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FREE • FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
AG LIFE
Colson Acres home tops February sales.
See our list of winners from the Strawberry Festival livestock shows.
NEW COACH
PAGE 10
PAGE 8
PAGE 14
REAL ESTATE
Plant City High School names its new football coach.
governance by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
HOMETOWN HERO by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
OUR TOWN
Herr names city engineer Michael Schenk’s report date is March 16. The hiring process for an assistant engineer is ongoing.
+ Get your strawberries Wish Farms will be holding its annual Charity Strawberry U-Pick from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Wish Farms, 37381 State Road 62, Duette. Proceeds will go to the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, an organization that provides quality child care and early education for children of migrant farm workers and rural, lowincome families throughout Florida. The cost is $5 per box, which includes the donation and crate cost. Food banks may pick for free if containers are supplied. Documentation is required. Organic strawberries are not available. The u-pick event is for conventional strawberries only. For more information and a map to the farm visit WishFarms.com/upick.
City Manager Mike Herr announced Monday, March 9, that Michael Schenk has been chosen as the new permanent city engineer, following former city engineer Brett Gocka’s termination in December. “Mr. Schenk has both public and private sector experience,” Herr said. “He has a lot of experience doing engineering work with utilities, and also the review and development of site plans.” Herr said it is also valuable that Schenk owned an engi-
neering firm, M.A. Schenk and Associates Inc., for about 10 years. Schenk is currently the director of utility engineering for JSK Consulting, where he has been employed since April 2014. Schenk holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Central Florida. He is registered as a professional engineer in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, and he is a certified
SEE ENGINEER / PAGE 4
MAKING HISTORY by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
101-year-old rides in Strawberry Festival Parade for first time Daryl Sturgis has lived in Plant City since 1935 and has made many memories at the festival. Courtesy photo
Clayton Browder’s mother, Lisa, and the rest of his family like to celebrate his visits home in big ways.
+ Play opens at PCE Plant City Entertainment and The Frenzie Life Theatre are presenting “Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical” in March. Opening weekend runs March 13 to 15 at Plant City Entertainment, 101 N. Thomas St. The play will be shown March 19 to 21, as well. All showtimes start at 8 p.m. except for March 19, which is a matinee beginning at 2 p.m. This amusing musical comedy pokes fun at the curiosities and inevitability of middle age. The hilarious songs cover reading glasses, going bald, acid reflux, mood swings, double chins, prostate exams and hot flashes. Purchase tickets at Hardee’s Fashions, 1501 N. Wheeler St., or at the door. PCEShows.com.
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Caroline Pacheco See his photo on PAGE 15.
Destined for Duty With Clayton Browder’s family history, it’s no surprise that he joined the U.S. Army almost immediately after graduating from Plant City High School.
An army life always seemed to run through Clayton Browder’s veins. In Veterans’ Memorial Park in Plant City, six bricks bear the names of his father, mother, uncle and other relatives who served in the military. And recently, his mother, Lisa Browder, proud-
ly purchased a seventh brick with Clayton’s name on it. “All my family had done it, so I figured I might as well do it also,” Clayton said. “It makes my family proud.” Browder is about halfway through his five years of active duty service in the U.S. Army,
and last week, he returned to U.S. soil after two years in Germany.
Starting Out
Browder graduated from Plant City High School in 2012,
SEE HERO / PAGE 4
HOMETOWN HEROES EDITOR’S NOTE: Hometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Times & Observer in which we profile veterans from Plant City. If you have a loved one currently serving or who has served in the past, please contact Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen by email at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com or by phone at (813) 704-6850.
Hundreds of Plant City residents marched, danced or rode in this year’s Florida Strawberry Festival Parade. But tucked in the back of First Baptist Church of Midway’s float was Daryl Sturgis, a woman with a unique claim among parade participants: She is 101 years old. “It was fun, and it was tiresome. I had a good time,” Sturgis said. Sturgis moved from Georgia to Winter Garden in 1925, when she was about 12. She remembers working in the orange packing facilities, always dressed as a proper lady. “Three-inch heels, I packed oranges all day in,” she said. In 1935, Sturgis’ family relocated to Plant City. She worked in the strawberry fields, as well as at Hooker’s Department Store, the Plant Hotel and some other businesses that have been well known throughout the ages. Sturgis has had quite a few
Courtesy photo
Daryl Sturgis rode in the parade next to her friend Christine Holzhauer.
memorable moments at the festival in her lifetime. She doesn’t remember her very first time at the Strawberry Festival, but she knows she went back when it was held at the site that is now
SEE STURGIS / PAGE 4
love in the air by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Couple gets engaged at concert Trace Woolverton wasn’t expecting boyfriend Willie Hunt to propose, but that’s exactly what he did on the last day of the Florida Strawberry Festival. On Sunday, March 8, Trace Woolverton thought that she and boyfriend Willie Hunt would leave the Reba McEntire concert with nothing but good memories. In the end, she did get them — and also a ring. Hunt, working with opening act Caroline Kole, proposed
to Woolverton in front of tens of thousands of people at the Florida Strawberry Festival’s Wish Farms Soundstage. She was shocked, and nearly overwhelmed, but quick to say, ‘Yes.’ “I had no idea this was gonna happen, and I’m glad it happened, and I could not have
shared it with better people, a beautiful young lady (Caroline Kole) and her boss now, Reba,” Woolverton said. For Hunt, this was a project three months in the making. When he learned that Wool-
SEE ENGAGED / PAGE 4
Justin Kline
Trace Woolverton was overcome with emotion when Willie Hunt asked her to marry him.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Vol. 2, No. 33 | One section Crossword...................17
Obituaries...................13
Sports.........................14
Weather ......................17
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COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, MARCH 13 Acoustic Happy Hour — music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818. Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220. Girls Night Out — takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, in McCall Park and Historic Downtown. Live Music — takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, March 13, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Social Dance Club — dance takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the Florida National Guard Armory, 4004 Airport Road. For more information call Ken Miller at (863) 409-7714. Uncork Your Friday! — live music takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14 Friends of the Library Book Sale — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Hardbacks will be $1 and paperbacks with be 50 cents. From 2 to 4 p.m. there will be a bag of books for $1 sale. The Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library helps to support the library’s programming. Grand Opening — takes place Saturday, March 14, at 508 N. Michigan St. Browse through top-of-the-line mattresses, bicycles, lawn equipment, collectibles and more. $1 empanadas and refreshments. Hoyt Hughes — live perfor-
mance takes place beginning at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 State Road 60 E. (813) 737-4444. Mark Barrios Live! — takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100. Plant City Block Party — takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Ellis Park, 601 E. Laura Street. Hope in Action ministry is sponsoring the outreach to help families with food, clothing, shoes and information from local resources, including Plant City Pregnancy Care Center and Helping Hands Thrift Store. There will be puppets drama teams performing and free, hot meals. Hope in Action was started after Hopewell Baptist Church began sponsoring students from Jackson Elementary School by providing them with packed lunches for the weekends they are at home. Contact Youth Minister Walt Thompson at (813) 8425199. Second Chance Boxer Rescue Carnival — takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15, at 6106 Knights Griffin Road. The parking and admission is free. Lure course is $5 for one run or $10 for three runs. Food, games, entertainment and vendors. Facebook.com/ events/698388510281662. Young Adult Nite — takes place from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Enjoy live music from local artists. (813) 752-1220.
MONDAY, MARCH 16 Blood Drive — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 16, at Bruton Memorial Linbrary, 302 McLendon St. All donors will receive a free wellness screen-
ing and a free gift, such as a t-shirt or movie ticket. CPR and Basic Life Support Recertification — takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St. (813) 6446720. Crafternoon: Strawberries! — takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Plant City Garden Club Meeting — takes place beginning at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 16, at the Walden Lake East Community Center, 1304 Teawood Drive. The public is welcome. Dr. Echevarria will speak on Coral Reef Restoration that is currently ongoing in South Florida. (813) 661.3963.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17 GriefShare — takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at Hope Lutheran Baptist Church, 2001 N. Park Road. Each GriefShare session includes a video seminar and group discussion to help cope with the death of a loved one. (813) 752-4622. PaddyWagon St. Paddy’s Celebration — takes place until 2 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, at PaddyWagon, 1852 James L. Redman Parkway. Music, deejay, drink specials, costume contest, giveaways and corned beef & cabbage. (813) 704-5902. The Recovery for Life — takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at the Lorena Jaeb Rainbow House, 504 N. Palm Drive. It is a 12-step Bible-based program to help free individuals from all forms of addiction. Debbie Ray, (813) 763-1562.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 Open Mic Night — takes place beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at
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: ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.
BEST BET RailFest — takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, 102 N. Palmer St. Enjoy music and games, take a tour of a vintage caboose, train platform and the train museum, and get a special edition coloring book or puzzle. The event is free. For more information call (813) 719-6989 or go to WillafordRailroadMuseum.com. O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818. Plant City Local Harvest Farmers Market — takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at McCall Park, 100 N. Collins St. PCLocalHarvestFarmer sMarket.com.
Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Sign up is limited to 25 people and begins at 10 a.m. Participants are asked to bring a copy of their previous year’s taxes, identification all relevant tax documents. Applicants are eligible for assistance if they made less than $53,000 in 2014.
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Acoustic Happy Hour — music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818.
Savvy Women Seminar — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Buddy Freddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive. Balancing your goals with your current needs, along with education planning, retirement and care for aging parents will be discussed. Seating is limited. RSVP to (813) 759-1491. Storytime — takes place begining at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Enjoy an interactive story that involves dancing, rhyming and songs. For children 18 months to 5 years. Tax Assistance — takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220. Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner — takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 28, at the Olin S. Wright Lodge #79, 304 Acadia Drive. A $15 donation includes dinner, a drink and dessert. Live Music — takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, March 20, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant,
1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Social Dance Club — dance takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 20, at the Florida National Guard Armory, 4004 Airport Road. For more information call Ken Miller at (863) 409-7714. Skip Frye Blues Live! — takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 Blueberry Pageant — takes place all day at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. Admission is $10. (813) 752-9100. Night of Rockstars — takes place 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at The Barn, 4810 Deshong Drive, Plant City. Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with dancing, food, games and more. Young Adult Nite — takes place from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Enjoy live music from local artists. (813) 7521220.
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Catherine Sinclair
FESTIVAL RECAP by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
517,000 ‘join the party’ Despite a few days of less-than-ideal weather, attendance at the Strawberry Festival stayed strong this year.
From rain, to sunshine, to cool and breezy nights, weather in Plant City has been unpredictable for the last few weeks. But it didn’t stop more than 517,000 people from spending at least one day at the Florida Strawberry Festival. “If we get to half a million, we’re thrilled,” Paul Davis, the festival’s general manager, said. The closing weekend, March 7 to 8, had particularly high attendance. St. Clement Catholic Church, Turkey Creek Assembly of God and the East Hillsborough Historical Society even sold out of shortcake Sunday, March 8. “We’ve had a bigger Saturday and a bigger Sunday, but not two days in a row like that in recent past,” Davis said. He said it helped make up for the somewhat low numbers during the first weekend, Feb. 28 and March 1. The rain continued to pour out both blessings and curses. “When it rains, our inside vendors do very well,” Davis said. “Many of our vendors broke records this year.” But a rainy morning Saturday, Feb. 28, led to the cancelation of the Civitan Youth Parade. Some of the parade participants, including grand marshals Kevin O’Hare and Jackson Hardee, were invited to join the Grand Parade the following Monday. The musical entertainment this year was as popular as ever. Tickets for REBA, the headliner for the festival’s final concert, sold out, and tickets for John Legend came close to selling out. Even daytime performers such as Oak Ridge Boys and Loretta Lynn attracted a big crowd. “Our free seats were totally full, just about, on both of those. The days were beautiful, people really came out and we had great events those days,” Davis said. Sometimes, on busy, crowded days at the festival, visitors tend to stay only a few hours. But this year that quick turnaround wasn’t as frequent, Davis said. Attendees stayed longer than usual on the closing weekend, and likely other days, as well. Davis, a former Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigator, also was pleased
DAILY ATTENDANCE Feb. 26 ...............26,027 Feb. 27 ...............24,224 Feb. 28 ...............23,072 March 1...............72,623 March 2...............39,897 March 3...............26,486 March 4...............33,564 March 5...............39,879 March 6...............47,179 March 7...............89,485 March 8...............94,991 Total..................517,427 with the way law enforcement officers at the festival handled traffic and safety. “I thought the law enforcement people did a phenomenal job getting the crowds in, keeping them safe and getting them back out,” he said. Traffic flow around the festival grounds was smoother than last year, but jams on Interstate 4 were still a problem. The festival staff, Plant City Police Department, HCSO and the Department of Transportation will be meeting to strategize for improvement on the interstate next year. In addition to offering feedback about traffic flow, Davis said some festival goers have suggested the festival provide more benches and cellphone charging stations. It was another year of making lifelong memories, celebrating Plant City’s hometown pride and saluting Florida’s long history of agriculture. Now that the excitement has subsided, the town will look forward to the festival’s 81st birthday being every bit as sweet as its 80th. “It’s just remarkable that 2,500 volunteers show up every single day, to make that a successful event,” Mayor Rick Lott said at this week’s City Commission meeting. “Each year, I admire the incredible amount of effort and work, time, and dedication ... that it takes to put that event on. It’s pretty impressive, and that’s why it has the outstanding support of the community,” City Commissioner Bill Dodson added. “It’s the one time of year where everybody’s pulling in the same direction.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS ART
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST Best in show: AnnMarie Picinic ANIMAL First: Jo Upton Second: Kevin Pyfrom Third: Jordan Arterburn Awards of merit: Ashley Phelps, Cheryl Price BLACK AND WHITE First: Kevin Pyfrom Second: AnnMarie Picinic Third: Ashley Ammen Award of merit: Keri Mizell, James Anderson HUMAN First: Charlena Hitzges Second: Stacey Peacock Third: Melissa Surrency Award of merit: Summer Pradera, DeeDee Davidson MISC. First: AnnMarie Picinic Second: Kevin Pyfrom Third: Jeff Elmhurst Award of merit: Linda Myers, Ashley Phelps PLACE First: Jeff Elmhurst Second: Allison Tracy Third: Farrah Moore Award of merit: Sarah Walton, Sarah Stowe PLANT First: Morgan Eaves Second: Kayla Jo Turner Third: Priscilla Davila Award of merit: Logan Soria, Chad Byrd THEME First: James Lisbon Second: Brandi Shivers Third: Kayla Jo Turner Award of merit: Kami Catherman, Elizabeth McIntosh KIDS First: Avery Surrency Second: Taylor Hall Third: Devan Jefferson Award of merit: Olivia Miller (two) YOUTH First and second: Kiersten Dunny Third: Michaela Bertic Award of merit: Alexis Walton, Mackenzie Luke FINE ARTS Best in Show: Charles A. Rager Strawberry Theme Award: Leroy West Suncoast Credit Union Purchase Award: Kim Wells PROFESSIONAL OILS First: Gale R. Lee Second: Jose Eliu Vazquez Third: Sharon Burger Fourth: M. Tiffany Gullage PROFESSIONAL ACRYLICS First: John Brennan Second: Alan Metzger Third: Lynn Rattray Fourth: Evelyn M. Portuguez PROFESSIONAL WATERCOLORS First: Colleen Justin Second: Sue Tihansky Third: Nelida Dilorenzo Fourth: Deborah Lulei PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS/ MIXED First: Sheryl Unwin Second: Pat Leggett Third: Jane Lewis Fourth: Barbra Joan Araneo AMATEUR OIL First: Nadine Cooley Second: Elizabeth Corey Third: Anita Estrada Zorrilla Fourth: John Paul Jones AMATEUR ACRYLICS First: Susan Greer Second: Scott Lawson Third: Carrie Horne Fourth: Georgia Mazanet
AMATEUR WATERCOLORS First: Peggy Hart Second: Leona Schonher Third: Deborah Biasetti Fourth: Carol McSpadden AMATEUR GRAPHICS/MIXED First: Sharon Hester Second: Terrence Parmegiani Third:Annie Dwyer Fourth: B.B. Blackwelder MINIATURES First: Gunni Nilsson Price Second: Peggy Little Third: Carlene Earl Fourth: Antoinette Gaynor ADULT SCULPTURES First: Ira McEachern Second: Leland Williams Third: Diane Newsome Fourth: Aleksandra Vargas YOUTH DRAWING/PAINTING 15-17 First: Robert Tindale Second: Samantha Coville Third: Jamiee Salcido Fourth: Emily Burgess YOUTH DRAWING/PAINTING 12-14 First: Kaydee Jones Second: Darryl Smith Third: Zeni Coffee Fourth: Eric Zarycki YOUTH DRAWING/PAINTING 9-11 First: Domanic Betancourt Second: Akshat Pant Third: Aarushi Pant Fourth: Zachary Trammell YOUTH DRAWING/PAINTING 6-8 First: Aiden Alford Second: Harnoor Kaur Third: Carlos Moore Fourth: Shelby Livingston BUSINESS LEADER’S CHOICE AWARDS Osprey Observer, Kathy Collins: Joan Supkay St Clement Catholic Church, Fr. Mike O’Brien: Deborah Biasetti Desco Printing Company Inc., Tom Westlake: John Paul Jones O’Brien’s Irish Pub, Mike Goodwin: Scott Lawson State Farm, Tony Lee: Kate Osborne Nadine Clark Hairstyling, Nadine Clark: Heidi Kelly Phillips Hopewell Funeral Home, Marsha Passmore: Voncille Boan Center Place Fine Arts & Civic ASSN., Dawn Galia: Brien Hockman Plant City Entertainment Inc., Paul Hetrick: Petera Semple Plant City Arts Council, Audrey Montella: Morgan Minnick Tampa Tribune, Rita Logan: Curtis Watkins Oracle Home Heath Care, Jackie Goddard-Wycoff: Evelyn M. Portuguez Ezstreet Studio, Jane MurrayLewis: Richard Wagner Cannon Automotive, Terry Cannon: Jose Eliu Vazquez The Cottage in Plant City, Michaela Messer: John Brennan Peyton & Associates Inc., Dennis Peyton: Libit Jones
BABY CONTEST
DECORATED DIAPER Come Join the Party: Raelynn Rose Torbert Funniest: Hagen Lee Meiers Strawberry: Jisselle Marie Salinas Cartoon: Tucker Russell Brown FEATURES CONTESTS Biggest eyes: Jameson William Roberts Most hair: Jisselle Marie Salinas Chubbiest cheeks: Gemma Jean Bauer Look-alike twins: Presley Suzanne Arman and Paisley Alina Arman
PRETTIEST GIRL 6- to 9-months: Ainslee Elizabeth Creel 10- to 12-months: Tiftyn Raelynn Gill 13- to 15-months: Abigail Sue Smith 16- to 18-months: Kendall Mae Gee MOST HANDSOME BOY 6- to 9-months: Austin Christopher Bowman 10- to 12-months: Tucker Russell Brown 13- to 15-months: Wyatt Joseph Best 16- to 18-months: Blake Michael Tolley DIAPER DERBY: 6- to 8-months: Brennan Scott Jenkins 9- to 12-months: Brantley Cain Newsome
HORTICULTURE YOUTH PLANT SHOW Grand champion: Estrella Quirino Reserve grand champion: Camryn Wineinger Champion woody ornamentals: Sarah Treadway Champion foliage plants: Kaitlyn Halter Champion hanging planters: Rebecca Cant Champion miscellaneous plants: Riley Buttorff Champion liners: Carver Wineinger Champion plant in size No.1: Ann Grable Champion plant in size No. 3: Riley Newlin Champion plant in size No. 7: Camryn Wineinger Award of distinction: Reagan Brown, Madison Smith, Rylee Moorman GARDEN CLUB Junior Best in show: Brooks Brown Best in show hanging: Devan Jefferson Cactus: Isaiah Wilson Bromeliad: Aidan Berringer Dish garden: Nathan Gould Succulent: Payton Tucker Award of merit: Adam Cruz, Spencer Gould, Payton Tucker Intermediate Best in show/cactus/dish garden/award of merit (2): Riley Buttorff Best in show hanging basket: Raegan Tucker Award of merit: Wesley Gould ADULT Best in show: Margie Menefee Best in show hanging basket: Kathryn Bowers African violet: Bess Treadwell Bromelaid/cactus/succulent: Jan Griffin Orchid/award of merit: Mary Collins Award of merit: Mikie Snyder, Bess Treadwell
STINGRAY CHEVROLET RAFFLE
GRAND PARADE
BEST ANTIQUE First: Ron Wetherington Second: Plant City FFA Third: Robert W. Willaford Train Museum Society SPECIAL FEATURE First: Mulberry JROTC Second: Strawberry Crest JROTC Third: Fierce Athletics CIVIC/CHURCH First: J.S. Robinson PTA Second: Eastside Baptist Church Third: Shiloh Baptist Church MARCHING BAND First: SCHS Second: DHS Third: PCHS SCHOOL CLUBS/SPORTS First: PCHS Calendar Girls Second: DHS FFA Third: TCMS Calendar Girls BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL First: Stepps Towing Second: South Florida Baptist Hospital Third: Krewe of Carnival
NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGE
YOUTH Grand champion: Ashley Avery, Meredith Beatty, Moriah Beatty, Sarah Collins, Kaitlyn Cox, Cade Dinhoff, Ivy Belle Garner, Gracie Garner, Anna Gibbs, Jordyn Gibbs, Tara Mecum, Shawn Mecum, Katie Reitemeyer, Leah Richards, Landon Richards, Gideon Storms, Hope Storter, Taryn Storter, Megan Todd, Caleb Walker Blue ribbon: Brian Anderson, Kaci Anderson, Tobias Beatty, Meredith Beatty, Mercy Beatty, Sarah Collins, Colt Connell, Kenley Connell, Ella Connell, Jennifer Cox, Grace Denhoff, Gracie Garner, Tucker Garner, Ivy Belle Garner, Hailey Jefferson, Devan Jefferson, Jordyn Lanier, Josiah Lanier, Tara Mecum, Jenny Reitemeyer, Peter Reitemeyer, Landon Richards, Leah Richards, Lane Spears, Cole Starling, Gideon Storms, Roxanna Storms, Taryn Storter, Hope Storter, Aaron Thompson, Megan Todd, Caleb Walker, Elizabeth West, Natalie Zarycki Red ribbon: Brian Anderson, Mercy Beatty, Meredith Beatty, Gibbs Beatty, Moriah Beatty, Tobias Beatty, Austin Black, Hope Denhoff, Jordyn Lanier, Shelby Livingston, Emma Livingston, Shawn Mecum, Landon Richards, Leah Richards, Jerrilynn Rodriguez, Aaron Thompson, Caleb Walker, Avery Young, Natalie Zarycki, Joslyn Rodriguez White ribbon: Moriah Beatty QUILTS Grand champion: Jean Zabel, Claudia Ingram, Polly Horne, Christine Sudberry
EATING CONTESTS
HOME DECORATION Grand champion winners: Margaret Beach, Nancy Monagham, Joy DeMarco, Karol Nicherson
MASHED POTATO Mitch Wisz
WEARING APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES Grand champion: Claudia Ingram, Toni Gould
Ann Trinkle
CORN ON THE COB Brian Engel, James Holder
NATHAN’S FAMOUS HOT GO EATING QUALIFIER Men: Nathan Biller Women: Mary Bowers
PHOTO SCRAPBOOKING Grand champion: Sarah Walkerm, Jennifer Wolfgang
SHORTCAKE Augie Sierra
NEEDLEPOINT, NEEDLEWORK AND PLASTIC CANVAS Grand champion: Shirley Hammock, Joy DeMarco
STRAWBERRY SPAGHETTI Justin Cowart SUPER DOG MEGA CORNDOG Matthew Shefter
TOYS AND DOLLS Grand champion: Linda Daugherty
FOOD PRESERVATION Dehydrated: Donna Arrington Fruits: Judy Hoover Jellies, james and preservers: Coleen Ross/Bill Asher Pickles and relishes: Katye Blackman Meats/vegetables: William Grosser BAKING Bread: Karol Hughes, Debra Bershak Cakes: Jacqueline Ryan Cookies: Peggy Sciara Candies: Gary Krotz CAKE DECORATING Professional: Tamara Doyle Intermediate: Chrissie Johnson Beginner: Kelly B. Everhart
SHOEBOX FLOAT
FIRST AND SECOND GRADE First: Jackson Trapnell Second: Easton Morrow Third: Caleb Benitez Fourth: Kyleigh Meiers Fifth: Adriana Asencio THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE First: Caden Trapnell Second: Ayla Steinestel Third: Skyler Grooms Fourth: Olivia Little Fifth: Sarah Rogers FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE First: Linzie Alred Second: Emily Little Third: Kagen Alred Fourth: Kyle Berdy Fifth: Avery Surrency EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS First: Sharrell Smith Second: Myia Myall Third: Daniela Ruiz Fourth: Enelys Rivera Fifth: Christian Gamble
STEMMING CONTESTS
YOUTH Kindergarten: Katie Jane Burklexy First and second grade: Zachary Marriott Third and fourth grade: Blessing Ellis Fifth and sixth grade: Leah Burklew ADULT Kim Croslie
EXHIBITS
ARTS AND CRAFTS First: Anita’s Keepsakes Second: Village Glassblowers Third: Montana Antlers COMMERCIAL CONCESSIONS First: You Name IT Toys Second: Denise Young Third: L’Paige Cosmetics OUTSIDE CONCESSIONS First: SignMaster Second: Polar Bear Third: Spivey’s Concessions EDUCATIONAL First: School District of Hillsborough County Second: Hillsborough County 4-H Council CIVIC CLUBS First: St. Clement Catholic Church Second: East Hillsborough Historical Society Third: Turkey Creek Assembly of God AGRICULTURAL First: Parkesdale Farms Second: Brandon Farms Third: Parkesdale Greenhouse Award of distinction: Spivey’s Concessions
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HERO / PAGE 1 and a few months later, found himself stepping off a bus into Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training. “They call it ‘Fort Lost-inthe-Woods’ because it’s in the middle of nowhere,” Lisa said. Adjusting to a town even smaller than Plant City was a new experience for Browder, but he was already familiar with the Army lifestyle because of his parents’ military careers. They had done their best to prepare him. “We tried to do little drills with him before he went in so he’d be prepared,” Lisa said. “Little stuff that’s so easy to learn before you go in.” Browder excelled in basic training. He was one of just three soldiers from his whole unit who were promoted by graduation. After nine weeks of basic training, Browder had six months of schooling for his Military Occupational Special-
ENGAGED / PAGE 1 verton had gotten the concert tickets for Christmas, he realized that Kole, a local favorite, would be the opening act. Since he and Woolverton are friends of the Koles, Hunt decided to try and make his proposal a special one. “It was a little bit after Christmas,” Hunt said. “I talked to her mother and gave her the idea of what I wanted to do, and she said it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s what we did.” After Kole had finished playing several songs, she announced to the crowd that she had been contacted by some of her friends and asked to play “Guy I’m Gonna
ENGINEER / PAGE 1 stormwater inspector. In recent years, Schenk served as the director of utility engineering for ECON, a firm based in Lakeland that has served clients such as LEGOLAND, USF Polytechnic, Watson Clinic and a number of municipalities in central Florida. At that time, Herr was also at ECON, serving as president. There were 59 candidates for the City of Plant City engineer. The selection committee interviewed nine of the candidates, and then narrowed it down to two. An assistant city engineer has not been chosen yet, but interviews were conducted this week. David Buyens, who has been working as the interim project manager for the engineering department, did not wish to apply for the permanent position. He has worked at Chastain Skillman Inc. for 23 years and is loyal to the company. “With looking at having maybe three years left of my career, it just didn’t make
ty: 12-T, which is the designation for technical engineers. Browder returned to Plant City for a while to do hometown recruiting. He visited different schools in the area to tell students about his experience. “After that, I started the long journey to Germany,” Browder said.
Faraway Places
Browder had never traveled internationally before, except a cruise to Mexico. His first look at Germany when he arrived in February 2013 was a bleak, snow-covered city. “It was a culture shock because he’s a country boy,” Lisa said. Browder said the most difficult part was the language. Though his mother was able to take German language classes when she was stationed abroad, funding allotments have changed since then, so Browder was not as fortunate. There is only one construction battalion in Germany, and
Marry,” specifically for this moment. “It was so funny because, when she said, ‘I was contacted by some friends of mine, and he’s gonna propose to his girlfriend,’ that’s when I looked over like, ‘Could this be,’” Woolverton said. “I’m like, ‘No, he wouldn’t do this.’ And I look, and there he is with a ring in his hand. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t even breathe.” She describes her fiance as a “very private person,” and it sounds as though that helped him keep the proposal idea a secret for three months. Even Woolverton’s parents had no idea it was going to happen until Kole started the song, and thousands of heads turned in
IN OTHER NEWS
it serves the whole continent. “There’s no point to deploy us because if you take the only construction out of Europe, they can’t build anything else,” Browder said. Because of the high demand for this kind of work throughout Europe, Browder was sent out for assignments in other countries, such as a temporary project in Latvia. But in addition to contributing to new structures, he got to visit plenty of historical ones, such as the Parthenon, Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace. “My photo album of him looks like ‘Where’s Waldo.’ He did Italy, Greece, Spain, France, England,” Lisa said.
Halfway There
After two years in Germany, Browder came back to the United States. He will be stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, until July 2017. But first, he enjoyed two weeks on leave, and there was no better place for him to spend it than right
the couple’s direction. “The song that Caroline sang, it’s taken a real special place in my heart,” Woolverton said. “I guess he knew this, and here we are.” Hunt was pleased that his idea went exactly as planned — especially the end result. “It takes a little while, when you get to know someone, and then you start planning,” Hunt said. “You just have to put your cards on the table and go for it.” And Woolverton couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the couple’s Strawberry Festival experience. “I guess I’ve got 50,000 new fans,” she said. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
presented a proclamation to Patricia Carr, president of Plant City Toastmasters, declaring April 2015 as Toastmasters International Month in Plant City.
• The city will be hosting “Plant City Right Now,” an event to introduce the city’s strategic sites for job creation, this May. Invitees will be real estate agents and other people who are interested in developing Plant City. Guest speakers will include CEOs of local agribusinesses. • Donna Smith has been appointed to the Plant City Catherine Sinclair Housing Authority Patricia Carr accepted Mayor Rick Board. Lott’s proclamation of April 2015 as • Mayor Rick Lott Toastmasters International Month. sense,” Buyens said. Herr and other city employees had made it clear to Buyens that they were pleased with his work in Plant City and would have liked him to apply. “If we’re going to recognize people in the future, there
ought to be a David Buyens Award for what it means to be a top-notch engineer, and I mean that sincerely,” Herr said. Schenk will start Monday, March 16, with an annual salary of $90,000.
at home in Plant City. His family thought he would be returning on a Wednesday, but he surprised them by arriving the Monday before. He was trying to head off the yard signs and excitement that would welcome him home. Lisa joked that the surprise was her son’s own loss — she didn’t have time to prepare the sweet tea and chocolate-covered raisins that he loves. “There’s pros and cons to everything,” Browder said. When he finishes his service, Browder hopes to go on to a four-year undergraduate program, likely at the University of Florida, and transfer in the credits he has managed to earn during his time in the army. But until then, Browder will be just a five-hour drive from home, and even closer to some of his friends and family in Gainesville. “He’ll definitely be putting some miles on that big old truck,” Lisa said.
STURGIS / PAGE 1 Plant City’s downtown courthouse. Sturgis has had a knack for Sturgis makes dolls and crochets their outfits. One of her dolls won first place at the festival, and it is still displayed proudly with its blue ribbon at her son Wayne’s house. Another time, she volunteered at the festival, dressed up in a historical costume. She still has the dress she wore that year. But one of her favorite memories was when she got to see Mel Tillis perform at the festival. Tillis lived in Dover, and he and Sturgis were friends. After one of his concerts, she got to go backstage with him. Another time, she was outside of the concert venue gates, but that didn’t stop Tillis from saying hello. “He reached over the fence and kissed me,” Sturgis said. At age 101, Sturgis is still adding memories to her list, as 2015 was the first time she had the opportunity to participate in the Grand Parade. She has attended First Baptist Church of Midway since 1980, and the church invited her to ride on its float. Sturgis’ longtime friend, Christine Holzhauer, sat next to Sturgis on the float. Sixteen years ago, a friend of Sturgis moved from Plant City to Lakeland. Holzhauer purchased her Plant City home on the condition that she look out for Sturgis. “She’s a pistol. She speaks her mind,” Holzhauer said. Even with all of the years and experiences she has lived through, and all of the relationships she has built, Sturgis said she doesn’t feel her age. “If somebody asked me, I’d tell them maybe 75,” she said. Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
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2015 BABY PARADE WINNERS
PAGEANT by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
BABY PARADE
The 2015 Baby Parade, organized by the Junior Woman’s Club of Plant City, was held Saturday, March 7, at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Contestants between the ages of 1 and 4 competed in five categories: Personality, Costume, Float, Most Handsome and Most Beautiful. The 2015 Baby Parade King and Queen were Gavin Hartline and Kennedy Iris Duncan.
ONE-YEAR-OLD
THREE-YEAR-OLD
MOST BEAUTIFUL First: Zoey Lugo Second: Izabella Diehl Third: Georgia Sue Ann Hunter
MOST BEAUTIFUL First: Giselle McDowell Second: Kinsley Tereann Third: Autumn MaKenzie Adair
MOST HANDSOME First: Dayton Davis Second: Easton Jackson Vokaty Third: Maddox Eisenbach
MOST HANDSOME First: Easton Goff Second: Brexten Maxwell Third: Caden Warren Roberts
BEST PERSONALITY First: Izabella Diehl Second: Dayton Davis Third: Lyla Lavella Jimenez
BEST PERSONALITY First: Mason Singletary Second: Easton Goff Third: Cooper Allen Newman
BEST COSTUME First: Abigail Sue Smith Second: Zoey Lugo Third: Elisia Annjanett
BEST COSTUME First: Hailey Grooms Second: Aaron Gaona Third: Peyton Chisholm
Rodriguez
FLOAT First: Georgia Sue Ann Hunter Second: Brady Peace Third: Ariana Morales
Left: Kennedy Iris Duncan was crowned Baby Parade Queen after her dad escorted her past the judges.
TWO-YEAR-OLD MOST BEAUTIFUL First: Presley Hay Second: Sutton Kaye Duncan Third: Addisyn Danielle Wise MOST HANDSOME First: Scott William Terrell Second: Frank Simmons
D’Amico
Third: Evan Eisenbach
Rowen Ashford Morgan and her dad were dressed as Mary Poppins and Burt. Ariana Morales had a tea party on her float.
BEST PERSONALITY First: Sutton Kaye Duncan Second: Scott William Terrell Third: Callen Hartline BEST COSTUME First: Rowen Ashford Morgan Second: Madison Perry Third: Mila Mclellan FLOAT First: Cade Brock
Aaron Gaona wore a festive sombrero.
BEST FLOAT First: Everett Delvalle Second: Gracelynn Davis Third: Cheyenne Davis
FOUR-YEAR-OLD MOST BEAUTIFUL First: Kennedy Iris Duncan Second: Sydney Gould Third: Eleana Maldonado MOST HANDOME First: Gavin Hartline Second: Dylan Brewington Third: Shaz Simmons BEST PERSONALITY First: Avalynn Mclellan BEST COSTUME First: Aubrey Ellis Duncan Second: Annslea Grace Woody Third: Isabella Brooke Pippin BEST FLOAT First: Jesus Emilio Gutierrez
COURT: queen Kennedy Iris Duncan, king Gavin Hartline and court members Avalynn Mclellan, Aubrey Ellis Duncan and Jesus Emilio Gutierrez.
Left: Gavin Hartline won the title of Baby Parade King.
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“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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LIVESTOCK SHOWS by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
AGRICULTURE WINNERS FFA EXHIBITS First: Plant City FFA Second: Turkey Creek FFA Third: Tomlin FFA Fourth: Marshall Award of distinction: Brandon FFA, Durant FFA, Strawberry Crest FFA DAIRY GRAND CHAMPION Ayrshire grand champion: Aidan Heidt Brown Swiss grand champion: Aaron Bingham Guernsey grand champion: Caleb Allen Holstein grand champion: Gracie Lee Jersey grand champion: Kyleigh Glenn RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Reserve grand champion: Aaron Bingham Brown Swiss reserve grand champion: Gracie Lee Guernsey reserve grand champion: Hunter Fioretto Holstein reserve grand champion: Brandon Carey Jersey reserve grand champion: Ty Hamilton
The swine show was held Thursday, Feb. 26.
ANIMAL HOUSE The Florida Strawberry Festival wouldn’t be the Florida Strawberry Festival without its rich history of livestock showing. Dairy, steer, swine and many other shows were held at the Grimes Family Agricultural Center throughout the 11 days of the festival.
JUNIOR CHAMPION Ayrshire junior champion: Aaron Bingham Brown Swiss junior champion: Blane Rogers Guernsey junior champion: Michael Fioretto Holstein junior champion: Jake Braglin Jersey junior champion: Isaiah Allen RESERVE JUNIOR GRAND CHAMPION Ayrshire reserve junior champion: Cierra Ellis Brown Swiss reserve junior champion: Ashley Bingham Guernsey reserve junior champion: Siera Linton Holstein reserve junior champion: Carlie Braglin Jersey reserve junior champion: Ashleigh Denney SENIOR CHAMPION Ayrshire senior champion: Aidan Heidt Brown Swiss senior champion: Aaron Bingham Guernsey senior champion: Caleb Allen Holstein senior champion: Gracie Lee Jersey senior champion: Kyleigh Glenn
In the show, each steer is placed in one of ten classes based on the animal’s weight.
The Strawberry Queen was an inspiration again this year for a costume in the lamb ball.
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION Ayrshire reserve senior champion: Zoe Wallace Brown Swiss reserve senior champion: Gracie Lee Guernsey reserve senior champion: Hunter Fioretto Holstein reserve senior champion: Brandon Carey Jersey reserve senior champion: Ty Hamilton RICHARD KAHELIN ALL-BREEDS CHAMPION AWARD AND PREMIER EXHIBITOR Kyleigh Glenn JUNIOR ALL BREED BRED-BY EXHIBITOR Ashley Bingham SENIOR ALL BREEDS BRED- BY EXHIBITOR Aidan Heidt JUNIOR HERDSMAN Isaiah Allen SENIOR HERDSMAN Caleb Allen CHARLIE HUNTER MEMORIAL SPORTSMANSHIP Charlie Hunter
From Alice to Duck Dynasty, the lamb costume ball is always a ruckus.
PREMIERE SHOWMANSHIP Pee wee: Garrett Linton Novice: Max Ashton Junior: Kyleigh Glenn Intermediate: Sarah Carter Senior: Aaron Bingham Adult: Megan Braglin PREMIERE SHOWMANSHIP Aaron Bingham COSTUME BALL Funniest: Nicholas and Andrew Hammer Prettiest: Aiden and Finley Heidt Most original: Jared Upthegrove Most colorful: Austin Hardy Overall: Tytan Watson POULTRY Grand champion: Teresa Paul Reserve grand champion: Jared Upthegrove Best opposite sex exhibition: John Banks Best opposite sex production: Ally Rae Black
The steer show was held Wednesday, March 4. Left: Mosaic sponsored the youth swine show.
RABBIT Grand champion: Emma Poole Reserve grand champion: Jada Citarella
SWINE Grand champion: Chance Christie Reserve grand champion: Hillsborough County FFA Federation, shown by Rayne Smith CLASS 1 First Place: Ashlyn Barror Second Place: Mary Catherine Stephens Third Place: Marissa Zolna Fourth Place: Kenneth Hattway Fifth Place: Meghan Sodders Sixth Place: Tyler Hewett Seventh Place: Gerald Williams Eighth Place: Olivia Whitman CLASS 2 First Place: Siera Linton Second Place: Grace Gainer Third Place: Tyson Griffin Fourth Place: MaryBeth Stewart Fifth Place: Madilyn Stone Sixth Place: Carlie Braglin Seventh Place: Mackenzie Weeks Eighth Place: Tyler Harris CLASS 3 First Place: Emma McConnell Second Place: Reagan Tears Third Place: Reagan Brown Fourth Place: Rebecca Holcomb Fifth Place: Cade Fitzpatrick Sixth Place: Nathan Hood Seventh Place: Autumn Miller Eight Place: Luke Patten CLASS 4 First Place: Rylee Woody Second Place: Ashton Boatwright Third Place: Shalee Conrad Fourth Place: Alyssa Grimes Fifth Place: Aaron Pellegrini, Jr. Sixth Place: Russell Butler Seventh Place: Nicole Patten Eighth Place: Kiara Reese Ninth Madison Smith CLASS 5 First Place: Hillsborough County FFA Federation, Rayne Smith Second Place: Sophie Aten Third Place: Tiffany Wilson Fourth Place: Frankie Vitelli Fifth Place: Ashlynn Flack Sixth Place: Zachary Stahl Seventh Place: Samantha Hampton Eighth Place: Corbett Wyatt CLASS 6 First Place: Elise Griffin Second Place: Emily Linton Third Place: Ava Hasting Fourth Place: Gabriel Maxwell Fifth Place: James Gray Sixth Place: Kyleigh Glenn Seventh Place: Carlos Curnow II Eighth Place: Cassandra Fincher Class 7 First Place: Garrett Gould Second Place: Chase Campbell Third Place: Jonah Spivey Fourth Place: Luke Williams Fifth Place: Samuel Sands Sixth Place: Reagan Messick Seventh Place: Ashley Swint Eighth Place: Meghan White CLASS 8 First Place: Chance Christie Second Place: Trevor Hinton Third Place: Kagen Alred Fourth Place: Emily Phillips Fifth Place: Charles Watson Sixth Place Kasey Kleinatland Seventh Place: Nolan Campbell Eighth Place: Meghan White CLASS 9 First Place: Jade Bank Second Place: Paul Ferlita Third Place: Augie Wilkens Fourth Place: Emily Smith Fifth Place: Shylen Denmark Sixth: Madison Worsfold Seventh Place: Morgan Pierce Eighth Place: Matthew McCullers CLASS 10 First Place: Morgan Sodders Second Place: Easton Kicklighter Third Place: Yohannes Kicklighter Fourth Place: Matthew Dyer Fifth Place: Cheyenne Hancock Sixth Place: Hayley Duckson Seventh Place: Anna Futch Eighth: Madison Dowdy SHOWMANSHIP SENIOR First: Carlos Curnow II Second: Morgan Sodders Third: Reagan Messick INTERMEDIATE First: Grace Fainer Second: Madison Smith Third: Marissa Zolna JUNIOR First: Chance Christie Second: Rebecca Holcomb Third: Elise Griffin STEER Overall grand champion: Jarrett Gillman Overall reserve grand champion: Clay Joyner LIGHTWEIGHT Grand champion: Anna Conrad Reserve grand champion: Ethan Vaughan
MIDDLEWEIGHT Grand champion: Cheyenne Lopez Reserve grand champion: Brett Love
INTERMEDIATE First: Leah Reinhardt Second: Cole Hanson Third: Brenna Sturgis
HEAVYWEIGHT Grand champion: Jarrett Gillman Reserve grand champion: Clay Joyner
SENIOR First: Stephanie Carter Second: Sarahann Sweeney Third: Morgan Higgins
CLASS 1 First: Kayla Mishler Second: Madi Conrad Third: Zachary Campbell Fourth: Haley Flack Fifth: Joshua Lewis Sixth: Cassidy Dossin Seventh: Raelyn Hudson
JUMPING CONTESTS SHORT-LEGGED First: Morgan Higgins Second: Kaley Felberg Third: Kelly Cribb
CLASS 2 First: Ethan Vaughan Second: Meredith Delcastillo Third: Noah Rebman Fourth: Ashley Denslow Fifth: Chase Lingo Sixth: Jake Fitzpatrick Seventh: Destinee Miller
SHEEP SHOW Overall grand champion: Aubrey Davis
CLASS 3 1st Place: Anna Conrad Second: Mariah Edwards Third: Kaylee Stallard Fourth: Amber Boykin Fifth: Tanner Jurnigan Sixth: Alex Aponte Seventh: Bernard Bentz Eighth: Allison Pierce CLASS 4 First: Lane Harrell Second: Luke Coggins Third: Jacob Ross Fourth: Kiersten Struth Fifth: Haley Riley Sixth: Ashley Sanchez Seventh: Kailee Triner Eighth: Megan Todd CLASS 5 1st Place: Cheyenne Lopez Second: Dakota Allen Third: Abigayle Almon Fourth: Matthew Delcastillo Fifth: Lexie Jett Sixth: Bekah Giuajardo Seventh: Trey Fletcher Eighth: Kade Taylor CLASS 6 First: Margaret Holt Second: Chloe Tew Third: Landon Messick Fourth: Selena Berrios Fifth: Joshua Knox Sixth: Jacob Murphy Seventh: Kaleb Tew CLASS 7 First: Brett Love Second: Nicole Rice Third: Kyla Oneal Fourth: Kairstin Rollins Fifth: Jessica Kaye Sixth: Bryar Christian Seventh: Cameron Diem Eighth: Allison Lane CLASS 8 First: Jonathan Rowell Second: T.J. Hutchinson Third: Shannon Gill Fourth: Kennedy Sewell Fifth: Gresham Stephens Sixth: Delaney Lloyd Seventh: Dustin Jacobs CLASS 9 First: Jake Stines Second: Morgan Lee Third: Alyssa Cooper Fourth: Dalton McMath Fifth: Jessica Tillis Sixth: Linda Sanchez Seventh: Levi Edwards Eighth: Allison Lane CLASS 10 First: Jarrett Gillman Second: Clay Joyner Third: Autumn Tarlton Fourth: Keylee Christie Fifth: Dalton McHenry Sixth: Cassidy Hasting Seventh: Amaiah Williamson SHOWMANSHIP JUNIOR First: Kaylee Stallard Second: Madi Conrad Third: Jake Stines INTERMEDIATE First: Anna Conrad Second: Ethan Vaughan Third: Cassidy Hasting SENIOR First: Cassidy Dossin Second: Margaret Holt Third: Lane Harrell SHEEP SHOWMANSHIP JUNIOR First: Emma Leiss Second: Ava Hasting Third: Eric Zimmerman
LONG-LEGGED First: Kelly Cribb, Gabriella Hernandez Third: Dalton Vanderford
GRAND CHAMPION Black face ewe: Elizabeth Eakins Black face ram: Chase Farris White face ewe: Cassidy Hasting White face ram: Aubrey Davis Crossbred ewe: Sarahann Sweeney Crossbred ram: Charli Davis Rare breed ewe: Morgan Higgins Rare breed ram: Emily Linton RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Black face ewe: Jasmine McWhite’ White face ewe: Kendall Reed White face ram: Cassidy Hasting Crossbred ewe: Cheyenne Sommer Crossbred ram: Cheyenne Sweeney Rare breed ewe: Abby Steward Rare breed ram: Savannah Jenkins COSTUME CONTEST Best overall: Jessica Squitieri Funniest: Kelly Cribb Most original: Harlie Katrein Most elegant: Haven Futch Most creative: Eric Zimmerman Most colorful: Sarah Rogers BEEF GRAND CHAMPION All breeds heifer: Meagan Meredith All breeds bull: Casey Harper Bred and owned heifer: Kaleb Williams Bred and owned bull: Kaleb Williams Angus heifer: Clayton Brock Angus bull: Kendall Locke Brangus Heifer: Cassidy Polston Grand champion brangus bull and reserve grand champion brangus bull: Casey Harper Other breeds heifer: Meagan Meredith Other breeds bull: Jesse Bibby Commercial (English) heifer: Wyatt Hinton Commercial (Brahman) heifer: Ashley Denslow RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION All breeds heifer: Wyatt Hinton All breeds bull: Jesse Bibby Bred and owned heifer: Madi Conrad Bred and owned bull: Kendall Locke Angus heifer: Bailey Buchanon Angus bull: Jesse Bibby Brangus heifer: Kaleb Williams Other breeds heifer: Madi Conrad Other breeds bull: Kaylee Hudson Commercial (English) heifer: Sophia Aten Commercial (Brahman) heifer: Mary Davis SHOWMANSHIP SENIOR First: Meagan Meredith Second: Anna Conrad Third: Cassidy Polston INTERMEDIATE First: Madi Conrad Second: Kendall Locke Third: Clayton Brock JUNIOR First: Sophie Aten Second: Shalee Conrad Third: Payge Dupre JUNIOR HERDSMAN CONTEST First: Sophie Aten Second: Payge Dupre Third: Trevor Hinton INTERMEDIATE HERDSMAN CONTEST First: Wyatt Hinton Second: Katie Harwell Third: Elizabeth Bazemore SENIOR HERDSMAN CONTEST First: Hunter Dupre Second: Katie Lopez Third: Katherine Byrd GREENHAND AWARD Mikenna Thomas JUSTIN GILL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Taeler Dupre JIM THOMPSON SENIOR AWARD AND BILL MCCLELLAND SCHOLARSHIP Maegan Meredith
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REAL ESTATE by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Colson Acres home tops sales in February The home at 2307 Gainer Lane sold Feb. 20, for $339,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four and one half baths and 4,004 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $84.67.
Alexander Woods
The home at 182 Alexander Woods Drive sold Feb. 6, for $115,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two and one half baths and 1,789 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $64.28. The home at 233 Alexander Woods Drive sold Feb. 18, for $100,000. Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, two and one half baths and 1,466 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $68.21.
Avondale Groves
The home at 1625 Avondale Ridge sold Feb. 10, for $215,000
SNAPSHOT Minimum: $25,600 Maximum: $339,000 Average: $130,215 Median: $115,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,467 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $87.15.
Blue Sky Acres
The home at 4541 Keene Road sold Feb. 23, for $245,500. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,334 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $105.18.
Bracewell Heights
The home at 1202 E. Cherry St. sold Feb. 27, for $120,000.
Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,473 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $81.47.
Cameron Acres
The home at 2810 Lampp Road sold Feb. 12, for $56,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,512 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $37.04.
Carolyn Gardens
The home at 2505 Franklin St. sold Feb. 27, for $104,000. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,296 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $80.25.
Clarks
The home at 1707 N. Burton St. sold Feb. 27, for $101,800. Built in 1994, it has three bed-
Courtesy photo
This home, which has four bedrooms, four and one half baths and 4,004 square feet of living area on one acre, sold for $339,000. rooms, two baths and 1,185 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $85.91.
Cooks Cove
The home at 5210 Peebles Road sold Feb. 19, for $65,700 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms,
two baths and 1,296 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $40.74.
Country Hills
The home at 4702 Breeze Ave. sold Feb. 24, for $217,150. Built in 1997, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,029 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $71.69. The home at 4516 Tina Lane sold Feb. 20, for $127,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,690 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $100.
Four Seasons
The home at 2205 N. Warnell St. sold Feb. 9, for $119,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,645 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $72.34.
Gordon Oaks
The home at 1607 N. Gordon St. sold Feb. 13, for $180,000. Built in 1909, it has five bedrooms, two and one half baths and 2,414 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $74.57.
Grimwold
The home at 905 N. Burton St. sold Feb. 9, for $115,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,287 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $89.36.
Hillsborough
The home at 4812 Charleston Ave. sold Feb. 24, for $55,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,728 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $31.83. The home at 3403 County Line Road sold Feb. 5, for $160,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, two and one half baths and 1,560 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $102.56. The home at 808 W. Risk St. sold Feb. 18, for $107,000. Built in 1937, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,456 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $73.49. The home at 3504 E. Trapnell Road sold Feb. 27, for $77,000. Built in 1923, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,297 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $59.37. The home at 5015 Vaughn Road sold Feb. 13, for $115,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,440 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $79.86.
Island Pond Estates
The home at 3407 Speer Road sold Feb. 6, for $84,500 (REO/ bank owned). Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 864 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $97.80.
Jenkins
The home at 4904 Calhoun Road sold Feb. 25, for $98,475 (REO/bank owned). Built in
1940, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,979 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $49.76.
Kentwood Park
The home at 2301 Maki Road sold Feb. 27, for $34,000 (REO/ bank owned). Built in 1987, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 920 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $36.96.
Kings Village
The home at 801 N. Gordon St. sold Feb. 11, for $49,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1950, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,104 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $37.19.
Laurel Lake
The home at 2761 Golf Lake Drive sold Feb. 27, for $143,500. Built in 1995, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,264 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $113.53.
Marshall Terrace
The home at 1812 E. Ohio St. sold Feb. 24, for $28,000 (short sale). Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 816 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $34.31.
Magnolia Green
The home at 3203 Azalea Blossom Drive sold Feb. 24, for $108,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1950, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,104 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $37.19. The home at 3704 Crystal Dew sold Feb. 27, for $184,900 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, two and one half baths and 2,968 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $62.30.
Manning
The home at 1525 Cowart Road sold Feb. 23, for $270,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,745 square feet of living area on two acres. The price per square foot is $72.10.
Oakwood Estates
The home at 1715 Oakwood Estates Drive sold Feb. 20, for $162,500 (short sale). Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,163 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $73.13.
Orange Heights
The home at 1604 N. Ferrell St. sold Feb. 16, for $68,500. Built in 1950, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,602 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $42.76.
Osborne
The home at 1006 N. Wills St. sold Feb. 27, for $65,000 (REO/ bank owned). Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,200 square feet of living
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REAL ESTATE / PAGE 10
of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $76.88.
area on one acre. The price per square foot is $54.17.
Walden Lake
Plant City Heights
The home at 603 W. Tever St. sold Feb. 23, for $145,000. Built in 1946, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,586 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $56.07.
Reynolds Ridge
The home at 4308 Reynolds Creek Ave. sold Feb. 25, for $150,000 (short sale) Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, two and one half baths and 2,430 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $61.73.
Seminole Lake Estates
The home at 3206 W. Reynolds St. sold Feb. 11, for $65,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,008 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $64.48.
Stockwell
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
The home at 560 E. McDonald Road sold Feb. 27, for $77,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,792 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $42.97.
Trapnell Ridge
The home at 3900 Trapnell Ridge Drive sold Feb. 6, for $125,000 (short sale). Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,626 square feet
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOQUIZ ANSWERS 1) Experience 2) Wah-Wah Pedal 3) Electric Ladyland 4) Monterey 5) Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix
The home at 2702 Barret Ave. sold Feb. 12, for $270,000. Built in 1992, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,222 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $83.80. The home at 2406 Clubhouse Drive sold Feb. 13, for $320,000. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,986 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $107.17. The home at 3205 Kilmer Drive sold Feb. 27, for $230,000. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,422 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $94.96. The home at 2710 Laurel Oak Drive sold Feb. 20, for $208,000. Built in 1989, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,870 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $87.18. The home at 3315 Silverpond Drive sold Feb. 16, for $122,564 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,838 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $66.68. The home at 3503 Sandburg Loop sold Feb. 6, for $205,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,989 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $103.07. The home at 3023 Spring Hammock Drive sold Feb.
20, for $193,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,019 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $95.59. The home at 3214 Stevenson St. sold Feb. 26, for $202,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,412 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $83.75. The home at 1456 Walden Oaks Place sold Feb. 26, for $177,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,839 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $96.25.
Walden Lake Fairway Villas
The home at 306 Valencia Court sold Feb. 24, for $72,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,329 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $54.18.
Washington Park
The home at 801 N. Gordon St. sold Feb. 27, for $33,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1926, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,263 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $26.13.
Walden Pointe
The home at 1814 Via Chianti St. sold Feb. 13, for $214,625. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,183 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $97.86. The home at 3016 Via Siena
St. sold Feb. 14, for $241,999. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,780 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $87.05.
Walden Woods
The home at 769 Ashentree Drive sold Feb. 6, for $149,990. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two and one half baths and 1,483 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $101.14. The home at 1864 Greenwood Valley Drive sold Feb. 12, for $124,990. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two and one half baths and 1,581 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $79.06.
Wayne Terrace
The home at 1709 Charles Ave sold Feb. 23, for $29,900. Built in 1958, it has two bedrooms, two and one bath and 728 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $41.07.
Whispering Woods
The home at 2630 Holly Bluff Court sold Feb. 4, for $215,000. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, two and one half baths and 2,748 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $78.24.
Woodards Manor
The home at 1204 Pamela Sue Court sold Feb. 27, for $92,500. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,645 square feet of living area on one acre. The price per square foot is $56.23.
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OBSERVER OBITUARIES Rosa Acosta
Rosa Acosta, 82, of Plant City, died March 5, 2015, at South Florida Baptist Hospital. A native of Miami, she was the daughter of the late Arturo and Estela Hernandez Moya. Survivors include her beloved husband, Ildefonso L. Acosta; children, Luis Acosta, Sonia Fernandez, Norma Escalona and Rosa Alvarez; and three sisters, two brothers, eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, Idelfonso O. Acosta. Funeral services were held Sunday, March 8, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel. Online condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
Raymond Blue
Raymond Blue, 67, of Plant City, died March 6, 2015, in Temple Terrace. Mr. Blue was born and raised in Plant City. He worked in construction and was a brick layer. He played cards and enjoyed spending time with his family. Loving family who survive are son, Andre Blue; daughters, Teresa Blue and Cassandra Johnson; brothers, Thaddeus Blue (Carolyn), Billy Blue (Annie) and Russell Goodwine (Peggy); sisters, Mary Blue and Gwendolyn Goodwine; grandchildren, Shakia Blue, Jasime Blue, Eddie Blue and Kevin Blue; and great-grandchildren, Raymond Fitzgerald and Seaven George. Mr. Blue is predeceased by brothers, Oscar Goodwine and Rudolph Goodwine; and his parents, Raymond Otis and Ola Mae (McClothan) Blue. A celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. Friday, March 13, at Wells Memorial, followed by a memorial service at 12 p.m. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Summer Lynn Booth
Summer Lynn Booth, 6, of Plant City, died March 3, 2015. She is an angel who will forever smile upon us. She is survived by her parents, Jennifer Hobbs and David and Janelle Booth; siblings, Addison Gainey, Brenden Booth and Aaron Booth; and grandparents, Jessie Hobbs, James Booth and Annette and Tom Marr. A celebration of life was held Saturday, March 7, at Hopewell Funeral Home. Interment at Hopewell Memorial Gardens. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Dorothy “Dot” Futch Conerly
Dorothy “Dot” Futch Conerly, 81, of Plant City, died peacefully March 3, 2015. She was the daughter of Rev. Clyde and Florence Futch and was an active member of First Baptist Church. After a long career as corporate secretary for a major oil company, she enjoyed many years of retirement. She found joy surrounding herself with friends and family, and participating in outdoor activities with her husband. She is survived by daughter, Deborah Wright (Walter); granddaughter, Lindsay Wright (Curtis); and many loving family and
friends. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Robert “Don” Conerly. A celebration of life was held Friday, March 6, at Hopewell Funeral Home. Interment at Springhead Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.
Melissa Ann Cooke
Melissa Ann Cooke, 34, of Plant City, died unexpectedly Feb. 28, 2015, at her home. She was born April 2, 1980. Ms. Cooke attended the University of South Florida until she was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease, Goodpasture Syndrome, in January 2003. She battled this disease like a mighty warrior. Some of her greatest joys came from counseling others with this rare disease, and reaching out to those newly diagnosed and sharing her journey and successes. Some of her favorite moments were spending time coaching softball, listening to live music with friends, becoming an aunt, snuggling with her little dachshunds and telling jokes. Ms. Cooke was a person that was so amazing and generous of heart. She cared for people deeply. She loved watching and going to Bucs, Lightning and Rays games, and also rooted for the Florida Gators. Her courageous spirit will live within her family. She is truly inspirational and one of the toughest girls that they knew. She is survived by her parents, Philip A. Cooke and Patricia A. Clark Cooke, of Plant City; sister, Mary A. Martel (John); nephews, Brody and Laurel; maternal grandmother, Joan Enriquez; paternal grandfather, Allen Cooke (Roz); and other aunts, uncles, cousins and relatives. Ms. Cooke’s parents would like to extend a special thank you to the team of doctors that helped them through the last 12 years: Dr. Robert Oliva, Dr. Azhar Malik, Dr. Keith Kapatkin, Dr. Rafael Martinez, Dr. Andrianus DeRuijter and all of their kind staff members. They would also like to recognize Mrs. Ahn, Ms. Marybeth and Ms. Denise from the Publix Pharmacy at Valrico Commons. You all gave her an enormous amount of kindness and strength. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, at Wells Memorial Funeral Home. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay in Melissa’s honor: HumaneSocietyTampa.com. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
David A. Fitzpatrick
David A. Fitzpatrick, 72, of Lithia, died March 6, 2015. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served in Vietnam, and he was a member of Kingdom Christian Ministries in Lithia. He loved his family, and he enjoyed carpentry, reading, praying and helping others. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Kathy Ward Fitzpatrick; children, David II (Lisa), Jesse (Mo), Jason, Shannon (David) and Shad (Stacy); grandchil-
dren, Sam, Autumn, Brittany, Kaleigh and Noah; siblings, Cindy and Mitchell; and many other family and friends. A celebration of life was held Tuesday, March 10, at Kingdom Christian Ministries. Interment at PeloteAlderman Cemetery, Lithia. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Robert Elmer Horn
Robert Elmer Horn, 95, of Plant City, died March 5, 2015. Mr. Horn was a member of St. Clement Catholic Church, a retired Air Force captain and plant manager for Continental Can Corporation. Survivors include sons, William Horn (Debbie), John Horn (Sharon) and Richard Horn (Shawn); daughter, Barbara Horn; brother, Sherman Horn Jr.; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his wife, Verna; sons, Robert Horn and James Horn; daughter, Jeanne Donnelly; and grandchildren, Tiffany Russell and Joshua Horn. A memorial Mass will be held in April at St. Clement Catholic Church. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to LifePath Hospice, 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300 W., Temple Terrace, 33637, or St. Clement Catholic Church, 1104 N. Alexander St., Plant City, 33563. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial. com.
Pamela Kay Trowell
Pamela Kay Trowell, 65, of Plant City, died March 1, 2015 at her home. A native of Tampa, she was the daughter of the late Wesley and Willie Whittle Trowell. Ms. Trowell attended Springhead Methodist Church and Church on the Rock. Survivors include son, Stacy Chasteen; daughter, Eugenia Chasteen; brothers, Wesley and Randall Trowell; sister, Delores Little; and five grandchildren and and great-grandchildren. The family will be having services at a later date. Online condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
Mae Goff Webster
Mae Goff Webster, 77, died Feb. 27, 2015. She was born Oct. 2, 1937, in Plant City, the daughter of the late Johnnie McWilliams and Alice Waitman Bell. Mrs. Webster was formerly married to the late Luther D. Goff. Years later, she married the late Benjamin D. Webster III. She was employed with the Tandet Center until retirement. Her memory and legacy of love will be cherished by daughter, Pastor Patricia Goff McKinney (Kelvin); sons, Gregory D. Goff and Michael D. Goff (Liene); grandchildren, Nakina, Kimberly and Kelvin Jr.; sister, Juanita Bynes; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Visitation and a service of celebration were held Friday, March 6, in Stamford, Connecticut.
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Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Evan Crowell excels at two sports.16 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
BASKETBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
SIDELINES P.C. Vipers expand Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com, or Tweet us at @PCTOSports.
SOFTBALL
+ Lady Raiders heat up This prep softball season is turning out to be a bit of a surprise: For the first time in a while, neither Durant nor Strawberry Crest are in first place in the district. Instead, the Plant City Lady Raiders are perched atop the 7A-7 standings with East Bay. Not bad for a team undergoing its third consecutive coaching change. Plant City (8-5; 4-1 district) has won six of its last seven games, and that loss — a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Durant (4-8; 3-2 district) happened in eight innings. The Lady Raiders have outscored their district opponents, 66-12, in that span. Edmilly Molina currently leads all batters (15 plate appearances or more) with a .421 average, 16 hits, 14 RBI and runs, four triples and two doubles. The sophomore, who had a breakout season last year under coach Maggie Feix, has shown no signs of slowing down and, along with Durant junior Selena Bezares (.405, 15 H, 18 RBI, 9 R, 4 HR), is looking like one of the top players in the district. The team went into spring break with a 15-0 win over Spoto on March 5, and will begin play in the Sarasota Spring Slam tournament Friday, March 13, with a game against Sarasota High at 3 p.m.
teams, hoop dreams The Plant City Vipers youth basketball program has a big vision for the future, and it’s recently started expansion by adding a second team. There have been several big changes made within the Plant City Vipers organization, but the one thing that remains the same is its vision for the future. As always, it’s about doing as much for the kids as possible. The small travel ball organization just got a little bigger in 2015, making some personnel changes. It will be adding a competitive junior varsity team before its season begins at the end of the month. On the board of directors, Jennifer Rhoads now serves as the team president. Lili Armatrout now serves as the treasurer. Amador Reyes has also been
brought onto the board. As for the teams, both have new coaches with plenty of local experience. “We started over,” Vipers Vice President Reggie Rivers says. “The coaches that we had, we decided to make the change and start over from scratch. We know Wade (Rogers) from way back, and knew that he would be excellent as a coach. Then, we got a recommendation for Terry (“T.J.”) Thompson Jr., and we’ve also got his father, Terry Thompson Sr., over there.”
TIGERS TO VIPERS
Rogers, who has coached in rec leagues around the area
The Plant City Vipers’ varsity squad is excited to get back on the court in a few weeks. for most of the past decade, started the Plant City Tigers team with his wife, Robin, last year. “I started the Tigers to try to keep the local, Plant City, high school kids together,” he says. “Basically, the only op-
tion was to go to Brandon or go to Lakeland to really get any structure, so it was the recommendation of parents and coaches, all together, to try and keep the kids together as best as possible.” The team competed in four
family business by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
tournaments at the 10thgrade level, winning two, and Rogers says that the experience was a good one. However, it was also a daunting task for the Rogers to
SEE VIPERS / PAGE 15
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
For Raiders, Meyer is the right hire
BASEBALL
+ Area teams in Saladino Tourney The Saladino Tournament is a pretty big deal in the Tampa Bay area, and all three Plant City-area high schools got a piece of the action this week. So far, the area teams have performed fairly well. Durant picked up a handful of 11-1 wins in its first two games, beating Chamberlain and Middleton, and took a 2-0 loss to Plant on Tuesday, March 10. In those two wins, Jonah Scolaro led the way with six hits and a double. The Cougars had a rematch with the Plant Panthers in Wednesday’s quarterfinal, for which results weren’t available at press time. Plant City got things started with a 3-0 win over King on Saturday, March 7, and followed up with a 2-1 loss to Alonso that went nine innings. Fortunately, the Raiders were able to rebound Tuesday with a 13-7 win over Tampa Bay Tech, in which Dalton Wingo, Peyton Collins, Connor Slagill and Trey Matthews combined to go 11-for-19 with 10 RBI. Strawberry Crest has reported several wins thus far, a 4-1 win over Robinson to open the tournament, a 5-3 win over Freedom Monday, March 9 and a 6-0 win over Jefferson Tuesday, March 10. The Chargers had not reported any statistical information by press time. The championship game will take place today at 4 p.m.
Justin Kline
Justin Kline
Greg Meyer has been with the Raider program since 2012.
RUNNING THE RAIDERS Plant City High promoted Greg Meyer to head coach of the football team late last week. Plant City High got a surprise when head coach Wayne Ward resigned in February. Fortunately for the Raiders, the school didn’t have to look far at all to find the new man for the job. Greg Meyer’s third season on the Raiders staff will be his first as the team’s head coach, and the second head job of his coaching career. “It’s incredibly exciting,” Meyer says. “The amount of support from students, faculty and the community has been overwhelming.” Although it will be Meyer’s second role as a head coach, he says that this experience will be one unlike anything he’s ever been a part of before.
EARLY SUCCESS
Meyer, a Tampa native, got the opportunity to join the
coaching staff at his alma mater, Plant High, at a good time. As an assistant under longtime coach Bob Weiner, he worked with the defense during the Panthers’ successful 2008 state championship run. “I can’t say enough about learning from the guys at Plant,” Meyer says. “The guys on that staff have been together for a long time. You really got a chance to see what it was to be a part of something bigger than yourself, in the truest sense, when it comes to high school ball.” Meyer says that he learned one of the most important lessons of his coaching career there, before he left Plant for another job in Jacksonville. “They’re committed to the program — to the kids — for all the right reasons,” he says. “The core philosophy I’ve ad-
opted from that is to make it about the kids 100% of the time, and you’ll never go wrong.” When the opportunity for another coaching job arose in north Florida, Meyer jumped on it.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
In 2008, Wolfson High was still going with longtime head coach and athletic director Frank Jenkins at the helm of the football program. Meyer joined the staff as Jenkins’ defensive coordinator, a position he held for three years before Jenkins departed to open up Orange Park-Oakleaf High. Meyer was named the team’s head coach in 2010 and posted a 4-17 record there
SEE MEYER / PAGE 15
WHAT TO WATCH According to Greg Meyer, Raider fans will have plenty to be excited about in the upcoming 2015 season. What’s in store? Take it from the coach himself: “With the defensive side of the ball, the bulk of our guys are coming back,” Meyer says. “We had some good young guys behind Quay (Young), Sawyer (Dawson) and Patrick (Colleran) that are coming up. On offense, Antoine Thompson, Corey King, Markese Hargrove, Ge’Sean Parker and Sterling Day performed well. It’s gonna be a lot of fun, going forward. “It starts with Markese Hargrove. To have a 1,300 yard rusher coming back is a wonderful advantage. We’ve got Corey King coming back at QB, and we like how he developed later in the year. Antoine Thompson, his consistency grew later on — we’re excited about him. He’s explosive. “We’ll have a young, good O-line. We feel confident we’ll be able to get the O-line jelling as we go through the spring.”
When things for a sports team aren’t going completely bonkers, I’m a big fan of continuity. Especially so when it comes to coaching positions: A team can have all the talent in the world, but without a leader the players can trust, things can quickly go awry. (2012-13 New York Rangers and former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella, JUSTIN KLINE I’m looking at you.) The Plant City High football players were shocked, to say the least, when they learned that six-year head coach Wayne Ward resigned from the position last month. The PCHS alum said that he needed to attend to some personal matters, and stepping down would be best for him at this time. Ward led the Raiders program to new heights, putting Plant City on the map for many big-name college programs and according to many Raider fans I’ve heard from, was an excellent role model for his players. Plant City may not have won a state title in Ward’s tenure, but he’s still going to be a hard act to follow. Which is why I’m of the opinion that promoting Greg Meyer was the best move for the program going forward. Meyer, who will jump right into his second head coaching gig, hasn’t been with the program for as long as Ward had before he was named head coach six years ago. But he’s already accomplished quite a bit. Tasked with running the defense the entire time he’s been in town, Meyer helped produce some of the area’s top stop units. What Raider fans can forget the excellent 2013 defense, studded with stars like Montel McBride,
SEE KLINE / PAGE 15
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ABOUT THE VIPERS
The Plant City Vipers program fields two travel basketball teams, both of which compete under the Youth Basketball of America organization’s umbrella. The varsity team also plays against United States Specialty Sports Association competition. Both teams are going to begin their seasons, which will consist of four to five tournaments, Friday, March 27.
VIPERS / PAGE 14 run a travel ball team by themselves — especially in an area where the Vipers were also active. With that in mind, Rogers and the Vipers made what appeared to be the most logical move where everyone could win. “We decided to pool our resources,” Rogers says. “It made a lot of sense. We were fighting for the same turf, and it didn’t make any sense. Me and my wife did it last year, on our own, first time doing travel ball. We tried to do it all.
It was fun, but tiring.” Last year’s Tigers will play on the varsity team. Wishing to help younger ballers transition from middle school to high school, Rogers volunteered to coach the JV team, a squad full of new players. “It’s all brand-new kids to me, and to the Vipers,” he says.
UPPERCLASSMEN
On the varsity side, Thompson Jr. is moving up after coaching at Marshall Middle School this year. He’s coached on the AAU level before, and spent several years with the Plant City
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP Panthers seventh and eighthgrade teams. Thompson Jr. is a fairly recent UCF graduate who plans to become a social studies teacher in the near future. Although he does coach at Marshall Middle, Thompson Jr. opted to work with the high schoolers this year. “I’d rather help the kids in high school — to help them get better,” he says. “Get the kids more fundamentally sound.” Thompson was specifically recommended to the Vipers program, which recruited him at a team function in 2014. He’ll be coaching the Vipers with his father, who will be the team’s assistant coach this year. “This is my first time coaching with my dad,” Thompson Jr. says. “I’ve been coached by him before, but never with him. It’s different. I’m still getting used to it. He does most of the motivational stuff.”
MEYER / PAGE 14 over two seasons. Coaching at Wolfson didn’t come with the universal support that Meyer saw in programs like Plant, and even Plant City, but he says he was still able to draw some positives from his time there. “The experiences learned there were invaluable,” Meyer says. “Program organization, delegating with staff, all that. Surviving in an environment where there wasn’t a whole lot of support.” He left the program in 2012 to return to the Tampa Bay area, as his mother had fallen ill, and joined the Raiders in the offseason as Wayne Ward’s defensive coordinator.
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Meyer’s work with players like Montel McBride, Sedrick King, T.J. Chase, John Broome and Sawyer Dawson — all NCAA Division 1 college prospects — spoke for itself shortly after joining the staff. He was able to help develop a talented squad that, in 2013, boasted one of the Tampa Bay area’s best front sevens and an up-and-coming secondary unit. In 2014, he got results from a much younger defense. Thanks to great play from Dawson, Patrick Colleran, Steven Ogletree and Cory Cotnoir, Plant City turned into something of a linebacker factory. Most importantly, from his perspective, Plant City provided the kind of football environment that Wolfson lacked: a program with the full
KLINE / PAGE 14 Sedrick King, John Broome and Sawyer Dawson? And, even though last year’s team wasn’t quite as successful as the 2013 team, Meyer still got the most out of players who had previously flown under the radar — Patrick Colleran, Javaris Whitsett, Steven Ogletree, etc. Keeping that same defensive mind in the field house is the right way to go. He’s also helped send a lot of kids to college, serving as the team’s recruiting liaison between PCHS and the universities. That’s helped
Justin Kline
Greg Meyer spoke highly of the Raider seniors at the school’s 2015 National Signing Day ceremony. support of both the school administration and the community as a whole. Therefore, the Plant City head job was the only one he ever considered applying for during his time here. When the opportunity presented itself, Meyer immediately threw his name in a full hat. “This is the only one I was going to apply for,” Meyer says. “Tampa Catholic and all the other ones that have had openings are appealing on certain levels, but this is definitely unique.” With what he feels is the right culture already in place, and a roster full of players that already know and trust him, Meyer is much more comfortable stepping into this role than when he took the Wolfson job in 2010. The coaching staff won’t see too many changes, though Meyer has confirmed that he and the school are currently in
the later stages of bringing a new offensive coordinator on board. “I think there’ll be some similarities, offensively, because of our personnel,” he says. “We’re building our system around our kids. We will have a spread attack, but we’ll have a strong run identity between the tackles. We want to get back to the old school Plant City ways of being able to mash it up front.” Football season is still many months away, but no one is more excited to get back on the field already than the Raiders’ new head coach. “Plant City as a whole is just a unique community when it comes to football,” Meyer says. “Kids here have aspirations and solid work ethic — it’s definitely a special place when it comes to high school football.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
schools such as Alabama, Nebraska, Purdue and more learn that Plant City is more than just a place that exists on a detailed map of Florida. All of that, combined with the fact that Meyer is well-liked by the players, bodes well for Plant City’s program going forward. I’m not suggesting that this is an immediately transformative hire, though, because it’s way too early to tell. Perhaps Meyer’s biggest challenge will be finding a way to make the offense click — that unit was arguably the team’s biggest concern in
2014, other than the consistently stellar play it got from running back Markese Hargrove. Developing quarterback Corey King will be especially crucial to the team’s success, and the young QB did show promising flashes of talent while splitting snaps with graduating senior Austin Carswell. It’ll be a challenging year for Meyer, but in a district that hasn’t had a repeating champion in the last few seasons, there’s definitely potential for success in the near future.
THE FUTURE
Rivers says that the Vipers are not done growing yet, though more big moves will take plenty of time and planning. As a part of the team vision, he says that the board hopes to one day field a girls team. But, for now, everyone seems to be pleased with the way things have turned out, especially on the coaching end. “Our vision is large, and they bought into the vision,” Rivers says. “We’re very happy with the coaches that we have.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
EVAN CROWELL Now that Evan Crowell’s high school football career is over, the Plant City High senior needed something to do in the offseason. He joined the track and field team for the spring and, in last week’s Hillsborough County meet at Leto High, Crowell placed first in the county in the shot put. What events do you normally compete in? I do shot put and discus. How long have you been doing track and field? I did track my sophomore year, but I didn’t do the whole season. I was just kind of messing around with it. This is the first year I’ve actually been serious about it, and did it because I wanted to compete. What made you want to come back? As a senior, football in high school’s over. Right now, until college, I’m just kind of sitting around, doing nothing. Track’s the perfect opportunity: It’s in the offseason, it gives me something to do, and I like it a lot. So on Saturday, you won the shot put event. What about discus? I’m not sure what place I got. I don’t think I got top three, but I’m not sure. In the shot put, I threw it 45 feet. What other sports do you play, besides football and track? Football and track are enough for me. I don’t really have time for anything else, really. I know you had a lot of football offers from the Ivy League schools, and Air Force Academy. How high is your GPA right now? It’s 5.5, I think. All of my classes this year are AP classes. What made you pick App State over one of those schools? I went to App State over the summer, to do football camp, and I fell in love with the campus. That campus is literally in the mountains, and it’s beautiful up there. Plus, Ivy League schools, they can’t really give a lot of money to middle-class kids. It’s really, really expensive. App State was just the right fit for me. It felt right. You played on the offensive and defensive lines for Plant City football. What will you be playing at Appalachian State? In college, I’ll be playing on the D-line. I know one of the key reasons why they loved me is because I’ll be playing D-line for them, but when we switch to scout they can use me as an offensive lineman because I have experience there. I’ll be able to help the team. What do you plan to major in? Medicine. I want to do the pre-med program. I like orthopedic medicine — sports medicine. What’s your favorite subject in school? I like my science classes. I have AP physics and AP environmental science right now, and those are fun. And I need those
credits for my doctorate anyway, so I might as well knock them out of the way right now. The Plant City football team just made a big coaching change. What was your reaction to that, even though your Raider playing days are over? I love Coach Ward a lot. He’s been my coach the past four years. Honestly, I was surprised to hear that he stepped down at the end of the season. But, I’m really, really happy that Coach Meyer got chosen as the head coach. To me, he’s the next logical choice: He’s well-equipped for it and he knows what he’s doing. He’s got a lot of connections at the college level, and he’s got experience with a state championship program at Plant. How are the younger guys taking the news? They like it a lot. All of them, all of us, we love Coach Meyer. He makes the task of going to football practice every day and grinding enjoyable. He makes it more than just going to practice. What else do you like to do in your free time? When I’m not playing football or track, usually I’m just staying at home, relaxing, reading books, playing video games. What books are you reading for fun? The “Game of Thrones” series. I’ve seen the whole series, but I just started reading. I’m on the first book now. What’s better: the book or TV show? So far, probably the book. It does go a lot more into detail, and it’s more interesting. What’s your team in Madden? The Buccaneers, all the way. I can beat some people with the Buccaneers now. They’re lethal in Madden. Who’s your favorite athlete of all time? Mike Alstott. My dad, he’s a photographer, and he had a photoshoot with Alstott a while back, when we were kids. We got to meet him and he signed us autographs. Really, really nice guy. If you could be either rich or famous, what would it be? Famous, because if you’re rich, you can just buy stuff. If you’re famous, you can make an impact. People know who you are, they listen to what you say and you can influence people for the better. I wouldn’t want to be famous just for everybody to be like, ‘Oh, Evan Crowell, he’s awesome!’ I’d want to be famous to make an impact for something. What’s the most-played song in your iPod right now? Probably an Ellie Goulding song. “Explosions.” That song’s awesome. That was unexpected. I love Ellie Goulding a lot. A lot of people give me crap for it, because I’m a big football player who loves Ellie Goulding, but I can’t explain it.
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PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
THURS. March 5
0.00
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
March 6
0.00
HIGH Friday, March 13 87 Saturday, March 14 86 Sunday, March 15 85 Monday, March 16 80 Tuesday, March 17 81 Wednesday, March 18 81 Thursday, March 19 79
SAT.
March 7
0.00
SUN.
March 8
0.00
MON.
March 9
0.00
TUES.
March 10
0.00
WED.
March 11
0.00
MARCH
TO DATE
0.00 (2014: 0.96)
YEAR
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SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES SUNRISE Friday, March 13 7:41 a.m. Saturday, March 14 7:40 a.m. Sunday, March 15 7:30 a.m. Monday, March 16 7:38 a.m Tuesday, March 17 7:37 a.m. Wednesday, March 18 7:36 a.m. Thursday, March 19 7:34 a.m.
SUNSET 7:35 p.m. 7:36 p.m. 7:36 p.m. 7:37 p.m. 7:38 p.m. 7:38 p.m. 7:39 p.m.
STRAWBERRIES
LOW 65 64 63 54 56 57 57
MOON PHASES
March 13
March 20
SHIPPING POINT: Orlando
$6.90-8.90
TO DATE 7.86 (2014: 2.30)
March 27
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
, 3&
Troop1157 gave back to the community and provided the homeless with snacks and toiletries behind Bruton Memorial Library. Caroline Pacheco snapped the good dead. The Plant City Times & Observer and Grimes Hardware have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest. Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $15 gift certificate to Grimes Hardware’s Strawberry Town Cafe! To enter, email your photo, along with a caption, to Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City. Winners can pick up their prize at Grimes Hardware.
April 4
CRYPTOQUIZ Each of the following cryptograms is a clue to the identity of an esteemed musician. Using the hints S=E and J=R, decipher the clues to name the musician.
1. S C Q S J O S F M S 2. T U K - T U K Q S Z U R 3. S R S M W J O M R U Z E R U F Z 4. Y A F W S J S E 5. T A A Z I W A M V This musician owned many guitars, including one nicknamed Black Beauty:
SUDOKU
Solve the puzzle by placing the numbers 1 through 9 in each row, column and box.
CROSSWORD JAM SESSION by Lewis Forte ACROSS 1 Nearby 7 “The Flintstones” setting 14 Hanging loosely 19 Waterproofing topcoat 20 Midwife’s exhortation 21 Without principles 22 Let your winnings ride 23 Tape-recorder spindle 24 Something in your eye 25 Lavishes affection (on) 27 ___ up (absorb) 28 Level of accomplishment 29 Population growth factors 32 Registered to vote 35 Much 36 Actress Gilpin of “Frasier” 37 ___ wait (prepare to ambush) 38 Some kitchen gizmos 41 “To the max” suffix 42 Paternity test factor 43 Chop-chop, to Byron 48 Seize an opportunity 50 When it’s high, it causes health problems 53 Act theatrically 56 PC data-sharing acronym 57 Cambodia neighbor 58 ___ donna (opera star) 62 Contain, as emotions 64 “___ death do us part” 65 Spelling or Amos 66 City north of Carson City 67 Music genre 69 “What ___ is new?” 70 China or European intro 71 “That’s so cool!” 72 Aromatic 2-Down 73 More unusual 74 Immobilizer 76 “I’m quoting this, errors and all” 77 Pharaoh’s land 79 Waterproof raincoats 81 Colleague of Calliope 86 Hibernation 87 “Silent Night” adjective 88 Farm female 91 Corcoran of “Bachelor Father” 92 Napa Valley wine variety 94 Some animal shelters 96 ___-inflammatory 97 Margarita order 102 Just-eaten 105 One worthy of emulation 106 Defective 107 “For Whom the Bell Tolls” character 108 Bowled over 109 Tree-shaded 113 RNA component 116 First grade time out? 117 Sweet-talk 118 Basic monetary unit of Canada 119 Risky rendezvous 120 Exchange political favors 121 “A Streetcar Named Desire” character
©2015 Universal Uclick
DOWN 1 Deadly snake 2 Oolong, for one 3 High-decibel form of 67-Across 4 One given a portion 5 Below, to poets 6 Washer partner 7 Major TV network 8 Pencil ends 9 Bank action 10 Mobster’s speech, in stereotypes 11 Mel, the Giant slugger 12 Half a dance’s name 13 Boy doll 14 Do some finger-painting 15 Gambling with ping-pong balls 16 The Little Mermaid 17 Erie or Panama 18 Actor Kinski 21 “Over the Rainbow” composer Harold 26 Syrup, before processing 28 21st letter of the Greek alphabet 29 Brewers’ yeast 30 Pelvis parts 31 Driving range peg 32 Seasoned pros 33 Curtain fabric
34 A shade of blue 39 “Cheers” actress Perlman 40 “Green Eggs and Ham” guy 43 Had a meal 44 Enjoyed the children’s zoo 45 “Happy Days” malt shop owner 46 Lacking refinement 47 With more of a certain shade tree 49 John Lennon’s wife 50 Doctor’s facilities 51 Harmful look 52 Place for a pot 54 Software expert 55 “A mouse!” 58 Light refractors 59 You can’t keep it forever 60 Persuade 61 Unification Church member nickname, once 63 Whom psychiatrists see 64 Chinese mafia 67 Extremely easy victory 68 “Norma ___” (1979 movie) 73 Conductor Klemperer 75 A country’s output, for short 76 Trembled 78 Wordplay groaner
80 Lip-___ (pretend to sing) 82 Not permanent, as ink 83 Building manager’s schedule 84 Sampras of the courts 85 The wife of Geraint in Arthurian lore 88 Conductor Mata 89 Oliver ___ Holmes 90 “30” to an editor 92 Gives the goad-ahead? 93 “... and ___ the opposite shore will be” 95 Sample, as wine 97 Eyeball-bending drawings 98 Finger-pointer 99 Square-jawed detective Dick 100 Visibility hindrances 101 Discharge, as lava 103 Encircles with a belt 104 “Cats” poet T.S. 106 Anglo-___ War (1899-1902) 109 Punching tool 110 Greek “P” 111 ___, borrow or steal 112 Word with “Rio” or “Mar” 114 “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner 115 Important time in history
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