Rosales, a conditioning novice who trimmed his weight from 250 to a well-toned 170 pounds, received the “Most Improved” award. Contestants included: Females - Chelsea Calhoun, Kelly Cheek, Nikki Fraser(Miss Cougar) Males - David Amen, Jack Coan, Jordan Dorsey, Taylor Gammil (Mr.Cougar), Chris Glavich, Ron Holton, Travis Pack, Chris Parsley, Riley Reynolds, PJ Rosales, Brandon Sullivan, Josh Teplitzky, and Junior Wright Champion bodybuilder, author, and guest judge Hugo Rivera wowed the audience in a posing routine. He voluntarily helped students by offering encouragement and teaching techniques. “These Cougar students did a great job and had fun, too!” To begin your customized conditioning plan, phone an event sponsor. Take the Cougar Challenge – “Get ﬁt and now!”

Durant High School’s 2007 Mr. and Miss Cougar, Taylor Gammil and Nikki Fraser

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Story by Wendy Brown & Kristen Toney Photos by Jack Holland, Tommy Warnock and Lora Parson

Easter Egg Heaven

THREE CITY EVENTS BROUGHT JOY TO MANY

he children of Plant City normally enjoy one large event each Easter: the Annual City-Wide Easter Egg Hunt and all that goes with it, put on by the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department. This year, not only did that hunt continue, bigger and better than ever, but two additional Easter events were added.

eggs.” Children played on bounce gyms, enjoyed music and gobbled hotdogs, but mainly they came for the Easter Egg Hunt and a chance to win baskets of prizes. When time was called, kids with baskets and bags raced onto the ﬁeld and gleefully grabbed colorful eggs stuffed with treats. April 7 brought not only cooler

On March 31, First Baptist Church of Plant City held their First Annual Helicopter Egg Drop at their south property. Church members filled 15,000 plastic eggs with Easter candy, and then secured each prize with tape for the great egg drop. According to Pastor Bill Bender, who orchestrated this event with help from a Tampa police helicopter pilot, “Over 3000 people, parents and kids alike, gawked in glee as the helicopter made many circles over a grassy field raining multicolored candy filled

The Shaw Family enjoying the Easter festivities at Plant City Church of God - Ira, Tammy, Savannah, Abby

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 28

temperatures, but also about 1,000 kids, ages 3-11, coming out to the 18th Annual City-Wide Easter Egg Hunt thrown by the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department out at Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex. The attendees enjoyed face painting, rock wall climbing, arts and crafts, inﬂatable bouncer and slide, trackless train rides and caricature artists. Of course, the

The race for eggs commences!

Maximus Solomon found the egg with the bike as a prize at Plant City Church of God’s Easter Egg-Stravaganza

highlight of the event was the hunt for 12,000 hidden eggs, packed with toys, candy and other prizes. The kids ﬁnished out the day with free hot dogs and drinks. Plant City Church of God hosted their First Annual Easter Egg-Stravaganza on April 7, as well. With more than 3,000 eggs to be found, toddlers up through 5th graders set out to locate the prize-winners. Bubbles, stuffed animals, squirt guns, bikes and MP3 players were just a few of the prizes available to those ﬁnding the egg with the ticket inside. Chick-Fil-A was on hand to provide lunch, the Plant City Fire Department to meet the kids, and even Quality Care Massage, to give parents a well-deserved break! Thanks to all the coordinators of all three events put on to help our kids celebrate Easter. Here’s hoping next year is just as much fun!

Golden Egg Winners, front left to right: 3-4 age group: Austin Nester, Carlos Santa Maria, Trenton Barnett. 5-6 age group: Christian Roque, Harli Beerman, DJ Towers. Back: 7-8 age group: Angelica Febres, Jasmyn Gilbertson. 9-11 age group: George Leon, Harry Linsimbigler, Ashley Green

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�� A Place I called Home UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, FAREWELL PLANT CITY �� Story by Debbie Bowers Photos courtesy of Debbie Bowers

Bible Study Group left to right: Debbie Bowers, Debbie Saﬀels, Bev Erickson, Janice Brown, Dottie Gorrell, Ann Carter and Karen Porter. (Not pictured, Marly Williams and Dell Coppedge)

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e sold all of our furniture, actually almost every item in our home. What was left we put into a U-Haul truck, followed by a car carrier. Our families thought we had lost our minds. Why would a couple in their late 40’s sell everything, leave great jobs and a beautiful home? It was very simple; we sought a better quality of life. After many days of prayer, we knew God had given us His stamp of approval and we began our journey. My husband secured employment in Tampa and the rest was history. As a writer I have been very fortunate to have met wonderful, tenderhearted people who, like us all, have a story to tell. And now, I too have my own story to share.

I think we’re all on a journey to fulﬁll our life’s missions. For me, I met a group of awesome Christian women who live in Plant City and share a common thread of Christ and friendship. Many tears and much laughter have been shed by these women, a group from all walks of life. It was these steel magnolia women who helped me along on my journey and I am eternally grateful. The beauty of this town is found in the majestic oak trees, cobble stoned streets, and residents who graciously greet the newcomers from near and far. Fond memories of Pastor Herrin’s convicting sermons, the strawberry festival, star gazing within our lanai, and the opportunity to have worked for Focus Magazine, a dream come true. Soon we will leave this charming community and resume another adventure, but I will never forget Plant City, the residents and a place I called home. Our prayers were always to be where God wanted us to be rooted, and rooted we were in Plant City.

Friends Janice Brown, Debbie Bowers and Ann Carter

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 32

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LOCAL

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Story by Emily Allen Photos by Verna McKelvin

Church Celebrates Christian Pioneers

EAST THONOTOSASSA BAPTIST CHURCH’S “ANTIOCH DAYS” BLESSES COMMUNITY

Town members dressed up in “Turn of the Century” apparel

n April 21, 2007 about 1,000 people in the East Thonotosassa community and surrounding areas ﬂocked to the site of East Thonotosassa Baptist Church (ETBC) to celebrate “Antioch Days”—a yearly event honoring the founding of the Church at Antioch in 1854. This annual celebration pays tribute to all the past generations of families and people who were faithful in establishing a church in then wilderness of Lake Thonotosassa. Decked from head to toe in “turn of the century” clothing, members set up shop with everything from the Antioch Bank, General Store, Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Jail, and a Blacksmith. Pastor Jim Brady, senior

pastor of ETBC, was pleased with this year’s turnout. “It was outstanding! There was a lot of excitement and people were already making comments about coming back next year,” he said. Besides all of the traditional aspects of the 1854 Antioch, there were more modern thrills such as the Strawberry Express Cloggers, Wells Memorial’s “Escape School,” Lawn Mower Rodeo, Huck Finn Raft Rides, and even delicious food including Kettle Corn and BBQ. One of the features of this year’s celebration was the ﬁrst-ever Antioch Days Parade. “The residents in the area lined up outside of their houses to watch the parade,” says

One naughty town member spending some time in the Sheriﬀ’s Oﬃce Jail

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 34

Antioch’s very own blacksmith showing oﬀ his skills

Brady. ETBC’s very own worship team jammed to its contemporary music, and the cloggers of all ages wowed the crowd with their performance. “What I thought was interesting about Antioch Days was the fact that this wonderful little country church is keeping alive the age-old love of community,” explains Bobbi Foote, a resident of Lakeland. “It was unique to see folks from all ages and different walks of faith coming together and having good clean fellowship. Hats off to Pastor Brady for all the hard work and coming together of an event I know will continue to be enjoyed by this community for many years to come!”

Young and old, Antioch Days proved to be fun for everyone. “We were surrounded by fun and laughter of everyone enjoying the kettle corn while they watched the pastor from Texas doing blacksmith work while preaching the Gospel,” explains Foote. Although it’s an annual event, many people still have not heard of Antioch Days. “Some people were commenting that it wasn’t publicized enough,” says Brady. With free admission, and a day rich in history, culture, food, and fun, Antioch Days is deﬁnitely something you won’t want to miss out on next year!

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Princess Makeovers and Relay HELP FIGHT CANCER

f you missed the 9th annual Relay for Life at Plant City High School this year, you missed out on an amazing and emotionally touching event that is changing people’s lives. Thousands of people turned out to support the American Cancer Society and its efforts to find a cure. Scores of booths were built by volunteers and set up around the PCHS track for walkers and runners who participated in the event. Students and adults designed and built booths like “How the Grinch Stole Cancer” to help raise money for this great cause. Near the center of the track a stage was set up and live music was performed throughout the night. One of the highlights of the evening was the start of the relay when cancer survivors took an honorary first lap around the track. The survivors were announced based on how many years it has been since they beat their disease. After the group of more than fifty

survivors made their way to the starting point, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” began to play and the men and women, some with crutches, or in wheelchairs worked their way around the track. They were greeted on all sides by the crowds of people who had lined the track, applauding them every step of the way. Drawing large crowds at this year’s event was the memorial set up for Megan Carpenter. Megan was diagnosed with cancer at age 11 and passed away last year after a nearly six-year battle with the disease. Local cosmetologists came together to do “princess makeovers” for little girls in honor of Megan and to raise money to ﬁght cancer. Throughout the evening the princess tent was packed with people enjoying this wonderful tribute to a beautiful young woman. The PCHS Relay for Life expected to raise $200,000 this year to ﬁght cancer.

The Strawberry Queen and her court were present for pictures with young princesses at Megan Carpenter’s memorial FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 36

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 37

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 39

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 40

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 43

FROM THE

Aloe Vera Plant Computerized Surgery TO

THE HISTORY OF MEDICAL CARE

in Plant City Feature story and photos by KEN LAWRENCE

“Without health, life is not life; it is a state of languor and suﬀering”…. Francois Rabelais-French Renaissance Writer, 15th Century.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 44

It’s the middle of the night. Suddenly you awaken from a sound sleep with a sharp chest pain and numbness in your left arm. Your spouse dials 911 and within minutes an EMS Team arrives at your door, stabilizes your system and whisks you oﬀ to South Florida Baptist Hospital for treatment. That’s what happens in the year 2007. Turn back the clock some 200 years here in Florida and the treatment might have consisted of bed rest and any number of compounds that included the Aloe Vera plant, jasmine and goodness knows what else. Aloe was the most popular, used for poultices and drank for a multitude of stomach, liver and kidney diseases. Most of these beverages were concocted by the Seminole aboriginal tribes and were coupled with dances to chase away the “bad spirits.” The government of Florida, in various publications we researched for this article, said life in this state during the early to mid-1800’s was “nasty, brutish and short.” There was no control over mosquitoes, which spread the highly dangerous disease, malaria, and pre-natal care was inadequate, with baby deaths at a high rate. Then there was cholera and yellow fever, which spread south from Jacksonville, wiping out the population of St. Joseph, just up the road from Plant City in 1841. The control of infectious diseases was the main reason that government established Public Health Care, which evolved into the system we have in place today. The Florida Department of Health archives list diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis and general inﬂuenza as the major killers of Floridians in those days. Personal hygiene and the lack of sewage systems were the two main causes of those killer diseases. In the late 19th century, tuberculosis used to be a major killer, especially of people in their twenties.

Early 1900’s Nurse and hospital bedDr. Merriweather’s Hospital above White’s Pharmacy.

Early Medical Care in Hillsborough County Throughout history there have been “medicine men”, or as we know them today, medical doctors. However, the early healers were mostly charlatans, or people who had less medical knowledge than a child today would have. They had no idea about how bacteria spread and probably did not even wash their hands when attending a patient. Most of their medicinal concoctions served no useful purpose. Take, for example, the disease Yellow Fever. A one time mayor of Tampa and medical doctor in the late 1800’s was John Perry Wall. He was the ﬁrst American to conclude that Yellow Fever was being spread by mosquitoes. He lobbied the Florida Legislature in 1875 to pass a law, establishing a Board of Health. It was rejected because the $200 it would have cost was considered “too exorbitant.” Another Yellow Fever outbreak in 1888 led to panic across Hillsborough County, presumably including Plant City, which had only recently received its Charter as a municipal government. We say “presumably” because medical records about Plant City do not seem to be available anywhere.

Early Sterilization Machine.

Various historic medical tools.

(Editor’s Note-If any reader of this article knows where there is historical information about medicine in Plant City in the 1800’s, please contact the Plant City Archives) Finally, the Florida Legislature established a “State Board of Health” in 1889 and it followed the death of the Governor’s brother from Yellow Fever.

The Evolution of Medical Care in Plant City One of the early doctors in Plant City was Benjamin Wills, who came to the area in 1896 at the age of 55, with some 30 years of experience in Kentucky. He was also a dairy farmer and citrus grower, showing that medical training was not a ticket to great wealth at that time. Another pioneer doctor was Olin S. Wright, who moved to Plant City from Pennsylvania in 1887 and had his own hospital on the second ﬂoor of the Magnolia Pharmacy, which he owned, along with another drug store, White Brick. Dr. Wright became very successful, serving as Mayor of Plant City for several terms and

Porcelain bed pans-1930’s--1960’s.

was the only local member of the Hillsborough Medical Association. He also served as a member of the Hillsboro Bank and was a staunch opponent of the credit system. (Dr. Wright would not be a happy person today). To help him get around to his patients, Dr. Wright purchased one of the ﬁrst four cars to be shipped into Tampa. Probably the best known of the early medical doctors in Plant City was John Walter Alsobrook, who moved here in 1904 from Alabama. He was a surgeon and had among his patients employees of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Coronet Phosphate Company, where he was surgeon-in-chief. Dr. Alsobrook is remembered to this day with a well known street named after him. A second generation of doctors came to the area around the start of World War I, 19141917. One such person was Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez. He came to Plant City in 1914, served a year, and then joined the army to treat war victims overseas until the end of the socalled “Great War.” When he returned to Plant City, Dr. Sanchez re-established his practice on the second ﬂoor of the Lee Building, still in use today on Reynolds and Collins streets.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 45

Dr. Alex Sanchez reviews old medical records.

His son, Dr. Alex, who also practiced medicine in Plant City from 1952 to 1977, resides in Walden Lake and says he recalls his dad always wearing a suit, tie and carnation in his lapel, which he grew in his back yard. Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez practiced “everything but surgery” says his son Alex, who at the age of 86, spoke proudly of his father’s accomplishments in early medicine. The patriarch of the Sanchez family delivered most of the hundreds of babies he brought into this world in the mother’s home and often on the kitchen table. Owner of a Model T Ford, Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez would travel to Turkey Creek, Dover, Seffner, Antioch, Thonotosassa and the “little” community of Brandon. (How times have changed!). In the 1920’s and ‘30’s, Dr. Sanchez “practiced night and day,” says his son, Alex.

The Service Provided and the Cost What did a medical doctor make in those days? Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez charged a basic $1.00, with a maximum of $2.00, which included any medicine he carried in his black medical bag. For example, aspirin had been invented by then and it was given to treat such illnesses as

Wheelchairs-left,1930’s-right, early 1900’s. FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 46

pneumonia, along with an expectorant (cough medicine).

and claim it was a backward town really do not know its history.

Malaria was still a problem but treatments began to hit the marketplace, such as Atabrine. Quinine was also used. Quinine’s other use is in tonic water. (Gin and Tonic, anyone?)

In 1938, the city commission approved a medical plan that was being promoted by the Hillsborough County Medical Society. The monthly fees were $1.00 for a single person, a man and wife $1.50 and a man, wife and children under the age of 18, $2.00. Pharmacies agreed to reduce their prices by one third. Some 2,000 families beneﬁted from this program, which eventually was replaced by private medical care insurance.

The charge to deliver a baby back then was about $25.00 and that included nine months of care, the delivery and circumcision, if it was a boy. Today, that same service can run into many thousands of dollars. Around that time, removal of an infected appendix began to be practiced, saving many lives. Unlike some previous medical doctors, Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez did not get involved in politics, choosing instead to work within the medical ﬁeld. His son tells FOCUS that the elder Dr. Sanchez sat on licensing committees for the Hillsborough County Medical Society and he also prepared exams for the State of Florida to give to would-be doctors.

Back in the 1920’s and ‘30’s doctors were said to be in the upper 35 to 40 percent of income earners, but many rural doctors, which Plant City was considered to be, brought home much less. Dr. Alex Sanchez, whose father was one of those pioneers, says his dad “did a lot of work for free for those who could not afford it.”

Those exams were approved by the Legislature in 1936, when Dr. Sanchez was 50 years old. An unfortunate event occurred on the evening that the package of exams was approved. Members of the Legislature and Medical Association took Dr. Butler Hall Sanchez out to dinner to celebrate the achievement. When he went to use the restroom, a chiropractor was waiting for him and beat him quite severely, resulting in hospitalization. In those days, chiropractors were considered by most medical doctors to be “quacks.”

The medical profession was not able to stay clear of racial issues during the early days of medicine in the South. Whereas blacks had to sit in the back of public transportation, drink from their own water fountains, attend their own schools and keep away from public facilities where whites were in attendance, they also had problems receiving medical care. Doctors who treated black people had to keep them in a separate “waiting room” and while the majority of white doctors were apparently “color blind”, they had to obey local laws.

Dr. Sanchez died in 1937. His injuries from the beating were said not to be a factor in his death.

Many blacks were intimidated by this situation and preferred to wait for the doctor to visit them at home.

A Medical Plan for Plant City

Plant City had one black doctor in the 1930’s, but very little is known about him. His name was Dr. Joyner and after he retired from

For those who have looked at Plant City’s past

Segregation

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practice and was in his later years, Dr. Hal Brewer, well known medical man in the 60’s through the mid 90’s, treated Dr. Joyner. Beyond that, little is known of him and where he spent his ﬁnal years after leaving Plant City.

From the Back of a Pharmacy to Alexander Street As indicated earlier in this article, medical doctors in Plant City usually set up their offices in the back of a pharmacy or on the second floor. We quote from the book “Plant CityIts Origin and History”...“The facilities left much to be desired. Surgical procedures were performed in the same office where fractured arms were set, where abscesses were lanced, accident victims were attended, babies were born and general patient care was provided. Linens and instruments were sterilized in the same room that served as the operating room. For lack of air conditioning, windows were opened wide---windows that overlooked the traffic of busy streets below and in one case, where trains constantly passed.”

South Florida Baptist Hospital is now a fullservice, 147 bed community hospital that offers all of the technically advanced services of an acute care hospital. In the last couple of years, it has opened a new Emergency Care Center that is highly advanced. There’s a helipad at the hospital to transport critical cases to either St. Joseph’s or Tampa General Hospitals.

says “Before World War II, doctors did not specialize. They did everything, including delivering babies, appendectomies and removal of gall bladders.”

Dr. Hal

This report about medical care in Plant City barely scratched the surface of information. Unfortunately, there is not one deﬁning book that has been written by anyone that could tell the full story. Maybe a budding writer or student could take on the task. The Plant City Archives would be a place to start. It’s a fascinating subject about early medicine around eastern Hillsborough County and would go a long way in showing how difﬁcult life was, not so many years ago.

Any story about medical care in Plant City would not be complete if it did not include information about Dr. Harold D (Hal) Brewer, who arrived on the scene in 1960 from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and started a practice that ﬂourished for the next 35 years. A font of knowledge about Plant City, Dr. Brewer contributed much information for this report.

Dr. Brewer’s friend and colleague, Dr. Alex Sanchez went on to say that some country doctors were actually better trained and often had to improvise to save lives.

There had been some efforts to start a hospital in Plant City around 1936-37 that would have involved St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. Plans were drawn up, but as the story goes, the then publisher of the Courier newspaper went on a crusade, claiming the town could not afford it. He won and Plant City would not have its own hospital for several more years. There were suggestions later on that given the ﬁrst hospital’s proponents were Catholics, upset the mostly Baptist community. In 1945, Dr. Alsobrook, M.E. Moody, a local benefactor and Mrs. Rowena Mays either gave money or donated land where the South Florida Baptist Hospital sits today. It took much more money and with construction delays, the hospital did not open its doors until December 29th, 1953. The price tag was nearly $1 million, with virtually every person in Plant City having contributed in some fashion. Somewhat ironically, today, South Florida Baptist Hospital is part of the St. Joseph’sBaptist Care system, an alliance that brings together St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, with South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City. The system has been in place since 1997, has had some revisions since, but operates quite well. Not only does the alliance provide better medical services, there are considerable dollars saved due to the bigger purchasing power.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 48

Dr. Hal Brewer shows old medical equipment.

He tells FOCUS that it’s utterly amazing how medicine has advanced so quickly over the past 50 years. From sulfa drugs as the only type of antibiotics, then penicillin, to today’s life-saving medications, the medical profession has done wonders in saving and prolonging life. Dr. Brewer, who is still very active in Plant City life, especially in the ﬁeld of theater,

(With special thanks to Dr. Hal Brewer, Dr. Alex Sanchez, South Florida Baptist Hospital, The Florida Department of Health, The Plant City Archives, Quintilla Geer Bruton and David E. Bailey, Jr., authors of Plant City-Its Origin and History, Hillsborough County Medical Association and the Hillsborough County Government.)

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 50

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 52

Medical Issue

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 53

Physicians Working Well with Patients and Hospital Staff

Dr. Shaukat and Dr. Girling Receive Top Recognition from Hospital Nursing Staff

The nursing staff at South Florida Baptist Hospital recently voted two of their physicians, Dr. Khizzar Shaukat, a Hospitalist physician, and Dr. Martin Girling, a Podiatrist, as Primary Care Physician of the Year and Specialist of the Year, respectively. The nursing staff uses a ballot process to select one physician in each category and Shaukat and Girling were the winners. Shaukat is relatively new to the area and our hospital, while Dr. Girling has made Plant City his home for almost 20 years. I think you’ll ﬁnd them both interesting. Interview by BRIAN WEST Photos by STEFANIE BURLINGAME and courtesy of SOUTH FLORIDA BAPTIST HOSPITAL FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 54

Medical

Issue

Focus: Tell me about your families. Shaukat: I’ve been married for about two and a half years and as I said, we just had our first child. I did my training in Boston and from there we moved to Milwaukee and then to Florida. Winters there were hard, so to be able to go out in a t-shirt in the middle of January is nice. It’s unbeatable. Girling: I’ve been married to Saint Susie for 21 years. We got married here in Plant City. My oldest son is, as we say in Plant City, ‘fixin’ to be 18 and is graduating from Plant City High School and is going to UCF next year. My middle son is fixin’ to be 14, because if I said he was 13, he’d be upset. He is getting ready to go to high school. My daughter is 11. She was born in Guatemala. She was adopted. We adopted here ten and a half years ago. She goes to school at Tomlin and is moving into the sixth grade. My home town is near West Point, New York, and the weather there isn’t quite as bad as Wisconsin, but winter is still winter. I miss my family, but this is home and this will always be home. I’ll never leave here. When I first came here, people would ask what my home town was like. It is very much like Plant City, it’s just up north. The temperatures are different but the people are the same. You walk downtown and everybody knows everybody and if you’re a woman you get called by your maiden name. So my home town is very similar to the closeness that Plant City has. One of my favorite lines is, “We’re not here in Plant City because someone made us. We’re here in Plant City because we chose to be.” I could practice anywhere; Texas, Rhode Island. But I chose to practice here because this is the kind of town I want to be in.

Hospital in Boston. They have a very strong internal medicine residency program, and I was interested because it was a nice mixture of application of theoretical knowledge as well as using practical skills; using your hands as well as your brain. And it was general enough that you could see different specialties. And you don’t have to be limited to one system. For example, people with lung problems, people with brain problems, people with stomach problems; we can treat all of them, and if you have any problems, then you consult with a specialist. Girling: I worked in the health department for a few years and the commissioner of health, Dr. Daniel Hyman, was a dermatologist, and he taught in the podiatry school in New York. He convinced me to go into podiatry because he said very similar things that Dr. Shaukat was saying; that as podiatrist we do all specialties. We do dermatology, we do surgery, we have to know internal medicine because we’re treating diabetics and we make diagnosis cardiac wise, although not everyone thinks of that, and we do orthopedic surgery, so we’re kind of many specialties rolled into one; masters of nothing but general on everything with the fundamental foot itself as your true specialty. For what I do, I have to know radiology, dermatology, internal medicine, a great deal of vascular disease and internal medicine diagnosis. I don’t treat it, but I can diagnose it and send it on to where it needs to be. For me,

Focus: What got you interested in your specialty? Shaukat: I trained at Newton-Wellesley

Lisa Finely with Dr. Girling and his award.

Dr. Shaukat poses with Lisa Finely after receiving his award.

what I do in the ofﬁce is different than what I do in the hospital. If I see someone in the ofﬁce who has no primary care; I might diagnose diabetes which has manifested itself in the feet, and I’ve diagnosed cardiac disease and lung cancer from looking at the feet. I never would have known that going into podiatry, but obviously going

Medical

Issue

into medicine I would have figured that out. So the dermatologist said to me, “You really should consider going into podiatry because it really is everything altogether, but I thought the hours would be a lot better. I thought I would be home by five o’clock. Focus: So what are your hours like? Shaukat: They vary. It depends on your work load. I work as a Hospitalist physician along with Dr. Gulab Sher, who is a very capable and compassionate physician. As Hospitalists, we take care of patients exclusively in the hospital and have their primary care physicians follow up in the office. We admit patients who don’t have a primary care doctor or those whose primary care does not admit to the hospital. So we admit patients from the ER 24/7. Some days aren’t that bad, but other days, if you get a lot of patients, you could be here very late. If the ER is busy and a lot of people are getting sick, I’m going to be busy. Plant City is known for the Strawberry Festival where we get a lot of visitors, people get sick. We could be here 12, 14 or 16 hours. Girling: My schedule depends on their schedule. As a specialist, when they’re busy, I’m busy. For my office hours, I start my hours here at the hospital at about 7:00 a.m. and then I head to my office. But if they’ve been busy here at the hospital, then my consultation list gets bigger. But I’m always here at the hospital by 7:00 a.m. and I’m rarely home before 9:00 p.m., but I do have weekends off every other weekend. Like I said, I thought the hours were better, more nine to five. Focus: Do you find the long hours to be a struggle with your family life? Shaukat: Yes, but you find different techniques and different ways for dealing with it, and we have dedicated off time and family time which comes with that where we plan a trip or do different things. Work is work and we enjoy what we do, but we find time. Girling: It’s a struggle. I don’t miss anything with the kids. If they have a ball game, I will leave to go to the game and then come back to work. I haven’t missed any baseball games or soccer games on the weekend. The hardest thing over the last four years has been missing tennis matches. My son plays tennis on the tennis team and the matches are in the middle of the day, so it’s very difficult for me to see those. That’s probably my only regret with my children. As far as my wife, my friends say she has a head start on sainthood being

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 55

Medical

Issue

married to me, and that’s probably true. She’s probably the greatest lady I’ve ever known [a little emotional as he said that]. It’s tough being married to me, but we get through it. She doesn’t get to spend as much time with me as she’d like to, and now she’s probably getting used to not being with me, so now I don’t know what she’s going to do when I slow down.

their life. So I stopped and was thinking about it and realized that people come to me thinking they’re going to lose their leg and I’m able to save it, or that they’re going to lose their foot and they only lose a portion of it. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you’ve helped someone. Like any job, it has its down sides,

Dr. Girling

Dr. Shauka

Focus: What do you enjoy most about what you do? Shaukat: I would say taking care of patients – in the broader sense. To be speciﬁc, sometimes patients come in really sick. They’re on life support and we turn them around. They go back to being a part of the community. That’s the most rewarding part; a real sense of accomplishment. To be able to make a difference in someone’s life is professionally and personally fulﬁlling. Girling: I don’t know how else to say it; to make a difference. I know there were points in my career that I didn’t know if I was making a difference. Everybody knows Dr. Smith, Dr. Steve Smith. He’s one of the most wonderful guys you’d ever want to meet. I was thinking of going back to school and retraining and practicing another kind of medicine because I hadn’t convinced myself that I was making a difference. Dr. Smith and I spoke of this, and he smiled at me and said that I was crazy; that he could name patient after patient that would say I truly made a difference in

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 56

but the upsides are so much bigger. That’s why we do it. You don’t go into medicine anymore for the money, because it’s not there. It’s a wonderful feeling when a patient comes in who thinks that they’re going to lose their foot or their leg and one of my peers says, “Get Girling. Let’s see what he can do.” I’ve become the salvage surgeon. I’m sure it’s

very nice for them to know that they can lean on me. I like knowing that they feel they can lean on me. Focus: What would you like most for readers to know about you or the hospital? Shaukat: This is a great hospital with excellent physicians and nursing staff. Come here and we’ll take care of you. Girling: We have some of the finest trained physicians that you’ll find anywhere in the country. We have Yale and Harvard trained, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic; you know everyone wants to see all those big clinic names; they need to know we have them here. And we have plenty of great foreign medical graduate physicians that are some of the best you’ll ever see; British trained, Middle Eastern trained. What we have here is second to no one. We may not have everything, but this is not yesterday’s little corner station. Some people still look at South Florida as a band-aid clinic, but our internists and primary care and surgeons are second to nobody. I’ve worked with surgeons all over the country, and Dr. Butler’s hands are second to no one. I’m not saying he’s better, just that he’s as good. I’m not the best trained podiatrist, but what I do, I do well. Plant City has so many things to be thankful for, and these two fine doctors are just more great examples. The next time you see them, or any other medical professional, give them a pat on the back and let them know how much they’re appreciated. After all, we wouldn’t be as well off if not for the service they provide.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 57

DENTIST - BUSCIGLIO ORTHANDONTICS story and photo courtesy of BUSCIGLIO ORTHODONTICS

Busciglio Orthodontics THE VALUE OF AN ATTRACTIVE SMILE

Busciglio Orthodontics has two locations, Plant City and Brandon. Our practice is limited to Orthodontics. An Orthodontist is a specialist who must ﬁrst attend college, then complete a four year Dental Graduate program, and lastly, successfully complete an additional two to four year Post Graduate program of advanced education in Orthodontics. Dr. Busciglio is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Only about one in four Orthodontists have successfully completed this educationally and clinically stimulating process of certiﬁcation. The American Board of Orthodontics is the only Orthodontic specialty board approved by the American Dental Association and sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontists.

Orthodontic treatment should begin as early in life as possible with an initial consultation recommended between the ages of 7 and 9. Early orthodontics enhances self esteem, minimizes removal of permanent teeth and creates more stable long term results. Orthodontics is very important because crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain, and may lead to tooth decay and eventual gum disease and tooth loss. The value of an attractive smile should not be underestimated. A pleasing appearance is a vital asset to one’s self conﬁdence, regardless of age. Orthodontics is the oldest specialty of dentistry. Dr. John Busciglio’s son, Dr. Derek Busciglio, will be joining Busciglio Orthodontics this July.

NEUROLOGIST - DR. THOMAS DIGERONIMO story and photo courtesy of DR. THOMAS DIGERONIMO’S OFFICE

Dr. Thomas DiGeronimo NEUROLOGIST

Dr. DiGeronimo is a Board Certiﬁed Neurologist who has been practicing in Plant City since 1993. He graduated from Harvard College, St. George University School of Medicine, and completed his Neurology residency at the University of South Florida. As a member of the Army Reserve, he was activated during Desert Storm in 1991. Dr. DiGeronimo is married to Denise whom he met in Miami at University Baptist Church. They have four children; Elliot, Ryan, Crissa and Carli, two daughters-in-law; Carolyn and Katie, and a grandson; Aidan. Dr. DiGeronimo is on staff at South Florida Baptist Hospital and has ofﬁces in Plant City and Brandon. He practices General Neurology, encompassing all neurological diseases

with special interest in nerve/muscle disorders, seizures, pain, vertigo (dizziness), stroke, headache, and movement disorders. The following diagnostic services are offered: Electroencephalogram (for seizures, confusion and memory disorders), ambulatory electroencephalogram (for epilepsy), nerve conduction studies and electromyography (for nerve and muscle diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, neuropathy and radiculopathy), videonystagmogram (for vertigo and balance disorders), carotid Doppler ultrasound/2D echocardiograms (for strokes), and botox injections(for chronic pain, muscle disorders and spastisity). Most insurance plans are accepted. Dr. DiGeronimo is proud of his staff, some of whom have been with him for more than a decade. Buddy

Gordon is a very proﬁcient neurodiagnostic technician who helps patients feel at ease. Amy Wyatt is very organized and capable as the ofﬁce manager. Heather Meyer is the pleasant operator with a sweet, Southern accent. Diana Perry is the patient and friendly appointment scheduler. Martha Dudinetz is a sweet receptionist who interprets for Spanish speaking patients. Glenn Turner is the Nurse Practitioner who is highly skilled in patient care, and also speaks Spanish. Susan Donovan is a caring medical assistant. April Monroe is a part-time neurodiagnostic technician with great people skills. Paula Lynn is a dependable,

certified ultrasound technician. Vanessa Simmons is a hard working, part-time clerical assistant. Dr. DiGeronimo and staff are very concerned about your medical care and endeavor to provide you with state of the art neurological expertise. They are privileged to treat you like a part of their family. Plant City office: 3302 W. Baker Street (813-752-1336) Brandon office: 645 W. Lumsden Rd.

CHIROPRACTOR - DR. DUKES story by CHERYL JOHNSTON / photo by SOPHIA DEDON

Healing Alignment for Mind, Body and Spirit DUKES CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CENTER

methods and continuing research resulted in Doctorate of Chiropractic and Diplomate of Neurology degrees.

Dr. Brenda Dukes is passionate about natural healing, people and Plant City. These three passions, along with a desire to honor God’s plan, led her to open Dukes Chiropractic Health Clinic, P.A. in 1985. From the eighth grade, Dr. Dukes knew she was called to the medical profession. Photos of her with

“Candy Striper” hospital volunteers at South Florida Baptist Hospital are displayed in the local archives. After her PCHS graduation, family faith in divine healing and prayer led to Oral Roberts University for Bachelor of Science degrees in biology and chemistry. Fascination with the body’s ability to heal itself through natural

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If you’d like relief from the following conditions and more, contact the clinic and begin the journey to reclaim wellness: frequent headaches, painful joints or muscles, allergies, sinus infections, sleeplessness, anxiety, spinal or nerve problems, ear infections, ﬁbromyalgia, sports injuries, pregnancy discomfort or pain in general. Chiropractic adjustments, along with massage therapy, can restore balance, performance and energy. Infants and children also need and beneﬁt from chiropractic adjustments.

sage therapy and rehabilitation are integral parts of treatment. “As a staff, we pray for our patients – for their healing and their lives.” The clinic also invests time and energy in our community by sponsoring events like Relay for Life, New Teacher Breakfast, Pregnancy Care Center fundraisers and others to beneﬁt charitable causes. Dr. Dukes “thanks the Lord for blessings that allow us to do more. Our motto and desire is ‘To Love, to serve and to give out of abundance.’” Research the great news at www. dukeschiropractic.com, then take that step by scheduling an appointment. Visit 2401 Walden Woods Drive or phone 752-2524 or (800) 309-DUKE.

Dukes Chiropractic Health Clinic, P.A. is not a spa, although mas-

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The Health Center of Plant City

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 59

URGENT CARE CENTER story and photos courtesy of URGENT CARE CENTER

Adam Noah’s “Gift” to Plant City URGENT CARE

Urgent Care was never on the mind of local businessman and long time Plant City resident Yahya Chaudhry until about a year and a half ago. That evening, his son, Adam Noah had a severe fever and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Both parents were helpless and frustrated for their son, who was sick and suffering and they were distraught for the entire 4-5 hour wait in the waiting room of the Emergency Room. After

his son was well, Chaudhry was still thinking at how helpless he felt that night, trying to seek care for his son. He contacted a Brandon Emergency Room physician, Dr. Zaki, to question him on what he could do to prevent anyone else from experiencing what his family did that evening in the ER. He also enlisted the help of his business partner and brother. That was how Urgent Care USA, LLC was formed. The partners have invested over 2 million dollars into 2 clinics in our area. These clinics are based on 3 solid principles: 1. Cost-The cost is on an average 1/3 of the hospital charges. 2. Compassion and Caring-Every patient and their families are treated with the utmost courtesy and love. 3. Time-We strive for the patient total treatment time to be 1 hour. At our clinic, there is ALWAYS a

Physician available. We are open at either location 9:00 am-9:00 pm 7 days a week, including holidays. We accept most insurance plans, and can treat most medical problems from common colds, sore throats, minor lacerations, broken bones, as well as offering all types of Industrial Medicine procedures. We have X-ray and Lab capabilities at each of our locations. So please remember the “Gift” that little Adam Noah has given to our community if you ever need to seek medical attention for you, a loved one, or family member.

BEST QUALITY HEALTH CARE!!

Physicians with more than 20 years ER experience. Urgent Care USA is now available to meet your immediate medical needs. When you are unable to see your primary care physician, don’t want to spend your day in the emergency room or just want timely medical attention. Urgent Care USA will see you NOW. • OPEN 9AM TO 9PM, seven days a week, including holidays • X-Rays, EKG, and Lab Tests all available on site! • Most insurance and credit cards accepted! (INCLUDING TRICARE, AETNA, HUMANA, UNITED HEALTH CARE, CIGNA & MANY OTHERS)

WAITING TIME IS MINIMAL 2 convenient locations to serve you ��

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 60

Quality Medical Care When You Need It! For the entire family!

SANDHILL BONE & JOINT - DR. SUSAN M. OTT story and photo courtesy of DR. SUSAN M. OTT

Sandhill Bone and Joint DR. SUSAN M. OTT

Hello Plant City. My name is Dr. Susan M. Ott and I have been practicing orthopedic surgery at Sand Hill Bone and Joint here in town for nearly four years. I am on staff at South Florida Baptist Hospital, Ambulatory Surgery Center in Tampa, and Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Brandon. I have a subspecialty in sports medicine and I am the team physician for Florida Southern College and the Lakeland Thunderbolts. I am also on the national healthcare referral lists for USA Gymnastics and USA Swimming. My past sports medicine activities include being the team physician for Eastern Kentucky University, providing physician coverage of the USA Gymnastics national championships and the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista CA. My team at Sand Hill Bone and Joint strives to provide the Plant City community with exceptional orthopedic care close to home. Our services include fracture care,

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care of the injured athlete, arthroscopic surgery, joint replacement, treatment of sprains, strains, inflammatory conditions, joint pain, muscle pain, arthritis treatment, and care of disorders involving bones, joints and ligaments. We also offer an osteoporosis clinic complete with bone density evaluation (DEXA scanning). For those of you that are fitness minded we also have the ability to do complete computerized body composition testing. My goal is to provide you with the best, most up to date orthopedic care available by using the latest technology and best practice techniques. I hope to continue to provide this service to the community for many years to come. If you or members of your family are having joint or muscle pain, please feel free to contact my office. At Sand Hill Bone & Joint we provide Quality Orthopaedic Care Close to Home.

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Fellow: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Fellow: American College of Surgeons Member: American Society for surgery of the Hand Certiﬁed: American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons

Team Physician for Florida Southern College National Healthcare Referral Network for USA Gymnastics & USA Swimming American College of Sport Medicine

• General Orthopedics • Total Joint Replacement • Partial Joint Replacement • Mini Incision Joint Replacement

• Sports Medicine • Fracture & Injury Care • Arthroscopic Surgery • Ligament Reconstruction

116 N. Kings Ave. Brandon, Fl 33510

(813) 490-1393

Certiﬁed: Board Certiﬁed D.O.

�� 1601 W. Timberlane Dr., Suite 500 Plant City, Fl 33567

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(813) 754-0817

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“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” Orison Swett Marden

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 61

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM

Story and Photo by Sherry Baldwin

50 Years in Her Field ��

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LOCAL NURSE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN

ing room and later (once again) found her niche working the emergency room.

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Reynolds

Wheeler

Baker ��

Davis

Alexander

�� LOCATED BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND ALEXANDER STREET

�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 62

Bonnie Troy, R.N.

rea resident and Registered Nurse Bonnie Troy recently spent time reﬂecting upon her many years working in the ﬁeld of nursing. In fact, on that day, she was preparing to head home to Waterloo, Iowa, for her class reunion. It has been 50 years since she graduated from the Allen Hospital Lutheran School of Nursing.

Troy explained how, following graduation from high school, she received a scholarship to attend nursing school. At that time, it was a three year intensive program that required students (mostly female) to be single, live in nurses’ residences, work eight hours per day for no pay, while also attending classes. Among the many highlights were the rotations in pediatrics and psychiatry she completed at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduation, Troy worked a number of years in the operat-

Not surprisingly, Troy shared that a lot of things were different in those days. This included the nurses’ uniform “with those little white hats that were hard to keep on your head,” added Troy. She recalled the hourly pay at one point being “about $1.95 per hour – with $.25 per hour extra for overnight work.” Nurses mixed medications for injections, sharpened, sterilized and repackaged needles. Everything was hand written and there were no computers. While she may have seen a lot of changes, one thing that remained ever constant was her love for her chosen path. Her career has spanned over a half a century and across several states. For the past 15 years she has been a valued member of the South Florida Baptist Hospital (SFBH) staff. SFBH Charge Nurse, Margaret Stevens, RN, recently stated, “I am truly proud to have someone with Bonnie’s wealth of knowledge as a member of our hospital family.” Colleague Tracy Connell, RN, also expressed her respect for Troy’s commitment to her work. They both agreed how much they enjoy her sense of humor as well. And, if you ask if retirement is in her near future you will quickly see…Bonnie Troy, R.N. shows no signs of slowing down. She is truly an amazing woman!

PLANT CITY REHAB AND WELLNESS CENTER story courtesy of PLANT CITY REHAB & WELLNESS CENTER / photos by KRISTEN TONEY

A New Treatment Option FOR ALL THOSE ACHES & PAINS!

There’s an exciting new option in Plant City for all your rehabilitation needs, and beyond! The staff members of Plant City Rehab & Wellness Center have over 20 years of experience in curing aches and pains. The company’s philosophy is “To serve the community with a wide range of quality care. This service is provided in accordance with professional quality standards in the spirit of community service and compassion.” Their brand new state-of-the-art facility has

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only been open since April 2, but the combination of the premium location, the growing market for their services and the quality of their care, their services of basic physical, occupational and massage therapies are just what Plant City has been looking for. With services for all ages dealing with everything from auto and personal injuries (workers comp) to post-surgery to orthopedic, back and neck pain, Osteoporosis, and Fibromyalgia, you’re sure to receive the care your body is most in need of.

appointment for you without a referral. There is also a wellness center available for those who are interested in exercise, working joints and stretching muscles with hydraulic equipment. The low to no impact equipment is ideal for healing. On June 2, Plant City Rehab & Wellness Center will be holding

an open house, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at their location at 1507 South Alexander Street, Suite 102 here in Plant City. Slated to be a great family event, come enjoy a tour of their facility, refreshments and activities for the kids! For more information on Plant City Rehab & Wellness Center, call (813) 759-0106.

Plant City Rehab and Wellness Center, accepts all insurance (Medicare, Workers Comp, etc.). If you are only looking for a massage, the center’s Massage Therapist will set an individual

YOU DESERVE TO BE PAIN FREE. ��

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CONGRATULATIONS

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Plant City Rehab & Wellness INC. Center INC.

Dr. Shaukat and Dr. Girling for receiving top recognition from South Florida Baptist Hospital nursing staff

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MAGAZINE

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 63

TIRED OF PAIN? ��

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813.754.2273 ��

Friendly Courteous Staff

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You are here. So are we. ��

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 64

BERRY PATCH PEDIATRICS Story by EMILY ALLEN / Photo Courtesy of DR. GLORIA RIBAS-SCHULTZ

Berry Patch Pediatrics GLORIA RIBAS-SCHULTZ, MD

Medicine, especially primary care, is a field that mixes science and art. There’s an art to caring for children, and Gloria RibasSchultz, MD serves them with excellence.

Dr. Ribas-Schultz opened Berry Patch Pediatrics in March of 2006 with the goal of providing comprehensive and compassionate pediatric care, as well as helping each child achieve their own special potential. Cuban-born and fluent in Spanish, Dr. RibasSchultz received her MD in 1991 from Louisiana State University Medical School, and served her residency at Tampa General Hospital from 1991-1994. Since she was a young child, she wanted to be a doctor, and really looked up to her own pediatrician. She sees pediatrics as a way to partner with parents in provid-

ing their children with wellrounded health and education.

grates practical parenting with medicine.

“I love children’s joy of life. They tend to be happy, honest, and excited about new things. I also love to watch them grow and develop. In working with kids I also - by default - work with their parents, which is usually an added bonus. My goal is to be a partner with the parents in helping their child reach adulthood - not only through medical care, but also education on health and behavior issues.”

“I’m a mom too, and I like being able to share my experiences with my children with other parents also from that perspective. Sometimes the books and the ‘ivory tower’ of academic medicine say one thing, but reality as a parent says another; I can help balance these two.”

Being in practice for more than 12 years, Dr. Ribas-Schultz is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and is the primary doctor at Berry Patch Pediatrics. She is a mother also and inte-

Dr. Ribas-Schultz and her team incorporate the “small town life” of Plant City with distinctive, professional care and their vision is simple: “To serve God and the community by providing excellent, comprehensive pediatric care.”

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 65

HISTORY

DID YOU KNOW?

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM

Story and Photos courtesy of Plant City Photo Archives, Inc.

W.B. Herring and Banking in Plant City A fire in 1910 destroyed part of the Herring’s Drug Store building, including the second floor, which at that time housed The Courier, and the newspaper lost most of its files and equipment. Herring rebuilt again.

bout 1890, Wesley Benjamin, “W.B.”, Herring, (1871–1926), began his career working for C.S. Lowry, who ran a drug store, (Lowry’s Drug Store), at the southeast corner of Collins and South Drane Street. In 1891, W.B. was admitted to the School of Pharmacy at Northwestern University, in Illinois, attending night classes and working during the day to pay expenses, and graduated and obtained his license in 1893. Following this, he operated a drug store in Wildwood, Florida, and one in Plant City. W. B. Herring married Lelia Stewart White in 1896, shortly after purchasing the drug store from Lowry, who returned to medical school to become a doctor. Herring became one of the leading druggists, bankers, and businessmen, and a leading citizen of Plant City until illness curtailed his activities shortly before his death in 1926. Herring had been elected to the City Council, elected Mayor several times, and served as the President of the Board of Trade shortly after its inception. The Plant City Courier eulogized him with an editorial. Part of it read this way: “In the death of W.B. Herring Plant City has lost one of her greatest and ﬁnest citizens. She has lost a builder. For something like thirty years the best energies and thought of this man, now gone, went into developing and furthering the destinies of our town.”

A 1900 Tampa Tribune article on Plant City referred to two successful druggists in town – Dr. Olin Wright, who owned the Magnolia Pharmacy, and W.B. Herring. A successful businessman, Herring joined a few friends and together organized the Bank of Plant City, which was chartered in 1906 and opened in the early part of 1907. Albert Schneider became president, and W.B. Herring, vice-president. Others included C.A. Root, S.E. Mays, William Schneider, (William and Albert were brothers), Henry B. Wordehoff, W.A. Clark, T.M. Strickland, and John Trice. They located the bank in a brick building erected next to the south side of the three-story Wells Building on North Collins Street. Herring’s Drug Store was destroyed by the raging ﬁre of October 1907, taking with it the Plant City Opera House, a second story 250-seat auditorium that had been the site for graduation exercises and many of the important civic functions of that time. Herring rebuilt on the site, constructing a two-story brick building. In 1908, W.B. Herring purchased a drug store from S.C. Wells located in the three-story Wells Building. He renamed it Central Pharmacy and moved it to a building he constructed for it (1908-09) at the southeast corner of Collins Street and Reynolds Street.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 66

In 1912 W.B. organized the First National Bank of Plant City and located it in a building he constructed at the northeast corner of Collins and Haines Streets, and he served as president. Vivian B. Collins, step-son of Dr. Olin Wright, was the cashier, a position reﬂecting general management responsibilities. This building lasted until it was torn down about 1970. (Insert here a note about Vivian Collins. He was the son of Palastine Hamilton Collins Wright and Perry Collins, her second husband. [She had previously been married to Thomas Calmes, with whom she had one son, Thomas Calmes, and she married Wright about 1888.] Vivian Collins became Adjutant General of Florida, and served in WWI as a two-star general – General Vivian Collins, 31st Infantry Division, under whose command a number of Plant City enlistees, including Mike Sansone, served. During WWII, Collins served at Camp Blanding as a three-star general.) About 1919, Herring folded the First National Bank into the Bank of Plant City and moved the Bank of Plant City to the site of the Central Pharmacy, relocating the drug store one door to the south. Then, in 1920, he helped organize Farmers and Merchants Bank and located it in a new brick building constructed on the northeast corner of North Drane and Collins Street, later the site of Hooker’s

Department Store. Businessman W.A. Haymond was president. Other organizers of the bank included George Wilder and W.B. Herring. The cashier was V.B Collins. About this time, W.B. opened and operated the Herring Finance Company, which he managed until his death in 1926. The Farmers and Merchants Bank closed about 1927. Some of its remaining organizers gave it one more try, organizing the Citizens Bank in the same location about 1930, but it lasted only a short time – the Great Depression years were not easy on the banking industry. In addition to his subdivision on North Wheeler Street, the W.B. Herring Subdivision, Herring constructed many buildings in downtown Plant City, including a number of them along South Collins from South Drane Street, (J. Arden Mays Boulevard today), to Haines Street, (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard today). Although his drug stores continued for some time, the only bank to survive the Depression years was the Hillsboro State Bank, today known as SunTrust Bank. Sources: Quintilla Geer Bruton and David E. Bailey, Jr. Plant City; Its Origin and History, 1984. Plant City Photo Archives, Inc., and Plant City Photo Archives Oral History Project 2007.

Farmers And Merchants Bank

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 74

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The ﬁrst thing you will notice as you drive down the tree lined driveway is the lush landscape on this gorgeous 3/4 ACRE lot right in the center of the city. You won’t be disappointed as you enter this 3 Bedroom 2 1/2 Bath home w/pool. Don’t wait too long to set your appointment. This one will go fast at only $350,000! Call Natalie 813-758-9586

Beautiful 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath Custom Home on 2.77 A featuring Designer Cabinets, Granite Countertops, Crown Molding & ﬂexible ﬂoor plan ideal for teens or In-law suite. The pasture is Multifenced & irrigated. The barn has electric & water. All this & a new Pool. It’s a steal at $485,000. Call Angel at 813-546-9863

You’ll enjoy this wonderful home in Walden Lake. Great room ﬂoor plan offers over 2000 sq’ of spacious living. The extra large screened lanai w/heated spa & private fenced yard. You won’t want to miss this one at only $239,900. Call Natalie 758-9586.

You must see this fabulous 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath home featuring new designer tile & carpeting. Wonderful open ﬂoor plan w/formal living & dining & kitchen opening to family room. Master features walk-in closet, garden tub & shower. Priced to sell at only $210,000. Call Natalie at 758-9586.

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You MUST see this Beautiful Home with Loads of Extras including Upgraded Wood Cabinets, Recessed Lighting, Tray Ceiling, Berber Carpet & Gorgeous Tile. You’ll love this yard with it’s Xerioscape Landscaping. This is MOVE-IN ready and waiting for you! Priced to Sell at $250,000 Call Angel @ 546-9863

Don’t let the price fool you on this one. The sellers are motivated. Built in 2000 and featuring a Great Room Floor Plan, with 3 bedrooms & 2 Baths. Large kitchen with huge dinette and formal dining room. The master suite features tray ceiling, double sinks, vanity, garden tub & separate shower. Offered for only $225,000. Call Natalie 813-758-9586

You will love this 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath home without deed restrictions in quiet neighborhood. Large Living Room, Formal Dining & Family room are just some of the features. You will love entertaining in your oversized screened patio w/brick pavers and spa. All this on a large in town lot. Only $210,000 Call Natalie at 813-758-9586

Exquisite home on gorgeous conservation lot. Enjoy privacy courtesy of mother nature with tranquil pond view. 3 way split w/expanded suite. Family room w/gas ﬁreplace & built-in entertainment unit. Air conditioned 3 car garage. Only $299,500. Call Natalie at 758-9586.

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Over 1 1⁄4 Acre Commercial lot with tons of potential in a growing area. Only $149,000 Call Natalie 813-758-9586

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Gorgeous property in growing area of Plant City ready for you to build your dream home. Bring your horses and spread out on over 2 Acres of Beautiful Land. A Great Price at $142,500 Call Carrie Lang at 813-767-3459

This 6+ Acre lot is located in the Exclusive “Alaﬁa Ridge Estates” where you will ﬁnd homes of 3000 sq’ and larger. Offered at $299,000 Call Angel at 546-9863.

3 City lots available. The is one in Lakeland with the possibility of 2 buildable lots for only $29,900 and 2 in Plant City for only $23,500. Call Natalie for more details at 813-758-9586

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 75

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 76

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 77

FEATURED HOME Pool Contractors, Inc. The Best in the Business Story by Kristen Toney Photos Courtesy of PCI

Every once in a while a company comes along that can prove their work without a doubt. PCI is one of those companies that can be trusted with any homeowner’s needs. The quality of PCI’s work and the integrity of their employees strongly rival any pool company that has been in business for decades.

PCI’s home ofﬁces are located in Plant City; however, they have gone as far as Osceola, Lake County, Pasco County, Hernando, Ft. Myers and Naples. Hennie and Dominique De Wet are the owners, who build by the philosophy: “Wherever you want a pool, we’ll build it.”

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 78

PCI builds custom pools, which are displayed in the construction process step by step on their website, so all their customers are comfortable with the process and are able to put their full trust in the contractors working on their project. Many of their customers come into the ofﬁce with a vague idea of what they want in a pool, and after

seeing the many examples PCI has to offer, they are able to make a ﬁrm decision as to what is best for their home. When PCI started their business, they had ﬁve crews doing their projects. “I can’t even count how many crews we have now,” Dominique laughed. “We’ve grown

so much; the need for the quality services we provide has just been enormous! We don’t just sell pools – we build them.” An incredible asset to this company is that they do not subcontract out any step in the pool-building process; they do everything with their own material, crews and equipment. From the cement plant on their company property, to their own cement trucks used in the delivery, to shooting the shell and finishing the interior pebble or diamond bright, PCI is there from start to finish. This is a revolutionary process for their customers, as no customer is ever told they must “wait” for the next subcontractor to come and continue the proceedings. Completely unheard of in the pool industry is the guaranteed completion date PCI promises its customers. From the date of excavation to the day they fill it up with water, 35 days is all it takes to complete a customer’s dream project. There’s no catch other than environment issues, except for the fact that PCI will pay the customer $100 dollars a day for every day they fall behind on the project. “There is nobody in this industry who can guarantee a completion date, and there’s nobody in this industry that can give the quality of work that we do, because all phases are supervised,” Dominique explained. PCI prides themselves on how well they work with their customers from start to finish. They will work within anyone’s budget, and with their pool packages starting

at $18,999, and the ability to add many features on top of that, their customers are only limited by how much they want to spend. Once a decision is made, the work is begun, and only _” tolerance on height of the beam all the way around is tolerated. Not only are all the crews under constant supervision during the construction process, but the projects are monitored by the field superintendent, to make sure the quality of the work is at the highest standards possible. Recently PCI was observed by one of the top pool inspectors in the nation. “At the end of the day, he came and told us that he travels all over the country, and he’s never seen the quality of work anywhere else that we have here,” Dominique enthused. “We have a lot of things that no other pool companies offer,” she continued. “Other companies are brokers. We are a construction company. Everything is done in-house, and just the fact that we guarantee a completion date…you can’t find anyone else who offers that kind of service. If there should be any defect, our personal promise is to have it repaired within a 48hour time period.” For more information and additional photos of the pool construction process, visit PCI’s website at www.poolcontractorsinc.com, or call them at (813) 986-0518. For a model you can look at anytime, visit their office at 2614 Highway 92 East.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 79

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�� Have you been to my daddy’s new website yet? www.plantcitymortgages.com

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CALL NATE DAVIS

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Mortgage Consultant

(813) 763-3910 Office Located In Plant City

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your home. YOU CAN refinance ��

YOU CAN buy a home, and I CAN help you. FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 81

At Morrow & Associates we believe in the “Team” approach, where the contractor, owner, and design professionals are working together to give the owner a project that is on schedule, in budget, and will exceed the owner’s expectations. Chad Morrow - 813.781.9254 Eric Lawson - 813.781.9256 Licensed, Bonded & Insured CFOCUS G CPLANT 1 5 CITY 0 9 EDITION 1 3 4 • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 82

Office 813.715.0404 Fax 813.715.0066 • 3620 Copeland Drive / Zephyrills, Fl 33542

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 83

Blackburn & Associates Realty SAVING SELLERS AND BUYERS MONEY!!!

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 85

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 86

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A Must See! Beautiful 3/2/2 home with lovely ﬂoor plan. MLS# T2243614

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 87

HOMES

HOME GUIDE

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM

Story by Natalie Sweet

The Walden Lake Review T

he Walden Lake Community Association held their Annual Membership Meeting at the Walden Lake Golf & Country Club on April 12th. At issue were changes to the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Deed Restrictions. The changes were voted on and were overwhelmingly approved by the membership. The changes modernize the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Deed Restrictions to where they are more workable and will allow the Association to accept a new neighborhood community into the Association, such as the proposed townhomes at the corner of Grifﬁn and Turkey Creek. The Master Association is currently training someone to take responsibility for enforcing deed restric-

tions in the individual neighborhoods at no additional charge to the homeowners. This person will be responsible for all record keeping, letters, follow up, liens etc. The individual neighborhoods will still remain the responsible party, but can contract with the Master Association if they determine their neighborhood would beneﬁt from this service. The Master Association is also activating a Compliance Committee to deal with deed restriction issues. This committee will be set up of Walden Lake volunteer residents as a fair, non-involved committee and will be similar to a “jury of your peers.” This committee’s responsibility will be to review issues arising from deed restriction

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 88

violations and hear both the owners and the board’s side regarding the violation. The neighborhood entrance landscapes are being worked on. The challenge is to ﬁnd plants that don’t require much watering and will live in our dry environment. Landscape plans are being worked on for many of the entrances that have had issues with what had been planted. The guardhouses at the entrances on each end of Timberlane are getting ready to have a landscaping face lift. The association is also getting bids to have the neighborhood entrances mulched. The playground equipment for the Silverwood Park should be in soon. This park is open to the entire com-

munity membership to use. The Board wants to remind you that you can only water once a week. Please be sure to water on the correct day for the last number of your address. Walden Lake Golf & Country Club is offering seasonal memberships that run through October 31st which include pool, ﬁtness, social activities and discounts on golf. They are also offering summer camps for ages 6 through 17. The new swim coach, Tom Schmelz, is also offering swim lessons and instruction. For more information on the seasonal membership or summer camps, call Sherry at 7521171, extension 221.

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 89

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 90

Landscape and Gardening Proffesionals Locally Owned and Operated Serving Plant City for Over 15 Years

813-659-0370

SHARON OURS

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813-763-0856

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Your Family will love this well kept 3/2 home with inside laundry and bonus room. Formal living room, Family room with ﬁreplace, spacious eat in kitchen. Seller will contribute to buyers closing cost with full price offer...$168,000

METRO CLEANING METRO PAINTING New Amazing Window Scratch Repair

Remodels New Construction

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Residential Repaints Staining

813-752-1960

Custom Paints

Come in to see our paint design center. Choose your colors and discuss our easy payment plans for residential customers!

metrocleaning@metrocitygroups.com

metropainting@metrocitygroups.com FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 91

HOMES

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM

FREEMARR HOMES, INC. “Your Quality Home Builder”

NOW SELLING ��

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Story by Shelton Keely

Why Should You Use a Buyer’s Agent? O

ne of the biggest mistakes new and veteran real estate investors make is to purchase a listed property without the use of a buyer’s agent who is experienced in working with real estate investors. Now any agent can be a buyer’s agent, but unless they understand how we buy and sell property they will not be able to guide you through the many pitfalls and will cause unnecessary paperwork and hassle. Many investors incorrectly believe that if they don’t use a buyers’ agent they can get the seller to give “them” a 3% discount in-lieu of paying the full 6% to the listing agent. This is almost always wrong. A seller enters into a listing agreement with the listing broker for an agreed upon amount or percentage. Once the property is listed in MLS, that fee is shared with the agent, if any, that sells the property. If the listing agent sells the property…they keep 100%. That means not only do you not get a discount equal to the shared fee, but you also are letting the seller have an advantage in the negotiations. What Exactly is a Real Estate Investors Buyer Agent? Buyers’ agents are agents who are experienced in and oftentimes specialize in working on investment related transactions and retained by real estate investors to help them find the perfect house and are paid by the sellers / builders / listing agents. Let’s say that you are in the market to buy a very specific car and walk into a local Chevrolet dealership to find one. Guess who those “friendly” sales people work for? The dealer, of course. They’re all trying to get you to buy using every pressure tactic in the book. Do you feel comfortable? Of course not.

Contact Paula and Abby today at 813-752-8607 paula.meyers@freemarr.com www.freemarr.com Broker Participation Welcome

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CRC 043791

Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. Standard features may vary per ﬂoor plan and community.

Now, what if you could hire an independent vehicle consultant to find you that exact vehicle from amongst all the regional Chevrolet dealerships; someone to handle all of the negotiation, at your direction? Someone who knows the market and the costs associated with buying this vehicle, as well as how long a dealer typically takes to sell this car. All of this info is vital to you getting the best deal. To get all of this at no cost to you, you simply sign an agreement with that individual that outlines the following obligations: * That the consultant is to look out for your best interest (They are legally bound to do so). * You agree to allow your consultant to be paid a pre-determined finder’s fee from the dealer from whom you decide to buy. * That the consultant will help you find the best deal. Performance based compensation. If they don’t find you what you want…they don’t get paid. * You agree to work exclusively with that consultant. (This helps ensure that there is no pressure on you to buy because that consultant knows that he / she will eventually be rewarded for their effort to help you). * You agree to only buy from dealerships that will pay your sales person a finder’s fee. Now, substitute the car for a house and the consultant person for a real estate investor’s buyer’s agent and you’ve accomplished the same thing, which in real estate is known as buyer agency.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 92

Tired of calling all over for the best insurance rates? ��

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Beautiful 5 Bedroom/3 Bath home with over 2600 s/f living area in Walden Lake. Over 1/3 acre corner lot, circular drive, 3 car garage, newer roof, and caged pool with brick paver decking. Italian ceramic tile, jacuzzi tub in master bath, ﬂoor to ceiling stone ﬁreplace and much more! $409,900

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4 Bedroom/3 Bath home in lovely Walden Lake features 2,646 s/f living area, brick exterior, side entry garage, huge corner lot, mature landscaping, solar heated caged pool with outdoor kitchen on lanai, open and airy ﬂoor plan with soaring ceilings, large kitchen with lots of cabinets and breakfast bar opens to huge family room with ﬁreplace. Formal living and dining, split plan and so much more. You’ll love this home! $379,900

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4 Bedrooms/ 2 Baths, over 2,100 s/f living area. Elegant brick exterior, bright and cheerful home with skylights in formal living room, coffered ceiling in formal dining room, kitchen opens to large family room with ﬁreplace. 2/2 split bedroom plan, ceramic tiled walkways, kitchen & baths. You’ll enjoy lovely solar heated pool & spa and outdoor kitchen for those BBQ gatherings! Great home for entertaining! $329,000

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 93

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Please Ring For The Best Royal Treatment

(813) FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 94

657-6925

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A LITTLE PONDEROSA

Tucked away on 3.75 acres youʼll ﬁnd this great 3 bedrm 2 bath home with approx. 1954 sq ft of living space. Open front porch & scrnd back porch. Property is fenced & cross fenced with a barn & small pond w/ﬁshing dock. Youʼll love this one for $399,000. #718

LOTS & ACERAGE

• 2.33 Acres just inside Polk County$155,000 #720 • Buildable City Lot w/large oaks $35,000 #717 • Three adjoining lots available in a great area. 1 acre --$150,000, 1.5 acres--$150,000, 3 acres --$200,000. Buy one or all. #719

BRAND NEW & WAITING FOR YOU! This 3 bedroom 2 bath home has a great ﬂoor plan & is almost completed. Great room with ﬁreplace. Master Suite has his and her walk-in closets, garden tub & separate shower. Screened lanai. Home sits on a high & dry acre lot. Priced at only $339,000. #607

ENJOY THE COUNTRY LIFE

RAISE A STEER OR Plant a garden..Thereʼs plenty of room on approx. 4.7 acres that surrounds this 3 bedroom 2 bath block home. Freshly painted & updated with new tile ﬂoors, new windows & new doors. Move-in condition! Check it out today.$330,000. #716

No deed restrictions on this beautiful 2.13 acs mol in the Springhead Area. Very nice 3/2 doublewide with bonus rm that could be used for 4th bdrm. Large back porch and above ground pool with deck. Plus a 20x24 2 story barn and a 12x18 shed. Bring your pets and have room to roam. Priced to sell at $189,900-#722

In todayʼs market, itʼs more important than ever to have the right agent help you sell your home. And at Coldwell Banker® Park Place Properties, youʼll ﬁnd Sales Associates who know how to market your home, help you set the right price, and maximize its “curb appeal”. Your home is probably your most important asset. Call us today and let us put a SOLD sign on your home.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT This 2 bedroom bungalow needs a lot of work to bring it into shape or you can tear it down & build your dream home on this pretty city lot. Either way it can be yours for just $69,900. Want to know more? Give us a call for the location. #713

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 95

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 96

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 97

�� $20��

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 98

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 99

MONEY

INVESTING

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM Submitted by Edward Jones

Celebrate “Tax Freedom Day” BY MAKING TAX-SMART MOVES

pril 30 was Tax Freedom Day. It’s not a national holiday, and you won’t ﬁnd it on your calendar. But it can still be meaningful - if you use it as a starting point to review your own tax situation.

Date: June 24th Time: 6:30pm Location: 2501 Thonotosassa Rd.

Michael S. Cameron 2501 Thonotosassa Rd Plant City, FL 33563

813 / 759 - 1491

Tax Freedom Day is the date when average Americans will have earned enough money to pay their federal, state and local tax bills for 2007. Each year, the Tax Foundation, a non-profit tax policy research organization, calculates when Tax Freedom Day will occur. The date changes from year to year, based on changes in tax laws and the rate of economic growth in the country. Of course, the idea of a “day” in which you have put taxes behind you for the year is fictitious. After all, if you work for a company, your employer typically withholds taxes from all your paychecks; if you are self-employed, you probably pay taxes every quarter. And yet, it’s useful to think of Tax Freedom Day because it can push you toward making some important changes - especially in the area of investment taxes. If you think you may be paying too much in taxes on your investments, what can you do about it? Here are a few steps to consider: Put more money into tax-deferred retirement accounts. If you have a 401(k), 403(b) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, contribute as much as you can afford - and increase your contributions every time you get a raise. You generally fund your plan with pre-tax dollars, so the more you put in, the more you can lower your annual adjusted gross income. And your earnings grow on a tax-deferred basis, so you pay no taxes until you start taking money out of your plan. Look for tax-free investment opportunities. If you are in one of the higher tax brackets, you might benefit from owning municipal bonds. When you own municipal bonds, or “munis,’’ your interest payments will be free from federal income taxes; if the municipality that issues the bond is located in your state, your interest payments also may be exempt from state and local taxes. (However, some municipal bonds may be subject to the alternative minimum tax.) Your Roth IRA earnings are also tax-free, provided you don’t take withdrawals until you are at least age 59-1/2 and you’ve had your account for five years. Hold securities for the long term. Income taxes aren’t the only types of taxes associated with investing; you also may have to pay capital gains taxes. That’s why it makes sense to be a “buy and hold” investor. If you hold your stocks for more than one year before selling them, your gains will only be subject to a maximum capital gains rate of 15 percent (effective through Dec. 31, 2008). But if you sell your stocks within a year of buying them, your gains will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. By following these suggestions, and by consulting with your tax advisor, you may be able to speed up the date of your personal Tax Freedom Day. And, at the same time, you might also quicken the pace toward achieving your long-term financial goals.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 100

1st Sunday of the month, One Noon Service All day dinner on the grounds Date: Thursday, May 24th Time: 6:30pm Location: 2501 Thonotosassa Rd.

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Michael S. Cameron 2501 Thonotosassa Rd Plant City, FL 33563

813 / 759 - 1491

1212 West Reynolds Street Plant City, Florida 33563

(Two blocks east of the hospital) ��

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 101

MONEY

BUSINESS PROFILE

SEND COMMENTS TO K TONEY@FLOYDPUBLICATIONS.COM

Story & Photos by Kristen Toney

The Best in Building MILLENNIUM HOMES & DEVELOPMENT, INC. possible. Rodrigues himself makes every effort to return calls within a few hours, as his philosophy is, “If I can return your call or call you within a couple hours, generally you won’t get frustrated and then make the problem much worse.”

Builder Joe Rodrigues is currently working on the construction of his own home.

illennium Homes & Development is more and more becoming a familiar name here in Plant City, as construction projects pop up all throughout our town bearing Millennium’s mark. However, the company has now been in business for about four years, and they’re currently doing work in Tampa, Keysville, Lakeland, Riverview and Ruskin, as well as here in our town. Joe Rodrigues is the owner of Millennium, and has been in the construction business for close to nine years. “We did 30 houses last year, and by the end of this year we’ll have completed 40. Even so, we are breaking into the commercial market at the same time,” he commented on the growth of the company. “We’ll go around this area, anywhere within 30 miles.” Rodrigues is a creative person who enjoys seeing a ﬁnished product. In a great business to do so, the former optician who always dreamed about spending time outside in the Sunshine State now enjoys creating custom homes. “Custom homebuilding gives me a way to put my

own input into homes; what I think will work aesthetically as well as functionally. I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do.” Originally from New England, Rodrigues moved to Florida for the weather, and to Plant City because it reminded him most of his home town. After spending years working at MI Homes and learning everything he could about construction, he took the initiative to break out on his own. With eight people on staff right now, Rodrigues commented, “We build pretty much almost anything. We’ve done large additions, we’ve done small additions, we’ve done large garages, we’ll do pretty much anything you want: custom homes, renovation on homes, commercial work. We have experience in all of it and we’re licensed to do all of it.” Although Millennium uses many subcontractors, they are daily involved in all of their projects. Each project is visited every morning, and they shut their projects down themselves every evening.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 102

In constant contact with all their subcontractors to keep the projects moving along and on schedule, Rodrigues says the process works for two reasons: quality control and expediting the process. All Millennium Homes home-sites are kept clean and are open for the homeowners to visit at any time. In fact, all Millennium employees are open to the homeowners, as they give their personal cell phone numbers to all they are working with, and return calls as quickly as

Millennium Homes is a part of Angie’s List, an online referral system, and have hundreds of satisﬁed customers to their credit. “We are good at what we do, we’re efﬁcient, and our bills are paid,” Rodrigues stated. “By paying our bills on time, we are able to move very quickly, and we have a great reputation. I don’t think any project out there should be built by anyone else but us, because we will give every customer the attention and professionalism they deserve. We’ll do a quality job, hands down. I could go to the home of any of my customers and be invited in for dinner, right now - that’s how happy they are with our services.” For more information on Millennium Homes, call them at (813) 757-9727 or visit www.millenniumhomes.biz.

A satisﬁed owner already lives in this Millennium Homes home, right oﬀ Trapnell Road.

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STEVE SHOUSE, AAMS 813-752-9400 Financial Advisor

MICHAEL CAMERON 813-759-1491 Financial Advisor

TIM SHUFF, AAMS 813-752-1071 Financial Advisor

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Member SIPC

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 103

BILLY HEROLD’S

TRUCK, CAR AND RV SALES, INC. 611 S. Alexander St.

Plant City, FL

813-750-1037

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rom Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Buick to Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, imports and domestic vehicles can now all be purchased at one Billy Herold location. “We want to give our customers convenient one-stop shopping for all their vehicle purchases,” said Herold. “All of the inventory will be at the 611 South Alexander Street location. Not only will it be less confusing for customers, but will also be more easily managed by the staff. It’s an all around convenient change for everyone.” In 2002, Billy Herold opened his ﬁrst lot with only him and one employee. That year they did $1,000,000 in gross sales. In 2006, only four years later, they did over $22,000,000 in gross

sales among the four locations. Other than Plant City, Billy Herold’s Truck, Car & RV Sales is also located in Brandon and Leesburg. The Alexander Street location will now be called Billy Herold’s Truck, Car & RV Sales, like the other stores. It will no longer go by the import name, but will still carry all the same inventory. Even though the two locations are combining into one, they will still have the same friendly staff and the same volume of inventory. Billy Herold recognizes that his nitch of carrying lifted 4-wheel drives is what he is known for and what has brought him to where he is today. Rest assured that the same aspects you have come to know and love about Billy Herold’s, whether they be

the imports store or the truck, car and RV sales will remain the same. After the import lot being open only about a year and a half, Herold said, “I am very satisﬁed with the success of the import lot. There was a real need for it in this area, and the market has responded very well. The import business has been very good to us and we look forward to the future.” Billy Herold stocks a wide variety of vehicles, ranging in price from $7,000 to $40,000. One of the unique aspects the company can offer its customers is custom shopping. If you are not in a hurry, you can request what you are looking for and Billy will ﬁnd it for you. Custom purchasing is very advantageous for people who know exactly what they are looking for in a used car.

largest purchase most people make. You need to buy from someone who you know will stand behind the purchase. Rarely at a dealership can you speak directly with the name on the sign. When Billy is not at the auction purchasing vehicles for his three locations, he is typically at the Plant City location, and is always available to meet the needs of the customers. You can tell a business is trustworthy when its past customers return. At Billy Herold’s Truck, Car & RV sales, 70% of the business is either repeat customers or referrals. Because of the support from the customers referring friends and family, Billy Herold’s does 1⁄4 the amount of advertising as their competitors. “Our best advertisements are our customers,” said Billy. As for the old location on Baker Street, all plans are tentative. If the property doesn’t sell, then Herold looks forward to venturing into a new business, such as he has done with the Tanacabana, the tanning salon next to the Alexander location. A true entrepreneur, Herold is always looking to start something new and exciting. For more information about Billy Herold’s Truck, Car & RV Sales, visit them online at www.BillyHeroldsonline.com or call 813-7501037. *This is a paid advertisement

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 104

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 105

HEALTH

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Submitted by Susan M. Ott, D.O.

Athletic Shoulder Injuries A

thletic shoulder injuries usually fall into two categories. Overuse injuries or traumatic injuries. Traumatic injuries are usually either fractures or dislocations. Overuse injuries can fall into a variety of categories.

the joint from dislocating. It is often damaged when the shoulder dislocates. The ligaments in the shoulder are usually injured as well. Treatment may be as simple as rehabilitation or may need surgery.

generalized laxity to their shoulders. Often when swimmers vastly increase their yardage over a short period of time, they have resultant shoulder pain. This too can usually be treated conservatively.

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. A dislocation occurs when the ball comes out of the socket. This could occur due to something such as a football player being tackled or a baseball player falling onto an outstretched hand going to catch a ball. The athlete will know something bad has happened and will be unable to continue. Sometimes the shoulder will spontaneously reduce (go back into place), but more often it needs medical attention. Treatment for this injury depends on the age of the patient, their activity level and the level of damage to the shoulder. There is a cartilage in the shoulder called the labrum. It acts like a chock block in front of a tire to prevent

Sometimes the shoulder may not completely dislocate but may subluxate, or come part of the way out of place and then slip back into place. This problem can usually be treated non-surgically. Often time overhead athletes have a lot of natural looseness to their shoulders that can predispose them to this problem. If the shoulder is slipping, all the surrounding structures can become sore. Usually this results in weakness which causes more soreness.

Baseball pitchers often have overuse injuries to the shoulder as well. Little League pitchers, in particular, are at risk. Organized Little League now limits pitch counts. This was a result of research showing Little League pitchers were throwing more pitches than professional baseball players. It is important to limit the amount of throwing done outside of practice as well. Little League aged players are at risk for little leaguers shoulder, which is a stress fracture of the proximal humerus (upper arm bone).

A subluxating shoulder can easily fall into the overuse category. Swimmers cycle their shoulders 100’s to 1000’s of times per training session and typically have

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 106

Fractures to the shoulder often happen in sports as well. Falling from a bicycle is a common way for this to occur. The clavicle or

collar bone is frequently injured in football and skating sports. It can almost always be treated without surgery. Other fractures that occur could be a fracture of the proximal humerus. These too can usually be treated conservatively. One last common shoulder injury is an acromioclavicular joint sprain or AC joint sprain or shoulder separation. This too commonly occurs in football and cycling. Usually this injury occurs when the athlete falls onto the point of his or her shoulder. This also is usually treated conservatively and very rarely requires surgery. Shoulder injuries occur commonly in sports, but overall most can be treated without surgery. Working with your sports medicine team can get you back on the ﬁeld as soon as possible.

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HEALTH

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Submitted by Sherry Nueesch

Watching My Daddy than he had to. Being so poor at that time, he could have easily hoarded every little green bean to make one more buck. But he went that extra mile.

learned a lot from my Daddy. My Daddy is from The Greatest Generation. Before he retired he was a farmer. We had the typical small farm so popular in the 50’s. We raised several different kinds of farm animals and grew all kinds of fruits and vegetables. It was called a “truck” farm. A truck farm is where you put all your goods in the back of a truck and drive it to the “big” city to sell. I don’t remember at what age I was turned into a sales girl. I was probably about 10 or 11. Our biggest day to peddle our goods was on Saturdays as there was no school. We would load up the truck with whatever was in season at the time and drive to Roanoke, Virginia from our farm in Fincastle. We always had eggs. Depending on the season, we had plenty of fruits and vegetables we had grown. Our customers would take turns telling my Dad what they wanted. If they ordered three pounds of tomatoes, he weighed out three pounds. Without fail, Daddy would reach into the box and put one more tomato in their bag. If someone ordered three pounds of green beans, Daddy would weigh out three pounds, and then throw in another handful. I don’t remember having conversations about his generosity, but we may have. I do remember watching Daddy do it. He always gave more

Another thing Daddy taught me was to do things right. To him it did not matter if it was a math test or chores around the house. We were always expected to do everything we did with perfection. You should have seen how my Dad would tend to his tomatoes before taking them to sell. All of us would help pick the tomatoes. Daddy was the one who packed them. He picked each tomato up in his hands and, using a small cloth, would wipe clean each one. He then gingerly placed every tomato, stem side down, in a box. Watching him you would have thought those tomatoes were fine porcelain. It didn’t matter what we were doing; he taught us to just do it right. My Daddy taught me how to enjoy the simple things in life, the most basic pleasure being enjoying nature. One spring during my 30’s I drove home to visit my parents. It was one of those rare occasions where I was the only child at home. Coming from a family of six children, spending time with Mom and Dad alone was a rare treat. So here I was on a beautiful spring morning with my Mom and Dad. Mom stayed home to make us lunch. Dad and I took off to the woods to find wild mushrooms. As we took off I was in my usual “go in a hurry, come back in a pace, and don’t stay long at either place” kind of attitude. As I watched my Dad strolling through the fields to get to the woods, I watched him look and appreciate every little blade of grass. Every step we took it seemed that he found something else to point out to me. He knew the name of every wildflower in bloom that spring. As we walked past an old tree stump,

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 108

he told me just how long the ants had been feeding on it. He told me of every plant and shrub in the woods. He talked to me about what trees he cut and why. He explained about the woods and their importance and of his labors in cleaning up and maintaining the ﬁelds and woods for the good of the farm. I watched him take the time to enjoy and appreciate. I watched him slow down and smell the ﬂowers. As we searched for mushrooms he knew every little gulley and hill to go to. He knew the lay of the land so well I think he could have walked it in his sleep. I watched him in awe. I slowed down and followed suit. To this day I can close my eyes and rewalk that walk. I could write many more stories. I could probably write a book about

my Dad. For all you dads out there, your children are watching. I pray you are teaching them some really good lessons they can carry forward with them in life. For myself, I am eternally grateful for having such a great role model. Father’s Day is coming. Why don’t you tell your Dad all the good things he taught you and what it means to you? I’ll bet it’s the best present you will ever give him. It sure beats a tie! And to my Daddy, thank you. Thank you for being such a great teacher. You did it again, you just did it right! Happy Father’s Day Daddy, and to all the Fathers who work so hard to help their children learn the good lessons in life. May this be the best Father’s Day ever. Sherry Nueesch

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 109

SPORTS

SOFTBALL

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Story & Photos by Joe Bowles

Plant City Pitches Perfect Strike

PLANT CITY HOSTS STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS played at a stadium. The 6000 seat Plant City Stadium was the perfect venue for such an event and so last year the tournament was moved here. Last year the FHSAA decided that every game would be played in a stadium and thereby every game would be featured rather than playing in a softball complex in which several games would be played at the same time. Plant City Stadium, the home of the International Softball Federation, provided the teams with a pristine ﬁeld and excellent accommodations that are not found in most state tournaments.

ast year’s experience must have been a positive one for the Florida High School Athletic Association because once again, Plant City played host to the Florida State High School Girls Fast Pitch Softball Championships. Beginning May 7th and ending May 12th, spectators at the Plant City Stadium saw softball being played at a high caliber as the 24 best teams in Florida (four from each of the six classifications) met in the championship finals. In order to qualify for the finals, teams had to win their respective district and regional tournaments.

For the second year in a row, the Hillsborough County School Board, the Tampa Sports Commission, and the City of Plant City combined their efforts in presenting a bid to the FHSAA for the games to be played in Plant City. From 2002-2005 the ﬁnals were played in Tampa at Ed Radice Park in a softball complex. Because of the growing interest in the games, it was decided that the championships should be played at a facility that would enable players and fans to experience the atmosphere that can only be felt when games are

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 110

Carlton Benton, the city athletic director who is heavily involved in the tournament related that, “Last year’s tournament recorded the highest attendance in the history of the championships.” The success of the tournament can be attributed to people behind the scenes such as Robert Hernberger, Assistant Director of Communications for the FHSAA. “I handle the media, marketing, souvenir program, and merchandising. Really, I take care of all of the non-competitive aspects of the tournament,” Hernberger said as he made last minute adjustments from the stadium press box. There are many others also who volunteer their time to make this such a successful event.

This year two teams from Hillsborough qualified for the state championships, Tampa’s Chamberlain Chiefs, and the Newsome Wolves. Chamberlain is riding an eight game winning streak and has compiled 28 wins while suffering only two losses. The Chiefs are led by three starters that are batting over .400, Jessica Mouse, Mary Kate Smith, and Samantha Holle. Brittany Cavalli has been the ace on the mound with an 0.80 ERA and an 18 -1 record. Newsome had a slow start to their season, losing the first three out of five games, but rebounded to win all but three games the rest of the season and has won the last nine entering this tournament. Three of Newsome’s players are batting over .400, Meaghan Schultz, Courtney St Amant, and Jamie O’Hara. Their pitching staff is led by junior, Ashley Stubbs and freshman, Jennifer Rose, who have combined to post a 20 -2 record. The state championships bring an estimated economic impact to the area of between $300,000 and $400,000, while providing another use for the Plant City Stadium. Officials are hopeful that their pitch for the finals will be perfect again next year and that the championships become an annual event in Plant City.

SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

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Story and Photo by Holly Mallalieu

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

JESSI JOINER A

nother year is gradually wrapping up, and so are all team sports at Plant City High School. For Jessi Joiner, a senior, that means four full years of running track, along with three years of being on cross country, are coming to an end. And with all of her involvement, it’s only appropriate that she’s this month’s spotlighted athlete.

Jessi actually was not into running at all before high school, but coming into her freshman year she decided to take up track, where everyone runs the same race. During the following year she decided to try cross country, which is split up into individual events. From everyday practices after school to attending competitions, she has really enjoyed being a part of the team over her high school career. This year Jessi received the Coach’s Award in Cross Country. “The team is a close group and has a lot of fun,” she says, “and it’s relaxing; it’s not as competitive as track.” This year the teams have a new instructor, Coach Meagan Adams, who ran track herself in high school, as well as at the University of Miami. “Jessi is a great kid,” she says of the experienced runner on a team of many beginners, “She is really respectful and always positive. She encourages other girls and is always willing to help.” Adams made it clear that she believes Jessi has been a great role model for the team. Although they don’t use ofﬁcial titles in track, a few people have dubbed Jessi “captain” for her four years of experience, and her always readiness to help. After graduation, Jessi will be attending Florida State University, and although she isn’t sure about joining any teams, she may take part in club sports during her college years. One thing’s certain; she’s been an important part of Track and Cross Country since she started out as a freshman, and has set a great image that many athletes can look up to. We wish the best of luck to Jessi in her future!

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 111

EXTRA

AUTO REVIEW

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Review by Brian West Photos courtesy of BMW

The Ultimate Driving Machine Gets Better BMW 328I COUPE IS THE LATEST 3 SERIES TO TAKE TO THE ROADS

BMW introduced their 3 series to the United States in 1976, after several years of production in Europe. Since then, the 3 series has become the most popular vehicle in the BMW lineup. In addition, the 3 series has slowly evolved from the boxy, late ‘70’s to ‘80’s look, to its latest design which features a strong, muscular front end complemented by sleek arching profile lines, which have defined the latest body style of all the BMW models. When the 3 series was first introduced, the 323 Coupe was all the rage. Eventually, the 323 faded away and the 325 was introduced. Now the 325 is no longer produced, and the 328 is the latest to emerge from the production floor. But with years of evolution behind it, you know it has to be good, and it is. One of the nice things about writing the auto review, aside from driving all these nice cars, is that friends and family want me to drive their new

cars as the next review. Most recently, my brother-in-law, Brian “Mud Dog” Taylor, bought the new 328i Coupe. I had to drive it for myself, not even thinking about the auto review. But after the drive, I decided that I had to learn more about this car. To begin, the car is stunning to look at. The stance is low and close to the ground, which helps with its handling. The exterior has been completely redesigned. The front end is very muscular and aggressive. It looks like it’s running while standing still. The sides have a deﬁnitive arcing curve that runs the length of the vehicle. Together, these two exterior features are the heart of the new design. Couple this with a new sporty wheel design, and you have the makings of a beautiful, sporty coupe – exactly what BMW was looking for. When you climb inside the 328i, the interior is comfortable and

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 112

it clearly has the same design details as the exterior, but BMW continues to keep the interior all their own. The top of the dash still has the hump over the drivers gauges and is otherwise perfectly horizontal across the balance of the car; practically a trademark of BMW. The gauges are easy to read and situated in the right places. Once it was time to drive the car, the ﬁrst thing I noticed is that BMW, too, has gone to the push button start feature that has become so prominent in the mid to higher-end vehicles on the roads today. The car growled to a start and sounded much larger that the 230hp V6 that resides beneath the hood. In fact, it propels the car forward much faster, too. In my mind, I immediately compared the feeling to the much larger V6 in the Nissan Maxima, although I believe this BMW would out perform it, complete with an impressive 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds.

It is fast. The 328i is rated with a top speed somewhere between 130 and 150mph – not that I would ever try that…and write about it. The car also has several features that make it stand out in a crowd. Adaptive brake lights let drivers behind you know just how hard you’re braking, which gives them a great visual cue so they can react accordingly. And there’s no training needed. Drivers behind this car quickly realize that BRIGHT brake lights mean STOP NOW. Overall, I loved the new 328i. The handling is exactly what you’d expect from BMW. There aren’t too many distracting bells and whistles, but enough new features that make sense to a driver. This BMW would quickly elevate to my top ten vehicles available for purchase today. It truly is an Ultimate Driving Machine.

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EXTRA

AL RUECHEL

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By Al Ruechel

Reflections on Virginia Tech I should have known it was going to be bad. Those big stories have a way of sneaking up on you and taking your breath away. That’s the way it happened on September 11th. It was just an accident, a small plane crashing into the World Trade Center. News, yes, but not that big a deal. It started out as a campus shooting. One dead in a dorm at Virginia Tech with one wounded is how it first hit the airwaves. It hadn’t changed much when I hit the anchor desk. Then came word of a possible second shooting on the same campus. There were no numbers, just a scramble from authorities looking for a gunman. We started getting pictures, those wide shots of the campus that show you nothing, but send a chill down your spine as you begin imagining what could be. Nothing could prepare me for the numbers that followed. First law enforcement reported as many as 8 casualties. Casualties? Do you mean wounded or injured? Casualties? From a single gunman? Fifteen minutes later we heard the number 14. No mixing of words now: 14 were dead. We still had few details and weren’t sure if the two shootings were related. Anyone who has covered breaking news understands during the first hours of an event a lot of the information given out is wrong or will be corrected. That’s just the nature of collecting information from multiple sources and then trying to pass it along without giving away too much vital investigative evidence.

Nothing could prepare me for the numbers that followed.

I was still trying to understand the magnitude of what had just happened when the next two numbers hit the air like a punch in the stomach. Law enforcement now confirmed the number of dead was at least 20 and counting. These 20 students had been gunned down in their classrooms in such a short amount of time that law enforcement had barely arrived on the scene when it was all but over. We all saw the video from a telephone and heard the gunshots and watched law enforcement helplessly trying to enter the fray to bring it to an end, to try and save any lives. There would be no good news, no thread of something positive to cling to in great disbelief. By mid afternoon the number plateaued at 32 dead plus the gunman, a student, who killed himself after firing more than 100 rounds. Another 17 or so were injured. As an anchor my primary responsibility is to accurately pass along the information we are able to gather. In an event like this you tend to go on autopilot checking and cross checking your information. You are so absorbed in trying to match the words to the pictures that the emotions of the moment are put aside. Like the referee you are not trying to change the outcome but make sure there are rules that are followed in reporting on the event. That’s great during the first hours of any major event. Yet, as the images and the stories of the survivors and killer are brought out the very human part of any good anchor plays a major role in putting the tragedy into perspective. These students could have been my children. They had dreams and boyfriends and girlfriends and moms and dads and brothers and sisters. They did nothing to deserve this. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They died deaths only Hollywood B-grade movies could create. They experienced fear and pain none of us can even imagine. They tried covering their faces with their hands only to have bullets pierce their bones. Some bled to death with as many as 7 gunshot wounds to their bodies. And their families sat at home for hours not knowing if their child was dead or alive. They called cell phones that never were answered. They waited on hold hearing the phrase, “we just don’t know” so many times it still echoes in their minds. I took a short break late in the afternoon between news conferences. I went to my car and just started weeping. The world has gone mad. No one is truly safe. Life is short and fleeting and can end with little regard to the participants or their families. You can’t turn the channel and get away from the facts of what just happened. Faith and God are the only things left. There is no time for revenge for the killer is already dead. Judgment and mercy will be in the hands of the Lord where they belong. Now come the questions. Who is to blame? Who was this killer? Why didn’t the university close down the entire campus? How can anyone miss all those signs the killer displayed of his mental breakdown? As a parent I suppose you have the right to ask those questions though none of the answers will satisfy. As the bells tolled on the drill field you can come to only one conclusion. Evil is a very real thing. It takes on substance and on the Virginia Tech campus it had a name. Evil is to blame for robbing us of the future as it has done in the past and will likely do again in the future.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 114

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 115

EXTRA

FROM THE COMMISSIONER’S DESK

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By Robert Brown

Recently, there have been many articles and news stories written about escalating real estate taxes throughout the State of Florida. Because of rising property values, partly triggered by economic conditions and also because the cost of raw materials to build has risen dramatically, overall property taxes have risen substantially over the past several years, especially for people who recently purchased homes and for business owners. There is the impression throughout the State that elected ofﬁcials, fueled by this extra revenue, have gone on a wild spending spree with citizen and business owners hard earned tax dollars, and that the only viable solution is to have the politicians in Tallahassee save us from our greedy local representatives by implementing tight spending controls and even reduce local tax revenues to force spending reductions at the local level. The State Legislature was unable to come up with such a plan during their recent 60-day session, and will return in June in a special session to try again. The purpose of this article is to share some real facts about the City of Plant City’s budget and the potential impact some of the plans discussed recently in Tallahassee may have on your City’s budget for the 2007-2008 year, which begins October 1, 2007. Although last year’s budget ran over 260 pages long, I promise to keep the presented information relatively easy to understand. The 2006-2007 current General Revenue budget for the City of Plant City totals just under $29 million. Of that, $8 million (28%) comes from property taxes, with the rest coming from Utility Taxes, Telecommunication Taxes, State Revenue Sharing (i.e. Sales Taxes), Franchise Fees and several other smaller revenue sources. As far as spending these funds, the operating budget for the Fire Department is $4.6 million and the Police Department is over $8 million.

...the various proposals from Tallahassee could reduce the City’s property tax revenue...

According to the Florida League of Cities, the various proposals from Tallahassee could reduce the City’s property tax revenue from about $800,000 to over $2 million. Add to that the already rising cost of gas, expected increases in health insurance premiums for employees and the results of a recently completed wage and salary study that tells the City Manager and the Commissioners that we need to increase salaries to remain competitive and fair to City employees, and you can begin to see how the proposed reduction in revenues would have detrimental effects on City services. Recently, the City Manager placed a hiring freeze for all but absolutely essential positions. He is aware of the challenges facing him and his department heads, and ultimately the Commissioners, in deciding how to allocate what appears to be smaller operating funds to run the City. Plant City, unlike other counties and municipalities in Florida, has strived to be conservative with the tax dollars entrusted it. We have one of the longest records, 18 continuous years, of not raising the property tax rate of 4.7 mills ($4.70 in tax for every $1,000 of taxable property). As far as timing goes, the State Legislature is not doing the City any favors by delaying their special session until June. Usually, City staff has already been hard at work preparing a draft of next year’s budget for the Commission’s review. We have a scheduled budget workshop at 4:00 p.m. on June 25, 2007 at City Hall. I have every conﬁdence that the Finance Department, led by Martin Wisgerhof, working with the City Manager and his other departments’ heads will do their very best in what will most likely be very trying circumstances to prepare a budget that will serve the citizen’s well in the coming year.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 116

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D&E

DINING REVIEW

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Story & Photos by Kristen Toney

A Brand New Experience O’BRIEN’S HAS COME TO PLANT CITY

O’BRIEN’S IRISH PUB & GRILL 1701 South Alexander Street (813) 764-8818 Hours: Monday - Sunday, 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Full food menu served 11:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Limited food menu served 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Before the rush of customers at O’Brien’s.

here have been several restaurants occupying the space at 1701 South Alexander Street in recent years; however, the current establishment is surely there to stay! In February of this year, O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill opened in the versatile location, and already the restaurant has jumped into the Plant City community feet first. The first O’Brien’s opened 17 years ago in Carrolwood, when Bernie O’Brien decided to open his own restaurant. Five years ago, Shawn Rice opened the O’Brien’s in Brandon, and both men came together to open the third location here in Plant City. Terry A. Haley is the General Manager, who commented, “Plant City is really a growing market. Everything’s moving away from Tampa. When they found this location, they knew it was the perfect spot.” Haley himself is in the food service industry “because it’s a people thing.” Formerly the owner of Tadpole’s in Brandon for 15 years, with years of experience before that, he enjoys dealing with all the individuals who come in each day. Even though he admits the hours are outrageous, he knows there’s a benefit from it. “Along with

wanting to make some money and surviving, when you bring a group of people together, you can also use that for other purposes, whether it is a fundraiser or any kind of charitable work,” he commented. “You actually create a family.” The Plant City location has pleasantly surprised many involved in O’Brien’s. “We offer sports, and we entertain in many ways, but we bill the place more as a pub and gathering place,” Haley said. “Our main base audience is normally the mid 20’s up through the 50’s, but here at this location we’ve attracted an older crowd for dinner, as well. Compared to the other two locations, we’re doing extremely more food business here. It kind of overwhelmed us at ﬁrst!”

out into the parking lot for our St. Patty’s Day event. That turned out real well!” O’Brien’s also offers live music Wednesday through Saturday, beginning around 9:30 p.m. and featuring tri-county talent. Weekly trivia with prizes, 9-hole golf outing, Texas Hold ‘Em and Comedy nights are also on the schedule. In June, an amateur version of the Full Monty will be offered, using older, non-talented men, Haley says. “If anything, you’ll get a good laugh out of it, but it’s for a good cause. It’s probably not the night you want your kids here!” Plans are also

Child’s Menu “Kid’s Corner” All major credit cards accepted. being made for the first annual golf tournament to benefit South Florida Baptist Hospital, which will be held in June. “We do try to get involved in as much community stuff as we can,” Haley commented. “Of course, we can’t give away the store, but as much as we can, if there’s a benefit or a cause to support, we’ll be right there, and we’ll do all we can do.” Next time you’re in the mood for some top-of-the-line Irish faire, stop by O’Brien’s and welcome

O’Brien’s offers a full range menu featuring the Irish faire such as ﬁsh and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash. Their variety of beers is quite hard to beat, and Haley commented, “We offer a good product at a good price.” “Plant City has welcomed us,” Haley continued. “I think we came in and people really didn’t know what to expect. We’ve already offered a couple of things, like spreading

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 120

Choose from high-tops, tables, booth or bars for your party at O’Brien’s

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 121

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Story by Linda Floyd Photos courtesy of Ramada Inn Plantation House

Tripping the Light Fantastic WITH THE LEGENDS OF DOOWOP

roamed through the crowds while performing their big hits, Hushabye and The White Cliffs of Dover, among many others. They also presented Batista, Sr. with a lovely photo plaque portraying him, along with the other group members, as a member of The Mystics’ Hall of Fame.

Evelyn, Maggie & Susan showing how it’s done

uring the weekend of April 27th through the 29th, the Ramada Inn Plantation House held their DooWop Weekend, Volume 1, complete with classic car displays, beach blanket bingo pool party and enough DooWop talent to keep you skipping the light fandango all night. You were invited to show up in your “hippest” cool cat and chick outﬁts from the 50’s and 60’s, complete with poodle skirts, ponytails, Bobbie socks and oxfords, white tee-shirts and black leather jackets. On Saturday afternoon was the beach blanket bingo pool party, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, bingo, hula hoops and DooWop entertainment by the Mystics. Friday and Saturday nights showcased the talents of such DooWop groups as The Crew Cuts, George Galfo’s Mystics, Joey Dee of “The Peppermint Twist” fame, and The Legends of DooWop members Frank Mancuso, Steve Horn, Jimmy Gallagher and the incomparable Tommy Mara. The beautiful Red Rose Dining

Room was decorated in a vintage motif, with alternating “pink and black” table cloths and chair covers, balloons, and LP’s hanging from that wonderful star-lit ceiling. The table centerpieces were classic convertible cars ﬁlled with such things from that bygone era as wax lips (which a few people had a ball with, I might add), Zero bars, candy dots and those little wax bottles ﬁlled with colored liquid that you used to bite the tops off and drink. Those were accompanied by “pink label” 45 rpm’s.

In between sets, Dave Wright emceed during various contests, such as the best-dressed, DooWop trivia, dance and even a Hubba-Bubba bubble gum blowing contest. It also happened to be Al Berry’s birthday on Saturday night, who videos the entertainment for the Ramada Inn Plantation House. They surprised him with a delicious strawberry cake. The super group, The Legends of DooWop, have been playing to standing room only crowds from New York to Los Angeles, and it was no different in Plant City. The group consists of three former lead singers and one “Mister Bassman” from a veritable Who’s Who of legendary rock n’ rollers. Tommy Mara’s version of Cara Mia brought down the house, as well as their Duke of Earl and Stand By Me.

Joey Dee of The Peppermint Twist fame kept the dance ﬂoor loaded with his signature song, as well as Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love, What Kind of Love Is This and Runaround Sue. The Legends stayed on stage for Joey Dee’s performance and backed him up on most of his songs. What a combination! The weekend culminated on Sunday with a wonderful Champagne Brunch. According to Mrs. Evelyn Madonia, owner and General Manager of the Ramada Inn Plantation House, they are planning another Red Rose DooWop Weekend, Volume II, sometime next spring. This time, it will be in the Ballroom in order to accommodate a larger crowd, have more bands, and they won’t have to turn anyone away. Using Volume I as an indicator, you’d better make your reservations as soon as it’s announced, because a better time can’t be found anywhere around. For more information on upcoming events and to see photos of the DooWop Weekend or from any of the events at the Ramada Inn Plantation House, please visit their website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

So the stage was set when the Crew Cuts kicked off the night, consisting of bass singer Skip Taylor, lead tenor Michael Redman, second tenor Bob Duncan and baritone Joe Dickey. They wowed the crowd with their rendition of The Lion Sleeps at Night, Little Darlin’, Earth Angel and their biggest hit, Sh-Boom, ShBoom. Next up was George Galfo’s Mystics. George Galfo was an original member of The Mystics, and today is joined by Anthony DeFontes, Joe Neary and Mike Miller. You could feel the grip of nostalgia as they

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 122

The Legends of DooWop

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 123

Antioch Bill’s - 115 W Reynolds St (707-1090) ..................G6 Antiques & More - 102 -105 S Evers St (719-6336) ........... J1 Antiques & Treasurers - 107 N Collins St (752-4626) ......G3 Brooks Land Surveying - 115 S Palmer St (754-6620) .....K5 Byrd & Stitzel, PA - 206 N Collins St (759-1224) .............. D3 Camellia Rose Tea Room - 120 N Collins (659-1802) .......H6 Century 21Shaw Realty - 105 S Collins St (719-2727) ...... J4 Chicano’s Tex-Mex - 101 E Reynolds St (754-5093) ......... D4 City Properties Company - 101 E Reynolds(752-5262) ... D5 Coffee 101 - 101 E J Arden Mays Blvd (659-0101) ...........K4 Collins Street Junction - 117 N Collins St (659-2585) ......G2 Coyotees/Cuzzins - 111 S Palmer St (759-2955) ................K2 Downtown Deli - 111 W Reynolds St (754-9800) ...............G7

England’s Antiques - 114 N Collins St (659-3046) ............H1 Family Treasures - 107 1/2 S Evers St (659-3121) ............. I1 Floyd Publications - 101 E J Arden Mays (707-8783) .....K6 Frenchman’s Market - 106 E Drane St (754-8388) ..........H3 Genies Consignments - 101 S Evers St (719-1047) ............ I3 Gro-Mor Co., Inc. - 307 S Evers St (754-3577) ................. L1 Harold’s Outdoor Products - 201 E M.L.K (752-3314) .. R1 Home of the Better Buys - 111 S Evers St (707-1241) ........ I2 Linda’s Crabshack - 202 E Reynolds St (754-0492) ......... E1 Marion Jone’s Accents - 107 E Reynolds (754-3377) ......H4 Martin’s Place - 110 E Reynolds St (759-1023 X257) ....... D1 Ms. Dixie’s Aurora Music - 206 S Evers St (717-9575) ... M2 Next to New - 109 W Reynolds St (719-8922) ....................G5

Olde Floridian - 203 S Collins St (754-3625) .................... M1 Orange Blossom Tea Room - 106 S Evers (759-2247) ....... J2 Patricia’s - 108 E Drane St (752-6085) ...............................H2 Pieces of Olde - 113 W Reynolds St (717-7731) ................G1 Plant City Photo Archives - 119 N Collins (754-1578) .....G4 Plant City Realty - 208 W Baker St (764-0840) .................S1 Power Shop Gym - 114 E M.L.K.Jr. Blvd (757-6038) ...... K1 Pressed Penny - 116 N Collins St (717-7698) .....................H5 Silver Dollar Saloon - 107 E M.L.K.Jr. Blvd (764-9811) .. N1 Sisters & Company - 104 E Reynolds St (754-0990) ........ D2 Snellgroves Restaurant - 109 S Collins ST (752-3652) ...... J3 Sub Club - 101 E Reynolds St (707-8606) .......................... D6 Sun Trust Bank - 201 W Reynolds St (754-7809) ............. ST Whistle Stop Restaurant - 102 S Collins (752-7340) ........K3

ANTIQUES & TREASURES ��

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Plant City Photo Archives 119 North Collins Street In Historic Downtown Plant City

(P.O. Box 1118, Plant City, FL 33564)

(813) 754-1578

Photo Exhibit Gallery Hours: Th. *Fri. *Sat. 10am - 4pm

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DINING GUIDE

Bobs Sports Grill 226 Alexander St W. 719-8187 Coﬀee 101 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. 659-0101 Fred’s Market Restaurant 1401 W Dr MLK Blvd 752-7763

JUMP IN! Now Open! ��with park admission

Grandpa Johnsons BBQ 1305 Dr MLK Jr Blvd 759-0009 Kazbor’s Grille 2212 James Redman Pkwy 752-2700 Linda’s Crab Shack 202 Reynolds E 754-0492 Maryland Fried Chicken 315 N Alexander 752-9200 Munchies 1707 James Redman Pkwy 757-5900 Olde Town Pizzeria 3011 James Redman Pkwy 752-5800

call 813.707.8783 to place your ad

Career Opportunity

Orange Blossom Tea Room 106 Evers St S 759-2247

MAGAZINE

Ramada Inn Red Rose Dining Room 2011 N Wheeler St 752-3141 Snellgrove’s Restaurant 109 S Collins 752-3652 Strawberry Town 3161 Paul Buchman Hwy 754-8265

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�� FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 126

Sub Club 110 E Reynolds St, Suite 500 707-8606 Woody’s Bar-B-Q 203 Alexander St W 754-3229

Sales Positions Available Plant City & Lakeland Territories

Fax resumé to:

813-764-0990

Call Ahead Drive Thru

Dine-in • Carry-Out • Catering Located on the Florida State Farmers Market I-4 Exit (Alexander St.) South 1 Mile

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 127

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 128

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 129

PLANT CITY May 17, Thursday There will be an art class held at Coffee 101 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information, call (813) 659-0101.

May 17, 18, 19 Thursday-Saturday The National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1’s “Fast Pitch National Championship” will be taking place May 17, 18 and 19 in the Plant City Randy Larson Four-plex and Stadium. Sixteen teams from around the country will qualify to come to Plant City to play in the national championship. Game times are as follows: May 17, Thursdaygames begin at 11:00 a.m.; May 18, Friday- games begin at 12 noon; May 19, Saturday- games begin at 10:00 a.m. The event is open to the public, and there is no charge for parking. Tickets (for ages 12-64) are $10.00 for a single day or $20.00 for the threeday pass. For both children under 12 AND seniors (65-and-over) the prices are $7.00 for a single day or $15.00 for the three-day pass. For more information, please visit www.internationalsoftball.com.

May 18, Friday There will be a drum circle held at Coffee 101 in downtown Plant City. For more information, call (813) 659-0101.

May 19, Saturday The monthly Strawberry Classic Car Show will take place in Historic Downtown Plant City from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit www. plantcity.org or call (813) 7543707. After strolling through the Car Show in Historic Downtown Plant

City, make your way to Coffee 101 located at 101 East J. Arden Mays Blvd. to be entertained by musical guest, Hymnforher. Come to 3200 Polo Place in Walden Lake on Saturday for the “Margarita Ball.” This fundraising event will beneﬁt the Chamber of Commerce’s Scholarship Program. Included in the night’s activities are food, beverages, dancing, live bands, and even a live auction. The fun and relaxing event will take place from 7:00 p.m. until midnight and the cost is $100 per person. Call (813) 7543707 or visit www.plantcity.org for more information. Ralph Allocco and Second Wind will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com. Come to the Planteen Recreation Center for a Kid’s Night Out Saturday from 6-9 p.m. For children ages 6-11, the Kid’s Night Out is three hours of chaperoned evening activities including watching movies, playing games, doing crafts, and eating pizza. The cost is only $5 per child. Bring a blanket, a friend, an appetite, and enthusiasm! For more information, contact Christine Washburn at 813-757-9166 or by email at cwashburn@plantcitygov.com. The Boy Scout Troop 5 Fundraiser will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Norman McLeod American Legion Post 26 at 2207 W. Baker Street in Plant City. Troop 5 is sponsored by the American Legion on Highway 92 across from Tomlin Middle School. It has been in service since 1933, and currently has leaders/dads that were scouts in

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 130

Event Calendar Troop 5 when they were boys. Their fundraiser dinner is to help send 22 boys to Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina this July. This will be their ﬁrst trip to camp. Ham, Green Beans, Corn, Salad & Roll can be purchased for $6.00, and meals can be eaten at the legion or taken to go. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information call Kimberly Price at (813) 752-1896.

May 24, Thursday The program called “Alzheimer’s Disease: What Caregivers Need to Know” will be held on Thursday at First Baptist Church of Plant City, 503 N. Palmer Ave. Come and learn everything from practical tips to preventing behavior problems to caregiver concerns and legal and ﬁnancial information. The program will take place from 10:00-3:00 p.m. and lunch will be provided. There is no cost, but pre-registration is requested. For more information or to register, call the University of South Florida Suncoast Alzheimer’s & Gerontology Center at (813) 974-4355 or visit the website at www.SuncoastAlzheimers.com. There will be an art class held at Coffee 101 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information, call (813) 659-0101. The Plant City Chapter of Habitat for Humanity is sponsoring a PreApplication Meeting at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There is important documentation that must be brought to the meeting. Call (813) 239-2242 for exact directions on what you must bring to the meeting.

May 25, Friday Come to Coffee 101 in downtown

Plant City for Friday Night 101 Jam Session. For more information, call (813) 659-0101.

May 26, Saturday Ralph Allocco and Second Wind will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com. Guitar classes are offered at Coffee 101 in downtown Plant City. Call (813) 659-0101 for more information.

May 31, Thursday There will be an art class held at Coffee 101 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information, call (813) 659-0101.

June 1, Friday Ralph Allocco and Second Wind will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com. Come to the Planteen Recreation Center for the Teen Night Friday. Teen Night is a monthly extravaganza complete with lots of pizza, music, and fun that lasts from 7-11 p.m. and is for ages 12-15. For more information on the event, call the Planteen Recreation Center at 813-757-9166 or email Christine Washburn at cwashburn@plantcitygov.com. Plant City residents will receive discounted Baseline Box and Upper Deck tickets as a thank you from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the 7:10 p.m. game.

PLANT CITY Visit www.devilrays.com/plantcity and enter STRAWBERRY as the passcode to take advantage of this special offer! For more information, contact Mike Roy at (727) 825-3347 or mroy@devilrays.com

June 2, Saturday The monthly “Bike Fest,” an exciting motorcycle event, will take place in Historic Downtown Plant City from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Call (813) 754-3707 or visit www. plantcity.org for more information. Come to the Planteen Recreation Center for a Kid’s Night Out Saturday from 6-9 p.m. For children ages 6-11, the Kid’s Night Out is three hours of chaperoned evening activities including

watching movies, playing games, doing crafts, and eating pizza. The cost is only $5 per child. Bring a blanket, a friend, an appetite, and enthusiasm! For more information, contact Christine Washburn at 813-757-9166 or by email at cwashburn@plantcitygov.com. The Mystics will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-7523141 or visit the website at www. RamadaPlantation.com.

June 3-7, Sunday-Thursday Shiloh Baptist Church would like to welcome you to Vacation Bible School! The theme is “Game

JUNE 10TH

Event Calendar Day Central-Where Heroes Are Made” and is free for ages 3-6th grade. VBS takes place from Sunday through Thursday beginning at 6:00 p.m. and lasting until 9:00 p.m. each night. Shiloh Baptist Church is located at 905 Terrace Drive in Plant City. For more information, please call (813) 7528345.

June 9, Saturday Ralph Allocco and Second Wind will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

Recurring Events Tuesdays: Escape to the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room for a relaxing night of soothing sounds by Free Time Jazz from 6-9 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

Wednesdays:

Drop in for a Summer Celebration at the Bruton Memorial Library from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. Plan to attend all of the events happening that afternoon, or just drop by to see to newly remodeled library and have some refreshments. Scheduled events include the dedication of the Treva Moore Reading Room at 1:30 p.m. and an opportunity to meet New York Times Bestselling Florida mystery writer Randy Wayne White at 3:00 p.m. There will also be children’s activities, tours and refreshments. The Library is located at 302 McLendon Street in Plant City. For more information call (813) 757-9215.

Escape to the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room for a relaxing night of soothing sounds by Free Time Jazz from 6-9 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

Thursdays: Destiny will be in performance for Singles Night Out with special guest Ralph Allocco at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

An art class takes place every Thursday from 4-6:00 p.m. at Coffee 101 located at 101 East J. Arden Mays Blvd. in Plant City. For more information, please call (813) 659-0101 or visit www. espressyourself101.com.

Fridays: Destiny will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com. Ralph Allocco and Second Wind will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813-752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com. Every third Friday come to Coffee 101, located at 101 East J. Arden Mays Blvd. in Plant City for the monthly Drum Circle! For more information, please call (813) 6590101 or visit www.espressyourself101.com. The Friday Night 101 Jam Session takes place every last Friday at Coffee 101, located at 101 East J. Arden Mays Blvd. in Plant City. For more information, please call (813) 659-0101 or visit www. espressyourself101.com.

Saturdays: The Rat Pack Too and Destiny will be in performance at the Ramada Inn Plantation House in the Red Rose Dining Room beginning at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 813752-3141 or visit the website at www.RamadaPlantation.com.

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 131

Family Feasts for 2, 4 or more

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All-You-Can-Eat Spare Ribs With the purchase of a beverage 203 W. Alexander Plant City • 813-754-3229 With this coupon. Not valid with other offers Offer Expires 6/23/07

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With this coupon. Not valid with other offers Offer Expires 6/23/07

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 132

With this coupon. Not valid with other offers Offer Expires 6/23/07

WED. NIGHTS 2ND & 4TH WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH @7PM TOPICAL STUDIES

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 133

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FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 134

863-802-5600 813-707-5600 863-670-2092

FOCUS PLANT CITY EDITION • May 15, 2007 - June 15, 2007 • PG 135