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PlantCity’sSecond ChanceBoxerRescue planscircusparty.
Black Heritage Festival honors local leaders.
FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
Plant City Little League celebrates 60th anniversary.
little man,big voice by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
RISING STAR
+ PCHS crowns prince, princess
Plant City High School has new royalty. The school crowned Jana Watkins as its new princess and Bryson Keel as its prince. Students entered the contest, sponsored by the Civinettes, and carried around containers collecting money for the PCHS Relay for Life Team and the PCHS Scholarship Fund. Top fundraisers were named to the court, with the top male and female named prince and princess. Other court members, all freshmen, include Kassie Case, Zoee Causey and Ashlyn Yarbrough.
+ City to host brick ceremony
Plant City Armed Forces Memorials Foundation will host a dedication ceremony for the latest engraved commemorative bricks for Plant City’s Veterans Memorial Monument Park. The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at the park. The public is invited. To date, about 750 bricks have been engraved and installed. The engraved bricks can be purchased for a $150 donation. Order forms are available at the park, the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center, the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce or on the website, veteransmonument.com.
I PC
This week’s winner is
April Farkas
See her photo on PAGE 15.
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Teacher, Yankees collaborate to provide new shoes Marshall Middle School’s Brandy Mordecai teaches students with emotional behavior disorders.
French street urchin, as well as his other work, did not go unnoticed: he won the Overall Child Singer Award at the Actors, Models and Talent for Christ’s SHINE Conference in January 2013, and got the call from NET-
It was Valentine’s Day, and some students at Marshall Middle School were in for a sweet surprise. No, they weren’t getting candy. They were being gifted with something a little more essential: shoes. Teacher Brandy Mordecai pushed a metal cart into her classroom. A bulky box pressed against its cool surface. Her students perked up. She revealed they were getting brand new shoes provided for by the New York Yankees. “It means a lot,” Mordecai said. “There’s a lot of kids in the poverty area. So it’s a blessing. A lot of them can’t afford it.” One by one, the students were called up to get their pair. Some were blue, some had neon stripes. The Yankees hit it out of the park for style. “We’re going to be twins,” Zanaria Austin yelled across the room to her friend, Tracy James. They both scored new pink and purple kicks. Mordecai had been working on getting the shoes since before Christmas. She received an email from the Yankees marketing department last year, asking if her students needed any donations. And some of her students really did need the extra help. Mordecai and aides Robert Chin and Jenny Pemberton had seen the hardships some students had to endure. Chin even bought a pair of shoes for one student after seeing the soles almost come off. “They are so excited,” ESE Specialist Valenica Jackson said. “A lot of these kids are less privileged.” On this day, Jackson, Mordecai’s mother, was watching Mordecai’s class, while the shoes were being prepared and delivered. The class comprises 10 students who have emotional behavior disorders. Some of the students have anger
SEE SILVA / PAGE 4
SEE SHOES / PAGE 4
+ Law firm honors Kellyanne Hurst
Vanguard Attorneys recently presented $1,000 to Plant City High School in honor of the accomplishments of Kellyanne Hurst. The award is to be used by athletic departments Hurst to enhance the competitive sports programs. The Vanguard Award is given to a student athlete that is also involved in community service. The award is open to student athletes throughout Hillsborough County.
out of the park
Courtesy photo
Those who attend USF home games will recognize Julian Silva and his voice, and they’ll see even more of him soon.
Plant City’s Julian Silva turns 11 years old next week, but already, he has toured North America for one of the world’s most popular musicals and appeared on national television. If anybody’s happy to have some downtime right now, it’s Julian Silva. The soon-to-be 11-year-old Plant City resident recently performed all over North America in a NETworks Presentations production of “Les Miserables,” playing the part of Gavroche. On top of that, he appeared in a “Duck Dynasty” commercial in July and could be seen on televisions everywhere for three months. “It was really fun,” Silva says. “I got to meet a lot of new people and make friends with them, get to know how they got on tour.” For now, he’s back on his regular schedule, singing the national anthem before USF sporting events and working on school. Sure, it’s not a typical schedule for a 10-year-old, but Silva himself is anything but typical.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Dan and Maria Silva enjoy opera music, preferring the group Il Divo.
When their son was 5 years old, they quickly learned that he enjoys opera, too. They went to see Il Divo perform in Tampa one night and brought some CDs home. It didn’t take long before Julian caught on and started mimicking what he heard. At that moment, Dan says, they knew their son had the potential to make a name for himself in the entertainment business. When Julian was 6 years old, they began to take him to vocal lessons to refine his voice. His teacher suggested he take up acting, too, and at age 7, he performed in a production of “Aladdin, Jr.” That was when Julian caught the acting bug. After performances in “Mulan” and “Alice in Wonderland,” Silva was tapped to play the role of Gavroche for the first time in Riverview and Newsome high schools’ productions. His performances as the young,
CLOSER LOOK
BIRTHDAY: Feb. 26, 2003 SCHOOL: Home-schooled TALENTS: Singing, acting YEARS ACTIVE: 2009 to present HIGHLIGHTS: Toured North America, playing Gavroche in “Les Miserables;” appeared in nationally syndicated “Duck Dynasty” commercial in 2013; regularly sings national anthem at Tampa Bay-area sporting events
show of support by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City extends helping hand for car-crash victims
After a Brandon couple was involved in a fatal accident, their Plant City friends have come together to help support the family.
As of last week, Kasie Durden was lying in a hospital bed, ventilator tubes down her throat. She had been in a horrible accident with her husband, Jeremy, just after midnight on Feb. 8. Durden suffered a broken neck and bruised spinal cord, among
many other injuries. At first, she didn’t even know Jeremy had died. The news of the Interstate 4 rollover had traveled through social circles around Plant City throughout the night and into the morning. Now, friends in Plant City
are hosting a yard sale, a barrel run speed show and have started an online fundraiser to help with medical costs. The Durdens were celebrating Kasie’s 28th birthday at Applebee’s in Plant City on
SEE DURDENS / PAGE 4
Courtesy photo
Kasie Durden, center, is recovering from the injuries she sustained in a car crash that killed her husband, Jeremy. Kasie has two sons, Austin, 10, and Jared, 3.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Vol.1,No.30 | Onesection Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather......................14
PlantCityObserver.com
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
PlantCityObserver.com
COMMUNITYCALENDAR THURSDAY, FEB. 20
Beta Sigma Phi City Council — meets from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Cheryl Thomas, (813) 659-3602 or amcthomas@aol.com. Bontrager Family Singers — performance will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Ahava Baptist Church, 6015 W. Farkas Road, Plant City. For more, visit bontragerfamilysingers.com. 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. Business After Hours — takes place from 5:15 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5202 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Casey Stidham — performance takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100. Line Dancing Lessons — takes place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. (813) 737-4444. Multicultural Show “Living the Dream in 2014”— takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City. Cost is $3; all proceeds benefit Relay for Life. (813) 757-9075. Open Mike Night — begins at
8 p.m. Thursdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
VITA Tax Program — takes place Thursdays, through April 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Registration for assistance begins at 10 a.m. and lasts until that day’s 25 slots are filled. (813) 757-9215.
FRIDAY, FEB. 21 Early Learning Readiness: Come and See — takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Dana Russo, (813) 3995173. Groove Box — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818. Uncork Your Weekend with Kim Betts and Gamble Creek — live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.
SATURDAY, FEB. 22 Breastfeeding Class — takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. This class will provide the expectant mom and her support person current, evidence-based recommendations for nursing newborns. $20; registration required. (813) 644-6720.
College Goal Sunday — takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 22, at Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City. College Goal Sunday is a free program that provides information and assistance to families applying for college financial aid. Students will receive step-bystep instructions for completing and submitting their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, along with their Florida Financial Aid Application. For more information, about College Goal Sunday, visit tinyurl.com/ q7axhnp. Second Chance Boxer Rescue Carnival and Fair — takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the rescue, 6106 W. Knights Griffin Road, Plant City. Music, food, vendors, fun run, doggie costume contest and more. For more, visit saveaboxer.org.
Spring Gardening Workshop — takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. Satursday, Feb. 22, at the Plant City Commons Community Garden, 309 N. Carey St., Plant City. Open to all adults and children; $18 fee includes seed tray, soil, demonstration, hands-on instruction and more. Rosalind Baker, (352) 804-9246 or thefoodforest@gmail.com. The Terry Cole Show — performance begins at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Uncork Your Weekend with Faces South — live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210
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. Browder, (813) 704-5028. Enrollment Assistance Program (Affordable Care Act) — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Monday, Feb. 24, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Machelle Tulalian, (813) 4224917 or machelle.eaptampa@ gmail.com. Peace By Piece — meets from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Sue Ellis, (813) 719-9127 or love2sewsue@yahoo.com.
Plant City Recreation and Parks Department’s Fifth Annual Daddy Daughter Dance — takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at HCC Plant City’s John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road. Doors will open at 3:20 p.m., and guests will be able to take their Keepsake Photo at that time. This event is only for dads or father figures and their daughters, granddaughters or nieces — sorry moms. The event will feature entertianment, dinner, dessert, door prizes and, of course, dancing. The Recreation and Parks Department also will be live Tweeting and posting Facebook updates throughout the night. Guests can LIKE the department on Facebook by searching Plant City Recreation & Parks and can follow on Twitter @PCRecandParks. (813) 659-4256. W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.
SUNDAY, FEB. 23 The Dills — takes place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Hopewell Baptist Church, 6001 S.R. 39 S., Plant City. (731) 988-50456 or the dills.net.
MONDAY, FEB. 24 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. Brick Dedication Ceremony — takes place at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb., 24, at Plant City Veterans Memorial Monument Park. The Plant City Armed Forces Memorials Foundation invites the public to attend the unveiling of the latest group of commemorative bricks engraved to pay a lasting tribute to veterans. For more, visit veteransmonument.com or call Lisa
Teen Advisory Board Meeting — takes place from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.
TUESDAY, FEB. 25 Musical Performance with Nyela Oluchi Hope — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Celebrate Black History Month with vocalist and storyteller Nyela Oluchi Hope. (813) 6951002. Ribbon Cutting: Central Payment — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the chamber, 106 N. Evers St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Wilson Elementary Parent Meeting/Library Tour — takes place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
PlantCityObserver.com
governance by Michael Eng | Editor
Six to vie for open WLCA seats
Walden Lake residents will cast their votes in April, at the community’s annual meeting. In less than two months, the board that governs the Walden Lake community will have at least two new members. Six Walden Lake residents have announced their candidacies for the Walden Lake Community Association’s three open seats. Two existing board members, Treasurer Karen Olson and Director Steve Swantek, are leaving the board. WLCA Secretary Heather Updike’s term is up, but she will be running to retain her seat. Newcomers include Sharon Philbin, of Forest Club; David Sollenberger and Eileen Anderson, both of Ashton Woods; Deedra Allen, of Village Green; and Terry Murphy, of Forest Club. Walden Lake residents will have a chance to vote for their candidates of choice at the community’s annual meeting, which will take place April 10. Residents will receive an official annual meeting notice, which will include a proxy and condensed biographies of each candidate, in the mail by March 10. Residents can turn in their proxies
to the WLCA community building, 3035 Griffin Blvd., or cast a ballot at the April 10 meeting.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS
The WLCA approved at its Feb. 17 several improvements throughout Walden Lake. The largest improvement is an $18,500 project to repave the asphalt path from Fairway Villas to Village Green. Tampabay Asphalt Paving and Sealing Inc. will perform the work, which should commence within the next two months. The WLCA also approved spending $12,930 to repair three damaged bridges within the community. Two of the bridges are owned by the WLCA; the third is under shared ownership with Walden Lake Golf & Country Club owner Visions Golf LLC. WLCA President Jan Griffin, new On-Site Manager Lee Weiss and WLCA Director Ray Page will ask Visions Golf Managing Partner Steve Mercer for a held harmless agreement before performing the work on the shared bridge.
The repairs will include composite decking, which should last longer than traditional pressure-treated wood, Weiss said. Dixon’s Custom Fence & Railing will perform the work. The community’s two new notification signs were installed at Walden Lake’s two Timberlane Drive entrances. Pleased with their appearance so far, WLCA directors asked Weiss to obtain quotes on adding solar-powered lighting, as well as smaller signs for the remaining community entrances. Weiss also reported that the slide on the community playground has been replaced, the community building’s air-conditioning duct work has been re-routed, and his crew also cleaned and chained off a pond near Walden Lake Elementary School that had been used as a dump site.
GOLF COURSE PRESENTATION
WLCA Director Rich Glorioso, who has been examining the possibility of purchasing the golf course and country club, presented his task force’s initial findings at Walden Lake’s last Presidents Meeting.
Glorioso said his two primary challenges so far are how to convince nongolfers to buy into the amenity as social members and how to disseminate his task force’s findings effectively to all residents in the community. “How do we get the person who doesn’t play golf, who has an 8- and 10-year-old ... How do we get them involved to say, ‘This is a worthwhile endeavor?’” Glorioso said. “We’re working on that type of a vision.” However, 66% of Walden Lake must vote in support of any potential purchase, and Glorioso said getting his information to those voters will be key. “How do we get people to come to a meeting to listen to this, because that’s going to be the most important part of this,” he said. “Every citizen in Walden Lake has to have a chance to look at the good, bad and ugly right now — and there’s a lot of ugly right now — and where the future may or may not go. “I can’t imagine doing it any other way than in person, because they’re all going to have questions,” Glorioso
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IN OTHER NEWS
• The board approved Simply Events’ request to use of the community’s polo field for its Walden Lake Family Fun Day. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12, and will feature a variety of booths and a kids zone. The WLCA will require a $2,000 refundable deposit, and Simply Events will provide parking attendants, insurance, generators, portable toilets and security. The agreement prohibits alcohol and the sale of weapons. • The WLCA hired Lee Weiss as its new on-site manager. Weiss replaces Tom Daramus, who resigned in December. • The WLCA approved policies regarding the use of its community room and newly installed notification signs. said. “You can’t do it in a survey. ... It’s going to have to be in group meetings.” Glorioso said he expects to share his findings with the rest of the WLCA within the next month and will be ready to present to the public when the board so moves. Contact Michael Eng at meng@ plantcityobserver.com.
MAKEOVER by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
HEART TO HELP
Good deeds roll at P.C. Automotive
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Customer David Thurston renovated the Plant City Automotive waiting room after owner Tony Mendolia did a good deed for David’s son.
Second Chance Boxer Rescue founder Bill Gray uses his organization to help dogs of all breeds throughout Florida.
Amy DeStefanis
STEP RIGHT UP! Plant City-based Second Chance Boxer Rescue will host its first Doggie Carnival and Fair this weekend. Despite its name, the rescue works to find forever homes for canines of all breeds. It even has a cat among its ranks. Second Chance Boxer Rescue might have aimed at helping a specific breed when it first started, but founder Bill Gray doesn’t discriminate. In fact, one of the organization’s most heartbreaking success stories involves a Dalmatian mix. Named Circles, Second Chance got a call from a Lakeland Veterinarian about an abused puppy. He was thrown into a wall, breaking his back. The canine couldn’t walk. When animallovers all over the country heard of Circles’ plight, they donated to help get him an expensive surgery, so he could walk once again. Now, he runs in circles. “It really is nothing short of a miracle,” Gray said. Circles will be touting his exuberant personality at the first Doggie Carnival & Fair,
which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the rescue’s Plant City headquarters, 6106 W. Knights Griffin Road. A lure course, costume contest, music, food, vendors and more will be on site. Dogma Pet Rescue, Lost Angels Animal Rescue, Cloud Nine Animal Rescue and FoHCas also will be available with adoption materials and potential new best friends. Although based in Plant City, Second Chance helps boxers and other breeds throughout the state. Gray doesn’t operate his rescue like a kennel. Instead, he travels around the state or picks up dogs from veterinary offices and immediately finds the dogs a foster home. “Foster homes save lives,” Gray said. For those with major medical health issues or emotional behavior problems, Gray himself will nurse them back to optimum levelness before fostering or adopti n g Dogs should them have a blast on out. the event’s lure “You course. never know what kind of issues the dogs might have,” Gray said. Gray wanted to start a boxer rescue after working at another rescue for purebred boxers. Many times, he would get a call about a boxer and,
DOGGIE CARNIVAL AND FAIR
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 WHERE: 6106 W. Knights Griffin Road INFORMATION: A lure course, costume contest, music, food, vendors and more will be on site. Dogma Pet Rescue, Lost Angels Animal Rescue, Cloud Nine Animal Rescue and FoHCas will be available with adoption materials and potential new best friends. Proceeds benefit Second Chance Boxer Rescue. WEBSITE: saveaboxer.org
LURE COURSE
Lure coursing is a sport for dogs where the dogs chase a mechanically operated lure that mimics an animal such as a rabbit. Many lure course are restricted to dogs of purebred sighthound breeds. The Doggie Carnival will have a lure course, but it will be open for all dogs. “It is a blast,” said Second Chance Boxer Rescue founder Bill Gray. “The dogs look like they’re having so much fun they’re screaming while chasing the lure.” The lure course is expected to be one of the highlights of the carnival. The cost is just a $5 donation which will go to Second Chance Boxer Rescue.
upon visiting, it would be a mixed-breed boxer. Because the rescue was focused solely on purebreds, he had to leave the mixed dogs behind. So, he split off to create his own rescue that would include mixed boxer breeds. But before long, he was accepting other breeds, as well. He couldn’t leave an animal in need. In fact, the organization even has a cat in its lineup. “You have your business set up, Facebook page, vets, fosters, and then, a Chihuahua shows up at the door,” Gray said. “It’s a slippery slope,
and we’ve fallen off the slope. We’ve jumped off the slope.” The rescue relies heavily on volunteers and the foster network Gray has built up all over the state for years. The adoption process is stringent. In addition to the initial application, potential adopters must undergo home visits, phone interviews and background checks. “People have to jump through hoops to adopt from us,” Gray said. “These dogs are our family.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
Walking into Tony Mendolia’s Plant City Automotive is like walking back in time. The waiting room has been completely redone in a retro style. Tin siding climbs up half the wall, pictures of classic cars dot the hallway to the bathroom which is labeled “Pit Stop.” A black and white checkered floor is the boldest trait in the vintage vibe. Last year, the waiting room looked completely different. But this year is a fresh start that actually began two years ago. Mendolia had been looking to move to Whispering Woods. When he found out a customer, David Thurston, lived in the neighborhood, Mendolia asked him about it. Liking what he heard, Mendolia found himself waiting at his old home on moving day. He had asked Thurston if he would help him move the heavy stuff to his new home. Thurston went above and beyond, bringing his son, Josh, and an 18-wheeler. Thurston has done other odd favors, as well, including installing cabinets and ceiling fans in Mendolia’s new home. So, when Josh came to Plant City Automotive to have his air conditioning fixed, Mendolia wanted to return the favor. “If he can do that for me, why can’t I do it for him?” Mendolia said. “Since then, it’s been back and forth.” After fixing Josh’s car, Mendolia told Josh, who is also in the military, that he would call him later with the bill. He never did. But Josh wasn’t going to let it slide. He continued to call the shop. Each time, Mendolia gave him a different excuse. The computer’s not working. I lost the bill. Thurston loved Mendolia’s generosity and attitude. So, he hatched a plan to top Mendolia’s act of kindness to Josh. Thurston asked for the keys to Plant City Automotive in December. He gave the Mendolias one condition: Don’t come
WAY OF LIFE
Although Tony Mendolia and David Thurston have been one-upping each other with good deeds, Mendolia has been helping clients since he opened Plant City Automotive off James L. Redman Parkway in 2007. One elderly client recently brought in an old car that had been sitting in her back yard for two years. All four tires were flat, in addition to a host of more serious problems. When Mendolia opened the hood to see what engine repairs it needed, a family of possums stuck their heads out of the top. “We basically took a junk car and revitalized it,” Mendolia said. Mendolia felt for the client whose husband had been in the hospital around the holidays. She also couldn’t afford the final bill. So Mendolia put her on a payment plan. “We try to treat others the way we want to be treated,” Mendolia said. back until the shop reopened after the Christmas holidays. For more than a week, Thurston and a group of friends labored to paint the walls, install new décor, including signs, decals and pictures, and put in a new floor and cabinets. The main room is retrothemed, but the bathroom got a roaring repair in Harley-Davidson orange. They didn’t stop there. The door to the office is labeled “Crew Chief.” Its theme bleeds Florida State maroon and gold. “I love it,” Mendolia’s wife, Holly, said. “Before, you walked in, and it was like a hole in the wall. He just did an awesome job with it. Just a complete flip.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
Amber Jurgensen
Holly and Tony Mendolia love the renovations to the waiting room at their business, Plant City Automotive.
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
PlantCityObserver.com
YARD SALE FOR THE DURDENS WHEN: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 WHERE: Southern Hospitality parking lot, 1709 James L. Redman Parkway, Plant City INFORMATION: Organizers will be taking donations prior to the event. They are looking for clothing, household items, toys, furniture, etc. Proceeds with help the Durdens with the medical costs of Kasie’s recovery. For donations or more information contact Chelsea Bryant Canchola at cbryant119@gmail. com or Kim Shivers at kimshivers143@ gmail.com.
BARREL RUN SPEED SHOW WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, March 1; sign-ups at 6 p.m. WHERE: Turkey Creek Stables, 5534 S. Turkey Creek Road COST: To ride in all events, $20; raffles are $1 for one or $5 for seven; spectators and parking are free. WEBSITE: https://m. facebook.com/events /708411289190085
GO FUND ME There is also an online fundraiser for the couple which will go to medical and other costs. The page is hosted by Go Fund Me, gofundme. com/6r6jyc.
NEWSBRIEFS
DURDENS / PAGE 1 that rainy evening. While they were headed back home to Brandon on Interstate 4, Jeremy lost control of his 2009 Ford F-250. The vehicle traveled off the roadway and overturned several times in the median. Both were ejected from vehicle, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports. “She has a long road to recovery,” friend Chelsea Bryant Canchola said. Canchola has known Kasie for 13 years. She woke up to a number of panicked texts the morning after the car accident. Her father asked if Canchola heard about her friend. And even worse, that Jeremy had died. “It was like, ‘Well, Are you awake?’” Canchola said. “Very shaken up. Is it real life? It still doesn’t seem realistic.” Canchola, her cousin, Erika Smith, and friend, Kim Shivers, have spearheaded events to help the Durdens with medical costs and other services. Canchola hasn’t been able to visit Kasie in the hospital, but Smith has. Canchola said Smith has told her Kasie is now showing movement in her right arm. She already has had neck surgery to repair to spots in her neck that were broken. The doctors don’t know the extent of her injuries, because she is so swollen. Kasie has a son, Austin, 10, and Jeremy and Kasie together have a 3-year-old, Jared. The couple met four years ago at the Lakeland Mudhole. They married March 11, 2011. The couple liked to mudsling, fish and go to the beach. “They were very much in love,” Canchola said. “They were always together. They were newlyweds.” On the same day of the accident, Jeremy and Jared visited Kasie at her office, bringing her three roses. The three buds stood for each one of her boys. Jeremy also got her a diamond Fossil watch. “You met (Jeremy) and you liked him,” Canchola said. “You loved him. He was fun to be around.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
+ Kerr named president of SFBH
Courtesy photo
Students in Brandy Mordecai’s class at Marshall Middle School were all smiles after they received new shoes, courtesy of the Yankees.
SHOES / PAGE 1 management issues, while others can’t control their emotions. “Since I’ve taken over, I’ve seen a change in them,” Mordecai said. She keeps a gift card taped to the top of her whiteboard to test the students for honesty. At the beginning of the year, previous gift cards have gone missing. But since the start of the semester, the same one has remained.
SILVA / PAGE 1 works Presentations not long afterward.
ON THE ROAD
The “Les Miserables” tour was Julian’s first and turned out to be a learning experience for the young singer and his parents. Life on the road, for young actors, is like an incredible balancing act: between school, travel and work, there are enough obstacles along the road to derail anyone without the dedication to continue. But Julian, a naturalborn showman, loved it all. “I got to travel the country, to tour the U.S. and Canada,” Julian says. “But, Calgary was my favorite stop. It was really nice, compared to other cit-
The students also are taught about generosity, responsibility and gratitude. They will be writing thank-you notes to the Yankees for their shoes. “I appreciate them,” Tracy James said. “Everyone: Raise your hands if you want to wear your shoes on Monday.” All the students lifted their arms. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
ies, and my favorite thing was going to see the Calgary Stampede rodeo.” He enjoyed doing “Les Miserables” but wants to branch out big-time. If you ask him, he’s thinking Broadway. “‘Les Mis’ was good, but I would like to do ‘Newsies’ on Broadway,” Silva says. “That, and ‘Lion King.’” According to his father, Julian will have the opportunity to audition for the “Lion King” Broadway run sometime soon. If that works out, and Julian’s star grows, the young singer wants to be able to travel the world. “I would really like to go to London and check that city out,” he says. “I want to go because of Big Ben, and because it’s a beautiful city.” For now, though, he’ll be
Karen Kerr has been announced as president of South Florida Baptist Hospital. She has been serving as interim president since Sept. 3, after former president Steve Nierman left to take over as president of Winter Haven Hospital. Kerr is familiar with the BayCare health system. She served as director of Patient Care Services at South Florida Baptist since 2002. She also served in other roles with St. Joseph’s and South Florida Baptist since 1990. “Karen is a dynamic leader with a true passion for serving patients and their families and has earned the support of the board, medical staff, team members and community leaders,” said Glenn Waters, president of the BayCare Hospital Division, in an email to hospital board members. “She has worked to develop new programs and initiatives for neurospine, surgery, OB, radiology and patient experience.”
+ Dodson kicks off 2014 campaign
Longtime Plant City Commissioner Bill Dodson kicked off reelection campaign with a breakfast Feb. 13, at Johnson Barbeque. Dodson has been in continuous service to the City of Plant City for more than 39 years. Dodson served for 24 years (22 as chairman) on the Plant City Planning Board. In 2002, he was elected to the City Commission and was re-elected to a second, third and fourth term with no opposition. During his tenure, his colleagues elected him as mayor in 2003.
sticking around Plant City.
JUST CRUISING
Julian only has one more extra project set in stone: Lumber company YellaWood recently contacted him to film a commercial, which he has agreed to do in the near future. Other than that, it’s his regular grind of singing the national anthem at sporting events and hanging out with his friends. When he’s not on the theater’s main stage, Julian enjoys being a normal kid. It’s not uncommon to catch him goofing around and speaking with an English accent just for fun. He likes to stay active, playing both basketball and Little League baseball. His favorite pastime, though, is playing video games on his Xbox 360
and PlayStation Vita. “My favorite video game, right now, is ‘Halo 4,’” Julian says. “I love playing against my friends.” Anyone interested in hearing him sing doesn’t have to look hard. On top of his duties at USF home games, Julian has also performed for Tampa Bay Lightning fans at two of their home games. These performances, according to Dan, have the Lightning considering bringing him on to do Tampa Bay Storm games, too. If Julian does hit the big time, consider this: Plant City’s next star might have just been sitting on the couch playing video games with some kids from down the street. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobser ver. com.
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COPS
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MANATEE
The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.
JAN. 13
HIBISCUS HURLED
4700 block of North Dawn Meadow Court. Domestic Violence. The suspect was arguing with his wife, the victim. He became angry and threw a potted plant at the victim, who was able to move out of the way and avoid being hit. The suspect was arrested and transported to Orient Road Jail.
JAN. 14
TRUCK TAKEN
2400 block of Police Center Drive. Stolen Semi Tractor and Trailer. The victim reported unknown suspect(s) stole his blue Peterbilt semitruck and a white refrigerated trailer, which had been parked at the business at 10 p.m. Jan. 13.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM STOLEN
Intersection of Ira Taylor and Roberts Ranch roads. Grand Theft. A business representative reported more than $10,000 in items, including Rain Bird sprinklers, a metering pump, a solar panel and battery, were stolen over the weekend by unknown suspect(s).
JAN. 15
HEAVY METAL
1600 block of East Alsobrook Street. Theft. Sometime overnight, an unknown person stole a black high-side trailer. The trailer was filled with about $800 worth of scrap metal.
PENNIES PILFERED
1000 block of Whitehurst Road. Residential Burglary. An unknown person entered the unlocked house and stole about 10 pounds of pennies (about $20) and a black Luger Stoeger .22-caliber pistol.
TARGET PRACTICE
3300 block of Sydney Road. Criminal Mischief. At about 9:30 p.m. Jan. 15, unknown person(s) drove past the warehouse and shot at least five times at the sign in front of the business. A warehouse directly behind the sign also had five holes in the siding. Workers were present when the shooting probably occurred, but none of them was hurt or even knew it had happened. Bullet casings were found on scene.
TV TROUBLE
100 block of Drake Street. Residential Burglary. Unknown person(s) entered the home, possibly through an unsecured window, and stole two 32-inch Sony TVs, $250 cash and miscellaneous jewelry.
COIN CRIMINAL
1400 block of West Risk Street. Residential Burglary. The victim advised several items were stolen from his home. A front window on the
JAN. 15
AVOID THE NOID
700 block of Coronet Street. Robbery. The victim, a pizza delivery driver, was delivering a pizza order in the 700 block of Coronet Street, when she was approached by an unknown black male. She described the suspect as around 17 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and wearing a black hoodie and black hat. The suspect had a pink towel over his hand and demanded the pizza and money. The suspect fled on foot with $37 and the pie. Officers checked the area, but the suspect was not found.
CORNER south side of the residence was broken as the entry point. The unknown suspect(s) stole five Fossil and Guess watches, valued at $180 and a green metal Saltine crackers container that contained about $100 in coins.
HELP ME, HELP YOU
4500 block of Ethan Way. Theft. The victim advised that an Xbox One game console, valued at $500, a pair of blue Beats by Dre headphones, valued at $150, a Diesel red/black men’s watch, valued at $100, and a Lenovo Tablet, valued at $200, were stolen from his residence. It was unclear when the theft had occurred or when the suspect(s) had been inside the residence. The victim had information on a possible witness to a suspect selling the stolen items, but the witness refused to cooperate with police, and the victim refused to give the name of the witness.
CASH PROBLEM
2400 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Vehicle Burglary. The victim advised that about $4,800 in cash was taken from the center console of his vehicle. The victim had been to an insurance office, the Tax Collector’s office and back home before realizing the money was gone. The victim did not know exactly where or when the money was taken.
DEFINITELY NOT FUNNY
2600 block of Thonotosassa Road. Assault. Officers responded to the business reference an occupant of a vehicle in the drive-thru pointing a gun at a drive-thru employee. The victim reported that a blue Mercury Mountaineer with several black male subjects inside pulled up to her window. The suspect, also an employee of the business, pointed what the victim thought was a gun with a laser at her. Upon seeing it, she stepped away from the window and told her manager. She stated that she thought it was a real gun and she thought she was going to get robbed, because she has been robbed at gunpoint before. It was learned that the “gun” was actually a metal cigarette lighter that resembled a small .22-caliber pistol. It had a laser pointer under the barrel similar to a real firearm. The suspect was cooperative with the investigation. He was placed under arrest for assault and released with a court date.
JAN. 16
STIHL STOLEN
Intersection of South Gordon and East Ohio streets. Grand Theft. City employees parked near this location to do some lawn work. They left an orange Stihl gas edger on a utility trailer unsecured. When they returned about 10 minutes later, the edger was gone. The edger is valued at $300.
FILL ‘ER UP
2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. Store loss-prevention officials advised that a store employee stole a gift card for $25 and then used it to buy gas at the Murphy USA gas station. The employee was arrested and transported to Orient Road Jail.
NOT TOO BRIGHT
Intersection of Wheeler and West Alabama streets. Warrant Arrest. An officer conducted a traffic stop at this location on a driver for failing to dim high beams for oncoming traffic. The driver had 10 suspensions on his driver’s license. He was arrested for driving while license suspended, and, while conducting a search, officers discovered .3 grams of marijuana. The suspect also had an outstanding Hillsborough County warrant for violation of probation. He was arrested on all charges and transported to Orient Road Jail.
OOPS
Intersection of Baker and Collins streets. DUI. An officer was working a call regarding loose dogs, when a vehicle almost struck the officer’s vehicle. The officer made contact with the driver and suspected her of being impaired. The driver was unable to successfully complete field sobriety exercises. She was arrested, transported to Central Breath Testing and then booked at Orient Road Jail.
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PAST AND PRESENCE
Albert Schneider: Festival’s first president For the onset of Florida Strawberry Festival was so good that exhibit space could not keep season, we decided to take a look back at the up with demand. They were sold out. beginning of the festival. As noted historian D. Festival officials were filled with joy and promE. Bailey Jr. wrote, “Harvest festivals have long ise. Albert Schneider, presiding over that first been traditional with every country in the land.” festival, saw the enthusiasm and predicted that Plant City was going to have one. The role of the festival would grow to be “one of the largest strawberry production and sales in the Plant winter fairs in the Southeast.” His prediction was City community had long been established and fulfilled. the city even adopted the moniker, “Winter So, who was Albert Schneider? Strawberry Capital of the World.” He was a multi-faceted individual. His parents The old Board of Trade, forerunner were John William Schneider and Kathto the Greater Plant City Chamber of erine (Bader) Schneider. John William Commerce, as early as 1914 urged the was born March 11, 1823, in Lautkirch, residents to promote the strawberry inGermany, and Katherine Bader was born dustry and send post cards to everybody May 29, 1832, in Albershausen, Germathey knew. It finally culminated in the ny. They had left Wurtemburg, Germany, first festival on March 12 to 15, 1930. in 1850, and settled in Philadelphia, Pa. But, it took organized promotion to Albert Schneider was born Oct. 1, get it underway. 1866, in Philadelphia, and was educated A believer in the effectiveness of civic in the public schools. He had two brothGIL clubs, Albert Schneider followed brother ers we know of: John H. (date of birth GOTT William’s lead and was one of the foundunknown), and William (June 14, 1864). ers of the Plant City Lions Club in 1929. The brothers were entrepreneurial William had helped form the Kiwanis Club in and, after high school, J. H. Schneider and 1921, helped organize the effort to construct a younger brother, William, went to Lancaster, Pa., new hotel, which became the Hotel Plant, and to launch a German-language newspaper. J.H. served as Kiwanis president in 1928. then began a produce business in Seffner and Albert Schneider was the first president of Sanford, and marketing in New York. In 1888, the Lions Club, and at the July 5, 1929, weekly Albert moved to Sanford to work on acquiring meeting, he challenged the members to sponsor the fruit and vegetables for J.H. Schneider and a festival for the entire greater Plant City comBrothers. munity. They met the challenge. The planning William moved to Florida to join J.H.’s busicommittee was organized, with City Manager ness by managing the growing operation that John C. Dickerson as general manager, and the they purchased. This proved virtually disascity advanced $1,000 as seed money to be paid trous, because the Great Freeze of 1894 to 1895 back from the festival’s proceeds. destroyed much of the citrus crop. William The committee drafted its charter, gained returned to Pennsylvania, while Albert remained state approval of the association, and Albert in Sanford. On Aug. 9, 1899, Albert married AnSchneider was named the first president of the nie Elizabeth Hammerly, the daughter of Lt. J.W. festival. Promoters were delighted when the Hammerly, a gallant Confederate officer, and communities of Cork, Dover, Hopewell, Lithia, his wife, Annie Scott Broome Hammerly. Annie’s Seffner, Springhead, Trapnell and Turkey Creek grandfather had served as adjutant-general of became enthusiastic partners; each reserved a Florida, and she was the niece of Gov. James booth for the grand festival. Overall response Broome.
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Plant City Photo Archives
Albert Schneider
Annie Hammerly Schneider
Also in 1899, Albert and Annie Schneider moved to Plant City, which was reportedly becoming the center of a productive fruit and vegetable growing region, and there was a great demand for containers for packing and shipping. He became invested in the Warnell Lumber & Veneer Company that manufactured crates for packing and shipping. Warnell Lumber moved in 1898, to Plant City and became Plant City’s first major industry. This was the largest business of its kind in the south. Bailey wrote, “Because of Warnell, the town, for a decade-and-a-half, was known as a little mill town.” In 1901, William and Lydia Schneider moved to Plant City, and William purchased an interest in the Warnell plant. The business flourished. Albert Schneider is credited for bringing new life to Warnell and building a large, profitable business. Both Albert and William continued to prosper and became deeply involved in Plant City’s business environment and throughout various regions in Florida. They also involved themselves in their church, local government, social activities and civic affairs. Albert acquired citrus groves in Clearwater, and with C.A. Root and D. C. Thompson created in 1905, the Plant City, Arcadia and Gulf
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.
Railroad. Again, with William and others, he purchased the Consumers Lumber and Veneer Company in 1920, in Apopka. Albert also helped organize the Bank of Plant City and became its first president. He was a stockholder in the Plant City Foundry, Machine and Boiler Works. In 1914, he was one of three members appointed to the newly established Board of Public Works, with authority over all public works in the city. Albert and William were both on the building committee for the Presbyterian Church and, in 1925, saw the fruition of those efforts when services were held in the new building. Albert was also on the charter board helping to draft the new city charter in 1927 and served as mayor in 1928 and on the commission until 1931. Annie Hammerly Schneider was also active. She was an educated woman and a talented musician. She was Plant City’s first music teacher. Albert and Annie lived in a newly constructed large house at the southeast corner of Reynolds and Wheeler streets and filled the house with concerts and readings and socials. Annie helped start the local chapter of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She formed a literary group that evolved into the Woman’s Club of Plant City, of which she was a charter member. When the American Red Cross appealed for help for wounded soldiers in 1917, Annie helped organize a women’s group to sew hospital garments. She helped secure a Red Cross nurse for the school and the community and was influential in the city’s beautification program. She was a mover. Albert Schneider, businessman, civic leader, and the first president of the festival, died Sept. 24, 1941. Annie Hammerly Schneider later moved to Winter Haven and lived until March 9, 1986. They are buried together in Oaklawn Cemetery. Sources: “Plant City: Its Origin and History,” by Quintilla Geer Bruton and David E. Bailey, Jr.; documents accessed via Ancestry.com, and other various documents. Gil Gott is executive director of the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center.
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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scouts honored by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City-area Eagle Scouts enjoy the event every year.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd honors new Eagle Scouts Plant City-area scouts enjoyed an elegant evening at the 11th annual Friends of Scouting Banquet Feb. 13, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center. The banquet raised $42,000 for the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The honored speaker was Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who honored new Eagle Scouts. A community service award was given to City Commissioner Bill Dodson. The award was renamed after longtime scout supporter Dean Snyder, who died last year at 58. His sons, Adam and Brandon, presented the award.
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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, center, with the event board
Jesse Jordan and Hunter Sutherland
Lisa and Tom McDonough and Molly Blanton
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plant city pride by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Black Heritage Festival celebrates 11th year
Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis welcomed the crowd as the night got started. Left: Kids of all ages had a blast along the parade route.
Plant City celebrated Black History Month with its four-day Black Heritage Festival Feb. 14 and 15, with an inspired banquet, carnival games and a parade. The Heritage Banquet Feb. 14, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center featured Channel 10’s Reginald Roundtree as master of ceremonies and U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Cynthia Cook as keynote speaker. After the keynote speech, several awards were given out. Charles Henry Williams, Sr., posthumously received the Heritage Award; Dr. Bernard Robinson, who currently works in Hawaii, earned the Lifetime
Vivian “Vip” Marshall served as the parade’s grand marshal. Achievement award; Plant City High School teacher Danielle Odden received the Community Service award for her work with the Key Club; pastors Reggie and
Pauline Rivers, of Plant City Christian Center, received the Cornerstone Award; Alexander and Verdelle Jones received the Community Service award for their work with
the Jameson Love Project; and Dave Braun, of the Hillsborough County Veterans Council, received the Honorary Military Service award. The next day, the annual Black Heritage Festival parade took to Plant City streets. Led by Grand Marshal Vivian “Vip” Williams, the parade featured plenty of cars, several marching bands, Strawberry Crest High School’s JROTC group and an appearance by the CowBros. The fun will continue with free entertainment, police and fire department displays and more from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Sweetbay, 205 W. Alexander St.
Channel 10 News Anchor Reginald Roundtree served as Master of Ceremonies.
Charles Capri Davis showed off some swag after the parade.
U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Cynthia Cook received an honorary award from Sharon Moody.
Several marching bands brought their big sounds to the Black Heritage Festival parade.
Barbara Smith caught plenty of beads at the parade.
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
2013
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1. Why is it that the time in the day when cars are moving along the very slowest is called the rush hour? 2. His knack for killing time led to an accusation of murder in the second degree.
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FOOT RACE by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Runners flocked to Walden Lake early Saturday morning.
Runners pound pavement at Strawberry Distance Challenge The threat of rain didn’t stop Strawberry Distance Challenge runners from showing up in droves. Hundreds of them came laced up for the annual event
Feb. 8, in Walden Lake. Participants chose between 8K, 5K, and mile runs. Medals were awarded to the top overall male and female, the top male and female over 40, and the top three finishers in each of the 14 age groups. The challenge itself is an event dedicated to raising funds for the Youth Alliance, which promotes exercise and fitness among young people in Central Florida, and other programs that benefit youths, such as Plant City Church of God’s Soul’d Out group.
Nancy Grace and Paula Sinclair
Julian Brownlow, Josiah Colon, Jonathan Cattery, Joseph Barnes and Dylan Johnson represented Plant City Church of God. Left: Mr. Berry and Florida Strawberry Festival Public Relations and Media Representative Lauren Der
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OBSERVEROBITUARIES Edwin Lee Dekle
Edwin Lee Dekle, 79, of Lakeland, died Feb. 11, 2014. He was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of the Ham’s Amateur Radio Club of Polk County, devoted Gators fan and husband of 49 years to his wife, Betty (Lassiter), who survives. Other survivors include three daughters, Debbie Ross (Kenny), Linda Turner (George) and Melodie Miller (Larry); four grandchildren, Stephanie Sutton (Clinton), Heather Luce (Sean), Christopher Curran (Rebecca) and April Ross; and three great-grandchildren, Madisyn Sutton, Jaxson Sutton and Brynn Curran. A funeral service was held Feb. 13, at Wells Memorial and Event Center, Plant City. Burial followed in Oaklawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Barbara (Dowling) Easterbrooks
Barbara (Dowling) Easterbrooks, 66, eldest daughter of Elmer and Eunice Dowling (deceased), and mother to her only child, Bridget, 47, died Feb. 11, 2014. Mrs. Easterbrooks was a highly educated, beautiful and outspoken woman to be lovingly remembered by all. She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Eugene; her caring son-in-law, Michael; three younger sisters, Patricia, Kathleen and Mary-Beth; grandchildren, April, Samantha and Alison; and one great-grandson, Steve. May you always be at peace cradled in loving arms. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Wilbur Lee Hicks
Wilbur Lee Hicks, 76, died Feb. 2, 2014, with his family at his side, after a battle with cancer. He was a native of Plant City and a city employee for 21 years. Born a storyteller, Mr. Hicks could entertain family and friends with stories mostly about the Old West. He loved old Western movies. Roy Rogers, Hop-A-Long Cassidy and Gene Autry were among some of his favorites. Blessed with an incredible memory, he was able to recall a lot of history about the Hicks family. Mr. Hicks was a devoted husband, proud dad and a very proud grandpa (Poppy). He will be missed by many.
He is survived by wife, Deborah; daughter, Dana; granddaughter, Vanessa; grandson, Christopher; brothers, Robert (Bobby), William, (Billy), of Plant City, and Larry Hicks, of Lakeland; aunt Lillian and uncle Lou LeDou, of South Carolina; nieces, nephews and many cousins in and around Plant City. Mr. Hicks was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Eugene; and mother, Beatrice Hicks.
Dr. James R. Hoover
Dr. James R. Hoover, 72, of Plant City, died Feb. 10, 2014. Born Dec. 30, 1941, Mr. Hoover was a graduate of Plant City High School, the University of Florida and the University of Maryland Dental School. Following graduation, he returned to Plant City for a life of service to the community he loved. He practiced dentistry since 1968, in Plant City and served from 1978 to 1982 as a city commissioner. He taught Sunday School his entire adult life at both Eastside Baptist Church and Plant City’s First Baptist Church. He participated in mission trips abroad and community service projects here in the city. He was passionate about running, travel, ballroom dancing and his family. He is survived by his mother, Joyce Hendry; wife of 38 years, Beverly Reynolds Hoover; children, U.S Navy Ret. Capt. Jim Hoover (Lisa), U.S. Coast Guard Ret. Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry Hoover, Karen Hoover Blocker (James), U.S. Army Ret. Sgt. 1st Class John Hoover (Sara) and Luci Hoover; 10 grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren. Dr. Hoover was predeceased by his father, Talmadge Hendry; and his sister, Jeannette Hoover Preston. The family suggests in lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, fbchomes.org, or the Gideons International, gideons.org. A memorial service to celebrate his life took place Feb. 15, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church. Condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Larry Leveson
Larry Leveson, 73, died Feb. 15, 2014, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, in Plant City. Born March 20, 1940, Mr. Leveson was
a graduate of Miami Edison High School and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Surviving family members include Harris Leveson III, Rhonda Morton, Sabrina and Keith Wade, Lynda and Jeff Buchanan, Bernie and Toni Leveson, David and Eva Leveson, Victoria Leveson; and grandchildren, Lauren, Madelyne, Logan, Brooke, Jeffrey, Brianna, Shaun and Jared. Missy and Bentley are his beloved pet companions. The family will be having private services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Best Friends Sanctuary, Kaneb, Utah, or a Tampa Bay-area rescue group. Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome.com.
Farris Orell Pugh
Farris Orell Pugh, 71, died Feb. 14, 2014, in Gainesville. He was born in Tampa, to James Farris Pugh and Myrtle Alma (Newman). He is survived by his brother, James F. Pugh. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, at Myrtle Hill Cemetery, in Tampa. Condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Geraldine Hall Ramsey
Geraldine Hall Ramsey, 82, of Dover, died Feb. 11, 2014 Born March 6, 1931, she was the daughter of the late John and Pearl Scott Hall. She was the beloved wife of the late Jack Ramsey. Survivors include daughters, Sherry (Michael) Carlisle and Barbara (Art) Watkins; sisters, Pearl (J.E.) Davidson and sister-in-heart Tella (John) Vore; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many other family members whom she loved dearly. A funeral service took place Feb. 14, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, Plant City. Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome.com.
Margaret Christine Tucker
Margaret Christine Tucker, 78, died Feb. 11, 2014, in Lakeland. She is survived by her loving sister, Nadine Brinson; and loving brother, Alfred Knighton (Gail). A graveside service took place Feb. 15, at Mt. Enon Cemetery, Plant City. Condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
FAITH MATTERS
Exercise your ‘spiritual heart’ Man looks on the outward of this in our society and in appearance, but the Lord our families today. looks on the heart. The second example is the — 1 Samuel 16:7 heart attitude of the disciples This month, our nation toward the children who were marks “heart month” with a being brought to Jesus to be special emphasis on Ameriblessed. The disciples were cans being “heart self-centered. Perhaps healthy.” There is no they had their own denying that is good agenda of what was for us to remember important. Perhaps that, while our physithey thought their job cal hearts need to be was to protect Jesus healthy, we must get from distractions (like the exercise we need children) so he could to keep it that way. attend to what they But, at the same time, thought was “imporwe must ask ourselves THE REV. tant business.” Their DEAN R. is my “spiritual heart” hardness and rightPFEFFER healthy? ness of heart caused God always has them to miss a vital been concerned more with part of Jesus’ plan as Jesus our hearts than our minds. It rebuked them and had the is the heart that is the prime children come to Him and motivator of words and acJesus blessed them. tions “out of the abundance The effects of our heart’s of the heart the mouth health on our home life is speaks” (Matthew 12:34). also true for many other Therefore, it is of prime imaspects of our daily living, portance to have a spiritually such as work. Do you see the healthy heart. correlations? The Gospel of Mark (10:2There is only one way to 16) uses two great examples manage the disease of sin to shed light on the health of hardened hearts. We need the human heart. One deals a constant supply of fresh, with spouses and the other cleansing blood that flows with children. If you are not from Jesus into our hearts. blessed with either, don’t stop So while exercising and takreading: What is said about ing care of your heart, don’t these relationships can be neglect your “spiritual heart.” said of any relationship. It is vital that our hearts are Hardened hearts destroy healthy because as Chrisrelationships. In the ups and tians, we are the living body downs of marriage, the condi- of Jesus in the world … in tion of the heart is vital. Every this community. We need to marriage partner experiences reflect God’s loving, healthy hurts, betrayal, disappointheart that beats at the center ments and suffering. They of the life of His people. are better handled with a So, give your heart a worksoft, humble, open heart. It is out. Walk with God, and when when hearts become closed, you do, you’ll just how easy it proud, hard and adamant is to connect people to Jesus. that relationships fail. A thin The Rev. Dean R. Pfeffer is shell of unforgiveness and the senior pastor at Hope Luanger not dealt with, thickens theran Church, Plant City. For and becomes impenetrable. more, email him at hopepSadly, we see way too much cpastor@gmail.com.
Sports
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Shannon Bell’s bat comes alive for Durant Lady Cougars. 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
bowl in! by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
BASKETBALL
Charity Polo Classic gallops into Plant City
+ Strawberry Crest loses heartbreaker
The third annual Charity Polo Classic will raise money for three Tampa Bay-based non-profit organizations.
With a last-minute effort by Freedom High School, the best season in the Strawberry Crest basketball program’s history has come to an end. The Patriots were able to stave off a late Chargers rally and win, 42-39, Feb. 18, to advance to the regional finals against Bartow High School. With the loss, the Strawberry Crest boys finished their 2013-14 campaign with a program-best 22-7 record — 9-1 in district play.
The “Sport of Kings” makes its return to Plant City this weekend. For the third year, Plant City’s DI Polo will host the Charity Polo Classic this Saturday. The annual fundraiser will feature polo matches, a lunch buffet, a fashion show, a hat contest, a silent auction and award presentations for Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony. Money raised will benefit three organizations: Children’s
Cancer Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County and the Children’s Dream Fund. “We are honored to be participating in the third annual Morgan Auto Group Charity Polo Classic,” Children’s Cancer Center COO Patty O’Leary says. “There is a great synergy between the three benefiting children’s charities and we’re grateful that the funds raised from the event will directly assist our programs to support
the emotional, educational and financial needs of the families we serve.” A pair of Tampa Bay residents, Chris Gannon and Patrick Moralites, created in 2011, the Charity Polo Classic. Gannon, a professional polo player, and Moralites, a member of the Children’s Cancer Center board, realized a polo event would be a great way to raise money for local non-profits
SEE POLO / PAGE 14
Courtesy of Charity Polo Classic
The third installment of the Charity Polo Classic looks to expand upon last year’s success.
BASEBALL
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
+ Area recap Tuesday night wasn’t good for Strawberry Crest’s baseball team, either. The boys rallied to tie against Brandon, after finding themselves in a 7-0 hole in three innings but couldn’t answer an extra-innings Eagles run in an 8-7 loss. The rally came courtesy of a six-run fourth inning, with junior Jake Ralyea and his two RBI leading the way. Crest managed to hold Brandon scoreless through regulation, and tied it up in the bottom of the seventh. Crest is now on a twogame losing streak, but will face a struggling East Bay squad tomorrow, the same team that Plant City defeated, 6-1, Feb. 18. This one went well for the Raiders, who were coming off a 3-1 loss at Robinson on Feb. 17, and especially for junior Sawyer Dawson. The two-sport star went 3-for-4 with a double, one run, an RBI and a stolen base. Staff ace Miguel Martinez gave up six hits, but also fanned six and didn’t give up the Indians’ lone run of the game. That brings his ERA down to 1.20 and gives him 10 strikeouts in 11.2 innings pitched. Plant City will host Tampa Bay Tech, the most up-anddown team in the district, tomorrow night. The Titans are coming off of a 10-1 win over Blake and a 15-2 loss to Newsome in consecutive games. Meanwhile, Durant hasn’t seen any action since Feb. 14. But, the Cougars are on a roll: 2-0 to start the season, outscoring opponents Riverview and Spoto 21-3. They’ll get their first real test of the season tomorrow night, however, by traveling to Brandon for their first district game of 2014.
SOFTBALL
+ Lady Raiders topple East Bay Thanks to some late-game heroics, Plant City overcame a 1-1 tie to pick up a walkoff, 2-1 win Feb. 18, over East Bay. Much of the Lady Raiders’ offense came from the hot bat of senior Emily Register, who went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. But freshman Edmilly Molina, in her only at-bat of the game, came up clutch with an RBI single. Plant City was also excellent on defense, compiling a .957 team fielding percentage on the strength of six perfect fielders; only pitcher Alexis Williams gave up an error, but she also got the win and brought her ERA down to 2.92. The Lady Raiders are set to host Tampa Bay Tech at 7 p.m. tomorrow night.
On what stays in the locker room
Back row, from left: Harley Miller, Otis Andrews, Denton Cook, Truett “Rip” Sewell and President Frank Moore. Front row, from left: Topsy Meriweather, Paul Buchman and Irma Moody
Celebrating
60
YEARS ANNIVERSARY
by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Plant City Little League celebrates its diamond anniversary on Saturday, and webmaster T.J. Messick has chronicled the league’s history online. Is there a better place for Plant City Little League to celebrate its diamond anniversary than the baseball diamond? That’s the plan for Saturday, Feb. 22, the league’s 60th birthday. There will be appearances by Plant City natives who played in the inaugural 1954 season and Strawberry Queen Jessi Rae Varnum, who will throw the first pitch with members
of the Florida Strawberry Festival Court. And, most importantly, there will be baseball action. But, one of the coolest celebrations of the league’s anniversary won’t be available outside. For that, you’ll have to go online.
SEE ANNIVERARY / PAGE 14
Courtesy of Plant City Little League
The online photo galleries feature many of the Plant City Little League’s past players.
Has anyone heard of any football players, specifically offensive linemen, that have defended Jonathan Martin lately? Some wide receivers, like retired Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward and current Seattle Seahawk Doug Baldwin, have publicly supported Martin in the wake of his allegations against the Miami Dolphins. Columnists who formerly played in the NFL, such JUSTIN as ESPN’s Mark KLINE Schlereth, have also supported Martin. Which is good, but, to me, there’s nothing more telling about this situation than the fact that no part of the Dolphins’ offensive line, whether a player or a coach, has taken his side. The NFL and HBO have teamed up to give us “Hard Knocks,” the award-winning show that gives those of us on the outside a chance to look inside NFL locker rooms and get a different perspective of the players we watch every Sunday. As an HBO program, it’s not exactly family friendly. But what’s important to know about “Hard Knocks,” if you haven’t already realized it after this past week, is that it doesn’t tell us everything. The locker room, in just about any given sport, is sacred ground for the athletes. They bond in there, before or after a hard day of work. Reporters can get in there every so often and pull someone aside for an interview which, for many athletes, is predictable enough for them to invent all the answers beforehand and wrap things up quickly. When all of the cameras and tape recorders are gone, everything goes back to “normal.” “The locker room is very funspirited and it’s sexist, racist at times,” NBA legend Charles Barkley has said. “It’s all over
SEE KLINE / PAGE 12
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KLINE / PAGE 11 the place, and I’ve got no problem with that. You know, I got white guys, and I’m racist toward them in a fun way, and they’re racist toward me in a fun way.” You’re not going to see that in an HBO special, because none of the leagues will allow it to happen. Although all teams know that they can’t control everything that seeps its way into the public eye, they’ve generally been good at keeping most locker-room shenanigans under wraps. Until now. Now that the transgressions of Richie Incognito and other Miami linemen have been uncovered, we can expect NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to hammer at least some Dolphins and their coaches with fines and other forms of punishment. We can expect a flurry of statements coming from the Dolphins, from owner Stephen Ross and head coach Joe Philbin, and from others around the league about how no such abuse will be tolerated further; how everything is going to change, and how the locker room culture will be monitored to prevent anyone from having to endure the things that Martin did. I don’t know how many of those statements will be completely realized. Perhaps this is why those Dolphins haven’t stepped up to the plate for Martin: They enjoyed the disconnect between themselves and the rest of the world — even some of their coaches. They enjoyed the freedom to do as they pleased, and that’s now in jeopardy. That disconnect is why things like this happen, though not all teams have characters and plot lines that are quite as severe. As with Las Vegas, the culture is, “what happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room,” and outsiders either get it, or they don’t. We’ll see the most obvious of the rookie hazings — Tim Tebow’s friar-inspired hairstyle with the Denver Broncos comes to mind — and nothing more. We know that this happens in every locker room, and we choose to ignore that until a problem crawls out of the woodwork. Ask football veterans about locker-room hazing, and many will say something like this: “We all got hazed, and going through all
of that stuff together brought us closer as a unit.” Let’s not expect football players to bond over tea parties and sleepovers: these are sports for kids, first and foremost, and young kids do and say plenty of dumb things. We can’t act like a bunch of 15-year-old boys are too saintly to use foul language when they’re alone together, because many of them say things that are just as filthy as Incognito’s text messages. And, we also can’t act like those boys are too good to dare each other to make questionable decisions — when I was 15, for example, I had friends who used to take their shirts off and shoot each other with Airsoft guns to see who could take the most pain. Locker-room hazing happens everywhere and, in many cases, it’s not harsh enough to worry about. It’s never going to go away completely until there are cameras and microphones in there — and that’s not a good idea at all. What we actually need to worry about is where the line should be drawn. Now that the full investigative report has surfaced, it’s painfully obvious that Incognito and the other participating Dolphins not only crossed the boundary between playful and abusive but also blew it to smithereens. Just read Martin’s texts to his parents — they’re heartbreaking and revealing of his character. Many have called him “mentally weak,” a “snitch” and a number of other words that aren’t suitable for this newspaper. OK, perhaps he doesn’t have the thickest skin of anyone on the team. Although he didn’t deserve to have Incognito go all-in on him, guns blazing, he could — should — have done something to stop it earlier. Now is as good a time as any to remind our young athletes that it’s OK to talk to the head coach if there’s a problem in the locker room. Martin messed up by not reporting to Philbin, instead going to the abusive offensive line coach and leaving it at that. I’m not saying all assistant coaches are terrible people. But, the head coach’s word is the law of the whole team, and there’s no more effective way to stop abuse than to go straight to the top. Having thick skin will get you far in all walks of life, but nobody has to let themselves be “broken” like Martin.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
SHANNON BELL Although the Durant softball team split their games this past week, senior Shannon Bell has been great in both appearances. The outfielder drove in both of the Lady Cougars’ runs in a 3-2 loss to Riverview on Feb. 11, and finished with a 18-0 rout of Spoto on Valentine’s Day, with a grand slam and three runs scored. How is this season going for you and your team? We started off shaky, because we’re all new — we have a couple of freshmen. We’ve just been trying to work together and come together as a team, and I think we’re finally climbing back up to get to there. Your only hit in the Spoto game was a grand slam, and you went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI against Riverview. What’s been your approach at the plate? I’ve been trying to just lead by example and get the team going. What are you hoping to accomplish this year? Just to have a winning record and go as far as we can, and come together as a team and work hard. What are some of your hobbies outside of softball? I played golf the first half of the school year, and now it’s softball. I’ll pretty much play anything — any sport, I’ll do it. But my two favorites are softball and golf. How’s your golf game? My best score was when I shot a 45. What do you do for fun outside of sports? I just like to hang out with my friends and go with the flow. I go to the beach, go to the mall. Do you have a favorite store in the mall? All of them. I can’t pick a favorite! Favorite movie? “A Cinderella Story.” If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and what would you do with it? I wish I could teleport! I would go to different cities, like Paris, and it would not cost anything. Like, just take me there!
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
PlantCityObserver.com
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ANNIVERSARY / PAGE 11
A LOOK BACK
T.J. Messick, who runs Plant City Little League’s website, eteamz.com/plantcityll, has been working on its “PCLL History” page since he created the entire site in 2007. The longtime webmaster, who also played for First Florida’s PCLL team in the early 1990s, got the idea during the All-Star events. “I was in the boardroom, working with league officials, and they were telling all of these old stories about the league in the 70s and 80s,” Messick says. “So, I just started asking them questions about everything.” After he ran out of questions, Messick realized there was a lot of history tucked away in the boardroom that other people, perhaps those too young to remember much about the league’s past, would want to see. So, he gathered everything he could from the boardroom and took an inventory. “We have a bunch of old plaques, awards, photos, and other stuff and, over a few weeks, I got it all inventoried,” Messick says. “I went by year, age division, and whether it was baseball or softball, for AllStars and beyond.” Once everything was organized to his liking, Messick took scans and photos of everything he found and uploaded them to the site. Today, there are three different pages. One chronicles the history of the league and has a plethora of old photos, the second “trophy case” has results from every year in baseball, and the
IF YOU GO CHARITY POLO CLASSIC WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 WHERE: DI Polo, 1003 Cowart Road DETAILS: Event will feature polo action, a lunch buffet, silent auction, fashion and hat contests, and more. TICKETS: $175 per person WEBSITE: CharityPoloClassic.com
POLO / PAGE 11 — especially because it would automatically be unique in the area. Children’s Cancer Center provides support to children and their families battling cancer or chronic blood disorders. Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs its volunteers, called “Bigs,” with younger children, “Littles,” from single-parent and lowincome families, to provide
final “trophy case” covers the league’s softball accomplishments. Messick had built a nicesized collection of history, but he then decided to start searching again. Having already covered everything that the league itself had, he decided to crowd-source his search. “As the years went by, I started telling people about it, and people who played started donating pictures and newspaper clips,” Messick says. “The more people I talk to, the more things I get.” The main photo gallery is now up to 72 photos, consisting of team composites, newspaper clippings, action shots, candid photos, backyard portraits, a player certificate or two and even some trading cards. Messick himself appears in a composite for the 1990 First Florida Bank team, which rode a 19-game win streak to a division title. A secondary gallery contains scans from a program from the 1964 Florida District 4 All-Star Tournament.
BACK IN THE DAY
Former Major Leaguer Rip Sewell led the charge to create a Little League organization in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, and the charter was granted in 1954 — only the second charter in the state at the time. The first board staff included Sewell and some other prominent Plant City names, including Otis Andrews, Paul Buchman and Irma Moody. The league began with four teams — the Kilgore Giants, the Breyer Cubs, the Horsey
mentorship and support. Children’s Dream Fund helps fulfill dreams for children who have been diagnosed with a lifethreatening illness and who live in West Central Florida. All proceeds go straight to these charities, and this fivehour event does a lot of work in a little time. In 2013, the Charity Polo Classic had 700 people in attendance and raised more than $130,000 for these nonprofits. This year, the event committee hopes to double that number. Anyone attending the Charity Polo Classic for the first time can expect to rub elbows with some of Tampa Bay’s most prominent names and catch an action-packed, sometimes bloody sport that you can’t often catch on television. And, though the ticket price doesn’t suggest a cheap day out on the town, all spectators can rest assured that every single penny is going to a good cause. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO OPENING DAY WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. Games will be played until 3 p.m. WHERE: Mike Sansone Community Park, 1702 N. Park Road, Field 3 INFORMATION: Free hot dogs and drinks will be available for those who attend. WEBSITE: eteamz.com/ plantcityll
ADD TO THE COLLECTION
Do you, or does someone you know, have old photos, certificates or awards collected from time spent in Plant City Little League? If so, T.J. Messick would like to hear from you. Your mementos, which would be featured in the league’s “PCLL History” section, can be sent directly to Messick via email, TJMessick3@ gmail.com.
Chiefs and the Southland Tigers — and grew to eight in 1956 by adding the Civitan, Kiwanis, Optimist (then spelled “Optomist”) and Rotary teams. As the years went on, the league grew considerably. “Back in the day, PCLL was a huge league,” Messick says. “As it grew, they had to create a double charter: an American League and a National League. It was divided by which side
POLO PRIMER Maybe soccer is the best comparison for this game: One could consider it “fouron-four soccer with horses and hammers.” The field is 300 yards long by 160 yards wide, and the goals are eight yards wide by 10 feet high. Teams are divided into four players, numbered by their role on the field: No. 1 is a pure scorer, No. 2 plays a little bit of defense, No. 3 does everything well (and, much like a No. 10 in international soccer, is considered the best player on the team), and No. 4 strictly plays defense. They all have to hit the ball righthanded and are penalized for reckless riding and dangerous mallet use. Each match is about 90 minutes long and broken up into periods, called “chukkers.” There are gener-
of the railroad tracks you lived on.” That meant seven or eight teams per league and created an All-Star showdown where the winning team advanced to play for a state title — without being able to add players from the losing side. “When you talk to these older guys, they’ll say, ‘If we had a single charter, we would have won more state titles,’” Messick says.
HEYDAY
The league was granted its single charter in 2010. Since then, baseball has won one state title, in the 2012 season. It produced other immediate results for the boys’ game, as evidenced by a two-season run from 2011-2012 that brought home the most hardware in the league’s history. “In 2011, we took a group of 10-year-olds and won the Southeast Region,” Messick says. “I coached my son’s 10and-11 team in 2011 and 2012, and we won the District 4 title, the Section 4 title, a state title and back-to-back Southeast Region titles. Those were our biggest years.” Despite the fairly new charter allowing for more competitive playoff teams, Messick says things aren’t quite the same as they used to be. “Back then, it seemed like every kid in town played Little League,” he says. “Now we’re struggling to find players and coaches, due to the rise of travel ball, but we still have a strong program.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ally six chukkers per match, divided by three-minute intermissions. There is also a 15-minute halftime period, in which spectators traditionally walk onto the grounds and stomp the divots the horses created. And that’s just one of the rules for spectators, who generally have to use binoculars to better see what’s going on. The rest of the rules are all about aesthetics. Men are required to dress in semi-formal attire — chinos or dress pants, with a button-down shirt or polo, is the bare minimum. Women wear dresses, long or midlength, and are encouraged to accessorize. They’re also encouraged to not wear stilettos or similar high heels, but that’s clearly a terrible idea when attending a sport that requires them to stomp divots into the ground. — Justin Kline
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PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES) Feb. 12
0.53
THURS.
TEMPERATURES
Feb. 13
0.10
FRI.
Thurs., Feb. 20 Fri., Feb. 21 Sat., Feb. 22 Sun., Feb. 23 Mon., Feb. 24 Tues., Feb. 25 Wed., Feb. 26
Feb. 14
0.01
SAT.
Feb. 15
0.00
SUN.
0.01
MON.
Feb. 17
0.00
TUES.
Feb. 18
0.00
FEB.
TO DATE
.82 (2013: 0.87)
YEAR
TO DATE 2.02 (2013: 1.21)
, 3&
WEATHER
WED.
Feb. 16
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HIGH 86 83 81 81 77 77 72
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Thurs., Feb. 20 Fri., Feb. 21 Sat., Feb. 22 Sun., Feb. 23 Mon., Feb. 24 Tues., Feb. 25 Wed., Feb. 26
SUNRISE 7:02 a.m. 7:01 a.m. 7 a.m. 6:59 a.m. 6:59 a.m. 6:58 a.m. 6:57 a.m.
SUNSET 6:22 p.m. 6:23 p.m. 6:14 p.m. 6:24 p.m. 6:25 p.m. 6:26 p.m. 6:26 p.m.
LOW 63 63 61 61 57 53 49
April Farkas submitted this photo of Plant City famous strawberry water tower. 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.
MOON PHASES
Feb. 14
Feb. 22
STRAWBERRY PRICES CENTRAL FLORIDA March 1
PRODUCT LOW HIGH 8 1-pound containers $8.90 $10.90 Statistics courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
March 8
THE NEST IS YET TO COME By Rob Lee | Edited by Timothy E. Parker
ACROSS 1 Partners of cones 5 Bicycle-wheel component 10 “___ the night before Christmas ...” 14 Off-color 19 Aweather’s opposite 20 It’s tough to break one 21 Hebrides language 22 Like London in 1666 23 Get rich via opportunism 26 Muscular strength 27 Slow but victorious racer 28 Shakes awake 29 Omelet ingredients 30 It’s picked in Maui 31 Sounds from the nose 32 Santa’s little helper 33 Natty or dashing 37 Hair on one’s chinnychin-chin 38 Helps financially, as a college 41 Give great pleasure to 42 Easter flower 43 Was bold enough 46 Revealing cry 47 Swimmer’s regimen 48 Execute perfectly 50 Organ that responds to stimulation 52 Bratty kid 53 Eagles and hawks, e.g. 58 Biblical verb 59 Grow together 61 Permission paper 63 March 15, to Brutus 64 Lyric composition 65 Mythological king of Crete 66 Steinbeck title closer 68 Resist
71 74 79 81 83 84 86 87 88 89 91 93 94 96 98 99 100 101 102 104 105 110 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121
Go over with a finetooth comb Fast grower, population-wise Malcolm X’s faith Boys with many badges P on fraternity row Salon artists Opponent of 27-Across Gone prostrate Army bunk Like a ballerina Dick and Jane’s dog The time being Giza tourist attraction New parents, for instance Imparted knowledge Literary “before” Narrow grooves Wander It is enough, according to some Summer attire Athenian statesman They cover attics Return, as a bird Infection causing a hoarse cough Many solar-system objects WWI attacker Back up, as files More than sufficiently Word with litmus or taste Most have comfortable seats Semiprecious stone
DOWN 1 Huck Finn’s ride 2 Fat watcher’s spread 3 Word describing Abby 4 Paving stone
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 25 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 44 45 48 49 51 53 54 55 56 57 60
Abu Dhabi pooh-bah Do a grammar exercise BassoonÁs cousin Sisters, uncles and others Everlasting Perk for professors Took by force Some braying beasts Tennis-match units Four-year degrees (Abbr.) Away from home Like Hermes, messenger for Zeus Bit of sediment Bow-wood trees ___ of Commons Like a busy chimney sweep Loam and marl Put a stop to Piece of history? Remember this when in San Antonio Phi Beta ___ “___ a long story” Fly without an engine Common Market inits., once “On ___ authority?” Arranges by type Square mileage, e.g. Actors Alejandro and Fernando Japanese immigrant’s children Joan of ___ Three-___ landing Dorm-room furniture Spacious window Where to find pickets Takes part in a cabal Dos’ followers, on a music scale Faithful and true
© 2013 Universal Uclick
62 65 67 68 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77
Overdo it on Broadway Car-lot sticker stat. Bad ___ (German spa) Floppy, compact and others Prevent, at the bar Escape Profit, once Miss America’s hip hugger Regatta entrants “___ American Cousin” Long-armed zoo creature Any-way link
78 80 82 85 87 90 91 92 93 95 97 98
Nine-piece band “Winnie the Pooh” author Daily duty Many a first-grader’s age Ferrigno of “The Incredible Hulk” Seals in a sepulchre Will of Hollywood Metaphor for dense fog The very bottom Mad as a wet hen Police datum Mystical cards
100 Coastal area 101 Gain access to 102 Black-and-white sea creature 103 100, for an I.Q. 104 Get off ___-free 105 Laborer 106 Fashion name 107 Crazy bird 108 Sports-channel award 109 Charon crosses it 111 Double agent 113 Wharton grad
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . H U E P G P C C U R C C U J C PA J P V C U J Z R E H U J V N R Q G R Q J A D B P V M R I DV M C U J B J Q E G I D H J G C P G N R I I J Z C U J Q L G U U D L Q ? 2 . L A U V G W F V M Y J VA D D A G H I AT X D X S I Y W G W F F C U W I AY G Y M T C J S X J AG I L X U X F Y G S S X H J X X .
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014