PLANT CITY TIMES &
Observer
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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 4, NO. 39
FREE
Keel & Curley Winery for sale
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FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
YOUR TOWN
By this time next year, Joe Keel, owner of Keel & Curley Winery, hopes to have traded in the blueberry fields of Plant City for the coral reefs of the Florida Keys. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER
Daniel Figueroa IV
Joe Keel hopes to have a buyer by the end of the year.
A beloved Plant City winery has hit the sales block. Joe Keel is selling his 14-year-old business, which includes a cidery and the craft beer company Two Henrys Brewing Company. The asking price is $4.2 million. Tampa-based merger and acquisition firm Washington Partners is handling the transaction. Keel, 61, originally a blueberry farmer, started the company with help of his son, Clay Keel, in 2003
when he needed something to do with his end-of-crop blueberries. They started producing blueberry wine 10 gallons at a time. According to the winery’s website, more than 20,000 cases are produced annually, adding to a reported revenue of about $4 million per year. Family members, including Clay and his brother Ryan Keel, also started Six Star Beverage Company in 2011 to help sell and distribute the company’s wines. Since 2003, the enterprises have expanded steadily, including a SEE KEEL PAGE 3
FIGHTING HER FATE Two years ago, Jodi Stevens felt a lump in her breast. Next week, she’ll be the honorary survivor at the 2017 Plant City Relay for Life. EMILY TOPPER MANAGING EDITOR
Growing up, Jodi Stevens assumed she would get cancer. She just didn’t know when. Stevens rallied around her family when her mother, grandmother and aunt were diagnosed. Her family history led her to begin getting mammograms at a younger age. Two years ago around her birthday, Stevens felt a spot on her breast. At the time it was nothing, but six months later she had the spot biopsied. It was cancer. “I think honestly being proactive helped me with the news,” Stevens said. “It wasn’t a big shock.” Stevens wasn’t taking any chances. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation, planning her chemo treatments around her work schedule as the physician services manager at South Florida Baptist Hospital. Her treatments took place down the hall in the hospital’s oncology center. In two weeks, Stevens will join fellow fighters at the 2017 Plant City Relay for Life. This year, she’s the organization’s honorary survivor — she’s cancerfree. “And doing just fine,” she said.
Emily Topper
Tim Godshall climbed to the school’s roof Thursday, March 30.
Raise the roof In the past, Tim Godshall has kissed cows and pigs when students at Cork Elementary School bring in enough food and water to donate to the United Food Bank of Plant City. This year, the Cork Elementary guidance counselor wanted to step it up — literally. Around Thanksgiving, the school’s students brought in over 9,000 pounds of food and water to be donated to the food bank. The school placed first in the elementary school division, and second out of all Area 6 schools. This year, Godshall spent the day on the roof Thursday, March 30, in honor of the students reaching their fundraising goals. “Every year we do something a little bit different,” Godshall said. “This is my eighth year here.”
Jackson Creek to be featured in Florida Opry Bluegrass band Jackson Creek will take the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 8, as part of The Florida Opry. The group consists of Joe and Katie Waller, with special guests Carolyn Dunn on the bass and David Allen Potter on the fiddle. Randy Scott will serve as the master of ceremonies for the evening. The Florida Opry will be held at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. The Florida Opry is presented by the East Hillsborough Society, Inc. The performance is the final one of the 2016-2017 season. The 2017-2018 season will start in late fall. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $5 for students. To reserve seats, call (813) 757-9226. For more information, visit TheFloridaOpry.org.
"You do what you have to do, and you don’t ask a second question.” — Jodi Stevens
SEE JODI PAGE 6
Ready for the hunt The 28th Annual City-Wide Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, April 15. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER
For the City of Plant City’s Recreation and Parks department, Easter is often the end game. For the last 28 years, the department has been holding the City-Wide Easter Egg Hunt. This year’s hunt will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Otis M. Andrews Sport Complex. It’s the city’s largest annual youth event, Recreation Assistant Program Director Tim Hanlon said. “It’s a lot of work, logistically, to
make it happen,” Hanlon said. Hanlon has helmed the event’s organization for five years. And while the event’s main draw, the morning egg hunt, has changed little over the years, Hanlon said there have been other minor tweaks to enhance the event. Children usually show up to the event around the 10 a.m. start time or a littler earlier. A magic show kicks off the day. About 20 to 30 minutes later, the hunt begins. There are four hunt areas, separated for different ages groups for children 3 to 11 years old. Thousands of candy or toy-filled eggs are spread throughout the four “nests.” Each nest contains only two golden eggs, which can be redeemed for larger prizes. Hanlon said the egg hunt is usually over quickly, but there’s still hours of
entertainment available after. That, he said, is where the real fine-tuning takes place. The hunt itself is free, but the events after will cost some “bunny dollars,” which are available for purchase during the event. One recent tweak, Hanlon said, was adding a second tent to pay for bunny dollars. Kids under 12 get a free hot dog and drink during the event. There’s even been subtle changes there. “We used to do fountain drinks at the concession stand,” Hanlon said. “It was causing a back up in the line. Now, we do can drinks.” The department has always played with events offered. Previous years included dog and disc shows and caricature stations. This year, there will be airbrushing, inflatable spacewalks, photos with the Easter Bunny, trackless trains and more, all available for bunny dollars. “Five years is a long time,” HanSEE HUNT PAGE 6
Courtesy photos
This year’s hunt will be held Saturday, April 15.