Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH
SPOTLIGHT
Arie Fry
+ Rising Star Plant City High School student Arie Fry has landed a role in “Hit Woman,” a TV show that is currently in negotiations for development. The dark comedy is written and directed by Ranelle Golden and will be filmed around the Central Florida area. Arie will be play the son of Roz Summers. For more information or to help fund the low-budget show, visit https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/ hitwomentv?col=-45065.
+ Estate Sale A large estate sale will be held at the home of the late Katherine Mays, who was the daughter of a former Plant City mayor. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 11 to 13, at 5017 Miley Road. The sale will include original artwork, framed prints, an oak bedroom set, sterling flatware, a venetian chandelier, a rare 1957 Halo Light TV, linens, home theater accessories, a 1872 Warren Platner space pod sofa, clothing and more. For more information, contact Arden Mays at ardenmays@gmail.com.
+ Girls Night Out Gather your girlfriends for a night of shopping at the inaugural Girls Night Out event in downtown Plant City. The event will be 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 11. Registration is at McCall Park,102 N. Palmer St. The stores and restaurants will be offering special promotions until 8:30 p.m. Focus4Beauty will have free pampering stations. Plus, there will be raffles to win prizes and other promotions for businesses around town. For every $10 spent, you are entered to win a collection of gift certificates valued at $240. If you donate clothes and new toiletries, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to RaceTrac. For more information call (813) 659-4200, Ext. 4101 or email events@ plantcitygov.com.
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Rob Yoho
See his photo on PAGE 15.
Gerold Dickens brings NFL lessons to locals.
See how Plant City fares in a recent report on its financial health.
PAGE 7
OUR TOWN
SPORTS
BY THE NUMBERS
Fourth of July celebration ends with a bang.
FREE • THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014
PAGE 11
PAGE 3
special events by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
City Commission axes event planning program
faith
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Citing a need to save money, Interim City Manager David Sollenberger announced Special Events Manager Deanna Hurley will be laid off in October. Seven months after taking on the newly created role of special events manager, Deanna Hurley found out last week that her position will not exist come October. Because of what Interim City Manager David Sollenberger called a “timing issue,” Plant City’s Special Events program was cut July 1. All planned events, with the ex-
ception of the July 11 timing issue.” Girls’ Night Out, have The move was been canceled. made to save Hurley is to be laid money. At the June off Oct. 1. According 23 City Commisto Sollenberger, it has sion meeting, Solnothing to do with her lenberger said the performance on the event-planning job. program was not “No reflections on Hurley producing a “sather — I think she’s a hard isfactory return on investworker,” he says. “It’s just a ment” because the timing
related to the development of Midtown was not positive. The problem, even though many of Hurley’s events were held elsewhere, is that Midtown currently is still in development. “The whole idea was to, as I understand it, to get the position established, par-
SEE HURLEY / PAGE 5
DEDICATED LEADER by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
HOMETOWN HERO Col. Dan Orrico traveled all over the world during his 30-year career in the U.S. Army.
SUPPORT Amber Jurgensen
Col. Dan Orrico started active duty as an officer in 1984.
Resident receives Advocate of Year Award
John Hehn is the executive director of Florida Presbyterian Homes.
of housing/retirement communities or long-term care for seniors. Highlights of Hehn’s advocacy efforts include advocating for the city of Lakeland to create a plan to become recognized as a senior-friendly community; clarification of assisted-living staffing requirements for retirement
communities that license independent living homes as assisted living; meeting with local legislators on the importance of “aging in place”; and the value of providing quality continuum-of-care services to elder Floridians. Hehn often invites local legislators to visit Florida Presbyterian Homes to cultivate those relationships. “As we move forward through the next 10 to 20 years, the field of aging ser-
John Hehn
There is a variety of formula available for free at First Baptist of Midway including brands Enfamil, Similac and Gerber. Regular formula and formula for sensitive stomachs are both readily available. In addition to formula, there are also supplements to wean babies off breast feeding. To pick up formula visit the church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Thursday or call to make a special appointment. Address: 2902 Midway Road, Plant City Phone: (813) 752-7209.
vices and care will become the most dynamic industry in America,” Hehn said. “It will employ more people than retail, and it will incur rapid innovation as the quality of services increases and the
SEE HEHN / PAGE 4
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Pastor Cole Dodd helps the 115-year-old First Baptist of Midway serve its community.
SEE DODD / PAGE 5
aging nicely by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City resident and executive director of Florida Presbyterian Homes, John Hehn, was presented with LeadingAge Florida’s Advocate of the Year Award in Lakeland. This award is presented annually to a LeadingAge Florida member who has made exceptional advocacy efforts on behalf of the field
Pastor leads church in outreach
With tattooed sleeves and a trendy pair of kicks, Cole Dodd would be the last person anyone would suspect to be a pastor at a Baptist church. But First Baptist of Midway’s newest spiritual leader brings his own style to the job. Dodd moved to the position four months ago after serving as worship pastor, taking over for Mitch Wiessman. Wiessman had the longest tenure at the church at 17 years. The growing congregation has adopted Dodd as its own. In turn, he’s been working hard to bring more community outreach programs to the
It was a moving ceremony for Col. Dan Orrico May 24, at his Walden Lake home. Thirty years in the U.S. Army had all led up to that one moment: retirement. His wife, Shelly, set a table to remember fallen soldiers. His eyes filled with tears as each of his five children made their way down the aisle to him, proudly holding flags from the state or country in which they were born. Then came the showering of awards and accolades. “It was a very nice ceremony,” Orrico said. “It was a capstone event for my career. I don’t really consider myself a hero. I just served for 30 years and got to serve with a lot of wonderful men and women.” Orrico did come in contact with a variety of service members and civilians from differ-
SEE ORRICO / PAGE 4
Amber Jurgensen
Pastor Cole Dodd has a passion for community outreach.
Vol. 1, No. 49 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather ......................15
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COMMUNITYCALENDAR THURSDAY, JULY 10 Hillsborough EDC Small Business Development — takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 10, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Kinship Support Group — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 10, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Arts and Crafts — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Windell Campbell Storyteller — takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.
FRIDAY, JULY 11 Music and More — takes place to 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, July 11, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Story Time — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon Friday July 11, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City.
(813) 752-8700. Game Tournament — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, July 11, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215. Summer Teen Movie — takes place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 11, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215. Live Entertainment — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, July 11, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
SATURDAY, JULY 12 Uncork Your Weekend with Mark Sprouse — live music from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100. Live Entertainment — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, July 12, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
SUNDAY, JULY 13 First Baptist of Dover VBS — takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at First Baptist
SATURDAY, JULY 19 Strawberry Classic Car Show — takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at 102 N. Palmer St. For more, visit plantcity.org.
To publicize your event in our Community Calendar, please send by mail: 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563; or by email: meng@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
of Dover, 3223 Gallagher Road, Dover.
Celebrating Our Country Crafts — takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 19, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700.
MONDAY, JULY 14 Dental Services — takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700. Diabetes Management Series: The Journey for Control — Foursession class begins from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the South Florida Baptist Hospital Community Conference Room, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. This innovative teaching method provides participants with an action plan to make changes in their choices and behaviors. Registration and pre-payment required; $10 for series. (813) 644-6720 or BayCareEvents.org. Weight Loss Surgery Information Sessions — takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center, 1601 W. Timberlane Drive, Plant City. Learn more about the advantages of the adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy procedures and see if surgical weight loss is an option for you. (813) 644-6720. Manage Your Diabetes — takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 14, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Glenda Williams. (813) 3078015, Ext. 7111.
TUESDAY, JULY 15 Ribbon Cutting: American Veterans Post 44 — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, at 5521 S.R. 60 E., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Evening Book Discussion — meets from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at Bruton Memorial
12th annual Elvis Tampa Bay Festival — takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at the Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 303 E. Lemon St. elvistampatcb.com. Story Time — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 19, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700.
MONDAY, JULY 21
BEST BET Uncork Your Weekend with Savanah Palen — live music from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 11, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.
Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. This month’s book is “Wonder,” by R.J. Palacio. (813) 757-9215.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 Car Seat Safety Class — takes place at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700.
THURSDAY, JULY 17
Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Tanagrams — class takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215. Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours — takes place from 5:15 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the office of Dr. Max Rattes, 310 W. Alexander St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.
FRIDAY, JULY 18
Arts and Crafts — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700.
Story Time — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, July 18, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700.
Fire Safety for Kids — takes place from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St.,
Summer Teen Movie — takes place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.
Manage Your Diabetes — takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 21, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Glenda Williams. (813) 3078015, Ext. 7111.
TUESDAY, JULY 22 Ribbon Cutting: Karen Stanley for Circuit Court Judge, Group 20 — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St., Plant City. Visit plantcity.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 OneBlood Blood Drive — takes place from 10:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. All donors receive a free wellness screening, as well as incentives such as free T-shirts, movie tickets and Outback Steakhouse coupons. (813) 757-9215. Open Mic Night — begins at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
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report by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
YOUR CITY
BY THE NUMBERS A report on the fiscal health of Plant City shows it’s recovering in some areas, while lagging in others.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE INDICATORS Economic and demographic characteristics including population, personal income, property value, employment and construction activity that describe a community’s wealth and its ability to generate revenues and the demands which the community will make on its government such as public safety, capital improvements and social services.
CITY ASSESSED TAXABLE VALUATION PER CAPITA
2004
Plant City’s assessed taxable valuation increased each year from 2004 to 2008, but started to decline in 2009 when the recession hit. It continued to fall every year since, from a high of $1.58 billion in 2008 (in constant dollars) to 2013’s low for the 10-year period of about $1 billion. During the six years between 2008 and 2013, the assessed valuation per capita fell 39.62%, from $47,118 to $28,449. However, a note in the report said 2014 taxable values show a 3.84% increase, the first since 2008.
Every 10 years, an analysis of the City of Plant City’s financial condition is compiled and presented in a report called the Financial Trend Monitoring System. The report is used by local governments to identify potential areas of financial difficulty, help plan for the future and formulate public policy. Different indicators such as population, salaries, property tax revenue and unemployment are used to construct the economic health of Plant City in the report. The indicators are recommended by the International City Management Association. The report is divided up into five sections of indicators: • Community Resource • Revenue • Expenditure • Operating Position • Debt The report covers data from FY 2004 to FY 2013. The information has been adjusted for inflation, using 1997 as the base year. The following are snapshots from the report showing how the city is doing. *Note: Years are fiscal years ending Sept. 30.
’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Although not broken down by city, Hillsborough County’s unemployment rate has consistently been slightly higher than the state’s. For example, in FY 2013, Hillsborough had an unemployment rate of 8.1%, while Florida’s was 6.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate that year was 7.2%. Unemployment is expected to continue to decrease as the economy improves, earning the county a positive outlook.
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION VALUE
2004 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13
Total construction value in Plant City largely mirrored the U.S. economy, reaching a peak of more than $117 million in 2006 and a low of $23.89 million in 2009 (in constant dollars) over the past 10 years. In the past four years, construction values have remained stable, with FY 2013 showing $29.98 million in construction.
POSITIVE OUTLOOK NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
’12 ’13
POPULATION
At 9.38% Plant City’s population growth kept pace with the state’s (9.05%), but lagged Hillsborough County (13.16%) during the 10-year period. Rapid change in population could be a warning trend for the city in the future.
$117 million (high) $23.89 million (low)
$29.98 million
EXPENDITURE INDICATORS
REVENUE INDICATORS
OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA
REVENUE PER CAPITA
Increasing per capita expenditures mean the costs of providing services may be outpacing a city’s ability to pay for them. Plant City has kept its expenditures level, which earned it a positive rating.
Per capita revenues show changes in a city’s revenues relative to its size. The more it decreases, the harder it may be for a city to maintain existing services. Plant City’s revenues per capita have decreased steadily, leading to a negative rating.
$825
$800
$750 $675
$600
$600 $525
$400
$450 $375
$200
$300 $225 $150 2004
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
2004
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
DEBT INDICATORS
OPERATING POSITION INDICATORS
LONG-TERM DEBT PER CAPITA
OPERATING SURPLUS/DEFICIT IN GENERAL FUND
The greater a community’s burden of long-term debt, the riskier its borrowing becomes. Plant City earned a positive outlook because it has lowered its longterm debt per capita from a high of $1,576 in 2009 to $1,013 in 2013.
An operating surplus or deficit shows if a city is able to cover the cost of operating with the revenue it collects. Plant City’s outlook changed from negative to positive because it switched its deficit in FY 2012 to a surplus in FY 2013. 6%
$1,800
5%
$1,600
4%
$1,400
3%
$1,200 $1,000
2%
$800
1%
$600
0%
$400
-1%
$200
-2% -3%
2004 2004
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP ORRICO / PAGE 1 ent countries. He’s been to South Korea, Bosnia, Germany, Africa and all over the U.S. while serving in the medical field as a senior joint medical operations and plans officer, deputy commander, chief operating officer, deputy surgeon, medical operations division chief and more. He was responsible for organizing medical units, overseeing hospitals and planning evacuations and emergency protocols. “It’s always been one of the honors of my career to take the sons and daughters of America in their most frail state and work hard to get them back home to being whole,” Orrico said. The Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, a Bronze Star, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and numerous more all make up parts of his being, too. As he ruminates on a successful run with the U.S. Army, he is still ready to keep going.
Railroad to ROTC
A 22-year-old Orrico had just been laid off from the Milwaukee Road as an assistant foreman in the mid-1980s. He had dropped out of college and wanted his job back. So he went to the railroad’s office to talk to his employers. They told him no. On his way home, he drove by the local university and saw a sign outside for the professor of military science. Something in that sign snagged his interest. Turning his car around, he parked and went inside. Entering the hallway, he saw a light at the end. It was the professor’s office. Orrico entered with no reservations. “Pardon sir, I’d like an ROTC scholarship,” Orrico said. The professor was a bit taken back at his confidence. But, he was intrigued. That was on a Thursday. The next Tuesday, Orrico was on a plane to Fort Knox for processing. He went to a type of bootcamp where he could earn a scholarship to study. He was under no obligation to be there, but it was his only chance to earn a scholarship. The rest had been given out already. “Mom was tickled I was do-
HEHN / PAGE 1 costs of caring for seniors are reduced. It is exciting to lead a community like Florida Presbyterian Homes that is on the cutting edge of innovation.” Hehn has been the executive director of Florida Presbyterian Homes since 2003 and is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the community. He serves at the direction of the board of directors. Florida Presbyterian Homes is a senior living community for active adults. “Daily, I witness compassionate, personalized con-
Orrico ing this,” Orrico said. “She thought I was wasting my life away on the railroad.” Orrico was making $15.60 a day at ROTC camp. During that time, the railroad did call him and offered him his job back. But he had made up his mind. He told them he’d call them if the military didn’t work out. For his dedication, Orrico did earn the scholarship. He went to the University of Wisconsin and obtained his bachelor’s in microbiology. He picked the medical field when he went on active duty in 1984 as an officer. Although, he thought he might want to be in an airborne unit eventually. In 1987, he went to airborne school as a captain. The school was rigorous; it required the service members to run nonstop and work out in a sawdust pit. He made his five jumps out of a tower but stayed a “fivejump chump,” as service members liked to tease. He never went into an airborne unit to make his sixth jump outside of school. And even though jumping out of towers was exciting, Orrico decided his talents were put to better use elsewhere. “I really started to like the leadership roles,” Orrico said. “I found out I was good at planning.” So began his career working to implement medical protocol and oversee the well-being of the troops.
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and tobacco were produced in one half of the factory, and his task force occupied the other half. They fixed vehicles and provided ammunition, food and parts. They also had to dodge tricky checkpoints to separate the warring factions. A piece of wood art hangs on one of the walls of Orrico’s house from this time. The factory owner gave it to him. After 9/11 he was involved in providing support. He also was heavily involved in planning support for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, all while getting his master’s in organizational leadership. Out of everywhere he’s been, Germany has been his favorite, though. “It was tough but I enjoyed it a lot,” Orrico said about moving around the world. “I enjoyed Europe. It was an opportunity to travel. Skiing and winter sports are amazing.” And through all those moves, Orrico’s family was by his side. “It was challenging for them, too,” Orrico said. “They had to start at new schools and make new friends. But it gave them a worldly view.”
Colonel and beyond
From the sands of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the green wet forests of Washington state, Orrico has seen a lot. In the mid-1990s, he deployed out of Germany to Bosnia. His task force was finally able to move from the muddy fields of the agrarian town they were in to a wicker and tobacco factory nearby. The wicker
When Orrico was promoted to the rank of colonel Feb. 1, 2007, he reached the pinnacle of his career. “That’s not a recognition given to all,” Orrico said. “Making it to retirement is successful. Being a colonel is pretty special.” His ceremony was at MacDill Air Force base. His mother pinned him. He knew it was probably his last promotion. “It was pretty cathartic,” Orrico said. “I felt like I still had work to do and continue with executive leadership. They say colonels run an army and generals guide it.” During his second stint in Germany from 2010 to 2013, Orrico deployed to Afghanistan, where he managed all the medical services including veterinarian and preventative medicine and hospitals, all while reducing the medical footprint in the country while troops were pulling out. He ended his career on a high note and is now looking to continue his innate desire for leadership in a position in the civilian world. “I can tell you, this nation should be proud of its military,” Orrico said. “They put it all on the line. It’s an honor to be part of that organization.”
tinuing care and service of the highest quality being delivered by staff, consistent with our Christian heritage,” Hehn said. “Our mission is alive, and it makes the Homes an inspiring and fun place to work.” Prior to joining Florida Presbyterian homes, he was an executive with BayCare Health System, serving from 1993 to 2003 in various positions. Those included the director of support services and director of ambulatory services for St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, real estate manager for BayCare Health System and assistant administrator of
planning and development for South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City. Hehn serves on the board of directors of the Presbyterian Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, FAHA Health and Services, Johnnie B. Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and the board of trustees of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay. He received his bachelor’s in marketing and finance from the University of South Carolina and his master’s from New York University. Hehn is married to Jean Laseter of Plant City and has resided in Plant City since 1980.
Around the world
FAMILY FUN by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Hopewell Baptist celebrates Independence Day Although the threat of rain loomed July 2 over Hopewell Baptist Church, the clouds passed by harmlessly — and the family fun kept on going. To celebrate Independence Day, the church hosted a potluck barbecue and took to the grounds for some soccer, softball and a friendly kickball competition between the kids.
Pastor Dan Middlebrooks, gets in on the action.
The youngest kids have fun on the church playground.
Sally Malloy and Leah Carr
Some people played catch and hit softballs.
Photos by Justin Kline
Hopewell’s kitchen staff cooked plenty of pounds of pork and chicken for guests.
NEWSBRIEFS + Correction The article titled, “Lions Club, car wash partner for fundraiser,” included an incorrect date for the fundraiser. The car wash will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Walden Lake Car Wash and Service Center, 1414 S. Alexander St., Plant City. For more information, call Frank Cummings, (813) 7527226.
+ Felon still at large East Knights Griffin Road was inundated with police officers July 2 while they searched for a felon wanted by the State Attorney’s Office. George Edward Ford, 33, of Plant City, is still at large. He has a warrant for trafficking cocaine. Plant City Police Department officers first noticed Ford while he was driving a U-Haul down East
Knights Griffin Road around noon July 2. When Ford spotted the officers, he pulled his U-Haul over in a ditch near Paradise Oaks Place and ran into the wooded area surrounding the road. The Plant City Police Department called on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to help search for Ford. The sheriff’s office used a helicopter to scan the area. It also brought its K-9 unit. Plant City police used their K-9 unit, as well. Police are still following leads. “We’re never going to stop looking for people with felony warrants,” said Capt. Jerry Stwan, of the Plant City Police Department. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office records, Ford has been arrested 21 times. The most recent was in May. He faced charges of reckless driving with property damage, fleeing to elude at a high speed, obstructing
or opposing an officer, possession of cocaine and driving with a suspended, canceled or revoked license.
+ Woman involved in fatal accident Janina Miller, a 69-yearold Valrico woman, was killed Sunday in a head-on collision near Turkey Creek Road on State Road 60. At about 2:16 p.m., Miller, driving a 1999 Toyota Corolla, was traveling westbound on State Road 60 in the inside eastbound lane approaching Jerry Smith Road. Glenda Dexter, 51, of Plant City, was driving her 2007 Chevy Impala eastbound on the inside lane of State Road 60. The two vehicles collided head on. The Corolla rotated and came to a final rest in the outside lane. Miller died at the scene. Dexter was transported to Brandon Regional Hospital.
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DODD / PAGE 1 church, which just celebrated its 115th anniversary. “We’re a totally different church than what we were a year ago,” Dodd said. “I just have a heart for our community, and I want to minister.” That heart got a chance to shine when worship minister Caleb Hyers told him that his father, Tim, had an opportunity to get an endless amount of baby formula. Tim works at the main post office hub in Tampa. Every day formula samples from companies get returned to the post office, usually because of an invalid address or a family that has moved. The formula just sits at the site, and the post office is unable to do anything with it. Hyers said the church could go pick up the samples to use for a ministry. That was about two months ago. Now the once-quiet
HURLEY / PAGE 1 ticularly for Midtown,” Sollenberger says. “It would bring more people in. Looking at the vision plan for Midtown, this may be the type of activity that would be appropriate to do as building gets started.” Sollenberger estimates the program’s budget to have been around $50,000, plus supporting expenses. “The food truck rally, we had a couple of police officers there for four or five hours, and that’s extra money,” he says. “We also did the Welcome to Summer event. There were a lot of public works that went into that, as well as police time.” With the elimination of Hur-
COPS
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church office bustles with families in need. The phone rings continually. “It’s free formula,” Dodd said. “There are no strings attached. You don’t have to come to church.” For the families who come to collect the formula, Dodd doesn’t record any addresses or phone numbers. No names either. He just wants to help out those in need. The congregation has gotten involved, too. Every two weeks, a group of volunteers drives to the hub near the Tampa International Airport to load up a pickup truck with formula. They always come back with a bed full of formula. Last time, they filled a 12foot covered trailer. “We’ve got some really good people here,” Dodd said. “They’re so loving.” On their trip, volunteers also pick up other samples that have been returned. They range from toys to toiletries.
Out of those samples, they make bags for the homeless or struggling families and distribute them around the community. And although they clean out the bins, the post office is full the next day. “It’s an endless supply,” Dodd said. “Any company you could think of that sends out samples.” In addition to their post office platoon, Dodd has started another ministry. Every Tuesday, a group goes out into the community surrounded the church off Midway Road in North Plant City. They knock on doors and make phone calls, asking if anyone needs help with anything. In the two months of that project, they’ve given $2,000 to help neighbors with rent, utility and grocery bills and more. “We’ve been here 115 years and we want to make an impact,” Dodd said.
ley’s position and her $45,000 per year salary, Sollenberger expects the cuts will save more than $50,000, which he says can be used for real property acquisition in the future. He is not, however, commenting on exactly what property could be acquired. Hurley, who will go on maternity leave next month, may let Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel assume her planning duties after the birth of her child. After Girls’ Night Out, there aren’t many city-sponsored special events on the horizon. It’s possible that something new could come up between now and Oct. 1, but Sollenberger says nothing is concrete.
“That all remains to be worked out at this stage,” he says. “Certainly, there are activities like the bike show and the Christmas activities.” A motorcycle ride to benefit the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, scheduled for Sept. 6, is the only thing that still appears to be in the works. Now, it appears that the future of Plant City special events hinges more on the development of Midtown than before. “I think, when we get some of the building going on and more excitement, then that’s the time to attract people in,” Sollenberger says. “I think, for right now, the dollars need to be focused for other purposes.”
PLANT CITY
MAY 23 MISSING WHEELS 1510 block of South Alexander Street. Stolen Vehicle. The victim reported someone stole her silver Lincoln LS.
DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR? 510 South Maryland Avenue. Abandoned Vehicle. The officer came in contact with a vehicle that was partially on the roadway. The officer stood by waiting for someone to return to the vehicle, but no one did. The vehicle was towed, because of it being partially in the roadway. An inventory search yielded marijuana. The marijuana was placed into property.
CORNER MAY 25 SUBWOOFERS STOLEN 4120 block of Kipling Avenue. Vehicle Burglary. The victim reported unknown person(s) broke the window of her vehicle and stole a speaker and speaker box, valued at $300.
GETTING THE SHAFT
700 block of Bay Road. Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts. The victim stated someone stole the drive shaft from his 1998 GMC truck. The victim stated he went out of town May 15, at which time the vehicle ran well. Today, when he went to move the vehicle, he discovered the drive shaft had been removed. The drive shaft is valued at $500.
MAY 24 TUNE TROUBLE Unknown location. Theft. The victim reported he went to a party in Walden Lake with a friend. The victim stated he left a black-andwhite bag containing his wallet and a pair of red Beats by Dr. Dre headphones in a vehicle, which was unsecured with the windows rolled down. When he returned, the bag was missing.
MISSING CAR
710 block of South Thomas Street. Information. The complainant reported his deceased sister’s vehicle had been stolen. No information on the vehicle could be provided.
PURSE PROBLEM
the charity money jar from the front counter. It contained about $150. A family had placed the jar on the counter to raise money for a funeral service.
POWER PLAY 4120 block of Barret Avenue. Vehicle Burglary. The victim stated unknown person(s) entered his unlocked vehicle and took car phone chargers. The suspect(s) also stole $15 in change and a phone charger from the neighbor’s car.
MAY 26 SMASH AND GRAB 1700 block of North Park Road. Vehicle Burglary. A black SUV was observed parked next to the victim’s vehicle. Witnesses then heard the sound of broken glass. The unknown SUV left the area toward Park Road. The victim discovered her window was broken, and her purse, with $100 and her driver’s license, was stolen.
MAY 27
2300 block of East Cherry Street. Vehicle Burglary. The officer met with the victim, who stated her camouflage purse and wallet were taken from her unlocked vehicle. The purse contained a Samsung Galaxy phone, valued at $700, $50 cash and her identification. The incident took place during a scheduled soccer match.
PIPE PROBLEMS
MAY 25
NICE TRY
ALL SCRATCHED UP
610 block of South Collins Street. Attempted Stolen Vehicle. Overnight, unknown suspect(s) tried to steal a white Dodge truck and a blue Ford Taurus by damaging the steering columns The suspect(s) were unable to get the vehicles started. The suspect(s) also entered a green Ford Mustang, but nothing was damaged or moved.
2000 block of South Frontage Road. Criminal Mischief. The victim reported that during the night, unknown suspect(s) scratched her 2005 Toyota’s front passenger door, causing about $200 in damage. Another vehicle in the parking lot was scratched, a 2014 Ford. It was registered to a rental company.
JUST HELP YOURSELF 3200 block of Thackery Way. Vehicle Burglary. The victim reported unknown person(s) cut his Jeep top and stole a Gerber knife, Gerber multipurpose tool, Garmin Nuvi GPS and Glock soft holster.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? 2910 block of West Reynolds Street. Theft of Charity Money Jar. Unknown suspect(s) stole
900 block of South Woodrow Wilson Street. Grand Theft. Employees of Monarch Environmental Sciences noticed the exhaust of a 2009 Peterbuilt tractor-trailer was stolen. According to the employees, the truck was having mechanical issues, and the missing exhaust was just noticed.
FUNNY MONEY
2300 block of North Park Road. Counterfeit Bills. Sometime during the day, the restaurant took in two counterfeit $20 bills. It is unknown who used the bills.
WRONG WAY
Intersection of Thonotosassa Road and Lakewood Street. DUI. The officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling the wrong direction on Thonotosassa Road. The driver was arrested for DUI.
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creative space by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
JUST FRIENDS
In back of a rural piece of property in Plant City, a garage rumbles. A monicker tacked up outside says: “If this sign is shaking, band practice is in session.” It’s called “The Room.” And it’s where all the jam sessions for Just Friends take place. Last week, the sign was shaking. Opening the door, a converted man cave is revealed. Inside is a pool table, neon bar lights and a Beatles poster. It’s the perfect hangout for a band that likes to have fun. “Music is everything to us,” Paul Biese says. “It really, really keeps you young. If you want to stay young at heart in mind and body and soul, have fun playing music.” Biese is one-third of the band; he plays three instruments, and all at once — the harmonica with his mouth, guitar with his hands and his own makeshift percussion with his foot. The 64-year-old is joined by his 70-year-old wife, Shirley. The rocker chick flaunts her stylish guitar earrings while her pink fingernails
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important rule. When we’re on stage, when we’re at a show, just enjoy yourself. Visit their Facebook page You can’t go wrong.” at facebook.com/ Just. The band got its start durFriends.Plant.City. or call ing a Superbowl party at a Paul at (813) 982-1924. neighbor’s house more than a decade ago. As everyone pluck at the bass. Although sat around a fire outside, her husband has always Shirley Biese told the group played instruments, she just her husband played the guilearned how to rock four tar; they made him go get it years ago. from his house. The neigh“For years I would just sit bor joined in with his bonthere and watch,” Shirley gos. Biese says. “My husband The rhythm lured Nunn says, ‘Why don’t you play?’ from his home. He headed Well I can’t play six strings, up the driveway with tiki but I can play four. So he torches in hand and his taught me how. So now I’m mom in tow. He started playing the bass. Happy singing, harmonizing with dance.” Biese. The youngest member, “The next thing I know, in his 30s, Fabian Thomas people were asking us to Amber Jurgensen Nunn has been singing play at parties,” Biese says. with Biese since the couple “That’s when they asked us, Paul Biese, Fabian Thomas Nunn and Biese’s wife, Shirley, play at open mic nights moved 13 years ago from ‘What’s the name of your around Plant City and Tampa Bay. New Jersey. band?’ ‘Band? We don’t have “It is incredible,” Nunn a band; we’re just friends.’” Creedence Clearwater Re- Pub. They also play at birth- vorite part. says. “We’ve been family for And so, the name was vival — Just Friends plays it day parties, special events “I’m loving it, I’m having 12 years now, and we just born. all. They bring it all out dur- and friends’ get togethers. a ball,” Shirley Biese said. have fun. That’s the most The Who, Janis Joplin, ing open mic nights around “We love playing classic “And everyone else is having Plant City and Tampa Bay. music; we love people to a ball. They say, ‘Ah, you play Among the local venues are sing along with us,” Biese songs that we know,’ and PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM // Make sure to check O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Fam- says. When people sing that’s what we want, and out our exclusive video with Just Friends. ily Restaurant and Rail Ale along, that’s the band’s fa- that’s what we do.”
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We want to hear from you. Let us know about your community events, celebrations and family member achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.
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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
Neighborhood R E A L E S TAT E | P L A N T C I T Y L I F E | O B I T U A R I E S | G A M E S | FA I T H | S P O RT S
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
CLUB HUBBUB
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014
PATRIOTIC PRIDE by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor The fireworks show was 20 minutes long.
If your club would like to post announcements, email them to Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
+ Plant City Daybreak Rotary The Plant City Daybreak Rotary had a special guest at its Monday meeting. Bonnie the therapy dog stopped by with her mother, Cassandra Banning. Although Banning did most of the talking, Bonnie captured the hearts of the club members. It has been one year since Bonnie has been working in the field as a therapy dog. She visits South Florida Baptist Hospital patients to bring smiles to their faces. She also visits the Bruton Memorial Library and encourages children to read to her. The program gives students who are learning to read the confidence to sound out words.
SPARKS SPECTACULAR
+ PCHS Volleyball The Plant City High School Volleyball Camp has been rescheduled for July 28 to 31. The camp is $130 and includes a T-shirt. It is open to athletes 10 to 15 years old. The camp will be at Plant City High School, 1 Raider Place. It will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and at 9 a.m. Thursday. For more information, contact Coach Jessica Thorton at jessica.thorton@ sdhc.k12.fl.us.
Ana Lynn Houser
+ Plant City Relay for Life
Plant City’s Fourth of July celebration Friday went off with a bang, or several, as residents gathered at the Plant City Stadium. There were bounce houses, a rock-climbing wall, building station, spray-on tattoos and animal balloons. Attendees munched on funnel cake and hamburgers and hotdogs while watching the sparks fly during a 20-minute fireworks show.
Left: The kids couldn’t wait for night to fall on the stadium.
The first Plant City Relay for Life 2015 meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, July 21, at First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. The meeting will be a potluck dinner and be used for planning next year’s event.
+ The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Registration is open for Romp in the Swamp II, a 3-mile mud run that benefits South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation and The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The event takes place Nov. 1, at Lakeside Station, 2302 Henderson Way, in Plant City. The chip-timed races are for ages 14 and older and include both natural and man-made obstacles. There are approximately 25 total obstacles in the race, and the first two waves are elite. There will be two races of approximately a halfmile with seven obstacles for children ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 13. Each participant will receive a Dri-FIT shirt and finisher medal, and awards will be given for fastest times, age group winners and best costumes. Registration fees range from $39 to $49, depending on the category, and include free bag check and an after-party with music. The Kids Wave is $20. Discount codes for registration may be found on the event’s Facebook page. Parking is $10 per car. For more information or to register, go to rompintheswamp.org or call (813) 757-8478.
Above: A rock wall attracted climbers both young and old. Right: Rebecca, Ellie, Asher and Emerald came from Georgia to see the show.
Photos by Amber Jurgensen and Justin Kline
Face painters took all kinds of requests — even mustaches.
Above: Once the weather cleared up, the bungee bounce was a popular attraction. Right: Boy Scouts (and their sisters) sold shaved ice as a fundraiser.
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SADDLE UP by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
secret agents by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Loan Oak VBS uses deductive powers Students at the Loan Oak Baptist Church’s Vacation Bible School became super sleuths during the secret agentthemed event. The weeklong VBS had students playing games, coloring mask disguises and learning about Jesus in special lessons.
Emma Fry
Amber Jurgensen
HORSE SENSE Quantum Leap Farm is helping adults with disabilities such as resident Cappy Farrell.
Catherine “Cappy” Farrell has read every book on horses at the library. She clutches a stack of worn bindings while sitting on the family’s couch in their Whispering Woods home. Two stuffed mustangs snuggle in her lap. It’s easy to see she is crazy about horses. “I love horses,” Farrell says. “It’s my heart. It’s special.” So when her mother took her to Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa it was a surprise for everyone when she was scared of the horses’ size. To get her familiar with the steeds, staff had her paint on a white mare. From then on, she was no longer afraid. In just six months, Farrell, who has Down syndrome, went from being timid to riding all by herself. When she was born, Farrell was given two weeks to live. She had a hole in her heart, which required surgery. After the operation, Farrell’s life expectancy improved to just five years. But her spirit has proven resilient. Farrell is now 23. Over the years, she’s battled, among other illnesses, Addison’s disease, low bone density, two stomach surgeries and familial dysautonomia, where her nervous system shuts down with no warning. She has been on feeding tubes for eight years. Because of this, she has a pacemaker. Every day Farrell takes a cocktail of medicines, which come from more than a dozen orange prescription bottles lined up on the kitchen counter. Because of her delicate condition, it’s been hard to find Farrell a hobby that involves physical fitness. When her mother, Doe, noticed Farrell’s infatuation with horses, she decided to give Quantum Leap Farm a try. The farm specializes in helping people with special needs enjoy the equestrian sports. People including disabled veterans and children with learning disabilities enjoy the farm. “They do all kinds of stuff for people like Cappy,” Doe Farrell says. “They’re just really, really dedicated.” Farrell and her mother drive 42 miles to the farm once a week. Wednesdays are Farrell’s riding days. She bonds with her dark brown horse, Tie.
Barrett Simpson
ABOUT QUANTUM LEAP FARM Quantum Leap Farm Inc., a nonprofit organization located in Odessa, was founded in 2000 to serve local adults with mental and physical disabilities. Quantum Leap Farm’s mission is to enrich and enhance the lives of handicapped adults by engaging them in a variety of equestrian activities designed to promote and improve physical, mental and social wellbeing. Quantum Leap also performs research documenting the many benefits of therapeutic horseback riding. For more information on Quantum Leap Farm, visit quantumleapfarm.org or call (813) 920-9250. “He’s tall, he’s smart,” Farrell says. “Horses are like people, like human beings.” At the farm, Farrell can complete obstacles with Tie, including guiding him in and out of flags, over ramps and around barrels. “I think she thinks, ‘Here I am riding this huge thing,’” Doe says. “There’s not a lot of things in her life she can control.” It’s not uncommon for Farrell to spend 10hour days seeing doctors in St. Petersburg. But Quantum Leap Farm provides a haven, a break from reality for Farrell and other participants. It has led to a healthier lifestyle for Farrell, both emotionally and physically. She’s lost 20 pounds riding and gained confidence throughout the process. When a younger girl was placed on horse and began to cry, Farrell went up the ramp to be eye level with the girl. She hugged her and told her not to panic, that everything was going to be all right. At that point, Farrell was still frightened of the horses. The younger girl ended up riding the horse. So did Farrell. “She did wonderfully,” Doe Farrell says about the day her daughter declared she wanted to ride alone without assistance. “I cried.” And it’s not just the horses that have changed Farrell’s life. She has had an impact on the farm, too. She represented Quantum Leap Farm during Hope Week last month at the Yankees’ Steinbrenner Field. Farrell threw out the opening pitch. “It’s an important part of Cappy’s life,” Doe Farrell said. “I want people to know what a great place it is.”
Aria Ellis
Jeremiah Frog
Photos by Amber Jurgensen
ISLAND TIME by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
St. Clement catches big surf at Vacation Bible School The community hall at St. Clement Catholic Church was decked out in island decor, including Hawaiian flowers, palm trees and fishing nets, for Vacation Bible School this week. Students played games that included “Pin the Fin on the Shark” and hula-hooping. They devoured an underwater-themed cake for snack Monday and will be having an outside water day Friday.
Photos by Amber Jurgensen
Jasmin Perez, Belen Crispin and Karyme Aworld
Cassie McFaul and Shannon Yagins
Joshua Reyma, Hope Mutheu and Gabriia Ruiz
Kevin Rojo
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political game by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City students participate in mock legislative session The competitive program, called Boys and Girls State, puts students into mock state legislative bodies. While most students take the summer off, Plant City High School seniors Kellie Pernula and Reid Adams will be headed to the Florida State Capitol to learn about government during the Boys and Girls State seminar in June and July. The weeklong program is hosted at Florida State University, where the students will also be staying. The competitive application and interview process brings hundreds of upcoming high school seniors together. The students will run a mock political campaign to try to secure seats and positions in mock state, county and city governments. From there, the different levels of legislative bodies will pass laws and learn about government in a simulation. But there’s still time for fun. The Girls State will hold a pep rally, and Boys State will hold a kickball tournament. Both groups will tour the Capitol.
Kellie Pernula
Fresh off an intense national volleyball tournament, 17-year-old Kellie Pernula geared up for another competitive competition — her campaign at Girls State. During the program from June 26 to July 3, Pernula hoped to be chaplain. “I have a strong faith, and it’s an opportunity that I’m given to show that and be a positive influence on others,” Pernula said. After being elected, the girls participated in mock legislative sessions. Each student is required to bring a self-drafted bill to the table. Pernula decided to focus on seatbelt safety. She researched her topic and found many children suffer from seatbelt syndrome in which they have internal injuries and suffer ruptures because the seatbelts don’t fit them properly. The law requires children under 5 to be in a carseat. Pernula found that a more appropriate fit of the seatbelts doesn’t occur until the child reaches 57 inches in height.
Pernula
HAIL TO THE CHIEF Wearing the biggest smile in the room, Edward Duncan was sworn in as Plant City’s new police chief Monday morning. “I’m very proud,” Duncan said. “And I’m honored to have this badge. It means a great deal to me.” Duncan, whose experience includes 34 years with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, was excited to get to work. “We have a great organization, and I can see us doing great things together,” he said.
Adams
Her bill revises the under 5-year-old age Boys State will also have students guideline to a child under 57 inches and draft bills that will either be passed or 100 pounds. That puts the average child eliminated. The students will break up at 12 years old. into groups to brainstorm bills. “It’s a big difference between 5 and Adams has taken two government 12,” Pernula said. “A lot of children are courses at Plant City High School, insmaller and get growth cluding American govspurts later.” ernment in ninth grade “I have a strong faith, and U.S. history. He’s Although Pernula has always wanted to and it’s an opportunity looking forward to conbe a veterinarian, she his education that I’m given to show tinuing looked forward to findon the legislative bodies ing out more about the that and be a positive in the U.S. But he’s not legislative process. if he wants to folinfluence on others.” sure “It’s a way to enrich low that career path. my knowledge about The cross-country — Plant City High senior government,” Perrunner is interested in Kellie Pernula nula said. “I only took following his father and American government becoming an engineer. online, and I think it will be different But Adams does want to see the FSU with actual teachers and the mock gov- campus. ernment. (I’m excited for) meeting new “(I’m looking forward to) just learning friends and actually learning about gov- about the college experience and stayernment.” ing in the dorms,” Adams said. His sister goes to Auburn UniversiReid Adams ty, but his stay at FSU might sway him Reid Adams has his eyes set on a Sen- against Auburn or his other top pick, ate seat in Boys State. Clemson. First he has to wait until Boys “It’s an important process, writing the State; the program runs July 6 to July 12. bills,” Adams said. “And they have more “I want to practice what I’ve learned,” sway than a house representative.” Adams said.
Edward Duncan takes his oath of office.
Photos by Justin Kline
Plant City police officers lined the walls and captured the moment.
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OBSERVEROBITUARIES Bill Welch
Bill Welch, 63, of Plant City, died June 23. Expressions of condolence may be shared at wecare.io.
Lloyd ‘Daniel’ Griffin Jr.
Lloyd “Daniel” Griffin Jr., 71, died June 26, in Plant City. He was employed with Lockheed Martin for the last 35 years. Mr. Griffin was the son of Lloyd and Olga Griffin and was a lifelong resident of Plant City and a Florida Gators fan. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Brenda. A celebration of life will be planned at a later date.
Cheryl Mason
Cheryl Mason, 70, of Cape Coral, died June 27. Mrs. Mason graduated from Griffith High School in 1961 and kept in close touch with her many close friends over the years. After completing her undergraduate education at Indiana University and obtaining her master’s at Purdue University, she taught high school English for six years before becoming the media specialist at Munster High School for 28 years. After retiring in 1999, she was a seasonal Florida resident until 2002 when her husband,
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
2013
O
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS
1. We want a good weather forecast for the coming week. Let’s hope nothing clouds the issue and nobody prays to the rainmaker. Bring on rays and more rays! 2. “This lawn mower is a beauty and a great buy,” a man said to his neighbor. “It gets great grass mileage.”
PlantCityObserver.com
Ted Mason, died. She became a permanent Florida resident in 2006, and her parents lived with her until their deaths in 2012. She loved to sing, dance, travel and read. She was a choir member and cantor at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Schererville, Ind., for 30 years and at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Cape Coral after joining the church in 1999. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Betty Beiriger; sister, Betsy Christenson; husband, Dr. Theodore (Ted) D. Mason; and fiancé, Adolph “Buddy” Traurig. She is survived by her brother, retired Lt. Col. Richard A. Beiriger (Karen), of Plant City; daughter, Tonya Sears-Brokop, of Duluth, Minn.; son, Jon Joseph, of Lafayette, Ind.; step-daughters, Anne Mason-Jacobs (Matt), of Fairfax, Calif., Thea MasonKoehler (Brian), of Encinitas, Calif., Cate Mason, of San Francisco, and Merree Mason, of Portage, Ind.; grandchildren, Joshua Sears, of Merrillville, Ind., and Andrew and Nina Brokop, of Hobart, Ind.; nieces, Stephanie Pawlowski (Dennis), of Plant City, Jennifer Mathew (Tim), of Valparaiso, Ind., and Heather Bayer (Tim), of Winter Park; nephews, Cass Christenson (Nicole), of Bethesda, Md.; Kent Christenson, of Palm Beach Gardens; and Matthew J. Beiriger III (Mary), of Oakton, Va.; as well as many cousins and extended family. Funeral arrangements are pending through Burns-Kish Funeral Home in Indiana. There will be a Mass of Christian burial at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Schererville, Ind., and interment will be held at St. Michael’s
Cemetery, also in Schererville, at a later date. A memorial Mass will also be held in Cape Coral at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.
Kenneth McCoy Drummond Kenneth McCoy Drummond, 78, of Plant City, died June 27. He was born in Alma, Ga., and attended Edison High School in Miami. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He went to work for the railroad and raised his family in Roanoke, Va. He retired after 33 years and moved to Plant City, where he was active in the community. Mr. Drummond was a member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. He was a woodworker, scientist and life-long learner who shared his passion for regional history, culture and music. His granddaughter was the shining star in his eye. He took great pride in the bridges built by his son-inlaw to whom he has entrusted the care of his family. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Libby; daughters, Shelly Drummond and Beth Bush (Sean); granddaughter, Sara Demolli; sisters, Kathey Durham, Beverly Kelly and Janet Petersen; and many family and friends who have loved him, laughed with him and suffered the receiving end of his practical jokes. Graveside services were held July 2, at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project atwoundedwarriorproject.org or Plant City Entertainment, P.O. Box 2473, Plant City, FL 33563. Expressions of condolence may be made at WeCare.io.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Robbie Spitler wins gold at karate tourney. PAGE 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014
football by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
FOOTBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Chargers bring in new offensive, defensive coordinators
Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
MARTIAL ARTS
The youngest team in the Plant City area is getting a playbook overhaul in 2014, courtesy of two new coordinators.
+ Chris Welbon team sees success Last weekend, at the AAU Karate Nationals tournament, Chris Welbon Karate’s team enjoyed its most successful competition to date. The team brought home 21 medals — eight gold, seven silver and six bronze. For the first time, the team won more gold medals than silver or bronze. Here are the results: Jakob Arnold: Gold — Sanbon (three-point) Kumite; Bronze — Kobudo (weapons), Kata Ryan Bjelke: Silver — Sanbon Kumite Nick Gorman: Bronze — Sanbon Kumite K’Land Humphrey: Gold — Kobudo; Silver — Kata, Sanbon Kumite Julie Karlson: Gold — Sanbon Kumite; Bronze — Kata Nick Karlson: Bronze — Sanbon Kumite Peter Nguyen: Bronze — Sanbon Kumite, Ippon (onepoint) Kumite Alvaro Padron: Silver — Kata, Sanbon Kumite Sebastian Padron: Gold — Sanbon Kumite; Silver — Kata Joey Spitler: Gold — Sanbon Kumite Robbie Spitler: Gold — Sanbon Kumite Jennifer Totherow: Gold — Sanbon Kumite; Silver — Kata
GYMNASTICS
+ Cappucci, Slone do well at YMCA Nationals Both Kelsey Slone and Alessandra Cappucci turned in solid performances at the 2014 YMCA Nationals. Cappucci, who placed second overall in her group, received the top national score — 9.150 — in the floor event. Slone finished fifth overall in her group but finished with the highest score in two events: the vault (9.400, tied for first with teammate Maria Abreu) and the floor (9.400).
LITTLE LEAGUE
+ Section 4 schedules Florida District 13, host of the Section 4 tournament, has released the tournament schedules. Three Plant City teams have advanced to sectionals. The district champion 9-10 Baseball A team will play three games this weekend: 6:30 p.m. Friday (South Brandon), 11 a.m. Saturday (Land O’Lakes) and 2 p.m. Saturday (Manatee West), at Progress Village Little League in Tampa. The 10-11 Softball team will play Palmetto Little League in a best-of-three series, with a doubleheader Friday (5 and 8 p.m.) and an 11 a.m. game Saturday, at Pinecrest Little League in Lithia. The Senior Softball team will play in a field of five teams. Plant City will start with Zephyrhills at 6 p.m. Friday then will play Lake Wales (10 a.m.) and Dade City (1 p.m.) Saturday. The team will cap it off Sunday against East Point at 1 p.m. at East Point’s park in Seffner.
Justin Kline
Gerold Dickens holds a painting of himself, at left, from his Plant City High School days. He holds his first NFL contract, at right.
FROM PLANT CITY TO THE PROS Plant City native Gerold Dickens worked his way up from the Raiders’ defense to the New England Patriots’ unit. Now he draws on his experiences to help local athletes.
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ne wall in Gerold Dickens’ home office is devoted to business. His computer, on a desk to the left, sits ready to pull up game film; on the right-hand side is a huge white board, covered from end to end in names and schools and other information. The other walls help tell the story of how Dickens — and his business — came to be. They are lined with picture frames: some paintings of Dickens in high school and as a member of the New England Patriots, newspaper clippings, old photos and an NFL contract. That contract, more than anything else, is what Dickens uses to show local athletes they can go far if they’re willing to put in the effort. Dickens, one of the driving forces behind Next Level Sports Academe, draws from his football experiences to fuel his work. “I know what it takes to play in (the NFL),” Dickens says. “I know how to get there. I had an opportunity to play with Hall of Famers. The experience, I wouldn’t trade anything for it.” As far as his passion is concerned, though, Dickens claims his college and high school days were much more fun. That’s what he loves to talk about most. As exciting as things are today, he can still relate to his playing days in the 1980s.
‘THE ONLY SHOW IN TOWN’
A defensive end in high school, Dickens enjoyed a three-year career with the Plant City Raiders that saw the team form rivalries with powerhouses such as Plant and Lakeland.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE IT? “The way the draft process went back then, it was better after the third round — if you didn’t get picked — to go into free agency,” Gerold Dickens says. “Some teams would just draft you to keep other teams from drafting you, and they really didn’t need you. Free agency gave you a chance to pick and choose where you wanted to go. Dickens ended up with the Patriots; he landed on a roster with names such as Andre Tippett, Doug Flutie, Irving Fryar, Steve Grogan and Craig James. He was primarily used in special teams. His rookie contract was for $75,000, plus “It was very exciting,” Dickens says. “It was the only show in town. Everybody went to the same school. ‘Friday Night Lights’ was true Friday night lights in Plant City, where everybody was centered on going to the games. The whole town would shut down because everybody was at the game.” In addition to Plant and Lakeland, there were rivalries with Hillsborough, Blake and Kathleen high schools. “And Brandon — that was a huge rivalry,” Dickens says. “We used to play them at Tampa Stadium. That’s one of the big memories I have. It was an annual game, and we would play games at Tampa Stadium, called the Old Sombrero. “And then the Plant City-
incentives. Thanks to the 2011 CBA ratifications, rookies can sign for as little as $420,000 (base salary) in 2014 — more than five times as much money. He didn’t get the playing time he had dreamed of, but he got the experience he now knows he needed. “Just being there and seeing the USFL had just closed down and just coming off that strike and here comes the World Football League — everything was in a pioneer stage,” Dickens says. “My timing … let’s just say it wasn’t a good time. But I learned a lot from it.” Plant game was also a big major rivalry. The first time, Plant City was undefeated and Plant was undefeated, and they all met at Tampa Stadium for its first high school game ever. It drew a big crowd, so, the next year, they invited the teams back. It was real, real big back then.” The high school game back then was mostly runoriented, which suited Dickens, a solid run-stopper. Playing the passing game was uncommon, though many teams eventually started experimenting. The Raiders had some talented teams, but, according to Dickens, not many colleges knew about it. By attending a camp, and with some help from friends Andy Knotts and “life coach” Mark Poppell,
SEE DICKENS / 14
It’s going to be an interesting year for the Strawberry Crest Chargers. After losing much of their core to graduation, the Chargers are looking at a relatively inexperienced roster, including many players who have never played on the varsity level. In addition, the team will add Alvarez some personnel changes on both sides of the ball. Joining head coach John Kelly on the sidelines this year will be offensive coordinator Ty Alvarez and defensive coordinator Car- McCray ey McCray, who bring more than 32 years of coaching experience — 25 in the Tampa Bay area — to the table. It was also time for some completely new schemes for both units. Other than the uniforms, this won’t look much like last year’s Chargers team.
TY ALVAREZ
Of the two coordinators, Alvarez comes with the deepest background in the Tampa Bay area. All of his 21 years have been spent here, and they’ve been spent in some of the best programs the state has to offer. He got his start as the tight ends coach in 1993 at Jesuit High School; he worked under coach Dominick Ciao and remained there until Ciao’s retirement in 2002. Af-
ter a year at Robinson High School, Alvarez joined coach Robert Weiner at Plant High School, where he worked with quarterbacks such as Robert Marve and Aaron Murray and saw three state championships in four years. He returned to Jesuit, his alma mater, in 2010, and, in 2011, he became the offensive coordinator. After a year off, he went to Hillsborough High School to work as Earl Garcia’s passing game coordinator. Last year, he joined Armwood High School in the same role and helped get Sean Callahan’s team to the state finals. “I’ve been able to see what it takes to win at the highest level,” Alvarez says. “I’m pretty good at judgment. There’s nobody else who can say they’ve worked for those four coaches. I’ve been very, very fortunate to be around those guys. Hopefully, we can do some of those things over at Strawberry Crest with coach Kelly.” Alvarez says he didn’t leave Armwood with any ill will; he simply missed taking a more dominant role with the play-calling and saw an opportunity to help Crest’s offense succeed. He sees some of the tools in place already. “We have a veteran quarterback who knows what he’s doing,” Alvarez says. “That’s
SEE FOOTBALL / 13
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
Gerold Dickens and the 1987 NFL players’ strike I missed the 1987 NFL big-name players (Mark players’ strike, but I had a Gastineau, Joe Montana, good excuse: I wasn’t yet Howie Long, Tony Dorsett born. So, reading and Steve Largent) up on it is, in a way, crossed the picket similar to studying line to play anyway, history. many stayed out until Except that footweek seven. ball is way more The Players Asinteresting than the sociation didn’t get English Parliament. what it wanted, and The strike had free agency remained huge implications confusing for years. JUSTIN across the board: KLINE However, it wasn’t for the league, the bad for everybody. If NFL Players Associayou were an incomtion and even the fans. The ing rookie, free agency in goal was to revamp the free 1987 was a good option. agency rules to be more “The way the draft proplayer friendly (previously, cess went back then, it was teams could have been better after the third round forced to give up draft picks — if you didn’t get picked or players for a free agent, — to go into free agency,” which meant those guys former NFL player Gerold missed out on more monDickens says. “That was ey), but the NFL wouldn’t the first form of free agency budge. Reforming the coming out. The NFL had league’s collective bargainjust gone off of the strike. ing agreement (the “CBA”) They had the ‘scabs’ playing was not what the owners in place of the other guys at wanted to do. that time, and, in New EngThe players began the land, some of those guys strike in week two, and the were still on that team.” NFL responded by canDickens explains that, celing week three. Teams after the third round of the began filling the roster NFL draft, teams would holes with replacements — “scabs” — and the fans SEE KLINE / PAGE 12 were furious. Though some
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KLINE / FROM 11 stop thinking strategically and try to sabotage their counterparts. “Some teams would just draft you to keep other teams from drafting you, and they really didn’t need you,” Dickens says. “Free agency gave you a chance to pick and choose where you wanted to go. So, I told my agent that if I didn’t get drafted in the third round I wanted to go into free agency. That was my choice.” He ended up signing with the New England Patriots for a base salary of $75,000 and
calls that one of the best decisions he could have made. Another difference between then and now, though, was the developmental system. Or the lack of it. Today, some players are paid to be a part of a team’s practice squad — a group that attends practices and is available to be called upon to replace any players for any reason. In 1987, there wasn’t much of a chance to play because many of those players would be placed on injured reserve. “Our developmental squad was IR,” Dickens says. “You
might not be injured, but you were on injured reserve; you were waiting.” After two years with the Patriots and one with the Orlando Thunder, Dickens decided to hang up his cleats and pursue other ventures. It just goes to show that, although not everyone is able to make an illustrious career in the pros, a wisely managed career can be a good learning experience for anyone. Hopefully, though, no one will have to deal with the fallout from a strike and an unfriendly-player league again.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
ROBBIE SPITLER Seven Chris Welbon Karate team members won gold medals at last weekend’s AAU Karate Nationals tournament. For Robbie Spitler, though, winning gold in Sanbon Kumite was huge. “He is our youngest team member and has struggled all year in tournament competition,” Welbon says. “For him to come through with a first place (win) at a national event is a wonderful accomplishment.” How was the tournament? I didn’t expect to get that far. But my last match, the last 10 seconds, I didn’t want to lose to him. So, I just went in there and got that reverse punch. What was the competition like? It was a really long day. In Kata, I lost my second round. Me and my brother and one of my friends did team sparring and team Kata. We got fourth place — close to third. The kids you sparred against, how good were they? Well, my first match, I got a little lucky. Then, I got more confident, so, in my second round, it was kind of easy. Tell me about that first match. How did you get lucky? I almost lost. Luckily, he didn’t get all of the points, so I didn’t lose. Was this your first gold medal? Yes. So, what’s next for you? I’m going to do tournament team next year and, at nationals, I hope to get another gold. What are some of your hobbies? I like riding my bike and going to the pool and swimming. I don’t play other sports. I like to play Plants vs. Zombies and Halo. What are your favorite movies? “How to Train Your Dragon.” I haven’t seen the second one yet. What’s your favorite book? “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Favorite TV show? “American Ninja Warrior.” Favorite food? I like steak. I like pizza, but I don’t eat it that much. Where do you go to school? Advantage Academy of Hillsborough. I like math. I don’t really like reading. Who are you favorite athletes? George Kotaka and, obviously, my brother (Joey). Sometimes, I look up to him. Depends on what he’s doing.
How long have you been doing karate? Two years. I hope to do this until I’m a black belt. I’m a green belt in tournaments, but, at the dojo, I’m a brown belt. I have two more belts to go in the dojo. When do you think you can do that? Probably a year-and-a-half? If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To fly.
FOOTBALL / FROM 11 part of the reason I came here. I have a lot of respect for Tristan (Hyde).” Alvarez plans to run a multiple-formation offense to get as much out of his senior signal-caller as he can while keeping defenses on their toes. “We’re going to run the football,” Alvarez says. “We’ve got to control the ball, move the sticks. I’m not going to say we’re a spread wide-open team; that’s not what we have.”
CAREY MCCRAY
On the other side of the ball, there’s Carey McCray. Much of McCray’s past 11 years have been spent coaching defenses in the Tampa Bay area, including two years as Lakewood High School’s co-defensive coordinator and one as Clearwater High School’s linebackers coach. Before that, he worked at Waddell High School in North Carolina. Last year, though, he served
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as Tampa Bay Tech’s running backs coach — a change of pace but nothing unfamiliar. McCray had coached some offenses before arriving in the Tampa Bay area but, as he says, that’s going “way back.” “I really enjoyed coaching there,” he says. “I loved the staff; I loved the kids, but the opportunity to go over to SCHS and coach with coach Kelly and be a coordinator again was too good to pass up.” So, he’s back on defense, which is his preference. “I like to look at myself as just a football coach, but I definitely prefer defense,” McCray says. “I like the act of taking apart an offense. I actually love the violence of defense.” “Violence” is actually not a bad description for what McCray wants to bring to the Chargers’ defense. Though much of the current roster lacks in game experience, it brings good athleticism, which McCray thinks can be used to the team’s advantage. “We are very young and inexperienced, but we are very
athletic, and we are going to play very fast,” he says. “What we lack in experience, we’ll make up for in aggression.” As Alvarez is doing with the new offense, McCray is implementing a multipleformation scheme into the defensive playbook. “The system is designed around our kids’ athletic ability,” McCray says. “I don’t want to have any square pegs in round holes.” He’ll be counting on his older players — safeties Josh Engram and Clay Cullins and linebacker Farron Rainford — to make the unit work. From what he’s seen so far, he’s confident in their abilities. It’s not the first time he’s worked with a relatively new school and an inexperienced group, but it could be the best time for him. “I’ve been a part of a rebuilding project,” McCray says. “Waddell was a new school, like SCHS. But this group is different; they learn fast, and they’re hungry for success. The kids have been very responsive, and they’re picking up quickly.”
WHAT’S A MULTIPLE SCHEME? It’s when an offense or defense switches its formation — they way they line up on the field — on the fly. This either confuses the opponent or allows the team to take advantage of a player mismatch, such as switching to have a 6-foot3 wide receiver take on a 5-foot-9 cornerback. Or, on defense, it could mean predicting a pass-heavy attack and moving around to make it easier to cover that ground. Have you ever played a Madden (or NCAA) football game, selected “choose plays by formation” and mixed things up? If so, then you’ve run a multipleformation scheme before. Well, kind of.
NET WORTH by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Plant City High hosts basketball camp Hoop dreams were alive and well this week at Plant City High School. Raiders head coach Dale Chambers hosted a fourday basketball camp for area youths in the school gym. Alongside his staff and some of the PCHS basketball players, players worked on their shooting, dribbling and other skills.
A camper takes a shot.
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Above: Campers pay close attention to coach Dale Chambers. Right: Campers learn how to finish from either side of the basket. Below: One camper concentrates as he goes to the hoop.
PlantCityObserver.com
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team spirit by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
DICKENS / FROM 11
Cheer camp attendees raise their voices
he was able to draw coach Charley Pell’s eye and land a scholarship to the University of Florida.
THE GLORY DAYS
Plant City High School’s gymnasium got so loud Saturday morning, one could hear the spirit from the football field. Dozens of young aspiring cheerleaders attended a cheer camp that morning, hosted by Lady Raiders coach Karen Snapp and Fierce Athletics coach Lindsey Hoover. That morning, the girls learned to perform several different cheers, tumbles and more. Campers and Lady Raiders pair up for fun dance routines at the end of camp.
Right: Some of the PCHS cheerleaders work with the campers. Photos by Justin Kline
Lindsey Hoover, of Fierce Athletics, works closely with the kids. Left: The camp saw a big turnout.
BASEBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Above: The runs started piling up June 29 for the Plant City Little League Junior All-Stars when the sun came out. Left: Landon Scudder makes a run for first base.
Plant City teams advance to Section 4 tournament Little League district tournament play has come to an end, and several Plant City teams have advanced to the Section 4 tournament. No matter which tournament you were watching, the Plant City teams played hard and, in some games, put on quite a show. One example: the Juniors Baseball team’s 16-6 blowout win over Auburndale to get to the quarterfinals. Left: Eduardo Lucas took to the mound, rather than first base, and had a great outing.
Nicholas Fernandez watches a batter from the dugout. Baserunning strategy is dicsussed after a hit.
Dickens will say the Florida years were probably the best of his life, and he’s got the enthusiasm to tell those stories for hours. Along with the pictures and clippings hanging from the walls, he has multiple scrapbooks and game tapes to dive into at any time. “Well, I’ve got some of it here,” he says. “I have a lot more, but my wife’s got it in storage.” He’s got pictures and clippings of virtually everything he did as a Gator — riding in the back of a hay-lined truck as a senior, walking off a bus with sunglasses and headphones on and flying through the air to make tackles. There is also his first letter from an NFL team — the Dallas Cowboys. It wasn’t all play, though. Pell, a Bear Bryant disciple, was tough, and he instilled a work ethic in Dickens that has stuck. “We used to have 26 periods,” Dickens says. “I’ll never forget that. His favorite words were, ‘Tell Mr. Haywood we’ll be coming in late.’ Mr. Haywood was the dining guy at the cafeteria. So, if we heard that, that meant we weren’t going to be coming in for a while. We’d start all 26 periods over. “It was the mentality of putting in hard work that got you the end results, which was Florida’s first SEC championship in 1984. We won it again in 1985. We were ranked No. 1. We had several guys get drafted in the first round.” That includes Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who was a freshman when Dickens was a senior. That year, Smith broke Herschel Walker’s NCAA records and led the Gators to the 1987 Aloha Bowl, where they faced UCLA. “We had just come off probation, so we had two years we weren’t allowed to go to a bowl game,” Dickens says. “We had won the SEC, the whole nine yards. Emmitt came in and had an excellent first year, which got us into the bowl game. We got to go to Hawaii and play against Troy Aikman. Little did we know, he was going to be a first-round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys and, little did we know, Emmitt was going to wind up being on his team. They were a part of the ‘triplets.’ All that, and I played against Michael Irvin in Miami, so I played against and with all of the ‘triplets.” The Aloha Bowl also offered Dickens’ favorite football memory, despite the 20-16 loss at the end. Normally, Dickens would focus on stopping the run. He was the guy who, after drawing a skull and crossbones on his elbow wrap, would go out to make the big tackle. He didn’t drop back into coverage too often but, this time, it was worth it: He picked off Aikman. “It came in on an inside throw,” Dickens says. “I had dropped into coverage. The wide receiver was coming in toward the middle. I just kind of flipped my hips and came inside with him, and (Aikman) just launched it. I picked it off right in there. I was like laid out to intercept that ball. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my career, doing that.”
NO REGRETS
After the Gators, Dickens entered NFL free agency and signed with New England, where he played sparingly for two years. He then spent a season with the up-and-coming World League of American Football, for which he played for the Orlando Thunder. He left to return to the Winter Strawberry Capital and work in both law enforcement and coaching. Although he wishes his timing would have been better — Dickens entered the NFL after the infamous 1987 players’ strike — he has no regrets. His pro career proved to be a valuable learning experience, which he still draws from today when working with his Next Level athletes. “I couldn’t have asked for a better football career,” he says.
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PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
WED. July 2
0.00
THURS.
TEMPERATURES
July 3
0.02
FRI.
July 4
SAT.
July 5
0.03
SUN.
0.14
MON. July 7
0.28
TUES. July 8
0.04
JULY
TO DATE
0.59 (2013: 1.08)
HIGH 92 90 90 90 90 90 92
Thurs., July 10 Fri., July 11 Sat., July 12 Sun., July 13 Mon., July 14 Tues., July 15 Wed., July 16
0.08
July 6
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SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Thurs., July 10 Fri., July 11 Sat., July 12 Sun., July 13 Mon., July 14 Tues., July 15 Wed., July 16
SUNRISE 6:39 a.m. 6:40 a.m. 6:40 a.m. 6:41 a.m. 6:41 a.m. 6:42 a.m. 6:42 a.m.
SUNSET 8:28 p.m. 8:28 p.m. 8:28 p.m. 8:28 p.m. 8:27 p.m. 8:27 p.m. 8:27 p.m.
LOW 74 74 72 72 74 71 71
MOON PHASES
July 12
July 18
SEEDLESS WATERMELON SHIPPING POINT: CENTRAL AND NORTH FLORIDA SIZES 36s and 45s 60s
YEAR
TO DATE 10.97 (2013: 18.8)
LOW $13 $15
HIGH $18 $16
July 26
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
Aug. 3
, 3&
Rob Yoho submitted this shot of the historic Lee building, which includes Sisters & Co., Brown’s Floral Shop and the Plant City Times & Observer offices. 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 Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City. Winners can pick up their prize at Grimes Hardware.
TH-THAT’S ALL!
By Mary Jersey | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Arboreal apes 7 Relating to heat 14 Caressed, in a way 20 Shark clinger 21 Jet-set destination, sometimes 22 Having a worse case of the flu 23 Casual wear 24 Made true, as tires 25 Off the wall (var.) 26 ___ Diego 27 Excites 29 “Otherwise ...” 31 Constrictor 33 Didn’t fast 34 Eli’s school 36 Doctrines 40 Neptune, e.g. 43 In an ill manner 44 Character set for computers 45 Major predecessor 48 Alabama march site 49 Was offensive, in a way 50 Spread, as gossip 51 “___ Pizza” (1988 film) 52 Burn 53 Old-style call to arms 54 Card game also called sevens 55 Obeys the dentist, in a way 56 Barker and Rainey 57 Miscellanies 58 Flora and fauna 59 Surreptitious sound 61 Storm noise 64 Slow-paced exercise 68 Cold War concern 70 Maximum bet 71 ___ capita
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D and C, in D.C. Horse’s gait Via ___ (Rome’s “Rodeo Drive”) Pageant toppers Lustrous fabric Ladies in Spain Milk dispenser Dams Call up, as reservists Water nymph, in mythology Topples Walked triumphantly Shapeless hunk Most suitable Bake sale sponsor, often Assumed command Circumnavigate from above Idea Remove, as branches Real Shackle Intellectually lacking Isle of Capri attraction Alarm Place to store food Initial start Pointed lunges Most arid
DOWN 1 Tolkien creatures 2 Betty Ford Center program, e.g. 3 Acids of proteins 4 “Smoking or ___?” 5 Poetic spelling of 112-Across 6 Window part 7 Judas, for one
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 28 30 32 34 35 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 51 52 54 55 57 58 60 61 62
Like the sides of many valleys The dark side Fixes, as fights Restroom door sign Hot temper Detroit’s founder Unwitting tool Bounce back, as sound “What I meant was ...” ___-tac-toe Scream at a mouse sighting Put in a kiln Spoke with fury Tina of “30 Rock” Mary of “The Maltese Falcon” WWII conference site Type of asst. Accident mementos Chop finely Many Punjabis Brown shade “Beg pardon!” Listed books? English race place Charlie Chaplin character Storytelling dances Gather up Assembly of church officials Large pipe Hog food Blunder Decree Electrical resistance units Radar image Near that place Little ones Makes angry
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“Follow me!” Puccini genre Insinuate Middle of Stein’s line Santa Claus feature Attacked by a wasp Kind of wave AM/FM device Highlanders, e.g. Slightly angled Say no to
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Children’s author Blyton Not old Most sugary Scrawny one Brings into sync “Most Wanted” org. Like bad milk, in London Artfully dodge Radiation quantities Assess Rorschach test image
98 99 100 101 103 104 105 106 108 109 111
“No ___ traffic” They go over your part Business phone button A winter lift Smart-mouthed “Long, Long ___” Grand ___ (vintage) Just one 61-Down To the ___ degree Auto Prefix with “cycle”
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . A J AT P M T I E E N A J T M D J O Y E O J H T L M Y E O M D T H E F G P I A J J Z . Q J M ’ L D E V J P E M D G P I H Q E X N L M D J G L L X J T P N P E R E N S VOT S L M E M D J OT G P F T Z J O . RO G P I E P OT S L T P N F E O J OT S L ! 2 . “ B RV N H Z I J O K I Y U V N Z S Y Z C B A Z J G Z M U Y Z B S C A ,” Z O Z J N Z V G B K RV N J Y V M R S K U . “ V B M Y B N M U Y Z B M U Z N N O V H Y Z M Y.”
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