02.06.14 Plant City Times & Observer

Plant City Times &

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OUR TOWN

+ Happy 71st anniversary!

FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

update

NEVER FORGET by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

ONE SON’S

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

FDLE will investigate police chief’s termination

LEGACY

Stone Ledge Manor residents Lloyd and Mavis Evers celebrated recently their 71st anniversary.

They were married Jan. 31, 1943.

Together, they have four children, 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, and are members of Hopewell Baptist Church.

The city’s investigation uncovered potentially damaging actions by City Commissioner Billy Keel.

+ Pageant sign-ups continue Saturday

Registration for the second annual Blueberry Festival Pageant sign up will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5202 Thonotosassa Road.

The 7-to-9 and 10-to-11 age groups are full, so don’t delay for the other groups.

Only 20 spots will be available in each age division, and there is a new Little King section for boys ages 2 to 6.

The pageant will take place March 29, at Keel and Curley.

For more, email Julie Hasting, juliehasting@gmail.com.

+ City honors board members

Plant City Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis honored nine residents for their long service on various boards during the City Commission’s Jan. 27 meeting.

The honorees include: Marlene C. Baskin, Housing Authority (35 years) Randell L. Platt, Board of Adjustment (20 years) Judy Vogel, Board of Adjustment (20 years) Shelby Bender, Historic Resources Board (20 years) John Poppell, Housing Authority (15 years) Yvonne Fry, Board of Adjustment (10 years) Marion Cole, Code Enforcement Board (10 years) Don Walden, MPO Citizens Advisory Committee (10 years) Tom Thoeni, Library Board (five years)

, 3&

This week’s winner is

Sharon Flowers See her photo on PAGE 14.

Mark and Karen Bingham will never forget their beloved son, Mark.

A biker escort will accompany Plant City residents Mark and Karen Bingham Feb. 27, to Tampa International Airport. The Binghams’ son, Mark Bingham, was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, on 9/11.

A plethora of rumbling engines.

A father’s tears. An escort to top them all.

On Feb. 27, a pack of motorcycles will accompany Jerry and Karen Bingham to the Tampa International Airport, where they will take off to Somerset County, in Pennsylvania, the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 9/11 crash.

What is now a peaceful green field was once the location of a horrific act of terrorism. But the story that survives is the one of the heroes that went down with it.

One of those heroes is Jerry Bingham’s only son, Mark Bingham. The couple will travel to Pennsylvania for the commissioning of the USS Somerset, a U.S. Navy Transport Ship. The ship will Courtesy photo honor the 40 passengers and crew The Binghams attended the Christening of the USS Somerset in Louisiana. of the downed airliner. It will be commissioned at Penn’s Landing on airplanes. His mother was a flight attendant, and he had travMarch 1, in Philadelphia.

MARK BINGHAM “He enjoyed life and he enjoyed eled the world using buddy passFAMILY ESCORT people,” Jerry said of his son. “He es. From outback excursions in WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Feb. 27 was fun. He was just a fun person- Australia to running with the bulls in Spain, Bingham’s lust for advenality.”

WHERE: Plant City Over the years, the Binghams ture took him to all corners of the Automotive, 2303 James L. have attended many memorial globe.

Redman Parkway, Suite L On Sept. 11, 2001, Mark’s life services, speaking events and ralFACEBOOK: facebook.com/ lies for those lost in 9/11. Their ended doing the very thing he events/617276061661726/ house is adorned with patriotic loved. facebook.com/ The 31-year-old was a successdécor. A flag is pinned in the gagroups/172881946229353/ rage. A bumper sticker reads, “In ful entrepreneur, who had started his own public-relations firm, afMemory Mark Bingham.”

DETAILS: The Binghams lost Inside, more art is hanging on ter graduating from the University a son on Flight 93 on 9/11. the walls. Most of it has come from of California-Berkeley. With an Rick Sarmiento has organized random strangers, who have heard office in San Francisco, Mark was a biker escort to take the Mark’s story. To this day, mail still in New York to launch his second couple to the airport for the arrives, some from school children location. commissioning of the USS Always the hard worker, Mark who weren’t yet born when one Somerset in honor of those victims. The ride will start of the nation’s greatest tragedies missed his initial flight back to San at Plant City Automotive. slammed into the hearts of Ameri- Francisco. He was supposed to go Everyone is encouraged to back for a friend’s wedding. Not cans. attend to send them off, not “I think our goal in life is to nev- wanting to miss it, he booked anjust bikers. From there, the other flight — Flight 93. er let people forget,” Karen said.

Binghams will be escorted in There was nothing significant One thing is for certain: The an SUV provided by Stingray about that flight while he was runBinghams will never forget Mark.

Chevrolet, with bikers leading ning to the gate, late as usual. But the way.

THAT TERRIBLE DAY Mark Bingham had lived his life SEE BINGHAM / PAGE 4

The fallout from Plant City’s investigation into former Police Chief Steven Singletary could be even more extensive.

Following the city’s investigation and termination of Singletary and police Sgt. Mark Mathis, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement now is reviewing the city’s documents, which included accusations that City Billy Keel Commissioner Billy Keel attempted to interfere with the investigation.

According to sworn testimony provided

by Melissa Hardwick, with whom Singletary had been having an affair, Keel sent text messages to a mutual friend in an attempt to keep her quiet.

Hardwick made the statements to As-

SEE KEEL / PAGE 4

art attack

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Tattoo shop owner to fight city ordinance David Hudder bought and renovated a historic building downtown, with hopes of moving his business there.

A brick building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Historic Downtown Plant City has been sitting vacant for decades. Its beautiful architecture reminds of grander times from long ago. When tattoo artist David Hudder saw the space, he knew it would be the perfect location for a tattoo shop and living quarters upstairs.

He bought the building and worked for months, spending thousands of dollars to revitalize the once dilapidated structure.

There was only one problem: A city ordinance bans tattoo shops from opening in the downtown and Midtown districts.

Now, Hudder, who also goes by Casper, wants to try and change the ordinance to

SEE TATTOO / PAGE 4

INDEX Calendar.......................2

Amber Jurgensen

David Hudder works on a sleeve for Rail Ale Pub bartender Amanda McDaris.

Vol.1,No.27 | Onesection Crossword...................14

Obituaries...................10

Sports.........................11

Weather......................14

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COMMUNITYCALENDAR THURSDAY, FEB. 6

FRIDAY, FEB. 7

Born to Run — weekly run takes place at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City.

(813) 752-9100.

Plant City Entertainment presents “Tavern Tales” — showtimes are at 8 p.m. Feb. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15; and 2 p.m. Feb. 9, at the theater, 101 N. Thomas St., Plant City. For more, visit pceshows.com.

Casey Stidham — performance takes place from 6 to 9 p.m.

Thursdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.

Diabetes Self Management Education — takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City.

Glenda Williams, (813) 3078015, Ext. 7111.

Fresh from Florida Breakfast — takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301, Tampa. Denise Kantak, (813) 744-5519, Ext. 54141, or kantakd@hillsboroughcounty. org.

Heart Health for Her — takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. This seminar will discuss lifestyle management tips to improve a woman’s heart health, including perspectives on exercise and top dietary improvements for heart heath, along with a clinician’s view of best practices for heart-healthy living.

Free; registration required. (813) 644-6720.

Ribbon Cutting: Southern Vapor — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at 104 W. Reynolds St., Suite 6, Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.

Uncork Your Weekend with Rafael and Co. — live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.

United Food Bank of Plant City Celebrity Chef Dinner — takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road. Celebrity chef will be Whitney Miller, winner of the first “Masterchef America.”

Tickets are $100. (813) 7640625.

Wish Farms Strawberry Picking Challenge — Dinner and silent raffle will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N. 50th St., Tampa. The challenge takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Futch Farms, 3536 Futch Loop, Plant City.

Admission to the Saturday challenge costs $25 for adults and $8 for ages 12 and under; children age 3 or younger are admitted free. All-access tickets for both Friday and Saturday events are $200. Visit wishfarms.com or email to Amber@wishfarms. com.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8 Black History Month Movie — screening takes place from 2

To publicize your event in our Community Calendar, please send by mail: 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563; or by email: meng@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.

to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.

Florida Opry — takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St., Plant City.

Barbecue dinner begins at 4:45 p.m. (813) 757-9226 or thefloridaopry.org.

The Road to a Healthy Heart — takes place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City.

Participate in Healthy Heart Screenings, which include measuring your blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose, cholesterol and blood sugar.

After you complete your screenings, you will have a snapshot of your overall health and can take the next steps toward living a healthier life. Free; registration required. (813) 644-6720.

H.B. Plant Railroad Historical Society 23rd annual Train Show and Swap Meet — takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. Show will feature more than 140 tables filled with model railroad items. Gilbert Thomas Jr., (863) 412-3090.

Quilts: A Piece at a Time — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at 404 W. Reynolds St., Plant City.

Tickets are being sold for $1, but people can also buy six tickets for $5. Elaine Green, (813) 986-1141.

Strawberry Distance Challenge

Master Gardener: Organic Vegetable Gardening — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.

TUESDAY, FEB. 11

BEST BET

Railfest — 6 to 10 p.m.

Friday, Feb 7; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Union Station Depot, 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City. The event kicks off Feb. 7, with back-to-back movie showings at the north parking lot on the corner of Reynolds and North Palmer streets.

Attendees are encouraged to come early to set up lawn chairs and get prime spots in — takes place at 7:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Walden Lake Polo Fields, 3035 Griffin Blvd. Event includes 1-mile, 5K and 8K races. Register at strawberrydistancechallenge.com.

Uncork Your Weekend with Charlie O. — live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City.

(813) 752-9100.

MONDAY, FEB. 10 After-School Movie — takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W.

front of the screen. The fun continues Feb. 8, with an all-day festival. Guests will enjoy coloring stations, free museum admission, a scavenger hunt, tours of the train caboose in the front and even a train ride around McCall Park. From 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be live music.

A dedication ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., to rename the depot in honor of R.W. Willaford. For more visit plantcityrailfest.com.

McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.

Beginner Square Dance Lessons — classes take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays, at Strawberry Square, 4401 Promenade Blvd., Plant City.

First class is free. Plus Square Dance lessons begin from 8 to 9:30 p.m. (813) 752 0491.

Enrollment Assistance Program (Affordable Care Act) — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City.

Machelle Tulalian, (813) 4224917 or machelle.eaptampa@ gmail.com.

An Evening with Patrick Smith Jr., Son of the Author of the Iconic Florida Story, “A Land Remembered” — takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City.

The Friends of the Library is bringing Patrick Smith Jr. to Plant City for an action-packed multimedia presentation about the life and writings of his father, Patrick Smith, author of the famous historical novel, “A Land Remembered.” (813) 7579215.

Morning Book Discussion — meets from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. This month’s book is “Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Difenbaugh.

(813) 757-9215.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12 55th Annual Awards Luncheon for Outstanding Citizen of the Year sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Plant City — takes place at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Building, 2301 W. Oak St. For more, contact Sharon Moody, (813) 453-7134 or sharonmoody91@yahoo.com, or Ken Gibbs, (813) 752-6171 or GibbsRealtor@aol.com.

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upcoming by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Speaker to present Florida’s history IF YOU GO

An Evening with Patrick Smith Jr., Son of the Author of the Iconic Florida Story, “A Land Remembered”

Patrick ‘Rick’ Smith, Jr., son of the author of “A Land Remembered,” will host a multimedia presentation of his father’s work at the Bruton Memorial Library.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 WHERE: Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City INFORMATION: Gil Gott, (813) 754-1578, or the library, (813) 757-9215

Those who enjoyed the classic Florida novel, “A Land Remembered,” will be in for a treat next week.

The Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library are bringing Patrick “Rick” Smith Jr., son of author Patrick Smith, to Plant City to give a presentation about the book and his father’s life.

“Few, if any, books have captured the spirit and colorful history of Florida as has Patrick

Smith’s beloved novel, “A Land Remembered,” the Friends said in a press release. “It has been said many times that people should be issued a copy of ‘A Land Remembered’ when they cross the Florida state line.”

Now a California-based professional media producer, Smith has taken up the touring circuit after his father. He has put together a multimedia show that fans of the novel likely will enjoy.

The presentation consists of videos, family photos, music, sound effects and some visual effects that will help Smith tell his father’s story. In some parts of the show, some dialogue from Patrick Smith himself is included.

The elder Smith will explain how he integrated himself into the Seminole culture in order to learn about the people, how he worked with migrant workers to write Angel City, how he

spent two years doing research needed to write “A Land Remembered,” and discuss his thoughts on the “real” Florida.

Meanwhile, the younger Smith will narrate the show as it happens. He’ll also be dressed in period-appropriate Victorian attire to emulate the look of “A Land Remembered” character Tobias MacIvey.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

Patrick ‘Rick’ Smith Jr.

development by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

BUSINESS by Michael Eng | Editor

Plant City projects top MPO to-do list

Several Plant City road projects are at or near the top of Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization’s improvement list.

Chairman Nate Kilton said he is excited for 2014 and is optimistic about Plant City’s future.

Nate Kilton accepts gavel as 2014 chamber chairman

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce welcomed its 2014 board and said good-bye to its outgoing directors at the 32nd annual Chairman’s Banquet Jan. 30, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center.

Nate Kilton, of Sedita Kilton & Company and Sedita Kilton Life & Wealth Management LLC, was named the 2014 chairman. Kilton also is a coowner of the Plant City Times & Observer.

Gary Pike served as the emcee for the evening, and the Rev. Scott Lawry, new pastor at Evangelical Presbyterian Church, gave the invocation.

Following Kilton’s speech, chamber members enjoyed the traditional — and always hilarious — video presentation. Video Director Al Berry received an official director’s chair for his help.

Joining Kilton on the 2014 board are Michael Cameron, of Cameron Financial Management (chairman-elect); Jim Scott, of Jarrett-Scott Ford (immediate past chairman);

Brian West, of Publix Super Markets Inc. (treasurer); Janet Kelly, of Rita Staffing (membership division); Edwena Haney, of Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens (community programs division); Phil Waldron, of Waldron Consulting Services (Economic Development Council); and Keith Smith, of Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Coton, Davis & Smith P.A. (community and governmental affairs division).

Board directors also include Matt Buzza (Platinum Bank); Yvonne Fry (Lines of Communication); Charles Harries (Holiday Inn Express & Suites); Bradley Herremans (Suncoast Community Health Centers Pediatrics); Vickie Houllis (Sunshine State Federal Savings); Larry Jimenez Jr. (Star Distribution Systems); Jason Jones (Advantage Restoration Inc. and Advantage Contracting LLC); Clay Keel (Keel & Curley Winery); Darcy Stottlemyer (All A Bloom Florist); and Michael Watkins (V&R Insurance).

NEWSBRIEFS + Lions Club collecting glasses

Got any extra eyeglasses cluttering your drawers at home?

If so, the Plant City Lions Club wants them.

The club is accepting donations of used eyeglasses, which are used to help people throughout the world.

Donors can simply drop their glasses off at boxes at the following locations: • Eye Express, 102 Henry Ave. • Eyecare of Plant City, 407 N. Plant Ave. • Gaffney Eye Clinic, 2002 S. Alexander St. • Plant City Times & Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., 100-A • Regions Bank, 2303 Thonotosassa Road • Southern Oaks Medical Center, 105 Southern Oaks Drive • Southern Oaks Optical, 107 Southern Oaks Drive • Strong Vision Center, 2128 James L.

CREATING THE LOOP

Al Berry received an official director’s chair for his help producing the Chairman’s Banquet video.

Redman Parkway • Value Optical, 2511 Thonotosassa Road • Walden Lake Car Wash and Service Center, 1414 S. Alexander St. • Walmart, 2602 James L. Redman Parkway

+ One injured in mobile home fire

Plant City Vice Mayor Rick Lott has seen many projects come and go during his decade-long service on the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planing Board for Transportation. Jokingly known as “the historian,” Lott has noticed that Plant City projects have started to rise in importance.

The reason is simple: responsible city staff and reputation. “(Plant City has) a great relationship with FDOT and the county,” Lott said. “We do what we say. We try our best to start on time and end on time.”

The MPO is the transportation policy-making board comprising of representatives from local governments and transportation agencies. Its 2035 plan, adopted in December 2009 with amendments in 2010, includes projects such as road repairs and widenings, new sidewalk miles and even adding a high-speed rail between Orlando and Tampa.

Hillsborough County is expected to grow by 500,000 residents in the next two decades.

A fire that broke out Monday morning in a mobile home sent one person to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Hillsborough County fire officials.

The fire was reported about 10:18 a.m. at 3713 Bruton Road, authorities said. When firefighters arrived, they found the home engulfed in flames.

A lack of fire hydrants in the area prompted crews to shuttle water to the mobile home from tanker trucks, officials said. The blaze was quickly extinguished.

One person was hospitalized with injuries officials described as minor.

The home’s residents declined housing assistance from the American Red Cross. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Outgoing Chairman Jim Scott reviewed the progress the chamber made in 2013.

+ Plant City police arrest murder suspect

Plant City Police Department detectives charged 26 year-old Jarvis Duff, of Plant City, last week, with the murder of Edward Lewis.

Lewis was found shot to death in August 2013, outside his Plant City home on West Warren Street.

At the time, detectives believed the motive for the homicide was robbery.

Duff has been charged with firstdegree felony murder, robbery with a firearm, defrauding a pawnbroker and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Duff was taken into custody Jan. 31, and currently is being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail.

+ Furnace fire shuts down Reynolds Street

A furnace fire Jan. 31, in the Trinkle building in Historic Downtown Plant City, shut down Reynolds Street, while Plant City Fire Rescue crews investigated and secured the building.

Plant City also has seen growth — a 28.5% jump in population from 1995 to 2005.

To accommodate this growth, the MPO began working with the city to create a four-lane loop around the city.

“We have two goals with this project,” Lott said. “First, we want to move the truck route from out of downtown Plant City. And, we want to alleviate traffic flow and stimulate development.”

Currently, trucking routes take large semi trucks through congested downtown. The loop, which connects Alexander and Park streets on the north side by Sam Allen Road, will alleviate congestion.

The project has been going on for about seven years but still has remained one of the top priorities for the 2035 plan.

The $8 million Park Road

expansions are complete. Park Road is the smallest segment of the road project, but it is located in the middle of the northeast portion of the city and one of the most strategic enhancements. Alexander Street was widened to four lanes in two segments, at a cost of about $80 million. The last part of the project is completing Sam Allen Road extension from State Road 39 to Park Road north of Interstate 4. That has cost about $30 million and is planned to be finished by 2017.

MIDTOWN

For the past few years, the MPO has paid for and conducted a corridor study on Collins Street in Plant City. The study has been just been completed and presented to the City of Plant City. The city has had goals to dress up Wheeler and Collins streets even before its adoption of the Midtown Redevelopment Vision Plan.

“We want to have better traffic flow, for it to be better for pedestrians and bikers and add some nice landscaping,” Lott said.

OTHER PROJECTS

Roads have been a major goal for the city, as well. Until a new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plant City was drafted, roads only were budgeted for repairs and repaving every 75 years. The commission voted to triple the budget for that item, which has changed it to every 25 years.

“We’re trying to take care of our city,” Lott said. “Our road system was deficient.”

The MPO has helped support some of these projects, including enhancements to Turkey Creek and Trapnell roads. Also on the list are Martin Luther King Boulevard, from McIntosh Road to Sammonds Road, and Wheeler Street.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMPLETES GANGNET Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested 13 gang members following its GangNet 2014 operation in District 2, which includes Plant City.

Between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, the Sheriff’s Office conducted warrant pick-ups, residential probation checks, curfew compliance checks and an increased presence in known gang areas, with both uniform and non-uniform personnel.

Gang arrests included: • David Ibarra, Dover Loco, violation of probation, possession of Cannabis (Warrant) • Marcus Tomlinson, Sur 13, violation of probation, burglary and grand theft • Ramiro Silva, Sur 13, violation of probation, burglary • Luis Salvador-Cruz, Sur 13, violation of probation, burglary/weapons violations The fire caused minimal damage, and employees were allowed to return after the smoke was cleared.

• Christian Delgado, Sur 13, possession of cannabis • Wayne Smith, Bloods, violation of probation, fleeing to elude; possession of cannabis • Keon Moore, Clair Mel City, FTA possession of controlled substance and cannabis • Kenio Senete, Gangsta Killa’s, obstructing an officer Other arrests during operation: • Matthew Blake Mathis, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft • Luis Lamas, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft • Jose Luque, violation of probation, grand theft • Eric Wenczel, possession of controlled substance • Christopher Burgess, failure to deliver leased property “It is OK, just smoke in a little back storage room,” said Ann Trinkle via Facebook. “Thanks be to God.”

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KEEL / PAGE 1 sistant City Manager of Public Safety Bill McDaniel.

“Did you see the text?” McDaniel asked Melissa in a recorded interview.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Can you tell us what it said?” he asked.

“That his (Singletary’s) job depends on whether or not, I think it said, I testified,” Hardwick said.

Furthermore, according to investigation documents, Singletary left his unmarked police car parked in the parking lot of Keel’s business, Matrix Medical, while he and Hardwick left for daylong trips to Lakeland.

Although the city did not look into the ethics regarding Keel’s actions, the FDLE may choose

to do so in its investigation.

“The FDLE will look at all parties in the investigation and will look at the whole scope of those involved,” Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis said. “The city manager’s office will forward all documents to the FDLE office in Tallahassee. The FDLE will determine if further investigation is necessary.”

Born and raised in Plant City, Keel left in 1991, to attend the University of Florida.

He returned to Plant City and was one of three partners to start Matrix Medical, a medical equipment supply company.

Some say his appointment to the City Commission in 2012 was controversial, because he had business ties with two members on the board. Vice Mayor Rick Lott is a manager of

BINGHAM / PAGE 1 that flight number would be forever known in a matter of hours. The flight ascended, with Mark inside.

Meanwhile, Jerry was watching the “Twin Tours,” in New York City. A black tornado of billowing smoke reached up to the sky.

“By the time the second plane hit, you knew it was an attack,” Jerry said.

He desperately called Mark to make sure he was OK. Karen also called from work. For hours, they didn’t hear anything. Then, they called Mark’s uncle in California. He told him the news: Mark went down with Flight 93 in Somerset County. The passengers had fought back against hijackers. If they couldn’t save themselves, then they were going to stop the plane from being steered toward more innocent people.

Jerry collapsed onto the floor. Karen grabbed the phone.

“Our lives changed that second,” Karen said.

“Everything stopped. I still remember exactly where we were, exactly what we were doing.”

“If they would have had a little more time, they could’ve taken over the plane,” Jerry said.

“It made me sick listening to the recordings. At least they tried. At least they were heroes.”

THE RIDE

The Binghams raised Mark and Karen’s two daughters, Heather and Michelle, in Florida.

After the crash, the Binghams moved to Tennessee to retire. A big part of the move was to be closer to Pennsylvania.

“We wanted to make sure (the memorial) got built,” Jerry said. “There were so many things that needed to be done by the families.”

The couple stayed in Pennsylvania two to three weeks at a time in their motor coach full of dogs.

Mark’s life also has impacted their grand-

Keel’s company, Matrix Medical, and then-Mayor Michael Sparkman is a former business partner.

Keel released a statement and said he would not comment further.

“In my opinion, it is now time for the city to move forward,” Keel wrote.

Mathis commended city leaders for their investigation.

“From the time the city manager’s office was made aware of the allegations, they worked hard, long hours and weekends,” she said. “I’m very disappointed in the outcome. But the city manager’s office did a phenomenal job getting to the bottom.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

daughter, Katelyn. Every Sept. 11, she can’t stop talking about her uncle — whom the 9-year-old cheerleader has never met.

The Binghams can’t stop talking about Mark, either. They’ve traveled around the country doing speaking engagements to make sure the nation knows what Flight 93 was about. And people love to listen.

Many have reached out to connect with Karen on Facebook. That’s how she met Rick Sarmiento. Sarmiento was involved with the Florida 2 million Bikers to DC ride last year.

Karen liked the page for its patriotic agenda.

Soon, the two were talking. She asked if anyone in Plant City was making the ride to Washington. The owner of Plant CIty Automotive, Tony Mendolia, was, and the Binghams gave him a Flight 93 flag to represent them on the ride.

This year, Sarmiento and his group are honoring the Binghams and Mark’s memory once again.

“That ride to D.C. and New York changed my life,” Sarmiento said. “Something clicked. This is it. I want to be a philanthropist, an activist and give back.”

He planned the escort without Karen’s knowledge initially. But, there can’t be secrets for long on Facebook.

Karen saw the event.

“We’ve never been escorted,” Karen said.

“Maybe by news crews. I’m just honored they want to do that.”

The ride will start at Plant City Automotive.

Everyone is encouraged to attend to send them off, not just bikers. From there, the Binghams will be escorted in an SUV provided by Stingray Chevrolet, with bikers leading the way.

“We have found that bikers are more patriotic about America,” Karen said. “They feel it.

Some see them as scruffy, old bikers. But, they are the best people.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com.

TATTOO / PAGE 1 help his business flourish.

“This is where I want to be,” Hudder said. “I live here.

I love this city. I have my business and want to put down my roots.”

BACKGROUND

Plant City has historically had a ban on tattoo shops within city limits. But in 2012, the City Commission voted to change the ordinance, allowing tattoo shops within limits but not in the developing downtown and Midtown areas.

The change came because the Ninth Circuit in 2010 held that the business of tattooing is protected by the First Amendment.

The Planning Board recommended that tattoo establishments be permitted in downtown and Midtown, but the staff did not agree with the position. Instead, it recommended that tattoo parlors be banned from the two areas because “both these areas are being planned for future mixed-use environments encompassing both residential and non-residential development. In many incidences, residential and non-residential uses may be located in close proximity, possibly in the same building, which would offer little opportunity to buffer or screen the impacts of tattoo and body-piercing salons from adjacent residential uses, thereby creating potential compatibility issues,” according to a March 2012 agenda report.

Hudder has hired attorney Jeff Blumenauer to draft a plan to bring before the commission. They have met with City Manager Greg Horwedel.

“One avenue is to request the city to revise its zoning restrictions via a change in the city code, and we intend to submit such an application in the very near future,” Blumenauer said.

Currently, Hudder owns a quiet-but-bustling shop off Baker Street called Dixie Sta-

INFORMATION

To read about Plant City’s ordinance, visit: • plantcitygov.com/ DocumentCenter/Home/ View/4616 • plantcitygov.com/ DocumentCenter/Home/ View/4508 tion Tattoo. An old railroad crossing light signals at the top of the rented building that was once an old shed. Hudder renovated the building and leveled the front yard to accommodate a grassy lot.

“The addition of Dixie Station will undoubtedly improve the location and have a direct impact on bringing economic growth to the downtown area,” Blumenauer, said. “Not only is he an extremely talented artisan, but Mr. Hudder is a devoted family man and hardworking small business owner. I am without a doubt that Mr. Hudder and Dixie Station will have a positive impact on the city’s downtown core.”

AN ARTIST LIKE NO OTHER People come from throughout Tampa Bay and even out of state to get inked by the master. One military serviceman even came from California, while his wife was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. For only being open five months, Hudder has attracted quite a clientele.

“There is no artist like Casper,” client Cameron Edwards said. “He is warm and friendly, and you immediately feel like part of the family.

When you get a tattoo, it’s not only excellent and flawless, but the atmosphere is unlike any other shop I’ve been to.

“The shop is very professional, with a friendly atmosphere,” he said. “The shop as a whole is in the position to create a long-lasting relationship with the Plant City community. And if allowed, it could grow into a landmark.”

Edwards travels from Jacksonville to see Hudder, who is completing a cover-up on a

botched, blotchy sugar skull.

Because of Hudder, Edwards wants to move his family and insurance business to Plant City.

“I understand (the city) has an old-school mentality and this is an old town,” Edwards said. “But it’s 2014. Now, attorneys and doctors have tattoos.

It’s a growing trend.”

The March 2012 agenda report also recognizes the trend.

“Over the past decade, tattoo and body piercing establishments have become increasingly mainstream to such an extent they are now located in facilities as Brandon shopping mall, Tyrone Square mall, Countryside shopping mall, Citrus Park shopping mall, Sarasota mall, Florida mall and The Shops at Wiregrass.”

Although clients come from all over, many clients are Plant City residents who live, work and play downtown. One is Jason Hall. He was a high school teacher for three years, with sleeves and a tattooed back.

Now, he owns the Cyclestop. “(The city) hasn’t taken the time to know people who are tattooed,” Hall said. “Casper moved his family here; he wants to be part of this town.

Having a tattoo studio that is paying taxes, restoring old buildings shouldn’t be seen as an insult. It should be an opportunity. He’s a functioning member of society — whether he’s inked or not.”

Hudder always has been interested in art. But, before he made the jump to permanent masterpieces, he was a network engineer.

“I wanted more freedom in what I did every day,” Hudder said. “I wanted more for my kids — not a 9-to-5 that would make me miss events and my kids.”

So, he took a pay cut and apprenticeship and begin working in Ybor. He stayed in Tampa for 10 years. But he had his sights set on Plant City.

“I love the small-town feel, the people,” Hudder said.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

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COPS The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.

JAN. 9

SNEAKY, SNEAKY

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft/ Dealing in Stolen Property. The suspect came to the Plant City store and took merchandise she had not paid for to the customer service desk. She then presented a receipt from the Gibsonton Walmart in an attempt to obtain a refund on the merchandise. She received a partial refund, but the store would not refund two cases of beer, and she was told to take them back to Gibsonton. The suspect then took the stolen beer to the Gibsonton store, where she was detained and arrested by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Additional charges were placed on the suspect by the Plant City Police Department for the theft and dealing in stolen property committed at the Plant City store.

SOMETHING FISHY

2200 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Uttering Forged Check. An unknown white female suspect attempted to use a stolen identification to cash a stolen check. When the teller began to question the suspect about the check, the suspect left.

CLICKER CRIME

4600 block of Copper Lane.

Residential Burglary. The victim stated she left this morning and returned home after work to find her back sliding door had been opened. The victim said her Toshiba Satellite laptop, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and a Bright House TV remote were stolen.

DESPERATE TIMES …

2200 block of North Park

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MANATEE

CORNER

Road. Drug Investigation. An officer walked by a parked vehicle in the store parking lot and saw a male sitting in the truck with a white substance packaged in clear plastic baggies consistent with illegal narcotics. The officer made contact with the suspect, who first attempted to hide the baggies and then attempted to swallow them.

The officer was able to pull the suspect from the vehicle. After a brief struggle, the officer got the drugs and prevented the suspect from swallowing them.

The drugs field tested positive for cocaine. The suspect was arrested for possession of 1.4 grams of cocaine, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest. He was later transported to Orient Road Jail.

JAN. 10

COPPER CRIMINAL

800 block of North Wheeler Street. Theft. Sometime in the past few weeks, unknown person(s) stole several feet of copper tubing and copper wiring from the outside of this house.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

600 block of North Maryland Avenue.

Fraud/Counterfeit Check. An officer was working off-duty at the store, when the suspect came in and produced a fake Bank of America check to be cashed. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Orient Road Jail.

BAD BLOOD

1400 block of North Gordon Street. Aggravated Assault/Battery. The victim advised he was standing in the driveway of his residence, when a charcoalcolored Ford Fusion pulled up.

A black male — about 20 years old, wearing all black, with dreadlocks — got out and called the vic-

JAN. 8

SERIOUSLY, HOW DID NO ONE SEE THIS HAPPENING?

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway.

Theft. Two unknown white male adults walked out of the store with two flat-screen televisions without paying for them. The theft was not observed by store employees.

tim a racial slur, and the victim did the same. The suspect then came up and punched the victim on the chin. The victim chased after the suspect, who got back into the vehicle. The vehicle then drove at the victim in an attempt to hit him, but the victim was able to get behind a tree. The suspect fled north on Gordon Street toward Frontage Road. There were two other black males in the vehicle. The vehicle was previously reported stolen.

JAN. 11

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. Store loss-prevention officials advised a Hispanic male juvenile attempted to steal a wireless box adapter, valued at $129.

The juvenile was released to his mother pending a court date.

A FEW TOO MANY

2900 block of West Reynolds Street. DUI. An officer responded to the business following a call about a vehicle parked in the closed business parking lot with a male possibly passed out in the driver’s seat. Upon arrival, the officer observed a black male passed out behind the steering wheel and an open container of alcohol. The suspect was unable to stand without assistance and could not successfully complete field sobriety exercises.

NOT TOO BRIGHT

Intersection of Evers and Bates streets. DUI. An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driving with no headlights from the area of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, south to Alsobrook Street. He made contact with the driver, who was unable to complete field sobriety exercises.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

+ Car wash’s honesty a breath of fresh air

Dear Editor: After all the dishonesty, meanness and sad things that are happening in this time and day, I would like to point something nice out to you.

Recently, I went to the Walden Lake Car Wash in Plant City to get my usual for my car. As always, I get greeted with the biggest smile and friendliest “howdy do” by the nicest man in the world. I can always count on him for making me feel very welcome. I am so sorry that I don’t even know his name, but he is always there and always cheerful.

So here is my little story: I visited my friend in Dade City and took her some rose bushes she had

requested. She insisted on paying me, and I insisted for her not to. So, we dropped it. Today, I get a phone call from her asking me if my little dog, Petra, gave me the money that she had stashed in her car seat. (Yes, I have a car seat for my dog!)

Then, my light came on. When I left the car wash, I found a $20 bill in my console that was not there before.

Befuddled and wondering where it came from, I just put it in my wallet. It must have dropped to the floor in the back seat, when I picked up my little chihuahua.

I really want to acknowledge the honesty of the staff that works at the Walden Lake Car Wash. One does not find this kind of thing often any more.

Brigitte Johnson-Sheppard Plant City

CHEERS, JEERS FOR POLICE CHIEF COVERAGE

Dear Editor: I respect the way that you reported the news about this. Thank you for your kindness and respect to your hometown. You showed that our hometown loved Observer is respectful and has class. You should be proud of your values.

Don’t let lesser people bring you down just because you wouldn’t stoop to their level. Thank you again.

Keep up the great work.

Caron Leddon

Dear Editor: If you’re going to be a newspaper in Plant City, then put your feelings aside. You have a moral obligation to report the news.

Good,bad or ugly, he wasn’t a private citizen. He was an elected police chief.

You were wrong, and I will go to the other TV stations, and I will go to the Tampa papers, because we don’t have a newspaper in Plant City. We’ve got a social directory.

Jennifer Dixon Dear Editor: I appreciate the road you took.

My heart broke when I read on other news sources the names of the spouses (namely the wife of the chief) involved. I could not imagine having my life, that was just completely turned upside down, aired for the world to see just because some people want the “facts.”

Carrie Connors Rojas Dear Editor: This is part of the problem: Your statement: “If the investigation had concluded with Singletary returning to his post, then there would have been no reason to have his indiscretions published in our paper. It would have been none of our business.”

Anytime a person in a position of authority acts inappropriately, it is the community’s business. How can you separate a business persona and an after-business-hours persona? If someone makes a lifelong promise to a spouse and breaks it, why would anyone believe that person would then uphold any vows of office?

Public leaders and people in positions of authority should have morals. We place our trust in them, and they have sought out these jobs.

I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they honor their wedding vows and the vows they make to the community.

Regina LeHeup Dear Editor: You reported with class and dignity and are to be commended for not stooping to the nastiness and mudslinging of the other so-called “news” media.

Debbie Gillespie Dear Editor: “If the investigation had concluded with Singletary returning to his post, then there would have been no reason to have his indiscretions published in our paper. It would have been none of our business.”

Really? So, if the police department let him off the hook and hadn’t fired him, even though, apparently, he was abusing his power all over the place, you wouldn’t have done a story about it?

I think as a public servant, especially the police chief, your indiscretions are our business.

Chris Murphy Elliott

Dear Editor: Thought your coverage was fair and appropriate.

In an age of lurid detail where innuendo and hearsay is reported as news to fill the media echo chamber, the degree of difficulty has increased for a committed journalist to report objectively.

Clint Cline Dear Editor: I read your column yesterday regarding how you decided to handle publishing the story on Steve Singletary. I just wanted to commend your approach and tell you and your staff what a wonderful job you did, specifically on your point of view of why you chose to cover it the way you did.

I think the Observer is an excellent touch to Plant City. I have always enjoyed reading it, but today, I was so proud to see the paper’s “true heart” — that is sharing truth with compassion, respect and integrity.

I normally don’t respond to articles, but I was so proud to be a reader of the Observer today and wanted to to applause the Observer for your response on this matter.

God bless you!

Kelly Shissler Dear Editor: I would like to thank you for your reporting of these events. In general, responsible journalism is a dying breed. My heart goes out to both of the families involved. Let us not forget that these couples have children.

I believe you reported in a responsible and tactful way.

At the end of the day, we must hold our community leaders at a high moral standard. Although this matter was of a personal and private matter, our community deserves leaders who have our best interest at heart and not their own.

I commend the City of Plant City for recognizing that we, as a community, deserve better than the actions taken by the chief.

Don’t stop reporting with kindness and respect. There are more of us that appreciate it than those who don’t.

Melissa Connell

fun fest by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

The Walden Lake Elementary students enjoyed an evening full of fun and games.

Walden Lake Eagles reach new heights at extravaganza

Students at Walden Lake Elementary School celebrated the annual Eagle Extravaganza Jan.

24, at the school.

The annual winter festival was full of fun games, delicious treats and, of course, prizes.

Kelli Mcavoy and Corniyah Williams

GREAT OUTDOORS by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Families get outside for Preserve opening The Lower Green Swamp Preserve, formerly Cone Ranch, held its Family Day Feb. 1, to celebrate

the opening of the grounds to the public.

Now, nature lovers can hike two differ-

Locally Owned

The Plant City Times & Observer is published

by Plant City Media LLC, a joint-venture of the Tampa Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.

110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850 www.PlantCityObserver.com &RS\ULJKW 3ODQW &LW\ 0HGLD //& $OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG

ent loops. Equestrian trails are also available. Families enjoyed hay rides, guided tours and more.

Lloyd, Caleb and Andrea Thomas

Johnny, Hannah and Nicole Watson

Christian Bentrovato and Cole Carr

Dear Editor: Thank you for your informative article regarding the recent scandal in Plant City law enforcement.

Accolades to you for your stance.

The innocent (spouses and children) have no need to be disgraced by having places of employment and names blasted in the newspapers.

I have a totally new respect for your newspaper.

Ann Boyd

Nancy Jo Wadlington and Douglas Griffin

Plant City Times & Observer

Norman Huddy, Gage Johnston, Aiden Davis and Brent Coton

TO ADVERTISE

Call Veronica Prostko, (813) 704-6850, or Joanna Verga, (813) 451-6489.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let us know about your community events, celebrations and family member achievements.

To contact us, send your information via: Email: Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com.

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563

CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City.

The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.

Plant City Times &

Observer General Manager/Editorial / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com

General Manager/Advertising / Tony Del Castillo, tdelcastillo@tampabay.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

“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.” — Friedrich Hayek, “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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OBSERVEROBITUARIES

Norman Guy Blount

Norman Guy Blount, 70, of Durant, died Feb. 1, 2014.

He was a lifelong resident of Durant and member of Pleasant Grove Assembly of God. He was retired from the Hillsborough County Road Department.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Andrea Maute Blount; children, Keith Blount and Kendra Blount Harrell (Glenn); and grandchildren, the joys of his life, Kelsey, Emily, Taylor, Bailey, Jordan, Thaddeus and Jenna.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 C.R. 39 S., Plant City. Interment to follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Plant City.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pleasant Grove Assembly of God Building Fund, P.O. Box 278, Durant, FL. 33530.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Elizabeth Rose Buti

Elizabeth Rose Buti, 94, died Jan. 27, 2014, in Brandon.

She was born on Nov. 6, 1919, in Tonawanda, N.Y., to Alexander and Elizabeth (Elek) Buti.

She worked for more than 30 years as a civil servant for the U.S. government. She was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church, in Tampa.

She is survived by two sisters, Mary Farkas and Helen Buti; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Steve, and Louis Buti.

Funeral services were Jan. 30, at Wells Memorial Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made to LifePath Hospice Chapters.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.

James Alan Coleman

James Alan Coleman, 62, died Jan. 13, 2014, in Plant City.

He was born July 5, 1951, in Blytheville, Ark., to Johnny Marshall Coleman and Nellie Ann (Johnston) Coleman.

He is survived by Bill and Anita, his aunt and uncle.

There are no services scheduled.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.

Mary Jean Gardner

Mary Jean Gardner, 85, of Plant City, died Jan. 29, 2014.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert “H.S.” Gardner; and son, Danny Gardner.

She is survived by a daughter, Peggy Adams; grandchildren, Jake (Melissa), Nathan (Charlotte), Jered, Jennifer (Chris) and Shanna Jean; and great-grandchildren, Hannah, Avery, Guy, Grayson, Grier, Landin, Raylann and Kinley.

A Celebration of Life was held Feb. 1, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church. Interment at Turkey Creek Cemetery, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Jessie Herring

Jessie Herring, 80, died Feb. 1, 2014, in Tampa.

He was born Oct. 15, 1933, in Alapaha, Ga., to Eugene and Agnes (Harper) Herring. He married Marilyn (Clark) Herring.

Mr. Herring retired as ball mill operator for American Lacquer. He was a member of Sharon Baptist Purity Church, in Cork.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marilyn Herring; two daughters, Karen Sakelaris (Patrick) and Sharon Herring; two brothers, Arthur and Frank Herring; five sisters, Charlene Keen, Lillie Reeves, Joann Long, Sarah Tew and Bonnie Hearing; and one grandson, Patrick Sakelaris Jr. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Wells Memorial Funeral Home, 1903 W. Reynolds St., Plant City. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.

Marie E. Kelsey

Marie E. Kelsey, 95, of Plant City, died Jan. 29, 2014.

She was a longtime parishioner of St. Clement Catholic Church, where she volunteered for My Brother’s

Keeper and the Florida Strawberry Festival. She was a Pink Lady at South Florida Baptist Hospital, with more than 4,000 hours of service.

She retired from the Hillsborough School System as a longtime lunchroom manager.

She is survived by her children, Maud Marie Santucci (John), of Cooper City, Stephanie E. Kelsey, of Temple Terrace, Joanne Olvey, of Temple Terrace, and John H. Kelsey III, of Wimauma; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchilren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John H. Kelsey Jr. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at St. Clement Catholic Church, 1104 N. Alexander St., Plant City, where the family will receive friends beginning at 10 a.m.

Interment to follow at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to LifePath Hospice, Development Dept., 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300, Temple Terrace, FL. 33637, and/or My Brother’s Keeper at St. Clement Catholic Church.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Elmer Lee Lawson

Elmer Lee Lawson, 92, of Plant City, died Feb. 1, 2014.

Born Oct. 19, 1921, he was the son of the late Marion and Mae Turner Lawson. He was the husband of Lorene Young Lawson, who survives.

Mr. Lawson had been a farmer and a veteran of the U.S. He enjoyed fishing.

Survivors also include a daughter, June Hasting; brother, Buddy Lawson; grandchildren, Dwight Hasting and Sabrina Huggins; great-grandchildren, Hannah and Chance Huggins, and Darby and Cassidy Hasting.

He was predeceased by brothers, Bud Lawson, Shorty Lawson, Junior Lawson and A.W. Lawson Sr.; and sisters, Pearl Moore, Ophelia Copeland, Louise Lariscy, Edna Blackmon and Carrie Faulkner.

A funeral service was held Feb. 4, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel.

Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome. com.

Larry T. Roth

Larry T. Roth, born June 1, 1948, in Marion, Ind., died Feb. 1, 2014, in Nashville.

Mr. Roth graduated from the University of South Florida, with a degree in marketing, and was retired from USA Today and employed

by Goals International as a business manager. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Plant City and served as its finance chairman, he was an active member of Plant City Lions Club, for which he served as club secretary from 2013 to 2014.

He leaves behind two sons, Garry Roth, of Kissimmee and Michael C. Roth, of Grand Prairie, Texas; one granddaughter, Mikayla Roth, of Kissimmee; one brother, Tim Roth (Marisa), of Brooksville; a niece, Beitha Watson, of Atlanta; and a nephew, Nathanial Watson (Melissa), of Arizona.

Mr. Roth was predeceased by his father, Wilson “Bill” J. Roth; his mother, Bertha “Betty” L. Roth; and his sister Candy Watson.

A Memorial Service is planned for 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, at First United Methodist Church in Plant City, 303 N. Evers St. Arrangements under the direction of Wells Memorial and Event Center.

Lewis Duward Stockman

Lewis Duward Stockman, 55, died Jan. 21, 2014, in Plant City.

He was born Aug. 5, 1958, in Lakeland, to Trellis Duward Stockman and Mary A. (Anderson) Stockman.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.

Joan Stokes

Joan Stokes, 84, of Plant City, died Jan. 21, 2014.

She was a member of Plant City’s First Baptist Church of Plant City. She was a descendent of the pioneering McDonald family, who moved in 1867, from Hopewell, Ala., to Florida.

They purchased a large tract of land and named their new home Hopewell to honor their roots. Part of the land was donated to develop Hopewell Baptist Church, and the remaining land was divided among the six children, who developed it into citrus groves.

She is survived by her husband of 19 years Mac Stokes; son, Devon Shuman, Jr. (Sandra); brother, Ralph Carter; granddaughters, Jennifer, Sarah, Julia, Lindsay and Brittany; four greatgrandchildren; and cousin, Jack Rushing.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Diane Shuman Bridges; brother, Norman McDonald; parents, Grey and Helen McDonald; and grandparents, who raised her, Sam and Clara McDonald.

A Celebration of Life was held Jan. 25, at at the Historic Chapel of Hopewell Baptist Church, Plant City.

Interment followed at Old Hopewell Cemetery, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

JW Thomas

JW Thomas, 72, died 17, 2014.

Born Dec. 5, 1941, he was a longtime resident of Lithia. In 1976, he and his wife, Peggy, blended their families and raised their children together.

Mr. Thomas was an honest man and a respected businessman. He loved his motor home and his dogs, but family was what he loved most in this world.

Mr. Thomas is survived by his children, Donald (Sande), Jim, Donna (Paul) and Mark (Yvette); grandchildren, Josh (Stacy), Courtney, Alexis and Marcus; great-grandchildren, Payton and Tucker; sister, Margaret; as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.

He lost his wife, Peggy, to ovarian cancer in January 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of both JW and Peggy Thomas to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, ocna@ovariancancer. org.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.

Robert Pete Young

Robert Pete Young, 85, of Plant City, died Jan. 18, 2014, at his home.

Born Aug. 8, 1928 in Plant City, he was the son of the late T. D. Young and Leoma Pippin Young.

Mr. Young was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a supervisor with Grace Mines. He loved fishing and gardening; he had a green thumb.

Survivors include a brother, J. T. (Rosa Lee) Young; and sisters, Lorene (Elmer) Lawson and Geneva Pitts.

He was predeceased by his son, Keith Young.

A funeral service was Jan. 23, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome. com.

Sports

YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY | TENNIS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Aliyah Gregory leads Lady Chargers into regionals. 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

SIDELINES COLLEGE

two for one by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Flag football, soccer tourneys to kick off this month in P.C.

Organizers say the Let It Fly Flag Football Tournament and the Kick It 3v3 Soccer Tournament could become regular fixtures in Plant City.

+ Area athletes sign scholarships

Plant City-area high school athletes signed letters of intent to take their talents to college Feb. 5, during National Signing Day. We congratulate all the hometown stars who just made their college decisions official.

PLANT CITY Golf: Kellyanne Hurst (Navy) Football: Montel McBride (Alabama), Sedrick King (Nebraska), Jyquis Thomas (Temple), Landon Galloway (Air Force), John Broome (Florida International), Hassan Bailey (Marist), Dylan Johnson (Southeastern), Rayquan Johnson (Florida A&M), Austin Fernandez (Ridgewater) and Quincy Robinson (Butte JC) Soccer: Emma Mitchell (Southeastern) and Diana Corzine (Trevecca Nazarene) Softball: Kacie Booth (Polk State) Volleyball: Alex Arnold (Aurora)

Fresh off the heels of the United Youth Football League tournament, the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex is about to be busy once again.

This time, from Feb. 15 to 16, the park will host two different tournaments simultaneously: the Let It Fly Flag Football Tournament and the Kick It 3v3 Soccer Tournament.

“With three or four successful sports fests, we’re looking to take our properties everywhere,” Kick It Event Manager Brandon London says. “Let It

Fly is based in Florida and always has a pretty darn good tournament, so we thought we’d try to do soccer there at the same time.”

Although this is the first time that the Kick It tournament has ventured to the Tampa area, this is familiar territory for Let It Fly. “Tampa has been the finale of our Florida series: Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Tampa,” Let It Fly Event Manager Jake Priest says. “We chose Plant City because the Tampa

event has been successful over the last 10, 15 years, and it’s less expensive than USF. And, this facility is really nice, and the people are great to work with, too.”

Both men, who are with the North American Sports Group, say the goal is to make this an annual event in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.

LET IT FLY

The flag football tournament didn’t begin as Let It Fly.

Courtesy of the North American Sports Group

The Let It Fly Flag Football Tournament will come to Plant City for the first time this month.

Upon its inception nearly 20 years ago, it was an NFL property called “Air It Out.” Things changed over the past two decades, and the tournament eventually evolved into its current state.

The competition still follows the NFL’s flag football rules.

Through the eyes of P.C.’s football guys

er says. “He didn’t have trouble breathing until after the game, so we were shocked on Saturday morning when we heard about it.”

There are more serious injuries to be had in football — Thomas missed six games before returning — but freak occurrences such as this still pose a

In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy: “Boy, that escalated quickly!”

Had you told me beforehand that one of the Super Bowl teams would score 43 points and win, I would have assumed that was Denver. But, nope! We got a 43-8 slobber-knocker of a victory, courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks and their “Legion of Boom” defense.

Our office was split on the outcome: two football fans JUSTIN went for Peyton KLINE Manning and the Broncos, and the other two (myself and our resident Tim Tebow fan) had picked Seattle. Sorry, Mike: defense wins championships!

I got to kick back at a buddy’s house with some homemade meatball subs, and it was nice to be able to hear myself think during the game for the first time since college. But, for much of the game, I kept thinking the same thing: “Who the heck saw this coming?”

My prediction was 23-20 Seattle, on the legs of a late scoring drive in the fourth quarter.

Everyone I had talked to had the same idea, though mostly in Denver’s favor. Future boxing Hall-of-Famer Floyd Mayweather thought the Broncos would come out looking like a million bucks — well, more like $10.4 million. But talking to my friends doesn’t always tell me much about the game itself, so I wondered what greater football minds thought of this game.

I’m not a fan of anyone who currently does the NFL games on any network, save for Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico, so I decided to localize my search and call up the guys in charge of our area’s high school football teams.

Unsurprisingly, none of the coaches predicted the game

SEE THOMAS / PAGE 13

SEE KLINE / PAGE 13

STRAWBERRY CREST Baseball: Ben Welsh (Oglethorpe) Football: Alex Carswell (Hutchinson CC) and Cody Nulph (Stetson)

+ Cheerleaders head to nationals

The Strawberry Crest High School cheerleaders are continuing their winning ways.

At states last weekend, in Orlando, the team finished second out of 14 competitors. That qualified them for a trip to the 2014 National High School Cheerleading Championship, which will be held Feb. 8 to 9, at Walt Disney World Resort, in Orlando. Strawberry Crest is scheduled to perform at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, in the Small Varsity Co-ed division.

This year’s squad includes Cesar Abadia, Alyssa Archer, Demi Coble, Brooke Conyers, Elle Cruz, Kyra Cruz, Halee Dixon, Taylor Fales, Georgia Foster, Macy Gay, Brianna Hackett, Kyndall Hallman, Kelsey Howard, Tarra Love, Megan Osteen, Savannah Reagan, Ayana Richardson, Jordyn Shoemaker, Sergio Valentin, Carmen Watts Kayla Watts, Jenna Weir and Sarah Wylie. Coaches include Loveny Rivas and Chelsea Martin.

BASKETBALL

+ Boys tourney ends tonight

Much like the girls team last week, the Strawberry Crest Chargers have found themselves in the district championship game.

With a 52-43 win over Plant City on Feb. 4, the Chargers are now set to face tournament host Brandon at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6.

SEE TOURNEY / PAGE 13

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

CULTURE SHOCK by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

DURANT Football: Cody Martin (Southeastern)

CHEERLEADING

Competition is open to children as young as 5 years old, and there is no maximum age.

The youth divisions, which run all the way up to the high school level, play a 5-on-5 game. Adults, who can play

Plant City senior Jyquis Thomas signed with Temple University on Wednesday. But, that almost didn’t happen.

Justin Kline

ROLLING THE DICE Some athletes are flooded with attention from college scouts. Others fight for some spotlight, hoping for some luck their senior season. For in-betweeners such as Jyquis Thomas, dealing with college personnel can be a gamble.

Sometimes, all it takes is that one hit.

It’s the same principle that applies to boxing and mixed martial arts, that “puncher’s chance” that can change the outcome of someone’s night in just a fraction of a second.

When Plant City High School senior Jyquis Thomas took his hit, however, the impact went beyond the playing field. It spread all over the place, into college scouts’ notebooks, and nearly cost him a shot at playing for his favorite school.

“It was at the Hillsborough Fall Classic preseason game last year,” Thomas says. “I was playing running back and defense then. We were on offense, and it was the second drive of the game when I got hit.”

Typical football play: Thomas took a hard shot to the ribcage and went down. In a lot of those situations, the player just has the wind knocked out of him and might miss a snap.

And, perhaps the worst part about that hit was that it seemed so innocu-

STARTING ‘EM YOUNG When Greg Meyer says college coaches are recruiting younger kids each year, he’s not exaggerating.

Linebacker Dylan Moses, who was 15 years old at the time, made waves in July 2012 when LSU gave him an offer.

Later that month, eighth-grader-to-be Tate Martell one-upped Moses and had an offer accepted by Washington.

And, to top it all off, quarterback David Sills had been recruited on the ous that night. Thomas left the game after he began to cramp up, but he thought that that was the extent of it.

After the game, while he was at home, he began to have trouble breathing.

Thomas waited until Saturday to go to the hospital, and he was floored by the diagnosis — a collapsed lung.

“None of us had any idea he was injured,” assistant head coach Greg Mey-

West Coast since age 11 and committed to Southern Cal in 2010 — as a seventh-grader.

It’s one thing for Blue State U. to one-up rival Red College in the high school recruiting game, but the insistence of major programs to quickly make offers to middle-schoolers and high school freshmen is something that never fails to mystify everyone on the outside.

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM

ALIYAH GREGORY The Strawberry Crest Lady Chargers advanced to regionals on Jan. 30, with a 59-50 win over Tampa Bay Tech, and largely because of the stellar play of Aliyah Gregory.

Over two games in the district tournament, Gregory totaled 44 points, 13 steals, 13 boards and eight assists.

What were you feeling throughout the tournament?

I was just really excited about the opportunity we had, as a team, to make history and go out with a bang. I feel like we have the ability to go all the way to states.

The Tampa Bay Tech game was pretty close.What was the key to winning that one?

Staying intense. That was the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at any of our games. The crowd was really hyped for both sides. It was just a matter of focusing on the things we needed to do to win the game.

How has Assist to Score been going?

Pretty well. I’m 16 points shy of my goal of 2,000, which I’m sure I can get with this game on Thursday, and after we advance past Thursday, it’ll just be adding on. I’m not sure how much we’ve made in donations — I haven’t calculated it all up yet, (because) the season’s not over.

What are your hobbies outside of basketball?

I’m not a very good singer, but I like to sing.

I like to hang out with my friends, go shopping. I love shoes — shoe shopping is always good.

What kind of music do you like?

A lot of Christian rap.

Gospel songs. I know it’s weird, but I like Miley Cyrus. I like Monica. That’s about it.

So, you’re one of those people who sings in the car while driving?

Yeah, but I always have my windows up, so no one can hear me. I really sing that bad!

What are your favorite shoes?

Typically, I only wear Nike. I’m trying to stop being so biased, but I try to just wear Nike. My favorite are the Nike Roshe Runs. They just recently came out, and I have four pairs right now. I really want the new KD’s, but I’m not sure where I would wear them. I can’t play basketball in them.

So, it’s almost time to graduate.What are you looking forward to at UCF? Getting better.

You’ll be in an environment where you’re working hard, training every day, and we’ll be playing good teams like UConn on a nightly basis. And then, not just the basketball aspect of it, but the connections I’ll make in college and being able to meet new people.

I’m ready to move on to a new journey in my life.

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KLINE / PAGE 11 would be a historic blowout.

Just as I did, Durant coach Mike Gottman went to a friend’s house for the big game and enjoyed the food.

But, in the middle of the third quarter, he was satisfied enough to leave, go back home and watch the end of the fourth there.

“I was pulling for Peyton Manning to get it done, but I thought the Seahawks would get it done,” Gottman says. “They’re a really good defensive team, and they make a lot of things happen on special teams. They got on a lot of loose balls, got a lot of turnovers. I liked the way they were creating points, even right off the bat, and having Percy Harvin back really helped them out, too.

They just lined up and played a great football game. I didn’t really predict the score — you just never know what’s going to happen in the Super Bowl. I thought it would be like 27-24, or something like that.”

Strawberry Crest coach John Kelly made his Super Bowl experience a big family event and also counted Denver out in the middle of the third quarter.

“Listen: If somebody tells you they expected a 40-point victory, they’re probably blowing smoke in your face,” Kelly says. “I was hoping for Peyton Manning to solidify his place in history, even though it’s already been done, but it doesn’t surprise me that Seattle won. They’re massive! Their defense is just massive at every position — matchup nightmares in size, speed, everything. I think it kind of snowballed on (Denver): I don’t think they’d have the same outcome every single time they played each other. As for the score, I thought mid-20s for both teams.”

And Plant City coach Wayne Ward, who watched just over half of the game with family, was the only Seahawks fan of the bunch.

“I thought it was going to be a better game,” Ward said.

“I knew the Seattle defense was good, but I thought Denver would put up a better fight. I was done at halftime, after the Bruno Mars performance. After the second-half kickoff, I said, ‘Oh, this is gonna get ugly,’ and I turned it off. I thought it would be, like, a 28-24 Seattle win, and not such a total domination of a great quarterback in Peyton Manning. They just got after him a little bit — he was real jittery in the pocket.

My hat goes off to the Seattle Seahawks — they wanted it more. And Kam Chancellor, who graduated from Virginia Tech, he got his Super Bowl ring, so that was good for me.”

HOW TO SIGN UP

FLAG FOOTBALL: Visit letitfly.org and click on “Tampa - February 15-16” in the center of the landing page. Registration deadline is Feb. 11.

SOCCER: Visit kickit3v3.com and click on “President’s Cup 3v3 Festival Tampa, FL February 15-16, 2014” in the center of the landing page. Although the registration link states sign-ups are open until tomorrow, London says that they will be open until Feb. 10.

TOURNEYS / PAGE 11 in the Top Gun division for a $2,000 cash prize, play 4-on-4.

The limit is seven players per team.

The Saturday action will go down in the form of a roundrobin tournament, and Sunday’s action will shift to a single-elimination tournament.

“We currently have 13 teams signed up, but most don’t sign up until the day before or the week of,” Priest says. “So, this is good for us so far. We’re expecting 60 to 100 teams to come out, mostly from the Tampa area.”

According to Priest, there are teams from Miami, Jacksonville and southern Georgia coming to Plant City to play in the tournament.

KICK IT

The Kick It brand has been

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SOFTBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Tourney an international affair Softball teams from seven different countries, and two from the United States, took the field for the 2014 ISF Co-Ed Slow Pitch World Cup Jan. 23 to 26, in Plant City.

Both American teams, the Ink Daddyz and Fort Walton Beach, took home medals. Ink Daddyz won gold, and Fort

Walton Beach snagged bronze.

Great Britain won silver at the event.

At the same time, the Senior Slow Pitch Softball Tournament of Champions was held for athletes ages 50 and older. Eighty teams, comprising 1,600 athletes, competed alongside the co-ed teams over the weekend.

Most teams in the co-ed tournament came from all over the world.

Left: Although this player is from Bulgaria, he donned a Florida Gators cap for the game.

THOMAS / PAGE 11 problem when your future’s on the line.

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

Prior to the lung injury, Thomas was generating a good deal of interest from Division I programs such as Indiana, Rutgers and Miami. Temple, where Thomas ended up signing on Wednesday, was absolutely smitten.

And for good reason. Listed at 6-foot-1, Thomas is taller than the average defensive back. He’s got good speed and can be an elusive tackler. An example of this was seen with Thomas’ two consecutive sacks in the final game against Gaither, when he seemingly appeared out of thin air like Nightcrawler from the X-Men. Of all the latest football trends, he fits in with the most successful one: sticking big, fast players in the secondary. In fact, the U saw enough potential in his frame to recruit him at outside linebacker, where they presumably would have had him bulk up from his current 184 pounds. But that lung injury threw a wrench into many schools’ plans — many of the bigger schools didn’t have a lot of information on Thomas before the injury to make an evaluation, and many did not want to take a chance on a kid with an injury history like that.

Temple wanted him to be its new stud DB, and Thomas liked what he had seen on his visit. Just when he had considered committing to be an Owl and was preparing to take his SAT, one of the bigger schools swooped in.

“School X* wanted him to come visit the school for a weekend, when Temple wanted him to take his SAT that Saturday,” Meyer says. “But, he would come back from the visit on Sunday.”

School X’s coaches encouraged Thomas to simply skip the SAT and come up for a campus visit. They assured him that everything would be fine — no problem. And, of course, the plot thickened.

“When he got to School X, they failed to deliver on their promises,” Meyer says. “And Temple had told (Thomas), ‘We have to move on,’ so we had to go back to Temple and put everything back together.”

In the end, Temple renewed its interest in Thomas, he took his SAT at a later date, and everything was made right.

“I can’t wait to get up there, ball out and put Plant City on the map,” he says.

around since 1989, predating Let It Fly by a few years, and has grown into the largest 3v3 soccer tour in the country.

Each year, the organization hosts 60 to 70 local tournaments nationwide, which lead into eight to 10 regional competitions. Those regional competitions lead to qualification for the championship tournament, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, on Martin Luther King Day weekend.

Tournament play in Florida, however, is relatively new for the soccer tournament.

Among other things, this event will help the organization make the connections it needs to stick around for a while.

“We don’t have a database full of players and coaches here, like we do in all of our other states,” London says.

“We’re starting out small, and, hopefully, we’ll make enough connections and push in the marker to expand.”

The goal is to have a greater pull among travel teams all over the state. Unlike the flag football tournament, all of Kick It’s Florida teams hail from the Tampa area. The only others are three Elite travel teams from Colorado. London hopes to build both connections and familiarity with this tournament.

“We’d like for people to attach this tourney with the facility,” London says. “We’d like to keep the relationship between us and the facility really good and, if there’s a big, giant

Thomas might have gotten lucky there, and the roller-coaster experience was a good lesson for he and Meyer. Though, in Meyer’s case, this lesson became a teaching tool.

FAST STARTS AND FALSE HOPES

With two years at Plant City to his name, Meyer has already donned a few hats for the football program. He’s currently the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach and says recruiting makes the latter position a real doozy.

“That’s my job, as assistant head coach — I’m doing recruiting stuff year-round,” Meyer says. “As soon as I get done with Signing Day, I have to get right to work on my (class of) 2015 kids, so that we can stay ahead of the curve.”

He remembers a time when things were slower, and scouts waited until later in a player’s high school career to show up. Pure luck, he says, was needed to even have a coach talk to seniors. With the Internet and all the possibilities it affords to those with an interest in recruits, the process has all but rendered the average junior or senior invisible.

“It’s become so over-competitive that the concept of letting a kid develop into his senior year is considered a gamble,” Meyer says.

“The pressure this recruiting war puts on these college coaches makes the recruiting war even more cutthroat, and some of these coaches lose sight of what’s in the best interest of the kids, rather than the program.”

That may not even be a character flaw in the humans, but the nature of the beast they’ve created. This makes it difficult for bigger schools to maintain interest in older players such as Thomas: If he gets hurt, there are many raw, younger players to choose from that are just as talented, if not more.

In a way, the process has athletes such as Thomas unintentionally building up false hopes, only to have them broken down once a snag is hit.

“It puts an extra burden on us, as coaches, to step in and take care of our players,” Meyer says. “We now have to do more background work than what was ever needed before.”

Thomas usually led by example on the field, and his story now serves as an example for Raiders of the present and future to follow off the field: Rolling the dice is running a risk. * Editor’s note: The name of this school has been omitted to preserve anonymity.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

tourney with a bunch of teams here, people will remember that it was held here.”

The tournament features 28 age groups among boys and girls, starting with age 6, and also features a co-ed division for players aged 18 and up.

London says the two-day event also will have a “festivalstyle atmosphere,” complete with concessions, merchandise, and activities for kids.

They aim to turn the Plant City event into another Sports Fest, something to build a stronger relationship with the community and keep the people coming back for more.

“We like to create that kind of atmosphere rather than just coming out to the fields and playing a few games,” Priest says.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

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PLANT CITY

RAIN

(INCHES)

WEATHER

WED.

Jan. 22

0.01

THURS.

TEMPERATURES

Jan. 30

0.12

FRI.

Thurs., Feb. 6 Fri., Feb. 7 Sat., Feb. 8 Sun., Feb. 9 Mon., Feb. 10 Tues., Feb. 11 Wed., Feb. 12

Jan. 31

0.16

SAT.

Feb. 1

0.05

SUN.

Feb. 2

0.05

MON.

Feb. 3

0.00

TUES. Feb. 4

0.00

FEB.

TO DATE

.10 (2013: 0.00)

YEAR

TO DATE 1.20 (2013: 0.34)

HIGH 68 72 74 72 67 77 80

SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES SUNRISE 7:13 a.m.

7:12 a.m.

7:12 a.m.

7:11 a.m.

7:10 a.m.

7:10 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

Thurs., Feb. 6 Fri., Feb. 7 Sat., Feb. 8 Sun., Feb. 9 Mon., Feb. 10 Tues., Feb. 11 Wed., Feb. 12

SUNSET 6:12 p.m.

6:13 p.m.

6:14 p.m.

6:14 p.m.

6:15 p.m.

6:16 p.m.

6:17 p.m.

STRAWBERRY PRICES

LOW 55 60 59 54 51 57 65

MOON PHASES

Feb. 6

Feb. 14

CENTRAL FLORIDA

PRODUCT LOW HIGH 8 1-pound containers $12.90 $12.90 Statistics courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture

Feb. 22

March 1

, 3&

Sharon Flowers submitted this photo of Plant City’s Warriors At Heart placing wreaths on military graves at Florida National Cemetery, with Wreaths Across America.

The Plant City Times & Observer, State Farm Insurance agent Tony Lee and The Corner Store have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest.

Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $10 gift certificate to The Corner Store! To enter, email your photo, along with a caption, to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City.

Winners can pick up their prize at The Corner Store.

FROM THE WAIST UP

By Ossie Lindbrook | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Black-belt’s move 5 Corn or Bible 9 Classic Norse literary collection 13 Dresses fussily 19 Hunting dog 21 Scottish hillside 22 Kind of nerve or tire 23 Overwhelmed with tasks 25 Gradually develop 26 Strands on a Christmas tree 27 Lennon’s lady 28 Choked up with sediment 29 Established water route 33 “___ or nothing!”

35 Cowboy ___ Bill of folklore 37 Team created in 1969 38 Co-renters, slangily 42 Pine-___ (cleaning brand) 43 Perform on a TV show 46 ___ up (invigorates) 47 Former German chancellor Willy 48 Engrave with dots 50 “The Canterbury ___” 52 Do a hair-raising job?

53 Help, as a lawbreaker 55 “___ my word!”

56 Pig’s place 57 ___ alcohol (biofuel) 59 Blue color 60 Beginnings 61 Salon appliance 63 Mythical blood of the gods 65 Demean 66 Be too busy for more work 71 Thin, delicate pancake 73 Brilliance of reputation

74 76 77 78 80 82 83 84 86 88 90 92 93 94 95 97 98 100 101 103 106 108 111 112 118 119 120 121 122 123 124

Showy lace loops Hindquarters Brown alternative Guillemot’s cousin “That’s awesome!”

HOMES lake “The Last of the Mohicans” woman Ecstasy’s antithesis Italian white wine variety As a fop might Situated away from the coast Cheese of France “___ Yeller” Cow’s bellow Censure Like the Capitol Buggy people? “___ Factor” (sci-fi TV show) Puts the collar on Figures of speech Mame’s butler in “Auntie Mame” Venus de Milo, e.g.

Learned scholar Blame Opposed (to) Group of three Military truce Security deposit payer Fewer than twice Student debt Dove’s place

DOWN 1 Grand ___ (wine bottle words) 2 Cool, to a jazz fan?

3 Mel, the legendary Giant slugger 4 ___ forma 5 Neighbor of Nigeria 6 With a smoother finish

SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 24 29 30 31 32 34 36 39 40 41 43 44 45 49 51 52 54 58 59 60 62 63 64

“Make do” amount Apple or banyan Move back Salivated Sunrise time Writer of many fables Arizona city or patriot Samuel Pasta dish Winners of a certain singing show Jazzman Jackson Make a smooth road Iditarod need Small amounts Andes animals Ninth months (Abbr.)

Permissions for priests to leave a diocese Think hard or concentrate Almost win Ticket window sight Chief city of the Ruhr valley Do as you’re told Unwritten exam Decide not to quit Start a war Dirt clumps All keyed up Southwestern American Indian dwelling People’s essences “Comin’ ___ the Rye” Verse reciter Golf-hole start Swap words on the Web Pesto and marinara Wouldn’t shut up “Robinson Crusoe” locale Half a ballroom dance

© 2013 Universal Uclick

67 68 69 70 71 72 75 77 78 79 81

Word with miss or catastrophe Filled pastry Hardly heavy-footed Christmas tree, often Belief statement Like the back country Part of USSR Has ups and downs?

Like early Beatles recordings Word processing command Gives careful attention to

83 84

Monastery or convent Mont Blanc and neighbors 85 Showy 87 Long, slender instrument 89 Giant 91 Patronizing, in a way 96 Our Lady of ___ (Portuguese shrine) 97 Bottom-of-the-barrel stuff 98 Away from each other 99 Knowledgeable about 102 Argument

103 Onetime Russian ruler 104 Behave like a lunatic 105 Dutch or convection follower 107 Go sour, as milk 109 Dark greenish-blue 110 Dr. J’s hairstyle, once 113 Little piggy, so to speak 114 And so forth (Abbr.)

115 “___ Bravo” (Wayne film) 116 “Eight” starter 117 Born, on the society page

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