Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH
INSIDE SPORTS
EXCLUSIVE
Elvis festival Chevelle Hallback, shakes, rattles, a Plant City native, rolls into P.C. returns to the ring.
Plant City grads embark on ‘Trip of Destiny.’ PAGES 7-8
OUR TOWN
FREE • FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014
PAGE 6 PAGE 11
update by Michael Eng | Editor
FDLE clears Singletary, Keel State investigators found no evidence that former Police Chief Steven Singletary and current City Commissioner Billy Keel committed any criminal activities.
+ Dance studio to host registration Plant City’s Dance Connection will host an open house for its upcoming classes this weekend. Registration will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, at the studio, 507 N. Wheeler St. Registration costs $25. Classes begin Aug. 4, and are open to children ages 2 and up. The studio teaches a variety of styles, including ballet, tap, musical theater, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and more.
Former Plant City Police Chief Steven Singletary and current City Commissioner Billy Keel will face no criminal charges regarding their actions that led ultimately to
Singletary’s firing. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement found no evidence of criminal actions by Singletary or Keel, FDLE Special Agent Rick Ramirez wrote
in his report, which Plant City officials received July 22. The FDLE launched its investigation at the request of former Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis — as well as Keel.
TRIAL BY FIRE by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Superintendent to host Florida Standards meeting in Plant City Hillsborough County Public Schools will host one of its informational meetings regarding the new Florida Standards curriculum next week, in Plant City. The curriculum will be fully implemented when school starts in August. The Plant City meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, 108 S. Warnell St. In 2010, Florida adopted Common Core State Standards, on which the Florida Standards are based, and the district phased in more rigorous standards over the past few years. But the new standards have generated controversy with critics charging that
The Plant City Lions Club and several local businesses will host a car wash benefit for Taylor Goethals from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Walden Lake Car Wash, 1414 S. Alexander St., Plant City. The car wash will benefit 15-year-old Goethals, a Plant City teen who is battling cancer for the second time. All washes will be done by donation only. For more information or to volunteer, call Frank Cummings, (813) 7527226.
This week’s winner is
Eddie Lancaster See his photo on PAGE 15.
IF YOU GO FLORIDA STANDARDS INFORMATIONAL MEETING WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30 WHERE: St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, 108 S. Warnell St., Plant City standardized testing simply serves to enrich the companies behind the tests. Common Core also has drawn fire for ceding control of education to the federal government, which is why the state opted for the modified Florida Standards.
SEE SCHOOLS / PAGE 4
opening soon by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Glover School reno nears completion
+ Police Department needs new recruits
, 3&
SEE CLEARED / PAGE 4
EDUCATION by Monica Bennett | Tampa Bay Times
+ Lions, businesses partner for fundraiser
The Plant City Police Department is accepting applications for new police officers. Applicants must have a high school diploma, GED or higher and Floridacertified. Starting pay is $42,915, and officers receive health benefits, a take-home vehicle after training, tuition reimbursement and other perks. For more information or to apply, call officer Mark Dunnam at (813) 7579200.
“I asked for an outside and unbiased investigation into some allegations that were made against me,” Keel said. “I did so to clear my name and to give the citizens of this com-
munity confidence in me as their elected official. “That investigation concluded yesterday, with the results that I have known all along,” he said. “The FDLE, after a very thorough investigation, found no evidence of wrongdoing
Built in 1933 Glover School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovations began more than a decade ago. Amber Jurgensen
Robert Woods creates his metal sculptures in a studio at Mozart’s Artistic Designs near County Line Road and U.S. 92.
HEAVYMETAL Robert Woods has created metal sculptures for private clients, schools and even the City of Plant City.
E
very time Plant City resident Robert Woods creates a new sculpture, sparks fly. The artist morphs together abstract forms with the hot, blue light of a fiery blowtorch. Some are mammoths that, at 18 feet tall, tower over humans. Others are functional, such as his latest masterpiece: a fabricated 1930s era vintage fire truck. The truck was commissioned by Darren Impson, owner of Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling of Tampa. Impson had a 150-cc motorcycle scooter stored in
Glover School sits nestled deep within the rural confines of the Bealsville community, shaded by grand oaks and brightened by a smiling community. And, it sure has something to smile about. After more than a decade, the 81-year-old campus is finally seeing the end of its renovations. Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham and members of the county staff enjoyed a walkthrough
SEE GLOVER / PAGE 5
the company’s warehouse. Woods discovered it when he attended a holiday event with his wife, Zuesette, who serves as Davis’ director of marketing. From there, an idea caught fire. Davis is a provider of water-damage cleanup and fire-damage restoration in the bay area. So, Woods thought a working fire truck would be a perfect conversion and could be used in the company’s marketing events and parades.
SEE METAL / PAGE 4
Amber Jurgensen
The Bealsville community is proud to reopen Glover School.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
July 21, with Bealsville Inc. Executive Director Gwendolyn Thomas. “It went just fine,” Thomas said. “In any renovation, you need touch-ups. When you start using the building, you see touch-ups.” Glover School had fallen into disrepair in the 1970s, after it was no longer used as a school. Paint peeled from its exterior, its plumbing and electrical
Vol. 1, No. 51 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather ......................15
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, JULY 25 Live Music — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, July 18, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Safe Sitter — takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 25, at the South Florida Baptist Hospital Administrative Conference Room, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. Do you have a child who is ready to stay home alone or planning to babysit soon? Safe Sitter is a medically accurate babysitting training program designed for children ages 11 and up. The full-day class provides the basic information every good babysitter should know, including how to handle minor to lifethreatening situations, how to rescue a choking infant or child, how to communicate with Emergency Medical Services, accident and behavior management, how to entertain kids, and other babysitting tips. Registration required; $55. (813) 644-6720 or go to BayCareEvents.org. Simply Events Mid-Florida Summer Home Show — takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 25; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 26; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center, 2508 W. Oak Ave., Plant City. (727) 674-1464. Story Time — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon, Friday, July 25, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700. Summer Teen Movie — takes place at 4 p.m. Friday, July 25, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215. Uncork Your Weekend with Skip Frye — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 25, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.
SATURDAY, JULY 26 Arts Council of Plant City “Summer Rhapsody” — takes place at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 N. Carey St. Plant City. Event features live music from Riverside. Tickets are $30. Cheryl
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.
Worsham, (813) 973-1770.
City. For more information, visit plantcity.org.
Family Childbirth Center Education: Childbirth Preparation — takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 26, in the Community Conference Room at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. This class helps expectant mothers become informed, active participants in the childbirth process. Participants should plan to attend no later than early in their seventh month of pregnancy. Registration required, $20. (813) 644-6720. Great American Biker Bash — takes place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. Festivities include a bike show, bike wash and battle of the bands — all emceed by Sharpie and hosted by Born To Ride TV & Magazine. For more, visit unclemikesgrill.com. Live Entertainment — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, July 19, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Uncork Your Weekend with Project Voyager — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.
SUNDAY, JULY 27 Car Wash Benefit for Taylor Goethals — takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Walden Lake Car Wash, 1414 S. Alexander St., Plant City. The car wash has teamed up with the Plant City Lions Club to host a benefit car wash for 15-year-old Taylor Goethals, a Plant City teen who is battling cancer for the second time. All washes will be done by donation only. Frank Cummings, (813) 752-7226. Groves Family Ministry — performance takes place at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 27, at Plant City Foursquare Church, 602 S. Evers St. For more, visit grovesfamilyministry.com or contact the church, (813) 759-0528.
MONDAY, JULY 28 Beginning Crochet — takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, July 28, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Patrons
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 CPR — takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700. Infant Free Play — takes place from 11:15 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, July 30, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700.
BEST BET Plant City Photo Archives & History Center Official Unveiling of the Plant City Sculptures Exhibit 2014 — takes place at 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 28, at McCall Park, Historic Downtown Plant City. Sponsored by the City of Plant City; the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center; Arts Council of Plant City, Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce; Downtown Business & Merchants Association; All A Bloom Florist; George and Cassandra Banning; Bill and Gwen Thomas; Improvement League of Plant City; Polk Museum of Art; Art Lounge Gallery; and the Plant City Times & Observer. (813) 754-1578.
Open Mike Night — begins at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Fit Club — meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, at 301 N. Dort St., Plant City. Melissa, (813) 395-3953. Plant City Get Fresh Market — takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, at the Train Depot. Local produce, crafts and food.
THURSDAY, JULY 31 should bring a crochet hook and yarn with them. (813) 757-9215. Children’s Computer Games — takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, July 28, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.
Florida, the University of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College and others from the community will be in attendance. RSVP to Kevin O’Hare, kevin.ohare@rocketmail.com.
Arts and Crafts — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700.
TUESDAY, JULY 29
End of Summer Cake Decorating Demonstration — takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. For more, call (813) 757-9215.
Free Play — takes place from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Monday, July 28, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 7528700.
Get Started in Astronomy — takes place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Presented by Craig MacDougal. (813) 757-9215.
Hillsborough County Transportation and Education — takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 28, at the Fredrick B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Learn how transportation initiatives can benefit and increase educational opportunities for students who attend a educational institution in Hillsborough County. Representatives from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the School Board of Hillsborough County, Tampa City Council, The Metropolitan Planning Organization Board, as well as stakeholders from the University of South
Meet the Artist — takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215. Ribbon Cutting: Robert Bauman for Circuit Court Judge, Group 34 — takes place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Ribbon Cutting: Laura Ward for Circuit Court Judge, Group 20 — takes place at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St., Plant
Plant City Area Democratic Club Candidate Forum — takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at the office, 103 E. Martin Luther King Blvd. Candidates include Sen. Nan Rich, candidate for governor; and Mark Nash and Pat Kemp, candidates for District 7 Hillsborough County Commissioner. Ione Townsend, (813) 638-2261. Ribbon Cutting: Constance Daniels for Circuit Court Judge, Group 34 — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity. org.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
GOVERNANCE by Michael Eng | Editor
MOTOCROSS MADNESS by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Commission OKs funds for lighting in Ellis-Methvin Park The city will utilize a $650,000 grant from Hillsborough County to help pay for the the $1.094M lighting project. The Plant City Commission approved unanimously July 14, a series of motions that ultimately will illuminate the new soccer fields at EllisMethvin Park. In addition to amendments to the city’s 2013-14 budget and Capital Improvement Budget, the commission endorsed the purchase and installation of high-mast lighting at the park’s two practice soccer fields, six soccer fields and the baseball/ softball quadplex. Total cost is $1,094,500, and the city will utilize a $650,000 grant from Hillsborough County to help pay for the project. “We have the funding lined up, and I think we can do everything that needs to be done,” said Interim City Manager David Sollenberger. Musco Corporation, DBA Musco Sports Lighting LLC, will supply the equipment and installation services. The price includes a 25-year warranty and maintenance. “I know that, in a short time, we’re going to complete this park, and it’s going to be a gem in our community and serve our citizens very, very well,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “I know we’ll be proud very soon.” City Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis agreed. “I have been walking that area, and, let me tell you, the citizens love it,” she said. “Some are out there at 5:30 a.m., so this lighting in that area is going to be phenomenal. Citizens are enjoying it; they are using it. … I can’t wait until (the park’s) completion.” In addition to the new soccer fields, the 46-acre park, located at 2401-2601 E. Cherry St., is also home to the Plant City Tennis Center, four youth baseball/ softball fields, three picnic shelters, a playground the Optimist Club partially funds, a .42-mile walking trail around the pond and a .47mile walking trail around the perimeter.
FULL-SPEED AHEAD Cameron Goins was awarded a $20,000 scholarship, which he will use to continue his education at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. Cameron Goins’ lifelong love of supercross ended with a big payday. The Dover resident won a $20,000 scholarship to put toward his education at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, in Orlando. Goins earned the 2014 Jeremy McGrath Scholarship by submitting a two-minute video. The win was fitting for Goins — who not only likes motorcycles and dirt bikes but also rides them. In fact, it was McGrath who turned him onto the sport in the first place. He saw a video of the supercross champion when he was 5. After that, he asked his father if he could get a dirt bike for Christmas if he got straight A’s in school. His father told him he could get anything he wanted. That was enough motivation for Goins. And on Christmas Day, a dirt bike was sitting under the tree. “Jeremy McGrath started me off,” Goins said. “Then to get his scholarship. It’s a blessing.
It’s not like this happens every day.” Goins has been following his passion for 14 years. He was out at the track almost every weekend. When the close of his senior year drew near, he had to make a decision about what he wanted to do with it. “Financially, it’s hard to go pro,” Goins said. “So, instead of going pro, why not work in the field with them?” After graduation from Strawberry Crest High School last year, he enjoyed just 10 days off for summer before starting his training at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, in Orlando. Since then, he has worked to obtain a certification from BMW. Now, he’s trying to get his Kawasaki certification. With the scholarship, Goins is determined to get certified in the rest of the manufacturers the institute offers. That includes Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha. “We’re thrilled that Cameron achieved this accomplishment,” said Steve McElfresh,
Courtesy photos
Top: Cameron Goins got his first dirt bike for Christmas after getting straight A’s.
Above: Cameron Goins has been riding dirt bikes for 14 years. Photo by Wilfredo Reyes, Toucan Photography. campus president at the Orlando campus of Universal Technical Institute. “His determination to work and attend school full time speaks volumes about the passion that fuels all of our students.” Goins attends to classes yearround, commuting from Dover and working at his parents machine shop at the same time. “There’s real-life situations there, with the motors and everything versus going to school,” Goins said. “It helps me out.”
This time next year, Goins hopes to be done with all his certifications. And his eyes are still set on the track. His ultimate goal is to snag a position on a race team — a gig that would require traveling throughout the United States. Goins has some solid leads from friends he’s made in the industry. “If you want something, go get it,” Goins said. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
CODE ENFORCEMENT CHANGES
Two former Plant City Police Department employees have been hired to serve in the city’s Code Enforcement Department. Tray Towles will replace longtime Code Enforcement Supervisor Dennis Sweeney as the city’s new code enforcement manager. Sweeney resigned from the post to pursue an opportunity with Hillsborough County. Towles holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational management from Warner Southern University. Following the July 18 retirement of former code enforcement officer and interim po-
IN OTHER NEWS • The City Commission directed city staff to examine its Comprehensive Plan to amend the uses allowed in its industrial district to include a recreationaltype use. The directive came at the request Lindsey Hoover, owner of the new Fierce Athletics competitive cheerleading gym. Because of the type of skills and training required for competitive cheerleading, Hoover said her gym requires the space only afforded in larger buildings in industrial areas. The gym is located within that industrial zoning, at 607 Hitchcock St., Plant City. Hoover said she expects her business to bring about 100 families into downtown weekly. The amendment will require three public hearings, as well as approval from the state, said City Attorney Kenneth Buchman. • Interim City Manager David Sollenberger said the city is searching for assistance from local civic clubs to help replace the dilapidated playground equipment at Courier Field. Repairing the existing equipment will cost $33,000 plus labor, while a replacement playground should cost about $65,000, Sollenberger said. • City Purchasing Manager Joe Benjamin is an award-winning writer. Benjamin’s two essays were named winners in the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing’s 15th Annual NIGP Diversity Essay Contest and the 18th Annual NIGP Ethics Essay Contest. His awards will be announced at the 69th annual NIGP Forum and his winning essays will be published in an upcoming issue of NIGP’s magazine, “Go Pro.”
lice chief John Borders, the city appointed police officer Mark Pfister to fill the vacancy. Pfister will retire from the police department Sept. 1, and will assume duties as a code enforcement officer Oct. 6. These staffing changes will result in the three-position Code Enforcement Department being fully staffed at the start of the next fiscal year. Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver. com.
clean-up crew by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Durant Senior Council seeks opportunities to give back The Class of 2015 has set a goal to complete one community service project each month. In just four hours, Durant High School’s Senior Council collected seven bags worth of trash during a clean-up project June 30, at Ben Davis Beach. The project was part of the council’s goal to complete one community service project a month until its members graduate in May 2015. “Most councils make it a job to go out into the community,” said Kevin O’Hare, community relations officer for the council. “We wanted to take it one step further by doing it every month. It’s senior year, and for a lot of us, it’s the last year at home. We want to make an impact.” The council met after exams last year semester to decide on their first project. The beach
NEED HELP? If you have a project idea for Durant High School’s senior council contact Kevin O’Hare at kevin. ohare@rocketmail.com or at (813) 446-5302. seemed like the perfect place to hold a summer event. “We wanted to get out in the community and have fun doing it at the same time,” O’Hare said. The recreational area runs the sides of the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Westshore. It’s frequented by boaters and sunbathers alike, making it a breeding ground for trash. From cigarette butts to lost
cellphones, the crew of almost 30 found a never-ending variety of left behind objects. “Anything you can think of, it was there,” O’Hare said. “It was kind of disturbing.” Now, they have their sights set on the next event planned in August, when the majority of members get back from summer vacations. They want to stick to the Plant City area for most of the future projects. In November, they want to focus on helping out March of Dimes since the month is Prematurity Awareness Month. Other projects include working with veterans, whether it be sending care packages to deployed service members or families at home in need. With one event already under their belt, the council is well on its way of achieving its goal. “This was a complete suc-
Courtesy photo
Nearly every member of Durant High School’s Senior Council members showed up to help clean up Ben Davis Beach. cess, and I want the community to know that we as the Class of 2015 will be doing a lot more of these kinds of
projects — not for ourselves but to give back to a community that has given us so much,” Senior Class Presi-
dent Lindsay Robinson said. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
ÂŞ 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP At a forum last month, several school board candidates criticized Common Core and complained about highstakes testing but also said standards need to be high. Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia already has hosted several information meetings — including ones in Lithia, Ruskin and Tampa. “I think it’s important we get out to parents and ease their minds some,â€? she said. “This is a shift. This is asking a lot more of kids.â€? The Florida Standards will raise the education bar and put more emphasis on critical thinking. Under the old standards, a first-grader would see this type of math problem: Tina has 15 balloons. She gave 12 away. How many does she have now? Under the new standards, the problem would look like this: A small table seats four. A large table seats double. Fifteen people came in at lunch. How many didn’t get a seat? “It’s a lot more complicated,â€? Elia said. “But, the same functions. They are building algebraic skills at a young age.â€? The Florida Standards also will focus on more nonfiction reading in language arts; in math, students will work deeper in fewer topics. Elia said some students won’t notice a difference. Others, she said, will have to learn a different approach to the way they learn. The new standards mean the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is out. Elia didn’t have many details on the new testing system. The American Institutes for Research is in charge of creating the new assessment, which will debut in the spring. Elia said teachers have had the training to teach the Common Core and she is confident students will succeed in new testing. She believes the new standards will help students excel after high school. “The expectation is: We will have students leaving high school much more prepared for college or a career,â€? she said. Elia explained that it is an “American traditionâ€? to raise standards. Jobs don’t stay stagnant so why should education, she said. The district plans to hold more meetings about the Florida Standards during the school year. “The more we can keep parents in the loop, the better off we are,â€? Elia said.
ON DISPLAY To check out Robert Woods and some of his pieces, visit the Art Lounge Gallery or contact Woods at RGWoods@usa.com.
ART LOUNGE GALLERY ADDRESS: 119 E. Reynolds St. PHONE: (813) 704-4872 WEBSITE: theartloungegallery.com
METAL / PAGE 1 Woods got to work in April, laying out the plans as he went. “The scooter was to be the base power source for the fire truck,� Impson said. “Robert removed the front wheel on the scooter and fabricated an axle system, so that the front wheels turn when the handle bars turn. Robert hand-built the axles, chassis, all steering parts, body frame, wheel wells, sheet metal, aluminum diamond plate, wood ladders and firemen’s axes.� Even more impressive, Woods did it by himself. “People asked me, ‘Where’d you buy the kit?’� Woods said. “There’s not a kit. I built it from the ground up. It’s really a custom piece.� The truck was done just in time for a Fourth of July parade in Brandon. Loaded down with ice chests of water and popsicles, four boxes of beads and even a couple of kids, the truck ran with lights blaring. The hose even squirted water out in a mist or a stream, winning the title of Best Decorated Vehicle. “It’s like a super big go-kart,� Woods said. “It took a lot of engineering. Next to ‘The Key Tree,’ it’s probably the best thing I have done.�
Robert Woods made “Eternal Time� to mark where a time capsule has been buried in Historic Downtown Plant City. “The Key Tree� is another favorite of the talented craftsman. Back in 2005, Woods worked with Tampa Palms Elementary to fabricate a 14-branch tree with leaves made out of keys. The art teacher had students collect 1,880 keys for the collective project. “It has a real nice gold hue to it,� Woods said. “It’s really gorgeous.� And right here in Plant City sits another piece of work from Woods. Behind the Whistle Stop Cafe, “Eternal Time� marks the spot of a time capsule that will be opened in 2085. The abstract grandfather clock was built to withstand
the Southern humidity, Florida’s torrential summer downpours and the sands of time, in general. It was put in place in 2010 as part of Plant City’s 125th anniversary festivities. Just down the street, Woods shows and sells his work at the Art Lounge Gallery off Reynolds Street. Some of his bestsellers, shiny silver fish, are tacked up on the wall. Woods receives much of his commissioned work through word of mouth. He’s had clients from Ohio to West Palm Beach. One of his most expensive projects is an $80,000 custom gate he created for a home in Maryland. Woods had grown up tinker-
CLEARED / PAGE 1 and cleared me. I am glad to have this matter closed, and I sincerely hope to return the focus to getting on with the business of the City of Plant City.� Regarding the allegations that Singletary falsified time sheets to carry out an extramarital affair, Ramirez wrote: “Based upon a review of the facts and circumstances in this matter, coupled with sworn testimony and documents obtained during this investigation, the FDLE found no viable evidence to establish a criminal predicate. Therefore, this office will take no further action in this matter.� Ramirez used the same
File photo
Former Police Chief Steven Singletary said he has been overwhelmed by the support he and his family received. words to describe the FDLE’s investigation into allegations that Keel had attempted, via a third party, to persuade a wit-
ness not to talk to investigators. “To say today’s announcement was well received by our
" " % " " " %' ( !
)))) & " % !
# # !
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1. Arthur’s round table welcomed a notable guest: Sir Circumference. He got woefully portly from too much pi. 2. A horologist specialized in the fabrication of tiny watches. He felt razzed by a crowing competitor calling him a small-time operator.
ȥȄɜ̡Ƥ̡Ç?̡ȥ
SCHOOLS / PAGE 1
0,!.4ÂŞ#)49ÂŞ4)-%3ÂŞ ÂŞ/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ÂŞ*5,9ÂŞ ÂŞ
ing with things, but he didn’t get his artistic start until he worked with an artist to cut glass for his projects. Woods owned Metropolitan Glass and Visualize Logo Concepts, both in Tampa, in 2000, when he met the artist. “It was too much fun; I didn’t want to stop,� Woods said. So, he took up art full-time, making a name for himself. Now, he works in a studio at
Amber Jurgensen
Mozart’s Artistic Designs near County Line Road and U.S. 92. “Art is free-thinking,� Woods said. “Sometimes, throwing scraps together turns out just as good a planning it out. But, when I have a client, seeing their expression when they see it for the first time — that’s why I do it.� Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
COST TO CREATE Robert Woods’ raw materials aren’t cheap. A one-inch thick sheet of aluminum can cost $3,500. An 18-foot-tall sculpture at Brandon’s Hillsborough Community College campus took about two-and-one-half sheets to create.
family would be an understatement,� Singletary said. “While we remained confident FDLE’s finding would be positive, the outpouring of community support during this time has been tremendous. For that, I am humbled and grateful. I look forward to our hometown being able to move forward with more important matters as everyone’s lives return to normal.� Keel, a friend of the former chief, said he is thankful the Singletary family can move forward. “I am also happy that Steve Singletary was cleared,� he said. “Unfortunately, Mr. Singletary lost a very long and distinguished career in lawenforcement over an affair. I
never believed there was anything more than that, and I’m glad FDLE came to the same conclusion.� Mayor Rick Lott agreed. “I am happy this is behind Billy Keel, and I applaud him for asking for this investigation,� Lott said. “Billy is a bright financial mind, and we need him as we move forward trying to balance the budget. “I also wish the best for the Singletary family as they move forward,� he said. The FDLE’s findings conclude a long investigation that began in January, when city officials learned of Singletary’s affair. Singletary was fired Jan. 28, and the city hired retired Hillsborough sheriff’s Col. Ed Duncan as its new chief.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
GLOVER / PAGE 1 systems became rusted. But the neighborhood held it close to their hearts and managed to get funding to renovate it through Community Development Block Grants. It’s come a long way since repairs began in 2001. After several extensions and unexpected problems, the project wrapped up officially this year. But the school is still having some minor repairs done to it that include painting, electric and plumbing. The community hopes it will be able to use it as a community center soon. “We didn’t want to do a total move-in yet,” Thomas said. “We’re waiting for the repairs to be done in a couple more weeks.” Thomas hopes to start moving in artifacts for the museum that will be housed in the school by the end of the month. Already, old photographs line the walls of a room with a dusty chalkboard. Vintage books sit on a shelf in the center of this room. Acclaimed folk artist and Bealsville local, Ruby C. Williams, has even donated some of her work to the school.
HISTORY LESSON
Bealsville has a rich history that dates back to the 1800s. It was established by freed slaves in 1865. After the abolition, the freed men and women gathered at the plantation of Sarah Hopewell. She provided them with horses, hoes, a mule and a plow and allowed them to stay on her property until they completed the town they named Howell’s Creek. It later changed to Bealsville after Alfred Beal, the son of one of the founders. Glover School, however, wasn’t built until 1933. Before the school was built, classes were held in a nearby church. But, Bealsville residents wanted their own school and raised more than $1,000 for the school through fish fries and musical shows. The county matched funds raised by Bealsville for the school. William Glover donated 10 acres of land for the three-room school.
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HOW TO HELP
To help keep Glover School in tip-top shape, donations can be made to the non-profit Bealsville, Inc. by calling Gwendolyn Thomas at (813) 340-2557 or Treasurer William Thomas at (813) 716-2324.
The structure was then renamed Glover School and constructed by the county. Pupils from Keysville, Hopewell, Coronet and Trapnell were transported to Glover School. In 1949, a second wooden structure was moved onto the campus, and, in 1954, another four rooms were built to provide for educational growth, with first to ninth grades operational. The school stopped classes around 1972, and it sunk into disrepair.
SAVING THE SCHOOL
In November 1980, Bealsville Inc., a non-profit organization, was established by W.O. Beal, S.P. Berry, Fred Patterson, Lottie Broadnax, Lillie Berry, Edith Dexter, Delphina Broadnax, Bessie Patterson, Viola C. Green, Ovid V. Hargrett Sr., Adam Holloman and Ethel Glover to coordinate efforts to renovate and rehabilitate Glover School. Cora Hagrett Ford, Henry Davis and Chester Dexter joined the movement in 1981. “After it closed down, it was just left,” Thomas said. “After not being used for so long, it needed work. It takes time and funding for upkeep.” Even though efforts were put in place to restore the school, it continued to fall deeper into disrepair. Still, Bealsville Inc. worked to restore it. “That’s when the organization decided to pull itself together to get funding,” Thomas said. “They made it a historical site to get funding through that.” Glover School made it onto the National Register of Historic Places in July 2005. The distinguished title brought pride to the community but
also made it difficult to do the needed renovations, because of stricter guidelines placed on historic sites. Hillsborough County stepped in to provide more funding. “It was in jeopardy of not being able to be used anymore, if nothing was done,” said Paula Harvey, director of the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services Department. But, the county didn’t know it was going to take this long or encounter so many unexpected problems. Since 2001, more than $1 million in total Community Development Block Grant funding has been made available to Bealsville Inc. to pay for the cost of renovations. Responsibility for administering the project renovations has been shared by the county and Bealsville. Renovations included HVAC design, painting, roofing and an unplanned new well and septic tank installation. “It took a long time for the project to get done,” Harvey said. “It seemed like every time the contractor went there, something new had to be done.”
BACK IN SESSION
With renovations basically complete, Bealsville Inc. hopes to move the museum in starting at the end of the month. It also wants to start hosting events, such as computer classes and, next year, summer programs for kids. In the future, Thomas envisions plays and musicals taking place on the school’s quaint stage. “The school is the center of the community,” Thomas said. “It’s where the children were educated. They all hold it dear to their hearts.” Thomas wants to host an opening celebration in October. Bealsville Inc. also will continue to raise funds to keep the school functional. “It’s an important site,” Thomas said. “It’s history.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE! KUWAIT.
U.S. Army Capt. James Stottlemyer stays up-to-date on all his hometown news while serving our country proudly in Kuwait. The Plant City Times & Observer and Cruise Planners have partnered to present our monthly It’s Read Everywhere Photo Contest. Each month, we will select one winner, whose photo will be featured in the newspaper. Entering is easy! Just snap a photo of you with the paper at your destination of choice and email it to Editor Michael Eng, meng@ plantcityobserver.com. Make sure you include your full name and where the photo was taken.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
LETTER
HONKY TONK MEN by Michael Eng | Editor Brycen Katolinsky came to this year’s festival from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
TO THE EDITOR + Tattoo shop ban not an issue of freedom Dear Editor, Please, no tattoo shops in the Historic Downtown and Midtown area, just as the ordinance states. There are other areas for the shops, so the question is why is it so important to change the ordinance to fit his personal preference? Mr. Hudder may believe his freedom of speech is being violated, but what about those of us that agree with the ordinance? Tattooing has become big business as the culture embraces a fad that at one time was not so widely accepted. His business can do just as well a short distance away from the downtown area. Also, to state and use the endorsement of Randy White, a pastor who believes a tattoo makes a person be an individual is questionable. God makes us individuals and unique, not a tattoo. This is the marketing lie that sells to those that fall into the trap of “getting on-board” to be part of the fad. Randy White has had his share of creditability issues; this adds one more to the list. I hope the Plant City Planning Board has enough people who will stick to the ordinance as it was written. Carrine Narey Plant City
Elvis shakes, rattles, rolls into Plant City Steve Gillis has been performing in the likeness of Elvis for seven years.
David Jericko loved performing at this year’s Elvis Tampa Bay Festival.
Plant City Times & Observer Locally Owned by Ed Verner, Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes The Plant City Times & Observer is published by Plant City Media LLC, a joint-venture of the Tampa Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.
110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850 www.PlantCityObserver.com &RS\ULJKW 3ODQW &LW\ 0HGLD //& $OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG
There was a little less conversation and a lot more rock ‘n’ roll at the 12th Annual Elvis Tampa Bay Festival July 19, at the Strawberry Festival Expo Hall The show featured plenty of Elvis memorabilia, a silent auction and, of course, hours of Elvis tribute performances. The event benefits the Children’s Home of Tampa Bay.
Elvis tribute artist Jimmy Fields, right, loved performing for fans, including grandson Colton Magnuson, 3, who wore his own Elvis costume. Right: Brenen Katolinsky, 16, has been performing as an Elvis tribute artist since he was 6 years old.
TO ADVERTISE
Call Veronica Prostko, (813) 716-0007, or Joanna Verga, (813) 451-6489.
SEND US YOUR NEWS
We want to hear from you. Let us know about your community events, celebrations and family member achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. 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.
Bruce Bathurst has been an Elvis fan since the 1950s.
Plant City Times &
Observer
General Manager/Editorial / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, shudson@tampabay.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com
Associate Editor / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” — Friedrich Hayek, “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
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
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
SEDONA, ARIZ.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. AMARILLO, TEXAS
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. MILLEDGEVILLE, GA. DALLAS, TEXAS BATON ROUGE, LA.
PENSACOLA
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
TRAVEL ROUTE
PLANT CITY
ROUTE WEST ROUTE HOME
BY THE NUMBERS
The boys spent much of their time on the road.
THE TRIP OF
DESTINY MILES OF MEMORIES by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Acting on impulse, four recent Plant City High School graduates went on a crosscountry road trip they will never forget.
M
any great adventures have started with a dream or a concrete inspiration. This one started with a mass text. Having just graduated from Plant City High School, Jake Fortune wanted to go on a cross-country road trip with
Randell “R2” Platt visited a voodoo shop in New Orleans. some friends. When he sent the text, three of his closest friends — fellow Eagle Scouts Isaac Rivers, Mike Hahn and Randell “R2” Platt — jumped on-board. “For about a month, we were going on about trying to figure out what to do,” Platt
says. “And then, one day, we all just decided to tell our parents. We were like, ‘Hey, we’re going on this road trip after graduation.’” They planned to travel all over the South, hitting popular locations such as New Orleans, Dallas, the Grand Canyon, St. Louis, Denver, Chicago and Detroit, before heading to Milledgeville, Ga. Some of the parents laughed. None of them believed it. “Until, like, the week before the trip, I don’t think anybody believed us,” Hahn says. “I told my parents and they were just kind of like, ‘OK, sure, you’re going to go on a trip.’” For most of the parents, it didn’t sink in, until Hahn calculated a $1,300-per-person budget and created an Excel spreadsheet, covering every possible expenditure (including jokes such as, “Someone dies, and we need to buy acid to dispose of the body”), and emailed it to every parent. A Facebook page (“The Road Trip of Destiny,” which is still open and public) also was created, so that the boys could keep friends and family updated as they went along. “I don’t think my parents really believed it, until we left,” Platt says. “We went and got breakfast, and then we left, and then my dad was like, ‘Oh, you’re actually leaving.’”
Courtesy photos
The travelers agreed the Grand Canyon was a stunning sight. to go to the beach, but that didn’t work out. Instead, they bumped into some characters. “We’re driving around, and we find these people that are LARPing,” Platt says. “It was a historical re-enactment.” LARPing, for the uninitiated, is short for “live-action role-playing.” More often than not, it involves a group of people re-enacting medieval battles, or Lord of the Ringsstyle fantasy adventures. The LARPers were happy to pose for photos with the boys and even let them try on some of their gear. “They gave (Jake) one of the helmets,” Platt says. “So, Jake puts the metal helmet on and, WHAM! He didn’t hit (Jake) as hard as he could, but, yeah.” From Pensacola, they drove to New Orleans, for some sightseeing and authentic Cajun food. After spending the night in Baton Rouge, they made stops in Dallas and Albuquerque, N.M., before heading to the Grand Canyon.
ONE BIG DITCH
Sedona, the boys say, was the most visually striking stop of the trip. “I could not get used to the time change in Sedona, so I would wake up at 4 a.m., go outside and wait for the sun to rise, and it was amazing,” Rivers says. The image of the sun rising
over Sedona’s big, red mountains might only be topped by seeing the Grand Canyon in person for the first time, in all its glory. So, of course the boys took advantage of the chance to goof around on camera there. “So, me, Jake and R2, we were all going to take a picture near the ledge,” Rivers says. “You know, just standing there like buddies. Michael doesn’t like heights, so he was going to take it. Me and Jake are taking the picture and, halfway through, we’re like, ‘Where’s R2?’ I hear the pitter-patter of feet, and rocks falling, and I’m like ‘I can hear R2, but I can’t see him.’ As soon as we’re done, I look over, and there’s R2 below — exploring.” Before that, he was pretending to be hanging onto the ledge for dear life. “You keep wanting to go lower, to keep climbing down,” Platt says. “It got to a point where we were like, ‘We’re going to fall off and die. We’re not going to be able to get back up.’ So we just climbed back up and headed back on our way.” After a five-day stay, the boys went back to Albuquerque for a night and then to Texas — but with a new goal in mind.
67 HOURS: The total time the foursome spent driving.
$$$$$ $$$$$ $$$$ ESTIMATED COST VS. ACTUAL COST: The travelers estimated they would need about $1,300 per person for the trip. They only spent a total for $500 each.
SEE TRIP / PAGE 8
59 MINUTES, 59 SECONDS: The time it took Jake Fortune to eat a 72-ounce steak along with shrimp, a baked potato, salad and a roll.
$3.50 to $3.60: The average cost of gasoline from city to city.
THE FIRST HALF
Pensacola was the boys’ first destination. Their plan was
BIGGEST EXPENSE: The group had to pay $200 for a broken boat propeller
Isaac Rivers met some friendly LARPers along the way.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
CLUBHUBBUB If your club would like to post announcements, email them to Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
+ Arts Council of Plant City The Arts Council of Plant City will host its Summer Rhapsody at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 N. Carey St. Tickets are $30. For more information and reservations, call Cheryl Worsham at (813) 973-1770.
+ Plant City Daybreak Rotary The Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club presented the Presidential Service Above Self Award to member Bruce Rodwell. From Feeding America events at the United Food Bank of Plant City to the Country Cracker Feast, Rodwell plays a big role in community service in Plant City. Daybreak Rotary meets at 7 a.m. Mondays, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301
• Winn-Dixie, 205 W. Alexander St. • Stingray Chevrolet, 2002 N. Frontage Road • Southside Western Wear, 3014 James L. Redman Parkway Drop of items before Aug. 8. For more call Sharon Moody at (813) 753-7134.
+ MacDonald Training Center
Courtesy photo
Bruce Rodwell, center, received the Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club’s Presidental Service Above Self Award.
N. Alexander St., Plant City. For more information, email George Banning at wenlake@aol.com.
+ Unity in the Community Unity in the Community, along with the Kiwanis Club of Plant City, is hosting the seventh annual Stuff the Bus event. All donations will be equally divided and distributed to Plant City schools. Drop off sites include:
MacDonald Training Center hosted its Hot Art, Cool Crowd art exhibit July 17, at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, in Tampa. Proceeds from all art sales benefits participating MTC artists and the center’s fine arts studio. MTC empowers people with disabilities by offering participants training and life skills.
+ Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Nominations for the 2014 Business of the Year awards are open through 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15. Award categories include small, mid-sized, large, special and growing businesses. To nominate or for more information, call the chamber office at (813) 752-8739.
Isaac Rivers, Mike Hahn, Randell “R2” Platt and Jake Fortune
Photo by Justin Kline
TRIP / PAGE 7
STOMACH OF STEEL
Two months ago, a 120-pound woman named Molly Schuyler set a world record at Amarillo’s Big Texan Steak Ranch by scarfing down two 72-ounce steaks in just 15 minutes. Fortune and Platt wanted to see if they could stomach one. “You have an hour, and I did it in 59 minutes, 59 seconds,” Fortune says. He got the T-shirt. Platt got sick halfway through. “I looked over, and his face was just green,” Fortune says. “He grabs a bucket from across the table, he’s puking, and I’m yelling at him to get away from the table. He’s going to make me puke after I just ate a couple pounds of steak.” Adding insult to injury, Platt’s inability to complete the challenge also stuck him with a $72 bill. Fortune dined for free. After Amarillo, the boys realized they needed to get a move on to make it to Georgia for Independence Day.
RETURN TRIP
Their route to Milledgeville took them through Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Ark., and Bir-
Mike Hahn snapped this photo on the drive from Sedona to the Grand Canyon. mingham, Ala. They made it to their destination — a friend’s lake house — on July 1. They spent five days boating, tubing, getting lost on a jet ski, launching fireworks and taking videos. Somehow, they had managed to completely avoid traffic and bad weather — until they re-entered Florida, which hit them with both. “It turned into a nine-hour drive, from a five- or six-hour drive,” Hahn says. On the plus side, the boys realized they had completely miscalculated their budget — each had spent only about $500, instead of the $1,300 or
so that they had planned for. Coming home with a good chunk of their graduation money intact was a relief. And, not long after they returned, the Fortunes held a party at their home to celebrate, watch videos and get filled in on whatever the boys didn’t post to Facebook. This trip may be in the books, but the boys had so much fun that a sequel isn’t out of the question. “It could happen again,” Fortune says. “If we do it, we’ll probably go north this time.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
OBSERVEROBITUARIES Louise A Balliet
Louise A. Balliet, 88, died July 18, 2014, at home. She was born March 10, 1926, in Plant City, to Joshua and Ethel (Bohannon) Aldermen and was lifelong resident of the area. She married Claude Balliet, who is deceased. Mrs. Balliet was a member of First Baptist Church of Dover. She was a loving, caring mother and grandmother, to a son, Philip C. Balliet (Bonnie); seven daughters Judith Thomas (Jerry), Marilyn Duclos-Balliet (Michael), Sherril Blanton (Norman), Wanda McClelland (Reese), Lucinda English (Rodney), Bonnie B. Wilson (Art) and Ginger Pickern (Danny); four brothers; two sisters; 16 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and a slew of nieces and nephews. A funeral service took place
July 21, at First Baptist Church of Dover Chapel. Burial took place at East Oaklawn Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the church. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
William “Bill” Ciganik
William “Bill” Ciganik, 83, of Plant City, died July 1, 2014, at Melech Hospice House. Born June 24, 1931, in Ionia, Mich., he was the son of William J. Ciganik and Mary (Panik) Ciganik. Mr. Ciganik owned his own body shop in Greenville, Mich., for 20 years, before moving to Florida. His hobbies included fishing, woodworking and golf. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Karen; daughters, Victoria (James) Schultz, Becky (Joe) Wright and Pam
Ciganik; son, Kevin Ciganik; siblings, Lilly Rinvelt, MaryAnn Bies and Jerry (Donna) Ciganik; sister-in-law, Jane Ciganik; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother, John; sister, Marge (Merv); and daughter-in-law, Sharon. Memorial contributions may be made to LifePath Hospice, Temple Terrace. Inurnment at Florida National Cemetery, in Bushnell. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Thomas Abraham Cole
Thomas Abraham Cole, 85, of Plant City, died July 6, 2014. He was a loving son, husband, father and papa. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sophronia; children, Wayne and Margie, Steve and Patricia, Mearle-Susan and Gordon Saylor, Rex and Sharon, and Walt and Tina; nine grandchildren, 17 greatgrandchildren; and siblings, Ida, Jim, Sara, Kermit, Roy, Marvin and Irene. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Tom and Cora Lee; sisters, Francis, Sevella, SereIla and Ruby Nell. A Celebration of Life was held July 10, at Hopewell Funeral Home, Plant City. Interment followed at Hopewell Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to LifePath Hospice, Development Dept., 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300, Temple Terrace, FL 33637. Online condolences may be made to the family at WeCare. io.
Louise Emily Hill
Louise Emily Hill, 79, of Plant City, died June 29, 2014, at home. She is survived by two daughters, Sandra Conner (Tom Burnham) and Kim Thomas; two sons, John Anderson (Gail) and Richard Anderson (Darlene); a sister,
Jackie Race (Charles); a brother, James Nottle; a sister-inlaw, Joy Nottle; 12 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. A memorial service was July 2, at Wells Memorial & Event Center. Arrangements under the direction of Wells Memorial and Event Center. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Edna Mae King
Edna Mae Rogers King, “Grandma King,” died July 17, 2014. Born April 28, 1927, in Plant City, Ms. King worked for 35 years at Hav-A-Tampa Cigar Company, in Tampa. Ms. King was also a volunteer for the Foster Grandparent Program in the Hillsborough County school system for 11 years and was known as “Grandma King.” She was a lifelong resident of Plant City. Survivors include her son, Lawrence King Jr. (Anh); daughters, Marie King, Mary Leta Schumacher (Darryl) and Sue Ryan (Mark); four grandchildren, Chris, Cory, Melissa, Jessica; and five great-grandchildren, Cheyenne, Ramell, Zachary, Raven and Haley. A funeral service took place July 21, at Wells Memorial and Event Center, Plant City. Burial took place at Mt. Enon Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Wayne Morrison
Wayne Morrison, 63 of Plant City, died July 12, 2014. Born March 16, 1951, in Plant City, he was the son of the late Wendel and Mary Deiro Morrison. Mr. Morrison was an avid fisherman and hunter. Survivors include a brother, Harold (Debbie) Morrison Jr.; cousins, Sue Rowell, Pat Campbell, JoAnn Boothe, Pat-
sy Rose and Barbara Franques; nieces, Jennifer Parker and Jacquie Raczinski; great niece, Kara Raczinski; great nephew, Kyle Raczinski; and many other beloved family members. A memorial gathering took place July 19, at the home of Barbara Franques. A private burial service will take place at a later date. If so desired, donations may be made to Springhead Elementary School, 3208 Nesmith Road Plant City, FL. 33566. Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome.com.
Dawn O’Hara
Dawn O’Hara, 51, of Dover, died July 12, 2014. She was a loving wife, mother and grammy. She is survived by her husband of 34 years, David; children, Yana Hooker (Andrew) and Joshua O’Hara (Amber); grandchildren, Zachary, Ryleigh, Matthew, Abigail and Jonathan; parents, John Sr. and Hilda Riddick; and siblings, April Riddick, Howard Riddick, Jr. (Jennifer), Melanie Dillingham and Jason Riddick (Jamie); and many family and friends. A Celebration of Life was held July 15, at Shiloh Baptist Church, Plant City. Interment at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City. Online condolences may be made to the family at WeCare. io.
Jane Oparowski
Jane Oparowski, 81, died July 15, 2014, in Sun City Center. She was born in Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Oparowski was a school teacher and worked most recently with the children of the Guardian ad Litem Program for Florida. Mrs. Oparowski was very adventurous and enjoyed traveling, was a keen sailor and even became a private pilot at age 65. She is survived by three daughters, Barbara Fulghum, Lynne Willis (Jody) and Susan Palmer; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill.
A memorial service took place July 19, at Wells Memorial & Event Center, Plant City. Memorials to LifePath Hospice, 908 American Eagle Blvd., Sun City Center, FL. 33573. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsmemorial.com.
Kenneth Ray Zody
Kenneth Ray Zody, 79, died on July 18, 2014, in Plant City. He was born March 22, 1935, in Nashville, Ind., to Howard S. and Sarah Alice (Robertson) Zody. He married Susie (Crabtree) on Dec. 23, 1956, at the Nashville Christian Church, in Indiana. Mr. Zody was a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for six years before he started his teaching career. Mr. Zody first started teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Nashville and later moved to Nashville High School. After a few years, Mr. Zody moved to the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, in Indianapolis, where he was a principal and retired in 1990 as an assistant superintendent of the school district. Memberships include the American Legion and Indiana University Alumni Association. Mr. Zody had many adventures during his life and was an avid fisherman. For more than 10 years, he enjoyed ballroom dancing half-way around the world with his favorite partner and wife of 58 years, Susie, who survives. Survivors also include two daughters, Kimberly K. Zody and Karri Beth Bomberger (Rick); a son, Joseph H. Zody; four grandsons, Blake Giant, Spencer McNelly, Sumner Zody and Hudson Zody; four granddaughters, Meredith King (Michael), Allie McNelly, Whitney Herring (Kenderic) and Zyla Zody; two greatgrandchildren, Karson and Haeven Herring; four brothers, Richard Zody (Marilyn), Frank Zody (Brenda), Marrie Zody (Avis) and John Zody (Rebecca); and a sister-in-law, Karen Zody. Online condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Ethan Pues shows strength on offense and defense. 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014
haircuts, heelflips
QUEEN OF THE RING by Joey Knight | Tampa Bay Times
by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
New shop links style to boards
Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
WOMEN’S BASEBALL
+ Dawson makes U.S. trials roster
Jairus Rutherford and Jay Zengotita recently opened Second 2 None Barbershop and Skate Supply in Plant City.
Kendall Dawson is now one step closer to going to Japan this September. USA Baseball announced the former Alabama and Plant City High School catcher made the cut for the 40-woman team trials roster and is one of six players representing Florida. After next month’s trials in Malibu, Calif., the roster will be pared down to 20 players. If Dawson survives that round of cuts, she’ll officially be a member of Team USA for the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup. The trials will be held from Aug. 18 to 21 and, after the final cuts are made, the team will begin training from Aug. 22 to 28, at Pepperdine University.
Who would have thought a barbershop and a skate-supply shop could coexist in the same storefront? That would be Jairus Rutherford, who is hoping that Second 2 None Barbershop and Skate Supply can help revive Plant City’s skateboarding culture. The Plant City native already has one store in Lakeland, which has been successful enough to make this expansion work. “I just wanted to bring something new, somewhere nice for the people to go,” Rutherford says. “Barber shops are kind of scarce over here, so we wanted to bring something new and something different. With the barber shop and skate supply, it’s something different. I think Plant City’s just ready for it.” Second 2 None may be the first franchise of its kind
LITTLE LEAGUE
+ DeFuniak Springs wins state title It was a good weekend for the DeFuniak Springs Senior Softball All-Stars, which took the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex by storm and won the state title. The Section 1 champions were the only team to shut out both of its opponents in the early rounds, though runner-up East Orange came close — surrendering only three. Lake Wales looked good for a while, especially in a 23-8 clobbering of Port St. Lucie, but a 9-2 loss to East Orange sealed their fate. In the championship game, DeFuniak Springs cruised to a 9-2 win over East Orange and had the state title locked up by lunch time. For complete tournament results, go to www.eteamz. com/PlantCityLL and click on the “All-Stars Dist. 4/ Sect. 4” tab.
+ 9-10 baseball falls short at states The 9-10 Baseball A team, which recently got on a roll and won Section 4, saw its momentum come to a halt last weekend. The boys competed in the state tournament at DeLeon Park, in Fort Myers, and were swept out of the tournament in three games. After a 6-0 loss to Oviedo in the July 18 tournament opener, Plant City nearly came up with a win over new state champion Fort Pierce on Saturday. However, the team ended up losing, 8-5 and then took a 12-2 loss at the hands of tournament host Fort Myers. Had Plant City beaten Fort Pierce, then the Section 2 champions wouldn’t have been able to win state — Oviedo recorded a 7-0 shutout on Saturday afternoon, preventing a Fort Pierce clean sweep. For complete results, visit floridallb.com/brackets_state/bb_09-10.php.
SEE SKATE / 13
Photos by Daniel Wallace | Tampa Bay Times
Chevelle Hallback won in a TKO against Dominga Olivo during the fifth bout of the World Boxing Federation Thunder at the Forum boxing match June 13, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
FISTS OF STEEL After three years away from the ring, Plant City native Chevelle Hallback defeated her most recent foe in just two rounds. Now, at 42, Hallback says it’s HBO or bust.
B
ulldog Boxing and Fitness occupies part of a warehouse complex on a remote rural patch where east Tampa nudges against Brandon. A gym still in its crawling stage, it remains more tidy than dingy. None of the chains bearing the weight of the nine heavy bags squeal. The floorboards of the gym’s lone ring emit nary a creak. The three semitrailer truck tires, which patrons use for flipping, appear factory fresh. The place is devoid of grime. But not grit. Its most famous occupant, bearing down on her 43rd birthday, sees to that. “Honestly, I feel the same way I felt when I was 21 or 22,” said Plant City native Chevelle Hallback. “Every now and then when I get up, I feel a little stiffness, and I have to
stretch. But, once I get my day going, I feel fine. And I thank God for youthfulness.” Hallback, who has no spouse, no kids and apparently no dimmer switch, has just capped her early-evening workout with 500 sit-ups. Before that, she skipped rope, worked the speed bags and pounded the mitts of trainer Nino Kercado while shuffling and weaving inside the ring. “She fight like a man,” Kercado, a 43-year-old Puerto Rico native, says in slightly disheveled English. “She gonna be 43 years old, but the way she fight, she don’t get hit a lot.” Mercifully, this is Hallback’s night off, otherwise she would head directly from the gym to a U.S. Postal Service distribution center near Port Tampa Bay, where she handles and hauls mail from 8 p.m. to 4:30
Chevelle Hallback, left, unleashes against Dominga Olivo June 13, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, in Tampa.
FAST FACTS CHEVELLE HALLBACK HEIGHT: 5 feet 6 AGE: 42 NICKNAME: Fists of Steel RECORD: 29-8-2 with 12 KOs TITLE: World International Boxing Association super featherweight and light welterweight
Justin Kline
Jairus Rutherford and Jay Zengotita cut hair and sell skateboard supplies in the same building.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
What makes skateboarding scene work?
If only first-class opposition arrived in bulk. To the contrary, this welterweight civil servant must scour ZIP codes to find a foe. “Nobody wants to fight her,” says Billy Calogero, Hallback’s New York-based manager. “It goes back to the old saying, risk versus reward, and Chevelle Hallback is an extremely high risk for any female fighter.” Some nights, risk indirectly gets rewarded. In Hallback’s most recent bout, June 13 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, she dispatched of Dominga Olivo within two rounds. She and Calogero say her four-figure purse was less than that of Oliva, who entered with a losing record. It was Hallback’s first match in nearly three years, improving her career mark to 29-8-2 with 12 knockouts. “I fought for peanuts,” she says.
Whether we like it or not, skateboarding culture has its fingerprints just about everywhere these days. Influential celebrities such as Lil Wayne have taken notice, starting their own companies (such as Trukfit) and planting roots in the scene to draw up some success. Skater fashion has moved its wares from the JUSTIN skate shops KLINE and mags to Dillard’s and Nordstrom, among others. The Internet has made it incredibly easy for anyone with a great video part to get a ton of attention, and plenty of these videos have gone viral around the world. Tony Hawk was able to turn one idea for a video game into a multimillion dollar franchise. After athletic apparel giant Nike got into the skating scene and gave out some shoe deals, Adidas and New Balance jumped right in. And, the X Games draw in worldwide talent for a competition that can only be compared to the Olympic Games. So, why doesn’t skating get
SEE HALLBACK / 14
SEE KLINE / 12
a.m. For all her success inside the ring — including four world titles — boxing hardly pays all the bills.
BOB AND WEAVE
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
KLINE / FROM 11 the respect it deserves? Probably because too many people outside of the scene tend to frown upon it. It’s not seen so much as a sport as it is a nuisance, with troublemaking kids, vandalism and trespassing firmly entrenched in public opinion. Some cities, such as Lakeland, are skater-friendly, but others haven’t exactly been embracing it. That confuses me. It’s hugely popular and, when the right tools and rules are in place, can generate money. I wanted to know about Plant City’s scene, of which I’m not too familiar, so I sat down with the Second 2 None Barbershop and Skate Supply crew to talk about it. “The skate scene, I’ve heard it’s popular here but kind of an underground thing,” Jairus Rutherford says. “A lot of the people here actually go to Skate Park of Tampa to skate the courses over there.” That park, commonly called SPOT, is one of the most
well-known in the country. It’s even been featured in the video game “Tony Hawk’s Underground,” as part of a fictionalized Tampa level. It’s not always convenient for East Hillsborough skaters to travel there frequently, though, and Plant City’s park — located next to the basketball courts at Mike E. Sansone Community Park — is apparently not what local skaters want. “I know, from the past, that the skate scene has definitely died down a lot,” Jay Zengotita says. “I guess it’s from the fact that the park isn’t being marketed as it should be, and that it’s a little outdated. A lot of things prohibit the kids here from having as many skate areas, like a Skate Street, things like that.” According to Zengotita, the park doesn’t conform to modern skateboarding like Lakeland Skate Park. “It’s very minimal — there’s not much you can do,” he says. “And, it’s not too good for a beginner — everything’s real big, and it’s tough for someone new to get comfort-
able riding. Very intimidating.” The ideal skate park, he says, would feature some smaller ramps and a much more street-friendly design. “There’s a lot of things that have changed as skating has evolved,” he says. “Like, pool riding — Lakeland has the bowls and things like that, the pool there, where kids can skate. The layout is a little oldschool — things have definitely changed the way people skate, and the layouts.” There’s more that a lot of places could do to foster the culture and reap the benefits. One of the only differences between skateboarding and other sports is the fact that football, basketball and other sports have plenty of quality places to play, and plenty of community support — if skating got that kind of encouragement, then I believe it could really help a community. As a former skater, I’d love to see Plant City strike up a better relationship with its skaters and encourage kids to go out there and shred safely.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
ETHAN PUES
The 9-10 Baseball A team made a great run through the playoffs, winning both the District 14 and Section 4 championships before playing in last weekend’s state tournament. Although all of the boys played well over the past few weeks, outfielder Ethan Pues’s consistent hitting and good defense led to his nomination. How good have the past few weeks been for you? Pretty good. Winning the Section 4 tournament was pretty cool. Coach (Jeff) Conyers said you did pretty well in the state tournament, too. Yeah. I made some jumping catches in the outfield. You also did pretty well at the plate. What’s your secret? Just keeping my eye on the ball and, if it’s in the strike zone, trying to make good contact. You and your friends just spent a lot of time on the road, traveling to different tournaments. What are some of your favorite memories from the trips? Jumping in the pool at our hotel. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fort Myers. It was before the games. Do you play any other sports? Football and basketball. I do a little bit of tennis. I play football for the Plant City Dolphins, and I’m trying out for wing back right now. I also play offensive end. My favorite position to play is middle linebacker. I play basketball at the Plant City YMCA. I just started tennis. It’s just fun to try to hit it back and forth. What else do you like to do for fun? I like to swim with my cousin, over at my house. I play soccer on the Xbox. You play a lot of FIFA? Who’s your team? I play a lot with Argentina, and different teams. I like (Lionel) Messi — I have a little
Messi shirt at my house. So, you like FIFA, but don’t play soccer? No. I played soccer once, when I was little. What are your favorite movies? “Benchwarmers.” My favorite part is in the beginning, when the three guys just started playing baseball. Just before they kicked somebody’s kids off the field, the pitcher tried to do a softball pitch. He didn’t know where it went, but it came back and hit him back on the head. He threw it up, and he’s like, ‘Where did it go?’ And then it came down and hit him. What are your favorite TV shows? “Duck Dynasty.” Uncle Si is my favorite. What’s your favorite sports team? The Milwaukee Brewers. My dad is from Wisconsin. My favorite player is Ryan Braun. If you could play for any pro team, what would it be? The Brewers. I’d want to play shortstop. What are your favorite books? “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” It’s about a kid named Greg, and his life. Where do you go to school? Walden Lake Elementary. I’m going into fifth grade. Are you going to play in the kickball tournament? Yes. I like to play shortstop. Favorite subject? Math. I’m just good at it. What’s your favorite food? Bacon. I just like eating bacon, regular.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
JOINING THE TEAM
Think you’ve got what it takes to skate competitively? Apply at the shop’s website, second2nonebarbershop.com, and send in some video footage of your best tricks.
SKATE / FROM 11 anywhere, but it didn’t get to be so unique overnight. Although Rutherford had a lingering love of skating from his youth, the shop itself came to be when he followed another passion.
GOING WITH THE FLOW
Back in Rutherford’s day, it was incredibly hard for skateboarders to get the exposure needed to go pro. “It was different, back then,” he says. “Now, you have the Internet, social media, stuff like that. Word can travel a lot faster now than it could back then. As far as going pro back then, your chances were almost, like, one out of a million.” So, he and his friends skated at schools, streets and driveways around Plant City just for fun. He originally wanted to go into education, but another of his hobbies caught up with him first. A barber since age 14, Rutherford simply never brought himself to stop cutting hair. “It’s just that I was cutting since I was young,” he says. “Everything I got, I got it from barbering. It was just something that I couldn’t really get away from, because I was always doing it. It was, like, my lunch money, my school clothes, all of that stuff.” Working out of Plant City, he moved to a shed by Snowden Park and cut hair on weekends. Eventually, he gained enough clients and capital to move his operation to his house. As his business grew, he was able to open Second 2 None in Lakeland. To make it stand out from other barbershops, though, Rutherford wanted to give his shop a unique theme. He
settled on skateboarding and expanded to include clothes, decks, wheels and other gear. Coincidentally, Lakeland’s skating scene was blooming with the opening of Lakeland SkatePark. The city’s acceptance of the sport — shown most notably with last month’s InnoSkate event — allowed the scene to grow, bringing kids to the park instead of the streets and helping businesses such as Rutherford’s bring in revenue. He hopes to one day turn it into a prominent chain, like SportClips, and knew Plant City was the logical second stop. “Hopefully, having a shop here, it’s going to help revive it by allowing the kids to come here to buy stuff,” Jay Zengotita says. They’d have to go to Brandon, or Tampa, or Lakeland to get their stuff.”
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Zengotita, the Plant City shop’s only other employee, is also a barber and former skater who didn’t want to lose his connection to the culture. “It’s good to go out there and skate, to gain the respect of the people that are out there,” he says. “Especially the newer generation — they need people to look up to. Being out there, being positive, it’s definitely good to give a positive outlook to these new kids that are coming up there and skating.” A Lakeland native, Zengotita was initially one of Rutherford’s clients before becoming a business partner. Now, one month into the Plant City shop’s existence, he and Rutherford believe the local skating scene has the potential to grow into something bigger, to perhaps come out of its shell. Their goal is to promote a good public perception of the sport, beyond simply recruiting skaters for the Second 2
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
SAY WHAT? It’s easy for one to listen to skaters talk about their craft for two minutes and get completely lost. There’s a lot of jargon that’s unique to the sport. Fortunately, we’re here to help translate some of it. STREET SKATING: Skating in the streets or sidewalks. In parks or contests, there’s often a course set up with small ramps, boxes and rails. VERT SKATING: Skating on big half-pipes, quarterpipes and similar ramps, catching big air. Tony Hawk, the world’s most famous skater, is best-known for this style. REGULAR STANCE: Left foot in the front, right foot in the back — as opposed to Goofy stance, which is the opposite. SWITCH STANCE: After landing a trick with at least a 180-degree spin, skating with your opposite foot forward. MONGO: Pushing your skateboard with your front foot, as opposed to your back foot. TRUCKS: Think of them as the axles of a skateboard. OLLIE: A basic jump. GRIND: After jumping onto a rail or ledge, sliding on either the board or its trucks for a period of time. MANUAL: Balancing on one set of wheels. FLATLAND/FREESTYLE: Making the most out of a flat surface with manuals, and any tricks that come from manuals. Florida native Rodney Mullen has made a long, storied career out of this. KICKER: A small ramp used in street skating. Plastic ones can be found at many sporting goods stores.
None competitive team. One of their ideas, if the city allows it, is to host a back-to-school parking lot jam, complete with ramps, rails and a half-pipe. “We do a back-to-school drive, so we thought it would be cool to bring the half-pipe and do a mini ramp jam in the parking lot and give away school supplies,” Rutherford says. “We want to let people know that we’re the new, cool
barbershop and skate supply in Plant City.” Beyond that, both men hope the shop can be the hub of the Plant City scene. They hope that giving skaters a place to go besides Mike E. Sansone Community Park will help them focus on their skateboarding and stay out of trouble. “I would say it’s a place where they can get good advice,” Rutherford says. “A place where we could have kids come by instead of just being out doing nothing but getting in trouble. Why not stop by the barbershop and talk about skating? We could keep kids out of trouble.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
HOME RUN by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Port St. Lucie only got lucky a few times against Lake Wales.
Randy Larson Four-Plex hosts state softball tourney Plant City got a piece of the Senior Softball state tournament action, hosting the threeday event July 18 to 20, at the
Randy L. Larson Four-Plex. In the end, DeFuniak Springs came out on top by soundly winning all three of its games.
Lake Wales got aggressive on the basepaths.
HALLBACK / FROM 11 “And I did it just to fight at home.” Peanuts and a precedent. They pretty much explain why Hallback chooses to bob and weave her way around middle age’s figurative jabs. On this humid July evening, inside this fledgling gym, Hallback trains for a fight that may not materialize. She and Calogero are hopeful for a match on an Aug. 22 card at the Times Forum, but nothing has been guaranteed. If a quality foe emerges, and if Hallback can win, maybe it will move her a step closer to her ultimate goal: a showcase bout on HBO. “A female has never fought on HBO when it was televised,” she says. “I’m a person of faith, and I believe there’s somebody out there that’s going to see me and say, ‘You know what, we’re going to make it happen for her.’”
A CHAMP IS BORN
A military vagabond whose stepdad served in the U.S. Army, Hallback was born in Plant City and spent a chunk of her childhood there. A cousin of former Tampa Catholic prep football All-American and bigleague outfielder Kenny Kelly, she recalls attending BurneySimmons and Robinson elementary schools as well as Turkey Creek Junior High. But, she also spent hitches in Monterey, Calif., the Kentucky-Tennessee border and Stuttgart, Germany, where she graduated from high school.
Her fascination with boxing was spawned before she knew long division. One night, well after her 9 p.m. bedtime, she sneaked out from beneath her covers upon hearing her parents repeatedly yell, “Hit him back, hit him back,” from the master bedroom. They were watching one of the Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks fights on live television. “I was like, ‘I can do that, I can do that. That’s easy,’” Hallback recalled. It took nearly two decades for the fascination to segue into obsession. On a Saturday night in March 1996, Hallback discovered boxer Christy Martin — a coal miner’s daughter who wore pink attire into the ring — on the Mike TysonFrank Bruno undercard. “I immediately got excited and was like, ‘Oh my God,’” Hallback said. Two days later, she went to a gym on Bearss Avenue and declared her desire to be a boxer. Eleven months later, she made her pro debut, stopping Connie Plosser in the first round in Miami. Less than 13 months after that, she had won the Women’s International Boxing Federation featherweight crown with a seventh-round TKO of Bonnie Canino in Fort Lauderdale. “She don’t fight like a regular female,” said Bulldog Boxing proprietor “Silky” Wilky Campfort, a male middleweight with a 17-1 pro record. “She’s real slick with her punches, with her movement, with her speed,” he
A South Putnam pitcher throws against DeFuniak Springs.
said. “She’s very smart. Sometimes, I’ll go in there and spar with her. She makes me think more than when I spar with the guys.”
HBO, BABY
After winning her first championship, she captured three more crowns — from three different governing bodies — over the next 13 years. Yet she’d trade every acronym emblazoned on her title belts — WIBF, IBA, IFBA, WIBA — for the most elusive one. “HBO, baby,” she says. This is what inspires the predawn runs, the weightlifting, the identical tattoos on her upper arms. Hallback, nicknamed “Fists of Steel,” has that moniker etched around a fist smashing a pane of glass. The metaphor is as vivid as the artwork. She desperately wants to break through. Another win or two increases the odds of a rematch against undefeated Cecilia Braekhus, who won a controversial 10-round decision against Hallback in a welterweight unification bout three years ago in Denmark. That matchup might, just might, be appealing enough to persuade HBO to showcase a women’s bout. As long as hope lingers, Hallback is mailing nothing in. “I keep thanking God, because it seems like He’s restoring my youthfulness in order for me to reach my goal,” Hallback said. “Once my body starts saying, ‘Hey, retire, no more,’ then I will stop.”
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª
PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
THURS. July 17
.24
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
July 18
.14
SAT.
Fri., July 25 Sat., July 26 Sun., July 27 Mon., July 28 Tues., July 29 Wed., July 30 Thurs., July 31
July 19
0.00
SUN.
July 20
0.00
MON.
July 21
0.09
TUES.
July 22
0.01
WED.
July 23
0.00
JULY
TO DATE
7.68 (2013: 4.92)
YEAR
TO DATE 18.87 (2013: 24.64)
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HIGH 91 93 93 93 91 90 90
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Fri., July 25 Sat., July 26 Sun., July 27 Mon., July 28 Tues., July 29 Wed., July 30 Thurs., July 31
SUNRISE 6:47 a.m. 6:48 a.m. 6:48 a.m. 6:49 a.m. 6:49 a.m. 6:50 a.m. 6:50 a.m.
SUNSET 8:23 p.m. 8:23 p.m. 8:22 p.m. 8:21 p.m. 8:21 p.m. 8:20 p.m. 8:20 p.m.
LOW 74 74 75 75 74 73 73
MOON PHASES
Aug. 10
Aug. 17
OKRA SHIPPING POINT: ORLANDO SIZE 1/2 bushel ctns
LOW $12.35
HIGH $12.85
Aug. 25
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture Aug. 3
, 3&
Eddie Lancaster submitted this image of a bee visiting a nearby flower for some nectar. 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.
BEFORE THE CIA
By Gary Cooper | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Kind of infection 6 Prime meridian hrs. 9 Yarn irregularity 13 Dangerous African insect 19 Kin of a tsunami 20 Con’s counterpart 21 Emmy winner Fey 22 Classic cause of a fall 23 Curly’s job in “City Slickers” 25 Wing-shaped 26 Raise a design on 27 Abdominal protrusion 28 Asst. foreman of a work crew 31 “Oh, what’s the ___?” 32 Like a storybook George 35 ___-de-camp 36 Recycling container 37 Bad place for witches 40 Valley for vintners 41 McIntosh, e.g. 44 Rotation line 45 Horse kin 46 City of seven hills 49 Units of volume 50 Outer edge 51 Entr’___ 52 Spot for a facial 53 They may be counted or cut 54 Large seabird 57 Like a Keebler spokesman 59 Rory ___ (Irish rebel) 62 God with a hammer 63 Where to stand and deliver? 65 Compound with multiple forms 66 Extreme anger 69 Rat’s residence 71 Total before deductions 73 Mother of Helen of Troy
74 76 78 80 81 82 87 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 99 101 102 103 104 106 107 110 114 116 117 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127
French schools One lacking in pigment Mozart’s Trojan princess Word with “circus” or “blitz” “When ___ said and done ...” Stumble upon Ridicule “___ the season to be jolly” “Clair de ___” (Debussy) “The Raven” poet Seafood sauce Quiet “Over here!” Ungentlemanly sort Informal name for money A Washington monument “A likely story!” Not spoken Magnanimous Stand for the deceased Cheesy dish “That’s marvelous!” Motor racing sport Familiar with Where some aisles end Low poker hand Seaweed used in home brewing Home on the range River into the North Sea Word partnered with neither Pertaining to the kidneys Emphasize Monster’s loch Word before “whiz” or “willikers” Emcee’s opening lines
DOWN 1 Brother of Cain 2 Allowance for weight
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 29 30 33 34 37 38 39 42 43 45 47 48 51 53 55 56 58 60 61 64 65 66 67 68 70
Petri-dish gel Royal titles Balloon filler Local mail ctr. Post-wedding title Hard-to-predict outcome Ranking symbol Wallace of Reader’s Digest Not in the know A real doll Homers can reach them Bottom-line figures Tidal movement Causing difficulty Bullies might pick on them Ruhr Valley city Slot machine symbol More than one 112-Down ___ favorite (likely winner) About to happen Desert watering holes Poet Teasdale Leaf-to-branch angle Life partner? Chihuahua’s money Tooth next to a canine Word puzzle heading ___ page Speak evil of Olympics entrant (Abbr.) It can be a stretch Artist studios Compete in a bee Commotion “Stop” hue Historic time Circles 75-Down Castaway’s home Dream acronym Bullet in a deck Cinderella, to a certain fairy Corduroy rib
© 2013 Universal Uclick
72 75 77 79 81 83 84 85 86 88 90
Curved Fifth-largest planet Sister and wife of Osiris What makes a drink clink Deft Tummy trouble Barrel-conscious grp. Songs for one Rectangular paving stone Metrical feet Uses a swizzle stick
93 94 96 98 100 101 102 105 107
Eight-line verse form Bed linen, but not linen Some estate security workers Start under new management Predicating Month after Elul Regatta entrants Commuter’s option Greek war god
108 109 111 112 113
BBQ entree Metallic rocks “Stop that!” Old autocrat Viking Ship Museum locale 115 Big primate 118 Fish eggs 119 See 66-Across
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . W H A X Q H ’ Y H B Q U E AW J O D Z D O V B F D E W U B AW J O D C Q DYA : Y R H V R H V Q F G D H D U V D . X D C B A Z B D G Q O O M K B H AO M G H B F A B B F Q V X K R . 2 . J Y T H T F T S A K M K W N PA J FAQ N U A E M Y N L J I H A P J M AT E T L M A E B O J M P Y N K . Y N L N F M H J Q Q N U I B J P H T O A E S P T G W N M A M T H P J F FA E S YA G J K G J F F - M AG N T W N H J M T H .
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª*5,9ª ª