Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH
IN FOCUS
SPORTS
EXCLUSIVE
Plant City stars Plant City honors Martin Luther King attend Under Armour combine. Jr. with festival.
OUR TOWN
Straweberry fest leaders enjoy sweet soiree
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FREE • THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014
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investigation by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City police chief suspended The city currently is conducting an investigation into allegations regarding Police Chief Steven Singletary. The investigation should be complete next week.
+ Festival delivers tickets to Publix Florida Strawberry Festival President Jim Jeffries and General Manager Paul Davis delivered tickets to two Plant City Publix Supermarkets. Patrick O’Neal, the general manager at the Publix at 2202 Jim Redman Parkway, received 2,500 tickets for his store. For years, the festival partnered with Sweetbay to sell discounted tickets throughout the Tampa Bay area. Now, 200 Publix Supermarkets in surrounding counties will take Sweetbay’s place as the title sponsor. The announcement was made in December. Tickets will go on sale at Publix stores starting Jan. 30 through March 9, and can be purchased at the customer service desks. Advanced discounted tickets are $8 for adults, and $4 for children 6 to 12 years old. Children 5 and under are admitted free. An list of participating Publix stores are available at flstrawberryfestival.com.
Plant City Police Chief Steven Singletary has been placed on administrative leave with pay, city officials confirmed Jan. 20. Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis and Plant City commissioners learned of the suspension on the afternoon of Jan. 17. Officials have declined to release information regarding why the suspension was issued. City Manager Greg Horwedel said staff is conducting an investigation into allegations but
would not divulge the nature of the allegations. “We’re doing an investigation into allegations that were made,” Horwedel said. “We’re going through the process to see if the allegations have merit. We have to be fair. We have to do a thorough and fair investigation.” Horwedel expects the investigation to be completed by next week. Currently, no other city employee or official is un-
der investigation. “Right now, we’re just investigating Singletary’s actions and whether or not they violated city policy,” he said. At this stage, Horwedel doesn’t expect to involve any outside agencies in the investigation. “If there’s anything revealed, then, of course, we’ll bring in the appropriate agen-
SEE CHIEF/ PAGE 4
File photo
Steven Singletary was sworn into office in April 2013. He joined the Plant City Police Department in 1996.
business
HOUSE OF
HEALING
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Uncle Mike’s turns to Plant City for support
FRESH START by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
The owners of the restaurant lost the lease to their Brandon location. Now, the Tolleys are depending on the success of their Plant City location.
+ Book bargains highlight sale The Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library will be holding a Bag of Books for a Buck Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1. The sale will be held in the Moody Community Room in the library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Members of the Friends of the Library are invited to a preview sale from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. both Friday and Saturday If you aren’t a member yet, you can join at the sale. Funds raised by the through the book store, book sales and the Mystery Dinner Theatre pay for enhancements to the library, including children’s special programs during the summer, the Book Page subscription, the children’s aquarium and more. For more, call Anne Haywood, (813) 757-9215.
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Mark Knapczyk See his photo on PAGE 14.
Photos by Amber Jurgensen
Hull House is owned by First Presbyterian Church of Plant City, but the recovery groups take pride in caring for the grounds.
Plant City’s Hull House hosts three different 12-step recovery groups. Editor’s note: Names have been changed to preserve anonymity. The white house sits at the corner of redemption and temptation. First Presbyterian Church to the south; a well known “dope hole” to the north. The nearby two-story complex is known to throw hard parties. Money exchanges hands. Cars drive in and out. Loiterers stagger around the grounds. But the white house is a haven from that life. Known as the Hull House, the building supports three different 12-step recovery groups. It’s pristine façade shines as a beacon of light in the Historic Downtown Plant City neighborhood. Alcoholics and drug addicts aren’t the only ones who flock to its wooden porch. Gamblers, over-eaters, smokers and even sex addicts find peace from the warped reality of their lives. “It’s a way of life,” member Jacob says about the 12-step program. “Anyone can use it.”
It was heartbreaking. After three years, of blood, sweat and tears, the owners of Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill in Brandon lost their lease on the location. And without warning. Simone and Mike Tolley received a letter on Jan. 9, stating they had 10 days to “vacate the leased premises.” The letter came from Tampa attorney Jill K. Bell, of Hill Ward Henderson, who represents Cigar City Motors Inc., owner-operators of five Harley-Davidson of Tampa dealerships, including the one in Brandon. The Tolleys have leased the back restaurant of dealership for three years. “Every time I walk into the building, I see all the hard work I put into it,” Simone Tolley said. “Twelve- to 16-hour days to market and promote to get people to the restaurant. It’s heartbreaking. We worked so hard to make it a landmark.” Simone said there was no warning. She thought the same protocol would be followed as the past three years. In previous years, in about December, the landlord emailed the couple to come into the office and sign the lease. This year, Simone Tolley contacted Gary Bang through email and even his assistant via phone. But, she said she never got a response. Along with the letter of notice, the Tolleys also received their returned January rent check. The Tolleys fell behind on rent last summer. But it was while they were opening their new Plant City location, and, at the same time, Simone Tolley was giving birth to her first child, Blake. They caught up on their owed expenses. “They are in here until the end of the month, and we will look for a new bikerfriendly, barbecue-type tenant,” said Gary Postle, training manager in charge of opera-
SEE UNCLE MIKE’S / PAGE 4 Hull House is open to anyone battling an addiction. It has helped change countless lives in its history. Entering through the back door, a screened-in porch shelters a group of members taking a smoke break after their 7 a.m. meeting Friday. They are friendly, optimistic. The scent of stale cigarettes wafts into the kitchen. Through
that door is the living room and one of two main meeting rooms. A giant whiteboard is covered with grids and words. A packed schedule of meetings is posted for any-
SEE HULL HOUSE / PAGE 4
UNCLE MIKE’S SMOKEHOUSE GRILL ADDRESS: 106 S.R. 60 E., Plant City PHONE: (813) 737-4444 HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Vol. 1, No. 26 | One section Crossword...................14
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather ......................14
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