Plant City Observer 01.03.13

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PLANT CITY

You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.

FREE • thursday, JANUARY 3, 2013

WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

OUR TOWN + Library to offer gardening program Bruton Memorial Library will host its next Master Gardening Program, titled “25 Palms Your Neighbors Don’t Have,” from 7 to 8 p.m., Jan. 14, at the library, 302 McLendon St. Gardener Jim Hawk will be the guest speaker.

Members of the audience are encouraged to bring a plant for the plant exchange. The program is free and open to the public.

For more information, call (813) 757-9215.

+ Madison Brewer continues mission Since Madison Brewer, 6, started Madison’s Mission this summer, she has raised $2,300. In November, she used some of the money to buy a Thanksgiving feast for a family in need at her school, Bailey Elementary.

Madison then bought toys for two military families in the area and delivered them Dec. 18. The parents also received Visa gift cards as a surprise.

In addition to helping the military families, Madison’s Mission also donated $100 to a family in need at Madison’s church, First Baptist Church of Dover.

Madison already is collecting money for Easter. To donate, visit helpmadisonsmission.blogspot.com.

The Plant City Observer profiles 13 people and issues that will be big newsmakers in 2013.

SEE STORIES ON PAGES 2-14

+ Singles club changes name Attention Plant City lovebirds: The Strawberry Singles Club, a community institution since 1995, is changing not only its name but also its direction.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, the club is changing its name to the Plant City Social Dance Club. It is open to singles, married couples and dating couples.

INDEX

Crossword..................... 14

Vol. 1, No. 27 | One section

PlantCityObserver.com

2 PlantCityObserver.com

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE GROWTH PLAN

Tampa Hillsborough EDC

The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation recently added a project manager to promote development specifically in Plant City and Eastern Hillsborough.

Jake Austin, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation’s new Plant City-based project manager of business retention and expansion, isn’t too keen on wearing a tie. And, he’s more comfortable standing inside a manufacturing plant than sitting around a conference table in some high-rise in downtown Tampa.

That’s precisely why EDC President and CEO Rick Homans hired him.

Austin, through a unique partnership between the EDC, Plant City and Tampa Electric Company, will serve as a cheerleader of sorts for Plant City and its surrounding communities. With an office in Historic Downtown Plant City, he’ll be the EDC’s eyes and ears for the community’s unique needs and amenities — and, hopefully, market them accordingly.

“His role is to be the evangelist for Plant City and Eastern Hillsborough,” Homans says.

Austin is the EDC’s first project manager who will operate primarily outside of its Tampa headquarters.

Originally from Lakeland, Austin enlisted in the U.S. Air

spent there and discovered that, we found there were people in each who would never live any place else. “(In business development) it’s important to be close to the businesses there and also the politicians,” he says. “You need to be in the community, hang out at Fred’s and be at the City Commission. That’s what worked in New Mexico, and we have the same opportunity here.”

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THE OPPORTUNITIES Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Rick Homans and new Project Manager Jake Austin Force following high school. After a six-year deployment, he returned to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship from Western Kentucky University. He was working in economic development in Kentucky when this new position became available.

“This opportunity was perfect for me,” he says.

And, if all goes as planned, Austin’s hiring will be perfect for Plant City, as well.

MEN WITH THE PLAN

The idea for an on-site manager began from a conversation between Homans and City Manager Greg Horwedel. As Homans learned of Plant City’s strengths

as a community, he realized those strengths weren’t the ones the EDC had been promoting before his arrival.

Homans took the helm of the EDC 11 months ago, following a long career in New Mexico.

Originally from Boston, Homans spent more than three decades in New Mexico, where he served in the cabinet of Gov. Bill Richardson — first as secretary of economic development and subsequently as secretary of taxation and revenue.

“In New Mexico, there are large urban areas with lots of rural communities,” he says. “We found that, over the years, each community had its own heart and soul. And the more time we

Horwedel points to several aspects of Plant City as incentives for business development: the size of available parcels; proximity to Interstate 75 and State Road 60; railroads; and utility infrastructure.

Furthermore, he, along with Homans and Austin, will focus on several types of businesses in the new year: manufacturing; food preparation and packaging; agribusiness; and, perhaps most exciting, nutraceuticals.

Nutraceuticals are products derived from plants that are refined to pharmaceutical-grade qualities and used to treat a variety of ailments and diseases.

The products are gaining popularity worldwide, and Horwedel believes Plant City is the perfect location for the trend to continue in the United States.

“It’s taking what nature has

provided and enhancing that to target specific diseases,” he says.

“We should be ground zero for (nutraceuticals) in the U.S.” Horwedel hopes to attract research and development, which has grown in areas such as the Far East and India, to Plant City.

“We want them to know that we welcome you, we have the tools of your trade, a great workforce and low taxes,” he says. “We have a heck of a lot to offer. We want to broaden Plant City’s exposure to the world.”

RAISING AWARENESS

As Austin settles in to his new role, he’ll spend the first few months meeting existing business owners to learn about specific needs of the community.

He’ll also examine various sites available and work to match those with expanding companies.

“We have to figure out which companies make the most sense,” Austin says. “And we also have to raise the profile of the area.”

To that end, Austin and the EDC also will develop the marketing materials companies require when selecting an expansion site. The EDC plans to have that information readily available on its website to help speed up the process.

Homans says the EDC will analyze its progress quarterly. He is confident the new position will show gains for Plant City and the surrounding area.

“It’s all about finding the companies with the best fit and not trying to put a square peg in a round hole,” he says. “This makes all the sense in the world.”

— Michael Eng

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

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THE NEXT BIG THING

Midtown

If all goes as expected, Plant City officials soon will have a plan in place for the parcels just south of the downtown historic district.

For Plant City Commissioner Rick Lott, it is nearly impossible to overstate the potential of the Midtown project.

“This will be the most significant development in Plant City since Walden Lake,” he says.

Indeed, a mixed-use project straddling Collins Street just south of downtown would change completely the appearance and feel of the city’s core. City leaders believe the Midtown project holds the potential not only to bolster the local business economy but also add local jobs and value to Plant City real estate.

And Lott — who coined the term “Midtown” when the plan was revealed in 2007 — can’t wait to see it.

“It is thrilling to have an opportunity to see something of this magnitude move forward,” he says. “It’s a bold move, but we (city staff and commissioners) are 100% behind the vision.”

The new year should prove to be a big one for the project. With the environmental cleanup work mostly complete, the Plant City Commission will

BACKGROUND

The idea for Midtown came following the closing of several businesses in the 85 acres just south of downtown.

“As a city, we had two choices,” Lott says. “We could sit back and do nothing. Or, we could come up with a vision to correct the issue there and get it ready for redevelopment.”

The issues, he says, were daunting. Many of the structures were dilapidated and would need to be razed. The site also had severe environmental issues and pollution from the Gro-Mor facility.

Furthermore, the area’s use for industrial purposes no longer made sense.

“There were a lot of speed bumps,” Lott says. “Stock Lumber had been there for many decades, and it would have been hard to find another lumber company to buy that.

“So, we decided we could go in and buy the buildings — with the goal of redeveloping the area to bring back jobs and complement downtown,” he says.

Midtown is funded primarily by the Community Redevelopment Agency, an entity created in 1981 specifically for city revitalization. In the past five years, the city spent $4.75 million on the demolition of businesses, such as Gro-Mor and Stock Lumber, and to purchase parcels. The city also designated $1.6 million to clean up pollution from Gro-Mor. “What was there was a series of deteriorated buildings that did not serve the city well,” City Manager Greg Horwedel says.

Lott says those efforts, combined with Plant City’s close proximity to Interstate 4, the Wheeler Street realignment and

the green-space development, should make Midtown an attractive project for developers.

“All roads and wastewater are done,” he says. “All environmental issues are cleared. This is a clean piece of property, and really, if we get someone with the right vision, they could be breaking ground 30 days after approval.”

Horwedel says a more likely scenario is a slower process that will be determined largely by the economy.

“They may not break ground until 2014 or 2015,” he says. “It will depend on what the market will bear.”

But one thing is for certain: Whatever Midtown becomes, it promises to be an improvement over what exists today.

THE VISION

Midtown calls for a mixed-use development similar to what has been done in the downtown districts in Lakeland, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.

David Sollenberger, who was the city manager when the Midtown plan first started, and Hor-

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examine a plan for Midtown’s green space. Also, work will begin in March on realigning Wheeler Street between Renfro and Alabama streets.

Furthermore, the city is working with a development consultant to craft a Request for Proposals for Midtown, which should yield the first glimpses of the project’s potential.

“That RFP is important; we need to do a good job marketing,” Lott says. “We need to tell a good story about what’s there. We need to give them a clean sheet of paper and let them put their vision on it.”

wedel, then assistant city manager, both spent time developing downtown Sarasota.

“When I first started in Sarasota, you could fire a cannonball down the street without hitting anyone or any cars,” Horwedel told the Plant City Observer in July. “Now, people complain that they can’t even find parking. That is a hallmark of success — when you start having parking problems.”

Lott cautions against jumping at the first plan presented.

“It has to last for many decades,” he says. “It has to be able to be sustainable, so that if the first business closes, others can come in and make it work.”

Furthermore, Midtown’s residential component is key. Both Lott and Horwedel say condostyle, maintenance-free residences are lacking in Plant City and fit perfectly within their vision of Midtown.

“We have to have people living there,” Lott says. “Look at downtown St. Pete. You can live, work and entertain yourselves — all within walking distance.”

City leaders always anticipated the Midtown project to be a 10-year marathon. Now six years in, Horwedel says it is important to stay committed to the vision.

“The biggest enemy of redevelopment is time,” he says. “Commissioners change over time, and you run the danger of losing that commitment you had.

“Twenty years from now, I hope people look back at this and say the people who were doing this did it right and created the synergy we needed,” Horwedel says.

— Michael Eng

4 PlantCityObserver.com

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE NEW KID

Billy Keel

company, and I also appreciate the economic impact that a small business can have on a community like Plant City,” he says. “Creating jobs in a community is what makes it grow and (become) vibrant, so anything I can do in that regard is something that I’m very interested in.”

The interim city commissioner plans to run for a permanent appointment in April.

At 43, Billy Keel, the newest member of the Plant City Commission, is also the youngest, but with many years spent in community service and a strong business background, he plans to effectively serve the city where he grew up.

A five-year member of the Plant City Planning Board and a former chairman, Keel was appointed as interim commissioner for the remainder of Florida state Rep. Dan Raulerson’s term.

Keel says he has had waited for many years for an opportunity to serve on the commission.

“I have had an interest and have looked for an opportunity to run for city commission, but it’s rare to have an opening, and I’ve been a little reluctant,” he says, noting that he has been longtime friends with most of the commissioners. “It’s something where you don’t want to run against someone that’s a friend, so I’ve waited around for an opportunity to come about.”

Keel had planned to run for a commission seat when Raulerson’s term ends June 3, regardless of whether he

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was appointed as the interim.

“Either way, I would still be running in the spring,” he says.

These next few months will give Keel more experience.

“The commission looked for someone that they thought could step in and do the job, and I’m certainly thankful that they chose me,” Keel says. “I certainly see getting started and getting some experience as the interim as a positive thing, but it is a short period of time, and there is an election that’s going to be held right away, so I don’t see it as a huge advantage.

“But I do see it as a positive thing, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve,” he says.”

HOMETOWN MAN

Born and raised in Plant City, Keel knows the area as well as anyone. After graduating with a business finance degree from the University of Florida in 1991, he returned to Plant City and immediately became involved with community service.

Keel served on the Plant City Chamber of Commerce Board, where he held positions for 10 years, including treasurer and, eventually, chairman in 2001.

“That’s where I really got my start and got a feel for community service and working to make our community a better place,” he says.

TASKS AT HAND

Keel also has been involved with several other organizations and service clubs throughout his life, including the Lions Club of Plant City and, recently, as treasurer of the Plant City Booster Club. He also has been a member and associate director of the Florida Strawberry Festival for 13 years and serves as the president of the Plant City Rotary Club. Keel is also a member of the Police/Fire Pension Board.

Keel says he had the opportunity to go anywhere after college and start his career, and although he never had planned to return home, he’s happy his life has brought him full circle.

“I love this community, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made to come back here,” he says.

Plant City became the place where he started his career, married Donna, his wife of 20 years, and started his family.

Billy and Donna have two sons, Justin, a freshman at Sante Fe College, in Gainesville, and

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BUSINESS SENSE

Keel was one of three partners who started Matrix Medical, a medical equipment supply company that has seven offices throughout Florida. Its original location and corporate headquarters is located on North Alexander Street next to Hole-inOne Donuts.

Keel was one of the two first employees who opened the Plant City location in 2004, and since then, the company has grown and expanded throughout the state.

Keel also owns Oracle Home Healthcare, a company that specializes in in-home nursing, along with a company that has several rental properties in the area. He also has spent time in the employee leasing business for Employer’s Alliance.

“I appreciate the hard work and effort it takes to build a

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One of Keel’s main focuses as a commissioner is helping to promote economic growth.

“I would like to see us promote business activity any way we can,” he says. “Bringing jobs to our community is a positive for everyone.”

Keel also noted he is a proponent of first responders and wants to keep the local police and fire departments operating at a high level.

After only a few weeks in the interim position, Keel says it has “felt pretty natural” and that he was familiar with the items discussed from his time on the Planning Board and other committees.

“I was really already up to speed on the business at hand,” he says.

Keel hopes to remove the “interim” label off his title following the election in April and looks forward to using his skills to help his hometown prosper.

“Are there other people in this community (who) are qualified? Certainly, but I feel like I’m qualified, and I’m looking forward to serving,” Keel says. “Hopefully, I can prove to everyone that I’m able to serve.”

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Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

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THE STATE REP

DAN RAULERSON The former Plant City mayor is the community’s newest voice in the Florida House of Representatives.

With the country still reeling from heated debates, pushy campaigns and overwhelming political advertising, it’s hard to believe the election was already two months ago. The beginning of the year marks a new start for ideas that grow into bills and agendas and brings some new faces to the political frontier.

One of those is Dan Raulerson, who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives District 58 seat. He garnered nearly 57.45% of the vote against Democrat Jose Vazquez.

Raulerson celebrated his victory surrounded by supporters, friends and his wife, Shirley, Nov. 2, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Grill off Alexander Street, in Plant City. The brighteyed Republican was excited to begin his political career in Tallahassee.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge and honored that people have faith in me,” Raulerson said that night. “I’m going to go in and put up a fight.”

Raulerson’s first foray into politics was at his alma mater, Brandon High School,

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as senior class president. Since then, he’s come a long way. Raulerson served as a Plant City commissioner, elected in 2007 after then-mayor John Dicks planted the seed in Raulerson’s head.

Raulerson served as mayor for two years and then stepped back to focus on his campaign for District 58 after people in the community asked if he would run.

Raulerson resigned from the commission in November and was sworn into his new post Nov. 20.

“It was never anything that I had planned on; it just happened,” Raulerson says.

NEW EXPERIENCES

So, how is life now for Plant City’s new representative in Tallahassee?

“The experience so far is like drinking from a fire hydrant,” Raulerson says. “There is so much to learn as far as protocol and rules. It’s been exciting — and somewhat scary. There’s a lot of responsibility that goes along with it.”

Raulerson has been attending orientations and briefs since he took his oath.

“It’s been fun,” Raulerson says.

“Orientation and training is a little bit like initiation. Some of the older members have a sense of humor and like to joke around.”

On the night of his election, Raulerson said he wanted to focus on learning the way the House operates and using his small-business experience as a certified public accountant and co-owner of AaSys Group Inc. to make changes that bolster the economy.

So far, he seems to be doing both of those.

“I want to focus on getting rid of legislation,” he says. “I want to purge the unnecessary rules and statutes. Regulations are important, but stupid regulations are not. I want to get rid of regulations that are bogging down business and identify those that have outlived their time.”

As a Plant City commissioner and former mayor, Raulerson does have political experience but says being a state representative is different.

“You don’t have nearly as much influence,” Raulerson says. “When you’re on the commission, you’re one of five that are affecting 30,000 people. In the House, you’re one of 161 legislators (who) all have their own constituents and districts. So, I have to deal with all the issues of the state of Florida.”

Raulerson serves on five subcommittees, including finance and tax, government operations, health quality, joint legislative

Courtesy photo

auditing and regulatory affairs.

Including Raulerson, there are three CPAs serving on the finance and tax committee.

“I’m very excited, because I have a chance to work with them to make changes versus those not as well versed in tax law,” Raulerson says.

THE MAN BEHIND THE SUIT

Raulerson’s background isn’t in politics. Born July, 3, 1957, in Jacksonville, the sixth-generation Floridian moved to Brandon when he was 14. After graduating from Brandon High, he enrolled in 1976, at Florida State University. There, he was part of the Sigma Chi fraternity and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Raulerson worked for a CPA firm in Orlando before being recruited at age 24 to run a new branch his company was opening in Plant City.

Although he did not expect to stay in Plant City, he later opened in 1995 his own account-

ing practice, Raulerson & Co. He has served on the advisory board for Platinum Bank since 2009 and the board of directors for the United Food Bank of Plant City since 2008.

And despite long record his service to the community, he may be best known for another role entirely.

He often jokes that he’s known as “Jackie’s Dad.” His daughter, Jaclyn, is a successful pageant competitor who has competed nationally in the 2011 Miss America Pageant as Miss Florida, among other titles.

But Raulerson has his own hobbies, such as playing guitar, golfing and reading.

He also enjoys cooking. He is a member of the Plant City Gourmet and Viticulture Society.

Many locals might have tasted his appetizer dish at a 2012 fundraiser for the United Food Bank of Plant City. The dish was fried dove, sautéed in olive oil, garlic and wine.

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Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE SUPERWOMAN

YVONNE FRY

Arie always has had a love for the stage.

Taking note that other students in the area with talent were going leaving the Plant City area to seek dance training, voice lessons or other creative extracurriculars, Fry pulled mothers aside to discuss launching a singing group.

Before long, the students and their parents jumped on board, and N.R.G. has been growing a fanbase around Florida ever since. This past Christmas, NRG performed on Celebration’s busiest night.

“This is not about making stars,” Fry says. “This is about building a business and teamwork, responsibility and accountability.”

Plant City’s do-it-all woman continues to dream big and work hard for the community she calls home.

If you looked up “busy bee” in the dictionary, Yvonne Fry’s picture likely would be under it. It’s hard to believe there is just one of her — between the Tomlin Middle School PTSA meetings she heads up and the two businesses she owns. But this woman on the go walks with a brisk step that somehow gets her to all her meetings.

A self-described “out-of-thebox person,” Fry has her hands in many Plant City organizations and extends her reach into Tampa and throughout Hillsborough County. Among others, she was appointed to the commission on the Status of Women by Attorney General Pam Bondi, chaired the board at The Spring of Tampa Bay and started the Women’s Hall of Fame, which just celebrated its third year.

Many people in the community have heard the name or know her, but with so many roles, they likely don’t know all she does.

In fact, there’s a good chance you have received multiple business cards from her. She doesn’t have just one in her wallet — she has four.

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BIG TALKER, REVOLUTIONIST

“I think of myself as the farmer’s daughter on barefoot,” Fry says.

She is a farmer’s daughter, but she traded her bare feet for business pumps. Her family came to Plant City in 1955 and ran a farm with 60,000 chickens on the west side of Staf-

ford Road. In addition to the chickens, her family owned cows, pigs and other animals and grew several crops. Every morning, her father went to the Tampa market to sell and came home to tend the fields.

In 1978, her family sold the farm and built a smaller tract of land they could tend.

Growing up in Plant City, Fry has fond memories of her hometown and has seen it change in many ways. As a preteen, she learned how to ride horses western style in a field near the bend in Alexander Street.

Fry used to jump her horse over trees that had been cut down to make way for the new development, Walden Lake, then known as Mud Lake.

“I love Plant City,” Fry says. “I love the history of it, and other people like Ed Verner or Gil Gott from the (Plant City) Photo Archives cherish it and keep the history alive. We can learn from the past, and we (have) to remember where we came from.”

Fry has pride in her town and reminds her 13-year-old son, Arie, that wherever he goes in life, he will be from Plant City.

In 1980, Fry’s father died from cancer.

Her mother found a job in real estate to support Fry and her brother and sister.

That’s when Fry first caught a glimpse of the woman she wanted to be.

“Mom showed me that strong woman lifestyle,” Fry says.

After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, she worked in public relations and marketing and then founded Lines of Communication, a telecommunications company that helps government and private companies streamline their data systems.

THE UNFORGETTABLE ONE

Fry’s fourth business card is a little more personal. It’s square, versus the traditional rectangular shape. But more noticeable than the shape is its bright color and print.

A cursive capital “Y” sits in the middle of a pink swatch with a zebra print boarder.

“It’s me,” Fry says. “It’s dramatic. It’s strong. It’s feminine. Hopefully, it’s memorable.”

With her history of community involvement, Fry has been asked to speak and emcee events. So, she recently began branding herself and created this fourth card to help in the process.

Fry has no end goal for her own self promotion, except to stay active in the community that she so loves.

So what’s next for this superwoman?

Her companies are continuing to work to achieve big contracts, which she thinks will make a big impact in Florida.

The members of N.R.G. have recently written their own song. Fry wants to have the group record it and start marketing it this year.

And as far as her involvement, she has no plans to slow down.

“That’s one of my goals this year — to inspire people to get involved — no matter what your cause,” Fry says.

— Amber Jurgensen

Courtesy photo

With the success of her first company, Fry started a sister company called Revolutionary Strategies, which handles other requests that may not fall under the umbrella of Lines of Communication.

Below her name on her Lines of Communication business card, there are no words such as “founder” or “CEO.” Instead she described herself as “Big Talker.” And beneath her name on her Revolutionary Strategy card, it says “Revolutionist.” The two descriptors are a testament to her personality and a glimpse into how she views herself.

“Women can bring a real special quality to business, and my business is proof of that,” she says. “Women have a touch with our attention to detail and operations.”

THE PRODUCER

Plant City has its own pop sensation.

Next Radical Generation, or N.R.G., is a group of preteens and teens from the area,that has performed throughout the state since its inception two years ago. Fry was responsible for the founding of N.R.G. and is the producer of the group.

And she has a business card to prove it.

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Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

7

THE COURSE

WALDEN LAKE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Now out of bankruptcy, leaders at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club hope new initiatives will boost membership in 2013.

It’s been a long road for the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club.

After exchanging through multiple hands, suffering lowered membership and, most recently, undergoing bankruptcy, the club still is hanging on.

There’s no denying the club offers a variety of amenities. It boasts a semi-private, 36hole golf course, driving range and practice facility. Two clay tennis courts and four hard courts, along with the 24-hour fitness center and junior olympic-sized pool, are more than enough to support an athlete or families who want to cool off in the summer.

The 27,000-square-foot clubhouse is perfect for many events, including wedding receptions, company parties and fundraisers. There is inhouse catering and a full bar.

But General Manager Steve Mercer agrees the club could do more events and have higher membership numbers. And he has plans that could help the club become more popular, but the community also plays a role in its future success.

6

HISTORY

With the closing of the Red Rose Inn and Suites last year, the club also is seeing some increase in event bookings. As always, golf fundraisers are popular, and during the four months in the high season in the spring, the courses often are booked.

Mercer also has some preliminary plans to put a town center shopping plaza on part of the property and change the golf course by eliminating half the holes.

“The question is, is 36 holes of golf too much for the community?” Mercer asks. “We’ve got to find the best use for the property.”

Mercer’s town-center concept would provide a place for the Walden Lake community to enjoy. Children could ride their bikes up to the 40,000-square-foot commercial space to grab a slice of pizza. Couples could ride their golf cart to grab a cup of coffee or listen to live music on the patio of a cafe on Friday night.

“Some communities have that town center, where

they can gather and have events,” Mercer says. “That’s something that is missing — that sense of community. You have to go outside of Walden Lake to do anything.”

Mercer says if the plan were to happen, it wouldn’t be until development in the area picks up. There is still space in Walden Lake for more housing units. Mercer’s plan also has the possibility of adding more units on his property.

“This could give them something that will make their property more attractive,” Mercer says.

In 2007, Mercer presented the idea to the WLCA. “It all looks good on paper,” Mercer says. “We just need to get to the point where it is needed. In the end, it’s going to make everybody happy. There will still be a golf presence — a better one. And something that the community can use.”

— Amber Jurgensen

The Walden Lake Golf and Country Club took decades to grow into the massive course it is today.

Developers built the first 18 holes in the late 1970s. Then, in the 1980s, the second nine holes were built, followed by the last nine holes in the early 1990s.

Ownership of the club has passed through at least four management companies. In 2006, Visions Golf LLC purchased the course from Fairways Group. Visions was born out of a partnership of seven investors — Larry Williams, Doug and Tavia Cowell, Earl Brantley, Dale Missledine and Tim Bussell, brought together by Mercer.

Mercer, who had worked in the golf industry for 20 years, was the manager at the old Plant City Golf Course, which was about to close.

“Walden Lake was up for sale, and being direct competition, we saw that as a chance to buy a business that would not have any competition after the closure,” he says.

In 2006, the economy was doing well, and Plant City was enjoying a housing boom. Walden Lake, a community of 2,241 homes, was a large beneficiary of that growth.

“That would bring in a lot of new people,” Mercer says.

“We saw the growth possibility in the amount of people.

We thought that the golf business would increase. But the recession hit and changed our projections.”

Membership dropped, which resulted in a hit to the club’s bottom line. In May 2011, Visions Golf LLC filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This allowed the club to keep operating while restructuring its financial affairs. At the time of filing, Visions Golf LLC owed $2,013,620.76 to Zions First National Bank; $1,439,058.78 to Reliance Bank and the United States Small Business Administration; and $99,750 to SunTrust Bank.

In February 2012, Visions Golf LLC emerged from bankruptcy.

“We’re moving forward,” Mercer says. “It allowed us to eliminate our debt. It doesn’t resolve all problems, but it just helps us to operate better.”

Mercer has plans to keep the golf course operational for the next few years.

“We’re relying on the economy,” Mercer says. “We’re going to wait it out and get to the point where people want to come out and play golf, get married and have wedding receptions and businesses who want to have Christmas parties.”

In August 2012, former general manager John Keaton and Mercer brainstormed for ideas to boost membership. They asked the Walden Lake Community Association to add a small fee to homeowners’ fees, which would give homeowners full access to the club. However, the WLCA denied the request.

The club currently has 300 members.

“We’d love to double it,” Mercer says. “We have a lot of space for membership and a lot of facilities that go unused (such as) the fitness facility.”

Mercer’s next step is to offer a variety of basic memberships under new plans that involve incentives. If he can get more members, he’d like to see the club receive some much-needed upgrades, such as repaving the three miles of paths throughout the 300-acre property.

100213

THE NEXT STEP

8 PlantCityObserver.com

Observer

PLANT CITY

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

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THE NEW LEADER

Bill McDaniel To the left of the receptionist’s desk at the Plant City Police Department is a wall lined with photographs. Each has its own frame and is placed around three words: “Chiefs of Police.”

Examining the photographs, it’s easy to get lost in the faces.

Many hold a stoic expression.

Some are historic prints. There are 14 in total, though not all the chiefs are pictured.

The most recent is the current Chief of Police Bill McDaniel. And although his picture will remain on the wall for years to come, his face won’t be seen as frequently at the station this year.

McDaniel will end his 27year police career to take a position as assistant city manager of public safety, a newly created post, Jan. 7.

After just a few weeks in “retirement,” former Chief of Police Bill McDaniel will start his new position as assistant city manager of public safety Jan. 7.

7

New Chapter

In his new role, McDaniel still will work with the police department, in addition to the fire department, code enforcement and the city’s Management Information Systems. The position originated after City Manager Greg Horwedel discussed with McDaniel what he wanted to accomplish in 2013. The new position would save a net $230,000 annually, because two positions — one fire battalion chief and a Plant City MIS manager — will be eliminated.

“I’ve always been a person who likes change, who likes challenges and this position represents that for me,” McDaniel says.

Indeed, McDaniel enjoys a good challenge. It’s apparent in his hobbies of choice — flying, water sports and motorcycling.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

A shy kid from Tampa, McDaniel still remembers the day he walked into his second-grade class at Wilson Elementary, when his family moved to Plant City.

As a student at Plant City High School, McDaniel was a self-described “band geek.” His mother was gifted musically, and from her, he was inspired to pick up the trumpet.

“I thought trumpet was cool,” McDaniel says. “But football

would have been cooler, I guess.”

After graduation, he attended Hillsborough Community College, with an interest in studying marine biology. McDaniel always loved the water and any activities associated with it.

“I dabbled around HCC for quite a while,” McDaniel says.

“Like most young people, I needed direction. Then, I discovered a long-harbored interest in police enforcement.”

McDaniel enrolled at Polk Community College, where he attended the police academy.

“I was exposed to things that maybe you only have an image of or read about or have only seen on a TV show,” McDaniel says.

Graduating from the academy in 1984, he returned to Plant City and took a job as a patrol officer.

The adrenaline junkie in him took a liking to the night shift, where most of the action would happen.

“Growing up in Plant City and then coming back as a police officer, I realized there’s so much more going on here,” McDaniel says.

Working his way up the ranks, McDaniel was promoted from sergeant to captain and then acting interim chief, a position he held for about six months before being appointed to police chief.

It’s been 16 years since McDaniel was appointed chief. He’s seen many changes in the city and the police department. With just 40 sworn officers when he first started, McDaniel has seen it grow to a maximum of 74 sworn officers. Now, 68 are serving.

McDaniel also took advantage of his love for technology and brought new tools to the police department, including automated records management and digital photography.

“I wanted to professionalize and modernize the department,” McDaniel says. “My goal, when I took this job, was to leave it better than I found it.”

In 2002, McDaniel hit a bump in his career. Several Plant City police officers were indicted on charges of conspiracy to deprive citizens of their civil rights by searching cars and homes without warrants. A federal prosecu-

SEE MCDANIEL / PAGE 15

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THE CHIEF

STEVEN SINGLETARY New Plant City Chief of Police Steven Singletary has spent 16 years severing the Plant City community and hopes to continue the great service of the agency.

Looking at his credentials, it seems like a natural fit.

With 16 years with the Plant City Police Department in a variety of roles, Steven Singletary is the 23rd chief of police for the agency, for which he has spent his entire career. Before that, he worked for nine years in the U.S. Air Force as a military officer.

Singletary replaces Bill McDaniel, who will take the newly created position of assistant city manager of public safety after a 27-year career in law enforcement (see story above). Currently serving as the interim police chief, Singletary officially assumes the position Jan. 7.

“It’s truly an honor,” Singletary says.

8

RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB

As the first officer McDaniel hired, Singletary has had the opportunity to learn from his predecessor throughout his career.

“There were certainly others here (who) were qualified, and I’m sure plenty of others outside of the agency that would jump at the chance to be in this position, but I’m thankful that Chief McDaniel had the faith in me to fill this position,” he says.

Singletary started with the

PCPD in 1996 as a patrol officer, before becoming a field training officer a few years later. After a year in that position, he elected to join the Street Crimes Unit, where he served for a few years before McDaniel selected him to join the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.

Upon returning to the PCPD, Singletary worked in the Criminal Investigations Unit as a stolen vehicle/property detective. After being promoted to sergeant, he moved back to where he started — the patrol division — where he served as the patrol sergeant for a squad of 10 officers.

From there, he transferred back to the Street Crimes Unit a few years later, serving as a

sergeant for that department, before being promoted to lieutenant and transferring back to the patrol division as a shift commander. He served in that position for about a year, before McDaniel promoted him to captain, which forced him to move to a new area in the department — Information Services.

Singletary earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University and, shortly after, learned McDaniel would be retiring a few years earlier than expected.

“I’ve grown up in this agency from start to finish, and after working in every division, I have a broad knowledge of what goes on here and what this communi-

ty wants from this police department and the services we need to provide,” Singletary says.

A LONG WAY

As one can imagine, the operations at the Plant City Police Department run much differently than when Singletary started in December 1996.

“When I started, we didn’t have computers in the cars, and we didn’t have the radio system we have today,” he says of the system that allows the PCPD officers to communicate with other agencies. “Having that technology makes the job easier and allows us to better protect the community we serve.”

Singletary says because of these technologies and the people who work at the PCPD, the agency has earned a reputation of excellence.

“We’ve become one of the most professional law enforcement agencies in the country,” he says. “That’s something that attracted me when I first came here — how this agency carries itself in a professional manner.”

When it comes to any changes he would like to make, Singletary says although any agency can improve, his is in top shape.

“We know what is required and what is expected of us, and we try to do everything we can to meet those expectations,” he says.

FINDING HIS HOMETOWN

As a self-proclaimed “Air Force brat,” Singletary moved around a lot growing up. By the time he got settled in, he would be someplace new.

SEE SINGLETARY / PAGE 15

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

MCDANIEL/PAGE 8 tor ruled McDaniel and Mayor Mike Sparkman collaborated to hide criminal evidence against the targeted police officers.

No charges were ever brought against them.

“A friend who also flew told me, ‘Pilots do not improve their skills by avoiding flying in rough weather,’” McDaniel says. “There’s been rough times, and I navigated through it.”

One year later, the police department earned accreditation and has since scored perfectly on its three accreditation audits.

“This department has grown by leaps and bounds — not only the size but (also) in professionalism,” McDaniel says. “And those things don’t happen by yourself. I’ve worked with a group of amazing and talented people.”

THE REAL MCDANIEL

“A lot of people know Chief McDaniel,” he says. “A lot of people don’t know Bill McDaniel.”

McDaniel began flying in the 1980s and, since then, has been collecting what he calls “flying experiences.” Those include piloting unique aircraft, such as a World War II-era B-25 bomber, an ultralight, T-6

SINGLETARY/PAGE 8 A year after joining the Plant City Police Department, Singletary moved to the community he served and protected on a daily basis.

It is here where he met and eventually married his wife, Courtney, a teacher at Durant High School.

“When we were dating, everywhere we went, whether it was Walmart or Fred’s, everyone knew her because she grew up here,” Singletary says of his wife. “I never had that feeling, and seeing that made me want to have a place that I could truly call home. I fell in love with this community.”

Singletary has called Plant City home for 15 years and says he sees an advantage in living in the place that he protects, having a stronger familiarity with this community than someone that may not go about their day-to-day life here.

“I truly am a part of the community where I live, work and play,” he says.

“That does benefit me here and is certainly one benefit with my new position as chief of police.”

When not on duty, Singletary enjoys

15

and, his favorite, an open cockpit, bi-wing stearman.

But, McDaniel had to curtail his time in the skies once he became chief.

“It became a competition between the job and my time for flying,” McDaniel says.

In the early 2000s, McDaniel found another hobby — motorcycling.

“I kind of like action-oriented, fastpaced type of activities, and with my demands as chief, I needed something to just walk out to the garage and go,” he says.

McDaniel has been on many road trips.

He’s rumbled all the way to the Pacific Coast, to all four corner states and even embarked on what he calls a “fall leaf ride,” which included Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

“It’s really fun,” McDaniel says. “I really enjoy it. You’re a lot more connected to the environment you’re in when you ride.”

McDaniel also brings multiple cameras on his trips.

“My motorcycle takes me to places where I can take great pictures,” McDaniel says. “Landscape photography appeals to my artistic creative side of my nature. I can’t draw. I can’t sing. So, I take pictures.”

McDaniel is married to his wife, Mercedes. They have a daughter, Harley, 20.

— Amber Jurgensen

working out and staying in shape at the Plant City Family YMCA, which gives him a chance to wind down from the many stresses the job entails.

Singletary is also a proud father of three boys. His oldest, Kenny, recently graduated from Central Michigan University, while Jordan is a senior at Durant. Mason, a 1-year-old, is the couple’s youngest.

“I stay busy chasing a 1-year-old around the house,” Singletary says with a grin. “That keeps me young.”

It doesn’t take long after stepping foot in Singletary’s office to see his other passion — Alabama football.

With parents from Alabama, Singletary grew up a huge Crimson Tide fan and has remained one ever since. With Alabama prepared to face undefeated Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game Jan. 7, this has been an exciting football year for Singletary.

“We’ve had some bad years in the past but have been doing well over the past few years,” he says. “It will be nice when they beat Notre Dame to win another national championship.”

— Matt Mauney

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

9

THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE

Florida Strawberry Festival Since its inception as a small celebration, Plant City’s famous festival has grown into a monstrous, 11-day bash that continues to draw huge crowds and big headliners.

By far, the biggest event to take place in Plant City all year long is the Florida Strawberry Festival.

A community tradition for decades, the festival began in 1930, when the newly organized Plant City Lions Club decided to create an event to celebrate the harvest of strawberries. After the festival stopped for six years during World War II, the American Legion Post 26 helped the Lions Club revive the festival in 1948.

Since then, civic clubs and community have volunteered, organized and participated in the festival, making an event that attracts attendees from throughout the United States. In 2011, the Florida Strawberry Festival snagged the No. 35 spot in Venues Today’s Top 50 Fairs in North America.

When it began, the festival lasted only one day.

Eventually, it grew to three and later reached its current length of 11 days.

In 2012, 525,300 entered through its new gate, built four years ago, to shop through

9

the 600 vendors, take a spin on carnival rides and, of course, sample Plant City’s famous crop.

The number of attendees has increased by 12% since 2011. This year, the festival committee expects just as many visitors as last year.

“I still remember the year we hit 30,000 people,” Sandee Sytsma, a festival director, says. “We thought that was huge.”

“We’re still hometown,” says KeeLee Tomlinson, media representative for the festival. “We’re big. But we are all about the community, and we couldn’t do this without our residents.”

THE ENTERTAINMENT

Gone are the days of simple, hometown entertainment at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Saturday night entertainment once featured local square dancers and thrilling wrestling matches that featured grapplers from Tampa. Country music artists also used to play one show on Saturday, but they weren’t the big-name, pop-country hybrid acts of today’s lineup. They performed on a flatbed trailer in the high football school stadium.

Throughout the years, the entertainment committee has brought bigger and more famous stars to the festival. The

entertainment committee brainstorms on headliners they would like to see at the festival. From there, they contact the music artists’ agents and organize an appearance. There is a $2 million budget to bring in the acts.

This year, the festival has pulled in some major names to perform on its Wish Farms soundstage. Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Gloriana, Foreigner, Bret Michaels, Justin Moore, Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are among the impressive list of performers. They will be performing throughout the festival, with two major performances daily.

THE PAGEANT

Chelsea Bowden, the 2012 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen, is related to two former queens, grandmothers Ruby Jean Redman and Barbara Bowden — a first for the longstanding festival tradition.

This year’s pageant will be held in the Evelyn and Batista Madonia Agricultural Center.

Originally, the pageant was held at Tomlin Middle School.

The band shell was perfect for its contestants to take the stage.

“Tomlin was beautiful,” Gail Lyons, pageant chairman for the Lions Club, says. “It was ab-

solutely beautiful. It added a quaintness to the pageant.”

But, as more parents, friends and spectators came to see the contestants, the pageant outgrew the 900 seats at Tomlin. This year, 25 girls will be competing for the crown at the Ag Center.

“Every girl raised in Plant City wants to be a strawberry queen,” says Tomlinson, who placed in the top 10 both times she competed.

THE COMPETITIONS

The thousands of volunteers who help set up for the festival have a huge reason to be thankful for the Ag Center. Not only does it house the pageant, but also it will live up to its name by hosting agricultural competitions and shows, which should save a tremendous amount of set-up time.

Before, a collection of tents

had to be set up three weeks in advance.

“We would pray for no wind,” Sytsma remembers.

Construction on the 33,000-square-foot center started in 2011, and the festival celebrated its completion with a ribbon cutting for the two pavilions in October. The pavilion on the west side of the center is named after Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle, and the one on the east side after the Astin family.

The competitions and shows include a poultry show, rabbit show, dairy show, livestock judging, swine show and sale, steer show and lamb breed show, among others.

“It’s fun to watch it grow,” Systma says of the festival’s changes throughout its history. “I don’t think anyone realized it would grow this big.”

— Amber Jurgensen

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE HONOR

Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park The committee that oversees the park hopes to present its plan to add a pergola, benches and trees to the Plant City Commission this month. If approved, construction will begin this year.

10

The 2-acre park started as an idea from Stanley Kolker in the early 2000s. He had spent time traveling up and down the East Coast visiting small towns. Through his travels, he noticed that many of these towns had veterans’ parks or memorials.

Closshey got a group of individuals together to brainstorm on the potential monument. At first, the group proposed the park be built at City Hall, 302 W. Reynolds St., but those plans fell through.

“We went through a lot of tears and effort to put it by City Hall,” Closshey says. “But it fizzled.

Little did we know, there was another plan.”

NEW BEGINNING

The city suggested a different plot. The location would serve as a three-block connector, a path between City Hall, Bruton Memorial Library and the park.

The plot was given to the city by the Hillsborough County School Board, with the requirement that whatever was developed needed to fulfill a recreational use.

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Commemorative engraved bricks still are available for purchase. An online order form is available at veteransmonument.com or at The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce or the Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park. The bricks cost $150 each.

the park has only been completed through the first phase.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The committee is working on getting phase two passed by the City Commission. The plan includes a 1,000-square-foot pergola area that would wrap around the north end of the brick area and gazebo. The pergola would include a 10-foot walkway to provide additional shaded seating and space for special events.

Eight new benches also would be placed around the park.

The goals of phase two are to provide more seating and expand access. The additions would cost about $250,000.

“We have been working for months and months, and we’re ready to present it,” Closshey says.

In the future, the committee also has planned a phase three, which includes a large, 40-footby-60-foot pavilion that would match the style of the gazebo.

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ROCKY START

When he returned to Plant City, Kolker proposed the idea to the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center. Together, they decided to put together a committee to oversee the project.

“Sometimes, it almost takes an outsider to realize what your city needs,” committee member Ed Verner says.

Kolker thought Jennifer Closshey would make a strong leader for the committee and came to her in 2005 to pitch the idea.

Closshey pushed the idea around in her head and asked: Why wouldn’t I do it? She couldn’t find a reason. Her husband and father both served in the military.

“I did it out of the respect for both of them and for the deep appreciation I had for them and the military lifestyle,” Closshey says.

“We didn’t want it just to be a memorial park, because not everyone who serves dies in combat,” Closshey says. “It’s for anybody who wore the uniform, for any branch, everywhere. We wanted to honor all those who served since the birth of this nation.”

The committee spent much of its time asking for donations and sponsors to build the $1.5 million park. All benches, light posts and bricks were available for sponsorship. Some are still available.

The city donated services to relocate the existing recreational facilities and an engineer to help plan the park. The Plant City Garden Club landscaped and planted the foliage.

“It’s remarkable that the community joined together,” Closshey says.

The committee also hosted a contest for artists all over the country to design a sculpture for the park. In the end, Duane Scott’s Freedom Rising was selected.

The park was dedicated July 1, 2010. It was a rainy day, but about 500 people stayed.

“To us, that sealed the deal on how important this was to the community,” Closshey says. “It brought to our mind that the military serves us — no matter what the weather is.”

A masterpiece and a result of years of labor, it’s hard to believe

99625

The sun was falling fast from its place in the sky. It reached a spot just over the trees. Peeking from behind the foliage, rainbows in its rays fell on the bronze statue in the Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park in Historic Downtown Plant City. The statue, an eagle, was slowly being painted black by shadows, silhouetted against the bright blue sky. Its massive wings reached upward.

It’s hard not to be moved by this majestic memorial.

The 15-foot-tall sculpture, Freedom Rising, sits on a base with the crests of the different branches of the military posted on its sides. It is placed in the center of a red brick circle.

Around the tribute is a green field with beautiful trees and landscaping, a white Southern-style gazebo, picnic area and a playground.

BRICK BY BRICK

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

11

THE ARCHITECT OF FUN

JACK HOLLAND

The park system the department maintains has attracted some big events, including the United Youth Football League National Championships and the National Club Baseball/Softball Association college spring training, during which top college baseball and softball teams converge on Plant City to perfect their games.

Plant City’s Jack Holland has been involved with organizing fun since 1977. He has served as the director of the Recreation and Parks Department since 2004.

If you’re out having fun in Plant City, there’s a good chance Jack Holland had something to do with it.

Having worked in the Recreation and Parks Department since it merged in 1997 and served as its director since 2004, Holland is responsible for overseeing almost anything fun happening in Plant City — whether its kids playing baseball at a local park, the popular DaddyDaughter Dance or the Fourth of July Celebration at Plant City Stadium.

A Plant City native, Holland certainly has done his part in giving back to his hometown.

11

FOOT IN THE DOOR

Holland’s involvement with the Plant City Recreation Department began in 1977 — through the game of soccer.

That spring was when the youth soccer program started, and Holland, just two years out of high school, joined the department as a game official.

“I played some soccer through

my middle-school years for a private school in Tampa, but at that time, they didn’t have high school soccer,” he says.

Holland also helped launch a club program with some friends at the Hillsborough Community College Plant City Campus.

“The rec department found out about our club team, and with them starting a youth program, they wanted to get together and start a program, so that’s how I got involved,” he says.

Holland worked seasonally with soccer, basketball and flag football programs in 1979 before being hired full-time as an athletic manager that June — a year before graduating with a degree in business administration from the University of South Florida.

“I didn’t think, at the time, that I would spend the rest of my life blowing up soccer balls for a living,” Holland says, smiling.

“We’ve grown from that point over the years, and I’ve really enjoyed working in this profession, because you see the kids develop into young adults. We have kids now who are second generation, with the parents having played in our programs.”

RUNNING THE SHOW

When the Recreation Depart-

CHILD’S PLAY

ment merged with the Parks Department in 1997, Holland assumed the role of superintendent of the recreation division before taking over as director in 2004.

“Now as the director, I have to split my time with not only the recreation side but (also) park maintenance issues, park staffing issues,” he says. “Our department is also in charge of the cemeteries in town, so there’s some things that come up with that.

We also deal with tree trimmings of right-of-ways that the city maintains, as well as all the city properties, so it’s a much broader focus now.”

In 2008 and 2009, budget cuts forced the department to tighten its belt.

“We had to go through a lot of trimming and cost-cutting and outsourced a few of our maintenance areas to help get the budget down where the funding was available for it,” he says.

From 2008 to 2011, Holland says the department lost about

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25% of its budget. The cuts were felt city-wide, affecting the general fund, which covers police, fire, recreation, the library and some of the other departments in town.

FUN FACTOR

Although smaller and with fewer resources than some regional departments, Plant City has built a strong reputation with its wellkept parks, recreation leagues and city-wide events, such as Christmas in the Park, through which toys, turkeys and bikes are given to families in need.

Other key programs include a city-wide Easter egg hunt, the Daddy-Daughter Dance and a Fourth of July celebration that returned this year after a three-year hiatus.

“To put on any program, the first thing is that you have to have a staff that you can rely on, and the staff that I’ve got to work with is phenomenal — both on the recreation side and the parks side,” Holland says.

In addition to providing parks and events for Plant City residents to use and enjoy, Holland noted some of the recreation centers and after-school programs the department offers are the only options for some kids who may live in underdeveloped or underprivileged areas.

“That’s their place to be — rather than on the street — and they’ll come back to you 10 to 15 years later and say, ‘If you guys hadn’t had been there, I don’t know where I would be today,’” Holland says. “I’ve heard that multiple times from both of our rec centers from kids (who) have come through over the years.

Hearing those things is what it’s all about.”

Since he has been director, Holland hasn’t had the same hands-on experience in dealing with day-to-day operations of the department’s many programs.

“That part I do miss, because you don’t see the kids’ eyes light up when they make a ball in the side pocket of a pool table or they’re out on the court and they make that first three-pointer,” he says. “It’s really neat to see all that happen, and that’s what we’re here for — to help develop these kids in our community.”

— Matt Mauney

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Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE COACH

meg jordan Meg Jordan has many passions in life. Golf is only one of them, but the sport has had a strong influence on her life and the path she has chosen.

“It has done so much for me, and I’ve met people from all over the world just because of golf,” she says.

This fall, Jordan wrapped up her 10th season as the head girls golf coach at Plant City High, the school where she was standout player from 1982-85.

Jordan first started playing when she was 7.

Two years later she, won her first tournament at Plant City’s own Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, in a Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association 9-hole tournament.

“I think I shot like a 54, and it was kind of on from then,” she remembers.

Jordan began competing in junior tournaments throughout the country, and her parents decided to make an investment and move to Walden Lake.

“I wasn’t going to be able to drive for a bit, so it helped with transportation issues,” she says. “We moved there when I was 11, and I played the 13th hole a bazillion times. I knew every yardage from every blade of grass on that hole.”

Once she got to Plant City as a sophomore, Jordan quickly became a standout player, winning Western Conference her first two seasons to advance to state.

Her senior year with the Raiders wasn’t as successful, but her legacy already was made at the

12

The girls golf coach at Plant City High School is confident her team can bring a state championship home to Plant city.

school, and she established herself as one of the top college prospects in the state.

DARK HORSE

During her junior year, Jordan went on many recruiting trips to some of the top women’s golf schools of the time, including Duke, Wake Forest and Missouri.

The University of Florida was especially fond of Jordan and her friend Diana Miles, a standout from Sarasota.

“They (Florida) were expecting us to go there, and, at the time, we were expecting to go there,” Jordan says.

Then, Jordan’s high school coach received a call from Bud Marsee, who was helping start the girls golf program at Auburn University.

“I didn’t even know where the place was,” she remembers.

Marsee recruited Jordan and Miles heavily and brought them up to Alabama together for a recruiting trip.

“We just fell in love with the place,” Jordan says. “We liked being a part of a new program and starting from the ground up.”

And did they ever.

When Miles and Jordan got there, the team didn’t even have uniforms. But, by the time she was a senior in 1989, Jordan was a key contributor to the first SEC championship in the history of the Auburn women’s golf program, a program establishing itself as national power today.

RETURNING HOME

Looking back, Jordan admits she may have turned pro too soon. She skipped amateur status coming out of col-

lege and joined the Futures Tour, a supplemental tour of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

“I would recommend going amateur to anyone,” she says. “High school and college is a team sport, so if you have a bad day, you’re score gets dropped. That doesn’t happen as an individual.”

She played on the Futures Tour for six years and came close to breaking through a few times.

“It comes to a point where everyone has the skill, and it’s mentally what’s going to move you to the next level,” she says.

Jordan was in a severe car accident in 1995 on Interstate 4 that sidelined her for a few years. That, coupled with the passing of her mother in 1997, all but put an end to her playing career, despite one last run in 1998.

“My heart just wasn’t in it anymore,” she says.

Jordan began her coaching career in 2001, working with boys and girls teams at a high school in Pennsylvania.

In 2003, she returned to her alma mater as a Spanish teacher and the girls golf coach.

Jordan has established a program at Plant City High, including two undefeated regular seasons from 2010-11 and a 2012 season during which the team finish second at districts and third at regionals.

Jordan and her husband, Micah, are also business owners. They started Carpet Diem, a carpet, tile and upholstery cleaning business two years ago. This is Jordan’s fourth business.

“My aspirations and work ethic from golf have carried through to other aspects of my life, and I have always enjoyed having my own business,” she says.

A SPECIAL TEAM

As with any high school sport, great players will come and go.

Entering this past season, there were questions surrounding Jordan’s team and how it would respond after losing what she says was her most talented class to date.

The Lady Raiders’ two-year regular-season winning streak came to an end this year against Steinbrenner. It was Steinbrenner that stopped Plant City from taking a district title this year, after winning both a district and region championship in 2011 for the first time in program history.

The Lady Raiders still made the region tournament with a second-place finish at districts but fell short of a third straight trip to the state tournament as a team.

But, that all was with a team that featured no seniors and three freshmen playing in the starting five for the majority of the season — a first for Jordan.

With standout Kellyanne Hurst back for her senior year, a talented Lindsay Box returning for her junior season after two years with the team and a more experienced group of talented young players, Jordan says she may have that special team about which every coach dreams.

“In any sport, it takes a special group of people to come together at one time and do something really special,” she says. “I think that this is it.”

— Matt Mauney

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Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

THE QB

TrIstan Hyde

The Strawberry Crest sophomore was a big part of the turnaround for the Chargers in 2012, and with two years left, he promises to be one of the top athletes taking the field in Plant City.

After an offensive snap is taken by the Strawberry Crest football team, the player wearing jersey No. 15 may be lost in the sea of big bodies. But when you look at the stat sheet at the night’s end, you will begin to take notice.

That player is Chargers quarterback Tristan Hyde, who is listed at 5-10 and 160 pounds, according to the 2012 Strawberry Crest roster.

Although he may not be the biggest, tallest or most athletic player on the field, he will gain your attention with his throwing ability.

In his first year playing varsity football, Hyde set records at Strawberry Crest, passing for 2,112 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was a key part of a muchimproved offense on a team that made significant strides after winning just one game the year prior.

The Chargers went 4-6 this year with Hyde behind center and had several close losses that had them fall just short of their second .500-or-better season in program history.

The Strawberry Crest offense

13

averaged 28 points per game in 2012 after being shut out four times in 2011.

STUDENT OF THE GAME

Although he just wrapped up his sophomore season, this past season was Hyde’s 10th year playing the game.

“I’ve been playing quarterback ever since I was little, starting with flag football,” he says.

Hyde’s dad, Tracy, was instrumental in getting him involved in the game and the quarterback position.

“He played when he was younger and wanted me to play as well,” he says. “He knew that the quarterback had to be smart, so he introduced me to the position.”

Hyde definitely fits the bill when it comes to that aspect — he has become a student of the game and is in the IB program at Strawberry Crest.

Durant. In the 2012 spring game, Hyde didn’t get any snaps, because VanDeGrift was still with the team.

When word began circulating that VanDeGrift might be leaving the program, talk began about Hyde taking over.

“One of my friends texted me and said that Trey moved to Durant, and I thought he was joking at first, because word hadn’t got around yet,” Hyde says. “People started talking and asking me if I was ready for it.”

Hyde says a lot of people doubted him, saying he was too short and wouldn’t be able to see over the offensive line.

“I just used that as motivation,” he says.

Since beginning his freshman year, Hyde noted there was a large learning curve.

“It’s a huge jump from little league,” he says.

TURNING HEADS

Hyde was on varsity his freshman year but was sidelined all season after fracturing his elbow a week before the 2011 preseason classic.

A year later, Hyde was thrust into the Chargers’ starting job after previous starter Trey VanDeGrift transferred to area rival

BIG EXPECTATIONS

Hyde’s height always has been put into question, even before he

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COACHING CAROUSEL

Another issue Hyde and many of his teammates faced was the constant coaching changes at SCHS. Hyde has had two different coaches in his two years with the Chargers. Todd Donohoe,

BROTHERLY LOVE

Hyde’s brother, Joshua, is a year older, but the two have played for the same amount of time. Joshua is one of Hyde’s wide receivers.

Hyde connected with his brother 34 times this past season, the second highest total on the team, behind only Karel Hamilton, the Plant City Observer’s Player of the Year.

“The relationship between a quarterback and a wide receiver has to be strong to be effective, so it’s helpful to have a brother that’s a receiver,” he says.

While Hamilton likely will be playing in college next season, Joshua returns this fall for his senior season with the Chargers for what should shape up to be a memorable one for the Hyde family and the Strawberry Crest program.

“He’s always there for me, and I’m always there for him,” Tristan says of his brother.

— Matt Mauney

STOP In THE nAME OF THE LAw! by Mary Jersey 72 Calla lily’s plant 2 Preposition in 63 Commotion or type ACROSS

21

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took over as the Chargers starting quarterback.

“I’ve never been the biggest,” he says. “I’ve grown like two inches over the past year, so I’m steadily growing, and hopefully, I continue to do that.”

With the season now over, Hyde has been hard at work focusing on gaining weight and muscle while continuing to work on his football skills. And although height is something that is out of his control, Hyde says it means he has to be that much better than his competition.

“Every aspect of my game has to be perfect, because I may not see that well, but I have to know the plays and read the defenses to be able to make the throws,” he says.

the program’s first coach, left the spring of Hyde’s eighth-grade year.

When the new coaching staff took over this year, headed by John Kelly, Hyde earned the starting job and didn’t disappoint.

“It’s been crazy jumping around with different coaches, but coach Kelly is a great guy and this past year has been good,” Hyde says.

Hyde thrived under the Chargers spread-style offense.

“At first, I think they weren’t really sure about me right after Trey left, because they hadn’t really seen me play,” he says. “Once they saw that I could make the throws, they’ve been real supportive of me the entire way.”

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Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

MCDANIEL/PAGE 8 tor ruled McDaniel and Mayor Mike Sparkman collaborated to hide criminal evidence against the targeted police officers.

No charges were ever brought against them.

“A friend who also flew told me, ‘Pilots do not improve their skills by avoiding flying in rough weather,’” McDaniel says. “There’s been rough times, and I navigated through it.”

One year later, the police department earned accreditation and has since scored perfectly on its three accreditation audits.

“This department has grown by leaps and bounds — not only the size but (also) in professionalism,” McDaniel says. “And those things don’t happen by yourself. I’ve worked with a group of amazing and talented people.”

THE REAL MCDANIEL

“A lot of people know Chief McDaniel,” he says. “A lot of people don’t know Bill McDaniel.”

McDaniel began flying in the 1980s and, since then, has been collecting what he calls “flying experiences.” Those include piloting unique aircraft, such as a World War II-era B-25 bomber, an ultralight, T-6

SINGLETARY/PAGE 8 A year after joining the Plant City Police Department, Singletary moved to the community he served and protected on a daily basis.

It is here where he met and eventually married his wife, Courtney, a teacher at Durant High School.

“When we were dating, everywhere we went, whether it was Walmart or Fred’s, everyone knew her because she grew up here,” Singletary says of his wife. “I never had that feeling, and seeing that made me want to have a place that I could truly call home. I fell in love with this community.”

Singletary has called Plant City home for 15 years and says he sees an advantage in living in the place that he protects, having a stronger familiarity with this community than someone that may not go about their day-to-day life here.

“I truly am a part of the community where I live, work and play,” he says.

“That does benefit me here and is certainly one benefit with my new position as chief of police.”

When not on duty, Singletary enjoys

15

and, his favorite, an open cockpit, bi-wing stearman.

But, McDaniel had to curtail his time in the skies once he became chief.

“It became a competition between the job and my time for flying,” McDaniel says.

In the early 2000s, McDaniel found another hobby — motorcycling.

“I kind of like action-oriented, fastpaced type of activities, and with my demands as chief, I needed something to just walk out to the garage and go,” he says.

McDaniel has been on many road trips.

He’s rumbled all the way to the Pacific Coast, to all four corner states and even embarked on what he calls a “fall leaf ride,” which included Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

“It’s really fun,” McDaniel says. “I really enjoy it. You’re a lot more connected to the environment you’re in when you ride.”

McDaniel also brings multiple cameras on his trips.

“My motorcycle takes me to places where I can take great pictures,” McDaniel says. “Landscape photography appeals to my artistic creative side of my nature. I can’t draw. I can’t sing. So, I take pictures.”

McDaniel is married to his wife, Mercedes. They have a daughter, Harley, 20.

— Amber Jurgensen

working out and staying in shape at the Plant City Family YMCA, which gives him a chance to wind down from the many stresses the job entails.

Singletary is also a proud father of three boys. His oldest, Kenny, recently graduated from Central Michigan University, while Jordan is a senior at Durant. Mason, a 1-year-old, is the couple’s youngest.

“I stay busy chasing a 1-year-old around the house,” Singletary says with a grin. “That keeps me young.”

It doesn’t take long after stepping foot in Singletary’s office to see his other passion — Alabama football.

With parents from Alabama, Singletary grew up a huge Crimson Tide fan and has remained one ever since. With Alabama prepared to face undefeated Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game Jan. 7, this has been an exciting football year for Singletary.

“We’ve had some bad years in the past but have been doing well over the past few years,” he says. “It will be nice when they beat Notre Dame to win another national championship.”

— Matt Mauney

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